Chapter Six

"So you don't trust her either," Winry asked Izumi as she help her lift a table saw.

"I don't know why but there's something not quite right about her. It's hard to explain. Everything seems to be out of reach lately," she replied, looking off in the distance.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothing you have to worry about. Really." They moved a couple more items before Izumi hurried off to the side of the house. She was being sick again. Once she was done she came back around with a tired look on her face. Winry didn't bother asking how she was since they always knew how hard it was on her. She didn't want any of their pity anyway. This was hers to bare and it didn't matter how tough it got, she would never take any help. Winry glanced over to the house to see Izumi's husband standing in the front doorway. Izumi looked up at him and just shook her head and walked towards the back of the house. Sig had a bad feeling she was going to do something he wouldn't like.

oOoOo

Al left Ed's room, closing the door behind him. He didn't know if Pinako wanted Lyra in there or not. As he walked down the hallway Lyra came into view. He kept moving away from the room, hoping she wouldn't suspect Ed was in there.

"How are you doing, Alphonse? I haven't seen you for so long." She smiled at him as he walked by. He turned towards her, not sure what to say back.

"I'm okay. Things have been kinda weird around here but it's always like that, I guess," For some reason she made him uncomfortable to be around.

"I actually wasn't expecting to see you here after the last time I saw you," she brought up.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well you disappeared last time to get your brother back. Oh, you don't remember, do you?" If was as though she was holding it over his head. "Anyway, it's good to see you managed to get back," she smiled again.

"Thanks," was all he could think of saying back.

"So when will Edward be around?" Al didn't want to talk to her about his brother. She just seemed too interested in him and it made the younger Elric weary.

"I don't know. You'd have to talk to Winry about it."

"Oh really? So are she and Edward close?"

"We grew up with her. She's like a sister to us. So I guess we're both close to her."

"That's nice. It's good that you still have her while your brother is away." Apparently Pinako didn't tell her Ed was even there, in theory. With that said, Alphonse excused himself and headed downstairs.

oOoOo

Ed kept running until he couldn't anymore. He found a wall he could lean on. He just stood there for a minute, catching his breath, his shoulders heaving. He was too tired to go any further. He wasn't sure where Envy was at this point. Although with all the confusion around him, it was easy to get lost. He finally looked up at what he was leaning against. The large heavy door stood tall before him. He stepped back in shock.

"The gate." He had stumbled onto the one thing he had been searching for. Immediately, he pushed up against it as hard as he could. It didn't budge so he pounded on it harder. "What? Why won't you open? Come on!" He slammed his shoulder into it now. Letting out a frustrating sound, he started to hit it with his fists. "No..." Eventually he stopped, his hands now shaking. "I've finally found it and...and I can't get out." Edward dropped his head, trying to regain some of his composure. "Am I ever going to get back? What about Al?" Silently he slumped to the ground. Behind him, still in the gate, he could hear them all laughing. Those creepy little people, if you could call them people. He could feel their eyes on him as he remained where he was. "Why can't I get back? How much more do I have to sacrifice," he asked them, only to receive more laughter. "It's not fair...keeping me here." As much as he tried to hold back the tears, they still managed to surface. He inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Al...sorry but I can't try any more...It's getting too hard."

oOoOo

Izumi walked down the road away from Rockbell house. She paused for a second thinking she heard something and glanced around.

"I'd better hurry," she told herself, heading towards the remains of the house on the other hillside. She moved past where the front of the house was and went back to where she had found Ed. There were several pieces of debris in her way as she began to clear the area. Hopefully she would find what she was looking for. After a couple of minutes and a lot of work, she found it. Although it was dirty and hard to make out it was still there, even after seven years. The transmutation circle had been burnt into the ground. "That's why he came back here. So this is the transmutation circle I need. That's what I thought." She cleared the rest of the garbage around it .By the time Izumi got home, the sun was starting to set. She finished everything she needed for her plan to work. She looked up to see Sig standing on the porch, waiting for her. He had a concerned look on his face as he always seemed to. She brushed it off and headed for the door.

"Izumi, where'd you go?" She stopped and let out a sigh.

