Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Time's Alchemic Creed ❯ alchemy and chakra meet ( Chapter 1 )

Time's Alchemic Creed

They say the past can't be changed with the actions of the future. I beg to differ.

Story by: dky

Chapter 1: alchemy and chakra meet

Warning: slight insanity, blood and possible death, is in this chapter. You have been warned.

The year is 1930, and it has been 10 years since the bloody war of 1920. Ten years ago a peaceful nation by the name of HEI MING, was experiencing a boom in both gold and oil productions. Everyone was joyous and excited about their new found wealth. However, it didn't last long when a neighboring nation called Duham, ruled by an envious king, wants their wealth for his own, and attacked them in an attempt to take them over. Fortunately, the powerful and strong nation of Calibra stepped in and helped protect the ever so small nation of HEI MING. The two nations fought vigorously together for almost 2 years before they together were able to concord Duham, and capture the greedy king. They hung the horrible king for his intolerable crimes against the other nations and his own people.

I stood there waiting nervously as the teacher looked at me expectantly. I couldn't do anything but avert my eyes to my feet as she looked down upon. Like she always did.

“Is that all Miss Curtis?” I nodded, cringing as she clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Miss Curtis this is the second time that you haven't written a closing for your history papers. What do you have to say for yourself?” she questioned and I couldn't help but find myself becoming slightly annoyed with my 7th grade history teacher. What did she know.

“I wasn't able to finish it because I—“ I was unable to finish as Mrs. Nickels , a evil old woman, cut me off with her shrill high pitch voice.

“Yes, yes of course you had training to get to. Miss Curtis what would your Aunt say about this if I were to tell her? She would be greatly displeased. Oh if only your mother was still alive. She would set you straight. Sue was such a great student, too bad she ended up marrying that trouble maker of a boy—“

“Don't talk about my parents that way! Both of them died serving this country, and their memory deserves to be respected! Especially my father's, he was a colonel in the military and it was his unit that achieved the advantage over Duham!” I huffed, glaring daggers at the elderly woman in front of me. I wish they were real daggers, sharp steal -no diamond hard daggers. Teach her to speak of the dead in such an ill way.

“Why I never! Miss. Curtis please stay after class.” I returned back to my seat grumbling incoherently to myself questioning if the bat had gone insane with old age. I sat there quietly not really listening to the other students give there presentation to the class.

My report didn't have an ending? Ha! Did it really need one? After all we all knew what happened. After the war the nation became in debt and had to enforce mercantilism for almost 6 years afterwards to pay off most of the debt. Many children where left parents less and many adults where left scarred from the war. It was a bitter war like all wars. I didn't understand why she insisted I write this in my paper. I would rather forget it. And then she brings up my parents. That was the last straw for me. I couldn't hold my temper any longer. Stupid woman.

It wasn't long until the bell rang and all of the students left, not looking back once. They where glad I was stuck here and not out there with them. No one ever seemed to want me around. My things where already pack as Mrs. Nickels approached my desk. I looked up rather scornfully ready for any verbal abuse she would use, but was surprised to see her old wrinkly face serene and another emotion I've never wanted to see on my teachers face, sympathy. I frowned deeper, I never asked for her sympathy and I didn't want it.

“Mary, can you please tell me the real reason you haven't been finishing your work lately? You are usually such a well behaved student and if training gets in the way you usually tell me ahead of time, what has been bothering you?” she stood there looking more like someone's sweet grandmother then the evil bat I had made her out to be. I looked down, disgusted at how she could change so quickly and silently wondered if she had multiple personalities.

“It's nothing. Master John has just been pushing my training in both alchemy and chakra control lately. I have been up the last few nights studding my head off. He tests me after school and if I miss ever one problem he makes me start off from the basics again.” I looked up to see if my half lie had worked. It was true master John had been testing me rigorously but I had past all of his tests the first time weeks ago. The real reason I've been acting this way is something I carry close to the chest and don't wish the share with others. She blinked twice. Not really believing me, but having nothing else to say that would extract the truth from me. I suppose she didn't really want to know anyway.

“Very well Miss. Curtis, you may go. However heed my warning, if you turn in another unfinished written assignment there will be serious consequences.” She wagged her decrepit finger at me and I rolled my eyes as I headed out the door and down the long hall way. I quickly made it to the door and was greeted with a wet hello from Mother Nature, it was raining. But oh no it wasn't just raining, it was pouring down. Raining cats and dogs as some would say, but I would think instead of common house hold animals it was more along the lines of elephants and zebras. I silently cursed my white dress as I pulled out my umbrella. With it fully open I walked out the school building doors and made my way down the dirt road of my home town. Rockwell, Calibra was a small town built as a makeshift hospital headquarters so it was not unusual to see older citizens missing a limb or two. But as for today I didn't see anyone on the road home. I sighed miserably as I felt the wind change to assault me with water droplet from a different direction. I suppose the weather liked to keep me guessing and laughed a whistling howl when I guessed wrong. Bastard.

