Chapter 12

Father grinned happily and waved a hand in the air. Pride sent his energy around the room, surrounding everyone and forcing them into a tight circle. Mustang grabbed onto Edward's coat, his blind eyes wide and searching the room. Izumo held tight to Mai, keeping her bloodied body from touching Pride's power. Scar pulled Clara close to him. The hole in the chest was still healing, the processing making her shudder in pain and tears fall from her face.

"Now! With the right sacrifice's, I can just destroy this nation and eat all of you up! Then my power will be eternal, and the world will be mine!" Father boomed. He glanced at Scar's distressed face.

"Maybe I'll send you two to Hell together... you're so close, after all!" He reached down to Clara.

"Now the stone!" Scar pulled her body away from his hand.

"You won't have her! You'll have to kill me!"

"Don't speak so confidently... Because I might just actually kill you!" He stabbed his hand through Scar's shoulder. Blood sprayed from the wound and onto Clara's face. Scar's grip on Clara weakened, he let out a grunt of pain, his eyes staring at the wound. Father laughed and pulled his hand back out. A gaping hole was in his shoulder, blood dripping down his ruined clothes. He bent over Clara, blood falling from his lips.

"No. You... you can't... have her!" He gasped weakly. Father grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to face him.

"Oh, but I can." He smacked Scar to the side, Clara falling out of his arm. Her eyes were closed, her breath was hot and heavy. Father grinned and grabbed a handful of her hair. He dragged her close to the enclosed circle of her friends.

"Now! All of you just stand still and we can get this show on the road!" He yelled. The wound on Clara's chest was completely closed. Her breath became more calm and smooth. Her eyes opened a bit. She gazed around.

"Scar...?" She saw his bleeding body, her eyes fluttered open. Her face was calm, her eyes frozen, her body unmoving. Father lifted his free hand up into the air.

"Yes!! Now all this power I've imagined will be mine!" He yelled, laughing. Electricity ran through the room. Edward and the others began yelling, trying to break free from their prison. Pride watched, impatientness in his eyes. Clara's eyes flew open. She put her hands to her mouth, coughing and hacking. Father let her go and watched. She doubled over, holding a hand to her stomach. Bile fell from her mouth, along with something black. Her mouth hung wide open, letting the thing seep out slowly. She hacked again, letting it fall to the floor. It didn't move. Clara stared at it. She didn't know what it was. It's slick outside almost resembled oil, yet it was rubbery and slimy. An eye peered up at her. Then a toothy grin.

"Bitch..." Smoke poured from the thing, fire convulsed on it's front. A horrible screech erupted from this thing. Clara was still. Father finally heard it and looked down. Anger was on his face. He growled.

"Dammit..." He reached down towards Clara, ready to restrain her again. She let out a gasp, something in her back began to move. Two bumps pushed against her skin, a crackling sound rang out. Father stopped.

"What are you doing!?" He yelled. She fell to the ground, yelling in pain as to spiked bones poked through her skin a grew. Her hair turned white and grew longer, her eyes turned white, the blood on her evaporated. Edward watched in amazement.

"What's happening to her?" Izumo let out a cry.

"Izumo-sensei! What's wrong?" Al said, turning to her. She held a hand over her eyes, a tear fell from them.

"Sensei?" Ed muttered.

"I can't believe it!" She cried. Al gently touched her back.

"What?"

"I've only read about this in books! The myth of the... the Angel who was killed! This is impossible!" She cried.

"Angel? Oh... Al... didn't we read something about that a while back?"

"Yeah, a folklore of hope, we called it."

"Well... I think that... it was created from some experiment..." Ed looked back at Clara, his eyes wide. Father was backing away from her, fear and anger in his eyes. He was yelling at her to stop, trying to have his way. The bones that had sprouted from her back expanded and turned into wings, featherless and bare. Only bone. Clara stopping screaming and stood up slowly, her hair hanging in front of her face. Father let out a scream of frustration.

"Damn bitch!! You did figure it out! I'll stop you before you can move!" He leapt at her with rage on his face, spikes sprouting from his body. Clara gazed at him and held up a hand. A ball of light shot at Father. It hit him directly.

"AGH!! NO!!"

"Now... Hohenheim... this is your decision... do you want this thing to live?" She whispered. Ed was gasped.

"He's still... alive??" Hohenheim's hand sprouted from Father's stomach.

"Never!" He yelled. The light engulfed Father's body, throwing Hohenheim away. Fire erupted all over Father, he was screaming in pain.

"NO! NO!! NOOOO!!" Pride stared in horror.

"Father!" Clara turned towards him, a calm expression on her pale face.

"Poor souls... locked in a small body that will never know the joy of adulthood or feeling. Come here... I'll free you..." Pride growled and lashed out at Clara. They bounced off of an invisible sheild. Pride had fear on his face.

"No... no! You're a monster!" He yelled. She sighed.

"Dear. I'll end it quickly..." Her bonely wings lifted upwards, then turned and lashed out at Pride. He tried to dodge but was stabbed through too soon. She brought Pride's body close to her and let her fingers run down his cheek.

"Poor child..." She whispered. She pressed her fingers on his forehead. A bright light engulfed him. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared. All that was left was ash. Clara gazed over at the almost completely ash body of Father. He wasn't moving anymore. Her eyes drifted to Scar. She felt something tug at her heart.

