AN: I don't know if this has been done before or not; it probably has. However this idea struck me as a fun one, so I went with it. Not sure if I should continue, thoughts would be nice ^_^
Rue~
To Be Human
-Prologue-
"So, you're still here after all?" called an amused voice across the room. At least, it looked like a room, though if he looked hard enough he could only see endless white, no walls or roof or even floor. Just white.
"Hm? What is this place?" he asked. Though he wasn't sure if he said or thought the question. Something didn't feel right.
"Did you want something?" the amused voice asked him. He looked around again, finding a shadowy ball of white; almost blending into the background of the area around him, nearby. He frowned at it as he watched the ball grin widely at him, showing him it's perfect teeth. If it had had eyes and were black he would have mistaken it for Pride.
"Who are you?" he demanded loudly. He tried to move, but found himself restrained somehow. Something wasn't right.
"I am the one Edward Elric calls 'Truth', but I am more than that and less than that," the ball chuckled to itself. He frowned at it.
"So you're the one that guy was trying to get to," he said bluntly. He wasn't impressed, if this was the 'god' that humanity revered and feared at the same time then it was all a big joke. He laughed.
"Yes, but you haven't answered my question," the ball's grin widened as it spoke. He tried to move again, still nothing.
"Which one?" he asked. Preoccupied with still trying to move his body, he wasn't really paying attention. Normal. Why wasn't his body moving?
"Did you want something?" the grinning ball repeated it's earlier question.
"Hm, no, why?" he still wasn't paying much attention to the other being. It chuckled again.
"Only those who want something come to me," the being explained in amusement. He was about to reply when a memory came forth. He was looking down on Ling and Edward as they shouted at him. He was dying. He was dead. He had no body of his own, that was why he couldn't move. He started laughing.
"Of course I want something!" he announced, "I am Greed, I want everything!" he continued to laugh heartily. The grin on the other being grew even wider.
"But there is one thing that evaded you? Something you want?" it was teasing him now. If he'd had eyes they would have thinned. Greed knew now though, that he was barely there at all; an idea, a wisp of air, a burning greedy thought.
"Tch, don't know what you're talking about," he denied anything 'Truth' was implying.
"Oooh? Didn't those brats get to you? Edward and the little prince? Didn't you want to be more like them?" 'Truth' prodded at him. Greed didn't respond, unsure how and could tell anything he did say would be thrown back at him. He just glared.
"Huh, I guess they did," 'Truth' chuckled at him. Greed was seething, damn brats always got in the way. "If you stay like this you won't get anything, and if you go back to the way you were there are many things you will never get," it 'hummed' at him as it considered him, waiting for a reply. He knew it was right, deep down, but be damned if he would be heard admitting it out loud. It was bad enough Ling had guessed it.
"Whatever," the only answer that he could make. 'Truth' chuckled yet again.
"Would you like to give it a try?" he asked suddenly. The question made Greed wary, what did he mean? 'Give it a try?' give what a try?
"Meaning?" he asked suspiciously.
"Being human," it clarified. It's amusement was evident as it wandered away chuckling softly to itself. What could be said after that? Greed wanted everything, sure, but to be human? That was something he'd never considered. Of course there was a downside, he wouldn't be the ultimate shield anymore. Not that he was right now after 'father' had taken his Philosophers Stone. He'd also be more venerable to the other emotions in the spectrum, unlike now.
"Tch, there are more downsides to upsides to that offer," he complained. Greed wouldn't deny he was interested, it was the one thing he'd never be able to achieve on his own.
"Oh? Becoming Human isn't easy, it would take time and you'd have to want it…" "Truth' issued the challenge. Now he had Greed's attention.
"What do you mean?" he was suspicious. It seemed to good to be true.
"A Homunculus trying to become human, it's a difficult road," 'Truth' seemed to shrug at him. Greed said nothing as he waited for the other being to continue. "It's an experiment, to see if it's possible, for an artificial being to become what it was made to imitate," Greed wasn't sure where this was going. It wasn't sounding as promising as it did moments ago.
"And?" he prompted impatiently.
"And at first you won't like it, it will be painful and boring. You'll be human, to a point, your powers will remain as long as you consider yourself apart from them," if that thing had eyes they would have been gleeful.
"What's that supposed to mean?" it was being interesting again.
"I can't make you all Human, just set you on the path, you'll be the one to choose if you want to go all the way with this or not," it seemed to shrug again.
"What's the catch? The Elric brat mentioned you take payments from those that come here," it grinned at him again. This time it just made him feel uneasy.
"One year," it told him slyly, "you have one year to become fully human, if you manage it, you're human till you die," if Greed had had a mouth he would have sneered.
"And if I don't?" he asked.
"You faaade away, like you should have," it taunted him.
"That's it?" it chuckled at the question.
"More or less, it's an experiment as I mentioned earlier, so the usual rules won't be applying to you," at these words Greed wasn't sure to be more suspicious or less. Then a thought occurred to him.
"You've already offered this to the other ones, haven't you?" it stopped moving and seemed to peer at him curiously.
"Ha, you're not as dumb as you act after all," it's wide grin returned. "What tipped you off?" it asked interested.
"Psh, you said it's an experiment, why only use one when you have a bunch of us in this state?" he was being arrogant purposefully now.
"My thoughts exactly," 'Truth' replied amused. It then turned around and moved away, allowing Greed to catch a glimpse of what looked like Envy.
"So he's still here?" Greed muttered. He'd outlasted Envy and yet the brat was still here?
"The others that came here, all agreed, this one is being stubborn though," 'Truth' explained. Greed snorted, Envy was stubborn, he knew that being Envy, his 'brother' was bound to accept the offer eventually.
"Where are you sending me, if I accept," Greed asked. He was watching Envy's unmoving form and wondered if the other homunculus could see his broken form as well.
"Another world, no Alchemy to speak of, at least not the the extent of the world you know," the answer made Greed cautious.
"So what would I have to expect?" it chuckled again. Seeming amused by his seemingly never ending hoard of questions, 'Truth' turned back to him and grinned.
"It's more or less the same, people, buildings, etcetera. The main differences are little to no Alchemy and technology is more advanced to what you're used to," it shrugged yet again. Greed was beginning to think he didn't actually have a choice in this and 'Truth' was just humouring him till it was time to go.
"So, become human in a year or fade away?" he asked for verification. It nodded at him silently. Greed mulled it over in his head for a moment then decided to throw caution to the wind. Like he ever listened to caution anyway. "Fine then old man, sign me up!" he declared. He laughed arrogantly as 'Truth' grinned broadly at him.
"As you wish," it chuckled. With that, the white world engulfed Greed, taking him to a world so much like his own, and yet, so different.
