The Shadows of the Past

by Golden Flame 611

When 17-year-old Riza, recently enrolled in the military academy, gets pregnant by Roy, she must make the difficult decision to separate from her baby to protect him from the military and the consequences of breaking the anti-fraternization law. Years later, unaware of her son's whereabouts, he would return to her as the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. (Parental, Royai, EdWin)

22. Parenthood

A/N: Hi!

We have all the pieces ready so… let's start with the Promised Day!

We hope that you enjoy the chapter and please, don't hesitate to share your comments, suggestions, hypotheses or anything about our story :)

Thank you for reading and special thanks to Drumboy100, Elvenstar146, shinho4869, dragonball256 and nagi92! 3

See you in two weeks!

Golden and Flame

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist characters don't belong to us. We are just having fun with them.

---

Chapter 22. Parenthood

After their stay at the Rockbell home, Ed and his group headed for Kanama to meet Hohenheim. Despite some lingering doubts, Ed could say that on this occasion he had left Resembool with a clearer mind than when he had first arrived. He was aware that when he was reunited with Mustang and Hawkeye the moment would surely feel strange and somewhat awkward but it was something he would have to face sooner or later. Besides, thanks to his mother Trisha's letter, he now felt more confident to do so.

The only unfavorable point that his visit to Resembool had brought had been the curiosity that had been aroused in his companions. True to her word, Granny Pinako made sure that no one disturbed him while he read his mother's letter but, during the journey to Kanama, he couldn't shake off the subsequent questions from Greed, Darius and Heinkel about what he had been doing that night. He tried to chalk it all up to automail maintenance but his companions seemed to be more knowledgeable about automail than he realized, as they concluded that he had taken too long for a simple maintenance session.

After coming to that conclusion it wasn't long before Greed began to highlight the fact that Ed had been alone with Winry all that time. When Greed brought the subject up, Ed had the advantage of being walking a little ahead of them, otherwise his blush would have made him look guilty of the insinuations Greed was saying between guffaws. Ed couldn't have been more grateful to Winry for staying with him when he needed her most, but now Greed's words made him remember on an infinite loop how it had felt to hold Winry tightly in his arms as her fragrance filled him from the inside. For some reason, the memory of that moment made him happy but it also made his cheeks flare intensely as he remembered the brazen way he had inhaled the scent of her hair. Damn, what's wrong with me?

Despite the good mood that lingered among the group at Ed's expense, as soon as they set foot in Kanama, the reality they were about to face seemed to appease everyone. Winry had informed them that Hohenheim had very important information for them regarding the Promised Day and, although they already had notions of the event, they could now begin to really feel the weight of what it entailed, given that the Promised Day was less than 24 hours away.

After a few questions to some of the villagers, it didn't take long for the group to find Hohenheim, sitting in front of a campfire. Since he had him in his field of vision and as they approached him, his mother's words echoed in Ed's head as if she had actually said them to him in person: Don't be hard on him.

His mother had tried to open his mind regarding the possibilities and Ed wanted to stick to his mother's last words to him, but it was easier said than done. Until recently Hohenheim had been nothing more than his bastard progenitor who had abandoned his family, not caring what might happen to them in his absence. Now, however, he knew that he was not in fact his biological father, that he had helped Lieutenant Hawkeye through childbirth, that he, along with his mother, had opened the doors of his home to him, and that his mother was confident that Hohenheim's reasons for leaving were completely valid.

Ed stopped only a few steps away from Hohenheim as the citizen who had escorted them announced them. Ed loved his mother and wanted to believe her every word but... To hell with Hohenheim's reasons! Without giving her time to finish his greeting, Ed strided forward and delivered a sharp blow to Hohenheim with his automail arm.

"I feel much better now." Ed said without paying too much attention to Hohenheim's complaint.

Surely his mother had expected Ed to sit down and have a peaceful chat with Hohenheim but Ed had been itching to hit him since the last time he had encountered him. Sorry, Mom. Priorities.

After Ed's "greeting," Greed intervened and shortly afterward gave the floor to Hohenheim to tell them all he knew. Ed and his companions sat down on the logs surrounding the campfire that Hohenheim had lit before they arrived. After taking a couple of deep breaths, Hohenheim began his story. At first Ed thought Hohenheim had gone mad and was simply telling them about one of the myths of Xerxes that had been spread in Amestris for many years but, as he went on with his story and gave details that he could hardly have made up, the veracity and reality of what he was telling them came as a bucket of cold water to Ed. Hohenheim being a slave... the dwarf in the flask... the inhabitants of Xerxes... the circle of transmutation... the philosopher's stone...

Ed shook his head trying to clear it. His mother had told him that Hohenheim had had his reasons but this? To be an immortal being who had lived over 400 years thanks to...

He glanced at Hohenheim with a confused and surprised expression and then lowered his gaze as he put a hand to his forehead. "It can't be..."

With a serious face, Hohenheim pointed a thumb at himself and said. "Here's the philosopher's stone you've been looking for. Are you going to use it?"

Ed startled and stared at him. "Are you out of your mind?! It's made from innocent people's lives. Al and I lost our bodies by our own mistake. It would be wrong to use their lives to fix ours."

Hohenheim smiled. "I'm happy to hear you say that."

Ed was speechless. The smile Hohenheim wore in those moments was the complete opposite of the last memory he had of him before he left the house. His eyes radiated a kindness and even a fondness that he would never have imagined seeing from that man being addressed directly to him. Had it been his sleepy mind playing tricks on him, making him believe that Hohenheim looked at his family with cold, distant eyes before he left years ago? He didn't have many memories of his early life, but of the ones he retained his mother was almost always in them. Hohenheim was like a blur in his memories, and although he remembered him distant and continually shut away in his office, he couldn't recall another time when his gaze had seemed as cold to him as it did on that occasion.

Noting Ed's silence, Hohenheim continued calmly. "Will you help me stop his plans?"

Out of inertia, Ed pushed his thoughts away and returned to his hostile demeanor toward Hohenheim. "Help you? I don't need to join you to stop him! The only reason I'm listening to you is because, for now, allying with you seems to be a good way to increase our chances of winning."

Once again, Hohenheim smiled in the same way that was confusing Ed. "Okay. Whatever your motivations, it's good to know we'll be doing this together." Ed snorted but didn't take his gaze off Hohenheim's eyes. The smile wasn't the only thing that seemed totally different from his memories of him. "That's all for now. You'd better eat something and get some rest."

Deciding he didn't want to deal with that confusion for the moment, Ed only responded with an Ok as he turned to follow his companions who had already begun to move a few steps ahead.

He had started walking when a memory came to his mind. "Oh." Reluctantly, he turned and addressed Hohenheim. "Hey! Granny Pinako asked me to tell you Mom's last words. She said, 'Sorry, I couldn't keep my promise. I'm going to go first.'"

Ed stared at Hohenheim for a few seconds until he saw something in him he had never seen before: He had begun to cry. Ed had long ago concluded that Hohenheim had not really loved his mother but to now have a few words put him in that state puzzled him greatly. He simply couldn't seem to stop being taken aback by his actions. Involuntarily, Ed had tried to focus on finding things that would disprove his mother's last words regarding the man a few feet away from him but everything was backfiring on him.

Not knowing what to do, Ed decided to turn around and follow his companions who had stopped at some point in their walk, clearly intrigued by Hohenheim's crying. Noticing that Ed would follow them, they opted to continue on their way in search of food, though the blond couldn't help but notice the raised eyebrows directed at him before resuming their walk.

Ed followed them with his head down and his hands in his pockets. Since before arriving in Kanama, he really hadn't ended up feeling comfortable at the prospect of having to collaborate with Hohenheim but now a thought was gaining prominence in his mind: Apparently, he is not as I had imagined him all this time. His stubbornness prevented him from accepting the idea completely but, as if it were an echo inside his head, his mother's words were echoing over and over again: Don't be hard on him.

Frustrated with himself, Ed clenched his fists, snorted and stopped dead in his tracks. Greed and the chimeras noticed his abrupt movement and turned to look at him.

"Hey, brat, you can't be starving when you go visit my daddy." Greed said mockingly.

Ed looked at him. "I'll be over in a minute. I forgot something." He replied before turning around and starting to trot off in the direction of where Hohenheim had been staying.

Perhaps they didn't fully understand what was going on in that hard head but Greed, Heinkel and Darius couldn't help but crack a smile of understanding before they resumed their walk.

