To Whoever Really Cares: Sorry about the wait, I was debating on wether or not I should kill Winry off. I still haven't really come to a decision. I really do hate Winry, but then (since I like to at least try to keep people in character) I'd have to make Ed and Alphonse angsty and I really don't feel like wasting a whole chapter on Winry's death. I'll tell you a secret, though. I doubt she'll even show her face in this story.

Thank you to Bar-Ohki who reviewed. It really is appreciated.

But seriously guys, reviewing is not a sin against nature.

Disclaimer in previous chapter.

-

"When he said hearing about it is nothing compared to the shock of seeing it, Fullmetal was right." Mustang sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead in exasperation. This was not easy to swallow.

Before him stood what was left of Rush Valley, a vast pile of rubble that stretched for miles, as far the eye could see. There was no sign of life, no sign that anything had ever lived there at all. The once bustling city, full of people, in its prime, was now a deserted wasteland not even fit for a rat to live in.

He withdrew his hand from his face and began to explore hoping to find something, anything, that would point to even a clue of the city's destruction. The only safe presumption was that all the people were obliterated completely as there wasn't even a child's teddy bear left to tell someone survived whatever disaster had overtaken this town.

His search was fruitless and depressing. Naught was left amid the destruction. With a weary sigh he departed the miserable scene and headed for the camp he had pitched with the help of his staff.

As he walked into the camp a soldier greeted him: "Colonel Mustang, sir," the soldier saluted and Mustang nodded. "At ease, what news?" The soldier shook his head despairingly. "Nothing good, sir, there's still no sign of life anywhere, near of far." Mustang nodded again. "Dismissed," he said, and he watched as the soldier saluted again and walked away.

This was a gruesome puzzle.

The colonel resigned to his tent and found Hawkeye bustling around his makeshift desk, two large crates shoved together with a tablecloth placed neatly on top. As he walked in she stopped and saluted stiffly.

He addressed his lieutenant: "Hawkeye, bring to me all records of cities destroyed within a twenty-four hour period in any such way."

"Sir," she dropped her salute and walked, calmly, out of the tent.

After she had left he proceeded to his desk and took a seat, pondering how this could have happened. Other than the possibility of four very strong alchemists armed with premature Philosopher Stones waltzing in and, quite randomly, deciding to blow the city up he had no other ideas, and even then that was pretty farfetched; there would at least be blood, or scorch marks upon the remains of the city, it had not happened that long ago so not even a stray sandstorm could have erased those kinds of hints.

Some time later, Hawkeye returned, as passive as ever. She placed the files he requested in front him. She, then, nodded her salute and strolled out of Roy's encampment.

Mustang stared.

The stack must have had been, at least, three feet tall. It was beyond him how Hawkeye had carried it; but he hardened his resolve and took the first file, which just so happened to be Ishbal. Mustang moaned and sat back in his chair. This was going to be a long night.

-

11:45 P.M.

He was on the twelfth file, there were fifty; but those were no longer of any use, he had already found what he needed. Apparently, half a century ago there was a case similar to this; but on a much smaller scale. The old Rush Valley, a much less profitable town than the recently destroyed city in the South-West Area, was put to ruin in exactly the same way; but back then they had even less of an answer to the questions how and why.

There didn't seem to be any connection between the two sites, other than the way they were put to ruin, of course; but there was something quite contrasting between them both: the older town was close to another town, Turli, that survived the downfall of the old Rush Valley. People still lived there, they would know.

He smiled.

Time to go hunting.

-

Chapter Three will be up when I decide wether or not I'll kill Winry . . . Prepare for a long wait. (I can't help it, I'm just lazy.)

To be continued . . .