Woohoo!!! Another chapter… tho I feel my lack of updating has decreased my readers : ( that's rather disheartening but I hope my work will please those who still do read my stories!! I shall do my very best and hopefully snag a few more readers!!! plz feel free to review!! ((unless youre kasey, my undead friend))
Disclaimer: uh yeah…
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The Experiment
A tall, gaunt man entered the cave. This man was full of dreams, yearning for power. He walked over to the little clear pool in the middle.
"Ah, the perfect place," he said in his deep yet quiet tone. He glanced around the cave, adjusting his circular glasses. "These fools think there's nothing valuable in this place. How wrong they are."
He set down the large bag he had slung over his shoulder. He began pulling out all sorts of experimental implements and began setting up his little workshop. The man took a water sample from the pool and a rock sample from the wall. He studied long into the night. Finally, he found what he was looking for.
He went to the pool and drew a complicated transmutation circle around it. There, he vaporized the water and removed the earth from the bottom of the pool. Red shiny liquid oozed forth and filled the pool.
"At last," he breathed. "The Spring of Liquid Stone has revealed its secrets to me. Here I shall create the perfect portal. The perfect sacrifice…"
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"Kate-san!"
I woke up, gasping for breath. I shakily sat up and tried to get my bearings. I was in my room again. The room was bright. I was soaked in my own sweat. Next to my bed was a worried Alphonse.
"Ah, Kate-san, you're finally awake!" Al said, relieved.
"What… happened?" I asked unsteadily.
"We entered the cave and you sort of went berserk and passed out," Al said awkwardly. "We had to race home to stop the bleeding."
I glanced down at my hand, which was all bandaged up. Then I noticed Ed was behind him. He was staring out the window but even from where I was sitting I could still see a bandage on his face. "Edward?"
He turned around. "Huh?"
"You're face…" I trailed off. It was all coming back to me now. "Oh! Edward, I'm so sorry!"
"It's ok," he said gruffly. "Just a small scratch."
"Ok," I mumbled, embarrassed still.
Just then, Cassandra entered in. Oh great, I thought angrily, not her again. I must be in hell.
"Ah, I see you're awake now," she said, smiling. Stupid lady, if I wasn't I wouldn't be sitting up. "How are you feeling?"
"Kind of crappy but getting there," I replied, shrugging.
"You lost a lot of blood from your hand," she said, ignoring my dull response. "I didn't know you had a circle on your hand. It's surprising how it's intertwined with your blood stream. I've never seen anything like it."
"My blood stream?" I looked down at my hand, confused.
"It's like a built in transmutation circle," Cassandra continued. "I've truly never seen or heard anything like it. I didn't even know such a thing was possible. But then again, you are Greg Smithins's daughter. You must be an exceptional alchemist." From outside the hall, I could hear Karin yelling. "Ah, I must be going. Mary shall attend to you for the rest of the evening." With that, she got up and left.
I stared blankly at my hand for a while and then looked back up at Ed, who continued to say nothing. I looked to Al. "I honestly don't know anything about it."
"We know, Kate-san," Al said comfortingly. "Now, could you tell us what happened to you in the cave?"
I was quiet for a few moments. "My hand hurt so bad. Then there was pain everywhere… That voice was there too."
"A voice?" Al repeated.
"Yes, he told my to put my hand in the pool." I paused for a moment, thinking. "It was like the water was rushing into me through my fingers. But the voice told me it was all right… The next thing I saw was a man. A tall man with glasses. He entered the cave and starting unpacking stuff from his bag. He did little experiments and then drew a big transmutation circle around the pond. Red stuff filled the pond. It looked like blood… but it wasn't…"
"Did the man say anything?" Al asked.
"He said something like " 'The Spring of Liquid Stone has revealed its secrets to me'. Something about a portal too." I looked back down at my hand. "I think it was my father."
The room was silent. I saw Ed's shoulders tense up.
"Nii-san?" Al said, turning to him.
"That place," Ed said slowly. He finally looked back at me. "It was a spring for the liquid form of the Philosophers Stone. Your father opened it up. It's all dried up now but I guess your reaction was due to the spring, the transmutation circle on your hand, and your blood."
"Oh," I said, not really knowing what else to say.
"So now what?" Al said.
"I have no idea," Ed sighed and sunk into a chair. He bent his face into his hands and ran his fingers angrily through his blond hair. "We're just running around in circles like always."
The room fell silent again. I felt terrible, unable to say or do anything. Poor Edward, I thought. He's trying so hard, carrying full weight of their mistake, and not getting any answers. On top of that, I've placed my issues on them as well.
"Do you think the spring is making this town weak and poor?" Al asked after a while.
"No, it's not as big as the one we saw before," Ed said, not picking his head up. "It shouldn't have that much affect on the town as the other did." Ed got up and sighed. "Well, this sucks. I'm going out."
"Nii-san…" Al began but let him go.
Tears welded up in my eyes. "A-Al… could you please leave for a bit?"
"Oh!" Al said, getting up. "Sure. Please rest as much as you can." Then he left.
I sat there staring at the door for was seemed like a good ten minutes before something in my mind told me to get up. I shoved my feet into my shoes and laced them up quickly. My mind was blank but my body seemed to know what to do. Instead of my door, I turned to the window and transmuted the curtains into a rope. I tied one end to the coffee table and let the other fall to the ground outside. I shimmied on down the rope. I looked around to make sure no one saw and started to run down the street. I don't know where I was going or why I was running but the sudden burst of energy was too overwhelming to not do anything about it. I ran all the way to the outskirts of town. Panting, I stopped and used a sign for support. What was I doing?
"Kate?" Ed appeared at my side, looking confused and concerned.
"Ah! E-Edward," I said, startled. "Why are you here?"
"Isn't that my line?" Ed said skeptically.
"Oh, um, I really don't know."
Ed glared at me. "Does Al know you've left?"
I blushed. "Maybe?"
Ed sighed. He started walking and I joined him.
"What are you doing, Edward?" I asked after a bit.
"Thinking," Ed replied dully. "Also look at the ground."
I glanced down. Lines were dug into the dirt and they seemed to stretch for a few miles both ahead and behind us. "What is this?"
"I don't know," Ed said. "I found it a bit ago and I've been following it since."
We followed it for a bit in silence. I looked back up at him. "It curves."
Ed abruptly stopped dead in his tacks. Horror mixed with understanding washed over his face. "Damn!" he said, and began running head.
"Hey! Edward!" I yelled, running after him. For a short fellow he sure is fast! We raced onwards until we came to the cave opening again. The lines continued their large curve past the opening but Ed stopped there.
"Get down!" Ed yelled. He ran back and threw me to the ground with him.
BOOM!!!!!!!!
Rocks showered down from an explosion in the mountain's side. Ed was crouched above me, his back protecting us both from the dust and rocks. I coughed as Ed cringed. "Edward!"
Ed coughed a little and then stood up. "You ok?" He held his hand out.
I nodded and grabbed his hand, letting him hoist me up. The both of us stared up into the cloud of dust above us.
There at the gaping hole stood none other than Cassandra.
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Author's note: getting good yet? I hope so! ill try to do more later if I can! ttfn!
briellesabop
