Disclaimer- Fullmetal Alchemist is not mine, thank goodness, or the drawings would be in crayon mostly. Heheh, I'm hopeless!
A/N- This is my second Fullmetal Alchemist oneshot!!! It's completely based in the manga, to avoid confusion, but will probably deviate from the actual plot, because it's supposed to take place after the war and blah blah blah. Maybe I'll strike it lucky and it'll match the ending fairly accurately, but that's wishful thinking...
In retrospect, Edward, supposed, The Promised Day should have been one of the worst days of his life, maybe coming in second to his mother's death, or his and Al's failed transmutation. After all, they had been battling almost impossible odds, against an opposition with unimaginable strength, not to mention the fact that his life, and his whole country's existence were in jeopardy. Wouldn't it be absolutely wrong to regard it as one of the luckiest things that had happened to him?
Normally, people would scoff at the idea, but Edward knew that they simply couldn't comprehend what that day meant to him.
Sure, all of the people that he had held dear in his country were being turned into a huge Philosopher's Stone, which was going to be used by someone who could be accurately described as criminally insane. And yes, his commanding officer, his teacher, his brother, and his father were all going to be used as human sacrifices for said evil plan. The entire world was practically on the verge of destruction, and there was only one thing that he could even remember that day as.
It was the day that Alphonse finally got his body back.
The ending of the war against the homunculus, the Father's defeat, even the never ending chaos that stretched on as the battered and bruised country struggled to on the verge of collapse while Mustang bravely stepped up and pulled everyone together by some miracle, all of it seemed like a distant memory. Nothing could compare to the sight of Al, shivering beneath the tattered, red coat draped gently over his frail shoulders, tears of joy threatening to spill over his golden eyes. Edward had felt so many things in that moment. He was overwhelmingly happy and triumphant, but it hurt every time he saw how thin and pale Alphonse's body was after having been trapped in the gate for so long.
So, let people scorn him for it, but the Promised Day would always have a fond place in his heart, no matter how wrong as it may seem, he though to himself, as he gazed over at Alphonse, who was sitting on the edge of his plain, white hospital bed, beaming widely and practically radiating happiness. His cheeks, once pallid and sunken, were once again a healthy color, flushed slightly from excitement and laughter. There was no longer any evidence left that he had, only a couple of months ago, been thin to the point that you could count every rib with pinpoint accuracy. He looked like a completely normal, happy fifteen-year-old boy.
And Edward couldn't help but grin himself as he moved from his previous position in the hard, uncomfortable hospital issue chair next to Winry, to Al's bed, where he plopped down next to his brother, who immediately moved to make room for him.
" Brother! I can't wait to get out of here! Do we really have to wait?" Al, said, his voice, clear of the usual metallic echo still not loosing its effect on Edward, who still felt a chill of happiness surge through him when he heard it. He laughed lightly, and tousled Al's hair lightly.
" C'mon, Al! I thought I was supposed to be the impatient one! I really wanna get out of here, too, but we have to wait for the doctor to come and give us a final update or something," Ed replied, eyeing the door with impatience himself. Al had been waiting for ages to be finally let out of the hospital, but the doctors were adamant about keeping him there until they were absolutely sure that he was fine. It might have something to do with the fact that Edward had nearly forced the nurses into nervous breakdowns when he informed them calmly that he would personally make sure that if they slipped up once when they were treated his little brother, they would be thrown out of the hospital and would never get a job again, while flashing his pocket watch dangerously. They had certainly seemed quite a bit more carefully focused afterwards.
Ed and Al were broken out of their reveries when the door suddenly swung open.
"Finally!" Ed cried, only to be utterly shocked to see, not a doctor, but Roy Mustang, closely flanked by Riza Hawkeye entering through the doorway.
"Hey, what are you doing here, #$%?" Ed yelled, leaping up in surprise, though the nickname clearly sounded more endearing than it did malicious. Edward wouldn't admit it, but he wasn't altogether unhappy that Mustang had come.
"Ed! You can't call the new Fuhrer that! I apologize for my brother, Mr. Mustang, Lieutenant Riza," Al said politely, smiling sheepishly.
"Oh! I forgot! Winry, have you met Mustang and Lieutenant Riza before? Ed suddenly exclaimed, glancing over at Winry, who had been making herself scarce in the corner of the room.
"Uh, yes, I guess so, when they came to Ressembol before you got automail…" she said carefully.
"Oh, yeah! I forgot," Ed said pleasantly.
"Nice to see you, Winry," Hawkeye greeted. Mustang simply nodded in her direction and gave a short wave. The two had a slightly… awkward… relationship.
"Hmmm. I guess there's still hope for you yet, Fullmetal. But you should still consider taking after Alphonse in the manners department," Mustang said, clearly amused, "How are you doing, by the way, Alphonse? I haven't seen you since…" Mustang trailed off, not quite sure if it was somewhat taboo to say, "since you got your body back."
"Uh-huh! I guess you guys have been busy, huh?" Al said, voice cheerful.
