Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Unforgivable Sin ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Rurouni Saiyan 
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mystery / Drama / Angst | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.05.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 318 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Mystery / Drama / Angst | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.05.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.1K | Visits: 318 | Status: Completed
Chapter 5
The two months before the Exam flew by as if time had sped up, hurtling me forward to the next big step in my life. I spent almost every day studying under Ishizu’s strict tutelage, learning the basic principles of the alchemical fields that I hadn’t bothered to study closely in the past. She was hard on me, but I didn’t mind much. Most of it was rather interesting, and I learned many things that could help me with my illusions.
The day of the Exam arrived long before I felt I was ready, though. It was late October, cold and windy, though thankfully the sun was shining. I glanced out the window at the blue sky as I pulled my brush through my hair, trying not to think about what I was about to do.
“If your hair bugs you that much, why don’t you just cut it?” Malik said. He was standing in my doorway, fidgeting with impatience. “Then you wouldn’t have to stand in front of the mirror all the time messing with it.”
“I like my hair,” I replied stubbornly. I didn’t know why I preferred it long; I just did. And it gave me a reason to stall.
“Whatever,” Malik answered with a sigh. “I’m sure it’s as tangle-free as it can get now, so come on. You don’t want to be late.”
“Of course,” I said with a sigh, though I didn’t really agree. I’d rather be late; heck, I’d rather not go at all. I was far too nervous, butterflies beating against the insides of my stomach with increasing fury at the mention that it was time to leave. But I had to go. Colonel Elric had had to pull strings to get me into the exam, and I couldn’t pay back his generosity by skipping out on the exam.
I set down the brush and picked up my brown coat as I walked over to the door, my nervousness increasing tenfold as Malik stepped out of the way and followed me down the stairs. “You’ll do fine,” he kept saying. “They won’t fail someone who doesn’t need a transmutation circle. Shoot, you could probably fail the written part, and they wouldn’t even notice!”
“That’s not the part I’m worried about!” I told him as we walked outside and hurried into the automobile at the end of the walkway. “I’m worried about the interview!”
“Why?” Malik gave me a funny look as Rishid started the auto’s engine and pulled into the street. “All you have to do is answer their questions.”
“I know,” I replied, turning to the window and lowering my voice as I continued. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” I wasn’t sure if he heard me and really didn’t care. I didn’t need him asking why I was so worried about the interview.
I was a lousy liar. There was nothing I could do to deny it. If the people conducting the interview asked anything about human transmutation, or even just failed experiments, I would be in deep trouble. The truth of what I had done would be written all over my face. What’s more, I had heard that some candidates are required to have health inspections during the interview time. If I had to have one, the exam proctors would find out that my legs were automail. It’d be easy enough to simply say that I was in a train accident–that was the truth. But if they decided to check…and went to my father…
I shuddered. Don’t think like that. There’s no reason why’d they check my story that deeply. Everyone knows about the Serra’s Point train wreck. So many people died, and many more ended up like me. I’ll be fine. I have to be!
It wasn’t long before the automobile slowed to a stop in front of the capitol building. “We’re here,” Rishid said, looking back at us.
“Thank you,” I told him as I climbed out, Malik following. Rishid only nodded at me in his wordless way and started off again after the door shut.
“Only the candidates are allowed inside the exam room,” my friend said as we turned to look up at the imposing white structure. Great banners with Amestris’ crest, a white lion on a green field, hung from it, flapping in the wind. The people all around us rushed by, some merely trying to reach their everyday destination, though the vast majority were congregating in the capitol, all trying to escape the bite of the October air. We joined them, hurrying through the main entrance and into the grand entry hall. “That’s where you need to go,” Malik continued, pointing ahead to a set of double doors. Many people were filtering through them, stopping at the entrance to show their credentials to the military personnel that were stationed there.
“Th-th-the main legislative chamber?!” I stuttered in disbelief. “We’re taking the exam in there?!”
“Yep!” Malik answered, pushing me forward with a hearty slap on the back. “Good luck, Ryou! I’ll be waiting for you out here when you finish!” He grinned and waved as I looked back at him.
Sighing, I turned around and joined the flow, pulling my credentials out of my pocket and flashing them to the soldier who stood there. He nodded, and I walked in, staring around at the grand auditorium and wondering what to do next. Everyone else seemed to be taking random seats, and since there weren’t any assignments that I could see, I did the same, choosing a place near the back, away from most of the others.
