LL silently rejoiced as he, Edward and M. Armstrong walked the final few yards before ending up in front of a house on a small rise. Edward wasn't joking when he said that Resembool was way into the country side. It took them a whole day on the train, then two to three hours of walking across the country side to reach their destination.

And neither Edward or the M. even look the least bit tired. I've got to work out...

A back and white dog with an auto-mail leg came over to the four, sniffing around Edward, before looking at M. Armstrong and LL curiously. Behind the dog, a little old woman in a black dress and white apron, silver hair tied back in a stiff ponytail and glasses was out on the lawn, grinning as she saw them. Edward returned the grin.

"Granny Pinako, I'm gonna need your help again," he said.

Pinako came over to to them, eyeing M. Armstrong and LL with a cool expression.

"This is M. Armstrong," Edward said quickly pointed to the blond and they shook hands.

"Pinako Rockbell, pleased to meet you," she said polity.

"Likewise, Mrs. Rockbell," M. Armstrong returned courteously.

"And this is LL," Edward replied, gesturing to the young man.

She smirked at Edward. "Finally got yourself a girlfriend, eh Ed?" at this, she circled around LL slightly, a half smile on her face. "And she's an older woman too. I never knew you had it in you."

Edward turned bright red and LL slammed onto the ground in a face fault.

Are you kidding me?!

"He's a guy and a friend, nothing more!" Ed snapped angrily, coming to his and LL's defense.

Pinako smiled apologetically at LL, "I'm sorry for that assumption, then," and offered her hand to him.

"Right, it's fine," LL said almost automatically as he shook it.

I'm going to cut my hair, and I'm going to develop some form of muscle so people will acknowledge my masculine-ness!

"I haven't seen you in a while Ed, but you've gone and grown smaller," Pinako remarked, looking at Edward, who twitched angrily next to M. Armstrong.

To be fair, with the M. as the object of contrast, anyone would look small, even me.

"Who're you calling 'small', you half-pint hag?!" Edward yelled at the old woman, who in turn snapped, ""What did you call me, you little runt?!"

"You heard me, guppy geezer!"

"Chibi chump!"

"SOD-OFF OLD HAG!"

"LITTLE HALF-PINT MIDGET!"

"SIT-DOWN MINI WITCH!"

"MICRO PEEWEE!"

"BABY-AUNT-BABY!"

"SUBATOMIC SHRIMP!"

LL sweat-dropped at the display, wondering if there was anybody in Resembool who didn't hear all of that.

"Hey Ed!" A new voice yelled from the house, which made Edward freeze in his tracks.

Then, a wrench of all things was thrown and hit him right on the head, knocking the blond over.

"How many times have I told you to call before heading over here for maintenance?!"

Edward got back up, massaging his head and yelling angrily, "Winry, are you trying to kill me?!"

LL got a clear look of the wrench-thrower. It was a girl around Edward's age, with lighter blonde hair tucked into a red scarf with some still hanging out and clear blue eyes, wearing a black strapless top and a white work suit tied around her waist leaning on the houses's upper balcony.

She laughed at the remark, as if her killing Edward in any way was absurd before smiling and exclaiming, "Welcome back!"

"Yeah..." Edward muttered.


"WHAT?!"

Winry looked like she might explode. Or faint. Or both?

That'd be interesting to see.

Edward drank a mug of coffee, his missing limb exposed for all too see, bits of metal and wiring hanging from where the original flesh and blood limb used to be present.

"Yeah, sorry I broke it."

"This was my first-class auto-mail, you don't just break it!" Winry nearly shrieked.

She calmed down after a few second, wearily asking, "All right, just give me the arm and I'll repair it."

"Yeah, when I said I 'broke it', I meant it was 'smashed to pieces'," Edward replied, a slight sparkle by his head.

Now Winry looked like she really would faint.

"Eesh..." LL muttered as Winry began talking with Alphonse as the wrench slid off Edward's head, darkening the golden hair with red.

He shook it off pretty fast as he walked over to the bench and let Pinako measure his arms and legs, saying that they would have to not only make a new arm from scratch but get him a new leg as well.

"So you have gotten taller," Winry snorted, a smirk on her lips, "last time I saw you, you were only-"

Edward's incoherent yells cut off the measurement.