I saw my house approaching and suddenly felt my chest contract. I mentally prepared myself for the sight I would surely be greeted with when I walked in. September 2nd was the same year after year with not much improvement. The pain is the same as it was 10 years ago.

I ghosted up my drive way and silently made the observation that master john was over because his car was parked beside my aunt's. I opened the screen door and genteelly closed my umbrella and placed it in its proper home by the door near the coats. Before I even closed the door I could hear the sobs coming from the kitchen. I glided over to the kitchen dreading every step I took towards the sobbing sounds of my aunt jean Louise. Before I knew it I was standing in the door way of the kitchen taking in the sight of my aunt crying as she looked at the wedding picture of my deceased mother and father. My mother being my aunt's only sister and my father being my master's life long friend. I smelled the distinct sent of licker and knew they were both probably drunk out of there minds judging from the empty licker bottle on the corner next to my only living relative. She noticed me standing in the entry way and in a sluggish drunkenly way she turned to me and spoke.

“Mary dear, your soaking wet. You're dripping all over the floor, why don't you go up stairs and change. Then you can come down and honor your parents.” I was surprised she was even able to say anything; I suppose master john was the one who drank all of the alcohol. I spotted him sprawled out on the couch dead to the world. It made me wonder what he was like before he became a drunk and his wife left him. He said once he had a son that would be around my age but then he passed out from his bar hopping. I never asked him why he drank so much, but I assumed it was because of the war, like many things were around here.

“Yes ma'am.” I nodded and as if the licker in the air had some how solidified and made its way in to my system, I made it up the stairs almost drunkenly. Barely aware of my surrounding as my thoughts consumed me.

Why was it that they were able to cry and I could not? I stood there now in front of my mirror and tried to shed tears. Thinking how horrible it was to be parentless and unloved. Nothing, not even moisture. I silently wondered if it was because I was only four when they died that I could not cry over my long lost parents. No I remembered them. My mother's voice as she sang to me and my father's brilliant smile. Blurred with time but I still remembered them. I slumped to the floor and stared at my blonde bangs that fell into my face. My parents must have been something special. I only wish I could bring them back and then everyone would be happy. I would be happy, I'd have a real family that loved me, parents that would be proud of me, listen to my problems and help me with my stupid homework.

I sat there wishing for my parents to some how come back to life as my eyes caught my alchemy and chakra books that my teacher had giving to me to study. I froze. Would it work? Was I skilled enough to do it? To my knowledge no one had ever tried it and lived. But, still I had to try.

I jumped off the floor and headed for the door. I stopped mid-step. They would hear me if I came down the stairs. I turned and headed for my window and swiftly grabbed an old family photo, on the back had the location of my parent's graves. My aunt rarely let me visit them so I had not memorized where they where. Lifting the window and skillfully jumping out onto the roof and down into the bushes that waited below. Landing with a dull thump I sprinted to the shed not far away. I started running awkwardly down the road with a shovel in hand as the rain and wind fought against me, howling for me to reconsider and turn back. I persevered and my lungs started to burn from over exertion and my legs started to beg for me to stop. But I wouldn't, I would run the mile and a half to my parents and I wouldn't stop till I got there. I felt the rain beat against me now feeling like nettles and I knew a storm was coming. I laughed dryly thinking the weather fit perfectly with what I was going to attempt tonight.

I made it the cemetery and clung to the gate while I caught my breath. My long blonde hair now heavy with saturation stuck to my back and plastered to my face. My honey brown eyes stared at the lock holding me back from my destination and hastily took out my water proof marker that I always carry. I drew a small transmutation circle on the lock and stepped back before speaking.

“Boom.” The lock shattered in a small explosion and I waited for the dust to settle. Alchemy: the science of altering a mass into a different equivalent mass. There are many different ways to perform it, however depending on which way you choose, you are also choosing its strength and how successful the transmutation is. Mentally, which takes the most amount of concentration, is the weakest. Audible is the 2nd weakest, but takes almost no concentration. You simple say the word of the desired result and that's it. The strongest of the alchemy's is executed by a charge of some sort, like a clap or snap of the fingers. However this can be the most dangerous and painful if you aren't trained properly. You don't want to set your hand on fire. However all of these styles require a transmutation circle of different shapes, sizes and order. Most alchemic transmutation circles require shapes like triangles, squires, and circles.

