ANNOUNCEMENT. ANKÜNDIGUNG.
So to officially make this statement; this story will be ending very soon. I plan on chapter fifty being the last chapter. Then this story will move onto the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline, which will be posted as another story. I repeat, the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline will be posted as a sequel to The Sulfur Alchemist. Don't worry about adding me to Author Alert just to find out when it will be posted – I'll be posting Chapter Fifty the same day I post The Sulfur Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. So when you get "Story Alert: The Sulfur Alchemist" in your inbox, you will know I have posted the Conqueror of Shamballa.
END ANNOUNCEMENT. ENDE-ANKÜNDIGUNG.
Well, this has been one hell of a time. MomoCon was exhausting (fun nonetheless), not to mention the whole 'let's plan my future!' thing I've been going through.
And am I the only one whose blood boils at the sight of Dexter? The television show and the character on it, Dexter. It's weird but every time I see him, I start raging. I'm not putting down the show by any means – I can't watch the show because that guy just pisses me off so much. My mom thinks it's funny. I think it's scary.
On another note, I've discovered that I can't watch FMA Brotherhood. Why? Because every minute of it, I'm finding new ways to start a third TSA sequel. In fact, I started writing one. And I'm loving it, too. This pains me. (Despite saying I can't watch it, I'm actually watching it as I write this chapter. Sigh. (And I have the urge to create a FB profile for Riley. DAMN MY FRIENDS DOING IT FOR THEIR OCS!))
Oh, and on another 'nother note, if you type in 'The Sulfur A' in Google, your search gets auto-completed! 8D (Which means enough people have searched for my story on Google for Google to put it in the auto-complete engine! WHICH MEANS YOU'RE ALL MY BITCHE- AWESOME.)
The Lovely Daaaarlings!
CloudEnvyKunoichi: I totally won't be doing anything crazy like that! Of course not… (Whistling Innocently) Oh really? What convention is it? I hope you had fun! I've met Travis twice before and the last time, I made a joke about my friend in NZ giving him more Marmite. Next time you meet him you should make that joke to him. Watch him wince. Hurrhurr… (Giggling)
Lani: I'm a sucker for pyros (maybe why Kimblee and Scar are my two favorite FMA characters 8D). Finnie's awesome, too! He's adorable.
Yes, by all means, watch it again. I've seen FMA so many times by now. I've written FMA stories in the past and always watch them over (twice) when I write one. I've probably seen the entire series six times…
Oh, and really? Well I am going to be writing a sequel to Shamballa, regardless of any other sequel I may write! I've actually started on Brotherhood, but I don't know if I'll actually post it or not.
Dragonjess: Yay! Thank you for noticing that! I wanted to make sure there was a bit of a shift in personality there but wasn't sure if I made it too subtle or not enough.
Haha, that's always been my motto.
(Smirks manically at being called 'Captain')
yumixjaganshi: And I think you may be right! It's dreadful, isn't it?
HE MUST. HE HAS TO. FOR JUSTICE.
And that's refreshing to hear. I know long stories can bore some people.
Bloody Bonez Alchemist XD: Who knew they could be so sweet, eh? XD
SuperNekofan: AHAHAHAHA! Indeed, I am! I am here on this Earth solely to make readers writhe in pain!
Katsekala: It seems like everybody has the feeling Envy's gonna pop up somewhere at some point in the story! x'D Someone's gonna be popping up but it isn't Envy this time.
XjipunshihotaruX: IT'S NOT EQUIVALENT AT ALL! DX
Haha, "only". It's the most I've ever written. And then there'll be the sequel! But I'll miss it too. I've never had so much fun.
YaddaGirl: Legasp!
Yes. Hang there on that cliff a little while longer because it's no difference this time around. XP
ausumist: The arguments are so much fun to write. And I'm glad you like the story! It's important to me that it feels like the original series, so that's great to hear.
Finally! Be happy!
Alldumbamericanrejects27: Thank you for the reviews! And your name's Riley? That's awesome, haha.
Timexgone23: Ahh, thank you!
That's understandable. All of march, I was taking a break (hence the long wait for this chapter). Sometimes you just need to step back for a while.
The Esper Alchemist: Haha! Really? At least you did notice, even if it did take time. I just don't know the manga well enough.
Kiki and Emily: (Cackles) Ohohohoho… Neither can I.
AiTachibana: Thank you! I'm glad you think so!
Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha…
I guess I should start trying to come up with a new story soon. Dx It'll probably be FMA. Again. Hehe…
Now, sorry for the length. Originally I was going to spread out the fight into a much longer chapter but I didn't want it to get boring. And I'm struggling to make sure I have enough for fifty chapters as it is!
I don't own FMA. I don't own Ed, Envy, Al, Lyra, Gluttony, Rose, and that baby. Whatever the hell his name is. However, I do own Riley and Blackburn. And Blackburn's arm. (Spoiler aleeerrrt.)
