Chapter 2:
The Gift of the Sun God
A bright light pierced the darkness beyond the Gate, making Kagome's head spin. Her hair flew back in a wind that didn't feel quite natural, and before she could even begin to comprehend what was happening, it began.
Alchemy. Equivalent Exchange. Transmutation.
Her teeth clenched together against the onslaught of information that came out of nowhere. Her head throbbed. She wanted to massage her temples, but her arms were still glued to her sides by the hands that wrapped around her, pushing her further and further into the swirling lights, the long strings of information pouring into her brain.
Philosopher's Stone. Elixir of Life. Science. Chemicals.
She winced as more and more of the information was forced into her head. It was like trying to cram for finals the night before the test. Actually, it was more like her head had been ripped open and three or four gigantic textbooks were trying to fit inside. There just wasn't enough room. It was too much. Too much…
Labs. Metals. Gold. Chimeras. Chrysopoeia.
A metallic taste filled her mouth, making her stomach flip unhappily inside her, and she realized she'd bit her lip so hard it was bleeding. She cursed inwardly, screwing her eyes shut and swallowing her scream. How long was this going to go on? How much could she take?
Cosmos. Purification. Hermeticism. Homunculus. Alkahestry. Chi.
A strangled cry of pain finally broke loose, echoing and fading in the swirling space. Once it was out she couldn't stop the next, and soon she was flailing wildly, screaming and yelling and fighting the hands that still held her fast. Her head was splitting open, she knew it. She was dying—dying! She was going to die from all the information that was stuffed inside her head.
Circles. Azoth.
"Let me go! Let me go, I don't want this!" Tears streaked down her face—or was it blood? She was too dazed to think.
Resurrect.
"No! I can't take anymore! Please!"
Immortality.
"Help me, someone! No!"
Base.
"Help me!"
Noble.
Her shriek of agony died in her throat as her whole body stiffened. Her blue eyes, bloodshot from her tears, were wide in horror and shock. One last word forced its way into her already oversaturated mind.
Energy.
Searing pain rippled over her in waves that began in her aching head and washed through her body, making her tremble. She didn't even register when the grips the hands had on her loosened. Her head rolled back and her eyes drifted shut as she fell.
-oOo-
The crowds cheered when Cornello emerged onto the raised platform, the square ringing with shouts of "founder" and "miracles". The ever-smiling man waved at the people before catching a small bloom in his hand. He closed it between his palms and red light flashed around them. When he opened his hands again, it was to reveal a massive sunflower, which he held up over his head like a trophy.
Further back in the crowd, a huge man in silver armor and a small fifteen-year-old boy standing on his suitcase for visibility's sake looked on.
The armored man put his hands on his hips. "So what do you think?" he said in a surprisingly high voice for someone so big. "Looks like alchemy to me."
The boy nodded, shielding his eyes from the sun and the hundreds of flowers the priest had conjured that were now toppling out of the sky. His brow wrinkled in a frown. "The reaction, sure, but the law…"
"You came!" exclaimed a smiling teenage girl with dark hair and pink bangs who had appeared beside them. A flower landed in her hair and she giggled, pulling it out, and handed it to the huge man. "Well, what do you think? That has to be the power of miracles. After all, Lord Cornello is the son of the sun god Leto."
The short, blonde-haired boy rubbed his hand over his mouth as a little girl in the front row held out her hands and offered Cornello a dead bird, tears on her cheeks. "Nope, definitely alchemy. Your Lord Cornello is a fake."
"But that's against the law," remarked the armored man thoughtfully.
"Hm, that's right…"
The girl cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What law?"
The blonde's face became serious. "Equivalent Exchange." His eyes widened in shock when Cornello held up his hands once again, releasing the bird into the sky. "Did you see that, Al?" he exclaimed, his eyes glued to the bird, which was now very much alive.
The armor nodded slowly. "Did he just bring that bird back to life?"
"That's nothing," said the girl. "At least, that's nothing for Lord Cornello."
Edward's eyes narrowed in suspicion as the priest raised his hands in the sky. A gust of wind blew through the square, making the blossoms scatter between their feet. "Citizens of Liore—"
He was cut off when a strange red light flashed behind him. The crowd gasped in surprise, covering their eyes. Cornello whirled—apparently, this wasn't a part of his act. When the people could finally look again, they drew in a collective breath at what they saw.
