Erika walked home all the while holding onto her damaged left arm. She soon made it home and stopped at the steps. She looked at where the hole used to be but found nothing and remembered the day that Edward had fixed it. Erika smiled. Then scowled at what had happened today. She reluctantly opened the door and greeted her sister.
"I'm home." Erika said tiredly.
"Oh my! Erika!" Amy said rushing to her sister's side. "What the heck did you do this time?"
"I was so close Ames. I was so close to figuring them out." Erika said with her arm over Amy's shoulders for leverage.
"If it means nearly killing yourself then forget about it!" Amy yelled. She sat Erika down on the couch and then raced to the bathroom for first aid. She came shortly after and tended to Erika's cuts. "You're in pretty bad shape this time Sis. What happened? Usually you only come with minor injuries."
"That idiot came by and ruined the whole thing." Erika said and winced at the alcohol pressed onto her open cuts.
"You mean Edward and Alphonse?" Amy said applying bandages to Erika. She put one on her face.
"Yeah. They came by and started a fight. They got Elric and I had to get them out of the situation." Erika grumbled. Amy looked at her sister's arm and then sighed.
"You got out with spraining your arm." Amy said. "I really wish that you didn't use alchemy."
"Well, how else was I going to get them out of it? I mean ten guys. That's the only thing I could resort to." Erika said.
"Equivalent Exchange." Amy said. "This was the price."
"Yeah. Equivalent Exchange is becoming a real pain in the neck." Erika said letting Amy wrap bandages around her arm.
"Soul. The element that can defy equivalent exchange and let you pass into the spirit realm." Amy said.
"Defy Equivalent Exchange for those who don't have it. All of the 'Equivalent Exchange' goes directly to the user. It could let anyone do whatever they want but the person with the Eyes of the Soul has to pay the toll." Erika said annoyed. "Hey. You're getting real good at that first aid stuff."
"Well, thanks to you I have a bunch of practice whether I want to or not." Amy said shooting a glare at Erika. Erika sweat dropped.
"Well, if you keep going on like this maybe you'll get a different element." Erika said.
Amy sighed. "Nope, my element will always be Air and I can't do anything about it."
Amy drew a transmutation circle on Erika's bandages on her arm. She clapped her hands and touched Erika's arm. A crystal like water engulfed Erika's arm and it ran over like a stream. Amy clapped her hands again and wind came through the window carrying a special type of herb and touched the water on Erika's arm. The herb dissolved and Amy clapped her hands one more time and put them close to Erika's arm and wind blew the water away.
"Wow. You really are getting better at that." Erika said. "good job lil' sis!" Erika said and patted Amy's back with the damaged arm. "OW!" Erika winced and rubbed the injured arm.
"Be careful Sister! The alchemy doesn't work in the next second! You have to wait three days until it heals fully!" Amy said and put Erika's arm in a sling.
"I don't need the sling!" Erika insisted.
"Apparently you do!" Amy said and put it on her. "If you don't wear that it'll take longer for the bones to go back into place."
"Damn…" Erika growled. "Fine." She looked at the clock. "A new record. I've gotten beat up by 1:00."
"I really wish that you wouldn't see this as records to be proud of…" Amy sighed.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Ed came by shortly after, to Don's cottage. A huge bump on his head still prominent from the hit Erika had gave him.
"She hit you didn't she?" Don asked. Ed glared at him. Don chuckled. "I told you not to follow."
"You mean you were in on it too?" Ed shouted. Don chuckled.
"So what if I was?" Don asked. "Now get back to work. Your lunch hour just ended."
"What?" Ed asked/yelled.
"C'mon automail boy. Let's go!" Don said.
"How'd you know that I had automail?" Ed asked suspiciously.
Don sighed. "I guess you can stop work today." Don gestured for them to sit on the porch so they did. "What did you do?"
Ed and Al looked at each other. "When we were small, our mother died." Don put a hand up to silence them.
"You committed the great taboo didn't you?" Don said. Ed nodded regretfully. "When."
"Hm?" Ed asked.
"I didn't ask. When." Don said sharply. Ed's eyes widened at his sharpness in his tone. It was the same tone as when Erika was telling them not to follow her. Sharp but also had a pleading sound to it.
"O-October third." Al squeaked out.
"I see…" Don said. "You lost your body and you lost your limbs."
"And I gave up my arm as an equivalent exchange to attach Al's soul to the armor." Edward said.
"Why are you a state alchemist then? You barely escaped with you lives, why would you risk them further?" Don asked. Ed looked down.
"Because I have to restore Al's body. No matter what." Ed said softly with a determination in his voice.
"So you're off to find the philosopher stone to be able to restore your bodies then." Don said. Ed and Al said nothing. Don paused for a moment. "It's the devil's work you know. You'll go through hell."
"I've-"
"You've already been through hell. Is that what you were about to tell me?" Don finished for Edward. Ed looked down. "Do you know the elements?" Don asked suddenly.
"Yeah. Sodium, carbon, sulfur, iron, nitrogen,-" Al started.
"No, I don't mean that gibberish!" Don said. "I mean the actual elements. Before you scientists showed up and made up the elemental table."
"Yes, of course." Ed said.
"I mean all of them." Don said. Ed and Al looked at him blankly. "The original Eight Elements. Can you name them for me?"
"Wait. What do you mean by eight? I thought there were only four?" Ed asked.
"Oh, you little minded fools. That just shows how far your knowledge has gone." Don said. In the background Al was having to keep Ed from attacking Don for saying the word little.
"What do you mean Mr. Don?" Al asked after calming down Ed.
"Water, Fire, Earth and Air are the first four. The next in line are Electricity, Light, and Darkness. The last, and rarest one of them all is Soul." Don said.
"Soul?" Al asked.
"The Element that allows you to pass into the Spirit Realm and defy the law of Equivalent Exchange." Don said. Ed and Al stuck their heads in Don's face. Don blinked.
"Really? It can defy the law of Equivalent Exchange?" Al asked.
"Y-Yeah." Don said.
"where can you find it?" Ed just about shouted.
"Look for the Eyes if the Soul." Don said. Ed looked at him blankly. "Research it. Find it. Put it into action, whatever you youngsters call it now a-days."
"Does that mean we're off of work?" Al asked.
"Hm…." Don said stroking his beard. "Depends on how you're going to make up for it."
"Don't worry! We will! Come on Al!" Ed shouted running to the nearest library.
"Here's your pay check!" Don called throwing an envelope at Ed. Ed caught it and made his way towards the library.
BN: Hello! Finally got the Forbidden Element going on there. Okay. This time I'm going to accept ideas from my reviewers in what's going to happen between my characters, and other events coming up. It could involve the past or new enemies coming up! Well, criticism is fine and comments are always welcome! Until next chap! =:D
