Topazia: Hello again :D
Hmm...when's the last time I wrote a kingdom Hearts Fic?

Chapter 3: Eyes like fire.

There was smoke, so much smoke. In a instant, my fire had been quickly silenced. I stood there for a moment. My chest rattled and my fingers remained frozen in that infamous position just after the flame alchemy is released. Calming breathes. Just take calming breathes. After a minute or two the world slowed down, taking the rush of adrenaline with it. The smoke began to disperse. I knew it would only be a matter of time before the dogs inside came running.

I spun around a few times searching for him through the haze. "Ed?"

He responded with a muffled cough. "Over here."

Making my way towards the sound of his voice I stopped in front of a thick wall of dirt. It was a unusual sight. It rose tall into the air, about a good foot over my head. It was thick, dented and covered in soot; probably from taking the impact of my attack. At the base however, the ground around it had sunken in to form a small crater, as if the earth itself moved in the line of fire. "Alchemy?" I mumbled.

He stepped from behind his makeshift shelter and had the nerve to look embarrassed. "Yeah, did I forget to mention that?" the teen answered with a grin.

"Must have slipped your mind." Questions about his abilities would have to wait another day. There were more important things to think about. "They attacker. Where is he?"

Edward shook his head. "She, is fine." He turned, clapping two dirt covered hands together before touching dirt pillar. It quickly collapsed, filling in the hole like magic. Now I had even more questions. Sitting on the ground was the woman from before. After a minuet or two she raised her head and our eyes met. "You almost did her in Colonel."

"You? You're my attacker?" It had been her eyes that made me remember her the first time in the living room. They were the color of golden honey, but there was also a slight tint to them that reminded you of the warmth from a fire. At the moment she sat there, staring at me with such a strong degree of hate that I looked away first. "We can't stay here."

The blond quickly helped the woman to her feet and ushered her forward. It was at that moment I noticed her hands were behind her back again. The kid must have restrained her at some point. That was a relief because the look in her eyes said she'd do a lot more than glare if she ever got a hold to me. "I know that. Come on, let's get out of here. My place is closer, we can stay there. This way." Ed stated. He took off at a slow trot and then broke out into a run. The woman asked no questions, she just followed. I guess if it was me running from the military I would too.

He took us across the yard and down the road. Every now and then he'd stop to duck behind a bush, or tree; anything to hide us from view. As expected, the front yard of the house was slowly filling up with uniforms. I smiled to myself. Maes was one of the men I recognized. He was busy at work giving search orders and splitting the men into groups. That damned Hughes would have them chasing their tails for hours.

"Come on!" Ed's words ushered us on. We started off again, heading into the safety of the city. When he slowed to a walk we slowed with him, until we were moving at a casual pace. A Some point he released the woman's arms so she could move them freely. Nothing said suspicious like a woman with her hands chained behind her back in broad daylight. We passed small businesses and government offices along the way.
There were stores and schools, all tightly nestled into the web of streets that made up our city. We were heading deeper into the heart of the town. Downtown. The buildings were beginning to shrink in size and the surroundings weren't as nice and well kept as some of the richer districts. Still it was a humble place.

We filed behind the diminutive teen as he left the main road and started winding up through the streets. We stopped at a small brick apartment complex At one point the bricks might have been a vibrant red, now they were faded with age and weather. There was a post in the front that might have held a sign once upon a time. It was empty. I was actually impressed. It didn't look like a bad place to live. "I'm surprised Ed, you have a apartment?"

He shrugged, walking past the other doors on his way to his own home. "I was surprised as well Colonel. A man of your salary could afford a house." Well wasn't he just full of jokes today?

"Houses are for families. I don't have that." I answered.

"Is that so?" he stopped at a old brown door and fished around for keys to open the door. "Take your shoes off or I'll kill you." he muttered as he opened the door. He took one step in and kicked his shoes off at a mat by the door. The place was dark, save for the small ray of light from the opened door and a crack in the curtains. I stepped through the door first and took off my shoes. Our other guest did the same. When we were inside he closed the door and flicked on the light.

Like my own place, his furniture was sweet and simple. His living room was smaller than mines. There was a couch and a few mismatched chairs. in the center there was a small table with a pillow on the floor. Someone was probably sitting there recently. There were books and pieces of paper lying in random places. "Sorry about the mess." stepping deeper into the room he would stoop down to pick up a few things. "Al. where are ya buddy? Are you sleeping?" he called. "Al!"

