My name is Alphonse Elric and I'm 8 years old. I also have an older brother named Edward Elric and he's 9 a year older than me and he's great even when I'm sick. Our mom died a few months ago and now it's almost dead winter though I'm always sick I was never this sick before. I remember it really well too. Ever since mommy died we lived with our childhood friend's grandmother and also her. By the way her name is Winery Rockbell. I really think that Ed likes her more than a normal friend but more like a crush crush.
Anyway brother and I look exactly alike except I'm taller than him by about 2 inches since he doesn't like milk and he won't drink it either. Though he loves stew and it's made from milk and we loved mom's stew. Though I loved everything about mom including her lullabies. I never knew dad he left us when I was really young. Though Ed knew him but he won't talk about it.
Enough about that. On with the real tale. Normally brother sleeps in real late since he's studying alchemy to bring back our mother. But one day when I woke up Ed wasn't in bed so I thought he spent the night in mom's room at our house or fell asleep studying. Brother was really heartbroken when mom died he never cried in front of me. But I would wake up in the middle of the night and see brother gone and we could see our house from the room that we slept in and I saw a light in mom's room. And it was also where she died.
Anyway I have a habit of getting off track. That morning when I saw Ed missing my head hurt and I was cold so I stayed in my bed to keep warm and then I heard the door open and Ed came inside really happy.
"Hey Alphonse get up lookie!" He said running to the window but I didn't budge. "Al? Are you okay?" He asked and sat down on the bed next to me. I just nodded, hell I was tired and cold that's about it being a pain in the butt or lazy I should say. "You just get up Al?" He added and rubbed my back like mom did when I wasn't feeling good in some way I think that Ed knew that I wasn't really feeling good but he doesn't like to press on like I do unless he thinks it's something really important like being worried like we were when mom was dying and we didn't understand until she did. The same thing that happened to Winery happened to us. "Come on let's go play outside. It snowed over night there's like five inches outside." Ed said and he left the room so I decided to get out of bed and ready to play with brother.
"Morning Al, you want to have a snowball fight outside?" Winery asked. She's our friend that I told you about and we headed outside. We played by everyman for himself. And I climbed up into a tree and hid since Ed and Winery can't get me from up there. I hit Winery within a few throws so Ed just remained though I quickly lost to him so I climbed down and Ed helped me climb the rest of the way down.
"Thank you brother." I said and he was looking at me worried. "Is something wrong brother?"
"No just your face is kind of red. So lets go inside before you get sick or something like that." Ed said
"I'm fine brother you don't have to worry about a thing. Come on lets make a snowman." I said. Ed is the same way sometimes so I guess it runs in the family though with Ed I shouldn't say sometimes. Then I headed over to make the bottom of the snowman, Winery and Ed joined in later. Well I'm going to be honest it was more of a snowwoman than a snowman but that's besides the point.
"I swear you two can do almost anything." She said
"Please winery I'm way better than brother." I said
"Is that so!?"
"Yeah. I can climb a tree and you cant!"
"I'm scared of heights Al! Your scared of thunderstorms!" Ed said though he did have me there I was afraid of thunderstorms though what nine year old isn't scared of storms. "Besides I can do better and more alchemy than you can." Ed said a little to proudly. Again he had me there but still I couldn't help but curl my hand into a fist and socked him straight in the mouth, and kicked him in the stomach and ran off.
"Alphonse come back." Winery said but I just kept running and I arrived at the river near the caves where we play all the time on adventures, hikes, treasure hunting. I sat down by the river and threw a few rocks into the water and started crying. Then all of a sudden I had a huge headache so I was going to head back or at least hide at the house and when I did I was really dizzy and I collapsed right onto the ground that was full of cold snow.
About six that night and it was also our first fist fight and by now Edward was flipping.
"Damn it where is he?" He asked
"Don't worry Edward I'm sure he'll be back. He just might've ran to your house like you do to study." Winery said
"Yeah maybe your right Winery. But can you look around town and stuff? I'll check the house and the caves where we play he might've went to the river alone like he does sometimes." Ed said and he checked the house and didn't find me. (Duh) then he came to the caves and found me.