That’s when I noticed who was overseeing the Exam. Oh, no, I thought, tremors shuddering through me as I stared down at the massive desk at the front of the amphitheater. Behind it, calmly watching the candidates enter with cool black eyes, sat Fuhrer Roy Mustang. To either side stood two generals whom I didn’t recognize, and at one end was Colonel Elric. He saw me looking at him and gave me a grin. I smiled weakly in return, not sharing one bit of the confidence he seemed to have for me, and slumped back in my seat as the doors behind me closed and the proctors began handing out the written tests.
* * *
“How’d it go?” Malik asked as I walked out two hours later.
“I barely made it to the last question,” I groaned in response. “That was much harder than I thought it would be, and it didn’t help to have the Fuhrer himself staring around the whole time!”
“What, you didn’t know he’d be there?”
I gave the blonde an incredulous look as we walked outside, aiming for a nice little restaurant across the street. “Are you kidding?”
“The Fuhrer oversees the Exam every year!” Malik exclaimed as we crossed the street and headed into the warm shelter of the restaurant. “I thought everyone knew that.”
“Not everyone lives in Central City,” I replied dryly as we moved to an empty table and waited for the waitress to arrive. “That was nerve-wracking; does he oversee the interviews as well?”
“Yep. And the practical application.” Malik paused as the waitress came up and took our orders. We both already knew what we wanted; we had become regular customers here. Once she was gone, he continued, “Don’t be so nervous about it, Ryou. Even if it’s the Fuhrer. Think of him as just a normal everyday guy, and don’t feel so intimidated. The interview’s just a bunch of questions, and the practical application will be a breeze with your skill at illusory alchemy. Hell, if I were you, I’d be breathing a sigh of relief that the worst part is over.”
“Well, you’re not me,” I murmured as the waitress brought our drinks.
* * *
The interviews were being done in alphabetical order, so mine was one of the first. After we finished eating, Malik and I returned to the grand entry hall of the capitol and waited for the proctor to call my name. We didn’t have to wait long; barely half an hour had passed when the woman came to the door of the interview room and called, “Bakura, Ryou.”
“That’s you,” Malik said with a smile. “Remember, it’s just a bunch of questions. No reason to be nervous.”
“R-right,” I said as I stood up and made my way forward. My legs, being automail, didn’t shake as they normally would, but I still found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other as I neared the interview room, this time a smaller conference room at one end of the entry hall.
“Bakura-san?” the proctor asked as I approached, and I nodded faintly, holding out my credentials. My terror must have been written all over my face, for she smiled as she nodded me through. “Do not worry,” she whispered. “It is not so bad.”
Sure, I thought as I pushed through the door into the darkened room. Not so bad. Unless the Fuhrer himself finds out what I’ve done. Those thoughts flew from my head though as I studied the room before me. It was darkened so that I couldn’t see the walls or the ceiling; only two lights provided illumination. One was centered on the interviewers’ table, Fuhrer Mustang sitting in the middle, and the other on a curious golden chair, quite obviously my seat. I studied it in puzzlement, wondering how it was able to stay upright, or how I would be able to sit in it without falling over. The back and seat were made of an intricate swirling pattern, and it was held up by three slim legs, all of which were attached to the very center of the seat. Two of the legs were ramrod straight, holding the chair up side-by-side, while the third was flush with the first two until it reached the ground, where it angled out to rest against the floor an inch away from the others.
Then I noticed the floor itself and smiled. The chair sat in the exact middle of a transmutation circle; some kind of alchemical reaction was keeping it from falling over. It would support my weight just fine.
“Welcome,” Mustang said, drawing my attention back to him. “Please have a seat. If you are a true alchemist, the chair will not reject you.”
My nervousness returned full-force, and I forced my self once more to walk to the chair and sit down. It remained stable, as I had known it would, but my nerves still sang on the edge of panic, and I didn’t relax at all. The Fuhrer himself…is talking to me…
“Now then,” he spoke again, seeming not to notice my nervousness, or if he did, he ignored it. Ed stood to one side, and I was tempted to look to him for comfort, but I forced myself to keep my gaze steady on Mustang, somehow sensing that looking away wouldn’t be a smart thing to do right now. He continued, “I suppose we should start with something simple. What made you decide to take the State Alchemist Exam?”
