This chapter addresses a plot hole in the FMA 2003 anime series logic that's always bothered me. Namely why Wrath, a homunculus with supposedly no soul is able to use alchemy. And is then able to reunite with the already dead Izumi after sacrificing himself to open the gate on the Amestris side in CoS. The great thing about my Chaos Mage concept is it can be used to fix such plot holes without altering the actual story n_n
Let's go!
*ER*
Izumi Curtis could not believe this. Not only were Edward and Alphonse Elric alive, they were different in mind boggling ways. Mind boggling and infuriating ways. What she thought to be a godsend had turned out to be a an utter disaster on so many levels.
"You have the power to make this right but all you've done is drug me through hell again! Alphonse, I know what I did was terrible, giving my child to the gate simply because he didn't look the way I expected. I was frightened! But why should Ramhart suffer those terrible memories of his past?!" Mrs Curtis demanded, collapsing to her knees before him.
Everything could be just fine for the small family if not for the fact that adjusting was hard not only for her and Sig but her little boy. Why was her son being punished by the phantoms of a life he had no choice in? Where he was warped and manipulated into doing unspeakable things, given the name Wrath and set loose to act upon a sinful nature caused by HER rejection? And the nightmare her baby had. Dear Truth the nightmares! Why must he suffer for her mistakes?
"Because, this is your price."
"What?" Izumi looked up at her former student, tears streaming her face.
"You are one of few people who have seen The Gate and not been killed or driven mad. Brother and I survived our transgression only because we are it's children yet we were punished all the same. The laws of equivalent exchange have not changed Teacher, only how they are enforced as been altered." Al smiled sadly at her. "There is no equivalence for a soul save another soul. Did you never wonder why bringing your son back didn't kill you? Merely destroy your organs?"
She had actually. Though never been able to figure out an answer beyond having to atone for her sin. Seeing that chance in the Elrics. Then failing miserably as they repeated the same folly. Knowing what she does now about how homunculi look when first spawned...Ramhart was almost perfect compared to the others she researched. What Ed and Al had told her came forth instead of their mother. For that matter, why had her ailment vanished? Would she finally have answers now?
"That was your price then. Now to have the chance to raise him, live your life as his mother you need to be healthy enough to do so. In exchange for that you must be the one to help him heal. Mothers can't just force their children to forget their pain now can they? The price for this second chance with him is living with the knowledge that he is the way he is because of you."
No...
No! Alphonse couldn't possibly be this cruel.
"It's not cruelty Teacher, it's as close to mercy as that Faceless Fucker will allow us." Ed sighed. Briefly she wondered where he came from. The elder Elric hadn't been there when she collapsed . It took a moment to realize the brothers were literally the gate's children; human understanding of logic probably didn't apply to them. So instead of questioning the defiance of scientific principle, she glared at him, likely more upset about having her mind read.
"Think about it." Al gave his brother a look which he dismissed and continued to speak as if he hadn't seen it. "What you did should have killed you or driven you out of your goddamn mind. He's the only homunculus that survived. The only one capable of using alchemy."
"Because he had been given your limbs." She spat.
"No. Alchemy requires a soul, not portions of a human body. If that's the case, Al shouldn't have been able to perform it as a suit of armor. You transmuted him from his own corpse...right after he died. When his soul was still tangible and partially connected to the mortal plane.. Congratulations, you performed the first successful resurrection of a human."
That couldn't be right. That misguided attempt yielded a homunculus:the strength, the regeneration, the tattoo on his foot. None of that was human! But now...
*ER*
Almost two years ago, a storm had settled over Dublith and bore down on the town for about two days. There had been concern about flooding from runoff so several local alchemists had banded together to devise a the need for a transmutation circle made things slow going in the downpour; it was less common for non-military alchemists to use a premade circle as present on Mustang's gloves or Armstrong's gauntlets. Many were thankful for her ability to forgo such a handicap and create a higher floodwall in all of half an hour.
Returning from the riverbank soaked to the bone (damn raincoat wasn't worth the money she paid for it! That shyster at the general store got over on people because of the weather!) to see something glinting on her front porch. Sig was visiting his sister and Hilda certainly wasn't going to send her big brother out in this mess. As she got closer, Izumi recognized the craftsmanship of his automail as Rockbell's. Only the much smaller size ruled out the possibility of it being Edward. Aware of what Wrath was capable of, she cautiously approached her home. Once she was a foot away, he looked up at her.
""I'm sorry mommy." Rain or not, there could be no mistaking the poor thing had been crying. Large violet eye bloodshot and full of remorse. Before her mind could interfere, her heart leapt into action.
"It- it's alright dear. Let's get you out of the cold. It can't be good for your automail."
A hot bath and warm bowl of stew later, Izumi found herself watching him sleep on the guest bed. Transmuting a sheet into a set of PJs had been easy...but what now? What happens when Sig comes home? Why had she even allowed the same monster that tried several times to murder her and her students any measure of comfort? Shouldn't she have chased it off or better yet destroyed the abomination?!
/Because he's my sin and no one else's./ Her conscience told her. If she hadn't been so selfish, allowed her fear to make her practically throw him back into the Gate, maybe he might not have been so easily lured in by Envy. Or consumed by the vice he was christened as. But, why now? Why had he shown up at all? That deceitful body swapping bitch and the last of her flunkies had been deep sixed three months ago.
/Where has my little boy been all this time?/
[I see why they care for you so. For all your bravado, you're still just a grieving mother.]
The housewife jumped at that. The sound of many speaking the same words at once. It reminded her of that horrible day. The ghastly doors, those sickening tendrils reaching-
[I do not forgive you for breaking the one true taboo and never will. But he might. Time will tell, hm?]
Suddenly she sat up to find the storm had abated...but when did the sun come up? And why was the bed empty? It had been made but too...had she been so exhausted she'd dreamed it all? No such luck. A quick survey of the room found Wrath sitting on the floor in front of the full length mirror staring intently at his right foot. Specifically, the soul of said foot he stared at the reflection of while wiggling his toes and moving the foot to and fro . She wasn't sure why the sight mystified him since his left leg and arm were more interesting to her. The fact that they were now flesh and blood.
"It's gone." the boy whispered. "How?"
"What's gone?"
"My ouroboros."
He noticed the sole of his foot was missing a tattoo he hardly saw, but not the sudden appearance of real limbs in place of prosthetic ones. She hadn't hallucinated them being automail before. Once she managed to coax him inside, the boy was so out of it she feared he might drown in the tub due to the weight if she left him alone. Only transmuting the arm to the tub rim eased her mind enough to fetch a second towel after realizing the spaces between the automail plating would
need extra attention when drying. Now, not even a scar remained. The heavily burned areas from Sloth's demise gone as well. No hint that anything had ever been there but smooth, pale and unblemished skin.
[I do not forgive you for breaking the one true taboo and never will. But he might. Time will tell, hm?]
The voice of Truth definitely wasn't a hallucination. It had told her, in so many words, that she would have that chance she longed for. To fix her worst mistake. It had seen fit to lead Wrath to her door during that awful storm. To make him human. For some reason.
[Children are a blessing...and a curse.]
*ER*
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