"You're alive!" Harry shouted happily, hugging his godfather. "Or are we all dead?"

"I honestly don't know," Sirius admitted. "It's been a long time."

"Yes it has. Almost a year and a half," nodded Harry.

"So, did you defeat him? Where are Ron and Hermione? How did you meet these people? Tell me everything!" Sirius urged Harry.

"Well, Dumbledore died…" Harry sighed. "Snape killed him."

"What!" Sirius leapt up, roaring. "I knew we couldn't trust him! That son of a- I am going to rip him apart!"

"He's already dead," Harry assured him. "That woman, Lust, killed him."

"My respect for her just increased a lot," decided Sirius. He looked around the room. "Is everyone else okay?" The various members of the team voiced the states of their health.

"Oh, by the way everyone, this is my godfather," introduced Harry. "He fell through the veil in my fifth year, just like we did, er… has it really been three days?"

"Yes. My watch still works fine. Time is the only thing that is normal in this place. Here, we don't need to eat or sleep," Mrs. Lovegood explained. She turned to Ed, who had walked over to the door, and was examining it. "Careful not to get too close to the door, dear."

"Why not? It's the only way out, isn't it?" asked Ed.

"To get out of here, one must pay a sacrifice. My research partner opened the door six months ago because she was tired of this place. The second she opened it, these hands grabbed her, and tore her to pieces. They slammed the door shut after that." Mrs. Lovegood recalled.

"It's true. We think the price to open the door is a life," said Sirius.

"Well, this is useless! How are we ever going to get back to normal if we stay here?" Ed punched the wall.

"Harry? Is everything okay?" a voice came from the pocket of Harry's robes. He pulled out the small mirror McGonogall insisted he take. The worried Headmistress was there, with Ron, Hermione, Mustang, Kakashi, Kurenai and the Baron standing behind her.

"I think so," replied Harry.

"The Baron told us that you fell through the arch!" Hermione cried.

"Er, yeah," Harry replied. "So you see, we're in a bit of a sticky situation…"

"But we found my mum and Sirius," Luna spoke into the mirror.

"What? Really?" McGonogall gasped. Harry handed the mirror to Sirius.

"Hello, Professor," said Sirius.

"Minerva! It's good to see you, too," Mrs. Lovegood beamed when Sirius passed it to her.

"So, Edward. You could find it yourself, huh?" Roy smirked at Ed.

"Save it, Mustang. I'm not in the mood," grumbled Ed. "Hey, Baron, you mentioned Hohenheim doing alchemy on the Stone?"

"Yes, he called it sealing alchemy," answered the Baron.

"What if Hohenheim did something to it that changed into a portal? Maybe that door's a bit like the Gate," Ed pondered, pointing at the door. "Or maybe it's connected to the Gate."

"Maybe the arch was the Philosopher's Stone." Al caught onto his thinking. "But whatever Hohenheim did to it made it into this."

"So we should be able to go through that door to anywhere in the three worlds," Ed mused. "But it requires a sacrifice. A life to feed to the Gate. Maybe only one life is required to open it. Perhaps the door is then open a certain amount of time to everyone else in this room."

"Give us a good look around the room," McGonogall instructed. Harry spun the mirror around.

"There's absolutely nothing here. You can't escape if it's only you. You can't do anything here. It really is like a grave," remarked Hermione.

"The voices… were they the souls of those who died here?" wondered Luna.

"Maybe… give me a few minutes," McGonogall passed the mirror to Ron.

"You'll get out, right?" Ron asked his best friend.

"Sure we will!" Harry forced himself to smile. "What's McGonogall doing?"

"Er, she's looking at some books on her desk," Ron craned his neck to take a look. "I think she's trying to find a way to get you guys out."

"Can you give the mirror to Hinata?" Kurenai took the other mirror from Ron. Harry passed his to the terrified Genin.

"Hinata, you're okay, right? I know you're scared, but just keep your calm. Don't give up. You'll get out," Kurenai assured her student.

"Will we?" asked Hinata.

"We'll do everything we can to get you out, so just hang on. Don't give up!" Kurenai encouraged her.

"Okay. I won't give up. You're all doing everything you can, so it's selfish of me to want to quit." Hinata clapped her hands together. "I'll see this mission to the very end. I won't run away anymore!"

"Attagirl," Kurenai nodded her approval. "You've come a long way. I'm proud of you,"

"Good for you, Hinata! We'll get out of here in no time!" Al praised her.

"Edward, your theory is right," McGonogall came back. Hinata passed the mirror back to Harry. "Dumbledore left behind some notes on this. You need one life to open the gate. Then, everyone else in that room may leave."

"Great! Next order of business: escape," said Ed. "First, we'll need a life…" he suddenly realized what he had said. He looked apologetically at everyone in the room.

"Any volunteers?" Gaara asked bluntly. Uncomfortable silence followed. The mirror in Harry's hand started crackling.

"What's happening?" asked Harry.

"The connection is breaking up." McGonogall's image started going staticky.

"Is there any other way?" Harry yelled. McGonogall skimmed through the notes again.

"I don't think so."

"Come on! There has to be another way! No one's going to die!" Harry shouted.

