Spirit Animals

by TheFullmetalBitch

This is my retelling of FMA where every character has a Spirit Animal. Major canon divergence. Please give it a go and R&R! I do not own FMA or it's characters. *Art by Procastinagoat* This story will be updated every Sunday, Eastern Australia time

31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 –

Edward stood under the warm spray of water coming from the showerhead in Pinako's bathroom, letting the water fall directly onto his upturned face. They'd arrived back at the Rockbell's house half an hour ago after reburying the skeleton they'd unearthed, wet and both physically and mentally exhausted from the intense undertakings of that morning. Pinako claimed first turn in the shower and Ed had informed both Animals that they would be next. Neither dog nor wolf were impressed by that but they didn't put up a fight when Pinako emerged and Ed led them into the bathroom and started scrubbing them within an inch of their lives before drying them off and kicking them out so he could take his turn.

Turning the water off after spending a few minutes longer than he ordinarily would've in an effort to wash off the events of the morning, Ed stepped out of the shower, dried himself off and got changed into the same clothing he'd worn that morning after cleaning and drying them with a couple of clever arrays. He left his hair loose but finger-combed the wet locks so it wouldn't knot as it dried then headed downstairs to join the two Animals and Pinako. He found them in the living room, Pinako in her armchair, and a waiting cup of freshly made coffee on the coffee table next to the lounge.

"Thanks, Granny," Ed said as he sat and grabbed the hot cup and skulled half of its contents. Though he didn't say anything more, he could tell that Pinako knew he was thanking her for more than the coffee. Ayala and Den were curled up on opposite ends of the couch so he was in between them and once he was fully settled, Ayala was quick to shift so her head would lay in Ed's lap. As he sipped his coffee before it cooled, Ed moved his left hand and started stroking Ayala's fur.

"What's the plan now, Ed?" Pinako asked after a few minutes of them sitting quietly.

"Our train doesn't leave until 2 o'clock this afternoon so we won't leave here until just after 1:00pm but, if it's alright with you, I'd like to use your phone," Ed said. Pinako inclined her head, giving her permission but her curiousity got the better of her and she couldn't help but ask.

"Why do you want to use the phone to call Alphonse? I would've thought Chester would've told him about when you were coming home and that you want to tell him what you discovered this morning in person," Pinako commented but Ed shook his head.

"I'm not calling Al," he told her. "I want to call Teacher," he admitted. Her previous curiousity had been satisfied only to come back ten-fold about why Ed would need to call Izumi, something Pinako was certain the blonde rarely did, considering how scarce his phone calls to herself were, but she decided it was something she didn't need to know.

"That's fine, Ed," Pinako assured him and Ed gave a nod of thanks. Knowing he would likely place the phone call soon and that he would definitely want privacy while doing so, Pinako finished her own coffee and stood up slowly, giving her aching joints time to adjust. "I'll go get us some lunch. Sandwiches okay with you three?" Pinako asked.

"That'd be great. Thanks heaps, Granny," Ed said as Ayala and Den both nodded.

"You're welcome, Ed," Pinako said, giving him a small smile as she patted his cheek on her way past him. "Give me a holler when you want them," she told him before disappearing into the kitchen.

The moment she did so, Ed drained his coffee cup and moved to where the phone sat on the long, narrow bench-top cupboard sitting along the wall and prepared himself for the call he was about to place. It had only been a couple of weeks since Izumi, Sig and their Animals had paid them a visit after Al and Izumi's encounter with the homunculous in Dublith but both Koda and Suna had used their bond with him to check in with him every couple of days. They'd both felt his emotional turmoil upon seeing Hohenheim and Calix in the cemetery and had frantically asked if he was alright but had been silent since he'd assured them he wasn't being killed or hurt and that he'd give them a better explanation later.

Steeling his resolve, Ed prepared himself for any kind of reaction he could think of from Izumi before picking the phone up and dialing the number needed. The phone rang just long enough for Ed to think that maybe neither Sig nor Izumi were inside and that he might have to contact Koda or Suna to find out where their humans were when the phoneline clicked.

"Curtis residence," his teacher's voice said on the other end of the phone line.

"Teacher, it's Ed," he said in greeting.

"I didn't expect this," Izumi said, certainly sounding mildly surprised that he was calling her. "You never call. What's happened now?"

"Uh, yeah," Ed said ineloquently. "Listen, I need to ask you something, Teacher, but, well…" he trailed off, suddenly realising he had no clue how to ask this.

"'But, well' what? Spit it out," Izumi snapped and the familiar sound of his teacher quickly losing her patience was enough to get Ed into gear.

"It has to do with when you tried to transmute your baby," Ed said and knew from the slight stutter in Izumi's next breath that out of everything he could of asked her, she hadn't expected it to be about that.

"What about it, Ed?" Izumi asked, voice tense and Ed closed his eyes briefly. Ayala sent some encouraging energy through their bond and Ed could just feel Koda's confusion through their own bond.

"The thing is-" Ed cut himself off with a slight sigh of frustration before just blurting out what he wanted to say. "I dug up what Al and I transmuted this morning and Granny and I found out that it wasn't mine and Al's mother," he told her and knew from the small gasp he heard that she understood what he was saying.

"What is this, Ed?" Izumi asked, needing Ed to confirm what she thought he was saying. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm sorry to ask you this," Ed said, feeling his voice get slightly thick because he truly was sorry to be asking and bringing up memories he knew first hand that Izumi wouldn't want brought up, "but the child you transmuted; are you sure it was your child that you brought back?" Ed heard a choked gasp just before a click and the line gave a series of beeps that told him Izumi had hung up on him. Ed placed the phone back on its hook.

"She needed to know," Ayala said after a couple of moments. "It's best for her that she figures it out. I felt what you felt when you realised it wasn't Trisha you brought back. Izumi will be grateful if her investigation into who she brought back tells her it wasn't her baby," Ayala told him gently and Ed nodded, squeezing his eyes closed for a moment before opening them again.

"I know but I'm sure you have a better idea of how I felt when Hohenheim implied that it might not have been mum Al and I failed to bring back," Ed said, "and I just put Teacher through that." Ed sighed as he went back over to the couch and dropped down gracelessly in the spot he'd previously occupied. Den have vacated the couch sometime between Pinako leaving the room and Ed sitting back down so he and Ayala had the whole couch, something Ayala took immediate advantage of.

"I know and I know how much it hurts you to be putting Izumi through that but just remember what I said. If she finds out the baby she brought back wasn't hers, well, you know how she'll feel firsthand," Ayala pointed out for a second time and again, Ed nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Ed said, not sounding like he fully believed her but Ayala didn't take any offence to it. She knew that he wouldn't be able to deal with what he'd done until Izumi called him and told him what she'd uncovered, if she called him.

"Why don't you contact Koda? Ask her to tell Izumi that you're sorry for what she's going through," Ayala suggested and Ed gave her a nod.

"Yeah, I think I'll do that," Ed said, giving her a small smile before focusing inwardly and finding his bond with Koda. "Hi, Koda. I know you're worrying over Teacher and that you might be mad at me but I just want you to know that I am sorry I had to ask her what I did. Can you please tell her that?" Ed asked. It took a few moments for Koda to respond but, to Ed, each moment felt far longer than it was.

"I know you didn't, Ed. She's just told me what you told her and if you're right, this will help her heal from that night. I will tell her when she's reached a point in the research she's about to start. She's too focused on this to actually listen to anything I tell her," Koda told him and Ed felt some relief and some of the tension in his body left him.

"Thank you, Koda," Ed said sincerely. "Make sure she doesn't overdo it and hurt herself trying to find answers," he instructed and felt Koda chuckle.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Koda teased before dropping the teasing tone. "I will, Ed. You make sure you look after yourself, your brother and your Animals," Koda said and Ed felt her love and warmth for him through their bond, making him flush in response and she chuckled again.

"I will. You guys look after yourselves and each other too," Ed said, ignoring Koda's humour at his reaction. Saying a final goodbye to one another, Koda and Ed broke their conversation off and Ed gave Ayala a small smile. "Koda says that neither of them are angry with me and that she'll keep an eye on Teacher for me," he reported to the wolf.

"I knew they wouldn't be mad at you," Ayala said smugly. Ed rolled his eyes at her before ruffling her ears in a way he knew she pretended to hate. Sure enough, she let loose a low growl that had him throwing his hands up in a casual surrender.

"Do you want lunch yet or am I putting these sandwiches aside for the two of you for later?" Pinako asked, startling the two of them. She was standing in the doorway between the loungeroom and kitchen, giving them both an unimpressed look.

"Sorry, Granny," Ed apologised immediately. "Ayala and I are finished. We'll come eat now," he told her as he stood from the couch while Ayala almost slithered off the couch. Ed raised an amused brow at her but didn't say anything about her interesting technique as he grabbed his empty coffee cup and they headed into the kitchen.

Pinako shook her head at the two of them and stepped out of their path so they could get into the kitchen easily. She watched as Ed claimed the seat he'd always sat in during mealtimes with Alphonse and Winry but had forgone the last two nights so he could keep some distance between him and Hohenheim. Ed was quick to hand over half the sandwiches in front of him to the wolf sitting on his left. Pinako headed back into the kitchen and made two more cups of coffees, once Ed indicated that he would like one, and joined him at the table when they were ready.

"I never did ask this morning but what did you and your father talk about?" Pinako asked. Judging from the sigh Ed gave, Pinako gathered he had likely expected that she would eventually ask about it but was also hoping she wouldn't.

"Not much." Ed shrugged. "I got up him for trying to leave again without telling me after everything he said over the last couple of days. I asked his opinion on Ayala and mine's bond and why it was so different when we initiated it but he doesn't know what it could mean. I bonded with Calix so we would be able to share information about the threat against the country. That was about it," Ed told her.

"You bonded with Cal? I didn't think you would," Pinako admitted and again, Ed shrugged.

"Not without several conditions they had to agree to first but, yeah, I did," Ed told her. Pinako looked like she wanted to lecture him about placing conditions on his bond with Calix but she decided against it and they fell back into silence.

"Argh!" Pinako suddenly exclaimed, scaring both Ed and Ayala so badly that they both jumped to their feet, automatically looking around for whatever had caused Pinako to shout. Den had poked his head around the kitchen door that led outside but was quicker than Ed and Ayala to figure out there was no threat and went back to sunning himself. "I forgot to pass on the message!" Pinako berated herself while both Ayala and Ed gave her disbelieving looks as they settled out of their defensive stances.

