Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 63 : The Other Side of the Gateway

 

 As Ed beats him with his fists, the father wonders in disbelief how someone who has gained the power of God can be defeated by a human alchemist with his bare hands. Another stunning blow from Ed knocks the Homunculus down for the Count, but as the god's energy tries to escape again, the Father absorbs it, stands up, and makes a desperate dash for Greeda's Philosopher's Stone. As he plunges his arm into his son's abdomen and begins to suck out his stone, Ling's consciousness grips Greed in their shared body and refuses to let go, but as Greed states, his father's pull is stronger and any continued struggle will only lead to Ling's soul being pulled into Father as well. When Ling claims he needs Greed's power to become Emperor of Xing, Greed claims to accept a partnership with the prince for the throne, but knocks him down at the last second and resigns to his father's challenge. When the greedy Homunculus states that it was the only lie he ever told, he informs Ling that he can still become emperor because Lan Fan holds the Philosopher's Stone that she took from Wrath's pocket. Father's arm pulled out his son's stone and slowly turned gray as it absorbed the power of Greed's carbon armor, but with his last moments in the prince's body, Greed summons Lan Fan to his side and she cuts off Father's arm with a simple swipe of her kunai. Ling collapses to the ground, the only soul in his own body as the Ouroboros on his hand vanishes as the father howls piteously at his own son's betrayal. Even as his entire body slowly turns into carbon with Greed's power, the greedy Homunculus inside explains that he used his armor ability to transform his father's anatomy into the weakest and most fragile form of carbon imaginable. The father's entire being begins to collapse under its own weight, but in a last desperate effort, Greed physically rips the soul from his body and tosses it aside, where it turns to dust in the open air. As Greed stares at the others disappearing, he remembers Ed's camaraderie and Ling's claim that friends are bound by an unbreakable bond that exists in their souls; he bids a fond farewell to his soul's dearest friends, and departs from the mortal coil.

Seizing his chance, Edward rushed forward and punched a large hole into Father's frail, disintegrating belly, and through that hole, all the remaining Xerxesian souls poured out and ascended to heaven. With his Philosopher's Stone completely drained, the father trembles and the black, shadowy hands of the Gate reach out from the opening in his body to grasp his head and limbs and pull them inside. As the father slowly fades into himself, he shouts that his desire was simply to learn everything about the world without limitations, and asks why he couldn't do that. In a flash he is gone, appearing in his dwarfed shadowy form from the bottle four centuries ago at his own gate. He absent-mindedly asks why God rejected him and is answered by Truth, who floats behind him and mimics his spherical shape in white. Truth answers that Homunculus failed because he did not believe in himself; instead of taking a human-born life and growing with it, he merely stole the power of others and single-mindedly pursued the concept of "god" without developing as a person. The father angrily replies that he wanted to become a perfect being and gain all the knowledge of the world, and asks what could be wrong with such a pure desire, demanding to know the name of the one speaking to him like that. Truth gives his usual answer—that it is the world, the universe, God, truth, one, all, and also the Father himself—but when the door of the empty gate opens, he adds that truth is what resolves right despair, so that beings do not become conceited and explains that even the Homunculus will get this despair. Black hands emerge from the gate and drag the Homunculus inside as he shouts his objections to returning to that place, noting that his confinement there before was unbearable. Truth begs to tell him what he should have done to avoid this fate, and she gives him this answer: "You just had to see the answer with your own eyes." The gate slams and the father, duly punished for his presumption, is gone.

In the physical world, everyone huddles sadly around Al's lifeless armor. Ling approaches the lying Edward and offers him the Philosopher's Stone to use as a toll to get Al back, but Ed replies that he and his brother promised each other not to use the stone to restore their bodies. Ed frantically thinks and brainstorms any possible way to get Al back from the Gate, but Hohenheim steps in and sacrifices his life for Al's as he declares that his Philosopher's Stone from within him is almost gone. Although he notes that his wish as the boys' father is for them to be happy and that their current state is also his responsibility, Edward adamantly refuses to sacrifice one life for another and gratefully declines his father's offer. Edward reminded himself that as the youngest state alchemist in history – one who had seen the Truth and could transmute without rings must be able to devise an adequate solution, Edward's face lighting up as the answer dawned on him. Looking around at all the people supporting him, Edward asked May to step back from Al's body, grabbing a staff and drawing a huge human transmutation circle identical to the one he had designed in Gluttony's stomach. Standing in the middle of the field, Edward happily informs his friends and allies that he will be right back, but that it will be the last transmutation of the Fullmetal Alchemist. Edward clapped his hands and then on the circle, he began the transmutation as Hohenheim smiled at his son's discovery.

When Edward appears in front of his own Gate, Truth asks him what he will trade for his brother, and Edward replies that he will sacrifice his own Gate as a toll because such a huge and important thing should be enough. Truth laughs and informs Edward that without his Gate he will no longer be able to use alchemy and would be reduced to the level of a normal human, but Edward replies that he has always been just a normal human and that his faith since his first journey to this place where can all problems be solved by alchemy was mere conceit; even without alchemy he still has all the people who care about him. Truth replies with a slow mix of his voice with Edward's triumphant that Edward got the answer right and defeated Truth. When Edward deconstructs his own gate, Truth states that Edward can take anything and everything he wants in exchange. As it disappears along with the crumbling Gate, Truth points to the younger Elric's Gate and Alphonse, sitting completely in front of it. Edward greets Alphonse and helps him up and, when the remaining gate opens, the brothers walk through it and eventually return home together.

Back in the physical world, Alphonse opens his human eyes to the sunlight for the first time in five years to see his brother, his father, and all of his friends and allies crowding around him jubilantly. Taking Hohenheim's hand and accepting a tearful embrace since May, Alphonse revels in the warm feeling he's longed for.

As dusk settles over Central City and Edward delivers Pride's shriveled body to a confused and distraught Mrs. Bradley, a message is broadcast from Radio Capital claiming that the current collapse of everyone in the country was caused by an alchemical experiment conducted by Central Command. but halted and reversed by the efforts of a joint force led by Colonel Mustang and General Armstrong. Generals Klemin and Edison are arrested and removed from power, while a broadcast declares that Führer King Bradley and his son Selim have tragically lost their lives in the melee. Standing where his father disappeared, Hohenheim sadly reflects on his mistakes and how they escalated to this point, but is greeted by Major Armstrong, who reminds the grieving man that his two sons succeeded in saving the nation of Amestris and all its citizens. in him. Hohenheim thanks the Major for his kind words and tearfully leaves, returning to Resembool where he kneels before Trisha's grave. Van comments to her that his excruciatingly long life was happy and fulfilled after he came upon her and their sons as his ancient body cracked and paled, and says that even after waiting so long, he now brings death with him. sorry feeling. When day breaks a few hours later, Pinako visits the cemetery and, surprised to see Van there, rushes over to greet him, but stops with a sad smile when she finds that her old friend has finally died with a happy expression on his face. .