Author's Note: 'shivers' Climaxing insanely... god, and I've had to watch these episodes over and over again to write this properly... enjoy! I've worked pretty darn hard on this! Oh, LET ME HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO FIT THE MOVIE INTO THE STORY!!!

JuniperScaymoore: T-T You know what happens in the very end of the series right? I'm having lots of trouble trying to plan up to then... and Saya's reaction to the moment...

YourFavouritePlushie: Yeah... well, technically, they're mother and daughter. Vanity's a bit taller though, teehee. X3 Some EdxSaya to come...

Diminia (anon): Avar needs to get a new mind... think you can buy him one off of Ebay? They have everything there, or so I've heard...

TheCrazyScotswomanOfDOOM: Okay, I'm getting in my mind a picture of a little fat red man with horns dancing around waving a pitchfork and cackling madly... would this be your demon? Hmm, use Saya? Sure that's fine with me. D'ya mind citing this story when you do that though?

kyoskitten14: - Not quite, I left that part to Rose (grrr...) But still, there's EdxSaya-ness to come! Have I mentioned how $#&! hard it is to fit romance into Ed's life in the series?! 'spazz spazz'

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

Chapter Fifty-Two: A Voice in the Dark

Ed stared at the hundreds of rough gravestones that covered a field at the edge of the city. Saya stood behind him, no expression on her face. The setting sun accented the lines under her eyes, casting grey shadows.

"The army has invaded this city, which had been chaotic since the Father's disappearance. They tried to rule the city with martial law and attacked the civilians," Scar said. "Aren't you the one who ignited the fuse to this situation by ousting the Father?"

Ed fell to his hands and knees. My fault…

"In terms of race, Lior is abnormally close to Ishbal. It seems that Central's bastards don't see Lior's population as humanity."

"That can't be!" Ed growled, clenching his hands.

"I'll complete the Philosopher's Stone. Everything is for this nation that is suffering under the oppression!" Scar turned and walked back to the city.

Ed stood slowly. "Wait… wait!"

The baby in Rose's arms cried. Rose rocked the baby gently as both she and Lyra watched Ed and Saya.

Something rolled down Ed's cheek. Confused, he touched it, and realized tears were running out of his eyes. He clenched his teeth and bent his head, hiding his face. Saya put a hand on his shoulder. "We couldn't have known," she whispered. "We did what we thought was right."

"That's no excuse for this," Ed replied, his voice trembling.

"Well you could at least give me credit for trying," Saya said. Ed looked at her; her blue eyes were dark, reflecting his pain. She smiled sadly at him. "The military isn't all bad, but it's not all good either."

"So you're saying we should let them all be killed?"

"No. What I'm saying is that there's some good that's worth protecting, even if it's just a little."

Ed was silent.


Al sat on the ground wordlessly as Martel's body was gently taken out of him and covered with a cloth. Mustang's group surrounded him encouragingly.

Havoc sighed. "She looked more perfected than the ones Tucker created." He glared at Armstrong. "Which means she's a remnant of the 5th Laboratory."

Hawkeye stepped forward. "This means that both you and Colonel Archer were aware of this, right Major? Why didn't you inform us?!"

Armstrong didn't answer.

Havoc's eyes darkened. "What on earth are you guys hiding? Enough with the crap-"

"Stop it!" Al shouted suddenly.

Everyone stared at him.

Al bent his head. "Major Armstrong has nothing to do with this. I was the one covering for Martel-san."

Fury blinked. "What are you saying, Alphonse-kun?"

"There's one thing I understand now… I can't say anything about it at the moment, but…" Al looked up. "Please, don't fight with each other."

As his subordinates shifted uneasily, Mustang sighed. "Major, I know that you are accomplishing Hughes' will."

Armstrong looked at Mustang, confused.

Mustang started to head out of the courtyard. "I should only aim for the top, without knowing anything. He would have investigated the dark side of the matters himself… am I right?"

Everyone stiffened.

Armstrong bent his head. "I'm sorry… as of now, I can't…"

Mustang tapped Armstrong encouragingly on the chest, then tapped Al's head as he left the courtyard.


Ed and Saya watched the gathering in the ragged town square under armed guard, their hands manacled.

"The army is asking for a justified reason to attack us," Scar proclaimed, his voice projecting clearly over the cheers of the crowd. Rose stood quietly beside him. "In the end, Lior will appear as having opposed the army and attacking first, which means it won't matter to them if they commit another genocide!"

