Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Our Brothers ❯ Masterpiece ( Chapter 4 )

Our Brothers

By: joyfulmusic

 

I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. None of it… Ain't that just so sad?

Warnings: A few small spoilers. There are some thoughts of suicide, and there will be an eating disorder... or two.

 

Chapter 4 Masterpiece

 

It did take a while, though not as long as I thought it would. Within a week there was a ten-year-old boy standing before me in shorts and a loose shirt. He was around the average height for his age. His hair was normal but his eyes were empty. Another thing which was strange was his skin. It was that of a newborn baby.

 

“It'll start to look more normal once he's used it a while.” Clemont brushed the body's cheek. “Might sunburn easily though. You'll have to watch out for that. But in all, it's my best creation ever.” He was wearing a broad smile, like a painter when the canvas was full.

 

“But.” Al was a little anxious now. We'd kept him from everyone except Lori, whom I knew would never tell anyone. “How do I get in it?”

 

I shrugged and turned to this great artist. “Well Clem? How do we get him into it?”

 

“It should work,” He picked up Al from the table and put a hand to his chin. He always did that while thinking. “If the soul were attached to the body in some way... Perhaps if we looped you on a chain then put it around the neck.”

 

I nodded and took off a strong silver necklace my father had given me on my sixteenth birthday. It was heavy and dad felt, if need be, it could double for a weapon against guy who got too insistent. Though, my fist seemed to have worked just as well.

 

“How are you going to attach it to Al?” I was worried he'd want to drill a hole through the metal, which, of course, he did.

 

“What?” He asked, drill in hand and ready to start.

 

I grabbed Al away quickly. “You can't just do that! If the seal is broken he's a goner. Figure out something else!” I screeched at him with alarm in my voice.

 

Lori had come down to see her husband's newest creation. “Oh my.” She stepped back upon seeing the shell of a child. She took a moment to walk around the body, studying it closely. “Is this him?”

 

“Yes but now we need a way to attach the soul.” Her husband was scratching his head thoughtfully. “If you'd just let me make a little hole in…” Then he looked up to me. It was the look of a young boy trying to explain his reasoning to his mother.

 

“What about this?” Lori held out a compact, which had glass top so. It was see-through and latched with a key. “Alphonse should be able to fit in here.”

 

I nodded and gratefully took the gift. Sure drill a hole in the kid Clem. That's just what he needs! That's why this guy needs Lori, for common sense.

 

 

“Give it an extra day honey, before you try.” Lori was comforting her husband who was sitting on a stool. Her hand stroked his back. It was late and she knew he needed rest.

 

“But what about Alphonse?” Clemont was impatient but knew he still needed to make sure the body would survive overnight. It had only just been completed that morning. Something could still go wrong. We knew it would be better, should a problem occur, if Al was not already inside.

 

“We can wait.” The child offered, sounding more like a grownup.

 

I nodded then told the couple goodnight before heading upstairs. My ears could still hear them speaking as I rounded the corner of the stone steps. It was summer outside, but this far underground the air was always cold.

 

“Ona?” Al whispered as I made it back into the library.

 

“Hush now.” I murmured, creeping into the hall. The stairs up to the second floor had only one turn in them. A gate was at both the top and bottom for the safety of the children. The room I was staying in was actually part of the attic. None of the townspeople would know when this house had company. It was too much of a hazard.

 

 

“Alright Al.” I said, pulling up the hidden stairway that was concealed in one of the linen closets.

 

It was a small room with two twin beds pushed together. A table stood at the foot of one and on that a lamp. There were no pictures or radios. Some boxes lined the walls. If the authorities ever found the room, it would simply look as though things were being stored.

 

“Does it look alright?” His voice was wavering, just a little. “I mean, will I look… normal?”

 

I flopped down on one of the beds and smiled. At least I could hear him through Lori's compact, where he now was. “Yes Alphonse. It looks just fine. You'll look a lot like your brother.” He didn't say anything, which worried me. “You know we'll find him. Don't you?”

 

“Yes Ona, but…” He was worried about something. “What if… what if he doesn't want me, cuz I won't be me.”

 

My brow furrowed with concern. This child wanted so much to be accepted, and worried about it more than I ever had. “Don't worry. He'll love you no matter what. That's what family does.”

 

Then I thought to myself of what he'd been through. Of course he'd worry about being accepted. How accepted can a child be as a large suit of armor? Though his brother must have really cared about him…still, being alone all those years, in a void, buried by time and dirt. It must have been hard on him.

 

“Hey Al,” I sat up. “When we get you attached to that body we'll go to the park. You know, just to give you time to get used to walking and all again.” I tried to sound cheery. “Then when we do find Edward you can tackle him!”

 

The young boy laughed. “Yeah! But…” His voice softened. “What will you do then? When we find brother?”

 

The thought hadn't crossed my mind. I was moving one step at a time to keep from being swept away with possibilities. What will I do then? I want to help take care of him, but it's not really my place. I guess it just depends.

 

I sighed heavily. “I don't know Al, it all depends on how things go I guess.” I turned to look at the fragment where I'd set him on the nightstand. Soon he'll be walking and be able to see, smell and taste. He'll be a little boy again.

 

Then my thoughts turned in another direction. He's really only a year younger than I am. That means that Edward will be a lot older than him now. But there's nothing I can do about that. He has the mind of a ten year old. It would be wrong to force him into the body of a young adult.

 

 

I didn't sleep well that night. Thoughts of Edward Elric were haunting my mind. I feared he may have committed suicide. Without telling Al I'd read what different newspapers had reported on Fullmetal's resignation.

 

The famous Fullmetal Alchemist retires due to brother's death.

Fullmetal vanishes in to thin air! Will he be found alive?

State alchemist, young prodigy, is he now a victim of suicide?

Red coat of Fullmetal found in river, no trace of body recovered.

 

The reports swam through my mind and pierced my heart. I could see visions of him speaking to me from beyond the grave.

 

“Why didn't you find him sooner? You could have saved me.” The man's voice was bone chilling. “You played in that field when you were still a child. If only you had found him sooner.”

 

 

“Wait!” I screamed, coming out of the dream. Sweat dripped from my face and my eyes were wide. Switching on the light I found myself in the attic of my old friends' home. What am I doing here?