A/N: I didn't mean to ignore this, honest! I just have been buried up to my nose in other stuff since I last updated this. I'd been working on it since chapter 6, but only every now and then. To my followers: If you end up having to reread to understand, I'm once again sorry.

So on a different note I'm really happy with how this story has been going. To recap, in the last chapter we meet an organization that knows about the Gate and the other side. To add onto that they've crossed over before. You'll see their real motives in a little while, so keep them in mind. For now, please enjoy this next chapter and the humor somewhere in the middle.

|•| Ed |•|

Ari wasn't looking at them. She kept stalling and seemed more than uncomfortable sitting there.

If she knew she wouldn't be able to tell us, then why did she cave? Ed wondered as he watched her, his arms still folded across his chest. While this is important, I don't want her pushing herself. I'm amazed that she's even somewhat mentally stable after all that's happened.

Ed opened his mouth to speak but her next reaction surprised him.

"Stop looking at me like that!" she exclaimed, pressing her face into her hands.

He raised an eyebrow as he relaxed his arms. "What do you mean?" he asked, leaning forward slightly to rest his elbows on his knees.

She glanced up at him before putting her face back down. "You keep looking at me as if I've been accused of killing Al and you're in the process of interrogating me."

The brothers were taken aback by this comment as she leaned back on her couch. Ari stared up at the ceiling as she went on. "It's already heavy in here and with you guys staring at me like that it's making me feel even more uncomfortable."

Ed sighed in irritation. "You realize we're not forcing you to tell us. If you want us to find out on our own then we will."

She shook her head in protest. "No," she said as she looked back at them. There was a certain determination in her eyes as she went on. "I want to tell you. It's killing me right now because then I could explain a lot to you guys, but it's impossible to say it in a way where you won't freak out."

After closing her eyes, Ari inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. She stayed in that position for a few moments, as if thinking about how to explain. She nodded to herself and opened her eyes.

"Remember back at the inn when I told you his soul was in my Stone?" Ari asked.

Ed blinked before nodding slowly in response.

"That's the key ingredient. It takes multiple human lives to be able to create even a sliver of the Stone."

The boys were staring at her, unable to fully process what she'd told them.

What!? Ed thought. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Ari swallowed and inched backwards when she saw the look in his eyes.

"After everything we've done to find the Stone, we find out that we'd be sacrificing other lives for our gain?" he said, trying to stay calm and not break something.

Ari nodded. "I'm sorry guys. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but there you have it."

"So that's why Lewis would have killed you," Al said. All eyes turned to him as he kept speaking. "Why just take the Stone if you can get more material for it along the way?"

The hazel eyed girl swallowed at the thought. Her face paled slightly before returning to its original color. "There's something else I need to tell you guys," she said.

The guys both looked back at her. Ed noticed that her hands were clenched and that she was no longer looking at them.

"Lewis knew that I'd crossed the Gate to get here and that I used this Stone to do it," Ari said. Ed's eyes grew wide.

"How does he know that? The only ones you told are in this room…"

"Lewis told me that he has friends on my side," she said, unintentionally cutting him off. "Apparently he's part of some group that's been doing research on how to freely travel from this side to the other."

The blonde blinked a couple times, unsure of how exactly he should react to this.

"That's why he wanted my Stone," she continued. "I was able to travel through the Gate with little consequence on my part. This was my payment…" She gestured to the Stone, which was still hidden behind the neck of her shirt. "…not an arm, leg, or something else like that. He wanted this because he figured that this Stone would explain why I didn't have a physical payment."

Ed nodded. "That would explain why both Lewis and Glass were after you. They were part of the same group and had the same goals. The only question now is why they want to cross over so badly. Your home is there so that's your reason, but why would a bunch of Amestrians want to cross over?"

Ari shrugged and shifted in her seat. "Beats me. In my opinion, my world pretty much sucks. My country won't get out of everyone else's business, there's always tension and war, and technology has the potential to take over if we advance it just a little bit more. I'm just happy I live in the middle of nowhere," she said with a slight smile.

The corner of Ed's mouth turned up at her last comment. His smile faded quickly as he thought about the Stone.

This is crazy, he thought to himself. We just found out that our only hope of getting our bodies back requires others to die, and now we're joking about some place I'd never heard of before this.

"I guess this helps to prove you're telling the truth," Al said. Everyone looked at him again. "Even if they're just claiming that they have people on your side, the idea of crossing the Gate has come up again."

There was a look of betrayal and shock on Ari's face. "You mean you still don't believe me!?" she exclaimed, surprising the two brothers when she stood to look down on them. "I was fricking kidnapped for the fact I came to this world and you still thought I was lying!?" The angry auburn huffed and flopped against the chair with her arms crossed over her chest. A certain evil flickered in her eyes as she spoke again. "I see how it is."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "See how what is?" he asked.

"You guys still don't trust me," she said. "Even after everything you guys still think I'm some liar that got forced upon you by Colonel Useless."

Ed smirked at the nickname for his commanding officer while Al protested against what she'd said.

"I did believe you! It's just that…" He trailed off as Ari continued to glare at him.

"That name for Mustang works perfectly though," Ed said.

