Watching the final of Fullmetal Alchemist

To know the end one must first know the beginner

 
Edward Elric was just minding his own business researching and trying to find a way to bring his and his brother bodies back and trying to find out what the Homunculus wanted with his country, when suddenly he saw himself in a strange room. The room were huge, with a lot of sofas and armchair, looking very comfortable, and with a giant white screen in front of those. And he was not alone.  His brother was beside him, but in the room were also the Colonel Mustang and his team, Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Heymans Breda, Vato Fallman, Kain Fuery. Maes Hughes, Sheska, Maria Ross, Denny Brosh, Alex Louis Armstrong, Olivier Mira Armstrong, Major Miles, Captain Bucaneer, Izumi, Sig, Scar, Winry, Pinako, Zampano, Darius, Ling, Fu, Lan Fan, May Chang, Xia Mei and Van Hohenheim were also there. They all looked confused and out of place.
- What? Where are we? What is going on? – They all started to question, but before they started to fight a caped woman appeared in the middle of the room.
- Quiet – She yelled making everyone stop talking and direct their attention to her – Thank you, now you must want to know why I brought you all here. The answer is simple, I brought you all here to watch the future.
- What are you talking about? – Mustang asked impatient
- Well I am glad you asked. You see I brought you all here to watch the end of the journey of two people in this room, or maybe the beginning of a new one. You are going to see what will happen in more or less two years from now. Ah and before you try, there is no way to leave this place before you watched this and you alchemy doesn’t work here.– She said and after everyone had taken their seats she continued – There are a few things you need to know before you watch this. So, I am going to show what happen before and then I will answer any questions you may have.
Before they could protest or ask for more information the white screen started to show things.
"Alchemy is the science of understanding, decomposing, and reconstructing matter."
- Isn’t that your voice Chief?* – Asked Fuery, everyone wondering the same thing
-It sure seems so – Said Ed musingly
"However, it is not an all-powerful art. It is impossible to create something out of nothing. If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be paid. This is the law of equivalent exchange, the basis of alchemy. Alchemists have a taboo, and it is human transmutation. It is that which no one must commit"
"The First Day"
- Wait the first day? What is this about? – Asked Olivier still wondering what is she doing there and not in her Briggs.
- Well, that is the beginner of everything – Said the caped woman. Ed and Al shared a look, having an idea of what this is about and not liking it.
"Ed! Al! Where are you?"
"Oh, my." Trisha said surprising looking at her sons.
The scene changed showing a young Edward and young Al, sitting on the floor of their father’s office, with a lot of books opened around them. Al was lying on his stomach reading a book while Ed was drawing a transmutation circle in front of him.
- Wow Chief, that is you? – Coed Havoc
- Yes, It is me and Al
- And that must be you mother. She is ho.. – He didn’t finish his sentence as Hawkeye pointed her gun in his face.
- You are so cute, but not as cute as mine Elisia – Said Hughes – How old are you?
- Hum, I am not sure. I think Al is four and I am five
"Messing up your dad's study again?"
"Watch." Edward said. He put his hands on the ground and caused a transmutation, though it couldn't be seen what was transmuted as the screen was on Trisha, watching her sons.
"That's alchemy, right?" She asked.
Ed's transmutation was shown to be a little bird.
- This was your first transmutation? And you were only five? – Asked Mustang impressed. He obviously knew that Fullmetal is genius, he himself had found the boy, but to think that a kid of only five years could do an almost perfect transmutation so young was really impressed. Not only him but all the other alchemists of the room and even the ones who didn’t know much of alchemy were impressed.
"Did your dad teach you that?" Trisha asked, kneeling in front of her sons.
"How can we learn anything from someone who's not here?" Edward asked.
Hohenheim got a bad taste in his mouth. He still thought he did the right choice in leaving his kids and Trisha to look for a way to die with them, but he felt a little sorry for missing so much of his sons lives. Right know his oldest Ed was a grown boy and his youngest was an armor. He didn’t know what had happened to them or to his wife. But even thought he was also proud, his sons were genius.
"We read the book, and it was written in there." Al explained.
"It was written in there?" Trisha asked.
Both of the boys looked down. "Should we not have done it?"
Trisha clapped her hands. "Not at all." She said reassuringly, smiling brightly. "Amazing! You're your father's sons, all right!"
