Edward and Alphonse Elric
The sun shines through the trees and the ground is cold. I move my hand to feel my side, its warm. I lift my hand and see blood covering it. Damn it. My side is bleeding and I'm too weak to get up. I can't feel any pain, why is that? Aren't I supposed to feel pain when I get stabbed? I don't know, I can't think straight. I'm losing a lot of blood. Something inside me is saying, "Get up!"
"I can't." I whisper in reply. My head is spinning. I can't fight it anymore, I close my eyes. I feel someone pick me up gently.
"Everything will be okay brother." I smile at the sound of my brother's voice.
"Thanks Al, I owe you one." I drift to sleep in my younger brother's arms.
I open my eyes to a white hospital room. There's a tube taped to my wrist with clear liquid running through it. I lift the blanket that's draped over me, my side is completely bandaged. I try to sit up but the aching in my side stops me, now the pain kicks in. I run my fingers through my golden blonde hair and feel a bandage that's wrapped around my head.
"Are you okay brother?" I look up; Al is sitting in the chair next to my bed. I clutch my side; it still hurts a little bit.
"Yeah I'm fine Al it's just a bruise." I smile at him.
"Don't say that! You're all we have, brother! I don't know what I'd do without you!" I can hear Al crying, but no tears fall. I look down at my side.
"I'm sorry Al." I glance over at him. His metal suit of a body is shaking. I grit my teeth and try to hold back tears. It's my fault Al is in that armor.
"Don't worry Al. I'm going to get your body back." I whisper as warm tears fall down my cheeks. I hear the door open and I look up.
"What do you want?!" I dry my tears and yell at Colonel Mustang leaning in the doorway.
"I'm here to make sure you boys are ok." Mustang looks at Al, then at me.
"You look like you've been through Hell, Ed." He chuckles.
"Shut up, I'm fine!" I struggle to stand up and walk to where my shirt and shoes are.
"Brother, you shouldn't be getting up, you're still hurt!" I look at Al. Even though I can't read his face, I can tell he's concerned. I stumble. Al gets up and catches me before I hit the ground. Mustang smiles and laughs. I clench my fist and push away from Al.
"I'm going to wipe that stupid smile off your face!" I lunge at Mustang. Before I can get close enough Al grabs me under the arms and holds me back.
"Damn it Al, let me go!" I struggle to get free. Mustang continues to laugh.
"No brother, you're acting foolish. You shouldn't talk to your commanding officer like that." I stop trying to escape and look down. Al lets go of me and I sit down to put my shirt and shoes on. Mustang stops laughing and the room is quiet. I stand up and grab my coat off the chair.
"Let's go Al, we're leaving." I sense Al's eyes on me.
"But brother…" I walk out the door before Al finishes. I pass Mustang and don't even look at him.
"Bye Colonel Mustang and thank you." I look behind me and Al is thanking Mustang. Why is my brother so nice to him? He has killed thousands of people including Winry's parents. I grit my teeth and clench my fists.
"Let's go Al." I hear Al's armor clink as he runs to me. What would I do without Al? I smile and close my eyes, I couldn't live without him. Al and I have always been best friends as well as brothers. We stick together and he's all I have left. When we tried to resurrect our mother I lost my left leg and Al lost his body. I had to give up my right arm to save Al's soul. His soul is attached to the armor he functions in. He can't feel the sun on his skin and he can't eat. It's my fault he is like this and I need to fix it. I hear a strange sound coming from my stomach. It's growling. I clutch my stomach and think of food.
"Are you alright brother?" Al looks at me like I just got slapped in the face.
"I'm hungry Al. I haven't eaten since yesterday!" Al laughs and my stomach growls again.
"Ah, that was good. I'm full now." I lean back in my chair and fold my arms across my chest. A jolt of pain goes up my side. I clutch my side and wince. Al sees me and I smile weakly.
"Who did that to you?" Al asks. I look at him then to my side. Where do I start?
"It was Greed. He did this to me." I lift up my shirt and blood is seeping through the bandage. It hurts like Hell. I can tell Al is concerned, so I tell him what happened.
"I was in Laboratory 5 searching for any research on the Philosopher's stone when I was hit in the back of the head. I fell but caught myself just in time. I looked up and Greed was standing over me with a smug grin on his face. I lunged at him. He didn't move. He lifted his hand and caught my strike. His skin was indestructible. He told me:
'I'm the ultimate shield Edward. You can't hurt me.' He grinned at me and used Alchemy to create a sword. Before I knew it, the blade was forced into my side. I fell to my knees and Greed fled."
"Wait, but I found you in the woods? How did you get there?" Al asks. I look at him and continue.
"I followed him out the door and into the streets. He was fast. I couldn't catch him. By the time I got to the woods he was gone and I was losing a lot of blood. My head was spinning and I fell down. I was drifting in and out of consciousness and then you came." I look up at Al. I could tell he was trying to take all of it in. I smiled.
"Why do you think Greed was trying to stop you brother?" Al's eyes rest on mine. I hesitate to find an answer.
"I don't know. Maybe there is something there about the Philosopher's stone that Greed doesn't want me to know." I look at my side, then at Al.
"I have to go back there and see what I can find." Al looks at me.
"You can't go back there; look at what Greed did to you." Al points to my side. I look down at it. "What makes you think he won't be there to kill you this time?" Al is frustrated with me, I can tell.
"But Al this is our chance to get a lead on finding the Philosopher's stone. A chance to get our bodies back, don't you want that Al?" I look at him and he looks away. He knows that I'm right. Al looks down and sighs.
