Conclusion of Truth (COT)
Authors note: Hey! I'm writing another story yet again. This time, I'm creating my own ending to FMA…I'll continue even if the manga is completely different from what I'm writing…and I'll get a decent way in before the next chapter is released.
So, here it is!
Summary: Alphonse's body is retrieved from the Gate, and Father has been subdued. Everything is perfect, and the brother's believe that nothing can affect this new world of theirs. However, it seems fate has decided to step in again. Things are never that easy.
Background: Begins directly after Chapter 101. Based primarily on the Manga (with added characters from the animes and original characters) using all known characters. This is how I interpret the end to be (actually, how I wish it'll end).
Chapter One
Mustang felt his hands throbbing with pain as Bradley's swords slid from his hands. His gloves were ruined, but it didn't mean he couldn't draw circles in the ground. His eyes closed for a moment then opened when he heard the voice, "Colonel! Why the hell are you here?"
"The fifth sacrifice is here," Father intoned. "We can now begin. I will create a perfect Philosopher's Stone and become a God."
"You?" Edward was incredulous, whether he was responding to the revelation that Mustang was a sacrifice or the fact that Father wanted to be a God; Izumi did not know. All she knew was that she wanted to protect her young students.
Wrath and Pride stood silently watching, not moving a single muscle.
"The one to open the Gate, will be none other than you, Izumi Curtis." A long, black tentacle swirled from the body, and circled Edward's neck, pulling it back, baring his throat. Another wrapped around his arms, binding them.
"Wrath, your sword is necessary."
Edward shrugged at the bonds around him. "Let me go!" he hissed.
Izumi was shouting behind him, he could hear Hohenheim demanding that Father let him go, and Mustang was yelling incoherently.
There was a shudder and the Gate appeared without provocation. In the doorway, Al stood, emancipated, but alive, long burnished bronze hair hanging down his back.
"Brother!" he called quietly.
"I guess we don't need to kill him now that the Gate has been opened by you Alphonse. In fact, now, the Stone will be more powerful since I can use all five of you." The tentacle tossed Edward backwards into Mustang who grunted in pain as one of his hands was mashed.
Edward scrambled to his feet and stared down Father. "Let my brother go!" he snarled.
"You are rude, and unpredictable. I should kill you now!"
A blur dropped from the ceiling, and Scar landed with a thump, Mei holding onto his back.
"It seems we have people interfering in our little ceremony, Pride, Wrath!"
Mei, annoyance in her gaze, dodged Wrath and fixed Mustang with a gaze. "You and the blonde woman upstairs who got her throat slit need to take better care of yourselves," she told him as she healed his hands. "That's all we came down here for," she continued. "We want no part in this." She and Scar disappeared into the labyrinth.
"Hawkeye?" Edward looked stunned and shocked.
"She's fine," Mustang answered him tersely.
Ed huffed in indignation. "Well. Fine."
Father stared Ed down. "You never told them what happened in Briggs with Kimblee, did you? About your life…and alchemy."
Hissing, Edward responded, "They didn't need to know! It's only by a few – "
"A few years is quite a lot, you know. Being impaled by that beam, ripping it out, using your alchemy by taking some of your lifespan, your own energy, was brilliant. And in doing so, you lived. But that price – how many years do you think it is?"
"It doesn't matter! Nothing mattered until Al retrieved his body; and now, that is done! I can fight without fear of losing him!"
Izumi stood. "I may not have long left, but I will protect these boys with everything I have within my power."
Hohenheim's voice echoed from Father's body (somehow, he had gotten his mouth free, and as Ed suspected, Father didn't really care), "They're strong."
Mustang stepped up behind Edward. "They've lost so much, letting them die now is pointless."
Edward's eyes saw Mustang torn gloves. "Here," he muttered in thanks, he fixed the gloves.
Turning back, Ed faced Father with determination.
"Come at me, if you think you can win."
"You will die!" Father roared and grabbed Edward much too quickly for anybody to move. "The Gate will take your body and soul!"
Eyes widened in fear. As he was just inside the Gate, his clothes melted, and his body began to ache with pain. He cried out, pain flowing through him as his automail fell apart.
"BROTHER!" Al screamed. Izumi clapped her hands and slammed them to the floor. A gap opened and swallowed the two remaining Homunculus, crushing them in its depths.
"You see?" Father smiled. "Painful right, being sacrificed for the Stone?"
"Never!" Edward ground out. "Never will I let you use me for that purpose. You can't use me if I die before the Gate takes me, right?"
From his pocket he drew a small push knife. A small smile. "Maybe, one day, you will forgive me Al, Izumi."
