A very long time ago, near enough over four hundred years ago, I sat with my head and arms on a small table in my teacher's office. My friend, who once saved my life leaned against the table holding his broom. We were taking a quick nap, me from studying and he was resting from working so much. The young man was my friend, he was known as 23, on an errand for my teacher he once saved my life from a horse and cart going by too quickly.
I was the princess of the land we lived, Xerxes, it was in the middle of a desert and our people thrived. I was currently seven years old, my grandfather was the kind, he would throw me to my teacher every day, since he didn't really want anything to do with me since my parents were killed. But he still cared, I think…
23, he was a stubborn but caring boy, he had blonde hair and golden eyes, like most of the people in my land, however, I had brown hair and sky-blue eyes, just like my mother before me.
"Young man, little girl… Hey, you two over there…" a voice called, I slowly sat up and rubbed my face. Trying to remember our surroundings I looked at 23 as he looked shocked,
"Oh no!" 23 called,
"It's all right." The voice spoke again; we both looked around the room confused. "Look. Over here." The voice called again, I pulled on 23's top and pointed at the flask on the table, it had taken me by surprise, whatever it was, made me feel uncomfortable as well.
"Um, yeah?" 23 spoke,
"Hey, now… Can't you at least bring yourself to act a little surprised or something?" the flask asked, I just stared at it, from what I've been learning from the master, a lot was possible with trial and error, I still had a lot to learn from my teacher, but it was going to take a while,
"What do I get for acting surprised?" 23 spoke,
"Mm, you show no fear. I like that. What's your name?" the flask asked,
"I'm Number 23 and this is Princess Reaka Morden, don't worry about her being shy, she doesn't talk much." 23 smiled down at me putting his hand on my head.
"Not your number. I want you to tell me your real name. And Princess?" The flask spoke,
"I'm a slave. I don't have one. And she's the Princess of where we live." 23 spoke,
"A Slave? You mean a person without any rights or freedoms, someone trafficked and deeded as a possession?" the flask asked,
"Deeded? What's that?" 23 asked, we were both confused of the words the flask spoke. "It's when a piece of property is transferred to another person." The flash added, 23 had a blank look, so did myself, but I was intrigued by this flask.
"Seems you're not all that bright, are you?" the flask asked,
"Deeded, when a piece of property is transferred to another person," I spoke stepping forward and looking closely at the flask,
"Well… this girl is brighter than an older male, though she is the Princess, so education is given to her." the flask spoke,
"Hey! Get out of here!" 23 snapped,
"How could I possibly have been born from someone as stupid as you…? I guess a lot of my brains come from the Princess here. You are the two who gave me blood, right?" the flask asked,
"I guess so." 23 lifted his arm to look at the bandage and I looked at my forearm as well and then back at 23, "he said he was going to use our blood for an experiment. Something to teach the Princess about." 23 explained, I nodded and looked at the flask,
"I exist today… Because you both gave me your blood. Thank you. Let's see… Number 23 isn't going to cut it… I think I'll give you a name of your own." The flask spoke,
"Give me a name… who are you?" 23 spoke,
"You'll want a noble sounding one, right? Theo… Theophrastus Bombastus." The Flask spoke,
"That's too long." 23 snapped,
"Ah? Oh yeah, you're not that smart. Maybe we shouldn't put too many syllables in it." The flask spoke, I giggled at its comment as the flask moved slightly,
"Hey, you, I'm plenty smart!" 23 snapped,
"Well, how about Van? Van Hohenheim, how does that sound?" The flask spoke,
"So, Van Hohenheim, huh? I think I can remember that." 23 spoke as I smiled at him,
"Van!" I beamed at him as he smiled, and I looked at the flask.
"It's spelled… Oh, you don't know how to read and write, do you?" the flask asked,
"I don't need to read and write to do my work." Van spoke, I put my hand up,
"Yes, Reaka?" the flask spoke, I smiled hearing my name,
"I… can read a bit…" I spoke, "As Princess, it's my duty to learn." I added, remembering the words the scholar of this house spoke, I was living here to learn about the world,
"Ah, very good, see. This kid is brighter than a fully grown man…" the flask spoke, "I'm right here!" Van snapped, I laughed with the flask's joke.
