Hey guys, welcome back to Frost and Fullmetal!
No reviews again this time, so let's get straight to the chapter!
~ 5 ~
Begrudging Truce
"So…let me get this straight," Jack said slowly, acutely aware of his heart rate rising, though he fought to conceal it. "You and your brother...you tried to bring your mother back from the dead. You used some weird human-related alchemy...and got your body and his limbs taken from you as a result."
"That's the gist of it," Alphonse replied with a nod. "My body and Brother's leg...they were the tolls that we had to pay for trying to play God and interfere with life and death. Brother's arm was the toll that he had to pay to get my soul back so he could attach it to this armor."
"I...I see…" Jack frowned, anxiously chewing on his lower lip. "I'm sorry...that all sounds...awful…"
"It was," Al agreed. "But...it was the price we had to pay for our arrogance. We thought we could bring someone back from the dead...but, as we learned, it's impossible."
Jack swallowed thickly. "...r-right," he mumbled, nodding. "Right...impossible, of course…"
As if he wasn't desperate enough to get out of there already.
Al seemed to notice the older boy's discomfort, but evidently couldn't accurately guess what it pertained to. "I know it's a lot," he acknowledged apologetically. "And it's a pretty weird story...but that's the truth. And that's why Brother and I wanted to question you...we're trying to get our original bodies back, and when we saw you and your alche - er, no, magic, we thought maybe you'd know something that could help us."
Jack was silent for a long moment. Pushing away the disconcerting thoughts about rising from the dead, he briefly wracked his brain for any sort of memory or scrap of information that might help the brothers. As abrasive as the older one had been, Jack realized now that the boys had been through a type of hell that he could scarcely even imagine - and for him, that was certainly saying something.
"Good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them," he mumbled under his breath, so low that Al couldn't hear him.
No matter what, the Elric brothers were still kids. He couldn't just walk away without a thought after hearing their plight.
He was a Guardian, after all.
"Alright, so…" he began slowly, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "My magic...it's pretty specialized. I can really only do things related to winter, like...make it snow, create ice, fly on the wind - "
"You can fly!?" Alphonse suddenly blurted out in amazement. "I mean...I know we saw you jump off that building and all, but...you can actually fly?"
Jack chuckled lightly and nodded. Despite the armored boy's threatening appearance and clear intelligence, it appeared as though he still had some childlike tendencies to him.
"You bet I can," Jack replied with a nonchalant smirk. "And I can even show you later if you want, but first...like I said, I don't have too wide of a range of magical things I can do. However...one of my, ah...coworkers has a much more extensive knowledge of magic than I've got. Don't get me wrong, I can't promise that he'll know how to fix your bodies, but I figure it's worth a shot asking him. Once I get my snow globe fixed, I can even take you guys to talk to him, if you'd like."
Though Al's metallic face bore no real expression, his stammering voice gave away his awe. "I...h-hold on. Your coworker, your snow globe, your magic...s-sorry, it's just a lot to take in! I mean...what's the snow globe for? Who's your coworker? And...what's your job, even?"
Jack chuckled sheepishly. "Ah, well...it is kind of a lot, isn't it? But hey, since you told me your story, I guess it's really only fair that I tell you a bit about me, isn't it?"
"Damn right it is!" came a familiar voice from the doorway.
Jack and Alphonse turned to watch Edward march into the room, his head held high with a sort of defiant pride, while Winry entered after him, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, Brother!" Al exclaimed. "You're back!"
"That's right," Ed stated with a nod. "And before we do anything else - " He ignored Winry's frustrated glare. " - it's time that you finally tell us what you are!"
Jack arched an eyebrow. "What I am?" he mused. "Interesting way of putting it...let me guess. You weren't really asleep on the train, were you?"
Ed smirked. "Nope. I heard the whole thing. So then...if you're supposedly 'not human,' then what are you?"
"Not human!?" Winry exclaimed in surprise, though Edward once again disregarded her.
"I've decided to play nice for now!" the young alchemist continued. "But you said it yourself - Al's apparently told you what happened to us, so you have to tell us about yourself. Equivalent exchange!"
Jack shook his head, sighing slightly. "You sure do like that phrase, huh? But...you're right. Fair is fair. I'll tell you everything I can, okay?"
Ed grinned triumphantly. "Good! And remember, you have to tell me the truth. Otherwise, you don't get that snow globe thing back."
Jack's expression dulled. "Well...sure, but you probably won't believe me. Based on your track record, anyway."
The younger boy's eye twitched slightly, but he kept the smile firmly plastered onto his face. "...Winry and I had a talk, and...I've decided to give you the benefit of the doubt for now! I'm gonna trust you, and you're gonna trust me. And we'll both benefit from it!"
