Chapter 1
The Two Alchemists and the City of Heresy
The barman switched on the radio that was on the shelf above him.
"To thy children of God who live in the world, pray and believe you will be saved. The Sun God Leto shines his light on you to show you the way…"
The fifteen-year-old girl, who was sitting at the bar eating a meal, sighed. She hated religious things. Her little sister, who was sitting next to her, did not really mind subject of the audio broadcast.
The older sister had hip-length, light golden-blonde hair tied back in a low braid. Her bangs, parted in the middle, reached her chin and framed her face. A single stand at the centre of the partings stood up like a cowlick. The girl's eyes were the same shade as her hair. The girl, though small for her age, (four foot, ninety inches) had a slender, slightly muscular figure.
Edwina was dressed in her usual outfit: A black, sleeveless top covered with a black jacket with a white trim that fastened with a single, sliver clasp just under the high collar. The jacket was tucked in tight-fitting, leather trousers held up by a thick, brown, leather belt. On her feet, the girl wore black, leather boots with flat red soles that went half way to her knees and had a zip running from halfway to the top of the boots, and white gloves on her hands. Over this outfit, the girl wore a bright red, hooded cloak whose tail came down to her upper calves. Emblazoned in black on the back was a flamel.
The girl's year-younger little sister looked rather different to her older sibling. She was more on the odd side of appearances.
She appeared to be wearing a two-metre tall, dark grey, suit of armour. The helmet of the armour had glowing, half-moon eyes, a proroguing chin, and a zigzag mouth. The top of the helmet also sported a ribbon of white hair that hung down to the small of the suit's back.
The body of the armour consisted of a removable breastplate with a protruding, triangular piece on the chest just below the throat guard. A high collar that extended out of the back and surrounded the rear and sides of the neck, with a large, brown, circular leather patch on either side of the abdomen. It certainly did not look like your average suit of armours, and was wider than a normal human being was.
The suit had large black leather hands, pointed feet, three spikes jutting out of each shoulder, elbows and knees, one of which had a red flamel painted on one.
Finally, a white breechcloth covered the groin area.
The little sister was glad of the fact that not very many people questioned the fact that she wore armour, and she was complacent with this, as it was a difficult thing, explaining why she wore it.
"Are you two street performers?" the barman the two sisters.
"Ok, old man, where exactly did you did get that idea?" the older girl demanded to know, after briefly choking on her glass of orange juice.
"I guess I'm wrong then, but that's what you look like to me."
The golden-blonde girl finished her meal in a hurry. "Thanks for the meal."
The two of them went to stand up. As the young girl straightened up, her metal head collided with the shelf the radio sat on, knocking it on the floor and smashing it to pieces.
"Hey now, miss!" the barman cried. "This is what happens when you're dressed in such a ridiculous outfit!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir!" the fourteen-year-old shrieked her hollow, slightly echoing, ten-year-old voice. "This armour is special to me. It saved my life a few years ago."
"We'll fix the radio for you," the blonde said.
"And how are you going to that?" the sceptical man said.
"Just watch."
The armour girl wanted to smile kindly, but knew she could not with the body she had. Gathering the broken pieces of the radio into a small pile, she then took out a piece of chalk and began drawing a strange circular symbol underneath the object. Once she was finished, she stood up and raised her hands.
By now, a throng of the desert-side town of Reole's residents had gathered to see what all the commotion was concerning.
"Here I go!" the armour girl said, then crossed her hands over one another. What seemed to be blue lightening appeared from her hands and hit the broken radio, causing a flash of light and dust clouds to form and the crowd to reel back.
After a few seconds, the dust cleared, and sitting in the middle of the circular symbol was the radio, looking good as new. It may have looked fixed. Did it work? There was a few more seconds of silence. Then the solemn voice spoke again. "As the avatar of Leto, I am your father…"
"How's that for you?" The older sister asked.
"That's astonishing!" the barmen gasped, while the crowd looked on. "You are able to perform miracles, too?"
"Say what?"
"We're alchemists," the younger girl explained.
"I've never seen alchemy before. So that's what it looks like," one man in the throng said.
"You've never heard of us? The name 'Elric Sisters' doesn't ring any bells?" Edwina asked, her and her little's sister hands on their hips.
"'Elric Sisters'?" the confused man said.
"Actually, I have," another man in the crowd said. "The older one is one of those State Alchemists. She's Edwina's Elric, the 'Fullmetal Alchemist' right?"
The crowd gathered around the armour girl and showered her with all their attention and praise.
"I understand. Your State name is 'Fullmetal Alchemist' because you wear this metal suit," one person said.
"You're famous, right?" said another.
"No, no. You've got it wrong. I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist," The girl pointed to the blonde. "She is."
