So I really enjoyed the FMA movie, but I wished they'd at least been alchemists at the end. Lol And I think just one little hug between Ed and Al while both in human bodies couldn't have hurt. JAnywho, I wrote this shortly after finishing the first anime. It's been sitting around on my computer forever. Not beta read, so if you're interested, let me know. There's another chapter that comes after this for episode 51. Reviews make me happy!Hope you like it!
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All Edward could make out were small black bodies everywhere, they were breaking down the body of the other Edward, and pulling his soul and mind in different directions. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't; He had no body. No lungs to fill with air, no vocal cords to give his breath sound, and no mouth to let it out.
So was this what death was? You're pulled apart, dismantled until there's nothing left of you? He thought it would have been more peaceful. The darkness was thickening so that nothing shown through it, and he could no longer feel or make out the little black bodies that were dissolving his borrowed body. He hoped it hadn't been this bad for Al.
He struggled to think of his brother, trying to remember why he had to get back to him (after all, if he wasn't here, then why worry?), but It was impossible to focus on anything, his mind was full to bursting with information. Ed could feel his mind being pulled farther and farther away, but it didn't hurt. As the darkness grew more dense, the pain lessened.
Through one of the remaining small gaps in the darkness, he caught a glimpse of something he knew he recognized, though his mind was so far away, the information couldn't reach him. It was easier to just let it go; it hurt to try to call his mind back. If he focused on one of the small strands still holding his soul to his mind, he could feel the tugging and ripping away of that connection, like the tugging and burning as your skin is peeled away . It was better just to let the darkness have it's way with him.
But he knew whatever it was he had seen was important. The more he focused on the tiny connection, the clearer the image became. He knew the burning would be worth it once he remembered, and then he could let himself fade into the numbing darkness again.
He completely focused in on the tiny thread, pulling it towards him just as hard as it was pulling away, ignoring the fire that was consuming him.
He could see it clearly again. He knew the secrets of equivalent exchange. The information moved fast, and he barley had time to take it in, but he knew that he could get Al's body back with the stone, if he could just manage to get back to the gate.
It was the gate. The flash of grey he'd seen was the gate.
He had to get back. His soul and mind were now one, but there was a constant pull, and it was hard to think through the burn and the flashing images. He had to find his body. If it hadn't been dissolved by the darkness, it was probably still at the gate.
He started pushing back towards the direction he thought he had seen the flash of grey stone, pulling his mind along with him.
The darkness was disorienting and thick. It was as if the air had turned to tar. Edward was almost positive he was going in the wrong direction, but there was nothing to do but keep pushing forward, the philosophy he'd lived by since the day he and Al had attempted to transmute their mother.
It felt like it'd take him years to get back to the gate (if he ever found it again). Al would be long gone by the time he got back to the other side. For a moment, Ed thought he was hallucinating; there was light ahead of him, and he could hear screaming, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.
Someone had opened the gate. He thought of his brother's armored body being broken down by the little black creatures, and of his soul being swallowed up by the black tar, and pushed harder.
And then the fire was in full blaze. He knew he was back in his body, he could feel the same little hands clawing at his flesh. When he opened his eyes, his vision was no longer clouded by the blackness. He could see solid stone. He reached out and pushed against the doors. The fire that seemed to be consuming his body grew white hot, but he kept pushing. Dante was still planning on using his brother to move to a new body, he had to keep pushing.
The doors cracked open, and he had to fight to keep himself all in one piece as he pushed against the doors. Then the fire went out, and he could feel smooth, cool ground beneath him.
"Brother?" His mind was blissfully clear and free of the dizzying images.
"Alphonse?" Edward lifted his head. His brother lay in front of him, a transmutation circle glowing blue around him. He looked down at his right arm. "My Automail…? I'm really here." But why had he been able to come back? Had the other Edward's body served as a shield for his soul, feeding the little monsters in the gate, and buying Ed more time to find his real body?
Even if the other Edward could manage to keep his mind and soul together, he had no body to return to. Eventually he'd fade into the darkness, as Ed almost had: one body, mind, and soul traded for another.
