Elma, Arlen Glostner, and Jack Crowley are all characters from the 2nd Fullmetal Alchemist video game for the ps2. "The Curse Of The Crimson Elixir."
Alchemist Chronicles
Chapter 32 - Here We Go Again
Winry yells. "WHAT!" After Ed tells her what happened to Al. "So do you know-" "Nope. No one knows where they could be at but I'm hoping that's it somewhere near Janine."Ed tells Winry, who looks at him confused. He explains what happened to Janine. She covers her mouth in shock. "Oh My God!" "I know. And if what Russell said is true then with her getting shot and losing alot of blood before Jake put her in his armor. Th-"
Winry interrupts Ed with confusion. "Wait? What? Slow down. You're talking too fast, Ed." Ed continues to mutter. "Then there's the matter of her stone and the recoil that happens when she uses it. Especially for healing." "The stone?" Winry asks. Remembering what Dixon told her about her being used as bait for someone who has a stone that they wanted, Winry looks at Ed with a pissed off expression. "Are You Kidding Me!" She yells.
Ed looks at his wife with confusion. "What? What's the matter?" He asks her. Winry stares at Ed with tears threating to fall. "It's her, isn't it." Ed raises his eyebrow to her. "Huh?" Grabbing him by his collar of his shirt, she tells him. "She was the one that they were trying to lure out and I was their bait!"
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Scrunching his eyes as he slowly wakes up, Al moves his hands, grabbing at the dirt underneath him. Pushing himself up, he looks around him. He quickly stands after noticing a transmutation circle on the ground next to him. Looking around again, he remembers the village.
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Ed stares at her in astonishment. "The man who-who kidnapped me. His name ...was Drake Dixon. He told me that I was their bait. That they wanted someone who had a stone that they needed. That that was their reason for why they grabbed me." She tells him. Looking back her. "We need to tell Roy, Winry. It's best if we talk with him in regards to Janine." "Ed, where are you going with this?"
Ed sighs. "Listen, Janine and I have had several conversations and I'm not only talking about military stuff or the fact that the both of us joined when we were kids and the experiences with the military that we've both witnessed. But in regards to something that she has, babe. I made a promise to her that I wouldn't tell you about it because she wanted to be the one to talk to you about it, Winry. However, since Roy and Madam Christmas are her family. You should ask one of them to answer your questions. Roxy as well."
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'Bord'wan' Al reminds himself. 'But why here? Why did he teleport here? Speaking of him, where is-" Al then hears a strange sound coming from East Road. Leaving the Village Square, he walks through the Mountain Pass and Outskirts, finally making it to Arlen's House. Before he knocks on the door, he pauses, looking to the left side remembering when he found Antonio.
He smiles at the memory. Hearing something bristling just on the other side of the door takes his attention away from the memory. Slowly opening up the door, Al walks in, closing it behind him. Walking throughout the house, checking every room that he finds, the last door he opens is the bathroom. He sees her lying face up, asleep in the tub once he opens the door.
"JANINE!" He yells as he runs over and notices the blood water. 'She's so pale' He then picks her up and carries her to the bedroom. Wrapping her up in a few blankets that he finds in the room. He then lays down next to her to help warm her up. After a few minutes, Janine wakes up. Slowly opening her eyes. 'It's so warm all of a sudden-' Her train of thought stops once she sees him staring and smiling at her.
"A-Al." She whispers, becoming very emotional. Her tears start falling as she pouts her lip. "It's ok. It's ok. I'm here. Don't worry." He hugs her, rubbing her back as she's crying on his chest. Gently stroking her hair as she's calming down. He pulls away from her a little, grabbing her cheek and kisses her. She kisses him back.
Parting and panting, Al gently kisses her again, then places his forehead against his. "I was so worried about you." "I'm ok... But Blue Cloud was able to heal me before she disappeared." She tells him. "Disappeared? Healed you? Wait, what? What happened?" "T-They grabbed The Metatronic Stone after they shot me, Alphonse." Al backs up a little, staring at her with shock.
Sitting up, Al moves some the blankets away from her a little and she shows him the scar. "The wound was sealed and closed but the bullet is still inside of me." She whispers then grabs his hand and places it over the scar. He shivers once he feels the bullet.