"Alphonse! Are you alright!? Wake up!" He said and I still didn't wake up. Though I did know I was being carried away since I was a bit warmer.
"Aunt Pinako help!" Ed cried running threw the door I guess Winery was back already.
"Alphonse!" they said and Ed laid me on the couch and placed a huge quilt on me and I was freezing.
"He has a fever and he's turning colors." Ed said
"He must be getting hypothermia. That's not good, if we don't warm him up soon he'll die." Pinako said and scared Ed I think I mean we just lost mom. If I died he'd completely fall apart.
"I know I'll make Al his favorite, like mom did that'll cheer and warm him up." Ed said and he went into the kitchen.
"Winery can you go get the heating blanket? That should work for a while." Pinako said
"Grandma what about Edward?"
"Leave him for now. He's doing fine besides he's right Al can drink something warm when he wakes up and have Ed get Al into some new dry clothes."
"Okay." Winery said and she headed into the kitchen and she saw Ed burn his hand. "Ed come here." She said and she walked to the sink and he walked over.
"What is it Winery?"
"Put your hand underneath the water." She said
"Oh since I burned it? I don't care Alphonse is more important than me or my health both mentally or physically. When mom died I never cried in front of him, I always stood strong for him too."
"What good would it do if you're dead or hurt? Al would blame himself for it. He told me what your planning with Alchemy. To bring your mother back to life I think it's sweet Edward. But you shouldn't mess with that stuff even if it's alchemy. Who knows maybe your mom's happy where she is. And I'm sure that she's she wants you to be happy and not worried about bringing her back from the dead. You can die that way, both of you can." She said helping him
"Why'd you come here anyway Winery?"
"Well Grandma wants you to get Al into some clean and dry clothes or PJ's."
"I suppose I can. Um can you watch this for me?"
"Yeah. See you later Edward I'll bring it upstairs when it's done." Winery said
"Thanks." Ed said and came to get me and while we were going upstairs I woke up. "Hey there squirt." He said and I didn't answer him and he didn't talk to me until we got upstairs and he sat me on the bed and got some clothes. "Put these on Al." Ed said and I did though he did help me though at times. "Are you alright? Or your not going to answer me?" He asked putting me under the covers and laying me down. And then I just turned and put my face into a pillow and he rubbed my back again. He did that a lot now and days. Trying to fill as a brother and I guess a father like figure. I mean I never knew dad so I always look up to Ed as a child would with his father or mother. "Alphonse were brothers and are supposed to fight, but I didn't mean it at all. Please forgive me." He said
"Okay I guess. But your wrong we can't fight anymore. Were the only ones left until Dad comes back." I moaned and he put a hand on my forehead again. I didn't know I had a fever at the time.
"Al? Did you feel alright this morning when I woke you up?"
"Yeah why brother." I said though the true answer to that as you know is no. But he was worried enough I couldn't add anything else. Though right now I felt sick to my stomach.
"You sure your alright?" Ed asked maybe because I had my eyes closed tight. I had to tell him I didn't want to but I hoped he could make me feel better at least he always did when we were younger.
"I don't feel good brother." I said
"It's okay Alphonse. You just get some rest okay I'll bring your favorite drink up later when it's done."
"I'm sorry Edward but I kind of don't want it but if you already made it I'll drink it. Besides it might help." I said sometimes I hate being nice well brother is a pain most of the time. So I guess I'm the good one for a reason. Am I right? If you have an older brother then you understand. I have a friend in town that has 13 brothers and sisters total. Four boys the rest girls and she's the second youngest. She has a little sister.
Meanwhile downstairs Edward and Winery as well as Pinako were talking about something and it was something that got Edward ticked off since he was yelling.
"What are you talking about old lady? Alphonse is fine he just has a little fever that's it he's not cold anymore except due to that. He's not even blue anymore. And even if he was I'd find some sort of way to help him including using alchemy."
"Really Edward you'd transmute your own brother?"
