//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: The Beginning of the End 
// Story: My Little Alchemist: Friendship is NOT Science 
// by AppleJack96 
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Father collapsed to the ground,his breathing heavy and ragged, "You... I need your power" he said, pointing to Hoenheim, he then dragged himself from the floor and charged towards him, arm outstretched and plunged his hand into Hoenheim's chest. Hoenheim grunted in pain and looked Father dead in the eyes

"Damn you" muttered Hoenheim "You're even more stubborn than I remember. The only thing you failed to take into account is that I have a connection to all of my souls... those that you have absorbed already are working against you"

"Why don't you just give up!" shouted Ed, "You're through, there is nothing left you can do"

"You are wrong Edward," said Father, "directly above us is an army. With it I can produce a new stone without a second thought"

"No!" cried Izumi and Twilight in unison

"You b*****d!" yelled Ed, he clapped and bought his hands down on the stone floor a spike extended quickly from the floor, however it dissipated before it collided

Twilight raised herself from her position on the floor only to collapse and black out, Ed turned to see her hit the floor just in time "Twilight!" He called, the situation suddenly forgotten, he ran to her and placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shook

"Love, such a human feeling," said Father a small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips

"You might see it as weakness Homunculus," said Hoenheim "But it is the one of many things that makes us humans so brilliant"

"Hmph... I don't see how it matters anymore, I have absorbed the power of God and you still believe you stand a chance," said Father, grimacing as Hoenheim's souls worked against his every movement. He spat at the ground a crimson liquid pooling and forming into a stone. "I'll have to go on without these pathetic souls, they are of no use to me."

"You monster!" shouted Al, he held Mustang down so as to stop him from trying to fight too, however Mustang raised a gloved hand and snapped, only sparks rose into the air

"Did I get him?" asked Mustang, preparing to click again

"No Colonel," answered Al "Your gloves are too damaged."

"Dammit, so I'm blind and useless," He groaned holding his hands to his eyes

Father let out a deep laugh "You humans really are pathetic aren't you, now if you are quite finished, I have some business to attend to," He raised his hand and the ceiling collapsed, as well as the ceilings of the floors above opening out to the surface and father began to rise on a stone pillar forming from the ground below him

"Look after her till I get back," requested Ed of Izumi, "I'm finishing this now one way or another," he clenched his automail fist and raised it to the sky "All we ever wanted was our mother back, We performed the illegal transmutation, we had a hand to play in this," he clapped "and now it's our turn to end it" he bought his hands down to the ground and began to rise skyward on a pillar of stone, he arrived in the courtyard just in time to see a platoon of Briggs soldiers collapse and Father regain an upright posture, as their souls bonded to his stone.

"YOU B*****D!" shouted Ed, his usual arm spike forming as he ran. He swung his arm at Father's face, only for it collide with an invisible shield and bounce off. Ed leapt into a backflip, planting his hands on the ground as he want. A cannon formed from the point of contact and Ed landed feet first on top of it just as it fired, the large stone projectile simply glance off the shield, Ed gritted his teeth and used his alchemy to prepare another shot, his newer innate skill taking charge, as he forgot all about clapping and just kept up a heavy assault

"EDWARD ELRIC!" Ed turned to see the source of the call, only to see a stone bolt fly past his face, shaving a few millimeters from his golden bangs as it went

"Major Armstrong?" Ed asked, the dust around him preventing him from seeing anything

"The very same" said a flexing silhouette, just before another bolt flew past

"Concentrate all fire on the man with the golden hair!" came a loud order from a female voice, Ed recognised as belonging to general Armstrong, Major Armstong's older sister "Avoid hitting Fullmetal at risk of dismissal"

"Yes sir!" came a unified shout, the sound of gunfire filled the courtyard and Ed flung himself to the ground, scraping his metal hand against the floor and raising a spear into the air, throwing it directly at Father

"ENOUGH!" yelled Father, an explosion ripped throughout the area around himself, flinging Ed backwards. ED felt himself collide with something hard and he lost consciousness





Meanwhile in the basement of central command Twilight suddenly woke up a bright light filled her irises as she began to levitate above the ground, her hair grew longer and pony ears appeared atop her head. Large purple feathery wing sprouted from her back as she floated ever higher

"Twilight?" said Izumi, suprised by her sudden transformation

"I have to go and save Ed" Said Twilight, her wings began to flap and she rose faster.

"Alphonse, grab Mustang," ordered Izumi, she clapped and placed her hands on the ground and rose out after Twilight she stopped a floor above where she handed Mustang into the care of Hawkeye then continued rising, getting to the surface she saw ed pinned against a wall his metal arm broken and his flesh arm impaled on a spike, Twilight flew above hurling bolts of purple energy at Father, her rage evident

"Brother!" cried Al, Ed looked up, a trickle of blood ran down his face from just above his right eye, his ponytail was matted from a large split in his head, defeat was evident in his eyes.

"A...Al" stammered Ed, his breathing was ragged "Please... help... her... Al..." His breathing becoming weaker by the second. Just then Twilight screamed out in pain as one of Father's attacks finally hit it's target, she collapsed to the ground a crimson stain appearing on her dress. "NOOOOO!" Ed screamed

Al stepped forward towards Father, all gunfire in the area ceased as Al strode towards him "First you try to kill every living thing in Amestris, then you beat my brother to the point of near death and top it all off you injured Twilight! I have had enough of you!" Al yelled, his anger evident despite his metal body. "It's time for you to face up to what you've done!" Al clapped and lowered his hands to the ground a line of spikes rose from the ground in front of him impaling father

"Alphonse, the attacks are starting to get through!" General Armstrong called to him "He must be weakening"

"You fool, this is only the beginning," laughed Father