"What message?" Ed asked, deciding to let the fact that she just scared him and Ayala half to death go in order to find out what Pinako was on about.

"A last request from your mother," Pinako told him. "She wanted to tell Hohenheim that she was sorry that she couldn't keep her promise," Pinako revealed and that immediately got Ed and Ayala's interest piqued.

"What promise?" Ed asked curiously but Pinako shrugged.

"Beats me," she told him. "Could you pass it along for me? Either to Calix or when you next see Hohenheim?" Pinako asked.

Ed scowled. "Why should I?" He asked and Pinako gave him a knowing look.

"Because you know that your father does care for you boys because if you truly didn't believe it even slightly, you wouldn't have agreed to bond with Calix," Pinako said bluntly and Ed muttered something under his breath before sighing and leaning back in his chair.

"Fine," Ed finally said after a couple of moments, "I'll tell him. Can't guarantee that I'll tell him before I clock him in the face though," Ed told her.

"You shouldn't threaten to punch your father, Edward," Pinako berated him.

"I demand that you tell me before you do so I can watch it through your eyes," Den said, poking his head back into the kitchen and causing Pinako to turn in her chair to face him.

"You shouldn't be encouraging him to punch his father!" Pinako scolded Den.

Ed and Ayala shared a grin as the two delved into a banter as Den tried to defend his encouragement of Ed's endeavor. Ed made sure to silently promise Den that he would do as he was demanded as he munched on the last of his sandwiches. The heatless argument between Pinako and Den was enough to temporarily take Ed's mind off what he was going to be telling Al later that night and he was able to enjoy the final few hours of peace he would likely have for a while.

---

When the conductor announced over the public announcement system that they would be pulling into Central shortly, Ed could've honestly cheered in relief. Normally, he wasn't annoyed by train trips but this one seemed to almost take twice as long as it ordinarily should've and he and Ayala were both anxious to get off the train as soon as possible. Thankfully nothing interrupted the train's schedule too badly so when they did arrive in Central Station, they were only ten minutes later than they should've been.

To his surprise, Ed found someone waiting for him at the station. He'd contacted Chester to let him know he and Ayala were on the train and roughly when they should be in Central. He'd also asked the leopard to have Al book a hotel room for them to stay in since Ling and his guards were still staying at the Hughes' and Ed knew there wouldn't be any room for him and Ayala, no matter how much the two Hughes' tried to find some for them. Since he knew Al and Chester wouldn't be at the station as Chester had said he and Al would wait in the hotel room, Ed hadn't expected anyone else. So when Sergeant Denny Brosh waved him down, obviously having expected him, Ed was a little wary about why.

"What's up, Brosh, Ajax?" Ed asked once he and Ayala reached the two of them.

"Hi, Ed. Long time, no see. You four keeping out of trouble?" Ajax asked and Ed smirked.

"Never," Ed told him and the blue dog chuckled.

"Sorry for stopping you on your way home, Ed, but Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes told Major Armstrong you'd be on this afternoon's train and ordered me to find you," Brosh explained. "While you were up north, reports that Scar has been sighted in Central started flooding in. We've been able to verify them but he's got another three kills to his count now and all three are State Alchemists. I've been tasked with warning you to lay low for a while," Brosh told him and Ed sighed in annoyance.

"Why can't serial killers intent on wiping out State Alchemists pick better times to turn up?!" Ed exclaimed rhetorically, causing Brosh to gape at him slightly.

"You really need to get your priorities sorted, Ed," Ayala sighed. Ed got the distinct feeling she would've facepalmed if she could've.

"Sorry, Brosh. There's a lot going on at the moment and finding out Scar's back in town is just something I didn't need to happen," Ed said, giving the man a lopsided smile. "Thanks for letting me know and I'll try to keep myself out of trouble so you and Miss Maria don't end up guarding me in the hospital again," Ed promised, a wry grin on his face.

Brosh chuckled. "I'm sure Lieutenant Ross will appreciate that as much as I would," he told them.

"Most likely," Ed grinned. "Thanks for the warning though. Ayala and I will be heading to the hotel room we've got booked so I think we'll be good for a while," Ed assured Brosh, who looked relieved to hear it.

"Would you like an escort?" Brosh asked but Ed shook his head.

"Nah, you look like you got other things to do and Ayala and I will be alright," Ed said. "Scar's not likely to attack us while there are civilians around anyways," Ed pointed out and Brosh nodded.

"Reports do indicate he prefers dark, isolated spots to commit the murders," Brosh agreed. "Thank you for being understanding, Ed. I'll let you go so you can get back to the hotel. I'm sure Al is anxious to see you in one piece," Brosh said and Ed laughed.

"Yeah, pretty sure Chester's getting hounded to find out how far away I am," Ed said, tapping the side of his head. Brosh grinned at the mental image.

"You should go rescue the poor leopard," Brosh laughed. "See you around, Ed," he said, giving Ed a salute.

"See ya, Brosh," Ed said, waving him out of the salute. "Bye, Ajax." He waved to the blue dog who gave him a toothy grin.

"Bye, Ed. Bye, Ayala," Ajax said. Ayala returned the sentiment and the two pairs parted ways with a final wave.

"I wonder why Scar's back in Central," Ayala mused as they fought their way through the rest of the crowd in Central Station. "I would've thought he would've stayed away from the major cities since the entire military knows what he looks like now," she commented and Ed shrugged a shoulder. They were both out of the train station now and were heading towards the hotel now.

"Don't think it really matters to him if everyone knows what he looks like. He's proven to be good at escaping the military's clutches. He's escaped from Colonel Bastard twice already," Ed pointed out and Ayala rolled her eyes.

"That's a fair point. I still think it's odd he's here now though," Ayala told him.

"Well, if he tries to kill me again, we can ask him for a time-out and interrogate him about his reasons for being in Central now," Ed told her and Ayala glared at him.

"He's not allowed to attack you," Ayala informed him sternly.

Ed snorted. "I'd like to see you try and stop him from doing so," Ed said and Ayala got a familiar glint in her eyes.

"Challenge accepted," she said simply and Ed laughed.

"He won't know what hit him," Ed teased but Ayala could sense that he did have faith in her words and that caused her to flush slightly.

---

Their conversation moved from Scar to what Ed planned on telling Mustang and Hughes about the last three days. Ed was all for telling them nothing but Ayala pointed out that some of the information – like what had happened to Xerxes, for example – could be pertinent and that the team should know about it. Ed grumbled for a bit but eventually offered her a compromise. He would tell Alphonse everything that he and Hohenheim had talked about – something he was always gonna do – then talk with Al about how much he thought they should tell everyone else. Ayala knew it was better than nothing so agreed to his offer.

"What room are you two in?" Ed asked Chester as they entered the hotel, waving to the front desk clerk, silently telling her that they didn't need help. Since the hotel staff were somewhat familiar with the Elrics – it was rather hard to forget a State Alchemist who was always accompanied by a 7-foot-tall suit of armour – the clerk gave them a nod and turned back to the people she was serving.

"Room 303," Chester replied immediately and Ed thanked him as he and Ayala punched the appropriate number into the elevator and allowed the doors to slide shut.

The elevator brought them to the third floor and it took them only moments to find room 303. Testing the handle, Ed found it unlocked so he entered without knocking. He opened his mouth to call out a greeting only to stop short when he noticed Chester and Alphonse weren't the only ones in the room. "What the hell are you doing here?" Ed demanded, feeling Ayala's struggle to suppress her amusement. Ling and his guards paused in eating the meal in front of them.

"Eating a delicious dinner?" Ling said, muffled by the mouthful of rice he was chewing on. Ed glared at him before turning it on his brother and leopard, making sure they knew that they would pay for not giving him a heads up.

"Get out," Ed ordered, pointing to the still open door. Ling looked forlornly at his food and Ed rolled his eyes. "Take the food with you. I don't care. Just get the fuck out," he said. Ling nodded to his guards and both of them grabbed the platters. The slighter of the two guards – who Ed knew now was Lan Fan, thanks to Chester – gave Ed a warning look as she and her Animal, the small, black cat, slipped past him. Ling and Laika were next, Ling giving Ed a massive smile that made Ed want to growl at him while the old man, who Ed still didn't have a name for, brought up the rear. Once the five were gone, Ed shut and locked the door. "Seriously? No warning?" Ed demanded as he rounded on his brother and Chester.

"Chester thought your reaction would be funny," Al immediately said and Chester gave him a betrayed look.

"I'll remember this," Ed swore, glaring at the leopard.

"Consider me warned," Chester said and Ed was a little insulted by how dismissive Chester sounded.

"Is everything alright, Brother?" Al asked and Ed gave him a confused look. "With Granny," Al prompted and Ed made a small 'ah' of understanding.

"Yeah, she's fine, the devious old bat," Ed muttered.

"Why did she want you in Resembool? Chester wouldn't tell me anything," Al said and Ed got the distinctive impression that Chester would've been glared at again if Al could've done so.

Ed sighed and scrubbed his left over his face before he moved and sat on the couch Ling and Lan Fan had been seated in front of. "Look, it's a long story and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't interrupt unless it's to ask for clarification on something, got it?" Ed said, waving at his brother to sit on the other couch. Knowing that this would be an emotional talk for both their humans, Ayala and Chester joined their respective humans on their couches.

"I promise, Brother," Al said, sounding nervous and worried. Ed felt a twinge of guilt for causing Al to worry but he ignored it.

"Granny had me come to Resembool because Hohenheim decided to show his face," Ed told Al, letting his unresolved grudge bleed into his tone. Despite everything he and Hohenheim had talked about, Ed still held a burning hate for his father and – as he had told Hohenheim that morning – it would take him far longer than a couple of days to successfully work through and let go of 12 years of hate, if he chose to try and forgive Hohenheim at all.

Al let out a sharp gasp. "Dad was there? Why did Granny have me stay here than? I would've liked to have seen him!" Al exclaimed and Ed knew that if his little brother had his flesh body, he would've been close to tears.

"I actually don't know, Al," Ed said, internally berating himself for not thinking of asking Granny that. "I didn't even think to ask Granny about why she asked for you to stay here," he told Al apologetically.

"It's alright, Brother," Al said. "I think you probably had more pressing things on your mind," he told him. Ed nodded but he didn't look very happy with himself. "What did dad want? Was he alright? Did he say anything about where he's been? Why he wasn't there for mum?" Al asked rapidly and Ed had to hold his hands up to get him to stop.