"Your mom is proud of both of you." Trisha said.
Ed and Al smiled brightly.
- Your mom seems like a really nice person – Said Armstrong ripping his shirt
- Yes, she was … AND WHY ARE YOU TAKING OF YOUR SHIRT
"And that was it. Mom praised us. We were so happy about that, that we became caught up in alchemy." The exterior of the house was shown as Edward's voice continued the story. "But the summer of that year, there was an epidemic, and Mom passed away."
- What? – Hohenheim standing up looking at his sons – Trisha is…
- Yes, dad. Mom is dead, she has been dead for many years now. Where were you? – Ed stood up as well, facing his father.
- Brother… -  Al tried to stop his brother to do anything harsh but he too wanted to see what would be his father excuse.
- Ed, Al, I am sorry, I … Some day you will understand why I had to leave, but I never thought I would be gone for so long, and I am sorry
- We can talk about this latter, I fear that things will only get worse, it is better if we end this quickly – Said Mustang forcing the three to sit down again. Some of the pother were looking at them with pity, losing their mother so young and without a father present …
Flowers are shown on top of a grave. The two boys sat in front of the grave, looking downcast. "Brother, I'm hungry." Al said. "It's cold. Let's go home. Once Dad comes home…"
"Don't you talk about him!" Edward shouted angrily. "That bastard doesn't care about us. He didn't even come home for mom's funeral."
With his words Al looked more upset. The grave is show and in it is write ‘Trisha Elric :1878-1904’.
- I am sorry – Said Hohenheim quietly filled with guilt and sorrow.
"I wonder if we can bring mom back." Edward finally said . Al looked at him surprised.
- NOOO – All alchemist screamed – You can’t do this!
- Yes, we know this … now. – Answered Al ashamed.
"But it was written in that book that creating people is something you're not allowed to do." Al replied.
Edward stood up. "That's why it will be our secret."
Nobody said anything, they were all too worried about where this would go. Winry sensing that this would cause even more grief to the brother changed her place to go sit between Ed and Al, who only smiled thankfully.
"From then on, we looked into what we would need to perform human transmutation, to bring Mom back to life, and honed our skills under an alchemy teacher." The scene changed showing a book of alchemy and then Ed and Al training under Izumi.
Izumi looked down. If she had known about the boys intention, if she had told them about her own human transmutation, maybe they wouldn’t have committed the same mistake as she. Sig signed hugging his wife, he knew what these boys meant to her. They were like the kids they never could have.
"It took years and years, but we wanted to see Mom's smile, and we wanted to live happily with Mom again." The house is shown, and the the boys lying on the floor reading alchemy books. "With those thoughts in mind…"
Edward signed a paper as he finished the plans for human transmutation.
"Done." – He smiled
The sky turned red and a crow cried. The house is shown again, this time with a red coloration.
"Water, 35 liters; carbon, 20 kilograms; ammonia, 4 liters; lime, 1.5 kilograms; phosphorus, 800 grams; salt, 250 grams; saltpeter, 100 grams; sulfur, 80 grams; fluorine, 7.5 grams; iron, 5 grams; silicon, 3 grams..." Edward listed the things while they appeared on the scene.
Water was poured into a pan that was sitting in the floor.
"All right, now to write the constructional formula." Edward said.
The array was drawn on the floor
"Now, we just need some soul data." Both boys cut their fingers and let their blood drip into the pan before moving to the edge of the array and kneeling down. They put their hands on it. "Here we go, Al."
"Mm-hmm." Was Al's reply.
All the observer holds their breaths. That is it. Nobody could make a sound all to absorbed and nervous about what is going to come. But even thought it was a really tense situation the alchemists in the room, excepting the one that already had done a human transmutation, were looking fascinated at the transmutations circle. Subconsciously they were all hoping they would give up on this, but knowing that this had already happened and nothing they did could change that.
When the boys put their hand in the circle, this lit up with a bright blue light, lightening following by. Soon the light started to get red, and black things started to get out of the circle.
"Brother, there's something strange here." Al said woried while his brother stared around them.
A giant eye suddenly opened up in the array along with black hands protruding from it.
