Seventh Transmutation [Video]

[sonofgold]

Who: Alphonse Elric and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Vanquish if you really want?
When: April 14th

[A rather disgusted-looking Al is holding up what looks like a stack of magazines when he turns the camera on.]

Today, our lovely sponsors have sent me a stack of armor catalogs. I guess they figured that I miss my armor and would want to wear a set again... but I don't, really. I found a way to reuse my old body for other things back home, so I don't need to buy more. But that's not all... [He holds up a few images of a boy roughly his age and height modeling a very gaudy outfit.] They also want me to dress for this upcoming huge party, I guess. I don't know, do you all think I would look good in this outfit?

Comments

[bythewaves]

That... is an interesting idea, and one I suspect that my younger brother would have loved to sit and discuss at length with you, had he been here! And that story I hope one day you will share with me, for it sounds an interesting tale indeed!

[sonofgold]

I'll try to give you the short version, then. When you transmute, it operates on equivalent exchange, meaning that something must be lost in order to gain. If you try to perform something beyond your skill level, it can backfire, and parts of your body can be taken to pay for equivalent exchange. There was... an accident when I was younger, my whole body disappeared, and Brother ended up having to attach my soul to the armor to keep me in the world of the living.

[bythewaves]

[ Maglor goes very still as he listens, eyes wide with increasing horror. ]

I am sorry, Alphonse. [ He breaths softly ] I cannot begin to imagine how you must have felt. But I see you in flesh before me now - you and your brother found a solution, then? I am glad.

[sonofgold]

[Al smiled and nodded.]

My body never truly vanished, it just existed... elsewhere, on another plane of existence, if you want to put it that way. Brother sacrificed his own ability to do alchemy to pay the toll and reunited my soul with it. I'll never forget that.

[bythewaves]

You and your brother sound very close - I am glad. Family can be the greatest strength, when they hold together. Either way, I am glad that you have come to a good ending.

[sonofgold]

It can be. Brother and I have always been close, even when we were little- sometimes we'd fight, of course, and because he's older he'd sometimes make me do things he didn't want to do, but Dad made sure he learned to treat me with kindness, too.

It was a long journey, but it was worth it. And since we obtained peace in our world, I have the opportunity to explore and learn new things... well, whenever I leave the Drift Fleet, that is.

[bythewaves]

Siblings will. [ Maglor agrees ] I had six of my own - one elder and five younger - and it was never a quiet household. And peace is an end that all of us long for, I think. I am glad it came to you, and I hope that you will have your chance!

[sonofgold]

[Al raised an eyebrow.]

Wow, 6 siblings? Sometimes I think I would have liked to have more, but more than two of us would have made it difficult for us to travel together, too.

It was a long and difficult battle- but it was worth it. We have a chance that there will be a generation who doesn't have to grow up witnessing war within my lifetime.

[bythewaves]

It was, as I said, a very noisy household. [ Maglor agrees wryly ] But it is as hard for me to imagine not having them, as it is for you to imagine having them! The empty spaces where they were loom very quiet - I still fancy I hear them, sometimes.

[ He nods ] Good - I am glad. War is a terrible thing, but if it could be that the young ones are spared, and have a chance at peace, then I think whatever else happens, you can consider that a triumph.

[sonofgold]

I agree. Change is going to be difficult, because my country has always been a military dictatorship, but it'll be worth it if my and Brother's future kids won't have to fear war coming to their back step like we did growing up. It was terrible, but we're rebuilding- making things better and stronger. On a personal level, Brother and I want to give back as much as we can to the people to helped us.

[bythewaves]

Change always is, no matter for the better, or the worst. But Men, I find, deal with it better than my folk! But I wish you both great happiness, for it is clear that you have fought hard for this peace.

[sonofgold]

Thank you for that. Though... you said "my folk". So you're not a human?

[bythewaves]

No. I am one of the Firstborn, the Quendi, we call ourselves. But Men have always referred to us as Elves

[sonofgold]

[Al smiled.]

I've never met one of your people before- at least not that I know of. We only had humans back home... and Homunculi, but there were only a small handful of those.

[bythewaves]

It seems most I have spoken of have not, or have heard of us only as legend and story. [ Maglor nods and asks curiously ] What are homunculi?

[sonofgold]

Homunculi are artificial humans who have extraordinary physical and healing capabilities- they're very difficult to create, though, so there were only around 7 of them in existence.

[bythewaves]

Artificial humans? So beings made, not born? I do have to wonder why some worlds seem so interested in creating beings like humans but not actually human.

[sonofgold]

Yeah... they saw themselves as superior to humans because of it, too. Like they were the next evolution of us.

I think some people do want to improve on humans. Make them better, stronger, more durable, able to live longer lives. We do have our limitations.

[bythewaves]

[ Maglor snorts softly in amusement ]

They are made by humans but think themselves superior? That is foolish. And while Men do, I find them also to have just as many strengths to counterbalance those. I confess I once thought differently, but that was a very long time ago.

[sonofgold]

It didn't make much sense to me, either- and we ended up besting them in fights more than once, so their enhanced abilities didn't make much of a difference in the end.

[Al smiled.]

We really do. Humans are good at combining their strengths in order to be more powerful together.

[bythewaves]

So they are. [ Maglor smiles ] Any who forget how great the sons and daughters of Men can be are destined to fail, I think. All the abilities in the world do not matter, if one has not the wit to use them.

[sonofgold]

[Al nodded.]

Arrogance can be a big hindrance, too. [He and Ed both knew from experience how that could be a killer.] Thinking you're inherently superior to someone means you're more likely to believe you can't be defeated. Nobody is invincible.

[bythewaves]

Even so. [ Maglor agrees ]

Not even the Powers themselves, as one learnt to his very great humiliation.

[ It may have been grievous news when Fingolfin's death came to them, but there is not a single one of the Eldar who does not take vicious pride in knowing their High King wounded Morgoth seven times before he was slain, and did so so well that the Fallen Vala limped forever after ]

[sonofgold]

Who are the Powers? [He sounds genuinely interested.] I mean, if you don't mind- I like learning about others' worlds.

[bythewaves]

Not at all. [ Maglor assures him ] I seem to recall quizzing you quite extensively about your own world - tis only fair I answer any questions.

But the Powers... we call them the Valar, and the Maia - collectively, the Ainur, the Holy Ones. They are beings of spirit, not flesh, although they can don a physical form, and usually do, to interact with us. And they are those who in the beginning sung our world into being, and who now sustain it, as they themselves are sustained by it. They are, quite literally, the Powers of the World. There are seven Lords of the Valar, and seven Queens, and one who is fallen, whose name we no longer speak. The Maia are their servants, beings of lesser power, I suppose you would say.