Yay, I'm sorry it's taking so long for updates! I got skool work and what not! Seriously, I hate math and science this year :P Science used to be awesome but my teacher ruins the subject T.T BTW the only person from 2003 anime will now be Kimblee, because I'm going to have the story take place in Brotherhood, so no cute Wrath, no Envy/William(sorry about that) So far the story isn't excatly FOLLOWING the Brotherhood plot, not yet, but I will have it follow it soon enough. So, yeah. Hahaha I want to make this a bit less AU XD Oh, and I'm working on two other stories on here, a Roy Love story, it's for my friend Demi ^^" And another story I'm having some fun writing :3 It might end up a Dorochet/Oc/Greed love story XD Not suuure yet... Hm... Anyways be free to check it out! I'd love it if you did ^^"

a writer of fics- thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, i really appreciate your feedback :)

(no lyrics for the beginning of this chapter... I couldn't find any to fit it...)

Chapter Seven: Reason?

-Makato

My breath was caught in my throat as I saw Mizuki's expression darken, and I knew blood would be split. Either her's or the Alchemist's. And I feared for her own blood.

"What was that Crimson? I'll let you know I'm not stupid." I heard my friend snarl, and I saw her clench her fists, and I noticed her small figure begin to shake from anger. I grabbed her red hood to keep her from jumping the guy. Why did she have to go straight to the whole 'killing' thing? Why couldn't she calm down and think clearly?

The Fuhrer seemed slightly amused and I felt my own anger rise a bit, did he find this funny?

"I'm not scared of a kid." smirked the gold eyed man. I felt Mizuki tense up and she tried to tackle the man, I was glad that I had gotten taller and stronger the past two years.

Yay for puberty?

"You really are stupid, if you charge in battle like that, you'll just get yourself killed." he went on and I was tempted to tell him to close his mouth, I wasn't sure if I could hold her back any longer. I didn't want Mizuki hurt, or the man hurt. I wish he could just apologize for his rude comment, and Mizuki apologize for her outburst.

But they didn't apologize.

"You're the stupid one!" she snapped, loudly and clearly.

"What you say brat? I'll-"

"That's enough." replied the Fuhrer, shooting the Crimson Alchemist a look of disdain. "Kimblee, don't argue with a child." Mizuki was about to burst again, I saw her mouth open and her glare cut through King Bradely's face, but I whispered something into her ear.

"It isn't worth it."

The one sentence calmed her down a bit, but she still seemed pretty upset, I had never seen her react so badly to a simple insult like 'stupid'. Something along the lines of hurt and anger flashed through her angry red orbs, and it made my heart stop for a moment, that look of hurt overtook for about a second but quickly dissolved and let itself become consumed by the anger. "Fine." I heard her mutter softly and turned to follow the Fuhrer who I still think was amused by the whole scene, I swear if I weren't as wimpy as I was, I would've done something Mizuki-like.

The Crimson Alchemist referred to as Kimblee muttered something under his breath and shot Mizuki a glare who I could tell was trying her hardest to brush it off, but I think it was hard for her to do so. I didn't quite like this Kimblee guy, I didn't fully comprehend why he had to be so rude, it's not like we did anything to him before this. We didn't even know the guy, the only reason Mizuki knew his title name was because she been obsessed with alchemy and things of the sort, I think she still was. She could go hours on end talking about it, but no one bothered to listen to her. I listened, but she confused me half of the time, but in the end I am proud to say that I know a lot about alchemy.

"Well, Miss Kawaki I just need you to fill out some papers. I'll then assign you to your new station, and from then on you'll begin training." King Bradely went on as he opened the door to what I think what his office. My heart leaped like a frog and for a desperate moment I looked over at her wishing I could go on my knees and beg her not to do this. Instead I felt like I was choking and would pass out any moment now, Kimblee sent me a smirk and made me feel even more uneasy.

My dark haired friend nodded sharply. "Yes sir." I heard say loudly and clear.

"Take a seat here." he pointed at two chairs with a small smile.

I wobbled over to my seat with Mizuki following close behind, and she made sure not to look at me. She took a pen out of her pocket and waited for her to be handed her papers, the second her pen touched her paper I began to pray silently to myself.

"Will you be joining as well?" joked King Bradely, in response I stared at him with a petrified look on my face and quickly shook my head from side to side. I looked over sadly at Mizuki who was busy scribbling down some writing as fast as her hand could. I hadn't noticed before, but she was left handed, and when she would write her eyebrows would furrow a bit, which was a bit humorous since her eyebrows were a strange shape, they weren't too thick but the ends were a bit strange looking. I would never point it out though, I know I have many flaws in my features as well, and her's wasn't much of a flaw but more as a unique trait.

