Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Set in Stone ❯ Dante of the Deep ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter Twenty-One

Dante of the Deep

 

`What you are, we were,

And what we are, you will become.'

Anonymous

 

A large transmutation circle was imprinted on the roof and glowed a faint red. It was a design Ed had never seen before, yet one that somehow seemed familiar.

 

The city didn't stop at the wall. The wall was merely a means to hide their most precious, most deadly treasure. There in the middle of the large array, there was a courtyard; and there, in the middle of the pillars that marked the edge of the courtyard stood a pedestal with a cushion placed on its top. There on the cushion, glowing a faint red was the very thing Edward had once staked so much on. It was the thing most sought after by all in their field. Those who hunted after it would be met with anguish and hardships. It was a lesson that Edward and Alphonse had learnt well. And when they did accomplish their dream, it had been a bitter sweet end.

 

It was the devils quest indeed.

 

Here, despite the fancy cushion and glowing transmutation circle, it looked like a rock. The Philosophers' stone, in all it's glory. Ed stared at it, in fascinated wonder, like anybody would at an object of legend. But he was surprised to find that he had no desire for the item, he no longer cared for the stone like he once had; he had decided, once and for all; that the stone wasn't worth the trouble it caused. Granted it had saved his life and he doubted that if he and Al had never obtained it, that Al would be out of the armor. But he also thought that without the stone he wouldn't have ended up where he was now, and where he was now was not such a desirable place.

 

He was curious, however, as to the purpose of this small red rock. It was much smaller than the one that Scar had made in Lior, it was more solid, and glowed less brightly. Perhaps the Ishbalan theory was different to the one he had been brought up on. The one in his father's books, more than likely, the one that this town had used.

 

His head snapped around as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He climbed the stairs on the side of the wall and was once again on the roof. He noticed that the power in the city was out and he frowned in curiosity. Then, as he watched, a burst of flame leapt across the city, right where Eckhart was staying.

 

A grin slowly spread across his face, as he began to hear the shouts and noises of a fight. Finally, Mustang was there. He walked back into the courtyard, and after a moments deliberation, he reached out and picked up the stone. It weighed a lot more than what it looked like it should, but he had almost expected that. He placed the stone in his pocket, and turned from the courtyard, without a second glance.

 

As he walked back down the streets, at a fast pace, but not a run; he came to the realization that in his pocket he held the lives of all the people in this town. He stopped suddenly, near the house that his father had lived in and he turned his head towards it. His half-brother had grown up in that house, he had died in that house, and chances were, that he was reborn in the same house. Ed wondered what had happened first, had the Philosophers' stone been created, and then Envy resurrected, or did it happen the other way around, or at the same time? There was so much he didn't know, and he made a note to ask Hoenheim about it, once this entire mess was sorted out. With his hopes high, and his thoughts finally becoming cheerful he headed back down the road.

 

Finally, things were beginning to go right.

 

 

Mustang made his way through the empty streets; Alphons by his side. The sound of their boots clicking as they walked was a welcome distraction from the noises that could be heard throughout the city. Mustang guessed that the sounds to the left of them were Armstrong, Breda and Sig rounding up the last of the Germans, and that the noises behind and to the right of him were the curses of the already captured groups. He looked left and right, down the dark alleys and quickly through the houses, but none of them were occupied. It seemed that the Germans had chosen to live in houses near the chapel, perhaps for an easy access point, perhaps for another reason.

 

They had yet to find Edward, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to worry, even if it was only the slightest bit. He knew Ed could take care of himself but surely their beginning signal had attracted his attention, or maybe gluttony's scream, or the sound of Al and Envy's fight. He had left Hoenheim to take care of the homunculus, after deciding that he was definitely capable. And once again, he had to admit, he was impressed.

 

Never before had he seen an Alchemist with such a talent. He knew that Ed and Izumi could transmute without a circle by clapping their hands together but Hoenheim didn't even need to do that. By touching his fingers and palms together in a sort-of one handed clap, he could change the elements in the atmosphere to create ice figures or spikes and he was holding his own against Envy easily. He wondered briefly how the three of them had obtained the ability to transmute without a circle. He knew that both Edward and Izumi had attempted Human Transmutation, but then again so had Al and he doubted Hoenheim had done that.

