A/N: Sorry this took so long to update! A more detailed author's note at the bottom.

The hum of the engine that had kept Riza's mind in order died and her heart stopped. Lifting her eyes, she confirmed what she had long dreaded as the other inhabitants of the vehicle all shifted in their seats.

At long last, they had finally arrived. 'Finally,' she thought begrudgingly. Though she had known that facing the Colonel again was inevitable and had tried to prepare, she still felt as though there was nothing that could completely prepare her to see him again. The longing she had felt to see him again dissipated as the sound of someone padding around the truck reached her ears. Dread flooded the pit of her stomach as the back hatch of the vehicle opened and flooded the compartment with the morning's light. Her eyes narrowed and she hesitated to allow them to adjust.

None of the other occupants moved, eyes awkwardly turned away from the light while simultaneously dodging hers. She alleviated their uncomfortable avoidance by turning her eyes away, and waited for them to disembark. The chimeras were first to leave, supporting the friend who had been injured. Next Alphonse had risen to his feet, though he paused at the mouth of the compartment. She could feel his soul-fire eyes as they swept across her, sensing his hesitance despite himself. It was obvious to her that he was still conflicted in his mind, torn between wanting to interact with her while fearing Pride and its shadows. Eventually he made up his mind and slowly stepped out of the vehicle, an action she did not blame the boy for.

Hohenheim had ventured off to assist the others as they adjusted to the countryside setting they found themselves in, though she could feel his presence incredibly close to her, always putting itself between them and her. It was a necessary move, she knew.

Greed's eyes had refused to leave her from the moment the vehicle stopped, and she willed hers up to find his. He lifted a brow as his lips drew into a thin line and she shook her head. The air that had settled between them and the others was clearly demarcated, but at that point there was no turning back. As the feeling of dread waned, overshadowed by her desire for familiarity, she rose to her feet and slowly made her way to the back of the truck. She stopped, bracing her hand against its side when a familiar flash of black hair caught her eye.

Roy stopped too and his face darkened. Riza pushed back the immediate pang of anguish that settled in her stomach, having to remind herself that the anger was directed toward Pride. As she stepped down from the vehicle, however, a new sense of fear began to bleed into her mind. Though she had rehearsed in her mind their first encounter, she found that every word and situation that she had envisioned had suddenly disappeared from her mind. She braced herself for the barrage of questions or the venom-laced words he would direct toward Pride, but the closer he got, the more his face she could see that his expression changed.

With every step he took, the spiteful glint in his eye dulled and the anger that permeated the air that separated them dissipated. She found herself drawn toward him, the magnetism they had shared before reenergizing their connection. And within moments they had met in the middle.

In the periphery of her vision, she saw his hand twitch as he stopped himself from lifting it to her face. Instead he stopped short of the action, his hand finding her shoulder instead. The moment it contacted her, the tension that had wrought her body vanished, and for a moment she felt that sense of familiarity she had craved as he looked past the changes Pride's possession had inflicted on her body and murmured, "Lieutenant…"

"How is this even possible?"

Riza watched as Roy leaned forward and braced his elbows against his knees. He made an attempt to press his lips against his knuckles, though the effort proved to be futile once he began to bounce his legs, and he abandoned the notion entirely. His eyes swept across the chimera they had befriended and over Alphonse, Winry, and May. They momentarily rested on Greed before they finally fell on Riza. He held her stare for a few moments, and, for the first time since she had reunited with him, he smiled. It was hardly noticeable; one of those rare smiles where the corners of his eyes wrinkled when his lips barely moved. But it was definitely there.

Though… it did little to comfort her.

Because behind that silent show of solidarity, she saw uncertainty. Fear almost. He was just as unsure about her future as she was. Maybe even more so. She knew that his knowledge in alchemy that would pertain to what happened to her would be lacking, but something in the back of her mind still held out for that hope that he would formulate something to try and make sense of the situation… and possibly a solution to repair it. But it seemed that, just like Van Hohenheim himself, Roy was at a loss as well.

