I haven't written fanfiction in so long...

This is the same story, but from Ed's point of view. I don't own fullmetal alchemist.

It had been an accident, a slip of the tongue; something spat out in a fit of temper before he could hold it back.

"Let me tell you something, little brother-"

And then Envy's eyes had widened.

Edward had stopped fighting back, stopped yelling, and stumbled backwards, eyes wide.

"You can't be," he whispered- but deep down, he knew. He ought to have guessed, really. The clues had been there, but he hadn't seen them. Maybe he just hadn't wanted to see them.

Edward and Envy stared at each other, and for one wild, unpredictable moment, they were equals; both confused, both shocked, both angry, and both desperately wishing they could unsay what had been said and unhear what had been heard.

Damn you, old man.

Envy didn't speak to him after that, not when he removed Edward's automail, not even when he escorted him up to Lyra- no, Dante's rooms so that she could gloat. Edward refused to respond, though, and Dante soon grew bored. She left the room to find Envy, and in that moment, while Edward was all alone in Dante's room, he took his chance.

He didn't know what he was searching for as he rummaged one-handed through a drawer, heart beating fast with the fear that they would return before he could finish. He ignored the papers he found, deeming them of little use, and skimmed over the red stones with a slightly ill feeling in his gut- and then stopped as his fingers brushed cold metal. He pulled the object out from where it was wedged in the back of the drawer and set it before him- a small silver box. It took a few precious seconds that he wasn't sure he had to spare, but he finally manoeuvred the catch open one-handed and flipped the lid.

Five objects, each labelled in Dante's slanted hand. A lock of chestnut hair he recognised as his mother's- a bone labelled 'Lust'- more hair, this time Pride's- a tooth that belonged to whoever Gluttony had once been-

-and a vial of ash, labelled 'Envy'.

Ed heard footsteps in the hall. He hastily replaced the objects and stuffed the box back in the drawer, rushing back to his place by the wall just before Dante and Envy came in.

Envy scowled at him, and then led him out without a word. Edward followed, deep in thought, a tiny glass vial hidden in his fist.

They had been sitting in silence now for almost an hour. In his mind, Edward debated what he should do about the stolen vial in his pocket.

He's a murderer, a monster, said one part of him. Another said, he was abandoned, and trying to cling onto the only family he had left.

He's my half-brother...

Finally, he broke the silence.

"You could've told us," His voice was oddly small, his throat strangely dry. "You could've said..."

"Shut up." Envy glared at him.

Edward paid him no heed. "You remember, then? Who you were?" he asked, and laughed unhappily. "I suppose I always knew, really..."

"Knew what?" asked Envy, clearly irritated.

"I think that was the final punishment for what we did," Edward said softly. "That really, in some small way, we succeeded. Deep down, she really was our mother... and we killed her."

"My boys..."

I wonder- could she have been his mother, too? If things had been different?

Envy snarled. "You're wrong. She wasn't your mother. She only thought she was. It was all in her fucking mind."

Edward gave him a level look. "Then everything you've told me... is that all in your mind?"

Envy appeared indecisive, and finally, he simply snarled again: "Shut up!"

"I thought so. You're still him, deep down, aren't you?" Edward asked. "Still his son. Our half-brother."

"SHUT UP!"

Edward ignored him, lost in thought. What was he like, I wonder? Was he like me?

"What was your name?" he asked.

Envy snapped. In one smooth movement, he spun round and caught Edward's shirt in his vicelike grip, lifting him clean off the floor and bringing them face to face. "SHUT UP!" he demanded.

He shut his eyes.

What if things had been different?

"You could've told us." he said.

Envy hissed at him, and flung him back down to the floor before whirling round to face the wall again, refusing to reply.

"I wonder what you were like?" Edward asked quietly.

Envy growled loudly.

If you hadn't stayed with your mother- if you hadn't been twisted and corrupted- If you hadn't become a monster...

It was a bitter thought, especially considering what had happened with Sloth.

I was wrong. They aren't just monsters, they aren't just imitations- somewhere deep inside, they're still who they were supposed to be. We brought our mother back to life- and then we abandoned her, and twisted her into Sloth.

If things had been different...

"Maybe we could've been a family," Edward said, so softly it could barely be heard.

"Shut up! I'm not your fucking half-brother!" Envy almost screamed. Edward bit his lip, and for a while, he was silent, deep in thought.

What do I do?

It's not his fault he's a monster...

...but he is a monster.

What do I do?

He's my half-brother. Had things been different...

What do I do?

Finally he came to a decision. He rose to his feet, and quietly, very quietly, he said, "I'm sorry, Envy."

"For what?" Envy whirled around again, furious- and then shocked when he saw Edward on his feet, holding aloft a glass vial.

By all rights, Envy should've been able to beat him, to push him away, to do something. By all rights, Edward shouldn't have succeeded. A part of him was still hoping he would fail- but he didn't. He pushed the vial into Envy's hand, and the homunculus froze, horror painted on his face.

"I found it when I was taken to Dante's room," said Edward quietly, taking his automail arm from the sin's unresisting grasp and quickly slotting it into place, barely registering the pain. "She didn't keep a very close eye on me. I'm sorry."

I really am sorry, Envy. I wish things had been different for us.

"You could've told us," Edward said, bringing his hands together, not in a clap, but a prayer.

Have mercy, he prayed. I've never asked anything of you before, but if you exist- have mercy. He deserves at least that.

"You could've said..." he murmured quietly.

And then alchemic light glowed, and Edward did the only thing he could do for his half-brother- stood by him in his last moments, and finally laid him to rest.