Shadow of Alchemy
A Shadow of Destiny/Memories Fullmetal Alchemist Fanfiction
Chapter 2: Old School Alchemy- It Takes Time
How long had they been gone? Edward didn't think it mattered, it had taken two trips to gather everything left in the old lab, as what notes remained made it clear that most of it would be needed. There was even a diagram that showed how everything needed to be set up for the womb. That's what all the strange equipment had been, an artificial womb designed to bring life into the world through alchemy- exactly what the Elrics wanted to do.
The brothers had struck gold with old man's research, though it was certainly single-minded in it's purpose. Alphonse had been the one to piece together what could be called the deceased alchemists diary, and through it the boys felt as if the man was more of a father then their own blood relative. Heartache and love was what had driven the old man to delve into the forbidden art.
Edward pricked a finger with a needle and placed it on the door to their home where he estimated the sealing symbol had been. Blood red the pentagram flared to life before disintegrating as Ed banished it. The door creaked open on it's own, surprising the two boys, as the house seemed to sigh like it had been holding a breath for too long.
Ed pushed the door fully open and marched in, dragging a pack of wrapped sand that was the deconstructed equipment that Dr. Wagner had left behind. Alphonse followed with his own grave-robber pack. "Let's put this in the basement and then go to Pinako's."
The idea had merit, and as Edwards stomach grumbled the golden-blonde voiced his agreement. It was times like these when Al acted like the brother making sure he ate. Edward Elric had a habit of becoming completely wrapped up in his research he completely forgot everything else.
"If we bring mom back, will that mean she has two birthdays?"
There was a long pause. "Why don't we time things so she comes back on her birthday, then it won't matter."
"Good idea... isn't it stew night?" With that comment thoughts of resurrection briefly fled the young necromancers as they headed toward their neighbors.
"It's about time you two got back!" Winry yelled, angry tears hiding in the corner of her eyes. Alphonse had the grace to blush with a murmured 'sorry' but Edward just shrugged and offered a smile. "Grandma! Ed and Al are back and they want food! What do I do?!"
Edwards jaw dropped. "Hey! We're not dogs!" Den glanced up from his pillow inside and wagged in greeting. "Stop that!"
The old woman came to the door, towel in hand. "We missed you two, it was very upsetting for you to leave without telling anyone." Pinako admonished them, though by the look in her eye she wasn't really mad at them. "Come in, we were just about to have dinner."
"Yes! Stew, right?"
"Of course."
Winry glared at them and sniffed defiantly. "I-I thought you were gone for good."
Ed spooned some meat in his mouth and glanced at her. It was a little rude to just leave like they had, and the Rockbells had always been there for them. Even after their so called father left Pinako and Winry's parents had been on hand at all times. Mr. and Mrs. Rockbell were kind of fuzzy in his mind, but they had been excellent doctors and the Elrics had gotten discounts.
When Alphonse was a baby he had caught a stomach virus (which Edward guessed had come through the milk) and was taken care of by Winry's mom. Medicine was never cheap in the country but the Rockbells always seemed to have what was needed.
The golden eyed boy realized that they owed their playmate some sort of explanation. "We were looking for something, the philosopher's stone."
Pinako startled, but quickly covered up and took a drink of her water. She knew very little about alchemy, never had the talent for it, but she did know how much alchemists would value such a thing. Hoenhiem had considered searching for it, or making one, but quickly gave it up for unknown reasons.
"What's a philosopher's stone?" Winry asked, her interest piqued.
Alphonse reached for the ladle to pour himself seconds. "It's a pretty rock that amplifies alchemic power, and supposedly can be used to by-pass equivalent trade."
"Why would you want something like that?"
The brothers shared a look. "It's a se-cur-ret." They grinned and simultaneously dug into their meal.
"Arrrg. You guys never tell me anything!" The girl pouted and hopped out of her chair so she could pet her puppy. Den rolled over to have his belly rubbed and Pinako chuckled. She was tempted to demand what the two Elrics had planned, but it was highly unlikely they could do any real damage. After all, alchemists had been searching for the Red Stone for hundreds of years and never found it. What were the chances two small kids would?
