A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is a little late. On thursday I caught a really bad cold and was sick all weekend. But thankfully I'm all better and have finihed a chapter for you. A quick note about this chapter: It is somewhat shorter than the other chapters. Originally it was part of Chapter 2, but I had to move it up or else the second chapter would have kept you reading for a very very long time. So without further ado, let the chapter begin. Again I apologize for the delay, and hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter III

Many Meetings

"What are we going to do?" Al asked nervously. No one answered him because, honestly, none of them had any idea what they were going to do.

After a few more moments of silence, Inuyasha finally cut in. "Have any suggestions?" he asked somewhat rudely. Again, no one said anything. The rat demon seemed to be getting annoyed of all the silence, and began hissing just to remind them that he was there.

"Alright! Enough is enough!" Ed said as he clapped his hands and slammed them to the ground. Alchemic sparks flew across the ground all the way towards the rat. The rat looked at the light with concern as a giant hand made of earth grabbed onto it. The rat hissed and squealed as it was unable to break free from the bind of the hand.

"What the hell did you do to it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Just something to hold it down," Ed replied, "To give us enough time to get out of here."

"What?! You mean your just gonna run away?!" Inuyasha shouted.

"What else can we do?!" Ed argued, "You already said that your sword wasn't strong enough!"

"What do you mean 'not strong enough'!" Inuyasha shot back, "My sword could cut through twenty of those rats!"

"If your sword is so powerful, then why don't you finish it off?!" Ed yelled.

"Brother stop!" Al complained, "You're being rude!"

"Same goes to you Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, "Knock it off!"

"You're sticking up for him?!" Inuyasha exclaimed angrily. Just when Kagome was about to answer him, the rat broke free from his hold. Everyone looked in shock.

"Now look what you did!" Ed and Inuyasha both shouted at each other.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed.

"What?!" he asked.

Kagome quickly pointed a finger up to a small insect flying up above. "It's the saimyosho!"

"So that's why the Wind Scar didn't affect it," Inuyasha said, "Naraku's involved." Before anyone could say anything else, the rat leaped at them, swinging his claws wildly. Then suddenly, a large boomerang flew and sent the rat flying from impact. Everyone looked towards the direction from which the boomerang flew and saw two figures riding on a large cat.

"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome yelled as she waved an arm in the air.

"Kagome!" Sango called out as the giant boomerang returned to her hands, "Are you guys ok?"

"We are now," Kagome replied as the large cat landed to the ground and Sango and Miroku hopped off.

"Kagome, what's going on?" Miroku asked. As Kagome explained, Al pulled Ed a few steps back.

"Brother, I think we should go," Al whispered.

"What? Why?" Ed whispered back.

"Well, how do you know that we can trust these people?" Al whispered in Ed's ear.

"They seem fine to me," Ed replied, "And it looks like Kagome knows them."

"Not just about them. Everyone," Al said, "I think we should just keep trying to use the well."

"Al, we already tried that and it didn't work," Ed reminded him, "I think it would be best to just trust them for now. Or at least until we can find a way to get back." Just as Al was about to reply, Inuyasha cut in.

"What are you two whispering about?!" Inuyasha complained, "We're not demons, so you can trust us! Alright?!" Ed and Al looked puzzled. How had he heard them when they had spoke so low and so distant from him?

Again the rat demon stood up and seemed to be worn down. Miroku then stepped forward and grasped the blue prayer beads that were wrapped around his right arm.

"Everyone get behind me," Miroku ordered harshly. Everyone did as they were told and ran behind him and ducked low.

"WIND TUNNEL!" Miroku yelled as he pulled off his beads and a giant air void began pulling in the rat. Ed and Al held tightly to the ground, neither of them had expected such a strong gale force to appear. The wind continued to pull from Miroku's hand, but the rat had quickly dug its claws into the ground and was not pulled into the void. Miroku soon began to tire from exposing his Wind Tunnel for so long, and moments later sealed it and fell to his knees.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled as she ran over to him, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Miroku answered lowly, "But the real problem is how we're going to stop this rat."

