(AC: The Pendulum – FMA:B OST 3)
Winry wearily opened her eyes as she felt a strange numbing sensation in her broken arm. She looked and saw May kneeling at her side with Winry's arm pressed up against a purification circle that was glowing with blue energy. May and Winry's gag had been removed but one of the Homunculus twins was standing guard with a hand on the back of May's neck. Winry could feel the truck beneath them swaying slightly as they rode along.
"They let me heal your arm. They apparently want you in good health when we arrive." May explained.
"Where are we?" Winry asked as she caught a glimpse of a star filled night sky and rolling brown sand dunes. Everyone's gags had been removed.
"Deep within Ishval's deserts. We're miles away from the nearest settlement. No one can hear you scream so don't even try." The twin guarding May replied. Winry looked around and saw Elicia was crying fearfully against her mother's side. Mrs. Bradley was trying to help ease the child's fears but she too was afraid. Only Ed and Al were looking defiant.
"How long have I been out?" Winry asked.
"Most of the day. It's a little after midnight now. You passed out before we got to the train station." Ed replied. He was still in the automail armor but the internal machinery was still damaged so he couldn't move his arms or legs. It was all he could do to sit upright. His helmet was on the floor next to his feet.
"How did we get here?" Winry asked.
"Our truck got smuggled onto a train in Central. Damn Zampano and Jerzo were the ones who let it on without inspection." Ed grumbled. Winry then saw something that seemed strange moving past the truck. Buildings, or at least the remains of buildings, standing up in the desert sands. Everyone was looking at these strange and burned out buildings with curiosity.
"What is this place?" Al asked.
"The name of the city is virtually impossible to pronounce except by native Ishvalans but we are riding through the ruins of the city where the Ishval War of Extermination began. Where the Amestrian soldier killed the Ishvalan child in cold blood. A testament to Amestris and its many sins." The Homunculus Twin said as the truck came to a stop outside of a large building that was once an Ishvalan Temple. There were several chimeras of varying types lingering near the ruined temple. They were then ushered out of the truck at gunpoint by several men in red cloaks with guns. As they exited the truck, they noticed that they weren't the only truck that had arrived as there were three others full of people who were similarly bound and gagged. Ed was being carried by four of the men.
"Hey Al, you see all these people?" Ed whispered.
"Yeah. What are they here for?" Al asked.
"I think we both know the answer to that." Ed mumbled back with a scowl as they were led into the temple. A quick headcount put them at nearly eighty people not counting Ed, Al, May, and Winry. As they entered, they saw Morser and Sherman standing at the doorway leading into a darkened hallway. As the four approached, Morser stepped into their path.
"Not them. The Immortal Alchemist wants to see them first." Morser ordered as the red cloaked guards escorted the four out of line and towards the center of the temple's main room. The Homunculus Twins and Nina were all gathered in the room with them, the twins sitting back to back on a fallen column while Nina sat crouched on the ground near them. Sherman was stood with his arms crossed on the opposite side of the room. Morser led the four to sit or kneel outside the edge of what they saw to be a large transmutation circle. Ed and Alphonse recognized this one immediately.
"Wait! This circle! It's a Human Transmutation Circle!" Ed exclaimed.
"That's correct, Fullmetal, it is indeed a Human Transmutation Circle. I imagine you would know, what with you and your brother committing the taboo." Morser said as the four glared at her.
"What are you after?! What do you want from us?!" Alphonse asked as Morser smiled at them.
"Oh that's not for me to tell. That is for the Immortal Alchemist to tell." Morser said as they heard the sweeping sound of footsteps on the sandstone floor. They all looked to see a familiar face being escorted into the room by a pair of chimeras from a doorway to their right.
"Dr. Garand! They got you too?!" Alphonse asked as Garand trudged into the room, his hands in his pockets.
"It wasn't long after we parted ways near Rush Valley." Garand replied as he turned towards them.
"Damn it! What does the Red Kingdom want with us?!" Edward asked.
"Actually it's more like what the Red Kingdom wants with the two of you. And actually, the Red Kingdom doesn't need much else from you now that the secret is out." Garand explained, confusing them.
"What do you mean? What secret?" Alphonse asked.
"Yeah we never gave them or you any secret." Ed added.
"Actually you gave me exactly what I was looking for. On the road to Rush Valley? When you told me how you gave up your Alchemy?" Garand answered. The two brothers began to realize what he meant.