Al - "How much does it hurt now?" "A little. But I think I can walk now." She starts to push the blanket away from her and slowly moves over to the edge of the bed. Al stands and hurries around to the other side where she's at. She then turns around and tries to stand on shaky legs, using the side of the bed as support. Al catches her when her knees give in after she stands briefly.
Al - "Take it easy." He wraps an arm around her waist, holding her up. Putting a hand to her own head, AJ tells Al. "I'm starting to feel dizzy and lighthea-" Janine then leans against his chest and passes out. Al calls out her name again.
Russell stands at the doorway to the room. "She's lost alot of blood, Al. We should take her to a hospital, so they can remove the bullet. It's probably affected an organ or two."
Al - "Why should I trust you?" "Do you want her to die, Alphonse?" Al looks at Janine, who's head is rested against his chest with a pained expression on her face. He looks at her sadly then glares back at Russell. "Fine! But if you try anything-" Russell interrupts him. "I won't. You have my word."
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After Winry's conversation over the phone with Roxy, she sighs. "Jeez and here I thought The Philosopher's Stone was terrible." "It still is, Winry," Ed tells her then says. "I still can't figure out what the hell Russell meant when he said that it chose her." "Well, we could always ask her when we see her again." "Yeah. I just hope that they're both ok, though." "I hope so too, honey." She says, intertwining their fingers.
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Russell teleports Al and AJ to a hospital in East City, where she is rushed into surgery immediately. Russell lies to the doctor and tells them that he has called her family, letting them know where she is at.
She survives the surgery. The bullet only glazed a kidney, sparing her from any real organ damage. On the third day after her surgery, early in the morning. Russell teleports them back to Bord'wan from the hospital room. The next day, Al walks into the bedroom and sees AJ already up and changed into new clothing. "Hey. How are you feeling?"
She smiles at him. "I'm feeling much better. Thank you, Al." She smiles at him. Al smiles back as he walks over and hugs her. He then leans in and kisses her. She kisses him back as she wraps her arms around his neck.
Russell clears his throat. Both Al and AJ stop and look at him. "Are you two ready? You do want to get your stone back, right girly?" AJ glares at Russell.
Al - "Watch it, Tringham." He tells him in a stern voice. Russell laughs as he walks away from the doorway.
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Russell splits from them once they make it to a large cave. "I can't believe he bailed! That coward!" AJ says in annoyance then continues. "Typical. Full of talk and no bite. He's like Roy when he gets all moody." Al laughs. They both of them then sigh. "I guess we don't have much of a choice do we?" "New Hessigart is on the opposite end of this cave right? Let's get going, then." Al nods his head and they start walking.
Making it halfway through the tunnels, they notice a mark on the wall that looks like the same one they had just passed moments before. "Hey, Al? I think we're lost." AJ says. Folding his arms together, Al tries to think of another way while looking in the two different directions. A loud thump on the ground behind them breaks them out their concentration. They slowly turn around to see what it was. Rocks and debris start falling down from the ceiling.
Al grabs AJ's hand and they run in a direction, finally making it out of the cave. Catching their breath, Al notices the ledge. "Well, we've sort of made it out of the cave," Al tells her. Looking at him with an uneasy expression. "Please tell me you're not thinking about-" A Crab Chimera jumps down in front of them.
Al - "This again! Really?" It screeches and starts chasing them as the both of them start running away from it, down the slope of the mountain. "Run Janine!" "No Al! I just stand here and let it snip me." "Don't be a smarta- Whoa!" They stop once they notice a dead end escarpment.
AJ asks Al. "What now?" "Crap!" Al says as he starts looking around trying to find another way. The chimera roars as it is just a few feet away, rushing towards them. They brace themselves as it rams into them, pushing them off of the cliff. They scream at the top of their lungs as they freefall.
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Roy, who is on the phone, yells. "THEY WERE WHERE!" Startling Riza and the others in the room with the angered tone in his voice. Sitting back down in his chair, he places a hand over his face leaning forward. The doctor on the other end of the line tells him about the bullet wound, the surgery and her disappearance three days afterward.
With 'um huh's, yes's and heavy sighs. Roy hangs up the phone. Looking directly at Edward, he asks him. "I need you to tell me again what Russell told you." Winry holds her husband's hand tightly. Edward tells him everything that Russell said to him.
Placing his hands behind his head afterward giving Riza a secret code with his fingers, Roy takes a cautious breath after Ed finishes. He then places his hands back on his desk, staring at Ed. "That was a doctor from East City's Main Hospital. It seems that the both of them were there a few days ago. Along with Russell." Everyone in the room looks at him with shock.
