Chapter 45 –

"Ah," Father said as he looked up at the swirling mass, "it would seem our fifth has joined us."

Ed, Izumi, Calix, Ayala and Koda watched in apprehension as the swirling black and red mass seemed to pulse slightly. Ed barely registered what Father had said as he watched two figures fall from the mass and land in front of them. He immediately recognised the two figures and he rushed over to them before anyone could stop him.

"Colonel? Nala?" Ed called as he crouched in between his commanding officer and the lioness. Ayala, Izumi and Koda all stood near him, Izumi crouching to try and help rouse the two while the Animals stood guard. Calix remained near Al and Chester's unconscious forms, guarding them just in case.

"I've brought him to you, Father," an eerily familiar voice said and Ed looked up to see Pride standing next to Father. There was something about his appearance that seemed different but Ed didn't pay him anymore attention as he focused back on the two in front of him. "He's our fifth."

"What the hell did they do to you, Colonel?" Ed asked the unconscious man.

"I wish we could say that makes all five of the required sacrifices but Alphonse Elric has not arrived yet," Father said coolly as he looked at Al and Chester's unconscious forms. Koda moved to make sure she was in a position where she could rush to help Calix defend Al and Chester or move to protect Izumi and Ed in roughly the same time should anyone attack them.

"Colonel, you okay?" Ed asked, shaking the man's shoulder. "Nala? Say something, one of you!" Ed snapped as he shook both of them a little violently. His demands worked as Mustang blinked slowly.

"Fullmetal?" Mustang slurred as Ed helped him sit up. Beside them, Nala was slowly rousing. "Where are we?" Mustang asked and Ed huffed at the immediate interrogation.

"The bearded bastard's hideout," Ed said in response. "Now, what happened? What did they do to the two of you?" Ed asked and Mustang's eyes widened in concern. Ed thought there was something different about Mustang's eyes but he couldn't put his finger on it. Ayala, Calix and Koda were too busy keeping an eye on the homunculi and Izumi was helping Nala as the lioness struggled to regain consciousness.

"'The two of us'?" Mustang echoed and Ed nodded.

"Yeah, both you and Nala turned up out of nowhere so what happened?" Ed asked again.

Mustang's brow furrowed in thought as he tried to remember. "I was flung into a strange place," Mustang said slowly, "into a gateway of some sorts but I don't remember Nala being there," he told Ed.

"The portal?!" Ed gasped, looking over at Izumi. "That means something was taken from you!" Ed said, eyes frantically roaming over Mustang's body in search of any injury but he saw nothing. No missing limbs, no blood. Nothing. "But your arms and legs are still there and you aren't coughing up blood," Ed said, looking over to Nala. "Nala's in one piece too," he said, voice confused.

"I don't know how you expect to see my condition when it's this dark in here." Mustang's amused statement had Ed's heart drop as Ed realised just what had been taken from his commanding officer and why his eyes had looked different. Ed glanced over at Izumi, who shared a concerned and pitying look with him.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked as Nala finally got to her feet and shook off the cobwebs still in her mind. Ed's emotional turmoil only grew when Mustang's brow furrowed once more as his unfocused eyes roved aimlessly around the room he couldn't see.

"It's all dark. Pitch black," Mustang told him, using the tone of voice that told Ed Mustang thought he was being purposefully obtuse. "Where are the lights in this place?" Mustang asked as he got to his feet unsteadily. Nala was quick to stop him from walking anywhere, preventing him from tripping and hurting himself over things he couldn't see.

"Roy, it's bright in here. I'm so sorry," Nala said and Ed wondered dully if she meant for him to hear her.

"What do you mean, Nala?" Mustang asked and Ed closed his eyes as he heard the faint fearful tremor in Mustang's voice.

"It took your sight," Nala said. Mustang's hand immediately raised to his face and he almost poked himself in the eyes as he felt his face.

"I can't see?" Mustang asked, voice quiet and soft. Ed noticed his commanding officer's hands were bleeding and he moved to stand next to him.

"Ah so you can't see than," Pride said, sounding delighted about Mustang's situation and Nala growled at him. "Good. We've found your abilities to be quite problematic in the past," Pride said, unfazed by Nala. "You're by far the most troublesome of the State Alchemists we've dealt with. I think it's fair to say you had this coming," Pride said smugly and Ed flipped the homunculous off before he turned to stand in front of Mustang, facing the blind man.

"Give me your hand, Mustang," Ed said, tearing two strips from his battered black singlet. Mustang must've realised what Ed intended to do because he held one of them out. Another tearing noise sounded from Mustang's right and Ed saw Izumi doing the same with her white shirt. "Teacher's going to wrap your other hand," Ed told Mustang. The man nodded his acceptance and they both got to work. "How the hell did they convince you to perform human transmutation?" Ed asked as he wrapped one strip around Mustang's left hand. He didn't pay the two homunculi any mind, trusting the four conscious Animals to have their backs.

"They didn't," Mustang said stiffly. "I refused to willingly perform the transmutation," he said as Nala leaned her weight against Mustang's legs, though she continued glaring at both Pride and Father.

"That's true. He didn't," Pride piped up, a hint of annoyed exasperation in his voice. "We had to force him to open the portal. It all worked out in the end and now Mustang and his flame alchemy will present no more problems for us," Pride said, his voice smug and Ed had to settle for glaring at the homunculous rather than give into his urge to grind Pride's face into the stone floor they stood on.

Ed took in the homunculous' appearance while he glared at him and noticed that small flecks of his jaw seemed to fall off, like he was slowly shedding his container. There were no red sparks that indicated that the damage to his container was being healed and Ed wondered why briefly but he didn't focus on it for long as he puzzled over Pride's claims that Mustang had been the State Alchemist to cause them the most trouble when he would've thought that that title would've belonged to him. Not that he was trying gloat or anything but he had been the one to kill two of the homunculi and teach the array that helped him do so to the three sacrifices who hadn't helped him come up with it. It was almost like Pride had no idea what had happened to Envy and the large homunculous at Briggs and he likely didn't know what Izumi had done to Lust. Ed had always thought that Pride, being the eldest and most powerful homunculous – Father aside –, would've had some way to track his siblings but apparently he didn't.

"The truth can be such a cruel thing," Father crooned as he took in the four sacrifices and their Animals in front of him. "The two brothers who wanted nothing more than to feel their mother's warmth once more," Father said, eyes falling onto Ed and Al. Ed glared at him defiantly as he continued to wrap Mustang's hand. Ayala was snarling lightly at the homunculi as Father continued speaking. "Their attempt to bring the dead back to life cost one of them the leg he stood on as well as the only family he had left." Ed felt Mustang's hand twitch in his hold and Ed tightened his grip slightly to stop him moving. "The other," Father continued, "lost his entire body to have it replaced by a suit of armour that could feel nothing."

"The woman who sought to bring back her only baby was given a body that would never again bear children, alive or dead," Father said, eyes seeking Izumi. The woman did nothing more than clench her jaw as she wrapped Mustang's right hand tightly but Koda's rumbling growl could be heard reverberating throughout the room. "And then the man who looked to change his nation had his eyesight taken from him and now he can no longer see his future," Father said. Ed felt Mustang twitch again and this time, Ed wasn't the only one to tighten the hand holding his wrist steady in a show of support. "Humans who dare play god must pay a steep price for their arrogance. That is the way the universe, the way the natural order, the very thing you worship works. That is Truth!" Father proclaimed and Ed's infamously small amount of patience ran out as he secured the makeshift bandage.

"Alright, you can fuck right off with your bullshit!" Ed snapped, whirling around to face Father and Pride, glaring at them both. "Everything you just spewed out of your mouth was the biggest load of shit I've ever heard and considering the pathetic and obviously fake sob stories I've heard from criminals about why they decided to go on a crime spree, that's saying something," Ed said, chest heaving slightly.

"Fullmetal," Mustang murmured and Ed flapped a hand at him that he realised too late Mustang wouldn't be able to see.

"Shut it, Mustang," Ed ordered. He didn't have to look at Mustang to know the man had rolled his eyes as he focused back on the two homunculi. "It would be one thing if Mustang had performed the transmutation of his own volition but you bastards forced him to commit human transmutation in a desperate effort to keep your plans on track because you got scared that we'd win this battle and destroy any chance you had of sacrificing everyone for your own gain," Ed snarled. "You think what happened to Mustang is justified? Go fuck yourselves because that is a truth no one but some twisted fuck would accept!"

Just as Ed's last word finished reverberating around the room, the ceiling above Father and Pride caved in and large chunks of debris rained down on top of them. Ed crouched to protect Ayala and Nala from the danger while Koda shielded both Mustang and Izumi. Al's unconscious form provided enough protection from the debris for them not to worry about Chester but Ed still saw Calix standing over the leopard. A small pink and white form fell to the floor and quickly darted over to where they stood.

"She got here quickly," Ayala said, a little annoyed she hadn't been able to sense Mei's movements until the ceiling had cracked.

"Hey, Mei," Ed greeted, giving the Xingese princess a small smile. "Xao-Mei," Ed tacked on when he saw the midget panda.

"There he is," Mei growled, her eyes focused completely on Father. Ed felt a small spike of fear at how dangerous she looked and he found himself glad that he wasn't on her bad side.

"And now my lovely home has a gaping hole in it," Father said morosely as he looked up at the damage before he focused his attention on Mei. "How dare you, girl?" Father growled as Pride glared at Mei, more of his form flaking away.

"He's definitely the one behind all of this," Mei said and it took Ed a moment to realise she was talking to the panda on her shoulder. Mei looked around and spotted Al's unconscious form. "Oh, Alphonse! What happened to you?" Mei cried, face crumpling as she rushed to his side.

"I don't know but I can't get him or Chester to wake up," Ed told the young girl as he joined her. Izumi led Mustang over to the others, whispering small instructions on where to place his feet as they headed for them. Calix moved out of the Xingese princess's way as she knelt next to Al.

"Oh no!" Mei gasped. "Please wake up, Alphonse! You have to!" Mei begged and, to Ed, Izumi and their Animal's surprise, Al did just that.

"Al! Al, are you okay?" Ed asked as his brother sat straight up. At his side, Chester started regaining consciousness at a much quicker rate than Nala had.

"Alphonse!" Mei called when Al didn't answer Ed right away.

"Al!" Izumi snapped in the same tone she used whenever she was displeased with either brother and that seemed to work as Al's eyes brightened slightly.

"Teacher, Brother, Mei," Al murmured as he struggled to take in what was happening. "Then we're –" Al cut himself off with a small gasp as he took in Pride and Father. Chester was on his feet and rubbing up against Ed in an assurance that he was alright before he took up a protective stance next to Al.

"And now all five are here," Father said, sounding immensely satisfied.

"Colonel Mustang?" Al said, having just noticed the man and sounding immensely confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Pride and Wrath forced me to commit the taboo so I would be the fifth sacrifice," Mustang ground out. "I've lost my eyesight as a result." Al's appalled gasp had Mustang grimace slightly.

"So you mean to tell me you reject the truth?" Father asked and it took Ed a moment to realise that Father was talking to him as though nothing had happened between Ed's rant and this moment.

