"General," The voice was strong and feminine, rousing the elder man from his thoughts and silent revere. When she approached, he barely noticed, her presence such commonplace anymore that he hardly took into account that she was in the area. The man was blind, he couldn't very well tell her to go; not when she was the one taking care of him. If nothing else, he wanted to show her a bit of respect; a small semblance of thank you for her caring attitude toward his situation. He waved the woman into his office and offered a small grin. "We've news of a few refugees of Ishval that wish to seek shelter here in Amestris."

"And why would they want to come here? The city is already destroyed, the most I could offer them is protection if Drachma should get a wild hare and start a war with us." He sighed and leaned back in his chair, listening to his subordinate's soft movements throughout the room. She was pacing, he could tell by her footsteps, but he wouldn't ask her why. "You seem a bit tense, Colonel."

"Yes, they say one of these refugees is their goddess. I wonder if this might be a deal like Father Cornello, where there is a false prophet. They refer to her as the angel of the desert, because she has been healing and bringing peace to their country. But she says she's on a mission; she's trying to find someone familiar with Alchemy. The whole prospect threw me for a loop, because if she's their God, then surely she must understand that Alchemy is taboo with Ishvalans."

"It certainly does sound complicated, doesn't it, Hawkeye?" He leaned forward this time, hands forming an arch on his desk, fingertips gently touching. "Have we seen or heard of the woman in question? Have they seen her first hand?"

"They describe her as the prophet known as the Crystal Guardian; they say that she walked the land many centuries ago, spreading her word and teachings. But then one day, she vanished without a trace. She has no known name in any recorded history, but they speak of her as if she can change the world. Evidently, this woman has the power to heal using a gemstone, her hair is as white as snow, and her eyes are a piercing blue - like that of the ocean. That's just from their lore, that isn't even touching on the fact that this woman is exactly what the literature describes."

"Where is she now? I'd like to meet her." Roy sat up straight, wondering if this woman could possibly heal his eyesight. Maybe she could, but maybe it was all just a trick.

"Right now, she's down in the courtyard talking to one of our medics. You might have remembered him from Ishval - Josiah Sweet? She said she knows him; he seems to be familiar with her. She came here looking for him, but he said he can't help her." A pause, a deep breath and a moment of thought. "General, what if she can help you regain your eyesight without the use of a philosopher's stone?"

"Bring her in, I'd like to question her. Bring Josiah with you. We have much to talk about. I'd like to talk to Josiah first - alone. Keep her busy, Hawkeye."

Several moments later, Roy found himself sitting in the middle of a large room, directly across from Josiah Sweet - a medic that had fought in the Ishvalan war. Roy could barely remember what the man looked like; dark skin and brown eyes? It had been over two decades, the fact that he remembered a name was enough to startle him. "Corporal Sweet, was it?"

"Yes, sir. We met back in Ishval during the war. Remember, I was the one who bandaged up your chest; and you gave me this long story about some guy named Heathcliff and what he'd done to you? I also recall you lecturing me about how you would change the world." The older black man folded his arms and leaned back in the chair, dropping the formalities. "You probably wouldn't recognize me by my voice, I don't talk much. Figured a memory would stir up those emotions of yours."

"Heh, guess it worked. It's been awhile since I've seen you around, where did you head off to?" Roy inquired, listening for anything out of the ordinary.

"I was contacted by Preston J. Whitmore about an expedition into the south. You know how I am; couldn't turn that down if I wanted to. Found quite a bit there that I wasn't expecting to see. The people there are so kind." Suddenly he realized that Kida's appearance and Roy's sudden visit correlated and he looked at his hands. "You're here about the lady in the courtyard, aren't you? Wondering what I know about some goddess?"

Roy gave a slight cant of the head, indicating that was what he was asking about. He had learned in the last six years to follow the voices talking to him. When he heard the scraping of a chair, he knew that he'd angered the man. "Corporal, I mean no harm to come to her. I cannot offer her protection or refuge without knowing first what she is. You seem to be familiar with her, shed some light on this situation."

