Thanks to everyone who read this fic and left comments. I always appreciate your time and attention. I hope you continue to enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Warnings: Violence
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Golem Chapter 2 - Wraith
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"That's my evening meds….It's 9am."
"Wait-what?" Alphonse stared at the five or six different bottles arranged on the dresser. Alphonse found it easier to arrange Edward's medications for the week with all the bottles laid out and slowly work his way down the list. A card with the different medications laid beside him.
Edward pointed to one of the bottles. "I'm supposed to take that after dinner." He pointed to another bottle. "That's the one I take after breakfast."
Alphonse rolled his eyes. "God…"
Edward chuckled. "I thought you wanted to be an alkahestrist. You can't even get your own brother's meds right."
"I still have the excuse of being a novice," Alphonse huffed, but it was all in fun. "Luckily, I have you for practice."
Edward snorted. "You and Winry like to make me your test subject." But he took the medications handed to him without fuss.
If Alphonse focused, he could ignore the slight slur in Edward's voice. Talking took more effort than before. Edward didn't speak as much because of this. It sometimes took him a few tries before he could get a clear sentence out. But in the mornings, he could speak a little better. Maybe it was because he had a good night's rest and wasn't worn out like at the end of the day.
Edward choked a little as he swallowed. He set down the cup with a cough. Alphonse immediately reached for him. "Stop," He breathed. "I'm ok."
But he wasn't ok. Alphonse was terrified when watching his brother's health deteriorate right before him. He noticed how walking for any distance made Edward pant, and he was always tired. He was pale, always pale. He was thinner, and getting thinner each day.
It was like they were slowly trading their health. As Alphonse grew stronger, Edward weakened. As Alphonse regained his strength and stamina, Edward's faded. Alphonse couldn't help but wonder if this was the price his brother made for his life...he didn't want to think that.
And yet, it gave answers that the doctors couldn't. This mysterious illness with a ninety percent mortality rate and ineffective treatments. It explained why they couldn't find a way to stop the illness from destroying the last of his family. After all they had ssacrificed to regain what they had lost and finally be at peace, this was their fate. They were cursed. Always cursed since the day they committed the ultimate sin. So taboo that not even their children's innocence could save them.
It was their punishment. They would never have true happiness. Not with each other.
A life for a life. The true equivalent exchange.
"Whatcha thinkin'bout, Al?"
"Nothing much," Alphonse hadn't realized he drifted off. He took the empty cup from Edward and set it on the dresser.
Edward frowned. "Well.. if you need someone to talk to, you know I'm always here."
That was ironic. Alphonse should have been the one saying such things. Edward didn't think of his own suffering and fate. It was always about Alphonse. Never himself.
"I know, Brother," Alphonse gave Edward a gentle smile.
Edward didn't push it, though he looked at his younger brother with unhidden skepticism. Instead, he chose to fall back onto his bed with a groan. "My head hurts...everything feels heavy."
"Well, I'll leave you to rest," Alphonse got up and made his way to the kitchen.
Alphonse didn't want to admit that the moments away from Edward gave him respite. He didn't have to be strong. He could let the growing lump in his chest have its way. He used those moments to pretend that Edward was perfectly healthy when he couldn't see him. It was a lovely way to be in denial. As long as Edward was safe in his room, Alphonse could pretend everything was fine.
Alphonse sighed at the dishes laid on the counter. Edward had only finished half his breakfast. Edward had lost interest in eating. He said he wasn't hungry, but everyone knew better. However, Edward refused to switch to a liquid diet. That was for old people, he said.
Alphonse scraped the leftovers into the trash and started to wash the dishes. The pouring water was a welcome ambient noise that kept him grounded.
His back was to the doorway. He heard someone shuffle behind him and a startled gasp. Confused, Alphonse turned around and saw Edward standing in the door and staring at him with animosity.
"Ed?"
"Who the hell are you?!" Edward slurred. "How did you get in here?"
Alphonse had no idea what was going on. He set down the plate he was scrubbing and slowly turned to face Edward, who watched him with wide, dilated eyes. "Edward. Brother. It's me, Alphonse…"
This happened before. At random moments, Edward would space out and forget where he was or what he was doing. The spells lasted seconds, but it took Edward a while to fully return to consciousness. This time though, Edward had never looked at anyone with such veracity or confusion.
