Stand Up and Walk

My Own Soul

"So could you!" he argues back, waving his hands in frustration. "What, was I just supposed to let you get eaten in here?!"

You scoff at him. "You couldn't have tried cutting me out of his belly?" you persist. "Or making him throw up?!"

A vein pulses in his forehead. "We were kind of in the middle of a fight, you know!" he points out to you. "I didn't exactly have a whole lot of time to go over my options!"

Envy lets out a long, loud groan. "Ughhhh! Can you two lovebirds stop bickering already and tell us how you plan to get out of here?"

Faces red, you and Ed both turn to shout up at Envy at the same time. "We're not lovebirds!" you both yell, and then glance at each other; you both blush harder before glancing away again.

Envy lets out a gagging sound, and Ed rolls his eyes.

"Alright!" he says hurriedly, scratching the back of his neck as he turns away from you. "Here's the plan...!"

※※※

Ling holds the torch closer as you and Ed examine the seven broken slabs that Envy had gathered. There were still chunks missing, but the homunculus had said that this was all he was able to find.

You let out a low whistle, running your flesh fingertips delicately over ancient stone tablet closest to you. "Do you really think these came from Xerxes?" you ask the blonde at your side, taking in the intricate carvings and the painted colors, still vibrant even after all of these years.

"I do," confirms Ed. "They're pieces of a large mural from what remains of their temple. Do you remember the transmutation circle we saw in the Fifth Laboratory?" You nod in confirmation, and he continues. "When I saw one of these fragments up close, I thought it was the same one that they used there—one to make Philosopher's Stones. ...But now that I look at it, it's actually different!"

He places a hand on his chin, deep in thought, and you begin to nod in understanding, peering closer at the slabs. "The sun represents the Soul," you point out for Ling's benefit. "The moon represents the Mind, and the stone itself represents the Body." You shake your head. "Ed, I think you're right—this might really work!"

The Xingese boy shakes his head behind you. "Slow down, you two!" he warns. "Try to keep it simple, okay?"

You make a face, but Ed is able to dumb it down for the boy. "Basically," he explains, "this is a summoning circle..." He turns to look over his shoulder, pinning the other boy beneath his hard gaze. "...for human transmutation."

Ling leans forward in surprise, the torchlight flickering over his features. "I do know that one!" he admits, and you're not surprised by the fact, given that he's searching for immortality. "...At least, I think I do! Is it used to bring back dead people?"

You shake your head. "That's what most people think; we used to think that too, but it's not quite right."

"Alchemy is based on the rule of Equivalent Exchange," explains Ed, breaking it down for the boy. "You can't transmute a life form from a soul that no longer exists in this world—you can trust us on that one." His last words are a grim bite.

You pick up where he left off. "When we tried to bring back our mother, we accidentally transmuted Al instead," you explain. "But we were going about it all wrong, so it didn't work the way it was supposed to. You can't transmute the dead, but you can transmute the living! We just have to know what we're really trying to do before we start! We didn't before, but now we do!"

The more you explain it, the more confident you become. This really might work! We might really get out of here!

"We can use this transmutation circle to deconstruct ourselves," continues Ed, mirroring your growing excitement; "Then we can put ourselves back together! That's human transmutation, and it'll open the portal." He turns toward Envy, who crosses his arms at the boy, acting like he's isn't listening carefully. "You said that Gluttony is a defective Portal of Truth..." he ponders. "...I bet that if we pass through the real Portal, then we'll wind up in our own reality!"