The Tin Man
Oh my, what's this? I wrote a fic!! O_O Crazy, ne? This is only the first part to what I hope may be a long fic. ^^; I needed the break from my novel, that's for sure. Anywho, I'm only going to post this here and in
55themes because I want to see what kind of response it gets, and I hope to have a few more installments finished. This was inspired by "The Tin Man" by Kenny Chesney. Lyrics can be found here. Now, for the main event...
Title: The Tin Man
Word Count: 1,877
Genre: Heading towards angst
Summary: AU. This is set after episode 51, like the movie never happened. Ed returns Al to his body, but Al can't remember anything from the last four years.
For those that have not seen the whole series, there MAY BE spoilers. Proceed with caution.
Please read and review!
I opened my eyes and smiled at the shapeless white clouds drifting overhead. I was laying on my back in the soft green grass, listening to the gurgle of the little stream as it wound its way past my resting place. I came to this spot every time Ed went to work, trying to coax myself into remembering the years I had missed out on.
Life was very confusing for me at that point in time. I remembered going to sleep after we tried to transmute Mother, tired and upset. When I woke up, I was laying in an unfamiliar bed in a strange room. The bleak white walls, glaring lights, and starchy sheets made me think of a hospital room, and as my eyes focused on the doctor and nurses standing around me, I knew that’s where I had to be.
“Where am I?” I asked, sitting up. My body felt stiff and numb, almost to the point of being unresponsive. “Where’s Edward?”
The man I had correctly labeled as the doctor came around to the side of the bed, a clipboard in one hand. “You’re in the military hospital in Central,” the doctor explained. “I’m Doctor Greyson. How are you feeling?”
I looked at my hand, the smooth, creamy skin marred by the IV protruding from it. “I feel weak. It’s like I have to concentrate really hard to move and talk.” My words sounded slurred and unfamiliar, and the doctor scribbled something onto the clipboard. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised.
I felt very helpless as I looked at all the hospital personnel and military people standing around the foot of my bed. There was an identical expression of awe on every face. I wanted to shrink into those stiff white sheets and disappear. “Where’s Edward?” I repeated.
Doctor Greyson didn’t look up from his notes. “He’s sleeping. He’s in the next room over with Mustang. Don’t worry, Hawkeye’s making sure they don’t kill each other.”
Mustang? Hawkeye? The names were unfamiliar. “Who are they?” I asked.
The doctor looked at me over the rims of his glasses. “Hm, I thought this might happen. Alphonse, do you know who that man is?” He pointed to a large, muscular man standing by the door. He was bald save for a lock of blonde hair.
I looked the man over. “No. I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
“It’s me, Major Armstrong. You don’t remember me, Al?” The man looked hurt.
The doctor raised a hand to silence him. “Don’t get too upset, Major. I think there might be an explanation.” He looked me right in the face and spoke slowly, as if he was trying to get me to understand a foreign language. “Alphonse, do you know who the Fullmetal Alchemist is?”
Everyone looked at me expectantly. The expressions on their faces made me want to say yes, but I couldn’t. “No, I… I don’t. Should I?” There was a light murmur as the people in the room whispered to each other. I looked at the doctor, worried.
“Alphonse, what’s the last thing you remember before being here?”
That was an odd question. I closed my eyes. “Edward and I were tired after trying to transmute something, so we went straight to bed when we got home. I barely even remember crawling into bed, I was so tired.” I paused, my head starting to ache. “Why am I here? I’ve never even been to Central before.”
The doctor scratched his balding head. “It seems that you’re suffering from amnesia, Alphonse. Either you’ve suffered head trauma that has caused your brain to lose those memories, or your mind couldn’t handle the memories and locked them away to protect itself. Edward says he doesn’t think you hit your head, so it’s probably the second scenario. In either case, your memory should eventually return.” The other people in the room looked concerned. I was just confused, and kind of annoyed at the way the doctor kept saying my name as if he wanted to make sure I knew he was talking to me.
I ran the IV-free hand through my short, dark blonde hair. “So, how much have I forgotten? I don’t remember coming to Central at all, and I don’t remember getting injured. What happened to me?”
“Alphonse,” -there, he did it again-“nothing is wrong with you. You’re perfectly healthy. It’s just that a big change can upset the way your mind functions. You’ve been through a lot, and-”
I cut his words short. “I’ve been through a lot? A big change? How much time are we talking about?”
He sighed, acting very reluctant to tell me. “From what you’ve said, Alphonse, you can’t remember anything that has happened in the last four years.”
I stared at him, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Surely he must be joking. “But, I remember that night Edward and I tried the transmutation! That just happened!” I was growing more upset by the second, and the slight ache in my temple had turned into more of a throb.
