Okay you guys win! I update early for you! Lol here you go! Enjoy this chapter…

About the Edward being a jerk thing. Just because I have finally brought them together, doesn't mean I am going to make Ed some considerate, loving boyfriend. He is still stubborn and a jerk, because that is his personality. But he loves Winry and would do anything for her. He just wont be open with his feelings, I am simply keeping him in character, as well as slightly softening him up when he looks at his love… oooo lol!

Chapter Twenty-one: The Truth By Latin

I woke up at five like I generally did. However, I had the alarm set on 5:30 just in case I didn't awake because I had promised Winry that I would come to sleep with her early in the morning, and bring her breakfast. I sighed at myself for making such a stupid promise and rolled over slightly. I really was whipped as people would say. But before I had a chance to rise, I was pulled back down.

Winry clung to my arm tightly, pulling me back down to the bed when I attempted to get up. I groaned and thanked the lord her white nightgown hung loosely on her frame. "You snuck into my room?" I said with disbelief, lying back down and relaxing against her warm body.

"Mmm yes." She mumbled, cuddling closer. I chuckled slightly and intertwined my fingers with hers.

"Well did you sleep well?" I asked with a sigh.

"Yes." She replied kissing my arm that she held to her chest a few times.

"Well I'm going to make you breakfast, like I promised…" I said squirming my way out of her embrace. She struggled greatly but let go of me eventually.

I puffed after our battle and stood up to put my pants on. "Don't bother, I won't be getting up for a while." She said digging herself into my pillow. "This smells like you." She added before pulling the blankets up over her body.

I stood beside the bed in a slight daze, as I watched her sleep. So beautiful, so peaceful. I dressed silently watching her funny little sleeping patterns and left the room quietly.

I had been searching through that stupid book on the stone for a few days now, and I still had not found anything, but I wasn't going to give up. I would find it hidden within the words of the pages if I had to read for the rest of my life.

Finally my attention was drawn to the fine print on one of the pages, the letters jumbled beyond comprehension. "What's this?" I looked at it closer and came to the only decision I could. The text was in another language. "What the hell am I going to do?" I said slamming the book down on the table. "I can't read Latin!" I rubbed my face tiredly, it was 12 and Winry still wasn't out of bed. But I needed to clear my head and think about this. Without thinking I shoved the small book into my coat pocket and found some paper.

Winry something came up, I'll be out for a while. Should be back sometime tonight.

Sorry

Edward.

I slapped myself mentally for not telling her more than sorry, but I wasn't in the mood to write love letters at this point in time. So without a second thought I trudged outside.

The afternoon breezes lead me to the hill I used to always sit on. I sat underneath the tree and leant against it, bringing my legs up to my chest. Whatever that latin is, it's something I don't know about the stone, I have to find out. Just when I feel like the answer is right around the corner, it runs away from me again. It all reminded me of the old days; where there were many times I thought Al and I were chasing a dream. I sighed and enjoyed the cool breeze on my face.

No matter what happens, I have to bring Al back.

No matter what it takes, Al will have a whole body.

"Edward!" I turned my head slightly, unaware if that was the voice of a woman, or a voice inside my head. "Why are you sitting up here all alone?" I looked up to see Nelly and smiled.

"Why are you here?" I asked sarcastically. Did I have to have a reason to sit under my childhood tree now?

"Well I was heading down to milk the cows. What's wrong? You look a little… hmmm nostalgic?" She asked sitting next to me under the tree. "Everything is fine between you and Winry right?"

"Sort of I guess." I told her, she panicked instantly, even though this wasn't the thing I was worrying about.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Well nothing is wrong, but we aren't exactly a dandy perfect couple, were always fighting." I chuckled.

"Well of course, that's the way you two are, but what are you so worried about?" She asked again. Obviously not Winry, the thought of that woman brought a smile to my face, Nelly knew this.

"Because I can't speak stupid Latin my life is falling apart." I muttered turning my head to glance over the hills.

"Latin? If you want I can teach you, if it's that important." She said with a confused look on her face.

I stiffened and turned my head slowly, curiosity burning in my eyes. "You know Latin?" I asked glaring at her suspiciously, there is no way. She tensed a little when she saw the look on my face and nodded slightly with a gulp. "I have been saved!" I blurted out of nowhere. "Ha-ha!" I said a little freakily. Nelly stared at me in confusion and watched as I pulled out my book. "Honestly, I don't know Latin then some random person who randomly knows Latin just appears right when I need her, why was I even fussing? Of course that would happen!" I said sarcastically. I opened the book up after mumbling to myself and handed her the page. She glanced over the page for a few seconds before looking back at me. Her eyes filled with silent confusion.

"This is all in English." She said cocking her head to the side.

"Look harder." I pointed down to the fine print and watched as she pulled out her glasses. She sat there for a long time just re-reading the words, and mumbling the Latin under her breath. I thought she knew it!

"Well… to put it into English the best I can… the book says 'Legend has it, that when the stone is made of pure souls, virgins, who are willing to give up their life for the purpose, the stone would be as pure as pure can be, the colour of the diamond" She stopped and looked up at me. "Is this okay?" I grinned. "Edward, your not going out chasing the stone again are you!" She said with anger. I lifted my hands in defence. "What is all this talk of virgins, you're not manipulating young girls are you?" She raised her eyebrows. "But the colour of the diamond… isn't the stone red?" She asked.

My eyes widened and I stood up immediately. He was telling the truth. I furrowed my eyebrows with anger. He offered Virgins who wouldn't know any better… I snatched the book from her hand.

