I always knew that you'd
Come back to get me
And you always knew that
It wouldn't be easy
To go back to the start
To see where it all began
Or end up at the bottom
To watch how it all ends
You tried to lie and say
I was everything
I remember when I said
I'm nothing without you
Somehow I found
A way to get lost in you
Let me inside
Let me get close to you
Change your mind
I'll get lost
If you want me to but
Somehow I found (somehow I found)
A way to get lost in you (a way to get lost in you)
Three days Grace- Lost in you
Chapter 25- Doorway of Darkness
Athena's POV
When I started to come to I felt a wetness all over my face. It was really warm and the stench was too familiar. I then shot up and coughed. Turns out the liquid I was laying in was blood. There was a sea of it. I covered my nose to see if I could rid the stench, but with no success. Strange thing was when I blacked out... The feeling was too familiar I looked around to see if I could find Ed, or Hate, or Ling. "Guys! Hey! Hello?!" I called out. "Anyone there?!" I then heard something. Like, yelling. I stood up and ran for the voices.
"Who are you callin a runt you jerk!" I heard Ed scream. I gritted my teeth and speed towards the voices. As I got closer I knew it was Ed, Ling and Hate. When I arrived everyone turned to me. "Athena."
I sighed. "I'm glad you guys are okay." I then toke a step which made Hate step forward.
"Hold it! How do we know your not Envy?" Hate asked with a sly smirk.
I couldn't help but groan. "Come on. Do you want me to name off every time my brother has hit Ed?"
Ed nodded at Hate. "That's her."
I looked around again at the flames that surrounded us. A sigh escaped my lips. "How did we even get here?" I questioned now walking around.
"Last thing I remember, Gluttony swallowed us whole." Ling explained.
"So your saying this stupid void is Gluttony's stomach?" Hate snarled.
"Most likely." Ling sighed. He then pulled some of his torch to a part of ruble nearby. "Look, there. That's the abandoned house where we were hiding. Also," Ling directed the torch at a blue car nearby. "Check this out."
"That's the Lieutenant's car." I whispered staring it down.
"And I'm guessing all the fire is from the Colonel's attack." Ling added.
"Oh yeah..." Ed mumbled. "That proves it. But how could Gluttony's stomach be this huge?"
"Beats me." Hate muttered in a low scoff. "But this is very unpleasant place." Ed then ran past Ling and Hate which made me follow. As he passed Ling he toke the torch he had with him. "What is it genius?"
Ed then found a chunk of the earth Gluttony had swallowed and lifted Al's armored arm. "Guys! Look at this!"
Hate and Ling walked up and stared at it. "Is that Al's?"
"It's just his hand... Maybe Al and Kaley didn't get swallowed... That's means they're safe." I whispered with a smile at the end.
"Al's probably freaking out wondering where we are now." Ed muttered looking at the armor. "I wish there was a way we could contact him." Then in matter of seconds Ed waved the hand in the air screaming like a manic. Half of those words I didn't even understand. The only thing I caught him say was "ELRIC BROTHER TELEPATHY!"
"Good luck with that!" Ling and Hate sighed now walking off.
I sweat-dropped and looked down. 'How I managed to fall for him, is beyond me.'
Later
Well, after that scene we decided to wonder around to see if there was any hope in escape. So far nothing of the sort. All of the things Gluttony swallowed was acient. Many things from different time periods. It was amazing yet scary. "This place is like a waste land of buildings and human remains. They're all from different time periods." Ed pointed out.
"I'm starting to wonder if there's even a way out of here." Ling replied.
"If not?" I edged.
"I'll make a way out!" Ed answered raising his automail fist.
"Oh you will?" Hate grunted with disbelief. "How do you plan on doing that?"
Ed then stopped and transmuted a well in front of us. I looked down into the dark abyss and turned to Ed. "What now?"
Ed turned to Ling. "Now drop the torch."
