For Sull89, because she is love. 3
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Ed turned around, preparing to continue his journey to Ishbal, but he paused when Al spoke Winry's name. 'Winry…?' Ed turned around and saw Winry standing just on the other side of the rock she had just disappeared behind. "I thought you were going back to Resembool." Ed said, placing a fisted hand on his hip. Winry looked startled for a moment, then she turned her eyes to the sand, studying the grains furiously. "Ed…" She said finally, hesitatingly removing her eyes from the ground, "Are you going to make the Philosopher's Stone?" Her voice was faulty as she spoke, as though she was speaking a taboo.
Ed's demeanour faltered and he made a series of incoherent noises before he could speak properly. "Winry… why do you want to know that?" He asked. Ed didn't want to tell her what it took to create the Stone; what would she think of him for desiring something so evil? Winry said nothing in response to Ed's question, she simply crossed the space between them so she was standing directly in front of him.
Reaching out, Winry grasped Ed's auto-mail arm, sliding her fingers all the way down it until she reached the fingers. She wrapped both her hands around Ed's mechanical one and leaned forward on her toes, "Because I want you to be able to feel things again. I don't want you to have to have this arm and that leg anymore…" A red tinge covered Ed's face as Winry spoke. She released his hand and let her arms fall to her sides. "I want you to be back the way you were, so you can be happy again, Ed. Al, too. I know that's what you both want, and isn't the Stone the only way to achieve that?"
Ed left Winry's question hanging in the air, trying to absorb everything she was saying. "We are trying to find a way to get our bodies back, Winry. Please don't worry about us." Al answered after Ed was silent for a few moments more. Winry turned and glanced at him before returning her questioning gaze to Ed. "He's right, Winry. You shouldn't worry about us." Winry smiled and shook her head, grasping Ed's auto-mail hand again. "I always worry about you two. Please… get the Stone so you can be happy again. Besides," Winry winked at Ed as she spoke now, a devious grin covering her face, "once you two get back to normal, I won't have to be constantly worried that you'll recklessly ruin my masterpiece!"
With that, Winry turned and walked away again, disappearing behind the same rock formation as before.
Ed turned to Al after she left. "She really wants us to make the Stone, Al." Ed shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. Al took a step closer to his brother, "She wouldn't want us to if she knew what it took to create it, Brother." Ed nodded slowly and turned to the vehicle that was supposed to take them to Ishbal. "Come on, Al. Let's go."
--
As Winry disappeared behind the stone, she began laughing quietly to herself. "This is perfect! Now that the FullMetal shorty believes his little girlfriend wants him to create the stone, maybe he'll actually suck it up and do it!" As Winry spoke the latter, her image flickered until it had changed completely and Envy was standing in her place.
--
"Evening, Lust." Envy said, striding into the room he knew Lust and Gluttony were occupying. Lust turned away from the window and faced Envy. "It took you awhile to return. What have you been doing?" She asked, turning her back on him again to continue her scrutiny of the night sky.
Envy grinned broadly, leaning against the doorframe. "I borrowed the form of Elric's girlfriend and told him I wanted him to make the Stone," Envy changed his body to look like Winry's and continued with a mocking tone, "so he could be happy again." Envy changed back into his favourite form and sneered.
Lust turned her head to glance at Envy out of the corner of her eye. "Do you think it worked? Do you really think that's all it will take to persuade him into creating the stone?" Envy merely shrugged, his usual sardonic grin in place, "Does it matter? It was worth a shot, and it's not like it was out of my way." Envy crossed his arms and bounced back off the doorframe to stand upright. "Besides, if it ends up that we don't need the pipsqueak anymore, I can always use that to my advantage."
"Well…" Lust said, turning around and walking passed Envy to the door he had just entered, "We'll see."
--
It was only a few days later when Lust caught up with Scar and Ed in Ishbal. She knew Ed wouldn't create the stone, but when she saw what Scar was doing, she also discovered that she no longer needed him to.
"Lust… I'm hungry." Gluttony whined, sticking his finger in his mouth and pouting. Lust smirked in his general direction, "I know, Gluttony. Maybe I'll bring something back for you." She said, walking ahead of the other homunculus. "Where are you going?" Gluttony asked, lumbering after her. "I'm going to see something, Gluttony. Stay with Envy." Lust said before beginning to walk again. Gluttony stared after her until she was out of sight before he turned around and made his way back to the hotel room Envy was in.
