'I can't face him... it's too much...

it hurts and yet I still... love him so much..

...Why? Why him...? Why does it have to be her...?

And... not met...?'

Chapter 28 - Miracle Rush Valley (Part II)

-Me-

I stepped off the porch, letting the rain pour on me with each step I took. When I was about halfway from the house, I stopped. "Funny... all this time I've been using water to fight my battles. Now I just use it to hide my shame... Is it a sick joke? Being alone like this... is too much..." A tear dripped my check as I lift my head up and said, "...And now... The only person left that I love so much... is slipping away from my grasp... and now out of all times... I'm going to show just how alone I am..." I didn't even notice someone was outside until I heard running wet footsteps in the rain. "Cat!" Ed shouts. "Ed?" I was shocked when I found myself being pulled into a tight hug from behind. "Cat... Turn around." I did froze at the tone of his voice, it's like he's pissed about something.

I did as I was told and froze at the furious look in his eyes. "Ed-" "What's this about!?" "What do you mean?" I ask. He holds up my pocket watch, making me immediately grab it from his hand. "The date inside... is it what I think it is?" I back away, yelling at him, "You looked inside!?" "Forget that and answer my question!" he demands, furiously grabbing my wrist to pull me closer. "I don't know what you're talking about..." I lied. He yells at me even louder, "Don't lie to me! One of these dates... it's the exact day I met that girl under the tree 8 years ago! You knew this whole time and you never told me! Why did you hide it from me all this time!?" Ed pulls his hand away in pain as I heated the water on my automail, reflecting the exact rage I've been holding in.

"I'm not that girl! This is the first time I've ever been in Amestris! If I was here before, I would have told you!"
"Yeah IF you'll tell me!"
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
"You always hide stuff from me! How am I supposed to trust you if you keep hiding things from me? We're supposed to be partners!"
"I told you enough! You don't have to learn everything about my personal life nor my past!"
"Well you knew a whole lot about me before we even met!"
"As if I knew I would end up being sent here!"
"You wrote me a letter telling me that we DID meet before! Does 'you've been there Ed, you just never noticed it' ring a bell to you!?"

I was speechless when he told me that. 'Letter...? I never wrote him a letter...' I tried to think hard on the last time I ever wrote a letter to anyone. The only thing I remember is waking up in the hospital with Ed by my bedside, nothing else. Ed grabs both my hands, gazes deep and begs, "Please... just tell me... honestly..." I roughly pull my hands away, turning my back on him as tears finally began cascade down my cheeks. "Sorry but I'm not... I'm just some lonely orphaned girl that doesn't deserve to live..." I mutter as I move to walk past him, only for him to grab my other wrist in fury. I roughly pull my arm away and yell, finally snapping, "What's your problem!?"

"My problem is that stupid attitude of yours and finding out what happened to that girl I met eight years ago! I have searched for her for years, even after I lost my arm and leg I still searched for her." I wanted to cry out- tell him that I am that very girl and just let out all of my feelings for him. But that won't change anything. Not my future or his. Instead of telling him like I wanted to, I chose to keep all those stupid thoughts locked away inside and said, "I'm not that girl. Just move on already." "I won't move on!" he declared. "No matter how long it will take, I will find her." Scared, I hugged myself as we both continued to stand in the rain. "Why do want to find her so badly...? You said so yourself she's no where to be found... how do you even know she even exists?" I was extremely nervous at this point.

My heart was beating hard against my chest. The longer I stood in the rain with Ed this close to where I am, I swear any moment not I think I might faint on the spot. "Maybe this will answer it." Before I could answer back, I was sudden pulled by my wrist again and twirled around a bit only for Ed's face to be inches from mine. At first I thought he was going to kiss me, but then I found our foreheads touching, his face inches from mine. My eyes went wide as a small blush crossed my cheeks. Ed gently hold my hand as he tells me, "When we were kids... you always lied about how you get these bruises and scratch marks on your body. You may be good at lying Cat, but if I remember correctly you break down every time I'm in your face."

I bit my lip and held myself back from looking away so I wouldn't give in, which I am doing very badly at the moment now that Ed remembers. 'Why did he have to remember THAT though!?' my thought scream as I tried my best to stand my ground.

