Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Lost Heaven ❯ Shattered Hope ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

 

Soft light emitted from a large transmutation circle lit the dark hall, increasing its already mysterious atmosphere. In the middle of the circle laid a 13-year-old boy with ponytail. His dark red hooded coat brought a strong contrast against his pale face and blond hair. His eyes closed tightly and he was muttered non-sensible words under his breath as he slept on. Behind his back, his arms were bound tightly as he curled in a foetus like manner.

 

"I don't get it, the drug should have wore off by now." Tiffancy grunted. Godao nodded.

 

"He was talking to me from an armor, I believe his soul is not here at all." The man with dark make up said.

 

"Probably so, Leonard." A well-built man with strange mask said as he stood out of the shadow, looking at the sleeping boy.

 

In the darkness, a cold feminine voice said: "In that case, Zerugiu, we'll have to wait for his soul to come back before we can start anything."

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Along the way, Armor!Al and Ed were aghast to see snow chimeras and soldiers in white merging from their hiding places to attack them.

 

"There's too many of them!" Ed growled: "It's so irritating!"

 

Armor!Al stumped the chimeras onto the ground and suddenly clapped his hands onto them: "Since there's no other armors around, I'll try transmuting part of my soul into these corpses."

 

"Al, do you know what is disgusting?" Ed squeaked as the corpses rose up to attack their former allies like zombies.

 

"What else can we do? We'll be dragging more time if we fight in the normal way." Armor!Al protested.

 

"How long do we have to go, Al?" Ed shouted as he sent his blade crashing through the chimeras and the soldiers' weapons.

 

"I think it's somewhere in that white tower over there!" Armor!Al called and pointed so that Ed could see.

 

Just then wind-like armors swept past the brothers, crushing the remaining enemies from them. Al's zombie-like dolls fell back to the ground. "How are you doing, Edward... Alphonse?" A middle aged man appeared besides them.

 

"Oto-san?" Armor!Al cried in surprise.

 

"Why are you here?" Ed asked, remembering the last time he saw his father died under dragon!Envy's jaws.

 

"I'm not too sure. One moment Envy's jaws fell on me and the next moment, I came back to this place. I can feel Dante calling me." Hohenheim said, brushing the accumulating snow from his head.

 

"Dante...calling you??" Ed said in disbelief: "That old hag?"

 

"I'm going ahead of you, sons. I have to see what is she up to this time." Hohenheim smiled back at Ed's worried face: "There's nothing to worry about actually."

 

"She might be the one who has sent people to take Al's body!" Ed retorted: "What if, what if.." He could not bear to think further.

 

"My body's still intact, nii-san." Armor!Al said: "I can feel it."

 

"I'll get you out of her grip if she really holds your body, Alphonse. Another thing, please don't go deeper into soul transmutation if you can manage it, it might lead to disastrous consequence." Hohenheim said, petted Armor!Al on his shoulder and soon disappeared amidst the snow.

 

"Wait, Toosan!" Armor!Al cried out. Abruptly, his head started to vibrate uncontrollably.

 

"Al...AL!!!!" Ed screamed and grabbed hold of Al's armor body, but the gleam in the head flickered uncertainly.

 

"The time is up. I'm going back to my physical body now, nii-san, see you later...." Al's voice trailed off.

 

"ALLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ed hugged the armor head and screamed. Al's armor body collapsed onto the snow-covered soil.

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Al felt himself lying on a cold floor. His eyes remained shut, so that no one knew that his soul had returned back to his body. Very carefully, he tested his limbs and found them tightly bound.

 

"Quit acting, little boy, we know you are awake." A deep voice said.

 

"Don't frighten him, Zerugiu." A familiar feminine voice said calmly and Al felt warm fingers stroking his face: "You're safe here, Alphonse."

 

"Kaa-san!" Al cried as he opened his eyes. True enough, his eyes met that of Trisha Elric's warm brown eyes. Al yelped in surprise to see himself lying in the middle of a large transmutation circle.

