:: Der Kummer, einen Geliebten Zu verletzen::
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor am I responsible for World War 2. So ha!
Alphonse watched as one of his fellow comrades mercilessly whipped one of the prisoners in front of him. He watched with hardened eyes as he watched so many others get killed. At first it was a huge shock. The camps that he was taught about were supposed to be no more than places to keep what the Nazi's considered enemies, not to give them suffering and killing them. He found out the hard way that that was not true. His once free and cheerful eyes had grayed down almost distant as the dead he tossed into a pit. He hated to touch the bloodied and dead bodies, but of course what could he do? It even happened that if you were seen as helpful and carrying to one of the people that they enslaved that you became one yourself, or you were reported and shot on site. He had seen that happen with his room partner. He hated the man, but of course he was not glad that he was killed. In fact it surprised him that he had a soft side to him that had gotten him killed. Either way it was the past and did not matter to him anymore.
He moved to another location of the camp walking with his normal garbed uniform and the whip at his belt. He held his gun that also hung at his belt ready to shoot if one of the people in the camp came running at him with something considered dangerous. He had seen that happen his first day. A man went absolutely wild and knocked one of the nazi's who ran the camp over taking his knife and running at Alphonse. He watched the man shot down before his eyes. He did not know this man, but even if he was trying to kill him at that moment he still pitied him.
Alphonse stood at the next station his shift was supposed to be. He spoke to the man who had been there previously.
"Dale, your times up go and take a break." Alphonse said to the man. The man looked relieved to be leaving the area. He was newer than Alphonse and still had not fit in, nor was he at all comfortable with having to watch the people of the camps.
"Thanks Alphonse…" He mumbled and walked away handing him the whip. Alphonse noticed no blood marks on the whip and watched after Dale. Dale had not used the whip, he knew and he wished not to as well, but that was not his choice. He would also have to report him. He knew it was wrong and wished that there was some way to avoid it, but he knew better than to disobey anyone at the death camp that was in higher power than him. He turned back to the people that Dale was watching and watched them pile rocks making a small wall.
"Better hurry or you'll receive no food!!" he screamed at the people. He received the usual response of no answer or anyone looking towards him and liked that. He knew that if they responded with action and not by pausing to look or speak that he would not have a use for the whip, but he also knew that he had to beat slackers. He watched as one man stood still holding one of the stones and not moving. Alphonse's eyes glazed over and he walked over to the man swinging the whip down on his back. He watched as the man dropped the large stone on his foot and cried out in even more pain. Alphonse whipped him again.
"Work!! No Slaking off or you'll end up in a pit like everyone else!!"
The man did not respond and picked up the stone shaking from the pain Alphonse had inflicted on his thin body. It was hard to believe that these people were human as he watched there thin figures. They looked almost alien he thought.
A disturbance caused him to shake from his trance like stare. He saw one man trip over the small stone wall that was being built by the others and knocked an entire layer of stones over after him.
Alphonse sighed wishing the man had not done that, and if he had to, quickly start building up the stones, but he did not see any sign of the man standing or getting up. He walked over to the stone wall holding the whip in his hand.
Edward sighed as he worked. He hated the pointless jobs that the people who ran the camps gave them. Of course the more he thought about it the more he saw how much better he was off doing hard labor of such than what some others had to endure. He walked over to the stone wall that him and about a dozen other men where being ordered to build. He watched as the sentry's that watched over them switched, he also saw the newer sentry whip one of his comrades no less than 10 minutes after he had arrived. He knew he was just showing his power, but he thoroughly enjoyed the guard before this one. He was new, young and did not want to hurt others, but seeing the last person not to hurt other's fate he wished this one good luck.
Ed's vision was slightly blurry from a failed experiment that they had done on him. They had let him go because he had passed there standards of a vision test only because he memorized the eye chart before hand, but the agony they put him though he would not so easily forget.
Edward tried to see who the new sentry was but he could not see what the man really looked like. The other man had stood closer to them so he could recognize him as friendly, but judging how far this one stood he could see that he was not going to be so lenient as the last one. The strange thing, he thought was that there was something familiar about this new sentry.
Feeling dizzy from having to work so hard and barely any food he clumsily stumbled into the stone wall. He did not expect to cause much damage but was poorly predicted in the amount of damage he created. Falling he felt the stones fall on his prosthetic leg. He prayed to whatever god was out there for him that it was not damaged and the latex skin had not ripped. The others who built the wall suddenly became quite as he heard foot steps approach him.
The sentry, the new one approached holding the whip. He looked hesitant to cause harm to him. He wondered why but than he dared to look up at him. He might as well see who his killer was if he was going to die anyway. His thoughts wondered elsewhere though as he squinted adjusting his eyes so he could see who stood before him. Feeling the cold ground beneath him freeze his body his eyes widened as he saw who stood before him with the whip. His voice only managed to croak one name, "Al?!"
Alphonse stood before the man before him in utter shock. He knew that he could not react but It was hard not to. He had finally found his brother, the only reason why he had become a nazi and gone to that hideous brainwashing school. His mind faltered though as he heard his name called out and not from the man who lay fallen before him.
"Alphonse!! What are you doing?!" he gestured to his brother who lay on the ground.
"Sorry sir, I'll get right on it."
"Well not to much alright? He's one of my best workers for sure. See to it that he survives."
Alphonse nodded to his warden. He knew better than to disobey the man. He seemed friendly on the outside, but that man had a mean streak in him that made you wish you would die before he got to you.