"Oh I get it now." Ling sighed before dropping one of the ways of light into the never ending darkness. "Here it goes."
We put our ears near the well hoping to hear the torch land but nothing. Dead. Silence. This made me worry. Hate let out a whimper. "We should have heard it land by now, right?"
Ling, Ed, and Hate then started to run around now screaming for a wall. "A WALL! THERE HAS TO BE A WALL!" Ling screamed as he ran.
"There has to be!" Ed added.
"Spit us out Gluttony before I freaking kill your due to the bad stomach ache!" Hate shrieked in anger and frustration.
I sighed and looked down. Shuffling behind them I shook my head. "There isn't a way out is there?"
Nobody's POV
The girl that saved Scar before returned to her camp with a look of defeat Her name was May Chang and she couldn't find her Panda. Her panda's name was Shou May. They did everything together but now they were separated "I still haven't found her yet..." She sighed now slumping down nearby the fire. "Where is she? It isn't like her to disappear like this..."
"Maybe she got eaten by a stray dog or something." Yoki answered poking at the fire.
"Eaten?" She whimpered before bursting into a fit of tears. Doing this made the fire go out.
Yoki screamed. "I was joking!"
As the man tried to get the fire in the tin back up she started to explain. "She's not a cat, she's actually a Panda. She got a disease when she was a baby that kept her from growing all the way. I nursed her back to health after her mother abandoned her. Since then... She's been almost like a sister to me. My family, the Chang clan, is one of the lowest houses out of the fifty that make up the Xing empire. We have little to no power at all. Maybe that's why I was drawn to her. She looked so helpless and weak so I couldn't help but take her in." As she spoke she remembered when they met. It was stormy and the tiny panda was in the middle of the road with a saddened look. She reached down to touch the panda only to get bitten by her. She screamed and danced at the pain. "But at the time... I guess I toke pity on her more than anything. But that changed and she became a part of my family. We've been through so much together. She's always been with me. I feel so alone without her here now." She then snapped back into her reality. "I don't think I could have gone through everything I have, with Shou May by my side. I know for a fact that I couldn't have made it across the desert without her."
"Sure." Yoki sighed. "But that was a pointless endeavor anyway. Why would you risk your life for something as preposterous like immortality?"
"Because it's the last hope that my clan has. If I don't return without it, it's almost certain my clan will perish." She explained now clenching her skirt. "That's why I risked crossing the desert... With Shou May..." She then burst into tears.
Yoki the grabbed the tin box that held the fire and held it up so it wouldn't go out again. "Come on! Cut it out! You'll drown us all!" He then felt the burning pain from touching the box which made his hands go red in pain. He yelled in pain and dropped the box. The burning box then landed on the back of his head. He then tossed the box off his head and held the burn in pain. Scar then stood and walked in front of them. Realizing this Yoki looked up. "Sir?"
"We've got some time before the sun comes up." Scar muttered at May. "There won't be many guards patrolling the streets." He then raised his hood to hide his face.
"You mean your going to help me try to find her?" May questioned wiping her eyes. "He's a good person."
Yoki then turned to May with a serious look. "His people were wiped out during the civil war a few years ago." May turned back to Yoki."That's right. He know a thing or two about lost."
"What's the hold up?" Scar boomed as he stopped in the moonlight. "You coming or not?"
May beamed and ran for him with giggles. "Yeah! Let's go!"
Athena's POV
We trudged through the sea of blood now completely lost. We were tired, by my guess hungry, and sick of walking. "This is really starting to get old." Hate panted. "Blood doesn't make good terrain."
"I noticed... And we're not any closer to an exit." Ed sighed tiredly.
"I'm starving." Ling whined.
"Your always hungry Ling." I answered tiredly. "I guess as soon we're out of here, we'll let you order anything from room service, and you can eat as much as you want. Then sleep as long as you like." When I finished I heard a splash of blood nearby. I turned around and saw Ling collapsed. "Hey Ling, you okay?"
