In and out, in and out, Edward repeated this movement, this pulse of CPR as he strived to bring his new comrade back from the brink. It was a funny irony how not long ago Edward would have given anything to see the homunculi dead and now here he was saving his life. It was as if Fate was mocking him. He did not appreciate this sense of humor nor did her enjoy it, and the more effort he put into this meager medical procedure, the more he thought about stopping it altogether. He would gladly let this androgynous monster die and burn for his crimes against the people of Amestris.

Edward cursed as he pulled up from another air kiss and pumped Envy's chest harder, his muscles straining. "Come on! Can't you give it up already?" he raged, certain that by now Envy was simply pretending just to anger him. The notion grew on him as Edward's temper was pushed to its breaking point and he balled his automail hand into a fist. "Darn it, Envy!" With all the strength he could muster, the small alchemist slammed his fist into the homunculus's gut, right at his diaphragm. The force of the blow caused a great contraction within the muscle and it suddenly lurched upward, fiercely pressing on the bottom of the lungs. The energy of that thrust caused a mighty stir within the two air sacs and all of the water had been retained in them suddenly shot up and into the trachea and finally out through his mouth in one big burst. Envy threw his head back at the same time his eyes widened to compensate for the pressure and also the pain that rocked his stomach. Edward looked on in satisfaction, rising to his feet at the same time he wiped his lips free of the homunculus's taste. "Finally, you're awake."

Envy cringed on the frigid platform, holding his wounded middle as he forced more water to spill from his lungs. It fell in vast torrents from between his teeth until there was a decent sized puddle beneath him. And yet even when he was finally able to breathe again, it didn't offer salvation. The air along with the icy taste of the water made it feel like knives were stabbing at his lungs. He shot Edward a furious glare from over his shoulder. "What is your problem?" he seethed. "You could have killed me!"

"You have no idea," Edward said with a sniff as he rinsed out his clothes. He blew in his hands and moved his toes to regain some feeling, despite how painful each flick of a finger was. "Just be thankful I decided to save it."

Envy snorted and sat down, moving into a series of stretches to work out the kinks in his muscles set in by the freezing water. "Yeah, yeah, just don't expect a parade or anything." A sudden smirk crossed him as he remembered a very odd feeling on his lips and his crimson eyes narrowed even as his voice became taunting. "And I should also be thankful for those kisses you gave me," he purred, baring his jagged teeth. "Whatever lady you have in your life, she sure is lucky to have such a good kisser as you~"

Edward's eyes shrunk and a hot blush ripped through his body, banishing whatever cold was within his bones. "That was not a kiss!" he screamed, pointing an accusing finger at his former adversary. "It was CPR, haven't you heard of it? There is no way I would ever kiss you!"

Seeing the blonde alchemist all flustered certainly amused Envy and was very much welcomed after his near-death experience. He decided to push his luck further and began to tease even more. "Oh really?" he said, pulling his legs into a butterfly-shape. "Then I'm sure you sticking your tongue down my throat had nothing to do with it~"

"THAT NEVER HAPPENED!" Edward roared, quickly becoming infuriated. His face broke out into a mad blush and his right eyebrow twitched in annoyance while a large vein began to pulse on his temple. "Stop making things up when they aren't true."

Envy doubled over laughing at his companion's reaction, clutching his sides as they began to ache from the humor. Calming his breathing, he wiped a tar of mirth from his eye and stood to his full height. "And why would I do that when it's so amusing to watch you in a huff?" A serpentine grin cracked his pale face. "So, did I taste good?"

"SUHT UP!" In a flourish, Edward transmuted the top part of his automail arm into a rounded, diamond-shaped blade and aimed it right at Envy's chest, hoping to at least scare him into holding his tongue. "Nothing like that happened, got it? You're just trying to mess with me." He gave a warning by digging the point of the blade into the homunculus's chest, pressing it into the tough bone of his sternum. "I saved your life, now you have to return the favor. I don't care if equivalent exchange really exists, it exists in my mind and that's all I need." He narrowed his eyes and the golden color shimmered like molten gold. "Now, are you going to help me or do I have to kill you and fight this Father guy myself?"

Envy stared down at his adversary with mild intrigue. His joke had seemingly pushed Edward over the edge and into a sea of fury. He knew he was true to his word and it was certain that Father would kill him again if he saw him crawling out of the pit alone. There was no other option. With a resigning sigh, he pushed the blade away from his chest nonchalantly and stared into the human's eyes, conveying his sincerity. "Alright, we work together, but this is the last time. Once Father is defeated, we part ways and don't send any of your Military buddies after me." He raised his right hand and mimicked Edward's blade, catching the blonde's reflection against its glossy surface. "Just leave me alone after this."

