Alex grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a little while. Do you mind washing my wrap for me," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at Alphonse.

"Sure," Alphonse said easily. The door clicked quietly shut and Al sighed, looking down at the sweat soaked bandages in his hand. He really wished Alex would take care of that wound a little better. Letting it get soaked like that can't be good for a healing injury. The suit of armor walked over to the end of the room where a narrow door led to a bathroom. Inside there was a small alcove with an indention in the floor meant for bathing, a sink and a toilet.

He squeezed through the door into the small space, not for the first time resenting his large size. His broad spiked shoulders clanked against the walls as he quickly filled a basin with water and backed out of the room. As he did so, his head hit the top of the doorframe and nearly knocked his helmet off. He dropped the full water basin in surprise and snatched his helmet before it could hit the ground, still able to 'see' perfectly fine even though he had no head.

The water basin fell heavily onto the floor, the water soaking the tiles, and Alphonse groaned in helpless frustration. He placed his head back on his shoulders and glanced over at his sleeping brother, making sure he had not disturbed him. Edward lay on his back with his arms spread-eagled and his mouth hanging open, snoring softly. Alphonse was relieved, but also a bit jealous of Ed's sleeping form.

He looked back to the floor at the pool of water at his feet. In the dimming light, he could see his image staring back at him with glowing red eyes. Frustration and melancholy pooled into his soul as he stared at the suit of armor in the reflection.

He remembered when he had first awoken in this body. It was not a gentle awakening, like slipping out of a slumber after a long night's sleep. It wasn't even like being jerked awake, like coming out of a nightmare. Waking in the armor for the first time was like a light switch coming on, instant and bright. With no preamble, he began processing information, and he could see perfectly clearly even though the room was dim. He saw his older brother collapsed in front of him, covered in blood, and missing his limbs. Panicked, he had desperately tried to wake Edward, who was already unconscious, and noticed for the first time…that he was no longer in his own body. Before him were the familiar hands of the suit of armor that their father had kept in his lab for as long as he could remember. When he moved, they moved as well, and then he realized what had happened.

He had been horrified, but his brother came first. He wrapped Edward's wounds with whatever was available, the cloth instantly becoming soaked with blood. Gathering the small –so weak, and so much smaller than me, oh God, what happened– form of his brother into his metal arms, and held him close to his chest. He had to get him out of there fast!

Movement captured his attention, and a sudden surge of hope had gripped him. Had they done it? Had they actually brought their mother back? Could she help them?

He looked over… and recoiled violently. There, in the center of the transmutation circle they had so carefully drawn together…was a monster. A long, malformed hand reached towards Alphonse, attached to an equally malformed body. Ribs and bone jutted out of blackened flesh and a medley of contorted limbs, twitching with grotesque jerks as blood pooled around it. What horrified Alphonse the most, though, were its eyes. Its contorted head was upside down, a lipless mouth wide open in scream of agony and misery, and white, dead eyes stared at the displaced boy in accusation.

"Wha-ah…" Alphonse whispered, his voice trembling in terror and grief. "I don't understand…how could this happen…"

"A-Alphonse…" Ed groaned, teeth clenched together in agony. Al started, looking away from the convoluted creature and desperately towards his brother. "I'm…sorry…" tears streamed down Edward's face, but he could not open his eyes. "I'm sor–ughch…"

"Edward! Hold on, I'll get you to help! Stay with me, brother!" Al had spun on his heel, turning his back on the monster they had created and desperately ran from the house and towards Pinako's.

It was only later that Alphonse truly realized the damage they had done to themselves. His true body was completely gone, and his new shell was an unfeeling mass of metal. That first night, as he sat alone while Pinako tried desperately to save his brother's life, Alphonse had explored himself, and despaired. He could feel nothing. The armor trembled in response to his grief and fear, but he could not feel the usual rush of adrenaline, or the pounding of his heart. He could feel grief, but no matter how much he wished he could, he could not cry. He had wanted desperately to shut down his mind and escape, but he could not sleep, or even block out his vision. He was trapped.

