Author's Note
In all seriousness I don't own Sailor Moon or Fullmetal Alchemist, yet the concept is mine. Please don't take it without my consent… PLEASE…
Okay, so I have some critical "plot information" in this chapter. Well, enjoy!
Sailor Moon and the Philosopher's Stone
Chapter 4: One Semi-Serious Time-span
"This isn't getting us anywhere," Roy reminded them.
"But Colonel! That's a real Philosopher's Stone!" Ed exclaimed.
"In your dreams it is," Serena replied angrily. "It's the Silver Imperium Crystal."
"Is there any way to find out how the stone was made?" Winry asked, looking at Trista, who smiled.
"There is, but you will not like the answers you wish to find," Trista replied, her face grim.
"What is it Trista?" Amara asked, seeing her look so distressed.
"If it gets them to stop fighting, I'll do it!" Raye replied, her ears covered. "They're fighting like a couple of children."
"Sounds like someone else we know too," Lita replied.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Raye demanded.
"Don't fight!" Amy exclaimed. "Trista, what do we have to do?"
"There is a rumor that a book of omniscient knowledge lies deep in the realms of the Negaverse, called the Book of Doom. However, the journey there, as you can guess, is no easy task."
"Who would call a book like that the Book of Doom?" Mina asked. The group was hooked, as even Serena and Ed turned to the Time Guardian, their eyes glued on her sturdy form. Trista held her eyes shut, as if to think of an explanation that was safe to give.
"The very pages someone reads are said to drive someone to the breaking point. In fact, it was even rumored that the last person who read this book split the universe up into the dimensions we all know and protect now," Trista replied. There was a collective gasp.
"So what are we waiting for?" Serena said. "Let's go find that book!"
"WEREN'T YOU EVEN LISTENING TO HER?" Ed shouted. "THAT BOOK IS DANGEROUS!"
"You want an answer, right?" Serena asked. "So that leaves us little choice."
"But we need to get back," Al said, finally speaking up.
"It will take time to get you home," Trista said.
"That means there is plenty of time to go to the Negaverse, and stop all of this nonsense," Michelle said with a smile. "However, I doubt that all of us should go. The Negaverse is a dangerous place."
"Can we discuss this after I have time to fix Ed's automail?" Winry asked, as the group nodded.
"We know just the girl to bother," Lita said, smiling some. The group (this being Amy, Lita, Mina, Raye, and Serena) pushed Ed, Al, Winry, and Roy through the streets of Tokyo as they came to a stop at a building with the sign "Ms. Fix-All" printed on the door and windows. They stepped in, and were greeted by their friend, Karen. (A/N: This is one of my characters from my other fic.) Her icy blue eyes and hair seemed to chill their hearts with a mere smile.
"Hey all," she said warmly. The otherwise flowery room held a desk and cash register, with only one door behind the desk.
"Well, this place has gotten warmer," Serena said, laughing some at the floral décor.
"Sorry, I know I had that whole cold phase after my memories came back, but I'm good now. What can I do for—well, who do we have here?" Karen said, looking at Ed and Al. "This arm is absolutely superb. I've only seen one other like it. And that armor seems to be functioning without a body inside. This is amazing."
"They work on stuff like this on Imperia?" Raye demanded.
"Ed broke his automail. We were wondering if we could borrow a workshop to fix it?" Winry explained. "You see, I'm his mechanic. I'm the one that designed his arm and leg."
"HIS LEG?" the group exclaimed, as Karen laughed.
"That explains the slight variation!" Karen replied. "Okay, if you want you can borrow my shop and tools. Just go on around back through that door while I chat with the others for a moment."
Ed and Winry walked around back, as Al and Roy looked at Karen with a unique curiosity.
"Who are you?" Roy asked her, as she smiled warmly.
"They haven't told you?" she asked in reply. Serena and the others sighed.
"It's a long story, isn't it Ms. Karen?" Al asked, as Karen laughed.
"Only as long as the storyteller makes it!" she replied. "So I can see you're from Earth, but what Earthlings know about automail?"
"We come from an alternate dimension apparently," Roy replied. A scream came from the back. Everyone minus Roy, Al, and Karen jumped.
"What's going on back there?" Lita demanded of the three.
"Yeah!" Serena agreed.
"Brother had to take off the automail. How else do you expect Winry to work on it?" Al asked.