"Wait, you mean that was the secret the Red Kingdom is after?! What good will it do them?!" Ed asked as Garand cleared his throat.
"Identifying the Door of Truth as a person's ability to perform Alchemy is what the Red Kingdom was after. With that knowledge, it is now possible to truly create an Immortal Alchemist." Garand said as Morser started to approach him.
"Hold on, you said it was possible to create an Immortal Alchemist with that knowledge. Does that mean there wasn't one to begin with?" May asked but Morser shook her head.
"No there was one, at least in name. Isn't that right Victor?" Morser said as Garand gave a nod. This made the Elric brothers, Winry, and May all pale in realization. (AC: Revelation – FMA OST 2)
"Doctor Garand?" Alphonse asked as Garand's posture straightened, no longer slouching as he pulled a pair of reading glasses from his coat pocket, putting them on before he slid off his lab coat, revealing a Red Kingdom armband on his right bicep.
"Perhaps a reintroduction is called for. I am Dr. Victor Garand, the Immortal Alchemist." Garand said as he slicked his hair back slightly.
"Y-You're the Immortal Alchemist?! The leader of the Red Kingdom?!" Winry asked in shock.
"The same. I apologize for the deception but it was necessary in order to gain the information we needed to truly create an Immortal Alchemist." Garand explained with a slightly darker tone to his voice. Ed immediately lurched forward but was unable to move due to the weight of the armor.
"You bastard! We trusted you! We fought to save your life! You mean all of that was an act?!" Ed yelled angrily.
"That's correct." Garand replied simply as Morser produced the phial containing May's Philosopher's Stone.
"The Xingese Princess had this with her when we caught them." She said as Garand examined the stone carefully.
"Excellent. That means you'll be able to join me in immortality, Elizabeth." Garand said as he smiled towards Morser who smiled back.
"Ah I've missed you darling." Elizabeth said as she threw her arms around him, the two kissing briefly.
"Mommy…" "…and Daddy…" "…together again at last." "No more running." "No more pretending." "Just you…" "…me…" "…in immortality." The Twins recited as they joined the two. Ed, Al, May, and Winry were all furious.
"Just how do you propose to make an immortal alchemist, Garand?! Homunculi can't use alchemy you know!" Ed yelled as Garand turned back towards him.
"You are correct on that point, Edward. A basic Homunculus cannot use alchemy as we know it. They do use alchemy to heal their wounds and transform their bodies as needed. But they cannot perform traditional alchemy. It is possible to create a Homunculus that is capable of the alchemy we recognize. All that is required are four items. A body, a Philosopher's Stone, and-…"
"Two alchemists! You'd need to sacrifice your human body to bind your soul into the new one while simultaneously stealing the ability to use alchemy from another alchemist!" Al finished as Garand blinked in surprise.
"I'm impressed. I wonder where you learned of the theory." Garand pondered.
"We caught them talking to one of the old ones." "One of the original seven." "Pride the Arrogant." The twins replied as Garand's eyes widened.
"Pride still lives?!" he asked in alarm. Morser was similarly worried by the thought.
"We disposed of him easily." "His body was weak and frail." "He wouldn't have lasted long anyway." The twins replied as the two Alchemists relaxed a little bit.
"Out with the old and in with the new, wouldn't you say?" Morser asked as Garand gave a nod.
"Yes I suppose so. Sherman!" Garand called as Sherman stepped forward, saluting to the Immortal Alchemist.
"Sir!" he replied.
"Take Edward Elric and Miss Rockbell to the holding cell with the rest of the sacrifices. We'll use them as part of the second stone." Garand ordered, the four looking at him in alarm.
"Second stone?! Wait! How many are you going to make?!" Edward asked as several Red Kingdom guards approached.
"As many as it takes to elevate the rest of the Red Kingdom's followers to the next stage of evolution. This stone from the Princess will serve to help me become the Immortal Alchemist in both name and form. The second will be used for Elizabeth's ascension. Be honored, Edward Elric. You and your fiancée will become one of the stepping stones for the rise of the Red Kingdom." Garand said.
"What about May?! Where does she fit into your plans?!" Alphonse asked.
