Chapter Text
“We all have our excuses and they seem right to us. No one would have thought it would lead to suffering like this... That's why we have to make it right... We can't keep living like our own dreams are all that matter.”
Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
"One thousand years ago, we lived in a world that understood our purpose. It was the age of Gargoyles. Ten centuries later, we awoke to a world bent on our destruction. Somehow, we never lost hope, and today we come full circle. A new age has begun, and we live again." Goliath, Gargoyles the Goliath Chronicles: Angels in the Night
October 29th, 1996
The air was cool as the October wind blew in Manhattan. The skyscrapers towered of the citizens, leaving them in the shadows of corporations and businesses. Even though the late afternoon sun was still shining down, the people outside shuddered and hurried to get to their destination. The five o'clock traffic was growing strong, and there was the occasional honk of a horn and the angry shout of a driver in the middle of the congested lane.
In the shadow of the skyscrapers of New York City, two hooded young men were walking. They were both dressed in black from head to toe, with a coat worn on top for good measure. The shorter boy wore a crimson duster, with the mark of a cross wrapped in a snake woven in the back, while the taller boy wore a deep blue cloak with a similar symbol on the back as the other.
The boy in the blue duster spoke. “Wow… these automobiles are really advanced, aren’t’ they brother?”
The boy in red nodded. “Yeah… I guess it really is 1996…”
"To think that pendant actually had the power to take us through time…”
The boy in red didn’t answer right away, immersed in his own thoughts.
They had been in exploring an ancient castle in Germany when they had come across it. A blue, golden hemmed talisman with a phoenix engraved on it. The runes written on the back reminded him of a Transmutation formula, so of course, he had to investigate. His little brother protested, but as usual, he didn't listen. You'd think he'd listen to his brother more after everything they've gone through, but old habits die hard. He read the inscription on the back, "Deslagrate muri tempi et intervalia!” And just like that, before they had even known what had happened, a ball of fiery light consumed the both of them, burning everything else within their vision…
"Brother?" the other boy said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
The boy in red shook his head. “I’m fine. Let’s just get to where we need to go. Where was it again?”
“She said it was the Eyrie Building….”
The short boy grunted. “And where is that exactly?”
“Supposedly, it’s the tallest building in the world… the one with the castle that reaches above the clouds…”
“Sounds like a fairy tale….” The older boy scoffed.
The younger boy nodded. "I thought that too… but considering all we've seen… we've got to assume anything is possible."
“We’re Alchemists, Al. We can’t believe anything until we see it ourselves.”
Alphonse chuckled at him. "I suppose that's true. So… shall we get going, Ed?"
Edward smiled back at him, despite himself. “Right behind you, Al.”
It turned out it wasn’t hard finding the Eyrie Building. They just had to ask a few people for directions to learn that the building was south of Central Park, apparently one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world. It was all so strange though. The cars, the buildings, the lights… it wasn't like anything they had ever seen before. In the windows of shops, they saw things they never could have even imagined existing back in their time. Boxes with glass screens that showed moving pictures. Toys that moved by wireless signals. Shopping centers that had scanners of some kind. It was very fascinating, and if they had had the time, they would have tried to stop and analyze this strange technology, get to know the scientific principles behind them. But they weren’t in this city to learn about new technology. They were on a mission to find someone. Someone who could be found on the Eyrie Building.
Eventually, the boys found themselves at the foot of an enormous building, staring in awe at the massive structure of concrete and glass above them.
“I… I can’t even see the top from here…” Alphonse said. “Why would they make something like this? What’s the point?”
"Probably the work of someone with a raging ego," Edward said. "Probably compensating for something…"
Alphonse snorted. “You mean like how you compensate for your height with platform shoes?”
“Shut it” Edward curtly replied. “The sooner we can find this ‘Goliath’ guy the better.”
When the ball of fire vanished from their vision, they were on a beach of lush, green island. After a few minutes of confusion, panic, and hysterics, they decided to go explore the island. As weird as it was, there was something mysterious about the island. Both could feel a certain power in the air. It was almost like they were passing through the Gate again…
After some time looking around the island, there was a sudden blinding flash of light, and a booming voice rumbled in their ears. “WHO DARES SET FOOT ON THE ISLE OF AVALON WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OBERON?”
When their vision cleared, the boys were facing two strange people, a man, and a woman. The man was gigantic (though Al would say that Ed was just short), and dressed in golden and red armor and a white cape that reminded him of a king. But the strangest thing about the man was his icy, blue skin and snow-white hair tied into a top-knot. It was like the man spent several centuries frozen in ice. The woman was just as strange, dressed in a form-fitting red dress that bore her mid-riff, gold shoulder-pads and headdress, and a pale-yellow cape. Her hair was as red as the rest of her clothes, and her skin was a grassy green. Were they even human?
“Who are you?” Edward had yelled.
“Are you Homunculi?” Alphonse asked, his brown eyes wide with fear.
The blue man’s eye twitched. “You speak in the presence of Oberon, the King of the Fair Folk. Who are you, ignorant mortals?”
Defiance boiled in Edward’s blood, but before he could shout, an inexplicable urge to obey washed over the boys, and before they even thought twice, they told them the truth.
“Edward Elric. Son of Van Hohenheim and Trisha Elric. State Alchemist of the Amestris military, and physics student at the University of Berlin.”
“Alphonse Elric. Son of Van Hohenheim and Trisha Elric. State Alchemist of the Amestris military, and archaeology student at the University of Berlin.”
“Wait, my love.” The green woman cut in, putting her arm in front of her husband. “Van Hohenheim… I’ve met this man they speak of.”
“Oh?” the blue man crowed.
“Indeed” the woman replied. “He was an advisor for Winston Churchill in the Great War. He was a rather fascinating man, and I even considered adding him to my line of human lovers, but he refused my advances. He said his heart belonged to only one woman."
“What an odd human” the blue man. “Refusing a lady such as you, my queen.”
“I found his devotion charming," the woman said with a smile. "And even if we never became partners, he was an interesting human to talk to. I hadn't known he had children."
Edward tried to say something, but it was like an iron hand had locked around his jaw and his limbs. He couldn’t speak or move, no matter how hard he tried. The worst part was that he still had enough freedom to panic, and he could feel his heart in his throat as the two strange beings talked about him and his brother like they weren’t even there. He couldn’t turn his head to face Alphonse, but he didn’t have to try hard to imagine the fear he was feeling.
“What is this Amestris you speak of?” the blue man asked, and once again, the overwhelming urge to obey filled Edward’s being.
"It's our home country," Edward said. "Where we were born."
The green woman raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never heard of this country. And I’ve been all over the world. Where is it?”
“That’s because it isn’t in this world," Alphonse answered. "It’s the world on the other side of the Gate.”
The two strange people blinked at them. “What is this ‘Gate’ you speak of?” The woman asked.
“The Gate of Truth…” Edward was forced to answer. “It holds all the knowledge in existence. It’s where we all come from when we’re born, and where we’ll go when we die. It’s what connects our world to this one, and it provides power for Alchemy.”
The woman took a few steps forward, looking at Edward with a quizzical expression. Then, she smiled. “Well, it looks like some interesting young men have washed ashore on Avalon.”