Scar paused and nodded at Rose, who nodded back. She put her hand into Scar's, showing the people that this man had the Holy Mother's blessing.

"Lure the army in without resisting!" Scar said. "Then God's wrath shall fall upon them!" To demonstrate, he made a rock disappear into dust in a flash of red light. The crowd, spurred by this miracle, cheered and roared their agreement.

"Lure them into the city!"

"God's Anger will destroy them all!"

"Holy Mother!"

Ed scowled. "Making a disabled woman into a Holy Mother is really twisted," he muttered.

"Rose-san has given us courage!" one of the guards snapped. "She said we could move with our own power, without Leto or the military!"

"To do what? Obey someone? That's exactly the same thing!" Saya snapped back.

The guards tensed, but Lyra came in and raised a hand to silence them. They nodded, then left.

"It can't be helped," she informed them. "Because we, as humans, are weak."

Ed's scowl deepened, before a faint look of surprise came over his face. "Lyra, is this perfume?"

Lyra smiled. "Yes. I haven't had time to take a bath yet, you see…"

Ed frowned. "This scent… I hate it."

Saya winced, but the remark seemed to have no affect on Lyra. "More importantly, what are you both going to do now?"

"Isn't it obvious? How could I let Scar have his way?" Ed said tightly.

"You're right," Lyra said. "If this continues, there will be casualties and victims. Using the invading army as ingredients to transmute the Philosopher's Stone… if this fails..."

Saya looked at Lyra strangely. "Hey… you were the one who was sucking up to Scar earlier."

"We have the same wish of protecting this city."

Ed looked at the darkening sky for a moment, thinking hard.

"So you're saying we should let them all be killed?"

"No. What I'm saying is that there's some good that's worth protecting."

"Lyra, I have a favor to ask," he said. "I want you to listen to me no matter what."

Saya glanced at him, then grinned when she heard what he was thinking.


Al knocked on the door to Mustang's office. "It's Alphonse," he called. Breda opened the door and pulled him inside in a flash. "Wha-"

There was a sleeping child with dark skin on an armchair. "Huh? Who's this?" Al asked.

"He's from Lior. He came with a letter from Ed and Saya."

Al looked up. "So they're safe?"

Hawkeye nodded as she scanned the letter. "Yes… Scar has been making a transmutation circle throughout all of Lior… and they say clearly that we were not to enter the city, no matter what."

There was a small comic strip drawn on it, showing Mustang's group heading to Lior. In the next panel, there was a big sign saying DO NOT CROSS. In the next panel, Mustang's group had evidently crossed the DO NOT CROSS sign into Lior, where an angry Saya armed with a sledgehammer and a stack of cannonballs awaited them. The next panel was nothing short of an explosion, and in the center were the scrawled words 'the content in this panel has been censored for its violent content'. The last panel showed Saya making a V with her fingers and smiling triumphantly as she sat on top of a heap of Mustang's group, all of whom were burned and had spirals in their eyes.

Mustang sweatdropped as he looked at it. "Dear me, I wonder who drew that…" he said sarcastically.

Falman, Breda, Havoc, Fury, and Hawkeye all chuckled.

Al looked at the floor. "Could Scar mean to create the Philosopher's Stone by using the invading army as ingredients…"

Mustang and Hawkeye looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

Al sighed. "The components required for the Philosopher's Stone… are living human beings. And an incredible number of them."

There was a dead silence in the room. It was broken by Breda's chair falling backwards with a loud thunk as he twitched.

Havoc's cigarette fell out of his mouth. "This… can't…"

Falman frowned. "So this was the secret behind the 5th Laboratory…"

Fury just stared.

Hawkeye gasped. "Then… the military's brass performed human transmutation experiments?!"

Mustang looked at Al. "Al, go back to Lior with that kid. If you do, you'll surely meet up with Ed and Saya."

"Yes, but-"

"If we don't act against them, Lior will soon surrender. It will be enough if we are able to capture Scar."

"Understood." Al stood to leave.

Hawkeye stood. "Al-kun…" She took the silver pocketwatch out of her pocket and handed it to Al. "This is Ed-kun's. The Major asked me to return it to him."

Al stared at the watch for a moment, then nodded. They woke up the child, gave him some food, then both he and Al left for Lior.