Edward handed his dish to Pinako and joined Winry. "It's not like we did much. Lot's of walking. Lot's of questing. Adventures aren't as interesting as the books make 'um sound."
She pouted. "I'd still like to know what you were up to."
"Well, we did find out about another alchemist, Wolfgang Wagner." Alphonse shrugged and took the complied 'diary' out of his pocket and handed it to their friend. She shifted through the loose papers and began reading.
Helena has been feeling ill of late, and for all my experience and expertise I can not find the reason. The children remain strong and healthy, as do the other townsfolk, vicious harpies that they are. It started as a shortness of breath, and I had foolishly hoped that dear Helena was again with child, but the condition has worsened. If things get and worse I'll have to consult...
...throwing up. Helena can only take a very small amount of thin soup, though Margaret is a genius in all the ways she prepares it. I can only do so much for the pain, and a new symptom has occurred. Helena's hair has begun to fall out. The letter I received from Pirelli is not encouraging, the only other case he has heard of like this ended in...
Alchemy seems the only choice. I've exhausted all other methods of curing her. Hugo has taken things hardest, I gather, from what Margaret tells me...
...nothing works permanently. A few elixirs I've derived from an alchemic process will stall the pain and return Helena's hair, but nothing lasts. She can no longer leave the bed...
...Red Stone. It is rumored to produce an elixir of life, something said to cure all ills. Though I do not know what ravages Helena's body it can cure it. The only challenge is finding it...
...Berlin...
...platypus. Duck eggs... butterfly wings?... The east. Most of the rumors point east...
Too late. Helena died last night, all the work I spent searching for it, and she's gone. My dear, dear Helena. I have thought about playing creator, they say that the philosophers stone can summon...
"Summon what?"
"Dunno. Not all everything was in good condition." Alphonse yawned and curled up on the floor next to the dog. Ed nudged him with a foot.
"Don't sleep on the floor." He then yawned and addressed Winry, "Can we spend the night?"
"Sure. I'll get the guest room ready."
"Wait!" Alphonse yelled and ran over to his brother waving a piece of paper that he'd scribbled on. "I figured out what went wrong with Mr. Wagner's set up! See, he put the heat source too far away, and it opposed the sack which built up pressure... if we move it here..."
"Yeah. I see what you mean." Edward dug out a small pit in the middle of the floor. "That even helps my theory! You know how the major difference between this old alchemy and today's is timing. I think that's what goes wrong with human transmutation, everyone tries to do it instantly! Wagner tried to grow a person in a week."
The gears in the younger boy's head started to turn. "Naturally, it takes 9 months for the average human being to develop to birth..." Just one of the bits of knowledge they had picked up when researching the human body.
"Not to mention all the years it takes to grow up."
"Try to do it too fast and things don't grow where they're supposed to."
"To slow and you kill it."
As they fired theories and plans at each other the brothers speech increased in speed. Ed licked his lips and picked up a long handled brush. He was going to mix modern and ancient alchemy. Alphonse began measuring out elements that they had brought as Ed painted alchemic symbols on the equipment.
"This is going to take a while, and constant monitoring. We'll take shifts."
"Ensoulment?"
Ed flicked the brush and made the final mark. "Last. I think we should wait till we have the right body before we try to put mom in it."
"Right. Philosophers Stone last."
Edward watched the bubbling tank with muted excitement. He couldn't see anything yet, but it was going to be his mother. They were growing their mother. One of the symbols he had painted on the glass tank began glowing.
Ed hurried to the desk where they had stored their materials, and began pouring measured amounts of protein and sugar into a jar that would feed the mixture into the main pipe. If he squinted, Ed swore he could see something in the nutrient rich fluid.
"A month. A month to make a baby." Alphonse would have liked to get close to the baby that would be their mother, but the heat from the tank would burn him.
"Pretty cool, don't forget to feed your memories in." Edward swayed as he gestured to a half finished pentagram that circled the floor beneath the artificial womb. "This is taking longer than I thought it would..."
"Just get some sleep, brother. I'll look after mom."