Josiah shook his head. "I promised a long time ago not to mention what happened down there. It could kill her entire race. General, you don't understand how precarious her situation is; there's so many factors involved here that you only see one side of it. There's so much more to it than just a goddess. She is who she says she is, I can assure you of that. But her situation is far more perilous than just seeking refuge."

"Whatever you tell me will stay between us, I assure you. And if you can't trust me, who can you trust? You trusted me to save your life in Ishval while you were mending that wounded soldier, and I can't imagine why you wouldn't trust me now, after all I've seen in this world. I can keep a secret, but I need you to trust me." Roy stood to his feet, hands still resting gently on the tabletop. "Please, Josiah. I want to help her but I need to verify she isn't a threat to us."

"Why do you not ask me yourself?" The voice was quiet, yet firm. She was standing in the doorway, hand resting weakly against the jamb of the door. She watched Roy and shook her head. "So many people whisper and think they know me, but they do not. It is quite the tragedy that no one will ask me themselves what they think I am. Am I a Goddess? Am I to be praised? Hardly. You must be General Mustang; I have heard about you. They say you are the leader of the free world and that you are familiar with Alchemy. Please, have a seat, let us discuss."

Roy hesitantly seated himself back in the chair, looking toward the source of the sound. "You must be the one they refer to as the Crystal Guardian."

"Kidagakash, if you will. I prefer my given name. While it may be true that I am part of the Crystal Guardian, I am not the same entity. She is her own entity." The woman casually brushed her hair over her shoulder and watched Josiah by the window. Riza had filtered in at some point and took up post by the door. "It is true that I am not of this world, but you do not need to fear me. My power is not quite as strong as Alchemy is."

"A Goddess of Ishval must surely know the repercussions of Alchemy's uses." Roy commented, trying to get a good read on her. While he was studying her voice, Riza was studying her body language. "Unless, of course, you aren't a Goddess of Ishval?"

She was quiet for a long time, but didn't answer. Instead she waited for him to continue. Sweet paced back and forth by the window, hand resting on the crystal she had given him many years ago. "I am not a Goddess of Ishval."

"Sweet says you are who you say you are, which means if you claim the title of Kidagakash, you must certainly be her." Roy continued. "Tell me about your crystals."

"My culture has not devolved to lying or trickery. I would not intentionally mislead you, Leader of the Free World." She looked down at the crystal ebbing gently below her garments; given to her by Sweet so she could blend in just a bit better. "My crystal works much like your Philosopher's Stone."

"It can bring back the dead." Roy stated casually, hoping she would correct him if she was aware of Alchemy.

"My crystal can, your stone cannot. We are not on the same laws and bylaws you are. Alchemy was derived from our magic, and while it follows the same basic principle, it is certainly not the same. Our magic is limited in application, but it also does not require a sacrifice to be used. Alchemy is a bastardization of the Crystal Guardian's work. I do believe Milo once told me Alkahestry is far more compliant with our culture than anything else." She folded her arms and leaned forward, studying Roy's gaze. "You are blind, like my father."

"I paid the price for using that bastardization of Alchemy my whole life." He looked over at her, hearing her shift slightly in the chair. "Some things are meant to stay a secret; I think you know that better than anyone, don't you?"

She rose from her chair and looked to the blonde in the corner. "The stone you showed me, may I see it?"

Reluctantly, Riza retrieved the Philosopher's Stone from a locked box in Roy's desk and sat it on the table in front of Roy. He could quickly snatch it if need be, but she wasn't sure what the woman was planning, and that frightened her. "May I ask what you need it for?" Riza inquired.

Kida gave a small smile and took the tiny vial into her hands, tapping the glass gently. She swished it this way and that, watching the red floating within the enclosure. "I wish to show you I am not a threat."