"I'm sorry… I don't think there's…" the mirror went dead. Silence came again.

"I'll do it," Mrs. Lovegood confidently raised her hand. Everyone looked at her blankly. "I'll do it!" she insisted.

"Mummy, no! We'll find another way out!" Luna pulled her hand down.

"You heard the old hag. It's the only way," Edward told her grimly.

"Can't the arch be broken or something? And we'll all be released?" Luna asked hopefully.

"If the arch is broken, it just means no one else will be able to enter here anymore. We'll still be stuck," explained Al.

"I'll do it. I know what's been going on in our world. I know that Harry is the one that will kill Voldemort, but he can't do anything if he's just stuck here. You'll all go on to do great things," Mrs. Lovegood looked at each occupant of the room seriously. "The least I can do is help."

"No! I won't let anyone die for me again!" Harry refused.

"Don't argue. I've already made my decision. Luna, you'll say hello to your father for me, won't you?" Mrs. Lovegood looked at her daughter tenderly.

"Mummy, daddy died, too. He was murdered for trying to do good. I have no one else. Please don't go…" tears ran down Luna's cheeks. She grabbed hold of her mother's sleeve like she did when she was five.

"It pains me that I never got to see you grow up. I wish I could be there for your wedding… for my grandchildren… but I can't. This must be done." Mrs. Lovegood embraced Luna.

"Don't do this, Mrs. Lovegood! There must be another way out!" Sirius protested.

"Luna thought she'd lost you, but she found you again! Don't shatter her joy!" Harry objected, remembering his own mother.

"Harry… your mum understood. We sacrifice ourselves for those that we love." Mrs. Lovegood smiled sadly.

"Love… you love her so much you'd give up your own life? Why?" Gaara gasped.

"Because I'd rather die than see her hurt," explained Mrs. Lovegood. "We'd do anything for someone we love. Someday, you'll all understand."

"I already do," Edward smiled at his brother.

"When I open the door, run. I may be giving it up, but I still value my life. Don't get left behind, or you'll be wasting my sacrifice." Mrs. Lovegood's voice took on a more practical tone.

"I'm sorry if I'm a burden… but what if I can't run that fast?" Hinata winced, expecting a verbal beating like her cousin would give.

"Here, I'll carry you." Al opened up his armor. Everyone gasped at its emptiness.

"We tried to bring our mother back, and I lost my body. My brother kept me from disappearing completely," Al explained.

"I'm sorry if I'm too much trouble," Hinata timidly stepped into the armor.

"Is everyone ready?" Mrs. Lovegood approached the door.

"I really don't think you should do this!" exclaimed Sirius.

"Take care of my daughter, okay?" Mrs. Lovegood requested of everyone. "Luna, I love you…"

She pulled the door open. Beyond it was complete darkness. Arms reached out from it, and grabbed onto Mrs. Lovegood. They pulled her beyond, tearing pieces of her that quickly evaporated.

"Go!" she commanded. Ed, Naruto and Al, with Hinata riding inside his armor, quickly jumped through the door. Gluttony followed them, carrying the unconscious Lust. Sirius and Harry reluctantly went after them.

"Mother!" Luna cried, horrified. She crumpled to the ground. The door started to close.

"Luna! Get up!" Gaara commanded. "Let's go before it's too late!"

"I can't!" Luna sobbed.

"She sacrificed herself because she loved you! The least you can do is respect her decision!" Gaara pulled Luna to her feet.

"Now I'm really alone…" Luna realized.

"No you're not." Gaara gave her a great shove, and they both got through the door just in time.


"You'd think we'd be able to land on our feet by now," remarked Al, crashing to the ground. A loud shriek came from inside his armour."Sorry, Hinata!"

"This isn't England," Luna looked around.

"I have a strange feeling we've been here before…" Edward pondered. They were standing in the middle of a quiet, dusty street. The few people that passed gave the group strange looks. Ed turned around, noticing that they were standing in front of a meat shop. A large, muscular man exited it, carrying his lunch pail.

"Edward. Alphonse. You're back. You brought friends," he gruffly greeted them.

"H-hi, Mr. Curtis…" Ed and Al exchanged nervous looks. "Our teacher wouldn't be around, would she?"

"I imagine you'd want to see her. Izumi!" he poked his head back into the store and called to his wife.

"What? No we wouldn't!" Ed ducked behind Al. The burly man stepped aside as a tall, thin woman with black hair flew out of the store. She kicked Al, sending both he and Edward tumbling backwards.

"Alphonse. You've grown a lot," she noted. "But Edward, you haven't grown at all."

"What! Who are you calling an undersized dwarf!" Ed leapt up and yelled.

"The pipsqueak that took the skills I taught him to become a dog of the military." Izumi crossed her arms and glared at the Elrics. "Al, you helped him, didn't you? I am very disappointed in you both."

"Sorry, Hinata!" Al apologized again. He sat up and opened up his armor. The very dazed Genin climbed out, feeling rather sick. "Everyone, this is our teacher, Izumi Curtis."

"Al… you're just a suit of armor…" Izumi gasped. "What did you do? Tell me what happened!"