Note: SORRY FOR THE SUPER LATE UPDATE! School work sucks so I had only the Halloween vacation to do this story…which is only for a couple of days plus with the damn school projects itching at my sides. Honestly why do teachers tend to give school works when students are on vacation? That's just totally sadistic and unfair…-pout-
Anyways… this story is not beta – read…for now…I'm getting second thoughts of posting this already or not…Ms. Cullen is quite busy nowadays so she can't beta- read this…Don't worry Maddy we understand…:D
Again I am sorry for not updating, I hope you'll still read and review…:)
Oh well here's the next chapter. I tried my hardest to spot the wrong grammars and spellings but I still bet it has a lot…(damn myself for having weak grammar…)
Another note: The italics are either the character's thoughts or Catherine's visions…so don't be confused, okay?
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing about FMA…though I wish I own Ed…oh well..
Chapter 14: Gate within part I
A year ago…
"Are you in there, honey?" A crossed voice of a woman called out from outside of an abandoned building, particularly an old basement formerly used by a company that once existed.
The front entrance of the said structure creaked open, its old and rusted hinges squeaked noisily through out the hollow area. A woman around the age of thirty peeked her head through the small crack of the door, her crimson eyes surveyed for any disturbances and harm.
When she found nothing near to danger, she continued to maneuver inside the room; taking one precautious step at a time. The clicking sounds of her heels echoed tingly, reaching every dark corner of the edifice as she began to observe her surroundings.
For a basement that wasn't used for what looked like for decades, it seemed to be organized and neat in some level. The boxes were noticeably put aside to every corner to make the center as spacious as possible. The tables were done at the same way and the floor looks like it had just been swept tidily.
Why would her daughter be in a place like this anyway?
Soft pit patters of the rain were then heard from the outside, the already darkened sky dimming even more from the small glass windows of the basement.
"Nicky? You in here? It's time to go home it's past nine already." She resumed into calling her daughter. She walked more into the room, a strange feeling slowly crawling into her at every step she took.
"Come on Nicky we have to go home now. Dad will be worried and we don't have any umbrella so we can't afford to run through a storm." The mother made her voice pleading, hoping that she can get her stubborn daughter's obedience somehow.
But not even a sound of scowl she was so used to hear from her child when scolded reached her ears. The darkness didn't contribute any help either. Not to mention the worsening weather they are about to go through.
"I bet she purposely destroyed the lighting system here. That child I swear…" She muttered to herself, thunder roaring beside her to make her company.
The woman stopped in her tracks before whipping a few chestnut strands that managed to fall on her shoulders, an impatient expression starting to form in her features, followed by a frown that can rarely be seen from her.
"Nicole Smith Graden, come here right this instant or I'll tear this place apart! Enough games already!" The mother screamed angrily to no one, very certain that a reply or a moving shadow will come next.
The rain continued to pour outside.
She stood there for a few moments; puffing her rage to save herself from burning with resentment as she wait for any action from her child. She really has to put some punishment over the girl.
A month grounded from any outdoor activities aside from school sounds fair enough.
"You are in so much trouble young lady." She growled dangerously as she began to march forward again, attempting to still find her daughter to make her punishment into work. She then felt she stepped on something, stopping her from her vehement strides.
"Huh?"
The woman bent down to have a better inspection of what is it; her brown locks sliding from behind her ears. She then picked it up and returned to her feet; distinguishing that the object was a book.
She did a quick scrutiny of the hard cover of the article, not really knowing what kind of book it is because of the lack of light to make her eyes to do its work. Then she flipped the first page and smoothed the rough paper with her nimble fingers; squinting her ruby eyes to decipher the writings through the darkness. As if it wanted to help, a lightning stroke through the sky, giving her the chance to have the quickest glance she can get from the book.
What she saw made her eyes dilate in horror realization. She stood there frozen like ice, the book sliding from her weakening hands until it fell soundly on the hard floor.
It can't be…that book….why does her daughter have that kind of book. Could she possibly…
"No…Nicky." She breathed out in terror; her whole body began to shake with fear. Lightning crashed again, flashing the humongous transmutation array drawn all over the floor where she stood, together with the book in her feet opened to it's first page that has a head title saying 'Human transmutation.'