After a moment there was a sound of moment to the right of the living room. My guess was the bedroom was there. "Edward?" the voice called, heavy with sleep. The spitting image of Ed, a young boy ventured into the room. He seemed frail. His shirt fit him like a over sized blanket and his shorts barely seemed to stay around his waist. Even as he walked he wobbled. Something told me he was more than just tired. Behind me the woman shifted uncomfortably. "You're home, welcome back."

Edward smiled. "That's right, I am home." he went over to the other boy and started patting his hair down. "Look at you, you're a mess. Did you sleep well?"

"Sleep well?" Al paused for a moment. "I did."

"Good." Ed turned back to us. "These are friends." He pointed in our direction and the young boy's gaze followed. He studied us like a hawk for a moment and then smiled. "This is Roy and a lady from work. She'll be staying with us tonight. Roy, this is my younger brother Alphonse Elric."

"Nice to meet you both." Alphonse stated with a smile so similar to his brother's it was painful. "You're the one my brother talks about. Thank you for making him smile."

The shock must have soon on my face because that innocent smile grew bigger. His eyes seemed to stare straight through me just like Edwards. I had no idea Ed talked to anyone about me. But then again, I didn't know he had a brother either. Oh well, there was one thing I couldn't deny however. I was the one that made Ed smile? Personally, I rarely saw him smile. It was nice to know that he could be happy at home at least. "Nice to meet you too Alphonse." I answered. "I didn't know you had a younger brother Ed."

"I don't blame him if he doesn't talk about me." The younger Elric said suddenly. "After all, I'm the reason he works at that place. I'm a burden, even if he won't say it." After all that was said the kid smiled. It was a empty smile but still.

"Don't ever think that." Ed scolded. "Al, you're not a burden, you never have been. You're my brother do you understand?" He gently grabbed Alphonse shoulders. The younger boy's gaze rose to meet Ed's "You're not a burden. You're not, alright?" When they were so close, they were very similar in height. Under different circumstances I was willing to bet anything they could pass for twins if Al was a bit healthier.

Alphonse opened his mouth to speak but paused, his hands flying to his mouth. The boy gagged; a sickening sound, and when he moved his hands they were filled with blood. No one in the room moved. The two brothers remained frozen like perfect little statues. "You're bleeding again?" Ed said after a moment. His voice sound cracked and dry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to be a bother."

"It's not a bother Al, this is what I work for. I need to know!"

"but I-"

"How much?" he repeated. This time his voice shook with something close to tears.

"Ed I didn't-"

HOW MUCH DAMN IT?!" I quickly went to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. The blond flinched as if I burned him. After a few breaths the teen slowly made his way to the couch and sat down. Shaking he placed his hands in his lap and stared at the ground. Alphonse slowly turned and made his way towards the back. I heard a door close.

"Are you alright?" the woman behind me spoke for the first time since her outburst early. When she wasn't shouting her voice was just as melodic as I remembered.

"I wouldn't have gotten mad." Ed said softly. "I mean, of course I'm mad, but not at him. I could never be mad at him. I'm just frustrated."

"What's wrong with him?" I asked.

He shrugged. "What does it look like? He's dying. At first he was fine but then he just started deteriorating."

There were a few things I didn't understand. What was he sick with? Why did he keep his brother a secret until now? Earlier he mentioned his parents but no one else. "So you work to pay for your living and his medicine, right?"

"That's right. I tried all kinds of doctors. Only one would take him. The medicine is expensive though." He sighed. "Every month we go to the doctor and he's given a injection. It's supposed to slow the illness. At least until I find something else." Something else huh? Last time I checked death was unavoidable, but sitting before me now was a young man with a certain air of determination. I got the distinct feeling that he had told everything he felt we needed to know. I probably wouldn't get any more information from him today.

"You should go to him. Your brother I mean." The woman again. "He needs you right now, doesn't he?"

Damn I didn't want to be alone with her. Not yet anyway, but Edward nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry about this. You're still welcomed to stay. He's not contagious, I swear."

She nodded. "Thank you." Ed rose to his feet and disappeared in the same direction as his brother. After a minuet or two we heard a soft tapping, followed by a even quieter "Al?" We waited in silence until the door opened and closed again. With both brother's safely inside, she spun on me.

"Riza I-"

She shook her head. "Don't say a word. I don't want to hear your excuses!"

I sighed, rubbing at my face. Suddenly I was so tired. Don't you just hate it when your past catches up to you? "Wait, don't do this. Start from the beginning. What happened?"