"Fine but, I'm going with you." I smile at Al and literally jump out of my seat. I start running, ignoring the pain that is picking at my side.
"Let's go Al; we've got work to do!" I jump up and down while running down the sidewalk.
"Hey, wait for me brother!" I look behind me and Al is waving his arms and running.
"You got to be faster Al!" I laugh. Philosopher's stone here we come!
"We're here." I'm out of breath. I look at Al and he's not tired. That's the benefit of having a suit of armor for a body. Laboratory 5 is farther away than I thought it would be. Al walks up to the entrance.
"How are we going to get in brother?" Al looks at me. I look at the entrance; it is caved in from our last visit. Ok, how did I get in last time? I stick my hands in my pockets and pace back and forth. Oh, now I remember. I created the entrance. I run to the side of the building and create a door out of the wall using Alchemy.
"Al, come over here! I found an entrance!" I hear the clinking of Al's armor as he runs to where I am. I smile, he can be so noisy. Al and I walk in and hope for the best. It's dark in here. I try to look for a door when my eyes rest upon something else. Something not human. I hear a growling sound.
"It's a chimera." I whisper to Al. Al moves into a fighting stance. Why is there a chimera? I thought the military captured all of them? I grit my teeth and transmute my arm into a blade. Let's get this over with. The chimera lunges at Al and bites into his torso.
"Al!" I lunge at the chimera and slash its leg. The chimera lets go and backs away. I stand between Al and the chimera. I hear Al's heavy breathing.
"Are you ok Al?" I look back at him. He's sitting on the floor and before he can answer the chimera has my right arm in its mouth. As I try to hold the chimera back it digs its claws into my side.
"AH!" I scream. I hear Al scream too and I look back at him, then at the claws in my side. I throw the chimera as far away as I can. I clutch my side and fall to my knees.
"Brother!" Al's tearing up again and trying to crawl to me. I'm breathing heavily and my side hurts like hell. I can't help but grunt and squeeze my side harder. I lift my head and the chimera is getting ready to charge. Damn it, what do I do? I look down at my side. I can hear the chimera getting closer. I look up and Al jumps in front of me.
"Al, no! Get away!" I try to grab Al but I can't reach him. No. Get away Al. I look up and the chimera is trying to claw at Al. He is standing firm and holding it back. This gives me an opening. I force my blade straight into the chimera's side. A yelp comes from the chimera and it falls. Al helps me up and lets me lean against him.
"I'm guessing that was Greed's welcoming comity." I laugh. Al stays quiet. Al is walking me to the doorway. I look at him.
"I'm taking you back to the hospital; you're in no condition to look for research, you can barely stand up!" Al is lecturing me and I can tell he's holding back tears. I'm too tired to argue with him.
"Fine." I look down, my side is completely red and my vision isn't clear. Maybe going to the hospital would be a good idea. I close my eyes and let Al guide me.
I wake up and see Al leaning against the wall. I look around, this isn't the hospital. This place seems familiar to me. It's like I've been here before. I sit up and I feel a bandage wrapped around my torso. I close my eyes and a memory comes to mind. I'm lying in the same bed and where my right arm used to be there are bandages. I open my eyes.
"Winry." I whisper to myself. I'm in Winry's house. I smile. It's good to be back.
"Ed, you're awake." I look up. Winry is carrying a bowl of soup and a spoon.
"How did I get here?" I look at Al. His torso is dented badly and his arm is missing. I smile at him. Thanks Al. He looks up at me.
"I carried you here. The hospital was full. They said I had to wait, but I couldn't, because you were going to die." I hear Al crying and look away.
"So, I carried you here brother." Al's voice is quivering. I smile at him.
"Thanks Al." I look at Winry. Her blue eyes show concern but her smile shows happiness. I smile too.
"Now Edward, how could you go and wreck your beautiful automail like that!" I shiver and wince. Well, at least I didn't get killed. I chuckle. Winry glares at me. She can be scary.
"Come on Winry, it's not too bad." I shrug my shoulders and smile. She sighs and walks away. Al and I look at each other. I shrug and Al chuckles. Winry comes back with her tools.
"Let me see your arm Ed." Winry walks over to me with her wrench. I lift my arm and she takes it.
"I'm going to have to take it off and work on it." She says without looking up at me. I look at her for a second.
"How long will it take?" I ask. Winry looks up at me.
"Probably two days." I frown. She glares at me.
"I can't wait two days Winry. We have work to do." I say.
"Well, then you're work will have to wait." She takes off my arm and stands up. I frown and she smiles at me.
"Fine. Two days." I sigh and Winry walks out. I lay back down on the bed. I stare at the ceiling.
"Hey brother?" I hear Al shift his weight.
"Yeah Al, what is it?" I ask and look at him. He's playing with his fingers.
"Um…can we get a cat?" Al looks at me. I open my eyes and sit up.
"Are you kidding me Al?! You know what happened the last time we tried to keep a cat. I got my butt kicked by Mustang. And besides, we can't keep a cat, we travel too much." I lie back down and close my eyes.
"Meow." I open my eyes. Did I just hear a cat? I look over at Al and he looks guilty. I hear the sound again and it's coming from Al's chest. I sign.
"Al open your chest plate." Al stares at me for a minute. I get up, walk up to him and open his chest plate. As I suspected, there's a Calico cat inside of Al's armor. It meows at me and I look at Al.
"I'm sorry Al we can't keep him." Al looks away and I look at the cat. I sign and pick up the cat. Al looks up at me.
"I guess…" Al looks at me with surprise. I continue.
"I guess we can keep him until we find a good home for him." I smile at Al and he laughs.
"Thanks brother." I laugh and the cat meows.