FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, GOLDEN EYES

By Born of Starlight

I didn't sleep last night.

:coughs: Right... I suck. Understood. Um. All I can say in my defense is you're lucky you're getting this chapter! I'm supposed to be doing important Rotary paperwork. :sighs: Meanies keep giving me more stuff to do...!

Speaking of Rotary...

I FIND OUT WHERE I'M GOING THIS THURSDAY! I leave Thursday to go to Ontario, Canada, where I will attend a conference until Sunday (which happens to be my sister's birthday). I find out! I love Rotary, except for the paperwork. Kuso... So much work, so little time! They asked about politics mostly, and all their questions were completely slanted against my political views. That wouldn't bother me so much, but they said they were a non-political organization. Why, then, are they asking stupid questions about polotics?

Let me see... What else might I bore you with...? Oh! I am, once again, involved in a school play. My school does two plays a year, and the spring play is always a musical. We're doing Little Shop of Horrors this year. We did Bye Bye Birdie last year. I actually have a name, and lines, and solos this year! Big step up. Last year I was a chorus member... Our auditorium seats about 600 people, and we're doing six performances at the end of April. I'm excited! Lol. I'm also random. Not to mention stupid. I am very stupid. I pulled an all-nighter last Monday. Yes. I went to school without having slept. Valentine's Day is overrated... Love sucks. Sorry, I'm still angsting... I can't help it! I'm a teenage girl! I tried to kill the evil hormones, and it didn't work. What can I say? My inner fangirl is alive and kicking. Evil little bint has more lives than a cat...

Oh. And I've been doing tons of fanart on my PC, lately. Newly discovered talent, on my part. I drew Gaara (from Naruto) on Sunday, and Edward just yesterday! Lol. Neither really has a background though... Backgrounds are overrated.

Disclaimer: Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

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Chapter 11

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Nearly two weeks passed, but Ed and Korin made no more progress. They had yet to find even another reference!

And though she told no one, Korin was spent. She'd been moving nearly non-stop since she had lost her soul; the other two had been kept in small, locked rooms for observation. Her strength and energy were being used up rapidly.

But Ed wasn't stupid. He watched as her face got paler with every day that went by. She was…fading.

He caught her as her feet faltered.

"I'm fine, Ed, so please let go?"

Ed released her, but kept his automail hand on her elbow to steady her. There was a look of concern in his eyes. "You should take it easy, Korin…"

"Ed, if I stop doing stuff I'll die even faster -- from boredom!"

He took the large book out of her hands, his eyes fierce and worried. "But you're wearing yourself out!" Ed was fighting to keep his voice quiet.

Korin yanked the book back. "Then so be it!" Her voice was also on the rise.

"Korin, you're practically running on empty! Just slow down a little, please!"

Both teenagers stood there, tall shelves full of dusty and ancient tomes on either side. Niether knew quite where to look.

Korin's eyes were on the book in her arms. Her gloved metal fingers ran up and down the cracked spine. Her pale face was slightly flushed and she had a sinking feeling that she knew what was about to happen.

She wasn't going to let it.

Rather than let his face get any closer to hers, Korin turned away. "Ed, don't," she whispered. "You don't…can't understand why, but…" she choked on her words, and couldn't meet his eyes. When he started to protest, she retreated without giving him an explanation.

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Ed kept replaying the scene in his mind. He kept thinking about what she had said, and all the things those words may have meant.

"Brother?"

The quite voice made him jump, and he glanced up.

"Hey, Al…"

"Brother, what's wrong? You've been…avoiding me all day."

Ed's eyes widened. Had he been?

"Sorry, Al, I guess I've been preoccupied…"

Alphonse didn't hold it against his older brother. Ed was the kind of person that always needed something to do. Al understood that.

"Is it about Korin?"

Ed's eyes met his little brother's. Was it really so obvious?

"She's dying, isn't she, Brother."

With a shuddering sigh, Ed put his face in his hands. "Yeah… Yeah, AL, she is."

The younger of the two blonds looked down at his own hands. Pale flesh met his eyes. It was partially thanks to her that he was human again…

"Is that the equivalent exchange then?" he asked, his voice soft.

"No, Al. Korin already paid the price, though this is connected in a way.

"Then… I don't understand!"

"I don't know if you should tell you… It's not my secret to share."

Al let out a sigh. "I understand that, Brother." He turned to leave the room they shared, but stopped. "Ed?"

Edward blinked at his brother, the question in his eyes going unspoken.

"Don't let her die." He turned again, and this time he really did leave.

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"Hey, Korin!"

The slim red-head turned.

Hughes ran down the hall to catch up. "Look! I just got these developed!" He shoved several pictures under her nose.

With a forced grin, she took the pictures and flipped through them. Though the grin stayed where she had put it, something about it dimmed slightly.

"She's about the same age as my little brother…" she said.

Hughes's smile faded as well. "I didn't know you had siblings, Korin. You never mentioned…"

She smiled, something that had never felt natural in the first place, and looked up from the pictures. "Well, I miss them…" she explained.

"'Them?'"

"Two brothers and a sister. All younger than me."

Hughes nodded. "A lot of responsibility then."

Korin nodded to, then handed back the pictures before continuing on her way.

Hughes watched her until she disappeared around a corner.

A few rooms down, a door opened, and a dark head peered out. Catching sight of Hughes, photos in hand, Roy tried to retreat into his office.

Too late.

"Roy, we need to have a talk about Korin." And for once, Hughes put his pictures away.

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I'm a horrid, horrid person, but at least I respond to my reviewers! I try to respond to every topic the reviewer brings up, and then some, so I'm really very good when it comes to reader worship... Forgive me for such long intervals...:::sips coffee:

BlackMercifulFaerie: Lol. I'm glad you enjoyed the summary to "Falling Fire!" Sorry it's taken so long...

:Grins: Technically, Kimbly does use circles, you know. They're tattooed onto his palms. I...used to know the symbolic meanings for them... Huh. I wonder if I wrote them down... Anyway, the symbols had something to do with the chemicals he transmutes. (Damn... I should know this...!)

5'5"... That's really depressing... My mother is 5'2", same as you, and my dad's about 5'9". Being that my ancestors were Irish and French Canadian, there's no chance of me getting any taller. :sighs: With credentials like that, I'm glad I don't like alcohol. I'd be a raging alcoholic by the time I turn twenty-two! But! Coffee, of course, has nothing to do with it. Rather, it is the lack of sleep brought on by the coffee drinking that (helps) stunts my growth. Come to think of it, Ed is often up ridiculously late studying... From about the same age as me...! I haven't gone to sleep before midnight since about fifth grade. Eleven years old then. He started younger!

I did appreciate the long review. Thanks a bunch!

Lady of the Storm: Yes, Korin's time is fast running out. Exciting, isn't it:::laughs: I'm so evil sometimes... I'm glad you think the story so far rocks. I've had no peace about Korin from my friends, though. Is she a Mary Sue...? They say she is, but... Well, let's just say I've been reading fanfiction longer than any of them (I've been watching anime longer than any of them, too; six months old, and buying merchandise by four!), and so know the classic definition of a Mary Sue better than maybe everyone but Kindigo. She...just doesn't scream "MARY SUE!" at me, like they claim she does for them. What do you think?