-oOo-
The first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was a hoard of people staring at her. She moaned, sitting up slowly, and noted that she had been lying on the hard concrete of a raised platform. She rubbed her head, which was still aching. "What the hell?" she muttered.
As soon as she spoke, it was as if the floodgates broke. "It's a girl!" "It's a human girl!" "Lord Cornello is truly a miracle-worker!" "He created a human!" "Founder!" "I want to touch her!"
Her eyes popped out at that last remark and she hastily scooted back from the reaching hands of the crowd. What the heck is wrong with these people?! She bit back a shriek as she felt a strong hand latch onto her wrist and haul her to her feet. She looked to her left and saw that the one who had picked her up was a tall, bald man in priests' robes. "What—?"
"Behold!" he boomed, cutting her off, as he pushed her hand into the air, "A girl sent from Leto! A miracle! All hail the mighty sun god!"
"All hail Leto!" the crowd cheered. "All hail the Founder, son of Leto! All hail the sun!"
Kagome looked around wildly, searching for a familiar face, but came up with nothing. Her head was still spinning with all the information that had been pushed inside, and she couldn't think straight enough to even comprehend her situation.
The priest turned to her, giving her a smile that made her want to go hide behind a couch. "You must be tired," he said.
"Eh?" she answered intelligently.
He turned to a burly, dark-haired man standing farther back on the platform and they shared a look. The man nodded and stepped forward. The priest offered another too-bright smile. "This is one of my followers. He'll see to it that you're given a place to stay."
Kagome gulped. This guy was definitely bad news. He'd just claimed she was some sort of girl from the sun god, for crying out loud! The dark-haired man grabbed her wrist and her eyes went wide. "Wai—what are you—?" He yanked on her wrist, silencing her as a jolt of pain shot up through her arm. She stumbled behind him helplessly, still gape-mouthed and unable to form a full sentence, as he dragged her away.
-oOo-
"Human transmutation," Alphonse whispered in a mixture of awe and horror.
Edward watched grimly as the girl in the strange green skirt and white blouse was pulled off the podium and disappeared into the crowd. "Somehow I doubt that," he muttered. His eyes flickered back to Cornello, who had once again begun his "sermon", and narrowed when he noticed the ring on his left hand.
Alphonse noticed at the same time. "Is that—?"
The short boy's lips curled into a grin. "Bingo." He hopped off his suitcase, picking it up, and put on his best stupid smile. "Rose! I think I really am starting to believe," he lied. "I simply must talk with this Lord Cornello of yours, right away!"
Her face brightened. "Really? I knew you'd come to your senses at some point! It's impossible not to see the miracles Lord Cornello works. No alchemy could create a real girl!"
Ed laughed, but he didn't miss the look Alphonse shot him. Got that right.
-oOo-
Kagome huffed. She would have crossed her arms over her chest, if not for the fact that they were tied together behind the back of the chair she was currently lashed to. What a day, she thought ruefully. First, I destroy an evil half-demon bent on world domination, and then I resurrect my rival, who turns out to have been so bitchy for the past seven years because she was even deader than we thought. Then I have a little chitchat with "Truth" in the "Between" next to the "Gate of Truth"… Geez, that's an excessive amount of unnecessary proper nouns in one day. Finally, I have the biggest and most abrupt cram session of my life—and, like all my previous attempts at cramming, I can't remember a single word—and wind up with some weirdo claiming I'm a girl sent from Leto, or something.
And now I'm tied up. This is starting to get old.
She sighed in defeat. When the priest across the room from her, currently gazing out his window as if imitating the stereotypical ancient Greek philosopher, didn't turn around, she frowned and sighed louder. At last, he turned to look at her. She grimaced at his expression—didn't he know anything other than smiling?
"So…" she said conversationally when he just stood there smiling at her for several moments, "Do you actually have a reason for tying me up or are you just going to stand there observing the scenery all day?"
He chuckled, but there was no warmth in the sound, as he walked up to her and sat down in the exceedingly comfy-looking armchair across from her. "Where did you come from?"
She rolled her eyes. "The sun god, Leto, or did you forget?"
His smile didn't budge. "Tell the truth or suffer the consequences."
