Bandit- And another chapter is born! I was so pleased with the last one, I had to start writing!
Ed- (sarcastically) Woohoo…
Bandit- Just because I killed you is no reason to pout!
Roy- You killed Ed, had a blade driven through my gut, and you made Shayla go insane…
Bandit- Uhhh… no comment.
Disclaimer- Shayla's not really apart of FMA, so I doubt I own it. But if I do see her, I'm suing someone's ass…
(A/N) I'm so happy! Most people gave me praise! Makes me all squishy inside! Heh, I didn't like this chapter, but I'm always complaining, so don't worry about it. And I split this chapter in two! Ha!
There was light everywhere, stretching into the farthest corners of forever and beyond. Ed didn't even try walking in it. It took too much energy and he'd rather just float in this pool of energy. The light… it reminded Ed of Shayla. Calm and comforting, like a mother, with the presence of fire and embers. It embraced Ed, running over the planes of his body, bringing an odd sense of peace. He'd only felt this relaxed when with Alphonse or his mother. And that terrible pain in his heart and chest seemed unimportant. Ed almost forgot the fact he was dead.
'Shayla? Is that you?'
……… Err… Yes and No?
'What? How can you not know?'
Give me a break! I'm starting to lose control of it, so you have to stop it now.
'Stop what?'
Stop me! Grab the crystal!
'Shayla, what's going on? Am I dead?'
Not anymore. Wake up.
It took a while for Ed to realize the light was gone and he was staring up at the night sky dotted with stars. His entire body buzzed, the feeling associated when he used too much alchemy is such a short amount of time. But it had been years since that had happened, so it was safe to assume he hadn't caused it. And it wasn't just his body; he could feel that alchemic buzz all around him, they way someone can feel too much moisture in the air.
Something was wrong. Ed couldn't quite understand what was bugging him, but his senses insisted it was painfully obvious. He no longer blamed it on death; if Shayla said he was alive, he would take it at face value. She rarely lied to anyone. But how could he be alive? He vividly remembered fighting Gran, the surprisingly painless slice against his neck… he'd expected great agony, but there was only surprise and anger at knowing Gran of all people had gotten the better of him. The bastard was dead in real life! Still, he felt for the cut on his neck, just in case, but was met with smooth skin. No, he was alive, or this was one hell of a dream.
By now, alarm bells were ringing annoyingly inside his head but still resisted the urge to get up, instead favoring stargazing for a bit longer. It'd been a while since he'd just looked up at the night sky. Yeah, so he was in the middle of a battlefield, not exactly the best place to stargaze, but temptation was just too great. Even with the sky being slightly misty because of the smoke… The smoke… Ed blinked a couple of times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He even closed his eyes and counted slowly to three, then reopened them.
Nope. It wasn't him. The smoke wasn't moving.
And now he realized what had been bugging him. The background noise of guns and screams weren't there. There was total silence; he couldn't even hear the wind. Goosebumps broke out all over his arms, and he finally decided to sit up and survey his surroundings. His eyes almost popped out.
Everyone was frozen in time. The smoke and fire curling toward the sky stayed motionless, even the heat gone. Soldiers that had been running through the town stood immobile, the grins or grimaces stuck on their face. One man had jumped it the air to avoid a coming explosion from a house, his body hanging eerily in the air with his face twisted in perpetual fear and dismay, and the building behind him just starting to cave in on itself before the blast. Another more gruesome scene was of a man just shot in the head, the blood splattered of all directions, the face now a pulp of flesh, the last remains of what looked like the mouth opened out to yell, the tongue torn from the force of the spray of bullets.
Ed scrambled to his feet, his breathing coming out in fast pants. This was… well, this was… weird. He couldn't think of any other word to describe it. As far as he could tell from the unmoving area, he was the only one capable of movement. 'What the hell could've caused this?' His only guess would be unbelievably powerful alchemy, but even then it was basically disrupting too many laws of science to be possible. But looking around, it was obvious stopping time was possible, if not in real life then at least here.
Backing up and watching for any signs of movement, Ed bumped into something behind him. He turned around, and almost died again from shock.
Roy and Gran, both were locked in a fierce battle that had already been decided before the world stopped. The look of surprise and horror on Gran's face with Roy's glove under his nose and the beginnings of a nasty explosion brought little comfort to what Ed was focusing on. The blade from Gran's glove poked out of Roy's back, thick with his blood and tissue, a trail of blood trailing all the way down his left leg. His expression was one of hate, devastation… and acceptance, a grim smile on his face. It sickened Ed.
