FicWad

Ed lay awake that night, thoughts running wild through his tired mind of the conversation he previously had with Roy Mustang.

"He... said brother?"
"Yes. She gave a ruff description of the boy, but as you know I never met Al while he had a human body. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to describe him to you."
Ed's breath caught in his throat and he gulped. "Su...sure."
"She said he short, messy blonde hair, a little darker then your own. He also had grey eyes and was perhaps about a foot shorter then yourself."
Ed froze.
"Fullmetal?"
"Uh, yeah sorry... I um..."
"Does your brother fit that description?"
Ed couldn't answer, he was too occupied with trying to regian his composier... could they have been right? Was Winry's dream and Ed's suspicions truly be a product of truth?

Was Al really alive?

"Ed?"
"Yes... yes it does... that sounds... like Al."
Roy sighed. "Well then we definatly have something big on our hands don't we? Someone who lost their body and was confined to a suit of armor with an alchemist's blood seal, not only has their seal destroyed, but comes back with the body they had lost. A theory is that someone could have tried a human transmutation."
Ed stared. "And... succeeded?"
"Theorectically, it's impossible. Yet right now, I think I'm begining to be willing to believe anything."
"Theoretically... impossible..."
Visions flew through his mind of his lost mother.

"But mom..." her tangled body, the beating organs of something that was far from human. Ed winced. "No... no, no there was no equivalent exchange, no circles no... how could he be?

"If you are willing, perhaps you could come back to the station with me? Winry and your Aunt are welcome to come along, we just think it would be best if another sighting accurd you be there to witness it."
"Yeah... if it's true... if Al's alive..."

"How the hell could he be alive?" Ed sighed and rolled onto his side, attempting a more comfortable position. All this thinking made his brain steam. The thought of his brother comming back to life, but being something... not human. The thought pierced his soul... there was nothing in this wolrd Ed wanted more then to see his little brother's happy face once again. He could remember days of play in their childhood. Ed, laying on his back bathed in sunshine as he chewed on a peice of straw, while Al happily chased frogs along side the lake.

"Onisan! I caught one! I got 'em come see!"

Ed's face winced, almost as if the memory itsself was a gunshot to his mind. Such peace filled the younger Elric... he was always so much more mature then Ed, always wanting to do the right thing and help others... he always put others ahead of himself... because nothing made Al more happy, then to see other's happy as well. A few tears escaped Ed's scruntched eyes.

"You shouldn't have been tortured so... Al... Al..."

A heave throbbed his chest and he turned onto his stomache. His words became whimpers as he lost control of his tone.

"Al... Alphonse..."

"You sure you don't wanna come along?" Ed asked, throwing his sack over his shoulder. Winry smiled. "No, as much as I would like to baby sit you, there's quite a few people who need me this week to work on their automail... so please promise you'll be safe. The last time I let you go you came back in pieces, and the next time I may not be so kind to you!"
Ed winced. "Hehe, right Winry..."
"You two have a safe trip, and come home soon Ed." Pinako said after taking a poof of her pipe.
"Yes ma'am."
Ed looked at Roy and he nodded. "We'll see you guys later."
Winry waved her arms in the air towards Ed as he and Mustang walked further and further away till they were nothing more then memories venturing into the sun. Winry sighed. "I hope he'll be ok... knowing Ed he's just gonna get into a sack of trouble."

"That's just one thing you love about him, right?" Pinako smiled patting Winry as she walked back inside. Winry blushed a tad, standing there in thought. Then after a moment-
"Love? Hey you, get back here!"

The train ride was quiet but not the uncomfortable, akward, 'oh GOD won't somebody say something' silence.Roy respected Ed in the chance he wished not to speak, and Ed respected Roy that when he did speak he tended to be a jackass. Once at the station though, many words were passed.

"Edward! It's so good to see you!"
"Fullmetal? Well I never thought I'd see you again."
"Been well?"

Ed was much more eager to answer comments and questions then the last time he was at Central. Handshakes and pats and even an occasional hug were exchanged till Roy and Ed arrived at his office. Both sat on either side of the wodden desk, and Roy tossed Ed a folder. "That's the woman's testimony."

Ed read through thuroly and alloud. "When asked what the child said the woman responded 'Ed, Ed, brother help me, brother find me, it hurts, Ed." he read wrather calmly considering the shivers overtaking his insides. He placed the folder down. "Do we know where he went afterwards?"
"All she recalls was hearing him say something about going home, to find brother. Which gave us the inclanation that, if this is indeed Alphonse, he would be on his way to you. Thus being the main reason I went there to check on the situation."
Edward grinned, leaning on the desk. "Oh big bad mustang was worried about me, eh?"
Roy smirked. "Of course, I don't want anyone to beat you senseless until I get to do it." Ed stuck his tounge at him. "Anyway. What are we doing here if he's on his way to the house?"
"Keep in mind this was a while ago, he should have been there already."
It then struck him. Ed was suddenly frozen in a stream of thoughts. "He... the fish."

His mind flashed back to when the fish were found, perfectly peeled around the bones and heads left untouched.

"Fish?" Roy questioned.
"It, was a hunch... just a hunch but something had happened that made me think of Al... and Winry had dreamt about him, screaming at us... what if..."
Roy leaned back in his seat, holding his chin in his hand. "That was indeed Alphonse..."
Ed stood. "We've gotta get a move on and start looking for him."
"Wait just a second Fullmetal." Roy put a hand out. "That's always been your biggest problem, acting to rash about a situation where you'll get nowhere without proper preporation."
Ed growled. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm 16 now Lieutenant. I know to think ahead... but this is my brother... my only brother, and if this kid really IS my brother then I AM going to go chargin in hard head first till I find another lead!"
Roy sighed. "I knew you'd say that." he stood. "That's why I summoned a higher authority that I knew could knock some sense into you."
"Higher authority?"
"To you." he pressed a button. "Send her in."
ED cocked his head. "Her..."