 

Before he could ponder more on the subject however, another pair of footsteps joined their own, they were lighter and quicker, and the footsteps sounded more like Hawkeyes' did when she walked then his own heavy steps. He raised his hand in readiness, and Alphons saw him do so, getting ready for a fight himself. However when the figure turned the corner he abandoned all will to fight. She saw them as she turned her head, looking up and down the streets the same way they were, but froze when she laid eyes on them. A heartwarming smile spread across her face and she dropped the folds of her dress, running towards the pair, much to Mustang's confusion, and threw her arms around Alphons's neck, pushing the two of them back slightly. “Oh Alphons,” She cried, her voice muffled in his shirt. “Oh, you have no idea how good it is to see you.”

 

“I don't know about that, Noa.” Alphonse answered, hugging her tightly, and spinning, placing her back on the ground and pulling back to study her face. Her eyes were glistening with tears and he smiled at her, nodding at Mustang subtly that she wasn't an enemy. Noa threw her arms around Alphons's neck again.

 

“I thought you were dead, when Edward said he hadn't seen you after the attack, and you had been shot and I…oh Al.” She couldn't say what she wanted fast enough and just gave up, holding him as though she'd never let go. But finally she did a look of remembrance on her face. “Edward!” She said, suddenly, “Have you seen him?” Alphons shook his head.

 

“You don't know where he is?” She drew back, at arms length, but reluctant to let go of his hand.

 

“I haven't seen him since dinner yesterday. I fell asleep last night and he was gone this morning. I heard fighting and I've been expecting it so I've been looking for him everywhere. I think he may be up at the house.” She turned her head to the large house that Al, Maria and Wrath had been positioned at and turned back to the two men. “He goes there a lot…” She grabbed Al's hand and dragged him in the direction she'd been going. “Come on, it'll only take a few minutes to look. He stays away from a lot of the rooms.”

 

“Are you coming Mustang?” Alphons asked, as he walked away with Noa. He stopped walking and Noa stopped too when Mustang raised his hand, snapping three times, one after the other, causing three bursts of flame to rise up into the sky, much like their starting signal. He smirked at them.

 

“I figured it was time to be heading back up to the surface. Armstrong won't leave until he's sure everyone's captured, but anyone else around will be heading back up now.” He followed Alphons and Noa to the large building on the hill, and he was surprised to see Wrath there when they arrived. “What are you doing here?” He asked. Wrath had gone one way while he and Alphons had gone another, both groups searching for Ed while Fuery and Havoc took Al to the medic team waiting on the surface.

 

“Looking for Edward.” Wrath answered looking at the house. “I figured that he might've been to this house.” He grinned warily, “After all, it's not like it's discreet. If he found it, then he'd probably come back.” Noa opened the door while they were talking.

 

“He only ever goes into the son's room, and the father's study.” She explained her voice slightly hushed. “And the cellar.” She added. “Edward?” She called out, running up the stairs quickly and leaving the three of them in the entrance hall.

 

“Who's that?” Wrath asked seemingly disinterestedly.

 

“That's-” Alphons began but his sentence was cut off by a large explosion and Mustang ran to the still open door, looking out upon the city below.

 

“There,” Wrath pointed out, to where they could see the distant figures of Hoenheim and Envy, still fighting and a smoking crater in the ground near them. “I bet he punched the floor.” Wrath said. “He does that when he's angry.”

 

“Look!” Alphons said, pointing a little to the left of the pair, at another obviously golden head. “It's Ed. Noa!” He called, out and she ran down the stairs before he had the chance to turn and fetch her.

 

“I know, I saw.” She clutched a book to her chest, and when Alphons glanced questioningly at it she shoved it in the bag that was slung over her shoulder, heading out the door after Mustang and Wrath. “It's something Edward would appreciate I keep for him.” She explained to Alphons's questioning glance. “It's an important item of his brothers.” But that was all she said, and as the group rushed down to meet Edward, Hoenheim and Envy, they didn't think that it could be anybody but Alphonse.

 

 

Hoenheim caused another Ice figure to seemingly appear from no where, and stopped the enraged Envy for a few moments, and finally, seeing his opportunity, pulled a box from his coat and pressing it onto Envy's outstretched arm, which was in the shape of a point. The box was impaled and Envy suddenly found he couldn't move. “What?” He mumbled angrily, his complexion fading and his body beginning to crackle with alchemic ability, unable to hold the created personality in his current state of weakness. “What have you done?” He snarled, glaring at Hoenheim and gritting his teeth.

