Disclaimer: I own anything that doesn't belong to anyone else! ^_^
Beginning quote is from "Searching My Soul" from the Ally McBeal sountrack.
Note: Sorry for the lack of updates. I will try and add more chapters over a shorter period of time. But I'm in the last few weeks of the school year, and they're pretty chaotic right now. So be gentle with me. I'm not about to give up on this story.
Resurrecting the Shadow of Memories
A Shadow of Destiny Fanfic
"I've been searching my soul tonight,
I know there's so much more to life."
Once I had returned to my realm, I was faced with the obvious problem that the stone, which I had no choice but to leave behind in the human world, would still allow me to be summoned. I suspected, however, that those who knew of my existence, and of the stone's power, would be too frightened to return to claim it. As for anyone else who might find it, they would think of it as a jewel, and it would be passed along as it had before Kamose had discovered it.
Of course, there was always the chance, especially at a time like this, that an alchemist would find it, and use it as Kamose had once done, accidentally summoning me from my realm.
Reflecting on this, I smiled, knowing that I wouldn't make the same mistake again, to trust my master. That was never going to happen again. If I was summoned, the poor bastard who had called me wouldn't even know what hit him. He would be dead, or incapable of telling what he knew at least, without even having the chance to make a wish.
For the next few years, I thought up ways of doing this. My time was occupied with macabre thoughts of murder and mental torture. I'm not sure if it was hatred that I felt for the entire human race, or simple contempt. Perhaps it was both. I convinced myself I hated Kamose and his entire family. //That// I would tell myself, //is why you killed him after all//.
And then the day came. The sickening feeling of being pulled into another reality. I didn't try to fight it as I had before. I felt the dizzying wave of magic wash over me, and closed my eyes very briefly. When I opened them again, I was in a similar position to the one I had found myself in when I had first met Kamose; sitting among broken clay pieces and glass, with a stranger staring at me in shock. I looked at him, enjoying his confusion.
"What? What is..."
"Let me guess," I cut him off. "You were trying to create the elixir of life. You thought you had found the Philosopher's Stone with which to do this. And so you are, understandably, a little unnerved by my sudden appearance. Am I getting warm?"
I received only a dumbfounded silence.
"Well, since I am here now," I sighed, "I am obligated to give you a wish."
"A... what?"
I rolled my eyes. "A wish? For immortality. Eternal youth." I smiled as I read his thoughts. "That young girl who lives down the street with her family, perhaps?" If possible, his eyes widened further. I felt an extraordinary sense of power over him. Suddenly, the concept of being summoned didn't seem so bad. It was the best form of entertainment I had witnessed in years. A show of my superior power and intelligence. I loved it. What could possibly have been a decent substitute for this? What had I been doing? Wasting ten years catering to an ageing man and his family, when I could have been having all this fun.
"You... what are you?"
"Does it matter?" I asked, side-stepping the question and appealing to the greed in his eyes. "All you need to know is that I'm offering you a chance to have whatever you want. So come on. Give me your wish, and I'll grant it."
He continued to stare at me, and I wondered how this man could possibly be an alchemist. He didn't seem particularly sharp.
At last, he seemed to reach a conclusion. "I want to live forever. I never want to die."
I raised an eyebrow, and quite suddenly a thought occurred to me, and I smiled maliciously, though the idiot before me seemed to take it for a smile of approval.
"Whatever you want," I sneered, and flung my hand out towards him. He took a step back as the spell hit him, and then enveloped his entire body in smoke and light. Eventually these subsided, and the man was left standing before me, a little dazed, but there was no other change to him. He stared at his hands, turning them back and forth. He looked himself over, searching for something.
"What kind of trick is this?" He said, suddenly getting angry. I put on a hurt pout, as if I had no idea what he was talking about. "I'm exactly the same as I was!" he pointed out
"And?"
"I wanted to have immortality!"
"You do."
"This isn't-"
"-what you had in mind?" I cut in, chuckling slightly. "Well how was I to know you wanted to be immortal as a young man? You said 'immortality' not eternal youth."
"But I don't want to be trapped in a body this old!" The man looked around forty.
"That's okay," I said, chuckling again. "Because, you won't look the same age forever."
"I won't?"
"You said you wanted immortality. You said nothing about not getting older."
