InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Well and Through the Gate To Edward’s House We Go ❯ Ed's Story Part 2 ( Chapter 4 )

Into the Well and Through the Gate To Edward's House We Go

 

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Full Metal Alchemist.

 

Chapter Four- Edward's StoryPart 2

 

Munich 1923

 

“Miko? What's that some type of ore or gas? A type of energy unit maybe?” Ed asked.

 

“Not exactly Edward.” Hohenheim responded cautiously.

 

Edward could tell that his father was hesitant to disclose the information which only a few minutes before he seemed eager to talk about. This gave him a feeling of foreboding, but he swiftly pushed it aside. Heck, things couldn't get much worse than they already had. With that in mind, he prompted his father to speak.

 

“Well, what the hell do you want? I'm not really in the mood to play twenty questions here.” sniped Ed.

 

Hohenheim, suppressed the urge to grin, knowing that that really would set Edward off. Thankfully, these days Edward was more bark than bite when it came to their dealings together. He just hoped that this would continue for their upcoming discussion. `Here goes.'

 

“First of all Edward, I need you to let me speak for a while before you ask questions or give judgment. I assure you that things are not what you may assume at the beginning. So please listen with an open mind. Can you do this?” He was about to add a “for me” on the end but caught himself in time. “And” he continued with a smirk “if you interrupt you have to drink milk every morning for a week.”

 

Ed wasn't going to admit it, but his father had gotten his attention. “Yeah, like you're going to find extra milk around here even if we could afford it.” He responded tartly. `Only good thing about war…no milk for me!'

 

“That's beside the point Edward. I just want to stress to you, my need for your undivided attention.” He paused a moment for effect. “I believe that I have uncovered information that will help you return home.”

 

Now Ed really was at attention. Sitting up straight, he placed his good arm on the table and leaned forward slightly. His eyes bored into his father's as he decided to comply and urged him on. “Fine father. I'm all ears”

 

“Very well then. First off, I want you to know that this in no way is connected to any type of mystical practice that you heard rumors about.” He waited a moment to see if Edward would keep his cool before continuing. When Edward nodded for him to go on, he did. “Okay now, the term miko is actually Japanese. A miko is a woman, usually a village priestess, who possesses above average spiritual powers. From what I can tell, hundreds of years ago they used their power and knowledge for healing and protecting their fellow humans from demons”

 

“Whoa hold on there. What do you mean demons? Cause there isn't such a thing. You're talking about evil humans right?” Ed interrupted in a rush.

 

“Edward please hold your questions. Now if truth be told, with everything you have seen, including the gate, can you really say that about anything?”

 

Ed sighed heavily and uttered a hollow laugh. “You're right. I mean people here would laugh in my face and lock me away if I told them I could fix a busted radio with the clap of my hands.”

 

“Exactly. Never forget that anything is possible depending on time and place. Furthermore, for the purpose of this discussion you will need to at least believe in the possibility of the existence of demons.”

 

“Okay old man. You have my interest peaked. Let's hear the rest of it.” Ed egged on.

 

Hohenheim slid his had inside his coat and extracted a yellowed roll of paper with what looked like a broken wax seal in the shape of a dog. “This scroll is over four centuries old. I found it in the strangest of shops and the startling thing is that it seems to have been held there for me.” He saw that Edward was about to ask a question, so he held up his hand to silence him. “Hold on for a moment and I will explain in detail.”

 

/Flashback/

 

Wandering through one of the seedier parts of town was not his idea of an enjoyable morning stroll and to top it off, around an hour ago, he had begun to feel as if someone was watching him as he skirted around vendors and vagrants alike. Hohenheim was about to turn back and return to Edward when he noticed the sign he had been searching for.

 

It indicated that the small business dealt in rare and old manuscripts and upon entering, he was pleasantly surprised to find that is was clean and organized or at least as organized as it could be with the amount of books and papers held in the one room establishment. It almost reminded him of the library in Central and he had a vague thought as to whether he would need Edward's silver watch in order to procure anything from the proprietor.

