SOMEBODY ELSE; e. elric

𝟎𝟎𝟓. 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐭

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- ͙۪۪˚┊❛ please, stay with me. ❜┊

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"what the hell?!"

mingyu waited outside the hotel room, but she could edward's voice shake as he shouted at his brother, laying eyes on alphonse's half-destroyed body. missing an arm, a part of his headpiece and only a few cloths to cover the damage.

"i'm sorry, brother," alphonse apologized as edward examined his body.

"you—what—how are you this beat up?!" edward cried, before turning his attention to the pair sat at the table in the hotel room. "and you! what the hell are you doing here?!"

ling and lan fan, mouths stuffed with food turned to face the fuming blond. "eating a delicious dinner," ling replied. edward responded by kicking the two of them out.

mingyu raised her eyebrows as her brother was thrown into the hallway with her, but she quickly approached him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"glad to see you're alright," he gently laughed. she then let go and hugged lan fan, catching the girl off guard.

"i missed you both so much," mingyu sighed. lan fan's eyes widened, and she hesitantly hugged the girl back. "fu's safe, by the way," mingyu told lan fan.

"thank you," the girl replied.

the three of them then sat in the hallway while edward talked with winry and alphonse, both parties explaining what went on while they were gone, and discussing information ed gained on getting their bodies back. some time had went by, and winry had gone to her room to rest.

"ming," ling called, turning to face his sister. "alphonse. his body isn't permanent," he said. "that man, barry—he explained it to him. barry's soul was attached to that suit of armor, while his body had another soul attached to it. but that body started to reject that soul."

"what if he just...transferred his soul again?" mingyu asked.

"that's what i was thinking, but what if your soul rejects a body before you can transfer it? does that mean your soul is just gone?" ling questioned.

mingyu shook her head. "edward told me about a portal. he called it the portal of truth, it's what he saw when..." she trailed off, unsure if ling knew about the boy's past. "that's where your soul would end up," she concluded.

"can you open the portal with alchehestry?" was ling's response.

"yes, but—"

"then it wouldn't be lost," he shrugged. "if you can find a way to open the portal, you can figure out how to bind a soul."

"no," mingyu quickly said. "i won't do that." she told him. ling furrowed his eyebrows, his calm demeanor shifting as he inhaled sharply. "after what edward and alphonse went through, i won't. we can find another way to immortality."

ling sighed, only nodding in response. "very well, then. you stick with the elrics for now." he said and began to stand up, lan fan following his actions.