Chapter 16: Reality is a dream
--
Alfons ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. Before he knew it, tears were welling up in his eyes. "Edward!" he blurted. "Stupid idiot! Why the hell did you stay behind?"
Edward just ran beside him, not replying directly. Instead he asked: "Are you all right?"
Alfons had no idea what to answer to that. He had been better. But worse too.
Although, it would've been even better if he could just wake up from this nightmare soon.
"Hurry," Edward shot out through some heavy breaths. "They'll probably try to stop us as soon as they get the chance."
They were running for their lives in between the trees, using them as shelter from the recent encounter. Alfons threw a quick look over his shoulder to see if someone was following them, but he couldn't see anyone for now. He didn't have to be told to hurry twice though, and was considerably relieved when he finally spotted the tail of Azure behind the trees. Quickly he climbed up into her back cockpit and seated himself heavily down, resisting the urge to look back again. He didn't want to know anymore. One more second, and they all could've been killed.
Staring straight forward, he was fighting to retain control of his focus. The image in front of his eyes seemed to swim a little and his injuries didn't actually make it any better. His mind was almost as in a trance.
What the hell had just happened anyway?
They had just run away from an almost-started Battle Royale, with Thule Society on one side and the military on the other. They had gotten away without hearing any signs of crossfire, but what was the guarantee that they would really get away with this all the way? Sooner or later they would be followed.
"Help me with him," Edward said fast, climbing after Alfons at the side of the cockpit with his little unconscious brother on his back. His arm was still transformed into a gun, not taking any chances yet.
Alfons nodded and grabbed a hold of the limp form and pulled the boy into the cockpit and onto his lap. Al looked almost peaceful where he lay. Alfons figured it was better this way. It made it easier not having him panic in this situation. Alfons had already enough of a hard time keeping himself from panicking.
Edward curved down over him, digging fast into the backpack without a word.
Alfons watched him silently. They didn't really have time for this, did they? But he didn't say anything. His mind didn't work properly. He couldn't come up with a single word to say, and was simply sitting mutely with the insentient boy in his arms. It was kind of unbelievable though. Here he was. Edward's little brother. They had really managed to save him, at least for now. It had been a difficult task, but they had already gotten this far. Maybe they could actually get away with it all the way.
Edward stopped searching the bag as he found what he was looking for. One of the bottles with water. He turned off the cap and supported an arm behind his little brother's head. "Hold on, Al," he whispered. Carefully he tilted a thin stream of cold water down into his brother's throat. Most of the water spilled down Al's cheeks and onto Alfons' shirt.
Alfons shook his head as he got a little cooled down, trying to make his mind work. How could Edward always think reasonably even if they had almost gotten killed?
He took a more secure hold around the boy and lifted up his head and shoulders. "Let me..." he offered softly. "You get us out of here."
Edward met his eyes and nodded once. "Yeah... Got it." He left the bottle in Alfons' hand and jumped down on the ground. He didn't waste any time as he ran for the front and climbed up in the other cockpit, letting the engine warm up.
Alfons lifted the bottle to the boy's mouth again and tilted it. It was almost half empty and he didn't know if Al had even drunken any.
Suddenly Alphonse Elric coughed hard, spitting and twisting in his hold. Alfons quivered a little in concern, wondering if he would say anything. But Al didn't open his eyes. Alfons arranged him to sit on his lap. His head tilted back to rest on his shoulder while his body was still lax. Alfons secured the belts around them both, and when Edward gave him a questioning signal, he nodded firmly, telling him that they were ready.
Then their wheels were moving. Edward backed out of the woods and started turning them around the right way. All so slowly Azure was moving along the alchemy-made road, towards the end of the mountain. And he noticed something else. Something they couldn't fail to notice.
The black vessel was standing there, parked right by the road. It looked ready to take off as well. Alfons figured Thule Society had landed there in order to put up a fight with the military. It was war for sure now. He hoped Mustang and the others would be all right.
Alfons didn't know if he had heard it over all the noise of the engine, or just felt it, but he turned his head around fast towards the place they had come from and he saw Colonel Roy Mustang running out from the trees. Alfons frowned and turned hesitantly towards Edward, but the other hadn't noticed him. He knew better than ask him to stop. They couldn't stop now. He turned around and looked at the Colonel again.
The uniformed man was breathing heavily and lifted his hands towards his mouth and was yelling something with all power his lungs could utter.
But over all the noise of the engine and because the distance between them grew each second, Alfons couldn't hear the words.
I'm sorry, he thought silently. I liked you, even if you loved Edward...
He wondered if he had liked Mustang because he loved Edward. If Roy Mustang hadn't been so close to Edward in the past, would he have helped them as much as he did? Alfons would probably never know, because they would probably never see Mustang again. That is, if they were lucky and managed to escape the military...
Their speed was increasing.
"Hold on, Alfons," Edward's voice said in his ear. At some point he had found the earplug and turned it on.
Alfons closed his eyes tight as the wheels of Azure let go of the solid ground, and soon there was nothing but air and water underneath them. Gradually they were getting lifted higher above the ocean, and Alfons was about to let out his breath in relief right before he heard the sharp sound of guns firing. He had hoped he never would've needed to hear that sound again after firing a gun himself. At least he had hoped they had left most of the dread behind them after escaping Thule Society for the second time. But no. Someone was shooting at them, and definitely wanted them dead as well, because they didn't fire only once or twice. It was an everlasting series of bullets chasing them across the sky.
