Enigma
By TeriyakiPrinces
Rating: Teen+ Audiences, but whatever.
Warnings for the chapter: Fictional science talk. This is Teen+ so expect some bad language.
Disclaimer: Not mine. To see original content, look up Hiromu Arakawa.
A/N: I'm thinking that almost a month has passed between the last chapter and this one, so we're around May 10th, 1914 now.
I apologize deeply for the wait, and for the shorter chapter (only about 1,700 words to chapter 5's 2,800), as I wanted this one to end somewhere right before the second Scar incident, but realized that I had enough content to post earlier than that would have taken me.
Now, I want to explain to you my writing process, so you know why it takes so long to type this shit up:
I begin by writing with pen on paper, because I have school and ideas usually come to me while I'm bored in AP US History or something.
This means that I need to find time to type it all up, and it ends up sparking more inspiration, where I add on more scenes and details to make my ideas more fleshed out.
Other problems arise as we plunge head-first into canon- because god damn it's time consuming to find a way to fit Gaia into established events without boring someone to tears with robotically explained scenes from the manga- I don't want to make this a retelling of the same events with a character shoehorned in, but a developed piece of fiction explaining the effects that an addition such as Gaia has on the characters already expanded on in Brotherhood and the manga.
That means no line-stealing and not explaining what everything looks like or what everyone is doing, even if Gaia isn't there. The way I see it, is that I wouldn't remember everything after having no access to the source material whatsoever for neigh-on 3 years (or more), so Gaia wouldn't either. Human characteristics and limitations are a real thing, and Fullmetal Alchemist is a really good manga that expounds on that.
If you read this all, you are a sweetheart and I appreciate you.
Do you guys have any questions you'd like answered? Review with them!
Within a year of daily use of alchemy, Gaia entertained the idea of deciphering some of Hohenheim's journals. There were a total of five hard-bound journals ensconced in the Elrics' collection. At first, Gaia had been disappointed at the no doubt sparse knowledge the father of modern Alkahestry had deemed to write down, but realized soon enough that he was being cautious, and rightly so.
Gaia knew of Hohenheim's history, and his direct connection to both Alchemy and the Xingese equivalent, Alkahestry. She could vaguely recall the differences between the two from before, but her understanding was already being amplified by her relatively solid interaction with the Dragon's Pulse- another Xingese principal. And yet, the day she finally cracked the code on the journals was the day her understanding of the art would be truly complete – she was sure of it.
For the past few years, she had been trying to live with absolutely no assumptions as to the new world she was in. It was her home now, and who was to say anything she was told by a Japanese woman was what would happen?
But, the hard part was decoding the journals.
The journals, encoded six ways to Sunday, were written in an archaic Germanic language – a language she had vaguely connected to the little Icelandic she had read about for a History project back in her freshman year of high school – in the modern Amestrian script, mirrored on the page, arranged in a Xingese fashion, up and down and right to left, and then encrypted as a gardening manual.
Because Gaia was in no way familiar with Old-German, much less a more than 300 year old dead language, she could only really read a fraction of it, and even that was mostly guesswork. There were only three of the journals encrypted in such a way – a way so complex as to keep unwanted eyes (child's eyes, her mind whispered) from discovering even a sliver of truth.
Her answer came when she began to notice the dotted letters, such as the 'i's and the 'j's had not dots, but circles. Circles with stars in them. With that epiphany, she began seeing the transmutation circles everywhere- in the o's and the g's, in the ӧ's and the u-umlauts. They were tiny indicators- and she knew they had to mean something. She copied the transmutation circle onto a larger sheaf of paper- a five pointed star encase in a circle – and it clicked in her mind what had bothered her so in the weeks-long ordeal.
This wasn't a transmutation circle, but a Xingese Purification circle.
Alkahestry, she new, could be used for healing- that, as well as long-distance transmutations. With Hohenheim's knowledge of its' origins, she would be able to use in developing new applications to the basics of alchemy she had already been using.
Just as she had studied the techniques of master artists from before, she was dead-set on decoding the origins of Alchemy and Alkahestry.
"Why don't you wear that skirt Granny and I got you last year? It should still fit."
"No. I like my pants just fine. I wore them to Central and back, it won't be a problem."
"But Gaia! It's one thing to wear pants in the countryside, and another in the city, where fashion reigns supreme! You've got to conform to some of our standards!" Winry was exasperated, having gone over this with her surrogate sister too many times than she could possibly count.
Gaia looked her up and down, her eyebrow quirking up in dismissal.
"And that skirt is for polite society? At least you put on a real shirt, but could you maybe try to sound less patronizing about the way I dress? You got me wearing socks and shoes, and that's quite enough for me." The blonde sighed, ready to give up the argument if only to stem the oncoming headache. It was true, she had got – basically tackling the taller girl in the process– Gaia to wear a pair of knee-high socks, as the 18 year old wouldn't part with her precious pants, and had even bought her a brand new pair of boots with the substantial commission money they had earned for Edward's repairs.
