Chapter 25: Ashes to Ashes...

JOEY WHEELER

"Is there still no word from her?" Teacher asked over the phone.

I replied, "None, I've sent some men out looking for her, but nothing has come back yet."

I heard Riza voice come on in the background and Teacher said, "Hold on Joesph, I have visitor."

I waited paceintly as Teacher talked to his guest.

A woman with blackish blue hair and a set of glasses walked in my door and said, "Colonel Wheeler, I have a case file for you and your squad to invesgate from headquarters."

I nodded and said, "Thank you Miss..."

She gave a smile and said, "2nd Lieutenant Sarah Coonts*. Your secretary Sir."

I nodded and said, "Thank you Lieutentant, you're dismissed."

She nodded and walked out the door saying, "Now, I'm suppose to go see Major Turner across town... I wish I could get there faster.**"

I looked at the folder tag that read, 'Homicide'.

Dammit, second day on the job and they're having me solve a murder. This is fucking ridiculous.

I picked up the phone and said, "Teacher are you back?"

He replied, "Yeah, but I have a case I'll be working on for the majority of the day."

I replied, "Let me guess, Homicide case that I just got."

Teacher sighed and said, "Damn, they couldn't wait a few weeks before sending you to this."

I sighed and said, "Like you said, no rest for a Dog of the Military."

I opened the case folder and began reading the report aloud;

Name: Unknown

Gender: Unknown

Cause of Death: Excesive Bleeding from wrist and throat.

Time of Death: Around 7 o' clock at night

Place of Death: Unknown

Notes From Crime Scene: There was no actaul body found, only a pair of severed hands, a large portion of a throat, and a large pool of blood were the only things recovered from the Botanical House floor.

Evidence shows that the victim, had her hands cut off with a military grade knife and had their throat carved out using it.

Then while the body was still living it was taken away, but due to the amount of blood found on the floor, it's believed that the victim bled out before they reached their destination.

The only hint at who this person is the hands.

The medical examener looked over them and said that they more than likely belong to a young woman almost in their twenties.

The left hand had a scar that went from the thumb to the index finger in a zig zag pattern.

On the right hand, we were able to recover a blood stained white bracelet that had the letters, J, T, Y, T, and Y, carved into the inside of it.

Investigation is still on going and no hints to the killer yet.

I sat back a bit and looked at the photos.

I gasped and said, "Teacher... I recognize the bracelet..."

He gasped and said, "Then you know who this is?"

I replied, "I think so, I just hope I'm wrong."

He sighed and said, "I'll meet you at the morgue and we can see if it who you think it is."

I nodded and said, "Sure, I'll be there."

I put the phone on the hook and walked out of my office.

Tristen looked at me as I walked by and asked, "Colonel, where are you going?"

I replied, "The morgue, Mustang wants me to see if I can ID a body."

Tristen shook his head and said, "I'll be up here if you need me."

I nodded and continued walking.

Best he doesn't see this...

Especially if it's who I think it is...

Dr. Knox pulled out a box and dumped the bracelets on the table.

I put on a set of gloves Knox gave me and studied the bracelts carefully.

I looked at the inside and saw the letters, so delicately carved in cursive.

The letters were more prominat as ever considering blood had seeped into it.

I looked down and said, "J,T,Y,T, and Y. To most people they're just letter carved in a bracelet, but to me..."

I took a deep breath and said, "They're names. Joey, Trisen, Yugi, Tea, and Yami. I seen this bracelt before..."

"Unfortunately it means I know who this is..."

Teacher looked at me and asked, "Who is Joseph?"

I replied softly, "These are Tea's bracelts. We gave her these for her birthday and she hasn't taken them off since... At that same party the knife from the cake cut into her hand making a small scar on her left hand."

I looked at Teacher and said, "Major Tea Gardner... That's the victim..."

Teacher placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "Joesph... I'm sorry for your loss... I know what it's like to lose a best friend... Especailly like that..."

I looked down and said, "How am I going to tell them? I can't do it... I can't make my sister cry..."

Teacher looked at me and said, "I'll do it, I couldn't expect you to do it, especailly after the loss you've just endured."

I wanted to cry...

Cry my eyes out over her, but I have to stay strong...

For my friends...

For my sister...

For Tea...

The funeral was the hardest part for me, knowing only a part of my friend was being buired in that box.

When I first became an state alchemist I made a single wish.

I wished that I never had to wear this black mititary outfit, but that wish isn't coming true.

We stood quietly as they lowered what remained of Tea into the ground.

Mai and Serenity cried into each other shoulder.

Marik stood there silently letting tears drizzle down his cheeks.

Teacher, Riza, Tristen, and I, were at the foot of the grave.

On the other side stood the Furher and his men, giving her a proper burial.

Hours past and the grave was now covered and most of the people had gone home, execpt for me and Mai.

I looked down at the gravestone that read;

Brigadier General Tea Gardener

The Iron Ivy Alchemist

1901-1918

Strongest of Heroes, Bravest of Friends

Mai looked at me and said, "Joey it's getting late. We should get back to the hotel, Serenity is worried about you as it is."

I replied, "Alchemists as a whole, we really are horrible creatures, aren't we? There's a side of me that's desperately trying to crack the theories of Human Transmutation right now. I think I understand what drove those boys when they tried to... bring back their mother."

