Welcome to Eternal Return, a Fullmetal Alchemist roleplay site that
is based off the manga and the Brotherhood anime. It is set two years after
the series ends, and there is no set plot so members are encouraged to
make things up as they go along and plot with other members. We allow
both canon and original characters, so feel free to join and have fun!
Turning the pair of journals before him back to the pages he had originally been working on, Ashur began copying his notes once again. As he worked Ashur continued to listen to Felix as he began to speak of his estimation of the situation that had occurred two years prior. When he reached the point where he spoke of feeling thousands of people packed atop one another Ashur found his pen hovering for a moment. It had not immediately clicked when Felix had mentioned his Xingese heritage, but Ashur had heard of the people of Xing having some sort of sixth sense which had proved useful back on the promised day. After a few more moments Ashur finally began to write once again, speaking as he did so.
"You are fairly sharp for someone so young. Still any investigator would know not to trust too much into his initial hypothesis until he had all the evidence available to extrapolate from."
It was a vague hint, but a hint none the less. Felix was missing critical bits of information such as certain important people like Father and the homunculus, certain evidence like the national transmutation circle and various other bits of evidence. Still, Ashur was impressed to a small degree that he had managed to see to the core of everything so quickly. If the young man did follow the path to the truth he would likely get to it very quickly.
Last Edit: Jun 22, 2013 0:56:32 GMT -5 by Ashur Grey
Post by Felix Talbot on Jun 22, 2013 3:17:56 GMT -5
It would appear that Felix was on the right track. From what Ashur basically told him, the younger State Alchemist was close, there were still holes that needed to be filled... The only question was what needed to be solved. He figured as much that the Government was somehow creating a Philosopher's stone or even more, and there was little doubt that the former Fuhrer was involved as well.
Felix's theory seem to be sound, but there was always one glaring issue that tore these holes through his speculation... The thousands of tightly packed people in the courtyard, something that couldn't be possible. From what he remembered, he didn't recall any reinforcements coming to Central, and there was no possible way to mobilize that large of a number of soldiers that quickly, and not have people notice. Then there was the equally confusing issue of said group being packed together in an impossibly sized space.
Felix held the bridge of his nose softly, racking his brain around this conundrum, no matter what he could think of, he just couldn't figure this part out. He learned more today than he has in the past two years, but it still wasn't enough! As his brain fired on all cylinders, he mentally slapped himself for forgetting such a fact. There was one question that still hadn't been answered... The moment where apparently everyone in Central, hell in Amestris, blacked out in a supposed Alchemical Experiment.
"Ashur... There is still one question left unanswered... The Alchemical Experiment supposedly performed by Edison and Clemin. What was suppose to be their end result?" Felix asked, he couldn't wrap his mind around this supposed experiment as well, what were they trying to do? While he didn't know the method behind it, to him... This experiment sounded like one giant human transmutation but that was completely insane!
Then it hit him like a stone... Was their planned end result... The very item they were talking about? The color in Felix's face almost dropped two shades paler as this thought flashed through his mind. There was no way! It couldn't have been possible! "A-Ashur... I-I know I promised... You I wouldn't seek a stone for myself... B-But... H-How is Philosopher's stone m-made exactly?" Felix wasn't sure what he was thinking of, but it all made some sense despite how sickening it was. He hoped that he was wrong about this.
Last Edit: Jun 22, 2013 3:18:11 GMT -5 by Felix Talbot
To the quiet scratching of his pen, Felix seemed to sitll be contemplating all of the information Ashur had told him. Already the boy had proved himself smarter than the average state alchemist, at least in terms of investigative skills. Then, the young man asked what the end result for Edison and Clemin's experiment was.
Once more Ashur's pen stopped, hovering above the page as he thought back to that day. The feeling had been unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Ashur still laid up at night thinking about it more often than not. He thought about how his family would have died, how his comrades would have died and how the country his fought to defend would be destroyed. In truth it was primarily due to remembering that feeling, about what would have been lost that had allowed him to even stomach his betrayal to the degree he had.
It was then that Felix got to the question that Ashur had hoped to avoid since the start of this conversation. He had known long before most others what had been happening in laboratory five and what the philosopher's stones were made of. In fact it had been him that had helped find more people to be converted into stones. Perhaps the worst part of it was that Ashur still felt no remorse for the prisoners that had been converted, they had been some of the worst scum that had done nothing, but harm his country. He knew he should have felt some remorse, but he simply could not.
"I believe you already know Felix, you are just hoping that I will say otherwise. I told you this path was filled with pain and suffering, now you have to face it. Now I have told you all I am able to without breaking my oath. I advise you not speak of this to anyone if you wish to protect yourself and those around you. If you have other questions; ask, but I will speak no more of what happened that day."
He knew he was being a little harsh, but to be honest he had not planned to tell the boy as much as he had. The young man's insight had struck a cord with Ashur and quickly had led him to reveal more and more. Still, he was a man of his word and he had to draw a line eventually.
Post by Felix Talbot on Jun 24, 2013 0:17:50 GMT -5
It was as if all the air was sucked out of Felix's body, he couldn't believe what he was hearing! The very thing that alchemists for centuries have been searching for, striving for, dying for... Is made from living humans?! Perhaps even worse than that, was the very idea that the Amestrian government was planning on sacrificing the very people that it swore to protect to create this abomination of alchemy! Wait, if a philosopher's stone is made from people... Does that mean what he felt under Central City the first time he arrived was some sort of stone as well? The very thought frightened him, how long had this been going on and how many people were used like simple material for all this?
