Fic: Prometheus: 2/?
May. 17th, 2005 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetFandom: FMA/Greek Myth fusion
Summary: Prometheus and the eagle. Vaguely RoyEd/EdRoy
Blame:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nekokenchan. Sorta.
Fic: Prometheus
The story was often told in ancient Creta of how Prometheus championed humans, and for them stole fire from the gods and brought them alchemy so they might live more comfortably. Less often is it told the consequences of these actions, beyond a few lines: how Prometheus returned to the home of the gods and was punished for his actions.
To a boulder on a mountain top was Prometheus chained for his crimes, with the promise that each day, an eagle would descend and tear out his liver, and each night it would grow back so his torment would continue.
Prometheus waited patiently the first day for the eagle, resigned to his fate. He did not regret what he had done for the human race, and he knew that he would shortly be free from his punishment--what was a few millennia to a god?
When Apollo had nearly reached his zenith in the sky, a lone figure approached Prometheus. There wasn't much of him, but what there was was this: a pair of fierce golden eyes and hair colored to match pulled into a braid, a mouth set in a firm line, and two metal limbs, an arm and a leg. Prometheus watched his approach curiously. "You are the eagle who has been sent to torment me?" he asked, placidly.
The young man's expression remained firm. "I am. Since you not only stole fire from the gods but alchemy as well, and since I am a student of this art, it seemed fitting that I should be the one to visit you." His eyes narrowed. "Do not doubt me because my form is unlike that of a bird's; I am indeed the eagle who was sent."
"I don't doubt you," Prometheus promised the youth, "I merely wished to confirm that you were he."
"I am so, as I have told you. And now, I must ask you to quiet yourself, so I might begin my task." Prometheus silenced his tongue and watched the youth as he approached. Dark eyes observed as mismatched hands imbedded a red stone in his navel; glancing up, the eagle noticed Prometheus' interest. "This is the tool that, together with the proper markings, will allow you to heal each night. You should be thankful that you did not think to give these to humans, lest your punishment be that much more severe." Prometheus nodded, absorbing the information. His watched the youth's hands as the youth traced out arcane symbols on Prometheus' skin. "These markings tell the stone what to heal," the eagle explained without looking away, "Without these, there would be nothing to keep it in check, and I will not say what might happen if the stone were to work without boundaries." Prometheus nodded, and did not ask to know.
When the eagle had finished, he stood and looked Prometheus in the eye. "You have been very gracious in your shame. Perhaps you will escape this torture sooner than the others believe."
"You do not believe I will escape?" Prometheus asked, mildly.
The eagle smiled in return. "There is very little I believe in, Prometheus." So saying, he plunged his metal hand into Prometheus' abdomen and drew out the titan's liver; this he brought to his mouth and consumed. When nothing remained of the organ and Prometheus was gasping in pain, the eagle licked Prometheus' blood from his lips. "I will return tomorrow. Until then, rest well." And the eagle turned and began to descend the mountain again. Even through the pain he felt, Prometheus watched the eagle leave; he was to have no other companion for many, many years.
The eagle returned the following day, as was promised, and the day following that, and the day following that, always a little before noon. Soon the days began to blend together, until Prometheus could hardly think of a time when he had not been chained to a rock and was visited by the eagle.
Sometimes, Prometheus and the eagle would take time to talk of things other than duty or punishment.
"What happened to your arm and your leg that you should be fitted with artificial limbs?" Prometheus asked the eagle one day.
The eagle did not flinch at the question. "My mother devoured them when I was young," he answered. "The smith god and her apprentice had me fitted with these in their absence."
Prometheus nodded solemnly. "I am sorry for your pain."
The eagle's eyes glowed softly when his gaze met that of Prometheus. "Why? It was not you who caused it, and it has long been nothing more than a memory."
Prometheus smiled at the eagle. "Because I know what it is like to feel pain, and I would not wish it on another being."
The eagle said no more that day, contenting only to tear out and devour Prometheus' liver. Prometheus did not begrudge him his silence.
On a different day, the eagle asked Prometheus a question: "How did you take fire from the gods to give it to the humans, and how did they learn alchemy?"
