Realization

Edward Elric felt a shudder across his back and heard a sickening snap. He gave a sharp noise, and blood flew from his mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head, only the whites showing. He tried to roll over but realized his left shoulder plate had snapped and writhed in pain. A fist came from nowhere and drove itself deep within his stomach. His eyes span back into their place, and another suppressed scream came from between his teeth.

He raised both arms, teeth grinding thanks to the pain, and clapped them together. Before his enemy could react, he had slapped his right hand onto the floor and an enormous fist shot up into his opponent's stomach... which it went straight through.

He growled and stood up. Covered in blood, he screamed again. His clothes were torn, his lower left trouser leg ripped off, revealing his steel – now stained red – artificial leg. His jacket and shirt were missing, both cast aside on the floor, showing his right automail arm and his scarred left. Blood cascaded from his forehead, clouding his vision. However, his eyes maintained their ferocity and anger.

Alphonse Elric was outside the cage he was trapped in. He'd been cut down, chopped up until only a small piece of metal, the tiny piece containing the alchemical knot that tied his soul to his artificial body remaining.

Ed looked around.

"There's nothing you can do," said a small, slightly wispy voice in front of him.

The cage was floating in mid-air. At least, it had the same properties of air. Ed could breathe it, he could smell it, but he knew it wasn't air. The cage was the only substantial thing, except for the tiny piece of floating metal.

He looked at his enemy again.

He had the body of an eight year old. It was pure white, and only showed up thanks to a dark cloud behind it. Wearing an enormous grin, it cocked its eyeless head.

"I will not lose," Ed roared, slurring his words as blood flew out.

"I just broke at least two ribs."

"Remember the deal!" Ed screamed. The thing stopped grinning, and dived at him, right arm twisting and contorting into some sharp thing.

Ed twisted his body, ignoring the pain, and lashed out with his right arm. He didn't feel the punch connect, and the child twisted and slammed an elbow onto his head.

Ed half-collapsed, a hand on his side. He almost looked as though he had a stitch, except a stitch wouldn't cause blood to fly from his mouth as he retched in huge coughing fits.

Slowly, he stood up again.

"Why can't I hurt you?" He asked the uninjured enemy opposite him.

The thing rose a few feet into the air. "Not telling!" it gave a child-like chuckle and dived for him again.

Edward sent a hand over his shoulder and slapped it down, wincing as the nerve sockets disjointed themselves. The fight had been going on for over thirteen hours, and his right arm had taken most of the strain. In place of where the artificial hand had once been, a long and thick metal blade was in its place. He jumped.

In what seemed like slow motion, the two beings collided. Ed's hair sprang from its ponytail, and flew loosely. The two blades connected with a high-pitched clanging noise, but then he noticed the thing's blade neatly travelling through his own artificial limb. In a violent attempt to avoid the tantalizingly slow ethereal blade coming towards him, he twisted and pushed out with his leg at a snail's pace.

He felt it connect.

His eyes widened as he watched the child become limp and fall to the ground with a dull crash.

"I… I hit you…"

The thing turned to him.

"You understand, don't you?"

Ed looked at his right arm. Then he looked at his left.

He slowly raised a hand.

Al's voice was distant. "Brother? What are you doing?"

Ed grinned. "I'm letting Winry kill me."

He flicked a catch, and undid three straps.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and yanked off the automail. He screamed as the nerve endings felt the cold, empty air for a minute but then the pain dulled. He dropped the useless arm.

Al looked on through the bars. He was screaming, but Ed wasn't paying attention.

"Al," Ed whispered, "shut up. I'm getting you your body back."

Al shut up. He'd never heard his brother speak like that.

He walked to the wall. Balancing on one leg, he gently lowered a hand and removed his leg.

"Ready?" he said, grinning.

"If you are." The thing replied with an even bigger grin.

Ed leapt, jumping off his one good leg.

His opponent also dived, drawing back a fist.

Ed's golden eyes glared at the white being.

It grinned back.

They drew closer, closer…

Edward opened his eyes, and blinked. He was completely naked. Bright white light shone down on him, and he raised an arm to shield himself – then realizing it was his right arm.

He tried to shout, and couldn't.

Above him, at the centre point of the light, an enormous eye opened. There was something spirally within the iris, which seemed to draw you in.

An image flashed from it. An alchemical symbol? Ed was confused, it had only been the symbol for earth. Another flash, however, and Ed saw hundreds of symbols. All at once, his mind becoming engulfed in the sea of symbols, he felt a burning on his hands and glanced down to see the symbols burning into his palms. He heard an ominous sound. He looked up again, and saw the eye widen.

He screamed.