- What is it? – Exclaimed Ling, never had seen something like that before
- It is the gate – Answered Izumi, only bringing more questions
- Gate? – Major Miles asked trying to understand better.
- It is the gate to the truth. You will understand latter – Said Ed dejected.
These black hands latched onto Al's arm and at that moment his hand suddenly disappeared into particles.
"Al!" Edward yelled when the hands got to his leg making it disappear.
Edward screamed in pain before falling onto his chest. He glanced over his shoulder to see his leg being grabbed by those black hands.
"It can't be….a rebound?!"
"Brother!" Al shouted, distracting Ed from his thoughts. "Brother! Brother!" Al screamed desperately with tears in his eyes, trying to reach his brother, while the hands involved his whole body.
- What is happening? – Cried Winry worried holding tightly on Ed’s hand and Al’s metal one.
- It is the toll – Answered Al, but didn’t continued. They all looked at the screen worried.
"Al!" Ed screamed, trying to reach his brother's hand before it completely disappeared. Their hands were just an inch apart when there was a blast of white.
Before Edward could reach Al, he disappeared. Edward them found himself in a strange room. The place was all white with the exception of a giant door behind him.
Edward blinked and looked around. "Al? Huh? What was I doing again?"
“Hey." A voice rang out, scaring Edward. Sitting right in front of him was a white figure outlined in black.
- Oh god, who is him now? and where are you? – Brosh asked exasperate. He wasn’t understanding anything. By his side his pair Maria Ross was also lost.
- You will see – Ed, Al and Izumi all answered at once. 
"Who are you?" Ed asked.
The figure threw his hands on the air excited because of the question.  "Oh, I'm so glad you asked that!” His voice was strange, like they were a lot of different voices talking at the same time “I am what you call world. Or perhaps the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps Truth, or perhaps all, or perhaps one” He said and then pointed at Ed "And I am also You." The gates behind Edward suddenly opened, the same eye of before showing on the gate. Ed turned slowly to face it. “Welcome, you stupid fool, who doesn’t know his own place.
Black hands came out of the eye and started grabbing Ed who screamed in panic, trying, and falling, to run away from the gate.
“Pipe Down. This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” Edward was still screaming, getting dragged to inside of the gate, that was closing again. “I will show you the truth” The doors slammed shut.
Edward was pulled through a completely dark area before it was suddenly filled pictures and memories passing across him really fast.
"It was like a tremendous amount of information was being stuffed directly into my head."
"Stop!" Edward screamed. "My head is gonna split open"
Once again, Edward body was being decomposed.
"I'm being broken down!" Edward shouted. "No! Stop it!"
"It felt like my head was going to burst open. But then suddenly, I understood. This was truth."
A white figure that looked like his mother appeared in front of Ed, who tried to reach out to her. "M-mom." The figure's white hand reached for his, but before they could touch, Edward was suddenly outside the gate, hand still stretched forward.
- What the hell? – They all shouted
 – What was that thing? – Asked Pinako losing her composure. That kids, who were almost her own grandkids, had passed for all that.
- That was the truth – Answered Ed tired, now looking much older than he really was.  – That is the truth about alchemy and about life. That is why me and Al can do Alchemy without a transmutation circle. Because we have seen the truth.
- But Al couldn’t do transmutation without a circle until few days ago – Pointed Mustang
- That is because it was so traumatic that I forgot. It was in Dublith that I remembered what I saw in the gate – Answered Al, equally tired.
Hohenheim was thinking, the “Father” as he called himself would destroy another country to meet the truth.
"How was it?" Truth asked.
Edward put his hand down and turned back to face the gate.
"Yeah," Ed murmured, walking towards the gate. "My theory of human transmutation was not wrong. But it's missing something. What I seek was just ahead…the truth about human transmutation. Please, show it to me again!"
-What? You are still thinking about it? – Asked Hawkeye. Everyone laid their eyes on Ed skeptic.
- At the time yes. Because I hadn’t seen yet the result of the transmutation. – Ed said unapologetically – But now I know the truth. It is impossible to bring someone back to life.
They were confused by the certain of how he said it.
The truth stood up. "I can't. I can only show you this much for the toll you've paid."
"Toll?" Edward asked.
- Toll? – They all asked
"Yes, toll." Truth held out his left leg which began to form into Ed's leg as his own disappeared.