“I…” I blinked in surprise, unable to stop myself from looking down at the floor as I pondered the question. Why was I taking this Exam? Everyone had told me to…everyone had said that it was the best course…
I almost shook my head. No, that was wrong. Sure, everyone had suggested it, but I was the one to make the decision. Because… “I’m a scientist,” I answered, bring my gaze back up to look straight into the Fuhrer’s coal black eyes. “I want to know more, to learn more about this talent I have. The State Alchemists have access to more research materials and better laboratories than anyone else. And the more I learn about alchemy, the better I can use it to the benefit of this world.”
Mustang blinked and smiled, and I breathed a huge mental sigh of relief, my nervousness abating somewhat. So far, so good. He seemed impressed.
The interview was easier after that, all the questions pertaining to alchemy, or how I would react in certain situations. It continued for about an hour, before Mustang came to the part I had been dreading all along. “That about wraps it up except for one last thing,” he said as the generals sitting around him gathered the papers that they had been recording my answers on. “Do you have any health problems the military should know about?”
My heart started beating faster, and I took a shuddering breath, trying to calm myself down. “My legs are automail from mid-thigh down,” I answered, trying hard not to think of what would happen to me if they knew why the left one was that way.
“I see,” Mustang said. “May I ask what happened?”
“I…I was in the Serra’s Point accident two years ago.”
Everyone in the room winced. Even the Fuhrer. “I…see,” he answered. “I remember that train wreck. Very nasty indeed. You’re lucky to have survived.” He nodded at me, face full of sympathy. “You’re free to go now.”
Relief flooded through me, making me feel almost giddy as I stood up, bowed, and tried not to run to the door.
“How’d it go?” Malik asked, coming up to greet me once I was safely outside.
“Better than I could have dreamed,” I answered in a breathy rush. He didn’t ask! He didn’t find out about Akira. Thank God…
“Told ya!” Malik punched my arm lightly as we hurried outside to where Rishid was already waiting in the automobile. “Now come on. You’ve got to rest up for the practical part tomorrow.”
* * *
The next morning dawned bright and slightly warmer, especially since the wind had calmed down. That was a good thing for me; if the practical exam was going to be held outside, as Ishizu had said it probably would be, then the wind would make my planned transmutation that much harder to pull off. I was transmuting air, and if the air was moving, the illusion would dissolve almost immediately.
Malik came with me once again, offering his support even though I didn’t really feel like I needed it now. I had passed the hardest part–the interview. The last bit would be a cinch. “Knock ‘em dead, Ryou,” he said as the candidates were ushered further into the capitol. He would be waiting in the grand entry hall, just like yesterday.
I nodded back at him with confidence and then turned to follow everyone else. The proctors led us through the maze of halls and offices and through a large pair of double doors and into the back courtyard. There we were greeted with a rather amazing sight. The middle of the courtyard had been altered to resemble a miniature landscape that reminded me strongly of my home. A large square had been cut into the ground. In one corner stood a tall pinnacle of rock, in the corner beside it was a mountain of ice that was just as high. Trees covered the corner across from the ice, and in the last was a deep pool of water. The middle was clear dirt.
“Welcome back, everyone,” Fuhrer Mustang called, walking up to stand a few yards away from our group. “Today, those of you who did not submit research reports will be taking the practical application test. You may use any of the materials found here.” He gestured at the landscape square. “Begin whenever you are ready.” He stepped back then, falling silent and studying us with his sharp eyes.
The candidates looked among each other and shrugged, one finally going to draw a transmutation circle into the dirt with a nearby stick. He used only that dirt in his transmutation, forming a rather impressive life-size statue of some Fuhrer from a few generations back. I recognized him, though I couldn’t recall his name. History had never been my strong point, after all.
One by one, everyone else took their turns, using the materials inside the square to create tall towers and fancy buildings and large balloons and fields of flowers. It took well over an hour, and by the time they were done, almost all of the materials were used. I hung back, observing everyone else and listening to the proctors’ comments. They were looking at imperfections in the transmutations, the level of difficulty, and the candidates’ stamina. All in all, it seemed like I stood a better shot than most of the others at passing this final phase.
Finally, after a rather cozy-looking cabin had been transmuted out of the last remaining trees (leaving the alchemist thoroughly exhausted in the process), the Fuhrer turned his gaze to me. “A pity you waited to go last, Bakura-san,” he commented. “Few materials are left for you to work with.”
I simply smiled, and looking past him, I could see that Colonel Elric was grinning as well. “You’re wrong, Fuhrer-sama,” I answered, unable to keep a note of pride out of my voice. “I have all the materials I need.”
