Author's Note:
Hello all, and welcome to my newest story Sin and Virtue. Now, I know that I SHOULD be working on my other FMA story... but I got this idea stuck in my head and it just wouldn't leave ^^'
I'd like to make a couple notes on this story. First, this is an AU story that only follows some of the basic plot of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Second, there will be OC's and they will be main characters. So, if you dislike OC's and Alternate Universes, this is not a story for you. And lastly, the OC's that appear will probably seem a little Mary Sue-ish too you at first, but the reason why will all be explained later.
Okay, enough of my blabbering! Take a seat, get the drinks and grab the popcorn! Ladies and gents, boys and girls, it's time for the show!
Sin and Virtue
Prologue
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"The Battle of Sin and Virtue?" The old woman asked, pausing in mid-sweep.
"Yes. We've heard small bits and pieces of the story, but never the whole thing." Said the first one.
"We'd really like to hear it, if you have the time." The second one requested.
The woman chuckled, placing one hand on her hip. "So you thought you'd come ask an old timer for the whole story? Very well, very well. You boys get comfortable, it's quiet a long story." She cleared her throat loudly. The first one tapped his foot impatiently.
"The Battle of Sin and Virtue. It was the sole event that shaped our world into what it is today. Over 500 years ago, the evil deity known as Keito, God of Darkness came; painting the land red with blood and the night black with despair. Though many tried, no mortal man could combat the dark powers of Keito and his seven Demons:
Pride the Arrogant
Lust the Lascivious
Greed the Avaricious
Envy the Jealous
Sloth the Indolent
Gluttony the Voracious
and Wrath the Furious
Our people were virtually helpless against the dark god's might. But, just when it seemed all hope was lost, that all of humanity would fall under the black veil of Keito... he came. Leto, the God of the Sun and of Light; bringing with him the warmth of sunlight and renewed hopes of the people. He combated the evils of Keito, tended to the wounded and brought safety to mankind, as did his seven Angels:
Humility the Modest
Chastity the Pure
Charity the Benevolent
Kindness the Compassionate
Dexterity the Persistent
Temperance the Abstinent
and Patience the Merciful.
But even with the Great Leto and his Angels protecting the people, Keito still ran rampant through the lands; he and his Demons razing villages and settlements to the ground. Leto realized that the only way to save the people was to stop Keito, to seal away the darkness that came from his very essence.
Thus began a great war between Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Darkness and Light... Sin and Virtue. It was a battle that lasted seven days and seven nights.
On the first day, Patience sealed away Wrath.
On the second day, Temperance sealed away Gluttony .
On the third day, Dexterity sealed away Sloth.
On the fourth day, Kindness died sealing away Envy inside a Maze.
On the fifth day, Charity sealed away Greed
On the sixth day, Chastity sealed away Lust.
On the seventh day, Humility sealed away Pride.
Then, finally, after so many years of reigning over us in pain and terror, the God of Darkness was sealed inside a Flask by the Almighty Leto on the seventh night, during the lunar eclipse. A massive celebration was thrown by the people of Amestris. A celebration of freedom and joy. Of new beginnings and hope.
As time went on, the locations where the the sins had been sealed away were lost; their secrets scattered throughout the continentof Amestris. Leto eventually disappeared, though his seven Angels continued to silently watch over humanity.Finally, blissful peace once again came to the country. In honor of these Angels and the god whom they served, the people established the Seven Churches.
The Church of Humility, located in Central City.
The Church of Chastity, located in East City.
The Church of Charity, located in Dublith.
The Church of Kindness, located in Liore.
The Church of Diligence, located in North City.
The Church of Temperance, located in Rush Valley.
And the Church of Patience, also located in Central City.
Those who were pure and showed the most virtue became Priests, Priestesses, Songstresses, Nuns, or Fathers of the Seven Churches and were blessed by the Sun God; given the power of miracles that no tainted mortal could have.
But it is said that those who were touched by the the God of Darkness were given the Sorcerer's Art, also know as Alchemy. It is told that he used that vile, dark power to create the seven Demons that served him, and whoever possesses such powers are tainted with his evil.
This is why Alchemy is banned in Amestris.
And why those who practice it
are sentenced
to
Death."
...
...
...
The first boy raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really?"
The elderly woman nodded. "That is the story of the origin of the Seven Churches and why the Sorcerer's Art is banned throughout Amestris."
He sighed, closing his golden eyes and rubbing his head. "That story of yours, does it have any information regarding a thing called the Philosopher's Stone?"
She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Not that I am aware of. It would be best to consult Miss Malone on such matters. She's a Songstress of the Church of Kindness and lives in the chapel, you can see it from here." The woman pointed towards a tower that loomed over all the other, smaller buildings. "She should be able to help you. She's a very nice girl and well versed in the stories of old."
The golden haired boy grumbled something under his breath, making the larger boy in the suit of armor elbow him in the stomach, whispering to his brother to be polite. The teen sighed. "Fine fine, thank you very much for your time ma'am."
