Bearers Of Ill News
Havoc went up the stairs slowly, leaving a thin trail of smoke behind. In spite of all hopes, he wasn’t able to avoid the meeting that was arranged out of the blue. It wasn’t a small matter having to talk to Colonel Douglas, the very person that Havoc considered an enemy, after all. What made matters even more suspicious was that she forbade him from talking about this meeting to Colonel Mustang – or anyone else, for that matter.
Under different circumstances, Havoc would have complied with such orders. But now, he had no intentions of following the orders of someone whose actions meant only to harm the country they were supposed to be serving. And so, the first thing Havoc did after Douglas told him of this was to actually inform Mustang.
Truth be told, Havoc had expected Mustang to be taken aback by the news and even worry. Mustang showed no such signs, though. He just told Havoc that it would be foolish if he didn’t go that meeting. If anything, it would probably provide them with information about Colonel Douglas’ intentions – perhaps even a glimpse on the enemy’s plans.
Mustang’s train of thought stood to reason, like always. Even so, Havoc still felt like he was marching right into the lion’s den.
Havoc stopped in front of the oak door to Douglas’ office and looked at it as though it was ready to swallow him whole. However, Havoc knew that there was no turning back now. So he extinguished his cigarette, waved his hand a little to disperse the smoke, and then knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Havoc took a deep breath in an attempt to control the frenzied pounding within his heart. Once he deemed himself ready, he turned the door handle and walked in.
The first thing that Havoc noticed as he entered the room was that it was quite well-lit, contrary to the ominous business that Douglas most certainly had in store for him. Granted, he didn’t expect to see black candles, bloodied carcasses and skulls decorating the walls but still… the placed seemed too cheerful.
And then he saw Colonel Douglas herself. She was sitting behind her desk, working on some kind of document or other. Whatever it was, Havoc was almost certain that it wasn’t anything good for the country of Amestris.
Damn you…
But his face betrayed nothing as she directed her gaze at him acknowledging him.
“Ah, Lieutenant Havoc. Quite punctual, I see,” she commented without as much as a smile on her lips. “Please, have a seat.”
Havoc indulged her. “Thank you, Colonel. You said you wished to see me.”
Douglas raised an eyebrow in an intrigued manner. “Straight to business, I see. Don’t worry, Lieutenant, I won’t keep you for long. However, the matter I wished to talk to you about is rather serious.”
“What is the matter about?” Havoc asked.
She didn’t answer at once. She simply stood up and reached for a small porcelain tea-pot to pour some hot tea in one of the cups. Havoc didn’t know what to make of that action at first, but now he suspected that she was either trying to unnerve him or acting hesitant because the situation was – supposedly – delicate.
If there was one thing Havoc hated, it was hypocrisy. And he could barely keep himself from lashing out now.
“Lieutenant Havoc, how long have you been working under Colonel Mustang?”
Havoc didn’t know why Douglas should have to ask that question; nevertheless, he answered.
“Six years.”
Douglas nodded slightly before sipping some tea. “What kind of man would you consider him?”
Now Havoc knew that he had to be careful of his answer. One wrong word out of his lips could mean trouble for Mustang.
“A smart man and a brilliant alchemist. A valuable asset to the military, all in all, who always keeps in mind the best interest of this country.”
“I see,” Douglas said. “Do you work very closely with him, Lieutenant?”
“I’d say so,” Havoc replied.
“Close enough to notice any kind of unusual behaviour from his part?”
“I… believe so,” Havoc answered again. He regarded Douglas thoughtfully. “Is there a reason for me to notice such kind of behaviour?”
Douglas smiled. “There’s no need for such an alarm, Lieutenant Havoc. The reason I’m asking you is because the Führer needs to be certain about the people who work for him. As you may understand, this is not a time to have traitors among us.”
Tell me about it, Havoc thought with a mental snort.
“That is why I want you to keep an eye on Colonel Mustang. Observe him, if you must, then report anything worthwhile to Internal Affairs; where he goes, who he interacts with… everything. Is that understood?”
Havoc nodded.
“Good,” Douglas said, a small tug of her lips resembling a smile. “That will be all. Dismissed, Lieutenant.”
Havoc didn’t need to be told twice. He immediately stood up and, after saluting Douglas, he walked out.
Not a moment too soon. The air in there was becoming too stifling for him.
Ed, Winry and Al were sitting in the room in which Izumi, Mr. Curtis and Mason were placed in order to recover. And yet recovering was the last thing in the couple’s mind, or even in their assistant’s. For they wanted to hear everyting that shabby-looking old man by the name of Syndow wanted to tell them.
“Let me get this straight,” Ed said, still looking at the professor dubiously. “Are you telling me that you’ve been captive in Dante’s house all this time?”
Syndow nodded. “She somehow acquired a copy of your friend’s journal, but she couldn’t translate it. So she made sure I was brought to her in order to translate the papers for her.”
“But how did you escape?” Al asked.
“Something happened today and it was Lyra, Dante’s servant, that came to bring me some food. She seemed quite shaken up for some reason and, as she wasn’t as cautious or as good an alchemist like her master, she didn’t chain me. Even her transmutation that kept me locked was quite weak. I managed to break the seal, and then I jumped through the window outside. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, until I finally arrived here.” Syndow sighed, rubbing his weak leg as he did so. “It was a fortunate thing I found you. I was afraid that I would end up in her hands again.”
