Chapter Three of "The Omega Stone" by Melinda-chan
I thought I couldn't feel anything since I became a suit of armour, but I felt a tingle go down the back of my armour right about then. I knew I was eavesdropping, but I didn't think I could leave- if I stood up, my big body would have been noticed immediately.
"Salama, do not think we lost faith-" a woman said.
"You people are worried that by me joining the refiners I would be bloodguilty?" Sarah said. "Or are you afraid that the military will come here and take over the village again?"
'Bulls-eye!' I thought.
"But Salama, you know what they have done to our spiritual brothers in-" a voice started to say.
"I'm well aware of the smoke that we all saw coming from Ishbal," Sarah said. "The first refinement is just about done. The second refinement will begin soon. It's my hope that I can find the Omega Stone before that starts. It can't be guaranteed that the records will still be there when it's all over."
'The Omega Stone?' I thought. 'The refinement?'
"But why become a State Alchemist?" another woman questioned. "Do you think there'll not be another war?"
"Another war may be imminent," Sarah replied. "I have heard of rumours from the north and the west. If that's the case, then I should become a State Alchemist now."
"But Salama-" another woman started to protest.
"Don't worry about me," Sarah said. "I plan on going to the concealer of secrets and he'll help me."
'Concealer of secrets?' I thought. Why is she speaking like this? I wondered.
"But Salama, if war is declared, what would you do?" a man asked. "Will you obey their orders if it means killing innocent people?"
"A year," Sarah said. "A year is all I need to see the second refinement in full force." She then paused. "But if I have to see the flames of hell then I'll see them!"
"Salama you-" another woman shouted. I then heard something like a commotion going on. I was curious about what was taking place, but I didn't want to get up and risk being seen.
"You dare try to strike a fellow member of the faith?" Sarah said in a stern voice. "If you want to accuse the State of such treachery, you should be careful about your own actions." There was no reply. "Is there anything else you all want to say to me?" There was no answer to that one too. "Very well then. This session is over! In the name of God, go in peace!" At that, I heard over a dozen footsteps walking away. I also heard whispers, some of them unpleasant. I was so glad that no one came my way.
"You can get up now, Alphonse," Sarah said. I was so shocked that I got up immediately. I saw her sitting at the bottom of the circle with the white robe on.
"How did you know I was here?" I asked, flabbergasted.
"I felt your footsteps off the ground," Sarah replied. "They were too great to be from Edward, and my home is the only thing back there, so it had to be yours."
"Wow!" I said, impressed by her deduction. "I'm sorry that I overheard everything! Did something happen?"
"Oh no!" Sarah said, waving her hands in a dismissive manner. "I knew that you would be awake, I mean, you can't sleep, right?"
"That's right," I said. "What did happen though? Why did they keep calling you 'Salama?' What is the Omega Stone and 'the concealer of secrets'? What do you mean by the first and second refinements?" I saw her sigh under the dim moonlight.
"The concealer of secrets should be obvious to you, but…" she then paused. "I don't want to add any more burden on you. Are you sure that you want to know?"
"I'm not sure," I said honestly. "But I do want to know what you mean by the first and second refinements. The war wasn't a refinement."
"No outright killing of innocent people can be justified," Sarah told me. "But I wasn't the one that originated the term 'refinement.'"
"Oh?" I said. "Did it come from one of your…prophets?" I had to think before I could say the word.
"You can say that" Sarah said. She then started walking so I followed her. "You do know that the Ishbalan people forbid alchemy, right?"
"Yes," I answered. "They consider it as a perversion of God's creation."
"In a sense it is," Sarah said. I looked at her in surprise. "It's a twisting of the natural form. But that doesn't mean it's wrong."
"So why did you decide that becoming a State Alchemist was the right thing to do?" I asked.
"I never said that it was the right thing to do," Sarah said. "I just don't see any other options." She then looked up at me. "Surely your older brother would agree with me." I would have sighed if I could.
"I didn't want Brother to go on this path," I said. "I'm scared what would happen if he had to go to war. I'm really scared of that." I then looked at her shack. "But I know that there aren't any other options too. I just hope that we wouldn't go through anything that will leave us with deep regrets."
"Life can't guarantee no regrets," Sarah said. "But you should know that the Ishbalans didn't always forbid alchemy."
"Why did they forbid it then?" I asked.
"Ishbal was once the home of alchemists just like here," Sarah said. "But they prefer to focus on the spiritual side, rather just matter manipulation."
"Alchemy is the analysis, deconstruction and reconstruction of physical things," I said. "But I do wonder what led the Ishbalans to forbid alchemy."
"They recognize what could happen when it's misused," Sarah told me. "You do remember the story about the Eastern Philosopher, don't you?"
"Of course!" I replied. "A philosopher living in the Eastern Desert wiped out an entire country because he tried to create a homunculus. Brother thought it was just a myth."
"It's no myth, and it wasn't an accident," Sarah said. "The Ishbalans, who lived nearby, were aware of what happened and became concerned. It became obvious that alchemy had its dangers as well."