"No… Roy… NO!" Ed grabbed the Colonel's arm, desperate to drag the man away from the scene, but it was like trying to move a statue. His body wouldn't budge. "No, damn you!" Despite this, Ed kept pulling, putting all his energy into it. The jacket remained still as well, and Ed's fingers slipped on the material. Ed finally wrapped his arms around Mustang's waist, not caring about the sword that might scratch him, and pulled as hard as he could. "You weren't supposed to follow me into death, you bastard!"
Tears began to squeeze out of Ed's screwed shut eyes, starting rivers down his face. Ed kept pulling, knowing it wouldn't help. But he wasn't ready to give in yet. Not yet…
'How could you! You're supposed to live! I'm not worth it, damn you! You still had could've escaped!' His body shuddered in suppressed sobs, and he slid down slowly to the ground, arms still around Roy. 'Damn you…'
He clutched to the man's legs, not wanting to let go. Frustration got the better of him, and he felt the overwhelming need to punch Roy. 'But the fuckin' bastard wouldn't feel it, because he's dead,' Ed thought bitterly. The tears fell harder. 'Why? Why did he do this?' But he knew why. Of course Roy would take it upon himself to kill the man to kill Fullmetal Alchemist, for the very least out of respect, and at the very most… Ed didn't bother wiping away his tears, letting them wet his face. He'd lost him. He'd lost Roy.
"I hate you," Ed whispered up to him. "You left me alone. You said you wanted to see where we would go! Lair!" He snarled, and jumped to his feet. The sight of that grim smile was beginning to become too much for him to handle. "You haven't changed! You still don't tell me the truth! Like when you said you'd wait for me! I should've known!" Ed laughed hysterically, the sound full of grief and pent up anger. The words seemed to stick in the air, as if the spell was affecting them as well. "You could never keep a promise! Why the hell did I believe you could start now?" His voice was steadily rising in both sound and fever. "I HATE YOU!" He raised his fist, but his logic finally decided to make an entrance.
'Get a grip! Yes, he's dead, but punching him in the face won't do you much good! And it's not like he didn't wait for you. You died first. What would he say if he saw you losing it right now?' All the anger and energy seeped out of Ed, and he fell back boneless to the ground, tears still making their way down his face. "I don't care what he'd say, at least he'd be talking," Ed said softly to himself. Turning so that his back was leaning on Roy's leg, Ed stared out into the distance without seeing anything. All he could concentrate on was the body behind him that wouldn't move.
'You still promised to wait for me…' (1)
"I hate waiting."
"You don't have to be here, Havoc. No one's keeping you." Hawkeye's tone was icy, hiding the fear she was feeling. Havoc visibly backed up and away from the irritable woman.
"Just trying to make conversation," He muttered. Retreating to the nearest wall, he eyed the two occupants in the bed. 'Damn, why won't they move? It's been a day already.' "Are you sure he should've done this alone? Maybe it would've been safer it one of us went with him…"
Hawkeye flinched slightly as Havoc hit her deepest regret right on the nose. "It's too late for 'what ifs', Havoc. We can only hope they wake up soon." She shifted her stance slightly, too antsy to sit down, but too tired to do anything else. "All he told me was to watch. That's it."
"Hawkeye, sir," Fury started meekly from the chair. "I know you told us it was classified, but still… shouldn't we at least have some idea as to what's going on?" He watched cautiously, waiting for any signs of violence from the woman. She didn't even look at him, still staring at the two victims in deep thought. When she didn't reply, Fury sighed in melancholy.
"It's not that I don't trust you or Havoc, Fury," Hawkeye began, attracting both of the men's attention, "but its better that not many people know about this. I shouldn't know. But I'll tell you this: We're in danger, all of us."
"Danger?" Havoc echoed. "Just how much danger are we talking about? I might have to take an impromptu vacation." Hawkeye glared at him.
"You're not going anywhere. Not only do we have a Fuhrer to uproot, we also have to wait for them to get out of the realm."
"Realm?" Fury asked, but Hawkeye wouldn't be persuaded to say anymore. Knowing it was a lost cause, Havoc switched topics.
"So you really think we can put Stanford out of business?"
Hawkeye smirked to herself. "It's not like we haven't done this before. We can certainly come up with something when the time comes."
The door to the spare room opened, all three occupants stiffening and the conversation ceased. Gracia walked in, eying filled with worry.
"Is everything all right? Do you need anything?" Havoc forced himself to relax, telling himself he was being stupid for getting worked up.
"Nah. We're all good, Gracie dear." Havoc grinned at the woman, using his pet name for her. The woman grinned back, but it seemed out of place on her. She walked over to the two sleeping people on the bed, her smirk turning darker. She toyed with a piece of Shayla's hair.
"My my. I should have known he'd go in after them. Guess he doesn't trust the chibi alone." Hawkeye immediately whipped out her gun and pointed it at the woman, who ignored her. Havoc stared. 'Who is she calling chibi?'
