...
Her life was created by an alchemist and she knew, without a doubt, that it would be ended by one as well. What she didn't know, was what would happen in between, but that was all about to unfold.
...
She was brought into the world gasping for breath. Her hands were curled into claw-like fists, flailing, searching for something to grab onto. Her body ached and stung, and she bled like a stuck pig. Through bleary eyes, she spotted a brightness, something that glinted in the light.
Using the muscles that she could force to work, she dragged herself over to it and was overcome with the urge to put it in her mouth. It was cold and solid; it tasted fantastic. Beyond anything she could describe. The pain started to ease and she pushed herself to her hands and knees, scooping up the delicious stones and pushing them down her throat. They were her salvation, her light in the darkness.
With every mouthful she grew stronger until her body ached no longer, and she felt strong, and alive. She remained on the wooden floor, breathing heavily with exertion.
A sound caught her attention. Quiet sobs. She mimicked the noise and paused before shaking her head. She didn't like it. The sound grated on her nerves.
She stared curiously at the creature that was whimpering. It lifted its head and stared right back, fear and revulsion evident in its gaze. It was a man.
His tear-stained face and continuous cries were really bothering her now. "St-" She whispered and then cleared her throat. "Stop."
His deep brown eyes widened, she had his attention. Tapping a finger to her chin, she inspected him. She felt as though she knew him, but couldn't remember who he was. She frowned. She didn't like not knowing.
She opened her mouth to ask but he spoke before she could. "No, you're not my daughter." He denied in a shaky whisper. He was in denial. "You look like my baby, like my Penny, but you're not her."
She suddenly sprang to her feet and was in front of the cowering man in a flash. She yanked him to his feet and tried to look him in the eyes. He refused to and a white-hot ball of fury grew in her chest, pushing to get out. She bared her teeth and snarled at him. "Look at me."
He did as he was ordered and a flash of pleasure took hold. She liked this, having weak men obey her. Nowhere near as good as eating those red stones, but a start.
"Who is Penny?" She demanded. "Who am I? Why am I here?"
He moaned. "A mistake, I made a mistake. Please, God, take her from me. I cannot bare to see her face any longer. Please Lord, merciful Lord."
The enraged beast inside took the reins and she acted on violent impulse. She flicked her wrist, throwing him across the room. He slammed into the bookshelf. The man had just enough time to look over his shoulder up at the wobbling piece of furniture before it crashed down on top of him. She clearly heard the resounding crack of his back as it fell. It was nearly as loud as his scream.
"Whoops." She murmured, examining her nails. "I suppose I have to do all the work myse-." She sighed dramatically, cutting herself short when she spotted the mirror.
It was an antique, beautifully preserved full-length mirror. The carvings around the edges were in a language she didn't know, but it was magnificent either way. Picking her way carefully through the mess over to it, she found herself getting used to walking, and better at it with every step.
She stared at her reflection. The young woman who stared back was an unfamiliar face. The woman in the mirror stood tall, shoulders back, chin raised. She looked proud, and strong. Her legs were braced apart and she seemed ready to pounce. She blinked and tipped her head to one side and her reflection did the same. A surprisingly lovely smile was returned as she grinned at the mirror. A lock of pitch black hair fell over one eye and she gently brushed it aside before freezing, mid-motion.
She was disgusted with herself. Her violet eyes flashed in the single light above her. She began to rake a hand through her hair when she spotted an interesting mark on her wrist. Fascinated, she studied it. It was a serpent tattoo, in a circle. It was only briefly that she wondered what it meant, and how she got it before her mind turned to other matters, more important matters.
She scanned the room for clues, or something useful. There was a smaller shard of the ruby-red stone she'd eaten earlier, sitting innocently on the table, by the bookshelf, and by the crushed man.
A chill ran down her spine and she blamed it on the lack of heating in the room. There was a cool breeze coming in from the open door and window. It logical to assume the goosebumps she had were from the cold, but she still felt uneasy.
As she munched away on her finding, she casually read the notes scattered about the desk. They were on something called human transmutation. It didn't keep her attention long until her sharp eyes fell upon a word that stood out from the page.
"Homunculus?" She asked herself in a low whisper. She read the definition aloud. "When a human transmutation is failed, a homunculus is created. A perfect artificial human with the body and mind of a human, but no soul."
The ever-present upward curve of her lips deepened. "A homunculus." She repeated. As she brushed the papers from the desk with a graceful sweep of her arm, she rose and turned, staring at the mess. Stepping around the books, she easily lifted the bookshelf off of her creator.
The homunculus licked her lips and sank into a crouch beside the body. She lifted his head to whisper in his ear. "You're right, father, you made a mistake. Now look at what you've released on the world." She bared her teeth and closed her eyes. "Daddy dearest," She purred. "You have single-handedly damned this world to Hell. You know what I'm going to do. Are you proud? Are you proud of me, daddy?"
She straightened and ran her hands over her bare flesh, grinning from ear to ear. She tipped her head back in elation before rolling it back forward. Still smiling demonically, her eyes narrowed and she spoke: "Ready or not, here I come."