Authors' Notes:
Chibi-chan: Hi! OMG, I meant to have this chapter out on Friday but wouldn't let me upload it! I felt bad 'cause I promised I'd have it out last week. I'm sorry!
Jin's Lady: Chill, it's only -Counts- three days late. That's really not a lot. It's better than not updating for a month...
Chibi-chan: But we've done that too...
Jin's Lady: Shhh! No one needs to know that.
Chibi-chan: ...Right. Anyway, -Sigh- Morgan can you do the disclaimer? Pleeeeease?
Morgan: ... Fine. But only 'cause you asked so nicely. Chibi-chan and Jin's Lady do not own any of Fullmetal Alchemist. However, they do own Morgan and Kaytie.
Chibi-chan: Thank-you! And thank-you to those who reviewed for Chapter 12. I realized after I posted 13 that I didn't thnk you guys! So thank-you! Enjoy, Read, and Review please!
Chapter 14: An Imitation
Cornello grinned and it made Morgan want to rip it right if his face. "Alchemists forbid their own from transmuting lead into gold but there's one practice even more taboo." Morgan could only assume that he was talking to Rose because it was painfully obvious that she, Ed, and Al already knew this, seeing as they were alchemists and two out of three of the had tried it. "It goes against even nature. Human Transmutation- that is, alchemy, on human souls."
Rose's eyes widened and she let out a strangled gasp as Ed and Al averted their eyes from hers. Morgan sighed; she could honestly say that she didn't see this coming. Cornello turned his attention on the brunette once more, "Did you try it too?" He asked jeeringly. "On your dead parents perhaps?" He mocked.
Morgan scuffed, a conceited smirk coming onto her face, "Of course not." She said simply. "I wouldn't be so stupid." The statement wasn't directed at Ed and Al, it was just a fact.
Cornello smirked at her direct answer. "You miserable boys..." He said to Ed and Al. "Dabbling in human alchemy without knowing its penalty. You stepped on the toes of God!"
Al started forward, "You don't know the whole story!"
"Al!" Ed said harshly. Al looked at his brother then at Morgan, who smiled sympathetically.
"But we just wanted..." Morgan could tell that he was remembering Trisha. She started tearing up, God this was hard. She didn't even want to imagine how hard it was for the boys. If it was this hard for her, it must have been almost unbearable for Ed and Al. "We just wanted to see Mom's face again... her smile..."
"But you failed, didn't you?"
"Of course they did!" Morgan interjected, wiping the tears from her eyes so no one would see them. "No one can do human transmutation!" He ignored her.
"Yeah," Ed agreed. "I'd label that a failure alright. Al lost his whole body and I lost an arm and a leg because I was reckless." He raised his automail arm and clenched his fist. "Rose, this is what it takes to raise the dead, are you willing to pay that price?!"
Rose looked like she was in shock; her hands were clasped in front of her, pulled tightly to her chest and her eyes were wide as saucers. Cornello draped a comforting arm around her shoulders. Morgan had to look away, disgusted. "Don't let them worry you Rose. The great Sun God Leto has blessed me with the Philosopher's Stone. Besides," He added conceitedly, "I have far more experience than these heretics did."
"I doesn't matter what kinda powers you have!" Ed yelled, stepping forward. "Some things just can't be done and you'd be stupid to even try!"
"What's the point in you having the stone then?" Father Cornello asked ignorantly. "You want to beat the laws of equivalence just as badly and bring your mommy back." He mocked. Morgan twitched in anger, trying to keep her temper in check. It wasn't often she was hotheaded, under pressure she was calm, cool, and collected, or so Roy said. It was another one of the reasons she qualified as a State Alchemist- probably the only good reason. However, it was hard to stay calm, cool, and collected when there was someone as ignorant as Cornello around.
"Wrong! All we want is to get our bodies normal again. See, we don't lie about what's possible. We didn't start a cult!"
