Prompt 171 || Stone || "The Way of Stones" 1/1
Title: The Way of Stones
Author: evil_little_dog
Series: Manga/Brotherhood
Word Count: 249
Rating: Teen
Characters: Number Twenty-Three, original characters
Summary: It almost felt like a celebration.
Warnings: Pre-series. Blood/Punishment/Violence/Death.
Disclaimer: If I owned anything of this, I wouldn’t be living in Boxtown.
fma_fic_contest prompt: “Stone”
X X X
“There’s going to be a stoning,” Eight said. The way he said it, it sounded like a kind of dessert, some sweet the kitchen workers would make for the Master and his family on a special day. “It’s been a long time.” He slapped Twenty-Three’s back, making the bruises on his shoulders sting. “I’ll see you there.”
The Master indeed rounded all the household slaves up, chivying them along to the town square. The tension in the air made Twenty-Three’s skin sing and prickle. He broke into a sweat, feeling his stomach twist at the weird feeling in the air.
Someone was dragged through the crowd, a young man who fought against the grip the soldiers had on his arms. He screamed his innocence to the skies as they threw him in the center of the crowd, all of them laughing. Twenty-Three’s breath caught as a rock hit the man, bouncing off. He whirled. “Please, help! I’m innocent! I didn’t touch that girl!”
Another stone, heavier this time, struck the man, then another, until they rained down on the man. Blood spurted, and he clapped a hand over his eye, crying. More stones, and he was knocked to his knees, groaning.
The man died, covered in bruises and scrapes, with his witnesses ringed around him, and all the bloodied stones.
Lifetimes later, Hohenheim blinked at the Xingese alchemist’s request for information on the Philosopher’s Stone. “I don’t talk about that,” he said, “I’ve had enough of red stones.”
X X X
Author: evil_little_dog
Series: Manga/Brotherhood
Word Count: 249
Rating: Teen
Characters: Number Twenty-Three, original characters
Summary: It almost felt like a celebration.
Warnings: Pre-series. Blood/Punishment/Violence/Death.
Disclaimer: If I owned anything of this, I wouldn’t be living in Boxtown.
fma_fic_contest prompt: “Stone”
X X X
“There’s going to be a stoning,” Eight said. The way he said it, it sounded like a kind of dessert, some sweet the kitchen workers would make for the Master and his family on a special day. “It’s been a long time.” He slapped Twenty-Three’s back, making the bruises on his shoulders sting. “I’ll see you there.”
The Master indeed rounded all the household slaves up, chivying them along to the town square. The tension in the air made Twenty-Three’s skin sing and prickle. He broke into a sweat, feeling his stomach twist at the weird feeling in the air.
Someone was dragged through the crowd, a young man who fought against the grip the soldiers had on his arms. He screamed his innocence to the skies as they threw him in the center of the crowd, all of them laughing. Twenty-Three’s breath caught as a rock hit the man, bouncing off. He whirled. “Please, help! I’m innocent! I didn’t touch that girl!”
Another stone, heavier this time, struck the man, then another, until they rained down on the man. Blood spurted, and he clapped a hand over his eye, crying. More stones, and he was knocked to his knees, groaning.
The man died, covered in bruises and scrapes, with his witnesses ringed around him, and all the bloodied stones.
Lifetimes later, Hohenheim blinked at the Xingese alchemist’s request for information on the Philosopher’s Stone. “I don’t talk about that,” he said, “I’ve had enough of red stones.”
X X X