The Cycle of Pain and Hope
By Teenangel
Summary: a different ending to FMA, from Alphonse getting his body back to far into the future. Mostly following the life of Ed's daughter. Not what you expect at all! Blood, violence. Future fic. edxwinry alxelysia. spoilers.
Author's note: some things may not be accurate to the anime, bear with me. And I swear this story has a happy ending!
Disclaimer: Got bored the day after finals, college student, so broke, wouldn't even bother
1958
Every year she'd put a wreath of flowers on her father's grave, rain or shine.
She stood there, in her blue uniform, a small mist from a morning shower still clinging to the valley, making her braided hair frizz up. This year it was two wreaths of flowers. A military car parked a few feet behind her. She could sense the uneasiness of her Lt.
"Lt. Elric-Hughes, wouldn't you like to say some words to your Aunt and Uncle?"
"Excuse me, Colonel, I don't do well in cemeteries," he said, looking intently at the dirt, letting his small glasses slip to the end of his nose. She'd seen pictures of his Grandfather, Maes Hughes, and could see the resemblance even though his coloration was that of Alphonse. Those piercing eyes, were not an Elric trait.
"You can call me, Ali, we're not on duty. I used to baby-sit you for goodness sake."
"Do you have to say that out loud!"
She cocked an Elric grin. "Of course, Michael. Think of it as payback."
"Sorry," he huffed, "if you're so puny I couldn't spot you in the crowd on the last mission, not my fault."
"PUNY! Are you insulting your superior officer! Maybe all you people are just tall!"
"Of course I knew you'd take it that way, you have such a short temper," he said smugly, "now if you don't mine, I have plans tonight—hey—"
"SHORT!" she shouted, chasing him outside the cemetery and around the car several times, "come back here and say that straight to my face."
"Come on, I'm your cousin!"
"Extra authority to skin your hide," she said, "just have to explain to Al that his son made a grave act of insubordination." Michael jumped onto the car, and slipped slamming into the hood, his glasses hitting the cobblestone road with a snap.
"Now look what you did," he whined, trying to see through shattered lenses.
"Calm down," clap, and they were brand-new.
"Excuse me," they turned to a young panting private, probably had ran all they way from Resembool's small command station. He stood too rigid, and over saluted, "Colonel Elric, there's been a disturbance in downtown Central, something about," he swallowed worried he'd sound ridiculous in front of the famous Blade Alchemist, "a giant snake, sir, I mean, mam, Colonel."
The Lt. and Colonel resumed their military personas. Michael sighed, back to duties and he had hoped to visit his parents on this trip. They gave the Private a ride back to town, and then punched it to Central.
XXXXXXXXX
Colonel Elric's subordinates had filled her in on the situation and from what the Lt. could tell, the road had been torn apart from the sewers up. The East half of Central was completely evacuated, not even the military dared venture into it. It looked like a bomb had gone off.
The Colonel and Lt. stopped the car at the line of destruction.
"Sorry, Ali," he said, "but you're on your own from here on in, my alchemy isn't up for this stuff."
"I know, don't worry, I'm never afraid," she said stepping out the car.
He sighed, turning the car around, and parking himself into an alley to hide, "Just don't get too cocky or my dad will kill me."
A snake, more accurately a dragon, they'd called it. She recalled the stories from her father as if they were her own memories, and the same anger burned through her, "Envy," she cried out, "stop hiding. Although I suppose you deserve to be in the sewers."
The ground shook and a giant green head full of teeth with enraged eyes burst out of the rubble in front of her. She was unfazed as rocks pelted her. Envy raised his serpent body, towering three stories above her.
"Finally," he said, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth, "I have gotten back here to destroy you Full Metal pipsqueak."
"Oh really," she said, hands on hips, "sorry to disappoint you, but Edward Elric's been dead for awhile."
Envy growled, "I see, you're female. No doubt his prodigy, either way I will take Hoenheim Elric's descendents to their grave."