Edward stumbled back horrified. Truth them was in front of him, millimeter from his face, smiling grotesquely.  "It is an equivalent exchange, right, young alchemist?"
Edward appeared again in the basement, hands clutching his thigh, the rest of his leg had vanished and he was bleeding a lot.
He screamed again. A pant and shoes were shown. Ed’s hand, with blood on it, hit the floor. "Damn! This can't be happening!" He started to drag himself close to the circle, on his stomach. "It wasn't … It wasn’t supposed to… Damn it all! It's been taken away!" His blooded leg showed up, his left leg was missing just below his tight. He fell over onto his side, tears pricking at his eyes. "Help! Someone! Mom! Mom…"
His eyes opened with shock as he finally looked at the result of the transmutation. But what he saw in front of him couldn't even be considered human. It looked like a monster with its insides all sprouting out. The thing couldn’t move right, and blood poured of it mouth.
“No, this is wrong. This isn’t… This isn’t what we wanted!” Cried Edward staring in horror at what his transmutation had created. Alphonse clothes were shown lying on the floor. “Alphonse! Alphonse! Alphonse. This is my fault.
Some of them were crying now. Winry was hugging Ed, still holding Al’s hand, sobbing hard in his shirt. Pinako was wiping her tears with her hands. Izumi was hiding her face in Sig’s crouch crying silently, sig too had tears in his eyes. Hohenheim had tears running down his cheek, his poor sons. The military weren’t crying, but they all looked at the screen with sorrow, and pity for the two young boys, with the exception of Alex Armstrong that was crying loudly hugging both Maria Ross and Denny Brosh. Ling and his companions too weren’t crying, but he had a look of despair in his face. May Chang and Xia Mei were openly sobbing holding onto scar. He was to feeling pity for the boys, but it was more a reinforcement of what he already believed that alchemy shouldn’t exist.
The suit of armor in the basement fell over and Edward scrabbled over to it as best he could with one leg. "Damn it. Damn it!" Close to the ‘chest’ of the armor, he used his own blood to drawn an array in the armor. "Give him back! He's my brother!" He sat up, showing his leg with a improvised bandage on his still bleeding leg. "Take my leg! Take my arm! Take my heart! Anything! You can have it! Just give him back! He's my little brother! He's all I have left!" Edward screamed, tears running down his cheeks. He clapped his hands in front of him, fury and determination shining in his eyes. Blue light started to fill the room.
-Brother – Said Al quietly looking at his older brother, who was still holding Winry. He didn’t know exactly what had happened that night, he was touched that his brother would give up so much for him – I…
- I know – Interrupted Ed. He gave his brother a little smile, punching lightly on the armor chest. Everything would be okay.
The scene changes and Mustang was shown, he was a little younger too. He looked with horror at the transmutation circle and the puddle of blood on it.
“Lt Colonel, they’re not in the back eith… What is this” Says Hawkeye entering the room, she too looked young, and her hair was shorter. Mustang face contorted in angry “Where are they? Where are the Elric brothers?”.
Pinako’s auto mail shop was shown, and Den was barking “Be quiet, Den. Don’t bark at our guests. What … Hey, you!” Pinako was opening the door when Mustang and Hawkeye entered brashly. “What are soldiers bursting in here for?” Mustang looked at Ed, who was at a wheelchair, with the armor behind him. He looked pitiful. Mustang grabbed him by the shirt lifting him “We went to your house. What was that over there? What did you make?” He said angrily.   
- Mustang! You should have been more delicate. He is a child! – Armstrong yelled at the Colonel, who signed in defeat
- I know, but they had just broken the Taboo, I didn’t know what to do.
Ed looked down even more depressed. Mustang was surprised when the armor grabbed his arm and said “We’re sorry. Please forgive us. We’re sorry. We’re sorry.  We’re sorry” The armor was shaking. “You are…”
“This is a surprise.” Mustang, Pinako were sitting at the table, with Ed in his wheelchair and Al holding it. “I had heard that there was a brilliant alchemist here,  so I came to see him, but I never imagined that a child like this could ever perform human transmutation, imperfect thought it was, and even bond a soul” Mustang said, looking at the armor, that now he knew to be Alphonse. He looked again at Ed, whose eyes were without light. “He is more than qualified to become a State Alchemist.   Once he becomes a State Alchemist, he will have to serve as a soldier in the event of an emergency, but at the same time, he will receive various special privileges, and research if the highest level will become possible to him. They may even find a way to get their bodies back, or…” Pinako interrupted him “After he came stumbling in here, covered with blood, I went over to their house. What was there… What was there was not human. Is alchemy what created that horrific thing? I am against it! Would you have these boys go through hell again?”