"I told you I would tell you everything that happened so settle down," Ed said, a touch more harshly than he meant but it had the intended effect and Al's questions stopped. Ed sighed as he struggled to figure out where to start before remembering his plan to start with his father's excuses for leaving only to realise it wouldn't make sense because Al wouldn't have the same context Ed did when he and Ayala had first confronted Hohenheim. "We talked about a lot of stuff but the first thing you need to know is that Hohenheim isn't fully human," Ed said bluntly.

"What do you mean? How can he not be human? What else could he possibly be?" Al cried, getting himself worked up.

"When Ayala and I got to Resembool and walked past Granny's house, she picked up the scent of a homunculous," Ed started to explain but Al interrupted him.

"He can't be a homunculous! They aren't able to have children and he had us!" Al argued and Ed's impatience got the better of him.

"Would you let me explain?!" Ed snapped. "I get your reaction – mine was pretty much the same – but how do you expect me to tell you anything when you interrupt me before I can even get a sentence out?" Ed asked exasperatedly.

"Sorry, Edward," Al mumbled and Ed felt guilt wash through him.

"Look, like I said, I get it but try to remember that I do have most of the answers to the questions you'll have," Ed asked, voice soft. Both Animals were watching the scene in front of them, knowing it would be better if they only stepped in if things ended up heated, which they didn't think would happen but then again, you never knew with an Elric.

"I'll try, Brother," Al promised and Ed nodded.

"Alright. Like I said, Ayala picked up the scent of a homunculous and we both assumed that this was why Granny had Den ask us to come back to Resembool," Ed told him. "When I saw Hohenheim standing there in front of mum and Cleo's death and realised he was who Ayala was tracking, I demanded answers about why he was there and what he was. He seemed surprised that Ayala had been able to figure out there was something different about him but he told me what I wanted to know," Ed said, taking a deep breath before he launched into the tale he was about to tell.

He told Alphonse about Hohenheim's history and how he had been born a nameless slave in the country of Xerxes and how he worked for a prominent alchemist of their time. Naturally, Al couldn't help but voice his disbelief that their father was Xerxian since Xerxes was destroyed over four centuries previous but was quick to zip it when Ed glared at him. Once he was sure Al was going to let him talk, he continued by telling him what Hohenheim had said about his blood being used for an alchemic experiment to make the first homunculous.

"So Xerxian alchemists knew how to make a homunculous?" Al asked and Ed waved his hand in a 'kind of' gesture.

"Hohenheim said that this homunculous was a shapeless form with a sentience and a face held in a glass flask, not something in the shape of a human," Ed told him before continuing on with the retelling of how Homunculous had taken it upon himself to give Hohenheim his name and an education, helping him become an extremely talented alchemist who was eventually released from slavery to study under his former master for the next decade while Homunculous become something of an adviser for the Xerxian King.

"Hohenheim told me that he and Homunculous weren't spending much time together as his studies had kept him busy and the royal court were requesting Homunculous' time more and more frequently," Ed revealed then told his brother about the day Xerxes was destroyed and their father's unwilling involvement in what happened. "He and Calix were standing to the side and Hohenheim was holding Homunculous' flask when the array was activated. On the king's orders, an array had been carved around the entirety of Xerxes – telling the Xerxian citizens that it was an array to help their land become more prosperous – but its purpose was to sacrifice the people and Animals inside the array so the king would be granted immortality. At least, that's what Homunculous had told the king it would do," Ed said.

He continued the story, revealing Homunculous' deception and explaining how the souls had been condensed into the centre of the array, which was where Calix, Hohenheim and Homunculous had all been standing. Hohenheim, Ed said, woke up the next morning after being forced through his Gate and found himself staring at another copy of himself. This clone of his was revealed to be Homunculous, who had taken the souls he had pulled from the citizens of Xerxes and split them into two stones, forcing one into Hohenheim as a final gift. Ed revealed that the stone granted Hohenheim near immortality and slowed his ageing down so much that he might as well be not ageing at all. He ended that part of the retelling by revealing that Homunculous was the one who taught Amestris alchemy while Hohenheim and Calix had gone east, across the desert, and wound up in Xing where they taught the Xingese alkahestry.

"So our father is a 400 year old homunculous?" Al asked, voice faint with incredulity but Ed shook his head.

"No, homunculi have no souls and Hohenheim does since he still has Calix," Ed told him. "When I asked, pointing out that every textbook on homunculi that we'd read had said that homunculi couldn't procreate, Hohenheim confirmed it and told me he wasn't a homunculous. He said he was a Philosopher's Stone in the shape of a man, which still doesn't make sense to me but whatever," Ed said.

"I can't believe this," Al said and Ed snorted.

"I've had three days to process it and I'm still struggling to believe it but that's not the end of everything he told me," Ed warned and Al's armour seemed to droop.

"Is the rest of it as fantastical as our father being 400 years old?" Al asked and Ed snorted.

"Depends on who you ask. Chester and I certainly didn't buy some of what that bastard tried to sell us but Ayala is of the opinion he was being completely honest the whole time he spoke to me, even if she does admit that some of it sounded far-fetched," Ed told him and Al somehow managed to show Ed he was disappointed in him for referring to their father as a bastard.

"Did Dad explain if his being whatever he is will affect us?" Al asked, voice a little fearful at the unknown.

"He firmly believes we are nothing but ordinary humans," Ed told Al. "Since neither of us have shown any signs of advanced healing, unique abilities we have no explanation for and we are ageing at the rate we should be, he is of the opinion that we inherited nothing from the stone in him. Granted, neither of us have actually died and come back to life yet so we can't say for certain that we can't be killed but Hohenheim is certain that the only extraordinary things about us are our alchemic talents and our intelligence," Ed told him. Al seemed to take a moment to absorb that before he nodded.

"You said he explained everything which means he must've told you why he left," Al stated, voice a little shaky from the overwhelming emotion Ed knew he was feeling but he didn't call him out on it and simply nodded in confirmation.

"He did but you needed to know about the whole 'he's a Philosopher's Stone and was there when Xerxes was wiped off the map' thing before I told you them since none of them would've made sense without that information," Ed told him. After a moment, Ed started repeating the excuses Hohenheim had given him, starting with Hohenheim's decision to look into the Ishvalen Civil War and ending with Hohenheim's fears about their reactions when they found out he was immortal and his and Calix's apparent inability to keep track of time.

Al had stayed very quiet throughout Ed's recollection and didn't say a word even after Ed had finished speaking. After a few moments, Ed was about to ask Chester if Al was alright but Al decided to speak up before he could. "I don't understand how he could say he had no clue about Mum's illness after all those letters we sent. We must've posted a hundred to him!" Al exclaimed.

"He says he never got any of them. He claims we either sent them to people who were dead or had moved, people he had no reason to or didn't want to visit during those years or that we did send them to the right people but at the wrong time and he missed them," Ed told him and he knew Al hadn't missed the disbelieving tone of his voice.

"Brother, it sounds like he didn't purposefully abandon us and mum for all those years. Don't you think you could cut him a little slack?" Al begged but knew it was futile when he saw the stubborn set of his brother's jaw and the anger in his eyes.

"No," he ground out. "I don't care what his excuses are, Al. I'm allowed to be pissed off about the fact that he left us for 12 years and expected me to forgive him immediately after hearing his excuses," Ed snapped, feeling Chester and Ayala's agreement and knew that Al could at least feel that Chester was on his side for the most part in this case.

"How about the two of you do what you always do in this situation and agree to disagree? You'll get nowhere if this turns into a full-blown argument," Chester pointed out to the both of them.

"You're right, Ches," Al said before looking back at Ed. "Is there anything else Dad told you that you want me to know about?" He asked and Ed nodded.

"Before I tell you this, just remember that the part that has to do with you is just speculation," Ed warned and Al nodded, though it seemed he was a little nervous, judging by the way he shifted. "Hohenheim revealed something he'd kept from everyone except for Mum. He is able to talk to other people's Animals as well," Ed revealed and Al gasped but Ed held up a hand before Al could say anything. When he was certain Al wasn't gonna say anything, Ed continued. "Apparently in the last few years of Xerxes existence, alchemists – including Hohenheim – discovered a way for them to talk to other people's Animals. Spirit Animals need to die to be able to pass on any new developments that directly impact the human-Spirit Animal bond but the Animals who knew about the Xerxian alchemists' discovery didn't die, not really. Their souls were absorbed into the stones in Hohenheim and the first homunculous so they couldn't pass that information to the next generation of Spirit Animals." Ed paused to take a breath.

"Hohenheim is of the opinion that part of the reason I got my abilities when I went through my Gate is because it recognised I'm half-Xerxian," Ed made a face as he said it, like he still couldn't believe it, "and gave me the knowledge since it was my birthright, or something like that," Ed said. "He also thinks that it's possible that when we get you your body back, or at least recover your missing memories of the Gate and Truth, you'll get the same knowledge as me and that includes the ability to talk to and sight-share with other people's Animals since you're half-Xerxian as well," Ed divulged. "But that's if Hohenheim's theory is right. He could be wrong and I could've gotten the knowledge by chance which means that there's no guarantee you'll get it as well," Ed told him, needing him to understand that his getting the same abilities wasn't a certainty so that his disappointment if he didn't get the ability wouldn't be too much.

"I understand, Brother," Al assured him. "Do you think it could be possible to see if Dad will write out the theory and method he discovered so I might be able to learn it that way if I didn't from my Gate?" Al asked and Ed shrugged.

"I dunno," he admitted. "Hohenheim did tell me that those books and journals of his in the study weren't his only collection and that he would have Calix tell me if we ended up near one of them so we could get in there and go through the texts," Ed told him.

"Wait, Calix will tell you? Does that mean you bonded with him?" Al asked and Ed nodded reluctantly.

"I did it so we could trade information," Ed told Al since he knew his younger brother would take it as proof that Ed didn't hate Hohenheim as much as he claimed. "Since Hohenheim and Calix are looking into Homunculous and the threat to Amestris as well, Ayala pointed out that it would be a good idea to have a direct line of communication between them and our team so we can get and give information immediately," Ed said, feeling the need to defend his reasoning.

"That would be good," Al said, nodding slightly. "Between the two groups, we might get more answers than we would by ourselves," Al pointed out.

"Hohenheim did say he would try and find the original Homunculous and try to get some information out of him so hopefully that happens. It'd be nice if he did something useful for us and we could have some definite answers about what is going on with this country," Ed grumbled and Al sighed but didn't comment.

