Chapter Eleven
I don't have long, Ruby thought to herself, but I'll do this, no matter what the cost. Gently Ruby picked up the corpse.
"What are you planning on doing..?" Winry asked hesitantly. Ruby walked over to the back door.
"You'll cover for me, right?" She asked. Winry shook her head.
"I won't if you're doing something stupid again!"
"Keep your voice down!" Ruby barked. She sighed, her head hanging low. "I'm sorry Winry. I- I have to do this. I wasn't even supposed to be alive anymore, and being brought back. . . the damage I've caused isn't right. I need to fix it." They were both silent for a moment.
"So I guess this means you're going to..?"
"Yeah,"
Winry wiped a tear from her cheek. "What if you fail? What if you end up like Edward or Alphonse after they tried to bring back their mother?" Ruby looked up.
"It's a chance I've got to take. Besides," Ruby opened the door. "I have Envy here to help me." She carried Ed's body outside where she was met with a soldier. She froze.
"It's me," He said. "Envy." He smiled at her. "Years ago I did this same thing with Lust, only that time, the corpse was you." Ruby flinched. "Don't worry about it, you turned out fine, he will too."
"But, I was a homunculus. . ." Ruby argued, beginning to sneak away toward the forest. She looked down at the precious bundle she carried in her arms, and for the first time realized how heavy he was. Envy came up behind her.
"I'll carry him," He said. Ruby tipped her head in thanks and handed him the bundle. As he took it, the sheet slid off, revealing Edward's body, stiff and cool, the blood on his bandages still wet. "You realize I'm only doing this because I like you."
"What's that supposed to mean..?" Ruby asked. She turned her head briefly to look at him.
"It means I'd just as soon let him stay dead and take you back to my master if it weren't for damn human feelings holding me back." He answered. Ruby looked around her, checking to see if anyone was around before making a dash toward the trees.
"Those human feelings seem to drive the world these days. I was brought back to be used for someone else's bidding because they're selfish, I tried to resist because of love, but ended up a slave anyway because of your love for me. Then I ran away because I had a conscience, killed for love, and now I'm going to. . ."
"To die for love," Envy finished. Ruby choked.
"Yeah,"
Their escape continued silently the rest of the way to the forest. When they arrived, Envy set Ed's body on the ground.
"How do you plan on doing this?" He asked. Ruby picked up a stick from the ground and broke off the skinny end of it.
"I'm going to wing it." She said. She cleared a large area of ground, making sure there was a clear area she could work with. Envy sat down, looking around and listening, ready to alert Ruby if anyone was coming.
"Do you even know what kind of transmutation circle to use?" He asked.
"Nope," She answered. She took the stick she had broken and began to carve a circle in the earth. "Which is why I said I was going to wing it," After the main circle was drawn, she got to work on the detailed insides of it, making up the design as she went. Triangles, squares, smaller circles, any shape she could remember seeing in an alchemy book she put together. Once it was finally completed to her liking, she stood back.
"If you ask me," Envy said. "It looks more like a crop circle." Ruby smiled at the joke. She knew how much this was going to affect Envy; after all, he had loved her just as much as Edward. But she knew in her mind that bringing Ed back was what she needed to do.
Walking over to where Envy had laid the corpse, she picked him up and carried him over to the circle. Envy watched as she placed him in the center.
"I have his body, this circle and me." She murmured. "Once I activate the circle, I'll give myself up to bring his soul back, and it'll become attached to his body once more. I guess it would be like how Edward gave his arm to pull back Al's soul, only I'm going to give all of me." She kneeled down in front of the array. Concentrating all of her energy to her hands, she pressed against the outer rim of the circle. It began to glow bright, vibrant colors, which would have in any other situation been beautiful to see. Within moments, Ruby began to feel uncomfortable. She looked around. The whole forest seemed dark, the only light coming from the transmuting circle. Envy had disappeared from sight. When she looked back, she faced a strange gate. She stood up, staring in awe.
