Well, it's evolved!

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, or the His Dark Materials series.

Soulless

Homunculi don't have Daemons.

That was his first hint that something was terribly wrong with the pair that attacked him in the 5th Laboratory. Adrasteia was as injured as he was, but her hackles were up, cat's claws ready to shred as they stared at him.

The strange thing, was when he thought back about the fight, their eyes kept flickering to Adra, as if they could see her, even if they didn't have souls of their own. But that couldn't be possible. The little amount of research he'd found on daemons all implied that they were only seen if the person survived human transmutation, if they survived going through The Gate. If so, how could creatures that can't perform alchemy to begin with be able to see her? To see the pair of snakes that belonged to the Slicer Brothers die in wisps of gold light and dust as their seals were pierced? And if they could see them, and knew them for what they were, how could they bring themselves to kill so callously?

And yet, while the Homunculi didn't back daemons, one didn't fit the mold. One DID have a daemon, though pale and drawn. A wolf that seemed torn. Torn between protecting her human and hating him, and seemingly torn away from the man himself.

Her coloring alone should have been suspicious. Ed had seen others with pale colored daemons. Havoc's beautiful setter was a rare pale color, and Hawkeye's falcon was the color of the sand. But this wolf was nothing but white, almost see-through. And seemed to be perpetually in pain. Wishing to draw away from him, yet stuck by his side.

Greed was the same as the others from the 5th Laboratory, without a daemon, and hinting that he could see Ed and Al's. But the raid forced him to see the military for how harsh it can be, and the death of Martel opened Al's eyes. To life, and to the Gate.

"How long have you been able to see them?"

Ed grinned, Adra rubbing her head against his real knee, purring in her form of a cat. "A few years now." The grin faded a little. "Ever since, that night in Risembool."

Al looked up at his brother from where he was marveling over his own cat, the self-named Dalia. "Does the Colonel have one?" he asked, curious.

The blond grinned, describing the pair. Mustang had been in one of his rare rants, this one about miniskirts of all things, and his little salamander had been on his shoulder, yelling along with him in a surprisingly strong voice, declaring that she, Aodhan, would help Mustang become one of the greatest Alchemists in the world and the Furher before the end of the decade. It had taken everything for Ed not to laugh at the surprising glimpse at the Colonel's true character. And then Havoc's reaction to the proclamation had been accompanied by the happy howls and dancing from his setter.

"Can anyone else see them?"

Ed shook his head, Adra climbing up onto his shoulder, flicking black and silver wings as she danced on bird's feet on his shoulder. "The little we've found, you need to have survived the Gate," he murmured, flesh hand reaching up to cup protectively around Adra. He still remembered the pain of their injuries, the physical of his arm and leg, and the soul-deep wrench of her own wounds. Al just nodded, metallic hand wrapping around Dalia, pulling the now husky puppy up to his shoulder.

"So now what?"

Gold eyes flicked up. "Now, we got to see Teacher. See if she knows anything about the Stone." He shuddered, hugging Adra to him. "Please, don't let her kill us!"

Cat: Guardianship

Dog: Protection, Loyalty, Faithfulness

Salamander: Fire, Renewal, Adaptability, Resourcefulness. Is considered a powerful alchemical symbol.

Adrasteia: Not inclined to run away

Aodhan: Fire

Dalia: Fate, Luck

Serpent: Destroyer, wisdom, malice.