Hehe! It is almost September! I had a relatively nice summer; As usual, my lack of a social life led it to mostly me watching TV with my dogs, but hey, I was in a good mood while I did it.

My birthday is coming up as well. I can't wait to be sixteen; Driving lessons, getting a job, taking the Three-Year Homeschool Test. Ahh.

Once again I'll be going to AWA(Anime Weekend Atlanta). If anyone else is going, tell me! I'd love to meet a Lovely Daaaarling! XD

The Lovely Daaaarlings

Vampire Note: Thanks!

AnonymousGirl18: That's great! Sorry about the English fading your memory though, I always felt there were too many words in the English language, hah. Mind telling me the word for 22 and/or 23?

Kaijukote: Definitely! Riley and Al need more awesome moments.
Lawlz! Hannah shall return quite soon.
Losery? Nice nickname! I think I'll use it from now on. Fufufufu...!
Thanks! But, Nicole belongs to AnimeFanGirl167, so she gets credit for the character herself, and the inspiration.
Haha! I have a very dirty mental image about Scar on a platter actually... (The naughty Fangirl, I am.)
We shall celebrate with... THE NEXT CHAPTER!

DarkAngelDreams13: I'm glad you like it! Thanks for taking your time to read the story. X3

Mira Hinder: Yeah, that's not the greatest moment in FMA, but it just goes to show you how flexible FMA can be with the emotions in their scenes. Haha, I felt it a very proper response! (Shifty Eyes Here.)

Red. Wolf. Of. Fire: Thanks! Aww, I'm glad someone thinks so! XP

Want to Be a Lovely Daaaarling? Review! Bwahaha!

FMA Ownage = Hiromu Arakawa.
Riley, Riley's Parents, Dude With Blade Ownage = Me.
Math never sounded so simple.

Chapter Twenty One:
Being a Tag-Along Sucks Sometimes.

It rained as I ran down the street, looking for Al. People passed me by curiously, but never made an effort to see what was going on. My things were no doubt ruined by now, but I was more concerned with Al. I could replace those things. I didn't know about Winry or Ed either, but once again, I had something more important going on.

I finally spotted armor further down the road. "Al!" I shouted, running faster. I continued shouting out his name until he finally stopped and turned.

Once I reached him, he looked down at me. "You shouldn't be out here without a jacket. You could get sick."

I glared up at him, panting as I placed my hands on my knees. "Without a jacket? I think I've crossed that by now, Al."

He sighed and began walking again, so I walked beside him. He sat down in an alley, against a wall. I sat behind him, against his back. "...Do you honestly think Ed put... Would do that?"

"I don't know... But everything's adding up. I think he did..," Al replied.

I looked over my shoulder and glared at him. "But why? How does it all add up? I don't... I don't get it. Ed isn't that creative. You say there's no proof you did exist, well where's the proof that you didn't? Just because what you've been told sounds like Ed.. Did that, it doesn't mean it's true.."

"Stop those thieves!" A man shouted. Blinking in confusion, I peered over Al's shoulder to see two boys turn down the alley. They ran over and hid behind Al.

Without noticing me..?

Either they were blind, or just panicked. From still looking over Al's shoulder, I saw a bald man run by angrily. It was silent after that, save for their panting, and the rain.

The boy who seemed closer to my age, looked around Al. "We lost him," he said through his pants. He then turned to the other boy while taking an apple from the basket in his arms. "Here, eat up."

"I don't want any! What were you thinking? You just picked that up and stole it out of nowhere. If Mom knew we were..," He quieted down when his stomach growled.

"There, see?" The other started, "You can't be so hard on yourself."

"You shouldn't take things that don't belong to you," Al said. I almost burst out laughing at their faces, but decided that Al's voice had probably scared them enough.

"Did you hear that?" The older one asked, looking to Al, "This old pile of junk said something."

I glared at him and remarked, "Al isn't a pile of junk, you little Slick Hands."

He blinked, and looked over. Immediately, he let out a loud yelp as he jumped back, landing on his but as his basket fell over. Apples came tumbling out and rolled along the ground. His sunglasses fell off as well. My eyes widened in surprise, as he glared as he sat up, "Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?!"

