Yeah, another chapter! Just what the doctor ordered! (Okay, maybe the doctor didn't order it. Maybe you didn't even order it. Who ordered it, anyway? We need to find out who ordered this chapter…Oh, that's right, I did! Heh.)

Disclaimer: I don't own FullMetal Alchemist, of all things. You'd think I owned it though, the way I'm so obsessed with it. Heh.

Pam stared at Edward, dumbfounded, for several minutes without speaking. When she finally got the courage to speak, she said, "You are NOT Edward Elric."

Edward chuckled. "Yes, I am, even the cards said so. What would it take to convince you?"

Pam averted her eyes for a moment and licked her lips, like she was thinking. "I'm not really sure if I can be convinced. I don't think that Edward Elric actually exists." Edward sighed and shook his head. This really was annoying.

Pam looked back at him, and said, "Hey, don't look at me like that. Since you think you're Edward Elric, why don't you tell me how you got here?"

Edward proceeded to tell her everything that had happened since he'd traveled through the Gate. She listened carefully and nodded her head to indicate that she was paying attention.

"Well," she said, "Either you're telling the truth, or you have a great imagination."

Edward sighed again. He didn't really NEED to convince everyone of his identity, but it annoyed him to have everyone doubt him like this. "Is there any way I can convince you that I'm telling the truth?"

"There's one way," said Pam, "Perform a transmutation."

Edward placed his head in his hand and sighed. "You know why I can't do that on this side of the Gate."

"Yes," said Pam, "I do. I also know, according to your story, that alchemy can indeed be performed on this side of the Gate."

"But I don't know how!" Edward shouted, thrusting out his hands.

Pam chuckled. "Hey, relax; I never said that you couldn't have help, or that you had to do it without a circle. I know a little bit about magic, so maybe I can help you figure it out."

Edward sighed resignedly, "Very well, I'll try it if you'll help me."

Pam smiled, and then said, "Now, can you tell me exactly what happens when you try to perform a transmutation on this side of the Gate, with or without a circle?"

"It feels like there's a short-circuit somewhere," said Edward, "I can feel the energy, but it goes all over the place and can't be used. I can't even get enough useable energy to make the array light up, let alone transmute."

Pam nodded to indicate she was thinking. "It sounds like you need an object to channel some of that energy through."

"That's what that witch said," said Edward, "But what do I use?"

Pam reached into her purse and pulled out a chain necklace with a pendant attached. "I've been carrying this around for some time, because I just knew that I was going to run into someone that had need of it. Maybe that someone is you." She pushed the pendant toward Edward.

He took it in his hands and examined it. "This is a tiger-eye pendant," said Edward. "How will this help me?"

"Sometimes a stone can help one to channel energy. Tiger-eye doesn't resonate well with me, but I think it would for you. Why don't you put it on and see if you're comfortable with it?"

Edward slipped the chain over his head, and fingered the stone some more. "I do like this stone a lot, for some reason."

Pam smiled. "Then I was right; it resonates well with you. Try and channel your energy through that, and see what happens."

Edward asked Pam for a piece of paper and a pen. He drew up a simple transmutation circle, and placed it on the table in front of him. After taking a deep breath, he placed his hands on the paper, closed his eyes, and tried to focus his energy. He began to breathe hard and rapidly, as he was indeed channeling energy, and it was stronger because of the stone, but the short-circuiting problem was still there.

Finally, he stopped to catch his breath. He shook his head. "It's no use," he said.

"That's not the Edward Elric I know, giving up so easily," said Pam.

Ed snapped his attention to her, and said, "Listen, I've been trying for months without success."

"You haven't failed unless you've failed to try," said Pam.

Ed sighed and groaned. He was tired of this.

"Wait," said Pam, "Maybe there's something wrong with the transmutation circle itself."

"How could there be anything wrong with it?" said Ed, "I do know what I'm doing when it comes to drawing arrays."

"I'm sure you do…on your side of the Gate," said Pam. "Come to think of it, none of the magic or anything we can do on this side of the Gate uses such complicated things as most of those arrays are. Maybe they're just too complicated."

Edward's eyes flew wide open. That was one thing that had ever occurred to him. Maybe the energy on this side of the Gate was so confused that it required simple arrays to avoid the short-circuiting effect. That lady at the metaphysical shop had used a simple pentagram to call upon that same energy. Of course, he couldn't use a pentagram, since he didn't know magic, but there might be a simple transmutation circle he could just, just possibly.

He relayed these thoughts to Pam, and asked her if there was any symbol she knew of that might possibly work.

"Hmmm…" she said, "I understand why you can't use a five-pointed star…can you use a six-pointed star?"

"Maybe," Edward shrugged, "I don't really know, but a lot of transmutation circles have six points."

Pam reached into her purse again and pulled out another chain and pendant. "I don't know why I've been carrying this around, since it's of no use to me. I just felt, like with that stone, that sooner or later I'd run into the person who needed it." She shoved the pendant towards Edward. He picked it up and examined it.

"This is called the Star of David," said Pam, "It's the symbol used on the nation of Israel's national flag." She paused. "Come to think of it, Israel has some people in its history that were reported to be miracle workers. Moses was even part of their history, and you said you saw him perform alchemy."

Edward nodded as he fingered the simple, six-pointed design. "Maybe those miracle workers were actually alchemists." He put the pendant on, alongside the tiger-eye pendant. "I'll try again," he said. He took a deep breath, and once again closed his eyes.

This indeed was a different sensation, though the energy was still scattered. It wasn't short-circuiting anymore though. He concentrated harder, trying to channel the energy through the stone pendant and the star, which increased his need for air, so he began to hyperventilate.

He kept trying for a few minutes to create some physical effect, but finally had to quit because he got dizzy. He placed his head on his forehead to stabilize himself as he said, "I can't seem to cause any noticeable physical effect. I guess that I won't be able to make you believe me."

Pam smiled, then said, "I do believe you, Ed."

Edward took his hand off his forehead and stared at her. "Why do you believe me all of a sudden?"

Pam chuckled. "Well, you may be having trouble controlling the energy on this side of the Gate, but you still managed to summon up enough to make the star pendant glow."

"It actually glowed?" said Edward, excitedly, "Do you mean that I'm actually getting somewhere?"

Pam chuckled again. "It means that you are well on your way to figuring out how to use alchemy on this side of the Gate. I would expect nothing less from you."

Ed smiled. "I-I don't know how to thank you for all your help."

Pam waved him off. "Don't worry about it. I'm only too happy to help. I'm a big fan of yours, and I want to see you get back to Al."

Edward shivered. "It's kind of creepy that everyone in this time seems to know everything about me."

"Not everyone," said Pam, "Or you'd be having problems with crowd control. You're just running into people that do happen to know you." Pam paused for a moment, and then asked, "Can I take you out to eat somewhere? I'd never dreamed that I'd actually get to meet Edward Elric."

"Sure," shrugged Edward while chuckling, "Who am I to turn down a meal?"

"That's the Edward I know." She stood up and pinched his cheek as she walked by him, which caused him to make an annoyed face. She laughed. "Well, are you coming?"

He quickly fell into step beside her. One didn't need to ask him twice when it came to food.

Yeah, he's starting to figure a thing or two out! Heh. Wonder how long it'll take him to figure everything out. Even I don't know, actually. I'm just writing this as it comes to me. Heh.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review, as that encourages me to update sooner than I otherwise would!