The dawning horror on the man's face reminded me of another face I furiously tried to cast out of my mind. I steeled myself to his terror at the concept of ageing, but never dying.
"No..." he whispered, his face turning almost as pale as mine. "No it can't be..."
"You humans," I said callously. "You never think about these things. No attention to detail. You should always be very careful what you wish for. You don't always get what you were expecting."
"You demon!" He screamed at me suddenly. I could see fury and terror in his eyes all at once. I could only laugh at it.
"That's right," I said coolly. "I am a demon. Everyone knows you can't trust them. What made you think I ever had good intentions when giving you a wish?" He stared at me, horrified by the cold and calculated logic in my words. So unfeeling and merciless. I didn't care that this man would age until he was no more than a skeleton with a covering of leathery skin. He was human and for me, that meant he deserved whatever he got. All humans were selfish, thinking only of themselves and the present time. Not considering other people or the consequences of their actions, and then groping blindly for answers to why things didn't go their way. Life wasn't like that. It didn't play by rules you tried to apply. Even today, humans don't accept this reality. That is what makes them weak. They try to bend everything to their will, try to shape the universe into the ideal paradise they create within their imaginations.
I was there to wake them up to that reality, I decided.
It continued like this for centuries. I would be summoned by an unsuspecting master, and they would learn a cruel lesson from me every time. I twisted each wish to suit a purpose: to punish.
Men wished for eternal youth: I turned them into children, never able to survive in the world alone, utterly dependant, until eventually they were killed, their fellow humans believing them to be demons because they never aged a day.
One man wished for child. I gave him one. Deaf, mute, and crippled beyond all human help. That was one of the cruellest things I ever did. He had wanted a son, but never said what kind of son he wanted. When he saw the disabled child before him, the boy was no longer a gift but a burden that was not wanted. I never looked back on this scene to see what became of the child I created. I did not dare risk feeling pity for the boy who would inevitably be outcast in a society, which demanded physical well-being in every respect. If I had, I probably would have killed the 'father'. He had a son now. But that wasn't enough on it's own. The son had to be perfect.
It was all about appreciation really, I think. I wanted to make humans appreciate what they had. I could see no other way than through the cruel punishments I inflicted on them. Other people, even creatures like me, were not tools to elevate individuals. Everything felt... to some extent anyway. No one should be used, or have another person's ideal enforced on them.
Of course, not all my intentions were so honourable. In order to make myself cold to the human race, I reminded myself constantly that I hated them, and was punishing them for what they did to me. Each master wished to use me, and I turned that desire against him.
Over the course of a few centuries, my name, in some sense, became known to the world. I became part of the legend of the Philosopher's Stone. The Homunculus. The artificial life that could be made from the precious stone so many Alchemists would have killed for. No one knew of my true nature, and what I did to the master's who succeeded in 'creating' me. All those who attempted the 'Homunculus experiment' mysteriously disappeared. No one ever knew what happened to them, but their houses were often found in ruins. Many assumed they had died in explosions caused by failed experiments. Far from deterring other alchemists, this idea only spurred them on to try and perform the experiment themselves, hoping to be the first to succeed.
Soon it was not my appearance that shocked the alchemists, but my attitude and my offers. But it did not matter to me. I did what needed to be done, and left, having taken care to make sure everything was left in the usually 'mysterious circumstances'. I often placed my deceived and confused masters in foreign lands, or made them unable to speak of their experiments, sometimes robbing them of memories, or creating spells that acted like lie- detectors; inflicting pain whenever the subject of alchemy was mentioned. All this was necessary in my eyes, to make certain that my demonic identity remained a secret.
It was in the 11th century that something went wrong with the whole process, and I experienced for the first time in years the horror of being imprisoned.
The alchemist far more knowledgeable than the others I had encountered previously. He had collected old documents, some of them centuries old, and pieced together the concept that the Homunculus he and fellow alchemists desire to create was not all that they believed it to be. To him, there had been one too many fatal 'accidents'.
And so, when I was inevitably summoned by this man, I was shocked to discover that I was trapped in a circle. It was similar to the one my creator had once used, but I could see subtle differences in the markings. Symbols can never be perfectly copied from such ancient texts, and I began to search instantly for any sign of weakness in the magic barrier that surrounded me, even as I spoke with the alchemist.