It took Ed only a few seconds to return to where he had just been. At that point, he was no longer surprised that Hohenheim had a hand on his face trying to stop the tears still running down his cheeks as he sat on one of the logs surrounding the campfire.

His sobs kept Hohenheim from realizing that Ed had returned. "We weren't able to grow old and die together..." Ed was startled but quickly realized the words were not directed at him. "But you always thought that later I would join you... Trisha... Soon-" Pulling his hand away from his face long enough to pay attention to his surroundings, Hohenheim realized that Ed was standing a few feet in front of him, so he stopped abruptly. Clearing his throat, he said. "Edward? What's wrong?" he asked as he wiped his face one last time with his hand and then put his glasses back on.

Ed was stunned for a few moments. He had come back on an impulse after all the confusion that had arisen in his mind but now what was he supposed to say? The man had him completely confused.

After a sigh, Ed worked up the courage to speak up by saying one of the things his mind was telling him he needed to discuss with Hohenheim. "I know it."

Hohenheim looked at him puzzled, clearly confused. "I don't think I understand you."

Clenching his fists, Ed replied. "I know everything."

A spark of recognition flashed through Hohenheim's golden eyes, but he decided not to be swayed by his suspicion. "Edward, you need to be clearer with your words."

The slightly calm attitude that had been unleashed in Ed after Hohenheim's behavior suddenly disappeared. A vein swelled in his forehead and the boy exploded. "With a demon! Don't pretend you don't understand me, you bastard! I know I'm adopted!"

This time Hohenheim couldn't hide the surprise that flashed in his eyes before he averted his gaze to the campfire. "Pinako told you."

"No!" Ed replied impulsively before correcting himself. "Well yeah... sort of." Ed sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That's not what matters." Ed looked at him seriously though Hohenheim didn't lift his gaze from the fire. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were very li-"

"I'm not talking about before you took off! I'm talking about the last time I had to see your face."

Hohenheim finally looked him in the eye and Ed was surprised to see his look calm but with an expression on his face that showed some guilt. "How would you have taken it if I had told you at the time?"

The words stuck in Ed's throat. He had inadvertently begun to reproach Hohenheim for things he didn't intend to bring up at the time so he hadn't thought his words through. What good would it have done if Hohenheim had told him everything only a few weeks before his birth mother did? The truth would still be the same and the only thing he would have gained would have been feeling uncomfortable being around the Lieutenant. Jeez. Hawkeye probably wouldn't even have known he was her son.

Defeated, Ed sighed heavily and plopped down on the log across from Hohenheim on the other side of the campfire.

Noticing that Ed was speechless, Hohenheim spoke again. "Trisha and I always dreaded this moment but... we were hoping we could both tell you together when you were older. Although, if I'm being honest, I think Trisha would have been the one to tell you pretty much everything." He said as a nostalgic smile appeared on his face. "I'm not good at this stuff." He added as he put a hand to the back of his neck.

Ed rested his hands on the trunk and leaned back slightly to look up at the dark sky surrounding them. "Did you know what had become of my birth mother after she... left?"

"Not really." Hohenheim placed his hands on his knees and mimicked his son's gesture. "We knew she would return to the military but we weren't sure how far she intended to take her military career. She struck me as a fine woman so I would easily have guessed she would have retired from the military before or after the Ishval War."

"Would you have?" Ed raised an eyebrow and focused his face on Hohenheim's. "Did you know I was working in the same unit as my birth parents?"

"Not for as long as you think." Hohenheim replied calmly without taking his gaze from the sky. "I had heard rumors about a child who had become a state alchemist but I never thought it would be you. Trisha would never have allowed it." He clasped his hands together and squeezed them tightly as he returned his gaze to Edward. Regret visible in his eyes. "When we were in Resembool, Pinako told me before I found you in the cemetery. She was always a very astute woman and it didn't take her long to tie things up from the first visit they paid you years ago."

Ed clenched his automail hand into a fist. He couldn't blame Granny Pinako for not telling him anything after the Colonel and Lieutenant's first visit but it was somewhat frustrating to know that the truth had been so close to him for some years now.

"I'm sorry you had to join the military."

"I joined of my own free will."

"I should have been there for you." Hohenheim said with a tone of regret.

Ed sighed. He wasn't ready to speak directly on that subject yet. "Mom left me a letter. It said there that you had your reasons for leaving but I never imagined it was all so closely related to alchemy, Xerxes and Amestris."

"Are you saying you understand my reasons?" Hohenheim asked in surprise.

Ed frowned. "I don't plan to answer that."

"I'm sorry." Hohenheim smiled slightly. "You know, before I had this body," He put his right hand to his chest and clenched his shirt and vest into a fist. "I had the illusion of having a family but I had to discard those dreams." His smile disappeared for a moment before returning along with a special glint in his eyes. "I know I did a lousy job but Trisha, Alphonse and you made me very happy."

Ed couldn't help but look at him with curiosity and some suspicion. "I don't understand, why did you dare to start a family after all this time?"

Hohenheim's gaze turned nostalgic. "I had given up on loving. I had no right to do so when thousands of souls were trapped inside me, but Trisha..." He closed his eyes, losing himself in his memories. "Trisha was special. She decided to stay by my side even though I'm a monster."

Ed looked at him with his mouth slightly open. There was something else there that he would never have imagined hearing him say.

Hohenheim opened his eyes again and saw him with a warm smile. "Honestly, I was so afraid of having a son. I was afraid of hurting him. But everything changed when you appeared in our lives."

"Don't try to make yourself look good to me."

Hohenheim laughed lightly. "None of that. I'm telling the truth. I won't deny that I didn't feel ready to raise you when Riza asked us to keep you, but Trisha made me see that together we could do it. Every step of the way I was afraid I was wrong but it's an experience I don't regret at all." Ed looked at him in surprise at the sincerity in his eyes. "You turned me into a father. I didn't do it right, but you gave me an opportunity I thought was lost many years ago. I was terrified that I wouldn't grow old together with Trisha and you but watching you grow up every day, taking your first steps and listening to you talk were simply wonderful things. Thanks to you I was given the opportunity to try to live a normal family life. You gave me the confidence to dare to bring another child of mine into this world."

Ed averted his gaze to the side. It seemed Hohenheim didn't want to stop surprising him that night. Besides... Another son? Does that bastard really see me as his son? He didn't even try to differentiate between Al and me. Inexplicably, Ed felt a small sense of relief in his chest but he wasn't about to show it openly so he stood up and turned away.

"Edward?"

"You talk too much, you bastard. At this rate I'm not going to find any open stalls." Ed said quietly over his shoulder before walking away from the spot.

Hohenheim looked at him with a slight smile on his lips. The conversation hadn't come up at the time and in the way he had imagined years ago, but it seemed to have gone moderately well. Ed wasn't calling him 'Dad' but he couldn't hold it against him. A memory of Ed clinging to the fabric of his pants as Al crawled around him came to her mind. He couldn't change what had happened but, honestly, he missed being called 'dad' by the eldest of his children. Alphonse had readily accepted and forgiven him while Edward had openly expressed his dislike for him. But now, watching Ed slowly walk away from the place without having argued or insulted him as strongly as before, actually gave him a little hope that he could make peace with him before he had to leave for good. Edward didn't seem to be very good at expressing his feelings, but his mannerisms, his tone of voice, his gait, his personality... would it be selfish of him, to think how much Edward looked like him when he was his age?

---

The unexpected appearance of Pride and Gluttony outside Kanama completely ruined the reunion between Ed and Al. Ed had been immensely happy to see his brother after a few months but his happiness didn't last long. Ed felt a little strange about Al's behavior and Greed/Ling quickly informed him that something was very wrong with his brother as Pride was making use of his body.

Ed felt a great rage that his brother was being used in such a way so he was willing to do whatever he could to rid him of Pride's interference, who was none other than King Bradley's very own "son" Selim. Shortly after that discovery, with the help of the chimeras and the timely return of Ling's bodyguards, they succeeded in freeing Al from Pride's shadows.

However, that triumph could not be celebrated for long. As he began to feel exhausted and after finding himself outnumbered, Pride resorted to a horrible tactic: Devouring Glutonny to absorb his philosopher's stone as well as to obtain his potent sense of smell.