"...I...can't say I'm entirely convinced, but uh...okay," Jack responded slowly, eyebrows raised. "Though you kinda look like you're in pain right now. Like you're physically restraining yourself from insulting me again."
"I'm fine!" Edward replied in a voice that was just a bit too high-pitched. "Why would I insult you!? We're all friends here, right!? Time to start working together!"
Jack stared at him, bewildered, then glanced at Winry. "What the hell did you do to him out there?"
"He only started acting like this once we walked in here," she deadpanned, bringing a hand to her forehead. "So...not my fault."
Jack blinked. "...so then I broke him."
"That...would seem to be the case…" Alphonse agreed, eyeing his brother apprehensively. "Um...just try not to upset him from here on out, okay…?"
"Easier said than done," Jack mumbled under his breath. Then, he shook his head and composed himself, straightening up. "Alright, Edward. You want the truth? I'll give you the truth. Whether you believe it or not is up to you, but know that I don't intend to lie to you at all."
"We'll see," Ed answered through gritted teeth. "Now...get on with it. Who are you? What are you?"
"Well…" Jack took a deep breath before continuing. "My name is Jack Frost. I'm from an entirely different world than this one. I'm not a human, I'm a winter spirit. The Spirit of Winter, even. And I'm a Guardian of Childhood - the Guardian of Fun, more specifically. And that snow globe I need you to fix? It's actually magic. It can create a portal to any location that you give it. I got here in the first place by experimenting with making a portal without actually specifying a destination, which...I guess just made it completely random. Not my brightest idea, of course, but...hindsight's 20/20."
Edward gave a long, slow blink.
Jack cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, uh...I'm guessing you don't believe me again?"
Edward didn't say a word.
"...right, sure, that makes sense," the albino teen admitted. "It's...a lot. And I know you probably think I'm either lying, or crazy, or both. But I swear, it's the truth. Is there any way I can prove it to you?"
"You…" Ed took a slow, steadying breath. "...okay. Okay, okay, okay. So...you think you're some kind of...some kind of ghost from another world?"
"Not a ghost," Jack corrected. "Spirit. I mean I don't blame you, 'cause most humans usually use them as synonyms, but they're actually two different things. For one, I'm clearly flesh and blood, right? Ghosts are translucent and can walk through walls and such."
Ed scowled, though he didn't stop humoring Jack quite yet. "Then what the hell is a spirit supposed to be?"
Jack shrugged. "Kinda hard to explain, since a lot of us are so different from each other. Some humanoid, some not, some are Nature spirits, some are Legend spirits...but I guess the unifying thing would be that we're all immortal beings of magic."
Jack was beginning to notice that, with every bombshell he dropped, the twitch in Edward's left eye grew more and more severe. The "immortal" comment in particular caused the alchemist's entire head to jerk to the side momentarily, to Jack's mild amusement.
"Immortal!?" Alphonse exclaimed, while his older brother was still in the process of recovering his voice. "You mean...you can't die!?"
"Well...can't is a bit of a strong word," Jack admitted. "I'm pretty hard to kill, sure, and I don't age, so I won't grow old and die any time soon, but if, say, you stabbed me through the heart, I'd die like anyone else would. My body won't break down on its own, but I'm not necessarily invincible."
"Oh…" Al murmured, in awe. "Wait, so if you don't age...then how old are you, exactly?"
"Seventeen," the winter spirit replied with a grin. "At least, that's what I've been for the past three hundred or so years."
"You've got to be kidding me…" Edward growled, fixing Jack with a particularly sharp glare. "If you're just trying to mess with us, then - "
"I swear to you, I'm not," Jack promised, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "Believe me, I know how weird it sounds. And I know I'm not doing a particularly good job of explaining it, but...cut me some slack, I've never had to do this before."
"And why's that?" Ed asked impatiently. "What, are you considered normal where you come from?"
"Uh...no. Not by a long shot, actually. It's just, well...I'm usually invisible to humans." The boy ran his hand through his hair, frowning. "If they don't already believe I exist, then they can't see, hear, or touch me at all. That's why I was so awkward when you first talked to me...I never expected anyone to be able to see me. Different world, different rules, I guess."
"I'd say you're still pretty awkward now," Ed snapped, though Jack figured that his hostility was more so to hide his confusion at this point.
"...that's fair," Jack admitted. "Like I said, I'm usually invisible. Not all that used to...being social."
The young alchemist rolled his eyes. "Tch...I can tell."