"No way damn it! I mean I would find an alchemical cure and make it myself and make sure that everything is good no matter what I have to give up for him. Even my own health and if that is the case I'd gladly do it." Ed said
"Grandma Edward's right besides he's only trying to do what his mother and father would do if they were still around. Though we have no clue where his father is at all. Not even the State knows where he is. They can't find him anywhere it must be hard on both of you."
"I don't care about my father, mom was the only one I ever cared about when it comes to my parents dad can rot in hell."
"Edward that's not something a kid of your age should be talking about."
"Well there are others in town that feel the same way. Our friend with the 13 brothers and sisters or something like that."
"You mean little Luna don't you. She mostly has adoptive siblings I think."
"No they come from a different mother or father. But one of them is the same they're results of past marriages or something like that."
"Relationships?" Winery asked
"Yeah lets go with that. Anyways Luna takes care of her whole family when they're sick with anything if something should happen we could always call her. Though I know for a fact that it won't and Alphonse will be fine in a matter of days." Ed said even when we were younger the one that wasn't sick would take care of the other. Most of the time Ed got sick and I stayed and took care of him with some help from mom.
"Well then how about I make Al's favorite for dinner do you think that would help him some?" Pinako asked
"Maybe I mean he didn't really want hot chocolate then again I might not want to risk it either."
"He has a stomachache?" Winery asked
"That's what I think. He hardly ever turns down hot chocolate no matter who makes it." Ed said
"Well maybe he has a stomach flu too because of the cold I mean when I get sick I don't want some of the stuff that I like."
"I'm going to go upstairs and hang out with him and maybe play some board games that should make him better and not feel lonely either." Edward said and I heard him come upstairs.
"Hey Al you feeling better?"
"Yeah. A bit."
"You wanna play a game?" Ed said, "I made one up at the house I can go get it. I created it with both some of our art things and alchemy."
"What's it about?" I asked
"It's about two traveling alchemists and they're friends in the military like your army games that you like to play. You know the one where you sink the ships."
"Oh something like that."
"Yeah except you don't have to guess where you are and everything like that. I really hate that game but I'll play that too if you want to."
"Let's try out your new game with winery when I feel better I just really want to get some sleep." I said and turned over
"Hey I learned a new transmutation circle yesterday I forgot to show you."
"What does it do?" I asked
"Just watch it's like the first transmutation that we did for Winery's birthday present but it's more complex."
"You still studying to bring mommy back to life?"
"Of course Al we both want her here right?"
"Yeah but I have a huge bad feeling about all of this."
"About what?"
"Human transmutation. I mean no one ever did it right. I doubt even daddy can bring a human back and he's a great alchemist."
"At least that's what mom says. Al." He said turning around I think I mentioned something that I shouldn't have so I headed over to him but I fell down. " Huh? Al what are you doing you should know you don't have enough strength to stand up." He said picking me up off the floor.
"I'm sorry brother. You looked depressed so I was going to cheer you up."
"I only want you to get some rest and get better. Alright how about we play later and you get some rest."
"You too?"
"Huh?"
"You were up almost all night weren't you Edward?" I said and he was shocked that I said that.
"I suppose your right Al I was up all night watching you. I couldn't sleep at all."
"Get some rest brother. I'm fine now alright."
"You sure?'
"Of course I'm sure. You need to sleep otherwise you'll get sick too." I said and he yawned to further prove my point.
"Okay Al you win. Man I never win." Ed said and he went into the bed on the other side of the room. I kind of felt sorry for Edward because he's blaming himself for me getting so sick in the first place when I was the one who punched him in the first place.
That night when I went to sleep I had a terrible nightmare though.
The dream was really bad. It was something of the future. Ed and I just used human transmutation and I wasn't in my body I was in something else but I was WAY taller than Ed now. Though I saw him in the corner of the room holding his shoulder that was missing the arm and pouring out blood same with his leg. And in the middle of the room where there was a huge transmutation circle was and there was a body.
"Edward what happened? And is that really mommy?" I asked
"Yeah it's her. We did it Al we did equivalent Exchange correctly." I heard Ed moan. I ran over to him when I saw that he was in serious pain no matter what the heck happened to me. Brother and my friends were the only things I cared about.
"Mommy we have to get brother help."
