I always knew that you'd
Come back to get me
And you always knew that
It wouldn't be easy
To go back to the start
To see where it all began
Or end up at the bottom
To watch how it all ends
You tried to lie and say
I was everything
I remember when I said
I'm nothing without you
Somehow I found
A way to get lost in you
Let me inside
Let me get close to you
Change your mind
I'll get lost
If you want me to but
Somehow I found (somehow I found)
A way to get lost in you (a way to get lost in you)
Three days Grace- Lost in you
Chapter 18- The Arrogant Palm of a Small Human
Athena's POV
When arriving to Risembool I toke a deep breath of the air. I missed this place for sure. But the thing bugging me is that I have no idea what's going on. It's really annoying me! Armstrong then walked forward which made Ed and I follow. "Hey, are you ever gonna tell us what's going on?" Ed asked.
"It's starting to feel like kidnapping Major. Trust me... I know.." I muttered annoyed at the memory.
"I haven't been fully informed on the details. The only orders were to retrieve you two and rondevu here." Armstrong replied.
"Yeah, that's comforting Major." I sarcastically scoffed.
"Rondevu? With who?" Ed repeated in confusion. Then in the distance we saw a known face. Breda.
"I'm glad you made it alright Major Armstrong!" He saluted. "Hey! Sup you two?"
Ed and I froze with confused looks. "Lieutenant Breda?!" We mumbled in shock.
Back at Central
Smith's POV
"This is weird." Al whispered. "Brother and Athena should have arrived in Risembool. So why haven't they called?"
"Yeah it's weird. We're here to do the repairs. They're automail was just FINE! I checked it last night!" I muttered crossing my arms over my chest and pouted. "He's doubting my skills."
"And the stuff with Lieutenant Ross. I have no idea what's going on." Al sighed.
"It's a good thing I can explain it all." I heard a new voice next to me reply. I tensed up and turned my head. It was the boy from Rush Valley. Ling, was his name. We all screamed in shock by this. How did he get into the room!?
"When did you get here?" Winry gasped.
"How did you even get in you creeper!?" Kaley yelled as she grabbed the frying pan and holding it up. How she got it? No idea.
"Through the window." Ling answered coolly.
"But why?!" Kaley screamed like a maniac.
"It seems appropriate for a criminal." Ling answered making her scream. "First of all there's no need to worry about Ed and Athena's well being. I'm sure they're just fine."
"And how do you happen to know this?" I asked raising an eyebrow.
Athena's POV
Okay, note of the future. NEVER GO IN A FREAKING DESERT! Oh my god it's hot! This is worse than festivals and that's saying a lot! There's no water so not only can't I feel the moisture in my mouth, I can't use my ice alchemy to make a nice snow blanket that might last a mere five minutes! "The Colonel never said we'd be crossing the border. When I get my hands on him... Oh the torture he'll go through." I cursed under my breath lowly.
"How much further do we have left?" Breda asked.
"We've almost made it." The man answered calmly. "Look you can see the ruin's ahead."
I blinked. The ruins of Xerxes? Oh cool! Wait! We were dragged ALL the way out here for a history lesson?! What is hell is this crap? As much as I love this stuff it's not worth it! When arriving Ed jumped into a pool of water and sighed happily. I laughed at this. "My automail almost-" Was the only thing I caught.
"Um... Ed? I have no idea what you said. All I heard was 'My automail' and then you lost me." I answered. Ed then looked up to me before splashing me in the face. I chuckled with a smirk. "I actually like that. Please continue."
"Want me to pull you in?" Ed asked with a smirk.
I put my finger up to my chin in thought. "Hmmm... Nah, then I'll be grumpy. Because I'll be soaking wet... In a middle of a burning... Desert." I mumbled numbly. I thought about it for a bit. There will be irritation with wet socks, but honestly it'll be worth it. "You know what, one second thought. Go on right ahead." I requested pulling my hair out of it's ponytail. He then pulled me into the water sending me completely under. I poked my head out of the water and sighed happily. "Total worth it."