 

Shaking himself out of his fanciful notions, he walked towards the back to see if he could locate a living being amongst all the shelves and stacks. Upon approaching what looked like to be the counter, he heard a soft chanting coming from beneath it. Hoping not to startle anyone, Hohenheim leaned over the counter and cleared his throat softly. With his height, he was more than able to secure a clear view of the person sitting in a lotus position with their eyes closed shut. He was quite surprised to note that the individual or man as the case was, did not appear to be a native of the area. In fact he looked to be from the Far East. Although he couldn't be sure since he hadn't met many of that nationality.

 

The man had black hair and was wearing what looked like something he himself would have worn to bed. It looked to be made of silk and was an amazing shade of purple with both black and white dogs embroidered onto the jacket. The dogs weren't cute little puppy like animals, but were large ferocious creatures that almost reminded him of dragons. On his feet were a pair of black slippers and he wore what looked to be a bracelet of blue beads wrapped several times around his wrist.

 

As Hohenheim was taking in the appearance of the young man he failed to notice that said individual had opened his eyes and was looking at Hohenheim with the same ill disguised interest. As Hohenheim returned his gaze to the stranger's face, he was startled to find a pair of very dark blue-violet eyes studying him just as closely.

 

Bringing himself up into a standing position he attempted to cover his lack of manners as best he could. “Excuse me sir, but are you the owner or do you work here? I am in need of information that I am hoping may be found in some of your manuscripts or books” he stated knowing full well that the person had to at least work here considering where he had found him.

 

“Yes sir. I am sure I can be of assistance to you. My name is Kohaku Higurashi. Please feel free to address me as Kohaku. How may I be of service to you?” He recited as he bowed his head.

 

“That is a very unusual name. May I ask what you were doing when I came in?” Hohenheim questioned. He was very interested to learn why someone would be hiding under furniture humming to themselves.

 

“You are correct. I am sure that my name is very unusual for this area of the world. My name is actually one handed down through generations for the past five centuries. My family has an old legend that is passed down and with it the names of the individuals who were involved are too. The same goes for the beads on my wrist. When a son comes of age or leaves the family, which ever comes first, he is given a rosary of blue beads to wear to remind him how precious life is. This also comes from the same legend.” Kohaku explained with obvious reverence.

 

“As to what I was doing, I was meditating. Meditation helps clear the mind and strengthen both the body and soul.” he informed.

 

“Yes well, I am Hohenheim Elric and I am looking for information on mystical rites, but nothing that would be associated with dark magic.” He was wondering how much he should confide in the man in order for him to have an accurate idea of what he required. For some reason he felt he could trust Kohaku, which was strange indeed.

 

“Hmmm. I see. That covers quite a lot actually. We probably need to narrow it down. I do have a test that might help. While you complete it, I can make us some tea. Is that acceptable to you?” Kohaku inquired.

 

“Yes. Thank you and that is indeed acceptable. Although what type of test is it that would give you the information needed?” Hohenheim asked.

 

“It is very simple really. Just a few questions and depending on your answers it should narrow things down quite a bit.” Kohaku assured him as he turned to grab what looked like an ancient tome from the shelf behind him. As he opened the volume, Hohenheim could hear the spine creak from years of disuse, indicating that no one had taken this test for a very long time if ever.

 

However, Kohaku seemed to know exactly where to look because in a matter of seconds he extricated a sheet of paper and handed it to Hohenheim. What surprised the senior Elric the most when he glanced at the test, was that it looked to be written in the language of his world and was completed in a feminine hand.

 

“Please have a seat here behind the counter and I will return in a moment” He said as he indicated a chair that had been pushed to the side in order to allow space on the floor for his meditation.

 

Hohenheim circled around to the back of the counter and pulled the chair over. He reached into his pocket to grab a writing utensil and was lucky enough to find a pencil. Just as he was about to begin, Kohaku held himself halfway out of the doorway which connected the main room to what looked to be living quarters.