 

“If you thought I didn't still know where his grave was…” Hoenheim said, turning away from the bright violet eyes and wiping his brow, sitting down as his old age caught up with him.

 

“My grave.” Envy snarled, but Hoenheim shook his head from the rubble he was seated on.

 

“You are not my son,” he said, somewhat regretfully. “You're simply a reminder of what I've lost.” Envy snarled at him, still trying to move fruitlessly, the crackling still surrounding his body and slowly changing his features.

 

“Then why did you create me?” He asked angrily. Hoenheim smiled softly, in a cynical fashion.

 

“I was foolish,” He replied quietly. “I believed I could succeed where others had failed…you know the result.” He raised his head to face Envy, but quickly lowered his eyes after seeing the golden hair that Envy now possessed; effectively missing the glare Envy sent him.

 

“You have me at your mercy now,” Envy said, something in the admittance that almost caused Hoenheim to wince. “If I was such an accident why don't you destroy me now?”

 

Hoenheim sighed. `I'm not a murderer.” Envy laughed harshly, his jaw crackling as it also changed shape to a less feminine structure.

 

“But all those bodies you've occupied over the years? You'll gladly take their lives because it's to your benefit, but you can't end my miserable existence?” Hoenheim didn't answer and the grin fell from Envy's face, replaced by a scowl. “Coward.” He spat.

 

“…you're miserable?” Hoenheim asked, almost at the same time.

 

Envy snarled. “Of course not. I don't feel emotion other than the sins of the world. I'm gluttonous; I'm lazy; I'm greedy; I'm hateful; I lust for blood, for power; I'm proud; but most of all I want everything you've ever owned. I want everything you have, I'm the most envious person you'll ever meet,” There was an insane grin on his face as he said this, and the crackling light had disappeared, leaving Envy in the form he had been created to be, the small box fitting around his fingers. “Most of all, I'm jealous.”

 

“Jealous of what?” Envy's now golden eyes flitted to where the voice had come from and a growl fell from his lips as he saw Edward Elric, walking towards Hoenheim.

 

“Edward…” Hoenheim muttered the exhaustion showing through in his voice. Ed reached his side but didn't look at him; his attention was focused instead on Envy, now in the form that had once cost Edward victory. Envy snarled again.

 

“I don't need to explain myself to you.” He said a threatening tone to his deep voice. Ed could see, out the corner of his eye, Mustang, Wrath, Alphons and Noa approaching and wondered curiously where Al was.

 

“I thought that maybe you'd grown up in poverty, without friends, or you'd been neglected by you parents.” He said in a calm quiet voice. “But you weren't. You had more money than me, a lot more. You had friends, a girlfriend, your country wasn't even ravaged by war, and your parents stood by you for almost everything that I know of your life. I can't figure out, for the life of me what you could possibly be jealous of.”

 

“Well I suppose you'll never know.” A silky voice said, the shadows in the doorway of one of the houses changing shape. Eckhart emerged from the shadows, and Hoenheim stood up again as she moved towards Envy, quickly removing the box from his fingers, opening it and discarding the remains inside the crater in the floor, covering it with rocks and gravel. “I didn't expect you to stoop so low Hoenheim of Light, as to desecrate the poor boys grave.” She spared a glance in Envy's direction, him having already changed back to his preferred form.

 

“It's surprising how low human beings will sink,” Hoenheim said, a meaningful flash of his eyes.

 

She smiled the eerie smile that always got on Edwards nerves. “Do you see yet that this was never going to work?” Ed asked her, and she slowly turned her head his way.

 

“What wasn't going to work Edward?” She asked the false sweetness dripping from her voice as she faced the group that had collected there. She and Envy were outmatched 3 to 1, but she didn't seem to care.

 

“This whole bomb idea. You'd have been better of creating another homunculus and getting him to infiltrate the military.” He grinned lightly. “I think it's time you admitted you're not going to live forever.” The smile on Eckhart's face changed drastically until she wore a crude, unpleasant expression.

 

“Finally caught on have you Edward.” She flashed her violet eyes at him and he realised then that her eyes had changed from the mellow colour they had previously been. “You were more intelligent as a child.” She smiled her eerie smile again and continued. “You may outnumber me, but you do not outmatch me.” Hoenheim walked forward until he was ahead of the group and standing but a few feet from `Eckhart'.