With that move, Pride became even more dangerous than he already was since it was now virtually impossible to hide from him even if there were dark parts within the forest they were in. It was at that moment that Hohenheim made his appearance. Ed didn't understand what he intended to do but when he claimed that he was some sort of hero appearing at the last moment, Ed couldn't help his typical irritation towards him appearing for a moment, a feeling that increased considerably when, shortly after, Al tried to attack Pride from behind him to distract him long enough for Hohenheim to be able to enclose them both in a huge dome formed by the earth and logs of the area. After this, it wasn't long before Ed began to complain to Hohenheim about what he had done but, when Ed complained about not being informed of the plan beforehand, Hohenheim left him speechless:

"We didn't consult you before because Al said, 'If you tell my brother, he will surely be against the plan.' In order to get Pride, we had to make sure we gathered as many of his shadows in the center as possible. Al volunteered to do that because he knew he was best suited for the task. He came up with a plan that would allow all of us to survive."

Ed ducked his gaze. Of course those sounded like words his brother would say. Al was someone very noble who would go to great lengths to protect others so it wasn't hard to believe that he had devised the plan that concluded with his own confinement alongside one of the homunculi. What was hard to accept was that after so long apart they still couldn't be together. All these months Ed had spent worrying about Al and Winry's fate, and now that he could talk and find out what had become of his brother directly from Al's own words, he wouldn't be able to see him face to face until the bearded bastard got his comeuppance.

Sighing, Ed approached the big dome and called out to his brother. "Al!"

It was only a few seconds before his brother's metallic footsteps made themselves heard followed by Al's voice. "Brother, sorry. I know we would finally be together but this was the only thing I could do."

As if reading his mind, Al said precisely what was going through Ed's mind. Sighing, Ed said. "You're very brave, Al."

"So are you, brother. I would have liked to have been at your side to face the father of homunculi but I'll take care of Selim now. Don't worry about me."

The feeling of helplessness Ed was feeling was enormous but he couldn't let that stop him. Al was giving his best in this battle and Ed could not be left behind. He would do his best to defeat the dwarf in the flask and retrieve Al's body.

"We'll be together soon, little brother. That's a promise." Ed said as he bumped his fist against the dome.

"Promise, brother." A sound from the other side indicated that Al had also bumped his fist against the dome. "Take good care of yourself and brother?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't push yourself with the 'other matter'. You'll see it'll be all right."

Ed cracked a small smile. Surely Al had come to the same conclusion that it was extremely likely that Ed would run into Mustang and Hawkeye throughout the Promised Day. Although he couldn't see him at the moment, he could almost feel the warmth he had learned to associate with the red eyes of the armor that contained Al's soul.

Grateful, Ed responded. "Sure, Al. Thank you. I'll come see you before we leave."

---

After the arrival of Scar, Dr. Marcoh, Jerso, Zampano and Yoki, it was necessary to discuss final details regarding what they would have to do to foil the plans of the dwarf of the flask. Deciding it was best to let Marcoh, Yoki and Heinkel stay in Kanama, Fu opted to go ahead to investigate what was happening in Central while the rest of the group prepared to leave the scene. Before doing so, Ed went to say goodbye to Al and, donning his distinctive red coat, set out to face the Promised Day.

The initial plan was to infiltrate the bowels of the homunculi lair using the passageway Scar and Mei had used months before, but the place was too heavily guarded preventing a silent incursion. Recalling Al's account of the events in lab 3, Ed suggested that they make use of that entrance. That lab also had military men guarding the entrance but Ed was easily able to knock them out after distracting them by telling them that Scar was chasing him.

Once the militaries were incapacitated, Ed and his group moved deeper into the facilities of lab number 3 until they came to the transmutation marks that pointed to the path that Al, Mustang, Hawkeye and Havoc had taken previously.

Upon discovering that the road split into two different paths, Hohenheim proposed that they split into two groups. Ed immediately became indignant when Hohenheim told him to go with Scar. He still couldn't tolerate the Ishvalan but it was the best thing to do in order to cope with the homunculi in case his alchemy was again disabled. Having no better option, Ed reluctantly agreed but a new annoyance arose in him when Hohenheim cheerfully declared that he would be fine going alone but he could use the company of a young girl like Lan Fan. The night before Hohenheim had let him see an unexpectedly calm, kind and sensitive side, and now it seemed he had some hidden Mustang-style bad habits. Damn... did all fathers have to be like that? Remembering the unbridled love Maes Hughes had for his family and the dedication Uncle Rockbell had had for his family despite his busy profession, he corrected himself. No, it's just that pair. Damn my luck.

Returning his attention to the mission at hand, Ed and his companions continued walking down the path designated for them, not taking long to reach a room, at the back of which was a huge door decorated with some alchemical symbols. A few steps from that door was the remains of what, according to the number that could be read on the helmet and the butcher knife that was there, there could be no doubt that it was Barry The Chopper.

The huge door had no visible object to reveal how to open it, so Ed reached over and tried to yank it open without much success. After inhaling deeply to catch his breath, Ed again struggled to open the door and finally it began to open, giving way to a wave of enemies. Said enemies had human-like but extremely thin bodies, with only one eye, white skin and some red lines running the length of their bodies.

The appearance of these beings was not the only disturbing thing. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the door they pounced on Ed and his companions with a voracious instinct. Quickly they all got into position to confront them, trying to avoid being bitten by them. The blows didn't seem to faze them significantly but it all made sense once Scar used his destructive technique on one of them: they were immortal beings. Paying attention to their babbling, Ed came to the horrible conclusion that they were dummies that had been implanted with philosopher's stones to bring them to life and use them as puppets.

Ed felt conflicted about having to hurt these mannequins since, after all, there were human souls inside them. However, he could not afford to hesitate since, as the minutes passed, more and more of them arrived and they all tried to pounce on him and his companions to kill them.

There were so many immortal beings emerging from the other side of the door that it didn't take long for some of them to opt to try to leave the place by following the path Ed and his group had taken to get there. Noticing this thanks to a warning from one of the chimeras, Ed clapped his hands and used his alchemy to block the entrance with a thick wall.

Ed offered a brief apology to the others for blocking the only exit they had so far, but they all agreed that it was necessary. Besides, now they could attack those beings freely without having to worry that someone external might show up and get hurt in the process. Bringing out their chimera attributes, Darius, Jerso and Zampano prepared for the next attack, while Ed made a spear to be able to face the beings, and Scar got into position to be able to make use of his destructive alchemy.

After fighting them for a few moments, Scar concluded that the best strategy would be to immobilize the legs of those beings since there seemed to be no way to defeat them. However, with the large number of dummies that kept coming out, the task became more complicated. Everyone reached a point where exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on their bodies as the immortal beings continued to pour into the place without stopping.

Ed pushed aside a few dummies that were within reach and took the opportunity to look around as he gasped to catch his breath. They couldn't let themselves be defeated. There had to be some way they could emerge victorious from this encounter. Perhaps fatigue was preventing him from thinking of some plan to get out of this mess but somehow or other he would do it. He had to give the bearded bastard his comeuppance, he had to stop that dwarf from repeating the horrors of Xerxes in Amestris, he had to give his body back to Al...

As if to shake him out of the trance his thoughts had him in, a sudden explosion sent the wall Ed had placed at the entrance flying, causing him to be propelled back a few feet.

The explosion generated a thick smokescreen that made it impossible to see who had set it off but Ed didn't need to see the person to know who had done it. The explosion had clearly been controlled and a few flames remained around the entrance before dying out. It couldn't be anyone other than Colonel Mustang.

While his mind had wandered from his earlier thoughts, Ed now felt his body tense slightly as he stared at the entrance waiting for the Colonel to come forward. He knew that the chances of the day ending without him having to meet his biological parents were next to nil, but he had still held out the small hope that he would be able to see them until after he had confronted the bearded bastard. Now he found himself in the forced need to think about what to do about them and he couldn't be more confused about how to approach them and how to behave with them under the circumstances in which they found themselves.

Taking advantage of his distraction, a pair of legless mannequins crawled across the floor to cling to his legs. "Damn!" Ed exclaimed, snapping back to reality. Ed tried to push them away but they were clinging tightly to his limbs, making it difficult for him. "Oh no!"

"Ed!" Darius shouted as he noticed how a pair of dummies were getting dangerously close to the blond.

At the chimera's shout, Ed turned to his left to see the approaching enemies. They were too close and Ed could not move fast enough to defend himself properly. He was in serious trouble... or at least he was for a few seconds before two precise shots knocked the dummies back long enough for Ed to cut off their legs and, in the process, cut off the hands of the dummies holding him.

