InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ In Pursuit of the Green Dragon ❯ Souta's Solution ( Chapter 25 )

Musashi's Domain, 16th-century Japan

Ed made his preparations in frantic haste, all-too-aware of Alphonse's motionless body stretched on the grass, the bandages around his chest and torso already dark with blood.

He located the bag of powdered chalk, and poured carefully, creating a transmutation circle with Al in the center. He had never attempted medical alchemy before, but thanks to his studies years earlier in preparation for trying to bring his mother back from the dead, he knew human anatomy inside and out.

Examining Al's injuries for himself, while trying to tamp down his growing panic, he thought he knew exactly what needed to be done. Al's superior epigastric artery had been severed, the rectus abdominal muscles and the external abdominal oblique muscle needed major repairs, and Ed strongly suspected that the wall of Al's stomach had been nicked.

If they had been at home, Ed would have already finished healing his brother, using only a clap of his hands. But here, constrained by the need to draw energy from an external source, he was forced to trace out the painstaking arcs and symbols that would direct the energy of the transmutation into the proper channels.

Miroku had rekindled the fire, using some of the glowing embers that had survived Envy's attack, and he was sitting next to Inuyasha, speaking earnestly to the hanyou in a voice too low for Ed to overhear.

Inuyasha didn't reply. He was staring fixedly at the flames, hands tucked into his sleeves, his expression sullen.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ed saw Miroku scowl. "...might kill you!" the monk's voice rose as he thumped Inuyasha's shoulder in evident frustration.

"...don't care...promised...rescue Kagome...useless anyway." Inuyasha's low reply was almost lost in the rustle of the wind through the trees overhead.

Great, that's all I need, thought Ed, with a panicked glance in Al's direction. What if Miroku managed to talk Inuyasha out of helping?

"It won't kill him," Ed said, loudly, and Miroku's head whipped around. "He's only half-demon, right? And the transmutation only seems to use his demonic energy."

It made perfect sense to him. Inuyasha would be weakened like before, but it wouldn't do lasting harm.

Hopefully.

"Even so, what," Miroku replied, slowly, each word bitten off with angry precision, "do you propose to do with Inuyasha once he's helpless and human? Leave him behind while he's unconscious? You do remember what happened the last time you tried this? What if--"

"Miroku, shut the fuck up," Inuyasha interrupted, his voice weary. "I'm gonna do this, and that's final. And Kagome's gonna need your help, afterwards. Okay?"

That put an end to the conversation, though Miroku didn't move from his place at Inuyasha's side.

Sango was kneeling on the other side of the fire, busily salving and bandaging the wounds of her youkai cat. Beyond the orange circle of firelight, Souta Higurashi was searching for something on hands and knees, the beam of his flashlight wavering and bouncing off the ground and the trunks of nearby trees.

Ed forced himself to ignore everything but the task in front of him. The transmutation circle had to be perfect. He had to get it right the first time...even if Al managed to hang on, Inuyasha was already weakened by the attempts to open the well. There wouldn't be any of his energy to spare for a re-do.

Hopefully, there would enough energy to heal Al.

Finally, he was done. Ed sat back on his heels, putting the nearly-empty bag of chalk aside.

"Inuyasha?"

The hanyou straightened up, and got to his feet, followed by Miroku. He said something to the monk, of which Ed only caught the word, "Kagome."

"Okay," Ed said, as Inuyasha approached. "You need to kneel there--careful, don't mess up the chalk!" he added, sharply.

Miroku stood behind Inuyasha, his expression unhappy. Ed felt the weight of the monk's disapproval, and felt compelling to add: "And, uh, Inuyasha--thank you."

"Not doing it for you," the hanyou mumbled, not meeting Ed's gaze.

"I know," Ed said, quietly. "But you're still helping Al. I won't forget that."

Inuyasha's golden eyes rose to his. "You'd better not."

"Equivalent exchange." Ed nodded. "And I'm sure your friends--" his gaze flicked up at Miroku's silently glowering figure, "--won't let me forget, either."

He cleared his throat. "Okay, just like last time, put your hands here--" he pointed at the section of the circle that would draw energy, "--and don't move them until I'm done."

Inuyasha nodded grimly, and stretched out his hands.

"Wait!" shouted Souta, running towards the circle. "Wait--don't do anything!"

Both Ed and Inuyasha turned to glare at the interruption.