"Well, you're certainly more intelligent than any others I have encountered," I remarked snidely.
"So what I suspect is true," he demanded. "The other alchemists... my brothers in the arts... you killed them."
"Killed?" I asked in a mocking, hurt tone. "I? I never kill. In fact in many cases I do the exact opposite. Though I will admit to distributing..." I searched for a word, "... a new perspective on things."
He paused. He had a knife in his hand, though I wondered why, since he didn't look as though he was planning to come much closer to me than he already was.
"Well consider this my sentence upon you for your crimes," he said.
"Your sentence?" I spat, laughing bitterly. "Since when was any human worthy enough to pass judgement on any other creature. Have you led an honourable life?"
"I have."
"Oh really?" I asked, smirking evilly. "Why don't we have a look.... Hmmm..." I chuckled as I unearthed memories from his past, making sure he knew I could see them as well as he could. "I wouldn't consider that very honourable. You killed him to get what you wanted... and didn't you call fellow alchemists your brothers?"
"Silence!" he screamed at me.
"Liar and murderer," I said, still smiling. "Well, you'll be interested to know that I'll give you a punishment fitting for such crimes. I can do so... by giving you what you want."
The man's fury died in his eyes. It was replaced by confusion and suspicion. But deep down, Homunculus recognised the telltale greed he had seen to many times to count.
"What do you mean?"
"I am a demon, but my nature is to grant one wish to the being that summons me," I explain wearily. Even as I spoke I saw the greed and hunger for power and money grow in his eyes. Why was it always this easy? Would there never a suitable challenge for me?
"A wish..." he wondered aloud. I nodded, but said nothing. He was silent too for a time, looking at me warily from time to time. I kept my face straight. I could feel a slight weakness in the barrier of magic around me now, and concentrated my energy on it, focusing and making sure I didn't lose it.
"For anything I want?" he asked.
"Anything you ask for," I said, choosing my words with great care. He didn't pick up on my hint, and I again felt frustrated that humans could be so unbelievably stupid. After another long moment, the man looked me straight in the eye.
"I want to possess all the power in the world."
I raised an eyebrow. This was a new one.
"Really?"
"Yes," he said, his voice laced with selfish desire and greed. "I want to be able to do whatever I want, have whatever I want. I... I want my life to be like my dreams... where I'm rich and loved and powerful... yes... yes that's what I desire... that's what I wish for."
"Your dream is to possess all the power in the world..." I considered this. No one had asked for such a thing before. I wasn't even certain that, if I were not to twist this wish into my own judgement, I would be able to grant such power. I smiled. I didn't need to worry about such a thing.
"As you so wish... /master/", and with that final venomous word I threw my magic at the one weakness in his magic circle, and broke through. The spell seeped through, and encircled him. He stared at the swirling energy and I could see the certainty... the greed... deep in his eyes and the way they watched. Like a vulture.
I couldn't withhold a chuckle at his foolishness. "You really think it's that simple? That I will just give you all that power?" The certainty in his eyes flickered when he looked at me. "Hoe do you think I got rid of all your 'brothers'?" I sneered. "They all gave in to their human greed, and that was all I needed to punish them for their ignorance of what it means to be alive."
"What?" he stammered. "I d-don't-"
"Possessing all the power in the world is a madman's dream. The insane can do anything but it's all really in their own minds. I can't think of a better punishment for such a wish than to imprison that sharp, greedy than to imprison it behind madness."
"You..." The horror in his eyes, the realisation that he would not really have what he wished for, was familiar to me. I had seen it in the faces of all the others that had called me. It meant little to me now. I just stood and watched as my work came to an end.
As his mind faded, he gathered together his last piece of sanity and screamed at me in bitter anger. "I can at least give you your own punishment, demon!"
My eyes widened, and a bright glow around my feet made me look down. The lines of the pentagram were beginning to shine on the stone floor of the laboratory. In my bitter contempt I had forgotten that he could activate the symbol whenever he pleased.
"No," I cried out, knowing what this would mean for me.
"Yes. You'll go back to the black hell from whence you came. Into dark oblivion."
