Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, this update took longer than usual! TT Anyways, enjoy!

Ifyouloveme2: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I am slowing down though, I used to update on a daily basis, but then school started again... phooey.

JuniperScaymoore: Aw... Well, the actual anime is pretty awesome too, or else I wouldn't have bothered to make a fanfic on it. Try watching it sometime!!

EdwardElricsFan4Ever: I didn't want Martel to die!!! ToT

Diminia: O.o Well, I suspected that. Ebay is the place to get crappy stuff either overpriced or ridiculously cheap. Maybe his mind was the latter.

kyyrin allorma part faerie: Yes... much DOOM follows this chapter, but not all of it related to the shiny rock. Oh, on Facebook like 6 of my friends listed me as the one most likely to be distracted by a shiny object... sorta funny and insulting at the same time.

kyoskitten14: I do try. There's some EdxSaya-ness in this chapter... GRAAAAH! This is HARD... T-T

Elen: Hey thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

Chapter Fifty-Three: Big Shiny Red Rock

They climbed over the spikes to where Rose was waiting. Without a word, the three of them started to walk away.

Lyra didn't move. "You're too weak," she said flatly. "Homunculi don't have just one life. You won't deal with them like that."

Ed didn't answer her. He grinned at Rose instead. "Isn't it great, Rose? Your voice… came out."

Rose blinked, then a slow smile spread over her face. "You're right… that's true…"

"Your voice and the voice of the baby… both saved me," Ed said, looking down.

Rose cuddled her baby lovingly.

Saya watched, her eyes a little sad. "We'd better go," she mumbled, walking away down the hall and not looking at any of them. "

Ed blinked. "Saya?"

She turned and smiled. "You guys aren't getting away any faster by staying here you know." Quickly, she walked away from them again, her eyes shadowed.

Rose looked between Ed and Saya. Understanding flashed across her face. "Go after her, Ed," she said.

"What?"

Rose smiled. "Hurry."

Ed stared at her for a moment before he scowled. Pointedly not looking at either Lyra or Rose, he ran. "H-hey, Bomb, wait up!"

Saya didn't look at him, but she slowed down, just a little bit.

Ed caught up. "Hey, what's wrong with you? Why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad," Saya said flatly.

"Yes you are. Come on, did I do something?"

Saya quickened her pace again. "Why don't you go spend some time with your dear Rose?" she snapped, quietly though, so the two behind couldn't hear. "I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Ed stared in astonishment. "You're… jeal-?"

He couldn't finish. Saya had punched him into the wall, hard. She looked at him defiantly, her blue eyes flashing as he groaned. "Ed, you idiot!" she said bitterly, before she left. "I'm going ahead into Lior." Charging up her automail, she ran down the hall, too fast for anyone to catch her.

Ed looked up, alarmed. "H-hey, wait! We don't know what Scar's planning! Don't do something stupid…" Saya was too far away to hear, or if she did, she gave no notice of it. "Damn that girl," he muttered.

Rose and Lyra caught up. Rose looked uncomfortable. "Sorry," she said, looking away. "Saya's mad at you because of me, right?"

Ed sighed. Why did girls have such damn good ears?! "Well…"

She smiled. "It's fine. Once you get a chance to talk to her properly, I'm sure it will all turn out fine."

Ed sighed again. "Sorry about that…"

Rose looked faintly annoyed. "I said it's fine. Saya really loves you. You do too, don't you?"

Ed turned a flaming red. "W-wha-"

Rose just smiled knowingly. "You should tell her, soon."

Steam poured out of Ed's ears. He stood up hurriedly and started marching down the hall. "We'd better hurry," he said loudly. He almost thought he liked it better when Rose couldn't talk… but he pushed the thought out of his mind quickly, disgusted at himself for thinking something like that.

Lyra huffed. "Foolishness," she muttered under her breath.


Archer paced Tucker's laboratory in the basement, agitated. "We haven't had any contact with Kimbley or your chimeras!" he barked.

"The Fuhrer is also acting with other orders," Tucker rasped.

Archer looked at the chimera's cage. "Does it really take that long only to FIND the Fullmetal Alchemist's body?! Is he fighting with Scar or enjoying destroying my plans…" He hit the metal bars. "I can't wait anymore!!"

