Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fullmetal Alchemist or Rise of the Guardians
Edward watched as Jack walked off, almost immediately after arriving in the workshop. He had pulled his hood over his head, and Ed knew that the guy would need some time to be alone for a while. Instead, Edward pulled out the red stone from his pocket, staring into the smooth red surface with a frown. It seemed to reflect the lights in the room, sending them shining in different directions as the beams hit the surface.
Tooth saw the item in Ed's hand and flew over to him, her hands fidgeting in front of her as she bit at her bottom lip, hesitating to speak. "Edward…" she began, before sighing, glancing over towards the stone again. "What is that?"
Edward frowned, letting the rock rest in his palm, holding it out for her to see. North and Bunny were behind her, coming closer out of interest. "A Philosopher's Stone," Ed replied, unsure of what else to say. Sandy's body lay unmoving on the floor, covered in a white blanket that the elves had fetched from somewhere within the workshop. He looked so peaceful, almost like he was asleep like all of the children he watched over.
Edward stared at Sandy, his hand slowly closing over the stone as he began to grimace, his head tilting forward and letting his bangs fall further into his face, almost covering his eyes. "That damn bastard, I didn't think he'd actually do it," Ed stated, while the others frowned and shared looks between themselves. "It was what he tried before, back at the Tooth Palace. He already has a stone, why does he need…?" Ed wondered, trailing off.
"Edward…I know you are worried about the dangers of your knowledge, but please, tell us what happened to Sandy," Tooth begged, sitting by his side with her knees folded underneath her. Ed continued rolling the stone around within his hand, his fist shaking slightly as he turned towards Tooth. His lips were turned downwards, and his eyes were focused as he took a deep breath, nodding towards her.
Edward noticed the others behind her now, seeing North and Bunny standing behind Tooth and waiting for an answer. "Yeah, I guess it can't do too much damage at this point, considering what seems to be Father's plan right now," Ed commented, running his empty hand through his hair. "I suppose I should start with the concept of alchemy," he began after a few moments.
"Alchemy? I've heard rumors of such a thing, I thought it was just a myth," North commented, glancing over at Bunny who nodded in agreement.
Bunny's arms were crossed over his chest, his eyebrows raised towards Ed. "Seriously, mate, you're basing this entire theory of yours on a non-existent art? We don't have time for these games, I say we just leave him and focus on stopping Pitch on our own."
Ed glared at Bunny, standing up and glaring at the tall creature. "If you do that, you'll all be like Sandy before the week's out," Ed insisted, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb towards Sandy's body. Tooth's hands moved to cover her mouth as she let out a slight gasp, while North took a step back, watching Ed silently. "Father used alchemy to do this to Sandy. Luckily for us, it is rather simple to reverse the process, but if you push me away and stop letting me help you, there won't be anyone around to help release your souls from the philosopher's stone."
"Wait, you're telling me Sandy's still alive?" Bunny asked, glancing over at the Guardian. Jack turned at this as well, his eyes wide as he stared at Ed. Slowly, the winter spirit got up and joined them, gazing over at Ed with his hood still pulled over his hair, leaning against his staff. "Why didn't you do something about that sooner?"
"Because all of you people keep interrupting me! Damn it, can't you just shut up and let me answer your first question?" Ed demanded angrily, his shoulders tensed as he scowled at the Guardians before him.
Bunny rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and stepping back silently while the others nodded in agreement. "Alchemy is the process of deconstructing and reconstructing matter. It is a science that takes years of practice and understanding to master," Ed began. "Still, it isn't all powerful. In order to gain something, something of equal value must be sacrificed in return. This concept is known as the Law of Equivalent Exchange, and there is only one method within alchemy that allows you to bypass it," Ed stated, holding up the red stone in his hand. "A Philosopher's Stone, capable of enhancing someone's alchemy to the point of ignoring the natural laws of the world. Creating one, however, requires human souls. This is what Father is trying to do, with all of us. He wants us to become a new Philosopher's Stone for him, so he can have enough power to break through the Gate of Truth and completely absorb God. Something got in his way last time, and I have a feeling that I know what that was," Ed explained, smiling somewhat as he finished.
North stroked his beard, staring at Ed with a frown. "Something was in the way? Could this be the other Guardian?" he questioned, while Tooth glanced up with wide eyes.
"Oh, this is so exciting! Who is he? Are you going to let us meet him soon?" Tooth asked, flying closer to Ed who backed away slightly, leaning away from her with a frown.