The knife slid across his throat, drawing a line, starting to dig deeper into his skin. His breath panted as he worked up the courage to finish it. He pressed deeper, feeling more blood pour onto his hands as the cut widened.
"EDWARD!" this time it was Izumi who called, but it was Hohenheim who reacted the fastest.
He dragged himself free of Father's clutches and grabbed his son, yanking the knife free while throwing the young man across the room.
"Hold him!" he ordered Mustang.
Mustang gathered Edward into his arms, glaring down at him, at the blood dripping from his neck. "Idiot!" he hissed.
Ed didn't respond, just turned his face away.
Mustang was sure he saw tears on his subordinates face. When Ed went to look at his brother, Mustang saw he was right. Ed was crying.
"Fullmetal?" he asked.
"Don't." he choked. "Don't say anything." He swiped at the tears on his face.
"You're crying, why? You should be happy you lived!"
"To what purpose?" Edward asked in a monotone voice. "To hinder my brother's growth, set another bad example, take Winry from him, burden him with my failure at regaining limbs? Friends? None. I have nothing left."
Edward looked away. "I can never get my body back. I thought I could do the impossible; but like everyone else, I'm just human. I'm weak, ignorant and stupid. I may be a genius, but I don't know about love, friends, people. I can't…I'm…still a child. I never should have thought I could do what adults could not. That was what made me. I'm not who I was. I would have, had we not preformed it, become a great alchemist anyways."
"I shouldn't blame my father, he's not at fault. He loved us, and I threw it back at him; I made problems for Izumi, and despite my being rude to my father, he still helped her, I hurt Al because I hate him." Edward paused and stared up at Mustang.
"I hurt you. I abused your kindness. You did so much to help us, and like a selfish brat, I always wanted more, always hurt you time and time again; and despite your unit's help and friendship, I rejected them all. You all gave so much, and what did I do? Nothing."
Hohenheim, released the final souls from his Philosopher's Stone and let them bind Father, slowing eating away at the darkness, leaving nothing behind. Hohenheim used alchemy to absorb Father within him, to finally destroy him into nothing.
Then he turned to Edward. "Son." He said, looking at the people around him, his sons, the Colonel, and the Teacher. "I think I speak for all of us. We did these things because we cared. We wanted you to succeed, perhaps for different reasons, but it doesn't make it any less true. We all care for you, we love you, and we knew you did too, even if you didn't show it. Son, you have a good heart, and with that little speech, I know it's in the right place. Trisha raised you right."
Alphonse smiled. "I could never hate you. You're my brother – you gave everything for me. I love you."
Izumi smiled. "You were first my student, then my son that I could never have, you're important to me no matter your alliances."
Mustang squeezed his shoulder. "You're part of my unit, my team, Edward. I take care of them, I do what I can. I brought you to Central because I saw your strength. Without you, many more people would die, be hurt. But you saved them all." His eyes closed. "Hughes would have been proud."
"Hughes," Edward murmured softly. "He was the person who figured it all out, made it possible. He did this for us. He gave us our future."
"What a memorial to him," Roy muttered. "Maes! You listening?" he called. "You saved us all, you big idiot!"
"Who's the big idiot?" a voice asked from the shadows. "I only see one."
Maes Hughes stepped from beneath the shadows. "Nothing," he spoke quietly, "would have made me leave you on your own if it hadn't been so important." A hand closed over his chest. "It's all thanks to Hohenheim actually. He used the Philosopher's Stone on me after hearing about it from Al. I stayed hidden within the Lab Five until then."
"Dad!" Al replied giddily.
From above, all could hear the rebellion lasting.
"It'll be over soon," Izumi spoke softly.
"You could be Fuhrer, Mustang." Edward grinned, but it quickly turned into a frown as he began to hack up blood.
"Brother?"
"It's nothing. Just a wound."
Ed stood up, the world swaying. "And a bit dizzy." He laughed. "Here," Edward pulled off his red jacket and shirt then handed them to Al who turned red, realizing his nakedness.
"I think," Hohenheim began, "it's time we returned to the surface."
They reached the surface with little problems, and when they emerged from the building, battered, but alive, Falman nearly sagged in relief.
He hurried towards them, talking quickly. "Fuu and a Brigg's soldier are dead…Greed has gone missing!"
Fuery and Breda also appeared, flanked by the Armstrong's, and Riza was carried out, beyond them, Havoc sat in his wheelchair grinning.
Mei and Scar who had appeared, pressed a vial into Mustang's hand and pointed at Havoc.
