A/N: Woot! Another chapter! Who's awesome? Me. This chapter is on the more serious side. There's some jokes every now and then because I can't help myself, but it's not one of the humor chapters. Oh, and I've decided on the villan, but I can't tell you guys because that would ruin the surprise factor!

Disclaimer: If I owned FMA/FMA:B, Hughes wouldn't have died! TT~TT

(Lyn's POV)

Elysia's party was a lot better than I expected it to be. Miss Gracia made the best cake ever and when Elysia blew out the candles, she announced that she wished for a pony. No one had the heart to tell her she wasn't supposed to say it out loud. Ed and Al gave her a small, ornate hairbrush and mirror set that they had used alchemy to make, but I had something different in mind for a present. I told her stories: all the Dr. Suess books and fairy tales I could think of. And I had once written a report on the Brothers Grimm. I knew a lot of fairy tales.

"-and you know what? The shoe fit! So the prince took Cinderella back to the castle and they got married and lived happily ever after," I finished.

Elysia and her friends stared up at me with awed expressions. "How come you make up such good stories, Big Sis?" Elysia asked innocently.

I smiled sadly at her. "My grandma used to tell me stories every night; that was one of her favorites."

The three-year-old tilted her head adorably. "Why are you sad, Big Sis? Do you miss your grandma?"

"Yeah, Elysia. I just haven't seen her in a while is all," I told her, smiling at her concerned pout.

Suddenly, Elysia said, "Wait!" and bolted up to her room. She quickly returned, this time holding something behind her back. "Here!" she said, holding the object out for me.

It turned out to be a beautifully crafted silver pendant on a blue-grey silk ribbon. The pendant was shaped like a graceful bird in flight with delicate lines and curls etched into its surface. It was gorgeous. The irony of its shape, however, did not escape me. "Elysia," I breathed in shock, "I can't accept this from you; it must be very important!"

The girl tiled her head in thought. "But your grandma is important to you too. I want you to have something nice while you can't see your grandma."

I smiled at Elysia's childish interpretation of Equivalent Exchange, the concept that all alchemists lived by. Before I could once again protest, Hughes interjected with a kind smile, "Go ahead, Lyn. That old thing has been sitting in the attic for years; I'm surprised Elysia even knew it was there!"

I watched him uncertainly as Elysia put the necklace in my hands. "Are you sure, Mister Hughes? I can't-"

"Of course you can! Trust me, it's fine," he told me reassuringly.

"If you're sure..." I trailed off. Seeing his determined nod, I hesitantly put on the necklace, feeling the cool silver of the pendant against my throat. I smiled brightly at Elysia, "Thank you!

A few hours later, the party had wound down and most of the children had left to go home. I had just finished explaining to Elysia that Ed was not Red Riding Hood and that Al definitely was the knight in shining armor when the Elrics themselves walked up to me.

"Hey Furball, ready to start your training?" Ed asked, grinning.

I looked at the pair suspiciously. "What kind of training, Shorty?"

Al immediately clapped his leather hand over his brother's mouth and held him back from attacking me. "Just helping you get used to your new senses!" Al told me cheerfully over Ed's muffled shouts. "Being in a big city like Central has been hard on you right?"

That was an understatement. The smell of garbage and car exhaust had been making my eyes water, and all the hustle and bustle of the people made my ears hurt under my hat. The fur on my tail was bunched up and irritated from being stuffed in my clothes for so long, and my ears were suffocating under all my hair.

"Yeah, it has," I agreed, "but what kind of training do you mean?"

Ed, who had finally stopped thrashing against Al, answered. "Tomorrow, we're going to walk over here and meet up with Hughes. While you wait here, Al and I are going to wander around Central. After about half an hour, we'll stop and you'll come find us using your nose."

I looked at the brothers curiously. "What if I run into the homunculi?"

Ed looked sheepish and Al sounded apprehensive as he said, "About that-"

He was interrupted when Hughes popped up beside me and announced, "Hey Lyn! So it looks like I'll be showing you around Central while these two do research, huh?" He grinned and stage whispered, "Can't say I blame you; alchemy research is incredibly boring."

I blinked. Noticing Ed's 'just go with it and we'll explain later' look, I smiled at the man and agreed. "Thanks Mister Hughes!"

(Ed and Al's POV)

The Elrics walked into Colonel Mustang's office wearing matching serious expressions/auras. The blonde girl, Lyn, was noticeably absent from their group.

Ed cut right to the chase, turning to face the Flame Colonel. "Alright bastard, you were leaving something out while Lyn was here, so what was it?" he demanded.

Roy looked at the teen calmly. "What makes you think I was leaving something out, Fullmetal?"

