A/n- sorry it's taken so long guys. Really, it destroys me when I think of how long it's taken me to write this chapter. It was a challenge, so I'll be looking forward to constructive criticism.
Chapter 29- The Power of Science
Two days passed with anxiety levels high; it was more or less inevitable what with the upcoming battle hanging over everyone's heads. It was like a volcano that could erupt at any given time; it was unnerving.
Nonetheless, they were as ready as they'd ever be. Hard work had paid off phenomenally. Tomorrow would be the day—the day the fate of Amestris would be decided.
The severity of the situation had pushed Roy to pool all their resources. That had taken a massive load of paperwork and Mustang had complained constantly while doing it, but it was worth it in the end. The fact Ed had to strain himself to keep from punching the General had his spirits up and his mind off of tomorrow as well. Without the distraction, he was likely to have driven himself insane obsessing over all the ways tomorrow could go wrong.
That and the arrival of old friends; Ed had come up with the plan and had contacted the Tringham brothers to request their help. Of course they were glad to, once they'd gotten over the initial shock of discovering Ed was, in actuality, alive and not decaying at the bottom of his grave. Apparently, the Fullmetal Alchemist, hero of the people and deserter to the military had been declared dead within a week of his mysterious disappearance; it was obviously a slap in the face from the higher-ups Ed had supposedly betrayed. There hadn't even been an official search party, not that Roy hadn't tried his best to find his slippery subordinate through his own enterprises.
Armstrong was another important part of the plan; his strength and alchemic power was needed in order to have somewhat of an advantage over the Dark Lord. He too was surprised to learn Edward was unharmed and had arrived in Central within the hour, not hesitating to comprise the older Elric in a lethal bear hug while tears streamed down his face in torrents and sparkles danced around his head.
But at last the breath before the plunge was almost over. All that was left to do was fetch the Tringhams from their train and hop on the one that would take them to where they'd first encountered Sirius. From there it was the Resembool Caves and perhaps a stroke of luck.
"Russell! Over here!!" Ed called as he spotted his friend and waved him over.
The tall blonde saw him and waved back, a warm smirk on his face as he led his brother to where they were waiting.
"It's good to see you, Ed," Russell greeted, his smirk growing, "I see you've grown. Before you were up to my chest."
"I was not!" Ed snapped, glaring up at the older Tringham, "I was at least up to your neck!"
"Sure, keep dreaming," Russell shot back.
Their bickering was interrupted as Fletcher burst into laughter at their antics. Al chuckled as well, shaking his head as if embarrassed by his brother. His face showed differently though; it was good to be back in his friends' company.
"It is good to see you again," Fletcher spoke up, then turning to Alphonse, "And you too, even though you never kept in touch like you promised."
"Sorry," Al apologized, laughing sheepishly, "I was busy…"
"Too busy even to call?" the younger Tringham pressed, skeptical.
"Well, yeah…anyway, this is Harry, Sirius, my dad, Major Armstrong, Lieutenant Colonel Riza Hawkeye, and General Roy Mustang," Al introduced, successfully sidestepping the matter as the introductions proceeded.
"A pleasure," Roy said as he shook both the brothers' hands last, "But we have a train to catch; any questions can be taken care of on the ride over," he added as Fletcher's mouth opened in inquiry.
"To business then," Russell nodded.
They boarded the train and settled down in an empty car where they'd have more privacy. Though, the only other people on the locomotive were Roy's brigade and a couple dozen gunmen, so there wasn't much need for concern.
"So, Ed," Russell started once they took their seats, "What happened? Where have you been? I mean, the people of Amestris still think you're dead!"
"Well…it's a long story," Edward said, hesitant to tell the entire thing.
"Then make it short," Russell replied, crossing his arms stubbornly.
Edward sighed and began, knowing how crazy he sounded as he came to the part about Hogwarts and how he'd studied magic for almost four months.
"Let me see if I've got this," Russell said skeptically as Ed finished, "You went to a magic school and learned magic…your father taught magic…and now there's an evil wizard bent on destroying Amestris…"
"That's right," Harry confirmed, continuing as Russell's mouth dropped open for about the hundredth time since the start of the story, "Come on, is magic really that hard to believe?"
