Sacrifice

A/N: My first FMA fic and I kill Ed. Sorry for any OOCness... Anyway, the reating is this high cause I'm paranoid. I don't know how high it should be... If someone could tell me, that'd be great. I'm not quite a good judge at that yet..

Disclaimer:Don't own it.

Edward Elric. 1899-1914. I read the same words over and over again, though they are burned into my mind. I can't even close my eyes to escape them, because whenever I try, the grave-marker dances on the back of my eyelids. The other mourners, neighbors and friends of mine, had long since left, leaving me alone with my elder brother's grave. They had awkwardly murmured insincere condolences to me, not sure what to say to me.

It isn't right, I think as I stare at the grave stone blankly, tears running unchecked down my face. It isn't right! He shouldn't have died... That should be me dead... A low sob tears itself from my throat. It's my fault he's dead anyway... I should have fought back, should have been stronger... Then none of this would have happened. Another sob wracked my body as grief and a feeling of responsibility washed over me.

The weight of my sadness is so great that I fall to my knees, past caring if I got my clothes dirty. I am past caring about anything; my brother has died and it was all my fault! I fist my hands, feeling cool dirt run through my fingers. I weep as I stare at the freshly turned dirt. "I- I'm so sor- sorry, Brother!" I choke out between sobs. "It's all my fa- fault... I should've said something, tried to stop you! I should've been stronger!" I begin to cry so hard that I am unable to speak.

An indeterminable length of time passes before I finally run out of tears. I remain on my knees, gaze fixed on the patch of brown dirt directly ahead of me. I can feel the hot sun beating down on me, but I do nothing to cool myself off. It's not right, I think blankly. The sun shouldn't be shining. It should be gloomy today. I just lost my last family member... It should be raining. I finally realize that there's no one left to look out for me. I wonder what will happen to me? Where will I go? I'm only a fourteen year old boy... I can't stay on my own! With this morbid thought in mind, I continue to sit on the cool grass, now staring at the uncaring tombstone. What would you do in my position, Brother? I have nothing left, what with you gone.

A cool breeze blows, but I don't feel its chill. I am numb, not only physically, but also emotionally. I am wounded. I keep replaying the scene in my mind; my elder brother, golden eyes filled with pain, clothing stained scarlet with blood... I grip my head, my anguished cry echoing around the otherwise deserted graveyard, tearing my throat raw. "I am so sorry, Ed!" I cry. "I should've told you not to. It's all my fault!" A few tears dampen the brown dirt. "You shouldn't have sacrificed yourself for me!"

I feel relief from the sun that had been beating down on my back. I glance up, noting the now overcast skies. "Looks like it's going to rain," I mutter to myself, a shadow of a grim smile sneaking onto my tear-stained face. Just as I finish speaking, the first few raindrops begin to fall, and it quickly turns into a torrential rain fall, reflecting my feelings perfectly. In seconds, my long brown hair is plastered to my head and back, my bangs sticking to my face. My clothing is clinging to my body, making me very uncomfortable, but I welcome it. It briefly takes my mind off my sorrow, but not for long. It was raining the evening that he died, I remember, pain returning in a tenfold. The weather I had deemed to be fitting before only served to remind me of a night I wished to forget, but at the same time knew I never could. I would never allow myself to, no matter how much I wanted to. The rain made it hard to see, and that's why he died. I couldn't see the man until it was too late and he had me. Then Brother sacrificed himself for me, though I pleaded for him not to. The tragic scene begins to play once again in my tortured mind...

A few days earlier...

My brother and I ran down the alley way, our hurried footsteps mingled with ragged breaths echoing off the close walls. My heart was pounding in fear, and I threw a glance over my shoulder to see if I can see our pursuer, the man that we were supposed to be chasing. Our roles had been reversed, however, when he caught us off guard... He had somehow known of our so-called 'secret' plans and had set a trap for us.

"Hey, Al," Brother panted out, glancing over at me. "Can you see him?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, Brother," I replied between gasps. "It's raining too hard."

He nodded. "Ah, OK," he said. "Let's stop for a second, OK? I need to catch my breath." I nodded, and we halted our run. My brother bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to slow his breathing.

