So I'm re-watching all the FMA episodes. This is in honor of episode 34: Theory of Avarice. Kinda sad, Ed's point of view. I felt bad for Ed when he was sobbing at Greed's death, so I wrote this. Enjoy.
He hadn't wanted to kill him.
When Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, reentered Dante's mansion, he hadn't been expecting what he saw.
Not kill him.
The body of Dante, his teacher's teacher, was sliced in half, her blood pooled around her body and spattered on the wall. Greed had been standing in the middle of the room, blood staining parts of his clothes.
He hadn't wanted to kill anybody.
All he had wanted was to bring his mother back from the dead. Then, he just wanted his brother's soul back. Now, he just wanted to regain Al's body. It didn't matter what happened to him, just as long as Al was safe and happy. So he had gone to find Greed, who had kidnapped his little brother.
Not in his whole life had he ever wanted to kill anyone.
The Ultimate Shield. That's what Greed had called himself. He also said he wouldn't die so easily. But he had.
Ever. It went against all his principles.
Once Ed had figured out the secret to Greed's so called 'Ultimate Shield', he knew he'd have his brother back soon. Carbon, one of the major components in the human body, was as strong as its chemical bonds. Once he knew that, all Edward had to do was use alchemy to weaken the bonds. That weakened the shield.
Not to kill.
With one final thrust of his blade through Greed's heart, the homunculus's protection was gone. Blood dripped from the slash, and Greed had fallen to his knees, coughing up even more of the crimson liquid.
Even a homunculus. He hadn't wanted to kill.
Greed, with his last words, had told him the secret to killing the other six homunculi. After that, he had screamed and writhed before falling silent, a pained expression on his face and half curled into a fetal position. He was dead.
Just because there are things worse than death, doesn't mean killing is alright.
Edward had first thought Greed was playing a trick. It was only denial of what had happened. He shook the corpse, trying desperately to get a response. The body fell onto its side, and didn't move. The carcass melted into a pool of red liquid, then sunk into the floor, forming a dark stain.
His teacher had taught him not to kill, but he had to. He didn't even realize how fragile a life was until he took one away.
Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist stood vigil beside the stain until morning, unmoving until the first pure rays of light shone through the glass windows. Dante's body was buried, and a small grave was erected for Greed, the only mourners Ed, Al, and their teacher.
He hadn't wanted to kill anyone, but he had taken the life of a homunculus. In exchange, he got the secret of how to kill the other homunculi. Even if he was reluctant to kill, it didn't mean he wouldn't do it anyway. In a way, Greed made him more powerful. When he thought about it, he wouldn't have been able to even face the other homunculi if it hadn't been for Greed. By sacrificing his life, Greed had given Edward the strength to defeat his mortal enemies.