Yes, this chapter is inspired by Jojo's song " Keep On Keepin' On " off of her self-titled debut album " JoJo "

Keep On Keepin' On, Use My Shoulder, and Breezy are all songs written by or are featured on Joanna Levesque's self-titled debut album "JoJo." All rights reserved to the respected parties involved. Artist/Songs/Album/Labels (Universal/ NA2 (not available))

Breezy is a slang term for his girl/her man/ vice versa.

Alchemist Chronicles

Chapter 27 - Keep On Keepin' On

1907, Schuylkill Falls, Creta

At the funeral of her mother Nara, Marisol sits on a bench in the back of the church. Roxy is holding her friend's hand, wiping her own eyes with the other, whispering words of comfort. Ari is using her other hand to cover her face as she's crying. "Ari, it'll be ok. It'll be ok. I'm here. My momma will be here for you. Medesto, your dad is still with us. He's just-" "He's sad like I am, Tori. Mommy's gone and she's never coming back. I c-can't ever get her hugs again. I-I can't won't feel her kissys again. I-I just-" She starts sobs harder as she's pulled into a hug by Roxy.

After the funeral, Medesto walks out of the church holding onto his daughter's hand. Getting into a car, they head home. The next morning, Ari hears from her bedroom.

Medesto - "WHAT! What do you mean that they lost it! ... DAMN IT! ... Well, can someone look in the crematory again? ... Why isn't anyone trying to help me? ... Hello? Hello?" He slams the phone back down on the receiver. "DAMN IT!" He yells.

Sitting at the top of the steps, Ari looks at her father with worry. "Meddy." (It's Ari's nickname for her father) He stands up and walks away from his seat, heading for the stairs. She stands up and walks down the steps to him, hugging him when they finally reach each other. "I'm sorry, honey. Meddy is trying his best." 'I know, daddy. I know." She gives him a kiss on the cheek earning a light chuckle out of him.

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1908, Schuylkill Falls, Creta: Winter and Spring

Sitting down on a couch at her first foster parent's house, she looks down at her hands. Folding them together, she looks up at Crayton. The older woman then sits down next to Ari. They introduce themselves to each other.

A few months later...

As Ari is walking into the living room, Crayton calls her up to the guest room that Ari is using. "I'm gonna need you to answer a question and you will need to swear on your mother's grave if you are telling me the truth on whether or not you left anything disgusting on my bed that you are borrowing?" "Why would you ask me something like that? No- No I didn't." "Do not question me, just do it!" The volume in her voice scares Marisol.

"..." "Good girl. Now, what's this?" Crayton asks Ari, lifting up blanket on the bed. "It's a used tissue." "And why did you leave it here on the bed? You've been here for a few months so I know you know where the trash can is at. I told you to be honest with me and you just lied me even after you swore on your dead mother's grave! Now stay in this room and do not leave until I say so!" Crayton slams the door closed as she leaves the room.

Maralynn, who's older and is also a foster child like Ari, says. "And to think that I had to do wait until you left for school to put it there. Damn that was too easy." Ari who has tears leaking out of her eyes doesn't say anything, just only stares at the other girl.

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1909, Schuylkill Falls, Creta: Winter, Early Spring

At the third foster mom's house, Ari is scolded by the woman. Borgan, who is pointing and shouting at Ari. "Clean here! Wash up that mess! Don't mess up again! Or Else!" Her screeched voice causes Ari to flinch and start washing the dishes at a faster pace. "Even if you do everything I say. You are still a worthless, weak and pathetic little girl. Both you and your father are nothing but scrum!" Ari quickly stands and turns around to face Borgan. "Don't Talk About My Father Like That!"

Slap! Borgan slaps Ari across the face. Ari bursts out crying afterward. "DON'T YOU EVER YELL AT ME AGAIN, BRAT! You will respect me and You will do everything I tell you too, understand Trash?" She says as she grabs Ari's chin and forces her to look at her. Sniffling, Ari replies. "Y-Yes ma'am."

The next day at school, the bruise of Ari's cheek is visible and she is bullied by some her classmates. When Roxy, Tiana and the crew see her, Roxy's shouts. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU, ARI!" The moment when Ari sees Roxy, she runs over and hugs her friend, crying her heart out. Roxy and her other friends hug her back, whispering words of comfort. When Roxy looks up, through the window she sees Borgan pulling up in her car to the front of the school. "Marisol." Ari looks up at Roxy, who asks her. "Did she hit you, lil sis?" "Yeah. After I yelled back at her. She disrespected Meddy." Roxy then pulls Ari into another hug.

Holding Ari's shoulder's, Roxy tells her. "Keep on Keepin' on, Marisol. No matter what don't give up. Work with whatchu got so that way one day you will fly so high that you won't see them anymore, even when you look down." Ari smiles at Roxy's words.

