Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Storm Within ❯ Answers ( Chapter 8 )

After a long absence, I'm back!! Hopefully this inspiration will stick around for a while!

 

To be honest, the last chapter took me over a year to write. And so much has changed!! Right now, I'm currently working for a radio station in my home town and at a jewelry store in our local mall.

 

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the characters mentioned in this fanfiction. However, the original characters (Celeste, Hunter, etc…) can not be touched. It's bad taboo to do such things, you know.

 

Chapter 8: Answers

 

After a couple of days on the train, Celeste and Hunter arrived in Prague. At the station, Luke was waiting for them. As far as any of them knew, the military wasn't looking for them in Prague yet.

 

Celeste showed him the Pendant of the Gods as soon as they were inside the little car that was idling for them outside of the station. Luke hummed under his breath, and then muttered something about needing his books.

 

Luke was a rather old man, perhaps older than what her grandfather would have been that year. His eyes were behind a pair of thick glasses, but he had sharp vision nonetheless. His balding head had little tufts of gray hair on the side, leaving the top of his head shiny and smooth. He wore old fashioned clothes, perhaps that of a farmer. Her suspicions were confirmed when they left the city and drove into the country side.

 

Hunter and Luke talked, often reminiscing on the past. One such story was about Hunter when he'd first joined the military. She laughed with them when Luke mentioned how Hunter had started a food fight in the cafeteria in order to lighten up the mood between a couple of officers. Of course, it had had repercussions.

 

The drive seemed to take forever, and it was during one story about Hunter's training that Celeste finally fell asleep. Hunter looked back at her when he noticed that she wasn't interjecting his stories anymore with her laugh. Knowing that she was finally asleep again, Hunter turned to Luke with a more serious expression.

 

“So, do you know anything about that necklace?”

 

Luke frowned. “I've heard of it before, but all this time I thought it was just a legend. Do you know how she came about it?”

 

“Apparently she got it when she got her pocket watch. She found it under the foam padding with a note from the Crystal Alchemist.”

 

“Tim Marco? Why would that lunatic send her a crystal of the Philosopher's Stone?”

 

Hunter froze. “That's a piece of the Philosopher's Stone?”

 

“Well, not exactly.” Luke looked in his rear view mirror at the sleeping girl. “The Pendant of the Gods is not a perfect Philosopher's Stone.”

 

“What do you mean…?”

 

“Hunter, in order for me to describe it better, we should wait until we get to my place. I have the books I need there and Celeste should be awake to hear this too.” Luke stared straight ahead at the road, lips closed tightly.

 

Sighing, Hunter decided to change the subject. “So, anything fun to do in Jankov?”

 

Luke's face brightened at the question. “There's always the annual fall dance in the village. Of course, I don't go… I'm much too old to be dancing.”

 

“Nonsense! You're never too old to…” Hunter stopped. Luke was approaching 70 and was likely having bad health. Maybe this wasn't what he wanted to talk about. “Luke…”

 

“You should take Celeste and show her a good time while I work on that Pendant. I have so many books to go through that you might age 10 years before I find all the answers. Besides, she may not have much longer.”

 

Reality set in then. Perhaps he should show her a good time. “When's the dance?”

 

Luke laughed. “In five nights. We'll stop in the village tomorrow and find her a pretty dress to wear, jah?”

 

***

 

The following day, Celeste found herself immersed in endless shops of dresses. The marketplace seemed to be filled with venders that wanted to sell her the most beautiful dress. Hunter laughed each time she blushed after coming out of a dressing room in another frilly frock. And each time he did, she'd march back into the little room to tear it off.

 

After hours of endless searching, it seemed as though they'd never find a dress. Why the two men were looking for one for her was unknown to her. All she'd wanted were some sensible clothes to wear around Luke's little farm house. Yet, after she'd found a few trousers and shirts, they'd started hunting for dresses.

 

What am I, a doll? She thought humorlessly after trying on yet another frilly mess of a dress. She'd seen a few dresses that she wanted to try on for the fun of it, but every time she reached for one, she would have another dress shoved in her face. She was slowly starting to hate dresses.

 

While they were looking for another catastrophe for her to try on, she found a pink dress with green leaf patterns on it. It wasn't super low cut, and it came down past the knees. It was simple with a little v-neck, but what made it stand out was the simplicity of it. The material was velvet soft and she knew she had to try it on.

 

Hunter picked up another dress to Celeste to try on, but she was gone. He panicked at first, until he saw her emerge from one of the fitting rooms. Amongst the crowd of people in the bazaar, she stood out like a princess among peasants. The dress was a perfect fit and she looked radiant in it.

