This has been flitting about my brain for a while.

I don't own FMA.

The Truth grinned, and stared out into the vast whiteness surrounding the Doors of Truth. Looking at you, it stood up. Hands held loosely by its sides, the Truth was the picture of casual.

"They say that the truth hurts, ya know." It said with a grin. "They also say that it can be a harsh mistress, and a dozen other phrases." Its smile became wistful, and for a moment, it was hard to distinguish from its surroundings. "But they also say that the Truth will set you free."

"Izumi Curtis longed for a child, and lost the ability to ever have kids again. But…" the Truth smirked, its grin growing again. "She met the Elric boys, who had no mother. And even though no words passed between them to suggest it, she became their surrogate ma."

"Van Hohenheim couldn't age, and was tormented by the souls within him. But that same longevity granted him a wife and kids, who eventually freed him from his curse, a fact that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't become a Philosopher's Stone."

"Roy Mustang longed to see what his country would become, but, I took his eyesight when he was forced to see me. Now, though he can't see, his vision encompasses more than he thought possible."

"Alphonse Elric lost the ability to feel, to eat, to sleep. He gained an appreciation for all aspects of life, and learned to respect the simple pleasures that life threw his way. He even chose a body that rejected him over his own, to protect all the small things, and the pleasures of life that his friends had."

"Where to begin with Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist? His overconfidence and drive to do things alone caused him to try to resurrect his mother, and resulted in me getting his leg. Then, he lent his brother a hand, and bound him to the armour that housed that soul for such a time. He learned his lesson, and just kept going. He learned to rely on others, and, even though he only had the one, he kept on going. He became a leg for others to stand on, a pillar of strength. And, in the end, despite his claim of being ordinary, his strength of heart and will had become very nearly extraordinary."

"People reach for things that they will never have, and can never have. When they try, they run into me."

Truth sat back down, resting its chin in the palm of its hand. "They say that I'm cruel, and that I'll set you free. Both are true. In exchange for something that contributes to one of your greatest character flaws, I give you knowledge, and the opportunity for growth.

"Izumi Curtis found children in the Elric boys. Van Hohenheim's family came to be because he could live to see them, and Roy Mustang looked beyond his narrow goals to a wider world. Alphonse Elric learned to appreciate life's simple pleasures, and taught people to look beyond what they see. Edward Elric, he learned the final lesson. He learned to not only rely on others, and to let others rely on him, but he provided himself with the possibility of growth, by destroying a significant part of his life, and something that had formed his worldview."

White began to engulf the landscape, and the Truth grinned a wide grin. "The whole point to punishment, you know, is to prevent you from doing something that will cause pain to yourself and others, and to help you grow. Or did you forget that little fact somewhere along the way?