::Memory::

"Are you sure you just tripped and fell on a rock?" Ed questions me, glaring hard at the purple mark on my right eye. "Yeah! Some idiot biker suddenly appeared out of nowhere!" I lied as I nervously smile at the boy, slowly brushing my bangs down to cover my black eye from view. In truth, I got in trouble with a couple of 6th graders on the bus this morning for sitting in someone's spot all the way in the back. He got made and tried to use big words which he clearly didn't understand, I almost burst out laughing when he tried to threaten me with random words that even I knew didn't make sense. I think he just read a few of the in a dictionary and flat out decided not to read the meaning.

I decided to get back at him right before the bus arrived at school by using much more deeper words. The last thing I said to the boy was, "You will rue the day you ever decided to pick a fight with a second grader. Especially with that bimbo of a girlfriend you're with." Probably went a little too far when I decided to flat out his girlfriend. It's not my fault though! He was the one that thought it was a bright idea to pick on me just to impress his girlfriend! It was as clear as day with the way she was smirking and hugging his arm, though I have to admit on one thing, they sure are early. "Hm..." Out of nowhere, he suddenly grabs my hand and pulls my body close to his- our faces inches apart from one another.

I immediately turn red the longer he stared straight into my eyes, placing his forehead against mine to take a closer look as my. I step back a bit as I nervously glance to the side every now and then, the guilt building up the closer Ed leans in to my face. "You're lying..." he concludes much to my surprise. "How did you-" Ed chuckles at my confusion and adds, "You maybe good at lying Cat, but your eyes and the heat on your forehead is a dead give away!" "I don't-! Oh..." The moment I pulled away and covered my hand on my forehead, I felt the same heat Ed was just telling me earlier before I finally calmed down a bit. He bursts out laughing, causing me to blush and turn away in embarrassment.

::End of Memory::

"Now tell me again... are you her or not?" he repeats. My heart was beating hard against my chest again, breathing hitched with the way his gold eyes were watching me. I have to prove it to him somehow that we did not meet when we were kids. At first I was going to acknowledge the fact Ed and I did meet long before all of this, but every time I look in the mirror I am reminded of Jealousy and the possibilities she'll do in the future. I don't want that nightmare that I had to come true at all, it would mean the end of everything if I allow that to happen. The people that effect their lives is something I know I can't change, whether they die or not there's nothing I can do. I know that now.

But Ed and Al? They're a whole different story. Everything evolves around them, and if something different were to get in their way means that the homonculus will win. Alice, Lucas, me, and everyone that's trapped in the stone will be trapped here. With one deep breath, I shut my eyes for a second then open them up with a new look in my eyes, shocking Ed a bit as I took a sharo step back. 'I'm sorry Ed...' I apologized at the back of my mind as I answered him sternly, "Sorry Ed. But I'm not that girl. Even though we may be similar, we may almost have the same name, but remember the three of us and those trapped in the philosopher's stone arrived here for the first time 3 years ago. There's no way we could have met."

As he continues to watch me, I could feel my heart shatter bit my bit as my mind cried on the inside, 'I'm sorry Ed... I'm so sorry... I don't want you to get hurt... I don't want to be the cause of losing your future... I don't know how I met you as a kid, but I need you to understand. I want to protect you! So please... give up Ed... for our sake...!' "Tch!" Ed clicks his teeth and takes his jacket off, throwing it over my head. I lift it up and slightly gap at him in shock as he turns to walk away, saying, "For an idiot, you really are stubborn when it comes to trusting someone. I'll get the answer from you someday. Your REAL answer." Once he was gone, I fell my knees as relief washed over me. I tugged on the red cloth as I sadly look down at the ground, regret filling up my heart not longer after.

The rain started to finally stop, but it still felt like it was raining on the inside as our argument kept replaying in my head. With a long deep, and depressed, sigh I stood up and folded the jacket only to hear a loud crumple. "Hm?" I unfold it and desperately started to search through the pockets. When I felt a piece of paper inside the right pocket, I immediately pulled it out and saw that it was an envelope. It was already open so I took the letter was inside and read what was on it. It was two pieces of paper, one with numbers and the other with the translation. I could tell the other was written by Alice by how neat the handwriting is, but the one with our old code almost made my heart stop.