After spending a little time in the water I decided I cooled off enough and got out of the water. I then grabbed my hair and twisted it so I could get the water out. During this Ed removed his shirt to wring it out. It toke a lot of will power not to stare at him. Not that he wouldn't mind but I just didn't want to give him satisfaction. Yeah, not yet. I would steal some glances once and a while and turn away blushing furiously. Kaley would be eating this like chocolate cake. "Like what you see?" I heard him ask next to me. My eyes went wide and I felt as if all the blood in my body flooded into my cheeks.
"I- I um..." I fumbled nervously. "Ummm... Sooo this is Xerxes."
"Yeah, looks like how the fable described it." Ed continued making me mentally sigh of relief. Thank goodness I successfully changed the subject.
"Did you say a fable?" I heard Fu asked who happened to be here.
I turned to him. "Well... Yeah. The Eastern Sage. It's the story about the origin of alchemy in Amestris. The legend said that there was a survivor of the Kingdom of Xerxes after it perished in night who wandered into Amestris. He then spread alchemy around." I explained.
"We have a similar legend in Xing. About a drifter from the west. The art he shared was mixed with the the art of Xing, it became Alkahestry that we practice today." Fu stated.
"Alkahestry? It's primary used for medical needs right?" Ed recalled.
"Yes. He guided this process. And we greatly revere him. We know him as the Western Sage." Fu answered.
As we continued through the ruins and Ed finally put on shirt I heard Breda and Fu talk. "So the western title is supposed to refer here?" Breda asked.
"Yes." Fu replied in his wise voice.
I remembered what Ling said whenever we met him. He said he wanted to visit the ruins of Xerxes because the route followed there. Yeah, now thinking about that, it's now hard to believe. Then something caught my eye and it seemed to catch Ed's too. It looked like a transmutation circle. Like one we saw at the 5th Lab. We stopped and stared at it. But the top of it was missing. I wonder...
"What are you gawking at?!" I heard Fu ask making me turn my head in his direction. "Come on!"
We gave one last glance at the circle before running back. That is definitely something to look at later. After a while we were getting deeper within the Ruins. I was almost scared of getting lost. This place was like a labyrinth. "We're pretty deep now." I muttered wiping my brow from the sweat.
Then I heard a voice. A voice in the distance. It sounded female and it was calling for us. For Ed and me. We then looked up and my eyes went wide.
'Back east where I was. It's a nice place. None of the big city noise. Lots of beautiful women.' Roy's words rang in my head as I saw the person who was now before me. Maria Ross. Over my dropped jaw there was a wide smile on my lips."That damn Colonel!" I chirped with Ed in the happiest tone I could hold.
Then Armstrong decided to give Ross a hug. Knowing him by now he'll take it WAY to far. Stripping off his shirt, check. Yelling like a manic, check. Chasing her around still acting dramatic. I'll give that one two checks. While watching them Ed slung his arm over my shoulder with a smile. "There really wasn't a place to hide a dead girl in Amestris. Especially when it's still alive, you know?" Breda explained.
"So the Colonel knew that Ross was innocent all along?" Ed asked turning to Breda.
The only thing he did was smirk at us.
Nobody's POV
Flashback
Roy stood in a phone booth with Breda waiting outside. He was talking to the armor that Al faced at the 5th Lab known as Barry the Chopper. What they talked about was Maria Ross and the article in the newspaper. "Really? You sure about this?" Roy asked.
"Oh yeah! The Lieutenant fired a bullet alright. I still have a hole on my hand where it passed right through!" Barry explained.
"Well that changes things." Roy answered with a smirk. "Barry. I have a proposition you might like." Then he started to explain the plan to Barry.
"Ohhh!" Barry trailed off now laughing. "Gotcha! I promise not to kill anyone! How about 2nd street of the Warehouse district?"
Roy wrote down a list of ingredients in his note pad and tore it out when the conversation was over. He stepped out of the booth and handed the list to Breda. "I need you to gather everything on this list." Roy ordered. "On the double, okay?"
Breda looked over the list in confusion. "60 pounds of pork, carbon, some ammonia?" Breda listed. "What is this?"
"The ingredients of a well cooked corpse." Roy answered simply
Breda gasped. "Human transmutation!?"
