Dear God! What have I done! Submitting a new story, that is not related to Danny Phantom in any way, shape, or form? IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!

okay, maybe not, but i had to think of something.

anyway, i have recently discovered the joy that is Full Metal Alchemist. ED IS SUCH A CUTIE! too bad, he's about five years younger than me. oh well. guess i'll have to settle for Mustang. (I'd put his title in, but 1) i can't spell it without looking it up and 2) i don't want to put in any spoilers for those who haven't seen the entire series or the movie)

this is a short one-shot. no pairings, just a bit of musing by Al

Disclaimer: I don't own anything closely related to Full Metal Alchemist. If i did, i wouldn't have to write this nonsense. I'd just cuddle with Roy or Ed (or both...grins evilly...)


He's asleep on the hard train seat. How he can sleep on something so stiff and unforgiving, I may never know. Of course, I haven't felt anything for the past three years.

Ah, forgive me. My name is Alphonse Elric and the young man passed out on the seat in front of me is my older brother Edward. It's sad that he is older but I'm much taller. After all, being a seven-foot tall suit of armor can change a few things.

Poor Nii-san. He gets so upset when someone makes fun of his height or confuses me for the Full Metal Alchemist instead of him. I think it has a lot to do with our father never being around, but Brother chooses not to talk about it. He keeps telling me I was too young to remember, so I don't need to be reminded.

It's been like this for past year. Traveling around the country by train, searching for anything remotely connected to the Philosopher's Stone. Sometimes, the clues lead us closer to our goal, other times they are just fakes and false alarms. Then, Nii-san has to report back to Colonel Mustang and tell him that, once again, it was nothing more than a wild goose chase.

I no longer sleep. I don't have to eat, either. All I really do is sit and think. I have a lot of time for it, after all. I think about all the hardships we've dealt with, all the friends we've lost, and the new ones we made along the way. I wonder if what we're doing is right, or if it's just our selfish natures.

Brother once asked me if I hated him for what I had become. He tells me it was all his fault, that he could do nothing better. I knew that weighed heavily on him, so I tried my best to persuade him otherwise. "I could never hate you, Brother." I told him that and put all the feeling I could possibly muster into it. I don't know if he believed me or not.

I know Nii-san feels bad for what happened that night. That's the main reason for our journey. He feels the need to right the wrongs in our past. We vowed not to try and resurrect our mother again. Now, we just want our regular bodies back. I want to be able to feel everything, and experience new things. Brother just wants to be rid of his auto-mail limbs, even if Winry did try and talk him out of it.

He keeps telling me that the first thing we'll do when we find the Stone is restore me to my original body. He never worries about his steel limbs, his only worry is my well-being. I told him that I would fix him before I rid myself of this metal body. Nii-san told me that it wasn't my burden.

Sometimes, Brother scares me. He can be so methodical about some things and so harsh to some people, I'm surprised we have any friends left. I think it is Brother's persistence that awes people into respect.

Nii-san once told me, when we were younger, that he would protect me, no matter what. Now I wonder if I'm the one who has to do the protecting, at least for a little while.

The train slows and I reach over to wake my brother. He opens one golden eye and glares at me, before stretching and sitting up. When he stands, I can hear as his bones crack and pop, and watch as he flinches at the sound. I know the ride is hard on his flesh, but he hardly ever complains anymore. I guess he's gotten used to it.

Thought I'm taller than he is, he is still my big brother. I may be bigger, but he will always watch out for me.

He is my brother. Edward Elric, the Full Metal Alchemist. My Nii-san.


Well, what say you of this pointless rambling? Good? Bad? Write more?

Leave me a review and tell me what you think. I have another story in mind, put i'm not gonna put it up if this doesn't get a good review or two (or more cause you love it so!)