The Waterstone of the Wise [10]

[scriveyner]

.: Chapter 10 :.

Time seemed to slow almost to a stop.

Edward could not move. He could not think. Alphonse staggered forward almost comically, both hands covering the growing red stain across his stomach. He dropped to his knees, trying to brace himself on one arm, to stay upright as the woman behind him covered her mouth in horror. Alphonse's one blood-covered hand landed on the painted white line.

The entire transmutation circle lit blue.

Time restored itself.

Pernelle was moving at regular speed, she was unbuttoning the top buttons of her her blouse, running to Alphonse's side and dropping to her knees on the lit transmutation circle.

"Stay with me Alphonse," Pernelle said. Where her knees touched the lit lines a spark of red flashed through the color, and the gentle blue light grew suddenly harsher. "Stay with me, look at me."

Alphonse coughed, and blood splattered the floor. "What are you-" he gasped.

"Look at me!" Pernelle commanded, and Alphonse lifted his head, staring fuzzily at her. He was breathing hard, labored - he was dying right there in front of him and Edward could not move, rooted in place like he was a statue.

Live transmutation circle be damned. Edward moved, running across the circle and past Eiselstein, dropping to his knees on the other side of Alphonse. "Brother," Alphonse gasped, and coughed up more blood.

"I'm here buddy," Edward said, resting his hand on Alphonse's back. "Al, you're not going anywhere, just keep breathing. You're going to be fine."

"You're a shit liar," Alphonse gritted out.

"I can heal you," Pernelle said. "I can heal you but I need you to trust me."

Edward looked at her. "You have it, don't you."

Pernelle nodded her head sharply. "Yes. Just enough, I hope-" Her words were cut off as Eiselstein yanked Pernelle to her feet by the back of her dress.

"You have it on you, you little minx?" Eiselstein grabbed the exposed pendant that Pernelle was wearing around her neck and ripped it free. The old, brittle cord snapped and the pendant came away in Eiselstein's hand.

"No!" Pernelle cried out, as he released her. She dropped back to her feet and charged him, only for Eiselstein to catch her with one arm and cast her aside. Pernelle fell to the floor.

"Brother," Alphonse panted. "You'll take care of Sofia for me, right?"

"Al, don't talk like that." Edward said. "You're going to be fine. You just gotta hang on long enough. Just concentrate on that, okay?" Edward lifted his head and stared at Eiselstein.

"Pernelle!" Nicholas' voice rang out through the hall, and he barreled straight for Eiselstein, a crowbar in his hands. He swung at the other man, staggering forward with the weight of his swing, and Eiselstein used that against Nicholas, tripping him. Nicholas went down hard, the crowbar sliding away on the lit lines.

"Nicholas, you fool!" Pernelle cried out. "You should have stayed away!"

Every line that Nicholas stepped on lit red a brief moment, before returning to that blue-white color, only stronger than before. Eiselstein walked to the crowbar, picking it up with one hand. "A crowbar," he said. "How quaint."

The reaction was not the usual color of a transmutation. Instead of a light blue color, it was black tinged with red as the crowbar's form shifted into that of a saber. "I think that this is much more apropos, don't you agree?"

Edward's hand tightened on Alphonse's back. If Eiselstein, of all people in this world, could perform a transmutation at this very moment then so could he.

"Hang on for me, Al," he murmured. "This won't take long."

Edward clapped his hands together, loudly enough that the sound echoed through the hall like a gunshot. As he rose from his knees he touched his hand to the back of his right arm.

It had been a long time, but the way that the weight of his arm shifted, the balance changing ever so slightly as the blade extended - it was like riding a bike. "You want to play this game with me?" he said, stepping forward. "Your call, Eiselstein. Let's dance."

~ * ~

“He's been shot," Nicholas said as he helped Pernelle drag Alphonse off of the lit transmutation circle.

Alphonse coughed and said dryly, "no shit."

Nicholas gave Alphonse a dark look, then looked back to Pernelle, in time for her to slap him. He sat back, one hand flying to his face. "You utter fool, Nicholas Flamel," Pernelle said sharply. "Why do you not listen? Are you incapable of remembering something for such a small span of time?"

"Remembering?" Nicholas said, slightly dazed.