"Hold on... who wrote this...? This isn't my handwriting at all..." The number looked like they were stamped on but they weren't, it was clearly handwritten except it looked completely different from mine. My handwriting is sloppy!

-Alice-

"I've noticed something odd about Cat..."

-Normal-

Alice was helping Lucas finish cleaning up when all of a sudden, Cat rushes through the door soaking wet. "Cat!? What happened!?" Alice asks as she runs up to her friend. "There's no time for that! Alice-" she brings up the letter into the brunette's face. "-Where did you get this letter!?" Lowering her hand down, Alice tilts her head in confusion and answers, "You did Cat, when you were sent to the hospital." "Who brought me to the hospital!?" That was something Alice never told Cat. She was scared to tell her friend that it was Jealousy who did, but with all the drama that happened that day it completely slipped her mind. Alice glances away and nervously tells her, "After the laboratory collapsed... Jealousy walked out and secretly told me herself she sent you to the hospital... she even repaired my body after I tried to protect Al from Barry the Chopper."

Fear struck Cat's face. She grabbed her by the shoulder and asked further, "When did I give you the letter!?" Alice gulps, saying, "The night you were brought to the hospital."

-Back to Me-

That made me finally snap on the inside. I tightly held her shoulders as I told her firmly, "Alice... I never gave you a letter. There has to be something different about me at the time." Alice puts a finger to her lips and ponders. "Your eyes did seem to be a deeper color at the time... probably cause you were almost about to die..." Deeper color, dark blue- the same shade that appeared on my eyes the night I fully used the Philosopher's Catalyst inside me and the time I swore I almost saw Jealousy's eyes change color.

||Lucas' Room||

We practically had to sneek our way back inside his room so no one would decide to eavesdrop on us. "So let me get this straight... you think this Jealousy girl is able to control without you knowing it?" Lucas asks me as I sat on the wooden chair, burrying my face in my hands. I shook my head and gave out a long sigh, "I don't know... I mean it's already bad enough to know there's a homunculis that has the exact same face as me..." Alice crosses her arms, saying, "If you think about it, it does kind of make sense. Two people existing in the same place? There has to be a reason why..." "Maybe she's you're long lost twin?" Luicas suggests. We didn't even waste a second to answer, "Impossible!"

"What kind of moron would think that? I grew up with you for crying out loud!" I add, clearly not in the mood to deal with his stupid ideas. "Well sorry I'm not super genius like you...!" he groans as he turns around and galres at all of his automail junk in annoyance. I casually remind him with a smug look on my face, "Says the guy who boasted about how much smarter he is than me for an entire year." "I was eight Cat!" We both glare at each other for a brief moment until Alice stepped in between us. "Guys stop it! We need to figure out what's going on!" She did have a point, but Lucas wasn't too happy about not gettong back at me. I sigh and lean in my seat, asking, "Since you got vlose and personal with Jealousy when you were a chimera, was there anything weird about her?"

Alice shivers at the memory. "Running on all fours was really a nightmare... but now that I think about it, she did talk a lot to herself all the time." "A pyscho?" Lucas raises an eyebrow at this. I shook my head and put my fist below my cheek, correcting him, "No... talking to yourself means you're in a healthy mental state if I remember correctly..." Lucas deadpans, "You talked a crap ton to yourself when we were kids." "I do not!" I yell, completely disagreeing with the idea of me always talking to myself. Alice sheepishly smiles at this and adds, "Well you did do that a lot when we were kids. Now you just talk to yourself whenever you're researching or reading a book in privacy."

I huddle myself in a corner in shame, muttering, "I don't talk to myself... it's just I'd rather talk to someone who knows me more than others..." Lucas sweat drops as he whispers over to Alice, "I think she's lost it..." The moment I heard this, I didn't even waste a second to freeze most of his saliva in his mouth with one swipe of my hand. "Ahem," I stood up and recomposed myself, "I think we all can agree that Jealousy and I are more connected than we think. I guess sometimes in both mind and body at this point." "Mind and body?" Alice repeats, both of us completely ignoring Lucas as he scrambles around on the floor trying to unfreeze his mouth. I nod then took out research journal from inside my coat.

As I flip through a few pages, I told them, "I read somewhere here about two beings with similar existences being in the same area can cause some effects on both individuals... but to think that it can also count if one individual isn't human."

