Chapter 17

Al ran through the forest trying to flee from Envy.

A droplet of water splashed against Al's right cheek as rain began to fall. The forest managed to cover itself mostly, but it couldn't stop it all as another droplet struck his other cheek. The rain then began to heavily seed the entire area, turning the once hard ground into soft muck and slop.

But he couldn't let the weather stop him because a mad insane killer was in pursuit. The only way he had any way of defending himself against Envy was to find his father's Samurai sword. With his alchemic powers along with what his father had told him what the sword had the ability to do - it was the only way to stop him. It had the ability to enhance his abilities and nullify Envy's. His father said it was Envy's Achilles heel.

Every Homunculi had an object that rendered them innate and vulnerable to attack. It reminded them of how they came to exist in this world through the sin of their originator. Envy was Al's father's sin. His father envied to be free of the constraints of his deteriorating condition as an inhuman being.

Envy was the first of the original seven cardinal sins that was given birth. He was also the smartest and most cunning. His ability to morph into anyone stemmed from Hohenheim's ability to use Alchemy to transfer his consciousness to another body. It was later determined that Hohenheim was over 400 years old. He left Ed and Al to be raised solely by their mother because he couldn't bare to have his wife find out about who and what he really was.

But the guilt of leaving his family was too great and he returned to Resenbul to see them, only to learn that his wife had died from some mysterious disease and his boys had dabbled in a forbidden Alchemy that cost them dearly.

Ed hated Hohenheim for what he had done. He had left them at a crucial time when they needed him most. After their mother died, Ed and Al had to survive on their own. Although they had the help of Winry and her grandmother and Teacher, they insisted on getting by on their own. Al was too young to understand why their father left, but the hatred in Ed's heart began to swell. He promised Al that he'd always look after him - and he had kept that promise until he became trapped in the other world, an alternative reality from this one, and couldn't.

His last act of brotherly love was to sacrifice himself to restore his brother's body by using the Philosopher's Stone. Al had sacrificed himself to restore Ed back to life when Envy plunged his arm through Ed's chest. Being one with the Philosopher's Stone - it was all Al could do to help him. But in the end - when Ed returned to this world - all was restored to somewhat normal.

Even through Ed still retained his automail limbs, he didn't mind. He felt they were a constant reminder of what they had tried to do - to bring back mom. Al had no way of repaying Ed for his sacrifice and his memories were still in pieces - what they had experienced in those six years as they traveled the countryside to restore their bodies was still foggy. But as the saying went: Time heals all wounds. And with Ed recalling their adventures and what Teacher told him before she died, Al was finally putting his life back together again. Because when he was restored to his body - he had his memory erased of everything that had happened in those six years.

It was almost as if everything that had happened when his soul was bonded to that suit of armor happened to someone else.

His boots began to get caked with wet mud and he felt the weight of it on his feet as he ran through the forest, the squishing of water and mud underfoot. He was trying to back track - go in a circle - to get back to the area where he thought he stashed his father's sword in a tree trunk. But the more he tried to maneuver through the foliage the more he felt he was getting lost.

Nothing looked familiar anymore. The forest had changed considerably since last he was in it when he was a boy. The foliage had overgrown to an extent that nothing was what it was. It was like making his way through a jungle of bush.

Suddenly he heard a twig crack underfoot and he halted in his tracks. He looked behind him from which he had come and froze peering through the rain. His hair soaked, his face drenched, his clothes wet - but nothing of that concerned him. Envy was the only thing on his mind and he readied his hands to perform Alchemy if he needed to. He'd use his surroundings to temporarily stop him.

But Envy was right. Once you alter the chemical make-up of an object and change it into something else, you weaken its stability. As it wasn't supposed to be in that form in the first place - the object needs time to settle in its new form. One thing doesn't just become something else - its elements must redistribute themselves for the new form to be permanent. How much time is unknown, but that is a well known law of Alchemy.