"Of course you do not remember, I am the idiot for expecting that you would. Please tell me that you at least safely stowed away the final shards."

Instead of responding, Nicholas put pressure on Alphonse's wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. "Stay with us long enough for your brother to recover the shard," he said. "I know you have at least that much strength, Alphonse Elric."

Alphonse grinned weakly, and coughed again. "I sure hope you're right."

~ * ~

It had been a long time since he had moved like this.

Edward caught himself on his left hand, executing a backwards flip as he spun away from Eiselstein's strong downward slash. He could certainly feel how long it had been, he was not moving as fast as he would have liked. Edward dropped into a crouch and then moved in low, leading with the blade.

Eiselstein was holding up remarkably well, much better than Edward would have expected. He was blocking most of Edward's attacks, keeping himself - and the shard, encased in that ruby-red pendant - out of Edward's reach.

"Just give me the shard," Edward said, sliding to a stop on his knees. The thin material of his trousers had torn out and his flesh knee was bloody. "You've got what you wanted, a lit transmutation circle. You can make your own damn Stone on the other side, give me that to save my brother."

"There's no need," Eiselstein said with a shrug. "I've still got you to harvest for blood - and it was not like I was going to let you all walk out of here once I achieved my objective anyway." He held the pendant out in front of him, taunting Edward with it.

Edward was quick, but not quick enough. He slid under the expected strike from Eiselstein, moving back around him and hoping to get a shot in at Eiselstein's unprotected back. His attack was thwarted by Eiselstein's blade.

"Did I forget to mention I was a fencing champion?" he said, parrying the blow from Edward's automail arm with the saber as if the blade of the sword was equal to the blade on his arm. "Funny, it didn't seem to be relevant at the time."

He was getting angrier, and that made Edward get sloppy. His brother - Alphonse was lying over there dying and his only salvation lay in this man's hands.

Edward snarled and charged him, deflecting one quick riposte and moving in toward Eiselstein's personal space. However Eiselstein had anticipated that - and grabbed Edward by the shoulder before he could duck away, spinning him off his guard. Edward almost tripped over his own feet and stumbled, trying to regain his balance and get a safe distance away before Eiselstein could strike.

He was not successful.

Eiselstein's rapier pierced Edward's flesh shoulder. Edward roared in pain as the man ripped the weapon free, kicking Edward away. Edward stumbled and fell, landing on his wounded side hard. Edward curled in a ball, automail hand covering the wound as he hissed in pain.

"Quite a pity," Eiselstein said. "You are a worthy opponent, Edward Elric. It seems though, that you and your brother both are far too much trouble to keep alive. I shall have to journey through this Gate and just wait on the other side until I've got as many Stones as I need. Then your blood will no longer be necessary."

Eiselstein looked to the ceiling of the great hall, and then frowned. "Where is my passage to the other world?"

"I got news for you," Edward said through gritted teeth. "You're not going anywhere."

"Did you really think I wouldn't change the lines, if I were left alone in here?" Alphonse called, coughing hard. "I altered your precious transmutation circle, Eiselstein. All this is good for is the ability to transmute elements."

"That's impossible!" Eiselstein said. "If all it took was your blood to transmute, you two would still be using alchemy today."

"It took our blood as well," Pernelle said. "Each time we touched those lines it infused a little of our power into the circle." She was supporting Alphonse, holding his shoulders as he lay against her.

"Five hundred and some-odd years of ingesting the Philosopher's Stone," Nicholas Flamel said, rising to his feet. "Did you think our hair was naturally this color?"

"We are equal parts Stone and flesh," Pernelle said. Her hands, tight on Alphonse's arms, were glowing with a faint red color. "Without us, your mockery of true alchemy would never have even produced a spark."

Eiselstein pointed his sword at Edward, who had not managed to regain his feet. "I'll KILL YOU!" he shrieked.

The gunshot was louder than the thrum of energy in the room. Eiselstein staggered, and dropped to his knees, blood dripping from between his fingers. "Sorry," Indy called from the doorway. "We got a little lost, getting all your human sacrifices out of here before your little fun-time circle got busy."

"ALPHONSE!" Sofia shrieked, running around the outside of the circle.

"Hey," Alphonse said weakly. "Good to see you, Sofie."