"Of course not." Roy scoffed now walking past the man. "I'm just creating something that looks like a corpse."
"But what about when they check the dental records?" Breda pointed out now following Roy.
"I've got it all under control." Roy assured.
"Think you can pull it off?" Breda asked.
Roy stopped which made Breda stop. "I'm not claiming to be an expert on human anatomy. But I've got plenty of experience with burning bodies. Lets go."
Later
Ross ran further down the ally until she saw light. But in that light she saw a man. One with dark eyes and black hair. He wore a military uniform and white gloves with a transmutation circle on it. "Your Maria Ross, right?" Roy asked. He then opened a dumpster and pulled out a bone thin body. He threw it on the ground in front of her which made her gasp. "It's a dummy." He stated. "From this point on, your dead." Then without flinching he snapped his fingers. Ross shielded her eyes but when turning back she saw the dummy ash black with a stench of a human body. He walked over to her. "Snap out of it." He firmly stated, cutting off her bracelet from her wrist, and stuffing her into the original spot of the dummy in the dumpster. He slammed the door shut leaving her in darkness.
She laid on the bags of trash still dumbfounded. Then she heard a loud 'Shhh'. She opened her eyes and saw Havoc with his cigarette in his mouth, wearing dark clothes, and putting a finger to his mouth. While they escaped Roy worked on burning the bracelet and setting it on the dummy's wrist as Athena and Ed arrived at the scene. Athena's eyes went wide in horror really believing Ross was dead.
"Hey, Fullmetal, Frosted Fire." Roy greeted the two with no emotion in his voice.
As Havoc covered up the hole in the wall that they escaped through they heard Ed. "What happened here Colonel!? Tell me!" He yelled.
"What? Is that the Fullmetal kid?" He asked now standing up. "Ah man. Didn't plan on this one."
"Edward's here?" Ross asked.
"Yeah, but I'm sure the Colonel will come up with somethin." Havoc answered walking past her. "Come on."
"Right." Ross nodded now running with Havoc.
Present
Athena's POV
"After madam Ross was prematurely freed, the young lord made a deal with Barry the Chopper." Fu explained as we sat in a circle. "The orders I've been given is to personally escort her to the East to take refugee."
"So we agreed to rondevu here in one big effort to aid the Lieutenant in her escape." Breda explained.
Armstrong crossed his arms over his chest. "I see..."
"You've got to be joking." Ed grumbled.
"What?" I asked turning to him.
"I can't believe the Colonel was able to pull one over on us." Ed replied with a smirk.
I chuckled and nodded. "Shocks me too."
"He thought it would be easier to convince you two if you both saw Ross." Breda added.
Ed and I lifted our hands in surrender. "Okay fine I'll admit it. He actually knew what he was doing this time." Ed sighed.
"I'm impressed." I smirked now lowering my hands.
"He mentioned something else. He said he didn't want to take a chance of a hot tempered kid and his hot tempered girlfriend endagering the operation." Breda stated. "So he sent you two out here."
Ed and I then got mad at what he called us.
"HOT TEMPERED KID!?" Ed yelled.
"HOT TEMPERED GIRLFRIEND!?" I yelled.
"You said operation. Is there a phase beyond freeing Lieutenant Ross?" Armstrong asked.
Breda leaned forward. "He's got a plan to reline the puppeteer. The one who is behind the conspiracy."
"Conspiracy?" I asked.
"NO ONE CALLS ME A-!" Ed started but now stopped himself. "Wait, what did you say?"
"You two remember Barry the Chopper from the 5th Lab, right? He went on one hell of a rampage." Breda replied. "They're bound to send someone to reclaim him."
Kaley's POV
"So the Lieutenant is innocent after all?" Al asked.
"But why take Ed?" Winry asked.
"And my sister." Smith added. "The Colonel was just trying to keep them out of his hair!"
"You got it!" Ling answered with a smile. "So I struck up a deal with Barry to with help jail break to learn the secret to his immortality But of course, he sent me here. So here I am, your supposed to tell me your secret. And I was promised you'd tell me."
"Yeah, but I don't exactly see why I have anything to do with it." Al whined.
