Author's Note: Chapter ten, yay!!
Toko Taiyo: Thanks a lot for the review! XD Yes, I'm fond of Saya too
JuniperScaymoore: Thanks for the PM, it's nice to know people enjoy this!
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA
Chapter Ten: Wreaking Chaos
"Don't let them worry you Rose," Cornello smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You forget that the great Sun God Leto has blessed me with the Philosopher's Stone. Besides, I have far more experience than these stupid children did."
Rose smiled feebly. "Y… yes."
"Don't be an idiot!" Ed snapped. "Some things just can't be done!"
Saya growled. "I knew there was something wrong from the second we stepped into this city," she snarled.
"So you both want this stone to bring your mommies back?" Cornello mocked. "That just proves how pitiful you are!"
"WRONG!" Ed shouted. "We just want our bodies back."
Saya grinned and jabbed her thumb at them. "These guys saved my life, so I owe them one anyways."
"We'll ask one more time," Al said. "Please give us the Stone."
"You all are dammned. May the wrath of God fall on your heads."
Saya snapped. "Quit hiding behind your made-up cult crap! Get down here and I'll show you some damn wrath you can repent for in a hospital!!"
Cornello transmuted his staff into a machine gun. "SINNERS!" he roared. "PAY THE PRICE!" He fired madly, and the three disappeared into a cloud of smoke. He chuckled.
When the smoke cleared however, there was a stone wall that had been transmuted, blocking all the bullets.
Saya sweatdropped, bending her head and sighing. "Close call."
"Cornello-sama!!" A bunch of armed priests appeared in the main door, including that Clay guy.
"Damn," Ed muttered as they all started to fire. He looked around frantically.
Saya curled into a ball, letting her automail take all the bullets. "Shit," she muttered as one grazed her side.
"Al! Bomb! This way!" Ed yelled.
Saya and Al followed Ed without question. "Idiots! You're running into a dead end!" Cornello laughed.
Ed clapped his hands. "Well if there isn't a door… then I'll make one!!"
A great stone door appeared in the wall. "Hurry you two!"
The trio burst through the door and ran.
"Saya-san! You're hurt!" Al exclaimed.
Saya grinned. "Just a scratch."
"AFTER THEM!" the priests roared.
Saya clenched her teeth. "Crap," she muttered. She clapped her hands and bent down, making a solid wall of stone directly behind them that reached to the ceiling. "Hurry! Let's get out of here!"
Back in the chamber, Rose stared at Cornello. "Cornello-sama… is it true? That ring you're wearing… all your miracles are just alchemy?" She seemed close to tears.
Cornello smiled. "Just because you can explain a thing doesn't mean that it's not the will of God, Rose. I have been given this power to do things that no one else can for the good of the people." When Rose still looked disbelieving, he continued. "Let me show you."
Cornello took Rose to a bedchamber. There was nothing there but a single bed with a canopy and the hangings pulled shut. Rose looked skeptical until a voice croaked out from the bed. "R…Rose?"
Rose gasped, and her face suddenly lit with hope. "Kain…"
Cornello placed a hand on her shoulder. "Leto has rewarded your service. The soul of your loved one has returned, but do not look at him yet. The body still needs several more days."
Rose smiled blissfully. "I always believed it," she whispered. "This really has been the work of God."
"Why didn't we just take the stone?" Saya asked later. "If we'd wanted it at all costs, then we could've just kicked all their asses and taken the thing by force!"
They sat outside the church. Night had fallen, and no one was out on the street.
Ed just scowled.
Suddenly a loudspeaker crackled and came to life. "People of Lior. This night, a trio of unbelievers tried to take the life of Cornello-sama and have escaped into the city. One is a boy who is short and blond, one is wearing a suit of armor, and one is a short girl with brown hair, and her body is made of mostly automail. She has been injured, so do not offer any healing to any stranger who asks. Please be on the lookout. Father Cornello asks you all to stay in your homes, for these are dangerous people."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE HAS TO BE LOOKED AT THROUGH A MICROSCOPE TO BE SEEN AT ALL!?" Ed yelled at the loudspeaker.
Saya whacked him on the head. "That's not the time for this!!" she yelled as people started to flood in front of the church.
"They're the ones!" someone yelled.
"What sort of twisted people are you, going after the Father!!"
"We welcomed you here, and this is how you repay us?!"
"We are in deep shit," Saya noticed pleasantly as a drop of her blood hit the sidewalk. She pressed a hand to her side and pulled a face. "Crap, it's deeper than I thought…"
"Can't you do something about that?" Ed demanded as people continued to yell.
"No," she answered. "I can't heal myself. I can only heal other people."