Taking a few steps away from the dummies surrounding him, Ed inhaled deeply then fixed his gaze on the entrance of the room meeting a pair of brown eyes watching him intently as a shy smile appeared on Lieutenant Hawkeye's lips.

Ed opened and closed his mouth a couple of times not knowing what to say. He understood his birth mother's past better now and was honestly glad to see that Riza was okay despite being practically in the clutches of one of the homunculi. So why was it so hard to even say hello to her?

As for Riza, once she entered the room and stopped those monsters from attacking Edward, she couldn't find words to express how relieved and happy she was to see him either. All she allowed herself in those moments was a brief, subtle smile, but inside she felt a great wave of relief wash over her. It had been several months since she had last seen him and she had even spent some of them fearing that something had happened to him in Baschool since, despite her own efforts to remain calm and Falman's reassuring words, Riza had spent the last few months with a simmering worry in her chest that did not end up fading until that moment when she finally had Edward in front of her.

For his part, Roy slowly made his way into the room. Knowing that grave dangers could await them on the other side of the wall that covered the door, Roy opted to blast the concrete and wait for the smoke to disperse sufficiently so as not to expose himself to unexpected attacks. However, when an unfamiliar voice exclaimed with concern the name of the youngest member of his unit, Riza, in a surprising act of impulsiveness, rushed into the room leaving Roy completely perplexed. He would be lying if he said he hadn't felt a twinge of concern upon hearing Ed's name, but Riza displayed her quick reflexes and left him standing there for a few moments before he reacted and joined the action. Despite Riza's surprise maneuver, Roy was not surprised to hear a couple of gunshots.

As soon as his sight adjusted to the traces of smoke, Roy could see that Ed was standing almost in the center of the room staring at Riza, who was also doing the same while holding her gun up. Surprised by the strange connection that those two seemed to have in those seconds, Roy got a little closer and that was when he could notice that the place was full of mysterious white beings with apparent intentions not good at all. Seeing how one of them wanted to pounce on Ed's back, Roy did not hesitate for a moment to snap his fingers to immobilize the being with his flames.

The snap and subsequent flames that ensued brought Ed out of his stupor, causing him to now stare at the Colonel. Roy returned his gaze but was surprised to notice that Ed's gaze seemed to look at him in a different way. Had it been anyone else, Roy would have thought he would have been uncomfortable to have witnessed his power from the front row but Ed was not one to flinch plus he had already witnessed on a couple of occasions the power of his flames.

Not knowing how to identify what Ed's golden gaze was hiding, Roy decided not to make a big deal of it and keep his tone casual as he moved to Riza's side but without taking his gaze off the boy. "Need a hand, Fullmetal?"

Ed wiped the sweat that had formed on his forehead before resuming his task of facing the mannequins as he replied. "You have a knack for showing up at the last possible second... Colonel."

Roy was puzzled by Ed's slight pause at the end but now was not the time to try to figure out what was wrong with the boy when it was probably all a figment of his imagination.

Glancing around, Roy turned to Riza. "This place really brings back memories, Lieutenant." He smiled smugly. "I still remember seeing you cry. I'd like to see such pure emotion on your face again, Lieutenant."

Determined not to waste time so she could support her son, Riza replied nonchalantly. "The last thing I'm going to do is start crying for you. Water makes you useless."

The smile evaporated from Roy's lips and he looked indignantly at Riza for a few seconds before taking a hard look at what was going on around him. "I see you made some new friends, Fullmetal." Noticing the Ishvalan's presence, Roy frowned slightly and said. "Scar?"

After disposing of one of the mannequins attacking him, Scar replied in annoyance. "We'll talk later. Now hurry up and fight."

Annoyed, Roy grumbled. "Don't order me around."

However, Riza seemed to be more focused on the task at hand, so she ignored Roy's complaint and said. "Understood." She pointed her gun at the dummy closest to them, ignoring Roy's reproachful face. "We need to kill these white things right?"

Seeing Riza take a couple of steps closer towards the mannequins, Ed was quick to respond. "It's useless! It takes more than guns to kill these things."

A memory of the time Glutonny nearly killed her came to Riza's mind. "Again?!" Feeling helpless, Riza retracted her gun. "There have been a lot of these recently..."

Roy, who had regained his calm and confident facade, put a hand to his chin as he analyzed the situation. "I see. So that's why you're attacking their legs."

Realizing Roy's calmness, Ed felt a vein swell in his forehead and exclaimed. "Stop wasting time and help us!"

Ed's complaint was followed by a serious look from Riza, so Roy finally raised his hand again and snapped his fingers, thus generating flames in the right directions to destroy the dummies without hurting Ed and his companions.

Making sure that every last mannequin had been burned to ashes, Roy turned to Ed. "If you're having trouble with these things, you've still got a long way to go."

Ed watched in disbelief as each of the white beings turned to ash. He knew they had to beat them but watching them being incinerated to death was disturbing and more so was the thought that the person who had done it was his own progenitor.

Swallowing saliva, Ed turned in the direction of Roy and Riza. Now that they were all together he supposed they would have to talk or at least give a sign as to how their feelings were regarding their situation. Riza seemed relieved to see him but he could also sense the concern radiating from her eyes, while Roy seemed completely normal. As much as he wanted to, Ed couldn't decipher what the Colonel was thinking and that didn't put him at ease. Either Roy was playing his role of guarding his own emotions very well, or he simply didn't care in the least about the bond they shared because by that point it was almost impossible that Riza hadn't revealed the truth to him.

Despite the intensity of his own heartbeat, Ed listened to the panting of the chimeras as they caught their breath. He couldn't waste any time. If he was going to talk to Hawkeye and Mustang in those moments he had better do it right away or else he'd better concentrate on the present and wait until the whole conflict with the homunculus was over.

Clenching his fists, Ed worked up the courage to speak. "Hey..."

Riza's eyes immediately sparkled but Ed couldn't focus on her biological parents' expressions as everyone's attention was drawn to a loud bang that was heard coming from the top of the room they were in. Soon after a few pipes fell to the floor followed by the little May Chang and her panda, who managed to grab hold of a part of the huge door to avoid the big fall.

Recognizing her, Zampano exclaimed. "May!"

A few coughs revealed that May had not arrived alone, so, after visualizing the homunculus, Ed exclaimed. "Envy!"

Quickly, May pulled herself together and climbed down from the door to approach Scar. The Ishvalan began to scold her but before May could finish her explanations, Envy made her presence known.

"The Fullmetal alchemist, the Flame alchemist and Scar... Oh, even the damned chimeras that dared to mess with me in the north are here." Envy smiled mischievously. "All right, then... who should I take care of first?"

Undeterred, Roy said. "So this is Envy. If I remember correctly, this is the homunculus that can shapeshift."

Envy maintained his smile. "You've heard of me? Pleased to meet you, Colonel Mustang." The homunculus averted his gaze to the Ishvalan. "Oh, but... you're okay with him being here, Scar? He's one of the alchemists who fought on Ishval, isn't he?"

Envy's provocation had no effect as Scar retained his serious expression as he replied. "That's right."

"Now you're allies? How boring! Why don't you two just let your grudge go? I love watching insects like you fight each other."

Roy sighed. "We don't have time for your pathetic games."

Envy grinned mischievously again. "Pathetic? Okay, then let me ask you a question. Don't humans also like to watch fools suffer and dance like puppets? Isn't that why they're always at war?"

Roy flashed his typical smug grin. "True. I enjoy watching fools being manipulated like puppets. Especially when the fools being manipulated are homunculi."

Envy's smile disappeared and was replaced by a scowl.

Roy continued. "I answered your question. Now answer mine: who killed Maes Hughes?" he asked with a serious look.

Immediately, Riza looked at Roy with concern. It had been only a subtle touch but an intense hatred seemed to emanate from his words.

"It was Maria Ross, the woman you burned to death."

"No. It wasn't her."

Envy's expression quickly brightened. "Ha! So you burned an innocent woman! How cruel! " He exclaimed in a gleeful voice. "So, how did you tell her parents? Did you tearfully apologize? Or did you keep quiet because you were afraid to face them?"

Roy ignored Envy's provocations but kept his expression serious. "For God's sake, shut up, you idiot." Envy scowled. "I'm tired of asking you homunculi this question. So hurry up and answer me, asshole. Who killed Hughes?"

