Creation began on 06-22-20

Creation ended on 11-07-20

Neon Genesis Evangelion

The Living Alchemist: Teacher

The operation to rebuild Ishbal had ended on a good note as the State Alchemists returned to Amestris without any conflict. Though, the discovery of the object Major Ikari referred to as a drone left certain people confused as to how he was able to transmute something that appeared…very unusual, compared to other transmutations, but the young alchemist held onto the construct and declared that it was a work in-progress, something that was odd. Still, the fact that they were able to use their alchemy to do some reconstruction instead of deconstruction was to be seen as a first step to mending old wounds with the lives maimed by their previous methods and pursuit of war.

And prior to their vacating the country, Shinji had healed Scar's facial injury and removed the souls from his arm, returning it back to a regular limb instead of an incomplete Philosopher's Stone left by his brother in the last war. This had surprised the Ishbalan that he was able to achieve such a feat, as he thought it was impossible.

"It's only impossible," Shinji told him, "when people choose not to believe that it is."

Looking at his arm, free of the runes of the Grand Arcanum array, the disgraced Ishbalan felt indebted to the young man that had brought Persephone back to life and healed his people of their injuries.

The Living Alchemist, he thought, unsure of how to go forward with his life now that the State Military was no longer looking for him, as he no longer carried the scar they used to identify him and his status being listed by them as a deceased person, enabling him to start over again. He that embraces life instead of taking it.

-x-

"…So, you really think it came from…where you're from, Shinji?" Alphonse asked Shinji as he, Edward and himself were on the train heading back to Resembool to see the Rockbells and Nina again.

"Yeah," Shinji responded, looking out the window at the open country; even though they were among the few people on the train heading towards the small town, Shinji didn't want to talk about it until after they had reached their destination.

"What do you think it means?" Ed asked him.

"For the first time in what feels like a long time," he responded, "I wish I had the answer to the question that stumps me."

The drone with the NERV logo was safely packed away in the luggage cart of the train, wrapped and chained in a tarp to keep people from looking at it. Once they were in Resembool, Shinji would look at it again and try to ascertain if there were people from his world trying to access a means to either find him or gain access to something more and discovering him was just an unexpected bonus.

If it is them, then do they know how to get to me? He wondered. Were they trying to find me? Is there a way to go back?

-x-

It was an unexpected discovery, but one that brought just a sliver of hope to the personnel of NERV before they were disbanded. The discovery that Shinji Ikari was alive and well, just displaced within another dimension, gave those like Misato, Rei and Asuka hope that they could try to contact him and, if possible, bring him back. If they could do that, he wouldn't be listed as deceased, people would want to question how he was alive if his remains were found in the aftermath of the Twelfth Angel's defeat.

"If he's alive, then it's possible that this gate may serve as a way to reach out to him," Rei suggested after this discovery.

We just have to be careful with it every time we open it, Misato thought as she looked at the gate. But is this gate a doorway to paradise…or another version of Hell on Earth?

That was something even Fuyutsuki wanted to know, as for a long time, he felt tremendous guilt over the alleged death of the boy. Just knowing that he was alive now, it helped to relieve him of some of his guilt.

"Can we send a satellite through this thing?" Asuka had suggested, which seemed plausible, since it would've aided in using the drone to communicate with Shinji if he took the drone with him someplace.

-x-

"…What is that?" Winry asked as she and Pinako saw the drone Shinji unveiled to them after bringing it inside their house.

"A drone," Shinji explained. "It's a… Well, it's an advanced piece of equipment. A robot that's used to travel in places people can't sometimes."

"It doesn't look like anyone from around the country could've made this," Pinako expressed as she looked at it, "not even the Elrics. No offense."

"None taken," Ed stated; even if he and Al had looked at this from top to bottom, there was no way they could've transmuted anything like this. "Where's Nina?"

"Playing out back with Alexander and Den," Winry told him.

Click. The drone made that sound again.

"What was that?" Pinako questioned.

"It probably took another picture," Shinji revealed.

"This thing can take pictures?" Winry asked. "Just how advanced is this thing?"

"It's…more advanced than automail is."

"No way! I'm surprised that the military didn't take this!"

"Oh, they tried to," Al confessed, "but they didn't know what it was and were afraid of what it could do."

They heard footsteps coming up the steps and front door opening.

"Edward, Alphonse, Shinji!" Nina gasped as she ran inside to see the three. "There's a lady here to see the brothers! She's scary!"

