The Gate
By Gozilla
A/N: Thank you to all of you who read the story and left me a review! They are the main motivation for me to continue writing. Thanks again!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't have anything. So don't sue me!
Please excuse my poor English. -
Reviews are most welcomed!
Enjoy!
Summary: (Spoiler! AU-post TV series, Sequel to "Brothers from Two Worlds") Edward faced an opportunity to return to the alchemy world. But what price did he has to pay for passing through the Gate?
Chapter 3 - Reunion
-In the evening-
Winry fell asleep on Edward's bedside as someone knocked on the door and woke her. She heard Grandma Pinako answering the door, followed by the sound of heavy foot-steps approaching the bedroom.
Winry was tensed when the door opened and relaxed as she saw Mustang, Armstrong and Hawkeye standing in front of the door. She looked behind them but was disappointed that Al was not with them.
"How is he?" Mustang asked, frowning as he saw Edward pale face and the thick bandages wrapped around his body.
"Not good." Winry said, turning to look at the young alchemist, "He is... the doctor said that his days are counting... I... I don't know what to do."
Silence.
"Where is Al?" Winry asked hopefully, "Have you found him?"
"Yes, we have." Hawkeye said, "He was found in a small city in the western district. We have informed him on Edward's reappearance and urged him to come here as quickly as possible. The latest update is that he should arrive in around two days."
Winry sighed in slight relief, knowing that at least there was hope for Edward to see his brother.
"What happened exactly?" Armstrong asked, he was deeply worried about Edward's condition.
Winry took a deep breath and told them the story.
-Two days later-
Winry, Grandma Pinako, Mustang, Armstrong and Hawkeye stood at the corners of the room as the doctor checked on Edward, who did not wake up for two whole days since the arrival of Mustang, Armstrong and Hawkeye, no matter how they called him.
They felt their heart sank as the doctor shook his head in despair. "I am afraid that you have to say your final goodbyes to him." he said and then left the house.
"No, Ed, please don't do this." Winry sobbed sadly as she sat on the bedside and held Edward's real hand, "Al is coming. Hang on there. He is coming."
But there was no response. Edward lied completely still. His breathing was shallow and irregular, threatening to stop at any moment.
It was when everyone in the room thought that all hope was lost that a loud bang from the main door. Someone ran straight to the room.
It was Al. He was wearing the very same red and black attire and white gloves Edward used to wear before he was being transferred to the other world. Al panted heavily as he ran all the way from the train station to Rockbell's house.
"Niisan!" Although the only memories of his brother was the one when Edward was just 11 years old, Al instinctively recognised the 20 years old person lying on the bed was his brother. Cautiously, Al approached the bed and looked at Edward's ashen face, "Winry, what happened?"
"I am so glad you made it." Winry said through her tearful eyes. She moved away, allowing Al to sit on the bedside.
Al sat on the bedside, holding Edward's limp hand. It was the moment he had been dreaming of for the past three years, meeting with his brother again. But he never expected this, meeting his brother in his last moments of life.
"Niisan." Al called softly, "Niisan, please wake up. I am here."
To everyone's surprise, Edward stirred and slowly opened his eyes. His golden eyes were dull and clouded. It took a few moments before Edward could focus and saw the person sitting beside him.
"Al..." Edward whispered weakly, barely audible to Al, "Is... is that really you? Is it... a dream?" a broad smile appeared on his face.
"No, niisan, it is not a dream." Al smiled happily, though fighting back tears at the same time, "I am here, niisan. I am here." He gently squeezed Edward's hand.
"Al..." Edward said, a spark of life flashed across his eyes, "I miss you so much..."
"Me too, niisan." Al said as a tear rolled down his face.
"Al..." Edward whispered as his eyes became blank and empty. "Al..." he whispered again softly before he slowly closed his eyes
"Niisan?" Al smiled, shaking Edward's shoulder gently, "Niisan, please don't sleep yet. We have so much to catch up with each other. Come on. Please open your eyes."
No response.
Al suddenly felt himself unable to breathe. Hesitantly, he took off the gloves and put a shaking hand under Edward's nose. The air was still.
"NIISAN!" Panic washed through Al, he cupped his hands over Edward's face. Before he could do or say anything else, flashes of red lights emitted between Al's hands and Edward's face.
Al felt as if a dam was broken and the lost memories flooding into his mind.
The transmutation of their mother, his wakening in a suit of armour, Edward's automail operations, the National alchemist examination, Nina and Alexander, Scar, the Sins, the philosopher's stone, to the very moment that Edward combined his soul back to his 10 years old body in front of the Gate before Edward was being forcefully dragged through the Gate by the black, snake-like hands.
"AL!" Edward's last desperate call for his brother just before he disappeared behind the Gate echoed in Al's mind.
From the eyes of the others, the red light flashed for less than a second before disappearing. However, for Al, he felt like he had gone through the whole four years of travelling with Edward, searching for a way to restore their bodies.
"Niisan, I remember everything now." A silent tear rolled down Al's face as he smiled sadly, "I remember every single moment we spent together in those years. I... I did not know... that you have done so much for me... you even sacrificed yourself in order to restore my body..."
Without a word, Al put on his gloves, which were embroidered with alchemy patterns.
"Please leave the room." Al said in a low, calm voice.
"Al..." Winry was deeply worried. None of them wanted to leave the room, afraid that Al might do something irrational due to the loss of his older brother.
Ignoring the people approaching him, Al clapped his hands and put them on the floor. Flashes of blue light emitted from the floor before a large, complicated alchemy pattern appeared on it, with the brothers in the centre of the pattern.
"What..." Winry was confused. Suddenly, she was caught by the arm. She turned to see Mustang's frowning face, "We have to get out of here." He said as he pushed everyone out of the room.
"What is going on?" Winry demanded, "Al is very upset, he needs to be comforted, not being left alone."
"Unless you want to be part of the 'price'," Mustang said, turning to look at Al, "you better stay out of his way."
"What do you mean?" Winry asked, greatly worried.
"The alchemy pattern he made," Mustang said, "is the one Fullmetal used to perform human transmutation and restored Al three years ago. We saw it in that abandoned theatre where he was last seen and where we found the very confused 10 years old Al. Al must have memorised the pattern when he woke."
"You mean Al is going to perform human transmutation on Ed?" Winry said in shock, "We have to stop him! This is crazy! It is suicidal! We don't know what will happen with this!"
"No one can stop him." Mustang said calmly, looking at Al's eyes from a distance, which were filled with iron determination identical to Edward's, "Just like his brother."
Before they could do anything, Al clapped his hands again. He looked at the peaceful face of his brother and put one hand over Edward's heart, the other over his own, "Wait for me, niisan." and strong, blinding blue light emitted from the alchemy pattern and overwhelmed the brothers.
End of Chapter 3
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