'She was right there... Right in my grasp... and I just let her... How can I just let that happen to her...!?'

Chapter 17 ~ An Alchemists' Sorrow

-Me-

I gapped in awe at another familiar sight that has once again left me speechless. This library is- "Awesome!" Took the words right out of mouth Ed, this was a whole damn lot of books for a guy who's always worried about his state license. He has a lot of research material that any alchemist would kill for! Although if it was up to me then I would literally take that notion seriously and without a doubt will I not hesitate to kill Tucker without hesitation, if that was the only way to save Nina that it's fine by me! "I'll take this shelf!" Ed declares as he rushes towards the nearest bookshelf. "I'll take this one!" Al follows his brothers lead and takes over his own shelf to pick from. Feeling left out, I ran towards the one beside Ed and yell, "Don't leave me out of this! I'm gonna read these books faster than you Ed!" I hear Mustang inform us from behind, "I'll send someone later to come pick you up." I look over my shoulder then at Ed, who already had his nose stuck in his book, deaf to his surroundings and didn't really care what was going on at the moment.

"Alright! I'll be the one to tell them later!" "You better Mercury, or else you'll be the one taking responsibility if they miss their ride." "I'm not their babysitter!"

Mustang shakes his head with a smile on his face and walks out of the room to leaves us to continue our reading session, as for Tucker he just politely smiles at me before closing the door behind his back. I sigh in relief when the two adults finally left us alone. When I laid my eyes on Ed a few inches away from, I just smile at his determination then went to searching through the vast quantity of books I could see, although it may take me a while until I find the proper book that I can actually read without getting bored to death. 'Focus Cat! These are just science book! Imagine them as the kind of books you read before back at home! Except that was when I was in 6th grade...' my thoughts ran as I continued to scan each book that was in my level of height. The problem about all these books... I don't understand any of the titles! I sweat drop while muttering to myself, "This is um... Jesus Christ I've been an alchemist for 3 years, and yet I still can't understand any of this crap..."

This is probably one of my most embarrassing moments ever to happen to me. The one thing to expect, after a short amount of time of self-learning how to use a science that's been dead for centuries in your world, is that you'd be able to not only use it, but to understand the scientific terms that apply to it. "But," my head explode from too much pressure, "how the heck do I read something I know I won't be able to read...!?' I turn my head to check on how the two boys were keeping up only to find them already in comfortable positions already reading next to a stack of books they probably took out themselves. I anime fall to the side, for the first time in forever (me: Do not think of Frozen right now!), at my own stupidity on taking so long just to pick on stupid book to read. And they picked out stacks of books to read! "Aw screw it!" I finally snap, grabbed a random book I saw and plop myself onto the ground.

'It's not like we'll be here long.'

++Few minutes Later++

I hate being a fast reader, meaning I really hate myself right now. 'This is so boring! It's like being in detention at the school library all over again! Only pure bookworms are able to take in this much crap in a day! I've only read about 10 books, and yet every single page gives me a headache for not understanding a single scientific word!' my inner thoughts rant in frustration, while in reality I was sitting on the ground pretending I was still reading a book. 'Might as well figure out what to do with Nina,' I sigh at the thought, 'the very least I can to is try my best on helping Ed and Al find the information they're looking for. If I'm right I remember reading online that there are some parts of the 2003 version that similar to brotherhood... God damn it why did I just finish watching episode 5 or remember any of the parts of volume three!? I wasted my 2 weeks of my lunch money for that!'

Boredom finally taking it's toll on me, I decided to drop the books and do something to take my mind off for a little while to put an end to my inner conversation with myself, although there's one small miner problem about me trying to find something to do there's absolutely nothing except books. Books! That's probably the only thing that can into mind since I'm in a room filled with it, and the only people I can talk to is Ed and Al. "Speaking of Ed... I wonder if he's still reading-" I stop the moment I lift my head up and see the very same blonde sitting right infront of me, ME! The rare feeling of wanting to rip someone's head off is egging at the back of my head, and that very reason happens to be sitting right here acting as if he had not seen a thing of what I have been doing the entire time, all along I was sprawled all over the floor like as if I was in my old bedroom. And he hadn't said a word the entire time!

"How long have you been sitting there?" I ask in a ticked off manner, leaning towards the boy as I waited for my answer in order to cool down. Not answering my question I asked him once again, except with an insult added to get his full attention, "Hey short stuff! I just asked you, how long have you been sitting there?" He still didn't answer me, not like that wasn't an unusual thing considering how Ed does stuff to me sometimes that leaves me in the worst position possible at time without answering any question I ask him. "Ed~! Mister shrimp puff~! Hey shorty! I'm talking to you!" I puff when I saw none of my instant insults got to the boy at all, most of it I wasn't even trying to get his attention I was just bored as heck. The only reply I got from Ed was, "Mmm..." Soon I started to get desperate on getting his attention away from the book; I tried poking him, slapping him, I even transmuted his hair into a frozen haircicle!