"I've got an idea," Ed said as he and Al walked in front of Miroku, "You ready Al?" Al nodded.

"Hey Kagome, who are these two?" Sango asked.

"Don't worry they're friends," Kagome replied.

"Alright Al, you know what to do," Ed told his brother.

"Right," Al said as he pulled out a small piece of chalk.

Ed then ran up to the rat and took a swing at it. The rat quickly moved back, and tried to strike Ed with its claws. Ed managed to move out of the way and then began running away from where Al was squatting. The rat again easily gave chase and followed Ed as he ran.

While Ed was distracting the rat, Al began drawing a giant circle with many lines and designs drawn throughout its interior.

"Tell me," Miroku asked, "What is that imagery you are drawing?"

"It's a transmutation circle," Al explained, "I'm going to try to seal the rat."

"Al!" Ed called out from a short distance, "Are you done yet?!"

"Ready over here brother!" Al shouted back. Ed continued running with the rat closely behind him. Ed ran over the surface of the large circle, and skidded to the ground directly next to Al. The rat also ran over the circle but stopped right in the middle of it.

"Now!" Ed and Al both shouted as they flung their hands to the ground.

Seconds later, an enormous blue light surrounded the rat. The rat instantly tried to run away, but the moment it tried to move, a strange force seemed to hold him to the circle. Soon the blue light transformed into a dark purple array. Wind began blowing around the circle, and pulling in dirt and stones from the ground.

"Everyone move back!" Ed shouted as he and Al stood up and began running away from the rat. Everyone did as they were told and ran into a nearby thicket. They all watched as the rat squealed and struggled but was unable to move.

Moments later, the rat was pulled into the grounded circle and vanished from sight. After the rat was gone from view, the wind and the circle faded away. Everyone emerged from the trees and walked up to where the rat and the circle had been.

"Wh-what did you do?" Sango asked shakily, "I've never seen anyone slay a demon so painfully."

"Neither have I," Miroku added, "With the exception of Naraku." Miroku's comment sent many thoughts throughout the group. What if the boys were working for Naraku? Or what if they were demons in disguise?

"Uh, why are you all staring at us like that?" Ed inquired as he noticed the same expressions on everyone's faces.

Kagome quickly shook off her stare. "Oh sorry, no reason," she answered, "We were just curious about the death of the rat demon that's all."

"Oh," Ed replied, "Where we're from, the use alchemy is known by almost everyone. And a lot of people use it too."

"Alke...what?" Inuyasha scratched his head. Ed and Al now were the one's sending blank stares at them.

"You mean, you don't know what alchemy is?" Al asked. Everyone but Kagome shook their heads. Ed moved his attention towards her, apparently noticing her lack of head shaking.

"I know what alchemy is!" Kagome exclaimed, "It's the science of breaking down substances, and transfiguring them into something else! Right?!"

"Yeah," Ed replied.

"Wait a minute," Inuyasha interrupted, "Kagome, how do you know what this 'alkemi' is? Do they have it in your world?"

"No," Kagome answered, "I was tested on it in school."

"Really?!" Al exclaimed, "And how did you do on the test?"

"I failed," Kagome sighed, "I couldn't remember any of it. Of course I remember it now! It figures…" Ed and Al gave her reassuring smiles. Miroku then stepped forward and said, "Forgive me, but we were never properly introduced. My name is Miroku."

"And my name is Sango," she added as Kirara hopped onto her shoulder, "And this is Kirara."

"I'm Edward Elric," Ed said, "And this is my younger brother Alphonse."

"Younger brother?" Sango asked, "But shouldn't it be the other way around?" After Sango made this comment, Ed lowered his head and mumbled something under his breath.

"I don't think he was mistaken Sango," Miroku whispered over to her, as Al patted Ed's shoulders.

"I hate to break up the introductions, but we need to get going," Inuyasha again interrupted.

"Inuyasha's right," Kagome added, "The Feudal Era becomes more dangerous at night." Ed and Al nodded their heads, and soon they began walking along the dirt path once again.