"Scary?" Ed and Al went, seeing that a woman was right behind Nina, followed by a large man.

The woman was quite tall, probably about Misato's height (as Shinji believed), slender but not a pushover, with dark hair worn in strange braids that Shinji hadn't seen before. She was dressed in rather-simple clothing, consisting of a white blouse (though, similar to something Shinji had seen Misato do quite a lot, the blouse did reveal some cleavage), grayish-black trousers and open-toed sandals.

The man beside her was, in short, a muscular of a giant with an intimidating face.

"Gaah!" Ed gasped, and it seemed as though he had seen the woman before.

"I take it you're all acquainted with one another?" Shinji questioned, confused by this meeting.

"You two!" The woman uttered. "I can't believe what I've been hearing about you two!"

"Oh, really?" Ed asked her.

"You two joined the military and became no better than those other dogs!"

"Uh, we can explain," Al spoke.

"But you know the worst part of what I've been hearing? That the both of you seem to be constantly outdone and outclassed by someone called the Living Alchemist! Who's that supposed to be?"

Shinji slowly raised his left hand and announced, "That would be me, ma'am."

She looked at him and was confused.

"You? You're the Living Alchemist?" She asked.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded.

"You? The one people have been talking about in other parts of the country? Lior? Youswell?"

"Yes."

"Him?" She looked at the Elrics and pointed to Shinji.

"That's right," they answered her.

"I was expecting someone older."

"I tend to disappoint many people sometimes," Shinji expressed, as if that was to make anything better in this conversation.

"He's not that disappointing," Winry defended. "He keeps Ed and Al out of trouble."

"He joined the State Military alongside them," Pinako added. "You could say that they…influenced him when he showed up here a few months ago…and he makes sure they're kept in line."

"Uh, who is he, exactly?" The woman questioned.

"Shinji Ikari," Shinji introduced, bowing his head to the woman. "And you are?"

"That's Izumi Curtis," Ed revealed. "She's the one that taught Al and I alchemy."

"So, this is your former instructor? My apologies, ma'am. They rarely mentioned you to me."

Shinji extended out his right hand to Izumi.

"You must understand," she responded, shaking his hand, "I'm more disappointed in their shortcomings than in you. No offense."

"None taken. My very introduction into the world of alchemy…was actually their fault."

"Oh, really?"

Shinji got the impression that Ms. Curtis wasn't the type of women to be the talented alchemist that taught Ed and Al everything they knew…without dabbling in things she wasn't supposed to, just as they had. He also got the impression that she could and would kill him if she felt they were hiding something.

Grumble. Shinji's stomach growled.

"Sorry," he apologized to Ms. Curtis.

"Maybe we should set lunch for everyone," Pinako suggested.

-x-

Asuka activated Unit-02 once more to begin the operation to send a satellite probe through the gate.

"Are we ready to begin?" Fuyutsuki asked the research crew as the smallest satellite probe they had access to was being prepped.

"Yes, sir," a man answered him as the winch was reset to pull the gate open.

"Okay, let's begin," he ordered, and Unit-02 got into position to keep the doors open after the winch pulled them out.

-x-

"…So, what drove you to become a State Alchemist, Mr. Ikari?" Izumi asked Shinji as they all ate lunch.

"Medical alchemy," he explained. "It's the one thing that's as far removed from my past as I know, and so far, it has made progress."

"It's a little hard to believe that medical alchemy could be achieved. Many considered it to be a dead end due to those not demonstrating any skill in the practice of using it to treat injuries."

"But Shinji does have such a skill in the practice," Ed defended. "He's more healer than fighter, although he has a knack for defense when push comes to shove, something he can't really deny."

"Hrmm," Shinji groaned; he was hoping Ed wouldn't run his mouth about his need to refrain from violence.

"What Ed means is," went Al, "Shinji would rather use alchemy to help rather than harm, which is why he spends as much of his time researching alchemy to be used medically. One of his breakthroughs so far has been the use of detoxified Red Water."

"Red Water? You mean it actually exists?" Izumi questioned.

"We found a spring of it in Xenotime," Shinji explained. "A man by the name of Mugear Baron had this spring located under his estate. He almost had me fooled with his attempts to feign not knowing that it was dangerous to people. Almost."

"How were you able to make Red Water safe to use?"

"Long story short, you use plants to detoxify it. Plants are the oldest organism in existence and are capable of enduring the toxins in the Red Water without major harm."