Athena's POV
Ross sighed. "I have nothing to do with this. Zilch. Yet here I am stuck in the middle of it. And framed by Homunculi."
Armstrong and I drew out sketches of the Homunculi we've seen. He drew Lust, Greed, and Envy. While I drew the Ouroboro's tattoo, the transmutation circle seen in the Lab, Ultimate/my dad, and Hate/Red. "Who are they?" Ed asked pointing out Ultimate and Hate.
"This one is the red head from the lab. Her name is Hate." I answered pointing out Hate. I cringed a bit before pointing at Ultimate. "And that one is Ultimate, or my dad." Ed glared at the picture of him like he faced him for real. Yeah I might hide from the day they meet just because of the fear of Ed losing it.
"We've collected a fair amount of intelligence and once we properly piece it together, we'll have the General's killer." Breda stated.
"I promise you this Lieutenant we will absolve you of this crime." Armstrong muttered.
"Lieutenant Colonel- I mean General Hughes..." I bowed my head lowly. "It's just hard to except that he's gone." As I spoke these words Ed's gaze went to me. He pulled me close to him and rested my head on his shoulder.
"What shall you two do now?" Armstrong asked.
'You have to keep moving forward. Anyway you can.'
Gracia's words echoed in my head as I closed my eyes. We have to continue. "Al and I committed a taboo. We still have people that helped us. Some people get angry at us, others support us silently. Each one has helped keep a promise to my brother. So I have no choice. I can't turn back. Which means all I can do is move forward and I'll protect everyone I can along the way. I won't let anyone else become a victim, not while I'm alive." Ed answered with his grip around me getting protectivey tight. "I know it's a hard promise to keep, and it's hard enough to take care of myself. Maybe I'm just arrogant. It's the only thing I can think of, so I have to do it. I have to."
I looked up to Ed with a tiny smile. He's serious about this, isn't he? I'll really take his word for it.
"And you Lieutenant. Where are you going?" Armstrong asked.
"Well I think I'm going to give Xing a shot." Ross stated.
Later
"Any parting wishes? Do you want me to tell your parents?" Armstrong asked.
Ross turned to us. "No sir. As much a I want them to know I'm okay I'm scared it'd be too much of a risk. I just don't want to put them in that kind of danger." She answered.
"Very well." Armstrong muttered.
"Major Armstrong. Lieutenant Breda. Please deliver a message to the Colonel. I need him to know how greatful I am for what he's done. If there is anyway I could help him, tell him to send for me." She saluted. "I owe him a great debt and I will put my life on the line to repay it!"
Breda and Armstrong saluted back to her. "Right." Armstrong boomed.
Ross then walked to Ed and me. "Goodbye Edward, Athena. Take care of yourselves." She requested. I nodded. "I'm glad to see you two are finally dating."
Ed and I smiled. "I still owe you, for slapping me." Ed added.
"You can get me next time." Ross replied.
I smiled. "We're gonna miss you." I replied.
"I'll miss you guys too." Ross countered.
She then got on her horse and left with Fu. "Next time then." Ed whispered. I gave a sad smile as she left. I was gonna miss her. I then turned around and started to walk off. "Hey Athena!" Ed called out stopping me in my tracks. "You never answered my question from before."
"Question?" I asked numbly.
Ed smirked and walked over to me. My arms were now crossed over my chest with an almost smug look. He then leaned close to my ear and answered my own question with the question from before. "Did you like what you saw?" Ed repeated now hearing the grin in his voice. My eyes went wide and a blush covered my cheeks. I WAS SO CLOSE! There's no escape, is there?
I sighed looking down with a blush. "Well... I...Yeah..." I mumbled.
"What was that?" He asked.
I blushed even harder now knowing he wasn't going to let it slide. "Alright, I like what I saw and I couldn't keep my eyes off of you." I explained.
"Glad to hear it." Ed teased with a smirk.
I turned to him. "I'll get you back for this."
