Chapter 1
Notes:
TRIGGER WARNING:
Mild violence, torture and threats of assault
Chapter Text
"Shh my firecracker. Let the sleep take you...when you wake up, we will be at our destination."
Roy's eyes snapped open, his breath crashing into his lungs with such a force spots danced in front of him for a moment. His head was in a complete fog, panic flooding him as he struggled to remember where he was or what had happened. He tried to move, but his limbs refused to budge.
"About time you started to wake up." An irritated voice snapped, sending a bolt of fear straight to his heart. "It seems I overestimated how much morphine to administer." He laughed, tapping Roy's cheek, the feeling finally beginning to return to his body. He slowly turned his head to face away from his captor, bringing him face to face with the driver of the vehicle, the back of his skull blown apart, brain matter leaking from the hole.
Roy cried out in shock, his body finally responding and jumping back and away from the corpse, directly into Kimblee's grasp. He gripped Roy's chin with his fingers, forcing him to stare at the deceased young man once more.
"It's a pity really, I liked the kids enthusiasm." He laughed, roughly spinning Roy around to face him. "You remember your duty, correct." Roy looked down towards their feet, avoiding Kimblee's hungry gaze.
"I'm to revive Hexas." He said quietly, ice sliding through his veins. Kimblee lifted his chin with his finger, bringing their faces mere inches apart.
"Very good. It seems the overdose didn't fog your memory up too terribly." He stepped back, pacing back and fourth. "Now for your orders. You will not speak unless directed to by myself. You are not to engage with the Nori unless instructed to do so." His dark eyes burned a hole through Roy as his expression morphed from amused to terrifyingly sinister. "You are to obey my every command without hesitation, protest or complaint." He squeezed Roy's cheeks, causing him to wince.
"Do you understand? Or do you need me to refresh you on the consequences if you decide to disobey your masters." Roy cringed, the thought of Kimblee being his "master" filling his soul with absolute dread.
"No, I understand, I chose to sign that contract, making myself your property." He swallowed the nauseating lump in his throat. "I'd never dream of going back on it and putting everyone at risk. I..." He hesitated, his eyes focused on their feet once more. "Belong to you." Kimblee wickedly smiled, patting him on the head, a disgustingly degrading gesture that caused Roy to shrink in on himself.
"That's a good mutt." He mocked, producing a pair of metal cuffs with a long chain attached to them. He roughly clasped them around his wrists, giving the chain a sharp yank, causing Roy to stumble forward. Out of Reflex and trying to balance himself, he pulled back on the chain, causing Kimblee to almost lose his footing. He spun, murder in his eyes.
"You're really going to start in already?" He growled, bringing Roy to his knees with a punch in the gut, his hand gripping his hair so forcefully he swore it would rip straight from the root.
Kimblee pulled himself back in, his dark, stoic features returning. He leaned in so his lips were centimeters from his ear, his words causing Roy's heart to skip a beat.
"I thought I had you trained well, what a pity. Maybe I need to fuck you like a bitch in heat again to remind you of your place, is that what you want my dog." Roy's body began to shake, panic overtaking him. He began to hyperventilate.
"It..was an accident, I swear." He pleaded, his voice shaking. "I lost my footing. It won't happen again, I'm sorry..." Kimblee released his hair, yanking him to his feet and leading him towards the entrance to the forest.
"I'll let it slide...this time. But don't let my threat fall on deaf ears now. I could decide to change my mind in the future if I see it fit." He laughed, approaching what looked like a massive stone wall. Roy watched curiously as Kimblee placed his palm to the stone, the material glowing a bright green before what looked like a doorway with long vines hanging over it like a curtain. They walked through, the vines tickling Roy's skin as their leaves softly caressed him, the door disappearing behind them, leaving just a dark tunnel.
"You know Mustang." Kimblee said, his voice uncharastically soothing. "It doesn't have to be all bad. Sure, our original plans changed, but that doesn't mean I'll treat you badly unless you give me a reason to. You may even find you enjoy your time with us, once the demonic power sets in of course." He stopped, turning towards Roy, his expression returning to its usual snake like features.
"It may have been my mistake losing that recording, but ultimately, you made the bigger mistake of surviving." He placed his hand to the wall of the cave, the familiar emerald glow surrounding them, another doorway appearing in front of them.
The two men were bathed in warm sunlight as they entered the door, the warmth a welcome sensation to his frozen core. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he began to make out what appeared to be a village, small huts lining the dirt pathways. The village was very primitive, resembling the tribes before even places like Xerxes existed. For a moment, Roy was lost in the beauty and peacefulness of it all, his fear pushed into the back of his head.
"Ser Kimblee has finally returned!" A voice called out, bringing Roy out of his trance. Roy watched as a large group of people assembled around them, each sporting the same emerald hair, bright pink eyes and dark, earthy skin tone. A young woman approached him, bowing her head, her left hand over her heart.
"Thank Norah you have returned to us, Ser." She said gracefully. "Please, father has been eager to speak with you." Her large eyes landed on Roy, her facial expression becoming confused. "Ser...who is this? I'm sensing a strange aura from him." She looked at him suspiciously. Roy averted his gaze, shrinking in on himself. Kimblee let out an amused sigh, tugging the chain around Roy's wrists, roughly pulling him forward towards the massive shrine in the center of the village.
"All in good time my dear." He said coyly as they entered the temple, the rest of the village behind them. Roy could see a man, presumably the chief, sitting in front of the altar, his eyes suspiciously watching the prisoner, a boy, who Roy assumed was the girls brother standing next to him. He stood, approaching Kimblee, bowing in the same way his daughter did, Kimblee returning the gesture.
"We are relieved you have returned to us unharmed. Praise Norah." He said, his eyes once again landing on Roy. "And who might this be?" He furrowed his brow. Kimblee yanked him forward, his hand gripping the back of his neck as he was displayed before the village like a prized elk. He felt small underneath the gaze of an entire village, his heart beating out of his chest. Kimblee cleared his throat, addressing the tribe.
"This is the man responsible for destroying Ishval, slaughtering your brothers and sisters, as well as many members of your tribe. This is the one your prophecy refers to, as the man of combustion, whom I have subdued, and proclaimed ownership over." Roy felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him as the tribe burst out into a chorus of angry yells. Murderer, devil, black hearted bastard...every insult sent another painful bolt of guilt to his heart, a suffocating lump forming in his throat. He looked to Kimblee, whose eyes briefly met his before continuing.
"In an attempt at redemption, he has agreed to sacrifice himself to Hexas, to bring an end to your terror once and for all." The tribe erupted into a fit of cheers, the pain of hearing an entire tribe cheer for his torturous death choking his heart. Kimblee lifted his hand, silencing the crowd and bringing Roy in front of him. The chief approached, looking him up and down in disgust.
"How do you know this wretch is truly subdued? It could be an act, no?" Kimblee laughed to himself, giving Roy a look that instantly soured his stomach.
"Observe." He stepped away from Roy, placing one foot forward. "Drop to your knees." Roy focused his eyes on the ground, humiliation washing over him as he lowered himself, waiting for Kimblee's next degrading command. "Now, clean my boot with your tongue." Ice slid through his veins as the mocking laughter flooded every molecule in his body, the shame unbearable. "Well?"
Pushing back tears of pure humiliation, Roy ran his tongue from one end of his boot to the other, the taste of leather and shame heavy on his tongue. As he continued to "clean Kimblee's boot" the laughter around him increased. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately wishing for it to be over.
Kimblee gripped Roy's hair, throwing him to the ground at the Chief's feet. Roy desperately tired to avoid the gaze of the tall, muscular man, choosing to look at the floor and wait for his next command.
"Now, before we get down to business, I want you to beg the Chief and his tribe for forgiveness for your sins." He felt a large boot push him down to the ground, his face against the cold stone floor. "Go on welp, beg like the dog you are." Kimblee's foot lifted from his back, Roy pushing himself up slowly with his chained hands into a respectful bow.
"Sir..." He started quietly, his voice shaking. "In the past I committed a great crime against the Ishvallan's and your tribe." He felt tears threatening to spill, his guilt overpowering. "I can't bring them back or change what I've done, but I hope my death can bring you some peace, and the freedom you deserve from the demon that binds you." He looked up, the chief's face contorted in anger.
"Because of your crimes," He bitterly spat. "My wife was burned to death trying to protect a group of Ishvallan children." He looked behind him, addressing the two teenagers behind him. "Luka, Linnea, would you like to confront the man who murdered your mother?" Roy's heart shattered as the two teens stepped before him, their bright eyes glistening with sorrow. He locked eyes with the girl once more, her gaze peering into his very soul. The boy, Luka, looked to his father, then back to Roy.
"I have nothing to say to him." He said, turning his head and walking away, motioning to his sister to follow. "Neither does she." The chief looked down to Roy once more before spitting in disgust, right onto his face.
"Please, Ser Kimblee, get him out of my sight." He turned, dismissing the two Amestrians. Kimblee dragged him away towards the back of the temple, where another door was situated, the village hurling insults their entire walk. They entered through the doors, a wooded path greeting them.
Kimblee laughed as he closed the door, throwing an arm around his shoulder in a parody of friendship.
"That was really something wasn't it? Talk about some prime entertainment." Roy scowled at him, raising his chained hands and wiping the saliva off his cheek. The smile fell from Kimblee's face. "Oh come on Mustang, we needed to be convincing and you definitely delivered. Maybe there will be a small reward for you in the future if you keep up the good work." He laughed, approaching what looked like a stone cavern in the side of a mountain. They entered the chamber, a dark energy flooding through Roy's veins, cutting off his oxygen supply. In the center of the cave was a massive stone statue of a woman, claws protruding from gnarled fingers, fangs bared in an animalistic snarl, horns resembling a rams growing from her skull. As they drew closer, Roy's fear increased. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he could only feel the suffocating fear that was flooding his heart.
Kimblee stopped, turning to Roy with a dark look in his eyes.
"Do you feel the raw power coursing through your veins?" He asked, removing the shackles from his wrists and shoving him towards the statue. Roy looked up at the stone demon, pure dread filling his soul.
"It's time to really shine now, my firecracker. Place your hands on the statue." Roy slowly approached the statue, his hands slowly extending in front of him, limbs shaking like leaves in a storm. He hesitated, his fear so consuming he was frozen in place.
"What are you waiting for?" Kimblee snapped, bringing Roy back to himself. "I said put your hands on the damn statue." Roy exhaled, his palms pressing against the hot stone.
Brace yourself Roy.
"Something's off, don't you think?" Linnea said quietly. Her brother nodded his head, looking around to make sure they were truly alone.
"Yeah, you were acting really strange. Did you sense something in him Lin?" She closed her eyes.
"Yeah, sort of. I couldn't place my finger on it, but I feel like Kimblee might not be telling us the truth. When that man was speaking to father, I could feel genuine pain...and I wasn't even touching him." She shook her head, furrowing her brow. "It was so intense I couldn't speak. If he were truly the monster he's been presented to be, that pain wouldn't have been there." Luka nervously ran his hand through his long hair, deep in thought.
"If we were able to get you close enough to touch him, do you think you could figure it out?" Lin nodded.
"I know I could, with feelings as strong as those." Both teens looked towards the back door, then to each other.
"You want to follow them." He said. Lin nodded.
"You read my mind." Luka smirked, motioning for her to follow.
"One of the many perks of being a Nori Twin." He winked, opening the door. He lifted his finger to his lips, the two silently sneaking after the men. They heard a scream so full of terror it shook them to their very core. They exchanged worried glances before quickly and quietly making their way to the chamber of Hexas, tucking themselves away behind a large rock. The scream continued, sending a chill through the room. They peeked out from behind the stone, and what they saw sent a fear into their hearts like they had never felt before.
The supposed man of combustion was suspended in mid air, small tendrils burrowing under his skin and into his veins, crimson liquid flowing through them into the statue. The man continued to scream, no doubt the pain was unbearable, until a large tentacle entered his mouth and slithered down his throat, choking off all sound.
After a moment, the mans body began to still, the tentacles slowly retracting out of his arms, blood spraying from the holes they left behind. His body slowly drifted to the ground, the large tentacle exiting his throat, a whispy smoke following behind and entering the statue. The man lay completely still, his dead eyes landing right on them.
The teens retreated behind the rock, looking at each other in absolute horror at what they had witnessed. The sound of footsteps caused them to jump, shrinking even deeper into the shadows as Kimblee exited the chamber, the unconscious man slung over his shoulder, his dead eyes still focused on nothing. They waited for a moment after Kimblee left, still trying to wrap their heads around what they saw.
"Where do you think he took him?" Lin asked. Luka thought for a moment.
"Probably the extra room in the temple, the one with the lock on the outside." Lin nodded as they made their way back to the temple, still keeping their presence hidden as they watched Kimblee exit the temple, the prisoner no longer with him. The two teens smiled at each other as they made their way to the locked door, Luka placing his fingers to the lock, plants entering inside and unlocking the door. They quietly slipped inside, looking around the room for the man.
He was limply lying on the bed, his eyes, still open and dead, staring off into nothing. They slowly approached him, but he did not respond to them. Luka gave her a confused look as she knelt down next to him.
"Shh don't be so afraid." She gently said, looking back at her twin.
"He's not even conscious Lin, why are you talking to him?" She shook her head, looking back towards the mysterious man.
"But he is conscious. He can hear us and see us, but he can't respond. He's trapped inside his own body." She gently wiped his sweat soaked bangs from his face, causing another painful sting to enter her.
"It's okay...we're not going to hurt you. We just have a few...things we need to do. Okay? You can trust us." She placed her hand over top his, and instantly a whirlwind of emotion swept through her like a tornado. She gasped, her breath coming in fast and heavy, sweat beginning to bead her forehead.
"Lin...what's going on?" Luka asked, his voice shaking. "What's he doing to you?" Lin released his hand, placing hers over her thundering heart.
"He is in complete emotional armageddon. I sense a deep fear in Kimblee, and a loss of dignity and virtue." She shook her head, turning back towards Luka. "I won't be able to get anything out of him in this catatonic state he's in. We need to come back when we will be able to talk to him, right now his only readable emotion is a deep seeded fear of Ser Kimblee." She turned back to Roy, looking once more into his eyes.
"Don't worry, we will be back." She whispered, a tear sliding down his paralyzed cheek as the twins made their way out of the room, fixing the lock before anyone noticed it had been altered.
"I don't know about you Lin, but I smell a rat." He scowled. "And I think that rat is named Zolf Kimblee." Lin nodded her head, making her way out of the temple.
"I couldn't agree more. The entire tribe's aura has changed since he arrived, and I don't like it one bit." Luka sat on a grassy hill, Lin joining him.
"Regardless, I think Kimblee and Hexas are influencing our people, and its going to be up to us to put a stop to it." Luka smiled, determination burning behind his pink irises.
"Yeah, first things first, we need to get to the bottom of who this man of combustion is, and if what Kimblee says about him is true."
"And then, we put a stop to Hexas once and for all." She went silent, both teens looking towards the vibrant sunset, worried thoughts heavy on their brains.
"Dark times are coming Lin." Luka said nervously.
"I know...I just hope we are prepared to face them."
Chapter 2
Notes:
no trigger warnings for this chapter, but if you are a fan of EdWin, this chapter is for you!!
Chapter Text
Edward was floating through a sea of nothing. Every direction he looked all he saw was empty darkness, a chill running down his spine at the eerie, lonesome abyss he found himself trapped in. He continued to look around, straining his eyes, trying to get a glimpse of anything.
"Is anybody here?" He shouted, a strange echo behind his voice. "Hello?"
A wind began to blow around him, his body effortlessly being pushed forward, until a small glimpse of...something came into view. Ed focused on the blur of color, desperately trying to close distance between him and it. As he moved closer, the blur came into focus, Ed's stomach tying itsself in a knot as the familiar image of a body hanging came into view. He knew it was Roy, it always was, but this time was different. His back was to Ed, his body suspended in mid air. He pushed himself closer to Roy, his heart beating into his throat as the space closed between the two men.
"R...Roy?" His voice shook as he reached his automail arm out to place it to his shoulder. "What's going on?"
A deep, guttural laugh rumbled through the older man's body, his shoulders shaking. Ed held his breath as the being slowly turned to face him, his heart stopping when he looked up into his golden eyes.
He wasn't looking at Roy. Standing before him was a beast with Roy's face, blood red eyes with slits for pupils, long, sharp snarling fangs, and horns protruding from his forehead. It took all of Ed's strength not to scream as the creature let out another sinister laugh.
"You're too late, boy." It growled in Roy's voice, causing panic to flood through his entire soul. It reached out towards Ed, who found himself unable to move away. "I hope you are prepared to die."
Just as the creature gripped Edward, a blinding light burst around them, Ed shielding his eyes with his arm. He heard a soul piercing shriek, the demonic hands pulling away from his throat.
"You will not, harm our son!" A woman's fierce cry echoed around him. He forced his eyes open as far as they would go, his breath catching in his throat as he saw his mother on one side of him, his father on the other, both of them shimmering, slick metal armor draped over their frames. The demon began to shrink away, the lights beginning to fade into nothing.
Edward just stood, his body frozen in shock, as his parents fought off the demon borrowing Roy's face. They turned to him, urgency behind their transparent eyes. Trisha extended her hand slowly, softly cupping her sons cheek. He closed his eyes, relaxing into her touch.
"Ed...sweetheart, its time to wake up now." She said softly, removing her warm, angelic hand from his flesh. They both began to fade, Edward pushing himself after them, their voices floating around him as their image dissoloved back into nothingness.
"It's time to wake up now, Edward." His fathers voice said.
"Yes, the next chapter of your journey begins now." His mother said, her voice like a caress. "We will be with you the entire way." Ed frantically looked around, but only saw darkness.
"W..wait!" He stammered, panic flooding through him once more. "WAIT!" A harsh wind blew behind him, causing him to jump, turning around and looking into the darkness just as the Roy demon came charging at him full force.
"WAKE UP EDWARD!"
RIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIING!
Edward bolted into a sitting position, his breath painfully crashing into his chest. He placed his hand to his cheek, the warmth from his mothers touch still strong on his sweat soaked flesh.
"It was a dream..." He said to himself, exhaling slowly as he kicked his legs over the side of the bed. He sat for a moment, silently cursing the weak state of his legs, before a worried voice reached his ears.
"No, you didn't wake us, Ed's still asleep though." Winry said to the person on the other line. She was silent for a moment, a gasp escaping her lips.
"He's missing?" Ed heard enough, he grabbed his cane, slowly making his way down the hallway, still listening to Winry's end of the conversation.
"Of course, I'll wake him up now and we will be on our way over shortly." She hung up the phone, turning to face Ed, tears in her eyes.
"Win..what's going on?" He asked, his stomach feeling sick. Alphonse walked in from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his hands. He furrowed his brow, looking between the two.
"Is everything okay?" He asked, but his facial expression told them both he already knew the answer.
"That was Mr. Hughes on the phone...Roy's disappeared. They want us to meet everyone at his house right away." Ed felt the blood rushing through his ears, his dream the previous night flooding his brain once more.
You're too late, boy
Without saying a word, Ed went back into the bedroom, quickly pulling on a shirt and pants and throwing his hair in a loose ponytail. When he returned to the living room, Winry was gone. Al approached him, offering an arm to help support him as they made their way out the door, a vehicle parked in front of it, Winry in the drivers seat.
"Uhh when did Winry learn how to drive?" He asked, bewildered as he got situated in the passenger seat. Winry smiled, pulling away from their apartment.
"Lets just say, I learned alot while you were gone." Edward beamed at her, his heart filling with an appreciation for his other half.
"You never fail to amaze me, Win." They drove in silence, reaching Roy's flat in no time. They spotted the others grouped on the porch, Riza sitting on the steps with her face in her hands, Natalia rubbing her back in a comforting gesture. They got out of the car, approaching the tense group.
"I should have insisted he stay with me." Riza sniffed, guilt oozing from every pore. "What on earth was I thinking?" Ed shook his head, looking down at the distraught woman.
"You can't blame yourself, Riza. None of us expected Kimblee to strike this soon." They stood, Kain trying the doorknob, their hearts sinking when the door was unlocked. They slowly walked into the dark apartment, eyes scanning for anything amiss.
"There's not a hair out of place here." Jean said, bewildered. "That means..."
"He went willingly." Vato exhaled, shaking his head. The group examined each room, but there was no clue in sight as to where he could have gone. Edward continued to search the living room when something on the fireplace caught his eye. It was an empty picture frame. He cocked an eyebrow, picking up the frame and turning it over to check for any damage.
"What do you have there, Ed?" Maes asked, walking up to him. Ed handed him the empty frame, furrowing his brow.
"I'm not sure if it really means anything, I just found it odd this picture frame was empty on the fireplace." Maes frowned.
"That is strange. If my memory serves me right, this frame held the team photo we took shortly after you and Al joined us." He turned the frame over, a look of shock washing over his face before dissolving into a slightly amused laugh.
"Roy Mustang, you sly son of a bitch." He said, continuing to stare at the frame. "Riza, everyone come quick." The group assembled, confused. Maes handed Riza the frame, who had the same reaction as he did.