"No," Ed snapped. "I reject your twisted version of the truth," Ed corrected as he stood once more, taking up position between Ayala and Chester. "And don't you go thinking you've won just because you got us all here. We aren't just gonna sit by and let you sacrifice us," Ed informed him. There was a clanking noise behind him as Al climbed to his feet to stand at his brother's side. Mei stood next to Alphonse and Ed could feel Izumi and Mustang behind him while Koda towered over all of them. Nala stepped forward so she was next to Ayala but so her tail stayed wrapped around Mustang's leg as a comforting touch. Ed felt something brush against his flesh arm and a quick glance showed him Calix standing next Nala, a defiant look in his brown eyes. All of them had a determined look on their face that seemed to amuse Father and Pride both.

"Your words will do nothing to alter your fates," Father told them and Ed scoffed, making sure the homunculi heard him.

"Let's get out of here," Ed heard Izumi whisper to Mustang. "Can you walk?"

"No, none of you will be leaving here now," Father said, stopping Izumi and Mustang in their tracks. "I won't allow any of you to leave. Not when the eclipse is almost upon us."

Mei moved so she was separate from the group but standing square with Father. She had kunai in both her hands and she took up a fighting stance. "Mei!" Al called as he watched the young princess face Father with a determined look.

"What are you doing?" Ed asked, a little taken aback at what Mei was doing.

"I've come a long way to talk to him," Mei said, nodding to Father. "I've been told you're immortal," Mei said but Father stayed silent, watching Mei with the bored look one would adopt when they heard someone tell the same story for the hundredth time. "So you're not denying it? That's all I need," Mei said, looking over at Al. "I'll handle this one, Alphonse."

"What?" Al asked incredulously. "Not on your own! He's too powerful!" Al protested and for some reason Ed elected to refuse to find out, Mei gave him a soft, delighted smile.

"It's fine!" she assured him. "He can't control my alkahestry," she reminded him.

"Even if he binds our alchemy, you shouldn't fight him on your own," Al said. "We can help!"

"I'll be alright," Mei said firmly. "Just keep the little one out of my way," Mei ordered and Ed scoffed.

"She says that like he's the easier of the two to fight!" Ed complained, making Ayala and Chester nod in disbelieving agreement while Mei engaged Father in the fight she wanted. "Although," Ed said as he watched more of Pride's container disintegrate, "something seems to be happening to him," Ed said. "Why wouldn't Pride have saved everyone the trouble and strongarmed people into committing the transmutation so they didn't have to worry about us dying or disappearing on them?" Ed asked out loud and Mustang cleared his throat. The noise was barely audible as a small explosion happened off to the side and Mei shouted a war cry as she sent some spikes for Father.

"Just before I was deconstructed," Mustang said, grimacing at the memory, "Pride said it was their last resort and that they didn't have any choice," Mustang told him and Ed's eyes widened in understanding.

"Which can only mean it carries some sort of risk for them," Ed said, glancing over at Pride and watching a few more flakes fall away from his form. Off to the side, Father threw an oversized kunai at Mei, causing the young girl to tumble out of the way. Al fidgeted off to Ed's right as he watched the fight but Ed couldn't find it in himself to snap at his younger brother. At the same time, he couldn't order Al to go and help Mei like he obviously wanted to since Mei had specifically told them to let her handle the fight.

"Most likely," Mustang agreed.

"Mustang, see if you can still sight-share with Nala," Ed said, causing almost everyone to jolt with the change of subject. "If you can, you might as well make yourself useful and see if you can transmute like Teacher, Al and I can," Ed said before Mustang could question him. Izumi glared at Ed for his comment but gave a small start when Mustang did nothing more than roll his eyes and go silent.

When Mustang and Nala opened their eyes, both had the familiar ring of blue around their eyes. Mustang blinked a couple of times while Nala flicked her eyes around the room, giving Mustang the chance to see everything there was. "It worked," Mustang said before Ed could ask and the blonde gave a small sigh of relief.

"You and Teacher should hang back here and provide long-distance attacks while Al, Ayala, Chester and I keep Pride distracted from you. Calix, you help Mei if she needs it," Ed instructed, explaining his reasoning before either adult could raise a fuss. Once he received a nod from the five that would remain behind, Ed, Al and their Animals all looked at each other before they headed for Pride. Ed stooped as he ran, clapping as he did so, and sent a stone hand straight for Pride, intending to squish the homunculous. "Well look at that! We can use our alchemy!" Ed exclaimed, a vicious grin on his face that disappeared as Pride ran from the stone hand.

"He ran!" Al gasped as he watched Pride evade the hand. "He didn't even try and use his shadows."

"That's a good sign," Ed pointed out as he and Al continued sending alchemic attacks at the homunculous. Both Ayala and Chester were up close to Pride, using their teeth and claws to try and inflict whatever damage they could. Pride was doing an admittedly good job at evading their attacks.

Ed and Al kept their ears open for the sounds of the other fight going on, just in case they needed to involve themselves if Mei got into too much trouble and Calix's help wasn't enough. As Ed sent spikes racing for Pride, he heard Father reprimand Mei for causing more damage to his home. Mei's response was drowned out by Pride using his shadows for the first time to knock Al aside, making his armour clank loudly. When Ed was pushed aside by Ayala so the shadows wouldn't hit him, Ed saw Mei racing towards a seemingly trapped Father. Movement near Father's stomach had Hohenheim's head appear as he shouted a warning to Mei that Father wasn't trapped.

"Mei!" Al shouted in a panic as he watched Mei get thrown back by Father and slam harshly into the ground. Calix was already heading for the downed princess when Ed cursed.

"Dammit," Ed swore as he used his right arm to deflect a shadow. "Al, get over there and help her!" Ed ordered as he slammed his hands into a chunk of debris and created half a dozen throwing knives that he then threw methodically at Pride.

"What about Pride?" Al asked, torn between staying to help his brother or doing as Ed said and leaving to help Mei.

"Don't you worry about him," Ed grunted as he was pushed back by a shadow he barely managed to raise his arm in time to block. "The Animals and I can handle him on our own," Ed assured him.

"Alphonse, just go!" Chester snapped, sensing Al was still fighting with himself and finally, Al nodded.

"Don't get yourselves killed," Al said before he turned and raced across the room to get to Mei's side while Ed, Chester and Ayala continued fighting against Pride.


Al watched as Mei struggled to sketch her array and place the five kunai around the circle before blue energy flashed around her while Calix stood guard. He was relieved to see that she looked a lot better once the energy dissipated and spared a moment to appreciate just how good it was that she could use the array on herself. Mei didn't look like she'd noticed him yet but Xao-Mei did, if the little wave the panda sent his way was any indication.

"Young lady! Calix!" Al heard his father's earning shout and looked over at Father in time to see him pointing a gun he'd created at Mei.

"I would rather you not keep squirming about, Hohenheim," Father chided as he forced Hohenheim back into himself. He cocked the weapon and moved his finger to the trigger.

"No!" Al shouted just as he reached Mei and Calix. In that moment, Father fired the gun but Al had manoeuvred himself so the back of his armour took the brunt of the shot.

"Alphonse!" Mei gasped in shock as she took in the hulking figure standing in front of her, covering both her and Calix.

"I'm alright," Al assured the young girl before he turned to face Father. "Calix, go back and help guard Teacher and Colonel Mustang please," Al instructed. The horse hesitated before nodding and heading back for the others. "Well, dad, sorry if this hurts you!" Al shouted as he clapped his hands and sent several pillars of stone heading for Father, only for the homunculous to block the attack with ease. A stone spear the size of Father suddenly flew past Al's head only to be stopped by Father. Al looked over to find Izumi standing near Mustang, Nala, Koda and Calix with a massive stone crossbow transmuted in front of her.

"His hands-free alchemy doesn't make for a very fair fight!" Izumi exclaimed as she loaded another spear and launched it at Father.

The homunculous destroyed the spear with a flick of his wrist before he looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling. Al got the feeling that he wasn't actually looking at something in it but rather at something only he could see or sense. "It appears that the time is upon us," Father said just as Greed dropped down from the ceiling and Ed turned to face Al, grinning victoriously.


Ed didn't watch as his brother left to give aid to the Xingese princess. He wasn't even surprised when Chester stuck with him rather than go and help Al. Out of the two brothers, only one of them wasn't able to get hurt and Ed wasn't that brother. He wouldn't have been surprised if Chester and Al had come to some sort of agreement at some time in the past that Chester was to help Ed over Al if it came down to it. Ed deflected some shadows that Pride had sent towards Chester while Ayala launched herself at the homunculous' throat, forcing him to move away if he wanted to avoid the wolf's teeth.

"What's the matter, Pride?" Ed asked sardonically. "Your attacks are a little more half-arsed than usual," Ed sneered as he threw a transmuted knife at the homunculous.

"Try not to get too confident," Pride said as he knocked the dagger out of the air before it made contact. "You haven't served your purpose yet so I can't –" Pride said but was cut off by Ed.

"So you can't kill me," Ed finished for him, sounding bored as he repeated the words before creating a stone springboard for Chester to use as the leopard leapt from his side to attack Pride. Ed watched as Pride dodged the leopard only to accidentally walk into Ayala's waiting strike. Pride snarled at her but the shadow he sent in retribution was deflected by another throwing knife from Ed. The wound Ayala inflicted didn't heal, rather it flaked away, leaving three black gashes in Pride's leg. "That means I've still got time to beat you then!" Ed said, deflecting another shadow with his arm before he was forced backwards by Ayala tugging on his jacket. The moment Ayala pulled him back, a large stone spike appeared between Ed and Pride. A glance proved it had been Mustang who sent it but Ed wasted no time yelling at the man for nearly killing him. Ayala hadn't even let go of his jacket when Ed clapped and slammed his hands into the spike, sending dozens of smaller ones straight for Pride.

"Really? Is that your plan?" Pride sneered as he dodged the spikes and rounded what was left of the one Mustang had sent. "Your stature has always led you to prove your worth by always fighting those who are larger than you but that means you don't have any experience fighting those smaller than you!" Pride exclaimed and Ed found himself pushing Ayala out of the way as Pride sent a wave of shadows at Ed, using them to mimic the earthen dome Hohenheim had trapped Pride in the night before.

"Ed!" Ayala and Chester shouted as they felt sympathy pain flare in several spots on their bodies. However, Ed wasn't as trapped as Pride had thought he was and the furious blonde leapt from the top of the shadow dome.

"You little fucker!" Ed snarled as he used his blade to strike out at Pride, who reeled back in shock. "You overlooked the simple fact that since I've always been on the shorter side and I did the fighting, I know exactly how a runt like you would try to win!" Ed informed him, grabbing the homunculous by the shoulders and headbutting him hard.

Pride let out a yelp as his container disintegrated even more and Ed reared back when he looked down at the homunculous and saw only half of his face. Pride immediately manipulated his shadows to create his missing eyes and hold his container together while he sent another shadow to try and take down Ed but the blonde used his right arm to deflect it once more, as though it was nothing more than an irritating fly.

