A/N: Okay all the way up to the line 'I missed you too sis.' Emjay wrote after that it was all me. So…here it is my brother and mine joint effort.

Rain pitter-pattered off of the porch's tin roof as he stood at the doorway. He hadn't knocked yet; merely stood there, staring at the heavy wooden door with his stomach feeling as though it was filled with stone. He thought this might happen. After all, auto-mail isn't indestructible. He knew when he stepped on the train to Central that there was a risk…he had only hoped that it would have been longer before this conversation took place. He glanced down at the remains of his left arm, the finely crafted metal that was now sliced apart and the meticulously woven wiring that now frayed out. He released a heavy sigh before softly knocking on the door.

The door swung slowly open, creaking with its age as it did so. Behind it stood the doctor he had known from his childhood; the one that had taken care of his mother for many years. His heart was now weighted down with something different, something much heavier. The doctor remembered his face and smiled weakly as he walked by, the lines on his face deeper than Mirayasha had remembered them. He turned as he passed, his mouth agape about to ask a question, when another familiar sound from his past rang in his ears. It was small at first, only a soft whining. Then, as it drew nearer, it became louder and louder. Time seemed to slow down as the familiar sound of metal cutting through air drifted through his eardrums. He only had time to whip around and face the door before it happened. An event that had happened so many times since he had received his auto-mail, a double open-ended wrench approximately 8 inches long smacked squarely into his forehead, causing him to stumble backwards and fall down the porch steps.

"You IDIOT!!!! You're gone for two weeks and come back with your arm like THAT?!? Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to make that?!?!" His sister's voice rang throughout the country side as thunder crashed somewhere in the distance. She stormed through the doorway with a look somewhere between resentment and fury on her face. From his back in the mud, Mirayasha mumbled the only words he could find the strength, much less courage, to say, "I missed you too, sis." He said rubbing the sore spot on his forehead.

"I'm sorry Winry I swear I won't do it again!" Ed yelled some distance away closing his eyes tightly and flinching. Keaka stared at him oddly as he opened his eyes and looked around his surroundings. His face flushed a deep red before he straightened himself out and cleared his throat.

"Who are they?" Keaka asked her brother pointing a screwdriver at Ed and Al.

"Who us? Oh well we're friends with Mirayasha here." Al replied. "I'm Alphonse Elric and this is my older brother Edward."

"Older brother?" Keaka questioned walking closer to the alchemist.

"Yeah 'older' why; you got something else to say?" Ed said defensively. Keaka shook her head before looking Alphonse up and down.

"How old are you?" She asked tilting her head to the side.

"Uh, fourteen." Al replied. Keaka's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she gently rapped her screwdriver against his armor. Ed cast Mirayasha a glance that they younger boy picked up instantly.

"So sis can you fix this for me?" He asked going between Al and his sister holding up his arm. She furrowed her brows and twisted her lips in a taking his arm in both her hands and inspected the frayed wiring as bits of metal fell off in her hand.

"It's a miracle it didn't short and zap you. That would have been a nice little surprise for you're nerve endings." She said more to herself than anyone else. As the four stood staring as Keaka held her brother's arm up then down twisting it one way then another the doctor stopped beside the siblings.

"Mirayasha, while I have to say I am glad to see you safe I have to say I am severely disappointed in you're hasty decision to leave home." He said. Mirayasha glanced at him but kept his mouth shut. "You're mother needs you right now. There really is nothing more I can do except ease her final pain. Before you run away again keep that in mind." The doctor walked off down the dirt path.

"Keaka I…" Mirayasha began.

"Come on lets go inside." She said pulling him along behind her. He motioned for the Elrics to follow as he was pulled into the small house. Al stooped down picking her wrench up of the ground before entering the house behind his brother. As soon as the brothers entered Edward caught the faint scent of oil and machinery. He smiled but it soon faded as he caught wind of another odor one not so pleasant. A bone rattling cough could be heard throughout the house coming from a room with a closed door. Mirayasha stared at the door as did Keaka before the two simply found each other's gazes and sighed. Edward felt his heart seize in his chest as he heard Al gasp. The looks the two younger kids cast at each other, the anguish in their eyes and the deep lines that creased their faces with worry; pain they knew all too well.

"Could you two excuse my brother and I please." Keaka asked once again tugging him along behind her.

"Um Keaka right, here you left this lying outside." Al said walking over and handing her the wrench. She looked up at him accepting the wrench.

"Thank's Alphonse." She said with a slight nod. Al bowed slightly watching as they went into a separate room. Keaka opened the basement door and flicked on the light switch slowly making her way down the concrete steps her brother in tow. Mirayasha sat on the makeshift operating table running his flesh hand against its cool metal feeling his body shudder involuntarily.