"What? That short, flat-chested girl?" one man said.
The older girl, now recognized as Edwina Elric, snapped. She hated anyone making comments about her height or breasts, or lack there of.
Storming over to the unfortunate man, Edwina punched hard him in the face causing him to fly backwards and slam onto the ground.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY SPECK WHO GIRLS GO LESBIAN FOR AS THEY THINK SHE'S A BOY IF THEY ARE ABLE TO SEE HER?" the enraged girl shrieked. "I am Edwina Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist!"
"I'm her little sister, Alphonsa Elric," the armour girl said.
It was times like these where the contrasting personalities of the Elric sisters could be seen.
They were both equally intelligent young women, but Edwina had a short temper, a loud mouth, and was violent, while Alphonsa was spot-spoken, level-headed, and quiet.
Edwina was also the more skilled alchemist.
After Edwina had stopped ranting and things had settled down, the two girls sat back downs at the bar.
"Have faith and thy prayers will be answered…" The man on the radio continued.
"Who is that on the broadcast?" Edwina asked.
That barman and the rest of the citizens looked shocked. "T-that is Founder Cornello, the avatar of Leto…how could you not know that?"
"If I knew I wouldn't have asked," Edwina said.
"He came here a few years ago to teach us the way of God," one man explained. "He said that if we believe, God will grant the living eternity and resurrect the dead. He proves this though his miracles."
"'Resurrect the dead' huh? Seems fishy to me," Edwina remarked.
"Well, well, things are busy today," said a cheerful, female voice.
"Oh, hello there, Rosé," the barman greeted the young woman as she approached the bar. She smiled in response.
The woman had pale skin, purple eyes, and long black hair with dark pink bangs parted in the centre. She was dressed simply in a white, sleeveless dress and slip-on sandals with some bangles around one wrist.
"Off to the church again, Rosé?" the barman asked.
"Yes, I'm going to give some offerings," the woman replied, moving her paper bag to show her wallet, then noticed the Elrics. "Oh, I've never seen you two before."
"They are alchemists, and they seem to be looking for something," the man explained before either of the girls could answer.
"Oh, well, I'd love to help you, follow me!" the woman said and set off.
"That girl, she doesn't have any relatives," the bar tender explained to Edwina and Alphonsa. "To make matters worse, her boyfriend died in an accident. You'd think she'd be sad, but she was saved by the teachings of Founder Cornello."
The two sisters looked at each other before heading in the direction in which the young resident of Reole had gone.
"May all the children of Leto be blessed with his holy light," Father Cornello finished his speech for that day, and closed the book he was holding.
"Excellent as usual, Founder," Accountant Clay, a worker of the Leto Church, and Cornello's right hand man, said.
The Founder nodded.
He was a rather old priest and had a completely bald head, a shaven face and rather plump stomach. He, just like all the priests, was wearing a black priest's robe with a white undergarment. What made him different for other priests, though, was the strange ring on his left hand that had a red stone engraved on it.
"Founder?" Rosé said quietly, politely knocked on the door to the broadcast room.
"Oh, come in Rosé," the kind-looking man said.
Rosé entered and placed her financial offering on the desk.
"It's the usual as always," she said.
"As good as always though," said Cornello.
"Yes, and if what I want c-comes true…" the girl trailed off.
"It's OK, Rosé," the man said, gently placing his hands on the young woman's shoulders. "I understand what you are trying to say. God will note your good conduct,"
"Then will it…?"
"Yes. But not yet. Now is still not the time."
"I…I understand, Founder."
Her head lowered, Rosé left to go to the main church hall.
She knelt down in front of the alter, behind which was a huge statue of Leto, hands clasped in prayer, while sun streamed in from the window before her.
"God…please listen to me…" the young woman whispered. "Please bring back–"
"So this is the Sun God Leto, huh?"
Rosé looked behind her and saw a golden-blonde-haired girl and a person wearing a suit of armour.
"Oh, I met you earlier, didn't I?" she rhetorically asked the two, as she turned and stood up. "My name is Rosé Thomas. Are you interested in the Leto religion?"
"My name is Edwina Elric, and no, I'm not interested. I am an atheist," Edwina stated bluntly.
"That isn't good," Rosé replied. "Believing in the existence of and honouring God, along with living a life of gratitude…it's so wonderful. If you believe, I'm sure you will grow taller and look more like a young woman instead of a child."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
Alphonsa grabbed her sister while saying, "She didn't mean it in a bad way!"
Edwina sighed and sat down on a bench. "Do you truly believe the dead can be resurrected?"
"Of course! God can do anything!"
The young alchemist sighed again. She reached in her red coat, pulled and a small, leather-bond book, opened at a page, and began to read.
