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Disclaimer: I do not own the Fullmetal Alchemist series or its characters, nor do I own the Naruto series or its characters. This story is simply written out of a love for writing.


Chapter 4

The three of them ended up hiding near a statue of Leto, Ed and Hinata sat at its feet while Al stood in front of them.

"I don't get why they're saying we're evil. If we wanted the stone we would have just taken it by force." Al said.

"You're challenging their way of life," Hinata said quietly. "T-these people were going through hard times when Cornello came and h-he made everything better. You're efforts to take the stone are threatening the happiness they found in the new lives he gave them. I doubt they want to g-go back to how things use to be."

"When you put it that way it does make a lot of sense." Al admitted.

"So, I think you should start talking. For starters . . . just where the hell are you from?" Ed demanded. There was no malice in his voice but his tone made it clear that he wanted answers.

"H-huh?" Hinata stammered.

"I went over to where Rose found you, there was a transmutation circle burned into the sand." Ed said bluntly. "Even when it should have been buried after the winds here tossing new sand over it the thing just burned right through the new layer of sand."

Hinata looked down and pushed her index fingers together, what else could she tell them but the truth after Ed's discovery?

"Hinata, were you lying when you told me about where you're from?" Al asked. He didn't sound upset per say, just disappointed.

"N-not exactly." Hinata said, she looked around and seeing that the streets were empty and that there were no lights on in the nearby houses she decided to take a gamble.

"I don't know how to describe it in a way that won't sound insane." She admitted. "B-but I'll try."

Ed and Al looked at her expectantly.

"I'm not from Amestris, I'm not even from this world. I c-came from a different one because of the mission my mother left me. Y-you see Mother was born and raised in Amestris. I don't know the details yet but she was . . . special, and not like other people.

"How can you not know the details?" Ed asked, saving his skepticism about the "other world" for the after she had finished.

"M-mama died when I was four, she never had the chance to tell me." Hinata explained. "And the letter she left me was vague because she couldn't risk someone else finding the i-information. But s-she mentioned that I would find the answers as I w-went through the mission."

"I see." Ed said.

"Is there any way you can prove you came from another world besides that Transmutation circle Brother found?" Al asked.

Hinata looked down into her lap.

"I-I'm not sure, I just used t-that same transmutation circle in m-my world to get here. I-I remember seeing this e-endless white expanse after the circle activated, a-and then this p-pair of double doors. It opened up f-for me like a G-gate . . ."

She heard Ed's sharp intake of breath and looked up.

The young alchemist's parlor had gone white and his eyes were wide with shock as he looked at her.

"Are you saying you came from the other side of the Gate?" He asked.

A bit frightened by the look on his face Hinata nodded quickly.

"Brother," Al whispered, his voice was one of fear and awe. Apparently this Gate was something very important, and scary, to the brothers.

"W-what is so scary about the G-gate?" Hinata asked after mustering up some courage.

The brothers looked at each other and something unspoken passed between them, Al turned his attention to the young Hyuga.

"When we tried to transmute our mom we were pulled into that same place." He said quietly. "It was where Brother lost his limbs, and where I lost my entire body."

"Oh," Hinata said. What else could she say?

"After we get out of this mess we can talk more." Ed decided, and Hinata was relieved to see that the color had returned to his face and the frightening emotion in his eyes had left.

Al nodded. "Right, that's for the best, but what do we do?"

"I-I really don't want to r-ruin the townspeople's happiness," Hinata confided, "B-but all of this will probably be bad for Lior in the long term."

Al nodded in agreement and Ed scratched his head.

"Alright then, so we expose Cornello."

As if those words had been a signal the loud speakers around town came to life and a voice Hinata recognized as belonging to the man named Cray emitted from them.

"Attention, people of Lior, earlier today a pair of unbelievers tried to take the life of our prophet Cornello. One is blond and short, the other is in a suit of armor and they have taken a hostage. A young girl with dark hair, pale skin and white eyes. Father Cornello is concerned for your safety and asks that you stay indoors for your own protection, he urges you to take every precaution."

Hinata groaned, and then frowned.

"Why d-did they say I was a hostage?" She asked.

Al shrugged his shoulders as the bustle of activity the townspeople were making started to become audible. They wouldn't have much time before they were discovered.

"He must know about that transmutation circle that brought you here." Ed said, "The designs in it are similar to the ones by alchemist who dabble with teleportation alchemy. Any alchemist would recognize the runes."

