Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is Alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth.

For the Love of Alchemy

Chapter 5:

The Gem of Life

It had been an hour since the battle on the streets. The Elric brothers found themselves bandaging up their fellow Alchemist in their Colonel's house. The Colonel at the moment was getting all the facts as to what had happened.

"So you saw Christian? That's odd, most of the battles she's fought he never makes an appearance. I'll have to call Izumi on this." Ed at that moment spit all the tea he was drinking out and dropped his cup. Moving at breakneck speeds he ran behind Al to hide.

"You know Izumi? Izumi Curtis?" He asked shaking and peeked out from behind the suit. A clank from the next room had them all jumping.

"Damn it!" Christina showed herself a few minutes later with only her jacket on her shoulders. She wore no shirt but was bandaged up so they saw nothing. In her left hand she held her bag and bloody shirt. Her right held the now calm sword.

"We need to leave and leave now… they get farther away the more we stay here." Roy smirked and Ed came out from his hiding place. Without her boots she was about the same height as him, so he noticed.

"That I have to say can wait, your body needs to heal and I think you and Full Metal need to talk, mostly about the Gem of Life." Roy's words ran over her and she glanced at the blonde.

Ed was taking off his red coat and black coat to show underneath his muscle shirt and auto mail arm. Christina dropped her bag and held her sword to her left arm. Her skin spread out to cover the sword and her arm absorbed it. All four Alchemy circles returned and they all watched in awe. She glanced that all three of them and sighed heavily.

"Speak, what do you know about the Gem?" Ed sat in his chair while Christina took the one across from him. The tension was strong between the two, strong enough for them both to forget about the other occupants of the room.

"We came across it during our hunt for human transmutation. Father had a total of seven books on the Gem. All of them were made with the help of…." Christina put her hand up to stop Alphonse. Roy leaned back and covered his face with his hand.

"Amber Clark and Darrel Clark, my mother and father. So you're Hohemheim's boys." Christina's voice was on the brink of laughter.

"So that bastard has them…" Christina rubbed her shoulders while she went into her own thoughts. She stared right at Ed and then he spoke.

"Their gone, we burned out house down after our failed attempt and well the books went with them." Christina looked almost frozen in the moment. Ed's words were running circles around her brain and then it hit.

"They're Gone! Goddamn it!" She slammed her hands down hard on the table.

"Calm down Christina." Roy said as he watched his table being abused.

"No I only agreed because you promised me the books! I need those books!" She slammed her hands again.

"Calm down."

"No I won't! Those were my key to getting the Gem off, also how to protect it so it won't break when I fight."

"For once shut up Christina! I liked you better when you were 11, you were calm and quiet!" Roy's words rippled threw the house and Christina right away snapped her eyes to the table.

"You go through having your brother in your grasp but then gone the next…" Her voice was low; she lifted her eyes to meet with Roy's.

"I have…"

"Brother." Both boy's voices were low, Ed's head was down and Alphonse just stared straight.

"I had Alphonse in my grasp and he disappeared. I did the only thing I could do to save him." Ed looked up, in his eyes there was so much sadness. In his eyes Christina could see that he wanted to break. His body tensed as his mind remembered and he quickly looked away from her eyes.

"Alphonse, I need you for a second, we'll leave these two to talk." Alphonse stood slowly and followed the Colonel out.

"Who did you try to bring back?" Christina stood and took a seat closer to Edward.

"Out mother."

"I'm sorry for your loss, human transmutation once long ago crossed my mind." Ed turned his head to look at Christina, her anger was gone and it was replaced with as much sadness as he felt.

"Who?"

"Our parents, my father died in battle after Christian was born and my mother died when I was ten. Looking at you now I remember." She reached over for her pack and opened it up. Inside Ed could see a few pairs of clothes and a small box inside. She pulled the box out and opened it.

"We were too young to remember." She pulled a picture out and handed it to Ed. In the picture it was both families. Both men stood behind their wives holding their one year old boy and girl. The women held the baby boys. All of the people in the picture had smiles on their faces.

"So long ago." Ed placed the picture on the table upside down and looked away.

"The Gem of Life was place on my back the day of the accident, I've had it looked at. The red Gem is my family's blood all mixed. The rest is made of auto mail. The Gem is a connection, with it I unleash the beasts, I lose all senses and my Alchemy strength heightens. I lose control."