"She doesn't really. But her demise is part of the bargain we struck with our allies in Xing. Tomorrow afternoon, the Red Kingdom will begin its ascension, as the Xing Empire declares war on Amestris for the assassination of its Emperor and Amestris declares war on Xing for the murder of the Fuhrer." Garand explained.
"But what does killing May have to do with this?!" Winry asked.
"She's next in line for the throne of Emperor of Xing. If she dies along with the Emperor, then the next in line will take the throne. And the person who would succeed Princess Chang, has received some assistance from us and has pledged Xing's support in destroying Amestris in exchange for Princess Chang's life." Garand explained.
"And what about me? Where do I factor into this?!" Al asked.
"Don't you get it Al?! He's going to steal your alchemy to become the Immortal Alchemist! Then he'll likely just feed you to one of the Philosopher's Stones!" Ed yelled as Garand gave a nod.
"That's correct. I see no reason to steal the alchemical abilities of one of the Red Kingdom's faithful as that would negate the whole purpose of their ascension. Therefore, we will take the alchemy from those who refuse to evolve, and then use them to create new stones to aid in our ascension." Garand explained.
"Waste not, want not." Morser added.
"Then what was all that nonsense of having us transmute you into a stone?!" Ed asked, trying to lunge at him again but still unable to due to the damage to his armor.
"That was only an initial theory of ours. We believed that by transmuting ourselves into a single Philosopher's stone, it would allow us to take control of our new bodies and carry with us the ability to use alchemy. However when I learned that you had given up your ability to use Alchemy, I realized that there might be a more efficient means of achieving the same result. A stone made of a single person ran the risk of rebounds, but the simple soul binding into the Homunculus body would prove more efficient. Therefore I abandoned the initial plan to be transmuted into a stone, and opted to learn what it was that gave an alchemist their ability to use alchemy. The Gate of Truth is the answer and now that I know what can be given up, I now know what can be taken." Garand explained.
"You can't take another Alchemist's gate! It violates Equivalent Exchange! You'd have to give something up first!" Ed yelled.
"I would be giving up my mortality. And even if that proved insufficient to satisfy the Law of Equivalent Exchange, the Philosopher's Stone would be more than enough to cover the rest." Garand explained before turning to Sherman.
"We will create the Immortal Alchemist at dawn. Take them away." Garand ordered as Sherman and his guards hauled the four away, leaving Garand and his twisted family behind. (End AC)
Meanwhile in Ishval…
Roy Mustang, Colonel Miles, Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, and Xiao Fujin stood in the headquarters of the Ishval Garrison. Miles was quietly sorting documents at his desk while Armstrong stood nearby. Roy and Xiao were finalizing the security arrangements for the arrival of the train from Xing. Hawkeye was stood by near the door, armed with a carbine rifle.
"The Fuhrer and the Emperor will then shake hands, declaring the railroad open, and then we will escort the Emperor and the Fuhrer to the headquarters here while the train to Central is refueled for them." Roy said as Xiao gave a nod as Roy showed her the points on a map of Ishval where they would be carrying out the escort mission.
"Good. Although I must inquire as to the number of troops you have on hand. Seems a bit excessive in my opinion." Xiao said as Roy glanced out the window for a moment where numerous pup tents had been erected by the visiting soldiers. There simply wasn't enough room at the base for all of the troops that had arrived.
"We've had some problems with Aerugo to the south. The garrison here is simply acting as a way station for our men headed south." Roy replied as Xiao gave a nod.
"I see. It would seem then that we have made the necessary arrangements. The Emperor and the Fuhrer will be well protected from any threats." Xiao said as Roy started rolling up the map.
"I am confident that the Red Kingdom won't be an issue for us tomorrow afternoon." Roy said as Xiao fought off a yawn.
"Then if that is all General, I shall take my leave for the evening." Xiao said as Roy saluted her.
"It will have been an honor working with you General." Roy said as Xiao bowed to him.
"The feeling is mutual, General Mustang." Xiao said.
"I would escort you to your quarters but there are still some issues I need to wrap up here before turning in." Roy said as Xiao gave an understanding nod.
"I understand, General. Goodnight." She said before walking towards the door, closing it behind her. Roy then approached Armstrong who was stood at attention.
"Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, I'm glad to see you're here." Roy said as Armstrong looked down at the General, a look of sadness yet stalwart duty in his eyes.
"I could not shirk from my duties, General. My sister would not have allowed it." Armstrong replied.
