Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Aaliyah.

{Opening song}

Period/Chemistry

~Briggs Mountains/Abandoned House~

Winry sat on a crate in front of the now taken-apart Al. She was scared and worried...she didn't know what was going on. She released a sigh as she glanced at the others around the fire. "Look at this, it mentions that phrase again." Marcoh stated, showing May. "Yet another term for gold...it's got to be a pattern." May stated. "What're you trying to do?" Winry asked, walking over to the others. "We believe there's the chance that these notes were written in code." "You think so?"

"Alchemists tend to be very protective of their research and methods...they hide it all underneath a bunch of metaphors and allegory. But these...they're almost straightforward. There's something else going on." "We notice he uses various terms for gold throughout several passes. So we're checking to see if their connected." May stated as Winry asked, "And you think that could be the code?" "We're hoping so..." May muttered as they heard a voice.

"Huh? Where am I?" "Al!" "Alphonse!" May and Winry rushed over to the newly awakened Al. "I'm glad you're okay." Winrystated, kneeling down in front of him. "I was so scared you wouldn't wake up...I didn't know what to do!" "Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out like that. So where are we? And why am I in pieces?" Al asked confused.

~*3*~

"And that's basically it." Winry finished. "As for why you're in pieces, you were too heavy to carry whole so we had to dismantle you." Scar stated. "That makes sense...sorry to put you guys out like that." "Has this ever happened to you before?" Winry asked. "Just once, when I was trying to find you guys." Marcoh, noticing the glum mood decided to lift everyone's spirits by saying, "Well I can't imagine it being comfortable in pieces like that. Why don't we start putting you back together?"

"Please, if you don't mind." Al stated as Marcoh handed May the black notebook. "You hold onto this while we fix him." Marcoh grabbed two pieces trying to put them together as Winry chuckled and asked, "Isn't that part of his right shoulder?" "Ah yes, it seems to be. I guess we should reassemble him correctly." May watched everyone place all parts together as she muttered, "Reassemble...the pieces..." she then looked down at the black notebook and removed the strings that held it together, causing the pages to scatter across the floor. At the sound, Winry turned to see what May did.

"What're you doing May?!" "Ah! What have you done?!" Marcoh exclaimed, running over to the girl. "How could you be so careless May..." he bent down and started to pick up the pages, Winry and Scar joining as May said, "We need to rearrange the pieces...what if we try connecting occurrence for the words gold and immortality by physically overlapping them...?" Maybegan placed the papers as Scar and Marcoh looked at each other, soon helping.

~*3*~

After placing all the pages in their correct spots, everyone stood around it, confused if they were supposed to see something or not."I wonder if we..." May grabbed a pen and began connecting certain spots on the map. Scar and Marcoh gasped. "It can't be..." Marcoh muttered as May stood. "It's the country-wide transmutation circle..." Al stated as Marcoh sat down saying, "It's too late for this to help us now..."

"Wait, you're saying what I think? You mean these notes are useless to us?!" Zampano stated as that Jerso said, "You can't be serious! But what about our families? What's going to happen to our country?!" "I'm sorry...I should have known this was an act of futility. It was naïve to think someone else's research could save us." Marcoh stated, his eyes closed, facing the ground in defeat. 'Brother...is this all you were trying to tell me?' Scar thought, looking back to the circle. 'After all your research, you couldn't see a way to stop this?' "We're missing something..." Al started as everyone turned to him, "...we've only broken the first code and I bet there's more. There's got to be some other hidden message in there." Marcoh nodded as everyone looked back to the circle, in thought.

After a moment of silence, Yoki sneezed blowing some of the pages away. "Whoa! Watch it! Can't you cover your mouth, idiot?!" Jerso shouted. "Well, thanks for caring that I'm getting sick. I can't help the fact that I'm catching pneumonia!" Yoki pouted. "Who cares?!" "You can't even tell which side of the page is right side up anymore..." Zampano stated as Al got an idea. "That's got to be it! You take a bad situation and turn it around! There are two sides! We've got to put it back together and then flip it over." After putting it back together, everyone flipped it over just as Al said. May then used the pen again and connected the points. "Well?" Al asked as May stopped. "...you were right Al. This is it: a new Amestrisian transmutation circle...but it's activated through Xingese Alkahestry instead."

-Signs of a Counter Offense-

Kimblee walked through the tunnels, licking his cut hands blood as he stopped at the corner. 'There's no evidence thatsomeone has come through this way...I may have taken the wrong path after all...' he thought as he began to turn around,only to spot something. He walked up to a door that had a giant red X painted across. He opened it, revealing a set of stairs.He walked down the long flight of stairs until he reached the end. It was a room with a track and carts. "Well...what do wehave here?" Kimblee stated. "They must have used this to get rid of the excess rubble from Sloth.

