FMA Fanfic: The Lost Heaven (Chap 11)

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own any character or plot in FMA, or Al will turn into everyone s uke!
Characters appearance: Al, Ed, Roy, Riza, Scar, Lust, Chang Mei, Hohenheim, Winry, King Bradley, Yao Ling, Ran Fan, Chang Mei, Camellia, Triffany, Godoa, Leonardo Warning: Characters' deaths, Frank Archer's language, violence

Chapter 11: Battle

It was Year 1942, Germany

Ed panted as he cowered over the bleeding body of Al in the boat. The beams of light from the Nazi's boat were still towering over the sea, searching for them. He grinded his teeth and looked down at the sweating face of his younger brother.

"You'll be fine, Al, I won't let you die." Ed whispered sternly. Very quietly, he allowed the boat to drift to a bank and half-supported his unconscious brother to the long grass where they waited till the Nazi soldiers gave up the search and left.

Struggling, Ed carried his taller younger brother to a nearby building and attempted to extract the bullet from Al's wound before bandaging it up. Al's face was still pale from loss of blood. Ed's lips were almost drawing blood as he bit into them when he dragged Al into a clinic where he forced the doctor there to transfer some of his blood to Al.

Ed heaved a sigh of relief. Al's life was secured.

Ed suddenly woke up in a sea of darkness. Warm liquid dripped onto his face. As his vision grew accustomed to the dark, his eyes stared into the unconscious face of the 13-year-old Al on top of him, their lips almost touching. He could taste the copper taste of blood that flowed down from the boy's forehead onto his. They were trapped beneath the debris of a collapsed building.

"Al..." Ed whispered. There was no response. "AL!"

Al opened his eyes. There was light everywhere, almost blinding him.

"Nii-san?" Al called uncertainly. The last thing he remembered was seeing balls of fire flying down towards Ed and he had hurled himself to protect him. The next moment, he landed in the strange place.

"Didn't I tell you to take your own sweet time before coming back here?" came 'Truth's disappointed voice.

"Am I back to the gate?" Al asked.

"Yes and no, because you are not completely dead yet." 'Truth' said: "Look, I've just sent your friend-Sophie and Zerugiu back to their dimension. I don't know what you are up to, but can you please don't send people back to their own world that fast? You are spoiling my fun!"

"Dimension? What do you mean?" Al exclaimed.

'Truth' said: "Well, I guess you must be wondering why you have no memory of some people when you meet them back then, right?" Al nodded. "The reason why you have no collection of them at all is because they do not exist in your dimension at all. Imagine the universe is full of different worlds, which are similar to yours. The same people in each dimension may have same soul, appearance and bodies, but they have different memories owing to different encounters and events.

"I don't get you, 'Truth'." Al said, utterly confused.

"Alright, in short, people from different dimension, whether dead or alive, have fused together after the gates shattered from you and your brother's destruction. While other people s mind captured the change, yours remain in whatever happens within your dimension which was why you could not remember people from other dimension... I don't care you understand me or not, but that's the situation now." Just then, Al noticed Truth s form became fainter and fainter .

"Wait, I ve something else to ask!" Al called out. A flash of a strange transmutation circle flashed in his eyes before he was hurled like a ball into darkness

"Al, Al!" Al could hear Ed calling him, his voice was almost crying: "Answer me! Can you hear me? Please wake up, I don't want to lose you again!" Al felt warm liquid falling onto his face and opened his eyes to see a tearful Ed besides the debris in an isolated lane under the moonlight. Ed had transmuted the debris away so that he could carry his younger brother out of the mess and bandaged the wounds.

"Hi, nii-san." Al smiled weakly: "I'm back from the gate. Where are the rest of the people? Where are Colonel Mustang and Lt Riza?"

"I don't know we were almost alone when I dragged you out of the mess." Ed said: "Listen, can you please not going around risking your neck for me? You are no longer an armor like last time."

Gomen, I ve made you worried. Al whispered apologetically.

