Chapter 7: Cold Tomb

(First moon, 3rd day: Year 454 of the Lu Calendar)

Alphonse got up weakly as he groaned, covering the burns on his skin. He shuddered as he remembered what had happened just moments before. {You can't just stop talking to me, you know that!} Prism said. Alphonse just walked out of the forge room. Alphonse's walk was more of a stumble, as he had to ignore the pain swelling throughout his body, his face is expressionless. {You haven't said a word for weeks, and you haven't even asked any questions or responded to me! How much longer will this go on?} Prism asked, though no response came.

'Activate thought blocking...' Alphonse said to Prism.

{Activating: Complete.} Prism said. {Why did you!} Prism yelled out as Alphonse ignored her. Alphonse finally left the room and he went up the stairs to his room. When he walked in he looked to his sister's bed, ensuring that she is sleeping soundly. 'Good... She's fine.' Alphonse thought to himself. 'Over the past four years, I seem to have grown attached to her... I suppose this is what it is like to feel responsible for a younger sibling.' He thought as he went to his bed to sleep.

When Alphonse woke up, his wounds were gone, and his mother had just left the room, he silently thanked her in his mind as he got up. He looked at his sister who has yet to get up then left the room. "Do you really have to sleep so little? You don't have to keep watch for her." Edrit said as she looked to Alphonse. Alphonse just looked at her. "You've grown silent..." She mumbled. Alphonse walked past her and continued down the stairs.

"At least sleep this week!" Edrit said sternly as Alphonse walked off.

'No.' Alphonse thought to himself. 'I won't let it happen again!' He thought again as images flashed in his mind. Cedra unconscious wounded all over. Just remembering it made him shudder. 'I'm used to it, but she isn't, I don't want her to experience what I have...' He thought as he continued to the dojo as usual.

"So you're finally up?" Raeloph said with a slightly angered tone. Alphonse just nodded as he got prepared for whatever Raeloph said the training would be. "Pain endurance, get ready." Raeloph said as Alphonse froze, his eyes widened in terror.

'Pain, pain, pain.' These words rushed through his mind over and over. 'It feels like my muscles will give out any moment!' Raeloph started walking expecting Alphonse to follow, but he didn't. Raeloph was visibly angry at this point. He rushed over to Alphonse and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him out of the room. As Alphonse got dragged across the floor, he regained his senses.

"Sor..." Alphonse started when Raeloph just looked at him angrily. Raeloph stopped and picked up Alphonse by the collar of his shirt, looking at him face-to-face, then he dropped him.

"Follow!" Raeloph said as he started walking again. Alphonse swiftly got up and followed.

'It'll only be worse if I anger him too much...' Alphonse thought to himself over and over. After entering the forge room, Raeloph grabbed a sword and said.

"Grab one, we will also be sparring with them." Alphonse did as he was told and grabbed a sword. Raeloph and Alphonse got into their stances. Alphonse in a Jaguar stance and Raeloph in a tiger stance.

Raeloph did a basic downward swing, to which Alphonse blocked quickly, he took a side step and attempted to use a piercing attack, instead Raeloph took the opening on Alphonse's side to attack with a side swing.

"How many times have I told you that move is ineffective?!" Raeloph said angrily as he cut Alphonse's stomach. Alphonse looked at Raeloph and lunged, taking the time that he had while Raeloph still had an opening, and kicked, just a basic front kick, and hit Raeloph in the gut.

Raeloph groaned a little and said. "I see." In a satisfied, yet angry tone. several minutes went by similarly, with Alphonse using moves that were deemed ineffective in effective ways. By the end of the match, Alphonse had several cuts, though Raeloph had a few, it wasn't many. "Alright, next stage." Raeloph said as Alphonse took an involuntary step back.

"Stand still, or it'll be worse." Raeloph said gruffly as he pulled Alphonse closer. Alphonse stood still fearful of the next portion. Raeloph picked up a sword and started the forge. After the forge heated, Raeloph started heating the sword in it. Raeloph kept an eye on Alphonse to ensure he didn't move and after ten minutes pulled out the sword. "If you collapse, the next time will be worse." Raeloph warned as he put the red hot sword on Alphonse's wrist.

