# 22 Heart
A heart is so extremely fragile, Alphonse realizes.
He feels sick, dirty and tainted, and he doesn't want to think about it, doesn't want to remember, doesn't want to feel the guilt that-that-
That he had let Martell die just like that.
Ha had promised to protect her, promised to keep her safe, sworn to Drochett to keep her alive.
And failed miserably he did.
His memories of the Gate came back, sure, but if the price is someone else's life-
Fuck the Truth.
"Hey, Al?" his brother calls out gently. Alphonse only barely nods in acknowledgement. "You did your best. So stop. Stop brooding and look up."
And Alphonse, in his daze of regret and sadness, does as his brother asks. His gaze meets Edward's molten gold orbs of conviction. "We will get stronger. I promise Al. Nothing like this will ever happen again if I can help it. To hell about what the idiots say about naïveté. We can and will stop anyone from dying in front of us again. Okay?"
Then, his brother is in front of him, squatting just before his face.
"Now stop moping. We have to make a trip to Rush Valley tomorrow, so go inside. I need to be in tip-top condition before Winry bludgeons me for destroying her automail, alright?"
Alphonse can't help but snort a little as his big brother gets up and stretches. He feels marginally better right now.
He replies, "Yeah. Thanks, Ed."
Well, the last chapter was a little off...I wrote the entire thing in like ten minutes...
Hope this one is better.