ANNOUNCEMENT. ANKÜNDIGUNG.
So to officially make this statement; this story will be ending very soon. I plan on chapter fifty being the last chapter. Then this story will move onto the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline,which will be posted as another story. I repeat, the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline will be posted as a sequel to The Sulfur Alchemist. Don't worry about adding me to Author Alert just to find out when it will be posted – I'll be posting Chapter Fifty the same day I post The Sulfur Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. So when you get "Story Alert: The Sulfur Alchemist" in your inbox, you will know I have posted the Conqueror of Shamballa.
END ANNOUNCEMENT. ENDE-ANKÜNDIGUNG.
Yes, this is the same announcement as the last chapter. I'm posting on the next five chapters, too, to make sure everyone reads it and knows what's going on. Sorry to be 'BAM LISTEN TO ME YOU WINCHES' but it's important enough to be all like 'U SHUD LIEK TTLLY LISIN 2 MI OK?'
It's a new year! Yesterday was the third year anniversary of The Sulfur Alchemist. I ate out and when I came back home, I found someone had reviewed the story! What an awesome Three Year Anniversary present! I hope you guys had fun on New Year's Eve and Day. I did.
Once again, I find myself apologizing for the length of a chapter. When I was planning the last few chapters, I thought I'd have enough material for this one. Guess I was wrong. But oh well. You get Ed's reaction this time around, so that should make up for it, yeah? 8D
The Lovely Daaaarlings!
TheSteelFlameAlchemist: That's one hell of a nightmare.
8D! Hopefully it's good! I've only got half of chapter one actually written, and that's still subject to change.
Katsekala: Thank you! I'm glad you think so.
The Esper Alchemist: LAWL, I think it's safe to say he should start looking for a new one.
IceFire Dragon Alchemist73: That palmtree is horrid. He must die!
Same for Robot Archer. XD
CloudEnvyKunoichi: I love how half of the reviews mention that kid and his bike. That's freaking awesome. 8D I will too. I hate ending stories. It's been such a long journey and all of sudden, it comes to a close. But like you said, there's still a sequel and I have to think about that now. Yep, Ed reacts in this one (finally). And please do review! I love them.
Rat300: Haha, that's awesome. I'm glad you liked this story so much, you sacrificed sleep for it! I love getting new readers, so welcome to the club. XP
yumiXjaganshi: IT ENDED THERE, SO NYAAA. Hah, I originally had a glomp in mind but in order to stick to the storyline, I went with that scene instead. Can't forget those Tringham brothers. AND HERE'S YER UPDATE, YAY.
Oh-You-Know: It's alright, you're still awesome. XD CLIFFHANGERS FTW! I hope this is quick enough. I usually update every two weeks, not one.
Ausumist: Thank you! Her humor has gotten challenging to keep writing in these serious scenes. Subtle humor is all I can manage at the moment. The sequel, which is much more relaxed, will restore her epicness.
Bloody Bonez Alchemist XD: I've been waiting forever to add Law and Dorochet back into this story! Haha, I can assure you, he remembered. XD
White CandyCane: 8D You're welcome? Thank you, though, for the review! I'm glad you like it!
Songbird Alchemist: Read this chapter and you'll get closer to finding that out, haha.
SuperNekofan: Hehe, his reaction was supposed to be in that last chapter but it didn't work out unfortunately. It's in this one though!
Dragonjess: Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you like Riley. She's come a long way. Being relate-able while still holding her own characteristics is a challenge in itself so I'm glad I seemed to accomplish some of that.
Haha, yes, the story is ending! I wish it wasn't, but it's the inevitable. Hopefully the sequel's good! I'm getting there!
I have returned from the Magical Writer's Land with the next chapter! Ohonhonhon~
Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967: Thank you! You're the one that read and reviewed that chapter on the Three Year Anniversary, so thanks for the epic Anniversary gift, hurr~ 83
Want to be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha...
I don't want this story to end. D8 Not now, at least. College is around the corner (I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO PREPARE, I'M NOT EVEN IN A COLLEGE, AAAAGH) and I can't get through it without this story to calm my nerves!
Sigh. Oh well. What happens, happens.
