HALF-TRUTH-

That was close…

He had nearly slipped and would have plummeted down a deadly height that was three times larger than he (as much as he hated to admit it).

With minor hesitation he began to maneuver his hands to a position where he could grab onto the top of the window ledge. And now he sat, perched on a brick ledge in the dead of the night.

At the moment this plan of his was beginning to seem extremely stupid. There was a guard patrolling the deserted hallways, just to make sure that no wandering patients escaped. Exactly like a prison. So there was no way that he could've gotten past them.

The ideal thing would have been to transmute a way to get down. But someone could have noticed the blue flashing alchemic lights. Which was why the Full Metal Alchemist was there now, stuck on a windowsill like a pigeon.

Edward scanned the area to the left and right and quickly formulated a plan. He would jump from where he was now onto the window ledge a floor below his and then be able to reach the flowering tree to the left.

He carefully proceeded with his plot, hoping that Mustang had made it there alright.

Once he managed to get inside the previously locked door, Colonel Mustang actually had a chance to look at where he stood.

It appeared that the house had not been occupied for quite some time, judging by the layers of dust covering practically everything.

He quietly made his way through the poorly lit hallway. It was a stroke of luck that the moon shone especially bright that night; otherwise he would have been stumbling blindly.

Mustang was also grateful to find many candles stacked in a box near a staircase. And he proceeded to light them with small sparks of flame.

Along the walls were scattered pictures of people whom Roy recognized instantly. They contained those who he had seen in the automail girl's snapshot. He couldn't help but notice that in every single one Ed was either grinning like mad or preparing to rip someone's head off. Roy hardly witnessed that fierce of emotion coming from the boy when he met him. But it… suited him.

Mustang didn't have to wait long for the front door to violently shove open.

Roy sat comfortably beside a freezing Edward on the couch. He smirked at the blonde's current predicament.

Ed apparently didn't take the time to find some more suitable clothing to go frolicking about in the night. He was chilled in tight leather pants and a small tank top.

"Stop smirking you bastard! This isn't funny, I'm freezing!"

Mustang reached his arm around Ed's shoulders and pulled him flush against his side. He was careful of his injured shoulder. "Is that better?"

Edward mumbled for a response and turned bright red. It only made Roy's smirk more unbearable.

"Now, I believe you promised to tell me what you know…"

Full Metal's face hardened and became grim, "Yeah, I guess I did."

"Our mother died of an incurable disease when Al and I were very young. And it was my idea to bring her back to life…"

A grave.

'Brother, she's gone now? Mom's gone! What are we going to do without her? How are we gonna live?'

Hesitation.

'We're not going to survive without her Al. We are… bringing her back.'

"I was stupid and blind. I thought that it would be the answer to all of our problems. The only thing was that it would be Human Transmutation…"

Fear.

'This is illegal Brother. Are you sure we can do this? What if we get caught?'

Determination.

'We won't get caught. Besides, don't you want her back too?'

"Our bastard of a father had left behind all of his books concerning Alchemy. So I guess he could be to blame as well. For fuelling our hunger for knowledge and for leaving us and her…"

Hatred.

'Forget about that bastard Al. He's gone and he's never coming back.'

"We performed the transmutation after some intense studying. But the result was hardly what we had expected…"

Blood.

'Al? AL! Are you alright?'

Pain.

'Who… who are you?'

"I lost my right arm to the Gate while Al lost his memories. I had to remind him that he was my little brother. And what did we get for it? A bloody mess that wasn't our mother and this god-forsaken knowledge of the Truth," Ed bitterly clapped his hands mockingly. "It wasn't worth it. I still argue that it was not equivalent exchange. I'd heard from Aunty Pinako about the military and the State Alchemists that served in it. But in order for me to actually be able to perform my new Alchemy technique I went through automail surgery…"

Searing.

'I'm surprised. Grown adults usually cry out at this stage of surgery.'

Fierceness.

'This pain is nothing compared to what he must be feeling.'

"I realized the library in Central was only accessible to the military when we traveled there. So I signed up for them. Al tried to squeak in too, however I stopped him…"

A grin.

'This isn't your fault Al. It's mine. I'll carry the burden to get your memory back.'

"Surprisingly, it was the Furher that had told me of a legendary alchemic amplifier. I thought that if I acquired it, I could bring Alphonse's memories back. We searched for maybe a year or so. And met others that desired it as well…"

Sly.

'Hey, chibi-kun. I'll make a deal with you. We give you the notes on how to make a Philosopher's Stone if you turn us Human with it.'

"They seemed fairly harmless. I mean, they were Homunculi. But if I was to make them humans, what threat could they possibly pose? So I accepted their proposal and began to break the code of Marcoh's notes. I'll admit they were though to make sense of. Yet, the truth of what they held was an even harder burden to bear…"

Disbelief.

'No way… This can't be right.'

Panic.

'The main ingredient to create a Philosopher's Stone is live humans? This is the truth?!'

"Once I learned the reality, I tried to back out and told the Furher of what I had discovered. That was my mistake…"

Grief.

'Now you've done it chibi-kun…'

'Brother, I'm sorry.'

"The Furher was on their side. Because he himself is a Homunculus, just like them," Roy gasped disbelievingly. "Al was killed and I lost a leg. Envy called what occurred a reason for me to continue. It was a long time before I finally understood what he meant…"

Haunting. Grey eyes searching his footsteps.

"I will make the Philosopher's Stone. I will bring my brother back to life." Edward's passion emanated from the pit of his stomach.

No matter how hard he tried to force himself to believe it Roy couldn't confirm what he'd been told. The Furher, the man he'd served for years, was a Homunculus and was affiliated with the sick bastards that murdered Hughes.

He had expected to be surprised by Edward's story, but certainly not that much.

Speaking of Ed, Roy realized that he must have gotten out of the shower when the faint hum of water stopped. And he had to fight to control his pulse when Edward stepped out from the bathroom clad in a mere towel. With his hair sticking to his back and small water droplets running off the ends and down his chest.

There were simply some sights that should be dubbed as deadly.

'Hughes, I think I'm in love with a seventeen year old boy. Does that make me a pedophile?'

AN: Hope you enjoyed!

And, for the next chapter: Just what do the drugs that Ed was taking do? (Any guesses?)