"Scar." She moved swiftly to his side and lightly touched his bleeding shoulder. A soft light glowed on the tips of her fingers and buried itself in his flesh. Scar grunted in pain and looked up at her calm face.

"C... Clara..." He whispered. She smiled softly and petted his hair. His wound closed up quickly. He kept his eyes on her.

"Clara... you look... angel..." He murmured. She froze.

"Angel... Hmph... I only wish..." Hohenheim stood in front of his sons. Ed and Al only watched him.

"Edward... Alphonse..." He held out his arms. Al took a step forward, Ed stopped him.

"Bro-" Ed held up a hand.

"So... where the hell were you when Mom died?" He growled. Hohenheim's eyes were sad and gazed at the floor, he lowered his arms.

"I was... in Xing... I'm so sorry... If I hadn't been a fool and left... No... I had to leave, Edward."

"No you didn't!! You left because you're a coward!! Mom raised us by herself for years without you!" He yelled.

"Yes... I know... I wish I had seen you two grow up... hehe! Maybe if I was there you would have drunken your milk!"

"HEY!! That's not funny!!" Edward snapped.

"Dad... Do you... know Clara?" Al asked. He nodded.

"Yes... I do... She was the first being I ever planted anything remotely similiar to the Philosepher's stone in. She was the first thing I created that was alive..." He muttered.

"What does that mean!? So she's not human?" Ed yelled. He shook his head.

"No. She is human. She was just..." He sighed.

"I broke the laws and brought her back to life... for a friend and his wife... Her parents..." Ed and Al froze.

"Wait... wait! What does that have to do with anything?"

"Her parents... they were so happy that she was going to be born... I had to leave to create the stone that is now her life... I came back to their town the day she was born. And... she was born alive... but suddenly... just died..." He whispered. Ed's eyes softened.

"So... you used the stone to bring her back...? Ngh!! But why!? It's caused her so much pain!!"

"I know Ed. I just... I didn't want to see my friend so upset... I didn't want a mother to be torn to pieces from losing her only baby that she just had given birth to!" Hohenheim wiped a tear from his eye with his rough hands.

"If I had known this would have happened, I never would have even made the Philosepher's stones. Then again... then I would not have been able to meet your mother..." He smiled. Ed's eyes filled with tears.

"Dammit!" He turned away, wiping his eyes. Izumo smiled softly.

"Edward... go to your father..." She muttered. He shook his head.

"No!! No way!" Al sighed and grabbed his coat, dragging him with him.

"Hey!! Let go!! Let go Al! This isn't funny!" Hohenheim embarced his sons in a hug, Ed stopped yelling and closed his eyes, tears falling from his face. Clara supported Scar and walked towards them.

"Hohenheim... You mentioned mother and father." He gazed at her.

"Yes. You weren't artificially made-"

"I know that." She smiled. Hohenheim stared at her.

"You... know?"

"Yes. If I were artificially made, then I wouldn't be able to have friends, or..." She glanced at Scar, a sign of blush on her cheeks. She gazed back at Hohenheim.

"What were their names?" He bit his lip, tears falling from his eyes.

"Oh! Your parents! Morticia and Theodore!" Clara smiled.

"Thank you..." She walked to Izumo.

"Please let me help." Scar knelt on the floor, resting his exhausted body.

"Clara..." He smiled. She smiled back at him and pressed her hand against Izumo's stomach. Electricity ran through her abdomen and quickly dispersed. Izumo grabbed her hand.

"What... did you do??" She smiled at her.

"Gave you the ability to have a child... once more..." Izumo fell to her knees, crying.

"Oh god!!" She touched Mustang's shoulder. He flinched.

"Who is it?"

"Colonel Mustang. It's Clara... Let me see your eyes."

"Clara? You're alive! Wait, why do you want...?" She laid a hand over his eyes. A swift current of electricity ran under her palm.

"Be ready for what you're going to see."

"What are you talking about? I can't... see...?" She slowly removed her hand and gazed at Mustang. He blinked several times, shock on his face.

"You... my sight... it's... what... what happened...?" He lightly touched her face.

"Clara?" She smiled.

"You're my friend. I had to help you." She moved to Mai, lightly touching her wounds with her fingertips, watching them heal in the soft glow of light. She glanced at Scar again.

"Scar... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you..." Worry on her face. He smiled and shook his head.

"No... You're fine..." He stood up and walked slowly to her side. A smile on his face.

"Clara... You've changed so much already..." He brushed her hair from her face, gazing into her eyes. She held his hand and rubbed her cheek against his palm.

"I'm sorry." Puzzlement showed in his eyes.

"For what?" She kissed him softly.

"Goodbye..." Scar stared at her.

"What??" He breathed. She stepped away from him, a sad look on her face and leapt into the air, turning into a ball of light.

"I knew it... she's parting..." Hohenheim muttered. Scar watched, pain on his face, as she disappeared. He stared at Hohenheim.

"You! Where is she going?! Why did she leave?" He asked. Hohenheim smiled.

"I don't know where she's going. She's probably going to look for her parents grave... then... travel with the wind..." He whispered. Scar's eyes saddened. He looked up at the empty space where Clara had once been.

"I see..." He smiled.

"She'll be the wind... I will always travel with the wind as well... Until we meet again..." He whispered.

END