"I believe you," Fletcher spoke up, "I mean, it's too specific to make up."
"I know, but magic!?" Russell blurted, "It goes against science—against everything we know! What about—"
"Equivalent exchange?" Al finished for him, "That's what I thought at first too."
"As did I," Edward added.
"And I," Hoenheim confirmed.
"But the truth is…there's some sort of connection…some sort of similarity between alchemy and magic. I could feel it the first time I used this wand…" Al explained, showing the two brothers the wand he'd received in the Room of Requirement. "The energy flow is exactly the same. That's why magic can exist, I suppose."
"He's right," Hoenheim explained further, "All those hocus pocus stories you boys heard comes from people who don't understand the science behind it. They can't see the energy, so therefore they say it comes from nothing."
"But we all know that's not true," Ed finished, "Anyway, there are more important things to discuss. I'll have to explain the plan quickly…"
As the group stepped off the train an hour later, faces changed dramatically. No more did they chat and laugh like good friends. Now they were silent, their faces like stone as they marched toward Resembool, the drum of two-dozen pairs of military boots sounding behind them.
As they neared the caves, they split up; Russell, Al, Hoenheim, Armstrong, Roy and his men advanced to the front entrance while Ed, Sirius, Harry, and Fletcher circled around to the back where they could make their own door.
There were two villagers standing guard as Russell and the others approached. When they saw the intruders they rushed inside to warn their master.
"Stay alert," Roy ordered, "They may try to ambush us."
"It just never ends," Havoc muttered behind him, spitting his cigarette out and grinding it with the heel of his boot as he checked his rifle.
Beside him, Riza did so as well, keeping silent and focused. Armstrong grunted in agreement to Jean's statement and narrowed his eyes in concentration while Feury tried to shake off his fear. Breda stood by the other soldiers, his knuckles white from gripping his gun. Falman held his place next to him, his face completely serious as he released the safety on his gun; whatever fear he had, he hid it well. The other gunmen followed his lead, hitching their weapons higher so it'd be easier to fire on command.
Roy signaled everyone forward, keeping his other hand poised to snap at any moment. Al readied his hands to clap if need be and Russell clutched the piece of chalk in his fingers as they passed the entryway into darkness.
"So, you've finally arrived," Voldemort said maliciously as the cavern lit up with many orbs of floating blue fire, "I've been expecting you, Edward."
"Yeah, it's a real pleasure," Russell spat, playing his part.
"And I see you've brought company," Voldemort continued, ignoring the gibe and instead letting off an evil cackle, "Please, Muggles? You'd have been better off bringing a pack of dogs. At least then your conscience would be spared when I kill every last one of them."
A handful of men behind Russell gulped and shifted their weight in unease. Breda nudged a trembling Feury, silently reassuring him. Roy readied himself for a fight as Armstrong and Riza did the same; the Lieutenant Colonel's guns rose slowly and the Strong Arm Alchemist stepped back into a fighting stance. Al followed his lead, swallowing his fear.
"They won't just stand by and let a madman take over Amestris!!" the false Elric shot back, his bravado real.
Voldemort chuckled again, the deep rumbling echoing off the walls of the cave so that they resounded countless times and eventually faded out.
"Edward…I don't care about this run-down country," the Dark Lord replied in a falsely-sweet voice, raising his hands with his palms up, "All I ever wanted was you, Edward."
7 minutes previous; Ed and Co.
Edward skidded to a halt beside the rock wall on the west side of the caves. Here he could make an easy opening and not have to worry about the roof falling in.
"This should bring us to one of the side caves," he announced, hoping his guess was correct.
He needn't have worried; the tunnel he formed brought them to the exact place he'd specified. Sirius waited by the opening while the others proceeded further in, a gun ready in case one of the villagers decided to stop by. As Ed, Harry, and Fletcher rounded the bend, they could hear Voldemort's booming voice.
"Edward…I don't care about this run-down country. All I ever wanted was you, Edward."
"Sorry, but I'm not for sale," Ed announced as they arrived.