"Where's my brother!?" Edward demanded. Alphonse noticed the thin sheet of sweat on his forehead and the way his limbs shook. He looked like he was barely able to stand. Every muscle was tight. Alphonse had to be careful. Edward was unpredictable in this state.
Alphonse slowly approached his brother, hands in the air. "Edward...I'm your brother...I just saw you…"
Edward didn't move. He backed away when Alphonse tried to get closer. He genuinely looked at Alphonse like he was a threat. Alphonse stilled when Edward got into his usual fight stance. He glanced to the side, there was a knife on the counter beside Edward. He would need to be very careful. Alphonse tried to move to the side, hoping that Edward's delirium would keep his brother from noticing the potential weapon.
"Brother," Alphonse kept calm, despite the rising nervousness. Though weaker, Edward was still an excitable fighter and hadn't forgotten his training. "Brother, I'm not gonna hurt you. Just calm down."
Alphonse should've remembered that Edward was inhumanly fast. He made the mistake of getting a little too close in his effort to block Edward from the knife. Edward panicked and lunged for Alphonse, knocking them both to the ground.
"Brother! Edward!" Alphonse grunted, trying to pin Edward down. "It's me!"
"Where is Alphonse!?" Edward shrieked, twisting around to grab at Alphonse's neck. Alphonse managed to get out of the way, but it meant letting go of Edward. Edward didn't hesitate to slam Alphonse to the floor.
Alphonse looked up. There was no color in Edward's face. His eyes were wild and glazed. His pupils were dilated to the point that his eyes were completely black. He could feel the shaking in Edward's arms and the twitching in his eyebrow. He would have to incapacitate Edward.
Alphonse took advantage of Edward's weakened body. He grabbed Edward's braid and yanked it back to grab Edward's neck. He swung his leg behind Edward and rolled them over. He caught Edward's arm and twisted it until Edward flipped onto his stomach. Edward yelped in pain. Alphonse felt terrible, but he didn't have much choice. He put his full bodyweight on top of Edward.
Edward squirmed underneath him. And then, he went completely limp. He just stared emptily at the side with his cheek pressed into the floor. His breathing came out in short gasps.
"Brother?" Alphonse panted. He loosened his grip but stayed in place. "Brother. You're safe. Calm down. It's Alphonse."
He knew when Edward came back to reality. It started as confused glances, then fear. Edward stiffly twisted to look at Alphonse, disoriented and not sure why his brother was on top of him.
"A-Al?" Edward sounded like he had cotton balls in his mouth. "What-why am I on the floor?"
"You came in and tried to attack me," Alphonse let go of Edward and helped his brother sit up. Edward stared in disbelief. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Edward blinked, looking around and still bewildered. Alphonse watched the anxiety in Edward's eyes. "You...went to the kitchen?"
"Yes," Alphonse said. "And then what?"
"You were pinning me on the floor," Edward's voice cracked. The anxiety was replaced by embarrassment and then despair. "I'm sorry, Al. I didn't mean to. I-I don't know what happened. I was lying down and then I'm here." Edward ran his fingers through disheveled hair and tried to hold back the tears.
Alphonse was there in an instant. Edward allowed Alphonse to pull him into a hug.
"I hate this!" Edward's voice was muffled in Alphonse's shoulder. "I hate this so much! I'm going fucking crazy!"
"Shhh, I know, Brother," Alphonse's voice was tight, also trying to keep back the tears.
He stayed strong for the rest of the day. He was glued to Edward's side, trying to distract him with funny stories and mindless chit-chat. It seemed to work as Edward slowly cheered up. Mustang came by for a visit. He and Edward fell back into their old banter and friendly insults. Edward even managed to finished his dinner.
It came crashing down when Edward suddenly froze and then fell over into a grand mal seizure. Mustang managed to catch him and lower him to the floor as the violent muscle contractions took over. It lasted only a minute, but it felt like forever for Alphonse. When the contractions stopped. Edward went limp. Mustang helped Alphonse pick Edward up and they immediately took him to the hospital.