The door then swung open and Ed gulped at the sight, growing a quick shade of white. Izumi smirked as she entered. "Edward, I really thought we had parted on better terms then for you to shallow at the sight of me."
Ed rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry Sensei... I wasn't... expecting." he slowly turned to Roy and asked in a pathetic grumble. "You called her?" Roy laughed maniacly. "Yes!" Ed sighed.
Izumi shut the door behind her, walked over and laid a hand on Ed's shoulder. "Ed... I'm sorry I wasn't aware you Al passing." Ed looked to the side, but she smiled lifting his chin with her hand. "But if it's true he lives, then we'll find him. You have my word on that."
He smiled. "Thanks... Sensei... I'm just worried that-"
"It was a human transmutation?"
Ed blinked, looking over at Roy. "Well, yeah."
"He wasn't, at least not this boy. He had ailments, a fever, loss of breath, weakness. Homunculis only get these when faced with a body part from their former life. He was faced with no such thing."
"Then we're dealing with the real thing." Sensei pondered. "However this boy exists, it can't just be him existing. Something, or someone, brought him into this world."
Ed rubbed his head. "Who..."
"We'll worry about these things later, right now we just have to-" Roy was cut off by a woman's scream in the distance.
"That came from outside!" Ed said, running from the room to the nearest exit. Izumi and Roy quickly followed.

Al stumbled through the streats of Central, a tearful gaze in his eyes. He hurt, he was hungry, confused, lathargic. He had gone home but to no avail... when he saw Winry through the window and tried to call to her nothing came out but whispers of longing. And Ed was not in his room...
"Br...brother..." his voice scratched the back of his throat and he whined. Placing a hand over his heart, and the other on his throat he produced a glowing red light of reliefe for himself. Still... his inner wounds would not heal.
"Brother... are you hiding from me? Aren't you the one who braught me back?" tears began to flow down his red cheeks and he rubbed his nose with his dirty arm. Unaware of his sudden surroundings he bumped into a man, who mearly groaned and yelled at the boy. "Hey kid, watch it! Nusense."

Al plopped to his butt and his lower lip began to tremble. He was to confused, to hurt to understand how anyone could be mad at him. He barely undstood the words, just the hateful tone slashing out at his torn innocence. A woman, passing by with grocery's, saw the little boy in tears on the ground. Her heart grew sympathetic and she knealt down to him.
"Hey, sweetie are you alright? Now now..." she touched his cheek with her gentle hand and Al was immidiantly calmed. This touch, was that of a loving mothers... Angel kisses with every stroke.
"There there." she smiled warmly. "Did you get knocked down? Where's your mommy?"
He stared up at her, youthful, tormented eyes pulling at her heart strings. This boy had been through something traumatic, and was now all alone?
"You know where your mommy is, sweat heart?"
Al opened his mouth, but words were scarse. "Mo-mmy?"
"That's right." she smiled wider. Scooting closser she picked him up, juggling him and the bag of food till she reached a bench and the two sat. "I want to give you something."
She reached into her bag and pulled out a large lollipop. "I baught this for my little girl, but I thought perhaps you would like it."
A smile instantly grew at the sight of this treat and Al grabbed it up, licking happily. The woman giggled. "I'm glad you like it, you must be hungry you poor thing."
He smiled wider and nodded, then cocked his head at an injury the woman had on her right hand.
"Hurt?"
She blinked, then looked down and smiled lifting the hand. "Oh this? I was careless and dropped a watermellon on my fingers. It's sore but I'll live."
Al blinked at this, then laid the candy treat aside and took her hurt hand into his. He used the other hand to touch his chest. "I'll... make it better..."

She blinked curiously at the boy, thinking he would most likely kiss it and smile with naive hope that it had been magically healed. She was unprepared for what he was about to do. Staring intently at the hand, his own hand holding at his heart, the woman's finger's began to glow till soon enough they were healed. She smiled widely. "Oh my, do you know alchemy? That's a wonderful job-"
But before she could finish, her eyes shot wide as Al did not stop there, but continued to make her hand swell up like a balloon. The woman screamed and pulled awya from him, clutching her hand. "What have you done!"

He was confused, why was she yelling? Hadn't he just helped her? His lip trembled at the woman's continued screams, and he quickly saw what alarmed her. The hand he hoped to mend, was now enlarged and throbbing. He stumbled off the bench and heald his hands up, people were begining to stare... he hated it when they stared.
"No I... I just wanted... I thought I was helping.." his voice was pitiful.
"A monster! That boy's a monster!"

Rushing out Ed, Roy and Izumi looked around till they saw the commotion around the woman.
"Is she injured?" Izumi questioned. Ed rushed forward to her. "What's the matter-" he then quickly looked to the side between the ocean of the crowed. Something caught his eye... a small body... stumbling away.
"Al?" he shouted, pushing through the people. He fealt as if he were suffocating as he pushed through. Finaly... he screamed, not sure if he was right, not sure if there would be an answer... but he had to, he had to get this person to stop!
"Alphonse!"
Al stopped in his track at the sound of his brother's voice... was it him? Was it really him? Al turned to see and there, stepping through the crowed... was Ed.
Both brother's stared at each other in disbeliefe... was this real? Was the vision before him not a dream?

Al was alive... and standing not even 20 feet away...

Fin-