Summary:
Ed has a choice: to undo the past and never commit the taboo, therefore losing all the experiences and journeys the Elric brothers had together, or live on with the pain of their sins. Post-2003, pre-CoS, but with Brotherhood/manga elements such as Truth.

A/N: Hello, everybody. I should be finishing up Alternate Identity, since I'm almost done with it, but instead, here I am typing up this. It's a story idea I got in Starbucks for some reason... And so I am writing it now. By the way, it starts out third person, for just this chapter, and then switches to first person. It works. It starts right after Envy stabs Ed. Truth is in here because it's easier to work with a visible "antagonist" and really, who cares about logic (I do...)? And if it were post-Brotherhood Ed, I think he would've chosen the other option, and so this story wouldn't have existed at all (except as a one-shot).

Pre-story speech done, welcome to my story, and enjoy.

To Choose Our Sins

"You died." It was a blunt statement, a statement spoken by Truth. After all, that was his nature.

And it was the truth. Ed had died again.

"So why am I here?" he asked, watching Truth warily. "Last time I came to the Gate, you didn't bother interfering." A lecherous grin grew on the white being's face.

"I simply want to offer you a choice, Mister Alchemist." The title was dragged out, almost playful, and Ed grew even more suspicious. What was Truth up to now?

He spoke. He asked him. He offered the choice.

"Would you take it all back if you could? The Human Transmutation? Everything?" The words were spoken with a heavy weight, an uncharacteristic seriousness.

Ed froze. His mind desperately denied the words spoken by Truth's mouth. The bastard only wanted to play with him. Mess with his mind. It wasn't possible.

"What are you playing at?" Ed finally said, his voice tight. Truth gave an eerie laugh.

"Oh no. Not playing. I'm quite serious. Would you choose to undo your worst mistake, at the cost of your past?"

"I – I –" Why couldn't he agree? Why was he suddenly feeling so hesitant? This was the opportunity he had longer for ever since that day. To undo the sin that they had committed.

"You can take all the time you'd like." Ed's gaze snapped back to Truth. "But I'd suggest making it quick. Your brother might do something reckless."

Ed paled. The philosopher's stone. Al might use it and...

Try to bring Ed back.

The thought immediately repulsed him. Al wouldn't try to do something like that. Not after –

The Human Transmutation. And here was Truth, offering to undo it all. Al wouldn't have to live without his body, trapped inside a hollow shell. He would still be living like he should, carefree and happy.

"Alright," Ed found himself saying. "Undo it all. So Al can live..."

Dimly, he could make out Truth shaking his head. Sad whispered words: "And I thought you had learned something."

Then the world of the Fullmetal Alchemist ended.