"Back. Away." She threatened. Gracia finally turned, not looking impressed.
"Oh please. Didn't I already tell you to not play with those things? You're going to get hurt," She chided in a sing song voice. Fury and Havoc watched in confused silence. Gracia never acted like that before…
"Hughes isn't here to save you," Hawkeye stated. This only confused Fury and Havoc more.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Havoc hissed. "Hughes will kill you for threatening his wife!" He walked up to Hawkeye and stood there, as if he would put himself between the gun and Gracia. "I'm sure whatever problems you guys ar--"
"That's not Gracia."
"… Wha?" Gracia smirked again and shrugged.
"Guilty. I'm not really Gracia. I just like giving the Hughes guy a hard time. Lots of fun." She smiled disarmingly, but Hawkeye didn't buy it.
"Why are you here?"
"Just wanted to know what you military dogs would do with the info I gave you. Must say I'm impressed you didn't go tattletale. But then again," She eyed Fury, "You all don't know what's going on, expect for the mean bitch." Havoc now placed his hand on Hawkeye's death grip.
"Easy," He whispered. Even though it was very hazardous to his health getting in the way of Hawkeye's fury, it wouldn't do them any good to kill the fake Gracia… at least he thought so.
"I really don't care what you do with the information you have. Hell, go ahead and start a war. I just want that jackass to suffer." A menacing look passed over her face, all humor gone. "I want him to pay."
"What? You want Hughes to pay? Or Edward?" Fury finally found his voice to speak up. "Who do you want to pay?" Gracia sauntered over, grinning impishly at the smaller man, and then ruffled his hair. Fury shook a bit but held his ground. Hawkeye and Havoc frowned, not liking the way Gracia looked at him.
"That's for me to know and you to find out, cutie." Gracia bent forward and gave Fury a tiny kiss on the cheek, the man going bright red in embarrassment while Havoc saw red.
"Shoot her," Havoc gritted out and took his hand off of Hawkeye's. "Shoot her now." Gracia smirked and backed away for Fury.
"No need to get jealous. I'm just kidding." She batted her eyelashes flirtingly. "And you can't kill me. You'll need me if you want to kill Stanford." At that moment, a flash of light started down at Gracia's feet and rose up, her body structure changing right in front of them. A much more muscular shape took form, and when the light reached Gracia's face, it had changed to a grinning Fuhrer. "I believe you now understand your situation better?" The gruff voice rang out, smugness evident.
Hawkeye almost dropped her gun in shock. Fury had backed up into the wall, trying to fuse with it and Havoc did what he usually did in the face of danger; he searched for another smoke.
"Now listen closely children," Stanford said. "I'm only going to say this once."
"W-w-what are you gonna…?" Fury stuttered uncontrollably, and Havoc snuck over to comfort him, as well as keep the shape shifter away from the smaller man. Stanford chuckled at Havoc.
"I'm not going to steal him, though I must admit I wouldn't mind…" He eyed Fury again, but this time Havoc got in front of him, daring for Stanford to say another word. "But to answer his question, I think you'll all be interested in hearing about the realm." Hawkeye glared. She didn't want them to know.
"The realm?" Fury asked shyly, peeking from behind Havoc.
"Yes. And how it's doubtful your friends will survive."
The silence was loud. It continually beat on Ed's eardrums. He'd do anything to hear at least the wind, or to feel it. And the stiffness of Roy's leg was starting to hurt his back. 'He's probably doing this on purpose too.' Of course that wasn't true, but Ed needed to keep blaming Roy for anything. It kept the angst and sadness at bay for the time being.
He didn't know how long he'd sat there. You couldn't tell time when it stopped, but it must have been a while. His ass felt numb, as well as his legs, but he still didn't move. If he moved, that meant he was going to leave, and that meant Roy wasn't going to come back. 'Idiot. You know he's gone,' Ed chided himself, but that didn't kill the faint glimmer of hope that maybe something would happen, something that would bring him back to Ed.
And where was Shayla? He'd remembered seeing her body fall after the attack from Gran, but when he'd look to the spot where she was suppose to be, he saw nothing except for a stain of blood on the ground. And Scar was missing as well. 'I should look for them.' But he still didn't budge. If he left, he might not come back. And what if Roy came back while he was gone? No, it was better if he stayed for now. Just in case.