"Thirty-five litres of water. Twenty grams of carbon. Four litres of ammonia. One-point-five kilograms of lime. Eight-hundred grams of phosphorous. Two-hundred and fifty grams of salt. One-hundred grams of saltpetre. Eighty grams of sulphur. Seven-point-five grams of fluorine. Five grams of iron. Three gram of silicon, and traces of fifteen other elements."
"Huh? What is that a list of?" Rosé asked, the elements and measurements flying around in her mind in a confusing manner.
The older Elric snapped the book shut. "These are the ingredients that make an average human adult body."
"B-but, how do you know that?"
"We scientists know this because of our advances. But despite these hundreds of years of research, there is still yet to be a successful case of the creation of a living human from these elements, you see. You may say it's a wasted effort, but it is much better than just praying and hoping. You really think that praying will do something that even science cannot? You really think waiting and hoping will bring back your boyfriend?"
"You're so arrogant! 'Pray and your wishes will be!' That is what the Founder said!"
"Oh, by the way, you can buy all the basic ingredients for a human with a child's pocket money. Humans are pretty cheaply made."
"How could you be so blasphemous? Humans are not objects! You will be divinely punished for such words!"
Edwina tittered. "Alchemists are scientists after all. We do not believe in divine creators or God. We explain the fundamentals of the world and peruse the truth. It's ironic that we scientists do not believe in God, yet we are the closest thing to God."
"Stop with this ignorance!" Rose snapped. "You think you are God's equal?"
"Ignorance, eh? I remember this from a legend: A hero made himself wings from bird feathers and wax. However, he flew too close to the sun, cussing the wax to melt and destroy his wings. Thus, he plummeted to his death," Edwina said.
"Huh?" The woman was confused once again.
Later on, at midday, Cornello had gone outside of the church where a crowd was awaiting him. The Elric sisters had left Rosé to her own devices.
Cornello's first "miracle" of that day was to cause cherry blossom petals to fell from the sky, to which the crowd cheered. He then caught one of the petals and with a flash of light from the red stone on the ring on his finger, turned it into a long ribbon bearing full cherry blossom flowers that wound around the status of Leto behind him.
"So that's what those people were talking about," Edwina, who was elevated on her suitcase amongst the crowd, said. "What do you think?" she turned to her metal little sister.
"From the transmutation response it's pretty obvious that he is using alchemy," Alphonsa replied.
"Yes, but he's completely ignoring Equivalent Exchange. I mean, it's the funding law of alchemy: In order to obtain, you must give something of equal value in exchange."
"And he changed a flower petal into a different material. Nee-san, could it be…?"
"Yes, it just might," Edwina looked closer and spotted the red stone on the priests ring. "Bingo."
"What are you two talking about?"
The two girls jumped and turned around. There, standing behind them, having listened to their entire conversation - was Rosé.
"What is this about 'Equivalent Exchange'?" the religious woman asked.
"Never mind. You should not eavesdrop on others," Edwina answered "But you know, Rosé-san, I think I am interested in this religion now. I want to repent for what I believe!"
"Ah, so you want to become a follower? Yes, I'm certain the Founder will accept you," Rosé replied happily.
Clay knocked on Father Cornello's room door. The man had just recently returned, having finished impressing the townspeople for one day.
"Come in."
Clay entered.
"Founder, there are people who are requesting a meeting with you," he explained. "There is two of them. A child and an armoured woman. They call themselves 'the Elric Sisters'."
"Tell them to go home. I am busy," Cornello said.
Clay went to carry out his orders.
"Wait! Did you say 'Elric Sisters'? Edwina Elric…oooooh this is bad." The priest shook his head.
"Yes, sir. Edwina Elric is the girl's name. Do you know her?" the accountant asked.
"Of course I do! She is the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edwina Elric!"
"What? You mean that little brat is– but she's only fifteen!"
"Idiot! Age is irrelevant went it comes to being an alchemist," The Founder took a deep and brought his hands together before continuing. "It really is that rumoured brat. I heard she managed to obtain the licence to become a National State Alchemist aged just twelve."
"What is a State Alchemist doing here anyway?" Clay asked, then leaned in closer said in a lowered voice, "Could it be that they know of our plan?"
"Hm…the Dogs of the Military have good noses," Cornello remarked.
"Should I send her and sister away?"
"No. That would look too suspicious. How about…" A smirk formed on the man's features as he spoke. "How about they never came here? How does that sound?"
The accountant also smirked, catching onto his boss's plan. "As long as God is content."
Clay then left and returned to the Elrics and Rosé. "The Founder will see you. You two are lucky; he is a very busy man. Come with me."
Clay lead the three girls into a large, dull lightly room. The only source of light was the flame torches that were dotted about the place.
"Sorry, I won't be too long," Edwina said as she, Alphonsa and Clay entered the room.