Prometheus smiled at this, for he had been given a chance to share his ingenuity. "Look at the back of my hand," he told the eagle, "and tell me what you see there." With the little slack that had been given his chains, Prometheus held his hand for the eagle to see it.
The eagle stared intently at Prometheus' hand. "An array," he answered.
Prometheus' smile was cunning. "It is an array for fire, and the mark is on both of my hands. With this and a spark from the gods' firepit I taught the humans to make fire through alchemy."
The eagle frowned. "How foolish you have been. The humans will only burn themselves, and destroy their own creations."
"Perhaps," Prometheus said, "But still I am glad that I have given it to them."
The eagle fell silent and Prometheus believed that the end of the matter, but the following day, as the eagle was about to take Prometheus' liver, he said, "You have fire. The gods have written that there is nothing that has yet been created that will last forever against it. Why do you not simply burn your chains and leave them behind?"
Prometheus replied, "But then what would the point of my punishment be?" The eagle seemed troubled by this, so Prometheus added, "If I were to escape these chains before the gods were ready for me to leave, they would only capture me again and create a new matter, one that could withstand such fire that even the gods would be burned alive. It is far better that I remain and carry out my sentence until they see fit for me to be freed."
The eagle was silent after this, and Prometheus could only believe that he was lost in thought.
~To Be Concluded (probably)~
I'm not sure I'm entirely satesfied with this part, especially when compared to the first, but I might feel better about it later or when this is finished.
But first, notes time! The stuff about the eagle's mother devouring her son's limbs? Complete bull to help fuse the stories. I know the first part wasn't much help with identities, but I hope the second was better. Still, if I haven't made it obvious who exactly is playing what, Ed = the eagle and Roy = Prometheus. Unlike Icarus, it won't be following the original Greek myth very well.
Still working on my other stuff.
Hope to blab on where the idea came from in the next (and, with any luck, final) post of this. 'Til then, take care.
Summary: Prometheus and the eagle. Vaguely RoyEd/EdRoy
Blame:
nekokenchan. Sorta.Fic: Prometheus
The story was often told in ancient Creta of how Prometheus championed humans, and for them stole fire from the gods and brought them alchemy so they might live more comfortably. Less often is it told the consequences of these actions, beyond a few lines: how Prometheus returned to the home of the gods and was punished for his actions.
To a boulder on a mountain top was Prometheus chained for his crimes, with the promise that each day, an eagle would descend and tear out his liver, and each night it would grow back so his torment would continue.
Prometheus waited patiently the first day for the eagle, resigned to his fate. He did not regret what he had done for the human race, and he knew that he would shortly be free from his punishment--what was a few millennia to a god?
When Apollo had nearly reached his zenith in the sky, a lone figure approached Prometheus. There wasn't much of him, but what there was was this: a pair of fierce golden eyes and hair colored to match pulled into a braid, a mouth set in a firm line, and two metal limbs, an arm and a leg. Prometheus watched his approach curiously. "You are the eagle who has been sent to torment me?" he asked, placidly.
The young man's expression remained firm. "I am. Since you not only stole fire from the gods but alchemy as well, and since I am a student of this art, it seemed fitting that I should be the one to visit you." His eyes narrowed. "Do not doubt me because my form is unlike that of a bird's; I am indeed the eagle who was sent."
"I don't doubt you," Prometheus promised the youth, "I merely wished to confirm that you were he."
"I am so, as I have told you. And now, I must ask you to quiet yourself, so I might begin my task." Prometheus silenced his tongue and watched the youth as he approached. Dark eyes observed as mismatched hands imbedded a red stone in his navel; glancing up, the eagle noticed Prometheus' interest. "This is the tool that, together with the proper markings, will allow you to heal each night. You should be thankful that you did not think to give these to humans, lest your punishment be that much more severe." Prometheus nodded, absorbing the information. His watched the youth's hands as the youth traced out arcane symbols on Prometheus' skin. "These markings tell the stone what to heal," the eagle explained without looking away, "Without these, there would be nothing to keep it in check, and I will not say what might happen if the stone were to work without boundaries." Prometheus nodded, and did not ask to know.
When the eagle had finished, he stood and looked Prometheus in the eye. "You have been very gracious in your shame. Perhaps you will escape this torture sooner than the others believe."
