But the young man never got to be known by his self-given title. He
did not complete the Philosopher's Stone, nor see his father's hopes for
him come to fruition. Midway into his eighteenth birthday, he died.
***
He
relived the moment of his agonizing death. The young alchemist had been
working in the laboratory when all of a sudden his upper body slumped
over onto the table -- having lost consciousness. From then on his
senses came and went -- his body in terrible discomfort. His parents
knelt before his bedside praying and pleading for him to get well -- his
father's hand clasped around his own and his mother wiping the sweat
from his face with a washcloth. Only now did the boy realize how
ludicrous the woman's actions had been.
And then...
...he died.
He died...
...but did not stay dead for long.
***
He
tried to move his limbs...to reach forward...to call out to his father,
but the man turned his back and left him there -- alone and in pain.
***
From
that moment on, he never saw his father again. It was his mother who
took care of him, and forbade him to talk about the one who walked out
on them. She taught her reincarnated child how to survive in the cruel
world -- how to hate...to manipulate...to kill people -- all for her
benefit.
And the boy obeyed her -- even though he could
not call her 'Mother' anymore, even though she did not verbally
acknowledge him as her son anymore, even though he came to realize that
he was just a tool to her now; for it was easier to come to terms with
an unloving mother rather than an absentee father.
He
killed -- not just once or twice -- not by the dozen, nor by the
hundreds. In the nearly 400 years of his reincarnated existence, he
killed thousands of people; and had put on a countless number of faces
-- his skill at impersonating people was without rival.
***
They ended -- those memories that Envy was forced to relive; but now he had to live through something else.
Ghosts
from the past -- those whom Envy had impersonated or had died by his
hand -- appeared before his vision in an endless phantasmic sea. Men,
women, and children -- young and old -- of varying shapes and sizes; all
stood facing him -- their countenance like stone.
One by one, the apparitions began chanting a single phrase.
"Who are you?"
The Homunculus' pulse quickened.
"Who are you?"
His breathing picked up.
"Who are you?"
Envy grew numb.
"Who are you?"
The chorus of voices continued from the silhouetted figures.
Envy squinted his eyes shut and pressed both hands to his ears -- willing the voices to stop.
But they did not.
The
Homunculus sank down to the ground -- his hands clutching his bowed
head as he crouched there -- trying to make himself shrink and
disappear.
"Stop it! Stop it!" he cried. "Stop..." An audible sob could be heard, followed by the outpouring of tears from the Homunculus.
One
by one, the voices and the silhouettes receded into the background,
until only a single voice remained in the fog-filled void.
The lone voice that remained asked Envy, in a gentle tone, "Who are you?"
"I
-- I don't know...I don't know!" came the sobbed response. The
Homunculus wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in
them.
The air went still for a couple of seconds.
"Who do you think you were meant to be?"
Envy's sobs quieted down. He lifted his head up a few inches from his arms and contemplated on that question.
"Who...I was meant to be?"
"Yes. What was the reason you were brought back into existence?"
The
Homunculus pressed his lips together -- his mind trying to form a right
answer -- if there was one to be found. He also thought about the sound
of the voice that was speaking to him. There was something familiar
about it...
Envy lifted his head further up and stared straight into the distance -- a slight frown on his brows. "Who are you?"
His question elicited a small chuckle from the void.
"Who am I? Well, in order to know who I am, first you have to know who you are. Now then...who are you?"
"I'm
-- " Envy's voice caught in his throat. He swallowed and closed his
eyes -- taking in and then exhaling a deep breath. The dark-haired boy
stood up -- his head bowed in contemplation. When the Homunculus next
opened his eyes, he was ready to give an answer.
"I...am William Edward Elric..."
Purplish-black eyes fixed their gaze straight ahead in determination.
"I am...William Edward Elric..."
He held those words to his heart.
"I am William Edward Elric."
His declaration rang loud and clear.
"I am William Edward Elric!"
***
In the middle of the emptiness, a massive and ancient doorway appeared -- towering over the Homunculus.
Envy fell quiet. He turned around slowly.
The Gate!
The
double-doors swung opened; and a soft light enveloped the area. As Envy
squinted his eyes, he saw a lone, shadowy figure slowly making its way
from within the doors.
As the unknown entity came closer to Envy, the boy saw that it resembled a human.
Closer and closer it came, until its profile became defined.
The
humanoid being was clothed from neck to foot in a white robe with
matching colored footwear. Around its neck was a white scarf -- the back
of it obscured by long strands of golden hair that was flowing freely
down the nape of the neck. Amber-colored eyes stared into Envy's
midnight-colored ones -- the former's countenance without animosity -- a
gentle smile on its lips, whereas the latter wore an expression of
surprise on his face.
"You're -- " Envy began -- his eyes going wide at the entity before him.
The white robed figure raised a hand -- with the palm facing Envy.
The dark-haired boy followed suit -- raising a hand with his palm turned outward.
Slowly, they moved their hands forward -- until their palms touched.
***
"William...William..."
Hohenheim
was starting to worry about his eldest son. It had been nearly an hour
since the alchemic ritual first began, and there had been no noticeable
signs from the Homunculus that told the man how things were progressing.
So the alchemist could only wait and watch.
Just then, Hohenheim noticed a twitch from Envy's closed eyelids.
"William?"
There was a flutter of eyelashes; and soon, midnight-colored eyes slowly opened up to stare into amber-colored ones.
"Father..."
Hohenheim
could not contain his surprise, for he saw it -- reflected in the eyes
of his son -- and an elated feeling overcame the father, bringing forth
tears of relief and joy as he wrapped his arms around his child, pulling
him into an embrace.
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