The bullets pierced through their wings and tail and Alfons heard his own voice screaming out loud, curving down and clutched Alphonse Elric tightly in his grasp. "AAHHHH!" Was that really him screaming? Alfons wondered if he had ever screamed this loud before.
Edward snatched out his earplug and yelled into the small microphone. "Alfons Heiderich! Don't panic now!"
Alfons shut up, and wondered what courage he had that allowed him to do that. He could've screamed like that forever as long as this nightmare continued on.
"Stay low!" Edward yelled. His voice sounded scared, but still steadfast.
Holding around the boy on his lap, Alfons stayed low as Edward had said. It was a miracle that they hadn't been hit by any of the deadly pieces of metal. But even if they weren't, Azure was.
The engine was dying. They wouldn't make it far. Edward made a quick decision, threw off his seat belt and let go of the steer. Cursing under his breath he turned around and could spot the military soldiers standing in a long formation on top of the mountain, aiming directly up at them.
They were getting shot down by their own.
Edward gritted his teeth. The soldiers lowered their guns as they were too far away to hit anymore by now. But still, the damage was fatal. Edward clutched the railing as he stood up in his seat. He felt Azure's nose was pointing more and more downwards, and they were dropping. At this rate they would crash, Edward realized with fear written in his eyes.
Al... Alfons... He threw a look at them were they were hovering down behind him. His brother was still unconscious and Alfons' buried his face into his shoulders as he held around the smaller boy. Edward smiled softly. "Thanks," he whispered. They were now falling nose first right towards the ocean.
Edward quickly clapped his hands and touched the surface of the plane and shut his eyes tightly, praying that it would work. He didn't know to whom, but he didn't care as long as someone would hear him. Focusing his thoughts around alchemy and everything he knew about engineering and the flying machine, he felt the energy of the alchemic power sparkle through him and blue light were flowing all around them.
Would he make it? They were falling fast. There was no way Azure would ever fly again.
With alchemy's help, parts of the plane were transforming. The wings changed direction, meeting the pressure of the falling speed as brakes. But the air pressure was enormous and Edward shut his eyes even tighter as he heard the sound of metal being ripped off from metal. And without opening them he just knew that Azure didn't have wings anymore, and they were still spinning downwards in the air towards the sea. But their speed had at least decreased a little.
Edward clapped again and clutched the side of the plane. The entire plane changed shape, and using all the material he could manage, he transmuted a giant parachute above Alfons' cockpit. It folded out above them, and he lost his grip around the transmuted material. He was suddenly falling with his head first, hard and cool air pulling his clothes and hair. It felt like he was falling for an eternity and he closed his eyes as he finally hit the water.
Alfons looked up and gasped. A giant parachute had sprung out of nowhere above their heads, and he realized, every bit of Azure that wasn't his cockpit had disappeared. So had Edward.
His heart beat fast. Their speed had definitely decreased, but it would still be an ugly fall. A fall definitely hard enough to harm them both. He looked over the railing. Still quite far down, but no time to dwell... He clutched Alphonse Elric and stood up in the cockpit. Kicking himself off good, he jumped the last metres down into the water.
The water closed around him above his head, pressuring at his ears and nose. It was freezing. He reached the surface with a gasp, still holding Alphonse in a hard hold. He started swimming like he never had done before. It would be no use dying by getting the entire cockpit in their heads.
A loud splash. The cockpit had hit the water with the parachute flowing beside it. Alfons struggled to keep himself above the surface. It wasn't so easy while holding an unconscious person. He started swimming towards the cockpit again. They were far from land. If he could keep the thing from sinking they might be able to make it.
Somehow Alfons managed to get to the cockpit and clutched it with his free arm, breathing heavily. The cockpit was floating, he realized to his relief. Edward had used alchemy and transmuted Azure.
He hoisted Alphonse up and pushed him into the small seat. He looked for Edward, but to his dread he couldn't see him anywhere. Hadn't he managed to hold onto something? Where...?
His heart beat faster as he remembered what Edward had told him only some hours before. Edward couldn't swim.
Alfons whirled around, staring with wide eyes all over the place. "EDWARD!" he yelled out using all power his lungs allowed him. He didn't even wait to listen for any reply before he yelled again. "EDWARD!"
He left the cockpit, starting to swim around the place, scanning the surface.
But Edward wasn't there. Alfons knew it deep down. With the automail Edward would be at the bottom of the sea by now. Alfons let out a sob. "EDWAAARD!" he yelled out in panic.
No, he couldn't freak out now, anything but that! Alfons tried to think reasonably, even if it was hard in this situation. He was cold and in light shock. Azure was gone. All that was left was a floating tub with a chute that Edward had transmuted. To save their lives… But what about Edward? He had clearly fallen off along the way down. He could be anywhere. Alfons was too tired to shout anymore. He couldn't do else than use his remaining strength to swim. If he didn't find Edward fast, he would definitely be gone forever, if he wasn't already.
Alfons laid himself flat in the water and started swimming. As often he could he dipped his face down underneath the surface in hopes of seeing something of Edward.
Edward can't swim… The thought only made Alfons paddle more frantically with both of his arms. The water was clear, but still dark. He had no guarantee of seeing anything. Alfons ducked deeper, searching in the dark along a steam of small fish. He used his arms to feel around in the dark, but with no luck. After a mere minute he returned to the surface to catch a breath. He couldn't be too late. Determinedly, he continued further away from the transmuted plane and kept ducking and searching, but he was swimming slower at this point. His arms ached and his breath was starting to get ragged. He was exhausted.
