So...has it really been a YEAR? Goodness. I could go on about where I've been, my health issues, everything that's caused me to be away... And it has been a lot of that, truly...but also, I've just not had the physical or mental stamina to write or post. It's been rough, lovelies. Really rough. But in all this time, I've...honestly missed my giant of a story here. I missed Lissa and I missed you all! I started rewatching FMAB, and I just...jumped right back in. So I present - new chapters, fluff, action... The freaking Promised Day?! We have mysteries to unravel! I cannot believe I left it where I did! I'm triple-posting to leap right back in, and I'm going to do my utmost for you all. I will be transparent - my health is not what it used to be at all. Some days I can write tons, and sometimes I have to take several weeks off to look after myself. But I went and reread my own story, and I fell in love with these two all over again. I am not ever giving up on Lissa's story, so please don't give up on me! Without further ado... The Promised Day is here. (Sort of. Finally!)
Lissa found Ed purchasing a bolt of red cloth from a textiles merchant a few streets over, trailed by Greed, Darius, and Heinkel—all of whom seemed utterly baffled. She understood the moment she saw where he was, though.
"Hey, Liss!" Ed grinned and waved at her. "You're just in time!"
She laughed and jogged over, earlier anxieties forgotten. "Don't forget a little black, dummy," she teased. "Otherwise Miss Izumi would be disappointed."
"Oh, yeah!" Ed hurried to pay the vendor for an extra bit of black cloth, and then carried the whole thing over to a few barrels sitting nearby. Lissa followed, smirking at Greed's bewildered expression—he didn't really like being out of the loop, after all, so she delighted in any moment he was. Petty, but enjoyable.
"What exactly is that for?" Greed asked dryly.
Ed just clapped his hands together and pressed them to the bundle of cloth, transmuting it in a burst of blue energy. The cloth rolled in on itself—and then unfurled, two arms and a hood taking shape, with that familiar black winged Flamel insignia at the center. His signature cloak. A new one, to replace the one ruined in Baschool, the one he'd left behind to join Greed's team.
"Woah," Darius breathed, stunned.
Heinkel turned up his nose. "C'mon, what's wrong with what you're wearing now?"
Greed nodded his assent, disdainful. "That doesn't seem flashy to you?"
Ed just held it up for a moment, eyeing the cloak critically, before folding it and draping it over his arm. "There's a pretty good chance this is gonna be the last battle we ever fight," he pointed out. "I want to do it in style." He turned and flashed a grin at Lissa. "What do you think, Liss?"
She just pressed her hands to her own hair, activating the transmutation circle she'd been keeping drawn on her skin just for this. Immediately, the black ink pulled free of her hair, leaving behind her usual brown color, the one she'd missed so much. "I think I need to get some fabric of my own," she told him, smirking.
They headed out of Kanama soon after—Lissa had finally donned a pair of red-pink gloves, just like her old ones, and transmuted a brand-new leather jacket in the style of the one she'd parted ways with in North City. Even though she hadn't put the jacket on yet, she still felt so much more like herself.
It was almost like old times, she realized… That was what it felt like.
Lissa smiled to herself and tucked her hand into Ed's, his warmth seeping through the fabric of her glove. Once they had Al back, it'd really feel like before, like their days traveling together, before the entire country was at stake. She was looking forward to that, no matter the battle they had to fight. He'd even let her braid his hair before they set out, in front of the others, not embarrassed in the slightest to have his girlfriend look after him a bit. That sort of comfort meant the world to her.
"Listen, guys," Ed murmured to the chimeras as the five left Kanama behind, "you don't have to tag along with me, y'know. I'm thinking you'd be better off going your own way before things start to get too serious."
Greed eyed him. "Hey, hold on. That isn't your call to make, pal. I'm the one in charge."
Ed just ignored him, used to this by now. "I mean, if it's just about trying to get your old bodies back…"
But Heinkel shook his head. "That's not it."
"These bodies do have their perks," Darius agreed. "To be honest, I don't really mind staying like this."
Huh. That's a different perspective.
Greed laughed at that, thoroughly pleased. "Yeah, now that's the spirit!"
"So why stick with us then?" Ed wondered, peering back at the chimeras curiously. He had a point—it was definitely the more dangerous path.
"Well, why wouldn't we?" Heinkel asked bluntly. "It's not like we have anything better to do."
Darius tapped a finger to his temple. "My animal instincts tell me something good's comin'. So I'll ride this thing out with you."
"We'll try to make that true," Lissa told him, grinning.
"And what's your story, Greed?" Ed asked the homunculus. It was something they hadn't bothered pressing before. "Are you hoping to settle the score with the other homunculi for what they did to your friends?"
Greed stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Are you asking me why I've decided to return to Central? I'm not telling ya, kid."
Lissa squeezed Ed's hand as he halted, frowning at Greed. "Don't worry about him," she murmured. "Whatever he's got on his mind, Ling knows it—and we have to trust that Ling knows what he's doing, at this point. That's our only choice."
"Yeah," Ed sighed. "I guess you're right."
He walked forward then, pulling her beside him, only to stop again to narrowly avoid ramming into Heinkel. "Hey, what's the holdup?"
An icy chill ran down the back of Lissa's neck. It was her only warning before she was consumed in fear, in the writhing, awful feeling of a homunculus, only ten times stronger than Greed's usual presence, tinged darker, heavier, thick on her shoulders like blood… What was that? She pushed into the feeling, delved in just how Ling had explained—one hand in the Dragon's Pulse, one hand on her own energy to stay tethered and not get overwhelmed.
A homunculus… I know that feeling… And the Philosopher's Stone to power it, too… More than one homunculus? Damn, it's hard to tell with Greed right here… But at least another… And something more, something…beneath it…is that…
Ink and parchment.
Lissa jolted back to herself as Ed pulled free of her and went racing forward, past everyone, towards the figure looming out of the trees ahead.
Alphonse.
Or…not… Something was wrong, but Lissa's throat had closed up in fear, her whole body trembling with an inexplicable rush of pure terror.
"Oh, man, you freaked me out there!" Ed laughed in relief, oblivious to what she'd sensed. He ran all the way up within arm's length of Al and grinned up at him, practically glowing at the joy of being reunited with his brother. "Feels like I haven't seen you in years!" he admitted, unashamed. "How've you been, Al?"
Al's voice rang out, echoing metallic as usual… But strangely…empty, devoid of emotion. "I'm glad to see you're okay, brother," he told Ed softly.
"Hey, wait…" Ed suddenly frowned up at him. "I thought you were with Major Miles over in the East Area. Nothing bad happened, right?"
How did he get here? Why would he just leave Miles and his whole endeavor there? Lissa staggered a step forward, suddenly overwhelmed with her desperation to get Ed away from him, this horrible, frantic desire to drag him away from Al as though…as though Al would hurt him, but that didn't make any sense unless…unless…
Unless something took over Alphonse!
"That's actually why I'm here," the armor continued. Now Lissa could feel it…the forced undercurrent, the way something was…stealing Al's voice, harnessing it, like a damned puppeteer making a marionette dance… "We need to talk."
"Uh, sure," Ed agreed, seeming confused now. He'd picked up on a bit of it.
No! I can't let Ed go with him!
Al turned to walk away, back into the dark forest behind him, and Lissa nearly screamed for Ed to stop—but her voice broke before the words could get past her throat.
"Hey, uh… Are you sure you're feeling all right, Al?" Ed asked him, hesitating.
The armor paused. "What do you mean?"
Ed shifted uncertainly on his feet. "Well… You seem a little…"
"Ed!"
Ling's voice rang out as familiarity trickled through Lissa's senses, dulling just the tiniest portion of that overwhelming sense of a homunculus.
Startled, Ed turned to face him. "Ling?"
"Get away from him!" Ling snarled, his voice wrecked with fear, one hand clenched over his own face. "That's not… He's a…"
Lissa found her own voice, spurred on by that confirmation, the fact that Ling had sensed exactly what she had. "It's not him, Ed!" she screamed. "Get back!"