He merely gave me an ‘impress me’ look, and I moved a little closer, wanting to make sure all the proctors were included within the space of the illusion. The few candidates who were still here also drifted closer, probably curious as to what I’d do. After looking around and measuring proportions and obstructions, I closed my eyes and painted a mental picture of what I wanted. As soon as it was fixed in my mind, along with the knowledge of how to transmute the air to the proper wavelengths, I reopened my eyes and slapped my hands together, feeling the familiar power loop before spreading that energy out all around us.
The air shimmered, even seemed to flicker, as the scenery around us changed, the landscape area replaced by a large, lazy blue river, and beyond a desert wasteland. On the other side, the capitol building was gone, replaced by a large temple made of sand-colored stone and covered with colorful pictures. Thick columns stood on either side of the building’s narrow door, and we all stood at the base of the steps that led to it. Just in front of the columns were statues, strange statues of beings with the bodies of men and the heads of animals, one a bird of some kind and the other a cat. Strange trees cast shade on the desert ground near the river, their thin, rough trunks branchless and crowned in long, thin, bladed leaves. I smiled. It was seamless.
Gasps of wonder echoed from everyone as they stared around at the ancient landscape that they were suddenly a part of. Even Mustang dropped his jaw in shock, and Ed whistled appreciatively. “Amazing,” he said. “You must have spent a great deal of time on this. What place is it?”
I shrugged, lowering my hands and allowing the illusion to dispel. “A temple from an ancient southern civilization,” I replied. “All that’s left are the ruins. I studied the pictures of them and came up with my own image of what it must have looked like when it was first built.” Malik had helped with details, of course, but there were still a few things that I had come up with on my own somehow. Like the strange trees. They just seemed to fit, and I didn’t know why. It was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but I dismissed it now as I had in the past.
“Impressive,” the Fuhrer said. “Very impressive indeed. And no circle, eh?”
I nodded, watching in slight puzzlement as he exchanged a strange look with Colonel Elric. Then he turned and cleared his throat, and the conversations that had sprung up among the candidates quieted. “You are all free to go,” he announced. “Your exam results will be sent to you starting tomorrow. If you don’t receive them by the end of the week, come to the State Alchemist headquarters to request them. That is all.” He turned on his heel and headed for the far side of the courtyard, where the doors to his offices were located.
I sighed and grinned, feeling as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. The Exam was over at long last. There was a bounce to my step as I headed back to through the capitol to the grand entry hall, were Malik still waited with an expression of long-suffering boredom on his face.
“It’s about time,” he said as I walked up. “How’d it go?”
“The best it could possibly go,” I replied as we started for the main entrance.
“Got that right,” said another voice, and we turned to find Colonel Elric grinning at us.
“What’s this?” Malik asked with a grin. “The Super Shorty himself has come out to compliment you, Ryou.”
“Who’re you calling a bean?” Ed fired back, though he didn’t really take his attention away from me. “That was an amazing illusion you pulled off back there, Bakura-san. As good as or better than the kitten, I’d say.”
“N-no, sir,” I said, shaking my head. “It was easier. The kitten moved, which is extremely difficult to pull off with illusions. The temple was a still scene, and with steady illumination of the sun and the lack of wind, it was easier than I thought it would be.”
“Modest,” the Colonel said with a laugh. “Well, that’s just as well. I’m fairly confident in saying you’ve passed the Exam, Ryou. Be seeing you around!” He gave us a small wave as he turned, and then he walked off through the crowd in the hall.
Malik laughed as we continued outside. “Way to go, Ryou!” he said. “If Ed thinks you passed, then if a pretty fair bet to say he’s right.”
“I know,” I said, giddiness taking me over at the thought. “I never really thought I could pass it, either.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Malik replied dryly. “Now come on. This calls for a celebr–“ He stopped mid-sentence and frowned, staring at something across the street.
“Malik?” I asked. “Hey, Malik, what’s wrong?”
He blinked and shook his head. “Nothing,” he replied. “I’m just probably seeing things, but there’s a guy across the street who looks just like you.”
“Huh?” I turned, following his line of sight to the sidewalk outside the same restaurant where we ate yesterday.
And met a gaze I knew all too well. Suddenly, I felt very faint, only staying upright because of the fact that automail knees do not get weak. Those brown eyes, so familiar despite the malevolence that radiated from them, obvious even at this distance.
No way…this can’t be happening…it’s impossible…
I grabbed Malik’s arm, needing it more for mental support than physical. This just…couldn’t…be! He was dead, and not even I could bring him back! But there he was, standing across the street and staring at me as if he had never gone.