Sam's POV
I started to polish my guns with extra care and delicately. I was polishing my shotgun that I loved oh so much. I liked my other guns but this one was my largest and she's just a beauty. "Sabrina, I need some help here." I heard Elizabeth inform from the head phones I wore. We gave each other code names. Riza's was Elizabeth, Kate was Kain Fuery, Jacqueline was Jean Havoc, and I was Sabrina. Damn I love my job!
I smirked and nodded. "I'll be right there." I replied.
Athena's POV
Ed and I walked back to the transmutation circle we saw before and this time we could actually look at it. "I thought so." Ed whispered.
"It's like the Transmutation circle from the 5th Lab. A two headed dragon, the sun.." I trailed off putting the tip of my thumb on my lips in thought.
"Ah! Why does the top part have to be missing?" Ed moaned annoyed. We then heard footsteps running towards us. I then felt Ed pull me away from a club coming down ready to attack. Ed then grabbed his arm and flipped him to the ground on his stomach. "What do you want?" He asked.
I toke a good look of him then I noticed. Dark skin and red eyes. He was Ishvallen. "Ed... He's an Ishvallen." I pointed out. Just by that sentence we surrounded by Ishvallans of different ages. I bit my lip. Great.
"Excuse me you two. I'm afraid we're going to take you hostage till your military returns our holy land to us." A man from the crowd spoke.
My arms were crossed over my chest with a cold stare on the man who spoke. "We're not gonna return squat. Not over two kids." Ed argued.
"A child triggered the entire Ishvallen civil war. So you two shouldn't your significance in the eyes of history." The same man muttered.
I glared at him. But then an older voice broke in. "That's enough of your shameful behavior." It was a elderly woman who walked towards us.
"Madam Shawn." The man trailed off.
"Look at you fools. Are you trying to dishonor the name of Ishvala?" She asked.
"He won't try and attack you again. Can you please let him go now?" The kid next to him asked. I turned to Ed and nodded. Ed did what was told and grabbed my wrist.
"You stood up for us." I started. "But I don't understand. From what I heard you guys hate Amestrians."
"Despite the monstrosity your country has committed I know not all Amestrians are bad." She stated making me inspect everyone that was around us.
"Madam Shawn and I were both injured during the civil war. But then we were saved by two Amestrian doctors." The boy stated now looking down. "To be honest, I do hate you. But the two of them saved us. And you two deserve the same treatment."
"Wait! Your not talking about the Rockbells are you?" Ed asked. I turned to him.
"Are you saying your a friend of doctor Rockbell?" The boy asked.
"Yeah." Ed nodded.
The boy looked up. "They saved the life's of countless Ishvallens. All through out the course of the entire war!"
Ed and I smiled. It was great to know they helped so many people. I didn't know them but even then I couldn't help but smile. "Your kidding? They were like an Aunt and Uncle to me." Ed recalled.
"They refused to abandon their post. It didn't matter how much the fighting escalated." The woman chimed in.
"They sound like great people." I whispered with a tiny smile.
"How did... How did they die?" Ed asked making my smile deflate and my gaze turn to him again. Everyone became shocked by the question.
"They were killed." The woman answered looking down. "They were both murdered in cold blood. And it was by the hand of a Ishvallen they saved."
Our eyes went wide in horror and grief. I toke a step back. "But..." Ed and I gasped out. I didn't even know them, but I still feel devastated. Did Winry know about this? About how they died? Who even did it? I need a description or something.
"I'm sorry." The woman grieved. "There was nothing we could do to stop him."
"Tell me who did it!" Ed yelled loudly. I set my hand on his shoulder calmly hoping to calm him a bit. But I don't blame him for getting upset.
"His face was wrapped in bandages, but he was a Ishvallen monk and his arm was tattooed." The woman answered looking down sadly. My eyes went wide at the description. Scar did it!? My fists were clenched tightly and my jaws were gritted tightly together. "If you should have the chance, could you deliver a message to Rockbell's resting home. Give them our thanks and our apologizes."
I looked down and nodded. "Okay..." I then turned to Ed. "We need to go, we have a long way back." He nodded and walked away from the group with me following behind.
'Now I know, Scar. Get ready. Because I'm comin.'
Let it all out- Miho Fukuhara
Chapter 19- Death of the Undying