Chapter Forty-Seven:
A Revenge So Sweet
There was a tense silence among us in the ballroom. Lyra smirked at me, her eyes smug from under her black bangs while I maintained a hard glare. The girl beside her tried comforting the baby in her arms, but I ignored it at the moment. "Where's Ed?" I shouted across the room. It echoed its way to them, and Lyra's smirk only widened.
"It's simple, girl. He's gone," She stated casually.
My eyes went wide. He… He couldn't have…
I didn't react. Not in a noticeable way at least. My knees shook under the pressure and I was still processing her words. Doors to the side of us slammed opened and I jumped, being brought of my shock. That's all there was. Shock.
When I looked to the doors, that didn't change. Al was hung over Envy's shoulder. Envy was quick to notice me, and only smirked. Probably thinking how pathetic I was. He walked toward his companions and I glared at him. "Get away from Al!" I exclaimed angrily.
I could see said boy shift when he heard my voice. "R-Riley?" Envy snorted in response and reached the circle. I didn't know what the circle was exactly, but I knew I had to get Al away from it. He was the only one left. And I made a promise. I ran forward to attack Envy, but a familiar man slid in my way.
Skidding to a sharp stop, I stared at him with surprise and hate.
"Move out of my way, Blackburn."
A smirk found its way to his lips. "Now, are you really in a position to order me around?" He spat out as his smirk faded into a deep glare. His look held pure hatred for me, which only fueled my fire. He betrayed my family – and he was full of hatred? Bastard…
"I'm going to say it one more time," I demanded with a firm tone. I felt my shoulders ease subconsciously – my arms hung at my side. Suddenly, this feeling of calmness rushed over me. I was still pissed, yes, but… I didn't feel frantic about it. Which only made me more confident. "Move out of my way, Blackburn," I growled out.
"Someone seems to be getting cocky." Glancing over to Envy, I scowled at him. Al still hung over his shoulder as he watched us with interest.
Sighing, Lyra shook her heard at the boy. "Envy, put Al in the circle already. Stop wasting time."
When I saw Envy start to move, I made a mad dash for him. Just as I reached him, Blackburn shoved his arm into my stomach and flipped me onto my back. I fell to the ground as I coughed, gripping my aching stomach. He smirked down at me, but I twisted my leg around, kicking his own. He stumbled forward at the impact but caught himself by shifting his weight so he would fall toward me. His opened hand came down toward my face. I rolled over to avoid it and climbed back to my feet to go after Envy again. I ran as fast as I could but it didn't feel like it was fast enough.
And it wasn't.
With one careless toss, Envy had thrown Al into the circle. My eyes widened at the sight. "Al!" I exclaimed, just as Al shouted my name. The instant Al landed, the circle around him began glowing a bright blue.
Hearing a swift movement from behind, I spun around to see Blackburn's hand approaching me. I dodged to his side so he spun on his heel and swung at me again. I gripped his forearm and shoved it out of the way, only having to grab his other arm as well when he aimed his free hand for my neck. We were in a grip lock as we glared each other down. He struggled to free himself from me, but I wouldn't let it happen. I rose my foot and slammed it into his stomach. As he grunted and keeled over slightly, I used his stomach to propel myself into the air. I threw my free foot up and it crashed into his face.
Blackburn fell back and I balanced myself on my hand so I could land on my feet. Standing upright, I caught sight of him rolling backwards. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he sprung up. I let out a sigh of irritation – did I really have to fight this man? My hand fell to a rest on my right arm – the arm he once tried to destroy. Clenching my fist around it, my gaze on Blackburn turned to a glare.
There was a pause of silence between the two of us, before we braced ourselves and charged. We both pulled our fists back and swung. Our fists collided with each other and I pulled away quickly. Ducking under his arm, I leaped forward and aimed for his stomach. He grabbed the back of my shirt before I could reach him and threw me to the side. I fell to my knees but sprang back up to dodge his kick.
Ducking down, I missed his leg and slammed my hands onto the floor. The ground exploded, sending a shock wave through my body and throwing Blackburn away. He stopped flying when he hit a pillar, and slid down. The dust died, allowing me to see him standing with blood dripping from his head and mouth. Raising his hand, Blackburn smeared blood onto his palm. The blood glowed a light blue before extending and hardening into a blade.
He ran at me again and I made sure to keep my hands open so I could use my alchemy. He lunged the blade forward and I side-stepped, getting a mere graze on the cheek. This went on for several minutes. By the time his energy lowered, I had grazes along my arms and face. Standing apart from one another, we both panted. "Tired already?" I cracked, smirking over at him. But apparently he didn't find it funny. Taking off, he ran at me and charged his blade one more time.