"This is boring! Are you even paying attention to a word I'm saying over here?" "Mmmm..." "Is that book really that good for you ignore?" "Mmmm..." "If that's a yes please repeat that again." "Mmmm..."

This was going no where. How can I talk to a person is all they is 'Mmm...' every single damn time I ask a question, he even admitted that it's actually a yes for every question I've been asking since I first decided to even talk to him. "Okay then... do you admit you're short!?" I quickly ask then prepared myself for the worst to come. What I didn't expect to happen was no reaction at all, only the same answer, "Mmmm..." I snicker at this and ask another question, "So do you admit I'm better than you?" "Mmm..." This is starting to get out of hand, and yet I can't stop thinking of random questions to ask that I'll never be able to ask him ever, no way will I miss a chance like this. "Pffft! Alright alright let's see... Will you kiss anyone? Even your brother?" I tried to keep it together as I ask the most random question that ever popped up in my head. And then he said- "Mmmm..." I bit my lip as I asked another life threatening question that is most likely to kill me, "Do you admit you're never gonna grow and that you're actually a milk lover?"

"Mmm..." Ok that did it, I lost all the will to hold back any laughter inside me and began to roll all over on my sides, crying out, "Hahahaha! He said it! Edward fucking Elric actually said it! Well not really... but if I had a voice recorder this would be worth listening to every single day until I die!"

-Ed-

Secretly, I peek over my book to see the girl continue on laughing as she rolls on her sides, thought I hope she doesn't end up rolling into the bookshelves by accident or else Cat will end up getting buried under books. The more I watch Cat laughing the more I couldn't find myself to look away, 'She looks so innocent like that... Cat sort of looks better like that with a smile one her face...' I know that I should be mad at her for telling Mustang when she refuses to tell me, but seeing as my plans on completely ignoring Kitty has failed I ended up being her only source of entertainment, not like I mind it or anything.

Me: Tsudere! That's a tsudere line! Ed&Cat: SHUT UP! Me: What the- When did you get here Ed?

-Back to Me-

I sigh after a few moments of gaining back my posture then look back at Ed who still hasn't moved an inch since I started my laughing fit, and the worst part is I don't even know if there happened to be a chance that shrimp here decided to a take a small little peek to see what was happening and saw me rolling on the floor while laughing my ass off at the same time. "Ahahahaha! Highter! Higher!" I hear the familiar joyful laughter's of a little girl echoing throughout the room. Ed must've heard this to cause the moment I peeked over from the side of a bookshelf where the laughter was coming from, a long blonde braid hangs infront of my face and blocks my vision to fully see what was happening. "Ed! Get your freakin hair away from my face...!" I half yell as I yank the hairpiece down forcibly, causing Ed to yelp in pain and back away. When I got a clear view of the two my scowl from getting pissed at Ed turns into a soft gaze when I saw the familiar scene of Al playing with Nina, Al galloping in place in the same manner as a horse and Nina rides ontop of his shoulders happily. "Al! What are you two doing over there?" asks the party pooper who finally got over the pain I gave him to his scalp a few minutes ago. "We're suppose to be searching information about the stone!"

"Nina looked like she wanted to play so-" "Don't worry Al! Short stuff over here is just jealous cause your brother isn't as fun as you are!" "What you say!?" "You heard me!"

We glare at each other once again, until... "WWWOOOOHHHH!" that stupid dog lands one Ed who ends up landing on me in the process... again! "My... fuckin' back..." I mutter breathless, all the air in me push out after my body gets crushed by a 5 ton (exaggerating) mutt added with 10 tons of a certain shrimp alchemist sandwiched on top of me. "Ed... Get the hell... off of me!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I threw the two of them off me, in anime style the flew up all the way to the sky. I pant while Ed stands up, a spot light on him, saying, "Alright dog you wanna play...? I, Edward Elric, shall not be defeated by a mutt like you!" And with that Ed runs after the dog while the dog runs away on two feet, leaving Al and I staring with sweat drops forming on our head as Nina continues laughing at the sight.

