Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction- Hagane no Kokoro

♥フルメタルハート♥

Hagane no Kokoro

Fullmetal Heart


A
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fan fiction

By: Courtney Ritter
!!!! DISCLAIMER !!!!
I do not own anything within this story except for Evelyn Hartley and Catherine Hartley. All rights go to Hiromu Arakawa, Funimation, Destineer, Square Enix, Bones, and anyone else involved with Fullmetal Alchemist. This story follows in time with the anime. Please enjoy!




Prologue- Fires At Dawn

Insomnia had seized me once more that fateful night. I sat up in my bed and stretched, yawning a big yawn. I looked around the nearly empty room, taking everything in before I headed out. The bookshelf across from the bed was filled with manuals on automail machinery and repair. Typical Winry... Winry was kind enough to let Ka-san and I stay with her and Granny Pinako. Ever since Do-san and Onii-chan turned rouge from the army, they’ve been on the run. Eventually, they came home, but our home- along with them inside- was destroyed. I cursed under my breath at the thought of the State Military, those dogs... I hated them. I had good enough reason to. All of those State Alchemists and their Fuhrer could burn for eternity for all I cared... I cursed again as I wiped away the tears induced from the thought of Nii-chan... I missed him so much. When I was little, he used read me stories before I went to bed and stay there until I fell asleep. He was a good Nii-chan...
I shook my head to the thoughts from my mind, then stepped out of bed. I had barely taken two steps before I cried out as I tripped over some spare automail parts laying around the room. It was very audible, I lay there on the floor for a moment more just in case Winry or Ka-san were woken up. After a few moments of silence, I finally stood and, watching my step, decided to take a walk. It was raining outside, but I didn’t take an umbrella. Honestly, I didn’t care. I may have been eight-years-old, but I wasn’t completely vulnerable. Pulling my blonde hair back into a short ponytail, I quickly put on my rain boots and stepped outside. I guess I could walk by the Elric’s house... I thought. I sighed as I remembered what poor Edward and Alphonse Elric had just gone through. Their father left when they were really little and their mother had died only a year ago. All Ed and Al had left was each other. Of course, Ka-san, Winry, Granny, and I helped a little, but only as much as they would let us. I helped the most, seeing as the three of us were all alchemists.
I sighed and folded my arms behind my head as I walked. I paused and glanced over at the Elric’s house as it began to glow a strange purple color... the glow of an alchemical reaction. I gasped as I realized what they were doing. You idiots! What do you think you’re doing!? Not caring about the strange man in a State Military uniform standing in my way, I ran toward the light at full speed. “Ed! Al!” I cried, seeming unable to run fast enough. The alchemical light had died down by the time I reached the door, so I pushed it open. What I saw was absolutely horrific. A strange creature that wasn’t completely human but had human characteristics wheezed over by the far wall. This... thing was all twisted and turned inside-out and...frightening. Was it... Mrs. Elric? Or... a monster? “D-don’t... look at it... Evelyn...” I heard Ed’s voice gasp. To my right, I saw Ed, gasping and bleed from what used to be his left leg. I gasped and ran to his side, examining the wound. It was a clean cut about mid-thigh and bleeding profusely. “My God... Ed... what happened here?” I looked at him, tears spilling down my cheeks. He clenched his teeth and shook his head, either unable or unwilling to answer. “Al...” he choked out, cursing. I looked around, not seeing his little brother. “Ed, where is he? Where is Al?” I asked, shaking him. He pointed to his right and said, “It all went wrong. It was supposed to be... equivalent exchange...” I followed his gaze to a pile of clothes with shoes sitting beside them. But... those are Al’s clothes.... I thought to myself.
After seeing the monster, the missing Alphonse’s clothes, and Ed’s condition, the rest wasn’t hard to sum up. A fierce expression covered my face as I scolded, “You performed a human transmutation, didn’t you!? God, Ed! What were you thinking!? Your mother is dead and there is nothing you can do about it! Why would you go against Nature’s laws and try to bring her back!? Now, you’ve lost your brother! What are you going to do about that, Edward Elric! What!?” I gasped for breath from yelling, crying harder still. He shook his head and pointed to a large suit of armor in the corner of the room. “Evelyn... would you bring that over here?” I looked from the armor to him. “What’s in your head, Edward?” I asked, standing to go retrieve the item. I laid in on the ground next to him and watched as he painted three transmutation circles on his body- one on each arm, one over his heart- with blood from his leg. “I can’t live without my brother. If I can still reach him, I can attach his soul to this armor.”
