Hey everyone! Today I'm in SUCH a good mood! :3 I kept dancing and listening to "Friday Night" by The Shires. *.* Thankfully I was dancing alone lol, my dog giving me weird looks was enough for me (sweat drop) Meh, I bet you love having a crazy author such as me, admit it :3 hahah Kidding ;)

ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:

Cassey: haha Thanks! I will be sure to write them more often!

Anonymous J: haha Thanks! :D I really like Greed (I think it's obvious) hehe

Panic: Thanks for the tips! ;) I hope you like the altered version!

Here is the altered version of the previous chapter "Rising and Falling", I added a little twist and Ling's input as well!

Enjoy!

Rising and Falling Together

"What are you doing? Don't be stupid! Stay out of this damn it!" Greed shouted, gritting his teeth tightly together in anger and the strain of having the bastard hanging on his hand.

Lan Fan was the only thing keeping him from falling to his certain doom along with bastard Wrath, but the problem was, her automail.

"But I must, it's my sworn vow, to make sure you're safe!" Lan Fan argued back, emotions heavy in her voice as feelings overcame her for her prince, the sudden death of her dear grandfather and worry for the Homunculus.

Greed couldn't believe this woman, here he was hanging off a damn wall, his pesky 'brother' hanging off his hand who tried to kill him a minute ago, and here she was, holding him up with her automail arm, which hasn't had any time to heal.

If he didn't die first he was sure going to have a long talk with the prince and an even longer talk with Lan Fan, maybe even ground her for bringing herself in danger like this.

Greed's eyes widened when he saw thick red liquid, Lan Fan's blood, seep out of the plates of her automail arm, a few droplets falling onto his cheek, his eyes briefly followed the movement before they shot up towards Lan Fan's pained expression of agony, "You know your automail can't support this weight for very long, now let go and take care of the old man!"

"Greed! We have to wrap this up! Try to shake off Bradley or something! Lan Fan is bleeding, we can't put her in so much pain, she hasn't healed yet!" Ling was panicking internally, it broke his heart to see his dearest and longest friend suffer so much because of him.

"Stop panicking like a little girl! I'm trying to think without you screaming in my head!" Greed barked back, feeling more and more pressured with Ling panicking and Lan Fan bleeding.

If he himself didn't have many chances of surviving this shit, then at least old man Fu should have, he had grown on Greed in the past few months since he's known him, had become a mentor and companion to him, maybe even something of a grandfather figure, or a father he wished he had. Either way, Greed cared for him, though he wouldn't be caught dead admitting that.

Lan Fan's next words made the wildly pumping blood in Greed's veins freeze ice cold, "No...it's too late for him," his eyes widened.

No...it couldn't be...he was...?

"Fu...n-no...NO! It couldn't be! Greed, it couldn't be, Fu can't be...he...c-can't," Greed stiffened even more, feeling Ling fall into shock at the revelation as he suddenly fell quiet. In his own shock, Greed thought he heard Ling sobbing, maybe he was, he couldn't tell as he was too wound up.

Greed snapped out of his shock when he felt Wrath tugging on his arm, Lan Fan seemed to notice it too since she turned her head to shout at the two armed men behind her, "Briggs men! Help me!"

One of them ran towards her immediately, while the other stayed at Fu's side.

He took aim at Wrath's head, being careful not to accidentally hit Greed instead. However, it seemed like Wrath wouldn't go down so easily. Heh, Greed never doubted it. The bastard was stubborn.

Wrath had used the only sword he had now in his hand to hurl straight in the Brigg's man shoulder, briefly paralyzing his shoulder, however the man managed to pull the trigger before his whole arm shook in spasms, he managed to land a clumsy aim at Wrath's shoulder.

Lan Fan's eyes widened as Greed grew heavier, "N-no..." she strained to lift Greed up.

Greed quickly analyzed the situation, he knew he couldn't escape now. Wrath had a firm, unrelenting grip on him, he knew he would only let go if his whole arm would be cut off, he also knew that Lan Fan's automail was doing her no favor right now.

