Chapter 10: Mortal Vengeance

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter, I certainly hope that it was not delayed for very long! Remember to review for me and I'll try and update faster. You guys inspire me to write…

Disclaimer: I've said it all before… Receives glares from several guys in black suits who cross their arms. What? Fine… Sighs Yeah, well no matter how much I dream it, I do not own Full Metal Alchemist… Are you freaking happy? Glares back at the guys who smile strangely and nod before disappearing. Whispers: Actually, I do own them- Aaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhh! Tackled by the guys because they heard her.

One stands up and clears his throat. We are experiencing technical difficulties, please be patient for a moment.

Several Minutes later:

Whimpers. I d-don't own it, sorry for leading you guys on. Shifty gaze They just want me to say that, so don't pay it any mind… Runs and shouts On with the story! Chased away.

Must reads:

Expect the Unexpected

Koukyuu no Toriko

A Forgotten Memory

Pirates of the Caribbean Inuyasha Style

A Path Worth Retracing

Hate is Only Skin Deep

My Memory's Heartache

Full Metal Hakusho

Recap:

"You, girl, are destined for great things." Seiryo poked her in the side, receiving a threatening glare, "Didn't you ever wonder? Just why it was that your alchemy was so different from all others- that even when you didn't wish it, it was brought on anyhow? You are the apocalypse dear girl. The end of the world as known by the humans is contained within you and you alone."

"No!" Kara gasped, taking a frightened step backwards, "I would never-"

"Not now you wouldn't you simple fool, why is it that you think Atsutane was bent upon turning you? By destroying your humanity he would ultimately contain the fate of the world." Hirotsugo sighed heavily, "Really, you ought to know of it, I find it amazing that you didn't know of your own fate."

As soon as the small car had stopped, before that even, Ed dove from the vehicle. He stared now at the abandoned train, a feeling of dread rose within him and he looked at the surrounding area. "Ed." Hughs' voice was slightly tentative as he came to a halt at Ed's side.

"Don't do anything stupid." Mustang called from behind them, "it looks as though they've left, but we cannot be sure."

The rain had been falling for hours, and even then she still stood just outside the safety of the house. Winry felt a pang of despair rising in her heart and she could not understand it. Ed, you had better not get yourself killed! She thought angrily and yet with great sincerity. "Winry dear, it's raining!" She was called to from the house and she turned in surprise.

Her hair clung to her face in little ringlets as she ran to the house, her footsteps slightly uncertain for the moment and gave one last look of concern to the outside world where Ed still traversed. Finally she turned her back and stepped through the threshold, not daring to give yet another look back for fear that she would see something awful.

- that was an attempt at recapping the entire chapter by picking a few paragraphs here and there like they usually do it on television XDDD

Now:

Daylight came, and with it the rain ended and once more sand blew across her path. Kara shivered, but she continued to walk with waning hope of reaching a populated area. No creature dared scurry across her path, and for that she was envious. She wished desperately to be hidden in a cool hole until the icy claws of night would draw her forth.

"Kara."

"Kara!" She heard their taunting calls and turned with a growl to confront them.

"Come out you bastards!" She howled her voice cracked with thirst, "come out and fight!"

Laughter sounded and her muddled mind grew ever more livid with rage. The heat shimmered in the air, and for a brief moment she caught sight of a wisp of fabric, she stabbed at it and came away having failed in catching it. "Too slow…" The voices spoke in unison and Kara turned slowly, trying once more to catch sight of them.

Kara lashed out at the air and caught flesh, there was a howl of pain and a grin graced her lips, "Not so fast as you thought!" she called to the wind, staring at the small smear of blood upon her blade.

"It was just a lucky shot." Hirotsugo said defensively from her left, and again she lashed out with her scythe without hesitation.

Hirotsugo collapsed in a writhing heap at her feet, blood pouring from a gaping wound in his stomach. His eyes glazed slightly and he looked at her darkly. Kara stuck out her chin and lifted the scythe for the death blow- only to have it yanked from her arms and thrown uselessly to the ground several feet away. "What're you going to do now?" Seiryou laughed tauntingly, "now that your precious weapon has been taken?"

Kara sighed and her shoulders slumped. Suddenly she could see a flash of red from beneath her eyelids, and she snapped her eyes open just in time to see Hirotsugo's body explode in a mass of flesh and blood. She stared in shock at the dark man that stood before her, grasping his right arm and taking shallow breaths, as though he had been running.

"S-scar?" She gasped in disbelief.

He turned, a deep frown apparent on his face, and she could clearly see the cross-shaped scar that covered his face and had given him his name. "Get your weapon, fool." He said simply, and she nodded before gulping and diving for the weapon.

"I think not." Atsutane stood before her, his arms crossed and a dark gleam in his eyes, "You're ruining our fun!" He growled at Scar, who had turned and stood now facing him.

Scar's defenses were far from being let down, as Seiryou dove for him from behind he stepped to the side and brought his hand down, barely missing the vampire as he dove from beneath Scar's hand and what would have inevitably been his death.