She pursed her lips at him in anger. "The mysterious beyond," she said mockingly. "Another time, another place, another dimension. The Between."
"Don't lie to me, girl."
"But it's not a lie," she said innocently. Her scornful air faded, replaced by a hard look. "What I want to know is why you lied to all those people. You're not who you say you are, are you?"
"I'm asking the questions here."
"Equivalent Exchange." The words toppled from her mouth before she could even think about them, and she frowned. Where did that come from?
His smile lessened slightly. "An alchemist?"
She glared at him. I hate it when people say stuff and I have no idea what they're talking about! He took her silence as an affirmative. "Then I'll let you in on a secret, alchemist," he said sarcastically, holding up his hand to show a small, silver band. In the center was a circular red stone.
She regarded it warily, noting the Sacred Jewel-esque aura. Great. Now there's another one. "What is that?"
"The Philosopher's Stone," he responded. She raised her eyebrows at his tone. Obviously, this Philosopher's Stone thing offered some serious bragging rights.
"How'd you get it?" she asked.
"A gift."
She was about to ask what exactly this gift was capable of when the door flew open, revealing the same dark-haired man from earlier. "Founder, there is someone requesting an interview," he said, completely ignoring the girl who was tied up in the priest's study. "A little boy and armored man calling themselves the Elric brothers."
The founder frowned. "Tell them I'm busy." Suddenly his eyes widened. "Wait, did you say the Elric brothers? Edward Elric?"
"Yes, I think that was one of their names. Why? Do you—?"
"Hey!" Kagome interrupted, fed up with being overlooked. The man looked at her as if just seeing her, and she continued. "Don't just ignore me—I'm tied to a chair, for crying out loud!"
The priest went on as if she hadn't even spoken. "This is bad," he said. "That's the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric!"
"What?!"
"Hello? I'm trying to talk here!" put in a fuming Kagome.
"He can't be. He's such a pipsqueak!"
"Age is unimportant. It's said he passed the exam when he was twelve."
"I see… so he really is that rumored brat… But why would a state alchemist be here? Could it be he knows about our plan?"
"The dogs of the military have excellent noses."
"Should I send him away?"
"No. Too suspicious." The priest's eyes took on a malicious gleam as he said, "How about, they never came here?"
The dark-haired man smirked as he nodded and exited the room. The priest looked back at Kagome, who was currently straining against her ropes. "I'll be back," he said boredly. "Don't go anywhere."
She sent him a hateful look as he left through a different door on the other side of the room. You think? After a few more minutes of struggling, she stopped and let out a low whine. "Why does this have to happen to me?" she asked aloud.
Boom.
She flinched as the vibrations from whatever-it-was rattled the glass on the coffee table. What the heck was that? She stilled, waiting to see if it would happen again, and was rewarded when, after several seconds, the sound repeated:
Boom.
The glass rattled again. Kagome looked down at the ropes holding her and swore, then scowled. Inuyasha really did rub off on me. After regarding the ropes for a few more minutes, the idea of using her powers to free herself crossed her mind, and she debated that. Her priestess powers weren't good for much more than healing and purifying, but what other option did she have? Might as well try.
Her mind made up, she closed her eyes, reaching inside herself for the power hidden deep within. Her lips curled into a frown when she noticed that they felt different now, more… snappy. Raw. Like electricity. She pushed the thought aside—the snappier, the better. Purity wasn't exactly going to get her out of this situation, was it? Although I swear I'll purify this whole "dimension" if they're sealed again.
When she'd latched onto the power, she drew it out slowly, carefully. She was suddenly grateful for all the practice she'd done in her quest to outshine Kikyou over the past few years (one that had failed miserably up until the final battle itself). All that time spent meditating, waking up at dawn to run and train, and purifying random minor youkai who were unfortunate enough to cross her path was finally starting to pay off. The energy skittered over her skin, and she focused it on the ropes.
There was a flash of light so bright she saw it through her eyelids, and she opened her eyes. A smug grin spread across her lips at the obvious lack of ropes before she registered what she was seeing. When she did, she blinked in confusion.
Why am I wearing my junior high uniform?
