Across The World I Will Follow:
Chapter 16: Maribel Revolt Part IV
"No!" Edward quickly left his seat after the battle trying to make his way outside. Tears were streaking his face as he rushed towards the door. Havoc was at the door and he tackled him once he got close to the door.
"Snap out of it Fullmetal! It's too late! There is nothing you can do!" Havoc was holding him down it was hard he was crying and screaming out at the top of his lounges. "Let Me Go HAVOC!"
"Elric calm yourself there is nothing that you can do. Armstrong is dead, and he isn't coming back!"
Edward finally gave up trying to get away. He fell limp and went back to the desk to continue watching the cameras as the building was taken control of. The battle was growing intense and then a call from border patrol erupted from the silence inside the room.
"Border has been breached a large group of soldiers led by a woman clad in black broke through just now there are only three of us left they went into the forest do you want us to follow?"
Edward picked up the radio. "No fall back to City hall and form up and prepare to regroup."
"Sir!"
Edward placed the radio back on its stand and sat at the desk watching his, His army take over the City Hall. Moments passed and gun shots silenced and everything became quiet. A knock on the door sounded behind them Edward turned to watch the door and motioned for Havoc to open the door. What came through was a bit of a shock it was a group of Soldiers dragging in Armstrong. Armstrong was still breathing but barely. Ed jumped up and went to Armstrong and had them place him on the couch in the corner of the control room. "Major, are you feeling alright."
Armstrong was a pale white his sparkly glow had vanished and he was sitting there breathing heavily. He turned to Edward. "Edward make sure this gets to my family." He pulled out a letter and handed him his pocket watch. Edward looked down at it and had begun to tear up again.
"Major you're going to be alright…"
He interrupted. "Edward Elric, don't tell a man that knows his time has come that it is going to be alright. I've done my duty to the people and it is time that I return to where I came from. Oh and Edward Mustang told me that if anything happens to me that you were to be promoted to Colonel, and well it seems that his promotion stands Colonel." He saluted and he began to jolt quite suddenly as the poison had finally reached his brain. It was tearing apart his central nervous system and after a few moments of sporadic movement he stopped moving.
Edward fell to the ground on his knees holding his hand as one of the few people in the military he could trust had left him to return to the gate. He continued to cry as the men standing around him awaited orders from the newly appointed Colonel. He stood up placing the letter and the watch in his pocket.
"Colonel what is our next move?" The men that were standing next to him were saluting him and he wasn't used to this kind of treatment even as a major. He slowly stood up and pointed at Havoc. "Major Havoc, take these men on a final sweep of the City to make sure all resistance has returned to the Forest and return to me after that is cleared and we will begin our attack on the forest camp."
Havoc looked thrilled he stepped over to the soldiers. "Okay men move out you heard the man!" they all saluted Edward and headed out of the room. Edward placed a blanket of the face of Alex Louis Armstrong and went and sits back at the desk to keep watch on the movements of his troops throughout the City.
Inside the forest,
The final remnants of "The Scarred" had finally returned to their base after the assault on City Hall. Led by Annabella they marched into the camps and the women searched to see if their husbands and children had returned safely from the fighting. Some were going to be disappointed many men and women were not coming home, and she was happy that Armstrong was one of the men on the other side that was going home in a body bag. She stepped to the side to try and count how many of their men had returned after about ten minutes all the men had walked by her and she realized that they had lost more than they had reckoned for.
She could here crying as families discovered that someone was left behind in Maribel. She watched as mothers would break down and start running towards the boundaries of the camp to try to find their children or whoever it was that was lost in the fighting. She walked to where Scar was standing overlooking the camp of his new people. Having been forgotten by most of the Ishbalans that now agreed that the only way to return to prosperity was to fall back to the jurisdiction of the state he had come to Amestris with a few hardened followers to Revolt against the uprising powers in the State.
