By: Bar-Ohki
Disclaimer: The situation hasn't changed since the last chapter.
Recap: I've covered all the known state alchemists in the series, now its time to see the infamous 'unknown' I spoke of.
Other Stuff: This story is Kumori Con 2007's Best Cannon winner. I want to thank everyone who has read this, especially those who have reviewed. I write these stories so that others can enjoy them, so thank you for enjoying them. And for my reviewers, thank you for supporting and encouraging me. This chapter is for you!
Chapter 8: High Hopes
Tink! Tink! Click! …BAM! "Dammit!!"
These are the sounds of a mine. It was on these sounds that Nash Tringham broke his teeth on, sing him to sleep, and would, one day in the far future, beat out his funeral march. Being around the mines was claming to him. And that is why Nash always swung by them on the way to school.
Today was no different than any other, Nash walked to by the mines on way to school. The eerie echoed sounds that emerged from within were the same as always. But the sun seemed brighter, the wind more happy and playful. It was the start of a good day, that Nash knew.
An alchemist was visiting the school that morning. He had stopped in Xenotine to teach any students that "had talent". Nash didn't realize this until he walked into the door of his school to see a short, fat stranger. It was a woman with black hair and brown eyes, she seemed nice.
The teacher had introduced her as 'Mrs. Kantsie'. Each student was to have a private interview with her at some point during that school day. Nash wiggled in his seat impatiently. Eventually his name was called, but for Nash it had seemed to take years too long.
"Good afternoon." Mrs. Kantsie greeted him with a pleasant smile.
"Good afternoon." Nash bowed a little bit then sat down, his blue eyes wide in excitement.
"Now I want you to answer me some questions in logic and science, is that ok?" She asked, more serious now.
"Yes."
They were not hard questions, Nash made short work of answering them. With every question Mrs. Kantsie's smile grew and grew.
"You pass m'boy. We'll be calling your parents tomorrow to arrange your lessons." She explained.
"Thank you!" Nash bowed deeply.
-break-
"I will not have this!" Makr Tringham cried as he slammed his fists into the table. "Alchemy is nonsense! Nothing good ever comes of it! I will not have my son learning it!"
Nash was as appalled by his father's outburst as he was shocked and depressed. The young man had been looking forward to studying alchemy. Now it was impossible.
-break-
Mrs. Kantsie paused a moment before leaving.
"Nash," she began quietly, "I'm going to leave you books at the school. I want you to study this, you were meant for it." Nash nodded vigorously, excited that there was still a beacon of hope.
Unfortunately Nash wasn't talented enough to learn from the books alone. After spending all of his free time for the next ten years devoted to attempting to learn the art, Nash decided it was time to quit. He promptly forgot his desire to learn.
Instead he turned his interests in a Emily Scarrborugh, a pretty young lady with long white curls and brilliant blue eyes. Within a few years of careful courting they were engaged and married. Nash focused on providing for his family, which was soon growing. He and Emily had two sons, Russell and Fletcher. They were brilliant and intelligent boys with bright eyes and high hopes.
But alchemy wasn't done with Nash, not by a long shot.
It was a damp morning. A thick morning fog had fallen over Xenotime, leaving anything exposed to it wet. With his youngest son toddling and crying every four minutes in fever, Nash needed some air. Emily had all but kicked her husband out.
And so Nash found himself walking by the sounds of the mine. The mine that was slowly, but surely becoming less lucrative each year. Nash didn't worry too much, he knew the people here were tough, they would change. He strolled by his old school, by his childhood home, and up the path into the mountains. He couldn't recall why he was drawn to the mountains that morning, he just was. Within an hour he found himself resting atop a small precipice. He looked out onto the town, his home with a smile. It was hard to see in the fog, but that didn't make it any less special for Nash.
"Hmm, I better head home…." He muttered absently, standing. A few rocks beneath his feet crumbled, then a few more. Soon the earth gave and Nash found himself standing atop a mini-mudslide. He gasped in awe at the sheer power of the earth as it took out trees and crumpled away beneath his feet. There was a new smell in the air, smelled like stale bread which was not unpleasant, but odd to find out in the woods.
Nash investigated the smell to find the earth that had fallen away was saturated with some red liquid.(1) The man raced back into town and began to ask and talk about the red liquid, no one knew what it was or even how it got there. The people were a little fearful, soon the town held a meeting. It was decided since Nash found it, he would deal with it.
That is when Nash drug out his alchemy books, having nowhere else to turn. To his luck another alchemist had stopped through Xenotime two weeks later and was able to clear up and tutor Nash on all the bits and pieces that had eluded him in the past. To be doubly sure of his skills, Nash went to Oakland, the town over, to study for two months.
Upon his return Nash examined the red liquid, which he, uncreativly, dubbed 'Red Water'(or so his wife claimed). He took some home for further examination of course. It did not take long for Emily to catch a cold that would not leave, Nash and the boys also felt a little sick, but not as much as Emily did. She continued to be ill and suffer until Nash found the source of the problem. Red Water was toxic. With that he removed it from the house and began to use extra precaution with his experimenting. But the damage to Emily had been done, she died four weeks later.