-oOo-
Edward and Alphonse stood together outside the door to the founder's room. Edward put his hands on his hips and glared at the door in his usual challenging manner. "So this is the founder's room Rose told us about," he said, a bit too loudly, to make sure their bluff was being passed on. Alphonse was just grateful no one could see his expression—he was an awful liar, even if he was doing it for a good reason. Never let it be said that being bound to armor was all bad.
Edward made as if to leave. "Oh well…" he said, again much louder than necessary. If Alphonse could have, he'd have rolled his eyes. Edward smirked and shot him a thumbs-up when the door began to open of its own accord. When it stopped, they stepped inside. Silence greeted them, and Ed called out, "Aren't you supposed to say 'Welcome'?" He frowned when the door swung shut behind them.
"Welcome to our holy church," came a too-kind voice from their right. They turned to see Cornello descending the steps at the front of the church, a lantern in tow. "Did you come to learn our teachings?"
"Yeah," Edward mocked, "Like how you're tricking your believers with cheap alchemy!"
Cornello's expression didn't change at all. "Hm, I wonder what you're talking about…? My miracles certainly aren't alchemy. If you saw it once you'd understand."
"I already saw." The blonde's eyes narrowed. "The thing I don't get is how you were able to transmute something while ignoring the laws, and how you brought that bird back to life. And how that girl got there all of a sudden."
''That's why I said it wasn't alchemy…" the priest said, scratching his bald head as if confused.
"I thought so," said Edward confidently, noting the ring on his finger. "You're using the Philosopher's Stone." Cornello stopped scratching his head, and Edward went on, "It's that ring, isn't it?"
The priest studied him for a long time before his smile finally faded. "I should have expected no less from a state alchemist," he said. "You're right. This is that mysterious power-amplifier thought to only exist in legends, with which we alchemists can bypass the rule of Equivalent Exchange."
The boy's mouth tugged into a grin as his eyes traced the path of the priest's hand—or, more accurately, the stone—in the air. "I've been looking for that."
-oOo-
Boom!
Kagome shot up to her feet at the sound emanating from the door through which Cornello had disappeared. That didn't sound like a gun. Did I seriously just sit around for five minutes staring at my clothes? She cursed again, debating whether to check out what was going on in the next room or high tail it out of the place for good. A surge of energy from the next room, followed by a distinctly inhuman roar, made the decision for her.
She searched the room quickly for something to use as a weapon and was rewarded when she caught sight of a black bow with golden carvings and a matching quiver. They were hung on the wall next to a bunch of other weapons, and she crossed the room, taking the bow in her hands. She almost cried at her luck. I don't know why bows just conveniently pop up around me all the time, but it sure as hell is convenient!
Another roar echoed through the room, and she shook herself from her thoughts, donning the quiver, withdrawing an arrow and hurrying over to the door. It didn't have a lock or handle on it, so she leaned up against it, pushing it open with her shoulder.
The door opened onto a stairwell that lead down to the front of what she assumed was some sort of church. The fake priest was standing there, holding up a lantern. Her eyes traveled to the short teenage boy in the center of the church and she gasped. A massive demon with a lion's head and front legs and a lizards haunches and tail was latched onto his arm, chewing and gnawing. She winced. That has to hurt. Her gaze flickered to his face and she was shocked to see his expression didn't betray any pain at all.
But how's that possible…?
The demon soon became aggravated and pressed down harder, trying to get a grip on the boy's arm, and the boy shot it a look. "What's wrong, ya stupid cat?" he growled. "Get a real good taste!" Kagome's eyes widened when he brought up one foot, slamming the demon beneath its jaw and sending it flying halfway across the room. It didn't move again. How did he do that? Inuyasha can't even take out a demon barehanded in one strike like that!
The boy turned, facing a girl on the opposite side of the church with dark hair and a simple white dress. "Take a good look, Rose," he said, taking hold of his deep red cloak and pulling it away to expose an arm made entirely of metal. "This is what comes of human transmutation."
Human… transmutation? Kagome's head throbbed suddenly and her hand flew to her forehead, her arrow toppling to the ground with a clatter. Stupid Truth! Stupid "tips for the road"! Stupid, stupid hands! She fell to her knees, clutching her head. Wasn't she at least supposed to remember these "tips"? What good were they if after all that trouble they didn't even stick?
