Again I return to the FMA fandom. This time with an AU with a nice happy ending, kinda, for the homunculi. Posting on All Saints's Day, as I feel is appropriate given the subject matter at hand.

This one is set in a friend of mine's AU, World of Vice, in which the homunculi succeeded on the Promised Day, and the homunculi except Greed and Wrath are made 'Gods' by Father and worshipped by the humans who come to live in Amestris. It's not completely necessary to read that fic, but I guess it would help with some stuff, as this is set many years after the end of it. The first chapter of that fic is here: fave *dot* me / d533dab

Her fic focuses on all the homunculi and the survivors of the Promised Day, whereas mine is gonna be focused on Pride and his Xingese followers who settled in North City after Amestris became repopulated in 1916.

Thanks to ShadowsoftheArcane for Beta-ing!

Paradiso

Chapter I: Hiems

First Month of the Solar Calendar, Ninth Day, Year 1957

"Xue Guo…are you lost?"

Xue Guo was hopelessly lost. Sure, winter was not the best option to go travelling in, but this far in the North the almost permanent, unrelenting wind and snow of the season didn't give one much choice in the matter.

"Perhaps you could rest in the Temple…"

He pulled his collar tighter around his neck, readjusting his hood and scarf. He was being ridiculous. Hearing words in the whispers of the wind would do him no good, it would only lead him astray and he would end up even more lost. Xue choked out a sharp, humourless laugh as his own misfortune.

"Or perhaps not…"

How long had he even been walking? Everywhere looked the same. He hadn't even the pleasure of catching a glance of a rabbit for good luck, or any animals for that matter. They were probably all tucked up and warm in their burrows with their bellies full. Ha, he should have gone to Dublith or East City or –where was the Jealous God's other Temple?- if he wanted validation for feeling envious of bunnies of all things. Oh, how could he be praying to the God of Covetousness at a time like this? He pushed the thoughts away.

At least with all this wood on his back he could try to build a fire…better he be berated for delivering less stock than promised than die and deliver none…right?

"Are you lost out here, mister?"

What did being lost matter, anyway? To even dare to come back here after so long, to blaspheme by leaving in the first place. It was a wonder the God hadn't struck him down as soon as he stepped out into the Northern Mountains.

"Please don't be lost…"

The wind calmed for a moment, the faint half of a moon shining down upon the undisturbed, seemingly endless patches of snow ahead of him. The snow continued to fall, almost glowing in the light, and from out the sharp icy flurries stepped a boy.

His skin and his white coat blended with the snow, and only his eyes and his inky hair stood out from the distance between them.

"What are you doing out here in such weather, boy? Are you lost?"

The boy tilted his head.

"I don't know, am I lost?" His eyes shimmered, a blank, solid black, but soft, almost like a rabbit's- kind but uncertain. "Are you lost, too?" Beneath his sleeves the boy's bare fingers twitched, perhaps from the cold, or perhaps nervousness.

"I suppose I am."

"That's a shame. It's lonely, being lost, isn't it? Do you wanna find somewhere safe?" Without really looking at him the boy silently padded off. Despite himself Xue felt like he should follow him.

What kind of child wandered out in this weather wearing nothing but a coat? The coat itself didn't bode well either, all white… him draped in the colour of death. With a grimace Xue faltered- maybe the boy was a ghost, leading him away to die in the blizzards too.

The child glanced at him as he saw him following, stopping to let him catch up. Perhaps following him wasn't the best of ideas, but if the boy was really lost, he didn't want to abandon him and have something like that on his conscience.

"Do you live here?" The boy asked him. Even with the howling wind his timid voice rang clear.

"I-I used to." Xue Guo motioned towards the burden on his back. "I came here to deliver some wood from the trading post, but I want to move back to North City, if I am permitted."

"Permitted by whom, mister? And why?"

"The Gods- they saved my life once, I am forever grateful to them. I want to return to where I was born and better worship them. I know I should have never left, I hope the Gods will forgive me for that." At least his inevitable return had manifested as a sudden and endless longing in his heart. The God was not one to forgive those that ignored his suggestions, if he forgave them at all for leaving in the first place.

Once or twice the boy looked like he was shivering, whining under his breath, stumbling and kicking up white powdery clouds. Even so he didn't miss a beat, as if it didn't matter to him, or he hadn't noticed, and simply skipped on ahead. Some people said that when someone was close to death from the cold, they had long since stopped being able to feel it.

"Are you shivering?" Xue Guo called after the boy, voice lined with a shaky concern. "Are you sure you don't want some gloves or a scarf; I-I have some spare in my bag. They might be a bit big, but…"

"…There it is, mister!"