"Well, we heard that you were being discharged today, so we just wanted to give you our best wishes," Hawkeye put in.
"Thanks!" Al chirped happily.
For a few minutes, the group lightly chatted. The conversation remained easy-going and generally happy, and everyone was obviously avoiding discussing any less than happy topics on what should have been a joyful day.
The small talk was cut off when the sound of someone clearing his or her throat impatiently came from the doorway. They turned in towards the door, startled, to see a middle-aged doctor, wearing a long white coat, and holding a clipboard standing expectantly just outside in the hall.
"Excuse me. I'm here for… Alphonse Elric?" He said, glancing down at his clipboard, "I'm Doctor Wells," he introduced himself, with a warm, overly cheerful manner that immediately set Edward on edge. Having been around doctors for over a month, he had become unpleasantly used to all of the tones that doctors would don for certain situations. Clipped meant that they had no idea what was going on. Disappointed meant that they were frustrated. And cheerful always meant bad news.
Trying to cover up his suspicions, Edward smiled back, although he only managed a forced, half grimace.
"You said that Al could be discharged today, right?" He prompted, hoping to avoid the inevitable small talk that the doctor might use to dance around his original point. In the corner of his eye, he saw Alphonse frowning slightly, expertly sensing the change in Ed's mood. No one else in the room seemed to sense any tension, although Winry seemed to be trying to stare at the doctor so hard that he would just discharge Al on the spot.
"Yes, he will be discharged today, but I just wanted to inform you of a few points," Doctor Wells replied, his sense of pleasantry visibly fading with each word, replaced with a formal tone that bordered on grim. Ed nodded quickly, obviously anxious for the doctor to get to his "points."
"Well, you know of the state Alphonse's condition when he was first admitted here, I'm sure. He was quite severely malnourished, yes, and, while it may seem that he is fine now, you must understand the wear that his extreme condition would have had on his body," the doctor said, his gaze piercing and unfaltering. Both Ed and Al were visibly deflating at each word that the doctor said, their expressions morphing from serene to apprehensive to disbelieving in mere seconds. Doctor Wells cleared his throat uncomfortably before continuing.
" What I'm trying to say is, due to the severe wear that his condition had on his body systems, it is extremely possible that his expected life span has been shortened, and he may never quite be as strong as he was before. There might be complications." Wells concluded with an air of finality that left the room feeling heavy with an encompassing silence. Everyone in the room remained painfully still, their faces contorted into various horrorstruck expressions.
"No, no… This isn't right…" Edward muttered looking down at the floor, crestfallen. Alphonse stared down at the floor, still trying to process what the doctor had said. Roy, Riza and Winry were frantically looking between Ed and Al, none of them knowing what to say at all.
"Isn't there anything you can do? You can't just tell me… How many years is it? Answer me-" Ed exploded, screaming at Wells, who struggled to remain impassive at the obviously anguished teen, but was cut off at Al's quiet word.
"Ed, stop," He said, a sad sort of smile playing at his lips. " I have my body back. I'm… I'm happy. It's okay," he said, unable to disguise the shaking in his voice. He looked up at Ed, his eyes closed and his mouth curved into a smile. Edward froze, and his whole body slumped in defeat.
"Al…" He whispered, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. He gazed at Al in dismay, before gritting his teeth and spinning around to face Doctor Wells again.
"Would you leave us alone, now?" He practically snarled at the doctor, who bowed his head solemnly before backing out of the room. Once the doctor was gone, Ed's expression immediately softened.
"Oh, Al, I'm so sorry," Winry started, her eyes wide and her hands still covering her mouth out of shock. She couldn't help but be reminded of the time that Ed had been in the hospital, and how his expression had matched Al's current one perfectly after his brother had told him his suspicions that he wasn't real. It broke her heart to see the two of them looking so lost.
Edward sank down onto the hospital bed, next to Al, and gently placed his hand on Alphonse's head, the same way he had always used to when they where kids, back in Risembool. That in itself made his heart lift. It had been so long, it seemed, since his brother had ever done that, but it made him feel safe and secure. He allowed himself to let a tear slip down his face, because he knew that he would be able to stop.
After a while, Al finally looked up, he laughed slightly, to everyone's surprise.
"Fuhrer Mustang, Lieutenant Riza, you can sit down if you want. I really am okay," he said, with some degree of honesty.
"Thanks, Alphonse, if you really want us to stay. I would understand if you wanted us to go-" Mustang said slowly before getting cut off by Alphonse.
"Of course I want you to stay! This might be the last time you see us in a while…" he said, still trying to disguise his dismay.
After a while, a semi-awkward silence settled over the room. Edward couldn't stand to see Alphonse so depressed, and was desperately trying to think of some way to cheer him up. Suddenly, a thought struck his mind. He took a deep breath before putting on a playful grin.
"Hey, Al, you know, I guess that's something we have in common, now," he said, punching Al playfully in the arm. Al, along with everyone in the room, gave him a bewildered look.
"What do you mean, brother?" Al said, utterly confused.