++Afternoon++

Havoc and Tucker came in at the exact moment when Ed was finally pinned down forcefully by Alexander, officially making shrimp the loser of this round and the mutt the supreme winner. "What's going on here?" was the question of the day. Ed groans under the dog's ginormous weight, "Nothing... just taking a small break..." I held up a sign as I read it out loud without looking, "Dog scores two! Runt scores zero!" "Uh yeah... Anyway, Colonel wanted me to come pick you guys up," Havoc tells us as Al and I pull out the body from under the huge mutt, who still didn't want to move a muscle no matter how hard we tried to pull Ed out. "Alright just a sec Havoc! Jesus Ed you weight a lot more than you look for a mirco-size maggot!" I complained. This snapped him into his bull rage-mode (I call it that since he practically acts like a bull) and throws the dog off of his back when Ed shoots back up on his feet, no harm came to the dog, Alexander just made his way towards his master and sets himself down in place and doggy smiles at what's going on.

"Who are you calling a puny size piece of dirt that can easily be blown away!?" rants out Ed, totally asking a different insult I never even said to him except for calling him a maggot. said to him except for calling him a maggot. 'But I'll have to take note of that,' I thought evilly as a small smirk forms on my face in amusement. We decided to leave since it was starting to get dark out, so that means by the look on the two's face- "Were you able to find the information you were looking?" asks Tucker, interrupting my moment of triumph. Ed's face turns dark as he grits his teeth, Alxeander sticks his head up the moment he notices the sudden change in attitude Ed was showing and the dog knew what was going on. Noticing this as well, Tuck offers, "You three are free to come back tomorrow to continue your search." "Really? You're coming back!?" Nina asks us excitedly at the information. "Mmm! It's a promise!" Al confirms, causing the girl to jump higher than how she usually does when she's happy.

||Outside||

I smile and bend down to her level, "Don't forget to keep Alexander off the leash, okay? Ed will only want to visit you more if your dog here is ready to pounce at any given time." I dashed after the two when I saw then going in the car without me and I need a seat, or else I'll end up at the side beside Al, if you known what I mean. Before I could the door I could hear Havoc remind Tucker, "Oh right! The colonel wanted me to remind you that your yearly assessment is coming up." When I closed the door I glared out the window as Tucker waves us off goodbye, his glasses fully reflecting the light to hide his true expression beneath the lens, though I knew what exactly he was thinking, an assessment is as important as you're life if you want to stay in the military. "Yearly assessment?" Al asks out loud. Guess he must've heard what Havoc told Tucker earlier before I closed the door. "His must be coming up soon," Ed leans back in his seat, "at least I got over my own assessment last month."

I sigh with my arms crossed and pointed out the facts to him, "A yearly assessment is needed for an alchemist to prove he is qualified to keep his certification and earn his daily research funds. If Tucker is to fail his assessment this year than the money is completely cut off. I've seen many men in the past with the same look Mr. Tucker has, you are only given two chances to turn in your research results and alchemists' like that usually start to get desperate if they failed the first time.

++Next Day++

"Huh, your mom left home two years ago?" Al asks after Nina told us her mother. I nearly drop my book out of shock at the sudden question, it may not be directed to me this time but this wasn't something I felt comfortable around hearing, especially if it's about the mother who passed away a few years ago only under my knowledge she was a chimera. He must've noticed a small hint of loneliness at the sudden mention of her mother, Ed and Al both understand how it feels to not have your father around even if he is at home like he's suppose to be; unlike me, I had no family to comfort or even play with me as a child. Nina answers, "Daddy told me she moved in with her pwarents when mommy moved out of the house." "Oh... it must be kind of lonely for you, being alone with your daddy in a big house like this," Al knew exactly how Nina felt. Both boys had that experience when their dad left them too as kids. I put my book down as I told her with a sympathetic look, "I'm sorry to hear that. You mom must've meant the world to you."

"Nope, it's okay! Daddy's really nice and I have Alexander to keep my company!" she reassures all of us happily and hugs her dog, then starts to pet him slowly, "But sometimes it does get a little lonely... Daddy is always busy with work to play with me and Alexander..." By the look on their faces, I knew Ed and Al remember a brief moment in their past of the exact same thing Hohenheim before disappearing from their lives. Ed closes his book, stands up on his feet and stretches his arms, "Ah my body feels so stiff!" "Maybe you should exercise your limbs brother," Al jokes after noting what his brother was doing. I roll my eyes at this saying sarcastically, "Or maybe you've just realized how much of a lazy bum you are." "Watch it kitty..." I hear Ed growl as he balls a fist to control his anger.

"Okay!"

I don't know why but I was suddenly pulled back into the back of mind by force as I gaze at the sad look on Nina's face, an image of another little girls face began to appear in the similar manner of the static screen any TV from my century.