 

“Hunter,” she said, walking over to him. “What do you think of this one?”

 

He was speechless, but Luke came over just in time to save him. “Oh, Celeste, that one is perfect. What do you think Hunter?”

 

“Oh, yeah… it's great.” Hunter felt the blush creep up his neck and quickly turned away. The dress was perfect, and it showed her curves well. Even though the v-neck wasn't that low, it seemed to flaunt her bosom for every man to see.

 

Once Celeste had changed back into her regular clothes, Luke and Hunter dragged her to a local tavern to sit down and eat. When Luke got up to go get a drink at the bar, Hunter looked over at her and asked, “So you didn't like a lot of those dresses, huh?”

 

“No, not really.” She picked up her water and started sipping from it. “I've never been one to like a lot of frill.”

 

“I guess Czech dresses tend to be kind of… frilly…”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Hunter couldn't get the image of her in that dress out of his head. He'd been living with her for a while now, so why was he nervous now? Because you're finally alone with her. That little voice had been nagging at him since they'd hit Briggs. True, they were alone, but they were still in the military.

 

But what has the military done to help Celeste? Nothing! He looked into his menu, carefully keeping his eyes level on the paper in his hands and not Celeste. He'd never trusted the military, but what other choice did he have? In America, all they had to offer for alchemists were military positions. In Europe, all he could afford was the military since becoming an alchemist outside of it required lots of equipment, books, and training. Now that he knew what he needed about alchemy, all he wanted was out. Maybe he could convince Celeste…

 

He glanced at her. Could he convince her to run away with him? Maybe if the military never found them here in Jankov, they could build their own little place and live together… Yeah, like she'd want to live in secrecy for the rest of her life. What about her brother? Hunter shook his head. That, and the military would eventually find their way here. It's not like we left for another continent.

 

Luke came back with a beer for himself and Hunter. “You should really try the fish. Margo makes the best fish in the area.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea Luke.” Celeste laid her menu down and looked over at Hunter. “What do you think?”

 

“Yeah, I'll go for it.”

 

Once they had ordered their fish, Celeste turned to Luke and said, “When are you going to tell me more about this Pendant that I'm wearing?”

 

“Well, that certainly came out of nowhere.” Luke smiled slightly and patted her hand. “Not to worry, Celeste. I'll be diving into those books tonight to find my answers.”

 

“I heard you saying something to Hunter in the car yesterday… about how the Pendant of the Gods is an incomplete Philosopher's Stone. Can't you at least tell me about that?”

 

“Not here, young lady. It's best we save our talk about that stone around your neck at my place.” Luke ended the conversation, effectively ending the good mood as well.

 

The group carried on light conversation until their fish arrived. Once their plates of food were placed before them, no one uttered a single word.

 

***

 

Celeste sighed as she lay on her meager bed in Luke's little country-side home. She held up the Pendant of the Gods from her chest and examined it. An incomplete Philosopher's Stone… what makes it incomplete? The red stone glimmered in the candle light, sending fire burning through it. She knew what went into a Philosopher's Stone and shuddered at the thought of what was really around her neck.

 

When they had returned to Luke's house, the old man had claimed exhaustion from a long day and closed himself up in his bedroom. He hadn't emerged since. Hunter had tried coaxing him out, but Luke had only grunted and told him off.

 

It's almost like he's avoiding telling me what he knows. She sat up, suddenly determined to get the answers that she and Hunter had traveled all the way out there to find. Opening the door, she found Hunter on the other side, hand up like he was going to knock on her door. “Oh, Hunter…”

 

“Hey, I just thought I could… uh, do you wanna talk?” Hunter stuttered.

 

“Not now. I have to talk to Luke. He has the answers we've been looking for and he won't tell me…”

 

Hunter put one hand on her right shoulder as she moved past him. “Celeste, all he said was that the Pendant of the Gods is an incomplete Philosopher's Stone. He's busy in his books right now.”

 

“I know he's buried in his books, but it just feels like he isn't telling me…”

 

This time, his other hand went on her left shoulder. “Why would he do something like that? He'll tell you when he knows for sure what the Pendant is.”

 

“Hunter, let me go.” Celeste tried moving past him again, but he was much stronger than her. His wide shoulders made escape impossible, but when she refused to give up, Hunter just simply picked her up. “Hey, put me down!”

 

Carrying her bridal style, he took her into the room and put her on the bed. “Why won't you just listen to me? Don't you trust me?”

 

“I trust you, but Luke…”

 

“Is finding the answers for us,” he finished.

