10
-Emma-
I sighed as I set by bag down onto one of the tables in the bookstore, pulling a piece of paper out of the side pocket. I unfolded it, checking the last item on the list. I started to walk down the aisle.
"Dang it, Michael. Next time, you're gonna do your own errands." I muttered to myself. I carefully ran one hand over the spines of the books. It wasn't on this shelf, that's for sure. I turned around, glancing at the shelf opposite me.
"Ok, lets see…it should be around here somewhere…how can none of these stores have this book?" I pushed a couple of books to one side, trying to see if it was stuck in the back. I moved slowly down the rows, my eyes still on the book spines. I faintly noted that the little bell over the store door rang. I tilted my head backwards, trying to see if the book was there. I stood on tiptoe to try to see. I pulled a book out so I could see the title, and another fell on top of my head.
"Ow!" I complained. I glared at the offending book, and then did a double take. I bent to pick up it up, triumphantly reading the cover. I tucked it under my arm, checking the title off on my list. I stuffed the paper back into my pocket, and headed towards the check out. I didn't notice someone step out of the row next to me until it was too late. I slammed right into them.
"Ouch!!" I cried, for the second time in, what, five minutes? Today was not my day. I put one hand to my head, for a second I wasn't sure if I had run into a bookshelf. I looked up, and was startled to realize I recognized the person standing in front of me. Well, that explained why it had hurt so much.
"Alphonse?" He looked down at me, seemingly startled. I couldn't really tell because of his armor, though.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there, Emma." I waved off his apology.
"It's my fault, really. I wasn't watching were I was going." I picked up my book, which I had dropped. Alphonse caught sight of the title.
"Is that an alchemy book? Are you researching alchemy?" He asked in a polite tone. I shook my head
"No, it's for my big brother. He's out of town and asked me to pick up some books for him." Alphonse nodded. I walked up to the register, placing my book on the counter. A boy walked out from a door behind it to ring up my book. I paid for it quickly, and walked over to where I left my bag. Alphonse followed me, fidgeting with his hands.
"Something wrong?" I glanced at him. He ducked his head a little.
"I've been looking for Edward. He wandered off somewhere around noon to do some research, and I haven't seen him since, and we have a meeting we are supposed to be at soon." I tried to refrain from rolling my eyes. I bet the little loser was lost. I opened my mouth to say something, and the bell over the door rang again. Edward walked in, without a care in the world.
"Brother! There you are." Alphonse walked over. Edward looked up causally.
"Hey Al."
"Brother, did you forget about our meeting?" Edward glanced around guiltily, and I had the distinct impression that he hadn't forgotten at all, but was trying to play hooky. He didn't answer Alphonse, but he noticed me for the first time.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, walking over.
"I was just getting a book. Is that illegal now or something?" I turned around, opening my bag quickly. As I stuffed Michael's book inside, a single piece of paper fell out, fluttering to the ground. Edward was trying to see the titles of the other books. Nosy little….
Alphonse bent over and picked up my paper, an old drawing of mine, that I had been using as a bookmark. He handed it to me, and I reached out to take it, muttering "thanks." Edward glanced at it, and I suddenly saw his eyes widen. He snatched the drawing out my hand.
"Hey!" I cried, while Alphonse also chided Edward, "Brother, give that back!" He ignored both of us, staring at the sketch as if in shock. After a moment, he looked up at me, the weirdest look on his face.
"Did you draw this?" His voice was suddenly really serious.
"Well, duh. Why?" He was staring at me with an unreadable expression, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. What was his problem?
"Brother, what is it?" Alphonse bent over the drawing too, and Edward muttered something I couldn't hear. Alphonse let out a small gasp, and glanced up at me too.
"What's your guys' problem?" I asked. Edward held out the drawing.
"Do you know what this is?" He demanded.
"Not really." I tried to shrug of the serious mood. "It's a really old drawing from when I was little…what?" I trailed off at the looks on their faces.
-Edward-
I couldn't believe it. How could she not know what it is? She drew it, so she must have seen it. I stared at the paper, a nightmare I didn't want to remember. A huge door with a carving almost like a tree, with four circle shaped branches, one large circle at the top, floating in the middle of nothing. It looked like it was draw with a child's hand, but it was still unmistakable. Alphonse bent closer.
"Are you sure, Brother?" He muttered.
"Yeah, Al. no doubt in my mind. This really is it."
The Gate….the door to the Truth…
How could she draw this?
I glanced at Emma again. She was standing there, looking scared. I held out the drawing again.
"You've seen it?" I asked her. She looked at me like I was crazy.
"Seen what? You mean the door in that drawing? I drew that when I was like five, Edward. I don't even remember what it is." I ground my teeth together. She drew it. She MUST have seen it. She couldn't make up something like this.
"Do you have any other drawings like this?" Alphonse asked. Emma frowned at this, looking up.
"I think so..." She said slowly.
"Where?" I demanded.
"At my house." She frowned slightly. "I don't think that it's quite the same thing though."
