Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Unknown Sacrifice ❯ Switch ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Uniasus

Finally, the last chapter! I'm done!!!! So, this is another ending for the story, and one that I actually like better. But, you guys all voted for the other one, so I gave it to you.

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Unknown Sacrifice

AU from Manga chapter 35

Chapter 12 - Switch

You don't think your brother is in his coma because the link between your bodies was severed do you? Hawkeye's words kept echoing in his mind. Your brother is in his coma because the link between your bodies was severed. Her outlandish theory was gaining merit with each and every passing day.

Al, fully flesh, was sitting at his brother's bedside, holding Edward's right hand. It was metal, and cold to the touch, unresponsive to anything that was done to it: a stroke, a pinch, or a stab with a needle. Well, all of his brother was unresponsive at the moment. The appendage in Al's hand was cold like Ed's other one, but with a deeper chill that could only be attributed to the metal.

Alphonse turned the hand over and over in his own hands, marveling at the feeling of it against his skin; the frigidness it contained that was fading as his hands warmed the automail, the smoothness of the palm, and the small dents that snagged his traveling fingers on the knuckles. He could not help but wonder if that was what he had felt like to his brother, not that he had any hopes of asking him that moment.

Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, had been in a coma for nine months. It was uncanny; most blood-loss induced comas were much shorter. Of course, Al knew why his brother was still stuck in darkness, as well as the rest of Mustang's crew. It was his fault. Because he got his body back, Ed's, which had lived for the both of them, went under. The connection between the suit of armor and the alchemist's body was what made both of them functional since they had seen the Gate.

It was all Al's fault. If he had not gotten his body back than Ed would be up and around, attacking people who called him short and getting into all sorts of trouble. And Al would be with him the whole time, a clanking suit of armor. They would not be in this sterile hospital room, decorated with faded yellow curtains and get-well cards from Elsyia. Ed would not be in need of a constant IV or a respirator. Al would not be human.

But if he had to be human at the expense of his brother's life…Alphonse did not like that idea. He hated to think that his body was returned to him at the expensive of anybody, and here two lives went into it. Scar, and his own brother.

The staff at the military kept telling Al that none of it was his fault. Who had that kind of foresight to know this was going to happen? Any of it, from the kidnapping to the exchange of bodies to the unmoving blonde. He should not blame himself, none of it was his fault. The only thing the he could do was move forward, using his new found legs.

But was the point of legs if there was no one to walk with? No, Al could not move forward, not when his brother was lying here stagnant. It would be better to have hallow legs than ones of bones and sinew if it meant that he would not be alone. For some things were just more important then the ability to feel the warmth of basking in the sun or the pain of brain-freeze. The possession of someone to share things with, the feeling that you will never be alone, in all—a happy soul. For Al's was dying as surly as cells in his body.

Roy peeked in, and then decided to come back later. Al was in the room with Edward, playing with his automail hand like it knew the answer to not only to this life, but others as well. It was best not to disturb Al when he was brooding. One never got a response, and it was starting to scare him. When visitor hours were over, it was not uncommon to find Al pooling of books and notes of alchemy, particularly his brother's. Apparently, the shorter Elric had come up with quite a code.

Personally, Roy was glad it was a tough one. As much as he would love to know what Ed had discovered and theorized, the colonel knew what was driving Al's pursuit of knowledge. Guilt. It was so evident that it was eating the young boy, and Roy - no, his entire staff- were worried that he would take drastic measures to `fix' things. And as much as having a healthy Ed around would be wonderful, it was quite possible both brothers would not survive the attempt.

They all talked to Al of course, to take his mind off of such things, to get him away from something that might only cause more pain. They tried to keep him busy too, so he had no time for research. But Al was an Elric, and it was becoming evident that stubbornness ran through the family. He refused to give up, and had even gotten Roy to get him books from Central's library. Mustang still had not figured out how the blonde managed that.

Visits from Winry had comforted the blonde somewhat, and pushed the idea from his mind during the duration of her stay. Al could remember the look of horror on his friend's face when he had showed up at her house that night, Ed bleeding from his missing limbs in his hollow hands. Her presence in Central made him stop pursuing his current brainwave, but as soon as she had left the blonde had returned to his books. Sometimes, Roy wondered if he should call her with a request to visit.