"I can't make it." Ling wheezed.
"Don't tell me... Your giving up so soon?" Ed growled.
"Your pathetic!" Hate hissed. "You can collapse on the street for all I care but here?! Get your lazy butt up! Stop being so weak!"
"Just go..." Ling ordered tiredly.
Hate scoffed. "Spineless jellyfish!"
"Fine!" Ed answered with annoyance. "Give up and die all you want! But your not dragging us down!" He then started to trudge off with Hate. He stopped and turned back to us. The only reason way I stayed put was because knowing Ed he'll probably come back. "I'm seriously leaving you here!" He walked a few steps before doing the same thing again. "I'm not messing around Ling!" He then walked with Hate.
I sighed and counted down. "In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." When I hit one Ed grabbed Hate and dragged her back to help Ling. Hate being Hate complained the whole way. Ling was now on Ed's shoulders while I held both of their torches.
"I thought you were going to leave me behind." Ling sighed.
"Honestly there would be a lot of people we'd be letting down if we died here. I'm sure you have people you'd be letting down too." I answered helping Ed lift Ling. Ed then tripped over Hate's leg which made them fall back into the blood.
"Hey watch where your going!" Hate scolded Ed.
"It's not my fault I'm tired!" Ed barked.
I looked down and sighed. Obviously we need a break. I put a torch in my mouth and grabbed all three of them. I know I shouldn't push myself but if I don't get us some where to get some rest I will shoot myself. I then dragged them to the chunk of land and set them on there. We were panting and wheezing for air with our bodies against the ground. "So hungry." Ling breathed out. "I wish we could find some thing to eat."
"Well actually." Ed replied now sitting up and taking off his shoe. He then poured the blood out of the shoe and showed it off to us. "You know... Leather goods are edible. We've got a meal."
Hate and I blinked. "Really?" We both squeaked in disbelief. I may be hungry but I'm not eating a shoe, let alone a used one! I don't care if the foot is metal it's been used! I sound prissy right now but I'm straight forward on not eating a shoe! Ed then started to boil the shoe and after a while he cut off a few pieces of it and handing the meal to us.
"That should do it! Here ya' go." Ed replied.
Hate dug straight which shocked me. Ling and I stared at the shoe with an unexplained look. "You don't have athlete's foot, do you?" Ling questioned turning to Ed. Hate and I slapped our foreheads in his major stupidity.
Ed then got angry at the question. "MY FOOT IS MADE OF METAL, YOU IDIOT!" Ed yelled pointing at his automail foot. As Ling started to eat and Ed got his own bowl I poked at the 'food'. "Come on Athena, you have to if you want to keep your strength up."
"A shoe..." I sighed in annoyance. "I really don't think I want to eat this."
"And why not?" Ed questioned.
"It's used." I grunted in the most obvious tone ever.
"So your not gonna eat?" Ed asked.
"Nope! I'll be fine!" I answered crossing my arms over my chest with a look of determination. But that look was shot down by my stomach growling. I was hungry... But I didn't want to eat a shoe at all. Then again, right now isn't the time to be stubborn. You have to do what ever to survive. I growled and grabbed the bowl. "You know you owe me big time for this." As soon as I toke a bite my mouth was filled with the most bitter taste ever. I had the most powerful urge to spit this thing called a meal out of my mouth and disinfect it. The only way for me to actually swallow it was to mentally kick myself to force it down my throat. After we all finished we laid down practically satisfied at the filling of our stomachs.
"Aww man, that shoe filled me up!" Ed sighed happily.
I shivered a little. "I... Ate a used shoe..."
"Come on Athena, at least your not hungry now." Ed replied now pulling me to him.
I smirked and leaned into his chest. "Yeah, yeah."
Hate groaned and turned away. "Please... Can you two get room? Don't be lovey dovey around me."
"I'm sorry, guys." Ling sighed.
"Huh? Why are you sorry?" I asked.