 

“You wouldn't hurt me, would you Dante?” He asked, causing Envy to growl.

 

“The woman you knew is gone.” He said a smug look on his face. “There's nothing she won't do.” She moved forward and closed the space between them, her hand rising slowly and cupping one side of his face.

 

“He's right you know. We could've been great Hoenheim of Light. We could have lived forever, side by side.” She said, in a quiet voice that still reached everyone's ears. Ed childishly poked his tongue out at Mustang in pretend disgust.

 

“I've no wish to live forever, Dante.” He answered, stepping back as she let her hand drop. “I've lived enough lifetimes; I've stolen enough people's lives.” He glanced up at her once again, and backed up to where Mustang, Wrath, and Alphons were preparing for a fight, Noa was looking like she wanted to but unsure, and Edward was merely watching on calmly.

 

“I can fix that for you,” She said, smirking, as she moved to bring her hands together. But before anyone else had the chance to react, Edward spoke loudly.

 

“No, you wouldn't want to do that.” He said, pulling something out of his pocket. “You know well what happens if you were to use alchemy around this,” He held the glowing red rock in his hand for all to see, and Mustang and Wrath stared in surprise. “I should know, you threatened it with me once.”

 

“Where did you find that?” Dante snarled her calm demeanor changed significantly in less than a few seconds.

 

“Where you left it,” He said a victorious smile on his face. “You give me back that bomb, and I'll give you this,” He ignored the shocked sounds of protest behind him and continued. “Then maybe you can live your life for a few more pathetic years.” He said a surprisingly large amount of spite behind the statement.

 

Dante gritted her teeth in frustration, a furious expression on her face, but all the same ordered Envy to go and retrieve the bomb. Envy glared lightly, but did it all the same, returning within minutes with the said item while Ed quietly argued with Mustang.

 

“Are you insane Fullmetal?” Mustang whispered quickly. “The kind of power the woman will have with that item!”

 

“She's not going to do any damage with it. She just wants it so she can survive.” Ed answered back.

 

“For god's sake Fullmetal, she's not old, she's got many years ahead of her to cause plenty of damage before she'll need the thing to…do what exactly?” He asked.

 

“For Christ's sake Ed, how's she going to cheat death?” Alphons asked, joining the conversation.

 

“Ask Hoenheim.” Wrath said, his arms folded, looking very disinterested with the whole think. All eyes turned to Hoenheim and he sighed.

 

“Using the stone she can transfer her soul to someone else's body. Not unlike Edward did with Alphonse's. She's been doing it for many years now, she's over 400.” He admitted. “I agree with Edward, we'd be better off getting this weapon before she can cause another war and giving her the stone. She won't last much longer anyway, no matter how many bodies she occupies. The soul can't live forever in this world and it's slowly rotting her body.” Mustang, despite his bewilderment with the entire idea, continued to point out the flaws with giving the stone to her.

 

“Well if she uses the stone to get another body won't it reverse the entire rotting process?” Hoenheim shook his head.

 

“It will, but not for long. That's why she's so desperate for stones, because while she's changing bodies her soul is wearing away faster and faster.”

 

“How do you know this?” Mustang asked, watching out of the corner of his eye as Envy returned with the strange looking object. “How can you guarantee her body will rot?”

 

Hoenheim sighed, and with a glance in Ed's direction he lifted his sleeve, revealing his own rotting arm. “Because this body is rotting away as well, and I haven't occupied anywhere near half as many as she has.” Mustang couldn't do anything but stare.

 

 

Al sat up with a gasp, surprising Havoc, who was sitting beside him. “You're awake.” He exclaimed. “You gave us a fright collapsing like that.”

 

“I remember.” Al said over him, barely contained excitement in his voice. “I remember everything, and…oh my god.” He looked around wildly as Havoc digested the news. “Where are we?” Al asked.

 

“That's great! You really remember? How?” Havoc asked. But Al quickly stood up from the makeshift bed he was laying on, spotting in the distance the Brosh family. Maria waved at him, a bandage wrapped around her head, and it was then he noticed that he himself was covered in strips of white dressing. They were wrapped around his chest, leg and he could feel smaller ones stuck on his face. “Alphonse?” Havoc asked curiously.

 

“How long have I been out?” Al asked instead.