She continued looking at Ed hopefully, not noticing how his eyes grew distant and unfocused. His expression became even darker than before, as his arms fell to his sides, one of them loosely gripping the stone and the other just open. His gaze turned downward, not focusing on the others. Jack took a step closer to him, seeing the change in Ed's mood. "No, I don't think you will," he replied, his voice quiet and dark. "He's trapped, I failed him. I was supposed to get our bodies back, but all I did…well, I guess that is unimportant," Ed said, glancing back up to them.
Tooth's smile had faded, her gaze worried as she focused on Edward. Jack tried giving Ed a small grin, patting his arm, but Edward ignored it and watched as Bunny turned his gaze away, looking a bit guilty over his harsh words towards Ed. "His name is Alphonse, and he is my brother. I know he's still fighting on the other side for us. Even if it means helping that bastard, Al knows that anything is better than letting Father win," Ed stated at last, giving her a slight smirk.
"Suck up. Here I was, thinking you were with me on this whole 'too much work being a Guardian thing'," Jack commented, while Edward rolled his eyes. The winter spirit gave him a smile, walking a few steps away before jumping into the air, perching himself on his staff with a grin. "Still, I'm all for you doing some work, if it means getting Sandy back. So, just how does this alchemy of yours help us with that?"
Ed grinned, holding up the stone again and stepping back from the others. "Simple, really. It takes far more energy to trap a soul in one of these than it does to release it, especially since he's still alive," he informed them. Ed had seen his father do this before, and it had looked so simple, not even requiring an actual transmutation to influence the souls within. Closing his eyes, Edward reached out with his own spirit into the stone, trying to reach the voice that belonged to Sandy. Inside, Ed could hear only one voice, unlike stones similar to this. Still, it was just as strong and powerful as Greed or any of the others had been, those that had been created from the souls of thousands. There was something different about the Guardians, Ed realized, something that made their souls far more powerful than that of a normal person.
As soon as the warmth of Sandy's mind surrounded Ed, he felt a smile spread on his face. Even in his thoughts, the guy was as silent as ever, but Edward could push his soul slightly, influencing it to be released from the stone and returned to his real body. When Edward opened his eyes again, he was still holding the stone, which was slowly beginning to crack along the surface. Within a few seconds, the entire stone shattered in his grip, leaving his hand empty as he turned towards Sandy on the ground. "That should do it." Ed commented, feeling Jack, North, and Bunny come closer. Tooth was hovering in the air, moving closer to Sandy and hovering above his body instead.
Sandy's eyes were blinking open, his face frowning as he turned around towards the others. His gaze focused on Ed, with a look of confusion on his face as his sand moved to form an image over his head. As hard as he tried, however, his magic did not seem to act properly. Sand shifted and moved in the right direction, but it held no shape and stayed in a pool above him, rather than communicating his question. "Hey, take it easy, you idiot!" Ed shouted, rushing over to him and smacking Sandy's arm gently. "That transmutation nearly took your life, just rest for now. We'll need you later on for the final battle against Father."
Sandy nodded weakly, frowning as he let his head lean back down on the ground in North's workshop. "Bloody hell, you actually did it," Bunny commented, staring in disbelief at Sandy. "It seems like I owe you an apology. I didn't realize…I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that kind of treatment, not after the hell you must've seen when your home was destroyed."
Ed nodded in acknowledgement, while North nodded at them with a smile. However, Jack and Tooth were looking elsewhere, focused on a different room where a massive globe was slowly spinning, covered in golden lights that were slowly twinkling out on its surface. "Uh oh, that can't be good." Jack commented, glancing over at Tooth who gasped, glancing over at North.
"Look how fast they're going out!" she shouted, catching the attention of the Guardian of Wonder. Ed glanced over as well, frowning at the huge globe as he moved closer to study it. Even today, he could no longer find the country of Amestris on a globe, but he knew where it had once existed. Somewhere within Asia, near the border of the country now known as China was where he had once lived. Back then, he had known of China as the country of Xiang, and Russia was the large country known as Drachma to the north. All of that was forgotten now, lost to time due to the massive destruction Father left behind in his attempt to gain more power from other souls as he left that place.
Jack nodded in agreement, focused on the globe. "It's fear. He's tipped the balance," he insisted.
"Tipped what balance? What the hell is so important about some stupid lights?" Ed demanded, watching as North stepped closer, frowning at the globe.
"Each light on this globe represents a child, a child who believes," North stated, crossing his arms over his chest. Edward nodded, copying his movement and staring up at the globe.