"Did your family receive her effects? Her sword for instance?" Roy asked but Armstrong grimaced.
"We received her effects, but her sword was not amongst them. It seems it was destroyed in the bombing." Armstrong replied as Roy gave a grim nod.
"Let me guess, it was an Armstrong family heirloom?" Roy asked.
"It had been passed down the Armstrong family line for generations. She would never have parted with it." Armstrong said as Roy glanced over towards Miles who was still sorting papers.
"Colonel Miles, I don't recall seeing you at General Armstrong's memorial." Roy said as he approached the desk. Miles didn't even look up, continuing to sort his papers.
"That's because I wasn't there sir." Miles replied.
"Even though you were one of Armstrong's most trusted subordinates? I find it hard to believe that you would miss the funeral of your former superior." Roy said as Miles finally looked up at him.
"Had I attended the funeral, General Armstrong would've risen from her grave and dragged me to hell personally for abandoning my post for such an insignificant matter." Miles replied simply. Alex let out a grunt of annoyance at Miles's dismissive attitude towards Olivier's death.
"I understand. General Armstrong commanded much respect from her subordinates. I do find it surprising that the man most likely to succeed her as head of Foreign Security wouldn't even make an appearance at her funeral." Roy commented.
"I respect General Armstrong sir. When she ordered me to this post, she told me I was to defend it as if it were Briggs. And that means that the only way I'm to leave it is in a body bag, sir." Miles replied as Roy smiled.
"I see. Then I believe I shall…" Roy said before he could finish his sentence there was a slight tapping at the window. He looked and saw a small strip of paper slipped through the space between the window and the frame. The paper itself was blank but Roy knew what it was and what it meant. This made him smirk with a determined look in his eyes.
"What is that?" Armstrong asked.
"The signal we've been waiting for."
Hours later…
It was early in the morning as Ed and Winry had been locked in a cell together while Al and May were locked in a cell across from them. The cells were simple box-like cells with cast iron bars too thin for a small person to slip through with straw for the floor and small barred windows near the ceilings. Winry, Al, and May were shackled to the wall, their arms on either side of their heads to prevent their moving. Ed was still stuck in his armor so he wasn't chained. What little of the sky they could see indicated that it was still dark out, with no hints of sunlight in the sky. They could tell the other prisoners were being held in the cells next to them and could even see Mrs. Bradley in a cell with Gracia and Elicia Hughes nearby.
"I can't believe we were so blind." Ed grumbled.
"He had us fooled." Al replied.
"Ed, can you move?" Winry asked but Ed only strained and grunted.
"No. I can barely move!" Ed replied as Winry tried to get a glimpse of the damage on his armor. She then sighed.
"If only I could see what was wrong, then I could fix it." Winry grumbled. (AC: Brothers – FMA OST 3)
"Not exactly the way you wanted to go out, huh?" Ed asked as Winry grimaced.
"I felt it once. I briefly knew what it was like to be in a Philosopher's Stone. It was like drowning in a torrent of pain and suffering. I don't want to feel that way again. I want to die of old age, not as some stone." Winry said almost tearfully.
"Yeah. The thought of having gone through four years of hell and then to go out like this…" Ed said before looking towards Al.
"You're the one I need to apologize to the most, Al." Ed said, confusing Al.
"Huh?"
"After all we went through for four years, losing your body, that whole mess with Father and the Homunculi, getting your body back, and all so it could end like this? If I messed up anyone's life, it was yours, Al. How can I repay you? How can I expect forgiveness? I clung to the past. But now I've shattered your chance to live. I knew the laws but payed no heed. How can I return your wasted breath? Now we're all doomed to die before you could even have a chance to live. How can I make amends for all that I took from you? I led you with hopeless dreams. I was a fool to think we could've brought Mom back." Ed said, crying in grief. Al merely sighed.
"Ed, don't cry for the past. Neither of us are free from blame. Nothing can erase the things we did. We took the same path. My dreams made me blind and mute. I followed without a word, Ed. The fault is mine, Ed." Al said as Ed looked towards his brother with a touched smile.
"What's gone is forever lost." Ed said, realizing what Al was saying. Al nodded with a smile.
"All we can do is live." Al replied.
"Then we need to get out of here." Ed said as they started looking around, searching for something that they could use. (End AC)
"If they hadn't confiscated my knives, I might be able to pick the locks with my feet." May said as she slipped a foot out of her shoe and contorted her body enough so that her toes easily touched the shackles on the wall holding her arms.
