My feet make a soft tap tap sound as I land. It's not even noon, only an hour after I left Central. My hands slide into my pockets as I walk into town. I landed in the forest surrounding the small town of Dublith. From above, it seemed like a quiet little town. Now that I'm walking around, it's actually a bustling little place where the people are quite friendly, calling hello as I pass. I glance around, mentally noting everything before realization hits me: I haven't got a clue on where Izumi's house is. I sigh. "Man, I didn't want to be awkward and ask for directions…." I grumble and walk up to the first person I see: A man who looks no older than maybe early twenties with scruffy looking black hair, a white headband and wearing an apron over his clothes. "Uhm.. excuse me?" I tap his shoulder. He turns around, holding a bag of flour over his shoulder. "Oh! Can I help you with something kid?" I smile nervously and nod, a flush of nervousness on my cheeks. "Uh, yes. Could you give me directions to a Miss Izumi Curtis' house?" He brightens up, grinning. "Oh, you need Mrs. Izumi? I'm on my way there now actually. Tag along!" I grin and nod, glad that I'm not going to have to wander around on my own. I walk along beside him, looking around and attempting to acquaint myself with the tiny town.

"So, what's a kid like yourself doin' here in Dublith, looking for Miss Izumi of all people?" I smile up at him. "I gotta wait for some friends who won't be here for at least a day, and she's the only person that I know they know." He tilts his head and adjusts the sack of flour. "Oh really? What are their names?" "Edward and Alphonse Elric. I think they were her students at one point." "Ah, so you know the Elrics do you?" I nod. "Yeah, do you?" He chuckles. "Everyone in town has heard of those two. Only students Miss Izumi ever had." I chuckle. "I can't imagine why." He chuckles. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself." He offers me a hand shake. "I'm Mason, a worker at the Curtis's butcher shop." I smile and shake his hand. "Lisa Green." "Nice to meet ya Lisa."

We continue walking to the shop, me asking him a bit of what the guys were like when they were younger and explaining how I met them in the first place.

It was funny seeing his slack-jawed reaction to that part.

He even told me about being the guy on the island during their training and how they didn't find out till later, which I laughed much harder than I probably should've.

We finally get to the butcher shop. I can see the house is a part of the actual shop. If I recall, that was only in the anime. Mason opens the door and I follow him inside. "Yo boss!" He calls as he takes the flour to the kitchen. "I've brought home someone who wants to see ya!" I stand at the front counter, swaying back and forth nervously. 'Shitshitshitshitshitshit! I better not mess this up! I wanna give Izumi a good impression of me! She's just… AGH! MY GOD I'M SO EXCITED I THINK I'M GOING TO PASS OUT! I GET TO MEET IZUMI! EEEEEEEE!' I bounce in place a few times in excitement. 'Izumi is, like, my favorite female character next to Oliver! They are just… EEEEE!' I press my lips together in a huge smile, attempting to contain my excitement when the whole building seems to bounce. I yelp.

*Boom*

*Boom*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BAM* The door behind the butcher's counter slams open and a RIDICULOUSLY large figure enters the room. I bounce up a few inches after every step until he stops. The figure towers over me by at least two feet and looks down at me. I know most people would start to cower, but I contain the need to hug the huge man. "Can I help you?" Sig's voice is deep and damn near thunderous. I can actually feel it vibrate my entire being. "Yeah, I'm here to see Izumi." He nods and turns, motioning for me to follow him. I trail after him, the booming not quite as harsh now for some reason.

I follow Sig to a room in the back. He pushes the door open and motions me inside. I step inside and get my first glimpse of the most terrifying and motherly woman in the entire FullMetal universe. She sits up, her pale skin standing out more against her black hair. She smiles warmly. "I heard you've come looking for me?" I grin and nod eagerly. "Y-yes ma'am!" "Whatever for?" I walk closer to the bed and sit in the chair by the window. "That's kind of a long story…" She chuckles. "Well, I've got time, unless you have somewhere to be." I shake my head.