"Yes, this will end quite soon," the dark-haired accountant stated, his voice suddenly malevolent.
Suddenly Clay spun around to Alphonsa, taking something out of his robe.
BANG!
A bullet hit Alphonsa in the centre of her helmet. The half-moon-shaped eyes lost their light as both it and the armour body crashed on the stone floor with a loud clatter.
The older Elric rushed forwards to disarm Clay - but was stopped by two men in white robes crossing large spears across the front of her neck, trapping her in place.
"Brother Clay, what is the meaning of this?" Rosé demanded.
"These girls are evil demons, Rosé. They are heretics who are planning to ensure the Founder."
"No, that cannot be! If that was so, the Founder would never allow th–"
"He has allowed this," Clay snapped the young woman. "The Founder's words are the words of God." He pointed the gun at Edwina's head. "This is God's will."
He was about to fire - when a leather and metal hand grabbed the gun, crushing and misshaping the barrel so it could no longer work.
"That wasn't very nice, mister."
Clay slowly turned his head to the right. Standing there, its head still missing - was the suit of armour.
The blonde alchemist used this distraction to her advantage. Quick as a flash, she threw off one of one of the men who were restraining her, using his own spear as leverage. She turned to face the other man, who prepared himself.
The younger Elric pulled the damaged gun out of Clay's hand and punched him in the mouth, breaking some of his teeth, while Edwina began pummelling the other man who had been restraining her. After only a few minutes of fighting, both Clay and one of the men in white robes were down. The last remaining man tried to make a run for it, but to no avail. The blonde alchemist picked up her little's sister's helmet and threw it at the man's head, knocking him out.
"Strike!" the girl cheered.
"My head!" the young alchemist cried, catching the helmet.
"W-w-what? What's going on?" Rosé cried with a shriek, pointing at Alphonsa.
"Nothing much really," Edwina said, banging on the empty container. It clanked loudly.
"This is what it always looks like," the armour girl said.
"It's hollow inside…" The woman placed her hands over her mouth.
"This is what becomes of someone who trespasses on God's domain," the younger alchemist explained as she re-attached the helmet to the body of the metal shell. "Nee-san was punished too."
"Edwina…too?" The woman looked at the older girl.
"Let's stop now, please. That's a story for another day," Edwina said, scratching the back of her head. "You see, we are the true result of God's nature."
"B-but, there must be some mistake!" Rosé said.
The older alchemist sighed. That woman's seen so much and yet she still believes in that fraud of a Founder?
Edwina turned to the dark-pink-and-black haired woman. "Rosé, are you ready to face the truth?"
Later on, the Elrics sisters stood in front of a door.
"So, this is the Founder's room that Rosé told us about," Alphonsa though aloud.
As if knowing they were there, the door creaked open.
"You're supposed to say 'welcome'," Edwina said as the two of the entered the room. Once they had the middle of the room, the doors closed with a click, indicating their locking.
"Welcome to our holy church," said a solemn voice belonging to a man standing on a platform between two raising sets of stairs and one that descended onto the floor. "Have you come to experience our teachings?"
"We have a lot of things we would like to learn actually," the older female alchemist answered. "For example, like tricking your believers with cheap alchemy!"
"Hm…I wonder what you might be speaking of. Putting my miracles on the same level as alchemy poses a bit of a problem. If you saw any of my miracles you would understand–"
"I've already seen them! What I don't get at all is how you were able to transmute something while ignoring the laws."
"That is why it is not alchemy."
"You have and are using it, aren't you? The legendary amplifier that allows an alchemist to perform transmutations without Equivalent Exchange."
"Using what?"
"The Philosopher's Stone! It's on that ring isn't it?"
There were a few moments of silence.
"I'd expect nothing less from a State Alchemist," Cornello finally said. "You are correct. This is indeed the legendary Philosopher's Stone."
"That's good," Edwina replied, a grin on her face. "I've being looking for that."
"What do you want it for? Are you going to use it for fame? Money?"
"Correction: why do you want it? You used it to create a fraudulent religion. If you want money you can use the stone to get as much as you want."
"I do want money, but I get that as donations from my followers. I need obedient follow willing to give up their lives for me. The greatest army in the world! One which doesn't fear death! I've steadily advanced my preparations! In a few years time, this country will be mine!" The Leto Region Founder yelled full-heartedly.
The blonde sighed. "I don't care."
"What?" cried the man.
"Don't just brush off my plans with such few words!" Cornello shouted. "Aren't you a member of the Military which protects this country?"
"Yes, and I don't care about your plans. They don't make any sense and will never work, so I'll get straight to the point. Hand over the Philosopher's Stone and I won't reveal your fraudulence to the residents of this town."