Ed shivered in the air, and Mustang draped his large coat over his shoulders. "Will you help me?" he asked.
"Sure," Edward complied and started forward, following Mustang.
With a crackle of energy, Edward and Mustang completed the transmutation, hopefully healing Havoc.
"I'm sorry," Scar turned to Edward. "I know you wanted to regain your limbs…"
"Fullmetal!" Mustang called to him. "Come here and close your eyes."
"What?"
"That's an order!"
Closing his eyes, Edward sat down. He felt nothing but the crackle of energy around him. And then…he winced as he scraped his right arm against the ground.
Pain?
His eyes lowered, and he stared. A flesh arm. A flesh leg. Swallowing, he looked up.
"There is no need for thanks, Fullmetal. I only gave you Equivalent Exchange – "
"No." Edward cut him off. "I owe you. Whatever you want, I will try to give you it."
"Are you positive?"
"Yes."
"Stay in the military. Work with me. As a State Alchemist first and foremost."
"I can do that." His hand touched Mustang's hand. "You gave me so much back just now, I will never be able to thank you enough. You, the last person I ever thought of, complete Al's and my quest."
"You're welcome." Roy's reply was demure, and silent.
"I think it's time we return to Risembool, to finally pay our respects to our mother."
"And," Al began, surprising everyone, who just now noticed Al was no longer a suit of armor, "you should forgive yourself."
"I can't do that. I will always have this guilt, nothing will change it."
There was no more time for conversation, as Al was swamped with Mustang's team and his friends grinning over the success.
General Grumman, Mustang's superior officer, appeared and grinned.
"Well done, Mustang! Are you going to marry my granddaughter?"
"Do I even know her?" Mustang asked him.
"Of course!"
"It's none other than my precious Riza!"
Edward began to laugh at his commander's predicament, but coughing up blood stopped him further.
His hand flew to his throat as he wobbled, blood seeping from the wound.
Hughes steadied him. "That needs to be looked at," he remarked.
Ed nodded and let Hughes guide him to a medic.
Three days later, Ed was in Risembool, at his mother's grave, Al (hair cut and taller than his brother by four inches) looked up at the morning sky.
"What a strange future we go to," he turned to Al smiling. "We have repented our sins."
"Finally." Al lifted his head and let the breeze cool the tears on his cheeks. "It's finally over."
"Five years…it's been a long time."
"Brother…are you going to return to Central tomorrow?"
Edward looked up. "Yeah. Mustang can't live without me. He needs me. More than you, at the moment, Al. You're healed and Winry's here. I have a need to travel and see the world – and Mustang is an ends to a means. If it means advancing him in his career, it's all well and good."
"Yeah – it's too bad he couldn't become Fuhrer."
"Grumman'll be fine. Plus – he's lucky he didn't lose his rank. And with Havoc reinstated…" Ed smiled. "I have two homes, two families. I'm happy, Al."
"I'm glad, Brother. Are you going to visit Dad?"
Ed sniffed. "Nope. I'm going to Central tonight."
"Tonight!"
Ed grinned. "I want to give Mustang more paperwork to do!" Edward cackled.
"Oh Brother. You're going to get into so much trouble without me!"
The brothers walked down the hill side by side, and as the train pulled in, Al embraced his brother.
"Call me – or better, come visit."
"I will Al. It's going to be strange with you not by my side. We've always been together,"
"But, it's time we separated. Brother, we have different futures. Yours is going to be grand and remembered by everyone, mine is going to be small and only remembered by family. It's how I want it. Go."
"Goodbye!" Ed shouted threw the window as the train pulled away, and when it was no more than a distant speck, Al began to cry. And Winry stood by his side, a comforting hand on his arm.
"He'll be back Al. One day, he'll return."
"No," Al spoke, "He won't. His future has just bloomed. No more hindrances, just a bright future he's going to grasp." Al smiled through his tears. "When he returns, he won't be plain Risembool Edward Elric, but Edward Elric, Hero of the People, Fullmetal Alchemist and much more."
The sun draped shadows across them, spreading out to where Edward sat on the train, alone, staring out the window, tears glittering on his lashes as he stepped out into the station at Central where Mustang and Havoc leaned against a car.
He glanced up into the sunlight, and strode forward, towards his commander and friend.
"Fullmetal," Mustang greeted him warmly. "Welcome home."
"I'm home," Edward smiled and saluted.
A small smile spread across Mustang's face as he returned the salute, and neither noticed the cigarette fall from Havoc's mouth.
"Well," Havoc told himself, "it certainly isn't going to be quiet around here."