"Brother! Your sunglasses!" The younger one exclaimed. The older boy's eyes widened as he quickly grabbed his glassed, and Al turned around.

"Hey.. Are you two from Ishbal?" Al asked curiously.

I nodded in agreement, "Sure looks like it, doesn't it Al?"

. . .

"It must be bizarre to find so many people living in a place like this," The Elder said, chuckling.

We were underground now, and Al was sitting on a mat. I sat beside him on my knees, looking around at the people, barely paying attention. It made me wonder how many knew about my parents. How many of these people had they saved? How many had spoken to them?

"Oh, no, no!" Al said, waving his hands, "It's just not what I was expecting when I followed them."

"Don't worry about it. I guess these two were causing some trouble on the surface. By the way, where did you get that strange armor you're wearing?" I looked over at them as the man continued, "Is it some kind of uniform?"

"Relax," I heard a familiar voice say. Al seemed to have recognized it too. My eyes widened as I turned around to see Scar standing there. "He's not part of the military. The girl can be considered an ally.."

"Scar!" Al and I both exclaimed in surprise.

Scar looked over at us, "Our paths entwine, don't they Alphonse Elric?"

"I didn't know you would be here, too," Al snapped.

A short, yet tense moment passed where the two glared at one another. The younger boy ran forward, and in front of Scar. Scar and Al seemed a bit confused by this. I sighed at their obliviousness and heard the Elder ask, "So, you three know each other?"

"We do," Scar said, "In a since."

I snorted, "Tell me about it.."

"Perfect, that makes this easier," The Elder started, "Strangers.. I ask that you do not tell anyone about us or this camp of ours."

Al looked back at him, "Oh, I won't. I promise!"

I quickly nodded in agreement as I placed a finger over my lips, "My lips are sealed!"

"I heard about what happened in Ishbal..," Al said slowly, before asking, "But why did you end up here?"

"Because the military came and attacked us!" The older boy exclaimed angrily.

My eyes widened in a bit of surprise; I couldn't believe the military was still on this stupid Ishballins-Must-Pay Kick. "Yes," Scar said, "They've destroyed our homes and massacred our people again and again, but they do not tire. They just keep coming. If those State Alchemists are indeed still trying to hunt me down, then right now may be their only chance to succeed."

I had to resist the urge to say anything negative. For instance, why did he say "if"? What did he expect, they'd just get unmotivated and decided to go have a tea party instead of looking for a man that killed their brothers and sisters? The moron was just asking for a sarcastic response, wasn't he?

"Because you're injured..," Al added.

"What happened to your brother?" Scar asked.

I glanced to Al, curious as to his response. He simply replied with, "I don't care what happens to him."

Scar's eyes widened in surprise, which I didn't blame him. Just the other day, Al risked his own life for Ed, and now he doesn't care. Sighing, I said, "Ed's still at the hospital."

"What's wrong, Rick?" The older boy asked.

Glancing over at the boy who I now knew as Rick, I saw him look up at us with great worry, "Mom's locket! It's gone!"

The other boy sighed, "Who cares about that dumb ole' thing anyway? Just forget about it alright?!"

Rick gasped, having completely ignored his brother, "When I fell..!" He then turned, running off.

"H-Hey, wait for me!" His brother shouted before taking off after him.

"Wait, you can't! They might see you!" The Elder shouted, reaching out to grab them. But, they were already gone. "Rick! Leo!"

So that's that little squirt's name!

"Don't worry, I'll bring them back..," Scar said before turning and walking away as well. I looked over at Al as he stood, following them.

I would've followed in any normal situation, but deemed it unnecessary and even more risky if more people were with them. I sighed, and looked back to the Elder with a smile, "I'm sure they'll be fine. They have two great fighters with them if anything does happen."

"I suppose you're right," The Elder replied, nodding in agreement. I began to look around the camp once more, and he chuckled, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but, what is your full name?"

"..." I blinked, looking over at him. "Riley Mauler..."

He nodded, "As I suspected."