"You just won't die, will you, runt? Must be part cockroach. I'll just have to squash you!" Edward turned to see Envy standing not too far off, his hands on his hips, a glint of excitement in his eyes.
"We'll see who squashes who!" Edward yelled, moving to bring his hands together.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Dante called from across the room where she was standing out of harm's way, Rose standing oblivious at her side. "The philosopher's stone has already been activated."
"Who knows what could happen to the rest of it if you use alchemy!" Envy added, with a smirk. "It's just you and me, pipsqueak."
"I'll beat that smug look off your face without alchemy," Edward yelled, pushing himself up, but envy was already beside him. Ed made a noise of pain as Envy landed a sound kick to his side and he felt his ribs crack inside him.
"Brother! Use alchemy! I'll be alright!" Edward gritted his teeth as he held his bruising side.
"I can't afford to, Al. That was a cheap shot, Envy. That gate really takes it out of a guy. Why not give me a second to catch my breath?" The homunculus threw back his head and laughed.
"You really think I'd-"
"Okay, I'm ready!" Ed launched himself at the homunculus, Shoving his automail fist into Envy's face as hard as he could. Envy flew back and landed face first on the ground.
"You little pest." When Envy lifted his face, it was a face Ed recognized, but it didn't belong to the homunculus. "Going to kill me twice, Ed?" Hughes asked.
"You're going to have to do better than that!" Ed threw himself forward again.
"Forgive my lack-luster performance!" Envy yelled, and As he got to his feet, his skinny, androgynous body changed to Hughes's larger uniform-clad body.
"Still not good enough!" Envy narrowly avoided another blow to the face.
"Hard to please, aren't we, pipsqueak? How's this?" His mother now stood before him, smiling sweetly.
"I don't think so. I've already taken care of sloth, remember?" His mother's sweet smile twisted to form Envy's ugly grin.
"Let's see if you can take mommy down twice, then!" The two launched themselves at each other again and again, Edward's opponent changing from His mother to mustang, mustang to Hawkeye, Hawkeye to Izume, Izume to winry. He faltered and Envy was able to land a kick to his other side.
"Getting, warmer, aren't I, Ed!" Envy called in Winry's Cheerful voice.
"Brother!"
"I'm fine, Al. I don't think so, Envy!"
"You are not fine! You need help!" Edward looked over his shoulder at his brother.
"You saying you don't think I can do this without alchemy, Al?"
"No, but you're hurt, and you can't do this alone!"
"It's rude to ignore your opponent, Ed." Envy was charging at him again.
"You can't rely on those faces to distract me forever. I've always wanted to hit Winry back! This is kinda like therapy!" Envy dodged the kick Ed had aimed at his stomach, and stepped to the side.
"Then let's try this out, Brother!" Ed stood frozen. "Let's play!"
"You bastard! How dare you-! How do you know what he-?" For the first time in four years, Edward was face to face with a smiling ten year old Alphonse.
"We've got to know all we can about our enemies, Edward. Your Granny has some very sweet pictures of the two of you up on her wall." Dante called. "Envy, stop playing around and finish him. Gluttony is getting impatient." She said, swatting away the large homunculus's arm as he tried to grab at her dress.
"Yes ma'am." Envy answered in Al's voice, and began running towards Edward again, fists out.
"Ignore him! I'm right behind you, brother! Don't let him mess with you!" Ed nodded and threw himself forward. His brother's fist hit him in the mouth, busting his lip.
"Sorry, Brother! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Envy's face became worried. Edward closed his eyes and hit Envy with his left fist, and then his right, making his nose bleed. "Brother, You're hurting me!" Envy's eyes filled with tears. "Please, stop! Haven't you hurt me enough?" Ed let out a tortured yell as he thrust his Automail fist into Envy's face again, sending him backwards.
"I'm right here!" Al's armor-echoed voice came from behind him. "You've never hurt me, Brother!"
