The YinYang Effect

Chapter 3

It would take 7 more days for us to reach the Cselkcess ruins. The heat was harsh and unyielding, and the dryness of the air made conversation difficult. Not just the heat, but the tension as well.

Ling had not been pleased with me at all regarding my decision to follow them. His mask had firmly been in place and he had not spoken a single word to me after his initial lecture. I found myself stealing glances at his back while we were riding for any falter in his demeanor. But like a statue, his posture and attitude were solid and cold.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead with the sleeve of my robe. My stomach churned from nervousness. While Ling was typically lighthearted and silly, I knew he was serious when he felt it was necessary. But I had never seen him so serious and angry with me… I hoped that he could understand where I was coming from, eventually. He has protected me for so long, so how could he expect me to abandon them to the unknown, on a quest for my sake? He was dear to me, as was Fu.

I adjusted my headscarf and glanced at Fu. Fu was not one for much conversation to begin with. He commented on the landscape from time to time and what tales he remembered about the west in his teachings. None of us had ever been outside of Xing's borders, so whatever knowledge he offered was a benefit.

"I believe we should allow the horses some rest for tonight, young highness," Fu commented. "The sun will set soon, and the temperature will get too cold for travel."

"Alright then." I dismounted from my horse and began to unpack the materials needed to set up camp. "What is our state on the food rations?"

Fu sighed while he pitched one of the bamboo tent rods in the sand. "We had only packed with the two of us in mind, Lady Lan Fan. I'm afraid with your addition, we will need to either half our portions or try to procure food from this wasteland."

I felt a twinge of guilt, but I would not allow myself to be a burden. "It is quite alright Fu. After we finish setting up, I will go out and see if any small animals forage at night. Hopefully I can bring back enough so that we can have extra!"

After he completed pitching the tent Fu gave a small bow. "If that is your wish, your highness. "

I unloaded some of the wood I had brought off the horse and arranged it to allow the making of a campfire. Ling wordlessly aided me by carrying the larger logs to the fire, not sparing me a single glance.

When all had been set up, the sky was on the cusp of nightfall. The heat that had been beating down on us had lessened and the air became chill.

"It would be best if I leave now. It will only get colder," I commented while rising from my spot at the fire.

Ling got up as well. "I'll go with you, Lady Lan Fan."

I almost protested, but the words had no time to leave as Ling had already stridden past and ahead into the blackening desert. I turned to give a small smile to Fu and went after Ling.

We had been out of view of the campsite for the past while, and visibility was starting to get hard to maintain. It was especially difficult to keep track of Ling, not only was in all black, but also moved quickly. He seemed to be resolved to do all of the hunting for the both of them, and was not giving her the chance to kill any of the small reptiles she located.

I took in a frustrated breath. What was he trying to prove by this?

"Ling, I know you are still upset with me, but could we at least talk about this? Like adults?"

Silence answered her back. But she could still hear the sounds of thrown kunai striking their target.

"I am sorry for surprising you. I know you did not want me to come along."

Ling was still silent, but he had stopped moving and allowed her to walk up behind him.

"Look, being Empress is important to me, but not more important than the both of your lives. I needed to be here with you, to share in the hardships you both were willing to take on for me. That's the answer I came to after I sent you both off into this desert."

Ling and I were now standing side by side under the moonlight. I glanced sideways at his face, but I couldn't tell his expression under his mask. After a few moments of silence I heard him give a loud sigh.

"It's not even fair Lan Fan. How can I stay mad at you when you're always so damn earnest." He chuckled a little to himself before plopping down in the sand. "Not sure if it's a good quality for an Empress or a bad one."

I gave him a small smile before sitting next to him. "I suppose it could be viewed as a weakness."

"I suppose…" Ling said as he untied the straps behind his head to remove his mask before looking at me. "It's only a weakness while the throne is in contention. But once your rule is established, I have no doubts that you would be a fair and just ruler. "

His stare unnerved me for a moment. He was so close to me, his breath warm in the chilly night. I quickly averted my own eyes from his. "So, I should be less earnest in the meantime then?" I asked slyly.

Ling looked at me for a moment before laughing. "No way. You stay exactly as you are. You're perfect."

"P-Perfect?"

"Yep. There's a saying, you know: 'Those who seek power are the least qualified to have it'. I believe that only someone as honest and kind as you are will do for Xing. In the meantime…."

He paused for a short moment, staring out into the desert. "In the meantime I will take care of it. You just keep being you, ok?"

I hesitantly nodded, unsure of what he meant entirely.

"Besides, I had wanted you to stay in Xing for mostly selfish reasons. So really, I guess I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for imposing my own desires on you, Lady Lan Fan." Ling gave a small, apologetic bow that made me feel rather uncomfortable.

