You have done well, my faithful sacrifices.
[eyes widening in shock] You mean you actually did it?
[now in a new body fashioned after a much younger Hohenheim] Yes. I have done what I set out to do: acquire God.
Acquire God?! That is impossible!
Unfortunately, it is, given a great enough amount of energy.
Wait, what energy? [he gasps in a horrified realization] THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE?!
It can't be! Does this mean everyone was turned into a Philosopher's Stone?
How many lives were sacrificed for this?
Amestris is a large country; at least fifty million people.
[May gasps, absolutely mortified]
Bastard! [Ed attempts to transmute the ground below him, but Father turns everyone's alchemy off]
Your alchemy will do you no good. Farewell, gentlemen. [The Homunculus creates a sun in the palm of his right hand]
What are you— What's that?
The power of God is now in my control. With that, I can do anything; for instance, I can create a sun right in the palm of my hand.
[Ed watches in horrified awe at the sun, as the others glare at Father]
Shall I let its flames loose in here? What do you think? [Suddenly, a beat of energy appears from within Father. The Homunculus stops, while the surprised Pride turns to look at Hohenheim as the latter begins to speak]
Your plan for biding God to this world was a flawed one. We plotted against you since the moment you set it in motion. [Another beat appears, as Father glowers at Hohenheim] Over the many long years, I have performed calculation after calculation. I have arranged my own Philosopher's Stones: the friends who long resided within me, in preparations to this very day!
[A third beat]
XMXerxesian Man #1
The time has come.
XMXerxesian Man #2
He is guilty of committing the ultimate transgression.
XMXerxesian Man #3
We no longer have bodies to return to. But the people of Amestris still have the chance to resume their physical forms.
XFXerxesian Female
Yes. We know what we must do. Let us return their souls back to their bodies.
XCXerxesian Child
It is what Hohenheim asked of us.
[A much stronger beat appears, leaving Father in shock. He resumes his glare at Hohenheim]
So you've planted your Philosopher's Stones, what of it? They are merely points. They will not activate without a circle! That's a basic rule of alchemy!
We do have a circle. It's one of enormous power, and it can be self-activated, even if something should happen to incapacitate me! The moon's shadow, cast on the world by the eclipse!
[The Xerxesian souls begin to activate their Transmutation Circle]
XCXerxesian Child
We're starting now, Hohenheim!
[Red lightning strikes down on the circle's five points. Meanwhile, Father's body begins to gain veins]
Even now you still think you can stop me. YOU'RE A FOOL, HOHENHEIM!
That's the very reason I came back. IT'S TIME YOU REMEMBERED YOUR PLACE, DWARF IN THE FLASK!
[The Umbral Circle activates, quickly draining Father's body and forcing him to dismiss the sun in his hand. The others look on as more veins appear in Father's body before the Homunculus shouts in agony as the souls of the Amestrians are forcibly extracted from him, returning to their respective bodies]
[Meanwhile, in the room above Father and the sacrifices, Wrath and Scar continue their battle]
ISHVALAN! I guess I was mistaken! I thought the science of alchemy was abhorrent to the eyes of Ishvala, the one you believe to be the creator of all things! Have you abandoned your god?! You would leave him... SO EASILY?! Is your god so readily lost to your people?! IS HE?! In the Ishvalan Civil War... WHEN YOU WERE SURRONDED BY NOTHING BUT DESPAIR!
[Scar attempts to attack, but is pinned down. Wrath raises his sword, poising for the kill]
Surely, somewhere in the darkest depths of your heart, you began to believe that… THERE WAS NO GOD IN THIS WORLD AT ALL!
[Up above, the eclipse ends, and the sun shines through Wrath's sword, blinding him. Taking advantage, Scar uses his destructive alchemy to destroy Bradley's sword and sever both his arms; but Wrath, in one last act of defiance, grabs the blade of his sword by his teeth and stabs the Ishvalan in the stomach with it. Scar coughs up blood, and soon after, the two collapse, both bleeding profusely.]
I myself have never believed in fate or God. If they exist, perhaps this is their way of divine justice or providence.
Any last words you'd like to say?
Such a sad life. Tell me, Bradley. Was there anyone who you loved? Any friends? Your wife?
Are you saying you have nothing? No message for her? When she finds out what you are...
