Summary:

AU/Anime-verse/Gen: Edward Elric died bringing Al back. Then, a year after his brother's death, Al sees Ed again – only this time, with a new Ouroboros tattoo on his right hand…

I don't own Ed or Al or any affiliated and recognized characters in FMA.

Chapter One

Edward Elric. Condition: Deceased.

Roy Mustang stared disbelievingly at the military report that he held in his hands.

The Fullmetal Alchemist – dead.

It was – it was ridiculous. It was so obviously wrong that Roy wanted to shout and snap his gloved fingers at the moron who had drafted this military report.

For God's sake, he'd shout at the hapless idiot, even Fullmetal can write a better report than this. And you call yourself a military scribe?

Instead, he clenched his fists and forced himself to acknowledge that the scribe hadn't made a mistake. That he was just reacting irrationally to the news of Edward Elric's unfortunate demise. He knew that it couldn't be wrong because – because he was the first to stumble onto the scene.

And Roy had thought he understood. He had thought that he understood all of it at the time. He had understood that Ed had gone and sacrificed himself for his brother – heart, body, mind and soul – to completely come back to Amestris.

Now, looking back to it, everything that he had so willingly accepted then seemed utterly bizarre. Completely irrational. Didn't make any logical sense, at all.

After all, Edward Elric – the Hero of the People, the Fullmetal Alchemist – was supposed to be indestructible. He was supposed to be stronger than his automail. He was supposed to be there for the people of Amestris, just like any other national hero. He wasn't allowed to just go and off himself for his brother. That was…not what heroes did. And Edward Elric was most definitely a hero.

But Roy knew that that was just what the people in the military were saying. He knew what he felt about it: some time ago, Roy had thought that Edward Elric was going to live after this. Because – as much as he didn't want to admit it – that was nothing less than what Fullmetal deserved. Fullmetal was meant to enjoy his happily ever after with his blonde mechanic and his brother somewhere far, far away from Central. He had been far too young to die. He had been little more than a child.

Roy closed his eyes. He knew that had it been a fair, just world – then he would have been the one to die. Not Edward Elric. He was the one with the weight of all the world's sins on his back. He killed innocent children and their mothers in Ishbal. He destroyed hundreds of families, with a simple snap of his fingers. He had so much to atone for – and what had Edward Elric ever done wrong, anyway? When had he ever condemned the blameless to a lifetime of grief and suffering and death?

Nothing. Never. Edward Elric was almost as pure as freshly driven snow when it came to his military record. Among all the State Alchemists, Roy doubted that anyone could find a cleaner killing record that Edward Elric's.

And yet – Fullmetal had been the one to die. Murderers like Roy had been allowed to go free, when a child was sent off to die.

Rousing himself from such thoughts – Hawkeye promised that she would shoot him if she caught thinking about his sins in Ishbal one more time – Roy narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips as he continued to read the report on the Elric brothers.

Alphonse Elric. Condition: Serious/Critical

Roy closed his eyes. He knew about this too, of course. Fullmetal finally managed to bring his brother back – at the cost of himself. And said brother was currently fighting for his life, safely tucked away in the hospital, with more than half a dozen guards by his room at any given hour.

They found Alphonse lying next to his brother in that damned room. While Ed was deathly still and pale, Alphonse's color was high and every breath that came from his chest seemed strained and rattled: while Ed seemed like he was just sleeping, the raspy sounds from his brother made it seem like he was dying.

It had taken Roy a minute to realize that Ed was the one who was dead, and that all they could do was to save Al from the same fate. It would have taken longer, if it hadn't been the blood that Roy suddenly noticed on his hands, pouring from the wound in Fullmetal's chest.

Roy wondered vaguely if Alphonse would even want to live after he realized that Ed was gone. The sibling bond between them was stronger than anything that Roy had ever seen before: even Maes and Gracia's relationship dimmed by comparison. Perhaps it was kinder to discreetly slip into Alphonse's room at night, whisper to him that his brother was gone from this world and that Roy would understand if he wanted to stop fighting so that he could join his brother.

Roy hesitated. He could almost feel the wrathful presence of Fullmetal next to him, daring him to be a bastard – daring him to tell Alphonse that his brother was gone, that he could stop fighting. Daring him to let his sacrifice be in vain.

"It wasn't your choice to make," Roy muttered quietly. He knew that Al would much prefer his brother – safe and alive – next to him than being wholly human, but without Ed. What kind of shallow fool did Fullmetal take his brother for, anyway?

His decision made, Roy grabbed his military coat and stormed out of his office.

He was going to pay a visit to Alphonse Elric.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye," he called out amidst the chaos that was now his workplace. "We're going to the hospital. Prepare a car."

"Are you sure that this is a wise idea, sir?" Hawkeye murmured quietly as he took a step closer to Alphonse Elric's room.

