It's good to have a Birthday, especially one where I can upload the 3rd part of the 4-Disc Saga of Fullmetal Kingdom!

To those who are new, Fullmetal Kingdom is a crossover between the two franchises, Fullmetal Alchemist and Kingdom Hearts. And along with a few Disney properties, there have ALSO been Square-Enix properties that crossed over into Fullmetal Kingdom, like Final Fantasy, Soul Eater, Higurashi/Umineko, AND Chrono Trigger! This is literally the DCAU (Detective Comics/DC Animated Universe) of all Square-Enix! However, the main focus will STILL be on the cast of FMA & KH, especially Donald Duck and Goofy from Disney (which had a hand in Kingdom Hearts's creation). But just in case you feel like asking for a certain few, look into Square-Enix and Gangan Comics pages, Wikipedia or otherwise, to see if any of YOUR favorite animes/mangas/games are listed as licensed or produced under Square-Enix!

The story of Fullmetal Kingdom began in Disc 1 and continued through Disc 2, so if you want to catch up, now's the perfect time!


Previously on Disc 2...

Sora asked the Elrics for permission to save Rose and the Ishbalins back in Lior (or what's left of it) AND the Restoration Committee, still held behind bars inside Fort Briggs up in the Northern state of Amestris. But Alphonse reluctantly said no, for without permissions from the high brass, the Elric's wouldn't be allowed to go ANYWHERE! Sora left in a huff, and no sooner did he leave then Kairi reported about the Book of Prophecies being targeted by her uncle, Raven! Kairi explained that the caretaker was a childhood friend named Julia Chrichton, who is currently being held in prison at Table City, beyond the Western area of Amestris and in the neighboring country of Creta. Edward decided to talk to Sora about it, seeing that the bodyguard was part of the team and all...

Sora meanwhile reported in through the phone to Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, the sidearm to Colonel Roy Mustang. He reported about recent events he believed she and the colonel may have already known, like Armstrong reporting the Ushiromiya Family's ties to Kairi and Raven, Terranzis Xehanort's mutation into a Golem-bonded monster calling himself Ansem, and more-so. Sora was surprised to find out his foster father, Maes Hughes, didn't report to Mustang OR Hawkeye about the Philosopher Stones secrets, but before he could go on, a cloaked and hooded figure forced the phone to hang up, and then, gave Sora a gun...

Minutes later, Edward found Sora, wondering if his friend actually hates him now more than ever, not only for refusing to help him save their friends in their dire situations, but also because he killed someone (Greed) in order to win. The conversation suddenly felt one-sided as Sora suddenly pointed a gun at Edward...

...and shot him through the chest!

Edward woke up the next morning in a hospital bed, where Alphonse and Winry kept watch over him. When Ed asked about Sora, a heart-broken and frustrated Kairi answered, telling him, in tears, that Sora left them, even after they broke his brainwashing and freed his mind from Crisis and the unseen forces who plotted her assassination...

After a few days of recovery, Edward was back on his feet, and was given permission by the high brass to go over to Creta and aid Kairi in obtaining her family's treasure before Raven! Ed gathered Alphonse, Kairi, Winry, and (to his annoyance) Ling Yao to head West to Table City, but not before saying goodbye to his and Al's teacher, Izumi Curtis and her husband, Sig.

Regarding the fates of the others, Aqua asked for Xion's aid while given permission by Ling to take his bodyguards to try to find Sora (since Xion is strangely linked to the former bodyguard AND the Xingese Ninjas can sense Chi), all the while, Roxas was asked to go with Donald and Goofy to assure Eiko (caring for Sora's dog, Maka for the time being) and Namine's safety by taking them back to the Hughes Family's home. The name of "Hughes" forced Izumi to plea for Edward to return to Central when he has the time...