The man gave the woman a knowing smirk. “I know that expression on your face, my Queen. What mischief are you plotting now?”
The Queen turned to her husband, “My King, undo your command spell on these young men. I wish to speak with them, as themselves.”
The King nodded. “Very well, my Queen.” And with that, the pressure on the boys disappeared.
Immediately, Edward growled and charged at the King, shouting, “What did you do to us, you son of a-!” But before his fist could connect, the ground beneath Edward turned to sand, and he sank to his waist.
As he struggled to get out, the King laughed at him. "You have some courage to charge at the King of Fairies with nothing but your fists." Then, the blue man's expression turned cold. "But courage alone won't save you. If not for the fact that my wife was curious about you, your outburst would have left you and your brother dead where you stand. Since you seem to have no knowledge of who you stand before, I'll clarify. I can destroy you in a thousand ways with nothing but a gesture. I can make the heavens shake with a word and petrify a city with a sentence. I’ll show mercy for your first offense, but the next time you decide to show such rudeness to the mighty Oberon, you won’t be so fortunate.” And in flash of light, he was gone.
Edward growled as he got out from the sand. “Yeah, you better run!” he screamed into the night.
The woman laughed at his rage, and Alphonse ran up to him and grip his shoulder. “Brother are you okay?”
Forgive my husband.” The green woman said. “He demands respect at all times from everyone, even if he’s done nothing to warrant it.”
"Who are you, people?!" Edward growled. "What are you?"
The woman laughed again. “Perhaps I should properly introduce myself. I am Titania, the Queen of the Third Race and second in command of the Isle of Avalon.”
Alphonse blinked at her in confusion. “The… Third Race?”
"You humans have many names for our kind," Titania said, taking a few steps towards them. "The Norse called us the Dark Elves. The Celtic called us the Fair Folk. We've also been called Fairies, The Good Neighbors, The Other Crowd, Daoine Sídhe, gods, among others.”
Edward and Alphonse shared a disbelieving look, and then looked back at Titania. "Okay, I'll make myself clear," Edward said. "What are you, really?"
"So, you disbelieve my words," Titania stated, as she slowly pointed a figure to the sky. "Perhaps a demonstration of my power will erase any doubts." With that, all the ground and the trees around them turned to sparkling diamond before their eyes.
“What the hell?!?” Edward screamed, bending down and knocking at the diamond ground as hard as he could to confirm what had just happened.
“Impossible…” Alphonse whispered, staring at Titania with shaking eyes. “She… she transmuted everything, even organic matter, into pure diamond.”
Edward glared at the so-called Fairy Queen. “How did you do that?! Alchemy shouldn’t work on this side of the Gate, and even if it did, you didn’t follow the Law of Equivalent Exchange or the Law of Providence!”
The Fairy Queen merely chuckled at his insolence. “Young one, I don’t know what this Alchemy you speak of can do, but you have much to learn in the ways of magic.”
“Magic?” Alphonse said. “How…?”
“Come now” Titania interrupted. And with a wave of her hand, three chairs appeared before them in a flash of light. “Why don’t we talk this out like civilized mortals? I’m sure you have much you wish to ask me, and I know I have much I wish to ask you.”
As Titania took a seat, Edward and Alphonse shared an uncomfortable look. What did this woman want really? She seemed to just want information, but if what she showed them was any indication, she could kill them with just a look. How were they going to get out of this?
“Well don’t just stand there!” Titania crowed incredulously.
Alphonse sighed. “She did say she just wanted some information, Brother. And we do need to find out where we are.”
“Equivalent Exchange.” Edward finished his line of thought, and with a shared nod at the other, the brothers sat down on the chairs facing Titania.
"Well then, children," Titania said. "Kindly start by telling me about this Alchemy…”
They walked up the stairs to the Eyrie building and into the lobby. They needed to get to the top of the tower, and the stairs and elevators were right there in front of them, but a guard was holding a rifle in front of the elevators and even more on the stairs. It was a miracle the two of them got behind the pillar before the guards could notice them.
“Shit…” Edward groaned. “How’re we gonna get past ‘em…?”
“Let's find another way in" Alphonse suggested. "Maybe the backdoor has fewer guards..."
They walked out the door and went around the building, careful to avoid any unwanted attention. Just as Alphonse predicted, there was a much smaller backdoor, with a concrete wall with an opening surrounding it. There was only one guard standing at the door.
Edward had to resist the urge to let out a cheeky giggle as they pressed themselves close to the concrete wall, hiding the brothers from the guard’s sight. “I guess even in 1996, nobody cares about the backdoor.”
“More things change, more things stay the same…” Alphonse added.
“Now go bring him over here for me to knock him out” Edward ordered.
Alphonse did a double-take. “Wait, what?” he protested. “Why me?!”
“I look too much like a thug” Edward shrugged. “If I try to distract him, he’ll call the police. You on the hand, still look like a little kid. If he thinks you’re in trouble, he’ll cave immediately.”
“I am a seventeen-year-old State Alchemist!” Alphonse hissed. “I think that more than qualifies me as an adult, Big Brother!”
“It would” Edward nodded. “In Amestris. This is America. And even in America, you still look like a prepubescent snot, and your voice still cracks.”
“My voice does not crack!” Alphonse retorted, his voice suddenly raising to the octave of a bleating goat.
“Al! You’re gonna get us noticed! Suck it up and do it!”
“Fine!” Alphonse huffed. He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, concentrating as hard as he could on getting into character. Then, without warning, he dashed into the opening like the Devil himself was at his heels.
“Help!” Alphonse shrieked. “Help! He’s gonna kill me!”
“Wha?” Edward heard the guard say.
“He’s gonna kill me!” Alphonse screamed, so hard his voice cracked, making Edward snicker. “Stop him, please!”
The sound of stomping boots warned Edward of the approaching guard, and he crouched low to prepare for the kill. Then, the guard ran out the entrance. “Where?”
Before the guard could even turn, Edward cracked a maniacal grin, and he pounced. "Here!" he cried. The guard only had enough time to turn his head to get a face full of Edward's right arm. The guard was sent flying a few feet before crashing into a garbage can, spilling trash everywhere. There was a groan as the guard lifted his head slightly, before falling into unconsciousness.
“Amazing performance, Al!” Edward called, giving a thumbs-up to his brother at the door.
“I feel mean” Alphonse pouted. “He was just doing his job…”
“And we’re just doing ours” Edward shrugged. “It wasn’t anything personal.”
Alphonse nodded reluctantly before turning his attention to the door. “Did he have keys on him?”
There were sounds of movement from behind the concrete fence. “No!” Edward called, turning the corner and running to Alphonse.
Alphonse sighed as he clapped his hands together. “Okay then. If the entrance is sealed, we’ll make another.” With that, he pressed his palms into the door.
….
