Chapter 5:
Finally making to the train station Sarah pays extra for their own car. Showing Ed's military watch, the ticket manager hands them their tickets. Though when she looked at it, it seemed to be one meant for them to be at the front of the train. Sarah sighs and thanks the man. She motions to Al that they're moving once more. He grunts and picks up his unconscious brother, as they make their way to the train.
Walking to their car with the papers they need Sarah immediately starts moving around getting blankets and pillows for the young man. After making sure Ed looked comfortable Sarah sits down with Al to explain herself. "I'm sorry for how I acted, but I was afraid the woman that you told me about could have been sticking around to listen in on us."
"What happened to him?" Al stays next to his brother his voice full of worry as he watches this slow rise and fall of his older brother's chest.
"He's been bitten by the vampire… I don't know the name of the lord or lady of that land. I just know that a vampire did it." Sarah sighs and looks to Al, "Let me start from the top. The reason why I started studying for my doctorates so early was because my fiancé was dying before my very eyes. With the same condition as Ed, holes in the neck lack of blood yet every man that poured their blood for him… it was like they didn't even try the morning after. I first went to modern medicine and quickly went through school at an alarming rate with all passing grades. I'd work myself sick most of the time."
"After two years I gained a doctorate…. Well in a form I did, a doctor that no one wanted, I'm supposed to be a nurse not a doctor so that's what I got. When I put my knowledge to my love… he still didn't get better. I became desperate, I went to all sorts of doctors for information, I even went to witch doctors, and they were more helpful than others. Finally someone came to me about the vampire of his village. I thought 'Vampire, those are only in myth how could you say that?" Sarah sighs.
"Finally I went into deep research of vampires, how they were made, how to kill them-"
"They were made?" Al looks at her questioningly.
"By an alchemist actually, the first try at human alchemy, the first successful test subject was called Dracula, though he quickly turned into myth. After months of searching I found in old journal that he was quiet real and that these are people with a disease. To stay awake they need blood, or they age quickly and grow week, thus easier to kill." She watches him blink in amazement, "Yes you can kill them, unlike the humonculi these are more like demons brought to life on earth and need to feed off humans to live. Though if a vampire forces you to drink their blood, or any other way to get their disease into your system then when death meets you, you'll leave it just as quickly. The myths that say you lose your soul, are exactly that a myth. There's no real proof of this. Like I said it's people with a disease. Though some of their weaknesses are real though. Since they can no longer eat food, they're become allergic to more foods. Garlic just so happens to be one of the worst ones that they are allergic to."
"But what about…"
"What happened back there…?" She turns to the pale Ed, "It's hard to explain. Though people who become vampires gain a magnificent amount of power. They also have some mental connection with one another. Even the man who made these creatures didn't know how to explain it, he just found it as an added bonus." Sarah half laughs, "They say that to kill the leader you kill the pack. How funny since… that's not really what happens. You can kill the leader that doesn't mean the others wont keep on charging. I still don't know how it all works out, the mood swings… so much to learn… on a subject I don't want know anything more about." Sarah keeps her eyes on the boy so dark so sad, the knowledge of all this seemed to make her look so terribly sad to Al's eyes.
"What happened to your fiancé?"
Sarah looks down at the ground, she slightly fidgets with her hands trying to find her voice. "He died…" Her hands stop moving around as she looks at them, "By my hand… It was the kindest thing I could do for him… when he…"
"It's ok you don't have to say it…" Al already knew what had happened no more needed to be said, though he thought for a moment, "Wouldn't they have tried to get rid of all these vampires to begin with? I mean since it would seem that it had gotten out of hand?"
Sarah wipes away a tear from her eyes and nods, "In the journals it said that they went hunting for them finding hundreds, even after they had killed Dracula. After fifty years they stopped since it seemed that there were none left." Sarah half laughs once more, "I guess they were wrong on that one."
Al looks down at the table then to his brother, "Thank you…"
Sarah looks up seeing the boy watch his brother, still alive. "Of course… though… I would suggest one thing." Sarah points out looking to Full Metal.
"Anything if it'll help my Nii-san!" Al looks to Sarah completely serious.
"If he does ever turn, the kindest thing you could do for him is end his life… drive a stack through his heart."
"NO!" Al gets out not even wanting to think of it. "I… I could never…" Al looks to his brother once more.
"I'm sure he fought valiantly, but he was much too close this time… someone must stay with him at all times for the next couple months." Sarah gets up and walks to one of the doors closets to Al and herself not wanting to look at the young man anymore, "Still you must understand Al… He IS only human, and the control on him before was great… everyone has their limits."
