Full Metal Alchemist-Alchemy Gates
Prologue
As I see him sitting there with a wide smile across his face I feel like I am visiting an old friend. I didn't know I would ever be coming back to talk to this thing. Its black outline along with the tall gate behind him is a scene I am apprehensive about. This man is me and I am this man. Truth knows no mercy and Truth knows the pain I have experienced. He will never willingly give me what I want .
"You know better than to come here Elric."
He's right I do know better.
"The two of you only come here when you want something that doesn't belong to you anymore."
I swear I almost feel excitement in his voice. I truly believe he is holding a grudge against us for our previous dealings.
"Who do you want back this time? Which sin are you trying to cover or commit? Let me see if you're willing to pay the price for your forbidden desire."
No turning back now. I know this is a bad choice and I know he will be mad.
"I want the gate back."
"That gate doesn't belong to you. Its price is too high for anyone.
Well he does have me there. I know that gate doesn't belong to me. I know the price is too high so now it's a negotiation. Too many people are counting on me completing this. It has been four long years since we defeated father and put the world back in order. All the traveling and all the research that has been accomplished will mean nothing. I guess Truth will feel a little differently if I play to his needs.
"How about…..an equal trade for the gate?'
"What can be equal to such a magnificent thing?"
"Your life or existence or whatever you consider yourself."
I see a look of confusion come across his blackened face. I don't think he has ever had someone question his self before. He has always just been there forever. A split second of anger can be felt. Then laughter comes echoing to me. He stands holding his stomach his laughing isn't stopping at all. I feel like he is a little clueless about the human world.
"What…..(laughing)…is ever…(more laughing)…going to happen…..(still laughing)….to me?"
"Your little friend in the flask has it out for you."
His laughing stopped in less than a blink of an eye. Now a serious and dark tone came from him.
"That little friend you speak of is behind the gate. He has been there for a long time. Such a cheap attempt to acquire what you want will not work on me."
"I guess you didn't hear about what happened to Xing."
"I do not worry about countries in your world. I am here to make sure greedy alchemists such as yourself, do not get to play God."
"I guess that's why you allowed almost all the citizens of Xing to become a philosophers stone."
He sits down back where he was when I first got here. His blank stare is going through me like a knife. I really wish he had more facial expressions because this is terrible to try and read what he is thinking.
"What happens with others is none of your concern. That foolish human has paid the price for his dealings. He wanted a stone that gave him the ultimate power of alchemy and alkahestry. With the millions of souls he gave I was more than happy to provide him with such a stone."
"So the souls are behind the gate and not in him, correct?"
"That is correct alchemist."
"What do you think happened when you opened that gate and took in all those souls? Did you take into consideration that maybe someone isn't there anymore?"
He's gone. It feels weird being here. In a way it's calming. With Truth gone it truly does put an overwhelming feeling of not being allowed here through my soul. After what seemed like an hour but I'm sure it was just a few minutes or seconds, who knows, Truth reappears in front of me. Inches from my face he stands there. Rage fills the area, the white background starts to turn darker and darker.
"WHERE IS THAT LITTLE THING?"
"He is with the…..what did you call him…..foolish human you gave the ultimate power too."
"THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE DEAL."
"You gave him the ultimate stone. You opened the gate so he could take him out. Now he has the ultimate power and the creature that knows the secrets of what lies behind the gate. How long do you honestly think you have left in this universe?"
The rage has not subsided one bit. I see a little shake in him. Does he actually know fear? Does he fear the power he was able to grant? I know this isn't a payment to get the gate back. This is just information to attain something that is not mine.
"I need more."
"You really don't understand this situation, do you? If they are successful in getting rid of you there is no more exchange in the world. You control what prices are paid and keep us in line. With you gone, there is no more balance. There is no more prices to be paid. There is no longer an obstacle in the way of taking the power behind the gate. You are the only one who can put him back in there."
I say that as calmly as I can. I need to keep focus here.
"I am willing to return the gate for the sake of keeping the balance. However, there is no guarantee that you will succeed in this job. I need an insurance from you right now that such a thing will not go to waste and you will give your life to make sure that thing is back where it belongs."
My life…
"I will give you one year. Take a part of my soul and in exchange you give me one year to complete this task. If I fail you get my body and soul and I can never be brought back.
What the hell am I doing?! This is not what I wanted to do for this. How the hell am I going to face my brother now? I've already said it, this should be enough. Now we will have a fighting chance if he says yes. Please say yes. We need this badly. A part of my soul should be enough.
"You have a deal alchemist."
"When can you deliver your end?"
"As soon as I take part of your soul the gate will be returned."
"Good, I'm sure Ed is going to be surprised when it's returned to him. Hang on brother, the help you and all of us needed is finally coming."