Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Bloodlines
Classes seemed to be a breeze for me, not surprising considering I had no memories cluttering my mind. It was one upside to this price, the fact that my clear mind allowed me to focus on logic and utilize facts to answer problems given to me. I could answer every question in class, ace every quiz, even without knowing who I really was. Jill had given me my schedule and a brief tour of the school, but beyond that I was on my own. Once I found my classes, taking them seemed to come easy.
"No way, tell me it isn't true!" a girl yelled, sitting down next to me before my history class began. She seemed a bit shocked, and I was completely lost as to how I knew her.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." I replied, watching her frown slightly, soon joined by yet another girl. A guy stepped by as well, frowning at me as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Sorry, Julia, but looks like Melbourne is actually clueless about how to answer a question for once. Give her a break, she's probably going through hell today." the guy commented, looking sympathetic. I realized that they must have heard about what happened then, the rumor that had slowly begun to circulate around the school. People were learning about my amnesia, about how I had been attacked somehow and my mind had repressed everything in response to the horrific events. It wasn't an ideal explanation, but it would suffice for my situation for now.
"Feel free to tell us if you need anything, Sydney. I'm Kristen, and this is Julia, we've been friends practically since day one of the school year." Kristen stated, smiling over at me. These two seemed rather nice, as did the guy sitting on a desk nearby. It seemed like I did have friends outside of vampires, making me fit in at least slightly better in my role as an Alchemist.
"Yep, and I'm Trey, the guy that makes sure you always get your coffee." he commented with a smirk. Did I really have that much of an obsession with caffeine? It might be okay sometimes, but from what I understood, too much could be poor for my health. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to keep drinking so much, but I could still have some.
Our discussion was put to a halt by the entrance of our teacher. I noticed her gaze linger on me slightly as she began class, taking over the room almost immediately in a way that left me impressed. Her way of teaching was brilliant and it kept me enticed the entire time. Even if I already knew most of what she was teaching, I felt the need to listen to her every word. Ms. Terwilliger was very easily my favorite teacher here so far, which was why I was thrilled to remember that I had my own independent study with her. Jill hadn't really been able to tell me much about what I did in that class, insisting that even I hadn't spoken much about it before. Regardless, with someone as impressive as her, I knew that I was going to be looking forward to the year with her.
Chemistry flew by quickly as well, with just a simple lab today. Trey, my lab partner, did his best to seem like he didn't understand anything, which I quickly learned was just to keep up his image. I didn't understand the concept of keeping up false appearances for others, but then again, I couldn't exactly judge others. Even without knowing who I used to be, I already had my own share of secrets to keep from my new friends here.
Before long, I was in my last class of the day, seeing Ms. Terwilliger once more in front of me in the class. "Ah, Miss Melbourne, I've been waiting for you. Would you mind clarifying how much you remember for me?" she asked, already seeming to be prepared for my amnesia.
"It's Melrose, m'am, and I'm afraid I'll need you to clarify for me. I have little memories of my own, only aware of facts that I learned in the past. Perhaps you could tell me the subject?" I suggested, watching her nod, looking interested in moving forward.
"Ah, yes. It would be on heretical religion and magic in the Greco-Roman world." she explained, making my eyes grow wide. The necklace Adrian had found in my purse, this was the person teaching me about that kind of thing.
I wondered if I should tell her about what I was capable of, if it would help her at all. After all, her methods were rather lengthy and wasteful. Instead of using the energy of the Earth, she utilized her own to initiate a transmutation. Even if it was claimed as magic, I could see how close it was to alchemy. They were practically identical in many ways, requiring a price in return for what was gained. "Magic? I believe I remember a bit about that." I told her, uncertain of where to go with this.
She looked amused, giving me a slight smile. "Good, then we can continue as planned. Here is a copy of the book I've been having you work on, please continue reading and outlining it during your time here." she stated, placing a rather large book on my desk. It was in latin, and I realized that this really was an old text. I opened it, skimming through the pages slightly before shaking my head, seeing just how inefficient all of this was. By avoiding transmutation circles, they had made all of this far more complicated than necessary.
"So, have you found the chance to try out that fire-making charm?" she asked after a few moments, making me give her a small smile.
