"Al, where are you?!" Eds sudden shout broke the stillness of the early morning at the Rockbells.
"Al?" Eds voice was a little bit more desperate this time, in the past few months since he and his brother had gotten back from central, there wasn't a single morning where his brother wasn't downstairs, drinking some tea he had just made. But today was different, there was no sign of Al, no sign of tea, and Ed had a queasy feeling in him. He couldn't deny that he still had nightmares of The Promised Day; when he thought he was going to lose his brother forever. Why did he let himself think this way every time he couldn't find his brother? He's got to be here somewhere and he's got to be okay.
"AL?!" Ed was practically pleading for a response when Winry offered an answer instead, "HE TOOK DEN OUTSIDE MORON!" she called down from upstairs. Ed finally recalled something that he thought was a dream of Al silently creaking open Ed and Winrys bedroom door just enough to allow Den out. Sure enough, Ed spotted Al in the distance once he looked out the window; and still unable to shake the queasy feeling, he grabbed his jacket and headed out to meet his brother.
"Hey Al, I was calling for you, I got pretty worried." Ed said to his brother as soon as he was within ear shot.
"Oh sorry brother, I didn't want to wake you or Winry when I took Den out." Al didn't turn to face his brother as he said this, instead he stayed in the exact same position he had been in since Ed first saw him from out of the window. Ed tried to laugh off the queasy feeling, but he still couldn't shake the thought that today was off, "I guess I'm still not really used to waking up and not seeing you in your armor on the other side of the room."
Al seemed to soak in Eds words for a moment. "Haha yeah, I know what you mean." With this Al turned to Ed for the first time, revealing a face wet with tears. Ed was suddenly horrified that he had said something to hurt his little brother.
"Al! Are you okay? Why are you crying?"
Instead of any form of pain or hurt that Ed was expecting, Al's face lit up into a smile.
"Brother, I can feel the fall breeze on my face! I can smell winter being right around the corner again, and earlier, even if for a minute I was running along side Den! How could I not be okay?!" Al's smile was now a full ear to ear grin "I have a a bruise on my leg from falling and it hurts, and I mean really hurts, and I'm so proud of that fact. I'm finally well enough to really enjoy my body again brother! I'm finally alive again and I can feel it in every part of my body."
Ed's face was stunned, from the sudden outburst and change in mood that seemed to come from his brother, it was always nice to see someone that usually kept their calm overflow with excitement every once in a while. Ed couldn't pretend that everything was okay though, because he remembered why his stomach was in knots at last. Only glancing at his brother before staring intently on the ground did Ed let his smirk fall.
"Al..do you… know what day it is?" He didn't want ruin his little brothers mood, but he didn't want Al to have to go through the entire day not knowing what it was.
"What do you mean, Ed?" Al saw the discomfort in Ed's face and didn't yet understand why his brother, who looked just fine a moment ago was suddenly so distressed. "Do you mean the date?"
With that Ed looked his brother in the eyes, "Yeah, do you know, what todays date is? What its the anniversary of?"
"Of course I do brother, how could you think I would forget?" Al's voice croaked at the end of his sentence "I know what today is, but I'm done with feeling bad on it."
"What do you mean you're done with feeling bad? Hellooo don't you remember what happened that day?" Snapped out of Ed, he wasn't trying to deliberately insult his brother, but he can't be serious about not feeling bad.
"I mean I'm done with feeling guilty or ashamed because of what happened on that day." Al stood eye to eye to his brother, finding his confidence within him to keep going "I know you may not get it brother, you've always wanted to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and that's okay, but you don't have to carry around guilt about today anymore."
"Okay Al, what the hell do you mean I don't have to feel guilty about what happened? Of course I do! Everything bad that happened because of our choice to leave? The people that died because of it? The-"
"I'm going to have to stop you right there brother, because you're being a jerk. In fact by regretting what we did on this day how many years ago is one of the most selfish things you've ever said. The people that died would have died anyways along with everyone else we know and love! And what about all the GOOD things that happened to us since that day? What about all the people we met, and all the friends we made? Did you forget what you said on The Promised Day? Did you forget why you gave up your alchemy?!" Al took a breath and expected his brother to start in on him, but instead Ed just stood there, staring at him. Ed didn't look angry, he actually looked intrigued. And that was because he really was intrigued by what his younger brother was saying, Ed was so tired of feeling guilty, he was truthfully interested in how he could accomplish such an impossible task. He didn't say anything though, forcing Al to continue his point.
"Instead of thinking of today as the anniversary of a mistake, we have to make it the anniversary of something else! Like the first day we truly took control of our lives, or the first day we started out on saving how many lives without even knowing it? All I know is that I can't feel bad about that day anymore brother, because I can't let myself think of where you and I would be if we hadn't left that day, if we hadn't run away. The dates are never going to change, so we have to change how we feel about them." Al ended his rant with a large gasp of air and every spare moment after that his big brother didn't speak seemed like another eternity.
Ed finally spoke, choosing his words cautiously, "That's twice Al."
Al was clearly bewildered, twice what? Did he call him any type of short? Al thought Ed was over that now that he finally got taller. Maybe he wasn't. No matter, Al clearly had no idea what Ed meant, so he elaborated.
"Twice, in the very short amount of time that the sun has been in the sky today, that you have exploded with things you cared so much about. Twice, you have left you're calm demeanor down and acted more like me."
And with that, the youngest Elric couldn't handle but to laugh, barely breaking "And that means you've refrained from arguing with me twice like you normally do...kind of!" This time, not only did the youngest Elric laugh uncontrollably, but his older brother joined in too.
"I guess we're finally growing up little brother!" Ed managed to say in between laughs.
"I guess we are! But what exactly does that mean?" Al asked as his laughter started to die down.
Ed thought for a minute, no longer laughing, "Well I guess it means that I promise to try and remember today in the most positive light I can, but I might need your help once in a while. Just like always."
"And I'll be there if you need help, just like always." Al quickly added.
Ed smiled at his little brother, the same little brother he used to have nightmares about losing to a metal suit, the same little brother that he used to walk to the bathrooms at night, the very same little brother that no matter what, always saw the world in the best way possible. The same little brother that deserved to have a big brother who saw the world in the same way. The same little brother that doesn't have a home anymore, because of the choices they made, the choices Ed made, th-
"Hey Ed I think Winry is waving for us to come back in for breakfast, and I don't know about you but I am starving! Let's go home and get some food." Al interrupted just in time and he didn't even know it. Of course they had a home, they never didn't have one, why was Ed being so stupid today? Perhaps thinking of today positively wouldn't be so hard, as long as he had his baby brother.
"Yeah, I'm starving too let's go get some food. Come on Den!" As Den ran right past Ed and straight back to the house, Al stopped walking and turned around, "Oh and brother… Happy anniversary."
Ed felt the empty pocket in which his Silver watch once lived as he watched his little brother slowly make his way back to the home the two boys always had, "Happy October 3rd Al" he thought, before making his way back home himself.