DarkKalendor: I'm so happy!

Ed: Why?

DarkKalendor: devilishly You'll see.

Ed: You're strange.

DarkKalendor: Thank you, Edward. I don't own anything to do with Fullmetal Alchemist...well...besides this abomination of a fan fic.

Chorttle: Forward men!

DarkKalendor: How in Nortarain did he get in here!

Havoc: Don't ask me. I only work here.

Lesson Learned

Ed's P.O.V. (finally)

It's not as if I wanted to leave…but…there was no other way.

Before boarding the train, I looked back at Al…one last time? Ignorant heart, I cursed, of course I'll see him again. Still boarding the Eastern train seamed like another trail, mission, and unethical decline I could sense my soul seamed to fallow.

I was no longer a child.

The world was not as black and white as we wanted it to be, and I hated it. It just wasn't right. What was this? Another lesson? I sat alone in the far back as other alchemist mindlessly babbled as if nothing was happening. It was just another transfer, and there were scientist on another…test. Biting my lower lip, I concentrated on the fabric of the seat in front of me just to fight to urge to flee. I could feel someone sit in the seat next to mine, and I cursed mentally still staring blankly forward. I knew who it was, and it made me sick. Of all the smug alchemist…I had to sit next to the king of them all.

"Hello to you too, Full Metal." Roy's ignorant and sarcastic tone sliced the silence.

Rolling my eyes, I forced myself to make a semi serious gesture, "Hi"

"I see your brother came to see you off. That's good. He was really worried about you"

Wait! Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, the aspiring coward who wanted to rule the world with his smug, annoying, and teeth wrenching egotistic parasite brandished with a God-complex personality…being…almost human. I turned back to the window where Al stood waving, and I wove back as the train began to steadily pick up speed. (DarkKalendor: Okay! I actually like Roy, okay! Let's be completely honest, Ed hates the guy sometimes.)

Finally he along with the train station was away from our sight, and I sat back. Suddenly a wave of confuting sickness arrived in my chest, and I resumed glaring forward as if it held my sanity. I clutched my trinket pocket watch in my auto mail hand, and repeated.
I was for him…it was for Al.

To make matters worse for me to actually sit next to him…Roy started to talk.

"You haven't been to the East in a long time, Ed, and I am sorry that you where assigned to this mission. The Furrier wanted all alchemist that had previously served in the East to take care of this…problem"

Deciding to humor myself, I retorted, "I am quite aware of this…problem, and the intended solution. I'll be frank. I think it sucks. Another massacre to further push the state's motto, 'Be Thou for the people until they become a stubborn inconvenience, and then get rid of them"

"You have no idea, kid." Roy angrily hissed, "What happened in Ishbal. I am sorry that you have to learn this lesson now, but this is life. It's not wrong. It's not right. It's life. The sooner you find that out…the less it will hurt"

Slowly we both sank into a stubborn silence, and I turned back towards the window. The speeding country side seamed untenable as did everything else I tried to hold on to, and all I could do was watch the stormy clouds slowly take the country side into a haze of rain and wind.

Then…we passed familiar green and rolling hills dotted with trees, houses, and memories. We passed by the train station, and I slowly closed my eyes before we reached the sign indicating what I already knew…I wanted to burn the letters off the sign. I at least couldn't read it.
"Entering Russumbull."

The letters…where uplifting as an elegy.

"Are you still up, Al?" Winry asked as she entered the room Pinako set for visitors.
Turning from Edward's latest letter, I sighed, "Sorry…I didn't realize anyone was awake.
Sitting on the chair across from me, the auto mail prodigy sighed, "Still reading that letter"
"He still wanted me to stay in Central, but I think coming here was better"
"Well good! You guys always have a home here"
"I know that…but he doesn't still"

Slowly reaching, Winry took the letter from my hands, and scanned the lines. She then commented sadly, "I hate this." I could see tears gleam in her azure eyes in the light of the fire inside the hearth.

"Winry?"

Frustration etched on her face as she whipped the tears from her eyes, and she sighed, "I'm sorry, Al. I should be strong for you"
Finally I asked the question that I have always wondered about since our childhoods, "Winry, what do you think of Ed"
"Think of?" Winry stared back at me in a puzzled expression, "What do you mean"

Nervously I laughed, "You both won't admit it, but I notice…things. Like when we get a new letter from brother, and the look in your eyes. Someday I wonder if you're the only reason he even considers coming home, and how he's always talking about you." suddenly my metal blushed, and I stammered turning my gaze to the wooden floor boards, "Never mind. Forget it"

"Al?" she sweetly called, and I glanced up seeing a happiness in her eyes I hadn't seen since arriving two weeks previous. She then sighed, "Thank you"

"What for?" "I guess…ever since you guys left I though it was something I said or did that didn't allow you guys to at least visit every now and again. All we received is a ton of letters from you, and only a few from him." she meet my gaze, and smiled again, "I guess…I didn't want to admit it"

"You're welcome"

She stiffly stretched, and yawned, "Um….I'd better get some sleep! Good night, Al"

"Good night, Winry"

After she left I reached for brother's letter. My hallowed eyes began reading the letter for the dozen time. "What where you feeling, Ed? Do you think it's an accident? Why are you still there?"