"I see. So, without them, you'll all die, right?" Ed clarified, watching as North nodded gravely. "Man, this is so messed up. Even after meeting that bastard, I still don't understand his reasoning behind all of this crap," he insisted, gesturing to the others around him before running a hand through his hair.
"What do you mean? Edward, is there something else you aren't telling us?" Tooth asked, flying closer to him as he sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Not exactly, it's just hard to explain," Ed answered, before focusing on the globe once more. "All of you guys, the whole idea behind what you are just reminds me of these beings Father created, beings known as Homunculus. They were immortal, all of them created from a piece of Father's own essence and given life. All of them represented some aspect he wanted to get rid of, ranging from Greed to Envy," he began, watching as the others frowned. "These 'centers' you talk about, it just reminds me a lot of this. I've met the guy you all call the Man in the Moon, and he isn't all that friendly. He's the one that punishes those that break the rules of alchemy, but your very existence does just that. It just doesn't make any sense, tossing aside traits like wonder, hope, and dreams in order to create protectors for the world."
North stepped forward, patting Edward on the shoulder with a smile. "That's just it, Edward. We help Manny with his job, always fighting to keep the world free of fear and protecting those that need us most."
Ed frowned, gazing at the ground before slowly nodding. "I see. You are extensions of his power, and that is why Father is so interested in you. Your souls all contain a piece of Truth within you. If he manages to get all of you into a Philosopher's Stone, he will have the power necessary to overpower Al and take God's power for himself, this time all of it rather than just some of it," Ed explained, turning towards the others. "We can't let that happen. Our first step needs to be stopping Father's little helper, Fear, or Pitch as you call him. That means we need to get you guys stronger, so how are we getting more belief in the world for you?"
Bunny grinned, coming closer to them with a smile as he hopped in front of all of them. "I've got a plan. Easter is tomorrow, and with your help, I say we can pull out all of the stops. We'll get those little lights flickering again," he insisted with a smile, pointing back towards the globe behind him.
Ed nodded, following the others as they moved to crowd into the elevator and go up a floor. Edward was frowning inside, smushed up against Bunny and Tooth the entire time, but the others weren't much better off. This thing wasn't meant to hold so many people, and Ed was kind of glad Sandy was unable to help at the moment. With him on board, the thing might have broken from too much weight.
As soon as it stopped, Edward jumped out to free himself from the tight fit in the elevator. The others followed, with North smiling on board. "Bunny is right! As much as it pains me to say, old friend, this time Easter is more important than Christmas." he commented, moving on as Bunny began to grin.
"Hey, did everyone hear that?" Bunny clarified, glancing around towards the others. Jack grinned at him, while Edward scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Who cares? Both are holidays, there isn't much of a difference between them. For right now, we just need to hurry up and take care of the preparations for Easter," Ed said, watching as North and Bunny both froze, staring at Ed with wide eyes.
Bunny took one step closer, pointing over towards Ed. "What did you just say, mate? You can't be telling me that Easter is anything like giving out toys to kids," he insisted, sounding rather angry.
Ed raised an eyebrow at him, while North frowned as well. "Christmas is always better than Easter, today is just an exception," he argued, while Bunny frowned, staring at him with a look of anger.
"Hey, you say that one—" Bunny began, before North held his hand up, shaking his head.
"Enough, we must hurry to the Warren. Everyone, to the sleigh!" North insisted, while Jack grinned at them. The tension was still there, but North had shrugged it off with ease, focusing everyone once more on the mission they had planned.
Bunny shook his head and jumped in front of them all, stopping their path with a grin. "Oh no, mate. My Warren, my rules. Buckle up." With a tap of his foot against the floor, Ed felt the surface vanish beneath him. He heard a cry of some kind from North as they all fell into a hole, Ed letting out a slight shriek of surprise as he stumbled over onto his back to slide along the surface of the tunnels. It was dark and hard to see, but he could feel his arms being jostled around from collisions with others, most of them letting out screams of fear from the method of travel. Jack's laughter echoed around them, while the boy slid around the tunnels like they were a race track. Finally, they all exited in a heap, all of them in a pile with only Jack left on his feet. Ed lifted his head with a groan, hoping that the rest of this place would be better. After all, he would be spending some time here, if he wanted to help create Easter for the world. As he rose to his feet, Edward turned his face towards the blue sky above, determined to save these people here and stop Father from completing his plans.
I'm not certain how interesting this chapter was, but there had to be some place where Ed explained Alchemy to the Guardians...so here it is. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!
