Over the streets of Dublith, veiled under the moonlight, all was quiet.
A shadow flashed over the rooftops in the shape of a truly strange creature.
Rage was the marrow in his bones, fury pumped blood through his veins, his very life force was pure malice.
He was Wrath.
That was his name. The name his new family, the Homunculi, had given him. They had taught him to cherish his anger, use it to fuel his small but deadly body.
And oh, how he did! He was better than any mere human. He was powerful. He was vengeful. He was-sin incarnate!
Wrath stopped at one rooftop overlooking a certain house. The house where he, for a time, had stayed with the woman, Izumi.
Wrath let out a cruel chuckle. What a fool he'd been then! To think he could truly ever been happy here! That was before Envy had enlightened him and shown him his true nature- who he really was.
But he did remember the way Izumi had shown him kindness.- how she held him close, caressed him-
No. Wrath shook his head. That was before he'd known. This wasn't where he belonged. Wrath growled ferally in disgust.
He watched her as she sat down on her bed. She began rocking herself back and forth slowly and singing to herself:
Slumber now my darling one
Rest for now the day is done
Wrath's tensed muscles and ragged breathing slowly began to relax at the music. He cocked his head to one side, as a dog would.
Mother sings a lullaby
Hush, my darling, do not cry.
The rage built up in Wrath's chest seemed to uncoil, and he felt something seep through him. I wasn't scalding hot, like rage, but warm, and comforting. But-rage was better, wasn't it? The Homunculi had said so. It was confusing.
May your sleep be as sweet as the wind on the waves
Blowing gently toward far happier days
May each be a promise to help you believe
We're off to the land of our dreams.
A single tear shone on her cheek in the dim moonlight.
"Izumi?" Wrath recognized the man's voice as her husband, Sig. "What was that you were singing?"
Izumi got up to face him. " It was a lullaby my mother used to sing to me. I wanted to sing it to him, too."
Wrath tensed. They were talking about him.
"When he came back, I was so happy. I wanted to teach him and play with him-" her voice broke. "I wanted to love him, Sig." She buried her head in his shoulder and wept.
Sig held her close and stroked her hair. "It's alright, love," he murmured. "You can sing it for me."
Wrath continued to stay frozen on the roof. He wanted to go down to them so badly. He took a small step towards the house-
NO! He screamed inside his head, thrashing his small body. He tore himself away and leapt back into the night.
Wrath didn't slow his pace until he arrived back at Dante's mansion. He crept up to the window and silently dropped in.
"Where were you?" Wrath was greeted by a cold, unfriendly voice. He turned to see Envy leaning against a doorway. He'd been waiting for him. "Where?" he asked again.
Wrath, ignoring him, began to walk away.
"Answer me!" Envy snarled, grabbing Wrath's shoulder.
Wrath paused. "Envy," he asked, "What will happen when we get the stone?"
"What are you talking about?" Envy asked in confusion.
"I mean, what will happen to us? Will we stay here, with Dante?"
The elder homunculus shrugged. "She's our master."
"Well, why?" Wrath persisted. "Why does it have to be that way? What if I don't want her to be? What if I want something else?" he burst out screaming, "What if I don't want to be here!?"
Envy's face twisted in rage. "SHUT UP!" he slammed Wrath against the wall with inhuman strength. "No one cares what you want, you little worm!" Then he stormed off.
Wrath slowly sat up. He was panting hard, but wasn't hurt. As a homunculus, he was invunerable to almost any attack.
Wrath gulped in shaky breaths. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't he have refused the stones and just have lived as a normal kid?
Because you're not a normal kid, said a voice in his head. You're a homunculus. A creature driven by rage and passion. A freak.
Wrath curled himself up into a ball and sobbed as Izumi's lullaby filled his head.
Slumber now my darling one
We're off to the land of our dreams
Author's note: "Land of our Dreams" is a real song, an Armenian lullaby that I learned in Choir. I could connect it to FMA, and wrote this story. Sigh. Shows what a geek I am, huh?
Now let's all give Wrath-chan a big hug! Yaaay! (Hugs wrath)