Epilogue B.

Eike shook his head.

"Hugo's the root of all this... so if I stop him here!"

Eike gave the knife no more attention and made his way down into the basement to show himself to the boy, who was awaiting his arrival.

"You came!" he grinned.

"Hugo what's this all about?"

"I know what the homunculus is and what it can do… So I plan to destroy it." He announced proudly.

"Destroy Homunculus?" Eike questioned "Then why where you planning on killing me?"

"I wasn't!" replied Hugo, somewhat confused.

"The knife!" Eike barked.

"Oh that, that's nothing... it was so I could protect myself from that thing… Unfortunately I don't know any of the demon's weaknesses… Apart from how fragile it's body is."

"Oh!" Eike remembered back to when he had stuffed away a book into his jacket, he immediately pulled it out.

"It's a pentagram." Eike nodded.

"A penta- what?" Hugo replied "In any case… Will I be able to defend myself against that thing with this?"

"For sure!" Eike replied. Then the digipad began to flash… It was his warning, he'd overstayed his welcome.

"Listen Hugo I've got to go."

Hugo nodded and clutched the book tightly as he watched Eike disappear back into his own time.

The fated hour was fast approaching and Homunculus was no where to be seen. Suddenly Eike heard some commotion outside… This was it!

"Homuculus!" came a muffled yell from behind Eike's front door.

Then a loud echoing scream could be heard, Eike couldn't just stand by and wait. He opened the door with his shaking hand to see Homunculus pathetically quivering on the floor and Hugo standing over him displaying the cover on that book.

"Eike!" he grinned.

Eike smiled back.

"You!" Homunculus winced whilst glaring at Eike "You couldn't just follow the script… and pick up that knife!"

"I'm glad you came when I phoned you!" Hugo smirked.

Hugo was waving the book closer.

"Hugo…" Homunculus dared to speak.

"Shut up demon!" Hugo spat as he cruelly kicked the poor creature.

Homunculus cried out in fear he was going to break. Luckily it had only sent a ripple through his essence but it was enough to scare Homunculus into curling up on the floor and being silent.

"Hugo, that's really not necessary!" Eike wasn't getting pleasure from seeing Homunculus in a venerable position "Homunculus is a genie." He announced "He can bring your mother back… Just be careful what you wish for!"

At that moment as if it was fate, the digipad fell hurdling from Eike's top pocket. Homunculus flinched away in an instant…But Eike suddenly lunged forward to obtain the digipad from midfall. Homunculus sat up immediatly in fear for his own safety… he already knew what was coming next… Eike lost his footing on an uneven cobble, the digipad came crashing down along with Eike after it and he violently smashed his head into the concrete.

Hugo backed away in utter shock as Eike lay lifeless and blood poured from the wound on his head.

Homunculus shook his head at the foolish human, as he curled his arms around his knees that were pulled closely into his chest.

"Eike?" Hugo called to him in disbelief.

"He was always destined to die… Well, when you're hanging around in this time line anyways." Homunculus whispered smugly.

There was a short lived silence, which Homunculus broke when he stood with some effort and began to near the confused boy.

"I haven't got all day." Homunculus announced "I waited long enough for you to stop playing hide and seek in the first place…So Come on… name your wish."

Hugo glared into the red eyes that he hated so much and with a hasty slip of the tongue he almost made a wish.

"I wish that the elixir of life would have been made instead of y-"

"Tut tut… Stop right there." Homunculus jumped in just in time with that one, and fearing he would repeat himself- he seemed to speak in a rapid way trying to quickly change the boy's mind "While, a hasty decision is always entertaining… I'd much rather you wished for something a little less blinded by your brattish rage… To be completely honest, I don't think it is even in my power to erase my own existence… So let's not just go throwing your wish away."

Hugo considered this and opened his mouth to speak but Homunculus interrupted again.

"What this all really boils down to… is the loss of your mother." He whispered, influencing the stupid human on to safer ground. I rolled my eyes, resurrection, after all was a doddle… It would just cause minor problems in the time line… Nothing I couldn't fix.

Hugo smiled, a real smile as all his anger, hurt and upset vanished from his face.

"I wish…" he began.

Homunculus hurried him on with a few gestures of his hand… He didn't want to be kept waiting any longer. How difficult is it to say a few words? I was far from enjoying the suspense.

Hugo's smile turned into a look of thoughfulness.

"Oh, hurry up will you." The demon rolled his eyes, as he crossed his arms.

"I'm not making a wish… You aren't having my soul, demon! … I'll find another way to resurrect my mother!"

Homunculus eyes flashed over in a confused haziness "What-?" was all he could manage, before the human cruelly threw the pentagram book at him.

"Hugo! No!" cried Homunculus as he watched the pentagram attack him, his essence flickered and he tried desperately to balance on that spot.

Hugo's short-lived delight turned into a face of despair as Homunculus spoke his next words.

"Damn it you'll pay for this" The demon's essence was fading as he swayed about withering in agony "No pentagram can completely…" Homunculus leant forward "I'll wipe your mind of memories… memories of your mother!"

There was a blast of light and a poof of smoke, Hugo covered his eyes and gave out a yelp. Homunculus took one last gasp before he was gone completely and the stone was the only tell-tale sign that he was ever stood there.

"What have I-" Hugo murmured in confusion, not realising to the full extent what was going on, Eike lay dead beside him and further up the path was the red stone glistening in the small amount of light.

"The philosophers stone!" Hugo stumbled up to retrieve it and grasped it tightly in his hand "Is this what I came to the future for?" he asked himself in confusion.

He regarded Eike for a moment "Sorry you had to get caught up in all this… But father really wanted this stone."

The boy turned away from Eike's body and began his journey back to the alchemist's house to make his way back home, but of course Helena had already died in his time line and with no memories of his mother anyway, Wagner had no purpose in creating the elixir of life… Had Homunculus ensured his existence after all?

END