 

Celeste looked at him then. Hunter's face was full of worry; he was lying. “Hunter, if you know anything, you need to tell me. I don't care if it's complete or not, I just need to know something about this necklace.”

 

“You really don't want to hear what I know. Besides, it might be wrong because it's only a rumor about the Crystal Alchemist.”

 

“What about him?”

 

Hunter struggled within himself on whether he should really tell her about how the Crystal Alchemist made more incomplete Philosopher's Stones, but they were so incomplete that they only served their purpose once and then shattered. This one was only missing one component… and it had been found in Celeste. But before he could speak, Celeste began.

 

“I'm the missing link, aren't I?” She let a sad smile slide onto her lips. “This Philosopher's Stone was only missing one thing, and it found it in me, right? I mean, that's why it won't let me go.”

 

Hunter nodded. “Do you understand how a Philosopher's Stone is created?”

 

Angrily brushing a tear away, Celeste said, “Yes, by taking the lives of many people and using their souls. This stone was created using a lot of souls, but it was missing one specific one… mine.” The tears freely ran down her cheeks now. “Why my soul? What does my soul have that other people's don't?”

 

Feeling helpless in the midst of her break down, Hunter could only watch as she put her hands over her face and continued to weep. “This necklace is starting to slowly drain my soul from my body. I've been feeling weaker, especially after each encounter with the Homunculi. My chest hurts because my soul is trying to escape my body so it isn't absorbed into the stone. My soul doesn't want the Homunculi to get the Stone once it's completely absorbed. That's what's happening, isn't it?”

 

“We don't know for sure…”

 

“You know as well as I do that Luke isn't looking for anything about the Stone. He's trying to find a way to get it off of me and keep my soul attached to my body. He already knows everything about this stone except for how to get it off of me.” She looked at him again, tears swimming in her deep blue eyes. “How long do I have until my soul is gone?”

 

“We… well, we think you might have about a month.” He couldn't keep it from her anymore. She understood what was going on, and it would be pointless to just keep it from her. “But we swear that long before that, we'll find a way to get that thing off of you.”

 

A smile crept onto her face. “I know you guys will.” She leaned forward then, bringing her arms around Hunter's neck and kissed him ever so gently on his lips. When she pulled back to look at his face, she smiled again. “Hunter, I don't really know when it happened, but…”

 

He didn't let her finish. He pushed her back on the bed and plundered her lips with his own. She moaned slightly, her hands moving down his back to touch the muscles beneath his shirt. He released her lips and began his journey down, giving her goose bumps as his lips kissed the soft curve of her neck. His hands kneaded her breasts beneath her night shirt and he felt her shudder in ecstasy.

 

Her body was driving him wild. She was moaning and bucking beneath him as he ran his hands over her, his mouth following in their place. He lifted her shirt to find that she was wearing no bra beneath it. Her nipples were already hard for him, and as he bent to lick them, he heard her say his name. Her hands combed through his dark hair as he suckled from her. All too soon, it seemed, he brought his mouth back up to hers and started all over again.

 

A knock was heard on the door to Celeste's room and both alchemists were brought back to reality. He was an Officer in the military, and she was his trainee. He had his hand on her bare breast, and he was kissing her in her bedroom. A few seconds ticked by as they stared at each other. Then the voice on the other side of the door made them remember that they were not alone.

 

“Hunter, are you in there?”

 

Hunter covered her lips with his mouth and said in a whisper, “Don't say anything.”

 

Celeste nodded as he started speaking. “Yeah, what do you need Luke?”

 

“Where's Celeste?”

 

“She's in the outhouse right now.”

 

The silence on the other side hung for a minute. Then, “Why are you in her room?”

 

Damn, I didn't think of that one. “Um, I had to change into some different clothes, so I thought I'd use her room while she's out there.”

 

It worked. “Ok, well I just thought I'd let you know that I'm turning out the lights for the night. Make sure that Celeste gets back in without tripping over anything, ok?”

 

“Sure thing.” They listened for a few minutes as Luke shuffled about the little house, turning each oil lamp down and blowing the flame out. When they heard the door to his room close, they each let out a breath that they'd been holding.

 

“Well, that was kind of close.” Celeste pulled her shirt back down, sitting up after Hunter had moved off of her. She watched him as he stood and started pacing the little room. When he got close to her bed again, she stood and embraced him from behind to halt his movements. “Hunter, come back to…”

 

“No, Celeste, we can't.” He placed one hand over hers, closing his eyes. “The military…”

 

“Screw the military. Hunter, I love you. And if I only have a month to live…”

 

“We're gonna get that necklace off of you, Celeste. There's no way I'm gonna let you die…”

 

“What if you can't? At least let me love you, even if it's only for this one night.”

