Brothers: Our tragic lives

(This is just a one-shot of the night they tried to bring back thier mother.)

How can I repay you brother mine?
How can I expect you to forgive?
Clinging to the past I shed our blood,
and shattered your chance to live.

Drawing the array on the floor of our father's study with the chalk, I was impatiently trying to get ready for what we were about to do. It was forbidden, and though that should have stopped me, it didn't. Now that I look back on my life, I regret what I did. I would have given myself for her to be back again - at least she would have been with Al. "Al? Are you ready?" I asked and he nodded resolutely. Clapping my hands, I put them on the circle.

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.

It lit with a brilliant gold color and it shone on our faces as Al and I exchanged happy looks. It was working! Our beloved mother would be brought back! Suddenly, it went all wrong. It went out of control, turning dark with purple and suddenly, I felt something wrong, something very wrong, on my foot. I glanced down and startled when I saw that the forces of alchemy was breaking down my leg. A glance at Alphonse and I felt like I was sinking into the ground, both my body and my heart. His body was slowly dissolving due to the alchemy breaking down his body. "No! Alphonse!"

(Ed's chorus)
Beautiful mother, soft and sweet
Once you were gone we were not complete.
Back through the years we reached for you.
Alas, twas not ment to be.
And how can I make amends,
for all that I took from you?
I lead you with hopeless dreams.
My brother I was a fool.

"He's gone. Ahh!" I cried, looking down at my leg. I heard a muffled sound, more like a hiccup than anything. I looked with wide eyes as my mother looked at me, or what I had created to be my mother. Oh mother, once so soft and sweet, I should have never tried to bring you back! Now, a tangled mass of nothing. I done the only thing I could for Alphonse. Inside the gate I learned if I acted fast enough, I could attach his bodiless soul to the closest thing: an old suit of armor. With tears pouring down my face, I done so, ready to give my life to do so. Marking both of my arms, my remaining leg, and my heart, I drew the array on the inside of the armor, tossing the head aside to get on the inside. There was no ink nearby, so I used what I could: my own blood, that had gushed from my leg. I knew I might die from this, but I was going to try anyways, damned it!

(Al's verse)
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.

I looked at my brother and he was there, bleeding badly, his arm and leg gone. I was about to reach down and pick him up when I noticed my hands. They were huge and like the armor that hang on the wall. "Mom?" I questioned and he held his bleeding arm. "Sorry, Al, I used my arm. . .as material. Don't look, it wasn't human." he said in pain-filled gasps. I noticed there were tears in his eyes. 'Oh brother, I should have stopped you. I should have heeded the voice in my head, the one that said that this was dangerous. Oh brother, why didn't I?' I wondered as I felt myself wanting to cry. I ran over to him, and ran to Pinako's with him in my arms.

(Al's chorus)
Beautiful mother, soft and sweet
Once you were gone we were not complete.
Back through the years we reached for you.
Alas, twas not ment 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.

Both Pinako and Winry looked shocked when I came in, carrying Ed. "Please, help him. He's going to bleed to death!" I cried and they stared at me. "Al?" whispered Winry, her blue eyes wider than I had ever seen them. "You've been up to mischief. You were trying to bring back your mother, weren't you?" Pinako said in an accusing voice. I sat outside when they were doing the operation, and I heard Ed say, "This is nothing. . .compared to what he's given up." I wondered about that. My whole body was gone, I knew that. Edward had saved my life by giving me this body, and I knew he blamed himself. Once they were done for the night and had went to bed, I went inside, watching brother sleep.

I knew he wouldn't wake up when I spoke, so I told him what was in my heart. "Brother, you've given so much for me. Its my fault, I knew we shouldn't have went on. I should have listened, brother. I shouldn't have let you do it. But my dreams made me blind and mute to whatever would go wrong. Its my fault Ed. It was a mistake to bring mom back. Why didn't I speak up? Why didn't I refuse? Brother, please, don't blame yourself. Its my fault." I said softly, and sat down against the wall, feeling the tears that I myself couldn't cry. I fell asleep not long after.

(both)
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.

The sun was ablaze with colors as Ed and I sparred, days later. We were going to become state alchemists - the dogs of the military. Brother and I together. "We've all we have Al." said my brother, looking at me with those haunted golden eyes. I wish I could reach out and comfort him, even by a little, but now, with this cold armor body, I cannot. "I know brother. We are all we have." I said.

Yesterday, we done something to signify that we wouldn't return home. We burned the home where me, Ed, and mom had lived in for such a long time. "We won't be turning back. This is no home anyway, not since mom isn't here anymore." I said and Ed nodded, our torches in hand."Ready Al?" he asked softly and I nodded, throwing the torch first, his following mine. The torches were still alight, I thought, as we made our way to the train station. Alight in ourselves and burning a pathway for us to follow on our long road. . .now, all we can do is live.