That was when he finally looked at me. His golden eyes were filled with tears, his face and golden hair streaked with blood. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “Will you help me, Ev? I need him. I can’t do this alone.” He held out his hand to me, begging from the pit of his heart and soul. I stopped to think about everything that happened tonight. What if I had not woken up in the middle of the night and taken a walk? Ed would’ve had to do this on his own and God knows what else he would’ve lost for human transmutation! I sighed and looked him straight in the eyes. “If Ka-san finds out about this, it’ll be your head!” I grinned at him to show that I would gladly help. He smiled weakly and nodded. I drew similar transmutation circle on my arms and over my heart and touched them, just Ed did in unison with me. The circles glowed when we touched them in an alchemical reaction. I closed my eyes for a moment, then reopened them due to a feeling that I was suddenly alone. I looked around to see if Ed was still there, but found myself only accompanied by the empty suit of armor.
I stood and brushed myself off, looking at my blood-drenched knees from where I kneeled in Ed’s blood...gross. I was about to head outside to look for Ed when I heard the armor groan and clank as it stood. I shrieked as it shook its head and said, “What... happened?” I recognized the young voice as... “Alphonse?” I asked, taking a step closer. The armor looked at me, it’s strange eyes glowing with life. “Evelyn! What’re you doing here!? Where’s Brother?” Al asked from inside the armor. He glanced at his gauntlet hand. “What happened to me? Why am I in this armor?”
“I had to do a spirit attachment, Al. It was the only way to get you back.” Ed gasped from behind us. When we turned, he was now missing his left leg and his right arm. I gasped, covering my mouth as I took a step back. “Brother! What happened to you?” Al asked, standing. Ed shook his head and looked at the monstrosity in the corner. “Don’t look at, Al... It’s not Ka-san... I’m not even sure... if it’s... human...” Al turned to look anyway, despite his older brother’s warnings. He gasped and fell backwards. “B-but, Brother! I thought that all of your theories were correct!” Ed laughed weakly as his brother scooped him up into his arm’s. “The theories weren’t the problem, Al... the problem... was us.” He sighed and looked at me. “Sorry about all this, Ev.” I shook my head, wiping away the tears. I looked at Al and said, “He have to take him back to Winry before he bleeds to death. Let’s go!” Al nodded and followed me back to the house.
“Winry! Ka-san! Granny!” I called as I approached the house. Sure enough, they knew I was gone and had woken up not too long after everything. I ran ahead to prepare them for the shock following close on my heels. “Evelyn! Where were you!? I was so worried!” Ka-san cried, hugging my as I ran into her arms. Tears spilling over my cheeks still, I looked up at her and sobbed, “Please, Ka-san! You have to help Ed and Al!” She nodded and prepared to ask why when she saw Al run up to us with an unconscious Ed in his arms. Winry and Ka-san gasped at the sight while Granny cursed. “Please help him! He’s gonna bleed to death!” Al cried, dropping to his knees. Winry stepped forward cautiously as I turned around. “Alphonse? Is that you?” she asked, looking from him to Ed. Al nodded and stood. “Please take care of Brother! I need him here!” Winry nodded and ran inside, calling over her shoulder, “Follow me to the bedroom! Ev, you get the first aid! We need gauze, dressing, medicinal alcohol, everything! Hurry”
“You got it! I replied, running in ahead of Al. Ka-san and Granny stared after us, unsure what to make of everything. Ka-san sighed and smiled fondly. “They sure have grown up, haven’t they, Pinako?” Granny sighed and nodded. I rounded the corner, wheezing after running through the whole house. “I can’t find he first aid kit, Ka-san! Where is it!?” Granny nodded at me and led me to the kitchen. Soon, we were at work to heal Ed.