"Van, your slave work… Don't you even want freedom? Are you going to live out the rest of your life as a slave, without the rights of a real man?" the flask asked as I looked at Van,
"I'd prefer it if you weren't a slave, would mean we can spend more time together as friends." I spoke, Van frowned,
"If you do want to stay a slave, that makes you no different from me, trapped inside this stuffy flask." The flask spoke as I looked at it, "I want to teach you both, Van Hohenheim and Reaka Morden." The flask added, I noticed he didn't use my title as most people did, and I preferred it.
"Hey… what are you? Who are you? What do we call you?" Van asked,
"I'll tell you what, Van Hohenheim, you can call me the Dwarf in the Flask, Homunculus." The flask had a face appear inside it with one red eye.
Over the years, the flask taught us how to do alchemy, while he also helped me learn to read and write. Because of my lineage as well I started to learn how to fight with a sword and in hand-to-hand. The flask gave me new confidence and I learned about politics and how to govern a country, he really helped me grow.
"I'm grateful to you." Van spoke,
"Yes, thank you so much Homunculus," I smiled and tapped the flask with my fingernail.
"Oh? For what?" the Homunculus asked,
"Because you gave us knowledge." I smiled,
"We live as well as we do now because of the knowledge you gave us. And I have also earned the master's respect. Thanks to you, maybe someday, I'll even be able to get married and have a family." Van spoke, I sat back, that was a luxury I wouldn't get to choose, my life would be chosen for me as I frowned and looked away,
"A family, huh? How inconvenient for you Humans. Unless you form communities and breed, your species can't continue to exist." Homunculus spoke,
"Don't call it breeding… And whether or not it's a concept that you're able to understand. That's where humans, find happiness. We live for the bonds that we form with friends and family members. That's who we humans are." Van explained, as he put his arm around me.
"Sure, whatever you say." the flask asked,
"Then what do you consider happiness?" I asked,
"Well… I'd hate to be guilty of asking too much, but I think I'd be happy if I could just leave this flask." Homunculus spoke and then looked at me, "you didn't seem so happy about the discussion of family, though, Reaka?" Homunculus eyed me as I frowned slightly,
"I-" I went to start talking but Van huffed,
"She's the Princess, how many times must I tell you to call her by her title." Van snapped as I chuckled,
"It's fine, Van, besides, we are more relaxed with each other as a group, and I prefer that. Fed up with people kissing up to me." I sighed with a frown as Van looked at me and then away, "I don't have a choice when it comes to my family. I must serve the country and marry whoever my grandfather, the King, sees fit." I looked at Homunculus,
"So, you could almost say you are a slave, being sold to continue the blood line." Homunculus spoke as I bowed my head down,
"Feels like it." I murmured as I clenched my fists, "I'd prefer to marry someone I love, someone who makes me feel happy." I smiled, "You've made me happy Homunculus." I grinned at him as he looked away.
As Van and I were taking a walk through the town we heard people talking about something disturbing.
"The north village was attacked?" a man spoke,
"I heard they all died!" A woman spoke,
"Before, it was the west village." Another man spoke.
"Who could be doing this?" the first man spoke.
"What an awful tragedy." Van spoke,
"Yeah, real tragic." Homunculus spoke.
I kept my head up, as I normally did as I walked out in the town, the people would always wave and say hello to me.
The years went by, and I was at the age of 15, almost 16 in a few weeks. My brown hair was to my waist, my blue eyes were said to be like the sky, Hohenheim had aged too, growing his beard, and looking a lot stronger and wiser than he used to be.
I was waiting where the Homunculus told me as Van and some guards went to get the King to prepare for the ceremony to make him immortal. My Grandfather had always feared death, he also started this craze of life and death after my parents were killed… I stood with Van and Homunculus as we watched the King cut his finger with a blade and let his blood fall into the pot in the centre.
"Incredible. The King will achieve immortality." Van spoke,
"Yes, this is an amazing moment, indeed." Homunculus spoke as black smoke started to cover the room.
