Chapter 3: A Taboo's Price

AANG'S P.O.V.

"Man I thought Ozai's fire bending was intense..." Sokka said to Mustang as we sat in his office.

Mustang sighed and said, "As the Flame alchemist it is my specialty of sorts."

The door opened and Ed, Al, and Zuko entered in.

Ed and Zuko both had bandages covering their shoulders.

Katara said, "Guys what happened?!"

Ed replied, "Well, we cornered Freezer when he made ice blades using his own blood to stab us in the shoulder. When we went after him the Fuhrer himself was there and apparently took out McDougal."

Mustang sighed and said, "And yet you two aren't in the hospital. Why am I not surprised?"

Katara opened her water bags and said, "Well as a water bender I can use water to heal."

She pulled out the water and ran it over Zuko's shoulder and did the same for Ed's as well.

Ed smiled and said, "I never felt better near my automail ports... Incredible..."

Zuko looked at him with a serious look and said, "Ed... You need to explain now..."

He sighed and said, "Alright..."

Ed looked at us and said, "First off, none of this leaves this room without our permission. Alright?"

We all nodded and Ed said, "This story is not the best one but... it must be told... When Al and I was little our father abandoned us, leaving our mother to care for us alone. She would encourage us to push our limits and try new things. We became alchemist because of her. But..."

He seemed to tense up for a moment when he finally said, "The world can be cruel and unjust... To us the first injustice it did to me and Al... Is taking away our mother..."

My eyes went wide...

Their mother?!

She's gone...

Oh no... Zuko...

He must be devastated.

Ed looked up and said, "We were alone... No one to take care of us... So we made a pack... We would try the impossible..."

Al looked at us and said, "To understand the next part of our story you must know what alchemy is. Alchemy is the science of understanding, deconstructing and reconstructing matter. However, it is not an all powerful art. It is impossible to create something out of nothing. If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be given. This is the law of equivalent exchange. The basis of all alchemy. In accordance with this law, there is a taboo among alchemists. Human transmutation is strictly forbidden."

Sokka looked at them and said, "What I got from that is that when you make something using alchemy it called a transmutation... So human transmutation is..."

Ed replied, "Trying to bring someone back... The alchemist ultimate sin..."

He looked down and said, "We were just kids... who wanted to see our mother again... but when we tried it... We were dragged into a place called Truth... we learned the secrets of alchemy and what we did wrong..."

He pulled off his jacket and boots showing his metal limbs and said, "A price had to be paid for our sin... I lost my leg... but Al..."

Al lifted off his helmet and...

I whispered, "There's no one... no one in there..."

Toph yelled, "That's what I've been saying!"

Sokka looked at her and said, "Toph, no offense but sometimes you're not that serious."

Al replied, "I lost my entire body... Brother gave up his arm to bind my soul to this suit of armor..."

Ed looked up and said, "Now we search for the Philosopher's Stone in hopes of restoring our original bodies..."

Zuko looked at them and said, "Edward... Alphonse..."

Ed looked down and said, "And the worse part is... the thing we made... the thing that was suppose to be our mother... it didn't look human and it died right in front of us..."

He sobbed out, "We tried to play God and we're still paying for our sin. We learned the hard way that no one comes back from the dead. Ever."

I thought Zuko had a ruff past, but... this is unreal...

Tears swiftly rolled down Ed's face...

Zuko looked at him and said, "Ed..."

Ed looked over at his half brother and said, "Yeah..."

Zuko looked at him and said, "You and Al more determined that most everyone I know... I know you two will find a way. I believe in you... little brother..."

Ed wiped away his tears and smirked.

"Your right dammit! We will succeed and there is no way anyone is going to stop us!"

Mustang looked at him and said, "Full metal... Your train..."

Ed yelled, "Crap! We missed it! How are we suppose to get to Loire?!"

I looked at Zuko and smiled.

He replied, "Aang... I don't think that's a good idea and..."

I jumped up and said, "We can get you to there in no time, just give me directions."

Ed looked at me and said, "How...?"

I smiled and said, "Appa can take us there."

