I am Weakness

Body of the Sanctioned

"Now I understand you both. You crossed the line you did what was strictly forbidden! You both tried to create human life and your bodies were taken to the other side!" Cornello explained.

I raised my hand to my cheek, wiping away at the blood with the back of my hand, the sight alone made the fatigue grow twenty pounds. Looking back to Rose, I gave her a serious stare. "Like I said, if you even try to get close to the sun, you'll burn."

Cornello's eyes twitched, gritting his teeth together as he spoke. "Apparently so! But you two were crazy enough to find out for yourselves! You are the Fullmetal and Powered! The Fullmetal Alchemist and The Powered Alchemist!"

So... Ed and Al also...

Yeah they did, and Cornello being the man that he was, he twisted it so that it fits into his mind game with Rose. He had her wrapped around his finger for the most part. But there is no doubt that Rose came out of this differently, for better or worst.

The room was filled with silence as Cornello stared both Ed and I down with his hardened eyes of fury, the air becoming almost solidified by the intensity. Cornello let out a harsh hum. "Well, that does answer a riddle. Why the military give pups like you two a name so stern as Fullmetal and Powered. They're both literal." He said to himself before looking back to the still petrified Rose. "See Rose, alchemists forbid their own from transforming lead into gold, but there's one practice that's more taboo. A technique forbidden by man and nature itself: alchemy... On human souls."

A gasp escaped from Rose when the realization of that crashed into her mind. I wouldn't lie if I said that I felt bad for her. This was a lot to take in all at once. My body relaxed as I felt some of the adrenaline evaporate and the shame of my past actions tore into me. Slowly a breath drew into my body as Al and Yuki began to come to our sides again.

Cornello raised a demented smirk and his amused voice boomed as he spoke into a yell. "You miserable kids! Messing around in human alchemy without knowing its penalty! You stepped on the toes of God"

"You don't know what happened!" Yuki argued.

"Yuki." Ed lowly said.

"But we just wanted..." Al started, his voice grimly quiet. "We just wanted to see mom's face again... See her smile."

I gritted my teeth and lowered my head with my eyes squeezing shut. "My sister was all I had left, I just wanted her back..."

"But you failed, didn't you?" Cornello mocked.

My teeth clenched together, a growl rumbled from my throat, fists tightening so that my short nails began to mark into my skin. From my right, Ed took a breath, "Yeah, I'd label that a failure alright. Al lost his body while I lost an arm and a leg. With Penelope's attempt, she lost parts of her brain as well as her life." He muttered while raising his head upwards along with his automail arm. "We ignored every sign because we were reckless and we wanted it bad enough! Rose, this is what happens when you try to bring back what's dead! You really want to go through with that?"

Rose remained silent, her face was pale, staring at us with a staggered and startled expression as she started taking steps back. Her shoulder met with Cornello's empty palm, holding her with a calmed expression once more. "Don't let them worry you, Rose. You forget that the Sun god Leto has blessed me with a Philosopher's stone." The look of plastic comfort shattered as he turned to us with a twisted smirk. "Besides, I have far more experience than these heretic kids did."

"Don't be stupid!" I yelled, firing a glare at Cornello. "No matter tricks you have up your sleeve there are things that you can't change!"

"Oh, then why are you so anxious to get the stone?" He countered while showing off his stone. "You want to beat the laws of equivalence, just as I do, and bring your mommy and your little sister back?"