Fic: Prometheus: 3/3
May. 19th, 2005 08:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetFic: Prometheus: 3/3
Fandom: FMA/Greek Myth fusion
Summary: Prometheus and the eagle. Vaguely RoyEd/EdRoy. (Beware of schmoop and probable OOC.)
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 deeds.
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, the other gods deemed it 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 watched and 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 to the humans, and how did you give them 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.
When the eagle next returned, his face was set with a strange determination. "Three decades have I been visiting you, and not once did you bemoan your fate. Nor did you try to trick me into releasing you or act in any way but kind to me, your tormentor. I do not know why this is, and neither do I care. You have thought and behaved foolishly, and I mean to end this."
Prometheus' body tensed as the eagle approached him. It seemed that his destruction was at hand. He allowed his eyes to fall shut, and waited for the eagle to strike him.
When the blow did not come, Prometheus did not open his eyes. When, several seconds later, it still had not come, Prometheus' eyes still remained closed. When he felt the eagle's flesh hand brush over his abdomen, Prometheus was very tempted to look, but he did not.
The eagle's hand continued to sweep over Prometheus' skin, and its metal twin joined it shortly. When the hands plucked the stone from Prometheus' abdomen, he found his eyes opening at last in shock. He stared at his belly, where the marking had been wiped away, and then at the eagle when he rose to his feet. The eagle stared back, unflinching.
"Because you did not ask me to, I now set you free," the eagle told him, taking Prometheus' chains in his metal hand and pulling the seamless cuffs apart. "I end your torment and your imprisonment."
Prometheus continued to stare at the eagle, rubbing his wrists to return feeling to them. The eagle stared back for only a moment, then for the first time looked away from him. "And because I do not want to see you alone," he continued softly, "I ask you to accompany me down the mountain."
Prometheus smiled at the eagle and put a hand on the youth's shoulder. "Because you ask it of me, I shall."
Prometheus and the eagle then forever left behind the rock and the mountain.
--End--
Notes:
Wow, did that ever have a schmoopy ending *_* I, uh, didn't expect it to be quite that schmoopy.
Anyway, I'm sure the question you're all pondering (and if not, you will be in a minute, I'm sure) is, Where the Hades did this come from? I can answer that. Er, mostly.
See, it started with my comparing FMA and Frankenstein, the latter of which is subtitled The Modern Prometheus. And then I got to thinking, Well, FMA already has the Icarus myth, might it also have the Prometheus myth? After a few minutes of pondering this, I started trying to think of ways to introduce the concept in a fic. Obviously, in addition to fire, Prometheus must bring alchemy as well. I thought it would be interesting to have a Roy POV ficlet to contast the Roy/Prometheus idea with the Ed/Icarus theme, perhaps with Roy contemplating his start in alchemy, or some such.
Things didn't come together until I started talking to Pat (nekokenchan) about it one day after school. After a certain amount of time, Pat said to me, "Well, which FMA character do we know of uses fire, alchemy, and thinks he's either some sort of god or some sort of god's gift to Ed women?" And I sort-of volunteered to take the plunny ^^;
This is what came out of it. A marvelous, miraculous little brain-child, that I am ineffably fond of. Yes, even with the schmoop. I do hope you enjoyed it, because I'm not taking it back.
Please note than in original Greek myth, it was not the eagle who freed Prometheus, nor did Prometheus escape on his own; Heraklese freed him while attempting to complete his (first?) twelve labors. (And no, you can't correct me on the name. If you try, I'll take your "correction" comment, chew it up, and spit it back in your face. Unless it's to tell me to replace the 'k' with a 'c', in which case I might listen.) Oh, also, the original smith diety was male, not female, but I couldn't resist.
C&C very welcome.
*runs and hides*
Fandom: FMA/Greek Myth fusion
Summary: Prometheus and the eagle. Vaguely RoyEd/EdRoy. (Beware of schmoop and probable OOC.)
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 deeds.
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, the other gods deemed it 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 watched and 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 to the humans, and how did you give them 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.
When the eagle next returned, his face was set with a strange determination. "Three decades have I been visiting you, and not once did you bemoan your fate. Nor did you try to trick me into releasing you or act in any way but kind to me, your tormentor. I do not know why this is, and neither do I care. You have thought and behaved foolishly, and I mean to end this."