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1911, Briggs Mountain, Amestris

Once the dust settles Marisol, who is hovering over Greywolf, backs away from him a little as he tries to sit up. He then attempts to stand on his feet but to no avail. "Hey, take it easy, Greywolf." He looks at her as she looks back at him. He then sighs, putting his head back down and looking away from her.

She sighs as well. "Listen, I-I uh- Huh?" She notices several other wolves around her and Greywolf. Quickly standing, she looks around at each one of them. When a brown wolf approaches the injured wolf, he sniffs his leader briefly as Greywolf watches him. Greywolf then tries to stand again and this time actually succeeds.

Limping towards his comrades, Greywolf stops suddenly and looks back at Ari. The stone starts to glow in her pocket and she takes it out. It then floats in between the both of them. They look at each other once more as both of their eyes glow the same color as the stone.

The stone then stops glowing and falls to the ground. Picking up, Ari looks at it again before placing it back into her pocket. A loud collapse of a huge rock scares all of them, as they all flinch and turn in that direction just as another dust cloud enlopes them.

Coughing heavily and having difficulty with trying to breath, Ari passes out again. Once the dust settles again, the black wolf runs over to her and with his mouth, grabs the back of her jacket, pulling her towards the edge of the forest. The tan and light gray wolf grab onto her arm and leg, helping to drag her. Once they get there, they let go of her and run back to their leader, Greywolf, who is still injured.

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1913, Central, Amestris: ? Mansion

When Marisol slowly opens her eyes again, her mouth is still gagged and she is now lying on her back. Her arms and legs are spread out and bound. Looking the ceiling, she then turns her head and sees the same knives as before only now she's right next to them.

Adam - "AH! My prey has awoken from her purposeful slumber. Now it is time for some ... fun." He holds up another needle and a bottle. Draining the bottle with the needle, he tosses the bottle into a bin on the other side of the room.

Adam then holds her arm tightly as she tries to struggle. "QUIT IT!" He yells. She stops and lays still, just staring at him with petrified eyes as tears are falling down. He then slowly injects the needle's point into her arm. She screams out in pain until her voice gives out. Huffing and panting, she feels her body temperature rise.

Adam - "There. Now that wasn't too hard now was it?" Her vision starts to get blurry, she feels very dizzy and light-headed. He then grabs a knife off of the table and looks back at her waiting for her to close her eyes. Just as her eyes are beginning to close...

Ari screams as he cuts her on her arm. Adam starts laughing loudly. "YESSS! SCREAM LOUDER! SCREAM UNTIL YOU CAN'T SCREAM ANYMORE!" Adam laughs again. Once he no longer hears her screaming, he looks over and notices that she's passed out. "Oh. The prey has fainted. How disappointing." He hovers over her, watching her scarce breathe.

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1914, Central, Amestris: Abandoned Warehouse (Winter)

With her hands tied over her head, legs wrapped in rope, bound together. Adam picks up a needle. He then grabs her chin. "Well, Well, your skin certainly has recovered awfully quickly from our last encounter. Tell me. Tell me your secret and I'll tell you mine, ...Carrier." He grins widely.

"Go To Hell!" She replies in an angered tone. "Well, I certainly would appreciate some company for the trip, now won't I?" He replies as he sticks the needle into the side of her waist. She screams in pain.

Draining some of her blood, when he finishes he lets go of her chin at the same time he takes out the needle. Catching her breath as her body trembles from the pain and sudden intrusion, he tells her as he smiles widely at the needle that has her blood inside. "Thanks for this precious substance." He says as he walks away and closes the door behind him. She then notices the stone missing from around her neck. Quickly shooting her head up, she sees the light from the stone coming through the cracks in the door.

Feeling the rebound from the stone's energy, her conscious fades little by little. Before she passes out, she hears what appears to be metal, scraping against the ground nearby.

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1914, Central Hospital, Amestris (Summer after The Promised Day)

Walking around inside of the hospital that her friends and family are in after the events of The Promised Day, Ari passes by a room full of newborn babies. She stops and walks back to look through the window.

Ari awes and stares lovingly at the babies and doesn't notice a nurse open the door on the opposite side. "They sure are adorable, aren't they?" The nurse says. Startled and looking back behind her and then taking a quick breath to relax herself. "Yeah. They are." The nurse opens the door to the room and closes it behind her. After watching the nurse feed and change some of their diapers, Ari starts to walk away.

Walking to the corner of the hallway, she hears some commotion from a room. She stops and looks through the window. A mother is holding her baby and is in tears with a man who is also crying next to her, both in which are staring sadly at the baby. She notices the baby's grip on the man's finger.