I leaned against a nearby wall, tilting my head towards the sky, allowing rain to wash over my face, cooling my heated skin. I breathed deeply, trying to regain my breath. I wondered how our mission had gone so wrong! It had seemed easy at first: Go in, capture the man, get out. He wasn't supposed to know we were coming, so it should've been easy. It had all been highly top secret, but somehow it had gotten leaked.

"Al." My brother's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "C'mon, let's keep moving. We can't stay in one place for too long, or he might find us." Straightening up, I nodded, looking at my brother. His golden eyes were determined, and his long, blonde hair hung in his face, having come loose of its customary braid at some point. "Let's try and get to the train station; once we're there, we can lose him."

"Sounds good," I agreed, pushing my bangs out of my face. "Let's go!" Shooting me a confident grin, Brother began to run again, his red trench coat flying out behind him. Smiling, I began to follow.

A few minutes later, Ed and I exited an alleyway. Quickly glancing both ways, checking for both traffic and for the man, we hurried across the road, ducking into another alley- a short cut to the nearest train station. I jogged across first, Brother following close behind me. Once I reached the alley, I shot a quick look down it, but the rain was impeding my vision. I thought it was safe, but oh, how wrong I was.

"Is it clear, Al?" Brother asked as he caught up with me, his long, blond bangs hanging in his golden eyes.

"I think so," I responded, flinging my own hair out the way.

"Good," Ed said. "You want to go first? I watch behind us in case he shows up again."

I sighed. Brother could be so overly protective sometimes... A slight smile slipped onto my face. "Sure. Sounds good."

Ed gave me a teasing grin."Glad you think so, because I was going to either way," he quipped, causing me to give a small smile and sigh.

"Brother..."

"Well, are you going to stand here all day, or get moving?" he teased, giving me a slight push. Then, in a more serious tone, he said, "Just... Be careful, all right? I don't want him to get you."

"Don't worry, he won't!" I tried to reassure him.

Ed gave me a serious look. "I know, I know, I'm just being paranoid... But just so you know, if he ever does get his hands on you, if anyone tried to hurt you, I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

I gave him a worried look, my brown eyes meeting his intense golden. "Brother, don't talk that way! It will never happen!" I was so naive to think that. I was so, so naive.

He gave me quick smile. "Yeah, I know, but still..."

I was now worried. "Brother..."

He cut me off. "Just get down there, Al. Forget I said anything, all right? I'll follow you at a slower pace," he told me, a sad look in his eyes. Now I wonder if he knew something I didn't... But I merely gave him one last concerned look before walking down the dimly lit alleyway, the pouring rain obscuring my vision.

I was nearly out of the long, dark alley when the man attacked me. I still don't know how he knew where we had been going, but somehow he did. He had been lying in wait for us, ready to ambush us when we walked by. He materialized out of the shadows, the blade of his knife shining with rain. His eyes were hidden from view, but a sardonic smile twisted his visible features. "How nice of you to drop by," he said, madness evident even in his voice.

I backed up a few steps, but he lashed out with his foot, sweeping my legs out from underneath me before I could move to defend myself. I landed on my back, the breath driven out of my body from the force of the impact. I lay on the ground, gasping for breath, as the man stepped closer. He reached down and grabbed my hair, hauling me to my feet. I resisted the urge to cry out in pain; I wouldn't give him the joy of seeing my weakness. He held the knife up to my throat. "Where is your brother?" he hissed. "I want him to experience the same pain I did when I saw your organization kill my brother."

"I'll never tell you," I managed to choke out, causing the man to press the knife closer to my neck.

The man thought for a moment. "Your elder brother would never stray to far from his poor, defenseless little brother," he mused. "That means that if I can make you cry out in pain, he will come running."

"No," I gasped out, breath finally returning to me. "I'll never-!" I couldn't finish my sentence, for the man punched me in the stomach, the air once again knocked from me. Black spots danced at the edges of my vision as I tried to force oxygen into my body to no avail. He released his hold on my hair, allowing me to crumple to the ground, where I lay as he stood over me, surveying his handiwork, as I lay helplessly on the ground, unable to get up, to run, as he decided what to do to me.

"Hm..." he mused. "Should I carve you up now, or tenderize you first?" I disliked the fact that he was speaking about me as if I was some slab of meat, but couldn't protest; I couldn't even breathe. "I believe that I shall tenderize you first... After you regain your breath, that is. I want you to be able to scream." With that, he kicked me in the ribs so hard that I heard something crack. I coughed up blood, the warm liquid dribbling down my chin, and I bit my lip, fighting back a cry of pain.