*************
“You think he’s gonna be okay, Ka-san?” I asked, looking up at my mother. She smiled and nodded at me. “You three all did such a wonderful job in taking care of his wounds. Thank you for telling me the truth, too. That way, we were able to understand better.” I nodded and looked at the now sleeping Ed. His shoulder and thigh were now wrapped in gauze with the proper dressing. It was now raining very badly outside and our clothes were drying off after being cleaned in the extra room. I was about to say something when a tall man with black hair wearing a State uniform entered the room, saying, “My, my. I’ve never seen such a furious reaction. These boys are lucky to have escaped with their lives.” Everyone in the room glared at the military dog and for the same reason. I think that I was glaring the most furiously, though. The black-haired man looked at my mother and said, “Ah! I know you! Your Miss Catherine Hartley, right? Your husband and son betrayed our nation and were severely punished, right?”
“Don’t you dare talk to me about them, you murderous dog! Judging by the transmutation circle on your glove, you must be a State Alchemist! Get out and leave us alone!” Ka-san cried, holding me close. Even though she was not an alchemist, she knew well enough what a transmutation circle looked like. The dog of the military looked at me and smiled. I glared and stuck out my tongue at him. He laughed and turned to leave. “The name’s Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang. Come see me at Central sometime. These children might make great State Alchemists someday.” I shook me head violently and cried out, “Never! I’ll never be the military’s dog like you!” He turned around, surprised by my tone. “Roy Mustang... I’ve heard of you. They call you ‘The Flame Alchemist’. You take this message back to Central with you. I hate every last one of you murderers and I hope you all die!” I ran out of the room, purposely bumping into him for emphasis.
I ran upstairs into my room and sat on my bed, burying my faces into my hands as I sobbed. The State had taken everything away from me. My family... my friends... I would rather die than ever be one of them. They were the Fuhrer’s lapdogs, bred purely to kill when called to action. I hated them all with a burning passion and I really did hope that they would die. Besides, I had far more important things to deal with, like Ed and Al. I swore to myself at that very second that I would do everything in my power to protect them and Winry. Tonight’s epidemic was a tragedy and I would be sure never to let it happen again for as long as I lived. I would keep that promise like equivalent exchange. I would give up anything to keep them safe. When I thought of how frightened Ed looked in that house, I shivered and tried to remember what he looked like when he smiled. I blushed and giggled at the thought. I would definitely want to see his smile again. I needed him as much as he needed me. The memory of his smile would keep me going until he got better. Then, a thought hit me. He could get better with Winry’s help... the help of an automail mechanic. He could get automail replacements of his limbs, so he could be normal again.








Chapter One- Seven Years Later

“Ugh! It’s so hot in this god-forsaken desert!” Ed complained, falling face first into the sand. I followed his example and clutching my growling stomach. “Forget the heat, Ed! I wish we had some food!” I sighed and shook my head. How typical that two fifteen-year-olds should complain about such trivial things after everything that we had been through. I sat up and looked across the barren wasteland. “Hey, Ed? Where’s Al?” I asked, looking over at him. He sat up on his hands and knees, looking left and right. “Hey, Al! Al!”
“Down here.” We heard Al say. A silver gauntlet shot up out of the sand beneath us and grabbed Ed’s ankle, making him scream in fright. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed and shook my head. “Come on, Ed. Let’s dig your brother out.” After several exhausting minutes of digging through sand, we managed to unearth Al. The fourteen-year-old suit of armor was constantly apologizing as we struggled to pull him out. “I’m sorry, you guys!” he said while we tried to catch our breath and cool off. “Why does this keep happening?” Ed asked, clearly irritated. “I’m sorry! I keep filling up!” Ed stood and kicked his brother’s breastplate. “Filling up with what!?” he shouted. At that moment, the breastplate opened and buried Ed in the sand that had collected inside. Al laughed and inched away from the pile. Enraged, Ed burst from the sand and began to chase his younger brother around in circles.