"But…if you were able to do so with it, then won't the military want to weaponize it?"

"Not unless they can read the chicken scratch that Shinji writes his notes in," Ed stated to her. "He uses his native language and nobody here can make heads or tails of it. It looks like nothing but squiggly lines and dots."

"Very clever," Izumi praised. "What better way for an alchemist to code their secrets than in a language nobody else can understand?"

"So, uh…what brought you back to Resembool, Mrs. Curtis?" Shinji asked her.

"These two (she pointed to Ed and Al). I needed to make sure they weren't slacking off just because they joined the State Military."

Shinji sighs and utters, "Edward still can't defeat Alphonse in hand-to-hand combat."

"Hey!" Ed gasped.

"Al always manages to outdo Ed," went Nina.

"I'm still persistent!"

"Yeah, when you're the one on the losing end of the battle between brothers," Winry told him.

"Aaurgh!"

"Control yourself, Ed," Shinji uttered. "Anger clouds judgment."

Izumi found it somewhat embarrassing for Edward to be stomped by a young man who was probably not even twenty years old yet. And yet, this was probably a young man that was a long way from where he used to be.

"So, Mr. Ikari," she uttered, "where are you from and what brought you here?"

Shinji was silent for a while before he answered her.

"Japan," he responded. "The Land of the Rising Sun."

"Japan? That sounds like a country that's a lifetime from Amestris."

"Across the ocean toward the east."

"What were you before being an alchemist?"

"I was a, uh… I wasn't really much of anything."

"Let me guess… There's probably something in your past that haunts you in a way?"

"Yeah…in a way. It's not something I can actually talk about that makes sense without sounding crazy or anything."

"I've seen craziness before."

"Describe craziness."

"The way the military always went to war with other nations. It made no sense."

"Yeah. When people choose to go to war, it never does."

-x-

The satellite probe was sent through the gate without a problem, but they weren't getting a ready from it yet. It was suggested that they had to wait for whatever it was that Shinji was doing in order to get a connection between this world and the one he was in.

Come on, Shinji, thought Asuka as she continued to hold the gate open. Do something to help us find you wherever you are.

Meanwhile, Rei and Misato were watching from a safe distance as they pondered what else they could do to contribute towards the goal of whatever this was now turning into.

If he returns, he won't be considered deceased, Rei thought. He would be able to go out and do whatever it is that he does.

He comes back, he doesn't have to pilot the Eva, anymore, Misato reminded herself; with NERV no longer needed to deal with the Angels and the human race saved, the need for the Evas was no longer necessary, rendering the need for pilots unnecessary, as well. He can pursue whatever future he chooses for himself. He can be an architect, a bank teller, even a stunt driver if he wants to. Just come back, Shinji.

-x-

Based solely on the fact that neither had seen or spoken with their former instructor since before the night they attempted to bring back their mother, Shinji had to insist that they either refrain from performing alchemy with their hands…or come out and reveal what they tried to do and face whatever happens between them. While he could've told Izumi himself, the woman probably wouldn't have believed it coming from his mouth, as Shinji was simply an outsider with fewer ties between himself and the Amestrians. This being said, the brothers decided not to tell Izumi about their failed attempt; since it was undone by Shinji, it didn't seem like any wrong was committed.

Al drew a transmutation circle on the ground and created a stone lion in front of everyone, perfectly detailed down to the head and mane.

"Impressive, Al," Izumi praised him. "You're able to transmute faster and still stay detailed."

"Thank you," he responded, and then Ed showed his progress with alchemy.

He was wearing gloves with transmutation circles on them, and he clapped his hands together before placing them on the ground, triggering a transmutation. That's when Shinji realized something off with Ed's attempt to hide his ability to perform alchemy without circles; the transmutation circles on the gloves were too basic for what he was likely to attempt.

Uh-oh! He gasped, but Ed had already transmuted his feat, which was traditional chimera, but heavily exaggerated, with wings and its mouth open to reveal a double row of fangs.

"Yay!" Nina praised Ed, not understanding or even seeing his error; in her mind, this was just an alchemic demonstration to show Mrs. Curtis what both young men were capable of now.

"Not bad, huh?" Ed asked, not seeing his mistake.

"That's your opinion," Al told him, pointing at the subtle exaggerations that were visible on his brother's feat. "You have too many teeth in the mouth and the wings are too big."

