Ed leaped up and backed up, pointing his automail blade out at the two, only to realize it wasn't out anymore. "Is Hotaka the one responsible for Winry's house being burned down!"

"Relax, kid." Felix, the younger Slicer brother, said, "Unlike that fake mother the other guy made we're not homunculus."

Ed looked at them with a questioning look, "How?"

"1) He used a complete philosopher's stone, 2) the transmutation didn't really fail."

Ed frowned, "How did it not fail, bringing back a human life is impossible."

Hotaka walked onto the scene, "It worked because I'm not quite human either, Edward."

The short Elric turned towards him, "You did that? So wait.. what about Hughes? Is he one of yours?"

Hotaka nodded, "I sent him off before giving him any information as to why he's alive, mostly because people may try misusing it..."

"Okay, if you're not human then what are you?"

"I don't know, quite frankly." The man said. "If you're wondering why I'm bringing people back is because that man we saw in Xerxes is going to try to take control of the military. To do that he feels the need to wipe out the state alchemists, as they'd be the best defense against him. Hughes, I gave him life again so that that man couldn't do it himself and kill Roy. You were supposed to die in that fire."

Ed frowned, "I need to go back and keep that phony away from the others..."

Hotaka grabbed his arm, "It'll be safer for them if they think you died for now."

Edward was starting to dislike this man, but he didn't fight back, mostly because his body still ached to living hell. "What now?"

"We wait. You stay here and rest. Once I think it's safer for the others, you'll go out and gather people to fight back."

Ed nodded. He only hoped the others were safe.

-0-0-0-

A neighbor decided to allow those who had been staying in the Rockbell home to stay with them while it was rebuilt. The neighbor was a farmer, and owned several sorts of animals and a barn. Winry had herself up in the hayloft, staying away from everyone while she just sat there, crying over Edward. The Martin twins became devoted to their studies, Cody planned to become a better alchemist in honor of Edward's memory, someone needed to be there for the people Winry wasn't helping out of depression on Zack's part. Al would be found watching the construction going on at the house, hoping to see them pull out at least a body of his older brother so that, if he had died, he'd receive a proper burial. Bailey was helping with work around the farm in attempt to forget the death of a friend.

Trisha was no where to be found.

"Your mother must be taking this really hard.." Cody noted towards the youngest elric.

Al nodded, "I hope she's okay..."

"I never thought I'd have a friend die so soon..."

Al looked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I didn't think he'd die like this either... I just hope he went somewhere good... maybe he's with our Teacher now."

Cody nodded, "Come on, I need some help with alchemy... maybe it'll get our minds off of this?"

Al sighed a bit, "Alright. Let's get a few feet away from here so we have more space in case another one of you transmutations go haywire."

-0-0-0-

"Sir, we've just received word that the Fullmetal Alchemist is dead." A military official said as he stood in the presence of Roy Mustang.

Roy stood from his seat, "Fullmetal is what?"

"Dead... sir..."

"Care to explain how the hell that happened?"

"House fire, sir..."

Roy frowned. He had always pictured his young subordinate as a bit of a son, or kid brother who he teased all the time. This news wasn't any good at all. And to think. He was killed by the flame - the one thing he controlled. "Are you absolutely sure they identified the body as Fullmetal?"

"Th-they didn't find the body."

Some sort of relief washed through the General's body, "Then he may still be alive. You're dismissed."

Soon as the officer left Roy gathered up a few things and headed for the Fuhrer's office to play a game of chess.

-0-0-0-

"So, they announced him as dead despite no sign of a body." Grumman said, moving a pawn forward.

Roy gazed at his pieces, deciding what to do next. "That tells me he's not dead or they didn't look hard enough. A simple house fire does not cremate people."

Grumman nodded, a short study of the pieces gave Grumman a new path to attack Roy's king with. "So what do you suppose we do?"

"I say we look around the area where the building is, and if he isn't found there, we'll look in the mountains. If we can't find him, we'll stay with the decision those idiots made of his death. At least that's my idea. Any objections?"

"Alright then. I'll assign you and Riza to this. Hotaka never returned from that little escort journey he went on with Fullmetal and the other three. He's a suspect. Anything else?"

Roy smiled and stood up. "Checkmate."

-End of Chapter-

SHORT CHAPTER IS SHORT! I really couldn't think of a specific direction for this chapter to go, so I did what I could to give it a good place to cut off. More soon!