"I can't imagine that your conversations with Dad were entirely civil," Al commented after a few moments. "Nothing bad happened, right?" Al asked. Ed was a little annoyed that he couldn't tell who the worry in Al's voice was for; him or their father.

"I didn't kill him, if that's what you're asking," Ed snapped. "I was holding onto 12 years' worth of anger and hate while he was trying to figure out why his explanations didn't miraculously take all of that away from me the moment I heard them. We clashed. I said some shit I probably shouldn't have but that he definitely deserved. He said some shit he definitely shouldn't have. How did you envision any kind of meeting between the two of us going?" Ed asked rhetorically.

"I was just making sure no one got hurt," Al said, voice small and Ed growled at himself.

"I didn't mean to get so defensive. I'm sorry for snapping, Al," Ed apologised, feeling awful for lashing out at his brother.

"I know you didn't, Brother," Al said. The room stayed silent for a few moments before Al broke it again. "What happened this morning? Chester said you were really mad really early this morning and then something happened before lunch but he couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening and he hasn't told me what he saw in your memories," Al asked and Ed gave his little brother a look.

"How often do you ask Chester to go through my memories like that?" Ed asked but Al was quick to start shaking his helmet.

"I don't! I was just worried about you because Chester couldn't figure out what you were feeling," Al insisted. Ed stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"As long as you don't do it all the time, it's fine. Chester usually asks before telling you anything to make sure it's okay with me anyways," Ed said before sitting up straighter and leaning his elbows on his knees. "Look, what I'm gonna tell you might throw you through a loop but out of everything I found out over the last three days, this is the most important thing you need to know," Ed told him, voice deadly serious.

"What is it, Brother?" Al asked and Ed sighed a little.

"Hohenheim asked Granny a lot of questions last night about what we did while I was in the shower and he implied something when I walked back into the kitchen that I couldn't let go unanswered," Ed told him. "This morning, after Hohenheim and Calix left, Granny, Den, Ayala and I headed up to the ruins of our house and we dug up the body you and I transmuted."

"What?" Al asked, shocked. "Why would you do that?" Al demanded but Ed didn't take offence.

"Because of what Hohenheim said, Al," Ed reminded him. "He asked Granny about its hair and eye colour," he told him and Al made a small noise of surprise. "Granny and I dug it up and Granny took a look at it. What we made in that basement, Al? It wasn't Mum," Ed told him and Al gasped. Chester, having expected this sort of reaction, pressed up against Al in a show of comfort.

"But that means that…" Al trailed off and Ed nodded, agreeing with what Al didn't voice.

"That thing we made… I don't know what or who it was but the skeletal structure and hair we uncovered definitely didn't belong to Mum," Ed said.

"But if it wasn't Mum than what happened to me?" Al asked, voice breaking slightly and Chester nuzzled where Al's neck would be as he tried to give what comfort he could.

"That's the thing," Ed said and he didn't sound confused and angry like Al expected. Instead, he sounded hopeful. "Finding out it wasn't Mum we brought back? It's convinced me that we can bring you back, body and soul," Ed told him but this time, Al couldn't quite match his brother's enthusiasm.

"Are you sure?" He asked and Ed nodded.

"Do you remember when we were in North City and I reminded you about that snowstorm we had in Resembool as kids?" Ed asked and Al nodded. "You didn't remember it at first but then you did. However, when we were walking with Falman to the Northern Command Centre, you and Ayala brought up our first winter in Dublith and you mentioned about how I had dismissed Teacher's warning to stay away from the lake because it would be freezing cold and she didn't want to deal with us if we got sick but I decided to see how cold it was and almost froze because I tripped on a stick and fell completely into the lake," Ed said and Al nodded.

"I remember that. You did get sick and Teacher was going to kill you but I told her it had been an accident," Al said, sounding both amused by the memory and confused by Ed bringing it up.

"Right," Ed said before turning to Ayala. "You remember it as well, don't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, you were sick for a week and Izumi was about to call the doctor when your fever finally broke," Ayala recalled.

"I don't remember any of that," Ed revealed, "but the fact that both of you do proves that you're really you, Al," Ed told him. "It proves that when I reached into Truth's dimension after sacrificing my arm, I pulled you out. It was only your soul but I'll bet everything that your body's still in there. I just gotta get you out," Ed said confidently.

"You really think Al's body is still in that portal?" Chester asked, not bothering to hide his lack of faith but Ed didn't seem offended.

"Try and think back, Al. I know you say you don't have any memories of what happened while you were gone that night but try and think really hard. What did you see when Truth unravelled you?" Ed asked, pressing Al enough that Chester hissed at him.

"Come on, Ed, why are you pushing this?" Chester asked and Ed gave him an apologetic look.

"I need to know if he can remember anything that might help," Ed said.

"I-I remember seeing… I remember seeing me?" Al said, startling the three of them. No one said anything in an effort to avoid disrupting Al. "I grabbed my own hand and I – and I remember seeing you, Ed!" Al exclaimed, once again startling the three of those in the room.

"Me?" Ed asked incredulously. He couldn't remember seeing Al at all in Truth's dimension or during the trip through his Gate. He was certain he wouldn't have missed seeing his little brother there but Al must've been if he saw Ed.

"Yeah," Al said, nodding vigorously, "I was looking right at you through that thing we made!" He told them and Ed felt bile crawl up his throat. Al was inside that creature? "It was me! The body must've rejected my soul right away!"

"It was you in it?" Ed asked faintly and Al noticed how pale his brother had gotten.

"Yeah," he confirmed, "but, Brother, that means we didn't hurt anyone else's soul with what we did," Al told him and Ed took a shuddering breath as he tried to steady himself. "This entire time," Al said softly, "I've been blaming myself for what happened. I thought it was me. I thought I had messed up the transmutation somehow and that I was the one who killed Mum a second time," Al confessed and Ed felt his heart squeeze as his own dark thoughts were spoken by his brother.

"So did I, Al," Ed said and both their Animals shifted a little closer to their humans, a miserable atmosphere settling over the room.

"But what you've just told me means I wasn't the one who killed Mum after all," Al said, sounding relieved beyond belief. "Thank you, Brother!" Al said and Ed gave him a small smile.

"This doesn't change the fact that I'm still the one who put you in that armour and I don't care what it takes," Ed's face took on a stubborn expression, "I'm gonna make you normal again. I swear it," Ed promised.

"Brother!" Al protested. "I was right there with you – we were right there – " Al gestured to the Animals, who nodded in agreement, "and we knew that there were risks so quit trying to shoulder all of this on your own!" Al scolded before his tone grew soft. "I can't watch you suffer like this, not on your own. You keep telling us you're fine and that you know you shouldn't blame only yourself for what happened but we know you still do and I know what you're like when it comes to achieving your goals," Al said. "I know how reckless you are and I'm telling you now, Brother, that if it means you getting hurt or killed, I don't want my body back at all," Al told him.

"Alphonse," Ed started protesting but Al spoke over him.

"I've met other people who weren't exactly human but they've managed to live their lives with a purpose and even in this body, it hasn't stopped other people from treating me like I'm still human," Al told Ed, voice positive. "I can still get by like this. I can still live a somewhat normal life and be content. But I miss being able to touch Chester. I miss eating and trying new food and drinks. I miss feeling the sun and rain on my face. I miss hugging you and feeling how warm you are. I don't want my body back if it means someone has to be hurt or killed for it but if we can manage it without that happening, I want it back more than anything!" Al said and Ed leapt to his feet to wrap his arms around Al's armour as best he could. Chester and Ayala both pressed into him and Al to the best of their ability and Ed wished Al could feel that more than anything in that moment.

"You're going to get your body back. I'll make sure you do without anyone else paying for it," Ed promised and he felt Al's massive metal arms coming up to hug all three of them.

"Thank you, Brother," Al said softly, squeezing them all carefully.

---

After their emotional talk, Al had asked about the finer details on the last three days then ordered Ed to go into the bathroom and wash up so they could head to the Hughes' for dinner as promised and be there on time once he'd gotten all the information he wanted. Ed had grumbled that they had plenty of time but Alphonse wasn't to be moved and so Ed stomped off to the bathroom, snarling at both Ayala and Chester when their laughter echoed in his head. He'd just come out of the bathroom when Koda spoke in his mind.

"Izumi wants to know the number she needs to call to talk to you in a few minutes," Koda said and Ed hesitated for only a moment before he gave her the number for the hotel.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Al asked once he noticed Ed's pause in his movements.

"Koda just asked for the hotel number so Teacher can call me," Ed told him, a healthy amount of fear in his voice.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Al said though his tone didn't match his words.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you but I ran into Brosh at the train station," Ed said as they finished getting themselves ready for dinner. Since they wouldn't be staying at the Hughes' for the night, Al had seen fit to bring all their gear with him to the hotel room so Ed could have a clean change of clothing, for which the blonde was grateful for. "He was ordered to find me at the station and let me know that Scar's back in town," Ed told Al and Chester.

"Do they know for certain?" Chester asked and Ed nodded.

"He's killed three more State Alchemists already," Ed told them.

"You're gonna have to lay low, Brother," Al warned but Ed shook his head.

"Actually, I was thinking that I should confront Scar," Ed told them and three of them let out various protests about his idea.

"Why?" Chester finally asked, being the first one to do so and Ed shrugged.

"So we can lure out the homunculi," Ed told them. "They need us alive for their sacrifice so I doubt they'd be willing to let someone kill us," Ed said.

"Why on earth do you want to lure out the homunculi?" Ayala asked, a little annoyed Ed had managed to hide this idea from her.

"We need information. If we can capture one, we can interrogate it," Ed said.

"And your genius plan is to use yourself as bait and fight Scar on the off chance that the homunculi will come to your rescue? That's a pretty big gamble, Brother," Al said, doubt saturating his voice.

"Well it's much better than sitting around and doing nothing!" Ed exclaimed defensively.

"Oh really? Because I vividly recall that the only reason Scar didn't manage to finish us off was because Colonel Mustang and the team got there just in time for Nala to join the fight," Al reminded him none-too-kindly.

"It was Nala who saved our arses. Mustang was useless," Ed muttered nearly too low for Al to hear. "But we've gotten a lot stronger in the last few months!" Ed said but he could still feel the Animals' disbelief and knew his brother likely felt the same.