When most people wanted to relax, they watched TV. When David Xanatos wanted to relax, he locked himself in his laboratory in the highest laboratory of his castle. He wasn’t even entirely sure what he wanted to make. He was just tinkering with various weapons and electronics on his Steel Clan Exo-frame and seeing what would happen with each change. Sure, one might say doing that without calculating beforehand was inefficient, but he would argue that some of the greatest scientific advancements were made by experimentation and accidents. Besides, he needed some time to unwind after the events of the past week. Between the gargoyles moving back in after being exposed to the world at large, the Quarrymen and the media breathing down his neck, and all on top of raising a newborn child and running a company bigger than many countries, the CEO had many reasons to be stressed. Even he needs to take it easy every now and again. It didn’t hurt that he knew how to mix his work and pleasure.
Xanatos hummed as he rewired a few circuits along the back and shoulder of the armor. Hopefully, if he got this right, his reaction time in the armor would be less sluggish, and he could outpace even the likes of Demona in the air. He closed the hatch on the back of the armor and walked over to the computer. Now, he needs to do was type in a few commands and…
Suddenly, there was whirring from the armor as it rolled its shoulders. Xanatos sat down on his desk as he observed, taking a sip from the mug of coffee he put there with a satisfied sigh. It seemed to be moving a bit faster than it was before, so now all he needed to do was test it while he was inside….
Xanatos stretched his arm a little on the desk, and before he noticed, his fingers bumped onto the keys of his computer.
“Shit!” Xanatos cried in surprise. Before he could say anything more, the armor’s arms started jerking and failing in random directions. Xanatos sprung in front of the computer and furiously typed a stop command into the system. The armor obeyed, but not before its arm hit the wall with so much force that the entire room shook, causing the objects stored on the shelves above to rattle. To Xanatos’s horror, one of the shelves caved, causing the box it was carrying to fall to the ground with a loud crash.
Xanatos ran over to the fallen box, and threw its partly open lid, he could see something made of grey stone inside. He opened the box entirely, peering inside to look at the precious sample, and sighed when it turned out it wasn't broken. Parts like that were one of a kind, and after he stripped the site of Castle Wyvern brick by brick, he doubted he could find anymore than he already did. It may not be useful for making robots, but it helped him understand the gargoyles better. Not that it would impress them if he told them that. In fact, if he knew he was keeping this, they would probably drop him from the top of the Eyrie Tower…
“Mr. Xanatos?” a familiar voice called. Xanatos turned to see the blonde, bespectacled form of his assistant standing at the entrance of the lab.
“Owen?” Xanatos said, eyebrow raised in confusion. “Something wrong?”
“Look at this security footage that was recorded a moment ago.” Owen curtly said, turning on one of the screens on the wall. “We have some uninvited guests.”
Xanatos did so, his eyes watching the view of his lobby that the overhead camera. For a moment, nothing happened, making him wonder what Owen was talking about. Then, two hooded figures, one in red and one in blue, opened the door to his building and immediately ran to hide behind a pillar, out of the guards’ line of sight.
“You’re getting worked up over some mischievous children?” Xanatos said flatly, looking unimpressed at his assistant. "I know we said we'd be on the lookout for any Quarrymen, but don't you think you're a bit paranoid?”
"Look at camera 5-D now, sir" Owen replied, pointing back at the corresponding screen.
Xanatos obeyed his subordinate. The duo was at the back door now, hiding behind the brick wall that bordered the back entrance. Suddenly, the blue figure ran up to the guard, screaming his head off, prompting the guard to run to the opening in the wall, where the red figure was waiting to punch him in the head. Xanatos grunted in both sympathy and annoyance as the guard was knocked into the garbage cans.
“Damn…” Xanatos muttered. “These kids aren’t joking around are they…?”
"That's not all," Owen said, as the figure in blue clapped his hands and pressed them to the door. There was a flash of blue-white light like a star was suddenly born in the back alley. The light disappeared, and to Xanatos’s shock, the door was gone. The blue figure nodded at the red figure, and they both ran inside.
Xanatos glared at what he just saw. “That was magic…”
“Indeed” Owen confirmed with an adjustment of his glasses. “Though it wasn’t like any I’ve seen a human do. He didn’t use any incantations or an amplifier.”
“That’s odd… Could they be Children of Oberon?” Xanatos muttered to himself. He looked at his assistant. “Where are they now?”
“The elevator.”
Xanatos pressed a button on his remote, and sure enough, he saw the two boys standing in the elevator. Now that the camera was closer, he could make out things about them that he could see before.
The boy in red was rather short, standing at about 5’2” by Xanatos’ estimations. He looked about fifteen, but since Xanatos had trouble telling the exact ages of teenagers, he couldn’t be sure. He had long golden hair that was tied in a ponytail that hung down his shoulders, with long bangs that framed either side of his face. Underneath his red overcoat, the boy wore a black jacket that connected at the top with a button, black trousers, black leather boats, and white gloves over his hands. But the most curious thing about him was his golden eyes. Xanatos blinked to make sure he didn't see things, but he was right. Pure, golden eyes. If there was any sign that this wasn't a normal human boy, it was that.
The boy in blue was a bit taller than the other, standing at about 5’5”. He couldn’t be older than thirteen, and judging by his similar build and face, he had to have been the other boy’s brother. He tied his hair in a ponytail like his sibling, but it was a few shades darker in blonde, almost brown, and was parted in bangs on the left side of his face. He wore a black outfit with white gloves under his blue overcoat, like his brother. However, his jacket was fastened by a row of four smaller buttons, and he wore loafers instead of boots. This made him look a bit more formal than the other boy. Further differentiating the two was that his eyes were a light brown, not gold.
“It seems they're going up to the top floor," Owen said.
"Good," Xanatos said, pressing another button on his desk. He’d talk to these children first to see what they wanted, but just in case, he’d have the Steel Clan on standby. “Get me a pistol, Owen. I’ll deal with this myself.”
“What about Ms. Maza?” Owen asked. “She’s waiting for Goliath.”
“Go down and warn her while I deal with our guests. I think I have this under control, but just in case, I want her and the rest of the Clan to be ready for the worst.”
…
“How many floors are in this building?” Edward groaned impatiently, eyeing the numbers on the elevator as they went higher and higher.
"We’ll get there when we get there, Brother” Alphonse sighed. “She said we’d find him on the top floor.”
“‘On the top floor of the Eyrie Building, you’ll find a castle above the clouds. You’ll find the clan there. They’re led by Goliath, the greatest warrior alive. If you can win him over, the rest of them will accept you.’ Ugh, could she at least have used that pendant to send us there instantly instead of making us use that rickety boat?”
“I’m more annoyed that she forgot to tell us what Goliath and his clan looked like.” Alphonse deadpanned.
“I know, right?” Edward exclaimed. “What kind of description is, ‘Believe me, you’ll know him when you see him?’”
"Honestly, I was kind of too scared to ask more," Alphonse said with a shudder. "I got the feeling that woman could blink, and I’d blow up.”
“Sad thing is, you probably aren’t wrong” Edward sighed. “Still, she gave us our Alchemy back, so she was at least useful. Even if she can’t find that way home, we can find the correct transmutation ourselves. If Dante could do it, we can.”
"She kind of reminds me of her," Alphonse said. "Titania does anyway…"
“Yeah…” Edward muttered. “She didn’t seem as malevolent though.”
“Still, we should be wary. Who knows what she’s up to?”
