Sacrafice! I Can't Let You Die Before Me

She sat me on a couch and then smiled. "Edward is going to be here shortly. Why don't you greet him when he gets here?" she asked deviously. "I....I.....I don't want to," I said. Dante looked at me with an evil look in her eye. "I'm sorry. Forgive me," she said. Then she sat next to me on the couch, her eyes looking at me deeply. "You must be tired, what with all this thinking you've been doing. How about I ease that pain for you?" she asked. Before I could react, she slammed her palm up against my forehead. Suddenly, I had no control over my body anymore. I was sitting there, looking at Dante with a cold, blank, expression. "Good, you're in the mood. Now, just sit tight and Envy will let us know when our guest of honor is here. In the meantime....relax," she said. My new body didn't move. It obidently sat on the couch. As Dante left, my doll-like body sat there, doing nothing. My mind was still obeying me, so I tried to talk myself out of this.

 

Hey! You need to wake up! Hurry! Hurry!

 

All my shouting did no good. My body sat there, hands folded in my lap, looking at the wall.

 

Please! They're going to kill Ed! Snap out of this and DO something!!

 

Nothing. All my feelings seemed to have vanished too. No doubt that Dante was a homunculus, and she had done something to me to incapacitate me. She knew that if I ran away, I'd warn Ed about what was going to happen if he came here. Would he listen? Probably not. But if I didn't snap out of this, I'd never know.

 

You say you love Ed, then you don't DO anything! All you're DOing is sitting here DOing nothing! DO something!

 

Nothing.

 

If I had my body, I would have grit my teeth and pulled at my hair. This was very frustrating. I tried again.

 

Wake up! THEY ARE GOING TO KILL HIM!! So wake up! Wake up! Please wake UP! Don't just sit there! WAKE UP!!

 

Nothing.

 

I didn't know what to do. I felt like screaming.

 

So I did.

 

The scream was long, and since I didn't have any breath, I went on for a very long time. When I stopped, I tried to think things over. I was a living doll that wouldn't do anything, my mind was the only thing that was working, and Ed was going to get killed if I didn't do anything.

 

Remember when you were kids and you told Winry how you felt about Ed? Well, don't make her think you're a liar! Do something!

 

Nothing....and then something.

 

My chest rose, and my hands came up to my face. Did it work? Was I slowly regaining control of my body? Was there still hope after all?

 

No, I just coughed, then resumed to looking at the wall.

 

This is hopeless.

 

I tried to think of what I could do. What would snap me out of this? All my pleading in the world wounldn't work, and the guilt card wasn't working either. There had to be a way....there just had to be! I thought about what my body saw.

 

A wall, a poster on the wall, a desk that had Ed's pocketwatch, and---

Wait....the pocketwatch!

 

The melody of the pocketwatch! That would make me wake up! I knew it would! All that I had to do was open it! Maybe I could persuade myself to open it...

 

Hey, the wait for Ed to come and see you will get shorter if you open the pocketwatch.

 

Nothing.

 

The melody is beautiful! Really! You remember it, right? Remember how pretty it was?

 

"Yes...it was pretty..."

 

Woah! Did I just talk? That must mean it was working! I quickly began to "talk" again, so my body didn't lose interest.

 

Yeah, it was huh? Well, just a little listen to would hurt would it? Just listen for a second.

 

"For a sec...ond?" I spoke, and I began to get more excited.

 

Only for a second.

 

"O...o...okay..." my mouth said. Slowly, my hands began to reach for the watch.

 

Just a little closer.....almost there.....

 

Hope began to show itself. I was almost free! Almost free! My hands enclosed over the watch. I was so close! Just had to push it open now.

 

Okay...bring it close to your face and then open it. Allright? We're almost there.

 

My body brought it close to my face. Soon, I could see the dragon reaching out to the jagged circle. My fingers began to creep to the opening so I could open it.

 

You're almost there! C'mon! Just a teeny bit closer....

 

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Envy came in. My body dropped the pocketwatch. Envy snatched it. "C'mon, girl, your friend is here. Let's make the show good," he said. My body stood up and slowly walked out the door.

 

No! The pocketwatch! Take it back from him! You want to hear the pretty music, right? Take it back! Hurry!