None in the room spoke for some time, taking in what the professor just told them.
In the end, it was Winry who broke the silence.
“How did she come to know about Beregond?” she asked. “And for how long could she have possibly known?”
“For a long while, that much is clear,” Al said, eyes dimming slightly in thought. “But what could she want from him?”
“Probably the same thing she wants from us. Or even from the old man,” Ed said.
Everyone in the room looked at the young alchemist, and they were all surprised to see him angry.
“Ed, what does your father have to do with this?” Mason asked.
“Everything, apparently,” Ed answered. “She sounded pretty interested in finding out of his whereabouts. And then she said that she knew about us, his children. The fact that she’s interested in Beregond too shows that she wants something that we all have in common. And that can only be one thing.”
“Your knowledge in Alchemy,” Winry said, catching on.
“Unfortunately,” Ed replied.
“Ed, this doesn’t make any sense,” Al said. “She’s a powerful alchemist too; powerful enough to teach our teacher. She must have more knowledge than any of us.”
“But it’s obviously not enough.”
It was Izumi who spoke this time, pushing herself to a sitting position with the help of her husband.
“Enough for what though?” Syndow asked, but it was clear from the look on his face that he wasn’t going to like the answer.
Izumi sighed and looked at Ed.
“Your train of thought makes sense,” she said softly. “However, you missed another important thing you all have in common.”
Ed blinked. “What is it?”
“Your wish to find the philosopher’s stone.”
At those words, there was stunned silence in the room.
“But, Teacher…” Al finally said, “She said she didn’t want us to find it.”
“No,” Ed said, eyes widening. “What she said was that we have to be driven by despair to try and find the philosopher’s stone. She wasn’t attempting to dissuade us from anything.”
“Even if she was, can you actually believe someone who kept a man imprisoned?” Izumi said, regarding Syndow thoughtfully.
Syndow could only agree to that.
“So it looks like we got ourselves a new enemy now,” Ed declared grimly. “As if we didn’t have enough of them breathing down our necks.”
“Is she a new one?”
Ed and Al stared at Izumi incredulously.
“What are you saying, Teacher?” Al asked.
“I’m saying that after the way things turned out, I have come to believe that there are no such things as coincidences,” Izumi replied. “Do you understand, Ed?”
Ed swallowed hard, but it was clear he understood; he nodded.
“Good,” Izumi said. “I will check matters for you here. You, Alphonse, Winry and the professor will have to leave as soon as possible.”
The brothers gasped at her words. “But, Teacher…”
“No, Alphonse,” the woman said. “I won’t have you near her if I can help it. You must go. Follow the Führer’s orders if you must, but you will leave.”
“It’s not that, Teacher,” Ed said. “We wanted to wait for Beregond, too. He’s supposed to meet us here.”
“No,” Izumi said. “If he comes here, I can send him to you. But you can’t stay here anymore.” She gritted her teeth menacingly. “I’ll make sure I get out of here by tomorrow morning and put you on the next train for Central myself if I must.”
Now both brothers knew that when their teacher put things that way, there was no room for arguing. So all they could do was nod their acknowledgement and stand up.
“Are you coming too, Winry?” Al asked, turning in the girl’s direction.
“No,” Winry answered. “I’ll stay here just in case I’m needed her.” She smiled a bit when she noticed Al’s body tensing. “I’ll be fine.”
That sounded like enough reassurance for Ed and Al. And so, in the end, they simply waved goodbye to everyone and walked out of the room.
Edward and Alphonse still walked down on the street in silence, hardly looking at each other.
In the end, it was Al who spoke first.
“Brother?”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ed faced the suit of armour. “Yeah, Al?”
“What did Teacher mean by: ‘There’re no such things as coincidences’?”
Ed sighed. He had hoped that he wouldn’t have to talk about it, but now it would seem he had no choice.
“She meant exactly that,” he said.
“Brother--”
“Just listen to me for a moment, Al,” Ed interrupted. “The homunculi are after us because they know we’re looking for a way to create a philosopher’s stone. And yet they also admitted that they were following someone else’s orders. Doesn’t it make sense that they take orders from someone powerful enough to control them and even keep them in check if necessary?”
“Someone powerful like Dante?” Al asked then.
“Exactly,” Ed said.
It was a good thing that Al was in a suit of armour, for he would have shuddered at that moment. “It looks like everyone wants to use us.”
Ed didn’t say anything. He just placed his hands in his pockets and kept walking.
And then Al spoke again.
“You know… There’s something bothering me in all this. Greed said that Envy and Lust were his enemies and he’d rather avoid them.” He looked at Ed. “Brother, if what you say about Dante is true, she had ever reason to send the other homunculi after Greed. But she never did.”
“She probably didn’t want to make their presence known while we were around. However, she managed to send someone after Greed.”
Al tensed. “Who?”
“The Führer. According to Major Armstrong, they were informed about Devil’s Nest thanks to an anonymous tip. That was a bit too convenient, if you ask me.”
