Chapter 14: Unending Devotion:

Ed & Al's scream echoed off the cavern walls, the only sound heard in the underground city.

Nobody noticed the alchemic barrier fall around the soldiers' feet.

Edward & Alphonse stared at the broken figure of Winry, their best friend. Subconciously praying she would get up with just a broken bone or two. Ed was the first to regain his senses, & started slowly walking toward her.

When he reached her, he knelt down beside her, & gently rolled her onto her back. She was still warm to the touch, but it was slowly starting to fade, to Ed's growing horror. He then placed his left hand to her wrist...and felt nothing. No steady beat of anything resembling a pulse. He then took notice of how her neck was letting her head lean at what would be a rather uncomfortable angle.

The blast of energy combined with her smashing into a wall had done it's work. Her neck had been snapped.

Ed leaned away from Winry's body, his mind and body frozen with shock & horror.

He didn't feel the tears running down his face.

He didn't feel the cold of the city biting his skin.

And he didn't feel his heart breaking.

He felt nothing.

...It gave him no comfort to realize that this was how his brother had felt in the armor when they were kids.

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Pride's mind replayed what had just taken place, his scythe falling out of his limp grasp.

This...this wasn't suppossed to happen! He was just suppossed to kill Edward & that would be it!

...Winry wasn't suppossed to die. This wasn't supposed to happen!!

A tear fell from the homunculus...and his eyes drained of violet, leaving gold in it's wake.

More tears started to fall.

As he cried, Pride slowly looked at his hands. A murderer's hands. He had caused so much destruction, and now he had killed one of the most dearest people he had in his memory.

"What've I done? I'm just like them.", he said to himself. He started to sob, his fists covering his eyes in anguish.

(A/N: By 'them', Pride means the other homunculi.)

'But...', he thought suddenly,'I'm not like them.'

He had alchemy. He had memories.

His golden eyes resurfaced from his hands at his next thought.

He could fix this!

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Edward hadn't moved from Winry's body since the horrible realization that had hit him. Alphonse, Trisha, Riza, & Roy didn't need to go over to Ed to realize it too.

Tears kept falling onto Winry's chillingly peaceful face, only adding to the growing cold of her skin.

So deep in his grief & shock, Edward didn't notice Pride walk up to him. Al saw this, & higher brain functions started working again. But before he could step away from the soldiers, the barrier that had fallen in Pride's weakness, had once again risen. Cutting off Al's path to his brother.

At last, Edward saw who was now kneeling next to him. His eyes went wide for a split second, before Pride held up a hand as an order to keep quiet.

"...We still have time. Her skin still has a bit of warmth in it, so her soul hasn't totally dissolved into the Gate yet.", Pride stated.

Ed's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Wait, wha...!", he was interrupted when Pride started to draw a small array in the stone ground with his scythe. Ed's eyes scanned the carefully drawn circles & the emblem he knew so well. Pride had drawn a miniature version of Dante's array designed to weaken a homunculus.

Pride inhaled, & softly placed his hands on the circle, a blue light radiating from the etching.

Pride felt the red stones in his body rush through his throat, forcing their way out of his mouth. The red gems spilled in large quantities onto the circle, but before they had a chance to dissolve into nothing, Pride clapped & grouped as many as he could in his hands.

Pride's closed fists started to glow a brilliant crimson, & Edward saw, for a split second, that Pride's eyes had grown somewhat dull.

When the homunculus opened his hands...a small red stone hovering about an inch off his palms. Pride let loose a small grin, sweat rolling down his face as he panted due to his effort.

"I...I combined all the power of the red stones I had...into one. And...to give it life...I put a portion of my soul into the stone as well.", he explained softly.

"But...", Edward interrupted,"Homunculi don't have souls. How could you...?"

"The other homunculi before me...had no souls because...they had no memories. Not until the very end.", Pride replied.

Ed narrowed his eyes in confusion, before Pride began to explain. "Think about it. Al had memories when he was nothing but a soul in armor. Now...how can someone have memories if...they don't have a brain to...to store them in? The soul...obviously is the thing that holds...a person's memories."

He then held the small stone out to Edward. "Here. Using the red stones...and some of my soul...I made a small prototype of the Philosoper's Stone. Bring...bring her back with it. Before she's completely gone.", he told Ed.

Edward nodded, but still had one more question. "Why? Why are you helping her?", he asked.

Pride's eyes widened for a second, then his face sunk into a sad smile. "Because I have your memories of her, Edward. So...with those memories...it's enough to make me want to protect & love her as well.", he said. "Now please...destroy me."

Ed stiffened a bit...but nodded in agreement. His assignment was close to an end. Edward Elric then clapped his hands, & set them on Pride's chest.

Pride glowed a brilliant blue...& vanished. The Gate having pulled him into it's dark recesses.

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After Pride's deconstruction, Edward slowly pressed the stone onto Winry's broken neck. Soon, the stone slowly sunk into her flesh, emitting a light, crimson glow.

...Minutes passed, & everyone stood tense. Waiting for some kind of reaction. Ed took it upon himself, to press his ear to her chest, hoping to hear her heart beat to life.

...Ba-bump.

Edward's eyes shot open. He pressed his ear to her chest once more.

'Please.', he begged silently.'Please let her be...!'

...Ba-bump.

A second one! Ed lifted his head, staring intently on the face of Winry Rockbell.

..."Mmm.", a groan sounded. Everyone gathered around the girl at the sound.

(AN: The barrier's gone now since Pride's dead.)

...Winry's eyes fluttered open.

Ocean blue eyes met bright gold.