ALPHONSE'S P.O.V.

"Uhhh... Zuko is that a Chimera?" Ed asked as we approached the large animal.

Aang asked, "What's a chimera?"

I replied, "A creature created from two or more animals."

Zuko shook his head and said, "No, in our nation animals are naturally like this."

Aang jumped up and said, "This is Appa, and he's my flying bison."

Ed and I looked at each other.

A bison that could fly?

It doesn't have wings... how can it fly?

Sokka looked at us and said, "Sky Bison posses the ability to air bend, thus they bend the air currents around them to fly..."

Ed smiled and said, "Thanks we were a little lost on that..."

Toph sighed and said, "Well let me get you up there..."

I then said, "No allow me... It gives me a chance to show you normal alchemy."

Toph nodded and stepped back.

I took out a piece of chalk and began drawing the transmutation circle.

Once I was finished I placed my hands down and the stairs began to form up to Appa.

Toph smirked and said, "Nice job Tin Can. I think you and Metal Butt might make decent earth benders."

Ed smirked and said, "Thanks for the complement but we can do a lot more with alchemy."

We walked up the steps and took a seat inside the sattle next to Zuko.

Aang sat on Appa's head holding a set of reins.

He smiled and said, "Katara ready for the cloud cover?"

She nodded and began to create a thick fog around us.

Aang then said, "First time flyers hold on! Yip Yip!"

Appa jumped up and I saw the ground get smaller.

Ed yelled, "What the hell?! We're actually flying!"

Zuko laughed and said, "Yeah, my first time was like that too."

Ed stood up and looked around at the ground as we flew through the sky.

I then said, "Brother you should sit down."

Zuko replied, "I am sitting down..."

Ed looked at him and said, "I think he was talking to me... Dammit Al! You need to call us different things!"

Zuko nodded and said, "Well in my land it's respectable to call your older brother Nii-san."

I nodded and said, "Alright, I'll call Ed, brother and I'll call you Nii-san."

Ed looked at me and said, "Yeah... That's a good idea."

I looked at the group and said, "So you know a lot about us, we want to know about you. Equivalent Exchange."

Sokka raised an eyebrow and asked, "And that is?"

Ed replied, "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. It the code of alchemist, in order to gain something, something must be given."

Katara nodded and said, "Sounds fair. So I guess I should start in the very begining... Long ago the Four nations once lived in harmony but then Fire Nation attacked..."

SOKKA'S P.O.V.

"And that's what happened..." Katara said as she finished the tale.

Ed and Al were staring contently at her.

Ed said, "So Aang can bend all four elements and the energy inside the body? That is incredible, but I have a hard time believing the whole spirits thing."

I looked at him and said, "Why is that hard for you to believe?"

Ed replied, "Al and I are alchemist, better known as scientist... We don't believe without proof."

Toph then said, "So you have no religion?"

He nodded and said, "I don't judge those who do, but if they are expecting something impossible to happen from praying or they try to force it on me, I will shove reality down their throats until they can swallow the truth."

Al said, "Brother..."

He said, "What I'm telling the truth here aren't I?"

Zuko laughed and said, "Ed he saying you don't know when to stop and now you just proved it!"

Ed growled at Zuko for a moment and then started laughing.

The three of them together... it seem like a real family, even though there are no adults in the picture.

Toph shivered for a moment and said, "Why the air so cold here?"

Ed pulled off his red overcoat and said, "It rained not to long ago. The pressure must still be down."

Ed wrapped it around Toph and said, "That should keep you warm."

She nodded and said, "Thanks."

I looked at Ed and asked, "How did you know that it rained? There's not a dark cloud in the sky."

Ed took off his over shirt and leaned back showing the full extent of his metal arm and the the large amount of scar tissue on his shoulder.

He replied, "My automail ports ache when it raining. It's kind of the cost of a sin I suppose..."

Aang yelled, "Hey we're here!"

I looked down and saw the city with a large church in the center.

Al then said, "That's Loire and if the rumors are true..."

Ed smiled and said, "Then a Philosopher's Stone is waiting for us."