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The Simpleness of Love

I am and was a simple man. Even I realized this. However, I was not capable of declaring my love for someone, even to her, she who was most precious to me. She occupied my thoughts day and night, but I could never say those words to her. They were simple ones, not so complicated that not even I couldn't say them. No... the only way I could express my growing affection was to be by her side, backing her up whenever she needed it. And I could do nothing when another took her away from me, said what I could not bring myself to say, and stole her heart.

I could do nothing when everything spiraled out of control. I was helpless, unable to do a single thing. I berated myself for my weakness, but I couldn't win, couldn't convince the Sin inside of me to be silenced and follow the lucid part of me. The Sin could fight, but when it came to emotions, it was useless, a complete lump of-

I stopped myself. It was that weakness had led to her death. The woman I loved most in this wretched world had died because of me. No matter how much I cared for her, there was nothing I could do to help her when she needed me most. Everything I had done in the past?

Worthless.

I could only watch. Watch, because that was the only thing I was capable of when it came to anyone else other than myself. Because I was too much of a coward to step forward and back her up in front of everyone else. I was too afraid of the consequences.

And now, even though I had learned my lesson, it was too late. Because when I could have done something, could have changed her fate, I hadn't. As a result, I would have to suffer the consequences for as long as I lived.

I could tell by now that it wouldn't be long. My mind was already beginning to slip away. I was slowly becoming the person everyone believed me to be: a simpering, fat, idiot who could barely even begin to speak for himself. I was retreating into myself, and I never wanted to come out again. The only thing I had left were my memories, and even they too were beginning to disappear, consumed by my Sin.

Well. I wouldn't let them. Because they were all I had left of her. For once, I would beat the person I had become, even if it meant I had to relive everything that had happened..


Chapter One

In Lior, the city of recent turmoil, two figures stood overlooking the capital city like they always did. The moon hung high above them in the black blanket that was the night, and the two figures' shadows stretched long before them until they mixed together to become one. Lust, the woman, easily blended into the darkness with her raven hair and slinky black dress. Her manicured nails, painted black, shone softly in the light of the moon. A hand was to her chin as she stood thinking, and her eyes, a hard violet, flitted all over the place as she plotted hidden thoughts.

The man at her side could have been mistaken as an oaf from first sight. His thick arms hung uselessly at his side and his round white eyes were blank. He was chubby, but it didn't matter, for out of the Seven Sins, he was Gluttony. A mouth that could eat anything and everything was what he had for his power. He could eat whatever and whenever he wanted. That was what distinguished him from the other Homunculi, artificial humans created during human transmutation. Each of them had their own special abilities, but lacked a true soul in exchange for their gifts. They were named after the Seven Deadly Sins according to why they were created. Because Dante, their leader, had required a way of storing the Philosopher's Stone, human Gluttony had been killed and resurrected to who he was now. Lust on the other hand, had been created out of love, resurrected by an Ishbalite who wished to be reunited with his beloved. But no matter how each of the seven homunculi was created, it was all their quest to find and use the Philosopher's Stone so they could become human.

Or for some, revenge was the reason. Their names did come from the sin of why they had been created after all, and that wasn't something the homunculi could forget easily. Envy for one was fiercely envious of his half-brothers, even if they were brothers in spirit only. No one quite remembered why he had been created in the first place, but because Envy was his name, Lust figured it had something to do with Hohenheim being jealous of death or maybe even Dante. But what did it matter? Envy was someone else, not her, why was she even thinking of him?

They were extremely close to creating the Stone now, Lust thought to herself, continuing her musing. The scarred man from Ishbal possessed the power they needed and the hatred that accompanied the creation. Scar, was that his name? Lust wasn't too sure, but names weren't that important in her world. She wanted so much to be human and to be rid of her desire for so many things. Sometimes she didn't even know why though; was it becomes Dante, their leader told them this? Or was it because she was tired of her life? It gnawed at her all the time and consumed much of her mind. Gluttony, she knew, always devoured more than he wanted, which was what he had received when becoming a Homunculi. She almost pitied him, but she could never tell if he actually did want to eat as much as he did or hated it.