Ari released her glare to look over at the blonde. She smiled slightly. "Opal came up with it. She's come up with a few insane things that'll make your skin crawl." She closed her hazel eyes as she shuddered. "Seriously, it's just plain creepy."

"This Opal person sounds insane," Ed stated as he relaxed in his seat.

Ari smirked as if she was recalling good memories. "Just a bit. Though seeing as creativity is a form of insanity, everyone could be considered crazy."

"Really?" Al asked, noticeably intrigued with this topic.

She nodded. She would have said something else, but a knock on the door caused them to shift attention to the military officer standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Elric, sir," he started. "We have arrangements made for you, your brother, and the girl you're guarding to be escorted to the train station. You're luggage has been retrieved from the inn you had been staying at, so there's no need to be concerned about that."

Ed nodded. He was somewhat irritated with the word "escort" but he would have to get over that.

"The last train to Central leaves in about half an hour, so we should leave now if you'd like to get there soon," he continued.

Now that we know about the Philosopher's Stone, there isn't much reason to go back to Central…

Ari spoke for the brothers. "Yes, we should go now," she said, standing up.

The blonde alchemist furrowed his eyebrows. As if knowing what he was thinking, Ari sighed.

She bent down to his ear and whispered. Shivers ran down his spine when her breath brushed against his skin. "I can't explain with this guy standing here. I'll tell you on the train."

Ed nodded and stood up beside her, followed by Al. They all walked in silence behind the officer.

•|• Ari •|•

The silence in the car made me uncomfortable. I was used to an alone quiet. With three other people around I got fidgety.

I want to get to the station already and get on the train. This has become the longest half hour of my life! I thought as I shifted from having my hands in my pockets to my arms being folded across my chest. The uncomfortable feeling brought with it a strange tightness in my chest.

When we finally arrived I forced the car door open and breathed in the cool night air. That was torture, I thought as I smiled to myself, happy I was finally out.

The MP left us there and drove off. Once on the train, I was willing to talk again.

Every time I talk to these guys it's because of something that they need to know or because they have questions. I wonder if that's how all of our conversations are going to go, I thought as I sat down on a bench. Once again the guys sat in front of me.

"Why are we going back to Central?" Al asked us. I looked up at his metal head before clearing my throat. I thought about the fact that the timeline had been completely messed up by now and it made me nervous about how badly I could screw with their lives.

Giving up, I let out a breath and sat back. "Before I start, do you have a map on you?"

Ed raised an eyebrow at this question. "A map?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "More specifically, a map of Central."

If they don't I could always draw it. I can remember things exactly as I've seen them, so all I have to do is remember what the map looked like on the show.

"No," Ed said. "But why…"

"I want you guys to figure it out," I interrupted, getting annoyed with my situation. "I've screwed with the timeline enough and it's only going to get worse. It'll make more sense for me if you did some of these things on your own. If I can figure out what happens next, then I can stay sure that I know what I'm getting myself into."

There were two completely different Fifth Lab scenarios, so whichever one they go through in the near future should be a clue as to what story line this is.

Ed nodded, calmly ignoring my outburst. He was different from what I'd have expected, after having watched both series countless times over again. He was a bit more level headed, which was good considering how easily I could explode.

"We'll have to wait until we get back to Central for a map," he said as he shifted where he sat.

With a light sigh, I nodded an "okay" and tried to relax. It was nerve racking to know what could possibly happen while I was here. As I looked out the window, my mind went off in a thousand directions. The fact I'd end up far behind in school if I ever made it back, how pissed Opal would be with me…

I have no clue how I'm supposed to react to any of this. Panic again? Be happier than words could describe?

As I stared at the scenes that zoomed by me, I hummed and tapped my fingers to 'Wine Red', a song I knew by heart. From the corner of my eye I could see that the boys were looking at me. Biting my tongue, I stopped humming while my hands continued for the entirety of the song that was stuck in my head.

"Who shot that arrow in your throat?
Who missed the crimson apple?
It hung heavy on the tree above your head.
This chaos this calamity, this garden once was perfect
Give your immortality to me, I'll set you up against the stars…"

A smile touched my lips as the song went on. It was one I loved and found amazingly sadistic. Not something one would expect from me, but there it was.

My eyelids grew heavy and the song stayed with me as I started to drift off, the lyrics lulling me to sleep.

|•| Ed |•|

As Ed thought about the fact Ari had been through way too much since she'd been assigned to them, he began to wonder if she'd be better off with someone else keeping an eye on her.

The other side of him vetoed the idea immediately. She'd trusted them with so much it wouldn't be a very good idea to let her go.

Ed smiled to himself as he watched her drift into unconsciousness.

Things have gone from rough to chaotic in a matter of days, he thought. The smile shifted into a scowl. With all of these enemies Ross and Brosh aren't going to be enough.

A/N: If he only knew…

So once again, I'm sorry I've been ignoring this, but writer's block is a bigger bitch than anything most normal people can think of. Luckily, now that I'm back to writing this there should be more soon.

Does anyone know the song that Ari was humming? It's "Wine Red" by The Hush Sound. I hear it on Pandora radio a lot, so I decided to put it in here. I suggest looking it up, it's a pretty good song.

On a final note, sorry for the crappy length. The next one will be longer. Now that I've got writer's block out of the way, I can get to where I want :) So see ya later, and please review