Ed turned, horrorstruck, to Al's body, his shoulders shaking. Black smoke oozed from the gaps in the armor—the air was rent in two—and Lissa ducked, just barely flinging herself down in time to avoid a spike of razor-sharp darkness stabbing right where her head had been. The darkness recoiled as quickly as it had come, roiling back inside the armor.
"What… What the hell was that?" Ed breathed, crouched from where he'd avoided the same attack.
A new voice emanated from Al's armor—warped, a multitude of voices all at one time, with one coming through stronger than all the others… The voice of a child. "I see that you're working with them now… Huh, Greed?" In a jerking, unnatural movement, the armor turned to look at them. "How pathetic that you'd share you consciousness with a human." He spat the word like a curse. "Your soul couldn't be any weaker!"
The armor's head snapped up. The darkness surged upward, filling the space—and in every gap, eyes blinked open, horrible, red-irised eyes peering out of the space in Al's armor. The eyes writhed, twisting the metal around into unnatural positions, a broken doll seeping pure darkness.
Lissa could feel Ed's trembling breaths disrupting the air as he whispered, "Th-that's not…"
"It's Pride," Greed told him harshly, regaining control.
Ed turned to look at him in horror. "You don't mean that-"
Greed looked up at the creature hatefully. "Yeah. That's my brother. My oldest brother, I guess you'd say."
"A homunculus?!" Ed gazed back at Al's hijacked body, shaking all over. "Lissa…it…can't be, please, tell me he's not…"
"I sensed it too," she whispered hoarsely. "Just like Ling."
"So, you've made up your mind to betray us no matter what, Greed," Pride sneered in his awful voice. "Which makes you nothing more than an annoyance to us at this point."
Greed snarled at him. "Dammit! How did you even know I was here?"
But Pride just laughed.
How did he know? How the hell did he find us? Even if he'd obtained Al's knowledge somehow, Al didn't have any idea we'd be coming here—maybe he'd suspect it but this felt like a trap, like Pride knew for sure we'd be here. So how?! How the fuck did he know?! Think, dammit!
"How dare you disguise yourself as my brother?!" Ed demanded, furious, glaring up at the armor.
Pride's eyes all flicked to him at once. "Who said this was a disguise?" The writhing shadows lifted Al's helmet up, tilted the body down unnaturally…and then began to twist, parting within the armor. "This is, without a doubt, your brother's actual body." The shadows writhed open—and revealed the blood seal drawn on the inside of the armor.
That was why Lissa had sensed ink and parchment… Because Al was still bound to the armor! Pride really had just taken control somehow!
"You bastard!" Ed snarled, his face contorted.
Pride's shadow form lowered the helmet back into place. "First things first, I need to deal with Greed." The head tilted ever so slightly to look at Ed, lidless eyes boring into him. "Now, Fullmetal Alchemist, Starlight Alchemist… If you would be so kind as to come with me."
Come with him?!
They were…rounding up the sacrifices, full and potential, for the Promised Day. That had to be it. Pride had taken control of Al as a lure to drag Ed and Lissa back with him!
"Heinkel, you guys should run for cover," Ed warned lowly—but the chimeras had already sought refuge behind a nearby tree. "What the… You don't waste any time!" he snapped, rounding on them angrily.
"Our animal instincts are telling us that we should stay the hell away from that thing," Darius told him bluntly.
"It'd probably be smart for you to run too," Heinkel counseled.
Lissa shook her head firmly. "No way."
"We'll be just fine," Ed agreed, nodding once at her. "They need the three of us for their plans, so they aren't gonna kill us. But that doesn't mean we've gotta go easy on them." He tossed his cloak aside, and Lissa flung her jacket over with his, for safekeeping. "I've got no problem taking them down!" he asserted.
Shadows had crept out from Al's armor, all along the ground, like tiny hands reaching out for them—it was horrible to see. "You're right," Pride admitted. "I must take you alive… But if I slice off a few of your limbs in the process, so be it!"
The shadows withdrew—and then burst out, spikes of darkness pinpricked with eyes and grinning teeth launching an attack on Ed and Lissa. She dodged right, while Ed dodged left, her body flickering blue sporadically as she used her alchemy to evade Pride's attacks, matching Ed's advance forward. She knew what he was thinking—they couldn't let the homunculus get anywhere near Kanama, and the innocent people there. So they had to keep this fight between them.
Lissa twisted midair and leapt off the side of one dark tendril, narrowly avoiding landing directly on Greed's head. So he'd stayed too! Good, they could use all the help they could get!
Ed brought his hands together and transmuted the ground nearby, and Lissa ducked backwards, avoiding the enormous wall he summoned forth. Sometimes she forgot, among everything else going on, how…restrained he was with his alchemy most of the time. But the truth was, Ed was terrifyingly powerful when he wanted to be.
Yet it wasn't enough to keep Pride back. His shadow form simply broke through the wall and continued the attack, forcing the three to dodge again just to avoid being speared clean through.
"A barrier's not gonna work against him!" Greed shouted, leaping over one tendril and landing hard. As he landed, Pride's energy cut sharply upward, ramming him beneath his jaw—only to be deflected by Greed's Ultimate Shield at the very last second.
Lissa cringed and almost took a hit through her right arm, just barely getting out of the way in time. She cut a path directly right, then twisted and dodged back left to avoid Pride's next attack, a couple quick bursts of alchemy getting her to safety. Dammit, Pride was fast! And this weird shadow ability… Did he have a physical body like the others or was he just shadows?
She heard a cry of pain, and turned to see those awful shadow-hands had twisted all around Greed, holding him aloft, pinned completely.
Shit!
"Now then… I've captured your friend," Pride told them, a bit triumphantly. "Ready to give up?" The tendrils of shadow writhed as they tightened. "You're not going to make me threaten the lives of the slum dwellers too, are you?"
Greed scoffed. "True to form… He always goes straight for the cheap shot in order to get what he wants."
Lissa exchanged a stricken look with Ed. Had Pride won already?! He'd pinned Greed—which meant he had Ling as well—and he could easily get past them and start ripping apart the people of Kanama. Could they cut through those shadow tentacles? Maybe, but even then, Pride could just take Greed hostage again…
Tendrils of shadow writhed out from beneath Al's feet, and Lissa staggered back, alarmed as they came within reach of her.
"I think it's about time we start winning some of these fights for a change." Ed's voice rang out fiercely. He clapped his hands together and slammed them to the ground, sending waves of blue alchemical energy racing out from him—it danced along the ground, stretching out behind him towards Kanama. The transmutation energy rushed up the nearest power lines, sparked a reaction…
And they were plunged into darkness. Which meant…Pride couldn't cast shadows!
Lissa's senses lit up immediately. She could feel everyone—Greed, with Ling's familiar undercurrent; the chimeras, still hidden behind the same tree; and Ed, closer than anyone, warm amber and crystalline water. The darkness wouldn't hinder her like it would the others, not when she could paint a map of the battlefield in her head, keep track of all the players… She'd really have to thank Ling for his tutelage later.
For she could feel something else, too… The sense of a homunculus, further into the forest.
She stood a moment, reaching out with her senses, assessing the situation. First, they needed to get out of the open, in case the lights came back on quickly. With that in mind, she crossed to Ed and touched his back lightly, forgetting he couldn't sense her—so naturally, he yelped and flinched away from her, tumbling into the dirt.
"Shit, sorry!" she whispered. "It's just me, Ed, it's okay."
There was a rustle as he rubbed his head. "Ouch. Liss? How'd you find me so easily?"
She almost rolled her eyes. "How do you think?"
"Oh…right."
Lissa took his hand and pulled him to his feet, tugging him in close against her side since he was rendered completely blind in the darkness. "C'mon. I think I felt Heinkel go looking for Pride's real body, but Darius and Greed are nearby. I'll take you over there."
"No, Liss—we have to get Al," Ed told her firmly.
She gritted her teeth. Maybe…but there were so many things that could go wrong if they dared cross that expanse, got too close to the trees…
"Ed? Lissa?"
That was Darius, coming to find them. Apparently he'd gotten worried.
Lissa turned towards the sound of his voice. "We're over here," she told him, just loudly enough for her voice to carry to him.