The boy didn't even oblige him, pretending not to hear. It seemed only he was the one who asked questions.

Continuing on through the storm without much of a care, the boy finally stopped in front of a building. The covered walkway of stone led into a row of columns that gave off a faint lilac glow from the structure of marble, ivory and alkahestry-made purple-gold.

"Here we are! Go ahead, mister." The boy's teeth showed as he grinned.

Xue Guo took several wary steps away from the path, back toward the blizzard.

Surprise flashed across his face, and the boy's smile faltered.

"Huh…W-What's wrong, mister?" He almost looked hurt, and tried to bury it beneath more childish enthusiasm. "You'll be safe here, I know it!" The boy was so certain…so sure, but it was nonsense. Did the child really not know any better? Had he not seen or heard about the bodies of the dead? Though, being so young, perhaps he had remained ignorant to what the Gods expected of him, or what became of those who angered them. Either way, the longer they stayed here the more risk they ran of both winding up joining the ranks of the dead.

"I did not want to come here. This is the Temple of Hubris, boy. We cannot go inside and misuse its purpose with our presence. After all, we have no sacrifices to offer Him if we seek shelter here, and I cannot disrespect Him in such a way. I would not want to offend the God of Hubris, especially not after I have spent so long out of His Grace."

Surely the boy could understand, or at the very least glean something from his lecture, but what hope was there, really? The boy would not listen to reason, and understandably so, he supposed. Who could say how long he had been wandering out in the snow, likely lost and afraid? Anywhere would probably look cosy and appealing and worth the risk of dying over to such a pitiable waif.

A moment passed without a sound, even the wind seemed silenced. The faintest look of something- disappointment?- flickered in the boy's eyes, but surely he had just imagined such things. He studied him, ever so carefully, his mouth sagging into a line.

"…That is very wise, Xue Guo."

A brilliant burst lit up the dark, engulfing the boy in light. Xue recoiled with a start, shielding his eyes. When he uncovered them the boy was clothed no longer in a coat but a robe the colour of pitch darkness, and from out his previously black eyes a rich purple shade shined, exuding heavenly warmth. Held loose in his hand was a shimmering violet mirror- the Mirror of Vanity.

A bright, iridescent ring hovered above his head, fragments of golden patterns bobbing gently within. Similar, smaller rings flowed through his silken ebony sleeves from his wrists, and with more soft light streaming out from beneath his robe, around his ankles, as well.

This boy…he…he was…

Xue fell, sinking to his knees, and realising that wasn't nearly enough bowed low onto his stomach before him, the snow clinging to his hair and face but it hardly mattered now.

"O, God of Hubris. Forgive me for not recognising you in this shape. I-I-I did not mean to so foolishly wander into this blizzard. I was clearly not strong enough of mind to return here…I have wasted the life the Gods provided me…"

Wet sandaled footsteps padded close to him, the heat of His divine aura melting the snow. The light of the God so close burned at his eyes and his skin, scorching and yet at the same time freezing, and he found himself shuddering, if he hadn't already been trembling in awe and terror. The God could kill him with a single touch, a mere thought, to even be in the God's shadow, to have even come back was…

"Do not be afraid. Your heart is still true to your faith; you did not trespass in my Temple to shelter from the storm." His voice flowed down upon him, split and yet blending seamlessly between two tones - the airy, heartfelt chirps of a child and the mature, knowing weight of words spoken by a God. "You are welcome to reside in North City again, Xue Guo. Your indiscretions of the past and your leaving are forgiven."

Still he did not dare move, lest the God not be satisfied with him. He mustn't even look without permission.

"Rise, rise, human, lest the cold be the death of you."

Pushing himself to his feet and stealing a cautious glance Xue saw the God regarding him with a faint smile, his head inclined benevolently towards him.

Without any noticeable movement of His legs He glided off, no frost touching His robe at all, the snow rising as vapour and freezing again as the child-god flowed over it, leaving no footprints.

"The Gods have again saved your life, Xue Guo. Prove your devotion, continue to worship my Father and myself, and no others."

His voice burned through his skin and pooled in his heart, warming him despite the snow and the wind, and he hurried to catch up.

"Come along, human, I shall remain here for now, and I shall lead you out of this storm."

No mere boy but the God stopped every so often; not looking back, for God He was He knew he would follow.

He had been so terribly lost, and now he had been so blessed for the God of Hubris to appear before him…to even come to test his faith and save him a second time…Xue Guo would never think of straying from where he belonged again.

The divine, glittering halo atop the God of Hubris's head shone as a beacon through the snow, and what was once lost was lost no longer.

I hope things weren't too confusing. The later chapters will explain things more :) Expect the next chapter soon.