'Give it up. You have an obligation to Shayla as well.' The annoying, more reasonable part of Ed spoke up. 'Roy wouldn't want you to mope around like this.' Yes, Roy would most likely smirk at him, taunting his actions and comparing him to a child who didn't get his way. But he couldn't do those things right now, because… 'He's gone… I have to realize it.' The damn of anguish broke, and Ed started to cry again, resting his forehead against his knees, shielding his eyes from the world. 'God's, he's gone. And it's my fault. If I wasn't so weak…'
The air around Ed shifted, as though trying to move, and Ed actually felt a breeze. That enough gained Ed's attention. He lifted his head so his eyes could peek out. 'What was that?' The buzz of too much alchemic energy intensified to the point where Ed could practically taste it, slightly metallic. He noticed the energy was focused on one spot in front of him, the air vibrating rapidly around an form.
"Who's there?" He called out, and finally stood up. Rubbing his eyes free of tears, he stared at the incoming figure. It seemed there was someone else who could move in this frozen time zone…
The person didn't answer, so Ed decided he'd better at least get a look at the face. It could be another idiot soldier still on a rampage. Carefully, he walked up, letting the figure see what he was doing. "Who are you?" He tried again.
Another wave of air shot at him, almost throwing him to the ground. He threw up his hands and steadied himself, just incase another wave came at him. Ed could vaguely tell it had been forced by alchemy, not that it was a big surprise. And the alchemic power around him was rising at an alarming rate. 'How the hell can that much alchemic power be focused on one point?' It would be the same as too much gravity compressed in one point; sooner or later, it was going to collapse and make a black hole.
Slowly the person came into view, long wavy brown hair blowing around by the force of the alchemy, her small frame walking forward with purpose. Her body pulsed from an unknown force, and Ed felt sick as he realized all that power was coming from his friend.
"Shayla!" Ed ran up to her, the air so thick it was getting hard to breathe. "Shayla, what's going on?" Time seemed to speed up the closer he got to her, the wind getting faster, the smoke starting to rise up once again. Ed didn't make it far before the buzz of alchemy overpowered him. His metal arm shook slightly, and Ed felt that if he even thought about clapping, he'd lose control of himself. "W-what's wrong with you?" He gasped out.
Her eyes were closed, and she didn't notice Ed's presence or the damage she was unknowingly doing to him. She continued walking steadily while Ed fell to the ground, unable to get in a breath. All he inhaled was alchemic energy. 'What's happening to me!' The world danced in front of him, slowly being replaced by white, and Ed started to lose touch with the world around him. But there was nothing calm about this light. Ed couldn't move, couldn't breath, couldn't do anything but pray Shayla got far away so the effects would stop.
Luck seemed to be in his favor. The whiteness began to dim as Shayla passed Ed's chocking form on the ground. She could hazily sense the young man was in pain, but paid him no mind. He was alive, and no concern to her. No, she needed to heal the dead. Heal the dead. That was all she wanted to do, to pay the price for her existence.
'No!' A small part of her conscious, the only part not affected by the alchemy, shouted in desperation. 'There's more to life than this! I want to heal, but that's not the only thing! What's wrong with me? And why am I arguing with myself?' Shayla's body ignored the tiny voice. Soon, there wouldn't be anything to challenge what was to be.
Finally able to breathe, Ed forced himself to turn around so he was on his back. The fresh air filled his lungs, and all light was gone from his vision. He could hear the sound of Shayla's footsteps receding, and sat up to look at her. There was something wrong… She hadn't opened her eyes once, and he could have sworn he'd heard her voice when the light filled his senses. 'Just like before…' That's right, she'd talked to him before… about losing control. 'Is she being controlled by her alchemy? But how is that possible?' Ed stood up, watching her warily.
Shayla made her way up to Roy and Gran before stopping in front of them, Ed following behind a few feet so he wouldn't lose it again. Even though her eyes were closed, she turned to Gran, then Roy, as if deciding something. She must have made her choice, because she faced Roy and reached out to touch him.
The time effects ended immediately on Roy's body as he slumped forward on the blade, his raised arm falling listlessly to his side. Ed felt the urge to run over to him but didn't dare. He had hated the way the alchemy had overpowered him, the sense of hopelessness at knowing he couldn't control his own body and his mind being pushed away. Besides, he trusted Shayla. Through all that alchemy, he knew his friend was still there.
Gently as possible, Shayla removed Roy's body and lowered him to the ground on his back. The man's head rolled back, eyes glazed over and chest unmoving. Examining him with closed eyes, Shayla's hand glided over the body, trying to pinpoint the wound. When she found it, her hand lay down on top of it, and her body began to glow. She opened her eyes.
Ed flew back from the power, the light searing his eyes and body. All the pent up energy exploded, rendering Ed hopeless. He couldn't move his body, and the place of all white had appeared again. The feeling of his back against the ground barely registered, all his sense concentrated on not getting lost in the white void. 'What the hell's going on!'