"So we'll have to wait." Atsutane taunted, "But that doesn't mean that we won't be back for you Kara- The mortal world will come to an end."

As swiftly as they had come they were gone, and Kara was left standing near a rather baffled Scar, their trail had disappeared and they were left standing in the searing sun for nearly ten minutes. Scar's frown deepened and he turned to Kara, "what did he mean that the mortal world will come to an end?" He asked impatiently.

Kara wasn't sure how exactly to answer and instead shrugged, a flush, whether it be from fever or embarrassment crept into her face was uncertain. "They're the generic 'I want to take over the world' type." She said at last.

"How are you involved with them?"

"Could this conversation wait until we get out of the sun?" Kara said breathily, wiping her brow impatiently.

Instead of answering he turned on his heel and led her farther into the hellish oven, and without question she followed him with faith that he would find shelter. He did, after nearly an hour's grueling pace, lead her into a small camp where several ragged tents huddled together in the meager shade that an outcropping of rocks provided. She saw several dark faces peer out at her from within them with slight curiosity. Kara straightened her walk, refraining from slouching in utter exhaustion.

Scar led her into a tent that was slightly larger than the rest and sat cross-legged on a thin mat, indicating that she do the same. "You wanted to know how I was involved with them." Kara started finally in a soft voice, "Several years ago, when I first became a state alchemist I was assigned to finding and destroying them… In the end I could not kill them and instead banished them from the country." She looked at her fingers, which were clasped tightly in her lap, "they came back, as they swore to me then, and left a trail of carnage behind them. It is now solely my duty to find and destroy those that remain."

"What makes you think that you are the only one that has the right to kill them?" Scar asked slowly, choosing his words with care.

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him, "Because it is my fault- whatever they have done since I let them go. Every death, every torture that they have performed, ever atrocity is my fault. If I had been able to kill them then none of this would have happened."

"That," He said, "was not your fault I am certain. You were a child, younger than you are now, innocent."

"Innocent enough to kill a murderer," She scowled at him, "Aritomo Mitsubishi, the murderer of my family and the cause of my present predicament." She glared at the metal of her arm, allowing her eyes to wander down to her interlaced fingers, "I did a foolish thing and tried to bring my parents back to life- both of them at the same time and lost so much in the process." Her smile was watery and her vision blurred with tears, "I didn't join with the military to become their 'dog' I did it to find the philosopher's stone. I have found a lot of things that I shouldn't have learned about, and now I'm trying to fix my mistakes, and to save the lives of thousands- millions even- of people that are to be used for new stones."

She stood then, swiftly and rather shocking even to herself and fled from the tent, back into the desert wasteland and beyond, not taking heed of anything that she passed as the sun beat down on her. Kara finally collapsed in sheer exhaustion and lay gasping upon the scorching sand. Great thirst built up in her, and she swallowed shallowly, cursing herself for being dumb enough to run.

In the shimmering heat she saw two figures approaching her, and gasped, wiping the sweat from her eyes and allowing her tears to overflow once more, "M-mother? Father?" She gasped in disbelief before shaking her head, it was impossible, they were dead.

"Kara dear!" Her mother smiled and opened her arms to her, "come here sweety." She cooed, "Your father and I have missed you so!"

"Mom!" She sobbed, dragging herself to her feet slowly, "how?" She sputtered, "Aritomo killed you and I couldn't bring you back, I couldn't do it!" She dove into her mother's arms, half hoping that she was really there and half hoping that it was just a mirage and that she would fall foolishly back into the scorching sand.

Their bodies collided and she was brought into a tight embrace, closed in by both mother and father. "There is something that you must know, young one." Her mother pulled her back, a shocking look of coldness upon her face.

Kara immediately pulled away and looked at them both, "What must I know?" She whimpered, fearing the answer that she thought was coming.

"Our names dear." Her father reached forward to touch a lock of her hair and immediately pulled himself back.

"But I know your names." Kara said in confusion, "I know them already."

"I am known as Avarice (Avarice is another word for Greed, and it is a bit more feminine, ne? I thought it to be more fitting),"her mother said softly.

"And I am Wrath." Said her father.

Kara stayed silent for a moment before gasping, "you are... you are homunculi then?" She questioned ruefully, feeling her heart breaking.

"We are." Said Wrath, "We came to ask you to do something for us- to create the Philosopher's Stone, so that we might become human."

"We're not asking," Avarice said boldly, "as your parents we are demanding that you create it."

"No." Kara said simply.

"No?" Avarice smirked and took a threatening step towards Kara, "you think that you have a say in the matter?"

"I don't take orders anymore. Maybe once you were my parents, but no longer. You are just another of my mistakes that must now be taken care of." Kara pulled her hands together slowly, as though there were something holding them apart and solemnly touched the ground, drawing forth her favorite scythe.

"Why you insolent child!" Avarice growled, her eyes glinting, "Do you really think that you can kill us with tha-"

Kara closed her eyes tightly and drew the scythe across both their throats, cutting deeply and watching remorsefully as their bodies sagged and fell to the sand. She turned to go, knowing that she didn't have much time to flee before they awoke.

