Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Legend of Korra

Mustang

It had been several days since the Elrics had left. The plan had gone smoothly; Havoc's special concoction had knocked the guards out quickly, and they awoke with no memory of anything that had happened; indeed, with no memory that they'd even fallen unconscious. Breda had been unaffected, having built up an immunity to the drink over the years, just like the entire crew had. This was only the second time they'd had to use this method to get things done, but Roy was elated that all the hard work to build the immunity was paying off.

Breda had returned after his shift and reported the boys' safe passage across. Al had transmuted a bridge from one of the broken floors above. Roy wandered down to check it out a few days later and found that Al had blended it very nicely with the original ceiling. Unless one looked very hard, the new, lowered ceiling wasn't noticeable.

He was currently sitting at his desk filling out paperwork. He hated paperwork. He'd rather be doing literally anything else, but Hawkeye's watchful eye kept him focused on the task at hand. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was only 2pm, he still had to get through three more hours of the day.

Havoc knocked on the open door, announcing his presence as he walked in. He looked up, delighted for the distraction. "What is it, Havoc?"

"Sir, you know those emissaries from Xing that arrived this morning? Fuhrer Grumman is requesting you meet with them, sir. Apparently, it's about a certain… uh… sensitive matter."

That could only mean it regarded the portal. He knew that some visitors from Xing had arrived but had heard no other details about them. Maybe it was Ling and Lan Fan, or Mei; they were the only Xingese people he knew of that were aware of the portal's existence. Vaguely, he wondered what they wanted with it. He thanked Havoc and left the office to walk toward the lounging area where he knew the emissaries would be waiting.

He found the room with little trouble with Hawkeye following as always. Knocking politely, he opened the door to find the room furnished with several couches and chairs. There were three men inside, who stood in greeting upon his entrance. None of them were faces he recognized.

The man who seemed to be the leader approached and bowed respectfully as Hawkeye closed the door behind her. The man was large and burly, he had thick black hair and a short, unkempt beard, which continued upward along his jawline to his ears. His furry mustache covered his upper lip and turned downwards, joining the beard. His beady eyes regarded Roy as he looked up from his bow.

"Greetings, I am Chen, I hail from the Wang clan in Xing. These are my servants, Feng and Min."

"I'm General Mustang, and this is First Lieutenant Hawkeye." Roy replied formally. He gestured to the furniture. "Please."

They moved to the couches and sat across from each other. Hawkeye remained by the door, and Feng and Min stayed standing behind their leader.

"What can I help you with, Chen?" He decided getting right to the point would be best. If they really were here to discuss the portal, he needed them to mention it first, since he wasn't going to give that information away freely. There was a slim chance they were here for something else.

"As you may know, our emperor is in declining health. Many believe he won't last longer than another year, at best." Chen began. "The clans are doing what they can to earn his favor, hoping to gain advantage when he names his successor. That is what brings us here today. It has come to my attention that the Great Portal of the West has been found in Amestris, and I'd like to request you show it to me so that I may enter."

Roy guarded his expression carefully. This was going to be an interesting conversation. "Great Portal of the West? Do you mind elaborating?"

Chen narrowed his eyes. "It's a gateway of legend, said to be the source of great power. Until recently, it was chalked off as simply a myth among our people. But there is a strong rumor that it has been discovered to exist in your country."

How and why would Ling or Mei let something like this slip? "Perhaps it is just that; only a rumor." He replied evasively.

Chen's voice was starting to take on a not-so-friendly tone. "I would appreciate it if we did not play these games, General. I know it exists, and I will find it and enter, with or without your help."

Roy kept his face neutral, but inside his brain was working overtime, trying to figure out the best way to go about this. He decided to employ a delay tactic for now. "I will bring your request to the attention of the Fuhrer. You're welcome to enjoy Central City in the meantime. I recommend the steakhouse on the corner, two blocks south of here. They're the best in the city." He stood and turned toward the door.

"I will await your Fuhrer's response with anticipation." Chen answered coldly. "But please pass along that the sooner you show me the portal, the sooner I will leave."

Hawkeye opened the door for him, and then followed him out. Together, they headed straight to Grumman's office. Roy knocked and entered when he heard Grumman's invitation.

Grumman looked surprised to see him. "General! How unexpected! Here for a rematch?" He opened a drawer in his desk and produced his chessboard.

"Thanks, sir, but no." He moved and stood in front of his desk. "I'm here on important business. I've just spoken with the Xingese citizens."

Grumman's face took on a serious look, and he replaced the chessboard back in the drawer. He rubbed his beard with his hand. "Yes… They arrived earlier today, demanding to be shown where the portal was. I whisked them away before too many people overheard. Did you get any more information out of them?"

"Just that they know it exists and want to enter. They claim there's something inside that will help their clan gain favor with their emperor."

Grumman looked thoughtful. "It's still guarded by that supposed giant bird, isn't it? Maybe the easiest solution would be to just send them through and see what happens."

