Title: Greed

Characters: Edward, Alphonse and Homunculus

Genre: Angst/ Hurt without the Comfort

Type: Cannon Universe

Words: 805 (without AN or Intro)

Greed:

(noun) excessively or inordinately desirous of wealth, profit, etc

He hated that word. He hated it with a burning passion. Greed. It was the fundamental spark in every villain's eye, one of the very few emotions that told the difference between a 'villain' and a 'hero'.

Not that he was calling himself a hero. If good was white and black was bad, he was the grey. He knew better than to fixate his obsession on one thing, ignoring all the consequences and destroying other people's lives just to get the one thing he desired.

In the past, he didn't understand. He was young and just lost the greatest person in his life; his mother. He had gone to all the lengths he and his brother could go through to get her back. It didn't register in his mind that once someone was dead, they were gone forever. He never thought that he was the one who had to care for his brother; that he should just move on. Maybe if he did, they wouldn't be in this predicament.

Nevertheless, the one thing he prided himself on was that he knew when someone was affected by greed. His mother had taught him, a long time ago, that greed was a nasty, consuming emotion.

She didn't have to point out who was considered 'greedy', he could tell by their eyes. There was this dull spark that darkened their eyes to a sickly black, as if the very emotion was polluting their soul.

Originally, he thought that greed was only a 'human' emotion but he had soon learned that homunculi had the very same spark. His first belief of them was they were just dead bodies with familiar faces. However that all changed when he looked them in the eyes. Not just a simple glance but when really studying them.

He never tried to put himself in their shoes. He never made an effort to understand them, didn't even bother to look at them. He just hated them. Now he was about to ready punch himself in the stomach for not listening to his mother's advice.

"Edward, listen and listen well. Everyone feels pain, whether they are an animal or human. You are not better than anyone else and anyone else is not better then you. We're all connected, whether we use thoughts or instincts. Remember that Edward, remember that very well."

It frightened him to see the underling of greed in veiled orbs. It made him wondered what he looked like when he plotted to bring his mother back. Did he have the same maniacal glint? Did he have the same sneer on his face as if he felt like he could control the whole world?

Greed was a storming ocean. It crashed, turned, and shook the world, always raging, always fighting, and always trying to inflict pain for its own sick enjoyment. However, there were a few spots of calm waters, the effective heaven in the middle of hell. And whoever was navigating on that ship would believe that it was safe zone, a place to rest from the constant trembling waves, a place of calm and peace. They would row and row and row but the spot always seemed so far away, so distant, no matter how long they would rowed.

With his golden eyes clouded, he stared at them with pity. They thought that their hard work, the hunting, the killing, the bloodshed, the pain, the threats, the schemes, and all the plots, that it all was going to be worth it. They foolishly believed that the moment his wounded hands collided with the cold cement floor, they would watch their dreams come true; they would finally get the stone that haunted everyone's dreams.

He wished they knew. He wished they knew that greed was an empty promise and that they would only end up watching their spider web of dreams and pain as it all fell apart.

He wished they would figure out that philosopher stone was empty as the greed that burned in their eyes and dead hearts.

With a quick glance, he could tell that his brother understood, He had always understood. Emotions, actions, pain, loneliness, his brother had understood very well what people or homunculi felt. He could see the fear with the trembling of his golden circles of lights that sufficed for eyes, and he knew with the trembling of his lips that he was scared.

"I'm sorry, Alphonse." He whispered. Clapping his hands together, he felt as the electricity flowed between his hands; one made of metal, the other of flesh, as he pounded them on the ground.

And he watched as everyone's dreams crumbled before his very eyes and he did the only thing that seemed natural. He cried.

Greed was a very cruel thing indeed.

AN: Wow, I can't believe I updated this fast. Usually I take forever. Anyway enjoy and review! I didn't get any reviews. Reviews are proven good for the health, so please try to keep me healthy.