Choices

Author's Note:

I started writing this

after seeing, FullMetal Alchemist , the Movie: the Conqueror of

Shamballa. I based it heavily off the movie, but attempted to make my

own version. I've never tried this before, so please let me know what

you think.

-----------------------------------------------------

~ Choices ~

Earth : the Scientific

World

No one believes Edward

about his 'tales' of actually being from another world. They only

think it's a bunch of fantasy, stories he made up to pass the time.

He lives with Alfons Heiderich: a friend he met, while they were

studying rocketry together at the university. Alfons has mixed

feelings toward Ed. He doesn't believe in the existence of another

world, and wishes Edward would stop talking about trying to go back

home.

He's sick of being thought

of as only a dream, and wishes Edward could see his very real. That

he has feelings, and that he doesn't understand why Ed wants him to

leave so badly. He feels angry, because he can't see why Edward

'hates' him, when he cares about him so much.

When a young lady by the

name of Sumira Lanor, show up. She soon finds herself staying with

Edward Elric, and Alfons Heiderich. Unlike other people, she seems to

enjoy hearing Edward's stories the most. She never ceases wanting to

know more about his home, or the adventures he had there.

This causes Heiderich to

question why she insists on humoring Ed's fantasies. Her face took on

a saddened look, as he did so. Her reply was she wasn't doing it to

humor anyone. Edward insists his stories are real, and she asked,

"Who are we to say they aren't?"

Unlike Edward, she would

actually sit down, and take an interest in Alfons Hiederich as well.

She would listen as he talked about his day, or ask questions, to

better understand and learn about the rockets he was so excited in.

He began to feel somewhat bittersweet. Here was a woman who had

trusted two complete strangers to help her. She had only known him

for a short while, and took more interest in him, than the 'friend'

he'd been living with for two years.

Edward enjoyed having

someone who he could tell his stories to, without having to be told

how there was no way that world was real, or that he'd come from

there. At the same time though, he felt suspicious of her, since she

was the only person who didn't call him a liar. When he finally

confronted her about it, he was shocked.

"If I can't believe

in your world, how can I ever hope to go back to mine?" was all

she managed out at first.

"What do you mean?"

he asked.

"I mean I'm not from

this world either," she said slowly. "The name for things

are different, and not all the things are here, that exist in mine."

"Are you serious?"

he asked, sounding skeptical. "Or are you just making fun of

me?"

"I'm serious..."

she said, her face falling when she realized he didn't believe her.

She walked into the room they'd given her, and burined her face in

her knees. It wasn't until he spoke, that she realize he was sitting

in front of her.

"Tell me about your

world." he said, his own face looking remorseful. She looked at

him quickly, as he had startled her. He noticed her cheeks were

flushed, and reached his hand out to brush away the rest of her

tears. "I'm sorry..." he told her, looking away for a

moment.

His eyes glanced up to

meet hers, when he felt a hand lay on his arm. "I understand..."

he nodded, knowing he'd been forgiven.

After that, she began to

tell him about her world. Of how the clothes women wore were less

restrictive; of how boats ran on steam, and electricity, powered by

paddles; of how planes were used daily for travel, and were much

larger. She described all of the different foods, and frozen treats,

of the way people always seem in a hurry there. She told of how the

forests, and farmlands had all but disappeared, and how cities were

constant and wide - spread.

When he asked...she

admitted the world she had come from was in a downward spiral. She

warned of the pollution factories. like the one Heiderich worked at,

would one day cause. She told of how science created so many weapons,

and how there was the nagging worry, that someone would destroy

everyone. She told him of how the peace that existed here, was an

unknown fantasy in her world; all the years she spent there, she

never knew real peace.

She went on to tell of how

she spent her life growing up in poverty; even admitting how selfish,

and self - serving her world's people were. She told him she was no

better than any of her family, or the others who didn't accept her.

"I was selfish...I

was never happy in my world, and even when I was, it would never

last."

She said her hatred

died..but for so many years, she had hated the people around her;

hated her family, her own mother. It went on for so long, it just

died out, and it never came back. She doesn't hate them anymore...but

she still has many unanswered questions...the one above all...was

simply, "why?"

