Al curled up tighter in his bed. He shivered, and tried to pull the blankets as hard around him as he could. He couldn't contain the urge to scream out, but it only fell into soft whimpers. He weakly sat up, and tried to make his way off the bed, but it was no use. He fell down in a crumpled heap. The dim room was lit by only whatever moonlight decided to leak in thru the windows. His bed was a few feet away from him, and the door was equal to that. His nightstand was the only thing in reach, but it held a lamp that, if he tried to grasp onto it, would fall and shatter. Sure, Alphonse did want Ed's attention, but breaking something was not the way. Al looked around. He clutched his chest. It began to throb and howl in pain. He grumbled and tried to keep himself from sinking all the way to the floor. His vision began to blur, and his stomach was doing flips. Beads of sweat dribbled down his face. Al made his way to his knees and slowly crawled to the door frame, where he leaned on it and tried to regain whatever bit of breath he had before. He looked into the hallway, trying to muffle his gasps, as not to wake Ed. His door moaned as he pushed it farther open. There was a quiet thump from another room, and Al knew he must have waken Ed. He tried to sink behind the door frame, to make himself blend in with the wall. With luck, Ed's eyes wouldn't be adjusted to the dark, and he wouldn't see Al. "Gulk!" Al coughed suddenly, blood pouring from the corner of his mouth in a small puddle before him. "Crap..." he whispered, his arms wrapped around his middle. There was the steady sound of one flesh and one auto-mail foot thumping against the wooden floor, and Ed's head peeked in thru the door. His golden orbs locked on Al, and widened as they caught sight of the puddle of blood. Ed slipped down to Al, one hand firmly planted on his shoulder. Al whimpered and looked up. He let his weak body fall into the grasp of Ed. Ed supported the teen the best he could. Ever since Al had come into this world, sicknesses seemed to be attracted to him like metal to a magnet. Al coughed again. His breaths had reduced down to rash wheezing. Keep Al alive, Ed thought, his knuckles tightening around Al's neck, keep Al alive. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. He placed his lips on Al's. And breathed out. Al's chest heaved upwards a bit, and then back down. Al's eyes slowly fluttered open. Ed couldn't pull away. I'm sorry, Al. He thought. I put you in armor and now this... I really am a bad brother... E-Ed?! Al exclaimed mentally. He blinked, but didn't pull back. W-What is this? What are you doing?!? Ed managed to grab a hold of himself and pulled away. He sat up fully and turned away sheepishly. There was no way he could have looked in Al's eyes after that. But he felt the sleeve of his shirt being pulled the other way, toward Alphonse. Ed finally looked over in response to Al brushing his lips back against Ed's. Neither Elric fought the loving gesture. Ed slowly pulled away. "Al, no. Lay back down." Al frowned. "What?" "Look, you don't spit up blood in the middle of the night for no reason. Something is wrong here." Ed's eyes shivered. Al fought Ed. "No, Brother. I'm okay." Ed couldn't tell another person why he felt so protective over Al, but he had just spit up blood, and he felt as if he could partly blame his feeling on that... But... Truth was... He loved Alphonse. He had taken away so much from the boy, he didn't want to loose him again. Not for the third time in his life. Ed wanted to be the perfect Brother for Al ever since their mother had passed away. Ed had blown it twice now, but surely Alphonse would have understood that both times were for him. Human transmutation; to bring Trisha Elric, their mother, back. Why? Simply because of the light that shined in Edward's little brother's eyes every time he mentioned seeing their mother's smile again. And Two; Dragging Alphonse away from his home world. Ed knew, from the moment he had woken to Alfons readying the plane, that Al would come with him and leave his own world, but he couldn't control the temptation of seeing everyone again. Al put a hand out on Ed's shoulder. "Brother...?" Ed snapped out of his thoughts. "'Al, lay down. I'm not arguing." "And neither am I. When I was back in armor, you were in the hospital all the time. And I didn't want to question it because I knew you would insist on hurrying out because you wanted my body back. I know I can't help you get your limbs back in this world, but I don't want you to worry about me. So just let it be, okay?" "Al..." Ed grunted. He was always stubborn. "Ed. Really. It won't happen again." Al mused, smiling. Ed put a hand to his forehead and sighed. Al grabbed Ed's hand and measured it to his. They were pretty much the same