"Big brother, it's that girl from earlier!" she heard a young boy's voice say. Great. Way to blow my cover, she thought sarcastically. She pushed her headache down on her "To Do" list, right after getting away from the creepy priest dude, and forced herself to her feet, once again knocking her arrow and aiming it at said creepy priest, who saw the bow in her hands and immediately began to laugh.
"An alchemist! Wielding a bow!" he guffawed.
Her eyes slanted dangerously as her powers crackled inside her, flitting over her skin and charging the bow with bright red light. She noted the change from pink to red, but that was also knocked down on her list. "You don't want me pissed off. I've had a very long day," she warned.
"Oh yes," he said, "No doubt jumping between dimensions left and right."
"Got that right." She spared a glance at the young girl, blonde guy and armored man, and her eyes settled on the boy, deciding he must be the leader. Was he this Edward Elric they'd been talking about? She glanced briefly at his metal arm and wondered if that was what he was talking about when he said "human transmutation." Too bad for Sesshoumaru they don't have youkai transmutation there. Bet he'd appreciate it.
She grimaced at the thought of the taiyoukai restored to his previous two-armed state. Better if he never knows. "You," she said. She jerked her head towards the door on the other side of the church. "Leave." She turned back to the priest and her grip on the bow tightened. "Kids shouldn't be involved with this kind of person."
"KID?!" the boy bellowed. "WHO YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD FIT IN IN MIDGETVILLE?!"
She flinched and gave him a look that clearly said, "What the hell?" Why was he suddenly yelling at her anyway? Did he have some sort of height issue? She rolled her eyes. Little Man Syndrome… "Just beat it already, okay? I'll take care of this."
"Like hell!" he shot back. "Who are you, anyway? And what's with the outfit?!"
She could have sworn a vein popped in her forehead, and she lowered her bow slightly so she could have a better vantage point for yelling at the brat. "My clothes are irrelevant! Get out!"
His jaw clenched in anger. "I'm not getting out. This is our fight, not yours!"
"Last I checked I'm the one he abducted, not you!"
"All the more reason for you to get away if you can't even defend yourself!"
Kagome growled in frustration. "I can defend myself just fine!"
"What, with that bow of yours? Give me a break."
"Excuse you! I'll have you know that I freaking saved the world this morning, and with a bow that happened to be much less decorative!" She jabbed a finger at him, her bow forgotten. "Have you ever saved the world, you lazy twerp?"
He laughed, the twerp comment going straight over his head. "Saved the world? You? That's just too much!"
Her eye twitched. "Don't make fun of me, brat! I'll have you know I am the guardian of the Sacred Jewel, the Jewel of Four Souls. You don't even begin to measure up!"
"WHO YOU CALLING SO TINY HE HAS TO STAND ON A SUITCASE TO SEE OVER THE CROWD?!"
"WHAT THE HELL? You're supposed to listen to the part about me having saved the world and stuff, not my opinion of your height!"
"Oh, so you have an opinion, huh?" he asked, completely ignoring the cause of her anger. "Well then, out with it!"
Kagome screamed, exasperated. How the hell long was this going to go on? "Just shut up and go away!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"ENOOOOOOOOOOOUGH!" Both Kagome and the boy jumped about two feet in the air, whirling from their argument to face him. Kagome's jaw went slack in horror when she saw the massive machine guns he was wielding—one pointed at her, the other at the brat. His smile was contorted into a crazy grin that reminded her all too much of Naraku. "I've had enough of this! DIE!"
Then he fired.
Thanks for reading!
Disclaimers:
I do not own Inuyasha or Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own this story, and if you steal it I will get really pissed off at you. Any similarities between this and other fics is purely coincidental and if you accuse me of stealing, I will also get really pissed off at you. (I am rather easily pissed off.) Please bear in mind that there are bound to be likenesses between mine and other IY/FMA or FMA fics because I'm planning on following the FMA storyline (manga/2009 anime version), at least in the beginning, so if it's related to the order of events, well, please don't bother bringing it up, okay?
This fic is rated T. I reserve the right to heated makeout scenes and excessive swearing/violence, and I also reserve the right to up the rating at any point if I so chose. I honestly don't think that'll happen; nevertheless, be prepared.
Updates will come and go as I see fit. I may mess around for months at a time just to put out a filler chapter and randomly go on hiatus right after a cliff-hanger, but I will finish this story. Eventually.