Oh gosh! I think it was what…oh wow…not as long as I thought it was O.o. Last time I updated this one was March 20, 2006. Dear, dear, dear, that's more then two weeks isn't it? Heheheheh sorry about that guys, it's those darn voices giving me ideas again! (That and a small, itsy, bitsy, case of writers block –happens to everyone I'm sure…I'm just a magnet for it sometimes T.T-). But anyway! Cause of the late update I'm just gonna say two weeks have passed and it's time for the whole…picking of the participants sort of thing…Booyaka! Let the games begin! (By the way, I'm gonna have four different tasks one of which is going to be the same as in the book –I gotta keep that one! (Evil grin)-
Chapter Seven: The Tournament Begins!
Edward and Alphonse were sitting in the Great Hall talking, it had been another two weeks and they still hadn't found anything even worth considering about the Philosophers Stone. Ed seemed really irritated,
"I bet Mustang just made up that whole deal about there being a SOLID lead here! Arg! When I get my hands on him…"
"Brother, don't be like that. Harry, Ron, and Hermione said that the stone had been here so that can only mean that it's possible to get one." Al replied.
"Yeah, but wasn't it conveniently destroyed three years ago? And why is it we can't find ANYTHING about it? I mean all we really know is that the headmaster had worked with the guy who made it, but he himself did not work on the stone…it just doesn't seem…right." Ed grumbled, Al just shook his head. His brother had a point, they had searched the whole library top to bottom at least twice…well, it seemed like twice anyway, and yet they found little to nothing about it that they didn't already know.
"Maybe we should enter this tournament…that way we can," Ed interrupted Al by saying,
"Don't be crazy Al, they can't possibly give us what we want." Al looked at his brother questioningly.
"What about Ar…" Ed interrupted Al again,
"Al…I still don't get her…the story she told us didn't seem to fit together."
"How so brother?"
"If she was in Ishbal during the civil war at the age that she said…who old do you think that makes her?" Ed asked. Al thought about it for a moment then replied,
"Maybe one or two years older then us? I'm not really sure where you are going with this brother…"
"And why is it the Military took such interest in teaching her alchemy at such a young age? I think this Artimus is hiding something…"
"Ed…that's crazy talk, the Colonel hand picked her for this mission, she can't be all bad." Al questioned.
"Exactly! Why do you think he picked her for the mission Al? Lets just say I've got a bad feeling about this place…and our company." Ed replied. Al, once again, couldn't help but agree with that one point. Why did the Colonel pick her for the job? Why not someone more experienced or something?
"Do you not trust Harry, Ron, and Hermione anymore brother?" Al then asked changing the subject.
"I say we just stay weary of them ok? I think they're hiding something too…" Ed shrugged.
"I see…and the same with…"
"Yes…especially her."
--
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all sitting in the Gryffindor common room, they were talking casually,
"You know…I find it sort of odd, why haven't we heard of this alchemy school that those three came from?" Ron brought up.
"We haven't heard of a lot of magic schools Ron, why is it this one is any different?" Hermione replied, Harry nodded in agreement.
"It's like you said Hermione, alchemy is suppose to be really advanced magic and yet Ed said it was a science. That and why haven't we seen them perform any alchemy?" Ron pressed.
"We all have our different points of view Ron, as for why they've never used alchemy in our presents does not mean they can't." Hermione said, she took out some parchment to start working on a Potions paper on the history of polyjuice.
"Yeah…well…" Ron couldn't come up with something to say to that.
"Come on Ron they aren't that bad," Harry replied "Ed, Al, and Artimus are just here to participate in the tournament."
"Have either of you noticed that whenever Ed walks his feet make two different noises? Yeah, like one leg is heavier then the other or something!" Ron suddenly said.
"Give it a break Ron." Harry said waving him off, but Ron wouldn't give up,
"You guys I'm telling you, they all seem nice and friendly but how much about them do we really know? Like why is Al always in that suit of armor? Or why does Ed always ware those gloves? What about Artimus, she's the strangest of the lot, kinda creepy if you really think about it."