"Al, oh god, Al-" Sofia said. Pernelle did not release Alphonse, her hands tight on his shoulders.

"I do not know how much longer I can keep him alive," Pernelle called, her voice starting to waver. "We need the shard, alchemist, now!"

Edward pushed himself to his feet. Eiselstein had dropped the rapier, but still held the pendant tightly. "I would rather die," he hissed.

"Don't tempt me," Edward said, backhanding Eiselstein with his automail hand. Eiselstein howled in pain and was unable to prevent Edward from ripping the pendant from his free hand.

It hurt to move, to even breathe. Edward staggered over to the edge of the transmutation circle but did not step off it, tossing the pendant to Nicholas.

"Edward, what are you doing?" Nicholas asked, concerned.

"Ed, the circle's unstable, you need to get off it," Alphonse said. "Brother, please-"

Edward shook his head. His automail hand was clenched tight over his wounded shoulder. "I can't, Al, I'm sorry. I've got to - I'm the only one who can finish this, you know that."

Alphonse struggled to try to sit up but Pernelle would not release him. "Al, lie still, please," Sofia sobbed.

"Brother, no-!"

Edward turned away from them, shuffling back toward the center of the lit transmutation circle. Eiselstein, somehow still alive, was working on dragging himself toward the edge of the lit circle. Edward raised his head and looked at Indy, on the other side of the chamber.

"If he makes it off the circle, kill him."

Indy nodded his head, the pistol in his hands trained on Eiselstein.

The blue-white light of the array had started to shift and change. There were traces of red, and more alarmingly, black that snaked through the light shining from the lines.

"You want the Gate, Eiselstein?" Edward yelled at him. "You can have it!"

He clapped his hands firmly together, and slammed them down on the center lines of the transmutation circle, the most powerful point in the entire array. The whole room lit a blinding, bright blue light.

~ * ~

The blue-white light was bright enough that it reflected off the dark clouds that hung heavy in the sky. The tree branch bowed under his feet as he stood delicately - but even at this distance, he knew what that light meant.

His mission failed.

He sighed deeply, arms crossed. His master would not be pleased with this development. Ling Yao delicately turned on the tree branch, and vanished into the night.

~ * ~

The color faded from a brilliant blue-white light to a disturbing off-white, yellowish color. There was no horizon line, no point of reference. Just an eternity the color of slushy snow.

Edward sighed heavily, and clutched his bleeding shoulder tighter. He had transmuted his blade back at the same time, thankfully he had remembered to in the first place. He glanced behind him, where Eiselstein lay on his side, both hands covering the chest wound that was still bleeding heavily.

The voice that spoke had no voice, and yet could still be clearly heard. Edward looked back toward the large obsidian doors that dwarfed them both.

I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

"Yeah," Edward said. "I'm like an old bad penny, I always come back."

WHAT HAVE YOU BROUGHT ME?

"Another fool." Edward indicated Eiselstein behind him. "Do with him what you want. Close this passage for good. I want nothing more from you." Edward turned his back on the Gate, on that all-seeing eye, his hand still covering the violently bleeding wound. He could hear the doors slowly scraping open, and Eiselstein's scream of realization as to what awaited him exactly beyond that darkness.

YOU BELONG TO ME, YOU KNOW. NO ONE EVER ESCAPES. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOU MUST SETTLE YOUR TAB, EDWARD ELRIC.

Edward paused. Eiselstein's screams were trailing off, and he knew better than to look back to see the man's final fate. "When that time comes, I will pay my dues.”

~ * ~

Two Weeks Later

"Doctor Jones?" The desk clerk was a pretty young thing, her brunette hair done up in a bun. Indy eyed her appreciatively, and stopped at his name.

"What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

"A telegraph came in for you this morning, sir." She turned to look at the wall of post boxes for the hotel, locating Indy's room number and retrieving a single piece of paper. "It was marked Urgent.”

Indy leaned against the counter and grinned, taking the telegram and tapping it on the counter. "Can't be that urgent, I'm on vacation. Speaking of," he glanced at the clock. "Perhaps you'd like to join me for a late dinner? When your shift is over, of course."

"You flatter me, Doctor Jones," she said. "But you won't be here for dinner, I'm afraid."

