Zero walked silently through the streets of the village wearing a black cloak. She could sense the one like her watching her, following her, but she showed no signs of knowing. She had left the inn as soon as she had felt the presence, leaving the sleeping (and snoring in Ed's case) brothers behind without waking them up.

She made her way out of the village and into the desert, where she finally stopped. He was still watching her; she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck still on end from his presence. "Are you going to come out and face me?" she demanded, "Or are you to cowardly to show yourself?"

There was a shimmer in front of her and the scenery distorted into the shape of another cloaked figure. "Well if it isn't Triple 12," she said with a smirk, knowing how much they other students at the Academy of Sorcery hated it when she shortened their numbers.

(auther's note: I'm just gonna call him 12 to make things easier.)

12 glared at her coldly. "I have been sent to eliminate you, 0:0:0," he stated and fell silent, waiting for what he knew would come from her lips.

"So be it," she said, demeanor changing to a cold one, "But it is your own death at stake. I challenge you to a death battle."

He smirked and the sand rose in a giant arch and came careening towards her. "Is this your best?" she stated and simply waved her hand. The sands dispersed, not one grain touching her. She stared coldly at 12, and he took a slight step back, knowing this was his end. "Your death will not be pointless," she assured him as the whites of her eyes turned red. He was engulfed in flames, incinerating him in an instant.

Zero sighed deeply. A feeling of overwhelming shock filled her as her empathy picked up the emotions of someone close and she froze.

Al stared at Zero in complete shock, not wanting to believe what he had just seen. "Zero…why?"

She turned to face him. "Al…you're supposed to be asleep…" she said softly, regret in her eyes and voice, "You weren't supposed to see that."

Al was surprised by the regret she was showing. "All I want to know is why, Zero. Why did you just kill that man?"

A long silence followed his question. Al could tell she was having a hard time trying to tell him, and waited patiently for her to answer. "I'm not like you, Al," she said at last, so quietly he could barely hear her, "I'm different from everyone on this hell hole we call earth."

"That doesn't explain why you killed him!"

"When two sorcerers duel, it is always a duel to the death," she said coldly, "And if I hadn't dueled him, he would have gone after, and killed, innocent humans in order to get to me. And that's something I can't allow to happen."

"You say that like you're not human," Al said after a long silence.

"I said that because I'm not human, Al," Zero said softly, pain filling her voice, "I'm a Sorceress of the Academy. Or I would be if the Elders hadn't banished me." Venom dripped from her words now, surprising Al.

She turned and started walking away. "Wait! Where are you going?" Al's voice stopped her.

"I'm leaving, Al," she said as calmly as she could. She really liked these brothers and felt a special feeling already starting for Ed. "I understand that you don't want me around."

"I didn't say that!" Al said, "I don't want you to go. I'm sure Ed wouldn't want you to leave either. You're our friend, Zero."

"You…you still want me around?" he could barely hear her now.

"Yes!"

"Even though I'm not human?"

"Don't say that, Ze!" Al yelled at her as he went over and grabbed her arm to make her look at him. "You are human. It doesn't matter what you do or what you are on the outside. It's what's on the inside that determines man from beast."

She stared at him for a while, not knowing how to respond. He wants me to stay. He doesn't care what I am. "You won't tell Ed?" she asked, looking down at her feet.

He knew what she meant by that. "Not if you don't want me too," he said and released her hand.

"Thank you Al."

"You're welcome."