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A black car screeched through the busy road of Central City, its old tires rolling through the bulky cobblestones as far as it can. Inside the said vehicle sat five people, including the driver who isolated himself with a window separating the front and the back seats. The back seats were occupied by a man with onyx hair around his twenties with an eleven-year-old girl beside him, her eyes boring somewhere as the man shoot them information she did not think she has any reason to care. They sat opposite from a blond boy who has his eyes darted at the man talking in front of him and beside him is an armor who didn't move a finger ever since the start of the trip, afraid he'll smash the door beside him.
Roy Mustang lifted a folder filled with a thick ream of documents, flipping the last page as he read the last bits of its information.
"…created an officially breathing chimera that can talk and understand the human language." He finished and placed the folder back to his lap to see the slackened jaws of the children with him.
"It can…talk?" Ed inquired one last time, amazement still laced in his voice. Catherine and Al shared his feeling as they continued to stare at Mustang for him to say something else that might make the statement a little more believable.
"Yes. He did one in his last assessment a year ago." The soldier added, making Ed's eyes widen more in fascination.
"How…did he do that?"
Mustang just sighed as an answer and said,
"Maybe combine some genes of different species of animals to somewhat forge the human DNA…no clue really. You need to talk to him about that." With that their conversation was cut into silence for several minutes until the vehicle halted in their destination.
The three then followed the Lt. Colonel to a house that they were informed to be staying until Ed and Al can take the state exam. What they didn't get informed about was what kind of house was it…
Until they were staring face to face with a gigantic mansion standing at a two-hectare lot…
"This is so…" Ed trailed off with his eyes ready to pop out of his head.
"Yeah it's pretty big." Al stated more straightly beside him with Catherine who just glanced around, not minding the size of the house as much as Ed and Al were.
"Hey kids!" They heard Roy called and they turned to see him already standing by the door. "The door's over here!"
The three nodded and they proceeded towards the entrance, suitcases in hand. They were on their way when a rather big shadow hovered over Ed. The blond turned a shaky head to see a hairy black and white dog lunging at him.
"AHHHHHH!"
The animal wagged his tail contently as he sat at the flattened kid under him, his tongue hanging in eager excitement at his newfound playmate.
"Brother…" Al sighed as he reached his gloved hand a little, showing a little sympathy for his small brother, but not really feeling the need to help him. Catherine just looked at the dog instead, a deep frown curled in her lips as she glared at the smoldering eyes of the dog before her.
If this fur ball tried to tackle her like Den did she sw-
"Alexander!" A tiny voice of a girl scolded and all faces turned to the door to see a brunette girl about the age of four peeking through the cracked door, her brows knitted angrily over her pet.
"That's bad Alexander!" She demanded but the dog didn't move a muscle. A man with glasses then appeared from behind the small girl, bowing his head repeatedly in excuse for the rude welcoming.
"Oh dear. I'm so sorry." He apologized meekly a few more times before he finally let them inside.
Books and scribbled papers were everywhere, decorating the spacious house. Even how big it is, you can't determine the dining from the living room area because of all the folders and books scattered along the floor and in the chairs and tables as well.
"Sorry about the house. My wife's been gone and it seems everything here really lacks a woman's touch as you can see." He excused with a faint smile.
"It's alright Mr. Tucker." Roy shrugged it off.
"So you're Mr. Tucker, the Sewing Life Alchemist." Ed concluded at the man,
"Yes." Roy answered for him.
"And Mr. Tucker, I would like you to meet Edward and Alphonse Elric and their friend Catherine…"
"Ederson." Supplied the ruby – eyed girl.
"Right. So the brothers are planning to take the alchemy exam this year and I would like to ask you to let them study here until the examinations come." Roy articulated formally.
Tucker nodded without hesitation. "Such young faces." He commented over Ed and Catherine, since Al cannot be seen as young anymore with his armor.