::Memory::

I sat on my bed as my candle flickers in my dark room, waiting by my bedside window and watch the endless darkness outside for any source of light to appear in the pitch black of night. "Papa isn't coming home again..." I sigh again for the 5th time tonight and plop myself back on the soft comfort of my bed. "Mama is so sad when Papa is gone... I hope Papa comes home soon to cheer up Mama again... I hate it when Mama cries... I hate Papa..." I roll flat on my face as I silently start to cry on the blue soft covers of my bed. "So does that mean Papa won't get a huge from his daughter?" a familiar voice whispers into my ear. I shot up in shock as I stared at the face of my father, but suddenly as the memory it is I pulled out of my tiny form and stared in horror between the frozen figures. I ended up a few feet away from the bedside after I jumped out of my child self, still staring at both bodies in shock, unable to bring my self to see the face of the person who is supposedly my father.

"Who are you? Are you my father? Please tell me! I already saw my mother! Tell me now!" "You can't find out just yet."

I froze when the two started to move again, this time I wasn't the one in the body of the little girl any more, she was just smiling happily at the man as I stare at his back with a horrified look in my eyes, frightened of what's happening right now in this small room. He pets the child's head which she happily accepted and hugged her father happily as tears formed in her eyes, the man accepts the hugs but releases his hold on the little girl infront of him. "You're past will come back to you soon... You must wait until the time is right for you to remember," he tells me in a low voice, escorting his child under the covers her of tiny bed as she spoke to her father happily, except not a single word came out of her mouth no matter how hard I tried to focus my ears on her. "You... You left me for dead! How am I even talking to you...? This is nothing but a stupid vision with no meaning at all!" I cried at the man. He still hasn't turned around to face me, making me even more enraged than before.

"I made a promise a long time ago... That I'd make it home in time for my daughters birthday every year. I'm glad I get to see finally get that chance today."

::Back to Reality::

"Cat c'mon let's go!"

I snap out of my trance to see Ed, Al, Nina, and Alexander already at the door as soon as I started to panic that I was gonna be left alone by everyone, but seeing as how Ed was the one that called me, relief washed over me when I saw them. "I'm coming!" I call out as I threw my book at a random direction and ran after the trio, plus alexander.

++Outside++

Instead of playing with them, I just sat down under a shady tree and watched as Ed chases Alexander and Nina with his automail transmuted into a version of a robotic head with its mouth chomping every time Ed got close to them. Then Al would use himself, or atleast his body, as a human slide so that the little girl would get a chance to play with Al as well even though he was a giant metal suit walking around. I snickered when I saw Ed get glomped on by Alexander for the third time today. 'I know I promised Mrs. Tucker I would make Nina's final moments her happiest,' a depressing air surrounds my head as I watch the familiar playful sight, 'but I can't top that! Ed and Al look like naturals when it comes to playing with other kids! All I can do is comfort a child when he or she is sad, or when lost and can't find the parents...' "Big Sister Kitty," I almost snapped at whoever called me that if I hadn't recognized Nina's voice, "why aren't you pwaying with us?" I place a hand on Nina's shoulder, my entire body shaking in rage and my smile twitching in annoyance at the same a small vein throbbing at the side of my cheek as I ask her sweetly, "Nina? How did you come up with calling me kitty?" "Big Brother told me to call you using your nickname!" she smiles at me with smile on her small face, oblivious at my sudden change of attitude and the venom that was in my tone.

I robotically stood up to look at the two as fire flares up in my eyes at the mention of the only person in this world that has ever called me by that cursed excuse of a nickname. "Edward Elric... I swear to you if Nina wasn't here I would be swearing at you right now! C'mere you dwarf before I use alchemy to make you into a ice statute version of the Thinker!" I scream my head off, zooming past a pokerfaced Nina and raced after the boy. "AAAAHHHH! Who ever that thinker person is, I don't like it! I am not getting frozen again and another beating from Winry if my automail breaks!" Ed screams in terror, then screams even more when he see's me pull out my sword and transmuted the blue flames. But thanks to the stupid heat then that means it won't flare up like it's suppose to like it usually does when I used it against some of my past fights.

"Get back here you little piece of shiz! I'll make you pay for teaching Nina how to insult people!" "I would love to stop to make you also pay for insulting my height and comparing me to something I do not know what it is, I will not stop until you put that weapon down! You're the one teaching Nina! Not me!" "Stop running midget!" "AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Um... excuse me, is Catherine here?" a sweet voice asks us the moment I was already ontop of Ed and ready to blast him with the strongest amount of flames I could muster up in this heat. We all turn our full attention to the newcomer to see- "Miss Camilla!" I cried out happy and leapt to her side, but not before kicking Ed right in the gut. I didn't want him to think that I would let him get away now that there's an adult here, he may know my sweet and respectful when I'm around adults or high-ups, but if you mess with the tiger you get the claws. Or atleast that's how I remember it. She stood patiently behind the short wooden fance as I ran up towards her happily, although I nearly tripped "What are you doing here? I never told anyone yet that I would be here!" I gasp in surprise at the sudden appearance of the only person I've considered as my mother. Woah! That is way too freaky to think of, even towards a kind woman as Camilla here! She answers me with a sweet smile and hands me a basket, "I got a small tip from Hughes and your Pervert Colonel that you were back in Central."

