Summary:
Edward and Major Armstrong arrive at Resembool, where Ed continues to lament that he was essentially kidnapped by the Strong Arm Alchemist, and expresses his shock at being met outside the train station by 2nd Lt. Heymans Breda. Breda leads the two alchemists to a nearby cafe and introduces them to a Xingese immigration coordinator named Han who was recommended by Fu, but when Edward realizes that whatever is going on will involve illegal border crossings from the country, he wants to know exactly. where they are headed and Breda declares that their secret destination is to the east.Deep below Central Command, in the Homunculi’s underground lair, Envy demands to know why Wrath allowed Colonel Mustang and his cohorts to escape after they assassinated Lust and nearly discovered this secret base. Father asks the same, and Wrath replies that a good-hearted Mustang might be able to open the gate. Delighted by this answer, Father places the Flame Alchemist under Wrath’s jurisdiction, while the Führer assures Envy that Mustang is still responsible for military action and will soon be freed.At the hospital, Alphonse and Sgt. Fuery arrived at Roy and Havoc’s room to find the Colonel berating Lt. Hawkeye for snapping her out of her commitment to the enemy’s word during their underground battle. Al enters as Fuery delivers a map of the city to the lieutenant, who explains that she counted her steps as they walked through the underground facility together, but since the corridors were slightly curved, she couldn’t pinpoint their location. she just confirmed that they ended up somewhere in the circle she drew on the map with lab 3 in the middle. Mustang notices that both Central Command and the Führer’s executive headquarters lie slightly in a circle and wonders if Bradley is involved with the Homunculi, but Alphonse notes that the Führer has completely decimated Greed’s forces in Dublith, leading Roy to wonder if King Bradley can count. as ally or enemy – especially when it was the Führer who called the ambulance to pick them up. After Alphonse and Fuery leave the room, Mustang, Hawkeye, and Havoc continue to discuss the situation, noting that Hughes’ statement regarding the danger to the government probably means that the conspiracy threatens the nation’s very existence. Mustang asks his subordinates to continue kicking the thing, but is surprised when Havoc suddenly bows out and declares that he can no longer feel either of his legs.In the Eastern Desert, Ed, Armstrong, Breda and Han reach the ancient ruins of Xerxes, where they are greeted by Fu. Edward notes that all he knows about Xerxes is his role in the legend of the Philosopher of the East, in which a survivor of Xerxes’ nocturnal destruction ventured west to teach alchemy to the first settlers of Amestris. Fu notes that the Xing people have a similar legend of a philosopher from the West, where a survivor of Xerxes ventured east to impart the knowledge that would later become alkahestry to the Xinges, making Edward understand why Ling was so interested in seeing ruins. alone. As they continue towards their destination where the last of their party awaits, Edward notices the remains of a large mural that looks like the ruins of a large and familiar looking transmutation field, but before he can he is called back to the group. explore it further. Fu explains that they could only hide their last member deep in the ruins where they couldn’t discover her, and just as Edward is about to ask who this mysterious person is, he remembers Mustang’s strange comment about women in the East being beautiful. he lays eyes on a healthy and alive Maria Ross. Breda explains to Edward that after becoming suspicious of the conspicuous manner in which Central Command publicized Ross’s arrest and conviction, he orchestrated her apparent death and helped her sneak out of the country where no one would recognize her.Back in Resembool, a mysterious bearded man resembling Father Homunculi arrives in town and passes by the charred remains of the Elric homestead before changing course to the Rockbell house where Pinako is looking through old photo albums. As Den notices the man’s strange presence and starts barking madly, the stranger opens the door, at which point the shocked old woman refers to him as Van Hohenheim, Ed and Al’s father. As outside winds blow away the pages of the album in a photograph from some fifty years ago, Pinako notes that Van Hohenheim hasn’t changed a bit in all that time.