"Brother!" the scream of an encased soul filled the night streets of Central City as a sword pierced the flesh of Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Deep crimson blood splattered all over the dark alley where the two brothers were once again fighting for their lives. This time, unknown to the Elrics, their opponent was neither human nor homunculus. It was a very rare case of a successful chimera, much like those who were serving Greed under the streets of Dublith. But this chimera was specially trained to take down the two brothers using it's unhuman strength and reflexes.

And its mission is half over.

Edward had just taken the sword thrust that would have shattered Alphonse's blood rune. All Alphonse could do was watch and scream for his dying brother.

"One target down. One more remanding." The chimera stated in the most robotic monotone possible, pulling the sword out of the limp body of the older Elric. The chimera steps over the fallen body of Edward and makes his way to Alphonse slowly, letting his last few minutes of life be torture. Having him watch his older brother die. Making him watch the blood pour out of the fatal wound on his brother. Or so thought the chimera before Alphonse brutally punches it in the face.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED HIM!" Alphonse screamed, grabbing the chimera by the shirt screaming "YOU KILLED HIM!" over and over with each punch. Just before Alphonse killed the creature, a gun shot rang through the air. Still gripping the mostly dead chimera, Alphonse turned around around to see Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Colonel Roy mustang and several of his men all standing at the entrance of the alley, guns all pointed at Alphonse and the chimera.

"Put down that chimera Alphonse," Roy Mustang commands firmly.

"No, not until my brother is avenged,"

"Alphonse; Put it down," Roy says again.

"Only when he's dead!"

"Alphonse Elric! you have three seconds to put down that chimera before i have my men shoot off your hand!" Roy Mustang yells with all his might.

"Nooooo! this bastard deserves to die! he killed-" Alphonse screams until his voice loses all strength and edge. "he... he... he killed my brother!"

.

"Would you brother be happy? He just gave his life for you. Do you think he wants you to do this? Killing with cold blooded hatred?" Riza says, trying to keep her cool.

Alphonse was speechless. So was everyone else. The tension in the air was so tight, you could choke on it. But a weak voice shatters it.

"Al... ph...phonse..."

"Brother!" screamed the younger Elric as he dropped the chimera and ran to his brother's side, who lay in a pool of his own blood.

"Al... Is your...rune still in...one piece?" Edward asks, between gasps for air. As a responce, Alphonse pulls off his helmet and bends down to show his brother it rune.

"Y-yes."

Softly, Edward says "Thank you,"." but not before he slowly claps his hand and grabs the edge of armor where the blood rune lies. With one giant flash of light, both the Elrics found them selves where they thought they would never go again; the Portal of Truth.

"Back agian, foolish alchemists. Ready to regain your bodies?" The Truth questons, standing next to Alphonse's real body.

"Well, Alphonse is getting his real body back," Edward clariflies, standing tall right next to the armored Alphonse. "But I'm . . . well..."

"Brother! Your all right!" Alphonse exclaims in joy, gripping his brother in a bone snapping hug.

"No Al, I'm not. I really died back there, right after this transmutation. The only reason why I'm not dead yet is because I sent us here." Edward corrects, breaking away from the hug and looking down at his feet, his golden bangs covering his eyes, to hide the tears threating to steam down his face.

"Ha! Don't you get it, Alphonse ?" the Truth starts, "He is going to give what is left of his body, soul and spirit to reunite you with your body and spirit in the real world!"

"Wha? Brother! That's not true, right?" Alphonse asks Edward, who still is looking to the ground.

"Alphonse," Edward starts, his voice cracking and shaking. "I'm sorry, but it is true. I'm going to die anyway, so why not use myself to get your body back?"

"Why not? Because you might not die! We promised we would get our bodies back together!" Alphonse yells, grabbing his brother's shoulders.

"Al. I'm not stupid. That blow I got from that sword killed me. Nothing can change that," Edward restates, only this time his whole body shaking as much as his voice.

"But-"

"Al!" Edward yells, looking up with tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry, but this is what I have to do. I promised I would get your body back, even if its the last thing I do!" He yells. Before Alphonse can argue further, Ed runs over to the Truth. Once he is in arms distance of it, Edward turns to his brother and shouts : "No suicide or human transmutation!"

And once again, all Alphonse can do is watch as Edward shakes hand with the Truth and Edward is slowly deconstructed and all the materials start to reconstruct onto the Truth's body. At the same time, Alphonse armored body and realbody start to deconstruct. Before either one of the boys are fully deconstructed, Alphonse hears Edward shout one last thing to him.

"I'm so sorry. I love you, Al."

And with that and another flash of light, Alphonse finds him self in the dark alley he and his dying brother were just 5 minutes ago. When Alphonse looks down, not only does he see a pool of blood, but also two scrawny human legs. Hishuman legs. Amongst that is the red coat that his brother wore religiously, but only with the lack of the real boy in it. When Alphonse looks up and sees all the shocked faces of those he and his brother worked with for 6 years, Alphonse's eyes start to sting and tears threaten to fall, and Alphonse doesn't care. All he cares about as of that moment is the red coat in his hands; the last remains of Edward Elric. And for the first time in six years, Alphonse cried. All thanks to his brother.