A loud crash woke Edward from his slumber. He breathed heavily, his eyes searched hurryingly around his surroundings, looking for the large, hollow body his brother's soul belonged to. "Brother?" Edward looked in the direction of his sibling's voice and sure enough he found Alphonse, in his usual spot, right next to him. "Oh… Hey Al." Edward said with a trace of relief in his voice: though he tried often not to show it. He sat upright on his bed and then looked back to the large suit of armour, only to be seen by an outdoor lamp's reflection on the metal body. The rest of the room the two brothers' were sitting in was shrouded with darkness; the window being the only light source available. "What was that loud crash Al?" Edward curiously asked.

"Thunder" Alphonse replied, looking towards the window. His head as it moved made the same clanking as it always did, Edward has mixed feelings about this noise along with Alphonse's condition. He felt both guilt and relief. He had saved his only remaining family from death by selflessly giving up his right arm to bring his younger sibling's soul back…`Equivalent Exchange`.

But had he really saved his brother? Edward had often thought about this.

All he had really done was imprisoned him in a cold, hard suit of armour losing his sibling's abilities to eat, sleep, smell and feel. He had taken away three of his senses.

Was it really a better existence? Or would Alphonse have been better off dying?

"Hey brother?" The same clanking noise returned causing Edward to flinch and snap out of his thoughts. "Yea' Al?" Edward asked looking up Alphonse's body and he continued until he reached Alphonse's eyes. His eyes… Red, glowing circles. That's all they really were, but the more Edward looked into them the more he learnt about Alphonse's feelings. Somehow Edward became aware of how his brother was feeling, right now Edward saw a sparkle in the ruby-red orbs of his brother's.

"Remember that day when we were littl-" Before Alphonse could finish Edward had grabbed his pillow and flung in Alphonse's direction, knocking his head off. With a clang, Alphonse's head hit the wooden floor, echoing throughout the dark room.

"H-Hey!"

"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE, AL!"

Alphonse chuckled quietly then he picked up his head off the floor, put it back on his shoulders and clinked it into place. "Sorry brother." Alphonse apologised. Edward made a soft grunt to show all was forgiven.

"Well as I was saying before I got rudely interrupted." Alphonse continued, only stopping himself to pick up the pillow and chuck it back at Edward, aiming for his face. Of cause Edward blocked this critical and deadly fluffy pillow attack! With none the less than his trusty (most of the time anyway) auto-mail arm. With a grin on his face, Edward triumphantly held up the pillow. "YOU CAN'T DEFEAT THE `FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST`, EDWARD ELRIC!" Shouted Edward, giving off a proud laugh once he had finished. "Ed! Quieten down! You'll wake Winry and Granny!" Alphonse whispered cautiously.

"Yeah, yeah~" Edward replied, waving his hand at the idea.

Suddenly the door swung open and a shiny (probably polished for such the special occasion) wrench flew in, hitting Edward directly in the head. "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?!" Winry yelled in, a sleepy Den at her feet. Edward was now on the floor, unconscious and covered in his own blood. "Uh… We're sorry Winry." Alphonse apologised, lifting Edward's torso onto his lap and he began to fan him with the classic Japanese fan. (As seen in the Manga and Anime!) Winry let out a sigh. "Just keep it down you two…" She tiredly muttered, retrieving her wrench and then she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"I wish she wouldn't do that!" Growled Edward, standing up and rubbing the area of his head that the metal tool had hit, one of his golden eyes squinted. He paused and opened his eye fully. "Anyway" Edward, with his flesh hand still placed atop his head, he sat down on his bed and looked to Alphonse's face once again. "You were saying?"

Questions:

What do you think Al was talking about?

Will Winry ever get some decent rest?

ALL WILL BE REVEALED IN CHAPTER TWO! :D Thanks for reading!