"So fragile," the man sighed, once again using my long hair to haul me to my feet. He placed the tip of the knife on my shoulder, and I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what was about to happen. He slowly pushed the blade in; I could hear the cold steel cutting through my coat, my sweater, and lastly my shirt. Finally, I could feel the cool metal resting lightly on my skin, and I grimaced, mentally preparing myself, promising myself that I wouldn't cry out, wouldn't make a noise, but for all my promises, I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

The cold metal rested on my shoulder a moment longer before the man began slowly pressing down, tearing into my skin. I bit back a hiss of pain, sinking my teeth into my lip. I will not make a sound, I promised myself, as the knife slowly went deeper. I could feel warm blood beginning to ooze from the wound, slowly building in speed as the blade steadily slid deeper.

The pain was beyond anything I had ever experienced before; a burning agony that only got worse and worse. I resisted the urge to cry out, though the need to do so kept getting stronger the deeper the knife went. I was losing the ability to think as the torment took over my mind, driving all other thoughts away. Finally, I could handle it no longer, and a pain-filled scream tore itself from my throat against my will. It echoed down the long alley, and with a feeling of dread, I knew that Ed had heard it.

"Thank you for your cooperation," the man said, and though the knife stopped moving, it remained embedded in my shoulder. I forced my eyes open, and was surprised as some tears spilled down my cheeks. I hadn't realized that I had started to cry. I made myself glance down at the knife, and saw that it was only a quarter of the way in my shoulder. The surrounding cloth was soaked in my scarlet blood, and my wounded shoulder throbbed with every heartbeat. The fact that I had stopped breathing finally registered, and I took a deep, shuddering breath as more tears rolled down my cheeks.

The pain was horrible; I had never imagined anything this bad. I had gotten into fights and been stabbed before, but it hadn't been this bad. I couldn't fathom any worse pain. This made thinking difficult, made it hard to breathe, to move. Now, as I look back, I think the fact that I knew my brother was coming had something to do with it...

The sound of hurried footsteps reached us a minute or so before my brother did. He slid to a halt a few feet away from us, alert golden eyes taking in the situation, apparently oblivious to the torrential rains. "You," he said, tone dangerous as he glared at the man. "Let my brother go. Now."

The man smirked. "Oh, there you are, Edward," he said. As I think about it now, I wonder how he knew our names. "We've been waiting for you, haven't we, my dear Alphonse?" He had never moved his hand from the knife, I realized, as he began to push it deeper and deeper, causing me to yelp in pain.

"No!" Ed cried in desperation, eyes wide in horror and fear. "Don't hurt him!"

The man laughed. "Now, now, Edward, you know I can't do that."

"Why not?" Brother asked, eyes trained on my pain-filled face, a desperate look in his eyes.

"You have to suffer the same pain I felt when my brother was killed in front of me." I could hear the smile in his voice the entire time he spoke.

"What...?" he breathed, not comprehending what he had said.

"My, my, must I spell everything out for you? I am about to kill your little brother." As he finished speaking, he swiftly extracted the knife from my shoulder, causing me to yelp as my whole arm flared with a burning pain. My blood shone bright scarlet on the knife blade, and more of the hot liquid gushed from the wound and splash on the wet pavement. I heard my brother's sharp intake of breath, and felt the man behind me chuckle slightly. I tensed, sensing that something awful was about to happen.

The man pulled me back slightly as Ed started forward, anger flashing in his golden eyes. "Let him go right now and I might not kill you," my brother hissed, hands balled into fists.

"Now, now, Edward," the man said tauntingly. "You forget which of us here has the upper hand." As if to emphasis his point, he swiftly plunged the knife back into my already wounded shoulder, causing me to cry out in pain. I felt moisture that I wasn't sure if it was tears or rain rolling down my cheeks as I saw dark spots dance across my vision.

Ed glared at the man, but I could see a bit of fear creeping into his eyes. "Let him go!" Ed said once again, moving forward, but instantly stopped when the man harshly yanked the knife from my shoulder and held it up to my neck, my fresh blood still shining on the blade. I saw him pause for a moment, examining the blade.

