Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Veritas Hominum ❯ Little Brother ( Chapter 7 )

Little Brother

 

Al was… happy. Without him. His little brother had gone off and began a new life without him. It felt like his insides had tangled themselves up into knots.

 

After everything Ed had gone through to bring his little brother back to his normal self, he has the gall to go off and be happy!?

 

“Don't be upset,” said Winry. “He doesn't remember anything.”

 

“Nothing at all?” Ed asked, shaking with shock and anger.

 

“Ed, you returned him to his body. But he aged four years without his body, and so when you gave it back to him, he went back to being a ten-year-old.” She looked away, continuing to speak quietly, “He doesn't even remember you trying to bring your mother back.”

 

Ed only stared. How could Al not remember that? When he was young he had taken solace in the fact that his brother had shared in his sins, thusly if he returned Al to his normal body, then his sins would be absolved.

 

He paid for his brother in fifteen long years in a strange place, and now that he was finally home, the powers that be still weren't finished with him. His brother not only couldn't remember their four years of hell as they traveled in search of the Philosopher's Stone, he couldn't even remember why they were searching in the first place.

 

He felt the tears begin to slide down his face, but he chose to ignore them. A warm hand covered his own and he looked up into Winry's sad eyes.

 

“I should be happy for him,” he said, struggling to keep his resolve, but it was crumbling. “A State Alchemist and a Minister in the Parliament. It's more than I ever could have done.”

 

Winry never imagined she'd ever witness her childhood friend cry. He had always appeared so strong, like nothing could stand in his way, even when he was young. But when he crumpled to the floor sobbing, the only thing she could think to do was wrap her arms around him and rock back and forth like he was a small child.

 

After he'd fallen asleep curled up on her lap, she thanked whatever being was in charge of the universe that when he had finally broken down, she had been there for him.