"What happens if the homunculi do show up?" Al asked, determined to show his brother how insane this idea was. "How are you going to capture one? They're super-strong and have hidden abilities we don't know about. We've only got one weapon against them but that'll destroy them outright. Anything else we can do will barely affect them and they can't die!" The rest of the rant was cut off by the sudden interruption of an unexpected voice near the window.

"'Can't die'? Was that an exaggeration?" Ling asked as his and Laika's heads popped up in front of the open window. Lan Fan and her cat's heads joined them.

"Or are they actually immortal?" She asked and Ed bit back his sigh of annoyance.

"Why didn't we lock the windows?" Al moaned but neither Xingese looked offended. Ed vaguely wondered where the old man was.

"Count us in!" Ling said. "We'd love to help you guys!" He exclaimed.

"Why's that?" Ed asked suspiciously as Ayala and Chester made sure neither one left their sight for a moment. The two took Ed's question as an invitation to come inside the room and Ed let them, too curious to kick them back out just yet.

"I can't say I care too much about the military stuff but it sounds like these homunculi are just what we've been looking for!" Ling said before frowning at Ed and the Animals' expressions. "What's wrong? You look kind of skeptical," Ling commented and Ed scoffed.

"Don't get me wrong; we'd appreciate the help since the homunculi are tough bastards but why would you help us?" Ed asked, clarifying his question.

"You just said these homunculi are tough to fight so your odds of winning against them would get better with some help," Ling said. "I'm serious about this. It could be what ends up saving my clan," Ling said, certainly sounding serious. Ed exchanged a look with his brother and both their Animals before nodding slightly.

"Alright than," he agreed. "Just remember that we're in this together," Ed warned before extending his hand for Ling to shake.

Once they'd shaken on their agreement, Ling opened his mouth to say something else but a knock at the door had him quickly shutting it. "Major Elric?" A slightly nervous sounding voice called from the other side of the door. "You have a phone call from an Izumi Curtis, Sir," the concierge told him.

"I'll be down in a moment to accept. Thank you for telling me," Ed called back. There wasn't any response but they heard the soft footfalls the hotel employee made as he walked away. Ed turned back to the Xingese prince. "We'll be back later tonight to talk about how we're gonna go about attracting the attention of a serial killer and the homunculi. The three of you are welcome to stay here until we get back but you'll have to find something to entertain yourselves with," Ed told them.

"Looking forward to it," Ling said as Lan Fan made herself comfortable in a strategic spot. The third member of the trio appeared out of nowhere and Ed refrained from snarling at him.

"Try not to destroy anything," Ed said as Al and the Animals walked out of the room. Ed snatched up the hotel key from the small table Al had obviously placed it on earlier.

"We'll do our best," Ling swore and Ed shook his head as he shut the door behind him. He had a feeling he was gonna regret letting them stay in the room.

---

"Teacher?" Ed asked once he had the waiting phone up to his ear. It was located in the lobby but away from where the majority of guests and hotel employees would walk by, giving whoever used the phone some semblance of privacy.

"I did some research," Izumi said, forgoing any pleasantries. Al and the Animals were standing around Ed, all trying to hear the conversation. "Sig and I looked up our family lines and, well, the child I transmuted, it didn't have a single physical trait that could've come from us," Izumi told him and Ed felt both relief that his theory was right and heartache for his teacher. "You're on to something, aren't you?" Izumi asked sharply.

"Yeah," Ed admitted. "I've come to the conclusion that death is permanent. There's nothing that can change that," Ed told her without prompting.

"So not even transmutation can change that fact," Izumi said sadly. "All this time, I thought I must've missed something but it was always impossible to do," Izumi murmured and Ed got the feeling that she hadn't truly meant to say that out loud. "Ed!" Izumi snapped harshly and Ed immediately jumped.

"Yes, ma'am?" He asked nervously.

"Thank you," came the soft answer before the phone clicked and the line went dead. Ed hung up his phone and turned to Al and the Animals.

"So what did Teacher have to say?" Al asked, having missed most of the conversation.

"Well, I'm not really sure why but she said 'thank you'," Ed told him, facing screwing up in confusion.

Al chuckled as they walked out of the hotel lobby and into the street outside. "I think she's thanking you for the same reason I did, Brother," Al told Ed who hummed unconvinced.

"I dunno," Ed said. "She's probably plotting my demise or something like that," Ed said and Al shook his head.

"You're ridiculous, Brother," Al laughed and Ed flipped him off.

"He's not wrong," Ayala muttered and Ed flipped her off, causing Al to laugh harder as he realised why Ed did so.

"I hate you both. Chester's my new favourite," Ed stated, causing his brother and his wolf to laugh harder.

"It's about time you admitted that I'm the superior choice," Chester declared with the air one would expect from stuffy royalty.

"Well, I'm certainly gonna have to challenge that statement," a new voice said and Ed spun to find Nala sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, a grin on her face.

"Nala!" Ed exclaimed as he jogged towards her. "What are you doing here?" Ed asked as he drew level with the lioness. Both Ayala and Chester offered their own greetings once they caught up to Ed, as did Al. Nala returned them all before answering Ed

"Roy and I are on our way to Maes' for dinner. I guess that means you are joining us as well?" Nala asked, thrilled about the prospect.

"Yeah but Hughes mentioned nothing about Colonel Bastard being there," Ed grumbled, mentally marking this as something he needed to pay Hughes back for. "However, you are more than enough to make up for it," Ed said, winking at the lioness and making her laugh.

"You're damned right I am," she giggled.

"Speaking of your human," Ed said, looking around the immediate area, "where exactly is he?" Ed asked.

"Picking up a bottle of wine," Nala said, nodding her head towards the alcohol store about halfway up the street they were on but on the opposite side of road.

"What's going on, Brother?" Al asked and Ed winced, having forgotten Al couldn't hear their conversation.

"Mustang's in that bottle-o up ahead since he and Nala are joining us for dinner with the Hughes'," Ed told him.

"I wondered if he would. Mr. Hughes did say he would invite him tonight," Al said and Ed gave him an utterly betrayed look.

"Why would you turn on me like this?" Ed gasped dramatically. Chester, Nala and Ayala all laughed at him while Ed felt like Al just mentally rolled his eyes.

"Because I knew you'd chuck a fit if you found out earlier," Al said flatly and Ed nodded, not even able to come to his own defence.

"You're not wrong," Ed said, grinning a little as Al joined in on the laughter.

"Why have you kidnapped my Animal, Fullmetal?" Ed looked behind Nala and saw a rather unimpressed Mustang standing behind her, dressed in casual clothes and had a bottle of alcohol hidden in a brown paper bag secured under one arm.

"Not my fault she likes me better," Ed automatically snarked. "Besides, I'd like to meet the person who could successfully kidnap Nala. She'd tear anyone who tried to pieces," Ed said and Nala preened at the praise.

"It's true," she said, obviously speaking to them both.

"Obviously," Mustang said, giving Nala a small smile before looking back at Ed and the others. "Why are the four of you out here? Didn't anyone inform you that Scar has struck down three more alchemists in Central?" Mustang asked.

"Careful, Mustang. It's starting to sound like you care if someone comes after me," Ed snarked. "Besides, Hughes invited us over for dinner. That's why we're out," Ed told him before Mustang could reply to his last comment.

"Of course he did," Mustang muttered and something clicked for Ed.

"He didn't tell you I'd be there, did he?" Ed asked and Mustang shook his head, glowering a little. "I've got plans of punching him once we get there," Ed told him and Mustang nodded.

"I'll hold him still for you," Mustang swore and Ed gave a small nod, agreeing with the plan.

"Neither of you are causing Maes physical harm," Nala said immediately and Ed pouted at her.

"Just a little bit?" Ed asked.

"No."

"No," Nala and Al echoed each other and Ed glared at both of them.

"You're both spoilsports," Ed grumbled. Unknowingly to the blonde, Mustang was nodding in agreement.

"You'll get over it, Brother," Al told him. "We should get going so we aren't late for dinner," Al said pointedly.

Ed sighed. "Fine. Let's get going than," Ed said. "Nala, you're more than welcome to tag along so long as you make sure your human behaves," Ed said and Mustang made a protesting noise.

"You're one to talk!" He exclaimed.

"I promise," Nala swore and Mustang spluttered at her while Ed laughed at him. The lioness seemed smug about getting that reaction and Mustang glared at her but Ed didn't notice as he was pulled into a banter with Alphonse over how they really did need to get going. Ayala and Chester both noticed though and filed it away as something for them to investigate later on since Al had succeeded in getting the group to start walking towards the Hughes' house and they didn't want to be the cause of Alphonse's ire if they held the group up.

---

"Uncle Roy! Big Brothers Ed and Al! You're here!" Elysia squealed once she'd opened the door and recognised who was standing outside. "Hi, Chester! Hi, Ayala! Hi, Nala!" She greeted each of the Animals, giving them a big hug each before she moved onto the humans, starting with Al and ending with Ed.

"How are you going, El? Behaving for your mum and dad?" Ed asked after he'd let the little girl go after her hug.

"Uh-huh," Elysia said, nodding her head emphatically.

"As if my precious little girl could be anything less than a perfect angel," Hughes said as he appeared in the entryway and scooped Elysia up in one move, making her squeal in delight.

"You're in trouble, by the way, Hughes," Ed warned him. It only took Hughes looking between Mustang's unimpressed expression and Ed's annoyed one for him to understand what Ed meant.

Giving them his best innocent grin, Hughes beckoned them into the house. "I'm sure that I haven't done anything to land myself in any trouble this time but would a promise to figure it out and not do it again save me from whatever the two of you have planned?" Hughes asked. Elysia looked confused but Ed and Mustang shared a look.

"I doubt you'll have to think real hard to figure out what you did but I'll accept that promise on the condition that you agree that if you break it, my revenge gets to be twice as bad as it would've been tonight," Ed said, pointing a threatening finger at him and glared at him.

"What Fullmetal said," Mustang said, not sounding overly happy about doing so.

"Deal," Hughes said with a blinding grin. "Now why don't we head into the dining room and help my darling wife set up the dinner table? Everybody really wants to hear what you've been up to the last couple of days, Ed," Hughes said cheerfully.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed said as he removed his red jacket and hung it up on the coat rack. "Some of it wouldn't be good for small ears though," Ed warned and Hughes nodded in understanding.

"That's fine," Hughes said as he led them through to the dining room.

"Edward!" Gracia greeted as she spotted the blonde and greeted him with a warm hug. "Is everything alright? You got Lilith all worried the afternoon you left," Gracia asked and Ed gave her the best smile he could manage in that moment.