He cocked his head, a little put-out by that response. Another guest approached the counter a little further on down the way, and the desk clerk excused herself to go assist them. Indy shrugged and straightened, opening the folded over paper.

The message was indeed urgent. It was from an acquaintance of Indy's, back in the States. Its contents were short and precise. A buyer had purchased the Cross of Coronado. It was headed to America in a steamer boat in just a few days. Time was of the essence.

Indy folded the message up and tucked it in his coat's pocket. The next flight out wouldn't leave until early afternoon. He still had time to make his lunch date.

~ * ~

Alphonse Elric took his pocket watch out and looked at it again, making a vocal noise of disapproval. Sofia sighed, and smacked his arm. "Put it away, Al."

"He's going to be late," Alphonse said. "He's going to miss his train. Again."

Sofia sat back in her chair, her legs crossed delicately at the ankle. "It was YOUR fault he missed his train yesterday, Alphonse Elric, don't you dare try to pin it on him."

"Yes, yes, it was my fault," Alphonse said. "But today it's going to be HIS fault if he doesn't put the lead on."

"Indy, would you tell my husband that Edward is a grown man and can take care of himself?" Sofia asked the third person at the table delicately.

"Ah," Indy said, looking from Sofia to Alphonse. "Al, your wife says-"

"I HEARD her, thank you," Alphonse muttered darkly.

"Well, I just figured that since you're ignoring my logic, perhaps you would hear it better coming from someone else?" Sofia said matter-of-fact.

Indy shook his head and laughed. Alphonse Elric looked very little the worse for wear - there was a touch of gauntness to his features that had not been there before, but aside from fatigue he had bore no ill effects to nearly dying from acute blood loss.

"So you're really going, too," Sofia said, putting her hand on the table. "This is unfair, we've just gotten to know you!"

"I gotta go where the job takes me," Indy said. "That's just the way of the world."

"Where are you headed out from?" Alphonse asked.

"Marakeesh. A steamer leaves out from the port in three days' time. I gotta be on it, come hell or high water." Indy scratched his head, his trademark hat hanging off the back of his chair.

"Well, we wish you the best of luck," Alphonse said, glancing at Sofia. "And I'm sure Edward would too, if he would ever show his face again."

"Alphonse!" Sofia said. "Edward probably got distracted by the book shoppe on the corner, it happened to you yesterday too. Honestly."

"So what are you two planning on doing?" Indy asked. "We've been here almost two weeks, I take it you're done sightseeing?"

"Mostly," Alphonse admitted. "Once we helped Nicholas finish moving all his crap out of that sewer hideaway they dropped off the face of the world, so Sofia and I are gonna go back to London, where it's safe."

"If I'm ever in London, I'll be sure to look you up," Indy said.

"I'm here, I'm here, sorry I'm late," Edward called out, making his way across the sidewalk. "Sorry, I got distracted, there was, um-" Edward looked around at Indy, Alphonse and Sofia, and then patted his head self-consciously. "What? What is it?"

"Brother," Alphonse said with a heavy sigh. "Please tell me you're going to shave that off, it's freaking me out."

Edward patted his face. "Does it really look that bad?"

Sofia laughed. "I think it makes you look more distinguished, Edward."

In the intervening weeks, mostly due to the fact that they were recovering and, alternately, helping Flamel move his massive library, Edward had just flat-out stopped shaving. The result, once he had cleaned it up, was a slightly uneven goatee. Edward covered the bottom of his face with one hand, frowning. "It's taken me until thirty to even be able to grow one, Al, I'm not shaving it off."

"Brother, you look like our father."

Edward dropped his hand and sighed heavily. "DAMN it."

Indy shook his head and laughed. "I've got to get going," he said, rising from his chair.

Alphonse stood as well. "We should all go. Brother's train is leaving shortly anyway."

"Man, and I was looking forward to lunch," Edward sighed.

Indy turned to Edward, offering him his hand. "It's been an adventure, Professor Elric. I hope to see you on campus again."

Edward grinned and took his hand. "My pleasure, Professor Jones."

Indy dropped his hat on his head and tossed off a wave, before heading up the street. Edward put his hands on his hips and sighed as Indy disappeared in the distance. "Do you REALLY think my beard makes me look like dad?"