"You knew?"
"A little, but it's not like I wanted to believe everything that's written in this damn book. Almost all of the things that this person researched is something beyond the alchemy I understand. I mean it would explain why there's an Alice in this world. Even Ed read this book though I think he was only reading the stuff about... what's in my body."
"So how come there's nothing wrong with me?"
"You're not in your real body, so maybe the effects can't really affect you like they would in a normal human being."
"Anything about the two gates then. There has to be an explanation on that!"
"Not really... it only says that both gates are parallel to each other, 'God' being right smack in the middle of it. So every time one is to cross through one gate to get to the other-"
"They face the judgement of God."

"As if I know... like any of that makes sense at all..." I groan, putting the book back in my hidden coat pocket. "This book is too complicated to understand. The strange transmutation circle I got, this book, and now Jealousy? I never met the guy! I only saw a girl blue eye in our world's gate and that red one in this one!" "Wait!" Lucas gasps free from the ice and asks, "You saw that thing too!?" Alice jaw drops as I answer back in shock, "I did when I was forced cross over to this side! Don't tell me you can use alchemy too!" "I doubt it... I don't even understand all that magical stuff-" I immediately correct him with a death glare in my eyes, "Science! Alchemy is a science!" He raises his hands up with a disinterested look, "Alright science! Sheesh... 'Alchemy' stuff at all."

I got off my seat and marched over to the older boy, pulling his down by his shirt and demand, "If you saw it, why are you still in one piece!?" Lucas forces me to let go. "Hold on- The only thing I remember is floating along side with a man with gold hair!" "Floating-" I start. Alice finishes with a poker face, "With a gold haired man?" She bursts out laughing as I stood in place in utter shock. "It's not funny! That's how I viewed it when I was a kid" yells Lucas, turning slightly pink on his cheeks. "Gold haired man... did he have a brown coat on and clothes out of this century?" I question him, my heart racing bit by bit. Lucas raises an eyebrow at my sudden question, but still answers, "Yeah, he sort of had this weird necklace and spoke a little french whenever he talked to himself about something."

A hand comes up to cover my mouth as I silently started to sob, surprising both of my friends. 'Papa...' a child's voice rung in my head.

::Memory::

I look around in confusion, but felt a wave of nostalgia seeing the small room. "What...?" "Papa's home! Papa's home!" a girl cry out as she scampers off her bed, rushing past a brunette woman and down the first set stairs. Curious, I run after the little girl but not before taking a look at the woman. I couldn't really see her face, half of it was shadowed over. A man with an odd looking hat steps in through the door as he calls out, "Perenelle! Cat! I'm home!" She practically jumps off the stairs when she saw him at the bottom. The girls smile grew wider as she cried, "Papa!" He was about to look up only for them to crash to the ground, a woman rushes into the house in a rush of panic.

"Nicholas! What's-" she stops herself when she see's her daughter on top of the man. She chuckles, "Seems like I lost again." While the family continues to laugh, I stood on top of the stairs in a state of shock. "Are they my... parents?" I reached out but held myself back. At the start, I felt that if I were to ever see them again I would forgive them for the things they've done to leave me behind, but each time I find out a little more about my origins I've slowly started to resent them. Seeing this memory is just- "Papa! Can you teach me how to do magic again?" the little me begs. He ruffles her hair and answers as he tries to calm himself down, "It's a science sweetie! Not a magic trick!"

By the looks of it, this man was really touchy about alchemy being called a magic trick. "Just like me... If my life was so happy, why did I forget them...? Why did they abandon me...?" Once I reached the bottom of the staircase, I was shocked to see who was standing right at the doorway. It was- me? It couldn't be Jealousy, she has black hair and pale skin. This girl looks exactly like me in every way, except work a blue version of my coat and had a red bandana on my head. She sadly watches the three with a sad smile before looking up in my direction. The memory began to shatter, the floor below me about ready to give out. I reach out to the girl, calling out, "Wait! Who are you!?"

::End of Memory::

"Cat... Cat!" I snap back into reality only to find myself on the floor, gulping down something really hard. I sat up from where I laid as Alice and Lucas pull away, the bottle with my pills in Alice's hand. "Where did you-" she apologizes, "I searched for your pockets hoping there was something that could help when you suddenly collapsed to the ground." "I did..." I ask the two as Lucas helps me out. "Yeah you were knocked out cold and started bawling your eyes out." That earned him one big slap on the face. Winry rushes through the door announcing, "Mr. Dominic is home!"