Alphonse shook his head suddenly, coming back to the present with a jerk. Where had all those dark thoughts come from? He looked away from his reflection and grabbed a towel from the linen closet to begin to clean up his mess. It hadn't been all that bad, he tried to think positively. After all, they may have lost Alphonse's body and half of Edward's, but Alex was a result. It truly was baffling how that scary thing they had created had become a carbon copy of Alphonse's body, but although at first he was resentful, he came to accept it and even came to love Alex as his own person. He was glad that Alex did not remember that night, and he hoped he never would.

Alex truly had been a balm to Alphonse's damaged heart. Although they had torn him away from his original existence, Alphonse felt that the boy had truly saved him and his brother from complete despair. As if it was meant to be, Alex had easily fit into the bond between Alphonse and Edward and together they motivated each other to be better than they were, and to keep moving forward. They all had one goal in mind: to make right what had been destroyed, and return to normal.

Al finished cleaning the floor and placed the towel in the washbasin. He walked slowly over to his slumbering brother who had curled into himself, as if chilled. Alphonse could not tell what temperature it was without Alex's help, but he remembered that nights in the desert tended to be cold, and the window was open to the elements. He pulled a blanket over his brother, and Ed's tense face relaxed and his body loosened.

Alphonse pulled back, satisfied, and grabbed some of the dirty traveling clothes from both Edward's and Alex's bags and began to wash them diligently. The strange bond between Alex and himself had also been an incredible help in Alphonse's adjustment to his new existence. When he first realized that he could feel again after three days of not being able to feel anything at all, the boy had been over joyed and had desperately sought Alex's company, despite the discomfort of sharing his every emotion with not only a stranger, but also a stranger that had seemingly commandeered his own body. He had clung to him, even though he knew that Alex was not comfortable with the contact. But still, Alex had been kind and compassionate, allowing Alphonse this. In a way, that initial contact had been what had allowed the displaced boy to adjust to his new body, and when Alex left to find a master, he was sad but no longer drowning. Since then, Alphonse and Alex had struck a balance between privacy and bond, and Al treasured that connection dearly. When the day finally came to let him go, Alphonse wondered if he would be able to do it. Now, it would be just as devastating as losing Edward, the only family he had left.

But no, Alphonse thought, that was selfish of him. They would find a way to get Edward's limbs back and end the horrible pain and stress that the automail put him through, and Alex would be sent back to his home where he belonged. Alphonse would make sure of it.

The suit of armor hung up the clothes to dry on a clothes line strung across the window, and also hung the bandages for Alex's hand beside them. Speaking of Alex, he had been gone for quite some time, at least an hour. He began to worry. Al glanced between his sleeping brother and the door, wondering if he should wake him and go look for their missing companion. He decided against it and left the sleeping boy alone, thinking that it might be nothing. He would go search on his own.

Al strode down the hallway, having no trouble seeing in the flickering light of the torches. He walked past a small grotto, and paused as dim candlelight reflected off his metal face. He entered the small chapel.

"Honestly," Alphonse said fondly, spotting the sleeping form of Alex huddled on one of the benches, "trying to keep track of you two is like trying to herd cats." The boy was laying flat on his back, his mouth slightly open and his blond hair falling in his eyes, looking almost identical to Edward in his sleep. He was covered in a brown traveling cloak that Alphonse did not recognize, and he wondered if one of the dedicates had left it on him when he found him snoozing there. Al would have to express his thanks later. The suit of armor bundled Alex in his arms and walked slowly back to their room, momentarily sharing in the boy's dreams through the fabric. He seemed peaceful, and if Al could have, he would have smiled.

o-0-o

"Brother, it's time to get up," Alphonse shook Edward gently. Ed groaned and sat up. He blinked blearily a few times in the early morning light before stretching and letting out a huge yawn, his disheveled loose hair falling over his shoulders haphazardly. He tugged a lock out of his automail shoulder plate in annoyance, wondering again why he bothered to keep it so long.

"Mornin', Al," he mumbled, licking his teeth.

"Heh, morning brother." Alphonse stood back as Ed swung his legs over the side of the bed, shivering in the cool early morning air. Ed glanced at the still sleeping form of Alex before walking lazily over to the small bathroom.

"The man who brought us to this room yesterday came back. He said that in an hour, the whole town is going to gather and witness Father Cornello perform miracles."