"You know," Ed said as he transmuted a spear and used it to knock aside more shadows, "I was a little confused when you told Mustang that he was the most problematic State Alchemist for you guys," Ed said casually. "I was confused because I truly thought that I would've been the one you guys would've been keeping a wearier eye on."

Pride scoffed as he slashed the spear in half. "Arrogant human, aren't you?" he spat but Ed shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably," Ed agreed as he and Ayala helped provide Chester some cover so the leopard could ambush Pride from behind, "however it did get me thinking why I wasn't the one who caused you the most problems and I came to the realisation that none of you had any clue as to what I've done to your fellow homunculi," Ed said and that caused Pride to freeze for a moment as he narrowed his eyes. The momentary halt didn't mean Chester's attack wasn't dodged though and Ed felt the leopard's annoyance as Pride sidestepped him.

"What are you prattling on about? You haven't done anything to us, you pitiful human!" Pride snapped, lashing out with his shadows but Ed saw the concern in Pride's eyes. He doubted the concern was for his siblings but rather it was for what Ed was going to say.

"That's where you're wrong," Ed informed the homunculous. "Philosopher's Stones can be created by alchemy and as it turns out," Ed said, throwing another knife, "they can be destroyed with it as well," Ed told him.

Pride swatted the knife away. "That's not true. There's no such array," Pride spat as Chester managed to get a swipe in and gouged out more of Pride's leg.

"Up until a few weeks after Envy and Lust attacked Ches and I in the Fifth Laboratory, you would've been correct," Ed said with a nod and another spear thrown at Pride. "Like I told Envy before I destroyed him, I really do have you guys to thank for it. After all, if they hadn't attacked me and Envy hadn't caused me to end up in the hospital for weeks with nothing to do, I might not have decided to try and reverse engineer Doctor Marcoh's array with Al's help," Ed said. As he spoke, Ed was throwing knife after knife, taking steps towards the homunculous as he launched each weapon.

"But Envy –" Pride said as he used shadow after shadow to dodge the knives.

"Envy revealed what you were and he was the first homunculous I used our array on," Ed told him. "It was a complete success," Ed said coldly. "I then shared that array and the fact it works against stones and homunculi with Al, Teacher, Mustang and every other alchemist I could think of who I trusted," Ed informed the homunculous. "I even told General Armstrong about it during my first trip north and it turned out to be a good thing I did because she requested I dispose of the massive homunculous who'd dug his way into her base. I complied," Ed said.

"Kimblee said Sloth escaped," Pride said, eyes widening as he realised Kimblee had been either lying or misinformed. "I couldn't sense him in the tunnels anymore. Kimblee said he'd find out why."

"I destroyed him," Ed told Pride with no remorse. "I'm a little more surprised you never sensed Lust being destroyed by Teacher, if I'm being honest. After all, the two of you were in the same building at the time. I'd have thought you would've sensed that," Ed said, shrugging a shoulder as Ayala and Chester kept Pride from lashing out at him while Ed continued his approach.

"Lust?" Pride repeated, sounding almost dazed, and Ed nodded.

"Like I said earlier, we won't just let you or your Father try and kill us for your gain without fighting back," Ed said, clapping his hands together as he envisioned his stone destroying array. Pride's eyes opened in genuine fear and Ed was a little taken aback to see that expression on the homunculous' face. Before Pride could do anything, Ed closed the distance between them and placed his hands on Pride's shoulders.

Pride's eyes widened further as he felt the transmutation take effect. "How is this possible? There was no way we could be beaten by humans," Pride whispered as shock overtook him while his stone was slowly destroyed.

"This was always going to happen," Ed informed him and Pride's one human eye looked up at Ed. "You were always going to lose the moment you chose the five of us as sacrifices. You were just too egotistical to see it coming." With those final words, Pride disintegrated completely and Ed shuddered as he felt the few souls remaining in his stone thank him just as the others had done before they disappeared.


Ed had just turned to find Al and give him a triumphant smile, noting Greed's appearance next to his brother with slight confusion when Father spoke. "It appears that the time is upon us," Father said but before Ed could say anything, black shadows – not unlike Pride's – shot out from Father's body and wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his side, causing him to shout in shock and fear.

"Ed!" Ayala shouted as she leapt to try and destroy his bindings only to watch as her human was dragged away from her before she could touch them. Both she and Chester raced after him and they watched in horror as the same thing happened to Mustang, Izumi and Al.

"Ed!" Greed shouted as the blonde was dragged past him and Ayala was certain she heard Ed call for him as he was forced towards Father.

Calix, Koda and Nala were soon level with Chester and Ayala as they all tried to reach their human while Father continued pulling them with him as he walked towards his destroyed throne. Ayala almost skidded to a stop in shock when Hohenheim appeared from Father as the homunculous continued walking. Like Ed, all four of the other sacrifices were bound tightly with Father's shadows as they were forced to kneel in front of Father as he sat.

"Oh no, we can't have the five of you try and free my sacrifices. Not when we're just about to finally see the fruits of my labour," Father said, raising a hand and Ayala felt herself being grabbed by a shadow and holding her in place, no matter how hard she struggled.

"Ayala!" Ed shouted, renewing his struggled against his own binds as he tried to free himself to come to his wolf's aid. He barely heard or saw the others shouting and doing the same thing.

Father sighed before doing something to the shadows holding them and Ed couldn't stop the yelp of pain from sounding as the shadows tightened harshly around him. "I'm done indulging your frivolity," Father said sternly. Ed watched as Mei went to dart forward to help but a look from the blonde to Greed had the homunculous stop the princess. "It's time to put you to work, my sacrifices," Father said with relish and somehow, Ed knew the eclipse was starting in that moment.

"This planet of ours," Father said as he grinned while they continued to struggle as much as they could, "have you ever considered the possibility that it might, in fact, be a life form of its own?" Father asked and Ed felt his eyes widen slightly. He noticed Hohenheim's doing the same thing. "Actually, it might be more accurate to refer to it as a vast nervous system. One that's retained its every memory since its inception and has witnessed the universe unfold," Father said, continuing his monologue as though he wasn't holding ten people and Animals against their will or about to destroy a country full of people and Animals. "Just think of the massive quantity of information that such a system would hold," Father said, a touch of wistfulness in his voice. "An even better question is how much power could one gain if the opened that system's gateway? Have you ever considered that? Think about it," Father said, looking at all of them as the horror of what Father was saying sank into all of them. "Now that I have you all gathered; I shall use you as sacrifices to open the planet's gateway!" Father declared and Ed felt massive power pulse through him as though a big wave rolled over him.

"That's a pretty good plan, pops!" Greed said from behind the seated homunculous and Ed gasped, having not noticed the homunculous even move. "Hope you don't mind me using it for myself!" Greed said as he literally tore Father in half. Ed felt the shadows gripping him tightly grow lax and felt a small flame of hope ignite in his chest.

"He got him," Ed sighed in relief. A look around at the others told him they clearly thought the same thing, the only exceptions were Hohenheim and Calix but Ed paid them no mind as he shoved the limp shadows away from him, ready to get to Ayala's side and make sure she was alright.

"I figured you would try to attack me," Father's voice sounded from the goop Greed had rendered him to and Ed shouted in pain as the shadows he'd almost escaped from wrapped back around him viciously. His pained shout mingled with the various noises the others made as Father tightened his grip on them as well. "It would seem that you have forgotten that you were born from my extracted avarice. Anything you might happen to desire, I can assure you that I desired it first," Father informed Greed, getting to his feet before he grabbed the homunculous by the throat and threw him into the wall beyond where the sacrifices knelt. Ed couldn't see Mei but he hoped the little princess had done the right thing and hid herself somewhere.

Hohenheim forced himself onto his side and pressed a palm against the floor, sending a wave of spikes towards Father but they never reached him. Rather, they struck some kind of shield and crumbled into tiny pieces. Father didn't seem to notice them as he took a seat on his throne once more. "The very centre of this world is right here!" Father shouted in glee as he slammed his fist onto an array Ed hadn't noticed thanks to all his struggling. The array glowed blue with alchemic energy and Ed couldn't stop himself from struggling harder as fear filled him.

"You evil bastard!" Hohenheim shouted the slur as the five sacrifices felt their portals being opened once more.

Ed looked down at his stomach and saw the all-too familiar eye blinking open as Father forced their portals to show themselves. Ed let out a pained cry as his gateway opened against his will. The others were in the same situation as him and he couldn't stop the feeling that this was it. They'd lost the fight and Amestris was going to be decimated as a result. He'd never see Granny, Den, Winry, Michella, the Hughes' or any of the other people and Animals he'd come to call friends and family again and it would be because he hadn't been able to stop Father.

Black liquid poured into the room, swallowing them all as it rose through the room and started swamping everything and everyone in its path as it flooded Central at first then Amestris as a whole. The liquid eventually released Ed, the other sacrifices and their Animals but Ed still felt its suffocating grip on him as he fought to stop Father from draining his gateway. "Fight for me!" Ed heard Father shout as blackness rapidly encroached Ed's vision. He saw Al slump where he sat, followed shortly by Mustang then Izumi. "Share your energy!" Ed watched as the Animals grew still where they lay and the momentary panic that they were dead Ed felt was enough of a distraction from his internal fight to stop Father for the homunculous to pull more energy from him. It was too much energy drained too quickly and blackness overtook his vision entirely as Ed lost consciousness.


"Is everyone alright? What happened?" The first thing Ed heard was Mustang's worried voice as he slowly returned to consciousness. He forced his eyes open and realised he was laying on his side on the ground with Ayala standing over him. It wasn't until he'd sat up and done an internal check of himself to figure out any injuries he might have acquired that a sudden, overwhelming sense of loss hit him hard.

"Brother?" Ed heard Al's voice but it sounded like his little brother was under water. "Ed! What's wrong?" Al cried as he rushed to his brother's side as he realised the elder of the two was close to hyperventilating.

"Fullmetal?" Mustang asked, looking blindly around before Nala offered to resume the sight-share that had been stopped when Father had first grabbed Mustang. When Mustang was connected to Nala's vision, he saw Ed kneeling on the ground, chest heaving as he struggled to draw in a breath. Izumi and Hohenheim beat Mustang to the blonde's side, joining Al, Chester and the other Animals – Nala being the only exception since she was acting as Mustang's eyes and needed to walk at Mustang's pace so he could avoid any obstacles.

"Ed, what's happening?" Izumi asked, voice a lot softer than Al was used to. She was rubbing the blonde's back soothingly as she tried to help him quell his growing panic. Izumi and Hohenheim shared a look and the raven-haired woman suddenly got the feeling that Hohenheim knew exactly what was happening to her student.

Before Izumi could try and beat the answers out of Hohenheim, Ed spoke. "I can't feel them," he nearly sobbed and Mustang felt his heart clench at the sight of tears slowly rolling down Ed's face. "The Animals. I can't feel any of the ones outside this room," Ed clarified with another sob. "Leo, Lilith, Soren, Suna, Michella, Den. I can feel where their bonds with me are supposed to be but they're like empty voids! I can't feel any of them anymore!" Everyone's breaths hitched as they realised what Ed was saying. "They're all gone!" Ed gasped.