A few minutes goes by when the baby's hand eventually let's go and the baby doesn't move at all. The mother pulls the baby closer to her chest, crying hysterically alongside the man. Ari can't help but start crying as well. She then takes off down to the double doors at the end of the hallway, dropping to her knees and crying heavily.

Calming herself down and cleaning herself up. She opens one door and sits in the waiting room. A few minutes goes by, she stands back up and heads back to Riza and Roy's room.

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1917, Central HQ, Amestris (During while Janine and Riza are in Table City)

Roy - "So she spotted Dixon on the train?" "Indeed. We also have other sightings from him as well from the south and east." Alex replies. "This worries me for Clover's sake." "As the same for the rest of us, Lt General. But fear not, as I'm sure the perpetrator will be caught like the rest of them."

Sighing and turning to the side, while leaning back in his chair. He looks out the window to the side. "I hope you're right, Colonel. I hope you're right."

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1917, Central, Amestris: Madam Christmas's Bar (Prior to Ed and Winry's wedding)

Sitting on stools with Roy, who is next to Roxy with Madam and Natalie behind the counter, serving customers their drinks.

Roxy - "So AJ? Tell me what made you fight back against that asshole?"

AJ smiles lightly. Turning to look at Roxy, she replies. "Keep on Keepin' on, rememba?"

Roxy smirks. "Bet that wasn't the only reason, huh?"

AJ snorts. "Like you're the only person that has given me advice. Get a grip, chica." They laugh. AJ then sighs. "So uh... any new word about Ti?" Roxy raises an eyebrow at AJ. "Like why? Don't mess with her or ask. None. Not even any of the crew asks about her, yo. Leave it be Ari. Drop it off and let it go. She did what she did and everyone left it at that." AJ looks away sadly.

Chris then places her hand on top of her adoptive daughter's hand. "Ari. Talk to me. What did she do?"

AJ sighs sadly. "She had a baby, Ma." She says, looking away from Chris. Roy looks up and stares at AJ with concern.

Before AJ has a chance to say anything else, Roxy interrupts her. "Yo, I told you not to worry about the kid. Lord knows where it's at since she abandoned he or she, Ari. Not to mention, she killed someone."

Chris looks at Ari with sadness. "Look at me, little one. (Ari looks up at Chris) Listen to Roxy. Don't concern yourself with someone who turns their back on their own child. Who's not to say that she has turned her back on each other's friendship." "She has already," Ari replies quickly, surprising Chris, who then looks at Roxy next. "How do you know that she killed someone?"

Roxy - "Cuz I spoke to shorty thru the phone at that jail in Cornwall Ridge. Damn bitch has no shame. It pisses me off. Killed someone and for what? You don't need that around ya, sis. Hell, I don't even want any of THAT near me."

Roy taps Roxy and tells her as she turns to look at him. "A few years back when I was hospitalized for a few months, Ari saw a newborn baby pass away in front of her."

Looking at the glass in front of her. "I won't ever forget that, Roxy." Roxy looks at Ari with sad eyes. She pulls Ari into a hug. After the both of them settle down and relax, AJ tells Roxy. "I remember when you stayed by my side at her funeral. I still wonder if he ever got her ashes back like I remember him trying to." "I don't know, to be honest. Things just weren't the same after our Table City trip." The girls place their heads together.

Separating, Roxy tells her. "Quiero encontrarlo para ti." (I wanna find him for you.) Ari looks back her with a surprised expression. "¿Quieres decir?" (You mean it?) Roxy nods her head. "I want to." They smile at each other.

AJ - "Thanks, sis." Placing a hand on AJ's shoulder, she tells her. "Use my shoulder, whenever you need to." "Cuz that's what friends are for," AJ replies. "Damn right!" Roxy says. The girls giggle for a bit.

Roxy - "Speaking of friends, cuando va a hacerte su (when is he gonna make you his) breezy? Porque le gusta y le gusta, MUCHO." (Cuz he likes you and you like him, ALOT) She says as she points to Ari.

"ROXY!" Ari yells then put her head down in embarrassment as Roxy erupts into laughter. "You still make that same face after all this time, Ari. Hahaha!"

Chris taps Roy's hand as he looks back at her and she nods her head in Ari's direction, then walks away to the other side of the counter. Roy then stands up and places a hand on AJ's back. "Gotta take you home kiddo, let's go."

Roxy and Ari sigh before they stand and give each other a hug before AJ leaves with Roy. Once the door to the bar closes, Roxy walks over to where Chris is at. Chris stops with what she was doing to look at her. "Thank you for taking care of her." "Well certainly. No trouble for me, not even once. She's a good girl. Damaged yes but a little too nice sometimes, which worries me a lot. But she's strong. Both willed and humble." Roxy looks away smiling. "Yeah."

End of Chapter 27

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I decided to post this chapter first since the next one will have referrences to this one and is a contiuation of the previous one. It only made sense to do so.