Another thing that was sitting around on my computer. Again, I'm almost done with the next chapter of "Field Trip to Tokyo' for those who read it, so please be patient a little longer. (I know, I shouldn't be saying that...)

Please note, there are some spoilers for the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime and movie in here, so if you haven't watched them and don't want them spoiled, click that little back button please.

I no own FMA.

Al was soaked. On his way home from the grocery store, the cloudy sky had seen fit to dump rain on his head. His, Ed's and Hohenhime's house was a good mile and a half from the nearest store, hence Al's waterlogged condition.

The door to their house was unlocked, so Al got in without any trouble. He headed straight for the kitchen to set his bags down, but something felt off. He couldn't place it, but it was definitely there. He draped his jacket on a chair and listened. There it was, strains of music floating from the next room.

Al was perplexed. Unless they had a visitor, which was unlikely, there wasn't anyone to make said music. Hohenhime wasn't much of a musician and neither was Ed, as far as Al knew.

Quietly, Al crept to the door of the next room. His eyes widened as he heard Ed puzzling out a lilting melody with matching accompaniment. After a few minutes, Ed began to sing snatches of words to the music.

As Al listened and got the gist of the song and lyrics, he pulled out a notebook and pencil from his pocket. In it he began to write his own lyrics to the song.

Just as Al was finishing, Ed began his song from the beginning.

"How can I repay you, brother mine?

How can I expect you to forgive?

Clinging to the past I shared our blood

And shattered your chance to live.

Though I knew the laws, I paid no heed.

How can I return your wasted breath?

What I did not know has cost you dear

For there is no cure for death.

Beautiful Mother, soft and sweet,

Once you were gone we were not complete.

Back through the years we reached for you,

Alas 'twas not meant to be.

And how can I make amends,

For all that I took from you?

I led you with hopeless dreams.

My brother, I was a fool.

Unnoticed, Al had slipped into the room and was now standing at Ed's shoulder. He placed his sheet of lyrics on the music stand, indicating that Ed should keep playing as he began to sing.

Don't cry for the past now, brother mine.

Neither you nor I are free from blame.

Nothing can erase the things we did,

For the path we took was the same.

Beautiful Mother, soft and sweet,

Once you were gone we were not complete.

Back through the years we reached for you,

Alas 'twas not meant to be.

My dreams made me blind and mute.

I longed to return to that time.

I followed without a word.

My brother, the fault is mine.

Together, they sang the last verse.

So where do we go from here?

And how to forget and forgive?

What's gone is forever lost.

Now all we can do is live.

"Brother?" Al asked, "Will you teach me to play this?"

"Sure thing, Al." Ed replied.

Later that evening, Hohenhime Elric walked into the room with the piano. On the music stand was a hand-written score with the following written on the front.

"Brothers"

By Edward and Alphonse Elric

Dedication

"To my brother"

And that's all for that, I think. There is a half-finished sequel hidden on my hard drive somewhere, but I'm not sure if it'll make it on here. For now, this is done.