Protologue

"The library's closing for the day boys" Mrs. Simms the sixty year old librarian said to the two children that had been visiting every day since a year ago.

The elderly woman's grey hair was in a bun, wearing a simple long sleeved purple dress and glasses over her kind blue eyes.

The two boys looked up at her; she always wondered why the youngest wore that bulky armor but she never asked they seemed sensitive about it, she assumed it had to do with the smaller older brothers missing leg and automail right arm.

Alphonse looked at her his older brother still had his face in his book as he looked at the clock.

"7:30? I thought you closed at seven Mrs. Simms?" asked Al as the elderly woman smiled.

"Well I did have to finish some things behind the desk" that wasn't a complete lie; but she was just fond of the two children.

Al seemed to understand as he nodded gently tapped his brothers flesh arm catching his attention, the brass eyed boy looked up at him.

Loose golden hair moved down his shoulders, he always seemed to have it down never tied up. Always wearing a black long sleeved shirt, grey slacks and a red coat too big for his small body.

"Time to go?" Ed asked as both his brother and the elderly Liberian nodded.

Viola Simms watched Alphonse grab their books and place each one in their correct spot like he did every day before heading back and lowering himself, Ed did his best to move with only one leg as his brother picked him up.

It sent a wave of pain through the elderly woman, Edward never seemed to use a crutch he always let Alphonse carry him around.

She wondered what had happed to these two boys as she watched them walk into the dimly lit streets of central, didn't they have anyone to care for them? They never talked about family and the older boy always seemed thin to her, Alphonse's armor was almost coal dark at times and only seemed rarely cleaned.

She offered to let them stay with her six months after they had begun to show up at the library but they refused saying they were staying at a hotel.

She doubted that but she could do nothing of it, she just hoped whatever those boys were looking for would show itself soon.

It pained her to see such young lives spend their days mulling over books as if they were their only life line.

Locking up for the night she headed home and silently prayed as she did every time they left that they'd make it back tomorrow safely.

These last few months hadn't been safe ones with some alleged killer on the loose.

The elderly woman would hate to see them hurt.

Alphonse's armor stood out on the streets as people seemed to gape at him; he had learned to ignore them over the past two years.

Ed didn't even notice them anymore as he wrapped the red coat around himself even tighter, the old him would have been embarrassed being carried like a baby by his little brother but honestly now.

He didn't care, he wasn't going to use a crutch and he wasn't going to get an automail leg.

The gate took his leg and this was his punishment, the only reason he got the arm was because he needed to at least be able to hold a book and use alchemy.

That and Al had threatened that he either get the arm or the leg, or else he would personally see to it that he'd make Ed's life a living hell until he got one or the other.

And Alphonse could be scary when he was mad, Edward inwardly shuttered.

"Cold brother?" the soft echoing voice of his brother asked.

He felt the armor vibrate slightly as his little brother spoke" no, just remembering some things, no big deal Al" the twelve year old didn't believe his older brother but he let it go.

Ed would eventually tell him if it was important or he'd tell him during a nightmare, which brought him to another question.

"Ed where are we staying tonight?" he looked down at his brother who had hidden his face near the crook of his arm.

"Same place for tonight, it's not going to rain so the water shoulder overflow like last week" Ed's muffled voice came from where it was hidden near his steel arm.

"Yeah, that had been a close one brother" silence fell down between them as Al took the familiar route towards the bridge.

No one seemed to be around which was a relief; he didn't need some random adult asking why he was walking around with his 'little brother'.

People didn't realize he was a child until they heard his voice and he tried not to sound rude towards them or let them know how it annoyed him.

If he did it would only end up hurting his brother, like he wasn't already hurting.

That was the main reason he refused the automail leg.

Sighing he settled under the stone bridge as far away as he could sit from the water, the falling shadows hid him from view and he was thankful for that.

"Al?" the armored boy looked down his brother was sitting up leaning against his chest plate as the red coat was wrapped around him like a blanket.

"What is it brother?" he no longer flinched when he looked into his brothers eyes, he had gotten used to them being a dull brass all the time.

He hated that he did though; he missed his brothers old eyes the bright golden ones filled with fire and life.

These brass ones were always weary and far too old looking in such a young face, they looked fragile and ready to break any moment.

Ed twisted some of his loose hair between his flesh fingers as he looked at his brother" do you think we're ever going to find a way to get our bodies back?" he asked just like he did every night since they started their search.

They had left their rural home two years ago; the only determination Ed had been mastering his automail since he wasn't going to wait three years.

He did it in nearly a year; they had with granny and Winry's helped gotten rid of what had been left over of their taboo.

Though they would never go inside that house again, the circle and blood may be visibly gone but it was forever etched into both their minds that thing they created.

And Ed he was just glad his brother hadn't seen the doorway or Truth, he could still hear his voice.