An explosion drove people screaming and running for their lives away from the State Alchemist who had invaded their town. Kimbley laughed madly, driving them towards the chimeras.

The chimeras glared at the people, who had stopped to stare at them in horror. "Fools who oppose the military," one growled. "Let's kill them!"

Scar stared at the men who had run to report this.

"Talking animals you say?" one of the men said, skeptical. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Scar scowled. "Chimeras. So they are…"

"What's more, there's a man who makes you go boom simply by touching you," one man panted.

Scar's scowl deepened. "Him…" he growled, before addressing the group. "They are only a diversion. You can be sure that the bulk of the army will come and attack afterwards. We will proceed as planned; we will have them invade the city without us resisting. But before that, you must leave through the secret passage."

Rose made a sudden movement. Scar glanced at her. "I shall divert the enemy's attention and take care of them." He walked over to Ed and Saya and undid their manacles. "You two have the duty of letting them escape safely."

Ed rubbed his wrist. "Right."

Scar left.

"Let's go, Rose, Lyra," Ed said, standing up. Saya stood with him.

"You seem to give in easily," Lyra commented.

"If the letter reached its destination, the army won't come," Saya said shortly. "If that guy doesn't have the ingredients, he can't make the Philosopher's Stone. Nothing will happen. All we can let you guys do is let you flee to where the military can't touch you."

Ed looked away. "Lior will be put under martial law," he said softly. "This was my idea. If you need to hate someone, hate me. I can't oppose the decisions of the military."

Rose gasped softly, then bent her head, slowly rocking her baby.


"Please look!" Archer proclaimed, gesturing out the window. "The entire army is composed of 7000 soldiers who have been assembled here! We can crush Lior at any moment."

"Don't be impatient," the Fuhrer reprimanded, sipping his tea. "We shall delay the assault."

"What?"

"According to a letter that Colonel Mustang received, the Fullmetal Alchemist is alive and well."

Mustang didn't let his surprise show on his face.

"We might still be able to compromise peace with Lior."

"It's too late for that to be possible!" Archer argued.

Armstrong cleared his throat. "Yet, we cannot allow ourselves to launch an attack without a just reason."

Archer's face darkened.


"Why do we have to leave the city?" one of the men groaned as the people of Lior filed through the secret passageway. "Let's fight!"

"We can't! This is the will of the Holy Mother!"

Lyra, Rose, Saya, and Ed followed at the back of the train. After a while, Lyra spoke. "Rose, if we escape and Scar doesn't catch up with us, what will we do? If we don't have the Philosopher's Stone, we won't be able to fight."

"Stop it Lyra," Ed snapped. "I'll do something a bout the military."

"I can't trust you on that. We should run away as soon as we can. After this, many cities will wonder what happened in Lior and in Ishbal long ago, and learn of the army's activities."

"There's not going to be any gossip about this. They'll only remember how some city that tried to create the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed."

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when a wave of water crashed over a bridge in the tunnel. That wasn't too unusual… but when the water bulged and trapped some people inside of it, others screamed and ran.

Saya immediately ran forward. Ed paused. "Rose, Lyra, you two get out of here!"

They obeyed.

Suddenly a small dark figure appeared in the water. "I've been waiting for you, Edward Elric," Wrath said. "Now, give me the rest of your body."

Ed froze. "You're Sensei's…"

"I'm Wrath!" He bent down and transmuted a rock into his arm, turning it into a knife. "Call me Wrath!" he yelled as he charged.

Ed had no time to do anything. He could only dodge the swings of that rock… then suddenly he found himself pinned against the wall. Wrath smiled in triumph and raised his arm…

The cry of a baby pierced the air. Wrath froze. He slowly stood. "Shut up…" He suddenly charged towards Rose. "Make him shut up!!"

"Rose!" Saya clapped her hands and made a gigantic stone column crush Wrath and stop his progress. "Get out of here! You were just used by Scar, you don't have to die!!"

Rose hesitated.

"NOW!!" Saya roared.

She fled, as Wrath dealchemized the stone column crushing the life out of him. Saya looked around at where the washout had occurred and scowled. She walked forward, knowing Ed could handle Wrath, and stood on the bridge. Water didn't just make a wave without some driving force to push it…

Ed transmuted a spear out of the wall and pointed it at Wrath. "I know your weak point. Greed told me, you guys are paralyzed when you touch anything related to your former bodies. You're just fakes, so when you see the real one, you cower in fear."

