Okay! What you've all been waiting for! Lessons of Alchemical Knowledge chapter…8 or 9? I don't even know! Oh….chapter 9? Okay!
Disclaimer: I don't own the young alchemist who's every horror haunts his dreams.
Al: Way to be blunt.
Me: Well, It's how I am.
Ed: You're mean!
Me: *Hands BBI fan fiction* You think I'M mean?
Al: E-Edward?….A vegetable?
Ed: Oh god. That's what happens to me?
Me: Yeah, dude. Don't shoot the messenger. It's the effects of one of Bluebird's Illusion endings. It's a fan made game.
Ed: I wish I'd never been born. *Goes to corner*
Al: *Reads again* I wish I'd never been born. *Goes next to Ed*
Roy: Hey, what's up.
Al: *hands paper*
Roy: *reads* I wish I'd never been born.
Me: Oh, is it really that sad *reads again* I wish I'd never been born *joins others*
All: *Depression*
Armstrong: The art of being depressed while still sparkling is a trait that has been passed down the Armstrong line for GENERATIONS!
Me: Gahh What the hell major what are you doing here?
*I don't own Soul Eater either*
Dumbledore rested his hand on his temple as he listened to Alphonse's story. "I see. So your father left you."
"Yes. Brother frequently shows hatred towards out father. He blames him for the death of our mother."
"Is that so? Why?"
"He thinks that the depression forced on to her by his absence is what killed her, even though it was a rare disease passing through."
"So, what did you do after she died?"
"We went to a professional alchemist and we convinced her to teach us."
"And then?"
"With our new knowledge, we attempted to bring her back to life."
"….." Dumbledore was silent. "Did it work?"
"No, not even."
"I'm sorry. But can I ask you to describe the details of this event?"
"Yes. It was late at night. We had gathered all the materials found in the average adult human body. My brother finished our transmutation circle. I had second thoughts about what we were doing. I wanted him to stop. Human alchemy was forbidden, and I didn't want to break any laws."
"Why didn't you stop him?"
"My dreams made me blind and mute. Looking back, I long to return to that time, to stop myself. I followed him without a word. And he blames himself, while the fault is mine."
"I see."
"There was golden light all throughout the room. We thought it was working at first, then the light turned purple, and red sparks danced around the room. I felt black arms grasp at me. I felt my body being deconstructed and pulled into a void. I reached for brother, calling out his name. He reached back to me with all his strength, but I saw he turned away for a brief moment, staring at his leg, which had also been deconstructed. The last thing I saw was his hand reaching for me, but never meeting mine. When I woke up, my body was armor and he was clutching his shoulder! His leg poorly bandaged, there was blood everywhere, I took him to the neighbors and there was so much….blood.. his blood, all over the room… I…" Al shuddered and began to cry.
"It's okay Alphonse. I can tell you're obviously troubled by this. I won't ask anymore." Dumbledore stood up. "I'd like to speak to Edward."
"I'll take you Sir." Al said. They walked down the hall and all the students looked at Alphonse with scared expressions.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were in Ed's hospital room. Winry was re-bandaging his shoulder. "Okay. I think I can do this without Granny. It'll be my first automail surgery on my own. I might need an assistant. She turned to the three students. "Do you know anyone with a particularly strong stomach?"
"I do." Harry stepped forward.
"Alright, do you think you can help me put an arm port back on Edward?"
"You mean, help with Professor Elric's surgery!"
"Yeah, can you do it or not?" She asked.
"Yeah, if you tell me what to do."
"Alright. I need to go speak with Ms. McGonagall about the materials I'll need. Keep an eye on him for me." She said gesturing towards Ed. "He's trouble, that one."
"Yeah, sure thing." Harry told her.
"A-Alphonse." Ed whispered in his sleep. "I got my name. I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist. Kind of funny right? It fits huh? Sounds cool."
Harry looked at him curiously "Fullmetal?"
Roy and Riza came in.
"Umm. Excuse me? I've been seeing you around lately, who are you?" Hermione asked.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang. This is my subordinate 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."
Riza bowed her head to them slightly.
"Of the military?" Hermione asked, their uniforms weren't those of England.
"Of the Amestrian military, the country Ed comes from."
"So why is the military hanging around Professor Elric?" Harry asked.
Roy sighed. He took out his state issued watch. "Do you know what this is?"
"I would say a regular pocket watch, but there's probably a deeper meaning to it." Ron sighed.