"Perhaps, I can't say I recall much if I did. Tell me, do you believe that any of these spells actually work?" I asked, watching her shrug, going through a few papers on her desk as she began pulling out something to grade while I was here.
"Who am I to question the ancients?" she countered, not quite a confirmation, but enough for me.
I stood up, leaving the book behind as I walked over to her whiteboard, grabbing a marker. "Well, if that is the case, allow me to show you the problem. These spells focus far too much on utilizing energy within the caster. In reality, energy is all around us, we just need to understand how to tap into it and use it to our advantage." I began, drawing a simple transmutation circle on the board. She watched me with wide eyes, clearly not expecting me to take such an interest in her work.
"Well, that is one viewpoint, however, it cannot be guaranteed that we can use it. Plenty of others have tried to escape the drain of a spell, and they have all failed." Ms. Terwilliger argued, finally caving in and admitting her knowledge of the occult.
I gave her a smile, pressing my hand against the circle I had drawn. I didn't have to do anything elaborate, so I kept it rather simple. Focusing, blue sparks began to form around the circle, allowing me to utilize some of the material of the whiteboard to create a cross in my hand. I held it out to my teacher, watching her stand up with wide eyes, clearly impressed with my actions. "It is quite possible, I believe. You simply need to comprehend the world around you before trying to utilize it like this." I told her, watching her take the cross.
"While that does appear to be useful, it seems to take quite some time to prepare. Spells like this only require a little thought to utilize." she corrected, waving her hand slightly. I heard something shatter, making me glance towards the window sill where a potted plant had rested. It was now shattered, in pieces all over the floor from her magic.
I smiled over at my teacher, still intrigued with this subject. "Perhaps it is quicker for your spells, but I am simply pointing out another method that would be less draining to use." I told her, walking over to the remains of the pot and clapping my hands together. Pressing them against the nearby floor, I reassembled the pot back into one piece.
Ms. Terwilliger raised an eyebrow at me, clearly interested in my new method of transmutation. "Now that version seems far more efficient. Could you explain how to utilize magic that way?" she asked, walking over to me.
Maybe showing her that was a bad idea. I glanced down at my hands, those memories still haunting me. It wasn't something that could be explained, not all that easily. The knowledge within that gate couldn't exactly be explained with words. "That is a….unique talent of mine. Only those that have seen the truth are capable of using alch-er, magic like that." I explained, correcting myself at the last second. Perhaps it was best to label it as magic around others, since no one seemed to believe it was alchemy.
"Well, I daresay losing your memories did you some good, Miss Melrose. This talent of yours is impressive, and I am certain you did not possess it before." Mrs. Terwilliger commented, smiling over at me. Her words did not make me smile however, they only made me feel more empty. This talent had come with the price of my memory. I didn't know if it was worth it or not, and her reminder wasn't making me feel better about it.
I simply nodded in response, watching her study me closely. "You don't seem too pleased with that. Is there a problem? Perhaps you have an issue with your….current job? Vampires aren't really all that terrible, Miss Melrose, and while others may try and force their beliefs on you, in the end it is your decision to believe what you want." she stated, trying to cheer me up. I was a bit surprised by her knowledge of vampires, but it made sense considering she used magic.
"Not at all, those things aren't the problem. Let's just say there's more to losing my memories than what I've told everyone." I replied, glancing out the window. I felt her pat my shoulder, giving me a nod and a smile as I turned to look at her again.
"Well, then let's just move forward. I have my fair share of regrets in my life, and I've found it's best to accept what has happened and move on, looking forward to the new doors that have opened up as a result of my mistakes." she stated, making me realize another path available. I could abandon my old memories, and simply live on in my new life.
Glancing over at her, I wondered if I should do just that. After all, getting my memories back would likely come at another price. I could tolerate living like this, with friends to help support me and move me forward in life. So long as I had that, I would be happy even if I never remembered anything again. Maybe this price was worth it, since it gave me the ability to help keep them safe from the dangers in this world. Glancing down at my hands, I accepted this as a gift for the first time since my attempt at human transmutation.
I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving! For the holiday, I've got an extra chapter ready for you guys to read. Feel free to review and let me know what you think!