Edward nodded. “Yeah…”
They were silent for a moment, and when Edward looked back up at the floor number. “God damn… it’s going to be sundown by the time we get up there….”
Alphonse scuffed at him. “Gee, I wonder whose fault that is, Brother? Maybe you shouldn’t have spent so long at that fabric store.”
Edward gave him a dirty look. "I don't know what you mean."
“‘I’m sick of wearing these fancy overcoats, Al!’” Alphonse mocked, his voice a whiny parody of his brother’s. “‘I just want my sweet red coat back! It’ll only take a minute, I swear!’ We were in there for half an hour, Ed!”
“Ah, quit your whining!” Edward replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You chose to make that blue coat of yours out of the same kind of fabric I found.”
“Whatever” Alphonse grunted with a roll of his eyes.
The elevator dinged.
“We’re here” Edward declared.
…
The room they stepped inside looked like an odd mix of a 10th century stone castle and an executive office. The walls were made up of grey stone blocks, with various armaments and shields hung up on the wall and a pair of grey rafters built into the far wall. The floor was made of smooth tile and beautiful carpet of blue and grey patterns. Underneath the rafters were a pair of blue and purple tapestries hang on either side of a fireplace. Resting on a few stone steps in front of this fireplace was a polished wooden desk with two chairs tucked away beneath it.
Edward looked around, taking in the room before him. “Huh… the owner must have made some renovations when he had this castle installed…”
“Where is everyone?” Alphonse wondered. “This looks like the main hall of the building, but no one’s here…”
“It’s a big building, Al” Edward shrugged, eying the exit on the other end of the room. “Let’s look around.”
Alphonse nodded and followed Edward to the exit. As they opened the door, the cool evening air hit them, making them shiver a bit despite their coats as the brothers stepped outside. A square courtyard of dull grey stone was waiting for them, with a wall forming the perimeter. To the right was a flight of stairs that lead to another patio. The walls to their left and in front of them opened in an archway, leading to other sections of the castle that the brothers couldn’t see at their angle.
“Hello?” Alphonse called. “Is anybody here?”
“Al!” Edward hissed. “Are you trying to get us noticed?”
“Yes!” Alphonse hissed back. “Remember, we’re looking for a person, and we don’t even know what he looks like!”
“But if the guards catch us, they’ll kick us out!” Edward retorted.
“But we have to talk to someone! Otherwise, we’re just wondering in a creepy castle with no idea what to do!”
“But we can’t find who we’re looking for if we’re kicked out!” Edward growled.
“And just who exactly are you looking for?” a voice that wasn’t either of the brother’s cut in.
Edward and Alphonse turned their heads and leaning on the archway was a man in a black, custom-made suit. The man wore his dark brown hair long, tied back in a ponytail not unlike Edward’s, and sported a neatly trimmed goatee. He was quite handsome, but the man carried himself with a cool arrogance that made his stomach twist. It reminded of him of Mustang at his most annoying…
Edward and Alphonse shared a look, before nodding in a silent agreement and looking back at the man. "Depends on whose asking," Edward replied.
"You're talking to the owner of this Tower," the man said, taking himself off the archway and walking over to the boys. He stopped just close enough for Edward to see how tall the man was… at least a foot and a half taller than Edward himself (not that he was short or anything!). "David Xanatos, founder, owner, and CEO of Xanatos Enterprises. Surely, you’ve heard me.”
Edward shook his head. “Afraid not. We’re… from out of town…”
Xanatos grunted. "Even so, surely they have laws against trespassing where you're from. Unless you've broken into a corporate building before."
Immediately, Edward tensed and crouched a bit, getting ready to fight or run. “That’s a bold accusation, Mr. Xanatos.”
“Not so much an accusation as a fact” Xanatos retorted, narrowing his eyes at Edward. “I saw you knock out a guard and break down the door with magic.”
Alphonse’s eyes widened. “How did you see that?” he said in disbelief.
"The security camera," Xanatos said simply.
“The hell’s a security camera?” Edward asked.
"It's a device that allows people to view and record events around a building without having to be there," Xanatos answered, folding his arms across his chest. “You really aren’t from around here are you?”
Alphonse shook his head. “We’re sorry for breaking in, but we have to find someone. If you can point us in his direction, we’ll be on our way and repair any damages.”
Xanatos raised an eyebrow. “And just who are you looking for?”
Edward gave a weary sigh, taking a few steps closer to Xanatos and looking at him right in the eye. It was meant to show that he meant business, but the business man’s towering height completely ruined the intended effect. “We’re looking for someone named Goliath. We were told we’d find him and his clan at this building.”
Xanatos’s eyes narrowed even further. “Are you Quarrymen?” he suddenly asked.
Edward raised his eyes in confusion. “What’s a Quarryman?”
Xanotos stared at Edward for a moment, and his eyes softened. “You really don’t know… Well, I'll rule out Castaway hiring you then…”
“What are you taking about?” Edward demanded.
“It’s none of your concern” Xanotos replied dismissively. “Why are you looking for Goliath?”
“So you do know who he is," Alphonse said. "We were sent here by someone named Titiania.”
At that named, Xanatos flinched and stared at the boys in a mix of shock, confusion, and caution. “Titania?!” Suddenly, Xanatos jumped back from the boys and glared at them. “What do Oberon and Titania want now? We already agreed Alexander would be trained by Puck. So help me, if they’re trying to steal him again…!”
“The hell are you on about?” Edward cried. “She just wanted us to talk to Goliath. She said if we could help him out, she’d get us back home.”
Xanatos gave an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Titania, what are you scheming now…?” he whispered to himself. He looked back at the boys. “Okay… are you sure you have no plans on killing Goliath when you see him?”
“No!” Alphonse replied with a shout. “Why would kill the one person who could get us home?”
Xanatos’s eyes shifted from Edward to Alphonse and then back again. “All right, I’ll bite.” he said with a shrug, looking at Alphonse. “You seem too honest to lie.” His eyes shifted to Edward. “And you seem too hot-headed.”
Edward’s eye twitched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
"It means I'll take you to go see him" Xanatos sighed. “Just behave yourselves. I might be patient, but Goliath and the other clan members have quite the tempers on them. If you anger them, I won’t step in and help you, trespassers."
…
Xanatos took them through the archway and into a stone tower with a spiral staircase. Throughout the trip, Xanatos kept trying to pry the brothers for details about their mission and their past.
“So where exactly are you from?” Xanatos asked.
“Germany” Alphonse replied simply.
“How exactly did you meet…Titania?” Xanatos hesitated.
"We met her own some island," Edward said, "I think she called it Avalon."
“How did you end up there?”
"It's a long story."
“Care to share?”
"Not with you."
“You do realize I own this building, and should really throw you out for breaking and entering?”
Edward smirked at the man. “Do that, and I’ll be sure to report to Titania the reason we couldn’t finish this simple mission.”
“I’ve made improvements on the security system” Xanatos replied curtly. “She’d never get inside.”
"You're bluffing," Edward said. "Going by your reaction, you know damn well what she can do. Even if you could manage something that could keep her out, is it really worth wasting resources just to stop two people from talking to Goliath?”