"I can't believe it." She said, exasperated.
"But what does it mean?" Ed asked, confused. The rest of the group voiced the same question. Riza lifted the frame, pointing to a small symbol carved into the bottom left corner. It was two vertical lines with a left diagonal line crossing them.
"Back during Ishval, Roy shared this symbol with us, saying if he ever went missing to look for it."
"It was to signal to us that we were in danger, but he had a plan. He randomly placed those symbols all over for a while, this must be one that was left over." Maes looked up from the picture frame.
"So he intentionally removed the picture from the frame so we would notice and find the symbol." Heymans snorted. "Sounds like Roy alright."
"So what do we do?" Al asked, looking to his brother and Winry. Maes shook his head.
"Exactly what he wants us to. Standby, and wait for further instructions." Ed felt anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach.
"So do nothing? That sounds like a great plan." He sarcastically snapped. Natalia stepped forward.
"I have to agree with Edward on this one. How can we sit here and do nothing?" Riza smiled sadly, her eyes trained on the dusty floor.
"By using this beacon, he is telling us to wait for his instruction. Knowing what we know, making any hasty moves could prove to be very deadly, for everyone involved." She looked out the window, tears glistening in her eyes. "I don't like sitting around waiting either, but Roy will send us a sign when he needs us."
"What should we do in the meantime?" Winry asked as they left Roy's apartment, grouping once more on the porch in the morning sun.
"Prepare for what's to come, whatever that is." Maes exhaled, scratching the skin under his eyepatch. "How is your invention coming along Winry?" Ed looked to his other half, an eyebrow raised.
"What invention, Winry?" He asked trying to sound calm. "You don't think I'm going to allow you to be involved in this any further do you?" Winry frowned, her anger radiating off her like a strong heat.
"I've been involved in this since the beginning, Edward. If you think I'm going to sit back while you and Alphonse and everyone else fights, I have some bad news for you." Ed shrunk back as the rest of the team voiced their agreement.
"Yeah...sorry Ed, but she's just as valuable an asset to this team as any of us." Kain said, smiling to the young blonde. "She's even taught me a thing or two about machinery, and she's a natural with technology."
"Plus, she's a natural sniper, could even give Riza a run for her money." Jean laughed, quickly slapping his hand over his mouth. "Oops...sorry..." Ed could feel the heat growing behind his cheeks, but he swallowed down his anger, reminding himself that Winry had just as much a right to learn to fight as he did.
"You don't say..." He asked, running his flesh hand down his face. "We will talk more about it later. But if everyone else agrees, I suppose I'm outvoted." She smiled at him, a warm "thank you" shining behind her eyes.
"First thing's first." Riza said, addressing the group once more. "We need to learn about Nori Folklore, demons, religion. Anything we can get our hands on that might help in handling a demon." Ed inhaled, remembering his strange hospital visitor.
"I know exactly who can help with that. Let me make a call quick." He pulled the scrap piece of paper out of his coat pocket, slowly limping his way to the phone booth. He dialed the number, his heart pounding in his throat as the line began to ring.
"Greene Residence, Simon speaking." Ed exhaled.
"Hey Simon, its Ed." He tried to keep his voice calm, but the smooth lawyer could see through his act.
"What's wrong Ed?" He asked, urgency in his voice.
"I don't want to say over the phone, is it possible for you to meet us in central square? It's urgent."
"Absolutely, I'll be right there." He hung up the phone, swallowing the lump in his throat, desperately trying to push the vision of a demon possessed Roy from his subconscious.
"So, Kimblee came after you too eh?" Jean asked, lighting a cigarette. "As much as I don't want to trust a word you say, If Ed and Roy put their trust in you...I suppose the rest of us have no choice." Simon looked down, guilt in his eyes.
"That is completely understandable. I'd never ask any one of you to forgive me. I can only offer my help." He looked to Ed, who cleared his throat.
"So, Simon, you said there's an entire mythology section in the central law school library, but its off limits." He contemplated a moment. "Do you think you could get us in?" Simon nodded, looking to each of them.
"Probably not the entire group, they are pretty strict about how many can be in there at once, but I'm sure I can pull a few strings to get some of you in there with me."
"And what about those who aren't able to?" Riza asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The military archives. We all have access to those." Vato said. "Some of us could search back to any records involving Ishval or Kimblee, see if anything seems suspicious." Heymans nodded.
"I studied law through the military, so I can take charge of the archives." The group nodded in agreement.
"Alright, so we have Simon and the library group, and Heymans with the archive group." Maes looked between each face.
"I'd also like everyone to keep an eye out for any sign of Roy." Riza added. "For any signal, or message."
"Make sure to always stay alert." Natalia said, placing her hand softly over Jeans. "It seems Roy's signals are always cryptic."
The group finished up their planning, Simon, Ed, Alphonse, Winry, Jean, and Natalia forming the library group, Heymans, Kain, Vato, Maes and Riza going to search the archives. As they said their goodbyes, a sadness lingered in the air that Edward couldn't shake. He was lost in thought as Winry drove them back to their apartment, the last rays of sunlight falling behind the horizon. They sat at the table, each with a cup of tea, thinking silently on the events of the day. Edward yawned, exhaustion crashing into him like a bomb.
"I'm going to try to get some sleep...we have alot of work ahead of us." He stood on shaking legs, Winry getting up from the table and taking his arm to help support him.
"I'm going too...goodnight Alphonse." Al said a quick goodnight as the two made their way to the bedroom, slowly getting into bed together. He wrapped his flesh arm around her waist, pulling her into him and tucking her head under his chin.
"Win...I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier." He apologized, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. He placed a tender kiss to the top of her head, soaking in the warmth of her body against his. "The thought of you being anywhere near any of this terrifies me...it's not that I think you are weak." Winry exhaled into his chest.
"I know Ed, but trust me okay? I've done...alot to strengthen myself over the past year. You'll be surprised." Ed laughed, lifting her chin gently with his fingers and pressing his lips to hers.
"I love you Winry," He said quietly into her mouth before relaxing into the mattress. "No matter what, you will always be the strongest woman in my eyes, and I think you will fit in just fine with the rest of us."
The two drifted off to sleep, dreams of Roy and his parents flooding his subconscious once more.
We are here to guide you Ed...all you have to do is ask.
Chapter 3
Notes:
TRIGGER WARNING:
Slight sexual themes
Angst/suicidal thoughts
Chapter Text
Two weeks later...
"Are you sure tonight is the right time to act Lin?" Luka asked, wringing his hands together nervously. "The celebration of Norah is tonight, how do you expect to pull this off?" The young woman laughed, tightening the red bow in her hair.
"Easy." She held up a small glass flask, filled with a clear liquid. "A few drops of this, and everyone is inebriated." Luka frowned, taking the flask.
"I hate to question your methods, sis, but don't you think the tribe and Ser Kimblee will notice they'd been drugged?" She laughed, smiling cheerfully.
"Not at all. It's a mixture I've been working on for a long time. Their inhibitions will be lowered, but they will not feel drunk. Their decision making skills will be hindered, so no one will notice if we slip away." Luka exhaled, fixing the collar of his robe.
"And what about Ser Kimblee? Even with his brain scrambled I doubt he'd let us get anywhere near that man." Linnea bit her lip, averting her gaze from her brother.
"Don't worry about him, I've got that all worked out." Luka frowned, gently grabbing his sisters arm and turning her to look at him.
"I don't like the sound of this. You said you felt a loss of virtue in that man. That Ser Kimblee tainted him. It doesn't take a priestess to know what that means." He grimaced, worry lacing his words. "If he could do...that to a grown man not much smaller than himself..." He shuddered. "I'd hate to think of what he'd do to someone like you." Lin stepped away, looking out the window at the oncoming sunset.
"Don't worry so much Luka. I'm going to pray to Norah for guidance and protection." Luka exhaled, defeated.
"I just hope we aren't doing this in vain. What if this man is truly as dangerous as Ser Kimblee says? We would be hopping off the spit and into the open fire, literally." Lin made her way to the door, turning to look at her brother once more.
"Just keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. When the time is right I'll send you a signal." She grasped her septer and left the room, walking quickly to the sacred shrine of Norah, lighting two sticks of incense and dropping to her knees, left hand over her heart and head bowed.
"Please Norah...send us some guidance." She prayed, her eyes closed tightly. "Please...send us a sign that what we are doing is the right thing...we feel so lost." A hand on her shoulder startled her out of her prayer. Gasping, she quickly spun around, bringing herself face to face with none other than Kimblee himself. She placed her hand over her heart, feigning innocence.
"Why Ser, you frightened me." She exhaled, putting on her best demure expression. "What brings you into the shrine?" He quietly laughed, sending a shiver down her spine. He lowered himself to his knees beside her.
"The same thing that brings you here, my dear priestess. Tonight is your goddesses celebration, is it not?" He looked at the young woman, a subtle hunger behind his eyes that left a sick feeling in her stomach. "Would it not be bad luck not to pray?" She turned her head, quickly scrambling for a proper reply.
"Why, yes that is correct." She pulled herself back in. "Shall we pray together?" The pair bowed their heads in silent prayer, Linnea's heart thumping out of her chest.
Please Norah...I'm begging for a sign. Any sign.
Lin stood, grabbing her staff and walking towards the door. Before exiting, she turned, sweetly smiling at the man behind her.
"Please, Ser, it would be an honor if you were to reserve a dance for me tonight." Kimblee's husky laugh swirled around her as walked past her through the door, their arms subtly brushing, leaving a chill in its wake.
"Consider it done, priestess."
Roy was laying on the bed in his locked room, his body completely paralyzed. He couldn't so much as blink, let alone close his eyes to the horror that was being trapped inside his own body. He felt as if he were locked in a black box, nothing but a small window in front of him to see the outside world, floating in complete nothingness. That is, except for the pain. Every cell in Roy's body was on fire, a constant, unbearable pain that he couldn't even curl in on himself to soothe. His body screamed, writhing in motionless agony, a constant stream of tears involuntarily running down his frozen cheeks, his desperate sobs only in his subconscious. He had found himself in this state three times at this point, each time lasting longer and being even more painful than the last. It was always after having the blood sucked from his veins by that damned statue. He would place his hands into it, and within seconds his body was thrust into the deepest pit of hells unholy fire.
He knew this was his duty, he knew he agreed to do this when his soul traveled back to his body all those months ago. But god damn, why did it have to hurt so bad? What was happening to him? He cursed himself at being weak. Who cares about a little pain when the entire world is at stake? But even so, he couldn't stop his brain from wandering away from his mission while stuck in limbo, his brain only screaming in pure agony.
Please...just let me die. Please just kill me. I've had enough and I want to die.
"Are you still like that?" An annoyed, far away voice flowed around him, causing a bone crushing fear to overtake him. He watched helplessly as Kimblee lifted his body off the bed, laying him down on his back. Kimblee took his thumb, wiping the tears off his waterlogged cheeks, smacking his lips together.
"I can't even begin to imagine the excruciating pain you are feeling right now." He mocked, gently running his fingers through Roy's sweat soaked hair. "I bet you are in there, begging for death aren't you?"
Don't fucking touch me
"I must admit, you do look your best when you are completely helpless underneath me." He laughed, unbuttoning Roy's white shirt.
Don't fucking touch me
"Of course..." He left Roy's shirt unbuttoned, but stood and peered out the window at the fiery sky. "I'd rather hear you scream." He laughed manically, turning back to the body on the bed.
"I just came to let you know, the tribe is holding a festival of sorts for their goddess tonight." A look of darkness crossed over his face, choking off Roy's already limited breath. "When you come to, whenever that may be, you should probably say your prayers." He laughed, leaving Roy alone, to suffer in silence once more.
"Did you put the drops in the wine Luka?" Lin asked, looking around the village, colorful lanterns and flowers decorating the square. In the center a giant statue of Norah was placed, offerings of plants left at her feet. Villagers danced and drank, every person rejoicing around them, completely unaware of how much danger they were truly in.
"Yeah, they've already begun drinking it, how long does it take to work?" Lin shrugged, making eye contact with her father and quickly waving, a forced smile on her face.
"It shouldn't take long. It seems some are already feeling it." Lin looked around quickly, her eyes briefly falling on Kimblee, who was speaking with her father and grandmother.
"So, when we do the flower waltz, you are going to..." Luka swallowed, his face turning a slight shade of green. "Seduce Ser Kimblee?" Lin felt her cheeks grow hot in embarrassment.
"I wouldn't put it quite like that." She snapped. "That would be inappropriate for a woman of my virtue. I'm going to dance with him and convince him to allow me to care for the prisoner tonight." Luka raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"So you're going to seduce him." He began to laugh as Lin shoved his shoulder, annoyed.
"Whatever you want to call it. Just keep your eyes on me. I'll let you know when it's time to go." She pointed to her head, Luka nodding in response to show he understood. Lin took a deep breath, exhaling through her nose as she approached the three adults, bowing gently.
"Why Linnea," Her father beamed, placing a tender hand to her shoulder. "You look beautiful tonight. Just like your mother." She smiled, a small laugh escaping past her lips.
"I have to agree with your father Priestess. Beautiful as a rose." He gently took her hand, placing his lips to the soft flesh. She fought down the shudder that threatened to escape.
"Thank you Ser." She said quietly, averting her gaze.
"Ser Kimblee says you wanted a dance with him." Her grandmother said. She once again felt her cheeks grow hot, embarrassment washing over her.
"Don't be embarrassed." Her father laughed, clapping Kimblee on the shoulder. "He was simply asking for my permission is all. A very respectful thing to do." She exhaled, laughing.
"Well if that's all, I'd like you to do the flower waltz with me." She said, grabbing his hand in hers and dragging him to the center of the square, his hand snaking its way around her waist, hers on his shoulder, their other hands clasped. He twirled her out, her pale blue dress flowing around her like water, pulling her back in close. She swallowed the nausea building in her throat.
"Ser, you sure have seemed awful busy tonight." She started, a dreamy sound to her voice. Kimblee exhaled, his narrow eyes locking on hers.
"Yes...the sacrifice requires alot of work to keep him alive and subdued until the time is right." She spun out again, quickly thinking of a response.
"Well, this is the first time you have ever witnessed a Nori festival, and it's our most important one." She raised herself up on her toes, bringing their lips inches apart. "Wouldn't it be bad luck for the savior of our people to be dealing with such, dark and evil things on a night like this?" Kimblee pulled back, Lin's heart beating into her throat. He began to laugh, pulling her in once more.
"You and your superstitions. What do you propose I do in a situation such as this?" He asked. She pretended to think for a moment.
"Well, as this tribes high priestess in training, it would only be fit that I shoulder your burden tonight. That is the job of a priestess, after all." She looked up into his eyes. He thought for a moment, the music coming to a slow end.
"I suppose I could allow that for one night. I wouldn't want to put anything in jeopardy. He will need food, and possibly bandages." He took her hand in his and once again placed his lips to it.
"Thank you Ser. Please, relax and enjoy the festival." He turned to leave, pausing only to say.
"Don't expect any small talk with him. And don't fall for his pretty boy act. He's very dangerous."
Soon, I'll be back in control soon...but why does this happen? Why do I feel so...incomplete? So empty? What is this abyss? Mom, Dad, Bertold, Trisha, Hoenheim...you said if I asked for you, you'd help. Where are you? What's going on? God damnit don't tell me you've left too. I need a sign, any god damned sign you can send me. Or just let me die already, because I don't know what the fuck I'm doing.
The door opened, that suffocating fear returning in his bones. It had to be Kimblee, back to "check on him," and he couldn't bear the thought of that man's hands on his body again. He screamed, the sound actually coming out of his throat, a jolt of crippling pain flowing through his body once more, his limbs contorting on themselves in an almost inhuman way. The scream continued to flow from his throat until the vocal chords were raw, his body finally settling down. He slowly turned towards the door, his stomach wanting to empty its self of its contents, and braced himself for whatever was to come.
"What...the hell was that?" Roy frowned. This wasn't Kimblee, it was those twins again.
Why do they keep bothering me?
He pulled his features back in, returning his face to the stoic mask he had become so accustom to wearing. The girl approached him, putting her hand out.
"Mister please...I don't know if you could see us last time." He narrowed his eyes at her. He could remember them, but what did they want?
"My name is Linnea, high priestess in training for this tribe, and this is my twin brother Luka, who will become the next Chief when our father steps down." She knelt down in front of him, taking his hand in hers. He jumped back as she began to moan in pain, tearing his hand from her grasp.
"Please, Mister, calm down. We just have some questions we need to ask." Roy stared at the girl, his lips kept shut tight.
"Does he even talk?" Luka snapped, causing Roy to flinch. "Hello? Can you answer her questions? Or did Kimblee cut out your tongue?" Roy scowled, tapping his finger on his knee.
"Luka, knock it off." the girl, Lin, scolded. She turned back to him, the desperation in her eyes sending a pang of guilt to his heart. "Look, my brother and I are descendants of the goddess they call Norah. We don't have much time so I can't explain just yet, but we both think there is something awful about Ser Kimblee, and we need you to tell us if we are right."
Roy felt his heartbeat begin to thud into his chest. It had to be a trick, it was just another mind trick. He shook his head quickly, his hands beginning to shake.
"Shhh, please, calm down mister." She said, taking his hand once more and glaring at a particularly nasty slash down his palm. "Let me fix that."
Roy watched in amazement as she plucked one of the leaves from her hair, placing her lips softly to it and blowing. She placed the leaf to his hand, the pain disappearing instantly. She smiled sweetly at him, letting go of his hand.
"There ya go. You are much easier to be around now that you are calm." Luka stepped forward.
"She can read your emotions, even ones you don't think you feel." He looked to her, smiling. "We sometimes call her a human lie detector. One touch, and weather you answer the question or not, we will know our answer." Roy just stared at them in confusion. What are they getting at?
"It's much easier on my sister if you just answer us though." He looked to the boy, tears forming in the twins eyes. Roy couldn't take the guilt trip any longer.
"If I get caught speaking to you, I put every single person I love at risk." The boy, Luka stepped forward, saying quietly.
"But by keeping your silence...you condemn ours." The three sat silently for a moment, each thinking of what to do. An idea formed in Roy's tired brain, but he was unsure of the risk. He stood on shaking legs. walking over to the desk in the corner. He pulled a photo out of his drawer, returning to sit on the bed.
"I can't tell you anything, but I do know someone who can." He handed them the photo. "Everyone in this photo knows what's going on, and can answer any questions you have." Lin looked to him, the gratitude in her eyes warming Roy's frozen core.
"We can't just leave the forest though, and we have no idea where to find them." Lin's face fell. The group fell silent once more.
"Wait! I have the perfect idea!" Luka ran to the window, opening it and whistling twice. A giant crow flew through the window. Roy must have had quite a look on his face, because Luka laughed and said,
"This is Po. We can communicate with each other. He could deliver a message." Lin smiled, hugging her brother.
"Luka that's brilliant!" Roy smiled, returning to the desk, pulling out a piece of old cloth.
"Do...you have anything to write with?" He asked. The crow shook its feathers, one falling loose onto the table. Roy picked it up, but where would he get ink? He felt bile rise into his throat as he jammed the sharp end of the feather into one of his wounds, quickly scribbling a message in his own blood before rolling the cloth up once more.
"But what if Po gets intercepted?" Lin asked. "There is alot we can do, but we can't hide messages." Luka frowned, pounding his fist into the table.
"We are never going to figure this out. We may as well just give the forest to Hexas. I don't know why he won't just say..." Roy frowned, exhaling sharply through his nose.
"I have a way to conceal this message, but I'll need you to do me a favor." He said quickly, wincing as he pulled his pant leg up.
"I need one of you to remove this chip for me." Luka and Linnea exchanged shocked expressions, their eyes focused on the cuff that was drilled into his bruised, purple flesh. "There's a lock on the side, I just need to remove the spikes from my skin for a moment, then we can put it back." Roy was slightly amused when the girl reached for the cuff while her brother, who seemed a bit more defensive, shook his head with worry.
Roy gasped as the cuff was removed from under his flesh, blood pouring from the holes left behind. He quickly dipped a finger in his blood, painting a transmutation circle over the cloth. He stood back, weakly raising his hands in a position to attempt a snap.
"Please, step back, it's been a long time since I've been able to perform, I don't know how well this will work." He allowed his fingers to glide past each other, all of his focus on nothing but the circle. A low steady stream of fire came from his fingertips, a slight satisfaction at finally performing his flame alchemy again after over a year. He allowed the flames to linger for a moment, before pulling them back in, the cloth appearing blank once more.
He handed the cloth to Luka, who quickly attached it to the birds legs. He held up the photo to the bird, pointing to each person.
"Look for these people in Central City, Amestris." He said, the bird cawing twice before taking off through the window. Luka turned to face them again, stress visible in his gaze.
"Lin, put that thing back on his leg and lets get out of here before we get caught." A pained gasp escaped his lips as he felt the spikes pierce into his flesh once more, the alchemic block back in place. The girl bid a quick sorry before the twins bolted out of the room, leaving Roy to his thoughts once more.