"Isn't that the one that Professor Elric carries around?" Hermione asked.
"Well, his is identical, yes. But do you know what it means?" He asked.
"No." The trio replied.
"Lt. if you would." Roy turned to Hawkeye.
"Of course Sir." She went to the trio. "Sometimes the blast is hard to control, if you would please step back."
Roy reached into his pocket and took out a white glove. Hawkeye set a rather large candle on the table. "Now, I'm restraining myself because we're indoors."
Much to Harry's surprise, Roy snapped with the glove on, and a large spark shone throughout the room, lighting the candle. Only when he withdrew his hand did Harry see the transmutation circle on the glove. Then, out of no where, Edward sat up.
"Are you trying to kill me!" He yelled.
"Relax Fullmetal, I only lit that candle there." Roy said.
"That's what matches are for! I know that your good at controlling your flames Colonel, but what if someone had freaked and got in the way!" Ed yelled. But he strained himself when he yelled, because his shoulder began to bleed again. Ed clutched it in pain.
"Edward!" Riza said in surprise
"I'm okay Lieutenant." Ed said.
"Yeah, you just opened the wound Ed, now you've set back your automail surgery." Roy pointed out.
"Yeah I know, blame it on yourself, you're the reason I yelled." He said. "Dammit, I knew being a state alchemist might get my arm blown off a few times but I never expected to get the port blown off with it. Now I have that damn surgery to do AGAIN. It was bad enough the first time…."
Winry bust through the door. "Alright Ed, you ready?"
"No, my shoulder stared bleeding again." He told her, trying to use it as an excuse for not having surgery right away.
"No prob, unless you fully opened the wound." She said, lying out the necessary instruments. "Now I called Granny, and she told me how to do this myself without help, but I could use an assistant, and Harry here volunteered." She laid out multiple white cloths and brought in several devices.
"Why the hell did you do that, get out while you still can!" Ed told him.
"What's with all the yelling?" Alphonse asked, coming in with Dumbledore.
"Oh nothing, darling younger brother." Ed told him, obviously lying. "I'm about to have my surgery again that's all….." He said.
"Oh, well Winry, is it okay if I stay this time, I'd like to know just what exactly your doing." Al said, but really, he wanted to be there for Ed.
"Sure Al, but you might not like it, it's a bloody process." She said. "Can I ask all of you to leave now? She said, looking at the others.
Roy and Riza remained outside with Dumbledore, while Ron and Hermione went off to the library. Winry had the port all done and made, so she just had to put it on him, in addition to his new arm. Though, she had to build a bit of the port during surgery, just according to procedure.
"Alright, this is the hardest part, I'm connecting each of your nerves to the mechanism." Winry said, almost done after two hours.
"Gahhhhh! Dammit that hurts!" Ed yelled once. But he kept his composure. Harry was helping all he could.
"Okay, now the arm. Connecting nerves in 3 2 1!" She said, flipping the latch.
Ed only winced this time. "Are you done?" He whined.
"Yep, congratulations, you get to go through 1 year rehabilitation again." She said, sighing. "But maybe you can stop breaking the rules and do the whole 3 years this time?"
"No, I've done that before, it won't take me that long. 6 months." He told her. "Besides, its not my arm and leg this time, I've only got one appliance to worry about."
"Your going to kill yourself Edward!" Winry said in her usual tone, but she was serious.
"I have classes to teach." He said, trying to get up, only to be pushed back on to his bed by Alphonse.
"No brother." He said, also serious "You need to take it easy, you just got a new arm again. You're staying in bed for at least a few weeks."
"But Al!" Ed whined.
"NO, you strain yourself too hard on a normal basis, you don't need that strain now." Al told him.
Winry felt Edward's forehead "And you've already got a fever. You're staying here. Alphonse can handle your classes."
Ed laughed "Fever huh? Fine, I kinda like the sound of Professor Alphonse anyways."
"Oh, speaking of professors Ed, Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to you."
"Well he can come here, I'm not letting Ed out of my sight." Winry said.
"It's more of a personal conversation Winry, but I'll watch Ed don't worry." Al told her.
"Oh alright." She said, leaving. Harry left as well.
Dumbledore, who had been outside the entire time, came in to speak to Ed. "Professor Elric?"
"Yes Sir?"
"I've heard from your brother that you've been having some nightmares recently."
"Yeah, small stuff, no need to worry." Ed lied.
"But brother!"