"Immediately after the massacre, I was approached." She started. Massacre. I hated that word. But to expect even for a moment that she'd sugarcoat anything for the sake of my feelings was laughable. "They looked into my background and found that my blood was tainted."

"Tainted? But that's not possible. That man, your F-"

"It was my mother." she interrupted.

"You didn't know?"

Riza shook her head. "She died when I was very young. I never knew and he never said."

A mixture between a Amestrian and a Ishvarite. I never knew. "You followed me into the military because of that promise then?"

"Yes."

"Then when the war started, you followed hoping to kill me?"

"Correct."

"So that would mean you believe that I breached our promise?"

She paused. "I do."

"Well I didn't." Riza crossed her arms over her chest. That look alone said she didn't believe me. "I never forgot."

She paced away from me, her eyes going towards the hallways leading to the Elric's room. "That power of yours is a gift. It wasn't given to you so you could slaughter people!"

I wanted to tell her that she was wrong and that my power was used for good. I wanted to tell her that what I did was right, but even I knew that the Ishval war was wrong. "You can say that but when you signed your name on those official military papers you became a dog. Dogs have to follow the master's orders, even if it's a bad one, or they'll get put down."

"So that makes what you did alright?"

I shook my head. "No, no it doesn't. But then, how many lives did you take?" When she didn't answer I smirked. "So then, you probably feel just as shitty as I do. The only real difference here is the fact that I used Alchemy instead of your bullets."

"That wasn't what I signed up for." Riza stated softly.

"It wasn't what any of us wanted." I replied. "But that doesn't mean we can just pretend it didn't happen. I'll give you the same choice as Hughes. You can either follow me to the top or let your pity drown you at the bottom." There was no point in waiting for a answer. I wasn't going to just sit around while she considered it. Walking towards the brother's bedroom I tapped lightly on the door. After a minute Ed's muffled voice answered back.

"Yes?"

"Is everything all right?"

No answer. A few seconds later the door opened and the blond stepped out, quietly closing the door behind him. "He'll be alright."

"How long has he been sick like that?"

Edward shrugged, leaning with his back against the door. "It started with a accident when I was 11." He began, his eyes settling on the carpet. "I lost my leg and he lost;" he paused. "he lost his health and memories."

My eyes trailed down the front of his body, stopping at the his slender legs. "A fake leg?"

"Automail."

I had heard about a lot of soldiers receiving the surgery for Automail Limbs for various reasons. With every story also came the horrific accounts of pain and months of rehabilitation. There was also a chance that the operation could go horribly wrong, leaving pieces of your body completely numb. This kid had gone through a procedure that many grown men had even shied away from. If anything he definitely had guts. For once, I was beginning to see him for what he really was instead of what he did. Edward Elric was a man, a young adult with family and responsibilities just like the rest of us.

He tilted his head at me for a moment and then smile. "What's with that face Colonel?" he muttered softly. I opened my mouth to speak and he silenced me quickly. His index finger pressed lightly against my lips. It was a simple movement, and yet it stole my thought process away. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not a charity case. Besides," he said with a smile and shrug. "I can take care of myself, remember?"

After a moment or two I nodded. "Alright, I understand. I think I should leave now, so I'll be going. Please take care of her." I nodded towards Risa. Her back was turned to me. She never once flinched when she was mentioned. Seemed like all of us had something or another on our minds.

Ed glanced between us curiously, but said nothing. Quietly he walked me to the door, opened it and followed me outside. "That woman," he hesitated. "Is she important to you?"

"Jealous?"

He blushed, shaking his head furiously. "It's not like that! It's just that, the air around you two is so tense. I was just curious."

I paused to study him for a moment. He stood there, shifting his weight awkwardly from one leg to the other. His head was lowered, allowing his bangs to cover his face like a curtain. He was a oddity with many faces. There were times when his face was so blank, his mind seemed to be lost thousands of miles away behind the dullness of his eyes. Other times his presence was so small he seemed to shy away into the background as if he were trying to disappear into thin air. However there was also a fiery presence about him, that when ignited shone like the Sun itself. He was a man in all aspects of the word, but he was also still a child, and no amount of hardship would completely take that away from him.

"She is a reminder for me to never, ever forget myself." I answered with a smile. "When you find a person like that for yourself Elric, you'll always be able to walk and stand tall. Even when the world falls down on your shoulders." I headed down the walkway and into the street. Risa emerging at a time like this was definitely interesting. Part of me was relieved she was safe. Part of me was concerned about her future. She had escaped from the military after all. How many people could say that? Something told me that Ed would keep her safe. At least that was one one less thing to worry about. On the other hand, I'd also learned interesting things about the Elric boy as well. He was a young alchemist, the youngest I've ever seen. On top of that, now that I stopped to think about it. When did he have the time to draw a transmutation circle? I never even remember seeing one. My head felt so full I thought it would burst.