"I know what it feels like to be eaten alive inside the gate, Al. I have hurt you. Why don't you show me what you really look like, Envy? Instead of hiding your ugly face behind the faces of my friends and family!"
"You sure you want to see, Pipsqueak?" Envy's voice came out of Al's mouth. "I don't think you'll like it."
"What's the big deal? You ugly like greed?" Ed smirked.
"The only reason I'd be ugly in this form, is because I'd resemble you, I suppose." Envy's Hair shrunk back into his head, becoming slightly shorter, and turned from green to light blonde. His eyes turned an amber that Ed saw in his father's face as well as in the mirror. "Wasn't so far off when I called you brother earlier, was I?"
"You… You… Stop messing with me!" Ed clenched his fists and went to launch another attack.
"This is my true form, bro."
"He was the failed transmutation of the child of Hoenheim and I. He died of mercury poisoning, and when we couldn't bring him back, you father left me. Envy, finish him! I need to get to that stone!" Dante blasted Gluttony on his back as he went to bite Rose's arm.
"My pleasure. I never did appreciate being replaced!" Envy lunged and knocked Edward back. Just as he was about to pounce, Dante screamed.
"Get off of me, you obese idiot!" Gluttony had attached himself to Dante's arm. She struggled to bring her hands together.
"Stop it, you fat ass!" Envy Changed back to his preferred form and charged at Gluttony. Envy tackled him, and Dante screamed as he tore a chunk out of her arm. Gluttony threw Envy aside and attached himself to her arm again. There was so little Flesh and muscle connecting the mangled limb to her body, that it came clean off when Envy tacked him a second time. Dante screamed as gluttony Slurped down the remainder of her arm.
"Brother!" Ed crawled over to the edge of the transmutation circle.
"You okay, Al?" He looked him over, making sure that no more of his armor had dissolved.
"Yes. How are you? Did he break any bones?"
"I think he cracked my ribs. But that's not important." He reached out to touch Al's armor, then pulled his hand back. "I'll get you out of here somehow, Al. I promise." Dante let out another scream.
"Cut it out, Gluttony!"
"Give him back his mind!" Envy kicked the round homunculus again.
"You idiot!" Dante yelled as the homunculus took more flesh with him. "How can I use alchemy like this?" Dante Clutched at her bleeding side and stumbled back. "I need the stone!"
"He'll eat you before I can get to it!" Envy knocked Gluttony back again. This time, instead of going for Dante, Gluttony ran for Rose, who stood clutching her baby, unaware of what was going on around her.
"Protect her! I need that body!" Dante roared.
"Brother, we need to use the stone."
"What are you talking about?" Ed looked back at his little brother.
"Everything's all set up." Ed's mind was being pulled in two different directions as he tried to take in what his brother was saying, and trying to watch what was going on in the battle in front of them.
"Al, that's too dangerous! I don't know what'll happen if we use the stone while your soul is still attached to it. If we can get out of here, I can figure out a safe way to do this."
"We need to use it before they do. Dante needs a new body right now. If my calculations are right, judging by how much of the stone Tucker used to turn the chimera Human, there should be just enough of me to get our bodies back before it reaches my blood seal. Maybe my soul will be called back to my body once they're all in the same place."
"Al, I won't do it. I've got to help Rose." He stood and turned to see that Gluttony was after Dante again, and Envy had set Rose and her baby off to the side.
"Please, brother. We may not get another chance." Ed turned to look back at Al. "I'm not scared." Ed knelt back beside him.
"But I am."
"Brother, please." Was all Al could say. "We have everything we need right here. It could be our only chance. Please."
"Al, If you were lost in the process-"
"Don't be scared." Al spoke the same words Ed had before they'd transmuted their mother. The transmutation circle and the blood brought it all back; he could smell the chemicals, and see his brother's body dissolving before him. Hysteria began to take over. "You know my calculations are right. Please, brother. I want my body back." Ed sighed. The hysteria that had been creeping up in him faded. He'd made a promise to his brother, and Al did have a point.
"Fine. But we're doing you first."