"Don't do this to me..." he whispered. He swam a couple of lengths further before he ducked again. The sunlight was shining through the surface, and for a short moment, something shimmered down in the deep beneath him. Alfons' eyes widened and he looked for it again. The shimmer came again, and this time he was sure. He returned to the surface again. The glint he had seen was sunlight running over steel. There was no mistake. He took a couple of deep breaths before he inhaled as much as his lungs could manage, preparing himself for a long dive. Then he ducked the under surface again.
--
The flying machine was already in motion as he reached out of the bushes, throwing himself after his own breath. Colonel Roy Mustang stared frighteningly after it with his heart beating rapidly. They wouldn't make it at this rate. He lifted his hands to his mouth like a speaking trumpet, and yelled as loud as he could: "STOP! TURN BACK NOW!"
They couldn't possibly hear him with all that noise.
"Colonel!" A familiar voice behind him. His 1st Lieutenant had followed him as soon as he had moved, knowing that Thule Society had gotten away and were probably close in order to escape in their own flying machine. She had her gun ready, but her eyes were pointing in the same direction as the man she lived to protect.
The rest of Mustang's unit followed behind her, followed by another unit.
"This is troublesome," Havoc muttered behind her. Only she could hear him. "Here comes Brigadier General Giggles."
Kiehle stepped arrogantly passed the group and stopped by Roy Mustang's side. "This is ridiculous, Colonel. Stay on your post. The enemy is still around."
"Yes, sir," Mustang said.
"You knew they wouldn't stop in the first place," the man continued. "They've betrayed the military by greatest means." Brigadier General Carl R. Kiehle turned to his unit. "Fire."
His fears had become a reality. "No!" Mustang shot forward, grabbing his arm. "Sir, with all due respect. Please--"
The Brigadier ignored him.
His soldiers made a quick formation, and fired.
"Brigadier General," Mustang opposed loudly, trying to depose the sound of firing guns. "You'll kill innocent people."
"None of them are innocent, Colonel," the Brigadier said. "All three of them have gone against their orders."
"That is not a reason to--!"
"Are you going against orders as well, Colonel?"
Quickly, his 1st Lieutenant stood right beside him on the other side. Like a warning. No matter circumstance, don't do anything stupid.
Mustang remained silent, and watched in dread as the plane pointed downwards, heading for the ocean. And it was nothing he could do. He felt Hawkeye's hand on his shoulder.
Then he spotted it. He stared intently at the blue alchemy light, streaming from the flying machine.
"Edward won't let them die," Riza whispered.
"We'll share the units in half," the Brigadier said, as he also spotted the certain alchemy light that lit up the sky. "One half will go after the terrorist organization, and the other half will go down there to look for the boys. If they're alive I want them arrested."
--
Edward... Where are you? he thought desperately. He had lost sight of him again, but this time Alfons swore he wouldn't go back to the surface again without Edward. He was sure he had seen a glint of his metal limbs. He had to be close!
The cold water had reached him to the bones as stabbing knives, decreasing his body temperature and numbing his nerves. Still Alfons forced his eyes to be open, even if the water was so dark he could barely see a thing. But all of that didn't matter.
He couldn't live without Edward. And he would never let Edward die. Not now. Not ever.
He moved his arms and pushed his body deeper underneath the surface, feeling the water press hard against his ears. It felt like being deaf.
Then he suddenly spotted it again. Another shimmering glint. It only lasted for a half second, but it was all Alfons needed. He shot straight down with his arms reaching out and as soon as they got in contact with something, he gripped tightly onto it, like a lifeline.
It was an automail hand.
Alfons' lungs had started to ache. But he didn't care and grabbed a better hold around Edward. He could spot him in the darkness. He looked pale like a porcelain doll and his body hung in the water like small invisible threads were holding him, pulling him down. His eyes were closed and his long golden hair was flowing around him like silk.
Alfons clutched him tightly and lifted up his motionless face. Tilting his head a little to the side, he pried Edward's cold lips open with his own. With closed eyes, he blew all the rest of the air he had to spare into the other, in hope that it would help him last longer. They still had a way to go up to the surface again.
Alfons held one arm tightly around Edward's chest while he paddled with his other arm and both of his feet. It was difficult to swim upwards while having someone with him, and on top of that being without having any air left in his lungs to help him float. It was like they were just lingering on the same spot in the water, unable to get up. Alfons could feel the automail weighting them down, but Edward would probably rather drown than throw them away. He didn't have time to stop and detach them either. His lungs were literally screaming now, squirming and tightening in his chest, and a familiar bobble in his throat was growing bigger and bigger, threatening to choke him. He pressed his eyelids shut and prayed to anything that might listen.
It can't just end like this. We're not supposed to die this way. Not now when Al is waiting on the surface to see his brother again.
Not when they had finally rescued him like they had decided since they came to this world.
Just as his lungs felt like they were about to explode, he finally broke the surface. Alfons coughed hard and sucked in air like he never had done before, while holding Edward's head above the water as best he could. He lied himself back in the water and for a moment he just floated on his back, breathing deeply and trying to calm down his racing heart and aching chest. He had gotten used to the cold a long time ago, so the temperature in the water didn't really bother him much anymore. His body was numb to the cold and he could barely notice his own teeth clattering.
