Soubi was trying to keep calm, though it was becoming increasingly difficult. Ritsuka's terrible screams were still echoing in his head; it looked like Roy had completely snapped, and the man in black was still moving, even after being nearly burnt to crisp. This is not good. Not good.

Soubi's heart had frozen in his chest when Ritsuka had unexpectedly opened the door and come face-to-face with his dead brother's charred body. For the second time. It seemed to happen in slow motion: the heavy metal door creaking open, Ritsuka's little ears peeking out from the inside, and before Soubi even had time to scream, his Sacrifice's delicate face was blossoming in abject horror, his soft lips forced open, letting out a terrifying wail that was seared into Soubi's memory like a hot knife into flesh. He'd have done anything to stop that from happening, anything, but it was too late. I've failed him. I've failed him again. Why is it that I always fail to protect the one who matters most?

Something very strange was going on with Ritsuka, in addition to being traumatized by the man in black. He seemed to have developed some kind of protective energy field that he'd never had before, and it was extremely strong. The man in black had tried to grab him by the neck, and Soubi had rushed over, steeling himself to fight to the death for his Sacrifice, when suddenly white light exploded all around Ritsuka and the false Seimei was thrown back against the wall. It was all Soubi could do to keep hold of Ritsuka. The white energy felt so peculiar, like something Soubi had never experienced. A quiet strength emanated from his Sacrifice, but it had a nurturing, almost loving quality to it. Soubi did not know what to make of it, but it seemed to fit Ritsuka somehow, as if he'd always had that ability, but it was only just now awakening.

Soubi pulled Ritsuka closer to him, edging them further away from the man in black. Ritsuka automatically snuggled into his chest, wrapping his little arms around his waist. Fathomless eyes blinked open, flooding with grateful tears.

"Soubi… you came for me."

Whatever lingering doubt remaining in Soubi's mind disappeared in that instant. I will not let you harm him. I don't care if you really are Seimei. I'll kill you. I'll kill you with my bare hands.

A transformation had occurred inside Soubi's brain, a process which began as he watched Roy burn his name from his skin. There was something about that act that had deeply moved him. Not only that Roy would suffer such a thing for his Sacrifice, but that he would break their bond altogether, that he would throw the entire ideology out the window, that he did not even hesitate to do so in order to save his Sacrifice… no, to save Edward. It didn't matter to Roy what the parameters of their relationship were. What mattered was that he needed to get to Ed, and if that meant disregarding all the rules and destroying everything in his path, so be it. Soubi had never, ever thought of doing something like that. It would never even have occurred to him. Until now. Now he knew what he had to do. I will protect Ritsuka at all costs. And if that means disregarding all the rules and destroying everything in my path, so be it.

He stood up, pulling Ritsuka with him. "Ritsuka. Get behind me. I will protect you."

Ritsuka stood, but he did not step back. He took Soubi's hand and stood side by side with him. "Soubi. Stand with me. I will protect us."

Soubi didn't have time to be amazed. Ed came clanking over just then, dragging a haggard-looking but apparently still sane Roy Mustang.

"Ritsuka! Listen to me. That creep is not your brother. He's a monster that was created when your father tried to bring him back from the dead. Please trust me. What Ritsu said was true. I know, I've… done it before." Ed paused, looking at his feet. "Don't be fooled! He'll kill you – he'll kill all of us if he gets the chance."

Soubi stared. When his father tried to bring him back…? What was Edward talking about?

Ritsuka shook himself all over, like he was trying to dislodge memories that wouldn't leave him. "I understand. What do we need to do?"

Suddenly, the man in black rose up and launched himself at Ritsuka and Soubi, a guttural cry escaping his charred lips. "You need to die!"

Roy raised his gloved hand, but Edward reached out and stopped him. "No! Let me. I don't want you freaking out again, and Ritsuka –"

He broke off. The false Seimei had been repulsed once again by Ritsuka's new-found power. He backed off, snarling. This time Ritsuka had been holding tight to Soubi's hand, and Soubi swore he had caught an image of a woman dressed in white who resembled Ritsuka's mother.

