Façade
by BridgitKiido
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. Not me.
When he was certain he wasn't being followed, he sat down in a secluded area and brought out the bandage that he had managed to salvage. Laying it out in front of himself, he brought his index finger to his lips, into a position where he could bite it. This had to look rushed and urgent, after all, and a pen would simply seem too convenient.
Now, what exactly to write?
He had already determined that the best course of action would be to write in his native tongue; after all, no one here could recognize its letters as letters, let alone determine what they meant. No one, that is, except for the intended recipient. This meant that, should the note be intercepted, his enemies – also known as his new "allies" – would not suspect a thing.
He had to choose his words carefully though, for not even she could know the entire truth. Not yet.
A long letter beginning with "Dear Ran Fan" was definitely out. That would indicate that he had much more time than he was willing to let on that he had. It had to be short and to the point, as quick as possible without leaving out the most essential.
He briefly considered also expressing his deep longing to see her again, but he denied himself that. No need to get mushy, and besides, that would take up too much time.
Should he tell her not to come after him, to save herself? He thought for a moment before shaking his head no. That was also a waste of time, and he knew her too well – no matter the danger, she would come to his side to protect him. Especially if he told her not to.
He also declined explicitly stating the fact that he was now no longer completely, biologically human. Again, too much time would be spent, and besides, he was certain that the Elric brothers were already planning to explain things. They were good at that.
This, of course, left only one more thing he could possibly write without giving away too much. He bit his finger hard enough for blood to flow, quickly marking the cloth before his newfound regeneration abilities could close the self-inflicted wound. He also let a little bit splash the edges, so that it looked more rushed.
Satisfied with his work, he picked up the parchment before it had dried completely, choosing to let the blood drip slightly as he stood up and walked off. It would add to the rushed effect.
Delivering the note… well, that would be the easy part. He had already rehearsed how to act, how to refer to certain people, including himself… after all, as a prince, he had to be a good diplomat. Being a good diplomat required good acting skills at times.
He admired his handiwork one more time before continuing. The Elric Brothers, who he would commission into delivering the note, would have no clue what it said, but that didn't matter. They, after all, knew full well the meaning of its message, "I have obtained the Philosopher's Stone."
Hopefully, however, he wouldn't slip up again. That last time was small enough to look like a fluke, and it even gave him an excuse for this venture, but another one would, if not handled properly, cause his friends and enemies alike to become suspicious.
And the last thing Ling needed was for someone… anyone… to figure out that he was still, in fact, in complete control, and that the being named Greed was just a false façade, designed solely for the purpose of gathering information.
Author's Note: My newest random theory. Don't mind me…