To Heal the Wounds of the Heart
Chapter 11: Blank
The sun shone brightly in Central, perhaps too brightly, as rays of light cast ungodly amounts of heat down upon the residents. It was a peaceful day. Birds chirped happily somewhere in the distance, a light breeze drifted around the city. The bustling noise usually present was gone, replaced by the simple sound of life.
In the military headquarters, a man stood in front of a large window, hands stuffed in his pockets as he gazed at the city, noticing the same things that any normal observer would. On a day like this, burdened as he was with his troubles, he felt good simply to be alive.
His attention was drawn from the tranquil scene by a click and a quiet squeak.
The door closed quietly behind Cpt. Hawkeye. She dutifully strode into the room, gun in the holster at her side and papers in her arms, her amber eyes trained on Roy Mustang. She stopped, set the papers down on his desk, and saluted. He waved dismissively, as if the repetitive act of her formality was getting quite old––which it was. His single eye gazed lazily at her.
She sighed and withdrew to her own desk, apparently intent on focusing on her work.
"Why are you mad, now?" he inquired obnoxiously. She did not turn.
"I'm not mad, just leave it alone."
Roy smirked, sorting through the many memories he had accumulated with those same sentences involved.
"You know, I really enjoyed that dinner, the other night."
Riza stiffened, but still did not look at him. "Good."
He gave up for the moment, instead turning to his desk drawer, where he kept a stack of important papers. Sliding it open, he withdrew the stack and slapped it on his desk, intending to give it a thorough run-through. Before he did, he posed one last question, this one more serious.
"I wonder where they went?"
"I don't know," Riza replied.
"I can understand them wanting to keep everyone in the dark, but…he could have told me."
"I'm sure he will, later."
Mustang, indifferent to the Captain's stiff tone and apparent bad mood, leaned back in his chair, looking at the first of his many papers. They were official reports, filed in perfect order and presented in a very professional manner. The dates were all in Continental Calendar, the standard, and printed neatly. Everything was perfectly arranged. It all looked slightly jumbled, however, when it came to actually reading the complicated material.
"I've looked over these time and time again, but I still can't get anything conclusive from them. Maybe I'd be able to understand more of what's going on now if I could just make sense of it all."
There was a pause.
"I guess I'll try one more time."
September 17, 1917, several flying machines ascend from an area below Central, carrying hundreds of soldiers in armor. For reasons unknown, and without provocation, they begin a ruthless attack that kills nearly six hundred in Central's main district, around the capital. A strong counterattack in which Roy Mustang was involved repels them from the capital and military headquarters. Once again without explanation, they return from where they came and suddenly disappear. The threat is thwarted.
September 17, 1917, Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse Elric inexplicably vanish. A search party is later sent forth, with no concrete results. Neither brother is ever found.
September 29, 1917, an investigation team is assembled and sent into the underground city that lies below Central. Once again, they find nothing concrete, other than a large network of abandoned buildings and some complex alchemic arrays. In the largest building, there is evidence of a struggle that occurred a few years prior. A young boy, appearing to be about twelve years of age, is found unconscious there. Suspiciously, it is said that one member of the team took an immediate disliking to the boy, later saying that he was almost positive he saw the child change his appearance and body just before the entire team noticed him. The child is taken into military custody.
October 3, 1917, two enlisted officers notice a man not listed as military personnel, or recognized at all, leaving headquarters. The same day, it is discovered that the boy earlier taken into military custody has disappeared.
November 2, 1917, Roy Mustang is recalled to Central by the General Assembly.
November 4, 1917, for his role in the suppression of the attack and the protection of Central, Roy Mustang is promoted to Brigadier General upon assurance that he is once again fit for the role. He takes up his old office and returns to work there.
December 6, 1917, the written portion of the State Alchemist exam begins.
December 7, 1917, the second stage of the exam commences. A random half of the applicants are given physical exams, while the other half is subjected to a one-on-one questioning with the exam's proctors.
December 9, 1917, the practical skills exam is held.
December 11, 1917, Lyncia Asuna, sixteen years old, is certified as a state alchemist under the name Catholicon. She is of the half that was questioned, and never received a physical as a result. A talented healer, she becomes the second youngest state alchemist ever certified by the military, and immediately begins work in the infirmary. Other medical staff would later say that she kept a large quantity of blood in storage, possibly for testing purposes. However, she was never officially asked about it.
