Title: Ascension

Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist

Rating: T+

Disclaimer: I wish, but can't say that I own any of Hiromu Arakawa's works

Summary: It wasn't normal, anyone could tell him that. He only ignored them and closed his eyes once more.

Rude Awakening

Sweat beaded his forehead, matting down blonde locks and trailing down the side of his flushed face as he tossed and turned beneath twisted sheets. Pain shot through his frail limbs whenever he did so. Moaning quietly at the burning shock running through his veins; for some reason he couldn't stop. He wouldn't.

Clutching the ends of his sleeves helplessly, the boy finally let out an agonizing scream. I withered away into continuous gasps. Salty tears slipped down his cheeks, stabbing them tauntingly. Her silky words echoed in his mind, haunting each memory and thought. It was her, he knew it. In font of him, the exact smile on her porcelain white skin that used to greet both him and Al, proud of even the smallest of their accomplishments but longing in such a way by desires that neither of them could meet. He had tried desperately with one wish but only ended up falling into a deeper depth.

An identical lurch in his stomach to the one that had occurred earlier returned even stronger. His moist palms wrapped around the side of his small bed, pulling himself towards the edge and reaching for the small invisible bottle of medicine that appeared to be miles off the ground. His body twisted itself consciously and hit the floor hard. The foamy liquid flavored his moth sickly, a whimper blocked in the back of his throat. The usual black tank top and shorts he wore stuck to his small frame by the tears and sweat he was drenched in.

A blinding light suddenly flooded the room, making the boy cringe even from the angle he lay at. Silenced cries escaped his thin lips, disappearing as a dark form approached his figure from the doorway, splitting the light into two bright lines.

"S-Stop! Please, don't!" he whispered scratchily as cold hands grasped him. Barely capable of pulling himself out of hit's tightening grip, he could feel the air escape his lungs as it threw him aside effortlessly. The boy's head jerked to the side uncomfortably as he slid across the wooden floor. The whimper held back in his throat now let go as an overwhelming pain caused him to think that his body had been ripped open on impact.

The dark figure remained silent, emotionless and oblivious to the boy's limp protests. Shaking uncontrollably, the boy couldn't help but watch and feel weaker then he ever had. He could have protected Al, saved him from the twisted future. But he didn't because he never could. Once more the dark threats that had haunted him had taken over another.

"S-Stop."

A rough blow to the head had whipped away the rest of his pointless words, almost taking his conscious with it as well. Gasping for air though his lungs were now full, he knew it wouldn't be much longer; a minute maybe, even a few seconds. Everything would just slip away.

Submerged in the shadows cast overhead, his eyes narrowed; closing at such a slow pace that each action of the figure was still visible. It rummaged through his belongings, moving onto the shelves beside the hidden bed once it didn't find what it so desperately desired.

"Where is it?" the figure shrieked in an abnormal voice; high pitched but wheezy and slurred to the point where the words were unrecognizable. Now hovering over the boy's curled form, a single glint caught the corner of his eyes before they closed completely. Agonizing gasps grew quieter until they were only whispers. If only it weren't for the aching snap in his side would he have fall into a restless sleep. Warm liquid pulled on previous wounds as it slipped down his back, filling the cuts in like clay and ripping away at them mercilessly. Tears caused him to choke before another ear piercing shriek echoed within his mind. Like a mantra, it only stopped once he slid into a menacing dream.

"Alphonse?"

The voice was feeble, mixed in with hasty pants. It took him a few seconds to realize it was his own. Eyes snapping open to the sudden discovery, he clumsily pushed himself up. The pants leaving his mouth scratched his throat but it only quickened them. Looking around wildly in paranoia, both his panting and breathing came to a halt when he noticed that everything was untouched. The figure now only seemed a memory and the mess they had created during the short visit was faded. The entire collision appeared to only be his imagination.

Disoriented and brewing an argument with himself of what truly happened, he glanced around blindly. A few blinks didn't improve his hazy vision and panic swept over him rapidly. Trembling hands pushed away the covers messily and his foot met the cold ground; the other clanking loudly against the dull wood, lifeless in appearance.

"Al?"

Almost immediately his face twisted into a dark scowl. His voice was barely above a hushed whisper.

"Brother what are you doing awake so early?"

The childish voice overwhelmed his, leaving him a bit stunned. Searching for words to fill the empty space he had left, a few finally felt out weakly. "Why didn't you answer the first time?"

"Because you were screaming in your sleep and I was afraid to wake you," he replied quietly, his armor nosily grating against each other as he shifted uneasily from where he stood. The puzzled look only grew, moonlight spilling through the window thinly revealing it as well as Al's silhouette before him.

Feeling foolish by standing there clueless, he could only shake his head meekly. Pretending that the bangs cast over his eyes were gone, he could only give his brother a fake smile in hopes of proving he was fine.

"I was?" the thirteen year old asked, trying his best to mask the melancholy in his shaken words. Golden eyes gazed up dully to match white. This was the second time so far this week, fifth time this month and he had already lost count of the times he had woken up shaken this year. Alphonse knew it perfectly well, he was the one who always told him after the panic had died down.

"You know you were Ed, you always do but you lie that you didn't!" Al finally shouted, his brother's passive manner to the subject finally having the full effect on him.

"Al!"

The cry was useless and he stumbled after his younger brother. Throwing himself in the dim hallway, voices shouted at him when no one was there. A sharp grasp caught his leg before a snap echoed in his ears. His head smashed against the blank wall as his hands shot out for any supports. Blood drenched his delirious sight and fear gripped his mind uncontrollably. Was this just a dream or was the blood real? Questions filed his head and muffled screams were helplessly brought away by darkness.

I actually posted a story like this named 'Fictional Obsession' but ended up deleting it since I suddenly had the urge to do a series of one-shots. Well, I hoped you like it.

RxR