Wrath grinned. "Heh, is that so? That means I don't have a weak point. This is my own body, resulting from miscarriage, that was used as a basis for the transmutation."

Ed scowled. Wrath looked at the floor. "My real body is nowhere… if there had to be one, it would be YOUR body!" he yelled.

Ed was about to reply when soft footsteps suddenly made him whirl around. The Fuhrer's secretary stood there, Saya nowhere in sight. He narrowed his eyes. "You're…"

Sloth smiled. "Edward…"

Ed's eyes widened, and he fell backwards.

"Why… couldn't you make me right?" Sloth's body disappeared, water filling and floating in the air.

Ed screamed in horror and shock. It echoed down the hall to where Rose was. The baby in her arms started crying, and she looked back. "E…d…"

As Ed sat paralyzed, Wrath picked up the fallen spear. "Give it back… give my body back!" he roared, lunging towards Ed, who made no move to block it…

The baby's cry froze him again. He whirled and faced Rose. "Shut up… stop… make him shut up!" he whispered, taking slow deliberate steps towards her.

Rose flinched, then her face hardened as she met his eyes squarely. Then her eyes fell on Ed. "St…and… and… walk!" she whispered, forcing the words out of her throat.

Ed gasped.

"Move… forward!" Rose said, her voice growing stronger with each syllable.

Ed whirled.

Wrath lunged with the spear going straight towards the baby. "SHUT UP!"

"ED!" Rose screamed.


Kimbley looked at the streets around him. "Can you only run? The people of Ishbal, with the same skin color, put up more of a fight!" he laughed as people screamed and continued to flee from the sight of him.

There was a huge explosion, and the noise suddenly died. Kimbley made a face. "Looks like I've miscalculated… I thought with this much, they would come and fight back, didn't I kill enough yet?"

The chimeras around him suddenly charged at a man coming down the street towards them. Red light flared again, and again, turning each one into nothing but a pool of blood. Scar stepped forward, hate etched deeply onto his face. "So it was you, Crimson Alchemist!"

Kimbley blinked. "You are… oh yes, I remember! That scar… it's my masterpiece. Didn't I blow off your right arm though…?"

Scar pulled back his sleeve, showing him. "You shall be the last State Alchemist I kill!" he yelled, charging.

Kimbley raised his ring, with a fake Philosopher's Stone on it, and sent an explosion Scar's way. Scar dodged and reached for Kimbley's face, but suddenly the tattoos on his right arm glowed a bright red. He bent over in pain as the red stone was absorbed into his arm.

Kimbley stared. "That right arm… I see, it's the same thing from back then, that mark!"

Scar's eyes were furious. "No matter how much, I'll take all of it in me! That cursed red light!!"

"Is this okay with you?" Kimbley grinned. "The army might be moving while you're trying to have your revenge on me!"

"I shall have you feel my brother's hatred!"

Kimbley sighed. "How foolish…"

"Then what do you have?" Scar demanded.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?! Then, you destroyed the people of Ishbal for nothing?!"

Kimbley shrugged. "To me, if you modify humans just a little bit they become bombs. Humans aren't that great, like you and I. They're quite pointless. They're empty."

"I might be empty, but I'm not pointless."

Suddenly, Kimbley found himself imprisoned in a large stone hand. Al stood up from where he had concealed himself in the rubble.

Kimbley raised an eyebrow, unperturbed. "Didn't I tell you, Alphonse Elric? I'm also, like your brother, a State Alchemist."

"You're only a murderer!" Al spat. "Scar-san, please stop! Where is Nii-san?"

"Move, Alphonse Elric!" Scar snapped.

Al didn't move. "There have been enough murders… can't you put this to an end, Scar-san?"

Suddenly the stone hand exploded. Kimbley jumped out of the dust cloud and grabbed Scar's left arm. White light flared, then Kimbley cackled. "I finally did it! Your arm was magnificently transmuted, I'll admit, but can you hear it? The countdown to your death! By simple contact with the atmosphere's oxygen, soon, your arm will-"

Scar grabbed his own arm. Red light flared, and the arm fell to the ground and exploded. "Look closely and see if I'm empty or not!" Scar dared as his blood was pumped out of him with every heartbeat. "This is what a real human is!"

Kimbley ran, but Scar reached him first. Blood gushed out of Kimbley's chest, and he fell.

