Chapter 24: Those Who Rise and Those Who Fall

TEA GARDNER

"You wanted to see us Colonel?" Joey asked as we approached Mustang's desk.

He nodded and said, "Yes Combustion, I did. I'm sorry we couldn't meet in my office though, it being remodeled for space."

He held out three letters and a box and placed them on the desk.

He handed the box to Joey and said, "This belongs to you Joseph."

Joey opened the box and inside was a set of medals and a thing of keys.

Mustang opened the letter and said, "As decreed by Fuhrer King Bradly, I promote Joesph Wheeler to the rank of Colonel for his work in saving the lives his comrades and commanding officer in action. With this rank he is given his own men, his own office in Central Command and shall work along side his mentor, Colonel Roy Mustang."

Mustang smirked and said, "Welcome to your temporary office Colonel Wheeler, I hope you like it until the transfer is finished."

We stood there completely surprised by this. Joey the most irresponsible person I have ever known is now in a position of responsibly.

Joey mumbled out, "This is amazing! I can't believe it!"

Mustang smiled and said, "Well Joesph, you've followed every order to the letter and the fact you help save the lives of three state alchemist, and two of your commanding officers helped as well."

Mustang looked at us and said, "Now, let's see what's in store for Iron Ivy and Static."

He opened up our letters and said, "It seems that you two have been placed in Colonel's forces and will be working a long side him."

Tristen smiled and said, "All right! We're moving up in the world!"

I nodded and said, "Ed and Kaiba are going to freak..."

Joey smiled and said, "They're going to have to show me some respect from now on!"

Mustang laughed and said, "Good luck with that Joesph. Edward has never shown me the least bit of respect since he joined at age 12."

Then I responded, "And Kaiba never has shown you respect before."

Joey smiled and said, "Well, a guy can dream."

Mustang nodded and said, "Indeed, now there one other matter we have to deal with Combustion."

Mustang pulled out a blood stained box filled with books and notes.

"These were hidden in the stock office where General Hughes was first injured in. He hid these rather well, so there must be something of importance in this box. I want you and you group to go through these notes and find out what he hid."

We all saluted and said, "Yes Sir!"

Mustang walked up to Joey and said, "Colonel you no longer have to salute me considering we of equal rank."

Joey looked at him and said, "But it's still proper greeting for my Teacher."

The Colonel smiled and said, "Well then, get to work Colonel. You've got a lot to do before the day's up, then we'll go celebrate."

Mustang walked out of the office and closed the door.

Joey looked in the box and said, "There seems to be only a majority of three things: books, notes, and assorted papers. We should divide and conquer on this. Tristen you take the notes, Tea you handed the papers, and I'll handle the books."

Tristen sighed and said, "This would go a lot faster if Ed and Al were here, but they won't be back here for another week or so."

I nodded and began gathering the paperwork.

I looked at Joey and said, "Well Colonel, I'm going to review this in the botanical house. I need to check on my experiments."

Tristen nodded and said, "I think I may do my research back at the hotel."

Joey nodded and said, "Alright, but don't let that paperwork out of your sight."

We both nodded and said, "Yes Sir."

He nodded and said, "Dismissed."

We quickly made our way out the door of his temporary office and went our separate ways.

"Dear God..." I whispered out as I stared at the map that Hughes had drawn on.

I had been sitting in the botanical house for nearly 5 hours when I finally came across something.

But I never expected anything like this...

The map had circled every place there had been a battle in Amestris where blood was split and it made a perfect transmutation circle.

For what I had no idea, but Joey and Mustang need to know what's going on. The government is up to something...

I stood up and heard the click of a gun at my head.

"Going somewhere?"

I turned around to see Tristen holding a gun at me.

I looked at him and said, "Who are you?"

He looked at me and said, "Tea, it's me Tristen. You know one of your best friends."

I shook my head and said, "I know my friends, and your not Tristen, besides you eyes are the wrong color."

He smiled and his voice changed, "Well, well, smart girl."

The man began to surge with red electricity turning him into a man with long black spiky hair and a ourobourus on his thigh.

I looked at him and said, "Homonculus right?"

He smiled and said, "Yes... You can call me Envy."

I looked at him and said, "Well Envy what are you going to do know?"

He smiled and said, "Well considering that if I shoot you, I could blame it all on The Static Alchemist..."

I laughed and said, "That won't work... We're teenagers in the military. We don't carry guns."

Envy laughed and said, "That right. Oh well, it just makes it more fun!"

He quickly dropped the gun and turned his hand into a knife.

He stabbed me in the stomach causing blood to drizzle from in my body.

He laughed and said, "Well, this is fun, but I don't want any surprises from you Ivy Girl, so I'll do this!"

He took his blade hand and sliced into my hand off. I screamed in agony as the blood seeped from my wrist.

He smiled and said, "You alchemy is useless without two hands but... You'll be useless with no hands!"

He cut my other hand off. I cried in pain as the blood seeped from where my hand use to be.

He grabbed my throat and said, "Your voice annoys me, just as much as the Pipsqueak's. So I'll just take that from you too!"

He dug his hands into my throat and pulled out a large piece of my flesh.

I tried to scream but, nothing came out.

Envy laughed and said, "Well... It seems I ripped out your vocal cords..."