"No Al, I'm fine, really. Don't worry yourself over me 'kay?" He smiled. Ed yawned "This is going to take forever, locked up in here."
Dumbledore exchanged glances with Alphonse, then looked back at Ed. "I think I'd like to have a word with your mechanic, Mr. Elric."
"Go ahead. I can't stop you." Ed told him. He rested his head against the pillow, and slowly fell asleep. Al went outside with the headmaster.
"Ms. Rockbell?" Albus asked the young blonde.
"Hmm? Yes?" She answered.
"Can I ask you a few questions about Edward?"
"Go ahead." She told him, polishing a wrench.
"Do you know why he's so stubborn about receiving help from others?"
"Well, I always thought it was just his personality, that is, until he lost his arm and leg." She said, moving to the next tool.
"What happened then?"
"Well, people say a lot when they're in pain. As if they're expecting to die and they just spill everything."
"And what did Edward say?"
"He basically started the whole 'relying on himself for everything' stuff. You know what he said when we complemented him on dealing with the pain of the surgery at only 11? He said 'This means nothing, compared to what he has to go through.' He was talking about you, Al." She told them. "My guess is that he thinks you have it worse then him, and that if he were to complain of his conditions, you'd go off and think he's weak when you have to deal with a completely new body."
"S-So he shuts himself up, deals with pain, never takes help….b-basically he suffers because of me?" Alphonse asked, his armor shaking.
"If you think of it that way…." Winry said.
"What a stupid older brother!" Al said, crying. He marched back into Ed's room and yelled at him "You idiot!"
"Huh? wha-? Alphonse? I'm still sleeping come back later to yell at me…." He yawned.
"No! I'm staying!"
"What's the matter with you?" Ed sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Only that my older brother is a complete idiot!" Al said, still 'crying'
"What did I do now? Alphonse? What's wrong?" Ed questioned.
"Show some pain Ed! Don't bottle yourself all up like you do! It's okay to hurt you know!" Al cried.
"Oh Alphonse, why are you worried about me? I'm fine." he lied.
"It's that! That right there!" Al pointed at him "Quit acting like all this pain is nothing! You're hurt and you refuse to admit it!"
"Al what are you talking about? What pain?" Ed asked him, knowing that Al had caught on.
"You think I'm stupid Brother?" Al asked. He marched straight to Edward's bedside, and rolled up the elder brother's sleeve, showing his port. Just by sitting up, Ed's shoulder had started bleeding pretty bad. "You're bleeding! Can't you feel that?"
"I…I can feel it Al but, you have to deal with much worse then I do, I have no reason to complain…" Ed sighed.
"No, you don't have to complain, but this is different! Complaining is one thing, letting someone know you're in pain is another!" Al said. "K-Knowing that you refuse to show that you're hurt…because you're comparing your pain to mine….that hurts brother…."
"But Al…" Ed tried to say.
"No. I refuse for you to use me as your excuse for never asking for anyone's help!"
"I don't see it as an excuse, I see it as your going through more than I am and that I shouldn't be asking for help."
"But Brother, it's because of how different we are."
"You never ask for help either." Ed pointed out.
"Because I can't feel pain, Brother! I'm stuck, in this shell of a body! I hate it! I hate living like this! I can't take it anymore Ed, all the nights by myself…." Al cried. "I see you there, sleeping. Every night, you talk in your sleep brother, and every night, I hear you suffer from that same night, the night all of this started. And just now you lied about the nightmares to Professor Dumbledore!" Al fell to his armored knees.
"I'm sorry Alphonse." Ed told him "I just didn't want you to worry about me…"
"I worry because you do this!" Al cried. "Why can't you see that? How do you think I feel? I was just told that I'm the reason my brother allows himself to suffer so much!" He yelled. The room was silent for a few seconds, before Al turned his back to Ed "I'm going to the library, Brother. I'll see you later." He said, before walking out of the door.
Hmmmm. This chapter's kinda short, like Ed. (Ed: HEY!) Dumbledore didn't even get to talk to Ed about his nightmares, but, I guess this part was needed in order for him to be able to talk….oh, the surgery part there, consider yourselves lucky I didn't want to go into massive detail with it, your breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or any item of food you have eaten recently has been saved from being thrown up. Your welcome. Ha, okay so P.S. : Every time you don't review, Alphonse gets mad at Edward. Where's the Brotherhood in that? Ha ha pun….REVIEW!