"Cornello probably wants to get information from you." Al confirmed.

"So w-what do we do?" Hinata asked.

Ed looked to be deep in thought . . . and then an absolutely wicked grin appeared on his face.

xxx

When they were finally found Hinata stood next to the fake Al, who Ed had transmuted to have a hand out stretched. This way, it would like it was holding onto Hinata's shoulder and therefore preventing her escape.

At least that was how the citizens would interpret it.

"It's them alright," A man at the head of the mob said. "The short newcomer and his tin man."

Hinata winced as Ed's temper snapped at the mention of the word he oh so hated.

Unsurprisingly Ed got into the man's face and shouted, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MOUSEY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK?"

"Nobody said that so back off!" The man snapped back, then he added that there were "more important things they needed to settle".

The people of Lior demanded to know why Ed would attack Cornello, with one woman even accusing Ed of "making them believe he was good".

Sighing Ed said, "Look lady, I never asked you to believe in anything, that's your priest. He's a phony, he's just using alchemy!"

"Liar!"

The crowd parted to reveal Rose, who looked to Hinata like she had run all the way here.

"Just now, my boyfriend spoke to me, Cornello is bringing him back." Rose said.

The people immediately started to congratulate Rose on the return of her boyfriend and Hinata learned that his name had been Cain. She frowned, there was nothing that could truly bring the dead back to life – at least if you were human.

"Had anyone seen these people up close? I heard they all left town as soon as they were brought back!" Ed demanded, frustrated.

Before anyone could answer him that sound of very big and heavy footsteps drew everyone's attention.

It was the sun god Leto statues, several of them were marching in a straight line for the trio. This only made things worse for Ed as it was proof for the townspeople that Cornello was what he claimed to be.

Soon they were surrounded.

The first statue swung his staff and Hinata squeaked when the fake Al was pushed away from her, as the girl stumbled back Ed was hit in the back of the head. Meanwhile the other statues converged on Al's lookalike, pounding it repeatedly.

The girl turned her attention to Edward and fell to her knees at his side, she put a hand to his head and a felt a small bump through his hair.

"Hinata,"

Hinata looked up at the mention of her name and saw Rose standing before her, the rest of the people were staring as the statues pound the fake Al into scrap metal.

"Father Cornello wants you to return to the temple, he has things he wants to talk to you about." Rose said.

"He won't be harmed?" Hinata asked, not moving.

"Not yet," Cray said, coming up from behind Rose.

XXX

Hinata paced around the room, which was the same one she been given when she first arrived. It had been a few hours since her and Ed's capture and Cornello had yet to come and "speak with her".

Daylight was breaking through the window, perhaps Cornello had decided to sleep and deal with Ed before he spoke with her.

The thought did nothing to light up her anxiousness.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of metal banging against the wall outside her room. Hinata ran to the window and opened it, when she leaned out the Hyuga saw Al balanced on the ledge underneath her window.

Hinata's smile was one of relief.

"Come on." Al said, and Hinata grabbed her bag before jumping from the window and landing on the ledge beside Al without a scratch.

"How can you do that?" Al asked as they made their way to the large balcony that was located near the top of the temple.

"D-do what?" Hinata asked.

"You jumped onto the ledge like it was nothing even though most people would have had some trouble, and I saw how you helped Brother. You threw something into the bird's neck."

"It's called a kunai, it's a b-black dagger that can be thrown and such for c-combat." Hinata explained.

"Combat?" Al asked.

Hinata looked up and at the sky and decided to be honest.

"I-I was a ninja back where I'm from, I just graduated from the Academy last year. T-technically speaking I'm still a bit of a greenhorn." She explained.

"A ninja?"

Hinata could have sworn that the lights that were Al's "eyes" had just lit up brighter. Feeling self-conscious she fought the urge to blush.

"What's it-?"

A scream interrupted his question.

"Rose!" Hinata gasped, the two were directly underneath another window with flowing white curtains.

Al wasted no time and jumped, grabbing onto the ledge he hoisted himself inside. By the time Hinata had followed suit he had already taken care of a bird like creature that had almost killed Rose.

The poor girl was clearly terrified and shaken, she looked at Al and Hinata like they were ghost.

Al looked at the creature, sprawled on the floor after his punch, as it choked on its own saliva.

"I don't need to tell you it's not safe here," He said and offered Rose his hand, "Come on, we have to go."