Ed sharply stands. "WHAT!" "What for?" Winry asks. Roy looks at Ed and tells him in a serious tone. "I need to talk to only you right now out in the hallway, Edward." Ed looks back at him with anxiousness. Roy then stands up and the two men leave the office.
Making it to the empty office, Roy lets Ed enter first. Sitting across from each other, Roy starts. "Russell wasn't lying about her getting shot." Ed looks at Roy in sorrow. "According to the doctor on the phone, Janine went in for surgery and had the bullet removed. Al refused to leave her side the entire time." Ed smirks. "Of course, he wouldn't. It's Al we're talking about." Roy smiles lightly.
Roy - "He informed me that on the third day after her procedure, all three of them disappeared. No doors or windows were open but the room was empty." "Obviously Russell teleported them, that's a no-brainer. What I can't figure out is why did the hospital wait three days afterwards to call anyone? Obviously one of them lied to the doctor and nurses and I know damn well it for sure it was Russell. But why didn't Al call us instead, though?" Ed ponders.
Roy - "Do you remember anything else that Russell told you?"
Ed immediately asks. "He said the stone chosen her. Care to explain that?"
Roy sighs. "It would be best to hear it from her, Ed. But ask Blue Cloud instead. She'll probably be better with answering those types of questions. Janine won't answer you at all once she feels uncomfortable." Ed then sighs as well.
Ed then asks Roy. "So to bring up from what happened the other day. Are you uncomfortable with my brother dating your cousin?" Roy makes an uncomfortable sigh. "I know I said I was content with it but... It is a bit weird. It seems like just yesterday she was that shy nine-year-old girl that I had to bribe just to get her to talk." Ed chuckles. "Yeah. It took Al a while to break out of his shyness as well. When we were young, Al would always run over to the lake after me and him argued and sit beside it, just staring out into the water for some reason." Roy smiles.
Ed makes an expression after he realizes something. "Come on then. Talk. What idea do you have?" Roy asks him. "If Janine had Greywolf track Winry's scent. Then should we be able to borrow both Black-Hayate and Den to find Al and AJ, right?" "Are you sure you are courageous enough to ask Hawkeye?" "Why cause you're not?" Ed sharply replies. Roy glares at Edward.
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Landing on his back, Al tells AJ. "I now understand what Ed was talking about when he landed on his spine. Damn, that does hurt. How are you fairing, Janine?" When she doesn't reply, he tries to sit up quickly only to realize that she laying on top of him. His hand pats her back. He then hears her groan as she tries to sit up.
Placing a hand on her head as she sits up and looks down at him. She asks him. "Are you ok, Al?" He sits up as well, replying. "Yeah. Just a bit sore. You?" "I'm alright." She helps him up after she stands. Holding him by the waistband, they continue on.
Once they pass a few trees, AJ spots a cave. Making it inside, AJ helps Al sit on the floor and leaves to grab some wood. Once the fire starts and they eat some of their canned goods. AJ lays out a blanket just a few feet away from the fire. Al helps her and grabs the other blanket. They lay down next to each other.
Al sits up and asks. "Can I ask you a question?" "Sure." She sits up as well. "What were those tribelands that you were talking about a while back?" "It's one of the many sanctuaries for the Indigenous Natives like myself. There are only a few that I know of and have visited here in Amestris." Al asks her. "Can anyone else visit there too?"
AJ looks at Al surprised, then smile. "Of course. But first you will need two others blessings from an Indigenous Native as well besides my own and I'm not talking about Blue Cloud. Although she is a pure Native, it's mostly due to her unfortunate circumstance." Al looks away sadly. "Al," AJ says. He looks back at her. "There are still others out there. I mean, sure the Natives aren't exactly flourished like other races and there are a ton more in Creta than anywhere else but I have connections. I know where there are some." Al puts a finger to his lips, thinking about something.
AJ rubs his back a little. "Take your time, Alphonse. I won't rush you." Al sighs. "You ok?" She asks him. "Yeah, my brother and I met the owner of that house that you were in a few years ago. His name was Arlen Glostner. He was an archaeologist who studied ancient civilizations." He tells her about Elma and Jack Crowley.