Her ears caught the soft landing of someone behind them and she turned. Speak of the Devil, she thought, and he will appear. It was a human saying, but one that, despite her dislike for humans, certainly fit well. Lust smiled wryly, her black bangs almost covering one violet eye. "Envy. How kind of you to drop by."

A young man of about eighteen was crouched behind them on the wall. Moonlight silhouetted him against the building, and dark green hair flowed down his head with parts of it covering his face. A black bandana with a red symbol etched on it was tied around his head. Clay, stated the three dots positioned into a triangle. Clay, the malleable substance that could be turned into just about anything, just like Envy. It matched him perfectly, although Lust wondered how he could have made such a reference to himself. After all, humans were the masters of clay. By wearing such a symbol, was he referring to the fact that humans were his master? He had been created by one, and he was currently serving a human, but Lust knew Envy was too volatile to live like that. Perhaps another reason then?

"You caught me," Envy said with a light chuckle. His violet eyes passed over the other man, but he ignored him completely. After all, the oaf was too stupid to figure anything out for himself. Also, he was ugly. Envy was disgusted by his beady eyes and large nose. They looked disgusting on Gluttony's fat body, and he hated even thinking about it. Even if Gluttony had the ability to speak properly, Envy wouldn't have been able to respect him because his looks were so disturbing. And on top of all of that, Gluttony was bald, too, missing the beautiful crop of hair he, Envy, had. Envy couldn't for the life of him figure out who wanted to resurrect such a man, even if the man was for storage only. Why not a more beautiful creature? Sure, he understood that only something ugly would not be missed, but still. Did Dante have to choose the ugliest being she could have possibly found? He certainly would never have chosen Gluttony's vessel as a sin.

Neither could he figure out why Lust and Gluttony were always together. Lust, with her beauty, her craftiness, her... lust for anything that caught her attention. She was intense, attractive, and frightening. He loved her power, which had given her the nickname, "Ultimate Lance". She was a better companion for Envy than Sloth, who always clung to Pride anyway. Hmph. Lame. Sloth was just like a human in that matter.

Lust smiled craftily and despite himself, Envy felt a rush go through him. She was indeed a devious one. He would have to watch out for her, for she excited him in ways his unlucky victims never did.

"So what do you want, Envy?" she asked.

Envy raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think so little of me that whenever I show up, all you wonder about is what my motive is?" He brushed back his hair, deciding to throw her off. "How are you today?"

She was taken aback, he could tell. Usually he didn't concern himself with the other Homunculi unless he wanted something from them, and she knew this. It was uncommon for him to make chitchat with them. Envy was too high above everyone else. After a brief second however, she was back to her usual composed self. "Gluttony and I traveled around today. Visited Lior to see how the city was doing. That place is a mess now," she added as an afterthought. "You?"

"Wrath and I explored the area around Lior. Checked some places over, that kind of thing. A few chimeras were wandering around, so we killed them." Damn. Everything was so mundane in his life. He needed excitement, and he knew Lust could offer it to him if he asked. After all, she hadn't been given that name for no reason. However, he said nothing, mainly because he didn't want her to think that he liked her. He had a reputation to uphold.

Lust smiled, thinking back to earlier days where she had stirred up war and when she and Gluttony had killed Conero, that cursed priest who had failed at the easy task they had assigned him. It just went to show that one could never rely on humans. "Are you still playing the part of that priest?" she asked.

Envy snorted dersively. "Nah, I let him die. It's just too boring and ugly a part for cute lil' me!"

Lust snickered at that, laughing to herself at the light lilt in the other's voice when he had concluded his sentence. "Envy, you're just lazy."

"Lazy, lazy!" Gluttony mimicked.

Envy glanced at Gluttony in disgust. "Playing that part won't help me in my goal in any way, so why should I do it just to satisfy that old woman?" He shrugged angrily. "Besides, people kept on coming to me for help, and you know how much I hate that, especially from weak and stupid humans!" He muttered some more under his breath, but Lust couldn't quite catch what he said and decided it would be better not to ask him about it.

