The Gate
By Gozilla
A/N: Thank you to all of you who read the story and left me a review! Sorry for scaring anyone out there with the previous chapter. This is the last chapter of the story and I hope that you will enjoy it. Thanks again to all of you who like the story! Your supports are my main motivation 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 4 - Truth
Al felt as if he was flying through time and space, with tremendous amount of information flooding into his mind, threatening to explode his brain.
Suddenly, the information assault stopped and Al found himself flying toward the Gate from a distance in great speed. As he got closer to the Gate, he saw someone standing in front of the Gate, with his back to Al.
The person dressed in familiar black attire, his golden hair tied in a braid.
"Niisan!" Al immediately recognised Edward, hand holding out to reach to the person he had been searching for years.
The person seemed startled at Al's call and he slowly turned towards Al's direction.
Al watched in amusement as he saw the person gradually changed to another attire as he turned: brown shin-length coat, white shirt, and brown trousers. The braid changed to a ponytail and the person became at least a foot taller.
Edward's matured face appeared before Al, filled with surprises, "Al?"
"Niisan!" Al called, smiling as the distance between him and Edward diminished quickly. Just before Al could touch Edward, Al suddenly found himself standing in front of the Gate, with no trace of his brother around the area.
It took a moment before Al realised what happened. "Niisan!" Al banged on Gate, trying to force it open.
"You come again." a familiar voice came from behind.
Al turned in shock at the familiar voice. He frowned as he saw a blurry figure sitting on the floor not far from him.
"Truth." Al murmured, fear lingered his heart. He remembered seeing the same figure when his body was taken to the Gate. He used the name Edward called it.
"You two brothers are the most interesting humans I have ever seen." Truth said, "Always come and go as you wish."
"Where is niisan?" Al demanded, deeply concerned about his brother, "Where have you taken him? I will bring him back to our world, no matter what price I have to pay for it!"
"Really?" Truth said, an evil smile appeared, "What price are you willing to pay for bring your brother to your world? It is no easy job and the price could be very high, you know."
"Everything." Al said in determination, "I am willing to pay everything for reviving niisan and bring him back to our world."
"No regret?" the evil smile on Truth's face widened.
"Never."
"Hahahahaha..." Truth laughed.
"What so funny?" Al asked in annoyance.
"I had a very similar conversation not long ago." Truth said as it continued to laugh, "You brothers are truly amusing. Not only you two look alike, you acted alike too. Hahaha..."
Al looked at Truth in surprise. He then realised that Truth was referring to his brother. "What happened?" Al asked, curiosity overcame fear.
"I asked someone what price would he be willing to pay for seeing his brother again." Truth said, "He gave me the very same answer you have just given me. And I granted his wish come true. He met you again, though only briefly."
"And what price did he pay for that short moment?" Al asked hesitantly.
"His life."
Al was silent. Though he was not surprised to know that his brother was willing to sacrifice everything for him, he felt warmth and, at the same time, a twist of pain in his heart at the price Edward had actually paid for seeing him again.
"I will ask you again." Truth said, no evil smile this time, "Now you knew what price your brother paid for in order to see you again. What price are you willing to pay for bring your brother to your world?"
"I have already told you the answer." Al answered without a trace of hesitation.
"No regret?"
"Never."
"I am getting tired of being disturbed so frequently." Truth sighed heavily. "I am going to let you and your brother return to your world."
"Really?" Al smiled broadly.
"Yes, but at a price." Truth said, "You will pay a price for this. I shall not see you two again until your time in your world is up."
Then everything went blinding white.
-Rockbell's house-
Winry cried sadly in the empty room. The brothers had disappeared without a trace in the blue light activated by Al a few minutes ago.
"What happened to them?" Winry asked between sobs.
"We don't know." Hawkeye replied, trying to comfort Winry.
Mustang looked at Winry coldly, though his heart was in pain for not able to save the brothers. Armstrong, on the other hand, was moved by the brothers' acts and busied drying the stream of tears.
Grandma Pinako stood at a corner of the room, her heart was as broken as Winry's as she always treated the brothers as her own grandchildren.
Suddenly, the alchemy pattern on the floor emitted blinding bright blue light. The light died down as quickly as it came.
It took a while before the people in the room to regain their sight ability and they were surprised by the scene in front of them.
In the middle of the alchemy pattern, the Elric brothers lied motionlessly in a growing pool of blood.
They rushed to check on the brothers. They were shocked to find that Al was unconscious, with his left arm and right leg missing. Mustang and Grandma Pinako torn the bed sheet into strips and used them as bandages, trying hard to stop the heavy bleeding.
Winry held on to Edward's limp body. She watched through her tearful eyes as Mustang and her grandma trying their best to save the younger brother. Suddenly, a slight movement in her arms startled Winry.
Edward stirred and struggled weakly in Winry's arms.
"Ed!" Winry cried out in excitement, "Grandma! Edward is alive!"
Grandma Pinako quickly instructed Hawkeye to help Mustang to take care of Al and rushed to check on Edward. Though she was happy to see the sign of life in Edward, she immediately realised that the young alchemist was in great trouble, "Winry, he can't breathe!"
Without hesitation, Winry took a deep breath and blow into Edward's mouth. "Ed!" she pleaded between breaths, not knowing if Edward could hear her, "Please, breathe with me." as she blew another breath to Edward's mouth.
After several attempts, Winry stopped and was heart-broken to see Edward lay still, not breathing, in her arms. "Please, no, Edward, please don't leave us again. Please..." she pleaded as she cried on his chest.
Suddenly, Edward took a deep painful breath with great difficulty. He tensed as he struggled hard to keep breathing, which was fast and irregular.