As she was telling him all

this, he was watching her. Really looking at her. He really didn't

see any hatred, as she descrived what had been done, and what she did

or did not do. She wasn't angry...She wasn't bitter. To him, she

seemed ...lost..almost. Like she had never belonged anywhere in her

world. He could tell she had been through great pain...been betrayed

by the people who trusted the most.

Her eyes betrayed her

heaviest burden. The sadness, all the hurt she'd been given. Despite

it all, she was still willing to keep waiting. She was still seaching

for people to believe in, and until she found them, she would put her

faith in dreams...in hope and chances.

He finally told her one

day...that she was nothing like the other people of her world. She

stared at him for a moment, and asked simply, "Why?"

"You still believe

that there is hope, even when all that is good seems lost." he

told her. She threw herself at him then. He held her tightly, resting

his chin on top of the head buried in his chest. She had her arms

wrapped around his waist, and he let her stay that way, rubbing

slowly swirls in her back, with his real arm.

The voice that spoke,

seemed almost lighter then. "Thank you.." she whispered,

and he kissed her forehead reassuringly.

* * *

The day came, when Edward

came home smirking. Alfons smiled, and called him on it, but his

smile quickly faded when Ed said he'd seen his brother, and that

there was a chance he'd get to leave this world after all. Later on,

Edward went after Alfond, who was on the way to the factory. He told

him to stop.

"Why should I, Ed?"

he asked, suddenly angry.

"Those people you

work for are trying to take over my world!" he yelled.

"So, Let them!"

Alfons yelled. He darted down the stairs, and Edward ran after him.

He finally caught up to him, when Alfons started coughing horribly.

"Are you sick? You

need to rest." he said, but when he tried to reach for him, his

hand was smacked away.

"It's a little late

to start caring now, Ed." Alfons said coldly. He coughed,

hacking up blood into his hand. He made a fist, and took off. Edward

went back inside, slamming the door closed behind him. He sighed

heavily, leaning his back against the wood, and sliding down, to sit

on the ground.

"What's wrong?"

He looked up, and realized

she was still there. She looked worried, and he groaned, and shook

his head. "It's nothing..."

"You're lying..."

she said, kneeling before him. "Did something happen with

Alfons?"

"How did you know?"

he laughed, half - heartedly.

"I heard yelling, and

took a guess..." she admitted, shrugging.

"You know why then.."

he sighed.

"No..I couldn't make

out the words." she shook her head.

"The people who hired

him are planning to invade my world," he told her finally, after

a long moment of silence. Her eyes widened. "I can't let that

happen..."

"Let me help you."

He looked at her.

"What...?"

"I want to help in

anyway I can." she said.

"You can't, Mira!"

he said, suddenly panicked. "They'll try to kill you!"

She touched his arm then.

"I am going to help." she said, more firmly.

"You're not giving me

a choice, are you? he asked, smiling a little.

"Not a chance."

* * *

"Can you fly this

thing?" Ed asked, looking back at Fritz Lang.

"More or less,"

the man shrugged, from the pilot seat.

Edward looked over at the

girl beside him, as they carefully edged out onto the wing of the

plane. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Okay!" the both jumped off at the same time.

They used their feet to

breal the window they jumped through. But, she missed the rim

entirely, falling straight down. While Ed had slammed into the

serpant's body, which caused him to be thrown onto the rim, below the

circle. She landed down in the back of a truck, thankfully going

unnoticed by any of the soldiers. Meanwhile, Alfons stared up at Ed,

watching everything carefully.

Eckhart, and two soldiers

stood on the other side. "And here he is...dropped from the

heavens...seems we can't do this without you," Eckhart said.

"You mean using that

psychic army stand - in didn't work," he spat, angrily. "How

could you..."

"But it's your world

on the other side, isn't that right, Edward?" Noah asked.

"Well, it's not

Shamballa, I can promise you that." he said.

"I wanna see it...

no, I wanna go there, and never come back!" Noah screamed.

"Isn't that the only place where I can belong? Another world,

where people won't hate and distrust me?"

"You are a fool,

Noah!" a feminine voice screamed, and they looked down then.

