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ArWen the Eternally Surprised
Author: Ria Time: 2007/11/22
Arwen encounters a strange monk and gains a little extra time.
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Shamballa - Part 3- The Philosopher's Stone
Submitter: Date: 2009/9/14 Views: 427
Visits
Sarah turned around the corner and checked her surroundings. It seemed to be the correct neighbourhood, even though she was far from her usual haunts. Deciding to verify things anyway, she opened her bag and took out a small agenda where she had written down an address.

The street is correct… and the number should be…

Yes, there it was; she could see it even from this distance. Placing the agenda back in her bag, she walked up to the last house down the road and knocked on the door.

“Scieszka! Are you in?”

There was a loud crash in response, something that made Sarah raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Scieszka?” She knocked again, and there was a second loud crash.

Now that’s odd, Sarah noted. She was about to knock again, but Scieszka’s voice stopped her.

“Coming! Coming!”

Seconds later, the door opened and, to Sarah’s surprise, Scieszka looked dishevelled, her glasses barely hanging from one ear. But, a brief glance behind the girl showed Sarah what had happened. Both knocks made several piles of book come tumbling down… onto anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby at the moment.

“My apologies,” Sarah said with a wince.

Scieszka straightened her glasses with a small smile. “It’s okay. I just didn’t expect to see you here!”

“Yes, I should have called,” Sarah said. “But, since I happened to be in the neighbourhood, I decided to drop in. Am I interrupting something?”

“No, you’re not bothering me, really!” Scieszka assured Sarah at once. “Please, come in. I hope you don’t mind the books in the way.”

Sarah chuckled lightly. “I’m used to it.” She stepped inside, careful not to step on any of the books that were on the floor, although that was easier said than done. Eventually, she managed to follow Scieszka to the kitchen, and the girl started preparing some coffee for the two of them.

“How’s Gracia?” Scieszka asked while still occupied with her task.

“As well as she can be, under the circumstances,” Sarah said truthfully. “You can come over and visit her some time. I’m sure she’d like that.”

“I definitely will. I want to see Elysia, too.”

Sarah regarded Scieszka thoughtfully. “And you? Did you find a new job yet?”

Scieszka shook her head. “Not everyone wants a bookworm to work for them,” she said with a sigh. “But I won’t give up trying.”

“Good.” Sarah nodded her thanks when Scieszka gave her a cup, but she didn’t speak again for a while. “It’s hard, isn’t it? To try to stand on your feet again after such a violent change to everything you know?”

“Yes,” Scieszka said in a soft tone. “But don’t worry. I can make ends meet.”

“I’m not talking financially.”

“Oh.”

“So,” Sarah said, placing the coffee on the counter. She crossed her arms and looked at Scieszka with a very serious expression on her features, “How have you been coping?”

“I’m fine… really,” Scieszka answered. “Well, in a way.” She sighed and sipped some of her coffee. “He was a good man. It shouldn’t have happened to him.”

“There was nothing you could do, though,” Sarah said.

Scieszka straightened her glasses and sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” It was then that her grip on the mug tightened. “That doesn’t mean I can’t do something now.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh?”

Scieszka nodded and leant closer to Sarah. “Can you keep a secret?”

You mean if I can keep one more, Sarah thought wryly. “What is it?”

Scieszka beckoned Sarah to sit on a chair nearby and then took a seat herself. She looked around her as though expecting someone to listen to their conversation and, after deciding that it was safe to answer, spoke up again.

“Have you noticed that everyone keeps saying that Mr. Hughes was killed in action, but no one seems willing to divulge into details considering his death?”

“Yes,” Sarah said. “That is to be expected if the circumstances of death are unknown.”

“Or secret,” Scieszka said.

“Indeed?” Sarah locked her gaze on the girl. She suspected what Scieszka was about to tell her, yet she decided to listen to what she had to say. “Go on.”

“Look,” Scieszka said, trying to explain things the best way she could. “Mr. Hughes was conducting a research of his own a few days before he was killed; a research concerning Ishbal. That is hardly a coincidence.”