 

“About 20 minutes.” Havoc guessed with a shrug, “The doctors are surprisingly fast.” He explained. “Hey, where are you going?” He asked as Al headed towards the underground city entrance.

 

“Are you coming? Don't even try to stop me going down, I can be as stubborn as brother sometimes.” Havoc glanced around cautiously, looking for either Hawkeye or Izumi, neither of whom would agree with allowing the injured man back down into the battle zone.

 

“Just don't get hurt okay?” he reasoned. “Because it's my ass they'll kick.” Al laughed as they headed down into Lebis, quickly arriving at the area of the town he had collapsed in.

 

“What the hell happened here?” Havoc asked, spotting the slightly new crater in the middle of the floor.

 

“Brother!” Al called, running down towards the group, Havoc following him shortly. Ed turned at the call, and a grin spread across his face before he was knocked back from a kick from Envy. “Oops, sorry.” Al called. He took the scene before him in while he ran towards them.

 

There was a woman he didn't recognise, whom he assumed was Eckhart, trying to fight against both Mustang and Hoenheim. She wasn't faring too well but he noticed, from where he was standing, that she was slowly making her way towards a strange looking machine. He thought it looked like a round kite with a few more additions either side, at the front, and at the back. (1) Ed was fighting Envy, trying to stop the enraged homunculus from reaching who a tanned girl who at first glance he thought was Rose. After another more investigative look, he was surprised to see that the woman was holding a red stone, and he recognised at once the same glow that had once been inside his iron body.

 

“A philosophers stone…” He said, awed, and it was then that he noticed Wrath and Alphons were hovering close to her as well, prepared to fight Envy if Ed couldn't handle it. Al grinned finally reaching them, and punching Envy hard in the face, making him stumble back.

 

“Al!” Ed called, half in confusion.

 

“That's for murdering my brother.” Al said, then punched him again, “That's for murdering Hughes.” Mustang turned to stare at Al in surprise before his face changed to anger.

 

“What!” He exclaimed. But Al punched Envy again, ignoring Mustangs shout.

 

“That's for rubbing it in my face;” - again - “that's for only-god-knows what else you've done to my family.” He punched him twice more before Envy fell to the floor and Ed moved to Al's side, grinning widely.

 

“You sure know how to hold a grudge Al.” He laughed. Al turned to him however, with a glare on his face and the grin disappeared, the laugh stopped in its tracks. “What? You look like you're gonna hit me too.”

 

“I'd like to.” He replied shortly. “Why didn't you tell me?” He demanded.

 

“…tell you…what?” Ed asked, confused. Al pointed at the now rising Envy.

 

“About him!” He said. Ed frowned, and then sighed.

 

“Oh,” he said quietly. “I guess…I didn't want to believe it myself and telling you…would've made it a reality. Well now you know anyway. When did you remember?” He asked, but Envy interrupted them, wiping his mouth with his arm.

 

“Sorry to interrupt the family reunion,” he said in a completely unapologetic voice. “I know curiosity killed the cat, but what were the last two punches for?” He asked.

 

“One was for being a bastard and because I don't like you and the other was for my brother.” Havoc laughed behind him.

 

“You already got him for that Al.” But Al shook his head.

 

“Not Ed…” Envy laughed at that, but he didn't say anything, Havoc and Alphons just looked surprised and confused.

 

“Dante's taken over Eckhart's body.” Ed explained quietly. “This guy,” he nodded his head in Envy's direction, “Has been living a lie long enough. I need a circle.” Al nodded and ran around the other side of Envy as he lunged once again at Ed.

 

“I'll kill you, and then I'll get the rest of the family. Or perhaps I should make you watch.” He turned at a clap behind him and a blue light began to glow under the ground they were standing, soon a large transmutation circle had been carved from the stone. “What the…” He began before he found that he couldn't move and he turned his eyes to Ed's direction. Ed held out his palm, a grin on his face, and Envy saw golden hair in his hand.

 

“I paid a visit to your house.” Ed explained. “And I found some interesting things. There was a baby book, and in it, there was this.” Envy looked towards his arm and saw the few hairs that were there, rendering him completely helpless. Ed stepped outside the circle and clapped his hands together, the sound resounded throughout the block, and he pressed them to the circle, silently praying to whoever it was that was listening that his alchemy would work. He closed his eyes and concentrated and soon enough he heard the sound of retching - as unpleasant as it was - and opened his eyes to see that Envy was throwing up the red stones in his body.

