Welcome back~! There isn't any action here, but there is a bit of yelling. Just a taste. Enjoy~!
"Hi, Rose!"
"Hey, Deliylah! Are you ok? You seemed a little stressed out back at the shop."
"… I saw a state alchemist."
"Oh, dear! They didn't do anything to hurt you, did they?"
Deliylah shook her head. "No, I don't think they knew. In fact, come to think of it I don't think they were old enough to have even been involved in that war…" Her words trailed off as her mind drifted into old memories of her homeland. Lior was similar to the rolling dusty hills in a way that is was quite dry, although not entirely fruitless. Like her old lands, Lior had given way to strong religious beliefs, and ever since she had wandered in a few years ago, Rose and the others were constantly trying to convert her.
A small cough caught her attention. "Ah, sorry Rose, was there something you needed?"
"Not really. I was just going to pray for a minute, if that's alright."
"Of course, I'll try not to distract you." Deliylah knew exactly what Rose was praying for, and although she knew even Cornello could never bring the dead back to life, she recognized the hope the obviously fake religion brought to the town, so she kept her mouth shut.
She instead resumed her work in cleaning the altar as Rose got on her knees in front of it and clasped her hands together. Deliylah could hear faint murmurs saying "Please bring him back, please bring my darling back…" A fresh wave of pity washed through her. She had known Rose's boyfriend, although not very well, and knew that he was a kind and gentle soul who was generous and hardworking. That dedication was, unfortunately, the causation of his passing in the accident last year. It had left Rose with nothing but her own grief. Until of course Cornello showed up and-
Deliylah stopped mid thought as the doors once again creaked open. Rose still sat kneeling on the floor deep in her prayers, unaware of the newcomers, but when Deliylah turned to see who had come to visit, her heart skipped a beat and she almost knocked over her bucket of soapy water.
The same alchemists from before, the young blonde boy and the large man donning a suit of armor, were walking up the aisle on their way to the altar, looking around at the high ceiling and tall pillars and eventually the large statue. "So, this is the great god Leto, huh?"
Deliylah turned back to the altar, scrubbing as a particularly tough piece of wax stuck to the stone. 'If I pretend they aren't there, they'll go away.' She repeatedly thought to herself.
"Oh, hello. Are you interested in Letoism?"
"Can't say I am. I'm not really the religious type."
'No, alchemists never are, are they...' She kept thinking to herself.
Rose sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. To know God is to know hope. We believe in divine grace, and through him all things are possible If you had faith… I'm sure Leto would bless you and make you grow taller!"
At this Deliylah looked up. "Rose, please," she murmured quietly.
Rose's words seemed to have made him about as angry as he was been at the shop. Apparently he didn't like being called small. Deliylah could only have guessed that the customers there had called him something along the lines of tiny.
He let out an angry huff and sat down on one of the wooden pews. "And what about bringing the dead back to life? Do you believe he can do that, too?"
Rose paused a moment before answering. "Yes, I do."
Deliylah sighed softly. Even she knew that the dead would never come back to life. And apparently he knew that too, because the next thing he did was take out a book and begin reading out loud, reciting a list of complicated chemicals. When he finished he snapped the book shut.
"That's the entire chemical makeup of the human body. It's been calculated and recalculated down to the last micro-gram, and still there's never been a single successful case of human transmutation. You're saying something modern science can't do you can do with prayer?" He finished his question with a hint of anger in his voice, looking up and staring Rose right in the eyes. He seemed genuinely disturbed that she would even think such a thing.
"Lift thy voice to god, and the prayers of the faithful shall be answered!" She retorted by preaching Leto's word. Deliylah rolled her eyes just out of view and turned back to the altar.
What he said next, however, made her freeze. "Did I mention all those ingredients I read off, down at the market a kid could buy every one of them with the spare change in his pocket. If you consider that, humans are pretty cheap~" Deliylahs hands twisted the rag in annoyance. How insulting!
And apparently Rose thought so too. "What blasphemy... People, where all all children of God, created in his image!"
He chuckled. "You have to understand, alchemists are scientists, we don't believe in unprovable concepts like Creators or Gods. We observe in the physical laws that govern this world, and try to learn the truth. It's ironic really, but through the application of science we've be given the power to play god's ourselves." At those words Deliylah whirled around, a look of sheer shock donning her face.
"So you're putting yourself on the same level as god? That's just… sheer arrogance!"
He looked at his feet, a sad grin on his lips. "You know, there's an old saying about a hero on wings out of wax. He thought he could touch the sun, but when he got too close, his wings melted and he came crashing back down to Earth. Right Al?" He glanced at the man in the suit of armor, who nodded softly.
By that time Deliylah had practically grown livid with his talk about being on the same plane as God. She threw down her rag and stormed up to him. "If you're so full of yourself, why don't you alchemists use your 'godly powers' for something good for a change!"
"Wha-"
"Deliylah…" Rose murmured softly. She had told her all about the atrocities the state alchemists had performed in Ishval, although she never really told her about what Ishvalans thought about alchemy. She didn't want to ruin a part of the world for Rose like that.
"Alchemists are supposed to be for the people, but from what I've seen you've done nothing but bring war and suffering! My whole childhood I respected alchemists, and then you betrayed us! You talk about being gods but you're nothing but a bunch of devils who use and abuse your power for your own selfish needs!" Deliylah clenched her fists in anger, but her rage was starting to burn off. She began to feel guilty for shouting, and she hung her head, turning and picking up the bucket she wasn't aware she had kicked over with shaking hands.
She expected the alchemist to argue, but he kept his silence. Instead he sat for a few moments staring at her in confusion, then gathered himself and stood up rather suddenly. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but do you think your Father Cornello could save even an arrogant scientist like me?"
Rose clasped her hands together in joy. "Of course, that's wonderful! If anybody can lead you to the creators light, he can!" Her anger at his arrogance was gone, replaced with happiness at his 'change of heart.'
'I doubt he's seeing Father for guidance to God.'
"Deliylah, you should come too, maybe you'll change your mind!" Deliylah sighed.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to join you. I don't have anything else to do, and my job here is done…"
After the brothers put in their request to see the Father, they sat outside the meeting hall, waiting for him to either accept or deny. Meanwhile, the armored man found a moment to talk to Deliylah.
"I'm sorry about my brother, he can get really rude sometimes. You're the girl who dropped her cup at the restaurant right?" Deliylah nodded. "I thought so… if you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened to you to make you hate alchemy so much?"
"Actually, no offense but… I kind of do mind."
"Oh, sorry…"
Deliylah sighed. "It's fine, I just… if word got out to the military about it, I'd be dead for sure."
"Huh?"
"...nevermind."
Big revealing next time~! Well, one of a few anyway. It goes from anime to mange when Cray attacks the brothers, so in case you're confused that's why. Sorry, this chapter may have been a bit boring, but I'll hopefully have a better one next chapter~