“So she made sure everyone was disposed of, and she used the military for it,” Al concluded. The suit of armour shook his head ruefully. “Do you think she has someone working for her in the military ranks?”
Ed shrugged. “Maybe. That would explain why she had such easy access to Lab 5. And there’s something else.” He kicked an invisible stone. “The boy was supposed to be held captive in Devil’s Nest with you, Al. But he wasn’t rescued. In fact, no one’s seen him.”
Al’s eyes widened. “You think she somehow took him?”
“Right now, we can’t leave anything to chance,” Ed answered. “One thing’s for sure, though: she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get her hands on a homunculus who can perform alchemy.”
Al had to admit that his brother had a point.
“I guess that explains why Teacher wants us to leave Dublith.”
“Yeah,” Ed said, sighing.
“But… if Dante can’t use us, she’ll use someone else. Shouldn’t we try to stop her?” Al asked.
“We would if we knew who she wants to use next,” Ed said. “Right now, your guess is as good as mine.”
The brothers didn’t speak again, because it was then that they reached Izumi’s home.
However, they were taken aback to see that the lights were on. And, what was worse, they could easily discern a form moving about inside.
They didn’t lose any time. Setting themselves ready for a fight, they immediately rushed forward to catch the intruder by surprise.
They froze in their tracks when they saw Beregond standing in the main hall, looking at them as though they had gone mad.
But it wasn’t that that made Ed pale and stare at the Gondorian in horror.
It was the man’s hair.
Beregond shifted uncomfortably and ran his hand through the dark strands.
“Do I look so bad with my hair short?”
Later that night, Ed, Al and Beregond were sitting around a table in the kitchen. None of them spoke for the present, since Edward and the Gondorian wanted to finish with their meal first.
To say they were hungry, it would have been an understatement.
“I don’t remember ever needing it more,” Beregond said in the end, pushing the now empty plate away from him. He shifted on his chair, slightly wincing as he did so. “Then again, I don’t remember the last I’ve ridden so far in such a short time.”
“But why the horse?” Al asked, not really understanding. “I mean, I know you don’t like the train, but you can still travel on it.”
“But not all the way,” Beregond answered with a shake of his head. “Most itineraries have been cancelled because of the uprising in Liore. They’re using the trains to send soldiers there. So I went by train as far as I could and I rode the rest of the way.”
“That means you’ve found the Ishbalans,” Ed said.
Beregond nodded.
“Did they do that?”
The Gondorian’s hands touched the sticking plaster on his neck. “No, that was Lust. My presence among the Ishbalans was… an inconvenience to her,” Beregond explained. At the moment, his eyes, locked on Ed’s own bandaged form. “But, apparently, I wasn’t the only who came across trouble.”
“Trouble hardly cuts it,” Ed said dryly. And with that, he started telling everything that happened to him and Al after Izumi grabbed both her students from that hotel in Rush Valley – barely a few days ago and yet seeming so far back in time. Beregond listened patiently, taking in everything that the teen alchemist told him without as much as a word escaping his lips. His eyes widened when he heard about the young homunculus and his expression saddened when Edward and Alphonse told him about the massacre in the Devil’s Nest.
However, he was utterly shocked when Ed informed him about Syndow and Dante’s involvement in the matter.
“Ai, Valar,” the Gondorian breathed out.
“Beregond?” Al asked.
The man swallowed hard. “When Lust attacked me, she mentioned that their master was a woman. That by itself meant nothing, but now…” Beregond rubbed his forehead. “It seems their claws are closed more tightly around us than I thought.”
“Yeah,” Ed said. “At least we’re onto her now, so she can’t force us to do anything.”
“She doesn’t have to,” Beregond said quietly. “There’s already another candidate.”
The brothers tensed at those words, and they looked at Beregond apprehensively. “Who?”
“Scar. He’s on his way to Liore to create the philosopher’s stone.”
Ed and Al gasped.
“You mean… he knows how to make one?” Al faltered.
Beregond nodded. “It was all written in the Ishbalan’s ancient records. And the method isn’t all that different from what Dûrinas had used.”
“Which was?” Ed asked.
Beregond took out from his overcoat his journal and opened it on one of the most recently written pages before showing it to the boys.
Ed and Al couldn’t understand the letters, but they understood perfectly well the transmutation circle that Beregond had drawn.
“The circle doesn’t make a stone, per se,” Beregond explained. “When someone is slain on it, it manages to entrap the life-force within the victim, separating it from the blood as it flows out. A powerful enough alchemist can unleash that life-force and place it within his own body, making himself the container.”
“So, basically, this is a way to make yourself a philosopher’s stone,” Al said.
Beregond nodded.
“And Scar is heading to Liore to do exactly that,” Ed noted in dismay. “If Dante doesn’t know about it yet, she will soon enough. And she will head there too.”
“And what about the people in Liore?” Al said, twitching his hands nervously. “Scar is going to kill them if we don’t do something.”
“It’s not going to come down to that,” Ed declared, his jaw clenching tightly.
“Then we’re leaving?” Beregond said.
It wasn’t a question.
Ed nodded. “The Führer ordered us to go to Central to report for duty. Now we have one more reason to do so. We’ll be leaving as soon as possible.”
