Hey... This is my first FMA fanfic, so, please be a little respectfull with the... Uhh... Reviews, thanks. I tell you now, those Alphonse fans out there might like my stories, because a do a lot of writing about Al. I normally don't post it, so... I'll try! Here goes it!
Lost In A World Named Home
An Alphonse Fanfic
Where am I? Alphonse thought. He yawned and sat up. A rustling sound close to him alerted the young teen.
Ed sat up in the bed next to Al. He yawned and scratched at his blonde head, oblivious to Al's confusion. Ed stood, streching. He yawned once more before trying to scratch an itch on a lower part on his back that he seemingly couldn't reach. Ed blinked and noted that Al was, indeed, awake. "Good morning, Al." Ed muttered, his voice rather 'scratchy'.
"Good morning, Big Brother." Al's voice was steady, unlike Edward's, but unsure. Al didn't want to make the effort to get up just yet. He smacked his lips and breathed in a breath of fresh air, deciding that today was going to be a day to relax and be lazy. But he wasn't sure if Edward would agree, since Ed's schedule was usually jam-packed with things that Al had no intrest in. Ed would usually just tell Al that he was younger and wouldn't understand. Al srugged off the thought and wiggled his toes underneeth his white bed sheets.
Ed smiled and opened their bedroom door. "I'm going over to Winry's house in ten minutes. Come along, if you like."Edplaced his hand on the doorknob, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Oh, I'm fine with that. Go anywhere you want to, Brother. I'm fine in bed. Al thought, but chose something else to say. "Okay. I don't think I'll be joining you. I might have breakfast made for you when you get back." Al smiled. He knew, with that said, his 'Lazy Day' was then cancled. Al sighed quietly at the sound of yet another work day, but had grown used to it.
Ed paused and frowned. "Okay, then. You don't have to, nobody's demanding anything." Ed's voice always reassured Al that everything would be okay. Ed smiled once more, dipped his head slightly, a little more than a nod, and walked out the door. He closed it with a small feeling of doubt behind his brother's words nipping at him. Ed had learned to shrug the feeling off, but it always came back, later on.
Al stared blanklyat the white wall in front of him. Why... Why did I wonder where I was? He asked himself, feeling strange. I... I must have hit my head on something when I was asleep. The wall. Yeah, now that I think about it... Alphonse fiddled in his mind for excuses to calm himself down. "I do have a slight headache." He finished his thought virbially.
Ed slipped out of his T-shirt and baggy slacks into his usual clothes- Black jeans, black undershirt, black zip-up coat. He then held his silver watch in his hand, closely eyeing the Furher's seal on it. The Furher never did come across as the type of guy to ever acomplish as much as he had to Ed. Ed thought somebody else deserved the tital. No, not him, and certianly not that stuck-up Mustang, but, somebody who actually knew 'The Way Of the People'. Ed scolded, under his breath, that slogan. It wasn't true, everybody knew that. Ed blanked out, realising how stupid the short debate he had with himself was. Ed looked at the clock. He tucked the watch back into his pocket and left their apartment, locking the door, because Al often forgot to.
Al stood up, kicking himself for falling off his bed three times that night. He groaned at the 'crack' his back made when he leaned back, placing his hands on his hips. His aburn hair was ruffled up, half sticking to his head, the other half sticking streight into the air. Al walked out of the bedroom and picked something easy to make for breakfast. Ed liked it, and so did he. Al smiled at his 'smart' decision and went to the kitchen, opening cubbords and descovering that he had nothing for the meal. They were also out of everything to drink but milk and water, two things Ed either hated or disliked very much. Al knew he would have to go to the store, he just dreaded the thought.
Ed sat at her kitchen table, Winry on the other side.
Winry folded her arms and stared into Ed's golden eyes.
"I'm thinking of going back to Ishbal." He announced, a hint of sadness in his tone.
"For what?!?!" Winry demanded. She brushed her hair out of her face. A frown spread across her face, her eyes narrowed to a steady glare at Ed. If there was one thing she hated most, it was the Elrics going off for a long time without her. Winry even hated to leave her home.