--
Lust didn't return until after dusk, but when she did she had a large grin on her face. "Lust! Where were you? Did you bring me something to eat?" Gluttony asked, crossing the room quickly to stand at Lust's side once again. "I'll tell you what, Gluttony. The next time you see Edward Elric, you're free to have him." Lust said, crossing her arms and smiling as Gluttony cheered.
Envy hopped down from his place on the window sill and looked intently at Lust. "Does that mean we can kill him?" Envy asked, the grin on his face widening by the second. Lust returned Envy's grin with one of her own, "Yes, Envy. That's exactly what it means." Envy's grin widened even more and he resisted the urge to just jump out of the window and find Ed. "I'm going to enjoy killing him." Envy said, crossing the room and opening the door. "And when I'm done, he's all yours, Gluttony." Envy promised with a wink, stalking out into the hallway.
--
It didn't take Envy long to reach Resembool, the perfect plan to trap Ed playing in his mind. He stood outside the Rockbell girl's house, surveying the area with a sort of half-interest before walking to the door. He didn't bother with changing his appearance; he wouldn't need to. This human would be easy enough to put out of commission.
Ever the impatient homunculus, Envy also felt no need to knock on the door, opting instead to open it with one swift kick. His smirk set in place, he stepped into the house, delighting in the shocked, outraged screams his task had earned. "What's going on here!" Pinako demanded, wandering in from the kitchen. "Who are you?" The elder woman asked, glaring at Envy for destroying her door.
Winry made her entrance soon after, widening the smirk on Envy's face. "What happened?" she stopped when she saw Envy. "What did you do to our door?" She asked simply, not really knowing what to say to the homunculus standing idly just inside the doorway with a smirk on his face and his fist on his hip. "To answer your question, my name is Envy," Envy paused to take a step closer to Winry, "and I've come for you."
Winry took a shocked step backward as Envy advanced upon her. "What do you want her for?" Pinako asked, diverting Envy's attention back to her when she stepped to his side. "That's none of your business." Envy sneered, kicking out with his right foot, sending Pinako flying across the room. She was motionless when she hit the ground.
"Grandmother!" Winry yelled, jerking forward to go to Pinako's side. Envy caught her around the waist and dragged her to the door. "She's alive. It's time for us to leave." Envy informed Winry as she struggled violently against her captor. "You're not taking me ANYWHERE!" Winry yelled, flailing and doing everything she could think of to get out of Envy's grasp. This only served to amuse him, however, as he loosened his grip, "You're putting up more of a fight than I expected, and honestly, it's annoying."
Envy spun Winry out of his grip, simultaneously swinging his arm around, hitting her across the face. Winry staggered to the side and Envy lunged forward, pushing her into the door, effectively knocking her out. Envy smirked down at the girl, then picked her up and turned to survey the damage he had done, "If Lust has done her job correctly, I should be seeing Elric very, very soon."
--
"They have her, Al! That bastard has Winry!" Ed yelled, slamming his Automail hand into the wall. "What if it's a trap, Brother? Lust said they didn't need you anymore- they're going to try to kill you!" Ed shook his head and turned toward the door. "I can't take that chance, Al. If he does have Winry, who knows what that bastard could have done to her…" Ed's hands were clenched tight enough to break fingers; just thinking about Winry being hurt by that monster sent him into a murderous rage.
"I'm going after her, Al. That's final." Ed said in a definitive tone, opening the door and standing just inside it. "I'm coming with you, then." Al said, joining Ed at the door. Ed nodded and the two brothers left the room, heading to the secluded place outlined in the cryptic message that they had received only minutes earlier.
--
The night almost seemed heavy to Ed, who stalked around the high security walls of the old building with the utmost care. Al moved quietly behind him, looking in every direction for any sign of an ambush. Ed had only one thought on his mind; save Winry.
"Brother… look." Al said, pointing to the large shrub blocking a small hole in the wall. Ed pulled the branches away and crouched down near the hole. "It's too small for you, Al. Wait here until I come out." Al opened his mouth to object, but Ed was already halfway through the hole. "I'll be back soon."
The area on the other side of the wall was something directly out of a horror movie. It would have been impossible to see had it not been for the path of tiny lanterns that Ed was sure led to either Envy or Winry. Ed clenched his fists and walked forward, following the path illuminated in the otherwise consuming blackness.
The path brought Ed to a stop outside two doors; one was a set of double doors and the other was a large steel one, the lock hanging precariously off it's hinge. The last lantern hung on that door, so that was the door Ed opened.
The room had no light, so the only thing Ed had to see by was the already-dim lanterns in the hall. He reached for the lantern that hung on the back of the door and pulled it into the room, holding it out in front of him.