Beregond and Al’s looks was enough sign that they agreed whole-heartedly.
Though he was lying on a bed, Al was certainly not sleeping. And even if he wasn’t just a soul in a suit of armour, Al doubted that he would have been able to sleep anyway. It wasn’t possible after all the things that happened just a few hours ago.
The sound of rustling sheets made him turn around to look at Ed. The bright moonlight shone brilliantly on his brother’s form, and so Al could see that Edward was restless.
And that he was also wide awake.
“What’s wrong, Brother?” Al asked softly.
Ed didn’t answer at once. He turned his back to Al and sighed. “It’s nothing.”
But Al wasn’t convinced.
“It has to do with Beregond, doesn’t it?” the suit of armour asked. “You think we should have told him about Lieutenant Colonel Hughes?”
Ed shook his head. “If we told, then he’d tell Winry. And we’ve already agreed she shouldn’t know yet.”
“Then it’s something else,” Al concluded. “I saw that look in your eyes when you saw him. It appeared for a moment as if…” He paused momentarily, for Al was unsure about his next choice of words. “… as if you didn’t know who he was.”
“I didn’t recognise him with short hair, Al; that’s all,” Ed replied.
Al shook his head. It was typical of Ed to avoid answering the question.
“Brother, look at me.”
The firm tone worked. Ed turned around and looked at Al in mild surprise.
“Six years ago we made a decision to bring back our Mother. We failed. And because of our failure, we probably created something that only resembles our mother; whereas we gave up part of ourselves for nothing.
“That was why we made a new decision: to correct our mistakes in any way possible. You became a dog of the military and I followed you through thick and thin. And when we found out about the philosopher’s stone, I was the first to tell you we should look for it. And we haven’t stopped since, in spite of all the obstacles we encountered.”
“Al, what is your point?” Ed asked.
Alphonse regarded his brother with a bittersweet expression reflected in his eyes.
“I’m saying that you don’t have to protect me all the time. Your silence isn’t a shelter; it can hurt me, too. You should have known that by now.”
Ed actually flinched at those words. But Al didn’t mean to back down just yet.
“So… will you tell me what’s wrong?”
Once again, Ed hesitated. Still, Al could tell that his brother was contemplating matters, and that was an encouraging thought.
However, he never expected Ed to sit up and hug his knees, nor that he would stubbornly look ahead as he said in barely a whisper:
“He looked like someone else.”
Al cocked his head. “You mean Beregond?”
Ed nodded.
To say that Al felt puzzled by that answer would have been an understatement. “Who?”
“That’s just it, Al. I don’t know,” Edward answered with a sigh. “All I have is this stupid dream where I see someone who looks just like Beregond unconscious on the couch of our home, while Mom and the old man try to wake him up.”
If Al could have swallowed hard, he would have.
“Brother, Beregond’s not a homunculus. You know that, right?”
Ed surprised Al again by chuckling softly.
“Of course I do, Al. It’s just that… it makes me wonder something.”
“What?” Al asked.
Ed turned to Al and finally looked at him in the eyes.
“It makes me wonder if meeting Beregond was really pure coincidence or… something else.”
Al didn’t know what to answer to that, truth be told; he hadn’t thought of things that way before.
And so, there was only one thing to say.
“Maybe you’ll know for sure if you find out who that other person was.”
Ed pursed his lips and lied down again.
“Maybe.” He closed his eyes and curled to his side. “We’ll ask Aunt Pinako at first chance.”
“Yeah…”
And with that, the older brother drifted to the land of dreams, whereas the younger remained gazing out the window, alone with his thoughts. He barely moved from his spot until dawn, when he woke up Ed so that he could have some breakfast. After all, their journey back to Central would be a long one.
Ed woke up without much fuss. He got dressed and both brothers went to the kitchen. They didn’t expect Beregond to be already there and preparing some breakfast – even milk – for Edward; nevertheless, it was a welcome treat.
They had hardly sat down in order to discuss their plans for today, however, when an angry shout practically reverberated through the entire house.
“WHY IS THERE A HORSE CHEWING ON MY LAWN?!”
Both brothers and Beregond froze and looked at each other.
“I take it that that… is your teacher?” Beregond asked slowly.
“Yes,” Ed and Al answered in unison, looking quite mortified.
Beregond swallowed hard.
“Oh, dear…”
The day was quiet in Liore for a change. However, the locals were aware that that didn’t mean anything; the fighting could start again at any moment. All the military needed was one good reason for it.
Nevertheless, that didn’t stop a dark-skinned man with an x-shaped scar on his forehead to stay focused on a strange task. He was dragging a large rock without stop, making sure that a deep trail was left behind.
And yet no one seemed to pay attention to what Scar was doing. They were looking up at the sky, where a hot-air balloon was soaring in the air.
They didn’t know why it was up there, but they were somehow aware that it wasn’t up to any good.
TBC…
Under different circumstances, Havoc would have complied with such orders. But now, he had no intentions of following the orders of someone whose actions meant only to harm the country they were supposed to be serving. And so, the first thing Havoc did after Douglas told him of this was to actually inform Mustang.