"Did I do something wrong?" Nelly asked, glancing up at my angry face. "I was only joking about the virgin thing." She laughed. I nodded and gave her a slight smile to reassure her.

"No, thanks for your help, but I really have to go." I ran down the hill as fast as I could down to the main part of Rezenboul. There were some telephones I could use to phone central, and find the location of Mr. Kanou.

I ran down and dialled the number as fast as I could, feeling an urgency I couldn't describe. "Roy!" I heard him grumble from the other line and tensed my fists. I am not some sort of inconvenience, stop treating me like it!

"Calm down Full Metal." He said calmly.

"Listen I need the location of a Mr. Kanou." There was a pause for a few seconds. "NOW! WHERE IS MR. KANOU? LOOK HIM UP IN THE FILES I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO!"

"Remember he is in Rezenboul, we asked you to bring him back here." Roy said with a slightly annoyed tone. "Not that you have made any progress, too busy making-out I see." Roy grinned through the phone. My eye twitched slightly before I chose to ignore this comment and move on to the topic.

"No but you don't understand, he isn't here anymore."

"Why I am right here Edward."

I turned my head to see the large man standing right in front of me. I dropped the phone from my ear, hearing Roy yell from the other side and placed it back on the hook. I turned to him with a stern face.

"We have to talk."

He took me to his place without a fuss at all, he actually seemed happy despite the fact I had been ordered to capture him. I marvelled at the beauty of his adobe and sat down when I was directed. I never knew that this old place was so beautiful on the inside. "Look I haven't got long, don't worry about the tea I need to get back to Winry, or I may not live to see another day." I sighed as Mr. Kanou headed for the Kettle.

The day surely had passed quickly, and if I wasn't home soon, Winry would kill me. I bet she went to all the trouble to prepare dinner for me. I glanced over to the clock seeing it was around 6:15 and sighed. "It's about the stone, I am going to be very straight forward with you, I don't care if you used virgins and seduced them to be killed, because that's in the past and I believe you are not a bad person." I told him. He sat down at the opposite end of the table a serious look on his face to. I hope to god my judgement of this man isn't wrong.

"But I need to know something, the red stone, where the sacrifices are slaughtered unwillingly, where the stone is the colour of blood… is that the real stone?" The man shook his head at my comment. I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest. "So that's not the extent of its true power is it?" I mumbled mostly to myself. The man cleared his throat and began to talk.

"The white stone, is the real thing, so much power is held within that stone, that I alone could not hold onto it." He said with shame. "So with it came my wisdom from holding onto it for so long." He sighed. "I wanted to help someone to atone, it lead me too you, I had to help you find true love, with that stone… give it to you."

I instantly thought of Winry at home, the ring adoring her beautiful finger. She just wore it for decoration now, it's not like we were engaged or anything. But she constantly told me how beautiful it was.

"Answer me this, can it bring my brother back to life?"

"Human transmutation is impossible." The man told me. "You can try it if you dare, but I thought you would have learned from your mistakes." The man scolded pointing to where my gloves covered the constant reminder of my sins.

"Al brought me back to life!" I said with anger, refusing to accept the truth.

"No Al merely bound your soul to your own body, your body was there in front of him, it was not yet dead, and even with the stone he disappeared, you could attempt it, but something horribly wrong could happen to Al, and you would definitely not live to see what you created." The man told me.

I bowed my head tears falling from my eyes. There was a long pause as the rain started to fall outside. The rain always falls down on me.

"But." I rose my head at the man's sudden word. Al is not dead." I glanced at the man in confusion and cocked my head to the side. I remember he already told me this.

"He gave up his body for you yes, but he offered 4 years of hard work as equivalent trade, he is merely alive in another world." I widened my eyes.

"You mean like… London, beyond the gate?" I said with confusion.

"There are many more places beyond the gate, it's a place called Earth." He told me. "Edward did you take me seriously when I told you this last time? Is this the first time you are truly brothering to listen to me." The man sighed and raised his eyebrow slightly.

"I didn't bother taking it in." I said with anger. "How am I supposed to know that you are telling the truth?" I asked "How do you know all this?"

"I saw it… when I made the stone…" He looked away, as if he too felt the tears well in his eyes. "For the sins I have committed I will never be saved, that's why I want to do good. Ed all you have to do is bring your brother back to this side. That is possible with love and determination."

"The bond between me and my brother…" I said under my breath.

"Oh yes, but not only that Edward…" He smiled at me, and I tilted my head on the side. "Don't you feel it? Winry is flowing through your veins, her love is giving you strength, she is the only link you have to this world right now, and she is what can bring you back!" He told me.

"What do you mean…?" I said with horror. There is no way I can depend on Winry for that much. I can be my strongest without her. I thought on that for a second and sighed. Then why am I hurting right now, I have only been away from her for a few hours. God I am pathetic, so pathetic I am not even going to bother arguing with him.

"Ed it isn't going to be easy, you may loose your hope once beyond the gate, you may never be able to come back, but if you just hold onto Winry, you will find the will power to return, remember this Edward, remember."

"This is going to break Winry's heart…" I said referring to the whole mess. "I have to tell her, even if I get bashed up in the process, but it's going to hurt her so much." I tensed my fists and looked down to the ground. I don't want to tell her.

"Go to her Edward, she is waiting for you tonight."

Saturn Stars

I will make up for the shortness of this chapter, next chapter I promise. You guys are going to either love it with your life, or hate it with your death, something like that anway... look forward to chapter 22