Hey! I'm back. Sorry I haven't added anything in a while, but anyways here is chapter 9.

Chapter: Day Off

Walking outside, I felt the early morning air rush across my face. Roy followed behind me out the door of the house. He was out of uniform with the day off.

"Why did you take the day off?" I asked as I walked to the sidewalk.

"The Fuhrer told me I had to stay with you," he replied as he tailed close behind.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Where are you going?"

"I'm headed to the library there's something I need to look up."

"Alright, and what would that be?"

"Stuff."

"Nicole," he groaned.

"Yes ,Roy." I deviously smiled.

"Never mind," he stated as he followed me down the sidewalk.

Soon, we reached town and people began to wave to the two of us with the occasional girl or two flirting with Roy.

"Stick with Riza. She's good for you."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"There is nothing between the lieutenant and me."

"Well, if there isn't then explain the lunch date."

"It wasn't a date."

"Right, just keep telling yourself that."

"How did you even find out?"

"Riza."

Before he could say another word, we were at the state library.

Entering, I walked right in. Roy presented his watch and told them I was with him.

"Why is it I always have to show my watch?"

"'Cause you're lucky," I said heading through the aisles of the library. I stopped when I found a book on symbols and their meanings and pulled it from the shelf. Then I found the legal section and pulled a book on the forbidden rules of alchemy and the boundaries of alchemist with detailed explanations. Roy trailed behind me the entire time without a single word, just simply looking at the books I grabbed.

I then walked up to one of the library clerks. "Hey Sheska."

"Good morning, Nicole. Hello there, Colonel Mustang. What can I do for you?"

"I need a quiet place to study," I said.

"Of course," she said as she led me to a study. She then left.

"What is this?" Roy asked looking at the books.

"I need to figure out what happened on the mission. It's bugging me. Here take this and look up the part on human transmutation and then homunculi," I said handing him the restriction and legal book.

"What?"

"Just do it for me, please?"

I then opened the symbol book and began searching for the ouroboros tattoo I had seen on Envy and Lust. Once I found it, I saw it had a few different meanings. It meant the cycle of death and rebirth with the dragon eating its tail, but it also had the water and fire symbol showing the unification of opposite elements. This was transmutation. I thought this over as I fingered the bracelet on my wrist. Then I quickly flipped through the book to find the flamel. It was the opposite, the continuation of life.

"Here." Roy said handing me the book open to the page on human transmutation. It was no help though. All it said was that human transmutation was forbidden and could have fatal consequences. The book said that artificial humans were called homunculi but that they had never been created and any attempts to do so were considered human transmutation. I then collected the books and went back to the main part of the library to put them away.

As I were putting them back, Roy spoke up and asked me, "What is all of this about? Explain."

"Not here. Later, I promise."

"Fine. Then let's go get lunch."

The two of us sat down at a nice diner and ordered lunch. My mind continued to travel to my research. Suddenly, the room around me faded to black and then became a room that had to be two stories tall and was filled from wall to wall with books. I was sitting at a table in the center with a stack of books in front of me.

"Hello, dear. Studying away again this morning?" An older woman said as she walked in.

"Yes, ma'am," I said proudly swinging my legs back and forth at the table.

"And what have you learned today?"

"Homunculi are fake people made by failed human tran . . . trans. . ."

"Transmutation?"

"Yeah, that thing."

"Very good, Nicole."

"May I go play now?"

"Yes, you may. Envy is waiting outside for you."

"Thank you, Ms. Dante."

I ran from the room watching my black hair swing on my back in the hallway mirror before I headed down the steps and out the door, but instead of seeing the outdoors the scene around me turned black. In the darkness, a figure of pure white seemed to faintly appear.

My ears caught a strange voice that seemed all too familiar. The white figure seemed to be talking to me but I couldn't make out on word a first.

"Who are you? What are you saying?" I asked him.

This time when he spoke I could understand his words. "You shall find out all in due time, Princess." The figure then faded away before I could say anything in return.

"Nicole, Nicole!" Roy's frantic voice sounded around me in the darkness.

"Roy!" I yelled. No response.

"Come on, Nicole," Roy's voice said. It sounded close, but he was nowhere in sight. I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. Everything seemed to change. I was no longer standing but lying on my right side and someone had their hand on my left upper arm shaking me.

"Is she alright?" a woman voice asked.

"What happened?" a man asked confused.

I tried to open my eyes or even move, but my body felt heavy and never budged.

"Colonel, I've been looking everywhere for you. What happened?" Riza said as I heard hurried footsteps come closer.

"I don't know. We were just sitting here and she suddenly fainted. She's not responding either," Roy told her worried.

My head began to hurt like I had hit it hard and I could almost move.

"Oh, no. Have either of you been to the library today?" She asked him.

"Yes, why?"

"There was an anonymous note on your desk this morning saying that if you valued Nicole's wellbeing you'd steer clear of the library and make her forget about the incident. I don't understand what it's about."

"Something happened on that mission and I have a feeling it's about to change everything."

"Sir, what are you going to do?"

"I was going to have her taken off of Elric's team, but it might be best to leave her there and just see how this plays out."

I was finally able to move and my head was throbbing. "Ugh," I groaned and sat up holding on to my head. "What happened?" I asked as Roy and Riza helped me stand.

"You fainted. Are you alright, Nicole?" Riza asked.

"I'm fine, but I'm confused."

"We need to talk. Something's going on. We're going home now. Riza, you're coming with us," Roy stated. He paid for the bill then took off towards home.

Riza then helped me to the house where Roy had already arrived and had lunch made for the three of us.

Alright, so thank you to the few people that voted. As you can see the story point of view has been changed.

Thanks,

Edme