"But if you get your real arm back your alchemy will be even-"
"It's too risky to use too much of the stone while your soul is still attached, and your body is more important. If I'm going to do this, We're doing it my way." There was a terrible ripping sound from behind them.
"Don't let them use the stone!" Dante shrieked, now an armless, bloody mess. "Stop them!"
"Don't even think about it, runt!" Envy was charging at them now. Dante let out a gurgled scream as her neck was torn out, and then the only thing that could be heard was a ripping and slurping.
"No!" Envy stood frozen for a moment, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Ed closed his eyes, going over the calculations in his head.
"Brother!" Envy was coming toward them.
"Alright!" Ed brought his hands together and touched them to the bottom of Al's armor. Ed couldn't be sure if he'd imagined it, but he was sure he'd heard his brother scream as the ballroom disappeared around them.
"Where are we?" Envy's voice demanded from Ed's side. Ed was kneeling at the gate, the bottom portion of Al's armor in front of him, and Envy at his side.
"At the gate," Ed said more to himself than to Envy. "Al!" Before Ed could lean forward to check if any of the blood seal had come with them, the armor began dissolving, leaving behind what looked like a portion of a tattooed human arm, which quickly melted into a red liquid that formed into what looked like a smooth ruby just as quickly.
The giant doors opened and black greedy hands grabbed the stone.
"What's going on?" Envy yelled. "That's mine! I worked for it!" Envy grabbed onto the stone, trying to pull it free of the black hands, but they began to grab onto him as well. " Make me human!" Envy demanded as he was pulled in along with the philosopher's stone.
"Al?" Ed called into the gate, then fell backwards as a human form began to form inside the doorway. As the body began to become solid, Ed could make out his brother's face. Just as Ed was about to reach out and grab his brother's body, the stone passed the threshold, and Alphonse was thrust into Edwards lap. Envy was still yelling as the doors shut behind him.
"Edward?" He was back in the ballroom, and Rose was kneeling beside him. "What happened?" She was looking down at Al's body now.
"Al?" Edward touched his brother's face. He wasn't cold, but he was stiff. Ed moved his fingers to Al's neck: no pulse. He clutched the body to his chest and leaned forward over the remainder of the armor, panic beginning to set in. "Al?" He turned the helmet so that it faced him. There was no glow in the eye slit. "No." Ed shook his head and looked inside the armor. Half of the blood seal was missing. "No! Al! He brought his fist down on the armor, but it only sparked and rang hollowly. He turned back to the body in his lap. "Al! Wake up!"
"Edward." Rose put her hand on his shoulder.
"I don't understand… what went wrong? My calculation couldn't have been off. I went over them! Damn it!! Al!" He touched his forehead to his brother's hair, fighting off hopelessness and wracking his brains for an answer. "Envy!" Edward looked into Rose's confused eyes. "He must have grabbed onto Al's armor when I traded the stone, and used some of it to follow us." Edward set his brother's body down and stood up.
Gluttony was still sucking the last of Dante's flesh off of her bones. "Get out of here, Rose."
"But what are you going to do?" Rose pulled Al's head onto her lap and wrapped him in her dress skirt.
"I'm getting his soul back."
"But, Ed, that's-"
"Go!" Edward bent down and picked up a jagged piece of rubble and drug the edge across his palm.
"Edward, please, be careful." She tore her skirt and left Al wrapped in the material, then brushed his cheek once before sliding him off her lap and standing up.
"I will." Edward cupped his hand to collect the blood and knelt beside his brother. "I'm sorry about this, Al." He dipped an Autommail finger into the blood pooling in his hand and began to draw a transmutation circle on his brother's chest and forehead, then he drew one on his own forehead, chest, and arm, and on the chest of the armor.
Ed turned to make sure that Rose was gone and that Gluttony was still in his corner, then he turned back to the armor. "Take the rest of the stone, and by taking it, take my arm and leg over again. And if that's not enough, take what you want of mine. Just make him whole again, please." He clapped his hands and touched the armor.
