The Waters of Lethe

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA,only the OCs I've created. I just like to play around in it's world and torture Ed for awhile

Author's note: post series and rather AU. Some movie events will happen, but differently

Warning: May contain movie spoilers, parts will contain violence, bad language, blood, death, and maybe sex.

Beta: Kittygirl109

33. Truth Hurts (Wahrheit Hurts)

Bright lights. White sheets. Masked and gowned figures. One of them placed a hissing black thing over Edward's nose and mouth before a gentle female voice urged him to "breathe deeply." His head already muzzy from the sleep medication, Edward obeyed and his surroundings faded away into swirling darkness.

He was home again. The green grass of Risembool swished underneath Edward's feet as he raced up a hill towards Rockbell Automail. He saw Den barking in the distance, and there in front of the house were the three people he most longed to see. Granny Pinako, Winry, and - Alphonse. His little brother was back in his human body. Overjoyed, Edward ran faster, and once within shouting distance he waved his arms and called out loudly.

Something was wrong.

Edward could hear his own voice ringing in his ears, but the air seemed to snatch the sound away. Amd the trio in front of the house, and the dog didn't seem to react to his approach. Why can't they hear me? Edward had gotten so close he had reached out one hand to touch Alphonse when he slammed so hard into something, he was thrown backwards for several feet.

Edward fell hard on to his backside, the wind knocked out of him. He gasped for air and stared at the people he loved and cared about. They were utterly oblivious to his presence. When Edward got his breath back, he scrambled to his feet and charged foward again. But only feet away from his goal, he struck an invisible barrier. It gave - but only slightly - before he was thrown down to the grass again.

"Dammit!" Edward yelled in a defiant tone. "You are not going to stop me!" This time, he held his hands in front himself until his fingers touched the barrier. It looked like empty air, but felt like an invisible wall. He walked left, and circled the Rockbell house, but he couldn't find an end to the wall which made a continuous circle. It extended higher than he could jump and met the ground so seamlessly, Edward couldn't find any gap he could work on. He grumbled for a moment, then stopped and smiled wickedly.

In this world, I can perform alchemy! Edward thought, and he brought his hands up and clapped them together. But nothing happened,there was no arc of blue light, he didn't even feel the familiar thrum of power throughout his body. Frustrated, Edward pounded his fists on the wall with all the strength he had. At the same time, he shouted "Alphonse!" at the top of his lungs.

But Alphonse never once looked up. Edward's voice gave way after a few minutes, and he slid to his knees, then burst into tears. He buried his face in his hands and cried so loudly he never heard the footsteps approaching.

"You big baby," sneered a familiar, and mocking voice. "Be a man and face it, you'll never get home. So give it up already!"

Envy.

Edward snuffled, and gulped back tears before he raised his head and looked at his bitterest enemy. He'd expected to see the Sin with purple cat-like eyes, and long green straggly hair who wore that ridiculous black outfit. But the man before him had shoulder length blond hair,his eyes the same shade of gold as Edward's, and he wore a natty dark blue pin-striped suit. Envy stood there with his hands clasped behind his back and a malicous smile upon his face. Edward had seen that face for only a moment in the buried opera house, but he recognized it as the true face of Envy, his long-homunculized half-brother.

"Now do you remember, little brother?" Envy chortled, and Edward felt a murderous surge of the old anger. Without conscious thought, his teeth grated and his fists clenched. Envy's hateful smile became wider. "Of course you do, fullmetal pipsqueak! And guess what? I get to kill you again! Now DIE, you little bastard!"

He brought his hands forward and there was a long sword in one of them. Before Edward could react, Envy thrust forward with the sword and buried it almost to the hilt in Edward's stomach. Agonizing pain stabbed throughout his body and he screamed.

And this time, the screams were loud - very loud.

Pain. Thrashing. Screaming. Concerned faces appeared above him. Hands held him down. Consciousness rushed back to Edward in time for him to hear Johann shout, "Schiess! He's pulled his stitches!"