"So how long will it take for both to be ready? A week or so?" Edward asked, after catching his breath.

Pinako blew on her smoke pipe before a confidant smile rested on her lips. "Don't insult our skills, Edward. It'll be done in three days. But in the meantime-"

The old woman brought out another leg, much shabbier than Edward's other leg and attached it to the metal joint over the leg's cut-away.

"- you'll have to use this spare until then."

Edward got up, nearly falling over but for LL quickly steadying him.

"Sorry about that, I'm not used to using an auto-mail leg that isn't made like mine."

"I can see why."

Winry grabbed Edward's now too-short leg and draped it over her shoulder, mumbling to herself about something or other that LL didn't really understand.

"Sorry for asking you to do so much," Edward said to her.

The blonde girl just grinned. "You want to get to Central as soon as possible, right? So I have to do as much as I can to make sure you get where you need to!"

The slight pink hue on Edward's left cheek didn't escape LL.

Is that-

" 'cause in exchange, I'll be getting oodles of cash from you up front!"

Slap!

SMACK-CRASH!

The force from Winry's back-slap coupled with Edward not being used to the spare leg and LL being right by him sent both males crashing right into a pile of used boxes and crates.

"Oops, forgot you're not used to the leg yet," Winry said sheepishly.

Ow...


"Seriously, what is with that woman?" Edward grumbled.

The three of them were lying on the grass outside of the Pinako house. LL had to admit, it was pretty nice. The only places he had seen so far were mainly cities. There were always some sort of noise around any time of the day or night, whether it came from cars, people or animals. The quietness of Resembool, while a little strange to him, was also comforting.

A breeze came through, calm and soft, like a caress. The chirps of birds echoed from a ways away. LL felt his eyelids droops.

It feels almost like...

...


A forest of weird looking trees.

The sounds of something chirping (or was it buzzing?) all around.

A boy in front with curly brown hair was in front, scaling a smooth hill with the stone face toward them. Pale and thin arms reach out and hands grasp the rocks, trying to climb up, but they get more and more tired with every passing second.

Now stuck just a few more reaches away from the top and nearly ready to fall off.

The brunette turns around, emerald green eyes staring back down and extends his hand forward.

"Take it, quickly!"

The limbs shake as the grip on the stones becomes weaker.

"I can't!"

"Come on! I know you can do it!"

!

The unexpected encouragement replaces the frustration and fear with renewed determination, and with a last effort, the trembling hand reaches out to the other's outstretched hand and he grabs it firmly and pulls up. Knees meet the ground and hands feel dirt beneath the skin. Chest heaves in and out, in and out.

The, the peacefulness was shattered as the sounds of something roaring droned up in the sky.

What is tha-


"I'M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO TAKES IT EASY!"

Edward's yelling voice and flailing limb smacking his leg snapped LL out of the memory.

"Edward, would you watch it?!" the raven-haired young man snapped angrily at the blond, smacking him back upside the head with his satchel.

Edward stared at him incredulously, but didn't comment as he walked off. LL wasn't the least bit sorry. He wanted to see more of it. The trees, the weird buzzing, and especially the boy.

Who was that boy? And what was his significance to me? Oh, I wish Edward hadn't interrupted whatever that was!

"LL, are you all right?"

The raven-haired young man glanced up, noticing Edward's absence and Alphonse sitting by him.

"Yes, Alphonse," he said quickly.

"... did you just have a flashback?"

LL looked at Alphonse in surprise but nodded anyways.

"No wonder you were so annoyed with brother. I would be to if he interrupted my thoughts."

Thank goodness that Alphonse is Edward brother.

He couldn't stay still now and got back up to his feet and went to the house.

I should probably tell M. Armstrong to bring Alphonse inside, LL thought as he closed the door behind him.


"This is so weird," Kallen commented.

Suzaku said nothing.

They had gotten CC to the hospital as fast as they could. Doctors were constantly keeping her from going under; the majority of the treatments involved injecting the immortal woman with sedatives and pain-killers. But they had little to no affect.

Until, nearly two days later, CC had suddenly stopped shaking and writing all of a sudden and sighed peacefully, a tiny smile spreading on her lips.