 

He turned into her, bringing her face up to look at him. “I don't deserve you. After all I've ever done, I…”

 

Shaking her head, she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. “None of that matters. When I look at you, I see all I need. And I can see it in your eyes too.”

 

Her words undid him. She was telling the truth; after living for the military and alchemy for so many years, he didn't need any of it anymore. Celeste was the piece of him that had been missing for so long. He took her hand and started to pull her from the room. Grabbing a lamp from her stand, he said, “Come with me.”

 

As the two alchemists wandered in the dark, Celeste noticed that Hunter knew his way around rather well. She knew that he was the Midnight Alchemist and that he had the amazing ability to control the light around him, but that didn't mean he could see better than her. After a while, she realized that he wasn't wandering; he was headed in a direction from memory.

 

“Hunter, where are we going?”

 

He smiled, stopping to look at her. “When I first ran from the military here in Europe, Luke gave me refuge. It was he that told me about going to America to escape for good. During my stay here, I often went into the fields in search of something to keep my mind off of the fact that I was a wanted man. One day, I stumbled upon a little meadow.”

 

He continued walking through the wooded area that he had led her to. “It was like an oasis in a desert. In the middle of all the trees, this meadow full of flowers and a bubbling brook was just sitting there. I came back here often, sorting my thoughts out about what I wanted to do with my life. Finally, in this meadow I came to realization that I didn't have to stay here. I listened to Luke's advice, packed my bags, and left for America.”

 

In the moonlight, Celeste could see the trees thinning just a little and heard the sound of the brook he'd been talking about. When they reached the clearing, her breath was stolen from her lips. The moonlight was dancing off of the flowers, making the pollen they gave off sparkle. The brook gurgled in the distance, the water crystal clear. The beauty of it had her eyes misting. Never had she found something like this. Oh how her brother would have loved to paint this scene!

 

She took a step forward and found the grass soft and inviting. Kneeling, she sat on the ground and ruffled the grass with her hand. It was as if she'd stepped into a fairy tale. The moonlight, the flowers, the brook, the grass; everything was perfect and untouched.

 

Hunter sat beside her, taking her hand in his. “I've dreamt of this place many times since leaving it. The last dream I had of this place had you in it. We were in the moonlight as we are now, sitting and talking. When I woke from that dream, it was then that I knew I had to take you here.”

 

“Hunter…”

 

“And tonight, knowing now that you're the one who makes me whole, it's here that I would like to make you mine forever.” Brushing a stray hair from her face, he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I think that this meadow is more appropriate for this than the guest bedroom at Luke's, the house in Central, or anywhere else. Here, Celeste, is where I would like to make love to you for the first time.”

 

He pressed his lips to hers and took her breath away for the second time that evening. She returned the kiss, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth when she parted her lips for him. Moving her hand to rest on his leg, she leaned further into him. He lay back on the soft grass, bringing her down to lay on top of him. Removing his mouth from hers, he found her slender neck and started to press light kisses to it. She shivered, sighing his name as he rolled her onto the grass so he could begin exploring her body.

 

Celeste couldn't remember ever feeling this way about anyone. As he suckled on her breasts, brining little sparks into her vision, she remembered the first time they had kissed. She had been crying, upset over the fact that the necklace which lay upon her chest was slowly going to kill her. He'd come into the room, a glass of juice in one hand and had screamed at him to get out. For some reason, he had hugged her, and then kissed her. She smiled at the memory as he explored the valley of her breasts, kneading one with his hand, and kissing the other with his mouth.

 

He pulled her shirt over her head, returning his attention to her lips. His followed soon after, her hands wanting to roam the plains of his back. Her skin was smooth as one of the stones he'd pulled from the brook so many years ago. She flushed, a pale pink in the moonlight. A light sheen of sweat and dew covered her body, making it glisten with the flowers around her. She'd never looked more beautiful.

 

Time seemed to stop as he started his journey to her belly. He licked her, feeling her shiver in delight. When he reached her panties, he gently started to pull them off, looking to her for any hesitation. He nearly lost it then when he saw her looking at him with her big green eyes. She smiled softly, no fear in her face as he completely took her panties off of her bottom.

 

“I trust you,” she said quietly.