Izumi was the quickest to react and she grabbed Ed and held him close, tucking his head under her chin as she hugged him tightly. Mustang watched as Ed's hands grabbed at her shirt the way a small child would grab their mother. Tears rolled silently down Izumi's face as she held onto Ed while Al placed one metal hand on his brother's back in a show of comfort. Chester, Ayala and Koda forced themselves into the group hug as they tried their best to comfort Ed as best as they could while they came to terms with the fact that everyone they knew outside of this room were lying somewhere in Amestris dead. Nala didn't wait for Mustang's permission as she shoved herself in between Ayala and Chester so she could nuzzle Ed's face. Only Hohenheim, Calix and Mustang remained standing awkwardly around the group, unsure of whether their attempts to calm the blonde would be welcome or not. Calix noticed the young Xingese princess who had valiantly fought against Homunculous and one of the two remaining homunculi children created by Homunculous approach the group in an almost cautious manner.

Hohenheim finally moved after a few moments and crouched in front of Ed, carefully pushing the three Animals in front of the blonde out of his way. Once he could see Ed's face, Hohenheim pressed a hand against his cheek, causing Ed to open one golden eye to see who was touching him. "Remember the plan, Ed," Hohenheim said softly to the blonde. "They aren't gone for good. They'll be back soon," he promised his son, heart wrenching as he took in the vulnerability Ed was unable to hide from them all.

"Dad's right, Ed," Al said just as softly. "We'll get them back and you can take your anger and grief out on that bastard who caused this to happen," Al said.

Mustang watched through Nala's eyes, relieved as the familiar spark slowly returned to Ed's eyes; the one that told everyone he wasn't about to give up and that he would win no matter what it took. "You're right," Ed finally said, sniffling slightly. "We'll get them back. All of them and then that bearded bastard is going to learn exactly why you should never piss off an Elric," Ed growled, scrubbing his face with his left hand, swiping away any tears that lingered.

"Or a Curtis," Izumi said as she stood tall, Koda standing behind her.

"Or a Mustang." Ed's eyes snapped over to his commanding officer, noting the blue rings around his clouded eyes, then down to the hand bound with black strips of his shirt that the man had extended for him.

Instead of the embarrassment and shame he expected to feel after finding out he'd cried in front of Mustang, Ed felt relief at seeing the man standing there. Whether it was because he knew Mustang was an alchemist powerful enough to be on his level or because he was grateful that the man was still willing to fight beside them, Ed didn't know, but Ed grabbed the man's offered hand and allowed him to pull the blonde to his feet. Ed was sure he didn't imagine the comforting squeeze Mustang gave his left hand before he released it.

"You have done well, my faithful sacrifices." The sound of Father's voice had everyone looking over at the throne the homunculous had sat on before they'd all lost consciousness.

Ed wasn't the only one to reel backwards when instead of being greeted by the monster they'd fought against not even half an hour before or even the washed-out version of Hohenheim Father had looked like when Ed and Al first met him, they saw a much younger version of Hohenheim sitting on the stone throne. He looked around 20, if Ed had to guess, and his skin, eyes and hair were as vibrant as Hohenheim and Ed's own. He slouched in the throne, sitting with his head resting on his left hand while his left elbow rested on the arm of the throne. He was dressed only in a white cloth that wrapped around his waist, secured tightly on his left hip.

"You mean you actually did it?" Hohenheim asked, acting as though nothing had happened with Ed earlier. It didn't pass any of them that Hohenheim had moved slightly in front of both his sons, as though protecting them from something.

"Yes," Father said simply. "I have done what I set out to do and acquired god."

"'Acquired god'?" Ed repeated scornfully. "That isn't possible!"

"Unfortunately," Hohenheim was the one to answer, glancing over his shoulder to look at his oldest son, "it is with a great enough amount of energy," he told him.

"Wait, what energy?" Ed asked, brows furrowing in confusion before his face went slack as he realised what Hohenheim was referring to. "You mean a Philosopher's Stone?" Ed asked, fingers reaching for Ayala as he sought some sort of warmth. Ayala readily provided it.

"No, it can't be!" Al protested. "Does that mean everyone was turned into a Philosopher's Stone?" Al asked. Ed was quick to offer what comfort he could to his brother but he didn't know what good it was doing considering he was feeling the exact same amount of horror and refusal to believe what the two near-immortals were saying. Both Chester and Ayala were huddled up against the two brothers, their own grief evident through their bonds.

"How many people were sacrificed for this?" Mei asked, her voice small as she approached Al. Xao-Mei was sitting subdued on her shoulder, looking just as despondent as her owner. Al placed a comforting metal gauntlet on her other shoulder.

"Amestris is a large country," Mustang said, voice flat and emotionless. "At least 50 million people and probably 20 to 30 million Animals total," Mustang told them.

"You fucking bastard!" Ed snarled, unable to stop himself from clapping, ready to launch an attack but Father tapped one finger of his right hand and they were all hit with a white wave. Ed immediately felt something he'd only ever felt once before but he still slammed his hands to the ground, hoping he was wrong. "Damn you!" Ed snarled when nothing happened.

"Your alchemy won't do you any good here," Father informed them, a bored look on his face. "Farewell, sacrifices," he said, raising his right hand, palm facing the roof. A tiny orange speck glowed just above his palm before it rapidly grew until it was roughly the size of a large apple. It glowed a molten orange and Ed could feel the heat radiating off of it as he stood straight once more.

"What are you-? What is that?" Hohenheim asked, eyeing the glowing, rotating ball apprehensively.

"The power of god is at my control," Father informed him. "With that, I can do anything. For instance," Father said, nodding to the creation in his hand, "I can create a sun right in the palm of my hand. Shall I turn its flame loose in here? What do you think?" Father asked malevolently, making the miniature sun spin a little faster in his hand. Suddenly, Father's eyes widened as a pulse radiated from him.

"Your plan of inviting god to this world was a flawed one," Hohenheim informed Father in the same tone of voice a teacher would use on a student who had failed an assignment. "We've been plotting against you since the moment you set it in motion," Hohenheim revealed as another pulse went through Father. "Over the many long years that have kept me and Calix from our family, my sons and wife, I have performed calculation after careful calculation," Hohenheim told him. "I've arranged my own Philosopher's Stone, the friends who have resided in me for so long, in preparation for this very day!" As Hohenheim finished speaking, yet another pulse rolled through Father.

"So you've planted your own Philosopher's Stone," Father sneered as he struggled to control the small sun. "They're merely points. They will not activate without a circle. It's one of the most basic rules of alchemy!" Father said smugly

"Oh but we do have a circle," Hohenheim informed him, causing Father's smug expression to falter. "It's one of enormous power and it can be self-activated even if something should happen to incapacitate me!" Hohenheim said with a victorious grin as he felt the souls he'd drawn out of his stone to place around Amestris tell him they were moments away from being used. "The moon's shadow cast upon this world by the eclipse is my circle!" Hohenheim revealed as the souls of his friends long since gone shouted in joy at the prospect of being able to save another country from going through what they had as the moon's shadow reached all of them.

"Even now you think you can still stop me! You're a fool, Hohenheim!" Father shouted as the reverse array Hohenheim had put in place started activating across the country.

"That's the very reason I came back!" Hohenheim shouted back at him. "It's time you remember your place, Dwarf in the Flask!"

Father shouted as the sun in his hand extinguished without his say so. The shout increased in volume as he was forced to his knees, mouth opening impossibly wide as hundreds upon thousands of souls rushed out of his mouth to find their physical bodies. Ed and the others watched in stunned fascination as the souls left through the hole Mei had created. Ed gasped as he felt his bond with Soren ignite, followed by Leo, Mark, Suna, Rachel, all the Animals he was bonded to until he could feel them all once again.

"They're all back. All the Animals," Ed said, laughing joyously as he felt all his bonds repair. "It worked," he said, looking at everyone, eyes sparkling with undiluted joy. "Suna, Soren; I can feel everyone again." Izumi let out a sigh of relief, as did Mustang.

"Yes, it did," Hohenheim said, a pleased tone in his voice as he looked at Ed. "The people and Animals of Amestris have had their souls returned to their own bodies and with nothing more than the souls of the Xerxians he already had, I doubt he could continue to control that which he calls god," Hohenheim said, looking at Father with contempt in his eyes.

"I can always create another stone!" Father shrieked, looking and sounding unhinged. "I am not through! There are more! A billion humans I can draw energy from!" Father screeched, spit flying from his lips as his eyes bulged madly.

The homunculous created a purple ball of energy that he threw at the group but Hohenheim stepped in front of them and deflected it upwards, sending it through the hole Mei had created in the ceiling. Ed could hear dull crashes that grew more distant as the attack continued through the floors of Central Command. Another purple ball of energy was sent towards them but this time, it was stopped by a blue energy shield.

"Mei!" Al gasped as he took in the sight of the Xingese princess crouching in the middle of the group. Somehow, she's managed to create an array and throw her kunai into the points without any of them noticing her.

"Detecting and using the power that flows within the ground is what alkahestrists do!" Mei told him as she kept the shield raised while Father continued pouring power into his attack. "What's more, the greater the power the other side has, the greater the power that I can use becomes!" Mei said with a grin before she noticed movement. "Look out! Behind you!" Mei yelled out Hohenheim, who turned immediately on his heels and threw up a shield of his own to bolster Mei's just as Father tried using another attack to get to them.

"I don't have what it takes to fight his energy for long!" Hohenheim warned as Father pushed against their shields.

"Fight as hard as you can, sir!" Mei yelled encouragingly. "I can't hold on much longer!" she shouted as one of her kunai started wobbling on its point as the energy became more than it could bear.

"It's no use!" Hohenheim shouted, finding himself sliding backwards on the stone only to be held in place by his sons and Animal.

"Come on, dad!" Al shouted as he used his shoulder to hold Hohenheim in place. "Hang on!"

"Just stay focused, for fuck's sake!" Ed snarled at him as he took in the situation with squinted eyes. "Chester, keep that kunai in place!" Ed ordered the leopard, nodding to the kunai closest to him. "Ayala, Nala, Koda, get ready in case the others start moving!" Ed watched as the Animals did as they were told. Chester used both his paws to hold the kunai as best he could but it was obvious the leopard was struggling with it.

"I can only do so much, boys," Hohenheim told them softly as Calix pushed against the centre of his shoulder blades. "I'm just a decrepit old man but I'll give it everything these old bones can do!" Hohenheim said, almost shouting in his determination to keep his boys safe as he pushed back against Father.

"If this doesn't end soon, dad's Philosopher's Stone will burn out!" Al hissed to Ed in warning and Ed snarled.

"You done yet, Scar?!" Ed shouted, looking up through the hole Mei had created, hoping against hope the Ishvalen above them could hear him and would get a move on.


Ed wasn't sure whether or not he was imagining it but after a few moments of shouting at Scar on the off chance the Ishvalen could hear him, Ed felt like his alchemy was growing more powerful. Like it had been dammed up inside of him and something had broken through one of the dam walls, releasing all the pent-up energy. The amount of unrealised power he could feel almost overwhelmed him and he struggled to adjust to it. From the gasps behind him, he knew Mustang, Al and Izumi could feel the same thing. The fact that their alchemy now felt unhindered could only mean one thing.