Ed shrugged casually. "Well... I've got some things to do there, some I won't mention, because I don't feel like getting my head ripped off."
"I WILL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF IF YOU DON'T MENTION THEM TO ME!!!!!!" Winry shouted angerly, standing and slamming her hands agenst the hard wooden table.
Ed scooted his chair back nervously. If there was one thing he hated, it was Winry's nasty temper. "No, no! S-Stop," He stuttered, hoping it would ease Winry's anger, if only by a little.
Winry's face went blank. "Huh...? Y-You... You're going to tell me something for once?" Winry seemed as if she had never had a temper in the first place.
Ed's expression eased down to a gentle half-smile. He raised his hands in front of him, almost like Winry was a poliece officer pointing a gun at him. "Yeah, of course. Why not?" His voice shook from gentle to a calm laugh.
Winry sat back down again, obviously ready for a discussion. She stared, intently, into Ed's eyes, ready to hear his explination.
Ed lowered his hands back onto the table. "I... I want to do some exploration of the ruins there, maybe some of the bigger sand pits." He almost sounded as if he was making up his plan as he told it.
"Any reason for that?" Winry wondered aloud, leaning on the table with her arms crossed. It must've been comphortable, or she wouldn't have sat like that. Her eyes scanned Ed, as if the answer was written on him somewhere.
Ed shook his head. "Not really, yet. I have a hunch, but I don't think it's worth anybody's time but mine, so I'm just going to go."
"And Al?" Winry seemed bored with the subject. She wanted to get up and shove Ed out the door, wanting to go back to bed so much. But Winry knew that Ed and Al needed her support more than her napping, so she stayed seated and awake. Besides, sometimes things got more interesting as they went on.
"I don't know yet. He... He..." Ed stopped, lost in words. They tangled in his throat.
Winry waited for Ed's response, although his eyes wondered spaces other than answers.
"He's just been so... So... Out of it..." Ed even seemed shaken by his words. They tasted sour as they came off his tounge.
Winry frowned at it. She leaned back in her chair, confused.
Ed saw Winry's reaction and decided to go into further explination. "Al's been just really weird," He started. "Almost like he forgets who he is for a second. And he's always acting like if I go somewhere without him, he freaks out. But... Today, he didn't. He was calmer than ever. I don't know if he's sick or something else is wrong with him, it's just biting at me. I thought you girls are better with this stuff, you know. Instinct, or whatever." Ed twiddled his thumbs as he spoke, not daring to look Winry in the eye.
Winry looked down, thinking to herself. She ruled out a few different things, most of them sicknesses, and looked up again. "I don't know, myself. I think Al... Is lonely."
"Huh?" The thought never crossed Ed's mind.
"Yeah. Al doesn't play like normal kids his age do. He's always with you and the millitary, I bet he's just really bored."
"Nah, can't be." Ed disagreed.
Winry shrugged. "I guess your right. Maybe..." Winry's eyes blinked wide. "I know!" She blurted out before running out the door.
Ed stood, trying to think of what was running threw Winry's head at the time.
Al, meanwhile, walked outside and down the street. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, wondering why he even bothered to leave the apartment. Al stopped and gazed at the sky. Suddenly, faint voices filled Al's head. Al gripped his head because of the pain.
Small, black figures began to apear, and covered Al's sight, both his mind's eye and his regular vision. Al cried out.
The figures had no faces, just pure black figures of people, all the same. They began to smile wide, pointed, devious grins, one by one. The voices grew louder, chanting Al's name. Al felt a sudden rush of emotions before collapsing. The pain grew and grew until it became too much to handle for the young teen, grew until he went out cold.
Ed followed Winry to their apartment. Ed looked down the street and saw something rather limp and disfugered in the middle of it. He stared at it until Winry bumped him.
"Something wrong, Ed?" She asked, somewhat annoyed.
"Hold on a sec." Ed turned from Winry and stared deep at the thing in the road.
Winry didn't wait. She walked over, her hands behind her back, swaying a little in every step. She gasped when she got within three feet of it.
Ed ran to Winry. He grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "What?!" He asked, his voice shaken, but hard and demanding.
Winry pointed forward, her hand shaking.