“Akira…”
The two months before the Exam flew by as if time had sped up, hurtling me forward to the next big step in my life. I spent almost every day studying under Ishizu’s strict tutelage, learning the basic principles of the alchemical fields that I hadn’t bothered to study closely in the past. She was hard on me, but I didn’t mind much. Most of it was rather interesting, and I learned many things that could help me with my illusions.
The day of the Exam arrived long before I felt I was ready, though. It was late October, cold and windy, though thankfully the sun was shining. I glanced out the window at the blue sky as I pulled my brush through my hair, trying not to think about what I was about to do.
“If your hair bugs you that much, why don’t you just cut it?” Malik said. He was standing in my doorway, fidgeting with impatience. “Then you wouldn’t have to stand in front of the mirror all the time messing with it.”
“I like my hair,” I replied stubbornly. I didn’t know why I preferred it long; I just did. And it gave me a reason to stall.
“Whatever,” Malik answered with a sigh. “I’m sure it’s as tangle-free as it can get now, so come on. You don’t want to be late.”
“Of course,” I said with a sigh, though I didn’t really agree. I’d rather be late; heck, I’d rather not go at all. I was far too nervous, butterflies beating against the insides of my stomach with increasing fury at the mention that it was time to leave. But I had to go. Colonel Elric had had to pull strings to get me into the exam, and I couldn’t pay back his generosity by skipping out on the exam.
I set down the brush and picked up my brown coat as I walked over to the door, my nervousness increasing tenfold as Malik stepped out of the way and followed me down the stairs. “You’ll do fine,” he kept saying. “They won’t fail someone who doesn’t need a transmutation circle. Shoot, you could probably fail the written part, and they wouldn’t even notice!”
“That’s not the part I’m worried about!” I told him as we walked outside and hurried into the automobile at the end of the walkway. “I’m worried about the interview!”
“Why?” Malik gave me a funny look as Rishid started the auto’s engine and pulled into the street. “All you have to do is answer their questions.”
“I know,” I replied, turning to the window and lowering my voice as I continued. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” I wasn’t sure if he heard me and really didn’t care. I didn’t need him asking why I was so worried about the interview.
I was a lousy liar. There was nothing I could do to deny it. If the people conducting the interview asked anything about human transmutation, or even just failed experiments, I would be in deep trouble. The truth of what I had done would be written all over my face. What’s more, I had heard that some candidates are required to have health inspections during the interview time. If I had to have one, the exam proctors would find out that my legs were automail. It’d be easy enough to simply say that I was in a train accident–that was the truth. But if they decided to check…and went to my father…
I shuddered. Don’t think like that. There’s no reason why’d they check my story that deeply. Everyone knows about the Serra’s Point train wreck. So many people died, and many more ended up like me. I’ll be fine. I have to be!
It wasn’t long before the automobile slowed to a stop in front of the capitol building. “We’re here,” Rishid said, looking back at us.
“Thank you,” I told him as I climbed out, Malik following. Rishid only nodded at me in his wordless way and started off again after the door shut.
“Only the candidates are allowed inside the exam room,” my friend said as we turned to look up at the imposing white structure. Great banners with Amestris’ crest, a white lion on a green field, hung from it, flapping in the wind. The people all around us rushed by, some merely trying to reach their everyday destination, though the vast majority were congregating in the capitol, all trying to escape the bite of the October air. We joined them, hurrying through the main entrance and into the grand entry hall. “That’s where you need to go,” Malik continued, pointing ahead to a set of double doors. Many people were filtering through them, stopping at the entrance to show their credentials to the military personnel that were stationed there.
“Th-th-the main legislative chamber?!” I stuttered in disbelief. “We’re taking the exam in there?!”
“Yep!” Malik answered, pushing me forward with a hearty slap on the back. “Good luck, Ryou! I’ll be waiting for you out here when you finish!” He grinned and waved as I looked back at him.
Sighing, I turned around and joined the flow, pulling my credentials out of my pocket and flashing them to the soldier who stood there. He nodded, and I walked in, staring around at the grand auditorium and wondering what to do next. Everyone else seemed to be taking random seats, and since there weren’t any assignments that I could see, I did the same, choosing a place near the back, away from most of the others.