"With all due respect, sir. If you're that confident in the reported bird on the other side, why do you keep a guard rotation on it?" He asked.

Grumman laughed. "Because only one of my men can confirm the existence of the thing. For all I know, it could be a tiny chicken that his terrified brain tricked him into thinking was something much scarier. Yes, the Elric boy also saw it, so I'm sure some sort of beast exists, but he didn't provide a physical description of the thing. I don't know its capabilities, so I don't trust it. And besides, the beast doesn't seem to care about stopping spirits from crossing to our side, so the guards need to be there regardless." He turned his chair and looked out the large picture window behind him. "The question now is what should we do about these Xingese. I fear if we allow them through, it will only prompt more of the clans to send their own people, and we'll be overrun by Xingese citizens within a couple months."

Hawkeye stood behind him, and he knew she was hearing every word. He'd love to ask her advice right now but didn't want to talk out of turn in front of the Fuhrer. "I don't think we should allow them through, sir. But how we tell them is important, in order to keep relations with Xing on good terms. They are confident in its existence, so lying about that is not an option. I've already tried it."

Grumman turned his chair back to gaze at him with a calculating look. "Perhaps we need to find out for sure what is on the other side, guarding the portal. If it really is something menacing, maybe we could send them through, and let it take care of the problem for us. Not a pretty thing to think about, of course, but denying them also risks consequences with our international relations with their country. A quick scare, or unfortunate accident, might be the best long-term solution here." He met Roy's gaze. "We need Edward Elric's report on the thing. Let's summon him to Central to give us his description, or maybe send him back through to get another look."

Roy froze, knowing that Ed was gone and unreachable beyond the portal. But he couldn't tell Grumman that. Instead, he decided to offer a different route. "Sir, the time it would take him to travel here is not reasonable given the tense situation. Instead, how about I enter the portal myself, and report back on the manner of creature I find?"

Grumman gave him a contemplative look. "Alright. I want your report by tomorrow morning."

Roy saluted and left with Hawkeye. They walked through the halls and down a staircase to the basement, and found the hidden door in the wall that led down to the portal room.

"Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?" Hawkeye asked as they descended.

"What other choice did I have, Lieutenant? I had to say something to get him off the idea of contacting Fullmetal."

"That's true, but you saw what condition those soldiers returned in last year. That place is dangerous." She wasn't wrong.

"I won't be wandering around like they were, I'll stay by the portal itself and come right back." He tried to reassure her.

She didn't say anything further as they reached the bottom of the stairs and the yellow beams of the portal shined to greet them. The three guards stood at attention at their arrival. Falman was one of them today.

"At ease, gentlemen. I've been ordered by the Fuhrer to pass into the portal. I'll be back shortly, please don't shoot me on my way back." They saluted.

After approaching the portal, he paused for a moment and glanced back at Hawkeye with a reassuring smile. Then he turned and stepped through.

A sparse forest of trees surrounded him, thin enough that he could see the rolling plains beyond them, with mountains even further in the distance. The colors here seemed more vibrant for some reason; it was almost bright enough to hurt his eyes. He scanned around, looking for Grumman's 'chicken', and nearly jumped back through the portal when he spotted it.

He realized why Grumman's soldier had run back scared out of his wits that one day. This was no ordinary bird. It had spotted him where it lay and moved to stand, its massive head moving up as it eyed him. It stood on two feet and stretched to its full height, unfolding its wings in a daunting display. Golden feathers covered its body, with red accents on its wings and tail. Massive horns adorned its head. Roy thought it looked akin to the mythical dragons he'd read about as a kid, except more birdlike.

It opened its beak and spoke in a commanding voice. "Who are you, and why do you dare to enter the portal?"

"I'm Roy Mustang." He needed to give it a reason besides confirming its existence. "I'm looking for two friends of mine. I believe they passed this way several days ago."

The spirit did not relax as it glared at him. "That name is not on my list. I cannot allow you to pass."

"Please, I will return through the portal shortly. I simply need to know if you know where my friends are. Their names are Edward and Alphonse." He pressed. The thing was trying to scare him or to intimidate him, and he wasn't going to let it succeed.

At the mention of the boy's names, the creature folded his wings. But he still held his head high, looking wary. "Your friends passed by here, yes. I sent them to the portal of the other world, the one the Avatar lives in. They have yet to return. I cannot let you pursue them."

"That's fine, thank you for your time." He turned and retreated through the portal. Thankfully, the soldiers remembered his request and didn't shoot. He walked straight past them toward the stairs without saying a word and began the climb with Hawkeye.

"Sir?" She asked, when out of earshot of the guards.

"It exists, all right, and it's no tiny chicken. And it has no intentions of letting anyone through."

"So, what do we do now?"

"I'll report to Grumman tomorrow and confirm the existence of the bird. Although, I would describe it more as a dragon. I'll let him make the decision on what to do with the Xingese."