Another of my beloved stories! Please R&R!

Disclaimer: Canon isn't mine!

Chapter 1:

"Come on, brothers!" I call over my shoulder to Al and Ed as they help Mama carry groceries. Al grins and boosts his gait slightly. Ed just scoffs and continues walking, though he also boosts his speed, though not as much as Al.

"Be careful, kids!" Mama calls after us, though she doesn't bother to hide her loving smile. We swerve to the left and play in a field while Mama goes to the house. Suddenly there's a crash from the house. My brothers and I pause in our playing to glance fearfully at the house. The groceries Ed and Al were carrying fall to the ground as they begin to dash madly to the house. Al looks back over his shoulder to me.

"Come on, Ashley!" He yells, and my previously frozen feet are pounding the grass and dirt as I am able to use my size to boost past my brothers to our house. I push the half-opened door out of my way and run to kneel next to my mother, who is lying on the ground, her eyes screwed shut in pain. I grab her shoulder and shake it, wondering what could've gone wrong in so short a time. Al and Ed push me aside, helping Mama up and into bed before Al dashes out the door to fetch a doctor and Ed sinks into Father's alchemy books with a desperation scary for a 5-year-old. I sit in Mama's chair and stare out the window, wondering what she was always watching for. I contemplate asking her, because somewhere deep inside, I know. Mama won't survive.

Alphonse returns with the doctor and the Rockbells. When the doctor examines Mama, he voices my worst fear.

"She most likely won't make it-." He is interrupted when Ed dives to plug my ears. He angrily turns on the doctor as Al shoos me out of the room, but I can still hear Ed's yelling down the hall.

"You idiot! Who the heck says that to two little kids?! Geez, and I thought doctors were supposed to be smart!" Al and I finally walk far enough away to where we can no longer hear him. It's only now I notice my knees are shaking and I fall to the ground, putting my head in my hands and taking deep breaths in order to control my urge to cry. There's the feel of a hand on my back and I look up. Alphonse is kneeling next to me, smiling sadly, but putting on a mask that he and I both know I see straight through. He sighs and lets the smile fall, seeming too mature for the 4-year-old brother I know and love. He completely plunks down on the grass next to me, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"The doctor was lying. Mom will be just fine. She has to." Al mutters, more to himself than to me. I sigh as I realize I have to be strong now. Plastering on a fake grin, I throw an arm over his shoulder.

"Of course she'll be fine! We're the Elrics, we can beat anything!" At that moment, Ed comes outside as well and flops on the grass with a weary sigh.

"That's it. I'm done. I officially hate anything medicine-related." He tells us from his spot in the grass. I sigh while at the same time paling internally. It's always been my dream to be a medical alchemist.

"It's rude to judge a person from one little mistake, Edward." I say, doing my best to adopt the tone my mother always has when Ed gets too uppity. However, it doesn't work and Ed just scoffs without moving. Silence lapses for a few seconds before the eldest Elric once again speaks.

"You two do know it'll be okay, right?" Al and I both nod and chorus an affirmation whilst sending each other doubtful side-glances. Ed just sighs.

FMAFMAFMA

And then...The next thing I know Mama is telling Ed to make her a crown of flowers and her grip on us is loosening and her hand is falling...Falling...Fallen. The funeral wasn't much later. Or maybe it was because I was too numb to acknowledge the passing of time. The Rockbells stood with us after the funeral, but they soon left. Once again, the three children are on their own.

"Brother," Alphonse asks quietly, "How are we going to live without her?"

"We're not." Edward replies. "We'll bring her back."

FMAFMAFMA

"Now, remember, Ashley," Al says to me as we stand in our father's workshop, "When we start the actual transmutation, you have to leave."