Elsewhere, Sora had just reached the next town, Rush Valley, hiding his face from the masses, until he was greeted by an unexpected face, Lyra, who was requested by Dante to pick up some medicine in Rush Valley for her. As Lyra seemed ignorant of the situation, Sora told her that her master was killed while she was away by Greed! Suggesting her to hide away for now, Lyra STRONGLY insisted on them staying together and hiding in Twilight Town. Despite the idea, Sora was still unsure, forcing Lyra to explain that as Y.O.U.T.H. Orphans, they had no family, and they would be safer in Twilight Town...

Meanwhile, the Golem King, Crimson, contemplated his next move, but just then, Pete contacted him via the Dark Portal. He reported the location of the 4th Elemental Mirror's location, but when he said the mirror was kept inside a city called Daybreak Town, Crimson DEMANDED Pete to take Roscoe and Desoto and get out of the area as soon as possible, as if Daybreak Town was cursed with a terrible plague! As Chrona asked why Crimson feared such a town, Crimson answered that Daybreak Town was actually beset by the mad demon ruler, Crisis, and her followers, the Nobodies, and has become a Cult Base for her forces!

Back with Edward, Kairi, Alphonse, Winry and Ling Yao, they were approaching the train out of Dublith, when they were suddenly greeted by Sora's "Temporary Replacement", sent by Mustang, he introduced himself as #307, AKA: Riku, Sora's old friend from Y.O.U.T.H., and the Fullmetal Alchemist's NEW Bodyguard...


WARNING!

Final Fantasy is licensed by Square-Enix.

Fullmetal Alchemist and Soul Eater are licensed by Bones Inc., Aniplex, Funimation, and Square-Enix.

Kingdom Hearts is licensed by Disney Interactive Studios and Square-Enix.

When They Cry Higurashi/Umineko are licensed by 07th Expansion, Sentai Filmworks, and Square-Enix.

Mickey Mouse and other related characters are licensed by the Walt Disney Company.


Fullmetal Kingdom: The Fanfic

Chapter 222: Thus Far, We Endure Alone

Sitting alone in a room gave Sora time to pull out a notebook bought using the money he was paid from daily chores. Sora took a deep breath, and wrote…

Hey Reader,

Been avoiding the world for a year, so I'm sorry I hurt you. Assuming if you're an old friend of mine, namely Kairi, Edward, Alphonse, Riku, Rose, or even Donald and Goofy, hell, I made a ton of amazing friends, even some who may hate my guts after what I did. I've shot someone, I don't know how I did it, I wasn't even awake when I did it, but a fired glock in my right and the collapsed form of the Fullmetal Alchemist in front of me told the whole story. But if it's the WHOLE Story you want, then I might as well let you in on my origins, just to keep the new folks up to speed…

As far back as I can tell, I was taken from my family when I was a baby. According to recent chit-chat, it turned out my family came from a group called the Dandelions, Keyblade Wielders who abandoned their responsibilities and left their Union Guilds in the past. Despite the harsh rumors of their disgraceful reputation, my parents seemed capable enough to get together and bring me into the world…until the Amestrian Forces abducted me.

Reasons for my abduction pointed to my ancestry, related to past Keybearers, my kidnappers believed a relative connected to the Dandelions could have access to the same powers and strengths that my bloodline had before. Recently, it's been discovered their reasons were ALSO to supply their master with a Keyblade of his own.

They tortured me in their labs, experimented on me and brainwashed me, using a kidnapped witch named Namine to manipulate my mind. After I was 'molded' into their puppet, they sent me to Drachma, under the alias of an orphan boy with no home. I was pitied and befriended by Kairi Ushiromiya, princess of Drachma and daughter of current Drachmanian Wiseman, Ansem. After she took me in, Kairi started to warm up to me, so much that my programming adjusted to this new life of happiness. Kairi was truly my first friend…

But all stories have their endings…

Especially when her uncle, Raven Ushiromiya, revealed his current status as a soldier for the Amestrian Army, the same people who turned me into a blank slate…and Kairi's assassin!