 

He continued his trip down her body, avoiding her womanhood for the time being and traveled down her legs. His lips caressed every inch of her, savoring the light flavor that was Celeste. Finally, he made his way back up her body and began his exploration of her nether region. He heard her gasp at his first touch. Her body seemed to be calling out to him, wanting him to go faster. But he knew that with her, he needed this time to be gentle. Ever so tenderly, he pressed his finger against her entrance. She didn't cry out for him to stop; she didn't tense up and start to shake. No, she sighed his name and laid her hand over the one that was touching her most private area. Dipping his head between her thighs, he took a taste of her and heard her gasp again.

 

Celeste couldn't believe that his tongue could do such things to her body. She felt herself losing grip of reality. It wasn't hard to forget about their military positions; the meadow and Hunter's touch erased all of her rational thoughts. Her body tensed up, an orgasm shooting her into a state of ecstasy. When the lights in her vision cleared, she saw Hunter's face staring at her.

 

“Celeste, you're beautiful.” He kissed her cheek. “And I love you.”

 

Tears gathered in her eyes as she sat up to embrace him. “I love you too.”

 

It didn't matter to him anymore. Even if he had to sacrifice his life, he'd find a way to get that pendant off of her. Laying her back on the soft grass, he kissed her mouth. He spread her legs open with his knees, nudging himself between her. His tip brushed her entrance and he groaned. She was so wet for him, only for him. He looked at her, telling her with his eyes that he wouldn't hurt her. Carefully, he started to bury himself with in her. His body screamed at him to go faster, but he knew that doing so would hurt her. He kept his eyes on her face the entire time. She winced when he met her barrier and he saw tears spring to her eyes again. Despite her tears, she kept smiling.

 

He pushed forward, breaking the barrier and filling her with his shaft. She cried out, but the tears in her eyes never spilled. Hunter didn't move, waiting for her to get used to having him within her. It didn't take long before she started moving beneath him, telling him silently that she was ok and ready to continue. He brought himself back and then thrust forward again. She moaned, arching her back into him. He leaned down to kiss her neck, sighing with her. She smelled like vanilla, a scent that he'd always remember.

 

He kept the pace slow, almost devastatingly so. Celeste could feel another orgasm building, her body tensing. When she reached the peak, she cried out, the sound of her voice echoing in the meadow. Still, Hunter kept his slow tempo. She wanted more, so much more. “Oh, Hunter… please, I need you!”

 

“Not tonight, Celeste. Tonight, I'm making sweet love to you. Another time I will show you crazy, passionate sex. I promise.” He kissed her full on the mouth, his manhood hitting her deeper with each thrust. “Tonight is about you.”

 

She couldn't argue with him. He held her tight, beginning to feel his own climax starting to rise. Her entrance tightened around his shaft once again and he orgasmed with her. He trembled as he buried himself deeper and spilled his seed.

 

***

 

Celeste opened her eyes and looked at Hunter. She smiled and started to rise.

 

“Don't.” He said, holding her still. “I'm not ready to move yet.”

 

“Hunter, we need to get back to the cabin.”

 

“I know, but… I just want to lay here with you for a while.” He moved off of her, taking her body in his arms to keep her warm. Staring up into the night sky, he reminisced to what they had just done. He kissed the top of her head, feeling her breath in and out. “How do you feel?”

 

Sighing, she said, “Like I've never felt before.” With a content smile, she gazed up into the sky. “Hey, there's a full moon out tonight.”

 

He nodded, “Yeah, it sure is beautiful.” He looked over at her again. “But not nearly as breath taking as you are.”

 

She blushed. “We should get back to the house before Luke notices that we're both gone.”

 

Laughing, he stood and helped her up. “What, is Luke your father now?”

 

“No, but…” She stopped talking when she saw Hunter gaping at her. “What, is there something wrong with me?”

 

“Of course not, but I never had the chance to look at your whole body.” He smiled. “I almost wish we could have sex again.”

 

Bending over for her shirt and panties, she said, “I'd like that too, but for now once is enough.”

 

Hunter pulled on his shirt, watching her dress in a simple button down shirt and panties. Once she was done, she turned to look at him. The moonlight made his skin and hair shine. As he dressed, she almost wished that she could pull all of his clothes off of him and start again. She could still feel him touching her body and it was making her tremble. When he reached his hand out for her, she took it and began walking back to the house.

 

Just before they entered the house, Hunter blew out the lamp. Ever so quietly, he opened the door and let Celeste enter. Once they were inside, Hunter headed for the couch. She held onto his hand. “What is it?” He whispered.

 

“If it's alright,” she said, tightening her grip, “I'd like you to sleep beside me tonight.”

 

He smiled, coming to her to embrace her. “Of course.” They walked back to her room, shutting the door behind them to sleep for the rest of the night.

 

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