Author's Notes: As you can tell from the summary, this story is slightly AU due to the fact I started it before I saw the end of the series and the movie. It takes place in the same world and everything just instead of Edward being sent to Germany he remains in his world. Alphonse still received his body back however in the end it cost Edward his arm. Remaining at his own world however set off a chain of events that resulted in another war. I hope you enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the characters. This is just a weird twisted creation that comes from something called my mind.

Last Resort

By: Spartan-458

War…that one words takes, disturbs, and changes lives. There is nothing positive that comes out of this one word. If you ask me, I think they should take it out of the dictionary. Whoever came up with such a word should've been tried to see if he was a lunatic. 'Cause I've seen this one word and what it can do. It's like a fire, even after the initial outburst, the wounds it leaves behind still burn…

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I was left with a decision, a clear cut one. I could live or die. It was all up to me and no one would judge me any different. Only I would know that I had given up…however that was enough. I couldn't die here, not like this. I had entered this war as a favor for a friend, but once I got out of here, I was done with damn favors.

The cell smelled of things I would rather not think about though it was hard not to place the overwhelming stench that seemed to hang in the air as urine. There was a slimy film on the walls that you didn't want to know what it was. Yes, nice, I know. There was no cot so they just laid be upon what I think was suppose to be wood. It was held up against the stone wall with rusty chains. To tell the truth, I was half expecting them to break any moment and I'd end up on the floor with the rats for company. It was a comforting thought. At the moment though, I was in no shape to complain. My side was bleeding badly, the blood spilled onto the wood covering it in the warm crimson liquid. Those damn guns…they hurt like hell. I was fortunate enough to have the bullet come out the other side. Then again, I was unlucky to have such a deep wound.

I blinked trying to focus, however, the dim light didn't help this task by any length of imagination. I remember being knocked unconscious; the explosion almost did me in permanently. If I hadn't used my alchemy at that moment to throw up some sort of shield I would've been long gone. Laying here now, however, I realized I wasn't in much better shape.

I lifted by fingers realizing I could move my left arm, well that was nice to know. The real question was…no response. I tried to move my right arm again, yet still nothing. I blinked looking down only to realize I had nothing to move. Shit. This was just great. I was left with a metal coated stump and a few wires dangling. They had taken my arm away knowing that without it I could no longer do alchemy without a transmutation circle. As long as they kept away anything to write with from me, they'd be fine. I guess I was the Three-Quarters Alchemist now…corny pun I know, but I'm not really in the mood to be funny.

Right now I don't think I could draw a transmute circle if my life depended on it. I had lost a lot of blood and my body was reminding me constantly of such. It took everything I had not to shut my eyes go to the ominous sleep that wanted so badly to take me over. Live or die. I remember the days when this line was clearly drawn. I knew exactly what I would do and that it was right. Now however, the line has blurred. It would've been so easy to just let the darkness over take me and die within this rioting world, yet there was something that was stopping me every time I felt my eyelids go heavy.

It was there but I knew I could never go to it. Why? 'Cause every time I shut my eyelids flashes of those I cared for came to me. Al…Winry…if I lived for anybody it would be for the two of them.

Al and I had gone through hell and back to restore what we had lost. He had finally gotten his body back, however the whole thing had cost me my arm. It was a small price to pay though. Those memories…it was a wonder we survived at all.

Winry…I could see just how furious she'd be if she knew I lost my arm. Then again, I knew she'd be happy to know that was all I lost. That blonde hair girl I grew up with was no longer a girl. She had become a woman and had her own very successful automail shop. I, of course, was still her number one customer. I felt something deep within me sink was I left her at that train stop. I won't forget how the tears ran down her face as she placed my hand against her cheek. I embraced her, wishing I could stay and just be by her side. The little blonde girl had caught my heart without me realizing it…

Thinking of the two of them, I made a choice. I would survive this fire of hell and come out on the other side. I swore to it as I laid there staring up at the dark ceiling. I made my choice, I would live…