"Wait!" Souta said again, skidding to a breathless halt just short of the transmutation circle. His carefully slicked-back hair was disheveled, and several strands had fallen over his forehead, making him look more like Roy Mustang than ever. "I found Kagome-chan's jewel shards!"

He held up the tiny glass container, the ends of the broken chain dangling between his fingers.

What the hell--? Ed blinked, annoyed, and then his brain caught up.

Kagome had used the shards earlier to power Al's fire alchemy transmutation, and hadn't Al mentioned that Kagome had been instrumental in reopening the well, too?

But Kagome wasn't here now. Ed took a deep breath. "That's great, Professor Higurashi," he said. "But how are we supposed to use them without Kagome?"

Souta looked uncertain, then his expression firmed. "I'll use them. I think I know how Kagome-chan managed it, and I have some spiritual powers of my own. If not, then perhaps Miroku-sama could find a way...?"

Miroku nodded, his scowl melting away. "If we can use the jewel instead of Inuyasha--"

"HEY!" Inuyasha protested.

Miroku looked down, and whacked Inuyasha lightly across the back of his head. "Idiot. Don't you want to go rescue Kagome yourself, instead of relying on strangers to do it?"

Inuyasha rubbed the place where Miroku had hit him. "Well, if you put it that way," he grumbled, and sat back on his heels, wiping his chalk-covered palms against his baggy hakama, leaving long white streaks on the red fabric. "But I promised to help."

"Don't worry about it," Ed assured him. "If we can't find a way to use the bits of jewel, we can still use you."

He turned to Souta, who was hovering uncertainly. "Professor, if you would exchange places with Inuyasha...? And put the vial down there...?" he pointed at a slightly smeared section of the transmutation circle. "Good. Now put your hands where Inuyasha put them."

Souta obeyed, then looked up at Miroku, frowning. "Miroku-sama, can you advise me? How do I draw the energy out of the jewel?"

It took a bit of trial-and-error, with Ed trying vainly to rein in his impatience. But it was impossible, with Al right there, bleeding to death while Souta and Miroku argued over the fine points of houriki-wielding technique.

Inuyasha was of the same opinion, it seemed.

"Will you fucking get on with it?" he growled after a few minutes, and Ed nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Oh--ah, sorry!" Souta bobbed in an awkward bow, and put his hands down again. Closing his eyes, he concentrated.

And the jewel shards...

...began to glow.

The glow spread steadily along the lines of the transmutation circle.

Ed waited a few seconds to see if the transmutation was showing any signs of guttering out, then whooped. "All right, Professor! Now just keep it up..."

It was Ed's turn to close his eyes and concentrate. Picturing every strand of abdominal muscle, and the fine network of veins and arteries that ran through the human torso, he slammed his hands down on the array, and directed the flow energy into the motionless body of his little brother.

Al sat bolt-upright and screamed as the transmutation began its work, rose-colored light writhing around him, but Ed managed to hang on his concentration, just barely, and kept visualizing the repairs that needed to be made.

The jewel's energy felt different from the energy of a normal transmutation, but it seemed to be working, so Ed kept going.

Just a little more...and fix that one puncture there...and...

"Done!" He exhaled, opened his eyes, and studied his brother anxiously.

Al was curled into a fetal position, knees drawn up to his chest.

"Al?" Ed approached cautiously, and put a hand on his brother's shoulder preparatory to rolling on his back and checking his injuries.

One hazel eye opened, and looked up at Ed. "Brother, that hurt," Al said accusingly.

Relief and exhaustion warred within Ed, and he didn't try to fight the upwelling of slightly hysterical laughter.

"Brother, what happened?" Al asked, bewildered. "I remember..." he frowned. "The dragon. Envy. He found us! He was here! He--I didn't dodge fast enough. Our teacher would beat me senseless if she knew how clumsy--"

Still sputtering, Ed reached down and tore away the sodden bandage taped over Al's stomach.

Al yelped as the adhesive gave way, but Ed ignored him, running anxious fingers down the blood-stained skin. The wounds had closed, showing only thin pink lines.

"You're okay," he told his brother. "You're gonna be okay."

Al took a deep breath, and examined the wounds himself, prodding cautiously. When he had finished, he looked around, taking in the tumbled pots and packs, and the scattered contents of the medical kit.

"Where's Kagome?" he asked.

Canon and Historical Notes

Though my crossover is primarily based on the Fullmetal Alchemist anime-verse, I found the concept and practice of medical alchemy from the FMA manga, specifically Chapter 77, too good to pass up.

All hail the wonderful kokoronagomu, beta reader extraordinaire!