-Normal-

Mustang sneezes unexpectedly while he was reluctantly forced to finish his stacks of paper work under the supervision of his long time lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye. He sniffles a little then goes back to going on with his business and smirks saying this in a cocky tone, "Someone must be talking about me. I bet it's a pretty girl out there who wants to go out on a date with me." Everyone in the room of course heard that loud and clear, even though it was directly aimed at Havoc who nearly snaps his pencil in half when he here's this out loud from his Colonel. "He must think he's so cool since he can get any girl he wants..." Havoc sobs silently as anime tears pour down his sunken face. Breda saw this reaction and takes out his hankerchief in pure disgust, "Hey wipe that off! Your getting the whole desk wet again!"

Cat: You were close Mustang- Me: But you were labelled as a perv by the nicest character here. Cat: Although I do feel bad for Havoc... I never once seen him dating a girl once... Except with Lust -_- Me: Poor Havoc... :( Cat: Well he does have bad luck when it comes to women... ^_^; Me: Oh yeah... I forgot! XP Havoc: Women are so mean! TT_TT *floods the room* Me&Cat: Get out of here! Cat: Here! A panty! *throw it in a random direction* Havoc: *chases after it* Me: ...Where did you get that? O_O|||| Cat: It's a secret...

-Back to Me-

"Anyway I wanted to tell you happy birthday Cat," she congratulates me unexpectedly when I finally opened the basket after curiosity finally got the best of my self-control. Inside was a small cake that said 'Happy Birthday' in blue frosting and a single white rose, a thing I never expected to see again in a world like this. The trio came up as Ed asks me in a surprised yet happy tone, "Why didn't you tell us before it was you birthday!?" "Where did you- Wait a second! I never told anyone!" I explain while thinking, 'Not since it's the day my life changed.' "I told you before Catherine~! I got a tip from-" I interrupted her smiling, "I know, I know! Hughes was the one who gave you a tip! Geez what's with you guys and digging into my personal background!" "It's your birthday! Anyone should be celebrating such an important day in their life!" Al says, making a further point that I should be happy about the situation I'm in right now. I gaze down at the cake thinking, 'Oh yeah I almost forgot... Today is the day I was born and left all alone in my life, not only that it's the day thousand of innocent lives died because of me.

"Happy birthday Big Sister!" Nina cheers happily at the news, her dog accompanying her with loud barks. "Thanks Nina... I appreciate it..." I look at her then look back down at the cake sadly. I wasn't so happy to know it's my birthday, I do appreciate Camilla for giving up her time to come over and give me such a wonderful surprise, but I still couldn't stand the fact that I'm here walking around freely while everyone else is stuck inside a piece of rock for probably forever. Camilla notices this, "You know... The best way to rejoice your birthday is remembering the happiest moments before entering another new age in your life." I didn't react to her kind advice. Thinking back, I actually didn't have any good times to even remember at all except when Ed and Al always tried their best to contact me for so long, when everyone in New Optain suddenly became close to a place I could even call home, and now Camilla here who has always treated me like her own giving me a birthday cake.

Although there is one thing in my life I have always loved to see every year in the mess up hometown I was raised to survive in. Then an idea popped up in my head, "Wait here guys! I have something to do for a sec! Just wait here! I'll be right back!" I shove the basket into Ed's hands and ran towards the nearest tree, climbing up without hesitation as soon as I was two feet near it, I practically almost looked like a monkey when I grabbed onto a nearby branch but I will not stop at nothing to get up all the way to the top of that tree.

-Camilla-

I was starting to get worried when Catherine disappeared under the leaves of the tall tree, not a single thing happened the whole time we stood there waiting like she had told us to, though I couldn't help but wish she would come down that tree soon. There was a bright blue light that flashed for a short second at the top of the very same tree that Catherine climbed up a few minutes ago, and then a surprise filled the air... snow. "Wow! It's so pretty!" Nina yelps when a single snow flake lands on her face. "This is the first time I've seen an alchemist make so much snow before! The sun is out and yet they aren't melting yet!" Alphonse gasps in shock as now slowly began to pile on top of his head without any hint of it melting. We all gaze up in amazement as the snow fell down from the sky even more little by little in larger numbers, what shocked all of us next was when a large clump full of snow lands on Edward in place, leaving his arms sticking out with the basket in his hands and also his antenna sticking straight up as if it was reflecting how cold he was underneath the snow. "Ahahahaha! You should have seen the look on your face Ed when I threw that giant snowball at you!" Catherine laughs after appearing suddenly on an outstretched branch that was above only Edward himself.

