Again
Sorry it's short, but it is more of a direct follow on from Part II.
I'm thinking more Al next chapter or we'll be going back to Roy...hmm decisions XD
Thank you for reading and I'll see you with the next update ~ Dawn
Chapter 2 - The Value of Family
Part III: Al
He was being melted, and it was all he could do was hold on to his body. This was the closest thing he felt to pain; why was he here? He should not be here. How could he escape? Too late; his body was cooling down into its new shape. Despite his trying to move, he found himself trapped with too little energy to cry out. Now he was sinking again…away…away…
"Alphonse!" May shouted, shaking Al as he sharply awoke, panting from the vividness of the dream. He'd never lost consciousness because of his dreams before, until now. Ling was looking oddly at him, his head cocked to an angle as he was analysing what could have happened to Al.
"What happened then, Alphonse? We were just discussing how you deciphered the code. You saved Xing and then you have to take a nap," Lin's playfulness suddenly melded away. In a hushed tone he continued, leaning over to whisper to Al, just in reach so May could hear; "How come you suddenly passed out, Al? Is there something else that is wrong? What caused this?"
Al shook his head, not knowing how to answer. He was as confused and disorientated as she was. Even though the Emperor was one of his companions, he would have to be careful addressing the leader of a country. They were not equals struggling to survive anymore. "I've been getting nightmares ever since I got more original body back. They usually strike when I am weariest, and perhaps the enormity of this task has finally got to me…"
Rubbing his hands over his eyes, Al sat up, trying to sound as convincing as possible. He hated lying, even discreetly and only a half-lie. The nightmares had been progressively getting worse and he had a minor one every time he slept in truth. In response, Lin only nodded, and allowed May to resume her findings.
"The writer of this note obviously had bad handwriting, so it had to be a child who wrote this. Perhaps the original writer did not want to be caught, so he forced the child to write the note so he could not be captured. Even though the note looks simplistic, the letter "o" appears far more than it should and some of the words make no sense. Al thought it looked like a circle, so we joined all the "o's" up.
"We found a transmutation circle using alkahestry. Two triangles overlap here, from the centre to the bottom of the circle to form an arrow facing upwards, towards the heavens. This symbol has one meaning: defeat."
Ling gaped at the design and shouted "LAN FAN!" Immediately, as a cat would pounce on its target, she was by his side, an apple pie freshly baked in her hands which she dropped and let clatter onto the table; the transmutation circle had caught her attention. She looked at the design and stared at her Emperor. "That is the design that he showed us, wasn't it, my king?"
Handing the apple pie to Alphonse and May, Ling exclaimed "You are going to need to eat that, if you are going to process what I am about to tell you. Do not think you are the only ones who have been gathering intelligence from the past few months," Al went to take a slice as did May.
Without making a sound, Ling grabbed the rest of the pie and stuffed it into his mouth while Al rolled his eyes. "How can an Emperor rule if he has no clarity of mind?"
"Ok, so before I saw you two, I met with General Mustang. He wished for his identity to be concealed from any prying eyes, so that is why the lights were dimmed as you were brought to me through the palace. General Armstrong at Briggs has noticed several alchemists missing in the north and in Rush Valley there was a mysterious explosion. Your brother, Al, discovered it was caused by alkahestry, and a young girl by the name of Ventura from Creta, gifted with alchemy, has been kidnapped and her brother, with no skill in alchemy, was murdered. Around the site of the explosion was this symbol, "defeat". Mustang expects that alchemists are being stolen from Amestris and neighbouring countries to fuel these revolts. In the hope to…defeat me…"
Typical Ed falling into trouble again, but a scandal as huge as this! "Have other bordering countries like Fraxern had "shadow dancers" missing? I was in Fraxern less than a year ago, and there were no problems involving their shadows."
As they were discussing, a figure strolled into the throne room. May, Lan Fan and Ling could sense their presence with their ability to detect Chi, but Al was oblivious since he had not inherited this genetic ability, even though he could wield alkahestry. A small boy with shining black hair waltzed up to the where the four individuals were and glanced nonchalantly at the crumpled notes, pretending he was interested, however, something registered within his eyes. "Defeat, huh."
"Lucien, what are you doing here? I told you to leave us be when I was in a meeting. Now, go," Ling stared firmly at the young boy who was a mirror image of his father.
"Wait," May hesitantly spoke through the discord between father and son. "He knew what this alkahestry symbol meant…"
"Of course I know what it means. Furthermore, I also know about the Xingese revolts and how Amestris, Creta and Aerugo might be involved. Why would they be concerned for our politics? You forget Drachma too, which is almost twice the size of Xing," Lucien smirked and glared at Al. "Hurry home, alchemist, while you still can…"
After he had left, May and Al were told the story of how Ling Yao's son was a genius from the moment he could speak. As Ling had offered the Philosopher's Stone to the Emperor, he accepted it thankfully, but demanded a toast, to share the stone's contents. If Ling had refused, he would have been executed for defying the Lord. He had swallowed half of the stone's contents, but the souls which powered it were fevered and weak, and had no real motive to survive. One soul however, an ex-surgeon from Ishval, remained within Ling as all the other souls collided with his body. Lucien, his first son, had had the soul passed onto him without the Emperor's knowledge; therefore all of the information the soul had gained resided in the boy. As an equivalent exchange, he was ostracized for being different and had very poor health.
"The wonder of alchemy…" Al whispered with the words faint on his lips. "Whoever spoke, Lucien or the surgeon, they were right. These revolts cannot be directed solely at Xing. Why would Amestris go to the trouble of shipping their own alchemists over to Xing, where there are revolts which do not affect them? Therefore, these revolts in Xing and alchemists going missing in Amestris are two separate things. We are going to have to act quickly, to find out what it means…"
"To think, my own son and Lan Fan's arm having to pay for my greed so I could become Emperor. That's why I keep him close at hand, so he can have the best opportunities for his happiness. He is still Lucien, and he is still my son," Ling Yao gazed fondly at the direction to where the boy had left the room. His attention averted back to the matter at hand rapidly, "General Mustang gave me this note and he sealed it up with his flame alchemy. Even I have not seen it," the Emperor murmured as he handed Alphonse Elric the note. It read:
"I bet you want a trip back home. After all, home is relaxing and everywhere seems to be stressful nowadays."
A second note was crumpled underneath it, scribbled hastily and was barely readable, "A caller aides…once more…in that rescue …for…oh dear meat".
It was typical of Mustang to leave something in code. Now he would have to decipher it, for the General would not be bothered with his time unless he solved it. "Please excuse me, Emperor, Lan Fan. I have something to do…"