~A note from Me~ I am going to apologixe right now, from this chapter on, I am changing an important character completely from the way he is in the show and manga, so if you don't like major changes the please don't read, this will be the first and last time I ever change an FMA character this much, please bear with me 3

Ch. 21.- Repeated Sins

That walk down the stairs was long and dark.

Ed held onto Roy's hand the entire way, walking as close to him as he could.

Soon he saw a light flickering among the darkness, revealing a wooden door.

"We're here" Lust pushed the door open and Gluttony followed right behind her.

Roy stalled a minute on the last stair, knowing the two homunculus couldn't see him because of the darkness.

"Ed, before we go in...I wanted to tell you one last time, just in case something happens to me...Ed...I love you"

"Roy, nothings going to happen, to you or me, don't say things like that!"

Roy grabbed Ed's chin quickly and kissed him on the forehead.

"Yes, I know Edward, but this is just in case."

"...Roy, I love you too" Ed smiled, not that Roy could see it.

He knew they'd get out alive. together.

"Hurry Up you two!" Lust yelled harshly up the stairway.

Ed suddenly felt Roy pull away.

"Roy!..."

"Ed hurry up" He whispered.

Ed hurried to the door way and went through, following Roy.

As they went in they saw the familiar picture of the ouroboros mark.

"So this is where they have been hiding" Ed mumbled.

Roy grunted in agreement.

They kept walking in a straight line for quite a bit of time before they came to a stop.

In front of them was yet another large door, marked with another ouroboros tattoo.

"Lust should we just take in the small one?" Gluttony eyed both Ed and Roy, and then kept his gaze on Roy, putting his finger up to his mouth and started to drool.

"Well now that we have the one that Master wanted, we have no use for the colonel." smiling she looked at Roy, then at Ed.

"Does that mean I can...eat him now?" He hissed with excitement, walking towards Roy and grabbing his collar.

"Yes, you may as well eat him, come FullMetal, our Master only has needs for you."

"LIKE HELL I'M LEAVING ROY TO BE EATEN! I TOLD YOU EITHER WE BOTH GO OR NEITHER OF US DO!" Ed was about ready to bash Gluttony's head into the ground.

Roy looked over at Lust, and he knew she wouldn't idly stand by and watch Ed attack, she'd stop him. Roy snapped his fingers, lighting a spark between him and the fat monster holding him.

Gluttony tripped backward letting loose the grip he had on Roy's collar.

"Ed Stop!" He ordered.

Ed's feet stoped immediately.

He took a deep breathe, relieved that Roy was alright.

He turned around and repeated himself.

"Either we both go, or neither of us do." He knew he and Roy couldn't leave now, they would just be chased again and again, it was time for them to face this head on.

Lust gave Gluttony a harsh glare.

"Fine. But no more mistakes. Either you come quietly or I'll kill you both."

"Fine."

Roy stepped next to Ed, as they watched Lust open the door.

Gluttony got up slowly and followed behind them.

They all entered a room, brightly lit by enormous chandeliers that hung from the ceiling.

Giant white pillars stood along all the walls, and behind those pillars along the marbles walls, were large murals. A Giant sun in the middle of each, connecting it's rays of light to what looked like human hands reaching up towards it.

Ed looked forward, past Lust and at the ground.

"FullMetal, I see you've noticed this rooms most prominent feature" She smiled.

Gluttony came forward and stood at her side.

"Lust, should we go inform master that we've brought them here as we were told?"

"Yes Gluttony, in a second."

She walked towards the other end of the giant room, passed the design on the floor and stopped just at the end of it.

"FullMetal take a look at this design on the floor, I'm pretty sure you'll recognize it right away, Gluttony come with me"

Gluttony waddled his way over towards Lust.

As he saw the two homunculus walking towards the large door at the end, he proceeded to step by Ed's side.

"Ed, what exactly is this?"

"Well..." Ed bent down, leaning on one nee, and placed his right hand down onto the design tracing it carefully.