The chimera shuffled awkwardly up beside the two. "Where's your brother, Ed?"
"Same spot as earlier. His body clanks whenever he moves, we would've heard it if he'd gone anywhere." Ed let out a harsh breath, still worried.
"All right… Let's get out of here for the time being," Darius suggested. Lissa felt him reach for Ed's arm, but he didn't seem to know quite where to put his hand, so he gave up.
Ed bristled. "No way. I'm not gonna leave Al behind like that."
Darius sighed roughly. "I know how worried you've gotta be, but what if we get close to him and it turns out to be a trap?" That's true… But I wonder… "We've gotta stick close to one another until Heinkel's done with Pride," he insisted. "We don't want to accidentally attack each other."
Lissa swallowed hard. She had a plan forming…but she couldn't leave Darius and Ed out here in the open. "I'll take you back to Greed," she told them both. "Just follow my voice, I'll guide you through. I can sense the air currents around everything, not to mention…the other sense." She didn't want to say it explicitly, in case any homunculi heard her. There was a very strong chance they'd find out tonight…but that didn't mean she was going to prematurely tip her hand.
With one arm out in front of her, keeping watch for obstacles, and the other wrapped around Ed, Lissa led the way back to where Greed was waiting, smart enough to stay in one place at least.
"So those sounds," Ed began as they walked. "That's the lion guy fighting with Pride?"
"Heinkel," Lissa sighed, though it was a lost cause. She could hear Heinkel's battle echoing around them, but he and Pride were just a bit too far for her to sense how the fight was going, who was winning… So she'd just have to trust the chimera to handle it.
Darius grunted in acknowledgement. "It's always your best bet to let the nocturnal animals handle fighting in the dark," he pointed out.
As they approached Greed, the homunculus lifted his head at the sound of their footsteps rustling through the underbrush. "You got your senses all out, Starlight?" he asked, more a rhetorical question. "Guess you're our best asset here, then, since the rest of us are fuckin' hopeless."
"Yeah, well… You'll have to handle without me for a bit," she told him, shrugging. "I'm going to check on Al."
Darius turned to her sharply. "I thought we agreed it could be a trap."
"It could be, but if it is, I'll sense it." Lissa squeezed Ed's hand tightly. "I can sense homunculi, so I can search for any traps Pride might have left and see if there's a way to undo them. And more importantly…I know what Al feels like. I'll know if anything's wrong."
"Y'know, I don't really like the idea of the only one who can do shit in this darkness leaving," Greed muttered.
"I need to check on my little brother," she snapped. "And to be honest, Greed, you can't exactly stop me when you can't even see me. I won't be long, it's not like I can carry him myself. I'll see if it's safe to move him or not, and come right back. You can't expect-"
Lissa thrust her hands forward just as Darius lunged, grabbing both Greed and Ed and hauling them out of the way as Gluttony leapt from the darkness. She compressed and expanded the air behind the three, boosting them out of the homunculus's reach. Dammit! She'd been so focused on Alphonse that she'd assumed the homunculus she was sensing in the forest was Pride—but Gluttony had been lurking too. No wonder the energy was so damn strong, there were three homunculi present tonight!
She placed herself between Gluttony and the other three, arms out, feeling his movements as he gnawed a chunk out of a tree. The tree crashed down moments later, and Gluttony landed on his feet, sniffing the air loudly. "I smell you, Fullmetal Alchemist… And Starlight Alchemist… Mmm, and I smell Greed!" he announced, through the wood he was chewing.
"Of course he'd bring Gluttony!" Greed hissed.
Ed exhaled sharply. "That fat slob?!"
"It makes sense. Now I know how Pride managed to track us down," Greed explained lowly. "He used Gluttony's sense of smell to follow our scent."
Gluttony gave another loud sniff. "I also smell someone I never smelled before…and they smell tasty!"
Lissa clenched her fists tightly, considering. She had to check on Al, he was there alone and in who knew what kind of condition… But she couldn't leave the others to Gluttony! Unless… "Hey, Darius… You can smell him, can't you?" she murmured, feeling the homunculus stumbling around. So he couldn't see in the dark either… He just had that advanced sense of smell guiding him.
"Yeah…so what?"
"That's all he's got too," she pointed out. "It'll only take me a couple minutes and I'll come right back—but we can't risk the lights coming on and Pride taking Al back when we don't have a plan. He'll just drag me and Ed to their Father, and we can't let that happen."
"She's got a point," Greed muttered. "You're pretty evenly matched for a fair fight, with Gluttony stumbling around like that."
Darius grumbled low in his throat. "My animal instincts are calling me an idiot for listening to you…" He shot to his feet and transformed, tearing out of his shirt as his larger gorilla form surged forth. "So I guess I'm an idiot! The first strike is mine!"
Ed's hand curled around her leg. "Are you sure, Liss?"
"I'm sure. I'll be fine." She bent and kissed the top of his head, and turned to run off—but then skidded to a halt and prodded the toe of her boot into Greed's back. "Hey, Greed, you might wanna remember who taught me all about the Dragon's Pulse. Ling can sense it even better than I can." With that parting shot, Lissa turned and ducked back into the forest.
She emerged into the clearing slowly, stretching out with all her senses, the Dragon's Pulse and her alchemical abilities…but there was nothing. Just Al's armor, precariously balanced near the trees, horrifically empty. Like it had been in Dublith, after Martel was killed inside him.
Still…she could sense a bit of him, an echo of his soul, which meant he was still bonded with the blood seal. At least there was that, if nothing else. Pride was off fighting Heinkel, she could feel him distantly—and it seemed, judging from what she felt with the others, that Greed had sucked it up and let Ling take over to fight Gluttony, so that meant Darius had help. She felt better about Ed's safety that way, honestly, since Ling would protect him.
Lissa crept forward into the clearing, approaching Al's motionless body. She lay a hand on his chestplate, trying to reach for his soul, but it felt…muffled somehow, muted, like she was feeling him through a thick fog. Was that Pride's influence? What the hell had that homunculus done?
Even so…there's no sign of anything here but Al… Which means the only trap is Pride inhabiting him. Good.
She jerked her head up, feeling something new coming in range. Or…not so new. She recognized that feeling… Lissa gripped down on Al's forearm tightly, knowing she had to go back now, with this new development. "Just hang in there, little brother," she murmured. "We'll get you back."
Then she took off running, streaming starlight in her wake as she sprinted full-speed, all the way back to the others—and nearly slammed right into Ed for her troubles. She grabbed his shoulders for stability, leaning over his crouched form and reaching out with her senses to confirm what was going on. But there was no mistaking it.
"Liss?" Ed's hand gripped down on hers. "How's Al? What's going on?"
"No traps, it's just him. He isn't back yet but I can feel him attached to the armor—so it's just Pride's influence we have to worry about." She squinted into the gloom, hearing Gluttony letting out awful shrieks of pain. There was something…odd about him, now that she was close.
Oh, shit. Did he open his fucking stomach portal?!
"That's good at least." She felt his grip tighten even more—he was still worried. "Can you tell what's going on here? Who's attacking Gluttony?"
Lissa grinned to herself. "A friend."
Gluttony landed in a heap, his body sparking a desperate red as it healed a myriad of wounds, and in the wild light cast, a black clad figure stood straight, automail left arm glinting crimson.
"I'm glad to see you're okay!" Ling called, his voice belying his grin. "I was wondering when you'd find me, Lan Fan."
"Lan Fan," Ed breathed. "She found us?"
Gluttony staggered to his feet, and as Lan Fan turned to continue her attack, Lissa felt a hand grab onto her shoulder. "Hey, Lissa… I know my teaching wasn't for nothing. You think you're ready to fight with those senses of yours?" Ling asked her. She had the distinct sense he was smirking.
"Damn right I am. Let's go." She took off running after him, some distant part of her completely elated at fighting alongside the Xingese—they felt like family, familiar down in her soul, in a totally different way than the boys and Winry felt. Lissa supposed if she did have Xingese ancestry, then some part of her recognized them as her countrymen, practically extended family, and that was why it felt this way. Regardless… She was going to enjoy kicking some homunculus ass with them.