I looked downward, "I take it you knew my parents?"

He nodded again, "Indeed I did. Quite well, actually. They saved me, on countless occasions. They were nice people."

After a small pause, I nodded, "They were."

"You look like your father, you know. Almost an exact resemblance, that's why I had to ask of your name," He explained.

I nodded in understanding, saying, "They risked everything to save Ishbal.. And look at where you're all at now."

He shook his head, raising his head, "Don't think such thoughts. They would be proud of where we're at. Most of us are at peace. All of us, alive. If they hadn't have helped, I'm sure our numbers would be far lower."

After a few seconds of thought, I realized he was right. This was just an obstacle they were crossing. I didn't need to worry.

Shortly after this, two men ran toward us, shouting, "We're being attacked outside!"

Which meant.. Al was too.

Oh man.. If Ed knew I was with Al and let him get hurt, I'd be getting hurt.

I quickly stood, rushing out through the entrance. The closer I got, the easier I could hear gunshots. When I reached the outside, I could see that from on top of the stairs stood Leo along with a fighting Scar and Al. I rushed up the stairs, grabbing Leo's collar as I pulled him back down the stairs before running up ahead.

A soldier fought with Al using his gun, as another snuck behind him to attack Leo. He smirked, turning back to face in his direction, but stopped when he saw my fist instead of Leo. He flew back onto the ground where Scar finished him.

"Let go of him!" Al shouted. I didn't know who he meant until I realized that Rick was missing. I cussed under my breath as a soldier threw a smoke bomb at us. I quickly covered my face as I ran forward, out of the alley where I saw them take off in a car.

. . .

"So, they were mercenaries," Scar stated as he drove a car down the road. I was surprised he was driving, let alone talking while he did.

"Yeah," Al answered, "They're using an old military installation on the outskirts of the city. That's where Rick should be too." He leaned toward the back of Scar's chair and whispered, "But Scar.. Are you sure we should be doing this? I mean.. It's going to be kind of dangerous."

"Hey! Do you have some kind of problem with us coming along?!" Leo shouted.

I glared back as Al tried replying. Of course, I interrupted him completely, "I kind of do! You're just a kid, you don't need to be involved with this!"

He glared right back, eager to reply when the Elder said, "You have to realize, the strongest thing for an Ishbalin is his faith in the loyalty of his kin. If the life of an old man can help save a boy then I will freely give it up."

Leo looked away from me and as I yelled at him for ignoring me, he said, "He's right. Ishballins protect their own without hesitation. No matter what the cost is... Except for Mom... I remember it. Perfectly.." He began to tell the story of how his mother, basically, left them there for bait while she ran to hide in another room when soldiers attacked. "I never told Rick about that.. But I swore to never let anything hurt him because I would protect him.

The car stopped, and Scar looked to his right. "Over there..."

We snuck toward the building, where I placed my hands on the wall in front of us. I looked to Scar and Al, shaking my head, "One of you can break the wall. If I do, I might hurt Rick with the aftershock."

Al stepped forward, clapping. He sent a cage around most of the men on the inside and then created a hole in the wall. Rick laid right in front of us, so the Elder and Leo grabbed him, carrying him off.

"So now you're an Alchemist..," A big guy with green-ish hair said, smirking. "Get him!" He shouted, and three men ran toward Al and me. Before they could reach us, though, Scar exploded a part of the wall, using the debris to hit the men, knocking them over.

Big Boss Man smirked still, "I love it when I'm right." He looked to the others, "You take care of the chick and the tin can, this one's all mine." He ran toward Scar, engaging in battle.

I was pissed off now, at being called "chick". No one calls me that and gets away with it.

"So.. We meet again Little Brother," I hear behind me. I turn and see the same armor I saw at Lab Five. "What are you doing here?" He asked before leaping toward Al, a blade in hand.

Moments later, a man came barreling toward me with a long blade aimed for my head. Quickly, I dodged back and began looking around. Dammit, I didn't have anything on me. I needed a weapon..! I glanced back to my opponent and gasped as I saw the blade coming downward. I quickly fell back, catching myself with my elbows. I yelped as my still injured shoulder was jerked forward by the force. The man went to throw the blade downward again, so I quickly lifted my booted foot, blocking the blade. Glancing down, I smirked and kicked my other foot upward, hitting him right there.