Once the initial shock wore off, Felix could only simply hang his head and hold the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed shut. He had to calm down, he had to recollect his thoughts. Letting this knowledge weaken his resolve did no one any good. Now at least, Felix had a general idea of WHY they covered the truth up. If the country had found out about this, who knew what sort of chaos would ensue. Felix now had a better picture of what could've happened to his sister, or at least what she was doing during her time in Central.
"No... No, you've done more for me in an hour than other people have in two years, Ashur." The young State Alchemist sighed softly. The black-coated Colonel did not lie that this was a road of pain and suffering, but despite this horrifying revelation, Felix still had to continue on. Whatever was going on in Central, he was certain that his sister would've investigated just as he was doing now, he just had to find her trail... Felix took a deep breath, and sighed once more before looking at the older man.
"Ashur, I have one more favor to ask of you... Will you help me find my sister?"
Thankfully the young man across from him did not push for even more information, as it was Ashur had stepped right on the line several times. He had not told him flat out the truth, but he had hinted at a great deal of things and the boy had figured out the majority of them. Sadly however, the boy had a final question. If the young man had thought Ashur's unvoiced confirmation of what made a philosopher's stone was the hardest for him to hear, then this answer would likely make the other look like answering a question about the weather.
"I will ask around about her, but the majority of my contacts turned their back on me after the death of Furher Bradley, still I will do what I can. In turn however you must do two things. First if you speak to anyone about these matters you leave my name out if possible. Secondly you need to accept the very real possibility that your sister may be imprisoned or dead."
While it may have been somewhat cold to act this way, in Ashur's eyes it was merely the truth of the situation. While the vast majority of people who knew the truth of what happened on the promised day were by and large people who would not want to kill someone asking questions there were some others who might very well kill if someone was getting too close to the truth. As the revealing of such a truth would not just cause large scale riots throughout Amestris, but could possibly lead to someone trying to activate the national transmutation array or even worse, trying to revive Father.
Post by Felix Talbot on Jun 25, 2013 2:54:56 GMT -5
Ashur's words were not soft, something Felix figured out quite some time ago. The thought of Annie being dead, sadly did cross the young man's mind many a sleepless nights, but he also kept clinging to the small hope that she might be still alive... Out there somewhere. The young major sighed deeply, nodding slightly.
"I understand Ashur... I promise to protect your identity and keep others from knowing what you told me." Felix could only imagine the risks that the older colonel took in telling him everything, even though Ashur just gave him enough hints to work on. Still, Felix wasn't going to disrespect the risks Ashur took, when he didn't even need to, especially to some State Alchemist sifting through books looking for what happened in a battle that no one wants to remember.
It was like he told Ashur before, a xingese always kept their promises. Unfortunately, Felix didn't exactly have the same get-at-em attitude he portrayed earlier. This whole conversation was blow after blow for the young man, and the talk of the possible death of his beloved sister didn't help much. "As for my sister, Ashur... While I still hold onto the hope that she's still alive... I've already accepted the possibility of her death... At least by knowing, it'll give my family some measure of peace... And if she's imprisoned, it'll be because she did something wrong or did something right... Then that'll be the Talbot's problem." The idea of her jailed was only marginally better, at least Felix and their parents would know that she was still alive and give her all the help she needs to either be free or at least be comfortable.
While Ashur did feel some small degree of sympathy for the young man, all he could manage to give was a curt nod to the boy's response. In Ashur's experience it was far better to expect the absolute worst rather than hope for anything at all to go the way you wanted it to. Flipping to a blank page in one of his journals Ashur was about to write something, but would soon stop, instead reaching into his inner jacket pocket to pull a small memo pad out. Ashur hated the idea of having a torn page in his journal after all. Now with something more suitable, Ashur quickly jotted several names onto the small page before tearing it along the perforated line and sliding it to Felix.
"As I said I do not have the contacts I once had. I will look into the matter however. In the mean time you might want to speak with these people."
Upon the paper he had slipped the young boy an assortment of names were listed, names which encompassed the majority of key players in the battle with Father, the top of the list noting the Elric Brothers who uncovered the whole conspiracy in the first place, General Roy Mustang, Major Alex Armstrong, Former State Alchemist Tim Marcoh and several other of the higher ups in the new Central Command.
Post by Felix Talbot on Jun 26, 2013 3:39:46 GMT -5
Felix didn't want to dwell on the thoughts of his sister being dead longer than he had too, he already lost enough sleep over it. It was already hard enough that all this probably caused Annie's sudden shift into an uncaring person who didn't seem to have time for her family, but her being dead was just gut wrenching. Clearing his mind, Felix watched the older man about to jot down something else in his journal, but decided against it for a notepad.
The young major reached out and looked over the list of names, many of which he recognized. Finding Mustang and Armstrong won't be very difficult, but the Elrics and Marcoh might prove challenging. With the former no longer a part of the military and traveling here and there, and the latter being in Ishval... Felix had his work cut out for him. "Hmm.... Thank you, Ashur." The young state alchemist said, pocketing the list away.
He got all he could from the Black-coated Colonel for one day, and that was more than Felix had expected to get. He still couldn't believe all that he learned today, after two long years... He finally had some clue about what was going on, but Felix could never have imagined things two years ago were that bad, and him not even noticing... Annie was sure to have noticed, she was always the superior alchemist when compared to him... Well, it was finally time to for Felix to actually do something that mattered. The younger man rose to his feet, and returned the colonel's nod. "I should get going and plan my next course of action. Probably have to buy a couple of train tickets in the future." He joked slightly.