Seeking to become the ruler of Drachma, Raven activated me and sent me off on a killing spree while he and his soldiers watched. Ansem and Kairi's Grandmother died by my hands, and Kairi was still alive. But...I recognized her, I fought my brainwashing, and saw my friend, looking at me like I was her worst nightmare. Raven moved in closer to finish her off, but I turned around and stabbed his leg, trying to keep Kairi safe while trying to give her time to run! But Kairi grabbed my hand instead, begging me to run with her…

And that was when she died, forced out the window with me by Raven's men. We fell a long distance, and yet...we held one-another...until everything turned black.

I...survived...and ran away, into the streets with my mind racing with thoughts of betrayal and murder running through my head, as it turned out, my mind was erased by Namine IMMEDIATELY after I ran back into Amestris. After a few weeks of hiding, I was found and hunted by a group of children, faster than me, and deadlier than me. They were the Y.O.U.T.H. Assassins, a branch of trained orphans raised to follow Amestrian orders. With no idea of what to do or where to go, I made my escapes decisive and carefully, leaving my stalkers in the dust...until one day, one of them approached me, and offered me a place among them. This individual's name was Riku, also Number 307, he was the big brother I never had, trustworthy and honorable…

He took me to the Orphanage where his creed hid from the world. There, I made more friends, a bookish girl named Lyra, Mion and Shion the Sonozaki Twins, and many more. Despite my luck seemingly changing, Namine's brainwashing caused me to replace the image of Kairi with Namine's, just to keep me under Amestrian eyes and tied to their leash. And to make matters worse, the orphanage's attempts in turning their children into their puppets left several of us in a bad place, either mentally distant or locked away.

For instance, Shion, a nurse-in-training was warped by their experiments and became my worst nightmare: A perfectionist who uses hallucinogenic drugs to take away the fears and pain of anyone exposed. She was also closer than any of my enemies.

She would kill children to hurt me…

One of them, Tina, was almost driven to Cannibalism and nearly tore my body to pieces. My spine was replaced with Automail while the rest of me was merely bandaged. My only visible scar is a part of my shoulder, healed-yet-clearly bitten off…

Tina's traumatic event fortunately didn't hold her for long, as she found me in medical care, barely able to move. But it DID teach me something important: The Orphanage wanted this, to turn us into what Tina almost became. And if there was a hero…

Their attention would be away from the others.

I made a promise to Tina on that day, to NEVER take a life, even if I was ordered to.

I kept my friends safe, taking the attention of the directors and focusing it on me, thus I became a flunk, a problem child, and despite their harsh treatments, I became a hero.

However, I was still in need of a lesson or two in protecting myself, so I trained under the tutelage of fellow Y.O.U.T.H. Assassin, Mion. She dragged me through the mud, but pulled me out with her lessons BURNED into my soul. Just remembering the words 'Penalty' and 'Game' gave me an ulcer.

My training was going well, and Riku had JUST become my sparring partner when two days later…

Maes Hughes, a Lt. Colonel from Central City arrived, and under orders by Colonel Roy Mustang, sought a Y.O.U.T.H. Orphan to act as a bodyguard for their youngest and most irrasional officer, Edward Elric, AKA: Fullmetal Alchemist. He was close to my age, but follows his head more than his heart, unlike his younger brother and travel-buddy, Alphonse Elric, who consoles and enlightens in our darkest hour. During our first assignment together, I was also given a Keychain by Fantasia's Genome president, Mickey Mouse, which changed my assigned weapon into the legendary weapon: the Keyblade, with the power to summon elements and take us beyond the Gate of Truth into other worlds and back.