"Hm," the sadist said thoughtfully, tilting the blade this way and that. "I think I shall enjoy making you scream very much." He held the knife blade up to my neck, then seemed to change his mind. "Actually, dear Alphonse, I want your brother to suffer as much as you do. I shall play for a little while before I finish you." He traced the blood-soaked blade over my face, causing me to shudder. I winced involuntarily when the blade strayed back down to my throat, causing the man to laugh.

"Wait!" Ed cried. "Don't kill him!"

"We've been over this bef-" the man started, but Brother cut him off.

"Don't kill him," Brother continued, voice steady. "Kill me instead - let me take his place."

"No!" I shouted, straining to get away from the man, feeling my shoulder protest, but my efforts were stopped abruptly by a sharp punch to my already wounded ribs. I bent over as far as I could with the man restraining me, coughing as blood oozed from the corner of my mouth. I lifted my head, my brown eyes meeting brother's sad yet determined golden. "Don't..." I whispered weakly through the pain. "Please, Brother, don't do it!"

Ed averted his gaze for a second, before bringing it back to look me straight in the eye. "Remember what I said, Al?" he said quietly. "I said that I'd do whatever it took to keep you safe. Well, I'm not going to break my word, and just stand here, watching you get killed!"

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain in my ribs. "What makes you think that'd it be any easier for me to watch you die?"

Ed lowered his eyes again. "I'm sor-"

He was interrupted by the man. "How touching," he sneered, pushing the blade closer to my neck. I could feel the cold steel slightly cutting into my skin, causing and instinctively tried to shy away, but found I couldn't move back.

"No!" Ed shouted. "Kill me instead!"

The man paused, contemplating the idea. "Hm..." he muttered. "I suppose even if I kill the elder one, the younger will suffer..."

"No," I cried, panicking. "No! Don't kill-!" The sadist silenced me quite effectively by punching me in the stomach, driving all the wind out of my body. The man moved the knife, releasing his hold on me at the same time, and I crumpled to the ground, landing on my stomach, fighting to get air into my lungs. I lay on the ground in intense pain, unable to think through the agony, hearing blood hit the ground in a steady rhythm, mingling with the sound of the rain pattering on the pavement.

Through my haze of pain, I heard Brother rushing over to me, and vaguely saw him fall to his knees beside me. "Al!" he cried. "Al!" I felt him roll me over onto my back and gently prod my shoulder, eliciting a yelp of pain from me. "Oh, I'm sorry, Al," he whispered sadly. "This is all my fault... If I had refused the mission, you wouldn't be here..."

"It's fine," I managed to gasp out, though my ribs ached. I wanted to tell him to run, to just leave me and run, but my voice refused to work.

Through the pain-induced daze, I saw Brother climb to his feet. "I'm so sorry, Al," he said sadly. "I'm so sorry..." He then slowly walked over to the evil man, who was grinning maniacally.

I forced myself into a sitting position, wincing as my shoulder and ribs both cried out in pain. "No..." I muttered as my voice finally decided to return to me. "Brother!" I shouted. "Don't do it! Please! Don't!"

My brother ignored my pleas as he came to a stop in front of the man. "Do with me as you wish," he said calmly, though I heard his voice break a little as he spoke the next words. "Just leave my brother alone."

"I promise to bring no further harm to your younger brother," the man said, a sadistic smile on his face. "I want him alive to experience the anguish that I went through when my brother was brutally murdered in front of me by your stupid organization!"

Ed didn't make a noise as the man grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the alley's wall. He simply endured it, his expression blank. His golden eyes showed no emotion except sadness; I wondered what was going through his mind. He locked eyes with me, and I saw a sad smile creep onto his features. I felt tears prickling the backs of my eyes; my brother had meant it when he said that he would do anything to keep me safe.

The man switched his grip from Bother's neck to his long, blonde hair. He held the knife stained with my blood up to Brother's neck, a sardonic smile on his face. "I could end this quickly, you know," he said. "It doesn't have to be long and drawn out... All you have to do is beg. Beg for me to kill you."

My brother glared at the madman defiantly. "I will never beg for death," he hissed.

"Ah, but think of your younger brother watching all this. Do you want him to see you get tortured?"

Ed looked off to his left. I could almost hear what was going through his mind; he didn't want to beg for death, and yet he didn't want me to see him get tormented by this man. "I-" he broke off, golden eyes filled with sadness, desperation, and uncertainty, only to harden with resolve. "I am sorry, but Al will never see me beg for a quick death." A sad smile slid onto his features. "I want him to remember me as someone strong."

