260YOOOO GUESS WHO'S BACK
~ okay sorry if some of you got an email with a faulty link. turns out that trying to delete the holy schnikeya authors note chapters screwed up ffnets link to this chapter... APOLOGIES ~
For real this time. Those of you who responded with such kind words of encouragement, I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY BLACK HEART. I don't know if this chapter is everything you'd imagined it would be, but I tried... I swear...
Anyway, I want to thank a very special someone. ChildrenAreMySoulFood, a most wonderful person, is the one who almost single-handedly pulled me back to this story. It was her enthusiastic capslock PMs and reviews that made me realize how much some people miss this story. (Not that everyone else's reviews didn't do anything - they helped tremendously.) She also volunteered - cough-waspressuredintoit-cough - to help me with plot and beta some of the rougher drafts. EVERYONE BETTER SEND HER VIRTUAL COOKIE BOUQUETS, OKAY?
I also want to thank AngelOtaku121, for sticking by my stories when I had seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth. I hope you can forgive me, old friend, for abandoning all of this so abruptly. I can still fondly recall long PM trains with you, debating Death the Kid and other important philosophical things, once upon a time. LOTS OF LOVE OKAY
Finally, to every single one of you readers and reviewers, for somehow seeing past the crazy antisocial hypocritical procrastinating author and her shitty writing to a story worth enjoying.
DYSFUNCTIONAL { Alphonse }
Brother was acting weird again. Just a second ago we were ready to fight his new 'bodyguards' under the impression that they were in league with Father. Yet now after a weird moment where Ed and Kid stared into each other's eyes (and I had to fight the urge to crack a joke about how romantic that was) my hotheaded picky brother was turning his back to them, as if...
... He was trusting them?!
"I'll tell you later."
"Brother!" I complained, but then the argument forming on my nonexistent tongue was lost as I was flung backwards by another explosion. This one, however, wasn't generated by a pissed-off Scar or the blank-faced Father of the Homunculi - it was courtesy of a certain cyan-haired ball of crazy with a star on his shoulder.
"I'LL SHOW YOU GOD!" he screamed, slamming his hand onto the giant green monster's (Envy's?) shoulder. Apparently while Kid and Ed had their moment, the incarnation of jealousy had muttered a snide remark about BlackStar's deity-fighting obsessions.
And apparently this was the wrong move to make, as blue lightning arced out of BlackStar's metal fingers and tore through Envy's immortal(ish) body, making him scream and writhe in agony.
"That has to be some kind of transmutation," I heard Ed murmur determinedly, ignoring their earlier protests that it was anything but. It did LOOK like alchemy...
"Man, this is a party!" Greed sang, sidling up to us with a grin. "And is it just me or does the creepy striped kid sound like the Prince I'm borrowing?"
"Shut up," Ed said heatedly. "Let Ling go!"
Greed rolled his eyes. "How many times, kid? Ling's out of the picture, and all of his own accord too."
"Ling wouldn't do that!" I protested.
Once again, however, I was interrupted by a flying object - this one being the monstrous green tail of the Envy-monster. Scar and BlackStar were teaming up to pummel him into the ground, with startlingly similar blue lightning attacks. Meanwhile, Kid and Maka were chasing after Gluttony, standing protectively in front of the Xingese girl, who was lying prone on the ground.
She's just a little girl, she shouldn't be in this fight! I moaned inwardly. I had to get her out of here.
Unfortunately, my alchemy STILL wasn't working. Stupid Father and his freaky powers. I decided to help the old-fashioned way; scooping her up and running for the doors.
And once AGAIN my way was blocked. Scar was flung backwards - a glance over my spiky shoulder revealed the culprit to be Father himself - blood spurting from a million tiny wounds.
"Are you okay?" I gasped. He staggered to his feet.
"I'm fine," he growled, eyeing the girl in my arms. "You're taking her back above ground?"
I nodded, helmet clanking. "I don't see much other choice. You should come too."
He looked like he wanted to argue on that point, but winced when his hand pressed too hard into his side. "... Very well. But there are a lot of chimeras between us and the gate."
I started to walk down the sewer corridor, already spotting the gleam of predatory eyes from farther down. "I know. And I have a plan." I began to explain it as he stumbled out, and he countered with a jab at how I should hate him because of what he had once done to Nina. But I knew that right now my priority was making sure another little girl didn't join my heap of guilt, and I imparted that to him heatedly.
Just as Scar's right hand was tensed and ready to go, I heard rustling behind us and turned around with a gasp. Envy and Gluttony were standing there, the chimeras were gathering in front of the Ishvalan, and we were truly caught between the proverbial rock and hard place.
"Go!"
His dark-skinned fingers hit the sewage water, and fog billowed out to surround us. I used the opportunity to slip Mei into my armor and yelped as I recognized the feeling of Scar ripping my head off my shoulders and chucking it at the wall, creating a spark that blew the chimeras - and the two Homunculi - sky-high.
I was chasing after my rolling helmet before the smoke could clear. "You could at least warn me next time- ack!"
Envy had me pinned to the wall, and began snarling in my face about how I ruined all their plans. I tuned him out and smiled inwardly.
At least Mei's safe... and judging by the look of Gluttony there on the floor, we're rid of another Homunculus. OUR plan turned out just fine.
Wow, okay, that was maybe a bit short. SORRY. I TRIED.
Anyway, Alphonse officially gets the title for being the first POV in this new and improved MPTP! I had to reread this entire story twice to even get anywhere near a headspace where I could write again. I also rewatched FMAB, but I get the feeling I should do the same for Soul Eater... Man it's been a while since I've seen any of that.
On another note, I am once again obsessed with Harry Potter/FMAB crossovers. I know it is way too soon to be thinking of a sequel, but would anybody actually have any interest in something like that?
Anyway, thanks again so VERY MUCH for putting up with me and my two-year-late update! You guys are the best ; u ;
Kat