"Why Alphonse did you see what your forced you to do. He's a bad boy and his pain is a great punishment in fact I should make him experience a great amount of torture." Mom said
"Mommy? Why?"
"Just look at yourself Alphonse your brother made you do human transmutation and you didn't have to do a thing. Now your body is gone your only here by default you should be where I was in heaven you died in the transmutation. Ed just attached your soul to that suit of armor that was in the corner no matter what you wanted."
"I don't care I would come back to life no matter what happened and I know that I'm getting brother help since your not my mother!" I screamed. And mom's whole arm just stretched outward and she grabbed Ed by the neck choking him.
"Big brother! Let him go. Let him go now!" I screamed and I ran toward the thing that we brought back. It wasn't our mother just a fake.
"Be a good little boy and listen to your mother and go over to Winery's house."
"Not without Edward!" I screamed. And mom was holding Edward and all of a sudden I saw a…head on the floor mom had just killed my brother " BROTHER!" I screamed I again and fell on the floor. I just saw my brother being killed and I knew I was next. Since mom was walking towards me.
"Alphonse…Alphonse…wake up." I heard someone call and shake me at the same time. When I finally snapped out of it I sat up really quick and hit Edward square in the forehead.
"Brother! Are you alright?" I asked
"Yeah I'm fine…what about you Alphonse?" Ed asked and he sat down on the bed and I just grabbed him and didn't let go.
"Brother please, don't try to bring mommy back! Don't do it please promise me you won't do it!" I said and Ed was looking at me and he rubbed my back.
"Al. Did you have a bad dream about that?" He asked I just nodded and the door opened and Winery stood in the doorway with a stuffed animal in her arms.
"What's going on?"
"Al just had a real bad dream Winery. It's nothing really go back to bed." Ed said and while I was asleep I didn't realize that there was a thunderstorm outside until I heard a clap of thunder and lighting a real loud one. I just grabbed on tighter to Ed.
"Is he alright Ed?" She asked and came in the room and sat next to us.
"He's afraid of thunderstorms."
"I'm sorry brother, Winery. I have to grow up." I said
"Shut up Al you only a little kid you don't have to grow up yet. Its normal Hikari is afraid of thunderstorms and she's older than us."
"She's only older than you by half a year." I said
"Still she's scared and do you want to know why? It's because of her past. Many people are scared of something. Hikari also hates bugs to death remember when I threw a daddy long leg on her?" Edward asked
"Oh yeah she went crying and begging for you to take it off since I wouldn't go near it."
"Right Winery is also afraid of things and so am I believe it or not."
"What?"
"Losing you, Winery, Pinako my family and my best friends." Ed replied
"Thank you Edward, Winery." I said and fell asleep on Edward's shoulder and the three of us stayed together the rest of the night protecting one another like we did when we were younger. The others soon followed me into dreamland and I didn't have another bad dream that night. The next morning I woke up to see that Winery was gone but Ed was sleeping still snoring away sometimes I wish I had some duck tape to shut his mouth up for a while. But I'm a relatively heavy sleeper if peaceful so I don't mind half the time.
I was feeling better this morning though I was still tired but I wanted to scare Ed and I knew a way too he was very ticklish on his stomach and it was how mom would wake him up. So I started tickling his stomach and he went rolling and laughing his head off.
"Alright I give Winery stop before you wake up Al." He laughed and I started laughing my self.
"Brother Winery left. I woke you up."
"Alphonse you're a very bad boy." He said and that made me remember that crazy dream I had the night before.
"Al are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine brother. I'm feeling way better today too. Come on let's go get breakfast."
"You sure Alphonse?"
"Yeah I'm positive."
"How about we go study up at the house."
"Your brother is a bad boy. Bringing me back!" I heard in my head and I stopped in my tracks.
"Al?" Ed asked me placing a hand on my shoulder. " Are you sure your alright Al?" Ed asked me
"Yeah I'm fine Ed just thinking about something." I said and headed downstairs and Ed followed me.
"Good morning Alphonse. Do you want some French toast?" Pinako asked
"Sure!" I said since it was my favorite and normally Edward hated to drink milk and I had a plan today.