"It's coming!" Hohenheim's shouted warning barely came before the full extent of Scar's brother's array was felt.

Giving a shout as the rush of just how much alchemic energy was at his fingertips, Ed clapped his hands together and send dozens of spikes over Hohenheim's form and piercing into the ground as he chased Father through the room with them. Though he didn't get the homunculous, Ed did cause plenty of destruction to the room, including the throne upon which Father once sat. "How do you like that?" Ed snarled as both Mei and Hohenheim stopped powering the shield. "Your little throne has been reduced to rubble and I think it's just about damned time the same thing happened to you!" Ed declared as he and Al ran forward to keep launching attacks at Father.

Izumi, Ayala, Chester and Koda didn't hesitate to follow the boys but Nala elected to stay close to Mustang since she was still his eyes. Mustang didn't bother encouraging her to join the fight, even though he knew she wanted to help protect the blonde who was now using cannons he'd transmuted to send cannonballs straight for Father. His lioness' confidence had been shaken when she'd first linked vision with him after his sight had been stolen and had followed Ed's suggestion to use their linked vision so Mustang could send attacks of his own. Their one and only attempt had nearly skewered the blonde because Nala had chosen the wrong moment to focus of Ed.

It had been an accident and Mustang wasn't entirely sure Ed had even noticed what had nearly happened since the blonde had simply used the spike Mustang had created to try and skewer Pride but Nala had been beside herself, berating herself for being so stupid and nearly hurting Ed. Mustang hadn't been able to convince her that she wasn't at fault and he knew that the lioness would need to hear that she was forgiven from Ed before she could try and forgive herself. Since that had happened though, Mustang had been unable to convince Nala to try again while Pride was still alive and he knew he wouldn't be able to do so right now so they were stuck on the sidelines with Greed, Hohenheim, Calix and Mei.

"Is it really true?" Mei asked, looking up at Hohenheim and getting everyone else's attention. "Did you really make a circle out of your friends' souls?"

"That's right and it worked perfectly," Hohenheim said, a touch of sadness to his voice as he mourned the permanent loss of some of his friends and countrymen. "After that, Scar created a reverse circle to correct the corrupted alchemy of this country," Hohenheim told her. "It was actually Scar's brother who discovered a secret long kept through tireless research," Hohenheim revealed, apparently not realising Mei had been with Al and Scar when they'd found the hidden research nor that she'd been the one to figure out how to decode the notes. "Using the existence of the nationwide transmutation circle as his base, he applied his knowledge of alkahestry and developed what is known as a reverse transmutation circle. That circle rendered the Philosopher's Stone under Amestris ineffective thus, it's now enabling the alchemists here to once again harness tectonic energy to its fullest extent," Hohenheim finished explaining.

"Brother!" The shout for Ed had everyone searching for the blonde only to find him slowly picking himself up off the ground, unaware of the energy ball Father was creating. Ayala was racing her way through the debris to get to Ed as quickly as she could, ready to get in between the attack and her boy if it meant saving his life.

Father released the attack, launching it straight at Ed who looked up in time to see it coming for him. Mustang felt Ed's name leave his lips as he watched his youngest subordinate's eyes widen in fear as he realised there was no way he could evade the attack in time when someone got in between them and the attack was diverted into a nearby wall. "Keep it coming with all that you've got!" Hohenheim shouted as he lowered his shield while Ed finished getting to his feet behind him. "We need to keep making him use his Philosopher's Stone! He'll run out of energy that way!"

"And when will that be?" Ed asked, gasping slightly as a familiar pain in his ribs made itself known as he straightened. Ayala was now at his side and fussing over him, ignoring his attempts at reassuring the wolf that he was fine.

"I'm not sure but we have to keep trying," Hohenheim told him and Ed nodded. Mustang could see the young man was tired but that infamous Elric stubbornness made itself known as Ed launched another attack at Father.

"Take this!" Izumi yelled as she launched an attack of her own only for Father to sidestep it and it landed off to the side of his once-throne. To their surprise, the floor cracked open and revealed a large cauldron full of red-hot lava that rose up from the ground.

"Sweet memories!" Greed exclaimed as he attacked the other homunculous. "That's the exact same tub I took a bath in when you decided to destroy my original body!" Greed said as Father continued blocking Greed's attack with a shield. "Now it's your turn!"

"Get out of the way, Greed!" Ed shouted as he and Ayala ran to the massive cauldron. Greed did as he was told with no complaints – surprising Ed somewhat – as Ed clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. Blue energy danced from them, along the floor and to the stone slab the cauldron sat upon before the slab started lifting off the ground, sending the lava flowing over Father, just as Ed intended it to do. "Oh get fucked!" Ed snarled in disbelief when instead of being burned alive, Father transmuted a pillar beneath himself and sent it skywards, disappearing through the hole created by Mei before he headed through the path his original attack after losing the souls created in the other floors and sending debris flying.

A few moments later, Hohenheim gasped in horror. "That bastard! He's trying to create another Philosopher's Stone from the soldiers on the ground!" Without sparing another moment, Hohenheim mimicked Father's earlier transmutation and sent himself and Calix heading for the homunculous on a pillar of their own. Greed didn't bother saying anything as he started climbing up the pillar Father had created, leaping from handhold to handhold to get himself up there further.


Izumi turned to face her students and nodded to them. "Go after them," she ordered, not waiting for their response as she turned to Mustang. "We need to get you to someplace safe," she told the colonel kindly. Despite the fact that his eyes were still ringed in blue, Izumi knew the man wouldn't be able to defend himself or others since his lioness no longer trusted herself to help him aim the attacks.

"I'm sorry," Mustang said to the woman but was stopped when she shook her head.

"Don't be," she admonished him gently and Mustang gave a simple nod.

"Brother!" Al shouted, getting the attention of the others. Izumi frowned as she tried to figure out what was holding Ed up when she saw Ayala and Chester were being pinned down by debris that had been moved when Father escaped.

"Al! Go on ahead!" Ed ordered, flapping a hand at the armour. "I'll follow once I've got them out and healed!" Al hesitated in his movements and Izumi knew he was once again warring with himself about whether he did as his brother said or not.

"Come on, Al!" Izumi ordered as she and Koda moved closer to Mustang and Nala. "You heard your brother!" she said and that caused Al to do as they'd both said. Nodding once, Al clapped his hands just as Mei scurried over to him and stood next to him. Al placed his hands on the ground and sent the two of them following the same path as his father and Homunculous had done moments ago. "You better not dawdle, Ed!" Izumi threatened as she clapped her hands together and Ed nodded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Ed shouted back as she sent the stone hand she'd created skywards.

Izumi came to a stop almost as soon as they'd cleared the hole created by the Xingese princess when she saw General Armstrong, Major Armstrong, Sig, Suna and the soldiers and Animals she'd been with when she disappeared helping a bloodied and badly injured Ishvalen man. There were also three chimeras, another Xingese woman, Lieutenant Hawkeye and her Animal nearby, speaking with the soldiers. The last thing Izumi noticed was the still, armless body of Wrath lying abandoned a few metres away from them. "Darling!" she greeted Sig happily as the man noticed her and Koda.

"Izumi!" Sig boomed in joy as he held his wife close. Both Koda and Suna joined in on the hug as they allowed themselves to succumb to the happiness they all felt at the other's survival.

Izumi was the one to break up the group hug. "This is no time for happy reunions. We're not finished fighting just yet," Izumi said sternly and Sig and Suna both stepped back, though they didn't leave the stone hand Izumi had created. "I need you to look after Mustang and Nala," Izumi said, helping the colonel down off the stone hand. Sig had jumped down upon realising what was happening and helped Mustang the rest of the way down since he and Nala had disconnected their sight.

"Right," Sig said in agreement as he pulled Mustang away from the edge and closer to the group. Nala joined him immediately, eyes watching everyone wearily as she readied herself to defend Mustang if need be.

"Colonel!" Hawkeye called as she spotted the black-haired man, rushing over to him as Soren fluttered above her. "Colonel, are you alright?" Hawkeye asked once she was next to him.

"Like I said, we've still got some business we need to deal with up above. Be seeing you!" Izumi called, waving goodbye to Sig as she and Koda stepped back into the centre of the hand.

"Be careful, love!" Sig called back. Izumi nodded before she clapped her hands and continued the transmutation she had stopped, disappearing from their sight, ready to put an end to this battle once and for all.


"Let's get him!" Hohenheim heard the roar go up from a soldier as he brought his platform up to a stop, level with the courtyard in front of him. His eyes widened as he saw Homunculous holding his hand out and draining the soldiers within reach of their lives.

Hohenheim immediately threw a boulder at him, breaking his concentration and preventing him from killing the men he was slowly choking. "I won't let you devour anymore people!" Hohenheim informed him as Homunculous glared at him.

"Dad!" The call from his youngest son came from behind him and he watched as Al and Mei jumped off the platform he'd created just as Izumi and Koda appeared on their own platform. All four of them joined Hohenheim and Calix where they stood.

"He was hoping to use those soldiers to create another Philosopher's Stone," Hohenheim informed them, confirming his earlier theory. He wanted to ask after Edward and his sons' Animals but Father distracted him.

"What else are all these pitiful powerless humans for?" the homunculous asked coldly.

"You insist on treating humans as a lower lifeform but don't you see?" Hohenheim couldn't help but try and stop Father with his words first. "Only from them can a Philosopher's Stone be created and only through a stone can a homunculous arise but what does a homunculous produce?" Hohenheim asked. "What do you create?" Father didn't say anything as he watched Hohenheim with a glare. "Creation is all and you've done nothing but destroy. You may think you've reached a perfect state of being but in truth, all you've reached is a dead end!" Hohenheim informed him.

"I can create," Father told him, making Hohenheim jerk back in surprise. "Shall I produce some humans for you?" Without waiting for an answer, Father opened his jaw wide and small white blobs fell from his mouth. The moment they touched the ground, the blobs morphed into people, taking on forms that Hohenheim recognised.

"Alchemist, I sought eternity," the mockery that was the Xerxian King said as he reached for Hohenheim. "Don't you see I'm still alive?"

Calix got in front of Hohenheim in an attempt to keep the Xerxians ghosts from reaching him. Hohenheim glanced behind him to see a baby gurgling at Izumi's feet, tugging on her pants leg with its chubby hands while she hid her face in Koda's fur, ignoring the sounds as best she could. Al was surrounded by four or five small children reaching for him but Al was shaking his head and murmuring something to himself too low for Hohenheim to hear him. Mei was trying to keep one of the women created from coming close enough to her to touch her but the princess was losing ground.

"This is wrong! How dare you do this to those souls? Haven't they already suffered enough at your hands, you bastard?" Hohenheim roared at Father, who now had a massive grin on his face.

There was a sound behind him and Hohenheim turned back around to see his eldest son and the two missing Animals on yet another platform. Ed's eyes widened in shock then fear as he watched something happen from beyond Hohenheim and he was quick to twist his body around both Chester and Ayala. Hohenheim felt Calix shove him backwards and the older man turned back around in time to see a blinding white energy devour the Xerxians Homunculous had created. Hohenheim didn't waste a moment as he surged forward.