Xanatos grunted as they passed an opening in the tower that leads to a balcony. For a moment, Edward could see that they were indeed well above the clouds. “I can already tell you’re too smart for your own good, kid.”
Edward gave a rueful laugh. “Oh, you have no idea…”
“Sir?” a voice from the top of the stairs called. Edward couldn’t see him because of where they were in the tower. “Is that you?”
“Yes, Owen!” Xanatos replied. “I brought some guests with me!”
“I thought you were going to ‘take care’ of them?” the voice, apparently called Owen asked.
"Well, my plans changed," Xanatos said as they made it to the top of the stairs. Edward and Alphonse followed him to find themselves on the top of a high circular battement. Curiously, on various parts of the parapet walling of the battlement, stone statues depicting rested. There were seven in all. Six of them depicted strange humanoid creatures with bat-like wings, and one of them looked like a demonic mastiff of some sort. But before Edward could take a closer look at the statues, he heard somebody clear their throat, so he turned his head to see a man and a woman standing in the middle of the battlement.
The man, who Edwards assumed was Owen, was in a black suit with a white, collared shirt and red tie underneath, his blond hair was short and close-cropped, and wore round glasses. His icy blue eyes lit up in surprise when he saw the boys but then shrank into a penetrating glare of suspicion. Normally, Edward wouldn't have thought much of it, but he felt his skin crawl despite himself. He couldn't put out his finger on it but something about that man…just wasn’t right.
“So these are the intruders you guys were getting all worked up about?”
Edward turned to get a look at the woman who had just spoken. She was dressed in a red jacket and blue jeans. Her long hair fell down just below her shoulders, and Edward couldn’t tell for the life of him if her hair was black or a very dark shade of blue. But the thing that really stood out to Edward immediately was her dark skin. It brought memories of the Gypsies he befriended during his travels in Europe, and perhaps nostalgically, the desert faring folk with brown skin and red eyes he had met all those years ago. But the woman's dark brown eyes reminded him she couldn't be an Ishbalan, so he shook the image out of his mind.
Xanatos gave a curt nod in the woman’s direction. “Indeed, Ms. Maza. We caught these kids breaking into the building with some sort of magic.”
Ms. Maza gave Xanatos an incredulous look. “And you tried to take them on alone?”
Xanatos shrugged. “I wanted to resolve the issue without unnecessary violence, and I did. Besides, I was armed.”
Edward’s brain short-circuited for a second. “Wait, what?”
To answer Edward’s question, Xanatos pulled back his coat and revealed a pistol attached to his left hip. Edward looked up at Xanatos to see one of the cockiest grins he had seen a while on the businessman’s face. “What? You were breaking and entering. Meeting you without some form of protection would have been stupid.”
Edward nodded in understanding, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. “Touche…”
“So what spell did you cast on Xanatos to get him to agree to take you up here?” Ms. Maza cut in, glaring at the boys in front of her.
“Okay, what is with you guys and assuming we know magic?” Edward asked with a groan.
“We saw how you broke into the building” Owen coolly replied with an adjustment of his glasses. “The boy in blue clapped his hands and broke down the door.”
"That wasn't magic," Alphonse said. "It was science."
“Right…” Ms. Maza said doubtfully. She waved a finger in Xanatos’s direction. “So he isn’t being mind controlled or compelled anyway?”
Xanatos chuckled. “Believe me, Ms. Maza. I am as lucid as I’m going to get.”
“Besides, we can’t do something like that” Alphonse added.
“So why did you let them up here if you thought they were so dangerous?” Ms. Maza asked Xanatos.
“Titania sent us here to talk to Goliath” Edward answered.
At that, Owen's narrowed eyes widened, and Ms. Maza’s breath hitched. “Titania?” she gasped in disbelief.
Owen’s eyes narrowed again, and he stepped closer to the brothers, his voice a low, accusing growl. “Why would she send you here? Who are you?”
“You know, I’ve been trying to get them to answer that myself, Owen," Xanatos said, turning to look at the red and blue duo.
"Sorry," Edward said with a dismissive shrug. "We're not giving any personal details to anyone but Goliath or his clan."
“Well good news for you” Ms. Maza retorted, walking forward so that she was directly in front of Edward and Alphonse. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a golden bag with an eagle engraved on it. "I'm NYPD and a member of the Clan.”
“Huh?” Alphonse went.
Edward raised an eyebrow at the woman. “You’re a member of the Clan? What, are you Goliath’s girlfriend or something?”
Ms. Maza’s cheeks went red immediately. “W-w-well I…” she stammered.
Xanatos chuckled again, a bit harder this time. "You hit the nail on the head."
Ms. Maza groaned in agitation as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yes… I am his girlfriend…”
“Great!” Alphonse said cheerfully, clapping his gloved hands together. “Can you take us to him?”
Ms. Maza looked between the two boys. “So, you aren't Quarrymen… and you don’t want to hurt Goliath in any way?”
"No," Edward and Alphonse said at the same time.
“Okay…” Ms. Maza sighed. “When they wake up, I’ll introduce you. But I’m keeping my eye on both of you.”
“That’s fair” Alphonse replied with a smile. “When will they wake up?”
“They’ll get up at sundown so…” Ms. Maza looked down at her watch.
“Ten minutes” Owen curtly replied.
“So we wait," Ms. Maza said. “In the meantime, can you two boys explain what’s going on?”
Edward grunted in displeasure. “Don’t call us ‘boys.' We're a tad bit old for that."
Ms. Maza raised an eyebrow at Edward. “You’re like what, 15 and 13?”
Edward glared at her. “I’m 18” he grumbled.
“17…” Alphonse muttered, his face red.
Ms. Maza blinked at them in surprise. “You’re kidding.”
Xanatos snorted “A little short for an older teenager aren’t…”
Without warning, Edward ran right up into Xanatos’s face and grabbed the man by his collar. “You want to say that again, you smug bastard?” he growled.
Xanatos had the nerve to grin at him. “You really might want to think about what you’re doing, kid.”
“Don’t call me kid!” Edward shouted.
“Then stop acting like one” Owen cut in, his voice ice as he grabbed Edward by the shoulder. “Unhand Mr. Xanatos at once.”
“Brother, please!” Alphonse pleaded. “Can you rein your temper for ten minutes?”
“Yeah, yeah…” Edward muttered, dropping Xanatos. “But call me short again, and you’re getting a fist to the face.”
"Normally I'd approve of someone hitting him the face, but if you want to stay, I wouldn’t do that" Ms. Maza warned.
“She’s right you know” Xanatos added. “I could have you thrown out anytime.”
“Whatever” Edward grumbled.
"I'm really sorry about him," Alphonse said sheepishly. “He’s usually more mature than this.”
“So what exactly are your names?” Ms. Maza asked. “I’d really rather not piss you off with ‘kid’?”
Edward hesitated for a moment, before answering. “The name’s Edward Elric."
“I’m Alphonse Elric," Alphonse said, with a smile. “Pleased to meet you.”
To the brother’s surprise, the detective smiled at Alphonse. “Well, at least one of you knows how to mind your manners. I’m Detective Elisa Maza.”