"Why does big brother wear an armor? Isn't it heavy?" The brunette girl asked as she tugged Al's metal arm, wriggling it with her little hands. Al chuckled softly at the adorable gesture.
"It's no problem. Big brother is strong!" The armor assured with his usual friendly voice. He then shivered when he caught the house owner's questioning stare.
"Oh, this is my daughter Nina." Tucker introduced, shortly tearing his uncanny eyes from Alphonse.
"Hi!" Nina greeted sweetly at Al, her head tilting slightly to the side cutely.
"Hi Nina. My name's Alphonse." The armor greeted back happily.
"Uh, Nina, can you play with Alexander at the garden for now?" Tucker asked his daughter gently. Nina frowned in disagreement; her hands still gripping at Al's metal ones.
"Come on. Go now." Tucker pursued.
"Don't worry. I'll play with you later." Al conceded which made the little girl obey her father heartily then ran towards the door leading to the back garden.
"Alexander! Let's go outside and play!" They heard her exclaimed followed by a howl of agreement from the dog before they disappeared outside, leaving the room with heavy silence.
"They are also asking if you could show them your experiments as to how you create a talking chimera." Roy broke out which made Tucker's eyes gloomed darkly, but none of them noticed.
"Sure. I'll show them. If it's not a problem, we'll they also share me a little about them. Equivalent exchange that is." He said and looked at the three for some answers.
Ed averted his gaze, letting his golden bangs to cascade his eyes from showing any hint of his overflowing reminisce.
Al merely bowed his head in shame, a sound of cry escaped through his armor.
Catherine just squinted her eyes on the question asked; trying so hard to not go back to every detail of those events that she badly wants to conceal herself from.
"You have to talk them out about that. Oh well, I better go now. See you, kids." He bid goodbye to the three and turned to approach the door when he suddenly halted from his tracks.
"By the way, Brigadier General Basque Grande wants you to remind you about the upcoming assessment you'll be having by the end of the year." Roy informed before he completely exited the house.
"Yes. I will keep that in mind." The alchemist answered, his eyes shadowed by the bright light reflected by his spectacles.
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The wooden door creaked open and a ray of light entered through the thin crack, pouring the dark room with some light to make the dusty bookshelves perceptible to the eyes.
Tucker then opened the door to its widest, letting Ed, Al and Catherine to see the lines of mahogany bookshelves occupying almost the whole room, leaving only a small amount of space in between them to make a walkway for the people whole like to read the hundreds of articles each layer is holding.
The height of the said furniture soar all the way to the ceiling, just like the information and knowledge in stored within their books' leaves. A ladder was even present beside each shelf, which is mainly used by anyone who would want to read the books out of reach.
"This is awesome." Ed breathed out with his honey eyes sparkling with excitement, awestruck at what he was seeing.
"The library back in Dublith is nothing compare to this one." Al interlined with his brother.
Tucker gave out a chuckle.
"This is used to be my laboratory but I usually had it as my study room so I've decided to keep all of my books in here. But this is nothing compared to the Central Library. As they say, 'Even you repeat you're life a hundred times, you'll never read all the thousands of books it has.'" Tucker articulated with a small smile plastered in his face.
Al smiled in the inside, waves of excitement splashing inside his metal body. "Isn't it great brother?" He cheered like a little boy he is.
No answer.
"Brother?" Al called, turning to his side to see only Catherine looking around the room with her usual cold, bored eyes.
The armor searched more until he spotted the small blond alchemist in a corner, a blue book in his gloved hand with his studious eyes reading the text of the first page. From the looks of it, the young boy already had himself occupied with a book for the next hours of the day.
Al laughed softly through his armor.
"Looks like he already started." The young Elric concluded gleefully.
"Well I have work to do so I'll leave you kids here for the time being. I'll let Nina call you for lunch." The Sewing Life Alchemist inquired as he prepared himself to leave the room; his hand already attached on the silver doorknob.
"Yes. Thank you again for letting us stay here, Mr. Tucker." Al mentioned with a polite bow.
"Oh it's nothing. Well I'll see you at lunch later. You kids have a lot of studying to do." He finished before leaving the room. Alphonse waved politely then proceeded to the shelves to join his brother and friend.
