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Title: Equivalent Exchange
Author: Evandar (yamievandar / hikarievandar)
Fandom: Harry Potter/Fullmetal Alchemist
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Future Envy/Sirius
Genre: Gen, Crossover
24Hour Themes Prompt: 2100: Comprehension of universal truth.
Warnings: AU
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist and I am making no profit from this story.
Summary: Sirius discovers that returning to England would be a bit harder than he'd anticipated.
Sirius felt triumph rush through him as he read; the odd, swirling letters of the language of Amestris translating easily in his mind. It had taken him months, almost a year to learn it. Envy, while an intermittent teacher – he kept leaving on business that he refused to talk about; Sirius assumed it had to do with that Dante person whose house he had appeared in – was a good one. Strict, but patient, and he had happily taken lessons in English as payment.
The book on Alchemy was, apparently, one of the simplest available. A book aimed at children, had been Envy’s explanation – accompanied by a soft snicker as he’d handed it over – but it was easy enough for Sirius to read. He suspected that Envy was going easy on him, as hard as that was to believe.
Envy had flung himself into a chair on the other side of the room. He lay with his legs over one arm, his back arching over the other and his long green hair brushing the floor, watching Sirius as he read. It was kind of unnerving, but Sirius managed to ignore him. Mostly. His legs swung back and forth, keeping time with the ticking of the clock.
‘Just past nine,’ Sirius noted.
His triumph faded as the words he was reading sunk in. Alchemy is controlled by the law of Equivalent Exchange. When something is taken, something of equal value must be given in exchange.
Oh. Right. Bugger.
“Did you know about this?” he asked. “Equivalent Exchange?”
“Yes,” Envy said quietly. “That’s why you were so much of a surprise. Appearing in the middle of the array like that; nothing was given.”
“If…if I try to go back?” Sirius asked. He wanted, no, needed to know. Would his last memory of his godson be his scream? Would his last view of England be a battle in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic? Was he lost forever?
“It won’t work,” Envy said. “Not unless we give something up here. Or maybe the Gate will take something from your side – this England – in exchange for you.”
Sirius looked down at the book; all comprehension of its swirling letters lost. Drag someone away from home – away from Harry – against their will, just so he could go back into a life of hiding? No. No, that wasn’t…that wasn’t what he wanted. That wasn’t something he could live with.
Not even if the Gate – as Envy called the veil – took Snape.
He shivered. Not even Snape. He wouldn’t want to inflict Snape on the people of Amestris. They didn’t deserve it.
“Oh,” he said.
“Do you still wish to continue?” Envy asked.
Sirius didn’t look at him. After a moment, he heard movement. Then, moments later, green hair brushed against his cheek.
“Do you still want to try?”
“No,” Sirius said. “I…can’t do that.”
He glanced up and caught Envy’s eye. Not for the first time, he saw confusion in Envy’s gaze. Sometimes it worried him that Envy didn’t seem to have any concept of responsibility, morality, or self sacrifice, and not for the first time Sirius found himself wondering what kind of people had brought Envy into the world.
“Besides, I kind of like it here,” he said. “I don’t have to hide anymore.”
Envy nodded, his confusion clearing and his hair brushing against Sirius’ cheek again with the movement.
“And…” he swallowed. “There’s nothing in the world, in any world, that’s worth a human life.” Envy inhaled sharply, but Sirius continued. “Not even the life of another.”
He heard Envy swallow, felt his hand grip his shoulder – his thin, pointed fingers were incredibly strong and felt like daggers in Sirius’s flesh – before Envy relaxed and released a small sigh.
“I think the world would have been saved a lot of pain, if everyone could see things like you do,” he said quietly. There was something behind his words – something that made a shiver run down Sirius’s spine.
Sirius didn’t reply. He just laughed shortly – bitterly – and closed the book with a snap.
Author: Evandar (yamievandar / hikarievandar)
Fandom: Harry Potter/Fullmetal Alchemist
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Future Envy/Sirius
Genre: Gen, Crossover
24Hour Themes Prompt: 2100: Comprehension of universal truth.
Warnings: AU
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist and I am making no profit from this story.
Summary: Sirius discovers that returning to England would be a bit harder than he'd anticipated.
Sirius felt triumph rush through him as he read; the odd, swirling letters of the language of Amestris translating easily in his mind. It had taken him months, almost a year to learn it. Envy, while an intermittent teacher – he kept leaving on business that he refused to talk about; Sirius assumed it had to do with that Dante person whose house he had appeared in – was a good one. Strict, but patient, and he had happily taken lessons in English as payment.
The book on Alchemy was, apparently, one of the simplest available. A book aimed at children, had been Envy’s explanation – accompanied by a soft snicker as he’d handed it over – but it was easy enough for Sirius to read. He suspected that Envy was going easy on him, as hard as that was to believe.
Envy had flung himself into a chair on the other side of the room. He lay with his legs over one arm, his back arching over the other and his long green hair brushing the floor, watching Sirius as he read. It was kind of unnerving, but Sirius managed to ignore him. Mostly. His legs swung back and forth, keeping time with the ticking of the clock.
‘Just past nine,’ Sirius noted.
His triumph faded as the words he was reading sunk in. Alchemy is controlled by the law of Equivalent Exchange. When something is taken, something of equal value must be given in exchange.
Oh. Right. Bugger.
“Did you know about this?” he asked. “Equivalent Exchange?”
“Yes,” Envy said quietly. “That’s why you were so much of a surprise. Appearing in the middle of the array like that; nothing was given.”
“If…if I try to go back?” Sirius asked. He wanted, no, needed to know. Would his last memory of his godson be his scream? Would his last view of England be a battle in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic? Was he lost forever?
“It won’t work,” Envy said. “Not unless we give something up here. Or maybe the Gate will take something from your side – this England – in exchange for you.”
Sirius looked down at the book; all comprehension of its swirling letters lost. Drag someone away from home – away from Harry – against their will, just so he could go back into a life of hiding? No. No, that wasn’t…that wasn’t what he wanted. That wasn’t something he could live with.
Not even if the Gate – as Envy called the veil – took Snape.
He shivered. Not even Snape. He wouldn’t want to inflict Snape on the people of Amestris. They didn’t deserve it.
“Oh,” he said.
“Do you still wish to continue?” Envy asked.
Sirius didn’t look at him. After a moment, he heard movement. Then, moments later, green hair brushed against his cheek.
“Do you still want to try?”
“No,” Sirius said. “I…can’t do that.”
He glanced up and caught Envy’s eye. Not for the first time, he saw confusion in Envy’s gaze. Sometimes it worried him that Envy didn’t seem to have any concept of responsibility, morality, or self sacrifice, and not for the first time Sirius found himself wondering what kind of people had brought Envy into the world.
“Besides, I kind of like it here,” he said. “I don’t have to hide anymore.”
Envy nodded, his confusion clearing and his hair brushing against Sirius’ cheek again with the movement.
“And…” he swallowed. “There’s nothing in the world, in any world, that’s worth a human life.” Envy inhaled sharply, but Sirius continued. “Not even the life of another.”
He heard Envy swallow, felt his hand grip his shoulder – his thin, pointed fingers were incredibly strong and felt like daggers in Sirius’s flesh – before Envy relaxed and released a small sigh.
“I think the world would have been saved a lot of pain, if everyone could see things like you do,” he said quietly. There was something behind his words – something that made a shiver run down Sirius’s spine.
Sirius didn’t reply. He just laughed shortly – bitterly – and closed the book with a snap.
