Okeydokey! I may or may not update again after this chapter for another week because I'm going to a camp and we can't bring electronic devices :(
Envy: She can probably get in one more update after this though
Liz: If everyone reviews of course!
Ed: Yep... no Envy in this chapter, fortunately... me and Liz mostly.
Envy: I hate you too.
Ed: I know that, you tried to kill me.
Envy: Yes, that was fun.
Liz: Break it up or I'm stabbing both of you.
Both: Fine...
REVIEW!
Ed and I went to the university the next day to ask around, however as it turned out he wasn't there.
"All of Haushoffer's lectures have been cancled today" a student told us. "He's at his villa
"Yes, he's been spending alot of time working with the Thule society." a girl jumped in.
"Thule society?" Ed and I exchanged glances.
"Yeah, you haven't heard of them?" the students looked disbelief.
"Yeah, Thule is a small island in the north written about in ancient mytholgy. The Thule society wants to harness the power of the Gods that dwell on the island and use it to reclaim the destiny of the Aryan race."
"Uh... right" Ed smiled awkwardly.
"This Thule society looks a few equations short of a transmutation circle to me" I whispered to Ed as we walked away. "But I'm still curious."
"Yeah, what could he be doing up in his Villa?" Ed wondered aloud. "You know, if we were smart we would probably drop this subject right now."
"So we're going tonight?" I grinned.
"Hell yeah."
"The professor sure has alot of gaurds around his place" Ed muttered as we hid behind the hedge, peering out at the stiffs with guns and flash lights that scouted around the garden. This house was huge... mega huge. It was bigger than any place I'd ever seen before.
"Ancient Gods, cults... how are they gonna save their country with a myth?" I murmured. "Unless..."
"Unless they really are trying to open the gate and get through to our world" Ed murmured, finishing my sentence. "Who knows, maybe there's a way without alchemy in this world to open the gate... Guess that's what we're here to find out."
"Yeah... now how to get past the gaurds..." I looked around until I spyed a broken window just above us. "Ed give me a boost." Ed held out his hands in a foot hold and I placed my foot there. With a grunt he launched me up. I rolled through the open window, barely managing to avoid getting impaled by shards of jagged glass that stuck up every which way, before landing in a crouch. I looked around for any sign of gaurds in the hallway but found none.
I stood and peered through the window "All clear. Come on up."
Ed clambered up and slid carefully through the window, one piece of glass catching the skin on his cheek as he edged his way through leaving a shallow cut there, causing him to hiss slightly before he managed to get through all the way.
"You ok?" I asked, gesturing to his cheek.
"Yeah, I'm good, I've had worse" Ed sighed.
I grinned "No argument there."
We crept through the dark halls of the building, careful not to make any noise. Strangely this place reminded my of lab five, it looked abandon but I had a feeling it was hiding some dark secrets within. Lab five... Where I had been brought after first being kidnapped by Envy... these memories found the stranges times to probe at my mind.
Ed caught sight of a small window on the wall of the hall and peered through it "What? Rockets?"
I looked through too and saw below us a huge room full of rockets of all types. This place really was giant and hiding something. They looked alot like the rockets Alphonse built "Al... don't tell me these people are your sponsers" I murmured.
"Let's keep going." Ed said taking my arm and pulling me ahead.
"Yeah... right" I followed, not exactly wanting to dwell on the fact that Alphonse might be working for some bad people.
We finally reached a huge round room that seemed to go up forever, lined with huge collums made out of a brown stone material. In the middle of it was a gigantic drawing, drawn out with what looked like chalk.
"What is this" Ed murmured venturing forward. A grin passed over his face. "Looks like a sorcery diagram or something. Maybe a spell for sacrificing virgins or summoning demons from the depths of the earth... these guys are hopeless."
"No Ed... look... the equations, the lines, it's not sorcery it's alchemy." I stared around at the dull chalk from where I stood behind the coloum. I didn't feel too good about this place. "It's a gigantic transmutation circle."
Ed stared for a minute at the ground before nodding "You're right... but why? Alchemy isn't supposed to work in this world so why have this circle here?" he muttered before dropping to his knees and studying the drawing. "It's incomplete in some places though" he picked up a fallen piece of chalk, stared at it for a second then looked back to the circle on the ground. Carefully he set chalk to the floor and began to fill in the gaps.
"Ed wait." I murmured. "We should leave... it's not like it'll work anyway. Niether of us have been able to do alchemy since we came here." I bit my lip and looked around the room. I was starting to get the creeps. I felt like someone was watching us."
"What's with you being so suddenly jumpy?" Ed asked, an eyebrow raised.
"I've got a bad feeling about us staying here that's all" I snapped. "Can't we just go find the guy and get it over with?"
By this point Ed had completed the circle and he sighed "You're right I guess... It won't work anyway... guess I'm just a sucker for nostalgia." he rubbed a hand tiredly over his face then moved it down to place it on the circle.
