Ed: Al, have you seen Sakura?
Al: I don't know what you mean? nervously hides note
Ed: What are you hiding? as he reaches for the note
Al: Its just the next disclaimer
Ed: Not again
Al: Fullmetal Alchemist and all related characters, locations, and objects are not owned by either of the fan fiction authors
Ed: Man, we'll never get through this story with the way the authors post this story...
Amanda and Erin: WHAT DID YOU SAY SHRIMP?
Ed proceeds to run from the room as the two authors chase him down Central with weapons of choice in hand
Al read the note and as Ed came down the hall like a bat out of hell and on his face was a look of fear and worry of what Mustang would say about the disappearance of Sakura, but the moment he came upon Al, his worst fears were realized as he saw the sunken face of Al holding Sakura's note and as he read the note…the only he could feel was guilt.
"I drove her away Al…I drove her away and I'm going to become Mustang's target board for Flaming Darts! We have to find her Al before Mustang finds out what Sakura did and that I lost her…he will have my ass on a silver platter!" Ed said as he grabbed his red trench coat and headed out into the morning and ran for Headquarters.
Edward had left in a hurry in hopes of diverting Mustang's anger over Sakura's disappearance, leaving Al alone in the apartment with a look of complete and utter confusion as he realized that there was more to the note then it let on. In turning over the note, he found more Lt. Sakura's note.
Ps. Ed, this is not your fault, DO NOT COME AFTER ME BLONDIE! I had you chasing me the first day, and I'd rather not repeat the experience!
Pss. Could you pick up my books from Central? The address to send them to is on the letterhead and No, that's not where I am. I have a contact who will send them to me.
Psss. Ed, you're a shrimp!
Al sweat dropped and hurried out the door, attempting to keep his brother from becoming Roy's personal dart board. He got there just as Ed went into Roy's office.
"BROTHER, WAIT! There was more to the note Sakura left!" He shouted to Ed and Roy. Roy's eye twitched.
"And WHY would she not have told you herself?" Roy asked as he tried to control his anger and tried to hide his flame gloves as he was reaching for them in his pocket.
"WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO BE! HER PERSONAL ESCORT AND PROTECTOR! IT'S NOT MY DAMN FAULT THAT SHE LEFT...she left of her own free will," Ed said as he tried to hide the tears that were forming as he slammed his hands onto Roy's desk creating dents in the table, especially with his automail hand.
"Brother…" Al said from the back of the room as Lt. Hawkeye stood beside the Colonel.
Lt. Hawkeye had a front row seat to the anger fight between two State Alchemists, Colonel Mustang and Edward Elric, but as she saw small droplets of tear falling from Ed's eyes onto the desk there seemed to be a sort of calming silence fell upon the room. Al was sweating like crazy as he felt that he had to do something before Roy decided to punish Ed for something that he couldn't stop from happening.
"…Do you have any leads as to where she might have gone Edward?" Roy said as he calmed down and placed his gloves back into his pockets.
"…Not really…" Ed started to say, but before Roy could lose on it Ed, Al moved closer to his brother as he handed the note to Lt. Hawkeye.
Lt. Hawkeye read the note and as she turned the paper over, her eyes widened out when she read the part apart sending her books from Central to the address on the letterhead and it took all her strength of morality not to give the note to Roy. Her prayers were answered when Roy dismissed the boys from Headquarters and told them to head to Central to clear their heads.
"See you in a couple of weeks Mustang," Ed said as he and Al saluted the Colonel.
Once Roy and Riza were alone, Riza moved towards Roy and handed him the note in silence and watched as he read the note and she saw his mannerisms change as he turned the note over to reveal what she wanted done with her books. Roy's anger shot up as did the pain in his butt which caused him to sit down on his chair and soak in all of the contents of the note.
"Why didn't you give this to me sooner?" Roy asked as he looked up from his desk and stared at Riza.
"I didn't think that you needed anymore stress at the moment when you were dealing with Edward, but sir, why did you send them to Central?" Riza asked as she moved towards a chair in front of his desk.
"I felt it was time for them to clear their heads and get themselves back on track of what they need to do…I sent them to Central because I feel that it is time that they find out the truth about Maes…it's been too long to not tell them until now," Roy said as he turned his chair towards the window.
"What good do you think that will do? Dragging up the painful hurt that Gracia Hughes, Maes' widow, had to endure after losing her husband? You really think that the boys need to hear such things!" Riza said as her tempered rose.
"They need to get back on track with finding Sakura and I have reason to believe that "Lt. Thompson" is not as he seems and I reason to believe that he may be a Homunculus and I also found out something about Hughes' death," Roy said as he hung his head and his shoulders started to heave as tears started to rack his body.
"Sir? What is it?" Riza asked as she got out of her chair and moved behind the Colonel.
"I found out the terrible truth that even though the records state that Maes was killed by two people, I highly doubted that and went through some of Ed's old notes from Lab 5 on a hunch and found out that the one called "Envy" is a shape shifter," Roy said as his voice was starting to crack with emotion.
"Yes…what did you figure out sir?" Riza said as she stood behind him and watched his face change by the reflection in the window.
"Envy, was the one that killed my only friend and companion….and I have reason to believe that Sakura is falling in with him in hopes of finding something or someone like him…why…why do I let myself become so racked with guilt…" Roy said as he let all emotions flow freely.
Riza moved up behind the Colonel and wrapped her arms his as she embraced him from the back and placed her head on his right shoulder and she could feel his rough hands caressing over hers.
"It wasn't your fault sir, there was nothing you could do to stop what happened…he did to make sure that your position to move up to be Fuhrer happened…you shouldn't hold back your emotions, they make people weak of heart and of character…" Riza said as she embraced him tighter.
In that moment, he could feel an instant rush of relief and release flow over him as he felt the Lieutenant pushing close against him and all the guilt and pain he had held back for so long just rushed from him. The Colonel and Lieutenant didn't move from the window as time slowed down another element that seemed to be on their side was that no one came to see the Colonel the rest of the day.