And, also per usual, I need a title for this series. >.>
And this is before both "Home" and "Coping." Hence why Al's still around.))
Sacrifice
Written By - Stripe
Written By - Stripe
"Put that thing down!" Came Edward's shout as he followed a crazed man up the stairs of an abandoned building. Or, what was supposedly abandoned. For about two years now, it had served as the holding area of a devastating bomb. A devasting bomb that Edward and Alphonse were trying to stop.
Al was only a few paces behind his brother on the stairs, stumbling ocassionally from going too fast. To tell the truth, he was increbiley worried about this bomb. And not about it blowing other people up, but blowing them up as they were trying to keep it from doing the former. The guy they were chasing wasn't quite in his right mind. If he were to set that bomb off now, the entire building would go down. Regardless, he would follow his brother, no matter what happened.
In fact, following his brother turned out to be somewhat painful as he made a sudden stop, making Al run straight into his back. It didn't take long for the younger Elric to find out why. The madman was holding out the bomb in his hand, a wide, maniacal grin similar to that of Shou Tucker spread across his face. Slowly, he let it drop to the ground...
Instinctively, Alphonse clapped his hands. It was an automatic reaction - something he still hadn't gotten rid of despite the three years he'd spent here. As he was about the drop his hands and turn and run, he remembered the reason alchemy didn't work in this world. It was because it didn't get the proper energy that Amestris did. But certainly that bomb would create enough energy to preform just one transmutation...
And Al knew exactly what transmutation it would be.
Instead of pressing his hands to the ground to create a barrier, he pressed them against Edward's back. Human alchemy. It would open the gate, which would bring them back home. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Al was able to see the bomb sluggishly explode, and as the first shockwave hit them, he could feel the transmutation beginning to take effect.
He smiled. They were going home!
And, very suddenly, the two brothers were no longer standing on a set of stairs. Instead, they found themselves engulfed by a completely white area with seemingly no end. Only one other thing resided in this sea of white
The Gate.
"Al... what did you do?" came Edward's choked voice. He obviously hadn't been expecting this to happen. Al wouldn't have been expecting it either, apart from the fact that he was the one who set off the transmutation
"I opened The Gate! We can go home now and-" the younger brother cut himself off, his grin suddenly fading. He wasn't sure how he knew - maybe The Gate was sending him the information itself - but he suddenly realized that the energy from the bomb alone wouldn't send them through. It may have opened the gate, but they still needed a passage fee. An arm or a leg wouldn't be enough to send them across. No, The Gate was still demanding the laws of Equivilant Exchange be followed. Meaning...
Al gulped. At one point he would have given up anything to go back home, to see Winry and Auntie Pinako and everybody else in Amestris again. And he was almost ready to jump through those large brown doors, telling them to take whatever they wanted, as long as he was able to go back home.
But he knew what they would take. The cost to send one person through was one person.
It wouldn't be fair to Edward.
Alphonse felt his heart fall. Who was more important to the world? The FullMetal Alchemist or his younger brother? Which brother was the one the military would be happiest to see again? Which brother was the one who could make the most difference in the world? Which brother deserved to go back more?
Which brother did Winry miss the most?
As embarassed as he was to admit it, Al had found himself with a small crush on their childhood friend. He guess he had known it even when he was in the armor. Yet, with the way Winry had acted around Edward, or with the way her tone changed whenever he was mentioned, Alphonse knew it was one battle he had lost long ago.
And, as Al began walking towards the large Gate, he knew he'd never see her or his brother again. He'd never see anyone again, would he? Or would the gate be kind enough to let him see his mother? Izumi? Hughes?
Despite himself, Al could feel a tear streaming down his cheek. He didn't want to die. Not yet. This was too soon. There was still so much he had wanted to do...
But it wouldn't be fair to Edward. He had been here for six years, he deserved to go back. More so than Al.
Al stopped a few paces in front of The Gate and turned around to face his brother one last time, somehow managing to force a smile.
"Say "hi" to Winry for me."
In his brief glimpse noticed Edward had taken a few steps forward as well, and he caught the look of mixed shock and horror on his brother's face before turning back around to face the now-open Gate.
"What!? Al, No!" Edward yelled, now apparently understanding what he planned to do. Al took a deep breath. It was now or never. Ignoring his older brother's cries, he covered the few feet left between him and the open Gate.
"Take me in return for my brother's safe pasage," he said, voice barely above a whisper. Al felt another tear stream down his cheek. He didn't want to die.
But he had to. For his brother's sake. If this was Equivilant Excahnge, then so be it.
Black, tendril like hands shot out and grabbed onto Al's shoulders, dragging him into the nothingness beyond. Alphonse didn't struggle at all, not like the other times he been here. He could still hear his brother shouting his name, even though it was all for nothing. It was all too late now. The decision had been made.
"AL! ALPHONSE!" The shouts slowly faded out as did the blinding whiteness. However, Al wasn't left with nothing. Pictures, knowledge, information, all of it was being pounded into his head at rapid fire rates, just like when he'd tried with Edward to revive their mother.
Al didn't know where he was. He didn't know whether he was standing up or lying down, whether there was even a ceiling or a floor. Anything. But despite all of that, he smiled.
He knew everything was going to turn out fine.