++Later++

"Hello there! I'm your granddad!" Dominic greets the baby happily. I stare at the man in disgust while Alice stares the old man, blinded at his odd change of character. "You sure out of character..." Ed and I mutter at the same time. Ed hears think and lifts his head up to look at me, only to move his head to the side and scowl. Saddened at this, I hugged myself as Winry puts a towel over my shoulders, glancing at Ed then back at me in curiosity. 'He's still mad about me not telling him everything...' I sighed at the thought and tried to focus more on the baby. The doctor nods in approval and said, "Both mom and baby are healthy. It seems the delivery was done correctly." He turns and starts to praise Winry, "Well done, sometimes adults can't be in the presence of childbirth."

Winry waved her hands around and said, embarrassed at his praises, "No! We did what we had to, that's all!" I smiled, nostalgia washing over me again as the family starts to greet their latest addition. "You're Catherine Cairo, correct?" I jumped when the doctor suddenly turns his attention to me. "Clara has told me so much about you, she said you're the kind of girl that acts older than her age." I felt an arrow strike the back of my head while Lucas and Alice snicker behind my back as I my mouth twitches in my smile. "She did, did she? And how exactly do you know Clara?" The next thing that came out of the doctor's mouth was one of the most random things I've ever heard in my life. "Oh! She's my fiancée!" My jaw drops to the floor as Alice doubles over behind my back laughing her head off, Lucas just stood there with a blank stare.

"Hold on! We're talking about the same Clara right? The one who has a transmutation circle in the middle of her cle-" Alice and I slap both of our hands to stop him, though Alice was first so he ended up getting a hard blow to the face. I breathe heavily while screaming in my thoughts, 'Stop blurting out women's body parts already like it's a normal thing to talk about! Control your hormones and keep your eyes above you pervert! Not below!' Alice laughs nervously as she pulls away, excusing our actions, "Sorry about that. He's a little delusional after seeing blood all in the worst places." "I-I see..." he stutters, glancing over to Lucas as we rip out hands off his face. "We are truly in your debt young lady! Thank you..." We all look over to see Dominic on his feet and bowing to Winry.

She blushes and bashfully says, "Please sir... there's really no need to thank me... Oh goodness, you're going to make me blush." Ed then got an idea and asked, "Maybe you could make an exception and take on another apprentice?" Lucas crosses his arms and nods in approval, a weird glint flashes in his eyes as he states, "Having an actual girl around would me a nice touch for once." Instantly slam my foot on top of his, a slight crack was heard before he stops hoping around and grinds his teeth in pain. "One is already enough as it is..! I don't want to take on any more apprentices!" I frown at this as Alice sadly glances down at Lucas, who seemed ready to step in until Dominic continues, "But, if that's what your heart is set on, I can recommend you to an accomplished engineer at the base of the mountains."

An image of Garfiel pops in my mind, particularly on that one omake Alice tried to show me before when Ed tried to use his telepathy on Al's hand. I shiver at the image and glance over at Alice, who seemed just as freaked out as I was. Lucas turns pale and asks his mentor, "Don't tell me you're talking about... IT!?" Ridel smacks Lucas on the back of his head, scowling the boy, "Luke that's rude! Mr. Garfiel was kind enough to take you in before Dad decided to reconsider it!" "You don't understand what I what to go through! That person he..." Lucas hugs himself and sits on the ground, rocking himself back and forth saying, "touched me in places only women are allowed to touch...!" I instantly cover Alice's ears as she begins to steam when she hears, yelling, "No need to get into details!"

Dominic stood up and walks over to the door as Winry asked him, "Pardon me sir, but would it be okay for me to come and watch you work sometime?" "I won't stop you from coming by sometime to see my grandchild..." was the only answer Winry ever needed.