I protected Ed against many threats and helped him through many adventures. Overthrowing a con-man playing holy-man, stopping the reproduction of Red Stones, and foiling a former State Alchemist's plan to assassinate the Fuhrer. In our travels, we made valuable friends. Like Donald Duck and Goofy, two Genome servants and friends of Mickey. One does magic, the other does-...well, he's got a Shield. There were also two Mage kids from a far-away land named Vivi and Eiko, who's spells differ in certain areas. Winry, a childhood friend of the Elrics, was a welcome spunk in the group, her head was always on Automail, I sort of admire her for that. Then there was Leon and the Restoration Committee, Maria+Block, Jiminy Cricket, Mustang's group, including Hawkeye and Armstrong, my foster family: the Hughes family, Minnie, Daisy, and Rose, she's…very important to me. Rose is currently under the worst of situations, especially with her beliefs shattered and her hometown of Lior turned inside-out. I'm currently working on a way to reach her and save her…

During our adventures, we ended up encountering villains, like Crimson, the leader of his own Kingdom and the master of a strange species of soot and ashes called Golems. Scar, a survivor of the Ishbal War with a desire for vengeance supported by his abilities to destroy ANYTHING his right arm touches. Terranzis Xehanort, a scientist recently employed by Amestrian bureaucrats-now a deranged MAD scientist with obsessions towards the heart with a monstrous Golem sticking out of his back, currently goes by Ansem, which is ironically the name of his teacher AND Kairi's father. And just recently, a demon using the body of a clone called Crisis, I don't have much information on her, but from what I've seen, this lady's dangerous. She leads a cult+militia force called the Nobodies and is supported by heavy hitters called Elemental Priests. So far, I've only seen one of them, a masked man dubbed Zelgiuce, who can create his own flames.

Currently, our top tier enemies are secret organizations and mutant groups, controlling events as they occur in Amestris. So far, these enemies have worked in unison, yet don't share their name. Aside from wearing black there isn't much similarity between the Homunculi and Organization XIII. The duo can be best described as a two-sided coin: Heads ~ A group of possibly 7 based on one-sin-each created from Alchemic means with the sadism of a Batman villain. Tails ~ A large unit of Alchemists armed with morphing weaponry who each control a secret branch under Amestris's nose. Their goals all seem to support the wishes and desires of one man, a man with access to our own military called Father. Recent encounters suggest this man is planning to achieve godhood, one of the ways he aims to accomplish this is having a Keyblade created for him, thus, MY reasons for being here in the first place.

As time went by, we encountered Kairi, who was turned into a Homunculus by Father. Despite being mutated and controlled, she revealed her intention was to restore my memories and get her friend (me before Raven took control) back. At first, I was hesitant, but after removing Father's seed and giving a fraction of Kairi's humanity back, I felt closer to her than anyone. Can you believe it? A complete stranger is suddenly more familiar than the girl I assumed was my childhood friend.

Eventually, yes, we found Namine, and a few stragglers like Aqua, a Keyblade Master who was imprisoned inside the Void, Ling Yao and his bodyguards (Lan Fan & Fu), and runaway Organization members Roxas and Xion. Namine was more than happy to cooperate, and reversed the brainwashing, giving me back ALL of my memories. But the backlash made me feel like a totally different person, I felt haunted and judged, like NOTHING I could do can make up for my past. That and I had a stronger urge to kill than previously, despite my promise to Tina.

Eventually, our latest adventure came in the form of a traitor Homunculus named Greed. He had…ambitions. He kidnapped Alphonse in the hopes of getting Ed to spill the beans on binding a soul to another body. Ed refused, and a chase ensued. As Ed confronted Greed however, a member of Organization XIII named Even Archer attacked me, demanding that I relinquish the Keyblade's secrets. He then told me what happened to Rose and the Ishbalins after their city was devastated, he experimented on them…

I didn't take THAT very well.

Fortunately, one of the runaways, Xion, stopped me from tearing Even apart. Weird thing is she knew me well enough to talk me out of it, I haven't figured that part out, but she never struck me as the untrustworthy type. Now at our mercy, Even confessed his secrets, including the Dandelions, the Elemental Mirrors they stole (Crimson is after the 4 by the way), and their plans regarding their master possessing a Keyblade hand-made by them. My family died because they wanted a weapon, and I held the key to their future.