All fighting with the aid of the Dragon's Pulse, the three went in on Gluttony with all their abilities. Lissa used her alchemy sparingly, not wanting to create too many shadows for Pride, but luckily her transmutations always generated the smallest amounts of light when she was working with intangibles. As long as she used her own talents, they'd be fine.
"Why won't you just let me eat you already?!" Gluttony whined—only to shriek in pain as Lan Fan cut him across the face with her automail. She had a custom combat model, from what Lissa could tell, with a long blade protruding backwards from the elbow.
Lissa ducked in close as Ling finished out a harsh kick into Gluttony's face, ignoring the blood spray as she twisted around, wreathed in blue energy, dragging iron from the air as she moved. Borrowing her old trick from Dublith, she formed the loose iron around her fist and tapered it into a jagged spike atop her knuckles. Gluttony wailed and thrashed in pain as she slammed her left fist into his abdomen and ripped it sideways, nearly gutting him, sending blood gushing from the new wound.
"I don't get it! It's so dark here!" the homunculus cried as he toppled. "So how?! How do you know where I am?! You can't see me!"
Out of habit, Lissa tracked Lan Fan and created a cushion of air for her to leap off from, like she'd do with the boys—thankfully, Lan Fan adapted quickly, using the unexpected boost to flip herself end over end above Gluttony and slice both his hands off in one go. She caught the Xingese girl giving her a sideways look as she landed, but otherwise, Lan Fan just went with it.
They hadn't actually fought as a team before, Lissa realized, but all three were accustomed to fighting in a group. It didn't take long to find a good rhythm, with the Dragon's Pulse aiding the transition as well, allowing them to constantly keep track of each other's movements. Lissa had the added benefit of her alchemical senses, too, sensing minute shifts in the air and using that to pinpoint where Gluttony was going—and when she followed him, she turned herself into a living beacon for Ling and Lan Fan as well.
But then, she heard a yell ring out in the forest. "Lissa!"
She skidded to a halt, Ling pausing beside her while Lan Fan rushed ahead. The Xingese girl had been using bombs, to great effect, and she effortlessly switched to that tactic once she realized she was on her own for a moment.
"That's Ed," Lissa realized, her heart racing in her chest.
Ling clasped her hands in his. "Go."
"But I-"
"Go, Lissa!" he told her fiercely. "Lan Fan and I can handle Gluttony, you go see what Ed needs. We'll link up with you later!" With that, he released her hands and darted off after Lan Fan and Gluttony, vanishing between the trees.
Lissa gritted her teeth, unhappy with the entire situation—but she knew Ed needed her for something important, or he never would've pulled her from this. With that in mind, she took off running, sprinting on light feet all the way back to where Ed waited with Darius…and Fu, apparently. "Mr. Fu? When did you get here?" she asked as she jogged to a halt beside the three.
"There's no time," Ed cut in. "Liss, Fu's going to lead me back to Pride—the lights are coming on in Kanama and Heinkel's in danger. I need you to take Darius to Al. I hardened the carbon in my automail—it should give me enough of an edge for force Pride to take over Al again. And when he does, I'm going to use a flash bomb to sever Pride's hold on him."
She squinted at Ed through the darkness, wishing she could see his face. "Should," she repeated. "What if something goes wrong?"
Ed fumbled for her and pulled her close, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "It won't. And you'll be there in case it does, right? We need to take Alphonse out of this, and you and I are the only ones Pride can't kill. But he's less likely to fight me with all his strength since I'm a full sacrifice. Trust me, okay?"
Lissa hated it, she absolutely hated Ed putting himself in danger—but it was the best plan they had, and with the light coming on… There wasn't time to come up with something else. "Fine. Darius, let's go. Mr. Fu, look after Ed, please." She pressed her hand over Ed's chest, where his necklace hung, and then stepped back…because otherwise she might not let him go. But she had to, she had to feel his particular energy fade away as Fu took him deeper into the forest, heading straight for where Heinkel and Pride were fighting.
"Right. We gotta go to Fullmetal's brother," Darius told her softly. "He wants me to yank Alphonse's body out of reach as soon as he lets off that flash bomb."
She nodded. Time to go to work.
Lissa led Darius back out to where Al stood, eerily still, and moved as close as she dared behind the trees. "So he's going to destroy Pride's shadows with a flash bomb," she murmured, keeping her senses fixed on Al. "Then you're taking Al to safety." She dug her fingernails into the bark of the tree they were hiding behind. "Take him to Hohenheim, okay? At the very least he'll look after Al… And he might have an idea of how to get him back, too."
"Got it. Not that you sound too happy about it," he observed. "What, you've got a problem with the guy just like Edward does?"
She wished it were light out, just so he could see her glaring at him. "I have a problem with what he did. Both of my parents are dead, and I don't remember much of them, so I find it pretty…unforgivable to leave your family, to leave your children. Ed and Al grew up without their parents because Hohenheim didn't come home after their mother died. It's not right."
"Huh." Darius sounded baffled. "Weird, he doesn't seem like that kinda guy. He seems like he cares about his kids a lot, least from what I saw. And he puts up with Ed's attitude, I think that's worth something."
Lissa ripped off her gloves and stuffed them into her pocket angrily. "I'm not forgiving him for abandoning a four-year-old and a five-year-old just because of that."
Before Darius could reply, Lissa shot her arm out and cut him off—light was flooding the clearing. Firelight. So there was a fire growing nearby, casting plenty of shadows for Pride to use… And some of those shadows were creeping towards Al at that very moment. She blinked against the light, her eyes protesting, and watched as the tiny hands twisted up Al's legs, and Pride's eyes filled the gaps in the armor. Then he turned and began walking, gait jerking and unsteady, lumbering back into the forest.
"Come on," Lissa urged softly, creeping through the underbrush. "I can follow his energy, we don't want to get too close."
Darius followed her, both sneaking as quietly as possible after the armor. Lissa angled closer when she sensed Ed, and the roiling mass that was Pride's true form, the sounds of fighting covering their advance. Finally, they drew close enough to see what was going on—and Lissa almost gasped outright in shock.
She hadn't seen Pride's container, the body he was using… And while she hadn't known what to expect, if he would be humanoid like Envy, Lust, Greed, et cetera, or inhuman like Sloth or Gluttony…Lissa had never thought he'd be a little kid. And not just any little kid.
Pride…was Selim Bradley.
It all made sense—why the Bradley house reeked of homunculus, why she'd sensed that the entire time she, Ed, and Al had visited… Because they'd been talking to fucking Pride! It wasn't just Wrath's influence creating that sense!
Lightheadedness tugged at her, making her breath catch in her throat, and Lissa forced it down angrily. Not now! Not right now!
Pride flung an attack at Ed, slicing through his coat—but the reinforced automail held, and Ed grinned severely at him. "Looks like I made the right decision by keeping my northern automail after all," he mused, panting as he stretched out his hand towards Pride, almost demonstratively. "This carbon fiber base has turned out to be pretty handy!"
Lissa cringed. Was that a pun? Really, Ed?
For a moment, Pride looked truly stumbled… But then a wry grin spread over his face.
"What's the matter?" Ed taunted, when the homunculus didn't attack him again. "You're not giving up, are you?" He laughed and beckoned to Pride, challenging him openly.
But Pride laughed as well, a colder sound. "You brought this on yourself," he sighed, smirking. And as he spoke, Al's hijacked armor clanked into the clearing, shadows writhing free in the firelight, those awful eyes in place and leering across at Ed.
"Al!" Ed shouted, a touch of genuine fear in his tone.
"I figured this might give me the advantage," Pride gloated. His shadow form loomed up behind Al, eyes and teeth opening across the darkness. "Unless you want to destroy your brother."
A savage grin curled Ed's lips. "Now, old man!" he shouted.
Immediately, Fu sprang from the trees opposite Darius and Lissa, and raced towards Pride fearlessly. He leapt high above Al's head, tossed a green cylinder into the sky—and Lissa barely averted her eyes before the explosion filled the clearing with vibrant blue-white light.
"A flash bomb!" Pride yelled, pained. "No!"