But Shinji looked over at Izumi and said, "I wonder if he was trying to one-up Al with that?"

She looked at him and responded, "How about you? How impressive are your alchemical feats?"

"Mine?"

"You did say that you were introduced to the world of alchemy through these two, so your skills most likely mirror theirs."

"No, ma'am, we're nowhere near the same level. I don't see any competition between alchemists. I'm just a humble person trying to escape from the violence around us all."

"Still, I would like to see a demonstration of your alchemy."

There was no way for Shinji to talk his way out of this. He had no choice but to display his abilities in front of this woman that could probably kick his hide from here to Hell.

"Show her how good you are, Shinji!" Nina encouraged him with a cheerful smile.

Then again, how could he refuse to such a kindly face?

"I should warn you, though," he stated to Izumi, "my transmutations are vastly different from the Elrics due to my desire to refrain from being defensive or combative."

"I'll be the judge of that," she told him as he walked away from the Rockbell house and picked up a stick, etching a circle in the dirt. "Doesn't he use those stones of his to achieve his alchemical feats?"

"He uses them mainly for medical reasons and when there are no available materials in other places for transmutations," Al explained. "But in his own way, Shinji's quite a powerful alchemist already. I don't know why, but he always seems to have a sixth sense of what is likely to transpire before it occurs."

"Like he can see into the future?"

"No," went Ed, "probably just a sense of feeling danger when it makes itself known, like predicting an enemy's sudden shift in battle and acting accordingly to counter them."

Shinji got on his knees and placed his hands on the circle, triggering an alchemic reaction. Since his goal was just to impress this woman, he felt a sculpture of a city would be nice to see.

Flash! In front of him was Izumi, slightly younger than before he met her, holding something in her arms and placing it on a transmutation circle.

What is this? He wondered, recognizing the shape of the bundle that was on the ground. Is that a… Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

Then, he saw her place her hands on the circle…and he saw everything else that transpired. He saw her in front of the Gate, watched as she became a recipient of the vast knowledge that stemmed from her Human Transmutation attempt, witnessed her failure and fright at what she had done…and her shame as she had summoned the Gate a second time…to hide the result for all time.

But then…he's got to be in there somewhere, he suspected; if it hadn't been that long since Izumi had done what she did, it was a likelihood that the homunculus was within the Gate, lost and alone, surrounded by faceless strangers, looking for a future. She was young, trying to grieve, desperate to undo the cruelty she was dealt, not having the means to achieve it. She's not an evil person like Dante was, just another victim of alchemy used to try the impossible.

Then he stood before the Gate, its doors open and watching as something emerged from it. It looked like…some kind of probe, only smaller and sleeker, carrying the NERV logo.

Are they trying to find me? He wondered, feeling a little dazed now. Oh, damn…

"…Shinji…Shinji…" He heard a voice call out to him.

Opening his eyes, he found himself on the ground with Nina and the others looking down at him.

"Okay, what happened?" He asked them.

"You passed out," said Winry to him, "and you made those."

He looked to his left…and saw his original attempt at creating a model of Tokyo-3…and the probe he saw in the Gate.

"Very impressive," Izumi told him. "Perhaps too impressive."

Why do I get the impression that she's not going to make this easy for me? Shinji wondered as he he got up.

Twitch. The probe moved slightly, and Nina, who walked over to, backed away behind Alexander, who growled defensively at it.

"What is that?" Ed asked.

"It looks like that other thing Shinji found, except bigger and more…sleeker?" Al suspected.

"Doesn't look like something the military has," went Sig.

"That's because it wasn't made by the military," Shinji stated, needing to get that off his chest. "That's too many years away from what currently exists in the use of the military."

"How would you know something like that?" Izumi asked him.

"The military's a bunch of large weapons and a belief of might being right, those with bigger guns decide the outcome of any conflict. I haven't seen any soldier using anything smaller or advanced than a firearm."

Of course, Shinji was giving himself away a little too much with his revelation to them. Even Ed and Al knew this to be true, which made them suspect that Izumi would suspect something not right with Shinji.

"Is there a military where you're from?" She asked.

"Here, there, everywhere," he stated, expressing that if his country had a military structure similar to Amestris, there was a military system in every country in the world.

"Aah!" Nina gasped, pointing to the probe.

There was a speaker system on it that just popped out of it.

"…Copy…" A voice, distorted and full of static, spoke up from it.

"Is that a…a radio?" Al questioned, looking over at it.

