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Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, but I do own Kararu, Morgan, Serim and Shikou (even though she belongs to Shikou).
The Demon Alchemist
Chapter 9: Returning the Lost
"I think I know where her soul is." Ed said.
"Where?" Mustang asked.
"The gate." Ed said.
"Of course…now it all makes sense…" Mustang muttered.
"All what makes sense dear?" Riza asked.
"The prophecy…" Mustang said.
"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Al asked.
"I committed it memory I read it so much." Mustang said. "A girl of the past, a demon in body, human in heart. She falls in love fast and it's hard to keep her hand her loved ones part. Her body is perfect, but her mind and past are not. Her mind will have at least one defect, and she's always willing to take the next shot. She will pass a test with demonic and spiritual powers, and no one shall deny her any right. She is brave, she never cowers, and remember, she also loves to fight. In an unknown place her soul her stuck, and there's no way out without help, and from there your out of luck.
"All you can do is wait, and hope there's hope. The girl of Stone and man of Metal shall appear; they will help bring her soul back. No one will have to shed another tear, for they have a certain knack. Stone and Metal shall search and find, but she will not go. She will want to stay and will not be kind, but she needs to be back before the cock can crow. Her body will be on the verge of death, so Stone and Metal shall have to join together. They need to bring her soul back before her last breath, so she can live in harmony forever."
"Wow, that's some prophecy." Ed commented.
"But I see it that she is the girl the prophecy is talking about."
"What makes you say that?" Al asked.
"I don't know about the thing of the past, but her body, when she uses alchemy, is a demon, but she is clearly a human in heart. She fell in love with Morgan faster than anyone could blink an eye, and now it's hard for her to stay away from him. I don't know about the defect in her mind though…She does love to fight, and is never a coward. She passed the test to get into the SA with her miko powers and she turned into a demon. That is the reason why I didn't arrest her on the spot for doing alchemy on herself. No one shall arrest her for doing alchemy on herself, so that is why no one shall deny her any right. And now her soul is now stuck in the gate, which is a place unknown. It all makes perfect sense."
"Yeah, but what about the girl of Stone and man of Metal?" Riza asked.
"Simple. The girl of Stone is Shikou. She is from the family of Stone, and Edward is the Fullmetal alchemist, so he is the man of metal." Mustang said.
"Someone say my name?" Shikou said, sticking her head in the room. She walked over to Kararu's bed. "Man, she does not look good. Oh, hey, Ed, your awake! Just a second, let me get Winry."
"Winry's here?" Ed asked.
"Yes, she came with us." Mustang said. Shikou walked out of the room, only to walk back in with Winry trailing after her.
"Oh, Ed, you're awake!" Winry cried.
"Yeah, I'm up." Ed said, smiling weakly. Winry came over and pecked him on the cheek. "Mustang, tell them about the prophecy." Mustang obliged, telling the two the story of the demon alchemist.
"Kararu is the legendary 'demon alchemist'? How come none of us have heard of it before?" Winry asked.
"I'm not quite sure about that myself yet Winry." Mustang said, biting his lip in concentration.
"So…Ed and I have to go get her soul from the gate?" Shikou asked, gesturing to Kararu.
"Yes, it seems so." Riza said.
"But how?" Mustang questioned.
"I don't know…" Shikou muttered softly, going over to Kararu and held her right hand, sitting down on the bed. "Her hand is cold as ice…"
"What time is it?" Ed asked suddenly.
"It's about four in the morning. Why?" Mustang said.
"Shikou, we need to find a way to bring Kararu's soul back, and fast."
"Why?" Shikou asked, confused, still holding Kararu's hand.
"Because we need to get back her soul before the sun rises, which is in less than two hours!"
"Oh no!" Riza gasped.
"We need to think of something!" Ed said. He got off of his bed slowly, and walked over to Kararu's bed to sit on the edge, Mustang walking behind him to make sure that Ed wouldn't fall.
"I'll go get Morgan. He would want to be here when Kararu woke up." Winry said and walked out to go find the alchemist, who was probably sleeping.
Ed reached over to feel how cold Kararu's hand really was. His hand grabbed hers, and Mustang, Al and Riza watched as Shikou's and Ed's eyes glazed over, and they seemed to grow rigid.
"Guys?" Al asked.
"Wait. Don't break their concentration." Mustang said suddenly.
"Why?" Riza asked.
"Because they've gone to get her soul."
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"Ed, where are we?" Shikou asked as she groped around for his hand in the pure darkness.
"We're heading towards the gate. I don't know how, but we are." Ed said, grabbing her hand as he saw it float in front of him.
"How long will it take to get to the gate?" Shikou asked, anxious to get Kararu's soul back before she died.
"Not to much longer." Ed assured her, though he was just as scared as she was about loosing her. A few moments later, the gate come into sight, growing bigger by the second as the two floated over to it. They landed on it, seeing the doors open and Kararu standing with her hands at her sides, her eyes closed.
"Kararu!" Ed said, running over to her with Shikou right behind him. He grabbed her hand, pulling her slightly towards him. She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"What do you want?" Kararu asked rudely.