Scar looked disgustedly on the body before he turned away. "Alphonse Elric, go to where your brother is," he said flatly. "I shall do what you guys cannot-"

Suddenly Kimbley reached into Al's waist and pulled out the silver clock, throwing it at Scar. Red stone popped out of the clock and both the clock and the stone were absorbed into Scar's arm as he yelled in pain.

Kimbley grabbed Al's leg. "I promised you, didn't I? That I'd make you explode…"

Al gasped.

Scar looked up. "Alphonse!" he choked.

Kimbley put his face against Al's leg, and a look of bliss came over his face. "What a nice feeling… you shall become a splendid bomb," he whispered as white light flared.

Al stared as black material started creeping up his legs, the difference accented by the rising sun. "What the… my body is…"

Scar grabbed Kimbley's collar. "You bastard!"

Kimbley just laughed. "I'll tell you one thing… my specialty is bombs… ask someone else to reverse the process…" Blood gushed out of his mouth. "It's okay… there's still time… because I made the oxygen-absorption process really… slow… I can't wait 'till the moment you'll explode… bit by bit…"

Kimbley slumped, his eyes open and insane even in death. Scar dropped him in disgust.

Al started to tremble. "T… this can't be… my body is…" He stepped backwards, but his leg folded under him and he fell. The armor clanked against the pavestones. "Is this… It can't be…"


Ed broke out his paralysis, pouncing on Wrath and knocking him down before he could reach Rose. "Rose, go!" Ed ordered.

Rose quickly obeyed.

Ed grabbed Wrath's hands and retransmuted the spear to merge with the floor and hold Wrath's hands in place. "I'm not letting that arm do any more alchemy," he said bitterly as Wrath struggled.

"Could you stop, Edward?" Sloth asked kindly. She opened her arms. "Now, come."

Ed looked at her for a moment, undecided. He stood slowly and walked towards her. "It's been bugging me for a while… you look… too much like her. I told myself not to think about it… and I didn't. That day, we… created you."

Sloth attacked, stretching her arms out to engulf him in water.

Ed clapped his hands and froze the water. "Then you are… our sin!" He attacked her, succeeding in cutting her open, but only water flowed out.

Her body turned into purely water, and she reformed into her true form, the tattoo of Ouroboros clear on her shoulder.

Ed was about to attack when he realized something extremely important. "Saya… where is she?!"

Sloth looked amused. She unbuttoned her dress to reveal her chest, where Saya was floating in liquid suspension. Her face was tight and pinched as she struggled not to breathe. "This girl?"

Ed did not hesitate. He charged. "Let her go!"

Sloth simply stood to one side and let Ed charge past her. "Edward, I don't think this girl is good for you," she said, still smiling. "I don't think you should see her anymore."

Saya coughed, little bubbles rising from her mouth.

The sight of Saya drowning right in front of his eyes was too much… "STOP DAMN PRETENDING TO BE MY MOM AND LET HER GO!" Ed roared, clapping his hands together.

"What can you do to me that you won't do to her?" Sloth asked.

Ed charged, his arm transmuted into a knife. He slashed at Sloth. She stepped back, but not before he had plunged his other hand into her breast, grabbing Saya and pulling her out.

Saya gasped and coughed as Ed held her upright. "Bomb, you okay?"

Water gushed out of Saya's mouth before she had another coughing fit.

"Bomb, say something! Saya!"

Saya stood, still wheezing a little. "I'm… okay," she said. She grinned. "Jeez bean, what took you so long?"

Ed twitched. "Hey you…"

Saya laughed a little.

Ed's eyes darkened with fury as he looked at Sloth. "You…"

"Don't lay a hand on her!" Wrath screamed, breaking free of his bonds. Both Wrath and Sloth attacked from either side of the tunnel…

Ed transmuted large spikes to impale both of them. He tapped Saya's shoulder. "You okay?"

"Didn't I answer that already?" Saya shook the water out of her hair. "I heard everything… Rose's voice… and the Homunculus who caught me…"

"Yeah…" Ed didn't look at her. "That Homunculus…"

"It's been bothering me too," Saya admitted. "That one we saw in South Headquarters… if Homunculi are really the result of failed human transmutations, then…"

Ed smiled. "Let's go."

Next: It gives hope in times of dispair, victory in ages of warfare, and destruction to eras of peace. It is as red as the blood that flows through the veins of humans, and the core is as cold as ice... this is the Philosopher's Stone.