Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, The Wizard of Oz, and Sleeping Beauty or any of the characters

A/N: Okay, sorry for the late post, college is eating me alive. Anyways, I got a review about the OOC-ness of the characters (particularly in chaper 22) Hahaha! Thanks to totalnarutofangirl85 for pointing that out. And sorry for the OOC-ness guys, I guess the trouble they're into got me carried away to the point of making them say awfully serious and OOC things. :P Well, enjoy the next one!

Ch. 23

The military, being unprepared for such a situation randomly shot the dragon but it wouldn't die. Instead, it fuelled the dragon's wrath and it started to shoot fire at them. The soldiers ran, some burned on the spot they were standing on. The higher ups ordered the other soldiers to prepare the bigger weapons. They were asked to operate the tanks and missiles.

Havoc and Breda are one of those who had been commanded to do this, along with the other four. While they were left to serve as pawns, Armstrong and the other State Alchemists are busy plotting on a way to destroy the accursed creature.

The six soldiers who were involved with Briar Rose fired their missiles and their guns but it didn't work. The dragon dodged the missiles and the bullets didn't do much but irritate it and make it scratch. Out of wrath, it used her fire-breathing abilities once more. They managed to avoid the flames. But how long would they be able to do it?

"We have to think of a plan!" Breda yelled. "We can't keep on doing this."

"Well, we can always hide under a rock and wait until it's all over," Bloch joked but Maria smacked him on the head.

"I was only kidding," Bloch explained.

"This isn't a laughing matter, sergeant," Maria said. "Our lives depend on how well we handle the situation."

The dragon's roars, asking, demanding for Princess Aurora, silenced them.

"Aurora," whispered Feury. "Could she be that girl?"

"Possibly," Havoc said. "I mean, who else besides from her came out from nowhere?"

"You left her in the evacuation truck, right Feury?" asked Breda.

Feury nodded. "She was still unconscious when I left her."

Somewhere on the road:

Briar Rose slowly opened her eyes only to find herself in a moving vehicle. Beside her were strangers with their children on their laps. She looked for a familiar face but found none. Then she saw a man in blue uniform. She didn't know who it was but he seemed like a figure of authority so she decided to ask him.

"Sir," she said, trying to call the soldier's attention, "can you tell me what I'm doing here?"

"Lt. Hawkeye, ma'am," said the soldier, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm not this Hawkeye person," Briar Rose said. "My name is Briar Rose."

The soldier looked at her, bewildered. As far as he knew, the lieutenant didn't have any twin sister. But the girl didn't seem to know who the lieutenant is so he assumed that perhaps the situation is making him see things.

"Well, what is it?" the soldier asked the girl.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You are in an evacuation truck, young lady," he replied. "You and all the other civilians here are being escorted out of Central for safety."

"How about Maria?" she asked. "Is she safe? Do you know her?"

"Maria?" the soldier said. "There are so many women who go by that name. Can you give me a last name and perhaps I can say."

"I don't know her last name," said the princess. "Wait. I think some of he friends call her… Ross. Lt. Ross, something like that."

"You must be talking about Lt. Maria Ross," said the soldier. "She's in the field right now. I don't know what's going on but she's there."

Briar Rose looked Horrified. Her prince is in the field. What if she dies? Maria was the one who saved her. She loved the woman for that. What if she perishes? She wouldn't be able to live through the pain. So despite the warnings of the soldier, she got to her feet and decided to jump off the vehicle.

"Miss, please do not do this," said the soldier. "It isn't safe to go back there."

But she punched him in the nose and he fell unconscious. She jumped off the vehicle and ran back to where she came from.

"I'm coming, my prince," said the princess as she run back to Central.

In the field:

Realizing that their efforts are in vain, the soldiers ceased fire and focused on their defenses instead. The dragon is seeking for this girl named Aurora. No one knows who she is but the six who spoke nothing about her. They didn't know how long they're going to keep on defending the city from the behemoth creature. An unknown soldier stood up and begged for anyone who knew this Aurora to speak up so that the city will be spared. But no one said a word.

"Why can't we just tell the dragon where she is?" asked Bloch.

"Because that's a stupid move," Havoc said simply.

"Our task is to protect the city and the people who live in it," said Breda. "If we let the dragon know her location, it will surely come after her, putting all the other civilians at risk."

"That girl caused us nothing but trouble," said Ross. "You should've left her in the underground city."

"How can you be so sure that it wouldn't come after her anyway?" asked Breda.

The dragon roared once more, silencing them. She breathed fire and burnt the commercial buildings of Central.

"Where is Princess Aurora!" it screamed. "Tell me! I know you know who I'm talking about!"

"We don't know who you are looking for," yelled Ross. "Our country is governed by the military, there are no princesses here."

"Tell her that maybe she's in Xing," whispered Havoc jokingly but Breda smacked him in the head.

