[What was happening at this moment, this memory, was not meant for anyone else to see or witness. Part of it even Al shouldn't have to see. He didn't need to think about what Ed did to get his soul back. But he did. He would always remember. It would be a sin to forget.
His leg was gone and staying on his hands and knees proved to be a balancing act that he couldn't accomplish. Edward falls to the side, clutching the bleeding stump that used to be his leg, sobbing and screaming in agony.
Al's name slips past his lips in strained whimpers and gasps. His brother. Al was gone. Gone, gone, gone and it was his fault. He rolled onto his stomach just in time to see something move in the center of the circle.
"M-mom?"
There was desperation in that tiny voice and that word, that one little word, would be his breaking point. An odd sort of gurgling groan emanated from the circle's center and Ed's eyes widened in horror. Whatever was there it was clear that it wasn't what he was expecting. Something dark and human, but not quite, groaning and gasping and twitching. A thin hand rose from the floor, reaching for Ed. The weight of it's arm was too much for it and it slammed to the ground, fingers extending and curling, like it was asking him to come closer, to help it.
It was human, but distinctly not -- it's face tight and gaunt, it's head lolling backwards like it's neck had snapped.
Ed screamed -- his voice coarse and wavering.
"NO. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to be like this!"
He chokes back his tears, using his arms to pull himself across the room, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
"Alphonse, no! No, dammit. You won't take him too."
He somehow manages to knock down the suit of armor that had been propped up in the corner. Using his own blood, Ed quickly creates a seal inside of it.
"Give him back! He's my brother! Take my leg. Take my arm! Take my heart, ANYTHING, YOU CAN HAVE IT! Just give him back! He's my little brother, he's all I have left!"
He could barely register that Diana was there at all. The memory of that one naive, misguided, terrifying night kept spinning in his head. He could feel it -- the pain, the hurt, the terror, the helplessness, the hopelessness -- as strong as the day it happened. And that dreadful, awful sinking feeling in his stomach. The knowledge that he was alone. Completely alone. His mother dead, his father as good as dead, and his brother... his brother was just ripped apart right in front of his eyes. There was no one left for him. No one.
Ed grits his teeth and claps his hands, the familiar blue light surrounding him and the armor as he touches the seal. He sobs and gasps, pulling himself towards the wall, struggling to sit up. It was too much. All of it was too much. The black arms are back and they surround him, pulling at his right arm, taking it piece by piece until there's nothing left.
And right now Ed was reliving it. Feeling each muscle and ligament unraveling, his skin dissolving, every cell breaking apart and fading away. Another scream claws mercilessly at his throat, somehow sounding more agonized and blood-curdling than the last and his right arm is gone. And his blood. More of his blood. Seeping and rushing out of him, leaving him dizzy and disoriented and he knew he was losing way too much, knew that he had to stop this. Had to stop the bleeding, but he couldn't move, couldn't do anything but scream and sob and grab pathetically at Diana's sleeve.]
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Date: 2011-11-18 05:07 am (UTC)His leg was gone and staying on his hands and knees proved to be a balancing act that he couldn't accomplish. Edward falls to the side, clutching the bleeding stump that used to be his leg, sobbing and screaming in agony.
Al's name slips past his lips in strained whimpers and gasps. His brother. Al was gone. Gone, gone, gone and it was his fault. He rolled onto his stomach just in time to see something move in the center of the circle.
"M-mom?"
There was desperation in that tiny voice and that word, that one little word, would be his breaking point. An odd sort of gurgling groan emanated from the circle's center and Ed's eyes widened in horror. Whatever was there it was clear that it wasn't what he was expecting. Something dark and human, but not quite, groaning and gasping and twitching. A thin hand rose from the floor, reaching for Ed. The weight of it's arm was too much for it and it slammed to the ground, fingers extending and curling, like it was asking him to come closer, to help it.
It was human, but distinctly not -- it's face tight and gaunt, it's head lolling backwards like it's neck had snapped.
Ed screamed -- his voice coarse and wavering.
"NO. This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to be like this!"
He chokes back his tears, using his arms to pull himself across the room, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
"Alphonse, no! No, dammit. You won't take him too."
He somehow manages to knock down the suit of armor that had been propped up in the corner. Using his own blood, Ed quickly creates a seal inside of it.
"Give him back! He's my brother! Take my leg. Take my arm! Take my heart, ANYTHING, YOU CAN HAVE IT! Just give him back! He's my little brother, he's all I have left!"
He could barely register that Diana was there at all. The memory of that one naive, misguided, terrifying night kept spinning in his head. He could feel it -- the pain, the hurt, the terror, the helplessness, the hopelessness -- as strong as the day it happened. And that dreadful, awful sinking feeling in his stomach. The knowledge that he was alone. Completely alone. His mother dead, his father as good as dead, and his brother... his brother was just ripped apart right in front of his eyes. There was no one left for him. No one.
Ed grits his teeth and claps his hands, the familiar blue light surrounding him and the armor as he touches the seal. He sobs and gasps, pulling himself towards the wall, struggling to sit up. It was too much. All of it was too much. The black arms are back and they surround him, pulling at his right arm, taking it piece by piece until there's nothing left.
And right now Ed was reliving it. Feeling each muscle and ligament unraveling, his skin dissolving, every cell breaking apart and fading away. Another scream claws mercilessly at his throat, somehow sounding more agonized and blood-curdling than the last and his right arm is gone. And his blood. More of his blood. Seeping and rushing out of him, leaving him dizzy and disoriented and he knew he was losing way too much, knew that he had to stop this. Had to stop the bleeding, but he couldn't move, couldn't do anything but scream and sob and grab pathetically at Diana's sleeve.]
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorryI'msorryI'msorry.