As the doctors and nurses tended to Edward, Alphonse still didn't cry. If he cried, he couldn't be strong for Brother.
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Alphonse grudgingly followed his father down the street to an abandoned warehouse Hohenheim appropriated to conduct his experiment.
The explanation with Winry went as well as he expected. He had to dodge a couple of pans thrown his way between the screams.
"I can't believe you!" She shrieked, gripping at the air now that her hands were empty. "Don't you understand he's just using you! This is what Edward was talking about! Your father is a selfish asshole!"
"You're right. You're completely right!" Alphonse shouted back. "I don't trust him! I'm only going because I know he's gonna do something to someone else. I have to know what he's doing and stop him!"
"This is how he's using you!" Winry hissed through gritted teeth. "He knows you wouldn't want someone to get hurt! That's how he's making you come along without whatever harebrained scheme he's got!"
"I know that!" Alphonse groaned. "I can take him down if I need to!"
Winry stared at him with renewed disgust. "This isn't about stopping him. You really think he can bring back Ed?"
Alphonse was silent. That was all the confirmation she needed. "You idiot! You unbelievable idiot! Why would you think that? Edward is gone. He. Is. Gone. No one can bring him back. Don't even think you and your crazy-ass father can bring him back! You'll just get yourself killed or lose your body - again!"
That brought him out of his stupor. "Don't you bring that up ever again!"
"Why shouldn't I?" She wasn't backing down. "That's the reality of what'll happen if you go with that asshole! You cannot bring your brother back. His body is buried in a grave in Risembool, a two-day train ride from Central. That is the world's one and only truth, Alchemist!"
Alphonse couldn't believe she would throw their philosophy back at him like that. "Fine! You're right! I want to see my brother again. Hohenheim is a manipulative jerk who wants to use my grief for his own agenda!" Alphonse let out a sob, but managed to regain his composure. "I don't think he can bring Edward back, but that won't stop him from trying. Winry, I saw the look in his face. He thinks he can redeem himself through some twisted experiment. I want to see Brother again, but I also can't let my father hurt someone! What if he does bring back some random ghost from the Gate and entraps that person in a disgusting excuse for a body. I have to be there to stop him!"
Winry rolled her eyes with a loud groan. She threw her hands up in defeat. "You know what? Fine. Fall for your father's lies one more time!" She pointed a finger in Al's face. "But if something happens, just know that you're just as at fault as he is!"
Her words followed him until he and Hohenheim reached their destination. It used to be a large factory that made weapons for the military. It went out of commision after the Ishvalan war and left to rot. Hohenheim chose it because it was in the poorer part of Central City.
"I set everything up in the basement," Hohenheim said as he led them down into the bowels of the building. Alphonse peered into the dark, trying not to think of those ghost stories he heard during his journey with Edward. This place was the perfect for a haunting. After everything he had been through, it seemed silly for him to not believe in ghosts.
Hohenheim opened a heavy door. Alphonse squinted from the sudden light from several bulbs. Hohenheim managed to bring electricity to the room. Around the room were several shelves lined with alchemy books and bottles of strange liquids. In the center of the room was a huge alchemy circle identical to the one they used to bring back their mother.
Hohenheim began collecting bottles and boxes from the shelves. "The first step is creating a body."
Alphonse watched him. "How will you do that?"
"The same way you and Edward did," Hohenheim replied casually. "However, the first mistake the two of you made was getting the ingredients wrong."
"Wrong? We made sure we had everything right to the last milligram!"
"You were very incorrect," Hohenheim said. He placed the different containers on a table next to the circle in a specific order. "You missed several things." Hohenheim walked to a closet that Alphonse just noticed and pulled out a large wash basin. He placed the basin in the center of the circle and returned to the table. "This part will be the easiest. Because a body is an organic object, it can be formed without fear of breaking a taboo. It's an inanimate object like anything else."
