I do not own FMA:B or Harry Potter

Trailing behind Ling who moved with the grace of a panther, Aria observed the people living in the outer city slum with keen eyes. Apparently, this was where Ling had sensed a Homunculus that felt different than the others. Almost five months had gone by since they left and started their training. They had both changed in that time and comparing him to a panther wasn't just because he moved like a jungle cat. The man had taken to wearing a long black coat over his black shirt and pants. Somehow he'd gone the complete opposite direction of Kimblee much to the man's annoyance. Given that he also wore black fingerless gloves with metal plates on the back, had made their spars a little bit more challenging now. It was especially fun when he added his sword to their fights.

While Ling had chosen a new color scheme, Aria had simply cut her hair and added a deep purple scarf and a few new weapons to her outfit. Where once her dark hair fell down to her waist, it now rested just above her shoulders with her bangs braided back to form a crown held by her blue ribbon. The scarf was the same color as Greed's eyes much to Kimblee's amusement. She had also grown a bit taller but no one admitted that fact, especially not Greed. Any sign of growth was ignored by the man who seemed convinced she would remain a child for the rest of her life.

Speaking of Greed it had taken her a month to realize he was in a relationship with Kimblee. Did that make Kimblee her mom? She'd decided not to ask, instead, she accepted it with the same amount of grace she accepted everything. Both men were currently waiting at Central for her and Ling to arrive. The idea of them sitting in a cafe drinking tea and eating little cakes was highly amusing. She wished that she was there to take pictures; not that Greed would allow her to do such a thing.

Over the last few months, her practical use of Alchemy had gotten better as well. It was sparring practice after sparring practice; while she'd thought it would get boring after a while she didn't actually mind. It was kind of fun. Kimblee was a harsh teacher to both of them but he wasn't unfair. Given that he was a psychopath it was shocking that he actually turned out to be a good teacher. By telling her stories about Issac's actions in Ishval, he'd managed to actually help her learn some new tricks.

Another thing that she'd realized was that she liked being around Ling in a different way than she liked being around Greed or Kimblee. Much to her relief, the boy seemed to share her sentiment; most of the time they were inseparable. The fact that they were able to give Kimblee issues when working together was enough of a reason for Greed to let them work together. She personally thought he was just amused by the fact she'd frozen Kimblee to the ground for an hour when the man suggested they work separately. It had been an accident; mostly.

Noticing Ling stop, she did the same her eyes landing on the blonde man sitting across from the blonde boy Envy liked to tease. She still hadn't gotten his name yet and she was willing to bet it wasn't pipsqueak. The blonde man looked almost exactly like Father but Ling shook his head when she sent him a questioning glance. Spotting the small black cat sitting a few feet away from the blonde boy she stalked forward silently until she was able to pick them up. Envy cursed at the action only to begin purring the moment she rubbed his ears.

"Ling!"

Shooting to his feet, the blonde teen ignored her completely, not that she minded. Sitting down on the log the blonde had occupied, the girl was all too aware of Ling moving to stand behind her. His hand was warm when he laid it on her shoulder; leaning back she barely noticed the blonde man looking between the two of them curiously. The blonde teen was still gaping at Ling as if he had suddenly sprouted two more arms.

"Hey, Ed," the prince greeted as he took a moment to reach out and pet Envy. As usual, the shapeshifted hissed at him before swiping out with their claws. The action was just slow enough that he could avoid losing a finger. Humming softly, Aria didn't even bother to reprimand the sin.

"Where have you been? Envy told us you were okay but it's Envy… anyway, what happened to your clothes," Ed questioned. Crossing his arms he looked at the other teen demanding answers. Lips tilting upward, Aria knew that Ling was looking down at his clothes with an insulting expression.

"We've been training mostly," he said ignoring the second question entirely. Before Envy could take up the mantle and begin teasing him he said, "oh right, Ed this is Aria, Aria this is Edward Elric."

Looking up at the blonde, she gave a small wave. His keen gaze met her own but she didn't say anything. There was no reason for her to speak when he was Ling's friend not her own. The hand on her shoulder tightened as if the prince was reading her thoughts, but he didn't try to change her mind. Greed was the only one who could change her mind about anything.

"He's a short pipsqueak," Envy said knowing full well what the words would do to the blonde.

"I will crush you!"

