Yeah, this story's interesting me so I'm working on it quite a bit. Hopefully I'll be able to update at least once a month, if not quicker. A few more of the original anime/CoS influences show here, but they're really minor - just a couple of useful bits I decided to steal and adapt for the purposes of plot advancement...

I noticed one or two people have put "All the Clouds" on alert since the first chap of this went up with the note about it being a new version; just to let you know Clouds won't be updated so there's no point in subbing to it. It's officially dead and abandoned. RIP.

Alphonse woke up terrified. Roy had to grab the boy's head with both hands and force him to stay still and look him in the eyes before the younger Elric would calm down. His breathing was fast and rough and he was sobbing as he choked in breaths.

"Where's Ed?" he asked. "Where is he?"

"We couldn't find him."

Alphonse screamed. He screamed and thrashed about until all the artificial strength of the adrenaline had worn out and he was left with nothing. He couldn't move or make a sound. The world was overloading him with touches and smells and all he could do was cry into the chest of the man holding him tight.

Roy stared out the window and cursed Edward with everything he had.

(-)

Alphonse's recovery was slow. It was months before he could keep down a decent portion of food and even longer before he could walk. After the initial rush from waking up, the severity of his body's atrophied state hit him hard and he could barely move at all for the first week. Once he began taking small steps using a support frame, Roy moved him into the ground floor of his townhouse – "until you're well enough for the journey home".

Each morning Roy would leave and not return until well into the evening, and Alphonse spent hours alone with his thoughts again. It would have been easy to just sit and dwell, but he knew he couldn't. He didn't know exactly what Edward had done to get his body back – no-one did – but he couldn't let it be in vain. To start with he could barely manage one full walking lap around the small rear garden without taking a break; after a few weeks he could walk around it at least five times before he even started to grow tired. He would bring a book out into the garden with him and each time he needed a break from walking he would sit in the shade and read a chapter before getting up and starting again. Once he began to feel more in control of his body he started practicing some of the exercises Izumi had given them when they first went to her. His muscles protested, and in the mornings of the first few weeks he ached almost too much to move, but he felt himself growing stronger by the day. Havoc had told him while he was in hospital that he looked too much like a corpse, and that he wouldn't come to visit until Alphonse looked like a living person again. He kept that promise, and only came to see him once he'd been out of the hospital for almost two months.

"See, now you just look really skinny," Havoc said, "and not like you're about to drop. This I can cope with."

As Alphonse grew healthier, he began to speak about his plans. Roy always looked tired these days, but he never dismissed Alphonse or told him he had more important things to worry about and Alphonse was soon looking forward to their nightly chats. If Roy heard any new reports about anything even slightly related to the homunculi and Father, he never kept it from Alphonse – not even when news came from Risembool that Hohenheim had been found dead in front of Trisha's grave. The boy knew everything he knew.

Then one day, the letters came.

An envelope addressed to Alphonse was slipped through the door; inside it were another two envelopes and a note. One of the inner envelopes was addressed to Alphonse, the other to Roy. The note with them was short.

Hey Al,

Long time no see. Your brother asked us to get these to you if we didn't hear from him by mid-August, but it took us a while to find out where you were. We don't know what these say or even what's happened since we last saw you guys, but we've been hearing rumours and we hope you're okay.

Let us know how you're doing, yeah?

Russell & Fletcher Tringham

AKA The other Elric brothers.

Alphonse tore open the second envelope, in his haste almost ripping the paper within. It was Edward's handwriting.

Al,

You know how you're always telling me not to do stupid stuff? If you're reading this it's because I outdid myself this time. But I don't regret it at all. If I'm right about how much the transmutation will cost, some of your memories might be missing so I'll try and fill you in. I can't tell you everything, since it hasn't happened yet and I don't know what might be missing, but I'll try.

It turns out Rose has a pretty awesome skill – when she touches someone, she can see some of the major stuff that has happened and will happen to them. She never told us before 'cause apparently it freaks people out, but I met her briefly while we were separated and she saw something she thought I should know. Each time she touched me, all she saw was us fighting Father with a bunch of the military backing us up (makes a change, huh?). Loads of different versions, but… Well, according to her I only walk away from it in one version. One version out of fifty. Figure I'd best try and make a plan, right?

The last thing I want is you stuck in that armour with no way out, or with the only way out to be scratching your own blood seal. There's no way I'd ever put you through that. So I've been thinking.

I have this idea, see, and I've had it for a while but it's always seemed too dangerous to actually try. That Father guy doesn't have an actual body – he's just energy in a can – so if I'm right, I can use that energy to pull your body back from the gate. Only thing is, if I'm going to pull this off I'll have to get stupidly close to him. You see where this is going, right? I'm giving this to Russell Tringham to pass on so you'll have at least some answers if the worst happens. Although I guess "worst" is relative, given what Father's trying to do.

If I could do this any other way I would, but to be honest I haven't seen a way of getting your body back without doing something extreme for a while. We both know the Philosopher's Stone isn't an option any more, and there's no way I'm putting anyone else in danger to repair my mistake. You won't be alone, though – you know that, right? No matter how sad or scared or angry you get you've got Winry, and Granny, and Teacher, and Mustang's crew, and loads of other people to watch out for you. I wish I could be there for you too, more than anything, but…

Look, just promise me you'll be happy, yeah? It's all worth it if you're happy.

I love you.

Ed.