-x-

"Are we getting a signal?" Fuyutsuki asked the transmission crew as the probe appeared to be showing a picture, albeit obscured by the static.

"We're getting a signal, but it looks like it's as close to clear as we're currently going to get," a woman responded.

Unlike with the drone, the satellite probe was sending a live feed back to them, establishing a potential connection so long as the gate was open. This was enabling them to view the image of Shinji and who he was with.

"How about the audio feed?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"We're attempting that right now," a man responded, holding a small microphone to his mouth. "Shinji Ikari, do you copy? Shinji Ikari, do you copy?"

On the screen, they saw a little girl pointing at the probe, and Shinji approached.

"Is that a…a radio?" A young boy with blond hair questioned, looking at the probe.

"Not the kind you're probably thinking about," they heard Shinji say. "Hello?"

"Shinji Ikari, this is the former paramilitary agency NERV," the man uttered again. "Do you copy? I repeat, do you copy?"

They watched as Shinji's eyes widened; he must've heard him clearly that time.

"NERV…who is charge of you? Who is running the agency?" He questioned.

That was a question that had some of the personnel refraining from giving a response. The boy didn't know his father was dead, and for certain if he was who they were hoping he was.

Misato raised her voice and let Shinji hear her voice.

"Shinji, your father is dead," she spoke. "Fuyutsuki is in charge of a different state of NERV, disbanded and repurposed."

"I know my father is dead. I've seen him for myself…and he expected me to help him. I told him that I wouldn't help him because the price to do so was too high. The price to return any life that is no longer among the living is always high. What does NERV do now?"

"We're working on a strange discovery, some sort of doorway that looks like something taken straight out of Hell."

The sight of Shinji's eyes widening clearly meant something to the boy.

"The Gate?" He uttered, a sense of dread in his tone. "You're saying that you found a physical version of the Gate where you are?"

"It's called the Gate. You've seen it before?"

"It's not something that one can control. It's beyond comprehension, even to those that think they know everything about it."

"We're just trying to find where it leads, and it seems like it leads to wherever you are."

"Have you…attempted physical travel?"

"Not yet."

"That's the part that worries me."

Why would he be worried about an attempt to travel through the Gate physically? Fuyutsuki wondered, still curious about one other fact that they needed to know about who they were talking to. "Ask him what was the last thing he remembered before he ended up where he is."

"Uh, Shinji, there's something I need to know," Misato continued. "What is the last thing you can recall before you wound up where you are?"

On the screens, Shinji's face seemed bothered by something as he looked at the people he was with in front of the probe.

"I was sucked into a dark place…and then I was here," he revealed.

"Do you recall…the Eva?" She had to know.

"That's the one thing I can't forget, no matter how hard I try," he told her, and that was all the former members of NERV needed to know to confirm that this boy, whom they all believed was dead because of what was recovered from the Twelfth Angel aftermath, was the same person they had seen prior to the incident.

By some act of the gods themselves, or maybe an act of the demons, Shinji Ikari was still among the living, just displaced from where they all were. More than likely, what Ritsuko Akagi had stated about the Twelfth Angel was true, that it was linked to another dimension through other means, and when it was blown up, they ended up severing the way for him to return, prompting the search for another way to retrieve him.

-x-

With most of his past revealed, Shinji had to come clean to Izumi about what he wasn't very open with regarding his past. There was a bit that made no sense to anyone, but it made sense when they put the pieces together in their own way, including why when the Elrics and Rockbells saw Shinji, he was wearing some strange outfit that looked a bit ridiculous. Much of what he explained was something Izumi found very crazy…but at the same time…she found it made sense as to how he was able to transmute the way he did and why he seemed to know more than he let on. Maybe even enough to be considered the smartest person alive in Amestris.

"…So, Shinji is from someplace far away from here?" Nina asked, only able to understand as much as her young mind would allow.

"Yeah, he's from a country we could never find," said Edward.

"Even if we crossed an ocean larger than the country itself, we still wouldn't get to it," added Alphonse. "And yet, where he's from, nobody can use alchemy."

"It also explains why his outfit he had on the night we met him was unusual," went Winry. "Maybe alchemy could make an outfit like that, but you'd have to have spent awhile making something like it."

Ed and Al watched as Shinji was still engaged in conversation several feet away from the Rockbell house. Whatever they were talking about was lost to the siblings; if it was about Shinji or themselves, they couldn't say for certain. But it seemed that Shinji was speaking something to Izumi that appeared to have some effect on the woman.

