a/n:Well, it's time to update again, isn't it? I hope you all enjoy this story. :D


Chapter 3 Shizuo's dilemma

"Shizuo asked you about alchemy?" Shinra Kishitani asked his future wife and current partner, Celty, as she sat on the couch, typing a response back in her little cell phone.

'Yes, he did,' She said, 'He wanted to know what it was.'

A gleam flashed across Shinra's face then and there, which Celty noticed. It seemed that he indeed knew something and was keeping it from her. What, exactly, was he hiding from her?

As if reading her mind, he spoke briefly, "Yes, I know of it."

'What do you know?' She typed.

His glasses shone slightly. "I'm not telling." 'So, Shizuo-kun wants to ask about that, huh?'

He should have known from the start that the young man would have asked about such a thing. After all, he should have known who he was from the start. Well, it wasn't like the boy-er, young man-would recognize him after their new lives had started up and their new memories had replaced their old.

Still, he had been pleasantly surprised to discover that Shizuo, his best friend, was in fact Edward Elric's reincarnation. It was quite a shock, to say the least. At least this time, he would never have to say goodbye so fast-an image came back of him, lying on the ground bleeding in front of a telephone booth, Roy's voice coming through the line as he tried to breathe through his already punctured lungs...

"Shizuo-kun is such a good person, isn't he, Celty?" Shinra said matter-of-factly, turning to look at the young woman, who was busy typing away on her chatroom with her friends.

'Alchemy...what exactly is it, Shinra?'

"Hmm...that's a good question. Basically, it's a dead science that was once used in everyday life for various things. How can I explain something as complex as alchemy to you...Celty? You ever hear of the principle 'Equivalent Exchange?'"

Celty 'looked' at him and then shook her head. 'No, what does it mean?'

"Basically...it means you take one thing in exchange for something else. So, in alchemy, certain parts of it required giving up something the person desired more than anything else...like an arm or a leg to bring someone back from the dead...well, those were the forbidden parts of alchemy. Actually, making gold with alchemy was considered illegal. There should be something on alchemy on the Internet, Celty. That's all I can say for now."

'...You sure you're not making this up?' Celty typed.

"Nope, this all happened a long time ago, in a country that no longer exists today, Celty. It's sad, but history sometimes turns into legend. It's funny how people don't recognize the validity of some legends and instead think they were never true," Shinra said happily.

'How do you know so much? You talk like you lived through it,' Celty typed.

"Hmmm...maybe...are you calling me old, Celty? I definitely know that, like Izaya-kun, I will be young forever!"

'You can't go around exaggerating forever,' Celty typed, causing Shinra to sigh.

"I know, Celty. Can you ever forgive me?" He said melodramatically.

The door to their apartment opened then and Izaya walked in.

"Hello there, Celty!" He said extravagantly.

Celty 'glared' at him.

"What, no greeting?" Izaya deadpanned. "That's not very nice. Hey there, Shinra. I had a nice romp with Shizu-chan today."

"I guess you two had your fight again, huh?" Shinra deadpanned.

"Yup," Izaya said cheerily, "Shizu-chan is as grumpy as ever."