"We need to get you out of here the most, May. If something happens to Ling, you need to be his successor. We can't let Xing get caught up in a war against Amestris." Al said.
"Yeah, our relations with neighboring countries is already rocky. If Xing declares war on Amestris, it might motivate the rest of Amestris's enemies to unite and invade from all sides. Amestris would be doomed if Aerugo, Drachma, Creta, and Xing all united against it." Ed commented as Winry furrowed her brow.
"Do you suppose that's their plan?" Winry asked, earning everyone's attention.
"What do you mean, Winry?" Ed asked.
"You've said that the Red Kingdom wants to destroy Amestris as one of their goals, right? Well what if turning Xing on us is part of that plan? Xing hasn't had much reason to fight Amestris because of the desert between us and them. But if something were to happen to make Xing angry enough to declare war on us, then we'd be surrounded on all sides." Winry explained as Ed and Al exchanged grim looks.
"Amestris would burn while the Red Kingdom arose from the ashes." Ed commented with a scowl.
"Who in Xing would align with the Red Kingdom though?" Al asked as May scowled slightly.
"I know who it is. Dr. Garand told us earlier. He said the next in line after me would assume the throne and that they had received aid from the Red Kingdom to that end. I just hope we can get out of here and warn Ling about the traitors before it's too late." May said before Al shushed them.
"Wait, you hear that?" he asked in a whisper as they heard a door at the end of the hall creaking shut. They remained silent for a while before two familiar faces appeared at the doors.
"Zampano? Jerzo? What are you two doing here?" Al asked.
"Yeah, come to gloat?" Ed asked angrily.
"Pipe down, Elric. The guards might hear you." Zampano said as he dangled a ring of keys with a smirk. The sight of the keys made them all blink in surprise. (AC: Heroic Bolero – FMA:B OST 3)
"Huh?" Winry asked as the two chimeras unlocked the cell doors, quickly moving to unlock the shackles.
"Ain't it obvious? We're busting you guys out." Jerzo said with a sneaky grin as he set down a toolbox, Winry's toolbox to be exact.
"Wait a minute. That note that got stuck to my back, the one that Teacher found…you left that there didn't you?" Ed asked as Jerzo grinned while helping Winry to her feet.
"She got it didn't she?" Jerzo asked.
"Yeah but what was it? All that was written on it were some numbers and a weird sentence." Winry said as Al and May quickly joined them in their cell, Zampano immediately moving on to free the rest of the prisoners.
"Uh huh. The numbers were the longitude and latitude for this old city. The sentence referred to the city too. It was where the first shot was fired in the Ishvalan War of Extermination. Where the Homunculi killed that kid that sparked the whole war. This is that place." Jerzo explained as Winry quickly moved to remove Ed's chest plate, examining the internal circuitry.
"Why did you do that? We thought you were trying to get your bodies back." Al said as Jerzo scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"We are but we aren't about to let a bunch of innocent folks get turned into one of those evil stones in the process. Besides that was just our cover story." Jerzo explained.
"Cover story? Why do I smell Mustang's hand in all of this?" Ed asked suspiciously as Winry began tinkering with some of the circuits.
"Actually it was General Armstrong's idea. She's the one who ordered our arrest, remember? That was just a ploy to get the two of us back into the military. She needed loyal spies to infiltrate the Red Kingdom and who better than a pair of disgruntled, freshly arrested chimeras that were once members of the Amestris State Military?" Jerzo asked as Ed and Al both grinned towards him.
"So you were just playing along? Getting the goods on the Red Kingdom so you could sell them out to the Military eh?" Ed asked before suddenly cringing and grunting loudly in pain, feeling the nerves reconnecting inside his suit.
"Got it! The damage was light. Just had to make a couple of quick patches and that was it! We're good to go Ed!" Winry said as Al picked up the chest plate.
"Almost. We need to patch up this chest plate first and luckily these cell doors are made of just the right material." Al said as he clapped his hands together and placed his hands on the bars, causing them to morph and distort into a large sheet of metal. He then quickly started drawing a transmutation circle on the cell floor.
"But yeah, that was the idea Elric. Armstrong had us shipped off to a prison knowing that the Red Kingdom would bust us out which they did. That's how we got here. By the way, what happened to the note I gave you with the coordinates?" Zampano asked as he approached with a large burlap sack, the contents of which included May's knives and the helmet to Ed's suit.