"You think she knows about that night?" Al asked.

"Probably," Ed responded.

Then…it looked like Shinji said something that made Izumi back away from him. She then pointed over at them and Shinji nodded in the negative; whatever the woman had suspected, Shinji made the claim that they didn't know anything about it.

"Still, you can't keep anything from her," Ed stated.

"Just say it, Brother. We're caught red-handed," Al believed.

"We're caught red-handed."

Meanwhile, away from the Rockbell house, Shinji had told Izumi what he had suspected of her…and her responses confirmed his suspicion. It surprised the woman that he just became aware of her most closely-guarded secret that nobody except her husband knew about…but found the young man more unusual in how he up and kept the Elric brothers safe from any prosecution by the State Military by cleaning up their accursed mess after he showed up.

"But…if you didn't understand anything," she told him, "how could you have known what needed to be done?"

"I just thought I'd find some closure by going back to their house where I ended up after they committed their attempt," he explained. "That's when I saw their undesired results and the first time I saw the darker side of alchemy. I understood it as a form of trading from the perception of one that doesn't understand it thoroughly, and then I obtained the knowledge of alchemy that lingered in the back of my mind, understanding what needed to be done. It was still based on Equivalent Exchange, the founding law of alchemy. In order to obtain, something of equal value must be given up. However, I realized that Equivalent Exchange was reversible; if you don't like what you got in the transaction, then you can return it for a refund of sorts."

"To regain what you lost, you must give up what you obtained," Izumi realized. "Sometimes, what you receive, you must give back."

"Yeah…and that's what I was able to do for Ed and Al. By undoing the undesired result of their attempt, I restored what was taken from them. However, I was unable to return an arm Ed had given up in a second attempt because it didn't relate to what they had initially committed, so I transmuted a replacement arm for him. It's still a natural part of him, so it will age and everything a regular limb would do over the years, making it appear no different from any other limb. I could attempt returning his original arm to him with the Red Stones, but I don't want to risk causing harm to Ed. I know what they did was a violation of the natural order, but…if they hadn't learned of the forbidden method of Human Transmutation, they probably wouldn't have tried to bring their mother back."

"You're defending their crime?" Izumi asked him.

"No, not completely," he defended his explanation. "People are always going to do something that attracts their curiosity or interest, regardless of the inherent danger it conceals, and trying to bring someone back to life is no exception to that list of taboos. Their motivation was simply because their mother was all they had in their lives because their father just up and left while they were still a toddler and infant. After she died, they were broken, in pain, wanting to fix their present by reclaiming a piece of their past. I don't blame them for having such a desire, as anyone that doesn't have someone important in their life would seek someone they knew and loved back. Plus, they're young, so they haven't had much time adjusting to the sensitivity of life and death."

"They're mature enough to know that trying to bring someone back through alchemy is an empty promise that is full of pain and suffering."

"Not when they think they'll succeed, despite there being no proof of anyone ever doing so. Why else would the State Alchemists have to follow the heavily-enforced rule that states creating humans is forbidden?"

"Human transmutation violates the laws and regulations regarding morals and ethnicity. If people could be brought back, there'd be restrictions on who could be brought back and why. Although, there was a belief that those in the military were forbidden to do so because they didn't want any one person creating personal armies."

"If such were possible, then the military would have no need for regular soldiers."

"Have you ever attempted Human Transmutation before?"

"That…would depend on how you choose to interpret such a thing."

"Have you ever tried to bring back someone, rather because of desperation or curiosity?"

"Then, no, I have not…but through my use of the Red Water and Red Stone, I have violated that third law in the sense that I have done so."

"You were able to create a human being through alchemy?"

"The Elrics don't know this, but I've encountered homunculi, artificially-created humans, and there were two of them I used the Red Stones to restore to humanity. Why are there alchemy books that detail bits and pieces on how to create them, but never on the success of one made? Some say that they are failed attempts at bringing someone back, but that's not always the case. Rather than being failed versions of the intended people, homunculi were just unfinished, like a half-eaten meal left to go bad because it was ignored for too long and mold and bacteria got hold of it."

"But…if you attempted to complete a pre-existing result, how'd you avoid losing a part of yourself…or your life?"

"The Red Stones and a belief on the potential energy exhausted by the human body."

"What do you mean?"