Edward nodded and clapped his hands together. "I'll bring us up fast and hard, don't waste a second of that. We'll hit him fast and hard and hopefully neither of us will die." He bent down and touched his palms to the platform, feeling the reaction hum beneath its surface. "But if we do then that's fine too." Like a rocket powered by fire, the platform shot forward at breakneck speed. Envy had planted his feet firmly against it and kept his eyes on the approaching mouth of the pit. This is where it ends, Father. The platform suddenly stopped as soon as it touched the edges of the pit and Edward and Envy bounced up high into the air. From their vantage point, Edward could clearly see Scar, Mustang, and Hawkeye were strewn about the chamber like discarded toys. Blood was pooled beneath their bodies and pain took control of their bodies as they struggled to get up. On Father there wasn't even a scratch or bruise. He stood in front of his throne, arms crossed over his chest, untouched.

Edward growled deep in his throat and clenched his hands into tight fists. He might not have gotten along with the odd trio, but he still had many experiences with him, good or bad. They were what he could have considered to be his friends and like a friend, he wouldn't turn his back on them in their hour of need. "You bastard!" Edward howled as he came down from his rise. Flipping his body so that he fell headfirst, his eyes never left his target as he came down like a speeding red and gold torpedo. In a blaze of dust and debris he came down on Father's head, successfully landing a blow on the Hoenheim imposter's skull. He felt the bones give way under the pressure and jumped away upon feeling the squish of brain against his automail. The alchemist landed on all fours and glared hard at the body of Father, waiting for something to happen. He didn't have to wait long. Out of the settling dust came hundreds upon hundreds of jagged stone spikes created from the crumbling rock and debris scattered around the chamber. Edward gasped, disbelieving, and held up his blade in preparation to defend.

"Chibi-san!" Just before the spikes could land a solid blow upon the young man, a large green mass shielded him from their bite. Envy howled as the spikes dug into his hide, but bore with the pain as he turned his eyes upon Edward. "Keep hammering him," he instructed beneath the slew of screams. "That's the only way you'll be able to beat him!" Another more furious chorus of cries erupted from his enlarged, feline-like maw and dark blood sprayed from his lips. "NOW!"

With a nod, Edward swiftly ran around the green monster, keeping off to the side and in the shadows. A sneak attack would be the prime tactic to use and he planned on utilizing it to the fullest. Using his powerful legs to propel him forward, Edward snuck up behind Father and charged with lightning speed for his back. His anger over what the homunculus had done to his home powered his next blow and a rallying cry acted as the enforcer. However, he wasn't fast enough as a stone fist shot up from the ground and slammed into his ribs, sending him flying. The human skidded and skipped along the scratched ground like a rock on water until he finally crashed into the wall where he lay, motionless.

Envy watched this happen and he stood frozen as his gaze rested upon his fallen comrade. At another point in time, he would have enjoyed seeing Edward fall at the hands of Father, homunculi were superior to humans after all. Yet after getting to know the small man, even in their brief meetings, he had come to realize that Edward was everything Envy wished he could be. The blonde was courageous, loyal, and just in his actions. Every enemy he fought was on someone else's behalf – even their quest for the philosopher's stone was all to get his brother's body back. Envy was the exact opposite, as he needlessly shed blood all to see the people involved squirm around like ants. All of his efforts had been on Father's behalf or his own, and even then very rarely was his own will carried out. He was envious of Edward and he despised how true that was. And yet it was he that wanted to be more like the Fullmetal Alchemist than anyone else. He grimaced as he reverted to his human-like form and pulled the spikes from his side, not bothering to watch his body heal itself. Perhaps instead of complaining about it, I should do something to make it better.

Father flicked his eyes from Edward to Envy, a disappointed frown on his otherwise placid face. His cold eyes settled on the androgynous homunculus and he shook his head. "Why would you do this to your own Father?" he questioned. "You were not made to cavort with weaklings like humans."

Envy licked his lips and swallowed, tasting the remnants of copper. "It's my choice," he stated. "I envy humans, I want to be like them. And what better way to do that then to pal around with them?" Extending his pale, muscular arm, a large grotesque claw grew out of it and he turned his wrathful gaze upon Father. "I'm not only going to kill you for the humans, but for myself as well. You were a good accessory, but I'm tired of you." Without further hesitation, he pounced at breakneck speed, rushing faster than a speeding bullet. His target never flinched from his spot and that made a shiver go up Envy's spine. A flurry of spikes erupted from the ground and Envy gasped, but he brought his arm up in time to block any from landing a solid blow. With parried strike, a little piece of his arm would chip away, but not once did he betray his pain. He had come to know far worse agony over the years. The spikes were successful in pushing him further and further away from Father and he soon had enough. Thinking fast, he changed his form once more into a leopard and dodged the onslaught of spikes. Making a tight curve around the chamber, he switched directions and dashed straight for him, coming up in the last moment in his anthropomorphic form with blade-like arm outstretched. "Die!"

