Character Thoughts: "{abc}"
Note:These events are based around the 2003 anime. Anyone who flames will be blocked.
Chapter 2:
Naive vs Rash
The Elric Brothers had entered the library and are trying to find out more on Darkness Alchemy. Neither brother is having luck after a few hours of searching, the sky turning from blue to red-orange.
"Argh, damn! Greed wasn't kidding; I can't find jack on Darkness Alchemy!" Ed growls, slamming another book shut.
"Brother, what if we trid asking Teacher? She might know something..." Al suggests, becoming afraid of his own idea.
Ed looks at his brother in a comical gloom fashion uttering, "Are you nuts, Alphonse? We can't go to her!"
"It's not like she'll beat us up again. She already took care of that in Rush Valley."
"Still though! She'll shove our heads up our asses for wanting to know more about another Forbidden Alchemy!"
"Uh, you'll mean she'll shove your head up your ass. I don't have one anymore."
"Is that how it is? YOUR HEAD'S REMOVEABLE!"
"But, I minus an ass."
"...Don't make me pour water on you."
Meanwhile, Envy and Sybille are on a train heading for Dublith. Greed is staying behind in order to turn the bar into his new "base of operations". However, Envy had to transform into a different person in order to get the tickets. The both of them are in a car with two other people: a grandfather and his grandson. The child is asleep while the grandfather reads a newspaper. Envy is in his preferred form until the ticket guy appears t check everything. He is splitting a chocolate parfait with Sybille, who is preferring to stick her head out the window to enjoy the wind blowing through her hair. He watches as the orange sun shines down on her black hair, bringing out the color of the red burried in a meadow of black. Envy looks out the window noticing how much closer to Dublith they're getting. A door opens and Envy quickly takes on the form he used to get on the train. The ticket checker checks the grandfather's ticket. It's good, and he moves on to Envy and Sybille. Envy flashes the tickets and the ticket checker finds they're good and moves on to the next car.
Before Envy can returned to his preferred form, someone comes through the door in front of him. He immeditaly recognizes who it is by descriptions from Lust and Gluttony; it's Scar, wearing a light tan cloak. He sees Sybille with her head out the window and promptly pulls her back in. Envy wanted to attack, but holds back when he hears the grandson make a noise. Sybille looks at Scar not showing any sign of fear which starts to confuse him. Then he begins to remember something. Scar had seen Sybille on a few rare occassions when she was younger, the first sighting being in Ishval being handled by his older brother. At that point, however, Envy had taken the form of a man from a far away city, but keeping his long green hair. Right now, Envy has taken the form of a random person from a northern part of Amestris.
Sybille asks, "Hey, you kinda look familiar. Have we met?"
Envy sighs going back to his preferred form, "You won't remember too well, but when you were still a toddler, I took you to Lior years before the Ishvalan War began. I wanted to get yo socialized with as many different people as posible so you wouldn't become biased and judge others. In a way, you met this guy as well."
"Then what's your name, Ishvalan-san?" Sybille asks innocently.
Scar replies, "I have no name. Just call me Scar."
Sybille giggles and says, "Still sounds like a name to me! Where are you headed?"
"Hold on Sybille." Envy says before turning back to Scar, "Just what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be looking after the others?"
"Not anymore. If I continue to try and protect them, something else will happen." Scar answers, clenching his right fist hiding the real reason he's on the train.
"But, who's protecting your people now?" Sybille asks.
Scar looks at her and responds, "They're in a safe place; I don't need to worry anymore."
"That's good. I'm on my way to Dublith to receive training." Sybille says.
"Sybille!" Envy scolds.
Scar chuckles and says, "Still as naive as you were back then. I'm not heading anywhere near Dublith; to be honest, I'm on the wrong train."
"Then come with us! I need to get to know you better!" Sybille invites.
Envy facepalms growling, "If you only knew Sybille, you'd understand my frustration right now..."
Scar sits down next to Sybille saying, "Sounds like to me you forgot to teach her about Stranger Danger."
"Oh I learned that. You looked familiar and now I know why." Sybille says.
"But what if I did what I did and I didn't seem familiar?" Scar questions.
Sybille replies, "In that case, I would've aimed below the belt."
Scar hangs his head saying, "Dear Ishvala, you've taught her too well."
"Damn straight." Envy says sitting up.
