"Transcending All Odds"
Ch. 1
Bryan found himself staring at the Gate… the door to another world. How did he end up here you ask? How did what seemed like a normal day in the everyday life of 18 year old Bryan Greenstone turn in something out of this world? Maybe we should rewind to that morning… when things first started.
§§§
Bryan yawned, sitting up in bed and stretching. Today was going to be a good one… he felt it. He got up and made his way down the hall way to the bathroom. He ran in to his elder sister, Danielle or as people used to call her Demonica.
"Good morning sister," he grinned. "After my shower, how about I make some pancakes for both of us."
Danielle sighed, shaking her head. "No Bryan, I'm not hungry. I just wanted to tell you I will be going away for a while… you can take care of yourself for a bit, right?"
Bryan hesitated, looking at his sister. He remembered a time when he had to look up at his sister, but now Bryan had grown taller than her and she seemed frailer than she used to be. "Is… something wrong, sister?" he asked worriedly.
"No brother dear," she said smiling warmly, "I just want some time to myself. I'll be back before you know it."
"Well… okay if you say so. I'll be counting the days till you get back, Danielle," Bryan said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Don't worry too much about me, Bryan. You've become such a worry-wart lately." Danielle chuckled.
"You're my sister, Danielle… I will always worry about you," Bryan said solemnly.
"Well don't… Good bye brother dear. I will see you again soon" Danielle hugged him and left.
§§§
Bryan was eating his pancakes when there came a knock at the door. "Coming," he said getting up and heading for the door.
When he answered the door he frowned when he saw it was Dominick. "What is it Dominick… they let you out the zoo early?" he sneered.
"Come now Bryan, we're both adults; must you stoop so low as insults?"
"What do you want? I don't have time for your crap!"
"My have you grown up… I was wondering… where is your sister?" Dominick tried to look inside the house, but Bryan kept blocking his view.
"You missed her by 30 minutes… she went on a trip and she won't be back for a while. Now that, that's out of the way you can leave!"
"Aw, but Bryan I just got here," Dominick said slipping in to the door. Dominick arched an eyebrow. "That isn't like Demonica to take random trips."
"Her name is Danielle… get it right. She doesn't belong to you anymore. So I suggest you leave now."
Dominick turned around and grinned at Bryan. "You haven't forgiven me have you?" he asked.
"You mean molesting me on a daily basis and hurting my friends?" Bryan asked. "Let me think about it; um… no."
Dominick floated over to Bryan and began to rub his shoulders. "Come now, Bryan. Let bygones be bygones, hm? I forgave you for marring my beautiful face, why can't you forgive me?"
"Because…" Bryan said shaking. "What you did was unforgivable!" he shouted, knocking Dominick away.
"Humph! Fine… be that way. But don't think I have given up on you." Dominick laughed just before disappearing.
Bryan looked at the place Dominick was once standing. That bastard just wouldn't leave him alone. Bryan would never have a day's peace while Dominick was still around. But how do you kill someone that is immortal?
§§§
Bryan was doing the laundry when he heard the door bell ring. He sprinted to the door and answered smiling. "Azura, what a surprise, what are you doing so far from Tokyo? How's Gerald doing?" He asked
"It's great to see you too. I just felt like visiting my favorite little fire starter. And Gerald's bringing the stuff in," Azura said, pointing behind her where they could see Gerald carrying two large suitcases.
"Gerald, you need help with those?" Bryan asked.
Gerald just shook his head and he set the bags down. "I'm sorry for the short notice… but Azura insisted," he said.
Bryan chuckled. "That's okay; Danielle's on a trip so we have extra room for you. Come on in."
"Demonica on a trip…? That doesn't sound like her," Azura said, as she and Gerald walked in to the house. "I hope she hasn't gone and done something stupid."
Bryan sighed. "I'm a little worried about her. She's the only family I have left… I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her."
"Don't worry Bryan, I am sure she will be fine," Gerald said reassuringly.
"Thanks Gerald, I hope you're right."
"Hey Bryan, you mind making some tea for your honored guests? It's Japanese tradition to make your guests tea." Azura smiled.
"Sure Azura, it would be my honor." Bryan giggled and he went in to the kitchen to make their tea.
§§§
Danielle walked up to two headstones and fell to her knees, bowing her head. "Mother… father… I have failed you." Tears began to slip silently down her cheeks. "I can no longer live this life of lies." She began to shake uncontrollably.
"So I am here," she took out a sword, "to make up for it by ritual suicide…" Danielle readied the sword; the blade pointed to her stomach. "Please forgive me… I have wronged you… I have wronged myself… and more importantly I have wronged my brother."
She tightened her grip on the sword and with all her might, she thrust it in to her stomach, spilling blood on the tombstones and the freshly fallen snow. As Danielle fell to the ground, she saw an image of her brother with her last breath she whispered, "Good bye… brother dear…"
§§§
"I wonder where my sister went anyway…" Bryan wondered out loud as he made tea for Gerald and Azura. Suddenly he stopped short, dropping the tray with the cups and fell to his knees coughing up blood. "No… it can't be…"
.:Flashback:.