"I heard that the Ishbalans forbid alchemy because they regard it a sin to deface God's creation," I said.
"Not all of them believe that it had to be banned because of that," Sarah said. "One of them, a priest's daughter, tried to warn her people that if the nations surrounding them continue to develop alchemy as a power, it'll only be a matter of time before one of those nations will use it for evil purposes, and turn it against them."
"So what about the first and second refinements?" I questioned.
"She believed that by turning back on alchemy, her people will only be left behind," Sarah said. "She therefore predicted three refinements, as she called them, that will occur. The first one was said to be by a fire that will scatter her people like the wind."
"So you think the war was the first refinement?" I asked her.
"The prophecy did seem to describe what happened," Sarah answered.
"So what were the other refinements?" I was really curious now.
"The second refinement will involve the country from which the first refinement will come from. She said that it will be consumed by another fire and the fire will be in all the four corners of the country. I never understood what she meant by that, but this country is in dire need of refinement," Sarah told me.
"And what about the third?" I asked.
"The third will refine the entire world by God's will," Sarah said. "The Ishbalans always looked forward to that time. But there have been disputes on how He will do it."
"So how did you know about all of this?" I asked.
"My knowledge told me," Sarah answered. "Perhaps it came from Salama herself."
"Are you saying that you may be her reincarnation?" I asked.
"Such a belief wasn't found among the Ishbalans" Sarah answered.
"But the way you said it-" I started to say.
"It doesn't matter," Sarah said. "The Ishbalans didn't heed her warnings and had the first refinement happen to them. Despite what my villagers may believe, I'm no prophetess. All I do is tell everyone what was already being said."
"So that's why Brother and I got such a cold reception!" I said. "Do you know if there are other villages like this?"
"Ishbal may have fallen but it's not destroyed," Sarah replied. "Many people in the east hated the military for the atrocities they caused. There were many places where the Ishbalan refugees were welcomed. And where the Ishbalans found refuge, they sought to share the reason for their suffering. I don't have proof, but I'm convinced that there are now more Amestrian believers than even before the war started. Our faith has been the glue that held us together, and it'll likely keep us as one when the government and the military will only exist in history books. They can destroy people, but they can't destroy faith. At least not true faith." She then looked at me. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I think I do," I said frankly.
"There's another reason why I have to be a State Alchemist," Sarah said. "Something or someone is goading me to become one. I think it's Salama wanting me to do something other than finding the Omega Stone. I'm not sure what to be exact, but I feel I'm taking the right steps to finding out."
"What's the Omega Stone?" I questioned.
"It's a substance that can end anything," Sarah replied. "If you want something to end, the Omega Stone will do it. This is opposed to the Philosopher's Stone, which is only supposed to create or re-create."
"But why do you need the Omega Stone?" I questioned. She didn't respond. "Sarah?"
"I'm getting tired," she said. "You should check on your older brother now." I was taken a little aback. I didn't offend her, did I?
"I'm so sorry! I should do it now!" I said. I then entered the shack and found my way to Sarah's study room, where he was being kept. Actually, it wasn't very hard to find him, considering that I could hear his ragged breathing when I entered the shack.
I heard him coughing suddenly. Fearing that he could be choking on his own saliva, I placed him up on the cot. I have never seen him this bad, not since he was recovering from the auto-mail surgery he had when he was eleven.
"I see that the poison is having effect," Sarah said, appearing behind me. I became shocked.
"You poisoned Brother?" I said. "Why did you do that?"
"I just said that the drug is having effect," Sarah said. "All drugs are poisons, though some are more poisonous for some than others." I couldn't refute her on that.
"When will he be better?" I asked.
"In a day or so," Sarah replied. "The toxins shall be out of his system by then. He'll need to rest for another day to regain his strength. I only hope that I can keep him here until you can get him out of here."
"All right…" I said nervously.
"You should stay here by your older brother's side until the morning," Sarah said. "I need to sleep now."
"Oh yeah!" I said, realizing that it was getting late. "Good night, Sarah."
"Good night Alphonse. Wake me up if you need anything," Sarah said. She then left the room. I spent the rest of the night watching Brother and thinking about what happened that night.
It was around sunrise that I heard that Sarah talking to someone. The voice sounded a little familiar.
"Sarah, I am warning you to reconsider your decision!" the voice said.
"But Father, I already sent the letter!" Sarah said. "And they sent me a State Alchemist! The one that's a boy!"
I then peeked at them from the corner of the door. I was shocked to discover who the man she was talking was- it was the man that Brother and I met the day before!
End of Chapter Three
It looks like Al is eavesdropping again! (laughs) Things are going to get more serious from now on. With the village's animosity rising against them, can Sarah protect Ed and Al, while Ed is still sick? And what will happen to the village if the military hears about it? Fullmetal Alchemist was created by Hiromu Arakawa and distributed by Square Enix and Viz Media. Please don't forget to review!