~*~

As promised, a week passed and I was allowed to go back to work. Having a week of downtime seemed ridiculous to say that I just came back from battle, but I asked for it. I needed to keep moving, if I stayed still too long the dark thoughts in my mind would consume me. In the beginning, I rose with pride, put on my uniform with a sense of duty and went to Work because I just knew I'd make a difference one day. Now I was going because Central and all of it's higher ups owned my soul. I had sold it to them as soon as I accepted my state alchemist license and name.

Upon entering the building I nodded to my familiars and continued down the winding hallways. I took the stairs up to the second floor where my office was. A wave of nostalgia washed over me. Some part of me missed this damnable place. No, that was wrong, some part of me missed the people I left behind. Before I knew it my feet had carried me outside my door. Just beyond was my office. My hand wrapped lightly around the doorknob, allowing me to push it open.

For a moment everything in the room stopped. Havoc froze, his face filled with bewilderment. The cigarette in his mouth dangled carelessly between his lips. Breda's hand was stuffed deep into a bag of chips. Fury paused his work on a radio transmitter, looking around at at the faces of his comrades he followed their gaze. When his eyes settled on me he grinned. The smile on his face was gentle and warm. Farman was the first to speak, standing abruptly with a salute. "It's great to have you back Colonel, sir."

I smiled, closing the door behind me. "At ease Farman. It's nice to see you too." The man slowly let his hand fall to a side. After a second or two he smiled and sat back down.

"You're back early Roy." Jean stated, leaning back in his chair with a yawn. "I figured you'd at least take a longer vacation."

"Yeah, well I couldn't stay away, especially with you trying to burn down my office with your bad habits. Put it out or I'll put it out for you." I walked pass and went to my desk, trailing a gloved hand along the surface before taking a seat. Good to be back in business.

Havoc plucked the cigarette from between his lips, crushed the tip between his fingers and threw the remains in the trash. "Just walked in and you're already barking orders."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I smiled.

"At any rate, things have been fairly quiet since the end of the war was announced." Fury started. "The military's main concern at the moment seems to be clean up. They're boosting public moral by releasing various reports in the daily newspapers but-" he paused and Breda picked back up.

"But the accounts of what the public is being told isn't what we saw." he said in between bites. "I know it's important to have the people support the military but the stories don't add up. I mean they start off okay, but the more you read, it's just lies. We know that we were sent out to stop a rebellion, but some of the accounts about the war are off."

"How so?"

"There are many eye witness accounts from military personnel that clearly state that there were a large number of soldier bodies that had been found tortured to death on Ishbalan soil." This came from Farman verbatim. "The victim's of course will not be named out of respect for the families in mourning. The battle ground is depicted of being a bloody massacre in which Ishavrites reacted negatively to having Amestrians occupy their lands. According to the paper, Ishavrites resulted to ritualistic torture in a attempt to punish the invading torture."

Leave it to Farman to swallow a entire news article and regurgitate it later word for word. Still, he was a good man and a even better soldier."That's ridiculous, they weren't a violent race of people before we arrived." I said.

"Yeah, but the war dragged on for so long, Amestrians started to react negatively against it." Fury shifted his glasses on his face. So basically, to keep the government from looking like the big bad wolf, someone made up fairy tales about torture. Hard to hate your government when they're protecting you from torturing terrorists. How nice.

I nodded. They didn't have to say anything else. The war was ridiculous to begin with. I trusted my men, meaning that I could bet my life on their word and come out on top. Based on this information, not only was the war probably pointless, but also a cover up for something bigger as well. I'd have Hughes check it out when he returned to work, whenever the hell that would be. The office settled back into a routine that was so familiar it made me smile.

The sound of papers shuffling was like music to my ears. Fury returned to his tinkering, every now and then the found of his tapping could be heard. Farman and Havoc quietly discussed minor facts, comparing notes for their individual paperwork. Breda crumbled his bag of chips and and tossed them aside. "The number of heads in the military has dropped." He said.

"That's only natural after a war." I answered.

"You do realize the only reason you were allowed back so soon right? We all had weeks before they allowed us back into the building."