'Come back for more little alchemist, fine your arm is payment take your foolish brother'

He was so lost into his memories he barley heard his little brother answer his question.

"It's only been a year Ed we'll find something and if not here maybe, maybe we will have to tell teacher" Alphonse said softly though the minute he registered the word teacher.

Both boys shuddered.

"She'll kill us, she'll break my automail first and crush you and then kill us" muttered Ed and he wasn't over reacting she would do it, she would!

The sun was no longer visible only the dark and the stars along with some clouds, it would probably rain either tomorrow or the day after.

"Yeah, but we might end up needing her help brother, maybe if we explain quickly" anyone looking at the armored boy would wonder were the sweat had come from.

"Sure after killing us" Ed groaned and Alphonse gave a small chuckle.

"Then you better get some sleep so we don't have to visit teacher" and for once Ed actually listened to him instead of arguing that he wasn't tired.

It didn't surprise Al though; they hadn't made enough money for any food of the sorts and he had almost been tempted to ask Mrs. Simms for something.

But he didn't want to involve the kind librarian in their messed up lives that was one of the few things he and Ed agreed on.

He hoped tomorrow would bring in some money which meant he was hoping someone would break something like a car or part of a building he didn't feel guilty at that though.

They made their choice two years ago, they weren't going to live off the Rockbells and had used the last of the money left over from the automail to buy tickets to central.

He knew granny and Winry all too well, if they knew about their current living situation they'd drag them back home no questions asked.

Rockbell woman were notoriously stubborn, even Auntie Sara had been.

Moving a large leather hand towards his sleeping brother he gently moved the golden strands away, what were they going to do if they couldn't find a way to get their bodies back.

It would break his brother, crush him, he'd give up and let himself waste away like he had during the first few weeks after the transmutation two years ago.

Moving the arm that wasn't being used by his brother he gently pulled him closer, times like this made him feel like he really was the older brother.

Ed rarely lashed out anymore at people who confused their ages; the only reaction people could ever get out of him was either with food or calling him small.

Steeling himself for another long night he really hoped tomorrow would bring answers, they were almost done with the library and the only one they hadn't tried was the one used by the government but only state alchemist could go in there.

And that wasn't an option anyway, they were too young to try out for the state exam and Al's body or lack of would cause problems.

And Ed wasn't in the right mind frame for that kind of pressure, but his brother could transmute without a circle something normal alchemist couldn't do.

But joining the military would cause more unwanted problems, living in constant fear of people finding out about their bodies for one thing.

They only had one lead to getting back their bodies, a strange red stone known as the philosopher's stone but so far no books so far had yielded any information.

The closes lead so far had been a brief mention of a blood red stone leading to a river of ruby red blood, he didn't understand the metaphor and if the book had been part of a set those had been checked out for the month.

They needed help, alone they wouldn't find anything but that was the thing.

They couldn't trust anyone, Al was extremely wary of letting anyone get close to him and his brother.

Mrs. Simms was already to close, if she knew the truth she'd have the military on them in seconds.

Sighing the twelve year old pulled the red coat his brother was curled up in and made sure it covered as much as he could with it.

Last time his brother got sick, he shuddered at the memory.

He almost lost him that winter.

Tilting down his helmet Al went into a quiet state of meditation that passed for sleep in his case.

He hoped something would change because he was scared, he was scared of them not finding anything, and he was scared of his brother getting sick and dying.

But worst he was tired; he was tired of having to be careful of how he spoke to his brother. He knew his older brother was trying, he was trying to take care of Al but Ed just wasn't in the right mind.

His brother wasn't the same; he wasn't fit to take care of him anymore now that fell onto Al's shoulders.

And he missed it; he missed his strong and capable older brother.

He missed the Ed that would complain about every little thing, the one that would laugh and joke and rant about Al treating him like a baby.

Now though, now, Ed relied on him and despite his weariness he couldn't find it in himself to hate that thought.

It was a sort of equivalent exchange in his mind; Ed had been taking care of him since their mother died even before that only to a lesser degree since back then their mother had been alive.

He didn't know what tomorrow would bring; he only hoped something would change.

For his brothers sake.

Okay so for those who don't understand heres a brief summary

Mustang and Hawkeye never came so eventually Ed and Al decided to look for a way to get their bodies back themselves, one of their fathers old books spoke of the stone. Al forced Ed to at least get either an arm or a leg since he wasn't having any of his brothers I don't need my limbs attitude, they left for central a year later and have remained there since. Being kids and since Al gets confused for an adult in the armor they live off Al fixing things, Ed is still depressed and not in his right mind so it adds to their ordeal. In short that's why Al is the main focus of the story for awhile; he's the only one with an almost clear mind and is the one taking care of Ed.

Yeah I know I seem to preference Al in my stories, I feel he doesn't get enough Spotlight.