Gomen! I'm sorry it took so long to finnish this chapter, I've been mad busy.
Al- please don't hate us!
Ed took a step forward, eyes fixated on the boy infront of him... it was Al... he was positive. He was just... young. So young, he looked as though he was 10 again... but it had been five years.
"Al..." his voice shook. "Al is, is that you?"
Al heald to himself. He shivered in thought of the many tricks that could be played on him in this very moment. Ever since he'd come back to life... his sense of life, trust of others, all had been altered. For all he knew, this was a trick. A sick, sadistic trick...
But god he looked like Ed... sounded like Ed...
"B...brother?"
Ed could hardly take it. His eyes began to water as he took another step closser. "It's me... it's me Al."
In that instance he knew... he knew this was his brother... the one he trusted, the only person he had left in this entire world. Al's eyes filled with tears of joy as he ran into his brother's arms. He clung tightly to his waiste. "Brother! I've looked all over for you! I've been so scared, so many strange things have been happening and I didn't know what to do!" he sobbed.
Ed's expression was none that could be described. He gently touched his little brother's back, then gripped tightly to his clothes. "Alphonse..."
Ed dropped to his knees, more suited to Al's new height, and hugged him tightly. This grip was that of a desperate man. He didn't know how Al was alive... or why he was so young... but at this precise moment he didn't care. He had him, in his arms right now. This very moment, he had Al. Ed burried his face in Al's small shoulder and wept. "I missed you so much, Al... I couldn't take it."
"I don't understand brother..."
Ed lifted his head to look at Al better. "Understand?"
"Why..." Al looked his brother up and down. "Are you so big?"
Ed narrowed his gaze in confusion and Al looked around. "And where's mom? Didn't the transmutation... work... on..." Al's eyes began to slowly droop, and he quickly fell, dropping into his brother's arms. "Al!"
But he'd fallen unconcious. Ed's grip had tightened as he thought. Roy walked closser to the boys, holding his chin in question. "Transmutation? Ed didn't you two boys perform that-"
"Five years ago... Al... Al's memories have gone back to that night he lost his body..." he gritted his teeth.
Back at the house, Roy, Izumi, Winry and Pinako all stood outside the doorway to Ed's bedroom. There lay Al, swaddled in blankets and Ed sat in a chiar next to the bed, using his human hand to gently push Al's hair back. Winry shook her head. "I still, just don't understand..."
"There's not much to explain it." Izumi sighed. "How Al is back and in this state, anything."
Roy nodded. "It would almost be futile to investigate considering the only lead we have, is unconcious and probably scarred for life. He doesn't even remember the past years of his life..."
"Poor Ed..." Winry whined. She stared at her childhood friend with sympathy. "He has his brother back, but there's no telling how-"
"Perhaps how it happened doesn't matter." The other 3 looked at Pinako as she took a hit off her pipe. "Perhaps, all that matters, is that those two boys are reunited. Cause in the end, that's all that matters to them."
They all looked at the brothers and saw it. The glimpse of a smile in Edward's gaze. His lips were bipolar with expression, but his eyes showed it all. He gingerly touched Al's hair once more, continuosly combing it as Al slept. They could all see that Pianko was right. When Ed had lost his limbs, and Al his body, all they cared about was finding that stone to return to normal, together. When Ed had lost Al he saw no use in continuing... but now that he was back...
"Let's let them be." Pinako said, shutting the door to the boy's room. They need to be alone.
Ed sighed, watching his brother sleep. He seemed so calm, yet almost dead. His body was pale, yet Ed took comfort in the ocasional twitch Al gave. His finger would flick, or nose would wiggle just enough to spark life back into this reality of his existence. For hours Ed watched Al sleep, until it was the dead of the night. Ed could feel his eyelids drooping, but willpower kept them from it. Winry had braught him a drink, and food, till it grew to late even for her. Izumi, Roy and Pinako met the same fate against the sleepyness.
But Ed refused too.
Finaly, right when the clock struck 3 am, Ed was startled out of his mid conciousness by Al, stirring. He got out of his chair and sat on the bed next to him. Al winced his face, shaking his head from side to side. His arm raised slightly as if to ward off a foe.
"Al?" Ed asked quietly. He gently touched his brother's shoulder. Al whined a tad, but was drawn to the kind voice calling his name. Slowly, Al opened his eyes to reality and took in a long look. He blinked as if confused, but he soon caught the eye of Ed, smiling. "B-brother?"
Ed felt as if he would explode with gladness. He nodded, holding back tears. "Hey little bro."
Al began to sit up, and Ed jumped at the opportunity to help. He reached forward and pulled him up gently.
"Ed... I thought I was dreaming."
"Well... you were a second ago."
Al smiled... god it felt so good to see him smile. "Silly... when I saw you in town... I wasn't sure if, if it was real."
"I agree... it's weird isn't it?"
Al nodded, turning his gaze out the window. "What happened, brother?"
"Whatcha mean, Al?"
"I mean... I remember us trying to bring mom back... and then something going wrong... and then I was being takin away. Then I come back, and you're big... so is Winry. Why? Where's mom?"