Mai looked at me and pauses, trying to gauge me and asked, "Are you alright, Joey?"

I put on my cap and said, "Yeah, I'm fine... except... it's a terrible day for rain."

Mai looked up at the sky and said, "But... what do you mean? It's not raining."

Then she looks at me again.

I lifted my chin, and a tear spilled down my cheek as I said, "Yes it is."

Mai nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess it is..."

I looked at her and said, "Mai...I need to tell you something..."

She looked at me and said, "Sure... Go ahead..."

I looked down and said, "Remember me telling you about Lust and how she almost killed me?"

She nodded and I said, "Well, the only reason she didn't kill me or anyone else is... Teacher and I... Burned her over and over until her Philospher's Stone lost power and she... died..."

She looked at me and said, "Joey, I don't care what you did. You saved you friends and prevented that monster from killing more inoccent people. You will always be a hero in both the eyes of me and your sister. Never forget that."

I looked at her and said, "Thank you Mai... Thank you..."

I finally let more tears out...

All the pain and suffering she must have felt...

I hope she's resting peacefully now, but...

My pain will last for a long time, knowing that one of my best friends died and my other friends have no clue what has happened...

"Hey Joey!" I heard Yugi yell.

I turned around to see Yugi roll up in a wheelchair along side Yami.

Ed, Al, Kaiba, and Necro walked off the train with Ishizu, Pegasus, Winry, Mr. Motou, Bakura, Shiro, and Duke.

I smiled and said, "It's great to see that your recovering well, Yugi."

Kaiba looked at me and said, "What's with the medals Wheeler?"

I replied calmly, "While you were gone, I recived a promotion. I'm Colonel Wheeler now."

Kaiba and Ed yelled, "What?!"

I replied, "Relax, you two are still under Teacher's justiction. I have few men and alchemist under mine, but that's not important."

Yami looked at me and said, "Joey, you've matured quite a bit in the last two weeks."

I looked at him and said, "A lot has happened in thoses weeks, not all of it good."

Ryo looked around and said, "Hey where's Tristan and Tea? I figured they be here to pick us up with you."

I sighed and said, "Tristen is back at the hotel, with the others."

Yami looked at me and said, "And Tea..."

I replied, "Is at an undisclosed location at the moment. I can bring five of you there. The rest has to go to the hotel."

They desided among themselves that Ed, Al, Kaiba, Yugi, and Yami would go with me, and the rest would head to the hotel.

After a few waves of the hands they got into the car and I began driving down the road.

Ed, Kaiba, and Al talked in the back seat as Yugi and Yami quietly chatted in the front.

I not sure how they're going to take it...

Al's only fourteen, and Hughes death his him hard.

Then Yugi, Ed, and Kaiba, know Tea like best friends.

Then Yami...

She had feeling for him, although I'm not sure if it was mural, but the two were close.

Finally we pulled up to the lot of the cemetery.

Mustang and Hawkeye was waiting for us.

After everyone got out Mustang approached the small group.

Kaiba looked at him and asked, "What are we doing here Sir?"

Al nodded and said, "Yeah, I though we were going to see Tea."

Mustang sighed and said, "We are. She's waiting here for you."

Mustang and Hawkeye let us through the graves until we finally came to it.

Yami looked at him and said, "Well, where is she?"

Yugi mumbled out, "Ya-Yami... Look..."

He pointed at her gravestone.

The group stared in horror and sadness as they had just found out that she was here.

She was right here and she can never leave.

Al cried out, "No... Not Tea... What happened?!"

Mustang looked at them and said, "Your going to figure out sometime or another. She was murdered... We still have no idea who did it... I'm sorry for your loss..."

Yugi began weeping at the site of the grave and he cried, "No... She can't be dead... She can't..."

I replied, "I wished it wasn't true, but it is... They promoted her up two whole ranks like it suppose to bring comfort... but it doesn't..."

Yami remained fairly quiet, but tears drizzled down his face fast and hard.

He's not showing it, but this really hurt him.

Ed and Kaiba stared at the grave.

Ed mumbled out, "I'm sick of watching people die... And I can't just sit back and take it anymore... I won't let anyone else get killed... Not when I can protect them..."

Kaiba looked down at the grave and said, "I know we weren't the best of friends Tea, but still what happened to you wasn't right. I swear we'll find this guy Tea... I swear..."

A few tears silently drizzled down their cheaks as we sat there, mourning our friends loss.

Hawkeye looked at the stone and said, "Both Tea and Hughes died looking into the same thing. I hate to say it, but it sounds like there might be some kind of conspiracy going on here. But how does it all tie together?"

I nodded and said, "That's the big question. But Hughes and Tea... I'd say they deserves answers. Once I'm transferred into my office in Central Command... I'm gonna start shaking things up until I find some."

Kaiba looked at me and said, "Doesn't sound like you to mix your public and personal concerns."

Mustang replied, "There's no difference between the two. I will become the Fuhrer of this country AND I will take vengeance for Hughes and Tea. I'll do these things because I have to do them. I'm going after the senior staff. Are you two with me, Lieutenant? Colonel?"

I replied, "Do you even have to ask?"

*I wonder who's name that is...

** Reference to my other story, The Mystic Sage Alchemist.