When she walked up to his desk Colonel Roy Mustang had to scramble to stand up fast enough. "General! What a pleasant surprise. It's rare to see you so far from the East."

She gave a warm if slightly bitter smile in return. "Yes, as you can imagine I don't leave Citadel much. I just came to ask for a favor."

Turning on his playboy charm Roy returned her cheerful look. "A favor? From me, General?"

"Among many." With a wry smile she crossed her arms, long brown bangs falling over the left side of her face, leaving only one ocean blue eye staring back at the Colonel. "I'm having a bit of a problem – I need Alchemists to back me."

"A problem…with whom?" Roy questioned, serious despite his still playful demeanor.

"Turning Glass." She responded, the seriousness of her tone ending all friendly banter. His face falling, Roy sighed. "So it's come to that, has it ma'am?"

"He defected last night " She added. "– taking at least a platoon with him."

Taking in a deep breath, Mustang regarded her solemnly as he realized what she had meant by 'among many'. Hitting on that point he spoke softly, "You know what the Fuhrer will say?"

The General sighed, head lowered. For a second or so she tapped her high heel nervously on the floor before she eventually looked back at Roy. "I think I have a pretty good idea…but before I go – that favor of mine." With businesslike precision she slipped a piece of folded paper from the pocket of her skirt and handed it to Roy who took it with a sly smile.

"A secret note from a beautiful woman, I'm honored ma'am– but I get the feeling it's not for me." He commented, adding the bit with a slight pout.

Sienna nodded.

After he got a good look at the address Mustang gave a twisted grin. "It's that again? And the message?"

Sienna smiled. "Just say: "I'll consider it.""


"I see."

The Fuhrer set the teacup down on a small table, placing his hands behind his back as he stared out of the large windows of his office.

"You want to borrow them?" He asked aloud, moving his head to look at her over his shoulder through his 'good' eye with a hint of both suspicion and irritation in his gaze. "A superior alchemist such as you should have no trouble bringing the Turning Glass Alchemist, Major Geiger to heel. That is, if you weren't soft on your soldiers."

"Soft, sir?" General Shrike replied slowly, keeping her rising anger under tight control. It wouldn't help her cause to start yelling at the most powerful man in her nation. Choosing her words, she answered; "I prefer to think of it as treating them as human."

"You're too sentimental." He stated firmly and without pity. "These troops are at your disposal for one reason – to keep peace on the eastern boundary."

Now turned completely he gave her a serious look, a cold light flickering in his eye. "Defectors from the army are traitors to Amestris – they will be treated accordingly. Is that understood?"

For a moment Sienna weighed her options. To track down Major Geiger with only herself and a few regular troops for support was asking to be decimated. Throwing normal soldiers at him was as ineffective as tossing pebbles at a mountain, so she had a legitimate reason to be pushy in her demand for backup. But even with only one eye of her own, Sienna could see the twitch in the Fuhrer's hand – awaiting her refusal.

"Brigadier General Shrike." He pressed. Snapped from her hidden thoughts, she was motionless as King Bradley began to move forward, slowly and with purpose. Feeling a knot in her throat she held perfectly still – the way a mouse freezes at the sight of an approaching lion.

Such is this man; can any human be so without fear? She wondered.

He stopped a mere three feet away, his face showing only the gravity and confidence of absolute power. Bradley's gaze locked with her own, he commented in a voice hinting mirth; "That eye is a small price to pay for a life."

Resisting the urge to reach toward her face, her uncovered eye flashed with anger.

Like a handler jerking on a dog's chain to choke it into submission…

"And what's the price of a soul?"

With a stony glare Bradley spoke softly but authoritatively.

"If you no longer see it as a fair trade, then I'll remove that burden from you." Bradley spoke in clear, ominous tones. "Understood?"

"Understood, sir." General Shrike responded, confident on the outside at the least.

With a smile to himself the Fuhrer crossed the room to return to his tea. "General, before you leave I have a small favor. The Mrs.' Hydrangea's have been wilting for lack of rain – could you take care of it?"

With gritted teeth the woman saluted. "Sir."


As he watched her stride quickly from the room King Bradley relaxed just a little. There was not a doubt in his mind that in a fight he could, once again, defeat his rebellious little alchemist just as he'd easily brought countless others to heel. If he would escape unscathed this time however; was up for debate. He wasn't as young and spry as he had been. Time took its toll on all.

"She's a wily one, isn't she, Wrath?" A voice whispered softly from the hidden corners and dark shadows of the room. "However; she's interesting as well…and very strong. She may make a good sacrifice."

The Fuhrer gave a soft chuckle to himself. "Then you must see something very different, Pride." Reaching for his tea he took another sip before placing the cup back on its saucer. "That woman…is volatile. Strong, but unpredictable and dangerous if mishandled."

"Any more so than the Elric brothers?"

Unexpectedly, Bradley laughed. "No. I suppose not."


"That bastard!" Shrike's screams echoed across the courtyard, causing several soldiers to race hastily away in pursuit of someplace safer to be.