"Dang it this thing again I swear it tortures me. Al you take it." Ed said
"Brother please drink it I don't want you to die or something like that since you don't drink milk."
"Al you can't die from not drinking milk." Ed said now here's where the plan came in. I started to cry since it was easy for me to pretend to start crying and Ed couldn't tell that I was faking. I should become an actor or something when I grow up if Alchemy can't do anything.
"Brother don't you care that you'll leave me alone in the world if you don't drink it?" I cried
"Alright I'll drink it brother are ya happy."
"Yes!" I said and dug into my French toast. I had a big smile on my face and if crying didn't work I did always still have a back up. Puppy dog eyes brighter than Den's who's Winery's puppy.
Later that day we went outside to play and the snow was all melted from the rain and everything and now everything was dried up except for some ice that we couldn't see and stuff like that.
The first place we headed to was the caves that we always play at and today we were going to play treasure hunt and most of the time it's really fun since we find new tunnels and everything like that and small ones that only we can fit in and it leads somewhere really cool like a big chain of caves and we have paths marked with some paper and chalk so we can always find our way back to the beginning if we happened to get separated or lost.
"Al which way do you want to head today?" Ed asked
"When I was up here I found a tiny caves that led somewhere and I heard water from the inside but I waited until one of you came with me incase something happened inside I didn't want to be alone in that kind of situation since I know Ed would have harder trouble finding me and Winery too." I said
"Cool Al come on let's go and check it out it's fine with me. What about you Winery?"
"Sure but do you guys want some chalk or something to mark the path like we normally do?"
"Nah I'm sure I can find the way back. I'm good at that kind of thing." Ed said and he went into the caves.
"Huh? Brother wait for me at least!" I said and we followed Edward into the caves.
"So Al where is this new passage way?" Ed asked
"This way brother. I know exactly where it is I never got lost yet." I said and led them into a huge cave and saw the rock that I blocked the passage with.
"It's right here brother." I said and I tried to push the rock but failed I guess I wasn't as strong as I thought.
"Need help Al?" Ed asked shocked that I couldn't push the rock. I just nodded and he came over and he helped me move the rock. Even both of us couldn't move the rock. " Dang Alphonse how did you move this thing? With…alchemy? That's it we can use alchemy to make this lighter or something like that." Ed said
"Brother we don't have anything to draw a transmutation circle."
"I can try and help you." Winery replied and walked over to us.
"Sure if you think that you can help us Winery." Ed said and all three of us pushed the rock and we managed to actually move the rock.
"Dang about time we pushed that thing out of the way. It was getting on my nerves." Ed said and I laughed so did winery.
"Hey Al how did you fit in there?"
"To be honest I really didn't I didn't want to go in there unless one of you guys were with me incase." I said
"Well I'll go in there first then." Ed said climbing underneath into the small hole.
"Edward are you sure you can fit." Winery asked
"Hey this time I'm kind of glad I'm short."
"Yeah to bad you're not skinny either." Winery replied and I giggled in my head and thinking here they go again.
"Hey Al hi there." Ed said and he looked through the hole and stood up and I heard him walk a little further to let us come in and then I heard him scream.
"Edward!" We said and I climbed under first and I saw him in a huge lake and none of us can swim. But I wasn't going to let my brother drown so I jumped into the water and just as he was going under I grabbed him and tried to keep his head above the water but my leg got caught in some rocks.
'Dang it what else could go wrong?' I thought and my thoughts were answered in this case since a whole bunch of rocks rolled onto the one holding my leg and I felt it crack. My leg I mean. I tried so much not to scream and get the rocks off since I needed air and Ed was now knocked out from inhaling to much water.
I felt someone taking Ed and got him to shore I guess winery made quick swimming lessons to save him and now I had that taken care of if I died and Ed was safe I didn't care but I wasn't going down without a fight but I knew I couldn't hold on much longer since my lungs were about to explode. I was now silently crying from the pain in my chest and also that I couldn't get my legs free because I was so weak from yesterday and the fact that this water was ice cold also didn't help the small cause.
