Episode 35 (2003 Anime)

Reunion of the Fallen
Japan airdate	2004 June 12
USA airdate	2005 November 12
Series Information
Series	Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 anime)
◄ Previous	Theory of Avarice
Next ►	The Sinner Within

Reunion of the Fallen is the 35th episode of the Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 anime series.

Synopsis

With everyone reeling after the fight between Ed and Greed, Lust can't shake two questions from her mind. Where did she come from? And where will she go when she is dead? As if to answer, she sees a familiar man in a crowd. Years ago, she helped him use alchemy to combat a strange plague that was turning villagers into stone. And his mere presence produces unexplainable memories of a former life.

Full Synopsis

At a bar, Lust and Gluttony meet with Envy, whom Lust informs of Greed's death. Envy isn't concerned since their master can make a new one and mentions the current Wrath is with Sloth. When Lust questions about the meaning of where their lives will go, Envy responds that they are alive now and not going anywhere, as he kills the bar owner and lets Gluttony eat the owner's body. Lust recalls asking herself this question once before. Just then, a car crash occurs outside which injures a man. A person named Lujon appears on the scene and uses an incomplete Philosopher's Stone to treat him as Lust walks into the crowd. After being thanked, Lujon notices Lust and the two recognize each other. Meanwhile, Edward, Alphonse, and Winry travel south in a cart, hoping to catch up with the Ishvalan refugee camp so Edward can acquire information about the Philosopher's Stone since it is the only lead they have. Hearing a woman scream, Edward comes to her aid, quickly beating up the party attacking her for calling him short.

Lujon meets with Lust at the bar, wondering how she has been since it had been two years when he had seen her and also why she disappeared. While Lust feigns ignorance, Lujon can remember what she taught him and left his village to find a new stone since the disease he treated with the Philosopher's Stone back then had resurfaced. With the Philosopher's Stone he has having grown weaker, Lujon asks that Lust aid him again. It is revealed that two years ago, Lust met Lujon when she and Gluttony came across a carriage damaged from a mudslide and met an injured woman named Lydia, the same woman Ed rescued in the present. Lydia had been trying to get some herbs for her village, when rescue workers including Lujon came to help. Lujon berated Lydia for her foolishness, and revealed a mysterious fossilizing disease sweeping across their town.

Back in the present, Lydia formally introduces herself to the Elrics and Winry, revealing that she is trying to find Lujon and mentions he is likely trying to acquire a new Philosopher's Stone to cure their village of their epidemic disease. Back in the past, Lujon was treating Lydia when some villagers arrived to have him cure a boy named Anji, whose body was starting to turn to stone due to the disease. Lujon attempted to treat him with alchemy, but it failed and killed Anji. As Lydia was also suffering from the disease, Lust watched as Lujon cried in despair, and she had a memory of Scar's brother trying to save his lover's life. Recognizing his treatment method, Lust decided to help Lujon perfect his alchemy so it could save the townsfolk.

Back in the present, Scar, who is alone in the desert, desecrates a grave to pick up a locket. While Lujon travels with Lust and Gluttony back to his village, he admits his real reason for leaving his village was to see Lust again, and she acknowledges having seen him before due to memories she has from two years ago. Lydia is also heading back to her village, traveling with the Elrics and Winry. Lydia admits to them that Lujon dumped her. Back in the past, Lust helped Lujon find the right books to read. As Lydia watched them, Lust experienced another memory relating to Scar's brother and his fiancée. After spending a large amount of time studying and drawing the correct transmutation circle, Lust gave Lujon the Philosopher's Stone and then attacked a bird so Lujon could use the circle and the Philosopher's Stone to save it. He then thanked Lust, unaware that the bird died after traveling a short distance.

Back in the present, Lust gives Lujon a new stone, and she then remembers Lydia confronting her in the past about taking Lujon away from her, whom Lydia mentioned that she'd marry once her disease was gone, only for the disease to have taken hold of her. Lujon was able to use the power of the Philosopher's Stone to save Lydia and the villagers. Unknown to them, Envy was the one who had created the disease and this was part of the homunculi's plan to have Lujon stop the disease which would only be temporary and then take that power away to force Lujon to make a Philosopher's Stone out of despair. On his wedding day, Lujon admitted his love to Lust, causing another memory to surface relating to Scar's brother. When Lydia saw them, she broke down in tears and ran away, causing Lust to demand that Lujon go after her.

In the present, Lujon and Lust arrive at the village, allowing Lujon to save the villagers again. That night, Lujon admits how much he loves Lust, forcing Lust to kill him with her Ultimate Spear to make up for her small mistake, now seeing him as worthless. Without the power of the Philosopher's Stone, the village is in an uproar as the villagers succumb to the disease. The next day, the Elrics and Winry see the carnage of the village as Lydia moves on ahead looking for Lujon. By the time that the Elrics and Winry catch up with her, Lydia has also succumbed to the disease and died in Lujon's arms. While Ed is furious with the sight, Lust and Gluttony head out by carriage. Lust is clearly bothered by something.

Episode Notes

• This episode reveals more of the connection that Lust has to the lover of Scar's brother, whom she is modeled after due to sharing her memories. The secret of the locket that Scar picked up from the lover's grave will be revealed five episodes later in Episode 40.
• This is the first episode in which we see Lust (or any homunculus) dealing with flashbacks of past lives. It arguably marks the beginning of Lust's change as a character that leads to her eventual betrayal of both her comrades and her master.
• Despite the grim outcome of this episode, the events that occurred and characters encountered are never again referenced for the remainder of the series by neither by the Elrics or the homunculi, not even in the succeeding episode where the brothers reminisce on the majority of the people who died either directly or indirectly during the course of their travels. This may have to do with their lack of overall context for what exactly occurred that wiped out Lujon and Lydia's village, plus it not at all being a result of their actions and the connection is never definitely linked to Lust for the remainder of their shared screen time.