Dammit, it took me WAY too long to get this chapter out! -emos- I knew what I've wanted to do with this for at least a month, and then I really planned out the chapter earlier this week, but I couldn't form the first paragraph! -mopes- But nooo, I had to plan out the rest of the fic until like, the 10th chapter or something...

Anyway, I've updated. Yatta! -tosses a handful of confetti- Most of this chapter, actually, wait, ALL of this chapter was acted out by yours truly this afternoon, which was somewhat painful in some parts. I really wanna know how I went from going into my room to get my iPod to collapsing in mock pain and reciting lines from this chapter. It's so confusing...ah, well. I'll stop bothering you now.

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This is crap. This is some real crap. I wish I wasn't Ed, if I really am, because he (or...I?) had a really shitty life.

Winry told me that we've lived here in Risembool (is that what this place is called? It sounds familiar enough...) all our lives. I lived here with both of my parents, and a little brother named Alphonse (why does that name hurt to hear?). When I was really little, my dad left the rest of us. It was probably my fault that he left. ("Of course it's not your fault, why would it be" Winry asked anxiously) We lived on afterwards, seemingly happy, but it turned out that our mom was sick for a really long time, but she never told us. Just recently, she had passed away, leaving Alphonse and I alone.

"After a while, you and Al got yourselves a teacher. You were gone for a really long time, and you never called or anything, so I don't know what kinds of things you guys learned." Winry was telling me. I wasn't paying much attention, my thoughts still on my dead mother. I thought about that gravestone I was looking at yesterday. 'Trisha Elric', it had read. Could that have been my mother?

My heart skipped a beat. An image flashed into my mind; a skull-like face with empty, glowing eyes, the flesh drawn too tightly over its mutilated body. It was gone faster then it had appeared, but seeing it brought a sharp pain in my head. I yelped in pain, doubling over and clutching my head.

"Ed?! Ed, what's wrong?!" Winry sounded distant and frantic.

Angry red eyes glowed through blackness. Whatever it was smiled, it's teeth unnaturally sharp and pointed. "Edward Elric," it said, sounding female and loud. It's voice echoed loudly in my head, making me flinch at the tone.

"You're not trying to cheat on our little agreement, are we?" Death demanded, suddenly in a rage. Another stab of pain erupted in my head.

"No!" I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut harder. "I wasn't, I swear!"

"Wasn't what, Ed? What's wrong?"

"You're not supposed to remember anything, Edward. Or maybe I was just being to nice...maybe I should take something else from you." Death simpered, smirking through the darkness.

"Don't! I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"

"Ed, you're starting to scare me..." Winry whispered in fright, gently touching my shoulder. I curled myself into a tighter ball, loathing seeping into my heart, almost making me want to vomit.

"You won't, will you? And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I'm not lying." I hissed harshly, and winced as she sent another jolt of pain through my mind.

"Then make sure you'll keep your promise and make sure to forget. You must stay oblivious to your past." Death replied, her voice dripping in malice as she faded away.

I let go of my head and sighed, becoming aware of how fast paced my breath was now, and the sweat beading down my face. I opened my eyes and looked up through my bangs, staring blankly at the white walls. I was in a room, but where was I?

"...E-Ed?" A girl whispered. She sounded scared for some reason. I wonder why. I looked at her, studying her face. She looked close to tears. I searched my mind, trying to find someway to answer her, but everything seemed blank. I sighed, and just said the only thing I could think of. "...who?"

-

"Alphonse? Is that...my name?" The boy asked, every word shadowed with hesitance and weakness. Somehow, he felt that the name fit him, no matter how strange it seemed. Envy grinned in amusement. "You can talk already? Wow; that's really shocking for a human. But yeah, your name's Alphonse." He sighed, scratching the back of his head lazily. "Man, when they created your body, I assumed your memories would remain intact. Guess I was wrong about that."

"...c...created?" Al asked slowly, still finding it difficult to form simple words. It hurt too much to try and go any further.

Envy nodded. "Your body's in the Gate. You're dead, Alphonse. We just brought you back to life."

Al didn't understand. Thoughts still refused to form in his mind; even though he had alot of questions to thinks he felt he once knew the answer for. What's the Gate? What's life? What's death? Why did everything hurt? He winced, and Envy looked at him skeptically. "Can you move yet, Al?"

"N-no...it...hurts..." He whispered, looking back at the white ceiling.