I guess that's as good a sign as any he laughed to himself, taking a bite of the bread he was gifted. He looked back down to his palm, the gash completely healed. He finished his rations, laying back down and closing his eyes, enjoying the brief period of calmness, Kimblee's last words to him slipping from his memory as his body drifted off into a much needed sleep.
"Luka, did you see what I saw?" Lin whispered as they made their way back to the festivities.
"You mean the fire? Yeah. I did." She looked around suspiciously, making sure they were out of earshot of any of the villagers.
"Do you believe me now? I told you something wasn't right with this." She closed her eyes, turning her back to her brother.
"He's not the man of combustion at all." Luka placed a comforting hand to her shoulder, standing next to her.
"No, whoever this man is or wherever he came from..."
"He's the one the prophecy called The man of fire."
Chapter 4
Notes:
Finally back with more and its a long one!
some trigger warnings for this chapter
MILD VIOLENCE
MILD SEXUAL CONTENTthank you so much for reading!
Chapter Text
Edward's body was once again floating slowly through the darkness, the familiar isolation an unwelcome sensation to his sleeping form. He looked around slowly, the air around him thick like smog, almost suffocating him as he strained his eyes in an attempt to see anything at all. He swallowed the lump in his throat, a bitter taste lingering on his tongue as the image of a man came into focus in front of him.
It looked like Roy, but with his back turned he couldn't exactly tell. Every time he had this dream there was a high chance of running into that thing hiding behind Roy's face. He began to fear Roy's presence in general, something he never expected, given everything they had gone though. He slowly inhaled, holding his breath as he approached the man.
To his relief, it was his commanding officer who turned to acknowledge him, but Ed still hesitated.
"How do I know it's really you, Roy?" He asked, his voice muffled by the thick air around them. Roy's eyebrow twitched, but the look in his eyes told Edward he understood his hesitation.
"That...thing, it may have my face but there is one difference between it and myself." Ed watched carefully as Roy lifted his right hand, wiggling the nub where his pinky once stood. "Demon's can't stand imperfection. His version of me is fully in tact." Ed exhaled, reminding himself to write that bit of information down when he woke. Roy motioned with his head towards the north, or what Edward believed to be north, and the two swam through the tense, thick air, drifting towards nothing in particular.
"What is that thing? Has anyone else seen it besides us?" He felt a shiver travel under his skin, the image of a demonic Roy burned into his skull. Roy exhaled slowly, confusion and despair radiating through every pore.
"I'm not sure I can answer either of those questions." He started, looking around nervously. "As for the others, I've only ever come across you, those who are already deceased, and..." He didn't finish his sentence. Instead, his eyes focused forward, frozen in numbing fear. Edward opened his mouth to try to call out to him, but no sound came through. He allowed his eyes to travel in the direction Roy was staring into, a shape slowly taking form in front of them.
It was a woman, long, deep brown snarled hair whipped around her in a wind they didn't feel, her eyes a deep red and fangs protruding from her mouth. She snarled, slowly making her way towards the pair. Ed noticed he was frozen in place, his eyes darting to the man on his left. He watched in silent horror as Roy closed his eyes and began to slowly drift towards her.
"Very good, my pet." She softly purred, pulling a now catatonic Roy into her chest, her slender, clawed fingers running through his hair. "You really are the perfect host." Ed fought against the paralysis, his body desperately begging to move, to pry Roy from the grasp of this demon. Vines began to appear from the demoness's back, small, thin tubes which worked their way around Roy's arms, piercing the skin and entering his veins, blood staining their insides crimson red as she absorbed the life from inside him. Edward could only stand and watch as Roy's body transformed in front of him, claws growing from his now in tact fingertips, fangs tearing through his mouth. Roy's body grew limp, his head turning slowly to face him, blank, blood red eyes piercing him with a soul crushing sadness.
Ed felt himself panic, his throat desperately trying to utter even a whisper if it meant it could help. Frantically, he began to scream inside his head, imagining the blood curdling scream he wished he could produce. Please, help us, he silently screamed, panic flooding his entire heart.
Anybody, please...help. I can't do this alone.
Suddenly, feeling crashed back into Edwards nerve endings as a blinding light engulfed them. Lifting his arm to shield his eyes, relief washed over him like a warm mist as Riza and Maes appeared from the light.
"It's about time you got here." He yelled over the sound of the wind forming around them. He pointed towards Roy and Hexas, the demoness slowly losing her hold over their friend. Riza stepped forward, gently lifting her hand in front of her, Ed and Maes mirroring her stance.
"You can fight it Roy." She yelled over the tornado. "You just have to wake up now!"
"Wake up Roy." Maes shouted. "You need to wake up!" The demoness released Roy, who to Ed's astonishment, disappeared the moment the vines left his body. A terrorizing scream escaped her throat as she closed the space between herself and Edward, her clawed hand wrapping around his throat. She squeezed as tightly as she could, causing spots to dance in front of his face as his life was slowly drained away. As his body began to lose consciousness, a muffled, quiet voice drifted in distance.
Spawn of Hoenheim, you will pay for Nok.
Ed couldn't focus. It had been two weeks since they found the signal in Roy's flat, but there hadn't been so much as a word since. He closed the book he had been trying to skim through, grabbing his cane and silently making his way towards the porch of their self proclaimed headquarters. He looked around the yard of the boarding house, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers that had just begun to bloom. The yard was overgrown after having been abandoned by the previous owners, but he liked it that way. It gave him something to look at while he attempted to quiet his always screaming mind. He wandered aimlessly for a while, soaking in the afternoon sun, desperately trying to remember what it was he heard in his dream the previous night.
"Something weighing particularly heavy on your mind today, Edward?" The sudden voice startled Ed, his heart leaping into his throat as he spun on his heel to confront the intruder.
"Don't sneak up on me like that, Maes." He frowned, inhaling deeply to still his frantic heart. "I don't really react to surprises very well anymore." Maes apologetically smiled, sitting on the back step and patting the space next to him. Ed exhaled, lowering himself to sit next to the older man, his eyes trained on a bee sipping sweet nectar from inside an orange flower.
"So, what's on your mind? If you don't mind me asking." He said gently, lightly scratching the skin under his eye patch. Ed closed his eyes, still trying to remember.
"That's just it. I'm trying to remember something that didn't actually happen, at least I don't think it did. A dream I had last night." He laughed to himself. "I probably sound insane, but it feels like I'm missing something important from it." Maes furrowed his brow, concern in his voice when he spoke.
"Did your dream involve Roy, Riza, myself and that demon?" Ed turned his head to the man next to him, his voice failing to form words.
"So, you mean you had the same dream?" Maes frowned, resting his chin on his hands.
"Sort of, Riza and I had talked about it earlier. It wasn't so much a dream as it was a quick glimpse of something sucking the life from Roy's body." Ed shook his head, his eyes once again focused on the orange flower.
"I've been having alot of dreams like that." He started. "Usually I only encountered Roy's demonic doppleganger but this time it was him. I feel like he told me something important or that I'm missing something that we need to know."
A loud 'caw' pierced through the sky above them, both men looking up as a large, slick black crow made its way towards them. The bird landed on the ground at their feet, extending its own leg towards Edward, a small rolled up piece of cloth tied to it. He knelt down, gently allowing the bird to perch on his flesh arm while the other untied the cloth from its leg. He looked to Maes and with a silent agreement they made their way back into the boarding house.
"Ed? What's going on?" Winry asked, shutting her book. The rest of the occupants in the room tuned in, confusion on all of their faces.
"Is...that a crow?" Kain asked, raising an eyebrow. The crow cawed once again, leaping off Ed's arm and onto the table, bowing its head in an almost formal way towards the blonde. Ed unrolled the cloth, frowning.
"It's blank." Al said, looking over his shoulder. "Maybe its just a fluke." Ed studied the cloth for a moment longer, before the realization crashed through his brain like a cannonball.
"Everyone, stand back." He said, waving his arms to create enough space for him to do his work. He focused on the cloth for a moment, clapping his hands and placing a single finger in the center of it. He waved the group back over as red letters began to form on the cloth.
"How did you do that?" Jean asked, jaw dropped in semi amazement. Ed shrugged.
"It was a system we had worked out after everyone had been separated before the promised day. It uses elements from both of our specific types of alchemy to change the composition of whatever is used to write, like ink, to essentially sink into the material its written on, only being released once the outer shell is removed, so to speak."
"That's impressive." Riza studied the now revealed text, working to stifle the slight sick edge to her voice. Edward looked to the cloth, the words fully visible now,
Stand your ground, messengers will arrive soon. RFAM
Edwards eyes read the words over and over, their dark brownish red hue causing his heart to thunder in his ribcage.
"Is that...written in blood?" Kain asked quietly, voicing what they were all thinking.
"It would appear so." Edward lifted his arms once again. "Step back again please." Within seconds, the entire piece of cloth burst into flames, destroying any trace of the bloody message. He turned to the group behind him, a sad smile on his lips.
"Once the text is revealed, the transmutation continues to deconstruct molecules within the material until, as you saw, the material spontaneously combusts."
"And you are able to set this transmutation up as well?" Maes asked, raising an eyebrow. Ed nodded. "That could come in handy."
"Should we send something back?" Ling asked, himself, Lan Fan and Mei placing the remainder of their bags to the floor. Ed smiled at them, waving the three over.
"Hey, thanks for coming back." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I know you just got back and all..." Ling beamed him a large smile, walking up and placing his arm around the shorter alchemist.
"You know we'd never turn down a chance to help you save the world!" Mei and Lan Fan hastily agreed, joining the rest of the group. They Briefed their new members on what had happened in their absence, the trio from Xing growing more and more troubled as the information came pouring out.
"And that brings us to our next topic." Riza said, gently stroking the crow on its head. "Has anyone other than Edward, Maes and myself had any strange dreams?" She quickly glanced to both Maes and himself, the crow perching on her shoulder. The group collectively said no, prompting Edward to cut in.
"What did the two of you see in yours?" Maes cleared his throat.
"I just remember going to sleep, I wasn't dreaming, it was just blackness. Then, I heard your voice screaming for help." He closed his eye, frowning. "Next thing I knew I was standing next to Riza in a black void watching both Roy and Yourself having your blood drained by that demon, who I am assuming is Hexas." Edward felt the blood in his veins freeze.
Both of us?
"What about you Riza?" He asked nervously. Riza nodded, her brow creased in frustration.
"I saw exactly what Maes saw." She said quietly. "I was just sleeping, I heard you screaming, and then I appeared in the same black void with you, Maes and Roy." Edward frowned, his pulse quickening with each word.
"And the Demon?" He asked nervously.
"Small tube like tentacles were underneath your skin and blood was being absorbed through them." Ed wanted to vomit. That thing had her claws inside him as well, and he hadn't even known it. Was that why he couldn't move or speak? A chill ran down his spine.
"Ed, are you okay?" Winry asked, placing a soft hand to his knee. He exhaled slowly, trying to calm his nerves.
"Well it's just strange to me." He started, more to himself than the rest of the group. "I also saw the same things Riza and Maes saw but...I don't remember having my blood taken from me." His eyes scanned the faces around him, his thumb nervously stroking the back of Winry's hand.
"What did you see? How long have you been having dreams like this?" Al asked, his voice laced with worry.
"They started the night Roy disappeared." He started. "Usually it was just me in some kind of altercation with a demonic version of Roy with my parents and a few others stepping in to help, but this time I saw Roy." He looked down, desperately trying to remember the hazy details. "He told me something important, but I can't remember what it was. We came up on Hexas and my body became paralyzed. I couldn't move or speak." He shuddered. "I just remember screaming inside my head and the two of you appearing shortly after. Roy disappeared and I lost my vision soon after." Jean shook his head, taking a slow drag off his cigarette.
"Sounds like this might be more than just a dream." He said. The group quietly voiced their agreement.
"Other than that, have their been any other dreams?" To Ed's surprise, Ling cleared his throat.
"It could just be a coincidence," He started, looking to both Mei and Lan Fan. "But we have been seeing Greed in ours as well." The grim expression on their faces left a sour feeling in his stomach.
"He appears inside a black void, very similar to what you described finding Roy in, but he's alone. There is no demon." Lan Fan averted her eyes, suppressing tears. "He's hurt."
"Every time we see him, he's begging us for help." Mei finished for her, resting her head on Al's shoulder. "He's bleeding, and there's genuine terror in his eyes."
"I know I said I wanted to do it on my own, but you need to help us, he begs." Ling mimicked his voice in such a way if Ed had closed his eyes he would have believed Greed was truly calling out to him.
"I definitely think that's something to keep note of." He said, looking at his watch with a yawn. The sun had set many hours previously, thick clouds blotting out any view of the moon or stars.
"We should try to get some rest." Maes said, rubbing a sore, red eye. "We have alot of paperwork to read through tomorrow."
"I agree." Riza said, standing from her seat and walking over to a writing desk in the corner. She picked up a necklace with a small gold heart charm. Draping it over the birds neck, she stroked its head one last time before softly saying. "Make sure this gets to him...okay?" The bird cooed softly, once again turning towards Edward and bowing its head before flying swiftly out the window into the darkness of the night.
The group dispersed, each retiring to their room for the night. Ed sat on the edge of his bed, his cane laying across his lap.
"Winry?" He asked quietly, looking down into his lap. "Did you notice how that crow kept bowing to me?" Winry sat next to him on the bed, gently resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah...I wonder why?" Ed shrugged, wrapping his flesh arm around her waist.
"I'm sure in time we will find out. Seems to be the case with everything related to whatever the hell is going on." They both got into bed, turning off the lamp. They laid there silently for a moment, soaking in the rare feeling of comfort as they wrapped themselves around each other. Edward was beginning to doze off, when a quiet voice cut through the silence.
"Ed? Are you still awake?" Winry whispered. Worry began to flood his heart.
"Yeah...are you okay?" She buried her head into his chest, holding him as close as she physically could.
"I'm scared Ed." She sniffed. "I feel like something horrible is going to happen, and I'm going to lose you again." Edward kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms tighter.
"I'll be honest with you Win..." He exhaled slowly. "I'm scared too. I don't know what's going on or what these dreams are telling me, and it absolutely terrifies me. The fact that you and Al are even involved in the first place makes me sick to my stomach." He tucked her head underneath his chin. "If you wake up while I'm asleep, will you just, watch me for a moment? See if I do anything strange? I have a feeling there is more to this." He felt Winry nod her head underneath him.
"Of course Ed. Whatever it takes, I won't let anything happen to you, not ever again." She squeezed him tighter for a moment before relaxing with a yawn. "I love you Ed, you can lean on me this time, okay?" Ed quietly laughed to himself, his own body relaxing into the mattress.
"I love you too Win. I don't know where I'd be without you."
Roy was back in the familiar void once again, his thoughts muffled by the intense pressure crushing his body. Everything was pulsating, dark, malevolent energy thrumming through every cell in his body. He looked around the empty blackness, desperate for any kind of visual or sensation other than the worms under his skin.
He sensed a presence behind him, his curiosity pushing him to turn around but the never ending terror flooding through his subconscious froze him into place. He inhaled deeply, trying to work up the nerve, as his body began to turn on its own to face whatever it was approaching him.
"How do I know you are the real Roy?" He asked. Roy felt a pain in his chest, but he swallowed it, instead lifting his hand to show it to the young alchemist.
"One thing about demons," He said, wiggling his lost digit. "They hate imperfection. His version of me is fully intact." The two alchemists began to drift aimlessly, Edward asking him questions that he did not have the answer to. He had only ever caught glimpses of Edward in here, and his confusion was becoming stifling. He felt his head growing fuzzy, as if his soul was leaving his body, before turning his head to check if Ed was okay.
Internal panic overtook him as his blurry vision fixated on a now catatonic Edward, eyes blank and staring forward, wrapped in the same sadistic tentacles as himself, the worm like appendages burrowing into the skin on his neck and arms, blood traveling into the demon. He desperately tried to move, desperately tried to yank the tentacles out, but it was no use. They were both being drained. His vision began to fade, complete blackness consuming him until he simply existed. He was no longer anywhere, no longer felt anything.
The sound of a faint yell began to permeate the void around him.
"Wake up"
He strained his ears, the second yell coming in right in front of his face.
"You need to wake up now!"
Air crashed into Roy's lungs as his eyes snapped open, his heart thundering around his ribcage. He blinked a few times to clear away the sleep fog, only to jump back in surprise by a face looking back at him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." It was that boy again. Roy frowned, painfully pushing himself up into a sitting position.
"Why are you here?" He asked, slightly annoyed at the unexpected visitor. The boy looked to the floor, a deep sadness in his eyes.
"Look, I know my sister trusts you and truly believes you are the one meant to save our people." He bit his lip. "But...I still have a few questions before I fully trust you. I know you aren't supposed to speak to us, but I need to know." Roy folded his hands into his lap, smirking when he noticed the boy staring at his hand.
"Did...Ser Kimblee do that to you?" Roy lifted his hand, eyes trained on his once most valuable asset.
"He didn't cut the finger off, but he is...part of the reason behind it." He tried to push the image out of his head. "I can't tell you much, but I can try to answer your questions as well as I can." He studied the boy in the dim moonlight, his blatant discomfort making Roy anxious.
"Well..." Luka paused, biting his lip. "My father said you...killed our mother." He turned his head, avoiding Roy's gaze. "Is it true? Are you really the one who destroyed Ishval and if so...why? What did they ever do to anyone?" A tear slid down his young cheek, piercing Roy through the chest. "How could you be the one we have been waiting for with that much blood on your hands?"
The pair fell silent, Luka quietly sniffling in an attempt to hide his tears. What could he even say in this moment? He knew he couldn't tell him anything crucial about Ishval, he knew telling this boy anything was a risk almost not worth taking, but he also knew he couldn't just send him away.
"The extermination of Ishval was intentionally sparked by a great evil which was leading our country." He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. "They started it, and we were told to finish."
"So it's true then?" His voice broke as he spoke. "You did destroy Ishval."
"It would be a lie if I said I held no blame in the bloodshed. There is nothing I can say to justify or explain it, other than blind loyalty and human stupidity were the cause." He sighed, dropping his head. "As for your mother, I couldn't say if I was the one who took her life, but I am to blame all the same."
"Ser Kimblee is also to blame...isn't he?" Roy looked into the boys pink irises, nodding his head.
"Yes. We both served in the Amestrian military together. We...go way back." He swallowed the nausea creeping up his throat, trying to push the image of Kimblee on top of him out of his mind. Luka remained silent for a moment, focused in thought.
"So, if that was true, then does that mean you really are only doing this as an attempt at redemption?" Roy sadly laughed, shaking his head.
"There is no redemption for the sin I committed, however, I can dedicate the rest of my life to preventing something like that happening again, and that is what I plan to do." The faint sound of footsteps tickled Roy's ear, the hairs standing on the back of his neck.
"Kimblee's coming." He couldn't mask the fear in his voice as the footsteps slowly grew louder. Luka furrowed his brow, confusion in his eyes.
"What do you mean? I don't hear anything." Roy's heart began to pound against his ribcage, the pulsations shooting pain through his chest.
"The bookcase. Get behind the bookcase now, and don't make a sound." He frantically whispered, ushering the confused teenager to the opposite side of the room. "Hurry!" Luka did as he was told, tucking himself behind the bookcase. Roy quickly laid down on the bed, his back to the door, and closed his eyes in his best attempt at faking sleep. He could hear the blood rushing through his ears as the door opened behind him, a rough hand wrapping its fingers in his hair, yanking him forward to face the furious glare of Kimblee.
"Who were you talking to dog?" He squeezed harder, causing him to wince as hairs worked their way out of their follicles.
"I was asleep. I wasn't talking to anyone." Kimblee sneered, releasing his grip on Roy's hair and stepping back.
"I heard you talking flame, I'll give you one more chance to tell me the truth." Roy involuntarily flinched at the implication, but quickly straightened his back.
"I was asleep. I swear." Kimblee folded his arms, tapping his finger impatiently.
"Do you remember your contract? You are not to lie to me."
"I do remember my contract, and feeding into your delusions wasn't part of it." Before he had a moment to blink, Kimblee was on top of him, his hand closing off his airways. He began to panic, flashes of hanging on the gallows running through his head. He wrapped his hands around his attackers wrists, but he couldn't pry the fingers from his throat.
"Are you feeling afraid now? Thinking about the hangman?" He squeezed harder. "I don't know what game you think you are playing right now, but you are going to lose." He released Roy's throat, air crashing into his lungs causing him to erupt into a painful coughing fit. As his chest settled, he felt something wet slide up the side of his neck, the urge to vomit overpowering as Kimblee licked a trail of blood left from his fingernails.
"I can see why she wants you." He purred into his ear. "You are intoxicating."
"P...please. I wasn't..." Roy's words cut off as Kimblee sunk his teeth into the soft flesh of his neck, a painful cry escaping his throat. He pulled back, admiring the already bruised, bleeding skin and licking blood from his lips.
"Maybe I've let you become too comfortable." White hot pain shot up Roy's leg and through his back as Kimblee's boot came crashing down on the abused skin near the cuff, a scream escaping his throat as spots danced in front of his face. The spike stabbed into his ankle bone, the pain causing his eyes to water and his head to spin, the urge to vomit almost overpowering.