He gently shook Edward. "Edward..." he whispered. "Wake up!"
Edward's face remained motionless.
Alfons's eyes widened. No.
Before he knew it, he was swimming desperately with unknown strength as fast as he could with his left arm around his lover. He had to get them to land as soon as possible. He had no idea if Edward was even alive.
He can't be gone. He can't. No. No!
While he swam he looked for the cockpit. It took some time before he finally spotted it. It seemed to have been driven towards land by the waves. Alfons allowed himself to feel a little relieved. At least Al hadn't disappeared far out at sea.
And at least he could see dry land. Aiming towards it was their only chance – even if it would take some time to reach it. Alfons hoped it wasn't too late. If it was, he could as well swim back towards the horizon of the sea until he drowned. Which probably would've happened very soon anyway, because he felt more exhausted than he had ever been in his life. But the thought of Edward kept him going.
After something that felt like a lifetime, Alfons felt the ground underneath his feet and he was dragging Edward the rest of the way towards the beach. At least he had managed this far. And not a moment too early.
He dropped Edward down in the sand, spotting the cockpit some metres away, but didn't pay it any further mind. He dropped himself to his knees beside his lover, laying his ear at his chest and closed his eyes.
Nothing.
Alfons' entire body was trembling violently. He didn't know if it was mostly of the cold, or fear.
Edward wasn't breathing.
All of a sudden he received a blow to his head that probably would've knocked him out – if he hadn't seen something move in the crook of his eye just one millisecond before it happened, and by that he had managed to move barely halfway away from the blow of the attacker by jerking his head to the right just in time.
Alfons swung himself abruptly to the side, landing on his back and hands and stared up at his attacker with his head stinging and throbbing painfully. He was expecting to see someone from Thule or the military at the worst. But it was neither.
Alphonse Elric stood over him, trembling and clutching a thick stick with both hands as a club. "Get away from him!" he yelled.
Alfons stared at him with wide eyes. First now he could see how much this person really looked like him. He reminded him of himself when he was in his early teens. But he didn't know if he had ever possessed that wild, scared and angry look. This was really not a good start at getting to know each other.
"Stay away from my brother!" Alphonse squealed again, lifting his stick higher and ready to attack again.
If he only could get him to calm down. At this rate Edward would definitely die. Alfons took a deep breath, lifting a trembling hand. "Alphonse..."
Al's eyes changed into a frown. "How do you know my name? Who are you? And why..." He started on another question, but his words died away as he stared intently at him. Abruptly his eyes grew utterly terrified; probably realizing how much Alfons looked like himself. "Who are you?" he asked again.
Alfons swallowed sharply, trying to make his voice work.
"Why are you looking like me?" Al demanded, holding the stick threateningly in front of him. "Stay away from us!"
"I don't have time to explain that now!" Alfons yelled, hoping to knock some sense into the younger. If such sense could exist in a situation like this...
Alphonse didn't lower his club, but he didn't hit him with it either, so Alfons accepted it as a good sign. "Your brother isn't breathing," he said in a low voice, trying to seem calmer than he really was. "I want to save him without having you knocking me in the head. So please..."
Alphonse's bronze eyes widened, and his gaze fell on his older brother lying pale and motionless on the ground. "What?" he gasped. "Nii-san... Nii-san!"
To Alfons' considerable relief, the younger threw away his stick and kneeled in the sand, calling on his brother in a high pitched tone. He clutched Edward's shirt and shook him carefully. "Nii-san, wake up!" he cried.
Alfons ignored the aching in his body and crept closer. Hoping Alphonse wouldn't interfere, he lifted Edward's head gently, making his throat clear. "Stay back," he said cautiously, and to his relief Al obliged, but still looking bewildered.
Alfons closed his lips around Edward's, with a deep breath, he blew air into his lungs while blocking the air from running out his nose, really hoping it wasn't too late. He laid pressure on Edward's heart, compressing rapidly sixteen times, counting the seconds inside his mind. He had learned CPR from his father when he was younger. His father had taught him about situations like this since he had been a trained soldier.
He blew a new amount of air into Edward's lungs. He got a glimpse of Alphonse as he sat up and pressed against Edward's chest again. The younger boy sat on his knees, trembling and sobbing, clutching the sand in front of his knees with thin fingers.
Alfons looked away from him and pressed harder at Edward's heart. Start! God damn it.
Come on, Edward... Don't you want to meet your brother again? Aren't we supposed to start a new life, away from everything? I won't let you leave just like that. I won't. You can't.
Alphonse crept closer, staring to draw a circle in the sand.
Alfons' eyes widened. What was he about to do? Nothing dangerous, he hoped. He wasn't any expert on alchemy circles, so he had no idea what the circle meant.
Al simply drew with his finger in the wet sand, not looking at him as he did so. Then he touched Edward's arm and at the same time activated the circle.
"Stop!" Alfons breathed. But the glowing circle didn't stop, and blue sparkles shot up around them.
Alfons shut his eyes tight, afraid of what would happen.
But nothing in particular happened.
He opened his eyes again, watching Edward and then Al. As he touched Edward's shirt by his heart again, he noticed that his clothes were dry. He understood. Al had simply dried his clothes so he would get warm faster. He hurriedly went back to what he was doing, feeling stupid that he hadn't trusted Al, but hoped Al didn't feel offended. He blew a new amount of air into Edward.
