1. Lost Body, Lost Limbs, Lost Voice

"... this can't be happening..."

The golden eyed boy shuddered involuntarily at the pain that snaked from his left leg. He had almost passed out in shock when he realized that everything from the knee down was gone. Taken as a price.

Oh what mistake he had made.

"Damn it..." his eyes locked at the lost leg. "I've lost it!" he stated the obvious, and somehow it made him feel defeated. "It's gone! What have I done?!" He fell sideways, eyes watering in the pain of his bleeding leg. The transmutation circle was still glowing blue.

"Somebody help me... Somebody..." he whimpered, then his eyes snapped open. Eiryn! What happened to her? And what about Alphonse? Where were his siblings? He snapped his head sideways, using the light from the transmutation circle illuminating the room to locate his siblings. He found Eiryn right away, and felt his throat clogging up at the sight of her curling up in a circle on the floor. "Ryn... Ryn! Eiryn!"

The little girl's head moved and their eyes met. Edward froze at the fear and panic in her eyes. Her hands were on her throat, and he could see trickles of blood seeping through her delicate fingers. "Ryn... Are you alright? Say something!"

She opened her mouth to answer, but she froze as the lights of the transmutation died away. Her golden eyes widened at what was in the center of the circle, and she moved a trembling hand to point at it. Edward quickly whipped his head to check.

Hope fluttered in his chest. Perhaps they were successful after all. Perhaps she was really there. Perhaps they could see their mother's smile again, perhaps they could hear her voice again, perhaps they could sing together with her again. Without realizing it, his mouth chanted, "Please, Mom... Mom... Please..."

Then reality struck. That... thing... in the middle of the circle was by no means human. Spindly arm reached towards him and oh, all he had to do to stop himself from running away...

"No... This is wrong..." Ed couldn't help but whimper. "This is... This isn't what we wanted..." Then the thought of his brother struck him. He'd seen his sister, she was virtually fine, he didn't need to worry about her - at least for now. But what about Alphonse? What he saw before he was sucked into that world of white... Alphonse...

His breath caught, once again, when he saw a pile of empty clothes. Alphonse? ...gone? He choked, "Alphonse! Alphonse!" as the reality, the severity of what he had done struck. Alphonse was gone. All of his body was gone. It was the toll that he paid. "This is all my fault..." a bloodstained hand clenched. "Alphonse!"

He struggled, wanting to stand, but fell again when he realized he had only one foot to stand on. A hand fell onto his shoulder and he jolted, looking up to see his sister staring at him. He gulped, trying to calm himself down and ignore the monstrosity he had created. "Eiryn... I need your help. Alphonse is gone, and it's all my fault. Please... Help me drag that suit of armor over there... The one with spikes..."

Eiryn's eyes questioned him silently, and Edward wondered inwardly why she didn't speak. "I will get him back, Eiryn. I'll bring Alphonse back."

Wordlessly, the girl nodded, one hand still clutching her throat, and patted his shoulder once. Then she bolted and dragged the suit of armor. It fell with a deafening clang, its head coming off and rolling on the floor. Slowly, Edward dragged himself to the armor, reaching towards its hollowed inside. "You won't take him too," he hissed in pain. He drew an array on its metal surface using his blood. "Give him back," he said once he was done, preparing himself for the transmutation he was going to do, barely realizing that Eiryn was bandaging his left leg. "He's my brother... Take my leg. Take my arm. Take my heart, take anything, you can have it! Just give him back. He's my little brother, he's all we've had left!"

His hands clapped together forcefully, and blue alchemical lights once again lit the room. Eiryn gasped in surprise, wondering just how Edward had been able to do it. Silently she wondered if maybe she could do the same.

Then his right arm started to decompose.

Eiryn gasped aloud in horror. The alchemical lights died. Edward propped himself up, slouching defeatedly, his left hand clutching the now gone right arm. Eiryn's reached out to him, and silent tears fell. Just what had he done? What had all of them done? Why were they stupid enough to do this? Human transmutation was a taboo for a reason... And now they knew exactly why.

