Chapter Nineteen
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long. My job consumes my life… Anyway, this is the last chappy… I am sad… and happy because I have finally finished a fanfic! I'm working on another as we speak and will give y'all a little preview at the end.
P.S.- I liked Edward as a kitty too, but he wouldn't be very happy if I left him like that… he needs some amount of dignity. ; )
Falman winced as he shifted weight. The gash he received had stopped bleeding, but now the pain really began to kick in. He looked around at his comrades. Everyone stared off with their heads down, focusing on nothing. Hawkeye sat next to him her firm hand keeping pressure on his wound. Falman looked up at Mustang, who was the only one standing, he still gripped the bars of their little cell.
Silence… It was the one thing that tested their sanity. It had been this way ever since Edward was taken into the Gate. Even Shou was quiet he or his Chimeras haven't made a sound since then… Falman laid his hand on Hawkeye's, he nodded to her indicating he no longer need it. He began to unbutton his shirt to check his condition when a white flash of light filled the dim stone room and the sound of something hitting the ground replaced the silence. As soon as their eyes adjust they saw the motionless body of Ed, he was sprawled in an awkward position.
The cold dead eyes of Shou widened as he approached the boy. "Edward…" He called. "Edward!…" There came no answer. With a large clawed foot, Tucker kicked Ed over to his stomach and gasped. Edward was back to normal! And what's worse, he didn't bring Nina's soul back with him!
"You fool!" Shou shouted, his entire body began to tremble with rage. "How could you… Do you understand what this is going to cost you!… Everyone you care about will die tonight because of your disobedience!" Shou spat at the unconscious boy in front of him. Shou whipped around to Alphonse. "Kill him…"
Without a seconds hesitation Alphonse strode over to his brother. Once again he lifted his large booted foot and drove it down at Edward's abdomen…
"Nooo!" Mustang shouted as he shielded his eyes from the scene. None of the other's could bring themselves to watch the execution of the young Edward Elric. Tears rolled down Hawkeye's cheeks as she placed her face in her hands. The Chimeras
eagerly stared at the brothers. And Shou… his mind was racing with alternate approaches
to achieving his wish, but his long brown ears perked up to hear the final blow from Alphonse… yet it never came.
He turned back around and was surprised once again. Edward had caught the armor's boot right above his body. "How the…"
"Not this time!" Edward said. A flash of blue light erupted from his hands and lit various spots on Alphonse's armor. Twelve spots… Momentary silence stood until the light faded .
"Brother!" Al cried, as he looked down at the bruised body of Edward. "Brother!" He bent down and picked Ed up and set him on his feet.
"Ow! Al, be careful…"
"How did you…?" Shou asked, anger filled to the brim in his eyes.
Mustang and his subordinates stared speechless wondering the same.
" Eh, it was nothing complicated." Edward said with a wave of his hand. "All's I did was locate the twelve blood seals of the dogs you placed on Al and combined the atoms with the bronze of his armor."
"But how did you decipher which was your own and what was mine? I placed a few around your original." Shou asked.
"You should know, animal blood and humans vary in several ways, but the first that came to mind was the arrangement of insulin in each. Dogs have a different islet structure than that of our own and even a larger amount- But I have more news for you… I spoke with Nina." Edward said.
Shou's eyes lit up. "Well, then where is she!"
"Nina doesn't want to come back. She said she is happier with her mother and that she doesn't want to see your ugly mug ever again…" Edward tried to keep a focused face, but he had almost no energy to continue his talk. He began to tilt sideways when a strong hand caught him. It was Al.
"Nooo…. She can't… What have I done?" Shou's entire body quaked and he grabbed his head with his big claws. "What have I doooooone!" He feel to his knees.
At this the large throng of Chimeras leapt at the brothers. Jaws snapped and claws groped, but none reached their fleshy target. In an almost explosive manner Alphonse threw five or six Chimeras off of his back. He had covered Edward to protect him.
