Title - Still a Sinner
Chapter -1?
Author - Fullmetal-Alchemist1uk
Disclaimer - I don't own FMA damnit
Rating - PG13
Pairings - None
This is an AU fic in which Ed is unsuccessful in binding Al's soul to the armour.
"Just trust me Al. I know we can do it. We will bring Mom back."
Alphonse Elric didn't say it, but unlike his older brother, he wasn't so sure. Yes, they did buy all the ingredients, and yes Ed's calcuations did seem correct, but... Nobody had succeeded at bringing the dead back to life. Teacher had always said that they should accept the laws of nature and alchemy and Al normally would never dream of disobeying her, but right now it was getting harder to ignore Ed's growing insistence that they should attempt the forbidden and just do it already.
He had to admit, it would be good to see her again. After all, both of them were still kids, and since their dad - why didn't you even attend the funeral? You didn't even say goodbye properly - has never been there for them, it was up to them to bring Mom back and see her smile again.
Al blinked, realising that Ed was studying him, frowning slightly.
"Brother, are...are you sure about this? Maybe we should wait, see if Dad turns up - "
"No, Al. It has to be us. That guy never gave a damn. But we do. Al, you haven't changed your mind have you? I mean, you do wanna see Mom again right?"
And it was so tempting to say yes he had changed his mind, for he knew Ed would sulk but agree to most things Al asked of him. It was strange, that the fierce older brother who hated having to do chores when asked by Mason or even Teacher would so easily give in to the younger. But...
Mom...
He nodded, not quite trusting himself to say anything. Yeah, Brother was right. They were pretty good alchemists for their tender young ages, they could do it. It would be the three of them again. Like it was supposed to be.
Ed smiled slightly at him, then turned his attention back to drawing the array. Vaguely, Al had to wonder whether Ed had thought of what they could offer for a soul, since it seemed the physical body wouldn't be a problem. He shivered slightly, and he had to admit to himself that the suits of armour spooked him still. He tried to encourage himself by thinking he was as strong and as unwielding as armour, but that thought didn't last very long, he was just Alphonse Elric, a girly wimp, too scared to totally believe that his older brother would manage to make everything right again.
"I'm done drawing the array. Al?"
Ed was offering him one last chance to back out, and despite his thoughts teacherwillbemaditwon'tworkmomisdeadthisiswrong Al knew he had to be as strong as Brother was being, that there was no way back now, they would bring Mom back.
"Don't worry, it's perfect. All we need now is information for the soul" Ed stood up and held up the knife to his finger, wincing slightly, then handing it to Al.
Then, the brothers turned to each other, nodded, then put their hands down on the array together.
Ed couldn't stop the grin as the yellow light of the transmutation filled the basement, this was easy! Adults had been puzzling the code for stopping death for centuries, and here was two young boys able to achieve what they had not. It seemed not even He had been able to do this, and Ed felt a rush of triumph.
Then, he felt it, as the light turned purple and the transmutation turned violent. This was wrong. He looked round the room in panic, before Al's scream made him turn to face his younger brother and -
Al was disappearing. It looked as though something was destroying his body, black tentacles winding their way up, and Al was gone before Ed could even grab his hand.
"AL!"
"Brother!"
Then it was Ed's turn to scream as black things grabbed at him too. It suddenly felt as though he could see everything - past, present, even the possible future, all of humankind, and more. He was going to go mad with the sheer weight of knowledge being forced into his too young mind. Then it stopped, and he saw It.
Truth.
Ed could only stare at it in shock and awe. He could see the countless beings within it. He knew that he was so close to finding out what he needed to know to bring his Mother back properly.
He felt the rumble go through him as Truth spoke to him, demanding a fee for his puny demands to see more.
And then he was back in the basement again, pain running through him as he realised what Truth's fee was.
His leg was gone.
No, it wasn't supposed to be like this, his theories were correct, but no he knew now, it wasn't the calculations, but him and Al. They had screwed it up. A low sound - like that of a heart beat - made him look up and then he knew what it was the loss of his leg had gained him.
He could only gape at it for a few seconds before he was violently sick and oh god Al!
Ed could only hope that it wasn't too late to at least salvage Al's soul, even if his body had been taken by Truth. He painfully crawled over to a suit of armour that had been knocked over by the force of the transmutation, and without hesitation, began to draw arrays on himself.
Please, give him back to me. I'll give up everything - my arms, my leg, even my heart. Just give him back, he's the only little brother I have!
As soon as he activated the arrays he was back in that place again with the black creatures fighting for control over him, yet what did they matter compared to Al, Ed wasn't going to give up that easily - yes, that was Al's soul -
No.
What? No? I don't understand, I'll give you anything just please -
There are some things which cannot be gained that easily, young fool. We can take anything we want from you, and not have to give back in return.
Ed could only scream as the beings took his arm from him, sending him crashing back again to the basement, and he continued to scream until the darkness swept over him.
Winry Rockbell frowned slightly, looking up from the practice automail she was repairing. She could have sworn she heard a scream, but she merely shrugged, figuring it to be her imagination before returning to work.