I thought back to the day I had first met Mizuki Kawaki.

Everyone had left class already, I stayed behind. I was carefully and slowly packing things into my backpack, I wasn't in a rush to go back home. My step father made me a bit uncomfortable, whenever I wasn't around or he wasn't aware of my presence he would be all love dovey with my mother, and when he realized I was around he tried giving me his full attention and it made me self conscious, I didn't like being watched every second and having someone basically count the breaths I took. I just wanted my mom to be happy, I didn't want to butt into the relationship.

I slowly, now the teacher was looking at me probably wondering why I was going in slow motion, slung my backpack over my shoulder and made my way out the door. A few kids were in the hallways and I made sure to look at the ground and not at anyone directly.

I tried to think of my math homework and wondered if I should finish it right after school rather then waiting a bit to finish it. Maybe I should just get it over with and have the rest of the day to myself and nap for awhile, or maybe I should just study for my science test that was coming up soon….

"CAN'T CATCH ME!" I heard a voice shout while laughing. I stopped walking in front of a stair case at the very top and watched nervously as a girl with dark skin and dark hair and strange eye color run up the stairs with another girl chasing after her. "I'll get you tomorrow!" huffed the girl who was doing the chasing and stalked off into another direction. The red eyed girl said something that sounded like 'huh' and turned and at the same time fell down the stairs she had run up. I winced as I watched her land on her back and just sprawl herself on the floor.

"Oof! I hurt myself!" she whined, still giggling a bit but all the same wincing in pain as she tried to sit up. I ran down the stairs to make sure she was okay.

"U-um, are you okay?" I asked her nervously while bending down to make eye contact with her. I saw as her ears turned a bright shade of red and she nodded with a sheepish grin splattered across her face, she had one dimple on her left cheek. Her dark thick curls bounced on top of her head as she bobbed her head up and down.

"I'm alright! Don't worry. Um… My name is Mizuki, what's your's?" she asked me with a smaller smile from before.. She almost looked shy.

"Makato Jackson."

"That's cool. Mr. Jackson eh? What grade are you in?"

"Se-seventh."

"Oh, I'm in Eighth. No wonder I don't really see you around."

"Yeah, that's probably why…"

I reached my hand over to hers and she grabbed mine with a grin as I helped her get up, I noticed she had drawings all over her hands. They were a bunch of weird symbols of some kind.

"What are those?" I asked her.

"These? They're alchemy symbols."

"You're an alchemist?" I asked in disbelief. She laughed lightly and shook her head. "I want to be though." she replied and snorted a bit. "My family think it's the Devil's work though." I nodded in understanding, my parents thought the same. I didn't think much of it though, I thought it was kind of cool. As we walked down the stairs, carefully this time, Mizuki happily chatted with me, talking about her grade this year, her friends, her classes, what she had for lunch, she asked me about my class, my friends, what I had had for lunch today. I had fun listening to her talk, she always made large gestures with her arms and she made the funniest expressions to go along with her stories.

When we parted ways she had waved and yelled with a large grin; "See ya tomorrow! I'll come around to say hi!" And that's just what happened the next day, only she had hid behind a recycling bin and jumped out and given me a bear hug.

Which by the way scared the pee out of me.

I layed my head on the wooden table and turned my head so I could be facing Mizuki as she was writing, and I couldn't help but remember what everything was like back when we were still at school, back where we were still suppose to be. I couldn't help but think, just how things would've turned out if she hadn't left home.

I turned my head the other way, so she couldn't see the tears forming in my eyes.

-Edward Elric

I kept on rubbing my skin raw until there was absolutely no trace of what the idiot had written all over my face. I growled in annoyance as I dried my stinging face gently with a fur-like towel and stepped out of the hotel room's bathroom while grumbling to myself.

"Stupid Ishavlan, I will find you."

"It's about time you got out of the bathroom brother! I thought you were going to stay there all night long." I heard my brother laugh lightly. "Yeah yeah." I mumbled, Ling on the other hand didn't say anything for once and darted for the now unoccupied bathroom.

"I need to pee! I need to pee! I need to pee!" I heard him chant. I rolled my eyes at him and dropped down on my bed next to my younger brother. I felt exhausted.

"Brother?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think there was something weird about Mizuki?"

I grunted. If I said anything about her, my words would have to be censored.

"She's an Ishvalan and yet, she's alive."

"There are a few Ishvalans left, not that many though. I mean there's that guy named Scar. And there are a few in the military." I mumbled while rolling over to my back to stare up at the ceiling. I was annoyed, about a lot of things, I mean having Ling tag along, having the girl insult me and vandalize my face, and then there was the major one. The philosopher's stone and getting Alphonse's body back…. We couldn't use the philosopher's stone though, we couldn't just sacrifice innocent lives. But then how? How would we get our original bodiedsback?

