Chapter Thirteen: The Other Truth

Ed let out a yelp as he appeared in the white room, before he realized where he was and he glanced up and stared at the ominous Gates of Alchemy, there wasn't just one gate now, but two. Although both of them had pieces missing, and golden, silver and white light were shining through the gaps. He gulped. Something about that just screamed wrong! Although he wasn't sure what it was. Suddenly he heard the rustling of feet and he spun around and gaped…

At himself.

"What the hell…" Ed breathed, knowing his nostrils were flaring and his eyes were widening. The other Ed smiled wryly as Ed began to pat himself.

"You're not insane." Other Ed said amusement clear in his voice as it bounced around the white void of nothingness. Ed's eyes widened even more. "Do not worry," Other Ed added more gently. "I know this is weird for you… us… me?" He shrugged slightly and Ed gulped then paused and looked at the Other Ed. His hair was long, out of its normal ponytail or braid, but like his. The same height and the same Golden orbs stared at him.

"Oh god, this is so weird." He mumbled quietly to himself. He had a nasty feeling that the Other Ed had heard what he said. "Who are you?" He added more warily. Other Ed smirked.

"Oh good, I've wanted to do this since I got stuck. I am you, literately." He said gleefully. Ed laid a baleful eye on him and the Other Ed blushed slightly. "That wasn't as impressive as it sounded in my head… my voice was supposed to echo. Although, I am you, technically. I'm just… uh… I'm not exactly sure how to explain this, but I am your sub consciousness I suppose, or your alchemic other part." Ed raised his eyebrows and the Other Ed shrugged. "I suppose that since I am you, then we are both Truth."

Ed's mouth opened and he gaped at Other Ed. "No way!" He shouted and marched over to the gates and turned his back on the other Ed. "Nuh-uh. I am done with Truth. I have no Alchemy! So that proves that I'm not a creepy, white… thing! And you're not white… or creepy! You're me! Or I'm you!" He crossed his arms spun around to glare at Other Ed who facepalmed.

"How about this," Other Ed seethed through gritted teeth. "The actual Truth has escaped from the Gate, gone insane, and stuck me here, to watch over the universe collapse! Oh, and you did not need to give up your alchemy either, because you beat the Truth!"

Ed's mouth dropped to the floor and Other Ed crossed his arms in satisfaction, an eyebrow raised. "Would you elaborate about the whole Truth has gone insane and the Universe is collapsing thing? Oh and not needing to give my alchemy up!?" Ed was really annoyed, oh sure, the possibility of the universe collapsing and Truth going insane was bad, yes, terrible in fact, but not having to give up his alchemy? Oh, that just got him POed.

"Oh yes, that got me really annoyed too. I mean seriously, the cheating scoundrel basically took my alchemy! Only because he was mad that I bested him!" Other Ed growled, his teeth barring into fangs. Ed blinked and Other Ed shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, our alchemy."

"That sounds so strange…" Ed muttered and Other Ed nodded in agreement.

"Definitely. Anyways, you do have alchemy although that's mostly because I've been meddling around a little. It's just rather… temperamental." Ed was sure that the Other Ed was thinking like you. Because if he was, then he would be thinking along the same lines for the Other Ed as well, and he was, right now, of course. "Moving on. When you went to get Al, do you remember when he said that you had beaten him? Well, technically you didn't need to pay a price to be able to get Al, so Truth technically stole your alchemy, therefore trapping me here and enabling him to escape… not that I blame him… much. This place is really boring. And then Truth goes insane! Inflating the military to make the universe go down to shambles! Which, he has succeeded somewhat at. I mean look at the gate!" He pointed at the double gate and Ed nodded slowly. "That is the universe, both of them! It can barely hold the other world back, which, by the way, is seriously messed up. I mean seriously, the United States is in the middle of a Civil War! Over slaves! They should have just looked over the constitution! And then, later on, there will be this crazy guy who tries to take over the world!" Other Ed was breathing heavily while Ed just looked confused.

"What?"

Other Ed looked at him and suddenly looked incredibly sheepish. "Sorry," he said. "I forgot that you didn't know about the other universe. It's pretty much the same as this, except that they forgot about Alchemy and started investing in technology… although some of the stuff in the twenty-first century will be pretty good, I mean Laptops? iPads? Now, those are just wicked…" Ed just became more baffled and other Ed sighed. "I'm going to have to tell you about Joseph, aren't I?"

"Yes, please!" Ed shouted, relieved that they were going onto a more familiar topic. Then he paused, "Wait, you knew Joseph? But I thought you're stuck here…?"

Other Ed smiled slightly. "Well, Joseph was a Seeker, the last one as a matter of fact. He looked for the Seven Guardians of the Gate: Hope, Compassion, Patience, Loyalty, Life, Strength and Diligence. They are destined to defeat the greatest threat to the Universe, which is Truth obviously. I believe that you know who a few of them are?" Ed nodded his eyes knitting thoughtfully together. "Well, they must join together to take down Truth, but that is the hard part. Because Life is already dead and Patience might be swayed from his original path, but I might be able to stick my hand in and bring Life back…" He tilted his head thoughtfully. Ed blinked.

"The dead can't come back."

Other Ed sighed slightly. "No, not by any human means, that is. I on the other hand…" Ed gulped and Other Ed shrugged before turning to Ed. "You need to accept your role in this, though, otherwise everyone is doomed. The other six can't come together until you accept your destiny, you will be like… glue." Ed really wanted to be called glue. "Oh!" Other Ed suddenly exclaimed. "Nelots yllufthgir saw tahw kcab evig." Ed suddenly felt rather dizzy and he clutched his head. "It's not much…" the Other Ed said sadly. "But it's all that I can do to protect you. Now, will you accept?"

Ed glanced at him drily. "Can I have five minutes to consider it?"

Other Ed chuckled slightly. "You can't consider something that neither of us knows much about." He pointed out mildly. Ed sighed, knowing that the Other Ed was telling the truth.

"Fine then, I accept my duty." He wasn't aware that his voice had turned deeper, like the echoing voice of the original Truth and the Other Ed. The Other Ed smiled sadly and everything began to get dark around the edges, and blurry. Ed focused on the Other Ed's face.

"You are Hope," the Other Ed said resignedly. "Good Luck."

And then he remembered, everything.

Author's Note: YES! I've wanted to do this for ages! Like literately, since chapter one or two-ish. I'm so happy! NOW DO YOU SEE WHAT I WANTED TO POST FOR SO LONG? DOES ANYONE SEE THE PLOT? WHO DO YOU THINK LIFE IS!? *Bouncing off the walls* If your happy and you know it clap your hands...

Next Chapter: To Stand United, or Fall Divided