I don't own Rile- Wait. I don't own Ed. Riley, is mine. I own Riley. Not Ed. (See, I'm so upset, I can't function properly.)
Chapter Forty-Five
Reactions
Did I ever mention I hate Archer? I did? Okay, good. Just wanted to make sure that was out there.
He stood across from us all (Maria Ross, Block, Izumi, Tringham Brothers, Hannah, Ed and me) with a smug smirk slapped on his face. Maria Ross was stunned. "It couldn't be…," She mumbled out, frozen with a mixture of confusion, fear and shock.
Archer didn't acknowledge her. Instead, he kept his eyes on Izumi, Ed and I. "Edward Elric. Riley Mauler. And the woman who escaped from South Headquarters," He stated. His voice was a cheesy robotic voice now, and his lips remained still. It was creepy. "I've been looking for you." His mouth opened and a small canon emerged from it. Okay, I change my mind, I like it better when his lips don't move! Ed grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the ground as Izumi and Hannah went in the other direction, just narrowly avoiding his bullets.
We stood back up and Izumi slid in front of us. "Leave the tank head to me. You go to the place mentioned in that journal," Izumi ordered firmly.
"Teacher…," Ed warned, but she quickly interrupted.
"If you're going to keep calling me that, then do what I say! Now go!" She ordered once more. He seemed reluctant, but nodded anyway. Turning, he ran off. Hannah and I followed closely behind while Maria Ross and Block guided Russel to the door with his brother. We all ran down the hall without a word. As much as we needed to get away from Archer, we didn't need anyone else spotting us either.
Finally arriving outside, Maria Ross looked to Ed and me. "Good luck, you two. Be careful," She warned.
We both nodded. "I could say the same to you," Ed replied casually.
Turning, we began to walk off, when I noticed someone wasn't following. I stopped and looked back. Hannah stood among the brothers, Maria Ross and Block. "Hannah…?" I asked, curious as to why she wasn't following.
Ed stopped when he heard me and turned around as well. Pausing, Hannah slowly shook her head. "This is it for me," She replied, shrugging her shoulders as she glanced away. Looking back to me, she gave a small smile. "I know how important this is, but I can't keep going. It's… It's scary, Riley."
"…" I nodded. My face remained blank. "I understand. Where will you be going, though?"
"Well, I don't think my parents would mind giving a pair of homeless boys a place to stay for a while…," Hannah implied, glancing back to Russel and Fletcher, "Given I explain the situation correctly."
I grinned a bit at this. Leave it up to her to think of the brothers. "Alright then."
She walked over, wrapping her arms around me. A few moments passed before she pulled away and she removed her bag from her shoulder. She pulled out my camera and handed it over. "I'll see you at the church."
We stared at one another for a few seconds before I finally took it off her hands. She nodded at me one more time, and I turned. "Let's go, Ed," I said simply, pulling the camera strap over my head. He nodded softly and we both climbed our way over the wall.
Arriving at the top of the gate wall, we jumped down onto the ground, just as a car approached. It screeched to a stop and Ed slammed his hands onto it. "Hey, we need your car!" He exclaimed, but shut up as he moved back slightly. Inside the car was Mustang and Hawkeye. I raised a brow when I saw them. Ed stood straighter, frowning. "Mustang… Did you come here to capture us too?"
. . .
You ever been in a car that was too damn small for everyone so you wound up squished in between two people? Yeah? Well has one of those people ever been a midget you confessed your love to who had an authority issue with the other guy? No? So that one's just me.
That pretty much explained my predicament. We sat in the back of the car, Ed on my left and Mustang on my right. Both had their arms crossed, which gave me even less room believe it or not. "So where were you headed before you ran into us?" Ed questioned.
I glanced to Mustang as he replied. "To the Furher's estate."
"Going to give his kid a birthday present?" Ed retorted sarcastically. Mustang was silent, as was Hawkeye. I glanced to them both as I tried figuring it out. They must have been going against military orders as well. "I see, so it's classified," Ed muttered to himself, realizing neither would give him an answer. "Well just a heads up, he'll know you're coming."
"Armstrong staged a coup for me up the northern front. The Furher would never imagine that I would be right back here under his nose in Central," Mustang explained. So I was partly right.
