Inu Kaiba: Nyeh. I'm doing what Megan does and writing a fanfic about what's 'wrong' in my life. Well, enjoy. It's going to be an FMA drabble instead of InuYasha because my InuYasha ideas aren't drabble-y.
Edward Elric loved to dream. Ever since he was a little boy, the moments when he was truly sleeping were definitely the best. His expectations were much higher than what was around him, and his dream world met those expectations.
He could accept the world outside, but it was so much nicer in his dream world.
Alphonse, his brother felt the opposite. His dreams were plagued by things that were never there, he always had nightmares. When Ed got up, no matter how early it was, he'd find his brother reading a book, trying to escapes the images the 'dreams' had produced in his mind.
As a result of his sleepless nights, underneath Al's eyes were dark bruise like patches.
One day, the routine reversed.
The day after his operations, when Ed was sleeping, his dreams were plagued with nightmares. Al sat by the bed, occasionally looking up from the book he was trying to read. It was difficult when his hands were two times their usual size and he was used to reading when he wasn't this alert. He always found it best to read when he was so asleep. His mind couldn't focus on anything but the book then.
Ed dreamed the most horrible thing he'd ever dreamed. He was stuck just within reach of everyone he knew and loved, but he couldn't get to them. Time passed and passed but he was stuck. He tried to talk to them but no sound came out. He just kept watching as more and more time passed and his family and friends grew up, got married and died.
He wasn't there. And after a while, they stopped mentioning him. The worst part was he didn't know what was happening with them. Did they care about him? Did they remember him? If he'd suddenly popped up within their lives, would they care? Would they accept him again?
He pounded on the walls of his prison screaming sounds no one could hear until his throat became hoarse and he could scream no more. He cried tears that didn't stream down his face. And he watched, as the last important person to him died.
With a jolt, he sat up in bed, waking up from his horrible nightmare. He just sat there, shaking and crying, tears streaming down his face and Al pretended to be asleep as he watched.
From then on, Ed avoided sleeping like the plague. It was something he considered falling victim to.
He'd immerse himself in whatever he was doing until he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep from exhaustion.
Al always watched him, working himself hard and to the bone to forget sleep and all the things that came with him. Someone had once told them, that people who immerse themselves in their work are trying to forget about something. For Ed, it was sleeping.
But Al never stopped missing the peaceful expression his brother used to have on his face when he dreamed.
And Al was forced to watch something like a repeat of Ed's dream as day-in and day-out, Ed worked himself to the bone, until years later when he finally died.
Inu Kaiba: It wasn't really what I wanted it to be, but then again, this wasn't the anime I chose for this idea. I only did it so Alice would have another FMA drabble to read. So tell me if it sucked or you liked it and go have fun with life. I know you're not living in the dark.
Side note: I decided to dedicate this to Allison since her birthday was well, yesterday now. xD But I wanted to write her a fic, and at the time I had this, so this is for you Allison:D