It was a known fact that Envy hated humans after all. He hated the fact that they often let emotion overrun sense, hated the fact that they flipped so quickly from side to side. He saw them as weak and dependent on one another. At the same time, he was jealous of them because they had so much while he so little. It was almost a love-hate relationship for Envy; love because he was obsessed with them, hate because he couldn't stand being with them for longer than ten minutes before killing them. Envy did not have a patient or tolerant temperament, and it showed. If one wanted to rile the homunculus up, all one had to do was mention humans, especially a certain golden-haired man, and Envy would immediately be thrown into such a great rage that his features became unrecognizable and his strength increased threefold.

A smirk came over Lust's face as she remembered all of this. "Sometimes, you need to do what you hate in order to get things accomplished. If you continue to wreck havoc, the Elric brothers will feel even worse for the horrors they've brought to that city by killing Conero in the first place."

Envy stroked his chin and glanced at Lust. "You're a smart chick, aren't you? I could do that, but it would be too much trouble." He jabbed a finger in her direction. "However, remind me to consult you next time when a situation like that arises again."

Lust lifted up her shoulders and arms in a "what can I say?" manner. Then she curled her fingers together and turned her wrists out. "I'm brilliant, what else is there to it?"

Again, Envy's eyes slid to Gluttony's for a brief moment. At least your brilliance makes up for your idiot companion, he thought to himself sneeringly. If he ever came up with anything like that, I would seal myself.

The two of them talked a little longer, but finally Envy said he had to leave. They bid their farewells, but for the first time, his eyes lingered on hers for a few seconds. Then the moment broke, and without another word, he left, leaping from roof to roof until he had been swallowed by the night.

Gluttony dumbly watched the remaining homunculus as drool dripped from his open mouth. His blank eyes looked imploringly at her. "Lust? What are we going to do now?"

Lust hadn't taken her eyes from the direction Envy had taken. A blush had risen in her normally pale face, and she stroked her arm thoughtfully. "Envy..." she said softly. "What an interesting person, don't you think?"

Gluttony didn't respond, for his mind had drifted yet again, and his thumb was in his mouth as he sucked it. "I'm hungry," he finally said.

Lust laughed gently and touched his shoulder. "Let's find some food for you then, shall we?"


******

The touch of her hand on my shoulder burned my skin, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn't control my urge to consume things whether or not I was hungry. How was I supposed to compare myself to Envy? He was strong and handsome, could do things I couldn't do. Why wouldn't Lust be attracted to him? Me, I was lunky and waddled, almost barreled my way through everything. Compared to him, I was nothing.

But then again, I was the one that Lust had chosen to partner with. Why had she chosen me anyways? I had always wondered, but did not think my place to ask. It still wasn't in my eyes. Was it because I had been one of the first Homunculi to greet her? Why did I care so much about her attraction to Envy anyway? If she liked him, I couldn't do anything about it. He was our leader after all. But still, in my cold self, I felt a stab of pain at the thought of the two embracing.

Tell her. You must tell her before it's too late.

My mouth opened. The words were almost at the tip of my tongue, but drool suddenly poured out and I couldn’t make them come out. Quickly I stuck my thumb in my mouth in an effort to stop the pour. Lust was talking, but I concentrated on stopping the drool. When she stopped however, what I had been about to say was wiped from my mind. By the time I remembered, I had delayed too long, saying the first thing that popped into my mind as she waited for my response. Hungry? Wonderful phrase to say to one's love.

What I wouldn't have given to rewind that moment. To give her a better view of myself, the way I really was, not the starving cannibal I always seemed to be. I couldn't say what I wanted to say now. But was it going to be too late when I finally said them?

Lust was moving on, and my head was tired of thinking. For some reason, I could never focus my thoughts for long. My moments of senility in my own mind were always short bouts that appeared at random. Because this bout was about to end, there was nothing more I could do. I followed after her lovely figure and stuck my thumb in my mouth. Another night. I would sort it all out another night.

Chapter Three

Except for the occasional lonely call of a mourning dove that sliced through the fading night, the city was silent. The sun had just begun to peep over the morning horizon, and the breeze slicing through the air was cool. A calm soaked the entire region.