Ed narrowed his eyes at Mustang. Since I was in the middle, it felt like he was glaring at me which made it awkward. "I thought you were all about following orders and kissing ass so you could become Furher one day," He retorted.
I shoved my foot into his knee, causing him to grunt. "Wait a minute," Hawkeye started in irritation, "That's not fair – you became a military dog too, so you could chase your dreams. Don't go-"
"Take it easy," Mustang casually mumbled, raising his hand lazily. She quieted down, though I agreed with her. "The end justifies the means when it comes to achieving my ultimate goal. Back then, that just seemed like the right stance for me to take," Mustang replied blankly.
"You realize there will be no justification in the eyes of the public if you go against the Furher. Even if you pull this off, you'll never be allowed to succeed with your reputation," Ed stated.
Mustang was quiet at first. Without looking to either of us, he gave a simple response. "That may be so. But I can't let him get away with what he's done," He said, his eyes narrowing. My expression fell at this.
Ed looked back ahead. "So you're doing all this to avenge Hughes."
"He must have known what was going on in the military. And for that, he was killed," Mustang explained.
"…And you're willing to risk everything. Your entire career."
Mustang was quick with his reply; "Without a second thought." He smiled slightly, looking down to Ed. "Funny, the both of us setting all the crap we were put through aside to focus on our dreams." I felt even smaller at this point. They were staring at one another, like I wasn't sitting between them, talking about dreams, which I had none. Way to make me feel like a loser, guys… "I can't… Let you two come with me," Mustang said as he looked back ahead. Oh, so NOW you notice I'm here!
"When I first joined the military, I didn't fully grasp war. It was just something happening in a far off land, not effecting me at all. But then I heard about these people ready to start a war over a stone… There will never be a war that isn't, at some point, caused by all of us," Ed rambled, frowning at his thoughts. He's having too much fun with this now that he's found out he can think, if you ask me.
"You're thinking on too large a scale there, Kid. If we don't want to drive ourselves crazy, each of us can only deal with what's directly in front of us," Mustang replied.
It was silent a bit more, until Ed spoke again. "What's in front of me is the one the homunculi call their leader. And for that, I'll destroy the Philosopher's stone once and for all. No one will hunger for its power again."
Surprised, Hawkeye glanced to us through the rear view mirror. "Destroy?"
Mustang looked at us as well. "So that means the Philosopher's Stone has been completed. I guess it's the one Scar created."
"In the end, it wasn't just Scar who forged the Philosopher's Stone. It was in our own hearts. All of us," Ed replied vaguely.
"But wasn't that your dream all along? To one day use the stone to get back what you and your brother lost?" Hawkeye questioned softly, still surprised.
"…All of that would mean nothing if it came at the expense of so much pain," Ed muttered, almost wincing at the thought of it.
. . .
The sun was beginning to set, casting a red glow over the sky. Mustang, Ed and I stood in the road, a few feet from the car where Hawkeye waited for her companion. There was a mutual silence between us all. Mustang raised his hand to salute but faltered before lowering it. He extended his hand to shake on it. What was once a grudging relationship was now a respected friendship. Ed glanced down at it before reaching forward. He slapped Mustang's hand and gave a grin. Mustang returned the expression. "Goodbye, FullMetal."
"Goodbye, General."
A hand clapped down on my shoulder. Mustand had turned his gaze to me. "Take care, Riley."
I nodded, silent at first. "…Kick his ass, Mustang." He smirked at my 'goodbye'. He patted my shoulder before lifting his hand and turning away. Without another glance to us, he walked to the car and got back inside it. Hawkeye drove away as we watched the car leave in the distance. And once again, a mutual silence fell. Well, until…
"Riley." Looking over my shoulder, I saw Ed staring at the ground. He looked dead serious about something and I began to get worried. Was he abandoning me somewhere? "About what you said at the factory…"
…I prefer my theory.
Freezing up, I slowly inched back around to face ahead, and away from him. "I don't know what you're talking about," I stated through my pursed lips.
Shoulders hunching up in annoyance, he looked back up to glare at me. "Yes you do!" He snapped out.
A long pause followed. Sighing, I glanced to the side of my eye but didn't move. "Fine. What about it?"
"…Did Hannah make you say it?"
