Chapter Text
Alphonse and Edward Elric sat outside infront of their mother's grave when they decided to bring her back.
They study alchemy while at school. They read their father's books because they don't have a teacher. The teacher yells at them for doing science in math. Winry sleeps during all the classes.
Then the housewife comes to the town, she saves them from the overflowing River. She takes them in as students.
Teacher leaves them on an island with a what they think is a serial killer (or a cannibal) and a riddle for thirty days. They figure out the riddle in maybe ten days. The rest of the time they thirve instead of just surviving.
Mason- the serial killer- works for their teacher.
They end up being gone for a total of five months- four months with their teacher and one on the island.
They get back in the summer, by August they are almost done getting ready to bring their mom back. But in August Edward Elric gets sick and dies from a strand of the same thing that killed his mother he wanted to see again.
Al sits infront of Edward's and Trisha's graves. He doesn't leave till he's dragged away by Winry, who is heart broken. Winry, Alphonse, and Pinako are a broken family, they know it.
On October 3rd, 1910, Al decides to finish the work and bring Ed back, so they can bring their mom back like they've been planning for years.
The last day of December he has everything ready, Alphonse Elric commits the ultimate taboo to bring his brother back. He commits the taboo so they can move forward. He commits the taboo so he can have someone to speak to again, someone who understands him.
It goes wrong. It goes so wrong.
Al can't move forward. Al can't speak. No one will ever really understand him again.
Pinako finds him in the basement of the house he grew up in. He was so excited earlier said he'd come over with a huge surprise. He didn't come. He couldn't come. Pinako went to investigate. She went to investigate and found a broken kid- a broken boy.
She sees the thing. A boy crying quietly. She buries the thing after treating the boy.
Winry wakes up to see Al crying on the bed in the room across from hers, but there is no sound.
Al knows it's his fault.
He knows.
Eventhough it's his fault he cries.
Then he stops.
He decides to never cry again.
Roy Mustang came to Resembool to recruit a 31 year old alchemist and his brother a 30 year old alchemist. The cart driver laughs bitterly when he tells them the names.
The man speaks in bitter tones, he tells the two soldiers that Al is the only Elric and he's 10. The town people have raised the Elric Brothers after everything. Ed's death is a sore spot for the whole town. They won't allow anything to happen to Al especially after word spread of his 'accident'.
Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye arrive at the Elric residence. He sees the circle and bloody floor. Roy Mustang knows.
The man takes them to the Rockbell house when asked to.
He knocks on the door and it's opened by Pinako Rockbell who introduces herself. He walks in and finds the golden haired boy on a wheel chair.
He yells demands for answers from the boy. Winry is kicked out by her grandmother. Pinako yells at the man, tells him that Alphonse can't talk, tells him that Alphonse is mute.
Riza Haweye never walked in the room. Winry gets her tea. Winry asks her if she's taking Al away. Asks her if Al will end up like her parents, or Auntie Trisha. Winry asks her to keep Al from harm asks her to make sure Alphonse doesn't end up like Edward. Winry cries and Riza assures her that if Al decides to join she'll protect him.
Al looks into the eyes of Roy Mustang as he yells, his eyes are filled with life, anger, ambition, and it reminds him so painfully what Ed's eyes were.
Roy Mustang wants him to become a State Alchemist. Pinako is discsusted by the idea. Alphonse loves it. He doesn't really know why. Maybe because he hates the looks he's given by the Rockbells. Mustang leaves.
'I want automail.' Al writes one sentence, he write three words, this is what condemns them to damnation. Condemns them to a hell they never knew existed.
Al goes through the surgery and rehabilitation in about a year. He was 100% able to walk on his two new automail legs. He began learning Amestrian sign language during his recovery, whenever he had time.
Al has his State Alchemist Exam on Edward's birthday. It kills him.
When Mustang gets the call from Resembool a young girl speaks into the phone. She tells him Alphonse would like to join. He tells her the date, she chokes, repeating the January date in a questioning tone. He confirms the date and she says goodbye
Al passes his exam with flying colors.
Al is the youngest State Alchemist in history at the age of 11. He feels like the title should go to someone else.
He is given the state name of Stone Silent.
The Stone Silent Alchemist has a nice ring to it, does it not?
He carves October 3rd, 1910, on his watch. He carves the day he messed up onto the one thing hell carry everywhere. He carves the day that he decided to continue on with the plans, but with a different subject of resurrection.
He goes through military training.
He gets his assignments done.
He is sent to Shou Tuckers house after showing interest in biological alchemy.
That's where the real story begins.
It doesn't start at the grave.
It doesn't start with Ed.
It doesn't start with training.
It doesn't start with the lamb infront of the stone.
It doesn't start on October 3rd.
It doesn't start on Ed's would be January birthday.
Everything begins with Nina Tucker. The little girl with a heart purer than platinum. It starts with a girl who can understand.