"By taking our only philosopher's stone…." Roy questioned.

"...this stone was created using the lives of those who did not make it to safety within our final hours. I can hear the souls of my people calling to me, wishing to be released. They want to be used a final time, in a way that would make them regain peace." She paused and set the glass vial on the table again. "Have you any chalk?"

Riza nodded and retrieved some from the board outside the room, handing it to the woman in question. Kida quickly went to work drawing on the floor. "Milo has shown me how to do healing alchemy, it is not very difficult. Most alchemists would have to sacrifice something in return, but our magic works differently. I can use your stone without repercussions. General Mustang, stand here, in the middle."

Hesitantly, Riza guided him to the place in question, reading the latin on the transmutation. It was an older dialect, written in a rudamentary form she didn't recognize. Still, there were a few words here and there that she understood. Easing her fears a bit, she positioned Roy in the middle of the circle. "General, I-"

"He'll be okay," Sweet finally commented from the window. "Trust me, this woman knows what she's doing. If anyone can save a life, it's her. Go ahead, Kida."

The snowflake haired woman gave a nod and set the Philosopher's stone within the circle in the correct place, then moved to touch a hand to her crystal. Only a few moments passed, the whole room engulfed with a bright blue light. Lighting sparks filled the room, bouncing off everything, landing finally within the circle. Roy was still unsure of what was happening, but Riza's shocked gasp was enough to tell him it was different. Kida's crystal glowed a bright white color, finally ebbing back to the normal faint blue. She released her hand from the circle and started shaking.

"You have quite possibly the whitest hair I have ever seen in my entire life," Roy commented when he finally opened his eyes. "I didn't even know that was natural in the world."

"General!" Riza shouted, crossing over the circle to touch his shoulders, brush his coat, and generally touch for different injuries. "You can see me?"

"Don't look so worried, Hawkeye." He smiled and gently caught her hand in his own, holding it close to his chest. "I'm alive, and I feel better than ever. How did you do that, miss Kidagakash?"

"I told you, our laws are quite different than yours. Ours is the base that Alchemy was created on; the missing element from your books because we could not very well tell people who we were when prophets were sent to the surface world. It had to remain a secret. You told me you could be trusted, and I have put a very great amount of trust in you. Now, I require a favor from you." She looked down at her hands, at the simple silver band that adorned her ring finger; a stupid tradition from his world that Milo insisted on keeping. "Someone I love is dying."

"Why can't you do what you did for me to save them?" Roy questioned, looking at her. He released Riza's hand and knelt beside her. "It should be easy with that kind of power and knowledge."

Kida shook her head, carefully choosing her words. "My husband has spent a great amount of time studying dead languages, and he cannot quite put together an array that could save him. See, our crystals are meant to preserve life; but they can only heal what they have been exposed to. Because he is ill of a new disease, one that may eradicate my entire way of life, it cannot help him. So I have been sent to find one named Alphonse Elric - they say that he is a healer and a prophet - a user of Alkahestry."

"If you've been gone for so long, how did you know of Alphonse?" Roy questioned.

She smiled softly. "Milo told me that the books he had read predicted a prophet among the surface world, one with great healing power and the ability to use all three types of magic. Combined, they can heal him, but alone - they are problematic to deal with. You must combine all three of the types of magic before anything can be done. Please, he is my husband, my ruler, my life. I cannot bear to lose him so soon."

"General, I think we should help her. After all, she's given you quite the gift. Even Marcoh couldn't manage to do that, and to top it off, your stone was used for the right reasons." Riza paused and looked down at the circle. "...where did the stone go?"

"It was absorbed into the crystal, which will then be used to feed the lives of my people. They will get another chance at life, and that will be the blessing. This is why it was so important to have the key element before using a stone. Otherwise, the souls reject you and you get a negative output." She looked down. "I fear Milo does not have much time left; please…"

For the first time in forever, I have all of this actually plotted in advance.