""Ha! You're trying to bargain with me?" the priest laughed. "My followers won't believe a word from the likes of you! They love me! No matter what you say, they will not listen! They have been completely fooled by me!"
"Well done! I'd expect nothing less from the Founder. Thank you for such a wonderful speech," Edwina said, clapping her hand. "You're right. We're newcomers and people don't know us. They won't believe a single word we say. But…" she turned and pointed at Alphonsa, who undid her breastplate and let it fall to the floor. "What about the things she says?"
Inside the armour, in a rather cramped position, was Rosé.
"Founder!" Rosé shouted as she climbed out of the armour. "Is what you say true? Have you really tricked us all? You really weren't going to bring back my boyfriend?" Tears began to well up in the woman's eyes.
"Well, perhaps I did lie about being a messenger of God," Cornello said. "But with this stone, the transmutation of living organisms - which so many other alchemists have failed at - is possible. That means there is a possibility that your lover can be revived!"
"Rose-san, don't listen to him!" Alphonsa said to the woman.
"Be a good girl and come here," Cornello said, holding out his hand.
"If you go, you won't be able to come back!" Edwina cried.
"What's wrong? You are one of us," Cornello stated.
"Rose, don't!" the armour girl called.
Rose trembled violently were she stood, her arms drawn to her chest.
"Am I not the only one who can grant your wish? Remember your beloved!" The priest cried.
After a few more minutes, Rose walked slowly to Cornello, her arms at her side and her head bowed.
The other two girls said nothing.
"I'm sorry you two," Rosé said sadly, now standing next to the platform Cornello stood on.
"Good girl, Rosé," Cornello said. "Now, I will have to purge these heretics that threaten the future of my religion with haste."
He reached behind him and pulled a leaver, which in turn caused a gate near the Elrics to raise open. Out from the shadows, stepped a creature with glowing red eyes. It had the front half of a lion, the black half of a bird and the tail of a reptile.
"Have you ever seen a chimera?" Cornello asked the girls. "They are created using the Philosopher's Stone."
The creature prowled in a circle, its eyes firmly fixed on its prey. Rosé had backed away a good distance.
The red-coat-wearing alchemist sighed. "Guess I should arm myself."
She clapped her hands together and placed them on the floor. From her where her hand touched the floor, bright blue lightening admitted and a small wind circled the area. From that area, a large metal spear, one almost as tall as the girl, rose from the ground and the girl grasped it tightly. "Al, you stay back. I'll take care of this."
"Ok, Nee-san," Alphonsa replied, a little nervous.
"You created a weapon without the use of a Transmutation Circle?" the Founder cried, startled. "I see that 'State Alchemist' isn't just a fancy name. Nevertheless, you will be defeated!" he turned to the chimera, "Get her!"
The chimera did as it was told and, with a roar, changed toward Edwina, hungry for bloodshed.
The girl tried to use the spear to fend off the abomination of nature, but much to her surprise, it clawed though the metal as if it were butter and slashed her left leg, ripping the trouser fabric. Luckily, no blood came from the leg. "Urg…" the girl gasped, stumbling.
"Edwina-san!" Rosé screamed.
"What's the matter? Don't you like the feeling of claws that can cut through iron?" Cornello taunted sarcastically.
"Is that all? Ha! I was only kidding!" the girl told the animal and the priest.
Cornello was surprised again as the chimera's claws broke off and fell to the floor. The creature, however, was undeterred.
"This leg is a bit special!" Edwina cried, kicked the now once again attacking chimera in the stomach with the very leg it had tried to gouge.
"Hmph!" Cornello said. "Your claws don't work! Bite her!" he ordered the beast.
The creature charged again and this time got it latched onto the girl's arm using its teeth and bit down sharply.
Rosé looked away as the chimera started to chew. She expected to hear the alchemist girl scream in pain - but she heard no other sound apart from the chimera gnawing on the girl's arm.
Rosé looked back around to see the chimera hanging off of the girl's arm, biting and chomping furiously, but there appeared to be no damage.
"What's the matter?" Edwina asked the animal. "Confused? Can't a get good enough taste?" she hissed, then threw the beast off her ands punched it as hard as she could to the floor, cracking its skull, and killing it.
"What?" gasped Cornello. "How can this be possible? You weren't damaged by its teeth or claws?"
Edwina ignored him and turned to the woman near him. "Rosé, watch closely."
She peeled off the remains of her red coat and black jacket. "This is the result of stepping into God's forbidden domain! Behold! The body of a sinner!"
She threw the coat and jacket to one side, revealing a metal limb that had a port going over her shoulder, in place of her right arm. Rosé also noticed metal through the torn fabric of the left trouser leg. Her eyes widened in shock and she clamped her hands over her mouth.