Lissa shot her hands forward, creating a corridor straight to Al. "Now!" she told Darius sharply. "Run straight through the transmutation, you'll be faster!"
He leapt out of cover and did as she said, streaking into her transmutation and darting across the clearing towards Al. On the way, Ed shouted for him, still blinded by the flash bomb, but Darius assured him he was on it—and as Al's now-empty body fell, Darius slid into place behind him and caught him before he crashed to the ground.
She released her hold on the transmutation and raced over, joining Ed in front of Al's body. Lissa knelt before him and touched her bare hand to his chestplate, focusing hard. "He's attached, but distant," she told Ed wearily. "I can't wake him up from this."
"Dammit," Ed growled. "Okay, get him out of here, Mr. Gorilla. Now."
"And you're positive he's not still possessed?" Darius clarified, for once not complaining about the nickname.
Ed nodded his confirmation. "Yeah…" He reached out to touch Al's forearm lightly. "I've noticed that if you sever a part of a homunculus's body, it disintegrates into dust. The flash bomb severed the shadows holding Al's body, so he's free from Pride's grasp."
"I only feel Al in there," Lissa added to the chimera. "Just take him."
"You're not getting away!" Pride shrieked, furious, tendrils of darkness streaking towards them in a blind rage.
Ed yanked a flash bomb from inside his coat and tossed it into the air. "Have another!"
In the ensuing chaos, Lissa moved to Ed's side, facing the homunculus, sensing the others shifting around behind her—Ling and Lan Fan joined them, while Fu pulled Heinkel back, out of the way since the chimera was injured.
"You're pushing your luck," Pride snarled, as the light faded. Gluttony was behind him now, writhing on the ground with red sparks around his abdomen, whining about his eyes hurting—so the flash bomb had hurt him too. But why wasn't he healing? Homunculi healed fast, unless… Was he really that injured? Could his healing factor be running out?
Apparently noticing the same thing, Pride turned and eyed Gluttony rather savagely, without a drop of compassion. "They've really roughed you up," he observed coolly.
Gluttony wobbled to a sitting position and scowled indignantly. "Yeah, but only cuz Greed and those girls weren't fighting fair!" he complained, sticking his index finger into his mouth. "They were all doing something so that they could see me in the dark."
Lissa clenched her teeth. So much for secrecy.
"Is that so?" Pride murmured curiously.
She flicked her gaze sideways to Ed, catching him doing the same in the exact same moment—they shared a split second of anxiety over that. What would it change in the balance of events here? Did that make her a better candidate for sacrifice, or a less likely one?
Lissa was torn from her thoughts when Pride's tongue flicked out, over his lips, a sight that turned her stomach. "Gluttony… How many times have they killed you now?" he asked quietly.
Gluttony peered up at him sadly. "I lost count… But I know it was a lot, though."
"They've beaten me up pretty badly as well." Had they? Lissa couldn't tell—she supposed Pride felt he was flagging, though. "The way things are going…" The shadows all around came alive, tendril-hands snaking along the ground…but not towards their group. "There's a very real chance they might annihilate us."
What is he doing? What's he planning?
"Yeah… But that's okay, cuz Father'll fix us!" Gluttony chirped. Yet as he spoke, the shadows moved, writhing across the dirt…to surround him entirely, poised to strike.
Is he… Oh, no…
"N-no… Please don't do it, Pride!" Gluttony begged, panicked as the shadows started to…attack him, to go after him like a damned meal. Then an enormous spear of shadows shot out from beneath Pride, and the horrid teeth opened, latching around Gluttony and lifting him high into the air. For a moment he was suspended there, screaming, pleading with Pride—then the teeth snapped shut on him.
Gluttony's torso severed down the middle, his body falling in two pieces from Pride's mouth, and as he tumbled, his upper half beginning to disintegrate, he whined, "No, Pride… Don't eat me! It hurts! Please, help me! Lust!"
The lower half of his body hit the ground with a gruesome wet slap. And as red energy crackled, already trying to rebuild him, Pride's smaller tendrils attacked, rabid, picking the remnants of the homunculus's body left until they could reach his Philosopher's Stone…and consumed it.
Lissa thought she might be sick. Pride…had eaten Gluttony.
"He devoured him," Ling breathed, horrified. "One of his own kind!"
Pride let out a satisfied sigh. "This should make things much easier. I can practically smell every movement you make." So he'd absorbed Gluttony's abilities too… He could smell them now, could scent them no matter how they might try to hide. "I could do without the ravenous hunger…but I suppose that I'll just have to sate it."
Sate it… By consuming us too?!
Lissa sucked in a breath as she realized. Not me and Ed… But Ling, Lan Fan, Fu, Heinkel… Anyone who gets in his way. Fuck!
"Oh, wait…" Pride tipped his head up and sniffed the air curiously. "I recognize that scent," he murmured, smirking. "You're somewhere close by, aren't you, Hohenheim?"
She cursed softly, under her breath. Was Al nearby too? She couldn't risk taking her focus off Pride for long enough to check—but if Hohenheim was, then it was possible. If Pride got ahold of him again…
"Tell me something, Edward," the homunculus began softly. "Do you think your father would step forward to save you if I chopped off one of your limbs?" Pride's face contorted—and Lissa didn't even have time to warn Ed before he attacked, a flurry of wrathful shadows forcing Ed to retreat, just narrowly evading each one. She went to chase him down, angry and protective, but a shadow slammed down in front of her and forced her to leap backwards instead.
Lissa dodged sideways in time to see Ed slam his back into a tree, a shadow stabbed into the dirt only a couple inches from his face, the last in a long, horrible line stretching all the way from Pride to him. As she watched, the shadows parted, splitting and folding outward to give Pride a clear line of sight to Ed.
With a wicked laugh, Pride attacked, sending a shadow streaking down towards Ed. The teeth at the end peeled open, jaws heading right for him.
"Look out!" Ling shouted.
Lissa rushed forward—but the jaws closed down, severing the tree clean through.
With a yell, Ed ducked underneath, sprinting out and away from Pride. The homunculus was already searching out his next prey, and Ling was distracted, out in the open, an easy target—which was exactly the opening she needed.
"You little fucker!" Lissa snarled, racing in behind Pride with her entire body cloaked in transmutation energy, parting air currents as she ducked around the shadows. "Don't you dare touch Ed!" She feinted right and twisted back left, too fast for him to follow, slipping closer and closer around those razor-sharp tendrils, until finally she loomed up over his much smaller body and slammed her reinforced left fist directly into his face.
Pride reeled, stunned by the physical blow, and she took advantage of it, flinging both hands forward and knocking him back again with a burst of alchemy, compressed air like hundreds tiny needles ramming into him. He brought his shadows up to protect his physical container, and Lissa sensed a disturbance behind her just as he stumbled back a step.
She thrust her left hand out and boosted herself to the side, just barely evading the tendril meant to impale her right through her abdomen. The same tendril whipped around and hit her with its flat side, a quick, rushed blow that sent her flying across the clearing.
"Lissa!" Ed rushed over and grabbed her as she pushed to her hands and knees, putting himself between her and Pride.
"I'm okay, I'm fine, Ed," she told him hoarsely, coughing from the impact. At least it didn't feel like she'd broken anything—and she'd gotten that little shit, she'd actually forced him to get her out of his space or take real damage!
Ed scowled at her fiercely. "That was reckless, don't be an idiot!"
She narrowed her eyes. "He tried to take a fucking bite out of you, dummy! The hell was I supposed to do?" Lissa grabbed Ed's forearm, his hand wrapping around hers in return as he pulled her to her feet. Neither of them was angry…just worried and stressed. With her down, at least Pride had looked elsewhere, going after—well, it felt like Greed now.
"Shit, look at Lan Fan!" Lissa groaned, pointing across the battlefield. The Xingese girl had tumbled midair, lost her grip on a kunai… And as they watched, she narrowly managed to catch herself by her knees on a branch.
Ed grabbed Lissa's hand and they rushed over together, coming to a stop beneath the tree. "You all right?!" Ed called up to her worriedly.