The roar echoed in the air for a moment as the cat she was holding snickered. Ling's hand loosened as he looked away from the blonde. She had to admit the reaction was amusing although she was pretty sure the homunculus had simply mocked him to get such a reaction. It took a moment for the blonde to calm down, but it was easy to notice he didn't want to calm down. Resuming her petting of Envy she noticed the older blonde watching her and raised an eyebrow.

"The old man is Von Hoinheim the brats father," Envy explained once he realized who she was looking at.

"Your father is a Homunculus," Ling asked a hint of surprise in his tone.

"I'm a living Philosopher Stone," the man corrected cutting into the conversation for the first time. Tilting her head back to look at the prince, she noticed the same expression of hunger on his face that he always got when thinking of finding a stone.

"If you get desperate you could always kidnap him," she said with complete seriousness in her tone. For a moment silence followed her words then Envy broke into muffled laughter that actually made him sound like he was hacking up a hairball.

"Ar-i-a," Ling whined moving to hide his red face in his hands. Part of him knew she was joking, but the other realized that she would help him kidnap Ed's father if he wanted. Envy knew it too from the hysterical laughter. Peaking at the girl through his fingers he saw the small smile on her face; the expression made enduring her teasing worth it.

"Is she joking," Ed asked looking between Ling and his father as if the idea of the prince kidnapping him was mildly horrifying.

"Yes."

He said the word far too quickly for it to be true and Ling himself cringed at the tone he used. No one would believe a word he said if he used that tone, worse he couldn't deny that his first instinct when the man said living Philosopher Stone, was to knock him out and drag him back to Xing. Mostly he felt embarrassed at having his desire stated rather than the desire itself. The fact Aria knew what he was thinking after just a single look at his face was another factor that caused his ears to burn.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Anyway how have you been Ed," he asked quickly as a way to change the subject.

Mentally snickering, Aria shifted so that Ling could sit down beside her as Ed began recounting his experiences from the last few months. Listening idly, she barely paid attention to them until she heard that the entire country was a nationwide transmutation circle. The prince beside her stiffened his nails digging into the wood as he processed the news; she however lounged mirroring a coiled snake. She had no doubt that if they set off their plan, it would kill everyone in Amestris. That couldn't be allowed to happen.

Feeling the Homunculus in her lap stiffen, she glanced down at them, before realizing she was the source of their discomfort. Reigning in her temper; she resumed petting Envy who settled at her action. Ling snarled and snapped beside her insulting both Wrath and the military, while she simply plotted what they should do next. The plan had always been to take vengeance or justice, depending on who was asked, for all the people they'd lost, however, now there were more lives at stake than their own. More than that neither Greed nor Kimblee knew; even Envy had been left out of Father's plans due to their arrogant nature. They would have to be told.

Shifting, she pressed her leg against Ling's causing him to still before taking a deep breath. There would be time for ranting and raging after they stopped Father. Slowly un-tensing the prince motioned for Hoinheim to continue; part of her wished he hadn't. With every word, he spoke she wanted to run away to Xing. there was no blame in her heart for Hoinheim for accidentally creating Father or the Dwarf in the Flask as he should be called; if not for that act then she would not have Greed or Envy. in her lap Envy seemed more and more annoyed with every word the man spoke; it was likely they didn't like the idea of being called a mistake or the fact that she had stopped petting him.

Glancing at Ling once storytime was over she found the same determination in his eyes as when he talked about becoming emperor. He would not allow this country to be turned into a death trap just to satisfy one man's quest for god. The sane thing to do would be to abandon both this country and its people, however, it was much too late for them to run away. To run they would have to make it all the way to the desert in less than a day, something that was impossible. Their only choice was to fight; not that there had ever been a different choice in the first place. Looking down she met Envy's eyes as she silently considered what to do next.

"Aria…" Ling's tone was curious as he said her name.

"Envy can you go and tell Greed everything? With your abilities, it will be child's play for you to find them," she said keeping her tone light. It was a question not an order; never would she presume to order around a Homunculus. The shapeshifter might act docile yet they could kill her easily.

"Of course it will," they stated proudly. Jumping from her lap, they landed on the log before transforming into a large hawk. Nodding in thanks, she watched them preen for a moment as Envy showed off. Then they were darting into the sky toward Central; both she and the Homunculus knew that her words were mostly manipulative yet Envy agreed to her request anyway. She personally thought that they were more amused by her attempts than anything else.