"I suppose I ought to start with my name, right?" She nods to me. I inhale. "My name is Lisa Naomi Green, I'm 16 years old and uhh… well, this is where things get complicated…" I sweat drop and sigh. "I'm not from around here…." "I figured. I've never seen you around Dublith before." I shake my head. "It's much bigger then that Miss Curtis." She tilts her head. "Are you from a different country?" I chuckle and scratch at my head. "Kind of? Have you ever heard of the string theory?" She nods. "That silly idea about there being multiple universes?" I nod. "I'm from another universe. Bigger than that actually, a completely different dimension." She and Sig are both interested now, as they are both leaning towards me slightly. "When I was 13, my sister and I got these weird powers from the God of the multiverse. We can travel around from universe to universe and we can also do this." I snap and box wrapped with ribbons drops onto Izumi's lap. She gasps and glances at me. "Wha-" I gesture to it. "It's nothing dangerous, I promise." She frowns at me suspiciously before opening the gift. Inside is an assortment of chocolates. Her eyes widen. I shrug. "I wasn't sure what kind you'd like, so I just got the assorted one." She frowns. "How did you do that without-" I hold up a hand. "It's not alchemy. It's … well, not really science… it's some form of dimensional fabric-of-the-universe thingy, but I just refer to it as magic." I shrug. "But, yeah, that's a thing I do." Izumi narrows her eyes at me and pops one of the candies into her mouth. She smiles as she eats. "Anyways, I've been doing this kind of thing for about three years. A few… what, about a month ago? Two months? Something like that. Well, I kind of…" I stop and nervously tap my pointer fingers together. Izumi swallows the chocolate. "What?" "Uhm.. well, ya see…" "Out with it." She commands. I wince. "A while back, I made a deal.. w-with the Truth.." Her eyes widen. "You did WHAT?!" I wince. "I-It wasn't anything big! Just the ability to jump between worlds and then I would be put in this dimension! And only until I do the thing he wants me to do!" She narrows her eyes at me again. "And that is?" I shrug. "I dunno. He didn't tell me. But I'm stuck here until I figure it out. But.. yeah… He chucked me in here and I ,uh… saved Ed's life...from a psychopath…" Izumi coughs blood and I nearly scream of fear. Sig pats her back gently and hands her a medicine bottle.

Once Izumi is actually breathing again, she tells me to continue. "Uhm.. Well, you've heard of that guy Scar?" She nods. "He hunts State Alchemists, yes?" I nod. "Yes ma'am. Al and Ed had gone through a very… traumatic… event shortly before hand and Scar appeared, taking them by surprise. He chased them down to an empty street. He nearly killed them." The worry in Izumi's eyes makes my stomach churn. 'Those two idiots are like children to her and I'm telling her how they were nearly murdered….' "I, uh, kinda dropped out of the sky and landed… on Scar's face…" Neither Izumi nor Sig seemed surprised, they just look slightly confused. "I'm kind of a demigod with all my powers so I wasn't really hurt or anything, though Ed and Al were worse for wear." I sigh. "Ed's commanding officer showed up, scared Scar off and dragged us all off for a debrief. Just recently,the guys went with their childhood friend Winry to Rush Valley. I spent some extra time in Central to tie up some loose ends and then came here to wait on them. If I'm right, they won't get here till tomorrow… so I, uh… was kind of wondering… if, uhm, maybe-"

"You can stay the night."

I perk up and gasp happily. "R-really?!" She smiles and nods. "I can't just let you roam the streets in the dark, super powers or not." I gasp and jump up, nearly knocking over the chair I was sitting in. "Oh thank you so much Miss Izumi!" I'm pretty sure I look like Winry does when she's obsessing over automail. "But." I freeze, holding my arms up in defense, in case she decides to pelt me with knives. "You'll have to do a few chores." I nod. "Well, I was kinda hoping you could, uh, give me a few pointers on alchemy first? I wanna surprise the guys a bit!" Izumi and Sig share a look before she sighs. "I'll give you a few lessons." I fist pump. "Yes! Thank you so much!" "You'll have to still do those chores." I nod, still happy about getting some lessons from IZUMI FREAKING CURTIS!

-Outside, about 10 minutes later-

"You're absolutely sure you'll be alright?" I ask. Izumi frowns at me menacingly. "I will be fine." I hold my hands in mock surrender. "Ok, ok. I'm just a little worried, 'cause ya puked blood twice just getting outside." She sighs and wipes away a dribble of blood. "Now then. I assume you know some alchemy, seeing as you went through the Gate." I bite my lip and shrug. "I didn't actually learn anything going through the gate. My toll paid as an entry fee and a way of keeping me here." She sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose. "Well, you must know something." "Well, while the guys were researching, I tried to do some alchemy by reading a book and ended up blowing a twenty foot hole in the ground." I spread my arms to indicate the crater I'd blown in the library yard. She nods. "Were you visualizing what it was you wanted to create?" I blink. "I had to do what now?" She sighs and sits down in a cross-legged position. I sit in front of her as she draws a transmutation circle in the dirt. "When using alchemy, you must visualize in your mind what it is that you are trying to create." She taps the edge of the circle. It glows a faint blue for a heartbeat. Once the light fades, a small dirt bird with intricate detail is sitting between us. I gasp and lean closer, tapping the tiny thing on the head. It stays in one piece to my surprise. I grin up at her. She crosses her arms. "Do you understand now?" I nod. "It's alot like my snap powers! I have to visualize what I want to create for it to appear. They're alot alike, except with alchemy you have to remember how much material you have to work with." She nods. "Good. Now, a little, test, to see if training you will be worth my time. What does this mean: All is One and One is All."

