So Much for the Afterglow

A/N: This story is based on a dream I had a little while ago. I just couldn't seem to get it out of my head, and well, as usual, I am turning it into a fanfic. Hopefully, it'll go well. It's, well...it's a little weird. Just read it, though. You'll see what I mean. And anyway. I am taking the titles of the chapters from the RoyAi 100 themes, but they're not the actual 'themes' outline. Rather, I'm going to try and incorporate the themes into a large plot storyline.

Anyway. Enjoy.


Prologue: Betrayal

"So, this is how it ends. Once you get what you want, we're not important anymore. You used us to get to the top and you don't care. You don't--"

He was cut off by the whistle of the sword coming toward him. The tip of the blade was only centimeters from his face.

"Don't be so hurt, Edward. After all, if it weren't for you, none of this would've happened."

The man holding the sword was no longer the man that Ed knew, rather an evil young man. His dark onyx eyes were cold, the look of a killer showing full force, evil behind them in depth. His dark hair was matted with sweat and blood from the battle, but despite this, he held the sword steadily and had an ugly and evil smile across his face.

Ed was hurt very badly during this fight. He was on his knees and one hand, breathing heavily. His hair was caked with dried blood from a wound on his scalp. A sword wound. His ribs had been pierced with a large gash from the sword, still bleeding on the carpeted floor. He was loosing blood fast, and felt dizzy.

But that wouldn't stop him.

How much had he done in his life? he mused. He fought so many battles. Losing his mother at a young age because their father left them. He trained on the island with his brother, fighting what they thought was an unknown monster. He tried to bring back his mother from the grave, having to lose his leg and arm, and almost his brother. He fought his way to become a State Alchemist. He fought Father Cornello in Lior. He fought Shou Tucker when he transmuted his own daughter into a chimera, which still haunted Ed to this very day. Fighting Barry the Chopper when he kidnapped Winry and him. Fighting for the people at the Youswell Mines. Fighting the prisoners inside Laboratory 5. Losing one of his closest friends. Learning of the corruption in the military and how it connected to the homunculi.

So many battles. And yet through all of this, he would never had expected to be at the blade of someone he had trusted for so long.

He would not let it end this way. No matter who it was, he couldn't let his death be at the hands of a loved one. He had people waiting for him; he couldn't let them down.

He gathered what little strength he had left and clapped his hands together, the wound in his side ripping open again, the bleeding flowing. Almost staggeringly, he placed his palms on the ground. He thought of a sword, a long sword which he could create with the steel under the carpet. It would be the best weapon against the sword pointed at him.

But nothing happened.

His heart sank, and he raised his amber eyes to look at the traitor of a friend.

The young man smirked evilly. A familiar smirk Ed had seen in previous years, used by a man who was once close to him who would use the smirk to tease him about his height.

"Oh, yeah," he started patronizingly, his sword never wavering. "I forgot to tell you: there's this little trick I learned from the homunculi. I got this whole place rigged so alchemy can't be used. Alchemy is useless here, Edward. You have no way of defending yourself."

"You bastard," Ed muttered.

"Now, now, that hurts a little. You don't want to get into the whole name calling thing. You know I'll only win." The man smirked again.

"I trusted you." Ed spat, the warm blood from his side wound spilling over his fingers as he tried to stand.

The evil man laughed. "So, then, Fullmetal, how does it feel to know you are about to be killed by the person you thought was your friend?"

"I don't know. You're not my friend anymore," Ed replied.

He laughed again, raising the sword to prepare for a deathblow.

The sword whistled through the air as he brought it down to kill Ed. Ed lowered his head, and before the sword hit him he heard a shout.

"Don't kill him, Führer Mustang!"


A/N: How did you like that? It is the prologue, so it's very short, I know. Well, tell me if you liked it. Tell me if it was confusing. Tell me if it was horrible. Just review:D