Edward turned on the tap and began brushing his teeth. "Why would we care about that," he grumbled.

"Brother," Alphonse admonished, "you remember why we are here right? We were supposed to investigate the priest that rose to power so quickly and uses Alchemy without Equivalent Exchange."

"Right, right," Ed said. He vaguely remembered that they were there for a reason like that. He did not hold much stock in the rumors, however. It was probably a dead end. Still, they did need to check it out. He spat into the sink and wiped his mouth, and then began to wash up, spinning his hair in his usual braid after washing it. Alphonse handed his brother his automail care kit, which Ed took languidly, and turned to wake Alex.

"Alex," Alphonse said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Alex's eyes snapped open, and Al was alarmed to feel fear coursing through their bond. The boy sat up suddenly and looked around. "What's wrong," Al asked.

Alex sat still for a moment, taking I his surroundings. "…It's nothing," he said finally, his brow furrowed in confusion. "When did I get back last night?"

"I carried you back," Al said in exasperation. "I found you sleeping in a chapel down the hall. You really shouldn't fall asleep in random places."

"Pft, you fell asleep in a chapel?" Ed chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom, shedding his shirt from the day before and grabbing a clean one off the clothesline by the window.

"Look who's talking," Alex said, smiling weakly. "You're the one who fell asleep at seven last night."

"Hey, I was tired!" Edward grabbed Alex's bandage off the clothesline and threw it at him. In reflex, Alex caught it…with his left hand.

"Ah," Al put his hand up, waiting for Alex to flinch in pain like he usually did when he accidently used his wounded hand, but that didn't happen. Instead, Alex looked down at his hand, bewildered. Alphonse sidled over to look as well, and he was startled at what he found.

"It's healed," he said in surprise. Where a once angry red scar sat, there was now unblemished flesh. Well, mostly unblemished. The stitches that had been holding the wound together were still embedded in his flesh, surrounded by slightly irritated skin. Alex flexed his hand, the muscles working perfectly.

"What the hell," Ed said, grabbing the hand and pulling it towards his face. "How did you manage to heal over night?"

"Um," Alex said, shifting uncomfortably and avoiding Edward's eyes. Ed narrowed his eyes and grabbed Alex's chin with his flesh hand and forced Alex to face him.

"You're hiding something again. I thought we agreed not to keep anything from each other from now on."

"Did it happen last night when you went to find a doctor," Alphonse prodded. Alex nodded slowly, and Edward released him.

"I ran into that woman again, the one who saved me from Tucker."

"What do you mean, 'ran into her'? Are you saying she just happened to be in Lior and just happened to find you," Ed shouted, alarmed.

"No! Yes…I don't know, she was just there ok?"

"So then what happened," Alphonse said, worried.

"Well…I thanked her for saving me that time, and then she…healed me."

"She…healed you," Ed said skeptically.

Alex nodded his head. "She gave me some little beads and said that they could heal wounds."

"And you just believed her and ate them! Are you an idiot! They could have done anything to you," Ed yelled, squeezing the hand that he held. Alex flinched a little and tried to tug it back.

"No! She showed me on her own body that they worked. Besides, my hand is healed isn't it? Plus, I only ate one," he paused. "…I think."

"You THINK? You mean you don't remember?" Ed ground his teeth together.

"I…might have… blacked out after the first one…" Alex said meekly.

Edward shook his head in disbelief and dropped Alex's hand in disgust. He backed up and stood ramrod straight, his shoulders tight and golden eyes dead serious. "I'm only going to tell you this once, Alex. Stay away from that woman. She clearly wants something from you, and is even going so far as to stalk you. She's dangerous, and the next time you see her, you will run away and find one of us." He ground his teeth angrily. "I swear, every time you leave our sight you get into trouble. Do you really want another Tucker Incident?" Alex's face contorted in anger and indignity, and he opened his mouth to retort, but Edward turned his back on him and strode to the door. "Alphonse, watch him. Don't let him out of your sight." He grabbed his jacket and walked out, shutting the door behind him with finality.

Alex sat on the bed, his mouth hanging open. "What the hell? Where does he get off, telling me what to do? I'm older than both of you combined, and I can take care of myself!"