Ed was back in front of the gate, the armor quickly changing forms in front of him, and his brother's body at his side. Once the stone was solid again, the doors opened and the same greedy, black hands reached out and took it. As more hands emerged from the gate, reaching for Ed, he Shoved Al's body behind him, but the stone passed the threshold before they could reach him, and the doors closed.
The doors faded back into the Ballroom. The floor lay bare in front of him, the transmutation circle worn out and faded away in some areas. "Al!" He turned and pulled his brother's body back into his lap and gathered the torn material back around him. "Come on!" The body lay still in his arms.
"You're okay." Rose's hand was on Al's head again.
"Rose, I told you to leave!"
"I couldn't leave until I knew that you two were okay." She began stroking Al's cheek with a maternal sadness in her eyes that Ed didn't like. She looked like a mother morning a lost child. Ed couldn't stand it. He turned his gaze back to Al.
"Get out of here. I'll go back again. Maybe the stone wasn't enough." She turned those sad eyes on Ed.
"Ed, you can't keep-" A ragged, rattling gasp cut her off.
"Alphonse!" He met his brother's terrified gaze. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" Ed began scanning his little brother's body for missing pieces.
"Brother." Al's voice was raspy. "I feel… I can feel." Al stared back with confused eyes.
"That's right, Al. We did it. We got your body back." Ed's eyes began to burn as he looked down on his little brother's face. He was pale, but alive.
"It feels weird." Al gasped again and turned his face into his brother's shirt.
"Are you hurt?" Ed turned his brother's head but his eyes were shut tight. Al didn't answer, he just shook his head.
"Edward, Gluttony." Ed turned to see that wrath was watching them from across the room, a sprawled, bloody mess. Gluttony had abandoned his pile of bones and was now sniffing curiously in their direction. Ed growled and put a hand on the back of his brother's head.
"Rose, can you take Al and get out of here?"
"But what about you?" Rose looked up at him, but Ed kept his eyes on the large homunculus.
"Don't worry about me."
"How are you going to call back the gate?"
"I can use my alchemy now," Ed said with a smirk, "I'll find a way. Can you?" Rose nodded.
"Just promise you'll… be done quickly."
"Brother, what-?" Al turned his unfocused eyes on Ed.
"I'm going to sit you up. Rose, can you support him?" She nodded and Ed pulled Alphonse into a sitting position. Al made a noise of pain and clutched at his head. "I'm sorry. Dizzy?" He asked, placing an hand on either side of his brother's face to steady him. "I know it must be overwhelming to gain back all your senses at once, but you'll get used to it."
Ed clapped his hands and touched them to the ground. A wall sprung up around Gluttony. "That should hold him for now." Ed clapped his hands again and touched them to the fabric Rose had wrapped Alphonse in. It stretched to form clothing.
Ed avoided his brother's confused eyes. He knew it was only a matter of time before he was able to think clearly enough to put together what was going on. "Can you carry him on your back?" Rose nodded and turned for Ed to load Alphonse on. He wrapped His brother's legs securely around Her hips and his arms around her neck.
"Alight, you're ready to go."
Rose stood and turned to face Edward. Al couldn't seem to hold on by himself, he merely slumped over her back while Rose held him in place with her one free arm. "Don't leave him alone for long." Ed smiled.
"I won't." Al was still watching him. He reached out and grabbed onto Edward's shirt.
"Brother-"
"I'll see you in a bit, Al. Go wait with Rose." He said, and easily pulled his shirt free of his brother's weak grasp.
"Ed, just remember that he's waiting." Gluttony knocked the top of the wall Edward had enclosed him in down, and Rose's baby began to cry.
"If I take too long to come back, take him to see Winry and Granny, please. Now go!" Ed watched Rose carry Alphonse and her baby out safely before he brought down the rest of the wall.
The homunculus stood confused amongst the rubble for a second before he caught sight of Edward. Drool oozed out of his open mouth as he smiled.
Ed didn't give him the chance to do anything else. He clapped his hands and touched the floor again, sending pieces of the floor flying at the round creature. Gluttony screamed in surprise, but quickly emerged from the rubble, his wounds already healing.