"... Brother...!"

Her head snapped to look at what had made the sound. The armor. It moved. Eiryn's eyes grew wide. Edward. He had done it. Her brother was a bloody genius!

Edward gave a weak laugh, "Hehehe... Sorry. I can only transmute your soul with my right arm."

The armor - Alphonse - gasped. "Why did you have to push yourself?" He pulled Edward toward his embrace, and the young boy suddenly looked very small. Then the armor's head turned to Eiryn, red glowing orbs burning in anger. "Why didn't you stop him?"

She flinched back involuntarily. Why? She didn't really know. But Edward had looked so desperate yet determined, and she was so lost in confusion and fear herself, and she didn't know what to do, she had mindlessly followed Edward's request without a second thought... But if she had stopped him, wouldn't Alphonse be gone for real?

"Don't scold her, Al... I asked her to help," Edward wheezed. The pain was too much for him to handle. His head dipped and thunked against Al's chest plate.

"Brother?" Alphonse called in panic. "Brother! Edward!" He turned towards Eiryn. "Ryn, come on! We need to bring him to Granny and Winry. They'll be able to help!"

Eiryn nodded her head vigorously. The three siblings soon were running towards the Rockbell's home, slicing through the darkness of the night. Soon they reached their destination, and Eiryn banged loudly at the door.

It opened. Pinako stared in horror as Alphonse lowered Edward down. "Granny... Help."

Everything passed in a blur. Edward was soon treated as best as Pinako and Winry could, and soon he was lying unconscious from the painkiller they gave him on a bed the Rockbells used for patients that may come. They also checked on Eiryn as Alphonse told them what happened. Pinako, Winry and Alphonse were surprised seeing the angry gash on Eiryn's neck, but even though it was bleeding nothing life-treathening was found. Once her neck was in bandages, she was deemed as good as new.

"I'm going to see the room, Al, Ryn. You two stay here. Winry, make sure Ed is stable," Pinako said as she opened the door.

"Alright, Granny," Winry answered. Soon the three young children were locked in suffocating silence. Alphonse glanced at his sister, who was still clutching her throat and refusing to speak. He sighed.

"Ryn..." he began. "That transmutation. Brother paid the price with his leg. I did it with... my whole body... And what about you? What did you lose?"

Eiryn moved and looked up at her brother, tears glistening in her eyes, hands locked on her throat still. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, but no voice came out. She gritted her teeth in frustration and gave a silent cry.

"Eiryn... it's your vocal chords, isn't it?"

Tears spilled. Eiryn sobbed and nodded. Her lips moved to create a string of sentences that went unheard. She knew full well that she might never be able to speak ever again.

A/N: so this story is inspired by the 3rd episode of 4 Koma Theatre, in which Arakawa-Sensei made a joke that Al's head is actually occupied by the soul of the Elrics' little sister. I changed the toll for her to her voice, though, so that it's diverse, since everyone else's tolls is all different. On a side note, Eiryn's name is pronounced Ay-reen (ay as in way).

And, eh-hemm. I believe an explanation is needed for some people that are following me.

I said before in another fic of mine (A Father's Legacy) that I will be posting all of my stories in my account in AO3. This I have not done. The reason is because I was busy preparing for said exchange program to France that I mentioned. Well, I'm already in France now. I should be able to upload everything. But I was being stupid and I stupidly left my stupid laptop back in my home country. I'm currently using my tablet to write this. I can't reupload my stories anywhere, I'm afraid, and since I can't work on A Father's Legacy without my notes back home, well. Indefinite hiatus. Please forgive me.

But that problem aside, I really hope that this story will appeal to you. This is based on Brotherhood, though many of the dialogues will be taken from the manga instead since it's easier to track. It will follow the Brotherhood closely, but there may be some side stories I came up with in later chapters.

I'd be really grateful if you can leave a review. It's going to make my day.