Envy, Sybille, and Scar arrive in Dublith a little while later. Sybille pulls out the map of Dublith Greed had drawn for them and takes the lead, Envy assuming his form. Scar pulls his hood up in order to keep his eyes covered should anyone recognize him as an Ishvalan. He looks at Envy, wondering how he can walk around in his usual form so calmly. They arrive at the butcher shop moments later, and Sybille soon gets the shivers, sensing something odd about the shop. Scar shows her how to ignore odd sensations and walks through the door, seeing Sig with his back turned cutting up meat. Sybille enters with Envy close behind her. Sig hears them and turns around, the butcher knife still in his hand covered in what appears to be blood, and said substance all over, his scar face and large muscles not helping in making him look friendly. Sybille nearly shrieks and hides behind Envy shaking like a leaf. Scar, having learned of Izumi's name, asks where she is stating Sybille wants to speak with her.
Sig peers over at the frightened Sybille and says she's not home, slightly flexing a muscle. Scar gets the idea, quickly figuring Sig talks more with his muscles (like what he did with Armstrong). Scar steps forth and pushes back the cloak instead of taking it off. Scar and Sig stare down before they get into a flexing competition. This wierds out Envy as he stands there with a disgusted look. That's when Izumi herself appears at the door carrying a paper bag full of groceries, soon getting confused at the sigh of Sig and Scar pushing against each other with their sides. Envy notices her, but his expression doesn't change.
Envy says to her pointing to them, "For all that's decent make them stop..."
Izumi sighs placing the bag down and off to the side and then stands calling, "Sig, cut it out."
Sig hears her and stops his actions. Scar backs off as well, thinking he had just embarrassed himself. Izumi sees that her husband is covered in blood from cutting up fresh meat which explains why she saw Sybille cowering behind Envy. She tells Sig to go elsewhere getting the feeling she's the one they're looking for. As Sig disappears, Sybille comes out of hiding and closes the door. When Sybille returns to Envy, Izumi gets serious.
Izumi demands, "Why are you here? I know you're a Homunculus, and you're that Ishvalan, Scar."
"It's because of me, Izumi-sama..." Sybille replies shyly.
Izumi wants to believe the girl, but has a hard time with it as she stares at two people who are Ed and Al's foes.
Scar says, "If you allow us to explain why the two of us are here, I think you'll understand."
Izumi replies, "Fine. Start explaining."
The three of them sit down as Envy sends Sybille outside to practice drawing her Transmutation Circle quicker. Envy tells her the true story instead of the fake, which surprises even Scar as he never heard of her actual background. Izumi nearly denied that Dante would want Sybille with such a dangerous form of alchemy until Envy explains that Dante is not who she thinks she is. Izumi can't believe that Dante is actually a soul jumping from one body to the next when it begins to rot. Scar tells her that he is just traveling with them until he reaches his other destination, still hiding the real reason he's on his own. Envy then says that Sybille cannot fully transmute without causing a non-fatal explosion attracting attention, that she can only fix objects. He fears that one day he may not be able to protect her and she needs to learn to use her alchemy. Izumi refuses to take Sybille on as a student until a static-like explosion is heard. The three get up and rush outside finding Sybille had failed another transmutation; she was trying to make a simple horse figure and it didn't go as planned. Her face has mild scortch marks and she falls over with swirls for eyes and a goofy look.
"Oh yeah...I forgot. Each time she fails, she faints and stays out for five minutes." Envy says.
"What I still don't understand is how she learned Darkness Alchemy." Izumi says.
Envy says crossing his arms, "Oh please, like you know nothing about it! I'm the one that stil has no clue and Dante won't tell me anything."
Izumi replies, "I really have no idea of Darkness Alchemy. I only know the one taboo. Still, I don't think I can take her on."
"Why not? You've seen for yourself how bad she is at this." Scar asks.
"She's much too soft. She also scares easy out of what I've seen. I can't accept her as my student." Izumi explains.
Envy retorts, "Oh yeah? You haven't seen her true nature. Come at me, bitch."
"What did you just call me?" Izumi shouts quickly facing Envy as Scar backs off.
"You heard me. Don't make me use the c-word." Envy replies with a grin.
