Same, But Different (A Fullmetal Alchemist fan-fic)

Alive

Éclair

Light.

Darkness.

Light.

Darkness.

Light!

I blinked a few more times, my tired heavy eyes couldn't decide whether or not they wanted to stay open. It took me a moment to remember who I was and where I was, the second in which I couldn't recall at all. The room certainly didn't smell like the outdoors.

My vision was blurry at first; it was obvious that my eyes hadn't been opened in quite some time. However that didn't stop me from moaning lightly, exhaling the air inside me. "Ughhhhh..." My voice sounded horse. Just what had happened to me this time...?

Staring up at the blank ceiling, Trevor, his father, Ayumi, Alphonse, Winry, Vapor and cloud were crowded around me, noticing that I had made a sound. That's when the memories flooded back.

"You're alive!" Ayumi exclaims in relief.

"Of course I'm alive. There's no way  I was going to die yet." I gave her a weak smile.

Ayumi laughed to herself, "and you're okay."

I closed my eyes a moment and sighed to myself, "that depends on you definition of 'okay'. Where's Ed and Envy?" I wearily ended up asking.

"Envy's in the corner, I suppose you can't see him from where you're laying. Ed's in the bed right over there. He's taking a nap." Vapor stepped back picking up cloud. I could see where Ed was napping. He was okay...

I asked the dumbest question, "They're alright...right?"

"Yep! You're the only one we've been worried about! You were out for thirteen days!" Ayumi said. I sighed in relief. They were alright. However thirteen days was an extremely long time. I understand why she was so elated to find that I woke up.

I was able to talk to everyone for the rest of the day, catching up with the past thirteen days that I missed. I had finally got the chance to meet the real Al and I found out just how happy he was with Ayumi. I had done a good deed, although the price of it was still high.

Although time seemed to pass rather rapidly, there was still so much time to make up for those days I've been out. Soon it was nightfall and the visiting hours were over. They expected me to get rest. Ed didn't wake up at all during the rest of visiting hours. I only assumed he stayed up all night the prior night studying something. Perhaps the truth told him something more. I didn't know at this point, I just hoped he would tell me if he had learned anything new when he awoke later that day. It had to be unusual and important if it kept him up at night.

Visiting hours had ended later that day, and everyone was instructed to leave so I could get even more rest. At this point I still felt wide awake. I mean, how else are you supposed to feel if you're asleep for thirteen days? 

That's why it had to at least be ten or eleven at night when Ed finally woke up. He had grumbled and mumbled to himself a bit before he finally crawled out of bed, careful to attempt not to "wake" me. However he was in for a surprise. I was as wide awake as I could possibly be right now.

"Edward...what are you doing...?" I asked as I turned on the lamp next to me. 

Ed sprung up rather quickly, shocked that I was actually awake, "Y-You're awake?!" 

"Yup." I responded nonchalantly. 

"How are you?" Ed asked, trying to catch his breath as he sat back down on his own bed.

"Alive" That was sure the word of the day. Alive.

"When did you-" 

"Two hours ago when you were sleeping, beauty." I had laughed at my own puns, "Although I'm sure she was quite taller...but you do have the hair going. Just have to trim the bangs a bit and curl the ends..."

"I'm not small! And I'm not a princess! That's like saying you're a man!"

"I'm not a man! I'm very very much a female and I can do my job just as well as you can!"

We continued to quarrel betwixt the two of us for several minutes until a nurse came in to shush us. Apparently we were keeping most of the other hospital residents awake that night.

After causing enough commotion for the night, the two of us sighed. I used all my strength to push myself up, and examine myself. It was all internal problems. On the surface I looked fine. Just some minor cuts and bruises. It was nothing new or out of the ordinary. 

"It's nice to know Al's fine." I stated, attempting to make conversation again since neither of us seemed like we were going to sleep anytime soon.

"Yeah. He's happy. Still calling me an idiot. But I can live with that. He's back to normal. That's something that we wanted for the both of us." 

I shook my head and looked to my hands, "Well, if it makes you feel any better Trevor's mad at me for doing it again. I can live with his hate, after all, we're like family anyway. You guys are the closest thing I have to family." 

"I guess this got us hated." Ed laughed. 

I shrugged, "I can live with hated. It means I'm still alive if I can live with it."

Ed smiled, "We are alive."

I nodded, "And we were found faster." 

"True." 

"So we're fine." I reasoned while I continued to laugh. It didn't matter what others thought of us. We knew what our sins were. We knew what taboos we committed. We could move past that, and we have. So our judgement was a little twisted and we've lived a little too much on the dark side of reality. At least here and now we were still alive and breathing.

"At least we are alive." I say, trying to get to my feet. I am able to stand barely. To try to walk wouldn't be possible.

"Alive" Ed nods.

~~~

Rin's POV

After getting the newspaper read to me the next day, I was shocked by the headlines, and front page.
Two State Alchemists Found After Going Missing For Twelve Days
Two state Alchemists, and a civilian have finally been found after been disappearing for twelve long days. They are currently in the Hospital, both alive and conscious. The two Alchemists, the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, and the Halfmetal Alchemist Èclair Elanie along with a civilian who called himself 'Envy' were kidnapped three weeks ago, while in central. They were brought to a place underground by the north western boarder where they escaped three days later, and started walking aimlessly back to central through the barren flat lands of the wilderness. After walking for several days with nothing to eat nor drink, in the heavy rain they were tracked down by two young girls Vapor and Ayumi who knew the land, and could precisely pinpoint their location due to spotting's by people who lived the area. Then Rin Night, the Sonic alchemist lead the two girls, with Alphonse Elric, Edward Elric's younger brother, to find the three. The three were tracked using Rin Night's alchemy, and Fullmetal and Halfmetal's alchemy to create light so they could be found. By the time they were found, the civilian had collapsed due to hunger and dehydration, and the two State Alchemists had both collapsed due to Starvation, Dehydration, and somehow, blood loss, although the only cuts they had were small minor injuries that couldn't dispel enough blood to cause anything like that. The Fullmetal Alchemist had regained consciousness five days ago, followed by the Halfmetal Alchemist yesterday.
The newspaper blabbed on. But this was amazing. They left out so much. I didn't see the light. I'm blind. It was Al who road ahead, and I followed the sounds.
That wasn't light Alchemy either. That was human transmutation. So they had both done it before.
It wasn't right, but it explained their skill. To survive that. So this was nothing to them. They already been through the worst.
So how could they still face another day?