Al looks from her to the table not wanting to believe her words. 'It can't be true…' He looks to his brother, 'Oh how I wish it weren't true!' He slowly gets up and sits on his knees watching his brother sleep soundly. His neck still obviously bleeding, as two red dots show through the dressing around his neck. His forehead covered in perspiration, Al takes one of the sheets and cleans his brothers head watching the turmoil that his big brother is going through. "Oh Nii-san… I'm so sorry… I was there… I… I saw her… I could have done something."
Ed smiles lightly, "Nah… I wouldn't want her getting to you too…" Ed's old cocky attitude shows up once more, though horse still the same old Ed.
"Nii-san!" Al leans back letting his brother slowly sit up, stumbling on the table next to him. "You're-"
"Awake?" Ed smiles lightly touching his neck wincing in pain. "I heard you guys talking. Al… I have to tell yea." Ed looks at the sheets on his legs his hands twitching from fear of the simplest thought of that woman, and being in her arms once more. "I was never more frightened in my life… except for when I thought that I was going to lose you. I'm sorry-"
"Nii-san this isn't your fault!" Al protests.
Ed shakes his head, "It's not that… It's… the thoughts that I had while she had me in her arms… I… I was completely conscious, it… it was like being in a shell that's your own body, but you have no control over it. Even when I fought her… she fought back harder." Ed shivers, "I feel… so dirty Al! I feel like… I did something I shouldn't have!" Tears stream down the young man's face as he holds his shoulders shivering. "The things I said to you…"
"That wasn't you Nii-san!" Al tries to encourage him.
Ed looks at Al for a moment, "It wasn't… but… at the same time… it was. I didn't want to be touch… I loved and hated it when she touched me… I loved and hated how… she… how she…" Ed lowers his head ashamed of himself, "Oh Al what have I done!" Ed whimpers out, his face showing his confusion, as he grips his head. Looking at his little brother grabs arms looking into his terrified eyes, as Al, in turn, looked into his tear stained ones. "Al… please… make me a promise! Please make me this one promise!"
"O-of course nii-san!" Al nods rapidly, stuttering.
"If… If I do…" Ed lowers his head looking into space, doing everything that he could to calm himself. Remembering the woman's beautiful disgusting body, her face her manners, "If I do turn into… one of those things… then I'm ordering you as my younger brother…" Ed looks to his brother, "Kill me… if I truly do become one of those THINGS!"
Al was taken aback by this statement, backing away from his brother shaking his head, "Nii-san… I… I couldn-"
"Promise me! You wont let me harm anyone by killing me! I would rather die… than kill someone else!" Ed lowers his head to Al's chest sobbing, his shoulders shivering from the memories. "I can't… even kill someone for you Al… to think that I would be killing people… just to stay alive… just for the pleasure of killing them… my life isn't worth that much to me…"
"Don't talk like that! Don't you dare!" Al whimpers, glaring at his older brother as tears fall down his cheeks. "You're worth more than my very own life Ed!"
"Am I worth Winry's?" Ed looks up to Al, "Am I worth Aunt Pinako's?"
"Eh…!" Blinking at the retort he honestly didn't know what to say. "Bro-"
"No! I'm not Al! I'm not worth their lives, I'm not worth Hawkeye's I'm not worth Hughes, Mustangs, Havocs even Scars! It doesn't matter who it is! Destroying one life will never be the equivalent for another!" Ed shakes his brother slightly, glaring at him "You remember telling me that… rememerber?" Ed sighs gripping his brother's shirt lowering his head, "Promise me… Do that much for me…"
Al lowers his head, his eyes shadowed, he didn't want to have to think of such things, but the time finally came where he had to. "I promise Edward… if they force you to become one of them, I promise to… to… to… Destroy you…" Al speaks up his voice shaky.
Ed smiles lightly, "Thank you… uuoooh!" Ed falls back holding his head.
Al catches him blinking and looking around for what could be wrong, "What's wrong!"
Ed smiles again, "Just got really dizzy, not having any blood will do that to yea!" Ed tries to laugh it off and sit back against the train wall. Al only looks at him silently his worry evident. "When this is all over… you don't have to worry about keeping your promise."
Al nods seeming a little happier.
(TBC)
Oh wow so many new reviewers:D! Thanks again so much everyone for reading the story. I sorry it took so long to get this story out before I was having trouble doing anything much less edit fics or write fics for that matter XP.
College is fun but still it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Just a couple more adjustments and I'm sure I'll get back into the swing of things :D. Thanks for hangin' in there.