Chapter 11: Heart Pieces Missing

STATE ALCHEMIST BUILDING IN CENTRAL (FMA)

"Thank you for the report, Fullmetal," Roy said. "Although, out of concern, how do you feel not having your brother by your side?" Ed hesitated to answer while he sat down on the couch.

"Well, not the same, for starters," he muttered. "He's always been a restraint for me when I was rather pissed. Then again, this is the first time you've been worried about me."

"Not me." Ed was a little confused with the response, until he knew one other person who would be.

"You mean Armstrong?"

"None other."

"I see," Ed sighed. A blond woman, who stood behind Roy, also read the report. "By the way, how's Rose doing?"

"Her injuries are minor. Be thankful you two and Ash were there to rescue her from the chimeras."

"About that," the woman started. "Who was this Ash you speak of, Edward?"

"He was a trainer from the 21st century," Ed reviewed. "He's the one who supplied that Glalie and helped me with those freaks, Hawkeye. However, his actions on the homonculus were rather suspicious, like he didn't want to kill Lust."

"Maybe Ash believed that she could be of some service in the future," Roy pondered.

"Didn't you say that he looks like your child? I had no idea you had a kid." Hawkeye chuckled at Ed's words.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. If anything, my child will be taught with alchemy by me." Then, Armstrong walked into the room. "Major?"

"It's the ishbalian, Roy," he spoke. "She has awaken, and wants to talk to Edward."

"Understood. Fullmetal, you're dismissed, until you recieve a new assignment." Ed stood up and saluted Roy, before walking to the infirmary. When he walked up to a doctor, she said that she'll be released tomorrow. Ed smiled, then strolled into Rose's room. Rose was looking out the window when Ed entered, thus, turned her head to him.

"Edward," Rose softly spoke.

"I heard the good news," Ed said as he grabbed a chair and sat by Rose's bed. "The doctor said you'll be out of here tomorrow." That's when Rose realised that Al wasn't with him.

"Where's Alphonse?"

"Remember that boy who was with us in the cave?" She nodded. "Well, he and Al have gone to his time for answers about the keys they found."

"When will he return?"

"Soon, I hope." Rose, then, lunged over and hugged Ed.

"Ed, I want to tell you something. When you helped me in Lior, before, I was afraid to tell you my true feelings, because I was afraid of what the followers would do to me. You told me that I have a strong pair of legs. I wanted to use them to go to Resembool and reside with you. I guess where I'm getting at is...do you love me?" Ed was surprised when she confessed in a form of a question.

"This is the first time someone had said that they loved me. I don't know at this moment." Rose smirked when Ed's face became red.

"I understand."

MISATO'S APARTMENT (EVANGELION)

It was a typical morning for Shinji: a cup of coffee was brewed, two pieces of bread were toasted and spred with butter, a fish was lightly broiled for Pen Pen, before it was eaten. The only difference was that Rei joined him for breakfast. Misato was waking up and coming out of the bedroom in aqua-colored gym clothes. Then, she opened a can of beer and chugged it down. "Yeah, that hits the spot," she gurgled with a smirked.

"What's wrong with coffee or tea, Katsuragi?" Rei lowly questioned.

"I've asked the same thing," Shinji moaned.

"Damn right," Misato roared. "A typical japanese breakfast should have eggs sinata, miso soup, and a little saki."

"Your typical breakfast. You are suppose to be our guardian about these things and yet you show the least bit care about the responsibilities you possess and wander into every bar in the block. It's quite a fact, considering you don't have a husband, much less a boyfriend."

"Are you saying I'm lazy?"

"...And sloppy, too," he and Rei muttered in unison. Misato scowled and shot a look away.

"You should be glad that Ash kid took the German redhead with him."

"Do you miss Soryu, Ikari?" Rei asked.

"Sort of," Shinji moaned. "I mean, she is the front runner of the group, and the strongest Eva pilot we've had." Misato nodded, while she was drinking another can of beer. "Besides, that night in which you had invited Ash over...how did it feel?"

"He was a lot more caring than I would have thought. Plus, how he was able to contact us during the angel attack by using the Magi."

"Yeah, Misato, did the results from the sync ratio tests come in?" Misato handed a small stack of papers to Shinji. He read the results. "These look pretty good."

"As a matter of fact, the results were in the same range as Asuka's," Misato pointed out. Sinji and Rei shared a look with each other. "It's pretty ironic thatwe spent hundreds of billions of yen on the Eva project, and a few rolls of cheap duct tape saved Unit-02."

AOI CAMPUS (MABURAHO)

Kazuki and Yuna were enjoying lunch on the lawns inside the walls of the academy. As always, Kazuki adored the cooking his girl made. "Yuna, has there been a day that you disapointed me with your cooking?" he joked.

"Let's see," Yuna pondered, then, grinned. "Nope. Not one that I can think of." Both giggled, thinking how funny it was. Then, Kuriko appeared, walking over to the loving couple, with her head hung low. Both noticed that she hadn't been the same since Elizabeth and Rin had gone with Ash and the others. Finally, she sat down by Kazuki. "Kuriko?"

