Kame: I'm back by popular demand! Well, people seem to like the first chap and wanted a second; however, I'm only continuing this because people want me to. This means that if I don't get a meaningful number of reviews, I won't write anymore chapters. FEEDBACK! That's the magic word!
Btw, this is manga-based for both series
Disclaimer: just the idea
Opportunity…denied
Ed sat up suddenly, his hair and neck covered in sweat. He took a couple of breaths to slow down his heart.
"Al?" Ed called into the darkness. Silence greeted him. I guess Al decided to take a walk.
Ed started to detangle the sheets wrapped around his legs while thinking about his last dream; it had been about Nina. It's been a few days since she was turned into a chimera and killed. After freeing himself from the sheets, he sat up and rested his head on the cool metal of his automail arm. He gazed out the window, his reflection faint in the moonlight. There was just enough light for Ed to see the dark shadows forming under his eyes. With dreams about his mother still haunting him, the dreams about Nina made a good night's rest almost impossible. A sudden chill ran down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
I hope Al hurries back.
Ed stared out the window transfixed for a few minutes before he noticed a new reflection forming in the glass. It was a man with a top hat, small glasses and a ridiculously wide grin sitting on his face.
"Hello Edward Elric; we meet again."
Ed spun around to see the Millennium Earl standing in his room.
"I remember you…from the graveyard." Ed murmured.
"Yes, that time, I was offering to bring your mother back to this world. Now I am, once again, offering you another chance to see a loved one."
"…you're talking about Nina." Ed responded in the same voice.
"Yes. I decided to come and help you before you did something foolish again…like with your mother."
Ed tensed at the Earl's sharp words.
"Stupid boy, if you would have taken my offer, your suffering would have been over. But instead, you let pride and ignorance lead you-and your brother- into the mess you are in today. I normally do not do this, but I am taking pity on you."
"I don't need your pity or your help." Ed muttered ferociously. "Al and I are going to fix our mistakes ourselves."
"Hmmm, why does that sound familiar? Oh, that's right, that's the same thing you said back at the graveyard. Instead, you only made things worse." The Earl sneered.
"We learned from our mistakes." Ed snapped back.
"Oh, did you really? What did you learn? That you cannot bring the dead back on your own; you only created a barely functioning half-ass excuse for a living creature, while at the same time losing your limbs and your brother's body. And since you are trying to get what you lost back, did you really learn anything?"
"I learned that you cannot bring the dead back to life, no matter what. The circle of life only flows in one direction." Ed answered solemnly.
The answer angered the Earl, but he kept his rage hidden behind that unnerving smile. "That may be the truth for you and other humans Edward, but rest assured, I can bring back that little girl. You just need to call her name."
"…If I do that, will she come back as a chimera?" Ed asked.
"No; her soul will come back whole and untarnished from the transmutation."
"…What's the Equivalent Exchange in this?"
It's that damn alchemy again the Earl thought bitterly. This stuff is really making it difficult for me to make my akuma. "You don't have to worry about Equivalent Exchange; I said that the last time we met. This is not alchemy."
Ed was silent for a few minutes. "How can you do it, if it's not alchemy?"
The Earl's grin became more sinister. "That is my little secret."
"…How do I know that I won't suffer the consequences like when I tried to bring Mom back to life?"
"Because this is not alchemy; all because your narrow little mind can't understand that doesn't mean it's not true." the Earl replied angrily.
Ed did not reply; he continued gazing at the moon, reflecting on the situation.
"You already messed up; you ruined not only your own life, but the life of your brother and those around you. You don't realize how your mistakes ripple out and affect others, do you Edward?"
The young Elric kept his silence.
"Because you failed at that transmutation," the Earl pressed, "and became the way you are now, you joined the military. You became competition for Tucker. He couldn't compete with your talent and skills unless he did something drastic. Nina died because you became a State Alchemist. What happened to her is your fault!"
"No, stop it!" Ed moaned, but his plea fell on deaf ears.
"You killed that little girl by becoming a State Alchemist. Your selfishness robbed her of her life, just like it robbed your brother of his body. It's surprising what a selfish little brat you are."
"No, I never wanted it to come to this!" Ed grabbed his hair and shouted.
"But it did. And the least you could do is take this opportunity to give the little girl her life back! Give her back the life you stole from her!" the Earl spat.
"Nina, I'm so sorry." Ed sobbed. "I'm sorry for how things turned out."
"Saying sorry won't bring her back, but saying her name will." The Earl wheedled in a sing-song voice. "It's pretty obvious God hates you, so you can't rely on Him. And relying on yourself only multiplies the problem a hundredfold. So why not try something new; try relying on me?"
Ed's pale, tortured face shined in the darkness as he looked intently at the Earl. "If I were to bring Nina back, what would happen to her? She now has no family, no home; she would almost be like us. I don't want to see anyone else be like us. I don't want to see her suffer. I want her to rest in peace." He whispered.
The Earl tilted his head down, exposing tiny, narrow evil yellow eyes. "You know, I tried to give you a second chance because I thought you would be stupid enough to accept my offer the second time around. But I see, despite your stupid mistakes, you are smarter that you look. I hate people like you. You simply make my job more difficult."
The Earl pulled out his umbrella and pointed it at Ed.
"Since you know too much and I won't be getting any akuma out of you, you need to die."
The door swung open in a slight squeak as Al came in as silently as his metal body would allow.
"Brother, why are you awake? Are you okay?" he asked in a concerned voice.
Ed was backed into a corner of the bed, breathing heavily. Just a second ago, the Earl was here talking about killing him or was it some twisted dream?
"Al…did you hear any voices in this room before you entered?"
"Um, no. Why? What's wrong?"
Ed sighed as his breathing returned back to normal. "Nothing's wrong; everything is ok."
"Are you sure Brother?" Al asked with doubt.
"Yeah, Al, I'm fine. It was just a nightmare."