The accusations and yelling started to reach a deafening point. Ed twitched. "LISTEN!" he roared. "Cornello's just a phoney! He's just using alchemy as his miracles."
"LIAR."
The accusation came from Rose. The crowd parted. "Just now… I spoke to my boyfriend," she told them. "He's come back."
Ed, Al, and Saya gasped.
Everyone smiled at Rose, offering congratulations.
"He's not the first either!" someone yelled. "There've been many others!"
Suddenly, the ground started to shake. Several gigantic statues of Leto had come to life… and it looked like they were coming for the 'heretics'.
The statues surrounded the trio. Saya beckoned them. "Bring it on," she dared.
"Bomb! What the hell are you sa-" A statue slammed a fist into the back of Ed's head.
"Ed!"
One knocked Al over, and two started beating up his armor.
Saya ducked an oncoming fist and blocked another with her arms. It hit the metal with a nasty crash. She raised her eyebrows and whistled softly. "Damn, this automail's good."
She ducked through a gap and ran, knocking over people in the crowd before grabbing a window ledge and jumping onto a roof. She grinned. "I need to catch up with Al now... I wonder where he went?"
Saya sat on the roof, watching the sun rise. "Jeez, what do we do now?" she asked Al.
"I have a plan," Al started, but Saya spun around.
"I have one too!" she smiled. "I go in there and find Ed, beating up anyone who gets in my way!"
Al sweatdropped. "Saya-san…" Then suddenly, a thought struck him. "That's actually a good idea. Will you be a distraction while I do my part?"
Saya grinned. "How long do you need?"
Ed woke up. His hands had been tied above his head. Looking around, he saw that he seemed to be in a cell. There were two other manacles on either side, but he was quite alone… and his State Alchemist silver watch was gone.
The door opened. Rose came in holding a tray with a cup of water and a loaf of bread. "Your friends got away," she said told him tonelessly. "They're still looking for them all over the city."
Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Ed watched Rose set down the tray. "I hope he's real, Rose," he said. "I don't want you to be disappointed again."
Rose didn't say anything. She ran out of the cell and slammed the door.
Ed started to pull the tray closer to him with his feet when a cracking sound in the wall behind him made him look around. Seeing what it was, he grinned.
Rose stepped into the bedchamber again nervously. "Sorry Kain, I know you're resting… but I just needed to talk. So much has happened, and I'm confused…"
There was movement behind the curtain. "Rose?"
She smiled. "Oh Kain…!" She started towards the bed when suddenly, Cornello opened the door and stepped in. "I'm sorry Cornello-sama!" Rose exclaimed. "I shouldn't have come in here without asking!"
A strong wind blew in through the open window. The curtains blew open… and sitting there was an overlarge bird, croaking feebly, surrounded by a hundred dead little birds. Rose gasped.
"What's wrong Rose?" Cornello smiled. "You got your wish. I'm afraid that even with the Stone, I couldn't forge a human soul. I had to use the souls of these birds. I'll have you know, they can be quite adept at mimicry in this form." His face darkened. "You shouldn't have acted against me Rose. You've fallen out of the Sun God's favor."
The bird lurched towards Rose, pleading. "Rose… Rose…"
Cornello walked out and closed the door. "Give the real Kain my greetings."
Rose spun and tried to open the door, but it had been locked. The bird screeched and lunged towards her with its beak opened and claws extended. Rose held her head and closed her eyes, waiting for the ending blow…
It didn't come. The moment stretched too long… Rose opened her eyes to see Saya, who had broken the bird's neck. A death rattle whistled out of its mouth as Saya scanned Rose through her blue orbs, then smiled and offered a hand. "I think I may be able to start to like you now. It looks like you've had some sense pummeled into you."
"Saya-san!" Al climbed in through the window. "What happened? You just jumped in here without telling me anyth… oh." He took in the situation.
"Do you want to take Rose with you?" Saya asked. "I'm about to go wreck hell on this place." She lifted the bell and rang it once, listening for the echo… "Ed's about eight floors down. I think I can do something with a whole eight floors," she said, an evil grin making its way onto her face.
"Don't overdo it," Al warned. "We don't want the building to crash."
"Right. I'll see you later then!" Saya grinned, before running out the door. She clapped her hands and touched the wall, making it bubble and creating holes in odd places. Laughing, she ran down the hall as confused people poked their heads out the holes. This was going to be fun.
"This little charade of yours is going to be found out soon enough," Ed growled, glaring as Cornello stood in front of him.
"The faithful are not likely to distinguish between alchemy and the works of God," Cornello smirked. "Really, as long as I bring them happiness, why should they care where it comes from?"