A choked sob slipped from my throat. "Ed..."

The man laughed. "I knew you were going to say that. You 'courageous' and 'selfless' people are all the same." He drove the knife swiftly down into Ed's shoulder, burying it up to the hilt, and I saw my brother's face tighten in agony. He visibly bit his lip, and I knew that he was fighting back a cry of pain, much like I had done earlier. I felt my own wound twinge in pain as the thought flitted through my mind.

"You are much like your younger brother," the man commented, evidently noting the same things I had.

"Or is he like me?" Ed managed, his voice tight with anguish. I noticed the crimson blood that was beginning to fall from the wound, the darker scarlet standing out on his red trench coat.

The man ignored the comment, and instead pulled the knife out, causing more vermillion liquid to splash the ground, mingling with rain and the blood already there. I wanted to close my eyes, to shut out this scene. I didn't want to see my brother get tortured, but something held my eyes to the horrific view. I couldn't look away, no matter how much I wished to. I had to watch helplessly, unable to get to my feet, to help my brother. My own body had betrayed me. I lay uselessly on the ground, forced to watch Ed's brutal murder.

The man held the bloodstained knife up to my brother's face, slowly dragging the tip down, leaving a trail of both my own blood and the fresh vermillion liquid of my brother. It was hard to tell if he was cutting Ed's face; but judging from his expression, the maniac was. His golden eyes were filled with pain, though he didn't make a sound.

"Why aren't you screaming?" the man demanded, pushing the knife down a little farther.

"It's like I said before," Ed spat, the pain lacing his scathing voice. "I want Al to remember me as someone strong."

The man apparently wasn't satisfied with that answer as he removed the knife from Ed's face and stabbed his other shoulder, dragging the knife across to his collar bone. Crimson blood poured out, and a small yelp escaped Ed. He instantly bit his lip so hard it bled, but I didn't begrudge him for the noise. I knew that if I was in his position, I would have been screaming. Tears blurred my vision, trickling down my cheeks; I was still unable to look away from the gruesome scene. I tried to move once again, to get up, to help my brother, but it was useless. I couldn't even kneel before I fell, landing on the cold pavement. The force of the impact caused me to see black dots that danced at the edge of my vision, but I fought them off. I would not pass out. For some reason that I still don't know, I knew that I had to see this through to the end, though it would haunt me until the day I died.

"That's better," the maniac said approvingly. "Now, about my offer of a swift death..."

"You already have my answer," Ed growled, and spat a mouthful of blood on him.

The man punched him in the face, causing Brother's head to strike the wall behind him. Ed merely smiled, blood oozing from his mouth. I wanted to tell my brother to beg for death; I couldn't bear to watch! But once again, my voice had left me, and my thoughts were hazy with pain. Another tear trickled down my cheek, mixing with the rain that still fell in torrents, soaking us all.

"I will make you scream in agony," the man promised Ed.

"Try your best," Brother said, defiant to the very end.

"Oh, I intend to," the man smirked.

Another raw sob escaped from me. I wished that this was all a nightmare that I would awake from safe in my own bed, but I knew that it wasn't. The pain was too real, too intense.

The psychopath slowly pulled the knife free from where it was imbedded in my brother's body, then thrust it into Ed's arm. He merely hissed in pain, biting his lip. I wondered how he tolerated the pain; if I was in his place, I would have begged for death long ago.

Unsatisfied, the madman quickly freed the knife and thrust it into Brother's stomach, yanking it sideways, causing vermilion liquid to pour out. A yell of pain tore free from my brother's throat, his face twisted in anguish. He threw his head back in agony, striking it on the wall behind him.

The man grinned sadistically. "I did it," he said. "I broke you."

"You will ne-" Brother began, but was silenced when the man yanked the knife free, only to punch the wound. He released his hold on Brother's blond hair, letting him crumple to the ground, where he lay very still, a pool of blood slowly starting to form.

Again I tried to get to push myself to my feet, but my wounded shoulder gave out. I hit the ground, my battered body screaming in pain. Tears rolled down my cheeks and sobs wracked my body; I felt so helpless! I forced myself back up so I could watch, though the rational part of my mind said not to. I had to see, had to know what happened.