It glowed bright blue and Ed's head jerked up. My eyes widened and I took a step back as a huge expanse of dark purple matter expanaded above the room and a second later armored bodies came falling out, clattering hard against the floor in a huge heap of scrap metal.
"What... the..." I could do nothing but stare.
"Whats going on here?" Ed whispered standing. "I... I didn't do anything!"
I turned at the sound of voices and footsteps coming twoards us.
"Hide human..." Truth commanded and for some reason I did, ducking behind the coloum.
"What the... What happened here!" I peered out from my hiding spot to see the General, followed by the professor and several armed soldiers come into the room, and stare at the armored bodies in shock.
"Don't move" a few soldiers surrounded Ed and he froze glaring around at them. I was glad he didn't do something stupid like attack them... he was alot less impulsive now and days than I gave him credit for.
"How could this have happened?" Haushoffer murmured in shock. "We've never been able to open the portal twice before no matter how many times we tried, but here they've all come back to us... from Shamballa."
"What do you mean?" Ed asked, cautiously.
The General stalked over, raised a fist and punched Ed in the face sending him to his knees "We'll ask the questions here! Are you that boy from before?... No... he only looked a bit like you... he was different..."
My eyes narrowed and my hand went to the hilt of one of my knives.
"Not yet" Truth cautioned.
"Why the Hell not!" I thought back.
"Your presesnce will be recognized by the General, you may not get as much information. Edward will be fine." Truth said steadily. This was the first time Truth was actually helping me since he'd been in my head.
"What are you talking about?" Ed growled, his eyes narrowed. "What boy who looked like me." I knew that he knew exactly who they were talking about but he was more daring them to talk more about Envy in front of him.
"Well in his human form he kind of does Ed..." I thought with a sigh.
"Check them out! See if they're ok!" Haushoffer ordered. The soldiers searched the armor only to flinch back in horror and disgust.
"He's been crushed!"
"This ones dead too sir."
"Is this your doing boy?" the General demanded angrily.
Ed remained silent, glaring at him.
"Just who are you" Haushoffer asked him much more calmly than the general.
"Are you Haushoffer?" Ed asked, his eyes narrowed.
"I am." the man nodded after a pause.
"I've heard that name from my father" Ed muttered. "My name is Edward Elric. My fathers name was Hoenhiem."
Haushoffers eyes widened "What?"
Then a woman's voice broke through the echoing room "In the vast expanses of the hollow earth lies a kingdom far greater than any civilatzation the surface has ever known. It is a vast utopia without any war or illness, suffering or hate. The wisdom of it's inhabitants promises an absolute peace. While the mystical power of it's great armies garuntees victories in man kinds final great war."
Really? Do you believe in the easter bunny too lady?
The woman who entered had short, fluffy blonde hair and blue eyes, the classic and preferred Aryan look of the German people, and a calm but cocky smile was drawn over her face. She had an air of authority about her. I almost instantly disliked her. It felt to me like Dante all over again. It was just the aura that lingered around her. Superior, arrogant, at ease because she assumed everything would go her way. I hated it.
"The road to Shamballa is difficult" she continued looking to Haushoffer. "It seems your hypothisis was correct professor."
"A lucky guess." Haushoffer said simply.
Really? That was the only acknowledgement you were giving you're dead pawns?
The woman turned to look at Edward "Hello Edward Elric. You're father was working for our society, and still helps today."
"I don't know where he was or what he told you lady." Ed growled.
"My name is Delinda Eckheart thank you." she said firmly.
The General suddenly raised his gun and pointed it at Ed.
"Wait! Hess!" Haushoffer admonished. So that was the General's name.
"This plan for Germany is in motion. What if this boy tells our secrets to Berlin?" General Hess growled.
"Ok, I'm not waiting anymore" I muttered, siezing my knife and throwing it at the General. I hit the gun, slicing his hand a bit, causing him to drop his weapon and his in pain. I darted forward as he reached again for the gun and raised it to point at me but I scooped up my knife and held the blade against his neck.
"You pull that trigger General" I growled my eyes narrowed. "I fall back and this blade slices your neck."
"You again!" Hess snarled. "This is the girl we were telling you about chairman." he glanced at Eckhart.
"Ah yes." she smiled a friendly smile that I found not at all friendly. "I hear you move well in a fight for a normal German girl miss...?" she raised an eyebrow in question.
"Liz Parker." I growled. "Nice to meet you."
"From that symbol on the hilt of your knife there I am guessing you are no stranger to Shamballa yourself" she said, glancing at the knife I held to the General's throat.
I paused before I grinned "I know nothing about it... at least not the world you were describing."
She frowned "What do you mean?"
"Oh just the whole Utopia without war, pain, suffering, or hate and the wisdom promising absolute peace just didn't match up to the place where I come from." I shrugged. "Maybe you should re check your history."
"Yeah, Thule island, Shamballa" Ed shook his head. "It seems you people are obsessed with any world but this one."
"Yes we have that in common" Eckheart smiled at him before turning back to me. "But you are not a child of Hoenhiem are you?"
"Just a friend of the family" I smirked.
