Disclaimer: Don't own FMA Never owned FMA.

A sudden tink-thunk started the battle. My eyes were weighed down and the darkness was more inviting than the frigid air that came with waking. A rushing of noise to my right became an ally in my fight for consciousness and, was the first thing that gave me a reason to awaken. It's steady hiss and whooshing sounded like a curtain falling over a stage at the end of a play.

Except I wasn't at a play.

The swimming impressions of my fight with Kimblee, reminded me that I might need to fight for my life at any second. Trying to move too fast for my growing headache and stiff bones, I lifted my head over my arms and opened my eyes. Rubble and signs of a huge blast showed all around me by the small circle of sunlight pouring in from far above. A heavy beam fell from above and landed on one end before falling onto its side with a loud bang.

"I must have fallen down the mine shaft," I stated to nobody. Slowly, too slowly, my senses started to wake up. A low growl drew my attention to beyond the light where the two chimeras I had fought earlier lay, trapped under a large pile of metal pipes, bars, and stone.

"Kim…bree," groaned the lion looking one in his semi-conscious state.

They both appear to be alive so I will worry about them later. Kimbree first.

I forced my cold, stiff muscles to obey my command to rise, just to get on my hands and knees. My arm was still a blade, but it felt like I still had all my limbs, both real and fake, in working order.

"Damn it," I cursed, to myself. "I can't let Kimbree get away."

But I'm not sure I can fight just yet.

The movement sent something warm and wet into my mouth in a small river. It tasted like iron. I tested it's taste again to confirm that it was blood. It was, and it continued to flow, running down the side of my chin.

That's not the only thing moving made me aware of. Previously, the cold had numbed up my back, but moving reawakened my nerves to scream out at me. I gasped about the blood on my tongue and turned my head around. My eyes grew wide and my breathing quickened, now coming in short pants.

You're kidding. No!

For a moment, I just stared at the long piece of metal that had become a spear in my side. A small cascade of blood fell from under me and soaked my clothes around the wound. Suddenly the pain spread and my body went into spasms of pain. I arched my back against it but felt the injury open a little more on my stomach. I might have been groaning or screaming but I wasn't sure. It was like waking up all over again. The only real thing was the blood and the pain. My knees and arms gave out and I collapsed on my uninjured side, laying still. Air became a luxury I no longer could afford too much of. Any breath I took was quickly expelled. My eyes started to roll back so I closed them.

Despite the pain, I felt oddly detached. Like it was coming second hand, or I was just a passionate viewer.

I'm going to die. I'm dying right now.

I was choking on my blood now as it gushed from my mouth. I'm not sure when it opened but now the red river flowed freely to warm the cold floor. The wound on my back, now slightly more open, allowed more of my life-blood to flow away. Into my clothes where it warmed my skin one second and froze the next, onto the ground where created a small lake around me. My breathing became shallow, and soon I stopped trying to force air in, only taking it when needed. My heart, which had been beating rapidly, was starting to slow down.

It will stop beating in a few moments. I wonder if my body will be found, or if Al is going to have to bury an empty coffin. How will he take this? Will he keep trying to get his body back? He'd better.

I let my thought wander to the future that I will not be a part of.

I hope he picks the slot next to mom. Not that I deserve it, but it would be nice. Is this punishment for all that; Truths way of saying you've lived long enough? Teacher is dying slowly because of her transmutation, and I'm out here because of mine. I just hope Al lives happily. And Winry. Damn, she's going to be upset about this.

Suddenly, I pictured Winry crying over our house, her parents, and when she almost shot Scar.

It will make her cry. I will be making her cry!

Rage and determination have always filled with energy and now was only different in that I was still dying. But it hadn't happened yet. Half of a plan flickered through my mind as I slammed my left fist onto the floor and forced myself up slightly, transferring my weight to my right elbow so I could transmute.

"I won't make her cry. Especially over something this stupid," I ground out, spitting out the blood still in my mouth. Once most of the top part of the bar was gone, I collapsed again, sighing in exhaustion and trying to take deeper breaths. Slowly I lighted my left hand again and clapped it with my right. Then I touched the floor.