February 12, 1918, the Catholicon Alchemist embarks on her first out-of-Central mission, a small venture to a remote village in the west, where a contained spread of a rare disease has occurred. Her only instructions are to contain it and prevent an outbreak.
February 18, 1918, she returns with the news that no one who was infected survived, but it was successfully contained and no outbreak occurred.
April 29, 1918, the reconstruction of Lior is completed.
June 9, 1918, the last few permanent residents of Aquroya leave, effectively deserting it.
June 25, 1918, the military declares Aquroya off-limits to civilians, as it has fallen into shambles in the small amount of time no one has lived there. Train lines continue to run through the city.
July 31, 1918, tension between the State and Drachma in the north reaches a peak.
August 12, 1918, armed conflicts break out at several border points.
August 13, 1918, a team is assembled to prevent a full-scale war. Roy Mustang is selected to aid them.
August 15, 1918, the team arrives on the northern border.
August 17, 1918, only two days later, the conflict is eased with slight negotiations and displays of military force. The proven might of the State's military prevents Drachma from returning with any armed aggression.
August 20, 1918, for their overwhelming roles in the suppression, which quick brought the tension to a rest, as well as continued support of the new Assembly's agenda, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye are promoted to Major General and Captain, respectively.
November 5, 1918, MPs search the home of a 38-year old woman suspected of conspiracy to attempt human transmutation. They find her dead from blood loss and trauma to the head, as well as a large, crumpled pile of bones.
January 12, 1918, a low-ranking officer enters the grounds with valid identification, but does not clock in or inform his superiors of his arrival. Hours later, it is discovered that several of the jars holding the blood owned by the Catholicon Alchemist are missing, and after questioning of officers who knew the man, reports indicate that he arrived at work early in the morning, was in his office the entirety of the day, and did not leave until three hours after the discovery of the missing jars. Catholicon is researching out of the city during the incident.
January 14, 1918, during a small inquiry into the origins of the stored blood, infirmary assistants inform investigators that the Catholicon Alchemist never obtained blood from any scheduled patients, and in the single unscheduled case where blood was taken for testing, it was disposed immediately after the test.
July 20, 1918, there are reports from MPs guarding the old entrance the underground city that a loud explosion has been heard. An emergency investigative squad enters the remains of the city to find nearly one-third of it collapsed and a large building giving off an unnatural glow. In the building, they discover Edward and Alphonse Elric lying prone, but conscious, inside, in disoriented states and with little memory of how they arrived. Important to note: confirmed reports state that both were bleeding minimally from apparent self-inflicted cuts on their left hands.
July 21, 1918, both brothers are placed in the infirmary in Central Headquarters. The Catholicon Alchemist is away at the time.
July 31, 1918, the Elrics are found mentally stable after extended rest.
August 2, 1918, after testimony from many witnesses indicating that the previous Führer wrongly accused and pursued the brothers, as well as increased persuasion from MG Mustang, it is determined that the Elrics' actions were in self-defense and betrayed no treasonous intentions towards the State. Edward Elric is reinstated into the military as the Fullmetal Alchemist, retaining his previous rank of Major.
September 30, 1918, Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric is assigned to inspect the southern town of Orwell.
The small timeline was a work in progress, an incomplete chronological log of everything pertaining to the Elric brothers and everything stemming from people, places and events they had been connected to and involved in. Mustang had founded the idea not long after the brothers vanished to the other world and asked his subordinates to keep track of it, listing the attack as the first event. Falman compiled much of it with help from many well-educated informants. Every incident involving the Catholicon Alchemist was later added to the log, after her involvement with the Elrics. The events themselves were, for the most part, largely unspectacular. However, Roy could not escape the feeling that many of them were somehow connected. He continued to place his finger and interest on the parts involving unknown personnel and Headquarters, as well as anything related to the Catholicon Alchemist, but, each time after reading the timeline, nothing was conclusive in hindsight. It was beginning to feel like a futile pursuit.
He neatened the papers by stacking them on his desk, and then returned them quietly to their place, withdrawing a clipboard holding a small number of sheets to replace it. Before diving into it, his good eye glanced across the room, to where Riza was working. She tightened almost invisibly, as if she could feel his gaze on her neck.
"I know I've already said this, but you would think that our relationship would be a little less formal after all we've been through, Captain."
No answer.
"But I understand if that's how you want it to stay."