“No, it isn’t,” Sarah replied quietly. Yes, the girl was telling her exactly what she had expected.

“That means I need to continue that investigation and so find out what Mr. Hughes came across. Maybe that will point out to his murderer.”

“Who might become yours too, unless you’re careful,” Sarah said, keeping her voice calm. “All is not what it seems, Scieszka.”

Scieszka tensed, looking at Sarah with eyes wide open. “W-What are you talking about?” In the next moment, she sat back, still staring at the woman incredulously. “You didn’t just… drop in… did you?”

“No. Let’s just say that there’s someone else out there who wants to make sure justice is served,” Sarah said cryptically.

And with that, she started explaining.




That night had been long for the Elric Brothers. After they had made sure that the boy was sleeping and he wouldn’t listen to their conversation, they told each other what they had found out. Al told Ed of his conversation with the boy and his thoughts after that, while Ed told of his encounter with the Führer. The armour’s reaction to Maes Hughes’s death had been almost identical to the teen alchemist’s. He bowed his head in regret, fingers knitted together.

“It’s our fault,” he whispered.

“I know,” Ed said, his tone just as soft.

There was silence for many long moments. The first light of day crept slowly into the bedroom the brothers shared, brightening everything within it, but neither Ed nor Al paid attention to that.

What they paid attention to was the sound of a door opening downstairs, followed closely by light footsteps that went up the stairs and came closer to the room.

The boys reacted at once. Ed covered himself in his blanket, while Al rested his back against the wall with his eyes dimmed. They barely managed to bring themselves to a relaxed enough state, pretending they were asleep, when the door opened.

There was a pause as the newcomer obviously checked on Ed and Al.

“I can’t believe those guys.” The brothers immediately recognised Winry’s voice, and they could tell she wasn’t exactly pleased. “All this rush to leave the hospital just to sleep.”

She nevertheless came close to them. The boys clearly heard her sigh before she pulled up Ed’s blanket to cover him slightly better. She then locked her gaze on Al with a sad look in her eyes, murmuring something that sounded awfully like: “I guess Mrs Izumi’s condition must be hard for you.” With a slight pat on Al’s cheek, she walked out as quietly as possible and closed the door behind her.

Still, the boys waited for five more minutes before they deemed it was safe to continue with their conversation without being interrupted.

“Winry really wanted to see him again at first chance,” Al said, once again sitting opposite from his brother. “How are we going to explain things to her?”

Edward shook his head. “I’m not sure, but we’ll have to sooner or later. The Führer was specific about it: we have to join Mustang and the others back in Central.”

“Which means that she’ll find out the moment we step in Central anyway,” Al completed with a sigh. “That will only make things worse.”

“Yeah.” Ed placed his chin on his flesh palm and looked outside the window. The sun had arisen, signifying the beginning of a new day. “At least, we have some time yet. We have to wait for Beregond.”

“I guess,” Al said. He looked at his brother curiously. “Do you think he found the Ishbalans?”

“I’m sure he did,” Ed replied, a small smile forming on his lips. “I just hope things are easier on him than on us.”




Falman was waiting patiently in what used to be Hughes’ office when Sarah walked in. He greeted her courteously and beckoned her inside, making sure that their meeting was the most natural thing in the world to anyone who happened to pass by at that point.

“Am I late?” Sarah asked.

“Not at all,” Falman said with a small smile. “I have gathered the rest of Brigadier General Hughes’ stuff for you.”

“Good. Gracia doesn’t need to deal with those right now.” She pulled up her sleeves and picked up one of the two large boxes, whereas Falman picked the other one.

“I’ll walk you home. These things are heavy,” he offered.

“You’re only too kind, Warrant Officer,” Sarah said with a smile.

Soon enough, they both walked out. Nevertheless, neither of them uttered a word as they walked along the hallways, thus giving the impression that Sarah’s visit was purely coincidental and had nothing to do with the conversation that followed as soon as Falman and Sarah got out of Headquarters – and out of hearing range.

“How did it go?” Falman asked.

“Smoothly,” Sarah said. “She opened up quite quickly, and I’ve told her how things really stand – for the most part anyway.”

