HoS: LG: Illusions Lifted
Mar. 4th, 2005 11:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bard_linnThis story utilizes a concept found in icedark_elf 's story "The Truth of Darkness." I believe kytyngurl2 first mentioned it to me. I'd like to dedicate this entry to icedark_elf kytyngurl2 and skyler_daemon as these bunnies probably resulted from them.
This was hard to write. We've got a lot of ideas running around. And a lot of emotions too. Getting them to fall in was interesting. But one of the points I wanted to make got pushed off again. *sigh*
Illusions Lifted
Getting into the Oxford library had never been such a difficult task, Masuta reflected. Before he could have easily gained access as an alumnus. But now he was considered dead in this world and Roy certainly couldn’t get in. So they had to sneak in, an experience in itself. But they had managed it and now were quickly advancing upon their target.
Edward had his head buried in a thick book. Masuta carefully closed the door behind him, glad that Ed had chosen one of the offices connected to the library as his place to work. Here they could confront the blond in private.
“Fullmetal.”
Edward didn’t lift his eyes from the page in front of him. Instead he continued to scribble more notes on the paper beside him. Both of the other men didn’t bother to even look at them; they knew the words would be encoded anyway. “Mr. Elric, this has to stop!” Masuta commanded.
The pen paused. “Why?”
“Because this is crazy!” Roy snapped. “You shouldn’t let what you heard from that crazy woman bother you so much!”
Golden eyes finally moved from the papers to the two worried faces. Roy flinched seeing a familiar measuring look on the blond’s face. He had often worn that look when judging Edward back in the young man’s first few years in the military. “Shouldn’t I?”
“No!” Roy glared. “It’s a bunch of rubbish!”
“Is that so?” Ed lifted an eyebrow. Roy REALLY wished Edward couldn’t imitate him so well. “She said the ‘winds favored you.’ What do you transmute?”
“Air but….”
Gold eyes shifted to the third man in the room. “And she said your body is younger than your soul. Isn’t that true?”
Masuta nodded looking uncomfortable. He had only recently discovered that not only had he died but he had left a body behind. “But it doesn’t make sense for you to be marked by death, Edward. If anyone…” The Japanese man swallowed uncomfortably. “It should be me.”
“If I had rebound your soul to your original body, yes. But this new form has never ‘died.’”
“But that still doesn’t explain why….” Masuta trailed off, both raven haired men making the same conclusion at the same time.
“You died?” Roy whispered softly. He felt his heart stop as his private fears for three years abruptly resurfaced. “Why didn’t you say anything?!?”
Ed looked exasperated. “It happened when we were killing the homunculi. It’s been YEARS, Roy. I don’t think about it all the time.”
“But the way you reacted…”
“I never said it was a PLEASANT experience to remember.”
Roy picked up the book nearest him and flipped though it. Masuta didn’t remove his attention from his blond lover. “It still doesn’t make sense why you’re locking yourself up in here.”
“Nor why you’re researching human sacrifice,” Roy snapped the book shut with a bang. “What in both of the worlds is wrong with you!!”
“You don’t honestly think I’m going to just go kill someone!” Ed snapped. “I’m researching the religions that had mystical elements to them. If that woman really could see all of that about us, then maybe we can use that to get home!”
Roy frowned. “It still doesn’t explain why you’re researching energy from death, Edward. You can’t possibly use that to do anything. It’s completely improbable. You’re acting as if magic exists.”
Edward looked darkly amused at this. “Really? And what else would alchemy be to these people? How do we not know this is anything other than another kind of science?”
“Alchemy follows rules Fullmetal…” Roy began.
“Yes, the rules,” Ed relied. The measuring look returned. The blond apparently decided to release the information. “What’s the number one law of alchemy? The one all alchemists believe in?”
“Equivalent exchange,” Roy replied, sounding exasperated. He knew very well Edward almost lived by the law.
“Where does the energy come from?” Roy looked confused. “Its not really equivalent exchange if you only conserve mass. The energy has to come from somewhere.”
“It doesn’t come from the alchemist?” Masuta looked confused.
“No,” Ed relied. He paused then plowed forward. “It comes from here. The death of people here feeds the energy for our transmutations.”
Roy and Masuta looked flattened. Roy actually had to grab the table to keep from collapsing. “Who told you that?” The soldier demanded.
“My father,” Ed replied. “I’ve been trying to figure out if we’re actually killing people or using the energy from natural deaths. I…”
Roy understood. Edward HAD to know if alchemy, the art and science he loved, had been destroying innocent lives. Masuta moved first, circling the table and grabbing the blond into an embrace. Roy quickly followed his alter’s example and joined the pair. Safe in his lovers arms Edward decided now was not the time to reveal the dreams he had recently.