The door opened. Mustang walked in. "So these are your quarters, Archer," he said icily. It sounded like he had heard Archer's rant. Hawkeye followed him, her gun drawn.

Archer looked at Mustang with distaste. "How impolite, Mustang."

"Don't move!" Hawkeye barked suddenly at Tucker, who was trying to edge away.

Tucker slowly turned. "Well…"

Hawkeye gasped and instinctively shot at Tucker's gruesome form. Tucker quickly hid behind the chimera's cage. She shook. "What is that thing?!"

Tucker peeked around the cage. "How cruel…"

Hawkeye prepared to fire again.

"Lieutenant!" Mustang barked. "Don't shoot. He's-"

"Indeed. Shou Tucker, the Life Sewing Alchemist," Armstrong said, walking into the room.

Archer's face twisted. "So it was you… Does this mean you don't approve with my way of doing things?"

Armstrong's face was impassive. "I don't remember having followed you here in the first place. I went as far as falling lower than mud in order to dig up the illegalities in the army."

Archer chuckled, some of the old complacency returning as he stealthily unlocked the chimera's cage. "There can't be an army that doesn't understand justice. Tucker!"

Obidently, Tucker whistled shrilly. The chimera's leaped out of the cage, surrounding Mustang, Hawkeye, and Armstrong.

"What are you going to gain from doing something so stupid?!" Mustang barked.

Archer smiled. "Just as you were a hero in Ishbal… so I shall become a hero this very day.

The chimeras leaped.


Several minutes later, from the Fuhrer's quarters, Gluttony cackled as he looked out the window. "Hey, hey, Pride!" he called.

The Fuhrer came over. They looked down at Archer mobilizing all 7000 troops and preparing to attack the town of Lior.

Gluttony cackled again. "They'll die, they'll die! Every single one of them is going to die!"

Pride sighed. "Can't 'would-be' humans understand the depth of their devotion?" he murmured. "Oh well. It's fine if they can kill Scar, but if they become ingredients for the Philosopher's Stone…"

Gluttony looked up. "The Philosopher's Stone? Can he make it?"

"It will never fall into the hands of humans. In other words, it doesn't exist."

The troops moved out.


Al trembled. "Am I… really going to…"

Scar knelt by him. "Don't move, Alphonse Elric. I do not know what is happening to your body, but maybe I can help," he said, reaching out with his right arm.

"You'd better not touch him, scarred one," said a voice. Lust stepped out of the shadows in a building.

Scar scowled. "Homunculus…"

"Your arm can only destroy. If it was Edward or Saya, they could transmute him into another material, fix him, and stop the explosion."

An idea started forming in Scar's mind. "Transmute him into another material…"

Lust took his hand. "Let's be off. You have the objective to create the Philosopher's Stone."

Scar yanked out of her grasp. "So you really aren't that person," he growled. "She wouldn't ever say that sort of thing."

Lust shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't remember anything."

"I wasn't expecting anything," Scar spat, kneeling down by Al and taking out the charm. "You're not the one my brother tried to resurrect. You only look the same."

"If I were to become human with the Philosopher's Stone, wouldn't it be the same?" Lust asked.

"No."

Lust looked faintly annoyed. "Why would that be wrong?"

"Dead people don't come back to life." Scar put his hand on Al's body.

Lust looked alarmed. "What are you trying to do? Stop!"

Scar thrust the charm out. "Stop! Be quiet and watch me." He fastened the charm around Al's belt to keep her away as the blackness continued to creep over Al's body. A red light shone. Scar roared with pain before pulling away, his right arm gone. The tattoo was now inscribed over Al's body.

Lust stared. "What did you do?"

Scar stood, blood dripping from his stump. "This arm… is something I received from my brother. By using himself as a transmutation circle, he sealed the lives of Ishbal into himself."

"In order to create the Philosopher's Stone inside his own body," Lust finished. "That was handed over to you… then…!"

"Don't get near him," Scar ordered. "Especially now, when you can't do anything but watch."

"Are you sane?!" Lust demanded. (Author's Note: probably not... but then again, who is in FMA?)

Scar started walking away. "There's no time. If I don't turn his body into another material, he will explode."