"I see…" said Cornello. "Artificial limbs of steel know as 'Automail'. A little sister who is but a soul in an empty shell…" Realisation hit him. "So that's why you are called the Fullmetal Alchemist! Because of your automail limbs!"
"Come down here, you third rate!" Edwina challenged, brandishing the mechanical hand in a fist. "I'll show you how inferior your skills are compared to mine!"
"Rosé, these people have done something forbidden to all alchemists. A taboo act called 'Human Transmutation!" Cornello cried. "They tried to revive the dead! But they failed!"
"Yes, we did fail. It was our mother we tried to bring back. I lost my left leg," Edwina said.
"And I lost my entire body. Then Nee-san traded her arm for my soul, and fixed to this armour," Alphonsa finished.
Rosé remembered Edwina's earlier story: "A hero made himself wings from bird feathers and wax. However, he flew too close to the sun, cussing the wax to melt and destroy his wings. Thus, he plummeted to his death."
"No way…" she whispered.
"Rosé," Edwina said, turning to the woman. "Are you prepared to end up like this? Do you have the guts? Well, do you?"
The woman did not speak.
Cornello laughed and said, "After this you become a State Alchemist, Edwina Elric? You made me laugh!"
"Shut up, third rate! Without the Philosopher's Stone you would not be able to do anything!" Edwina snapped back.
"I see. And if you obtain the stone, your Human Transmutation would be a success?"
"Don't get the wrong idea, Baldy! We want it so we can regain our original bodies! What I want most is for Al to be human again and for me to be the way I used to be."
"So Founder-san, we ask one more time: Give us the Philosopher's Stone while you are still unhurt," Alphonsa said, trying to be polite, even if it was at a time like this.
"You fools came close to God, but fell back to earth. Very well, I send you to him myself!" the priest proclaimed.
With that, he transmuted his stick in a large, multi-barrel gun and began to fire. Rosé screamed.
Edwina swiftly foiled the priest's attempt to kill by transmuting a wall of stone to block the bullets.
"God seems to hate me," Edwina said from the safety of behind the wall. "He would properly just send me straight back."
"You little…" Cornello hissed and started firing again.
Rosé screamed as the bullets came very near her. Alphonsa darted over to the woman and much to her surprise and relief, lifted her into her arms and protected her from gunfire. Rosé simply screwed her eyes shut, hoping she would escape the room alive.
"Al! We're going!" Edwina called as she run towards the door.
"Idiots!" Cornello cried. "That door won't open unless I activate a switch here. You are trapped!"
"Want a bet?" Edwina called back.
Running up to a wall, she placed her hands on it, and, with the usual flash of alchemic lightening, transmuted a new door.
"WHAT?" Cornello screamed.
Edwina smashed the door open and the two sisters, one carrying a still screaming Rosé, run out of it and down the corridor. They did not notice the startled church workers they were running past.
"Why are you all just standing there? Those two are heretics that want to destroy our religion! Do not worry about Rosé," Cornello, still holding his gun, shouted to the workers.
The workers moved to the end of the corridor, blocking the Elric's path.
"Hey, children, want to fight us unarmed?" one of the men holding a gun challenged.
The golden-eyed alchemist simply laughed and clapped her hands together placing one on her automail arm. Part of the top of the forearm of the mechanical limb moulded into a blade that reached past the girl's mechanical hand.
Two men screamed like little girls as they were slashed by the older Elric and knocked out of the way by the younger Elric like bowling pins.
"They're strong!" said another church employee.
"Don't hold simply because they are girls!" a priest commanded.
Seconds later, he was on the ground, half his teeth missing, having suffered a kick from the armour girl.
The Elrics sisters run until the corridors were empty.
"Oh?" Edwina suddenly said, skidding to a halt. Alphonsa nearly banged into her older sister as she came to a stop. They were standing next to a room filled with radio equipment.
"What is this room?" Edwina asked Rosé as Alphonsa lowered her to the floor.
"It's the broadcast room. The Founder uses it for his sermons," Rosé explained.
"Really?" the older Elric sister said, rubbing her chin. "Hohoho!"
"She must be thinking something evil," Alphonsa whispered to Rosé.
The bells were to be rung again, it now being dusk.
"You know, there is a ruckus downstairs," the man supposed to doing the task said, one hand on the rope.
"Just do your job!" the man's boss said. "Oh, wait a minute, look!"
They both looked at up the inside of the bell tower. The bell was gone.
"Where did the bell go?" one of the men said.
Neither noticed an animated suit of armour sneaking away to another part of the open roof, the bell heavy on her back.
Alphonsa placed the stolen bell down next to the small device she had constructed using a radio, a stool and some wires.
"You know, I still can't understand what you said earlier," Rosé stated.