Now officially in a rage, Izumi doesn't hesitate to punch Envy in the face. What she didn't expect was for Sybille to react after three minutes of being knocked out, grab her arm and toss her onto her back. Izumi looks up at Sybille shocked that someone was able to counter as well as recover so quickly. Sybille suddenly realizes what's going on and helps Izumi back up. Scar is amazed at the girl's reaction and starts to think twice, should he ever have to fight Envy. Izumi starts to laugh which makes everyone nervous and Sybille hides behind Envy again.
Izumi calms down saying, "I've never had one person be able to counter me like that before! Not even Edward and Alphonse could come close to landing a hit! You know what, I think I may be able to train her, but on one condition: she needs to learn the meaning of the phrase 'One is all and all is one'."
Sybille asks, "Wait, I need to learn what that phrase means? I never saw it in any book."
"That's because it's not. Now, can I talk to Envy for a minute?" Izumi asks.
Envy agrees and Izumi takes Envy back inside the shop so they can't be heard. Sybille looks on concerned and confused as Scar approaches her. Inside, Izumi tells Envy what she plans on doing with Sybille, and he's not liking the idea.
"What do you mean you're gonna leave her alone on an island for a month? She can barely handle me being away for five minutes!" Envy freaks.
"That's what I did with Ed and Al, and look at them now. Not to mention she won't be completely alone. I'll be sending Mason to 'check on her' while she learns survival." Izumi replies calmly.
"Okay, I didn't like the sound of that."
"She can't use alchemy, so she needs to keep up her ability to fight hand-to-hand. Didn't you teach her how?"
"Only a little...her true strength only occurs when I'm the one in trouble. Otherwise..."
"Then this'll be good for her. Come, let's go back outside."
They hear Scar call, "Envy! Get out here!"
Both Izumi and Envy hurry back outside and find Scar in the middle of a problem with Bald, who had somehow escaped from prison and was holding Sybille in his normal arm while pointing his automail arm out at Scar. Sybille's arms are tucked in so she can't use Darkness Alchemy to free herself and can't struggle wel either. Envy goes in for the attack but is stopped short when Bald points his double-barrel rifle automail arm in his face. Bald is prepared to shoot anyone who challenges him. Izumi tries to use her Alchemy but Bald fires a warning shot at her at the round causing her to flinch. Everyone is at a standstill as civilians stop in their tracks unable to move for fear of being shot. Bald starts to step back warning everyone to stay where they are, taking Sybille hostage. Sybille starts to squirm to try and slip out of his grip, but he points his automail arm in her face and she stops. As Bald makes it to the other side of the street and is about to turn a corner, Scar uses his alchemy and causes the ground to rise up violently and quickly, easily striking Bald's feet and causing him to fall over and let go of Sybille. Sybille hits the ground as well, but not as harshly as Bald, and makes a run for it as she gets up. Izumi follows Scar's lead and uses her alchemy to pin Bald to the ground by reconstructing it to make large "tourniquets".
Their one mistake is forgeting about Bald's automail arm and he starts to fire it relentlessly, trying to shoot down anyone he can as he tries to aim for Sybille. She can feel one bullet fly past her and she flinches stopping in place and covering her head in fear. Another soon grazes her right arm, and she reacts by dropping to the ground being unable to handle the stress any longer. Envy decides to rush after Sybille not caring that bullets are flying through the air and through his body; he can just regenerate to recover the wound. Bald suddenly stops shooting just as Envy reaches Sybille; it turns out he ran out of bullets. Scar and Izumi walk over to the restrained Bald, soon standing over him and shooting glares. Envy gets Sybille to stand and then looks over at Bald.
"Well, well, it seems this asshole has run out of ammo. Scar, how about we show him what it's like to be the one shot at?" Izumi says, an evil grin stretching across her face.
"I'll be sure to let Ishvala know not to spare you." Scar says.
"You really think you have my beat, don't you?" Bald says pulling something out of his pants pocket.
Izumi sees it's a grenade trigger and warns everyone to run away. Only have 10 seconds until explosion, Izumi and Scar retreat to the shop, but Izumi stays outside as Envy and Sybille get inside. She quickly transmutes a barrier in front of the shop, and all at one the grenade explodes, destroying the stone tourniquets restraining Bald, part of a building, and it was strong enough to create a small crater. Izumi then has the barrier return to normal ground and sees the aftermath. Bald had been blown to bits as a pool of blood replaces his body. Scar, Envy, and Sybille look out the window seeing the result of the grenade.