“Listen, Alphonse, that happened four years ago.” I tried to protest, but he kept speaking. “I’m going to ask you a few things just to make sure I’m right, okay? How old are you?”
“Ten,” I answered without hesitating.
He wrote something on the clipboard. “How old is your brother?”
“His birthday’s coming up, so he’s almost twelve,” I replied.
More writing. “What happened the night you tried to transmute your mother?” Doctor Greyson asked, his voice firm.
I gaped at him. “How do you-”
“We know all about it, Alphonse. It’s okay, you aren’t in any trouble. Please just tell me what happened.”
I sank back into the lumpy white pillow. “We drew the circle and put all the right ingredients in it, even our own blood. Niisan’s plans were perfect. When we started the transmutation, everything seemed to be going just fine. Then there was a weird purple light that filled the room and faded away. We were too exhausted to try again, so we went to bed.”
The doctor laced his fingers together. “Are you sure you remember going to sleep, or are you just assuming that’s what you did?”
“What are you getting at?” I asked, the ache in my temple growing stronger. Could I remember going to bed? Of course I could.
“Alphonse, the memory of going to bed that night after an uneventful transmutation is one that your mind has substituted for a more traumatic memory. I don’t want to be the one that tells you what really happened, we’ll leave that to your brother when he wakes up. For now, I’m just going to give you a little something to help you rest.”
I felt the needle prick my arm, but I was too tired to care. Besides, a nap sounded very nice…
“…he doesn’t remember a thing…”
“…don’t show him the arm right away…”
“…can’t mention the armor…”
“…remember on his own…”
“Look, he’s waking up.” The annoying voice of the doctor penetrated my sleep. I blinked a couple of times, trying to remember where I was and why the doctor was here. I looked around. My room was empty of people now, except for the doctor and…
“Edward!” I cried upon seeing him sitting next to my bed. There were tears in his eyes. “Are you okay, Niisan?” I asked.
Edward swiped at his eyes. “I’m just happy to see you, that’s all. Awake, I mean. How are you feeling?”
The conversation from earlier slowly came back to me. “The doctor said I lost my memory. Is that true?” But I knew the answer. Edward’s hair was longer than I remembered. His face had lost most of its childlike roundness, replaced instead with the more defined features of a teenager. Even his voice was deeper. The long-sleeved hospital gown did little to hide the muscles of his arms and torso. “You look so different.”
Edward nodded. “It’s been four years, Al. I’m… I’m almost glad you don’t remember.” He reached out and touched my face with his left hand.
The doctor put a hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Your brother is going to tell you what really happened on the night you attempted human transmutation. This is going to be a little shocking, Alphonse, but it might be what you need to start regaining your memories.” He gave a nod to Edward, who sighed heavily.
“Al, this is not going to be easy for you to understand. I’m going to try my best to explain everything simply, okay?” He took a deep breath and continued. “The day we tried to bring mom back, things went horribly wrong. We didn’t pay a high enough price, and the transmutation took my arm and leg.” He lifted his right hand and I was shocked to see the cold, metallic surface of an automail hand.
“Why am I okay then? Why didn’t it take anything from me?” I cried, the guilt forming over me like a storm cloud.
He patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, Al. We went on a journey to get my limbs back. When I was twelve, I became a Nationally Certified Alchemist. We went through a lot of pain and lost many friends, but we finally found the philosopher’s stone. I was killed during a battle, and you used the stone to save me. You were knocked unconscious, and I carried you to find help. I passed out shortly after we were brought to Central two days ago.” He looked at me, searching my expression for some spark of recognition or a response to his story.
“Four years… That’s a lot of time to forget.” I looked at the cold metal that had replaced my brother’s right arm. “There are so many things I have to learn, and people I have to meet.” I fiddled with the edge of my blanket. “Can we go home soon?”
Ed stood up, nodding. “We’re getting released this afternoon. Winry has the spare room waiting for us.”
“Spare room? Why can’t we go to our own house?” I was really looking forward to my soft sheets after the starchy feel of the hospital bed.
“Um… We burned our house down on the day we left. We’ll be living with Winry and Pinako until we can afford a place of our own.”
I was speechless. The house I grew up in, that it felt like I had just been to yesterday, was gone. I looked down at my small hand, reaching it out to press against Edward’s. Ed’s was larger and rougher, scars dotting the skin. The sibling that was supposed to be barely a year older than me was now four years older. I stood up, careful not to jerk the IV out of my hand. Ed was several inches taller than me now. I reached out to feel his muscular chest. I frowned as solid muscle gave way to harsh steel.
Without warning, Edward threw his arms around me and started sobbing. “I’m so glad you’re all right, Alphonse! I don’t know what I would do without you.”
I pressed my face into Edward’s neck. “It’s okay, Niisan. Everything will be fine once we get home.”
