Ed: Wow, who would have thought you could afford something like this?
Sakura: Why? Did you think I lived in something...small...
Ed: starts to fume HOW ABOUT I CHASE YOU HOME!
Al: Brother, not again. Fullmetal Alchemist and all related characters, locations, and objects are not owned by either of the fan fiction authors...Why am I also stuck covering for Ed when he gets hot headed?
Ed: YOU WANT SOME OF THIS AL?
Al: NO!
Erin and Amanda: Sorry folks, but it seems it may be a while before this story is over, but I'm sure things will calm down. So, enjoy the fun!
They walked for at least an hour, past rice paddies and fields of grass till Sakura turned toward what looked like an ancient castle. She and the Elric brothers walked through the gates and Ed and Al stopped in awe of the view.
The inside of the castle grounds looked as though they had been tenderly cared for, soft grass covering most of the lands, cherry blossom trees spread their pink flowers to the wind as the branches swayed in the slight breeze. A beautifully kept koi pond bubbled under the shade of a plum tree, the koi swimming slowly, gracefully through the water as a small waterfall fed into it. Sakura walked up to the front door, taking off her wooden geta before stepping up onto the wooden porch.
"Aren't you two coming?" She called to the still stunned brothers.
Ed and all were taken back at the majesty of Sakura's mansion, but it presented an air of a home to them as they walked into the door. But after Al stepped into the house, Ed was preparing to step in when Sakura turned around to see Ed placing a foot on the porch.
"What are you doing Ed? You do know that you aren't allowed to wear shoes in a house here, right?" Sakura asked as she pointed at Ed's boots.
Ed felt weird as he felt the urge to tell her that he couldn't do that, it wasn't as easy as just taking off his shoes and walking through the home without his shoes…Ed stood there pondering how to break to Sakura that he couldn't do it without revealing his automail leg.
"Do you mind making an exception, just this once?" Ed asked as he smile a big grin at Sakura.
"Fine, but just this once Edward!" Sakura said as she slid the rice paper door open and shut to let Edward in, mumbling that if he got mud on her tatami floors she'd kill him.
Sakura served her guests tea and the local traditional food which Ed was more than happy to take, but when Sakura went to place a piece of food to her mouth she realized that Al wasn't eating which peaked her curiosity.
"Alphonse, why aren't you eating?" Sakura asked quizzically of Al as a sweat drop formed on his head.
"I'm not hungry that's all," Al said, lying to Sakura.
The meal went without any further interruption, but as the meal dragged on, Sakura couldn't help but stare at Ed's left leg and ponder why Al was truly not eating any of her food. She waited for a moment before she placed her chopsticks down and pushed her plate away, staring up at Edward.
"So…Edward…tell me, why didn't you want take off your shoes when you entered my house?" Sakura asked as she looked with all seriousness at Edward.
"Um…I have my reasons, I just didn't feel like going through the struggle of taking them off and leaving them out for some else to take them," Ed said as he lied to Sakura.
Sakura could see through the lies and deception that Ed and Al were weaving and she couldn't take their lies anymore as she stood up and walked towards Ed and grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him to her face.
"Edward….tell me the truth…the full truth and no lies this time," Sakura said as she said it through gritted teeth.
Ed knew that he couldn't hide the truth anymore as he looked at Al that had the look in his eyes that it was time for them to tell her the truth behind why they are different then others and why hiding it from Sakura wouldn't help their friendship in the long run.
"The truth is that we tried to play God when we young, and our consequence of trying to playing God and stepping onto Holy Ground where we weren't suppose to be caused the trouble you see us in now," Ed said somberly as he looked to Al and with that Sakura placed him back on the ground.
Ed kneeled on one knee to reveal the automail that he had for a left leg and his right arm and then went to tell how and why they had done it and how it came to be that they ended up in this way. The tale weaved on as they told about the troubles and trials they had faced with the Homunculi to how they knew what kind of person Envy truly was, but the tale soon came to heartbreaking conclusion as they broke the news about Lt. Colonel Hughes. Sakura didn't want to hear the rest as she ran from the room in tears, leaving the Elrics stunned at the harsh reality they had revealed about Envy and about a man that Sakura had held as a dear friend, Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes.
"I'm sorry Sakura, but it's true," Ed whispered after Sakura had left the room.
Sakura ran out of the house, slipping on her geta as she ran towards an area near the back of the house where a tall stone marker stood alone. She collapsed at the base of it, wrapping her arms around it lovingly and cried into the unyielding stone.
"Why? Otousan, why?" she cried her heart out, until there were no more tears and she just rested against the stone. "It's strange, I've never met you, Otousan, and yet I can talk with you so freely." She scooted closer to the stone, tucking her legs under her. "It's just so hard. I…I fell in love with him, Otousan. I fell for a homunculus. And he…he killed….Maes. But I don't hate Envy for it. I'm angry with him, hurt too, but I don't hate him at all. I just can't bring myself to. I hear that Mama's still alive. I don't know where, but she's alive. And she created more." Her eyes darkened, "She forced more people to live as Daisuke and Envy do. In fact, I hear that she's the one who created Envy." She didn't notice the shadow creep up behind her as she gently stroked the stone with the characters for Takahashi Fujitaka on it.
"Hello…sister," Greed said as he snuck up behind Sakura.