Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist. I don't even own the plot of this story. Hence the "parody" category.
A/N: I have an old teacher's book stored away with several children's stories. I've only seen a few episodes of FMA, but I noticed that Ed and Al have a deep brotherly bond. So I chose this story to display Ed's responsibility as a big brother. Enjoy the fluff.
Al's Bear
The Dirty Bear
Edward had a baby brother named Alphonse.
Al had a big toy bear named Bear.
It was a big, white bear with a large dark black ribbon. Al liked him very much. He played with him inside on the floor and outside on the sidewalk. Everywhere he went, Al took his bear.
After a while, Bear was dirty all over. And his dirty black ribbon was not pleasant at all.
One day Ed's mother looked at the bear.
"Al," she said. "That bear is so dirty I can't look at it any more. Here, let me have it. We'll get you a new one."
"No!" cried baby Al. "My Bear! My Bear!"
Ed said, "Al doesn't want a new bear. He only likes his old one."
"I know that," said Ed's mother. "But just look at it!"
Ed had a thought. He went to get some of his own money.
Then he said, "Mother, I'm taking Al out for a walk. Come on, Al."
"Be back soon," said Mother.
Ed took his baby brother's hand.
"Come on," said Al, pulling his big, dirty white bear down the steps.
Ed and Al walked up the street and around the corner to a store. It was not a toy store. It was a place where people came to wash clothes.
"Look, Al," said Ed. "We'll put your bear in this washing machine. He will go for a swim and get clean at the same time."
"Swim!" said Al.
In went the bear. Ed put money into the machine, and it started to go.
"Stay here and watch your bear, Al. I have to get some soap," Ed said.
Al stood still. He watched the bear in the washing machine. "My Bear," he said with a smile.
The Clean Bear
When Ed came back, Al had his nose at the window of the washing machine.
The big dirty bear was going around and around. The washing machine was full of water.
"My bear," said Al. "My Bear."
All at once he started to cry.
"Don't cry," Ed said. "The bear is having fun. Here, you can help me put in the soap. It will make your bear all clean."
He opened the box and gave it to him.
In went the soap. Ed went to sit down. Al stood and watched the bear through the round window. Around and around went the bear on his swim. Soon the soap began to bubble up in the washing machine. Al laughed. He liked the bubbles.
Soon there were so many bubbles that Al could not see his bear at all.
"My Bear! My Bear!" Al said. He started to cry again.
Ed came running. "Don't cry," he said. Just then the soap bubbles came up and over the machine.
"Oh, no!" said Ed. "I must have put in too much soap for just one bear."
Little by little, the bubbles went away. Little by little, Al stopped crying. At last the washing machine stopped.
When they took out the bear, it was bright and clean.
But it was not white.
It was gray!
"Oh, no!" said Ed. "I forgot to take off the black ribbon. The black of the ribbon ran into the white of the bear and made him gray."
Ed was afraid that Al would cry when he saw the gray bear.
But Al was happy to get his bear out of the machine.
"My Bear! My Bear!" he cried. He wanted to take his bear in his arms.
"Not yet," said Ed. "We have to get the bear dry. He's going on a hot ride now."
So, into the dryer went the bear. Around and around went the big gray bear.
When the dryer stopped, Ed took the gray bear out. The bear was warm and dry now, but he was not big. He was small.
"Oh, no," Ed thought. "That dryer was too hot for the bear. It made the bear get smaller! Now Al will start to cry again."
But Al didn't cry at all. His Bear had gone for a swim. Then he had gone for a hot ride. And now he had him back again, in his arms.
Ed took his baby brother's hand. "It's time to go home," he said.
"Go," said Al.
When they got home, Mother looked at the bear.
"Where did you get that handsome little gray bear?" she said.
"We got it from a washing machine," said Ed.
"My Bear," said Al. "My Bear."