A soft pounding could be heard in the distance. The mourning dove looked up just in time to see a giant figure run dumpily past her. She sensed his evil and with a shudder of relief, she ducked her head into her wing and wept.

Gluttony raced on the rooftops, lugging Lust on his shoulder. Her body bounced as he ran. Something was wrong. She was supposed to be awake by now as the effects of the attack should not have lasted this long. He had never seen it like this. What had happened when the trinket flashed before her eyes? Not a single remnant remained of his own body, so he would never know the experience. He could only satisfy himself by imagining himself in Lust's place and feeling her pain.

An abandoned building loomed ahead of him, and he instinctively knew that it would be the best place to take Lust. With a mighty jump, he soared over the wall and landed like a fat cat on the ground. Lust tumbled off his shoulders, and he resorted to carrying her the rest of the way into the building.

Inside it was murky, but it didn't matter, because he could still see well in the blackness. The room that he took her into was dark and musty, and he would have smelled dust if he were capable of smelling. A single curtain waved in the broken window next to a ripped mattress. Gluttony gently laid her on the mattress and then sprawled on the ground.

He didn't know what to do. When the previous Lust had fallen into this condition seventy years ago, he had been unable to do anything. She had died in his arms, killed by Envy because she had tried to defect, and he had been helpless, unable to prevent a thing. Even Dante, the one gathering the homunculi, had sat idly and watched. When she had been killed, Dante had simply set about creating another homunculi, a perfect one this time that would end up being called Pride. In his disgust however, Gluttony had refused the partner. Dante had laughed and decided that this new creature would then take Gluttony and Lust's old position of stirring up trouble to create the Philosopher's Stone for her. He on the other hand, had taken to wandering across the country, devouring the unfortunate who stumbled into his path. When the Lust that lay before him was created roughly fifty years later, the sense of emptiness left him, and he was happy again. But now..

Gluttony's hands clutched at nothing. His stubby fingers clawed at the dusty air. What was he supposed to do? Should he go for help rather than watch her die? He wondered if the precious stones were churning inside Lust's body, just itching to be thrown out as soon as she stepped into an alchemy circle.

An alchemy circle! Frantically Gluttony looked around. He didn't know why anyone would draw an alchemy circle in a wreck like this, but one never knew. A torrent of relief rushed through him when he saw there was none.

He reached over and stroked one cold cheek with a fat finger. The glutton in him longed to eat this helpless woman, but his sane mind forced it down. He would never eat Lust. She was too beautiful to be devoured by him. Even if he were ordered to, he would eat himself first and enjoy every last bite. The person he would protect with his life was Lust, and he had decided that on their very first meeting.

"Who's there?" a familiar voice called from outside, and Gluttony jerked up. Envy? What was he doing here? No! He had come to this forlorn place because he had been almost certain it would be the last place Envy would come to!

"Come out, I can taste your despair out here!" Envy shouted. "This is my home, not yours. Reveal yourself or I'll come in for you!"

Gluttony pictured the other homunculi licking his lips with his blood red tongue. Suddenly anguish filled him down to the deepest core of his soulless self. He was unable to do anything, and with his far more vastly experience, Envy would probably know what to do. With a growl, Gluttony smashed the window and rolled out. Glass cut into his skin, but he didn't feel the pain; he only felt the blood leaking from the wound and sliding down to hit the floor. He gave a keening cry and fell to his knees against the rising dust.

Envy laughed when he saw who it was. There had been no need to threaten after all and lie. Gluttony was such an idiot that all he had to do was say he had fresh meat for the man. "Gluttony? Where is Lust?" Envy asked teasingly. "Did she abandon you for a better man?"

Dumb as Gluttony's mind was, his desperation still managed to shine through his white eyes. Envy's own eyes widened when he realized the meaning of Gluttony's cry. "Lust?" he asked urgently. "Something's wrong with Lust?"

"The Full Metal!" Gluttony roared. "I hate him! He and the Scarred one did this!"

Envy leaped through the broken window and rolled to a rest next to where Lust lay. His searching eyes took in her stillness, and his hands began twitching. Of all the deadly things that oaf could have gotten Lust into, it had to be the worst one possible? When Gluttony stopped his cry and lumbered into the room, Envy slapped him. "You stupid b*****d! Why didn't you do something earlier?" he demanded.