As Alfons continued pumping against Edward's chest, Al touched his arm too. Alfons felt in wonder how all the cold water was getting dehydrated from his clothes.
Edward abruptly jerked his upper body upwards and coughed hard, twisting his head onto the side and coughed up a great deal of water while lying exhaustedly on the ground. His eyes were still closed shut as he took some deep and fast breaths. But all Alfons could think of was that hearing Edward breathing was probably the most beautiful sound in the world, and he wanted to cry. "Edward..." He held around him tightly, and really felt him breathe, felt his beating heart.
Edward was alive.
Edward clutched his shirt, his breathing coming out ragged and fast. "Alfons..."
Alfons smiled of relief. He would be okay now. Everything would be okay. They were alive. They had made it.
He lifted his head, seeing the unreadable look in Alphonse Elric's eyes.
"Edward," Alfons whispered softly. "I think there's someone who wants to see you."
Edward's breath hitched and he twisted his head around fast, staring widely at his little brother.
Al swallowed and his dark gold eyes watered again. "Nii-san... is that really you?"
Edward's shoulders trembled lightly, sitting himself slowly up in the sand on his palms. A weak smile twitched in the corners of his lips. "Yeah..."
Al's eyes flowed over, and abruptly he threw himself forward with his arms locked tightly around his big brother's neck, almost knocking him right over.
First Edward only sat there, stiffened. He could barely believe that this was real. After all these years, he was finally together with Al again. A real, human Al.
He lifted his arms slowly and wrapped them around his little brother's slender back. "Al..." he whispered.
Alfons smiled a soft smile, feeling special for being the only one to witness this all too long-awaited reunion.
"I can't believe that you're here," Al sniffled into Edward's shoulder. "I really thought you were in another world."
"I was," his older brother said, still holding around him. "But I came back. I wanted to see you."
Al pulled back from him, drying off his eyes on his sleeve. "You did?"
"Of course I did," Edward said, a more certain smile forming in his features. "But, it was kind of hard to go back. I'm sorry for taking so long."
Al couldn't keep a smile off his face either. "It's okay, Nii-san. You'll stay with me now... right?"
Edward nodded. "Of course."
Suddenly they heard a loud roar of an engine high above them. Alfons lifted his gaze with a frown, and then the huge vessel showed itself on the sky.
Edward rose slowly, following his stare. "Thule. They're getting away again."
"I hope the others are okay," Alfons said in a low voice.
Alphonse looked a little hesitantly from one to another, looking very wary.
"Come on, we should get out of here," Edward said. He went quickly for the cockpit, and got his brown coat and the backpack. Then he clapped his hands and touched the rest of the remains of Azure. The last piece of Azure got transmuted into smaller parts and destroyed pieces of wreck. Then Edward kicked all the parts back into the water.
"Our best chance is that they think we're dead," he said.
Alfons couldn't agree more. He went to Edward's side and took the backpack on his back. It wasn't heavy so he didn't mind carrying it. Even if he was exhausted, they couldn't linger on the beach any longer. Soon someone might start looking for them. Or for their bodies.
Edward swung his jacket over his shoulder and turned to his little brother who hadn't moved from his spot yet. "Come on, Al," he said, the soft smile hiding slightly in the corner of his mouth. "Let's go."
"M-m." Al nodded slowly, giving the vessel another long look before he more resolutely followed after his brother with hurried steps.
--
A heavy silence hung over the three of them as they walked through the deep forest, and Alfons found himself being the one leading the way. He had no idea where they were, but that didn't really matter. He followed a path in the most logical direction – away from where they had come from.
Al seemed to be exhausted as well and fell behind. Edward lingered to wait for him and encourage him to continue on. No details had been discussed. The most important thing was to be moving. They had headed in between the trees, away from the beach. Now and then Edward lingered behind to cover up their tracks with alchemy.
Alfons felt his stomach ache for food. Or anything that could be edible. He didn't know for exactly how long he would be able to keep moving. He turned around, spotting the brothers at some distance behind.
Edward sat down on his knees, clapping his hands and touched the muddy ground. Soon after the ground smoothed out and their tracks disappeared.
Al's breath went ragged and he kneeled as well, mostly out of exhaustion. Edward stood up and went to stand beside him, putting a hand carefully on his shoulder. "Al..." he said in a low voice. "Are you okay?"
Al's shoulders trembled a little. "I... " he started feebly, before he suddenly jerked forward with a gag and vomited on the cold ground. The taste was awful and sour, and he felt a little ashamed that his big brother saw him this way the first day they were finally together again.
But Edward paid no mind to it, rather kept a supporting hand on Al's shoulder and made sure his hair didn't come in the way. Still Edward wanted to hit himself with his automail for asking Al something stupid like that. Of course Al wasn't okay. He had been held in that hellhole for this long, with those people. Even Schiller had said that Al was badly wounded, which again made Edward feel the anger from before infect his heart. If they just could've left Al alone in the first place! He did not intend to excuse Schiller's acts because he had felt bad and shown regret before he died. Neither did killing one of his own people with cold blood justify anything he had ever done. Edward hoped Schiller would rot in his grave.
He sat down beside the younger, who was slowly recovering from the vomiting. The only thing he could do for now was to assure Al that he wasn't in danger anymore. That is was over. "I won't let them get to you again," he said reassuringly. "I will protect you."