Alphonse shook the detective’s hand. “It’s good to meet you, Ms. Maza.”
The woman chuckled. “Please. Call me Elisa.”
Edward couldn’t help but smile at the woman’s friendliness. “Well, it’s good to meet you all the same.” He said. “I hope the rest of the Clan is more like you and not…” Edward shot Xanatos a dirty look. “Like other unpleasant people I’ve met.”
"Just watch your mouth, and you'll be fine," Elisa said. "And try not to stare."
Alphonse blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll see” Elisa replied.
…
The minutes crawled by. Edward didn’t feel like talking at that moment. Elisa and Xanatos tried to coax some details out of the brothers, but Edward told them that he and his brother tell them everything when Goliath woke up. After all, it was more practical to talk to everyone at once, right? So for the next ten minutes, Edward kept himself busy by walking around the edge of the battlement and observing his surroundings.
One thing Edward noticed was that he could see all the castle below him. He saw the Great Hall that he and Alphonse had emerged from and the bailey behind it. He saw the bailey on the side of the castle and fountain in the center and the towers and battlements on each corner. He saw the wall and gatehouse on the front and many sections of grass and trees growing on parts of the castle.
The castle was enormous and ornate and had a Gothic atmosphere that Edward resonated with. Still, with the castle being so massive, Edward had to wonder why Xanatos would go through the trouble of tearing it down and putting it on top of this tower. A part of him wanted to ask him, but he didn't intend on talking to Xanatos anymore than he had to.
So Edward settled with looking out in the city below. They hadn't been kidding when they said that the castle had risen above the clouds. On one side of the tower, the cloud cover was so thick that he couldn't see anything below it. But below the castle gates, Edward could see all of the city. The tallest buildings were clustered so tightly together that Edward couldn't see much of the ground. It was dusk, so everyone had turned on their lights, and the skyline lit up with bright golden light from the buildings. They were so far from the ground that the cars looked like insects, and he couldn't even hear anything from the city below. Just the gentle wind blowing above the clouds.
Edward sighed impatiently as he looked up at the sun, which had almost entirely sunk under the horizon, it's pink-orange light sparkling from the water of the bay. It’s time, isn’t it? He thought as he placed his hand on the statue next to him.
“Hey!” he called to Elisa. “It’s sunset. They should be awake by now, right?”
"Not quite, yet," Elisa said, giving the statue Edward had his hand on a peculiar look. "They always come out exactly at sundown."
“Why?” Edward asked. “What, are they vampires or something?”
Elisa’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “No… they’re Gargoyles…”
"Wait, what?" Alphonse cried out in shock.
“Wait…” Elisa said slowly. “Titania didn’t tell you Goliath was a Gargoyle?”
At this, Edward’s brain started to fume. “What the hell’s a Gar..”
At this, the sun went down completely.
“They’re here” Owen went.
Before Edward could refute this, a sudden growling made the boy jump. It was coming from… the statue? No, they were coming from all the statues! What the hell was…!
Edward’s eyes widened as the stone on the statue started to crack and shake. Edward saw red skin underneath as the stone figure reared back its head and roared so loud that echoed through the castle.
“Brother!” Alphonse screamed. “They’re alive!”
Edward looked around him to see that his brother was right. All seven statues were starting to move and break the stone on the surface, and each one of them gave a similar primal roar as they came to life.
Edward's defensive instincts kicked in as the statue in front of him broke off all the stone on its skin. "Al!" he shouted. "Cover my back!" Edward jumped back and got into a fighting stance and judging from the sudden feeling of a warm body behind him, Alphonse did the same.
Unfortunately, giving that order draw the creature’s attention, and it turned to face Edward with a snarl. Edward’s stomach churned in fear as he got a good look at the thing. It looked like a demon that crawled straight out of hell. Its overall shape was relatively humanoid, having a slim, muscular build like Edward, and dressed in nothing but a brown loincloth kept up by a leather belt. However, many things about it made it clear it wasn't human. For one, it had a pair of pterodactyl-like wings attached to its back, with a pair tiny red claws at the middle joint. Its skin was as blood red as the duster Edward wore, with a mane of wild white hair that flowed past its shoulders. It had two long horns at the top of its head, pointed ears, clawed hands, a long tail, and an enormous beak in place of lips. Edward sweated a bit as saw the creature's glowing, pure white eyes boring into Edward's as if it was daring him to make a move.
The creature growled again. “Who are you?”
The deep, yet youthful voice of the creature threw Edward for a moment. “Y-you can talk?”
“Guys!” Edward turned his head to see Elisa running up to another one of those creatures, urging them to get back. “Calm down! They’re not here to hurt you!”
“You’re worried about us hurting them?” Alphonse cried out in disbelief.
Edward turned back to face the creature nearest to him, and his body tensed like a spring as it sauntered close to him.
“Stay back!” he shouted, raising his right fist. “Don’t get any closer!”
The red demon snorted, but it did as Edward commanded. “You humans really are all the same, aren’t you…?”
"Brooklyn!" a deep, booming voice called from the other side of the battlement, demanding the attention of everyone there.
It was another one of those demons, and even with just a cursory look, Edward could tell this one was the boss. He was enormous, standing at least seven feet tall with powerful muscles rippling throughout his body like a power lifter, and being dressed in just the loincloth only made ensured Edward could see his apparent strength. Unlike the red demon, his skin was a deep lavender, and his hip-length hair was a dark brown. His huge bat-like wings and his tail were twitching in apprehension, and other than a couple of ridges along his brow, his pointed ears, and his glowing white eyes, his face was very human-like. If Edward were honest, he'd say the creature was handsome, but that was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.
“Brooklyn” the creature repeated, looking at the red demon next to Edward. “Leave the human alone. If Elisa says he’s not here to hurt us, we should hear him and his companion out.”
The red demon, apparently called Brooklyn, grunted in response as walked past Edward and towards his leader. “Okay, Goliath.”
Edwards’s heart skipped a beat. “Goliath?” he shouted, looking at the lavender demon dead in the eyes. “You’re Goliath?”
The leader of the creatures tilted his head at Edward quizzically, and to Edward’s surprise, the glow in its eyes stopped, revealing dark brown, human-like eyes. “Yes… I am Goliath.” It answered.
“You…” Edward stuttered in disbelief as the other creatures gathered around their leader. Now that they were in Edward’s line of sight, he could make out exactly what he was dealing with. Other than Goliath and Brooklyn, there were five more of these things. One of them wasn't even humanoid. It was basically a massive mastiff that went up to Edward's hips on all fours, and it had deep blue skin, fan-shaped ears, two small horns above his brows, a very short tail, and three spikes running along his back. Judging from the way it was just growling like a dog at Edward and Alphonse, Edward doubted it was sentient. The rest of the demons were human-like, but they all looked very different from each other. About the only commonality were wings, claws, brow ridges, and long tails.