Gluttony didn't respond, angering Envy further. He punched him in the stomach, then kicked him over. Gluttony's body rolled across the floor and came to a rest with a 'bam' as he hit the wall. "Why the hell does she hang around you? You can't even protect her!" Envy flung his arm out at Lust's motionless figure. "Look at her now! Look at her!"

Gluttony slowly rose to his feet and looked at the floor. "I.. I love her," he said simply. There. He had finally said it.

Envy just stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell do you know about love? You're a freaking b*****d, a retard! You don't deserve someone like her!" He marched up to Gluttony and seized his ear. "Get this? Stay away from her! I don't want to see you within five feet of her ever again!" A cruel smile crept onto his face. "I'll bring you fresh meat everyday if you'll just follow that order."

Gluttony stared blankly at Envy, and the older homunculi laughed. Everything was taken care of. With his hungering stomach, Gluttony would leap at the chance to always lounge at their haven and never have to leave again to search for food. It was an irresistible offer, Envy knew. The only thing he disliked about it was that now he was going to have to actually locate the food. But it didn't matter. Gluttony would probably forget about it anyway. It was only the spoken promise, the actual offer that was important. Envy knew that promises were meant to be broken, and he certainly intended on that happening to this one. He would sooner kill himself, no, kill Gluttony, than act as his hunting dog. But Gluttony didn't know that. Gluttony was too dumb to see past his closest meal. This Envy was certain it was a fact.

Without a word, Gluttony turned and left, leaving a triumphant Envy. Envy's laughter followed the retreating homunculus out of the room.

*

How well do you know me, Envy? How dare you attempt bribing me like this? What makes you think I cannot experience love while you can? I love her just as much as you do. Because you sensed my despair, you found your way to her. If I did not love her, would you have felt us still? This feeling eating at me is far stronger than any other hunger I have ever felt. Do you even know why I left? It was because I couldn't stand to see your leering face as you thought I accepted your stinking offer.

You who try to steal her from me. Do you not realize the depth of my feelings? How dare you accuse me of not loving her? I, who had been by her side almost every day since we had met?

She had saved me many times, and I had returned the favor to her just as many times. We were an inseparable pair and because of the Full Metal child, the scarred one, and Envy, we were to be forced apart. But would Lust even care? Would she be relieved to be free of the burden that was me?

I slammed my fists onto the ground in anger. They all took me for a blundering fool who leaped at the first chance of food. No one understood me, not even Lust. Was not love supposed to be understanding? She didn't feel the same way about me however, so there was no way she was supposed to know my heart and mind. No one ever said love was simple. No one ever said it did not cause the pain it did now. I hit my fists against the ground again. No one ever said love was simple.

Chapter Five

The black night's peace was deceptive. Although the humans in the city slept, the homunculi inhabiting it were restless. They were lost in their own minds, uncertain for the first time in their long lives.

A lumbering figure collapsed on a rooftop and gave a keening cry that echoed throughout the city. No one save the homunculus himself heard it however, because it was a cry that he made inside his heart, a cry that spelled out his hopelessness, his pain, his despair. And at the root of it, the acknowledgment that there was nothing he could do about his situation.

He wanted to cry, but there was no water in his body save for the saliva in his mouth that was even right now drooling down and creating a puddle. Dully the homunculus wondered if he could take that as his tears. He was Gluttony after all, and perhaps he wasn't meant to cry. After all, how many people had he hurt? It didn't matter now, but the homunculus realized now that each person he killed took away the same number of tears that they cried when he killed them.

It was saddening, but he couldn't take back his actions. At this moment, Gluttony made the decision to never take a life again. He would fight against the Sin inside himself as hard as he could, and if he had to, he would eat himself instead of the human. The entire business of gathering the Philosopher's Stone sickened him now. Because of the Stone, his Lust was injured, and he was now Envy's pet to be laughed at. Cold fury swept through Gluttony as he remembered Envy's taunting words. Was there anything he could do about that homunculus? He knew the answer to be no, because Envy was the first homunculus created and had Dante on his side while he.. Gluttony knew that he himself was also thought of Dante's pet.

