3Okay. Where to start... Um, school, work...yeah. That pretty much explains the lack of personal time, a.k.a. writing time. I was really hoping to get this posted sooner, but life decided to throw large tests, a college-level essay, and work after school on most days and on the weekends at me. All in nearly one go. *Sigh* But, here it is. Chapter 4. My favorite chapter of this story (so far). Enjoy! ^^
Disclaimer: Uh, yeah. I got nothing but my laptop. But even that was bought by my Dad and under his name. So I guess I just use it? Pooh...
Soul Of The Guardian
Chapter 4
Golden eyes fluttered opened, lazily staring at the ceiling. A strange feeling washed over him, making him shiver lightly.
'I wonder how much stranger today is going to be compared to yesterday. I mean, I thought Alchemy was supposed to be impossible on this side of the Gate.' Ed thought as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his left hand.
'Maybe some places in this world allow the energy needed for Alchemy to run both ways...But then does that mean that there are a lot of deaths occurring, not being trapped in some stone, on the other side?' Ed thought worriedly before a knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
Ed didn't bother moving as he yelled, "Come in!" Al's head popped in the slightly ajar door, coming in and quietly closing the door behind him.
"Is something wrong, Al?" Ed asked, propping himself up with his elbows.
"Brother, about yesterday...I think something bad is going on around here." Al said, getting straight to the point. He took a step forward and added, his voice slightly more urgent, "Alchemy isn't supposed to be used on this side of the Gate and yet somehow you were able to transmutate your arm!" Al exclaimed, flailing his arms about as if using them to emphasize his point.
Ed sat up completely, making room for Al to sit next to him on his bed. Al took notice and did so.
"Brother, do you think it's a bad idea to stay here? What if there's something here that may allow someone to open another Gate into our world? What if we somehow have something to do with it?" Al whispered, searching Ed for some reaction. He only remained silent as he thought about what Al had said. After a moment, Ed finally sighed and nodded.
"Alright, alright. We'll pack up our stuff and leave tonight, okay?" Ed asked as he sat up straight and yawned, stretching out the kinks in his back. Al's frown melted into a smile as he nodded vigorously. He hopped off the bed and walked over to the door. Before he opened it to leave, he turned back to face his brother.
"Thanks, Brother. It was nice to take a break, but I think we should make our way over to the West Coast for some research on hydroelectric technology then swing back to Massachusetts to see the first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn." Al said before leaving the room.
Ed let out a sigh and let himself fall back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling once again.
"Al's right. We should get ready for our journey." A smile spread across his lips as he felt his excitement grow. He couldn't wait to see that launch! The growl of his stomach broke him from his thoughts of how the rocket would be and its first flight.
He grinned and sat up, placing a hand over his stomach, "Guess I should eat first. After that Al and I will let the Hills know about our departure tonight."
With that, Ed got up and took his shower. When he was done, he got dressed into that day's outfit, the same as his brown one but only a lighter shade, and made his way downstairs.
"So, how was your sleep?" A voice asked from the bottom of the stairs. Ed looked up and smiled at a rather cheerful Teri. Today she was wearing a light blue knee high skirt and dark blue flats. Her dark blue sleeveless top made her dark brown eyes stand out, her braided brown hair hung gracefully behind her back.
"Um, it was great?" He answered, a little confused. "Why?"
"Oh, no reason. Just thought I'd ask." She smiled and entered the kitchen.
Ed blinked and looked around the room for a moment. Something felt amiss, but he couldn't put his finger on it. 'Oh well.' He thought as he shrugged his shoulders and proceeded into the kitchen.
Ed was greeted by Teri's parents and Al who was already halfway through his eggs and bacon.
"Good morning everyone." Ed smiled back as he sat down for breakfast. It wasn't long until one of the maids brought over his food. He thanked her and, much to his disgust, she gave him a slightly surprised expression. How could these people not at least thank their staff? At least Teri had the decency to do so, but the parents... Ed shook his head and decided to just let it go. There was nothing he could do and besides, it wasn't his place to say what these people could and couldn't do. With a silent exhale of breath, Ed dug into his food.
After a few moments he stopped eating and put down his fork. Everyone looked up at him. For the first time he had been there, they all had noticed that he never stopped in the middle of eating his food. He would always wait until he was done to say or do something.
"Um, Al and I have something to tell you." He began, glancing at his brother who nodded. Al put down his fork and stood up.