"'kay." He trumped up the stairs yawning. Alphonse shook his head and knelt on the ground, palms touching the circle. He cleared his mind and focused on his earliest memory, his mothers smile.
"Was mother's hair always so dark?" Al asked as he looked at the child sized body curled up in the tank. They had been holed up in their home for two months, but in the final stages everything was speeding up. The body had gone from a two years to ten in a month. "And her skin seems really pale."
Edward rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. She hasn't gotten any sun to give her a tan! It's time to add the next batch." Together the brothers tipped an off white powdery mixture into the pipe that led to the tank. It flowed into the water like a fog that surrounded the body. "We should change the filter... on three."
"One."
"Two."
"THREE!" Ed jerked on a pipe at the far end that led away from the tank, and removed a bottle containing waste produced by the humanoid shell. Al screwed another in place before they could loose enough pressure to ruin the project. "How is she?"
"Okay, I think. Her hands are moving..."
"Three months. Pinako and Winry are starting to get suspicious."
"Good thing we're almost done. Ready?"
"Ready."
Alphonse felt a sliver of fear in his stomach, but after everything they had been through he wasn't about to abandon his brother. Their mother, their beautiful mother, was floating curled up in the tank, her hair floating like some dark halo. It was probably cramped in there, Alphonse thought, and resolved to get a bigger tank if they ever planned to do this again.
The heat had been turned down, and a latch on the top of the tank had been opened. Ed cut his hand with a knife and handed it to Al, who did the same. They smeared their blood on the stone, which throbbed in response, it was almost like a living thing. Fear momentarily flashed through Ed's psyche, but he squashed it down.
This was for mother.
"Part of us, for part of her."
Alphonse nodded as he dropped the stone in. Already a reaction was beginning, but to control it they had to hurry! They had to make sure it was their mother that entered the body...
They sat along the edge of the pre-made transmutation circle and focused. Pressing their hands to activate it, the children began calling for their mother. Alphonse remembered her smile, the way she always smelled of rose soap. Edward remembered her eyes, how she never yelled at them and encouraged them in everything they did. Trisha Elric had taken care of them for so long, pushing them from behind to be the best they could.
Never forcing them to do anything, even drink milk.
She had even let them stay home from school, but the disappointed look she gave them later ensured them going the next day.
Mostly, they thought about her smile, and how they would do anything to get it back.
Everything was wet again, the being thought with slight amusement. Yet another power-hungry wizard was summoning him, how dull. It would be interesting, at least compared to the boredom that was the beings sealed form.
Sighing, the being thought that there wasn't much difference between his forms. Either it was aware and physically weak, or unconscious and all powerful. Why could it never have a happy medium? Simple, power-hungry mages/wizards/alchemists liked to have some advantage over it. Knowing you could kill your creation with a paper-cut did wonders for obedience. At least until said creation fulfilled the geis and had enough distance to blast the 'master' to smithereens with a well placed energy ball.
Might as well get things over with. It opened it's eyes a crack, and was surprised to find a pair of children kneeling toward it, hands on... a pentagram! An odd pentagram, but nonetheless a symbol that could control it.
But it wasn't complete, whatever limit they were putting on it. The being gathered it's power to break free, when something slammed into it's mind.
Who are you?
This is MY body. You've tainted it.
Are you my master this time? Get those kids away from me.
Kids? Those are MY children, this is MY body... I can't... Alphonse!
The other entity invaded it's thoughts, fingers digging deep into the mind of the created being frantically. Trisha? Was that it's name? Or was it something... Homunculus. Nice try, human, but I'm older than you and this so called alchemy combined.
The being flexed it's arms and sent a wave of power out that shattered the glass tank. The homunculus blinked and looked up, surprised to see one of the children being pulled into a round floating gate by black arms. The other was missing a leg and screaming for the other, before he too disappeared with a pop.
Homunculus looked down, "Oh joy. Another pentagram." It was stuck until someone came to break the thing.
END.
A/N- Bwahahaha! I don't care if no one understands how alchemy works, because it ain't alchemy here! it's magic and alchemy! Homunculus is now here, yay!