"Hey Kuriko, what's up?" She breathed a heavy sigh at the question.

"It's nothing," Kuriko lied. Yuna didn't agree with the response, and Kazuki knew what was troubling her. "I did get a report on Nakamaru, and I found out he was sentenced to 25 years in an anti-magic prison in Fujiyama."

"...But, that's not what's bothering you, is it?" Kuriko stared the sky, hoping Elizabeth would drop down soon.

"Not at all. I can admit, I do miss them."

"I know," Yuna sighed. "Without Rin being here. It feels like we're missing a competitor when she's not with us."

"Not just her, but him. Yamase may be missing Al, but I morely miss Ash."

"...But, Kuriko, seeing those large pillows turns Ash away," Kazuki pointed out. "Why would you miss him?"

"Well, I can admit, myself, that I miss him," Yuna moaned. "...And how he and Alphonse protected me from that behemoth."

"Yuna." Then, all three were in a group hug, just as the bell for the next classes were to begin.

ELVEN WORLD (TWHE)

Celsia, Ritsuko, and Airi were riding on Mikei, a T-74 military tank, while thinking how good it felt not having Junpei around..."I miss him," except for Ritsuko when she moaned. It never crossed any of the girls' minds about what it was like actually having their male companion around, other than seeing him rip and tear every piece of clothing off any elf he saw. Peachy, the little white bear, tried to comfort it's loved master. That's when Ritsuko started to tear up.

"Ri-chan, what's the matter?" Airi asked.

"I miss him. I, really, miss Junpei." Celsia raised an eyebrow in confusion as the ponytailed redhead buried her head in her hands, crying.

"I can't believe this," Celsia scorned. "Does this girl have the feelings for that idiot?"

"Miss Celsia, calm down," Airi spoke. "This child realizes that she has a crush for someone."

"But that idiot bastard, Junpei?"

"There are reasons for things like this."

"Yeah, I bet. Listen, let's focus away from Junpei for right now, and get to finding those remaining 1,013 fragments." With that, Mikei sped off to the horizon.

NEW YORK CITY, NY (DIGIMON)

Matt was explaining to his friends that Kari was chosen to go along with Ash and his group. Everyone took the story well, even Tai, knowing that his little sister had an affection for the trainer. "Well, it's a good thing Davis isn't here," Yolei grinned. "Otherwise, Ash would suffer a horrific thrashing after you."

"Funny you should mention that," Matt groaned. "I...called him after the incident, and he was outraged by it. Although, it was interesting having Ashanti with me."

"Wait, you were with Ashanti?" Tai said with a surprised smirk. "You stud." This made Matt blush. Then, Mike stepped forward to address the others.

"Ishida, the crowds are back," he called. "P.O.D. is up next."

"Wait," Matt spoke up. "What about Ashanti? Isn't she suppose to be up?"

"She's postponing her turn to do a duet with you, in dedication of the two you helped."

"Awesome." Then, Matt turned to the rest. "Well, looks like I gotta get set."

"Break a leg," Mimi said.

"We're with you," the Digimon said in unison. That's when Matt ran backstage.

'Kari, Ash,' Tai reflected. 'Be careful.'

FEUDAL ERA (INUYASHA)

InuYasha and Kagome popped out of a well, where Miroku, still sporting the bandage from Asuka's thrashing, Shippou, and Sango were waiting. InuYasha was showing a mighty grin, making Miroku think for a second. "I can take that big smile for granted, and say that Sota has a girlfriend, right?" he smirked.

"Well, it didn't go smoothly, at first," InuYasha explained. "...But, after giving him the little talk about 'Ash's borders,' he confronted Hitomi and gave her a piece of his mind." Sango was feeling suspicious.

"Why do I feel as if you were the one and not Sota?" she monotoned.

"Because, I was the one making him sit," Kagome said, but covered her mouth. Too late, as InuYasha's beads glew and dragged him to the ground...hard. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Would you knock it off!" InuYasha scowled loudly. "Geez, I can't believe you sometimes."

"I said, I was sorry!"

"The next thing you'll blame me for is letting Koga and Kilala go with that kid!"

"Which I'm glad for," Miroku roared. "I'd rather let them go, than suffer another beating from that red-haired 'demon' girl." InuYasha's mood calmed a little.

"Well, from my point of view, you did deserve it." This caused Miroku to huddle in a corner, feeling blue. "I hate to say it, but I hope that those two come back, soon."

"Why do you say that?" Sango wondered. "I hope Kilala comes back, too, but why Koga?"

"I want to challenge him, and tell us about what it was like, going to this journey with Ash and his friends."

"Oh," both girls cooed in unison. Shippou was feeling left out.

"Did anyone ever ask me if I wanted to go with them?" he shouted.

"Actually, you had an opprtunity, but you let it pass to Kilala," Sango pointed out. This allowed Shippo to join Miroku, feeling blue himself.

MISAKI RESIDENCE (TENCHI MUYO!)