The homunculus roared angrily and charged at Ed, his mouth wide open. "Crap!" Gluttony had come at him too fast, and he had to stumble out of the way to avoid the homunculus catching his arm. His automail leg twisted at an odd angle as he fought to keep his balance, and felt a wire give way somewhere.
Ed had to roll as Gluttony lunged at him again. 'How am I going to get him to the transmutation circle!?' Ed demanded of himself. He was so tired, and his body and his mind were aching, screaming for him to just lay still. It was like he was back in the gate again.
Ed got to his feet and almost fell back down; his knee wouldn't bend. Gluttony managed to catch Ed's right arm in his mouth. "Get off of me!" Ed punched the creature in the face as hard as he could with his left arm.
He gritted his teeth as he felt something crack. The homunculus stumbled back and Ed was able to form a wall between them as he assessed his damage. He flexed his left hand, it hurt, but it was nothing too bad, then he tested his right arm. He flexed his hand, rotated his wrist, and bent his elbow, it seemed to be in working order.
"Thank god. Without this arm, I'm screwed. Looks like my knee's pretty much down for the count." Rubble and dust was suddenly raining down around him as Gluttony busted out of his barricade.
"You're not going to be able to last much longer. Close him up again, and then help me over to the transmutation circle. I'm sure I can lure him over, then all you have to do is use alchemy to send us back."
"what?" Ed turned to look at wrath, who was trying to sit himself up. Gluttony gave up on trying to bite Edward and rammed him in the stomach with his thick fist, sending Edward backwards. "Oof!" Ed landed on the ground clutching his stomach.
Gluttony licked his lips in anticipation as he walked towards Edward. "Crap." Ed cursed again, and brought his hands together before touching them to the floor. He formed a long, thick column out of the ground. He pulled it longer and longer until it was too heavy for the base to support, and it broke. The column fell on the homunculus and sent pieces of him everywhere.
"Damn it!" Ed rolled over, exhausted, as Gluttony's body began to put itself back together.
"You can't win, Edward. You've got no way to open the gate."
"I won't use you as material!" Ed shouted at the ceiling, he was too tired to even turn his head to look at the homunculus.
"Why not? I was on their side."
"But you were trying to help us. And teacher is right, you're her responsibility."
"Are you going to use yourself?" Wrath scoffed.
"Better me than someone else! I won't make others sacrifice for me ever again!"
"Because you won't be around for them to! I don't think your brother would like that."
"Al's got his body back. That's all I care about."
"You want him to lose it again, trying to save you?"
"He wouldn't! Shut up, kid! He knows what human transmutation can do. You don't know what you're talking about."
"You were going to keep trying. You'd have kept trying until there was nothing left of you."
"That's different. I'm the older brother. I make the sacrifices."
"Stop kidding yourself, you idiot. You're family." Wrath turned his gaze to the floor, "You should be together," and started crawling towards the transmutation circle.
"Wrath, I can't. Teacher… I can't!"
"You're going to have to. I'm not giving you a choice."
"I won't let you get to the circle, then!" Gluttony let out a furious shriek as his face reformed.
"You've got to take care of him." Ed rolled again as gluttony threw himself, wide-mouthed at Edward. Ed yelled as he jarred his bad side with the quick movement. "You can't go on like this forever."
"Damn it!" Ed yelled again.
"You'll have to lure him onto the transmutation circle." Wrath had stopped just in front of the worn-out array. Ed tried to make his way over, but Gluttony was still after him. He lifted his hand to make the first move onto the circle.
"Wrath, no!" As soon as his blood-covered hand touched the circle, it began to glow.
"It's too late now."
"Wrath!"
"Get him over here!"
"No!" Wrath grunted as he used his one remaining arm to sit himself up.
"Fine." He screamed as he dug his fingers into his shoulder where Edward's right arm had once been attached to his body. The circle grew brighter when the blood hit the floor. "Gluttony! I'm all flesh and blood! Come and get me!" The large homunculus drooled as he looked over at Wrath's mutilated and bleeding body.