++The Next Day++
||Train Station||

Alice and Winry cry their eyes out- well only Winry in this case- as they clung to each other like there was no tomorrow. I shielded myself from Winry's waterfall tears with a transmuted ice umbrella, which I made from a nearby puddle of tears that was also made before the two girls decided to have a cry fest. "You better become the greatest mechanic out there, you hear me?" Alice says as she pulls away and looks down at the blonde. Winry nods, saying, "And yet make sure to keep inventing stuff! I wanna try out that cellphone thing you keep trying to make!" I face palm when I hear this while Lucas turns his head to the side and puts a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

"You sure you don't want to come? We really wouldn't mind a 5th party to join the group," I offer on last time as we both glance over at the group, "especially since we finally got to see each other after so long." I didn't really want to push him, but considering out circumstances, it would be nice to talk to another person from the same place as Alice and I. We still haven't really gotten used to all the old technology around us just yet. Mostly Alice. Lucas ruffles his hair and looks at the town of Rush Valley, saying, "You know when I first came here, I never thought I'd never see you guys or my parents ever again. I didn't even think once of there being a chance to go home. And yet here you guys are."

He turns to face me. "Rush Valley is the only place I've called close to a home since I got here. Leaving everything I know behind is suicide at this point. As much as I'd love to be with the girl I've had a crush on since I was four and the violent stray cat with rabies-" I almost wanted to hit again but decided to stay put and listen. "I think it's best if I stay in this dump a little bit longer until the fire dies down out there. With that Jealousy chick chasing you around every where you go, it would be a good idea for me to stay just in case you need someone to help you take cover. By what you've told me, she's seen the people you're with and can easily predict who you'll turn to for help. Jealousy doesn't know me so it could be a huge advantage for you and Alice."

As much as I hate to admit it, especially to a huge pervert, Lucas was right about this one. Jealousy has no clue of his existence. If she did, she would have done something to him long before we reunited. I was about to say something until- "Move it Al, Alice, Cairo! We got to burry! We miss this train and there isn't another one for three days!" Ed cries out as he starts running after the already departing train. I flinch to hear Ed call me the way he used to when we still hated each other. He didn't trust me at that time, and to hear him address me by my last name just like those times really struck me hard. Lucas puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it, reassuring me, "Don't worry Cat, he'll com around sometime."

"Cat we gotta go!" Alice grabs my hand and starts dragging me with her, running after the train as Al jumps on first and catches Ed's suitcase. "Now you three be careful!" Winry called as she ran with us, Paninya and Lucas following. Al catches Alice as she attempts to jump on when she let's go of my hand. I give Winry a high five and said, "Don't worry about us! We've got your automail on us so nothing bad will ever happen to us!" Ed goes on not long afterwards, with the help of Al and Alice, and turns to face me, hesitant at first to help me while extending his hand out towards me. Seeing the look in his eyes, I lowered my head so my hat could cover the pain that struck my face. With one big jump, I grabbed onto the metal railings without Ed's help and pulled myself up on the train, glancing over to the side as Ed watches me with a deep stare.

Much to my relief, he drops it and waves to Winry, "You too Winry!" I put on my best strong face as I called out to Lucas, "Now you better keep your eyes off of that girl's lower parts you hear me!? If I find out you've been harassing another poor girl, I'll be coming after you!" He turns red and yells, "You don't have to say those things out loud!" Alice makes fun of Lucas as she says her own farewells, "Farewell Luke Skywalker! We'll meet again soon! I promise!" I burst out laughing when Lucas trips on his own to feet after hearing this, rolling one the ground for a few seconds then comes to a stop by ramming into a couple of crates. That will never leave him for the rest of his life. As their figures disappeared in the distance; Alice, Ed and Al decided to go inside.

I decided to stay out a bit to clear my head on a few things, especially with Ed's slight change of view on me at this point. I saw and remove my hat, ruffling my hair as I found myself staring randomly into the distance. 'So what if I'm stubborn? Any normal person could tell one has a reason why not to say anything! Then again I'm in an anime world where there are high chances of weirdos to appear and happen to be crushing on a boy who's a very young prodigy with height problems...' I felt an arrow struck me in the heart at the thought, feeling as if I indirectly insulted myself in the process. At home there are indeed weirdos and also assholes who just love to mess with your innocence. Trust me.