I wasn't clueless, I asked for a early return knowing what would happen. State Alchemists were glamorous titles in this country. They were like the modern day superheros you read about as a child. "Of course I do. The military needs head hunters."

He shrugged. "As long as you realize that. At any rate, I'll set off as soon as you need me too. Just tell me where to go."

"Of course, but don't worry to much. Let me see what's going on before I-" There was a knock at the door. All movement in the room stopped. All eyes locked onto the door. "Come in." I called after a moment. Nothing. We all waited no one moved. The door swung open and Hughes entered, a cheerful smirk on his face. "Roy! Good to see you back in office." He closed the door behind him, waving cheerfully at my subordinates.

"Didn't expect you back so soon."

He shrugged, plopping down lazily in one of two chairs positioned in front of my desk. "Ah, well, I knew you'd be heading back soon. So I said, what the hell?" he chuckled. 'Besides, it'll be harder to follow you to the top if you get too far ahead of me."

I shrugged. "That's true. I see you made it out of that establishment alright." There was no need for the others to know what we were talking about. It wasn't that I didn't trust them. It was just necessary information. "Anything interesting happen after I left?"

"Oh you bet." he said. "We searched the place top and bottom and the captive still hasn't been found. She has been declared dead." That one statement made me pause. When I looked up those eyes were staring intently at me.

"Dead, why so soon? It's just been a week. Usually it takes longer to call off the search."

"The woman in question entered the blue zone under a false Identification." he began again. "Before the dust could settle, a investigation was launched. Her tie in with the garden variety was discovered then. The information was then dangled in front of her and later used to harass her."

"Meaning that all evidence of their secret investigation was probably destroyed? They meant to make a profit. Either way there was something to gain."

"Exactly." Hughes nodded. "No one wants to get caught sticking their hand in the cookie jar right?"

There was still one more thing Maes was hiding from me. Naturally, he'd withhold information until I asked the right question. "So, how did she die?"

He opened his jacket and fished out a newspaper. Flinging it on the desk, he leaned back and waited. Alright, I'd play along. The paper's headline story was a murder. A madman was on the loose. According to the article his victims were always women and they were all found in the same way. There were apparently two bodies found butchered in one of central's back alley's. "A damn same to do that to a woman." I said with a shake of my head. "How many bodies were found." If my suspicions were right, the number he'd give me wouldn't match what I just read.

"Just one." he smiled again.

Jean glanced our way once and then returned back to his paperwork. As interesting as our conversation may have sounded, the others would never piece together who or what we were talking about. The blue zone was one of many codes we used for the military. Meaning Riza followed me under a fake name but was discovered just shortly after the war had ended. Many of the military's Ishvarite citizens had disappeared during the war, never to be seen again. She was just one of many. The only difference is that she was alive and well. Who knows what happened to the rest.

Only the color of her eyes really gave her away. Upon investigating into her alias' background, they must have discovered the truth. I doubt the Furher would want to learn that some of his subordinates lost a woman with Ishvalan blood in Central. According to the news article, the murderer's victims were prostitutes. Seeing as they were trying to sell Riza to Angelic Perfection, they'd probably claim she was killed tragically after she was just hired. They had to say something. Several workers probably saw her that day. If no one asks, then they have nothing to worry about. Either way they used a murder to cover her disappearance.

"This is really a bit much, don't you think?" I asked. "All of that to cover up the disappearance of one woman?"

"I don't know." Hughes said after a minuet. "Better safe than sorry."

"I think it's more than that."

"I think you're a smart man Roy. I just figured you wanted to know what happened after you guys left."

"It's certainly interesting."

"Just doing my job." he folded his hands in his lap. "I had a unusual request three days ago." His face had gone serious again, all signs of laughter left his face. "I forged some papers to do this. So it better be worth it in the long run."

I did my best to keep my face nuetral. "Okay, that's nice but I have no idea what you're talking about."

There was another knock on the door. My, my, weren't we busy today? "Ah, right on time." he chirped. "This should answer everything."

I didn't like the way that sounded. "Come in!" I called. If this was a joke, I swear I'd torch him to high hell. It was my first day back and I was in no mood for pranks.

The door opened and Riza stepped through it. Her hair had been clipped neatly to the back of her head. Her uniform was clean and pressed to perfection. She stood in the doorway and studied the room for a moment before stopping her gaze on me. She didn't smile, she simply stared. Her eyes burned with something that had nothing to do with their color and everything to do with determination. She made her decision.

"She asked me to re-enter her back into the military database using her real information this time." Hughes explained.

