Melita slowly opened her eyes. Where was she? Why was it so dark? She heard a dog whine.

Melita sat up. She was in Winry's room. The sun had fallen and the moon took its place.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She heard.

Melita got out of bed. She still felt light. She opened the door to the balcony and jumped down. She found the same man she found in the forest. The same man that released her soul.

"Hohenheim of Light." She said as he spotted her.

"Its seems you've changed since I last saw you in the forest, Homunculus."

"Don't call me that," Melita said forcefully, yet gently.

"Then what should I call one who is not human?"

"Melita. My human name is Melita." She said.

"My question is, how did you get caught up in Her web?"

"I wasn't given a choice." Melita told him, "I wasn't revived through human transmutation. I was born human and made as a possible vessel for a Philosopher's Stone."

Hohenheim nodded.

"When I saw you earlier, you were unconscious. It gave your friends quite the scare."

The door opened. Roy Mustang stepped out. He spotted Melita.

"You're awake."

.

.

.

"The Fuhrer has been accused of treason, as well as your sons."

"Accused..." Melita repeated.

"You never did tell me how you knew about the Homunculi that was among the military."

Melita looked at Mustang. She hesitated to answer but Hohenheim put his hand on her shoulder, "It's alright."

Melita bit her lip then continued, "I was made into a homunculus..."

Mustang was startled, "I thought that when a homunculus is born, it doesn't have a human shape..."

Melita cringed.

"And never would it be if left alone. In order to obtain one, it would require being fed an amount of a vital source of energy... Shards of a stone."

"You mean to tell me that they feed on human lives?!" Mustang's gaze wandered from Melita to Hohenheim.

"They may start off as innocent children, but eventually, they become corrupted by the need for power arises. You can't trust anyone who lives that long... No one."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You said that the stones were being manufactured in the Fifth Laboratory. All but one homunculus can't perform alchemy." Mustang looked at Melita, "Yet how are they able to teach it? What purpose would it serve them?"

"Then that means someone is controlling them."

Hohenheim yawned, "Even if they are homunculi, this country is great... And the military is as honest and powerful as its always been, so I'm sure its fine."

"Why is it that they can't use alchemy?" Alphonse stepped out.

"Its because they all come from beyond the gate. But enough about that, tell me about you, son... Tell me about Trisha... I can tell from your body that..."

"There really isn't much to tell, is there?" Edward stepped out from behind the armored brother, "We failed human transmutation. I lost my limbs and Alphonse lost his whole body... That's it."

"Edward. Alchemy isn't something-"

"Shut up! You can't just come in here and start acting like a father! We had to watch mom die without you!"

Edward began to walk inside as he urged his brother to follow him. The younger brother refused and ordered their father to follow him.

"Hohenheim..." Melita looked at him as he stood up. He smiled and patted her head. He followed his son.

.

.

.

Melita walked down the stairs the next morning. Edward was sitting on the as Alphonse was explaining to his brother some urgent news. Something caught her attention.

"Hohenheim's gone…?" Melita stumbled onto the room. She looked scared. As a matter of fact, she was. Reason? The person she felt at ease with has disappeared without a trace. Without him, whose to say no harm will come to those around her?

They boys stared at her.

"We have to go find him!" Alphonse insisted.

"Take it from me Al, he's long gone by now."

"Fine! I'll go alone!"

The door opened and Mustang and Hawkeye walked in. Mustang instructed them not to leave the premises. The search party had arrived this morning. Sheska walked into the room, very hostile. She doubted Mustang's words. The man only patted her shoulder and walked out.

"How about we put you in the basement?" Pinako walked in.

"N… No that's fine." Edward insisted. Sheska laughed.

"You, too."

"Eh?"

.

.

.

The basement was rather dark. The four sat. The three discussed of Mustang's plan to uncover Bradley's true identity. The topic moved over to a woman named Juliet Douglas, the cause of the Isbalan War.

"You mean that story about that soldier who accidentally shot a kid?" Edward asked.

"That's a lie," Melita spoke up.

"You've been quiet ever since we got here." Sheska noticed. Edward thought for a moment. He came to a realization.

"So that's it! Ishbal was used to create a Philosopher's Stone." Edward looked at Melita. She did not make eye contact, but she nodded, "That whole war was designed by those Homunculi."

"So that's it. And Hughes must have realized that much, and he was… killed for it." Sheska said.

Killed? This startled all three of them, Edward, Alphonse, and even Melita.

Edward burst out of the basement and tried to run out the door. Winry held him back. Sheska tried to hold Alphonse back as well.

"Did you know?!" Edward grabbed Winry's arms. She stared at him and looked down.