When he lurched forward upon seeing Winry, he nearly dropped the lantern. She was curled up on the floor, her hand resting near the bloody wound in her stomach. Ed didn't even need to check to know she wasn't breathing. He felt his breathe catch in his throat as his heart palpitated against his ribcage.
"Edward…" The strangled sob that Ed had been holding in escaped his lips as he heard Winry call his name from behind him. He turned around, unsure of what was going on; wasn't Winry dead on the floor in front of him? He stared into the darkness, hoping his mind was playing tricks on him and that Winry would walk out of the shadows and into his arms.
Ed heard something move from within the room, but before he could turn around to see what it was, something hit him square in the chest, sending him flying through the double doors across the hallway. "Well, well, well, looks like the FullMetal Pipsqueak decided to join the party. Don't worry about your little girlfriend in there; you'll be joining her soon."
Ed growled from his place on the floor, "That was you, you bastard! Where is Winry!" Envy strode through the door and put his hands up in mock confusion, "She's dead; or did you miss all of her lifeblood I spilled on the floor?" Ed jumped up and lunged at Envy, "SHUT UP! Don't say that!"
Envy side-stepped Ed's attack and laughed. "It's nice to see my work hasn't gone to waste. What does it feel like, knowing she died because you didn't get here in time?" Ed couldn't help it; he felt tears sting his eyes, making them glitter with malice toward Envy. "I'm going to KILL YOU." Ed screamed, lunging forward again, striving to beat that cocky smirk into the other side of Envy's skull. Envy dodged Ed's repeated attacks, taking every opportunity to lash out at Ed as he could.
Envy caught Ed's foot in his hands when the latter kicked wildly at him. Envy twisted it to the right and released, flipping Ed to his back onto the floor. Envy lunged on top of him, pinning him to the ground, ready to kill him. However, he thought of a different plan. He sat heavily on Ed's stomach just above his hips and leaned down, clamping his hands around Ed's wrists and pinning them to the floor on either side of his head.
Ed coughed from the force of Envy's weight on his stomach. "Get off me." Ed croaked, the wind momentarily knocked out of him. Envy changed his face so Ed was staring into Winry's. "Come on, Ed, you can't say no to this face." Ed's face flickered between anger, horror, pain, and shock before finally settling back on anger. "Watch me."
Ed swung his head forward and up, knocking his forehead into Envy's. Envy, taken aback by shock, loosened his grip on Ed's wrists. Ed took this to his advantage and drew the blade from his Automail. He didn't have a chance to use it, however, as Envy's hand smashed into his face.
Ed's head smacked into the floor, the resounding clap hurting his ears as he felt blood trickle from his lower lip onto his chin. His vision popped and he became paralyzed momentarily, giving Envy enough time to pin him down again.
Envy had returned to his favourite form, and when Ed finally opened his eyes, it was only to see Envy lower his head to his face. "Shouldn't let this go to waste…" Envy said in response to the question in Ed's eyes, his face hovering a breath away from Ed's. Envy, much to Ed's dismay, lowered his head the rest of the way. Envy ran his tongue slowly over the trail of blood from Ed's lip to the bottom of his chin.
Ed shuddered, detesting the feeling of Envy's closeness. He tried knocking Envy away from him with his hips, but Envy simply tightened his grip on Ed's wrists. Envy pulled his head away and Ed renewed his strenuous struggle against Envy, finding it hard because he could hardly breathe, feeling light-headed already from the lack of oxygen.
Envy merely snickered at Ed's attempts and lowered his head again, this time drawing Ed's bleeding lip into his mouth. Ed let out an angry, strangled cry of protest and pushed up again, desperate to get Envy off of him. His actions, however, only served to bring Envy's face closer to his.
"Stop fighting me, Ed" Envy said in Winry's voice without changing his form. Her voice filled his ears and adrenaline from his anger fueled him. He drew one deep breath and pushed up and to the side as hard as he could, this time successfully managing to knock Envy off of him.
Envy rolled until he could get his footing and then he stood, a snide grin on his face. "It makes me wonder how you managed to kill Greed; you're just too soft." Envy lashed out at Ed again with that last word and very nearly knocked him over again- Ed realized how he could stop Envy.