Suddenly, Even was assassinated by Axel, another member of the Organization, who was assigned by his superiors to "Eliminate their Traitor". Before Even was burned to a cinder, he revealed one last secret…I had a brother, raised in the way they intended for me. So yeah, things will get worse before they get better…

It actually went there earlier than I thought when Edward killed Greed. He told me it was Greed who forced him in a corner in order to teach him how to kill a Homunculus, which could be accomplished by using the remains of their old human bodies in a unique Transmutation Circle found in Dante's mansion. Ed was fortunate to keep a memory of that circle in case we needed it again, but honestly, I wasn't comfortable with the price we paid.

One day later, and Ed and I could barely talk to each other without bringing up our promises and our mistakes, we just stopped seeing each other as friends, and just when I was talking to Lieutenant Hawkeye, I was suddenly given a gun, and found myself standing in front of Edward, who collapsed before me with a bullet lodged in his chest!

I shot my friend, my assigned client, I actually SHOT Edward!

I rushed him to the nearest hospital, but knowing my creed would come after me, I left my post and disappeared…

I travelled a distance, made it to Rush Valley without arousing suspicions, but to my surprise, I found Lyra, who I thought might have been killed by Greed! I told her about Dante's fate, so now, we're hiding g from the public eye in Twilight Town, where we made our living as laborers and part-time workers…

Despite our new lives, I still felt something was off. Lyra, she was different from the one who wrote me the letter months ago, and despite our plan to aid Rose and the Restoration Committee, Lyra seemed more interested in her new life here than anywhere else. I'm even starting to-.

"-Sora, it's time for your Newspaper Routes, they can't deliver themselves!" Lyra called out. Sora sighed and hurried out of his apartment room, leaving his paragraph finished…

I'm even starting to miss my friends and family. ~

Elsewhere, Edward had been sitting in a train car for sometime, thinking to himself. The memory of Sora, pointing the gun and shooting him still played through his mind. Sora's blank expression, his struggle with the gun, reminded Ed of one Alchemist, "...Terranzis Xehanort. His Heart Manipulation Alchemy was witnessed in his coronation ceremony into the Amestrian Military. He has to be the bastard responsible for Sora's gunplay incident!"

"Brother, we're back!"

Alphonse and Kairi returned with lunch, giving Edward his order as they sat back down. Kairi then said, "Ooh, SOMEONE'S deep in thought. What's up?" Edward answered, "I was just thinking of Sora. He may have been hypnotised by Xehanort. The blank expression on his face, his eyes and twitching to. These symptoms are similar to the ones you find in Xehanort's patients."

Kairi then held Edward's hand and said, "...I never said 'thank you'...Ed, you kept me with you boys, despite my past as a Homunculi, you allowed me to be with Sora. I-I just never thought you'd let me have a reunion with him." Ed smiled at her and said, "You really are in love with the dweeb, aren't you (chuckle), y'know, Rose got to him before Namine restored his memories, so you might have some competition!"

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT, YA GRAIN-BRAINED-MOPPET?!"

"REFER TO THE SIZE, AND YOU WILL DIEZ!"

"EDWARD, SIT DOWN, YOU'RE MAKING A SCENE!"

Winry's voice forced Edward to sit on his rump, with no argument to follow. As Winry sat down next to Al, Ling Yao and Riku dropped their food on their tables while sitting on the seats on the other side. Ling winked at Kairi, who did NOT wink back.

"Seriously though, you gave yourself away too much. I gave this a chance, and in a humorous way, you…earned your stripes. You were honestly trying to get that knucklehead back into your life, and to be frank, the decision to let you into the circle was more of a gamble than a choice. I'm just glad I won the game without many consequences…'Princess Kairi'." Ed explained. Kairi blushed while Riku announced, "This is not going to be easy. I mean, the Colonel briefed me, but do YOU know why Table City is a heavy risk?" Ed answered, "It's in Creta, West from Amestris, I heard about it. You may be a sub for Sora, but I gotta say Riku, you're kind of a jittery little chicken when glaring in the face of danger." Riku then said, "Caution is only a cowardly approach to a situation when you're running away! I'm not running, I'm WARNING you."