"That is really not necessary," I implored. "Although the silent treatment was a little uncalled for, you were trying to protect me, I do not think it was selfish of you at all!"

"Fair enough, that's definitely part of it," Ling said before he stood back onto his feet. I took the outstretched hand he offered me and I stood up beside him. "But I guess I also wanted to be…something else."

"Something else?"

"Yeah," he said longingly as he gazed at the mask in his hands. "I wanted to be able to bring you back the Philosopher's Stone, to personally hand it to you when we returned. Then I wouldn't just be your guard; I'd be a hero. Xing's hero…your hero." Ling seemed to whisper his statement to himself.

With his words I froze in place. My face began to flush and I had no idea what to say to him. He wanted to be MY hero? B-but, that is already exactly what he was! He has saved my life countless times! Does that mean he wanted more than that? What am I thinking, of course he does! He wants Xing to recognize him the same way I do. And he deserves that. And more.

I shook myself from my own reverie. "I understand. But hopefully I do not need to tell you that you are already my hero right? You've saved my life, you've trained with me and inspired me to do my best. I wouldn't even be here without you. And I guess what I am saying is that I want the same things that you do..."

Ling looked up at me as I paused.

"I want Xing to recognize you as a hero too. Because you are one."

A long silence went by. Ling seemed struck by something as he looked at me. His eyes, while not leaving mine, looked into my being. A goofy smile then broke out into his features.

"Well, I guess we'll both have to work hard then, won't we?" he exclaimed while patting my head. He fastened his mask back into place and took my hand. "We should really get going! Can't keep gramps waiting too long!"

I felt myself being dragged away by the Ling that I was most familiar with. The Ling that I was best friends with. Well, I think I can say that I have been forgiven.

"I'm not sure what I was expecting with these ruins…but somehow not this…"

I sighed as we continued to walk around the ruins of Cselkcess, the origin of rendanshuu. Ling had a point. These ruins were massive, with many buildings still standing although heavily damaged. Occasionally, we would find murals on some of the standing walls or buildings. They mostly held faded paintings of a life that existed a millennia ago.

"It's amazing to think, a city decimated in one night. No signs of invasion, famine, or illness," Fu commented. "Like wrath from God."

"It seems as if this is the opposite of what we came here to find out. Instead of evidence for immortality, it appears it is more evidence for some kind of mass death," I added. "But it is said that the Philosopher of the West came from here, perhaps the legend was wrong?"

"Maybe not," Ling said a distance off inside an old shrine. He was looking at a particularly towering wall mural.

I went up behind to investigate. The mural was intricate, with circles inside pentagons inside circles. There were five suns, one on each corner of the pentagon, along with lots of writing in the old language. The mural however, was incomplete, as the top portion had broken off and was not located around the rest of the building.

"A religious symbol?" Fu asked.

I continued to analyze the wall. "This might be a rendanshuu circle, although it is very different from the one's I've seen in Xing."

"Still, it's the largest one we have come across. In a shrine no less. This could be important," Ling commented.

I nodded and took a small notebook out of my satchel and began to sketch the design of the circle. It would be better to have this information on hand to continue our search.

Suddenly, from the corner of my eye I saw Fu and Ling stiffen. And soon I could sense it too.

Multiple chi signatures, converging on our location.

I rose to my feet quickly, determining if those who were coming were hostile.

"Lady Lan Fan?" Fu asked, taking a defensive position with a hand on the kunai in his belt.

"Wait a moment, let them approach," I responded. "I sense wide variation in their ages, that could mean this is some kind of settlement."

I approached the entrance to the shrine and walked outside with my head high. I would not be frightened by a group of settlers if they were planning to rob us. However, what I saw outside had caught me off guard.

An older woman was waiting for me. She had dark, wrinkled skin and white hair. She supported herself on a small hand-made cane. One of her eyes was covered in a bandage, and the other glinted red in the sunlight. It appeared she was studying me too, as her eyes passed over my dark robes and white headscarf. Although she stood before me alone, I could tell there were many others nearby.

We stood in silence for a moment before she spoke. "My name is Mistress Shan. You are from the east I assume?"

I nodded in agreement. "My name is Lan Fan, 12th princess of Xing. I sense there are more of you. Are you all settlers here?"

"Settlers is one word for it. Although we are more likened to refugees."

Ling had followed after me immediately. "Refugees? From where?"

Mistress Shan had taken a moment before answering, seeming suspicious of the young man in a mask before her. "Our homeland, Ishval."

"You mean, in Amestris?" I questioned.