All at once it stopped, all the energy rushing back to Shayla. Ed breathed hard and sucked in as much air as he could, not sure what just happened. 'She shouldn't be able to control that much power…' His brain rattled in his skull and it took a few tries before he was able to get his trembling body back on its feet. The world was still frozen as far as Ed could tell, and Shayla seemed to have accomplished her objective. She turned away from the silent body of Roy, and looked up to Gran.
The man's face was still shell shocked for the surprise attack Roy was to give him, and the beginnings of an explosion focused right under his nose. Had the attack been allowed to happen, Gran would surely have died. Shayla studied the man with her eyes closed once more, and reached up to the tiny spark of a flame. She hesitated, then placed her unoccupied hand on it. Ed took this as he cue and fell back to the ground, preparing himself for the next wave.
And a wave did come, but it wasn't want Ed had expected. A deafening explosion came at him, the sound too loud amongst all the silence. There was no heat at all, and with his eyes closed, Ed saw a brief flash of dull red before it was all over. When he looked up, he had to look back down again to keep his stomach from revolting.
Gran's face was no more, only a bleeding pulp of flesh. Charred remains of what appeared to be a nose fell off and hit the sand, while the eyes had shriveled up from the intense heat, dangling out from where the sockets would be by a thin piece of muscle. The lips were charred black, cracked widely as blood poured out and escaped, and all hair had been burnt off. The shape of the actual head was lost, and it caved in at the middle, looking ready to collapse on itself. All in all, it was not a desirable sight.
The tall body fell backward, hitting the sand with a mighty thud and lay still. Shayla, eyes still closed, watched him then turned away from both Roy and Ed, heading off to find a new victim. Only when she was almost out of sight did Ed finally chance going over to Roy's body.
He didn't know what to expect; Shayla had just killed Gran, after all. Saying he was worried about Roy was a understatement, but that reckless faith he had in the woman kept him somewhat calm. Shayla wouldn't hurt Roy, whether she was in control of her body or not. He refused to believe otherwise.
And the steady rise and fall of his chest proved Ed correct. Roy's breathing was even, and his eyes gently closed. The wound had vanished completely, only the rip of the shirt and jacket showing what had truly happened. Ed felt a wave of relief rush over him, and before he realized it, he was hugging Roy's head close to his chest, his eyes seeping tears of happiness. 'I'm getting so damn mushy,' he thought, but only laughed it off. He could afford to be mushy. As long as Roy didn't see it. He hugged the man closer, rocking back in forth in time with his heart beat. 'He's alive… he's alive…'
The gentle motion accidentally awakened Roy, his groggy mind trying to figure out where he was. Someone was holding him… That alone should've been enough to get him to move, but it was so warm and calm. And it smelled of metal and spice and the faint hint of alchemy. Just like Edward. But his brain wasn't playing with a full deck at the moment, so he didn't put two and two together to make four; he ended up with six, or something resembling it. Maybe it was a nine… He couldn't tell. In the end, Roy decided he could let himself be held for a little while longer. In the meantime, he needed to find out what had happened, if his brain could deal with that amount of stress.
There had been light, a lot of light. He remembered that much. So much you could swim in it and drown. And it had felt like Shayla, that comfort, motherly feel coupled with a healthy dose of fire and attitude. Yes, it had been Shayla. And she had spoken to him. Something about getting it away from her and losing control… Then the light had disappeared and Roy woke up to find his head cradled by someone. 'Okay, I got that part…' But what had happened before all that? 'Come on. Think.'
Slowly, a picture began to paint itself in his head: Shayla grabbing the amplifier. Gran shooting her down. Ed's rampage and the need for revenge, then his ultimate demise at the hand of Gran's blade. The he himself had run himself through with the same weapon, just for the one chance to kill Gran and avenge both Ed and Shayla. But after that, there was nothing.
'Am I… dead?' He certainly didn't feel dead. Hell, he felt good as new… like he'd never gotten pierced by a sword. 'Where's my wound?' Roy didn't chance moving his arm to check. He instead felt for the pain, and came up blank. 'It's not there.' No, there was no wound, and this surprise caused his breath to quicken. His current pillow noticed the change.
"Roy? Are you awake?" The soft voice was like music to his ears. It sounded like… but that was impossible. Ed's death, which he had failed to grasp before, became a sick realization. 'Ed… no…' His heart broke, and Roy squirmed in anguish. "Roy! Wake up!" The other grasped him by the shoulders, but Roy didn't open his eyes. 'Let me die! Just let me die!' But the words didn't come out. He hoped this stranger could take the hint. 'I lost him… no!' "You stupid bastard Colonel, get up!"
Roy stopped wiggling. All thoughts ended abruptly as the owner of the voice finally registered to Roy. His eyes opened slowly to see a pair of golden ones glaring at him, not amused.