One by one, Hohenheim opened each container and poured the contents into the wash basin. "Oxygen, 43kg. Carbon, 16kg. Hydrogen, 7kg. Nitrogen, 1.8kg. Calcium, 1kg. Phosphorus, 0.78kg. Potassium, 0.14kg. Sulfur, 0.14kg. Sodium, 0.1kg. Chlorine, 0.095kg. Magnesium, 0.19kg. These are the elemental components of an average human being. This will be our starting point."
Hohenheim gestured for Alphonse to come closer. "There is one final element. The DNA structure of the individual. Because I don't have your mother, I can't use parental blood to customize the body. So you'll have to do, even though you share only fifty percent of Edward's DNA."
Hohenheim produced a small knife from his pocket and handed it to Alphonse. "I'll need your blood - not a lot. Just a tablespoon or two and a saliva sample to be thorough."
Hohenheim gathered the appropriate containers to get the samples. "Move quickly."
"This is ridiculous…" Alphonse murmured when he held the tray of sample containers Hohenheim handed him.
"And yet, you're here," Hohenheim said dryly. "A part of you thinks this may be possible. You have nothing to lose so why not?"
"I have everything to lose," Alphonse said rigidly.
"As I said, I'm the one performing the transmutation and will be the only one doing any alchemy. I just need you to cooperate," Hohenheim gestured to the tray. "Hurry up. The ingredients decay quickly."
When Alphonse hesitated, Hohenheim tried to encourage him. "It's only natural for you to want your brother. He was the only family you had. The only person you loved you without restraint. This is a chance to regain what you've lost."
What he lost. Alphonse lost his brother at the cost of his own body. He could regain his brother, but the cost would be steeper than simple elements. But, if his father was the one making the exchange with Fate, then this could be possible. If Alphonse could get away unschathed even if the transmutation failed, then maybe…
Alphonse sighed heavily and quickly nipped his finger and spit into a tiny glass thimble. Hohenheim took the samples and added them to the mix.
"Stand back," Hohenheim instructed. Alphonse backed until he was against the wall farthest from the circle. He looked nervously at the containers still lining the shelves and wondered what else Hohenheim kept in this decrepit place. He watched Hohenheim clap his hands together and tried not to think about how much he looked like Edward. People used to say that all the time and they got a veracious rant similar to when they mentioned Edward's height.
Blue light blinded him. The electrical currents swarmed the room and made the hair stand on his body. He felt the immense energy course through him and he held himself steady. He could only hear the miniature lightning bolts snap around his father's silhouette. There was an odd smell like burning flesh that made him slightly gag.
What would it look like? It would be an amazing feat if within a matter of seconds, Alphonse would see the body of his brother in perfect condition right before him. It seemed too good to be true.
It wasn't. The light and energy died. Alphonse could look without squinting. The wash basin was thrown to the side and in its place laid something that could only be described as the ugliest mockery of a human body Alphonse had ever seen.
It was completely featureless. It laid in a twisted heap in front of Hohenheim. It looked like grey leather stretched over a skeleton. It was completely hairless. It reeked. It's mouth was wide open enough for Alphonse to see it didn't have teeth. Its limbs were emaciated and bent at unnatural angles. When Hohenheim moved to straighten it out, it flopped like a ragdoll.
"It's hideous," Alphonse whispered in disgust.
Hohenheim looked up at him casually. "It's a human body in its barest form. All the elemental ingredients -"
"That is not a human body!" Alphonse interrupted angrily. "That is some disgusting - disgusting thing you put together! This was a waste of time!"
"Its unrefined," Hohenheim explained. "Like I said, it's in its fetal stage. Things like hair, eye color, and organs will come later in phases. We have to be very careful."
"It doesn't have organs!?" Alphonse was astonished. "It's just a pile of junk made to look like an ugly doll!"
"Your lack of faith is disheartening," Hohenheim said sarcastically. "I thought you and Edward were scientists. Have you been among the common folk so long that this logic is beyond you?"
Alphonse sneered. "The great thing about being around 'common folk' is that they teach you humility. Something you should learn."
"An alchemist can't let such things get in the way of discovery," Hohenheim wasn't moved. "Otherwise, you remain ignorant."
"I'd rather be ignorant than arrogant!" Alphonse argued. "There is still such a thing as ethics, Hohenheim!"