AJ sighs. "Jeez. It's no wonder Blue Cloud doesn't want to ever go there." Al looks at AJ confused. "Since she's a spirit herself, she can see other spirits that no longer have their bodies as well." Al looks at her with discomfort then he realizes something. "Wait. So that means..."
AJ - "When I first ran into you back when you were in the Armor, she saw what your spirit looked like beyond it." Al stares at her in shock. "And Jake?" He asks. "Same thing." She replies. She then yawns covering her mouth. "Well, we should get some sleep, Al."
She then lays back down, closing her eyes as well. He looks down at her and smiles. He lays down next to her. Wrapping his arm around her, he hears her breathing. 'She's already asleep' He closes his eyes and falls asleep soon afterward.
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Opening up the door to the office with Roy behind him and with much enthusiasm, Ed shouts wearing a bright smile. "Hello, Ladies! I have a question for the both of youuu!"
Winry - "He went out sober and came back drunk."
Riza - "I think Roy finally broke him."
Ed waves his hand. "Now. Now. No need to think like that." He takes a deep breath. "I uh- I need to borrow Black-Hayate and Den?"
Both Win and Riza look at Edward with confusion. "Why? What for?" They ask together.
Ed - "They could track Janine and Alphonse with their sense of smell-" Before Ed has a chance to finish, Winry replies with. "No." Ed looks at her with hurt-filled eyes. "Look, Ed. Den is up there in the years and not to mention we can't take her away from Granny. I don't feel comfortable with leaving Granny all alone, by herself."
Riza - "And obviously Roy didn't tell you that a friend of mine is taking care of Hayate for me. He's been under the weather as of late. So I'm sorry as well, Edward." Ed sighs in disappointment. "Damn and here I thought I had a good one."
Riza - "And you, Lt General? Do you have any ideas yourself?" Roy tenses up. "No. Of course, he doesn't." Ed remarks as he looks back at Roy. Roy glares at Ed before he excuses himself and leaves again. Ed asks. "Where is he going?"
Jean - "Hey, Ed." Ed looks at him. "Don't worry about it." Ed snickers as he walks back and sits next to Winry.
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In the morning when Al wakes up, he sits up and notices a white wolf staring him. "WAHHH!" He yells, freaking out as he crawls backward. The wolf looks down sadly with her ears flatten. Al looks at it with concern. AJ runs back into the cave when she hears his scream. "Sorry Al. Luna didn't mean to scare you. She loves smelling someone that she's never met before and is the friendliest one out of the pack." Al stands up slowly, not moving his eyes off of the wolf and sits next to AJ.
Luna slowly walks over to him once he puts his hand out towards her. As she is sniffing his hand, she lifts her head and starts smelling his face and neck. Al giggles. "It tickles, Luna." The wolf lightly whines as she rubs her head against Al's. Al starts to pet the wolf. "This is so cool," Al whispers. Luna then lays next to Al and puts her head on his lap.
Al - "So, when did she start becoming really friendly with humans?" AJ shrugs her shoulders. "Don't know. She's been that way for as long as I've have known her." Collecting themselves after breakfast, they start walking further into the cave.
Many hours later (By this time it is already late afternoon), Luna senses something and starts growling, loudly. Al finds a large pole and makes swords for both of them. Al then walks in front of both Luna and AJ. Looking back at her, he tells them. "If it gets real ugly, run away and don't look back." "I'm not leaving you behind, Alphonse. We will enter into this fight together and leave together." She tells him a serious tone.
Al looks back at her with a perplex expression, he then grabs her chin and kisses her deeply. "Let's do this." He tells her after they part. She smiles back at him and replies. "Let's go!" He smiles back at her.
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Walking back into his office, Roy sighs heavily as he sits in his chair. "So, do you finally come up with an idea yet or-" "Actually I did. And If I do say myself, I think it's better than your's." Ed glares at Mustang. "Alright then bigshot, let's hear it."
Roy - "Tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" Winry asks. "Yes, tomorrow. Meet us in Kanama. You've been there before, right Edward?" Ed snorks and turns his head away. "Hey honey, isn't that the place where Darius and Heinkel said you punched your dad and then told him Trisha's last words?"
Ed sighs, looking back at Winry. "Dammit woman, did you have to bring that up?" Winry immediately apologizes. No one else brings it up and Ed and Winry leave shortly thereafter when everyone else leaves at the end of the day.
