DISCLAIMER: I no own FMA! But I love for long time, long time! Hiromu Arakawa, her team, and all peoples who put sweat and blood into FMA I love long time too!


A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! A little later than you all were expecting, but I've had a lot of stuff to go through. Writing competition, ending grades, etc. But now it's summer, and I hope to get a lot out now! I LOVE ALL OF YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME!


Memo: I've only had enough courage to make half of this chapter. I couldn't wait, so here is PART ONE! (snicker...I'm so horrible)


Chapter 8: Existing Beyond Myth

"Remember, this is a restaurant…so, don't curse, or something," Kiara warned them, looking around to see a dainty café with small chatter amongst the people.

Austin, Ed, and Al all stopped dead in their tracks, looked at her, then burst out laughing.

"You don't have to tell us!" Ed howled, as Austin's cheeks tinged pink.

Kiara grumbled something about swearing because Ed was always around, and hastily shuffled her feet into the line. Every other moment someone would look at her and snicker, until she finally snapped at them to stop being rude, and she got the point. Even Al couldn't help but try and disguise a chuckle with a cough.

"Table for…four?" the waitress scanned over them, counting very quickly.

"Yeah, but we might come out as a table of three," Kiara sent Ed a death dagger, which he shrugged off carelessly.

"Let's just go, alright?" Ed replied, looking towards Kiara annoyingly.

"Hmph, fine," she rolled her eyes and continued to walk forward.

"But really," Ed nudged Austin next to him while Al listened in. "She acts like cursing is an essential part of your diet."

"I HEARD THAT YOU SCRAWNY RUNT!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT! I'M TALLER THAN YOU!"

"SO, GIRLS CAN BE SHORT, YOU'RE JUST MESSED UP!"

"OH, SAY THAT TO MY FIST!"

"Brother," Al whined, grabbing on the hem of his coat, which miraculously ripped.

It didn't matter if she was a women; Ed had her neck in his hand in a matter of seconds. It didn't matter if they made a scene either, although a giant mass of people were already fleeing to the door or backing far away with wide eyes.

"I'll kick you in a place that will really hurt," Kiara choked with the most menacing look she could summon, wriggling in his surprisingly strong grasp.

Ed seemed to take a while before things that dawned on him, and after he got past the post-shock, his eyes became slits just like hers.

"You're such a disrespectful brute!" he shouted at her.

"EXCUSE ME!"

"No, guys, stop!" Austin ran over, finally acting towards the situation.

He grabbed at Ed's hand, pulling as hard as he could. Though it was working, Ed made sure to keep a firm grip and never take his eyes off Kiara.

"Yes, a brute! You just waltz around acting like everyone's going to drop at your knees. You don't own anyone, we own you!"

"A brute you say?" she spat. "I'm not the only incredulously blowing up in a restaurant, and holding a poor women to her throat!"

"You'd bite the hell out of me if I let go," Ed retorted, as Al moved behind Kiara.

"ENOUGH."

It echoed hard and cold against the walls, ringing in their ears. It was almost creepier than the things that hunt in the night. It was stiff and hard, like a teacher finally fed up with a student.

Curse the luck of these four. Even before they could sit down, they have the biggest blast of anger between Kiara and Ed yet, and it had caused an unlovely scene. Before they could eat and have a decent time they were already held at gunpoint by a person they knew very well.

"You're both acting completely immature. Sit down and eat," second lieutenant Hawkeye pulled the gun into her other hand, using the other one for advantage.

"S-S-Sec…ond…."

"Hawkeye?" Ed and Kiara spluttered at the same time, releasing each other (Kiara had grabbed hold of Ed's belt).

What's she doing here! Kiara thought frantically, straightening herself out.

Then she saw it out of the corner of her eye. The lady that had ushered them to the table stood right next to a certain Colonel, who had his usual impassive face. He seemed satisfied to an extent, probably to end the scene, and had a lady and a young girl with him.

In fact, it was a certain housewife and her daughter; of which the father and husband of the family had died in tragedy. Gracia and Elysia Hughes seemed to shadow behind him, looks of slight worry bestowed across her face.

"Ah, hello Colonel!" Al finally turned around and noticed him, giving a salute, as Austin did the same.

"FullMetal…Nevina…." He shook his head. "It's like everywhere I go you two stir up trouble."

There was some light explaining. Austin was introduced to the two strangers shortly after they gathered Ed and Kiara in line, and a few greetings towards Gracia and Elysia were made.

Roy had planned lunch with the two, also bringing Hawkeye along, but it fell on a day in which he couldn't get out of work. Thus, he still had his uniform on.

"You have to sit Hawkeye," Mustang had a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as she wedged herself quickly but easily into the end of the seat. "And I'll see you four later," he tipped off his hat towards Kiara and the others, setting it on the table.

"Wait, I want a few answers!" Kiara barked. She then looked at the two girls with them. "Well…I guess after your lunch," she mumbled, shuffling her feet towards a different table.

"Isn't that weird how all of them managed to be at the same place as us!" Austin laughed.

In fact, he laughed a bit too nervously.

"Wait…you so didn't invite them here, did you?" Kiara growled, stopping in her place.

"What…no! I mean, I've never even met the Colonel. They're too important for someone as small as me!" he raised his hands in defense. "And I was with you three the entire time, wasn't I Al?"

"He was," Al nodded in agreement.

"I don't know. You're just sounding sort of fishy," she shrugged, as Ed snorted. "What?" she barked at him as they found an empty table.