Jack frowned. "Listen. I know this is weird, and I don't blame you for not believing me. But...maybe I could prove it to you? Like I told Al, once my snow globe's fixed, I can take you back to my world and show you around. It's one thing to listen to me ramble, but if you see it for yourself, would that convince you?"
Ed's eyes narrowed into golden slits. "...maybe," he said carefully. "Assuming you're not just crazy, and this 'magic portal' thing actually works."
"Heh, true," Jack chuckled. "It does, don't worry. But remember, it has to be fixed first. Can't do anything with the globe in pieces."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Ed waved him off with a huff. "Just wait 'til I get my arm back, then I'll fix your damn snow globe. First, though, I want to know something. Earlier you said you were the 'Spirit of Winter' and the 'Guardian of Fun.' The hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, 'Spirit of Winter' means I control the season of winter," Jack replied casually. "I can make it snow, sleet, hail, and what have you. There's a main spirit for each season, then plenty more minor Nature spirits that fall under those seasonal categories. I, as my title suggests, am winter's main spirit."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on," Ed interrupted, his ever-present scowl still locked in place. "Look, you've said a lot of ridiculous things so far, and I'll humor you for most of them...for now. But you cannot expect me to believe that a dumbass like you somehow landed a position as some big important leader, even if it is inside whatever fantasy world your head's stuck in!"
"Ed," Winry hissed, elbowing him sharply. "Remember what we talked about! Play nice!"
"No, no, he actually makes a fair point," Jack conceded. "I know - I don't really seem like…'leader' material. And really, no one even actually treats me like one either, if I'm being honest. In my case, it's really just a title that comes with a to-do list. I do the work, no one thanks me, and we move on." He shrugged. "That's the more aggravating of my two jobs, anyway. Being a Guardian of Childhood is typically a lot more fun. Probably because I'm the Guardian of Fun, and all."
"Hold on, you're the Guardian of Childhood and the Guardian of Fun!?" Edward snapped in frustration. "How many jobs do you have!? If you're gonna make up stories, at least stick to one!"
Jack sighed, shaking his head. "Edward, Edward, Edward...you need to pay more attention. I said I'm a Guardian of Childhood, not the Guardian of Childhood. In fact, 'Guardian of Childhood' is more of an umbrella term. There's five of us, each protecting a certain aspect of childhood. Wonder, Hope, Memories, Dreams...and mine is Fun. Hence...I'm the Guardian of Fun. Make sense?"
"Oh, I understand!" Alphonse chimed in. "Brother, it's like how you're a State Alchemist, and you're the Fullmetal Alchemist. And Colonel Mustang is the Flame Alchemist, and - "
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it," Edward interrupted, waving him off. "Makes sense, or...whatever. You don't have to talk to me like I'm some kind of idiot."
Jack arched an eyebrow. "Of course," he agreed. "You seem...less like an idiot, more like the type to be difficult on purpose because you don't like me."
The alchemist glared daggers at the older boy, while Winry scoffed beside him. "Looks like he's got you all figured out, Ed," she commented.
"Shut up, Winry!"
"Um...maybe we should move on," Al suggested sheepishly. "Before another fight breaks out."
"Fine," Ed responded begrudgingly. "Fine. In fact, let's move on entirely. I've heard enough bullshit for one day, and frankly, I'm getting tired of listening to this dumbass' voice." He gestured at Jack to accentuate his point.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Sincerest apologies," he replied sarcastically, and was promptly ignored by Edward.
"Winry, how soon can you have my arm done?" the older Elric asked instead.
His mechanic paused, thinking for a moment. "Well...not that I'm particularly willing to pull a bunch of all-nighters again, but...fastest I can do is about three days, like last time."
"Alright, then." Edward turned to face Jack, his glare returning. "Listen, you!" he exclaimed. "I'm taking you up on your offer. Once I get my arm back and fix your snow globe, you'll take me to...wherever the hell you came from. And you're going to help me find some way to get Al's body back to normal!"
"And your body too, Brother," Al reminded him.
"Keep in mind, I can't promise any results," Jack told them. "I know for a fact that I don't have that kind of magic, but I can take you to someone who might. The key word being might."
"If there's any sort of chance, I'll take it," Ed said firmly. "That's the only reason I haven't kicked your ass out already. We were just starting to run out of leads...and now, here you are, the most annoying lead I've ever come across. I'll put up with you, but only for the sake of our goal!"
"Uh huh…" Jack deadpanned. "...really feeling the love over here. But...fine. You don't have to like me. As long as you help me get home, I'll do what I can for you guys in return."
Even if, he acknowledged begrudgingly, that meant that these next three days were going to be very, very long.
()()()()
Ed was bored. For several reasons, really.