"You do not believe I will escape?" Prometheus asked, mildly.
The eagle smiled in return. "There is very little I believe in, Prometheus." So saying, he plunged his metal hand into Prometheus' abdomen and drew out the titan's liver; this he brought to his mouth and consumed. When nothing remained of the organ and Prometheus was gasping in pain, the eagle licked Prometheus' blood from his lips. "I will return tomorrow. Until then, rest well." And the eagle turned and began to descend the mountain again. Even through the pain he felt, Prometheus watched the eagle leave; he was to have no other companion for many, many years.
The eagle returned the following day, as was promised, and the day following that, and the day following that, always a little before noon. Soon the days began to blend together, until Prometheus could hardly think of a time when he had not been chained to a rock and was visited by the eagle.
Sometimes, Prometheus and the eagle would take time to talk of things other than duty or punishment.
"What happened to your arm and your leg that you should be fitted with artificial limbs?" Prometheus asked the eagle one day.
The eagle did not flinch at the question. "My mother devoured them when I was young," he answered. "The smith god and her apprentice had me fitted with these in their absence."
Prometheus nodded solemnly. "I am sorry for your pain."
The eagle's eyes glowed softly when his gaze met that of Prometheus. "Why? It was not you who caused it, and it has long been nothing more than a memory."
Prometheus smiled at the eagle. "Because I know what it is like to feel pain, and I would not wish it on another being."
The eagle said no more that day, contenting only to tear out and devour Prometheus' liver. Prometheus did not begrudge him his silence.
On a different day, the eagle asked Prometheus a question: "How did you take fire from the gods to give it to the humans, and how did they learn alchemy?"
Prometheus smiled at this, for he had been given a chance to share his ingenuity. "Look at the back of my hand," he told the eagle, "and tell me what you see there." With the little slack that had been given his chains, Prometheus held his hand for the eagle to see it.
The eagle stared intently at Prometheus' hand. "An array," he answered.
Prometheus' smile was cunning. "It is an array for fire, and the mark is on both of my hands. With this and a spark from the gods' firepit I taught the humans to make fire through alchemy."
The eagle frowned. "How foolish you have been. The humans will only burn themselves, and destroy their own creations."
"Perhaps," Prometheus said, "But still I am glad that I have given it to them."
The eagle fell silent and Prometheus believed that the end of the matter, but the following day, as the eagle was about to take Prometheus' liver, he said, "You have fire. The gods have written that there is nothing that has yet been created that will last forever against it. Why do you not simply burn your chains and leave them behind?"
Prometheus replied, "But then what would the point of my punishment be?" The eagle seemed troubled by this, so Prometheus added, "If I were to escape these chains before the gods were ready for me to leave, they would only capture me again and create a new matter, one that could withstand such fire that even the gods would be burned alive. It is far better that I remain and carry out my sentence until they see fit for me to be freed."
The eagle was silent after this, and Prometheus could only believe that he was lost in thought.
~To Be Concluded (probably)~
I'm not sure I'm entirely satesfied with this part, especially when compared to the first, but I might feel better about it later or when this is finished.
But first, notes time! The stuff about the eagle's mother devouring her son's limbs? Complete bull to help fuse the stories. I know the first part wasn't much help with identities, but I hope the second was better. Still, if I haven't made it obvious who exactly is playing what, Ed = the eagle and Roy = Prometheus. Unlike Icarus, it won't be following the original Greek myth very well.
Still working on my other stuff.
Hope to blab on where the idea came from in the next (and, with any luck, final) post of this. 'Til then, take care.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-05-18 11:15 am (UTC)The gods have written that there is nothing that has yet been created that will last forever against it. Why do you not simply burn your chains and leave them behind?"
Prometheus replied, "But then what would the point of my punishment be?" The eagle seemed troubled by this, so Prometheus added, "If I were to escape these chains before the gods were ready for me to leave, they would only capture me again and create a new matter, one that could withstand such fire that even the gods would be burned alive. It is far better that I remain and carry out my sentence until they see fit for me to be freed."
Aw, he just wants to see the eagle some more.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 12:55 am (UTC)Prometheus probably tells himself this, and definately believed it
before he met the eagleat first. But really? It's a rationalization, dah-link ^_~