Al knew it had to be soon. While Ed was being sustained via an IV in the hospital, he had still lost weight that the blonde couldn't afford to lose. No muscle, pale almost translucent skin, if Ed woke up this second Alphonse doubted he would have the shoulder strength to lift his automail. It pained him to see his brother this way, but Al was almost there. He had the theory, the arrays, all he needed was a power boost, and Al thought he might have it. He just needed a homunculus.

Al knew that they were created with help from the Philosopher's Stone, though he wasn't exactly sure how. That being the case, he had investigated into Juliet Douglas, the Furor's secretary that had always given him an odd feeling when she passed. What he found was surprising. Juliet Douglas had died two years before Ishval, there was a grave stone to prove it. Strangely, her name was still listed as on active duty, and she was even reported to play a part in the Ishval war. How could someone who died still be alive, and manage to land a job at the Furor's side? On top of that, the Juliet Douglas who worked in Central HQ could not have been over 35, while the records show that she had been in service for at least 50 years. It had to be her, Al decided. Juliet Douglas was a fake person whose current identity was a homunculus. She was the one who would fix things.

This is crazy. I'm hiding in a women's bathroom! And yet despite the lunacy of it all, Al could not talk himself out of his plan. It was the one and only way for Edward to normal again, for them to be together.

He was waiting for her. This was the closest restroom to her office, when she had to go, he would ambush her and steal her Stone. It was only now that he was here hiding in a stall did the faults of his plan become apparent. Did homunculi even go to the bathroom? He had never really seen one eat before, although the one called Gluttony sure talked about it often enough. But surely, Juliet Douglas would at least walk into the bathroom to keep up the appearance that she's human, right?

The squeak of the door hinges singled that someone had entered the bathroom, and through the break between the stall's door and wall Al identified the person as his target. He opened the door.

Juliet turned around. “You! This is a female restroom!”

“You have something I need.”

“Oh, and what's that?”

“The Philosopher's Stone in your chest.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” How did could this boy figure it out, and still be alive? The others who had gotten close had been killed. Juliet was starting to panic, did he take out the others?

“I think you do.” Al pressed his hands to the array on the floor he had drawn in lemon juice, unable to be noticed when dry. Juliet found her limbs encased in tile hands, and before she could break out of them a fifth one pierced her chest. When it retracted, so did her bindings. She collapsed on to the ground, gasping for air.

Al started at his fist. The Stone was clasped inside, pulsing slightly. He did it; he had the Philosopher's Stone. To be truthful, he did not know if he could have gotten it. He was no match for a homunculus and had to rely completely on his element of surprise. But at least he did it. Soon now, everything was going as planned.

It was getting late, but Hawkeye decided to pay a visit to Edward before she left. She did not know exactly what good it did, but Dr. Gream said talking to coma patients could help. So she made a point to visit about once a week, to catch the blonde up on the week's events. Well, as least her version of it. She knew the colonel stopped in a little more frequently than she did, and the others would pop by from time to time too.

She also went for Alphonse's sake. It wasn't uncommon for him to be in the room with Ed, but a young boy needed more company than a comatose brother. Maybe she would be able to convince him to come join her for dinner tonight.

The first thing she noticed was a loud, flapping noise. Edward's room was usually very quite. Afterall, Ed could not talk and Alphonse did not engage in that activity. She also quickly noted the lack of the soft noise she had become accustomed with, the beeping of the machines the alchemist was connected to.

The noise was the curtains flaring in the wind from the open window, and the machines were not beeping because Edward was gone.

Her eyes grew alarmed and she rushed to the window, gun drawn, to see if she could see anything suspicious. Nothing. She than ran to the nurse's station, demanding to see who was the last person to see Edward. She should have, really she should have, but she did not want to believe it. The name right above hers was Alphonse Elric.

“Call Colonel Mustang, now!”

The poor nurse could only jump and obey. The poor thing was so frazzled she dropped the phone twice before Hawkeye took the phone from her and made the call herself.

