Protect Me

Written by: Luna (aka Jennifer)

Chapter 1 – Equivalent Exchange

Disclaimer – I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, yet any new characters that I have created to fit the story are mine, and part of Protect Me. Thank you!

"Ok Al, this is it. You ready?"

Al was lying on his back as the steel suit of armor, which his soul had been confined to for 6 torturous years. Surrounding him was the huge, complex array that was required to be able to perform the dangerous and complicated procedure of bringing back a human body from across the gate. It was a moment they had always dreamed of. So many events had led up to this night.

"Y-Yeah, I'm ready, brother"

If Al's heart could be beating wildly, it would. It was hard to say he felt, but Al did know he felt fear at this moment along with anxiety. A thousand possibilities were running through his mind on how this could turn out. Could he possibly be worse off if things didn't work out right? Would he end up like their mother after they tried to bring her back on that unforgettable night? Anything could happen, but it was something the brothers were both willing to risk. Edward was sure that this was the answer to their problems, so why shouldn't Alphonse back him up 100 percent?

Al lay perfectly still as Ed got ready for the alchemy. Edward stood on the outer rim of the mesmerizing array and in his hands was the legendary Philosopher's Stone shining brightly with its eerie red glow. Although neither one wanted to think about it, they both knew the cause of the stone's existence. The whole city of Liore had been used as a sacrifice to the stone's power, and as much as Ed had wanted to stop that from happening, there was nothing he could have done. The stone had been made and the city had been destroyed.

The two brothers had spent days debating on whether they should even think about using the stone now that it had been made with the lives of innocent people, but they knew that there would have been no other way if the process was attempted. Now that the stone was in their possession, the only thing Ed could think of was undoing what had been done to his brother so many years ago.

Even though he was putting on a brave face, Ed was scared. Scared that this would just be one more mistake added to his list of failures. And if that happened with this, with this important event involving his brother, he didn't know if he would be able to pull himself up again. He was so very close to losing him the first time, he couldn't bear it if that happened and he was unable to bring his soul back again. But even with everything at risk, they both knew that this chance had to be taken. For Al forever living in that hollow shell was truly torture.

"Don't worry, Al. This is going to work. Just hang in there with me. Don't give up now." Ed tried to reassure his little brother as he placed the stone between his hands and began the process, which neither knew would be the outcome to. Equivalent exchange, right?

Edward got down on his knees and held his hands out in front of him, the special stone enclosed within. Even though he had never done anything like this before, for some strange reason his body knew what to do. As if he were willed to perform a specific procedure.

It seemed everything was happening in slow motion. He bowed his head slightly and his out-stretched arms opened up, leaving the Philosopher's Stone levitating in mid-air right where his hands had been. Then everything happened at once. With one quick glace up at the stone and then back down at the floor, Edward thrust both his arms down, hitting his open palms on the ground at the same time. Images of Alphonse as a happy carefree boy flashed through Ed's mind so quickly that it almost made his head spin.

The room was now beginning to be brilliantly lit with red and gold swirling all around as the center of the transmutation circle was the core of solid dark burgundy. Then what he heard next made his heart almost stop. The scream of his brother in the center of the action was unmistakably one of pain and fear. Ed's first reaction was to stop what he was doing and run to his brother, but somehow logic played in and he knew that he could not stop the process now. If he did, anything could happen. All he could do was close his eyes and hope for the best. Tears ran down his face and onto the floor as he kept his head bent and his hands firmly in place on the ground.

"Just bear with me Alphonse. Be strong for me, okay?" he pleaded quietly. Al's screams and cries could be heard throughout the entire process. It seemed like it took an eternity for it to stop.

Once the transmutation was completed, Edward was almost afraid to look up. He was still bent down on the ground supporting himself up with his hands and knees. His head was down and his hair hung messily in front of his face. Sweat and tears streaked his face as he tried to keep himself from shaking, but to no avail. He could not get Al's cries out of his head. There was dead silence. No sound except for Edward's ragged breathing and quiet sobs.