He laughed at himself. What was he really then? Just the entire "family's" pet? Was that how they all truly thought of him? He knew he was despised by Envy and that the rest looked down on him because of his inability to control the Gluttony inside of him. Then again, did any of them really believe that he was sentient inside?

No, Gluttony thought sadly. Not even Lust believed that. They all believed him to have the intelligence of a four-year old at best. It was a depressing thought, but whenever he tried to show them otherwise, drool would slip out and wipe out any words he'd try to say. Then whomever he'd just been speaking to would laugh and walk off. Only Lust, only her out of everyone he had ever met, had never laughed.

Gluttony's huge mouth softened into a smile, one that looked strange on his doughy face. Lust. She had always been kind to him. They had made a connection the very first time they had met. It hadn't happened with the previous Lust, but the current Lust? Yes. He had a theory that the Sin inside Lust was one that had been passed on from his first Lust. After all, Lust One had been reluctant to get to know when they had first met, but after a period of time, she accepted him and became his friend. Her feelings could just disappear like that, could they?

But then she had died, killed by Envy. And many years later, she had manifested again in Lust Two. This was something Gluttony fiercely believed in, because when Envy led Lust Two to the homunculi, a connection had been forged between the two almost immediately. Gluttony liked to believe it to be as soon as their eyes, one violet, the other dull white, met and held onto each other for a full minute.

It was a moment that Gluttony cherished still, one that he thought about often in troubled times. It was one he thought of now.

*

In another part of the city, Lust was running on the rooftops, her mind racing even quicker than her feet were moving. Was this the right thing to do? Should she search out Scar? What if he tried to kill her again? Would she be fast enough to tell him she didn't want to fight?

Then Lust realized that if she doubted herself, she would never be fast enough. That was why before she had always been able to kill people so quickly – she had trusted her own skills and never questioned them. And that was what she would have to do now. She would have to trust herself and trust in the fact that she would instinctively know what she was doing.

But what if he didn't listen to her even after she tried to explain things? Then what would she do? Would she simply kill him as she had done to others in the past or would she let herself be killed by him? Lust knew without having to be told that the memories that had shot through her were changing her in ways she had never comprehended. For good or bad though? That was the real question.

She was becoming more human; there was no doubt about that. Before she had always despised humans because they were so weak and always let themselves be controlled by their emotions. Now however, she realized that perhaps it took a lot of strength to be controlled that way, when the mind pleaded to be rational. Was the mind stronger then or emotions? For her, the mind had always been stronger because she had never felt any real feelings. Now that they were beginning to stir inside her however, she wondered if her feelings would grow stronger than her rational side and even take over the Sin side of herself. Was that possible? Could it really happen?

Lust smiled. Perhaps that would be the new challenge she would take onto herself. She even wondered if she could somehow bring back the person she had once been. Maybe then she could really feel love. Maybe then she could really begin to understand her companions. There was someone she wanted to understand, and it wasn't just Envy.

As she ran, she began to hear a cry in her mind. The voice sounded familiar, almost like Gluttony's. She began to run faster, and soon she could see a misshapen figure sitting on the rooftop several buildings away. It was unmoving. A sense of urgency filled her, and she thrust her nails into the floor she was on now and vaulted to the next building. This she repeated several times until she had jumped over to Gluttony.

"Gluttony," she said anxiously. "Gluttony, what is wrong?"

The homunculus dully looked up at her and his mouth suddenly curled into a huge grin. "Lust!" he cried happily. His hands reached up and pawed at the air. "Lust!"

"That's right," Lust said softly as a sense of relief washed over her. "It's me." Gently she took his hand. "Let's go home."

*

She had found me after all. She had heard the cry in my heart. Against everything I had believed, she had heard me, the real me. Was she accepting me for the person I was? Would she be the first to truly understand me?

It did not have to be that kind of love, I realized. I knew now that I didn't care if she loved me romantically. I just wanted her to love me. If she loved me as a friend, as she did now, I could be happy, since I could live through her love. Through her, I could be the person I wanted to be, not the person taken over by the Sin.