"Kararu, what has gotten into you?" Ed asked, pulling his hand away from hers, noting the unusually rude tone in her voice.
"If you're trying to convince me into leaving with you, then forget it. You're wrong." Kararu snapped.
"Kararu, but you have to come back! Otherwise you'll die!" Shikou protested.
"And I care why?" Kararu asked, putting emphasis on 'why'.
"What is wrong with you?" Ed asked.
"I don't want to go. You can't make me. If I die, then so be it, it means I can stay here forever. I already know more alchemy then anyone could ever dream."
"Kararu…"
"Ed, I'm not going with you and that's final!"
"Kararu, listen to me!" Ed said.
"Edward, I'm NOT going!"
"Kararu, please! Come back with us!" Shikou asked.
"No."
"Kararu…"
"I said NO!"
Shikou and Ed looked dejectedly at Kararu, then they turned around and walked away to have a quick, whispered conversation.
"Ed, what are we going to do? She won't come with us!" Shikou said, depressed.
"Then we'll have to make her." Ed said.
"How?"
"Remember the prophecy? It said she won't want to come back, she won't be kind, and so Stone and Metal shall have to join together, right?"
"Yeah, that's right…but how?"
"We'll tell her all the things she has to live for."
"And that would be…?"
"You, me, Mustang, Al, Riza, Russell, and most of all…"
"What?"
Ed grinned. "Morgan."
"Ah, I get it now! I knew it! They're in love!" Shikou said.
"We can talk about that later, right now we have to worry about getting her soul back to her body. I assume the sun will be rising soon."
"All right, let's do this."
The two turned back around to Kararu, who had been staring intently at their backs.
"What is it now?" Kararu sneered angrily. "Do you have another scheme to try and bring me back?"
"Actually, yes." Ed answered.
"Oh? And that would be…?" Kararu asked rudely.
"Who or what do you have to live for?" Shikou asked.
"No one and nothing."
"Oh really? Then what about Ed and I?"
"I guess so, but that's it."
"Mustang, Riza, Al and Russell ring a bell?"
"Yes, I guess them too." Kararu said, her tone getting a little bit more tolerable, and softer.
"And what about…Morgan?" Ed asked quietly, yet soothingly.
"I…he…we…uh…"
"You love him, don't you?"
"…Yes."
"Then come back. He's been worried sick about you." Ed said, holding out his hand to her.
"All right…I guess I'll go back…just for him…" Kararu muttered, then took Ed's hand, then grabbed Shikou's that she had just held out. The doors to the gate closed, and the three started to float back into the vast nothingness.
"I just hope we're not too late…" Shikou muttered.
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"The sun is going to rise in less than five minutes! What are they doing? They aren't going to make it in time!" Morgan said frantically, looking out the window at the quickly lighting sky, the horizon starting to get a silver lining.
"We can just hope." Riza whispered, sitting down on the end of Ed's bed. Al watched out the window along with Morgan to see the tip of the sunrise. They heard a cock crow outside.
"They…they didn't…make it…" Winry said, tears coming into her eyes as she thought that she would never see or talk to Kararu again. Then, Ed and Shikou's bodies fell to the bed, their heads falling next to Kararu's. Kararu's skin started to get a small amount of color, and Ed and Shikou opened their eyes.
"Did we…make it?" Ed asked as he and Shikou sat up.
"I don't think…" Morgan asked, staring intently at Kararu. Everyone's eyes shot to Kararu's bed as the sheets started to rustle. They all watched and sighed with relief as they saw Kararu's hand move up to her forehead, just to bring it over her face and back down to her side. She yawned, stretching, then her eyes fluttered open to see everyone looking at her.
"What?" Kararu asked, looking at them all like they were crazy. They all jumped on her, giving her hugs. She could only say one thing:
"What?"
XxXxXxXxXxXx
Kararu and Ed walked into the crowded streets a few days later after explaining to Kararu what exactly had happened, since she only remembered a blur of what happened at the gate. Her alchemy skills and knowledge had increased dramatically, Kararu even being able to outsmart Ed on one occasion.
Mustang requested a copy of the State Alchemist test that Ed and Kararu hadn't taken before, and he asked the two to take it again. They both took accepted, Kararu breaking the highest score record in all of the State Alchemist testing history with a perfect score. Shikou could now to circle less alchemy since she had seen the gate, and now she could snap whenever she wanted without having to worry about activating the alchemic circle tattoo.
The two were trying to find someone who sold winter wear, even though they were a month ahead. As they walked, Kararu was silent, when she would usually be talkative. Ed looked over at her to see if he could find out what was wrong.
He saw her shaking, but other than that, no sign of anything wrong. He didn't notice her eyes though, and they were wide with fear. He didn't pay any attention, and turned back to looking at the shops. About five minutes later, Kararu spoke.
"Ed…" Kararu said.
"Yes?" Ed asked, not looking at her yet.
"Ed!" Kararu said, a little more urgently.
"What is it?"
