Here's the prequel to Here and There, Now and Then! I'm sorry it took so long... I kinda had a bit of a writer's block.

Damn that writer's block. ಠ_ಠ

So, anyway, this kinda probably maybe sucks. I'm not sure. -_-; If it does, I'm sorry, but I hope it at least clears up what's going on in HTNT.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. .^.

Expendable

It started with what he thought was going to be one of the best days of his life.

"I can't believe we actually found it, Brother." Al's hollow voice reached him, and this time he didn't need to flinch, and that feeling of guilt that was ever-present in his chest didn't seem to weigh as much as it normally did, and he didn't need to feel disappointed that his little brother's voice had an echo.

"I know, Al. I'm glad. Very, very glad." He didn't need to lie anymore. "The Philosopher's Stone is all ours." Maybe now he could finally leave behind the title Fullmetal and the pet name everyone here seemed to acquire. Dog of the military… If anyone were a dog here, it'd be Mustang, that was for sure.

"Ed… Brother," Ed blinked, realizing Al had been calling him. "Snap out of it. You've been zoning out a lot lately."

Leave it to Al to notice the little things. He shook his head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I'm just… thinking. It's weird, ya know? After four years, this could be it. We could finally be done. It's relieving." Ed sighed, lounging back against the hard wooden bench and tipping his head towards the amber-colored sky. He was grateful for the late evening sunlight that spread over the grass and warmed up his automail, making the breeze seem a little less cold when it brushed his skin.

"I feel the same. It'll be great to have my body back… I can't wait to try some of Ms. Gracia's cooking. You said yourself that I had to have it sometime, remember?"

Of course, he remembered. "Mmm, definitely, Al. And I'm pretty sure Winry will have something in mind that'd she'd want to make for you."

They sat in silence for a few moments, thoughts lost in the past or the future, though neither one of them really cared which. For a moment, Ed was reminded of the tranquil afternoons where'd it'd just be he and Al, sitting on the grass by their house in Resembool, their bodies whole and their minds unaware of the tragedy that washed their future red.

The smell of the small blue weeds that sprouted at his feet vaguely made him think of his mother and the time he had transmuted a single white lily – she had put it behind her ear with a smile and a pat to his head.

"We should probably head back to Central soon, unless you were thinking about sleeping out here, Brother." Again, Edward was snapped out of his daydream, and he shrugged nonchalantly with a yawn.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You remember, right, Ed?"

His gaze slid lazily to his armored brother, and he raised a golden eyebrow in confusion. "Remember? What are you talking about?"

"Mom."

Edward immediately dropped his eyes to the grass as he stretched out his legs. Another yawn escaped his mouth. "I know. It's already been another year?"

"It sure doesn't feel like it." Al turned his head away from his brother, the metal armor clanking together loudly in the still quiet. Neither of them flinched because it was something they had grown used to – along with Ed's low moans and bloodcurdling screams in the middle of the night as he tossed and turned, and the fact that he held the burden of what happened to them both, despite Al's protests.

Alphonse had learned years ago that no matter how many times he told his brother it wasn't his fault, Edward would always blame himself for what happened that night. It was a battle that he just couldn't win, and he knew that Ed would hold his guilt far into the future, even after they got their bodies restored.

Alphonse, because of the way their day had slid by so smoothly and without the usual sting of guilt, pushed the thought out of his head. There wasn't a thing he could do about it, so all he could do was to forget about it for now. He stood up, and Edward followed suit only a moment later.

The latter stretched, and, with once more glimpse to the blue weeds that held the pretense of a flower, turned and headed back towards Central. They hadn't gone too far, and if Edward squinted his golden eyes enough, he could faintly make out the silhouette of the building against the sunlight that outlined it. As he was walking, though, he wondered why Al wasn't following behind him like he usually did. Looking over his shoulder with a scowl, Edward muttered, "Are you coming, Al?"

His eyebrows furrowed as he saw a man – from Central, and yet someone who he hadn't met – speaking quietly with Alphonse. Despite this, his dark eyes were focused completely on Edward in a glare that made it seem like he had done everything wrong. However, what he did wrong, Edward didn't know.

Not yet, at least.

Edward retraced his steps, walking backwards and then turning around to face the stranger with a deeper scowl. "Who the hell are you?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned back on the balls of his feet, not at all fazed by the look the person was giving him. He scoffed, sticking his nose up in the air when the stranger told him to say it a little nicer, and then maybe he would answer him. "No."

