Prologue of Equivalvent Exchange

Equivalent Exchange: The idea that humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's First Law.

It was the one rule that above all other things, Truth lived by.

What was Truth? One name you might be the World, or the Universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. Truth was All, and Truth is One. So, of course, this also means that Truth was humanity, from the lowliest bum to the mightiest of kings. The truth of your despair, the inescapable price of boastfulness and arrogance.

Regardless of its nature, the being commonly known as 'Truth' gave no care to human wars and trifles, the loss of or beginning of life nor did it care a wit about ambitions that could eventually come to threaten its existence. Not that it could be harmed.

Whenever someone was foolish enough to try Human Transmutation, more commonly known as bringing back the dead, or any other unfair exchange, Truth would bring the foolish transgressor into it's home and force-ably take their most valued attribute, or something of value that represents their anticipated relationship to the person they are trying to create or resurrect.

To date, only two brothers, not even grown men when they had done so, had ever beaten this rule. They had then begun completely recreating alchemy, creating the rule that when you took something, you gave a little more back.

Truth adored them for it; no one deserved to beat the rule than them.

But this tale is not about those brothers, nor their descendants, or even their world.

Truth was complicated, all could agree on that. It could do as it pleased and no one would be able to tell it. If equivalent exchange was an iron clad rule to never be broken or at the very least, never be ignored, there was perhaps another concept that Truth was more...fickle about.

"Should children pay for the crimes of their parent?"

Going by Equivalent Exchange, it seemed the case. The parent committed a terrible deed, so their child must pay.

But by the case of the brother's newest law of Alchemy? No.

The children in mind were all dead at this point, their 'parent', that pitiful dwarf that failed to grow and understand how it had failed, had outlived them by a few seconds after using them to attain 'God-hood.'

These were not children in the human's traditional sense; they had only a father, ceated from said father's seven deadly desires in an attempt for him to 'cleanse himself of impurity.'

What fool that Father had been. For all his destruction and cruelty, he had actually done one thing good and truly God-like, yet something he had believed stupid:

He had created life. With their own souls, mindsets and understandings of how the world worked. Sure, most of them hated it, but still...

Besides, these 'children' had never had the chance to truly 'be.' Aside from one, they had done their father's orders to a T, rarely thinking and living for themselves.

That last bit was what truly vexed truth; when Father created these beings...he had made souls apart from his own. Meaning they were their own beings.

And with that revalation, a thought had occurred:

With their father gone, returned to the abysmal 'NOTHING' that he loathed, they could be given second chances and truly live.

But not on the same earth. No, that'd be boring and too easy. No, Truth would send them to a world where, while still exceptional, their abilities would be slightly more commonplace. Just had to find it... And they did.

Remnant.

A world of abilities known as Semblances, an extraordinary material known as Dust, humans and Faunus with the possibility of life like their own. It was haunted by monsters called the Grimm., yet almost unfamiliar with war...for another decade.

Oh yes, this would do nicely.

And so, it was done; with a thought, the seven souls were whisked away to this new world, and Truth returning to sitting, excited to see what these children did with their new lives.

But as Equivalent Exchange demanded; Truth also did one more thing...

Salem's domian

"Hello there, my lady."

The voice inside the flask, coming from a black orb, was high and yet gravely, somewhat like a scheming child.

"Hello there."

She could've been beautiful to some, but she was feared by all for good reason. She commanded the hordes of evil, the soulless beasts known as Grimm. She was the mortal enemy of the kingdoms and a firm believer of 'divided they fall.'

Her name was Salem, and she was the master of the man who had saved him from Nothing.

They would do quite nicely...but unlike Honehiem and that old king, he'd have to be careful. There were no weaklings in this bunch, and all of them intelligent beings.

"Once again Arthur, your brillance knows no bounds." Salem smiled

"As much as I'd love to take credit, I'll admit finding our new friend was a folly of mine." Arthur Watts admitted. "Still...he brings such fascinating new knoweldge I believe will serve us well."

A humph filled the room.

"Great, another posh brainiac."

"August, be nice." Salem told the tall, muscular man at her side. "You need to set a good example for Cinder."

The aforementioned Cinder, no older than four, stared at the flash with fascination.

"I assure you August, I will do my best to not be as...attitude heavy as my Savior."

Watts frowned at that, but August grinned.

"I think I like you already."

"Um...what should we call you?" Cinder asked.

A single eye manifested, along with a big tooth smile.

"You can call me the Dwarf in the Flask...Homunculous."

Read and review, would ye kindly?

So, this story has been in development for the better part of a year or so, and now it is finally out!

A huge shout-out to co-creater Mr. Green 37 for coming up with the idea, and for his OC August, who you will be seeing more of VERY soon.

A slight note; while most of the story up until Volume 6 (we're doing our own from there out) has been decided and is being written, we do welcome anyone to become co-writers and offer suggestions.

Anyways, next chapter started right at 'Welcome to Beacon' but rest assured that all backgrounds will be revealed in chapter 4, and warning...some of them are heavy and tearjerking.

Anyways, keep warm and safe.