Chapter 7: Forbiddon Alchemy

A/N: I know that killing Alphonse was very upsetting… but things happen I suppose, forgive me for doing it! Wow, 5 reviews! Considering that I keep delaying my updates ( Damn writer's block…) You guys are really inspiring me to keep this story going. Anyway, on to the story!

Author's edit: Eeep! Sorry for the long delay... I really didn't mean to not update for so long... Anyway, I hope you guys like the chapter.

Must reads:

Expect the Unexpected

Koukyuu no Toriko

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A Path Worth Retracing

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My Memory's Heartache

Full Metal Hakusho

Previously:

"Can I eat him now Envy?" Gluttony's words caused a deep ache to clutch at Ed's heart as Envy nodded his consent and leapt at Ed in vehemence.

"Al, get up, get up!" Ed cried as he dodged blows from Envy's transformed arms, he had created long blades upon each and meant now to kill Ed.

Alphonse slid his body piteously across the earth, but Gluttony caught up with him, and what happened next would burn itself upon Ed's memory for the rest of his life. Slowly Gluttony engulfed Alphonse's body, starting with his thin legs. Alphonse was forced to endure long minutes of pain until finally he had bled to death. His eyes were frozen open, and his mouth remained evermore in a silent scream. "Alphonse!" Ed slammed his hands together with such force and such power that when he brought them apart the power was seen visibly; Envy was impaled upon a long pole that ascended through the ceiling, trapping him there for the moment, "Gluttony, you bastard!"

Ed's feet moved faster than they ever had before and he slammed his shoulder in the great rolls that were Gluttony, all that remained of his little brother were his shoulders and head, Ed could not bear to look at the body.

"his head…" Ed gasped out, "that's all that was left… his head!" He howled in agony and shivered with dire rage, "I will kill those damned homunculi, I'll kill them!"

Now:

His blond hair clung to the back of his neck and his boots splashed through deep puddles. Arms clutched tighter about a small package and golden eyes blinked away both tears and rain.

"Calm down Ed," Winry forced him to turn away from the window as she grabbed his shoulders and made to steer him back to the bed, "You can't-" She swallowed heavily and grimaced as she continued, "kill them until you've healed. You're in no condition to do anything right now."

"You didn't see his face!" Ed thrust her hands off of him and turned to glare at her, "the pain in his eyes as Gluttony devoured him."

Voices sounded distantly behind him, calling to him and begging him to go back to them, but he ignored their voices and settled his eyebrows lower in determination, red seeping through the bandages that crisscrossed over his chest.

He couldn't listen to them, if he did then the window that had opened briefly would be gone. He would not be able to live if he missed the small window given to him.

Winry shook her head and swallowed again, eyes wider than they had ever been before, and her face a sickly pale color, "I found him, Edward," She said hoarsely.

"What?" He faltered in the pacing that he had begun and turned to face her again.

"I found Alphonse- what was left of him," She fell to her knees and shoved her face into her hands, "There was so much blood, Ed," She whispered, "so much."

He rounded a corner and fell face first over a pile of bricks placed suspiciously over the middle of the path. Pavement scratched up the side of his face, and the water rose over his nose as he attempted to take a deep breath. Choking and spluttering on the water that had entered his lungs he sat up and wiped a smear of blood off of his cheek, wincing as it stung bitterly. "Damn it..." He huffed, leaning against the wall to catch his breath and slamming his fist into it, causing the wall to shudder beneath his fury.

Lightning lanced across the sky so suddenly that he jumped, almost tripping over the same pile of bricks in the process. Again he cursed before trudging onward, his legs feeling strangely heavy as water leaked out of his pants in small rivers, to be overtaken by more water as it continued to fall from the sky. It didn't look like the weather had anyway plans of letting up, and he still had a few more things to gather. He carried two sacks, one strapped across his back and the other clutched, as it had been for a while, in his arms, close to his fast beating heart. He had to find a place quickly.

"Winry..." Ed faltered at a loss of words as he fell to his knees beside her, "I have to bring him back," His voice wavered as he spoke.

Winry gasped, "No, you can't! You'll die if you do it," She grabbed his arms in a vice like grip, "promise you won't do that!"

Ed lowered his gaze and shook his head, his hair spilling over his shoulders, "I can't promise you that Winry," He said, pressing a finger to her lips to keep her from cutting in, "Alphonse is my brother, we've been together for so long and it's my fault that he died. All he wanted was to have his body back- and with the philosopher's stone I can bring him back with little consequences to my own health."

"But... it's forbiddon alchemy!" Winry said, her voice rising, why couldn't he just listen to her for once?

"I can't live without him, Winry," Ed said firmly, standing and moving his gaze about the room, "where are my clothes?"