Those words struck Ali; she stared into the huge eyes and saw a painful desperation, like when Wrath was begging her. If Envy couldn't be happy, no one could be happy—a cycle of revenge, that benefited no one. She shrugged off her jacket, and straightened out her red short-sleeve shirt. On her forearms were bands of metal. She clapped her hands, then crossed her arms, passing her palms over them to make two long, shiny, sharp blades. Just in time to slice off a chuck of Envy's Jaw as he lunged his mouth at her.
Blade Alchemist, indeed.
Blood poured out like a waterfall, painting the broken bricks and rubble as if they'd always been a dead red. Envy's tongue lapped at his wound. His tail whipped across, sending giant debris towards Ali as she frantically dodged and transmuted. Soon, Envy found the tip of his tail gone too, but Ali found her self catapulted into a building.
"Oh, gonna leave a mark," she groaned.
"I want to taste you," his breath wafted onto her, a stench of rotting food, feces, and dead rats.
"Sorry, I think I'd be a bit sour," she clapped her hands and slammed palms onto the ground. A giant spike of stone burst forth, punching through Envy's serpent body, nearly splitting him in half. He lay on the bed of blood stained rubble, squirming, but most definitely alive and most definitely not dying.
She walked up to his head, next to his left eye, and scowled. Clap. Envy felt warm hands on his cold scales. Then, warm hands on…why was she looking down on him now? Envy reached out a hand—a hand! What had this blasted, midget done! He seethed, but his body, his humanoid body, was just as split and bleeding as the serpent form.
"You're easier to deal with this way, and I've made sure you can't change your form, Envy…William," she kneeled next to him, and he noticed that blond hair was coming from his head, not his classic black spikes.
"Bitch," he spit. Ali smeared the red dots off her face.
"Now, now, if you wanted to die, you could've just asked," she said, "but I know, you wanted to take the Elrics down with you, wanted to quench your jealousy by destroying what you were denied, to die fighting the thing you hate and the thing you crave."
Envy's eyes widened at her words, her understanding, even if he'd never admit it to himself, "Fine, you're so smart. Stop the chit-chat and get it over with."
"I don't like people dying unhappy," she said, "I'm sure you'd love to know, that my father didn't die comfortable or fast. He was in constant pain for years."
"Really?" Envy said sarcastically, blood dripping out of his lips, "that's so sad." He closed his eyes so he didn't have to see Edward's mirror image, "How do I know your not just saying that to make me feel—what are you doin—" he gagged on blood in his throat and resigned not to speak again; he growled feeling her fingers comb through his hair.
"It's soft, why do you hate it," she said, knowing he wouldn't answer, "Well, Will, I'm gonna kill you now."
He glared at her fiercely, and then smirked when he saw some blood drip from her mouth—he'd caused her damage. She clapped her hands and placed them on his cheeks—so warm, he thought, like when his mother would…
XXXXXXXXX
Lt. Michael Elric-Hughes was getting bored in the car, almost tempted to lend help. Ha! like being an expert on agricultural alchemy would help, blasted farm his parents had, couldn't they have taught him other things. He pulled a picture out of his family—his parents, himself, his two younger sisters. They were so cute in their spring dresses, like little dolls, and if any guy ever broke their poor little hearts he would crush their bones into flour and.
A knock came to the window. He jumped out of the car. She was in one piece, leaning on the hood, uniform jacket draped over a shoulder, and her mouth constantly spitting out blood. He noticed one of her metal armbands was cracked.
"Are you gonna catch me," she said, "or do I have to pass out on the car."
"Sorry," he lifted her into his arms and slipped her into the passenger seat; he was always amazed how light she was. " I assume it was a success?"
She moaned and cracked one eye open, saying 'shut up' 'duh' 'you're a moron' and 'would I be here if I failed'.
"Right, nevermind." He started the car, headed to the Central Infirmary.