Author's Note: Hello again! Thank you thank you THANK YOU to all who reviewed! It is because of you that this story is still alive! If I don't get reviews I have absolutely no incentive to keep writing. (yes, I'm that pathetic. . .sigh. . .reviews are my only reason to exist.) So even if you don't like it, please TELL me that you don't like it! Tell me that it was boring beyond all comprehension! That it was so OOC that it wouldn't know in-character if it tripped over it! Anything! Just let me know that you're reading!!

And again, I STILL really, really need ideas. . .

Oh, and since I'm so new to I'm still experimenting with sectional-divider thingies. This chapter I'm trying "oOoOoO". . .I wonder if that'll work. . .

Disclaimer: They still haven't caught my inspiration, but assure me that they are close and it'll be any day now and I shouldn't worry and just let them handle it and. . . . .so I went out and re-bought some of my stuff so now I own a mangy, defective cat AND a ten-pound bar of chocolate. Still don't own FMA. . .

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Riding in a train was not a pleasant experience for Roy, but fortunately it did not last terribly long. Soon the train was pulling into Central with a deafening screech and Alphonse had come to fetch him.

"Where should we keep him, brother? He can't stay at our apartment."

Ed shrugged, "The military has a stable; we can leave him there."

Yes! The military. They were going in the right direction at least.

Even though Central was one of the more technologically advanced cities in Amestris and most people drove cars, it still wasn't uncommon to see a horse walking down the street—a fact which Roy was eternally grateful for.

"So, after we dump Horse, here, we need to go find something for Winry's birthday present. I'd almost forgotten about it."

Al nodded, "But brother, we can't just keep calling this fella 'horse' all the time! We should name him."

THANK you.

"Eh? Fine. What do you wanna call it? How 'bout Fluffy?"

I WILL kill you, Fullmetal, make no mistake about that.

"We can't name a horse Fluffy!"

"Okay." Ed put a finger to his chin in mock-concentration. "I know!" he snapped his fingers, "We should name it Roy!!"

"What?"

What?

"Yeah! We should name it Roy 'cause he's an a—"

"BROTHER!!!!"

KICK!

Al could only call frantically after the rapidly-disappearing speck that was his elder brother. Roy, on the other hand, felt an amazing release and satisfaction in a kick well-placed. Lord, that felt good.

A while later, once they had recovered Ed's bleeding remains, they made their way back to military H.Q., Roy stubbornly glued to Alphonse the whole way.

"We are NOT naming him Roy!!" Al stated firmly ("Besides," he added, "an ass is a donkey, not a horse.") "I know! How about 'Shadow'?"

Ed tilted his head, "It's a bit cliché, isn't it?"

"Well, but he's black and he follows me around everywhere, just like my shadow!"

Ed sighed, "Fine. Whatever. Its name is Shadow."

Roy sighed too. Ah well. There were far worse names, he supposed.

Just as they reached H.Q., they ran into a familiar group of blue-uniforms.

Lieutenant! Roy whinnied happily.

"Oh! Edward! Alphonse!" Riza Hawkeye turned towards them, a relieved look on her face. "You're safe."

"Huh? Why wouldn't we be? What's wrong?" Ed frowned.

Riza looked away, pain in her eyes, and Havoc answered for her. "Well, Scar's been sighted in Central again and. . .Colonel Mustang has been missing for three days."

"What??" Ed and Al shouted in unison.

"You think Scar. . .?" Al asked, concern filling his voice. Ed didn't say anything, but his eyes hardened.

Havoc shook his head, "We don't know, but that seems the most likely scenario."

Falman saluted, "The only facts we have are that the Colonel left his office at approximately 6:30 Monday evening and has not been seen since."

"The entire force is out searching for him."

You know, the irony of this situation is really quite astounding. Roy said dryly. But still, he thought, Scar's back in town? That can't be good.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but you will have to stay at headquarters for a while for your own safety. With Scar around, you're sure to be a target." Riza said apologetically, but her tone brooked no disagreement. "Lt. Havoc, would you please escort the Elric brothers back to H.Q.?"

Havoc saluted, "C'mon, you guys."

Ed nodded absently, mind still whirling with the thought that the colonel might have been. . .but that was impossible! There was no way that stubborn jerk would have lost to Scar! Either way. . .his fist clenched, he was going to hunt down Scar and find out the truth about Roy Mustang. . .and possibly avenge him.

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Roy trotted behind the boys, rather surprised at how Fullmetal was taking the news of his disappearance. The boy looked like he was about to kill someone. That was the reaction he expected from Hawkeye, not Edward.

"Here, let's drop Shadow off at the stables, then we can figure out what to do, okay big brother?"

"Yeah."

No! Ack, don't leave me here you fools! If you go off looking for me without my help, you'll never find me!. . . .what. . .?

His whinnies fell on deaf ears and he was locked into a stall. The boys walked away, obviously deep in their own thoughts.

Well, this is an unfortunate turn of events, Roy concluded as he looked around his new environment. Not only am I trapped in a small, box-like room, but they are all chasing after Scar. . .who I am relatively certain was NOT the one who turned me into a horse. Well, one thing at a time. First thing was to get out of this foul-smelling place. It was built to hold in normal horses, surely it would prove no challenge to Colonel Roy Mustang.

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Three hours later, Roy had decided that this stable had been built to hold particularly BRILLIANT horses. He thumped his head against the wall in frustration. Once he got his human body back, he was going to burn this entire place to the ground.

Eventually he abandoned his efforts to cleverly gimmick the lock open, and opted for a somewhat less subtle method. Turning around, he kicked the stall door as hard as he possibly could. He heard an encouraging cracking noise, and continued kicking with all his strength. On the seventh kick there was the most beautiful splintering noise Roy had ever heard. Whirling around, he charged out of the stable and into the street. Fortunately, there was no one around to see him and start screaming "run away horse!!".

Great. He looked around. Where had everyone gone? Night was falling, and if Edward and Alphonse were where they were SUPPOSED to be, then they were in their small apartment, being watched over by a few sergeants. However, since this was Ed and Al they were talking about. . .

Roy trotted around the building until he was standing under the Elrics' window and grinned. As expected, there was the rope of bed-sheets leading down from their room. His sensitive ears picked up a muted rustling in the nearby bushes, and he crept as quietly as possible towards the noise.

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"I can't believe they think we're going to hang around and be babysat while Scar's still out there." Ed whispered.

"I can't believe they never thought to post a guard outside our window." Al whispered back. "I mean, this isn't exactly the first time we've snuck out."

Ed grinned at him in the darkness, "Yeah, well, they just—AIIII!!!" He leapt about a foot in the air, squealing, as something ticked his ear. When he whirled around, he found himself nose-to-nose with a very large, very horse-y face. "GAAAAAH!!" He screamed again, scrambling backwards.

"Big brother!" Al whispered urgently, clamping a hand over the other boy's mouth.

"What's IT doing here?!!" Ed gasped, pointing wildly at Roy.

"I don't know; he must have escaped from the stables, but we don't have time to worry about that right now! Come on, someone was sure to have heard you scream, we have to get out of here."

Ed immediately stopped spluttering at the new arrival and nodded curtly. "Yeah, we'll put the horse back later, let's go!" The two immediately slunk off into the night, with Roy doing his best to follow them. It was difficult for a horse to slink, but, all things considered, he did about as well as Alphonse.