When she took my hand, I knew everything would be all right. She would stand up to Envy for me, make him see how cruel he was. Perhaps she could change everyone then! Perhaps this was a turning point in my drudge of a life. Her acceptance of me was a signal that everyone else in our group would slowly begin to understand me. And once they understood me, perhaps the Sin in me would gradually subside and the real me could finally emerge.

We walked, hand in hand, not for the first time. But for the first time, I felt a true peace. Things were finally going to get better.

Chapter Seven

It was the usual emptiness. No matter what he tried, he could not get rid of it. It lingered inside him, ate his soulless body up until he could feel it gnawing at him from under his skin. He could stab himself, but it wouldn't do anything. The only thing that temporarily relieved him was hunting a victim down and killing him, enjoying the person's last few moments on earth, watching him scream in pain, and seeing his face twist into the most grotesque expression possible.

He shook himself free. Now was not the time to concentrate about that. He had to-

Suddenly, the sound of quiet footsteps broke through his thoughts. The homunculus turned around and saw Lust walk up to him. She looked fine, as if she had not just gone through a life-or-death situation, and her stride was proud, stiff. Envy wondered what could have happened to cause the stern, beautiful look in her normally stony eyes. The oaf wasn't at her side for once, and he wondered if Gluttony had really taken what he had said to heart. If so, had he told Lust the reason for his isolation? Was this why she was coming toward him so tautly?

"Lust," he called out playfully. "What are you doing outside unescorted so late at night? Don't you fear being raped or something? A lady like you needs a guardian."

Lust gave him a look. "Does someone like me really need an escort?" She was referring to the nails that shot out of her hands and could instantly kill anyone she pierced if she chose.

Envy laughed. "No. Of course not."

The woman reached him and took a seat next to him. She looked up at the shadowed skies for a moment before continuing to speak. "Envy," she said slowly, as if she was testing each word. "I'm going tomorrow to Lior. Will you come with me?"

Envy figured out what she was talking about and looked at Lust in surprise. "You're going to help Scar create the Stone?"

Lust nodded. "He's our best chance right now. He already has part of it in his arm, too."

Envy said nothing, although he was sorely tempted to tell her that it was self-defeating to trust humans. They always ended up betraying the people trusting them, so what was the point in even trying? Humans were weak. He had realized that long ago, and it was something Lust needed to learn if she intended on surviving. If one turned too human, death was the only answer. To be controlled by his own emotions meant to Envy that he was turning into the same kind of person his b*****d of a father was. And he would never let himself be compared similarly to that man.

"Do what you want, but don't say I didn't warn you," the homunculi said with a nonchalant shrug. He would show her he didn't care about her. He would show her that he could be single-minded when she could not. He would show her that he was all the things she was not and would therefore succeed where she would not.

Lust regarded him almost curiously. "You know," she started to say softly. "Sometimes I wonder who's better off. You. Or me." A sad smile came over her face. "Guess we'll find out soon."

*

So I wasn't going to receive any help from him either. I could have expected that. He wasn't the kind of person to help humans unless it benefited him. He hated so much that he couldn't look past them and see that they could be relied on, at least when they too were searching for their hearts' desires. Scar wanted the Philosopher's Stone, and I could count on him to create it. Whether or not he would give it to me though, well, I could always kill him if I needed to.

But then, I wondered, did I really want to kill him? He had recognized my face, had known me before I died. His own face had distorted into something almost unrecognizable. I had seen hatred in that expression and I wanted to know why. Why had his face changed so when I had first seen adoration mixed with surprise? Did he know something about me that even I didn't know?

Suddenly, I was glad I was doing this alone. Alone I could work without distractions and without thinking of what my partner thought of me. This was one of the most reassuring things about Gluttony; because he never voiced his thoughts, I did not have to worry about his criticizing opinions. I could rely on him to stay by my side and support me in just about any way. A smile rose on my lips. He was almost like my silent guardian, steadfast and single-minded so much that I could count on him to do whatever he wanted, one of which I knew was to help me. The refusal to help me today was one of the first times he had failed me.

