Cardinal Sin (1) : Rebirth of the Fullmetal Alchemist

18 - Three days before

Three days prior to the phone calls received by both the brother and fiancee of Edward Elric informing them of the latter's death...

Frederick was shaken awake, much to his discontentment before it was even morning. Lighted by the moonlight and the dying embers, Phil was crouching by his friend, responsible for waking the other from his slumber. He looked anxious.

"What do you want?" Frederick grumbled, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "It's still dark."

"I know, but I got up to take a leak—"

"If you tell me you woke me up because you pissed your pants, Phil, I will strangle you."

"I didn't wet myself."

This made Frederick sit straight up, slightly worried. Phil was not in the least bit angry about the joke, meaning something serious was going on.

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's Ed. He's not back yet and he left to check out the castle six hours ago. I think maybe something happened to him."

"Let's just hope he just had to pee like you."

The two young men quickly lit a torch, bringing their fire back to life at the same time, then set out at a swift pace towards the castle to look for their friend, their hearts pounding. Maybe a ceiling had broken and Ed had been crushed by rubble or he'd tripped and broken his real leg, unable to move?

As they approached, Phil squinted. He pointed through the main, open doorway, indicating the throne room.

"Frederick, does it look different to you? I thought the floor was still intact."

"I don't remember. You just saw it for a minute, so no way you have a perfect memory of what it looks like. Stop worrying and focus on finding Ed."

As it turned out, Phil was right; it was different.

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, both realized this reality as they peered through the large hole that was now on the floor of the throne room. On the level below there was a great pile of rubble on which rested Ed's body.

Fullmetal was in awful condition. Half his head was crushed, bone, blood and brains scattered on the stones around him. From his chest sprouted the hilt of a dagger along with a substantial amount of crimson liquid.

There was no question that he was no longer of this world.