I raised my head in time to see the man reach down and, grasping my brother by the neck, haul him to his feet. The madman turned to look at me, a sardonic smile on his face. "How does it feel?" he asked me. "How does it feel to be watching your brother die, knowing there is nothing you can do about it?" I didn't even open my mouth to respond before he continued. "I know how it feels... And I am glad to know that I am inflicting the same pain upon someone else! This time, I am the murderer, not the helpless bystander! This time, I get my revenge!" With a maniacal laugh, he turned back to Ed, who I could see was barely conscious. "Wake up!" the man snapped, slapping Brother across the face. "Wake up... Don't you want to see your younger brother's hopeless expression? Don't you want to see the tears he sheds for you?"

Ed forced his eyes open, though they were unfocused. After a second, they slid down to fix on the madman's face. "Go... die..." he spat weakly. I knew my brother was losing strength, knew he was dying - I didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

The man punched Ed full in the face, breaking his nose and splitting his lip. He grimaced in pain, but did not cry out. Instead, he spat a mouthful of blood at his tormentor, earning himself a punch to his wounded stomach. This made him give a sharp yelp of pain, causing me to wince in sympathy. I just wanted this to be over, and for my brother to live. I didn't want to see any more wounds or blood!

"I've had enough," the man snarled as he stabbed the knife down into Ed's arm. He left the it embedded there as he wiped the blood off his face. He then wrenched the knife free and traced the knife across Ed's chest. "I am going to finish you!"

"Ah," Ed taunted, though his voice was weak. "But I haven't begged for death yet."

"I don't care!" the maniac hissed. "I will kill you, and I will do it now."

"NO!" I yelled, finally staggering to my feet. Fighting through the veil that pain had layed over my mind, I lurched forward, intent on stopping the man.

"Al!" Ed cried, eyes wide. "Get back! There's nothing you can do!"

"Brother, you can't die! I won't let you die because of me!"

Pushing Ed back so his head thudded heavily against the wall, the man turned around. Behind him, I saw Ed fall to the blood-soaked pavement, face twisted in pain. I tried to run to him, but the man grabbed me by my wounded shoulder, and threw me against the wall opposite Ed. I hit the wall and fell to the wet ground, a yelp of pain escaping from me.

I lay on the ground, dazed, as the man strode back to Brother. "Now, watch carefully, Alphonse," the man said, his voice dark. "Watch as I kill your beloved brother right in front of you. Watch, and experience the same pain I did."

"No..." I whispered. "No, no, no, no, this can't be happening... This isn't real..."

"Oh, but it is," the madman said maliciously. "And there's nothing you can do about it." With that, he lifted my brother by his long hair, and pressed the blade against his exposed throat. "Now, Alphonse," the man said. "Should I slit his throat?" He trailed the knife down to my half-conscious brother's chest. "Or should I stab him in the heart? The choice is your's, Alphonse. Choose how your brother dies."

"I- I-!" I couldn't form a full sentence.

"Better hurry," the sadist in front of me said. "Before he dies of blood loss... Now, don't forget that no matter what you say, he dies, one way or another. There is no hope left. You can make his death swift and painless, or long and draw out. It all depends on what you say. The choice is your's."

Hoarse sobs wracked my beaten body. "I- I can't choose! Don't make me choose!" I begged.

"Ah, but that's the beauty of this! Forcing the survivor to choose how his brother dies..."

"You- You sadist!" I spat, tears still running down my face, the salty drops mingling with the pure rain.

"I know," he replied, a frightening smile adorning his features. "Hurry, Alphonse... He is dying, slowly dying... You can end his suffering now. Just choose."

Silent sobs wracked my weakened body, causing waves of pain to crash over me as I mutely shook my head. "I can't..."

"He's in agony, and you know it's all because of you. You could end it now... All you have to do is choose. Choose how he dies."

I took a deep, shuddering breath. "I can't - I won't!"

"You can and you will." He dropped my brother to the ground, where he lay in a pool of his own lifeblood.

The man began stalking towards me, knife held high, but he didn't make it two steps before bloodied hand closed around his leg. "Y- You promised you wouldn't hurt him," Ed's voice was faint, but I could hear the familiar stubborn edge to it. Just as he finished speaking, he broke into a coughing fit that ended with him spitting up crimson blood. As I saw the vermillion liquid, a feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. My brother wasn't going to last much longer.