"As humans, we have the potential to do anything, but we limit ourselves. If we refuse to accept limitations, then how much are we truly capable of? What else, instead of trying to journey to one place, we decided to journey all over the world? What if, instead of trying to run a mile, we ran two or three miles…while listening to people talk or sing? What if…all that energy we spend in any given day…could be used to pay a price we didn't realize could be paid? We don't even know how long we can live, depending on what happens to us or how well we take care of ourselves. That's the human condition for you; we have potential, but we don't fully understand it. So that, combined with my refined version of the Red Stone, was how I transmuted two different homunculi into people, one of whom had eaten a lot of people…who were also restored to life. That wasn't my intention…but they were all grateful…and gave me their word they wouldn't tell anyone. I don't intend to do it any more than just the two I did it on, but that doesn't change the fact that I crossed the line…and if anyone in the military were to know, I will have no choice but to face the consequences."

"Then why join the military?"

"Because I wanted to stop being someone that caused pain and suffering to be someone that could do the opposite; I wanted to help people by giving happiness and relief. War, violence, carnage, greed, they can cause untold ravage upon people…while kindness, coexistence, acceptance of others, even just stopping to help someone to cross the street…can do the opposite…and I actually enjoy making people happy through something I can do. For the first time in my life ever since I ended up here, I was happy that I could make others happy, that I could turn a frown upside-down."

Izumi couldn't believe this. But this was someone that didn't enjoy violence. This was someone that used a form of alchemy to heal people, to do what people from different places had called miracles because even though this man was a State Alchemist, he didn't want money…or adulation. This was someone…simply trying to help others by doing something different from what he had done in his past.

"So…I've laid out my past," Shinji told her, "and you know what they've done and how I cleaned up after them so as to keep them from being found out. How'd you end up being able to do what they believed to be a powerful form of alchemy, the ability to transmute without a circle? I saw you do something…but I'd rather hear it from you."

Izumi looked away from him for a moment, staring at the open space away from the Rockbell house. It had been a long time since she thought back to that day, that…terrible…terrible day.

"I got sick," she stated. "I got sick all the time. When I was told my child was stillborn…I became desperate. That's when I attempted Human Transmutation. That day…was my life's biggest regret that still haunts me to this very day."

Shinji lowered his head as he looked to his right, away from the Rockbell house. He was seeing a parallel between Izumi and the Elrics; whereas the brothers tried to bring their mother back, their former instructor had tried to bring back her dead child.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to her. "That's a terrible blow to suffer."

"I'm constantly wondering if I could've gone back to that day, to undo what I did to him. I turned him into something inhuman…and left him in a dark place."

"If…if there was something I could do…only I would have to cross that line again, but only because you already did so, and I was willing to pay the price…would you consider it, Mrs. Curtis?" He asked her.

"No one should try to bring the dead back to life, Shinji Ikari."

"There's a difference between bringing back someone…and healing someone already brought back. You said you left him in a dark place. Doesn't that imply he's still around? If he's still around, then…he can be saved. I would offer to use my alchemy to heal you, as well; if you paid in something that can't be replaced through ordinary means, I can use the Red Stones to transmute new organs for you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm not selective about who the Red Stones are used on. If someone is injured or desires the return of their lost limb or organ, whether it's a hand, ear or lung, I will do all that I can to help them. Some people believe that I'm trying to render automail obsolete, but that's not true. It's all voluntary; whoever chooses to have the Red Stone used on them is up to them. I won't persuade or force anyone if they decide they don't want to be treated with it. That's taking away their freedom to choose. And as for homunculi, I'm always willing to look the other way regarding them if they have the capacity to make their own decisions or can be reasoned with."

"How many homunculi have you encountered since you got here?"

"When you exclude the Elrics' attempt that I undid, five. Two of whom were returned to humanity through my use of the Red Stone. One, I sent back to the Gate because he was so dangerous and irredeemable like the person he served that even if I had offered to restore him to humanity, he was clearly uninterested in being human; something else was on his mind that didn't waver, no matter how long ago he was brought into existence. One that was also uninterested in being returned to humanity due to having different ambitions based on a sin he couldn't indulge in so long as he was imprisoned by the same woman that had control over the one I sent back into the Gate, so I let him go, as he's not a threat to anyone, just a guy that wants…whatever he thinks is worth possessing."

"And what is worth possessing?"

"Whatever a person that lives by greed desires: Wealth and fame, women, sex and status, loyal followers, immortality, whichever way that can be obtained, etc."