"Fishy?" he rose an eyebrow, yet didn't do anything more but smirked.

Kiara smoothed out her shirt as she slid into the booth, taking a deep breath, letting Austin sit next to her. Her feathers had been ruffled too easily before; she wasn't going to let it happen again.

"Edward, you've said weirder things, trust me."

"Like what?" he edged her on.

"Once you said, 'She flew the coop on us.' That's weird. Just forget it, OK? We're both freaky, how about that?" she picked up the menu as the very silent and cautious waiter lay at their side.

"Umm…Ed and Al are first, considering they haven't the slightest clue what's going on," second lieutenant Havoc motioned his hand in towards the office.

The two brothers looked back at Kiara. She just shrugged and told them everything, and maybe even more, would be explained to them when they went in there. She wasn't too sure of everything yet, either. With that small bit of satisfaction, the Elric brothers gave a curt nod and walked through the door.

She tried to listen in, but you could only hear the few low keys to Mustang's voice, and the high pitch to Edward's. It started out calm, but as the conversation kept on Edward's voice slowly began to carry through the door. It was still a blurry mess, but she could hear faintly, "No" and "We can't." Of course, Kiara had also thought she heard Al say "cheese" so she wasn't exactly sure if she was conveying the correct bits of speech.

Something gave a 'thump,' and Kiara gave a worried look over to Havoc, who could only shrug.

"What do you think is going on in there?" she asked, a bit frightened.

"I try not to listen when it's Elric and Mustang," he shook his head in response. "They aren't the perfect couple, you know."

"Damn it, I wish I could hear! How come I'm not allowed i—" Kiara's sentence was thrown back the second the door swung open.

It smacked her straight in the face and sent her flying to the floor before she could even try and gain any balance.

"GOD!" she screamed, curling up on the floor and holding her face.

"Oh, Kiara-kun!" Al's voice was extremely shocked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you OK?" he bent down next to her, pulling her hand away from her face.

"Fine, just totally freaked out," she replied meekly, her face a faint red and her vision trying to focus clearly. "Oh no, there's two of you," she admitted, seeing two Al's moving back and forth.

"Smart one, Nevina," Ed's voice finally came in also, slightly amused.

"Ah, shut up, Ed," she barked angrily, snapping her eyes shut.

"Umm…are you sure you're all right?" Al asked again.

"Y-Yeah…yes, I'm perfectly find," she slurred, grabbing a hold of Al's arm.

"Find?" Ed snorted.

"You know what I meant," she snapped. "Glad to see you're so worried, Ed," Kiara staggered slightly as she regained her balance.

"I'm always like that," Ed replied playfully, smirking.

"Sine when did Al throw doors open immensely hard?" Kiara asked them, as everything began to go into its right place.

"He's got strength like that," Ed shrugged, walking a few ways over to Havoc. "Why are you still here?" he asked him.

"Just am," Havoc replied, shrugging also.

"Kiara, are you sure you're all right?" Al asked repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, is it my turn?" she asked, referring to Mustang.

Al seemed hesitant for a moment. "I guess…we're coming in this time," he explained.

"Screw that!" Ed spoke up quickly. "I told him a no, and we're not going to debate about it!" he barked.

"Brother," Al sighed angrily. "Why are you so against this?"

"Because she has no ties!" he pointed at Kiara.

"How do you know?" Al shot back.

Not an argument between Ed and Al! Kiara thought desperately. I hate it when they go at it, because it's always about me! And they usually never fight.

"Because the first one was dead, and that's just about all she has. Mustang's going on about instinct, I'm not buying it."

"Don't we live on our instinct?" Al asked again.

"No, we live by fact, scientific fact."

"Yes, brother, and the Philosopher's Stone is pure fact."

"It is now, now that we have enough evidence!"

"Uh…guys?" Kiara broke in.

"What?" they both shot, Ed's being rude and Al's being polite.

"What are you talking about!" she threw her hands in the air. "What do you mean 'Philosopher's Stone'? What's going on here!"

"Kiara-kun," Al paused for a moment, looking up at his brother. Ed just huffed, crossed his arms, and turned his head away. "Brother and I…we are searching for the Philosopher's Stone, to restore our bodies."

"Eh?" she asked faintly.

"We…a long time ago, we had an accident. I lost my entire body and Ed lost his leg. To bring me back, Ed sacrificed his arm to bond my soul to this suit of armor."

There was a long silence.

"I'm going in to talk to Mustang," Havoc finally spoke, slipping in the door as quietly and swiftly as he could.

Kiara wasn't sure how to respond.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you had to know some time, and—"

"So that's how you lost it," Kiara interrupted.

"And…wait, what?" Al asked.

She looked up to Ed, who now seemed a little bit more interested in the conversation.

"I'm not stupid," Kiara shot, glaring at both of them. "I know a lot about alchemy too, no matter what you think. I knew your body couldn't sit in that armor all day long. Al, I knew you didn't have a body. It's just, I couldn't figure out how you'd lost it, and I guess I was too stupid to tie it with Ed's arm and leg. You guys…well, I know I sound crazy, but it sounds like you two tried to do a taboo or something."

They were really quiet. Havoc came back, and told them Mustang wanted to see them right then, so they filed silently into the room. Questions were still lingering about, and the three needed Roy to push on the answers for them.


If you review, you'll get part two! Sorry I had to add the little angst stuff really quick at the end, but Kiara had to find out before she went in. And it will get into a lot more detail and emotion in Part Two!

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