"You don't know what you're doing!"
"I do. Besides, I'm useless like this."
"You can get Automail!"
"I don't want Automail. I just want to be with mommy."
"Izume created you!"
"Then I'll wait for her inside the gate."
"You can be with her here!"
"I'm not meant for this world. I did bad things here. Inside the gate I can be good again. I'll be the child mommy wanted to bring back." Wrath looked down at his bloody hand. " I'll wait where I came from, and then I'll be with my family some day too. With my mommy. Edward!" The small homunculus shrieked as the larger creature bit into his torso.
Ed wanted to look away, to run from the room. Wrath had been a harmless enough child without the incomplete philosopher's stones in his body. Ed couldn't send him to the gate. Izume had cared for him. He belonged to her. Wrath screamed again as gluttony began chewing through his side, the blood making the circle grow brighter.
Ed stood up, and felt his left leg buckle and bend beneath him, but He managed to stay up right. His knee would bend, but it was too loose, and he had to hold it straight.
"Damn it, I just can't catch a break!"
"Edward! Hurry!" Wrath yelled again. He closed his eyes, ran as quickly as he could at the transmutation circle, and clapped his hands and touched them to the painted floor. When Ed opened his eyes, nothing remained of the two homunculi.
"Time to get rid of this place." Ed turned to face the ballroom.
"Brother's alone."
"Yes." Rose answered, even though Alphonse hadn't meant it as a question. They'd almost made it a safe distance away from Dante's mansion. "But he'll be here soon."
"Brother's fighting Gluttony alone!" Al was suddenly struggling to get down. "I've got to help him!" Rose's baby began to cry again.
"Al, please- Al!" Rose gasped as he fell and hit the floor. He turned and stumbled, landing on his stomach as he attempted to stand and run back the direction from which they'd come. "No, Al." Rose bent over and grabbed him firmly around the waist before he could scamper off again.
"Let me go, Rose, please! I've got to help brother!" Al continued to struggle.
"Al, you can't even stand, let alone do Alchemy. Your brother can't be worried about you back there." Al sat still, and Rose knew she had him. "Just rest here and wait for him like he wanted you to. He promised he wouldn't take long." Rose sat on the ground and pulled Al back so that his back rested against her front while she bounced her baby in her other arm.
Al wasn't the child he looked to be. He had the body of a 10 year old, but he'd experienced much more than most adults in the fourteen years he'd been alive. "How is he going to open the gate?" Al asked quietly. Rose didn't answer this time. She simply Put a hand on his forehead, bringing his head back to rest against her chest, and ran her fingers through his hair as he sagged against her, cheeks wet and body trembling.
Ed emerged from the dust coughing and holding his leg straight. He wasn't sure how far into the forest Rose would have taken his brother, but he was sure he'd run into them eventually.
"Brother!" Ed smiled and continued to limp forward. Al was struggling again. Rose held him tight around the waist as she waited for Ed to reach them.
"Are you alright, Ed?" She asked.
"Yeah." His voice was tight. "You okay?"
"Yes." Rose let Al go as Ed knelt in front of them.
"Why'd you have to stay down there alone?" Al demanded. "I- I thought-"
"I'm sorry, Al. I'm okay." Ed placed his right hand on the younger Elric's hair. Al frowned and grabbed his brother's wrist and pulled his hand down for inspection.
"Your arm." Alphonse placed a hand on his brother's left leg. "What about the stone? Why didn't you fix yourself? Did you use it to get rid of the-"
"When I traded the stone for your body, Envy grabbed on and used some of it to follow us to the gate. Your blood seal was broken. I traded the rest of the stone to get your soul back."
"But your arm and leg-"
"They were enough then, and they were enough now."
"But you should have at least gotten to keep your leg. You didn't trade that for my soul last time!"
"The price was higher this time. Your body, mind, and soul had to be put back together."
"Brother, why? You should have… You should have-"
"Let the gate have you? After all we've been through?"