Though a woman Annabella didn't recognize was standing next to him the two were talking so she decided to stand a ways in the shadows and listen to the conversation that was going on. She crouched and hid herself among the leaves of the bushes directly behind Scar.
"So Scar, are the people willing to search for more allies and continue their fight against the enemy?" The woman spoke in a somewhat angelic voice she was tall slim and miraculously beautiful woman. Her hair was tied up in a bun and it had violet streaks through its blonde strands. She was wearing a white shirt and a violet skirt that went to just a little above her knees.
"This battle is going just as it was planned. Mustang was correct in his presumptions. Maribel was the perfect place to begin the uprising. So close to the railroads and isolated to the point our men can slip out of here. While the war begins in Neuruvia the uprising will begin and the armies will be cut in two. Central will have sent their strongest Alchemists and the bulk of the forces to Neuruvia. Leaving Amestris nearly defenseless, and while the armies try to come back then Ishbal will realize that I was correct and send aid to the rebels and we can finally destroy the Fuehrer King Bradley's rule, and restore power to the people, and finally wipe the state alchemists away." Scar was staring out at the village of his army. Tents were all across entwined with the forest in the shape of the Grand Arcanum but not close enough for any alchemic reaction to activate the array.
"Scar you make this sound so easy, you must remember who we are dealing with. You remember that Bradley is one of the 6 remaining Homunculi correct?"
Scar turned to her with a glare, "Yes I remember well Lady Chastity."
"Good because if you were to forget you must remember that the Homunculi have a different agenda for Neuruvia."
"The Philosophers Stone,"
"Correct Scar my dear, the whole point of Ishbal, and all these wars are for the Stone. You've noticed that since The Fuehrer has risen to power. Constant war has been raged. One war after the other has tore Amestris to pieces little does Bradley realize, that the people are his worst enemy. Not the Elrics."
Annabella was shocked night fall was coming what was he going to do, but then he realized he had to fight Edward Elric so that the State would for sure know of his existence and the war would be quickened into being. Silence was groping the hill and for a few moments she thought they were just going to stand there, but then Scar broke the silence.
"Where is Annabella I want to congratulate her for her job with Armstrong, he's a tough foe I have faced him before."
Chastity turned and looked at the bushes. "Annabella you do not need to hide you are his most trusted soldier after all."
Annabella was shocked, how long had they known she was there. She stepped out of the bushes and walked towards scar and the woman. "Scar is this true is this whole battle just to raise morale for all out war?"
Scar turned to face her, "Aren't all battles that are waged before a war is declared for raising morale?"
Annabella nodded. "So the state is as divided as the rumors say it is."
"Did you find anything about Arianna?" Scar stepped to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
Annabella looked up at him and nodded. "Yes apparently Armstrong brought her and gave her to a family in Central. I need a way to get to Central, and find out where she is at."
Scar turned to Chastity. "Chastity could you do her a favor and take her to Central, I believe with how you have yourself tied into the high ranks of the State you can find out where she is at."
Chastity stepped forward and looked at Annabella. "I believe I already know the family of which you speak."
Annabella looked up at her and a glow came to her eyes. "You know where my sister is! Take me to her."
Chastity wrapped her arm around her and guided her away from Scar. She stepped away for a moment. "Scar take care of yourself."
Scar nodded.
Annabella began to walk away but then she ran back to Scar and embraced him in a daughter to father like hug.
"Don't worry, Annabella I've been through Ishbal to you remember. I'm a strong man Anna."
She was crying as she held on to him. "I know but you've become like a father to me Scar. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
"Don't worry about losing me. You are going to see your sister again. Don't worry after you find her you can take her somewhere safe, then you and I can finish aiding our people together."
She nodded and wiped her tears away from her eyes. She went and gave him a kiss on the cheek that she had never got to do to her own father who died a few months after she was born. She stepped away and quickly caught up with Chastity who had been waiting to take them to Central. They walked away and then the two disappeared.