Ed huffed. "You were treating her like a mix between one of your team and one of those 'dates' that you use as spies. Like she was a friend, but you were still just using her."

"You were gathering information," Al clarified.

Mustang smirked, pleased that the brothers had figured it out. "You're right. There is something about this that doesn't add up. She wasn't suited for alchemy, so this 'Gate' turned her into a chimera? A perfect chimera, I might add. And what about the fact that she just happened to find a book containing a working human transmutation circle in a world which doesn't know about alchemy?"

"And her friend turned into a homunculus. Or was possessed by one, at least," Ed added. "I know. I've been wondering about some of that too."

"Brother!" Al gasped, "You don't think Lyn lied about any of that, do you?"

Ed looked up solemnly at his brother. "I don't want to, but you have to agree; some of this is suspicious."

After a moment, Al admitted, "It's odd that the homunculi even found her in the first place."

The other two nodded. Then Mustang spoke up, "But the only thing we can do right now is either wait for her to let something slip or find out if the homunculi know anything." With that, he deemed the exchange over and switched topics. "So Fullmetal, where is Miss Lyn?" he asked conversationally.

Ed waved it off nonchalantly and flopped onto one of the black, leather couches. "Training."

Roy raised an eyebrow but didn't question the blond as Al perched next to his brother on the couch to wait.

(Lyn's POV)

"So Mister Hughes," I began, "do you remember what Ed and Al were going to research today?"

Hughes grinned and looked down at me saying, "You're just trying to find out how much I know about this, aren't you?"

It wasn't really a question, but I still nodded. His expression became serious the way it had back in the office. "I know you were in an alchemy accident that somehow gave you enhanced senses. At the moment, you are training your sense of smell and I am here to make sure nothing bad happens to you."

Accepting the man's answer, I changed the topic. "Are you an alchemist too, Mister Hughes?"

Hughes seemed to choke, "God no! I'm the only sane person around here; I swear all that knowledge of alchemy just shoves common sense out of their brains!"

I grinned at his antics. "You're telling me! Hey, what do you want to bet the guys went somewhere obvious like the library or Central Command?"

Hughes snorted. "My bet's on somewhere with food."

*That night*

Once again, I stood in a world that seemed like the opposite of the Truth's. There was nothing but black all around, but I could clearly see the woman standing in front of me. She had dirty blonde hair like mine, dyed to cover the grey it had become, and caring blue eyes surrounded by light wrinkles that gazed lovingly at me.

"Grandma..." I whispered in shock. I hadn't thought about my family much since coming to Amestris, but seeing her so vividly brought back a flood of emotions and memories. Awe. Grandma teaching me that stars were the spirits of our ancestors watching down on us. Protective. The time I found a bird with a broken wing, so she helped me take care of it while it healed. Comfort. Eating gingerbread cookies at her house while my parents were at work all day. Grief. Standing by the coffin as everyone said their goodbyes. Grandma said tears were wishes, so I held them back and wished for her to wake up. Anger. Because all those people had no clue how amazing Grandma was, and they had no right to cry while I couldn't.

"It's all right, child. It's all right to remember," she said gently.

"No it's not! You're dead, Grandma! How can it be okay when you aren't here anymore!?"

Grandma smiled sadly. "Because you have a new family now. Friends who will stay with you." As she spoke, images of Ed, Al, Winry, and Nadia -not Betrayal- flashed through the blackness.

"I miss you, Grandma," I told her, a lone tear trailing down my cheek.

"You've grown into a beautiful woman, Lyncasia," she told me.

I reached out to hug her-

I sat up abruptly, waking up from my dream before it ended. I sighed and got out of bed, knowing I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after that. I slipped on my hat and jacket as I walked out of the door into the main area of the hotel room. 'It's good that Al stays in Ed's room at night,' I thought gratefully, not wanting to see anyone at the moment. With that lingering in my mind, I opened the door and stepped out into the night.

Walking through the park around the corner from the hotel, I was marvelling in the fact that telephone booths were still in use in this world. Even my backwater town had landlines and cell phones. A loud, repetitive thunking noise, like rushing footsteps, reached my ears, and I tilted my head, trying to guess what would be making such a sound so late at night.

I spun quickly as I caught a fast movement in the corner of my eye. I relaxed as I recognised the man with glasses and yellow-green eyes sprinting towards me. "Hey Mister Hughes, what are y-"

"I don't have much time, Lyn," he told me urgently, "but I need you to get a message to Roy. Tell him the threat in the military is-"

"Well well, if it isn't the Kitty-cat," a dreadfully familiar voice mocked. "Trying to steal our prey, little Kitty?"

A/N: Hughes! *tears* Wwwhhyyyyy!? Eh hem. So. Um... Review?