"Teacher took it. I don't know what she did with it though." Ed replied as Al transmuted the sheet of metal and the chest plate together, repairing the damaged armor with some extra metal pieces leftover.
"Your teacher? You mean Mrs. Curtis? Heh, if that's the case we better hurry!" Jerzo said with a grin.
"Why's that?" Al asked as he and Winry reattached the chest plate.
"Because she's the one the message was supposed to get to. After that our orders were to do what we could to sabotage the Red Kingdom's efforts." Zampano explained as he handed May her knives back.
"And in this case it's busting you all out of here." Jerzo added as Ed stood up, flexing his arms with a determined smirk.
"Then we need to get to Ishval as soon as possible or else there's gonna be war between Amestris and Xing." Ed said as Jerzo handed him his helmet.
"Not if we have anything to say about it." One of the prisoners, an Amestris soldier, said as he and some of the other prisoners picked up whatever weapons they could find such as iron bars or clubs made from broken chair legs, or even chains from their shackles.
"What good is trying to escape though? We're outnumbered, out gunned…we'll only get caught again for whatever these monsters have in store for us." One of the prisoners said, clearly afraid and he wasn't the only one. Some of the other prisoners were visibly afraid including Elicia Hughes. Gracia was holding her in her arms, Elicia clinging to her in fear.
"Hey, you don't have any reason to be worried!" Winry said with a determined smirk, her toolbox slung over her shoulder and slapping her spanner in her empty hand in an intimidating fashion.
"Yeah, you've got the Fullmetal Alchemists!" Ed declared, inspiring the people by the very invocation of his former title. (End AC)
"Come on, we need to move before we're caught! Keep quiet!" Jerzo said, hushing them as Zampano motioned for them to follow.
"What's the fastest way out?" Alphonse asked. (AC: Clash of the Alchemists – FMA:B OST 1)
"The only way out of here is back through the main temple. From there it's a straight shot out of the city." Zampano replied as they saw the doors leading back into the main hall of the temple. Guarding the doors were a pair of Red Kingdom guards with carbines. They saw the approaching mass of people and quickly raised their weapons.
"The prisoners have escaped! Raise the alarm!" One of the guards yelled, taking aim.
"Isn't that the short one in the metal can?!" one of them asked, causing Ed to grin sadistically beneath his helmet and ran ahead of the prisoners.
"I'll show you short! COME HERE!" Ed yelled angrily as the guards opened fire but Ed's armored body caused the bullets to deflect and hit the walls and ceiling. The guards quickly realized that Ed wasn't stopping and turned to run, screaming in fear as they ran away from the approaching Edward, chasing them into the main hall where a few more guards and a couple chimeras stood watch.
"Remember! Don't kill the prisoners! The Immortal Alchemist needs them all alive!" one of the guards yelled, having been alerted to the prison break. Before they could react, a couple of them were barraged by a sudden flurry of quills fired from Zampano while Jerzo leapt into the air and spat large globs of his saliva towards a few others, the saliva disabling them or jamming their weapons. May and Ed in the meantime intercepted the approaching Chimeras, while Al and Winry ushered the rest of the prisoners towards the entrance.
"Come on! Hurry!" Al yelled as they approached the main entrance. Before they could reach it though, a towering wall of rock burst up from the ground, blocking the entrance. They all looked to see Horatio Sherman standing nearby with his arms crossed. More guards then burst into the room along with several chimeras, herding the prisoners towards the center of the chamber. Ed, Al, Winry, May, Zampano, and Jerzo were standing together, ready to fight against the Red Kingdom. (End AC)
"You think that'll stop us?!" Ed yelled before they heard a loud animalistic howling sound. They looked up and saw the Nina Homunculus crouched in a hole near the ceiling, howling at the moon before grinning darkly down towards them. The Homunculus twins then appeared from one doorway, followed closely by Garand and Morser. (AC: The Forbearer – FMA:B OST 3).
"Looks like we have a couple of traitors in our midst." "How sad. We were going to restore their bodies for them as they had asked." "Looks like our agreement is now null and void." The twins said as the prisoners were corralled into a tight circle, the fighters on the outside of the circle while the non-combatants and those unable to fight were near the center. As they backed away, Al happened to glance down and noticed that they were now standing perfectly inside the Human Transmutation Circle.
