Okay, so here's the prologue for this story :D I know its short and kind of... erm... fast, but it will be slower once i get to writing the chapters. Don't worry, i havent forgotten about my other stories, but my bunnies ran away and now im left with (fart noises)
It was dark. It was cold. The air smelled like rain and dirt. It seemed out of place in this wet room no bigger than a pantry. There was a rolling of metal that echoed off the walls. What was that? Oh... it was the chains attatched to his raw ankles. He looked at how much blood was seeping from the blisters... How long had he been here, he wondered. In this place, time did not seem to pass. There was no sun to tell him of the days, nor was there any sign of hours passing. None but instincts kept him alive. He found a few rats were nested in the wall, and made to catch and eat them when he could. They were tasteless, and he was thankful for that.
His mind told him when it was time to sleep, as well as when to rise and pace along the walls, waiting for something to happen. When would he get out, he wondered. Would his little brother come? It seemed to him like years since he'd seen his face. He wondered if his brother missed him. While his brother had people around him to be with, he himself had nothing but the rats' hollow squeeking. Every now and again he had the man, though. The man in tarnished gray robes, and a gas mask. He'd knock him out, and he'd always wake up in his cott, in is chains, with just a few more scars and aches. He had stopped fighting it long ago.
This time, he layed there for a moment, regretting not crying when he last had the chance. He coudln't cry in this dingy old cot, for fear of being lynched. He coudl not scream, for fear of punishment. Punishment was the worst of things...
Sometimes he'd lay awake and contemplate ending his life. All he had to do was bite his tongue, or strangle himself with the chain that held him.
The thought of dying seemed beautiful to him, even when it seemed so low before.
But he absolutley could not die. If he ever wanted to see his brother, he would not die. If there was even the slightest chance he'd get out, he had to stay alive...
And if that meant enduring Hell in all 8 stages, he'd do it a thousand times over. Losing his brother had him subjected to the worst torment life could ever ensue... Leaving his brother without a home might've measured up quite niceley. After what he had been through, he would've gladly taken it again if it meant he could see his brother. And thus ends the exact thoughts he had the night before... and every night before that one.
His left ear perked up, and he heard frantic footsteps galloping toward him. He was sure he wasn't imagining things, because the rats were running to hide. He himself scampered to the corner rather quickly, ignoring the aches and pains throughout his body. The first few times this happened, he'd hoped it was his brother and the military, but it had always turned out to be the man with his flunkies. The only times they actually talked, all the man would do was whisper through the bars.
And now he was coming again, to whisper horrid things into his ears. He scrunched up as low as he could get, and tried to quiet his breathing, hoping no one would hear. No such luck, he discovered, as a soldier stopped in front of his cage and stared in. All the brunette man could see were thin golden cat eyes staring at him. They were narrowed, but they were scared. He shook himself to reality, and turned his head the way he had come from.
"General, sir!"
His ears popped up. General? As in Mustang? As in... his brother...? Was his brother with him!
"Yes, sergeant, what did you nee..." His voice faded as he looked inside the cage, and was faced with wide cat eyes. His grip on the door faultered, but he quickly re-tracked his mind and peered in. Around the eyes he could see golden hair, long, to his waist. Atop the head, big, fluffy cat ears could be seen twitching. Behind the boy waved a long tail, beautiful if it, like the rest of him, had not been covered in dirt and filth. The boy's face seemed catious but recognition filled his eyes, and out came a soft, cracking, hoarse voice.
"...Mustang?"
The general took no time in slamming the door open and rushing toward the boy. His hand met with another and Roy pulled the boy into a hug.
"So this is where you've been for the last 11 months... We thought we'd never find you, Fullmetal... Ed." The General's voice was cracking, and he could feel Ed shaking in his arms.
"I'm s-sorr... sorry... I-is A... Al o-ok-kaayy?" Ed was trembling, trying to control the tears. Why couldn't he cry now? The robed man couldn't hurt him when Mustang was here, so why would he hide his tears? ...
Because Roy was there, and the last thing Ed wanted was for a friend to see him cry.
A phonecall. It had said 'We found Ed' and that's all. Now Al rushed down the military hall, one direction in mind. After 11 months. 11 months without Ed... and they finally found him, Ed, his brother. He found his walking too slow and started running. As he burst into the office, he ignored the startled looks and went straight for Mustang's office. There he found Mustang kneeling in front of another blanket-covered figure.
Roy was talking softly, and smiling, his hand on the figure's knee. They both looked up as Al entered the office, and Al immediately looked at the blanket, and the golden cat-like eyes that stared at him.
Several emotions shot through the eyes.
confusion, curiousity, shock, recognition... regret. A shadow fell over the golden eyes, and Ed's head fell. Al stared back, emotions going through his eyes as well.
Shock, fear, confusion, relief, curiousity... acceptance. He stepped forward, but Ed cowered away. Al gasped.
"Don't touch me, Al... you'll get dirty..." Ed looked up, and for the first time since anyone could remember, the blond was crying. The blanket that had covered his head fell away and two bloody cat ears shot up, knocking filth into his hair. Ed's eyes widened, and his hands shot up to cover them, trying to curl into a tiny ball.
Al just drew a shaky breath, and went forward. And despite Ed's protest, Al hugged him. "It's okay Ed... sh... we're fine... it's all alright now..."
And it was alright... because Ed was home now...