Ed watched as Izumi took Mustang, Nala and Koda out of the room before he turned to the Animals trapped in the debris. Both Ayala and Chester had managed to get themselves pinned by chunks of stone though, much to Ed's relief, neither of them had a chunk sitting directly on top of them. "Alright, how badly injured are the two of you?" Ed asked as he crouched down next to Ayala. He had no idea how his wolf had managed to get pinned since she had been by his side but somehow, she'd done so.

"My leg's broken," Ayala said. "The left back one," she added and Ed nodded, now understanding why he hadn't felt that much sympathy pain. You can't feel pain, sympathy or otherwise, in a limb you didn't have, after all.

"Broken ribs and I'm pretty sure I'm bleeding internally," Chester groaned and a quick look with his energy told Ed the leopard was right.

"I also have a pretty painful cut on my back. Feels pretty bad," Ayala said, twitching a shoulder and making sympathy pain flare along Ed's back, running from his left shoulder down to his spine, ending in between his shoulder blades.

"Okay," Ed said as he thought through what he'd need to do. "I'm gonna release and heal Chester first," Ed told them and Ayala nodded in understanding. "You ready, Ches?"

"As I'll ever be," the leopard replied.

Ed took it as the permission he needed before he clapped his hands together and placed them on the ground. The stone chunks surrounding the leopard rippled and melted into each other, freeing Chester and creating enough room for Ed to get in next to him. "Here we go," Ed warned and Chester nodded. Ed clapped his hands together once more before releasing the green energy contained inside him. "Heal!"

Chester writhed as he felt his broken bones knit back together and the ruptured organs and blood vessels mend while the blood that had leaked where it shouldn't have was forced back into his circulatory system where it belonged. After a minute or so, Ed stopped the transmutation, leaving Chester almost fully healed. The only injuries that remained were small nicks and bruises that weren't dangerous enough for Ed to waste energy on healing.

"Thanks, Ed," Chester said as he got to his feet and stretched out the remaining aches from his body caused by being trapped.

"You're welcome," Ed said, giving the leopard a pat before he got to his feet and walked the few metres to where Ayala was trapped. "Your turn," he told the wolf.

"I'm ready," Ayala told him and Ed nodded before repeating the same transmutation he'd used to free the leopard earlier. As the stone shifted off her, her numerous injuries made themselves painfully known and she bit down on a yelp of pain.

"Alright, I need to move your leg into place before I can heal you, okay?" Ed said and Ayala nodded, not opening her eyes. There was a sharp pain accompanied by a sickening grating feeling as Ed shifted her broken leg into place and Ayala couldn't hold back her pained whimpers anymore. "Sorry! Sorry, I'm done," Ed said, letting go of her leg and Ayala felt her chest heave as she fought down the nausea.

"It's alright," Ayala said, opening her eyes so Ed knew she wasn't lying just to comfort him.

"Good because now I need to heal you," Ed told her and she groaned. "I've gotta clean that back wound out first," Ed said. Before she could ask how he intended to do that, Ed clapped his hands and created a bubble of water the size of his face. Keeping a hold on the liquid with the transmutation, Ed placed the liquid into the cut on Ayala's back and washed out anything that shouldn't have been in there. Ayala forced herself to stay still throughout the duration and soon enough, Ed was moving the dirty and bloody water away and allowing it to drop from his hold, splashing onto the ground. "Now, I'm gonna heal you," Ed warned and Ayala nodded. One clap and a bark of 'heal' from Ed later, Ayala felt her injuries mend themselves in the familiar painful, itching sensation that came with their healing energy being used.

Once Ed had stopped the transmutation, Ayala got to her feet and shook out her filthy fur before she mimicked Chester's early move and stretched. "Thanks, Ed," Ayala said as she gave Ed's filthy cheek a quick lick.

"Seriously?" Ed grumbled as he wiped off her saliva, glaring at her and sighing when she just grinned happily at him. "Alright, let's go finish this fight," Ed said as he got to his feet. The last couple of hours of fighting and the emotional toll he'd felt from losing most of the Animals he was bonded with were starting to catch up on him but he knew they weren't done yet so he pushed it right back down.

"After you," Ayala said and Ed nodded before leading the two Animals to the same spot Al, Mei, Izumi, Hohenheim and Father had all disappeared from using platforms of their creation.

Since Ed only saw the pillars belonging to the hand Izumi had created and platform Al and Mei had used, he assumed Father and Hohenheim had destroyed theirs for whatever reason. Making sure both Animals were next to him, Ed clapped and created a flat platform to send them towards the courtyard he could sense Koda and Calix were in. As they rose, Ed saw Mustang with Hawkeye, the Armstrong siblings, chimeras, Lan Fan, Greed, Sig and soldiers he didn't recognise as well as Animals he did and didn't know.

"Stay safe, Ed," Nala said as he rose past them and Ed nodded, giving the lioness a smile to try and assure her he would do his best. His eyes spotted the corpse belonging to Bradley and felt a vindictive pleasure at seeing the human-turned-homunculous lying dead, his body being ignored by the soldiers he'd ruled over. He could feel both Animals glaring at the dead Fuhrer as though they could set his corpse on fire just with their hate.

They finally drew level with the two platforms used by Al, Mei and Izumi and Ed brought the transmutation to a stop. Before he could move, he felt the Animals burr up at whatever they saw in front of them. Lifting his eyes, he felt them widen as he took in the white beings behind Hohenheim and near Al, Izumi and Mei. His first thought had been the mannequins they'd fought earlier but these creatures looked too human. Before he could get a word out, he saw Homunculous raise his hands, an evil grin on his face and Ed didn't hesitate as he moved himself around the two Animals, pulling them down and in front of him as he covered them with his body. He shut his eyes just as the blinding white light hit them then some kind of energy rolled past him and Ed felt himself lose consciousness.


"Colonel, are you injured?" Hawkeye asked, trying to get the man to answer her as she took in his appearance. "What's missing?" she asked before sucking in a breath as she met his clouded eyes ringed with the sight-share blue.

Mustang was distracted slightly by Nala focusing her eyes somewhere else. It took a moment for him to realise that Ed, Ayala and Chester were rising past them. Nala said something to Ed that caused the blonde to smile at her but she'd kept it from Mustang. Her eyes focused back on the scene in front of them. "My sight is gone," he confirmed, bringing his mind back to the situation at hand. "Lieutenant, how are your injuries?" Mustang asked, not wanting her pity right this moment. He could feel the looks from everyone else he was getting but he focused on his lieutenant and hoping she would be well enough to help him with his plans.

"My injuries?" Hawkeye repeated, confusion in her voice as Soren landed on her shoulder. "Don't worry about me. Just worry about yourself for once!" Hawkeye said but Mustang shook his head.

"Lieutenant, can you fight?" Mustang asked pointedly and Hawkeye's eyes widened as she realised what he was asking.

"Yes, sir!" she said sharply and Mustang nodded in satisfaction. Before they could do anything, a large explosion from above followed by voices nearby caught their attention and Mustang tilted his head to hear them better.

"Ed's been knocked out!" Nala's panicked voice told Mustang before anyone else could say anything and from the worried gasp he heard from his lieutenant, Mustang assumed Soren had passed along the same message. Mustang didn't get the chance to ask for detail when someone he thought was Darius spoke.

"What's happening, Greed?" Darius asked and Mustang felt his brows rise in surprise. He'd thought the homunculous was already above ground but obviously he was mistaken. At least this meant he could get some answers about what had happened to his youngest subordinate.

"Oh not much," Greed said, a false calm in his voice. "The father of the homunculi is just going berserk out there so let's go! We'll need anyone who can still fight!" Greed said, before he started pointing to people in the crowd standing on the stone platform Alex Louise Armstrong had created. Mustang was shocked to see it as he hadn't even heard it being created nor had he heard them all getting on it. "You!" he said to Sig, who was still on the ground beside Mustang, Hawkeye and Nala before gesturing to others on the platform. "That fat frog-man and the two women need to get out of here. You're all too injured," Greed said.

As Mustang fully expected, Olivier Armstrong took immense offence to what Greed had said. "Absolutely not!" she said, stepping forward, looking as formidable as ever, even with her arm in a sling and bandages wrapped around her head. "I still have forces who need me to lead them!"

"Forget that!" Greed snapped, waving a hand at her. "Get down here now! This is no time for a pissing contest over who's in charge!" Greed informed her but all his words did was make Olivier's metaphorical hackles rise.

"I'm not going to take orders from –" her words were cut off by one of the soldiers with her.

"General! A message from HQ, sir!" the man told her and she snatched the receiver off him.

"Operations, it's me. What's happening?" Armstrong demanded.

"General, it's the Central Command Centre! Half of it's been blown up!" the voice on the other end told her and Mustang watched as everyone's eyes widened.

"Blown up?" Major Armstrong asked, unsure if he'd heard correctly.

"We can't contact the north gate!" the soldier told the general, who closed her eyes at the news.

"What sort of monster is he?" Major Armstrong asked, voice low and filled with fear for his fellow soldiers.

"He appears to be an ordinary man however," Greed answered, "within him is a Philosopher's Stone powered by many thousands of people. You could say he's used its energy to claim the power of god for himself," Greed told him. "As an alchemist, you understand the trouble this presents."

"All too well," Major Armstrong rumbled as Gary clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Any ordinary human should leave now," Greed said, looking at General Armstrong and her soldiers but she still had the stubborn expression on her face.

"My men are still fighting! I will not just abandon them!" she snapped at the homunculous. "I have a duty as their commanding officer!"

"General, it's HQ again," the soldier from before interrupted again as he handed her the receiver.

"What is it?" Armstrong barked.

"Don't worry about us, sir," the voice on the other end of the line said and Armstrong froze. "Have you forgotten who we are? Briggs soldiers are trained to respond instantly as one force to any threat even without you," the soldier said and Mustang found himself admiring the man's bravery at addressing Armstrong like that. "From what I hear, you've been injured, General, so please stay and wait where you are."

Armstrong once again closed her eyes before snapping them open, eyes blazing. "Listen up, Alex!" she snapped, turning on her brother.

"Yes?" Alex said, voice trembling slightly but Mustang knew no one would hold it against him what with the glare his sister was pinning him with.

The eldest Armstrong thrust the radio into his chest, causing the big man to grunt slightly from the force. "Take the radio with you! Win at any cost!" she ordered him.

"Well of course!" Alex boomed while Gary roared in agreement, causing many of the others to flinch from the volume.

"Right, let's go, Lieutenant, Nala," Mustang said, allowing Hawkeye to lead him towards the platform.

"Hey, hold up!" Greed said, waving a hand at them. "You two humans aren't in any shape to fight either," he told them and Mustang fixed him with a stubborn glare.

"I am going to burn out that Philosopher's Stone of his. I'll need the lieutenant's help to do so," Mustang informed him.

"Let it go," Darius advised Greed, who threw his hands up in exasperation but didn't argue. "Let's move!" the gorilla chimera roared.