Cornello twitched in anger as Al held out his hand. "We'll ask you one more time, please give us the stone."
"You are damned, State Alchemists." He said, regaining his smirk. "May the wrath of God fall upon your head."
"Stop hiding behind that crap!" Ed said angrily, swiftly bringing his fist to his side as if punching the air. "Get down here and I'll show you wrath!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of red alchemical light behind Cornello and Rose tuned to see what it was. She backed up, horrified.
Ed gasped and Morgan took a startled step backwards as Father Cornello whipped out a giant machine gun out from behind his back. He'd transmuted his cane into it using the stone.
The shooting started immediately but Ed reacted quickly, clapping his hands then transmuting a wall like the one Morgan had. Ed grabbed her wrist and Al's arm and pulled them both behind it. They could hear Cornello snickering but when the dust cleared, the snickering quickly developed into a sharp gasp. Ed sweatdropped and Morgan leaned up against the wall for support, clutching at her frantically beating heart. "That was a little close for comfort," Ed said.
"A little?!" Morgan exclaimed. If she didn't die travelling with the Elrics, surly the stress alone would kill her. She laughed but felt like crying. Her eyes rested on the ground, her back to the wall.
"Father Cornello!" Her head shot up and her eyes met a group of people dressed the same as Cornello. The leader reached inside his shirt, pulled out a gun, and started shooting at Al. He blocked his head with his arms.
Ed grabbed Morgan's arm and began pulling her toward the corner of the room. "Come on Al! This way!"
"Idiot!" Cornello shouted. "You're running straight at a wall!"
"Well," Ed shot back. "It's like I always say, if you can't find a door, make one, right Morgan?"
She grinned at him, understanding what he was implying. "Or," She said. "If you don't want people to leave, make a wall." She joked, referring to the way he trapped her in Kaytie's room back at Mrs. Krimskii's.
Ed shrugged, "Hey, it works both ways." They clapped and pressed their hands to the brick wall at the same time, causing blue alchemical light to flash and a door to appear in the middle of the wall. The three of them burst out and ran for their lives.
Morgan and Ed sat at the base of a Leto statue, out of breath, while Al stood to the side. Morgan was gasping for air- she'd never run so fast in her life. "Why did they treat us like we're evil?" Al asked. "If we really wanted the stone at al costs, we'd have taken it by now." Ed looked upset, grumbling incoherently to himself and Morgan sighed. All three of them looked up as a nearby loudspeaker squeaked to life.
"Attention people of Lior," It rang out. "This evening, three non-believers tried to take the life of out great prophet Cornello. One short and blond-" Ed twitched at this comment. "-one wearing armour, and one short brunette dressed in blue. Father Cornello asks you all to stay in your home and be safe."
"Great," Morgan said sarcastically. "Now we're wanted."
Kaytie felt like a rag doll being dragged from place to place. She stood at the top of what looked to be a bridge connecting the roofs of two buildings. Lust and Gluttony stood next to her. They watched as the towns people scurried around like little ants to find the Elric brothers and Morgan. "Thanks for getting me away from Envy," Kaytie said to Lust. "He was really getting on my nerves."
"That was some bite mark on his hand." Lust said. "You put up quite the fight. However, it isn't for us to decide your punishment. Danté will see to that when you go to her."
'They're telling on me?! What babies.' Kaytie nodded, although she didn't regret trying to help Morgan. That bastard of a prophet went back on his word when he said he wouldn't hurt her.
Morgan and the Elric brothers were surrounded by the people of Lior. They were shouting but Morgan's headache was now so bad that she could hardly hear them.
"There they are!" Someone said. "There are the two short ones and their Tin Can!"
"Who are you calling a small little pipsqueak?!" Ed spazzed.
"No one said that so back off!! We have more important business to settle."