Truth be told, Havoc had expected Mustang to be taken aback by the news and even worry. Mustang showed no such signs, though. He just told Havoc that it would be foolish if he didn’t go that meeting. If anything, it would probably provide them with information about Colonel Douglas’ intentions – perhaps even a glimpse on the enemy’s plans.
Mustang’s train of thought stood to reason, like always. Even so, Havoc still felt like he was marching right into the lion’s den.
Havoc stopped in front of the oak door to Douglas’ office and looked at it as though it was ready to swallow him whole. However, Havoc knew that there was no turning back now. So he extinguished his cigarette, waved his hand a little to disperse the smoke, and then knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Havoc took a deep breath in an attempt to control the frenzied pounding within his heart. Once he deemed himself ready, he turned the door handle and walked in.
The first thing that Havoc noticed as he entered the room was that it was quite well-lit, contrary to the ominous business that Douglas most certainly had in store for him. Granted, he didn’t expect to see black candles, bloodied carcasses and skulls decorating the walls but still… the placed seemed too cheerful.
And then he saw Colonel Douglas herself. She was sitting behind her desk, working on some kind of document or other. Whatever it was, Havoc was almost certain that it wasn’t anything good for the country of Amestris.
Damn you…
But his face betrayed nothing as she directed her gaze at him acknowledging him.
“Ah, Lieutenant Havoc. Quite punctual, I see,” she commented without as much as a smile on her lips. “Please, have a seat.”
Havoc indulged her. “Thank you, Colonel. You said you wished to see me.”
Douglas raised an eyebrow in an intrigued manner. “Straight to business, I see. Don’t worry, Lieutenant, I won’t keep you for long. However, the matter I wished to talk to you about is rather serious.”
“What is the matter about?” Havoc asked.
She didn’t answer at once. She simply stood up and reached for a small porcelain tea-pot to pour some hot tea in one of the cups. Havoc didn’t know what to make of that action at first, but now he suspected that she was either trying to unnerve him or acting hesitant because the situation was – supposedly – delicate.
If there was one thing Havoc hated, it was hypocrisy. And he could barely keep himself from lashing out now.
“Lieutenant Havoc, how long have you been working under Colonel Mustang?”
Havoc didn’t know why Douglas should have to ask that question; nevertheless, he answered.
“Six years.”
Douglas nodded slightly before sipping some tea. “What kind of man would you consider him?”
Now Havoc knew that he had to be careful of his answer. One wrong word out of his lips could mean trouble for Mustang.
“A smart man and a brilliant alchemist. A valuable asset to the military, all in all, who always keeps in mind the best interest of this country.”
“I see,” Douglas said. “Do you work very closely with him, Lieutenant?”
“I’d say so,” Havoc replied.
“Close enough to notice any kind of unusual behaviour from his part?”
“I… believe so,” Havoc answered again. He regarded Douglas thoughtfully. “Is there a reason for me to notice such kind of behaviour?”
Douglas smiled. “There’s no need for such an alarm, Lieutenant Havoc. The reason I’m asking you is because the Führer needs to be certain about the people who work for him. As you may understand, this is not a time to have traitors among us.”
Tell me about it, Havoc thought with a mental snort.
“That is why I want you to keep an eye on Colonel Mustang. Observe him, if you must, then report anything worthwhile to Internal Affairs; where he goes, who he interacts with… everything. Is that understood?”
Havoc nodded.
“Good,” Douglas said, a small tug of her lips resembling a smile. “That will be all. Dismissed, Lieutenant.”
Havoc didn’t need to be told twice. He immediately stood up and, after saluting Douglas, he walked out.
Not a moment too soon. The air in there was becoming too stifling for him.
Ed, Winry and Al were sitting in the room in which Izumi, Mr. Curtis and Mason were placed in order to recover. And yet recovering was the last thing in the couple’s mind, or even in their assistant’s. For they wanted to hear everyting that shabby-looking old man by the name of Syndow wanted to tell them.
“Let me get this straight,” Ed said, still looking at the professor dubiously. “Are you telling me that you’ve been captive in Dante’s house all this time?”
Syndow nodded. “She somehow acquired a copy of your friend’s journal, but she couldn’t translate it. So she made sure I was brought to her in order to translate the papers for her.”
“But how did you escape?” Al asked.
“Something happened today and it was Lyra, Dante’s servant, that came to bring me some food. She seemed quite shaken up for some reason and, as she wasn’t as cautious or as good an alchemist like her master, she didn’t chain me. Even her transmutation that kept me locked was quite weak. I managed to break the seal, and then I jumped through the window outside. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, until I finally arrived here.” Syndow sighed, rubbing his weak leg as he did so. “It was a fortunate thing I found you. I was afraid that I would end up in her hands again.”
None in the room spoke for some time, taking in what the professor just told them.
In the end, it was Winry who broke the silence.
“How did she come to know about Beregond?” she asked. “And for how long could she have possibly known?”
“For a long while, that much is clear,” Al said, eyes dimming slightly in thought. “But what could she want from him?”
“Probably the same thing she wants from us. Or even from the old man,” Ed said.
Everyone in the room looked at the young alchemist, and they were all surprised to see him angry.
“Ed, what does your father have to do with this?” Mason asked.
