Author's notes: Someone shoot me, another fic. This is the second FMA fic I've typed, but the first one I'm posting. I should be working on Abused and Just an Emotionless Nobody but…

Edward: What about 'The Five Alone', 'Chaos over the Sword', 'Life of All Worlds', 'Organization Mishaps'-

Me: (muffles Edward) Shut up while you're still alive. Besides, I've already made it clear on my profile that my Legend of Zelda fics are on an extended hiatus… is anyone even reading those things anymore? Anyway, enough rambling.

Disclaimer: If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, do you really think that this would be on ?

State Chimera

Roy glanced up as the door to his office opened, putting his pen down. He folded his hands together as the Elric brothers walked in. Neither were aware that this wasn't another lead for the Philosopher's Stone. Edward would go off once he found out, but the kid had no choice but to comply. Roy had been told to pass on an official military mission to Edward, so if the kid didn't obey orders there would be an official court martial by the higher-ups. Edward sat down on the couch and looked at Roy.

"Hello, Colonel bastard."

"Hello, Fullmetal." Roy replied, shrugging off the elder Elric brother's nickname for him. "I have a short mission for you." He smirked slightly.

"Don't call me short." Edward glared. "It puts me in a bad mood."

"Anyway, the Fuhrer has given you an official military mission. I'm not sure of the details, but they'll all be in here." Roy said, passing Edward a folder. "The mission shouldn't take more than two weeks, but I'm sure that someone of your ability will be able to manage this in under that time." He paused. "Oh, and this is an official military mission, meaning that Alphonse can't get involved."

Silence followed, until Edward decided to break it.

"But that's not fair. Me and Al have followed every lead side-by-side."

"But this is your first military mission, and Alphonse is not part of the military." Roy countered. "And if you want to keep your secret a secret, then I suggest it remains that way." No one spoke for awhile.

"Fine." The elder Elric brother grumbled, crossing his arms. "Is that okay with you, Al?" He asked, looking up at his younger brother.

"We don't have a choice, brother. You have to go alone, otherwise they could court martial you." Alphonse replied. Edward sighed, knowing that his brother had a point.

"You leave tomorrow morning. The train tickets are included in the folder." Roy explained as Edward got up. The Fullmetal Alchemist didn't reply, except by nodding, and then turned and left the office, Alphonse close behind.

"You think he's ready for this?" Riza, silent until now, asked, looking over at Roy.

"Does he have a choice?" He asked in response, signing some paperwork that he hadn't read.

"Guess not…"

Roy sighed, glancing up from his paperwork to look at Alphonse. You could tell, even though he was a suit of armor, that he was worried. Edward had been gone for a month now, and the mission said that it would've taken two weeks at most. Riza hadn't said anything, but you could tell that she was worried, too. Hell, everyone wanted to know what had happened to the Fullmetal Alchemist. Even Roy wondered…

"I'm sure he's just been held up, Alphonse. Got on the wrong train, maybe, or maybe things were worse off than expected and he's stayed back to help out." The colonel tried to convince the younger Elric brother that Edward was fine, but the words weren't very convincing. He had a hard time believing them himself. Alphonse just nodded, before standing.

"Thank you, sir." He said with a bow before he left the office.

"You think it was a good idea for him to be sent off alone?" Riza asked Roy.

"It wasn't my choice. I probably would've let the brothers go together. After all, Alphonse would've become a State Alchemist, too, had it not been for the fact that he's an empty suit of armor."

Riza simply nodded.

"They've officially proclaimed Edward dead." Riza commented as she entered the office at the end of her lunch break. Roy sighed with a nod, looking at the paperwork regarding Edward's disappearance and 'death'.

"He's been gone three months. He was supposed to be gone two weeks. They proclaimed him missing in action a month after he was supposed to return, remember?" He commented in a dull tone. Riza just nodded, taking her place behind him.

"Are you going to sign those?" She asked after he just sat there, staring at the papers. Roy sighed, before signing the papers and making Edward's death official.

"We've gotten word from Alphonse, sir."

Roy glanced up at Kain Fuery with slight interest. They hadn't heard from Alphonse since Edward had been proclaimed dead. He'd just disappeared one day, and didn't return.

"Do tell." The Colonel put his pen down and folded his hands.

"He's been in Risembool with the Rockbells this entire time, sir." Kain told him.

"It makes sense." Roy muttered. It was only right that Alphonse would've gone to his hometown and let the Rockbells know about Edward having been proclaimed dead. "Is there any news regarding Edward?" He asked. Roy had kept his subordinates searching for the Fullmetal Alchemist secretly, even after his death had been made official. Kain shook his head.

"Nothing new, sir."

Roy sighed. "You can go, Fuery."

He watched as Kain bowed, then left the office.

"Sir, it's extremely unlikely that they'll find anything regarding Edward at this point." Riza told him. Roy just nodded.

"I know."

"Welcome back, Alphonse." Roy spoke, glancing up as the suit of armor entered his office. Alphonse just nodded. It had been five months since Edward had gone missing. "Al, we've been searching for your brother in secret. I find it extremely unlikely that someone like him would die easily. Myself and Hawkeye are going to start searching, too. You know your brother better than anyone else, so I want you to come with us." Alphonse's eyes lit up.

"I knew it! I knew he's alive." The younger Elric brother exclaimed, trying to hide his excitement, although he was failing. Roy smiled. I thought that'd cheer him up a bit.

"I'll have Havoc get you when we're ready to go." The Colonel told Alphonse, who nodded.

"Yes sir!" He bowed, then turned and left the office. Roy smiled.

"That cheered him up."

"But for how long, Colonel?" Riza asked him.

"As long as we stay optimistic around him, he should be fine."

Author's notes: Yes, I know it's short, but it's just the prologue. I should have the next chapter up soon… if my X-mas pressies don't distract me.