"I am a fool…." Nash muttered as he mourned on her funeral day. He intended to give up then.
"Daddy, you can do it!" His sons told him. "You can finish your research, for mommy." Nash's resolve crumbled and he went back to work on his Red Water. It became apparent after a few more months that Nash didn't know enough or have the proper funding for the complete and thorough study of the liquid.
"Why don't you become a State Alchemist?" One of his neighbors suggested. Nash smiled.
"You're onto something there…." He remarked.
-break-
Nash prepared a detailed essay and a small vial of Red Water to send to the military. Because his practical was research, it had to be sent in advance and analyzed before the exam. Nash didn't really know much about the exam or what to expect, so he studied what alchemy books he had and caught the next train to Central.
Nash had never seen so many people in one place before. What amazed him was how unhelpful and rude they were when he asked how to get to Headquaters. Luckily Nash found a solider in uniform and asked him.
"Well, if you don't mind waiting, I'm getting off shift in half an hour so you can hitch a ride with me…." The solider explained.
"I'm more than happy to, you're the most helpful person I've met today." Nash admitted. "Thank you so much!"
"It is my job to serve and protect." The solider laughed. "No problem sir."
-break-
Headquarters is a large, white building. It is an intimidating building. Nash was, oddly, comforted by the size and whiteness of the building. It reminded him of the quarry in Oakland, which reminded him of home. He went inside were the man behind the information desk pointed directed him to an office in an obscure corner of the second floor. The lady in the office there had him fill out two forms then told him to take them to a man outside one of the file warehouses (which where on the other side of the grounds). The man there took one and told him to take the other to an office on the third floor. Nash entered to discover the people there had moved and were up on the fourth floor. He went there to discover that the office was mislabeled. After he handed them his second sheet they made him fill out three more forms that went up to the seventh floor. There Nash was relieved of them then sent with a memo to a general on the sixth floor. The general was busy for thirty minutes, then Nash was allowed to see the man and hand him the memo.(2)
"Alright sir, here's your time schedule, you're registered now." The gruff general told him.
"Thanks…." Nash huffed, having hurried all his trip. The general raised an eyebrow.
"Bureaucracy is the world's most fascinating necessary evil, don't you think?" The general joked.
"No, I think it's the most time consuming and exhausting one." Nash laughed and left.
-break-
Two days later Nash sat down with some other men to take his written exam.
"You're exam is in front of you. You have 5 hours." The proctor barked and sat down. "Starting now."
It became very apparent that Nash hadn't studied nearly enough. Most of the test made no sense to him, and what little that did was difficult and hard to answer properly. Nash was terrible at timing too, spending far too long on what he didn't know and not going through to find what he did know and answer it first. In short, Nash handed in an exam that wasn't even 15 complete.
"You failed." The proctor told him as he picked up and scanned through the exam.
"Oh." Nash left depressed.
But the man did have some luck left, the military had taken an interest in his Red Water. They told him such when they called his hotel. He was given a job as a lab technician at a 'Laboratory 5'.
Nash smiled, looking out into Central's dreary, wet morning. There was still some hope left in this world.
Whoo! Done. The End!
1- The reason Nash isn't choking on the toxicness of the Red Water is because of the very little there is in the ground coupled with the amount of moisture that is in the air.
2- Taken and inspired by my recent problem trying to get credit for the 1st two years of French. I had litteraly ran around in a much similar fashion to accomplish very little.
This is the second fanfic I've actually finished, which is quite the accomplishment for me. And here's a little personal shout to all my reviewers:
Tetsuya Ogawa: You were my first reviewer for this story. Thank you for taking an interest, I hope you stayed with me till the end.
Anime Angel Alchemist: My dear friend and partner, thank you for reading.
E. Mahiru: I love your work, and I'm glad you like mine. I always look forward to your insightful reviews.
Indigo: Thank you for your encouraging words.
soupcan: You're review came for me at just the right time, I was so uninspired until you put it up. Since then I smile every time you reviewed. Thanks.
silkendreammaid: Thank you for staying by me until the end.
causmicfire: You always had very kind words, thank you. I really appreciate that you came back and dropped a review every chapter.
supersquidgirl: Your complement flatters me, I blush when I read it (in the embarrassed way).
Meitle: It was amusing to hear about your trips on the off chance you had an opportunity to read this.
Shcribble Donamarine: I always prefer a review, not that the real life one's weren't cool, I just can't go back to them the same way.
InyJoey: Thanks for the bunny-cat chimera.
the-Imagined: I like your tally.
Momma Mustang: I'm glad you got excited about my idea.
SerenityFrogLuvr3: You are a really nice and kind reviewer, thank you for your kind words.
Mimori Kiryu: I like you summarized all the chapters and what you liked about them. I'm glad I wrote something that got you hooked.
huntress in the dark: I like your analogy, it makes me laugh.
Mr. Thumbsup: I'm sorry I wasn't familiar with the games, I would have done them otherwise.
frozenalchemy: Thank you, I'm glad you like it.
And for everyone else who read and said nothing: I hope you enjoyed it. Have a good day, and if you like check out my other stories.
Till next time,
Bar-Ohki