&

Ed wiped the perspiration from his forehead and looked about, "Sand, sand, and more sand..." He growled, "just what we needed."

"If you'd quit complaining it would be so bad." Mustang muttered, taking a long gulp from a canteen that was at his side, "and you would realize that there is a giant hole in the sand- strange that it hasn't been filled-"

"Then-" Ed gasped and dove to the edge, touching the hardened sand thoughtfully, "She was here, I know she was. Kara!" His voice echoed back but he received no other reply.

"She went on." Hughes said, shielding his eyes from the blinding sunlight and pointing to the slight impressions in the sand, "we're lucky that no wind has blown through here or we probably would have gone in the wrong direction.

A figure was fast approaching them, and because of the haze of the heat, they could not tell who it was or if it was even real until the small form collided with the three of them, gasping for breath, "You- you're really here!" She gasped, touching all three delicately with her fingers, "I thought for sure that I must have been dreaming or something of the like."

"Get off!" Ed exclaimed, pushing her from him, "Kara?" He blinked before turning red with rage, "damn it, why did you run off like that? You could have been killed!"

"Oh don't go acting like a Saint Mr. Elric." She hissed, "You've gone off on your own for dangerous things quite often."

"Can we get out of this oven now?" Hughes asked at last, "we're out of water, and it's almost nightfall."

"Come on you two," Mustang said, "We're going back to Central."

"How about we just go back to the train and rest for a few minutes?" Kara said, caving slightly, "I don't want to go back to Central just yet."

"Yeah, I want to hear what Kara has to say-" Ed glared at her, "about why she decided to sneak out."

At the Train, several hours later

A refreshing breeze cooled the weary travelers as they sat in an abandoned car. They took a moment to settle in and to catch their breath. "Alright, spill it." Ed said at last, breaking the standing silence.

Kara sighed and averted her eyes from theirs, "they were my responsibility." She said with a shrug, "I failed in killing them before. What they have done since is my fault…"

"That doesn't matter!" Ed burst out, "we were going to go together, that way there was no risk in getting killed."

"I'm sorry." Kara hung her head, before remembering something, her words became breathy, "I saw Atsutane…"

"That's impossible." Mustang said, "Elric killed him months ago."

"He told me that he had planned his 'death'." Kara said, "That he really wasn't that easy to kill. But Scar managed to kill Hirotsugu with his alchemy, so maybe it isn't as impossible as we thought."

"Or maybe it is even more so." Hughes said thoughtfully, "Hirotsugu was one of the lower members, right?"

"Yes." Kara looked at him, puzzled.

"So maybe that's why it was so easy to kill him." Hughes continued.

Kara's eyes widened in understanding, "Seiryo was a step up from Hirotsugu and he was able to dodge Scar's attack easily." She moaned, "Damn these impossible creatures!"

"Well then we need a plan." Mustang said, "It was stupid running off on your own like that, what did you hope to accomplish with such a rash decision but your own demise?"

Kara flushed a brilliant crimson, realizing that she had been foolish. "I was only thinking of all of the pain that they had caused." She whispered, "I wanted to avenge those that were killed or hurt by them."

"We need to find out what their weaknesses are." Mustang said.

"Even the homunculi have weaknesses." Ed said, "You need only get a piece of what they were meant to be. Like a piece of their old body."

Kara stiffened at Ed's mention of the homunculi, and she thought for a moment that he knew about her parents- not her parents; those things didn't even have souls. She heaved a great sigh and knew that she would have to return to her accursed home very soon.

"What's the matter?" Hughes had caught her look of distaste.

"Nothing," Kara gave a wide yawn and stretched, "just… tired."

"Sleep for a while then." Mustang said, stifling a yawn of his own.

"Maybe we should get going." Ed said, "I left Alphonse in Central."

Kara perked up immediately; she still hadn't seen Alphonse, "Then let's go!" She stood up and ushered them to their feet as well, "Can I drive?" She asked, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"No." Mustang said with a smirk, "I'm driving, and besides, you're too reckless."

"Oh man…" Kara said sheepishly, "I just like to get where I am going quickly."

"We'll get there soon enough." Mustang led them out to his small car and the four of them piled in and headed off towards Central.

A/N: Well, there you have it, chapter 10! I really would have liked to get more than 1 review, but if I update a little more often perhaps more people will begin to read it again. Anyway, review for me!

Chapter 11: Unknown prisoners…

Kara and the Elrics go to her house- rather grudgingly on their part- so that she might be able to find a few original pieces of her parent's bodies. What they find is that the Vampire gang has decided to make her home their base and now the group is trapped inside. They are the unknowing vampires' prisoners, Alphonse and Ed learn why the vampires are so interested in Kara, what will they do? Tune in next time to find out!

Alright now, you know that that button is calling you!

I hope to hear from you guys soon!

Ja ne,

Aka-chan