"Yes, that's it, Ed." Winry encouraged the young alchemist, "Slow down and breathe with me. That's right, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in..."
As if Edward could hear what Winry said, his breathing slowly became more regular and less painful. Winry smiled as she felt Edward relaxed. Immediately, she turned to look at Al. She felt as if a heavy burden over her heart was lifted when she saw Mustang and Hawkeye successfully stopped the bleeding from the wounds of Al's missing limbs.
Winry held Edward tightly in her arms, happy tears rolled down her face, "Welcome back, Ed, Al. Welcome home."
-Three days later-
Edward woke at the bright morning sunlight and slowly opened his eyes. He felt incredibly exhausted and sore. Dull pain seemed to come from every single part of his body. It took a few moments before Edward's clouded mind to recognise the room he was in.
The Rockbell's house. He was lying on a bed in the room of the Rockbell's which had been especially reserved for him and his brother whenever they came.
"No..." Edward squeezed his eyes closed, "Not this dream again..." Edward had lost count on his dreams about waking on a bed in the Rockbell's house. Only to wake up every single time painfully disappointed to find himself still stuck in the world without his strongest strength, alchemy, and, most importantly, without his brother.
"Ed, are you awake?" came a voice Edward had longed to hear. He quickly opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure leaning over him.
It was Winry.
"Ed?" Winry asked again, "Ed? Are you all right?"
"This dream is a bit too real." Ed closed his eyes again, using all his determination to resist the temptation to look at the person he longed to see for a long time. He knew that the more he looked at Winry's face, the harder the blow he would receive when he woke up.
"Ed?" Winry asked, worried, "Ed, are you in pain?" she took away the damped cloth placed over Edward's forehead and put her hand over his forehead to check his temperature.
Feeling the warmth of Winry's hand, Edward's eyes shot-opened in surprise, "This... this is far too real. Please... don't do this to me." Edward pleaded sadly, "I... I don't know how much longer I can keep my sanity with dreams like this..."
"What are you talking about?" Winry took her hand away, glad that Edward's high fever was finally going down slowly, but worried at his strange behaviour. Gently, she cupped Edward's face with her hand, "Open your eyes, Ed. This is not a dream. You have returned to us."
"It is not a dream?" Edward slowly opened his eyes and looked at Winry's face.
Winry felt her heart broke as she saw the helplessness in Edward's eyes. "It is not, Ed." Winry gave Edward an assuring smile. She took his left hand and put it over her face, "Can you feel me? Sure you shouldn't have felt it if you are in a dream, right? Trust me, Ed. You have returned to us."
Edward looked at Winry, feeling the warmth from her face. Finally realising that it was not a dream, he smiled as he knew he had finally returned to the world he belonged. He felt as if the darkness embracing his heart for the past four years disappeared at Winry's body heat.
They remained quiet and enjoyed each other's presence.
"What happened?" Edward asked after a while. His memories on his return to the alchemy world and the days afterwards slowly surfaced. He faintly remembered seeing his brother, "Where is Al?"
"He... hmm..."
"What happened?" Edward asked, sensing something was not right.
"He is... well..."
Before Winry could finish the sentence, someone opened the door and entered into the room.
It was Mustang. With his support, Al stood beside him.
"Al!" Edward smiled broadly and happily as he saw the person he had been missing for so long. But his smile disappeared as he saw more clearly of Al's condition.
Although he was wearing some loose clothes, it was obvious that Al's left arm and right leg were missing.
"What happened to you, Al?" Edward was shocked. He tried to get up and reach to his brother. Only to fall back to the bed as agonising pain assaulted him from every part of his body.
"Niisan!" Al shouted in worry, but unable to help his brother.
"Stay still, ed." Winry held Edward onto the bed, preventing him from moving, "You are seriously hurt and your body has just begun to heal. You must not move around or you may hurt yourself and re-open the wounds."
On the other hand, Mustang helped the anxious Al to sit on the bed side.
"Niisan, are you all right?" Al asked in deep concern.
"I should be the one asking you the question." Edward asked, his golden eyes filled with sadness as he saw the broken body of his younger brother, "What happened to you?"
"It is nothing." Al said, smiling warmly, "As long as you are with us again, it is nothing."
Edward looked at the empty sleeve hanging on Al's left side. Suddenly, memories of the past few days came back to him.
Munich, Alphone Heiderich, liquid fuel, the experiment, the explosion, Truth, Rizenbul, Winry, Al, blackness, death... the Gate... and then, Al's appearance before the Gate...
"Truth..." Edward said in astonishment, "You paid the price for... for bringing me back... with your arm and leg?"
Al just smiled and said nothing.
"It is all my fault." Edward clutched the bed sheet tightly in deep regret, "You would not suffer if I have not returned..."
"No, niisan." Al reached to hold Edward's left hand with his remaining right hand, "I would have suffered even more if you have not returned. You know what? I have been searching for you for the past three years and my greatest fear was that I might not be able to see you again. I will pay any price for your return, niisan. Just like you did."
Edward looked at his brother for a moment. He was surprised, but also glad, that he could see Al did not have the slightest intention to blame him for the loss of his arm and leg.
"Al..." Edward cupped his hand over Al's face, feeling the gentle body heat from his brother. It was the first time since their attempt to transmute their mother that Edward could find real peace in his heart.
"I am back..." Edward whispered.
"Welcome home, niisan." Al smiled.
Suddenly, a pair of soft hands picked up the brothers' hands. It was Winry.
"Welcome home, both of you." Winry said, gently embracing the brothers and smiled warmly, "You two should rest now. You better recover quickly as I will make the best automail limbs in the world for you two."
The three looked at each other, warmth filled their hearts. They knew that that the new page of their lives had just begun.
End of Chapter 4
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Please feel free to review and comment!