"What?" protested Havoc, "That country is ruled by emperors, there are princesses there."

But suddenly, Briar Rose came running into the field yelling out Maria Ross' name.

"My Maria! My Prince Maria!" she said as she ran towards her 'prince'.

"No, Briar Rose!" said the five men and Maria. "Bad Briar Rose, Bad!"

"You should be sleeping in an evacuation truck right now!" said Feury.

But she continued running. The dragon glared daggers at Ross. She dare lie to Maleficent? She is going to perish for it. She was about to burn Ross and the other five when she felt a sharp rock hit her abdomen and it bled. She turned to look at the face of the one who injured her and saw a bald, muscular man with blue eyes. It was Armstrong and behind him are the other State Alchemists who serve the Military.

In the skies of Fairytale Land:

At long last, the three of them finally reached their destination, the tornado. They held on to their brooms as tight as they could, knowing that if they didn't, they will surely die. Just like leaves, the three of them are blown into circles, following the path of the tornado, slowly becoming a part of it. Filth and tiny rocks flew along with them. The filth covered them and the rocks gashed their skins but they rode along the strong whirling wind. It's too late to turn back now.

Roy looked at Riza, she was there, secured. Just like him, she's covered in filth and she has tiny scratches on her arms and face but she's fine. She looked back at Roy, the armor protected him from the arm scratches but his face was another thing. They saw an uprooted tree heading their direction. Despite the dirt threatening to enter, their eyes widened at the gigantic object that was about to hit them seconds from now, knowing that they cannot manipulate their brooms because of the strong winds. But the black lightning hit the tree and shredded it to pieces.

"We could be next," said Glenn, spitting out the filth that managed to enter his mouth. "We better hurry and get into the very core of the tornado."

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Roy. "We can't get pass the winds."

"I don't know but I cannot use my powers, they just do not work here," replied Glenn.

"How about the broom's powers?" asked Riza. "If you cannot use yours, it's only reasonable that these things lost their powers."

"Enchanted things never lose their powers," said Glenn. "Unless it's a fairy's doing."

On the corners of their eyes, they noticed another large object approaching from the side. They looked at it and found a house roof about to hit them.

"We are going to die here," Glenn said in a low voice.

"Maybe it'll get hit by---" Roy was cut off when it hit the three of them, sending them flying off near the core of the tornado, hands still tight on their brooms, screaming and not minding all the dirt that managed to enter their lungs. It bruised them but they barely noticed the pain, they were too determined to reach the portal.

"We… lived," said Roy in amazement.

"In Fairytale Land, anything goes," said Glenn. "With a strong will and a lot of determination, you can survive."

The wind was still strong and they struggled to enter the core, where the portal can be found but it was difficult. All they can do is ride it and go around in circles, hoping that it would take them deeper into the heart of the vortex. He turned to check on Hawkeye and found that she is safe behind him.

"How are you doing there?" he asked just to be sure.

"I'm alright, sir," she replied. "You?"

"I'm fine," he said. "Maybe if we keep on riding the wind, we can make it to the core, that's where the wind is taking us, after all."

"Yes, I believe we're close enough," said Hawkeye. "It wouldn't take long for us to reach it."

So they let the winds carry them until they entered the core of the vortex, where the familiar shadows lurked. In there, the shadows didn't move, they let the wind speak for them. In the heart of the vortex, the wind grew stronger, pulling them in deeper, sucking them into another world. Roy, Riza and Glenn held onto the broom but the wind was too strong for Riza to handle and she lost grip but Roy saw it coming and he took the risk and released his grip from the broomstick to catch her before she falls into a place unknown. He succeeded in doing so and he managed to grab a hold of his broom before it flies astray. So he hung on to it, with Riza in his left arm, he dangled like a wind chime.

"Sir, you cannot hold on much longer," Riza said. "You have to release me."

Roy looked at her. His obsidian orb flaming with determination, like it always has.

"No," said Roy, "I am never letting go of you again."

"We'll both die," reasoned Riza.

"Then help me, like you always had," said Roy. "Hold on to me as tight as you can."

But she doubted if he could handle it so she demanded for him to let her lose. But he wouldn't give up on her. He wondered, perhaps, his honesty would convince her to hang on. Perhaps if she knew what would become of him if she lets go, she'll hold on. So he spoke once more.

"In this land, everything goes. With strong will and determination, we can never lose. So don't lose your determination now because you're the only one who's keeping me going."

She looked at him and saw his functioning eye still fixated upon her. His expression softened when he said the following words.

"I continued because I needed to find you. I go on because I cannot bear the thought of losing you again. So trust me."

And so she did. She wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as she could while he tightened his hold on her and strengthened his grip on the broom he's holding on to. So together, they decided to live through it, because both cannot bear the thought of losing each other again.