By the way, what have you told Winry about me not getting married in my entire life when we were on the other side of the gate? Ed glared: Armony and Sophie are now looking . His voice trailed off, remembering that Sophie was already died.

Sophie wanted me to tell you that she ll never forget the time she had spent with you and she wished you and Winry well together. Al said softly. He suddenly noticed Ed looking stiffly ahead. Al imitated him.

Under the moonlight, a tall figure in Amestris military uniform stood among the ruins. Red lights emitted eerily from his eyes. "Hi, kids," A cold familiar voice breathed excitedly: "Looks like we meet again."

"Frank Archer, what are you doing here?" Ed growled, leaping between Al and Archer. Like a flash of lightning, Archer flashed beyond Ed and held Al into his strong arms.

"Too slow, Fullmetal, you need more to become stronger than me." smirked Archer as he sniffed Al's delicate neck: "Mmm, I miss this smell, I'm going to rape you over and over again, then I'll rape your corpse.. Heeheehee..."

"Let Al go!" Ed roared angrily.

"And before that, I shall kill your elder brother first." Archer added. He extended his lance at Ed's throat before Al could blink his eyes. Ed was just in time to dodge the first attack, but his leg was stabbed in the second attack.

"Nii-san!" Al cried in fear, struggling in Archer's hold: "Leave me! I'll be fine!" Unfortunately, his arm and leg were fractured and his vision was blurry due to excessive loss of blood.

"Is that true, Al..." Ed growled: "...that this bastard has violated you before?"

"Of course, it's perfectly true," smiled Archer: "You should have hear his sweet beautiful cries as I took him..."

"YOU SICK BASTARD! I should have killed you the first time when you returned from your revival!" screamed Ed as he clapped his hands to transmute wires at Archer who dodged as easily as a cat to a snail.

"Be careful, you might hurt your precious younger brother." Archer leered darkly and with Al secured tightly in his arms, he flashed into an abandoned building. Ed ran after the man.

"You can't win me, because I have 2 Philosopher's stones with me right now!" Archer laughed menacingly.

"Nii-san, he will not hurt me under 'Father's order!" Al cried as Ed ran, transmuting things along the way to stall Archer's path: "DON'T BE STUPID!"

"Now, who's the stupid and arrogant one? Are you trying to make me die with guilt for not able to save my younger brother? Are you trying to make me unable to face Kaa-san after death?" shouted Ed: "I'VE PROMISED KAA-SAN THAT I'LL PROTECT YOU!"

Archer opened his mouth to say something, but Al banged his head against his, causing him to stagger a while and took the opportunity to pull himself out of the man's grip. Archer growled and punched Al on his stomach against the wall.

"Don't think I'm still receiving instruction from that old fool! I'm on my own now, so I'm going to do anything as I please with you!"

Ed took the chance of his missed concentration on him and stabbed him in his throat. He felt something stabbed into his waist.

"NII-SAN!" Al screamed and forcing himself to ignore the pain in his arm, he clapped his hands and hit Archer.

Archer's eyes went blank for a moment before regaining himself: "Good try, Soul Alchemist, you were trying to shatter my soul away? Too bad, because I can die many times!" He wrapped his fingers round Al's neck: "Don't force me to cripple your limbs, little boy. I want to feel your struggle when I take you later."

Al choked and clapped his hands only to be pulled against a pillar where the man started tying his hands behind his back. Archer looked back to see Ed struggling on his feet.

"Let...Al...go!" Ed grinded as he moved slowly back to his feet.

"Maybe I should tie you up so that you can enjoy my show, Fullmetal." Archer grinned darkly and without seeing how his body moved, Ed was punched in his stomach and drove to another pillar where he was bound. Sniggering, Archer returned to Al's side and pulled the boy s face to his. Archer licked his lips and tagged at Al s collar.

"I can't watch this any longer, Mr Military man." A feminine voice said as Lust leaped through the window: "Goodness, you are more incredible than me as a Homuculus!"

"A previous homunculus? I've never heard of such term." Archer said coldly.

Lust ignored him and looked at Ed: "Are you still alive, little boy?"

