Lines That Shouldn't be Crossed

It was raining. Edward Elric looked over at the hulking suit of armor beside him. "Come on, Al. We've got to meet Colonel Mustang for our report." Ed's little brother got up from the bench where he was sitting, and started out the door of the train station and toward the street. Ed was deep in thought. So many thoughts were in his mind, and none of them made any sense.1

"Brother," Al said, "I can't believe he's gone. Even though the funeral was three weeks ago I still don't believe it. Colonel Hughes was a kind and gentle man. Why would anyone kill him?"2

"I don't know. And it's General. He got a posthumous promotion. He was buried as a Brigadier General."3

"He deserved it. The promotion, I mean. How's his family taking it?"4

"Hard. Very hard, especially his daughter."5

And so the two Elric brothers walked on in the rain.6

Two weeks later...7

"Al, do you remember that night in Lior, when I said that there were certain lines that shouldn't be crossed?" asked Ed as he sat in the freshly rebuilt Central Library. They were, for the millionth time, poring over the complete works of the Crystal Alchemist, Doctor Marcoh. It was Ed's mission in life to find a way to put him and his brother back to normal. They'd tried to bring their mother back to life, and had failed. All they got was a hideously deformed body, and that wasn't the half of it. Ed had lost his left leg in the reaction. And Al was worse off. he had lost his entire body, and his sould was being sucked into the underworld. Ed gave up his right arm to try and save Al, and managed to bind Al's sould to a suit of armor. In essence, the armor was Al's new body. They found out the hard way that certain lines should never be crossed. Ed dedicated his life to finding a way to fix it. He and Al had been trying to track down the Philosopher's Stone, a gem which allowed an alchemist to disregard the fundamental principle of alchemy, the very same principle that they'd forgotten to take into account bringing their mom back, equivalent exchange. They had at one point nearly had a philosopher's stone. But they couldn't make it. The key ingredient was human beings. They couldn't do it. And no other way to create a stone existed. It was human life or no stone. And no stone meant no bodies. But Ed had a plan.8

Al walked over. "Yes, Ed."9

Ed stood. "Well, we seem to have no other choice but to cross one of those lines. Follow me and I'll explain."10

"Alright."11

They walked out of the library and down the street. "Al, you know I want more than anything to give you your body back. You also know that I blame myself for the botched reaction that took your body."12

"Brother, you don't have to blame yourself."13

"But I do. And now that we know the secret of making a Philosopher's Stone, we can't in good conscience use it. So I have a plan. I've researched it thoroughly and it should work." By then they'd reached a warehouse in the south the town. Ed opened it, and led Al inside. On the bare concrete floor was a huge, complex transmutation circle.14

"What's this for?" Al asked.15

"A transmutation. We're getting your body back. but you and I will be in the circle and not on the edge."16

"In it? Isn't that where the raw-" Al's throat caught as he realized.17

"Yes, Al. A human transmutation. To get your body, you'll need a body as a raw material. You'll be using me. You'll be in the circle so your soul will attach."18

"But Brother! You'll DIE in the reaction! I can't let you die!"19

"It's the only way Al! The only way you'll ever be human again! Now do it!"20

"Brother..."21

Two hours later...22

Colonel Roy Mustang was sitting in his office when his door opened and Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye escorted the child in. He was tall, blonde, and looked as if he'd been crying. The boy spoke. "Colonel Mustang, I am here to deliver some things." He laid a letter and a silver pocketwatch on the table. The watch was one issued as a badge to State Alchemists. Roy read the letter. As he fininshed, Hawkeye thought she detected a tear in his eye.23

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, please escort Al to the dorms."24

"Al?"25

"Yes, Riza. This is Alphonse Elric. His brother Edward finally got him his body back. Although it seems that Ed did not survive the reaction. Get me Graves Registration, and then Fuhrer Bradley."26