Al's glassy eyes lifted slowly at him. He looked pale, but seemingly better than some seconds ago. "Nii-san..."
Edward curved closer. "Yeah?"
"Where are we going now?"
Edward smiled. "We're just getting out of here for now. Where do you want to go, Al?"
Al lowered his head. "Home. To Winry and Granny, I guess."
Edward nodded. "Yeah. Winry would want to know how you're doing, so we should hurry up." He gave Al's arm a supportive tug.
"Yeah..." Al let him help him back up on his feet again. "Nii-san," he continued, a little hesitant.
"Yeah?"
"Who is that person?" Al had his eyes fixed upon Alfons, who had been leading the way. Now he stood still, waiting patiently for them to catch up with him without being in hearing distance.
"Alfons? He's good friend of mine," Edward said with a smile. "He came with me from the other world."
Al kept staring intently at the other. He looked the same as him and almost had the same name, only pronounced differently? This stranger was from the other world, the same one as Thule Society and Schiller? Al was confused and a little startled. "He left his own world?"
"Yeah," Edward said.
"Why did he do that?"
"Well... he was sick," Edward started, feeling a little unsure how to explain it. "When he came to this world, it somehow cured him," he swiftly surmised. There weren't actually any point explaining the details, only the most important ones. "He would've died if he had stayed but since his illness didn't exist in our world, it disappeared."
"Oh," Al said. "I understand. But... why does he look like me...?"
Edward stopped a little hesitantly. "He's your parallel person." He received a quite confused look from his younger brother, and continued softly: "Everyone has someone they look like in the other world. Just like the worlds itself are parallel."
"I'm not sure if I understand," Al said in a low voice.
"It's not important," Edward said beaming. "But I'm sure he would appreciate it if you got to know him."
Al lowered his gaze and stared towards the stranger. "If you say so..." He wasn't sure if he wanted to though. Still he didn't want to seem impolite to one of Edward's friends either.
Alfons watched them as they caught up with him again, noting the strange look in Al's eyes whenever he looked at him. He supposed Al wasn't used to having another Al around, almost similar to him. He remembered he had been disappointed himself once, over knowing that it was another person like him out there somewhere. That he wasn't only one of a kind.
Still, he turned on a beam and reached his hand towards the younger as they reached him. He had wished to get to know this person better and get along with him, ever since he first heard Edward telling his stories. "Sorry, I didn't get to introduce myself," he started apologetically. "I'm Alfons Heiderich."
Al looked up to him and slowly he reached out a greeting hand back. "Alphonse Elric," he said.
Alfons thought he seemed a little reserved. And he had all reason to be, being dragged into a plane and out in the ocean and then deep into the forest together with his long lost brother and a stranger that looked like him as 17.
"Let's rest here for a while," Edward said.
Alfons felt slightly relieved. His legs could barely even keep him standing any longer, and the side of his rib ached like he had been constantly coughing. He sat down on a rock, shrugging off his backpack and searched it until he found the other bottle of water.
"Give me the empty one," Edward said. "I think I heard a river somewhere a short while ago."
Alfons felt slightly nervous of Edward leaving the two of them alone. What was he supposed to talk to Al about?
Was he even certified to call him Al?
"I'll be right back," Edward said, and went back the way they had come with the empty flask.
Alfons opened the remaining one and handed it to the younger. "Here."
Al was still standing, and he looked tired and pale. Hesitantly, he approached him and accepted the water. Despite of the fact that he looked obviously weary, Al's big bronze eyes were widely open and unmistakeably cagey. Clearly Al was still quite cautious around him. He drank without a word and handed it back. Then he sat down on another rock opposite of Alfons and wrapped his arms around his knees. He had drawn back his look, but he wasn't relaxing.
Alfons didn't really know how to begin a conversation. Somehow he just knew that it would be up to him to break the ice. He was the older amongst the two after all, and Al had just been through hell. Not that Alfons considered what he himself had just been through as an everyday carousel ride. But Al had been missing for over two weeks. Two weeks was a hell of a long time and God only knows what he had been through.
Alfons took a sip of water and sighed, making a cautions move. "I've heard a lot of stories about you," he said. "It was one of the first things Edward ever talked about when I first met him."
Al looked up slowly and gazed at him with something that was unmistakeably interest. "Really?"
Alfons nodded with a smile, relieved that his words had made a reaction. "He told me of your adventures."
Al's lips formed a small smile. "I see."
"And he told me you love cats," Alfons said, thinking it might sound a little dull, but to his relief Al's eyes lit up a little. "And you had all kind of sneaky ways to hide them away from him," he added with a smile.
A short laugh escaped Al's lips and he beamed. Alfons looked fascinated at him, wondering if he looked like something like that whenever he beamed.
"I don't remember everything," Al said suddenly. "But I remember cats. And Nii-san brought one home once too, but mom didn't let him keep it."
Alfons grinned, trying to visualize how Edward had looked like when he was a child. Probably even more adorable than he was whenever he snuggled into him in bed. He was glad that Al started talking again so he didn't get lost into an impropriate trance.
"How long have you known Nii-san?"
Alfons gazed at him, replying cheerfully. "It's been a year and a half since I met him."
"I see." Al paused before he continued. "Look, I'm... I'm sorry I hit you!" he blurted. "I was scared. I thought you were..."
Alfons let a small laugh escape his throat. "It's okay. I understand."
Al looked relieved, but then his expression changed again. "You're from the same place as... them, aren't you?"
