Hi ya'll, I'm recently got into the new FMA anime series Brotherhood and I'm really into it, it got me looking through my old FMA fan fiction and came across "Brother Reprised." This is an idea for a songfic for a looong time ago. I doubt it's an original idea, but one I want to do anyway.
A/N: I used Vic's (the English) version of the song in my reprisal and just so you know I changed some of it to fit the end of the series and the movie, hence the title "Brother Reprise" which I am sure you will recognize because I couldn't think of anything better then the lyrics that the original song had. And I am aware that Vic has left out a verse, which is probably a good thing since I can't mess it up anymore than I have. eNJOY!
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EPISODE 51 OF SERIES ONE AND THE MOVIE!(do you really need a spoiler alert by now?)
Brother Reprise.
Now I will repay you brother of mine.
Now may I expect you to forgive?
Learning from the past, I'll heal your blood
an welcome your chance to live.
Though I knew the laws I paid no heed.
Now I will return your wasted breath.
What I did not know has cost us dear. . .
for here is my cure for death.
Edward slowly opened his eyes. Rose was kneeling over him as he lay flat on his back, a worried expression on her face.
"Edward?" She asked hoarsely. "Can you hear me?"
Ed focused on Rose's face. "Yeah," he felt wetness suddenly run down his cheek and into his ear. "But what am I crying for?" He sniffed and wiped the tear away with right hand. That was when he noticed it. His right hand was not cold metallic, instead it warm and fleshy. "Al?" he called, quickly sitting up. He stared at his hand before he patted his left leg, it too was made of flesh and bone.
"He used alchemy to bring you back Ed after you died," Rose explained.
Ed looked at her disbelievingly. "The Philosopher's Stone," he said, putting the pieces together. "He used it to fix my body and pull my soul back from the gate. But then what happened to him?"
Rose gasped and looked away from Edward. He sucked in his breath. He knew what it was she couldn't say, but he still didn't want to believe it.
"Don't you tell me, don't you tell me he's gone rose." He jumped to his feet and began to search the room for the suit of armor that had been by his side for the last four years. "Al! Al! AL!"
The sound of a baby crying startled Edward. Rose comforted her child as Ed clenched his fist. Al was gone, but if he acted quickly, then maybe...
Ed knew what he had to do.
Beautiful brother, soft and sweet,
Once you were gone I was not complete.
Deep in the night I dreamed of you.
I hope they are meant to be.
And will I see your smile...without gref and doubt?
I know this is not a dream.
My brother I am with you.
The infant's cries had once again stilled as he fell asleep in his mother's arms. Ed turned to Rose and held out his hand. She looked at him for a second before she took the offered hand.
"You better get moving," he paused. 'i hate to ask you this, but could you take him to the surface too?" Ed asked, looking over to Wraith's prone body.
"What about you?"
Edward looked at the empty space were the gate once stood. "I'll destroy this place, down to the last plank so no one ever gets the idea to create a philosopher's stone this way again."
Rose bowed her head. "Very well. I'm sure whatever happens you'll find your way out. You've got strong legs. You'll get up and use them, won't you Edward?" she asked, repeating the words he had spoken to her years before.
Ed looked at her for a moment before he gave her a small grin. "Heh."
Ed Stood in the middle of an intricate transmutation circle. His shirt was gone and there on his arms and forehead and chest were simple transmutation circles. "If what my dad said about the gate was true, Al's old body and mine should still be there. And Al's soul too. Maybe life has no equal trade. Maybe you can give up all you've got and get nothing back. But still even if I can't prove it's true, I have to try. For your sake Al."
With that, Ed closed his eyes and clasped his hand together. He released them and placed them over his chest, palms down. All five transmutation circles, including the large circle on the marble floor, began to glow with the electricity of alchemy, filling the entire room with a blinding white light.
Don't cry for the past now, brother of mine.
Neither you nor I are far from tears.
Nothing can erase the choice I made,
For the love that we shared was the same.
Beautiful brother, soft and sweet.
Once you gone, now we are complete,
Deep in the night I reached for you
I know they were meant to be.
My dreams were all of you...
I longed to return to your world.
I traveled through space and time.
My brother at that, you're mine.
Al wasn't sure what he was expecting when he did it, but with all his being he transferred as much of his soul as he could without it leaving his human body completely. Now he lay under a pile of crushed metal. He could hear voices talking softly then growing louder followed by a series of gunshots and the sound of metal on metal. The armor in front of him moved and Al saw sandy blond hair as Ed looked into the familiar gray face.
"Brother?" it asked.
Ed blinked, his breath coming out unevenly.
"Brother!" Al screamed. Using the armor's strength, Al jumped up to embrace the smaller boy, the other suits of armor flew high into air from sudden movement. "Brother," Al laughed. "Brother, I am so glad to see you. It's been so long. Are you okay?" Grabbing Edward, Al rubbed his metallic cheek against his brother's face.
"Al," Ed gasped. "I can't breathe!"
"Huh? But you've changed. Your taller now." Al observed, putting his brother down.
"What you thought I'd still be a runt when I'm 18 years old?" Ed shouted slapping the armor's helmet off.
Night was falling swiftly. Ed and Al sat the edge of the riverbed. "Are we really in the Gate?"
"No, we're on the other side of it. But forget that. I want to hear about your life Al. That is really you right?" Ed asked, grabbing the armor's arm, his voice desperate, uncertain.
they talked about the past and the future. The armor started to shake as Al's soul transmuted started to wear off. "Brother, it looks like I've run out of time."
"Al," Ed called desperately. "Don't leave yet. It's too soon!"
"It's okay. I think I know how to bring you back now."
"Al."
The soul eyes darkened, the armor slacked and the helmet fell off and landed with a soft clunk on the grass. Ed got on all fours and crawled to pick up the helmet with his flesh hand.
Sitting back next to the armor, Ed leaned against it and drew his knees up to his chin, cradling the hollow steel head.
"Al."
So where do we go from here?
And how to forget and forgive?
What's gone is not always lost.
At last we can finally live.