Yes," Alphonse said. "Shave it."

~ * ~

The train station was quite busy. Alphonse narrowly dodged two kids racing luggage carts. Edward had a single suitcase, and that was it. "Are you sure you won't come back to London with us?" Sofia asked, catching Edward's sleeve. "You can stay with us until you find a flat of your own."

Edward shook his head. "Nah, I like America. It seems like a good place to start fresh, all the side-glances I get for being "German" and everything. Besides," he glanced down the station platform, where some soldiers were getting of the train. "I have a feeling it will be a safer place to be in the next few years."

"We'll write," Alphonse said. "And call, too. You will come visit?"

"If you'll come visit me," Edward said.

Edward and Alphonse looked at each other and smiled. Sofia let out a huge sigh and shoved Edward in the chest. "If you two are done being manly I want a hug," she said.

Alphonse laughed as Edward awkwardly hugged her. That close to his personal space, Alphonse grabbed Edward by the back of the head and bumped their heads together. "Be safe, brother," he said.

"Yeah," Edward said, still grinning. "You too.”

~ * ~

The train car was mostly empty. Edward sat on his bench alone, a newspaper in Italian open before him. He still could not quite read the language, but he was getting there, and it allowed him to pass the time.

Edward glanced up as someone seated himself on the bench opposite him. He folded over his newspaper and smiled. "Hello, Nicholas."

Nicholas Flamel crossed his legs and smiled back at Edward. "You look much better," he said. "Your arm healed?"

"Still a little stiff," Edward said, rubbing his flesh shoulder unconsciously. "But usable."

"Good." Nicholas glanced out at the scrolling scenery, before back to Edward. "I have to ask. Do you regret not taking Eiselstein up on that offer, and returning to the world of your birth?"

That was a hugely loaded question. Edward sighed, and propped his chin in his hand, looking out the window as well as he thought about it. "A little bit," he admitted. "Though truth be told it was the furthest thing from my mind in the moment. I've made my home here - I made that choice years ago, and while I might regret it in some small measure I think I've finally learned to accept it." He lifted his head and smiled again, sadly, then extended his automail hand in front of him, splaying the fingers.

"I figure that if I don't disconnect the automail, I have maybe five years left in me," he said. "Ten, if I'm lucky. But you know what? I made my bed. I'm going to live out the remainder of my life and I will MAKE it worth living."

Nicholas nodded his head. "Good. Then I have no regrets, either."

Edward cocked his head curiously, resting his hand in his lap. "What do you mean?"

Nicholas reached into the inner pocket of his suit coat, and produced a small envelope. He held it out to Edward, who took it, and opened it. Inside of the envelope, broken in half, was the final shard of the Philosopher's Stone.

Edward looked up at Nicholas, and then shook his head. "I can't accept this, Nick."

"You promised once to return a shard to me, but instead you used it to save my life. Now I choose to use this one to save yours." Nicholas gestured at the envelope. "Install it in your prosthetic, one for your arm, and one for you leg. It will supply ample power, and your limbs will no longer be the burden on your body that they have been these past years."

"Nicholas-"

Nicholas stood up, and put his hand on Edward's shoulder. "Our thanks to you, young alchemist," he said. "For one final adventure."

He stepped into the aisle. Edward looked back down at the envelope a split-second, and then back up to thank him, but Nicholas Flamel was already gone.

Edward Elric folded the envelope closed, and tucked it into the inner pocket of his own jacket. Then he opened his newspaper, and sat back to read.

I wish also that he would further believe, that these
figures and explications are not made for them that have
never seen the Books of the Philosophers, and who, not
knowing the Metallic principles, cannot be named
Children of this Science; for if they think to understand
perfectly these figures … they will undoubtedly deceive
themselves, and never be able to know anything at all.

- Nicholas Flamel, 1413
(Interpretations of Heiroglyphic Imagery)

"The path to immortality is hard, and only a few find it.
The rest await the Great Day when the wheels of the
universe shall be stopped and the immortal sparks shall
escape from the sheaths of substance. Woe unto those who
wait, for they must return again, unconscious and
unknowing, to the seed-ground of the stars,
and await a new beginning."

The Divine Pymander of Hermes
Trismegistus (trans. By John Everard, 1650)

THE END