“Flame Alchemist.”

“Colonel, Alphonse took Edward.”

He had set it up the night before, engraving the array and finding a suitable suit of armor. Carefully, Al laid his brother down on the warehouse floor. He was glad he was doing this now. Carrying his brother had been no effort at all, despite the automail limbs. And Al was not athletic. Ed's body could not have lasted much longer.

Alphonse took his time leaving his brother. He caressed Ed's hand with his own before moving it to his face. He then did the same with the automail limb. Fingers brushed though the lax golden hair, then drifted lower and followed the curve of his brother's face. He was memorizing how Ed felt, since once he was again incased in metal that sense would be lost to him. Bending close, Al took in the other's scent. Despite the strong forefront smells of the hospital, Ed still had a hint of his old scent clinging to him. Oil from the automail, grass from falling all the time while sparring, and ink and paper from writing down his theories and other stuff. Al stood up, eyes closed, making sure everything was there in his head.

With one last look at his brother's body, Al made his way to his own place in the array. He looked out of a window across him, now recalling how other things felt and smelled, comparing them all to Ed. The teen was glad it was not raining, it would have reminding him too much of what started all this.

Al shook his head. Its going to work, he told himself. Its been done before. I've seen it. Its going to work. He placed his hands on array, the Philosopher's Stone between them.

They could not see the glow at first. The sun was setting and everything looked like it was lit up. They only found the place because the light never left this particular warehouse, even as the rosy pinks faded into deep plum.

Al was smart, to pick sunset as the time to start the transmutation. He was even smarter to pick a warehouse that was not built of wood. Mustang could not burn down the door, and Al had locked it up tight from inside. Hawkeye also refused to launch bullets in the door. She did not know where the lock was, and was hesitant about firing for fear her misjudgment would result with a bullet in on of the Elrics.

As of now, they were waiting. Fuery and Brenda had left to fetch Major Armstrong. The glowing building in front of them seemed to be laughing at them, if that were possible. At least they had not heard any screams yet.

Again, Al was surrounded by whiteness. However, this time he had a body. After a moment of adjustment, Al began to see the somewhat fuzzy outlines of the Gate appearing. And in front of them, his back toward Al, stood a blurry figure. Judging by the gold blob on the figure's head, it had to be Edward.

“Brother!”

“He can't hear you.”

Al turned around, finding himself facing the same bodiless persona as before.

“His soul is trapped in the gate.”

“I've come to get it back.”

“And what will you give up?”

Al remained standing, if anything a little straighter.

“Hoho! You want to exchange your newfound humandom? You want things back how they were?” The specter had a good laugh at this, before calming down. “Very well. Actually, it is a fair trade. Just one thing.”

Al squinted his eyes as a flash he could not see emitted from his left. Turning, he was greeted with the sight of his brother's body and the armor he brought side by.

“A blood seal is needed to bond you to the armor you know.” The figure handed Al a knife. “It has to be his blood.”

Al gulped. “I-I- know that.” Tentatively, he wrapped his fingers around the weapon. He kneeled besides his brother, planning on cutting his finger and making the array with it.

“Just so you know,” the Gate-being interrupted, “After this, it can't be reversed. You'll never be human again.”

“I know that too.” Al's voice held no hesitation, no regret. He had come to his decision and nothing would change it. With that said, he slashed Edward's index finger and used it to draw the array inside of armor in a location similar to the original. As soon as it was finished, things started going black. The figure in front of the Gate disappeared, the Gate opened, and Alphonse was ripped apart.

He did not recognize the ceiling. And was that…moonlight streaming in from a window? Weren't they supposed be underground? The last thing he remember was light, searing light, and pain so severe he had wished himself dead.

Eyes still staring at the ceiling, he moved his fingers. He felt the engraved marking of an array. Quickly, he shut his eyes. What ever the transmutation had resulted in, he was sure he did not want to see it.

“Brother?” The voice was high, tinny, Al's voice, and thick with worry.

“Al?” Edward opened his eyes, and tried to push his upper body up to find his brother. The only thing was, his human arm failed him. As soon as he put weight on it, it collapsed, bring the rest of him down with it. He hissed in pain as his head hit the floor.

