Roy was outside with Chiko walking with Ed and Den, who was holding flowers, down to somewhere Ed was to go and as Ed's bodyguard he had to stay with him at all cost. He promised Ed that he'll keep his distance so he could have his privacy but gave Ed Chiko for comfort. Ed, Den and Chiko stood in front of Trisha Elric's grave as Ed placed the flowers down at the grave. Chiko was on Ed's shoulder looking at the grave Roy was aways away to give Ed his privacy. Ed got on his knees and looked at the grave, Chiko looked between the grave and Ed. He had a sad look on his face but didn't say anything, Chiko crawled down his arm to the grave. Ed felt him move and watched him go in front of the grave, Chiko put his two paws together and closedown his eyes like he was preying.

Ed smiled at that and looked back at the grave saying. "Hey mom, sorry I haven't been able to visit in a awhile I've been busy with the military and hadn't had time for a visit instead of coming in for repairs. This is Chiko, he's my commanding officers pet. He's very sweet he makes Mustang smile at work and protects him because the one hurting him is afraid of him. That's a relief on me and Al's part so we can worry about him less but Monroe still hurts him in public now and we're worried, at least now Mustang can get a break and not have to worry about anyone hurting him. I don't know what Monroe did but he's turned the whole team against him now and they believe everything he says." Ed wiped his eyes and said.

"He tried to turn Al against me but when Al said that he was an alchemist Monroe stopped, that made me and Al very angry with him and made us want to stop him even more. He's says that the colonel killed his father, Mustang would've understood if he's father was Ishvalan but he's not. The colonel doesn't remember any one named Monroe but he's looking into it." Tears appeared in Ed's eyes and went down his face as Chiko looked at him worriedly.

"I wish Hughes was still alive, then he can help Roy prove his innocence and gives Monroe Justice but if it wasn't for me, then he'd still be alive now and with his family but he's not, he left a wife and child behind. It, kinda feels like you and us when dad left only to find out he died a year later. We found out while looking for the stone, he was killed by an assassin, maybe the same one that tried to kill me, who knows. He was trying to protect us and I spent so much time hating him, I should've listened to you and Al but I didn't, I was just too angry with him to realize that he loved us. He's last words were that he was coming to you mom and the last thing we did was argue, I'm sorry mom. So sorry. I ruin everything, I drove dad off, I disappointed you, I didn't protect Al and now Hughes is gone and it's all because of me. I'm sorry mom, I'm so sorry. I-."

Ed was cut off when he felt someone put a jacket over his head and bonked their head into his back and their arms wrapped around him. He recognized the white dress shirt sleeve, he grabs their arms and asked. "Colonel? What're-?" "Shhh, don't speak. Just let it out, no one will know." Ed then felt something on his shirt and saw Chiko hugging him, Den rubbed his head against Ed's shoulder. Not taking it anymore Ed started crying, he turned around and hugged Roy properly. He clutched his back and buried his head in Roy's neck as Roy just hugged him with a smile and tears going down his cheeks. Chiko moved from his shirt to his shoulder and rubbed his head on his neck as Ed cried, Roy rubbed Ed's back as he cried as well. Ed opened his eyes and saw Chiko glow a little while rubbing his neck. After awhile the separated and Ed looked at Roy and said. "Thank you colonel." Roy smiled and said. "It's my pleasure Ed."

Chiko bounced on Ed and jumped to Roy, he stuck his hand out and Chiko landed on his palm. Chiko ran up his arm and hugged his neck, Ed looked at Roy and asked. "Hey colonel?" "Mhm?" "Have ever noticed anything odd about Chiko?" "Uh no. Why?" "Let me rephrase that, have you seen Chiko glow whenever you cry?" Roy's eyes widened and said. "Yeah, I mean sorta. I've always closed my eyes and I've felt it but I always thought it was the Sun." Ed looked at Chiko and said. "I think Chiko is more special then we think." Chiko noticed them staring and waved, Ed waved back and smiled.

It was sunset and the others went back home. Winry was cooking dinner as Roy, Ed and Al sat on the table waiting for dinner. Ed was laying face down holding his starving stomach, Al was worried about Chiko because they didn't have rice but Roy said that he'll eat nuts too which the Rockbells had. As Winry poured the stew into the bowls Ed and Roy talked about Chiko. "Why do you think he glows that we immediately feel better?" "Maybe his cuteness has that effect and his fur is so white that it glows among the light." "We don't even look at Chiko when he's glowing and we immediately feel better during it." "Oh, well then I got nothing." Winry comes in and places their bowls down and asks. "What's this about Chiko?" "Chiko glows whenever we feel sad and we immediately feel better during it, colonel thought it was because of his cuteness that we feel better and that the glow is because of the light beaming off his fur." "Weird." "I know right." Winry got a little bag of nuts and went to the table, she took out some and placed them in front of Chiko. Roy had warned her that Chiko was picky but she didn't mind, it was adorable seeing Roy be protective of his pet.