I held my hands out and dodged just enough so I could grab the blade. I pulled him forward so I could make sure I had enough of a grasp, and blew up the blade. It shattered into a million pieces, which Blackburn fell into and was cut himself.
His side was then turned to me so he began to spin back around on his heel, his arm raised to attack. Preparing for my next move, I grabbed his arm and lunged myself over it. As I flew in the air, I made eye contact with Blackburn – who was surprised at what I had done. Suspended in the air, I twist my foot around and connected it to the side of his head. He was blown back, but grabbed my ankle, taking me with him.
Blackburn landed harshly on his back and I landed a little behind him, only to roll due to the momentum I had gained.
I began to stand up, only to have his fist slam into my cheek. As I fell to my side, he grabbed my collar and slammed me into the ground. I slid my arms in between his to hit them and loosen his grip but he released his grasp first. He punched my stomach and made me lose my concentration. As I did, he punched me in my face again. My head fell to the side at this, before he placed his hands around my neck.
I flinched, growling when he tightened his hold. No matter how I tried pulling his hand off me, he was strong enough to not be moved. My neck began to sting and go numb. Eyes widened, I grabbed his arm in desperate attempts to stop him. But he remained unfazed. There was only one way I could release myself. Clenching my fist around his arm, I glared up at him as my hand began to heat up. Blackburn was too focused to notice.
The explosion sent blood splatters all over my face and torso.
Blackburn let out a yell of pain as he stumbled backwards. My eyes were widened as I slowly sat up. I glanced down to my bloody hands, still trying to process what I had done. When I looked up and saw Blackburn holding his shoulder, blood dripping from where his arm used to be, I stumbled back to my feet. Panting as I stared across the floor at him, my eyes narrowed. "Try using that hand now," I grunted out, my voice a bit hoarse from being choked. I ran at him, throwing my fist in the direction of his face. He grabbed my fist in defense. Shifting my weight, I swung my other fist at him.
His next move was suddenly at a much quicker pace than he had originally been fighting. It was if he was stepping up his game. He kicked my arm into the air and once it was knocked away, he moved his hand forward and grabbed both my wrists, pulling them high into the air. My eyes went wide at this, and a wide smirk appeared on his lips. "You forget I was trained at the Mauler Dojo as well," He said before crashing his foot into my stomach. I groaned at the impact. He did it once more and I coughed, blood dripping from the corner of my mouth. Moving his leg, he kicked my side and let go of my hands, causing me to fly out onto the ground.
As I tried to climb up to my knees, he smirked as he walked toward me. His foot crushed down on my back, pushing me down to the ground. "Pain was the first thing we were taught, was it not? Pain makes you stronger. Pain is nothing but incentive to win the fight. That was what we were taught, was it not? You may have been their child, but that's all you were. I am the true face of the Maulers' technique!"
Flipping over, I threw his foot off my back and jumped straight up, my fist in the air above me. He didn't have time to avoid me. His chin was hit and as he fell back, I rammed in my shoulder into his stomach (talk about Deja Vu…) and tackled him to the ground. I punched him in the nose before grabbing his collar and yanking him toward me. "You know nothing about the Maulers' technique! Survive and protect! That was the first lesson they've always taught! You only learned to fight, you know nothing about being a Rebellion fighter!" I screamed, my face contorted into anger.
He began to chuckle and my glare intensified at this. Before I could react, I felt a strong grip on my hair. I yelled as he swung me off of him, slamming my head into the ground. The impact made me dizzy and as I began fighting consciousness, he raised me into the air and shoved his fist into my stomach again. I began to lean over from the pain but held me in a standing position. He pushed me back and pressed me against a pillar in the ballroom by my neck. "That may have been their morals but I never was one for putting my life on the line for other people," He tightened his grip and continued, "After all, just look around. It's simple logic. I left those traditionalist values behind and I'm still breathing. Unlike your parents… Giving up their life for a pathetic Ishballin man, who wound up dying anyway."
The images of Scar flashed in my mind and I snapped.
"Then die by the technique of that pathetic Ishballin man," I growled out before clenching my hand over his face.
Be Responsible. Don't Flame and Drive! Rawr.
ANNOUNCEMENT. ANKÜNDIGUNG.
So to officially make this statement; this story will be ending very soon. I plan on chapter fifty being the last chapter. Then this story will move onto the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline,which will be posted as another story. I repeat, the Conqueror of Shamballa plotline will be posted as a sequel to The Sulfur Alchemist. Don't worry about adding me to Author Alert just to find out when it will be posted – I'll be posting Chapter Fifty the same day I post The Sulfur Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa. So when you get "Story Alert: The Sulfur Alchemist" in your inbox, you will know I have posted the Conqueror of Shamballa.
END ANNOUNCEMENT. ENDE-ANKÜNDIGUNG.