Kimblee stood, walking back towards the door. Before leaving, he turned once more to Roy, hate bleeding through his irises.
"If I find out you were talking to anyone, be it a Nori or a cockroach, I will make you regret ever being born. Do you understand me? We are getting close, my pet, I know you can feel it. Be a good boy, and we might let you stay with us once everyone is gone."
His laugh echoed through the room long after the door closed, Roy feeling desperate to escape it. His skin was crawling, the feeling of Kimblee's teeth and tongue grossly lingering, causing him to feel ill. He laid back on the bed, slowly making his way into a fetal position, his desperate need to disappear in on himself overwhelming. He squeezed his eyes shut, his body shaking like a dog in the rain, one phrase playing in his head on a loop.
Don't fucking touch me. Do not fucking touch me.
Luka held his hand tightly over his mouth, his head spinning with the information he just heard. He heard the truth straight from the offenders mouth. He peeked through a crack between two boards, praying to Norah the snake was gone. He felt his chest slightly relax when the room was empty, slowly making his way back out from behind the bookcase. His eyes fell on the man, guilt choking his heart as he surveyed him. His back was turned, but his ankle was purple and angry, blood and bone marrow soaking the sheet underneath him. His neck was covered in angry red streaks, a deep, bruised, bleeding bite mark on the side of his neck. He swallowed the vomit trying to force its way up, and said quietly,
"Mister...I'm so sorry." He didn't move from his position, saying quietly,
"Just go. Hurry." Luka quickly turned, quietly sneaking through the door and making his way out of the temple. He walked down the dirt path, pondering what he had just witnessed. Kimblee had been decieving them all along, and he knew it now. They couldn't trust Kimblee, but how could they trust this other man, given what he had done? Luka sat underneath a large willow tree, his head beginning to hurt.
"You went to talk to him, didn't you Luka?" The voice of his sister startled him. She sat next to him, staring at the full moon above them.
"Yeah...I did, and I have no doubt in my mind anymore that he really is the man of fire." Lin frowned.
"What happened?" He looked around, double checking that they were alone.
"Kimblee isn't trying to kill Hexas. He's trying to bring her back."
"Well we already knew that. Did you learn anything new?" Luka furrowed his brow, scowling at his sister in frustration.
"I asked him about Ishval, and mom. He did it Lin. He killed all of those people. But so did Ser Kimblee. He told me they were part of the military together and a great evil was leading their country that started the bloodshed in the first place."
"Luka, slow down. What else did he tell you?" Luka took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"I didn't get to ask anything, Kimblee paid a visit and I had to hide." Linnea bit her lip, deep in thought.
"What happened?" Luka shuddered.
"I couldn't see, but he talked about his plan, and it doesn't include killing Hexas."
"I knew it! Did anything else happen?" Luka shook his head, staring off into the distance.
"He attacked him, and left him in a bloody pile. That's it." The twins sat silently for a moment, the wheels turning quickly in their brains.
"We need to start thinking of a plan to get to Central Amestris to talk to the people in the picture." She stood, motioning for Luka to follow. "Lets get home before we get caught being out here." Luka nodded in agreement, his thoughts like lead sitting in his brain. He felt as if he had more questions than answers, and he couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. Who is this man and why is he so special? Why was he drawn to him, even knowing what he knew? What was happening to him?
The twins said a quick goodnight, Luka closing the door and lying on the bed. He felt exhausted and sore, one final question running through his head before sleep finally took him,
How did he know Kimblee was coming from so far away?
Chapter 5
Notes:
Alright here we go! (edited to fix trigger warnings)
MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS
-Suspected Non-Con (no actual nc)
-graphic descriptions of wounds, including trauma to eyes and ears
-Forced consumption of bodily fluids
Chapter Text
"You are sure he's the one?" The old woman asked, worry on her tongue. "We are running out of time." Sparkling leaves began to fall from the massive willow tree she sat beneath, a quiet voice emitting from its trunk.
"Yes, the man's spirit is strong, I've felt his presence inside me ever since he took his first step past the barrier I set." The old woman sighed, shaking her head.
"You know I never question what you say, my goddess, but would I be wrong to have my doubts? Allowing Kimblee into our tribe was bad enough, but this new man," She paused, gathering her thoughts. "He has an entire countries blood on his hands, our land already devastated once before no less. Kimblee and him, they seem cut from the same cloth." Norah exhaled, two of her tendrils resting on the woman's wrinkled hands.
"I know it seems that way, but you need to remember what I told you when you were a girl. Hexas and her henchman Nok are fueled by pain, suffering, sorrow and..." The goddess patiently waited for the old woman to answer.
"Guilt." The wind blew gently, the trees branches dancing in the breeze.
"His part in the destruction of our brothers and sisters was devastating, but it was no act of malice on his part and the guilt over it he holds makes him a perfect vessel for them to enter back into our world."
"The prophecy also said he would lead an army, but how can a man in the process of martyrdom do that? How could he possibly have the strength?" The tree kindly laughed, casting warm sunbeams on her dark skin.
"He already does, Lilia. An army in his home land is waiting for his command to fight." She paused a moment, lightly caressing the old woman's shoulder. "I understand your worry, but the prophecy is falling into place just as it was meant to. Hoenheim's descendants are preparing for the war as we speak. Have Luka and Linnea discovered the truth yet?" The woman shook her head, looking down into her lap.
"I do not think so. Kimblee is unreadable to Linnea, she can't tell what he is actually feeling." A vine rested on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze.
"They are bright children, descendants of you and descendants of me, the children of your daughter Lumina. If they are unaware of the truth now, they will not be for long. Trust them." The old woman stood, bowing to the tree with her hand over her heart.
"Thank you my goddess. I will go to the young man and dig around in his brain, see if I can't get things moving along."
"Thank you, Lilia, the forest is in good hands as long as you are inside it." The tree faded from view, leaving nothing but pure, unending white light. The old woman dropped to her knees, the scenery changing from white to the inside of Norah's temple. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand to her beating heart, catching her breath.
I hope we can trust this young man...him and his army are this worlds last ray of hope.
Roy sat, staring blankly at the wall, his body lacking the strength to do anything else. He tried to focus on his task; focus on anything other than the demon devouring him from the inside, however it was as if she infected every cell in his body. He could not escape her presence, her whispers inside his head. He could still feel her tentacles painfully burrowing into the veins through his neck and arms, a sensation that had caused him to dig at the entry wounds and tear them, if only to feel something other than the worms wriggling beneath his sensitive skin.
Roy sighed, closing his eyes in an attempt to stop the room from spinning, sorrowfully saying out loud,
"What the hell am I doing?"
"Being a good pet, I hope for your sake anyway." Ice slid through Roy's veins as Kimblee's voice pierced through his heart. He felt as his pulse began to quicken, his brain desperately screaming,
Don't fucking touch me. Do not fucking touch me.
Kimblee approached the desk near the bed and placed something on top of it, his body obstructing Roy's view of what it was, causing more panic to flood through his chest. Kimblee turned, venom in his eyes as he approached him.
"So, how is my pet feeling today?" He calmly asked, gripping his chin and forcefully turning his head to the side, Roy hissing in pain as Kimblee ran his fingers over the wounds caused by both himself and Hexas. "Those look quite painful, you should stop hurting yourself, one might believe you've gone mad." Roy snapped his head out of Kimblee's grasp, straightening his head once more, glaring at his captor.
"Now now, don't look at me that way." His lips curled into a smile, his hand once again gripping his chin, pulling their faces inches apart. "You might get yourself into trouble." He wrapped his free hand into a fist, crashing it into Roy's jaw with such a force he fell to the floor, his body too weak to pick himself back up.
Just lie there and take it. He thought to himself. The sooner you do what he wants, the sooner he will leave
Kimblee gripped the back of Roy's shirt, roughly jerking him upwards, back onto the bed and facing him once more. His eyes landed on the already swollen cheek, a laugh escaping his lips.
"Well, that is a much better look I think." He purred, turning back towards the desk. "The reason I have come is to inform you that phase two of your transformation begins today." Roy cocked an eyebrow, his stomach feeling sour.
"Phase...two?" He asked quietly. Kimblee's thin lips slowly slid into a sinister grin, his eyes searing into Roy's soul.
"Yes. Surely you have noticed a change in you, have you not?" Roy didn't respond, he didn't need to. "You're feeling weaker, despite not being deprived of proper nutrients. Your brain, it's scrambled, and you can't focus, as if something is replacing you inside your own subconscious." He narrowed his eyes, turning and lifting the object off the table, bile rising in his throat as Kimblee closed the space between them.
He held out a large, clear goblet, filled three quarters of the way with a thick, red liquid very familiar to the alchemist. Roy swallowed the urge to gag, his brain desperately wishing the goblet had been filled with arsenic instead. He closed his eyes, vomit working its way up his throat.
"Who..." he started, taking a breath to slow his rapid, painful heartbeat. "Who did it come from?" Kimblee laughed, placing the cup between his shaking hands.
"That is none of your concern. Your spirit has been broken enough to use as a portal," He exhaled sharply, peering out of the small, barred window. "But your body is still very much human, and will require some...unconventional nutrients to prevent it from decaying."
Roy stared into the cup, his head spinning in a whirl of fear and nausea. He knew what he would be expected to do, but he genuinely didn't know if he could do it. He could feel Kimblee's stare burning a hole through him, watching and waiting for him, but he froze. The worms underneath his skin danced excitedly, driving his already foggy brain close to crashing.
"Well? Get on with it dog, I've got things to do." Kimblee snapped. Roy exhaled, his hands slowly lifting the goblet to his swollen, cracked lips, the metal warm to the touch.
Just get it down...and he will leave.
He tipped the cup, the warm, sticky liquid pouring into his sore mouth, the foul, metallic taste of iron on his tongue overpowering. He attempted to swallow, but his disgust was overpowering, his throat instantly and very forcefully rejecting the blood in his mouth. An involuntary cough projectiled its way through his throat, the blood spraying down the front of his captor.
Roy's vision went black as Kimblee's fist crashed into his cheek, the goblet taken by Kimblee and placed back on the desk. He tried to lift his arms to shield his head, but a boot stomped into his stomach instead. Roy gasped for air, the wind knocked from him as Kimblee lifted him by the collar of his shirt, his fist crashing into his face three more times, each punch causing more pain than the last. He felt so disoriented he hardly noticed as Kimblee threw him face down onto the cot, his angry shouts muffled by a painful ringing in his eardrums.
"I am sick and tired of your games, you waste of human flesh!" He inhumanly growled, his fist wrapped in his hair, shoving his face into the bed. "I've been generous with you, but that ends now."
Roy felt panic consume his entire being as Kimblee tore the fabric of his shirt from his body. He weakly struggled, desperate to get away despite being aware an escape was impossible.
Do not fucking touch me
"It's time you were reminded of where your place really is, you fucking mutt." A painful yell escaped past his lips as Kimblee began slicing strips of flesh from his exposed back in a pattern he could only imagine.
Please...don't touch me
Roy couldn't suppress the painful yell that escaped his throat as Kimblee jammed his knee into his lower back, one of his hands pulling his head back at a painful angle.
God...please... please don't touch me.
Roy felt the goblet once again against his lips, Kimblee roughly pouring the blood down his throat, causing him to choke as he desperately attempted to swallow.
Just do what he says and he will leave
Roy willed himself to swallow, Kimblee easing his grip on his scalp as he became more compliant. He could not suppress the tears of despair and disgust that finally began to fall, the last few drops of blood making their way down his sore throat.
Kimblee discarded the goblet, releasing Roy's hair and throwing him back into the cot. He felt him approach him from behind, his panicked, tired mind no longer strong enough to fight.
Don't fight him or anger him. Just be good; he will finish and leave.
"What...must I do?" He quietly asked, his spirit defeated. Kimblee chuckled, lowering his mouth to Roy's ear, a gasp escaping him as he pierced the lobe with a sharp tooth.
"I want to hear you scream, and beg for my forgiveness."
Po's back
The words drifted through Lin's subconscious as she was praying in the temple, the hairs on her arms standing at attention. She quickly bowed, uttering a quick apology to her goddess as she turned and quickly left the temple. Her mind was focused on the task at hand, so focused she hardly noticed the omnious presence moving towards her.
"Just the person I was hoping to run into." The voice stopped her in her tracks, ice sliding through her veins as her eyes focused on Kimblee, his clothing and skin splattered in bright red blood.
"W...what happened? Are you injured Ser?" She approached him, holding out a cloth for him to wipe his face. She felt a dark aura surround them, Kimblee's low laugh stopping her heart mid beat.
"Its not my blood, but I appreciate the concern." He smirked, looking down at her. "Our beast had become a tad...unruly and I had to subdue him. I may have gone a little too far, and he is in need of serious medical intervention." Lin swallowed, her eyes still glued to the blood splatter.
"Yes...of course. Healing is my specialty." She faked a sweet smile, gently taking the cloth from him, tenderly wiping a smear of blood from his cheek. He smiled, peering into her eyes and lightly gripping her chin with his fingers, a smear of blood being left behind them. He quickly walked past her, saying over his shoulder,
"We are very lucky to have such a skilled young woman on our side. Heal only the crucial wounds you are able to, and leave the back side of his body untouched, he is being punished after all." She felt his presence disappear, but remained frozen, Kimblee's last statement paralyzing her in a mess of emotions, worry outshining the rest. There had been alot of blood on him, how bad was that man hurt? What did he do to him? She closed her eyes, ignoring the nausea in her stomach as she focused on her brother.
Luka, meet me at the temple. Bring medical supplies and a robe or some other kind of covering
Lin...what's going on?
Just hurry.
Lin quickly made her way across the temple, coming up to the sealed door and unlocking it with shaking hands. She took a deep breath, encouraging herself to continue forward, but nothing could have prepared her for the mess that was a human being laying in front of her.
He was naked, the white shirt and black pants he had arrived in torn to shreds on the floor. He was laying on his stomach, a sheet covering the majority of his body, but the sheet had been completely saturated in sticky blood, Lin shuddering at the thought of where exactly that blood came from. His face was black and blue, his nose bent at a unnatural angle, his cheek bone purple and angry. His eyes were completely blank, staring ahead, the left red and angry, blood pooling underneath the membrane, mixing with the tears running down his cheeks, staining them pink. Blood trickled from his ear and down his neck, his eardrum more than likely ruptured, and his entire body shook from crippling trauma.
"What the hell Lin?" Luka's shaking voice said behind her. She turned, suppressing tears as she looked into her twins horror filled eyes.
"I...Ser Kimblee said..." She couldn't form words, her eyes traveling to the bloody pile of flesh in front of her. She approached him, kneeling down and gently touching his arm, his emotional turmoil traveling into her body like a bolt of lightning. She noticed his swollen, busted lips moving, curiosity caressing her brain as she leaned forward, placing her ear by his mouth in an attempt to hear what he was trying to say.
"What's he saying Lin?" Luka asked, worry oozing from his words. She shook her head, slowly taking her hand off his arm and moving towards the bloodied sheet.
"He's just saying he's sorry." She sorrowfully said. "Just...repeating it. I don't think he is fully here." She took the sheet in her hand, turning to Luka and quickly saying, "Could you fill the tub for me please? I need to assess the extent of the damage to see what I'm able to heal." Luka nodded, silently making his way to the basin in the adjacent room, using the master key Kimblee gave his sister to unlock the door.
"I'm really sorry, but I need to remove this sheet so I can get you mostly fixed up." She said gently, slowly pulling down the bloodied fabric. When she reached his waist, a weak, shaking, bloody hand tightly gripped her wrist, stopping her from fully exposing him.
"P...please..." He swallowed, his chest rattling with every breath. "Don't..." Lin closed her eyes.
"I'll leave the sheet over your waist for now, but once I finish your upper body I'll need to get you into the tub to clean the remainder of your wounds. Do you think it's possible for you to sit up?" He closed his eyes, slowly pushing his battered body off the cot, the sheet still around his waist as he pushed his legs over the side of the bed.
Lin began to concentrate, applying her leaves to the broken bones on his face, the bruising beginning to fade on contact. She began working on the multiple wounds to his chest, neck and arms, the flesh peppered in an assortment of deep bites and full on slashes.
"This isn't right." Luka entered the room, fury in his voice. "I get that this is a prophecy or whatever you want to call it, but that doesn't change the fact that we are literally watching a person be tortured to death for the sake of a stupid demon!" He punched the wall, bitter tears flowing down his cheeks. "Why don't we just kill Kimblee and do this our own way?"
"Because it's not that simple, Luka, you are bright enough to know that." Both teens whipped around, their hearts stopping mid beat as their grandmother approached them, supplies in her hands.
"Grandma?" They both said, worry on their tongues. The old woman frowned, walking up to the man and looking him up and down.
"Huh...doesn't really look how I imagined." She mused to herself, turning his head gently from side to side, taking him in with her eyes. "Doesn't look like much at all, if I'm being honest."
"Wait, you know?" Lin asked, returning to tend to the man's wounds. The old woman laughed, placing a tender hand to her shoulder.
"I've known since the moment that slug walked through our barrier. What kind of prophet would I be if I couldn't see through a man as wicked as he? I was under the impression the two of you were still in the dark." She stepped forward, examining the broken husk of a man. "These wounds will take more than basic healing to contain. Drink this first, it will clear your head enough to get down to business before Kimblee returns from his 'errand.'" She winked, handing the man a small vial of blue liquid.
"I...I can't..." He murmured, his eyes falling suspiciously on the glowing liquid. Lilia gently placed the vial in his hands, placing a hand to his shoulder.
"It's nothing like the blood that beast is making you drink. It's called goddess tears. It will internally clarify you, and return most of your strength." She urged him to drink, which he did. Within seconds, he was coherent, snapped out of his daze, and looking between the three people in the room.
"Let's get you to the bath then." Lin and Luka helped him make his way slowly to the bathroom, the cuff on his ankle making his leg almost unusable. He approached the tub, standing for a moment before finally dropping the bloody sheet, climbing into the basin with the help of Lilia. They sat in silence for a moment, the four of them at a loss for words.
"My...back." The man said, suppressing a sob. "What did he do to my back?" Lin walked behind him, her hand covering her mouth as a loud gasp escaped her throat.
"I'm...so sorry mister." She said sadly, Kimblee's warning finally making sense. "You've been claimed and demoted to beast status."
"Beast status?" He asked as the three Nori worked to clean his wounds, healing what they could. Lilia cleared her throat, gently pouring warm water over top his head.
"Yes, it's an ancient punishment that had not been used for centuries. If a criminal's crimes are inhuman enough, their humanity is stripped all together, bought and branded as a slave for the remainder of their existence, similar to beast like cattle. Once you are claimed, your new owner marks his new territory in a way, and is allowed to do whatever they please." Lin's heart broke as she watched the despair wash over him, his eyes zoning into the red stained water.
"What does it say?" Lin was silent for a moment, her eyes scanning the flayed skin on the man's back.
"It says Z. Kimblee. He marked you with his name." A desperate sob escaped his throat, the three nori helping him dry off and wrap the robe around his body, leading him back to the cot and locking the bathroom door behind them. Po swooped down from the bookshelf, landing next to him and dropping a small, gold locket into his lap. His eyes lit up as he lifted it.
"Riza..." He said, unclasping the chain and hooking it around his neck, the small heart laying right against his own.
"Riza...is that your love?" Luka asked, to which the man silently nodded. Lin sadly smiled.
"Your energies completely shifted once you put that locket around your neck. It will offer you some protection." The man stroked the birds silky feathers, waiting for one of them to speak.
"So, it seems you've already established outside communication with this mans comrades." Their grandmother said, walking to the window and peering out through the bars. "Now It's time for you to bring them here." Both Lin and Luka gasped, looking to their grandmother as if she had multiple heads.
"How would we get away with leaving the forest for that long? Won't that be suspicious?" She shook her head, a devilish grin on her lips.
"No, I've already informed Mr. Kimblee that three prophets will be required to resurrect Hexas. He expects you both to be gone for a while scouting for them." They smiled.
"Thats brilliant Grandma! We can use our disguises to blend in." Lin said, looking to the man once more. "Do you think we could borrow that photograph? I don't think having a crow flying around us will help us stay discrete." He nodded, pushing himself from the cot and grabbing the photo off the desk. He handed it to her, Luka and Lilia getting close to get a better look.
"My gods..." Lilia said, winded. "Our goddess was telling the truth when she said the spawn of Hoenheim was already involved in this." She pointed to a Blonde haired, golden eyed boy who looked no more than twelve, standing next to a giant suit of armor.
"He's...just a little kid." Luka laughed. "What is a kid going to do?" The man laughed, a genuine laugh that sent a warm sensation through her chest.
"This is a very old photograph." He said quietly. "He is either eighteen or nineteen, I can't really remember. Around your age." He smiled once more. "This was after he joined the rest of us in the photograph." Lilia clapped, ushering the two teens towards the door.
"Po will take you to the outskirts of central, but it will be up to you to find the people in this photograph. Leave...now. Find them and explain everything. Our history, the prophecy, how they all fit into it." She paused, looking to the man on the bed.
"Tell them about his condition. What they are doing to him." The man cleared his throat.
"What...exactly are they doing to me?" Lin stepped forward, her voice oozing compassion.