W-What? Tumbling over, caught my balance and spun around to look down at him. His narrowed eyes looked up at me, scrutinizing me as he tried to find the answer. "What?" I finally voiced my thoughts. He nodded, showing he wanted an answer. "…," Glancing away, I pouted slightly as I mumbled out, "You could say that."
Ed stepped back in surprise. "I knew it," He muttered, looking back down, "She told you about our conversation. Damn it! I didn't tell her she was right. She had no right to assume she was." He continued grumbling to himself about it, but the rest was incoherent. Eventually he began rubbing the back of his neck, shaking his head at the thought of… Well, whatever it was he was thinking about.
Deadpanned expression, I watched him silently. Finally, I spoke. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked bluntly.
It was the blond's turn to freeze up. Slowly, his hand lowered to his side as he looked up just as slow. "What? You mean… She… Didn't tell you about our conversation?" He asked, unsure. When I shook my head, he began to blush. "Then what are you talking about? You said she made you say that!"
Twitching, I glared down at him as I began to get fed up with whatever the hell we were talking about. "She did! She's been bugging me to tell you that for weeks now because she thinks I'm hiding something by not telling you! What are you talking about?"
"She asked me if I had feelings for you when we were in Resembool! I thought she made you tell me that just to trick me into admitting it!" He exclaimed.
We both fell silent. Raising a brow, I looked to him incredulously. "I think that may have been part of her plan," I murmured out. I sighed, shaking my head to rid myself of the conversation. It was all just too confusing. "So… You… Feel the same?" I mumbled out nervously, refusing to look him in the eye.
He was the same. Refusing to look me in the eye, he settled on the sky. It almost made me feel better – I'd hate to be a nervous wreck in front of someone comfortable about it. "…Yeah. I do," Ed finally replied. My eyes widened and I began to spin around to see him, but stopped. I couldn't look at him yet. This was too embarrassing! "I wasn't going to say anything about it cause I didn't think you felt the same way. Even when Hannah hinted at it, I couldn't bring myself to think you did. My father even said something about it. I just… You're too important to me to just throw away because of something like that. If you didn't feel the same-"
"Oh for the love of God, let's just go!" I shouted, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along the road. He looked almost shell-shocked. "I don't need a damn biography, Ed!"
I could feel him glare at the back of my head. "I'm just trying to be honest about something important, Riley!"
"You're talking about a relationship, not the creation of the world! It doesn't have to have commentary!" Ed glared up at me still and was about to retort, but I spun around and beat him to it.
He fell dead quiet. He stopped as though he was dead.
I pulled away from him, looking at him blankly even though my face was on fire. "…See. That simple," I mumbled out as I turned back around and continued walking.
At least a minute passed when I finally heard his footsteps chasing after me. "R-Riley! Stop interrupting me!"
"Really, Ed? You're complaining about me interrupting you?"
"Yes! It's annoyi-"
"That's such bullshit!"
I had such a hard time figuring out how he'd react. I've been planning his reaction since chapter thirty, probably even before that. Finally, about chapter thirty-five, I came up with what you just read. Well, 'came up with' probably isn't the best phrase. Ed's reaction (the 'Who told you to say that?' part) was actually a very real reaction a very real boy had in my past. This boy and Ed are similar in certain ways, so I figured, 'why not?' I hope it was okay, though. I'm not used to writing romance-related scenes. x_x
Chapter Translations!
Forty-Three was Chinese.
Forty-Four was Ukrainian.
And this chapter is Finnish!
Be responsible. Don't Flame and Drive! Rawr.
ANNOUNCEMENT. ANKÜNDIGUNG.
So to officially make this statement; this story will be ending very soon. I plan on chapter fifty being the last chapter. Then this story will move onto the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline, which will be posted as another story. I repeat, the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline will be posted as a sequel to The Sulfur Alchemist. Don't worry about adding me to Author Alert just to find out when it will be posted – I'll be posting Chapter Fifty the same day I post The Sulfur Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. So when you get "Story Alert: The Sulfur Alchemist" in your inbox, you will know I have posted the Conqueror of Shamballa.
END ANNOUNCEMENT. ENDE-ANKÜNDIGUNG.
See how I be rockin' that German? Yeah. I'm awesome.