Ta da!! Let me know what you think, and feel free to inform me of any errors. Love ya!
~Kero
55themes because I want to see what kind of response it gets, and I hope to have a few more installments finished. This was inspired by "The Tin Man" by Kenny Chesney. Lyrics can be found here. Now, for the main event...
Title: The Tin Man
Word Count: 1,877
Genre: Heading towards angst
Summary: AU. This is set after episode 51, like the movie never happened. Ed returns Al to his body, but Al can't remember anything from the last four years.
For those that have not seen the whole series, there MAY BE spoilers. Proceed with caution.
Please read and review!
I opened my eyes and smiled at the shapeless white clouds drifting overhead. I was laying on my back in the soft green grass, listening to the gurgle of the little stream as it wound its way past my resting place. I came to this spot every time Ed went to work, trying to coax myself into remembering the years I had missed out on.
Life was very confusing for me at that point in time. I remembered going to sleep after we tried to transmute Mother, tired and upset. When I woke up, I was laying in an unfamiliar bed in a strange room. The bleak white walls, glaring lights, and starchy sheets made me think of a hospital room, and as my eyes focused on the doctor and nurses standing around me, I knew that’s where I had to be.
“Where am I?” I asked, sitting up. My body felt stiff and numb, almost to the point of being unresponsive. “Where’s Edward?”
The man I had correctly labeled as the doctor came around to the side of the bed, a clipboard in one hand. “You’re in the military hospital in Central,” the doctor explained. “I’m Doctor Greyson. How are you feeling?”
I looked at my hand, the smooth, creamy skin marred by the IV protruding from it. “I feel weak. It’s like I have to concentrate really hard to move and talk.” My words sounded slurred and unfamiliar, and the doctor scribbled something onto the clipboard. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised.
I felt very helpless as I looked at all the hospital personnel and military people standing around the foot of my bed. There was an identical expression of awe on every face. I wanted to shrink into those stiff white sheets and disappear. “Where’s Edward?” I repeated.
Doctor Greyson didn’t look up from his notes. “He’s sleeping. He’s in the next room over with Mustang. Don’t worry, Hawkeye’s making sure they don’t kill each other.”
Mustang? Hawkeye? The names were unfamiliar. “Who are they?” I asked.
The doctor looked at me over the rims of his glasses. “Hm, I thought this might happen. Alphonse, do you know who that man is?” He pointed to a large, muscular man standing by the door. He was bald save for a lock of blonde hair.
I looked the man over. “No. I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
“It’s me, Major Armstrong. You don’t remember me, Al?” The man looked hurt.
The doctor raised a hand to silence him. “Don’t get too upset, Major. I think there might be an explanation.” He looked me right in the face and spoke slowly, as if he was trying to get me to understand a foreign language. “Alphonse, do you know who the Fullmetal Alchemist is?”
Everyone looked at me expectantly. The expressions on their faces made me want to say yes, but I couldn’t. “No, I… I don’t. Should I?” There was a light murmur as the people in the room whispered to each other. I looked at the doctor, worried.
“Alphonse, what’s the last thing you remember before being here?”
That was an odd question. I closed my eyes. “Edward and I were tired after trying to transmute something, so we went straight to bed when we got home. I barely even remember crawling into bed, I was so tired.” I paused, my head starting to ache. “Why am I here? I’ve never even been to Central before.”
The doctor scratched his balding head. “It seems that you’re suffering from amnesia, Alphonse. Either you’ve suffered head trauma that has caused your brain to lose those memories, or your mind couldn’t handle the memories and locked them away to protect itself. Edward says he doesn’t think you hit your head, so it’s probably the second scenario. In either case, your memory should eventually return.” The other people in the room looked concerned. I was just confused, and kind of annoyed at the way the doctor kept saying my name as if he wanted to make sure I knew he was talking to me.
I ran the IV-free hand through my short, dark blonde hair. “So, how much have I forgotten? I don’t remember coming to Central at all, and I don’t remember getting injured. What happened to me?”
“Alphonse,” -there, he did it again-“nothing is wrong with you. You’re perfectly healthy. It’s just that a big change can upset the way your mind functions. You’ve been through a lot, and-”
I cut his words short. “I’ve been through a lot? A big change? How much time are we talking about?”
He sighed, acting very reluctant to tell me. “From what you’ve said, Alphonse, you can’t remember anything that has happened in the last four years.”
I stared at him, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Surely he must be joking. “But, I remember that night Edward and I tried the transmutation! That just happened!” I was growing more upset by the second, and the slight ache in my temple had turned into more of a throb.
“Listen, Alphonse, that happened four years ago.” I tried to protest, but he kept speaking. “I’m going to ask you a few things just to make sure I’m right, okay? How old are you?”