"You are slowly having your humanity stolen. Your spirit and body are being broken to their limits until you are no longer a person, and the empty space can be occupied by Nok, the entity which brings life to Hexas."
"In other words," Lilia cut in, "You are being forced into demonic martyrdom." He closed his eyes.
"Mister...could you just answer one thing for me?" Luka asked, grabbing onto his sisters wrist. "Can you at least tell us your name?" The man furrowed his brow, shaking his head.
"Kimblee calls me dog, but that's all I can tell you."
"I understand...it would be too much of a risk to say." The man nodded his head. Lin quickly bowed to her grandmother, Luka and herself quickly making their way to their home to pack for their journey. Lin's head was spinning with anxiety and excitement, she had always dreamed of leaving the forest and seeing more of the world, but she didn't want it to be this way. She wanted peace, a want that manifested in her chest like a cannonball.
"You ready to go Lin?" Luka asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder. She smiled, bowing to her statue of Norah before leaving the room, Po flying in front of them. Luka and Linnea followed closely behind, the first rays of light shining through the trees.
"Lead the way Po, we will be right behind you!"
Roy sat on the cot, staring at the flesh that had been torn moments before, amazed at the power he had just witnessed. His head was swimming with confusion, not understanding anything that was happening to him. What he did know was he was in way over his head, he no longer belonged to himself, he was in pain emotionally and physically, and he was beginning to doubt if he was the right person for this job. He shook his head, laying down on the cot and curling into the fetal position, squeezing his legs as sobs shook his entire body. He wanted it to stop, he didn't want anymore pain, or destruction. He wanted Kimblee to die and he wanted to be the one to do it. More than anything, he just wanted to feel normal again.
But how can you feel normal when you can't even remember your own name?
Chapter 6
Notes:
I'm finally back! lets get right to it!
no trigger warnings for this chapter
Chapter Text
Where am I?
Winry slowly opened her eyes, the sun blinding her. She sat up, slowly looking around her as the image of a field of flowers came into focus. She stood, making her way to the edge of the field when a voice stopped her.
"Winry, wait!" Winry paused, waiting for the owner of the voice to catch up to her.
"Riza, do you know where we are? Is anyone else here?" She asked, white petals falling around them like snow. Riza nodded, looking behind her as another shape took form. Mei joined them, bending over to catch her breath.
"Is it just us?" She asked between breaths. Winry looked around once more, nodding to the other two as they started walking towards what appeared to be a willow tree.
"It would appear so." She closed her eyes a moment, inhaling the scent of lavender into her nostrils.
"This place..." Riza started, kneeling down underneath the massive tree. "It's tranquil. Nothing like the void I was in with Maes and Edward."
"That is correct, you are in no danger here." The three women jumped back.
"Who said that?" Mei asked, looking to Winry with worry in her eyes. The voice flowed around them,
"I did. My name is Norah, and its my duty to protect the Nori forest." They knelt and bowed their heads.
"You are their goddess." Winry said quietly, looking to Mei and Riza. A willow vine came to rest on her shoulder, causing her to jump.
"Don't be afraid, as I said, you are in no danger." The vine traveled to the bottom of her chin, lifting her face to look at her.
"What is it you need us to do?" Riza asked the tree. Norah smoothly laughed, taking her vine off Winry and repeating the action with Riza.
"You get right to the point." She mused. "I've brought you here because you three are crucial to stopping Hexas." The three woman looked to each other, their confusion palpable.
"But...how?" Winry asked. "Sure Mei has her alchemy, and Riza's a trained soldier, but what is a mechanic going to do?" The tree simply laughed once more, warmth soaking into the earth around them.
"Hexas power comes from negative feeling. Physical and emotional pain, guilt, hatred, despair..." She paused, lowering her vines. "The more destruction caused in her name, the stronger she becomes." She beckoned them closer, pointing to a hole in the center of her trunk.
A vision began to form, Roy's bruised flesh coming into view. He was curled in on himself on a mattress, shoulders shaking with sobs. Riza closed her eyes, turning away.
"All of those negative feelings are being manifested inside the man you see before you, though I'm sure you are already aware of that." A soft breeze nudged the back of Winry's neck, goosebumps covering her flesh. The hazy image inside the tree trunk expanded, visions of both Edward and Alphonse asleep coming into focus. Ed was frowning, his head moving back and forth as if he were struggling. Winry noticed Al also had a slight look of distress across his sleeping face, but he seemed relatively peaceful, compared to Ed. Two vines came down, pointing towards the sleeping men.
"The descendants of Ser Van Hoenheim, the man who helped me seal Hexas away one thousand years ago, hold his blood within their veins. She will fear the brothers the moment their scent hits her nostrils, however, her drive for revenge will push her to pursue them relentlessly." Winry inhaled a shaking breath, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"How can we help them?" She asked quietly, looking to Mei. The vines once again rested on their shoulders, warmth emanating from their tendrils.
"Your hearts will hold the answer to that." She said, the images of the Elric brothers disappearing, leaving only Roy once more, his sobs silenced by a restless sleep, his hand closed into a tight fist next to his face.
"Flammens mann." She beckoned Riza closer. "His anguish is...unimaginable, and I'm sorry he has to endure this for our sake." She started, sadness dripping from her voice. "He's losing himself and his memories, and soon will be replaced within his own body, by the very being that brings life to Hexas, his soul and spirit lost and tortured forever inside her dimension." They watched as Roy's white-knuckled fist began to relax as sleep finally took him, his fingers falling open to reveal a small golden locket located in the center of his palm.
"each of you has an unbreakable connection to one of our heros. It is not your hands that will protect them, but your hearts. I've brought you here to give you a warning." A new image replaced Roy's, ice sliding through Winry's veins as she stared into the face of a woman, sharp fangs protruding from her snarled mouth. She had grey, corpse like flesh, long, ratted mahogany hair flowing around her waist, and horns resembling those of a goat coming from her skull. Her red eyes stared into Winry's soul, her breath getting caught in her chest when the demoness began to growl.
"Hexas will have her eyes set on you three in particular. As long as you are near them, she won't be able to fully consume them." Three vines extended once more from the sentient willow, resting over each woman's heart. A warm hum thrummed through Winry's body, a soft glow surrounding them as the visuals around them began to fade. Winry noticed her eyelids growing heavier, the voice of the tree floating through her subconscious.
"Do not lose faith in your bond. It is the only thing that will save your souls."
"This is stupid." Ed grumbled as himself, Al, Mei and Winry made their way to the clinic. "I've improved my health more sparring with Ling and Jean than I have doing this pointless therapy." Winry rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"The military ordered it." She said curtly. "Sorry but it's non negotiable." She laughed to herself as she noticed Ed's eye twitch.
"It's only an hour brother, then we can get back to work." Mei nodded, stopping by the entrance doors of the clinic to wave goodbye to the brothers.
"We'll meet you back here. Don't harass the poor nurses so badly this time...okay?" Winry quickly kissed Ed on the cheek before turning with Mei and making their way back towards the city park. The two walked in silence for a moment, stopping to look at the missing poster of Roy tacked to the trunk of a massive tree in the center.
"It feels like we are never going to find him." Mei exhaled, turning from the photo and sitting on a nearby bench, Winry following close behind, nodding in agreement.
"We can't lose faith." She said, doubting her own words. "Remember what Norah said?" Mei nodded.
"I'm just worried. Hexas wants to devour us, and them, and this entire planet, yet here we are sitting and waiting, communicating with goddesses in our sleep...it's very surreal, and my heart just doesn't know how to process any of it."
The young woman morosely gazed at her lap, Winry really looking at her friend and noticing how much she had actually matured and aged since their meeting.
Mei is no longer the little princess from Xing we met all those years ago, yet she still seems so small and innocent to me.
"Excuse me...I don't mean to eavesdrop, but we were wondering if you could help us." Winry jumped, startled by the sudden, unfamiliar voice. She looked up, two teenagers, whom Winry assumed to be related, were standing before her, their dark skin and hair shimmering in the cool sunlight. They didn't appear to be typical Amestrian, Winry's heart doing a somersault as a million possibilities popped into her tired brain.
"What do you need?" She asked. The girl pointed to the missing poster once more, her dark brown eyes oozing sadness.
"Do...you know that man?" The world stopped around her, the two women standing from the bench and approaching the mysterious duo.
"It depends. What is it you would like to know?" Mei answered. The two teens looked to each other, hope in their eyes.
"Could you tell us where to find these people?" The boy pulled a folded up paper from inside his pocket, opening it and handing it to the women. Winry's heart stopped in her chest as she brushed her fingers gently over the worn image.
"Where did you get this?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the old photograph. The girl pointed to Roy, simply saying,
"From him." Winry looked to Mei, the gears turning excitedly in her brain.
"Mei, get to the clinic and wait for Ed and Al, call headquarters and let everyone there know we have an important meeting as soon as possible." Without another word, both women began walking in the opposite directions, Mei towards the clinic and Winry towards their headquarters, their two visitors hot on her heels. Her heart was thundering in her ribcage, each beat painful and hopeful at the same time.
"What are your names?" She asked, trying to ease some of the tension. The girl spoke up first, her voice soft and gentle in the autumn breeze.
"My name is Linnea, this is my twin brother Luka." She nodded, smiling to the pair.
"I'm Winry, it's nice to meet you." She could taste the awkwardness on her tongue, an uncomfortably prickly sensation she desperately wanted to get rid of.
"You've met Roy?" She asked, calculating their estimated time of arrival inside her head.
"His name is Roy?" Luka asked. Winry nodded.
"He never told you his name?" Linnea shook her head.
"No, he couldn't."
"He couldn't?" Winry frowned, she didn't like the sound of that. "Why?" Luka kicked a rock with his foot along the path, sighing heavily.
"We aren't exactly sure. But we can explain everything once we are in a private, safe place." Winry nodded in agreement, ending their conversation. She hadn't really considered how dangerous it could be for them if anyone overheard what they were talking about.
The old building came into view, vines of ivy dancing up the sides from years of neglect. She approached Kain and Jean, who were both bent over books on the porch, their pistols in view for any unwanted guests. Winry waved to them, the two men standing and meeting the trio halfway to the door.
"Whose this?" Kain asked, looking between the two standing behind her. Winry leaned in closer, lowering her voice.
"Who is here right now?" She asked in almost a whisper. Kain furrowed his brow in confusion.
"There's Jean and I, plus Maes, Ling, Lan Fan, Izumi, Natalia, and Simon." She nodded, beckoning the group to the house.
"We need to call everyone to meet here, right now." She said as they entered the creaking doors. "The messengers have arrived."
Luka sat silently, looking to each of the faces present in the photograph. The man was telling the truth when he said the photograph was old, each face showing many years and changes. One of them now had an eyepatch, another an obviously more crooked nose. The young dark haired man who met them at the door was now sporting a deep scar to his cheek, and each one of them held a subtle horror behind their eyes which caused a dull ache in his heart.
All of this couldn't have been caused by one single man, could it? A chill ran down his spine as he thought of his people being manipulated by the beast. The man with the eyepatch stood quick, the idle chit chat around the room swiftly dying into silence, waiting for him to speak.
"Ed, Al and Mei will be here any minute now, and then we can start." He looked to the twins. "While we wait we should introduce ourselves." He smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "My name's Maes." He smiled warmly, as the room introduced themselves. Luka kept a note of each name he heard, as he knew they would become well aquatinted.
Maes, Natalia, Jean, Heymans, Vato, Simon, Ling, Izumi, Lan Fan. This is our army.
"I'm Kain." The young man who met them at the door introduced himself, extending his hand to both of them. The last person in the room finally stood, also extending her hand.
"I'm Riza. I can't thank you enough for watching over Roy in our absence." Luka looked to Linnea, who had her hand over her heart and her head bowed to Riza.
"Yes, we've heard about you Riza. Norah blesses you for the sacrifice you are making for our forest."
"She blesses all of you." Luka added, respectfully bowing to the room as well. Just then, the door opened, a young man and woman entering the room. There was no doubt in his mind who one of those people were, his rich brown eyes instantly locking on the man's golden ones. Luka and Linnea dropped to their knees, bowing at his feet.
"Descendant of Ser Van Hoenheim." Linnea said. "We are forever in your debt." The man laughed uncomfortably, motioning for them to stand up.
"Please, don't do that. My brother and I are just regular people who happen to have a really weird family tree, no need for formalities." The two stood, looking to each other in confusion. Luka pulled out the picture once more, frowning.
"Brother? Is there not but one descendant?" He pointed to a prepubescent Edward. "I see only one." The man half limped over, quickly glancing at the photo. To Luka's surprise, he began to laugh.
"Oh, yeah Alphonse is right..."
"Hey sorry, I was just transmuting the lock on the front door quick." The door opened, Luka doing a double take between the picture and the boy who just walked into the room.
The prophecy never said there would be two descendants...
The young man approached the twins, his hand extended.
"I'm Alphonse, Edward's younger brother." The twins must have had a confused look on their faces, because his friendly smile fell. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Linnea said, once again looking at the picture. "We just didn't know there were two of you, as only one is in this photograph and that man didn't tell us anything." Al nodded, looking at the photo. His eyes widened, the warm smile returning to his face but his eyes oozing despair.
"It's hard to tell, but I'm actually right here." Luka furrowed his brow.
"You were wearing that suit of armor?" He asked. Al shook his head, exhaling slowly.
"No, I was that suit of armor." Luka and Linnea exchanged glances, the group assembling and sitting at the meeting table.
"How does one become a suit of armor? Was it a disguise?" Linnea asked, causing Luka to remember their own disguises.
"Speaking of disguises," He started, pulling a leaf from his pocket. "Maybe its time to remove ours." His twin nodded, removing a leaf from her own pocket. Luka held the leaf to his lips, lightly blowing into it before using one finger to place the leaf to his forehead. A warm, tingling sensation filled his body, his hair changing from dark brown to forest green, his eyes returning to their pink hue.
Luka felt his cheeks grow hot as the room peered at the twins in awe, no doubt confused by what they had just witnessed.
"How did you do that?" The neatly dressed blonde, Simon, asked. Luka smiled.
"It's a gift all of us possess, in the event we have to leave the forest." He started, looking to the group of confused soldiers.
"Why though? Why can't anyone know of your actual existence?" Vato questioned. Luka felt his sister exhale rather than heard it.
"I'll start at the beginning." She said, folding her hands on the table in front of her. "One thousand years ago, our forest and people were flourishing, until one day the forest began to wither. Birds fell from the skies, fish went belly up in drying streams, plants crumbling to dust. Over the course of just a few weeks, over half of the forest had completely perished, leaving behind only dry sand." She paused, Luka picking up where she left off.
"The chief's daughter and her husband set out to find a cure for the forest, but after entering the desert they were attacked by demons, emerging from within the sand. The chief's daughter made it to safety, but sadly her husband was devoured by the horde. She was injured, but she continued to push on, desperate to save what little forest they had left." Linnea locked eyes with Ed.
"That's when she met Ser Van Hoenheim, who found her unconscious on the outskirts of the desert, and nursed her back to health. After hearing of the plight of the forest, he agreed to return with her, to see if he could help, however upon their arrival even more of the forest had disappeared, as did many of its occupants. During her absence, and in a fit of desperation, her father had brought in a shaman named Nok, who claimed he could rid the forest of their pestilence."
"It was the opposite." Luka once again took over. "Nok was as evil as evil could be for a human being, and it was him destroying the forest in the first place. He had lived in Xerxes when he discovered Hexas amulet. It wasn't long after that Xerxes was destroyed. While its under debate if Nok held any responsibility in the destruction of Xerxes, it was the event which weakened the barrier between our world and hers. When he heard of the forest dying, he took the amulet there and convinced the people he needed to resurrect the demon devouring the forest so he could kill it. In reality, he was using the death and despair to feed her, as well as his own blood, morphing his DNA into that of the demon feasting on him." He looked to Lin.
"Hoenheim, being aware of who Nok really was, fought using the powers of the earth around them to stop him, but it was too late. Hexas had revived and the entire forest began to wither in front of their eyes. The two demons captured Hoenheim and the chiefs daughter, as well as her infant child. Hexas and Nok planned to consume the child, but they did not take into account their own weakness, love. Power came from within her, and in sync with Hoenheim's, Nok was destroyed, weakening Hexas. With her last bit of strength, the chief's daughter sacrificed her body to seal Hexas in stone, her spirit growing into a giant willow tree in the forest, to protect what was left.
"The child was spared, and bestowed a gift from the forest, in order to continue to protect for generations to come. We are all given the power to alter our hair color and eye color, as an outsider killed our forest before, it is our goddesses wish we bring no attention to ourselves." They looked around the room, allowing the occupants to soak in the information they had just been given.
"So, Ishval used to be part of the forest?" Maes asked. "That's why you reveal yourselves to them?" Lin looked down sadly.
"Yes. We tried the best we could to regrow our forest, but as the centuries went on the nori who lived there began to evolve and adapt to the surroundings, thus separating themselves from us and taking a different name, though we all share the same blood." The room fell quite once more.
"The chief's daughter, that's Norah, isn't it? Your goddess?" Winry asked. Luka nodded.
"Yes."
"And you two are descendants of this goddess?" The man named Jean asked, a burning tube of paper between his fingers.
"We are the most recent generation of Norah's legacy, which also means we both inherited gifts from the forest." Lin sadly smiled. "Mine has been going haywire ever since I stepped foot in this building."
"What do you mean?" Riza asked. "Are you okay?" Lin nodded.
"Yes, I can feel your emotions as a physical manifestation, you do not need to tell me what happened to you for me to know it was something truly awful." She sadly looked down.
"We would like to know though, and the man you call Roy told us we could get answers from you." Ed nodded, folding his hands on the table.
"Well, I can start by telling you Nok had nothing to do with Xerxes, that was all my fathers doing." Luka furrowed his brow.
"Your...father?" Confusion began swimming through his head. Ed nodded.
"Yeah. I've never heard of Nok, but I definitely know Xerxes." He looked to his comrades around the room. "Are you ready guys? This is going to take a while."
Ed looked between the twins, their faces blanketed in worry.
"So, it would appear history is repeating its self." Natalia said, frowning. Ed slowly nodded, folding his hands in front of him on the table.
"It definitely seems that way...when did you say Hexas began to awaken?" Linnea closed her eyes in thought.
"It was about two years ago when the forest started to die again...Kimblee appeared shortly after."
"Just like Nok did in the past." Riza observed. "But why is Kimblee using Roy as a catalyst, and not himself?" Ed snorted.
"Maybe Kimblee is far too narcissistic to sacrifice himself in such a way?" He suggested. Linnea shook her head.
"Your Roy has a stronger heart and holds inside a great deal of pain and guilt. Nok did not have the proper spirit or soul to adequately power her, and I'm assuming Kimblee took note of that, and chose someone he knew he could milk every once of suffering out of. By using a separate sacrifice, Kimblee's power only grows, and by the time Nok takes over his body...he will be just as dangerous as Hexas."
"Every time Kimblee drags him to the statue, he brings him out alive, but also dead. Lin is tasked with healing his wounds to prevent actual death, but his body continues to die, causing an unfathomable pain, every second of torture fueling Hexas, and every death taking another piece of him away, leaving nothing but an empty shell." Ed felt Winry softly put her hand to his knee, his heart instantly calming from her touch.
"Is that why you said he couldn't tell you his name?" She asked.
"Yes. We know Kimblee has prohibited him from speaking, but we don't know if that's why he didn't tell us..."
"Or if he didn't because he couldn't remember it." Lin finished. Ed cringed, looking at the clock, his brain overloaded with information. He stood, stretching his body, his joints popping in protest.
"So, we've gotten all of our information out, we know everything that's happening with Roy, we know the risks." He sent an encouraging smile to the rest of the room. Maes stood next, followed by Riza.
"Everyone should try to get some decent sleep tonight, tomorrow morning we need to come up with a plan and begin executing it as soon as possible." The group bid each other goodnight, each making their way to their room for the evening. Ed, Al, Winry and Mei settled down into their room, each completely exhausted but wide awake at the same time.
"Do you really think we will be able to defeat Hexas?" Al asked, his nervousness unmasked. Ed exhaled, turning the light off and getting into bed.
"We have to beat Hexas." Was his only response. It was the truth. There was no room for doubt. If they didn't kill this demon, the entire world would be consumed and filled with demons.
I couldn't let that happen. He thought to himself as his eyelids began to grow heavy. He pulled Winry close, inhaling the calming scent of her hair.
I refuse.
Lin couldn't sleep, the recordings of their imprisonment, including a particularly heinous one between Kimblee and Roy playing over and over in her head, souring her stomach. She now knew of their torture, their attempted execution at the hands of their country, and she couldn't fathom how anyone could do anything so heinous. However, if her hypothesis was correct, Kimblee really had been slain and it was Hexas's power that revived him, making him even less human than before. Lin shivered, remembering the feeling of his hands on her during the festival, sympathy choking her heart.
And that was just a dance...I couldn't even imagine being touched in the ways he did this group of innocent people
Nausea crept up her throat as she slowly got out of bed, quietly sneaking through the door and making her way to the front porch. She thought, maybe, if she sat outside for a moment it would remind her of her home, and help her ease some of the burden on her mind. To her surprise, when she opened the door, there was another person sitting there. He jumped, startled by the door.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." The young man smiled.