A mass of Pride's dark energy surged out from the shadows behind the tree and severed it into pieces, knocking Lan Fan off the branch and into the air. She tumbled helplessly, too hurt to control her fall, heading straight for the open mouth of one of Pride's tendrils.
"Liss, catch her!" Ed yelled, boosting off the nearest tree and leaping above the tendril. He knocked Lan Fan aside midair, and Lissa hurried to follow his directions, positioning herself just in time to catch the other girl under the arms as she landed awkwardly, stumbling and in clear pain.
Lan Fan wrenched free of her as Ed dropped down as well and glared at them both. "I didn't ask for your help!" she snapped.
"Oh, shut up," Ed admonished her. "Your arm obviously hasn't healed yet."
That startled her—she cast her eyes down towards her automail, just for a moment, before looking back up at him defiantly. "I can take care of myself!" she denied.
But Ed wasn't having it. "Then prove it to me and start acting like you can," he demanded of her, frowning sharply. "We're gonna need your help tomorrow. So get someplace safe and let us handle this, or you'll be no help at all."
"Lan Fan, you know he's right," Lissa told her with a nod. "Get out of here. Ed, Greed, and I will handle Pride. Keep your head down." She pointed at Ed—specifically at his right arm, which he lifted in demonstration, catching her meaning. "You should probably listen to him about automail, too."
"But I…" Lan Fan cut herself off, her eyes closing in anguish. "Fine. But if the young lord is in grave danger…"
Ed opened his mouth to protest—but Lissa cut him off. "That's different. I get it. I'm right there with you. But barring that, you go hide and you stay safe, okay? We'll do everything we can against this asshole."
With a reluctant nod, Lan Fan backed away and melted into the shadows.
Lissa turned and summoned up a grim smile for Ed. "Let's go fight the creepy monster child, I guess. Ugh. I think I'd rather fight Envy in his giant lizard form, to be honest."
"Yeah…" Ed grimaced and passed a hand over his face. "Me too."
They returned to find Greed barely holding his own—and immediately joined him, fighting as a unit, going all out against Pride… But as the fires around them grew, so did Pride's powers. The shadow beneath him expanded outward, his attacks getting fiercer and quicker until Lissa was the only one capable of being anywhere near him, the only one fast enough to evade when he attacked. But she couldn't get close like she had before—he was too strong for that now.
"Okay, we need a plan," Lissa panted, skidding to a halt between Ed and Greed, trying to buy them some time by altering the resistance in the air between them and Pride, to make it difficult for the homunculus to reach them.
"Yeah?" Greed laughed humorlessly. "What plan? How do you fight a fuckin' monster like that?"
"I don't know!" she snapped. "But we can't keep doing this!"
Ed wiped his hand across his brow, giving her a weary look. "I don't have any more flash bombs, and we can't put that fire out. I dunno, Liss… I really have no idea."
"Well we need—LOOK OUT!" She thrust her hands forward, trying to block the enormous arm of shadows rushing at them—but to no avail. It swept across the forest, knocking her, Ed, and Greed off their feet and into the air as it cut out a swath of trees, leaving a massive, wide-open space right there in front of Pride.
Lissa grunted in pain as she landed, her whole body aching all over. She was exhausted, battered, horribly lightheaded, she could feel her energy waning as she lay there and panted, trying to get her breath back. This fight was going on too fucking long, and even Greed would be weakening now.
What can we do? How the hell can we fight this damned nightmare?!
"Now then," Pride told them smugly. "I can see you more clearly without those trees in the way. That's much better."
He was…toying with them. Like a cat playing with its prey before eating it.
"Dammit…" Greed groaned, pushing onto his hands and knees. He sounded in rough shape, just from his voice. "You two still breathin' over there?"
Lissa sat upright and rubbed her head. "Mostly."
"Does wheezing count?" Ed rasped, on his hands and knees, his face half-pressed into the dirt.
Pride snickered at them. "This isn't really the time to worry about others, is it, Greed?" he mocked. "As soft as you've become…I wonder how much longer you can survive?"
Greed bristled at that. "Shut up, you beast!" he snarled.
But Pride just smiled at him. "What a horrific thing to say to your own brother, Greed," he chastised, a sick perversion of actual hurt. "Honestly…" His smile turned deadly. "I might have to eat you."
"I promise that I won't go down easy, brother," Greed shot back.
Something jabbed insistently at Lissa's senses, and she dared seek it out, keeping her eyes fixated on Pride's small form—only to recoil in shock as she recognized what she was feeling, just a moment before Pride's expression turned contemplative and he sniffed the air, a new trait he'd picked up from consuming Gluttony.
Dammit, what the hell are you doing?!
Nearby, a man walked into the clearing, hands in his pockets, nonthreatening and unassuming in his posture.
Pride stared at him disdainfully. "Oh. So you've chosen to show yourself, eh, Hohenheim?"
Hohenheim met his gaze coolly, apparently completely unafraid. "The hero always waits until the last second to make his move," he explained.
"Hero?" Pride smirked at him. "Interesting… You must think you can defeat me."
Lissa felt a hand slide across hers, where it rested on the ground, and looked over to see Ed had dragged himself beside her, his expression dark as he watched his father confronting the homunculus. She took his hand and threaded her fingers through his tightly, wondering. What the hell was Hohenheim thinking here, anyway?
"No, I'd never think that," Hohenheim demurred, smiling rather beatifically. "I'm not dumb enough to try and fight you."
Why do I think that was directed at us?
As the standoff continued, Pride slowly retracted his shadows, pulling them in almost protectively around himself, glaring across at Hohenheim. Lissa wondered if he was unsettled, truly, or if he was preparing to launch an attack. It was impossible to tell, not until the moment actually hit. She stretched out with all her senses, alchemical as well, feeling for any slight shift in the air—any indication of what form Pride's next attack might take.
Ink and parchment, a fireplace crackling—but that's-
With a yell, Alphonse burst from hiding, rushing up behind Pride for an attack. But obviously, much too obviously, his footfalls heavy and deliberate, unlike how Al usually moved.
"Al, stop it!" Lissa screamed, but too late.
Pride gazed back at Al derisively as he encircled him in tendrils of darkness, catching him again in seconds. "Are you joking?" he sneered. "This was your pathetic plan?" The shadowy hands curled in on Al, and his armor creaked in protest, the metal groaning under the strain. "You should have run when you had the chance." With a sudden yank, the tendrils dragged Al to his knees, binding his arms and pinning him in place. His helmet tumbled off with the force of it, falling to the ground before him.
Ed tore free of Lissa and raced forward. "Al, no!" he yelled, already bringing his hands together for an attack.
But Hohenheim thrust out his arm and physically blocked his path.
Lissa shoved to her feet, crossing to Ed and grabbing onto his arm tightly. She was baffled, confused by Al's behavior and now by Hohenheim's as well—it felt as though something else was going on here, that she and Ed didn't have all the information. But even though she thought they might have a plan…if Ed wanted to run for Al again, she'd go with him. It was his choice if he wanted to bypass his father or not.
Across the clearing, Pride laughed at them, horribly amused by it all. "It seems as though your son enjoys being held hostage," he jeered, giving Al's body a tug just to prove his point. "It's either that…" Pride jerked a thumb towards Al's trembling frame. "…or he's supremely stupid."
Something dark came over Hohenheim. "That's crossing a line, Pride," he growled. "Don't ever mock my son."
Without so much as a twitch of movement from Hohenheim, red energy crackled beneath his feet, shooting out from him in every direction, equidistant, cutting clean lines in the earth. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as huge sections of earth began to lift, rising up all around them—but centered around Pride and Al, curving upward and towards the two.
Lissa jolted backwards as a section rolled up past her, narrowly missing where she stood clutching Ed's arm, rising impossibly high as a dome began to close in around Pride and Al.
At the very center, Pride released his hold on Al, screaming in rage as he saw the earth closing in around him. He made to run—but Alphonse grabbed him with an arm around his neck, yanking Pride's physical form in and holding him tight so he couldn't escape.
A tendril of shadows shot out through the smallest gap, paper-thin, rushing straight for Hohenheim's throat. He didn't flinch, didn't let up on his transmutation, didn't so much as blink… And as the enormous dome connected and slammed closed, sealing the gap, the shadow twisted and dissipated into nothing.