"No!" I screamed this time. "No... you..." I could do nothing as the barrier of magic rose around me and began slowly to close around me. This was the one thing I had never experienced in my entire existence. The man who I had met so briefly, the one who had threatened to kill my creator had told me... I could be summoned again from oblivion, but I would be bound there until that time. Would I even have my little realm left to me then? Would I be able to use my magic? I didn't know anything. My ignorance both angered and frightened me. And there was nothing I could do to stop this...
The white light enclosed me, and I screamed. My last sight was of my 'master', falling to the floor and beginning to gibber like the madman that I had made him. Then the light filled all my vision and a brief blast of pain drove itself into every part of my body. And then the light faded...
...and all that was felt was an infinite blackness. Oblivion. I was suspended in nothingness. I wasn't falling, I wasn't standing... I was just there. Truly helpless for the first time in my life.
I wanted to scream in anger at my predicament. I wanted to cry that I was imprisoned. I truly did. It would have been the first time I had cried in a very, very long time. I did not seem quite able to do it. Instead, my mind calmly went through the details of my situation. I was waiting. I may not know how long for, but I was waiting. And I had time to do that. I had eternity. I could afford to wait.
A blissful calm enveloped me. I was trapped but I was not going to be trapped forever. The madman would not be able to tell of his experiences. There would be no warnings to those who followed him. Sooner or later I would be free again. Free to do what I wished and in some cases what other's wished. Well... not really.
Alone... I smiled to myself. The only humour in it was cruel and contemptuous. I would be back soon. And then nothing will have changed. My bitterness towards mankind would not have changed, and their enormous capacity for greed would not have done either.
So I waited patiently... waited for my opportunity.
*******
***Note: This story unintentionally ended up being a little sermon about humanity. I think Homunculus' view of humans is very enlightening and the idea that he (whether he acknowledges it or not) is on a mission here seemed to fit in quite naturally with this whole concept. I feel it adds to the character, giving him an extra, more honourable motive for doing what he does, but not taking away the fact that what he does is terrible. I hope this isn't too heavy for some people. Please tell me what you think. This chapter meant an awful lot to me, as does this whole story.
There will probably be two more chapters after this one. Maybe an Epilogue if you want one. Please review! You know I love reviews! I'd also like to know if people want Homunculus to tell Eike that he is Dr Wagner. Something like that might make the story longer, and add more angst to the whole thing. Tell me what you want. I'm here to please! ^_^
Note: Sorry for the lack of updates. I will try and add more chapters over a shorter period of time. But I'm in the last few weeks of the school year, and they're pretty chaotic right now. So be gentle with me. I'm not about to give up on this story.
Resurrecting the Shadow of Memories
A Shadow of Destiny Fanfic
"I've been searching my soul tonight,
I know there's so much more to life."
Once I had returned to my realm, I was faced with the obvious problem that the stone, which I had no choice but to leave behind in the human world, would still allow me to be summoned. I suspected, however, that those who knew of my existence, and of the stone's power, would be too frightened to return to claim it. As for anyone else who might find it, they would think of it as a jewel, and it would be passed along as it had before Kamose had discovered it.
Of course, there was always the chance, especially at a time like this, that an alchemist would find it, and use it as Kamose had once done, accidentally summoning me from my realm.
Reflecting on this, I smiled, knowing that I wouldn't make the same mistake again, to trust my master. That was never going to happen again. If I was summoned, the poor bastard who had called me wouldn't even know what hit him. He would be dead, or incapable of telling what he knew at least, without even having the chance to make a wish.
For the next few years, I thought up ways of doing this. My time was occupied with macabre thoughts of murder and mental torture. I'm not sure if it was hatred that I felt for the entire human race, or simple contempt. Perhaps it was both. I convinced myself I hated Kamose and his entire family. //That// I would tell myself, //is why you killed him after all//.
And then the day came. The sickening feeling of being pulled into another reality. I didn't try to fight it as I had before. I felt the dizzying wave of magic wash over me, and closed my eyes very briefly. When I opened them again, I was in a similar position to the one I had found myself in when I had first met Kamose; sitting among broken clay pieces and glass, with a stranger staring at me in shock. I looked at him, enjoying his confusion.
"What? What is..."
"Let me guess," I cut him off. "You were trying to create the elixir of life. You thought you had found the Philosopher's Stone with which to do this. And so you are, understandably, a little unnerved by my sudden appearance. Am I getting warm?"
I received only a dumbfounded silence.