"I miss Mizuki, she was funny and had a good sense of humor. I'm sure that if I wrote on her face, she wouldn't have had gotten so mad." complained Ling from the bathroom's doorway.

"Shut it Idiot Prince!" I shouted. I didn't get that mad, and it wasn't the fact that she wrote on me, it was what she had written that really ticked me off! I took in a deep breath and slowly closed my eyes, maybe some sleep would do me good. I tried to even my breathing and tried not to think of anything that would stress me out even further.

"Don't do it Ling!" I heard Alphonse stutter out from his empty armor. My golden eyes snapped open and I came face to face with a squinty eyed prince who was holding a marker, inches away from my face. He grinned sheepishly. I tried to stay calm, but you tell me would you stay calm if someone was moments away from drawing all over you face for the SECOND time? I gritted my teeth together in a vain attempt to not yell. Or scream. "Ah, I thought you would like a mustache!" he laughed lightly.

That did it.

"YOU GOT THREE SECONDS TO RUN!"

-Makato

I sucked in my breath deeply and shoved my hands into my pockets as I numbly walked out of the HQ's. Mizuki trotted after me as quietly as she could, and I noticed the look of guilt splatter all over her face, and I wish I could be happy for that. But I wasn't, I could never be happy knowing someone else I care about isn't. No matter what they had done.

"I'm stationed to North HQ's." I heard her whispered softly, but I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or not. So I kept quiet and nodded slowly, I wasn't sure if I would be able to tag along with her. And I wasn't sure if she wanted me to anyways. I know she can take care of herself, but when you love and care for people, you just don't feel right if you can't be with them and watch over them. But I suppose there were times when you had to let go, and hope. Hope they'll make it on their own. But did she really have to go? Did she really have to go off on her own again? Did she really feel okay being alone and having no one to turn to? Was she really okay with that? Or was she holding back like she usually does?

"I have to take the last train to go up north."

"Yeah…."

"No worries. You check into a hotel, and stay there until I come back, alright?" she grinned her famous grin. I was a bit stunned at her statement, we weren't sure when she would come back. Not at all. For all I knew she would come back next year, or in two years, or even ten years. Unless she got special permission to come back. "Are you sure?" I asked her nervously. In response she patted my head like she would back two years ago, she always fussed over my hair saying it felt like puppy fur. It made me feel nice when she would say that, whenever she would say that she would grab me into a tight hug and call me her cute teddy bear.

"How will you pay for it?" I asked her. She winked her red orb.

"State Alchemists have it good, I hear."

"B-but you aren't a state alchemist."

"I know."

She grinned wildly and I felt wary, who knows what was going on in that evil mind of hers. It was better to just find out later I guess. We walked along, Mizuki skipping then just twirling and then just simply walking at my side. We were both quiet, but this time it was okay. For once, it was okay to be quiet.

"Mizuki?" I finally decided to whisper. "Yea?" she asked with a soft smile on her features. "Why?" was the only word able to leave my lips.

She looked up at the sky for a moment, it was dark now and it was close to midnight. She didn't answer and for a moment I wondered if she heard me, but she stopped walking and looked over at me with that same determination in her red eyes again.

"Immortality, what do you think of it?" she asked. I was stunned.

"Er.. I… I dunno. What's the point of living forever, if everything around you dies?" I answered slowly and carefully. It's not that I would get bored after a couple of decades, no that wasn't it at all, what really threw me off, was knowing that the people around me weren't going to stay around as long as me. Knowing that I would have to watch them slowly die…..

"What if you could live forever, save lives, and possibly help your closest friend immortality?" she whispered, she looked like she was trying to sink into her blood red hood even deeper. As if she wanted to hide.

I squinted at her, and felt a bit uncomfortable at the sudden questions. She was started to make me question my opinions, but I still wasn't interested in the whole 'being alive forever' thing, so I still shook my head slowly.

"I… I don't think I would like to live forever, no matter what."

She stayed quiet and began to walk. I trotted after her, gnawing my bottom lip, trying to understand what was suddenly going on. She wasn't making any sense now.

"What if you had a chance to make things right?"

I didn't understand, and a part of me didn't want to.

I watched as she got on board, she shot me a cheeky grin and waved from the train window. I waved back and tried to force a smile on face. She mouthed the words; 'see you soon'. And something made me believe her. I stared after the train even after it was impossible to see anymore, it began to rain again but I still stayed in place.

'What if you had a chance to make things right?'

hello! me again, can you guess who she'll be under orders of up North? ;) if you guess right, I'll give you a cookie! :D not rlly, but i would if I could D: