Ed examined the rose quartz. "Chemically-enhanced? What does that mean?"
"It means its piezoelectric effect is ten times stronger," Kirina explained.
"It certainly is pretty," Al said, marveling at the yellowish brown stone in his hand.
"This one is also chemically-enhanced. They're all for protection."
"That's a nice thought, dear," Pinako said, "but not all of us are alchemists."
Kirina gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I should've made a more appropriate gift for you."
"Oh, my gift is appropriate enough." Winry sighed. "Look at it sparkle. Oh, there's a tiny vein of metal in the middle."
"Well, Ed mentioned that you liked machines. I thought a strip of metal in the stone would be appropriate."
"It's not that she likes them," Ed said, leaning back in the chair. "She's obsessed with it."
"At least I'm not so short that people think I'm still twelve."
Ed frowned and exploded. "Who you're calling short? I'll blow you up with this stone! I'll blow up this entire frickin' town. I'll blow them all up!"
Al held him back. "Easy, brother. You heard Kirina. It's only for protection. And I don't think electricity can cause things to blow up. Uh, can it, Kirina?"
Kirina shook her head. "It depends on the situation."
Ed frowned and looked at the rose quartz. "Still, why'd you have to give me this pink thing?"
Kirina blushed. "It is believed that rose quartz also generates love and calm emotions."
"That's an old fogy's tale."
"Not for those that practice forbidden alchemy."
Ed last his balance on the chair and fell on the floor. "What? You mean the taboo?"
"I met one when I was little. She practiced forbidden alchemy."
A tense, awkward silence followed.
"Okay, up to bed. All of you," Pinako ordered.
"Al? Are you asleep?"
Al sat up. "Why?"
"I keep thinking about what Kirina said. How she met someone who practiced forbidden alchemy. Who do you think it was?"
"I don't know."
"She said she met that someone when she was little. A lot of things happened when she was just a kid." Ed frowned "She's just like us. I wonder if I could do something to help her."
"You won't be doing anything reasonable by staying awake," Al said sensibly. "Go to sleep, brother."
The moonlight filtered into the room and reflected on the rose quartz casting a pink glow on Ed's face.
She said it was for love and warm feelings. Did she really mean that or was it all a joke?
"She did earn her title, though," Ed whispered as his eyes drooped. "Huh. You know, when she smiles, her face lights up just like this stone in the moonlight."
Like I said, I'm not good at getting people to fall in love. (Wait, did I say that?)It's a little awkward for me to write something like that (especially considering the fact that I've never been in love) and no amount of Mars by Fuyumi Soryo or Ceres: Celestial Legend or Fushigi Yugi by Yu Watase can cure that.
By the way, creating "false" stones is very possible. And the stone blue aura does exist. It's a stone that was created by . . . uh, well, I forgot how. The point is, people made it and no alchemy was used (well, alchemy is the predecessor of chemistry, so maybe they did).