“Ten,” I answered without hesitating.
He wrote something on the clipboard. “How old is your brother?”
“His birthday’s coming up, so he’s almost twelve,” I replied.
More writing. “What happened the night you tried to transmute your mother?” Doctor Greyson asked, his voice firm.
I gaped at him. “How do you-”
“We know all about it, Alphonse. It’s okay, you aren’t in any trouble. Please just tell me what happened.”
I sank back into the lumpy white pillow. “We drew the circle and put all the right ingredients in it, even our own blood. Niisan’s plans were perfect. When we started the transmutation, everything seemed to be going just fine. Then there was a weird purple light that filled the room and faded away. We were too exhausted to try again, so we went to bed.”
The doctor laced his fingers together. “Are you sure you remember going to sleep, or are you just assuming that’s what you did?”
“What are you getting at?” I asked, the ache in my temple growing stronger. Could I remember going to bed? Of course I could.
“Alphonse, the memory of going to bed that night after an uneventful transmutation is one that your mind has substituted for a more traumatic memory. I don’t want to be the one that tells you what really happened, we’ll leave that to your brother when he wakes up. For now, I’m just going to give you a little something to help you rest.”
I felt the needle prick my arm, but I was too tired to care. Besides, a nap sounded very nice…
“…he doesn’t remember a thing…”
“…don’t show him the arm right away…”
“…can’t mention the armor…”
“…remember on his own…”
“Look, he’s waking up.” The annoying voice of the doctor penetrated my sleep. I blinked a couple of times, trying to remember where I was and why the doctor was here. I looked around. My room was empty of people now, except for the doctor and…
“Edward!” I cried upon seeing him sitting next to my bed. There were tears in his eyes. “Are you okay, Niisan?” I asked.
Edward swiped at his eyes. “I’m just happy to see you, that’s all. Awake, I mean. How are you feeling?”
The conversation from earlier slowly came back to me. “The doctor said I lost my memory. Is that true?” But I knew the answer. Edward’s hair was longer than I remembered. His face had lost most of its childlike roundness, replaced instead with the more defined features of a teenager. Even his voice was deeper. The long-sleeved hospital gown did little to hide the muscles of his arms and torso. “You look so different.”
Edward nodded. “It’s been four years, Al. I’m… I’m almost glad you don’t remember.” He reached out and touched my face with his left hand.
The doctor put a hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Your brother is going to tell you what really happened on the night you attempted human transmutation. This is going to be a little shocking, Alphonse, but it might be what you need to start regaining your memories.” He gave a nod to Edward, who sighed heavily.
“Al, this is not going to be easy for you to understand. I’m going to try my best to explain everything simply, okay?” He took a deep breath and continued. “The day we tried to bring mom back, things went horribly wrong. We didn’t pay a high enough price, and the transmutation took my arm and leg.” He lifted his right hand and I was shocked to see the cold, metallic surface of an automail hand.
“Why am I okay then? Why didn’t it take anything from me?” I cried, the guilt forming over me like a storm cloud.
He patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, Al. We went on a journey to get my limbs back. When I was twelve, I became a Nationally Certified Alchemist. We went through a lot of pain and lost many friends, but we finally found the philosopher’s stone. I was killed during a battle, and you used the stone to save me. You were knocked unconscious, and I carried you to find help. I passed out shortly after we were brought to Central two days ago.” He looked at me, searching my expression for some spark of recognition or a response to his story.
“Four years… That’s a lot of time to forget.” I looked at the cold metal that had replaced my brother’s right arm. “There are so many things I have to learn, and people I have to meet.” I fiddled with the edge of my blanket. “Can we go home soon?”
Ed stood up, nodding. “We’re getting released this afternoon. Winry has the spare room waiting for us.”
“Spare room? Why can’t we go to our own house?” I was really looking forward to my soft sheets after the starchy feel of the hospital bed.
“Um… We burned our house down on the day we left. We’ll be living with Winry and Pinako until we can afford a place of our own.”
I was speechless. The house I grew up in, that it felt like I had just been to yesterday, was gone. I looked down at my small hand, reaching it out to press against Edward’s. Ed’s was larger and rougher, scars dotting the skin. The sibling that was supposed to be barely a year older than me was now four years older. I stood up, careful not to jerk the IV out of my hand. Ed was several inches taller than me now. I reached out to feel his muscular chest. I frowned as solid muscle gave way to harsh steel.
Without warning, Edward threw his arms around me and started sobbing. “I’m so glad you’re all right, Alphonse! I don’t know what I would do without you.”
I pressed my face into Edward’s neck. “It’s okay, Niisan. Everything will be fine once we get home.”
Ta da!! Let me know what you think, and feel free to inform me of any errors. Love ya!
~Kero