Lust hesitated before following him. "Then the Philosopher's Stone… you're fine with just giving it to them like that?!"

"I don't know if it will work or not. If it does, it will belong to them. They can do as they like with it."

Scar paused as Lust's fingers shot out on either side of his head. "I've got problems with that," she said icily. "I want you to create the real Philosopher's Stone. Transmuting that kid's body… stop this insanity!"

He glanced at her, unperturbed. "If you kill me here, will your wish come true?" Without another word, he started walking away.

Lust watched him go for a moment. "Oh well. If you really did create the Philosopher's Stone, I'll let you go through with it. After all, I don't particularly care what happens to this boy…" She followed him, and they disappeared.

Al stared at the ground, disbelieving. "Nii-san… Saya-san… stop him…"

"What the hell is going on?!" Saya stood in an alleyway, staring. "Al?! The hell are you doing here?! Weren't you at Headquarters?!"

"SAYA-SAN, GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!!!" Al screamed. "GET AS FAR AWAY AS YOU CAN!!!"

Saya blinked. "Al, w-"

"JUST GO!!" Al couldn't tell… he knew if he told, Saya would try to help him, and she didn't know that he was about to either explode or start absorbing all the lives around him…

Saya still hesitated. "Al…"

"GO!!!" Al roared.

No arguing with that voice. Saya jogged away, looking back over her shoulder. "What the hell is going on?!"


Ed and the others finally made it out of the tunnel. "You all should continue to a faraway town," he told Rose and Lyra.

"Right now?"

"Solve that yourselves. I need to go get Saya… and Scar. He's the one the army wants."

"Are you planning to hand Scar over to the military?" Lyra asked.

Ed didn't look at them. "They would forgive the people of Lior… under that sole condition."

Rose looked alarmed. "Don't Ed… this is…"

Ed looked at her reprovingly. "You should know about it."

Rose looked down. "Equivalent trade…"

Ed looked at her crestfallen face for a moment before he groaned. "Argh… I might be able to do something about that, but I'm not sure," he said hastily, even as he knew that couldn't be true. "If I tell the Colonel about the Fuhrer's Secretary, then maybe… oh well, I'll arrange it somehow-"

The baby laughed at Ed's silly faces. Both Rose's and Ed's face gentled. "But… you shouldn't expect anything," Ed said. "For the time being, get out of here. Before the army realizes anything."

Lyra nodded. "Yes, that was the original plan. To disperse little by little and hide ourselves in other cities."

"I'm counting on you Lyra," Ed said, meeting her eyes. "Rose…"

Rose smiled. "See you, Ed."

"Yeah… well no. This is goodbye, Rose," said Ed.

Rose looked sad, but she still smiled. "Don't forget to tell Saya," she said. "You'll be much happier then."

Ed looked pained. "Well…"

Rose chuckled, and nodded. "Well then… goodbye."

Ed nodded back before he started running back to Lior.


A scout came back and saluted to Archer. "It looks like there's no one there!"

"Hm… do they plan on some surprise tactic?" Archer mused.

A mumble suddenly ran through the ranks.

"Do you see it?"

"I don't know…"

"Someone's there!"

"No, two people…"

Someone handed Archer a pair of binoculars. He took them, then his face twisted with strange delight. "That's a State Alchemist… and Scar! Scar's there, that bastard! In order to frighten us, he killed a State Alchemist!" He paced up and down the ranks of men. "The tank division, go and take the surroundings of the city! The entire infantry division will go and catch Scar! Advance!"

Soldiers started to pour into the city. Lust and Scar ran from them. "The army wasn't supposed to move!" she hissed.

"Then, this must be God's will," Scar replied tonelessly.

"There he is!!"

Lust was suddenly in the line of fire from three gunners. She raised an arm to shield herself…

But suddenly, Scar was in front of her, taking the bullets for her. He fell. Lust swiftly killed the gunman and raised him to a sitting position. "You idiot," she snapped. "I won't die so easily!"

Scar's face was tight with pain. "I know that… but my body acted… on it's own…"

Lust's face softened. "You… loved me?"