I sighed and shrugged. “You two haven’t grown up at all, have you? Come on, we need to get to Liore already!” I picked up my luggage and began to walk. “If you think that I’m gonna carry your stuff, too, think again!” The two brothers stopped quarreling and gathered their stuff as they tried to catch up with me. “Hey, Ev. Tell me again why you want to help us search for the Stone again?” Ed asked when he caught up to me. “I told you before. I saw what happened that night and, now, I’m a part of it. So, I’m helping. Plus...” I turned to him and smiled. “That’s what friends do, right?”Ed stared at me for a minute, then looked away and nodded as he blushed. I grinned and said, “Besides, we all know you’d get lost in the crowd since you’re such a pipsqueak!” Ed snapped and began chasing me as he yelled, “WHO’RE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK, YOU JERK!?!?” I laughed and ran, knowing that he’d rip me limb from limb for that comment.
Before we knew it, we had arrived in the desert village of Liore. Ed and I were exhausted from all that running. “You shouldn’t have reacted so harshly, Brother!” Al scolded, shaking his armored head. “Yeah, yeah. Too tired to fight, Al.” He stopped abruptly and looked around. “Hey, Ev? You hear that?” I stopped too, listening hard. Sure enough, I heard the familiar sound of... “Water!” ed and I cried in unison. We rounded the corner and soon caught sight of a fountain in the middle of town. Ed squealed for joy and rushed toward the fountain, all the while screaming the word “water” over and over. “Hey, Ed! save some for me!” I laughed, running after him. He leaped as if to jump into the fountain, then stopped and caught himself at the edge, examining the contents of the fountain just as Al and I caught up to him. I grabbed one of the cups and scooped up the liquid. “Is it blood?” Al asked.
“No. More like blood-red wine.” Ed remarked as I wafted the scent to my face. “Hm. It’s fresh. The fountain must churn it just right-” I was cut off as a sun-browned hand grasped Ed and I, pulling us away from the fountain. “Hey, you know the rules! You kids aren’t allowed to this stuff!” A rough voice chastised. I turned around to see a tall man wearing a coffee-stained apron and a black hat. His fierce expression changed into confusion upon further inspection of us. “Hey, you’re not from around here, are you, kids?”
*************
The man- he owned a coffee shop not far from the fountain- laughed and said, “So, you’re travelers, huh? I’m sorry about that! I thought you were one of the village kids trying to sneak a sip or something.” He scratched the back of his neck, smiling apologetically. “You guys must be living a dream, what with that wine fountain and all. Pretty snazzy!” Ed remarked, taking another sip of his drink. I nodded and said, “I was thinking that this place might be a dust bowl, but it’s really hopping!” The shop owner laughed and said, “Oh, I almost forgot! It’s time for a little soul food!” He reached up and hit a little switch that turned on the small radio that sat on the ledge above us. Some calming music came from the speakers and, soon, it echoed from every household in the town. We listened intently, waiting. Every villager folded their hands together, closed their eyes, and bowed their heads in prayer. Ed and I exchanged confused expressions as a deep voiced man came on the radio. “Children of the blessed Sun God, Leto... Lift up your hearts and pray that ye may be saved...” the deep voice spewed more religious stuff while Ed asked the shop owner, “Hey, who is this? On your airways?” The shop owner looked up and, grinning, said, “Why, that’s Father Cornello! The prophet of the Sun God, Leto.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I’ve never heard of the guy.” I said, shrugging. The shop owner’s eyes bulged at those words. “You’re kidding me! You’ve never heard of the Great Prophet Cornello!?” He stared at me, jaw dropped. “What’s so great about him?” Ed asked, looking at him through the half-empty glass. “He can perform miracles!” one man said, wielding a mug of beer. “He brought this town back to life!” said another. “He can even bring the dead back to life!” one more said. Ed covered his ears and said, “You know, what I just remembered that we have to be somewhere! Let’s go.” Al and I nodded and stood. Unfortunately, Al’s head hit the ledge overhead and knocked off the radio, which shattered into pieces on the ground while the shop owner stared aghast. “Oops. I’m sorry.” Al said, scratching the back of his neck.
“Well, that’s what happens when you go around wearing a suit of armor, kid!” the shop owner said. “Relax, pops! We can fix it, no problem!” Ed said, holding up a hand to silence him. I nodded and patted Al’s shoulder. “We should let Al have a go at this one.” Ed nodded and took a step back as Al drew a transmutation circle around the broken radio. The shop owner just watched and said, “I don’t know how that little drawing of yours is going to help...”