"We're planning to leave tonight. We've been enough of a burden on you and thank you for your generosity, but it's about time we continued on our journey." Al told them, a sad smile on his face.
Mrs. Hills smiled and nodded in understanding. Mr. Hills looked between the boys, a small hint of surprise and even anxiety in his eyes.
"So soon? We don't mind you staying for at least another day." He told them, forcing a smile as he tried to hide his nervousness. They couldn't be allowed to leave before the preparations were complete.
"Yeah! Why don't you at least stay for the town's monthly barn dance? It's sponsored by my parents to keep the town's moral up when times get rough or even when they're not, considering how small this town is." Teri explained as she did a small twirl with excitement, having already finished her food. She always loved going to parties. Being in a small town, one makes do with what they have, including monthly parties to spice things up a bit.
"Everyone's gonna be there." She added, really trying to get them to go. These two had been the first travelers to their small town in more than a few months. She wanted to spend time with them as much as she could before they left.
The two brothers looked at each other, smiling after a moment. Ed turned back to her and answered, "Sure! Why not?"
He grinned as she lept nearly three feet into the air. Mrs. Hill smiled at her daughter's excitement. Mr. Hill merely sat there, chin resting on his propped up, interlaced fingers. He let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that things would indeed go according to plan after all.
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"Remember," Teri told them in mock seriousness as she dragged Ed by the sleeve of his shirt, Al following behind with a smile, "Just have fun and enjoy the party while you can, alright?"
"Yeah! I got it! I got it." Ed mumbled, trying to get his sleeve loose from her rather tight grip. Being in a small town, it didn't take long to make it through the many houses to the town's large barn where the party was. It was nearly in the center of town, the town's park directly center.
"Would you slow down already? My legs can barely keep up!" Ed laughed as he tried to stay in step with her. Suddenly she slowed down, making him look up and around.
People he had seen around town and many others were gathered in one spot, partying to their hearts content. Teri's expression brightened even more as she flagged down some of her friends from school.
Two girls about Teri's age broke from the crowd and joined them.
"Ed, Al, these are my two best friends, Rebecca Rice and Melissa Blacksmith. I'm sure you can guess what business their parents run." Teri joked as she introduced the girls to the Heiderich Brothers.
The boys blushed as they shook hands. Rebecca was a tall, blond teen who loved the color green, wearing a dress of the color emerald which matched her eyes beautifully. Her green high heels made her a little taller, making her one inch taller than Ed and two inches shorter than Al.
Melissa was a quiet brunette, wearing a simple yellow cotton dress that flared out a little as it fell just an inch above the floor. Her yellow high heels made her stand just a few inches shorter than Ed, making the near-adult a little happier that someone, even with height added, was still shorter than him even if that someone was a girl.
"Well, girls? It looks like we should party, seeing as how these two fine young men will be leaving after the party." Rebecca grinned, turning to the now blushing brothers. She gave them a wink, only causing them to blush harder.
Before they could even try to think of a way out, the three girls dragged them off into the crowd. It didn't take long for the country music to erase their concerns and allow them to let loose as they danced.
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When the clock within the empty-barn-turned-dance-hall rang at ten, everyone slowly stopped dancing or general partying and began to leave, saying their goodbyes as they headed home.
"Sorry, usually the party goes later, but tomorrow is the annual start day for the two week period of harvesting." Teri apologized as they slowly made their way out of the barn. Rebecca and Melissa waved to them before going their separate ways to their homes.
"That's okay. Brother and I should be leaving soon." Al smiled as he dragged Ed's slightly drunk ass back to the home of the Hills. Teri stopped when she noticed some blue light coming from inside the house.
Turning to Al she mentally sighed in relief, noting he was too busy with an unsober Ed to have noticed.
"Why don't you wait out here for just a moment. I have to...check to see if my parents are home first." She lied, but before Al could stop her, she had already run up to the front door and out of earshot.
Al watched silently from the edge of the property as Teri went inside. It was then that he looked up and squinted, not sure if he was just seeing things. Was there were some strange blue lights coming from inside the house?
Ed blurted out something and started laughing, forcing Al to turn his attention back to his Brother. He let out an annoyed groan as he fought to hold him up. He was heavier than he looked thanks to his hidden automail.
'There are times when I dislike Brother's automail. This would be one of them.' Al thought dryly to himself as he tried to shift Ed's weight, only to have them both crash onto the ground.