"Can you please get Al out of here?" Ed asked with pleading eyes.

"Nii-san, you should get out of here first, you're hurt!" Al protested, struggling in his bound.

"Shut up, Al!" snapped Ed and turned to Lust, but she was already fighting with Archer.

She grimaced as a lance flew into her shoulder and praised: "Not too bad, you're much much better than me when I was a homunculus, but..." A hand had clasped on the back of Archer's head, igniting it into bloody mess.

Archer recovered his head and saw Scar standing side by side with Lust: "Is that the reason why you rather turn into a useless human being than being a powerful homunculus, woman?"

"You can say so." Lust tilted her head and without warning, she and Scar resumed their attacks on Archer.

Ed stared at the battling trio and suddenly felt his bounds loosened.

"Shh.., let's get out of here." Chang Mei hissed. Al was leaning against the wall for support, biting his lips to stop himself from whimpering. Silently, Al torn a piece of his shirt to bandage Ed's wound on his waist. Together with Chang Mei, Ed supported the limping Al out of the room.

Suddenly, they heard a sharp gasp of pain and turned to see Lust collapsing onto the ground in a pool of blood seeping from her chest and throat.

"Oops," Archer said softly: "I think I was a little bit too harsh on the lady. What will you do with your dead beloved, Scar?"

"Lust-san!" Chang Mei cried and tried to turn back.

"Don't come here. Get out of this place. I can handle this man!" shouted Scar who was already covered with wounds. Archer grinned and tried to dodge Scar's hand again. Suddenly, he found his legs immobile. He looked down to see the bleeding face of Lust grinning up at him, grabbing his ankles.

"Don't ever underestimate a human being, Homunculus." Lust snarled.

Archer growled and stabbed the woman several times with his lances, but Scar had found his chance. Grabbing Archer by his neck, Scar thrust his other hand into the man's chest to extract his Philosopher's Stone. He turned to the standing teenagers and snared: "I say, GET OUT!"

With Al's arm over his shoulder, Ed pulled Chang Mei and ran out of the building before it collapsed.

In Archer s mind eyes flashed the time when Father inserted the Philosopher s stone with soul of sin Lust into his body in the subway tunnel. Archer had been able to fight the other soul to gain complete control over his own body.

I I will NOT LOSE TO FATE! Archer screamed as Scar intensified his combustion alchemy with the stone. Sparks of fire rose within Archer s body and burst out like angry fire dragons.

Flame rose through the roof, bringing the already corroding building down to earth. Staring into the clear blue sky through the gaps of the debris, Scar thought he could hear Lust's voice lingering in the air...We are together again, Scar... I have never feel more complete with you as a woman... and as a human being...

Same for me... Scar could feel himself smile as he looked into Lust's unconscious face as he laid beneath the burning beams with the rotting corpse of Frank Archer.

He closed his eyes as the ruins of the building exploded. In a surge of moment, he could feel Lust's hand holding onto his, soaring into the sky.

"SCAR-SAN!" Chang Mei screamed, lunging at the burning building. Al pulled her back with his uninjured hand and she cried in his shoulder.

"Scar-san... Lust-san..." wailed Chang Mei as she tagged besides the Elric brothers. Al sighed and petted her gently on her shoulder. Her tears fell even more.

"What should we do, nii-san? Do you have any idea where Colonel Roy and the rest are?" Al asked as Chang Mei exploded into more tears in his shoulder.

Ed jabbed his head up: "Winry! I've forgotten about her!"

"What? Winry's here too?" exclaimed Al in shock.

"We better look for her before anything happens..." Ed scowled frustrated: "How could I forget about her? It's all Frank Archer's fault.."

Chang Mei wailed even louder, remembering how protective Scar had been to her like an elder brother and her missing panda-Xiao Mei.

"You seem in distress, children." A voice said. Al looked up and his round eyes widened in shock. It was 'Father'. Behind him stood monster Envy. Ed s grip on Al s arm tightened. Al could feel his elder brother tensed with apprehension.
_

Roy staggered out of the few woods that had fallen onto him and looked around. He recalled that Riza had dragged him to some corners before everything turned black. Now where was Riza?