"It's an alchemic array, and she's right I do sort of recognize it."

"What? Really? I've never seen an array this elaborate before, nor have I seen one this large."

Roy looked down at Ed, and saw fear flash in his eyes. He knelt down beside Ed.

"Edward, it's alright, where have you seen this array before."

"It's...It's not completely similar, but it looks a lot like an array used for...for Human Transmutation."

Now Roy knew what Lust had meant by Ed recognizing it.

Ed had used an array for human transmutation before, he'd never forget it.

"But you said it's different? How..."

"Well the basic outlay of the array's the same, as well as the calligraphy connecting the outer markings with the inner ones...but the large symbols that represent the ingredients, as well as the smaller ones that guide the alchemic reaction, they're completely different."

He got up and walked towards the middle of the array, looking down at it, studying it.

"This is also different, usually in the middle of a human transmutation array there'd be no empty spacing, but here..."

He pointed to an octagonal shape, completely filled with just empty space.

"Here there nothing, it doesn't make sense." Ed shook his head in confusion.

"Ed, I don't like the fact that there's an array even similar to a human transmutation array, what the hell are they going to have you do?" Roy's voice was full of concern. The last time Ed had attempted human transmutation, he'd lost his leg and Alphonse had lost his entire body.

"Roy, I know."

The room went silent, as the large door opened, and the lights near it faded.

Ed and Roy looked at the door, and saw the shadows of two shapes that appeared to be Lust and Gluttony coming out, along with another shadow that they didn't recognize.

Lust and Gluttony walked forward, and came to a stop as they were about 2 feet away from Ed and Roy.

"Well..." Ed asked in a hushed voice.

"Ed, maybe you shouldn't talk..." Roy warned.

"Sorry colonel but you aren't needed right now." Lust said, her nails coming out of no where, flinging Roy all the way back towards the door they had just entered.

"Roy!" Ed got up, ready to run to the colonel's aid.

"No Boy you stay!" A deeper voice shattered through the air.

Ed turned around, trying to see who this person was.

"Master we've brought you FullMetal like you asked us too."

The shadowed man that Lust had called 'Master' seemed to take a step forward, still hiding beyond Ed's site.

"Yes Lust, I asked you to bring me Edward, and only Edward, I said nothing about bringing his play thing too." The voice said, blankly.

"Yes, I know, but the damn brat wouldn't come along unless he was aloud to follow...and I couldn't just..." Lust sounded terrified.

"You should have just killed him and dragged the boy down here, you disobeyed me, and now that I have him here, I have no further use for you."

There was a clapping sound then a flash of light. A rumbling sound was streaming towards Lust.

She tried to back away, but before she could even take a step, a bright blue light surrounded her. Engulfing her entire body. She shrieked with pain, her body dropped and convulsed, until it completely turned to ash.

Ed just sat there and watched.

"LUSSSST!" Gluttony shouted, running a fast as he could towards the pile of ash that once was Lust.

"Master! Why! We did as you asked! Why would you kill her! My dear Lust! Lust!" Gluttony grabbed the dust bringing it into his ands and nuzzled his face into it.

"Your too pathetic, I've no use for you either."

Another clap, and a trail of blue light.

A scream.

Gluttony was reduced to a pile of ash, within seconds.

"What the hell!" Ed shouted, completely in awe that the shadowed man had just destroyed his own subordinates.

"How could you!" A yell from behind surprise Ed.

Roy was up and walking towards him.

"Roy..."

Roy had reached Ed.

"How could you do that to the people under your orders! They were your subordinates!" Roy was furious. He'd never been able to stand people treating those under their command poorly.

The Man within the shadows let out a huge burst of laughter.

"What the Hell is so funny!" Roy responded.

"What! You don't like the way I treat my toys! I find that hilarious! Compared to you! How should I treat me 'subordinates' as you called them!" He still laughed, mocking Roy.

