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[milkisgross]

[Edward's been seeing all of these different posts come up. It's obnoxious to him, but he can see the potential of being able to communicate with so many like this, so he decided to give it a try.]

It's come to my attention that there's a few people here who use "magic." From what I've seen, there's nothing like it where I come from and I have a few questions for anyone who's willing to answer.

In science, you've got different laws that everything follows. Is that the same for magic? Does some magic have laws while others don't?

Are there different fields of magic? What are they?

Where does the energy or power come from?

What makes it "magic" and not a field of science?

Comments

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[darkcharge]

From what I understand just about anyone can study science. That's not always the case with magic. Not everyone can use it or learn how to. Some people just don't make the cut.

Even if you can, you probably can't use every kind of magic.

[milkisgross]

What determines that? There's different levels of skill between people when it comes to alchemy, but it's generally thought to be based on the person's understanding of it.

[darkcharge]

Beats me. My guess is that it works the same way. Sometimes people just have an aptitude for it and others don't.

I've fought plenty of people and all of them have had a different skill level and favored different magics. Then there's me who puts their own special twist on the magic they use.

[milkisgross]

What are these different magics you're talking about? What;s this 'twist' of yours?

[darkcharge]

One of my brothers has an affinity for wind and light based magics. Big surprise there. My other brother seems to be pretty decent at magic across the board. Another person I know is adept in time magics.

[ Unfortunately he's not keen on answering questions about himself. ]

[milkisgross]

Hold up. "Time magics" being time travel? Wouldn't they have to worry about time paradoxes and the like?

You still haven't explained your magic.

[Edward Elric is on a mission! He will do what he can to get the information out of him!

Too bad the most he can do with text messaging is curse at him.]

[darkcharge]

[ But he can probably distract with a nice discussion about time magic! ]

Time magic and time traveling are two different things. HE could do both.

Maybe "adept" is a bad word choice. Considering he managed to pull a good five or six people along with him through time? Some of which were himself inhabiting other people in different points in time? I'd say that he is the master of time travel.

[milkisgross]

[Vanitas used distraction! It's super effective!]

What's the difference?

But if he pulled himself through time, then how were past versions of himself able to do what they needed to do to get to the point where he could go though time to grab them?!

[darkcharge]

Time magic can halt time for either one person or multiple people around you depending upon the strength of the spell.

Time travel has more rules. The first? You can only travel to a time you already exist in. Then the second is that you have to give up your body.

As for the old goat? His younger self pulled some of the other versions from a point in time in which they were already defeated and about to fade anyway. Since his younger self was SUPPOSED to do that, it doesn't actually interfere with the timeline.

[milkisgross]

[Ok, the time magic vs. time travel makes sense.

Nothing else does though. It takes a bit longer for Ed to send his reply since he takes so long trying to wrap his head around all this.]

What happens to your body then? Is this guy's soul just floating around without it?

What do you mean his younger self was 'supposed' to travel in time? Did some time God come down from the heavens and tell him that or something?

[You'll have to forgive Ed. He doesn't like how the more questions he asks the less everything makes sense.]

[darkcharge]

[ Yeah well Vanitas isn't really helping when it comes to that, now is he? ]

There was a body waiting in the "present." There was one for ME anyway. I assume it was the same for the other losers that arrived from their places out of time. What happened to the body in the past is something I couldn't tell you.

[ As Vanitas' case is a little more unique. ]

No god was involved. He knew because his old man self knew.

[milkisgross]

Where did these bodies come from?

[He's picturing a world in which soulless bodies are just kind of strewn everywhere for any wandering soul to just pop into. It's either that or all of these people are running around as souls bound to various suits of armor and the like just like Alphonse and he didn't want to think that was a possibility.]

So you're telling me this old guy figured something out and went back in time to tell this to his younger self? But then his younger self was supposed to do this thing the whole time and that somehow makes him immune from losing his body?

NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE

[darkcharge]

Someone made them.

[ Obviously, but he's not going to say who. ]

Look, no one really knows even half of what went through the old fart's mind. He was obsessed with the forces of light and darkness clashing. Since people are unreliable, he started using people that already possessed a fraction of himself. The kid version of himself needed to be present so he would know all of the steps he needed to take to fulfill his plans.