 

My body no longer cared. Envy trailed close behind, and soon I was back in the large ballroom. "Come here now, girl. Back into your tube, allright?" Envy said as he opened the glass tube. My body obediently walked into the tube and sat down. The minute Envy slammed the glass shut, I snapped out of my trance. "Ooh...hey, let me out!" I screamed. Envy smirked, then he pulled a string that hung from the ceiling. Immedietly, a large red curtain flew over the glass around me, and I couldn't see anything. "Hey! Let me out! Let me out!!" I cried, slamming my fists against the glass. "Help! Someone! Help me!" I screamed. Suddenly, the glass started shaking. Soon, I had an uprising feeling. "Hey!! What are you doing? Let me out! Please let me out!" I screamed. Suddenly, the glass stopped moving, and it was shaking from side to side. The feeling....the movement....only then did I realize that the tube was being suspended in air. I was scared, and my stomach was turning. "Please! Please don't do this!" I pleaded. Suddenly, the room became deathly quiet, and the sound of Ed's pocketwatch began to play. "No....No! Please! Please don't hurt him! Don't! I'll give you anything! I really will! Don't kill him please! Please don't...." I said, sobbing.

 

You cry too easy.

 

I knew I did, and this made me cry even more. I had joined the military to help my family....and I couldn't even do THAT correctly! I was such a failure! And now....it would be my fault that Ed was going to....was going to....

 

"Don't hurt him! Don't! I'm begging you please don't hurt him! I'll give you anything!" I pleaded through my tears. I cried and cried, feeling like I was going to vomit. I placed my hands against the glass, watching it fog up. Then, the sound of the melody dissapaited, and I could hear voices.

 

"You made it. And I thought you weren't," I heard Envy say.

"Don't! Run away! Hurry! While you still can!" I screamed as loud as I could.

 

I could hear footsteps and the sound of armor rattling around.

 

Al...

 

"Al! Al, get Ed out of here! Hurry! Envy's going to kill him! Run please! Run while you still can!" I screamed. The tears were still coming. That's when I realized what the curtain was for.

 

So they couldn't hear me.

 

Envy had muffled my voice with the heavy cloth of the curtain so I couldn't warn them. I felt hopeless, and the tears spilled over even harder. "Don't! Run!!! NOW!!!!" I pleaded.

 

"Where is she?"

 

I stopped crying long enough to hear Ed say this. He was....looking for me? I thought he wanted his watch....it seemed very important to him. But he was concerned....about me? I pressed my ear against the glass, shaking the tube some.

 

"Don't be a hero. She's out of your reach. Not only do I have the girl, but I have your precious watch too! They're both going to be destroyed!" Envy said in response. I hit the glass my fists, still crying. "I'm right here! Forget about me! Run! Run and never look back! I'll bring you back your watch! I'll bring it to you! Just run! Run!" I screamed. I knew they couldn't hear me, but it was worth the shot.

The curtain shifted a bit as I slumped down. Hmm....maybe....

I began to rock back and forth. If I could make the curtain slip off my tube, then I could warn them to run away. Would Ed listen? Chances are: no. But goodness, I sure hoped he would.

 

I moved back and forth, slamming myself against the sides of the glass. The curtain swayed angrily, until finally it slipped off my tube and fell onto the ground far below. "What's that?" I heard Al ask. Envy turned around, then looked up at me. "Foolish...." he said. Immedietly, I teared up and I began to scream. "Edward! Alphonse! I'm up here!" I hollered as I hit my fists against the glass. They both looked up. "Koda!" I heard Al say. "Are you okay?" Ed asked. "Forget about me! Get out of here! Envy wants to kill Ed! Get out of here! I'll bring your pocketwatch to you! Just get out of here!" I screamed. "Not without you!" Al cried back to me. My eyes were so blurry that I couldn't make out shapes anymore. The tears spilled over more and more. "Well, well, Elrics, you really have outdone yourselves this time. I'm going to make our game a little more interesting, allright?" Envy proposed. He pulled another string, and soon my glass started shaking. Suddenly, the bottom began to seep water. "I'm going to flood her tube. Defeat me in a sparring match--no alchemy, no transformations--and I'll let her live. But you'd better hurry!" Envy said, smiling a snakish smile. The water began to slowly cover my feet. I gasped. Then I turned to the boys. "Guys! Run! Please! I don't want you to get hurt! I'm begging you!" I said. Then, I wiped my eyes and started speaking again. "Listen to me! I know I'm not strong, and I know I'm not smart but...Edward Elric, just get out of here! Leave me behind!" I screetched. "Your stupid if you think I'm going to leave here without you!" Ed cried back. That's when I grit my teeth and screamed out what I thought I was too weak to say:

 

 

"It's not like you care about me anyways, so why stay? Get out of here!"