Alphonse,

Sorry I haven't written last week. A lot has been on my mind, and we're so busy. Things are less perfect then we realized. Loire is in shambles from the recent raids. We are constantly on patrol around the city, and I fell more like a police officer then a soldier.

Roy is still smug and obnocous. Armstrong is a baffling idiot. Hughes still has most or all of his pictures that is filling up the entire city! He's here to cover the paper work if he ever gets time after talking to his daughter all day! It wasn't the massacre we had intended. Mostly everyone has escaped before the military sent us. All that's left is a few die hard revolutionaries. Their all…gone now. Thankfully I was off duty and out of town when most of the raids happened. I won't lie to you, Al. I'm glad you aren't here because you can't see what we're doing. I had to…destroy a building today…

"This one?" I questioned shielding my eyes from the blazing desert sun.

Nodding, Roy rested his hand on the sturdy walls of the apartment complex, "One of the largest factions of the riots are inside this building. Instead of risking our men's lives in searching for them, we've decided to demolish the building." he turned towards me, and solemnly informed, "That's where we come in"

I had to close my eyes when I did it…I couldn't look.

Mentally I had to control my breathing to still my pounding heart and screaming soul. Finally I could move my legs, and I slowly reached the wall. Roy stood next to me, his hand poised ready to snap. He was waiting for me…but…
I forced my eyes opened, and in the red bricks…I saw him. Alphonse's image as he was as a boy…fully formed…fully alive. His eyes where cold and lifeless though, and it petrified me as I heard his emotionless voice call me.

"Brother…" he stretched his hand towards me, "Maybe we should ask Daddy before we do this"

"No! Al!" my soul screamed as I found my hands slowly clapping together. They where…moving without my heart's permission. It was as if…my body acted on it's own.

"Please…Ed…" my brother slowly stated, "Don't…I want to remain with you…I want to live"

"You idiot!" my heart yelled, "What are you thinking? He's your brother, Ed! HE'S YOUR BROTHER"

"I trust you…I trust you"

Not knowing it, tears continued to stream down my face as auto mail collided with gloved flesh…it was too late. Alphonse continued to stare at me with crimson eyes that increased in brightness. Before my hands destroyed the building…my brother's image disappeared…into a suite of armor.

"Mom! Where are you!"

The walls disintegrated and blasted from the joint alchemic destruction, and I could hear the screaming. We had transmuted the entire building into a stone coffin with the destroyed bodies inside. Roy was the one who had controlled his flame inside the building, but I locked them inside the building size coffin. I stared at my hands…still smoking by the large transmutation, and then I glared unbelieving at the coffin which I had made. I could hear Roy's gasp. The coffin was more of a hallowed statue made from the brick and mortar filled with blood and dying lives. From it's likeness I feel to my knees and stared unmoving…the sun was covered as we stood in it's shadow. The men's screams echoed inside the statue.

"Ed…" The Flame Alchemist asked, "What where you imagining the building as"

I reached my auto mail towards the likeness of my only remaining family member. The statue was made of brick that gleamed in the flawless azure afternoon. It was him…Alphonse…

"What have I done…" I could only mange to softly cry as the men's cries died away, "What have I done…"

...I have had a lot of time to think. There's rumors of the Philosopher Stone everywhere. I was speculative at first, but…there's too much obvious evident. They say they managed to salvage most of the Red Water from Factory 5. A large truck pulled into just now. I managed to see what's inside. It's true…crates of red water. The rest of the ingredience will be arrive in a few days.
I…can only imagine who will complete the assignment. How do I say no to the military? I never imagined that I would actually kill anyone, but today is clear. I can do it now.

Enough of me, how are you doing, Al? Are you bored crazed out of your mind yet? Take care of Winry for me. Make sure that witch, Pinako, doesn't sell all the best auto mail parts. Say hello to Den for me…

I'll be home soon.

Edward

I then folded the letter and set it upon the stand. I heaved a heavy sigh, and glanced at the star filled sky and a sleepy Ressumbull. Ed was a thousand miles away, but we still where sleeping under the same stars.

"I should write a letter before I leave for Loire…." I noted slowly, and then I stood, "I…have to stop him."

DarkKalendor: Okay! I know Hughes is...gone, but he still need to be in my story! He has to! He has to!

Hughes: What do you mean...gone.

Chottle: I love cheese crakers.