 

"Your father should be here soon enough. Then, we can perform the transmutation ritual to put your father's damage body in place. We should have more than enough Philosopher's Stones to do it." There was no shiver in her tone as though it was common to carry out human transmutation circle.

 

"You are not my Kaa-san," Al gasped and paled: "Did... you kill her and took over her body?"

 

"I'm glad you've got the situation right, Alphonse. You are such a clever boy." Dante beamed and patted Al's face almost lovingly.

 

Al shrank away from her touch. In his silence shock, he stared at the person who could have been his mother if her body had not been taken over by someone else. Mixure of hatred and anger burnt in his eyes. For years in the other world, though Al had the joy of being a father, a grandfather and subsequently a great grandfather, he had never forget the smile of his mother-Trisha Elric for even a moment. Inwardly, he desired the old times he and Ed had spent with their mother when they were young.

 

"We've got some company, Dante," a cold feminine voice interrupted Al's thought and a woman in dark tight clothing emerged from the dark.

 

"Well then, we'll go and play around with them, Camilla." Leonard said with a smile.

 

Camilla ignored him. She was not really keen to chat with people such as this young man with dark colour make up. But he seemed interested enough to irritate her with conversations whenever possible.

 

'Nii-san.... Too-san.... what should I do now?' thought Al sadly.

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From the top of a snowy mountain, a tall figure watched as a team of Amestris soldiers approaching the kneeling Fullmetal Alchemist. He put down his binoculars. There was a tattoo in his left eye. Behind him stood the troop from Drachma.

 

"Al has gone back to his physical body. He said he is in that icy castle over there." Ed turned to Roy and pointed the direction: "I've seen my father, he said he could feel Dante calling for him from there."

 

"Let's go." Havoc said and added as he looked at Ed's anxious face: "Your brother should be ok.... WhaT?!" The ice beneath them cracked and was pulled apart. One or two soldiers fell through the gap with screams of fright.

 

"There's an attack! Everyone, stay alert!" roared Roy. From afar, merged strangely armed chimeras and soldiers.

 

"Well, well, well, what have we here? The dogs from Amestris military?" A cold voice laughed.

 

"Camilla!" growled Roy: "Are you working for Dante?"

 

"Not exactly, we have our own goal to meet. How do you like my army?" smirked Camilla: "It's so much better than working as a state alchemist dog in the military."

 

Other side, Godoa emerged with a roar and started attacking the soldiers. He was aided by Leonard and Triffany. From the top of the mountain, the tall man and his Drachma troop vanished amidst the flying snow.

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Hohenheim climbed up the spiraling staircases. He could sense the soul of his younger son somewhere above him. A large door opened before him.

 

"I'm so glad to see you again, Hohenheim." Dante smiled: "How do you like my new body?"

 

"You've killed Trisha?" Hohenheim asked softly: "Why did you do that for?"

 

"Human beings are so fragile. Anyway, she has already died once, there's not much difference for her to die again. She should be glad that she does not have to suffer another meaningless life." Dante said, examining her fingers and looked up at Hohenheim. To her surprise, there was no fury in his eyes, except pity.

 

"What do you mean by that expression?" snapped Dante.

 

"I feel so sorry for you, Dante." said Hohenheim: "You've told me many times that you are drifting away from humanity, but what you are doing now is no difference from any human being I've known."

 

He turned to look at Al who was lying in the middle of the transmutation circle with blank expression, ignoring the events happening around him: "Al is innocent, I hope you can release him now. Alphonse, are you alright?" he asked.

 

"Kaa-san's dead..." Al muttered almost to himself: "She has killed Kaa-san and took over her body."

 

"You should be glad for what I'm going to do next. Your body has been deteriorating. Wouldn't it be nice if we can transfer energy and youth from this boy into you?" Dante smiled gently: "Together, we can easily take over the land of Drachma and Amestris as conquerors."

 

"This is not necessary and I'm surprise you have taken interest in this ambition lately, Dante." Hohenheim said and he walked towards Al. Dante watched closely.