"I knew you weren't sleeping," Ed muttered. A blush started to form on his cheeks, partly from the position they were in, and also because of the odd look Roy was giving him. "What? Is there something on my face?" He snapped. Roy moved off his lap to sit up on his own, still staring at Ed the entire time. Ed unconsciously mourned to loss of the warmth, but pushed it back and settled for glaring at the ground. He couldn't look at Roy. He didn't deserve to… 'I better get this over with…'
"Roy," He started, still not meeting his eyes, "I… I'm sorry. If I hadn't had been so reckless, and Gran… when he… I just couldn't…" The words got stuck in his throat. Shame filled him, and Ed felt wrong sitting so close to Roy. "I'm sorry," He whispered one more time.
Long arms wrapped themselves around him, and Ed's face came into contact with Roy's chest. He stiffened slightly. "Edward, the fire was already out of control. A little more fuel wouldn't have made a difference." Somehow managing to understand his words, Ed relaxed, relief flooding him once again. It seemed he'd been forgiven, even if Roy insisted it was never his fault to begin with. He snuggled closer, listening languidly to the steady pulse coming from inside the Colonel's chest. "I thought I had lost you," He said quietly. "You love making me worry, don't you?"
Roy didn't answer, instead playing with Ed's hair, cupping the golden tresses fondly. That indescribable feeling, something related to relief, happiness, sorrow, completeness and painful protectiveness all in one settled in Roy's stomach. There was a name for it, but Roy still chose not to use it. Not yet.
Lifting his chin, Roy stared into Ed's eyes again. "You have no idea how happy I am right now," He said seriously. Ed's cheeks were ablaze once more, his eyes growing soft with affection. A few tears had managed to escape, and Roy lowered his head to kiss them away. Ed's breath hitched a bit, and Roy chuckled lightly, gazing down at Ed warmly. The boy licked his lips in anticipation, and pleasure pooled at the bottom of Roy's stomach. But now wasn't the time. The perfect opportunity, but the wrong time. "We need to find Shayla."
Ed's eyes hardened back instantly, head nodding in agreement. The kiss could wait. They had a job to do. "Yeah. I'm sick and tired of being in your memory," He joked. Roy grinned down at him.
"Believe me, so am I."
Shayla kept walking, finding random people to heal, most of which were dead. But no matter what state their bodies were in, the young woman performed her miracle alchemy, the newly healed bodies still caught in the frozen state of time. That small conscious that remained untouched was having a fit.
'For the last damn time, this isn't right! Messing with the dead isn't moral! That's why I don't do it.'
I can not do it without extra power, which I now have. I must use it to my advantage. I must heal.
'Why? And heal a bunch of figments from Roy's memory? I'd rather not.'
The why did I stay? I knew it was hopeless… I can't change time, even here. At least now I can make a difference. I can heal.
'This isn't making a difference! I'm bringing people back from the dead! And I froze time! And I killed Gran… actually, that was fine. Good thing I didn't heal that bastard…'
Yes. I couldn't heal him. I wouldn't allow it. But I can heal everyone else.
Shayla sighed in frustration. It was extremely hard arguing with yourself. She couldn't even blame it on another personality, because that wasn't the case. It was just two sides of her with a different outlook on what was right and wrong. And the amplifier had influenced the other side. (2) And as far as the Shayla stuck in the corner of her mind was concerned, that was bad.
I must heal. It is what I must do, to atone for my existence.
'Please don't start. I'm not in the mood.'
I am never in the mood, but I must heal.
She moved from house to house, mindless of the now harmless flames, pushing them aside. At every home, she brought at least one back from death, their bodies stiff from the alchemic power. It was a continuous process of releasing alchemic power. And Shayla showed no signs of slowing down.
After circling the entire village for lives to bring back, Shayla returned to the temple. There were no more dead inside, that she knew, but when she felt around, there were no more dead anywhere. She'd healed everyone. The rebellious side sighed in relief.
'There. Is the alchemically stoned part of my mind happy? I can't heal if there's no one who needs it. Now I need to let go of the amplifier. My work is done.'
Yes… There is no one left to heal. But I can fix that…
That one alchemic enhanced part pulsed with power, and the air began to move menacingly. Shayla slowly began to open her eyes.
'What am I doing! I can't be thinking what I think I'm thinking! I just brought all those people back from the dead!'
And I can bring them back again. I have the power, so there is no need to worry.
'Oh yes there is a reason to worry when part of me decides I need to kill everyone just to have people to heal!' Shayla's mouth frowned at the comment shot at her. 'Roy! Ed! You must stop me! Please, before I kill all those innocent people!' The part of Shayla that still acknowledged her friends reached out for them with the white light, hoping Roy was still connected. But she was cut off, a wall of power in her way.