"Fullmetal, how the hell else are we going to stop a homunculus? Take these two and get the hell out of here. I'll keep killing him till he stays dead."

"I wont let you do that! Why aren't you listening to me?" Edward looked confused for a moment. Then it hit him. He looked at his mutilated arm, then at Roy's matching one. "What the hell did you…?"

"Can we argue about this later, please? We're in the middle of combat, here."

"Goddamnit, Roy, I'm not leaving. I have to stay to protect Al."

"What? Alphonse is really here? Ritsu wasn't lying?"

"No goddamnit! The fuck do you think I did all this crazy shit for?"

"I don't know, Edward, generally, with you, it's par for the course."

"I'm gonna kill you when this is all over."

"Not if I kill you first."

The man in black made a dash for the door. Edward was on him in a flash, his right arm transfigured into a blade. He dug the weapon deep into his back, but the false Seimei only laughed, throwing Ed off as if he were a fly. Soubi was prepared; he hit him with shards of ice, sending him plummeting to the ground.

"Listen to me!" Ed had dropped into a roll and come back into a standing position, lightning-quick. "Regular spells and attacks wont work against homunculi! You have to have a part of them, a piece of their body or hair or something. Do you two have anything like that? Anything of Seimei's?"

Do I have anything of Seimei's? That was an interesting question. I am something of Seimei's. Or… I was. Soubi understood what Edward was talking about, however. It made sense to him in terms of spellcasting. If you had something of that person, you could control them. It was an archaic concept, one of the oldest ways to work magic. Soubi did not have anything from Seimei, however, except…

His hands automatically moved to his neck, and the bandages there. Except this. Soubi thought about it. His name. Seimei had given him his name, Beloved. Carved it into his neck. A mark of ownership. Complete and total possession. In order to complete the spell, Seimei had to have put a little piece of himself into Soubi. What if Soubi could… give it back to him? If that means disregarding all the rules and destroying everything in my path…

He started removing the bandages. Ritsuka watched him, eyes wide. "Ritsuka. You may not want to… watch this."

Soubi was afraid that Ritsuka would protest, and then he would be in a position to have to directly disobey him, which he wasn't sure he could actually do. But Ritsuka simply took a deep breath, once again evincing that silent strength, and nodded.

Soubi turned to Roy, his hand on his neck. A silent exchange passed between them. Roy understood.

"Edward. Take Ritsuka into the room with Al. Soubi and I will handle this."

"But – "

"Edward Elric, is your place or is it not by your brother's side? Maybe you should think a little harder about where not listening to me has gotten you so far today. I SAID MOVE IT, FULLMETAL!"

"Fine, but if you start screaming again, I'm coming back out, you bastard!"

Ed took Ritsuka by the hand and lead him back into the small room. The man in black started stirring once more.

"Are you sure?" Roy asked.

Soubi nodded once. Roy snapped his fingers. Flames engulfed Soubi's neck.

He fell to his knees. The pain was unbelievable, but he was used to pain. Through a nauseating haze, he could see the monster that Aoyagi Kenji had created from Seimei's corpse writhing on the ground in agony. He tried to reach Soubi, but Roy snapped his fingers again and he was blasted back away from him.

Suddenly, something inside of Soubi was clawing to get out. He started retching violently. Images were flashing through his mind: every cruelty visited upon him by Seimei, every heinous act, every abuse in the guise of punishment. Something was rising up in him, something he'd never dared, something he'd never felt he had the right or the privilege to say, but now, now he had to let it out or let it kill him…

"NO!"

He shouted it at the top of his lungs, over and over. No. I wont do what you say. No. I'm not a piece of garbage you can throw away. No. You aren't allowed to abuse me at your whim. NO!

As he shouted NO! one final time, out of his lips came a wisp of smoke that floated gently upward, like a butterfly spreading its wings. Yes. I am free of you.

When the curling smoke reached its destination, Roy was ready. With a determined look on his face, he snapped his lethal fingers one more time. Red flames met grey smoke, and the monster let out a final wail before disintegrating into ash. Seimei was dead. For the second time.