Morgan smirked ever so slightly as she leaned up against Al. If the villagers looked closely, which she betted that they weren't smart enough to do, they would have noticed that 'Al' was standing in the exact same spot as a Leto statue was previous. Before they were surrounded, Ed had transmuted the Leto statue to look like Al and told him to go. However, he and Morgan were stuck.
Ed scratched his head, sighing and answering all of their questions. "He's a phoney, he's just using alchemy."
"Liar!" The crowd parted and Rose stepped out. "I just saw my boyfriend, Kain. He spoke to me. Father Cornello's brining him back."
Morgan and Ed exchanged worried glances, knowing that this wasn't going to end well. "Good for you Rose." Some people said. "He was a nice boy."
"There have been others too!"
"Really?" Ed asked sarcastically. "Has anyone ever seen these people up close? 'Cause I heard they all left town right away."
"Look!" Morgan exclaimed, terrified, stepping behind Ed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Ten-foot-tall stone Leto statues were walking toward Morgan and Ed. They quickly surrounded the trio. Morgan spotted Cray standing on the other side of the statues, smirking at them. One of the statues used its sun staff to stab the fake Al in the stomach and toss him aside. They continued to beat him.
"Al!" Ed yelled out, acting as if it really was Al. In the next moment, two Leto statues used their staffs to bash both Morgan and Ed across the back of the head. There was searing pain in the back of Morgan's head and she crumpled and fell unconscious instantly. Ed fell to the ground, his vision hazy as he watched the statues whack the fake Al's armour. His eyes closed and he too fell unconscious.
Ed and Morgan's hands were behind their backs as Cornello's followers held them in place. When they had regained consciousness, they'd found that they were inside the church once again. Cornello snickered and snatched Ed and Morgan's pocket watches from their belts. "No!" Morgan protested. Tears formed in her eyes- that was the only thing she had on her other than her mother's research book that reminded her of her parents.
"Give that back!" Ed said as he struggled against the followers grip.
"So this is the reason you can do alchemy without transmutation circles, isn't it?" Cornello asked. Morgan looked at him curiously, then down to her hands which were still covered in her fingerless gloves. 'He must have missed them...' she thought, sweatdropping. "The official State Alchemist's pocket watch, I've never seen one up close before. It acts as an alchemic amplifier." Cornello continued, staring at both of the pocket watches. "I think you two will be quite harmless without them." He was laughing again, growing louder with every passing second.
Morgan frowned, what was he trying to do? Imitate the 'bad guys' from fairy tales with their evil laughs? Whatever it was, it was pathetic. She sighed and hung her head, glancing at Ed to see him glancing back. They smirked.
The room was dingy and ark with only the light above Morgan's and Ed's head for comfort. They were chained to the wall, hands shackled above their heads. "My arms are numb." Morgan complained.
"Suck it up," Ed said. "We'll be out of here in no time. They haven't got Al, remember?" He asked. She nodded slightly, trying to will away the fluttery feeling in her stomach. She couldn't decide whether it was caused from the stress of being chained to a wall where people wanted to kill her, or from the fact that Ed was still wearing his ripped shirt. "How's your arm? It stopped bleeding, right?" Morgan nodded again, letting her head drop forward and her bangs shadow here eyes.
They both looked up as Rose entered the room carrying two trays of food. "Great!" Ed said enthusiastically. "You came to feed us! And I thought you were mad," He opened his mouth, waiting to be fed. Morgan couldn't help but snicker.
Rose set the trays in front of them, without saying a word, and turned away quickly. "I just hope he's real, Rose. I don't want you to be disappointed." She hesitated a moment then ran out.
Ed tried manoeuvring the tray so that it was close to him, then looked to Morgan who hadn't touched hers. "Aren't you gonna at least try to eat?"
She shook her head, "I'm not hungry. If I ate in this situation, it'd be like chewing carpet..." Ed looked at her weird. "I just can't eat right now." She explained.
"You need to eat more." He said bluntly.
"I'm just not a big eater." She started to argue before the sound of digging echoed throughout the room. Morgan and Ed both turned to the right to see what it was.