That’s when I noticed who was overseeing the Exam. Oh, no, I thought, tremors shuddering through me as I stared down at the massive desk at the front of the amphitheater. Behind it, calmly watching the candidates enter with cool black eyes, sat Fuhrer Roy Mustang. To either side stood two generals whom I didn’t recognize, and at one end was Colonel Elric. He saw me looking at him and gave me a grin. I smiled weakly in return, not sharing one bit of the confidence he seemed to have for me, and slumped back in my seat as the doors behind me closed and the proctors began handing out the written tests.
* * *
“How’d it go?” Malik asked as I walked out two hours later.
“I barely made it to the last question,” I groaned in response. “That was much harder than I thought it would be, and it didn’t help to have the Fuhrer himself staring around the whole time!”
“What, you didn’t know he’d be there?”
I gave the blonde an incredulous look as we walked outside, aiming for a nice little restaurant across the street. “Are you kidding?”
“The Fuhrer oversees the Exam every year!” Malik exclaimed as we crossed the street and headed into the warm shelter of the restaurant. “I thought everyone knew that.”
“Not everyone lives in Central City,” I replied dryly as we moved to an empty table and waited for the waitress to arrive. “That was nerve-wracking; does he oversee the interviews as well?”
“Yep. And the practical application.” Malik paused as the waitress came up and took our orders. We both already knew what we wanted; we had become regular customers here. Once she was gone, he continued, “Don’t be so nervous about it, Ryou. Even if it’s the Fuhrer. Think of him as just a normal everyday guy, and don’t feel so intimidated. The interview’s just a bunch of questions, and the practical application will be a breeze with your skill at illusory alchemy. Hell, if I were you, I’d be breathing a sigh of relief that the worst part is over.”
“Well, you’re not me,” I murmured as the waitress brought our drinks.
* * *
The interviews were being done in alphabetical order, so mine was one of the first. After we finished eating, Malik and I returned to the grand entry hall of the capitol and waited for the proctor to call my name. We didn’t have to wait long; barely half an hour had passed when the woman came to the door of the interview room and called, “Bakura, Ryou.”
“That’s you,” Malik said with a smile. “Remember, it’s just a bunch of questions. No reason to be nervous.”
“R-right,” I said as I stood up and made my way forward. My legs, being automail, didn’t shake as they normally would, but I still found it difficult to put one foot in front of the other as I neared the interview room, this time a smaller conference room at one end of the entry hall.
“Bakura-san?” the proctor asked as I approached, and I nodded faintly, holding out my credentials. My terror must have been written all over my face, for she smiled as she nodded me through. “Do not worry,” she whispered. “It is not so bad.”
Sure, I thought as I pushed through the door into the darkened room. Not so bad. Unless the Fuhrer himself finds out what I’ve done. Those thoughts flew from my head though as I studied the room before me. It was darkened so that I couldn’t see the walls or the ceiling; only two lights provided illumination. One was centered on the interviewers’ table, Fuhrer Mustang sitting in the middle, and the other on a curious golden chair, quite obviously my seat. I studied it in puzzlement, wondering how it was able to stay upright, or how I would be able to sit in it without falling over. The back and seat were made of an intricate swirling pattern, and it was held up by three slim legs, all of which were attached to the very center of the seat. Two of the legs were ramrod straight, holding the chair up side-by-side, while the third was flush with the first two until it reached the ground, where it angled out to rest against the floor an inch away from the others.
Then I noticed the floor itself and smiled. The chair sat in the exact middle of a transmutation circle; some kind of alchemical reaction was keeping it from falling over. It would support my weight just fine.
“Welcome,” Mustang said, drawing my attention back to him. “Please have a seat. If you are a true alchemist, the chair will not reject you.”
My nervousness returned full-force, and I forced my self once more to walk to the chair and sit down. It remained stable, as I had known it would, but my nerves still sang on the edge of panic, and I didn’t relax at all. The Fuhrer himself…is talking to me…
“Now then,” he spoke again, seeming not to notice my nervousness, or if he did, he ignored it. Ed stood to one side, and I was tempted to look to him for comfort, but I forced myself to keep my gaze steady on Mustang, somehow sensing that looking away wouldn’t be a smart thing to do right now. He continued, “I suppose we should start with something simple. What made you decide to take the State Alchemist Exam?”
“I…” I blinked in surprise, unable to stop myself from looking down at the floor as I pondered the question. Why was I taking this Exam? Everyone had told me to…everyone had said that it was the best course…
I almost shook my head. No, that was wrong. Sure, everyone had suggested it, but I was the one to make the decision. Because… “I’m a scientist,” I answered, bring my gaze back up to look straight into the Fuhrer’s coal black eyes. “I want to know more, to learn more about this talent I have. The State Alchemists have access to more research materials and better laboratories than anyone else. And the more I learn about alchemy, the better I can use it to the benefit of this world.”
