Chapter eighteen: Hell
Coniniaue's pupils shrank and her hand grabbed Edward's. "Edward… I…" Her knees gave way. "I love you."
She toppled to the ground and died at his feet.
"…No…"
-Somewhere…-
White. All was white.
Coniniaue stood up. The tattoo had faded from her skin and all her wounds had healed. All around her was white. No Edward, no Renkinjutsu. No Amestris.
She fell to her knees and slammed her fists into the ground. "DAMN IT!"
"Hey, hey, don't curse. You're here, remember."
Everybody's favorite golden human-shaped God fazed into view before her. "You died, Coniniaue."
Coniniaue stood up and glared him in the… Um, face. "I don't have time for dying! I have a husband, two children! I'm busy! Send me back!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that for you, Coniniaue." God replied. "In fact, I have you down for a crash course to Hell."
"Why?" She spat. "Because I've trod on your domain using alchemy? You bastard."
"Stealing, cursing me, alchemy. And then, there is your father transmuting you and your sister together. You are the first to die, and therefore, you must pay the price."
"What? My parents died years ago! I don't have to pay. I shudder to think of what you've done to them already!"
"Your parents never died, Coniniaue."
Her pupils shrank again. "What? That's insane! You…"
"It's true. If they died, then you would be climbing the golden stairs to heaven by now. Saint Peter waited many years for you mother, yes, but she never came. And Satan has been waiting for your father, and…"
"Trisha."
"Who?"
"Trisha Elric, where is she?"
"Edward's mother? Heaven, of course…"
"Let me see her."
"Haha!" God laughed. "No way! I can't let sinners in heaven." He snapped, and the stairs appeared behind him. "But I can let Satan decide."
He snapped again, and red stairs going down appeared behind Coniniaue. Coniniaue turned and gulped, seeing lots and lots of red.
God floated and little closer, and gently pushed her backwards. Coniniaue tumbled down the stairs backwards, but of course, felt no hurt because until the stairs disappeared she was technically stuck between heaven and hell. She rolled out onto the bottom, onto the rough ground, and God took away the stairs. She stood up and brushed herself off. "So this is Hell."
There were crude huts made from stone in vast rows. There was fire shooting up from geysers all around. She had thought it you be a little more evil…
"Ah, miss. Tommy. Welcome to Hell."
Satan fazed into view before her like God. He was just like God, instead he glowed red.