"Can we leave?" Kararu asked. Ed stopped and looked at her, confused. He couldn't see her face because her back was facing him.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Please? Can we leave? Now?" Kararu asked, turning around to face him. He then saw that her eyes were wide, she was now shaking violently, and she looked downright scared, for the first time since he had met her.
"Okay." Ed said. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the crowded streets, Ed finally feeling how shaky she really was. Once they were out of the overcrowded streets, Ed stopped and turned to Kararu, who was now breathing heavily.
"What's wrong?" Ed asked her.
"I…I'm fine…now…" Kararu said. "It's just that I'm claustrophobic…"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ed asked.
"Because…because I didn't want to worry you with it." Kararu said.
"Come on Kararu. You're like a sister to me now. You can tell me." Ed said.
"Okay then…I'm claustrophobic." Kararu said grinning. Ed laughed.
"I mean tell me you're secrets, goofball." Ed said, giving her a toothy grin.
"Oh…well next time, be more specific." Kararu said, grinning. "I'm still a bit shaky. We should wait until later to go shopping until the crowd dies down."
"Okay." Ed said. "Let's get back. We can go shopping with Winry and Morgan." Ed said.
"Okay."
XxXxXxXxXxXx
"You ready to go guys?" Winry asked as she grabbed the car keys.
"Yeah, we'll be out in a minute." Morgan said. Winry nodded, then walked out the door and to the car.
Ed and Kararu came down the stairs, Kararu almost tripping when they made it to the bottom. She laughed, then she and Ed followed Morgan out to the car where Winry was waiting in the drivers seat. Ed and Kararu had asked the two to go shopping, and Winry offered to drive them, along with shopping.
"I call front!" Morgan yelled playfully since he was a few feet ahead of Ed and Kararu.
"Fine, we'll sit in back!" Kararu yelled back to him. They got to the car, Morgan sitting in the front next to Winry and Ed and Kararu sitting in the back. Winry drove off, Ed and Kararu getting into a conversation, Morgan and Winry doing the same.
Suddenly, everyone in the car felt a jolt, then, everything went black.
XxXxXxXxXxXx
When Kararu came to, she looked around. She was in a bed, an IV was attached to her right elbow, there was a bandage around her head, another on her upper and lower right arm around the IV needle, and another on her left leg. She turned her head to look at the bed next to hers to see a very beat-up Ed laying in it, asleep.
"Oh, thank the heavens, you're awake!" Kararu heard someone say. She turned her head the other direction to see Riza sitting up straight in a chair that was by the bed.
"What…happened?" Kararu asked weakly, her voice harsh with dryness.
"It…it's kind of hard to explain…" Riza began nervously.
"What. Happened." Kararu repeated, her tone cold as ice.
"We had better wait until Ed wakes up…though of course, that may be a while, seeing as he was in worse condition than you…" Riza said.
"All right. I guess…" Kararu agreed. She sat up, Riza helping her. Kararu's body felt like there were bruises everywhere, and every time she moved, a small wave of pain made its way throughout her body. "How many bones are broken?"
"Just you right forearm and your lower left leg."
"And Ed?"
"Amazingly enough, he doesn't have any, but his bruises…there are so many…and we think he has a concussion. At one point, we didn't think you two were going to make it. But somehow, you did. Even the doctors don't know how…" Riza said. Kararu's eyes turned to Ed as he started to cough.
"Well, it seems he woke up…" Kararu said. She got up, bringing the IV with her as she limped over to Ed's bed. "Is his back injured?"
"Not that we know of." Riza responded. Kararu pulled Ed up into a sitting position, rubbing his back slightly. When his coughing still didn't stop, Kararu sighed and pulled him into a hug.
"Ka…Kara…ru?" Ed asked, his coughing dying down.
"Yes Ed. How are you feeling?" Kararu asked.
"A little dizzy…" Ed answered.
"Anything else?" Kararu asked, pulling away and eyeing him.
"I'm sore everywhere."
"That's to be expected." Riza said, coming over to them.
"Now that he's awake, tell us what happened. NOW." Kararu ordered.
"You two, this may come as a bit of a shock…" Riza said.
"We can take it." Ed said confidentially.
"Well, all that we can piece together is that a drunk driver drove head on into the car you were in and-" Riza said, but was interrupted by Kararu.
"Where's Morgan and Winry?" Kararu asked quickly, suddenly realizing that they weren't there. Riza hid her eyes with her bangs, gulping as though trying to hold back tears.
"What's wrong?" Kararu asked, getting worried.
Riza finally spoke, saying, "They're dead…"
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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter is going to be a dark one, that's all I'm going to say. Actually, I'm in a good mood, so I'll give you a preview, even though it's short!
Next time:
"Morgan, I know you don't want me to be sad, and you want me to know that you're in a better place now, but…" Kararu said, then stopped for a second. "But that's not the point! I just simply can't live without you! Do I have to say anything else?" She paused again.
"You just said that!" She said. Ed and Mustang looked at her, confused at who she was talking to. "I know, but I just CAN NOT live without-whoa…"
Well, that's the preview. I told ya it would be short! I'm going to go write on a few of my other stories, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review!
Join me next time for:
Chapter 10: Sometimes, the Rain Never Stops