Full Metal Alchemist: Harmony In Alchemy (ON HOLD)

Chapter 2: Body of the Sanctioned

Harmony's P.O.V.

I'm standing by my best friends' side. Not moving a muscle, scowling at the man standing before us.

"Well, that does answer a riddle. Why the military would give pups like you such stern names, 'Full Metal'. But it's literal... see Rose, alchemists forbid their own from transforming lead into gold, but there's one practice more tabu, a technique forbidden by man and nature itself... Alchemy, on human souls."

I look to the ground, listening to him talk, "You miserable little children. Dabbling in human alchemy without knowing it's penalty, you stepped on the toes of God!" yells Cornello.

"You don't know the story!" snaps Al.

"Al," scorns Ed. He looks at us, but I don't meet his eyes. My gaze focused on the ground.

"Don't." I say.

He looks down. "But... We just wanted..." He trails off.

The memory of us at their mother's funeral flashes through my head. I bite my lip in an attempt to keep a straight face. Don't you dare, Harmony. Not here, not now.

"We just wanted to see mom's face again... See her smile..." says Al.

"But you failed, didn't you?!" says Cornello.

"Yeah, I'd label that a failure alright..." Ed says barely above a whisper.

"Al lost his whole body, I lost an arm and a leg, and Harmony..." He glances at my metal arm, "She wasn't spared either... I ignored every sign post because I was reckless and wanted it bad enough."

He looks at Rose. "Rose..." He lifts his metal arm, clenching his fist. "This is what happens when you try to bring back what's dead."

I look at her, lifting my arm as well, mimicking Ed's actions. "You really wanna go through with that? To take the same risk we did? You wanna make the same sacrifice?!" I yell. Her eyes show nothing but fear, and I know I've said the right thing.

Cornello puts an arm around Rose's shoulders. She looks up at him and he smiles. "Don't let them worry you, Rose. You forget that the great Sun God, Leto, has blessed me with the philosophers stone." He lifts his hand.

He opens one of his eyes and looks at us. "Besides I have far more experience than these heretic children did!"

"Don't be stupid! No matter what kinda powers you have some things can't be done!" yells Ed.

"No matter what, something has to be given for something to be gained!" I yell, clenching my metal fist.

"Oh? Then why're you so anxious to get this stone?" He lifts his hand again. "You want to beat the laws of equivalence just as I do and bring your mommy back!"

"Wrong!" I yell. His smile falls.

"All we want is to get our bodies normal again. See, we don't buy about what's possible" Ed puts his hand on his metal arm. "We didn't start a cult." Cornello has an angry face, which made me smirk.

Al lifts his hand, "We will ask one more time, please give us the stone."

Cornellos' face turns from a scowl to a smirk. "You are doomed State Alchemists. May the wrath of God fall upon your heads."

Ed brings his fist up in a threat. "Stop hiding behind that crap! Come down here and I'll show you some wrath!"

Rose looks behind Cornello and I immediately know something's wrong. A red glow emits from behind Cornello, Rose backs away from him.

My eyes widen slightly. What's going on?

"Sinners!" Cornello brings his hands from behind his back and I see he's holding a machine gun.