Rose took a step back, looked at the creature on the floor, then Al and finally to Hinata. Their eyes met and the younger girl smiled encouragingly. Rose looked at the hand Al still had outstretched and, with a trembling hand, grasped it with her own.

xxx

Al had already brought the town bell to the balcony and once they arrived he immediately got to work converting it to fit the plan Ed had laid out. As he worked he and Rose talked, Hinata simply observed Al work, paying attention to the details.

It's our founding principal Rose." Al was saying. "To obtain something, something of equal value has to be lost. Everyone says Ed is a prodigy but he just paid with enough effort."

"But the statues . . . how?" Rose asked.

"That's easy, Ed took care of it." Al replied easily as he transmuted an activation switch for the bell-speaker.

"You two have really paid a heavy price, haven't you? A body, an arm and leg, yet here you are trying to get it all back." Rose said, she paused and Hinata could tell she was trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say.

"W-what about your mom? What happened to her?" Rose finally asked.

Hinata closed her eyes, it was painfully clear to her that Rose still had a tiny shred of hope that Cain could be revived.

Al stood up abruptly.

"I should get started, it's about time." He said quietly and pressed the switch.

The bell-speaker let out a loud sound before Ed's voice came out, clear and completely recognizable.

"Is it the money you're after?" Ed asked.

"Edward?" Rose said, not understanding, then Cornello spoke.

"Oh no, I can get all the money I want from the offerings. You're thinking too small Edward, I'm creating an army of believers who wouldn't hesitate to die in my name. And why wouldn't they? All of them believe that I can bring them back from the dead." Cornello's voice said smugly.

"Just wait, in a few short years I'll have the people I need to tear this country apart and rebuild it in my image! Ha, ha, ha!"

"Makes no difference to me." Ed said indifferently.

"What?" Cornello demanded.

"You can't really bring the dead back to life, once you kill me I'm gone for good, right?" Ed said.

"Sadly, yes. I wouldn't dare try human alchemy, even with the Philosopher's Stone. I'd only end up like you. In any case why would a king risk his life to save mindless pawns?" The charlatan said.

Then was a pause.

"Wait a moment . . ." Cornello said.

'He must finally be catching on.' Hinata thought.

"WHAT?! H-HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN ON?!" Cornello screamed.

"Long enough for the "mindless pawn tearing this country apart" comment I think." Ed said cheekily.

"How did you get my broadcasting equipment?!"

"Al ridged it up, I know, you smashed him apart. But that was just some metal I fixed up to look like him! Clever huh?" Ed explained cheerfully.

From where Hinata was she could see all the people in the plaza frozen, their faces identical masks of open mouthed shock. Everywhere else the conversation had been broadcast through the speakers so everyone in Lior knew the truth.

"No my children, he lies!" Cornello shouted, then there was that banging sound again.

Al had called it "gunfire" and the machine that created it a "machine gun".

There was the sound of a transmutation and steel being cut apart.

"By the way, I don't get my skills from a pocket watch." Ed said, serious again.

Al turned to the girls.

"Let's go."

xxx

They watched from the edge of the plaza as Ed confronted Cornello. The charlatan had just tried to use the stone to get his confused and angry flock of followers back under control by performing "miracles".

In other words, he used alchemy to move all the Leto god statues in the plaza, making it appear as if they were walking.

But Ed wasn't having any of that and countered by using his alchemy to move the Leto god statue that was five times the size of the ones Cornello had moved. It had been inside the temple and broke the roof as it rose to its feet.

Then Ed had it punch the ground near the faux priest, scaring him witless.

"Rings and watches have nothing to do with it, my brother is the Fullmetal Alchemist." Al said proudly.

Cornello made one last desperate attempt to flee but was thwarted when the stone suddenly glowed and disfigured his arm with machinery.

"It's recoiling!" Al gasped.

"What does that mean?" Hinata asked.

Al sighed and Hinata understood; the stone had been a fake.

"STOP JERKING ME AROUND!" Ed shouted to the sky from where he was at the steps of the ruined temple.

"I guess that means I need to look somewhere else too." Hinata sighed. Oh well, she had known this mission would not be easy. Then she realized that Rose was gone and looked around, but the girl was nowhere in sight.

"Let her go, she needs to make up her mind about what she'll do now." Al said, having noticed too.

"I suppose you're right." Hinata said regretfully.

Would it be this complicated and complex everywhere she searched?


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