Chapter ten! Yay! This is special! It actually eneded up a lot different then I was intending. A lot different. Anways, I would like to thank Valarie Muoto for reviewing five times. Thanks!

There is a bit about alkahestry in this one. I tried to make it sound plausible. There really isn't enough information on it out there so I don't know how well I did on it. Please tell me!

Oh, and this was only edited quickly. I'll go back and do a better job in a few days, promise.

Al is 16 and Mei is 14. This is shortly after 'When Laughing Gets Carried Too Far'

"We are all connected to the Dragon's Pulse," Al muttered under his breath as the pencil in his hand hit the desk in a rhythmical pattern. "To read the flow one must understand the connection between life of every creature, every being, every mass." He looked up at Mei who was standing near another shelf, trying to find a certain book.

"So it's talking about 'One is all, all is one,' right?"

"I guess you could phrase it like that," Mei answered without turned around. "Here," she said tossing a thick tome to him. He caught it and put it on the ever growing pile near him.

"The more I learn about alkahestry, the more I understand how it really is at its basics a lot like alchemy," Al commented.

"Well you've also only learned the basics. You are learning what the Western Sage taught the original alkahestrists, and since he taught the same principles to the original alchemists it is extremely similar. That's why you're understanding all this so well. You've already learned it."

"So why am I learning it again?" he asked.

"Because they are extremely similar, but this incorporates the principle of the Dragon's Pulse. Medical applications aside, that's what really makes alchemy and alkahestry different. When alkahestrist learned about alchemy from the Western Sage, no one understood about the movement of the crust. They still thought the world was flat. They couldn't understand the energy source so they adapted it to one the Emperor and his servants had been using for ages. Medical uses came after when the ability to sense qi adapted into feeling the flow of it within the body. Does that make sense?" Al nodded.

"I think so. So shouldn't I be learning more about the Dragon's Pulse if that's what makes it different?" Mei sighed heavily and leaned against the bookshelf she was looking through.

"The problem is I don't know how to teach you about the Dragon's Pulse. I was taught to feel it at such a young age it's always been a part of me. You don't think about how to teach someone how to move their finger, would you? It's just always been something I've been able to sense. Why do you think we were both so frustrated in the Ishvalan slum? I was trying to explain to you something that comes naturally to me, and you weren't understanding."

"And here I was thinking you were making fun of me," Al laughed. Mei smiled at him.

"No, I wasn't."

"That's a comfort to my ego."

"Well I'm glad I could comfort your ego," Mei replied drying. "However you need to keep reading. If I can't teach you then at least these men can." Then Mei stopped and reconsidered what she had said. "At least these men and women can." Al smirked at her and she smiled before returning to the shelves.

Almost two hours later, Al lifted his eye from the scroll he had been busy looking over and stretched his arms high over his head. After rubbing his eyes and letting loose a huge yawn, he glanced around for some sign of a timepiece. They had been in the library for almost six hours now.

"Mei?" he called out in a loud whisper. There was no reply. He tried again but there was no response. With a heavy sigh, he stood up and peeked around a few of the near shelves; the princess was not in sight so he was forced to look deeper in the labyrinth. When he finally did find her she was sitting cross-legged on the flood with a thick book in her lap.

"Mei?" She looked up, alarmed, until she saw his face when she promptly blushed.

"Oh, Alphonse. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be reading?"

"Aren't you supposed to be finding more books for me to read?" he questioned in reply.

"Yes, well, this is a, well, I was checking it. Don't want you waiting your time reading unnecessary material. It's, uh," she stuttered putting the book quickly back where it belonged, "no good. Absolute trash." Al raised an eyebrow at her extremely fake smile. "We've been here for a long time, want to get some food?"

"Mei, what was that book?"

"… A book. I would think you of all people would be able to recognize one of those, Alphonse."

"Just a book my foot." He moved forward to grab it but Mei moved in front of it. "Mei, please step aside."

"No thank you."

"Please?"

"No. I like it here."

" I thought you wanted some food."

"I do."

"So why don't you go and get us some?"

"You first."

The two stood there staring at each other for a few seconds, Mie growing redder by the second and Al's smile widening.

"But Mei, I'm a gentleman. Ladies first."

"But Alphonse, I'm a princess. I say you first." His grin grew even wider.

"Well, Princess, I guess we are at an impasse."

"Well, gentleman, I guess we are." A few more seconds passed without words.

"Mei," Al started.

"Yes, Alphonse?"

"You do realize I know where you're ticklish, right?" Her eyes widened.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"You're bluffing. Alphonse Elric would never do something like that in a library."

"You know the advantage of being in the very very back of the library away from every other living person at this time of day, Mei? No one can hear your plea for help."

Only partly true, however. As Al made good on his promise and reduced Mei to a shrieking mass of black braids and purple fabric, one of her shrieked cries for help did make it pass the shelves of books. When Al reached out to grab the book Mei had been so fiercely protecting, a figure came running and knocked him to the ground. The book flew out of his hand and as he hit the ground a loud "Oof" escaped his lips.

"Princess Mei, all you alright?" a worried voice said rapidly. Al blinked a few times to clear his vision. There was something heavy and sharp on top of his chest.

"I'm fine, gege," Mei's voice said. "Thank you for saving me," The slim hand he recognized as Mei's reached down and picked up the book that landed near his head.

"It is my duty, Princess," the voice replied. With a few more shakes of his head, Al was able to recognize the object pressing into his chest the knee of a largely built man who was facing Mei. "What do you wish me to do with him?"

"You can let him up," she answered.

"So that you can punish him yourself, Princess?" Al could see Mei smile as she gripped the book he had tried to get from her in her arms.

"No. He's already failed so I feel no guilt in letting him go."

"But Princess, he might attack you again if he is released!" Mei laughed at the man.

"I think you're mistaken gege. Alphonse isn't going to hurt me. He was trying to get this book."

"But, Princess, you were screaming for help. I assumed that you were—"

"Alphonse, the acclaimed gentleman, was tickling me. You know I'm ticklish." A soft "Oh" was followed by the release of pressure on Al's choice. He lifted himself into a sitting position before a dark hand was thrust in front of his hand. Al followed the hand up a clothed arm to a dark face where red eyes were staring at him.

"You're Ishvalan?" The red eyes stared down at him, obviously not happy at being asked to let him go. Al took the hand and the man helped pull him to his feet.

"Yes I am." Mei stepped out from behind the man.

"Alphonse, this is Japhious. He was probably the man most friendly with me after my arrival to the palace beside Ling and Lan Fan. I was in the library looking for something to do and he approached me. We started talking and became friends." Al stared at the man who still hadn't taken his eyes off Al's face.

"Really?"

"Yup. He's almost like an older brother who isn't Ling and doesn't want to kill me."

"I see," Al turned to the man. "Did you come here during the Civil War?"

"Yes. The citizens of Xing were welcoming to those of us who would have been killed in your country. I have lived among the people here for a number of years," Japhious answered.

"The Ishvalan War of Extermination," Al muttered. "One of the darkest marks in Amestris's already dark history. You do know they're working to rebuild Ishval, right?" The man nodded slowly.

"I had heard, Alphonse Elric. The Flame Alchemist and the Hawks Eye seek to atone for their sins, correct?"

"Yeah." Mei stood awkwardly between the two, looking from one to the other. Neither of them said anything for a while and she was forced to break the silence.

"Al, I think we've been here long enough. Let's get some food." She turned around and made to walk down the aisle until Japhious crossed his arms and tutted loudly.

"Princess, you are still holding the book." Pretending not to hear him, she continued and was soon lost in the labyrinth.

"Listen, if you have anything against me because I'm Amestrian, just tell me. I understand. Amestris did horrible things in Ishval." Japhious stared at Al unblinkingly.

"Alphonse Elric. You have encountered much in your years, have you not?"

"I have," Al replied nodding. The red eyes softened slightly.

"We all go through our trials in life. My people have gone through theirs. It is time for healing and for strength. I cannot condemn you for something you had nothing to do with." Al's shoulders dropped in relief until the ultimate, "However…"

"What?"

"There is a reason the Princess calls me gege. I know you and the Emperor are friends. Therefor it falls to me to make sure that if you ever harm the Princess's heart or body, you will regret it. It would look bad for the Emperor to harm an important dignitary. An angry Ishvalan who still seeks revenge for his people is much more acceptable." Al was horribly reminded of the image of a large hand descending towards Ed's face and shuddered.

"I promise. I would never hurt Mei on purpose. I would rather hurt myself first." Once again red eyes bore into gold.

"You are an honest person. I will watch you nonetheless."

The that threat hanging in the air, Japhious turned around and disappeared in the maze of printed word.

Gege means 'older brother'