"One is the individual being or thing. All is the ecosystem the being resides in, the world, the universe, and the entirety of creation." I say, keeping myself serious. My mind has to make things more in-depth than necessary. She nods, smiling impressed. "How in the world would you know that?" I sigh and lean back some. "I think it probably has something to do with my life. I know that, in the grand scheme of things, nothing I do or anyone else does really affects the flow of the multiverse. But at the same time, we change everything by doing a simple thing, like just breathing. I dunno. Alot about me reflects alchemy in some way ,which is a little weird to be honest." She nods and stands.

"Now then, since you've seen the Truth, can you use alchemy without a circle?" I blink and shrug. "I, uh, haven't actually haven't tried it.." "Now is as good a time as any." She smiles. I take a deep breath and clap my hands. Alchemical lightning sparks around my hands and I gasp happily. I smack the ground with both hands, imagining something I KNOW will astound Izumi.

A large stone statue erupts from the ground, a ridiculously detailed image of Izumi facing a Briggs Mountain Bear with nothing but a spear made from a tree branch. "How did you make the stone?" She demands. "Stone is just alot of compacted dirt." Her surprised stare makes me want to laugh, though I play it humble and shrug. "I went to school. I took science class."

-Two hours later-

I yelp and stumble back a few steps, dirt marring my cheeks and forehead. A tiny scratch resides by my temple, a thin stream of blood flowing past my mouth. I blow a few stray strands of hair away and huff. Izumi stands before me, one foot stretched to the side while she holds a cookbook in one hand, the other remains behind her back. I growl. "No powers." She reminds me for the dozenth time. I nod. "Aye Sensei." I reply breathlessly. I clap my hands and hold them above the ground, a staff with a dulled point at one end rising from the ground. I snap the staff from the ground and race at Izumi, shouting a battle cry and jab it at her. She swiftly dodges each blow and tosses her book into the air. She jumps up and spin kicks my staff away before thrusting her hand forward and sends me flying backwards to land on my butt. She holds her hand out and the book falls back into it. She sighs. "You're doing better than either of the boys did." I nod and pull myself to my feet. "Thanks.. I think." She glances at the sky. The sun is close to starting to set.

She snaps the book closed. "That will be all for today. For now, you will do those chores and then you will come in to help with supper." I feel my knees wobble slightly as I hit my fist to my open palm and bow. "Y-yes ma'am." I take a deep breath and wipe the blood from my face. I look up to see her frown and walk towards me. I instinctively flinch, expecting her to hit me again. She kneels down in front of me and cleans my scratch with a wipe. I blink and look at her in surprise. "Can't have this getting infected." Her voice is unusually soft from what I've heard so far, even softer than when I first talked to her. I can only watch her in shock as she bandages the cut. She stands and dusts off her pants before patting my head and going back inside.

I stand there like an idiot, blinking in confusion.

"Wh-what…" I can't hold back the tears that spring up, for almost no reason that I can think of. The tears stream down my face, creating tracks in the dirt and I cannot comprehend why, only standing there stupidly as liquid streams down my face. "Why am I crying?" I whisper. "What… what just happened?" I feel sort of empty, but at the same time, a jumble of emotion swirls inside the pit of my stomach. "Lisa! Are you coming inside or not?!" I yelp and swipe the tears away, dashing inside. "C-coming!"

-A few minutes later-

I sigh and continue sweeping the floor of the shop. Izumi's "chores" so far has just been cleaning up around the shop. I've polished every window in the front entrance till my arms felt like falling off, cleaned up the front counters and swept the floors. I sigh for the dozenth time. "If I used my Sonic Speed, I'd already be done with this shit…" I grumble. "No powers, no alchemy." Izumi says as she walks into the shop, carrying three bags of groceries. I groan loudly. "What is the point in thiiiiis!" Izumi glares and I shut my mouth. She sighs and sets the groceries on the front counter. "You're doing this so you will learn not to rely on your powers so heavily." I sigh and put the broom away. "I don't. I only use them in emergencies!" She starts putting things away. "You rely on them more than you know." I sigh. "Sure. Well, the front area's sparkling clean. What now?" She points outside. "Go help Mason." I sigh and nod. "Yes Sensei."

