Standard disclaimer: don't own Fullmetal.
'He certainly picked a fine-looking body this time around," Dante thought, covertly ogling Hohenheim's new form. Tall, solid build, kind face, long golden hair worn in a high tail, it was definitely very different than the last one she'd seen him in. that body had had the most extraordinarily soft, ebony hair. She missed the hair, not the man.
He looked, she thought, almost like his original body, or at least the faint recollections she had of it. It was the eyes she realized. None of the bodies that he'd inhabited had ever had that exact shade of gold in the iris. He'd run the gambit of every other eye color, and rare occasion had sported an amber that came close, but had never quite found that exact shade. Seeing it again brought back memories…
Memories of studying Alchemy together, the games they'd play of trying to unravel theories and arrays before the other. Memories of the Witch Hunts, and the coldly rational decision to work with the hunters as a means of obtaining the required ingredients for the Philosopher's Stone, even when those brought in included fellow Alchemists. Of performing the transmutation, and realizing with horror that the Stone required one last sacrifice, and seeing those golden eyes close for the last time. She remembered collecting his soul with the Stone as a last-ditch effort to save the man she loved. Realizing centuries later that he was gone, and with him the majority of the Stone they had created together. This brought her back to the present day.
She smiled, greeting him with the name of her current body, knowing as she did that it was useless. He'd always been able to see her in what ever body she'd been in, as she was able to see him. It was likely a side-effect of viewing the gate together; they had always been able to recognize each other no matter how many bodies they'd went through.
Though it was great to see him again, she knew Hohenheim didn't do social calls; he was far too direct for that, something she'd also seen in two of his sons. Envy had always preferred the simple approach to problems, though sometimes what he called simple was enough to make other people's heads spin. As for Hohenheim's second son, Edward had bulldozed headlong into enough of her affairs that she was starting to regard the child as a genuine nuisance. And that streak of honor that boy possessed was too annoying for words. She'd had a Stone within her grasp, all the brat had to do was touch the circle she'd had ready and waiting, but he'd backed out at the last second. She'd like to dismiss Edward as a threat, but he had killed Greed, and Greed hated her enough to spill every secret he knew about his brethren if it meant getting back at her, and added with him spiriting away the Stone created in Lior, Edward Elric had become far too dangerous to leave alone. Very much like his father.
Speaking of, what was the first thing out of that man's mouth after falling off the edge of the earth for 200 years? He demanded that she leave Edward and Alphonse alone. As if she answered to him. Who was it that first decided to go after the Stone? Who made the deals that ensured them a steady supply of ingredients? Who was the one who had saved his worthless soul, granting him the privilege of Eternal Life? And he had the sheer audacity to demand things of her?
She kept her temper with an effort. It was simply his old protective streak showing through, however misplaced. It did happen from time to time. She used a few of the tricks that used to send him to his knees, quivering in her arms. Only they didn't work. Maybe he simply wasn't attracted to her current body. Good thing she already had another one picked out, and it had been useful using Gluttony to gauge his current strength. He was as skilled as ever, but then again, so was she.
Their creations fought, ending in stalemate yet again. It was tiresome, this useless posturing of theirs. Why didn't Hohenheim see that while apart they were so perfectly matched that any struggle between them was futile? Why didn't he see that while they canceled each other out on opposite sides, working together their power was doubled? They could accomplish so much more together than they could apart. So why didn't he come back to her? Why did he stubbornly hold onto the ties of mortal life, while she shed them with gleeful abandon? So what if the Elric boys were Hohenheim's sons, she'd lost count of all the children she'd had, not that she'd raised any of those brats. Why until her latest research project, she'd believed infants to be little better than parasites.
She almost missed the small dart Hohenheim tossed at her, only realizing what he had done when a slit in her dress opened, exposing the rot that had already begun. How had he known? She'd only changed her body 2 months ago, when she'd gone for years without the slightest trace.
It took all her self-control not to react as Hohenheim laid out exactly why her body was rotting, why her intervals between new bodies was getting shorter and shorter. She couldn't believe it, no, she would not believe it. He'd cracked, the long years with out her steadying influence driven him mad. She would not be cheated out of eternal life now; she'd come too far and done too much to be denied.
When Hohenheim began talking about Trisha Elric, about how she'd been his only wife, his first and only love, she felt what was left of her heart breaking. How dare he claim to have only ever loved some mortal child, while she still remembered the little treasures left on her pillow, the gentle touches, and the soft whispers of love in her ear, of the uncounted years together, and the countless little ways he'd showed his love, and he had the colossal nerve to deny all that? Hurt and shock warred with anger, and anger won. What was it that her bitch of a mother used to say in one of her moods? "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." That sounded about right.
First she twisted the knife in the wound, challenging him about his former love of her. Not appeased by the guilt and shame in his eyes, she taunted him with the knowledge that she couldn't leave his precious children alone, that his youngest boy was the new Stone that was as good as within her grasp already. Then she signaled Sloth with a covert glance toward the stairwell where the water-based sin was waiting with the child of her next body. The look of shock, horror, surprise, love, and tenderness that covered his face validated all her extra surveillance of the Elric household even after she'd determined that he wasn't returning. After all, it was that surveillance that had enabled her to snatch Sloth right under the noses of the boys after she'd been created. Her former lover, former lover, was too dazed by the appearance of a homunculus with his wife's face to notice Sloth speeding across the ruined floor in liquid form. "Why, why didn't they tell me," her ears caught the soft murmur Hohenheim whispered to himself. She gave it no mind. By the time he recovered himself, Sloth had encased him inside her body from his shoulders down.
As she walked forward, child in her arms, she thought she should be feeling triumphant. She had legendary Alchemist Hohenheim of Light at her mercy; she had a plan to make him pay for abandoning her, stealing the Stone she'd worked so hard on, and replacing her with a mortal. But she couldn't. In the end, he was still her Hohenheim, her lab partner at school, her first love, the man with whom she'd spent the most time of all the men in her long life. He was the one who held her through painful rebounds, who'd challenged her, the one who she had not been able to face losing.
No more second thoughts. Through the child she summoned the Gate, leaving everything that was Hohenheim of Light to be taken through the massive doors. As soon as she was sure she had accomplished her goal, she left, not wanting to hear if his final words were for herself of his Trisha. Opening her eyes, hearing and not hearing Wrath's hysterical wailing due to proximity of the Gate, she saw that her calculations were correct yet again. There was no trace of her past love remained. Wait, not quite yet. There was still a trace of him. Her pendant, the blue stone still as bright as it had been 300 years ago, the only one of his gifts that had survived the test of time.
Ordering Lust, Sloth, and Wrath to retrieve the Stone, and dealing with Lust's new-found insolence, didn't take long. Returning the baby to its brainwashed mother took even less. For now she was free to get her grieving for Hohenheim over with. She just needed a moment to cry.
Owari
Ok, Dante's turn! We know she was looking for Hohenheim because he had the majority of the Stone they'd created, they'd obviously spent several hundred years together before that, and did anyone wonder what happened to Dante's pendant? She's wearing it when she does away with Hohenheim, yet when she confronts Ed it's gone. My take in it is that it was on of Hohenheim's love tokens, and she couldn't stand to have it around anymore.
Generally, my take on Dante? Spoiled bitch of an addict, who is far too used to getting her own way, and was allowed free rein for far too long.
Why so little feedback? Why? No reviews, barely any hits, why my loyal readers, why??
Review quickly, and I'll think about forgiving you. Those who review will receive mental cookies and a few creative Red Stones. (I could do with a few of those myself)