"Al…" he was trying to find the courage to look up, but all he could do was keep his eyes shut tight at the silence that greeted him. "Alphonse, please."

Ed's eyes shot open at the sound of a quiet moan. He slowly looked up and what he saw was something he had not expected. There in the middle of the circle was his brother covered in blood and lying curled up, nude, in a fetal position. Edward couldn't get to his feet fast enough to run over to where Al laid.

"Al! AL!" He slid to his knees when he reached Al's side and went to touch him, but stopped, his hands hovering over his body. Al was unconscious and barely breathing.

"Al…what happened to you?" Ed asked quietly, his voice quivering in fear. Al had his body back, but the fact that he was covered in blood was unsettling to say the least. Ed didn't know what would be the best thing to do. Should he go get help or risk carrying him outside? Either way he knew Al needed medical attention. Ed put a hand on Al's forehead, brushing some of the sweat-drenched hair out of his face.

"Hold on Al, I'm going to help you. Just hang in there with me, little brother."

Edward got up and ran over to a pile of old blankets that were in the corner of the old warehouse they were in. It wasn't the best, but it would work. He pulled out a blanket big enough to use and threw it on the ground, then proceeded to transmute it into a clean new blanket that he could use to carry Al in. After running back to where Al still laid, Ed was almost afraid to touch him, not knowing if he might make his brother's condition worse. But after a moment's hesitation, he decided that either way he was going to have to get him up. He figured that taking Al to get help would be faster than him running there and then having to take time to come back. Not to mention he would have to leave him alone here all that time and that was not something he wanted to do.

After finally managing to put Al in the open blanket, he wrapped him up and then bent down to lift him in his arms. He cursed his short stature, but that didn't dissuade him a bit in his hurry. Although he could tell Al was taller than him, he was still able to carry him without too much trouble; his years in the military and fighting almost constantly on his missions had made him strong. He knew no one was aware they were there in the abandoned building since it was practically in the middle of nowhere, so the chance of someone finding them was slim to none.

Once he was outside, he couldn't help but curse his luck as not only was it dark, but also raining Niagara Falls down on their heads. Ed stopped just under the outer roof of the doorway and looked down at his still unconscious brother. He laid him down on the ground just enough to support him so he could lift the excess blanket over Al's head in an attempt to keep him as dry as possible. Then after situating him back in his arms, he took off running into the night.

There was only one place that Ed felt safe going to and so he headed towards the familiar house of the Rockbells. Though it was miles away, Edward pushed forward, his willpower and concern for his brother driving him onward through the fierce rain.

Ed was about halfway there when he found a shelter, of somewhat, in a little cave. He knew he couldn't stop for too long, but he had to rest and to catch his breath. It had been an hour now and he wasn't sure how well Al was fairing.

Ed put his brother down gently on the ground in front of him and pulled him up so his head would lie in his lap. He noticed how soaked the blanket was so he clapped his hands together and gently touched the blanket, transmuting it dry again. Then he proceeded to do the same with himself since he was anything but dry.

"Al?" He looked down on his brother's form and concern grew on his face. "Al, what's wrong with you? Wake up damn it! Don't do this to me!" He tried to keep the emotion out of his voice, but he wasn't doing a very good job of that.

Suddenly, Al moaned a little and squinted his eyes shut tight, but never opened them. It was a moan of pain and Ed found himself calling Al's name in hope to see another sign he was still alive. That's when he noticed Al shivering under the blanket.

Edward didn't waste anytime pulling Al up in front of him and wrapping his arms around his brother to give him the much needed body heat. He moved his arms up and down along his sides quickly to generate the friction for warmth with the blanket.

"We're almost there Al, hold on just a little longer, okay?" Ed turned his head and looked outside at the dark sky and the never-ending rain. About one more hour to go the young alchemist thought to himself. As much as he would have liked to close his eyes, he knew that he was wasting valuable time sitting there.

"Come on, Al. We have to keep moving" Ed said mostly to himself. He wrapped his brother securely and bent down to lift him up in his arms again, then leaving the shelter he continued on into the unwelcoming night.