Hohenheim sighed as if Alphonse was being absolutely ridiculous. "Fine. Go to the hotel to gather your thoughts. I'm going to process this thing further and I don't need your discontent."
Alphonse wanted to continue arguing and hopefully get the chance to burn that thing and end this all together. But he decided to follow his father's orders and return to the hotel to plan on how he would stop this madness.
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"This is wrong...so very wrong," Alphonse mumbled to himself. The food from room service was cold and Alphonse just poked at it. He couldn't bring himself to eat when the food arrived and that thing appeared in his mind.
The first step was completed. Hohenheim created a bare bones version of a body. The twisted creature with its broken jaw kept appearing in his head. It hadn't moved once when touched. It was completely lifeless. There was no way Hohenheim could make it into a fitting vessel for Edward's soul.
'If I were Brother, I wouldn't come back to that thing.'
Hohenheim promised he would make it perfect. Alphonse couldn't see it. The best that could be done was make it into a grotesque lifeless being. Or a homunculus, though he doubted even that could be accomplished.
This shouldn't be done. The selfish hope that his brother could be restored wasn't worth this abomination. He didn't care if Hohenheim would take the punishment. This couldn't happen and he had to destroy that thing.
He couldn't damn Edward to a life trapped in such a deformed vessel. He knew that pain all too well.
Those years spent inside a lifeless form, stared at and treated like some novel freak. He couldn't count how many times people shot at him just to see what would happen. He could remember the snide remarks and mockery for being trapped inside an exaggerated tin can.
Some people envied him. He wa essentially immortal. He didn't need to eat, breathe or sleep. They wanted what he had, but he wouldn't wish his fate on anyone and he was quick to call people out on their foolishness. He would gladly die of old age or illness if it meant he could enjoy food, rest, and taking deep breaths. He would give up the chance to live forever if it meant he didn't have to watch those he loved grow old and move on while he remained an empty shell.
His mind drifted back to those nights of rare quiet. It was the times when Edward would so carefully polish his body and repair any cracks or rust. He wished he could feel Edward's calloused fingers running down the metal plates so meticulously. He would watch Edward cut into his own hand to repaint the seal that bound his soul to the armor. Edward did it with the skill of an artist. He didn't leave a single spot untouched. His focus was intense and Alphonse remained silent, not wanting to break his brother's concentration. Alphonse felt a rush when Edward finally leaned back and looked up at him with a proud grin.
Alphonse got up to slowly pace the room. He had to move to dissipate the growing anxiety. His mind traveled further back to when they were children. Alphonse and Edward shared a bedroom. If either had trouble sleeping, they shared a bed. If either had to use the bathroom during the night, the other would always accompany them as the house was too dark and there could be monsters. They would return to their room and cuddle together. They had always been physically affectionate. Alphonse always felt safe with Brother.
He sure needed Edward now. Edward would know what to do and had the spark to stand up to Hohenheim. He wouldn't have to be here alone.
Alphonse shook his head. He wasn't a little kid anymore. He didn't need to go back to his big brother for protection. He was a grown man and had to see to his own wellbeing. His neediness for Edward was detrimental.
Alphonse fiddled with his pocket and found his wallet. He took it out and unfolded it. A picture was revealed. It was the last one taken before Edward got sick. It was during the time that Edward came to visit him during his studies in Xing. He remembered how much fun it was to show his brother around. Edward soaked it all up, asking endless questions and wandering off when he saw something new. The photo was taken of the two of them in front of an elaborate fountain in the Xingese palace. Edward had his arm thrown around Alphonse's shoulders, looking so proud and happy for his brother. Alphonse was leaning into the touch, it looked like the photo was taken just after Edward must have said something that made Alphonse hold back a giggle because his eyes were perfect crescents and his cheeks were completely round.
"It's only natural for you to want your brother."
The way Hohenheim spoke of his relationship to Edward was unsettling. It picked at something Alphonse didn't want to think about.
Alphonse put the photo away. It was making him slowly start to believe Hohenheim. He missed Edward's smile and boisterous personality. The possibility of seeing him again was making him open to Hohenheim's crazed ideas.
