If you don't get what's going on here then you need to read the manga. Oh man I am so tired right now.
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"I
still find it hard to believe what happened," Hohenheim said as he
sat on the lone bed in the room. Aragorn took a seat in the chair
across from him. "And it never occurred to me that the homunculus
had ulterior motives for 'assisting' the emperor. None of us
realized just how big the cost was for this so-called immortality,
and that was our greatest mistake. "Before it happened, I'd
heard of raids in villages near the borders. None of the villagers
survived. Of course, back then, I never thought much of it, but after
the fact, I finally understood why. "If you drew a circle on
a map of the country, the line would pass through each of those five
villages. They were sacrifices for the transmutation, but it seems
the emperor had decided it was for the ultimate good of the country.
He couldn't have possibly been more wrong. "When it came
down to that final moment, the emperor stood in the center of the
circle and offered a few drops of his blood to begin the process. Not
long after, it happened…" Hohenheim stopped at this and stared at
his hands. Evidently it was too terrifying for him to recall, and
Aragorn didn't force him. "When I returned to my senses
and left the room, everybody I came across was dead. They had just
fallen wherever they were, and the only other living being was the
homunculus. He had taken on an appearance mirroring mine. As it turns
out, he had used the people of Xerxes to create a Philosopher's
Stone; something that allows the user to use alchemy without the
setbacks of equivalent exchange. However, it can only be created by
using human souls. Even now, when everything is quiet, I can hear
them inside me, begging for death. "They have no bodies to
return to. All they can do is wait to be used." Hohenheim then
looked up at Aragorn. "It's been around four hundred years since
then, and there is still no end in sight for me."
"I had anticipated something like this," Elrond said. "But you said there was something more?"
Aragorn nodded and continued.
"It was about fourteen years ago when I met Trisha, and after Edward and Alphonse were born, I realized I wanted to find a way out of this form. It was also around this time that I realized something else; something about this country that scared me." With that, Hohenheim pulled out a nearby paper and pen and began drawing a circle with an indent at the top. "This is the basic shape of this country. Since the beginning, there have been several conflicts that have happened on the borders, which isn't surprising, considering which country we're talking about. But it just so happens that these incidents have occurred in very specific places." Hohenheim took a moment to circle a few points on the makeshift map.
The room was gravely silent for a good minute after Aragorn finished retelling Hohenheim's story.
"This is worse than I feared," Elrond said finally. "For two separate forces to work their evils at the same time is a deadly coincidence. It would be nearly impossible to give aid to one world without neglecting the other."
A few minutes passed by before Aragorn made up his mind. "I will go."
That idea was immediately dismissed. "No. Your place is here. Besides, what assistance could you offer? You know nothing of alchemy."
That's when the realization hit him. "There are some who know more than I could ever hope to learn."
"The sons of Hohenheim? They are children! They should not be dragged into their country's dire affairs."
"They have been already," Aragorn said, and with that he related the events that had befallen the people of Resembool, from the attack on the train station during the war to the deaths of their surrogate parents. "If luck is with us, they will not be involved, but if they are, they must be prepared."
In the end, it was decided to wait until the Elric brothers were older. Besides, they would likely be with their new teacher for a long time. If Aragorn's fears proved true, they would need to know as much about alchemy as they possibly could.
,..,.,,..,.,,.,.
The day they had chosen to inform the Elric brothers of their plans, Aragorn arrived the small two-story home only to find it empty. He stood on the front step for a moment, trying to think of where he could find the brothers. Almost immediately, another young face entered his mind. The girl, Winry Rockbell. Edward himself had stated that it was a rare day that went by without them seeing her. He would have to stop by her house next.
Upon his arrival, Aragorn noticed an armored fellow sitting on the front steps. His gaze was downcast, but as Aragorn approached, he picked up his head. Aragorn was surprised to hear Alphonse's voice come from within. Once again, the brothers had managed to come up with something completely unexpected.
"What brings you here?" Alphonse asked politely.
"I came to speak with you and your brother," Aragorn replied. Part of him wondered whether the boy would take off the helmet or if he would simply stay how he was.
"Oh. Well, he's still… with Winry." The hesitation in Alphonse's voice told Aragorn that something bad had befallen the elder of the brothers, but Aragorn supposed he'd find out about it soon enough, so he didn't press it. "She didn't tell me when they'd be done today, but I think it'll be soon. You could probably go in there if it's important, though."
"I can wait," Aragorn replied.
The front door opened a moment later, and the young fair-haired girl that Aragorn had met briefly once before stepped out. She gave Aragorn a curious look before turning to Alphonse. "We're breaking it off early today, Al."
"Oh, okay," Alphonse replied before looking at Aragorn again. "Winry, you remember Strider, right? He's a friend of brother's…"
"Yeah, I think so. Are you here to see Ed?" she asked.
"Yes."
Winry looked inside for a moment before turning back to Alphonse. "Does he know yet?"
Alphonse shook his head. "No, I didn't really know how to say it."
Winry rolled her eyes and turned back to Aragorn. "Fine. I guess you'll just have to see for yourself."
