As Edward and Alphonse depart for Liore by train, their childhood is shown in flashback where they learned rudimentary alchemy from their father's books. Upon their mother's death, they attempted to revive her by performing human transmutation, a practice officially considered taboo among alchemists. A dark mass of shadowy hands then proceeded to disintegrate Alphonse's physical body, while a disembodied figure named Truth showed Edward the secret behind perfect human transmutation in exchange for his left leg. To prevent the loss of his brother, Edward bonds Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor, sacrificing his right arm to complete the process. Elsewhere in the present, Colonel Maes Hughes shows Mustang the paperwork concerning the McDougal incident, which states that McDougal used a little-known Xingese art known as alkahestry. Back in the past, Edward's skill in surviving the attempted human transmutation and anchoring his brother's soul attracted the attention of Mustang, who suggested that Edward become a state alchemist. Edward later passes the state alchemist examination and is given the title of "Fullmetal Alchemist".