"They have a right to privacy Ron, we can't just walk up to them and ask them to tell us their personal history and their deepest, darkest secrets." Hermione snapped irritatedly. Ron sat back in his chair crossing his arms and pouting,
"There is something fishy with those three…and I aim to find out what it is." He muttered under his breath.
--
Artimus was sitting by the lake looking out over the water, she then looked down at a letter in her hands, and it read,
Artimus
I recently received your latest report, and it sounds like you and the Elrics are behaving yourselves. I take it they still haven't found any leads on the stone yet, not surprising…no matter, don't forget why I sent you on this mission. Make sure they find what they are looking for, you have a knack at finding things that most people can't.
One more thing…if either of the Elrics are chosen for this tournament make sure they win, especially Ed, he's enough paper work as it is.
Col. Roy Mustang
P.s. Try not to over do it…
She folded the letter up again, placing it in her pocket with her silver pocket watch. She then leaned back on her hands and looked up at the sky boardly,
"What's so special about a pint-sized alchemist with an attitude?" Artimus grumbled "I can do alchemy just as well as he can and yet I had to wait for HIM to be accepted before I could be recognized…annoying sprout."
Artimus stood up and brushed the dirt and grass off her pants, she then made her way back towards the castle. Already in a rather irked mood she was deeply hoping not to run into anybody, she'd take their head off if they so much as looked at her funny. She had a habit of having a short temper and very low tolerance for the stupid and the pointless.
--
That evening everyone from every school all gathered in the Great Hall. In the front of the hall was a box with a single hole in the front. As everyone found their seats, Dumbledore rose from his and walked over to the box, he then held up his hands to signal that he wanted silence. Everyone fell quiet, Dumbledore then said,
"Tonight is the night that the participants of this tournament will be decided! Now, I am sure you are all wondering exactly how are the participant's chosen, it is simple. Over the past few weeks your respective house leaders have been evaluating you to determine who they think would be the most likely candidates." Dumbledore paused as everyone took in what he'd just said, he then continued "Three of you have been specifically chosen to be tested, those three people will come forward and stick your hand inside the box. I will not sugar coat the experience you will receive when you are tested, it all depends on the person."
Everyone started to mutter now, they all wanted to know who would be the lucky three to go up there. Professor McGonagall walked up to Dumbledore and handed him a roll of parchment, he unrolled it and read over the list to himself, he then looked up at the crowd and said,
"I will now read off the three candidates from Beauxbatons," he read off the three names and the three girls came forward "Next Durmstrang," Dumbledore read off those names as well, three rather burley guys walked forward "The Hogwarts candidates are, Ceddric Diggory, Cho Chang, and Harry Potter."
Harrys' jaw dropped, someone thought he could participate in this tournament? He shakily stood up and walked to the front of the hall,
"Hey! What about the other houses!" someone shouted, Dumbledore held up his hand and said,
"Though it is true that the house leaders did pick out three candidates from each house, that list was too long so it was evaluated further and three top candidates where chosen. No w if you do not mind, we still have one more school, seeing as only three students from that school have arrived, will Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric and Artimus Derrick please come forwards."
Ed, Al, and Artimus stood up and made their way to the front of the Great Hall, Ed leaned over to Artimus and asked,
"You never told us about that last name of yours, what's the deal?"
"I made it up…I don't know what my real last name is and I have no intention of figuring it out at the moment, nor do I wish to explain my motives at this precise moment either." She replied.
"What are you hiding?" he muttered.
"Nothing that concerns you just if you where wondering."
"Now that the candidates have been chosen the testing will start in but a moment!" Dumbledore announced.
-To Be Continued-
So the chapter title thing didn't really go along with the chapter…but the tournament itself should probably start in the next chapter –happy dance-. So! Who do you think is going ta get picked from the FMA crew and HP crew! I know, I know it's sorta obvious but what the hey…it's late and all day I've been takin' M.E.A.P. 's a.k.a. evil test of doom that requires you to write at least five paragraphs for at least two of three essay question thingys…it sounds easy but it's EVIL! Tomorrow is the second half of them but they shouldn't be as nasty…hopefully. It's math, science, and history or something. Anywhozles read, review, enjoy! Warm fuzzies for everybody!