Afternoon turns to night, and Izumi decides to offer Scar, Envy, and Sybille a place to spend the night after tending to Sybile's graze wound. In Central, Edward and Alphonse have tired themselves out trying to find anything on Darkness Alchemy at the library with no results. They only found the same information Greed had given them. They are now on their way back to Central HQ, when they suddenly run into Greed again. He looked exhausted as he leans against a streetlight. They carefully approach him and he notices them right away out of the corner of his eye. The Brothers stop in their place and Greed chuckles at their cautiousness.
"Although I admire how careful you're being," Greed starts, "I told you before I'm not here for a fight."
"Then why do you look so worn out?" Al asks.
"You try getting away from hitting on a girl not wearing her wedding ring. Her husband chased me all over town before I lost him just a few minutes ago...I'm out of breath." Greed replies.
Ed taunts, "See what happens when you act as your name?"
Greed growls, "Watch it, kid. I could kill you in an instant."
"Anyway, you weren't kidding that Darkness Alchemy wasn't recorded. We couldn't find anything on it." Al says.
"I told you. None of us have any clue what it's really all about, even Dante doesn't know very much. All that's known is that users can summon the Gate without needing to perform Human Transmutation. Sybille hasn't been able to do that at all since she's a rookie. Though, Envy wants her to learn how to use Alchemy so she can defend herself instead of always fixing objects." Greed says.
"Being able to fix objects isn't a bad thing though." Al says.
"No, but she needs to learn how it's all done. Although she can fix things, she can't transmute because she isn't geting the three steps that Lust read about: Comprehension, Deconstruction, and Reconstruction. We don't know which step she's doing wrong." Greed explains.
Ed starts to think, "That all depends on what's happening during her transmutations. If she can't even get the shape, she hasn't gotten passed Comprehension. If she can get the shape, but it doesn't form correctly, then she's not deconstructing it properly and the form falls apart. But, if she can get both yet can't it to stay together properly, then she hasn't reconstructed it right."
Greed says, "Well, whenever she tries transmuting, the shape she makes explodes and she's out cold for five minutes."
"Sounds like she can't reconstruct right. But an explosion?" Ed says.
"We're thinking the small explosion is because of her type of alchemy. It's not like yours. Anything she transmutes becomes a mixture of purple and black." Greed responds.
"Ed, maybe we can help her learn how to reconstruct. It's not like she's an enemy." Al suggests.
Greed says, "You're out of luck; Envy and Sybille aren't in Central anymore. And I need to call it a night. Later."
Greed leaves even when Ed calls his name. The Elrics are left with more questions than answers with no path to take. Al wonders where Envy could've taken Sybille if he wants her to learn how to control her alchemy. Ed suddenly figures out the answer, his face above his eyes comically turning blue saying that Envy must've taken Sybille to Dublith...to Izumi. Al goes into a panick saying that there's no wa Sybille will survive.
Ed then says, "That settles it then! We're going to Dublith!"
"What? Are you sure, Brother?" Al asks.
Before Ed could reply, he faints at the thought of what he just said, his soul slipping out of his mouth. Al grabs Ed's soul and tries to push it back in his body, then trying to get Ed to breathe.
Trivia:
1) Al's line of "I minus an ass" is actually a quote from Death from Family Guy.
2) Envy eating a chocolate parfait with Sybille is actually from the game: Dream Carnival...seeing the gameplay on YouTube, I'm wishing I owned this game.
3) Scar appears on "the wrong train". Going in order of deaths, Greed dies before Scar does. How he got to his actual destination isn't made clear. He also remembers Sybille from when she was still very young and brought to Ishval for socialization.
4) Sig "talking with his muscles" with Scar is similar to how he communicated with Armstrong. Scar has no choice but to go OOC as Envy doesn't have a muscular build.
5) Izumi refusing to take Sybille on as her student is similar to her denying Ed and Al until she sees how bad Sybille is at transmutation. She wants to drop Sybille at Yock Island just as she did with the Elrics wanting her to figure out the famous quote.
6) Bald doesn't appear after he is arrested early in the series. How he got out of prison is currently unknown.
7) Sybille flinches when bullets fly past her; this could be a fear of guns carrying on from her childhood.
8) Ed's soul leaving his body is from a scene from the Brotherhood series, and Al is grabbing onto it again.