The 15 year old huffed, drawing herself up, and smoothing out her pleated skirt.
"Alright, be like that. Let's get going, though. We don't want to be late for the train."
They had called.
The Elric brothers had been terse and secretive over the phone, only letting on that they needed Winry's expertise in Central. She was worried, to say the least. She had learned early on that the most important part of a conversation was what was left unspoken, and she could definitely tell there was something fishy about the situation.
Winry startled at the cold hand suddenly appearing on her shoulder, pulling her from her reverie.
"Otto's outside. We should hurry, if you've got everything." The deep voice of the older girl was a soothing balm to her worries, and she nodded tersely. Her hand went into her jacket pocket, fingering the bolt she had, ahem, forgotten to use on Ed's arm. She felt a wave of guilt slide through her- the brothers led busy and dangerous lives, from what she had been able to glean of her Grandmother's talk with Major Armstrong, and she wouldn't be able to settle her soul if her blunder had gotten her boys hurt.
She nodded again, letting Gaia lock up the little yellow house they called home, and made her silent way to Otto and her Grandmother, forcing a smile as she greeted the old farmer.
It'd be a long journey to the capitol city of Amestris, but she thought that it would be worth it to see her boys again, after nearly a month of radio silence.
"Ed said he'd send someone we'd recognize for sure, but who could that be?" The blonde girl looked to her right at her sister, who had put on a pair of sunglasses, who was staring ahead at something. When she followed her gaze, she knew exactly who was sent for them. Standing at more than seven feet tall, Major Armstrong was absolutely unmistakable to either of the girls.
Winry grabbed the taller girl's arm and fought her way through the crowd to the ridiculously tall man.
"Major Armstrong!"
"Oh! Miss Rockbell, Miss Maurer! Good to see you again!"
Gaia stood outside the door that led to Edward Elric's room, legs and arms crossed as she listened into what seemed to be a spirited discussion filled with worry, relief, and denials. She decided to wait for the two teenagers to sort their shit out before walking in to whatever mess was next on her list of no-fly zones.
Just as the arguments began to die down, the door to her left opened, and out walked the hulking metal figure of the youngest Elric. She watched as he lumbered down the hall, his soleret clanking as they met the tile floor of the hospital.
Gaia sighed as she sat next to the sullen boy, cocking her head to the side so as to see him clearly.
"Hey there, little man. You were wise to clear out of there, the blondes are having another one of their lover's spats."
The fact that Alphonse didn't even chuckle clued her in on the problem. His silence was unsettling, and the way he leaned forward made her want to hug him, an unusual move for her, as she wasn't the most touchy-feely person you could think of, but she thought maybe because he was entirely metal it'd be different. And then, she felt terrible for even thinking of him as better because he didn't have a conventional body.
"You're the first person to call me little since I got stuck in this suit of armor." His voice was hollow, more so than ever before, and her shoulders slumped as she realized just how real his worries were. Would he ever recover his body? She couldn't say for sure, because she didn't believe in believing in everything she had read before to dictate how these people should end up in the future. Even if every external stimuli was the same, the reactions of human beings would forever be a mystery, and doubly so with teenagers under pressure.
"Want to talk about anything with an impartial party?"
"You wouldn't understand, even if I did explain everything."
He was intimidating, yes, but he was also a lost little boy- barely a teenager at 14 years of age- who had gone through trauma potent enough that he didn't remember it.
"Sometimes someone who doesn't understand is the best person to help with such a problem, you know?"
"Maybe." He sighed, at least that was the impression Gaia got, and turned his helmet-head to look at her with his glowing red eyes. He seemed to be assessing her, and she privately wondered if she even wanted to be deemed worthy of this boy's trust. His 'eyes' on her, she felt like she was standing in an airport security scanner, one of the ones they installed in most major airports, nervous without any real reason to be, because the only metal she could have possibly had on her is that metal hairpin in her pocket from a century ago.
And then he looks away, and the feeling is gone but Gaia Maurer still feels pinpricks at the base of her skull.
"I don't know how much brother has told you, but how he got injured is really complicated and I don't think anyone would believe us anyway, but..."
She has the inexplicable urge to ask 'but, what?' but refrains and lets him muster the courage he needs to spill the soul-deep worries trapped in his metal shell.
"But the thing is, it's not complicated at all."
And Gaia Maurer simply stared ahead as Alphonse explained in his high, prepubescent voice exactly how fucked up this world is; to him, to her, and to anyone else stuck in this god-awful country saturated in the blood of millions.
The author has ambushed you! You're backed into a corner by the scary redhead!
What do you do?!
You answer her questions, of course!
So, I'm thinking of changing the summary- what do you guys think I should include in this one? For example, what would you want to know before diving into Enigma?
I've also decided that, to keep up my motivation, I'll be writing drabbles and oneshots in the world of Enigma that I'll publish as a separate story. Any suggestions on what my darling readers would like to see?
Review or Private Message me (if you're shy) with your answers.
And remember that reading reactions on this fic is what gets you the next chapter in less than a month!