"That arm of his is connected to every nerve in his shoulder," Karen explained. "Having to take it off is not a painless task."
"I see," Amy said, interested as she scribbled notes.
"Where are you from Karen?" Roy asked. "Since, as you say, no Earthlings know of automail."
"Not important," Karen replied, smiling. "Let me go back and see if I can give her a hand. In the meantime, you are welcome to enjoy these flowers and take a seat in the chairs."
She waved her hand to indicate a solid row of chairs that had not been there previously. The girls sighed, as they led Roy and Al to sit, and they sat with them as the door to the back room shut. Murmured voices came from the other side of the wall, but none of them were listening.
"Do you really intend to go after this book to answer Fullmetal's question? It's dangerous," Roy asked.
"Yeah!" Al agreed. "Brother and I may want a Philosopher's Stone, but you don't have to risk your lives for it."
"It's not about you," Raye answered first.
"It's about that book," Mina said.
"If such a powerful book fell into the wrong hands," Lita started.
"The universe would crumble," Amy finished.
"So, we want to find the book too, because it's our job to protect the universe," Serena added.
"But none of you spoke about that at all back at the temple!" Roy said.
"Hey, we're not so weak you know."
"I seem to remember that someone couldn't even take on that blob earlier," Roy pointed out.
"Neither could you!" Raye replied. "Just because one demon is strong against fire doesn't mean they all are!"
Karen's head poked out from the back room.
"Could all of you please argue a little more quietly? It's hard to concentrate back here," Karen asked warmly, as the group nodded in silence. "Thank you!"
"She seems really nice," Al said, as the girls all keeled over in their seats.
"You, Al, have never seen her angry," Mina said.
"You mean he's never seen her around Terrance!" Serena giggled.
"That too," Mina said.
"How does she know about automail?" Raye asked.
"That was a little strange," Lita said.
"She did tell us that Karen's people were very much a technologically advanced people. Remember that ship?" Mina said, pointing at Serena.
"Good point," Raye said. "But she even called it the same thing. Now you have to admit that's weird."
"Well, if you take into account what Ms. Trista told us, it makes perfect sense," Roy explained, as the group looked at him.
"Colonel Mustang is right. Ms. Trista did say that the universe used to be one big place before the last person who read the book read it. Maybe Ms. Karen's home still has signs from our own society," Al added.
"Which is probably more reason for why we should go find that book," Lita pointed out.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall…
"This is an amazing arm," Karen said, watching Winrey work.
"Don't bother her," Ed said. "She might forget a bolt or something."
"So are you really from another dimension?" Karen asked.
"Yeah, but what's the deal with you?" Ed said, looking at her. "You were able to tell that Al was empty and that I had automail from just one glance."
"I can't explain that to you," Karen replied. "You would hardly understand my reason for being here now."
"You're from another world, right?" Winry said calmly, shocking the two of them. "Why did you decide to stay here?"
"I'd swear you were my sister if you weren't from another dimension," Karen laughed. "It's really a matter that occurred between Serena and myself."
"What could that meatball head have done for you?" Ed demanded.
"She knew who I was," Karen replied simply, getting confusing stares. "Like I said, you wouldn't understand."
"So automail isn't that big where you're from, right?" Winry asked. "Since you said you had only seen one."
"No! I meant that I had seen one of such superior quality!" Karen laughed. "It really is quite popular and developing slowly at home. It had been a mechanic in one—city that had really gotten ahead in the field. Of course, that was years ago, so who knows where they've gotten to on it. You're finished right? I'll go tell the others."
Karen was out the door faster than a fox in a foxhunt.
"She was a little too evasive," Ed said, staring at the closed door.
"You think she knows more than she cares to share?" Winry said, as they started to reattach his arm.
"Probably," Ed replied.
Back at the temple, a little later on…
"It's amazing that you can just go wherever you want whenever you want," Winry said, as she, Ed, Al, and Roy got into the center. Surrounding the four were the Inner Ring Scouts, while the Outer Scouts were all watching from a "safe" distance.
"Are you sure that Karen girl can't come?" Ed asked, as the girls all smiled.
"No, she's got her own job to tend to. Anyhow, are you sure it's alright to bring Winry along?"
"I'm plenty strong on my own!" Winry replied to Lita's comment, showing her arm muscles. "Don't you worry about me!"
"If you say so," Raye said, as the group transformed and began a Sailor Teleport…