Right now, Suzaku and Kallen were outside CC's room. They could walk without deceit, since the few people working at said hospital, were part of the handful who knew of the Demon Emperor's plan.

"We don't know how this happened, but as soon as we do, you'll be the first to know," the doctor informed them.

Suzaku nodded, trying not to make eye-contact with the older woman before replying, "Thank you, Dr. Lubie."

The woman snorted, a smile on her face. "For the hundredth time, Suzaku, just call me 'Elle'! I'm too young to be called by such a stiff title," she said, half irritably, half teasingly.

"Sorry..."

Elle just smiled before going back inside the room, closing the door behind her and leaving the two alone again.

"I just don't understand what's happening to her," Kallen said softly, more to herself than anyone.

"I don't either, but right now, all we can do is wait for her to wake up," the brunette replied.

The silence remained for a few minutes before it was broken by Kallen.

"I feel so mixed up."

Suzaku nodded slightly. He understood what she meant.

Kallen's hand clenched at the area above her heart, eyes scrunched.

"I just don't know what to feel; part of me is overjoyed that Lelouch is out there alive, and the other is wracked with shame; I abandoned him, fought against him, and even-"

"Comfort me."

Th red-head could have cried. Lelouch had needed her help back then so badly. It wasn't for release, it was purely for comfort, for to have someone he could trust to help him. But she pushed him away, like he was trash. Kallen plopped down in a chair, head bowed slightly.

"I hope we can find him."

And I hope he can forgive me.

"Who says that he'll forgive any of us?"

Kallen snapped out of her thoughts at Suzaku's comment (Mind-reader?). His arms were folded and a sad frown was set on his face.

"Who says he'll even want to set eyes on us? What if he's found somewhere peaceful and safe to live? We would only disrupt that life," Suzaku said, expression becoming pained.

"I don't want to hurt him any more, not after everything I've done already."

"Suzaku..."

Kallen tried to catch his eye but he turned away, too ashamed for her to see him like this.

That time back at the Kururugi shrine, he took all the shit I threw at him without even batting an eye when I had already willingly committed similar, if not worse, atrocities, and he even told me what I wanted to hear, not the truth. He already knew how little faith I had in him; yet he trusted me enough to willingly come to meet me, he probably didn't even expect that anyone was there other than us!

The Brittanian soldiers grabbing Lelouch and hauling him to his feet, the startled confusion on his face, and the angry, disappointed tears trickling down the raven-haired teen's face...

But it wasn't that I couldn't see it back then, I refused to. I was too stubborn and angry and self-righteous to even think what I was doing through! All for the sake of a naive crusade, created to wipe away a single sin with more and more even worse sins. The one who lashed out at the other first, the one who hurt the other first, the one who was being a terrible friend was me!

"Suzaku!" Kallen snapped, grabbing his shoulder.

The brunette snapped out of his thoughts by the tone Kallen took. "Wha-"

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past two minutes. Elle wants us both," Kallen said, looking irritated.

"Sorry," he said before following her inside.

Elle was by CC on a hospital bed, her expression pained again.

"What is it?" Suzaku asked.

"I just got some information," Elle replied.

"Of?"

"CC began talking in her sleep; she said some things, one that caught my eye was: 'Alchemist'," Elle informed them.

"'Alchemist'? Why would CC say something like that? It's got nothing to do with us," Kallen wondered.

Elle looked more serious. "Regardless, it could be important. His majesty and CC were closely connected through the power she gave him, so it stands to reason that they're still connected now! So wouldn't it stand to reason that whatever Lelouch is doing, CC can experience it?"

What Elle was saying quickly dawned on the pilots.

"So that means..." Suzaku realized.

"That means if we can get more info from CC, we can find out where exactly Lelouch is!"

"But," Kallen said suddenly, "what about the photos and file?"

"That's just the info they found on the spot; little more than speculation," Elle told her, "but this is more concrete."

"Still, it's not enough to go on. We should keep this to ourselves, just in case," Suzaku said.

"That would be wise," Elle agreed.


"..."

LL remained silent as he observed Winry and Pinako as they readied the new automail arm and leg to connect to Edward, who looked apprehensive. If he hadn't had respect for the blond yet, he sure as hell had it now. The conversation with Pinako still rang in his ears.