Scar's tone was bitter. "Not you…"

They took temporary refuge in a run down house. Scar sat, leaning against the wall. "I… hated my brother. He turned away from Ishbala's teachings, studied alchemy… And even though he let me live, he gave me that arm. Despite this, I could only hate him. The Elric Brothers… they live for one another's sake. The older loves the younger, and the younger loves the older."

Lust listened, no emotion showing on her face. "Yes…"

"I also wanted to tell my brother…" Tears ran down Scar's face. "… that I loved him."

Lust looked at him. "Then you did what your older brother did to you… this younger brother?"

Scar stood. A large puddle of blood remained where he had sat. "Now, leave. Something terrible is about to happen in this city soon." He began walking away.

"What is your real name?" Lust asked.

Scar paused. "I received my name from God… but, to me who opposed God, there is no longer a name." With that, he left.

"There he is!!"

Gunshots rang out. Lust looked away from the door. "Goodbye… Scar."


When Ed saw the troops flooding into the town, alarm raced through him. Saya! "STOP IT!!" he roared, coming up to Archer.

Archer was unhappy. "So you were alive…" he muttered.

"The people of Lior surrendered! There's only Scar left! Pull out the troops!"

"Surrendered? That's impossible. They killed the Crimson Alchemist," Archer said coolly.

"So THAT'S your reason?!"

"That is war."

Ed grabbed Archer's collar. "You can do what you want but because of your stupid thirst for honor, soldiers who don't know better-"

"Human sight spotted on the very edge of the town, directly in front of us!" a soldier yelled. "There is a battle!"

Archer pushed Ed away. "Fine."

Ed tried to get to Archer. "STOP IT! Don't go in t-"

There was an explosion, sending a smoke cloud up into the sky… some of the soldiers panicked and yelled with surprise.

No one needed to tell Ed who the human spotted was.


Scar walked through an empty street. "'By giving pain one can't sleep'…" he mused. "Soon, there will be no need for me to worry about that. I will no longer be able to long for sleep…"

He lay down in part of the transmutation circle. Red light streamed through the circle, draining the last of his energy. He closed his eyes for the last time. "Nii-san…"

Al glowed a bright red. He screamed in fright. "NO!!!"

Crimson light grew engulfed the whole city, starting from the center and quickly growing. Soldiers ran away from it, only to be swallowed by it and disappear.

Ed had thought that he couldn't be scared any more than he was the previous second… he was wrong. A small figure came running towards them from Lior, fleeing from the deadly light.

"SAYA!!" Ed roared. She looked up, her eyes wild with fright, and spotted him. "SAYA, HERE!!!!"

She ran into his arms, knocking the wind out of him, but he held her tightly and closed his eyes, heedless to the danger still speeding towards them. Right now, she was close to him, her heart beating wildly against his, so full of life, and that was the only thing that mattered. He tightened his grip on her. "Saya…"

She clung to him. "Ed…" she whispered. She was trembling violently, whether from exhaustion or fright he couldn't tell. "I… I really thought I was going to die…"

"It's okay, you're safe, you're okay now," he murmured, to console himself as much as her.

When the glare had faded, they looked into each other's eyes for a moment before both of them turned about fifty shades of red each. Saya hastily let go of him and turned to see what had happened. She fell down, her eyes wide. Everything was gone… completely wiped clean… the destruction had only stopped about three yards from them…

A soldier fell to his knees and looked up at Ed. "What the hell… happened here?" he asked, shakily.

Ed's face hardened. "Bring all the living people here, quickly," he said, before running into what had been the city.

Saya got up and dusted herself off, then noticed the soldier wasn't moving. "That was an order from a State Alchemist!" she barked. "Move!"

He obeyed, and Saya ran after Ed.

"Scar!" Ed yelled.

There was no answer. Saya slowed when she saw Ed stop and call for Scar. She knew now… why Al had wanted her to get away… and where Scar probably was now. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her hands on her upper arms… even though those weren't her real arms, she fancied she could feel something there, a tingly warmth. With a slight blush, she remembered the sensation of Ed holding her close… completely safe and warm…

Ed spotted a pile of sand. He started to dig, then gasped. "Al?!"

"What?!" Saya ran over. "Al?"