They smirked. "Told you so," Ed said smugly.
Morgan smiled weakly, "What would we do without you, Al?"
After a night of restless sleep, Kaytie found herself once again with Lust. They were in Cornello's bedroom, waiting for the fraud to wake up. Lust sat in a chair and Kaytie stood impatiently behind her.
He awoke suddenly, seemingly from a nightmare. The first thing he saw was Lust, the second being Kaytie.
"You broke your promise." Kaytie said angrily, barely keeping her temper in check.
"Calm down." Lust ordered. She instantly quieted, glaring disapprovingly at the homunculus. She turned back to Cornello. "The real secret of the Philosopher's Stone stays between us, right Love?" She said seductively yet remaining as dangerous as ever.
He nodded, a terrified look on his face, "Of course." He said instantly.
Kaytie frowned; she couldn't wait until she could pound this idiot.
"This little charade of yours will be found out soon enough." Ed said. Cornello was 'visiting' them, for lack of a better word. Morgan stayed quiet and took deep breaths. She had never been in this type of confrontation before- the kind that involved having to put her life on the line- and she wasn't good with confrontation to begin with. It had taken all of her nerve just to face Ed when he apologising and explaining about his automail and Al's armour. She had only once come close to dying before Lior and her nerves were shot from yesterday and last night.
"The faithful aren't likely to distinguish between alchemy and the works of God. Really, as long as I'm bringing them happiness, what do they care where it comes from?"
"You're deceiving them." Morgan said softly. "It isn't happiness in the long run."
Cornello laughed at her, although this time, she wasn't embarrassed. She just thought he was an ignorant bastard.
"So," Ed asked. "What's in it for you? Besides all the recognition," The fake prophet chuckled. "Is it the money you're after?" Ed pressed.
"Oh, I can get all the money I want from the offerings." He answered, grinning horribly.
Morgan smiled slightly, 'Right about now...' She thought.
"But you and your naive think too small. I'm making believers who'd gladly throw their lives away if I willed them too. And why not?" He continued. "They believe that I can resurrect them. There's no greater army than those with a holy call." He finished, laughing.
"You're sick!" Morgan said, disgusted and repulsed by his way of thinking.
"No, my dear, I'm a genius." The look on Morgan's face was one that could tell even the stupidest person that she was appalled. "In a few years time, I'll have an army large enough to tear this country apart and rebuild it- In my name!"
Ed took his hands out of the shackles and seeing this, Morgan did as well. She rubbed her wrists; they were numb and tingly as the blood came rushing back. i 'It's about time,' /i She thought. They'd been pretending to be chained ever since Cornello first came to 'visit' them. "It makes no difference to me," Ed said. "There's no real way to bring people back from the dead, right? Once you cut us down, we're gone for good."
'Hasn't he noticed that we're not bound anymore?' Morgan wondered. 'How stupid is this guy?'
"I'm afraid that's right." Cornello said smugly. "Even with the Philosopher's Stone I wouldn't dare try Human Alchemy." Ed absentmindedly took a bite of his bread. "I'd end up like you." Cornello continued. "And why would a king put his own life at risk for the life of his pawns?" Morgan took a sip of her juice. "Wait a second!"
"It took you long enough to realize we weren't chained." Morgan said. She watched as Ed gave a big grin and moved to the left slightly, revealing a hidden microphone. She laughed.
"What?!" Cornello screeched as Ed helped Morgan to her fee, laughing with her. "How long has that been on?!" Cornello demanded.
"As long as the 'Rebuild the country' part I think." Ed answered his tone light.
"How did you get my broadcasting equipment?!" Cornello was livid. Morgan burst out laughing; It reminded her of when Kaytie did something to piss Roy off.
"Al helped us out," She said, trying to catch her breath. "The funny part is that it wasn't even Al that you had your statues smash up. It was just a Leto statue that Ed transmuted to look like him."