She was thankful when he finally tore his eyes from hers to focus his attention on Hohenheim, who had finally cleared his throat in response to Roy's question. Before she allowed her glance to wander to the acclaimed alchemist, she clenched her hands together in an effort to stop them from shaking.

Hohenheim leaned forward as well and pushed his glasses up onto his nose as he admitted, "That's what I've been trying to answer myself." Roy's eyes narrowed, but before he could implore further, Hohenheim continued. "From what I gathered, the one who calls himself 'Father' wished to have Pride returned to his side. It seems that its forward thinking was enough to rattle him, and he decided that the only way to ensure that its loyalty remained with him was to tear Pride away from the Lieutenant's body. However, it seems that something went awry. Isn't that right, Lieutenant?"

A few moments passed before Riza registered his words, having been too focused on reliving that time. How powerless she had felt while she laid pinned to that table, unable to command her body to move. She had been completely at both Father and Pride's mercy, though the latter had been as reluctant as she. Riza chewed her lip for a moment, eyes quickly roaming over the room's occupants. Pinako had joined them at some point, adding to the sets of eyes and ears that were hearing for the first time what had happened. She did not dwell on watching them, however; too afraid of what their prolonged stares would mean.

The reluctance they all felt being near her hung heavy in the air around them, and was evidenced by the way they had positioned themselves. Every single one of them, aside from Roy, Hohenheim, and Greed, had chosen to seat themselves as far from her as the furniture arrangements would allow. But just like she had witnessed with Alphonse before, she refused to blame them for their reluctance. Alphonse, Winry, and May had the misfortune of seeing Pride's tenacity firsthand. It was no surprise they would be frightened, especially when she still bore the same physical semblance to it.

She nodded in reply and answered, "Yes. More or less, that was what Father intended."

Hohenheim dipped his head toward her before he turned to address Roy again. "In order to draw Pride from the Lieutenant's body, Father needed to extract her soul as well. But while doing so, something happened where the process was interrupted. The souls within Pride's Stone and the Lieutenant's soul, suddenly displaced, entered a state of tumultuous confusion. In this state, they were on equal grounds and vying for control. What I believe happened then was that the Lieutenant's soul, the body's original resident soul, managed to overcome the state of confusion first and subsequently assumed control. However," he added gravely, "That also meant that the Lieutenant's soul assumed control of the Philosopher's Stone as well."

"So there's a way to reverse this then," Roy pressed. "If what you claim is true, then the reverse can be done—"

Hohenheim shook his head, shutting his thought down. "It doesn't work like that, Colonel Mustang."

Roy's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"You see," Hohenheim began again, turning his palms face up. "What happened was a fluke – a flaw in plans the Homunculus that calls himself 'Father' laid out. He never meant for what happened to happen. In fact, if it went the way it had in his original design, your Lieutenant would not be sitting here before you."

Roy's eyes darted over to her. Riza held his gaze for a few moments before turning her attention to Hohenheim again, silently urging him to follow suit. His eyes remained on her for a few moments, drinking her in, before they finally tore themselves from her and followed her line of sight back to Hohenheim.

"If I remember correctly, you said that Pride had no recollection of its previous incarnation." Roy tensed, and Hohenheim seemed to pick up on it. Adjusting his glasses and pushing them up onto his nose again, he asked, "Am I correct in saying that?"

He was facing Roy, though Riza knew that the question was directed toward her. She nodded slowly, and he dipped his head in understanding. His eyes still focused on Roy, he said, "If that's the case, then wouldn't the same happen to the Lieutenant?"

Roy's eyes momentarily widened, though he was quick to mask his surprise behind skepticism. "A collection of souls with no real master is different than a single soul that has maintained its individuality."

"That's correct," Hohenheim agreed. "Though that still doesn't change the fact that a single soul cannot retain its individuality amongst a tempest of souls." Roy's brows creased but, before he could counter back, Hohenheim continued. "A soul may be the strongest you've ever encountered, but that still won't save it from becoming lost. If the Philosopher's Stone had been drawn from her body, and her soul along with it, its subtraction from her body would have immersed her with the souls within the Stone. And once it had passed through the Homunculus known as 'Father's' body, it would have almost certainly not been the soul you had known before."