“Brother!”

Opening his eyes from his wince, the blonde saw a suit of armor leaning over him.

“Al? Why's your armor different?”

“Oh Brother!” Ed found himself pulled upright and forced into a hug.

“Al! You're crushing me!”

“Oh, sorry!” Al released him, watching his brother carefully in his new upright position. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel really light headed, and weak. But that doesn't answer my question. Why are you in that armor?”

BOOM! The door went flying off it hinges, landing several meters short of the brothers.

“AL!” Roy stormed in, panic and worry etched on not only his but the rest of his company's faces.

“Bastard! What do you think you're doing, bursting in like ---this…” Ed trailed off as he slumped to the ground. He had stood up to give his commanding officer a piece of his mind, but a combination of flashing lights behind his eyes from standing up to fast, his headache, and the fact that his leg couldn't support him sent him crashing down.

“Brother!” Al caught him before could collide the cement floor.

Ed's outburst startled the doorbreakers. All those in military blue froze on the spot. Ed? Talking? Standing? Wait…not standing. The blonde's collapse released them from their stupor.

“Alphonse…” Hawkeye breathed before rushing to the armor's side. Quickly she checked Edward's pulse. It was strong and steady, a great improvement from his condition early that day.

“What. Did. You. Do.” Colonel Roy Mustang stood behind his first lieutenant, fuming at Al. “Do you know the risks you took? What if something happened? What if he got killed? What if both of you got killed?” he continued yelling at Alphonse until Hawkeye stopped him, motioning to Ed and to not wake him.

“I knew I was taking risks.” Alphonse could not look at those assembled before him, instead he focused on Edward's sleeping face. “But I was positive it would work, and I couldn't see him like that all the time. Its better this way. You don't know what its like there. Its better to have a body trapped in the Gate than a soul! I couldn't leave him there…” the teen trailed off, drawing Edward nearer to him.

“Alphonse…” Fuery took a step forward, but Mustang stopped him.

“Still that was very stupid. How did you power the transmutation? Where did you get the Philosopher's Stone from?”

“The Furor's secretary.” Al responded in small voice. “She was a homunculus.”

It took a couple moments for that to sink in. “What?” asked Mustang.

“She was a homunculus.”

Roy grabbed at his hair at the lunacy of it all. “You mean to tell me—“

“Uh, Colonel?” Havoc interrupted “Don't you think we should take Edward to the hospital before we talk about all this?”

All eyes drifted to the form in Al's arms. “Yeah, you're right. Falman, can you see if you can get Dr. Fray to met us at the hospital?”

“Sure thing Colonel.” Falman left to find a phone.

Roy sighed, looking at Al. “I'm just glad…you're both alright. We'll talk about this later.” He turned and strode out of the warehouse, the others falling into step behind him. Al brought up the rear, holding Edward tightly and trying to shield him from the wind that started to pick up.

Everything would be fine now. They were together again, both fully able to function to the best of their abilities. Who knew what they would do now, there really was no longer a reason to stay in the military, but Al could not see the two of them settling down quite yet. Oh well, things would work it. It would all work out.

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Goodness! This story has taken quite some time to complete, and I probably could have finished it sooner if only I hadn't been so lazy. But its done! Yea!! throws confetti and passes out cookies and cake Party!

Thanks a bunch to my beta Smoe, and my sister Stephi who not only encourged me to write this story but would submit me to death glares if I had updated in a timely matter. And thank you also to all my readers. Truely, its the reviewers that make it all worth it. I love seeing that people enjoy my work, that its not a waste of web space. Thank you all?

If you guys still have questions about the story, just let me know and I'll try to answer them for you! And remember, this story was a mix between the anime and manga, but mostly the manga. That might clear up some things.

So thanks for reading everyone.

Uni

PS. So so sorry! *starts sobbing* I had this story wrapped up ages ago and just didn't post it here. And by ages I mean more than just a few months. Try….2 years? *ducks* Sorry! And that's why these last three chapters went up real quick. From now on, I'll try to be more prompt.