"Well, since I am here now," I sighed, "I am obligated to give you a wish."
"A... what?"
I rolled my eyes. "A wish? For immortality. Eternal youth." I smiled as I read his thoughts. "That young girl who lives down the street with her family, perhaps?" If possible, his eyes widened further. I felt an extraordinary sense of power over him. Suddenly, the concept of being summoned didn't seem so bad. It was the best form of entertainment I had witnessed in years. A show of my superior power and intelligence. I loved it. What could possibly have been a decent substitute for this? What had I been doing? Wasting ten years catering to an ageing man and his family, when I could have been having all this fun.
"You... what are you?"
"Does it matter?" I asked, side-stepping the question and appealing to the greed in his eyes. "All you need to know is that I'm offering you a chance to have whatever you want. So come on. Give me your wish, and I'll grant it."
He continued to stare at me, and I wondered how this man could possibly be an alchemist. He didn't seem particularly sharp.
At last, he seemed to reach a conclusion. "I want to live forever. I never want to die."
I raised an eyebrow, and quite suddenly a thought occurred to me, and I smiled maliciously, though the idiot before me seemed to take it for a smile of approval.
"Whatever you want," I sneered, and flung my hand out towards him. He took a step back as the spell hit him, and then enveloped his entire body in smoke and light. Eventually these subsided, and the man was left standing before me, a little dazed, but there was no other change to him. He stared at his hands, turning them back and forth. He looked himself over, searching for something.
"What kind of trick is this?" He said, suddenly getting angry. I put on a hurt pout, as if I had no idea what he was talking about. "I'm exactly the same as I was!" he pointed out
"And?"
"I wanted to have immortality!"
"You do."
"This isn't-"
"-what you had in mind?" I cut in, chuckling slightly. "Well how was I to know you wanted to be immortal as a young man? You said 'immortality' not eternal youth."
"But I don't want to be trapped in a body this old!" The man looked around forty.
"That's okay," I said, chuckling again. "Because, you won't look the same age forever."
"I won't?"
"You said you wanted immortality. You said nothing about not getting older."
The dawning horror on the man's face reminded me of another face I furiously tried to cast out of my mind. I steeled myself to his terror at the concept of ageing, but never dying.
"No..." he whispered, his face turning almost as pale as mine. "No it can't be..."
"You humans," I said callously. "You never think about these things. No attention to detail. You should always be very careful what you wish for. You don't always get what you were expecting."
"You demon!" He screamed at me suddenly. I could see fury and terror in his eyes all at once. I could only laugh at it.
"That's right," I said coolly. "I am a demon. Everyone knows you can't trust them. What made you think I ever had good intentions when giving you a wish?" He stared at me, horrified by the cold and calculated logic in my words. So unfeeling and merciless. I didn't care that this man would age until he was no more than a skeleton with a covering of leathery skin. He was human and for me, that meant he deserved whatever he got. All humans were selfish, thinking only of themselves and the present time. Not considering other people or the consequences of their actions, and then groping blindly for answers to why things didn't go their way. Life wasn't like that. It didn't play by rules you tried to apply. Even today, humans don't accept this reality. That is what makes them weak. They try to bend everything to their will, try to shape the universe into the ideal paradise they create within their imaginations.
I was there to wake them up to that reality, I decided.
It continued like this for centuries. I would be summoned by an unsuspecting master, and they would learn a cruel lesson from me every time. I twisted each wish to suit a purpose: to punish.
Men wished for eternal youth: I turned them into children, never able to survive in the world alone, utterly dependant, until eventually they were killed, their fellow humans believing them to be demons because they never aged a day.
One man wished for child. I gave him one. Deaf, mute, and crippled beyond all human help. That was one of the cruellest things I ever did. He had wanted a son, but never said what kind of son he wanted. When he saw the disabled child before him, the boy was no longer a gift but a burden that was not wanted. I never looked back on this scene to see what became of the child I created. I did not dare risk feeling pity for the boy who would inevitably be outcast in a society, which demanded physical well-being in every respect. If I had, I probably would have killed the 'father'. He had a son now. But that wasn't enough on it's own. The son had to be perfect.
It was all about appreciation really, I think. I wanted to make humans appreciate what they had. I could see no other way than through the cruel punishments I inflicted on them. Other people, even creatures like me, were not tools to elevate individuals. Everything felt... to some extent anyway. No one should be used, or have another person's ideal enforced on them.