“Everything, apparently,” Ed answered. “She sounded pretty interested in finding out of his whereabouts. And then she said that she knew about us, his children. The fact that she’s interested in Beregond too shows that she wants something that we all have in common. And that can only be one thing.”
“Your knowledge in Alchemy,” Winry said, catching on.
“Unfortunately,” Ed replied.
“Ed, this doesn’t make any sense,” Al said. “She’s a powerful alchemist too; powerful enough to teach our teacher. She must have more knowledge than any of us.”
“But it’s obviously not enough.”
It was Izumi who spoke this time, pushing herself to a sitting position with the help of her husband.
“Enough for what though?” Syndow asked, but it was clear from the look on his face that he wasn’t going to like the answer.
Izumi sighed and looked at Ed.
“Your train of thought makes sense,” she said softly. “However, you missed another important thing you all have in common.”
Ed blinked. “What is it?”
“Your wish to find the philosopher’s stone.”
At those words, there was stunned silence in the room.
“But, Teacher…” Al finally said, “She said she didn’t want us to find it.”
“No,” Ed said, eyes widening. “What she said was that we have to be driven by despair to try and find the philosopher’s stone. She wasn’t attempting to dissuade us from anything.”
“Even if she was, can you actually believe someone who kept a man imprisoned?” Izumi said, regarding Syndow thoughtfully.
Syndow could only agree to that.
“So it looks like we got ourselves a new enemy now,” Ed declared grimly. “As if we didn’t have enough of them breathing down our necks.”
“Is she a new one?”
Ed and Al stared at Izumi incredulously.
“What are you saying, Teacher?” Al asked.
“I’m saying that after the way things turned out, I have come to believe that there are no such things as coincidences,” Izumi replied. “Do you understand, Ed?”
Ed swallowed hard, but it was clear he understood; he nodded.
“Good,” Izumi said. “I will check matters for you here. You, Alphonse, Winry and the professor will have to leave as soon as possible.”
The brothers gasped at her words. “But, Teacher…”
“No, Alphonse,” the woman said. “I won’t have you near her if I can help it. You must go. Follow the Führer’s orders if you must, but you will leave.”
“It’s not that, Teacher,” Ed said. “We wanted to wait for Beregond, too. He’s supposed to meet us here.”
“No,” Izumi said. “If he comes here, I can send him to you. But you can’t stay here anymore.” She gritted her teeth menacingly. “I’ll make sure I get out of here by tomorrow morning and put you on the next train for Central myself if I must.”
Now both brothers knew that when their teacher put things that way, there was no room for arguing. So all they could do was nod their acknowledgement and stand up.
“Are you coming too, Winry?” Al asked, turning in the girl’s direction.
“No,” Winry answered. “I’ll stay here just in case I’m needed her.” She smiled a bit when she noticed Al’s body tensing. “I’ll be fine.”
That sounded like enough reassurance for Ed and Al. And so, in the end, they simply waved goodbye to everyone and walked out of the room.
Edward and Alphonse still walked down on the street in silence, hardly looking at each other.
In the end, it was Al who spoke first.
“Brother?”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ed faced the suit of armour. “Yeah, Al?”
“What did Teacher mean by: ‘There’re no such things as coincidences’?”
Ed sighed. He had hoped that he wouldn’t have to talk about it, but now it would seem he had no choice.
“She meant exactly that,” he said.
“Brother--”
“Just listen to me for a moment, Al,” Ed interrupted. “The homunculi are after us because they know we’re looking for a way to create a philosopher’s stone. And yet they also admitted that they were following someone else’s orders. Doesn’t it make sense that they take orders from someone powerful enough to control them and even keep them in check if necessary?”
“Someone powerful like Dante?” Al asked then.
“Exactly,” Ed said.
It was a good thing that Al was in a suit of armour, for he would have shuddered at that moment. “It looks like everyone wants to use us.”
Ed didn’t say anything. He just placed his hands in his pockets and kept walking.
And then Al spoke again.
“You know… There’s something bothering me in all this. Greed said that Envy and Lust were his enemies and he’d rather avoid them.” He looked at Ed. “Brother, if what you say about Dante is true, she had ever reason to send the other homunculi after Greed. But she never did.”
“She probably didn’t want to make their presence known while we were around. However, she managed to send someone after Greed.”
Al tensed. “Who?”
“The Führer. According to Major Armstrong, they were informed about Devil’s Nest thanks to an anonymous tip. That was a bit too convenient, if you ask me.”
“So she made sure everyone was disposed of, and she used the military for it,” Al concluded. The suit of armour shook his head ruefully. “Do you think she has someone working for her in the military ranks?”
Ed shrugged. “Maybe. That would explain why she had such easy access to Lab 5. And there’s something else.” He kicked an invisible stone. “The boy was supposed to be held captive in Devil’s Nest with you, Al. But he wasn’t rescued. In fact, no one’s seen him.”
Al’s eyes widened. “You think she somehow took him?”
“Right now, we can’t leave anything to chance,” Ed answered. “One thing’s for sure, though: she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get her hands on a homunculus who can perform alchemy.”
Al had to admit that his brother had a point.
“I guess that explains why Teacher wants us to leave Dublith.”