He glanced back down at the clipboard in his hand, scanning the bold-printed title at the top. The paper was quite old, sepia-toned with age and wrinkled. It was a small essay that Ed had given him once, during his hunt for the Philosopher's Stone, that he had tracked down in an old library somewhere to the west. In addition to providing some unknown insights, it made a startling connection that Roy, as knowledgeable an alchemist as he was, had never even known about. The General was certain that this essay had nothing to do with the events covered in the timeline, but it was an intriguing and startling read nonetheless.
Eternity: A Study of the Philosopher's Stone Ternion
The Philosopher's Stone. It is the most sacred item known to alchemists, the most powerful object said to have ever existed. It allows its user to completely bypass the Law of Equivalency, turning simple iron into gold, water into wine…and death into life. It is said that the possessor of the Philosopher's Stone can perform human transmutation without being required to give a sacrifice. In simplified terms, whomever uses the Stone can come face to face with the Gate and walk away unharmed. This precious alchemic amplifier is the catalyst for any truly flawless transmutation.
There are facts about the Stone, however, that have been buried for as long as its legend has existed. Only those who have used the Stone are aware that, though it ignores Equivalent Exchange, its power is far from endless. It is quite possible to use up a stone––to exhaust its power. In addition, though rumors of disaster are widely known to surround anyone who gets near the Stone, few realize that it takes the sacrifice of countless amounts of human lives to create it.
Most of the alchemic community, namely the ones who actually believe in the Philosopher's Stone, are widely unaware, but documents preserved from long ago, possibly even from the time of alchemy's advent, indicate that the Stone is but a single piece of a larger triad of legendary alchemic amplifiers that grant both power and the ability to extend life.
The liquid companion to the Stone is believed to be called the Elixir of Life, although other historical names for it include "Liquid Gold," "Amit Ras" and "Dancing Water." Whereas the Stone grants the ability to bypass the Law of Equivalency, the Elixir grants the ability to reverse it––in other words, to get something for nothing. It was widely believed in old times that the Elixir of Life could grant eternal life, though not immortality. The Elixir, simply put, can infinitely expand the user's lifetime, but not protect the user from diseases and physical wounds. Other uses for the Elixir are unknown, mostly due to its being lost in history. There has been no documented use or mention of the Elixir of Life for at least five hundred years, and it is most likely that the Elixir disappeared from common knowledge approximately 350 years ago. To create the Elixir of Life, it is written, large amounts of human blood are needed in conjunction with a liquid catalyst that can change forms. Where such a catalyst would become available, or what it would resemble, is unknown. The required blood cannot be a jumbled assortment; rather, each supply must be completely drained from the humans in question, truly making them sacrifices. It is unknown if the Elixir has a finite limit.
An even darker, more obscure, fascinating secret is the buried truth of what the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life can become. Legends from ages past indicate that the Stone and the Elixir can be combined, transmuted, into a single unknown substance that could possibly be the fifth element. It was given the label "Universal Panacea." The Panacea had the ability to prolong life indefinitely, a trait of the Elixir, and cure all injury and diseases through alchemy, an ability apparently bestowed upon it by the stone. That said, the Panacea is the key to true immortality, if it can truly be created. Because no one has ever successfully created the Universal Panacea, many things about it remain in the dark, most notably if it can actually be made, or if it is just a tale. One would guess that the Panacea would be able to grant all sorts of alchemic abilities on the user, but nothing can be certain. No method has ever been offered for the combining of the Stone and Elixir and creation of the Panacea, and it may always remain that way.
The triangle that encompasses the Philosopher's Stone, the Elixir of Life, and the Universal Panacea is
When Ed had first placed the paper in Mustang's care, he had noted to Roy that the essay, while not vague, felt short and rushed. He also pointed out that, whatever the final sentence had meant to say, it was cut off, leading both to speculate that the anonymous publisher of the essay had been, for some reason or other, unable to finalize and perfect his research. Raising an eyebrow expectantly, Roy let seconds lapse, waiting for something to dawn upon him. When nothing did, he tossed the clipboard back into his desk drawer and leaned back far enough that he found himself looking upside-down through the window behind him.
Bright as it was, the day was getting dull––and fast.
Riza still worked in front of him, having not moved or made a sound since he had taken to reading his various documents. Mustang returned to a sitting posture and placed his elbow on the desk, supporting his head as he rested his cheek on his hand. He gazed at her with a half-open eye, pondering their situation.