BOOM!...An explosion blew the closet door, which led to Washu's lab, off the hinges and slammed into the wall on the other side of the hall. Everyone heard the explosion, ran into the lab, and saw Washu, covered in charred remains. "Washu, are you all right?" Tenchi asked in worry.

"Just fine," she coughed. "Who knew that Al's teachings of alchemy were this interesting?"

"What do you mean?" Washu held up a red stone, which was glowing blood red.

"When I did that whole alchemy dance, er, whatever, the beaker blew up. This is what came out of it." Ryoko turned to the kitchen.

"I hate to say it, but I actually miss that little munchkin," she muttered.

"Sasami is not a munchkin," Ayeka roared. "However, you have a point that she's with them, and I do miss my sister."

"I think everyone does," Tenchi said. "Knowing that she's with Ash and his gang..." Washu was wondering what the three were talking about.

"What happened to Sasami?" she asked. Ryoko explained that Sasami was one of the chosen when she, Ash, and Rin found her key in the tree, and told Washu that she needed to get out more often. "You don't tell me what I should do." Five minutes later, Tenchi and Ryoko repaired the closet door. "Tenchi, when you have some time, I need help on a couple experiments."

"Do I need to get undressed for them?" Washu laughed at the question.

"No, silly." This caused Tenchi to giggled.

"Alright, I'll see you in a while." Then, he closed the door.

PRESENT TIME: PALLET TOWN (POKEMON)

Dodrio cawed at the rising sun, alerting the town that it was morning. Asuka had entered Ash's room to wake the trainer, by kicking him in the side of the futon, and calling him to get up. "What is it, Asuka?" Ash said...from the bunk bed.

"It's time to-" Asuka stopped when she realized that Ash was in the lower bed with Misty. "Wait a sec. If you there, then who's...?" Asuka pulled the cover to unveil Max and Sasami, still sleeping. Asuka was dumbfounded by the discovery. "I was wondering why breakfast was being cooked by Delia." Max started to open his eyes.

"Why were you kicking me, Asuka?" he groaned.

"Sorry." Then, a call from below rung out.

"Guys, breakfast is ready," May summoned from downstairs. Junpei and Kari were watching the sunrise from the porch, thinking about these past few days, from the time in NYC to Suzie's marriage proposal. May stepped out to tell them to come and eat. "Junpei, Kari, breakfast is ready."

"Alright," Junpei said. "We're coming." May stepped back inside. After a few seconds, both proceeded inside, as well. An hour later, the 'Key" team sat in the living room, planning on the mission upcoming, along with May and Misty.

"So we have everything about the prophecy figured out," Al proclaimed. "However, the thing about the 'mountain of the moon' is the only thing that Ash might know, and the only thing that came out was Mt. Moon."

"Why did you mention Mt. Moon?" Sasami questioned while sipping on lemon tea. "Is there something about that area that made you say that?" Ash thought it over for a few seconds.

"Well, it was the first thing that popped into my head, since Mt. Moon seemed short for 'mountain of the moon," he noted.

"And we already have info about Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable," Asuka added.

"Misty, I heard your home was close by this mountain," Koga pointed out. "Do you know anything that we don't?" Misty thoght about it, when there was one major piece that Ash forgot about.

"The moon stone," she shouted.

"The moon stone?" Rin echoed.

"Several hundred years ago, there were Pokemon that were believed to have crash landed in Mt. Moon while riding in a meteorite from the moon, thus the name."

"So from what Misty's saying," Kari started. "The meteorite in Mt. Moon might be that 'mountain of the moon."

"...But, how can we prove that?" Ash wondered.

"The only way how," Junpei grinned, while flashing his key. "We go there and use the keys." Everyone agreed to Junpei's advice.

"Keep in mind, it's a week's walk from here." Sasami jumped up to her feet, with a grin.

"Not to worry," she snickered. "Ryo-oki can get us there in no time." Everyone else was in disbelief.

"How can that small pet of yours get us there?" May asked. Sasami had everyone go outside to show, when she grabbed Ryo-oki by its tail.

"Now watch." That's when she threw her pet high in the sky. Everyone was speechless, seeing the little rodent climbing altitude. Then, it started to transform and grow its body. Ten seconds later, Ryo-oki became a giant spaceship. Everyone was in awe at the sight, as the size of it was enormous. "Well, Ash, ready to lead the way?"

"Ready," Ash replied with a determined look. Then, a blue ray beamed out and brought most of the team upward and into the pod in the bottom of the ship. Sasami and Ash were ready to board, when...

"Ash!" Misty shouted, causing Ash to turn around, and see her run up to him. She stopped when she was face-to-face. "I know you have to go. Please be careful."

"I will." Both hugged in which Misty started to tear up. 15 seconds later, they broke away, and Ash entered the beam, sending him up to the ship. Afterwards, the ship started to head north to Mt. Moon, and the new adventure awaiting them.

TO BE CONTINUED...
Ash and co. head to Mt. Moon in which the meteorite might send them to the mysterious planet. However, one member suffers an illness, and someone will do anything to save him.
(A/N: Sorry, if it was short. Not to spoil it, but it isn't Ash.)