"Of course" she nodded.
In this distracting conversation, one of the soldiers had snuck around and I felt him grab me from behind pressing his gun to my head "Don't move girl."
I snarled and struggled as the General backed away rubbing his neck before pointing the gun twoards Ed again. Ed was quick, raising his fake hand in front of the gun before rolling back and diving sideways into the pile of metal suits. I heard scattered clanking as Ed moved through the pile.
"He can't hide in there for ever" Eckheart murmured. "General, lower your gun. Do not shoot him. We may need him."
"...yes chairman." he lowered the gun reluctantly
Then the suits went flying everywhere and in the middle of the room I saw a suit of armor crushing Ed in a hug "Brother!" a familier voice laughed. "Oh brother I'm so glad to see you! It's been so long, are you ok!"
"Al..." I whispered feeling a smile spread over my face.
"I can't breath!" Ed gasped.
"Sorry" Al set him down on his feet. "But you've changed! You're taller now."
"Al..." Ed stared for a minute before wacking off his head with his hand in anger "WHAT YOU THOUGHT I'D STILL BE A BEAN WHEN I'M 18 YEARS OLD!" I couldn't help but snigger at Ed's classic, old fashion, comical reaction.
"The suits empty!" Haushoffer gasped.
"What you've never seen a soul attached to a suit of armor before? You don't get around much." I muttered under my breath.
"But how is that possible." Eckheart demanded.
"Don't you see! It's possesed by a demon!" the General yelled. "FIRE!"
"Al? Demon? What twisted universe do you come from." I blinked.
But no one was paying any attention to me and the soldiers began fireing at the two brothers who ducked behind the other suits of armor.
"You haven't changed brother" I heard Al say through the bullets. "Still causing trouble!"
"Save the lecture. We need to get out." I saw him point at me. "Get Liz over there ok?"
"Right."
There was a wild cry as Al charged, Ed hanging behind him on his back. The armor ran forward and snatched me from my captor, knocking him over in the process and slinging me under his arm, before continuing to run.
"Which way do I go!" Al asked.
"Anywhere!"
"I don't know where I'm going!"
"It's better than getting shot!"
"WHEE!"
"Stop being a freak Liz!"
"Bite me!"
Several minutes later we were sitting on the banks of a small river that ran by the brightly lit German town, Al in between Ed and I.
"I've dreamed of this place" Al murmured. "It's pretty... are we really in the gate?"
"The other side of it" Ed corrected. "But forget that... I want to hear about your life Al. How'd you get back into that armor again?"
"Again?" Al cocked his head to the side. "Oh... right. You attached my soul to armor just like this didn't you? When my body was lost in the gate" he sighed and I got a bad taste in my mouth. "I'm sorry brother... I can't remember any of that."
"What?" Ed and I asked in unison.
"The last time I saw you was when we transmuted mom. Then I woke up and a girl named Rose was taking me home." Al murmured.
"So that means..." I breathed. "Al..."
Al turnedand looked at me "You're Liz aren't you? I've heard alot about you. You helped us every step of the way on our journey after brother became a state alchemist isn't that right?... I'm really sorry that I can't remember you..."
I managed a sad, small smile, trying to hide the sinking feeling I felt in my gut "Don't worry about it Al...I'm just glad you're alive." Ed met my eyes for a moment across Al, a sad look in his gold irises. He could see how much it hurt to know that Al couldn't even remember meeting me. This was the first time in his mind that he'd ever seen me before. Had he really lost all of those memories. All the times we spent looking for the philosiphers stone? Did he really forget everyone in the military, Hughes and Mustang? Armstrong? Did he forget the homunculi and Scar and all of our enemies too?
"I wondered how they opened that portal?" Al was musing. "Will they do it again-" all the sudden Al cut off and the armor began shaking.
"Al?" Ed asked worriedly. "Are you ok?"
"Brother" Al shuddered. "The transmutation I used to attach my soul to this armor doesn't last very long. It looks like I've run out of time."
"But wait Al! This is too soon!" Ed stood.
"Don't leave now." I begged. "Al..."
"It's ok..." he whispered. "I think I know how to bring you back now. That portal they used... I'll try to open it from my side too..." then thr light faded from his eyes and became empty black holes again before the armor pitched forward and collapsed.
"Al!" Ed cried but he was gone.
After several seconds passed by in silence I drew in a long breath to keep myself from crying and stood up. With a sigh I offered a hand to Ed "It's late" I managed a smile. "We should go back home before they stumble across us."
"Yeah" he murmured after a pause, taking my hand and pulling himself up. "Liz... I'm sorry..."
"Don't be" I shook my head. "It's not your fault."
I just realized in that moment how much I truly missed our old world.
Hope you enjoyed this long chapter!
Al: And yea! I had screen time!
Liz: Isn't that technically chapter time?
Ed: Oh well... lots of good angst too...
Envy: And I'm the next chapter!
Probably at least.
Wrath: REVIEW TO MAKE UP FOR MY LACK OF SCREEN TIME!
