(oh god im so sorry everyone. Im such a retard. i had no desire what so ever to work on this during the summer and edward stole my muse. I finally did work on it and then my computer crapped out. I PROMISE i will get a new chapter out in the next month after this cliffhanger at the end. It would be criminal not to. if i dont someone may shoot me. IM SAYING THAT METAPHORICALLY. but im REALLY sorry guys. I meant to psot this sooner btu a new freshman... it takes alot of desire to get stuff done. I love you all for reading!)

Chapter Ten- What I Can And Cannot Do

When we last left Liani, she'd met up with Greed.

"Greed?!" I said and stared. Suddenly my face formed into a grin. "Greed! You're alive!" I jumped across my bed and glomped him. "I'm so glad!"

"Eh? What?" he looked surprised, and a bit disgusted with my clinginess. I giggled and let go, sitting back into the bed. But it wasn't really so much of a sit as a falling into the depths of the bed.

"Uff." I got myself back up and sat hugging my knees. I grinned sweetly and rocked back and forth. "Ed said that he killed you, and I was sad because I thought that would mean that in my captivity there wouldn't be anyone slightly likeable. I mean, considering you've got Kimblee, who's just a creeper in every way, Envy, who wouldn't hesitate to beat out my guts, Sloth, who's just creepy, Gluttony, who'd eat me he get the chance, and those other guys, like the Fuhrer and his 'son', there's really no one fun except for Lust!" I said, listing off all of the people here. "And now you're here!"

"Yeah, well don't think much of it. I'm getting paid to play babysitter," he said. I smiled. "What?"

"That's just so like you. You know why I'm here right?" I asked and he responded with the right answer. "Well, there's secretly a book about you guys in my world! And in my world, you're dead. I didn't like that. But anyway. Out of all of the Homunculi, you're my favorite!"

"Huh, that's just weird," Greed said and sat down. I shrugged. "It's like you're stalking me."

"I know, right? Well it's still cool. I know aaaall about you!" I said happily. I think that was when I began to get overtired. I didn't really pay attention to what I was saying or doing.

"Well, that's… awkward," Greed said, a little weirded out. I sat by him and closed my eyes.

"Oh well, let's make it un-awkward!" I said. "You'll be my big brother while I'm here."

"Eh? Liani, you don't seem to get it. You're here because you have a lot of alchemic power, and we're going to use you for the philosopher's stone. Let me say it straight. We're going to kill you," he said, and I only grinned.

"Well I don't want my last moments to be sad then. Would you, Nii-san?" I asked, and something must have pulled invisible, nonexistent heartstrings. From what I know, homunculi have no soul, and therefore no emotions. But Greed seemed to lighten, and he smiled.

"No, I don't think I would, Nee-chan," he said softly and I beamed.

"I'm so happy…" I said, then laid a head on Greed's shoulder. "Greed, do you think that people can be bad without reason? I mean, no one can be bad just for the reason of being bad."

It took him a while to come up with an answer. When he did answer it was hesitantly, like he wasn't sure if it was the correct one. "Well, if that's true, then what do you think of Envy? What do you think his reason is?" he asked me.

"I think that maybe he's only doing this because your Father told him to. Like maybe he doesn't want to but he has to because he's afraid of fading from this world forever. Or he just wants to get a soul and become like us humans," I mused, then laughed. "Although, you said it yourself, I'm not really like a human to anyone anymore. What am I?"

Greed laughed sadly. "You've got quite the imagination, Liani." He stood up and walked toward the door.

"Wait!" I called to him and he stopped, then turned his head over his shoulder. "Good night, Nii-san!"

He smiled sadly again. "Good night, crazy Nee-chan," he said and left the room. Soon after I was asleep.

Evidently, I had been on crack last night, because I didn't see how that would want a soul. The thing smacking me with a heavy book to wake me up. "Get up, Liani!" Envy shouted to rouse me from my sleep.

I turned over and dove under all possible cushion. "No. Ask nicer," I said and he got mad, and threatened to use the book again. "Fine, fine," I said and got up. "I'm a prisoner, what do you need me to do? You're not gonna make me clean are you?"

"Psh, no. We don't care about the state of this castle," he said and I shrugged.

"Then why do you want me up so early?!" I asked angrily.

"There's still other stuff we want you to do to make use of you and make sure that you don't run away. So get up already!" He whacked me with the book again.

"Fine! I'm up!" I pushed him out of the room. "Let me get dressed, alright?!" He fell out and I slammed the door closed. "Noisy," I muttered, and looked in the closet, to find again that there were only the lame dresses in there. I took out the one I'd worn last night and put it on, approving once it was on.

After I left the room I found Envy waiting for me right outside. "Now eat," he demanded. "We can't have you fainting on us."

"Didn't you say you were just trying to keep me busy?" I asked, but obeyed after the evil look I received from him. "Alright, calm down. What am I supposed to eat?"

"I don't know! Find something!" Envy snapped. I heaved a sigh and found something, though I didn't really pay enough attention to see what it was. I ate it as quickly as I could to prevent Envy from getting mad. Or, rather, madder. "Are you done yet?" he quipped.