"I'm coming with you," Lan Fan said as she climbed onto the platform and stood next to Greed. "It's my job to protect the young lord from danger." Her tone told them she wouldn't be persuaded otherwise so no one bothered, though Greed did roll his eyes.

"Take care," Sig said as he stayed back, standing with General Armstrong, Jerso and two soldiers. "Keep them safe, friend," Sig said to Armstrong, who nodded.

"Brace yourselves! Now we continue our rise to glory!" Armstrong boomed as he slammed his fist into the stone platform, making it rise after the ones that had gone before. Mustang felt Hawkeye's hand grip his upper arm a little tighter but he paid no mind to it. He just hoped they weren't too late to save Ed and the others.


Ed came back to consciousness slowly and irritably. He didn't appreciate being knocked out during a fight, much less three times in the space of only a couple of hours. He was no longer kneeling in front of the two Animals, rather he was lying on his side with Ayala and Chester clutched in his arms. Chester had ended up squished between him and Ayala and all three of them were off the platform Ed had created. Both Animals stirred when he did and since neither of them looked injured, Ed released his hold on them as he straightened up. In doing so, he realised his right arm was severely damaged, barely still in one piece and he winced as he imagined the rant he'd cop from Winry and Michella. His ears were still ringing from whatever Homunculous had done to knock them out so it took him a moment to realise he could hear Alphonse and Mei talking. Relieved his brother was alright, Ed looked around him and spotted Izumi and Koda lying only a couple of metres away.

"Teacher! Koda! Say something, one of you!" Ed begged as he got to their sides, missing Al's half-destroyed armour collapsing in front of a distraught Mei as a result of his rush to his teacher's side.

"We're alive," Izumi told him as she and Koda got to their knees, "thanks to your father," she said, looking off to her left. Ed followed her gaze and flinched backwards as he saw Hohenheim kneeling in front of them, his back turned to take the brunt of the impact. His form was still smoking slightly and he looked more beat up than Ed had ever seen him. "He got to us in the last second," Izumi said, her voice sad as she watched Hohenheim's body tremble from the pain the man was in. Ed wrenched his eyes from his father's face and took in the sight of the burned ground on either side of Hohenheim. Sure enough, Hohenheim's body had provided enough cover so that Ed, Izumi and the three Animals wouldn't be touched by the attack.

Movement from behind Hohenheim caught Ed's attention and Ed flinched back as Father appeared, looking deadly. "Hohenheim, look out!" Ed yelled but it was too late. Father used one hand to smack Hohenheim, sending him flying off to the side before he could do so much as raise a hand in order to protect himself.

Ayala rushed forward to press herself in front of Ed protectively, snarling viciously at Father as she tried pushing Ed backwards and away from the homunculous. Koda was doing her best to move Izumi away from the crazed being in front of them. "You're first," Father said spitefully as he raised a hand and clenched his fist.

Immediately, Ed felt all the air in his lungs being wrenched out of the organs by an invisible force. He could hear himself spluttering as he struggled to draw breath into lungs that felt like something was squeezing them tightly, refusing to let them inflate and draw in the needed oxygen. His vision was quickly becoming blurry and he could feel his heart beating so rapidly that he thought it might actually burst out his chest as he started panicking. He could just see Izumi out of the corner of his eye and knew she was in the same position as him, as were the two Animals with them. Ed thought he heard his father yelling something but the blood pounding in his ears was too loud for him to make any sense of it. Just before his vision went black, a grey blur appeared out of nowhere and knocked Father to the side in much the same fashion as the homunculous had done to Hohenheim.

To his relief, Ed felt himself able to draw in a deep, greedy breath of air as the suffocating force vanished from his throat and lungs. He started coughing as his throat prickled from drawing in too much air, too quickly. Next to him, Izumi was also having a coughing fit and so were both the Animals. Ed was vividly reminded of when Greed had first taken over Ling's body and had captured him on Father's orders except this time, Ed's throat wasn't physically damaged. A threatening snort from above him had Ed looking up to see Calix standing over him and Ayala, stomping his hooves, baring his teeth and snorting at Father as the homunculous got back to his feet, glaring at the grey stallion.

"You dare to interfere -?" Homunculous started saying, eyes flashing dangerously at Calix but was cut off by a bullet piercing his skull. The injury healed over almost immediately but it certainly got everyone's attention.

Ed turned where he sat to find dozens upon dozens of soldiers amassing in the courtyard behind and all around them. They formed a circle around the group of downed alchemists and their Animals and Ed could see them lining the balconies of the part of Central Command that still stood and overlooked the courtyard and aiming all of their weapons at one person: Father. Every Animal who could and would fight were in fighting stances next to their humans, ready to take any opportunity given them to attack the homunculous who'd been so willing to murder them all for his gain. Ed was certain he could see Hughes and Leo amongst the soldiers but he shook his head. As far as he knew, both of them were at the radio station, helping guard Gracia, Lilith and Elysia.

"Your target is the man with the long blonde hair!" one of the soldiers in the courtyard yelled, making sure his voice carried so everyone heard him. "Make sure you don't shoot Fullmetal by mistake!" Ed felt a little touched that the soldier was concerned enough about him to add that to his orders.

"Yes, sir!" came the response, voices echoing one another and making Ed believe that everyone within a five-kilometre radius had heard them.

As the bullets rained down on Father, Ed helped Izumi get to her feet since Koda was forced to stay on all fours to avoid any bullets. "Let's get you out of here," Ed said as he pulled one of her arms over his shoulders. He spared a thought to helping Hohenheim but when he turned to see what he could do, two soldiers were already helping his father to his feet. Another look told him that three soldiers were helping Mei with Alphonse, who was now conscious, while Chester walked beside them. As they hurried out of the way, Ed heard the whistles that indicated missiles were being launched.

"Hey, Fullmetal, are you okay?" one of the soldiers helping his father move asked as the trio got to Ed and Izumi's side. Ed nodded just as the shockwaves from the missiles exploding hit them.

"Dammit," Ed said as he saw Father's figure still standing there, looking immensely unimpressed and unscathed, "he didn't even flinch!"

"Seriously?" the soldier whined and Ed couldn't judge him for it. Any other creature or person would've been turned to pink mist in that attack.

A voice sounded over the radio one of the soldiers carried. "Don't give the bastard the chance to hit back!" the soldier ordered and a resounding 'yes, sir!' followed just before more bullets were fired. Father blocked every single one of them with his shield.


Ed had only just noticed Mustang and Hawkeye were on the battlefield as he, Izumi, the soldiers, Hohenheim and the Animals limped off of it when the order came from someone for them all to take cover. As soon as they did, Mustang sent a fireball straight for Father only it missed by a few degrees. Ed left Izumi and Koda with the soldiers as he and Ayala jogged over to where Nala was standing a few feet from her human and the lieutenant.

"What's going on?" Ed asked the lioness and was surprised when there was no blue ring around her eyes. "How's Mustang using his alchemy?" Ed asked, spotting the new gloves on Mustang's hands – likely the spare pair Hawkeye always carried for him. Though he didn't know much about flame alchemy, Ed did know that sight was a big part of it.

"Riza is directing him," Nala said and Ed thought he heard a note of jealously in her voice. Sure enough, Hawkeye was giving more orders to Mustang so he could send another attack.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked Nala, knowing something was upsetting the lioness.

"I couldn't help Roy with his attacks like Riza can," Nala said morosely. "I almost killed you down there when you were fighting Pride because I forgot that Roy was using my eyes and focused on you in the last moment rather than Pride. It was luck and good instincts that had Ayala pull you out of the way in time and that you were able to use the failed attack to your advantage before Pride could," Nala told him, refusing to meet his eyes as shame flooded their bond.

"Nala, don't worry about it," Ed said, crouching down next to the lioness and wrapping his arm around her comfortingly. "It all worked out and you've learned a valuable lesson from it. How many times do you think I almost hurt Al, Teacher or Ayala when I was learning alchemy? You can't let your mistakes weigh you down. You gotta learn from them and rise up," Ed told her. "I know you didn't mean for me to almost get hurt either so I'm not holding anything against you," Ed promised and Nala nearly knocked him and Ayala over with her enthusiastic hug.

"Thanks, Ed," Nala sniffled as Ed wrapped both hands around her neck and returned the hug. A familiar clap rang out, startling both of them and Ed watched as Mustang created a barrier between him and those near him and the fireball Father had apparently sent back towards them.

"Nicely done," Hawkeye said as Mustang straightened, dismantling the wall beforehand.

"I'll say. This could turn out to be quite handy," Mustang said with a familiar smirk on his face and Ed rolled his eyes.

"Don't let it get to your head, Colonel Bastard," Ed drawled, deriving some pleasure out of the small jolt Mustang did in surprise.

"Fullmetal. Why am I not surprised to hear you're annoying my lioness?" Mustang said as Major Armstrong gave the orders for everyone to keep attacking Father.

"Nala loves me more and you know it," Ed snarked back, eyes glued to the scene in front of him rather than Mustang. Armstrong, the three uninjured chimeras and Lan Fan were all launching individual attacks at Father, one right after the other before a group of soldiers fired more RPG's at the homunculous.

"If the two of you have finished bantering, do you think we could get back to stopping the threat?" Izumi asked, sounding from right behind Ed, who moved quickly, nearly tripping over his own feet so his back wasn't to his teacher.

"Smooth," Koda snickered, making Ed glare at her.

"What do you have in mind, Mrs. Curtis?" Hawkeye asked, getting their attention once more.

"Send one of your flame attacks in three seconds," Izumi ordered before she clapped and slammed her hands on the ground, sending a wave of blue energy towards Father and constructing a half dome around the homunculous.

Following Izumi's order to the letter, Mustang snapped his fingers exactly three seconds later and launched one of his strongest attacks in the direction Hawkeye told him to send it. "Now he's toast!" Mustang said, a grin on his face.

"Not quite," Ed said as the flames and smoke cleared to reveal Father still standing there in one piece. Mustang cursed as he heard Ed's words.

"Didn't affect him at all," Major Armstrong muttered from a few feet away. "We have to find a way through his defences!" the mountainous man exclaimed and Gary made an agreeing noise.

"We need more ammo!" came the cry everyone had been dreading.

"What a futile battle," Father said, speaking for the first time since Calix hit him. "You humans can't lay so much as a finger on me," Father sneered and to Ed's relief, Greed appeared out of nowhere.

"Maybe humans aren't able but what about a homunculous?" Greed asked as he punched Father in the head. To everyone's surprise, Greed's hand sunk through Father's forehead, which then seemed to heal around and start pulling Greed's arm in.

"Wonderful! You're just in time, Greed!" Father said, a manic grin on his face. "What a dutiful son you are. As it happens, I could use another Philosopher's Stone so I'll be taking yours back," Father told him. Ed couldn't believe his eyes when Father seemed to be doing just that, causing Greed to start screaming in pain before the homunculous suddenly stopped.