Roy's brows wrinkled, and his eyes slowly slid over to Riza. Though his sympathy was genuine, there was still a degree of scrutiny behind his stare. As though he were suddenly rethinking his proclamation that the 'Riza' he was looking at was actually her. And suddenly she felt herself no longer able to hold his stare. She turned her eyes away from him and focused on Hohenheim again, whose attention was still on Roy. She could still feel his eyes on her, however.

"So," he began quietly. "What you're saying is that if you remove the Philosopher's Stone from her body, her soul might no longer be in control?"

"More or less," Hohenheim replied, to which Roy shot him a skeptical look. He lifted his hands before the man opposite him could ask for clarification and continued, "The soul that is in control of the Stone will likely remain in that position. But from what I've gathered from Pride's words is that it did not remember anything from the life it had lived before. The original Pride was in control when it was reborn in your Lieutenant."

"You're saying that the Lieutenant might not remember the life she had before," Roy said, leaning back and folding his arms over his chest. "Am I right?"

Hohenheim nodded. "Something about being completely separated from its shell seems to reset a Homunculus's memories."

"You say that as though she is one of them," Roy answered pointedly, agitated.

"I'm just saying that I don't want to take any chances," Hohenheim clarified. "If I attempt to do what the Homunculus in the flask did to her, there's a chance that she will no longer be the person she had once been."

Roy's eyes immediately drifted over to her, and this time the met his stare. He held her gaze for a few moments and without looking away, definitively said, "We'll find another way then." He turned his focus toward Hohenheim again. "I don't want to jeopardize her safety."

"Of course," Hohenheim said as his eyes followed Roy's to her. "I don't want to jeopardize your safety either. Despite not having known you for long, Lieutenant, I feel that I've gathered enough about you to paint a general picture of who you are. And based on what I've gathered about you, you do not seem to be the type to readily lie, especially in regard to what we've discussed," he said.

"That's because she isn't," Roy pointed out.

"Colonel," she interjected. Surprised, he turned toward her. "I know my principles, and so do you. But," she continued as his face fell, "I refuse to discount anything until we can eliminate every incorrect variable before the truth."

His face softened, and he sat back. "You're right, Lieutenant. Please, go on."

"Yes, sir," she answered quietly, weaving her fingers together in her lap. Riza took a deep breath, carefully allowing herself to revisit those memories. Though for the moment, she refused to allow herself to relive them, trying to keep herself from focusing on the faces of Kimblee and the nameless soldier. Not when she was feeling that vulnerable and exposed. Once she had a moment alone, she would allow herself to succumb to the remorse that tugged at her psyche. She swallowed and breathed a sigh through her nose. "Sir," she began again, voice catching on her throat.. "Solf J. Kimblee is dead."

The air between them instantly shifted. Without looking up, she knew that every eye in the room had fallen upon her. She could feel their stares boring into her, suffocating her. Riza curled her fingers into a fist and then uncurled them, her eyes focused on a spot on the floor in front of her. The revelation was shocking, albeit unbelievable, as what she felt in the air was less than certain. Still, she reminded herself, she had to overturn every rock, explore every option. No one, not even herself, was certain what had happened, but she had been the closest at the time, and she could not refuse to—

"Alphonse," Roy's voice cut through her thoughts. "Winry and May," he continued. "For the time being, I ask that you three leave us to discuss the rest of this matter."

In the moments that followed, none of the three who were addressed moved, too absorbed in the conversation to think about leaving. But a simple glance toward them and their guests was enough to prompt the former to act, with Zampano and Jerso jumping up to follow through with his request.

"We should probably check on Darius," Zampano muttered as he stood. Jerso followed his lead and then motioned to May for her to follow. The little girl hesitated, wide eyes flickering over to Alphonse to seek confirmation from him. But his soul-fire eyes, from what she had felt, remained glued to Riza the entire time.