Mustang blinked and smiled, and I breathed a huge mental sigh of relief, my nervousness abating somewhat. So far, so good. He seemed impressed.
The interview was easier after that, all the questions pertaining to alchemy, or how I would react in certain situations. It continued for about an hour, before Mustang came to the part I had been dreading all along. “That about wraps it up except for one last thing,” he said as the generals sitting around him gathered the papers that they had been recording my answers on. “Do you have any health problems the military should know about?”
My heart started beating faster, and I took a shuddering breath, trying to calm myself down. “My legs are automail from mid-thigh down,” I answered, trying hard not to think of what would happen to me if they knew why the left one was that way.
“I see,” Mustang said. “May I ask what happened?”
“I…I was in the Serra’s Point accident two years ago.”
Everyone in the room winced. Even the Fuhrer. “I…see,” he answered. “I remember that train wreck. Very nasty indeed. You’re lucky to have survived.” He nodded at me, face full of sympathy. “You’re free to go now.”
Relief flooded through me, making me feel almost giddy as I stood up, bowed, and tried not to run to the door.
“How’d it go?” Malik asked, coming up to greet me once I was safely outside.
“Better than I could have dreamed,” I answered in a breathy rush. He didn’t ask! He didn’t find out about Akira. Thank God…
“Told ya!” Malik punched my arm lightly as we hurried outside to where Rishid was already waiting in the automobile. “Now come on. You’ve got to rest up for the practical part tomorrow.”
* * *
The next morning dawned bright and slightly warmer, especially since the wind had calmed down. That was a good thing for me; if the practical exam was going to be held outside, as Ishizu had said it probably would be, then the wind would make my planned transmutation that much harder to pull off. I was transmuting air, and if the air was moving, the illusion would dissolve almost immediately.
Malik came with me once again, offering his support even though I didn’t really feel like I needed it now. I had passed the hardest part–the interview. The last bit would be a cinch. “Knock ‘em dead, Ryou,” he said as the candidates were ushered further into the capitol. He would be waiting in the grand entry hall, just like yesterday.
I nodded back at him with confidence and then turned to follow everyone else. The proctors led us through the maze of halls and offices and through a large pair of double doors and into the back courtyard. There we were greeted with a rather amazing sight. The middle of the courtyard had been altered to resemble a miniature landscape that reminded me strongly of my home. A large square had been cut into the ground. In one corner stood a tall pinnacle of rock, in the corner beside it was a mountain of ice that was just as high. Trees covered the corner across from the ice, and in the last was a deep pool of water. The middle was clear dirt.
“Welcome back, everyone,” Fuhrer Mustang called, walking up to stand a few yards away from our group. “Today, those of you who did not submit research reports will be taking the practical application test. You may use any of the materials found here.” He gestured at the landscape square. “Begin whenever you are ready.” He stepped back then, falling silent and studying us with his sharp eyes.
The candidates looked among each other and shrugged, one finally going to draw a transmutation circle into the dirt with a nearby stick. He used only that dirt in his transmutation, forming a rather impressive life-size statue of some Fuhrer from a few generations back. I recognized him, though I couldn’t recall his name. History had never been my strong point, after all.
One by one, everyone else took their turns, using the materials inside the square to create tall towers and fancy buildings and large balloons and fields of flowers. It took well over an hour, and by the time they were done, almost all of the materials were used. I hung back, observing everyone else and listening to the proctors’ comments. They were looking at imperfections in the transmutations, the level of difficulty, and the candidates’ stamina. All in all, it seemed like I stood a better shot than most of the others at passing this final phase.
Finally, after a rather cozy-looking cabin had been transmuted out of the last remaining trees (leaving the alchemist thoroughly exhausted in the process), the Fuhrer turned his gaze to me. “A pity you waited to go last, Bakura-san,” he commented. “Few materials are left for you to work with.”
I simply smiled, and looking past him, I could see that Colonel Elric was grinning as well. “You’re wrong, Fuhrer-sama,” I answered, unable to keep a note of pride out of my voice. “I have all the materials I need.”