Before Voldemort could respond, Ed clapped his hands and enclosed the Dark Lord in a dome of stone while Harry stunned the villagers. All twenty men fell unconscious as each were hit with the spell. Hoenheim, from across the room, ran over to help them release the hostages, who were bound and gagged. Seconds later the dome crumbled and Voldemort burst forth, wand raised and face furious. He showed no sympathy for his minions as his snake-like eyes swept past them.
"Run!!" Ed cried to the hostages, pointing to the side room as he stood between them and his foe in a protective stance.
He locked eyes with Winry for a split second, reading the worry in her eyes. "Be careful," she whispered, helping Pinako up from the stone ground. Ed nodded and then broke the connection, refocusing all attention on his enemy.
"So you must be the real Edward," Voldemort growled, his eyes narrow and piercing as they flitted to the boy-who-lived, "Hello Harry."
Harry merely scowled at the Dark Lord and raised his wand higher, letting his adversary know he meant business.
"Very well. If it's a fight you want…" Voldemort grinned, raising his own wand, "Avada Kedavra!!"
All four dropped to the ground as Ed raised a rock block. The curse flew over their heads and lodged itself in the wall behind them. Ed heard Mustang yell, "Fire!" and a moment later the sound of gunshots filled the cavern.
Voldemort merely laughed as the bullets came toward him and flicked his wand. They ricocheted back at the brigade, sending a handful of men to the floor. One of the bullets hit Russell in the shoulder. He let out a bellow and dropped to one knee, holding his wounded arm. Fletcher called out to him and would have ran over if not for Ed keeping him in place; had he let the younger Tringham go, he would have been an open target. Armstrong, Roy and Al stepped in front of Russell while Riza tended to the injury.
"You need medical attention," Hawkeye stated, using a piece of torn clothing to keep pressure on the wound.
"Just give me a bandage or something," Russell ordered through gritted teeth.
"Here, I'll take care of it," Hoenheim said, pulling out his wand, "Ferula," he muttered, causing a bandage to appear over Russell's bad shoulder.
"Thanks," Russell said as he gained his feet. A dizziness overtook him and he sank again, grimacing sheepishly as he settled back down. "Guess I'll stay here for a minute," he told the man next to him.
"Fall back," Roy ordered suddenly, catching everyone's attention, "All men retreat to the outside of the cave."
The Flame Alchemist then snapped his fingers, causing the air around the Dark Lord to explode. Voldemort avoided the attack at the last minute by disapparating to four feet away. Armstrong followed up the onslaught with stone missiles resembling him, bellowing something about them being a part of the "Armstrong generation of traditional artistic and powerful attacks".
This time the wizard dodged the attack and sent it back to its owner. Ed didn't think it was possible, but Armstrong fell as the missiles struck him in the midsection. The alchemist wheezed on the cave floor, holding the place where he'd been hit.
"Are you alright?" Roy asked, his eyes never straying from his foe.
"Fine," Alex grunted, standing up without so much as a wince, even though he'd been hit with his own power.
Angered, Roy sent out another fireball, larger this time and with more explosive energy than the last. As Voldemort knocked this attack away, Ed sent one of his own before the Dark Lord had a chance to do so himself.
"Stupefy!" he bellowed, aiming directly at his target.
"Finite Incantatem!!" the dark wizard barked, flicking his wand. Instantly Edward's attack disappeared into the end of his wand. "Stupefy!!" he mimicked, sending Edward's spell flying directly at Alphonse with twice the initial force.
"Al!! Look out!!" Ed cried, too late as the blast struck his brother in the chest, sending him crashing into the far wall, unconscious before he hit it.
"You'll pay for that," Ed seethed, glaring at his opponent.
Before he could issue another blast, Hoenheim and Harry both sent different curses toward the Dark Lord; no words were needed to tell they were enraged over Al's takedown as well.
"Teamwork—how very touching," Voldemort sneered as he delivered two of his own attacks after avoiding the others.
A killing curse missed Ed by an inch as he dodged it, only to be hit with a disarming charm in its shadow a moment later. The blast sent his wand flying and knocked him back into a stalagmite behind him. He slid to the ground and raised himself into a crouching position as he caught his breath. His ribs ached where he hit the rock, but his eyes burned with hatred for this evil man.