It would be the last word he ever said to his father. In the split seconds before Envy could land a final strike, Father reached out a large, muscular hand and grasped his skull. A tremendous chemical reaction too place within the homunculus's body and a powerful shockwave jarred his entire nervous system. He cried out in shock and agony and went silent as Father slammed him into the ground at his feet. A small crater was embedded where he lay, dazed and helpless. Father did nothing else but stare.

"Pitiful creature, deplorable son," he said with a shake of his head. "To think I thought you would be the strongest of all your siblings, but you are no better than the first Greed." Extending his hand, he grasped Envy's neck and hoisted him out of the meager pit, raising him at eye level. The homunculus was limp like a dead fish, though a groan would escape him every time Father squeezed harder on his collar. "You have betrayed me and dared to attack me. You brought your death upon yourself." In a swift movement, Father's free hand crushed through Envy's chest, shattering muscle and bone alike to grasp the red stone at his core. Envy threw his head back in a chorus of screams and the noise drowned out Edward's approaching feet as she slapped his hands together and touched them to Father's back. A flurry of crimson-laced lightning erupted from Father's shoulders, bathing the chamber in a bloody light. Father ripped his hand from Envy's chest, tossing his body away, to whirl on Edward. But he was already too late. His body began to deteriorate from the reaction and his skin began evaporating before his eyes.

Edward watched as this began to take place, but stopped when he noticed something very wrong about the decaying homunculus. Beneath the shriveling folds of his clothes, a small skeletal shape began to take form. He watched this shape with keen eyes even as his body crumbled to dust and was swept up in a loose draft. Edward cautiously approached the crumple of robes and knelt down, tossing them away to reveal the withered corpse of a dog, its face frozen in forever in shock. The blonde cursed as he stared down at it. "What the hell? What is this?"

"A decoy it seems," Mustang said as he staggered up behind him. He gripped his upper arm and one of his eyes was closed in pain. Blood stained his clothes, but in all aspects he was still alive and kicking. He stared at the dog with a tight frown. "A substitution transmutation. The real Father must have used this one to buy him time to escape." He narrowed his eyes. "Or maybe he wasn't here at all."

"So this was just a goof?' Edward howled, becoming enraged. He growled and slammed his automail fist into the ground, straining the mechanisms within its hardware. "What the hell! We came all this way just to find out he was a fake!" Another string of curses slipped from his mouth until the glint of something red caught his tongue. Standing, he walked forward and removed a piece robe to find a gleaming philosopher's stone lying on the ground. He reached out and grasped it in his hand, staring down at it with distaste. This one little red stone had caused so much grief and heartache to many people that Edward would be justified if he decided to destroy it. He didn't get the opportunity to decide as his grip tightened ever so slightly and the stone cracked, crumbling to dust in his palm as it fell away.

A small groan echoed throughout the chamber and Edward looked up to see a pitiful creature curled up on his side not to far away. A large gaping wound protruded from his back that reached all the way to his chest. Edward could even see the outline of his hand as the creature tried to staunch the incredible cascade of blood.

"Envy!" he cried, rushing over to his comrade's side. He dropped to his knees at his side and peered down at his pain-contorted face. He growled and narrowed his eyes, wondering what to do. "How can I help?"

Envy nearly stifled a sarcastic giggle, despite how painful it was on his chest. "Help?" he wheezed, out of breath. "There is . . . no way you can . . . help . . ." His breathing was quickly becoming labored, a certain sign that his time was running out.

Edward stared down at him. "Leave you to die?" he questioned, voice a tad strained. On any given day he would have let the homunculus fade away, but now that he had had a chance to fight along side him, it was a little harder to let go. "There's nothing I can do?"

"No . . ." he heaved, curling in on himself. It had become freezing cold and body heat was becoming scarce. "I'm through . . . You must . . . find Father . . . and stop him . . ." He panted hard, trying to catch his fading breath.

"Save your energy," Edward instructed, though it was futile.

"Forgive me . . ." Envy said. "Forgive . . . me for . . . everything . . . I've done . . ."

"You're apologizing?" the blonde asked, disbelieving. Of all people in the world, he would never have pinned Envy to be the one asking for forgiveness and mercy.

He nodded. "I may as well . . . do something . . . good . . . for once . . ." He hissed and clutched his sides, feeling something slip within his body. He cracked open his eyes and sighed as the tips of his toes began to lose their shape and dissolve to dust. "I'm through . . . Chibi-san . . ." With jerky movements, he tilted his head back to stare up into Edward's face as the rest of him followed his toes' example. "I'm going to see what Hell is like . . ." In a very short period of time his lower body had become nothing but gray ash and his upper portion wasn't far behind. His muscular arms and chest faded to nothing until he was no more than a disappearing head. At long last, Envy closed his eyes and succumbed to Death, vanishing into the air. "Good luck, Edward Eric."

Whoot! You've finally made it to the end of the fic! Sorry for the late update, but now its finally over. Now to work on the other 8 fics that need completing, yay!