The man pretended to think. "Did I?" he asked, voice dripping with false innocence. "I can't seem to remember that..." With that, he tore his leg free from my brother's weak grip and stalked towards me, knife shining with the scarlet of Ed's blood mingling with the falling rain. Pale red drops of the mixture rolled down from the knife's blade to the hilt, then falling to the blood-soaked pavement below.

I tried to get to my feet, but I was too weak. I pushed myself backwards, desperate to get away from the madman, but didn't make it two feet before my back hit a wall. I was trapped. There was nowhere to go. I couldn't get up, couldn't run; I was completely helpless, once again at this sadist's mercy.

The man reached down and grabbed me by the neck, cutting off my air supply, hoisting me up much like he had done to my brother. He harshly forced me back, causing my whole body to thud against the wall behind me, making me to bite my tongue and the irony taste of blood fill my mouth as the already sever pain intensified. The man held me there for a second, a sardonic smile twisting his features, then allowed my feet to touch the ground, thereby making it possible for me to breathe again. "Now, what to do with our young, indecisive Alphonse," he mused, tracing along my face with the tip of the knife blade. I try to glare at him, but know that he can easily see my fear. "Now, now," he cooed. "There's no need to fear me... I won't kill you. I need you to be alive so you can feel my pain." He dragged the knife down my face, still not breaking the skin, and soon I felt the icy kiss of steel on my neck. My pulse quickened as my heart pounded. "But that's not saying I won't cut you up a bit," the sadist continued as he made his way over to my unharmed shoulder, the blade never leaving my skin. He let the blade rest there a moment longer before he began to apply pressure to the blade, once again slowly digging into my skin.

He didn't make it far before a bloodied hand grabbed his wrist. "You said that you wouldn't touch him again," Brother said, an edge of steel to his voice.

I looked at my brother, amazed to see him on his feet. He was in much worse condition than me, and somehow he was standing. "Brother..." I breathed.

"Let him go," Ed said. "I'm the one you want."

The man grinned, madness evident in his eyes, as he let me fall to the ground, where I lay, shaking from both fear and pain. I forced myself to sit up, leaning against the wall so I could remain that way. I then looked up and found the man dragging my bloodied and beaten brother to the other side of the alley. "I don't need two heroes," he spat. Ed opened his mouth to respond, but the man cut off whatever he was going to say but punching him in the ribs so hard that I heard something crack, even from the distance I was at. "You're more trouble then you're worth," the man continued, his voice now conversational as he held the knife over Ed's heart. "So, I am going to kill you." He then turned to look at me. "Don't worry, Alphonse," he cooed. "You don't have to choose how he dies." With that, he plunged the knife into my brother's heart, making Ed cry out in shock and pain. The sadist's maniacal laughter echoed as he yanked out the knife embedded in my brother's heart, causing more scarlet blood to fall to the ground, mingling with the vermillion liquid and rain already there. He then threw my brother to the side, where Ed landed on his back on the wet pavement.

"NOOOO!" I yelled, the horror shocking me enough that I jumped to my feet, so overwhelmed with my emotional pain that I ignored any of the physical. Anger consumed me, and a snarl twisted my features as I charged towards the man, intent on killing him.

His next words stopped me cold in my tracks. "Are you going to waste time trying to hurt me, or are you going to go to your dying brother?"

I froze, eyes wide, anger swiftly draining away. "You... You!" I couldn't think up a name bad enough for him. I shot one last glare in his direction, but worry and fear were overtaking my mind. I then sprinted to my fallen brother, hearing hurried footsteps moving away from us. I knew the sadistic coward had run away. Heart pounding and a sick feeling in my stomach, I rushed to my brother. "Brother," I breathed as I fell to my knees by his side, forgetting about my own injuries as I saw the horrific wound that decorated my brother's chest. The large hole directly over his heart was leaking precious lifeblood onto the wet pavement below. "Ed!" I said a little louder, terrified that he wouldn't respond. I forgot how to breath as I stared down into my brother's pale, bloodstained face.

Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Through the pain-induced fog that clouded my mind, I finally registered that I could see no rise and fall of his chest. Panicking, I leaned forward, ignored my ribs protest as I put my shaking hand over my brother's mouth to feel for any breath. Though I waited for minutes, no breath caressed my skin, not even the slightest sigh. I tried again, and even checked for a pulse, then a heartbeat, not caring that I was getting covered in my brother's blood, but found nothing. Edward Elric had passed on... My brother was dead, and it was all my fault.

I began to cry, my raw sobs echoing down the alley. My broken ribs protested, but I couldn't stop. "Ed," I managed. "I am so sor- sorry... I should've been stronger, should've fought back! I should've done something... If I had, you'd still be alive!" I then began to weep once more, tears streaming down my cheeks and falling onto my brother's cold face below.

I continued to apologize to my brother for an indeterminable amount of time, crying all the while. Finally, my body gave out, and I collapsed onto my brother's corpse below, semi-conscious. My body was wracked with sobs, but not a sound escaped me. My mind was foggy, and my vision hazy. All I could see was red- the red of my own blood, the red of my brother's blood. Tears and rain streamed down my face, mingling with both the fresh and the partly dried lifeblood that speckled it. I silently weeped, my whole body pulsing with pain as it shook. Black spot danced across my vision, and I welcomed them, allowing myself to sink into the depths of unconsciousness that sheltered me from the harsh reality- for a time, at least. Eventually I had to awaken, had to face life again.

The rest of the day was a blur. I don't remember anything else... I just remember repeating to myself over and over, "He's dead. I can't believe it. He's really dead."

Now here I am, by my brother's grave, wondering how I will continue to live on. I have no one left, no family, and my friends don't know how to act around me anymore. I don't know where to go, or what to do. I can't go home; I don't have a home left without any family. I don't want to return to my house; it doesn't feel right without Ed around. I have no one left, and have nowhere to go. I have nothing.

My name is Alphonse Elric, and I am alone in the world.

Fin.

{Alternate Death Scene}

I froze, eyes wide, anger swiftly draining away. "You... You!" I couldn't think up a name bad enough for him. I shot one last glare in his direction, but worry and fear were overtaking my mind. I then sprinted to my fallen brother, hearing hurried footsteps moving away from us. I knew the sadistic coward had run away. Heart pounding and a sick feeling in my stomach, I rushed to my brother. "Brother," I breathed as I fell to my knees by his side. The large hole in his chest was leaking precious lifeblood onto the wet pavement below. "Ed!" I said a little louder, terrified that he wouldn't respond. I forgot how to breath as I stared down into my brother's pale, bloodstained face. I could faintly hear his labored breathing over the sound of pouring rain.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, but in reality I knew to be a few seconds, my brother stirred, his golden eyes opening halfway. "Al," he breathed, the coughed, blood trickling down his chin.

"Brother," I said, feeling tears streaming down my face. "I'm so sorry, I should've been stronger, I should've fought back, I should've-"

Edward cut me off, his voice weak, eyes filled with pain. "Al, it's not your fault. I made the decision... And the only thing I regret is that I now have to leave you here alone." He tried to give me a small smile, but it ended up as a grimace of pain.

I begin to sob, my whole body shaking. I felt my shoulder throb with pain and my ribs protest, but I ignored it. My torment was nothing compared to my elder brother's agony. "Ed," I managed. "Don't worry, you'll be fine, we'll get you some help!" Inwardly, I knew that I was lying to both of us. There was no chance of Ed surviving. Even if we did manage get help in time, with his wounds, the chances of his living was little to none.

Apparently, Edward knew that as well. "Al," he said, his already weak voice even fainter.

"I know I am dying, and I accept it." I opened my mouth the protest, to tell him to fight, to not give up this easily, but he silenced my with a look. "Al, don't argue with me. I am happy to die knowing that I saved you."

Tears poured down my face as I tried to formulate a coherent answer. "Brother," I sobbed. "Don't die! Please, don't leave me here alone!"

Ed looked at me, his pain-filled eyes sad. "I'm sorry, Al," he breathed, coughing up more vermillion blood. "I'm so... sorry that I have to... leave you..." his eyes began to close, and I knew that my brother was nearly dead. "Goodbye, Al..." My brother spoke his last words and exhaled one last time, and he was gone. Edward Elric had passed on.

"NOOOOOO! BROTHER!" My cry of torment and overwhelming sadness echoed down the alley way as I threw myself onto my brother's still-warm corpse. I lay there, sobbing for a long time before anyone found us.