Ed sighed, scooted closser and took Al into his arms, allowing him to rest against him. "Al. I don't know how to explain it... you trust me, right?"
"Of
course."
"Ok... Al, after we tried... in equivilant
exchange your body was taken, and so was my arm and leg." Ed
pulled up his sleeve to reveal is automail. Al's eyes grew wide. "Oh
my... what- my body?"
"Al, after that I took that old suit of army in the shed, and bound you soul to it with a blood seal. We both lived Al, for 4 or 5 years. Searching for the philosofer's stone to return back to normal... the entire time you were living inside that armor... unable to feel, sleep, eat... I hated it almost as much as you did. Then about a year ago, your armor was destroyed and we thought you were gone forever..."
Al looked down... his eyes convayed confusion, loss, disbeliefe. This broke Ed's heart. "I know this is sudden, me being so blunt probably isn't is helping at all... but you're back, and that's all that matters right? I still don't know how you're here... but you obviously don't remember anything about the life we lived after-"
"You didn't answer about mom..."
Ed stared a money, then sighed. "It didn't work Al. Human transmutation just, isn't possible... what we revived wasn't her."
Al stared down in sadness, and a tear ventured down his cheek. "I... see."
"I'm so sorry Al... all of this was my fault. Trying to bring back mom was my idea, and you lost your body cause of it, then that fight... the guy destroying your body... that was my fault, and now..."
"I'm alive..."
Ed looked at him, and in amazement when he saw the smile on his pure little brother's face. "You said... I was in armor... then died. I believe you brother... cause if this is so, I'm alive... and have a body. We should be happy, right?"
Ed immidiantly grasped his brother in a hug. "Yes... it is... it is Al." Al snuggled into Ed's chest. "We used to be the same size, but now you're way older then me."
Ed smiled sympathetically. "I know... you're 10 again and I turned 16 not too long ago." Al nodded. "Well... I suppose it's not too bad..."
Ed nodded. Al loked out the window. "Hey brother?"
"Hnh?"
"This... isn't this Aunti Pinako's spare room?"
It was a few moments later that the brother's arrived at the burnt down home. Al stared in sorrow and looked up at Ed. "Why?"
"When mom was gone for good... and we went to find the stone... we burnt down the house. At first I thought it was so we'd have nothing to come back to... but now that I'm older I think it was more, me subconciously knowing we could never afford the bills. Water, electric..."
Al giggled and reached his hand up for Ed to take. It was a confusing feeling at first, taking the hand of his younger brother, but memory did serve him right in remembering that Al was always a clingy, affectionate child. He was always holding his mother's hand...
Ed walked over to the rubble, and lifted a shard of wood with his human hand. "Who knows, if we had never burnt it down, it may have fallen on it's own or just withered in the time we were gone." Al cocked his head. "I guess..."
Ed winced a tad. "Ow! Shit..."
Al went to his side. "What is it, brother?"
"Daw, I scratched myself on this old, crummy wood." he threw the piece and sucked on the little wound. "Man, that's what I get I guess."
"Lemme see." Al took Ed's hand and pondered. Ed smiled. "It's ok Al, I'll jsut put a bandaid on it when we get ho-" he was caught off gaurd when Al, used one hand to hold Ed's, then put his other hand over his heart. He concentrated, then a read aura surrounded the hand, till it was completly healed. Ed's jaw dropped. "How... how on earth did you do that Al?"
Al just shook his head. "I don't know... I just, when I came back. I found out I could do that... but sometimes, if I'm really sad or not thinking right... it all goes wrong... I end up hurting the person, rather then helping them..."
Impossible... Ed thought. The only person he had ever known able to heal others was Dr. Marco, but he was using the help of that fake Philosofer's stone... his mind was then struck down with thoughts. Could it be possible that Al, had the stone? No that's impossible... how could he, besides he wasn't holding it... no... it must have been just a side affect that happened when, whoever, braught him back. Ed only sighed, taking his brother's hand again and squeezing it. "C'mon Al. Let's head on back..." he stared into the sky. "I don't want sun to rise and Winry and them to find us gone. Though I'm sure they're used to that..."
Al nodded and followed along side him. So many answers yet to be answered, almost risked the life of this peace. On one hand, Ed was on cloud 9 having Al back, on the other, Al had just proven there were side affects to this miracle. And that's what scared Ed... who knew what other secrets would be revealed.
"There they go." spoke a low, surely voice. The tall woman, curled her deep red lips in a smile. "You were right, Angelis.
Angel laughed in the bit of his belly. "Of course I was, I always am."
"Don't gloat."
"Why?" His red eyes shown bright in the moonlight. "Honestly Mai, I would have thought you'd have more faith in me."
"It just seems like a tall tail is all."
"Well, obviously isn't... that boy."
Mai finnished her brother's sentence. "Is the Philosofer's stone."
The two dark beings smiled at one another, then raising their arms spread their demon like wings, folded them around themselves, and was one with the night.
fin-
Wh00t ok, next chapter will be up asap. Work's been gettin in the way of my writing . Damn society running off money! gARARARARA
Al- imp o.o;;;