 

“I forgot one thing Mr. Elric. When you answer the questions they should be as if you were the person needing the information.” Kohaku hastily indicated while hoping that he caught him in time.

 

`How on earth did he know it wasn't for me?' “Thank you I will and please call me Hohenheim.” he calmly replied.

 

“Certainly.” Kohaku responded and just like that he was gone again.

 

`Lets see, this doesn't look too difficult. There only seems to be a few questions here. Considering it is so short, I wonder how this can help.' He read it over quickly and was surprised as to the type of questions that were listed. `How on earth is this going to help, but then again I really shouldn't discount it yet.'

 

“Okay. First question is eye color. Hmmm. I have heard people refer to them as golden and amber, but Trisha always called them golden so I'll go with that. Second question is “Are you a dog or cat person?”. Well I know Al loves cats, but I remember Edward loved playing with that puppy of Winry's when she first got it. So I think the answer is dog. Question three asks, “Can you convert your hand into a lethal weapon?” What the hell? How would they know about Edward's automail. Answer is yes. Okay, two more questions left and I have to say this is a very strange test. It's almost if it was done with us in mind. Do you experience the loss of first your father and then your mother while you were still very young?” Well even though I am here now, I think I can safely say yes again. Last one wants to know “Are you trying to rejoin a long lost loved one?” Holy mother of god! There are too many similarities here. When he returns I want to get some answers about this test.'

 

Just then Kohaku returned with a tray holding a pot and two cups of green tea. Setting it down on the counter next to Hohenheim, he picked up the completed test to review. Startled eyes jumped from the test to Hohenheim and back to the test. Agitated was not the proper word to describe the young man at that moment. It was more like a bottled excitement. With one more glance at the test he looked up a Hohenheim and said “I believe I have just the thing you're looking for. Please wait here and I will return in a moment.

 

Kohaku walked back to his living quarters and soon returned with an ancient chest. Placing it before Hohenheim he began to chant while holding his hands level with his chest in an intricate configuration. All of a sudden the coffer began to glow and just as quickly the lid sprang open.

 

“What you are about to see has not been touched for almost four and a half centuries. Just about as long as my family has been passing down its legend and naming their children after it. I do not know why the scroll was created, but it has been waiting for the day it would be claimed by the one that answered the test correctly.” After making this explanation, Kohaku handed the yellowed scroll to Hohenheim.

 

Hohenheim gently took the scroll from Kohaku, surprised to find that it was not at all fragile. Looking it over he noticed it had a blue wax seal in the shape of a dog and crescent moon. `I wonder if that has anything to do with the dog versus cat question?' He looked to Kohaku to confirm that it was all right for him to break the seal and at the nod of his head, Hohenheim pressed against it with his thumb to be rewarded with a soft snapping sound. As he unrolled the scroll he laid it out on the counter for both Kohaku and himself to read.

 

“I can't believe it!” Kohaku muttered. “This is the true accounting of the legend I spoke of. If you like I can give you a brief synopsis and you can read the scroll more thoroughly later on.” Kohaku offered brightly.

 

“That would be fine, if I can return back to your shop if we have any questions.” Hohenheim responded.

 

“Most definitely. I wouldn't have it any other way. The delivery of the scroll into the rightful hands of its intended recipient is the only reason I came to this country from my homeland of Japan.” Kohaku quickly assured.

 

“I will try to keep this brief but complete enough to give you a basic idea to build on while you read the scroll. Almost one thousand years ago there lived a powerful miko, which by the way is a priestess, called Midoriko. She was constantly having to fight and purify the demons of the time or at least the evil ones. One day after what I believe was seven days and nights of straight fighting, she was on her last legs and knew that she had to make a choice. The last few demons she was fighting were the worst of that era and she couldn't let them loose. So with her remaining energy she forced her soul from her body and drew their souls out also combining them together in one instance. The force of this joining formed the souls into a perfectly round jewel. Unfortunately, because of the power held in the jewel it could be used for good or evil and it was mainly the demons and even humans who had evil in their hearts that attempted to acquire it. This jewel was known as the Shikon no Tama or the Jewel of Four Souls.