Numbly Winry pointed to a small closet. Had he really said that? Did she even matter to him? Winry stood, turned, and ran from the room to hide the tears that had begun to course down her cheeks. Why did things have to go so wrong all the time? Why did Al have to die?

Ed quickly pulled on his clothes and tugged his jacket closed before turning to the window. Al, if he wasn't buried then he was probably in the morgue. He shuddered as he brought his hands together and touched them to the glass.

Finally he found a place that was at least semi-protected from the rain. Breathing raggedly he stepped over the threshold and into the darkness of a dilapidated old apartment building. Around him were the remains of the upper three floors, all sopping wet with rain. He pulled a small piece of chalk from his pocket, one that had been held previously by his little brother. He would create the circle with it, and hope that it would help at least a little bit.

The chalk residue made his fingers feel dry, and occasionally a small drip of water would blur one of his lines and he'd have to go back over it- but he was patient. He didn't want to screw up anything. Carefully he placed the objects in the center of the circle and wiped the water from his face, streaking also the blood that had welled up in a few of his scrapes. there wasn't much left, but his palm was still died a slight red with it. Slowly he brought his hands together and placed them onto the circle as a figure raced into the building, "No!" The voice was Mustang's, but he ignored it as he was engulfed in a brilliant blue light, a small red stone slipped from his fingers and clattered almost silently to the center of the circle.

Ed was in and out of the morgue quickly. He had found Al's body, and with it another plus- the very same stone that had given Al the mortal body that had died only a few minutes after it was reunited with his soul. He sighed heavily and turned quickly, racing up a set of metal steps and out into the night. He remembered the ingredients for the transmutation and quickly set about the task of gathering what he needed, he repeated in his mind the main ingredients, dredging them up from the depths of his memories, '35 liters of water, 25 kilograms of carbon, 4 liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of lime, 800 grams of phosphorous, 250 grams of salt, 100 grams of saltpeter, 80 grams of sulfur, 7.5 grams of fluorine, 5 grams of iron, and 3 grams of silicon...' He chuckled drily and without humor to himself, the water wouldn't be that hard to get in weather such as he was racing through. As quickly as he could he began to gather what was needed, all the while avoiding the attention that had been averted to his absense, they were searching for him now.

The gate opened before him how familiar it seemed now. All he had to do was step through- step through and he could find Alphonse and bring him back. Ed smiled even as the hands pulled him into their depth. His brother- he found the small spirit that was his almost immediately and grabbed it, holding it close to his chest.

There was a howling of displeasure as he fled the gate, a red glow emanating from his body as the hands reached for his body again for 'the exchange' he was safe from them for the most part at least. A large shadow stood before him, it's arms crossed in what appeared to be a disapproving manner, "You must offer something or leave that here," it said, pointing at the spirit that Ed clutched to him tightly.

"But I used the philosopher's stone!" Ed protested.

"It's energy is gone, now give us the offering and leave."

Ed set his mouth in a firm line, his eyes glazing as he drifted into thought. What could he give to satisfy the gate? "What do you want?" He asked aloud without realizing it.

The figure nodded at his other leg and Ed looked down as the flesh below his knee vanished. He was thrust back into reality. Everything spun and he couldn't seem to focus on any one thing. Smoke rose from the transmutation circle- or at least what was left of it. The chalked marks had washed away in the rain and a dark figure huddled in the center. "A-Alphonse?" Ed called in a choked whisper.

The figure didn't stir, merely whimpered as the shadow of another figure descended upon Ed, "What did you do?" His voice was hoarse and disbelieving as the huddled figure stood to reveal Alphonse as Ed remembered him.

"Bro-ther?" His voice was uncertain as he caught sight of Ed, "What's going on?"

Ed began to sob silently, Alphonse was back, his brother was alive again. "Ed!" Mustang had crouched beside him and gripped his shoulders tightly, "what the hell were you thinking?"

"Stop it Mustang," Ed moaned as a pounding headache formed in his left temple, "you should know better than anybody else- anybody that is except for Winry- how much Al means to me."

"You fool, "Mustang touched his bleeding leg and quickly pulled off his coat and belt.

He wrapped the blue coat around Ed's bleeding leg and tied the belt on. He found a small metal pole and twisted it into the belt, tightening it further to stem the flow of blood as he waited for the others to catch up.

A/N: There ya go! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

Ed: Woohoo! dances around with Alphonse. The Elric brothers are back in business!

Envy: Noooo! Dammit! Goes to sulk and plot new ways to tear them apart.

Authoress: Oh dear... sighs. Don't forget to hit that little button in the corner on your way out!

Ja ne

Aka-chan