 

"Oh, I forgot, you'll start activating the transmutation circle the moment I step into it, am I right?" Hohenheim said and his steps paused.

 

'Shall I push him in?" suggested Zerugiu.

 

"No, no, it isn't nice to push an old man into a circle by a young man like you." Hohenheim shook his head. He suddenly clapped his hand, transmuting a stone hand reaching for Al. Dante transmuted force crashing the stone.

 

Al struggled and tried to edge himself out of the circle, but something seemed to hold him fast onto the ground.

 

Nearby, Al could hear his father asking Dante as their battle went on: "Were you the one to send people in disguise of Drachma and Amestris soldiers to kidnap people from both countries to create the Philosopher's Stones as well as to distort the two countries' relationship, Dante?"

 

"So what if I did?" Dante asked as she shot another round of forces at Hohenheim who crashed them easily.

 

"Why are you doing such a thing?" cried Al and turned to Zerugiu: "Do you people enjoy seeing sufferings so much?"

 

"That-is-not-your-position-to-ask, boy." Zerugiu said slowly.

 

Al bit hard on his lips and his palms touched the transmutation circle. There was a strong glow and his bounds broke. He stumbled away from the circle. Dante looked up from the battle in surprise.

 

"Don't let that boy escape!" She ordered. Zerugiu activated fire blocking Al's path and the fire spread to surround him in all direction.

 

"Alphonse! Are you ok?" A familiar voice called as the person rushed into the hall.

 

"Col... Lt.Havoc?" Al saw Havoc stumbling up the staircase.

 

"The rest are held up by chimeras and some enemy soldiers. I'm here..here.. to save you!" Havoc panted.

 

"Is Al up there?" retorted the panting Ed as he ran after Havoc.

 

"NII-SAN!!" Al cried. Automatically, he transmuted wind and blew up a path to run towards them.

 

Zerugiu growled and shot fire after him.

 

"Al!" Hohenheim screamed and pushed Al away. Al stared in shock as the fire engulfed his father. Hohenheim smiled benignly at his younger son before the flame devoured him.

 

"Tooo-san..." Al said blankly, disbelieved what he saw: “TOO-SAN!!!!!!”

 

"Hohenheim!" screamed Dante and giving a look at Zerugiu, she transmuted a stone snake to push the burning Hohenheim into the transmutation circle.

 

Havoc gave a yelp of shock as pillars collapsed.

 

"ALLL!!!" Ed cried and pulled his younger brother out of the chaos. He could feel flashes of light behind him: "HAVOC, LT HAVOC, WHERE ARE YOU??!!"

 

There was no response. Hurriedly, Ed carried the still stunned Al out of the tower before it collapsed.

 

"Fullmetal, what happen?" Riza asked as she ran up to him. Triffany, Camilla, Godoa and Leonard, like previous times, had retreated and vanished into the snowstorm the moment the tower collapsed.

 

"We lost Lt.Havoc." Ed said motionlessly. In his arms, Al only stared in the air with blank expression.

 

"I don't believe this." Maria said and rushed towards the collapsing tower.

 

"What do you think you are doing? As your superior, I command you to stop proceeding to that area!" roared Roy.

 

"..Yes, Sir!" But Ed could see Maria biting her lower lips and trying hard to blink back her tears as she saluted to Roy.

 

"There's nothing we can do now. First Lt, you'll comb up the place with Soul Alchemist and the rest of the troop." Roy ordered: "Fullmetal and Lt Ross will follow me back to the camp to report this matter to the headquarter via radio."

 

"Yes, Sir!" saluted Riza.

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Roy could not contain his shock to see Archer's camp in a mess with corpses lying all over the place. A few injured soldiers told them that the Drachma soldiers had attacked them shortly after Roy and the rest had left. One commented that he saw the general of the opposite army resembling the previous Fuhrer-King Bradley. Frank Archer and a few soldiers were missing during the attack.

