"Their rulers kept poisoning themselves by drinking mercury. It led to government instability and war that ruined millions of peoples' lives."

"And knowledge of alchemy has not led them to continue to sacrifice their people's lives for their own power?"

"I focused on healing arts. Even then I'm not sure if it was worth it."

Tch.

"You disagree."

"You are trying to make a compromise where none can exist. Share your power or hoard it for yourself. You must choose one or the other. And whichever path you decide to follow, you must live with the consequences you find along it, unless your alchemy grants the power to rewind time. Cease dwelling on that which cannot be changed, and look to the future."

"I've spent centuries talking to the souls that compose my body, trying to convince them that we need to stop Homunculus from killing fifty million people in Amestris and assimilating everyone else. That is what I spend my time doing, and if being regretful and acknowledging that I've wronged them helps me with that, so be it. I will never be able to convince them all to help me kill Homunculus unless I am otherwise morally beyond reproach.

I am running out of time on a project where failure means certain death for millions and eventual death for everyone on Earth."

"How quickly are you running out of time?"

"I have about five years."

"What is stopping you from killing him now, besides uncooperative souls?"

"He has lieutenants that are loyal to him. The strongest is able to manifest physical tendrils of shadow anywhere in Central City, where he is based. He lives in an underground maze of caverns and never leaves."

"I have some experience in navigating underground mazes. As for shadows-" she calls her lightsaber to hand and ignites it with a snap-hiss, twirling it around before bringing it up to a close guard position. "They do not sound problematic."

"Light casts darker shadows. You'd need something blinding that comprehensively lights any space you're in."

She traces three fingers of her free hand in a complex pattern across the blade of her saber, then cast them in an arc about her as her eyes flash purple.

The shadows beneath their feet attenuate, and disappear.

"What else can you do?"

"A great many things."

"If I knew more, I could help you determine whether it would be suicide to take on Homunculus's complex alone."

"Any Force user can enhance their speed and their strength, manipulate objects by telekinesis, and achieve a degree of clairvoyance. Those more adept can heal, control the flow of energy, or turn the minds of lesser-willed beings. Ritual magic can achieve all of this, and more."

"How robust is the healing?"

"I have no talent for healing others and I cannot regrow a limb, but in principle, if an attack does not immediately kill me, I will survive it."

"Do any of the other abilities have range limits?"

"They are most effective in person. The limitation is sufficient awareness of the space, object, or person."

"And what limitations does the ritual magic have?"

"The time it takes to set up, the power required to successfully perform it, and that if no existing ritual fits your need, you must invent one."

"The abilities of Homunculus's lieutenants are as follows: Pride, with the shadow ability I mentioned earlier. Sloth, who has extreme speed when he cares to use it and is extremely strong besides. Lust, who can lengthen and sharpen her extremities to pierce through any material. Envy, who can perfectly shapeshift -- usually into mammals. Gluttony is a failed attempt to make a terrestrial Truth's gate and usually works with Lust. Greed, who can make an impenetrable armor that stands up to Lust's spear. Wrath is newer. He's currently the leader of the country, and his power is in his eye, but I don't know how it works. He has extraordinary combat ability and extreme speed, but those might be more mundane.

"I've encountered his agents before. They don't kill me because they need five people who have seen Truth's gate to be sacrificed for Homunculus's plan to work. But I knew I wouldn't be able to stand against Homunculus alone."