Suddenly black arms extended from the floors, I grabbed onto Van, a sense of fear and death overwhelmed me as my heart raced. I felt my body freeze as my grandfather looked around the room and the people also looked around as these arms waved around. I took a shaky breath and felt my legs shake; this was scarier than I expected.
"This is immortality. No, no, you must be wrong!" The King spoke as some men suddenly dropped to the floor, "I don't understand it! You said if we were in the center of the circle, we wouldn't be harmed!" The King, my Grandfather started to choke and fell to the floor, I stood there in horror.
"What the-?! Wha-What's going on here?! Hey! Homunculus!" Van was shocked,
"The true centre of the transmutation circle is right here where you're both standing." The Homunculus spoke,
"It is?!" We were shocked and scared,
"Surely, you remember that your blood is within me. I used it to open the doorway. Blood brother of mine, Van Hohenheim! And you're my partner, Reaka! Right now, we are at the centre of everything!" the Homunculus spoke, I covered my mouth in horror as I saw the guards of Xerxes collapsing around the room.
A huge eye appeared on the ground, I screamed as Van grabbed onto me, we could see our bodies being ripped apart by the alchemic reaction.
"REAKA!" Van called with our bodies disappearing we didn't know what to do,
"VAN!" I screamed as I grabbed my head.
I woke up being shaken by Van as I stared at him,
"Van?" I asked,
"Master is dead! Everyone is dead…" Van pulled me up and dragged me to the outside where I saw everyone was laying on the floor. I gripped onto the railing and felt my body quake in fear and shock. I screamed and grabbed my head as Van wrapped his arms around me,
"Come on, let's see if we can find someone." Van spoke as I gripped onto him and nodded.
We both walked through our home, hoping to find someone alive.
"Is anyone out there?!" Van spoke weakly, I stopped when I saw some of my friends,
"Mori…" I ran over to her body and checked her pulse, but nothing was there.
"Nobody is alive Van… everyone is gone…" tears appeared in my eyes as I picked up Mori in my arms cradling her, I screamed out in pain as tears fell down my face. Van walked over and pulled me towards him,
"Let's keep moving," Van spoke, our feet dragged along the floor as we saw more bodies of the people we knew, "Willard… Mechthild! Reinmeir! Toni! Mayo!" Van called as I looked at their bodies, my hand gripped onto Van's robe as we walked like a child sticking close to their parent,
"Tory? Theo? Marcel!" I yelled hoping my friends would answer. But to no avail… I started to silently weep as we continued through Xerxes.
We both stopped at a point where we looked over a huge area of our home. Everyone down the road and in the main centre was dead. Just lying there on the floor. Nothing movement, no sound to be heard.
"Somebody… There must be someone left." Van spoke, I gripped onto his arm as I buried my face in his robe, Van wrapped his arms around me as I cried quietly. My head was pounding and my eyes sore.
"It's no use. All of their souls have been taken from them." A voice spoke. We both looked back seeing a man who you thought to be the King,
"Majesty! Are you all right?" Van knelt as I followed him,
"Tell me… Your bodies how are they feeling?" we were both confused, we looked up seeing a man who looked just like Van Hohenheim. I felt my body shake, confused as to what was going on,
"It's me… Impossible!" Van spoke,
"Using your blood, I created a receptacle for myself. Nice, finally, I can walk on my own two legs." I recognised who it was,
"Are you… the Homunculus in the flask? What is this?! What did you do?!" I demanded and stood up,
"To thank you for your blood. I've given you a name, Van. And I've given you both knowledge. And now… I've given you a body that will live forever." Homunculus explained, I froze,
"I'm immortal?" Van asked,
"Focus your attention within yourself." Homunculus pointed at us both.
I did so and heard people talking and screaming inside of my head, tears appeared at the corner of your eyes,
"You hear them, don't you? The voices of all the people in this country who were offered in exchange for your immortality? Well, a third of their lives were for me, actually." Homunculus explained,
"I appreciate your cooperation, Hohenheim. Reaka." Homunculus thanked. Hohenheim screamed out as I collapsed on the floor.
It was at that point I think the trauma was so brutal that I forgot everything that happened.