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[October 3rd again. Don't forget. This marks the second time he's hit this date in Luceti, and the first time in his life since carving the words upon his pocket watch that he's met it without Alphonse. That's probably what hurts the most, this time. No closer to getting home, no closer to regaining their bodies, even though he knows that he's only a day away from victory when he goes home. The second worst part is that he's only one day past an experiment that stole those memories from him- that he had, in fact, forgotten. Hadn't even known what the watch or the date upon it even meant.

Tch... stupid place. For the first time in a while, he hates it again.

He's going to keep up with the annual tradition anyway, for Al's sake as much as his, so tonight at the back of House #23, some time after dinner, Edward will be seated at a campfire, occasionally tossing logs into the flames, with a collection of snacks, some books, and notebook paper piled around him to get some work done. He'll be there all night, so any nighthawks or curious passerbys are free to stop in and see what's up.]

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[Hiccup and Toothless are strolling by house 23 when he notices the smoke. It triggers his memory of seeing something similar a long while back--huh. May have been a whole year, even. Curious, the pair wander back to see Edward seating by himself and...it's even more familiar. With one glaring exception.

No Al.]

Hey, Ed. [He's wondering if he should have left well enough alone now, but too late for that.] Want some company?

Mm. [Edward frowns, sitting quietly without a real response for a long moment, then shuffles over to make room on his log so Hiccup can sit down. Toothless gets a slight lift of one hand in greeting. Sup, dragon.]

Sure, if you want. Nothing exciting going on, though.

[Hiccup moves to sit, shrugging a bit at Ed's answer while Toothless gives him a smug look and settles down next to the fire.]

I dunno if I'd say that. What are you working on?

Just some alchemy notes. Big surprise, huh? [He smiles faintly, waving a loose scrap of paper.] Well, technically it's alkahestry. Still amounts to the same to someone who doesn't know about it, though.

[...Yep, that would be him.]

It's a different kind of alchemy? How so?

I'm still trying to figure that part out. I've gotten an explanation - several explanations, actually - but a lot of the details don't click all that well. It's hard to completely spin around ideas you've grown up with.

So it's kind of like...alchemy in a different language? Sort of?

In more ways than one. Most of these books are written in Xingese. I guess the wings still auto-translate books, but it ruins the symbolism of it, and since all the notes are in code, it makes it really hard to figure out when all you've got is a literal translation. I don't have the kind of resources I had back home, either.

Is there anyone else around here who knows it? Alkahestry, I mean. [He recalls there being a lot of people from Ed's world around here.]

Actually, Ling's sister, May, is an alkahestry practitioner. She's been trying to teach me, but apparently I'm not a very good student with this stuff.

Really? Why? I mean--you're great at alchemy. What's holding you back?

It's really different. In theory, I mean- the very core of how it works. Alchemy's all about using the flow and power of the earth, the movement of the surface you're standing on. Alkahestry is like... the life force or something. You have to feel that energy, and it's connected to everything... it's tricky, and I'm just not feeling it at all.

So it's like...learning how to swim when you only know how to run. [Ooooor something to that effect.] Do you think it's because of Luceti?

No, I think it's because I'm too set in my ways. [Edward sighs, slumping a little in his seat and putting aside his book for now.] Al said he had trouble with this back home when May tried to teach him, and he's got more patience for this stuff than I do.

You've just got to keep at it. I'm sure it'll get easier. [If there's one thing he knows Ed can manage, it's staying determined.] Why learn a different form of alchemy, anyway?

[Edward glances down at his hands, slowly clenching them into fists. He hasn't actually told anyone his real reasons- hadn't intended to ever, actually. They'd just get mad.]

Alchemy can deconstruct and reconstruct matter, but it can't heal a wound. Alkahestry has that kind of power, and I want it.

[His eyebrows shoot up, as he wonders if he's interpreting that right.]

Could you get your limbs back?

[Pfft, oh geez, Hiccup.]

I don't think it has that kind of power... Al and I thought it could do that at first, though. Right now I'm thinking of more practical uses, like here on the battlefield. If I could heal my own injuries, I wouldn't get slowed down as much.

[...WELP. No. Not quite right there, was he.]

Ah. Well, that's, uh, certainly a good reason, too. Not being slow is, um, good.

[A+]

[At least Edward's not particularly miffed or offended...]

Honestly... if I had the choice, I wouldn't trade in my automail for real limbs here.

More useful that way?

[It would make sense. Hiccup glances down at his pegleg, wishing he could say the same.]

Safer, at least. If I hurt my arm, Winry can just repair it. Limbs can't be fixed just like that.

[It's true that automail has its disadvantages, but when it comes to fighting a war, he'll take whatever limitations he's dealt with if the alternative is a potential maiming or something.

Not to mention he still doesn't really want his leg back, anyway... not that he really tells anyone that.]

[That does make sense, at least. After his own scrapes and bruises, he couldn't deny that being able to be fixed in a pinch would be nice.]

Yeah. [...] You know, after all this time, I can't help but think I should have taken her up on that automail offer.

[Edward's brows lift at that.]

You say that like you can't get it now. Why not ask her? She'd probably be happy to do it.

[He remembers her estimated time of rehabilitation...a year and a half. He's been in Luceti that long already. Maybe if he was dedicated enough...]

Y-yeah. It could be worth bringing up again, at least.

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