Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Rise of the Guardians

Ed didn't know how long he was passed out for, but he woke up in a familiar place. Elves walked around on the ground, one of them smiling as he offered Ed a plate of cookies. He was about to take one when he paused, seeing a few on the plate that had bites missing out of them. Instead, he pulled his hand back and sighed, letting it rest on his forehead as the elf ran out of the room with a grin, letting Ed rest in North's workshop peacefully.

"Brother, are you awake?" someone asked, making Ed's head turn towards his right. Another bed was in this room, a new room of the workshop Ed hadn't seen quite yet. It was similar in style to the others, with a fireplace keeping it warm and Christmas decorations scattered throughout, but it was also smaller. Their two beds took up most of the room, with a small dresser between them that held a lamp on top. In the other bed, a scrawny boy rested with long, scraggly blond hair and golden eyes that were so familiar to Ed.

"Al….you're back," Ed said quietly, a smile on his face. Al nodded, returning Ed's smile as he rolled over onto his side to speak with his brother.

"Yeah, though my memory is kind of hazy. What happened to us? I remember….we were fighting against Father….your arm broke….and then it's just blank. Brother, did we stop him?" Al asked, focused on his brother.

Ed frowned slightly, turning away and gazing at the ceiling. In his mind, he was remembering the way Al acted back within the Gate, when he last saw the boy. Still, he couldn't lie to Al, no matter how badly he wanted to protect his brother. "Eventually. It's kind of a long story," Ed told Al at last, not having the heart to explain all of this at once.

Before Al could ask any more questions, a door burst open, revealing a grinning North on the other side. "Ed, the elves tell me you are awake! How are you feeling? We've been treating you well since the battle, waiting for you to take the oath."

Ed scowled, glaring over at him in irritation. Al was staring at North with wide eyes, unsure of what to make of this man. "Brother, who is this? Where are we, I can't—" he was beginning to say, but Ed shook his head, giving his brother a focused look to try and tell him that they would talk more later. Al nodded, giving Ed a small smile as he leaned back into his bed and let Ed focus on North.

"What about Al? Did he just show up here…or…how did you find him?" Ed asked, focusing on North who smiled, sitting down at the edge of Ed's bed to talk.

Al frowned at that, unsure of what to make of Ed's words. "After the battle, you passed out. Not too surprising, you fought hard, but we needed to leave before the children were missed from their homes. Only a few moments after you passed out, something strange seemed to happen. The moon shone brighter, a message from Manny, but there was no message. Instead, a boy appeared on the ground, and…well, see for yourself." North commented, pointing over towards Edward's right side.

Ed glanced down, frowning and wondering what North was talking about. His eyes widened at what he found, however, seeing no signs of metal remaining on his shoulder. Instead, his flesh arm was there, in place on his body with only a scar to remind him of what he once had done. His coat was not on, and looking around, he could see that it was hanging on the door handle of the room while Ed remained dressed in just his black tank top and pants. Still, the arm was what held his attention, and he watched as he moved it slowly, bending the elbow around and moving his fingers to see if he was imagining this, or if it was real.

"He gave it back." Ed stated quietly, slowly beginning to smile as he glanced up at North. The older man frowned, looking confused, but Ed didn't care too much. "Well, looks like I've finally done it, Al. We've got our bodies back. So, have you gotten to eat any apple pie yet? I know you've been looking forward to it for ages," Ed asked, watching as Al gave him a slight laugh, shaking his head.

"No way! I didn't realize how weak my body had gotten over the years. I've been in this bed since I woke up today. The only reason I stayed in this place was because you were here too, Brother. Who is your new friend?"

Ed grinned, turning towards Al as North rose to his feet once more. "Al, I'd like you to meet North, the Guardian of Wonder. North, this is my brother Al, and from what I understand, he's meant to be the Guardian of Kindness."

Al blinked a few times, looking a bit startled by Ed's words. "And what about you? Edward, have you found your center?" he asked, focusing on the elder brother who grinned, nodding.

"Hell yes, I have. Anyway, I've spent way too long in this bed, we've got things to do after all," Ed insisted, getting up and grinning over at Al. "Al's spent far too long without his body, so if he can't get up and experience things for himself, I'll bring things to him."

Al smiled at his brother, looking happy as Ed walked over to the door to get his coat, putting it on before walking back towards Al. "Brother…why can't I remember? Did…is this part of the price we paid?" he asked, sounding a bit concerned.

Ed glanced away, looking at the floor as he sighed and closed his eyes. "I guess you could say that," he said at last. "Al….you've been in that place….god, I can't even tell you how long it's been. I had forgotten myself….Truth tried giving me some of his power to defeat Father, but in return I lost my memories," Ed tried to explain, but it was feeling empty and not like it was enough. His hand clenched itself into a fist as it rested on Al's bed, his gaze not willing to turn towards his brother.

He felt Al's hand move to cover his own, gently squeezing his brother's hand. "Brother…it's okay. i've finally gotten my body back, and that's what matters. I know you would never give up on me, so please, don't give up on yourself either," he insisted softly, while Ed took a deep breath, nodding as he gave Al a small smile.

"Thanks, Al. I'm glad you can forgive me…if you remembered what had happened….I don't think you would even recognize me to be honest." Ed stated, a slightly haunted look entering his eyes. "You were in the Gate for at least a century before I got you out. Looks like Truth thought I did enough to earn more than just your body, though." he added, glancing down at his right arm.

Al smiled, keeping his hand on Ed's as he rested in bed. North glanced between the two brothers, giving Ed a smile as he moved to leave them alone. "I shall give you two some time to recover. We will do oath later, no?" he asked, while Ed nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll get to it eventually." Ed said dismissively, not really all that concerned. He already was a Guardian at heart, he didn't need any ceremony to make it official.

"Brother, would you mind staying with me for a bit? It feels nice…just being able to feel you here again," Al asked, while Ed nodded, sitting down on the bed next to his brother. Al looked exhausted, and Ed was not going to leave and make him feel any worse. Slowly, Al's eyes began to drift shut under Ed's watchful gaze. They still had a lot to catch up on, but it was clear that they were going to be alright. Even if things had changed, they had a place where they would always be welcome, and they finally understood what they were meant to do. All of the problems they dealt with in life only prepared them for this, for the day they became true Guardians for the people of the world. Ed gave himself a small smile as he wrapped his arm around Al's shoulders, letting his brother rest before falling asleep himself, by his brother's side where he would remain for years to come.

This one is a rather shorter story compared to what I've been writing lately, but I have finally brought it to an end. I do hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!