Hero From The Gate
Summary: Al's experiences after he gets his body back, set before CoS. While Alphonse Elric tries desperately to find his brother and remember what they had done together, evil is seeping it's way into the hearts of the citizens of Amestris. Is Al able to stop them, even without knowing who he really is, or once was?
Chapter 1
The ten year old boy with short, shaggy, dirty blonde hair stands before the giant stone gate.
Naked.
His right arm- slightly lacking color like the rest of him- rises to shield his murky grey-tinted brown eyes from the light that emnates from the ornately carved marble gate. A slight breezes ruffles his jagged bangs that go off to the right side of his face and sends a shiver through his small but well-built form. Accompanying the wind is an insistent whispering, voices that tickle the young boy's sanity. The light seems to grow brighter as one voice in his mind sticks out.
"I kept my promise, Al. You have your body back. Don't do anything stupid, 'Kay?"
The boy's face seems to perk up at the voice. It is different than he remembers it, but it is definitely his brother's.
"Brother?" He asks the voices, his other arm drifting in front of his face as the light grows brighter. "What's going on?" He waits a few seconds for a reply before he feels a burning sensation flow over him as the stone gate doors fly open. The burning seems to drag him forward, and his eyes are slammed tightly shut. "Brother!"
"Brother... Brother... What's going on?... Brother..." Alphonse tosses and turns where he lies in the giant transmutation circle, covered by his brother's blood red coat.
Rosé sighs, brushing her- oddly- light pink bangs aside a little. She cradles a baby swaddled in a white cloth in one arm as she gently shakes the blonde boy lying before her, knowing instantly that this must be Alphonse Elric. Not the suit of armor she had come to know and love, but the boy who's soul had been trapped in the suit of armor by an alchemical transmutation gone wrong. She feels tears prick her eyes as she looks around once more in an attempt to find Alphonse's older brother, Edward.
But, alas, the only remaining signs of the adventurous and loyal blonde is his blood red coat and his shirt, cast aside like an old rag.
Rosé shakes the boy once more, "Alphonse, wake up." Her voice seems to get caught in her throat as her thoughts drift back to the elder Elric brother. "Al, you have to wake up. For Ed's sake." She lets a single tear escape her left eye, trailing down a tanned cheek.
At the mention of his brother's name, Alphonse comes to consciousness. He blinks his eyes, getting used to the lighting- or seemingly lack there of- in the grand ballroom. Looming over him is a girl with pink bangs framing her tan face, and then brown hair going to about her shoulders. Tears prick her eyes as she gives him a small smile. He looks at her outfit and is slightly intrigued by the ball gown adorning her small frame. In her arms is what he can already tell is a baby wrapped in a white blanket, sleeping soundly.
"Um, hello, miss. My name is Alphonse." He whispers, his voice not quite ready to be loud. "Can you tell me what I'm doing here? Have you seen my Brother? He's short for his age, and has golden eyes and h-"
"Al, Ed is gone." She says quite bluntly, but immediately regrets it as the boy seems to be on the verge of tears. "He got your body back, Al. Remember? You used the-"
"What are you talking about? Who are you? What did you do to my brother?" Al jolts into a standing position, startling Rosé. He clings to the coat, not even realizing that he is doing so. "Brother!" He calls, cupping his mouth with one hand to help project his voice, although it echoes throughout the grand ballroom without it. "Brother!" His voice was shaking because of ragged sobs that begin to rack through his small body. "Edward!" He yells before collapsing onto his hands and knees, tears pouring freely from his dull brown eyes.
Rosé watches as the boy seems to cry for all of eternity, her heart breaking more with each whimper of the word, "Brother," uttered by the boy. She watches as the boy finally sits down, cradling his brother's coat against his chest, his knees pulled close to his still shaking torso, and his head between them. She reaches a hand out to him, resting it on his shoulder. He seems to tense slightly at her touch, but is too depressed to bother with moving away.
"Alphonse," She whispers soothingly, all the while absentmindedly rocking the baby in the crook of her other arm. "It's okay. Knowing Ed, he'll find a way to return from wherever he went. Even if it's The Gate." She reassures, holding back a sigh as Alphonse's sobs seem to ease slightly.
She strokes his back, that she just realizes to her relief, is covered by a light blue button down. She looks him over and takes in his full appearance. He has shaggy dirty blonde hair with bangs going off to the right side of his face. Under his button down, that is unbuttoned at the moment, is a plain white shirt. He wears some somewhat baggy khaki shorts. And, on his feet is a pair of old, scruffy white tennis shoes.
