"Colonel," came a strong, female voice from his door.
Glancing up, the fair-skinned man nodded his acknowledgment. The woman had long brown hair up in a braided bun. Her slim figure was hidden by the heavy fabric of her uniform. There was also a small charm bracelet on her left wrist with a boomerang charm made of bone hanging from it.
"What is it?"
She quietly walked forward and held out the folder that had been tucked under her arm. "There have been strange sightings in the East. They appear to be in a pattern leading to Central."
Opening the folder, the Colonel rose an eyebrow at some of the witness quotes on the first page. At first, he thought they were exaggerated - as most humans liked to do. However, as he read through the report his First Lieutenant had given him, one particular piece of information made his eyes narrow.
A cloaked traveler was healing anyone they crossed paths with that needed it. In many cases, there a flash of light and warmth and the patient was healed. However, there were also accounts of the traveler using herbs and strange mixtures to heal the sick. The description given was reminiscent of a certain doctor hiding in a small town.
But there was no stone mentioned.
The Colonel made a sound of interest in the back of his throat.
"Do you think it could be her?"
His cold brown eyes glanced up at his First Lieutenant. They flashed a startling gold when he nodded. "Keep tabs on this one. Mustang and the Elrics may take interest in her by the time she arrives."
"Sir," she saluted him.
Another colonel on the other side of Headquarters was in a similar situation. He'd been looking for leads to give the Elric brothers for weeks and suddenly he had one. What intrigued him most about the lead was that it mentioned a person performing miracle healings - much like Marcoh from Fullmetal's account.
Mustang sighed as he stood and walked to the window behind his desk. He had a feeling things were about to get much crazier. As if two young boys pursuing the Philosopher's Stone wasn't crazy enough. The Flame Alchemist massaged the bridge of his nose in irritation.
How he hoped his feeling was wrong.
If only Truth was that kind.
A throat clearing pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned to see a short boy with braided blond hair and a red cloak. His golden eyes looked up at her somewhat irritated, twitching every few seconds in annoyance as though expecting some kind of negative comment. Though, she could smell the steel and oil coming from a couple of his limbs. She assumed he had automail.
Behind him was someone in armor even taller than her. Their glowing red eyes and flickering aura were a testament to the loose bond of their soul. It was a bit odd to find that in such a foreign country. Binding souls wasn't really a global practice. Kagome figured the story behind that was a sad one if the underlying guilt and desperation in their auras was anything to go by. She brushed that off and refocused on the present
She had an appointment with Colonel Mustang and his subordinates. They'd caught wind of her "miracle healing" abilities while traveling and wished to ask her a few questions. Kagome knew that was just a nice way of saying they were going to interrogate her.
Blinking, she finally realized they were waiting for her to say something. "Ah, yes? Can I help you with something?"
Frowning, the blond asked, "Are you Miss Higurashi?"
She smiled. "Yes, that's me."
He looked her up and down, as though trying to determine if she was threatening. A black eyebrow raised at him as her lips quirked in amusement. It seemed the blond was trying to be subtle. He failed miserably. Kagome barely hid her chuckle when he finally met her eyes and reached out a hand.
"My name is Edward Elric," she took his hand in a firm grip. Only then did she realize there was a subtle scent of metal and oil coming from that arm. His right arm is automail. Then, where is the other? "And this is my brother, Alphonse."
The armor waved. "Hello."
She was startled by how young he sounded. And suddenly, she realized how like her own story, theirs may turn out to be quite tragic. Shaking her head clear of those thoughts, Kagome recognized their last name.
"Wait...Elric? As in, the Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother?"
Edward nodded, failing to notice how she pointed to him and his brother in the right order. "We're here to take you to the Colonel."
"Ah. Well, after you two then." They looked at her suspiciously but nodded and started up the stairs.
As she followed them, the miko allowed her thoughts to drift a bit.
Upon reaching the capital city, Kagome had come to the realization that Amestris was a militaristic country. Using that, and her discovery of State Alchemists to her advantage, the miko had researched some of the prominent figures in the military. Stumbling upon names like Mustang, Elric, Armstrong, and Bradley. It had amazed her to see so many powerful people with high ranking positions.
When the office door shut, her attention turned to the figure sitting at the desk. He was likely quite tall; leaning over the desk as he was, fingers interlaced. The coal-eyed man had a guarded light in his gaze to match the grim line of his lips. There was a blonde woman standing just behind him, light brown eyes trained on the midnight-haired woman who'd just walked in.
"Please," the man gestured to the couch in front of his desk, "have a seat."
Slowly and gracefully, the miko made her way to the couch. She made sure to sit in a way that would keep her sword quiet. Shippo could also slide down and sit for a minute and rest. They had been traveling so long that sleep was few and far between.
Kagome was startled when the two who'd led her in to sit on either side of her. She glanced at them from the corners of her eyes suspiciously. Neither of them seemed particularly threatening so she relaxed; if only slightly.
"Do you know why you're here, Miss Higurashi?"
Kagome nodded. "You wish to know of my abilities."
"Yes. It's come to our attention that you are the Miracle Healer rumored to be heading toward Central." She rose an eyebrow at the name. No one had called her that; at least, not to her knowledge. "My subordinates and I were wondering how you heal people."
Straight and to-the-point. Interesting. "While I understand your curiosity, Colonel, I'm afraid only those of my religious calling could accomplish such feats. It is a divine gift I use to the fullest."
The Colonel and his Lieutenant looked strangely at her. Her speech pattern was certainly strange. Even stranger was how the cloak she wore seemed to completely cover her outfit. There were many things about her that seemed far too suspicious for her to be the Miracle Healer. Even then-
"Is there something you're looking for here in Central?"
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not; but my business is just that, sir. I'd like to keep it that way." Sapphire eyes flashed in amusement. If he thought to intimidate her, he was four years too late for that. Especially when she'd read up on her rights as an immigrant soon-to-be applying for citizenship. Kagome idly realized she was having too much fun with her interrogation but brushed it off.
Before Mustang could ask another question, there was a knock at the door. He sighed at the interruption and allowed them in. The Colonel was a bit surprised to see First Lieutenant Miyamoto in the doorway. His gaze narrowed as he realized the Special Investigations Unit had come to get Higurashi. It seemed he wasn't the only one interested in the mysterious traveler.
"Excuse me, Mustang. The SIU has been keeping tabs on this one," she gestured to the miko now staring at her with shock, "and I've come to retrieve her for questioning."
As much as he wanted to argue, the Flame Alchemist knew they had priority in interesting persons. Internally becoming more suspicious, he calmly said, "Very well."
"Hey, wait a second," came the indignant cry of the blond teen. However, he went ignored as Miyamoto quietly walked over and asked Higurashi to stand. "You can't just come in here and take our lead!"
The First Lieutenant smirked at the boy and confidently strode out. Kagome turned around with a gentle smile and waved at them before walking out the door. The resounding slam as it closed made the Elric brothers jump. Silence reigned for a few tense moments before Mustang broke it.
"Actually, she can, Fullmetal." Edward turned his fuming gaze to his superior. He quickly tried to calm down at the suspicious look on Roy's face. "The SIU, or Special Investigations, has top authority in possible suspects and witnesses. If they identify someone of interest to their cases, they can take that person for questioning at any time."
His fiery gaze flickered back to the door and narrowed. What he wanted to know was why the SIU seemed to suddenly take an interest in Higurashi. There had been no mention about them working on a case.
It seemed this mystery had just deepened.