"Damn. Why'd you have to drink that beer. You should have known even just one'll get you the least bit drunk." Al sighed, laying there painfully beneath his brother. Finally he pushed him off and sat up, staring back up to the house.
"I don't think she's comin' out." Ed mumbled, rubbing his head. Al glanced back at him, a little surprised that fall had somehow sobered him enough for coherent thought and speech.
"She said she'd be right back. Just give her another minute." Al said as he gave his brother a look over, inspecting whatever damage had been done. His face fell into a sarcastic smile as he chuckled at a thought that had crossed his mind.. 'Well, damage other than brain damage from too many fights, anyway.'
Ed sat up and yawned, more than ready to just hit the hay then and there. "I don't know how much longer I can wait." Ed groaned, rubbing his temples. Then he looked at Al and sighed, "I guess we could stay the night and catch the morning train."
Al nodded, believing it would be best that his brother slept in a stationary bed then on a bumpy train as he battled the affects of a hangover. Trains and hangovers didn't go together at all. Ed, unfortunately, already knew from experience.
"Geez. She better hurry up and see if they're home or else we're going to find some other place to stay the night." Ed grumbled as he laid flat on the ground, rubbing his temples slightly harder both to ease the pain and in drunken frustration. He really needed to climb into his bed and sleep.
"It's a big house, you know." Al commented as he copied his brother's position. Instead of rubbing his temples, Al folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the stars. They were a lot easier to see in such a small, country town where there was little artificial light compared to the big cities they had been to.
"I'm going to miss staying in small town like this for a while. Think we could do this again sometime?" Al asked, turning his head to face Ed. The elder brother merely shrugged and replied tiredly, "Yeah, I suppose."
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"My dear, you know what must be done now, right?" The cloaked figure asked Teri calmly. Teri looked up with teary eyes and nodded sadly, interlacing her fingers as she brought them close to her.
"May I ask, why them? They're so nice and-" She whimpered at the woman's fierce glare and pulled away slightly. The woman's frown melted into a soft smile as she grasped the young woman's chin, pulling it to the left then right as she examined her nearly flawless face.
"You are very beautiful, Teri. Wouldn't want to mess up this pretty face." She sneered before pulling away. The cloaked woman turned around and walked up to the alter. Teri stood there for a moment, wishing more than anything that this was just a bad dream.
"Wipe those tears from your cheeks and put on a good show for the Heiderich Brothers. After all, they will be the key to something spectacular and miraculous." The woman ordered, her sneer never leaving her hidden face.
"Y-yes ma'am." Teri choked, trying to bite back her tears as she ascended the stairs from the basement.
"Yes. Soon our long halted plans will be able to go back into motion and you will rule these worlds like you were destined to." She sneered, her malicious laughter echoing in the stone-walled room, the outside world untainted by her villainous cries.
Teri closed the door behind her. She turned around only to lock eyes with her father whom she had just recently discovered was a part of this sick, evil, twisted plan. She took a step forward towards the front door when something caught her eye.
Mr. Hills' smile grew into a demented grin as his eyes took on a crazed, haunted look. Teri took a step back, brown eyes widening in fright as she cupped her hands over her mouth. Fresh tears fell down her cheeks as fright took its grip on her very being.
There before her in a pool of crimson was her mother, a deep gash on her back where blood pooled around her body.
"I would suggest not being like your disobedient mother and follow the Mistress' command." Her father warned, his wicked grin growing slightly as he held up the bloodied butcher knife in his hand.
"When everything is all set up, we will come out and do our part. You just have to get them to the location." He explained, holding up the weapon so she could see it clearly, reminding her of what could happen to her if she disobeyed like her mother had.
Teri gathered herself and turned her fear into hate as she glared at her father. "You are no father of mine." She whispered through gritted teeth, glancing sorrowfully at her dead mother before glaring even harsher at him.
He feigned being hurt, holding up his free hand to his chest, before grinning again.
"I'm not your true father. I only took his form so that I could be close to my Mistress and carry out her will. Now you will do as you were told before I kill you too and force them to that place." He told her as his face hardened when he gave her his final warning. Teri's brown eyes widened at the news. All this time this impostor had posed perfectly as her father without her or her mother noticing.
Teri wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her dress and let out a defeated sigh. "Fine." She said flatly as she made her way to the door.
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Outside, Ed and Al were half asleep by the time Teri came back out of the house.
"Guys! Before you get your stuff, there's something I want to show you." She smiled as she ran up to them, laughing slightly at their sprawled out positions on the dirt.