You know where.

He groaned in pain as he began to fall to his knees, so I kicked the blade from out of his hands, keeping it in between my feet as I flipped myself up into a standing position, grabbing the blade as I did. He yelled out in anger as he whipped out a gun. My brow twitched; I can't block that with a boot...

He aimed at me as I clapped my hands together, blade in between. The blade began to heat up so I threw the blade at him, just as he began shooting. As the blade just started to pass the bullets, it exploded, taking the bullets with it. His eyes widened, jumping back to doge the aftermath and shrapnel that flew in odd directions.

"You leave him alone!" I heard a familiar voice shout.

Looking over, I smiled, "Ed!"

"What are you doing here?" Al asked confused. I sighed at his apparent stupidity.

"Well that's a stupid question!" Winry shouted, on the same train of thought as me, "Ed's been worried sick about you! He's been looking for you all over Central!"

"Brother..," Al trailed off, looking back to Ed. Quickly, he stood and kicked the other armor away as he went to fight with Ed.

Which I found a bit amusing, yet annoying at the same time. If that's all it took to finish him off, why didn't Al do it sooner? I mean, that kick was like a little poke!

My brow twitched when I saw other soldiers, along with the one I had been fighting, aim way bigger guns at us. Bazooka-like, they were. I ran to the others swiftly as Ed and Al raised a rock wall.

"Al? All this time, I've been too afraid to ask you.. But I need to know the truth, okay? It's my fault you don't have a real body anymore. Do you hate me-?!" The wall was exploded just after, causing Ed to fall to the ground.

"Eeeeh!" My eyes widened as I held up my arm, bending back. Unlike me, they didn't seem to notice the fact there was a big, gaping hole in the wall that was protecting us from freaking bombs.

"..What?" Al asked in shocked silence. Which.. Wasn't a literal statement.. If it was actual silence, he wouldn't have said anything..

Ed continued sitting there. "Do you? I wouldn't blame you if you did, Al, but I got to know. Do you hate me for all that's happened?"

"That's.. What you've been trying to ask me?" Al asked in response. I sighed. This whole family was a bit jacked up, if you asked me. The dad's apparently a jackass, one son has a growth problem and is missing some limbs, and the other son doesn't even think he's real. I almost felt bad for Winry.

"Al! Behind you!" Said girl shouted, bringing me from my thoughts. I looked up immediately, to see the same armor flying towards Al, giving a loud battle cry as he did.

"Brother.. I would never hate you!" Al shouted as he took a swing at the armor, once again sending him backwards.

After a bit more fighting, Ed confined the soldiers back into a cage. Metal this time, too. I smirked, placing a hand on Ed's shoulder. "So that's where the Metal part comes from."

He smirked, as if he became big headed. But I wasn't done. Ooooh no.

I scratched my nose as I looked away, saying, "I thought it was because it made a pipsqueak like you sound actually intimidating."

Ed's shoulders tensed, brow and fist twitching constantly. "..Nice to see you too, Riley," He growled out between gritted teeth. I giggled in amusement.

Minutes later, the Big Boss Man, who was fighting Scar, looked over, "Shoot hi-..Huh?"

"Time to give up," Ed said, stepping forward, "It looks like you're the only one who's left here."

"Who the hell are you?!" Big Boss Man shouted.

"A dog of the military, just like you," Ed stated, crossing his arms.

His eyes widened, "You're a State Alchemist? But that doesn't make sense. We're on the.. Same side!"

"Well.. This is a surprise," The armored voice said. I sighed; Couldn't he just melt by excessive heat or something?

Hey... That's a good idea.

Ed's eyes widened as he looked to the armor as it laid in a heap. "A real State Alchemist..," He started up again, "Please allow me to thank you.. FOR MAKING ME LOOK LIKE THIS!" He screamed out before running toward us.