Al looked up. "Nii-san… Saya-san…?" Suddenly he jumped up, scaring the daylights out of them both. "Don't come near! I'm going to explode!!"

Silence…

"…huh?"

Ed blinked. "Al… what are you doing here?"

Al looked at himself. "Huh? I'm back to normal… Nii-san, I'm back to normal! I'm not going to explode!"

Saya smiled shakily. "N-now there's something I don't understand…" she said feebly.

Al hit himself on the head. "Oh, right… I was turned into a bomb by Kimbley, but Scar said I'd be saved if someone transmuted me into something else and-"

'Something else'?! "Al, open your chest," Ed ordered.

Al blinked. "What?"

"Nevermind, just do it!"

Al obeyed… and a crimson light shone out. They all stared at it. "Nii-san… this is…"

Ed looked up. "Al… just now, the transmutation circle was activated. Scar transmuted the Philosopher's Stone… not inside of him, but-"

"That's right, Fullmetal boy," Lust said. Everyone jumped and whirled. "Ototho-kun, you've been turned into the Philosopher's Stone." (Translation note: ototho- younger brother)

Al gasped. "I'm… the Philosopher's Stone?!"

"What does this mean?! Why did he do this?!" Ed demanded.

Lust just smiled. "Go. Once we chase you, everything will start to move."

"Weren't you after the Philosopher's Stone as well?"

Lust didn't say anything. With dim surprise, Al pulled the charm out of his belt, holding it up. She turned and walked away.

Al stared after her. "Nii-san, Saya-san… I…"

Ed looked up. "Al…"

Saya fell down theatrically and landed on the ground with a thud. "I think my store of surprises is being used up quickly today…" she laughed. "Well…" She sat up, stretching her back. "Where to now?"


Schezka stared at the scenery, very much an out of place city-girl. "This is… Reisenbol? It's really…"

"I'm sorry we're in the countryside," Winry huffed.

Suddenly she spotted a man on the otherwise empty station and suddenly turned, blue lines on her face. "He's looking at me again…"

Schezka blinked. "Do you know him?"

"He's been looking at me since we were on the train!" Winry hissed.

Schezka gasped. Winry sighed. "I knew it…"

"Knew… what…?"

Winry looked at the sky, stars in her eyes. "Being so beautiful is a sin!!"

Schezka was staring in astonishment when the man walked up to them. "Ah… excuse me, but is that you, Sara?" he asked. He reached a hand out to clasp Winry's shoulder. "My, you've gotten tall-"

Winry grabbed Schezka. "I haven't!" she said automatically, running away.

They ran quite some way down the road before they paused to catch their breaths. "The nerve of him," Winry growled. "Acting like an old acquaintance…"

Suddenly, her toolbox fell from her shoulder and hit the ground with a thud. She turned back to look at the station, no bigger than a quarter in the distance. "Sara was… my mother's name…"

Pinako eyed the two girls. "What's this? You said you were going to Rush Valley for some sort of training, and you've been in Central all this time?"

"It's not like that!" Winry argued, greeting Den. "I was keeping an eye on those three."

"I wonder… so, when are they coming back?"

Winry looked uncomfortable. "Oh, right! We met a person who knew you in Rush Valley! Do you happen to remember Dom-"

A knock on the door scared the living daylights out of Winry and Schezka. They ran around the room, panicking for a second, before they hid behind the couch.

"Auntie!" Winry hissed. "If that person asks, we're not here!"

Pinako sighed. "Honestly…" She opened the door, gasped, and then stepped back to admit the blonde man who had been at the station.

Blue lines appeared over Winry's head. "It's him…"

Schezka swooned. "Ah, the power of love!"

"So you've returned," Pinako said.

"Pinako-san, it appears I can't find my house," the man said.

"Your house? What do you mean, it's right there," Pinako retorted.

"Auntie, you know this guy?!" Winry demanded, forgetting that she was hiding.

Pinako smiled. "I see, you must have been too young to remember. This man is Ed and Al's father."

The man rubbed the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly. "Erm… I come back after a while, and my house is gone. So… where are my sons?"

Next: Honeheim of Light returns to Reisenbol... dear me, when Ed finds out, he's going to be pissed... and Saya's really grumpy for some reason. Who wants to guess?