Her words were honey but Ling didn't think she realized that. She was amazing not just for the way she was able to convince a Homunculus to follow her orders but also due to the fact she was loyal. He knew she didn't care about the people of this country not as he did; she was going to fight because Greed wanted too. Because of her, he was able to use Alchemy and he was owed a Philosopher Stone. He'd also grown attached to her specifically; he could already imagine her sitting beside him on the throne.

All he had to do now was tell Lan Fan and Fu about her and gain their opinion on his idea. After that, it would be the stress-inducing task of asking Greed to court his daughter. There was always a possibility the Homunculus would refuse as well but given the man's greedy nature he doubted it would come to that. Aria was fond enough of him that Greed would consider a relationship between them and with the long period that courtships lasted in Xing there was time for them both to get used to the idea. Usually the idea of the next emperor wedding a foreigner would be laughable however, Aria was the daughter of an immortal; even if neither of them admitted it. With her carrying a Philosopher Stone and the life debt he owed her marriage was really the only true solution without him becoming her servant.

He hadn't told her about his idea nor had he pushed for her to grow fond of him in any way. When he brought up the idea it would be her choice, not his; anything else and Greed would most likely rip him apart. Not that he thought the Homunculus would hold back from threatening to tear off his limbs anyway. He would rather not think about what Kimblee would do to him either. The man was terrifying in his own way; a very explosive and loud way. Maybe he should be more afraid of Kimblee than of Greed. At least the later would hear him out before killing him.

"We should get some rest," Hoinheim suggested breaking the prince out of his thoughts.

Nodding in agreement, Ling stood before offering Aria his hand. The gesture was so out of place that it caught Ed's attention causing the blonde to stare at him as if he was possessed. The warmth from her hand made dealing with their glances worth it as she allowed him to pull her to her feet. He was far from stupid enough to think that he could make Aria do anything. Letting go of him once she was on her feet, much to Ling's disappointment, the girl motioned for Ed to lead the way. Lan Fan would call him an idiot when they meet back up, but he didn't mind too much. The girl was like this sister; he could take a little teasing from her.

Following the blonde, Aria reached up to lay a hand on her scarf. The Promised Day started tomorrow and they had to be in Central by dawn. That didn't give much time for them to rest, it did, however, give their opponents an advantage. She didn't like the idea of being away from Greed either but they were supposed to meet at Father's Chamber. With the stone she had, it might be possible to freeze over Central the same way Issac had wanted too but that would do nothing but delay the inevitable. The best outcome was to kill the immortal along with the enemy Homunculi.

She didn't have an issue with killing Father or the other homunculi; they didn't belong to her so they weren't important. Greed had definitely influenced her way of thinking, but she didn't mind. This was who she was and it was far better than being the scared little girl with no one who loved her. She had Greed and Kimblee now although neither of them was what could be called model citizens. They were still on the right side of this war. She had Ling too although what she felt for him was far different than what she felt for the other two males.

On a side note, Envy wasn't male. It was weird but they identified as genderless; she had been very confused about that but still accepted it just as quickly. She should probably figure out why she was so quick to accept things instead of questioning them but it didn't really matter. She would follow Greed until she died and that was the way things should be. There was no grand destiny waiting for her at all; she was just Greed's pet. That being said, she knew that she was fond of Ling.

The heavy clank of metallic footsteps echoed drawing her from her thoughts. Shifting cautiously, she put a bit of distance between herself and the large suit of armor that walked out of the woods. She remembered that suit of armor from her last visit to Central. The light that had lit up the eyes was gone. Realizing something was wrong, she glanced at Ling as Edward moved forward. The prince's eyes widened as he lunged forward grabbing the shorter teen's coat to drag him back. It was a good thing that he did since right afterward lances of shadow rushed toward them.

Leaping to the side Aria flipped to put distance between herself and the Homunculus as Edward began shouting accusations. She didn't bother to listen to him, instead, she kept a keen eye on the surrounding trees. Pride was the only Homunculus who used shadows, however, he couldn't go anywhere without his shell. That shell had to be somewhere in the area. The sound of Edward shouting in annoyance filled the air seconds before the lights went out. Her entire body tensed as she was plunged into darkness. It made sense that Pride couldn't use his shadows in the dark, but she didn't like the darkness.

