Edward Elric was not having the best day. The whole Final Battle against Father and co was understandably horrifying, he had lost several friends, and was in such an adrenaline-pumped state that he hadn't had the chance to fully register their deaths. And his brother. His reckless, beautiful, baby brother, had just sacrificed himself in order to protect him - and that was bullshit. Ed hadn't spend all these years, watched all those people, those friends, die, just to let Alphonse throw away his soul at the last moment. Ed stared at the battered hunk of metal that had held his brother for so long. He pulled his lips into a desperate expression. A smile, or a grimace, he wasn't quite sure. Falling to the ground, he clutched his head desperately with his two human hands, hoping to pull an idea out of somewhere. There was a way to get his brother back, he just had to think of it. It had to be possible. It had to be.
Listeners, as you may or may not know, depending upon your views on the concept and reliability of knowledge, or your proximity to downtown Night Vale, a large door has appeared in the parking lot of the Arby's. It is not made out of oak, witnesses report, but it does appear very old. It is just to the right of the spot where the floating lights can be seen in the sky every day except Tuesday and covered in intricate carvings and arcane and powerful symbol which nobody at the Arby's or surrounding stores were able to read when asked, so take that as you will. The door is on the ground though, and it is blocking several parking spots in the Arby's, but there are other parking spots available, so don't expect the door to stop you from getting a delicious ham and pencil shavings sandwich at this lovely establishment. Arby's: Fill your temporary body with as many pleasures as you can before you deteriorate to the point where you cannot! Well, nothing else very exciting is happening today in Night Vale, so we'll keep you posted on any updates on the door, or maybe we won't, it depends on if it does something interesting. Whatever. Here's traffic.
Ed stood in the expanse of white and wondered what the word was for the opposite of claustrophobia. The being without a proper face, the omnipotent grinning creature with his emaciated leg grafted onto its otherwise featureless form, was sitting on the whiteness, where someone had determined there was a floor, or ground, or something. The black flickering spots were the only separation between the white of it and the white of everything else. They looked like flies, those dots. They buzzed silently. Ed's head hurt. The Being grinned at him, did it ever stop grinning? That must hurt its mouth. Did it have muscles?
"Hello Alchemist," It said musically. It's voice buzzed in his teeth and filled the whiteness. "Come for your brother?"
Ed nodded, he wasn't sure what the proper response was to this situation.
"What will you give me in return?" The creature was gleeful, its body language suggested jubilation at the possibilities of suffering and sacrifice the alchemist was about to offer up.
Ed smiled, wide as he could, trying to give the Being a run for its money, although he didn't think he was anatomically built for that to be possible. He gestured casually at the towering door behind him.
"This thing is mine right?" He said it with confidence and a significant amount of concealed hope. "I'll give you this. It contains all alchemical knowledge right? Seems like more than a fair trade."
Truth grinned even wider before bursting into joyfully malicious laughter.
"You really thought that would work?" It was wheezing. Edward hadn't thought the thing needed to breath "I've thought too highly of your intelligence it seems! Alchemy is a Natural Law. Any creature that can draw a transmutation circle and do some simple calculations can be an alchemist. I can't take it away from you as much as I can vanquish Gravity of thwart the Passing of Time! And really, Alchemist, what would you really lose if I took away your special talent? Nothing you wouldn't happily throw away. No, you were foolish enough to come here, and you're going to have to give me something you really need in order to save your precious brother!"
Ed felt as though all of his internal organs hand been remove and stomped on. There was a very tangible throbbing ache in his chest. He had been so sure that he'd figured it out! He'd been positive that Truth had been trying to teach him some damned lesson about values and arrogance, but it seemed the evil thing just wanted to make people suffer. The Being was watching him, absolute glee on its nearly absent face. Well fuck.