Episode 4 (2003 Anime)

A Forger's Love
Japanese Title	愛の錬成 Ai no Rensei
Translated Title	Refiner of Love
Japan airdate	2003 October 25
USA airdate	2004 November 27
Series Information
Series	Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 anime)
Preceded by	Mother
Followed by	The Man with the Mechanical Arm

A Forger's Love is the fourth episode of the Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 anime series.

Synopsis

The Elric brothers seek information from Majhal, an alchemist who once knew their father, but end up sidetracked by rumors of a female ghost wandering the outskirts of Linter Village.

Full Synopsis

On a train bound for Central City, the Edward and Alphonse recall their resolve to join the state military and find a way to get their bodies back with alchemy upon burning down their home. Back in Resembool, Winry and Pinako stand right by the burnt home, expressing shame at the brothers' decision and continued disgust at the military. The two pray that the brothers will soon realize their mistake and come back home. On their way to meet Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang while waiting for the next train, the Elrics apprehend a thief and learn from a police officer about an alchemist from the nearby town of Linter Village named Majhal, along with rumprs of ‘murderous zombies’ that have been terrorizing the townspeople. Ed expresses his keenness to meet Majhal, because that name appeared in their father's letters.

The Elrics reach Linter Village, get scared by sudden fireworks and get ‘welcomed’ by the village children, which involves bullying. Majhal arrives and uses alchemy to fix a broken statue, leading the Elrics to guess who he is. At his house, Majhal seems to know about Al's soul attachment and thinks Ed has inherited his father's talent for alchemy. One of the children from earlier, a girl named Clause, comes by and is forced by her father to apologize to the brothers. There, she declares she isn't sorry and that her sister was killed by a dead girl. After this outburst, she runs away, but the Elrics follow and save her with alchemy when Clause trips and rolls down a hill. She then explains how at her sister's funeral, she and her father saw the form of a dead girl, Karin. Hearing Ed's refusal to help, she teases the Elrics and runs away in anger. At Majhal's place, the Elrics hear more about Karin, a woman who died 20 years ago. He explains that she was a florist and had cultivated the rare ‘blue rose’. On her way to deliver blue roses to a town, her horse and carriage fall down the cliff, leading people to believe her to be dead. Majhal finds it impossible that a kind person such as Karin would hurt anyone. After his explanation, an elderly woman named Lebi drops by for a brief visit.

Ed is dubious of everything he's learned and believes human transmutation is at work, suspecting Majhal due to being the only alchemist nearby. While walking through the cemetery, the Elrics fall into a trap made by Clause and her friends for Karin. Karin's form appears and Majhal destroys it with fire alchemy. Lust is then seen to be observing from the woods, disappointed with Majhal's lack of alchemic talent as she walks off. The villagers start celebrating, believing Majhal has saved them. Even more suspicious, Ed starts snooping around Majhal's house when he remembered that the strange sound he heard last night was the same one he heard inside the house earlier. Ed runs into Lebi, and she warns the Elric brothers that Majhal would be angry at them for snooping. When Lebi holds the fire candle right up in front of Ed's face, Ed becomes dizzy and accidentally falls on a wall which reveals a hidden stairway. He falls to the bottom, notices dolls looking like Karin and blanks out.

When Ed awakes, he and Al are bound together in chains where Majhal reveals the dolls to be canvases for ‘Karin’s soul’. Some escape and fuel superstition in the village. He explains how he loved Karin and even if he could not have her, at least dolls that resembled her beauty, and hence, this mad scheme. He has kept Ed in chains to learn more about soul-attachment; Clause then arrives, interrupting Majhal's speech, to thank him. He knocks her unconscious and hits Lebi before he leaves, kidnapping Clause in his arms. Al breaks the chains and Ed discovers a rare blue rose petal on the woman.

The Elric brothers barge in with Lebi to see Majhal holding Clause hostage and trying to use alchemy on her to transmute Karin’s soul into Clause. Edward tells him that nothing he knows is the truth; Karin never died, she hit her head, lost her memory and started a new life; 20 years later, she remembered everything and in a gesture of true love, returned to Majhal, who failed to recognize her in her current aged state. Edward makes the revelation that Lebi is actually the same woman as Karin. Completely in denial and in a fit of rage, Majhal transmutes one of his tools into a sword and charges at Edward, but Alphonse shields his brother. Majhal jumps over Al and attempts another attack on Ed, who quickly takes the blue rose from Karin and transmutes it loose enough to knock the sword away from Majhal. The sword flies into the air and impales Majhal through his stomach. Even as he is dying, Majhal refuses to accept the truth and remains fixated by Karin’s youthful beauty. A distraught Karin is forced to acknowledge his shallowness.

As the Elrics board the carriage to leave town, Clause shows up again and apologizes to them for everything she has done and said and thanks them for everything they've done for her. Instead of wearing her usual "paper boy" outfit, she is wearing a blue dress and has her hair down, so Edward fails to recognize her until Alphonse points out it's Clause. Ed is shocked by the revelation, causing Clause to angrily scold him for it, but all three end up happily waving goodbye as the carriage leaves. Before it's too far away, Ed and Al open the side door of the carriage, with Ed calling out a compliment to Clause that she "looks much prettier when not dressed like a paper boy".