Of course, not all my intentions were so honourable. In order to make myself cold to the human race, I reminded myself constantly that I hated them, and was punishing them for what they did to me. Each master wished to use me, and I turned that desire against him.
Over the course of a few centuries, my name, in some sense, became known to the world. I became part of the legend of the Philosopher's Stone. The Homunculus. The artificial life that could be made from the precious stone so many Alchemists would have killed for. No one knew of my true nature, and what I did to the master's who succeeded in 'creating' me. All those who attempted the 'Homunculus experiment' mysteriously disappeared. No one ever knew what happened to them, but their houses were often found in ruins. Many assumed they had died in explosions caused by failed experiments. Far from deterring other alchemists, this idea only spurred them on to try and perform the experiment themselves, hoping to be the first to succeed.
Soon it was not my appearance that shocked the alchemists, but my attitude and my offers. But it did not matter to me. I did what needed to be done, and left, having taken care to make sure everything was left in the usually 'mysterious circumstances'. I often placed my deceived and confused masters in foreign lands, or made them unable to speak of their experiments, sometimes robbing them of memories, or creating spells that acted like lie- detectors; inflicting pain whenever the subject of alchemy was mentioned. All this was necessary in my eyes, to make certain that my demonic identity remained a secret.
It was in the 11th century that something went wrong with the whole process, and I experienced for the first time in years the horror of being imprisoned.
The alchemist far more knowledgeable than the others I had encountered previously. He had collected old documents, some of them centuries old, and pieced together the concept that the Homunculus he and fellow alchemists desire to create was not all that they believed it to be. To him, there had been one too many fatal 'accidents'.
And so, when I was inevitably summoned by this man, I was shocked to discover that I was trapped in a circle. It was similar to the one my creator had once used, but I could see subtle differences in the markings. Symbols can never be perfectly copied from such ancient texts, and I began to search instantly for any sign of weakness in the magic barrier that surrounded me, even as I spoke with the alchemist.
"Well, you're certainly more intelligent than any others I have encountered," I remarked snidely.
"So what I suspect is true," he demanded. "The other alchemists... my brothers in the arts... you killed them."
"Killed?" I asked in a mocking, hurt tone. "I? I never kill. In fact in many cases I do the exact opposite. Though I will admit to distributing..." I searched for a word, "... a new perspective on things."
He paused. He had a knife in his hand, though I wondered why, since he didn't look as though he was planning to come much closer to me than he already was.
"Well consider this my sentence upon you for your crimes," he said.
"Your sentence?" I spat, laughing bitterly. "Since when was any human worthy enough to pass judgement on any other creature. Have you led an honourable life?"
"I have."
"Oh really?" I asked, smirking evilly. "Why don't we have a look.... Hmmm..." I chuckled as I unearthed memories from his past, making sure he knew I could see them as well as he could. "I wouldn't consider that very honourable. You killed him to get what you wanted... and didn't you call fellow alchemists your brothers?"
"Silence!" he screamed at me.
"Liar and murderer," I said, still smiling. "Well, you'll be interested to know that I'll give you a punishment fitting for such crimes. I can do so... by giving you what you want."
The man's fury died in his eyes. It was replaced by confusion and suspicion. But deep down, Homunculus recognised the telltale greed he had seen to many times to count.
"What do you mean?"
"I am a demon, but my nature is to grant one wish to the being that summons me," I explain wearily. Even as I spoke I saw the greed and hunger for power and money grow in his eyes. Why was it always this easy? Would there never a suitable challenge for me?
"A wish..." he wondered aloud. I nodded, but said nothing. He was silent too for a time, looking at me warily from time to time. I kept my face straight. I could feel a slight weakness in the barrier of magic around me now, and concentrated my energy on it, focusing and making sure I didn't lose it.
"For anything I want?" he asked.
"Anything you ask for," I said, choosing my words with great care. He didn't pick up on my hint, and I again felt frustrated that humans could be so unbelievably stupid. After another long moment, the man looked me straight in the eye.
"I want to possess all the power in the world."
I raised an eyebrow. This was a new one.
"Really?"