"Alphonse," She urges, trying to make him stand. "C'mon, let's go see Winry."
The boy immediately perks up, his tears halting in their tracks. "Winry Rockbell?" His eyes show how pleading he is that someone he- thinks- knows is near. "Where is she? Can you take me to her?"
Rosé smiles, holding a hand out to help the ten year old up. "Come on, Al, Winry is probably waiting."
Alphonse Elric stands next to his brother Edward, the boy having just finished drawing a transmutation circle on the ground and then piling various ingredients in the middle. Edward eyes his drawing curiously, making sure it is all correct. After a few more seconds of silence, he looks up at his little brother with golden eyes and a brilliant smile.
"That should do it, Al," He chirps, giving his brother a thumbs up before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a needle. "Now," He pricks his index finger, then motions for his little brother to do the same. Al does so obediently, and the two step over to the pile of random ingredients in the center of the transmutation circle. Both boys allow a single drop of their blood to join the mess on the floor. "That oughtta do it."
Alphonse stares at his finger, looking at the little drop that still rests on his finger. What were they getting themselves in to? Alphonse never thought getting their mom back would be so... Complicated. But, his Brother was super smart when it came to alchemy, so he obviously found the best way.
"You ready?" Young Edward Elric inquires to the other blonde, noticing his brother's concern about the little drop of blood on his finger, even though he nods. "Don't be scared, Al."
Al quickly pushes all his worries aside, the prospect of getting his mother back shooing away any nervousness. He looks at his brother, a fierceness in his dull brown eyes that was very uncommon. He nods his head, a small smile tugging at his lips.
The two boys kneel in front of the edge of the circle, glance at each other once more, before they each place their small hands on the circles rim. A blue-ish light seems to rise from the chalk drawing, and an excited look enters the older Elric brother's bright golden eyes. A strange wind seems to enter the basement floor of their house, ruffling his bright yellow bangs into his eyes. He brushes them aside, not realizing what he just did. Suddenly, the light seems to turn a deep purple.
"Brother!" Alphonse yells, startling Ed. The golden eyed boy looks up at his brother, shocked to see the boy seeming to deteriorate.
"Al!" Ed cries, reaching out for his brother, a portal suddenly opening behind the boy.
"Brother!" Al yells, reaching for his brother's hand, desperately fighting as black tendrils wrap around his body, pulling him back. "Brother!"
The last thing Al sees is his brother's desperate face as he makes one last grasp for his hand.
"Ah!" Alphonse screams, jolting up into a sitting position. Small beads of sweat drip down his forehead, his bangs clinging to his skin.
He looks around, not recognizing his location. He lies on a regular style bed, a plain white sheet pulled over him. He glances around, not seeing anything else in the room except for a desk, and a window that overlooks the bed.
There's a light knock on the door, so light Alphonse almost doesn't hear it as he takes in his surroundings. He clears his throat before muttering, "Come in," in a timid tone.
And in bursts a blonde teen that seems familiar to him- SO familiar. She begins blabbering excitedly about sad topics and pulls Al into a deathgrip hug. Finally, something seems to click.
"W-winry?" He stutters, praying that he is wrong. She isn't supposed to be so much older than him- only 1 year, not 4.
"Alphonse, it's so good to be able to throw my arms around you again! I wish Ed were here, too. It would all be so perfect." The blonde mechanic seems to break into sobs then.
Alphonse, who still remains confused as to how this young woman is Winry, pulls her into a hug, his good naturedness shining brightly. "Winry," He begins to ask timidly as the girl cries in his grasp. "What happened? How did you get so much... Older?"
Winry's sobbing comes to a halt as she holds the ten year old brother of her secret love arms length away by his small shoulders. She looks into his deep, dull brown eyes, and sees nothing but innocence and confusion... And longing. "Alphonse, what do you remember?" She inquires, already bracing herself for the young blonde's answer.
"We-we were trying to bring back mom," Alphonse admits shyly. "Something went wrong... And then I woke up in that ballroom, with Rosé."
Winry sighs, pulling the boy into one more hug before she holds him away once more. She looks him over, and remembers the outfit quite clearly: it's the one he was wearing earlier that day when Winry and her grandmother brought them some supper. "Al, do you want to know what's happened since then?"
Al nods his head vigorously, a childlike gleam dancing in his eyes.
And thus, Winry begins to tell Al of his and Ed's adventures as the Fullmetal Alchemist and a talking suit of armor.
Oh gosh! This is making me cry! I wrote this a while back and felt like uploading it. Tell me what you guys think ^^