"No! My children!" Cornello exclaimed, frantically yelling at the microphone. "They lie! Don't believe them!" He transmuted his cane into a machine gun again and for the millionth time to two days, Morgan was terrified. He started shooting immediately.
Ed quickly pulled her out of the way and transmuted his automail arm into a blade. When the dust cleared, it was apparent that Ed had sliced the gun in half, surprising the old preacher. "Oh and by the way," Ed said. "We don't get our skills from pocket watches."
Morgan held up her hands to show that the gloves she was wearing had transmutation circles in the middle of the palms. Cornello gasped, a shocked look of surprise still etched onto his face. He backed away, turned, and ran.
Ed sighed then quickly followed him with Morgan jogging closely behind. "Thanks," She said.
"For what?"
"Saving me multiple times in the last two days." She answered, speeding up so that she was running beside him.
"Well, what am I gonna do? Sit there and let you get shot?" Ed asked, looking at her like she was crazy.
Morgan sighed, "I just feel useless. I know what you mean now when you said that it's just a little bit too dangerous."
"So you're wishing you didn't come?" Ed asked in a tone she couldn't identify.
"No! I really want to be here!" Morgan assured him. "It's just... I can't even fight. Remind me to get Kaytie to teach me when we get back to Eastern."
"I could teach you if you'd like," Ed offered, a light blush gracing his face.
"Okay! That way I don't have to wait 'till we get back to Eastern."
They came to the exit to see Cornello was standing on the platform where his miracle shows were usually held. The statues that surrounded the platform were walking which only lead Morgan and Ed to assume that he'd just finished transmuting them to move. Trying to impress the large, murderous crowd- also known as an angry mob- wasn't turning out too well for him. "Give it up, Cornello." Ed said loudly.
"Don't think you fooled me down there with your little display. Without these-" He dangled Morgan and Ed's pocket watches in front of them. "-the only alchemy you can do is to your own metal arm. And you," He said, turning to face Morgan. "You're just pathetic, even if you do have your little gloves."
"She is not!" Ed defended Morgan as her face went red from a mix of embarrassment and anger. "And you know what? You're not the only one who can't stand doubters preach!" He clapped his hands and slammed them to the ground. Morgan turned around slowly, not quite expecting what she saw. The huge Leto statue from inside the church was walking on its own. She stared up at it in awe; 'Wow, I knew he was good but this is really good!' She thought.
"Not even the Philosopher's Stone could move something this big!" Morgan heard Cornello say, thunderstruck.
Coming out of her daze, she turned to Ed and gave him thumbs up, "Go Ed!" She cheered. He grinned at her. They turned to face Cornello as he screamed when the fist of the statue came cashing down, narrowly missing him. "You've definitely improved since we were little." She said, smiling at him despite the situation.
"Of course I have." Ed said smugly. She rolled her eyes at his display of conceitedness. "So have you, though. Your reaction timing used to be terrible. It could still use some work but when you blocked that chimera with the wall was really good.
"Yay!" Morgan said happily. She was overtired, she'd gone without coffee for two days, and even though the situation at hand wasn't appropriate to be hyper in she was slightly hyper. They turned back to Cornello, Ed becoming serious again, and Morgan trying to will her excitedness away.
Cornello fell to his knees and Ed made his ay over to him. Morgan stayed where she was, feeling that it wasn't a very good thing that she was so twitchy and excited. "No!" The prophet said loudly, shielding the ring with his body and arms. "I won't let you have it! You can't take the stone from me!" He got up to run, but all of a sudden there was a bright flash of red light and the fake preacher fell to his knees, cradling his arm.
It was the second most disgusting thing Morgan had ever seen, second only to her dead parents' bodies. His arm seemed to be fused with metal and wires and looked strangely deformed.