Scar walked back towards the edge of the hill and raised his hands to the air. "Men and Women of 'The Scarred'," the camp silenced as they all walked to a place so they could see their leader. "Today the Military has shown us their true agenda! To silence all who stand in the way of their so called 'Perfect Government'! Today many of our people died in the fight for your independence from the State! Now we must leave this place to fight another day. Soon other villages and cities will follow as they realize the danger of staying under the command of the state will do!"
The place erupted with roars of acceptance. The people of Maribel were done falling to the government as soon as Scar had revealed to them that they would run and not fight longer they began packing there things. Soon they were all ready to escape and his special trained officials were ready to lead them away towards Dublith to the southwest. He watched as they piled out of the woods. It was nightfall the sun was setting and the Military was beginning to move towards them that very moment. Scar would wait for Fullmetal that was the only reason he was still here. To make sure that Fullmetal would continue to follow up with his plans and so the state would see that Scar was alive and that war was soon inevitable.
On the border of Maribel,
Colonel Edward Elric stood in front of his group of Soldiers that he had mustered up to raid the forest. He looked them over making sure that everyone he had commanded was there. He had told Havoc to stay behind just in case they tried to attack while they were in the forest.
"Okay, try not to kill as many people as possible at most take them prisoner if at all possible, and Scar is mine!" He waved his arm towards the forest. "Move out!"
Central,
Annabella found herself in the middle of Central in front of a well built home. She had no idea how they had arrived there so suddenly. "Would you recognize her if you saw her?" Chastity asked her. Annabella had completely forgotten about her having not realized that she was now the same looking woman except in a long violet gown and her hair was down to her shoulders and it too was violet.
"Yes," She envisioned herself at the age of twelve except with a purplish red eye color. He sister was almost the exact same as she had been as a baby, and her mom said that they could've almost been twins if they had been born at the same time and year.
"Then I will leave you to go get her, but I'd try knocking first instead of breaking in."
She looked at her with an awkward silence and walked to the door. The house was ornate built in the style of some ancient civilization. She knocked on the door and she heard a deep voice tell someone to go get the door. She heard a tiny silent female voice respond.
"Yes sir."
A moment passed and she heard deadbolts being unlocked and the door opened. At the door was a young twelve year old girl. She had black hair pulled back in a braid similar to Edward Elrics and it was down to the middle of her back. Her face was very familiar. She looked up at Annabella and she saw it in her eyes. The purplish red glow that her mother had fell in love with at her birth.
"Are you Annabella?"
Annabella was shocked. Her sister that she had not seen for nearly 10 years was still alive, and she knew her sisters name.
"Arianna how, how do you know my name?"
Arianna jumped at her and gave her a large embrace. She was crying but they were tears of happiness. A large man walked to the door. He was well built and he was quite old. He was a black gentleman in a worn out suit. "Come on in Annabella let me explain."
Arianna fell from Annabella's arms and guided her in. Tears were falling from her eyes as well for the first time in 10 years she was with her sister again.
Back in the Maribel woods,
Silence struck the twilight they had made it into the woods with no resistance. No one had stood in their way and everything went all as well. Edward told his men to continue searching, but he looked to his right at a hill and he heard a faint whispering on the wind. The trees were rustling and the leaves were making haunting noises. The moon was peeking through the leaves as its first rays of light began to break through the Canopy. Edward pulled off his gloves and placed them in the pocket of his coat and pushed it out of the way of his pockets in his pants. He climbed the hill and continued to listen to the wind. He could swear it was speaking to him. Then he noticed a red gleam in the woods to his right. He followed it and walked into the woods hearing the yelling of his soldiers searching for any remaining resistance, but it seemed that they had gone.
Central,
"So you are Annabella?" asked the old black man sitting in his chair in his room.
Arianna was sitting next to Annabella on a loveseat directly horizontal from his chair.
"Yes but how do you know about me?"
