Chapter Text
Liore – 1914
Edward took the last step off of the stairs at the train station, landing on sandy, dry ground. His footsteps left light imprints in the dirt, which were shortly covered by the much larger footprints of Alphonse. The brothers inspected the buildings and their residents as they walked to the center of town; it seemed like everyone was listening to the same radio station. Whether they were finishing household chores, working their jobs, or just relaxing, the same droning voice sounded from every home, office, and warehouse along the way. The repetition made the hair on Ed’s neck start to stand. They couldn’t make out any of what the host was saying until they found a bar on the corner of the block, at which Ed sat down and asked for a glass of water.
“Come see the prophet Cornello work his miracles and bring on another heavy rain for our crops! He promises further miracles with more devotion. Truly divine work for our town.” The voice crackled through the speaker. There were a few seconds of pause, and static sounded, evidently someone restarting the broadcast. The bartender slid a cold glass of water over, and Ed downed half of it in a matter of seconds. The static stopped when the voice began again. “Sermons now occur Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at the hour of 11, preached by Father Cornello. Rain, health, life, all miracles promised to us by Father Cornello…” Ed tuned out the broadcast in favor of questioning the bartender and civilians around them.
“So what’s up with this Cornello guy?” He pointed to the radio above their heads. “Where can I find him?” He took another sip while the bartender spoke.
“He’s usually at the church, showcasing his miracles and prophetic abilities.” The man behind the counter answered the easiest question first. He picked up a glass to absentmindedly wipe the rim, looking between Ed and Al. “He came here a few months ago, preaching about the God Lito, an unheard of legendary Pokemon with the ability to perform miracles. He prayed to Lito for rain for our farmers, and suddenly a downpour filled the fields. We hadn’t seen that much rain in a long time.”
“So he made it rain, huh?” Ed suspected a simple rain dance. He smelled the air and took off his left glove. He rubbed his fingers together and looked around; it was very dry, not conditions possible for rain of any kind. Rain dance as a move only works when there’s enough humidity in the air to condense and form as rain, or a water source is close by to be drawn from. This town had neither condition met.
“Say; kid in a red coat, partner’s a Golurk, you wouldn’t happen to be the Fullmetal Master, would you?”
Ed almost choked on the drink of water he was taking and set the glass down forcefully. “Not my partner…” He coughed out, then gestured with open hands towards Al. “Meet Alphonse, the world’s first talking Golurk. Not my partner, it’s own conscious being with it’s own team.” He said in a sarcastic tone with teeth gritted.
Al moved his head to look between Ed and the bartender. He lifted a large hand and waved, “hi there!”
The man stuck his tongue in his cheek and stared at Al, nodding slowly as he was trying to decide whether the heat was getting to him or this was real. “Sure, sure…” He looked back to Ed. “Church is that way if you’re wanting to go see.” He pointed East, further into town from the train station.
Ed tapped the table as he stood, and waved a hand behind him while walking away. “Thank you!” Al said as he waved again, turning around carefully before following his brother.
“What are you thinking, Ed?” Al leaned over to allow for a slightly more private conversation while walking by townsfolk.
“I think this guy’s full of shit.” His look of determination towards the church was unwavering. “There can’t be a legendary Pokemon that just breaks the balance of nature like that. Especially one we’ve never heard of. I want to see this Lito for myself.” Al nodded in agreement and straightened his posture, continuing walking East.
The two stopped at the back of a large crowd gathered outside the church. On the steps leading to the door was a large man, who they could only assume was Father Cornello. Everyone watched as he pressed his palms together, lowering his head in prayer. He suddenly threw his arms in the air, and spoke with a booming voice. “Lito brings us rain!”
The sky opened up and poured rain over the land, soaking civilians and dirt alike. The people cheered and danced, relishing in the coolness the water provided after standing in the hot sun for so long. Edward inspected the area around Cornello, then brought his attention to the now clouded sky. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, it just looked like a man made it rain through prayer.
A number of sickly looking townspeople tried to climb the stairs to approach Cornello, most were stopped by Brothers of the church but the Father waved one man through. He had a broken arm wrapped in a cast and held by a sling around his shoulder. Father Cornello held the man’s arm in one hand, and brought his other towards his mouth. From this angle, Ed could see a ring on Cornello’s finger, with a dull grey stone set in the band. He appeared to mutter something to the ring, then spoke again, “Lito will heal this man’s arm!” The man’s arm glowed for a second, then he was able to move it around without the assistance of the sling. Like Cornello said, the man’s arm was healed. Ed’s suspicion of the ring took hold and he knew he needed to see it up close.