No, I won't let you. If you can not understand what is needed to be done, you are a traitor and need to be disposed of.
For the first time, one part of Shayla challenged the existence of the other. The white light reached out inside of her, seeking the rebel.
'No! We're both Shayla! You can't just kill apart of yourself!'
Watch me.
Shayla screamed inside her head as the light began to wrap itself around her conscious. All thoughts of Ed and Roy were slowly being forced out of her mind as the last corner of Shayla's being was filled with alchemy.
'NO! ROY! ED! HE--'
I must heal. And in order to do so, they must die again. And a part of me must die as well. This is the way it must be.
'I won't!' The inner voice became more feeble and weak as she was consumed. 'I can't… help me Ed… Roy…'
"Shayla! What are you doing?" The light was startled back, giving the inner Shayla the time to blockade herself from the rest of her mind. 'Took them long enough!' She snapped, but in truth she felt immense relief.
It does not matter. They shall be healed.
"Ed, I have to heal," Shayla spoke. Her voice sounded hollow and dead, dripping with alchemy, and Ed took a few steps back. "I need to heal everyone. It is the way I choose."
"Are you really Shayla?" Roy asked. Ed had already warned him of the extensive alchemic power the girl possessed, so he made sure to keep his distance. Even from where he stood, he could smell it. "I remember another Shayla telling me she was losing control of something… That wouldn't happen to be you?" Shayla smiled softly.
"I am Shayla. The one you spoke to is the part of my mind that does not understand the need to heal. And so she will be taken care of, as will you." She turned around to face them, eyes opened a tiny fraction. The alchemic air around her pulsed again, pushing Roy and Ed back.
"What do you plan to do!" Ed shouted. He spread his feet to get a better grip on the surface, just in case of another pulse. He knew if she opened her eyes all the way… "From all the bodies I saw, it looks like you healed everyone!"
"I have." She took a step closer to them. "And I shall heal again." She took another step.
"What is she talking about?" Ed whispered. Roy and him continued to take steps back from Shayla's advance. "She can't heal people who don't need it…"
"If she kills them, then she can." Roy's voice was grim.
"But that's not what her alchemy does."
"Fullmetal, right now Shayla's alchemic power is so strong, she stopped time. If she can do that, I doubt killing someone will be much of a feat."
"Alright then…" Ed took a few breaths to calm himself. "Then how do we stop her? Our alchemy is laughable compared to hers."
"See her right hand?" Ed looked at the clutched fist and nodded. "She has the amplifier. I think it's the cause of her power boost right now."
"So that's what she saw talking about… in that white place…"
"Yes. The amplifier must've malfunctioned and given her too much juice, so to speak, because I doubt Marcoh meant for an alchemist to have this much power."
"That's great and all, but how do we get it?" Ed murmured. "We get too close, we'll short circuit. We stay back, she opens her eyes and blasts us." Shayla had stopped moving, as though allowing them to have their conversation. "We can't win."
"It is all right. I will heal you again, and everything will be fine," Shayla assured them. Her eyes opened a little bit, showing the lack of pupils. Ed started to choke on the air, whiteness appearing at the sides of his vision.
"Roy. Plan. Now," He wheezed.
Roy covered his mouth in an attempt to block out the rising alchemic density, but he might as well stop a blot of lightning with a rubber shoe. He too, was starting to get dizzy, his breath coming in short pants. If he dared to close his eyes, he could make out the light, ready to take him. 'Ed's right. We can't get close to her without getting consumed by the alchemy, but if we stay here… I need to contact our Shayla.' But that seemed impossible. The alchemic influenced Shayla wouldn't allow them to chitchat. 'I need her out of the way… Wait… Oh shit.'
"Ed." The golden boy looked up at his companion, trying not to blank out. "I have a plan, but you need to do exactly as I say."
"What is it?" They needed to hurry. Shayla was once again walking towards them, a knowing smile on he face.
"You can't win," She called. "I will heal you, whether it is your wish or not."
"Roy!" Ed stumbled on his feet and grabbed Roy's arm for support. "Plan!"
"Transmute… your arm to a blade," He huffed out. Ed's added weight was making it hard for him to think. "Do it now."
Ed did as commanded, his hands barely touching before his arm transformed. All the extra energy was enhancing their alchemic performance as well, but not enough to stop Shayla.
The woman stopped and watched them closely. She'd felt the boy's alchemy; pathetic really. Had they not realized their plans were futile? They could not stop her. She would heal, like she was meant to.