Crossing her arms she backed up slowly until she was pressing against a tree. Unlike Ling she couldn't use the Dragon's Pulse to maneuver in the dark, nor could she risk crying out and alerting the Homunculi to her position. Ling was shouting at Edward to stay silent, but he still sounded far away. If only she'd become a chimera, then she could see in the dark. Cats could see in the dark, couldn't they? Well, it was too late to think about it now, she would have to wait until the lights came back on.

Despite her gloves, it was easy for her nails to dig into her arms as she tried to push down her irrational distaste for the darkness. It wasn't fear, she would deny such a thing until the day she died. All this darkness did was forge a stalemate between them and the Homunculus; they didn't have time to stall and hope for the best. Killing Pride was the only way this would end. Shrouding the area in darkness didn't help them in furthering that goal, all it did was keep them from completing it.

There was also the fact Pride wasn't a tracker. The only way the Homunculus could have found them was with the help of either a human or Gluttony. She was betting that it was the second option. With two Homunculus waiting in the woods this darkness really wasn't a very good thing. Gluttony could track them by scent, he didn't need light to kill them. The only thing they had to protect them against Pride was the very thing that might kill them. A limb cracked in the distance causing her to flinch. She hated the dark.

A warm hand touched her shoulder causing her to jolt but she managed to stop herself from tossing Ling over her shoulder or kicking him. Instead, she reached up to lace her fingers around his wrist. Shifting closer until she was pressed against his side, she kept a tight yet gentle grip on his wrist. Already her tension was fading as she realized she was safe. No Homunculus could sneak up on the prince of Xing. If Gluttony was in the trees he would be sensed long before he reached them.

"I've got you," he said softly. Just loud enough that she could hear. The words were said with enough confidence that she could almost see the determined glint in his eyes.

"That was never in doubt," she stated without hesitation. The grip on her shoulder tightened followed by a breathless chuckle. A smile pulled at her lips before she pushed down on the emotion and said, "I think Gluttony is in the forest. There is no other way Pride could have tracked Edward down."

"I will feel him long before he reaches us," Ling stated. Even with the annoying presence of Ed's father, he could still feel Pride so Gluttony would be no issue. All he had to do was wait and he would be able to find the fat Homunculus before he even touched them. Then he would tear him apart.

The sound of Ed stumbling in the dark filled the air for a moment but Ling didn't focus on the blonde, instead, he stretched out his senses. Warmth pressed against him as Aria shifted closer to him not that he minded. There were worse situations than having her beside him; however, he'd found Gluttony. The Homunculus was closing in fast but he wasn't alone, Ling could feel Lan Fan rushing to his location from the other direction. Gluttony would reach them first but given his ability that was no issue.

"He's coming."

"We need to kill him before he can meet up with Pride," she whispered while ignoring the sound of Edward tripping on a branch in the background. Her tension was almost leaking off her in waves as she prepared for a battle they'd been expecting to have tomorrow.

"Dive in when you can; I also sensed a friend of mine," he ordered. Usually, it would be Greed giving the orders but in this situation, he was the one who got to make the decisions. Her amused sound caused his face to heat up. Stepping away from her before he could spontaneously combust, he moved to meet Gluttony.

Lashing out with a kick he forced the HOmunculus away before unsheathing his sword and rushing forward. Ed yelped as he ducked down while Aria stayed completely still watching for even the slightest glint of red lightning. The moment Gluttony went to regenerate she would attack; frost clung to her fingers as she channeled the power of the stone around her neck. The sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh followed by Gluttony screaming echoed in the air, seconds before she darted forward. Red lightning lit up the darkness allowing her to see the dawning realization on Gluttony's face as she pressed her palms against his stomach.

Darting away from the Homunculus she shivered as a breeze passed by her body. It was easy to tell that the figure was a girl when the regeneration light hit her body; personally, Aria loved her mask. She would have to ask Ling if he could get her one once this was all over. Ignoring her love for the mask, it was nice to know that Ling's friend was just as skilled at sensing Homunculi as he was. It would have been awkward to accidentally kill the woman.