"Greed, what are you thinking?!" Ling tried to talk to him, but the Homunculus ignored him.

Greed closed his eyes and released his hold on Lan Fan's hand, "No! Homunculus, my Lord! Please hold on!" Lan Fan shouted desperately, trying to hold onto him by tightening her grip, but she cried out in pain as the bolts and screws of her automail mercilessly tore and pulled at her tender flesh, the flesh not fully healed around the arm, which was still a bright pink under her clothes and armor.

She couldn't let this happen...her grandfather and now her Lord and Greed? No!

"Lan Fan...let me go, it's no use honey," Greed smiled sadly, feeling Lan Fan's grip slip ever so slightly.

"N-no! I will not I promise!" she was stubborn, Greed had to give her that but now was not the time to be stubborn at all.

"Please, let go, I'll be fine," he tried to convince her, tried. Though he wasn't sure of it himself.

Ling took control over him for a brief moment and looked Lan Fan in the eyes meaningfully, "Lan Fan...please, listen to him, we will be fine, we are going all home together, please," Ling smiled up at her, trying to reassure her but she was stubborn, he knew that well.

"Promise!" violet eyes widened in shock, "Promise me Greed, my Lord! Promise that you will return safely after I let you go!" more tears gathered in Lan Fan's eyes the more her grip slipped, Greed and Ling's breath briefly caught in his throat at the strong emotions she displayed so openly.

Ling had spent nearly his whole childhood with her, knew her in and out, but it had been a long time ever since she really opened up to him, opened her heart to him. Ling smiled softly, feeling like he was wearing his own heart on his sleeve.

Greed meanwhile fell silent, not believing how emotional Lan Fan was right now, usually she was cold and distant toward him. He understood her, he was a Homunculus in the body of the guy she was supposed to protect, not an easy task certainly.

Humans never ceased to amaze him, be it in a good or bad way, they were stubborn, they were foolish for fighting for what they believed in and protecting their loved ones, hoping for a better future.

Greed made a decision, was willing to be foolish, the first and last time.

"I promise," ignoring the vehement protests of Ling, Greed never lied, he sincerely hoped this wouldn't be his first and last lie. He really did. He hated to break a promise, what he hated even more were crying women, especially Lan Fan. Always Lan Fan.

Before Lan Fan could attempt to tighten her grip, it already fell slack.

Greed felt weightless for a moment, until gravity caught up to him and he was falling together with Wrath, whom he kicked away from himself.

"GREED!" Ling shouted in their mind, panicking and trying to take control of his body again, but he was stubborn.

"Drop it or I'll kick your ass." Greed barked venomously.

"Shut up! You will-"

Greed interrupted him sharply, "No you will die if you seize control! Ultimate Shield remember? I trust Wrath to be able to fight underwater like a bull shark if he sets his mind to it, it doesn't matter if he's injured, that guy has more stamina than the Elric kid,"

The last thing Greed saw before falling into the waters of death was Lan Fan's saddened face, her desperate cries of his name the last thing he heard clearly as he was enveloped by the water's cold, merciless embrace, his body swallowed whole.

He was drowning, sinking, falling, dying.

Then he saw it.

Memories.

Pictures.

People.

It were the Elric brothers, then came Mustang and his unit, next came his old squad Bio, Martel and everyone else, then came old man Fu, Ling and then Lan Fan...

She was crying.

And his world was turning dark.

Ling's eyes flew open, water filling his mouth as he quickly shut it closed and spotted Bradley swimming toward a hole in the wall, what he assumed were sewers.

"Greed! Greed! Wake up you stupid moron!" Ling frantically shouted, but it was no use, he was unconscious.

Ling took large gulps of air, his lungs burning.

Ling narrowed his eyes, Lan Fan was gone and so was Bradley. He wasn't an idiot, he knew better than to willingly follow Bradley, or rather the Homunculus Wrath, and engage him in combat especially since both him and Greed were injured and shaken.

Fu...