I readied my hands, not wanting to clap just yet. My reasons were apparent when Al jumped in front of me. Before Al or I could do anything, Scar jumped in, hand glowing red. The armor shouted in pain as he flew back, on top of Big Boss Man. "Get off me!" Big Boss Man shouted, pushing away, and taking off running.

Suddenly, with the metal contraption and the armor "entwined", it exploded, sending arrows out all over. Al blocked Ed and I as the others hid themselves best they could.

After a second or two, I heard Leo shout, "Rick!" My eyes widened as I snapped my head to them, to see Rick down, arrow in his heart.

No...

I stood, taking off toward them. Al reacted the same. I bent down, skidding toward them a little as I looked down at Rick worriedly. "Come on Rick..," Leo mumbled, watching him as well. Slowly but surely, Rick opened his eyes. "Rick?!"

He sat up some and looked down. He then slipped out his mother's necklace. "..It's Mom's locket.. She saved me. See?" Rick said, looking up at Leo.

The locket opened, to show a picture of the boys and their mother, along with three small pills. The Elder 'hm'ed, taking them to look out. "Oh.. This is eye medicine."

"Medicine?" Leo asked.

"Evidently, your mother suffered an eye disease that leads to blindness, but as our people do, she pretended to be fine so that you boys wouldn't have to worry. Come to think of it, I remember she once told me how hard it was to care for you boys, because of some condition she had. But I bet it was harder on her on the inside."

Leo looked to his younger brother, "Our mother couldn't see, Rick.. That means... She.. She was looking for us. She ran into our room to find us and protect us from the soldiers, and that's when..." He began to cry, as Rick smiled at him.

. . .

"So.. Where will you go now?" Al asked. We stood on a pier; Ed, Winry, Al, and me. A canoe floating in front of us held Scar, along with several other Ishbalins.

"There is another group of our people in hiding, living free from the state, just like us. We'll travel downstream until we meet them," The Elder replied calmly.

Leo smiled, "Al, Riley, thank you for everything. Now every time I think of my mother, I'll treasure every single memory I have."

"Yeah," Al nodded, "Me too. And from now on, I'll know my memories are real. I'll have faith in that."

"Alphonse Elric," Scar mentioned, causing Al to look over at him curiously. "Earlier. I did sense something. Tears that can't be seen, but felt. Those tears were.. Human."

Al nodded slowly, "..Thank you." I smiled; Now why couldn't Scar always be like this?

"So Scar," Ed started, ruining my thinking. "Tell me something. Did the Ishbalin people ever possess the Philosopher's Stone? Is that the real truth? And then the Military came after it?"

While I sighed at Ed's one-track mind, Scar replied with, "No, Ed. It's the other way around. We wanted the stone to keep the military from wiping out a race and a way of life."

"But did you create one? A Philosopher's Stone?" Ed repeated.

It was silence for quite a few seconds, until Scar looked at the others, "Let's get going."

The canoe began moving. "Hey, hold on!" Ed said, stepping forward. "I want an answer!" He shouted.

"Brother, let him go. Those people need Scar. He can help them," Al interjected happily.

I nodded in agreement as Ed leaned back in his normal position. Ed smiled a bit and looked over at us, "Let's get going."

Whoa, deja vu moment..

"Right!" Al replied. And then we set off.

Ed looked up at the sky. "You know Al, I've been thinking. We used to fight over the dumbest things, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Al chuckled, "Like who got to sleep in the top bunk."

"I remember.. I lost that one!" Ed laughed out. I sighed, this talk had me remembering what I had planned now that this was over. I had to go back to Dublith and talk to Hannah. I wasn't going to just let her go after so many years...

"Or what about that time we fought over the toys? I won."

"We used to fight over candy too, right? Hehe-.. Hey. I never won any of 'em!"

"Your negotiation skills sure haven't improved, I see."

"Hey!"

Chapter Translations!
"Devetnaiset! That's 19!" Devetnaiset is Bulgarian.
"Yirmi! That's 20!" Yirmi is Turkish.
"Ekkkais! That's 21!" Ekkkais is Nepali.

Be Responsible. Don't Flame and Drive! Rawr.