 

“No!” Ed heard the cry from Dante but he continued anyway. “No! That's my son, Hoenheim stop him!” Despite not being able to look at the sight, at the same time Hoenheim couldn't stop it. “That's your son you bastard stop him! You monster!” She cried at Ed. “He's your brother; you murdered your own brother!” Mustang held her back as she yelled at Ed until the thing that had once been Envy was nothing more than a fast evaporating red puddle. She wrenched herself from Mustang's grip and ran to the plane that Al had seen when he was heading down and placed the bomb in an already prepared pocket.

 

Her eyes glinted dangerously, and she started the plane, spinning the propeller and the plane began to move forward slowly. “What the hell are you doing?” Ed asked, running forward to try and stop it, as well as Alphons, those two and Hoenheim the only ones who were aware of what it would do.

 

“I'll destroy you all, murderer.” She said, a deadly tone to her voice and an insane grin spreading across her face.

 

“You'll destroy yourself!” Ed yelled, reaching the plane and jumping on just as it began to lift up, he got into the pilots' seat as the plane wobbled dangerously, heading up and up towards nearing houses roofs. (2)

 

“Brother!” Al called out, as Ed clapped his hands together and placed them on the small bomb, the thing fell apart in his hands and the plane rose higher as he directed it up, half blinded by the wind. He raised it up further and further until it was nearly at the roof of the large city and then he jumped. He plummeted closer to the ground at an alarming rate when he suddenly landed in a large net, a hard net.

 

“Ow…” He sat up and saw Alphonse's grinning face.

 

“I had to mix some rubble with it to make up some more space.” He explained. “What was that?” he looked up to the roof as the plane crashed into and exploded in a great burst of flame and smoke. But before he had the chance to answer Dante came out of the shadows, a gun in her hand and pointed it at Ed.

 

“You…you…” she couldn't think of anything, her hand shook. “You've ruined everything!” She screamed, “You - insolent - bastard! You've outlived your usefulness.” She said in a cold slow voice. And before anybody could react, or reach her to knock away the gun she pressed the trigger.

 

There was an echoing shot, a gasp of surprise, then…darkness and silence.

 

 

March 2nd

 

I asked Monique to take me outside to see the stars one last time. They were indeed just as I remembered them. As I stared out into their depths, once again my thoughts drifted to just how little I matter. It is as Mothers theory states: “All is one, one is all,” Even if I die all that remains are the chemicals my body is made of. Where does my soul go after death? Where do we come from? Will we return there? Where will we go?

 

After all this time in bed with not much else but the knowledge that I am soon to no longer exist in this world I've had a lot of time to think. I know these thoughts aren't necessarily cheerful, and I know that I'm soon going to perish, but I can't help but be curious as to what awaits me.

 

Many say that death is merely the beginning, that life is hardly the first step; yet some say we are reincarnated and after each step of life we proceed to something better; and there are even more farfetched theories. There are questions you can ponder until the day you die and still not receive an answer. Are you given a choice? Is there a heaven, or a hell? Who can know surely?

 

All these thoughts and more raced through my head as I sat under the stars with Monique until the energy to sit deserted me and she brought me to the family room, where I now sit. The fire is still crackling and Fathers whisky is on the table, nearly empty. Mother and Father have indeed been taking it hard. What must it be like to lose one's only child? I suppose I'll never know, not in this lifetime anyway.

 

I'm becoming increasingly worried about Mothers mental state; she's not acting at all like herself. I hear her and Father talking in hushed voices when they think I'm asleep and I fear they plan to do something incredibly stupid.

 

I know, to a certain extent, a lot about alchemy, about equivalent exchange and the rules when transmuting. Every so often you hear of an alchemist who attempted Human Transmutation…only to fail miserably. Not one has succeeded to create anything more than a fleeting shadow of what is supposed to be a human being. Not one has yet survived. This has deterred many alchemists from straying down that path but always the failures continue to pile up. Arrogant people who think they can do better than predecessors who have tried. Some have pure intentions but none have pleasant results. I know that when you lose someone close to you, you will try almost anything, just to see their face again.

 

I hope against hope that my assumptions are wrong and Mother and Father don't turn to that as a last resort to `save me'. As much as I don't want to die, I certainly don't want to come back at the expense of their lives. Surely they have the brains not to attempt it? They have each other and they can always have more children. Don't get me wrong, you musn't think I enjoy the predicament I'm in, bit I fear their deaths more than my own.