size, his real one and Al's. Al's eyes widened. He felt something inside of him twist and break. He wanted to grab hold of his stomach, but he didn't feel anything. It didn't hurt. It was just... there. "Um, Brother, I have to, uh, go to the b-bathroom, so I'll be r-right back, okay?" Al stammered. He was scared about what had just happened inside of him. Ed nodded. Al thanked him and stood up. He felt oddly light. It was nauseating. He almost ran down the hall and turned into the bathroom at the end of it. He closed the door and lifted his gray tank-top. His stomach looked the same as it ever had. He looked like a normal thirteen-year-old. Only that strange feeling, like when you forget something but don't know what, lingered heavily inside of him. He sighed and placed his hand on his stomach, thinking he'd feel a bit of relief since nothing appeared to be wrong, but it only stressed him even more. His skin tingled oddly when he touched it, and long after he had removed his hand. Also, there were light marks from where his fingers had been. What if this was the same with all of his skin? He gently gripped his right wrist, and after feeling nothing, removed his hand. In place of his hand was a large bruise. Al hadn't even squeezed. Al collapsed to one knee. Dear Lord, Al thought, what is happening to me?! Ed had heard the loud thump of Al's knee hitting the wooden floor, and stared toward the bathroom. "Ed, don't-" Al started when he had heard the click of the knob being turned, but Ed was already at the door. The first thing he saw was the large bruise on Al's wrist, and the large beads of sweat dribbling down Al's forehead. "Al!" Ed exclaimed, bending down beside Al. Al's throat was sore for no reason, and he was burning up. His stomach and wrist wouldn't stop throbbing, and that nauseating feeling kept flopping around inside of him. He didn't answer. "Al! That's it; you're going to a doctor." Ed scooped up Al, bridal style, an headed out the door in sandals. It was cold and dark out, with the exception of street lamps, in Germany. Oh, how Ed wished that Germany was as advanced in their medical skills as Central's doctors were. Ed finally got to a small hut at the end of a long road. There was one dim light on, but that was about it. Ed pounded on the door with his foot. "Hey, Doctor Mareco!" Ed called. A man, resembling Doctor Marcoh in almost every way except for long, dark brown hair and glasses, opened the door. "Hmm?" he grumbled, squinting through his narrow glasses. "Oh, Edward Elric?" Mareco then saw Alphonse in his arms. "Oh dear. Please, come in. Come in and lay the boy on the couch." Ed nodded and walked into the clean little house. He then saw a brown couch in the middle of an empty room and sat Al on it. "This boy is terribly ill. Who is he to you, Mr. Elric?" Mareco asked, kneeling down beside Edward. "He's my little brother, Alphonse Elric. I don't know what's wrong with him. Ever since he came here from Amis- I-I mean another country, he's been coming down with stomach aches and things like that, but this is the worst I've ever seen." Ed explained. Mareco nodded, and felt for Al's pulse on his wrist. "Edward, is it possible this has ever happened to Alphonse before?" "Maybe, I wouldn't know. It might have, and he didn't tell me about it..." Ed them remembered Al's words from before, just in the house. "...but I don't want you to worry about me. So just let it be, okay?" Mareco gasped when he saw the bruise on Al. "Edward, have you ever hit this child?" "W-What? No! Why would I?! He's my little brother!" Ed shouted. "Let me see your left hand." Mareco grabbed Ed's flesh hand and sized it to the left-handed bruise. Both were the same size. "Edward, you do know what this means, don't you?" Mareco fixed a glare on the elder Elric. "Look, if you're thinking I hurt him, than that's crazy! Our hands are the same size!" Ed exclaimed. "How old are you?" "I'm eighteen and he's thirteen." Ed answered, still steamed. "You are five years elder to this boy. He is in critical condition and there is a bruise equivalent to the size of your left hand. This boy, nor would any other, wouldn't purposely injure himself." Mareco stood up. "Al!" Ed yelled. "Tell him what happened! Come on!" Mareco put his hands on Ed's shoulders. "Even if he was awake, Edward, he would be weak and sickly, so anything out of his mouth couldn't be used to help you. I'm afraid, for his safety, that I am going to have to call the police." "Please, Doctor Mareco. Let me explain." Ed begged. The Doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry. This is for Alphonse." He turned away from Ed and went to a corner of the room, where a phone hung on the corner of the wall. He punched in a series of numbers, then pressed the phone to his ear. "Yes, I would like