"I don't know But should shouldn't fucking go around and kill them!" Roy didn't feel sorry for Gluttony or Lust, that wasn't the root of his anger.

Again, there was a boom of laughter.

"What! Should I be more like the infamous Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang? Should I follow your example and Fuck them! Make them my sex object! Would that make me a better 'commander' HAHAHAHAAAA"

Roy clenched his teeth, and quickly snapped his fingers, over and over again.

"You SHUT THE HELL UP!"

An explosion of flames erupted in the room.

Ed stepped back, pushed by the force of Roy's flame.

"ED! STAND BACK I'M GOING TO IMPLODE THIS BASTARD" He roared, his voice filled with anger.

Ed had never seen Roy like this, so he ran back, and got as far away from the colonel as possible.

"YOU BASTARD! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT PAIN IS!" He snapped again, a line of red flames extended from his hands, erupting along a path that led to where the shadowed figure was.

All of a sudden a blue mist clouded the air, and he flames were gone, vanished as if they'd never been ignited. A loud rumbling sound, like the one from before, was heard streaming from the ground, Roy was tossed back against the wall. He slid down, leaving a large indent within the stone. He gasped in pain as he hit the floor. He didn't move, eyes closed.

"ROY!" Ed shouted, panicked at the sight of the colonel out cold on the floor.

He ran towards Roy as fast as he could.

"No Edward! I need you over here!"

Ed saw a blue light from the corner of his eye.

Before he could prepare himself the floor below him moved him towards the shadow, until Ed felt a hand grasp him around his neck.

"ROY!" Ed cried.

"Quiet Boy!" The hand tightened its grip, turning Ed's face to it was facing forward.

"Who the hell are you! And what the fucking hell do you want with me!"

A deep laugh came from the man.

"Your really that stupid to not recognize a voice that you'd just heard less than a day ago?"

"What?" Ed's eyes widened as the man stepped from the shadows.

"That's right Ed"

"It was you!"

"Correct...My son..."

"Why! What could you possibly gain from this?"

"Well, I am getting to that"

Hohenheim loosened his grip on Ed's neck, but still held him tight enough making sure he couldn't move.

"You see my son I am going to have you create me another body."

"A body...What the hell?" Ed eyes looked into his fathers, as Hohenheim lifted up his sleeve, revealing the rotted flesh beneath,

"What in world is wrong with you?" Ed asked, trying to comprehend what was going on.

"You see I've been searching for a way to live eternally for a long time, and the only way I've been able to do so is by getting the fools of this world over time create new philosopher stones that would allow me the power to send my soul to another body when needed, but as you see, my body has begun to decay, and each time I move to a new body, this will happen quicker, due to the over use of my energy, my soul needs a completely new shell, an unused vessel, and that's why you here, my son"

"Your an alchemist! Why can't you 'create' this new body yourself?"

"Because I'd have to be outside the gate to do the transmutation, and I have to be within the doors to allow my soul to bond with the body your going to create."

"But...that's human transmutation, although we have the soul, there has to be an equivalent exchange! You expect me to use my body as a sacrifice!"

"No Edward! As I said my body will be within the gate, this body will be taken as the exchange, all you must do is create the shell for me, my soul will do the rest."

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU PUT ROY AND ME THROUGH ALL THIS, WASTED ALL OUR TIME WE COULD HAVE USED TO LOOK FOR THE STONE FOR THIS!"

"Yes! That's right! Now you will do as I command!" He tightened his grip around Ed's neck.

"Why the fuck would I have to do that, exactly?"

"Haha, Either you do as I say, or your precious colonel will end up having a huge problem" Hohenheim grinned.

Ed looked back at Roy, who was still laying unconscious on the ground.

Ed tightened his fists, and clenched his teeth.

"Well Edward, what is your decision?"

"Fine, I'll do whatever you want"

Ed couldn't let Roy die, not for something as pathetic as this.

For his sake, Ed would commit the taboo he'd swore never to attempt again.