"Uh, it's kinda a long story, but I was reckless with alchemy and, uh, used some of my life for equivalent exchange. I know that its nothing compared to-" Ed tried to continue, but he was interrupted by the room's occupants' simultaneous outbursts.
"What?!"
"Ed!"
"Brother!"
"Fullmetal, you had better explain this."
"What?" Ed said, feigning innocence. "It's nothing, really. I didn't lose that much time…"
"Edward Elric, if you don't explain this and explain this good-from the beginning- so help me I will-" Said Mustang, his voice deadly, in a way that made it increasingly difficult for Edward to resist the urge to cower away from him.
"It's not a big deal. It happened when I was up north at Briggs, you'd know about when I'm talking about I think, Al, Winry. I was fighting Kimbley and-"
"Kimbley?! And you didn't think it was important to tell us, Fullmetal?!" Mustang suddenly exclaimed, to which Edward merely gave an impatient noise.
"I had other things on my mind, okay? Anyway, I guess let my sense of mercy get the best of me, and he took advantage of it. It all blew up in my face, literally," he said, apparently the only person in the room that found the situation remotely funny.
"But, brother, you haven't even explained why you had to use alchemy," said Al, still perplexed, but clearly upset by the fact that his brother had kept something from him for so long. He watched as his brother sighed heavily, and shrugged off his jacket, leaving only his plain black tank top. After taking a final deep breath, he carefully eased the undershirt off.
Al, the first to see it, gasped in horror, his eyes wide and panic-stricken. On his brother's otherwise unmarked stomach was a large, angry scar, the skin puckered and irritated, with smaller tears ranging widely across most of the left side of his stomach. The scar had clearly been a deep gash, and it was made apparent by the contrast between the color of the older scars around his automail and itself that it hadn't had much time to heal over. Edward was clearly embarrassed to have every one in the room staring at him so blatantly, but he seemed otherwise unfazed by the large mark that remained on his skin.
"Ed! How- what happened?" Winry asked, her voice strained and barely over a whisper, as she inspected the wound with her eyes, clearly putting her Rockbell blood to use.
"It was a steel beam. Went right through when the building collapsed," replied Ed, for once setting aside his flippant tone, and looking sheepishly down at his feet.
"Ed- you… people don't survive that… How…" Winry said, barely managing to get coherent words through.
"Even you, Fullmetal shouldn't be able to just get up and walk away from that. That would be impossible." Roy said, through gritted teeth as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Brother- you didn't," said Al. He searched his brother's face, as if looking to find proof concealed there that Edward was just lying, that he made it all up. He found nothing.
"What did you want me to do, Al? I would have died!" Said Edward, his voice rising rapidly. He seemed desperate to make it up to his younger brother.
"I know, Ed, but there must have been some other way…" Al said. He was stricken that Ed had gone to such drastic measures, and somehow still found could still find it in himself to feel guilty for it.
" There wasn't," Ed replied quietly.
"You would have found something. Why don't you ever just care about yourself for once?" Al said. His voice was rising uncharacteristically.
" That's just how I am! Besides, you don't know what it's like! I couldn't just leave you, Al!" He yelled.
"I don't know what it's like? How can you say that? What about the time that Gluttony got you? How do you think I felt then? Huh? Did you even stop to think about that brother?" Said Al, clearly getting upset, tears of anger forming in his eyes. Roy, Riza and Winry watch helplessly as the two brothers got more and more heated.
" Okay, so what do you think I should have done? Just die? Would that make you happier? Can't you see? This was the only option!" Edward said. You could practically see Alphonse grow livid.
"Of course not! I'm just saying that you always take everything on yourself! Couldn't you have just thought about yourself for a minute and not done something rash? No! You're just too stubborn!"
"Just shut up, you two!" Winry suddenly screeched. All the attention in the room suddenly shifted in her direction. Unfazed, Winry let out an annoyed sigh.
"You two are both hopeless," she said, shaking her head. "And Ed? You're an idiot. Was that supposed to make Al feel better?"
"That wasn't my point! The point was, Al, we're in this together. You don't have to pretend that it isn't hard, because it is. And I know how you feel, because I've felt it myself. You can let yourself be disappointed," Ed said. As he spoke, his tone softened, and he looked at Al gently, all anger long subsided.
As Al gazed back up at Ed, he let a dry sob escape him. The tears in his eyes spilled over, and he suddenly found himself crying, whether for sorrow, for disappointment or for gratitude he couldn't tell, but he couldn't control the tears as they cascaded down his face. Nor did they slow when he felt Ed's arms wrap around him, providing the comforting warmth that he had missed so dearly, as his brother hugged him for one of the first times in years.
Only then, sobbing in earnest and shaking with emotion in the embrace of his older brother, did Alphonse know that, no matter what, everything would be okay.
A/N- REVIEW PLEEEEEEEEASE!!!! I have cookies? C'mon, you know you can't resist cookies!!! Flames, whatever. I'm sure I can pretend it's constructive criticism.