Riku suddenly pulled out a few notes, reports, and posters while explaining, "Three hundred years ago, Table City was referred to as a holy land named the Hill of Milos. The Milosians worshiped their God until the day Creta stomped their religion to the ground, paving the way for their civilization and cities. After a war with Amestris, the country WE came out of, Creta allowed their enemy countryland to take Table City as compensation. But Amestris had OTHER plans-."

Riku was suddenly interrupted by a passenger in a long white trench coat, a white hat, and dark-blue hair and a large stache. Kairi suddenly noticed the white figure dropped a few paper sheets and picked it up. Kairi then said, "Excuse me sir, it looks like you dropped these." The man turned around, and took the papers from her. He suddenly noticed the girl who was giving him the papers…

"Y-You! How did you-?!"

Alphonse stood up and explained, "If you know who she is, then can you please keep it to yourself? We're on an important mission, so the farther you are, the safer you'll be, please understand sir." The man nodded and said, "O-Of course, please take care of the princess!" As Kairi and Al sat back down, the man in white walked away with a glare in his eyes…

"...It's no wonder Raven came to this Metropolitan Toilet…"

Riku then took the time to continue his explanation, "(ahem) As I was saying, Amestris had other plans for the Milosians. There were actually SOME Amestrians said to be scheming to steal the Milosians's secrets, secrets that could create-."

"-The Sanguine Star?"

Ed's sudden interruption surprised Riku as he then continued, "Sorry to burst that Mustang-Fueled Bubble, but I took the time before the train ride to read up on that secret. In fact, Sora was the one who contributed to the opportunity by presenting me with one or two books from Dante's Mansion regarding that SPECIFIC subject. The Sanguine Star is actually another name for the Philosopher Stone, in the same way the name 'Heartless' is the Drachmanian-chosen name for the Golems. This secret is possibly trusted to the leader of Table City, so if we can talk this person into giving us what we want, we may have the key to restoring Alphonse's body and my own-!"

"-AFTER WE SPEAK TO JULIA!" Kairi reminded.

As Ed sat back down in a huff, Ling said, "You know, Julia's a Milosian as well, maybe Ed and Al might have a better chance of getting this Sang-goony-Star if they co-opt with Kairi?" Al then said, "I can't see why not? As soon as we find her, we'll start negotiations." Kairi then added, "Hopefully, Raven's nowhere near that bridge. If he crosses first, then the Book of Prophecies and possibly the Sanguine Star could fall into the wrong hands and spell the end for all of us."

"PAPERS. SHOW US YOUR PAPERS, PLEASE?"

The passengers of the car gave their papers to the approaching officers. As they did, Riku said, "The colonel was nice enough to pay our way to Table City, I'll give him the Papers and we'll-." Ed suddenly said, "NOT necessary, newbie. I got something that gets us past anything."

After the officers passed the seats behind the Fullmetal's group, they approached the party. One approached and asked, "Do you have your papers kids?" Ed then said, "Sorry, ain't got any to offer, guess this will have to do." Edward suddenly pulled out his Amestrian Military Pocket Watch, the item EVERY State Alchemist possesses, verifying their status as fellow officers of Amestris! The Officer twitched in shock and stood firm at Attention before his verified superior, "OH GOSH, I-I'M SO SORRY, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE A STATE ALCHEMIST SIR!"

Ed smirked and said, "At ease soldier, we were just here under orders like you, nothing special, nothing to worry about." The officer relaxed and said, "W-well sir, it's a pleasure to have you on board, but, your friends-." Riku then said, "-I'll take care of it. I'm Riku, No.307, acting Bodyguard to the Fullmetal Alchemist. The colonel, Roy Mustang, was nice enough to fill these out for us." Riku then offered the papers for himself, Alphonse, Winry and Kairi.

Ling then asked, "W-Wait, what about MY Paper? Don't you have-?" Riku than answered, "The colonel printed papers for 5 Passengers, Myself, the Elric Brothers, and the two girls here. There was none for a Prince from Xing here." Ling then asked, "Then…HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO STAY WITH THE GROUP WITHOUT ANY INSURANCE?!"

