The Waters of Lethe
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, I just want to play around in its world and torture Ed for a while
Author's note: post series. Some movie events may happen, just differently
Warning: movie spoilers, also violence, death, bad language.
Beta: Agent000
66. The Prodigal Alchemist (Der verschwenderische Alchemist)
Lior, Eastern Frontier, Amestris. July 17, 1920
Before he continued further into the city, the boy rummaged in an inside pocket of his coat. He pulled out a small coin purse made of brown leather and snapped it open. The leather was cracked and scuffed as evidence of heavy use in the four years since Izumi gave it to him as a parting gift. Dry, wind-reddened lips silently counted the coins stirred by long and agile fingers. Then those lips frowned with dismay. Only 500 cenz left, not enough for a night's stay at an inn.
Oh well, I've slept rough before. I can do it again. He eyed the sides of a nearby alley, they would help break the chilly desert wind. He had just taken two steps in its direction when someone whispered "Psstt!"
The boy stopped and looked curiously at the anxious face of a middle-aged woman and her hand beckoned him inside. "You have just arrived here, haven't you?"
"Yes, yes I have. Is something going on that I should know about?"
"Lior is occupied and we are under curfew. Quick! Come inside before the patrol sees you!"
The boy didn't need to be told twice. Confrontations with any sort of military were to be avoided at all costs. It was a lesson Izumi had drilled into him often. He tripped up the two steps to the threshold and entered, the door closing so fast it nearly struck his backside.
"Shhh!" The woman put a finger to her lips and the boy ducked next to her. He'd never seen another person look so frightened. Voices in a gutteral language sounded just outside and the boy cocked his head, listening hard. He'd learned to distinguish many different languages, and even speak some of them fluently in the four years he'd spent searching for Brother,but he'd never heard this language before, and his eyebrows drew together in concentration.
The voices, and the sound of several pairs of feet went past and faded away down the street and the woman relaxed. The fearful light died in her eyes and some of the furrows smoothed out on her forehead.
"Excuse me," the boy was still confused. "But I've never heard that language before, what sort of military is occupying Lior?"
"They are invaders! Invaders from another world! Just a few days ago, the ground shook, then an eye in the sky opened and flying machines appeared above Lior. They set up camp just outside the city and the Holy Mother went to tell them to leave.
"But," the woman's face crumpled and the boy's heart twisted in sympathy. "The invaders had an alchemist with them and he destroyed part of the city, killing several people. The Holy Mother had no choice; she had to let them occupy Lior to preserve innocent lives."
The boy leapt to his feet. "I have to see the Holy Mother! Can you direct me to where she lives?"
The horror struck look she shot at him seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the room. "No, don't! It's far too dangerous! Several people have been shot dead already. Stay - stay the night and you can go in the morning, after the curfew is lifted."
The boy was sure he could dodge the night patrol and find the Holy Mother's house,but tears brimming in the woman's eyes stopped him. "Please, please don't go. Just this morning the invaders displayed the bodies of two boys they'd shot last night for trying to sneak out of Lior. One of them looked to be your age."
The boy relented, he let the woman serve him a hot meal and give him a warm bed. He slept soundly, and awoke to bright sunlight streaming through slats of the window blinds. The inviting smell of bacon and eggs wafted under the closed bedroom door. He offered her the 500 cenz, but she refused and drew a map while he ate his breakfast. The woman gave him some final words of advice.
"Be very careful; don't look any of the invaders in the eye,and don't speak to any unless you are spoken to first. One of my neighbors was shot between the eyes for speaking sharply to one of their officers. Don't linger near the Mayor's residence either, they keep their Puppet there."
"Their Puppet?"
"An alchemist the head invader pulls around on a leash, like a dog. He's under some kind of spell and he stares straight ahead until she orders him to destroy a building. Then his face twists and he turns into an animal, glaring and snarling. Some people who've seen him close up claim he is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist who saved Lior from Cornello the False Prophet years ago. But it can't be him, he disappeared the night Fuhrer Bradley was ki..."
Her voice trailed away when she saw the thunderstruck look on the boy's face. "No, please! Don't do anything foolish,boy!" She thrust the map into his hands. "Here is the map. Find the Holy Mother and speak to her. I've heard she is only pretending to cooperate with the invaders,but she is really organizing a resistance movement, and if you want to help Lior..."
"Yes, yes. I want to help! I'll go to the Holy Mother."
/
Rose Thomas dragged an index finger through the wet ring left by her coffee mug and made designs on the marble top of the cafe table, turned her head toward the street the better to avoid the blue eyes staring at her and watched the traffic of carts, delivery trucks and people on horseback jostling for space on the main street of Lior. The city bustle looked normal enough, unless she raised her eyes and saw the Nazi flags hanging from every lamppost. Or the gun-toting men in slate-gray uniforms standing guard at the front gate of the Mayor's House across the street. Or the anxious faces of the residents going about their daily business.
Rose flicked her gaze back to the stern eyes of Alex Armstrong who sat like a baby mountain on the other side of the table. He'd come to this cafe for coffee every morning since his arrival and was such a frequent customer the owner had a specially large reinforced chair made for him. Alex had been touched by the gesture, but he was not happy today. Rose had told him every detail she could remember of that night at the opera house, yet Alex still had questions.
"Miss Thomas, how did you get a boy, a baby, and an injured homunculus all the way to Risembool without anyone noticing? The military had all of Central under lock down after the Fuhrer's murder."
"Two boys were waiting in the church - Russell and Fletcher Tringham - they helped me quite a bit. Edward and Alphonse had met them a few years ago. They got us on a train, but they left it at Xenotime. I gather both were in a hurry to shake the dust of Central off their feet, although Russell was kind of cagey about what happened. Plus, Alphonse was very anxious to find his brother and he wanted to get to Risembool as fast as he could."
"So, if we were to get word to the Rockbell house, would Alphonse come to Lior?"
"Oh, no. He's not in Risembool anymore! His alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis, came while I was there. After Alphonse begged her to teach him some more, he went back to Dublith with her and her husband."
Alex half-closed his eyes and hummed softly. "The Elric brothers have the strongest sibling bond I have ever seen. We must find Alphonse Elric because only he can free Edward!"
He was about to say something else when a voice spoke from behind him. "Excuse me, but did you say only Alphonse Elric can free Edward? Do you know where he is? Because I'm Alphonse Elric!"