"Alphonse? Al where are you?" I heard Winery say. I opened my mouth just a little and blew out creating some bubbles and she saw them. And I saw her coming down under the water she thought that I just couldn't get my body to the top so she pulled me and I had no choice but to cringe in pain. I pointed to the rocks that had my leg and she got them out but when I cringed I also passed out from the pain and I knew that my body was taking in a whole bunch of water.
"Al. Alphonse please get up it's me. Al." I heard I thought it was brother's and I had no clue to be honest. Then I felt someone pressing hard on my stomach and I coughed up water and I knew since I felt it all over my face. Edward had a towel or something and he cleaned off the water. " Come on little brother you have to breath." He said and then I felt the same pressure again on my stomach. CPR that's what it's called mom taught us how to do that when we were little incase something happened to one another when we were playing outside on one of our little adventures. This time when I coughed up water I was able to breath like Ed wanted but I didn't open my eyes because my leg hurt too much.
"Are you alright Al?" Ed asked I knew for a fact that it was him this time.
"His leg was caught in a whole bunch of rocks under that water at least we know what this place is now a huge underwater spring.
"Too bad not a hot spring." Ed said and Winery hit him over the shoulder. " Ow. Dang Winery it's called sarcasm have you ever heard of it?"
"Now's not the time we have to get Al back home. Grandma can help him better than we can."
"I don't want to move him if he's in pain in this case were so short we can't move him. Without dragging him." Ed said
"We would have to anyway to get him out of this cave anyway and I think that we should seal this up with that rock we found later.
"Your right I guess I'll help you get him out of here." Winery said and we pulled out Al and we carried him home.
"Grandma we need your help again!" I called and she came in and me knocked out on Ed's back again.
"What happened this time Edward why are you kids soaked."
"Al found a little cave and we went to check it out and it was really a underwater spring and I didn't know and I fell in and I cant swim so Al tried to save me instead his leg got caught in a whole bunch of rocks." Ed explained and he was almost in tears he because he thought he was causing me a lot of pain lately with high fever yesterday and now I might've had a broken leg.
"Let me see it." Pinako said and she looked at my leg at this time I was awake and I felt my leg throbbing.
"It's just really sprained it's not broken he's lucky but you go change before you catch your death of cold." She said and we headed upstairs.
"Al I'm so sorry this is the second time this happened."
"What do you mean brother? I asked shivering and Ed came underneath the blanket with me to keep each other warm we'd do that a lot during the winter when we were cold. Especially me I'd walk over and hop into the bed. Sometimes during the winter mom put our beds together so that we can keep each other warm.
"I mean this is the second time in two days you either gotten hurt or sick because of me."
"To be honest yesterday was my fault. I had a headache yesterday morning when you woke me. But I wanted to play in the snow with you."
"Alphonse you didn't have to do that. I would've stayed inside and play something in here while you rested or something like that. You know play Battleship, checkers, taught you how to play chess. Though you'd just kick my ass at that game too." Ed said ruffling my head.
"Brother when can we go play outside again?"
"Not for a while. And from now on I want you to tell me if you're not feeling all right. Promise me Alphonse."
"Only if you promise me that you wont leave me." I said and he nodded and we shook on it.
Now I'm fourteen and I'm a suit of armor, Brother lost his arm and leg and we failed human transmutation on our mother. And now I'm standing in front of your grave.
Dang it Edward you promised me you'll be here for me. Brother I want you back and I know how I'm going to do it please forgive me. I'm sure that you want me to live my life to the fullest but that means I'll live to be as old as our dad and our stepbrother Envy. I'm not going to live that long.
Others will be sad but I want to be with you, mom, and dad again. Maybe Envy is like a true blue brother up there.
Now brother I'm going to be with you. And I'll break the only thing keeping me alive the blood seal that bound my soul to this suit. I love you brother and I'm coming to you mom and dad.
And with that, Alphonse broke his seal ending his life forever and never coming back to earth.
Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain something of equal value must be lost. That's is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange, those days we thought that was the only truth.
But they were wrong….and now….they're dead.
Edward Elric: 1900-1916 A.D.
Alphonse Elric: 1902-1917 A.D.