She clutched her hands harder, avoiding his stare. It had to have been something he had pieced together based on the scene that had been laid out in front of him when they found her. But perhaps up until that point he had been in denial, refusing to believe that the Lieutenant he had known for so long was capable of such a heinous act, despite knowing deep down her involvement in Ishval.

"Alphonse."

This time she willed her eyes up to find that he had directed his attention toward the Colonel. Seeing that he had the boy's attention, Roy's face softened. "We need a few minutes to discuss the rest of this matter in private. Why don't you guys take the time to check and see how your brother is doing?"

"Oh… right," came the boy's reluctant reply as he slowly rose to his feet. In turn, both Winry and May rose beside him, following his lead.

"That's an excellent idea," Pinako murmured into her pipe, hopping off the couch. "I can make a pot of coffee for those interested."

Roy's eyes never fell on her, though Riza could feel the relief he exuded upon hearing that statement.

"C'mon," she continued, gesturing to the three children who stood awkwardly in front of their seats. "I'm sure Edward could use the company."

The two young girls obediently followed, though Alphonse reluctantly dragged behind. He stopped in the doorway for a few moments before turning to look over his shoulder at them again. She avoided the boy's gaze when it eventually glossed over her. Riza could feel his soul-fire eyes stop on her as he tried to process what she had said. But another stern look from Roy sent the boy a final warning and he finally stepped away. They waited until the hollow steps died away before any of them spoke.

"'Solf J. Kimblee is dead,'" Roy finally muttered, lacing his fingers together and pressing his lips against them. "Have you confirmed that?"

"Indeed," Hohenheim cut in. "It was confirmed by multiple witnesses to be him."

Though his eyes never wandered over to her, Riza could feel Roy's questioning air. The subject was delicate and the self-accusation was damning. Still, she refused to back down and shy away from the gravity of the situation at hand. Because despite not knowing what occurred during the intermediate battle, she was aware of the conclusion that played out, and knew that one way or another, the shadows that had been bestowed upon her were involved.

"Sir," she said again, directing his attention toward her. "While I myself am still trying to piece together what occurred, I can confirm that the one who was there and was subsequently killed was Major Solf J. Kimblee. But what I don't know," she continued quietly, "Is how."

Roy's eyes momentarily drifted from her and flicked over to Hohenheim, and momentarily skirted over Greed, whose uncharacteristic silence proved unnerving. The former cleared his throat, drawing Roy's attention toward him once again. "A blast was what drew us toward their location. From what I gathered once we arrived, a significant amount of alchemic energy had been discharged, creating a sizeable rift in the ground. From my understanding, the alchemic power produced by the alleged Lotus Alchemist Solf J. Kimblee was not too unlike that energy. Based on that knowledge, I've concluded that it was the blast that killed him. But it's like the Lieutenant said: What happened before that point is difficult to determine."

Roy's lips pulled into a thin line, troubled by what little information they had despite being at the scene. His eyes drifted to Riza again, though they held no questioning spark to them. Instead they were steeped with the same confusion they all felt. His focused then turned toward the Homunculus who had been sitting quietly in the corner of the room.

Greed lifted an unamused brow and folded his arms over his chest. "You look like you're expecting me to provide some input."

"You were the one who was with Lieutenant Hawkeye," Roy pointed out.

"Yeah, so what's your point?" He jabbed his thumb toward his chest. "I was trying to keep Gluttony away from her. Damn eating machine had shown up along with them too."

"Gluttony?" Roy glanced at Hohenheim who confirmed it with a nod.

"I sensed another weaker Philosopher's Stone in the area, though it never made an appearance."

"Probably because he ran off to go eat something since I wouldn't let him eat us."

"It seems that Father would go so far to take my Philosopher's Stone that he was willing to allow Gluttony to devour it," Riza murmured. They turned toward her and she winced. Saying 'my' left a bitter taste on her tongue, and an uncomfortable air in its wake. It was something that should have never needed to be said. An abomination of a situation that should have never come into being.

"Yeah, mine too," Greed added with disdain.

"So Gluttony was the primary assailant then," Roy concluded and Riza shook her head.