“Yeah,” Ed said, sighing.
“But… if Dante can’t use us, she’ll use someone else. Shouldn’t we try to stop her?” Al asked.
“We would if we knew who she wants to use next,” Ed said. “Right now, your guess is as good as mine.”
The brothers didn’t speak again, because it was then that they reached Izumi’s home.
However, they were taken aback to see that the lights were on. And, what was worse, they could easily discern a form moving about inside.
They didn’t lose any time. Setting themselves ready for a fight, they immediately rushed forward to catch the intruder by surprise.
They froze in their tracks when they saw Beregond standing in the main hall, looking at them as though they had gone mad.
But it wasn’t that that made Ed pale and stare at the Gondorian in horror.
It was the man’s hair.
Beregond shifted uncomfortably and ran his hand through the dark strands.
“Do I look so bad with my hair short?”
Later that night, Ed, Al and Beregond were sitting around a table in the kitchen. None of them spoke for the present, since Edward and the Gondorian wanted to finish with their meal first.
To say they were hungry, it would have been an understatement.
“I don’t remember ever needing it more,” Beregond said in the end, pushing the now empty plate away from him. He shifted on his chair, slightly wincing as he did so. “Then again, I don’t remember the last I’ve ridden so far in such a short time.”
“But why the horse?” Al asked, not really understanding. “I mean, I know you don’t like the train, but you can still travel on it.”
“But not all the way,” Beregond answered with a shake of his head. “Most itineraries have been cancelled because of the uprising in Liore. They’re using the trains to send soldiers there. So I went by train as far as I could and I rode the rest of the way.”
“That means you’ve found the Ishbalans,” Ed said.
Beregond nodded.
“Did they do that?”
The Gondorian’s hands touched the sticking plaster on his neck. “No, that was Lust. My presence among the Ishbalans was… an inconvenience to her,” Beregond explained. At the moment, his eyes, locked on Ed’s own bandaged form. “But, apparently, I wasn’t the only who came across trouble.”
“Trouble hardly cuts it,” Ed said dryly. And with that, he started telling everything that happened to him and Al after Izumi grabbed both her students from that hotel in Rush Valley – barely a few days ago and yet seeming so far back in time. Beregond listened patiently, taking in everything that the teen alchemist told him without as much as a word escaping his lips. His eyes widened when he heard about the young homunculus and his expression saddened when Edward and Alphonse told him about the massacre in the Devil’s Nest.
However, he was utterly shocked when Ed informed him about Syndow and Dante’s involvement in the matter.
“Ai, Valar,” the Gondorian breathed out.
“Beregond?” Al asked.
The man swallowed hard. “When Lust attacked me, she mentioned that their master was a woman. That by itself meant nothing, but now…” Beregond rubbed his forehead. “It seems their claws are closed more tightly around us than I thought.”
“Yeah,” Ed said. “At least we’re onto her now, so she can’t force us to do anything.”
“She doesn’t have to,” Beregond said quietly. “There’s already another candidate.”
The brothers tensed at those words, and they looked at Beregond apprehensively. “Who?”
“Scar. He’s on his way to Liore to create the philosopher’s stone.”
Ed and Al gasped.
“You mean… he knows how to make one?” Al faltered.
Beregond nodded. “It was all written in the Ishbalan’s ancient records. And the method isn’t all that different from what Dûrinas had used.”
“Which was?” Ed asked.
Beregond took out from his overcoat his journal and opened it on one of the most recently written pages before showing it to the boys.
Ed and Al couldn’t understand the letters, but they understood perfectly well the transmutation circle that Beregond had drawn.
“The circle doesn’t make a stone, per se,” Beregond explained. “When someone is slain on it, it manages to entrap the life-force within the victim, separating it from the blood as it flows out. A powerful enough alchemist can unleash that life-force and place it within his own body, making himself the container.”
“So, basically, this is a way to make yourself a philosopher’s stone,” Al said.
Beregond nodded.
“And Scar is heading to Liore to do exactly that,” Ed noted in dismay. “If Dante doesn’t know about it yet, she will soon enough. And she will head there too.”
“And what about the people in Liore?” Al said, twitching his hands nervously. “Scar is going to kill them if we don’t do something.”
“It’s not going to come down to that,” Ed declared, his jaw clenching tightly.
“Then we’re leaving?” Beregond said.
It wasn’t a question.
Ed nodded. “The Führer ordered us to go to Central to report for duty. Now we have one more reason to do so. We’ll be leaving as soon as possible.”
Beregond and Al’s looks was enough sign that they agreed whole-heartedly.
Though he was lying on a bed, Al was certainly not sleeping. And even if he wasn’t just a soul in a suit of armour, Al doubted that he would have been able to sleep anyway. It wasn’t possible after all the things that happened just a few hours ago.
The sound of rustling sheets made him turn around to look at Ed. The bright moonlight shone brilliantly on his brother’s form, and so Al could see that Edward was restless.
And that he was also wide awake.
“What’s wrong, Brother?” Al asked softly.
Ed didn’t answer at once. He turned his back to Al and sighed. “It’s nothing.”
But Al wasn’t convinced.