Alphonse sighed, sitting on the bed in front of the fuming teen. "Really? You can take care of yourself?" He looked directly at Alex, and the boy flinched a little at his angry tone. "You should have come to one of us. Instead, you blindly trusted a woman you barely knew and just ate something she gave you. You're lucky to even be still alive. Ed was right to be angry." Despite his miffed tone, Alphonse gently picked up Alex's hand and began pulling out the stitches one by one. At every thread pulled, a small bead of blood was drawn, which he wiped away with a rag. Alex avoided the other boy's gaze, but Alphonse could feel his regret, and an equal amount of rebelliousness.

"Al, she saved my life. How can that be bad?"

"You have no idea why she did it. For all you know, she could have just wanted to kill Tucker because of a grudge, and you just happened to be there. Besides, who do you trust more, her or us?" Alex hunched his shoulders, abashed. "We are just worried about you," Alphonse said softly. Alex twitched.

"I know."

"Promise you won't do this again."

"…Ok."

o-0-o

Ed returned some time later, and the three boys headed to the front of the church. There was a huge crowd gathering in the courtyard, and it looked like half of Lior was attending Cornello's demonstration. They ended up crammed in the back of the large crowd. Alphonse could easily see over the heads of the people in front of them, and he observed an old man wreathed in black robes addressing the crowd on a white platform in front of a large statue of their idol. His hands were spread wide, and he was clearly speaking, but Alphonse could barely hear him over the raucous people.

At the end of his speech, Cornello accepted a flower from a young girl. He held it in his hand, and in a flash of red light, the flower turned into a gleaming sculpture of crystal flowers that twisted around each other beautifully. The large man held his hands out in offering, and the crowd roared in approval.

"Brother, did you see that," Al asked, a thrill of excitement running through him.

"Yeah," Ed said. He had pulled a nearby crate from the side of he road and was standing on it, his hand shading his eyes. "There's no doubt about it. He's using Alchemy."

"But somehow he's ignoring the law of equivalent exchange," Al said. "He just transformed that flower into something that has way more mass. He shouldn't be able to do that."

"Yeah, and not only that, he just converted something of organic matter into inorganic matter."

"Ed, do you think he might have…"

"It's possible. Let's not get our hopes up just yet."

"What," Alex popped in, trying to see over the crowd. "What does he have? How is he doing that?"

Ed and Al glanced at each other, before Al answered. "When you were unconscious a couple of weeks ago, we were given the task to catalogue all of Tucker's research."

"Tuckers research," Alex said, a horrified expression on his face, "How could you touch that crazy bastard's work?"

"He might have been crazy," Ed said, "but he knew what he was doing. In his notes, we found a great deal of research on a powerful transmutation amplifier. It supposedly can be used to ignore the laws of Equivalent Exchange." he looked back to where Cornello was still performing unbelievable transmutations with a spark of excitement in his golden eyes. "It's called the Philosopher's Stone, and if Cornello has one…we might be able to use it to get our bodies back."

Hi guys! Guess what, guess what! It's the monthaversary of Substitute Soul! Yay! I've written 60,000 words, 110 pages, and got 29 followers, 14 favorites, 67 reviews and 1,928 views! Wow! I really never thought I would make it so far with this crazy idea of mine. I'm so happy you all have stuck with me through this, and I hope I can entertain you all for a long while yet.

Ok, now for the chapterly debrief. We got to hear from Alphonse, and I've finally addressed how he views everything that happened so far. Brotherly!Ed made an appearance as well. I love writing how protective he is over his little brothers. His and Al's brotherly bond was one of my favorite aspects of the anime, and I hope I'm doing those types of feelings justice here. And now the boys are FINALLY set on the path of the philosopher's stone. Lust should be happy about that, the crafty seductress.

Next Chapter: Ed meets a pretty girl, Alex gets to fight for the first time since injuring himself, and a prophet gets dethroned. Should be fun. See you there!

One more thing. I've decided to stop writing my other story, The King's Private Bath, due to lack of interest. I'm sorry if you were waiting on an update on that, but if you were then please let me know. I might consider making it a collection of one shots or something.

Anyways, please review and follow! I live off those things!