She quietly led Aragorn through the house to a room in the back. False limbs leaned against the walls in the hallway, and Aragorn had a good idea of what to expect when she opened the door and went in ahead of him.
Aragorn stood in the darkness of the hallway for a moment, waiting for his cue to enter. He could see Edward leaning over, blood dripping from his mouth, but then Winry blocked his view.
"Hey, Ed, someone's here to see you," Winry said before she gestured for Aragorn to come in. He entered the room quietly, watching as Edward took a few shaky breaths and wiped his face with his left arm. His right arm was gone, as was most of his left leg, and at the moment, the boy's pale complexion was almost frightening to see.
Edward looked up after a moment and somehow managed a weak smile. Despite how he looked, and obviously felt, that spark of life had not yet left the boy's eyes. He was dressed in loose white garments, and his hair reached down to his shoulders.
"Hey," he said weakly as he wiped the remnants of blood from his face. "What are you doing here?"
"I'll tell you later," Aragorn answered as Winry walked back up to Ed with a simple leg in her arms.
"Here, let's put this on and then you can get out of here," Winry said as she positioned the limb. A moment later, Edward was standing on mismatched feet, seeming to be a little unsteady, but already looking better than he had when Aragorn had first entered the room. He used the bed on which he'd been sitting to keep himself balanced as he took a few steps toward Aragorn and the door. It was clear that he was not yet accustomed to walking with it.
"I'm gonna help grandma with another project now," Winry said. "Let me know if you need something, and don't do anything too strenuous. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah," Edward muttered as Winry headed out of the room. Once she was gone, Edward looked up at Aragorn again.
"It seems a lot has happened since I saw you last," Aragorn remarked as Edward gripped a stout cane that had been leaning against the bed and began walking out of the room.
"Yeah, you could say that," Edward replied. His tone was remorseful and… shameful?
"Why were you coughing up blood?" Aragorn asked.
"Getting adjusted to automail is pretty rough," Edward answered, his tone more casual than what the situation called for. "Especially if you want to get it done fast."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
Edward was silent as they made their way through the building and outside to the front steps. Alphonse had left his seat and was now doing some task in the yard. Once the two had sat down, Edward twirled the wood in his hand once before resting his chin on it. "I'm hoping to get into the State Alchemist program by the end of next year. Besides, I miss being able to move around on my own."
"The same program your teacher is against," Aragorn pointed out. Judging by how Edward flinched, he had been hoping that Aragorn wouldn't have noticed, but…
"I wouldn't do it if I didn't need to," Edward replied. "Besides, she's in Dublith, she might not find out…"
Now Edward was visibly trembling, and he had broken out into a cold sweat. He looked more terrified at the prospect of his teacher discovering his plans than he had when he'd been attacked by orcs. It seemed that Edward had had quite the experience back then.
"Even so," Edward continued. "It's not like I have much of a choice if I want to help him." This last phrase was a whisper, and Aragorn noted that Edward's gaze was resting upon the armor that Alphonse wore. Aragorn looked at Alphonse as well. Something had been different about the boy's actions, and now that he had a moment to observe, he understood what it was. Alphonse's movements were subdued, and they lacked the life they'd had before.
"Why is he wearing armor?"
"I'm missing an arm and leg," Edward replied. "Can you guess what he's missing?"
Aragorn looked at the armor. It had seemed odd that such a young boy could move it so easily, but what Alphonse could have lost was beyond him. "I can't."
"There's nothing in there. His entire body was taken. I managed to bond his soul to that armor, but it's probably not much better than being dead. That's why I have to help him. I need to find a way to get his body back."
"How did this happen?" Aragorn asked. Edward was acting as if his brother's body still existed.
"A rebound," Edward replied. "We were using alchemy, and something went wrong.
The way Edward said it, along with his stance and the way his eyes were glued to the ground, told Aragorn that there was more to the story; something that Edward was ashamed to admit. However, Aragorn would leave the matter alone for the moment. These boys were in too much pain as it was, and they were definitely not ready to leave their home country. It appeared they would have to wait.
"How long will it take?" Aragorn asked. "For your arm and leg, I mean."
Ed looked down at his leg and moved it a bit. "According to Winry, the average time is about three years."
"And yet you wish to be in the military within two years."
"Three years is the average," Edward stated, his eyes glowing with fierce determination. "I'll do it in one."
Aragorn nodded as he stood up. "Then I will return in two years."
Edward scowled. "You don't think I can do it?"
"I never said that," Aragorn said, holding back a laugh. He shouldn't have expected any less from Edward. Even when his life took a turn for the worst, his spirit could not be broken. "You'll be in the military by then, won't you? I wish to hear about it."
"Oh. Okay then." Edward looked up after a moment with confusion evident in his face. "But then why did you come here today?"
Aragorn contemplated the question for a moment. Now that the brothers had so much on their minds, taking them to Rivendell now would not be in their best interests. He decided it was best to leave them be for the moment. "I wanted to see how your training went."
"Oh. It was fine. We learned a lot when we were there."
"I'm glad to hear it. I must go now, but I will see you again in two years."
"Yeah, okay. See you."
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LAAAARRRRR.