The plan already rolling in his head, Ed ran to the other side of the room, away from Envy. He'd have to find out where Winry was first. "Envy! I won't ask you again; where's Winry?" Ed did nothing but shout his question at Envy, not even moving to lash out at him with his alchemy. Envy smirked, placing a languid hand on his hip, gesturing with the other. "How many times must I repeat myself, shorty, she's dead!" Ed bit his lip to fight back the bitter retort forming in his throat and forced a smirk onto his face. "I'm not stupid, Envy, I know that was you. Very convincing."
Ed knew that by boosting Envy's ego he could get the Homunculus to talk. And then it would be all over.
Envy laughed in response, placing both hands on his hips now, leaning forward to speak. "I try." He said, adding a shrug. "I suppose she's still in the room down the hall… unless Gluttony got impatient waiting for you to die." Envy let his hands drop to his sides as he finished, a malicious smile covering his face.
Ed smirked, then laughed, the sound echoing around them. "What's so funny, Ed?" Envy asked, his tone a mocking one as he spoke his adversaries name. Ed grinned at him and took a few steps forward, retracting his blade as he did. "You'll see." Ed said simply, continuing to advance on Envy. Envy frowned, disliking the change in his prey so suddenly. He ran forward, intent on killing Ed this time.
When Envy was a mere 10 feet away, Ed clapped his hands and held them out in front of him just as Envy reached him, Ed's fingertips brushing against the chest of the homunculus. The blinding light that ensued stopped Envy in his tracks. When the light died down, Ed smirked at Envy, who was entirely encased in a block of solid carbon, save his head.
Envy's eyes bugged out as he looked down at his statue-like body, then snapped his head up to glare at Ed. "What the hell did you do to me!" Envy screeched. Ed allowed a small grin to grace his features as he admired his handiwork. "What you said about Greed reminded me- there is carbon in the air and in your body. I detached the carbon molecules in the air from the oxygen, then attached them to the carbon molecules in the air to the ones in your body, turning you into a solid carbon statue."
Envy struggled, but could only move his head- he was becoming lightheaded from his apparent lack of lungs. Ed frowned now, then placed his index and middle finger against Envy's forehead. "Go to hell." He said before repeating his former actions and encasing Envy entirely in carbon.
Ed looked at the carbonate Envy momentarily before striking at him, sending Envy toppling to the floor only to shatter into millions upon millions of pieces. Ed proceeded to the door, not even bothering to look back upon the aftermath of his work, Winry now the only thing on his mind.
Unsure of her condition, Ed sped up, running blind down the corridor, searching for any sign of a door. When he finally came across another one, yards away from the room he had just came from, he stopped outside the door, praying that the room beyond held Winry, and that she was safe.
He pushed the door open slowly, worried he would see a duplicate of the first room, but this room was completely different. Winry was chained to the ceiling, her arms shackled above her head. She appeared to be asleep, but when Ed stepped inside, she picked her head up, her eyes widening when she saw Ed.
"Ed!" She cried, attempting to move forward. This action earned a soft groan as she strained the sockets of her shoulders. Ed rushed forward, catching her in his arms before she fell to her knees again from exhaustion. "Winry… oh, thank God you're alive." Ed murmured before pulling away and turning his attention to the chains that bound her. "Are you injured?" He asked, concern evident in his voice. Winry shook her head. "No… just weak and hungry."
Ed finally undid the chains and Winry slumped further against the floor. Ed caught her again, this time slipping his arms under hers to give her support. "I thought he was going to kill you…" Winry whispered, grabbing a hold of Ed's jacket in an attempt to pull him closer. Ed stroked her back with his flesh hand and buried his face in her hair. "I thought he did kill you…" Ed whispered in return.
Winry looked up at him in confusion, but Ed just shook his head and stood, helping Winry to stand with him. "Come on. We should leave before the others arrive." Winry nodded and braced herself against Ed, standing awkwardly next to him. "I've never been so scared in all my life, Ed." Winry said with a faraway look in her eyes. Ed looked at her and nodded. "It must have been terrifying, what did he-" Winry cut him off, kissing him softly on the lips to do so. She pulled away and Ed looked at her, shock written all over his face. "I wasn't scared because I thought I was going to die. I was scared because I thought he was going to kill you before I could tell you…"
It was Ed's turn to cut her off with a kiss. He knew exactly what she meant.
"Come on, Winry. Al's waiting."
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A/N: Well, that's my first FMA fic. I personally think it was very successful, and I love it. I know I totally went away from the actual storyline and killed Envy, but the story needed it and it fit quite well, I think. I really don't want any flames for anything; I gave enough warning ahead of time. I DO NOT support Envy/Ed unless it's something like this because that just would not ever work out. So… yeah. You'll review it if you're cool! X3