I stared at her. After we rescued her from Angelic Perfection, she had a chance to live normally and not be bothered with the military. Despite that here she was ready to work. "Are you sure about this?" I asked.

Neither of us said anything. A moment of understanding passed between us. This was a point of no return. Suddenly she straightened her back, executing a salute before saying, "Riza Hawkeye reporting for duty."

"At ease soldier and welcome aboard." I smiled and the room filled with chatter. Havoc was the first to race to her side, introducing himself as single and available. Too bad he's not her type. Farman remained stiff as ever in his introductions. Fury played the role of the boyscout and offered to give Riza a tour later. Breda also made his introduction as well. Looks like the family was just getting bigger and bigger.

"Perfect place for her, don't you think Roy?" Maes asked. "She can hide in plain sight an no one will look for her."

"Because the escaped Ishvalan woman died." I finished. "Sounds good to me."

She politely broke away from the others and made her way over towards my desk. She nodded at Hughes before returning to me. "Colonel, there's something I'd like to ask; a request before I start working under you. Do you have a minuet?"

A request? Hughes arched a eyebrow at me. I knew that leaving the room with her would only fuel his barrage of jokes, but I also knew that I couldn't just ignore her either. "Alright, lead the way." I stood slowly and excused myself from the room. Something told me this would be personal. During the war there wasn't a good opportunity for us to talk about the good old times. It seemed like now we'd get that chance.

~*~

The sun slowly disappeared behind the buildings of the city, painting the town in a soft red. It was a typical evening. The warmth from the wind was slowly disappearing, signaling the coming of twilight. It would only be a matter of time before night would settle on the city. The streets were quiet. It seemed like the town went to sleep when the sun went down.

There was a soft tapping however; a constant rhythmic noise that sounded through the air like a tempo from a metronome. It was the sound of a woman's heels. Click, clack. Click, clack. Click, clack. He inhaled sharply, as if the sound itself had a distinct scent and succulent flavor. Chuckling softly to no one in particular, the young man crept along. He followed her where ever she went; pressing his body into every shadow when she paused to look around.

Oh, she was a beautiful, young thing! So healthy he could almost hear her pulse in his head and taste it in his throat. Or wait a minute, maybe that was his own pulse frantically beating within the confines of his body. He was excited after all, so it made perfect sense. She was a thick brunette with curvaceous parts ripe for the picking. Her hair had been curled so that it bounced with every movement. Everywhere she went, she left a light fragrance behind. Perfume perhaps? She was heading to that special place. He could tell. Too bad; it was really a shame that she'd never make it there.

Sneaking up behind her, he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, dragging her into the nearest alleyway. She struggled fiercely. God he loved it when they did that! It made the blood flow that much more easier. Her light gray eyes fluttered furiously beneath lightly painted lids. He quickly slammed her down to the ground, making sure to straddle her legs with his own body. The first few would kick him. He knew better now.

The woman gasped and pleaded with him. When that didn't work she readied her breath to scream. He waited until that moment to produce a Cimeter knife from a from his side. The large, curved blade gleamed in the dim light of the alleyway. Before the scream could escape her lips the weapon penetrated the flesh of her neck down to the bone. Her scream came out as a pitiful gurgle. Her foot scraped at the cobblestone ground, connecting with something thin but solid. The item slid away and into the sidewalk where it would remain until found the next day.

It was a simple ID. The woman smiled in her picture, her eyes filled with laughter. To the right of the picture the words Angelic Perfection were printed in gold words just above her name...

Topazia: Thank you to everyone who reviews. If it wasn't for you guys, I probably wouldn't have started rewriting this story. No point in writing it if no one likes it, right? lol I really appreciate the comments you give me. I'll use them to become a better writer. Just to answer a few questions, yes as you can see, Ed still can use Alchemy. As the chapters go on you'll see more and more of it. I'm debating on whether or not to make him join the military. So that's still up in the air. Just as I'm slowly introducing the protagonists, Envy and the others will start to show up too.

In the original Fanfic. Ed had both a automail arm and leg. In the new rewrite he only has the automail Leg. It probably doesn't sound like much of a exchange when he has Al sitting at home, but it will all be explained soon and the famous automail arm will make a appearance. Also, I want the relationship between Ed and Roy to be sexual...but I want to build to it instead of jumping right in. lol Am I taking too long?

I've been thinking of doing a random side fic for Saint Paddy's day. For a name I was gonna call it "Pinch Me" Tell me, what do you think? Should I write it? Yes or no?