"Brother! The circle!" Al exclaimed as Ed looked down, realizing what Al did.
"Oh crap!" Ed exclaimed as Garand, Morser, the Twins and Nina approached them, the guards and chimeras parting and allowing them to pass.
"Edward and Alphonse. Somehow I knew keeping you two locked up would be difficult." Garand commented.
"Looks to me like they want to hurry up and aid the Red Kingdom's ascension, Victor." Elizabeth said as Garand gave a nod.
"Indeed. We have enough time to perform the necessary transmutations before we leave. Guards, remove Alphonse Elric and Princess Chang from the group." Garand ordered. Al raised his hands in a fighting posture but the guards pointed their guns at him, causing him to snarl in anger and frustration before the guards forcibly removed him from the circle. May was similarly defiant but was forced out as well.
"You won't get away with this! You'll pay for this Garand!" Edward yelled, pointing angrily at Garand as he approached the circle. Garand's expressions were cold and malevolent.
"Garand, I want to know something! Why are you doing this?! Why are you willing to sacrifice so many people, innocent people who've done nothing to you, just for the sake of immortality?!" Al asked, struggling against the guards. Garand paused and narrowed his eyes, not looking at anyone in particular.
"There is no darker point in a parent's life than to bury their own children. It is an unspeakable pain, worse than death itself. You long to try and trade places with your children so that they might live in your place or find a way for them to live. I have found the key to rendering that pain extinct! By bringing humanity to the next stage of evolution, we will become immortal, unkillable, and we will never feel the anguish of watching our loved ones wither and die of old age or feel the sting of watching a child come into the world only to die in a cruel turn of fate. That is why we do this. To put an end to the suffering, to render these emotions extinct. We do not do this for our own personal gain but so that no one ever has to feel that way ever again." Garand said before glaring at Alphonse.
"Don't tell me that you never felt the same way! You know the feeling of loss and misery! You and your brother both felt it when your mother died!" Garand yelled as Ed ripped off his helmet.
"Shut up! You have no idea what we went through! We know what it's like to lose someone you love! Our mother! Nina! Colonel Hughes! The list goes on and on! But we can't bring any of them back and we've seen what happens when we try! And don't try and push that abomination you call Nina as the real thing! She might be made from Nina's remains but that doesn't mean she is the real thing! The Nina we knew was our friend! An innocent little girl whose father mutilated her by turning her into a monster for his own insatiable greed! You're no different than Shou Tucker! You're only doing this for your own gain!" Ed yelled Garand who scowled back at Ed with an angered expression.
"Don't assume yourselves to be on the paths of righteousness! You committed the taboo! You tried to bring your dead mother back to life! We are no different from each other! I too committed the taboo and brought my daughters back to life. The only difference between us is that where you and your brother failed, I actually succeeded! The key to immortality is in alchemy! And if a few innocent lives must be sacrificed to make that happen, then so be it!" Garand yelled.
"Fine then answer me this! You said that Amestris would burn! How do you propose to do that?!" Ed asked.
"Does it have to do with Xing's involvement?" May asked. Garand however didn't have to answer the question.
"As a matter of fact, it does." A woman's voice said from nearby. May's eyes widened as a pair of figures in black Xingese ninja garb made their way through the crowd. One was the figure that had executed the chimera prisoner in Central. His few armor plates bore the symbol of two white snakes looking upwards, their mouths open, and their fangs highlighted in gold. The other figure had a more feminine appearance and had the symbol of a golden dragon on the dark blue colored armor. May recognized the figure immediately.
"Xiao?!" May asked as the feminine figure pulled away her mask, revealing the scowling face of Xiao Fujin beneath.
"I expected this Chang trash to be dead by the time I arrived, Garand." Xiao said as Garand turned towards her.
"We agreed that we would eliminate her and prevent her ascension to the throne as well as deal with your brother the Emperor. Princess Chang is a confirmed practitioner of Alkahestry and as such she can be used as a dual sacrifice. Her Gate of Truth which enables her to use Alkahestry can be reappropriated for use for our plans. Her gate could even be used to provide you with the ability to use Alkahestry following your ascension, General." Garand explained as May glared angrily up at May.