I frowned. Was it really so good to be single-minded sometimes? Yes, it got things done, but what if one lost himself getting it done? What if a person got so single-minded that he forgot his original purpose? Would anything he had accomplished be worth it then?

I shook my head violently. This wasn't the time to get distracted. But, gnawed a strange thought in my mind, what would I do when I got the Stone?

*
Envy stared at the rising sun hatefully. Why. Why did it have to brighten the skies like this when he wanted it to be forever dark as it was for him? The taste of the toothpick was supposed to be bitter, but he had no sense of taste. Finally, Envy had chewed on it enough. He spat it out and wiped his mouth. He had found the wooden stick in a food stand selling peppers last night during the night market before Lust had come along. Wrath had been with him, and he had been teaching the younger homunculus the reins of the place. It still amazed him how much the other had changed after eating the red stones, making him wonder what he himself could have been like in his past life.

Envy laughed. No matter. It had to be better than the life he led now. He still remembered the first time that b*****d had taunted him, saying, "I am your father and I wish you were dead," into his ear. That "man" had said that he, Envy, was his unforgivable sin. Fury swept through Envy. Wasn't it enough that he had abandoned him in the first place? Did Hohenheim really have to rub it in? Envy punched the wall, causing debris to shower down on him. It wasn't fair. Hell, it wasn't fair. Had he done anything to deserve the s**t he had to go through besides die?

Dawn was beginning to break over the city borders. Envy turned to watch the sun, longing to knock it out of the sky. He wanted others to experience the darkness he was and had been in for so long. It wasn't fair that he was the only one with so many shadows in his sky. He didn't care what Lust or any of the others said. Everyone else had so much more than him.

His fists clenched and unclenched. Even if he was supposedly immortal, Envy felt like he had been cheated. So what if he could live forever? Lust had once said to him that the reason why she wanted to become human was so she could die. Was this true in his case, too?

Envy laughed. No. The reason why he even stayed with their little group was because it was the fastest and only way he could think of getting revenge on his damned "father" and his stupid half-brothers. Besides, he had stopped feeling a long time ago. It wasn't like he was missing anything either; if he went through the turmoil Lust went through, he would be weak. So weak he would never be able to deliver the killing blow when it was needed. And that was something Envy never wanted to happen to him.

A rooster walked across the roof, ruffling its feathers and flapping its red wings. It opened its mouth to welcome the new day. Suddenly irritated, Envy shot forward and seized the rooster. The crow was stopped mid-call, and the homunculus's slender fingers wrapped around the bird's neck, slowly tightening and squeezing the esophagus.

"Why should you have life?" he asked bitterly. The dry feeling of the toothpick was still in his mouth, and he hated it. He wanted to spit it out in a shower all over the bird, but it was already out of his mouth. "Why can't you be me?"

One finger slid across the smooth feathers on the bird's head and came to a stop on the neck. "People like you. They hate me. And for good reason," Envy said. He waved his free hand and his face twisted into a cruel grimace as he stared at the rooster. "I don't give a damn about them, and they don't give a damn about me." His violet eyes narrowed as they bored into the rooster's eyes. "Why do you taunt me like this?"

It was as if he were speaking to himself. The bird's beady black eyes were as blank as his own. It struggled incessantly against Envy's rampant onslaught, unable to recognize why it had been picked out for torment this wonderful day.

"I'm created out of another person's sin, but people despise me, not the creator. What's the fairness in that?" Envy demanded. He lowered his hand and one could almost taste his despair as his breath came out raggedly. Then he raised his head and smiled, under control once again.

"Hey, bird," Envy said sweetly. "How nice of you to drop by." As he spoke his last sentence, he broke the bird's neck and tossed it off the roof to the ground. "Yes.. drop by," he whispered softly as a horrific scream echoed through the early dawn. A smirk danced across his twisted face, and he laughed. "How I love that sound," he said to himself.

Then he turned and left.

*

I would never show weakness. If I did, my life would be lost, and I would be nothing more than the ant-like humans that crawled on the earth. I was me! I was strong, independent, I was-

I didn't know we could cry.

Chapter Nine

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Thirteen