"Finally! I never thought you'd get out of there. Are they home?" Ed asked as he shakily got up with Al's help. "Yeah, but there's something I want to show you before you guys get your stuff and split." Teri insisted, tugging on Ed's sleeve.
Al turned to her and said, "Well, we've decided it'd be best if we stay the night and leave in the morning."
"Oh, well, I'd still like to show you tonight. It's best at night anyway." She smiled wider as she grabbed Ed's sleeve and, for the second time that night, dragged him to the place she wanted to show them. Al raced behind them, thinking about the troubled smile Teri was giving them. It was obvious she was trying to hide something. Was she sad that they were going to leave tomorrow? Al blinked. He shook his head and tried not to blush as he tried to catch up with the two.
Teri released her death grip on Ed's sleeve so suddenly he fell roughly to the ground with an undignified yelp of surprise. He let out a loud groan of discomfort as he felt his head rattle from the minor hangover.
Al laughed, saying playfully, "You knew you shouldn't have taken that beer challenge. Be thankful you only had one before I found you and dragged you away."
Ed glared at him from the ground as he sat up. Teri, with Al's help, got Ed onto his feet and they all walked over to a grassy area.
"Isn't this the town's park?" Al asked, looking around. There wasn't anything fancy, just a few bleached light blue park benches and a thin river running through the north end of the park.
"It's nice and simple." Ed smiled as he closed his eyes, arms folded behind his head as he took in a deep breath. He loved small towns like this because of their fresh air and clean skies. He also loved them because they reminded him so much of his and Al's home town where most of his happy memories originated.
Al mirrored his brother, laying opposite of him, their heads no more than a few inches apart. They laid there in silence for a few moments, relaxing in the rare cool breeze that ran through the warm air.
Teri took this time to silently, as humanly possible, get up and walk away. The farther away she got from them as possible, the better.
"Very good. Now my plan can be put into motion." A voice cackled nearby. Ed and Al both sat up and looked around for the source of the voice but couldn't find it.
"You two boys are very alert and responsive to foreign voices than the average traveler." They looked at each other. It was then they noticed the woman between them. They rolled back, trying to get away from her instinctively only to be forcefully stopped by some invisible energy-field.
"What the-" Ed growled as he turned around. His eyes widened when they laid upon Mr. Hills whose wide, demented grin sent long forgotten chills racing down his back. His eyes widened slightly when he saw a teary-eyed Teri several feet behind him.
"What's going on? Teri!" Al asked before laying eyes on their newest friend.
"I'm so sorry guys. I really didn't mean to get you into this mess. I really didn't." She cried, her legs collapsing from beneath her as she broke down into tears.
"Don't worry child. Only one of them may die." The cloaked woman laughed, watching in amusement as their expressions turned from confused to outright furious.
"What the hell are you going to do with us?" Ed demanded. A blue surge of energy suddenly coursed through him. He let out a strangled cry as pain erupted through his entire body before disappearing. Suddenly a hangover didn't sound so bad.
"Brother!" Al yelled as he raced to his brother's side, worried. When Ed confirmed he was okay with a shaky nod, Al turned to the cloaked woman and glared at her. "How dare you hurt Brother like that! And for what reason?"
The woman grinned and stepped calmly through the invisible forcefield as if didn't truly exist. It had felt so real to them, too real to be their imaginations. That alone brought them to the same conclusion. She was behind the strange situation they were in and it didn't bode well with them. Not in the least.
As she approached the two, Al tried to get between Ed and the crazy woman. "I'll deal with you later." She grinned even wider, shoving him away with ease. Al could only watch from his position a few feet to the side as she bent down in front of his brother and lifted up Ed's head with a quite old and fragile hand. 'Her hands are so decrepit and yet she sounds so young!' Al thought as he glared at her.
Anger told him to get up and get her away from Ed, but fear rooted his body to the ground. All he could do at the moment was watch the cloaked woman go through with her plan. If he could figure out what she was planning to do before things got too bad, then maybe he could do something. Until he figured it out, though, he was as helpless as a newborn kitten.
From under her coat she pulled out the same pendant Mr. Hills had showed them the day before. Ed's eyes widened as he stared into the pendant as it glowed brighter and brighter. His eyes soon glowed nearly the same color before he snapped his head to the side, closing them tight. Silent tears fled his closed eyes as he fought the intruding pain.