He needed to sleep. With a good rest, he could think clearly and find a way to rid himself of his father and that wraith.
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The loud knock jerked Alphonse out of his dissatisfying sleep.
His sleep was haunted by interchanging images of Edward and that wraith. One point, he awoke with gasp when the wraith spoke in Edward's voice and begged Alphonse to kill it.
The person knocked again. Alphonse mumbled a curse and dragged himself out of the bed. Not caring to tidy himself, he stomped to the door and yanked it open.
Hohenheim stood in the hallway with dark circles under his eyes and looking completely exhausted. It gave Alphonse pause. "What is it?"
Hohenheim smiled tiredly. "I've made progress with the body. Its officially living."
Alphonse eyes widened. "What's 'officially living'?"
Hohenheim pushed past Alphonse into the room and closed the door. "I was able to refine it. It has working organs and a complete nervous system. It can breathe on its own and has a semblance of awareness."
"It's sentient?" Alphonse said with shock.
Hohenheim nodded. "To a degree. It's technically alive as the organs are functioning. But I doubt it's currently aware. It's still just an organic object. It's organs are only doing what they evolved to do."
He actually did it. The wraith was now an officially living creature. It intrigued and frightened Alphonse. His father's efforts brought the wraith closer to being a human. Alphonse did and didn't want to believe it. It left him conflicted and scared. Hohenheim completed the first step in restoring Edward to their world. The idea was hard to swallow.
"I need your input now," Hohenheim continued.
This caught Alphonse's attention. "My input?"
"The last time I saw Edward, he was seventeen," Hohenheim explained, dully noticing the still uneaten food. "I don't know what physical changes he underwent as he matured. You have a better memory. For an exact replica, we need your most accurate memories of what he looked like."
"I have a picture," Alphonse started to reach for his wallet again.
Hohenheim stopped him. "A photo won't show enough details. I need you to examine every last feature for complete accuracy. It will be more difficult to convince the soul to return if the body isn't as exact as possible."
Hohenheim stood. "The photo will give us a start. But I still need your insight for proper customization." He turned to face Alphonse. "Have you eaten? I want to do this as soon as possible."
Alphonse silently changed his clothes, grabbed a tea biscuit from the abandoned room service, and followed his father. The trip to the warehouse seemed shorter as his mind flipped through so many disorganized thoughts. Alphonse didn't realize they reached their destination until Hohenheim called after him.
He led Alphonse to the same basement. He opened the heavy door and Alphonse saw the wraith again. It was bound by the wrists and ankles. Its breathing was loud and scratchy. It twitched on the ground, situated in the same circle from yesterday. Saliva drooled down its chin from its heaving mouth. It had eyes this time, but they were closed. It had two holes where its nose should have been and two other holes for ears. It looked 'better,' but it was still hideous.
Alphonse shakily took a step closer. He noticed the arrays drawn on the creature's face and chest. He recognized the symbols as modification mathematics used to adjust the mass of an object.
"Give me the picture," Hohenheim reached towards Alphonse. He robotically fished out the photo and handed it to him. Hohenheim stared at the photo for a couple of minutes and set it aside on a table.
"How tall was Edward when he died?"
"Five-nine and a half," Alphonse said automatically. Edward made sure everyone knew the exact measurements.
Hohenheim hmm'ed and instructed Alphonse to stand back in his usual spot against the wall. Alphonse watched in complete silence as Hohenheim traced the lines on the creature's chest. The wraith twitched away from the touch, but otherwise remained unconscious. Hohenheim spread his hands on the wraith's pectorals and the familiar blue light shone.
The light hadn't fully enveloped the room when an ear-splitting shriek made Alphonse jump.
Hohenheim stayed focused. The wraith convulsed on the floor, its limbs twisting and bending to get away from Hohenheim's touch. It's screeches grew louder as the energy of the transmutation increased and forced its body to change. Alphonse reached to cover his ears. He turned into the wall. He tried to harden himself to the pain in front of him. He cringed further into himself when he swore the screams became human-like.