Ed turned, slowly, around. He saw a bunch of black figures standing around Al's limp body. They smiled wickidly and laughed. Each slowly faded away, hissing at Ed. Ed shook his head, feeling their wispers start to crawl in. They backed off. Ed then geared his attention to Alphonse and only Alphonse.
Gah! Don't be dead! Hang in there, Al! Ed screamed in his mind.
Al ran threw darkness. He ran past people reaching out, pulling on him, trying to draw him back. There was a bright yellow light, and a faded whiter one. The bright yellow light was behind Al, chasing after him. He ran harder and harder as the light inched it's way closer. The people held Al back just enough for the light to rear up and suck in his leg. One person didn't let go of Al. The light drew closer, licking up at Al's thigh.
Suddenly, a pure white hand reached out, and, ever so gentle, wrapped around Al's wrist. This hand was warm and soothing, unlike the cold, hard hands reaching out at him. The one person that didn't let go smiled. It's smile was somewhat friendly, but still had that hint of anger to it. It let go, noticing the white hand had a stady grip. Al was pulled out of the yellow light, away from the millions of lost people. Al looked up. He was standing on hard, black ground, just in front of the white light. It was still, almost like a door. Al heard fain chants of his name coming from the door. Al studied the person still holding his hand. It, or, as Al found out, was a she. Her features were flawless and perfect.
"Alphonse," Her voice was soft and angel-like, just as warm as her hand. It soothed Al just like Trisha's voice did. "Do you remember me?" She asked, phrasing the question like a statement, almost as if it didn't have an answer. It rolled off her tounge like the answer was written in the words, and Al knew just how to read it.
"M-M..." Al stuttered, wide-eyed. He knew what to say, just not how to say it. Al opened his arms wide and wrapped them around her, sniffling, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Mom!" He sobbed happily.
Trisha smiled sweetly and hugged Al back, also gently pulling the boy away. She put her hands on his shoulders, looking deep into Al's eyes. "Al, honey... This... You can go back. Back to Edward." She smiled, sadness as her tone.
Al shook his head. "No, Mom! I wanna' stay with you!" Al cried.
Trisha shook her head. "Alphonse... Edward needs you. Winry needs you. Please go back. I'll always be with you," She stroked Al's head, smoothing his aburn hair, the other hand on his face, clearing the tears from his cheeks.
Al sniffled. He knew Trisha was right. "N... No... M-Mom.." Al gave it one last try.
Trisha smiled, looked Alphonse deep in his eyes one last time, and gave him a warm kiss on the cheek. "I love you. Please tell Edward that I love him, too."
Al nodded, wiping his eyes from the tears starting to build up. "O... Okay, M-Mom..."
Trisha ruffled Al's hair. "Al... Can I hear you call me... Call me that one last time?"
"Mom... I... I love you."
"I love you too, honey." Trisha kissed Alphonse for the last time, turning him to face the white light. "You can cry now. No one will ever care. Don't hide your fears, Al. Fight with me in your heart. Fight for your brother. Cry will all your heart. Make everyday the best it can be. I'll be waiting for you when the time comes. Just don't ever make it this soon ever, ever again."
"I promise." Al didn't look back.
"And keep me in your heart at all times. Promise me that." She eased him into the door.
"Al!" Ed shouted, holding Al in his arms.
Al opened his eyes, grunting. Ed, suprised, hugged Al tightly. Winry sobbed hard. Al smiled. "B... Brother..." He coughed. Ed let him go. Al stood, but fell back to one knee. Ed frowned and walked away. Al stared at Winry.
Ed stood in front of Alphonse. Al sat on the couch, by Winry, at their apartment.
"W... Why?" Ed asked, annoyed.
"What?" Al wondered, knowing he was going to get chewed out.
"You idiot! You could've died!" Ed yelled. He clutched his hands into fists.
Al cocked his head back, obviously not liking the insult. He stared at his angry brother, wondering when he would get the chance to explain himself.
"Gah! I can't believe you! You're just like a stray puppy! Go getting into trouble when your owner's not around- It's unbelieveable!" Ed growled, pacing back and forth in front of the couch.