One Minute Later…

Ling was washing dishes in a car further away from the group. Ling then said, "...Maybe sending my bodyguards out to find Sora WASN'T a good idea…"

Elsewhere in Traverse Town, Gracia Hughes received a knock on the door and answered, "Y-Yes, who is it?" Goofy answered, "Howdy Misses Hughes, you remember Donald and myself, right?" Gracia answered, "I do Goofy, it's good to see you again. Have you come by for something?" Donald answered, "Well, the thing is…Mame, we went through the weirdest of situations, and we were hoping you and the Lieutenant Colonel could give these kids a place to stay?" Donald then revealed Eiko, Roxas, and Namine.

Eiko then greeted Gracia and said, "Hi Ms. Hughes, it's great to see you again! How's Elicia?" Gracia answered, "She's doing alright Eiko, if you like, she's playing in her room, and could use a friend right now." Eiko nodded, "Of course!" As Eiko went past her, Gracia asked, "I don't see Vivi around, is he alright?" Donald smiled and said, "Nothing to worry about Ms. Hughes, he's visiting his old home, that's all." Namine then bowed to Gracia and said, "Ms. Hughes, I heard about you from Sora, thank you for keeping him in your family. I will try to make myself useful during my stay here." Gracia chuckled and said, "There's no need to act so modest, you are welcome here anytime. Come in, please…"

As Gracia invited them in, Roxas suddenly noticed a few people outside, watching them while keeping their faces hidden…

"HERE'S a plot. Wonder who those guys are?" Roxas wondered.

As Roxas watched, one of the spies summoned a small portal and reported, "Lord Crimson, the Hughes Home is occupied by the blonde Keyblade Wielder and a few of the Fullmetal's friends."

Back in Hollow Bastion, Crimson asked, "How many have arrived?" the spy replied, "5 of them, including him. There's two Genomes, one little girl, and a blonde teen in a white dress." Crimson then said, "There's only one unremarkable kid with a lacking in appearance-yet makes up for it for being transparently appealing to the teenage mind. THE WITCH THAT POKED SORA'S BRAIN! Boys, keep a close eye on that house! It's not everyday we get a mind-poker in our sights-WAIT…earlier, you said 'Keyblade Wielder', right?" The spy replied, "...My report started with that vague description of the boy, sir." Crimson then ordered, "INTERESTING…Sora's been hesitant to my offers, but what would ANOTHER Keybearer say? (giggle) Boys, keep an eye on him, and when the time comes, 'invite' the pop-singer-voiced-Keyblade Wielder to the castle. We'll make our move surgically AND physically if we play our cards right, and then Amestris will truly be destroyed." The spy complied, "Y-Yes sir, over and out."

Crimson sighed and said, "Keybladers on my side AND the Four Fiends as well, I can't think of a better set of plans! But just in case, lets see how the 'runaway' is doing…" Crimson then opened a Portal into Twilight Town…

…Where Sora was riding a bike around town, dropping newspapers around town. What he didn't notice was Aqua, Xion, and the Xingese Bodyguards, watching him from the shadows. Aqua then said, "Well, we found my apprentice, now we just need to approach him." Lan Fan then added, "I don't see him ever consenting to being your apprentice." Aqua argued, "He consented, you didn't see it, but he consented alright!" Xion then asked, "So…now that we found him, what do we do next?" Fu replied, "Perhaps we can make contact with him in an area away from here. I sense a blackened Chi in those living quarters, meaning it would be too risky to try approaching him inside his new dwelling."

Aqua then asked, "So…the landlord is a bad guy?" Fu corrected, "Bad FEMALE, and she actually lives close by. If anything, she's a neighbor." Xion then said, "A possessive neighbor is risky to have close by? This sounds like a suspenseful romance novel." Aqua then said, "If that's what we're dealing with, then I vote we report her to the police or have her die in a dramatic self-ironic death. That's usually how those types of novels end in some way." Lan Fan looked at Aqua awkwardly and said, "...YOU'RE…A KEYBLADE MASTER. AND YOU SAID THAT…ALOUD. Do you even know your own character?"