“You mean… you didn’t mention the colonel’s involvement?”

The woman shook her head. “From what I gathered, she has some kind of resentment for his person at the present. If I mentioned his name, she would probably reach the wrong conclusions.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Falman said with a wince. “What about Hughes?”

“No. She’s a really good person and... I’m afraid she would try to tell Gracia. Heaven knows there are times I want to do that myself.”

“Nevertheless, she’s still willing to help?” Falman asked.

“That’s what she said,” Sarah replied with a slight shrug of her shoulder. “She’ll gather any evidence that points out the military’s involvement in the search for the philosopher’s stone, the Ishbal incident included.”

“That’s good news,” Falman said. “I’ll talk to the Colonel and let him know of things.”

“When you do, tell him also that I’ve made arrangements concerning Maes’s accommodations at my house,” Sarah said.

“I will.”

They didn’t say anything else, because they had arrived at Gracia’s house. All that was left in them was to exchange courteous goodbyes before parting their ways. And when Gracia asked Sarah why she didn’t invite the warrant officer inside, Sarah only answered that Falman was still on duty.




When Ed and Al went downstairs, there was no sight of Winry anywhere. One small peek in her room clearly showed that the girl was asleep, apparently too tired after spending all those hours at the hospital. When the brothers found out that Wrath was asleep also, they decided it was time to go back to the hospital. After all, they wanted to see how Izumi was doing.

However, there was another, more sinister reason that they wanted to go there.

If they couldn’t get the answers they wanted from the boy himself, they would have to get them from her. No matter how cruel or insensitive that would be – or even suicidal, considering their teacher’s temper.

It was with that thought that, a quarter of an hour later, Ed and Al entered the hospital. Mason and Mr. Curtis were still there, of course, but Mr. Curtis told his assistant that he had better go open the shop; he would meet him there soon afterwards.

“How is Teacher, Mr. Curtis?” Al asked, once Mason was gone.

“Getting stronger,” the burly man answered. “She’s awake if you want to talk to her. However… ” and with that he raised a finger in warning, “be careful what you talk to her about.”

Ed and Al flinched at those words. It was as if Mr. Curtis knew what the boys had in mind; that was more than just a little unnerving.

“We will,” Ed answered weakly, more in an attempt to appease the man than anything else. And with that, Ed grabbed Al by his metal gauntlet and dragged him inside before Mr. Curtis piercing look bore down on him with a vengeance.

When Ed saw Izumi’s own piercing look boring down on him, he almost wished he was outside.

“So… my foolish apprentices are finally here,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “It took you long enough.”

“We’re sorry!” Ed and Al replied at once, standing in attention.

“If I were a little stronger, I would have shown you how sorry you should be,” Izumi snapped.

She didn’t speak again for some time, nor did she look at them; she simply kept her gaze locked on her hands in an almost contemptuous manner. However, the brothers noticed that another, strange expression settled in her features; one that they couldn’t exactly label, because they had never seen it before.

It was almost as if… she was tired.

“Sig told me that you know,” her voice rang in the room, unusually soft.

It didn’t take a great mind to guess what the woman was talking about. The brothers nodded slowly.

“Both the teacher and the apprentices,” she said with a snort. “Pitiful.”

“Teacher…” Al started. But the look she gave him made him stop.

“There are still things to be settled,” she said. “And because of those things, I’m cutting you off.”

Ed and Al gasped in shock, unable to believe that their teacher just said that.

She went on.

“I didn’t teach you alchemy to have you end up in such bodies. I taught you so that perhaps you would avoid my mistake.”

There was another pause before she voiced the next dreadful words.

“You’re no longer my apprentices.”

Al took a step forward. “B-but Teacher…!”

At the next moment, Ed raised his arm in a gesture for Alphonse to stop.

“Al… don’t.”

Al turned around and stared at his brother incredulously. But Ed didn’t return the look. His head was bowed, his blond bangs hiding his eyes from the rest of the world.

“Brother…”

“Go home!” Izumi said, her tone impatient.

