Two days had passed since Naomi revealed herself to be Ruby. No one had seen her since she had left work the day Edward confronted her, causing worry to both the Elric brothers and Envy.
Ed and Al walked the streets of Rivia, hoping for any sign she had returned. The heat of the day caused them to quickly return to the hotel with still no clues as to Ruby's whereabouts.

"You haven't seen a girl named Naomi around lately, have you?" Al asked the man who ran the hotel. The man thought for a moment.

"I can't say I have. Did you check by the river that runs just beyond town?" The man replied. Ed and Al had heard about a river, but they never thought to check there. "There are some old abandoned houses along the shore. Maybe she went there." Ed ran to the door.

"C'mon, Al," he called. "Let's go see."

"But brother, it's too hot out; I don't think it's safe yet!" Al warned. Ed looked out into the streets of Rivia.

"It doesn't matter, Al." He ran out the door, leaving Al behind him.

"Brother!" He called. "Stop!" Ed kept running but Al stayed behind. "He can be so stubborn!"

It had taken Ed about an hour to reach the river. It was low; no surprise considering the constant heat from the sun pounding down upon it. When he saw the first house, he ran inside to rest for a few minutes. He looked around. There were candles on tables, dusty from lack of use. Some chairs were scattered across the floor, cobwebs engulfing them as they rotted there.

"What would Ruby be doing in one of these houses," Ed wondered. He picked up and old picture frame, the photo inside mildewed beyond recognition. He dropped it as a scream broke through the air. He ran outside and heard it again. Running toward it he saw Ruby caught in a circle of flames. "Ruby!" He called. He clapped his hands together and sent water spouting from the river to put out the fire. Ruby stumbled over to him, coughing as she tried to breathe through the smoke.

"Ed," she gasped, "you've got to get out of her. There are three people here, State Alchemists!" Ed carried her over to a scrawny tree and lay her down.

"Edward?" A voice called. Ed spun around. "Ed, stay away from her. She's a homunculus." Riza Hawkeye appeared, gun in hand. He stepped in front of Ruby.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. Roy Mustang stepped beside Hawkeye, soon followed by Alex Louis Armstrong.

"We're here under direct order of the Fuhrer." Mustang stated. "We've been ordered to kill this girl, now stand aside or we have permission to kill anyone who gets in the way." Ed's eyes widened.

"Why does he want Ruby killed!" He screamed. His sides heaved from the heat of the day as the sun began to take affect on him.

"I wasn't about to question my orders, though I don't really know myself." Mustang responded. He stepped forward, sending flames shooting right next to Ed's face. "Now get out of the way!" Ed stepped back, pressing his hands to the ground to create large spikes of rock and earth to surround the three people in front of him.

"I won't let you hurt her! She's done nothing to you or the military!" Ed transmuted his arm into a blade, shielding his face as Armstrong punched through the spikes, sending large pieces of dirt everywhere.

"Ed, don't make us fight you, too," Hawkeye called through the cloud of dust Armstrong had churned up. "We don't want to have to hurt you."

"You don't want to hurt me but you'd kill Ruby just because you were told to?" Ed sent a tower of water crashing down as fire began shooting all around him. Ruby came up beside him. "Get back, I don't want you hurt!" He whispered to her. She kissed his cheek and shook her head.

"I want to fight my own battle this time." She said. She noticed how much Ed was straining to breathe. "Besides, I'm more used to the heat than you are. You'll be of no use one way or another if you don't rest up." Ed closed his eyes, lying on the ground. He tried to sit up a little but wariness kept him down.

"Just be careful. They're more powerful then you might think." He warned her. She stood up, pulling a dagger from its place hidden behind her back, covered by her long hair. She heard a whistling sound rush at her and quickly jumped to the side. When she looked behind her, a flaming throwing knife was embedded in the ground.

"And to think," she called to them, "I actually waited on you back at the restaurant." She ran at them, aiming for Mustang. Hawkeye and Armstrong jumped to the side as he sent a shower of flames down around him. Ruby ran behind him, avoiding the attack then ran up behind him, slashing into his right arm. He tightly grasped it with his other hand, stepping back as Armstrong threw a large boulder toward Ruby. She jumped away, but it caught her leg, causing her to cry out in pain. She pressed her face against the boulder, crying her acidic tears to try and slowly melt it away. Hawkeye took her opportunity to strike. The sound of the shot echoed across the water. Ruby fell to the ground, blood pouring from the wound in her shoulder. She screamed in pain, jerking her leg out from the boulder as it shrank down to half its size. Mustang shot a ball of fire at her helpless body as she struggled to try and move. It deflected away as a something small shot through the air, directly in front of the ball.

"I told you to leave her alone!" Ed stepped up, charging at Mustang. Hawkeye aimed her gun at him, but something stopped her from shooting. She couldn't risk hitting Roy as the two attacked each other hit after hit.

"Give it up, Ed. You can't take all three of us on and defend her!" Mustang shot him down with a swirl of flames, scattering around like a forest fire. A silvery flash shown in front of Mustang before he could attack again. He gasped collapsing to the ground. Hawkeye rushed to his side. Ed stood up. Ruby began to gasp for breath, lying limply on the ground after using the last of her strength to throw her dagger. Ed picked her up, carrying her away before they realized what happened.

"Hang on, Ruby. You'll be alright, just hang on!" Ed's head began to throb with wariness by the time he had reached Rivia again. By now the sun was setting and Ruby was barely still with him. He knew there was nothing he could do now. Desperation drove him forward until he had reached the hotel. He collapsed outside, breathing heavily as he tried to call for help.