"Stop doing this kind of stuff to me! You can shove snow into Winry's bed, stuff Al's armor like a scarecrow, you can even make a short snow storm at HQ for all I care! Just stop doing these kinds of pranks only on me!" he yells. "Aw c'mon Ed! You know how much I love to mess with you! Everyone knows about our special relationship in the military~!" her mouth slurs in pure sarcasm at that last part. I don't know how I was able to tell this, but I seemed to be the only one that could clearly see this sarcastic side of the girl while everyone else takes it very seriously as if it was big news. Alphonse eyes his brother with a suspicious look in his eyes saying, "My my brother~ I never thought you would finally give into your feelings this easily!" "Edward and Catherine sitting on a tree! K. I. S. S. I. N. G!" the little girl sings in a cheery tone to worsen Edward's situation. He turn bright red and objects the idea, "It's not what you think! She's lying! Kitty is nothing more than my partner!" The more I watch the two bicker makes me start to question on their true inner feeling for each other the way they both openly fight like that, each time Catherine makes eye contact with Edward she would close her eyes for a few seconds as if she was trying to keep herself calm.

'These two have feelings for each other more than they realize it.'

-Ed-

"I want to join Big sister's team!" Nina squeels as she drags cat behind the fort I had just transmuted a few seconds ago in preparation of an upcoming snowball fight. We made the conclusion to go and have a little fun before left the Tucker estate. "No fair Nina! It's three against two! Besides that's suppose to be my fort" I laugh when Alexander suddenly licks my face then runs after the two girls. "Hey Edward before you run off and play," she pulls me close then lowers herself to my level and whispers into my ear, "...Catherine's true favorite flower is the legendary blue rose..." When she pulled away all Camilla did was smile then walk away from the gate, leaving me to stand there dumbstruck to hear such a private piece of information and the weirdest part was I felt sorta happy to learn this new side with Cat. "Hey peas-for-brain! Think fast!" and instantly a giant snowball slams at the side of my face probably at 12km/hr by how I nearly... flew away! I got up as laughter erupted the air, snow covering all over me mainly left by Cat & Nina's surprise attack. I gathered up as much snow as I could then charged yelling, "Don't think I'll give in that easily! Let's go Al!" "Right!" Al agrees.

-Me-

Ok we had a truce when a snowball flies through the window of a next door neighbor, who was completely outraged by our behavior as 3 young adults looking after a little girl and showing such a barbaric display infront of her. I wanted to freeze that stupid mouth if it hadn't been for Nina and her sweet adorable puppy eyes that were begging for mercy, a trick I think I taught her by how the neighbor leaves us be and when Nina and I high-five at such a great escape. Ed was shocked while Al scolded me and told Nina never to do that again, unless it's a really important matter. Seriously, a 14 year old boy who practically takes care of his supposed older brother rather than being glad that we didn't have to pay any damage caused by Ed's snowball. It was entirely his fault! "Big sister you have such pretty hair," Nina compliments as she sits in my lap messing with my tied hair that rests on my shoulder. I sweat drop at her reaction asking, "Am I you're Big sister? Or Elder sister?" She then continues by telling things I never heard of before, "I want to join the military like you! Everyone tells me how cool the Murcurry alchemist when facing bad guys and protecting people! My teacher told me that you stopped a fire in a small town!"

I flinched at the sudden remembrance of one of the missions I had when I was still under Brigadier General Raven's watch, those were the days that morphed me bit by bit into the insanity that's been locked up inside me ever since the day Alice died, but the one thing that's been keeping me together were all the people here who I never expected to become my friends. My face brightens up and then I started to tickle Nina, "Hahahaha! Come here you little munchkin! Coo chi coo chi ko!" I had almost forgotten Ed and Al were with us, but seeing this small child filled with life accidentally made me tear up a bit at my conflicting inner emotions, each one of them wanting to burst out right in the open in the similar manner of a dam trying to hold back a large amount of water. 'Tucker is still down there in his study... If he continues to his plans on using Nina for his own purposes,' I continue tickling the little girl even more, 'I'll definitely won't let another human being die just because of my stupid choices!'

++Later in the evening++

"Our lives before I got my state qualification were terrible. We were so poor. My wife couldn't stand living in conditions like that, and she left our home. I need to pass the assessment, no matter what... I don't ever want to return to those days."

