Chapter 12 – Miá Loratnak Fores

(My Last Stand)

We walked across the plains of this land, away from Central, away from my friends, back into my past. It had been two weeks since I had left the base with Edward and Alphonse Elric. Personally, I had grown close to them, and I found that they had also grown close to me. We had down many things together, including helping a village under attack by terrorists and murderers. We were all now more open with each other, and surprisingly, I have agreed to tell them my life's story (after they had bugged me up to my limit), over the campfire that night.

"When I was born, over 1000 years ago, the land was new; the trees were in full bloom, in the middle of spring. I was born in a small cottage on the edge of what is now Risembool, and back then, it was known as Kachen. It was a small village, and all villagers knew each other, and when I was born, it was no different. I was born on the night of the New Moon, suiting my loss of power day and night.

"I was raised there, and, my father told me what I truly was when I turned 15. I had thought I was lied to my entire life, and it soon made sense of my heightened senses, and why I have two scars on my back to forever remind me of what I was. My father had tried to rip out my wings, and every time he did that, he would dig deeper, harder, and cut more off, but it would grow back. Soon, he took a hot scalpel, and cut away the bone in my back as well, forever costing me of my wings.

"When I asked that bastard of a father why he did that, he said, 'I wanted to rid this world of Vampires, because your mother is a bitch, and when she birthed you, I only knew that you would kill her.'" I sighed, remembering his exact words. "I then realized that I had grown up with a foster mother for almost twenty years.

"Soon after, I left that retched family with my sister, and we continued our training together, going to libraries, and we read on our, heh, 'special powers' we held in ourselves, which is known as Black Blood Spells and Magic. All it is, basically, is Human Transmutation. When I refused to perform it with my sister, she pushed me aside and used the enchantment right before my eyes. She lost her entire body, going into the gate, but, she also was transformed. Her wings strengthened, her senses enhanced far more than mine, and, so did her grip on the spells and magic. From that point on, she became on of the four killers: Murder."

"What are the four killers?" Al asked. "In all of my studies, I had only heard of them, but, they had never explained them. Edward was the one who came in.

"Murder, Revenge, Hatred, and…" he slowed down when he came to the fourth and final of the four. I nodded.

"Blood," was the word that came out of my mouth. I took a blade from my side and cut my finger with it. A small droplet of blood oozed out of the wound and fell over the side. "Basically, I am the Lust of the Seven Deadly Sins. Wrath is Revenge, Envy is Hatred, and Greed is Murder, and I have had the so-called honor of meeting each one of them, including the Deadly 7 as well."

"Damn," Edward muttered to himself. I tried hard not to cry as visions of my past came flooding into my mind. The pain, both physical and emotional, was the clearest. "So, what happened after that?"

"After using a Black Blood spell, I was forced, you can say, into Murder's gang, and we went to search for my mother, my real mother. I thought, after my father told me, that she died during childbirth of Murder, but, she left soon after.

"We used our sharp noses and searched everywhere, all over these forsaken lands, and finally, we found her, in prime condition, and pregnant. Murder ordered me to kill her and the eight month old child growing in her stomach, but I refused. I broke threw the spell, and was held by the sheer force of Murder's blow to our mother: threw the chest. Neither of them survived that wound." A small tear fell down my face, and I wiped it away, and gazed into the fire. "I ran away, going across the lands as a wanderer, helping people as I went along for over 400 years, and I always tried to tell myself that I wasn't running from Death like a coward, no, I tried to tell myself to live on so I could help others before me, but I finally realized that I was running from death like a coward."

"That is why you joined the military," Al said. Ed and I turned to him. "To fight, so you wouldn't feel like you were running." I heard Ed gasp and turn to me. I smiled and nodded. "You weren't running, you know," Al said. "Like a coward I mean. Anyone would run if their sister was named one of the Four Killers, and they murdered their pregnant mother, Crimson. Do not think you are alone in this world."

"I know I am not now, Alphonse Elric," I said, smiling a true smile, one I haven't smiled in a while. I gazed into the fire, thinking. "Hey, what are you guys looking for the Philosopher's Stone for?"

"To return our bodies back to normal," Ed said, gazing into the fire also. I sighed, knowing, even without reading his mind what he had down, but just to confirm it…

"Human Transmutation?"

"We tried to bring our mother back from the gate, but, it didn't turn out so well. Al lost his entire body, and I lost my arm and leg," he said, looking away from the orange glow. "My theories were correct it was just," I cut him off myself by grabbing his hand. What pushed me to do that, was no clue, but I held it, and when he turned to face me, I squeezed his hand gently, and smiled.

"You are lucky to have survived, Ed, and I am glad you did," I decided to do something for them, and I turned to the flames. "What was your mother's name?"

"Trisha."

"Trisha…" I mumbled, closing my eyes and sticking my entire hand into the flames. "Come and see your boys now. Use the flame as a Devenor, and look upon them as their mother."

The flame flickered, and I heard Edward and Alphonse gasp. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a woman there in the flames, who looked happy as she looked upon her boys, and who looked happy to see their mother. "Mom?" Edward asked. The woman in the flames nodded and smiled.

"Oh, how I wish I could hold you now, my boys," she said, a tear flame falling down her face. She was a beautiful woman. "I am so proud of you, Edward. A State Alchemist! Wow, and Al, just as perfect! You guys, oh, I am so proud of you."

"Mom…" was all Edward could say. "We are going to bring you back."

"Don't, Edward," her voice ordered. "You know it is forbidden. Next time you perform the Alchemy, you will most definitely loose your body, and this is your chance to live!" she snapped, but with a tone of a loving mother. "I am just fine up here in the gate, where I belong. You too, will be up here one day, and when that day comes, we will be together again, I promise."

"She is right, Edward," I said, holding back tears, "you will be together when the time is right."

"But, Mom…" Al muttered. She turned to him.

"Alphonse, do not cry on my part. The time for mourning has long been passed. I am glad I am able to talk to you boys again." I understood what she was saying. I could feel my power weakening my body and myself. I had never used this spell before, actually. "Good-bye…"

"Good-bye, Mom," Al and Ed said after the other. Trisha smiled at them and them me, then disappeared from view. Al that was left was a small flickering flame. I brought it back to a slightly stronger flame, but, no where near as powerful as it once was. They turned to me, with tears rolling down Ed's face, and I heard Al crying, even though no tears fell down that bunch of metal where his soul was trapped inside.

"Thank you, Crimson," Edward said, jumping over to hug me. His arms wrapped around my neck, and he cried into my shoulder. I was shocked, but I didn't show it. I hugged him back, surprisingly, and whispered soothing thoughts.

"You're both very welcome," I said, smiling back at Al and as Ed pulled himself off of me.

"I am sorry…" his voice trailed off.

"It's ok, Ed, It is Ok."