 

I think I heard Father say the with the Philosophers Stone Human Transmutation may be possible, and while I agree with him, chasing the Stone is an even more ridiculously impossible notion. I've heard rumors of the untimely deaths that those who seek the Stone suffer in their journey, and I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. People are beginning to name it “The devils errand”.

 

Either of these choices is dangerous and I once again hope against hope that the ridiculous thoughts are all in my head for I'd rather be paranoid than right. However I fear otherwise.

 

There are so many reasons I want to live and once again I dwell on how life can be so cruel. I wish to leave you with some words of wisdom - for this will be my last entry - but they escape me. These things don't suddenly materialize when asked for it seems. I don't, however, wish to have some inspiring famous last words which are all people remember me for. I don't wish for anything wittingly humorous to be put as my epitaph. What would it say anyway? “I told you I was sick,” “Well this sucks”? Certainly not for these don't explain me at all.

 

I want to be remembered for who I was, not what I said in my last minutes. I want to be remembered for who I am. Do you know who I am? I am not a name, I am not a face, and I am not a few clever words. I consist of a mind, a body, and a soul, that it what I am, but who? I am - in every sense of the word - me. The only son of Dante and Hoenheim Elric; in the year 1537 anyway.

 

Just me.

 

Goodbye dear journal, sweet world. Goodbye Annabelle, Don, Raff, Mother and Father, and everybody else. No matter how much I've tried to avoid it my death is upon me, somewhere I've found the energy to write this last entry, because this journal has become important to me. I resisted the urge to burn it, and that in itself is something to be proud of. These are my final words, this is my parting message.

 

This has been my life, I found it worth living.

`Dying is natures way of saying “Hey, you're not alive anymore!”'

 

(1) I don't know how to explain one of those old planes, I also (refer to footnote #2) do not know how they work lol.

(2) Wow, planes actually do that? Have I been living under a rock? Lol. I had a dream about planes actually. I was on one and I crashed and I died and then I was lying there after it with my eyes closed and I was like OMG OMG OMG I'm dead, I'm dead. And then I opened up my eyes and I was like OMG I'M NOT DEAD LOL.

 

I lost my wallet this weekend, and then found it again which was good because it had my bank card in it which has like $400 or something on it. I wanted to go shopping but I only got it back off Mickey D's this arvo so no chance of that. OMG I saw Boytown at the movies yesterday, that's a funny movie. I especially like the song about “That special time of the month.” Lol. I think it's an Australian movie though so I don't know if it'll just be released in Oz and NZ or what. I'm getting that album though lol. Well this is the longest chapter I've written so far, and I'm pretty sure that it's the one that's taken me the longest to post lol.

 

Phe: Let's pretend that the comment was there and that I wrote a large interesting reply to the comment. Lol…what was the ending quote *goes back and checks* Yes that's a good one, found it recently. Funny thing is I own a tarot deck and i…okay I can't play poker, I had to for our maths probability assignment lol. That's if we're talking about the same quote anyway. I like this ending one…so stupid. P.S. Do you hate the cliffy or what. You think you know what's going to happen…but you don't!!!

 

Misa92: Yeah, don't think I'd like it much if you killed yourself lol. I hate when the ps2 stops working or something. I want to chuck it before I realise it wont help. Still haven't found the paints…hmmm…where could they be? Nah, it's not a poisonous snake, it's a children's python or something. But I liked the first one better. We think that the person minding her house while she was in England ate it. Lol. They blocked youtube at our school, bastards, they block everything - although not ff.net which I thought was surprising considering some of the stuff that's on it lol. The Ironic story was meant to be sad so perhaps you cried…sorry. Lol.

 

Uniasus: Is that paper master thing from Read or Die? I heard that was a good series but I can't watch it and can't afford to read the manga cuz I'm scungy and can't be bothered paying lol. I'll go into the store and just read it and leave Muahahahaha. Wooh! Shiny present! Lol, I'm like a magpie. Heheh when you said a valley full of flowers I just got this image of that female Armstrong running through the fields going “Won't you come frolic in the fields with me Lieutenant Havoc?” And damn! How did you know! Eh, I suppose it was rather predictable. I wrote that he found something and then I had to think of something that he found lol. Probably should have thought that one through.