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An hour passed by quickly for the three as they continue to dig their heads at as many books as they can.
Edward had himself absorbed by another book for the fifth time has a couple of finished books at his right side and ten more at his left side, which fall down to the category of 'still unread' books.
Al is the same as his older brother, only that he has fewer books finished than of Edward.
Catherine, on the other hand, does not look like she was reading at all. She did look from one book to another by just reading a couple of sentences from them. But after that she'll just drop it at her side uninterestedly and go to the next book again, doing the same routine for over an hour now.
Al's helmet perked up after the what- twentieth- noise his friend had produced from dropping a book to the floor again like a useless trash, pulling another one to scan it in a minute or two.
"Catherine? What are you doing? Are you reading?" He asked, refraining from his book.
The girl dropped another book soundly with a sigh before turning to her armored friend, a thin line of frown drawn at her face.
"Not really. It's just that there's nothing good here to read." She answered before sitting down at the floor with her legs crossed; placing her elbow above her thigh before resting a cheek to her palm.
"You've been there for an hour now yet you still didn't find a good book to read?" Al pursued questioningly, not expecting that she was that choosy when it comes to books.
The armor then reached his arm out to fetch one of the books she was throwing all over the place. His hollow eyes then scanned the cover and read,
"Analytical Alchemy."
He picked another one.
"Learning Alchemical Formulas and Theories: Advanced"
And another.
"Structural components of the Periodic Elements."
And…
"Element's alchemic arrays."
Al put down the last book to his side then looked questioningly at Catherine who hadn't bother to react at what he was doing; remaining in her position to look at the floor with more interest.
"These books aren't bad at all. In fact I think they had complex ideas that amateur alchemists like ourselves aren't capable of comprehending." Al stated as – a – matter – of – factly.
"I don't wanna read them." She muttered while playing with the red strands that managed to reach between her closed legs.
"Why is that?"
"'Cause I know them already." She answered straightly. She may sound to him as arrogant but it's the truth.
This time Edward tore his attention from his book to what he had just heard, listening to the conversation intently.
"Wha-what do you mean?" Al asked, confused.
Catherine let out a tired sigh. She really doesn't want to answer that. Opening this topic again is the last thing she wants to do right now. But she can't find an enough reason to not to.
"I saw and learnt it from…" She hesitated, looking up at him to meet his holes with her crimson ones.
"From what?" Another voice interrupted and Catherine turned to see Edward lending his ears to her as well.
She knotted her brows, not really willing to continue what she's about to say.
Will she really tell them that she learnt alchemy lessons from a gate with hideous black creatures? And didn't they saw the horrible thing too? As a matter of fact, they paid a heavier price than she did – losing two limbs and a body and all – and yet she's the one who gained access to more knowledge who sacrificed only her memories? And her visions. Why does she have them in the first place?
Nothing sounds logical to the young alchemist.
Her frown deepened, as well as Ed's impatience.
"Well?" He pursued at her who gave him a brief stern look before standing at her feet; her fist curled into tight balls.
"It's nothing. Just forget about it." She dismissed the subject and walked away towards the end of the shelf where a ladder was standing.
Al's gaze followed her with worriment, feeling another chill that the girl is keeping another secret from them.
From him.
He thought from the first time he talked to her that she already trusted him after she narrated her story to him. But guess he was a little wrong about that.
Edward, on the other hand, observed the girl suspiciously, calculating at his mind some answers to his questions.
Al once told him that the girl came from another world, through the gate.
The gate.
Wait…can't it be…
He continued to watch Catherine who climbed up the first five steps of the ladder, stopping on the sixth one to pull another book that caught her eye.
…she saw something inside the gate too?
She held the book with her free hand while her other grasp on the ladder's leg for support, scanning the book title that says,
"Alchemy and its Mystical Elements."
Edward then raised an eyebrow as he pondered on that, another question popping in his head.
"Hey Catherine. Aren't you…going to take the exam with us?" Ed interrogated towards the girl who just squinted her eyes at the question.
"Yeah. You're an alchemist too, right?" The armor pressed on, turning to her for an answer as well.