 

Almost five hundred years later it was entrusted to a miko by the name of Kikyo, for she was the strongest at that time. Even so, she wasn't infallible. She and a half dog demon named InuYasha fell in love or what they thought was love and decided to use the jewel to turn him human. Thereby purifying the jewel and leading to its ultimate destruction. They next part I am going to glide over because it is not important for you to hear and you will learn more when you read the scroll. Okay, where was I. Yes that's it. There was another hanyou, which is the actual term for a half demon, named Naraku. He set the would be lovers against each other and Kikyo died from wounds she thought InuYasha had given her, but not before sealing him to a tree. The jewel was then burned with the body of Kikyo and believed to have left this plane of existence forever.

 

This next part is where my family's legend really takes its facts from. Fifty years later a strange miko appeared and unsealed InuYasha. Her name was Kagome Higurashi. Yes I know, it is the same as mine and that's because back during the feudal era, commoners didn't have a surname and to honor their dear friend my ancestors took her name as their own.

 

Okay getting back to the actual story, Kagome was actually the reincarnation of Kikyo and was born with the jewel embedded in her side. A demon tore it from her and InuYasha saved her. By the way there is more to that part of the story too. Anyway, it came to pass that the miko accidentally broke the jewel while attempting to retrieve it from a crow demon that had stolen it. Unfortunately, shards of the jewel scattered far and wide and there was really know telling how may pieces it broke into.

 

With the aide and advice of Kikyo's younger sister Kaede, who by that time was the elderly priestess of the village, the mike and hanyou set out to search for the shards and reconstruct the jewel before it fell into the wrong hands. On their journey, they were joined by a cursed monk, a lone demon exterminator, a fire neko or cat as you would know it and a kitsune pup, which is a young fox demon.

 

Together they went up against many demons in order to collect the shards. The worst being Naraku who had started everything some fifty years prior. Also, during this time Kikyo was brought back to life using her cremated remains, soil from her grave and Kagome's soul. Fortunately most of Kagome's soul returned to her. Unfortunately, Kikyo remained alive to cause problems through out the group's quest whenever she came across them.

 

Eventually with the help of a wolf prince by the name of Kougo and InuYasha's half brother, Lord Sesshoumaru, they vanquished Naraku and completed the jewel. As to the rest, I'm not really sure, but it is most likely cited in the scroll. So if you have any questions please feel free to return for I must admit I too am interested in what further secrets of my family legend it may reveal.”

 

Hohenheim stood speechless for a moment not believing his good luck in finding this...this…actually he wasn't sure what to call it. The whole situation was almost enough to make him believe in fate.

 

Bringing himself back to the present he assured Kohaku that he would indeed let him know the contents of the scroll once he had a chance to read it in full. Now he needed to find out how much this was going to cost them. He wasn't sure how he was going to come up with the funds, but he would do anything to obtain this information for his son.

 

“Excuse me Kohaku, but I don't think we covered the cost. How much do I owe for the scroll?” Hohenheim anxiously inquired.

 

Kohaku just looked at him blankly and then smiled. “I'm sorry Mr. Elric, I mean Hohenheim, wasn't I clear? The scroll is not for sale.” Hohenheim felt his stomach plunge. “The scroll was only in my family's possession for safekeeping. Waiting for the day it could be turned over to your hands or to the hands of the one that you represent.”

 

Hohenheim was shocked. There was no other word for it. Not wanting to test his luck in case the young shopkeeper came to his senses and changed his mind, he offered Kohaku his heartfelt thanks and quickly left to return to Edward. As he walked out the front door and onto the street he heard Kohaku utter to himself “I knew the one to pass the test was to have golden eyes, but the elders always lead me to believe that the one to pass the test would have white blonde hair not yellow blonde.”