I used to live close to a bimbo with drinking problems and a disgusting douche of a boyfriend that lives with her (A/N: Reference to the 1st chapter.), a pair I still find very abnormal even now. Reaching down for the book inside my coat, I see a small familiar piece of paper flying out into the air and caught it in time before I lost it to the wind. I held the paper close to my face and glared at the transmutation circle. Up until now, with all that information Truth shoved into my brain for unwanted reasons, I still can't understand what this circle is used for. I know there's healing alchemy, ice and water alchemy, fire alchemy, artistic alchemy, chimeric alchemy, and others that I'm not allowed to name.

This circle is like a mix of the Grand Arcanum, the transmutation circle Ed and Al used for human transmutation, and a little bit of something else with how oddly drawn the symbols are. At this point I'm completely stumped on what I should do once I find all the pieces to this, should I find my parents? They're the whole reason why I'm like this. As much as I want to find them, I can't with the way I am now. I'm a complete mess. "Cat, is something wrong?" I turn to face Alice as she shuts the door behind her back, her eyes filled with concern. I force a smile and tuck both the book and paper away, saying, "I'm fine Alice I just needed some alone time... I need to wait things out for Ed to cool down a bit inside."

"Did you fight again?" she asks me, walking up to side and leans against the rails. "Something like that..." I didn't want to worry Alice. "Cat you really need to be more truthful to him for once... he's only trying to help," I felt my anger boil up at the way she was saying it. I stomp my foot on the metal floor, catching the girl off guard. "You need to keep your nose out of other people's business! I've been doing this shit for three years straight while you stayed safe wherever the hell you were! Why don't you just think about yourself for once and not about what others are thinking? No one is asking you to butt into something that you have no clue about!" I pant really hard after losing my breath in that one short moment, Alice staring at me with her large brown eyes as I glare back at her.

I then realized I took it too far when Alice starts to bite her lip and takes a few steps back, pained at the things I said to her. "Alice I-" she didn't even want to hear what I have to say. Alice instantly turns her back on my and rushes back inside, leaving me outside to lament by myself on what I've done. I dashed off to the right and started climbing on the side of the train, careful in making sure not to fall off of a moving train. I didn't want to cause a commotion by running after Alice and forced to confront Ed all at the same time. So climbing over to their window to see what's going on seemed like a good plan, but... I shiver in fear as I pull close to the train whenever a nearby object comes flying at me.

'How the hell can assassins do this kind of crap...! Altair and all those awesome assassin in assassins creed... I take back all those things I said about how stupid it is to do parkour all the time!'

I climbed up to the roof top the moment I see Ed and Al at the nearest window, then running down to the back to see Alice running out of one train cart and going in the other to join the two boys. Jumping down, I silently watched from the window as Al stands up when Alice approaches them, seemingly asking her about what happened. She just shook her head and sat down beside him. Ed stood up, pissed off about what I did, and moved to go after me until Alice grabs his hand to stop him. Depressed, I turn my back and lean against the door, sliding down into a sitting position. I clench my teeth as tears began to pour down my eyes. "Shit... this isn't like me... I've never blown up in front of anyone like that..."

I spent my time outside crying for the next few hours. Not once thinking about going inside, I felt too ashamed at myself for the things I've done in such a short period of time and let things get out of hand this far. All this 'wanting to protect everyone' crap is going to far now. But... I can't stop now. I promised myself to never allow Jealousy to hurt anyone else I love ever again, even if it means losing them in the process. I know Ed will hate me once he finds out, though at this point I don't even care anymore. The way things are going, I doubt I'll live long enough to get home at this point. There's a cost in always using the catalyst... and because the stone is in my blood stream and turns black every time I use it, whether it's used unconsciously or not, there is also a strain in the soul itself. I wish I never got this stupid book... Things would've have end up like this.

I remove my glove and stared at the ring on my finger, memories of all the things that Ed and I have been through together since we first met and unexpectedly reunite again. "Are you really sure with your decision Ed...? Do you still trust me...? After everything I've down up till now..."

||Dublith/Alleyway||

-Jealousy-

I stare at the old locket in my hand before closing it shut, staring hard at the initials on one side and almost wanted to break it when I flipped it over to read the other. "Ugh..." I look over to see the boy shift around a bit as he slowly regained consciousness. "I see that you're awake boy," I spoke up, shoving the locking into my pocket and crossed my arms. "Catherine...? Where-" I stop him there, "I am not the girl you think I am. I'm simply the same kind of creature you once were in your past life. Seems like Truth and Fate both finally agreed to allow you to live a better one in this timeline. Hope they didn't make a mistake." I take a step forward to leave, only for the boy to grab the bottom of my leg.

