[non-canon fic] Acedia
I suppose I should put this as a preface and forewarning. This is a non-canon possibility of how Sloth might have been collected by the other Recasted Series homunculi. Thus, it has not been approved by Hime and I have no idea if I’m portraying these characters properly. I would contact Hime, but I’m terribly shy and would feel I was bothering her for a stupid reason, especially since she hasn’t posted anything on this community for the past six months. I mean, she does have a real life, I wouldn’t want to intrude.
I am not here to cause wank, I’m here to try and express an idea I find fascinating through a medium I enjoy. Okay? Okay.
Scared yet?
The sky was almost pitch black, every star and even the Moon covered by a thick blanket of clouds. It was raining, a thousand torrents of water falling from the heavens. With the slightest bit of irony, a man, standing under a violet umbrella, smirked. Was God crying that night? Did He see the sins of His children and regret having ever given them free will? Was He disgusted by what had been born that night, the cursed result of a childhood friend’s love?
“Here they come.”
Envy’s amused voice cut through his idle musing, returning to reality in time to see the two responsible. The transmutation had taken its toll on them, in the most literal fashion. The older brother, the one who looked so like a girl, was missing his right arm and left leg. The younger was now a mobile suit of armor, his body having been claimed by the Gate as a price. He was carrying his brother, running as fast as those metal legs could carry him. Pride shook his head, a smirk still on his face.
They didn’t think running would let them escape, did they? Oh, children were so very naïve. No, if they were really his sons, they would at least know to own up to their mistakes. But, then again, maybe they were more like the old man than Pride was expecting and they’d simply disappear whenever they felt like it. His eyes narrowed, now was hardly the time to reminisce. Perhaps the two would return to confront the monster they made, but by then it would be too late.
“And there they go.”
Pride caught the aggravated tone in Envy’s voice, that slight change in pitch that asked ‘are you really going to let them live?’ His head turned ever so slightly to meet the younger homunculus’s gaze, to let him know that he was trying the elder’s hardly limitless patience. It said ‘yes, I am, and you will not question my authority if you enjoy your extremities.’ Of course, loss of limb was never much of a threat to a homunculus, but the message got across. In Envy’s twisted little mind, having certain ‘privileges’ he had enjoyed with Pride revoked was much, much worse than the pain of having his hands cut off.
They had tested that theory once, actually, on one of Pride’s ‘bad days’.
Almost out of nowhere, Pride heard a noise, a wet squishing noise like someone pelting a tomato at a wall. He and his fellow homunculi turned in the direction of the noise, finding that something was trying to push open the doors of the cellar. With a smirk, the Sin declared, “The poor thing must be trapped in there, fighting for its wretched life.” To his left, Envy made a sound as though he was concerned, then cackled scornfully. Waving his other companion forward, he berated, “Don’t be rude, Lust, let our new friend get some air.”
The taller sin would not have moved from Pride’s side had he not been ordered to. With disdain, Lust extended his deadly claws and slashed apart the cellar doors. Then he covered his nose, the stench of exposed organs and body parts foreign to him. Envy snickered, having become almost as accustomed to the scent as their leader over the years. Leaning forward slightly, the eldest of the sins got a good look at their newest member.
Pride could tell from the horrific face and long gray-blonde hair that the newly born had been a girl in life, terribly close to becoming a woman. Her ribs stuck out at odd angles, a limb that might have been an arm was bent the wrong way. Well, that was the damned for you. Lust wrapped his arms around Pride’s waist and wrinkled his nose in revulsion. Envy wasn’t pleased about that at all.
“Wretched little thing, huh, Lust?” The second eldest snarled out, before adding, “Wasn’t too long ago you looked just like her!”
Lust retorted with a sneer, pulling his face out of the crook of Pride’s neck long enough to say, “Perhaps, but I outgrew my hideousness, unlike others who will remain nameless.”
Rolling his eyes, Pride pushed Lust away and held out a hand of red stones to the piles of flesh and organs. “Eat up, my dear,” his voice was falsely soothing to appeal to the newborn’s erratic mind, “you’ll need your strength.” The pile chewed the stones noisily, savoring the taste of human lives. In moments, the souls had the intended effect, slowly transforming her into a copy of the girl that was supposed to have been returned. Already her face was looking half-human, her ribs were being to take a proper arrangement, and that arm was sliding up her torso to its rightful place.
Turning to face his companions, Pride ordered, “Lust, it will be the responsibility of you and Gluttony to pursue this new lead. Those two have lost a great deal, and we both know where desperate alchemists look for salvation.” The two shared knowing smirks, before the elder addressed Envy, “Envy, you are to bring our new friend home. Mother Elric will be returning soon and we want her sons, not their creation, to face her wrath.” Hmm, now there was an idea. “Once she’s fully developed, have Wrath install her in the Military. The Fuhrer needs a secretary, after all.”
Envy huffed in disappointment, evidently he had wanted the Elrics for himself. Stepping towards the pile, he paused suddenly and declared in disbelief, “She’s asleep! Out like a damn light!”
Pride turned and listened to the steady sound of their new friend’s snoring. With a smile, he replied sardonically, “Then I suppose that means she won’t be the new Greed, now will she?” Turning on his heel, the eldest looked out to where the Elric brothers had stood not five minutes ago. “If they are his sons, then who better to make the new Stone?” The question was more to himself than his companions, as he did not wait for an answer before declaring, “Time to leave.”