"But, brother!" I protest, but he and Ed are already delving back into their books. With a huff, I leave the room. I wander the house, bored out of my skull, until the flash of light begins. What throws me off, however, is the screaming that soon accompanies it. Ignoring Al's orders, I dash into our father's workshop. Ed is screaming as Al is dragged away by dark, shadowy hands. Al fixes his eyes on me and shakes his head almost imperceptibly. I once again ignore that and slide next to my brother, taking the knife in his hand, pricking my finger, and slinging some blood onto the pile of elements in the middle of my brothers' circle. Then, I roll back my sleeves and slam my hands down on the circle's border. The dark lights surround me and I gulp quietly when several of the arms begin to dart at me. They wrap around me and burn like acid. My screaming doesn't last for long, though. I grow too tired and I fall sideways, my sight going dark as what appears to be a metal hand reaches towards me.

FMAFMAFMA

I wake in a warm bed and I moan happily before the pain comes rushing back. I roll to the edge of my bed and vomit. A metal hand rubs my back gently.

"It's okay, Ashley." My brother, Alphonse, soothes. I look up at the giant metal armor that just used my brother's voice between coughs and dry heaves.

"Al...? What is-? Where are-?" Why can't my mouth work? My mind's moving a million miles an hour but my mouth is barely moving one. If armor could grin sadly, it would've. Instead, Al tilts his head to the side as I begin to fall asleep.

"I suppose we have some things to talk about, huh?"

FMAFMAFMA

The next time I wake up, it's to the faces of Winry and Auntie Rockbell staring down at me, their faces blurry and half-covered in a medical mask.

"This is going to hurt." I can only nod dumbly, having no idea what exactly is going on. Then the whirring starts, followed closely by the pain. Oh God, the pain! Fire and ice and acid and pure pain all mixed into one mental cocktail and served to me through my left shoulder and part of my chest. I realize through the pain that they're cutting dangerously close to my heart and just above my stomach.

"How much longer?" A young male voice asks and I realize it's Ed. I turn my head and I see him standing there, staring. Al, still in his suit of armor, stands next to our oldest brother, but his back is to me and he is slowly banging his head against the wall. Doesn't that hurt? Then another wave of pain washes over me and my head wearily turns back to the operation the Rockbells are performing on my left leg. Silently, I agree with my brother as they hold up some metal and start talking engineering. How much longer?

FMAFMAFMA

Apparently, not very much longer, because they soon move me to a guest bed in the same room as Ed and Al. There's only one bed, however.

"Bro...Ther." Darn my uncooperative mouth! Both Ed and Al turn to look at me. I point at Ed's bed. "Only...One." My hand starts shaking so I let it fall back onto the bed. They glance at each other before comprehension dawns on their faces. Ed gets off his spot on the bed to stand next to me.

"Can you walk?" He asks me and I sit up and swing my feet over to the floor. I happen to glance down but I quickly glance away. One of my feet is now metal. Edward isn't wearing socks so ironically, I'm missing the arm and leg he has and vice versa.

When I go to stand, I start shaking and almost fall. Ed quickly wraps an arm around my waist and throws my right arm over his shoulder. What a sight we make, two golden-haired, yellow-eyed amputees struggling to cross the room to our brother in a suit of armor. We reach Al and Ed pulls off the helmet on Al's armor. I look in and gag on a scream. There's nothing inside but a flamel painted in what appears to be blood. My knees shaking violently, I fall on the ground.

"Where...Body...Al?" Al puts his helmet back on, walks over, and easily picks me up.

"Brother did a soul transmutation. Until we fix what went wrong, this armor is my body." Al tells me, putting me back in my bed. I nod so I can avoid talking. Once again, Ed has lapsed into silence. He says nothing until he suddenly looks up.

"I think we should go to Central." I look at him, confused.

"Cen...Tral?" I ask, struggling to sit up in curiosity. "Why, big...Brother?" He looks over at me.

"You're still not strong enough. I think just Al and I will go." Neither brother is expecting it when I roll out of bed and feebly pin Ed to the wall.

"Forget...Strength. All...Together, or not...At all." I slowly hiss at him, my words stumbling out drunkenly. He grins and pushes me off.

"Fine, Boss." Throwing me a mock salute, he throws our bags together. "All together it is."