"First Lt!" Roy yelled and quickly checked himself, scolding himself inwardly for showing his identity on an enemy's land by shouting in the public. But the damage was already done.

"Is that you, Colonel Mustang?" came the familiar voice of King Bradley as he stood out from other area. Apparently, the explosion did not affect him at all: "Are you looking for someone? Maybe I can help you out... once you are dead." He drew out his sword.

Roy scowled inwardly. Now this was trouble.

Riza scrambled her way out of the debris and made her way silently to a building for support. Her arm was bleeding badly when it rubbed against a fallen beam. She heard the sound of fighting from afar, followed by fire rising in the air.

'Colonel!' thought Riza in panic and made her way there. From her hiding place, she saw another lady walking towards the fighting scene.

Blood seeped through Roy's wounds as he tried to dodge the fast moving body of King Bradley. However, no matter how many times he burnt the ex-Fuhrer, the man never failed to revive immediately.

"I regret to inform that you are completely no match for me, Colonel Roy Mustang." King Bradley said as he moved in with his sword to make his final kill.

Suddenly, a bullet shot into his head. King Bradley turned to see Dante moving towards him.

"Are you the one who did the shooting?" asked King Bradley warily, knowing that Dante had the long intention to betray 'Father' anytime.

"No, King Bradley, I'm here to stand by, in case you cannot handle Roy Mustang." Dante said smoothly: "Watch out, he is escaping."

Behind a building, Riza stood panting with her still smoking rifle by her side.

Roy growled inwardly, knowing that even if he could get rid of King Bradley, he would be thoroughly wounded to fight the calm looking woman whom he had witnessed possessed strong alchemy ability.

'I'll wait till King Bradley kills Roy Mustang, then I'll get in and finish him off.' Dante thought with a smile.

"Were you the one who lured the soldiers into throwing gun powder at me to create the explosion?" questioned Roy.

"So what if I did? Isn't it faster to get rid of you people in this way?" Dante said.

Just then, there was a wind of armors sweeping across the path between King Bradley and Roy Mustang. Dante turned to see the figure of Lt Havoc walking towards Roy with Winry (and Xiao Mei on her shoulder) following close behind.

"Lt Havoc?" gasped Riza in surprise from her hiding place, wondering when her colleague learnt such powerful alchemy.

"Light Hohenheim." Dante said emotionlessly: "So you've finally agree to reveal yourself."

"Hohenheim?" exclaimed Roy in surprise, looking from Havoc to Dante and back again.

"It's true," Winry said solemnly from behind: "Havoc-san is dead." Xiao Mei shivered slightly at the menacing view of Dante at the other direction as the woman's face darkened.

A gust of stony monsters merged from the ground and Dante said: "Are you against me, Hohenheim? After all the years we have been together?"

"I'm sorry, Dante, in all my life, I only love Trisha." Hohenheim admitted: I have never love you before, Dante."

Dante roared and sent her monsters at Hohenheim and Roy. Riza gasped and shoot Dante. Dante's eyes hardened and she sent the bullets back, piercing into Riza's body, barely missing her chest.

Roy roared and shot flames at her, but was interfered by King Bradley's sword. Knowing that her hiding place was exposed, Riza moved swiftly despite her wounds and shot King Bradley at vital points so that he could lose his concentration while he was fighting with Roy. King Bradley suddenly vanished before another Roy's attack and appeared behind Riza's back.

"Shall I send her to the underworld first, Flame Alchemist?" smiled King Bradley as he penetrated his sword into Riza's chest. Riza dodged just in time, but her shoulder was cut deeply. King Bradley dived for another attack and paused to see a blade through his shoulder, cutting one of his arm away, followed by flame burning through his wounds, setting his entire self into flame.