Catherine considered that for a moment; blazing her hard eyes on the book cover to somehow find her response from the piece of literature.
Does she have to join this so – called military in order to help these numbskulls?
"No." She shot back at them firmly.
"Wh-why not?" Al almost sounded that he squeaked his question.
"Yeah, why not? You can do alchemy without circles, right?" The older Elric alleged.
With this statement, Catherine snapped her head to him, her eyes slitted as they look at the alchemist austerely.
"You did it back at Majahal's place. I'm just bringing back a question I've already asked before: How did you do alchemy without any array? Only our teacher can do that as far as I know." Ed articulated directly at her; his honey eyes daring to break the confinements of her secrets concealed within her cold eyes.
Al was taken aback from what he had heard. He knew that she can perform alchemy like them…but without circles?
Catherine ripped her gaze from his and glared at the lined books placed neatly in row in front of her. "Find that out yourself."
Edward managed an irritated frown from what she said. That's what she most likely told him the last time he asked the particular question.
"Lessons are best learned through one's self." She quoted at him before going back to her book.
Well this better do. She said mentally and flipped the first three pages, skipping the introduction part. On the brown page was drawn an array with symbols and schematic shapes that she has not seen from any book she had read or even from the gate itself.
Edward glared at her heatedly. He really doesn't trust this girl from the very first second he met her. There's this feeling that the girl carries these strange vibes he couldn't really decipher. It's not like Catherine was a threat to their lives or anything. From the looks of it, even she has a cold exterior, kindness was still beneath it and his brother Al feels the same thing too, taking in notice the attachment he had developed with the girl.
It's just that there's like something inside of her, like a sleeping monster, that when awaken one day, will cause riot never yet known to man. The only reason he let her come with them is that she was coincidently right about their human alchemy, which only because he suspects she had also done the same thing too, considering that she saw the gate.
That matter also counts in his reasons. The girl has knowledge that can somehow help them to restore their bodies back. Her ability of alchemy without circles includes as well.
But why won't she just tell they how? She wants to help them, right?
Edward snarled at her and huffed to another side, looking like a child out of candy.
"Fine then, I'll find it out my own way. But one more thing, why won't you join the military as well? With your abilities you'll easily pass." The blond boy questioned.
Catherine rolled her head lazily at him, looking at him and Al with her usual icy eyes.
"I don't think joining that military shimmy will help me in any way and besides…I don't want to be under some other person's orders. I work on my own." She explained simply at them before returning to read her book.
"Catherine…" Al sighed. Why does she have to be bitter all the time?
The blond alchemist decided to quit talking to a cold steak like her and dig his attention to his book once more, somehow offended by the girl's words even if he's still not part of that military shimmy.
She went back to the opened page of her book once again and continued to exam the foreign array. As she looked longer at it, it somehow became familiar to her, but odd at the same time. All of a sudden, it glew purple light for a split second; making her eyes expand in surprise.
Then before she knows it, her head began to throb with tremendous pain that she even let the book slip from her hand just to clutch her breaking head.
"Catherine?" Al asked from the sound of a dropped book again, thinking that she began to throw her uninteresting books again, but then panicked when he saw her grappling her temple with serious pain.
"Catherine!" He then ran to her aide at the bottom of the ladder, looking up at her fretfully.
"What's wrong with her, Al?" Ed asked as he began to stand on his feet to see the commotion.
The girl tried to climb down, but her dizziness her headache causes removed her balance; making her fall down towards the hard floor.
"Catherine!" Al then caught her before she touched the ground, her expression contorted with agony.
"Hey what's wrong? Are you okay?" The armor's gentle voice questioned softly down at her; just hearing it made her a tad bit better in some way she couldn't even understand.
"I'm fine. Just put me down." She growled her words out in agony.
"But-" Al didn't have the chance to finish his self when the girl pulled herself up and jumped from his arms; quickly taking a hold of the edge of a shelf's layer to remain standing.
Catherine bent down a little and picked the newest book she found before marching limply towards the door.