Alphonse turned back to Ed his head hanging low. He could not look him in the eyes anymore. When he did he noticed that they had been somewhat discolored. He would have asked his brother what had happened if that was to be considered a normal reunion of the such, but it was impossible to do and he knew that as well as knowing better than breaking the rules. His hand rose holding the whip.
He watched the smile of happiness wash away from his brother's dirtied face.
"Al…what are you doing?" he heard him say.
"Al! its me your brother!! Al!! What are you doing?!?!" he watched his face become alarmed and fear evident in his face. "Al!!" he screamed aloud.
Alphonse hoped that the warden could not hear his brother's screams. He watched as his brother made feeble attempts to push the stones off his prosthetic legs to let him free.
"Do it now Alphonse!!" the warden screamed aloud behind him. Alphonse rose the whip higher in a swinging stance. Tears formed at the ridges of his eyes and he was almost tempted to sake his head but knew better once again.
"i-I'm sorry brother…" Alphonse whispered to him and he swung the whip down only to be greeted by the scream of agony from his brother.
"Do it again.." the warden said, his voice sounded gruff and almost as if it was a sigh. Alphonse obeyed and swung the whip again. Again the scream rang out. Silent tears managed to escape Alphonse's eyes as he swung it again by the warrens command.
"Again." He said, and Alphonse obeyed.
"Again." Once again Alphonse swung.
"Again" He did so again.
"Once more alright Alphonse than that will be enough." The warden nodded.
Alphonse closed his eyes for a moment trying to erase the tears from his mind and by any chance try to make his whipping less painful for him and his brother. He opened his eyes again only to be greeted by the multi color mess of his brother's eyes. They had tears in them and the scratches on his dirtied face bled. His back bled even more from the whip lashes Alphonse had inflicted. Ed knew there was pain in is brothers eyes and Alphonse saw the pain in Edward's eyes.
Shaking Alphonse lifted his arm up again holding the whip over his head and ready to swing.
"Why do you hesitate…" the warden spoke like a viper waiting for it's pray to die.
Alphonse did not answer; he did not answer anything. Instead he watched his brother. Edward looked up at Alphonse glaring in what looked like anger. Alphonse would have broken out in tears if he could but did not.
"Do it!" was all he heard from his brother and he swung his arm down hitting Edward in the back and letting him fall foreword.
Alphonse stumbled and backed away quickly almost backing into the warden. Al pretended to wipe his forehead of sweat, but instead wiped the tears from his eyes before speaking.
"Job done sir." He said saluting. The warden nodded obviously pleased.
"Good Alphonse, now I expect you to put them away and feed them when your shift is done, do you understand?"
Alphonse saluted again showing that he understood. He did not want to talk fearing that his voice would give him away. The warden clapped him on the shoulder with a nod and walked away. Alphonse turned to where Edward was and saw that he was no longer under the stones or on the ground but instead resuming his work and staking the stones he had pushed over. Alphonse watched him and saw the pain he had inflicted on his brother. His brothers back bled more as he moved and when he stood and faced Al, even though Edward could not see him, Alphonse knew that he was looking at him. He also saw streaks of his cleaned face down his face caused by tears.
Alphonse had found his brother, but now he was in a camp, and the worst camp of all at that. He hoped that the pain and misery of this wretched place would end soon and he could get his brother and leave, but he highly doubted any of that happening anytime soon.
Day soon fell to dark and Alphonse led those he watched back to there corridors. He saw a large stew pot placed outside the door and picked up a stack of bowels and began to fill them silently for everyone. He had to serve a dozen people who stood in a single room no bigger than his and is brother's old apartment bathroom. He shook as he filled them spilling over the edges. Finally his brother came up. His brother was last in line, but Alphonse made sure to save him some food. He served his brother who was about to do the same as all the others and turn away, but Alphonse caught him.
"Brother.. I…"
Without looking up at Alphonse Edward spoke. "Why did you join them Al?" Edward stared down at his food that he was barely able to see before him.
"I wanted to find you brother!! I wanted to see you and find you!! I tho-"
"Well you thought wrong!!" Edward snapped at him. "I know you wanted to see me and perhaps get me the fuck out of the damned place!! But do you see that happening anytime soon?!!? I think not!!"
Alphonse hesitated and looked like he was about to shed a tear but instead let his head fall down in defeat.
"What else was I supposed to do?" he whispered.
Edward looked at him at those words.
"Anything but what you have done…" he said coldly and walked away.
"I'm sorry Edward…"Alphonse whispered after his brother and picked up the stew pot and serving spoon and left.
Edward sat on the wooden bed, once again chained together by others. He didn't even notice that more than half of them stared at him.
"Is that your brother?" one of the men asked. Edward didn't bother to answer him. He just stared in the bowel of what he considered mush and took a bite. It was the same taste as always.
"Hey, hey was that your brother?" The man asked again. Feeling anger rise in him he threw the bowel of food against the wall of the room the stayed in and once again resumed his corner in the wooden table like cot.
"Not anymore." he mumbled in reply to the man, and everyone went quite except those that were very hungry and ate Edward's let over food from the ground where it had fallen and the wall where it was thrown at.
((Dood.. long chapter… haha…. . .. anyways I would be interests in receiving reviews this time. I did not get any reviews for my last chapter, so I would at least like to receive one for this chapter. I ended it pretty well I guess; although I could have gone longer. Oh well. Until next time see ya, and don't forget to review.))
Title translation:: The Agony of Hurting a Loved One ::