We all sat silently in the dining room, the four of us at the table while Nina strokes Alexander as she listens Tucker tell us the story of why his wife had left the family. 'Most of it is true... in reality you used your own wife to earn your qualification...' I thought, staring down at my lap as both of my hands grip onto the cloth of my pants. "Don't worry daddy! If they don't approve than me and Alexander will bite them until they say yes!' Oh Nina, if only it were that easy. "Yeah you show them Nina," I smile at how Al was encouraging Nina. "Tucker I have a question for you," I turn my head to face Tucker, "what is the most important thing in your life? Your family? Or your career?" I don't even know why I even asked that myself when I know the truth about his evil intentions, but something inside me wanted to know whether he did feel any remorse on what he has or will do to Nina. A lot of people, even I, hated this man ever since that fateful day, still who knows how exactly he felt. Instead of answering me, Tucker kneels down to his daughter's level asking, "Nina, why don't you, Alexander, and I play together tomorrow?"

Nina looks at her father in glee, "Really? We can all play together!?" "Isn't that great Nina? Now you can spend sometime together just like you wanted to!" Al happily states. I didn't like this, the way Tucker suddenly asks Nina the deadly question made me feel like as if it was meant to represent his answer to my question. I curse under my breath as I got up from my seat and walk past Ed, "...Bastard... answering my question in that kid of manner... I hope you burn in hell..."

||At my apartment||

So yeah I had my own apartment here in Central, its not like I can sleep on the streets forever or keep on staying over at a Camilla's place whenever I come back to central from my long trip, there is no way in hell will I continue to be a burden to someone not ever again. I couldn't sleep the entire time since I got home. After I was dropped off, I immediately ran up the stairs without looking back at the two boys to say my farewells and practically bashed my door open just so I could get to bed early. I turn my head to stare at the clock that sat itself beside my bed on the nightstand, ticking endlessly as the seconds past by, a sight that I felt was mocking me while I lay in bed doing nothing. 'You're existence will surely make things interesting...' Truth/Fate's words haunt my head for the first time in years since I came here. The moment the words struck, I almost froze the entire room with my alchemy in anger when two faces appeared in my head, and they weren't the happiest kind of faces I wanted to remember. First was Alice before back at home as a normal human girl then flashed into her chimera form dying, next was Mrs. Tucker when I last saw her in her cage, and finally was Nina and her dog smiling at me then just like what happened to Alice flashed together as a sad chimera.

'You have to save them...! Screw those stupid time laws! This is a little girl who's life will be disrupted by the hands of her own father...!' a voice rang at the back of my head, reflecting on exactly how my feelings were now that I'm at this one point I can hardly ignore. Although I knew my inner voice was right, I could not take the risks of saving a life and then in the end having another die in his/her place in order to keep the timeline the same as it's suppose to be by that exact moment. I tried to close my eyes one last time so I could get past this night and get mentally ready for what's to come the next morning. 'Big sister Cat!' my eyes immediately snapped wide open when Nina's voice called out to me in my head. In shear impulse, I jump out of my bed and pull on my over coat off of the rack then marched out of the door forcefully. 'Nina! Please be okay! I'm coming to save you,' although I just don't know how exactly I'll save her in this situation.

-Ed-

We arrived at the Tucker estate once again to do our usual business on searching for the information we needed on the philosopher's stone, but something about today seemed gloomy, I just can't put my finger on it. We knocked a couple of times, called out to "Shouldn't Cat be here by now?" Al asks me in realization, noticing how we're the only ones out here infront of the doors. I look up at the dark sky, "In this kind of weather, neither of us would want to come out in this blasted rain." True to my words, my right arm started to act up exactly the right moment when a small drop of wage hits my left cheek it sent small waves of pain began to erupt on my side, but its bearable as long as it doesn't start to down pour on us then I'll be fine with this current pain. Reaching out to open the door, I came to a stop when the door slightly gaps open by itself. Al takes the first move to step inside the house, "Mr. Tucker? Nina!?" At first I was gonna follow behind him till I felt a sudden chilly air inside the house and spotted a small amount of ice growing at the side of the door, and when I took a closer look at the latch, a rusted doorknob lying down on the ground. 'Only one alchemist in the world could make a sloppy transmutation like this... but why would she head here without us and break in?' I thought as I pick up the doorknob from the ground.