I walk outside as Mason picks up a toolbox. "Mason!" I jog up to him. "What's up kiddo?" I sigh. "Mrs. Izumi told me to come help you with.. whatever it is you're doing." "I'm actually on my way to patch up Carl's roof. I could use a hand." I nod. "Alright." We head to a house a short walk down the street. I follow Mason up a ladder to the roof. "Thanks for helping." Mason says as he sets down the tool box. I nod. "No problem. I gotta make it up to Miss Izumii for letting me stay the night and all." He laughs a big hearty laugh that shakes his shoulders. "You're a good kid Lisa." He ruffles my hair. I grin and swat his hand away. "I do what I can." He starts hammering down the roofing as I hold it still, my fingers twitching a bit in nervousness. He grins at me. "Jumpy much?" I shake my head. "Just a bit attached to my hand, ya know." He chuckles and hammers in another piece. "Why don't you give it a try?" " I dunno.." I hesitantly grab a hammer. "My dad never trusted me with stuff like this.." "Give it a shot." He places a piece of roofing down and hands me some nails. "Go ahead." As he returns to his own work, I position one of the nails and gently tap at it with the hammer. "Give it some "oomph"." Mason suggests and I smack the hammer to the nail, driving it in almost all the way. I turn to Mason's slack-jawed expression. "Like that?" He swallows back his surprise and nods. "Y-yeah… something like that." I continue driving the nails in as Mason finishes up.

It takes nearly an hour before we finally finish.

I follow him down the ladder and wave to Mason. "I better head back and see what else Miss Izumi wants me to do now." He nods. "Alright, See ya, around kiddo." I turn and head back to butcher shop. "Miss Izumi!" I call as I return to the shop. "I'm ba-!" I yelp in surprise as a large, REALLY sharp knife hits the wall right next to my head. I squeak. Izumi narrows her eyes at me. "Did you finish helping Mason with the roof?" I nod frantically, slightly terrified. "Y-y-es m-m-ma'am!" She nods. "Good. Now, then, you can help Sig." I nod again, just as frantic. "Y-y-yes ma'am!" I then bolt from the house and run right into said big teddy. I sigh. "H-hey Sig…" "Izumi threw a knife at you." It was a statement. I nod. "Y-yes, sir." He turns back to the meat filled truck. "She sent you to help me." I nod. "Yes sir." He lifts several large hunks of meat and carries them into the shop. I pick up one large set of ribs and carry them, slowly, to the shop. He carries several pieces and I manage to carry one, maybe two, at a time. It's dark by the time we get all the pieces loaded into the house. Once we were sure that we'd got all the meat, I follow Sig inside to help Izumi with dinner.

I trudge inside, rubbing my aching shoulder. "Ah-ha-ha-haaaaa!" I groan miserably. "Did you finish?" Izumi asks, cutting a chunk of meat into thin strips. I nod and climb onto a stool near the counter. "Yes 'um.." She nods, laying the strips into a casserole dish. "Chop up those potatoes to bite sized pieces." I nod. "Something I've been doing since I was little…" I sit and chop the peeled potatoes into pieces the size of my thumb. "Miss Izumi…" "Yes?" "Have you ever had children?" She freezes and I immediately feel as though I'm treading on dangerous ground.

"Miss Izumi?"

"..."

"..."

"... I did… they died." She replied curtly I look down at the potatoes and continue chopping them. Neither of us speaks as we finish up. I take the chopped potatoes and wash them in the sink before bringing them to Miss Izumi.

"I'm sorry… about-"

She holds up a hand to silence me.

"My blood child may be dead… but I have two boys I call my own."

-After dinner-

I lay in the guest room bed, arms behind my head. I stare up at the ceiling, playing my day over through my head. I stop as I remember that, officially, Maes is a dead man. I sigh and smile to myself.

'You're just so damn proud of yourself about that, aren't you?' I grin and nod. 'Hell yeah I am! I freaking saved MAES HUGHES's life!' Lillian sighs. 'Yeah, yeah, but remember: There are ALWAYS consequences. And you can't always see the connections-' 'Because there might not be any visible ones. Yeah, yeah, I know. But it's still damn well worth it.' I grin triumphantly. 'Did you ever find out what it was that he found out that made the homunculi want to kill him in the first place?' I freeze and stare at the ceiling wide eyed before facepalming. 'Fuck fuck fuckety fuck fuck! I completely forgot to ask him or take that notebook from him! God fucking damnit!' Lillian laughs mockingly. 'YOU GOD DAMNED IDIOT! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!' I growl and mentally swat her away. "Oh, go away. I'm tired and I need to get some rest." 'Whatever you say, oh Wise One.' She chuckles and fades into the back of my mind. I grumble a very colorful words and then roll onto my side, pulling the plush blanket to my chin and closing my eyes. "Maes, Mrs. Gracia, Elyisia, wherever it is you are now, please be careful. Even if you aren't all in direct danger, you're still over the fire. Ed, Al, Winry, wherever it is you guys are at, Rush Valley or on a train, be careful and stay safe, no matter what. Truth, grant me just one night's prayers and keep my friends and family outside the Gate safe. Ivy, Trunks, Shadow, Goku, Vegeta, Sonic, Sky, Ashley, Splash, Emma, Seto, Mokuba, Firestar, Caroline, Yugi… Ya- … Atem….. everyone else. Please, be safe...'

This seemed as good a place as any to stop. Just Lisa getting acquainted to Izumi… Seemed sweet… I think...