Listening faintly to the rain fall upon his umbrella, Pride came to a conclusion. God was not crying, the world was. The world wept because now there were seven of them at last. It knew that their time was coming.
The world was crying because it knew that it was doomed.
I am not here to cause wank, I’m here to try and express an idea I find fascinating through a medium I enjoy. Okay? Okay.
Scared yet?
The sky was almost pitch black, every star and even the Moon covered by a thick blanket of clouds. It was raining, a thousand torrents of water falling from the heavens. With the slightest bit of irony, a man, standing under a violet umbrella, smirked. Was God crying that night? Did He see the sins of His children and regret having ever given them free will? Was He disgusted by what had been born that night, the cursed result of a childhood friend’s love?
“Here they come.”
Envy’s amused voice cut through his idle musing, returning to reality in time to see the two responsible. The transmutation had taken its toll on them, in the most literal fashion. The older brother, the one who looked so like a girl, was missing his right arm and left leg. The younger was now a mobile suit of armor, his body having been claimed by the Gate as a price. He was carrying his brother, running as fast as those metal legs could carry him. Pride shook his head, a smirk still on his face.
They didn’t think running would let them escape, did they? Oh, children were so very naïve. No, if they were really his sons, they would at least know to own up to their mistakes. But, then again, maybe they were more like the old man than Pride was expecting and they’d simply disappear whenever they felt like it. His eyes narrowed, now was hardly the time to reminisce. Perhaps the two would return to confront the monster they made, but by then it would be too late.
“And there they go.”
Pride caught the aggravated tone in Envy’s voice, that slight change in pitch that asked ‘are you really going to let them live?’ His head turned ever so slightly to meet the younger homunculus’s gaze, to let him know that he was trying the elder’s hardly limitless patience. It said ‘yes, I am, and you will not question my authority if you enjoy your extremities.’ Of course, loss of limb was never much of a threat to a homunculus, but the message got across. In Envy’s twisted little mind, having certain ‘privileges’ he had enjoyed with Pride revoked was much, much worse than the pain of having his hands cut off.
They had tested that theory once, actually, on one of Pride’s ‘bad days’.
Almost out of nowhere, Pride heard a noise, a wet squishing noise like someone pelting a tomato at a wall. He and his fellow homunculi turned in the direction of the noise, finding that something was trying to push open the doors of the cellar. With a smirk, the Sin declared, “The poor thing must be trapped in there, fighting for its wretched life.” To his left, Envy made a sound as though he was concerned, then cackled scornfully. Waving his other companion forward, he berated, “Don’t be rude, Lust, let our new friend get some air.”
The taller sin would not have moved from Pride’s side had he not been ordered to. With disdain, Lust extended his deadly claws and slashed apart the cellar doors. Then he covered his nose, the stench of exposed organs and body parts foreign to him. Envy snickered, having become almost as accustomed to the scent as their leader over the years. Leaning forward slightly, the eldest of the sins got a good look at their newest member.
Pride could tell from the horrific face and long gray-blonde hair that the newly born had been a girl in life, terribly close to becoming a woman. Her ribs stuck out at odd angles, a limb that might have been an arm was bent the wrong way. Well, that was the damned for you. Lust wrapped his arms around Pride’s waist and wrinkled his nose in revulsion. Envy wasn’t pleased about that at all.
“Wretched little thing, huh, Lust?” The second eldest snarled out, before adding, “Wasn’t too long ago you looked just like her!”
Lust retorted with a sneer, pulling his face out of the crook of Pride’s neck long enough to say, “Perhaps, but I outgrew my hideousness, unlike others who will remain nameless.”
Rolling his eyes, Pride pushed Lust away and held out a hand of red stones to the piles of flesh and organs. “Eat up, my dear,” his voice was falsely soothing to appeal to the newborn’s erratic mind, “you’ll need your strength.” The pile chewed the stones noisily, savoring the taste of human lives. In moments, the souls had the intended effect, slowly transforming her into a copy of the girl that was supposed to have been returned. Already her face was looking half-human, her ribs were being to take a proper arrangement, and that arm was sliding up her torso to its rightful place.
Turning to face his companions, Pride ordered, “Lust, it will be the responsibility of you and Gluttony to pursue this new lead. Those two have lost a great deal, and we both know where desperate alchemists look for salvation.” The two shared knowing smirks, before the elder addressed Envy, “Envy, you are to bring our new friend home. Mother Elric will be returning soon and we want her sons, not their creation, to face her wrath.” Hmm, now there was an idea. “Once she’s fully developed, have Wrath install her in the Military. The Fuhrer needs a secretary, after all.”
Envy huffed in disappointment, evidently he had wanted the Elrics for himself. Stepping towards the pile, he paused suddenly and declared in disbelief, “She’s asleep! Out like a damn light!”
Pride turned and listened to the steady sound of their new friend’s snoring. With a smile, he replied sardonically, “Then I suppose that means she won’t be the new Greed, now will she?” Turning on his heel, the eldest looked out to where the Elric brothers had stood not five minutes ago. “If they are his sons, then who better to make the new Stone?” The question was more to himself than his companions, as he did not wait for an answer before declaring, “Time to leave.”
Listening faintly to the rain fall upon his umbrella, Pride came to a conclusion. God was not crying, the world was. The world wept because now there were seven of them at last. It knew that their time was coming.
The world was crying because it knew that it was doomed.