Alfons nodded. "Yeah. I used to live in a country called Germany."
"Germany," Al said slowly. "In Munich?"
Alfons was surprised. "Yes, Munich. How did you know?"
"Schiller-san lived there too," Al said. "He told me about the other world."
"Oh." Alfons got a strange feeling. If he hadn't already known who Schiller was, he wouldn't have thought that he was the one who had held Al captive. It rather sounded like Al had mentioned the name of a friend or someone he looked up to. But he didn't pay it any further mind. Instead he said: "Edward and I lived there together."
Al looked puzzled. "Why?"
"We met at a University," Alfons explained, feeling suddenly a little uncomfortable again. He didn't want to say too much, Al might start putting two and two together. Edward would have the privilege of telling Al about their special relationship himself. But it wouldn't actually be any problem keeping that off the subject either though. "After a year, we went to Germany to work with flying machines instead," he continued. "Edward believed he could use them to go to this world."
"Oh... I see." Al tightened his arms around his knees, trembling a little. He looked like he was cold. Alfons searched the bag again. "We don't have much... but take this." He reached out a folded blanket to Al. "We'll make a fire later when it's dark. We can't take the chance on doing that while it's daylight in case someone sees the smoke."
Al nodded and slowly accepted the blanket. "Thank you." He swirled it around himself where he sat and rested his cheek on his knees.
Alfons couldn't help smiling a little. Talking with Al wasn't so bad after all. It was only natural that he probably felt a little odd around him in the beginning. Alfons was just glad they had managed to come this far alive. Yet they had a good distance to make ahead of them without Azure. He didn't know how far away Rizembool was, but it had to be some days with travelling.
Edward came back shortly after with the flask filled with fresh water. "Are you guys okay?" he asked as he approached them.
Alfons nodded once, and Al smiled by the sight of his brother.
"We should continue moving until it's dark," Edward said, stuffing the bottle back down into the pack. "We're still not far from the beach, and with Thule gone, I have a feeling that the military will come down here investigating any time soon."
Alfons nodded again. Edward was right, as always thinking reasonably ten steps ahead of him. If they didn't move as far away from the beach as possible, the military might catch up with them before nightfall. Even if Edward had made sure to cover up their trail so the chance of being found was small, the chance was still there. Anyhow, he was worried about his secret lover. "You haven't rested yourself," he said as Edward moved to take the lead. "Shouldn't you sit down for a couple of minutes?" He had carried his brother far, running and used alchemy in stressing situations and almost drowned. How could he not be tired?
Edward just shrugged it off. "I'm okay. I'll rest later."
Alphonse rose slowly from his rock, still with the blanket around himself and stared questioningly from Alfons to Edward. "Why are we running from the military?" he asked.
A good question. Edward and Alfons exchanged a quick look, and Edward scolded himself for having forgotten that Al didn't know. Al didn't know that Edward was a convict, and Alfons guessed that he himself was one as well by now.
"Mustang won't harm you," Al said, addressing Edward. "He... He cares about you. You know that, right?"
Edward looked uncomfortable. "Things have changed, Al... I know he's a good person. But he doesn't have anything to say anymore. I've left my silver watch, and before that I was transferred to someone else. And that someone isn't as understanding." He sighed, turning to Al completely. Better tell him now than later. "They think I deserted the military while I was gone. They'll arrest me as soon as they get their hands on me."
Alphonse's eyes widened. "That's not true... Mustang... he wouldn't--"
Edward lifted a hand to stop him. "He has done everything he could possibly do. But since they transferred me, he can't do anything more."
Alfons looked down in the mud, wishing reality wasn't like this. Hearing it out loud this way was so much worse than just knowing it. But that's the way it all was, and that was the reason why they had to run. Although it was almost a suspiciously smooth setup. Like Kiehle had known they would try to pull something like this off and have them transferred on beforehand to make it harder to have Mustang helping them. Alfons wondered if Kiehle had done this just because he despised Edward as well as he despised Roy Mustang. The Brigadier General would either way have gotten the credit for the plane and he would probably not get into much trouble just because Edward and Alfons were his responsibility now – just because he was one of the Fuhrer's favourites. Kiehle could rather decide exactly what to do with them if they got caught... Alfons hoped badly that they wouldn't get caught for this. They would be in deep trouble.
Like they weren't already. They were stuck out in the middle of nowhere with barely any food.
"But at least you would get a chance to explain," Al argued with his brother as Alfons' thoughts spun around in his mind. Al sounded frightened, and even if Edward tried to shrug everything off like it was nothing serious, Al clearly wasn't stupid. Alfons noted this as his mind returned to the present, and he almost felt proud. Then he was left wondering how he could feel proud of a person that he yet didn't know very well, someone who didn't actually have any direct resemblance to him – expect from his looks. But like him, Al knew how to handle Edward despite of their time apart, not that it was odd though. He was his brother, after all.
"I had something more important to do than go to the hearing," Edward admitted matter-of-factly, a small smile revealing on his face. "I just happened to find out where you were."
Alphonse's eyes widened and leaped abruptly to his brother in an attack. Alfons was about to step forward and break in, but stopped himself in the last second, seeing the look on the little brother's face.
"Stupid Nii-san!" Al yelled, boxing at his brother's chest with both of his fists in aggression. "How could you do that?!" Al was on the edge of tears, but he didn't seem to do any physical harm, because Edward just stood still at his spot and looked down at him with a soft smile.