-Back to Me-

"Ugh... my arm..." I groan in pain when my left side starts to ache. I tried to move around, but them I found my arm bound together, it was hard to tell by how dark this... hold on a second, where the hell am I? "Ow!" I yelp in pain. I don't know why, my neck feels like as if a needle was jabbed into my flesh and I already know the cause of how come I'm tied up practically as blind as a bat. "Tucker! Get me out of here!" I yell at the top of my lungs, even though my head was still spinning from the drugs Tucker injected into me. The top opens and instead of Tucker, Ed looks down at me in shock while my eyes adjust to the light, he pulls me out of the crate, which I now realize was too small for my stature, and cuts the rope off. I then spot Al. "Guys? What's going on he-" my eyes widen in horror when a chimera walks up to me staring up with hollow eyes asking me in a inhuman-like voice, "Big sister? Are you okay? You've been a sleep for a while." I finally remembered now what had happened; by the time I had arrived Tucker was almost ready to fuse together Nina and Alexander's body into one being, but before could stop him, I was caught off guard and ended up injected by a powerful anesthetic that caused me to lost consciousness. Even though I hadn't completely succumbed to the drug I was powerless to stop Tucker and I had no choice but to watch the transmutation, witnessing exactly how an alchemist makes a chimera in person.

Ed places a hand on where the needle plunged into my skin, I wince in pain at the sudden contact he made. "You're bleeding..." he mutters out loud, glaring down at my neck. I place a hand to touch the spot he was staring at, and when I pulled back it was confirmed by the red stain on my glove that I am indeed bleeding on my neck. When I spot Nina I knelt down on one knee to her level, and then I hugged her head crying, "I'm so sorry Nina...! I thought I could stop him... and now you... I'm sorry...!" I heard running feet and yells, "You bastard! What were you planning to do with Cat!?" I look up to see what was going one behind Nina's back. Teary eyed, my eyes widen in shock when I saw Ed continuously punching Tucker in the face right his right arm, sending blood and his glasses flying in the air at the large hits he was getting on the face. Al yells for his brother to stop, "Ed stop it! If you keep this up he'll die!" Not listening to what his younger brother was telling him, Ed continued punching him repeatedly without any hints of hesitation in his eyes, it was like as if he was fueled with so much rage that he'll only stop when he runs out of energy to keep going. Out of sheer impulse I leapt toward the blonde boy, as I let go of Nina, and hug Ed from behind to hold him back.

"Ed please stop! If there's anyone to blame, it's me! I thought I could save Nina... I didn't want this to happen...! So please stop it before Tucker dies!" I begged for him to atop, I nearly squeezed him to death at the intense emotions that started to flow through out my body. Thankfully, Ed finally listened to me but in return he places a hand over my own and squeezes it gently, as if it was his way of reassurance he was okay now. Tucker slowly crawls towards his fallen pocket watch, taking it in his hands and hold it for his dear life, "I won't fail this time... This time everything will go back to normal..." In turn for what has happened I took the liberty on kicking his watch out of his hands and with an extended hand I transmuted a spear of water that formed my glowing hand and sent it towards the watch to pierce right through it at the very center.

"You don't have the right to be a state alchemist..."

||Steps of Central HQ||

"So there's nothing we can do for Nina!?" I half yell at Mustang as I step in front of the man before he could continue walking down the steps. He shakes his head then walks right past me with Hawkeye by his side, "She will be taken into custody along with Tucker and wait for further orders. She could either be used as a test subject or killed." "No way! There has to be someway to... to..." I was at a lose of words of what to say next in order to convince the colonel to oppose the higher-ups and save the child, but all of us knew as alchemist Nina will no longer have the life of a normal little girl, not in this state. "Just drop it Cat!" I look over my shoulders and reply, "But Ed... We can't just let them do this..." "If we attempt to return her back to normal there's a chance Nina will die I. the process," states Al as he sits beside his brother, his voice filled with sadness. Ed places his forehead on his hands that were folded together, saying, "We're powerless humans... we have the science... we have the power... and yet we are unable to save a little girl..."

"That's not true guys! There is always a way!"
"Oh yeah like how you decided to go on trying to save her without telling us! If you hadn't been so selfish than Nina wouldn't be in this situation!"
"How am I selfish? Tell me Ed, in what way am I selfish."
"You knew what Tucker was going to do with Nina! You knew all along that he had used his wife 3 years go just like how he used his own daughter! If you had only told us...! None of this would've happened!"
"That's not true..."
"What was that?"
"I have my reasons why I didn't tell you! I hate you, you idiot!"

I ran down the steps in tears ignoring Al's pleas for me to wait and ran past every single soldier before finally running blindly through the streets of Central, the rain minding my vision when it came down on me harder. "Ed... you idiot...!"

To Be Continued

I am sorry this took so long! I was suppose to post this last week but then my dog was suddenly attacked by a pitbull! TT^TT We had to take him to a vet the next day and I've been taking care of him since the attack, he can hardly walk thanks to that stupid mutt and the handler. Worst part was... my dog had to get stitches after that! The handler didn't do anything at all! Ok this was made on may 21 so that's the actual day of Cat's bday! I am so tired right now so I won't be having convo's with my OC. Please R and R! Your support means so much!