Morphed

Chapter Nine

Hey guys. Sorry this chapter's so short, but I'm really tired, plus, there was actually a whole bunch of research I had to do simply for the accuracy of one stupid paragraph. Ugh, ah well. Don't want to be inaccurate. But seriously, anyone who has knowledge about the heart and the respiratory system, please let me know if I've made a mistake somewhere or if it's all just completely wrong. I really don't remember much from Science class and I was really tired when I did the research.

Also, it has been pointed out to me that I have made a very grave error. When Edward fought with Isaac McDougal and stayed with the Hughes family for the first time, he was fifteen. In this story, I had said he was twelve. Whoops. This mistake happened because Kala was watching the 2003 series when she started writing this, and because she needed to use the Brotherhood universe, she got confused (and here she goes talking about herself in third person again -_-). To fix this little problem, I will do this:

"This story is an AU, where at the beginning of Brotherhood, Edward was still twelve."

Yup. And that's how I am gonna fix things. Pathetic, I know, but I really cannot be bothered changing several chapters because of this huge boo-boo.

Yup. Enjoy, and I promise there will be actual action next chapter.

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Yes, I'll take it

Wait now
By the sidewalk
Hold on
Yes, I'll be right back.

I can't win.

~I Can't Win (The Strokes)

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Edward was travelling through a white void. Thousands of tiny little black hands with arms as long as infinity were pulling him back through the Gate. He watched as he was pulled backwards into it, and he watched as the Truth smiled at him, with that terrible grin that chilled him to the bone. Alphonse had already left this place, but he had remained. When he and his little brother had come here, in immeasurable amount of time ago, and Edward had offered up a Philosopher's Stone to the Truth in exchange for his brother's body, it had laughed and granted him his wish, taking the Stone from him. Alphonse's armour had begun to disintegrate, and when there was none of it left, a second Gate, on the other side of the void, something he had not noticed before, had opened up, and Edward watched as Al's malnourished body was pulled through it. He had waited for himself to be pulled back through as well, but it had not happened.

When Alphonse was finally gone, the Truth, who had been watching him, turned back to Ed. "You are aware that that price alone is not enough, aren't you?" It had asked. Edward exhaled slowly; he had known, somewhere deep down, that his blood and sweat and pain and the Stone would never be enough for this cruel being in front of him. He had been hoping, praying, the by returning the trapped souls within the Stone to where the belonged after death would be enough, would be a fair price in exchange for his brother's flesh and blood, but of course he was wrong. He always seemed to be these past few months.

"I figured it wouldn't be." He said.

"And yet you came anyway. You're devotion to your brother truly is admirable, Edward Elric. You have a very strong heart."

"Well thank you." He said, waiting.

"Are you ready to hear what the rest of the price is?" Truth asked him. "If it's too much, I can easily bring your brother back and return his armour to him."