She laughed merrily and started to sweep once more. "Oh, you're very welcome dearie. Do try to stick around for the festival, won't you? It only comes once a year and it's very enjoyable."
"We'll try, thank you!" The boy in the large suit of armor promised, waving as he and the other boy walked off together.
The elderly woman shook her head and chuckled again, watching the backs of the boy with golden, braided hair and the suit of armor until they vanished from her sight. "My my, what an interesting pair."
Once the two boys were out of the woman's hearing range, the one in the armor whispered. "Brother, do you think it's a good idea to go to the church? I mean, what if they find out about our..." He looked around to make sure no once was listening before whispering even quieter. "...situation."
"Well, it's not like we can find our answers anywhere else. Besides Alphonse," The other brother grinned, knocking twice on his brothers chest plate with his fist. "I don't think they'll be prying open your armor just to make sure that a person is inside."
"I guess you're right." Alphonse mumbled. His demeanor quickly changed from gloomy to happy. "Wouldn't it be great if we got more information on the Philosopher's Stone? Then, we could get our bodies back to normal." He looked expectantly as his brother. "Right Ed?"
Edward grinned. "Right. But for now, let's focus on finding the church."
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Liore was a bustling trade center and desert town with ancient roots dating back to two decades after the Great Battle 500 years ago. It is said that when the great Angel, Kindness the Compassionate, sacrificed her life to seal Envy the Jealous inside a maze, and that the entire area above where the maze had been buried became a flourishing oasis. The followers of Leto came several years later and began to colonize the area, building the Church of Kindness over the entrance of the Maze of Envy; the rest of the town was rumored to have been built to mirror the immense labyrinth below.
So, as you can imagine, Edward was completely, utterly, without a doubt lost.
...Of course, he would neveradmit it.
"Brother, maybe we should ask for direct-"
"We don't need any stinking directions!" The shorter of the two yelled, once again taking another wrong turn and reaching a dead end. He glared daggers at the wall, as if he blamed it for all their troubles. "Who in their right mind would build a town like this anyway!?"
Alphonse sighed and shook his head while his brother continued to yell at the wall. Honestly, why did his older brother had to be so stubborn?
"Excuse me, may I help you two with something?"
The brothers turned around. Standing at opposite side of the alley was a young girl, probably around 16 or 17 years old. She had long, black hair, pink bangs, pale skin and dark purple eyes. She wore a white, short sleeved dress cut off just above her knees, a pair of thong sandals and a silver bangle around each wrist. The teen girl looked a little confused, mostly likely wondering why Ed was yelling at a brick wall.
"Yes!" Alphonse exclaimed, wrapping one arm around his older brother and covering his mouth with his free hand before Ed could say 'No'. "We're trying to find the Church of Kindness, but we got lost. Could you please give us directions?"
The girl laughed. "I'll do even better than that! How about I take you there? I just finished taking some supplies to the hospital and am heading back right now."
"That would be great!"
Ed finally pulled himself out of Alphonse's iron grip (both figuratively and literally). He smoothed the wrinkles out of his red coat and quietly muttered. "We don't need directions."
The girl either didn't hear his complaint, or chose to ignore it. "I'm Rose Thomas." The she introduced as soon as the two brothers started following her.
"I'm Alphonse Elric, and this is my older brother, Edward Elric." Alphonse replied, gesturing to each of them in turn as they strolled along behind the girl..
Rose looked over her shoulder and back and forth between Ed and Al, obviously puzzled. "...Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE COULD GET SQUISHED BY AN ANT!? IT'S NOT MY FAULT ALL OF YOU DESERT PEOPLE ARE GIANTS!" Ed roared, flames billowing out of his mouth. Al had to restrain him before he could plunge forward and throttle Rose.
She laughed. "Maybe if you prayed harder to Leto, he'd make you taller." Rose teased, her eyes half-lidded and a small smile on her face.
"I AM NOT SHORT DAMN IT!" he bellowed.
Rose chuckled. "So, if I may ask, why are visiting the Church? Services aren't usually held until Sunday."
Alphonse released his brother and the two looked uncertainly at each other.
"We're... interested in an old story we heard a long time ago." Edward began. "And... we were hoping your Songstress would know a little more about it."
Rose hummed in thought and nodded. "Well, you've come to the right place. Malone knows a lot about the different stories from across the ages. She should know which one it is you're wanting to hear."
"Do you think she'd be willing to help us?" Alphonse asked, a little bit of concern creeping into his tone.
She smiled and nodded. "Of course! Malone will be more than happy to help you."
The suit of armor laughed jovially, though the older brother frowned, still having doubts. He never liked church people. In fact, he found their whole theology to be completely ridiculous and scientifically impossible. There were no great angels or devils, there was no magical omnipresent deity that protected you from the evils of the world and could magically cure you. Even if there was, 99% of the church followers didn't really follow the 'teachings' of Leto.
He recalled that when his mother was ill, not a single person from the local church stepped forward to help. No one even offered a 'prayer' for her recovery. Why? It was all because of the rumors. Rumors of a household that practiced Alchemy, of a father who abandoned his family to join a Keitoist cult, rumors of children touched by devils, forever cursed with the dark power, the Sorcerer's Art.