"That's a lie. If you can talk, you should be able to move. Try and stand up; you can lean on me if you need to." Envy replied coolly, moving closer to the table just in case Al needed assistance. Al frowned the slightest bit and at least tried to move his hand, to lift it and grab Envy's arm to help him up. It felt like it was tied down with lead, but he was able to lift it and clumsily cling to Envy's pale arm. He grimaced in pain, slowly forcing himself into a sitting position, limply leaning on Envy with his head on his shoulder. "I can't...do it...it's just too hard..."

"If you can't do it, then bringing you back was worthless." Envy hissed coldly, stepping away from him. Al slipped off him, and fell off the steel table, his grip on Envy's arm to weak to keep him steady. He toppled onto the ground with a yelp and a soft thud on the ground. Unable to move himself any further, he lay there, tears dripping uncontrollably from his slitted gold eyes, "Wh-why? Why...was I brought back? Everything's...just pain..."

Envy's eyes softened the slightest bit. He kneeled next to the boy and scooped him up off the floor and into his arms. "I'm sorry, Al. But I needed you back. Lemme explain." He gently placed Al back on the table, making sure he wouldn't fall again and sighed.

"Al, you're dead because only a few days ago, you and your brother were murdered through a forbidden human transmutation. That means someone was trying to bring someone else to life." He started, carefully watching the younger boy's expression. "To tell the truth, I was your brother, Al. But unfortunately, I was completely destroyed in body and soul, when you only just lost your body to the Gate as the price. That's why you're still human, when I'm a homunculus."

"Homun...culus?" Al echoed unsurely. The word brought a shudder down his spine.

"Yes. A human created through alchemy."

"Alchemy...yes...I know what that is..." Al smiled slightly, almost proud at the fact that he remembered that minute detail. Envy returned the smile. "Good. We brought you back because...the person who killed us...he failed, but he created another homunculus, and now he's unstable, and...dangerous. We have to get rid of him before more people end up like us."

Al nodded in agreement. No one deserved the pain that the both of them were probably going through. "So...you want me to kill..."

"I'm sorry, but yes. He's too powerful for me; I can't destroy him."

So, it was a guy. That made things easier. Even if Al really didn't want to kill, it would've been easier killing a guy then it would to kill a girl. "...okay...I'll do it..." He finally sighed, and his eyes glinted bright yellow for a second. "Who is he?"

Even if he tried to hide it, Envy smirked in victory. It was way too easy to lie to him. "His name is...Edward Elric."

---

Yes, I AM evil! Mwahaha!

I laugh at this fanfic, because I love how twisted it's becoming. Behold as the plot unfolds! (zomfg, that rhymes) I'm gonna start replying to ya'll reviews up here, like I'm starting to do with my other fics. n.n Yay for waste of fanfiction space!

MrsEdwardElric47- X3 Thanks, Cathy-chan! Ya know, alot of people have been asking if Al was a homunculus or not. If he was one, I'd make him the new Envy; that's the only original sin I think suits him best, which is why I've created him as OC in one fanfic I haven't put up yet, and I guess I'll explain that later on...but no, he's still human...somewhat...um...let's just say that his body ain't human, and the rest of him is just as human as Ed is in this fanfic...

InuyashaLuver1224- Mew? o.o Snap...is that a threat? Please, don't kill me...if you do, none of my fanfics will be updated...that'll be alot of sad readers...and...technically, every chapter of every fanfic is a cliffhanger from that one to the next...eheheh...

Dark Chocolate Alchemist- Mmmm...chocolate...I mean-! XD Al's still human, like I just explained. Yay!

Snowing Petals- I miss you...T.T...-emos-...you used so many...so many caps...

AkitaFallow- You're so cute. o.o I love your reviews, because you write them so...cutely...I imagine you as a pink haired little chibi that I can pick up and stick into my pocket...-mini giggle- ...sorry, forget that, that was just random and odd...um, no, Al's still human n.n For now...-shifty eyes- And not every day...but yeah, Winry did tell him her name, he just forgot it, again.

silver candle- I'm gonna reply to just the one for this chapter, alright? n.n; Okay! Al's still human (ya see how many people asked? Hahaha) Ed, hmm...would you call him okay, given the current situation? -grin grin-

Bar-Ohki- What is? .o. Ed, or Al's rebirth? You confuzzled me...dun confuzzle Ayumi...

HannahSheep- Yatta! n.n -grins and glomps-