"I should've known it was you! The eldest child of the previous Emperor always assumes the throne should the reigning Emperor die before he has any children!" May said, struggling to break free.
"And when you kill Ling, then that leaves May as the only obstacle for you to assume the throne!" Ed deduced.
"And believe me, having this lowly peasant placed before me by that idiot brother is beyond insulting." Xiao hissed.
"What's your problem with May?! She's done nothing to you!" Winry asked as Xiao glared at her angrily.
"She's street trash! Hailing from the lowliest clan of them all! The Chang clan is the smallest and weakest of the clans! And suddenly to have her elevated to the position of steward before the eldest born sibling is an outrage! The Chang clan doesn't deserve the throne and I intend to make sure the weakest of the clans of Xing is put in its place!" Xiao hissed.
"And so you arrange to have the Emperor assassinated along with his successor, putting you in place as Empress. There has to be more to it than that though! What else do you stand to gain from this?! I heard Garand mention 'your ascension' so I assume that means you intend to become one of his homunculi too!" Ed said as Xiao curled her nose towards him.
"If it means attaining the immortality that comes with the Elixir of Life, then so be it." Xiao said as Morser approached Garand. (End AC)
"We're wasting time, Victor. Dawn will soon be upon us and we need to be ready to move towards Ishval." Morser said as Xiao gave a nod.
"She's right, especially if we plan to get past the troops General Mustang has standing by as security." Xiao said as Garand and Morser both looked towards her.
"Troops? How many troops?" Garand asked, not noticing as Nina's ear twitched.
"Hey, what's that sound?" she asked as everyone turned towards her curiously.
"What sound?" Garand asked.
"It was some kind of thud coming from the east." Nina replied as they all looked confused. Then they heard it, a whistling sound that was getting closer. Everyone recognized the sound though and their eyes widened.
"TAKE COVER!" one of the soldiers yelled just a split second before an explosion rocked the building, the rock wall blocking the entrance to the temple exploding into rubble.
"What was that?!" Winry asked as Ed shielded her from the blast. Ed looked towards the entrance as the dust settled and saw something outside the city that made him grin.
"It's Mustang!" he replied. (AC: Amestris Military March – FMA:B OST 3). Sure enough, the Amestris State Military was bombarding the city from the sand dunes outside the city with artillery. Briggs Tanks were also rolling forward as hundreds of Amestrian and Ishvalan troops charged towards the city with them. Red Kingdom Chimeras and soldiers were firing back but the military's sudden attack had taken them by surprise. At the top of the sand dunes behind the artillery, beneath a tent that had been set up with an array of radio equipment and maps stood Brigadier General Roy Mustang, his familiar smirk on his face and hands behind his back.
"Order the men to move into the city! Remember to have them check their fire! We have civilians in there! Evacuating the civilians are our top priority!" Mustang ordered to Karley as he relayed instructions over the radio to the soldiers. Hawkeye, Armstrong, and Miles were with him.
"So tell me, Colonel, how did you know to this was the place the Red Kingdom was hiding?" Roy asked as Miles saluted.
"With respect sir, I didn't know that information. My information came from an intermediary on behalf of a trusted source." Miles said as Roy's smirk got tighter.
"Then perhaps you would indulge me by listening to a theory I've got worked out. Say that spies, planted within the Red Kingdom, let's say those two Chimeras that traveled with Fullmetal, relay the location of the Red Kingdom's headquarters to an intermediary who relays that information to you, and then you relay that information to the person who arranged for the two chimeras to be planted within the Red Kingdom who is kind enough to relay this same information to me. All of this so we can eliminate the Red Kingdom threat once and for all. How am I doing so far?" Roy asked as Miles allowed a smirk to appear on his face but he said nothing.
"General, with respect sir, are you implying that someone else has been working to help us bring down the Red Kingdom?" Hawkeye asked but Roy merely glanced over his shoulder.
"There's only one person in the whole military besides me with this level of cunning and authority." Roy said as Armstrong blinked in surprise and sadness.
"Olivier. Only she could've pulled this off. She entrusted us to carry out her plan, knowing that she would die before it was carried out." Armstrong said in soft spoken awe of his late sister.
"Alex you really are a moron." A voice said from nearby that made Armstrong's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. Roy, Karley, and Miles all turned with a salute towards the source of the voice. Armstrong and a surprised Hawkeye turned to see someone they never expected to see…
Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong
End Chapter 16