"It seemed to be a collaborative effort, sir. One way or another, they were going to get the Philosopher's Stone."

"Pride was the first Homunculus, after all," Greed pointed out, leaning back against the chair and folding his arms behind his head. "It's a pretty valuable pawn for Father. He wants what he wants, so he pulled out all the stops to get what he wanted." His lips curled. "Though it seems that he's slipped in his old age. His entire plan is in shambles, and another blow to his ego confirms that he can't even get his hands on another Philosopher's Stone."

"'Plan,'" Roy echoed as his eyes narrowed. "What 'plan?'"

"I have a few conditions before I give you anything." Greed's smirk broadened. "So let's begin negotiating, starting with your Lieutenant's loyalty—"

"That is a matter that may be discussed at another time," Hohenheim cut in. "Right now, our concern lies with what had happened and whether this piece of Father's plan actually fell through or not."

Greed's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, old man?"

Hohenheim turned and gestured toward Riza. "I take both your word and your superior officer's regarding your integrity, Lieutenant. But I would like to evaluate every angle of the situation that we can." He steepled his fingers in front of himself and added, "Starting with discussing what Pride knows."

"Gladly…" Riza pressed her lips together and Pride, sensing her hesitance continued, "You've given me the opportunity before, Lieutenant. It's time that I tell what I know."

She knew it was right, but something inside of her nagged her to not allow it the temporary freedom it sought. But its uncertainty from before reminded her that it had been just as concerned as the rest of them about the lapse in time where neither one of them could recall what happened. To withhold that information simply for her own comfort was not an option. So with that, she agreed and slipped from control.

Taking a moment to relish her freedom, Pride crossed a leg over her knee and rested her chin on her hand, eyes carefully combing over the three others who were seated in the room with her.

First was Greed, whose glare she caught for a moment before dismissing him and turning away to focus on Hohenheim. It was obvious and somewhat amusing how off-put he was when she had a few moments of control. But then again, the loss of the Lieutenant's control meant the loss of control of the shadows she now possessed.

Hohenheim had already been studying her by the time her eyes found his. She could see his mind turning behind his eyes, recalling the series of encounters they had both been a part of. Every failed attempt at separating them played like a picture show in his gaze, and an amused smile tugged at her lips. He more than any of them understood Philosopher's Stones and the alchemical advances they were capable of achieving. But despite his vast wealth of knowledge, she could see him struggling to make something of what little information he had.

And then there was the Colonel, whose sympathetic gaze turned to ice the moment he sensed the Lieutenant was gone. Her smile grew when their eyes met and the resent he felt coagulated in the air between them. She could see the hate brewing inside of him. Had she complete control, she would have made sure to reiterate on the fact that Lieutenant Hawkeye was hers to control. But with that card no longer in her hands, she instead decided to acknowledge his stare before turning toward Hohenheim as he cleared his throat to draw her attention.

"I presume I am speaking with Pride?"

"Indeed," she muttered, the smile fading from her face. "And I presume you're going to question me about what happened? I'll save you the trouble and wasted breath and tell you that I don't know what happened." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Colonel shift uncomfortably. Keeping her attention on Hohenheim, she added, "The Lieutenant's vision turned black and so did the area surrounding me."

Hohenheim leaned forward. "Turned black, you say? Care to elaborate?"

She shrugged. "There's nothing more to say. I don't remember what happened." Hohenheim's eyes narrowed and she lifted a brow in response. "You don't believe me?"

"No," he said. "It's not that I don't believe you. Rather, I think there's more to the story than what you've told me."

She shifted uncomfortably. "It seems as though you're trying to get something that isn't there, Hohenheim," she replied coolly. "But rest assured: when I say that there isn't more to the story, there isn't." He pressed his lips together and his brows creased together, and she knew that he didn't believe her.

"Pride-"

"Shut up," she hissed, cutting through the Lieutenant's words. She rose to her feet as Hawkeye attempted it again, pushing her soul back and away from the forefront of the Stone. The Lieutenant responded by pushing back more forcibly.