This time, Ed also looked at Roy with curiosity and concern. He knew that the Colonel and Hughes had been very good friends so he couldn't ignore the pain that the loss of his best friend must have caused Mustang, but now his tone of voice was leaning more to one very different from the one he commonly used, somewhat reminiscent of the one he used with him when he had to pretend he had killed Second Lieutenant Ross, only this time it was on a completely different level. There was something off about the Colonel, something unfamiliar to Ed and it was making him quite uneasy.

Envy, for his part, was quiet for a few seconds before he began to laugh like a deranged man. His laughter continued until he could control himself enough to speak. "Congratulations, Colonel Mustang. You finally found your killer."

Ed focused his gaze on Envy as Riza pointed her gun at the homunculus.

Despite the revelation, Roy seemed to remain calm. "I really doubt Hughes could have been killed by an idiot like you."

Envy, who had still been letting out chuckles, smiled hugely. "The real idiot..." The homunculus made use of its ability and at that moment changed bodies, its form being replaced by the body of Gracia Hughes. "It's Hughes for falling for a trick like this."

Roy and Ed's eyes widened intensely. There was no doubt. Envy had killed Hughes. The relative calm Roy had maintained up to that point evaporated immediately, replaced by an indecipherable mix of emotions that made his face pale.

Envy continued to laugh. "Hahaha! I wish you could see your face right now! What a great expression! Killing Hughes was really funny! The look of despair when he thought he was going to be shot to death by his beloved wife... It was priceless!" He said between sneers.

Despite not having met the person being talked about, the chimeras could not hide their expression of disgust and annoyance at the way Envy was enjoying telling the story of how he killed Hughes. May shuddered at the telling and Riza lowered her gun for a moment as she closed her eyes. Maes Hughes didn't deserve to die, let alone have died under such a dirty trick that surely made him suffer until his last breath.

Roy recovered from the impact and began to draw his right hand toward his chest. "Now that I know it's a fact..." Roy gave his right hand ignition glove a tug. "Nothing more needs to be said, Envy. I'm going to burn you to ashes. Starting with your tongue." Roy said as he took a couple of steps in the direction of the homunculus. He didn't yell, but his every word felt charged with such intense hatred and fury that both Riza and Ed turned to look at the Colonel with concern.

Envy didn't seem to notice the extreme change in the Colonel's attitude or if he did he didn't care. He was enjoying finally provoking a reaction in the Flame Alchemist, so much so that he didn't even bother to return to his original form, so Gracia Hughes' face was smiling at Mustang with a malevolent, mocking expression not at all like her.

Roy stopped and spoke. "Scar... Fullmetal... I'll take care of this." Roy's gaze darkened further. "This prey is mine."

Ed didn't move but one of the chimeras stepped in. "Great. Then we'll be on our way." Zampano said.

As soon as Zampano took a step in the direction of the big door, Envy extended one of her arms revealing his real body. "Who said you could leave? I still have unfinished business with you for what you did to me in the North-"

Annoyed, Roy didn't let the homunculus finish, burning his mouth with great precision. "Can you really afford to be talking to them when you have to deal with me? Judging by the way you keep talking, I imagine you have a big greasy tongue. That must be the reason it burns so well, Envy."

Envy frowned as he let his regenerative powers heal the burn Roy had given him, at the same time returning to the typical form he used.

Ed approached Riza, staying a few steps behind her. Still undecided about what he should call her, the boy decided to go for the safe one. "Lieutenant... are you sure you'll both be able to handle this?"

Riza looked worriedly at Roy as she felt a cold sweat break out across her body. With the Colonel's alchemy it was almost a given that Envy would be defeated the same way Lust was defeated, but Roy was definitely not well. The pain he had felt at losing his best friend was consuming him, turning into an intense hatred that was blinding him. Riza could feel it. Roy wasn't looking to confront Envy to do the right thing so he could save the country, he was doing it to quench his enormous thirst for revenge. Riza had already sensed a bit of that thirst on a couple of occasions when talking to him, but she had faith that it would not reach such an extreme culmination as the one she was witnessing at that moment. In a way, that excruciating feeling was consuming and disappearing the only man she had ever loved.

Getting no response, Ed moved a little closer and placed his left hand on Riza's shoulder. "Lieutenant?"

A warmth spread through Riza starting from the shoulder that was making contact with her son's hand. This was no time to be consumed by uncertainty and fear. She had to act. She would do everything she could to keep Roy from reaching a point of no return and for that she needed Edward to be absent. Riza feared she had already damaged the relationship between Roy and Edward too much by keeping their secrets bottled up and the last thing she wanted was to push them further apart if Edward saw his father in a state like the one he was getting himself into at the moment. Besides, if she was honest with herself, a part of her feared that her attempts would not be enough to bring Roy to his senses... which would mean she would have to make good on the promise she had made to him when she joined his unit. The weapon he held wobbled almost imperceptibly.

Detaching one of her hands from her weapon, Riza gave Ed's hand a squeeze before resuming her position. "We'll manage somehow. If we can't, then..." Riza couldn't finish her sentence. Swallowing her saliva, she turned to the boy again. "Go, Edward."

"But-" Ed protested but was interrupted by Darius who placed a hand on his head.

"Come on, Ed. The Colonel's going to be fine." Darius began to lead Ed toward the big door. "You saw the power of his fire, right? There's no way he's going to lose to that homunculus." He said with a confident smile.

Pulling his hand away from his head, Ed replied. "Mustang losing isn't what I'm worried about."

Darius looked at him with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

---

Even though the situation wasn't ideal, Riza breathed a sigh of relief as Edward and his companions left the room. Once this happened, Riza took a few steps in Roy's direction but, as soon as the Colonel sensed her presence next to him, he placed his arm in front of her to stop her from moving any further, telling her to stay out of the way.

Riza wanted to protest and start a dialogue with him but Envy gave them no chance as he revealed his true form. As soon as he finished transforming into a huge green being with faces protruding along his body, Roy wasted no time and burned out his eyes and then burned the rest of his body, over and over again.

With each snap, Riza's heart squeezed tighter and tighter. The Roy she loved was disappearing with each one. Desperate, she screamed. "Colonel!"

Roy didn't turn to look at her but paused his next snap, an opportunity Envy took to destroy the large door with his tail, nearly hitting Roy and Riza with the debris. Returning to his typical form, he fled the scene.

Roy soon followed, the hatred in his gaze intensifying with each passing second. Riza called out to him and tried to follow him but Roy stopped her telling her to stay put as he would be the one to take care of the homunculus. She kept calling out to him but it was no use, within seconds the Colonel had disappeared on Envy's trail. Riza stood for a few seconds in place, just long enough for Roy to move forward and not notice her presence. Then, without hesitation, she went into the bowels of the place where Envy and the Colonel had headed.

After a few minutes of wandering around the place, Riza realized that she had underestimated what lay beyond the door. The place looked like a maze. She had let only a few seconds pass to follow the Colonel, but those seconds were playing against her since she could not locate the path that the homunculus and Roy had followed. Besides, being in enemy territory, she couldn't be impulsive and walk all over the place carelessly. Her military training made her advance carefully after running a bit for the first few minutes, trying to check every corner and every nook and cranny for possible threats.

It wasn't until a couple of minutes later that Riza could finally hear someone's footsteps approaching. Detecting where they were coming from, Riza took cover on a wall, getting into position to defend herself in case it was Envy. Soon after, with her weapon in position, she came upon Roy's face.

As soon as he saw her, the Colonel lowered the hand he had extended in her direction and explained that he had lost Envy. Telling her to follow him, Riza obeyed keeping a couple of steps of distance between them. Although he had the same shadowed look from the last time she saw him, Riza couldn't be sure it was Roy. She couldn't explain why, maybe it was her instinct but there was something about this Roy that made her feel that there was a high probability that it was actually Envy.

Deciding to follow her instinct, Riza pointed her gun at the back of the Colonel's head.

Roy stopped and put his hands up. "What are you doing Lieutenant? Who do you think you're aiming at?"

Riza smiled, more and more certain that her instinct had given her the right answer. "Who? Don't make me laugh. The Colonel calls me 'Riza' when we're alone."

The plan worked. Envy began to transform back to his usual form. "Tch! I thought you two weren't so close anymore."

Not anymore? Envy's sentence took Riza by surprise, but she decided not to make a big deal out of it. She had a mission to accomplish. She had to defeat Envy and prevent Roy from losing his humanity.