Meanwhile, Harry, Roy and Armstrong sent out separate attacks as Fletcher ran to Ed's aide. Across the room, Hoenheim propped Al up and swished his wand, muttering, "Ennervate," to wake him up.
"I'm fine," Ed told the younger Tringham once the boy reached him. He picked himself up with a bit of a strain, shaking off Fletcher's helping hand. "Look, don't worry about me. Go see how your brother is doing."
Reluctantly the younger Tringham did as he was told, once he'd tossed Ed back his wand.
"Thanks, now hurry," he ordered as he caught the wooden rod easily, sending out a stunning spell to give Fletcher a clear path across the cavern.
Voldemort dodged the attack with a snarl, annoyed by the fact the boy was able to get past him safely. Fletcher rushed to his brother's side, just as Russell decided he'd been incapacitated for far too long.
"There's not much we can do, but I have an idea," he told his brother as he began sketching a transmutation circle into the ground at his feet. Fletcher faced him, hiding his brother's plan from the enemy's suspicious eyes.
Ed stood tall now as he returned to Harry's side. Across the room, Hoenheim helped Al to his feet, who seemed bent on getting a chance to attack the one who had taken him down so easily. Roy stood by his side and next to him, Armstrong, both ready for the second installment.
"Eight against one…" Voldemort contemplated, mocking them, "Five brats and three Alchemists. This would prove to be entertaining if it was going to last longer."
"Don't underestimate us!" Al shouted, stepping back into a fighting stance.
"I'd be concerned if there was anything to underestimate," Voldemort replied sarcastically.
His sneer dropped as the air around him exploded, not giving him enough time to react. His slitted green eyes widened as he rolled away and into a crouching position. He glared at the General as he gained his feet, the edges of his abyss-black robes smoldering.
"You let your guard down," Roy smirked, snapping again.
His attack was sidestepped by his target, the target in question now more attentive than before. Al, seeing his chance to perhaps catch the Dark Lord off guard, clapped his hands and slammed them into the ground, forming a stone being from it. Then he clapped again, releasing a piece of his soul into the being to give it life. As this happened, Armstrong launched a handful of boulders toward Voldemort while Ed and Harry sent a stunning charm and a disarming spell simultaneously.
The Dark Lord managed to dodge Harry's attack and Edward's by inches. The boulders seemed to be going straight toward him until he shouted, "Obliviate!!" The spell destroyed the boulders in a bomb-like blast, sending chunks of rocks rocketing toward Al's golem.
Whatever effect Voldemort hoped to inflict was futile, as the being merely soaked them up as a part of itself. Snarling, the Dark Lord ducked a punch from the golem and tried a new approach.
"Imperio!!" he bellowed, pointing his wand at the golem.
It stopped attacking him abruptly and then turned around at its new master's command. It sprinted toward Edward and threw a punch, only to be dodged. Across the room, Al held his chest in pain, trying to control the piece of his spirit inside the golem attacking his brother. Because of this, the golem's movements were hesitant and sloppy. Ed had no trouble escaping the blows but the being was so solid it was impossible to issue any of his own.
To avoid the most recent attack, the older Elric sprung into a back flip to gain distance on the stone creature. He whipped out his wand, wasting no time thinking of a spell, any spell to use.
"Obliviate!!" he bellowed, his adversary's previous attack being the first thing to pop into his mind.
The golem exploded, chunks of itself flying off in every direction. Edward dodged the ones coming at him, looking up just in time to see his brother fall across the room.
"A-Al—?!" he cried, his eyes contorting first in confusion and then widening in horror as he realized what he'd done. How could he have forgotten a piece of his brother's soul was inside that beast!?!
The golem, now a heap of rubble, seemed to mock him. Twenty feet away, Voldemort laughed cruelly, loosely holding his wand as he grinned maliciously at the older Elric.
"Stupid boy," he spat in distaste, his grin never wavering.
'I've got to get over there!!' was all Ed could think as he gained his feet, clenching his teeth in rage. 'And then I am going to destroy you,' he thought next as he glared into those mocking, yellow-green eyes. As he did this, Armstrong sent another wave of boulders raining down on the Dark Lord.