"My name is Argus Marion Fletcher, my son was Julius James Fletcher or more commonly known as Bronze or the Bronze Arm Alchemist"
"You're the father of the hero of Ishbal?"
"Yes and I agreed with everything he did trying to help you people, so when Armstrong brought this girl back from Ishbal I thought I'd take her in. He told me about what happened and he told me to make sure that she knew who you were."
"So Armstrong was telling the truth about what he did?"
Fletcher took a pipe from his table and lighted it. "Yes he was a very generous man and he came to visit Arianna whenever he was here in Central. He became like a brother figure that left for a time here and there. He made sure to keep her kept somewhere so someday you and her could reunite."
Annabella couldn't take it. She didn't want to believe it. The man she murdered the one she thought to be a cold heartless demon on a leash had actually kept her sister safe for over 10 years. 10 years or more had passed since that fateful day. Cold wet droplets fell from her face. The hurt of 10 years of truth swept over her. She had taken the life of a man that had done no harm to her sister. The life of a man who was all that Ishbala ever wanted, she fell to the floor and Arianna went to her side.
"Anna what's wrong?"
"Ari, could you excuse me and Mr. Fletcher for a few moments?" she tried to speak that one sentence as calmly as she could. Arianna nodded and walked upstairs out of the room. She stood up and looked at Mr. Fletcher. "Sir, you've heard of the revolt movement in Maribel have you not?"
He looked at her with the pipe sticking out of his mouth. "Yes may I ask why you are bringing that up in this household?"
"Armstrong was In Maribel, and well, I remembered him from my childhood," she was shaking as she recounted what had happened in Maribel. The whole time she told him what had happened. She was hoping that Arianna would never have to know that her sister had Killed Alex Louis Armstrong.
"It's war Annabella, no one can sugar coat it. You did what you thought was right at the time, and to you, you truly believed you were helping your sister. Alex Louis Armstrong was a great man, he was growing old, but now he has left us. Annabella you should stay here in Central for the time being his body will probably be brought back within the next few days. You can't leave without her finding out about his death," She looked shocked and as if he had read her like a book he added, ",But she will not have to know who killed him."
She nodded, "Let me go tell who I am here with that I will be staying here for a time."
He nodded to her and walked up stairs to put Arianna to sleep. Annabella walked outside and met with Chastity. "I'm staying here for a few days come and get me and Arianna after The Strong Arm Alchemists funeral."
"Okay keep your head down Anna" she walked off into the night and once more the world grew silent, and the tree's rustled in the wind. She walked back inside and stepped into her sister's room and lay down next to her. That night she dreamed, of the night her family was taken from her.
Maribel Wood,
Edward Elric was walking through the thinning wood he followed the faint glimmer of red that had set him off when he arrived at the hill. He broke his way through out into the opening. They were overlooking the Railroad. He looked at the far side of the outcropping and saw a familiar figure. Standing there with his arms at his side staring up at the sky, was Scar. Edward stepped forward.
"So Fullmetal we meet again."
Edward threw his coat to the side. "So it seems Scar."
"Where is Alphonse?"
"Alphonse isn't here I didn't want him to get involved with the wars that seem to be coming."
He began to laugh, "So you finally have a heart I suppose." He turned to face him in the eye his razor sharp glare shined in the moonlight his red eyes piercing through the darkness. ",but that will not save you!" He raised his arm into the air and moved it towards the moon. "Edward Elric your country will soon fall, where will you stand when it is turned against you."
Edward jumped back and put his fists at the ready, but then stood up straight. "When that time comes I will more than likely stand by the people of Amestris. You know very well I don't like being yanked by a leash!"
"Well that still doesn't mean I'll go easy on you." He jumped up into the air and slammed his fist into the ground and ran forward towards Edward.
"Ten O' clock Edward your life is mine." His fist struck the side of Edward Elrics face and the fight was drug into the shadows.