Not letting the surprise show in her tone, Riza fired back. "I lied." Even though their relationship had actually improved and Roy did call her by her name for some time now, Riza couldn't allow that information to spread, so, ironically, she lied.

"What?!"

"Thanks for falling for it, Envy. Now this is the part where you die."

Riza fired at it repeatedly with her pistols, managing to hold Envy at bay for a few moments, until the homunculus managed to wound Riza's left shoulder. While this attack unsettled her for an instant, she quickly recovered and grabbed her rifle to continue firing at him, earning several curses from Envy in the process. After several incoming shots, the homunculus took advantage of his abilities to extend his arm to grab Riza and subsequently slam her to the ground, knocking the air out of her and causing the clip holding her hair to come loose.

Envy had begun to laugh insanely as a new round of flames surrounded him, drawing him a few feet away from where Riza lay.

Roy slowly approached until he was facing Envy, as the homunculus regenerated from the new burns suffered. "What are you doing to my precious subordinate?" This time Envy couldn't disguise the panic Roy was causing him. The Colonel was really going to burn him to death.

Riza pushed herself up into a sitting position as the Colonel turned to look at her. To Riza's surprise, Roy's gaze softened almost imperceptibly as he addressed her. "Don't be imprudent, Lieutenant. I told you I'd take care of him." At that moment, as their gazes met, she tried to tell him through hers to stop this, to not let anger and vengeance consume him completely. Riza was begging him with her auburn eyes, but Roy was so engulfed in his anger that he either didn't notice or chose to ignore it.

Despite his panic, Envy still dared to scream at Roy, but the Colonel didn't give him much time to speak as he once again engulfed him with his flames until, finally, he destroyed Envy's body. Riza watched it all with growing horror, so much so that it paralyzed her in place but, when a small green being emerged from the remains of Envy's body and Roy crushed it hard with his foot, Riza reacted and stood up.

Her shoulder wound was bothering her so she got up slower than she would have liked but at least that time gave her a chance to hear the words Roy was addressing to the little homunculus Envy had become. Each one was spoken with such intense hatred and rancor that it made it clear to Riza that she could no longer delay the irremediable. She had to stop Roy right then and there before it was too late.

Just as Roy was about to give the final snap, Riza took the safety off her gun and pointed it at the back of the Colonel's head.

Roy moved his head just enough so he could see Riza, but he didn't lower his hand or loosen the pressure his foot was exerting on Envy. "What's the meaning of this, Lieutenant?"

"That's enough, Colonel. I'll take over now."

Roy returned his gaze to the front. "One more flame and it will be over. I have no intention of getting your hands dirty so put your weapon down."

Riza felt a few beads of sweat caused by her nerves were starting to run down her face. "I can't obey that order, sir. Please lower your hand." She said without taking her eyes off the back of his neck, hoping he would look back at her and notice the concern and fear her eyes reflected.

What little control Roy had maintained when talking to Riza was destroyed. "I'm not kidding! I told you to put your gun down!" he shouted.

Suddenly, a stream of energy shot across the floor to where Envy was held by Roy's foot, forming a hand with the floor itself. This hand caused Roy to pull his foot away and Envy shot straight into the automail hand of Ed, who had just arrived in the hallway with Scar.

Riza didn't lower her gun but her surprise almost caused her to do so. Edward, her son, was there. Just what she wanted to avoid and, to top it all off, Roy was in a state she herself was fearing she would be unable to get him out of. A lump formed in Riza's throat and her heart felt even tighter.

Extremely annoyed at having his prey taken from him, Roy said in an authoritative voice. "Fullmetal, hand it over."

Ed stared at him unable to bring himself to say a word. Roy's look was even worse than the last time he saw him. He didn't even look like the same person he had been dealing with for the last four years. The scene that was unfolding in front of him was hard to take in. The Colonel, under that state, was refusing to react and the Lieutenant, his faithful assistant to whom he always listened, was being ignored and even shouted at. He had never seen them like that. He saw how anger and thirst for revenge was consuming his fa... the Colonel at the same time he saw the desperation in the Lieutenant's... his mother's gaze.

Without waiting long, Roy spoke again. "I'm only going to say it one more time. Hand it over, Fullmetal."

Swallowing the lump that wanted to form in his own throat, Ed replied with a determined look. "No way!"

At the refusal, Roy tried to "reason" with the boy. "That thing deserves to die in the most painful way possible for what it's done. So hand it over."

"I said no."

Desperate to finish off the homunculus, Roy became upset. "Hand him over, Fullmetal! If you don't I'll burn your arm along with him!"

Riza couldn't help the gasp of surprise that escaped her lips at the threat Roy was unconsciously making to his own son. "Colonel!"

Ignoring her, Roy insisted. "Hand him over NOW!"

Ed's tone of voice also increased. "Go ahead, give it a try! I can take you on anytime!" Ed took a breath to continue with his words but, surprisingly, Scar placed an arm in front of him to signal him to be quiet. "Hey!"

Scar ignored him and crossed his arms as he glared at Roy. "Will you succumb to your anger and fall to the level of a beast?" Roy scowled at him. "As long as we share the same enemy, I'm not going to try to stop you."

"Hey! What the hell's the matter with you?!" Ed complained.

Scar didn't flinch. "I have no right to intrude on someone else's revenge. But... I wonder what kind of world can be created by a beast hiding under a person's skin."

Roy's eyes widened in surprise. Even if his mind was clouded by the hatred that consumed him, Scar's words reminded him of the goal he had been pursuing for all these years. The people needed him to change and improve the country not to become some sort of copy of Bradley, who behind his serene and kind facade hid a ruthless monster without the slightest interest in the human race.

Roy inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes for a moment. He was trying to calm down but... Maes... his funeral... Grace and Elicia... Envy... It wasn't easy. He finally had the killer he had been looking for and he couldn't destroy him like that creature deserved. When he opened his eyes his gaze lightened slightly but, after focusing once more on the small creature Ed held, the rawness and rancor in his gaze returned. Scar's words were echoing in his mind making him realize he was doing something wrong but the desire for revenge still burned deep within him.

Noticing the surprise disappearing from Mustang's face to return to the same hateful expression as before, Ed stepped in. "Are you serious, Colonel? You really want to lead this country with a face like that?! All these years you're supposed to have worked hard to protect this country! How are you going to do it when you have that expression on your face?!" Ed swallowed his saliva, he didn't want to say it but he was so upset and worried at the same time that his tongue insisted on him forming the next words no matter that he didn't really want to talk about it. "Weren't you supposed to want to create a country where your son and all the citizens of Amestris could live happily and peacefully?!"

If Roy's eyes had widened in surprise at Scar's words, it now seemed that it would be impossible for them to open even wider than they did at that moment. But what...? How? Confused he turned to look at Riza, who after Ed's words had brought her free hand to her chest. Seeking to make contact with her gaze Roy was met with a mixture of concern and guilt. Looking for her to interpret his gaze, Roy stared at her until Riza slowly nodded her head giving an answer to the nonverbal question the Colonel had asked.

What Riza didn't know, was that this time the hatred and desire for revenge that was consuming Roy had prevented her from correctly interpreting the question he was asking her, so after getting her answer, Roy narrowed his eyes menacingly before turning to Ed, leaving Riza completely perplexed.

So you shared our secret just like that huh, Riza. Letting the hatred speak for him, Roy replied. "Who the hell do you think you are, you fucking brat?! You think I care what a midget like you has to say to me?! You have no right to meddle in matters that don't concern you in the slightest! So give that thing the fuck up already!" he shouted with hatred.

Even though he had been assuming for months that Mustang wasn't interested in anything to do with him, the Colonel's words hurt Ed even if he didn't want to admit it. Hearing it was harder than imagining it. His golden eyes showed for a moment how his words hurt him but he quickly tried to regain his composure. If he had spent so much time imagining the role Roy would take in his life he would have to be prepared for that moment, right?

Covering the pain and confusion he had felt with all the anger he could muster at that moment, Ed replied. "Yes, I know! I know you don't really care about anything involving me but if neither I nor the people of Amestris matter to you, you should at least care about the person who has supported you the most despite all your bullshit! Mom doesn't deserve all the suffering you're putting her through right now!"

Roy gasped for a few moments and his hand finally descended a few inches. M-mom? What his brain had refused to string together moments ago finally made sense to Roy. His son... blond and golden-eyed...16 years old... Edward Elric...