to request an officer... I have a teenaged male here... Assault on a child... Yes, thank you." Doctor Mareco then hung the phone back up and walked over to Ed. "It will be a few minutes. It's not like I want to do this, Ed." Ed nodded. "Can I have a few words with Al?" "Yes. I assume you know he might not respond. He is out cold right now." "Please promise me you will take good care of him until I am able to come get him again. I want you looking after my little brother, not some other half-wit jerk of a doctor." Ed went over to Al after receiving a nod from Doctor Mareco. "Al..." Ed cooed, brushing some of Alphonse's hair away from his eyes. "I'll be gone for a little bit. Hang tight here with Doctor Mareco until I come back. I'm sorry." Al grunted in comprehension, but only weekly. Ed stood up, sighing deeply. "Mareco, they'll be here in minutes. If something happens to Alphonse while I'm gone, you'll loose a leg or two. I'm promising that, Doctor." Mareco nodded. "Yes... I know. Edward, I wouldn't doubt that you did not harm your brother, but being a doctor, I have a deep concern for children. I can't make the risk of letting another boy be harmed. I already let that happen once before..." Ed's eyes widened. "What?" "Yes. A young man... Aged fourteen... With red eyes and gray hair. He was the kind of person that would have grown up to be this nation's top guard. He would have been protecting the people of highest places... If only I would have stepped in, and kept him from becoming the cold and hard man he is today." Mareco sat down on the floor next to the couch. He took off his glasses and began to shine them with the bottom edge of his shirt. "What was this man's name, Mareco?" Ed was deep in concentration. He knew just who this description belonged to. He just didn't want to face it. "His name probably was something in a foreign tongue, so I'm not sure I would remember it." Mareco laughed. "Could it be that this man had no name?" Ed clenched his fists tighter. Mareco looked at Edward with a puzzling look on his face. "What would make you think of that? Everybody has a name." "Answer me, Doctor. Could that have been the case?" Edward's gaze lifted from the floor to Mareco's eyes. "If so, what relation would that have been to you? I am a doctor, Elric. I am not supposed to be giving away personal information." Mareco slid his glasses back onto his face. "Alphonse may have a desize connected to that man, if he is the man I am thinking of. If he does, than that man is the only one that can cure him." Edward's answered. "So I see you doubt my medical abilities..." Mareco sighed. "Well, the fact of that man not having a name is thicker than the possibility of me not remembering it. For now, anyway, you'll have to trust me while you're in the slammer. I can keep your little brother alive, yes, but cure him, I'm not sure." Edward nodded. "That's all that matters now. I'm sure I'll be able to track this man down." "But just who is he to you, other than the answer to Alphonse's sickness?" Mareco put a hand to his chin. Edward bit his lip. "Just... an old acquaintance from a long time ago." Ed lied. There was a sudden pound from the other side of Mareco's door. "Edward Elric, please step out of the door backwards with your hands locked around the back of your head." Ed sighed and placed a hand on Al's shoulder. "Al... Hang in there. Don't you dare die on me, Brother." Ed turned around and laced his fingers together around the back of his head, and walked out of the already open door into the arms of the poliece. He was placed in the back of a waiting car, the door slammed behind him. The car then chugged off. It was mostly dark in the backseat, only the passing light from streetlamps shining in through the side windows. Ed looked down, feeling the motion of each swerve in the road. In this world, Ed thought, there are strong physical connections to mostly everybody... Alfons and Alphonse. Rose and Noa. Mareco and Marcoh. Than Scar and this world's Scar... This is only a hunch, but I wonder if because each physical connection is so accurate, than maybe a parital connection of each soul is shared... But the gate was destroyed on both ends. The only way for a connection between souls would have to mean that some form of a gate now exists in both worlds. Alchemy isn't usable in this world. So that would only have to mean that... "We're here." one of the police men snapped at Ed. "Scar's brother is here." Ed finished. "What, kid?!" snapped the other man. "Nothing, Sir." "Good. Get out." After a while, Ed was thrown in a cement cell for the night. "We'll decide what to do with you in the morning." The police had said. Ed ran his fingers through his hair. He'd blown it a third time now. "I am such an idiot..." Ed sighed. It was a long night.