"But it was just as much for your limbs as it was for my body!"
"Maybe for you, but not for me. I can live a normal enough life with Automail. That wasn't the case for you."
"I did just fine in that armor! I could have lived in it for the rest of my life!"
"And watch everyone else around you get older and have families while you stay a ten year old soul in a suit of armor?!" Al said nothing. Ed's face softened.
"Let's get out of here, Al. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes. What about you? Did you hurt your leg? How are your ribs?" Alphonse pulled back, afraid to touch anything.
"My ribs should be fine. I think I pulled a wire in my leg, though. Winry's going to have to fix my hand too," Ed said, flexing the makeshift hand he'd transmuted. "She's not going to like what I did to my Automail."
Al put a hand on his brothers leg. "I'm sorry, brother." Al placed his forehead against his brother's chest. "I'm sorry. You should have fixed your body."
"No, I'm sorry." A weight had finally been lifted off of Ed's shoulders, and he felt something snap inside of him. Alphonse had his body back, and the world was rid of homunculi. Ed Wrapped his arms around the younger Elric. "Don't worry about me, Al. I'm better off now then I would have been with just my limbs." His voice was shaky, and his eyes stung, but he didn't care: It was over. "We can go home now. I'm sorry for what I did to you, Al. I'm sorry for everything I made you miss out on. You can hate me, I don't care. I know you don't, but you should. I'm sorry, Al, I'm so sorry. My limbs are the least I can give." These were things he'd told Al many times over the past four years, but they always hurt to say aloud. Now it didn't matter how horrible it made him feel, as long as his brother was whole again, he could take it.
"Eventually the two of you will have to stop apologizing to each other."
"Brother, what about Pride?"
"Damn it!" Ed brought his automail fist down on the ground.
"So what do we do now, brother?"
"We go make sure that Mustang took care of Pride."
"You mean it's not over yet?" Rose asked, clutching her baby to her chest.
"I don't know, but I'd better go find out."
"Brother, I won't let you fight by yourself anymore!" Alphonse grabbed onto his brother's arm, fingernail's cutting into Ed's skin.
"Al, you're still getting used to your body."
"I'm fine! I want to stick together now. We have to."
"Al, we'll go together, but if Mustang needs help, you'll have to get out of there and protect Rose and her baby." Al nodded.
"Alright. Let's get going."
"Brother, your leg." Alphonse stated as Ed attempted to stand and his leg buckled beneath him.
"Right. Winry's going to kill me." Ed clapped his hands and touched them to his automail knee so that the broken hinges bonded together. "Better than nothing."
Alphonse was still a bit shaky on his feet, but Rose kept him upright while Ed hobbled along beside them.
***
"How's Colonel Mustang doing?" Winry asked as Alphonse helped her set the table and Ed hung up his coat.
"Old bastard's still kicking." Ed said with a smirk.
"He's doing a lot better. Hawkeye is taking very good care of him," Alphonse added cheerfully.
"Glad to hear it. I think I'll go with you guys next time," Winry said with a smile.
"That would be nice." Winry watched as Al straightened the silverware and Ed pulled napkins out of a drawer. The scene was familiar, but changed by the years.
"Hard to believe you two are finally home."
"Yeah." Ed glanced at his brother, then turned his eyes to the floor. Winry frowned. "Let's help Granny get the food on the table, Al." Enemies might have been defeated, and Alphonse may have been returned to his body, but things still weren't the way they had been before. Winry was surprised that she'd ever expected them to. Too much had happened, and too much had changed for it ever to be the same again, and she'd always known this. But she'd hoped it would be something similar.
She'd hoped that Ed wouldn't have to force himself to smile when people were watching him, and that Al wouldn't sit quietly and stare at the floor when he though no one was around. Winry didn't know what she'd expected, but it hadn't been this.
Whenever the boys had come home in the past, there was always an anxiousness mixed with the happiness of having them home. She always knew that they'd be gone just as quickly as they'd come, and that feeling hadn't disappeared.