"You couldn't sleep either?" He asked in a quiet but friendly tone. Linnea approached the steps, sitting next to him and looking towards the stars.
"No, there is far too much on my mind." She said. "You said you're name is Kain, right?" He nodded, the soft moonlight reflecting off his glasses.
"Yeah, and you are Lin." He exhaled, looking down. "I'm sorry our country is causing your tribe so much grief. It appears we are very good at doing that here." Lin sadly laughed, placing her hand overtop his in a friendly gesture, pain instantly shooting through her body, causing her to jump back.
"What's wrong?" He asked, worry infecting his voice. Lin shook her head, recoiling from the pain.
"You are holding something heavy on your soul." She said, the look in his eyes confirming her suspicions. "I won't ask you to tell me what it is, but I do suggest you tell someone to get it off your chest."
"What do you mean?" She took note of how he did not try to deny her words.
"Pain and guilt attract her." She once again placed her hand to his, preparing herself for the shock. "She will come right for you the second you are within distance if you don't let it go." He looked away, his eyes trained back on the stars.
"Thank you...I appreciate the warning." He smiled, scratching the scar on his cheek. "Life has been...pretty unpredictable the last couple of years. Being in the military, you are bound to do something that will weigh your heart down until the day you die in the name of foolish loyalty. Letting go of that will be hard, and all of us here have something, but I promise you can trust us. Roy, he's the strongest man I know, and his drive to protect others is unbeatable." He stood, helping Lin to her feet as a large shooting star flew across the sky.
"What are you doing?" He asked, noticing her begin to pray. She smiled to him, stepping closer to the door.
"In our tribe, a flaming star is a beacon of good fortune. I was saying a prayer to Norah to ask for a favor." He opened the door for her, motioning her inside.
"What kind of favor?" He asked. His curiosity made her smile.
"If I tell you, my prayer won't be heard." She stopped at her bedroom door, smiling once more at the young man. "Goodnight, thank you for talking." She closed the door behind her, making her way to the window and looking to the stars once again, her prayer repeating in her head as she finally began to feel relaxed.
Norah, please watch over him, and please...protect us all.
Chapter 7
Notes:
Okay here we go the next chapter is here so lets get right to it.
Mild trigger warning:
Panic attacks
Chapter Text
"So, how are you feeling today, Edward?" The young psychiatrist asked, a kind smile on his face. Ed exhaled deeply, folding his hands in his lap.
"Honestly?" He asked, keeping his eyes focused on his hands. "I'm really not sure how I feel. I know it's not good by any means, but I can't pinpoint the actual emotion inside my head, it's a mess." The doctor sympathetically nodded.
"Well, getting an actual response is an improvement from our last few visits. What are some of the things you are aware of going through your head?" He frowned, focused on his thoughts.
"Well, Roy's still missing. That has me bothered." He started, rubbing his flesh thumb over his metal one. "Its still difficult to process what's happened over the last few years, but I'm so focused on what's ahead I can't even begin to try." He paused, trying to pull together more of his thoughts.
"Every one of us who were locked up on that island is debilitated in some way, be it physically or mentally, in some cases both. The smallest unexpected thump can send one of us into a panic, I hear both Vato and Heyman's screaming in their sleep at night, Jean's struggling to shoot his gun without his entire body trembling like a wet kitten and it took Kain weeks to even be okay holding his again, let alone shoot it." He paused, inhaling slowly through his nose to steady his voice. "Maes doesn't laugh or joke, he doesn't show us picture after picture of his kid or tell us stories. Riza hardly speaks and I swear tears have eroded the skin on her cheeks, and I can't even walk right. Its been six months since we were pardoned and I'm still stuck using a cane most of the time like some frail old man. I don't even understand how or why it happened in the first place. I walked to the gallows on two feet without issue," his body cringed at the memory. "But after being in the hospital for a week and a half I suddenly lose the use of my legs? Due to an infection, while being cared for inside a hospital." He shook his head, his inner monologue in a viscous battle with his emotions.
"Are you having certain thoughts on the matter?" The doctor asked. Ed shrugged.
"It sounds ridiculous and childish, but I feel as if the world is out to get me or something. I don't trust my own thoughts after spending half a year believing one thing only to find out the truth was even worse than I thought. I don't understand how I could have been so...stupid?" He trailed off, his chest feeling tight. He inhaled a deep breath, looking into the doctor's brown eyes.
"I haven't felt this helpless since I was twelve, missing my arm and leg and confined to a wheelchair. Like nothing but a worthless..." He couldn't bring himself to say it, the memory of his excruciating, bubbling, blistered skin palpable, the word seared into his skin for life.
"A worthless cripple?" The doctor gently finished for him, his voice oozing compassion. "That was branded into your flesh, was it not?" Ed closed his eyes, his body wanting to vomit.
"Yeah. That." He said quietly.
"I understand why you feel that way. It's a very common emotion to feel once you have lost use of something you feel you need to be useful. But you need to understand something. You, your body and your mind went through an extended and extremely traumatic period of time. You literally stared death in the face and made it out the other side, only to be thrown yet another traumatic curveball, so to speak. Yet here you are, pushing through, still moving forward. I can't say in your position I'd be the doing the same." He paused, clearing his throat.
"What I'm getting at is, you are not defined by the horrible things that were done to you in the name of this country, and you are the furthest thing from worthless, or a cripple."
"It's just, really hard not to feel like it. Because of my weakness, both Al and Winry have put their lives in danger. I should be protecting them, not the other way around. Something terrible is going to happen and I'll be helpless to stop it." The doctor nodded.
"Again, all of those feelings are valid." He pulled out a pad of paper, quickly scribbling something down. "I'm going to prescribe you two medications, one for this crushing anxiety and paranoia you are experiencing, and one to help you sleep, you look like you could desperately use it."
Edward frowned. Had he really looked so exhausted to this doctor? He sighed, accepting the paper and politely shaking the doctors hand.
"Thanks. I'll give it a try. It might be helpful." The doctor smiled once more, pausing with his hand on the doorknob.
"I've never been a political prisoner, but I did sit in every day of your trial at the request of Dr. Mena to get an understanding of what you went through. I know you have a distrust of doctors after being stabbed in the back during your trial, but I can assure you, I would never betray your trust or that of your team. I highly recommend you give the medication a try, it might not solve the issue, but it could alleviate some of the burden in the mean time." He smiled once more, opening the door and showing Ed back out into the waiting room, Winry waiting for him with her nose buried in a book on cannons. She looked up, her eyes instantly filling with worry upon landing on him.
"Ed? Are you okay?" She asked quietly as they left the building. Ed shook his head, watching the pavement as he walked.
"Not really Win." He exhaled. "I know I keep saying I am but..."
"There's no possible way you could be okay right now, Ed." She cut him off, taking him by surprise. "No one expects you to be okay." He frowned, her words feeling painfully dismissive.
"I expect me to be okay, Winry. Do you not understand how serious this is yet?" He abruptly stopped, changing his direction and heading towards a wooded trail, sensing himself about to become irrational. "Just go back to headquarters, I'll meet you there later." A soft hand wrapped gently around his wrist, stalling his movements.
"Ed, you can't just run away because something feels inconvenient or uncomfortable. I understand you feel you need to be okay for this but...you can't just clap your hands and fix every problem you know." Ed knew she was trying to help, but his anger only continued to bubble, and was slowly being replaced by panic. He yanked his wrist away from her, turning his back but staying in his spot.
"Look, I'm not running away, I'm trying to avoid a complete disaster okay?" He took a breath, trying to calm himself enough to think rationally. "I just, need some air okay? I need to think, not in a house over stuffed with people. It's not you, I'm just..." Soft lips pressing to his cheek silenced his words, Winry wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in close.
"I do understand, Ed, thats why I'm not angry with you." She said gently, stroking his hair. Part of him wanted to push her away, it was his job to comfort her, not the other way around, but his body and heart craved the touch, his panic slowly dissolving.
"I'll stop at the pharmacy on my way back to pick up your medicine." She said, her eyes traveling to the paper in his hand. He gave them to her, sadly smiling and kissing her one more time.
"I really do appreciate you Winry, I hope you understand that." She smiled, tears slowly forming in her eyes.
"I'll see you soon?" She asked. Ed nodded.
Don't worry I won't be gone long, we have work to do after all." He waved, turning back down the wooded path to his favorite thinking spot in Central. As far as he knew, no one ever went back here aside from himself and Al, and he always felt safe and comfortable there. He turned off the path, weaving through trees until he found the little grove. He sat up against a large tree, staring into the sparkling body of water located in front of it.
He inhaled once, but before he could even begin to sort through his thoughts, he felt the entire world crash around him, his pain no longer containable. Sobs cascaded through his body like a typhoon, agony laced screams tearing his throat raw. His tears were fat and unstoppable, trampling down his cheeks like a stampede of bitter water. His chest hurt, shooting pains rippling through his ribcage with every frantic, heavy beat of his heart. He couldn't stop it, the intensity of his emotions crashing through him completely choking off his oxygen supply.
I can't do this He thought to himself, his arms and legs feeling like jelly.
This is too much. I can't...I can't. He gasped for air that wouldn't reach his lungs, his vision going spotty.
"I can help you with that." A woman's voice startled him, his heart beating even more rapidly. An old woman approached him, her long silver hair hanging around her elbows and her eyes looking both innocent and menacing at the same time.
"Who are you? What do you want?" The woman stood before him, a smile revealing perfectly white teeth.
"I can take your pain away, you just need to allow me to." Ed paused. Could this woman really make this stop? Was she even really there? He felt confused and scared, using his cane to pull himself back to his feet.
"No, I think this is something I need to deal with on my own." He said, trying to keep his composure as he started walking.
"But your pain is so strong, surely you would feel much better without it. Just allow me to take a little of that burden for you dearie." She reached out, her ice cold fingers sending a chill down his spine.
"N...no. I said leave me alone." He found himself unable to pull himself away from the spot, as if just her fingers touching his arm were enough to paralyze him. She got closer, her lips about an inch from his. He began to feel sleepy and weak, as if his energy were being sapped from his body.
"Yes...Edward. That's a good boy." He felt her pull him into her, her body morphing from a haggard old woman to the slender, familiar presence Ed feared more than truth its self. He grew weaker, his eyes beginning to close as he slowly accepted his fate.
Release him Hexas! A bright white light flooded the grove, completely blinding him. He felt the cold leave his body, a warmth like fire spreading through his insides. As hard as he tried to fight it, his body began to finally relax, his mind wandering to memories of his mother holding him as a child, the last time he truly felt safe. He allowed his eyes to close, burying his face into the invisible warmth holding onto him, and for the first time in years Edward fell asleep peacefully, without a single troubled thought in his head.
"Ed said he wasn't going to be long." Winry said, glancing at the clock once more. It had been hours since her and Ed had parted ways near the clinic, and the sun was beginning to set. Natalia frowned, tapping her finger on Jean's knee.
"Dr. Siwa did say he seemed very distressed during their appointment. I wonder if the pressure is finally beginning to crack his tough exterior." Jean sighed, smoke slowly floating from his mouth. He shook his head, his leg bouncing with nerves.
"Maybe we should look for him." He stood, his demeanor restless. "You said you and him separated at some random path down by the clinic?" Winry nodded, looking to Al.
"Yeah, Al say's there's a spot down there where Ed like's to go for solitude. We should check there first." Winry and Al stood, joining Jean by the door.
"Who else is coming?" Riza and Maes stood, volunteering as well. Jean nervously smiled, looking at the twins from the forest.
"I think maybe you should come too..." He rubbed the back of his neck, taking another long hit off his cigarette. "Call me paranoid, but I don't like the sound of this." They joined the rest of the search party, Jean looking around once more making his final calculations in his head. His eyes stopped on Natalia, a small smile reaching his lips.
"Could you do me a favor Nat?" He asked.
"Of course. What do you need me to do?" Jean glanced at the clock once more.
"If we are not back in about an hour, I need you to call the general for me to see if Miles and Russel are located in Ishval yet." Natalia nodded, stepping up on her toes and kissing his cheek softly.
"I hope it does not take you that long to find him, but I will be sure to call if it does." Jean smiled, affectionately squeezing her hand before turning and walking out the door, Winry and the others following in his footsteps. No one spoke as they made their way out into the cool evening air, the anxiety radiating off each of them thickening the air around them.
Please...let him be okay. Winry thought to herself, nervously rubbing her thumbs together.
Please...just let him be okay.
"Briggs, general Armstrong speaking." Natalia exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, hoping the general would answer.
"Hello General, its Natalia. I am just checking in on the status of our work in Ishval." She heard the general exhale, the sounds of rustling paper faintly in the background.
"Miles and major Tringum had departed for Ishval two nights ago, they should be arriving in a day or so. I've directed them to call you to give a report of the status of the restoration efforts once they arrive." Natalia nodded from her end, trying to keep the conversation coded.
"Yes thank you, We will depart as soon as we receive their call with any materials that will be needed."
"And on your end? Have you discovered anything?" Natalia inhaled, her stomach feeling nervous.
"Yes. We have gotten quite a bit of information from the messengers." General Armstrong paused for a moment.
"Natalia, is everything okay over there? You sound more tightly wound than usual." Natalia softly chuckled.
"Edward's not returned yet from taking a walk earlier. A few have gone out to go look for him. We are hoping its nothing serious but..."
"Natalia, Edward is a strong young man." She cut her off, her voice seemingly gentle. "I wouldn't worry to much about him." The young doctor exhaled, calming her nerves.
"Yes, you are right. I guess thing's are kind of getting to me as well here. Working against such dark, unpredictable forces can cause one to become quite paranoid."
"I understand what you mean," She hummed. "Its been...pretty tense on this end too. I'm sorry I can't be down there to help more at the moment." Natalia clicked her tongue.
"You sent two of your soldiers to Ishval to help with the restoration. That's plenty." She exhaled, looking at the clock once more. "I will give you a call tomorrow, I need to keep the line open in case something happens with Edward." The general agreed, both women saying their goodbyes. Natalia slumped to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees and laying her head down. She felt her chest tighten, her own anxiety she'd been ignoring for so long finally creeping up on her. She allowed a tear to fall, then another, and within moments she was silently crying to herself, mourning the loss of frineds she hadn't known before all of this. She couldn't process the dramatic shift in her life, but there was one thing she did know.
She knew she had plunged herself into the biggest fight for her life she could have ever imagined, she learned about how hideous the world could really be, but she also learned that she saw the beauty in it even more. She had always been alone since she was a child, but somehow, here in all of this darkness, she gained the first family she had ever known, and she would walk to the ends of the earth to keep them all safe. She knew she couldn't give up. Natalia stood, swallowing the rest of her emotions and straightening up, walking back into the other room and returning to her book, still watching the clock, anxiously hoping the door opened soon with good news.
Riza glanced around the dark wooded path for any signs of their comrade. Her heart was double beating, anxiety and panic doing a tango inside her stomach making it feel sick. Why hadn't Edward returned when he said he would? She wanted to believe it was a simple mistake, but she knew Ed. He told Winry he wouldn't be gone long, yet the sun was down. Something bad had happened and she knew it. They continued down the path in silence, when Lin suddenly gasped, startling the group.
"What is it Lin?" Luka asked, placing a hand to his sisters shoulder. She turned her head to the left, toward the sound of running water.
"I think he is over there. I can feel a strange aura over by that stream." The group quickly weaved in between trees, Riza taking extra care not to trip on still unsteady legs, and it wasn't long before they found a body lying on the ground, automail glistening in the milky moonlight. They stepped closer, noticing vines wrapped loosely around his body, fallen leaves resting over top.
"Ed?" Winry approached him, gently shaking him. Riza held her breath, hoping for any sign of movement. "Ed, can you wake up?"
Edward stirred, Riza's heart becoming overwhelmed with relief.
"Unn...huh?" He groggily asked, sitting up as leaves tumbled off his body. "What happened?" Riza stepped forward.
"We were hoping you could answer that for us." She said. Ed placed his palm to his head, his brow creasing.
"I honestly don't know. I think maybe my body and mind relaxed a little too much, I feel like I'm coming out of anesthesia." Winry and Riza helped him to his feet, Al handing Ed his cane.
"You had us worried sick brother." He somewhat scolded.
"Please..." Maes added as they slowly made their way back to the headquarters, Ed weakly supporting himself on Al. "Next time, just come back and sleep." Ed frowned, but nodded his head.
"Yeah...I understand. That was really irresponsible of me and I had all of you worried over a nap. I'm sorry." He looked down, Riza clearing her throat as they returned to the main path.
"Whatever the case, we need to get back and you need to get some actual rest." She frowned. "We all do. It's time to start taking care of ourselves so we can end this once and for all. Going off on your own and disappearing isn't going to help that." She felt a twinge of guilt for scolding him, but he couldn't be doing that to them. Not after Roy went missing.
"I said I was sorry okay?" He snapped. "I won't do it again."
They walked in silence the rest of the way, Al and Winry alternating offering extra support to a weakened Ed. They entered the old boarding house, her heart choking on despair as she watched the once radiant young man be weakly led to his bedroom, medication in hand, and she couldn't stand it. What had given Kimblee the right to do this to anyone? She sat alone at the table, her head in her hands, and tried to think.
There has to be a way to bury the things holding us back until after we finish this... She thought to herself. We will never get anything done with all of this weight holding us back...
"You seem troubled." Maes placed a cup of tea in front of her, him, Luka and Linnea joining her at the table with their own cups. "We need to talk to you." Riza looked up to the three, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"You saw it too?" She asked. Maes nodded, a half smile reaching his lips.
"You knew exactly what we were going to say." She returned his smile.
"Yes, because for some reason, you, Edward, Luka, Linnea and myself all see the same, strange things that no one else here does." Luka folded his hands.
"Exactly, which is why we think you might be a target for Hexas as well." Maes and Riza exchanged worried glances.
"But why just us?" He asked, scratching the skin under his eyepatch. Linnea took a sip of hear tea.
"You said that the two of you, as well as Roy took part in the Ishval extermination?" She asked. They nodded.
"Well," Luka cut in. "After putting all of the details together, we discovered it was more than likely the extermination that awakened her soul in the first place. Being tied to it, and feeling guilty about it would make you a perfect target." Linnea pulled two leaves from her pockets, whispering a prayer into them and placing them on their hands. Luka placed his palms over top, a warm tingling sensation penetrating her flesh.
"These will give you a bit of protection over your souls." Luka lifted his hands, the leaves completely dissolved into their flesh.
"We plan to get them on all of you before we depart." Lin started, looking towards Edward's bedroom. "But you three need them the most right now." Linnea stood, beckoning to Luka. They headed towards their own room, Lin turning around and bowing to the two soldiers.
"Try to get some rest. Your minds desperately need it." The twins disappeared behind the door, leaving two very confused adults at the table.
"So, you saw the way he was laying right?" Maes asked quietly. Riza nodded, finishing her tea. Her heart began to pound, pain pulsating through her ribcage at what she knew she saw.
"Yeah, and that strange glow...it looked almost like he was being held by his mother."
"I was thinking the same exact thing." He agreed, looking out the window at the large moon. "You don't think Edward had been attacked...do you?" Riza shivered, she knew exactly what she thought, and she didn't like it one bit.
"I don't think he was attacked by Hexas." She stood silently, Maes following suit and approaching his door. They looked at each other once more before bidding each other goodnight, Riza closing her door slowly and sinking to her knees, curling up in a ball as fear overtook her.
I KNOW he was attacked by Hexas.
Chapter 8
Notes:
Wow. First I want to apologize for how long this has taken me to update. Life gets crazy, but I'm finally back for more and excited to start getting this story back on track.
MILD TRIGGER WARNING:
non detailed mentions of injuries
Chapter Text
Edward tread slowly through the dark, new landscape he found himself in, his heart beating through his chest. He was in a strange, desolate wasteland, not a living organism in sight. He followed the cracks in the dry, brittle earth beneath his feet, sweat dripping down his neck as the hot, stagnant air clung to his flesh like thick cobwebs. An uncomfortably warm breeze blew razor like sand into his face, his automail shielding his eyes from the microscopic glass.
"What the hell is this place now?" He asked himself, his voice muffled by the wind and sand. He felt a chill down his spine, physically turning faster than his brain had time to process.
"Hello, spawn of Hoenheim." A voice pierced through him like dagger. "We finally meet, without barriers." Edward frowned, raising his automail arm in defense. "It's really too bad about the old woman though..." She laughed, her deep red eyes staring through him.
"Hexas." He tried to hide the trembling in his voice, but he couldn't shake the complete dread washing over him in that moment. She laughed, waving her hand.
"No need to fear, my pet, I'm not going to hurt you, yet." Edward gasped as his arm involuntarily returned to his side, stepping back habitually.
"What do you want?" He snapped. The demoness moved closer, tendrils dancing at her back.
"I just want to get to know who I'm dealing with, thats all." She sarcastically spat, lifting a hand and freezing the young alchemist in place. He felt his pulse beating in his throat as she circled him like a vulture.