Ling shut his eyes tightly closed, blaming the water around him for the moisture in his eyes. His fists shook in anger, he knew Fu would shake his head in disapproval if Ling decided to avenge his death but it was hard to resist the temptation, especially since his enemy was literally a few feet away and injured on top of that.

He growled and looked around, searching for a way to escape the water and have solid ground under his feet again.

There!

Ling smirked, swimming rapidly toward another entrance inside the wall, opposite of where Wrath had disappeared to.

Lan Fan sobbed quietly next to her grandfather's corpse, slowly taking off her mask, tear drops landing on top of its splintered, wooden surface.

She had faith and great sadness in her heart, a heart she had long since thought to be dead.

She had faith her Lord and Greed would return safely and not break her heart by dying on her.

Greed said he never lied, that meant she had to hold onto his word. He would make it. She pressed a hand, her human hand, to her face, trying to stop the continues onslaught of salty tears, but they slipped effortlessly between her fingers, sliding down her knuckles, wrist and arm, getting soaked from the material of her ninja garb.

She knew there was nothing she could do to save her grandfather now but she wouldn't be able to survive losing her Lord and...and the Homunculus now as well.

She had called him by name, in her immense worry and desperation at seeing him fall inside the water, she had called his name in a scream.

"Y-You're..."one of the Brigg's men stuttered, looking utterly shocked and as pale as a ghost.

Lan Fan quickly turned around, thinking it was a enemy, but instead she felt all the air leave her battered body as she gazed upon the person she thought to have died.

"There's no time to explain, everyone who is able to fight, cover me with your weapons, the rest seeks shelter elsewhere and stays out of danger," Ling, her Lord, was soaked through and looked worse for wear, but he was alive.

Lan Fan was sure only minutes passed, but judging by the different positioning of the men around her, a healthy amount of time already passed.

Ling's eyes widened in surprise when Lan Fan stood up and hugged him with lighting speed, burying her face in his chest, but in the next moment she reluctantly parted from him, reminded by her position and place, "My...my Lord...you...you kept your promise,"

Ling smiled warmly, allowing himself to stroke her head with his hand, feeling more at ease to know she seemed well enough to not break down in front of him, " Yeah, of course I did. Though I'm sure Greed did too, he passed out when he fell into the water, so I had to take over, he's unconscious now but-" he was suddenly cut off.

"Oi! Who are you calling unconscious kid? I'm as tough as nails, it takes more to kill me than throw me in a kid's pool ya know? Anyway, where's Wrath? What happened?" Greed was back it seemed, content to stay inside Ling's head for the moment.

"Greed! You're alright, I'm glad. Wrath escaped, it would have been suicide if we had followed him and engaged him in combat even a idiot like me knows that." Ling replied through their mind link, sighing in relief.

"He's alright now and he seems to be itching for a fight," Ling smiled reassuringly at Lan Fan.

He frowned, looking at Fu's motionless form with sorrow, "Don't worry Lan Fan, we will take care of them," he briefly sent decorum and traditions to hell and leaned his forehead on her own, he allowed the comforting and at the same time intimate contact for only a moment before he pulled away.

With a near to demonic expression, Ling commanded sharply, "Greed, lend me your power," Greed sensed Ling's intentions and was more than willing to give him his power to kick some ass.

Ling's arms were covered in Greed's ultimate shield, letting Ling and him share a body at the same time.

"We will be back safe and sound alright? You stay here and protect the Fort," Ling's voice sounded calm yet firm, his neck, arms and entire body except for his face was covered in Greed's ultimate shield.

"Just wait a little longer and I'll make sure this nightmare will end," he was walking toward the only way out, the place where their men were trying to fend off the soldiers.

"I promise," the words of her Lord were still ringing in Lan Fan's ears, even after her Lord and Greed had left.

She looked at her deceased grandfather and held a hand to her heart, forming it into a tight fist, with her teeth clenched tight, a new, ferocious fire burned bright in her eyes, strengthening her will to stand and fight again.

She still had a duty to fulfill and her Lord's orders to follow, she didn't intend to break her vow as well.

Lan Fan was ready to fight.

The end of the altered version! I hope everyone enjoyed it thanks for reading!