"I'm alright, Miss Gracia," Ed swore. "I'll tell you more about it later," he said, nodding his head towards the oblivious Elysia and Gracia gave the same reaction her husband had.

"Alright. I'm glad you're alright," she said, giving him a warm smile before looking at the others who'd arrived with him. "I'm glad the rest of you were able to make. Dinner will be another ten minutes but do any of you want a drink?" Gracia asked but everyone shook their heads. "Alright. I'll give you a call when dinner's ready," she said, obviously dismissing them from her kitchen and none of them were stupid enough to disobey, though Mustang did stay back for a few moments to give Gracia the wine he had purchased earlier before retreating to the lounge room to join the others.

Nala, Ed, Ayala and Chester were all squeezed together on the couch that had acted as Ed's bed while he had been staying with the Hughes' while Al was sitting beside it, resting one arm on the arm rest and leaning slightly into the couch. Hughes and Leo were on their usual recliner and Lilith had situated herself on Gracia's. Elysia was on Ed's lap, giving him an enthusiastic and detailed report on everything that had happened while he was gone which meant Mustang had the second couch all to himself until Nala took pity on him and joined him, giving Ed, Ayala and Chester a bit more room to spread out.

---

Elysia had barely gotten through what had happened the day Ed and Ayala had left for Resembool when Gracia called them into the dining room for dinner. Ed and Al branched off from the group to check if Gracia needed help with anything. Once everything was on the table, they all sat down and thanked Gracia for the meal of roasted chicken and vegetables before giving their Animals their servings and digging into the delicious meal themselves. Elysia wasn't deterred by the food in the slightest and continued her self-assigned mission of catching Ed up on everything he had missed around bites of her dinner.

Ed had listened intently to the little girl, more than content to listen to everything she had to say. He made the appropriate noises when needed and asked questions where he knew she was expecting him to ask them. She ran out of stories to tell by the time everyone finished dinner and asked Ed what he did while he was away once they were back in the living room in pretty much the same spots as before. The only noticeable exceptions were the fact that Gracia was resting in her recliner and Elysia was sitting on her father's lap.

"Well, certainly nothing as exciting as what you've been doing," Ed told her and she grinned. "My grandmother asked me to go back to Resembool because an acquaintance of hers turned up and she thought I should hear what he had to say," Ed told her.

"That doesn't sound like any fun," Elysia said, pouting in sympathy for Ed, who nodded solemnly.

"It really wasn't," Ed said. "Trust me when I say I wish I had been here with you. You're definitely better company than he was," Ed told her with a wink that caused the young girl to flush with delight.

"Of course my little angel is," Hughes said imperially. "Unfortunately, no matter how much we love having her around, my precious girl needs to go for a shower and go to bed because she has a big day tomorrow," Hughes announced and Elysia made an interesting noise that was both excitement and disappointment.

"What's happening tomorrow?" Ed asked curiously since it was still pretty early, even if dinner had been served later than it normally would've, and Elysia normally wouldn't be getting ready for bed for another hour or so.

Hughes beamed at him and answered. "Gracia and I have appointments with the primary schools in the area so we can find the best school for Elysia to start attending next year," Hughes told him, sounding absolutely thrilled with the idea, like he couldn't imagine there was anything better than spending the day talking to several school administrations about enrolling his daughter.

"What schools are you gonna be looking at?" Ed asked casually, needing to know so he knew what area to avoid during his showdown with Scar and the homunculi tomorrow. Ayala perked her ears forward as she listened intently as well, just in case she needed to remind Ed tomorrow.

"Just the three closest to us at the moment," Hughes told him. "We want Elysia in the best school possible but close by as well. If none of the schools we look at are good enough for my angel, we'll look at others later," Hughes said, looking for all the world that he didn't believe that any of the schools would be good enough for Elysia. Ed thought he saw Gracia hide a grin but when he looked again, her face only showed the pleasant and warm expression she always wore.

"It sounds like you do have a big day tomorrow," Ed said. "I expect to hear all about it later," Ed told Elysia and she nodded.

"I promise," she swore, deadly serious and Ed gave her a serious nod before they both grinned at each other.

"Alright, Elysia," Gracia said as she got up. "Your father's right. You need to get ready for bed now so tell everyone goodnight and let's head to the bathroom," Gracia ordered gently and Elysia seemed to fight with herself for a few moments before she did as she was told and gave everyone – including all of the Animals – a hug goodnight before following her mother into the bathroom.

"How's the search for Scar going?" Ed asked before either of the older soldiers could question him about the previous three days.

Hughes sighed. "Knowing what he looks like isn't helping us at all this time," he told Ed. "We've figured that he's hiding somewhere in the oldest parts of Central, where most of what's there are derelict houses, warehouses and not very many people so we've started searching the buildings but there are hundreds and we can't search them all in one go. Of course, we could be wrong entirely and he might be hiding somewhere like in the sewers or maybe even in the woods outside of Central," Hughes said before sighing. "We did have our canine unit track his scent from each crime scene but they always ended in dead ends. We've even had Animals like Leo, who have volunteered to try their hand at tracking Scar's scent but they haven't managed to come up with anything either," Hughes revealed.

"His scent either gets too mingled with other scents for us to distinguish or it leads us to a building but then disappears like he vanished from that spot," Leo told Ed who contemplated for a moment.

"Did you guys look for fresh transmutation marks?" Ed asked.

"You think Scar is using alchemy to avoid the military?" Mustang asked sharply and Ed shrugged.

"We know he's using alchemy to kill State Alchemists," Ed pointed out. "He does it by stopping at deconstruction but maybe he's using a tunnel system or something to escape. He could deconstruct a hole in the floor then reconstruct it long before anyone starts looking for him," Ed said and both men thought it over.

"Major Armstrong hasn't said anything about seeing fresh transmutation marks but then again, I don't think anyone was looking for them considering Scar has been heard numerous times talking about how alchemy is blasphemy," Hughes admitted and Ed nodded.

"Yeah but I'm pretty sure killing someone and their Animal is also against Ishvalen religion as well and he'd doing that and using alchemy as his weapon so he probably isn't that big of a follower," Ed pointed out and Hughes chuckled lightly.

"You're probably right," Hughes said. "I'll call the office in the morning and ask Major Armstrong and a couple of other alchemists to go back to where the canine unit and Animals lost Scar's scent and search for transmutation marks," Hughes said, giving Ed a grin. "Thanks for the idea, Ed."

"All good," Ed said, dismissing the thanks immediately. Elysia and Gracia walked back past the lounge room – Elysia waving goodnight to everyone again – before disappearing into the young girl's room. "Nothing's set off the array I set?" Ed asked, knowing the answer already since someone – be it Chester, Leo, Al or someone else – would've told him immediately if it had been.

"No, nothing's gotten close to it. Leo and Lilith haven't picked up any iffy scents nearby either," Hughes told him and Ed relaxed slightly. "So now that my darling Elysia has gone to bed, are you gonna tell us why your grandmother had you go out to Resembool immediately and without your brother?" Mustang shifted slightly where he sat, almost like he was holding himself back from leaning forward with interest.

Ed looked at Al, silently asking whether he was alright with Ed revealing exactly who was waiting at Resembool for him. Al gave a slight nod and Ed sighed. "Granny had me come back to Resembool because our bastard of a father turned up and Granny thought he had some stuff to say that I needed to hear," Ed told them, a scowl marring his face.

Neither Hughes, Mustang nor their Animals were strangers to how much Ed disliked his father. The mere mention of Hohenheim by Al or someone innocently asking where he was used to put Ed on edge, causing him to spit at the person about how he hoped he was dead. Though Ayala and Al had helped Ed minimise his reaction over the years, those first few times had taught Mustang, his team and those who worked with Ed or the team most often to not bring up the Elric brothers' father. Al did his best to only ever mention their father in private whereas Ed preferred to never mention Hohenheim at all if he could get away with it so for Ed to not only mention their father but to admit that that was what the trip to Resembool was about was a surprise to both the men and their Animals to hear.

"Your father?" Hughes repeated and Mustang silently admired the man's bravery to do so. Nala rolled her eyes at him. "I assume that your grandmother was aware of how strongly you dislike him so I assume there was something important he had to tell you that wasn't to do with your personal life?" Hughes asked, choosing his words carefully.

"Yeah," Ed admitted before scratching his head, considering what parts of his and Hohenheim's talks they absolutely needed to know. He considered keeping their heritage and Hohenheim's true age a secret – not to protect Hohenheim but to protect them – but Ayala pointed out what he'd figured when telling Al.

"They need to know about all of that or else they won't understand why Hohenheim decided to leave all those years and you know that neither of them will simply accept you telling them it doesn't matter when they ask," Ayala said and Ed nodded.

"The first thing he told me about was how and why Xerxes was destroyed," Ed told them and would've laughed at their expressions at how random what he'd said had been.

"I'm sorry, Ed, but how would he know? The country of Xerxes was destroyed over 400 years ago and there aren't any known records about what had happened," Hughes said and Ed nodded.

"He knows what happened to Xerxes because he was there. In fact, he was part of what caused Xerxes to be destroyed though his role was unwilling," Ed said, sounding like coming to his father's defence was almost physically painful.

"What?" Hughes gaped and Ed was a little pleased to see that Mustang's ability to be unaffected by anything Ed threw at him had apparently reached its limits as his boss' jaw dropped.

"When Ayala and I got to the end of Granny's driveway, Ayala picked up the scent of a homunculous. The homunculous she and Chester had sensed when we were saying goodnight to Teacher, Sig and their Animals after having dinner with them, actually," Ed told them. "When we tracked the scent to deal with it," Hughes made a noise like he wanted to lecture Ed about putting himself in danger and Mustang's face flickered with an expression Ed didn't get the chance to identify before it was gone, "we found Hohenheim at the cemetery and realised it was him we were tracking," Ed told them.

"So, what? Your father's a homunculous?" Mustang asked and Ed could feel Nala, Leo and Lilith connect the emotional turmoil he'd felt that they'd sensed to what he'd just told them.

Ed screwed his face up and shook his head. "No, not really?" He didn't sound overly certain. "Hohenheim called himself a Philosopher's Stone in the form of a man and he technically can't be a homunculous," Ed said. "Homunculi are artificially created humans and don't have souls. That's why they don't have Spirit Animals and Hohenheim still has Calix. Plus, homunculi can't have children and we are – unfortunately – definitely Hohenheim's kids," Ed told them.

