The air around them was thick and still, not a single word was spoken. As the lights from Al's eyes disappeared, Ed felt a new weight replace the empty space that had been the remaining scrap pieces of his arm. Looking over, he saw with horror that his flesh and blood arm had finally returned to him. So Al had done it, he gave everything back to that gate. An anger bubbled inside Ed and within a few seconds it spilled over, fueling such a hate that he had never felt before.
"Al you idiot!" he screamed, ripping the rebar out of his arm and throwing a punch at Father. Without even a little resistance his fist made a satisfying thunk against Father's face. He sent blow after blow to Father, beating him to a pulp until his knuckles were bloody and bruised. Panting, he stood over the false god holding his right shoulder.
“I can’t…contain it…” Father said, his body beginning to expand like a balloon until the entire court was rocked once more. Letting out a yell, he bolted across the ground and sunk his fist into Greed, “Give me… the stone,”
A pained look grossed Greed’s face and his eyes looked like there was an internal struggle. As Father’s arm began to turn black, Greed’s eyes finally focused, “Lan-Fan, come!”
Obeying her prince, Lan-Fan released the blade from within her automail and severed the crumbing black arm. Staggering away from Father, Ed watched as the orboros tattoo that was on Greed’s left hand flake away, signifying that Ling had taken back his body. Slowly but surely, parts of Father’s body because to crumble away in black masses, his body becoming brittle charcoal; Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to end this once and for all, Ed lunged himself forward and sent his fist flying right through the middle of the homunculus.
“Release the people of Cselksess,” he said, glaring at him, “and go back to where you came from, dwarf in the flask,”
Black arms emerged from the gaping hole, wrapping around him until he was pulled into nothing.
Though they had finally reached the end of their terrible war, not a single person in the court was cheering. All there had survived, except for one.
“Wha… what happened?” Roy asked, trying to listen around, “Did we win?”
“Yes, sir,” Riza said, “but Alphonse hasn’t come back from the other side,”
“I’m sorry,” Mei cried, “I’m so sorry,”
“It’s not your fault,” Aileana walked over to her, taking her into her arms, “It was Al’s choice,”
“Ed!” Ling called over, “We do have something we can pay the toll with!” reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small glass bottle that held the red liquid, “Use this to bring Al back,”
“I can’t,” Ed shoot his head, “I promised Al that I wouldn’t use a philosopher’s stone to get our bodies back…”
“Isn’t there anything we can do, sir?” Armstrong asked, looking over at Roy.
“To perform human transmutation and open the portal, a toll is required. The last time he tried, Fullmetal sacrificed his right arm and was only able to bring back Alphonse’s soul. But bringing back an entire human being is another matter all together,”
“You don’t think Edward is planning to sacrifice himself…” Riza looked at him.
“He’s already experienced the terror and despair of being left behind, alone. He would never subject Alphonse to that,”
YOU ARE READING
The Butterfly and Flame Alchemists: War (COMPLETE)
FanficIt's been almost a year since Aileana moved back to Central with her husband Roy Mustang, but all is not well. The Homunculi are making their move and the whole country is in grave danger. Roy and his colleagues plan on making a move soon, and the l...