"Oh no, Brother!" Al gasped before Ed could yell at him again. Ed stopped.
"Huh?" Winry looked at Al strangly.
"The number one rule of alchemy!" Al blurted out, starting to shake.
This caught Ed's attention. "What kind of crap did you get into?!" He growled, looking at the ground.
Suddenly, Ed saw a long black arm reach out of the ground and grip Al's anchle. A burst of bright blue static blazed the room, blinding everyone in it for a split second. Al screamed. The light faded.
"Al!" Ed shouted, lunging at where the couch was.
Al curled up. He was shaking and was making short sobbing noises, almost like he was going to cry. Ed backed off. Winry screamed. Ed flipped around.
"What?!" He looked around.
Winry was shaken, also. "I... I swear... I... I..." She stuttered.
Ed nodded. "Al, you okay?"
Al looked at Ed. "W... Who's 'Al'?"
Ed blinked. "H... Huh? A-Al! Don't do that!"
"I-I don't know anybody by that name, m-mister! I'm sorry, I don't even know who you are!" Al retorted, curling up tighter.
Winry put a hand on Ed's shoulder. "I... I saw that thing come up and grab Al. He was talking about alchemy's number one rule. Could it be... That Al was spared from death, and the 'Toll' for it was him loosing his memory?" She asked.
Ed nodded. "Y... Yeah... I guess," He turned to face Al. "Your name is Alphonse."
Al looked down. "Everything is blank. I... I don't know where I live... I don't know who I am." He stared down at the floor, somewhat expecting to remember something. "W-W... Wrath!" Al exclaimed, standing up.
"Do you remember anything?" Winry's eyes lit up.
"No, just somebody named Wrath. A little kid. Maybe... Maybe he'll know!" Al ran out the door.
Ed stood, shocked. What... What if it was Wrath that saved Al? What kind of toll is loosing his memory, anyway? Ed growled. He started at the door.
Winry stopped him. She looked into Ed's eyes, not having to say anything. Ed nodded.
"Sorry, Winry. Al can't join Wrath. I need to get his memory back. Al would do the same thing. It's time I used my millitary forces as a state alchemist to help Al."
Winry nodded, forcing back a tear. Worry filled her heart, at the same time, faith for the brothers.
Ed sprinted down the street, calling out Al's name. He sped down an alleyway, streight to the Devil's Nest. He skided to a stop at the door, panting. Sweat dripped down his forehead. There was no sign of anybody in the old shop, a sign Ed feared to see. His panting became harder and faster and he took off running again. The shouts calling out for his younger brother became shorter and shrill and frantic.
Out of the shadows walked a tall, black-haired man wearing black leather. His hair was short, on his face a wickid grin. His arms were folded. He wore a black, sleveless shirt underneath his sleveless leather vest, which dangled open to his sides. He tipped down a pair of glasses, leaning agenst a brick building.
Ed stopped and turned, halfway, to see the man.
"Ah, Edward, is it?" The man smerked.
"What have you done with my brother?" Ed's demand would stay unanswered, Ed knew it. But he was prepaired for any kind of fight, be it alchemy or hand-to-hand.
"Me? Are you sure we're on the same page?" The man frowned, taking off his glasses.
"Shut up and tell me, before I hit you so hard you loose your memory." Ed threatened, prepairing to clap his hands.
The man just tucked his glasses neatly into his shirt, then cracked his knuckles.
"Tell me!" Ed leaped at the man, clapping his hands.
A stone pillar rose from the ground at the man. He dodged it. Ed clapped his hands together again, this time summoning a sword from the wall. Ed stabbed it at the man. The man summoned something to make his skin turn a sickly grey. The sword 'clanked' upon hitting the man's grey skin.
"Tell me, Greed!" Ed yelled at the man, dropping the sword and clapping his hands.
A large stone pillar wrapped around Greed. It held him still as Ed grabbed hi sword once again. He ran up to Greed and held at at his bare skin throat. Greed smiled and began laughing.
"Edward, you will never learn, will you?!?" Greed laughed, not feeling one bit intimadated. "You and Alphonse are so far gone! You're lost! Lost in a world called home!"