"Yes," he said, his voice laced with selfish desire and greed. "I want to be able to do whatever I want, have whatever I want. I... I want my life to be like my dreams... where I'm rich and loved and powerful... yes... yes that's what I desire... that's what I wish for."
"Your dream is to possess all the power in the world..." I considered this. No one had asked for such a thing before. I wasn't even certain that, if I were not to twist this wish into my own judgement, I would be able to grant such power. I smiled. I didn't need to worry about such a thing.
"As you so wish... /master/", and with that final venomous word I threw my magic at the one weakness in his magic circle, and broke through. The spell seeped through, and encircled him. He stared at the swirling energy and I could see the certainty... the greed... deep in his eyes and the way they watched. Like a vulture.
I couldn't withhold a chuckle at his foolishness. "You really think it's that simple? That I will just give you all that power?" The certainty in his eyes flickered when he looked at me. "Hoe do you think I got rid of all your 'brothers'?" I sneered. "They all gave in to their human greed, and that was all I needed to punish them for their ignorance of what it means to be alive."
"What?" he stammered. "I d-don't-"
"Possessing all the power in the world is a madman's dream. The insane can do anything but it's all really in their own minds. I can't think of a better punishment for such a wish than to imprison that sharp, greedy than to imprison it behind madness."
"You..." The horror in his eyes, the realisation that he would not really have what he wished for, was familiar to me. I had seen it in the faces of all the others that had called me. It meant little to me now. I just stood and watched as my work came to an end.
As his mind faded, he gathered together his last piece of sanity and screamed at me in bitter anger. "I can at least give you your own punishment, demon!"
My eyes widened, and a bright glow around my feet made me look down. The lines of the pentagram were beginning to shine on the stone floor of the laboratory. In my bitter contempt I had forgotten that he could activate the symbol whenever he pleased.
"No," I cried out, knowing what this would mean for me.
"Yes. You'll go back to the black hell from whence you came. Into dark oblivion."
"No!" I screamed this time. "No... you..." I could do nothing as the barrier of magic rose around me and began slowly to close around me. This was the one thing I had never experienced in my entire existence. The man who I had met so briefly, the one who had threatened to kill my creator had told me... I could be summoned again from oblivion, but I would be bound there until that time. Would I even have my little realm left to me then? Would I be able to use my magic? I didn't know anything. My ignorance both angered and frightened me. And there was nothing I could do to stop this...
The white light enclosed me, and I screamed. My last sight was of my 'master', falling to the floor and beginning to gibber like the madman that I had made him. Then the light filled all my vision and a brief blast of pain drove itself into every part of my body. And then the light faded...
...and all that was felt was an infinite blackness. Oblivion. I was suspended in nothingness. I wasn't falling, I wasn't standing... I was just there. Truly helpless for the first time in my life.
I wanted to scream in anger at my predicament. I wanted to cry that I was imprisoned. I truly did. It would have been the first time I had cried in a very, very long time. I did not seem quite able to do it. Instead, my mind calmly went through the details of my situation. I was waiting. I may not know how long for, but I was waiting. And I had time to do that. I had eternity. I could afford to wait.
A blissful calm enveloped me. I was trapped but I was not going to be trapped forever. The madman would not be able to tell of his experiences. There would be no warnings to those who followed him. Sooner or later I would be free again. Free to do what I wished and in some cases what other's wished. Well... not really.
Alone... I smiled to myself. The only humour in it was cruel and contemptuous. I would be back soon. And then nothing will have changed. My bitterness towards mankind would not have changed, and their enormous capacity for greed would not have done either.
So I waited patiently... waited for my opportunity.
*******
***Note: This story unintentionally ended up being a little sermon about humanity. I think Homunculus' view of humans is very enlightening and the idea that he (whether he acknowledges it or not) is on a mission here seemed to fit in quite naturally with this whole concept. I feel it adds to the character, giving him an extra, more honourable motive for doing what he does, but not taking away the fact that what he does is terrible. I hope this isn't too heavy for some people. Please tell me what you think. This chapter meant an awful lot to me, as does this whole story.
There will probably be two more chapters after this one. Maybe an Epilogue if you want one. Please review! You know I love reviews! I'd also like to know if people want Homunculus to tell Eike that he is Dr Wagner. Something like that might make the story longer, and add more angst to the whole thing. Tell me what you want. I'm here to please! ^_^