On my command, alchemized hands shot up from under the chimera's rubble pile and freed them. Given how they started to stand right away, I'd guess that they were mostly unhurt. I kept my eyes closed against a wave of pain that came from my movement. I held my breath for a second trying to fight back a moan.

"Damn, Kimblee's gonna pay," one of the men growled. There was a pause like they had stopped moving. Then the sound of feet.

"Hey, Fullmetal kid. What made you decide to rescue us," asked one part animal voice.

"Yeah, you're more injured than we are," came the second's deeper tone.

"Don't… get the… wrong idea," I answer in a whisper. My breathes where now forced and I could feel my heart trying to slow down further.

I'll be dead any time now. We should hurry.

"I can't pull this out of my stomach by myself. I could use a bit of help." I heard the kneel in front of me. Probably to hear me better.

"We were enemies not five minutes ago and now you're asking us to save your life," Asked one of them (the lion guy maybe) in disbelief.

"Yeah. Basically," I said. I hadn't really considered what would happen if they refused.

"Well, it's not like we were given orders to kill you," growled one of the two before large, warm hands started to move me into a sitting position against a uniform. "Come on," encourage what a peak from under my lashes revealed to be Mr. Gorilla.

"You know," said Mr. Lion. "You're going to bleed to death pretty quickly when I pull this out."

"Not if I heal it. With alchemy." I hadn't thought too much into my vague plan, but I said it like had thoroughly thought it through. The more questions they asked the surer of my plan I was.

"What? Have you ever before done any kind of medical alchemy," asked the Lion guy.

"Sort of. I did some research on it… When I tried human transmutation." I was getting weaker.

Hurry.

"Just some research, your guts have got to be all messed up! You're gonna need a Philosopher's Stone to make this work," the Lion pointed out.

"I'm going to have to use my own life force. The same way I'd use a Stone." I coughed, trying to clear the pain in my chest that was growing my the second. "It will probably take a few years off my life span though."

"You're positive?"

"I don't really have time to think about it. If this is really what showing mercy is going to cost me, then I'm going to have to learn to pay the price. Right?" I hadn't meant for the last part to come out as if I was pleading.

Damn, I'm getting light headed. And I was rambling. Hurry, hurry!

"I don't know what you're talking about, but is sounds like you're sure," said the lion gravely as he grasped the bar with both hands. I ground my teeth together and braced myself. "Ready," he asked. I nodded, forced myself to take a deep breath, then raise my hands, prepared to clap.

"Yeah, I'm ready," I said. Then it began.

I've got to picture myself as a single massive energy source.

It happened slowly. My tense muscles ripped, tore, and resisted the bar's exit from my body. I screamed.

Use the energy. Just like the Stone.

It hurt. It hurt so much. I wanted it to stop, to ask them to stop. But I couldn't. I screamed again.

That's it! I'm a Philosopher's Stone that is powered by a single soul!

I stopped trying to hide my screams. Tears formed but I ignored them.

Remember… what it felt like, in that moment! Remember how it felt to use soul! To harness life!

I felt the exact second the bar, warmed with my blood, left me and exposed my insides to the frozen air around us. I barely remembered to clap in my haste to cover the wound; to conceal the gaping hole in my body. Power surged as I sealed the skin and placed the unaffected organs back to where they belonged. Physically, I felt better. However, for a split second, I felt a different pain. Everything went black for an instant before I became aware of my surroundings again.

"Did he make it," came the question, though I'm not certain which half animal asked.

"You can't kill me that easily," I answered for them.

"You mean that it worked," asked the one still supporting me.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say that I'm healed. I rejoined my undamaged organs, and I've managed to stop the bleeding. But it won't last for long," I informed, gasping for air slightly. I could breathe easier now, but I could already feel the wound reopening with every breath.

"Oh, then you need a real doctor," said Mr. Lion.

Can't, yet.

"No," I said, struggling to my feet. "I've got to stop Kimbree before he gets…" I could feel the wound open slightly and the odd sort of pain was coming back ever so slightly. Darkness took me even before I hit the ground.

Notes: Hello again.

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