While they ate Al kept staring at Chiko, as if he was remembering something. After dinner they sat around the table and looked at Chiko who's in the middle looking at them curiously. They had a lamp shining on Chiko while Winry touched him nothing happened they towered over them as they talked. "I guess it doesn't work." Roy glances at Winry and asked. "Were you feeling sad?" "I was sad about Ed destroying my automail again but i guess it didn't work." "Maybe that's it." "What is Ed?" "Maybe it'll only happen if we sad about someone and not something." "Or feeling guilty about ourselves. The last time it happened was the night you were in the hospital after my encounter with Monroe, I was feeling pretty crummy about myself when Chiko decided to sleep on my head and I felt better after closing my eyes." Al looked at Roy and asked. "Colonel what were you doing before you met Chiko?" "I was at work like any other normal day." "Did something happen to you?" "Yes, Monroe told Hawkeye that I was giving him a hard time and she slapped me after I talked coldly to her about Monroe growing up." "Did you say anything right before you met Chiko? Like aloud."

Roy looked at Al surprised and said. "Yes. I said I wanted to die and that's when I met Chiko. Why is this important?" "I think I know what Chiko is and why you can't find what kind of animal he is." Ed, Winry and Roy looked at him in surprise. "You do? Well what is he?" "I can't know for sure but there's only one way to find out. Winry?" "Mhm?" "Can you tell Chiko to hop?" "Uh sure. Chiko?" He looked at Winry and she said. "Hop." Chiko just stared at her them flopped down on his face, everyone sweat dropped except Al and looked at Roy saying. "Colonel, tell Chiko to Hop." Roy nodded and said. "Chiko?" He looked up at Roy curiously and he said. "Hop."

Instantly Chiko hopped once and stared at Roy. "Good job Chiko." Chiko smiled at him with sparkles around him, Roy looks at Al and asked. "What's you theory Al?" "Just as I thought, Chikos not a mouse or an animal. He's a Shikigami." They stare at him as Chiko nods in confirmation. Roy breaks the silence and asks. "Chiko's a what?" "A Shikigami. It's spirit creature that goes to people that are suicidal by friends or family and if they say they want to die, then the animal will come out of hiding and the person instantly forgets their intentions to die. You made a contract with Chiko when you fed him and gave him a name." Roy looks at Chiko and grabs him, he brings him to eye level. Roy smiles at him and says. "Thank you Chiko, I'm glad I've found you." Chiko smiled at him and started hopping while squeaking.

Ed looks at Al and asked. "What about that little girl that had Chiko? If he had a contact with another person then why'd he leave?" "There are rules to having a Shikigami. The first one is care for the Shikigami with care and love, the second one is to always tell the Shikigami that their doing a good job and don't insult them and the third til is to always feed the Shikigami, if all three rules are broken then the contract is terminated and that Shikigami has to find a new owner." Roy put his hand under his chin in thought while putting Chiko down and said. "I think the little girl was really rough with Chiko and forgot to feed him and Chiko refused to play because of hunger, she said he was doing a horrible job and useless. That's my theory anyway, how can a little girl get a Shinigami? Most little girls aren't suicidal." "Maybe she said it because she was lonely?" "Good point. If you want a pet you need to take care of them, that's probably why Chiko ran away. He was being abused and neglected, I don't blame him." "How do you know it's a him anymore? Might be a girl."

Roy looked at Winry and thought to himself. 'Why must women always say that? It's not like I can check and see, I already did that but couldn't find anything to confirm his gender. Wait.' "Chiko?" They look at Roy and he says. "Point to Winry if your a girl but point to me if your a boy." Chiko sat on their hind legs and pointed to Winry, suddenly slammed his head on the table anime crying and said. "I'm sorry Chiko for not thinking to ask you. Your a good girl, your owner is just an idiot." Chiko hopped to Roy and patted his head saying that it was okay. Ed looks at Al and says. "How do you know so much about Shikigami's Al?" "Before mom died I had a book on it. I just now remembered some of what it said but there was something else. I'm not sure what it was but I'm gonna for it." Roy sat up with Chiko on his head looking at Al and said. "Thank you Al, that means allot." Al nodded and they went to bed as it was late.

Roy laid on the cot with Chiko on the pillow talking. "You it's gonna take some time calling you She or her but I'll do my best." Chiko smiled at him and crawled to his head and rubbed her head against it. Roy smiled at that and said. "Goodnight Chiko." Chiko gave a little squeak and climbed her way up to his head. She snuggled into his hair and went to sleep with a smile on her face, Roy smiled and then went to sleep.

Bet you didn't see that coming Huh? To be continued