"It's all my fault that we're here.." Ling answered.
"It is not. Besides, this place is a joke compared to what my teachers put me through. It just sucks that we have no idea where this place is. But that's alright. As long as we've got our health, we can find an exit out of here." Ed stated as we then sat up.
"You're sure optimistic..." Ling sighed.
"Not really, I'm just stubborn. And if I even think about giving up, I have Al's iron fist to look forward to." Ed muttered.
"And you have me to deal with too!" I added punching his arm lightly. Hate then got an intense look on her face and looked around. She then stood and glared in the distance. "Hey what's wrong Hate?" I questioned looking up to her.
"There's something out there..." She growled lowly now turning her head. "Is that you Envy!?"
The right on cue Envy walked out of the shadows with a normal expression. "I thought so. I should have known it was you guys." He grunted emotionless.
"Hello Palm Tree reject." She sighed turning her head away from him.
Ed then jumped up with a plea. "Please show me the way out of here!"
We all turned to the boy is shock and disbelief. "You're just going to start begging the enemy for help like that?!" Ling asked in a yell.
"If it means surviving, I'll be his best friend...!" Ed argued.
"No! I'd rather die than work with that thing!" Hate hissed pointing at Envy.
"It doesn't matter because there is no exit." Envy grunted which made us all turn to him in shock. All this work for a hope that would never come. "You've really gotten us into a fine mess... I can't believe you got me swallowed with you."
"Swallowed... So we really are in Gluttony's stomach?" Hate recalled.
"Well, yes and no. See, It's a lot more complicated than that. Just ask the pip-" Envy stopped mid-sentence at Ed's face in anger. "I mean the alchemists... They've should've realized what this place is."
I put my finger to my chin in thought. "Well, when we did get swallowed... That feeling... It was too familiar."
"So you do remember it then?" Envy asked with a hard tone. "This isn't the first time you've been through this."
I toke a step back and my eyes went wide. No way. No! I could remember the circle's light behind me, the eye when I saw the gate, and the eye in Gluttony's stomach. "The Portal..." I squeaked.
"The portal of Truth! But, it wasn't pitch black and filled with a sea of blood... It was more like... like an entirely white void." Ed answered.
"Oh yeah?" Envy asked. "So that's what the real one looks like."
"The real one?" Hate muttered confused.
"Gluttony is a failed experiment by our Father to create his own Portal of Truth." Envy explained. I toke another step back. This can't be happening! "Despite how powerful our Father is, he still couldn't create one... We're trapped inside a defective Portal of Truth. It exists somewhere in between reality and truth."
"In between?" I gasped in fear.
"And I can assure you that there is no way out of here... The only option we've got is to sit here while until our strength runs out... And that's it. All we can do is wait here to die." Envy stated.
I felt like I was hit by a thousand bricks all at once. Every shocking moment hit me like a glass vase hitting solid concrete. A loud crash with deviating result. "No..."
"Don't think I'm falling for any of that crap! I know you're lying to us Envy! You're lying! Aren't you?" Ed growled.
"You lying so you can kill us yourself!" Hate accused pointing at Envy.
"So there really isn't a way out? We're going to die here?" Ling gasped in wide eyed shock and horror.
I shook my head and dropped down to my knees. "No... We can't... We made promises! To Al! He needs us to get his body back! What's he gonna do if we're gone? What Kaley gonna do? What's Winry and my brother going to do!?" I asked shutting my eyes tightly.
"I wanna know who your Father is... Who would try to create their own portal...?! It's Fuhrer Bradley, isn't it?!" Ed demanded in a low voice.
"What? Are you serious? Ha! Nice try, but King Bradley is nothing more than a Homunculus." Envy scoffed.
Hate nodded and looked down. "Told you so." Ling countered to us.
"Wait a minute..." I trailed off. "The Fifth Laboratory... Human lives sacrificed to make Philosopher's Stones... Homunculi... And if the Fuhrer is on your side, then you must be the ones behind Ishval."