 

On the other side, Al had transmuted the debris away for inspection. Riza and the rest could only managed to pull out the badly damaged corpse of Light Hohenheim whom Al glanced blankly for a long time without a word or tear. Riza looked away. She would rather Al to cry or yell to vent his depression. Other than Hohenheim, Havoc and other people's bodies were nowhere to be found.

 

"Can I take Too-san back for burial?" Al asked in low voice. Riza nodded.

 

Within a day, Roy commanded all surviving members to pack up and calling back Riza and the rest, they made their way back to the capital where much to his relief, had been well defended by Armstrong and the rest.

 

"But this is strange," Armstrong reflected: "I have a feeling the army was only trying to show that Drachma had the interest to cripple Amestris instead of really springing a real attack."

 

"Al has told me something what he had heard in the tower." Ed said and related what he was told by his younger brother.

 

"Then that explains it, Fuhrer has just updated me with information that the country of Drachma accusing us of attacking them while we were being attacked at the same time." Armstrong nodded and walked towards the Headquarter: "I'll have to report this matter to the Fuhrer whether there is evidence or not."

 

"Speaking of your brother, where is Alphonse?" Roy asked. He was still distracted by the rumors of seeing someone resembling King Bradley during the attacks.

 

"Al has went back home with father's body and told me that he wishes to be alone..." Ed said quietly and suddenly retorted angrily: "WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS??!! We share the same parents! It's as though he is the only one to have the right for being upset about our parents' death?!"

 

"Because your father has died from saving him. It's a survivor's guilt." Riza said quietly: "Maybe you can talk to him later. By the way, did anyone see Lt Ross?"

 

"Same condition as Al, she's upset over the loss of Lt.Havoc." Ed said and ran off: "I better go home now, who knows what that brat is up to?!"

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Winry went to knock Al's door: "Open the door, Al, you've been staying in the room for hours." There was no response. Winry turned the knob and went in. The room was empty. There was a piece of paper on the table. Her eyes widened in shock as she read its content.

 

"Winry!" Ed's voice called from below: "How's everyone?"

 

Winry could hear Armony running to Ed, updating him: "Everyone's ok, how about you?"

 

"Fine, thanks." Ed looked around the house anxiously: "Is Al still in his room?"

 

"No, you jerk!" Winry ran out of the room and hit Ed hard on his head: "Why are you brothers always enjoy making me worried so much?!" She hugged Ed and cried.

 

"Hey, hey, wait, many people are watching us!" Ed protested.

 

"Al is missing and he wrote that he is leaving home with Wrath!" sobbed Winry.

 

"Did you mention Wrath?" Izumi stormed into the house: "No wonder I couldn't find him the whole day, did Al mention where they are going??"

 

"W..wait.... Al and Wrath are...MISSING??!!! Are you sure?" Ed asked, pulling Winry from his shoulder.

 

"Al has left a note on the room table, saying they would be away and would not come back again!" sobbed Winry and flashed a note to Ed.

 

"Damnit," Ed read the note and recognised Al's handwriting: "What is that brat thinking of again?!"

 

He had always remembered Al as a cool minded person who would not act hastily without thought. It was unbelievable that he would run away from home with the mere death of their parents after what they both had gone through for the past few years.

 

Izumi was silence in thought and suddenly asked: "Winry, can you remember where Wrath and Al last went before this world changes?"

 

"I think... wait, I think I know a place!" Winry's eyes lit. She dashed out of the house.

 

"Winry! Wait up!" panted Ed. Armony and Izumi ran after them.

 

TBC

 

NOTE:

 

Sophie- main female character from FMA PS game 'Kami wo Tsugu Shoujo'

Armony- main female character from FMA PS game 'Tobenai Tenshi'

Camilla - A character from FMA PS game 'Tobenai Tenshi'

Zerugiu (fire), Tiffany (wind), Shadow Leonard (ice) and Godoa (earth) - 4 people team from FMA PS game 'Kami wo Tsugu Shoujo'