Alfons eyes widened when he recognized her, and ran over, followed by

his team.

"What would you

know?!" Noah demanded.

"The world you want,

doesn't exist!" she screamed. "There is no such thing as

perfection!"

Hoss glared at Alfons.

"Shut her up, or I will have her disposed of." She glared

right back, but allowed Alfons to lead her away.

"I thought your

people were proud of their ways." Ed spat harshly.

"But I want something

more!" Noah pleaded.

"Trust me...what lies

ahead for us...is no dream."

* * *

Ametris : the

Alchemical World

Meanwhile, in Amertris:

Wrath was battling the mutated Gluttony, whose ouroboros mark had

been removed. He lured Gluttony over to the transmutation circle, and

punched his automail arm into the floor, as an anchor. Gluttony bit

into him, and Wrath told Alphonse Elric to transmute both of them. He

did.

* * *

The transmutation circle

started to glow, and Ed pointed a gun at it. "I wouldn't do

that.." Eckhart warned, and pulled down a lever. It removed a

sheet that had been covering the serpant's head. Edward looked at

what lie between Envy's teeth in disbelief.

"Dad...How did he get

here?" he demanded. "What's going on?"

"We found this was

the most effective approach for keeping the great serpent calm and

quiet," Eckhart smirked, crossing her arms. "Luckily for

us, your father doesn't die so easily." Hohenheim groaned,

lifting himself up so he could look.

"Hey... there you

are..bout time..." he gasped, looking at him son.

How dad... How did they

catch you?" Ed asked.

"Easily... I wanted

to create a portal between our worlds..by using the science and magic

they study on this side of the gate," he explained. "Houshoffer

made me a proposal."

"I'm getting you

down," Ed put away the pistol, and started to move.

"Son...no,: Hohenheim

told him. "This is what I wanted. I'm a sinner, Ed... I failed

to bring my son back to life...instead I turned him into a monster,

and abandoned him.. "

"I took the lives of

countless people to save myself.." he gasped, and went on. "Then

I couldn't stop this beat from hurting you..." Envy, as the

serpant, growled lightly.

"So what?!"

Edward yelled. "How are those reasons for helping them!"

Hohenheim looked up at the circle above him. "You're trying...to

get me home.." Ed said, his voice lower, as he realized.

"I will offer my life

as the price, then transmute Envy to open the portal..."

Hohenheim started to say.

"Forget about the

portal, I don't need to go back!" Edward shook his head, and

screamed.

"Give Al...my

respects..." Hohenheim gasped, and started forcing Envy's jaw

the rest of the way down, until it crunched, and he was dead, his

blood spewing down below. Edward collapsed to his knees in shock; He

looked up, in time to see a gateway form above. Suddenly, Eckhart

pulled a gun, from her jacket, and shot him, causing him to fall down

below.

"Why!" Mira

screamed. One of the nearby soldiers backhanded her, knocking her to

the ground.

"Prepare the rockets!

We're going through!" Eckhart ordered.

* * *

"Really..your the

lucky one Ed..." a voice whispered.

Suddenly, Edward woke up,

and looked around. Alfons ran over, shushing him quickly. "What

is this?" he whispered, realizing he was strapped in.

"I've set everything

up so you can go back home...You can take this second rocket while

Eckhart isn't looking.." he explained. "You ready?"

* * *

"Lietenant...Inform

the Fuhrer of our situation," Eckhart ordered, and the soldier

ran off. "Professor...is the portal stabilized now?"

"It seems to be, but

that's not the point. I don't believe it's Shamballa. I think that

Ed's right!" he insisted.

"Yes....I'd realized

that," Eckhart shot him in the arm.

* * *

"Right in the fake

arm...Good thing she's a bad shot," Alfons joked, while Ed

checked the damage. "Our rockets peak at over 2 kilometers per

second...should be enough speed to punch through the pressure, and

get out safe." Ed looked at him. "That's Houshoffer's

theory, anyway," he smiled. "This two seater shouldn't have

any problem."

"Two - seated?!"

Edward asked, shocked. A groan came from behind, and they both looked

back at the other seat.

"Oh..geez..."

she groaned, rubbing her neck where the soldier had hit her.