A hand pressed against her shoulder and she twirled around to find Hohenheim in her direct line of sight. Before he could get a word in, her arm shot up and grabbed the collar of his shirt. He remained stone-faced and unyielding. Her grip on Hohenheim's collar tightened. "I don't appreciate the blame you've laid on my shoulders, Hohenheim. Because if there's one thing I'm not, it's a liar."

His face remained impassive and he calmly placed a hand atop hers to pry her fingers from his shirt. "I'm not placing the blame on you. In fact, I feel as though I know less than I did before. Please, elaborate for me and explain why you aren't the one who killed Kimblee."

A malicious smirk drifted over her face as she shadows she had lost control of rose and fell in small waves at her feet. Her eyes darted down to them, pleased by the minute amount of control she had gartered. When she looked up at him, Pride purred, "This is the extent of my control, Hohenheim. If you think I had managed to combat Kimblee in this state, then you are sorely mistaken."

Hohenheim's brows rose. "All you're proving, Pride," he said as he tightened his grip on her hand. "Is that you have some control over them. All it would take to inflict the damage I perceived is one carefully placed strike from one of those shadows."

Her eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth. The shadows made rigid movements up to her arm and she drew it back, preparing to strike. But before she could, a hand caught her wrist and the shadows dissipated. She whirled around and found the Colonel behind her. When their eyes met, his grip on her wrist tightened and his face darkened. The feeling of disdain dissolved and for a moment a self-satisfied grin spread across her face. "It's a terrible realization isn't it, Colonel Mustang? Discovering it's your Lieutenant who's the monster."

"That's enough of your lies, Pride," he hissed.

She clicked her tongue and tilted her head. "I thought I told you: I may be many things, but the one thing I am not is a liar." The Lieutenant shoved back against her temporary control and she gave. The miniscule amount of energy she had mustered had already been spent and she slipped back into the corner of the Stone that had been carved for her.

A splash of blood clouded Riza's vision and Roy's grip on her wrist tore away. She stepped back, horrified, as the shadow that had torn through his cheek dissipated. With a hiss, he lifted the hand that had grabbed her wrist to his bloodied cheek and pressed it against the wound it had created. Her hand went to her mouth and she retreated away from him.

"Lieutenant, wait," he said, quick to recover from the blow. He took a step toward her as Hohenheim stopped beside her, as though expecting the situation to escalate.

"Don't," she warned as she stepped back, increasing the distance between them twice what he had closed. She could feel his betrayed stare boring into her, but this space also meant his safety. "I think it's best that you keep your distance, sir. Please."

He stopped in his tracks as pain flashed across his face. She could see the blood beginning to seep through his fingers, dripping down his fingers and face and down onto his jacket. Her fingers twitched and she balled her hand into a fist. In a strange, horrifying way, she could taste the faint iron tinge that was characteristic of blood.

She took another step away from him as a pool of dread filled her. Whatever part of her she felt she had been missing before had not returned when they were reunited. She had believed before it had been that separation that was the reason for it. But now that she was standing face-to-face with him, after he had learned and knew everything about what had happened, she felt sick to her stomach. As though the pit in her stomach had grown and devoured every bit of confidence she had had before. And it had manifested itself and hurt him.

She had been foolish to believe that everything that they had shared before would withstand the test of time, and every obstacle they would face. She had been wrong to believe that there was no exception that would test her undying devotion to him or their dream.

She had been wrong.

When he made a move toward her again, she stepped back into the hallway and, out of the corner of her eye, saw a door that had been left ajar. She stumbled the few remaining steps back into it and slammed the door shut. Riza fumbled around until her hand found the light switch and, when she turned it on and her eyes adjusted, discovered that it was one of the home's restrooms. Her rigid movements had knocked a towel from a towel rack and without thought, she shoved it beneath the door, occluding the crack between the door and the door jamb.

"Lieutenant!"

Riza stumbled away from the door and wrapped her arms around herself, repeating over and over in her mind above the roar of the souls that the 'threat' that stood on the other side was not a threat at all. "Colonel, please," she gasped as the shadows rolled around her feet. "Please just… give me a minute."