The other Shayla had felt the shift as well. 'What's he doing! Like a mangy blade is going to do anything! They won't get close enough to kill me off!' The fact her friends might be willing to kill her didn't concern Shayla. She only hoped they'd win and put an end to this. 'I'm tired of being stuck in my head.'
"Roy, what now? I can't get close enough to Shayla, and I wouldn't kill her anyway!" Ed snapped. He couldn't believe Roy was willing to kill their friend. It was out of character for the man who'd risk his life to save his unit.
The raven haired man turned toward the boy, determination set in his eyes. Grabbing his blade-arm, Roy prayed Ed would forgive him later for what he was about to ask.
"Ed." He placed the tip on his chest where his heart beat underneath. "Kill me."
(1) I hope that wasn't too cheesy. But I was trying to figure out how Ed would react if Roy did die, and I foresaw a healthy dose of anger and sadness, plus blaming Roy's habits. I hope I got that right.
(2) Hope that wasn't too confusing. Shayla's still Shayla, but the amplifier is letting one thought taking over; the need to heal people. All other thoughts are being pushed aside, and they take on the Shayla who's arguing about the morals and crap. If you want to make it easier, you can say it's another personality, but I guess I tend not to look at it that way. It's the same when you argue with yourself, and it's like you have to inner voices battling it out. They're both the same voice, but they have a different perspective. I probably just confused everyone some more… Sorry!
Ahhh… cliffy! I brought them back, at least! Like I could really kill Ed… Now Roy, on the other hand…. You'll just have to wait and find out!
Roxie Faye- Ah, I must thank you very much for the review. You deflated my ego, which is a good thing, trust me. And I know my writing has improved, though I've developed a style for myself. That's why I really enjoy writing, so I can see myself grow as a writer. And I still have those god awful mistakes? (cries) I'm a perfectionist at heart, but I'm a perfectionist that knows she can't be perfect. Quite a pain in the ass… Yes, my previous beta reader aka brother left me for certain reasons… (he couldn't stand the mushy parts of the fic, so he said 'screw this' and left! Simpleton…), so I'm betaless at the moment. I'd love to have you as a beta reader, because you sound like you won't completely diss all the points in my story, but give me equal praise as well. And that's what I'm looking for! There is only so far I can get by myself, and as you said, I want to shine like the sun! Heehee. So anyway you want to work this out is fine with me! Thanks again!
Anonymous- Oh, it's good to know you'll stick with me… You got the part with Shayla right, but Envy and Hughes are classified info, even if you probably already know. ;p
Seeker Carter- He's alive! And so is Roy!… Even if I'm about to rectify that situation. Shayla's got some issues to work out, but you'll have to see what happens next!
Basser- Yes, it was by far the best chapter (besides the fluff). And I can't kill my Ed! He's back, and he's about to kill Roy! Yay!
Akumako- (screams) NO! I must have my FMA! Lol But at least I broke back Ed!
Asphalt Angel- Hehehehe. I shocked ya! And I love weird things, so my story must be weird! And yes, you must keep reading!
Hallohello- I know. It killed me to hurt Ed… but I didn't mind taking Roy out.
Roy- Someone's playing favorites…
Bandit- I'm hooking you up with Ed! I'd be grateful!
Loki and Co.- I want to tell you, but what kayamna means will remain a secret for a while longer.
Hiei089- ….La la la la la la la la la la la! Thank you! La la la la la la la la la la la!
arynna- If you want to know… it's a secret! ;p
Asaka Kiseragi- I've seen Saving Private Ryan. I got an iron stomach, and I don't think I could watch it again! Yes, the cliffy is evil, but they demand to be written. And oh yes, I want to help you castrate the guy. (hears noises from the closet) Ummm… I think Zolo and Luffy got a head start… (blushes and runs into a corner)
pixysphinx46- I'm glad I have another follower! And I will try to update soon!
Orenji Yoh-chan- Eh, Ed did kinda do something stupid. And so did Roy. Hell, Shayla's acting stupid. Do I sense a trend:p
Torii- Me love Scar! And Fury and Havoc will be finding out, because Envy loves to spread the angst around. ;p
Daft Bugger- I worked really hard on that chapter, because the other version was lacking. So thanks for the praise!
LegacyRBluesummers- (gives her more and more and more and more…)
Alchemistgrl09- Ah, who cares if it's a word or not? I like it! My story's indrediously awesome!
inuyashabooklover5188- I'm sorry about killing Ed! I didn't know I was gonna do it until the chapter was finished! And you'll find out what's really going on with Shayla in the later chapters!
Shingo-sama- Thanks! And I will update as soon as I can!
Sorry it took longer to get the chapter out. I'm now on Live Journal, and I'm trying to get all the rules straight! But I'll keep chugging along! Comments please!