Riza, for her part, could not help but let out an exclamation of surprise at Edward's words. Ever since the birth of her son she had longed to hear him call her 'Mom', and now she could finally hear that word. After months of doubt and uncertainty about what Edward would do after learning the truth, the boy had called her 'mom' when she had practically given up hope of seeing that dream fulfilled. A lone tear escaped Riza's eyes. She couldn't deny the warmth that simple word had awakened in her but at the same time everything was still extremely painful. Roy was blinded by his vengeance and, although it had gone unnoticed by the Colonel, Riza could see the pain that his father's words had provoked in Edward. She had seen her dream fulfilled when the two people she loved most in this world were suffering immensely. Why did life have to be like this? Riza had been the one who had ended up bringing them to this situation and in the end she was the one who saw some reward while the others suffered.

Roy, for his part, opened and closed his mouth trying to form words to no avail. As he did so, he stared at Ed, unconsciously examining him as the echo in his mind increased in volume and intensity, repeating the words 'My son'. The colonel continued like that for a few seconds until Ed, who nevertheless continued to look at him with determination, averted his gaze to the side, tired of his progenitor's exploratory gaze. That simple gesture squeezed Roy's heart as the words 'My son' were replaced in his mind by the harsh words he had recently spoken to the boy.

Regretfully, he turned and lifted his face over his shoulder seeking Riza's gaze. It all fit now but he needed to hear it from Riza. The son they had missed so much all these years was in front of them and he knew perfectly well who the two of them were. But then... was Riza aware of it?

Noticing the Colonel's stare and the silent question it carried. Riza spoke in a voice shakier than she herself expected. "It's him, Roy." The Colonel's heart raced as the hand Riza had on her chest tightened until her knuckles turned white. "I've known for a while." She confessed with a regretful expression.

She knew and didn't say anything to me? Involuntarily a mild expression of annoyance directed at Riza crossed Roy's face but, before he could utter a word about it, Envy intervened.

"Hahaha good move, Colonel. Excellent way to treat the pipsqueak! Hahaha."

Immediately, Roy returned his gaze to the homunculus and his hand regained the few inches of height it had lost after Ed's statement. For a moment he had forgotten the hatred that nasty little green thing was causing him, but those simple words brought the intensity back to the flames of revenge. Roy was still adamant about the homunculus dying in the most painful way possible but now, if he was honest with himself, he also wished he had a way to vent the rage he was feeling towards himself and Envy was the perfect target for it.

"Shut up you fucking idiot! I've had enough of you!" Roy exclaimed in annoyance as he brushed his thumb and forefinger together revealing the sparks of alchemy that would no doubt cause great flames.

What little confidence Envy had gained vanished and he let out a panicked little cry.

"Colonel!" Riza exclaimed in a tone mixed with despair and regret. "I won't let you kill Envy, so put your hand down, please. I'll take care of him."

Ed looked back at the Colonel but the regret and fury Roy was feeling made him unable to look his son in the eye, choosing to focus his gaze on the being who had unleashed his desire for vengeance from the start. "But after all this time I finally have him cornered!" he shouted trying to dissuade Riza.

Forcing her voice to sound firm in spite of all the emotions that were gripping her, Riza replied. "I know! But... right now, your actions are not for the good of the country nor for the good of your loved ones. Cold-blooded hatred is what is driving you!" Unable to keep her emotions at bay any longer, Riza closed her eyes and spoke in a soft, trembling voice. "Please, Colonel... You must not take that path."

Memories of Maes quickly crossed Roy's mind. Hughes had always been there for Roy when he needed him and he could do nothing to prevent his death. Maes did not deserve to die. He had his whole life ahead of him at the side of his wife and daughter. Hughes had always stood by him through thick and thin. From military to personal problems his friend was always there for him. He was even the only person who, at the time, was aware of everything to do with Riza and, later, he was there for Roy when he was devastated at the news that he was the father of a child he thought he could never find.

Roy's jaw tightened, before he could speak. "If you're going to shoot me, do it."

Roy couldn't tell but at that moment Ed's left hand clenched into a fist while Riza's expression made clear the panic and pain his words had caused her.

"But... what will you do after I'm dead?"

Riza lowered her gaze but kept the gun on the back of Roy's neck. "I have no intention of living alone. I've done a lot of damage and I don't deserve to live." Riza ignored the concerned 'Lieutenant!' that Ed let out. "When this battle is over, I will dispose of my life, along with the secret of the fire alchemy that has driven good men to madness."

Roy clenched into a fist the hand he had ready to burn Envy. He couldn't say that the desire to dispose of the homunculus by his own hand had disappeared but finally his mind had opened to give way to the consequences of his actions. One more snap and Envy would be dead but with him would also die the humanity and morals that Roy had strived to maintain as he rose through the military. It was amazing that in a short period of time the emotional outburst he had brought him so close to consummating a vengeance that had burned inside him for almost a year but was in turn more than enough to deeply hurt the people he loved most.

Frustrated with himself, Roy pointed his alchemy at the hallway on the right side and snapped his fingers, sending an intense flare of fire in that direction as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Letting his arms rest at his sides and ducking his head slightly, Roy said. "I can't allow that. I can't lose you too." After pausing, Roy continued. "What happens to me?... I'm being scolded by my own son." Ed frowned and averted his gaze even though Roy had his eyes fixed on the floor. "I get a lecture from my former enemy... and worst of all, I push you to consider such a thing." Even if he wasn't looking at her, Riza knew those last words were directed at her.

"I've been a real idiot." Roy said with a tone that exuded great regret. Turning around slowly as he removed his ignition glove, Roy reached out with his left hand and placed it on the gun Riza had kept pointed at the back of his neck. "Put the weapon down, Lieutenant." Focusing his gaze on hers trying to convey his sincerest apology, he continued. "I'm sorry." And without further ado, he dropped heavily to the ground, unable to bring himself to look at Ed after what he had said to him.

Riza almost dropped her gun as she watched Roy collapse. The fire of vengeance that burned inside the Colonel had finally been extinguished but in its place had left a clear state of misery over what had happened. Feeling her legs weaken from the great sense of relief that she had not lost Roy under the circumstances, Riza could not keep standing any longer and likewise let herself fall down facing the Colonel.

Riza tried to make eye contact with Roy to apologize for not telling him that Edward Elric was their son but Roy was so ashamed of himself that he had covered his face with one of his hands, locking himself in his own world as he took in everything that had just happened.

Not knowing when to shut up, Envy spoke again. "You weren't an idiot!" He said addressing the Colonel. "You were the most honest person here. You acted on what your gut was telling you and that's fine, especially considering that apparently your loyal assistant kept something very important from you for a long time." He said with all the venom he was capable of emitting in his words.

Roy felt a pang in his heart because there was some truth in what the homunculus was saying, but this time he wasn't going to let his emotions get the better of him. Riza would have a lot of explaining to do but first Roy had to make sure he was calm enough not to lash out at her unfairly.

As if noticing the internal decision Roy had come to, Envy continued. "What is this? Is this some kind of contest to see who's the nicest person? I'm going to puke! You humans should just drop the pretense of holding the moral high ground and listen to your instincts!" Trying once again to get Roy's attention, the homunculus called out to him. "Colonel Mustang! Scar was trying to kill you, wasn't he?" not getting the reaction he was hoping for, Envy diverted one of his eyes to Ed, who had been holding it all this time in his automail hand. "And you, runt, Scar murdered your little girlfriend's parents, didn't he? Right?!" Ed clenched his jaw slightly but showed no other reaction that would satisfy the homunculus. "Oh right! The girl from East City, the one whose body was combined with a dog's. Scar was the one who killed her too, wasn't he?!" A flash of sadness crossed Ed's gaze but that wasn't what Envy wanted either. "Well, what about Hawkeye? From what I understand, she ditched you because you were a hindrance so she could make her own life and run around being Mustang's lapdog!"

Riza looked at Edward in alarm, clearly intending to defend herself but Ed stopped her by calmly shaking his head. He wasn't going to fall for Envy's dirty games.