Prometheus' body tensed as the eagle approached him. It seemed that his destruction was at hand. He allowed his eyes to fall shut, and waited for the eagle to strike him.
When the blow did not come, Prometheus did not open his eyes. When, several seconds later, it still had not come, Prometheus' eyes still remained closed. When he felt the eagle's flesh hand brush over his abdomen, Prometheus was very tempted to look, but he did not.
The eagle's hand continued to sweep over Prometheus' skin, and its metal twin joined it shortly. When the hands plucked the stone from Prometheus' abdomen, he found his eyes opening at last in shock. He stared at his belly, where the marking had been wiped away, and then at the eagle when he rose to his feet. The eagle stared back, unflinching.
"Because you did not ask me to, I now set you free," the eagle told him, taking Prometheus' chains in his metal hand and pulling the seamless cuffs apart. "I end your torment and your imprisonment."
Prometheus continued to stare at the eagle, rubbing his wrists to return feeling to them. The eagle stared back for only a moment, then for the first time looked away from him. "And because I do not want to see you alone," he continued softly, "I ask you to accompany me down the mountain."
Prometheus smiled at the eagle and put a hand on the youth's shoulder. "Because you ask it of me, I shall."
Prometheus and the eagle then forever left behind the rock and the mountain.
--End--
Notes:
Wow, did that ever have a schmoopy ending *_* I, uh, didn't expect it to be quite that schmoopy.
Anyway, I'm sure the question you're all pondering (and if not, you will be in a minute, I'm sure) is, Where the Hades did this come from? I can answer that. Er, mostly.
See, it started with my comparing FMA and Frankenstein, the latter of which is subtitled The Modern Prometheus. And then I got to thinking, Well, FMA already has the Icarus myth, might it also have the Prometheus myth? After a few minutes of pondering this, I started trying to think of ways to introduce the concept in a fic. Obviously, in addition to fire, Prometheus must bring alchemy as well. I thought it would be interesting to have a Roy POV ficlet to contast the Roy/Prometheus idea with the Ed/Icarus theme, perhaps with Roy contemplating his start in alchemy, or some such.
Things didn't come together until I started talking to Pat (
nekokenchan) about it one day after school. After a certain amount of time, Pat said to me, "Well, which FMA character do we know of uses fire, alchemy, and thinks he's either some sort of god or some sort of god's gift to This is what came out of it. A marvelous, miraculous little brain-child, that I am ineffably fond of. Yes, even with the schmoop. I do hope you enjoyed it, because I'm not taking it back.
Please note than in original Greek myth, it was not the eagle who freed Prometheus, nor did Prometheus escape on his own; Heraklese freed him while attempting to complete his (first?) twelve labors. (And no, you can't correct me on the name. If you try, I'll take your "correction" comment, chew it up, and spit it back in your face. Unless it's to tell me to replace the 'k' with a 'c', in which case I might listen.) Oh, also, the original smith diety was male, not female, but I couldn't resist.
C&C very welcome.
*runs and hides*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 06:05 am (UTC)But isn't it me that should be running and hiding from you, Izumi-sensei? ^.~
BTW, any requests for anime that should be appearing in my KH fic? If nothing more than at least a mentioning of the leading character?
no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 06:56 pm (UTC)...Yes, it should be you who's doing the running. And I suggest you start now.
Hmmm....
Sailor Moon!Maria-sama ga Miteru!Tokyo Mew Mew!How 'bout Saiyuki? And Fruits Basket? Oh, and Bleach! Well, maybe Bleach, anyway.no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 07:44 pm (UTC)And on that note... *runs for the hills*
no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 02:21 pm (UTC)"Well, which FMA character do we know of uses fire, alchemy, and thinks he's either some sort of god or some sort of god's gift to Ed women?"
XD
no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 06:57 pm (UTC)Yeah, I know =_= I did warn people about the schmoop, though.
Glad you liked it ^_^ ~<3
no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 02:54 pm (UTC)Well, I was thinking of hitting on just that, the 'k' versus 'c', but you qualified that. So, in the face of the challenge, I've never before seen the name Heracles with a trailing 'e'. Hee...
Nekokenchan's Dad
no subject
Date: 2005-05-20 06:53 pm (UTC)Also, I didn't know that you read my fic. Surprise, surprise.