I was just along for the ride. The kid version picked me up along the way and before I knew it I had a body.

[milkisgross]

How were they made?

So...he used his kids?

[That was the only way Ed could interpret the whole 'fraction of himself' bit.]

The body you're in now isn't your original one? How does your soul stay connected to it?

[darkcharge]

My original body? It's with my "brother." He's had it since we were split in two.

[ Have fun picking apart that one, Ed. ]

Xehanort used kids when it suited him to. First Ventus. Then me. Then he tricked Terra so he could use his body. Really there's only a handful of adults involved in his plan.

But what I meant was he literally took a piece of himself and put it into someone else.

1/2

[milkisgross]

fdufihGFSDJLGNFSUGLSHI;gjflsngs;vms
'gifso;vs
gfs;g

[The keysmash is from Ed accidentally hitting his head against the screen of his device while he head-desked.]

2/2

[milkisgross]

You've been messing with this whole damn time, haven't you?

[darkcharge]

Now now. That's not a very nice thing to accuse me of. I might like to mess with people but I assure you that everything that I've said so far has been the truth.

[milkisgross]

Right. And I'm the Emperor of Xing. It might be easier for people to believe you if you didn't admit to being a liar.

=> audio

[darkcharge]

[ Now he switches because why not. Vanitas usually wouldn't care, but at least Edward can hear him laugh. ]

I said I like to mess with people. That doesn't mean I lie. Since you seem so confused, I don't mind sharing, Your Excellency.

[ A jab at his 'emperor' comment? You bet! ]

A while back a boy named Ventus was training under his Master, Xehanort. When Xehanort commanded Ventus to use his powers of darkness against his enemies, said boy refused. Thus the apprentice fell. However his master sought to rip the darkness right out of the boy's heart instead. The act shattered Ventus' heart and another was born from the darkness that had been taken away. That boy was given the name Vanitas.

Ventus and I were once the same person. Now we are not nor do I believe that we will ever be again.

=> audio

[milkisgross]

Uh huh.

[On one hand, this has all sounded like utter nonsense even when Ed was actively trying to understand all this, so if really did feel like he was listening to some kid pull some bullshit on him. On the other he was still going and everything was said with an ease that most likely came from familiarity.

Or he could just be really good liar.]

So, you and this Ventus guy are actually the same soul, just split into two then?

[He lets out a 'why am I still dealing with this' sigh. It doesn't help Vanitas' case that Ed's experience with dealing with souls or 'hearts' doesn't match up with this at all.]

Look, unless you have some way to actually verify any of this, there's not really anything else you ca say to convince me that all this crap is actually possible.

[OoC: Going to assume this is said before he speaks to Ventus. Would you be ok with me inviting Ventus into this thread?]

=> audio ventus joins the fray!

[callmeven]

[god damn it, vanitas what are you doing now...

there's some rustling and muffled voices, one of which belongs to vanitas and the other-]

Hello? Um- [some more grumbling from behind ventus as he tries to talk, but ventus ignores him.] I'm sorry about Vanitas, sometimes he can be... frustrating to handle.

But what he says is true. [a pause] Oh, I'm Ventus by the way!

i was on it

[darkcharge]

I don't need sunshine and sparkles to apologize for me.

Like I said, I'm not a liar. Might be made of darkness, but I haven't lied.

[milkisgross]

So then...you're the other part of the whole split soul thing?

[Holy crap was this confusing and nonsensical. Ed didn't actually expect the 'brother' to be real, not to mention within the same vicinity as Vanitas right now.]

Would you mind explaining things in a way that actually makes sense then?

[Yeah, he's completely ignoring Vanitas right now.]

[callmeven]

Vanitas... [ven sighs at his other half.]

Um, but yeah that's me. [he's so sorry, ed.] I think it'd be easier to understand if you don't look at it from a scientific point of view. Our heart was separated against our will and Vanitas was created from my- our darkness.

[saying it out loud makes him realize how hard it is to explain how hearts and souls work in their worlds to people who aren't even vaguely familiar.]

Maybe... think of it in a more spiritual sense?