"Good acting, right?" Greed said with a grin that caused Ed to huff out some relieved laughter as he fought to get his heart to stop beating so quickly from the shock Greed had just put him through. "You can't take my stone from me without dropping your own barrier, you stupid fool!" Greed snarled. The homunculous' words jolted something in Ed. Glancing down at Ayala, he saw she'd realised the same thing and both of them started running towards the two homunculi, followed closely by Izumi, Koda and Nala. "I bet you never thought your godly powers could be taken away, did ya?" Greed asked as they closed in on them. "Well you were wrong! They're mine now!"

"Greed!" Ed shouted as he finally got within punching distance and moved to do so but found himself blocked once more by Father.

Ed's actions spurred everyone else into motion and soon blows rained down from the soldiers around them, the Animals with him, Izumi and Major Armstrong but Father blocked each and every attack as they came, despite the fact that Greed was still attached to him literally. Izumi transmuted some swords and used them to try and get Father but they were blocked, as was the kick Ed aimed at the homunculous' legs. Something in Father seemed to snap because the homunculous suddenly glowed red before sending the power out in a wave that knocked everyone backwards, dislodging Greed from where he was stuck and breaking Ed's already damaged automail arm off completely.

"Don't give up now!" Ed ordered, forcing himself to adjust to the loss of his arm immediately as he tried another kick but was blocked again. Ayala, Nala and Koda launched their own attacks, each one swiping at different body parts but their claws bounced off, as did Izumi's swords, Gary's attack and Armstrong's fist. However, the next kick Ed tried to land was blocked not by a shield of energy but by Father's arm.

"His arm and not alchemy?" Ed heard Hohenheim mutter and he knew they were getting close to defeating him. Ed went to throw a punch but Ayala and Koda both grabbed him and pulled him out of the way as black dust starting leaking from Father while red sparks randomly appeared on his body.

"He's losing control!" one of the soldiers shouted as Ed, Izumi, Armstrong and the Animals backed away from the mad homunculous.

"He can't keep the power of god in check anymore!" Hohenheim shouted. Just as he's finished telling them, Father's mouth opened wider than Ed thought it should be allowed to and they all saw the black eye blinking back up at them

Father collapsed to his hands and knees suddenly and started heaving. Before any warning could be given, Father straightened up suddenly and another burst of red energy came from him, sending everyone close by flying backwards. The soldiers and Animals were all knocked unconscious as they hit the ground hard while Izumi, Armstrong, Ed and their Animals plus Nala were all thrown towards the rubble. Ed, Ayala and Nala were the only ones who managed to stay conscious when they hit the ground and Ed yelled as a sharp tearing pain was felt in his left arm. Ayala yelped both from the sympathy pain and her own pain from landing on a stone slab ten metres away from Ed.

"A stone." The raspy, toneless voice got Ed's attention real quick as he struggled to get free from the piece of rebar that had impaled his arm. Father, now looking malnourished and depraved, started approaching him with greed in his eyes.

"Edward, get out of there!" Hohenheim shouted as he struggled to get to his feet to come to his son's aid even though he knew he was much too far away. Ed bit down the sarcastic response of 'what do you think I'm trying to do?!' that threatened to bubble hysterically out of his throat as he tried getting his arm free as Father continued his approach.

"Brother, move!" Al shouted and Ed felt his heart leap into his throat at the thought that Al might witness his death and renewed his struggles to free himself. "Stop, dammit!" Al shouted at Father as Ed tried to find a way to get some sort of leverage so he could just pull his damned arm free. "Leave him alone!" Al cried desperately and Ed glanced over to see his brother and got a bad feeling as Mei seemed to be listening to something Al was telling her. From the princess' tearful expression, it wasn't an idea Ed would've liked.

"Don't let Al do anything stupid," Ed snapped at Chester through their bond and was happy when the leopard stopped the young Xingese girl from throwing her kunai. Father drew closer but suddenly Ayala was at his side. "Bout damned time," Ed told her, relief on his face. "First things first, we gotta take care of him," Ed said, nodding to Father.

"A stone," Father repeated, not paying any mind to Ayala's appearance. "Give me the stone, you vile human!"

"Oh, I'll give you something," Ed snarled, forcing his left arm and wrist to twist painfully so he could lay his palm on the chunk of stone next to him. Ayala's paw joined his hand and, once the circle was completed, they send a stone pillar slamming into Father's gut, launching the homunculous back several feet. "Now me," Ed said, ignoring the surprised and awed gasps coming from the soldiers around him.

Twisting his arm back up and grimacing as he tore the hole in his arm wider as he did so, Ed managed to touch the end of the rebar poking out of him while Ayala's paw brushed against the back of his arm. The rebar snapped and Ed slumped forward slightly now that it wasn't holding him in place. Carefully but firmly, Ayala bit down on the rebar's end and quickly pulled it out of Ed's arm, dropping it to the ground as Father started approaching again. Ed glanced at Ayala, who nodded, and they both placed a hand and a paw back on the ground. In an echo of his practical for his entrance exam to become a State Alchemist, Ed created a spear from the ground. The moment it was formed, Ed snatched it out of the air and swung it in a wide arch, bringing it across Father's face as soon as the homunculous was in range and sent him flying once more from the force.

A cry of excitement went up through the crowd as Ed and Ayala both started their own attacks on the weakened homunculous. Both Ed and Ayala never failed to land a blow as the crowd egged them on with cries of encouragement from soldiers who neither of them knew. Father was never given the chance to get an attack of his own in as Ed used the spear to force him back while Ayala buried her teeth and claws into whatever part of Father she could reach, forcing his stone to weakly try and heal him.

"Kick his arse, Ed!" came the shout from Hawkeye, accompanied by a screech from Soren and Ed smashed the spear across Father's jaw.

"Go, Ed!" Izumi shouted, her encouragement echoed in the form of a roar by Koda and Ayala sunk her teeth into Father's wrist.

"Go, Edward Elric!" Armstrong boomed as Gary bellowed behind him and Ed brought the spear down onto Father's head, creating a dull thud as it connected with his skull.

"Please don't die!" Mei begged as Xao-Mei squeaked furiously from her shoulder and Ed kicked Father in the gut, sending the homunculous back a few feet.

"Go, Edward!" Ed heard his father's voice, full of pride, as Calix whinnied his own encouragement and Ayala used Ed as a springboard so she could bury her teeth into Father's shoulder, almost pulling the homunculous off his feet.

"Fight on!" Lan Fan yelled from where she stood next to Greed and Ed's spear caught Father in the ribs, a satisfying crunch telling Ed he'd broken a couple of them.

"Take him down, Brother!" came Al's cries and Chester roared from where he stood next to Al's battered armour and both Ayala and Edward hit Father in the gut, sending him back a few more steps.

"Bring him down, Edward!" Ed nearly looked around in shock as he heard Hughes shouting from the crowd while Leo called his own cheer and Ed slammed the butt of the spear into the ground, using it as a pole to vault himself into a flying kick that got Father in the face.

"Win this, Fullmetal!" Mustang's call and Nala's roar echoed loudly across the courtyard and Ayala tore at Father's calf with her teeth while Ed hit Father across the face once more with his spear.

"Alright! Clobber him, kid!" Darius roared from where he and the other chimeras stood. Zampano and Heinkel added their own voices to the cheer and Ed used the bladed end of his spear for the first time in the fight, driving it through Father's chest as he felt his heart swell from the shouted encouragements he could hear from everyone.

As soon as Ed pulled his spear back out, Father's body started glowing once more and Ed watched as red energy pitifully sparked over his form. Ed pulled Ayala away from the homunculous, recognising the look on Father's face as the expression of someone who had absolutely nothing left to lose but, instead of going for him again, Ed was shocked when Father sped past him, crying about a stone. Realising what Father was about to do, Ed shouted one word. "Greed!"

To Ed's immense relief, Greed got the warning in time to summon his ultimate shield, the grey material encasing his entire body from head to toe. "Give me your stone, Greed!" Father roared, spit flying as he gnashed his teeth, eyes wide and deranged. "Be a good son!" the pathetic homunculous snarled as he tried to claw his way through Greed's shield.

Lan Fan had pulled her kunai out but Ed knew she didn't want to try and attack in case she somehow managed to injure Greed in the process. He wanted to snap at her as he and Ayala raced for the trio that Greed couldn't be hurt while wearing his shield, something that should've been obvious to the young woman since Father wasn't making a dent but he decided not to waste his breath. Greed just stood there as he watched his Father becoming more and more insane as he tried to break Greed's ultimate shield in his desperation to get to the stone.

Ed dropped the spear he was still carrying when they were a few feet from Father and Greed, making it clatter as it rolled along the stone ground. "Ready, Ayala?" Ed asked and his wolf nodded, not needing Ed to clarify about what he was referring to.

"More than ready," Ayala snarled as she glared at the cause of all the misery that had happened that day.

"Now!" Ed said, picturing his array as he placed his hand in the centre of Father's back. Greed moved for the first time and held the deranged homunculous in place by his forearms so he couldn't turn to attack Ed.

"It's about time you were put out of all our misery, pops," Greed snarled, removing the ultimate shield covering his head so Father could see the cold look in his eyes.

Ayala placed both her paws next to Ed's hand as Greed spoke and the blue energy exploded from them. It dug into Father's skin and Ed saw it make its way around to Father's chest. As Ed and Ayala stepped away, Greed released his grip on Father and the dying homunculous stumbled back. Ed saw his alchemic energy spark as it entered the wound his spear had inflicted earlier and he couldn't help by give a sigh of relief when the red of the Philosopher's Stone he could now see died. "Go back to where you were born," Ed snarled as Ayala growled and Father turned to face them, disbelief etched on his face. "Go back to nothing but don't you ever forget that your destruction came from those you considered insects when compared to you and yours," Ed told him as coldly as Greed had been.

"You destroyed my stone," Father said, voice as disbelieving as Pride's had been. "This wasn't supposed to happen! No, this can't be!" Father screamed as little black hands started appearing from the stab wound Ed's spear had carved in his chest. Ed, Greed, Lan Fan and Ayala all took a step back as the black hands started pulling chunks of Father's form into the black hole that had formed in the defeated homunculous' chest. Father continued screaming denials as more of him disappeared while Ed and Ayala watched on impassively until nothing was left of homunculous who brought about the destruction of an entire civilisation and very nearly did the same to a second 400 years later.

For a few moments there was nothing more than the sound of the breeze and regular birds in the distance as everyone seemed to stand in stunned silence, looking at the spot Father had just stood. The silence was broken by one voice. "We've won," Ed said as he collapsed to his knees and held Ayala close with his flesh arm. "We won."

A/N - And that's it for the fight with Father! Next week's chapter will be the aftermath of Promised Day and the final chapter will be the epilogue to the story. I cannot believe I only have two more chapters to post before this story is concluded!

To WS - I'm sorry you had to utilise your fourth corner because of Buccaneer and Fu's deaths. I am glad you loved the fight between Izumi, Armstrong and Lust. I had a lot of fun writing it! I'm sorry I couldn't spare Mustang but I am glad you enjoyed how I wrote the whole scene with Hawkeye and Nala! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

To everyone else who has left me a review, thank you so much! I really really appreciated it and I do hope that you all love me and my work enough to leave me another with your thoughts about this chapter :D Until next week!