 

Everything was silent. Ed had the most hurt look in his eyes. The water began to pool near my ankles. "I know what you care about--your alchemy, Alphonse, and Winry. That's fine. You love them, and I totally get it. So go! Forget about me! Get your pocketwatch and go!" I said loud enough so he could here me, but not so loud that I was straining my voice. Ed looked at me, getting, angry, then he turned his gaze to Envy. With a sudden burst of energy, he threw Envy to the floor and began to beat on him. Al stood guard, watching to see if his brother was going to need any help. "Al! Find a way to get to Koda and set her fr--" Ed called before Envy tossed him across the room. "Ed!"I called, and soon the water spurt higher to my calves. My eyes widened. Al ran out of the room and through a door. Ed stood up and clapped his hands together. "Ahh ahh ahh! Use alchemy and I'll flood her whole tube right now!" Envy called. Ed looked at Envy, then at me, then seperated his hands and charged after Envy. Envy acted as if he had sparred with Ed a million times before as he twisted Ed's real arm and threw him across the room. Ed screamed in pain. "Ed! Ed, just run!" I called again. The water surged to the higher part of my legs. I got it...everytime Ed fell, the speed the water rose increased. Envy wasn't joking when he said he'd make this interesting.

 

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Ed seemed to be tiring as he charged after Envy again. This time, Envy stepped back and watched Ed try to slow down and turn around before he kicked Ed and made him collapse to the floor. The water angrilly splurrged to my waist. Time was running out. I slammed my fists against the glass again. "Ed! Get out!" I screamed. However, Ed must have tuned me out, because he wasn't reacting to my remarks anymore. I kept looking around and trying to find Al, but he was nowhere to be found. The water silently bubbled, rising little by little. Envy didn't look the least bit tired. "This is so easy! You really didn't learn from our encounter yesterday, did you? You can't beat me without your precious alchemy! Heck, even with it yesterday, you still lost! Give up, Fullmetal, you have no chance at beating me!" Envy called as he ran towards Ed. Ed jumped out of the way and ran and tackled Envy's back, pulling him into a chokehold. "You aren't going to hurt me....not any longer..." he screamed. Envy turned and looked at Ed before throwing him off. Ed fell to the floor, hurting his back and making the water rise to my belly. This time, Ed stood up and looked at Envy. "Aww, what's wrong? Is our damsel's little hero tired already? Face it, Fullmetal, you have no chance!" Envy taunted. Ed simply stared. Finally, after a long silence, Ed clapped his hands together. "You must really want her to die, don't you?! Allright then!" Envy screamed. Ed threw his hands onto the floor just as the water rose to the top of the tube and covered my head. "Blled....blly bllliwint....blu....blisten blu blee?" I tried to say over the water (I had said "Ed, why didn't you listen to me?"). The world began to get hazy as I saw a bright flash of blue light. I was drowing, and my lungs had no more air to give me. Fear and naseua swept over me.

 

This is it....this really is...

 

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bright flash of blue light on my side. The glass on my side was twisting into something....something that looked like a handle. "Hold onto the handle!" I heard a voice call to me. Using the little strength I had, I weakly grabbed onto the handle. Suddenly, the bottom of the tube fell, and out with it came the water.I coughed and coughed, and soon began to scream as I realized that I was hanging at least 15 feet in the air, holding onto a slippery glass handle. "Grab my hand!" I heard a voice say. I looked over. "Al! You found me!" I said in relief. I reached out to touch his hand. But just as I did, my hand slipped from the glass handle, and my whole body dropped.

 

You'll never know the fear that rushed through me as I fell.

Al called to me, but he was too far away to do anything. The world seemed to go slow, just as my chase with Envy. My heartbeat beat so loud that I almost didn't hear the melody of the pocketwatch playing.

 

My death song. How ironic.

 

Finally, my body hit something, and I waited for the pain to claim my life. Instead, I found myself...in no pain at all. In fact, I had landed on something soft. "Ahh..." I whispered as I looked around to see what I had landed on. It was a large...pillow? "Good job Brother!" I heard Al call from the balcony I had been at just a second earlier.

 

"Close one, huh?"

 

I looked over to see Ed staring at me, his eyes heavy with relief. I felt myself blushing. "Indeed....close one..." I said, happy to be alive. The moment was short, for Envy was still present and wanting to kill Ed. "Fine! You're going to cheat in our little match, then I will too!" Envy screamed.

 

My eyes widened as I saw Envy transform his hand into a large spike. I saw the way he was moving, and he was about to pierce Ed's heart.

 

No!

 

My muscles moved on their own as I pushed Ed out of the way of the oncoming spike.

 

Only then did I feel the pain.

Reviews

[State of Grace]

O.O KODAA!!!! NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Luna Northstar]

*Drops to her knees* NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!