"Four years ago, Ed sacrificed his arm to keep Al's soul in this plane, binding it to that armor he is today. That's why he became a "dog of the military", so that he could access the money and research he needed to find a way to restore Al's body. He endured auto-mail surgery for his arm and leg that would make even an adult scream with pain."

This was all said with a straight face as she looked over some wires.

"Who would have thought that he kept such strength in his tiny body? But that's the same reason I worry for him if he comes across something he can't overcome; will he get back on his feet?"

It continued on, eventually discussing the Ishavalen civil war, and how Winry's parents never came back.

How ironic, LL thought, for the same war that took your family gave you the means to get by.

And if that wasn't enough, it turns out Edward and Alphonse didn't even have a home to go to; they burned it down years ago. LL never would have imagined thatanyonewould do something like that, just so they couldn't go back to the past.

LL frowned softly, fist clenching at the emotions in his chest.

Now that I know all of this, it makes me fell like- like I'm an intruder on their lives, that my only reason for being here is as a lapdog-

"THREE!"

"OW!"

LL twitched at the shout of pain from Edward as the arm and leg were properly connected to his body. The blond groaned as his head lolled to the side.

"Ugh, every time the nerves connect-!" he grimaced.

"Don't be a baby; try moving them," Winry scolded, adjusting the metal arm a bit.

"Soon, I'll be able to kiss this pain good-bye once and for all. Everything's gonna be great once I get the philosopher's stone," Edward said as his limbs were put through their last adjustment for the session.

"That's a shame, you're our cash cow," Pinako cackled good-heartily.

"Right! Why be in such a hurry to get to normal? Automail is cool!"

"The smell of oil, the creaking of artificial joints, and the beautiful form based on the principals of biophysical research!"

That actually sounds far more creepy than cool.

Winry got a dreamy look in her eyes as her hands clasped together, as if over come by emotion. "Oh how wonderful you are: my automail!" she gushed reverently.

"Crazy gear head," Edward groused.

"You're screwed without me, alchemy freak," Winry retorted.

Edward got up and stretched his limbs out, some in almost vertical poses.

"How does it feel?" LL asked, curiously looking at Edward's metal limbs.

"Great!" he replied enthusiastically.

Winry began to say something about less durable and chrome, but LL wasn't able to hear the rest as Edward shot out the door, yelling, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Al!"

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Winry yelled angrily.

LL quickly followed after Edward, not eager to witness Winry's temper. As he rounded the corner, he saw Edward getting together Alphonse's armor together so he could fix it.

"Can you fix him right away?" Maj. asked.

"Yeah, but it's a little tricky," Edward replied.

LL glanced over, seeing a dull red circle rune stand out against the inside of the silver gray armor. He remembered the first time he saw it.

"It looks as if it was written with blood," M. Armstrong remarked.

"It is written in blood," Edward replied almost dismissively, "my blood."

B-Blood...

LL's expression was the same as M. Armstrong's as they observed Edward and Alphonse joke about the incident, how what a "close shave it was" and "another moment, I would have been a goner".

With that, Edward transmuted the bits of scrap metal back onto Alphonse, leaving the armored boy looking good as new. The blond then re-fixed his hair into it's braid, before swiping the hair piece over his shoulder and grinned, saying "Shall we?"

The two boys then crossed a few yards onto the grass. LL watched them, curious to see what this was all about. He didn't have to wait long.

Alphonse stuck out his arm, flipping over Edward, who landed back on his feet before running at the suit of armor. He nimbly dodged Alphonse's blow and his fist impacted the ground, barely missing the blond. Edward turned on his hand, his metal foot connecting with the armor boy's elbow, before Alphonse's arm wrapped around Edward's leg, sending his backwards on his hands before regaining his footing.

Whoa.

LL was impressed and jealous at the same time; impressed for obvious reasons, he had never seen anyone fight like that before, and jealous because here he was, practically an adult, who has to rely on a child who was much stronger than he was.

"Hm, what's this? A brother's quarrel?" M. Armstrong asked, appearing without a sound behind LL (Well, that was creepy), observing the battle.

"Nah, we're sparring," Edward replied, as he parried Alphonse's attack, "gotta make sure my arm and leg are working properly.