"I hope that doesn't come back to become something you regret."

"A homunculus that goes by the name of Greed? I think if he wanted to cause problems for people, he would've done so by now. In addition, he had some allies that used to be affiliated with the military with him when he left. The only person that was an actual threat to him was the woman that made him and she was dealt with not too long ago."

"And the last one?"

"Believe it or not, that was quite a surprise. It was the führer himself. King Bradley, also made by the same woman that was dealt with not too long ago. He was Pride…and I made a deal with him after his maker was defeated. I let him go on living until he dies of natural causes…and he would step down and undo the carnage caused by the years of constant war."

"I always thought there was something crazy about that guy. To find that he's not even human…and people believe in him… Why not expose him to the people? Why not let the world know that he isn't who they thought he was?"

"If I had done that, and his creator was still alive and in control through him, it wouldn't have amounted to much. There would be no justification from damaging the reputation of the führer, and anyone attempting to succeed him wouldn't be able to, even if they had the trust and loyalty of followers. He retires, he can slowly fade into obscurity and enable control of the country to return to the people that have its interests at heart."

"Smart. I can't understand how you were able to do all that you do."

"I just have more restraint and am less likely to use force to get my point across the table when engaging in conversation…and don't have the ghosts of my past stirring up trouble for me."

"You mean, like your father?"

"Yeah. Anyone that says I'm like him in any way is foolish to believe such. He never demonstrated any emotion where it counted and had no sense of genuine compassion… At least not to me, anyway. And his lingering spirit within the Gate had the arrogance to demand that I bring him back to life. I knew the very instant I so much as tried to do so, that man was just going to walk out on me again. I believe even trying to transmute him would've killed me or worse, depending on how the Gate responds to individual alchemists that try to cross the line. Would I have lost my tongue? An arm or leg? My lungs? Or maybe just everything…and all for someone I don't have a relationship with that expects me to do as he says? He's that miserable part of my past I can live without, thank you very much."

"Heh-heh. For a moment, you almost sounded like Edward."

Shinji looked over at the brothers and chuckled.

"He actually made me promise that if I ever saw their father, I'd punch him," he told her. "To this day, I still haven't met the guy. Either he's dead or just somewhere further away than Amestris, but he's like a ghost or something that can wander around among the living."

"Or maybe he just doesn't want to be found."

"Maybe. Still, if I ever meet him, I gotta honor the promise I made Edward…and punch the guy. I am not looking forward to that."

Suddenly, Alexander came over to them and dropped a ball in front of Shinji. The boy smiled and picked it up, tossing it away for the dog to fetch.

"You seem to have a way with people and animals," Izumi told him.

"I'm just one of those friendly faces," he defended.

"Or maybe you did something nice to someone in a past life."

"Heh-heh-heh…maybe."

-x-

So far, Ritsuko was making headway with the clone of the Third Child. Physically, he seemed identical to the deceased boy, but mentally was another story. The clone wasn't demonstrating much in the emotional development department. It was like he had no emotional responses that were proper; he didn't smile when ordered to, didn't laugh when expected to, and didn't respond to external stimuli the same way a teenager was supposed to. She had to assume that implanting a fabrication of what few memories she could make would trigger some kind of reaction from, expected or unexpected.

Unless memories can truly be passed down at the genetic level, I'm not sure how this subject will pan out for the Eva, she thought as she prepared the chip to implant into the clone's brain. Even in death, you are a puzzle in every sense that didn't aid in NERV's operation against the Angels.

She looked up at the clone of the boy, seeing him just as emotionless as the First Child. Unlike his clone, the photos taken from the security cameras at the Geo-Front showed Shinji with a bit more personality. This flawed science that is cloning was problematic with every step taken. And the boy was just another example of how cloning humans was nowhere near refined.

"Hopefully, this will help you along the way," she uttered to the silent clone.

Unlike the original, this Shinji Ikari said nothing.

"…Run…" Ritsuko heard a male voice utter out, and she returned her gaze back to the cloned boy, who was devoid of emotion; it didn't even look like his mouth moved.

To be continued…

A/N: Sorry to leave you hanging, but I felt it needed to be stopped here. Not sure yet on how the story will progress from here, but now you know the possibilities include a potential reunion with Izumi's son, the former members of NERV attempting to travel between two worlds, and a clone of Shinji becoming a tool for SEELE thanks to Ritsuko's service. Until next time.