"Brother," Al sighed but Ed ignored him, not wanting to get into an argument right now.

"Hohenheim was born in Xerxes and a prominent alchemist used his blood to create an artificial intelligence, otherwise known as a homunculous," Ed told Hughes and Mustang and heard Nala's gasp. "This homunculous was nothing more than a formless substance with a sentience in a glass flask but it offered to teach Hohenheim alchemy and some other skills in thanks for providing the blood that gave it life. Eventually, Hohenheim's talent with alchemy was noticed and the alchemist who created the homunculous offered him a position as his assistant. While Hohenheim was working for him, the homunculous was working as a royal advisor of sorts for the king of Xerxes," Ed said.

"A decade or so after Hohenheim started working for this alchemist, he was asked to join the royal court in the throne room so he could hold the homunculous while an array was activated, on the homunculous' request," Ed went on to say. "The Xerxian king had ordered an array to be carved around the entirety of his country, telling his people that the array would help make his kingdom more prosperous when in reality it would pull the souls out of every living person and Animal within the circle and grant whoever was in the centre immortality." Ed paused to let that sink in.

"The Xerxian king committed genocide against his entire country so he could become immortal?" Mustang asked, apparently needing the clarification. By the looks of it, Hughes and Gracia – who had joined them midway through Ed's explanation of what Hohenheim was – needed it as well.

"Yes. Stupid idea if you ask me. He wouldn't have had anyone left to rule over after that so he wouldn't really be a king anymore," Ed criticised and the attempt at levity seemed to have some effect on everyone.

"Since your father is alive and apparently immortal himself, I assume the king's plans didn't go the way he wanted," Mustang said dryly and Ed nodded.

"Homunculous tricked him," Ed confirmed. "The king stood in what he was told was the centre of the array. However, Homunculous had managed to manipulate the array's construction enough that where Calix and Hohenheim stood holding him was the true centre. When the array activated, all the souls from the Xerxian citizens were pulled out from their bodies, including the king's and those in his royal court, and given to Homunculous and Hohenheim. As a final gift to him, Homunculous split the souls in half, creating two stones and fusing one to Hohenheim's life force, granting him near immortality and a body that never ages," Ed told them.

"'Near immortality'?" Hughes asked and Ed nodded.

"Basically, if something kills him – probably me if I ever see him again – he'll heal like the homunculi do. The stone inside him will automatically sacrifice however many souls it needs to in order to bring him back to life until the stone is depleted. Once the stone's depleted though, he won't be able to resurrect himself," Ed informed him.

"I don't see how what you've just told us could be helpful against what this threat," Mustang said and Ed glared at him.

"Because I haven't actually told you the information you need to know," Ed snarked. "When the Ishvalen Civil War started, Hohenheim looked into it because he didn't understand why Ishval declared war on us in the first place since they were a predominantly peaceful people, even after they became part of Amestris. He uncovered the accidental shooting of the Ishvalen child that served as the trigger point and got suspicious so he looked into the rest of Amestris' history and uncovered the same thing you did, Hughes," Ed told them, nodding to Hughes. "He apparently came to the conclusion that everything he'd found had something to do with the original homunculous and decided to try and figure out everything with only Calix to help him." None of the adults or their Animals missed the sneer in Ed's voice.

"Did he give us any information we haven't already uncovered? Other than the fact that there's possibly one more homunculous out there, one that is likely more powerful than the rest of them?" Mustang asked and didn't bother hiding his disappointment when Ed shook his head.

"No," Ed said. "He promised to try and find the original homunculous and uncover as much of his plan as possible and he is currently placing countermeasures around the country in an effort to try and circumvent whatever this homunculous has planned if it should get to the point where he is able to enact on his plans but that was about as useful as he was," Ed grumbled.

"He didn't tell you anything else?" Nala asked.

"Nothing that has anything to do with anyone other than me and Al," Ed told her, tone gentle but firm in his resolve to keep anything else to themselves. Nala got the message and didn't push any further.

"I assume you bonded with your father's Animal so he can share information we might need with us easily and vice versa?" Mustang asked, brow raised as though he was expecting Ed's answer to be different.

"Course I did," Ed huffed. "There were plenty of conditions to go along with it but we formed a bond." Mustang looked a little surprised and Ed managed to resist the urge to rub it in his face.

"Brother, are you gonna tell them about what Dad can do?" Al asked. Ed sighed as the three adults looked intrigued.

"Well, now I am," Ed muttered, glaring at Al who simply gave an innocent shrug that Ed didn't buy in the slightest. "Turns out I'm not the only one who can speak to and bond with other people's Animals," Ed told them, getting shocked gasps from all of them. "Hohenheim can as well."

"How is that possible? I thought you got yours from Truth. Are you saying your father committed and survived the ultimate taboo as well?" Mustang asked and Ed shrugged.

"Dunno if he ever tried it, though I seriously doubt he did, but no, he never got his abilities from that prick," Ed said, scowling at nothing. "He and a few other Xerxian alchemists actually discovered how to talk to other people's Animals only a couple of years before the country's destruction. He is of the opinion that I was given the knowledge by my Gate because it recognised I'm half-Xerxian and therefore it was my blood-right to know. If that's true than when Al gets his memories back, he should have the same abilities," Ed revealed.

"How come none of our Animals knew that those abilities existed before?" Gracia asked, a puzzled frown on her face.

"Spirit Animals need to die before their knowledge is passed on. None of the Animals who were bonded with the humans who uncovered the ability or knew about it personally were technically killed," Ed explained. "Their physical bodies were but their living souls were trapped in the two stones. Since only a handful of them knew, it's very likely that neither stone has actually sacrificed one of those souls as payment for something which means they haven't technically died yet," Ed told her.

"Those poor souls," Lilith whispered sadly.

"The array I used against the homunculous who tried to kill Hughes releases the souls to wherever they're supposed to go. If we use that array against all of them as quickly as we can, we can prevent them being sacrificed for the homunculous' gain," Ed told her and Lilith nodded, though Ed and Gracia could sense how heavy her heart was.

"There's absolutely nothing else Hohenheim told you that could be helpful for us?" Mustang asked and Ed felt his already limited patience wearing razor thin.

"I already said he didn't," Ed snapped, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Sorry, Ed. You know he's just making sure since this is so important. I'll yell at him for you later," Nala said immediately, jumping in before they could really start fighting.

"This is a lot to process, Ed," Hughes told him, sounding a little stunned now that everyone had been given a few moments to let everything he'd said absorb into them.

Ed snorted. "Understatement of the fucking year, Hughes," Ed said, giving the bespectacled man a wry grin.

"Does your father being what he is affect the two of you in any way?" Gracia asked, looking concerned as her eyes roved over them, as though she was trying to find anything different.

"Hohenheim doesn't think so and I'm somewhat inclined to agree," Ed told her. "We would've seen evidence of it by now. From what I understood, the only things the stone in Hohenheim granted him were a never-ageing body and a very, very long life. I didn't see evidence of it but I would assume he's also got the same instant healing factor as the homunculi. Al and I are obviously ageing at a normal rate and we've both injured ourselves plenty of times and we've never shown signs of healing any quicker than anyone else. Unless we manage to get ourselves killed and come back from the dead, I'd say Hohenheim's stone didn't affect us at all," Ed explained.

"Well you better not test that theory any time soon, you hear me?" Gracia said sternly though her eyes were soft with affection and worry.

"Not dying any time soon is one of our goals in life," Ed told her, giving her a grin and she nodded, pleased

"As it should be," Hughes said. Ed couldn't help but notice that Mustang stayed quiet on the subject before reminding himself sharply that he didn't care. "If the four of you don't have to leave just yet, I want to get a bit more information on what happened in Xerxes and your father's investigation, if that's alright?

Ed thought about the three illegal Xingese waiting in their hotel rooms and debated between refusing Hughes' request so that they could leave to talk to the awaiting foreigners or doing as Hughes wanted and leaving the trio to fend for themselves a little longer. On one hand, he wouldn't have to talk about his father and what they'd talked about and he and the Xingese would be able to flesh out their plan for luring Scar in as bait for the homunculi but on the other hand, he would have to spend time with Ling and he doubted that the promise of a homunculous with a stone would be enough to stop the Xingese prince from trying to interrogate him about Al's seal and the stone itself.

"Yeah, why not?" Ed finally answered, deciding the Xingese could wait while Hughes interrogated him.

After all, he'd still have to go through this at a later date if he did refuse now so it was better to get it over and done with while Mustang was there so he could be assured that Hughes wouldn't try to get any of the personal information out of him. Plus, he could use the excuse of being tired and wanting to get enough sleep so he wouldn't be killed the next day to get out of any questioning from Ling or his guards. Ayala made a show of mentally rolling her eyes at him but he noticed she didn't actually say anything against his plan so he took it as agreement that it was a good plan. He ignored Ayala's amusement at that decision and gave his attention to Hughes, settling himself into the couch knowing it might be a while before he can leave.

---

Both Ed and Al waved to the hotel clerk behind the front desk – a different woman to the one who had been manning it when they'd left – and headed into the elevator. Ayala and Chester were forced to squeeze in close to them as a family of three followed them into the elevator. Thankfully their son was too young to have an Animal and the parents' Animals were only a Macaw and Bengal Cat so they didn't take up an awful amount of room. No words were exchanged between either group but Ed could see the way they were glancing at Al with the same curiousity every stranger looked at the younger Elric with. Unfortunately, all four Elrics were used to this look so Ed didn't call the family out on it.

The elevator brought the Elrics to their floor first and they left the lift and headed for their room. Hughes and Mustang hadn't kept them as long as Ed had feared but it was still later than they had hoped it would be when they arrived back at the room. Grabbing the key card out of his pocket, Ed unlocked the door and everyone filed inside. Ed almost couldn't believe his eyes when the whole room looked as clean and tidy as it had when they left. The only exceptions were the two masks sitting on the coffee table and the tray of dirty dishes on the trolley room service had delivered it on.

"Enjoy yourselves?" Ed asked dryly as he eyed up the dirty dishes. Considering how much Ling's lunch in Rush Valley had cost him, Ed knew his account would have a hefty dent in it soon.

"Dinner was delicious. We thank you for your generosity," Ling replied with a large smile that had Ed rolling his eyes while Lan Fan and the other guard bowed shortly.

"We'll see how generous I am when I get that bill," Ed said as he, Al, Ayala and Chester took a seat across from the Xingese trio.