"I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry," she admitted and left before he had anything to say back. She knew he understood and though it would be hard on them in the end, it was the right thing to do. Once she got in the door, Pinako informed her dinner was ready. After washing up, she sat down with the rest of them, not saying much of anything. Lyra seemed to take up most of the conversation anyway. She did come across as being very suspicious. Just because she knew Ed and Al didn't mean she was someone to be trusted. She didn't say anything about the Military or any details about why she ran into the boys. For all they knew she was an enemy that could cause problems for them. Izumi eyed her through out dinner. She could have sworn Edward and she had spoken about Lyra and her connection to Dante. But that was so long ago and she really didn't remember a lot of the actual conversation. Well none of it really mattered now, anything that came up Izumi could handle, alchemy wise. And anything else, she would fix as best she could. Whether Lyra was good or bad would be determined soon enough. Even if someone else had to get involved.

The night wore on and the house got quiet as everyone went to bed. Izumi and Sig went into their room after everyone else went upstairs. Sig closed the door and turned to her, keeping his voice down.

"Izumi, what are you going to do." She stared out the window as she answered, unable to look at him.

"I can't live like this anymore. I'm getting too tired. And I'm worried..."

"About Ed," he inquired.

"Yes, but there are other factors worrying me. This girl, I don't trust her. She's up to something." He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"So once again I can't do anything to help," she leaned back into him and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry but I can't stand by any longer while one of my kids suffers."

"So you're ready to sacrificed everything then?" There was a hint of sadness in his voice now.

"Sig, I'm sorry. Please forgive me," she asked him. He nodded back. He had always been understanding. There was a noise from upstairs that caught their attention.

"I have to go," she told him, handing him three letters and headed upstairs.

oOoOo

Lyra turned the doorknob and glanced into the farthest bedroom. Her suspicions were correct. She moved over to the bed to see Ed laying there.

"Should have known you were here." she leaned down to kiss him but stopped suddenly, holding her side. "This body isn't gonna last long. I'd better hurry before he wakes up and ruins everything." She left the room quickly and went across the hallway to Winry's room.

"It's lasted longer then it should have but now it's time to move to the next one," she pulled out what was her last 'Philosopher Stone'. It was no bigger then a small sliver now. Winry shifted in bed, turning onto her back. She always slept deep leaving her now vulnerable. Before Lyra had a chance to do anything, the bedroom door opened and Izumi walked in. She saw the stone in her hand and glared at her.

"So this is what you were up to, Dante. You're gonna take her body now?" Lyra returned the stare and nodded.

"This doesn't have anything to do with you. If I take her body then I can help get Edward back. That's what you wanted, isn't it? Something always has to be sacrificed. You of all people should know that, Izumi."

"I'm not your student anymore. I already know the price it takes but that doesn't mean I am going to let you take Winry's life. Ed would never forgive you for taking her away."

"He would never have to know either. He would come back and it would be like things never changed and he could be happy." Izumi just shook her head even more. She wasn't about to overlook this.

"You think you love him. No, you don't. You're still in love with Hohenheim."

"You don't know anything about him or me. All I need is this girl, then I just change some of Edward's memories and..." Izumi stopped her.

"And you think he'd be happy? He would hate you."

"You don't know how perfect I can make things. He would have no reason to hate me. Don't you want him to be happy." Dante smirked.

"If that's your plan then why not just make another homunculi? You don't care if he's happy as long as you get another stone." It didn't seem to matter what she said, Dante wasn't listening. She would have to be stopped again but Izumi knew she didn't have what it took to do it. Quickly, she clapped her hands together and pressed her palms against the floor, before Dante could respond. The ground came up and Dante was surrounded by bars. One hit her hand, knocking the stone out of it. Izumi walked further in and picked it up. "Don't want you having an unfair advantage," she said leaving the room. Dante knew where she was going.

"Why is she doing this, things would have been so much easier otherwise. I can't let it end like this," she decided, clapping her hands together. Izumi hurried into the guest room and pulled the top blanket off Edward. She picked him up along with the sheet and rushed out of the room and down the stairs before Dante could stop her. Making it out the front door, she heard Dante breaking out of her cage. Izumi couldn't tell if she wanted her to follow or stay behind. If she followed then Ed would have to stand up to her once he was back. If she stayed behind then she might still be trying to switch with Winry. Even without the stone. She made it up most of the hill before she had to catch her breath. She shifted Ed's weight on her shoulder. He had definitely grown since last time. He was heavier now, more so then when he had his auto-mail. She moved as fast as she could back to where she found him. It was easier this time since she had made a path through the clutter earlier. Carefully she placed him down in the center of the transmutation circle. He let out a small groan when she did.

"Good, hurry up and get back here," she told him as she backed out of the circle. Stepping completely out of the circle, she was about to clap her hands together, when she heaved forward, coughing up blood. She grit her teeth and cussed quietly as tears started down her cheeks. "This won't stop me now," she swore, clapping her hands together one final time.