The creature on Goliath's left was massive, though smaller than his leader, and if Edward was brutally honest, he looked somewhat overweight. Still, Edward could see the muscles underneath the fat chest and belly, so he knew better to assume the creature would be easy to handle. The demon had aquamarine skin, a bald head with three horns running over the center, fin-like ears, and sapphire blue eyes. Of the entire group, the fat demon the biggest wingspan in proportion to its height, which given his size compared to the others made sense. Like Goliath and Brooklyn, he just wore a loincloth kept up with a leather belt.
Next to the blue creature was the only female of the group. She was quite tall (still taller than Edward, goddamn it!) and slender with long dark hair worn in a ponytail and brown eyes. Her skin was lavender, like Goliath’s, which made Edward wonder if they were related. Unlike the men, she wore a two-piece outfit that left her midriff exposed: a white loincloth and top tied together by intersecting strings over breasts. She also wore golden rings on each one of her pointy ears and golden bracelets on each wrist.
The creature to the right of Goliath looked like a portly old man, even bigger than the big blue demon, with tan-colored skin, short white hair, and an impressive white beard. Edward noted with a cringe that while his right eye was a deep brown, his left eye had a scar run through it, giving it a dead yellow color. Additionally, the old man had three small horns on each side of his forehead and he wore a leather jerkin and trousers on top of the loincloth the other men of his clan wore. Attached to the elder’s belt was a scimitar that gleamed in the moonlight, and Edward noted the hand that he kept over it as he stared down him and his brother.
Next to the old man was a creature that was much smaller than the rest of clan, to the point Edward had to wonder if he was a child. He'd only go up to Edward's neck standing up straight, and he was bony compared to the rest of the clan, even Brooklyn and the woman. Unlike the other humanoids, his wings were attached to his arms in a web-like structure, like a flying squirrel’s. Apparently, he pierced his wings, which allowed him to wear his loincloth. He had khaki-colored skin, a bald head, and huge, owl-like yellow eyes that were staring at the two boys in curiosity.
Edward stared at them for a moment, at a loss for words for the first time in a while. Then, he shook his head. These creatures can talk… They clearly weren’t human, but except for the mastiff, they were sentient. Still, Edward clapped his hands together, just in case things went south and looked Goliath dead in the eye. “What are you?” he asked. “Did someone make you all like this?”
The red creature, Brooklyn, snarled at his words. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Have you heard the term, ‘Chimera’?” Alphonse asked, undeterred by the creature’s hostility. In fact, he had a finger on his chin as he studied the creatures inquisitively. “They’re what happens when you alchemically merge two or more different living things. If I had to guess, to make you someone took a human and merged them with some sort of dinosaur. Or maybe…"
Alphonse was cut off by an aggravated growl from Goliath. “You insult us human! We are not the product of your depraved science! We’re Gargoyles, and we’re as natural as the rest of you humans!”
“Gargoyles…” Edward said softly, putting down his hands as his mind recollected something he read a long time ago. “You mean statues that come to life at night… that kind of Gargoyle?”
Goliath nodded, seeming to rein in his temper. “Yes… During the day, we rest in stone sleep. At night, we are flesh and blood.”
"That's incredible!" Alphonse exclaimed, his eyes lit up in wonder. "To be able to transmute your bodies like that without any Alchemic ability… why haven't we ever heard of you?"
“Let’s just say that many humans don’t take kindly to our appearance…” Brooklyn said, eyeing Edward.
Edward didn’t miss what the Gargoyle was implying, and a gave a growl of frustration. “Oh, lay off scrawny!” he shouted. “Titania didn’t tell us that the Clan we were looking for were a bunch of candy-colored bat lizard people!”
Brooklyn’s eyes flared white. “Scrawny?!”
The chubby turquoise Gargoyle blinked in confusion. “’Candy-colored’?”
“Wait…” the old Gargoyle questioned. “What do you mean Titania didn’t tell ye?”
“They were sent here by Titania, guys” Elisa clarified. “They were told to meet you for some reason.”
The old man shot the boys a puzzled look. “Who are ye lads?”
“I’m Alphonse Elric” Al answered without hesitation. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."
“Ha!” the old man laughed. “What a polite young lad! Don’t know very many humans who’d be that way to their first Gargoyle!”
Alphonse rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. “Thank you, sir…”
Hudson looked at Edward as if waiting for something.
“I’m Edward Elric" Edward answered. "His older brother."
"Older?" the little khaki Gargoyle asked, watching the brothers closely as he walked around them. "But he's taller than you.”
Edward glared at the Gargoyle in annoyance. “I know, and I really don’t need you to remind me of that, kid!”
The tiny Gargoyle glared back at Edward. “I am one thousand and thirty-six years old!” he cried. “I am not a child!”
“Wait!” Edward shouted in disbelief. “How old?!”
“It’s a long story” Elisa replied drily.
“Well, I’d love to freakin hear it then!” Edward retorted.
"You first," Brooklyn said, glaring at Edward as he took a step towards them. "Why did Titania send you after us?"
Edward snorted at the Gargoyle’s tone. “What’s your problem, scrawny?”
Brooklyn snarled. “What’s your problem, midget?”
“You…” Edward growled, about to stomp towards Brooklyn, but a warning look from Alphonse made him quickly regain his composure. Be the bigger man… he told himself. “Well, what do you want us to call you, friend?” he bit out, feeling his soul die with every word.
"Hmph," the red Gargoyle grunted. "Call me Brooklyn."
“What about the rest of you?” Alphonse asked, looking at the rest of the Gargoyles.
The old man chuckled at the boy’s request. “Me names Hudson, lad. Like the river.” He motioned towards the mastiff, who was no longer growling at them. “The hound’s name is Bronx.”
“I'm Lexington" the little khaki Gargoyle replied cheerfully.
"My name's Broadway!" the chubby blue Gargoyle called with an affable grin on his face. “Good to meetcha!
Edward snorted at that. “How appropriate…” he muttered, earning an elbow from Alphonse.
They hadn't even noticed the woman walking up to them, and before they even realized it, she was shaking their hands with an infectious smile. “It’s good to meet you, Edward and Alphonse. I’m Angela!”
Edward and Alphonse shared a surprise glance, before smiling awkwardly back at Angela and returning her handshake. "Nice to meet you, too Angela…”
Angela shook her head. “You have no idea how good it is to see a friendly human face. Especially now of all times…”
Edward raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”
"It's none of your concern," Goliath said, pulling Angela to his side by her shoulder. "Now… would you care to explain why you're here, Elrics?”
Edward nodded. “It’s kind of a long story, Goliath.”
Goliath snorted. “We have all night.”
“Okay then…” Alphonse said. “It kind of started when we found an amulet at some ruins in Germany…”
It took a while for the brothers to tell the Fairy Queen everything she wanted to know. Just like that, the brothers had spilled secrets they had kept to themselves for months (in Edward’s case, years) while Titania listened in her chair, watching them intently.
“And when I read the incantation on this pendant" Edward finished, pulling it out of his pocket. "It brought us here…"
Titania’s eyes gleamed. “The Phoenix Gate…”
“What’s that?” Alphonse asked.
"One of the Three Keys to Power forged right here on Avalon," Titania replied. "It's a magical talisman that allows whoever uses it to travel through time and space. If you speak the incantation and imagine when and where you want to be, it will take you there. But if you have no location in mind, it will take you where it thinks you need to go.”
