Prose Alchemist

I absolutely love fanfiction that explores the inner workings Al's mind when he is still in the armor. I always thought of Al as someone who, although intrinsically kind, does actually have a dark side that is constantly being nudged into wakefulness by the trials that he faces while trapped in the armor. One of my favorite head-canons is that Alphonse has to constantly work to maintain the kindness that so characterizes him in the series. I really like the way you wrote this piece, because it touches on what I always think of as Al's greatest struggle, which is his desire to keep his humanity, which, (I always thought) he does through the conscious effort to be forgiving. I also adore the sibling interaction at the end. I think that it displays Edward in a way that stays true to his original character, but also shows that he might be more aware of his brother's fight for his humanity than I felt was displayed in canon.