Pride was trapped…but so was Alphonse.
Ed let out a snarl of rage. "What the hell are you doing?!" he demanded furiously, glaring hatefully at Hohenheim's back. "Al's trapped in there with that monster! How could you do something like that?!"
Hohenheim finally turned to face him. "It wasn't my idea," he explained slowly. "Al was the one who suggested this."
"He…he chose this?" Lissa breathed. She could hardly believe it—though it sounded just like her little brother, something he'd do, martyr himself to stop Pride… Still, to see it happen, to witness him being trapped inside… Dammit, Al…
"It would've been nearly impossible to defeat Pride. And it was only a matter of time before the fight spread to the slums." Hohenheim gazed at the dome almost thoughtfully. "Since we knew we couldn't defeat him, I acted as a decoy and we imprisoned him." We, always we. But it was Al's plan, Al's sacrifice. "We've bought ourselves enough time to figure out how to destroy him."
Ed rounded on him. "Well you could've at least told us what you were p-"
"Your brother told me not to," Hohenheim interrupted firmly, startling Ed and Lissa both. "He said that you'd both be against it. Okay?"
Lissa tightened her fingers on Ed's arm. That much was true…she hated it, but it was true.
"Al came up with this plan because it was the only way to make sure everyone would survive." He sighed faintly. "Try to understand."
Oh, Al… What have you done to yourself?
"Now. Let's get to work putting these fires out." With that, Hohenheim turned and walked away, not looking back once.
Ed pulled free of Lissa and walked up to the dome, his gaze downcast and aching. "Al!" he called out, resting his automail hand on the dome's surface and leaning in towards the faintest remnant of a seam. "Hey, Al!"
Faint clanking reached them. "Sorry, brother," Al murmured weakly. "It's not much of a reunion, huh? But…this is all my fault, so I had to do something. And besides… I only have to stay in here for one day…" His voice sounded like it almost broke, but he caught it in time, continuing on firmly. "I promise I'll be okay, brother."
Lissa followed Ed up, carefully resting her hand where he always did on her, at the small of his back, trying to be supportive. "Are you sure you'll be okay, Al?" she asked worriedly.
"I'll be fine," he told her staunchly. "You two will keep an eye on each other, right? No matter what happens?"
She felt Ed tense beneath her palm. "Of course, little brother. You know we will."
"And…Lissa…" Al's voice came closer, like he was right up against the wall. "Don't forget what we promised. Please."
Lissa choked on a sudden raw sob, just barely holding it back. "Al…"
"You promised. We both did," he reminded her, almost fiercely. "You can't forget that tomorrow, big sister. I know how much I'm asking, but you have to do it for both of us, okay? Just…take care of yourself too."
She swallowed back her tears. "I will, little brother. I promise."
As if he knew Ed was trembling, his face contorted in distress, Al reiterated, "I really am okay, brother. Honest." Al's voice softened, grew almost resigned. "You should go… There isn't much time left until dawn, and you need to prepare."
"Be careful, Al," Ed murmured finally, looking up at the dome. "Don't trust that little shit for a second."
"I know what I'm doing," Al reassured him.
Ed nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath, and finally lifted his hand from the dome's surface. "Okay. Then we'll see you on the other side."
"See you," Al murmured.
Lissa heard the clanking as he walked away—she could see Ed was close to his limit, so she took his arm and guided him down from the dome, hoping for a distraction. "He'll be all right," she told him softly. "Let's go put out a few fires, okay? We don't want them to spread any further."
"Yeah," Ed agreed hoarsely, nodding. "Right."
With the use of alchemy, it didn't take long to get a handle on the fire. It was a simple, mindless task of smothering the blaze and walling it off from Kanama, only a half an hour's effort. Lissa stayed close to Ed the whole time, carefully guiding him away from Hohenheim for the most part, aware it could cause an argument if those two got too close. Even though it hadn't been Hohenheim's plan, he'd still enacted it, and considering his mental state… She really thought that could be enough to set Edward off at him.
It was still dark outside when the last of the fire finally went out. Lissa and Ed returned to Kanama, and she hunted down a quiet corner to deposit their few things, intending to change into her jacket. But Ed didn't seem to have the heart. He peeled out of his suit jacket and button-down, but when she turned to him, down to just her tank top, he'd sunk onto a nearby stump and was sitting with his elbows on his knees, head resting in his hands, staring dejectedly at the ground.
Lissa regarded him a moment, considering. Then she tucked their clothes away, out of sight behind a crate, and offered him her hand. "C'mere, Ed. Come take a walk with me."
He looked up at her and frowned, confused. "To where?"
"Not to anywhere," she corrected gently. "Just…around. We're just waiting for the others to link up with us now, so we won't be missed. I think we both need to clear our heads, that's all."
Ed nodded slowly, finally reaching up and taking her hand, allowing her to lead him outside Kanama and out into the semidarkness. The lights from the slum lit up the surrounding area well enough, at least enough for her to feel comfortable—especially with her extra senses—and with everything going on, she didn't want to stray too far. Lissa just held Ed's hand and guided him away from what had been their battlefield, putting their backs to the dome and winding an aimless path through the trees.
What was it Hohenheim said? 'I would hate for either of you to go into tomorrow with any regrets.' He said not to waste the opportunity. As the thought crossed her mind, Lissa snuck a sideways look at Ed, wondering. What if something did go wrong tomorrow? What if they were separated, or injured? What if…what if she had to watch him walk away again?
No regrets… Nothing lingering… Is that really the mindset we should have? Wouldn't…holding back give me something to reach for, if it gets difficult? But then again… I could reach for the future too…for whatever future we might have…
"He made you promise to take care of me," Ed observed softly, startling her from her thoughts. "Al did. You told me about your promise, remember? So I know what he meant."
Lissa inclined her head. "It wasn't a secret from you. He didn't want Pride to know."
"But…Liss… We're looking after each other, it's not just on you…" He twisted his mouth up. "I don't want you throwing yourself into trouble for me, no matter what Al said."
"What, you think I'm gonna stop now?" she muttered.
Ed frowned at her, seeming…genuinely upset by that. "I mean it. What we're going into, it's too dangerous to risk that. And I know you, I know what you'll do if something happens, and I just…" He suddenly released her hand and stepped away, wrapping his arms around his middle instead. "I can't lose you, okay? I can't, Liss."
She followed him, frowning, her heart aching in her chest. "You won't lose me… But you won't stop me from protecting you, either. When have I ever been able to stop myself from that, huh? I mean…I did it the first time we met, y'know."
"But this is different," he insisted, more firmly now. "I have no idea what's going to happen—but I know that you don't have the same protection Al and I do. They only ever called you a potential sacrifice, which means Father and the homunculi might decide…" Ed gritted his teeth and screwed his face up, distressed. "They might decide not to keep you around. I…I almost wish you'd stay away, honestly. Then I'd know you're safe."
Lissa found herself almost scowling at him, irritated. "What, stay out of Central tomorrow? You're kidding, right? I'm going to be right next to you, Ed. Where I belong."
Softening just a bit, Ed uncurled his arms and reached out to her, gently taking her hands in his and pulling her close. "I know you wouldn't stay… That's not what I mean… I just wish I could protect you somehow, that's all."
"I do too," she admitted, nodding slowly. "I wish we could just…grab everyone we love and run away, right out of the country. But…" Lissa cracked a faint smile. "I seem to remember us agreeing a long time ago to be the kind of state alchemists that shirk the system and actually help people, instead of walking away from them." She squeezed down on his hands and gazed right into his eyes, steady and certain. "Which means we can't walk away from this. We have to see it through. Both of us, Ed."
"I remember that… I remember you setting me straight when I got all…tired and defeatist." He leaned in close and rested his forehead against hers, eyes drifting shut. "You were right then—and you're right now, too. I mean…we are still partners, right?"
Lissa couldn't help but laugh at that. "Not just because the state says, either."
"Hell no. Because we want to be." Ed grinned and pulled back, this time winding his arm around hers and taking her with him as he kept walking, apparently feeling a bit better. "Okay, Liss. We'll do this together. Stupid protective streaks and all."