So if he did use Alchemy to alter Nature again against Envy, Envy would just free himself from its bonds. That's why he needed his father's sword to enhance his Alchemic powers. He didn't have automail limbs like his brother that he can change at will. He was flesh and blood through and through and thus fragile.

After remaining still for a few moments, he exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding and turned back around to continue along the path he was taking. Believing it was some sort of animal. But another twig snapped and he jerked around again as it sounded closer.

He crouched down to hide himself in long grass and peered through the foliage. If he had to he'd jump Envy and catch him off guard, and use his first to pummel him. But then he remembered that that was Winry's body Envy's consciousness was inhabiting. He had to think of another way to subdue him. But maybe he could slow Envy down.

Another twig snapped. And it sounded like Envy was very close, on the path that snaked through the forest just beyond the long grass. So Al prepared himself and then lunged out at him, barreling into him, clutching his arms around Envy and dragging him to the ground. Al and the other hit hard and slapped against the wet ground.

"What the--" the voice of the other said. "What do you think you're doing?"

Al opened his eyes. He looked through the mud that had splashed on his face as he hit the ground and saw that he had not captured Envy, but a complete stranger. But this could be one of Envy's tricks. He had the ability to morph into anyone. "Who are you?" Al demanded, not letting go.

"My name's Noah Mahjongg - who the hell are you?" the stranger said.

"Alphonse Elric. I'm a State Alchemist."

"Do all State Alchemist's jump travelers and hold them against their will?"

"Only one's who think you're an escaped prisoner."

"Do I look like an escaped prisoner to you?"

"This individual is very couth, a master of disguise."

"I assure you this is who I am. Now release me, Mr. State Alchemist."

For some reason Al sensed that the person - a teenager like himself and maybe his age too - was speaking the truth, and against his better judgment he released him hoping that he had made a mistake. It turned out that he had.

NaohMahjongg got to his feet and looked at himself. He was filthy. He picked up what looked like a backpack and held it above the mud. Then he looked at Alphonse Elric and saw that he was just a teenager. But he did wear the State Alchemist pocket watch he had heard so much about given to military State Alchemist's. He extended a hand and helped him up. Alphonse was just as dirty. "You wanna explain to me just what's going on, Alphonse Elric?" Naoh asked.

"I'm sorry, but that's classified," Al said. "Forgive me for jumping you."

"You're after an escaped prisoner, right? What does this person look like, maybe I've seen him."

"He has many different forms," Al explained. "I doubt you'd know him if you had seen him."

Suddenly Envy jumped down from a tree and landed in the wet mud beside them, splashing them both. Al wiped the mud from his face and then jumped back to prepare for his attack. But Envy did not attack and merely laughed at Al. He crossed his arms across his chest and said, "Ah-ha! I've found you, Alphonse Elric. That wasn't much of a chase or a challenge" Then he noticed the stranger. "And who is this, an ally? Do you know Alchemy as well?"

"No, I'm not an Alchemist," Naoh Mahjongg said. "Is this that escaped prisoner you were taking about, Alphonse?"

And Envy laughed. "Escaped prisoner? I'm no escaped prisoner. I'm his brother. Well, his very distant brother. But apparently he doesn't me very much."

"Is this a joke, Elric?" Noah said annoyed. "You two are playing some sort of a game, aren't you? How dare you masquerade as a State Alchemist and tell me your brother is an escaped prisoner. I'm going to report you, Alphonse Elric. It's people like you who give real State Alchemist's a bad name."

Envy laughed again. "But I am a real State Alchemist," Al said. "And this is a very dangerous individual. Unfortunately he's also my brother. I can't tell you all the details, but you must get away from here immediately! Now!"

"You damn right I'm leaving and I'm going to report you for this lie," Noah said.

"I may be a mass murderer, but I'm not going to just stand around and have you call my brother a lair. Even though I hate him." Envy said. And he quickly jolt at him and grabbed Noah Mahjongg's face with a hand, squeezing it hard. "Alphonse Elric is indeed a fully fledged State Alchemist, the second youngest only to his elder brother. And now you know the truth, can you die?" Using some sort of hidden power, he made Noah scream before he dropped limp to the ground.