Noticing Ed's last gesture, Envy continued speaking. "Well then how about we talk about the Ishval war I started myself?" she looked at Riza. "Hahaha, thanks to me you were able to kill a lot of people, right, Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Riza looked down remembering her mistakes but that wasn't enough for the homunculus. "Scar! Two of the most efficient killers in the genocide of your people are right in front of you, now's your chance!" Scar simply scowled at him but made no attempt to move. "What a bunch of people we have here! Keep hating, crying and killing each other while squirming in misery! There's no way you insects can live peacefully together! Isn't that right, pipsqueak?! Hawkeye! Mustang! Scar!" Seeing that none of them reacted to his words the way he expected, Envy began to shout in a confused tone. "Why?! Why?! Why?! Why?! Damn it!"

Ed sighed and spoke in a calm voice. "Envy, you... you're jealous of us." The homunculus widened its eyes enormously. "Humans are supposed to be much weaker than you homunculi, but it doesn't matter how many times we get beaten, get discouraged, lose our way, or come close to falling. Even if we know it's for superficial reasons... we keep fighting." Ed shot a frowning glance at Roy, who had shifted slightly so he could see the homunculus, and then Ed softened his gaze as he rested it on Riza. "We strengthen each other." Ed lowered his gaze for a few seconds before focusing it on Envy. "That's why... that's why you're jealous of humans."

Envy froze for a few moments taking in Ed's words until he started to move around trying to wiggle out of the blond's grip.

"Hey! Don't try to escape." Ed's protest was in vain as the homunculus continued to squirm managing to free a bit of his body, which was why Ed brought his left hand closer. "You idiot! If you try to force yourself free- Ouch!" Envy didn't let him finish by biting one of his fingers causing Ed to reflexively let go.

Envy fell hard to the ground and tried to move away from where he had fallen but his movements were so slow that each step took him several seconds and covered minimal distance.

Fearing that Envy would dare to do harm in any way, Riza stood up and pointed her gun at him. "He doesn't know when to give up."

Scar held up a hand, signaling her to lower her weapon. "Wait. He doesn't have much time left."

Envy continued to slowly move forward while panting until he finally gave up and came to a complete stop. "How humiliating... to be reduced to this form... by mere humans. To be the mockery of you worms!" The homunculus began to cry, sat up and began to bring his hands to his mouth. "And worst of all... The most pathetic and insignificant of you... The damn brat shows me sympathy! It's the ultimate insult!" Envy stuck his hands into his mouth and, to everyone's surprise, began to pull out the philosopher's stone that allowed him to live. "Haha, good luck with that shallow morality of yours... let's see how far it gets you." With what little strength he had left, the homunculus squeezed his philosopher's stone until it burst, causing his body to begin to fade into dust. "Goodbye... Ed...ward... Elric."

Ed stood watching the homunculus disappear with clenched fists as the Colonel again brought a hand to his face to cover his eyes as he said. "He killed himself. Coward!"

The place went completely silent for a few minutes. Riza tried to connect with Edward's gaze but the boy kept it fixed on the place where Envy had vanished. As for Scar, he leaned against one of the walls standing practically motionless with his arms crossed. Riza glanced at him and, despite the fact that the Ishvalan was an extremely hard and serious man, she could detect a spark of curiosity in his gaze, surely because of the revelation about the connection between them and Edward that had come to light moments before.

Sighing, Riza decided to give Edward some space, so she moved to her knees in front of Roy so she could place a hand on his shoulder. "Colonel?"

Roy rubbed his hand across his face to wipe away the trace of tears that had managed to escape him after thinking about the damage he had done that day. When he looked at Riza, she could quickly detect the enormous regret swirling in his black orbs along with a confusion surely stemming from the myriad of questions he must have about Edward.

In a voice so soft that it ended up being very close to a whisper, Roy asked. "Why?"

A couple of tears escaped Riza. No doubt Roy was suffering from his own regret at what had happened, but she was also feeling extremely guilty for not having been able to reveal to him during all these months that Edward Elric was their son. She had already fractured Roy and Edward's relationship by not allowing them to meet all those years ago and now she had distanced them even further by keeping the truth to herself and allowing it to end up coming out the way it did.

"I'm sorry..." Riza said in a shaky voice as she lowered her head slightly. "I'm sorry... I didn't find the right time to tell you... I'm sorry." She replied knowing full well what the question was that Roy had asked her with his gaze. At the same time she slowly withdrew the hand she had placed on the colonel's shoulder.

Roy stopped her hand in mid-air and gave it a squeeze, before continuing to respond quietly. "We'll talk about this later." Roy would be lying if he said he wasn't upset about being kept out of something he certainly should have been aware of, but now they couldn't abandon the others on the huge mission ahead of them. Besides, there was another part of him that was extremely grateful that Riza had stayed by his side even though he had pushed her over the edge with his own destructive attitude of a few minutes ago.

Inhaling deeply, Roy turned his face enough so that he could see Ed, who was still in the same position that Riza had seen him in. Steeling himself, he turned to him. "Edward..."

Ed visibly flinched and, from what Roy caught a glimpse of, frowned before turning to face away from him. "We've got to keep going. The others must be waiting for us." Without waiting for a response, Ed started walking.

Not wanting to continue in the awkward silence, Scar said before following Ed. "Let's go."

Roy felt a pang in his heart. He knew they were in the middle of a mission but Ed's attitude towards him, gave him the idea that he wanted nothing to do with him. And he didn't blame him. He hadn't meant to, but he had practically told him that himself in the midst of his rage and now he couldn't erase those words no matter how much he wanted to. He had also allowed his son to see the darkest and most terrible part of himself... Of that feeling of companionship and affection he had felt when they had both made the 520 cenz promise there seemed to be nothing left now.

Trying not to let his face reflect the emotions that were sweeping over him, Roy stood up and held out a hand to Riza to help her up. She did so and then wiped her tears with one hand, trying to focus on the mission and not on the whole emotional mess that had erupted between Roy, Edward and her.

Slowly, Roy and Riza walked shoulder to shoulder until they resumed a normal pace so they could catch up with Ed and Scar, who were already a few meters ahead of them.

Riza tried to keep her eyes straight ahead but when she did it inevitably drifted directly towards Edward making her feel immensely guilty for what happened between him and Roy. And that led her to look out of the corner of her eye at Roy, who seemed to have adopted his professional mask but the slight wrinkles that were forming around his eyes made Riza realize that he was trying to hide it but in reality he was also suffering terribly from what had happened.

Roy, for his part, was trying hard to concentrate on the mission but it was not easy to do so when he could only see how his son's back kept his distance from him and did not make the slightest effort to turn to look at him or stop to talk to him. Everything became even more complicated for Roy when he thought about how this situation was his fault. Now that his mind was almost completely free of the haze caused by his hatred, Roy was remembering and analyzing each of his actions. He had engraved in his memory the face of desperation and fear that Riza had had when she had tried to stop him, and that made him feel regretful. But that was not the only memory that was tormenting him. When it happened he paid no attention to Ed's expression, but now that he thought about it carefully in retrospect, his heart was squeezing at the thought that, when the boy told him about his son and Roy responded dismissively, Ed's golden eyes reflected pain, disappointment, and a sense of betrayal that he had been quick to try to hide in anger.

Now, being in his five senses, Roy could tell that those mixed feelings were still present, as the few glances Ed dared to direct at him still contained those emotions even if he tried to conceal them. Worst of all, Roy's own words had caused those emotions in his son.

Had he been in different circumstances, Roy would have wept and cried out in pain and regret for what he had done. He had brought even more suffering to someone who had already suffered enough in the past. Despite not having known him when he was born, Roy had always wished for a happy and carefree life for his son but now he was discovering that his wishes had not been fulfilled as he had hoped. Roy was one of the few people who knew the detail of the Elrics' past life, the pain, fear and suffering they had experienced after the human transmutation and even the pain and loneliness they had felt after their mother's death.

Roy felt the tightness in his chest grow with each passing second. He had made his own son suffer and it made him miserable. Maybe he didn't know it before, but now that he knew Ed was his son it seemed like a huge chasm had opened up between them that he feared he couldn't get rid of.

In a way, the look on Ed's face reminded him of what had happened with the Second Lieutenant Ross incident. Ed had seen him in much the same way as he had moments before. Back then it had all been a misunderstanding and Roy was able to regain the boy's trust and forgiveness after sharing the truth with him. Roy wished he could do the same this time but... how could he do it this time when he couldn't erase the words that had left his lips? He couldn't deny it, he had hurt Edward cruelly and directly. Roy clenched his fists and blinked away the moisture that threatened to settle in his eyes. He couldn't be sure but, ironically, now that he had finally found his son... he might end up losing him forever.