The pounding stopped. She could see his shadow beneath the door, standing at attention, waiting for what she would say next. But she shook her head and sank down onto the seat, hanging her head between her legs as another rush moved to sway her soul. She bit down on her tongue and felt the sparks begin to dance across its surface as it began to heal, forcing the Stone's attention away from the Colonel.

She cracked an eye open and saw that he had not moved away from the door, and begged him to heed her request.

She had been wrong, she thought as she tried to quell the continual roar of the souls. She had been wrong.

She had been wrong.

Roy's hand hovered above the door, trembling, as he contemplated refusing her request. But the protuberant sting of the cut the shadow had left urged him to heed what she had asked of him and he quietly took a step back.

He refused to believe what Pride had so proudly quipped. He knew her. Lifting his hand, he brushed his fingers over the cut and pulled it away, looking down at the blood that stained them. His mind was still reeling and piecing together what had been said, but one thing that had been a certain fixture in his thoughts was that her reaction had been surprise.

"Well that was quite the show, wasn't it?"

Roy's eyes flickered over to Greed, who had propped himself against the wall opposite him. A knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, displaying the monster's sharpened teeth.

Without turning his gaze toward the Homunculus, Roy answered, "All that happened was that I startled her." He rubbed his fingers together at his side, flaking off the bits of blood that had dried at their tips.

Greed scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. "Well that's obvious. Funny you have to say it out loud to confirm to yourself that it's true." This time Roy whirled around, the Homunculus catching his complete attention. Greed tilted his head. "Just say it already. It's unsettling, isn't it?"

Roy straightened himself and narrowed his gaze. "No. it's simply fact. All we can do now is move forward and figure out a way to reverse what happened."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Greed snorted and rolled his eyes.

The corner of Roy's lip twitched. He had been in the Homunculus's presence for a collective hour at most, and already it was beginning to test him. Though they had hardly hit it off by any means with his suggested 'barter' for Riza. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm just trying to get you to face the music and realize that the Lieutenant is just like—"

Before Roy realized it, the distance between them had been closed and his hand was wound tightly around the collar of Greed's shirt. Its clawed hand immediately locked around his wrist, and its devilish violet eyes narrowed. Refusing to bow to its show of strength, he tightened his grip. But rather than strike back, the Homunculus's face softened and he chuckled. "My Lieutenant's loyalty is not something that can be given away," Roy snarled. "She is the only one who can decide what she does. Suggesting that she's like you to drive a wedge between us and force her away won't work."

An almost sympathetic grin spread across Greed's face and he tilted his head. "So what you're saying is that you won't mind when she finally makes her decision to follow me then, right? Because whether you like it or not, the Lieutenant is more like me than she'll ever be like you now," Greed said as he peeled Roy's fingers off the collar of his shirt. When his grip loosened enough, the Homunculus pushed his hand away and brushed the front of his shirt of, casting Roy a self-satisfied glance. "I'm the only one who knows how to teach control."

"You think that just because you're…" Roy trailed off and the word sat on the edge of his reluctant tongue. Greed picked up on his reluctance and Roy pushed back the utter disgust he felt as the monster smirked. "Just because you're similar."

Greed snorted at his refusal to use the dreaded term and lifted a knowing brow. "Keep dodging the truth, Colonel. I'm sure it'll do you good when the next time you 'startle' her results with your head cut clean off your shoulders." The sound of approaching footsteps drew his attention away for a moment and he leaned back, peering around the corner to see who it was that was moving. Turning back to Roy, he shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands into his pockets, angling himself toward the hallway that ran perpendicular to where they stood. "Keep that in mind for later because I'm sure she's already considering what I said." Pointing toward his own cheek, mirroring the spot where the cut on Roy's was, he added, "Make sure you take care of that," before turning on his heels, leaving Roy standing alone to digest what he had said.