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They make it to a cavern. "Just great. A dead end. Now what?" AJ asks, turning to Al. Alphonse walks over claps his hands against the wall. The wall collapses during the transmutation, creating an opening. Al and Luna break apart the rest and the three finally make it outside. Looking over the ridge, Al sees New Hiessgart. "Look, there it is!" He says happily as he points to the few visible buildings pass the set of trees.
Just as they make it in between the trees and the city, Al stops and turns around to AJ and Luna. "I uh (He sighs) I haven't yet told you about Armory." "Roy already told me about her and explained and showed me the etherflower, Alphonse. Didn't Ed show you his wedding gift?" Al looks at her with a surprised expression, then turns his head away. She then tells him. "He also told me about Nina, Alexander, and Claudio. Alex and Jean told me about the golems from Siam-Sid. And Riza was the one who told me Sophie and Camilia."
Al smiles. "Yeah. It was great seeing her again. I'm glad she's doing alot better." She smiles as well. They continue walking and eventually make it to New Hiessgart by nightfall. Luna parts and heads back to the pack lands. The next morning as they are eating in the hotel's dining hall, Fletcher walks in and spots them. "Hey!" He shouts. Both Al and AJ turn their heads to the direction.
AJ - "Isn't that?" "Fletcher!" Al shouts back as he stands up, walking to his friend. AJ stands up shortly afterwards. Fletcher shakes Alphonse hand, with AJ hugging him afterward. "I'm guessing you guys are here because of the festival?" "Huh?" The both of them look at him with confusion.
He takes them to Central Plaza. Many vendors and side-stages are all around, throughout the city. "Jeez, so what kind of festival is this anyway?" Janine asks. "A new mayor was elected into office and today is the day the people celebrate with him as he walks with the crowd to his new office in a few hours."
AJ - "Sounds like the same as the parade that takes place in Aerugo every few years when a new president is elected." Fletcher looks at her, questionably. "Wait? You've been to Aerugo?" She nods her head. "Yup. Ever heard of Ember City?" "Heard a few things about it. Wait, you can speak Aerugian?" She nods her head. "She's one-fourth Aerugian, Fletcher," Al adds. Fletcher stares at her in shock.
Before Fletcher can ask her something, an argument erupts in the center. AJ rushes over the area with Fletcher and Al right behind her. A woman who is speaking slang Aerugian, is trying to communicate with an Amestrian guy. "Look, lady, no one here knows what you are trying to say! We don't speak your language." Once Janine makes it past several people, she asks the man.
AJ - "Is everything alright here, sir?" The man explains to her what happened. AJ then asks the woman. "¿Que Pasa?" (What's wrong?)
Lady - "Oh gracias a dios! Es mi hijo! No puedo encontrar a mi hijo!" (Oh thank goodness. It's my son! I can't find my son!) AJ looks at her with great concern. "¿Donde lo viste por ultima vez?" (Where did you last see him at?)
Before the lady could reply, another woman comes running towards them. She points behind herself, shouting. "Two boys. (pant) I just saw monster chasing them." AJ and Al look at each other with worry. "Where?" AJ asks the woman.
She takes them to the border between New and Old Hiessgart. They hear the boys screams from the north lakeside. When they make it there. the two boys are trapped underneath a tree. They immediately rush over once they see a chimera running towards the boys. Al claps his hands against the ground, freeing the two boys, who instinctively run to and hide behind them.
AJ, who pulls out her sword that Al made for her earlier. "Hey, Elric? Are you ready to fight?" "Don't come crying to me if you break a nail, Mustang?" The two of them smirk at each other. AJ tells Al. "It'll be a challenge with the kid's but do you think you can-" Fletcher runs over to them. "Hey, there you guys are. I was looking for the both of y-"
AJ then faces Fletcher, handing him the kids. "Fletcher, take the kids to safety. We'll handle things from here." He replies. "Ok, good luck." AJ and Al nod their heads to him. As Fletcher grabs the boys and runs back to the city, Al and AJ face the monsters coming right at them. Back to back as more and more chimeras come out of hiding and slowly approach and surround the both of them.
After he drops the boys off to their family members in the city, he heads back to the lakeside to go help out his friends. Making it to the corner of the mountain pass before he reaches them, Fletcher hears several howls from wolves.
End of Chapter 32
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The meaning behind this chapter isn't in reference to a song for that matter or any matter, really. It's that old saying of "Jeez, seriously? Again with this? I thought that we were done with this! Apparently, Here We Go Again!"