"Whatever. Let us see it." Emma scowled a little at me, and leaned forward, pulling the drawing from my hand.
"Ok, pushy. Give me a sec." She gathered her things together and headed out the door. The cashier gave me a weird look on the way out, but I ignored him.
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Alphonse and I followed behind Emma, talking quietly together.
"Do you really think she's seen the Truth, brother?" Al muttered to me.
"I don't know, Al. That was definitely the door I saw, though. That's for sure. Dammit, this doesn't make any sense." I shook my head. It was like I was adding up two and two, but getting thirty-six. Emma has a drawing of the Gate, but she claims she doesn't remember it. She knows about alchemy, but because of her grandfather. She doesn't look like someone who's tried human transmutations…
"This is impossible..." I growled.
"Her older brother is researching alchemy. That's why she was at that store; she was picking up a book for him." Al said. I looked up at him, nodding.
"Hey." I called to Emma. She stopped and turned around.
"What?" She asked.
"Have you ever tried to do alchemy?" I asked. She shook her head.
"Has your brother?" Emma glanced at Al at this.
"No, he hasn't." She turned around, and continued walking. I scowled at the back of her head. Way to be helpful.
-------------------------------------------
Emma showed us into her house, leading us upstairs and into her room. We stood around, Alphonse still. I couldn't help but fidget. Emma rooted through a large desk, whose top was littered with papers, pens, and sketchbooks. She may be a fantastic artist, but it was obvious she was a bit of a slob. She finally pulled out two more paper drawings. She handed them to me, scowling slightly. I took them eagerly, and immediately recognized both. The first one was of long black shapes reaching out from inside a box. The Gate, again. The second one was coiling white shapes, with more vague, fuzzy images in them. I gripped this page tightly. It was the Truth! She had seen it….
"Hey!! Are you gonna tell me what the heck is going on?!" Emma cut through my concentration, and she sounded mad.
"Yeah, ok." I placed the two drawings down, pulling the third out of my pocket, laying them all on the desk.
"So, you know how I can do alchemy without a circle, right?" Emma nodded, so I continued. "Well, it's because I saw the Truth, which is this." I pointed at the drawing with the white shapes. Emma's face went blank for a second. I could see her piecing it all together in her head.
"Do…do you think that I can do alchemy like that too, then?" She said slowly.
"I don't know. Truthfully, none of this makes any sense."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…It's sort of complicated." If I explained all about the Truth and the price I had to pay to see it, everything about my human transmutation attempt would come out. And, I didn't really want the world to know about it. I stared down at the drawings on the table top again. I noticed something about the one with the things in the Gate. They weren't just reaching out randomly, as I had first thought; they were reaching for something hovering in the center of the page. The pencil had smudged slightly; I couldn't really tell what it was. I turned around to ask Emma, but she was glaring at the ground.
"You really think I've seen that… that 'truth' thing? Get real! I have never seen that before! It's just an old drawing!" I was surprised by the bitterness in her voice.
"Maybe you have seen it," Alphonse said quietly, "But you just forgot. Or don't remember. Or can't." Emma looked up quietly. Al has always been able to calm people down. I returned my attention to the smudge in the drawing, scowling at it. As Alphonse continued to calm Emma down, and explain what was going on as best he could, I worked on deciphering the stubborn little smear. I flipped the drawing upside down, examining it at all angles. I glanced back at Emma. She and Al just appeared to be chatting.
"Hey," I called to her. "Will you come here for a sec?" Emma walked over, and I showed her the drawing, pointing to the middle of it. She picked it up and looked at it.
"Hey, look," She said, "It says 'smear'."
"Very funny." I snapped. "Now, what do you think it is?" She just shrugged.
I grumbled to myself.
"Hey," Emma said, leaning on the desk next to me (I had sat down in her chair while she and Al had been talking) "Do you think I could be able to do alchemy, then?"
"I told you, I don't know. You could be like Al, who's seen it, but can't remember it, so can't. But, I think you do remember, because of the drawings."
"So, you think I can use alchemy like you, then."
"It's just a theory, but maybe." Emma rocked back on her heels, biting her lip slightly. I caught the look in her eye.
"The only way to tell would be to try." I glanced around quickly, and then pulled a wooden rod out from behind the desk.
"You need this for anything." Emma shook her head. "Okay, then" I shifted the papers spread across the desk and set the rod flat.
"So, what do I do?"
"Well, just clap your hands together—that makes a circle—and touch the rod. Nothing will transmute, because that isn't what you are trying to do, but if it works, it should just send out some alchemical light" Emma nodded and stepped closer to the desk. She touched her hands together and placed one against the rod. Suddenly, there was a flash and a bang, and a cloud of smoke filled the room, and Emma yelped in pain.
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Author's note.
Hey everyone. I'm sorry it took so long for me to upload the latest chapter. ^.^; I've been busy, and I was having a hard time thinking of something. Thank you for reading and enjoying my story.
Thankies,
Miraie-Chan
