Disclaimer: Taunt me why don't you! (Cries) I don't own it!

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay from chapter 11 to chapter 12, I started a new story and was updating it. Anyway I would like reviews please! Please! Oh and don't worry, more Ed/Ash fluffiness in this chapter (little in this chapter-more in the next) and the next chapter so stick with me!

Lessons in Alchemy

Chapter 12: The Philosopher's Stone

"My heart?" Ash said, staring at the girl in front of her. "Yeah right Colton, stop lying and just tell me the truth."

Her sister smiled and laughed. "Oh Ashton, you were never gullible. Too bad what I speak is true…"

Ed stared at Ash. "No, it can't be…it can't be true…" he whispered, his eyes huge. The very stone he had been searching for since he was eleven was the heart of the only girl he had ever loved.

Colton smiled, which soon changed to an evil smirk. "Guess I should fill you in, huh little sister."

Her little sister rolled her eyes, "that would be nice." She still didn't believe her. How could the stone be her heart?

"I was almost two when you were born, but Trey told me this story not too long ago. You see, when you were born you came two months early, and you were way too small. The doctors said they had tried everything, and that you wouldn't live because you had a very weak heart that wasn't pumping enough blood and they couldn't find a donor for you when you were so little. Trey wouldn't stand for this and locked himself in his lab for a long time; finally he came out with the solution. It was a small red stone.

"He asked if he may take you home, even though you were very sick, and the doctors felt bad for our parents and let you come home. He took you down to his lab and performed surgery on you; making the stone your heart. And it worked! You lived…"

Colton finally stopped and looked up at Ash and the alchemist beside her. Ash glared at her, "Well then, what does that mean? If Ed needs the stone, will he have to take it from me? Would it kill me?" she asked in a un scared voice, still in a melancholy manner that showed she didn't believe her sister.

Ed pushed her back a little. "Don't worry about it Ash, let's just go. Come on, let's get outta here!" he whispered, but the girl didn't budge.

"So Father created the Philosopher's Stone?" She asked, wondering if this was one of the things Colt had brought up earlier about her father.

She nodded, "Yes, and he created that chimera too. Surprisingly, even though it has a small form and looks like a puppy; it was created almost thirty years ago! Also…it's the first chimera ever made!"

Ash start feeling nauseated and her head was pounded. "Yes it's true Ashton. I created the first chimera. The Philosopher's Stone is your heart. Will you give Edward your heart, when he's been lying to you this whole time?"

The voices had come back! And they were louder than usual. She started swaying and grabbed Ed's arm for balance, but started to fall. He caught her and she looked up into his golden eyes, before everything went black…

X

She woke up a little later in Ed's strong arms. She stirred a little and he looked down at her. "Hey, you're finally up," he smiled. Ash really loves his smile.

Her head felt like it was going to explode. She looked around and noticed that she was back outside, the stars gently twinkling against the black velvet sky.

"What happened?" she asked, and Ed smiled as he put her down. It took her a minute to find her footing, and she wobbled a little at first, but Ed grabbed her hand and steadied her. Only, he didn't let go once she found her footing.

Ash blushed as he held her hand. "After you fainted, Colt just stared at me for a minute and told me to give up on the Philosopher's Stone or lose you. Then she disappeared and I carried you out here… Arkilus is here too."

"Arkilus! Oh it's so good to see you!" she hugged the chimera, and then turned towards Ed. "All the way out here? We must be like a mile from that house…" she replied. Ed blushed and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.

She smiled, "Well thank you." She said, and kissed him on the cheek.

Ed started blushing deeper and smirked. "Did you hear those voices again?"

She nodded, "And I found out who they're from. They're from my father…"

He gasped… "How do you know?" he asked, his golden pools growing bigger. She shrugged. "It's what he said. He said "I created the Philosopher's Stone" so it has to be my father…"

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Weird…" and Ash nodded. Then a memory from something her father said came back. "Ed, my father said to me, when he was sending me those weird voices, he said you had been lying to me… have you?"

Ed stared at his feet, which confirmed her suspicions. "Have you?" she asked again, and the alchemist nodded.

"I'm sorry Ash; I just didn't know how to tell you…" He whispered, and her heart had a tug at it.

"What were you lying about?" She asked, wanting an answer out of Full Metal. She couldn't believe this.

Ed pulled off his jacket and handed it to her, which she draped over one arm. He also pulled off his black long sleeve over shirt thing and held it in his real hand.

He began to move his auto-mail arm. "I got this arm when I was eleven. My mother died and Al and I were pretty good at alchemy. We got a crazy plan to try a human transmutation and bring her back to life. We got everything that made up a human body, every element, but the transmutation went wrong. In the process, I lost an arm and a leg, and Al…well he lost his whole body. In the nick of time I was able to attach his soul to a suit of armor. That's why he travels around in a suit of armor-he has no body. Winry gave me the auto-mail and that's why we search for the Philosopher's Stone-so we can get our bodies back…"

Ash stopped breathing for a few seconds, but soon regained her voice. "I'm…so sorry Ed…" she whispered, his life had been so hard.

"It's not your fault," was all he said as a reply. But really, she thought it was. The stone he had devoted most of his life to finding was her heart.

"There's no other way to find the Philosopher's Stone is there?" she asked, and Ed shook his head. "There's only one stone…"

Ash sighed as she walked under the starlight-"this always happens to me! Just when I get close to someone, something happens to scare them away. I can't lose him like everyone else," she thought.

"One stone?" she asked, tears pricking her eyes. She hugged the boy, throwing her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. "Ed?" she said, whispering as she tried to hold back the tears.

He stroked her hair down and kissed the top of her head. "Don't cry please… It tears me up when you cry…"

She wasn't crying, but boy it became hard to hold it in. "I'm so sorry Ed…So sorry…"

He lifted her head up and softly kissed her. "Don't be, it'll be okay. We'll figure something out…"

She kissed him again and finally dislodged herself from him. "Let's go back to the hotel…"

X

Colton stared ahead of her at Lust. "You failed again; I hope Envy is doing his part right." She said her voice angry.

Lust looked away from Colt, getting really annoying. "Sorry ma'am."

"Damn right you better be sorry! Now go think up another plan and don't screw up this time!"

She turned away and walked towards her room. "I won't let my sister get away, no way! I'll get her!"

X

Winry smiled when she saw Ash and Ed walk into the hotel room together, but her eyes grew huge when she saw the chimera. "What's that?"

Al rushed over to her and hugged her and Arkilus. "You're alright! Thank God!" Then he realized what he was doing and backed up.

Travis was still sleeping; it had been almost a whole day. Ash stared at him and then back to Al. "Has he awoken at all?"

Al shook his head, and Ash remembered how Ed told her about him being bodiless. Ed walked over to his brother.

"Take your head off Al," he said. Al looked at him and then back to Ash and sighed. He pulled the helmet off and she stared at him- there wasn't a body!

"So you guys really are looking for the Philosopher's Stone…" she said, her voice dieing out. She looked up at Ed for a moment then back at her feet.

Al walked over to the sad girl, after reattaching his head, "What's wrong Ash?" he asked and she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry Al," was all she could say.

Al looked at Ed, who finally broke the silence enveloping over the group. "Al, I'm sorry, but we can't get your body back…"

X

What is Ash going to do? She's keeping her best friends from the thing they really need! How will the boys get the Philosopher's Stone now? Oh, and Ed has a little surprise for her? What is it? What's if for? Find out next chapter!

Chapter 13: The Surprise

Fox Kitsune