They were soldiers, and their duties were expected to come first and foremost in their lives. To any outsider looking in, the Captain's certainly did. Roy knew, from past experience, that under her hard-working exterior there was a soft, beautiful woman, needing attention as much as any normal human being would. He also knew that the two personalities––soldier and woman––conflicted every time she was forced into his presence. As his subordinate, it was as if in a way, she was being tortured every instance that she showed up for work. The tips of his other hand's fingers tapped the desk for a moment. He voiced the question that was circling around his mind.
"How long are we going to live like this?"
She immediately knew what he meant. Without turning, she answered over her shoulder.
"As long as we have to, sir."
Roy stood impatiently, slamming his hands on the desktop. "Riza, you've got to know better!"
She turned in her chair to look at him, deep eyes tinted with regret. "This is the only way I can live. I promised I'd protect you, and that I'd always serve under you. I already failed once," she glanced at his eye patch, "and if I don't stay focused, it might happen again."
"Don't you think I can protect myself?" he questioned, scratching his head and sighing, as if to calm himself down.
"I know you can, but I want to as well," she answered with a small hint of embarrassment.
"Well..." his eye scanned her, "I want more."
She gasped audibly in surprise.
"Riza…we're getting older with each passing day. Nothing ever changes around here. If we continue with the pattern we've laid out for ourselves, we'll go on like this until we retire, and the rest of our lives will be spent waiting to die. There's got to be a break…some small change in the routine…or else things will stay like this until it all inevitably ends. I learned, while Ed and Al were gone, that there are times that you have to go on without the ones that you feel close to. But when the time comes that you have the ability to stay with the ones that truly mean something to you, why in the hell shouldn't you?"
Mustang moved around the desk to where she worked, the boots of his uniform tapping the floor as he walked, until he was right beside her. He took her hand and pulled her into a standing position.
"Now…I'm not saying that our lives have to change in any way from how they are now," he said, their eyes locked, "But I think that after everything we've been through, all the time we've spent together, we at least deserve to be closer friends than we are sitting across a quiet room from each other."
"This is the way it's been for so long, I'm not sure if I can change it now," she offered in reply.
He put an arm around her waist and led her towards the door. "Let's give it a shot. Work can wait for later."
She smiled at him as they moved into the hallway. Her eyes seemed to shine.
"I thought you were worried about the Elrics."
"I'm sure they're fine for now."
The office door remained open as they departed.
A/N: Well...there you go, heh. This is my recap chapter. I know that, after the events of the movie, some of the things in the story seemed out of place, so recounting everything between the attack and Orwell was my way of showing you readers that the story really is a continuation, not AU. I know that some of the timeline's events might seem ambiguous, out of place, or generally unimportant––maybe even confusing. But as other things come to light later in the story, you'll realize how it all ties together. In addition, I felt that after the last two chapters, this interlude was a nice break from the shocking twists and turns and the emotional traumas. XD A few notes:
• Some Royai! Finally! XD. They're not a couple now, but they did just leap a major hurdle. The door not being closed when they leave symbolizes a lowering of one of the walls that were raised between them.
• Not sure if anyone will bring it up, but Cpt and MG stand for Captain and Major General, respectively. I actually looked up the abbreviations, so rest assured they're correct.
• Yes, the unfinished last sentence of the essay is intentional.
• I'm not sure that I ever really stated a date for the setting of the story, so I guess now you all know. It's somewhere in early November of 1918 Continental Calendar (about a year after the movie), meaning Ed will be turning twenty sometime real soon––his birthday's in the winter.
• The chapter title, Blank, has a double meaning: Blank, as in "my mind is blank," because the docs don't register with Mustang, and the blank sheet Roy and Riza have just started on in their relationship.
That's about it. Thanks to the few who reviewed. I promise you all that Chapter 12 will be back to Aquroya and everything that's going on. Don't' forget that this scene with Roy is happening right when Ed's dealing with the homunculi; so it's ironic that Roy would think the brothers are just fine. Couldn't help putting in some irony…you know me (I think).
Preview - Chapter 12"Why are the things we long for the most also the things that pain us so?"
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If anyone reviews (I know, foolish thought), just let me know what you thought. Kanashii.Umi wasn't available to pre-read this one, but she will be for 12. 'Til then.
LL