The scene changed to show Hawkeye sitting. “Here you are” Said Winry giving her a cup of tea “Thank you” They both sat in silence for a while, until Winry said shyly “Humm, Tennent” Riza smiled “You can call me Riza Hawkeye. Nice to meet you” She said extending her hand, but Winry didn’t accepted it, instead looking down “Miss Riza, have you ever shot someone?”, “Yes” Riza answered surprised. “I hate soldiers. My mother and father were taken away to the battlefield and were killed there”
Winry looked down sad, even trough she now knew how they died, and that they had died trying to save people, it still makes her sad.  It was Ed’s time to hug the girl.
“And now, you’re trying to take Ed and Al away too.” She said downcast. “It’s up to them to decide whether or not they will go. Yes, they will decide for themselves” The scene come back to Ed and Mustang speaking “I’m not forcing you. I’m just offering you the possibility.” It changed again, back to Riza “Whether to move forward or whether to stay still.” Mustang again, decided “Will you end your days in despair? Or will you seek the possibilities and bow to the military?” Riza, “The boys will be the ones to decide”. Mustang “If the possibility is there, you should move forward in order to get your bodies back. Even if the way ahead is through a river of mud.”
- Wow Roy, this was a great speech. Who would have thought – Said Hughes laughing trying to lift the tension of the room a little.
- Yes, it sure was Colonel. But Brother’s speeches are still better – Said Al
- What? – Asked indignantly Mustang – My speeches are way better than the shorty
- WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL YOU WANNA CRUNCH LIKE AN ANT? – Screamed Ed, while everybody looked at him unbelieving
- Nobody said that Brother – Al tried to talk to his brother.
- But you know. Al is right, chief’s speeches are really better. – Said Breda to Mustang disgust, while everyone else laugh.   
The scene come back to Winry looking at Riza. Winry looked down at the tray with the cup of tea and said “Miss Riza, why did you become a soldier?”, Riza answered “Because there is someone I have to protect.”
Roy and Riza looked at each other with friendship, complicity and something else on their eyes.
- She would make a good wife – Said Hughes to Mustang, making him choke and scold the major who laugh.
Winry looked shocked at the answer, but before she could say anything the door opened and Roy showed up. “We are leaving” he said, Hawkeye stood up and agreed. Outside of the house Riza was saying goodbye to Winry “Well, good bye young lady” Winry then extended her hand to Riza “It is Winry” Riza smiled taking Winry’s hand “Okay, Winry. I hope we’ll meet again”
- Wow good Tennent, now you have Winry approval – Said Ed. Winry hit him on the head telling him to shut up. Hawkeye were feeling kind of proud of herself to deserve the young girl approval.
Al, Pinako and Winry were shown outside of the house seeing the car leaving. Riza’s voice is heard while Ed shown up alone in the wheelchair in the living room. “Will they come?” Mustang voice is heard next “Yes, they will.” Riza says again “That boy had a spiritless look in his eyes” Mustang face is shown smiling “You think so? Those … were eyes that had flame in them” A close into Ed’s face shown his eyes shining with determination.
Before anyone could comment on what they had just seen, Hohenheim stood up and asked the caped woman.
- There is somewhere we can have a private conversation? – He asked surprising the others.
- Yes of course – She said, and a door appeared in the room – You talk there
- Thank you – He said, then turning to Ed and Al – Can you two come with me for a bit. I think there is something you two must know.
Winry looked worried at Ed, but he nodded at her standing up and going to the other room, followed by Al and his dad. When the door closed behind them the caped woman turned to the rest of the people of the room.
 - I know you all must have a lot of questions,  and there is a lot you need to know before watching the next part, but we better wait for them – She them pointed to the other side of the room, where now had a big table with a lot of different kinds of food on it – Why don’t you all eat something and take a break while you wait?