"Oh Ishval!" Envy beamed with laughter. "I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable job than that! You remember the incident that started the war, right?"
"I had always heard it was because a military officer accidentally shot an Ishvalan child." Ed answered.
"Yep! And the one that proudly pulled the trigger was none other than yours truly!" Envy boasted making our eyes go wide. I little gasp escaped my lips which I covered with my automail hand. I was then filled with grieve All this... Everything it was his fault. No... My blood then boiled into anger which made me stand and start to slowly walk to him. My pace was deathly slow. "I ravaged their entire country with a single bullet! I mean, talk about invigorating! Oh, and the best part? The officer that I pretended to be? He was actually a moderate who had always publicly opposed the military's occupation in Ishval. And listen to this! The poor fool couldn't come up with a plausible defense and they court-martialed him! You know I don't think I'll ever get over how easily manipulated humans are."
"So you did it..." I gritted past my teeth. "You killed that child... You drove out the Ishvallens... You destroyed Ed's hometown... You turned Scar into a murderer... Your the reason Winry's parents were killed... Your the reason my Dad left and is now a monster... And your the reason my MOTHER IS DEAD!" I screamed stopping in front of him. "You... And your now laughing at it like it's nothing! Everything... Everything you toke away... Everything you caused... GIVE THEM BACK!" I then raised my real hand and punched him as hard as I could. But that move had no effect. My hand burnt with a pain as soon as my hand connected with his jaw. I had to bite my lip to stop the tears of anger, pain, and sadness from coming out of my eyes.
"Okay then... If that's how you want it." Envy growled with a dark tone. Red sparks then danced around him which made my eyes go wide.
"Athena!" Ed then pulled me away from Envy.
Envy stood tall with a dark as midnight stare. "I gonna show you four something neat before we die! Consider it a parting gift!" His form started to change as he spoke. It was dark green with black hair and a complete inhuman form.
"Did you notice his footprints?" Ling asked. "Back when we were all fighting in the forest?"
"No, your point?" Hate questioned in a snarl.
"Just that he's freakishly heavy for the size of his body... He might be a bit bigger than he looks." Ling answered. When the form was finished it was a beast that probably 50 feet tall with human faces all over. I gulped and toke a step back. He growled and stomped his feet on the sea sending waves on us. I pushed away from Ed and Hate quicker than I could think. I then used a bolder as my landing spot. I winced and held the hand I punched Envy with. I think I broke my hand. Well damn. "How can that be a Homunculus? They're supposed to be artificial humans, right?!"
Kaley's POV
I awoke when I head a bird chirping nearby and there was peaking at my legs. I stirred and opened my eyes. There was a bird prancing to my seed bombs peeking at the surface. I gave the bird a tiny smile before grabbing the seed and cutting the transmutation circle off. "Here you go." I whispered now handing the seed to the bird. It started to peek at the seeds and fluttered away. As I watched it go it was then shot down. I gasped and turned to Ultimate who caught the bird. I shot a glare at him. "Could you not be a total ass hole?"
"I'm catching you breakfast." Ultimate scoffed in a low tone.
I then turned away from him and looked down. "I'm not hungry. Just give me the bird so I can heal him."
He scoffed and tossed the bird to me. "Whatever you say sweetie." I rolled my eyes and focused on my work.
Gluttony walked over and inspected us carefully. I could feel the Panda that Al found hide behind me making me tap on her head softly. "It's okay..." I cooed lightly.
"What do I do?" Gluttony asked.
Al and I were silent. We didn't know what he should do. Ultimate didn't even know. "I have no idea..." Al answered softly.
"I'm scared... I don't want Father to be mad at me." Gluttony whined.
Al looked up to him. "What did you say? You have a Father?" Gluttony and Ultimate nodded at Al's question. "Is he the one who made the Homunculi?"
"He made us." Ultimate answered in a hard tone.