"There is no hiding from my Master's power, child." The woman sneered before forcing Ed onto his feet, yanking him up by the front of his shirt. Ed grunted from the sudden force and, with the pain slowly spreading and growing throughout his body, all he could do was comply.
Al stopped mid-step, deciding to take action instead of just watch and wait, when Ed let out a cry of pain. His whole body was shaking as he held his hands up to his head. The woman pulled away, cackling at the sight of Ed's pain. If there was one thing she loved, other than getting her way, was watching any creature who she believed to be inferior to her, squirm and scream in pain.
"Brother?" Al asked weakly, scared and unsure of what to do. The woman lept inhumanly fast from her spot next to Ed to behind the forcefield, watching in excitement as her plan unfolded perfectly before her.
Traces of light began to appear on his mid-forearms and glowed from beneath his pants near his lower legs. His screams of pain grew louder as he pulled his hands away from his head to around his upper torso.
A bright light tore through his shirt, revealing two circles, a smaller one within the larger of the two. Three points like the tip of an arrow broke the large circle's otherwise flawless curves. Between each base-less triangle were small, straight lines, reaching out of the circle like the points did. Finally a smaller one appeared on his forehead. They all died down until only blood remained where the light had once been.
Ed's screams finally fell silent and his whole body collapsed to the ground in a heap of pain. Al didn't waste a moment, racing to his brother's barely-conscious side. Tears of uncertainty and fear poured down the younger one's cheeks as he held his brother's head in his lap.
In a sudden fit of rage, Al whipped his head to the woman and glared at her. "What did you do to him? What do these marks mean?" Al demanded, not at all kind or forgiving as he usually was. If it weren't for the fact that both his brother's and his own lives were in danger, he would have been frightened by the never-before-used tone he had used to demand the woman of an answer. He wanted to know about what had happened and he wanted to know now.
The woman only smirked and answered, "All I did was make the transmutation circles your dear older brother had used all those years ago to trade himself for you, dear." She laughed as Al's expression softened, not in understanding but in confusion.
He slowly let his gaze drift to Ed who was slowly regaining his breath, twitching less and less from the dimming pain. Suddenly Al remembered something. The strange circles made sense now.
"I remember now, Brother. When we passed each other in the Gate. You still had those markings on your body before they disappeared as you went to this side and I went back to the other." Al spoke softly, his gaze faraway as he he recalled the memory.
"So that's how you did it." Al added, whispering to himself. Ed smiled and nodded, using his arms to forcefully prop himself up, ignoring the pain the best he could.
"And what do you want with me? Why did you redraw the seals? How did you redraw them?" Ed asked, his gaze hard and voice calm as he stood up, still shaking slightly.
The woman gave a small laugh and put a hand up to her mouth. He presumed she was covering a smirk.
"Redraw? Try reactivating the seals. Once drawn, they can be reactivated. Only those with something like...I don't know, the power of a Philosopher's Stone could do such a thing." The Brothers' eyes widened. Ed narrowed his golden pair and put himself between Al and the woman this time, clenching his fists tight.
"What stone!" Ed once again demanded. The woman let out another laugh as she pulled out the pendant she had held up to Ed's face just moments prior.
"This stone." She sneered, holding it up high. Ed took a step back but held his ground. For some reason that pendant...there was just something strange about it. It wasn't the fact that it was a Philosopher's Stone either.
Ed got into a defensive stance and he asked, "And what are you going to use Al and I for?"
This time Mr. Hills answered, his grin as demented as ever. "Why, we're going to open the Gate, of course. And while we're at it, we're going to use this town as a means to replenish our Master's Stone."
"You Goddamn son of a-!" Ed began before excruciating pain surged through his entire body, the arrays on his body glowing for a brief moment. Ed fell to one knee as his shaking body made his ragged breathing seem like nothing.
"Stop hurting him! He didn't do anything to you!" Al yelled at them the moment he was at his brother's side again. Ed let out a light, empty laugh, as dulled golden eyes glanced up, hidden by his blond bangs.
"As horrible as this situation is, we may actually get to go home again." Ed smiled sadly, his breathing slowly regaining it's normal rate. Al's eyes widened as he stared down at his brother. He shook Ed by his shoulders slightly and tried to reason with him.
"Brother! Remember last time some one tried to get to our world? They attacked it and killed many innocent people. Besides, if it means sacrificing the lives of these innocent people then I'm completely against it." Ed slowly looked up, his smile now a smirk.