“It has to do with Beregond, doesn’t it?” the suit of armour asked. “You think we should have told him about Lieutenant Colonel Hughes?”
Ed shook his head. “If we told, then he’d tell Winry. And we’ve already agreed she shouldn’t know yet.”
“Then it’s something else,” Al concluded. “I saw that look in your eyes when you saw him. It appeared for a moment as if…” He paused momentarily, for Al was unsure about his next choice of words. “… as if you didn’t know who he was.”
“I didn’t recognise him with short hair, Al; that’s all,” Ed replied.
Al shook his head. It was typical of Ed to avoid answering the question.
“Brother, look at me.”
The firm tone worked. Ed turned around and looked at Al in mild surprise.
“Six years ago we made a decision to bring back our Mother. We failed. And because of our failure, we probably created something that only resembles our mother; whereas we gave up part of ourselves for nothing.
“That was why we made a new decision: to correct our mistakes in any way possible. You became a dog of the military and I followed you through thick and thin. And when we found out about the philosopher’s stone, I was the first to tell you we should look for it. And we haven’t stopped since, in spite of all the obstacles we encountered.”
“Al, what is your point?” Ed asked.
Alphonse regarded his brother with a bittersweet expression reflected in his eyes.
“I’m saying that you don’t have to protect me all the time. Your silence isn’t a shelter; it can hurt me, too. You should have known that by now.”
Ed actually flinched at those words. But Al didn’t mean to back down just yet.
“So… will you tell me what’s wrong?”
Once again, Ed hesitated. Still, Al could tell that his brother was contemplating matters, and that was an encouraging thought.
However, he never expected Ed to sit up and hug his knees, nor that he would stubbornly look ahead as he said in barely a whisper:
“He looked like someone else.”
Al cocked his head. “You mean Beregond?”
Ed nodded.
To say that Al felt puzzled by that answer would have been an understatement. “Who?”
“That’s just it, Al. I don’t know,” Edward answered with a sigh. “All I have is this stupid dream where I see someone who looks just like Beregond unconscious on the couch of our home, while Mom and the old man try to wake him up.”
If Al could have swallowed hard, he would have.
“Brother, Beregond’s not a homunculus. You know that, right?”
Ed surprised Al again by chuckling softly.
“Of course I do, Al. It’s just that… it makes me wonder something.”
“What?” Al asked.
Ed turned to Al and finally looked at him in the eyes.
“It makes me wonder if meeting Beregond was really pure coincidence or… something else.”
Al didn’t know what to answer to that, truth be told; he hadn’t thought of things that way before.
And so, there was only one thing to say.
“Maybe you’ll know for sure if you find out who that other person was.”
Ed pursed his lips and lied down again.
“Maybe.” He closed his eyes and curled to his side. “We’ll ask Aunt Pinako at first chance.”
“Yeah…”
And with that, the older brother drifted to the land of dreams, whereas the younger remained gazing out the window, alone with his thoughts. He barely moved from his spot until dawn, when he woke up Ed so that he could have some breakfast. After all, their journey back to Central would be a long one.
Ed woke up without much fuss. He got dressed and both brothers went to the kitchen. They didn’t expect Beregond to be already there and preparing some breakfast – even milk – for Edward; nevertheless, it was a welcome treat.
They had hardly sat down in order to discuss their plans for today, however, when an angry shout practically reverberated through the entire house.
“WHY IS THERE A HORSE CHEWING ON MY LAWN?!”
Both brothers and Beregond froze and looked at each other.
“I take it that that… is your teacher?” Beregond asked slowly.
“Yes,” Ed and Al answered in unison, looking quite mortified.
Beregond swallowed hard.
“Oh, dear…”
The day was quiet in Liore for a change. However, the locals were aware that that didn’t mean anything; the fighting could start again at any moment. All the military needed was one good reason for it.
Nevertheless, that didn’t stop a dark-skinned man with an x-shaped scar on his forehead to stay focused on a strange task. He was dragging a large rock without stop, making sure that a deep trail was left behind.
And yet no one seemed to pay attention to what Scar was doing. They were looking up at the sky, where a hot-air balloon was soaring in the air.
They didn’t know why it was up there, but they were somehow aware that it wasn’t up to any good.
TBC…
Subtitles
- Brother's Debt
- Fullmetal Body, Fullmetal Heart
- A Quiet Day
- In The Night
- Two Men's Faces
- Transfer
- Making Plans
- Shadows Of The Past
- Underworld
- The Price Of Immortality
- Departure
- The Key
- Enemy Revealed
- A Step Back
- A Step Closer To The Truth
- A Race
- Rush Valley
- Responsibility
- Izumi
- Time To Stand Still
- Wild Child
- Encounter
- Riddles In The Dark
- In Search For Answers
- A Teacher's Mistakes
- Complications
- Visits
- The Nature Of A Homunculus
- Dante Of The Deep Forest
- Kidnapped
- Fight At The Devil's Nest
- Innocence Lost
- Blood Spilt
- Recovering
- Bearers Of Ill News
- The Flame Alchemist
- True Colours
- Markings On The Ground
- The Mission
- Heading To Liore
- Change Of Plans
- The Scar
- Holy Mother
- A Mother's Face
- Final Moments