Al watched her worriedly; the fact that he saw her dig her nails unto her throbbing head caused an urge to just carry welled inside of him.
"Hey are you s-" A rather hard click of the door interrupted him this time; letting him end his sentence with an exasperated sigh. Some part of him really thinks that the girl can be more stubborn than his obstinate brother can.
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She clasped a hand to the hard wall beside her; dropping the book again to let her other hand claw her scalp to rip the disturbing pain in her head. She scowled in pain as she forcedly walked away from the room to prevent the brothers from overhearing her.
Still not reaching another room her legs already flailed to the ground. Catherine dug her nails to her hurting temple, having another one to do the same but the pain didn't leave for any of that.
"Agghhh.." She growled, taking a handful of red strands in both of her hands, still working to make the throbbing go away. It feels like something is kicking and punching inside her head, trying to split her skull apart.
She tilted her head up and suppressed a scream of pain, then bowed it and grasped on her scalp as if to get the invader causing her agony out of her head. She blinked her eyes a few times, putting her edging consciousness in check.
She tried to stand up, slowly, before using the wall for support again. Why is this happening? Is it her visions again?
"No.." She denied, her eyes flickered with anger and pain.
"They've already stop. They must ha-" As if to answer her, a rush of visions passed through her mind's eye….
A hairy creature with brown and white fur stood before her eyes. It turned to face her, its tail magnificently falling behind him. Until its red glowing eyes took hers…
Eyes full of pain and suffering…
"Help me…" It burled out in a growl of an animal.
She wanted to approach it.
She wanted to help.
She reached her hand out, assuring to the creature of her aide.
But before she can make her first step, the surrounding dissolved to a void of nothingness.
Everything was white.
"Ahh..stop it." Catherine tried to fight the vision out, but it continued nonetheless.
"Human….you are all foolish and weak." A voice echoed through out the vivid whiteness surrounding her.
"Stop…get out." Catherine hurled as she constantly held her temple tightly, banging herself to the concrete wall beside her.
A horrid laugh filled the place, its sounds washing the girl's ears with terror.
"AHHH!" She screamed and pressed her forehead on the cold wall, her hands still attached to her head to claw her scalp painfully.
She then found herself face to face with an enormous array drawn in intangible air. The array she saw in that book…
A gate not big as the array appeared at the other side; making the bizarre transmutation circle the divider between her and the gate.
The gate then began to creak loudly. Catherine watched the opening passage intently, wondering what's inside it and dilate her ruby eyes when she saw the monstrous huge eye she encountered back then emerging from the gate, blackish hands and creatures poking at its sides.
"We meet again, human. Or should I say, my Lefix." Its sentence then followed a horrifying laugh, drowning the girl with more fear.
"Lefix? What the hell do you mean by Lefix? And what the hell are you doing inside of me? GET OUT!" She hollered at the Eye wildly as pointed an imaginary door behind her furiously.
The creature just cackled at her.
"How energetic." It praised and the dark arms and creatures at its side began to move forward, ready to wrap her with their wrath.
Catherine shielded herself with her arms as the hands of darkness were nearing her.
The humongous array separating her from the gate glowed white, reflecting the Eye's attack back to it.
"What?" She asked, lost.
The Eye was surprised as well.
"So you've activated my seal. I thought you'll never find out." It stated.
"Huh?" She was still confused. That weird array from the book is…this beast's seal?
"What are you blabbering about?" She demanded with fury.
"It's just for a matter of time before I break it…and then…" His sentence then turned into a malicious laugh so deep it echoed throughout the endless space…
Catherine opened her eyes as widely as she can; breathing as hardly as she can. She found herself still in her feet, a hand clasped on the cold wall to maintain her remaining balance.
That vision….what does it mean now?
"Big sister, are you alright?" A girl's tiny voice squeaked beside her. Catherine snapped her head in surprise to see little Nina looking at her through her big emerald eyes with a troubled expression in features.
A/N: Sorry I had to cut it…I'll try to type the continuation as soon as I can…
And is "Graun" the correct name of the Iron Blood Alchemist? Please correct me if you know the right one…:)
Hope you'll read and review…XD