She nodded solemnly. "We are the relics of a civil war and survivors of a horrific genocide that has left us desolate. We sought refuge in the desert, and we stayed in these ruins to prevent the Amestrian army from destroying us. Most of those with us had escaped from the hospital in Ishval after the extermination campaign began."

I attempted to keep my face neutral, but I failed after hearing more of Mistress Shan's retelling of her journey I found it difficult to contain my disdain. How could the leader of their own country order them killed down to the last man, woman and child?! My face twisted in disgust and horror. How could someone order their military to kill their own people!? The ones who depended on them! How could a leader be so cruel?

I looked over to Ling, and while his mask had hidden his face, his hands were balled up next to his legs. He was visibly shaking with anger. I had wanted to speak to him, but Fu put his hand on Ling's shoulder, and he regained his composure.

"But, since I have given my story, and you know we mean you no trouble, I would very much like to know what Xingese royalty is doing out here?" Mistress Shan asked. "Surely there is not much that these ruins can offer you."

"Well, it sounds a little…strange. But I am looking for information on the Philosopher's Stone. I hear it grants immortality. I look to obtain it so that I can succeed my father on the throne." I pull the drawing of the circle out of my bag.

"This is a mural inside the shrine here, does this symbol mean anything to you?"

Mistress Shan brought the drawing closer to her face and analyzed it. She immediately handed it back to me almost in disgust. "It seems similar to those alchemy circles that destroyed my people in Ishval."

"Alchemy? So western rendanshuu? I did not know those teachings were outside of medicinal purposes. What do you mean it 'destroyed your people'?" I questioned further.

"Now you have me confused, I was unaware that alchemy was good for anything besides death and destruction. Just look at this city. It is against the teachings of Ishvala to practice alchemy for that very reason. But yes, alchemy can do great damage, and Amestris is the world's center for it."

I paused for a moment as I processed her words. Would we be able to gain any more knowledge by going to Amestris? Such a horrid place that they would commit genocide on their own people? A part of me knew that these ruins would not be able to help us any further and that our best bet would be to continue west. But could I risk Ling and Fu's life going into such a hostile country?

"Thank you very much for your time, Mistress Shan. We will not disturb you or your people any further." With a small bow, we returned to our horses to discuss our next move.

We all were packing up our horses, although we still had not decided on a destination. The sun was breaking across the horizon, indicating whatever we decided, it must be decided soon, lest we lose more traveling time.

"We have the symbol her majesty has drawn, it should be enough to return to Xing and do further research into what it means, and then present that information to the Emperor," Fu said.

"But what if that's not enough gramps? Many of the candidates from other clans have more knowledge than us about rendanshuu. It is possible that this symbol is just a meaningless mural and we will have come out here for nothing," Ling argued. "We should go to Amestris and not waste the trip out here. Amestris is closer, and we can get some info on the symbol there and not risk the other candidates discovering what we saw."

"If we were to enter Amestris's borders now, without verification from both governments, we would be entering illegally. And Amestris is particularly brutal to those who they feel don't belong in their country."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air after Fu's statement. Mistress Shan and the Ishvalans…If a country can be so brutal to their own citizens, how would they feel about foreigners looking to learn possible state secrets and use them to their own benefit?

"If we return to Xing, we can get permission to enter the country legally," Fu continued. "And not risk harm to Lady Lan Fan."

Alright Lan Fan, these are the kinds of decisions a ruler makes every day. You can do this! I told myself.

"Then my siblings will know my location, they may attempt to assassinate me abroad and gain information themselves. If we continue to Amestris, it will be in secret," I declared.

Ling and Fu paused their actions to listen to what I had to say.

"I think we have been underestimating ourselves. As long as we do not draw too much attention, I do not think the government of Amestris will give us many problems. You both are very good at remaining undetected when needed. I believe we can do this."

Fu sighed. "To Amestris then, My Lady?"

I gave a small smile to Fu before I felt an arm around my neck. "We're going to be illegal immigrants in a dangerous foreign country! How exciting~! Lan Fan and I going undercover!" Ling sang happily with his arm around me.

Before I could blush at the close contact Fu grabbed Ling by the back of his collar off me. "How many times must I tell you to show respect to Lady Lan Fan! You're acting too familiar!"

"Gramps…"

I laughed at the two, feeling more confident in my decision. We came all this way, there was no point in turning around now.

"To Amestris it is."

A/N: So, it's been a while. Got bored and decided to spend my free afternoon writing this chapter to see if there was still interest. It's been a few years though, so I might be getting rusty. If this continues, Ed/Al should be introduced next chapter, so something to look forward to!

Hope everyone had/is having a good holiday!