The Price of Life [Fullmetal Alchemist]

Chapter Forty Six

how senseless death; how precious life

-la dispute

•••

Quickly, Mei set off teaching Sonia everything that she was taught since birth. Being a Chang heiress, the knowledge came to her as simple as breathing, but the alchemist had just started and it was already giving her trouble. Al joined too, but he seemed to grasp the concepts more easily. Sonia just couldn't think! Wrapping her head around it all seemed impossible, then to be thrown more new information about Xingese philosophers and alchestrists gave her an overwhelming sense as strong as the ones she experienced when being swarmed with people's memories. Mei sensed her distress and questioned her. 

"What is so hard to understand?"

"I just don't understand how this applies to me!" She shouted, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"It applies to you in every way possible, Sonia. The Xingese twins changed the concepts of things that alchestry still uses today. For example, the dragon's pulse! From what I've gathered, you have an intense version of this experience as a result of this power being forced onto you. That's why you can not only sense a presence or a population but also read memories from their past. I imagine the conjoined twins practically created the dragon's pulse."

"You mean you can teach me how to control the flow of the memories that enter my brain?"

"It may take a copious amount of time, but yes."

Sonia leans over and squeezes Mei with all her might.

"I'm sure she'll be able to teach you more about qi, too," Al said, happy for his friend.

"Where should we start?"

Before Mei can answer, Marcoh is shouting for the three of them.

"We have a situation! Meet me in the outskirts of the city!"

The trio gets up and runs after him, heading just outside Azbeck. Sonia and Mei exchange a look, and the small girl shouts to her over the whipping wind.

"Do you feel that?!"

"It's a homunculus!" Sonia yells. "It's the qi, or whatever! They emit a big one because there are thousands of souls in them!"

Sure enough, when they see Marcoh and their two chimera acquaintances in the distance, Envy is standing in front of them all with a menacing smile. Sonia feels the cries of all the souls build inside her, and it squeezes her heart in pain.

"-bunch of idiots!" The homunculus finished speaking just as the three approach the group.

"What's happening Marcoh?" Alphonse asks.

"Karma, I think they'd call it. Or penance." The old man steps forward, stumbling on the snow.

"You talk so much about these souls you obtain, but you have no idea of what they cost. Yes, it's true! I made philosopher's stones from human lives, more or less voluntarily! Just seeing you, one of my creations, the guilt eats me alive!"

"Then this will surely cannibalize you!" Envy laughs and steps back, giving themself enough room. The snow around them suddenly flies in different directions as one of Envy's limbs hits the ground and grows gigantically, turning a sickening green shade. Suddenly their body changes to account for the strange limb, and they are now a green beast in front of them, the faces and limbs of the stone's souls crying and reaching out for help. To Sonia, they all seem to plead for her. Her heart feels as if it's being choked to death; it's unbearable. Then, all at once, she convulses and falls into the snow.