Edward slowly got to his feet. He glanced over at Mustang to make sure everyone was fine and then he placed his hands together. "Lets end this…" He held his hands in the air and an awesome green light sprouted from the tips of his fingers. Within minutes every Chimera fell, dead, on the blood bathed ground.
He had used the excess carbon atoms that lingered from the burning flames and fused them with the oxygen. As soon as the air carried these elements to the lungs it would usually break away everything else and take the oxygen, but Edward kept them fused with his will. As the blood cells carried the atoms to the heart, he then defused the atoms, combined the carbon atoms to make a plug and clog the aorta. Instant heart attack.
Edward had also broken down the bars of his comrades cell, so they approached the two brothers.
Colonel Mustang reached them first. "I can't believe you--
"You fools!…" Shou yelled. "Do you think you can keep me away from Nina! No… no you can't." He shouted, his voice was distorted and distant from sanity. "I will be with her again…" Shou picked up a shard of metal. "Nina dear, you know you should be in bed by now…" He thrust it into his chest and fell face forward…
His eyes opened wide, but then shut as a bright light entered the small room. Slowly cracking them again he waited for his eyes to adjust. Glancing around he noticed little specks of dust floating in the beam of sunlight. Tilting his head to the left, Edward saw a big suit of armor sitting at his side.
"Al!" He called, his voice was raspy as if it were never used. Ed began to rise when a firm hand was placed against his chest.
"You need your rest brother." Alphonse said.
For some reason the sound of Al's voice soothed Ed and he submissively laid back down.
The next time he had awaken it was night fall. Alphonse still sat next to him, but at the foot of his bed stood Colonel Roy Mustang.
There eyes locked momentarily, Edward was the first to remove his gaze.
Mustang smiled inwardly at this. I've still got power over you, pipsqueak. He thought to himself.
"So did you come in here to lecture me?" Edward asked, arms crossed over his chest.
"Although there are a lot I'd like to ask you… and about that cage thing- yeah we will have some talking to do, I came to give you your next assignement. I think it might help you recover faster… Seeing how you've been waiting in this dump for longer than usual, I have collected quite a bit of leads for you two…" Mustang said as he plopped a thick manila folder at the feet of Edward.
Ed's eyes widened at the sight of it. Mustang approached Fullmetal and placed a hand on his head.
"You did good out there kid." He rustled Edward's hair and turned on his heel. As he opened Ed spoke up.
"Uh… Thanks Colonel… for being there." the young alchemist said, blushing a bit.
Mustang waved it off and left the room.
"Argh! That Colonel…" Edward said.
"Maybe he's not as good as you at expressing yourself, brother." Al giggled.
"Shut up!" Ed turned his attention to large folder on his bed and grabbed it.
Flipping open the cover he stared down and turned red.
"I'm going to kill him! I promise!" Edward said as he threw a small pack of catnip at the wall.
Fin.
Author's Note: Oh yeah! I finally finished it. Whew! Ok, I want to thank all my reviewers, because you helped me update quicker. So more power to ya! Just to let you know, Shou wasn't aloud to enter in the world-dimension-place that Nina was in. 'Cause he was too Evil! And the reason why Edward didn't kill the Chimera's this way earlier, was because he didn't think of it so there! Also, on Ed and Al's next trip, Al finds a cat and Ed allows him to keep it, Edward secretly wanted it anyway. Alrighty, now I shall give y'all a summary of my next ficy! Also also, I am writing a humorous ficy!
Title: Brat'ya
Genre: Drama/ Tragedy/Angst
Summary: Edward finally gets Al's body back, but due to the unnatural connection between his soul and the armor, Al's body rejects his soul and passes away. Ed travels to the Gate a number of times to bring his brother back, but Al's soul can no longer exist stably and every time Ed enters the Gate he looses something. On his final attempt he pays a costly price. So in excepting the fact that he has lost his brother, Edward returns from the Gate…
Alphonse loved many things. He had the courage to show his passion openly in those things he loved. It was tougher for Edward to follow in his footsteps, but one of Al's greatest love was that of an orchestra. So Edward devotes his life to become the greatest composer of his time.