Al looked on in horror. "You killed him?" he said. "But why? He was an innocent by-stander just making his way through the forest."

"There are no innocent by-standers in war, Alphonse Elric. Everyone is a causality. And he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The anger began to swell in Al and he squeezed a fist at his side. "How dare you use Winry's body to conduct murder," he said angrily. "I won't allow it!"

"And what do you intend to do about it?" Envy smirked.

Seeing the stranger laying dead in the mud enraged and overwhelmed him, and Al couldn't allow Envy get away with that. He was a State Alchemist and hence he had a duty to the people. So he had no other choice but to fight him.

He ran and barreled into Envy's stomach, tossing him back into the long grass foliage. It may be Winry's body he's using, but until he could free her of his influence he had to stop him somehow or he'll kill again. Envy, temporarily distracted by Al's uncharacteristic attack, was unprepared for Al's next attack; and Al pounced on him like a wild cat. They then rolled around in the grass; each other attempting to dominate the other.

Envy took a swing at Al, but it missed. And it was all Al could do not to retaliate in the same manner, because if he did he would be striking Winry. And he couldn't do that. The only thing he could do was try to subdue Envy and force him to submit. But that was easier said than done.

Envy kicked him off him. Free, he leapt into the air and turned the tables on Al. This time he did the pouncing and pinned him to the ground. Then he started punching him, swiftly striking him in the face and stomach.

Al could only put one arm up to defend.

"I want the Philosopher's Stone, Al, and I'm willing to do anything to get it. And if that means killing you, then I'm prepared to commit murder. . .again."

"I told you I don't have it," Al replied, trying to block Envy's attacks. But he wasn't having much success with just one arm.

"And I told you I don't believe you. It's a part of your genetic make-up now and after I refine it - I'll use it to bring the State to its knees. I'll have the power of a god."

"But if you kill me, who's body will you use?"

Envy smirked. "Who do you care? But now that I think about it, your brother's body wouldn't be such a bad choice after all. And It'll be fun trashing the heroic name of Elric across the countryside. The scourge of the State, they'd call him. Once the hero of the people, now he will be their killer."

"Nooo!" Al cried out, and he grabbed Envy's chin and face and pushed it up in an attempt to stop him from pummeling him.

Envy grabbed Al's arm and tried to pull it away, but his grip was so strong and he was surprised he had that much strength left after all those punches. Bloodied and battered, Al managed to free his other arm and added it to push Envy off him. He quickly scuttled back and got to his feet.

He looked at Envy through a half sworn eye and blood curdling down his face from his nose and mouth. "I won't allow you to hurt Winry or my brother," he said with intensity. "And you'll pay for killing that stranger!"

Envy laughed. "Your threats mean very little to me, Alphonse Elric," he said. "There's nothing you can do to me that you won't regret. I still have Winry and if you want to save her you'll give me the Philosopher's Stone. Now!"

"Apparently you don't hear too well. I don't have it. And I have no idea where it is. When I was restored to my body the Philosopher's Stone disappeared. So you're barking up the wrong tree. This pursuit of yours is futile."

"I don't believe you. The Philosopher's Stone resides in you. And there's nothing you can say that will make me think otherwise."

"Then what else can I do but. . ."

And Al clapped his hands and erected a round encasement of dirt integrated with grass and foliage around Envy. It wouldn't hold him for long, but it would give Al a chance to get away temporarily. Finished with the transmutation, Al then bolted down the path as quickly as he could.

Envy sliced through the habitual encasement easily and escaped through a hole he made.

"Once again you try my patience, Alphonse," Envy said. Then he looked at the stranger he killed laying on the ground, and smirked. "But no matter. Things are about to heat up. There's more than one way to skin a cat. . .or an Elric brother."

To be continued...