"You're not going to win, Hexas." He said, swallowing the lump in his throat. She cackled from behind him, her words tickling his flesh.
"You humans are such an interesting species." She mused, moving back around to the front of him, her eyes traveling up his form. "Here I am, offering to take away your pain and suffering forever...and I'm labeled as evil and have a target put over my head." She pouted, turning her back, Edward narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the floating spectre.
"But that forest nymph demands you sacrifice your lives for her people of whom you have no relation to, and you jump at the chance. It makes no sense." Edward desperately tried to move, the dread in his stomach growing with every word she spoke.
"You can't fool me Hexas. You want to consume the entire planet." She shook her head, running a clawed finger down his jaw, a hiss of pain escaping his lips.
"All you have to do is give yourself to me, and your pain will cease to exist." Edward snorted, dismissing the demon.
"Roy is giving himself to you, and he's suffering immensely." The demoness hissed, lifing her hand above the parched ground, an orb forming beneath her palm. Inside was a vision of Roy, curling in on himself in pain.
"He fights me every moment, and that is why he suffers." Edward shook his head, his legs still unable to move despite his best efforts.
"I'll ask again, what do you want?" He spat. The orb disappeared, Hexas closing the distance between herself and the frozen alchemist.
"I want you to help me. The host is resisting, and it is causing more trouble than we need." Edward laughed, he couldn't believe his ears.
"Over my dead body Hexas. I'd never help you." The demon smirked, bringing her face within inches of his, her hot breath ghosting over his face as she spoke.
"Oh, but you will help me, Edward Elric. You don't have a choice." Her lips pressed into his, her serpentine tongue prying his lips apart and snaking its way down his throat, tears forming in his eyes as he gagged on the appendage. He felt the tongue leaving his mouth, much to his relief, but a small white orb followed it back into her own.
"You won't remember this encounter when you wake, but when the time is right, you will be my servant, weather you want to be or not." She lifted her hands, a strong gust of wind knocking Ed off his feet, the ground opening up and swallowing him whole, the demonesses laugh echoing all the way down.
A sharp jolt startled Ed awake, his heart thumping in his chest as he tried to remember where he was at.
"Ed...are you okay?" Riza asked, concern in her voice.
"Yeah, I must have been dreaming." He paused a moment, looking out the window at the landscape outside. "Can't for the life of me remember what about though." Al folded his hands in his lap nervously, one thumb rubbing over the other.
"Well thats good, at least we know it was just a dream this time." He shrugged, a sheepish smile on his lips. Ed nodded.
"Yeah, that's definitely true." He placed a palm to his head. "My head feels so strange though. Like somethings missing." Winry frowned, placing a hand to Ed's flesh knee.
"You were sleeping really hard...we're almost to the desert already." Ed shook his head, standing and stretching out his limbs.
"About time, I'm getting sick of being on this train." He turned towards the door to their compartment.
"Where are you going?" Maes asked. Ed shrugged, opening the door.
"Just checking in with everyone else." He shut the door, leaned against the wall and put his face in his hands. His brain felt muddled, like there was a piece of it missing. After taking a few breaths he slowly made his way to the other compartment, a bump causing him to trip throught he door.
"Are you okay Ser?" Linnea asked, reaching her delicate hand down to help him to his feet. He sheepishly smiled, his cheeks feeling hot.
"Yeah, I forgot my cane." He grimaced. "Also, you don't have to call me Ser. Just Ed will do."
"You seem a bit upset." Ling asked, not looking away from the window. "Did you have another dream?" Ed shook his head.
"I don't think so...I'd remember if I did, wouldn't I?" Luka and Lin exchanged nervous glances, causing Ed's stomach to knot. "There would be no reason to forget."
"Part of me wants to believe that," Kain mused, exhaling. "But the other part of me doubts." Ed sat next to Natalia, who started checking his pulse.
"Your vitals are quite elevated for having just been asleep." She said, handing him a canteen with water. "You don't think Hexas has found a way to infiltrate our sleep as well do you?" Luka shook his head.
"Honestly I'm not sure. Hopefully the Ishvallans can shed some light on the topic."
"But we don't even know if the Ishvallans know of our history anymore." Lin interjected. The group sat silently for a moment as the train pulled into the station.
"This is our stop." Lan Fan observed, standing. "Would you like me to grab your cane from the other car?" Ed shook his head, semi limping back to his original spot.
"I've got it, you have enough to carry." His brain was in a fog while he made his way off the train, the hot, dry desert air assaulting him the second he stepped off. The large group assembled on the platform, waiting for instruction.
"I'm glad you made it in one piece." A voice startled him from behind. Edward turned, almost falling of his feet, and clumsily saluted.
"Lieutenant Major Miles." He stiffly said, the formalities making him slightly uncomfortable. Miles dismissed them with his hand, ushering them towards the road outside.
"How is the restoration going?" Riza asked as they got into the armored truck. Miles nodded, his eyes landing on the, back in disguise, twins.
"It's going, though the recent excursion has caused a slight plateau in productivity." Ed followed his gaze to the twins, who both shared the same, nervous look in their eyes.
"I'm really sorry about all of this." Lin spoke, bowing her head. Miles shook his head, looking back out the window.
"We will arrive at our destination shortly, assuming the two of you are from the forest, you'll be able to fill us all in when we get there." Riza slightly frowned, the wheels turning in her brain.
"Who is 'us?'" She asked, trying to hide the suspicion in her voice.
"Myself, Major Tringham and a few other familiar faces." Edward hummed, thinking to himself who else might be there. The vehicle made a sharp turn off the road, heading straight into the desert.
"You've set up headquarters on the edge of the desert?" Kain asked as the bunker came into view. "Don't you think that will look a bit obvious?" Miles turned off the engine, the weary group of soldiers exiting into the stifling sun.
"No, this is the safest spot for now as its easily disguised as simply a rest camp for the workers. Everything is underneath this camp."
"Hey! You're back!" Major Tringham waved, a friendly smile on his face. "Its good to see you in a better way than the last time we spoke." Ed rubbed the back of his neck, Handing his cane to Heymans to stretch quick.
"Not completely in one piece, but we're here." He said, limping forward. Russels smile fell, sympathy replacing his cheer. A loud crash sounded behind them, a massive cloud of sand and dust showering over the newcomers. Edward noticed Lin recoil, her hand over her heart.
"Are you okay?" He asked, nervously. She looked into the direction of the crash, her feet almost robotically moving towards it.
"Someone is injured." She said as the group began to follow her. They walked for a minute before encountering the source of the noise. The foundation of what looked like a wooden house had fallen, the shape of a man visible in the dust.
"Hey!" Ling yelled over the noise. "Is everyone okay in there?" Multiple Ishvallans appeared from the mess, one of them causing Edwards heart to double beat.
"You all remember Scar." Miles said, ushering him over. Their former enemy approached, his expression reading one of shock.
"What..." He paused, his eyes scanning the group. "What the hell happened to you?" Edward frowned, placing his weight on his cane.
"It's...a really long story. Russel and Miles never told you?" He shook his head, ushering them inside the compound. They each took a seat, a young Ishvallan bringing them all water and bread.
"I know you were arrested and put in prison, but they said it was your story to tell and I'm inclined to believe them." Edward opened his mouth to speak, but a small gasp from behind them stopped his words from coming.
"Mr. Scar? Correct?" Lin asked, slowly approaching the man. "You're arm is slashed open." Scar looked down, finally noticing the blood dripping down his forearm.
"So it is. A building fell on me." Edward held his breath as he watched Lin take a leaf from her hair.
"Sit still...okay? This won't hurt a bit." A vibrant green light engulfed the darkness for a moment, before the leaf soaked into his arm, the wound closing without so much as a scar. Everyone stood silent, staring at the young woman in awe.
"You're a descendant." He simply said, continuing to stare at the spot on his arm. "I'd always heard stories of Norah's alchemy as a child...but I had no idea it actually existed." The twins exhanged looks, finally removing their disguise and reverting back to their original forms. Luka frowned at the man, stepping in front of his sister.
"Alchemy? What the hell is alchemy? We use gifts granted to us by the forest, no such thing as alchemy where we are from." Edward put his hand to Luka's shoulder in an attempt to quiet him.
"And where do you think these gifts came from?" Scar turned to Miles, who handed him a book. "This was in my brothers possession when he died." He handed the twins the book, both of them focusing into it instantly.
"So, their power comes from alchemy?" Alphonse asked, looking over the twins shoulders at the book.
"Yes. Every universe is connected. When Hexas revived the first time, legend states Norah as well as an unknown shaman disappeared, when they returned, she was in possession of a great power. This power kept the forest and its people alive, and continues to be passed down through her bloodline."
"But how is that proof their power comes from alchemy?" Mei asked. "It could be any number of things, and transmuting living beings is strictly forbidden." Ed cut in, his confusion palpable.
"Yeah, how is it they can transmute living flesh without giving up a part of themselves?"
"Or without a circle." Alphonse said, sheepishly looking down. Izumi cleared her throat.
"I suppose I too am curious about what kind of alchemy this is." Scar flipped the pages in the book, Ed noticing that the entire thing was hand written. He looked to the twins, raising an eyebrow.
"We are currently in the presence of the only bloodline on this entire planet that can use human transmutation alchemy without repercussions, however the power is limited, is it not?" Lin nodded, squeezing her staff.
"Yes. We can heal superficial wounds and prevent a person from bleeding to death, but we can't repair internal organ damage nor can we bring a person back from the grave." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Your Roy, for example. I was able to fix his broken nose and cuts, but he had a ruptured ear drum and some cracked ribs I couldn't do anything about." Kain squeezed his hand into a tight fist.
"But how was Norah blessed with that kind of power?" Edward frowned, deep in thought.
"It was dad who helped her a thousand years ago, maybe he took her to the gate and she made a deal with the truth?" Scar exhaled, taking the book back from the group.
"That, I don't know if we will ever find out. What we do know as of right now, is that the desert has become unsteady. Random tremors ricochet through the sand, which is what destroyed the house we were building earlier." Maes scratched the spot under his eyepatch, deep in thought.
"You said in the past, demons emerged from within the sand, correct?" Luka and Linnea nodded in unison. "So, history really is repeating itself." Jean took a drag off his cigarette, his nerves anxiety on display.
"We need to start thinking of a plan before this goes any further. It seems Kimblee is even more formidable than Nok." Scar frowned.
"Kimblee? I thought he was dead." Edward swallowed, trying to ignore the sickening fear raising in his throat.
"So did we. But we think Hexas somehow revived him in order to revive herself." Scar nodded, resting his chin on his large hand.
"We need to get into the forest, have you come up with any kind of plan for that?" Luka stepped forward.
"Yes, our grandmother has him believing we need three prophets to complete the resurrection, so three of you will have to come with us in disguise. Lin looked to her brother, smiling.
"Yes, the three we choose can observe, and bring back any kind of information we find, they will be your eyes and ears."
"Which three should go though?" Natalia asked. "No offense, but your core team really isn't in the greatest condition right now." Ed frowned, standing and stretching.
"I think Edward and Alphonse should come," Lin said, "And I think our third should be Riza." Luka closed his eyes, deep in thought.
"Part of me agrees, but the other part feels its too risky to send both descendants, if something should happen and they both end up taken out..."
"Then we're stuck..." Luka cut in, "Unless..." He gave his sister a sly smirk before approaching Alphonse. "Edward uses a cane, keep him cloaked and he will appear to be an old man. As for Alphonse..." He took a leaf from his bag, and similar to his sister, placed his lips to it before placing it onto Al's forearm. The room gasped in amazement. Where short blonde haired, brown eyed Alphonse once stood, a dark skinned, green eyed, long haired man with facial hair stood.
"We disguise him." Luka smirked, admiring his handy work.
"Impressive." Maes mused, looking to the twins. "So Alphonse, Edward and Riza will be our prophets." Lin nodded.
"Yes, the rest of you, standby. Raise your strength for the battle ahead." The large group dispersed, settling into their sleeping bags to rest as well as they could. Edward felt a nervous excitement bubbling in his stomach. He turned over to look at Winry, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"Win..." He whispered, trying not to disturb the others. She hummed in response, propping herself up on her elbows.
"What is it Ed?" She asked. Edward internally wrestled with himself for a moment before blurting out.
"You need to finish your projectile while we are here. I don't know how useful guns are going to be, but there's plenty we could do with a long range catapult." She laughed, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I thought you said you didn't want me involved." Edward scoffed.
"Of course I don't. But you're here, and you've got the power to build us something great to use." Winry smiled, gratitude shining in her eyes.
"Thanks Ed...really." They both rolled over to attempt to get some sleep, a subtle, terrifying laugh permeating his subconscious.
Sleep well, Edward Elric. I'll see you very, very soon.
Chapter 9
Notes:
And the plot thickens.
TRIGGER WARNING:
Blood and Bleeding orifices.
Chapter Text
Alphonse stood in front of the mirror, his new body feeling strange to him. He looked at his newly formed muscle, the image in front of him completely foreign, a stranger staring back at him. He sighed, clearing his throat and attempting to disguise his voice.
"My name is Alix, I am Scar's apprentice." He said two octaves lower than his usual speaking voice. He crinkled his nose, shaking his head.
"My name is Alix." He tried again. Putting his face in his hands, he turned his back to the mirror and looked at his brother, who simply shrugged, pulling the deep red cloak over his head.
"You sound fine Al." He made his way over to Alphonse, both brothers staring at their reflections. He sarcastically scoffed.
"What's wrong Ed?" He asked, a nervous feeling in his stomach. Edward laughed, turning from the mirror again.
"Why is it every time the universe is at risk of being destroyed," He started, a smirk playing on his lips. "I end up crippled and you end up with a new body?" Al frowned.
"That's...a really weird thing to say, Ed." He side eyed his brother. "Are you sure you're okay enough to do this? I'm sure we could have someone else come instead." Edward angrily grabbed his cane, making his way back out of the room.
"I'm FINE, Al. It was just a joke." Alphonse sighed, following his brother back to the main room.
"Is now really the time to be joking though?" Ed rolled his eyes, his agitation palpable.
"Oh I'm sorry Alphonse. I forgot everything has to be doom and gloom all the fucking time." Al watched silently as Ed left the compound, their entire interaction leaving a sour taste in his mouth.
"What was that all about?" Jean asked suspiciously. Al shrugged, tapping his foot nervously.
"I don't know. He's been acting slightly unhinged ever since we left the train station." Riza took a drink of her water, her eyes glowing with worry.
"I wonder what happened? Is it Hexas?" They heard a loud exhale, Luka returning from the heat outside.
"If you are suspicious of Hexas and her influence," He started, sympathetically looking at Al. "Ask him about something he would never forget. If he answers incorrectly, you know his mind had been tampered with." He motioned for the remainder of the group to assemble outside, each member in their disguises.
"So, here's the plan." Alphonse started, pulling out a map he had crudely drawn. "Ed, Riza, Luka, Lin and I will be inside, monitoring Kimblee." He circled a section of the map. "Our civilian members will disguise as Amestrian military, our Military members will present as a missionary group." He looked at the group, mildly surprised at how different everyone looked.
"Do we have communication set up yet?" Kain asked, his straw hat falling into his eyes. "Our lines are up here, but how are we going to set anything up in the forest?" Lin smiled, pointing again to the map.
"The other line was set up here, disguised inside a large, hollowed out tree." Kain nodded, testing the equipment once more. Riza hummed, deep in thought.
"How are we going to convince Kimblee we are prophets?" Ed sheepishly smiled.
"Well, Al and I can use basic alchemy to create the illusion, but what about Riza?" Luka thought for a moment.
"Two have power, one has wisdom? Isn't that usually how it goes?" Al contemplated a moment.
"That could definitely work. Riza can be our 'communication' between the three of us." Riza nodded, pulling her hood over her face.
"What about if we get caught?" Ed nervously asked. Al hadn't even thought of that. Placing a hand to his head, he said,
"What if we set people at both communication centers? Those of us on the inside will give updates a few times a day, if we stop for an extended period of time, signal the other side." Winry approached them, her hair tied back in a slick bun, the Amestrian uniform looking strange on her.
"The catapult shouldn't take too much longer to build." Ed smiled, putting his flesh arm around her.
"It's strange to see you and Teacher wearing military uniforms." He simply said, changing the subject. Al crinkled his brow, frustrated.
"Ed, now isn't the time." He sighed, remembering what Luka told him inside the bunker. "I do have a question for you though." Ed looked to his younger brother; an eyebrow cocked in confusion.
"And what's that?" Al cleared his throat nervously.
"The date, inside your pocket watch." He started, wringing his hands together. "What does it mean?" Ed scowled.
"So, I can't comment on our disguises, but you can ask me stupid questions?" He responded. Maes coughed, his eye darting back and forth between the two brothers.
"Ed, just answer the question, I'm sure there's a reason for it." Ed put his hands up defensively.
"Alright, settle down Father Hugh." He retorted, "Just because you're dressed like a priest..."
"Edward, answer the damn question." Winry snapped, Edward finally backing down.
"It's the day mom died, there are you satisfied?" He turned, walking towards the forest. "I'm ready to get this show on the road." Riza and Al looked to each other, their concerns being spoken without a sound.
"Right, we should be going. Jean, Natalia, are you okay going to the other communication spot?" Natalia smiled, taking Jean's cigarette and inhaling.
"Yes. We will make sure to always keep our eyes open." Jean picked up a sword, tying the sheath around his waist. Heymans snorted, looking at his closest friend suspiciously.
"Why not just take your gun with you?" He asked. Jean's expression fell, looking over his shoulder as he left the compound.
"I don't want my gun. I can't shoot it, can't hit my mark. A gun is pointless when you don't know how to use it." Alphonse sadly watched them leave, his own feet carrying him towards the forest. He was lost in thought, his emotions disturbed. He kept his distance from his brother, something that did not go unnoticed.
"You're in distress." Lin said, matching his pace. "Outside of being nervous about this, is there anything weighing down your mind?" Al nodded, his hand forming a tight fist.
"Yeah. Luka told me to ask Ed about something he would never forget." Lin hummed to herself.
"And he answered incorrectly. I could tell from the moment he said it, the tension grew unbearable." Al stared ahead, his heart pounding.
"That wasn't the day our mom died." He said quietly. "It was the day we burned our childhood home down, after failing to bring her back." He felt tears forming in his eyes. "She's got my brother, Lin." Lin swallowed, her eyes traveling to the limping, cloaked alchemist, the entry to their forest in view.
"Yeah...I believe she does, Alphonse. We need to keep a close eye on him, I'll let Luka know." Al released a stressed exhale, his stomach working its way into knots as they approached the village. Luka placed his hand to a massive rock, which began to glow a bright green before dissolving, A tunnel covered by vines in front of them. He turned to the group, a determined smile on his face.
"Al, Riza, Ed...are you all ready?" He asked. The group nodded in unison as Luka beckoned them into the tunnel, the boulder reforming the second they entered, completely cutting them off from the outside. Alphonse swallowed the nervous lump in his throat, looking around the cave in an attempt to calm himself down.
This is it, Alphonse. He thought to himself. If Hexas has Ed...its up to me to stop it.
Al looked around the small village in complete awe, the scenery one of the most beautiful things his eyes ever witnessed. It reminded him of an illustration in a fantasy book, the golden sun beams shining between the leaves of the trees reflecting off the bright green hair of its residents. He inhaled the sweet smell of dirt and leaves, his soul instantly calming.
"Priestess, you're finally back." Alphonse felt bile rise in his throat, he knew who the voice belonged to without even looking. He stood silent, holding his breath as Kimblee approached them, his clothing splattered in blood and his facial expression one of genuine concern, souring his stomach.
"Ser! What happened to you?" Lin bowed, looking the man up and down. He returned the gesture, motioning for them to follow.
"All of you need to come quick, there's something...very wrong with our host." Luka frowned, stepping next to his sister.
"What do you mean there's something wrong?" Luka asked quietly, looking back to the false prophets. "He's not...dead is he? I swear if he died..."
"He's not dead...just follow me." Kimblee barked, briskly walking towards the locked door. Alphonse could feel himself shaking as Kimblee opened the door, a horrible rattling noise emitting from the room. They walked forward, Alphonse subconsciously grabbing onto Riza's hand and gently squeezing it.
Roy was laying on the bed, his eyes bloodshot and wide open, staring not at them, but through them. A steady stream of blood was pouring from his nose, despite a complete lack of wounds, the unsettling rattling coming from within his chest. He continued to gasp and writhe in agony, garish purple veins spreading down his neck and across his face, showing bright against his snow white complexion.
Lin approached him, placing a tender hand to his sweating forehead.
"He's ice cold..." She observed, turning back to Kimblee. "What did you do?" Kimblee scowled, worry radiating off his flesh like an intense heat.
"I did nothing." He said. "I took him to the statue like I do every day...but this time he never came out of it. It's been three days and he just continues to bleed from his pores and orifices." He stopped a moment, fear in his eyes. "This shouldn't be happening." Just then the door opened, an elderly woman entering the room with a vial of glowing blue liquid in her hands.