First, there wasn't much to do in Resembool to begin with. Wandering around the countryside got old quick, especially when he was actively waiting to get his automail arm back. That just seemed to make the day drag on even slower. The only semi-entertaining occurrence was when Pinako had finally returned home and had demanded to know why there was a random dumbass stranger in her house (Ed's words, not hers). Though even that had been quickly diffused and resolved by Al before it could get interesting, unfortunately.
Next, he found himself unable to concentrate on anything. With thousands of questions buzzing around in his head, he couldn't even sit still long enough to read more than a few paragraphs of his old alchemy books. He had tried making a habit of checking up on Winry's progress to keep himself entertained, but after the twelfth uninvited visit he'd paid her, she'd banished him from her working station for the remainder of the three days.
Finally, given his lack of a right arm, he couldn't even spar with Alphonse. Or rather, Ed insisted that he could, but Al refused to fight him until his automail was fixed. Something about it being unfair? As though Ed was ever going to beat Al in a fight anyway.
To make matters worse, Jack was there.
The irritating ice boy was just about constantly outside, which meant that if Edward wanted to escape the house at all (which he often did), he was required to walk by Jack. And, much to Edward's aggravation, Jack never seemed to get the message that he absolutely did not want to talk to him.
Once, when Ed stood in the doorway, carefully glancing this way and that, it almost seemed as though the self-proclaimed spirit wasn't there. The yard was virtually empty, save for the occasional bird pecking at the ground. With a satisfied smirk on his face, the young alchemist stepped outside.
"Hi, Edward!" immediately came a grating voice from above him.
Ed's smirk instantly dropped.
"You're kidding," he deadpanned, turning and looking up at the roof of the Rockbells' house, where Jack now perched, grinning like the dumbass that he was. "You are absolutely kidding. How did you even get up there!?"
Jack chuckled lightly. "I flew, of course."
"...you're hilarious, really," Edward said flatly. "I don't even know why I bother asking…" He turned to walk away, but it seemed that the icy annoyance wasn't quite finished with him.
"Wait, no, I'm serious!" Jack called out. "Here, you want proof of my magic, right? Then watch what I do!"
Against his better judgement, Ed stopped and glanced over his shoulder. After a long, hesitant moment, he mumbled under his breath, "...I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Still, he reluctantly turned around fully, his dull, half-lidded eyes trained on the boy on the roof.
"If you jump off that roof and break something, I'm just gonna stand here and laugh," Ed told him in a monotone voice. "Just warning you now."
"I appreciate your concern," Jack laughed. "But you've seen me jump off a building before, remember? I'll be fine!"
Before Edward could retort with another sarcastic comment, Jack straightened up, walked to the edge of the roof, and stepped straight out into the open air.
Literally.
From the ground, Edward gaped at the sight of the older boy seemingly standing on absolutely nothing. Then, Jack laughed and relaxed his posture, lifting his legs as though lounging in midair. He drifted down closer to Edward's level, bringing a gust of wind with him.
He flipped upside down and smirked. "See? Didn't break anything."
"N-Nothing but the laws of physics!" Ed spluttered, backing up a few steps as he stared up at the albino boy in shock. "How the hell are you doing that!?"
"Oh, it's nothing special." Jack shrugged, as though he wasn't currently spitting in the face of the entirety of science. "I just call upon the Wind - it's a close friend of mine, by the way - and it lifts me up off the ground. Nature spirits are super light, so it can kinda just carry us wherever we want, or make an air cushion beneath us to keep us hovering in place. Pretty cool, huh?"
Ed blinked. "...you're bullshitting me. You have to be," he practically growled. "There's...there's wires somewhere! Or...no, that would be impossible to set up...it could be an optical illusion, though…" He fell silent, mentally running through as many feasible possibilities as he could come up with.
Jack's eyebrows lifted. "You know," he mused. "You are one determined skeptic. Guess I shouldn't be too surprised, though. Al did mention that you're an atheist that's met God. Honestly, that's an impressive level of stubbornness."
"Shut up!" Ed snapped. "You know damn well that this shouldn't be possible!" He gestured vaguely at Jack's floating form. "Unless you're even more of a dumbass than I thought!"
Jack somehow had the audacity to roll his eyes. "Is that your favorite word or something? Come on, you can be more creative than that, blondie. This 'dumbass' thing is getting old."
Edward's eye twitched. "I said, shut up! Don't you have something better to do than harass me and be an insult to science!?"