"I only found out a not too long ago…"

Edward released her with a frustrated expression.

"Edward." He looked back only to meet a slap to the face. Melita was standing right next to him, "Have you learned nothing? There's nothing you can do now, he's dead. You have to accept that already! Getting revenge won't bring him back to life!"

Edward stared at her with anger, "You wouldn't understand what it feels to lose someone cause you don't have anyone to lose! You don't fear death cause you can't die!" His words pierced Melita's heart. The pain was unbearable. "Hughes was a friend. It's our fault he's dead. We were the ones to put him in that situation!"

"That's enough!" Pinako burst into the room, "Colonel Mustang didn't keep you in the dark out of malice you know? I know deep down inside it hurts, but he wants you to realize that there are more important things to be worried about."

"Even so…"

"I thought the Colonel didn't care about what had happened to Brig. Gen. Hughes… but what if…."

"What if all he wanted to do was become a great man? Because he promised Hughes he would…?"

"So he pushes himself to search for the right path, not to be taken in by thoughts of revenge. He sure is an adult to look up to." Alphonse added.

"And why not revenge?!" Edward asked, "When someone close to you is killed and you know who's behind it, how can there be anything more important to you than revenge? If that's the way of being an adult then I'm never growing up!"

"You became a dog of the military in order to achieve your goal, didn't you?"

"Answer me one thing, Edward." Melita spoke up, "What will getting revenge accomplish? Will it let the dead rest in peace? Will it satisfy them? Will it bring them back to life? Or is getting revenge the only way you can cope with death?"

Edward stared at her. Melita did have a point. Maes Hughes was Roy Mustang's best friend. So many times had that man been tempted into committing human transmutation...

.

.

.

"Someone's coming!" Gluttony was cautious."

"Don't worry, Gluttony, there's no way someone-" Lust was interrupted.

Alchemical light flooded the room as the doors exploded.

"Who's that?"

Hohenheim walked in. Lyra greeted him.

"I welcome you here. Unfortunately, the mistress is out."

"So, Lyra is the name of that body?"

"I'm impressed you know that much, my Hohenheim of Light. It's nice to know you've been thinking about me since you were out."

"I heard the name Lyra from my sons. But even if I hadn't I would've known right away. You can't hide your smell."

"Have you come to help me?"

"No, not, this time, Dante."

Dante became angry, "Gluttony!"

Gluttony ran to attack but Hohenheim had transmuted. This stopped the little creature from proceeding, sending him cowering away.

"Another alchemist who doesn't need circles." Lust noted.

Dante stepped forward, "There's no need to be afraid, Gluttony. That body must be near its limit."

Dante put her hands together, just like Hohenheim.

They both created an army large enough to fit in the room. The armies destroy each other.

"It is indeed that I am nearing my limit, but that means you are too." Hohenheim sent a shred of ice towards Dante. He ripped the cloth, exposing decaying skin. Lust was surprised.

"You may hide the decaying corpse with cloth but you cannot disguise that horrid smell."

"I suppose the same goes for you, Hohenheim."

"Dante, do not mislead those children any further. Leave them alone and in exchange, I will tell you why your body has started to decay."

.

.

.

The sun was setting and the sky was a toasted orange.

Melita silently followed Edward through the roads of Resembool. She had no right to question where they were going. They came upon a hill. The hill had a large dead tree with ruins sitting at its feet.

Melita remembered this place, she came here once, when she was still human… with Edward and Alphonse along with Armstrong. Yes, she remembered.

Edward walked towards what was the back yard.

"Before I left to become a state alchemist, I came here and burned my house down… But before that… I buried what was my…" Edward's voice faded. He hadn't turned to look at Melita once. There was some dirt that had been unearthed, "Back in Liore… You told me that you killed the next Homunculus that was going to be Greed… How sure are you that it was her…?"

Edward bent down and began digging with his bare hands.

"It was in an old abandoned lab. She told me to go get that kid, Pride… When I got there, found a reviving corpse. There were stones here and there… I knew what it was going to become…" Melita found it hard to speak, "I… I had to kill it… I burned the entire room… And before I left… It…"

Melita paused. She found herself shaking violently. Her cheeks felt wet. She was now crying. She was watching this broken boy dig up the remains of what should've been his mother. He didn't urge for an answer. Melita cried silently as Edward finished digging. Melita didn't want to see what was inside.

"It what, Melita?"

"It… screamed for your name, Edward…" Melita sobbed as she sunk into the ground right next to the boy, "It cried for you… I'm sorry…"

Edward turned to her. He was indeed broken for this boy expressed an anguished and wounded face. It was clear that he was holding back tears.

Melita shut her eyes and faced the ground, "I'm so… I'm sorry…"