“You’ll see in a sec.” Ed said, smiling fondly at his little brother. After he finished drawing the circle, Al stood and, in a familiar flash of alchemical light, the radio was as good as new and still spilling religious testimonials. Everyone stared at this spectacle in awe. “This really is a land of prophets...” the shop owner sighed, eyes wide as Al set the radio on the counter. “Not really. Alchemy is a science. We’re all alchemists. I’m Evelyn Hartley, but people know me as the Spirit Alchemist around Central.”
“We’re the Elric Brothers, not to brag or anything., but we’re pretty well known.” Ed said, nodding at Al. “Elric? Never heard of you.” The shop owner said, scratching the back of his neck. Ed looked at him with an expression that said, “Seriously?” Then, a woman who was sitting at the counter said in a voice both soft and sad, “You fool. That’s Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. You’re pretty famous around East City, or so I’ve heard.” She looked at Ed, smirking. He grinned at her like he was proud of himself. Soon, a crowd gathered around Al and asked him questions left and right. “Yeah, I’ve heard of you!” one man said, slapping him on the shoulder. “Oh, I get it! You got the name ‘Fullmetal’ because you wear that armor.” said another, laughing. I sighed and shook my head, hoping that the dreaded word would’t pop up. Al shook his head and pointed at Ed, saying, “Um, I’m not the Fullmetal Alchemist. He is!” Everyone turned around to look at Ed. “Huh? You mean that little shorty?” Uh-oh. Not good.
Ed snapped once again and, grabbing two men by the collar of their shirts, began twirling around fiercely as if to throw a javelin. “‘SHORTY’!? CAN A SHORTY DO THIS!? WHAT ELSE DO YA WANNA CALL ME, A HALF-PINT, BEAN SPROUT MIDGET!?!? I’M STILL GROWING, YOU BACKWATER DESERT IDIOTS!!!!” Al sighed and shook his head at his brother. “Come on, Ed, give it a rest already! No one even said that in the first place!” I said, shrugging. “Well, things sure are lively down here, aren’t they?” a sweet voice said from behind me. I turned to see a tall girl a little old than me in a simple white sundress carrying a bag of groceries. “Ah! Rose! You heading down to the chapel?” the shop owner asked, smiling. She giggled sweetly, nodding. “Who are these three? Some travelers, perhaps?” he asked, looking at the three of us. I nodded and waved. “I’m Evelyn. Nice to meet you.” She nodded at me.
“My name’s Alphonse Elric. I’m sorry about my brother’s temper.” Al said, bowing apologetically. Ed released the two men and, putting a hand on his hip, pointed at himself. “I’m Edward, Al’s older brother, also known as the Fullmetal Alchemist!” Rose blinked. “Older brother? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” she asked, sincerely curious. Ed fumed while Al tried to calm him down. I laughed and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, it’s not just you. He has the same issue with everyone.” I said, grinning. The shop owner laughed, too, and said, “Hey, Rose! You should take them to see Father Cornello! Maybe a spiritual pick-me-up is just what they need.” Rose nodded and looked at Ed. “Uh, no, that’s okay.” Al said, shaking his head. “We wouldn’t want to intrude-”
“I think it’s a great idea, Al. What about you, Ed? What do you think?” I interrupted, contemplating whether or not we might find some leads on the Stone. By the look on his face, I could tell that Ed was thinking about the same thing. Ed nodded and shrugged. “Sure. I don’t see anything wrong with it. We may even find what we’re looking for there.” Al jolted in surprise and looked at his brother. “Really? You mean you want to?” Ed nodded, smiling. I stood and asked Rose to lead the way. She nodded and we followed close behind her as she led us to the temple. On the way there, Ed turned to me and asked, “Remember that woman at the shop? She knew me... have we met before?” I thought about it for a second and replied, “No, I don’t think so...”