Al stilled with trembling shoulders, digging his nose into Edward's chest.
"It'll be alright, Al," Edward said softly, carefully locking his arms around him. "I won't leave you again."
--
By nightfall they had found a hidden spot, sheltered underneath the thick green forest where they could rest for the night. Alfons laid himself straight down on his stomach, not even bothering to hide the fact that every small bit of his body hurt.
Edward kneeled beside him. "Idiot," he muttered. "You forgot your medication again, didn't you?"
Alfons muttered something incoherent into his own arm.
Edward found some water and the medicine from the backpack, poking Alfons until he turned around. He pressed the medication into his mouth and handed him the water. "Drink."
Alfons obliged without a word, noting absent-mindedly that it was kind of cute of Edward to start nursing him. Though, he felt even more tired after taking the medication.
Lying straight out, Alfons eyelids couldn't stay up for another minute, and he shifted onto his side and fell asleep right there on the cold ground. Edward swirled the blanket over the resting form to keep him warm until they could get a fire started.
He then turned to his little brother who stood a distance away and watched the scene. Edward gave him a petite smile. "Want to help me find some firewood?"
Al nodded. "M-m."
Together they wandered further in-between the trees in the dim darkness and picked up pieces of dry wood. It almost reminded Edward of a normal day when he was little, and he and Al would go out in the forest to gather firewood for their mom.
"Nii-san," Al said silently.
Edward turned to him, holding some wooden sticks inside his elbow. "Yeah?"
Al stood still, lowering his head. "It's like it didn't really happen. You came and freed me... and then I was suddenly on your back, and you carried me all the way..."
Edward smiled. "It was you who used to carry me around and protect me, you know. It was time for me to do the same for you."
Al didn't smile, making Edward frown. "I thought it was just a dream," his little brother said. "That my mind played with me... It wasn't until I started talking with Heiderich-san I started realizing... that this is actually real."
Edward's features softened. "Al..." He went to him and put his flesh hand on his shoulder. "I almost thought so too. Do you remember the time we met in the white space?"
Al nodded.
Edward smiled. "That proves it as well, doesn't it? Since we both remember it, it must have happened. This isn't a dream."
Al's eyes lifted and clutched the wood in his hands. "Nii-san... If we go to Rizembool, the military will find you, won't they?"
Edward shifted a little uncomfortable. "They'll probably look for us there, but..."
"Then we can't go!" Al shot in. "Winry will understand. The military will ask her questions about you, and then she'll understand that we couldn't come. We could send her a letter and say we're okay. We can't risk that they will find you like that."
Edward didn't reply at once, gazing down at the hard stare that was sent at him. Then he smiled. "She wouldn't accept just a letter. She would've travelled after us and looked for us. You know how stubborn she is."
"Look who's talking," Al muttered, and received a brotherly push in his shoulder by the older.
"I know what I'm doing," Edward reassured him. "I won't get caught that easily. And after we've visited them, we can move somewhere else. Wherever you want."
Al nodded again, giving in. He wanted to trust his brother, and he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to see Winry and Granny again. "Okay... If you say so then."
They went back to their little camp, where Alfons still lay on the ground, sleeping restlessly. Edward went to him and carefully dropped the wood down beside him. He smiled softly down at the sleeping form, and then put up some of the wood close to him so he would get warm by the fire.
He clapped and touched the wood, concentrating hard. Flame alchemy wasn't exactly his specialty. But he managed to provoke a small flame, which he fed with some more wood. Soon it grew to warm them quite comfortably.
Al approached slowly. He had been standing some meters away and watched as Edward made the fire.
"Sit here so you'll get warm, Al," Edward said.
Al sat down next to him, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I still don't understand why..." he started, his sentence dying away as he gazed quietly into the fire.
"Why what?" Edward asked.
"It's a little frightening... how much he looks like me. He is the same age I should've been."
"It's just a coincidence," Edward said.
Al frowned. "Is it? Is it a coincidence that you stayed with him in the other world?"
Edward froze slightly, his heart jumped over a couple of beatings. "Yeah... Why wouldn't it be?" It was the truth, after all. He had only met Alfons by mere luck.
Al shrugged. "Don't know... Just forget it."
"Right," Edward said, feeling a little alarmed. But he let it go. Right now there was something else he wanted to know. "Tell me, Al... Did they hurt you?"
"Hm?" Al looked up at him, as he had spaced out for some seconds.
"Did they hurt you?" Edward asked again.
Al's eyes shot down and he wrapped his arms tighter around his knees. "I'm okay, Nii-san. It's--"
"Al," Edward said warningly. "What did they do to you?"
Al's eyes watered. "Please... don't ask. I don't want to talk about it. I don't..." He hid his face between his knees and sobbed, shoulders trembling.
Edward immediately regretted his harsh questioning. "I'm sorry..." he murmured softly. "Al... I'm sorry." He wrapped his arms around him, hugging him carefully. "Don't think about it. You don't have to talk about it..." he stated.
Despite of his suffering, why was listening to Al's crying, the feel of his warm tears on his shoulder, the movement of his human flesh, everything about him, the best thing he had felt for a long, long time? After all, Al was the only family he had. The only one in the world bonded to him by blood.
Edward nuzzled into his little brother's hair. "Just let it out."
Al relaxed into the embrace. He was finally with his big brother again, and he never ever wanted to be parted from him. No one would ever separate them again.