"Brother who are those guys?" Keaka asked her back turned to him as she rummaged through her tool box.

"They told you who they were, Edward and Alphonse Elric. Their brothers, they used to live in Remsembool until…." Mirayasha rambled.

"Why are you hanging around with them and what are they doing here?" She asked interrupting him.

"Well you see Edward is a state alchemist and he's taken me on for sort of an apprentice. He can transmute things with out using a transmutation circle sis! It's really amazing." He said his voice filled with admiration. Keaka seemed to flinch and she turned around quickly to stare her brother up and down.

"A state alchemist Mirayasha? That's why you left, to become a state alchemist?" She asked her voice barely above a whisper. Mirayasha nodded his head once swallowing air in the process. "Why? What reason do you have now at this point in time to become a state alchemist?" Mirayasha looked away staring at the stone wall to his right his eyes scanning over his sisters tool rack.

"Mirayasha come on, no secrets spill it." Keaka said. He remained silent only sighing.

"I can't tell you." He said finally.

"Why not; we've never kept secrets from each other before." Keaka said. "Why won't you tell me brother?"

"Because it isn't you're burden to bare that's why." He replied.

"What isn't Mirayasha?" She shouted.

"It's nothing!" He yelled back. Keaka walked over to him placing her forehead against his staring at him straight in the eyes.

"Tell me." She said. From upstairs the faint sounds of coughing could be heard. Mirayasha looked towards the stairs that led upstairs and winced. Keaka took in his pained expression and gasped.

"For her Mirayasha? You think you can save mom with alchemy?" She asked shocked. Mirayasha's eyes widened as he looked back at the ground guiltily. "Brother, alchemy isn't the answer to everything." She stated as her shoulders slumped.

"Alchemy can fix anything Keaka. I'll show you you're wrong." He said after a moment had passed.

"Does Edward know what you're planning?" She asked. Mirayasha didn't answer let alone move to indicate anything. Keaka knew this was her brother's way of saying that he hadn't. Before Mirayasha could blink Keaka was running up the stairs.

"Keaka! No please, don't!" He yelled jumping off of the table and running after him. She ran into the small hallway that led into the kitchen where she was tackled to the ground. Mirayasha brought her to the floor causing a small shriek to escape her throat. The heavy sound of steel clunking on the wooden floor was the next sound to reach their ears as Ed and Al appeared before them.

"Everything alright?" Ed asked staring at the two siblings.

"Edward tell Mirayasha that….mph…mmmmm." She struggled as Mirayasha covered her mouth pressing his weight on her to keep her down.

"Tell Mirayasha what?" He asked eyeing the younger boy. Mirayasha didn't move a muscle locking eyes with the older alchemist. He shook his head.

"It's nothing." He said.

"Then why are you holding her down like that?" Al asked. Mirayasha glanced at him before sighing and getting off of his sister. In a flash Keaka stood and pointed an accusing finger at her brother keeping her gaze on Ed.

"Tell him that alchemy doesn't solve everything!" She shouted shaking with rage and humiliation. Ed's eyes widened as his mouth quivered slightly while Al let out a small anguished sigh.

"What are you planning Mirayasha?" Ed asked cocking an eyebrow and giving him a quizzical look. No sooner did the words escape his lips a faint hacking sound was heard through out the small house causing the younger boy to cringe shutting his eyes tightly against the sound.

"You're sister's right Mirayasha. Alchemy doesn't cure everything." Ed said shifting his weight slightly as he felt his heart thud loudly in his chest. He walked closer to Mirayasha and placed a hand against his shoulder. "You know about Al and I, our background because we told you Mirayasha. What we lost, how we tried to use alchemy to get it back and the outcome."

"Life is full of risks Edward! That's one thing I've learned from the short time I've traveled with you guys. You can't gain if you don't put in the effort to succeed." He replied his voice becoming shaky as he clenched his hand into a fist.

"I know that Mirayasha and I understand how you feel. You just want you're mom back to the way she was." Ed said his voice choking as he did. Mirayasha nodded.

"Mirayasha you're sisters right. Alchemy isn't always the answer. When it comes to sickness and death there isn't anything anyone can do." Al said softly. Mirayasha shut his eyes and looked away as tears threatened to spill.

"I can help her and I will. You'll see." He said quietly. The four stood in silence for what seemed an eternity.

"Mirayasha you'll learn that some things are just out of you're hands." Edward said with a sigh.

"Come on brother." Keaka said taking her brothers hand. "I'll fix you're hand."