“You shouldn’t worry!” Rose called from ahead, looking over her shoulder at us. “I’m sure Cornello will help you find what you’re looking for. And, besides, if you show him your faithful, I bet he could make you taller! ♥” Ed snapped once more and chased after her. “What’s wrong with you people? I’m not short! You come from a desert tribe of giants or something!” Ed shook his fist at her while ran away and laughed. “Brother, calm down!” Al called as we ran to catch up with them.
*************
We soon reached the chapel, but Rose had to ask Cornello if we could stay, so we waited outside the door for her. Curious, I eavesdropped on her conversation after she entered. “Father Cornello?” she asked, closing the door behind her. I placed one ear against the cherry wood to hear better. “Ah, Rose.” the deep voice shone with recognition. “Pardon me, Cray. May I put some travelers in the Pilgrim’s quarters?” Rose asked, being too polite for my taste. The deep voiced Cornello laughed and said, “You really delight in helping others solve their troubles, don’t you?” he asked. The squeaking of a chair signified that he stood. “Well, that’s what you teach us, Father Cornello, so that’s what I do. Or, try to...” she trailed of, her tone thoughtful. That’s strange... what’s she thinking about? I thought, listening closer. “And God see those good deeds and writes them all down in stow.” Cornello said, a smile in his voice. Chills ran down my spine at those words, though I didn’t know why. “But, you must be patient, Rose. We need a little more time to grant the miracle you seek.” What miracle? What does she want so badly? I asked myself.
“Hey, Ev, what’s going on in there?” Ed asked, crouching beside me. I shook my head and moved away from the door. “I’m not really sure. She’s been doing this religious crap for something that she wants back. Of that, I’m sure. She’s trying to please this God for personal gain, but... what does she want...?” Ed shook his head, unsure. “I could ask her.” Al piped in, standing. I nodded at him. Then, Rose came out, smiling like nothing had happened. “Are you ready?” she asked, leading us away from Cornello’s office. We nodded and stood. Once we reached our room, Al stepped in and asked, “Hey, Rose?” Rose looked up at him, curious. “You seem to really enjoy being religious, don’t you? Clearly, if you are clinging to this spiritually, you must have been hurt a sometime, right?” Rose’s smile disappeared and turned thoughtful; she looked away, clearly hurt. “I don’t like to talk about it with a large audience...” she trailed off, tearing up. I yawned and stretched. “Man, I’m bushed! Let’s get some shut eye, Ed.” I said, relieving Rose of the stress. She smiled a thank you to me and I winked and led Ed inside. “But...hey! There’s only one bed!”
*************
“I spoke to Rose.” Al said, looking out the window. Down below, Rose stood over a grave with a bouquet of roses before the headstone. “That grave belongs to her boyfriend. He was all she had. Her parents died when she was a little girl. She’s convinced that Cornello can bring him back to life.” I sighed and leaned back in the chair, folding my arms behind my head. Across from me, Ed sat and looked out at Rose, balancing his chin in the palm of his hand. “And he’s leading her on and letting her think he can do it.” Ed spat, frowning. “Well, maybe he can.” Al said. Ed looked at him, shocked. “What if Cornello really is a holy man? Those scriptures... Maybe there is something else out there. Something we can’t explain.” Ed paused, then huffed out a breath. “Don’t count on it.” he replied, looking out the window again.
The next day, there was a gathering in town square. Everyone had gathered to see Cornello “work miracles”, so the three of us came to witness just in case we learned anything. Cornello stood before all of us, wielding a small glass. His left hand hovered over the glass and, in a flash of light that seemed to emanate from the ring on his hand, the glass filled with blood-red wine. The crowd cheered as he summoned a stump of wood. With the same reaction, the wood changed into one of the statues that were stationed throughout Liore. The crowd went wild as he waved, all apart from us. Standing on his suitcase, Ed watched everything while Al balanced me on his shoulders. “What do you think?” Ed asked, glaring. “Well, it looks pretty obvious. He’s using alchemy.” I said, shaking my head. I jumped down from his shoulders to stand next to Ed, who said, “Yeah, but still. Something’s not right. It’s not equal-
“Hey, guys!” Rose interrupted, approaching us. We looked at her as she came to stand in front of us. “How are you liking your first miracle gathering? He’s amazing, isn’t he?” She asked, smiling in admiration. Ed looked back at the prophet and replied, “Well, he’s an amazing actor, I’ll give him that. But, those aren’t miracles. He’s swindling you!” Rose turned around and glared at him. “Now, Ed, we can’t know that. We just know he’s using alchemy and he’s ignoring the laws.” Al said, trying to calm Rose. “What laws?” Rose asked, shifting her gaze to Al. Ed jumped down from the suitcase and ran forward a little. “This isn’t witchcraft, it’s a science. And you don’t make things out of thin air. In chemistry, a reaction has to be balanced. So does alchemy.” Rose looked at him, confused. “It’s an equation, Rose.” I added in, watching Cornello still. “Your output has to be in equal mass with the materials you started with. The base elements have to be similar, too.”