"General!" Merion yelled, trying to quiet her ladies anger. The Colonel hated to see the General upset but hated even more that when she did she became...vocal.

"That lop-eyed, droopy faced – "

"GENERAL!" Merion screamed, heart pounding in her chest. Such words could easily lead to a court-martial. But no matter what she did the tirade continued and Merion came to the solemn realization that she would just have to wait this storm out.

"-sad sack son of a - He's only doing this to show he still holds my chain!"

Clapping her hands she waved both of them out into the air.

High above the busy city a trickle of energy slowly built into a torrent of spinning wind. Where the day had been bright and clear before it suddenly turned grey. Rising fast on the currents, clouds towered heavy and dark.

"That man…" Sienna growled, finally having vented enough to regain her composure – much to her Colonels relief. With a hateful scowl she watched as condensing clouds began to conquer the once blue sky. "He pisses me off." Making her way into the car that waited at the bottom, she and her attendant sat in silence as Sienna glared out the window, allowing the building storm to display her wrathful emotions.

Soft rumbles of thunder buffeted Central, slightly disturbing the populace from it's routine. Most people looked up in confusion before deciding it might be safer inside.

Stepping from the unstable outside into stone corridors, Mustang felt safe from the tempest. There wasn't a trace of rain yet but the scent and feel of electricity in the atmosphere was unmistakable.

"Ah…seems like it went about the way I thought it would." The Colonel muttered to himself, sighing with regret that any attempt to ask out the lovely General would now be nothing short of suicidal. Checking in at the door he waited for his escort to lead him deeper into the complex, exchanging the normal useless tidbits of information when the portly man arrived. Even as the two moved down cinder-block corridors the thunder seemed to chase them, echoing through the halls.

The soldier looked back, face distorted with concern. "Jeez, Colonel! That's one hell of a storm. We rarely hear it in the middle of the building like this."

"It's a rare one all right." He responded, not leading on to the weathers true origins.

A moment later it seemed they came to a halt in front of a set of iron bars. The guard paused with a normal gulp before he cleared his throat and announced, "Uh...Colonel? We're here."

Taking one last step forward Mustang peered inside and into the calm golden eyes of the prisoner in front of him. The dark haired man seemed unimpressed, if unusually pleasant.

"A guest? How unusual. And one of the last people I expected. The Flame Alchemist himself."

Roy shifted slightly hating the fact that General Shrike wouldn't come here herself.

"Kimblee. I have a message."

The man smiled. "You don't say, I thought it was taking a while." With a non-commital shrug the prisoner asked, "So, what is the verdict?"

"'I'll consider it.'"

With a wry grin Kimblee leaned back, dark hair falling over his face ever so slightly. "You will? You know you're not my type Colonel."

"You know what the hell I mean!" Roy bristled, not at all pleased at the insinuation.

Kimblee gave an echoing laugh at the Colonels reaction. "No sense of humor. Thanks for passing it along."

Nodding with acceptance, Roy moved to turn away before a sudden thought made him pause. "I have a question."

"I can't answer that. It's useless to ask me." Kimblee interrupted. "However; I have one for you."

"After you refuse to answer mine? How...unsporting of you." Mustang commented, seeming a bit tired of this 'visit'. With a growing grin Kimblee looked up at the Colonel, the excitement in his golden eyes making them seem wild in the darkness of his cell.

"You wouldn't happen to know why I can feel the shaking of the earth so deep in this prison? It's as if something truly destructive is passing nearby."

Roy sighed, closing his eyes. "Things didn't go as this messengers sender had hoped."

"Sounds about right." Kimbley smiled to himself.

Roy gave the man an appraising look. "I'm surprised you noticed something like that."

CCRRAAAAAAAAAAAACKK!

The guard screamed, ducking as the concussive blast from the lightning rattled the building. Above a hanging lamp swung slightly from the thunder and the faintest trace of dust filtered from the ceiling. Even Roy gave a cautious glance up to eye the lamp nervously.

"So close…" He muttered, a bit shaken.

Leaning back against the wall Kimblee laughed aloud, his voice carrying amid the din and clamor of the confused and excited conversations of his fellow inmates. "In this place I have nothing better to do than try to glean what little enjoyment I can from the outside world. And lightning, after all, is nothing more than a natural explosion - the rapid expansion of air at speeds beyond the 'sonic barrier', causing the atmosphere itself to make such a beautiful noise."

Smiling to himself Kimblee began to hum for just a moment.

"To feel the shivering of stone again…the roar of distant crashing. Though it's not as comforting as the shockwave of a great explosion -" He added, still feeling his own symphony to be far superior. But he couldn't create that beautiful noise at the moment so he would take what he could get.

At the thought Kimblee gave the guard an especially chilling smile. "It's one of the most wonderful things in the world for me."

Shivering, a nearby young soldier climbed back to his feet, looking pleadingly at the Colonel who nodded.

"I'm done here, let's leave."


"I heard what you did."

Ed cleaned his ear absently, making a point to ignore the man who stared at him from across his desk. Roy sighed. "You're making things more difficult, a habit of yours."

"Yeah yeah, what's the damage?"