Watching the flashes of red lightning, Aria had all the light she needed to rush in and slam her hands into the Homunculus. Flipping away as ice erupted from his body, she prepared herself for another charge as Ling and the masked girl resumed their attack. She could hear them moving but the darkness kept her from seeing anything until Gluttony started regenerating. It was in those moments that she darted forward to attack. Between the three of them, the Homunculus wasn't given any time to attack. It was the best strategy for victory; however, the plan was it would be only Ling and herself. She couldn't wait to be introduced to his friend.

The shrill screaming from the Homunculus filled the air as he sobbed. Anyone else might've felt some pity or empathy for the creature, she did not. He was a murderous beast that needed to be killed before he could harm anyone she cared for. His life was a small price to pay for the safety of those she loved. Twisting under his flailing limbs once again she pressed her hand against his chin for only an instant before moving away. His screech when her attack took another life rang through the air but was quickly silenced by Ling or the masked girl.

It was the moment his sobs stopped that she knew he was dead. Stilling, she noted that Ling made his footsteps audible as he approached her and laid a hand on her shoulder. She was grateful that he hadn't just snuck up on her, but she couldn't help noticing that his hand was trembling slightly. It was the only sign that he was affected by the creature's death. Placing her hand over his she frowned as the heavy scent of smoke clung to the air. It looked as if the slum dwellers had finally made it over here to check what was going on.

From the fire currently overtaking the forest, she was willing to bet Pride had taken steps to deal with the darkness. It was strange that she wanted to thank the Homunculus. The fact Edward took off instantly to attack the creature left her and Ling to follow with more caution. He was reckless for a State Alchemist. The blade of shadow that rushed in their direction forced them all to break apart to dodge. Lunging forward she rolling coming to a stop just as her eyes landed on the form of the strongest Homunculus.

Pride was the oldest of the Homunculi, and the most dangerous. Narrowing her eyes at the childlike form he held, she could see why Edward was hesitating. Kneeling with her fingers touching the ground, Aria shivered under the heated glare the Homunculus was giving her. Tilting her head innocently she smirked at the stronger being even as he sent a blade of shadow in her direction. Rolling away she returned the favor sending a rippling wave of ice in his direction.

Ice was better than shadows, and no she wasn't just saying that because she used ice; well, not entirely. Ignoring the stuttering blonde behind her as Ling rushed forward, she kicked off the ground heading for Pride as well. She understood ice; it was cold and cruel, so feeling the frost gathering on her hands she was safer. Ducking under another blade of shadow she twisted her heel digging into the ground as she slammed her palm into Pride's chest. Salem Bradley was nothing but a shell, there was no moisture inside him; that's why she didn't even try to freeze him from the inside.

Moisture in the air responded to her action before driving into his chest with enough force to make the Homunculus fly backward, the firelight flickering over his enraged eyes seconds before Ling kicked him in the neck. The attack was barely enough to stop him however it was long enough for Hoinheim to arrive. Elric family drama was a spectacle, it didn't even help that Pride had let down his guard the second the man appeared. The urge to object when the man trapped the Homunculus was almost overwhelming but she held back. Keeping her opinion that trapping him was not the best option, she moved to stand beside Ling as he Greeted the old man, who had been keeping Edward from stumbling around in the dark like a drunk, and masked girl.

"Lan Fan, Fu, this is Greed's ward Aria," he said once he noticed her. Which was almost immediately; forcing away a pout at being seen, she nodded her head in greeting as he said, "Aria these are my bodyguards Lan Fan and Fu."

"The ward of a Homunculus," Fu questioned, sounding confused at the very idea.

"Yes, Greed has been my benefactor for the last six years," she said while Ling mouthed the word dad in their direction. Seeing the action she poked him in the ribs causing him to roll his eyes. Neither of them noticed the exchanged glances between the two bodyguards.

"Anyway, Aria here is under the protection of the Yao clan along with Greed, Kimblee, Bido, and reluctantly Envy."

Ling's announcement was met by silence for a moment before the old man slumped. Exasperation was written all over his face as he turned away from the two of them as if the teen's words had confirmed something he'd been dreading. The girl on the other hand stilled her eyes flickering between them before her eyes narrowed on Aria. It was easy for the younger girl to know she was being considered. Tilting her head she met the older girl's eyes causing the girl to soften just a bit.

"You've made strange alliances young lord," she stated.