Despite the souls having quieted down, Riza still found that remnants of her struggle to keep them contained remained. She gripped the edge of the sink and slowly pushed herself to her feet, knees trembling, as she fought against the fatigue that had set in in both her mind and body. Pride's voice, weakened by its prior stunt, had been drowned out by the cacophony that had ensued. Now it was gone, having retreated to lick its wounds, and leaving her alone with the

She pressed a hand against the mirror and locked eyes with the reflection that stared back. From the moment she had realized what had happened and had seen glimpses of Pride's influence in her face to then, she hadn't the time to truly look and take in its effects. The eyes she had seen flash red in the broken pieces of glass in Central still remained the most prominent feature she could see. Her thumb absently dragged across her reflection, across the eyes that were so blaringly visible.

The dirt, the remnants of blood –had it been there before, or was it fresh-, that spotted her face, nor the dark circles beneath them did nothing to obscure that fact. Her hand trailed down the glass and fell to the faucet, turning it to allow the water to freely flow. She stood, breath caught in her throat, as the vision before her sank in. The word pressed at the back of her mind but she pushed it away, dipping her hand beneath the spray of water until she wetted it enough. As she lifted her hand to her face, it pushed back against her will, demanding that she confront its reality. She began to wipe away the dirt, dodging its presence for a few moments more.

Riza knew it was futile to believe that it could wash away what she had become, but at that moment it was the only thing she could grasp without completely shattering beneath the situation's gravity.

Homunculus.

The hand stopped.

Edward's father had said so easily, applying it to Greed… and herself. The word held with it a bitter taste. Even the thought of it left a raw, disgusting taste in her mouth. 'Homunculus' was a term that they had reserved for an almost otherworldly being. A monster.

She pressed a hand against the wall to steady herself as the realization slowly washed over her.

Homunculus.

No longer was it a term that she associated with monsters of myth and legend. Now she was living the life of one, trapped in an endless cycle of deconstruction and reconstruction. From what she understood, the lives of the souls trapped within the Philosopher's Stone would be stacked on each other, adding to the span she already had on her own life. Every injury and every shadow cast from that point on that would severely deplete or even end one of the lives within the Stone. While it would lessen the already long life it had cursed her with, it would also destroy one of the souls, and therefore another life, no matter its state of mind.

Every single soul within the Philosopher's Stone was once a living, breathing person. Using and depleting it until it fizzled into nonexistence was essentially taking its life. And that in and of itself was too unbearable for her to follow through with. The realization then hit her with the force of a freight train. She would be doomed to live this existence until their lives, and eventually hers, naturally decayed. She would watch as those she cared for most grow, age, and eventually die.

That is, if there was anyone left…

Roy's face flashed through her mind – the expressions he had worn since she had returned to him playing before her mind's eye. The anger toward Pride, the sympathetic worry that had overtaken his expression when she had finally confessed to him what had occurred, the softness in his eyes. But then the fear that had overcome him sprang to the forefront of her mind, and the blood that had poured from his cheek clouded her vision.

Her knees began to tremble again and she pressed her hands against the sink to keep herself from slipping onto the floor. She had done that to him, the one person she had sworn to protect, and had nearly torn him to pieces without thought.

Just like that soldier who had been as innocent as the souls within the Philosopher's Stone…

Her grip on the edge of the skin loosened as his face flashed into her mind, and the remaining strength she had had in her knees vanished. She slowly sank down to the floor as the realization of the amount of blood on her hands overtook her. Riza wrapped her arms around herself, biting down on her lower lip to break the sob that had been building in the back of her throat.

She had been wrong.

It had been a mistake returning to them, believing that there was a place for her there among them again. The danger they faced because of her presence, because of her lack of control, was far too great. Because now she realized that there was no longer a question of 'if' someone would be hurt again; but rather, when.

A/N: Again, apologies for how long this took! To be honest, I've been feeling pretty reluctant to continue with this fic. The words are (mostly) there, but I'm worried that my pacing/descriptions/characterizations may have been slipping and that I'm not staying true to the characters. I'm going to think about it for a while, but I may hiatus this fic for a bit until I get my ducks in a row (or possibly rewrite the chapter). Thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews - they truly mean a lot! If there are any suggestions for how to go about combatting this little bump, or how to better manage the characters, feel free to message me!