The Father turned around and made his way back to the door, turning to wave at the crowd of cheering onlookers. “The Father will return later, for now enjoy the rain he has brought!” One of his pastors called out to the people. Some members immediately dissipated, returning to their pressing tasks. Others continued standing under the rain, dancing or chatting with their neighbors. Ed and Al silently made their way through the remaining group, and entered the church. Father Cornello and the pastors were nowhere to be seen, though a young woman was praying at the front pews, a Pachirisu perched on her shoulder. Al’s heavy footsteps caught her attention, and she looked at the odd pair.
“Are you here to pray to Lito as well?” The woman asked, standing to face the two.
“No. Can’t say I’m the faithful type.” Ed said, tapping his shoe on the toe.
“That’s a shame, Lito will bring us all what we desire.”
“What, like bringing someone back to life?”
The woman blinked, but was unphased. “Yes, Cornello promised me that he would ask Lito to bring back my boyfriend, if I was devoted enough to the cause.”
Edward scoffed. “I don’t know what operation is being run here, but it’s not that simple. You can’t just bring someone back to life.”
“And how would you know?” She questioned, but didn’t wait for Ed’s answer. She also didn’t notice his eye twitch with how much the question phased him. “The God Lito’s miracles are real and true, you saw the rain yourself, didn’t you? If Father Cornello says that Lito can bring loved ones back to life, I have no reason not to believe him.”
Ed clenched his jaw, “there’s this old myth about a boy who tried to mimic the Fearow, seeing them fly high up in the sky, he wanted to as well. So he made wings out of wax and flew, but got too full of himself and tried to touch the sun. The wings melted and well… he made it back down to Earth one way or another.” Ed looked to Al. “Isn’t that right, Al.”
He nodded. The woman looked between the two, “and your point is?”
“No point. Anyway, could you get us an audience with the Father? See if he can’t convince a faithless whelp like me to convert.” The sarcasm was evident but the woman either chose to ignore it or didn’t pick up on it.
“That’s great! Of course I can!” She briskly walked to a door and knocked, opening it when presumably she heard admittance from the other side. She peaked her head in, exchanged a few short words with whoever was on the other side, then promptly closed the door and skipped back to the brothers. “Brother Zachariah will get us when Father Cornello is ready,” she said with a smile.
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Liore, Church of Lito – 1914
“Father, there’s a young trainer and his Golurk requesting to meet with you,” Brother Zachariah announced upon entering the Father’s office.
“Send him away, I don’t want to take visitors right now,” the Father replied, staring out over the town.
“He says he’s a State Master.”
“A State Master you say? Damn, the League must know about my plan here.” He turned his attention away from the town. “Wait, a young State Master with a Golurk, this wouldn’t happen to be the Fullmetal Master, would it? I hear he’s somewhat of a nuisance for the League, he might not be missed if something were to… happen to him on this mission… I’ll see them. Bring them to the basement.” Zachariah bowed his head and left the room. Cornello exited at a much slower pace, mulling in his mind over how the League could have caught on so quickly
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Liore, Basement of the Church of Lito – 1914
Zachariah led the brothers and young woman to a large room in the basement, bowing to bid his farewell after opening the doors. Inside were two men with Marowaks, both looking like they were ready to charge a bone club at any moment. They seemed liked guards, which both Ed and Al decided was a strange thing for a holy place. There was a platform with symmetrical staircases leading up to it. Pillars lined the walls, holding up the tall ceiling. To the right stood another doorway, but instead of being solid metal, this one had bars. Through the bars a faint rumble, perhaps sewage pipes if one chose not to compare the sound to a growl, could be heard. Cornello stepped forward into view on the platform, spreading his arms in welcome.
Suddenly, the two Marowak attacked from either side, targeting the brothers. Al was hit on the arm, while Ed managed to move fast enough to send out Scizor, who blocked the attack for him. She shoved the skull-clad creature away, and Al knocked his aggressor away with a solid swipe. Ed assumed a ready position, prepared to order Scizor to attack, when Cornello’s voice filled the room.
“Brother Chris, Brother Mason, recall your Marowak, these two– three are welcome here. Please, exit and consider your actions.” He looked to Ed. “Apologies for their rash actions. Fullmetal Master, what brings a representative of the League such as yourself here?”
“Right now I’m more representing my own interests than any League business. Your impossible miracles, how do you do them?”