"More than you know, and you'll be paying back every cent."

Edward sighed, his lone strand dipping obviously as he bowed forward with arms crossed. "Anyway, you're supposed to have orders for me?"

Pushing an envelope to the edge of his desk, Roy Mustang leaned back in his chair – arms crossed. "I'm supposed to accompany you on this trip."

"I don't need your help." Ed glowered. Al sighed, not minding the Colonels company at all.

"Of course not," Roy smirked. "Just think of me as your babysitter."

"That's worse!" Edward yelled.

The Colonel ignored the outburst. "Just tell me what it says."

Al nodded, having taken the orders from Ed who was still leaning against Roy Mustangs desk and yawning. For a moment the state alchemist rubbed his side absently from where a rock had dug into it during the long night outdoors.

"It says that Ed's supposed to report to Colonel Merion and accompany her on a mission…it doesn't say what it is though." Al commented slowly, a bit disappointed in the lack of information. Why did commands orders have to be so vague?

"Right. Leaving me in the dark" Edward mused, echoing his brothers sentiments. "So Roy, you know this…uh...Roy?"

The Colonel in front of him had a deviant smirk on his face. "That one again?"

"That one again?" Both Ed and Al questioned.

"This time…I won't lose!" Mustang stated confidently.

"Won't lose!" They parroted, now getting worried.

Roy moved to his feet, startling the both of them with his suddenness.

"Let's move. The sooner the better."


On the train.

Across the countryside.

"THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!"

Ed glared at the Colonel, whose devious grin hadn't left since they'd started on their journey. With a sigh Ed sat back in his chair. "You know….I don't even want to know anymore."

"I do…" Al added wishfully.

"Well…" Mustang began. "If you're dying to know~~"

"Nuh uh!" Ed cut him off. "I don't want to! Not seeing the creepy look on your face!"

"AAh? I suppose you're right." He laughed, looking out the window at the passing scenery. Green foliage filled the landscape from end to end of the horizon. Now and then they passed a village - watching as the quaint houses came and went in a flash, leaving them passing over lush fields once more. Looking out of the corner of his eye he grew serious. "I'll settle for giving you a piece of advice Edward, Alphonse."

Both boys perked up, listening.

"Whatever you do…don't ask questions."

The two stared.

"What the hell sort of warning is that?" Al griped before leaning back into his seat. "You're just jerking us around again!"

"Mustang? What do you mean, 'don't ask questions'?" Edward questioned, wanting to know more.

The Flame Alchemist turned to face them. "Exactly what I said. Be careful of what you ask - and more especially who you ask questions of. Like Edward and I, General Shrike is a state alchemist – with the designation of 'Tempestuous Sky' Alchemist. But she's better known by the nickname 'The Basilisk of the Eastern Citadel.'"

"Basilisk?" Al wondered aloud. "Like the monster?"

Roy nodded. Ed, for the first time now sat up and took notice - starting to murmur to himself. "Basilisk…an animal that can kill with only it's glance, that poisons the air around it…what sort of ability do you have to have to get such a name.."

Holding up a warning hand, Roy stopped him. "As I said, asking too many questions is not in your best interest. Suffice to say, those who face the basilisks true gaze are lucky to escape with their lives."

The boys were silent. Suddenly, Alphonse shifted. "What an interesting name."

Roy nodded. "Most of the Generals in the military have an additional 'nickname' as well as their title. For example, up north there is a General known as the 'Stone Wall of Briggs'"

"Really?" Al asked. "What's he like?"

Roy's face grew dark. "Terrifying."

The brothers felt sweat grow on their necks. "Ah! Sorry we asked!"

Ed smiled. "Then if that's right then General Grumman must have a nickname too!"

Roy snorted, bowing over with laughter.

"Huh? What is it? Mustang! Is it good? Hey! Tell us-"

As the train halted at its final station and passengers quickly gathered their possessions the three departed for their own destination. Walking through the crowded platform the brothers found themselves lost in similar thoughts – confirming suspicions with just a glance.

At the end of the platform they found themselves confronted with an open desert reminiscent of Rush Valley – nothing but dry tan earth and blue skies into the horizon. But unlike the Automail Heaven there was not a soul in sight.

"EH?" Ed moaned. "It's so hot….I'm roasting in my automail."

"It's so empty." Alphonse noted, looking around. "There's nothing here."

Roy tugged at his collar. "Ugg…even for me it's awful. I'd forgotten how hot it was out here!"

"You've been out here before Colonel?" Al asked while Ed looked around for cool water. Not finding a fountain he sighed and sat down on a wooden bench.

With a serious nod, Roy explained, "Yes. This is the westernmost edge of the old Kanda district. I was last here many years ago."

Both Ed and Al looked at the colonel, shock on their faces.

"Kanda district!" Ed yelped in surprise.

Al looked over the desert with unbelieving eyes. "That means this place is – "

Looking over the horizon Roy nodded. "Yes. This is the eastern territory, formerly known as Ishval. And that – "He pointed to a shimmering point on the edge of sight. "Is where we're going."