"Yes, just wait a second," I said getting angry. "You don't know how long it takes to eat stuff!"

"It can't take more than five minutes," Envy snapped back.

"Yes it can!" I grabbed a fruit that was there and bit into it. "Just shut up! I don't need your crap."

"Now see here, Miss Faror," Envy said, turning to glare at me. "You're here under my captivity. Just so you know, I'm the one who found you in the first place, and I'm the one who is in charge of you. That means I'm allowed to do whatever I want to you."

"Make me care," I said after swallowing another bite. His hand clenched and he punched in the table next to him and then walked up to me.

"You're still not afraid?!" he asked.

"If you were really watching me you'd know I've been through quite a lot by now. And I'm not scared. I know Edward will eventually get here," I said, not looking away from him, though his head was directed toward the ground.

"I thought I told you, you're in a onesided relationship," he said. "Edward doesn't love you!" He looked up at me coldly. "You should be afraid."

"…I'm not."

"…I out to smack some sense into you. Talk back to me again and I will," he said and turned away.

More like he's the one afraid, I thought bitterly. Envy walked to the door and unlocked it, then produced a chain from behind it. "Oh so you still can't trust me?" I said, and dropped the core on the ground. I walked over to him and held still while he locked the clasps around my wrists.

"What are you, stupid?" he shoved me out the door and I barely caught myself before hitting the wall. He then walked out and locked the door, put the key away and grabbed me roughly to lead me down the hall. I kept my head up as we walked down the darkened hall.

Pretty soon Envy stopped at a door. He opened it and walked in, I followed. There we saw a group of the Homunculi, Lust, Gluttony, and Greed. There were a few mishap items on the ground. But the room…

It must have been a green house or garden in its old day. We were surrounded by foliage, and the walls were made up of windows to reveal a bright morning sky as far as I could see. We must have been high up. A bird flew across the sky and I longed to be as free as it. The floors were marble and there was a staircase leading down to where the people and things were. No rail was on the staircase, which was high also. Clouds were in the sky and did not move, which made me wonder if I was not just looking at a mural. I then remembered the bird and sighed at the room. It felt… nostalgic almost. Kind of reminding me of early days with Kelly.

One of the memories that came back was one of our first meeting. I had been taken to the park by my parents and they let me run around. I ran up to a small girl about my size and tagged her, saying, "Tag!" and smiling. She looked at me strangely and I smiled even more. "You're it! Don't you know how to play?" She nodded and I ran away. She immediately chased after me, falling over quickly. The girl began to cry and I walked back over. "Alright?" I asked, for I was only six. The little girl suddenly laughed and poked my leg. She looked up at me and smiled.

"You're it!"

"Is everything ready?" Envy asked as he kicked the door closed and awoke me from my memory. I shook my head and I was pushed roughly toward the stairs. Slowly, as to retain balance, I walked down, Envy following.

"As ready as it's ever going to be. You know how exciting this is going to be?" Lust said, sounding very enthused.

"Of course. It's not every day we see something like this. If it does work, of course," Envy said. "And if not, she's still a good sacrifice."

"Or I can eat her!" Gluttony said.

I shuddered at the thought. I felt six again.

"Right. Well, get to it," Envy said and unlocked my chains. I rubbed my wrists.

"What?" I asked, irked.

"Some alchemy. A small test," Envy said and pointed at the ingredients.

"Okay?" I put them all together in a large basin, only recognizing a few. "What am I supposed to make anyway?"

Envy suddenly let out a long laugh. I suddenly noticed the silence of Greed. I looked over to him, and he was grinning wildly. "You can't tell?" Greed said.

"Look at the ingredients carefully," Envy said. I could pick out a few.

"Water, that one looks like carbon or something, salt, is that lime? Uh… that's sulfur I think… I took a little chemistry so I know that much…" I said, and began to think of what I could make out of those. Carbon… something… "Living?!" I suddenly said.

"Not just that. Notice how much water there is," Envy said, growing more hysterical.

"Okay…?" I was confused still. Then I looked at how the water dwarfed the other ingredients. Most of it was probably water… My eyes widened. "No…"

"Oh, she's figured it out!" Envy said gleefully.

"But I can't! It's impossible!" I protested.

"Maybe not for you, Miss Miracle Child!" Greed said, as insane as the others.

"But human transmutation?! You think I can do that?!" I cried.

"Eh, just do it," Envy said. "You'll be fine!"

"What if I die?" I asked, gulping.

"Then you die," he said. "It doesn't matter to me."

"But you'll be short one sacrifice," I pointed out.

"It's only one," he said. "Now do it."

I sighed. I was going to die either way. I decided to take my chances with the transmutation. A tear formed in my eye. Well mom and dad, this is how I go! Doing a crazy-ass experiment for some raving lunatics. Tia, I love you, Kelly I wish you were here…Or I was home or whatever…

I clapped my hands, prayed, and placed them on the circle.

*Disclaimer:

I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters.

Characters Kelly and Liani are Property of Hannah Faror