I rushed past the front gates and I was soon surrounded by tomb stones. I pulled out the old photo and read the back aloud.

“8th row from the right side in section 9, 5th column.” I ran down the muddy walk way not caring that my white dress was now stained with sweat, coated with mud and torn from landing in the bushes. My mud covered school shoes traveled seemingly with there own mind as I quickly found myself in from of my parent's graves. Before I knew it I was knee deep in mud and covered from head to toe with my shovel in hand. Hitting my mother's coffin I cleared the dirt away and quickly drew another transmutation circle. Not wanting to see the remains of my mother I performed the transmutation on the outside of the coffin. Clapping my hands and firmly placing it to the worn wood there was a flash of light. I smoothly punched my small fist throw the decaying decade old wood and grabbed the small square cube I had made out of my mothers remains. Swiftly getting up and doing the same to my fathers I made my way to the church next door with both cubes in hand, forgetting my shovel where it laid.

Huffing as I pushed the church doors open I was met with the sight of rows upon rows of empty benches. I remembered this was the church my aunt Jean Louise brought me to for years after my parents died. She finally stopped bringing me when she found me sketching transmutation circles in the benches. This memory sparked an idea within my mind. I smiled at my cleverness.

“I can use the benches as my transmutation circles!” I muttered to myself as I imagined what it was even going to look like. My master had once told me a chakra master had once used the seven chakra types to bring a dead one back to life and had almost succeeded. My master said he had only his basement and materials a child could buy off its weekly allowance. But with me if was different. I had the experience in both chakra and alchemy usage. Sure I wasn't a master but I was learning from the best, master john use to teach military personnel in both chakra use and alchemy. I also had the two bodies of my dead love ones and a whole church to work in. my chances of success where doubled at the very least. Kneeling in the opening of the church I drew a hurried circle and slapped my hands together in an anxious manner. With a great flash of light I soon heard the hiss of the matter that was once the benches bend, mix and mold together forming my master piece. In the middle of the circle were the seven chakra symbols translated into alchemic circles. In the center was a small triangle and outlining the whole master piece was a circle, triangle and then finally a square all perfectly made from the wood of the benches. The design took up the whole floor of the church and each smooth line was two to three inches wide and one inch thick.

I looked down from my vantage point and smiled in approval at my handy work. But my smile faded almost as fast as it came. The full seriousness of the situation hit me like the titanic hitting the ice burg. If I failed I would most likely die or in the very least experience some sort of loss. An arm or leg, perhaps both. However if I succeeded I would have my parents back and everyone would be happy again. Like it was meant to be….

“I could die------but I could also be the happiest girl alive…” I stood quietly staring down at the two perfectly shaped cubes in my hands. I could almost see my reflection in them…or perhaps it was my parent's spirits reflecting back at me. I smiled widely. Realizing either way I would soon be with them.

Walking slowly, calculating my each and every move I made my way to the center of the room. Placing both perfectly shaped cubes in the center of the triangle I kneeled down next to them. I remembered in several different horror movies, the voodoo man makes a sacrifice involving blood, usually a freshly beheaded chicken. But sadly I had not chicken to sacrifice, but I did have a blood source. Myself. I spent only a millionth of a second deciding this as I transmuted my pen into a small razor. Slicing my right palm. I watched as the blood poured out of my hand and onto the cubes, coating them in a blanket of crimson. Squeezing I watch it flow faster not feeling the pain it must surely have caused. Smiling I wiped my hand. Clapping my hands together in a pray like stance I gathered my chakra within my body and almost immediately my body started to glow a faint blue. Opening my eyes I slammed my hands into the ground willing both my alchemic and chakra abilities to merge and work as one. The beautiful room full of stained glass was engulfed in a bright light shining even brighter by the second. I watched all around me as the light danced around the room illuminating different parts of the church. Then everything changed, the once white light was tented with crimson and shadows filled the room as if in a nightmare. My full attention was brought back to my hand as searing, throbbing pain shot up my arm and registered in my brain. I let out a chocked cry of agony as I watch helplessly the room turn into a sinister vortex. Sucking everything into it, causing the once brilliant stained glass to shatter and slice through me as it traveled into the dark abyss of the black whole. Crying out it pain and utter dismay I watched as my hand started to dematerialize right in front of my very own eyes. My eyes shut giving into the darkness that followed after the mind boggling pain. The last thing I saw was a statue of the Virgin Mary. Mentally amused at the mockery and contempt the statue held for me with its judgmental eyes. My last thought before I slipped completely into the darkness was, “how can two people with the same name be so different…?” smiling at my own ignorance and obvious insanity I drifted off into the dark abyss of numbness.