"My dear brother… we are linked both body and soul," Danielle said, cupping Bryan's face with her hands. He was 15 years old. "If anything were to happen to any one of us… the other would feel their pain," she said harshly. "Don't you forget brother dear; don't you forget."
"Never sister… I will never forget…"
.:End flashback:.
Bryan quickly ran out the door, ignoring Azura's cries of protest. He was going to the one place he knew he would find his sister. The only place she would go; his parent's graves.
"Damn it Danielle, if anything was to happen to you, I don't know what I would do!" he cried as he ran down the road to the local cemetery where their parents were buried.
Danielle and Bryan had lost their parents at a very early age in a car accident… or at least that's what Danielle told him. He can't remember what happened that day.
When Bryan reached the tomb stones he stopped short. "No… Danielle…" He knelt beside her body and propped her up. "Please wake up… don't leave me!" He cried.
She was a deathly blue and she wasn't breathing. "Why did you have to do it Danielle? Why!" he cried, tears steaming down his face. "Danielle… you were all I had… why… didn't… didn't you love me?" Bryan buried his face in her chest sobbing uncontrollably.
Tilting his head back he looked in to the sky. "Are you happy now! You finally have her you bastard!" He shook his head dropping against his chest in defeat.
Azura and Gerald came up from behind him. "B-Bryan…?" Azura asked hesitantly. She reached for him but Gerald stopped her.
"Leave him be, Azura… you can't help him now."
"Why… why… WHHHHYYYY!"
§A week later§
Bryan walked in to the house. He had just gotten back from Danielle's funeral. Azura and Gerald followed him in.
"It was a beautiful service…" Gerald said, sitting down. "Danielle couldn't have looked more beautiful."
"Yeah… it was… she was…" Bryan replied. "Excuse me… I'm going to go take care of Danielle's things…" Bryan made his way down the hall to his sister's room.
Bryan was rummaging around when Azura came in. "You need help kiddo?"
He shook his head. "That's okay, Azura… you and Gerald can go home… don't stay on my account."
"Bryan… you're like family to me. I won't leave you now…" Azura said, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders and squeezing him gently.
"Thanks, Azura… I think the same way about you too." Bryan went back to sorting through Danielle's things.
Then he came upon a closet. He opened the door and gasped. Instead of a closet, it led to an entirely new room.
All on the walls and floor there were symbols… circles of some type. "What… is this?"
"There alchemy circles…" Azura replied, walking in to the room. "I know… Jeckle studied alchemy for a while; but when I asked him to teach me… he refused. It must have been something bad."
Bryan looked around the room when his gaze fell upon a desk piled up with papers and journals. He picked up one of the journals and opened it to a page.
June 17, 1993: I have begun my Alchemy study. My master has been teaching me well. Today I fixed a vase. At the rate I'm going, I will hope to finally bring him back, just you wait and see.
Bryan shook his head confused and flipped to another page.
August 20, 1993: What have I done! I tried to bring him back… but… he's not even human. He's just… a pile of flesh and… I can't even say! My master started feeding him some red stones. He says it will turn him human. I only pray he is right.
"What… who is this "He"? And what master is she talking about?"
"I don't know… keep reading… maybe it'll tell us more." Azura said.
September 3, 1993: He's back to normal! Master Dominick has done it! I finally have my brother back!
No… he keeps attacking me! Why? Master Dominick is angry… he keeps calling brother dear a homunculus… what is a homunculus? Is it something bad?
What! He doesn't have soul? No… this can't be… no… all my work for nothing? He keeps attacking me! Why Bryan? Why do you attack me? Kill you? No I would never!
Master Dominick has decided to erase his memory… so he will act like a normal boy. I am ending my alchemy practices. It is no good.
Bryan put the journal down; he was shaking uncontrollably. "No… this can't… this can't be…"
"A… a homunculus… what…?" Azura turned to look at Bryan to find him shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. "Br-Bryan…?" She asked hesitantly, reaching over to him.
"NO! IT CAN'T BE THIS WAY!" Bryan screamed, clutching his head. "No… no… I… I remember now… I died that day… along with my parents… I… I'm supposed to be dead. I want to die… how could she… how could she bring me back in the world like this! And how could HE!"
Bryan ran out of the room, Azura at his heels. "Bryan, wait! Gerald, stop him!" she cried.
Gerald jumped up and stood in front of him but Bryan just blasted him with a fire ball and he ran out the door.
Azura knelt beside Gerald. "Gerald, we have to stop Bryan… he's going to… he's going to do something he's going to regret!"
§§§
Bryan marched up to Dominick's castle and began to pound on the door. "Open up, you fucker!" he growled. Suddenly the door opened and he walked inside.
There was a huge transmutation circle in the middle of the floor. Bryan looked up to see Dominick floating above him.
"I've been expecting you, Bryan. I knew this day would come and," he chuckled evilly, "I'm ready for it."
"You, bastard…!" Bryan cried, "You made me in to a monster! A soulless monster…!"