Ed lifted his head and, to Al’s surprise, his eyes were alight with determination.

“You know, Teacher…” Ed said, “When my student became stronger than me, I released him; I thought there was no point in him to stay with me if I couldn’t offer him anything else. He didn’t leave. I didn’t understand why back then, but now that I’m in the same position with him, I’ve come to realise one thing.”

“And that is?” Izumi said darkly.

“That though our bond of teacher-apprentice was no more, there was nothing to hold him back and talk to me as an equal.”

It was then that Al understood. And when his brother knelt with respect, he followed his example.

“Teacher,” Ed continued on, “It’s time I did the same. It’s true that you brought us here by force. But I tell you now that neither Al nor I are leaving before we get some answers; answers that we need if we’re to carry on our journey.”

“AND I SAID GO HOME!”

The mug that Izumi threw in wrath barely missed Ed’s head.

“We will not go home,” Ed said, no longer afraid.

“THEN I’LL BEAT YOU ALL THE WAY BACK HOME!”

“Beat us up!” Al answered. “We aren’t going back!”

Izumi said nothing this time, though her angry glare was still locked on them. The brothers couldn’t really tell what she saw in their eyes but, whatever it was, it finally made her relent. She closed her eyes and shook her head, muttering one word only.

“Idiots.”

Though the boys smiled, seeing that they finally had their way, their mirth didn’t last long. It was time for Ed to finally ask what had been in their minds since the previous night.

“Teacher… what were you trying to confirm on the Island?”

She didn’t answer.

“Does it have to do with… what happened to you?” Al asked hesitantly.

“Do you really want to know?”

Though Izumi’s voice was soft, the edge was still there. It was clear that this was difficult for her. Nevertheless, the boys nodded.

“Very well,” Izumi said with a sigh. She rested her back on the headboard, tilting her head slightly backwards as memories swiftly caught up with her. “I used the baby itself for the human transmutation. I added some ingredients on it, placed it on the transmutation circle… and then I activated the circle. When I came to my senses, my body was soaking wet from the rain that was falling and weak, but that wasn’t the worst part. I vomited blood the moment I pushed myself back on my knees, and I knew then the price I paid for returning the child back to the living.

“But I didn’t care. Especially when I saw the bundle with which I had covered the child moving.

“But then the cloth slipped from its place, and I saw that what I created was… not human.” If she noticed Ed and Al bowing their heads as they understood what their Teacher meant, she didn’t show it. She simply carried on.

“In my state, I did the only thing I could do. I reactivated the circle. This time, I found myself before the gate.” She finally locked her gaze on Ed. “Do you remember what you saw in there?”

“Yeah,” Ed said thoughtfully. “I saw all that’s alchemy. It felt as though the flow of the world all came inside me. The universal truth was there.”

“Universal truth? It looked more like hell to me,” Izumi said bitterly. “And that is where I put… it. It cried in terror as it was carried away inside the gate, making my heart break, but… I couldn’t take it back. The Gate closed almost at once when it got its offering.”

And that was where Izumi finished her tale. But the boys didn’t speak at once. They pondered on what the woman told them for a while, they exchanged a glance of agreement; and then Ed finally broke the silence.

“So the thing you were trying to confirm was whether the boy we found is, in fact, your son.”

“That boy’s age and my son’s would have matched, if my son had lived. And when you told me that you remembered seeing him at the gate, I knew I had to make sure,” Izumi explained.

“Does this mean that it’s really your son?” Al asked then. “Did you succeed?”

“I succeeded in creating something, if that’s what you’re saying,” Izumi said in an enigmatic tone. She looked at the boys ruefully. “I have never told you how homunculi are created.”

That was such an abrupt statement that Ed and Al could only look back at Izumi in confusion for a minute or two.

“Well, they’re certainly artificial humans,” Ed answered in the end. “So I figured they were created in a place like a laboratory or something; much like a chimera.”

“And that is where you have it wrong,” Izumi answered. Her hands clenched into fists and she finally revealed the truth.

“Homunculi are the products of failed human transmutation.”

TBC…
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