Stupid randomness wouldn't let me on to write… but I'm back. I also needed a bit of thinking time to work out the details. Some of the so-called "mistakes" actually play a role later in the story, but I can't give too much away. This is a very difficult story, after all! And thank you to all of the reviewing people! I don't own FMA, yadda, yadda…

"Brother… where are we going?" asked Alphonse, sprinting across the city with Edward. "And what's going on?"

"No time to explain, Al," said Edward. "All I can say is that it's something to do with how the equal trade laws work."

Ed spotted a slow-moving car, and swung around into it from a pole. Al followed in.

"Excuse me, but I've gotta borrow this. Military business," said Edward quickly.

The man who owned the car frowned. "Sure, kid, but have you got a driver's license? You look pretty young."

Edward twitched, but then calmed down. "I just got my permit," he lied. "Can you help me get to the Fuhrer's? He's my… dad's boss."

Edward considered Roy to be more of a father than Hohenheim. Even though Hohenheim wasn't so bad, he still caused Trisha's illness. He could never forgive his father for leaving them alone for so long.

Edward had spotted some notes in Roy's hand about the Fuhrer while they were in the car some hours earlier. So much for the military being so secretive. He made a mental note of this, and now it was coming in handy.

"Sir, are you sure this is okay?" asked Alphonse.

"Hey, I've got nowhere to go."

Alphonse sat back in the seat, and tried to piece together all the information. It made no sense at all. And Edward looked so much older…

After driving for 20 minutes, Edward found the address that was on the note.

"Thank you, sir," said Edward, jumping out of the car with Alphonse.

The man smiled. "Any time…"

The two boys headed inside the collapsing building. They spotted somebody very familiar in a heap on the floor.

"Lieutenant!"

"Ed-edward-kun?" Riza stuttered.

"Yeah, I'm assuming it didn't go so well. Where's the Colo-"

"Brigadier General," she interrupted. "B-but who's that next to you?"

"Al," said Edward. At Riza's confused look, he shrugged, and went over closer to her. "Sir… um, no… Ma'am…? Oh, never mind. Riza, where's Roy?"

At the sound of the name, the waterworks started again.

"Erm, Riza was it? You have to get out of here," said Alphonse. 'The building is collapsing."

"But Roy…" Riza mumbled before being dragged out of the burning building by the two brothers. "He's still there…"

Roy:

"No… I can't die like this," said Roy, clinging to the last threads of life.

Suddenly, a shadow came dashing through. There was a burst of red light, and then Roy saw no more for hours. But now he was safe.