“Like the radio I fixed.” Al piped in. “I can make it bigger or three, or something...” Ed nodded and said, “It’s our founding principle. ‘To obtain, something or equal value must be lost.’ But, that holy idiot’s totally disregarding the law.” Rose stepped forward in protest. “Because he’s working miracles!” At that minute, a little girl approached Cornello up on the stage, a dead bird in her hands. Cornello placed his hands on the bird and, in another flash of light, the bird leapt up and flew around Cornello’s head before resting on his shoulder. The little girl clapped and the crowd erupted into cheering once more. “What do you say now, Ed?” Rose asked, glaring at the back of his head. “I’ll bet you can’t do that with alchemy!” She looked at her feet as she whispered, “It’s a true miracle. It has to be...”
I sighed and shook my head. “Whatever. I’m not about to stand here and argue over beliefs. We believe one thing and you believe another. The end.” I shrugged. Rose shook her head and ran off toward the chapel. “Great job, Ed. Why is it that you’re always scaring people off?” I asked. He grinned and replied, “We need to find out more about this Cornello character. Should we head to the temple? Maybe Rose can still tell us something.” I nodded and headed after Rose alongside the brothers.
*************
When we arrived, Rose wasn’t there yet, so we hid for a minute until she appeared with cleaning utensils in her arms. We took a seat in the front pew- when I sat a little too close to Ed and my hand touched his, he blushed and looked away- while Rose polished the alter. “So, if you pray and polish the alter enough times, someone who’s dead will be brought back to life?” Ed asked, breaking the silence. Rose paused, not looking at us. Then, she turned around and said, “Something like that.” as if the comment hadn’t bothered her at all. Ed hesitated, then sighed as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small note book. Opening it to a specific page, he began to read of the page’s contents. “Water, 35 liters; Carbon, 20 kilograms; Ammonia, 4 liters; Lime, 1.5 kilograms; Phosphorous, 800 grams; Salt, 250 grams; Saltpeter, 100 grams; Sulfur, 80 grams; Fluorine, 7.5; Iron, 5; Silicon, 3 grams; and trace amounts of 15 other elements.” Rose stared, confused. “What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s all the ingredient of the average adult human body, down to the last specks of protein in your eyelashes.” I answered as Ed closed the notebook. “And, even though science has given us the entire physical breakdown, there’s never been a successful attempt at bringing a human to life.” Ed leaned forward slightly, staring at the floor. “But, still, something’s missing. Something scientists haven’t been able to find in centuries of research. So, what makes you think that hack-job priest with his parlor tricks will be able to?” Ed asked, looking at Rose. She flinched. Clearly, he had hit a soft spot. “And, in case you’re wondering, all those ingredients can be bought with a child’s allowance. Humans can be built on the cheap. There’s no magic to it.”
“Well, if there’s no magic, then you try to bring someone back to life!” Rose shot back, starting forward. I leaned back, crossing my legs and folding my arms behind my head, replying, “Just a matter of time, Rose. Science will find a way. Science is the answer to everything.” Ed stood and approached the alter; I followed close behind. He looked up at the statue and said, “If I were you, I’d drop the scriptures and pick up and alchemy book. We’re the closest things to gods there are.” I shook my head, shoving my hands into my pockets. “You’re not a god. You’re nothing close to it.” Rose snapped glaring at us. “And neither is the sun. It’s just a mass of hydrogen.” I answered. “Get close to it, like Cornello claims... and all you’ll do is burn up.”