Alphonse gasped. “How is that possible?”
"Well…" Titania replied. "Your Alchemy may not work here, but this world is filled with magic and things you would have never thought possible in your world. Oberon and I are just the beginning. There are beings with power over death itself. People who can cause storms with a glance. Things that can make reality itself bend to their will."
Edward stood up at that. “Then, if we imagine our home, can it take us back to Amestris?!”
Titania shook his head. “No… I don’t believe so. While people have crossed vast distances and even traveled to other planets and magical realms like Avalon with it, they were all still located in our universe. If your story is true, then I don’t believe the Phoenix Gate can allow you to cross over to your world.”
Edward groaned. “Of course. That’d be too easy…”
“So what are we going to do now…?” Alphonse asked Titania.
“Perhaps you can find a way home.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Edward asked.
Titania paused, looking at Edward and Alphonse with a thoughtful gaze. “If you are willing, I can help you two on your journey.”
Both boys tensed. “And why would you do that?” Edward asked.
"To put it in terms you understand, it's Equivalent Exchange," Titania replied. "To get something I need, I need to give you something you need.”
“What can two humans possibly do for an all-powerful fairy?” Alphonse retorted.
Titania chuckled again. "Lord Oberon may have you believe our kind are all-powerful, but only the foolish pretend to not have weaknesses or limitations. Make no mistake. We are very powerful, but we are bound by divine laws and inability to be everywhere at once. Even we need help sometimes. Besides, sometimes it's just more efficient to turn to you mortals for aid."
Edward blinked. “And what would you have us do?”
"There are two things that I require of you," Titania said, standing up from her chair and pointing at the pendant. "One of them is the Phoenix Gate. The other is for you to go on a quest.”
“What?” Edward exclaimed.
“Why do you need the Phoenix Gate?” Alphonse asked, putting his hand over it protectively.
"The Phoenix Gate is the rightful property of the Third Race," Titania said. "Many of us have been searching it for countless millennia, and its power is too great to leave in the hands of mortals. I wish to keep it here, where it will be safe."
“Huh” Edward grunted. “Makes as much sense as anything else… What about this quest of yours?”
“In the Isle of Manhattan, there is a clan of warriors who live to protect the citizens within the city. However, because of the nature of their being, for the longest time, they fulfilled their duty in the shadows, out of the eyes of the public. But because of actions of a trio of foolish humans and a traitor of their kind, they’ve been exposed to the world, and it’s turned against them out of fear.”
“What did they do for people to react that badly against them?” Edward asked.
"Nothing worse than the average person in the position they find themselves in," Titania replied with a wave of their hand. "They are only feared because they're different from everyone else. And you've experienced firsthand that humans fear what they don't understand."
“Right…” Edward replied doubtfully. “And what does this have to do with us?”
Titania sighed. “I usually stay out of the affairs of mortals, but I’m rather fond of this clan. They’ve been of great use to me in the past, and their steadfast spirits in the face of all their hardships are admirable. But because of that traitor and those foolish humans, they've been placed in great danger. The whole world is against them, and I have good faith that things will only get worse for them from here on out. It would be a great shame if we were to lose such a group of formidable warriors. Because of Oberon’s laws, I can’t interfere directly, and Oberon has no further interest in aiding them… but there’s nothing to stop you from helping them.”
“Why us?” Edward said with a questioning eyebrow. He didn't like how the Fairy Queen was talking about these people like they were toys, and if she wanted his brother and him to work with her…
“I knew there was something special about you two the moment you stepped on the island, and now, hearing your stories has only convinced me of this. The two of you are outsiders in the Mortal World, despite being human, and the knowledge you hold will be of great use. Furthermore, you have a lot in common with the members of the Manhattan Clan. A similar familiarity with loss and the horrors of humankind. The same desire to protect and aid those in need, despite what it may cost you. The same unyielding spirit that allows you to overcome all adversity. Quite frankly, they could use allies such as yourself."
“Okay…” Edward nodded. “If we help these people, what will you do in return? You can’t invoke Equivalent Exchange without anything to offer.”
“Of course,” Titania said with a thin, icy smile. “In exchange for these two things, I will aid you two in your quest to find a way back to your home. And… I will restore your ability to perform Alchemy.”
“WHAT?!” both boys shot up from their chairs in disbelief and confusion.
“How are you going to do that?” Edward demanded. “Alchemy can’t work on this side of the Gate because it runs on the energy of those who’ve died on this side!”
Titania laughed, and this time it was so loud that it echoed through the forest. “My child, I’ve just introduced you to a whole new world of possibilities! Do you really think that the souls of the dead are the only source of power in this world? Only a necromancer would think such a thing! I’m the Queen of the Third Race. It will be child’s play to grant you access to the power you need.” The Fairy Queen walked forward until she was mere inches away from the brothers. "So… do we have a deal?"
The brothers stood there for a moment, uneasy. “How do we know you won’t just screw us over the minute you get what you want?” Edward said.
Titania smiled at them, and this time the smile looked genuine. “You have my word as a ruler of Avalon that I will do my very best to uphold my end of the bargain.”
The brothers looked at each other once more. There was a possibility that this was a trap and that by agreeing with Titania, they were asking for trouble. They knew about some of the tales of the Fair Folk, about how they stole children away and would trick and cause misery to mortals who had a wish. But if they refused, what could they do? They were on a strange island with no way off, and if they rejected her, she might grow angry and decide to get rid of them in a point of her finger. And even if she didn't, they'd still be on the same island as Oberon, and he didn't seem as reasonable as his wife…
"Ah hell…" Edward sighed. "What else can we do? What do you say, Al?"
“Let’s do it, Brother!” Alphonse said with a determined glint in his eyes.
“All right then, Lady!” Edward said, holding out the Phoenix Gate to the Queen of Avalon. “You’ve got yourself a deal!”
"Very well, then," Titania said as she took the Phoenix Gate in her hands. With a flex of her wrist, the pendant disappeared with a green flash of light. "We'll begin by returning your Alchemy."
With that, Titania placed her hands upon Edward and Alphonse’s heads and began a strange chant.
Earth, the mother of rock and tree
A covenant I pose to the glory of thee
Grant your power to these fair youths here
And guard what they hold close and dear
As she said this, a green light surrounded Edward and Alphonse, and their bodies were filling with a sudden rush of energy. It was like a current of electricity was running right through them, but instead of hurting them, it made them feel stronger than they had ever felt before. Like they could lift a mountain with just their hands.
While they with all their wisdom and might
Shall aid the Guardians who dwell in the night
Hear these words and grant them your favor
And ensure their spirits will never waver!
And just like that, the green light was gone, as was the euphoria that the boys felt.
“Wha… what was that?” Alphonse stammered, looking down at his hands as Titania removed her hands.
“I granted you access to a new power source," Titania said.
Edward looked down at his hand, still somewhat in denial over what just happened. “So… we just have to…?”
“Go ahead.” Titania interrupted. “Test your new power.”
Edward looked at her. Well, there was only one way to find out. Forming the formula in his mind with practiced ease, Edward clapped his hands, pressed his palms to the ground, and let the power flow…