“It’s not me, it’s all the great God Lito, the most magnificent legendary Pokemon that Amestris has encountered.” He responded, waving his arms in large swooping gestures for emphasis on the mightiness that is Lito. “I am simply the prophet that Lito has chosen to communicate through.”
“See the thing is, I think that’s bullshit. Lito’s miracles are impossible. There’s no way to create matter where there is none, to throw the balances of nature around, to bring someone back to life.” He took a few steps forward, Scizor staying where she was standing.
“Why are you worried about the balance? These miracles are simply that: miracles. There’s nothing to them, and how could they be impossible if they’re happening?” He said through a condescending grin.
“Can it, old man, we’re not believing your crap.”
Cornello grumbled and sighed. “Sister Rose, would you please instruct Pachirisu to use spark on the little Fullmetal Master here?” Ed growled at Cornello’s use of ‘little,’ but didn’t let his rage show in exchange for turning to face Rose. “It shouldn’t take but one spark to stop his heart.”
“B-but Father.”
“The God Lito wishes it, Rose.”
Rose’s breath was shaky, but she tried her best to comply. Scizor readied herself, but was hesitant to attack while Pachirisu was perched on the innocent girl’s shoulder. “Pachi…” she pointed towards Ed. “Use spark.” The Pachirisu looked worriedly at her trainer before closing her eyes, accepting the order. She rubbed her cheeks to charge up electricity, and while still closing her eyes launched herself off of Rose’s arm. Rose stumbled back a few steps and gasped. Ed raised his arms to cover his face, bracing for impact, but impact never happened.
Instead, a hollow, “woah,” sounded beside him. He turned to see Al holding the tiny rodent in one hand, gently tapping it’s head with a finger. “Easy there buddy,” he giggled, ignoring the petrified look on the Pokemon’s face, “your aim was a little off, hehe.”
Rose screamed at the unexpected voice. “A talking Golurk?!” Father Cornello cried out over the noise. His attention snapped back to Ed. “Oh so that’s why you’re worried about the balance.” He spoke to Al directly. “Because you broke it, didn’t you?”
Al set down the scared Pachirisu and also looked at Ed. He was biting his lip and looking to the ground. He didn’t want to dignify the creep with a response, and he didn’t have to.
“No matter. Chimera, come forth!” The gate to the right opened, revealing the source of the rumbling. A beast stepped barely into view at the edge of the shadows. It didn’t look like any one breed of Pokemon, instead a mixture.
Ed didn’t have time to react as the beast bit into his right arm. He took the time to study what this creature was made of; it looked like the head was from an Obstagoon, the torso from a Druddigon, and the legs from a Lycanroc- midnight to be exact. With the knowledge of it’s parts, he kicked it away with his left leg. Scarps of his coat and shirt fell to floor where the teeth tore through his clothing. The chimera leaped again, using it’s Druddigon claws to scratch at Ed. Scizor hesitated to make a move, but recognized Ed had it under control. He blocked the claws with his left leg, and kicked the beast back again. More fabric dropped to the ground, and his limbs underneath caught the light to reveal they were metal.
“Wait, two metal limbs… that was either one hell of a fight, or you both broke the balance? What kind of idiots are you?” Cornello leaned on the railing and laughed at the brothers.
“Scizor, put this mess back where it came from.” She nodded and began battering at the chimera, punching and slicing it to drive it back to the cage. “Rose, this is what happens when you try to bring someone back to life. That balance? The scales weigh too heavy towards creation, and destruction must come back in turn to restore equivalence.” He held out his arm, tearing off the remnants of the sleeve- not worth repairing or keeping. “So your boyfriend? As much as it sucks that he’s gone, he can never come back.” His gaze darkened.
Al decided to refocus the topic at hand, “Cornello, why don’t you come down here and face us yourself?” He placed a foot in front of himself and readied a hand over his belt. Scizor had made it back to Ed’s side and scraped her claws against each other to sharpen.
“Oh I won’t be doing that. And you? Are not allowed to leave this church.” He held his ring up to his face, “I wish fire filled the room.”
As if there were some miracle force fulfilling this wish, fire started to spread through the air. Ed quickly returned Scizor, and was scooped up alongside Rose by Alphonse, who then dove through the brick wall behind them, shielding both vulnerable parties from the explosive flames. Ed climbed out of Al’s arm, and quickly recovered with enough time to spare a glance back into the room, seeing a mysterious Pokemon floating near Cornello’s head.
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