Or more disturbingly, the reason behind them.
icedark_elf 's story "The Truth of Darkness." I believe kytyngurl2 first mentioned it to me. I'd like to dedicate this entry to icedark_elf kytyngurl2 and skyler_daemon as these bunnies probably resulted from them.This was hard to write. We've got a lot of ideas running around. And a lot of emotions too. Getting them to fall in was interesting. But one of the points I wanted to make got pushed off again. *sigh*
Illusions Lifted
Getting into the Oxford library had never been such a difficult task, Masuta reflected. Before he could have easily gained access as an alumnus. But now he was considered dead in this world and Roy certainly couldn’t get in. So they had to sneak in, an experience in itself. But they had managed it and now were quickly advancing upon their target.
Edward had his head buried in a thick book. Masuta carefully closed the door behind him, glad that Ed had chosen one of the offices connected to the library as his place to work. Here they could confront the blond in private.
“Fullmetal.”
Edward didn’t lift his eyes from the page in front of him. Instead he continued to scribble more notes on the paper beside him. Both of the other men didn’t bother to even look at them; they knew the words would be encoded anyway. “Mr. Elric, this has to stop!” Masuta commanded.
The pen paused. “Why?”
“Because this is crazy!” Roy snapped. “You shouldn’t let what you heard from that crazy woman bother you so much!”
Golden eyes finally moved from the papers to the two worried faces. Roy flinched seeing a familiar measuring look on the blond’s face. He had often worn that look when judging Edward back in the young man’s first few years in the military. “Shouldn’t I?”
“No!” Roy glared. “It’s a bunch of rubbish!”
“Is that so?” Ed lifted an eyebrow. Roy REALLY wished Edward couldn’t imitate him so well. “She said the ‘winds favored you.’ What do you transmute?”
“Air but….”
Gold eyes shifted to the third man in the room. “And she said your body is younger than your soul. Isn’t that true?”
Masuta nodded looking uncomfortable. He had only recently discovered that not only had he died but he had left a body behind. “But it doesn’t make sense for you to be marked by death, Edward. If anyone…” The Japanese man swallowed uncomfortably. “It should be me.”
“If I had rebound your soul to your original body, yes. But this new form has never ‘died.’”
“But that still doesn’t explain why….” Masuta trailed off, both raven haired men making the same conclusion at the same time.
“You died?” Roy whispered softly. He felt his heart stop as his private fears for three years abruptly resurfaced. “Why didn’t you say anything?!?”
Ed looked exasperated. “It happened when we were killing the homunculi. It’s been YEARS, Roy. I don’t think about it all the time.”
“But the way you reacted…”
“I never said it was a PLEASANT experience to remember.”
Roy picked up the book nearest him and flipped though it. Masuta didn’t remove his attention from his blond lover. “It still doesn’t make sense why you’re locking yourself up in here.”
“Nor why you’re researching human sacrifice,” Roy snapped the book shut with a bang. “What in both of the worlds is wrong with you!!”
“You don’t honestly think I’m going to just go kill someone!” Ed snapped. “I’m researching the religions that had mystical elements to them. If that woman really could see all of that about us, then maybe we can use that to get home!”
Roy frowned. “It still doesn’t explain why you’re researching energy from death, Edward. You can’t possibly use that to do anything. It’s completely improbable. You’re acting as if magic exists.”
Edward looked darkly amused at this. “Really? And what else would alchemy be to these people? How do we not know this is anything other than another kind of science?”
“Alchemy follows rules Fullmetal…” Roy began.
“Yes, the rules,” Ed relied. The measuring look returned. The blond apparently decided to release the information. “What’s the number one law of alchemy? The one all alchemists believe in?”
“Equivalent exchange,” Roy replied, sounding exasperated. He knew very well Edward almost lived by the law.
“Where does the energy come from?” Roy looked confused. “Its not really equivalent exchange if you only conserve mass. The energy has to come from somewhere.”
“It doesn’t come from the alchemist?” Masuta looked confused.
“No,” Ed relied. He paused then plowed forward. “It comes from here. The death of people here feeds the energy for our transmutations.”
Roy and Masuta looked flattened. Roy actually had to grab the table to keep from collapsing. “Who told you that?” The soldier demanded.
“My father,” Ed replied. “I’ve been trying to figure out if we’re actually killing people or using the energy from natural deaths. I…”
Roy understood. Edward HAD to know if alchemy, the art and science he loved, had been destroying innocent lives. Masuta moved first, circling the table and grabbing the blond into an embrace. Roy quickly followed his alter’s example and joined the pair. Safe in his lovers arms Edward decided now was not the time to reveal the dreams he had recently.
Or more disturbingly, the reason behind them.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-03-05 04:35 am (UTC)NEAT!!!
I so like how Ed casually brought up his death. I like him explaining how equivelent trade really works. I like them being mad at Ed at the start and using their other names for him. I love the group hug.
...and I love that Ed appears to be figuring something out. Something -bad-.
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Date: 2005-03-05 04:44 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2005-03-05 04:45 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2005-03-05 04:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-03-05 04:09 pm (UTC)