Al then stood and touched Gluttony's stomach a bit. After that he started to hit his helmet lightly. "Gluttony, Ultimate. Will you take us with you? Will you take us to see your Father?"
Gluttony looked at him for a while and turned to Ultimate. "Yeah, sure. He'd probably be happy considering your a sacrifice." He stated turning to Al. His gaze then went to me. "As for you. HA! Your screwed."
Sam's POV
"Lieutenant Hawkeye! Lieutenant Mustang!" I heard a voice call. I blinked and turned my head. My gaze then met with Kain who was running for us. He had a worried look as he stopped in front of us. This concerned me.
"What's wrong Sergeant?" I asked softly.
"I got a letter from the personnel bureau. And well, I'm being transferred to the Southern Command Center." Kain explained.
Riza and I gasped. "They transferred you?"
Kain nodded and continued. "And I'm not the only one, Warrant Officer Falman is being transferred to the Northern Command Center, and Second Lieutenant Breda is being sent to the Western Command Center."
I looked down with a grunt. This shouldn't happen! Why is it though? Is Riza gonna be next? Will I be next? What about my brother? I need to work with him! Two men then walking into my sights. One of them held two envelopes. Oh no. I was going away too! "Lieutenant Hawkeye? Lieutenant Mustang?" One of them asked.
"Yes sir?" I asked. "Who might you be?"
"I'm Yakovlev, from Personnel." One man answered. "We need you two to take these." He then handed us the papers.
"Are we being transferred?" Hawkeye asked in a hard unchanging tone.
"That's correct." He answered.
I quickly toke the paper and tore the papers out. What I saw in there shocked me. My blood went cold and everything around me seemed to freeze. "Are you sure these are my orders!?"
"Where are they sending you?" Kain asked.
"First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye is to report for duty... At Central Command Center..." Riza read off. Kain sighed in relief.
"As personal assistant to Fuhrer Bradley." We both finished.
Athena's POV
Many of the faces barked orders. Demands. As if I was their slave. The sight was awful. Lifeless faces with no color but green. This is anything but good! Envy then swung his tail at Ling which he dodged with ease. But that didn't last long. Envy then attacked at Ling in a painful looking way. He then threw Ling to Hate. He landed on top of her which made her go into one of her curse fests. "LING!" Ed and I called out. Envy's tail slammed against my chest which made a loud crack echo into the room. Ed was then slammed next to me and we were flung away. I rose my head from the blood and growled.
"Is that how you want it?" I scoffed.
Ling and Hate then landed near us. "Can you make us a weapon?" Hate asked turning to us. "I don't think I could turn him into stone, even if I was his size."
I nodded. "Of course."
Ed and I clapped our hands. "With this ocean of blood," We then set our hands on the sea of blood. "there's plenty of iron to work with!" Two swords rose from the surface which looked identical. A sleek sword with a skull on it's handle.
Hate and Ling grabbed the swords quickly. "You two got the tackiest sense of taste." Ling snickered.
"Hey, come on." I sighed as Ed and I transmuted out automail blade. "I think it looks pretty cool myself."
"Can we take him?" Ed questioned as we all turned our gaze to Envy.
"Doubt it!" Hate yelled.
"He is a giant monster. And then on top of that, I'm pretty sure he broke two of my ribs." Ling added patting his chest.
I felt a part of my chest and winced. Yeah, I broke some ribs. I'm sure of it. No wonder it got a little harder to breathe. "Yeah, I'm pretty beat up myself. But that's beside the point... All that matters now is filling him with some pain!" Ed growled.
Kaley's POV
I stared at the sight in front of us. They have to be going in the wrong direction! They have to! "Hey guys! Are you sure we're going the right way?" I asked.
Gluttony and Ultimate turned to us with a nod. "Yep!" Ultimate answered.
"This can't be... Your Father is living in Central!" Al gasped.
Let it out- Miho Fukuhara
Chapter 26- Reuinon