Aqua answered, "I know she's been stuck in a hole for the last 13 Years without aging while the world around her changed into a baron waste-pool of Alchemic Carnage."

Meanwhile, Sora stopped by the hut where the Newspapers were lined up for delivery. As he picked out a handful, three teens about Sora's age entered and cheered in celebration. The blonde boy said, "Did you guys see me tossing that newspaper to Mr. Wringles? That was 8 floors high, MAN I AM GOOD!" A girl with frilly hair giggled and said, "Take it down a notch, dude, he could always get the paper from the front door or the mailbox. No need to make an Olympic event out of NOTHING." The tubby boy then spoke out, "I dunno, Hayner MAY need this, Ollette. After all, the Struggle Tournament is coming up, and he'll need all the training he can get to pass his current limits and become unstoppable…or at least tough enough to beat Seifer."

Sora turned back and greeted the trio, "Hayner, Pence, Ollette, good morning." The trio awkwardly greeted Sora as they stacked up on newspapers. Hayner then said, "So…enjoying the job?" Sora answered, "It was available, got nothing against it." Hayner nodded, "Good-good, gotta-...well, we gotta make the trip if we're gonna get the latest news, right?" Sora replied, "I suppose…(ahem) so, you three take care out there, never know what's coming until it gets you-."

"-Come with us!"

Sora stopped for a second and looked back at Ollette, who continued, "...Sora, you started working with us for a few days already, and it…well, it means a lot to us that you've stuck by for this long." Pence then added, "So we were hoping maybe you'd like to spend the afternoon with us? Hayner's business couldn't be what it is today without a helping hand, and your hands have offered MANY of our newspapers." Hayner cringed for a second, but said, "...You've stepped up in the workplace…and we never thanked you for it."

Sora smiled, and turned around, but when he saw them, he couldn't help but see Edward, Kairi, and Alphonse where Pence, Ollette, and Hayner stood…

"...I-...I can't. Gotta get to work, after all, you don't pay rent without a Wallet-Green, right?"

Sora's tears couldn't be hidden as Hayner, Pence, and Ollette saw their new teammate run out with eyes turning red with regret and sorrow…

As Sora made his way to the next neighborhood, he thought to himself, Friends get hurt…by your enemies or by you…I CAN'T let the cycle continue…I-...I have to stay away from them all…

Unbeknown to Sora, Xion watched the whole thing. Lan Fan came next to her and said, "You were the closest to the target, why didn't you-?" Xion answered, "-He's been led to believe this. He's…actually trying to distance himself. He must have been blaming himself for what happened to Edward for some time now, and now sees people like his friends…people like them…as targets for his enemies…" Lan Fan then said, "Well we didn't come all the way here to be Targets, we came here to bring him back to the Young Lord-." Xion stopped Lan Fan and explained, "-JUST WAIT! I can't say this in any clearer way, but…for now, we just need to let him be…for now…"

As Xion and Lan Fan watched Sora, Crimson chuckled and said, "...Shit happens kids…and as our hero runs out of options, he'll be looking for an emergency Exit…"

Elsewhere, in the sky, Cid's Airship flew over Fantasia, as it did, President Mickey called out, "Vivi, we've reached Daybreak Town!" Vivi cheered as he tugged on Tina's hand and had her walk with him over to the window. Vivi then said, "I've been away for so long, I can't WAIT to see home again!" Glenn however placed his hand on Vivi's shoulder and said, "I'm not sure if you'll enjoy the view my boy…" Glenn then pointed toward the City, revealing to Vivi the fate of his home…

Daybreak Town was now covered in flags and banners, bearing the Stain Heart, the symbol of Crisis

End of Chapter 222


Next Chapter, Roxas has his OWN encounter with the mischievous Golem King, yet Crimson couldn't have asked for a better encounter...