Yep. Had to be done.

[costanarmandaleg]

Hi, Miss Mun.

I really appreciate the chance to 'stretch my legs' as you say! I mean, it's been a long time since you thought of me in this form, haven't you? It's nice to know that sometime, somewhere, I will get my body back and have a normal life. And brother will, too!

It's been so hard to see him like this. I'll be the first to admit that there have been times I lost hope.

But I shouldn't dwell on that any more, should I? We have to keep moving on, just like before. And we will beat this. We will.

...And thank you. Thank you for that too. I don't know how you manage to keep us all straight anyway. But visiting here is enough. I'm okay with that.

Comments

[alchimia]

[ omg, sorry little bro. he is staring at your username just... just... FACE IN HANDS. ]

Al...

[costanarmandaleg]

Hi, Brother!

Miss Mun said that I'd find you here. Actually, she said more than one could be found here. How are you?


[Yep. All bright and cheerful and what was wrong with his username?]

[alchimia]

[ IT IS HIDEOUS but ed's mun is cracking up. ]

Geeze, finding you like this again is weird. I'm alright. Your mun's treating you okay, right?

[costanarmandaleg]

Oh yes, she's been very nice to me! [He perks right up at that]

She's been explaining this strange world and what goes on in it and things.

It must be really weird, huh? I guess in your history I'm not like this anymore?

[alkahestry]

[That user name. It hurts. Really, but he's here for moral support, because he's a living breathing example of what their journey amounts to.

So have the hugest and most confident of smiles younger self.]

If anyone can do it, you guys can!

[alchimia]

Yeah, you haven't been for a while. But things like that happen here. 'Sjust different points in time, is all. Among other things...

[costanarmandaleg]

My body! [Have a momentary freak out, Al. He doesn't mind his name. It's the truth, after all.]

S-sorry! It's just that it's the first time I've... and you look strong and healthy. [Cue in amazement] Ed said that... How long?

[costanarmandaleg]

What do you mean by 'Among other things?'

[alkahestry]

Our body.

[This whole place certainly has many of them and in truth they are all one in a same even if they go on to have many different experiences thanks to their new homes.

However, he knows all too well how exciting this sort of meeting can be so he waits patiently for Al to calm down.]

You don't have to apologize and it's been a few years since The Promised Day for me, two years in fact.

[costanarmandaleg]

Technically speaking. I mean, when I get to that point, we don't merge into one being--or do you think we will? [Oh man, all the possibilities! He'll have fun at night trying to sort them all out]

Two years? Have have you done? What did you eat? Did you try Mrs. Hughes' quiche?

[alkahestry]

Nothing like that! At the end of the day I'm still me and you're still you, but we'll always look the same and share the same memories. In way we are all connected, but from there we lead our lives and learn our own things. It is a very interesting process if you think about it and technically speaking for me, my player as a few different versions of me running around!

[A younger one of him in armor, another that's even older and much more well traveled, and the last one that comes from a different Amestris where he appears to be much younger and has been separated from Edward for almost three years.]

A lot... I wish I could tell you that recovering was easy.

[Alphonse has never had an easy time at lying and while he won't go into details when Alphonse asks he will at least worn his other self that their journey doesn't stop with the restoration of their bodies.]

However, I've tried a lot of things once I was able to eat solid foods again. We didn't even go back home until after about eight months. It took that long just so I could be strong enough to walk again. After that it was a lot of conditioning. I spent as much time as I could lifting weights and exercising. It took me a long time to get used to having to look up instead of down when I spoke to people. Brother was excited to finally be taller than everyone.

[Laughing over the memory he remembers how after about a year worth of hard work he had finally grown enough that Edward couldn't really joke anymore. Excuse him while he whips out that food journal. Seriously where should he begin? Flipping through the pages slowly he starts to list off just a few things.]

Let's see... Winry's apple pie, Mrs. Hughes apple pie, wild mushroom sandwiches with roasted hog, spaghetti and meatballs, and oh - if you ever get a chance to try something known as a hamburger they are delicious and french fries are pretty good too.

[costanarmandaleg]

Hm.

[He seems to have settled enough.]

I know what you mean. Miss Mun here has a few of 'me's' here as well. And Brother, too. I'm the youngest, though.

I can understand. Brother said he saw me once-one of the older ones- and said that I was very weak and sickly looking in the Portal. So it's not a surprise that I would need to work very hard in regaining my strength.

Hamburger? I've never heard about one of those before. What's it made of?

[alkahestry]

It takes a long time, but it's worth it. We accomplish our goals and even Edward manages to gain something back besides us and yes our body waited a very long time for our soul to return. However, if Edward hadn't helped keep it alive we might have not had a body to return to at all.

And a hamburger is an amazing thing! It's basically a small round circle of ground beef put between two pieces of bread or buns. Then you can add whatever toppings you want. Stuff like bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms. The possibilities are endless! I think the only thing that comes close to being as delicious as those are pizza!

[Don't even get him started on pizza. Living in a place with people from the modern day world certainly does expand your food tastes]

[costanarmandaleg]

Nothing's worth having without working for it!

[Then he whips out his own journal from under the loin flap and starts writing things down]

I see. It's beef? I wonder if that can be made with other kinds of meat. And pizza? I don't think I've ever heard of--well, maybe the other Al I talk do knows about pizza.

[alkahestry]

[That's the spirit!]

I think it can, but the greatness of the hamburger really is in the toppings. There are an infinite number of combinations and I've even seen Hamburgers with more than one patty!

[Don't get him started about the time he discovered a McDonald's in a game he was in once. The amount of food he came home with was frightening.]

Pizza though ... it's the same thing really, because of the toppings.

[Flipping pages in his journal to the right area he begins to repeat what Travis taught him.]

It's basically a flour based dough that is rolled out into a big circle. Then you add tomato sauce, cheese, and whatever else you want. Sausage, beef, chicken, vegatables, fruit, and even more cheese. You bake it in an oven and it's kinda like a giant melty pie.

[However, it's so delicious he can't even begin to tell you Alphonse.]

[costanarmandaleg]

Oooooh.

[Scribbling furiously, now]

I bet Brother will enjoy these things, too! And a fruit, vegetable pie with cheese and sauce? That's amazing

[Let us all pray that this Alphonse doesn't find fast food. He might pop!]

[alkahestry]

It tastes amazing.

[He adds with a very firm nod.]

Just think one day you'll be able to taste them all too. You'll see.

[costanarmandaleg]

That will be amazing. Once I can eat again, I won't know what to eat first.

[He shuts the book closed with a snap and then tucks it away.]

So you're in one of these places I keep hearing about? A world that's not Amestris?

[alkahestry]

[He glad to see his younger self being so positive. It's a great sign, because the road ahead is full of tests and hardships.]

I am... it's not my first home either. I've been a few places and each one is as different as the last.

[madeanarmandaleg]

You'll succeed at it. I know you will.

[costanarmandaleg]

You mean like one of these game worlds, right?

[costanarmandaleg]

Thanks, Winry.

How are you?

[alkahestry]

Yes, and the world is known as Zodion and a lot of people from home are there. Winry, the Colonel, and even Lieutenant Hawkeye until recently. Brother is there too, but ... well, the version of brother that's there is from another version of home. It's a little weird sometimes, but he's still brother all the same.

[costanarmandaleg]

Brother will always be Brother.

[There's a small chuckle with that.]

But he's different? How so?

[alkahestry]

Exactly. However, this version of brother grew up in a different Amestris than we did. His brother, the other Alphonse also looks a lot different. His hair is darker and so are his eyes things also happened a lot different than we remember.