'Why should we help a woman who married a devil? ' Edward once heard them murmuring as a child. 'Her ill health is Leto's way of punishment for her sins against him.'
Ed looked up. Al was holding some kind of conversation with Rose, speaking excitedly and making many hand gestures. If it wasn't for his younger brothers situation, Ed would never have come to the church for help. But this may be one of the only chances they have to get their bodies back the way they use to be. There were very few books about Alchemy in Amestris, and even fewer regarding human transmutation or the Philosopher's Stone. The Church of Kindness had the largest and oldest library in all of Amestris. There was a possibility that the Philosophers Stone was mentioned in one of them.
They were nearing the church now. Squinting and shielding the sun out of his eyes, Ed could make out the well polished stone steps and the large statue of Leto standing at its entrance. The closer they came, the more festival decorations and stands he could see. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yet another way the church squeezes money out of the pockets of the common folk. It was sickening. Alphonse seemed to enjoy it though, pointing out different stands and items, asking Rose what they were. She made an excellent tour guide, enthusiastically answering each and every one of the boy's questions.
Eventually, Edward asked a question of his own. "What is this whole festival thing about anyway?"
Rose turned to him, eyes wide and mouth gaping slightly. "Y-you've never heard of the Festival of Kindness?"
The golden haired boy grimaced. That had to have been the cheesiest, most nauseating name for a celebration that he had ever heard. "No, I haven't. That's why I asked." He deadpanned.
"Oh... Well, it's a festival Celebrating the day that Kindness sealed Envy inside the Maze underneath our city." she answered, her chipper attitude returning. "The festival lasts for four days, ending on the day that Kindness defeated Envy. It's a lot of fun." She grinned, her eyes lighting up with past memories. "There's lots of delicious food, and shopping... oh, and you never know what entertainers might show up and preform! It's always so exciting!"
"Doesn't it sound like fun, brother?" Alphonse asked; Ed imagined his eyes would've been sparkling nearly as much as Rose's were.
He shrugged his shoulders. "If you're into that sort of thing, I guess."
Next thing he knew, he had collided into another persons body, knocking him onto his butt. He waved the dust cloud that had formed around him upon impact out of his face and coughed.
The clouds settled, giving Ed a good look at the person he'd bumped into. She was a kid, probably not any older than 12. She had long, straight brown hair that reached the middle of her back. She was wearing a pair of cargo shorts with deep pockets, tennis shoes, a black tank top with a white stripe down the middle and a pair of heavy looking brown gloves. She was already standing and dusting herself off, a disgusted look on her face. She looked down at him. He noticed then how bright green her eyes were, they looked like they could almost glow in the dark.
"Watch where you're going!" She yelled, pulling him out of his daze.
"It's not my fault!" He snapped back, hopping to his feet and pointing accusingly at her. "You're the one that bumped into me!"
She sighed, holding up her hands in false resignation. "You're probably right. After all, you're so short it would be hard to see you in a crowd."
"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE COULD RIDE A FLEA!?" Ed roared, his eyes aflame.
"Don't flatter yourself, you aren't tall enough to even ride that... And isn't it a little warm for you to be wearing black leather pants and a red coat? Or are you just too dim-witted to notice the heat?" She drawled slowly.
His face turned purple with rage. Al barely managed to restrain his brother before he leapt over and ripped the girl's head off. "No brother!"
"Let me at her Al! I'm going to teach this sorry kid to respect her elders!"
"Alright, alright. Ruin all my fun why don'tcha."
Ed blinked. The girl wasn't talking to him or Al, but to a medium sized brown dog and small tabby kitten pawing at her legs. She stuck her hands in her pockets and walked past them. She looked over her shoulder, a wicked grin on her face. "Later pipsqueak! And thanks!"
"PIPSQUEAK!?" He bellowed, struggling furiously against his brothers grip. "COME BACK HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU COWARD! DON'T PRETEND YOU CAN'T HEAR ME! I CAN SEE THAT SMIRK ON YOUR SMUG LITTLE FACE!"
"Brother! Calm down!" Al pleaded. "People are staring!" The younger brother watched as the girl disappeared into the crowd. "I wonder what she thanked us for?"
"Who cares. She's a creepy, annoying little punk." Ed huffed, finally calming down.
Alphonse turned to Rose. "Do you know who she is?"
The girl in question shrugged her shoulders. "I've never seen her before. She's probably here with her parents for the festival."
"What kind of parent raises a monster like that?" Asked Ed, dusting off his jacket.
"Brother, that's not nice."
"But it's true!"
Rose laughed nervously, waving her hands, making a 'calm down' gesture. "Why don't we continue on our path to the church? I'm sure you're eager to meet Malone."
Ed glared into the crowd. Seeing no sign of the girl, he concurred. "Fine. Let's go."
To be continued...
Well, what do you think?
Review!
I love any help I can get with my writing. All constructive criticism, hints and tips are appreciated ^^