"It's recoiling?" Ed voiced Morgan's thoughts as he ran over and knelt down by Cornello. "Let me see the stone!" He demanded. Cornello held out his arm and, as Ed looked at the stone, it cracked and shattered, pieces of it flying everywhere, hardly taking a solid shape.
No longer hyper, Morgan quickly jogged her way over to where Ed was. "Isn't the Philosopher's Stone a pure substance?" She asked herself. "If it is, it shouldn't be able to break like that."
"An imitation?" Ed asked aloud. He smirked bitterly as Morgan reached him. He got to his feet. "After all the trouble you put us through, even the stone's a fake?!" Morgan took a step back, knowing what was about t come. "Stop jerking me around!"
The trio sat on the sidewalk of the bridge. Morgan fingered her once-again-safe pocket watch that was attached to her belt. "Just another wild goose chase," Ed said, "I thought for sure we'd get your body back this time."
"Don't be silly brother," Al said. "You'll be the first we fix. That automail's so tough on you."
"So, what did you think, Morgan?" Ed asked. "You still up for travelling with us?"
"Of course. I told you that back when we were running after Cornello. But you're gonna teach me how to fight, right? 'Cause, I don't think I'll live if I don't learn." She laughed, smiling at them as she combed her fingers through her tangled hair.
Ed smiled back and she knew that Al would be smiling too. "Alright then," Ed said. "Nothing to do now but start the search again." The three of them stood, turning to see Rose.
"Father Cornello gave us hope. "She said abruptly. "What right did you have to take that away from us? We had nothing before he came here!"
"Would you rather it go on like it was?" Ed asked softly. Morgan sighed, deciding that he felt bad for the people of Lior.
"Why not?!" She countered. "What do I have to live for now that I know Cain won't come back to me? Are you going to tell me?"
"You have to decide that, Rose." Morgan said kindly as Rose dropped to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. "He's not the only thing worth living for."
"Walk on your own," Ed added. "Move forward. You have a good, strong pair of legs there Rose. You should get up and use them." He turned away.
She and Al lingered a moment, Morgan listening as Al told her that there was still hope, that she could still believe. Morgan smiled empathetically at her before tuning and following Ed and Al.
"What's the meaning of this?" Cornello exclaimed, outraged. "That idiot boy was right; that wasn't the real stone!"
"Serves you right, you bastard!" Kaytie said harshly, punching him in the face. "You gave me your word that you wouldn't hurt Morgan!" Lust caught her hand before she could punch him again.
Kaytie flipped her red hair out of her face and used an elastic band around her wrist to tie it up into a messy bun. She backed away and sat, seeing the blood gushing from his broken nose made her extremely satisfied.
"Of course it was." Lust said silkily. "This village is nothing but bait. Soon, alchemists from all over the nation, who've searched for the stone their entire lives, will come flocking to me, then..."
"Cursed soul! Who are you really?! What are you after?" Kaytie laughed at his shocked expression.
"Lust, can I eat the old preacher?" Gluttony asked.
Kaytie turned away at the disgusting sight, covering her ears to block out the sound. She was just relieved that Morgan was okay. Although, she was just as worried as she was relieved because next time she wouldn't be there, just in case things got out of hand.
Hours later, Kaytie stared sadly out the window as she saw envy, or 'Cornello' , walk into the crowd, and perform a miracle. They had to resort to the back-up plan. Meaning, she'd be going to Dante's by herself It was a pity. "Now I won't even have Spikey there to entertain me..." She mumbled to herself.
Lust came and stood beside her, glancing at her with a knowing smirk that Kaytie really wished she hadn't seen. "Good Envy," She said staring down at the ground. "We'll have to ask you to keep that form for awhile." As if on cue, Envy turned and stared directly at the window they were watching from, smirking. Kaytie smirked back.
Lust turned to her, "This mean envy won't be coming with you to Dublith, but I'm sure you already know that." She said with the same knowing smirk. Kaytie nodded in understanding, once again wishing she hadn't seen it. "You leave tomorrow."