"Out of the way, all of you." She quickly made her way to the bed where Roy was thrashing, the rattle becoming louder with each painful gasp. "Lin, hold his head still, try to get him to calm down enough for me to get the goddess tears down his throat." Al watched as Lin placed one hand underneath his bleeding head, the other taking a spot on his forehead. She looked down, praying over their fallen comrade. His body thrashed even harder, his newly sharpened teeth biting through the flesh of his lip.
The old woman pried his jaw open, dumping the blue liquid down his throat and holding his mouth shut. The rattling ceased, however it was replaced with a scream full of so much horror Alphonse couldn't breathe. His hands began to contract, his nine remaining fingers now clawed. He sat up on the bed, his eyes still wide and staring, the blood now streaming down his cheeks like crimson tears.
He slowly lifted himself off the bed, his movements inhuman and jerky, the blood staining the white robe he had been placed in. He slowly and unsteadily moved towards Kimblee, much to Al's surprise, and wrapped his bloody hands in the fabric of his shirt. Alphonse expected Kimblee to strike him or shove him away, but instead he placed his hands on his shoulders. Roy locked eyes with him, Riza squeezing his hand in fear. He watched with held breath as Roy coughed, an unnatural amount of blood spraying from inside him, splattering Kimblee.
"P...please." He said quietly, forcing his voice to project through the blood pooled in his throat. "He...help...me..." His eyes rolled into the back of his head, his body falling into Kimblee's. He lifted Roy's limp body, gently placing him back on the bed and gently brushing the sweat soaked hair from his forehead. He turned to the occupants of the room, his brow creased in confusion. He stood, making his way to the door.
"Please, don't let him die. Not yet, its too soon." He swiftly left the room, leaving the group of soldiers alone with their commanding officer, who was almost unrecognizable. Only when Kimblee was out of earshot did Alphonse notice Lin, her fist clutching her chest in pain.
"Lin? What's going on?" Luka asked, cautiously approaching his sister. She looked to him urgently.
"Follow him Luka." Luka frowned.
"But why? What am I looking for?" Lin gasped for breath, trying to slow her heartbeat.
"Just follow him, and hurry. Tell us everything you see. Hurry, before he goes to far." Luka nodded, running out the door to chase him down.
"What's going on?" Ed asked gently, placing a hand to her arm.
"For the first time since he got here...I sensed an emotion out of Kimblee." Ed snorted.
"Disgust? Malice? Pure evil?" He guessed. Lin shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"No..." She said quietly.
"Then what was it?" Riza asked, finally letting go of Alphonse's hand. Lin looked back down at the body on the bed.
"Regret."
Luka silently crept a few paces behind Kimblee, his nerves on edge. He had no idea what his sister sensed, if that's even why she sent him on this mission, but he knew whatever it was it wasn't good. He had never seen Kimblee look like that before, even to someone without lin's gift it was hard to ever pick up any emotion from him. He watched Kimblee enter the chamber of Hexas, the boy following behind and concealing himself with a giant boulder. He strained his ears, the sound of a womans whisper floating around them.
Are you not satisfied, Zolf? The voice said. Kimblee exhaled.
"It's not that." He started, running his hand through his hair. "You're going to kill him before this process is complete." An angry wind blew, Luka grabbing to the rock to prevent from being swept away.
You're getting your wish. Isn't this what you want? Immortality for this man so you can cause chaos and destruction together, as it always should have been? Luka frowned.
"Yes, but I never planned on using him as a living host...it should be that damn Elric kid in his place, I only wanted Mustangs corpse." The demonic entity laughed, sending chills down his spine.
You're getting soft on me it seems. She mused. You're just experiencing leftover human emotions, you all have them, its a curse. She wined.
"Well how do I get rid of them? I've never struggled to watch the welp suffer before. The wind hummed.
Once Nok takes over his body and you ascend into full demonhood, those feelings will disappear. However, there is one thing I can do to help.
Luka's heart began to double beat as he saw the familiar tentacle spawn from the statue.
Open your mouth
Kimblee did as he was told, allowing the demon to slide the tentacle down his throat. Unlike with Roy, Kimblee made no sound, he didn't scream in pain, he didn't writhe. He sat there, still as a statue, until the tentacle retracted, bringing with it a small white orb.
Feel better now? She asked sweetly. Give the host two goblets instead of one. Kimblee's laugh froze the blood in his veins, the boy retracting even closer to the wall to avoid being seen. He heard Kimblee speaking to himself as he exited the chamber.
"Much better, actually. Maybe I was getting too soft." Luka followed him quietly, holding his breath as another dark laugh rippled through his body.
"In fact, I feel so good, I just might have to cause Mustang some pain when he finally awakes."
Chapter 10
Notes:
Here we go chapter 10.
TRIGGER WARNING:
Mild violence
Chapter Text
"Are you finally awake?" A voice rang through the darkness, Roy's brain desperately trying to remember whose. Everything was pitch black, every cell in his body screaming in excruciating pain. He felt his weak eyelids trying to open, but he couldn't draw the strength to do it.
Where am I? He thought to himself. What happened?
"Come on, host, open your eyes now." He noted that the voice sounded irritated, his body involuntarily flinching in fear.
Am I...in danger?
Roy slowly opened his eyes, the room foggy in front of him. He blinked a few times, the blurriness finally subsiding, a group of people standing in the room with him. The first thing his eyes focused on, was the source of the voice, coming from a man standing over him.
"There you go. I was worried we'd lost you." His voice sounded kind, but Roy knew better, Whomever this man was, he wanted to hurt Roy. He was not there to protect him.
Isn't it you...who is supposed to do the protecting? Roy slowly pushed himself up, weakly allowing his eyes to scan the room he was in, the confusion suffocating.
Who...am I? He looked to the raven haired man, his smile sending a wave of disgust rippling through his entire being. The man sat next to him on the bed, he was talking to the other people in the room, but Roy couldn't make out what he was saying to them.
"Do you know where you are?" He asked. Roy furrowed his brow, digging for something, anything, to give him a clue as to what was happening to him.
"N...no." He said, shaking his head. The intimidating man exhaled in response.
"What about who you are? Do you remember that?" Roy simply shook his head. He had absolutely no clue who he was.
"I don't even know my own name." The man seemed satisfied with the answer, leaving Roy feeling more confused and anxious. "Am I not supposed to?" The mans mouth stretched into a sinister smirk.
"But you remember why you are here, correct?" Roy thought for a moment, the wriggling sensation underneath his skin jogging his memory.
"Hexas?" He asked. The man clapped his hands together, addressing two others in the room, both sporting the same hair, skin and eyes.
"He remembers exactly what he's supposed to." One of the green haired teens, this one a girl, brought a goblet of red liquid to the man with the serpentine smile. He placed the goblet in his hands.
"Drink up, you will need your strength." He walked towards the door, turning and addressing the room once more.
"I want him under constant surveillance. One of you must be in here at all times." He scowled. "This was way too close of a call for me to be comfortable. Make sure he finishes both goblets, I'll return with a third shortly." The man left the room, taking some of the tension with him, Roy exhaling a sigh of relief. He lifted the goblet to his lips, the thick, metallic liquid surprisingly desirable to the weakened man. He drank it fast, feeling his strength return with every drop. He set the cup down, taking his hand and wiping some of the blood off his chin. He looked at his clawed hands, frowning.
"What's the matter Ser?" The green haired woman asked. He looked at her, anxiety creeping up his throat.
"Am I allowed to talk to you?" He asked. A snarky laugh came from one of the three hooded forms standing in the room.
"Of course you aren't. So anything thats said is kept between us." Roy swallowed nervously.
"But...who are you?" He asked he hooded figure. They pulled their hood down, long blonde hair cascading over his shoulders and golden eyes peering at him. He smiled sheepishly.
"Is that better?" He asked. Roy frowned, shaking his head.
"You act like you know me but...I've never seen you before in my life." The young man's smile fell, an emotion Roy couldn't read shining through his eyes.
He looks hurt...The green haired girl gasped, clutching her chest.
"What is it, Lin?" The other green haired person asked.
So, her name is Lin...
"Ser, please don't feel guilty for not knowing." Roy felt himself begin to panic. How did she know what he was feeling? She handed him a folded piece of paper. "See if this photo jogs your memory at all." He unfolded the photo, his eyes falling to the worn image. He studied their faces, all but two unidentifiable. He brushed his finger lightly over the picture, his fingertip resting on the one person he, under no circumstance, would forget.
"Riza." Was all he could say before the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "Where is she? Is Riza okay? I need to see her..." He frantically tried to stand, but the blonde boy put his hand to his shoulder, gently keeping him on the bed.
"Hold on, do you recognize anyone or anything else in this picture?" Roy scanned the image one more time, pointing to a dark haired man standing in the middle.
"I feel like I might know who he is...but I'm not sure." Ed frowned, pointing at the man in the photo.
"That's you..." Roy crinkled his nose.
"Looks nothing like me." He simply said. One of the other hooded figures removed their hood, Roy's heart beginning to double beat. He stood, forgetting the cuff screwed into his leg. He tripped, falling harshly to the ground.
"Riza...is it really you?" She reached her hand down to pull him up, the two staring into each others eyes, just trying to fish for the right memories to trigger.
"Yes, Roy, its me." Roy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a solid embrace.
"I've been desperate to see you..." He started, stopping a moment and pulling back from her.
"What's wrong?" She asked, worry lacing her every word.
"Roy...that's my name...isn't it?" Riza smiled, bringing a warmth to his soul that he had not felt in he didn't know how long.
"Can you remember your last name Roy? What about your title?" The blonde asked. Roy thought for a moment, the fog in his brain beginning to dissipate as he was reminded of his past.
"I know I used to burn stuff. Why though, I have no idea. Probably criminal activity, judging from my position at the moment." The green haired twins gave each other a worried look. "I'm right, I was a criminal, I killed people, with fire from my hands." He glanced back down at the picture one last time. It was then he noticed, there was someone other than Riza he could remember from the photograph.
"Where is Alphonse?" He pointed to the last hooded figure. "Is that Alphonse? Is he safe?" For whatever reason his brain told him to ask the blonde, but the blonde only shook his head, ushering for the last hood to come down.
"I sent Alphonse far away from here, where he would be safe. This is Alix, you've never met." The dark skinned man bowed his head. The green haired boy stepped forward, handing him another goblet filled with blood. He began to drink it, the blonde man shivering in disgust. Riza stepped towards him, pointing to the blonde haired boy in the picture.
"This is Edward, you know Ed." Roy felt a jolt in his brain, his memory suddenly coming back to life.
"Yes, fullmetal." He looked up at the man standing in front of him. "You're the fullmetal alchemist." Edward nodded, his smile retuning. Roy looked back down at the picture, scraping his brain for any kind of information.
"He is fullmetal, and I..." He looked to the faces in the room, hope shining through their eyes. "I'm..."
"Roy Mustang." Edward said. Roy gasped, clutching his head in pain.
"Yes. I'm...Roy Mustang. Flame alchemist in the Amestrian military." He looked down at his hands once more. "My hands..." He could feel tears forming in his eyes, blinking them away, he gripped the fabric of his pants. "I took lives with them." Riza sat next to him, placing a tender hand to his knee, slightly calming the burning in his chest.
"You did." She pointed to herself and another man in the photo. "As did we. The three of us were on the front lines..."
"During Ishval." He cut her off. "How could I have forgotten?" Lin looked out the window, the sun beginning to set.
"Because...technically you are supposed to." Roy felt more memories begin to flood back, his heartbeat increasing.
"That other man, he's hurt me in a debilitating way, I don't recognize his face, but I recognize his smell, and it makes me feel sick..." He trailed off, scanning the faces of those around him. "He hurt me well before Hexas...I can't shake the nausea his scent gives me."
"Yes...Kimblee hurt us all." Edward added cautiously. "That's why you can not let on that any of your memory has returned." Roy thought harder, trying to bring any kind of memory back to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but a sensation violently shook through his body, vomit working its way up his throat.
"He's coming back." He began to panic. "I can smell him, he's coming back and you need to cover your faces. NOW!" He inhumanly growled, his eyes rapidly scanning the room as the visitors replaced their hoods, standing back up straight as they had when Kimblee left the first time.
The door slowly opened, Kimblee returning with another goblet, an old woman following him. Roy still wasn't sure fully what was going on, but he took the advice of his allies, sitting on the bed and blankly staring forward. The old woman approached him, looking him over.
"The bleeding has stopped," She turned to address the rest of the room. "Luka, Linnea, would you take our prophets and go collect the ingredients on this list for me?" Roy noticed her wink, a smile threatening to break through on his face as she handed the paper to the twins.
"Of course...Grandma?" Lin asked. "Will you stay with him while we are gone? Ser Kimblee said he does not wish for him to be alone." The old woman bowed her head.
"As long as that is okay with Ser Kimblee of course." He nodded, giving Roy a suspicious side glance, causing bile to burn the back of his throat.
"I couldn't think of anyone better suited for the job." The entire group made their way towards the door, Kimblee ushering them out. Before closing the door, he looked into Roy's onyx eyes.
"Don't cause any trouble. I give the lady priestess permission to beat and restrain you if you do." He shut the door, leaving Roy alone with the old woman.
"Can I ask you something?" He asked quietly, his hands subtly shaking. The old woman hummed.
"Of course. Restoring your memory is going to be your safest option." He sheepishly smiled, his eyes traveling to the door.
"That man...Kimblee." He started, shuddering as his name left his lips. "What did he do to me to put me in such a state as this?" The old woman shook her head.
"That's one thing I really can't answer. You should ask your army that one." Roy frowned.
"My...army? You mean those people from the picture." He looked back down at it, his eyes landing on himself. "Where are they?" She quietly laughed, patting him on the shoulder.
"They will be here in time. I promise, you won't be in the dark forever...okay?" Roy exhaled slowly, trying to calm his heart.
"Yeah...I'll ask them when I'm able to."
You mean...IF you are able to.
"So, Luka. What did you find out when you followed Kimblee?" Lin asked, everyone in their army present minus Jean and Natalia. Luka frowned, wringing his hands nervously.
"Honestly, I'm more confused now than I was before. I followed him to Hexas's chamber. They were speaking." Lin's eyes grew wide with concern.
"And...you could hear her speak back?" Luka swallowed.
"Yeah. He was angry that she..attacked Roy so harshly, said she was going to kill him. He...was a bit frantic." Ed scoffed, picking at his automail hand.
"But what did she say?" He asked,
"She said Kimblee was being overcome with human emotions. She said she was giving Kimblee his wish." Kain adjusted his glasses.
"What wish?" Luka shook his head.
"To spend eternity with Roy, wreaking havoc and chaos onto the world. According to him, he never wanted Roy alive in the first place."
"But...doesn't he need to feed Roy's soul to Hexas?" Riza asked, placing her head in her hands. Luka shook his head.
"Not necessarily. He intended to give Roy's corpse for Nok to occupy, and use someone named Elric to awaken them."
"So, he was going to use Ed to awaken her?" Heymans asked. A slightly concerning growl escaped Ed's chest, his anger palpable.
"Not me. Alphonse." Realization crashed through him so abruptly his head began to spin. "That's why Roy seemed so concerned. He knew."
"She also..." Luka swallowed, remembering the tentacle. "She's feeding on the small amount of human emotion he has. That's why he couldn't be read. Shes eating his humanity as well."
The group fell silent, deep in thought.
"There have been more tremors in the desert today," Scar said, walking into their tent. "Had to fight off a giant sandworm earlier, it almost killed a child." The group exchanged worried glances.
"It seems..." Lin started, looking at the door to their tent, "we have even less time than we originally thought." Winry cleared her throat, looking to Alphonse.
"Then it's a good thing I finished our catapult. We can use it to help defend the desert while the rest put a stop to Kimblee's plan." Scar, Alphonse and Winry left the tent to go set up her invention, the rest of the group contemplating what to do.
"Think of a plan overnight, tomorrow we need to start acting now that we know for sure how much time there is." Edward returned to his room, looking in the mirror at himself. He frowned, examining himself in the mirror. Something felt off, felt completely wrong, but he couldn't place his finger on what exactly it was. He looked the same, sounded the same, but there was something about his form that did not sit right with him. He shook his head, unclenching the fist he didn't realize he was holding, blood dripping from his palms where his nails gouged the flesh. Returning to his cot to attempt to sleep, his thoughts continued to torture him every second he was awake.
Have my teeth and nails...always been this sharp?
Roy sat quietly on his bed, staring at the photo he had been given. While his memory still betrayed him, the photo was helping some things come back. He remembered Maes, his closest friend. He remembered Kain and Heymans, Vato and Jean. He remembered Riza so well he swore he lived through her experiences himself, her pain completely palpable to him. He needed to protect her with everything inside of him, he at least knew that much. The thing tripping him up most, however, was his memories of Alphonse. Why did he completely remember Alphonse...when his own subordinates seemed more like a fading memory? His head was beginning to hurt. Roy laid down on the bed, closing his eyes when he heard the door open. He wasn't sure why, but his body told him to keep pretending to sleep.
"Leave us, Priestess. We have business to discuss." Kimblee's voice sounded like poison he desperately wanted to get rid of. He heard the old woman shuffle out, his anxiety magnifying .
Please...don't leave me alone with him. Kimblee sat next to him on the bed, his hand gently caressing his sore bare back.
"My name looks beautiful on your flesh." He admired, tracing the wounds with a finger, causing Roy to flinch.
Don't fucking touch me
"So, you really don't remember who I am or what we've been through together?" He wasn't wrong, the only thing Roy knew was his name and that he'd been hurt by him.
Don't fucking touch me
"Why don't you allow me to...refresh your memory?" Before Roy had a moment to blink, Kimblee's mouth was once again biting into the soft flesh of his neck, pain shooting down his spine.
Do not fucking touch me
"Is this bringing back any memories? You're no good without your...painful memories." Roy felt his hand begin to wander, bile rising in his throat as a deep, threatening growl escaped his throat.
"Do not fucking touch me!" He roared, his hands grasping Kimblee around the throat, his sharp nails piercing the soft flesh of Kimblee's neck. To Roy's surprise, Kimblee only laughed, spots dancing in front of his eyes as Kimblee jammed his knee into Roy's groin, his grip immediately releasing, an angry, dark look in the sadistic mans eyes.
"You...really shouldn't have done that." A pained gasp escaped Roy's throat as Kimblee began to savagely beat him with fists and feet, blood spraying from his mouth as Kimblee continued to hit.
"Are you ever going to learn?" He lifted the man with inhuman strength, throwing him against the wall, the sounds of bones crunching ricocheting off the walls. He lifted Roy's bleeding form once again, slamming him facedown on the bed and straddling him. Roy tried to break free, tried to keep his arms away from Kimblee, but he failed, a chain appearing seemingly out of nowhere, wrapping itself around his wrist, securing him to the bed. Before he had time to blink, all of his limbs had been wrapped, leaving his shirtless back exposed.
Without warning, a sharp sting shot through his back, then another and another. Roy could feel his back wounds being ripped back open, the blood dripping down his sides onto the bed. Kimblee continued to whip him, Roy biting through his lip to prevent from screaming in pain. This seemed to anger Kimblee, who began to beat him harder. Tears threatened to spill over his eye lids, but Roy refused to budge, he wouldn't give the monster the satisfaction.
"You can keep being Defiant, dog, or you can give me what I want." He darkly laughed, leaning down and biting his earlobe before whispering something that made Roy's blood run cold.
"You will scream for me; I refuse to stop until you do."
Naruwitch on Chapter 1 Thu 03 Mar 2022 12:10AM UTC
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Morgan (Guest) on Chapter 1 Thu 03 Mar 2022 07:52AM UTC
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MadMod1003 on Chapter 1 Thu 03 Mar 2022 02:53PM UTC
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Labarbara on Chapter 1 Fri 04 Mar 2022 08:12AM UTC
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Naruwitch on Chapter 2 Thu 03 Mar 2022 09:10PM UTC
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MadMod1003 on Chapter 2 Thu 03 Mar 2022 09:35PM UTC
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IndigoIncubus6 (Guest) on Chapter 2 Wed 24 Aug 2022 12:44AM UTC
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MadMod1003 on Chapter 2 Wed 24 Aug 2022 11:26AM UTC
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Naruwitch on Chapter 3 Sat 05 Mar 2022 02:23AM UTC
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MadMod1003 on Chapter 3 Sat 05 Mar 2022 02:43AM UTC
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Naruwitch on Chapter 4 Fri 27 May 2022 02:55AM UTC
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MadMod1003 on Chapter 4 Sat 28 May 2022 11:19AM UTC
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Naruwitch on Chapter 5 Tue 28 Jun 2022 12:34AM UTC
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Naruwitch on Chapter 6 Sun 21 Aug 2022 03:55PM UTC
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MadMod1003 on Chapter 6 Sun 21 Aug 2022 05:51PM UTC
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Let_the_World_Burn on Chapter 8 Fri 10 Mar 2023 02:45PM UTC
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Let_the_World_Burn on Chapter 9 Mon 13 Mar 2023 12:05AM UTC
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MadMod1003 on Chapter 9 Mon 13 Mar 2023 12:16AM UTC
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Naruwitch on Chapter 10 Mon 08 Sep 2025 04:18AM UTC
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