Your trivial words of sorrow, of love and guilt mean nothing to me, young lady. My wife understands. She is the woman that I chose to live by my side. There are no more words that need to pass between us now. That's what it means to be the wife of the Fuhrer. [Bradley chuckles as his hair turns grey with age, while Lan Fan looks on in shock] And now you've spent all your time asking useless questions and lost your opportunity for vengeance. What a shame. [He sighs] I've lived my life by forever following the path that had been set for me. Thanks to the idiosyncrasies of humanity it was, at least, a life worth living for, and maybe even a life worth dying for. [Bradley closes his eyes for good, a content smile on his face]
Damn you Greed, have you forgotten that you're one of the Homunculi? Where's your honor?
You assume that he should just be a good boy like you and do everything as father tells him. Is that it?
Do you need to ask such a ridiculous question? It's only natural we should want to obey our father, no matter the order.
Heh! You are the one who's ridiculous! Only natural huh? So it's natural to be a brainwashed punk who doesn't even try to think for himself?!
[Pride grabs Ed, throwing him up and down with his shadows.]
Explain it to me! Why are you so eager to be his willing lapdog? He's wearing you ragged, breaking you down, he doesn't even care!
Why should I care if Father doesn't? I am not a puny weakling like you are, I am one of the Homunculi! WHAT DO YOU KNOW, HUMAN?!?!
[The Homunculus proceeds to torture Ed by using his shadows]
This container won't last much longer. But still, like my Father is, you are of Hohenheim's bloodline. So we're virtually brothers. Which means, Edward Elric, I can use your container! Your body belongs to me! What?!
You can't have it, Pride! I won't let you take this body! It's not a good fit for a homunculus!
Kimblee?! There's no way! How could you maintain your individuality among this tempest of souls?! It's just not possible!
You call this a tempest?! Oh, stop, you're going to make me laugh! The bitterness that all these voices contain soothes me like a lullaby!
Why are you interfering?! Kimblee, why?!
Not my choice. I was perfectly content, but when you decided to throw away you honor as a homunculus, you forced me to step in. You speak of your precious pride, a quality for which you were named. But then you suddenly find yourself in grave danger, and you seek to escape into the body of a human, a lower life form that you so despise. It's pathetic. You're a disgrace!
[Ed breaks free, claps his hands and grabs Pride on his face, transmuting them both]
If you think that, then you still don't understand Edward Elric!
[as his soul enters Pride's body] Selim!
Impossible! He's turned himself into a Philosopher's Stone, and he's forcing his way inside me?!
I caught you! You're mine!
[He grabs Pride, causing images of Bradley and his wife to appear in the Homunculus' eye]
Stop this. Stop this...! PLEASE STOP!
[Back in physical reality, as Ed's soul returns to his body, Pride's body dissolves to ashes with a fetus lying in the Fullmetal Alchemist's hand]
So this is your real body... [takes off his coat and places Pride on it] Once this is all over, I’m gonna have to apologize to Mrs. Bradley. You can wait right there, you foolish boy.
[remorseful] Mama... Mama...
[Ed sees that his right arm has returned, a sign that Al gave up his soul so he can keep fighting.]
[Edward starts fighting Father, and winning.]
Nice, Ed. Just keep going.
BBriggs
Yeah! Let him have it! Fullmetal!
Greed, this is what you desperately wanted, isn't it?
Yeah, you're right. This is what I wanted. I wanted the chance to have friends like these.
[Edward knocks Father to the ground with a punch to the face]
GET UP, YOU NOVICE! I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU HOW OUT-CLASSED YOU REALLY ARE! THIS FIGHT, YOU LOSE!
[At the Gate...]
Tell me, why did you refuse to join me? Why God? How did I disappoint you?
You were incapable of believing in yourself.
[Homunculus turns and sees truth floating behind him] You stole your power from others, you rejected your human origin, and chose to covet the power of what you call God. You never grew beyond your days in the flask. Did you truly think you'd become superior to humans by removing your seven desires? Don't make me laugh!
What's wrong with that?! I only wanted to obtain perfection! I wanted this worlds knowledge for my own! [Clenches his fist in anger] Why should I be punished for that? What's wrong with craving knowledge? What's wrong with seeking perfection? [Truth still smiling does not responded] Well, speak! What are you, anyway? Do you even have a name? [Points at truth] Who the hell do you think you are?!
[Truth frowns angrily]
Who am I? One name you might have for me is the world, or you might call me the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. I am All, and I am One. So, of course, [points at homunculus] this also means that I am you. I am the truth of your despair, the inescapable price of your boastfulness. [Homunculus whimpers in fear] And now, I will bestow upon you the despair you deserve.