He merely gave me an ‘impress me’ look, and I moved a little closer, wanting to make sure all the proctors were included within the space of the illusion. The few candidates who were still here also drifted closer, probably curious as to what I’d do. After looking around and measuring proportions and obstructions, I closed my eyes and painted a mental picture of what I wanted. As soon as it was fixed in my mind, along with the knowledge of how to transmute the air to the proper wavelengths, I reopened my eyes and slapped my hands together, feeling the familiar power loop before spreading that energy out all around us.
The air shimmered, even seemed to flicker, as the scenery around us changed, the landscape area replaced by a large, lazy blue river, and beyond a desert wasteland. On the other side, the capitol building was gone, replaced by a large temple made of sand-colored stone and covered with colorful pictures. Thick columns stood on either side of the building’s narrow door, and we all stood at the base of the steps that led to it. Just in front of the columns were statues, strange statues of beings with the bodies of men and the heads of animals, one a bird of some kind and the other a cat. Strange trees cast shade on the desert ground near the river, their thin, rough trunks branchless and crowned in long, thin, bladed leaves. I smiled. It was seamless.
Gasps of wonder echoed from everyone as they stared around at the ancient landscape that they were suddenly a part of. Even Mustang dropped his jaw in shock, and Ed whistled appreciatively. “Amazing,” he said. “You must have spent a great deal of time on this. What place is it?”
I shrugged, lowering my hands and allowing the illusion to dispel. “A temple from an ancient southern civilization,” I replied. “All that’s left are the ruins. I studied the pictures of them and came up with my own image of what it must have looked like when it was first built.” Malik had helped with details, of course, but there were still a few things that I had come up with on my own somehow. Like the strange trees. They just seemed to fit, and I didn’t know why. It was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but I dismissed it now as I had in the past.
“Impressive,” the Fuhrer said. “Very impressive indeed. And no circle, eh?”
I nodded, watching in slight puzzlement as he exchanged a strange look with Colonel Elric. Then he turned and cleared his throat, and the conversations that had sprung up among the candidates quieted. “You are all free to go,” he announced. “Your exam results will be sent to you starting tomorrow. If you don’t receive them by the end of the week, come to the State Alchemist headquarters to request them. That is all.” He turned on his heel and headed for the far side of the courtyard, where the doors to his offices were located.
I sighed and grinned, feeling as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. The Exam was over at long last. There was a bounce to my step as I headed back to through the capitol to the grand entry hall, were Malik still waited with an expression of long-suffering boredom on his face.
“It’s about time,” he said as I walked up. “How’d it go?”
“The best it could possibly go,” I replied as we started for the main entrance.
“Got that right,” said another voice, and we turned to find Colonel Elric grinning at us.
“What’s this?” Malik asked with a grin. “The Super Shorty himself has come out to compliment you, Ryou.”
“Who’re you calling a bean?” Ed fired back, though he didn’t really take his attention away from me. “That was an amazing illusion you pulled off back there, Bakura-san. As good as or better than the kitten, I’d say.”
“N-no, sir,” I said, shaking my head. “It was easier. The kitten moved, which is extremely difficult to pull off with illusions. The temple was a still scene, and with steady illumination of the sun and the lack of wind, it was easier than I thought it would be.”
“Modest,” the Colonel said with a laugh. “Well, that’s just as well. I’m fairly confident in saying you’ve passed the Exam, Ryou. Be seeing you around!” He gave us a small wave as he turned, and then he walked off through the crowd in the hall.
Malik laughed as we continued outside. “Way to go, Ryou!” he said. “If Ed thinks you passed, then if a pretty fair bet to say he’s right.”
“I know,” I said, giddiness taking me over at the thought. “I never really thought I could pass it, either.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Malik replied dryly. “Now come on. This calls for a celebr–“ He stopped mid-sentence and frowned, staring at something across the street.
“Malik?” I asked. “Hey, Malik, what’s wrong?”
He blinked and shook his head. “Nothing,” he replied. “I’m just probably seeing things, but there’s a guy across the street who looks just like you.”
“Huh?” I turned, following his line of sight to the sidewalk outside the same restaurant where we ate yesterday.
And met a gaze I knew all too well. Suddenly, I felt very faint, only staying upright because of the fact that automail knees do not get weak. Those brown eyes, so familiar despite the malevolence that radiated from them, obvious even at this distance.
No way…this can’t be happening…it’s impossible…
I grabbed Malik’s arm, needing it more for mental support than physical. This just…couldn’t…be! He was dead, and not even I could bring him back! But there he was, standing across the street and staring at me as if he had never gone.
“Akira…”