"Is that the thanks I get for bringing you back to life… for giving you a second chance?" Dominick snapped.
"This isn't what I wanted! You took me away from my peace… my parents didn't die in a car crash… I KILLED THEM!" Bryan shouted. "And then… then… I killed myself when I realized what I had done… And when you brought me back all I could feel was the crushing guilt and pain! I wanted to die! I never wanted a second chance!"
"You forget, I'm
not the one who did the act. It was your sister…"
"Yeah!
Well who gave her the power to do something like that! You and your
fucking, sick pleasures! You like playing with human lives; you like
to see them suffer and you just like rubbing salt in their wounds to
make the scream louder! Well I won't take it any more! No more
hiding behind my sister's skirts! This time, it won't just be
your eye I take; I'm taking your life!" He shouted and he ran
towards Dominick, both hands on fire.
"I was expecting you would do that." Dominick said, floating to the ground. "You didn't read any of Demonica's notes, did you? She was studying the Gate. A fascinating place really… It's… WHERE YOU CAME FROM…!" He shouted, slamming his hands on to the ground once Bryan had stepped in to the transmutation circle.
Bryan gasped as he was engulfed in a blinding light. The last thing he saw was Dominick laughing maniacally.
§§§
And thus we find our dear Bryan. Looking up at the Gate he suddenly felt at peace. He felt that something was going to change for him.
"Am I dead… finally?" He asked, tears brimming his eyes. Suddenly the Gate opened and inside he could see thousands of eyes. He felt suddenly drawn to them; like a connection.
"It's… WHERE YOU CAME FROM…!"
That's what Dominick had said, right? Were these other homunculi not yet born? All of a sudden, black tentacles shot forward and began to wrap around Bryan's body.
He closed his eyes and quietly accepted them. "Yes… if this is to be my fate then I accept it fully…"
The black tentacles pulled him in to the Gate and it closed behind him.
§§§
Azura and Gerald burst through the front doors of Dominick's castle, Azura charging up a spell and Gerald holding his gun. "Okay Dominick, where his he…!" Azura screamed.
Dominick turned to look at them calmly. "I'm afraid you are far too late my little sister. I have sent him back to where he belongs… the other side of the Gate…"
Azura lunged at him and grabbed him by the color of his dominatrix outfit and began to shake him violently. "BRING HIM BACK YOU, BASTARD!" She shouted in rage.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Once you go through the Gate… you can never come back!"
Tears spilled down Azura's cheeks. "I don't care what you say; bring him back NOW!" She cried.
"Azura… it's no use… even if Bryan could be brought back, do you really think Dominick would do it?" Gerald asked.
Azura cried out in desperation and she threw Dominick away. "I failed him… how could I just let this happen to him! Bryan was like a son to me… I took care of him when Demonica couldn't… I loved him like he was my own! I promised I would protect him forever… and I failed him!"
"I never knew you loved him that much, Azura…" Gerald whispered. "I understand how you feel. Not being able to protect the ones you love. I've experienced that feeling twice. First with my mother… then my baby sister… Azura my love, I will help you get Bryan back, no matter what it takes."
Gerald walked over to Dominick, picking him up by the collar. "Take us to him… now!"
"You want to go through the Gate… are you insane!" Dominick cried.
"Yes… I am… I'm insane with rage and you're lucky I haven't ripped your face off…" Gerald said calmly. "Now take us to Bryan... or I will teach you the true meaning of agony!"
"Gerald…" Azura breathed, looking at him. Now she remembered why she had fallen in love with him.
"Fine, fine, fine…! But don't expect me to help you get back! You'll have to figure that out on your own."
"I don't care if we don't come back! As long as I'm with Bryan again…" Azura said solemnly.
"Yes… and I have nothing to come back to… so Azura and I have nothing to lose. Now, do as you're told."
"Very well, let me go."
Gerald let Dominick go and he ran out of the transmutation circle. "Now you may experience some light headedness but that is to be expected. Hold on to your pants, it's going to be a bumpy ride…" Dominick said, just before activating the transmutation circle.
§§§
Bryan moaned; find himself lying face down in the dirt. Where was he? He looked around to find himself lying in the middle of some sort of field. Was this… heaven? He heard a cow moo in the distance. Nope. Suddenly Bryan felt light headed and he passed out.
"What's this? A young man…?" A woman asked, kneeling beside the unconscious Bryan. She turned him over and gasped to find the Homunculus tattoo on his stomach. "I should bring you inside… even if you are a homunculus… you were once human and I can't just leave you out here…" she picked Bryan up and carried him away.
Only a few minutes later, Gerald and Azura arrived. Gerald, like Bryan, wound up face first in the dirt, while Azura arrived, floating in the air.
"Where is he? He should have been here…" Azura said, looking around.
"Maybe he was transported somewhere else…" Gerald said, getting up and brushing himself off.
"Damn that stupid Dominick! He will have to deal with me when I get back! Come on Gerald, let's find some shelter," Azura said and the two made there way toward civilization, not knowing they were walking away from where Bryan was.