"You're right. I wouldn't want to wipe this town off the map like so many others in our world." Edward said, standing up and turning to face Teri. His expression became serious, his normally bright, golden eyes, lacking their usual luster and hard. "And I will not be the cause of countless deaths."
Teri backed away slightly, her gaze falling to the grassy ground. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as guilt wracked her. All she could mutter was, "I'm sorry."
Ed's fists tightened subconsciously as his anger rose, "Sorry won't bring these people back if you just stand there and let them go through with this." It was Teri's turn for her anger to rise, "And doing either something or nothing is not going to bring my dead mother back!"
Both Ed and Al's angered expressions melted into confusion and sympathy. In a way they could relate. After all, the one horrible event that began their harsh journey was their own mother's death.
While the brothers were staring at Teri, bewildered by her sudden outburst, the woman used this brief moment of distraction to activate the Stone's power.
Ed's eyes widened as they glazed over briefly with a light, glowing blue. His mouth slid open slightly as a strange power rushed through him. The seals on his body glowed brighter. The seal on his chest became so bright it was almost blinding for a brief moment. In this time the light seemed to almost make his shirt disintegrate, revealing his bare, well-toned chest.
Even as the circle's light dimmed to that of the others, Al could see through the layer of power that covered his brother's eyes. So much pain, and Ed couldn't even show an ounce of it. No longer was he in control of his body as it was being guided by the power of the stone, the woman's influence channeled through it.
Al could only watch helplessly as his brother clapped his hands together and placed his fingertips on his chest.
The woman jumped to her follower's side and gabbed a hold of him then jumped back and grabbed a hold of Teri's frightened and shivering form.
Al was forced to cover his eyes as the light glowed too bright and Ed could no longer be seen. "Brother? Brother!" Al yelled as he too was engulfed in the light.
Just as it would have hit the three people nearby, the Mistress used the Pendant's power to protect them on their journey through the Gate and keep them from being part of the sacrifices for the stone as the whole town lit up with a large array just around it.
No one had a chance to scream or even make a comment about the large array as every last soul was engulfed in the light.
It wouldn't be for another few days that someone would come across the deserted town and label it a mysterious Ghost Town. Only this one wouldn't have any wandering spirits to dwell and frighten any passerbys.
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Gold eyes slowly opened, waking up to white all around. As he recognized where he was, he groaned for a moment before realizing that Al had indeed come with him.
"Al?" Ed called out, sitting up in better hopes of finding him.
"Though he is here, you will not find him." A voice said calmly. Despite its soft tone, Edward panicked. He glanced around, now in search of the source of the voice. All he could really remember was a bright blue light engulfing him and waking here, with the exception of his younger brother being engulfed in that same light.
"Do not be afraid, young one. You will not be harmed so long as you are here." The voice reassured him. He felt that he really could let his fear melt away. This place didn't feel as menacing and scary as the first time he had traveled here...
Ed furrowed his brows slightly as he tried to think of when that had happened. He knew it had been bad, but for some reason he just couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Memories run thin here." Ed glanced around, hopelessly trying to find the source of the voice.
"I only appear before those in the Gate when I wish it." Ed flinched and turned around slightly, golden eyes widening when they rested upon a glowing white figure whose features were not solid. It's outlined figure made the being look young, but Edward knew otherwise.
"You! I saw you when I...when I..." Ed exclaimed before faulting. For some reason he remembered seeing this being when he briefly visited the Gate once before, but the actual reason for that was blank. As Ed tried to think about when he had seen this being, a hand on his chin, the being spoke with an invisible smile, "Do not worry. When you return to the other side of this Gate, you will regain your memories, including that of what happened in the World of Machines."
Ed's eyes widened for a moment then narrowed as he remembered bits and pieces of what had happened. "Wait...Al!" Ed shouted as his head snapped up. With a jolt he was on his feet, looking around anxiously as he searched for his younger brother. What happened to him? Was he okay? Where was he?
"Again, do not worry, he is here but cannot be seen. Now please, listen to what I have to say." The figure once again reassured Ed. The blond visibly calmed down and looked up at what he could only guess was the figure's face.
Ed agreed, on one condition, "I'll listen...if you tell me what happened to Al. Is he alright?" The being narrowed its eyes as it folded its arms. Despite the being's annoyance, it eventually gave in, letting out a sigh. There was no point in wasting precious time and energy arguing. Ed's stubborn gaze lit up triumphantly as a smile graced his lips.