"As you heard before, alchemy consists of Equivalent Exchange," Alphonsa answered. "If we want to achieve something, we must pay a cost. Nee-san may be called a 'Genius' and a 'Prodigy', but she paid the cost though her effort."
"But surely, because you paid that price, your mother must have being–"
"She wasn't even human. Nee-san's theory should have been perfect, and it wasn't that which wrong…it was us." Alphonsa remembered the blood-soaked scene.
The young woman gasped.
"Since then we have quit using the idea of using Human Transmutation. No one can be brought back to life. Now Nee-san's goal is to regain my body, so that I can be human again. And my goal is bring back Nee-san's arm and leg."
Alphonsa drew a Transmutation Circle under the bell and, with a quick transmutation; it was connected to the rest of the device via wires.
"Rosé, please do not make the same mistaken we did."
The woman, the wind blowing her hair, dress and bangles, was still hopeful that Cornello would bring her boyfriend back. She did not voice this though, and simply watched as Alphonsa switched on the device she had made and held the bell up in the air.
Meanwhile, back inside the church, Father Cornello was still on the warpath. As he run past his broadcast room, he felt something was not right and looked in. There, relaxing on the table, looking bored - was the older heretic.
"You brat!" Cornello shouted. "I'm not letting you get away this time!"
"You haven't given up yet?" Edwina asked. "Don't you think that your lied will get out soon?"
"Silence! My underlings are still in the church! There is no way you are going to break my control and get what you know to my stupid followers!" Cornello yelled.
"I feel sorry for your followers."
"They are nothing but pawns in my plans for war! Pawns don't need pity! And they would die happy, believing they had done it for God! The difference between alchemy and my miracles is that I can use my powers to mass produce followers and replenish my unlimited supply of pawns! Do you really think you can stop my plans so easily!"
"Heh," Edwina breathed. "Heh heh….BWHAHAHAHA!"
"What's so funny?" the priest shouted.
"Becau-haha-because you are a really bad third rate," Edwina said.
"You're still saying that?"
The teenager lifted something up. "What's this?"
Cornello's eyes widened. "YOU DIDN'T– WHY YOU LITTLE BIIIIIITCH!"
Edwina was holding the switch to his radio, and it was on the "on" position. There was also a microphone on the floor at his feet he had failed to notice. His fraudulence was out.
Rosé, who was standing right next to the device, the bell of which Alphonsa was holding towards the rest of the town at the edge of the roof, had to cover her ears to defend them against Cornello's scream of rage.
The residents of the desert-side town were in shock. They had completely forgotten about their jobs or their meals are they learned that their great religious leader was a fraud.
"W-when did you push that switch?" Cornello screamed at the girl, his voice echoing all over Reole.
"Just after you came in," she replied.
"H-how can this be?" Cornello completely lost it. He pointed his gun at Edwina. "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!"
"Too late!" Edwina cried, jumping to her feet.
Before the Founder could even fire one bullet, Edwina had transmuted her automail-blade and sliced the barrel off the gun.
"Told you didn't I?" Edwina said with a smirk. "You and I are on completely different levels."
"I won't…" Cornello hissed. "I won't give up!"
He started a transmutation to fix the gun. "As long as I have this stone, I am able perform miracles as much as I- AAAAAARRRH!"
The red light that had ignited on his ring shot up the man's arm. The light faded, showing that the priest's arm had been horribly disfigured, wires and metal and goodness knows what sticking out of it, the skin gone.
Cornello fell to his knees. "My arm! My arm! Why? How? It hurts!"
Infuriated by the man behaviour, she grabbed him by the collar, leaned into his face and shouted, "SHUT UP! This is only a rebound! Don't go mad over just one arm!"
"What…?" a startled Cornello said.
"Show me the stone!" the girl ordered.
The priest did as he was told. However, as he held out his hand the stone broke off his ring, cracked, and faded into dust. Edwina's mouth fell open. She knew the stone was an unbreakable material. She shook the man by his collar.
"What's going on?" she demanded. "The stone is supposed to be perfect. Why did it break?"
"I-I don't know!" Cornello squeaked, now afraid. "I did not know about this. P-please save me…"
"It was a fake…" Edwina said.
"If the stone's can I can't do anything!" Cornello said. "Please save me…"
Edwina threw the man backwards and stood up, her hands balled into fists. "I came all the way here…thought I could restore myself and Al…and it was a fake…"
She fell to her knees, her back turned to Cornello. "Noooooo! This can't be!"
She's wide open to attack… the priest thought. He noticed the one of the poles sticking out of his arm was sharp. If this is how it's going to be…then I'll take the brat with me.
"Hey, old man…" the teenager hissed before he could move.
"Y-Yes?" said Cornello.
