Episode 49: The Other Side of the Gate (2003 series)

This article is about the 2003 series episode. For similarly named 2009 series episode, see Episode 63: The Other Side of the Gateway (2009 series).

The Other Side of the Gate
Series	Fullmetal Alchemist (anime)
Episode number	49
Japan airdate	September 18th, 2004
U.S.A. airdate	March 4th, 2006
Language	English/Japanese
Subtitles	English
Navigation
Preceded by	Goodbye
Followed by	Death

Synopsis

The confrontation with the leader of the homunculi sends Ed to a place that could shatter his entire understanding of alchemy: the other side of the Gate.

Full Synopsis

Führer Bradley arrives home to give his son Selim a birthday gift for his tenth birthday, which is a toy train. In another location, Envy reveals to Al that they are at his master's place and unlike his fellow homunculi brethren, Envy doesn't care about becoming human, which is why he isn't fooled by her false promise. Envy leaves the room, stating that the 7,000 soldiers killed in Reole and the Ishvalans killed in Ishval are within the Philosopher's Stone, He suggests they get put to good use, causing Al to reflect on how he should have died several times prior to this point.

Meanwhile, Ed meets with Russell and Fletcher in an abandoned church that has a secret entrance that was logged into their father's journal. Russell explains the story that when their father came to Central City years ago to learn how to refine the red water, he wound up working at the Laboratory 5, until one day when a certain alchemist showed Nash the real secret lab to teach him how to perfectly refine red water into a Philosopher's Stone. Recognizing that Lab 5 was a front, Ed transmutes and then heads off through the secret entrance alone, with a promise to Russell that he will not create the stone. Following the path, Ed discovers an ancient city hidden beneath Central and remembering what Russell told him from the journal, Ed realizes that when someone did create the Philosopher's Stone 400 years ago, the city was hidden underground to hide the knowledge of the human sacrifices. Ed surmises that his father was likely involved.

At her hideout, Dante makes it clear that Rosé--who is visibly in a trance--will be her next host. However, the problems that she and Envy are having include Gluttony feeling lonely without Lust and Wrath desperately wanting to use the stone to revive Sloth, which forces Envy to beat Wrath up.

Back at Central Command, Izumi is having difficulty battling Archer due to his automail armaments being too strong for her transmutations as his backup arrives. Izumi says that she hates the military because of Archer as she calls him a power hungry blood sucking filth. Archer offers her to join him and his men, stating the military will eventually take over the land, something that Izumi flatly refuses. Izumi can barely make another shield before her condition affects her. As Archer is ready to finish Izumi off, Lt. Ross and Sgt. Brosh arrive with their own backup to support Izumi.

Ed arrives at Dante's headquarters and is surprised to see Rosé dancing. In Resembool, Sheska realizes and mentions to Winry that the actions of the homunculi have in fact been intended to keep reckless people from dangerously creating the Philosopher's Stone and using it for themselves, which is the origin of the rumors of how the stone was too dangerous to complete. Still, Sheska understands that humans are far worse than even the homunculi themselves because of thirst for danger and power, no matter the risk. Back at Dante's location, after dancing with Rosé, Ed discovers that Lyra brought her there when she shows up with Rosé's baby.

Dante pretends to be Lyra yet again and attempts to cover up the details on how she knew about this place. However, Ed is now aware that she is actually Dante, explaining the mistakes she made in her faked death: the transmutation circle which seals up a homunculus was found at her house, along with the bones from the human that Greed was modeled after, so he couldn't do anything. Furthermore, Ed is now aware that the Philosopher's Stone can be used to transfer souls between each body, which allows a person to live on for centuries, and is the main reason why Dante killed the real Lyra, whose soul was inside her old body. To prove his point, Ed summons a transmuted spear, which Dante quickly destroys and verifies that she has seen the gate, which allows her to transmute without a circle, something the real Lyra is incapable of.

Dante admits she had jumped bodies less than at most ten times in a row and confirms that the residents in the ancient city had all been killed for the purpose to create the stone, though Hohenheim was the one to make the stone for her. Dante then states that her mission is to protect humanity from foolishly using the stone, which is why they spread rumors about the stone and to steal it if someone were to complete one. Ed condemns her for this, but Dante makes it clear she no longer considers herself human, rationalizing that mass genocide was justified to prevent mankind from destroying itself. Dante reveals that she will make love to Ed once she takes over Rosé's body using the new Philosopher's Stone inside his brother, refusing to tell Ed about Al's whereabouts. Gluttony then comes in looking for Lust, only for Ed to convince him that Wrath killed Lust. Continuously grieving over Lust, Gluttony leaves. Ed transmutes his automail arm into a sword and Dante transmutes a stone snake to begin their attack on each other. Dodging her attack, he slices part of her dress with his automail sword, confirming that the mutilated skin on Lyra's body is a sign that Dante can't transfer her soul between bodies forever.

Dante tells Ed straight up that equivalent exchange is a lie, only for him to reflexively deny this, parroting off his childhood lesson. But once she says "equal effort does not always mean equal gain", Ed's facial expression changes, as in spite in believing, he has some doubt. She proceeds to bring up example after example of clear unrewarded effort and Ed has no rebuttal - such as numerous people applying to the State Alchemy exams, yet only few had passed; some people working hard to make it to the top yet still die in poverty; and some people being born into wealth without ever working at all, concluding that the world is cruel and random and yet the chaos is also beautiful. Using her transmuted stone snake to grab Rosé's baby, Dante continues to lecture Ed but he ignores her and saves the baby, demanding her not to use him to justify her agenda. Suddenly, a transmutation circle on the baby sends him to the other side of the gate in the parallel world. Ed wakes up, finding himself in another body and discovers his father. Once he confirms that it is the Ed from his world, Hohenheim tells him to run, as it is the day the zeppelins are dropping bombs in London during World War I.