Alphonse took a sharp breath in as he fought tears back, forcing himself to stay conscious. Raeloph held the sword there for a few seconds before placing it on Alphonse's forearms. Alphonse looked down at his wrist, his skin is melted and blistered, burned and bruised, he can tell it would likely be a third-degree burn, maybe fourth.

Raeloph continued to burn portions of Alphonse's skin for a half-hour before finishing with the sword and putting Alphonse into a small metal room with a metal door. The room was new, Alphonse could tell because he couldn't remember it being there until recently. The room was really small, Alphonse estimated a five by five by ten, 250ft^3. Raeloph closed the door and opened a small portion of the door that slid. "This is a new portion of your training." Raeloph said bluntly.

"This room is made of metal, a good insulator that has an easy time keeping a temperature attached to itself, do you know why?" Raeloph asked as he looked at Alphonse. Alphonse just continued to look straight, holding back his screams of agony. Raeloph closed the slider as the room began to get colder. The room started off at a nice seventy Fahrenheit, but after just a few minutes went down to fifty. It was getting colder and fast, Alphonse was already having difficulties thinking because of the pain, but now he is in full panic mode.

Alphonse's thoughts continued to scatter for the next several minutes, then he had an idea. 'If I try using heat magic I can stay warm.' Alphonse thought as he began trying to form a small flame in his hand. Shivering, Alphonse sat up and brought his hand up, just a foot away from his face and began focusing, repeating the word flame in his head.

{What are you doing?} Prism asked, though as she expected, no response came. as the room got colder, Alphonse's focus got weaker and weaker. 'So cold!' Alphonse thought to himself as he gave up on the heat and went to the door. "Let me out! Please!" He yelled to no avail. After only a minute of this Alphonse's hands and feet began sticking to the metal, causing immense pain from the cold. The water in the air was freezing on the walls and floor, even on the roof.

Alphonse gave up on crying for help and tears rolled down his cheeks as the pain caught up with his nervous system until he passed out from shock. Alphonse woke up in a winter forest, no wounds on his body, no pain, it was as if he was entirely healed. He looked around and saw nothing but snow, trees, bushes, and the occasional grass poking through the snow, so he decided to walk around.

"Hello!?" Alphonse yelled. No response. Alphonse went deeper into the forest and eventually found a house, he knocked and heard a voice.

"Come in." A monotoned voice came. He entered. Inside the house was a small girl, she has white hair and a large hoodless cloak, the cloak is white and ice blue. She has a hat, with similar colors, it is fluffy and tall, kinda like that of a royal soldier in Britain, but with a larger radius.

The girl sighed as she began speaking. "Seriously, another one? All your good for is dying, you know that?" She asked in a monotoned voice. "Well, whatever, let's just get this over with." She said as she walked to a desk and sat in the chair. She motioned Alphonse to the chair in front of the desk. "Odds are you don't remember me, so I'll start by introducing myself. I am Koyuki, that is all you need to know." She said flatly.

"First or last?" Alphonse asked. She looked at Alphonse for a moment then looked as if she reminded herself of something.

"First." She said. Alphonse sat in the chair as Koyuki pushed some papers forward. Alphonse looked at them and all they said is, 'Your dead.'

"This makes sense." Alphonse said lightly. Koyuki chuckled a bit but retained her emotionless face.

"Well, you all are always so accepting of the facts." She said with her monotone voice.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" Alphonse asked.

"You have two choices." Koyuki said as she pulled up some papers. "First is this." She said as she pushed a paper towards Alphonse. "Continue as a dead man and head over to heaven or hell, or your next life, or..." She said as she pushed the other paper forward. "Continue your current life, with a few added bonuses, such as a stronger body, more details on that if you ask." She said.

"Um, I would like more details on the second option!" Alphonse said.

"Right, you always do." She said flatly. "Well, your body will be more resilient and less likely to die, so we don't have to meet so quickly again, or I would hope. You will have greater talent in most energies than you did previously, honestly, I have no idea why we give you that one, I mean with everything that you've done your talent is already pretty high..." She mumbled the last part, but Alphonse still heard it.

"Why do you keep saying that as if everyone you deal with is the same person?" Alphonse asked, but the only response he got was a stone face that said nothing on the subject.

"Generally you will have an easier time surviving your day-to-day life." Koyuki said as she urged Alphonse to choose one.