Ed grinned. "Right… So what's in it for you? Besides all the cowtowing I mean."
Cornello chuckled.
Saya laughed maniacally as she blocked some bullets with her left arm before transmuting a hole in the floor and jumping through, leaving the hall in shambles. "Havoc on the first three floors: done." She looked around. "Oh? I've landed in a hall of portraits…"
Taking out a permanent marker, she whistled cheerfully and drew a squiggly mustache and eyeglasses on all the portraits.
"What the hell are you doing?!" someone yelled as she finished the last portrait, giving it a special touch by giving it overlarge noseholes and several moles.
"Time to get going," she chuckled, before clapping her hands and turning the permanent marker into a squirt gun. She squirted it at the man who screamed and grabbed his eyes. "Oops, sorry!"
Quickly, she transmuted another hole in the floor and jumped through. "Havoc on the first four floors: done."
She looked at the sound of yelling. "Ooh, they came quicker this time…" Punching the air, she laughed. "Time for some noise!!"
Al took Rose up to the roof. He assembled a loudspeaker (made from the church bell) and a switch. As he made some adjustments to the wire, Rose spoke. "You all have paid heafty prices for what you've done… a body, a couple arms and a leg… and here you are trying to get it back. What about your mothers?"
Al stood and didn't answer. "I should get started… it's about time." He pushed the switch into the 'on' position.
"What, is it the money you're after?" Ed's voice boomed.
"Not necessarily," Cornello's voice responded. "I can get all I want of that from the office. But you're thinking too small. I have made believers who would gladly throw away their lives for my name. There is no greater army that those who answer a call! Mark my words, in a few years I'll have gathered an army large enough to tear this country apart and rebuild it under my name!!"
Ed sighed. "Makes no difference to me."
"What?!"
"After all, there's no way to bring people back to life. Once you cut me down, I'm gone for good."
"I'm afraid you're right. Even with the Philosopher's Stone, I wouldn't dare try human alchemy. I would end up like you. And why would a king risk his life for the sake of his mindless pawns?"
Ed bit into a loaf of bread. "Sounds pretty logical to me," he said, his voice muffled by the bread.
Cornello frowned. "Wait a second… weren't you tied up?"
Ed chuckled and showed what he had been covering up… a microphone in the wall.
Cornello panicked. "WHAT?! HOW LONG HAS THAT THING BEEN ON?!"
"Long enough!" Ed grinned.
"How did you get my broadcasting equipment?!"
"With a couple friends working on the outside. Yeah, I know you smashed the armor to pieces, but that was actually some metal that I whipped up to look like him!"
"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM MY CHILDREN! HE LIES! DON'T BELIEVE HIM!!" Then suddenly the broadcast was cut short by a series of gunshots.
Cornello held a transmuted machine gun, breathing heavily. Ed transmuted his arm and cut the machine gun in half. "By the way, I don't get my skills from a pocketwatch," he grinned.
Suddenly, the room shook with the force of an explosion from the upper floors, and dust fluttered down from the ceiling.
"What the hell is going on?!" Cornello yelled.
Ed sweatdropped. "I'm going to kill her," he growled.
"'Her'? Who is she?" Cornello demanded.
A hole suddenly appeared in the ceiling, accompanied with the light of a transmutation. Saya stuck her head through the hole and grinned. "That would be me," she smiled. "Hanabi Saya. Nice to meet you!"
Cornello gasped, then ran out of the cell.
"You overdid it," Ed grumbled. "How long've you been rampaging through the building?"
"That's rude!" Saya retorted, extending an arm. "C'mon, let's finish this. He ran outside."
Ed jumped and grabbed her hand. She heaved him through the hole. "Front door's three doors to your left, then out the big churchy-looking doors," she grinned.
"We need to talk about this later."
"Whatever. Let's hurry and go before the 'believers' beat us to pummeling Cornello."
Saya laughed and ran out the door. "O-oi, wait up!" Ed yelled.
She stopped and bowed mockingly to him at the 'big churchy-looking doors' and opened them for him. "You first! Wouldn't want to miss a chance to become more famous now, would you?"
Ed sweatdropped. "How polite," he muttered, before stepping through.
Saya didn't really listen as Ed told down Cornello. She stared at the huge statue of the Sun God, before she looked at her permanent marker and smirked.
"I'm warning you, give it up," Ed growled.
Cornello smirked. "You didn't fool me with that little display down there. When you don't have this pocketwatch, the only thing you can transmute is your arm," he said, holding up the confiscated State Alchemist watch.
Ed scowled. "Know what? You're not the only one who can't stand doubters." He clapped his hands and placed them palm down on the ground. "Here's the real hammer of God!!"