Ed took this chance to run over to his brother, who lay on the floor with his eyes clenched shut as he gasped for breath. Hoenheim knelt beside him, holding his son's head in his lap.
"Will he be alright!?" Ed asked anxiously, seeming tortured by the fact he'd harmed his own brother.
"He should be fine. I don't think the piece of his spirit was destroyed. Most likely his mind is trying to find the missing piece, which may explain why he's unconscious," Hoenheim reassured his elder son, though not seeming too reassured himself.
"What if he can't find the missing piece?" Ed asked with a low, hollow tone, hesitant to know the answer.
"I don't think it's wise to dwell on 'what ifs'," his father replied, "Go; you have a battle to win. He'll be alright," he added as an afterthought.
Edward faced his adversary again, this time his hatred and fury consuming. No longer did he intend to fight from a distance; from then on he was all in.
"Seems I've struck a nerve," the Dark Lord stated, his face twisted in a criminal sneer.
Edward said nothing in response and merely glared at the wizard in front of him. Without breaking eye contact, he clapped his hands and slid his left over his right arm, transforming it into a blade.
"Ed!! Are you insane!?" Harry yelled from across the room as the Fullmetal Alchemist charged at the enemy, driven purely by his wrath.
Had the elder Elric thought about his new course of action, he would have undoubtedly decided against it, because of the fact he was now an open target for the Dark Lord.
"Expelliarmus!!" Harry yelled, creating enough of a distraction to divert Voldemort's attention so that he was unable to issue an attack at Ed.
A fortunate moment of confusion overtook the Dark Lord; it seemed he was more concerned with the alchemist running toward him than the spell Harry had cast. As a result, he managed to dodge Edward's horizontal slash but received the full blow of the disarming spell.
The force threw him back into the wall and left him dazed, though he somehow kept a hold on his wand. On the opposite side of the cavern, the Tringham brothers saw the opening they needed to deliver their attack. Both pressed their hands to the stone where the transmutation circle was etched and poured their power into it.
The Dark Lord barely had time to wonder what the blue light coming from them was before thick vines protruded from the ceiling above him and wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides and squeezing the air from his lungs. Voldemort chuckled from his position on the ground, catching his opponents with confusion.
"Is that the best you've got?" he growled, casting a narrow and merciless gaze to each individual.
Then they closed as Voldemort concentrated his power; Ed and the others had no time to react before the bonds restraining their adversary broke apart and fell limp to the ground.
The Dark Lord stood anew, all cockiness gone as he raised his wand. His opponents now had him confined against the wall where he'd fallen and stood shoulder to shoulder, their faces stoic in concentration.
Voldemort glanced behind him, noting his close proximity with the stone barrier. Then he turned back to his enemies and smirked.
"A pointless strategy," he stated, disapparating.
He reassembled himself behind them, so that he was in the middle of the cavern and now they were the ones trapped. His unnerving smirk remained; he knew none of them were able to apparate.
"Now to end this," Voldemort decided, raising his wand, "Avada Kedavra!!"
Edward was the only one to react; he clapped his hands and jumped in front of the killing curse that was on its way to Harry. He had split seconds to think of a plan of action as he thrust his hands in front of him.
A blue shield appeared just as the curse was centimeters away. The Fullmetal Alchemist squeezed his eyes shut in concentration and apprehension as it hit, seriously hoping the shield would hold.
The emerald blast collided with the sapphire barrier and rebounded, shooting back to its issuer. Voldemort had no time to react as it hit him in the chest. Then the Dark Lord fell, quite ironically to his own curse for the second time. But instead of his body landing coldly on the stone floor like Lieutenant Bloch, it burst apart in a wretched shriek, leaving no trace it had ever existed.
A/n- soo…how was the battle scene? Do tell. An announcement for any of you out there that read/watches Death Note: I started a new fic on this manga/anime. Check it out if you're a fan. (and to all of you who haven't read Death Note, … GO READ IT OR I WILL USE THE DEATH NOTE TO TRACK YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU!!! Eheh, just kidding people. Have a nice day. –bows-)