I began to feel light headed and I stared up at the ceiling choking on my breath once in a while.

He looked at me and said, "Looks like I over did it... Oh well... We still have the others to sacrifice...Enjoy your suffering, while it last..."

He changed into a Tristen look alike and said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you'll have some friends to joined in death soon enough."

He laughed and walked out of the botanical house, locking the door behind him.

I felt my body growing limp as my blood drained out of me.

This is it... This is how I'm going to die...

God, I never told Yami how I felt...

Three figures came from the shadows and looked down at me.

I couldn't make out their faces, but one said, "She's needs help..."

The other figure said, "She's a part the military..."

The other one responded, "Yeah, but the military guy that just left did this to her. She probably hate the military now."

I had most of my vocal chords ripped out, but somehow or another I was able to mutter out in a weak and pain filled voice, "..He..l..p...m..e..."

The male figure looked at me and said, "Will you abandon your country and it's god forsaken military, if we help you?"

I nodded and my body writhed with more pain.

The figures surrounded me and the darkness enveloped me.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around.

I was in a tent lying on a cot.

My body was covered in bandages that covered my wounds.

"So your awake."

I turned my head and looked at the man who rescued me.

But what I didn't expect to see, was the man who hated State Alchemist more than anything...

Scar...

Scar looked at me and said, "What's your name girl?"

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.

I went to put my hand on my throat only to see my hand was missing.

I began crying silent sobs at the sight of my missing hands.

Scar looked at me and said, "What is your name?!"

"She's mute, Mr. Scar."

I looked and saw a little girl in a pink outfit and little panda on her shoulder sitting over me.

Scar looked at her and said, "She spoke to us before she past out. Why can't she now?"

The girl pointed at my throat and said, "That man, he tore out the majority of her vocal cords and damaged the others severely. She nearly snapped them all in two when she cried out for help. She can no longer speak and since her hands are missing she can no longer write."

I looked at her and nodded.

Scar glared at me and said, "Give her a pen and paper. Put the pen in her mouth and will communicate that way."

The girl did as he asked and set a note pad on my lap and stuck a pen between my teeth.

Scar looked at me and asked, "What is your name?"

I couldn't give him my real name. He'd kill me on the spot.

I scribbled out, 'Ivy.'

The writing was crude and sloppy,but it was readable.

He looked at me and said, "Ivy, why was that man trying to kill you?"

I wrote down, 'I know what he is and plans to do to this country and I was going to tell others.'

He looked at me and asked, "Are you a alchemist?"

The very question I was avoiding, but if he looked through my clothes, he probably found my watch.

I slowly wrote down, 'Yes, I am. I am a State Alchemist and I know who you are, Scar.'

He looked at me and said with anger, "Give me one good reason, why I should let you live?!"

I slowly wrote down, 'I have people to protect. Lives to save. Ones I never told how I truly feel.'

I looked up at him and then went back to writing, 'Listen you can kill me, right here and now, or you can help me and in return I'll help you take down this corrupt government. I'm an alchemist and that goes against your beliefs, but in order to protect the innocent, you must be willing to do anything. As for my title... I abandoned it when you saved my life, just as promised. I am willing to do what ever it takes to save the ones and I love. I will do anything for them.'

The girl looked at me and said, "And maybe, you can help me find the Philosopher's Stone!"

I stared in horror at the little girl and wrote, 'No! Don't go after the stone! It the Devil's work and should never be used!'

The girl looked at me and asked, "Why not?"

I slowly wrote down, 'The main ingredient for the stone, is hundreds of human souls... I beg you child, don't seek it.'

They sat quite for a few moments.

Scar looked at the girl and said, "May, tend to her wounds and make her look different. If she intends on traveling with us, she must not be recognized."

I quickly wrote down, 'Melt my watch for the silver and take me to an automailist. I can help more if I have hands.'

Scar looked at me and said, "You shall have you wish, but remember you are no longer on the side of the law."

I scribbled out, 'Why do you think I said, melt the watch? I'm not keeping that damned thing any longer.'

Scar turned and said, "Ivy, you will be of great use to me."

He exited the tent and May looked at me.

She pulled out a few kunai and created at unfamiliar transmutation circle around my stomach.

She pressed down and my stomach began to heal up a bit more.

I wrote down, 'Are you an alchemist? I never seen alchemy like that.'

She shook her head and said, "I'm not an alchemist. I do alchistory, which is common in my home Xing."

She's along way from home, that for certain.

I wrote, 'Doesn't your family miss you?'

She nodded and said, "Yeah, but I'm doing this for them. If I can find the secret of immortality then I can save my family and bring honor to my name."

She looked at me and asked, "What about you? Do you have any family?"

I wrote, 'Not here, but I have the most amazing friends... They probably think I'm dead...'

She looked at me and said, "It's probably for the best. That guy won't go after them if you never told them."

I wrote down, 'Yeah but... The man I love will think I'm dead...'

She sighed and said, "Oh, the affairs of the heart, but alas mine belongs to the one I've heard tell of. The man with golden hair and eyes, the legendary Edward Elric!"

I rolled my eyes. I never though Ed would have his own fan girl.

Ed...

Al...

Kaiba...

Yami...

I'm sorry, but for now I can't see you...

I wish I could but, Major Tea Gardner is dead...

Long live Ivy...