She cast a fond smile at him. "I thought we agreed that was just…us, huh? That it's just how we are."
Ed's grin turned sheepish. "Yeah…something like that." He shook his head and pressed a kiss into her cheek. "Anyway… What did Hohenheim want with you earlier? It's been bugging me, I have no idea what he'd need to talk to you about privately."
Of course he wants to know that…
"Surprisingly, nothing bad," Lissa told him honestly. She'd have to be careful not to give too much away. "I expected him to tell me how inappropriate we were being or something, but…that wasn't it, actually."
Ed frowned, his mouth screwing up in distaste. "So what'd he want, then?"
She stroked her thumb down the inside of his arm absently, trying to figure out what was safe to say. "Well…honestly, it was kind of…weirdly sweet? He felt bad for judging me last time, back in Resembool… And…" Well, she couldn't really see the harm in telling him this, though she wasn't sure how he'd react. "He kind of… He made a comment about how we…look at each other. He said it reminded him of how…how he and your mom looked at each other."
He jolted to a stop, turning and staring at her in complete shock, eyes wide and uncertain. "Oh," Ed whispered. "He—he said that, huh? I mean…" He passed a hand over his face. "It makes sense, I just…didn't expect that."
"I think he was trying to say he approves, in some weird, backwards way," she admitted.
Ed scowled deeply. "Don't tell me you're gonna start defending him-"
"I'm not defending him," Lissa explained patiently, smoothing her thumb over the crease between his eyebrows. "You know exactly how I feel about what he did. It just felt like he was making a genuine attempt to say something nice about us—which matters since he brought up your mother, Ed. That's all."
He nodded, looking a bit regretful. "I'm sorry, Liss. I just… Anything to do with him just screws with me." Ed caught her hand and pulled it in close, pressing her palm over his heart. "I wonder if he's right, though… About us…"
Lissa smiled, touched by the simple gesture. "I don't know… But it's a nice thought, isn't it?"
"It is," he agreed softly.
When Ed turned then, angling back towards Kanama and holding out his hand for her to take, Lissa had a rush of emotions all at once, unexpected and overwhelming—memories drifted through her mind, a cascade of so many small, yet powerful moments… All of the tiniest changes leading up to the moment they'd been unable to stay apart, the time everything had altered irreversibly in Resembool… She remembered, in perfect clarity, standing over him at Fort Briggs, the world melting away around her as she realized that somehow, somewhere along the line…she'd fallen in love with him.
Could she go into the Promised Day without telling him? Without being honest about her feelings, forced to go through every fight they'd face, the things they had to overcome…without saying a word? Could she face that day…with regrets?
And more than that…could she keep doing this to him? That was the center of the issue—Edward. Beyond her possible regrets, beyond what she felt about keeping it in, beyond anything Hohenheim had suggested…she wanted this for him. She wanted him to feel loved, to know, no matter what happened the next day, that she was truly and completely behind him. In every way possible. That was what mattered.
Lissa stumbled forward and pulled Ed into her, startling him. But he didn't flinch away—he fell into her kisses, wrapping his arms around her in turn, his left hand pressed into that familiar spot at the small of her back, almost protectively. When she lowered from her toes, having risen up to reach his lips, Lissa took his face between her hands, some kind of desperation coloring her movements as she drew him in close. "I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow," she breathed, watching him frown at her slightly, worried. "I have no idea what we'll go through or face, or how we'll come out the other side… And I just… I can't go into it this way, Ed, I can't… I don't want you to face tomorrow without knowing that I love you, with every bit of my soul I love you, Edward Elric… And I need you to know that before tomorrow."
His eyes went wide, shimmering gold in the dim light, mouth falling open slightly. "Liss… I…"
"You don't have to say anything," she insisted, shaking her head quickly. "I'm not saying it because I'm expecting anything in return, I just needed you to hear it, that's all… I needed you to know that I love you, so you understand why I want to protect you, and why I'm—such an idiot about jumping in front of you all the time…" Lissa released him and stepped back, wanting to give him space, afraid suddenly of rejection. She didn't mind if he didn't feel the same, if he wasn't there yet… But she didn't want him to leave her because of it… "I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "But I couldn't…I couldn't just…" Lissa's breath caught in her throat. "I'm sorry if I…upset you… I just-"
Ed's arms came around her, folding her in against his chest, and she broke off to bury her face there and breathe for a moment. He wasn't…rejecting her, at least. That would be enough, if he just didn't send her away, if he didn't decide this was too much… If he just…stayed… "Upset me," he repeated softly, shaking his head. "You didn't—how could that ever upset me, huh?" His lips brushed the top of her head ever so gently. "It's funny… Here I was thinking that I'm the big idiot between us, but… I guess we're both idiots, aren't we? At least about each other." Ed's arms tightened around her, just for a moment—then he gently tucked two fingers underneath her chin and tipped her head up so she'd look at him. She almost expected to see an apology in his eyes, or perhaps regret… But she only saw this beautiful warmth and softness, like his entire soul had been laid bare for her… "You don't get it, do you?" he murmured.
Lissa couldn't tear her eyes away. "Don't get what?" she muttered, a touch embarrassed.
He smiled softly. "What did you say to me in Resembool, when I was—struggling to see how you felt about me?"
"You mean…when you tried to run out of the room?" Why was he bringing that up?
"Exactly. You said that you thought you'd been obvious, and I just didn't feel the same. And, see…" His cheeks flushed, pink dusting across his cheekbones and over his nose. "Here I thought I'd been completely obvious and you just…weren't there."
Lissa swallowed hard, uncertain. "I'm…not following, Ed."
His lips curled into that familiar crooked smile, and he stroked a piece of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear gently. "Lissa… You can really miss things sometimes, you know that?" Ed leaned in, his hand resting on her face now, thumb tracing lines over her cheekbone, bringing them so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, see the glimmer of his golden eyes even in the dim light… She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but stare, trapped in his gaze. "What I did in Baschool… I made that choice because I couldn't bear to see you hurt… I wanted so badly to protect you, and…maybe even more in that moment, because the night before, when we were trapped by that snowstorm, we sat and just…talked, and I realized… I realized I couldn't let you go, not ever. Because, you see… I knew right then I'd fallen in love with you too."
The whole world stopped around her. Lissa knew nothing but Edward, but his arms around her, the warmth of him against her, his gaze fixated on her, unwavering, so…certain. "You… Ed…but…"
"I thought it was obvious, y'know…" He let out a soft, gentle laugh. "I thought I'd been so damn transparent, and you just…hadn't gotten there. So I didn't say a word. I guess we still have a lot to learn, huh?" Ed grinned, and she felt herself smiling in return, though she still couldn't breathe, her mind still spinning. Did he say… Did he really say… "But…it's the truth, Liss. I love you. I love you so much… And I…I don't want to go into tomorrow without you hearing me say it, either."
Lissa choked back a sob and clung to him, but she wasn't crying—she was laughing, a silly reaction, giddy and elated down to her soul at those words, those few simple words that meant everything to her. "Okay," she admitted weakly, her voice muffled by his shoulder, "we might actually be the biggest idiots ever."
"Maybe," he agreed with a laugh, stroking his hand along the top of her head. "I'm just… I'm really grateful I have you. Don't forget that, whatever happens tomorrow."
"I am too," she told him softly. "And I won't forget…as long as you don't."
Ed pressed a kiss into her hair. "I won't either, Liss." He sighed and pulled her in tighter, eliminating every bit of space between them, as though he couldn't get close enough. "I know we should go back…but…can we stay like this a little longer?"
Lissa stretched up and rested her head on his shoulder, smiling against the thin fabric of his undershirt. "As long as you want," she agreed quietly. "I'll be right here with you."
And she would be… Through tomorrow, through whatever happened, she'd stay with him—the boy she loved, still sometimes that fragile little boy in the wheelchair, back in Resembool… Lissa would do whatever it took to stay by his side.
(And please dear lord excuse the length on these first two beasts. I really, really missed Ed and Lissa's journey! But why is this ONE GIANT SCENE? My bad.)