The gigantic statue of Leto crashed through the door of the church. Cornello gasped and fell back. "I… I don't believe it… not even the Philosopher's Stone could move something that big…"
The statue raised a fist and bent down to punch the ground near Cornello, smashing the iron statue made the previous day.
"OI BEAN!!" Saya yelled, clinging to the statue's shoulder for dear life. Dropping to the ground, she ran over to him and shook a finger in his face. "Maybe you'll try telling someone before you transmute something like that!!"
Ed twitched. "Element of surprise works wonders. What the hell were you doing up there anyways?"
Saya suddenly sweatdropped and quickly thrust her permanent marker back into one of the pouches on her belt. "Nothing…"
Both teens glared at Cornello. "NO!" he yelled. "I won't let you have it!" He started to run away… but there was a red flash, and metal pipes and wires stuck out of the flesh on Cornello's arm. He screamed with pain.
Saya gasped. "It's recoiling…"
Ed scowled and grabbed Cornello's hand… just in time to see the Stone stop glowing and evaporate. His eyes widened. "It was an imitation…"
"What?!" Saya yelled. "That can't be, not after all this!!"
Ed chuckled. "After all this… after all the trouble you've put us through… even the Stone was a fake?!"
Saya's face fell. "Ed…"
"QUIT MESSING WITH ME!" Ed yelled, punching the ground, cracking the stone. He clenched his teeth, then stalked off.
Saya sighed. She bent down and patted Cornello on the head. "Guess what old geezer?" she asked cheerfully.
Cornello looked up. Big mistake.
Saya punched him with all the power she could summon in her automail arm. "I don't like you," she said in that same cheerful voice. Reaching into his pocket, she took out Ed's silver watch. "I need to return this to my friend," she informed him. "We'll probably be leaving now, and he'll need this back. Don't bother to keep in touch."
"God must really hate us," Ed sighed as he sat with Al on a bridge overlooking the market about an hour later. "And here I thought we could finally get your body back…"
"Your arm and leg too, Nii-san," Al pointed out.
Saya found them. "Hey you guys," she said.
"Hi Saya-san," Al sighed. Apparently, Ed had told him about the fake Philosopher's Stone.
Saya dangled Ed's silver watch in front of his face. "Here. I got this back."
He took it. "Thanks." Standing up, he stretched. "I guess we've got to get going then. There's nothing here."
"You should have never come here!" Rose cried, running up to them. "Cornello-sama gave us hope! What right did you have to take that away from us? With him, we believed we could do anything! We're a desert village, we had nothing before that!"
"You're saying we should've just let that keep going?" Ed asked.
"Well why not?" Rose demanded. "We ha- no, I have no hope anymore. What do I have to live for now that I know Kain won't come back? You guys tell me!"
Saya made a face. "I misjudged. I still don't like you."
Ed turned. "You're the one who has to decide what to live for. Stand and walk, keep moving forwards. You've got a strong pair of legs, get up and use them." He demonstrated this by walking away towards the city gate.
Rose fell to her knees, stunned. Saya walked up and poked the taller girl's forehead with a smile. "Bye bye! Maybe next time we meet, I'll be able to like you better," she said, not unkindly. Then she followed Ed.
Al watched them go, before bending down on one knee to talk to Rose. "They were trying to help you, you know. They just don't really handle these sort of things very well."
"Go away," Rose whispered.
"You can still believe and hope for the best. I still do," Al told her. He patted her shoulder then ran to catch up with Ed and Saya.
She watched them leave wordlessly.
"Well goodbye Lior," Saya sighed, looking back at the town disappearing into the distance. "I won't be missing you."
The sun started to sink into a red fire. "Looks like we're going to have to camp out tonight," Al commented.
Ed wasn't saying anything. Saya grinned. "Oh cheer up. It's not like it's the first wild-goose chase we've done. We'll find it soon, don't you worry."
Ed still didn't say anything.
Saya sighed. Damn, looks like I'll have to do it… "Aw, is the little super-miniature bean sulking?"
Al sweatdropped. "Saya-san…"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SUPER-MINIATURE GRAIN OF RICE THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT UNDER A MICROSCOPE TO BE SEEN AT ALL!?" Ed roared.
Saya ran. "Oh nooo, it's the attack of the microscopic chibi!"
"WHAT WAS THAT?!?!?!"
Al sighed as he watched Saya and Ed run off. "Well… I guess it worked," he muttered. "Hey you guys! Wait for me!" he called, running after them.
Next: Hello Aquroya, city of water. Why does Ed want to stop at this tourist place?