Out of nowhere, a huge, black figure appeared with eyes, behind Kimblee. "You must be the Crimson alchemist...it's apleasure to meet you. My name is Pride." "Can I help you with something, Pride?" Kimblee asked, not moving. "Any newdevelopments with Scar?" "I'm actually pursuing him now." "Worry about him later...as for now, go ahead and carve the crestof blood at Briggs."

"With all due respect Pride, the Briggs soldier as much strong and resourceful than you realize. It's notexactly a 'simple' task." "Then use their strength to your favor. Sloth is nearing completion of the tunnel...so there's little timeleft." "...Hmph, so it's an urgent matter...well if you insist I carve the crest of blood at Briggs...I'd be happy to oblige you."Kimblee smirked.

~Briggs~

"Welcome back to the Fort, Major!" Buccaneer and Falman saluted as the elevator doors opened. "Any changes to report?"Miles asked, stepping out of the elevator. "None since we spoke...the situation is still normal here but we've heard Kimblee hasgone missing." The three began walking down the halls as Miles said, "You heard right. There was an explosion in one of themind shafts. No one's heard from Kimblee or a few others since then. We did a thorough search through the rubble but nobodies turned up." Buccaneer released a sigh as he turned to Falman, then back to Miles asking, "Are any of the men Briggssoldiers?" Miles stopped as he said, "...no. They were two of Kimblee's men...and the Fullmetal and Firework alchemist." Falmanand Buccaneer gasped as silence took over.

~North City/West City~

"Is that so? Fullmetal and Blue Flame are missing? I hope they're alright." Breada spoke into the phone. "Me to...so are things anybetter over there?" Falman asked. "Afraid not...the border war at Pendleton was a massacre. If the Military was hoping forcasualties, they sure as hell got them." Breda then whispered into the phone, "It's as you said, they're sending in men just to beslaughtered for this 'transmutation' circle." "What's goin on in the South? Have you spoken with Fury?" Falman asked. "Wetalked on the phone a while back...it's just as bad down there. They're locked in combat with Ergo.

Fury ran through the ditches with his comrade until a sudden blast knocked them down. "Keep moving Thomas! Just don't stop!Thomas?!" Fury turned only to find Thomas dead. "Damnit!" Fury stood up once again and began running. "I'm going to survivethis! I'm going to live! I won't die for this!"

"That's terrible..." Falman spoke as Breda said, "I guess it's to be expected. The higher-ups aren't our biggest fans...have youbeen in touch with the Colonel?" "Yeah, we've been using a messenger that's close to the Armstrong family." An image of thewoman who gave Roy the flowers appeared as Breada said, "Good to hear. Just be careful with everything going on upthere." "I am...well trying to be. Bradley's got his soldier everywhere up here, working around the clock to create hell on Earth.The worst part is, there's nothing we can do.

~Underground~

Sloth pushed through one more time, causing an opening to form. "Tunnels connected. I'm all done working. Does this mean Ican rest? Can I Pride?""The time draws near...the day of reckoning is almost in our grasp." Father spoke as Pride face held a smirk.

~Liore~

"Hey everyone! Go ahead and line up!" Rose called as the towns people stopped what they were doing. "It's time to take alunch break!" "Yeah!"

"You know Rose, I'd love to try your three meat pie sometime." "Well I promise to make it as soon as we get some meat." Rosestated as the man walked off, chuckling, "I'll try to be patient." "Pardon me, I confess I haven't been able to do any work butwould you please give a little food to these children?" an old lady asked with to kids in front of her. "Well of course I'll feethem," Rose gave a smile, "but you have to eat to, okay?" the three left with smiles on their faces as the next man in line asked,"Hey Rose, pile it high!" "You know I can't...everyone gets the same amount." "Um...excuse me miss..." Rose turned to find andolder man in a brown coat on the ground with his arm stretched out. "May I have...some food...if you don't...mind?"

"Ah! Thank you! You saved me!" Van smiled after scarfing down his food. "Where are you from if you don't mind me asking?"the man asked. "I'm not really from anywhere...I tend to travel mostly." "And what brings you to Liore?" "We don't mean topry...we're just surprised to have a tourist." Rose spoke. "Most people tend to avoid Liore...there's not much here after theriots..." "You're cooking is a good enough reason to visit." Van spoke.

"That's sweet of you to say but I don't know about that...Ijust wish there was more for me to do around here." "Don't underestimate yourself. A delicious meal and the smile of a lovelyyoung lady is more help than you can imagine." Rose gave a smile as Van continued, "I hate to impose more than I havealready...but can you point me towards the church?" "Which church?" "Well, I'm actually looking for the church of Leto wherethe riots started.