The light died down and Alphonse could see. He slowly walked up to stand beside his father when Hohenheim stood straight. Alphonse looked down, disturbed at the sight before him. The creature had indeed grown to the proper size. Before, it was not much bigger than a bulky child. Now it was stretched into the lean body of what appeared to be a young male.
"What do you think?" Hohenheim asked far too casually to make sense.
Alphonse stared at the thing. It curled into itself. "What do you mean?"
"How does it look?" Hohenheim faced him directly.
"It looks like a mannequin," Alphonse replied, only barely hearing his father's question.
"I see," Hohenheim murmured. "Edward was lean, but not this skinny." He knelt again and transmuted the creature.
Alphonse clenched his eyes shut when the screams returned. They were over quicker. Hohenheim stood. Alphonse dared to look again. The wraith was dry heaving, making a sound that could only be described as a shaky sob. It opened its eyes and turned to Alphonse. Alphonse felt a tinge of fear when pitch black eyes noticed him for the first time. The wraith quieted. It drilled into Alphonse with depthless eyes. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. The wraith held his gaze. He couldn't tell if it was accusing him or begging him. He didn't want to know. It only broke its gaze when Hohenheim moved to block its vision.
"Come here…" Hohenheim beckoned him.
As if in a trance, Alphonse slowly walked until he was beside his father and could see the wraith fully. It was still ugly, but less so than before. It was now a healthy weight. It was clearly male and had a physique that was incredibly similar to Edward's.
"The features aren't detailed enough…" Hohenheim muttered as he examined his work.
"The nose is too small and should be straighter - like yours," Alphonse said blindly, just describing what he saw. "The eyes should be narrow - cat-like. Edward has a more chiseled jaw and higher cheekbones. Just slightly adjust and it will look like him."
Hohenheim nodded and immediately followed Alphonse's guidance.
Hohenheim put one hand over the wraith's face. The blue light returned and so did the screams. This time, it sounded desperate and afraid. The wraith tried to twist away, but Hohenheim held it in place with his other hand gripping its throat.
The screams were too much. "Leave it alone!"
Hohenheim paused. "If we are to create a proper vessel, we must finish it."
"You're hurting it," Alphonse hissed.
"I'm afraid that can't be avoided," Hohenheim returned calmly. "To force a body to mature in minutes when it takes years puts the body through tremendous pain. But it's over as soon as it begins."
"It should be killed," Alphonse stated with finality. "Such a thing can't exist!"
"I'd appreciate it if you showed at least some gratitude," Hohenheim looked perturbed for the first time. "It can't be avoided. Your misguided nobility won't change that fact you want your brother and this is the only way!"
"I don't want my brother if this is what it takes!" Alphonse shouted.
"Yes, you do," Hohenheim growled. "Look!"
All anger left Alphonse. Where there used to be a bland, featureless face was now a face that looked exactly like Edward.
"That is...impossible…"Alphonse breathed. It was a perfect visage of his brother. It lay there, its breathing slowly calming. Even with greyish skin and glazed black eyes, it looked like his brother.
"Just a few more tries," Hohenheim's dark whisper reached him. "And it will be as if he never left me…"
"You?" Alphonse's voice quivered.
"We'll both get a second chance."
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Golem chapter 2!
I hope you are all enjoying the fic so far. It's certainly been a step outside my usual fiction.
Interestingly, when I was looking up the elemental components of the average adult human body, I found this tidbit on the FMA wikia:
"Something interesting to think about is, while the above is indeed what Edward and Alphonse thought was the correct assortment of chemicals, they were actually very wrong. Assuming that the Humans in Fullmetal are similar or even equal to humans in real life then the actual list would have been as proceeds; Oxygen, 43kg - Carbon, 16kg - Hydrogen, 7kg - Nitrogen, 1.8kg - Calcium, 1kg - Phosphorus, 0.78kg - Potassium, 0.14kg - Sulfur, 0.14kg - Sodium, 0.10kg - Chlorine, 0.095kg - and Magnesium, 0.019kg. In other words it's very possible that instead of needing a human soul, they simply got the wrong ingredients."
Quite thought-provoking. It makes me wonder where Ed and Al got their recipe from? I did more research and it appears that the above components are indeed that of an adult human.