"I'm just visiting the family of my deceased subordinate, Lieutenant," Roy replied coolly. He winced on the inside. Just saying 'deceased subordinate' made Roy feel…guilty."I see no reason why I shouldn't. It's…respectful, after all."

"No, sir. Of course not."

Hawkeye had her lips pursed and her eyes were narrowed, but didn't pursue it further – for which Roy was grateful. Hawkeye always had this uncanny ability to see right through him and his well thought-of excuses, and then shoot them down, one by one. Maybe it was a woman's intuition, maybe it was something else; but either way, Roy would probably never get a chance to know anyway.

Nodding respectfully to the wary guards around Alphonse's room, Roy stepped inside.

Al looked healthier than the last time Roy saw him – which, admittedly, wasn't saying much. His chest was no longer making death rattles, at least, he mused, even if Al was attached to a respirator that was helping him breathe. Twin spots of color were high in Al's cheeks, sweat was pouring down his face, and Al himself was twisting and turning uncomfortably in his bed, making occasional groans.

Alphonse Elric looked a lot less like the ten-year-old boy that he was, and a lot more like a helpless five-year-old, Roy reflected sadly. He was suddenly struck by how much he wished Fullmetal was here. He would probably know how to coax his little brother into the land of the living. He would probably know how to stop his brother from shivering and lying there like a pathetic kitten needing to be saved. But then again, it was Fullmetal who got them into this mess in the first place, wasn't it?

Roy stepped closer to the child, feeling a wave of nostalgia as he remembered seeing Edward, just as ill and as unconscious, back at the Rockbell's house in Resembool. Looking at Al was almost like looking like a not-quite-duplicate of Ed; Roy could see a little family resemblance in the facial structure, in the shape of the nose and lips, but the rounded shape of the eyes and the shade of the brownish-golden hair was completely different to Ed's.

As if sensing someone was looking at him, Al quickly groaned and turned his face to the other side.

"His medical report, sir."

Roy nodded and accepted the offered file from Hawkeye.

Name: Alphonse Elric

Condition: Serious/Critical

Notes: Consistent high fever at 106F. Cause unknown. Patient has not been conscious since arriving at hospital. Patient cannot breathe by himself.

Roy caught himself frowning, before settling himself on the chair next to Al's bed. The chair that Fullmetal would have occupied if he were still here, Roy couldn't help but reflect sadly. He hardly noticed Hawkeye leaving the room to give him some privacy.

He grasped one of Al's burning hands into his.

"Alphonse – I don't know if you can hear me," he began quietly. "But…there's something you have to know…"

Al felt – drowsy. Yes, that was the word for it. He felt hot and dazed and drowsy and sticky. His eyelids had never seemed so heavy and hard to lift before.

His…eyelids?

"…I'm so sorry, Alphonse, that…"

Brother? Al dozed for a few more seconds, before forcing himself to pay attention.

"…I would understand if you wished to stop fighting after learning this…"

Al was completely bewildered. Was…someone talking to his brother? No…but that person had somehow just talked to him. But that didn't make sense. Brother was the one who fought most of the time. Al was just…Al.

Wasn't he?

"…we're having a funeral…"

A horrible feeling struck Al. Did – did someone die? Al didn't die, right? No – no, Al couldn't. Who would help his brother return to his normal body then? Besides, he couldn't be dead…if he was dead, then he wouldn't be able to listen.

And it couldn't have been Ed, either. His brother was just too tough to die.

And Winry and Pinako were safe in Resembool. They…they had to be okay.

Al focused on the next words.

"…If you do want to keep fighting, then I want you to know that…"

Brother's going to fight again? Al forced himself to stir. He didn't want to send Ed back to all those awful places, where it was to fight or to die. Everything was over already, and Ed shouldn't have to go back…It wasn't fair…

"Alphonse? Are you awake?" the voice sounded very urgent, very pressing, all of the sudden.

Al managed a grunt in reply, wincing at the soreness of his throat – which was odd, because suits of armor never had sore throats – but forced out what he was trying to say anyway. "Don't take Brother away…don't make him fight...please don't take him away…"

There was a loud exhale, and the masculine voice said, sounding very choked up: "Don't worry, kid. We won't send him to fight, okay? He'll…he's always be by your side, you know that. Just…get some rest now. You'll be fine."

There was a pause as Al tried to interpret the man's words, before realizing that the man had just granted him his wish.

"Oh – okay," Al slurred demurely. He was starting to feel drowsy and dazed again, but before he fell back into that black abyss, he had to know something. "Where's Brother?"

"He's…he's somewhere safe."

And all was well within Al's heart.

Author's Notes:

This is a new story that I'm considering to write - this is first chapter is the 'tester', if you will. I would really appreciate it if you could drop me a comment to tell me your thoughts about this story so far - whether it's complimentary or constructive.

Thank you. :)