"Very well. If you insist to know. However it is pointless, for the memory of our talk will be suppressed until the moment you need it." The being told him as it bent down, leaning in closer to Ed's face.
"Because you wanted to save your brother, you had to do something unforgivable." Ed's eyes widened, his breath hitched in his throat. The being leaned in closer and whispered in his ear what that was. Ed's eyes widened even further as he fell backwards, desperately searching the being for any sign of it being a lie.
The being merely shook its head, confirming Ed's worst fear.
"Do not worry. That will also be locked away until the time comes when you will need to use it. Think of it this way, at least "The Mistress" didn't get her hands on it." The being explained, letting a smile become visible on it's otherwise shapeless features.
Ed's gaze fell to his chest. He gently placed a hand to it, closing his eyes. Flashes of faces, both familiar and not, passed through his mind, voices and memories not his own rang in his ears.
"What-?"
"Those are the people of the town that were sacrificed to help get you and your brother home, along with helping "The Mistress" and her loyal follower to across as well." The being explained, standing back up.
"But why-?"
"I am willing to strike a deal with you." The being suddenly said. Ed blinked, surprised by this. Who would have ever thought that the Keeper of the Gate, Truth, would ever strike a deal with a mortal being such as himself? "Alright," Ed agreed hesitantly. "What is the deal?"
Truth folded its arms and stared at Ed seriously. "You must rid 'The Mistress' from existence."
Ed nodded.
"So...I'm going to have to kill her?" Ed asked reluctantly. He gulped, trying not to think about it too much until the time came. A thought suddenly occurred to him as he backtracked what Truth had said.
His lips cracked a smile and before Truth knew it, Ed was on the "ground" laughing very hard.
"What is so funny?" Truth demanded, arms at it's side and clenched into tight fists. This was definitely no time to slack off and have a laugh!
"I-I'm sorry. It's just what you said. I mean, it kinda rhymed!" Ed's laughing grew until finally Truth couldn't stand it any more. They had little time to fool around. Truth was a patient being, but somehow this one just grated on its nerves. He sure did make things interesting though.
With an exasperated sigh, Truth got down to business. "Edward Elric, do you accept my proposal that if you get rid of this troublesome woman, I will reverse whatever she may do in your attempt?" The knowing look in Truth's "eyes" made Ed worry slightly as he wiped the tears in his eyes from all the laughing. Truth didn't think it was funny. It didn't take long for Ed to realize he should really stop laughing and get serious.
"Fine. Because of what she's done, I would've gone after her and taken her down anyway." Ed finally agreed, holding out his right hand. It was then he noticed it was flesh and not automail. His eyes widened as he slowly moved his fingers as if moving them too fast would make the whole arm fall off.
"Your limbs once again reside in this limbo between worlds. May the reward of also regaining your limbs back motivate you, subconsciously of course. No recollection of our meeting will come to you once you pass through." Ed eyed Truth before staring at his arm then his left leg. 'I could finally get my limbs back and Al and I could be back to normal and even home with our friends...' A smile graced the young man's lips as he looked back up to the eternal being.
"Alright. Take down miss evil-plans and get back to normal. Got it." Ed grinned as he held out his right arm again, this time a more determined and confident smile on his face.
Truth smirked and held up a hand, but instead of shaking hands, it placed it gently on the other's chest. Ed's eyes looked up at Truth curiously before they widened. A jolt of energy was sent through him, knocking him backwards.
Ed looked behind him just in time to watch the recently appeared Gate open and black tentacles grabbed him, dragging him through to the other side. His world. The World of Alchemy.
As he traveled between the Gate and his world, consciousness left him, just as the memory of the meeting between himself and the being of the Gate was pushed into the far reaches of his mind.
Alrighty then! The results for the poll!
As of Monday October 26th, 2009 65% of voters voted for Aquamarine to be my main focus! I'm sorry, for those who like this story. However, this story got third place, so once Aquamarine is finished, I'll be focusing on this story if there are enough votes, as I will put up another poll similar to the one that was up for the past two, three? weeks. This will be the last update in a while, but I'll update when I can. I'm not giving up on this one completely, just remember that I won't be focusing on this one. If I do get the proper motivation, I may be able to type up some more chapters and post them, hopefully soon. (I actually have most of this story's plot figured out, it's just a matter of having the time and motivation to type it out. *hinthint* XD )
Thanks again for voting!
Please be kind and review. Thank you! ^^