"And I haven't used my body for a while, so I need to get my instincts back," Alphonse added, blocking Edward's kick.

Sparring...? This could be my chance!

"Edward, Alphonse, may I spar with you two?" LL asked.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? You're kind of frail and I don't wanna break any of your bones or rupture any organs or anything..."

"I'm not that fragile," LL said in a flat tone.

Edward looked thoughtful before answering, "I suppose me and Al could show you some moves."

LL almost grinned. "Thank you so much! This'll definitely help me become manlier!"

"Huh?"

"Nothing!"

"Ho ho..."

LL glanced back, horrified to see M. Armstrong shirtless, looking very much like a bull seeing a red cape.

"IN THAT CASE, I SHALL BE HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU!" he boomed, flexing his muscles. "THERE'S NO NEED TO HOLD BACK!"

Alphonse immediately ran for cover. Edward and LL tried to do the same, but Maj. Armstrong's hands shot out and grabbed the back of their collars, holding the two in place.


LL winced for the umpteenth time that night. He was covered in bruises, scratches and he ached all over. Right after dinner, Winry was kind enough to lead his to a spare bed made and left him to his own devices. Now that he had the time, LL's mind flashed back to the morning of that day.

They had just arrived at a station before Resembool. Maj. Armstrong had called after an old man with black hair and a rather large nose. When the man noticed the Maj., he screamed and ran away from the train as fast as his legs could carry him. After seeing what M. Armstrong could do, LL didn't blame the man. Then, Maj. Armstrong said that said man was named Tim Marcoh, a former state alchemist during the Ishvalan war (Is everything going to tie up in that war? LL thought right then). Edward then insisted they got off there and talk with the doctor.

Personally, LL didn't really like the doctor; and it wasn't just because the man nearly blew his head off. The man radiated cowardice and this ticked, no, pissed off LL more than he liked. He didn't object to Maj. Armstrong throwing Alphonse at the man to calm him down. After that, they talked for a while (or rather it was Edward, Marcoh and M. Armstrong who did the talking, while he and Alphonse just waited for the conversation to actually go somewhere) about the Ishvalan civil war, why Marcoh fled, and then, he showed them the philosophers stone.

It was a brilliant red, like fresh blood and wasn't so much a stone as it was something... squishy and putty-like. And after all that, even though the thing was on its last legs, Marcoh not only refused to give it to them, but he wouldn't even allow Edward to see his notes. "Research of the devil", he called it. Then why mention it?

Why even show the stone (it's more like the philosopher jell-o if you ask me... wait, what's jell-o?) if he wasn't going to give it to us? And why was acting like it was nothing less than sacrilege what Edward and Alphonse were asking? They just want to return to normal!

They left Marcoh and returned to the train. But just before it left, Marcoh ran to their window and gave Edward a slip of paper with the words, "Central library, right wing," written on them. He said that if Edward and Alphonse couldn't even figure this out, then they would never learn the truth. He waved good-bye and went back to his home.

LL frowned, raising his hand into the air, palm open and outstretched. The one part of the conversation kept repeating in his head.

"I've already seen hell!" Edward snapped, eyes dark with anger and remembrance.

The frown became almost a grimace. The hand came down, then the arm covered LL's eyes, and his teeth gritted together.

Why am I even here? What could I possibly offer Edward and Alphonse, other than my feeble attempts to try and help them?


Hit to LL's pride: 6. If any of you want me to start using a counter for the hits, just say so in the reviews you leave. Really, I wouldn't mind putting it in.

I loved that argument in the manga.

And LL gets a memory of one-of-my-favorite-turned-almost-least-favorite character.

If you haven't noticed, I have respect for our favorite blond beansprout.

Subtle fourth wall breaking.

Let the bull fight begin...

Elle is definitely one of my favorite characters.

I hated R2 episode 17.

They mean his exact location.

Two self-loathing monologues in one chapter? I'm cruel...

Anyways, for those who might complain about the slowness of the pace in the story, it's there for a reason! Just please bear with me, okay? Anyways, like Les Mis CG, I'll be putting full focus onto this story until it's finished. So I won't be doing much other than editing my other work.

Dialouge is taken from FMA: brotherhood, FMA manga and FMA: brotherhood abridged by threephilosophers.