"Well then you don't need to know who I am," he countered, before clearing his throat and changing the subject. "You two are the Elric brothers." It wasn't a question, but they wouldn't answer it even if it had been. Apparently, silence was a confirmation. "You need to come back to Central with me, now." There was something about him that made Edward feel uneasy, and he shot a wary glance to Al, who returned it with an almost invisible shrug of his metal shoulders. Apparently, Edward was the one to do the talking in this situation.

"Why?" Ed asked suspiciously, pulling his hands out of his pockets only to lace his fingers behind his head. To the stranger, he was sure that he looked nonchalant, but within his mind, he was calculating escape plans and reasons as to why this guy was here. Edward felt something crawling and itching underneath his skin, and he had the sudden urge to run, to run away with Alphonse before this person could even say a word. But he couldn't do that. He had to gather his information first, and then maybe he would run.

I am not a coward, he thought, but that changed once the stranger started to speak.

"You have performed human transmutation, and by order of the Fuhrur, I have come here to–"

Edward had stopped listening at the point, choosing only to stare blankly at the weeds spread across the ground. He was stepping on them, causing them to crumble and break. They were dying.

They knew. The Fuhrur knew. How, after protecting their vicious secret for four years, did they come to find out so… suddenly? They had already gotten the Philosopher's Stone – they were so damn close, but Edward should have known that they would've been caught. Since when did anything go right for him, anyway? This time, the word run resounded through his head louder than ever, and without a second thought, he grabbed Alphonse and turned the opposite way.

Al must have been suspecting this type of reaction from Edward, because he didn't object, and he was oddly easy to lead around. Ed felt his heart beating in his chest erratically, and he swore he could feel it all the way down in his toes. His head throbbed with what he assumed was astonishment, and the words human transmutation brought up scenes in his mind that made him feel sick to his stomach. Alphonse was running with him now, his metal plates seeming to clang together so loudly that Edward's ears rang. Adrenaline was what sped through his veins now and kept him awake.

He heard, then, the distant sound of feet on earth, and he was surprised that there were so many people following them so quickly. Is this all because of human transmutation? Ridiculous. Edward's golden eyes narrowed as he looked over his shoulder; the stranger was the one leading them. Returning his gaze to stare forward again, he urged Alphonse to run faster.

It seemed like hours later that Mustang had caught up with them. Honestly, Edward wasn't surprised that Roy was in on it. It had seemed like the bastard hated him from the beginning, and he wouldn't hesitate, especially not now. No matter; Edward wouldn't hesitate either, if he ever got the chance to punch him in the face. He deserved it.

"Edward," Roy said, probably to catch his attention. He could see him from behind the trees that were crowded together, and he shot a lingering gaze to Al. "I know you're there. Come back with me, don't put up a struggle. It'll just make everything harder."

Edward couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Bullshit," he muttered under his breath, before turning to fully face Alphonse. "How about you go on ahead, huh?" He prompted, a light grin making his lips curve upwards. "I'll catch up, I promise, I just gotta deal with this bastard first."

Unfortunately, Al wasn't easily convinced. His glowing eyes glinted inside of the helmet, and he let out a small sound that sounded somewhat like a whimper. "We have to stay together, Brother," he said almost desperately, his voice hushed. Edward saw him lean forward, arms outstretched, before something flickered in his eyes and he leaned back again. He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets while lowering his head.

"I'll be fine, Alphonse, I promise." He hated the feeling of being rushed – he could hear Mustang grumbling now, saying random things that Edward couldn't hear because he didn't want to hear them. He looked up again, flashing the biggest grin he could, even if it was a fraud. "I promised you that I wouldn't let you get hurt. I will keep you safe, no matter what the circumstances. If we're the only ones running, the only ones on our side, then that's fine by me. I only need you, and I'll make sure nothing happens. Got that?" He reached up to put a gloved hand on Al's metal shoulder, his grin turning into a soft smile.

Alphonse could only stare hopelessly at Edward, and that was when he knew that he'd lost. "Make sure you come back, Brother," was all he murmured in his hollowed voice, before turning and heading deeper into the forest. Edward turned the other way, sending a small wave over his shoulder even if Al couldn't see it.

He couldn't let this be the last time he saw Alphonse – he wouldn't give him a long speech or a heartfelt, teary confession of how he had always loved him (not that he didn't, of course). He would come back. He would be taken away, and he definitely wouldn't die by Mustang's hands. There was no way he would let that happen.

He walked casually into the clearing where Mustang was standing, a deep scowl on his face and deep onyx eyes locked on Edward as if he was the center of his problems. Edward flashed a cocky grin and crossed his arms over his chest. "Better make this quick, Mustang. Al's waiting for me."

There's probably a bit of a time gap between the end of this and the beginning of HTNT. Just sayin~