"Haven't you forgotten, Roy Mustang, that I can revive many times?" King Bradley said coldly and was stunned to see in the hand of Roy Mustang, held the Philosopher's stone that was injected by 'Father' into his arm many years ago. I ll not see you off, King Bradley. Roy said emotionlessly as the stunned King Bradley rotted and decomposed back to earth. Without more ado, Roy ran to help Riza up to stop her bleeding.

"Winry, leave this place with Colonel Mustang and Lt Riza, I'll hold her off." Hohenheim told Winry who was already running to assist Roy in his attending to Riza's wounds.

"First Lt, if we can make this through alive, will you marry me?" Roy suddenly asked. Riza blushed slightly: "Are you serious this time, Colonel?"

Winry looked elsewhere uneasily. Riza nodded. Together with Roy, they ran off.

The affect district of Xing was in total ruins of fallen concrete and flames. Everywhere, they saw terrified people pulling out their injured or dead friends or relatives from the debris. Winry could feel many threw accusing looks at them for being the main cause of the damage.

"Let s hurry before they start attacking us." Riza whispered under her breath: "To them, we are unwanted foreign intruders." Suddenly, Xiao Mei leaped down from Winry's shoulder and ran towards some fallen concrete. It tried to dig heaps of rocks frantically.

"What is it, Xiao Mei? Is Chang Mei buried under the concrete?" Winry asked anxiously and started imitating Xiao Mei s act.

"Stand back." Roy said as he clapped and hit the ground. The rocks fell apart. Winry's jaws fell. Lying on the ground unconscious were Edward Elric and Chang Mei.

"ED!" Winry screamed and ran to pull him into her arms.

"Al... return Al back to me..." Ed was muttering weakly. He was still breathing, but he was bleeding profusely. He suddenly jerked awaked and his hand outstretched upwards: "AL!"

"What happened, Ed?" Winry asked.

"Damnit, that bastard old man," Ed ran his bleeding fingers over his messy hair as he recalled the event few moments ago as vividly as though it was only a minute ago.

With a stamp of feet, Father had deactivated Al and Ed s ability s to perform alchemy. With a sweep of his leathery tail, Envy sent Al and Chang Mei smashing into the fallen wall like a couple of rag dolls. With the two teenagers unconscious, Ed tried to take on Envy without his alchemy by himself, but the homunculus had knocked some hanging ceilings over him and Chang Mei with his tail. Ed remembered seeing Father picking the unconscious Al in his arms before everything turned black ..

"The little girl is still alive." Riza interrupted Ed s thought as she carried Chang Mei in her arms. Xiao Mei was clinging onto Chang Mei nervously, peeping into the girl s unconscious face.

Roy stood up abruptly. A young Xingness lady was running up to them.

They are probably attacked by a man whom the Homunculi addressed as Father . "I can bring you to him .. on a condition .." The lady said, panting as she looked over her back.

"Who are you? And what's your condition of helping us?" Roy asked suspiciously.

"She's Ran Fan, she s a friend." Winry said quickly.

"I have the Philosopher's stone and that Father needs it for his blood sacrifice ritual." Ran Fan said hastily: "I need you to help me get rid of these three people." She turned towards the three approaching figures of Triffany, Godoa and Leonardo who were after the stone within Ran Fan's hands.

"No problem." Roy said coolly as he rearranged his gloves with transmutation circle. Ed struggled back to his feet shaking and pushed Winry's arms away.

"Ed, don t force yourself!" Winry cried anxiously: "You are still hurt!"

"Let's end these nonsense soonest possible. Al is waiting for me."

Ran Fan had something else on her mind. That Father man seems formidable to insert souls into living human's bodies. If I threaten him with this Philosopher s stone, I can stand a chance to force him to eject the other soul from Young Master's body so that he can regain his true self.

Before her, Flame Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist clapped their hands and the ground rose and fell like waves to bury the three pursuers.

When the dust subsided, Roy noticed Camellia watching nearby. "Are you going to attack us too?"

"No, you people can continue ahead. I'll come after you people later once you all perish with 'Father' and the rest." Camellia chuckled darkly.

Roy glared and with the rest of the people, they headed towards the palace of Xing.
_

TBC _