~*3*~

"This is what's left of it...there's nothing left inside either." "Do you know if there's a passage that leads underground?" Vanasked. "Uh...y-yeah...I can show you where it is..." Rose stated as she led Van and the man underground. Van walked up tothe edge, looking into the purplish looking water as he asked, "What's this?"

"The water turned toxic; no one's sure how ithappened." Rose stated. "I get the feeling this was put to keep people from going further in...So..." Van started walking asRose and the man called for him to stop. As he took a step atop of the water, a platform was created. With each step he took,a path continued forward, leaving Rose and the man to gasp. "It's some kind of miracle..." the man muttered. "That's nomiracle...but I know what it is...that's alchemy." Rose muttered. "I'm going to go farther in, do you mind waiting for me?" Vancalled.

~*3*~

As he reached the end, or wall, he created a door, or whole in the wall, to get through. He found that there was a hugepassageway with railroad tracks and decided to follow them.

"It's enormous...I'm impressed. They certainly went all out making this..." Hohenheim stated, looking around. Van soon stoppedafter hearing a faint noise and waited for a minute. "...found it right off the bat, didn't I?" Van muttered as a black, shadowyfigure covered every spot of the cave and raced towards Van. Van began running away, using alchemy to try and at leastslow it down, only to have it go through everything like it was nothing.

"Well that didn't slow it down! Let's see if I can trap it!"Van sealed the path with stone, only to have it break through once more. "Oh dear..." Van muttered, backing away slowly,facing the figure. "I'm afraid that's all I got..." he muttered as he soon backed into his doorway. The figure charged at him,stopping at the very ends of the hole.

"Something wrong? Aren't you going to attack me?" Van asked, standing up. "You look just like-You must be Van Hohenheim."The figure spoke. "So I'm assuming this must be the end of your container...you'll die if you pass it, correct? You can't surviveoutside your container, can you? It's not much different from you flask, is it? I'm guessing you can only move freely within thesetunnels and the City...am I right?" the figure stayed silent, gritting its teeth as Van said, "I'll take that as a yes. What's wrong?Why the silent treatment? Did I hit a nerve?" the creature started to glare at Van as Van asked, "Are you angry?"

"I'm neverangry. Anger does not exist with in me. I've no need for such things. I left all unnecessary emotions in Father, all but one: Myname is Pride." "Pride the arrogant...that makes sense. I can see your deceit. There are seven deadly sins within man: Lust,Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath and of course, Pride. You're obviously the first that he separated. Pride was his strongesttrait...and the fact he gave time and energy to give you his original appearance...that act alone shows how egotistical he is.You are the pure essence of your Father."

"I insist you come with me to see Father." "Don't try to rush me, Pride. I don't need aninvitation to call on him." Van turned around, "But you can give him a message: Tell him Slave 23 will be dropping in soon." Vanbegan walking back down the path as he continued, "Just tell him to wait in his chair and be patient because I'm coming."

~Underground/Central~

"I am waiting Van Hohenheim...yes, I'm waiting for you." Father spoke, looking down at his board of sacrifices.

~Liore/Underground~

"Oh, here he comes!" When Van got close enough, the man asked, "Did you find anything?" "Yeah...dangerous anddisturbing things not meant for ordinary people. Please tell everyone to stay far away from here." Van spoke as his pathdissolved into the water. "What exactly where you doing in there?" Rose asked. "Hm..." Van spoke, turning to face the way hejust came, "...sending a declaration of war."

~Briggs Fort/Roof~

"You're relieved." "What took you so long? We've been miserable in this storm..." "I think some terrible coffee should warm usup." "Heh, enjoy it." "Huh?" the soldiers glanced out into the blizzard, spotting thousands of men headed towards the fort. "Noway..." "What the hell...? It couldn't be!" "It's Drachma!" the men sounded the alarm, alerting all men in the building. Thesoldiers headed to the roof, placing their cannons and getting a good aim as the others stood with guns.

"We are rather fortunate that the 'Northern Wall of Briggs' has been called away. Good timing Mr. Kimblee..." the leader ofDrachma stated. "And on top of that, I've got a number of my top men stationed inside the fort. They'll spring their treacherywhen the fighting starts. The ensuing chaos should weaken them from with in." Kimblee spoke. The man smirked, saying, "Mycountry has dreamed of the day we could breech those walls...Fort Briggs will belong to Drachma by nightfall."

"Well, let's senda declaration of war." Kimblee stated as the tanks behind him got into place. "Let's say we give them a good fireworks showfor starters." "FIRE!" the leader shouted as each tank sent a blast, one after another, leaving Kimblee standing there with asmirk.

{Ending song}

Sentimental Moment (Shunkan Sentimental)/SCANDAL