AN: WHATS THIS? Something OTHER than an Animal Crossing

story?! Huzzah! I probably shouldn't want to write this scene as badly as I do, oops.

Ed opened his eyes groggily. For a moment, the world swayed a little bit, and he felt some gravel fall softly on his head. He looked up and sensed something wet on his lips. He licked it instinctively and his mouth filled up with a metallic, salty taste. Blood.

A loud clang jolted him out of his daze.

I fell down the mineshaft? he realized as a large, green pole fell in front of him and hit the ground with the aforementioned clang. He forced himself up, pain shooting through his bruised limbs. "Ow…," he muttered. Then something caught his eye; it was a red liquid, spilling out from below him. It took a moment to register that it was blood; it was pouring down so heavily that it looked more like water.

Then Ed made the connection. That blood was his. Shit…

He whirled around, and his whole body tensed with horror.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he rasped. "Hey…"

There was a large, emerald-colored girder going clean through his body. He stared at it uncomprehendingly. This can't be real…it must be a dream…if it was real, then I'd feel pai-

And then it hit him like a truck.

Agony swirled in like the fierce wind of Briggs, and he gasped under its weight. He coughed, swaying side to side, blood dripping down his mouth. His stomach, it felt like it was torn to shreds-which it probably was-and he wanted nothing but to escape it, to pass out. He collapsed on the ground, gasping and shuddering, as the world started to fade out. It was finally beginning to ebb away when suddenly he thought of her.

He punched the ground harshly, struggling to stay awake. "No…I wont let her cry…especially not over something this…stupid…" Ed coughed again and clapped his hands. The sound was so familiar, the look of flesh against automail, the feeling of alchemic energy rushing through him…for a second it calmed him down, and he hit the bar protruding out from his back. The alchemy sliced it down in half. Ed collapsed again. Dammit all. This is so stupid.

Then he spotted Kimblee's men stuck under a pile of rubble. He paused, looking at them, trying to fight the pain. It was so distracting that simply thinking took huge effort.

I need to get this thing out of me…but I can't do it myself. If I do, then I'll pass out from the pain…and even if I don't, I'll bleed to death…I need someway to seal the wound, but how? I'd need a Philosopher's Stone for that…how can I…think, Ed, dammit.

Then something hit him. He clapped his hands together, mustering up energy, and forced his gloved palm on the ground. The alchemy raced through the ground and created a large hand pushing the rubble away from the two Chimeras. They looked up, stunned, then got up.

"Hey, kid…" the large one muttered after a moment. "Why'd you save us? We're enemies, not to mention you're in way worse shape then we are."

Ed looked up, exhausted from fighting through the pain. It was a dull throb now; it still hurt like hell, but not enough to knock him out.

"Don't get…the wrong idea," he whispered. "I need someone to…pull this thing outta me…"

"Let me get this straight; we were just fighting, and now you want us to help you?" the man with the yellow hair-Heinkel, was it?-replied gruffly.

"Yeah…please…"

Darius walked behind him and hoisted him up on his lap. "Well, it wasn't like we received orders to kill you or anything…" he mumbled.

Ed was too weak to resist. Heinkel kneeled in front of him.

"Hey, if we pull this thing out, you're gonna bleed out!" he said with a frown. Ed gritted his teeth.

"I'm gonna…seal the wound…as soon as you pull it out."

"What?! Do you have any experience in medical alchemy?"

"I performed human transmutation a long time ago…" the memory made Ed's stomach hurt worse than it already did. "…So I know the main points…"

"'Main points'? Your guts are gonna be all messed up!" Heinkel chastised.

"Yeah, no kidding. That traitor Kimblee got impaled and the only way he survived was because he had a Philosopher's S-"

"I don't really have time to think about it!" Ed snapped, and the effort of shouting made him hack loudly, blood spilling from his mouth. "I'm going to use my life force…to do it…"

"Are you s-" Darius started.

"It might take a few years off my lifespan," Ed interrupted before he could start. "But I'm sure. Please."

Heinkel pursed his lips and gripped the bar. "I don't really know what you're talking about, but it sounds like you know what you're doing. Ready?"

Ed forced a smile, then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He was about to position his hands when he noticed something glowing red in the corner.

The Philosopher's Stone!

Ed stared at it for a moment, surprised. He could use it to save himself with no harm done, but…that stone was made from many, many souls; he wouldn't dare use so many for himself. Better just to use part of one soul, his own, instead of using up ones that were not his. He wrenched his eyes from the glittering stone and positioned his hands into a triangle shape.

"Ready."

I need to think about my life as a-

And then he pulled.

For a moment, all plan, all thought completely flew out of Edward's head. Everything vanished as white-hot agony raced through his brain. Everything hurt so badly, the pain was too much too bear, and for a moment he couldn't do anything. The pressure of the pain was so much that he had to release it, and he opened his mouth in a pure, undiluted shriek of agony.

Use the energy! Just like the stone!

Ed gasped and panted, his body shuddering beyond control, the pain from his insides unimaginable. He saw Heinkel wince and slow down.

"Don't….stop!" Ed screamed.

Thats it…I'm a Philosopher's Stone powered by a single soul!

"Aaaaaaaaagh!"

Think back to that time! Remember…

Ed squirmed, his body instinctively trying to release itself, to run away from the pain, but he forced himself to sit still, and even attempted to stay quiet, but that was too much too ask for.

…Remember what it felt like…remember how it felt to use souls!

"…To harness life!" Ed shrieked, then he saw the bar release finally, finally release itself from his body. For a horrible millisecond he felt his blood rushing to escape through the hole, and he gritted his teeth, clapping his hands together. He released a sob of pain, not caring that he was completely vulnerable, being so weak in front of these Chimeras. He pressed his hands to the spot, and it hurt, the pain reached his peak and he was so positive that he was going to die-

and then electricity shot around him, the blue heat sealing his wound. He was stunned by the feeling of his soul being cut in half to heal himself, and even more stunned that it didn't hurt at all; it just felt completely, utterly exhausting. When the electricity eventually faded away, Ed relaxed completely, too tired to do a single thing. He felt a sigh of relief from the two men.

"…Is he dead?" Darius asked in a hushed voice after Ed did nothing.

Ed twitched and actually managed to smirk.

"You can't kill me that easily," he breathed.

"Oh, it worked?!" Heinkel gasped, his voice excited.

"It's only a temporary…measure…to stop the…bleeding," Ed rasped, his words slurred by sleep.

"What?! Then we need to get you to a doctor!"

"I don't have…time for that…" Ed got up, holding a hand to his injured side. The world swooped at his feet, but he forced himself to move, his body limping. "I gotta stop Kimblee…else…everyone'll…be in…danger…"

"H-hey! Wait!" one of the Chimeras called. "You're in no condition to fight Kimblee!"

Ed couldn't respond; he stumbled and collapsed to the ground, and finally his body gave up as the world went dark.