Still hanging upside down in the air, the older boy pretended to think for a moment. "Hmm...can't say that I do, actually. Everyone else is busy and I can't really go anywhere. So...guess all I can do is hang around you." Then, with an irritatingly smug smirk on his face, he reached out and lightly tapped the top of Edward's head with the hooked end of the strange stick he always carried.
"Knock it off!" Edward seethed as he reached up, grabbed the stick's hook, and yanked it out of Jack's grasp.
As though he was a puppet whose strings were suddenly cut, Jack immediately dropped out of the air, landing on his back with a light thud.
"Hey!" the supposed spirit exclaimed indignantly. "Give that back!"
The young alchemist blinked, looked at the stick, then at Jack, then back at the stick. To him, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary - if oddly shaped - length of wood. Even the frost that had previously coated it had vanished when it passed from Jack's hands into his own.
"So the secret is in this…?" he mused, running his thumb lightly over the wooden surface. "Weird...maybe there's a circle carved in it somewhere…"
As he examined the stick, it appeared that Jack was getting impatient. "Don't make me do this the hard way, blondie," he warned, flipping over and pushing himself up into a kneeling position. "Just hand over the staff, please."
Ah, so not just a stick, then? A staff, as if the boy was some sort of wizard.
Edward snorted lightly at the thought. Silver hair, strange abilities, and half-insane ramblings. It was almost too fitting.
Though Ed currently had no interest in incurring an idiot's wrath over the theft of a crooked piece of wood, he resolved to find some time to study the staff later. For now, he figured he'd at least have a quick moment of fun at said idiot's expense.
"What, this?" he taunted, twirling the staff as best as he could with one hand. "Ooh, what is it? The source of your magic power?"
"Actually, even though I do need it to fly, it's more of a conduit," Jack deadpanned. "Decreases the chances of casualties when I use magic. So I'd argue that it's in your best interest to give it back."
Ed had an extremely difficult time telling if this guy was serious sometimes.
He figured he would take his chances.
"Sure, sure," he said, rolling his eyes. "You can have it back. You just have to go get it!" He spun and pitched the staff as far as he could across the yard, flashing a smug grin as he did so.
Jack's expression dulled as he straightened and looked down at Edward. "...really?"
"Go fetch!" Ed snickered. It wasn't often that he got to be the one making dog-themed jokes - usually, they were directed at him.
Jack didn't seem particularly amused, but at least he didn't decide to express his anger in a casualty-inducing way. He simply rolled his eyes and started walking towards the fallen staff.
"Real mature, blondie," he called over his shoulder. "Real mature."
The younger boy smirked. "Not so fun when you're the one being messed with, huh?" he snorted. "Maybe now you'll think twice about bothering me!" He put a hand on his hip, lifting his chin in smug triumph, as though daring the supposed spirit to retort.
Jack, however, offered no response. In fact, though he had walked far enough that his staff now lay right at his feet, he did not bend to pick it up. For whatever reason, he stopped moving altogether, minus a slight sway in his stance.
At first, Ed was annoyed.
"Really?" he deadpanned. "The silent treatment now? Come on, there's no way you're that sensitive!"
Still, Jack didn't answer.
"...or maybe you're just really dedicated to annoying me? Talking when I don't want you to talk, and staying quiet when I'm actually looking for an answer? Well knock it off, jackass!"
No response, aside from Jack suddenly dropping to his knees, one hand flying up to grab his own forehead.
Edward blinked, his anger draining. That was certainly unexpected.
"Uh...dumbass?" he called tentatively, slowly approaching the older boy. "You good?"
So maybe he wasn't an expert at this "concerned" thing, especially with people who irritated him, but at least he was making an effort.
As Ed got closer, Jack seemed to jolt back to his senses. His hand fell back to his side and he looked around, blinking as though he had just stepped from a pitch black cave into direct sunlight. When his gaze landed on Ed, Jack blinked a few more times, then shook his head as if to clear it.
"Um…" he began, a bewildered look on his eerily pale face. "I...got really dizzy all of a sudden. That doesn't...usually happen…"
Almost instantly, the concern vanished, and Edward made a show of rolling his eyes. "It's probably from you hanging upside down like that!" he scoffed. "That's what happens when you let all the blood rush to your head for that long, dumbass!"
"But...it doesn't usually happen…" Jack repeated quietly. He stared down at the ground for a few moments, perplexed, before shaking his head, picking up his staff, and straightening up. "Um...never mind, I guess. I'm probably fine. Bye."
Before Edward could get another word in, the strange boy (who was becoming stranger by the second, in Edward's opinion) walked away as though in a daze. He didn't even offer any words of further explanation for his odd behavior - he simply wandered off, apparently lost in his own thoughts.
"...what a weirdo," Ed muttered.