"Hold on! If what you're saying is truth... who am I then?" he asks me, letting go and starts down in shock to see two of his original limbs back on his body. I smirk at this. "You are you. But at the same time, not you. For now, you are a child whose former Wrath has been seeped out of him after making his choice to end a life which was artificially made." "Huh...? Then mom is..." the poor child was at a loss of words at this. I don't really blame him for reacting like this, those who have been given this rare chance are always overwhelmed to know this fact. I should know. I've been forced to see it many times. Though this isn't the reason why I brought him here, I need this boy to put my plans back on track.

With the way that girl is going- I doubt she'll last more than a few days with the way she's been acting careless recently. 'That old man... doing so many unnecessary things without even thinking once what the outcome will be...'

-Fate-

"Ah so bored..." I stared at the familiar large gates in boredom, my eternal duty in this lonely white space of emptiness. "I wonder how many more hours until another visitor arrives... brother must be having so much fun with taking care of those active humans on his side."

To Be Continued

96 favorites... 99 followers... and 21,255 views... I don't know what do say. I mean I never expected this many people to like my story so much I- *sniff* sorry I am just so overwhelmed right now at how far this story has come. 3 years ago, when I decided to put the first two chapters on two different websites, I wasn't really sure which website to focus on after I retired from quizilla. So when I lost my account on FB and forcing me to abandon my wattpad account, I was at a complete loss on what to do. After I remembered my old account here in FF I wasn't really sure, back in 2014, if I should continued from where I left off. So seeing how many still love FMA makes me really happy and... *sniff* Oh and if this comes out a day late, I'm sorry! ^^ I'm celebrating my parent's anniversary and my mom's birthday the next day!

Me: Today will be the last set of originals you'll see from the original plot I had for Mercury Alchemist. Say hi to Lucas and Luke Walker!
Luke: Guess I'm stuck with that name for a while... _ Are you still crying?
Me: Of course! T^T This is the best thing that has ever happened!
Lucas: ...
Me&Luke: Um... O_O|||
Luke: Why does that version of me have no face!?
Me: He has! Sorta... just a question mark.
Lucas: *holds up a piece sign*
Me: Lucas was going to be a very important character in the original story line, but I never really got to that point so this Lucas is... a little faceless.
Luke: A little!? He's mute and has no face at all! It looks like someone drew a question mark on his face with permanent marker!
Av&Cat: *Whistles and walks away*
Me: -_-||| That explains it...
Luke: *sighs*
Me: So at this point, being the last main OC to ever be presented, how does it feel?
Luke: Well I have to say... this story has really come a long way... Makes me wonder how the ending will turn out.
Me: Since you, and probably many others are wondering as well, I guess I can tell you this. The mercury alchemist will have a sweet yet bitter ending. Everything will go back to it's proper place and eventually I'll make a sequel afterwards.
Lucas: *holds a sign up* "What will happen to your original characters like me?"
Me: Um... I'll use you... eventually...
Luke: Eventually?
Me: Ah look at the time! Seems like it's about time to end this chapter now!
Luke: Hold on what about the announcement?
Me: Announcement...? Oh right! On Halloween I'll be making a new fanfic either based on Kuroshitsuji or Blue exorcist. I already put up a preview with the Kuroshitsuji fanfic (Grey Cinderella if you haven't seen it yet), but I guess I'll let you guys decided which one you'll like to see. I'll be putting up a poll right after I post this fanfic and later put up a preview on my Blue exorcist fanfic. My mind has been running with a crap ton of ideas lately so that's why I've been working on A LOT of long running stories such as Winds of Hope (which I might have to edit and improve later on), Forgotten hearts, as well Mercury Alchemist. So please go straight to my list of fanfics and check out both previews, then go to the poll and vote!
Luke: *Ahem* AveryScarlet does not own FMA, all rights go to Hiromu Arakawa. She only owns me, Cat, Alice, and other OC's mentioned throughout the story. From this point on, there will be no more OC's added to the storyline so whether you like it or not, no more OC's will appear.
Lucas: *holds sign up* "Please R&R and we'll see you in the next chapter!"