"Are most Amestrians normally out this long when they're having a simple family dinner?" Ling asked and it was only the fact that Ed could tell he was genuinely curious and not being judgemental that stopped Ed from snapping at him.

"No but Hughes had some questions about what happened while I was gone and I agreed to answer them," Ed answered. He saw an all too familiar glint in Ling's eyes and held up a warning finger. "Before you try it, none of it is your business and I won't be telling you anything," Ed told him and Ling pouted.

"Are you always this suspicious of your friends?" Ling asked and Ed raised a brow in answer. Ling nodded slightly as if to concede to Ed's point. "What plans have you come up with for trying to lure in your serial killer?" Ling asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Honestly my only plan is to just make a big scene on the other end of town – out near the rail yard – and hope for the best," Ed said, shrugging a shoulder.

"You're kidding," Ayala said, dumbfounded while Chester snickered in amusement at her stunned expression.

"What?" Ed asked defensively.

"It's very simple," Ling mused before nodding sharply once. "I like it. Less chance of something ruining the plan if it's not extravagant," he said approvingly.

"Why at the rail yards?" Lan Fan asked, suspicion laced in her voice and her gaze switching from Ling to Ed, who realised what she was thinking.

"First off, I'm not gonna murder Ling, no matter how much he annoys me. I need his help and I'm not stupid enough to try and take him out before he helps us catch a homunculous and figure out what is going on," Ed told her. Her expression relaxed slightly but she didn't show any shame and Ed didn't begrudge her for it. "Secondly, I can use the citizens near the rail yard as a way to lure Scar in by offering to fix anything and everything I can and have them start spreading the word of where I am. Once we have Scar's attention, we can take the fight to the rail yard and we won't be risking as many civilians," Ed told her. She nodded in satisfaction.

"Why not lure Scar on the other end of town? Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes mentioned that Scar has used the abandoned buildings and warehouse area near his home to escape. Surely we would be able to lure Scar out of hiding if we're close to his escape route?" Ling asked but Ed shook his head.

"Hughes is taking his family out to check out the schools in the area for Elysia and if he hears about what I'm doing, he'll try and help and Miss Gracia and Elysia will tag along to make sure I'm alright. I won't risk them accidentally getting in the way if I can help it," Ed told him.

"But you are willing to put random civilians at risk?" The other guard asked sharply and Ed glared at him.

"They won't be, not if I can help it. Their only role in this whole plan is to gossip about what I'm up to," Ed informed him. "Besides, it's always easier to convince random strangers to leave a dangerous area while you deal with a threat than it is to convince someone who you know is likely to try and help you, no matter the danger to themselves," Ed said and the male guard seemed mollified by his response.

Ling looked at his two guards before speaking. "I believe the best course of action for us is to lay in wait until the two of you give us a signal to tell us that Scar is there," Ling said.

"What kind of signal?" Ed asked. "It's gotta be something we can set off quickly because I'm not gonna lie, even though we've all fought against Scar before, we'll be hard-pressed keeping ourselves from getting killed long enough for a homunculous to turn up," Ed told him, sounding a little sour about the fact that he had to admit that.

"Hmm, well we certainly wouldn't want that," Ling said, expression scrunching as he tried to think of a solution. "Fu can stay with you – out of sight of course – and give us the signal before making his way over to join us so he can help take down whichever homunculous is sent to keep the two of you alive," Ling declared and Ed grumbled to himself. The male guard – Fu, apparently – nodded his head in acceptance of his prince's orders.

"It's not like he's ordering Fu to babysit you and fight your fight. All he's gonna be doing is making sure Ling and Lan Fan know when Scar has arrived then leaving us to join up with Ling and Lan Fan. I doubt we'll even know he's there," Ayala chided as she rolled her eyes at her human's internal mutterings of how they didn't need a babysitter.

"It'd be one less thing we'd have to worry about and Fu might even be able to spot Scar before we do. If he tells us about seeing him, it could give us the chance to evacuate any civilians near us," Al pointed out and Fu gave him a nod.

"I have been given this Scar's description and I will warn you if I see him approach before you do," Fu swore and Ed sighed.

"Yeah, alright," Ed agreed. "That means the only other thing we gotta figure out is where the heck are we gonna hold the homunculous we catch?" Ed asked and Ling shrugged.

"That is for you to decide," Ling said. "You know this city better than we do therefore you should know of a place where we can hold the homunculous," Ling told him cheerfully.

"There are lots of abandoned and isolated cabins on the outskirts of Central," Al piped up. "I'm sure there must be some near the rail yard."

"That could work," Ed told him, giving Al a smile. "It's a shame none of our Animals can fly, though," Ed said, sighing a little. "We could ask them to search for the nearest cabin to the rail yard, make sure it's actually abandoned or at least unoccupied. They could have then led us to the cabin once we've gotten the homunculous rather than us running around looking for one."

"We don't need flying Animals to do that," Ling told him. "Lan Fan, Fu, myself and our Animals can scout the area tonight and find somewhere we can hold the homunculous," Ling offered and Ed felt himself torn between wanting to accept it and to tell them not to bother.

"Are you sure? If you get caught, you'll be thrown in jail for being an illegal alien," Ed reminded him but Ling flapped his hand at him dismissively.

"We'll be fine. We've managed to avoid the military so far," he said, full of confidence and Ed sighed.

"Alright. We'd appreciate it if you could but be warned that I'm not bailing you out of jail if you get caught," Ed told him sternly but Ling didn't seem fazed by it.

"Lan Fan and Fu will break me and Laika out," Ling told him, completely confident that his companions would do just that. Ed glanced at Lan Fan and was a little taken aback by how serious her expression was when she nodded in agreement. It almost looked like she was silently daring someone to try and arrest her prince. Even her Animal looked just as serious.

"It'd be a massive help if you could. We'd really appreciate it," Al said gratefully and Ed nodded.

"Then it's settled!" Ling exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "We'll head to the rail yard now and work on finding somewhere suitable for holding a homunculous hostage. We'll head out now and report back once we've found somewhere," Ling told them before gathering Laika up and literally jumping out of the hotel room's window. Lan Fan scooped up her mask, settled her cat on her shoulder and followed suit, a masked Fu immediately leaving after her.

The four of them looked at the window in slightly shock before someone finally broke the silence. "What do you think they'll find, Brother?" Al asked, breaking Ed out of his thoughts that Xingese royalty must be insane.

"My money's on Ling getting arrested and Lan Fan coming to his rescue," Ed told him, getting to his feet so he could grab his pyjamas and head to the shower.

"Brother," Al groaned and Ed laughed.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. Fu and Lan Fan seem competent enough to avoid the MP's and I'm sure Ling's not as much of an idiot when he'd doing something important like this than he is all other times," Ed said. "Besides, Lan Fan and Ling have their Animals so they'll have some extra help," he pointed out.

"I'm sure you're right, Brother, but I can't help but worry. They're doing something dangerous for us and we aren't helping," Al said despondently.

"We can't help with this sort of thing, Al," Ed told him, "and it's not like they aren't getting something out of this for themselves," he reminded him. "Even I will admit we're outclassed when comparing who's better at sneaking around. You and I are too well-known around here and even if we weren't, we'd stand out too much whereas it's obvious those three know how stay unseen when they want to be," Ed pointed out. "Even if I could pull rank and stop MP's from trying to arrest us if we were caught, we need to be avoiding unnecessary attention from the military when possible. We don't want to attract Bradley's or his supporters' attention and have them pay close attention to us," Ed said and Al nodded.

"I know but that doesn't mean I like it," Al said and Ed gave his shoulder a pat as he walked past.

"Neither do I," Ed admitted. "You know I don't like sitting around while someone else does the work but it's what we've gotta do," Ed said.

"Ed's right," Chester piped up. "It's best we sit this part out and use this time to prepare ourselves for tomorrow. I think everyone would agree with me when I point out that we need rest before going up against Scar again," Chester said.

"You're right, Chester," Al said, sitting up a little straighter. "All of you should in bed and asleep right now. Ed, you should go for a shower," Al suggested and Ed snorted.

"What are you, my boss?" Ed joked and Al huffed out a laugh.

"Yeah, right. You wouldn't listen to me if I was," Al snarked back.

"He's got a point," Ayala said, jumping off the couch and stretching. "Besides, you do need a shower. I can still smell that skeleton on you," she told him, wrinkling her nose after taking a slightly exaggerated sniff.

"Does that mean you need to go for another shower yourself?" Ed asked, raising his brow in a threatening manner.

"No, I'm completely fine," Ayala insisted and Ed snorted again.

"Sure you are," Ed said before ruffling her ears and resuming his search for his pyjamas. "How about you, Ches? Do you need a bath?" Ed asked, already chuckling at the image of the leopard's reaction as he felt his displeasure at the idea.

"I'm fine. I haven't been grave-digging like the two of you," Chester told him and Al was quick to inform Ed that Chester really hadn't been doing anything recently to warrant a bath so Ed headed into the bathroom with only himself to clean up.

Once he was finished in the bathroom, Ed emerged and threw his dirty laundry down next to his suitcase. Feeling the emotional toll of repeating everything Hohenheim and Calix had told him to Al and telling most of it again in the same afternoon to the Hughes' and Mustang, Ed didn't bother trying to pretend he didn't want to go to sleep and crawled into the double bed situated on one side of the bedroom and let Ayala up and get herself comfortable. Chester was quick to join them and lay on the foot of the bed while Al made himself comfortable at the foot of Ed's bed. The light from the kitchen was bright enough that Al could read by it but not bright enough to prevent Ed from falling asleep.

"Wake me if any of the Xingese turn up covered in blood or if one's missing. Anything else can wait until morning," Ed instructed, stifling a yawn.

"Sure, Brother," Al agreed. "Night."

"Night, Al. Night, Ayala and Chester," Ed muttered, waiting for their response before letting himself drift off to sleep to the sound of the Animals breathing and the soft, rhythmic rustle of the pages of Al's book being turned.

A/N - Chapter 31! I'm sorry this one was a little later than usual to be posted but I had to help a friend of mine out for the weekend and I wasn't back home until now. You'll all be pleased to know that I've nearly finished chapter 47 and it definitely will be the last chapter for this story. That means that after today, there will only be 16 more updates before Spirit Animals comes to an end.

Thank you, as always, to the amazing people who have reviewed my story and the last chapter! Also, to the guests who left reviews that I wasn't able to privately message, thank you so much as well :D The amount of love I received was amazing and I truly hope you guys love this chapter enough to leave me a review. See you guys next week!