Reiko examined Karin's cart of blue roses.

"How unique." Reiko said. "I've never seen this color before. You truly have a gift."

"Thank you miss—"

"It's Reiko."

"Wonderful to meet a fellow gardener." Karin smiled. "Would you like to meet a friend of mine? He likes flowers too."

Reiko nodded. "Do you think I could get some seeds for that flower? I'd like to study it."

"Of course of course. But first you must give something to me." Karin said, leading her into Majhal's waiting arms.

"Equivalent Exchange after all." Majhal said.

"Give me...your youth."

Reiko blacked out.

xxx

"Come on hurry!" Al yanked Ed and Kuri along.

"Where are we going?" Ed demanded.

"A strange woman led Reiko away!" Al said. "She was in some sort of trance. I think it was the blue roses!"

"Majhal's workshop!" Kuri said. "He could be hurting her!"

"Not every alchemist is evil Kuri!" Ed scowled.

"Yeah, all the ones except you and Al." Kuri retorted, throwing open the door.

Xxx

Inside Reiko was tied to a chair sitting back to back with an old woman—Lebi.

Her body was withering as Karin started to grow younger.

"Ed quickly get me some rope!" Kuri shouted. "Al! Break the circle!"

Al transmuted and broke the circle to pieces, stopping the reaction and returning Reiko to normal. Karin lunged at him, but he knocked her to the ground.

Ed handed Kuri the rope. "What are you going to do?!"

"What I should have done to Tomoe!"

Ed looked alarmed then released her. "I trust you."

"I know." Kuri tied Majhal's hands.

"Ut me manus tua

in mea

Et cum hoc filum

Et se insinuent

tuae potestatis

Et alligabunt in sempiternum

Ex hoc usque

ad consummationem saeculi!"

The rope glowed and vanished.

"W-What?!" Majhal shouted. "I can't transmute! What did you do girl!"

"I stripped your power Majhal." Kuri said. "You will never transmute again. You will just have to grow old with Karin the old fashioned way."

Karin ran to his embrace but he pushed her away.

"Stay back hag!" Majhal said. "You old crone, you aren't my Karin!"

"This is all your fault!" Karin whirled and drew a knife striking out at Reiko.

Al grabbed the knife and transmuted it so that it was broken. "Don't touch my girlfriend!"

Reiko turned to Karin and placed a seed in her hand. "Rest, and grow your beautiful roses."

"She's right. Life is too short to waste time crying over some man." Kuri said.

"Besides that." Reiko held Al's hand. "Someday you'll find a man who loves you for who you are, not what you look like."

Karin stood up, slapped Majhal, and headed back to her rose cart.

"Wh-what about me?!" Majhal said.

"You!" Ed shouted. "After what you've been up to, I'm thinking what Kuri did is almost to lenient. You know what, you should run. Right now."

Majhal scrambled up and took off running.