[The Gate opens with tendrils reaching for Homunculus and grabbing him]
Don't do this to me. I can't... I can't go back. Please stop! I can't bare to be bound any longer! WAHHH! AHHHHHHH! No! No no no no!
This despair is reserved for the boastful.
[Being dragged in] Just tell me what I was supposed to do!
You brought this outcome upon yourself.
What did I do wrong?! What should I have done?!
[The Gate then closes, with Homunculus trapped forever]
You simply must have seen the answer with your own eyes.
What happened? Is it over? Did we win?
Yes, sir. Although, Alphonse hasn't returned from the other side.
It's not your fault, May. It was his decision.
Ed, I've got the toll for him. Take it, it's a Philosopher's Stone. Use it to bring him back.
I can't. As much as I want to, I can't. I promised Al. We'd never use a Philosopher's Stone. [Thinking] There has to be a way to get him back. There's got to be, think dammit. Think it through, just keep thinking.
Edward... Use my life for the toll. Use me to save Alphonse. I've got just enough life left.
No way! I could never do that, you dumbass! This doesn't have anything to do with you. It's our own damn fault. I won't use another human life to get Al back. And I don't care who's at it! Why should you sacrifice your life for our mistakes?!
Because I'm his father. And that's the only thing that matters. You don't know how much you boys mean to me. I just want you to be happy. And I do bare some responsibility for this, this might not have happened if I'd just been there for you. I'm sorry, Ed. I've lived long enough. Just give me this chance, to act like a father for once in my life.
Shut up, you rotten father! You say something that dumb again, and I'll knock you out!
I take it you're here to retrieve your brother. Just how to you plan on pulling an entire human out of here? What's your payment? Do you intend to offer your own body?
Yeah, I've got your payment right here, so go ahead and take it! This thing is my Portal of Truth. So I get to make the decision on how it's used. That right?
Hehehehe! It's come to that? Hehehehahaha! And you're sure about this? You do realize that you'll never be able to perform alchemy again without your portal.
I'm aware of that. This portal, I know it contains every secret alchemy has to offer. However, it's also led me astray. I saw the truth that lies within it. And I became convinced I could solve everything with alchemy, but I couldn't possibly have been more wrong. That was just arrogance.
You're willing to cast it aside? To lower yourself to a simple human?
What do you mean lower myself? That's the only thing I've ever been, just a simple human that couldn't save a little girl, not even with alchemy.
You sure you'll be okay without it? Think carefully now!
Who even needs alchemy, when I've got them!
[Gasping in excitement as he and Ed's door fade] You've done it! That's the right answer! Good job! You beat me! Go ahead! Take him home! The back door's right over there! Goodbye, Edward Elric!
[Ed’s Gate and Truth disappear, Ed sees Al]
Haha, speak for yourself.
Now let's go home, together...
[To Trisha's grave while dying] Hello Trisha, I'm home. So get this, Ed actually called me his father, although he did preface it with rotten. Living through all this endless years, I always felt like I've been structed with a curse, but then I found you, and we had our sons, and I suddenly felt blessed, grateful for the life I had. I've had a fulfilling life. And thanks to you, it has been enough. Thank you... Trisha. But now, believe it or not, I actually want to keep on living. Guess I'm pretty hopeless, aren't I Trisha?
"Step forward and protect your life, and the world that nurtured it."
We’ve been treated so well. So many people have cared for both of us. And now, for all this compassion, from people like you and Mr. Hughes, we feel like it’s our turn to repay the happiness that’s been given to us.
GHGracia Hughes
Isn’t that what the alchemists believe? Equivalent Exchange?
No. It’s equivalent if you take ten and then you give ten back. But if you take ten, and then add something of yourself, you return eleven. It’s not much; but it’s an all new principle that we’re trying to establish. [Laughs] And now we just have to go out and prove that it actually works.
Well? What? Just come out and say it.
I’ll give half of my life to you, if you give half of yours to me!
[Realizes that Edward is proposing to her] Aw, c’mon. Do you have to treat everything like alchemy? The whole equivalent exchange thing is just nonsense!
Ugh, it’s nonsense! How about I just give you my whole life? [Awkward beat] Uh... maybe not all of it! 90.. maybe 80%? 75.. that’s not enough. But 85.. yeah, 85 is a good number!
You are so incredible! You knocked equivalent exchange flat on it’s butt in just a few words!
And what’s that mean? Are you making fun of me?
Not at all. [Edward hugs Winry] Thanks for cheering me up.