"You tricked the people of this town…" she placed her hand on the ground. "And you also made my sister and I waste all this time, and in the end all I get is a fake?" she activated her alchemy, and the lightening hit the ground creating a large stone fist, which smashed into Cornello, knocking him through the church wall and into the main hall.
Letting out another scream of rage, Edwina placed her hand on the Leto statue causing it to grow in size until the priest was like an insect compared to it. "Eat God Hammer!"
Cornello screamed like a little girl and fell backwards, the fist missing him, but leaving him still feeling defeated.
"So it was a fake…?" Alphonsa said after Edwina had finished explaining what happened in the church. The two sisters were sitting on the steps leading to the church, which was in ruins.
"And I really thought I could finally restore you…" Edwina said sadly.
"Well, I'm more worried about you, Nee-san. Automail has its fair share of problems," the younger girl responded.
"Let's look somewhere else."
They stood and were just about to leave, when they heard a certain woman speak behind them.
"No…this can't be real…" Rosé said sadly. She was hopeless, not even having the strength to stand up, instead on her knees. "Cornello-sama said he would bring back the one person I had left…I'm all alone now…"
"Rosé, just give it up," Edwina told her.
"But why…why does it have to be like this?" the woman asked, then her head shot up and she screamed, "What I am supposed to do now? How am I supposed to live now?" Her voice wavered as she started to cry. "Please! Tell me! Tell me what to do!"
The older female alchemist turned away from her.
"Think about it out your own," she said bluntly. "Stand up and walk. After all, you have two perfect legs to walk on."
Edwina left. Alphonsa told a last moment to look at Rosé, who had turned her eyes to the sky, before following.
Little did either of the three know of the chaos happening at the Leto church. The townspeople had gathered at the doors in an angry mob, wielding flame torches and work tools, demanding and shouting.
"Bring out the Founder!" one man shouted.
"What is he doing?" demanded a woman.
"Why did you trick us!"
"Open this door!"
"Explain yourselves!"
Inside, the priests and other church employees were trying their best to keep the doors shut, sliding a huge bolt across them.
The founder himself was still in the main hall thinking over what to do, his arm still horribly mutated. "Damn that blonde brat. They know my plans now…"
"Goodness, we managed to get this far and now its all gone," said a seductive woman's voice. "What a troublesome founder. Its being along time since we last came here, what is all the fuss?"
Cornello turned around. Sitting in the centre of the room were two people. The smaller, fat one was a man. He had a round head and body, tiny, eyes that had no pupils and a tomato-shaped nose, and was dressed in a sleeveless lack top, black trousers and black shoes, was finishing off the remains of the dead chimera.
The second person was a beautiful, seductive, curvaceous woman. She had long (roughly mid-back) wavy black tresses and sharp facial features. She was wearing a dress revealing her large cleavage, along with tights, long gloves and high-heeled shoes.
Both had strange vein-like things running down their arms.
"Y-you!" Cornello cried at the woman. "What is the meaning of this? The Philosopher's Stone you gave me broke. The stone cannot break! You expected me to use a defective object?"
"As if we would have given the real one to you," the woman said.
"You told me if I used this stone, I could take over this country!"
"Oh I said something like that? It was nice to cause a little mayhem around here. Did you really think a third rate like you could become a king?"
Cornello had nothing to say.
"Hey, Lust," said the fat man. "That old man, can I eat him?"
"No, no, Gluttony," Lust replied. "He will give you tummy ache if you eat a third rare - no - fourth rate Founder like him."
Cornello lost it once again. "AAAARRRHHH! I AM SO SICK OF BEING MADE A FOOL O–"
Lust had had enough. "We no longer need you."
She extended one of her blade-like fingers, ones that could cut through almost anything, and pierced the man's skull with the speed and power of a bullet. He was dead before he even hit the ground.
"We come so far, but now we are going to have to start from scratch," Lust said. "Father won't be pleased. What to do next?"
Gluttony was now inspecting Cornello's corpse.
"Hey, I said you can't eat him," Lust reminded her partner.
Gluttony ignored her and opened his mouth as wide as he could to consume.
"No one's on board," Edwina remarked, looking around the empty train. "I heard rumours, but I didn't think it would be this bad." she looked at the map in her hands. "And there is nothing interesting to look at."
"This is where your next mission is?" Alphonsa said.
"Yes, 'the town at the end of the east', the Youswell Coal Mine."
Author's Notes: Yeah! First chapter of the SMFA based on the Manga! And its is LONG. Hope you enjoy it readers.
BTW, you know how I said that "Alphonsa" meant 'eager for war'? Well, I actually found it has more meaning than I first thought. It is also the name of a woman, now a kindly saint. Like Al, she lost her mother at a young age and was raised by her aunt (I know Pinako is not related but the Elrics still regarded her as "aunt").
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Thank you ^_^