It gives happiness in the state of adversity, victory in battle, and revival of the dead. It is the stone that is as red as blood. People call this stone, with respect, the Philosopher's Stone.

The sound of bells tolling could be heard across the land as the three of you sat in the small Library Research room. Ed had his hand resting on his forehead and you could hear his ragged breathing.

Ed: "Can this be true."

Al: "Brother..."

Ed: "The research we've searched for and found ... is this? The Philosopher's Stone uses live humans as components ... And it requires many lives.

The Genuine Truth Behind Truths

Ross: "Major! Wait!" You and the Elric Brothers had taken the research and settled down in a lodging room in Headquarters. Major Armstrong was heading up the stairs to your room. "Major Armstrong!" Armstrong had finally stopped.

Armstrong: "Yes?"

Ross: "I don't think you should go up there ... They seem tired right now, so you shouldn't bother them."

Armstrong: "What? Tired? Then I'll have to invite them to dinner and treat them to something that will energize them." Armstrong started up the stairs again and Maria went after him.

Ross: "No, that's not what I meant ... They're resting right now. I'll tell them you were here, Major."

Armstrong: "I see. I suppose I can't do much if they're asleep." Armstrong nodded and turned around, heading back to his office. Maria sighed and looked behind her at your door, with a worried glance. Ed stared blankly up at the ceiling. Both his red and black jackets were resting on the back of a chair as he laid on the couch in his black shirt.

You let out a low growl which made Ed look at you. You were sitting on the bed, staring at the fan. But not like Ed had been. You were glaring at the fan.

You: 'Now if only we could get some oil for that fan.' "God must eternally condemn those who have committed taboo." Ed sighed and reached up towards the fan. "Everytime we think we find the answer, it runs away. It's happened to us so many times already. And when we finally find the answer, it kicked us right off a cliff. Are we going to remain like this forever?"

Al: "Lita..." Ed took his feet off the couch's armrest and turned over on his side.

Ed: "I thought our wish would come true once we found the Philosopher's Stone."

Al: "We'll find it! We're trying so hard! Even if people call you a dog of the military, or say that you've sold your soul to get these privileges, you've come this far without giving in! Neither of you have!" Ed growled and closed his eyes. "We'll ... We'll definitely find it, Brother." Ross let go of the door handle at hearing this. She had a tray in her hand with three plates of food.

You leaned over and began to pick up the papers.

Al: "Brother. Let's start over from the beginning."

Ed: "Forget it."

Al: "We might've misread something."

Ed: "I said forget it."

Al: "But if we misread it, we might discover something new!"

You: "I'll help, so let's try."

Ed: "I said forget it!" Out of anger Ed swung his arm back and hit the tea cup. It sailed through the air, slamming into your face. You dropped your head and blood dripped onto the table. Ed sat there with a stunned look on his face.

Al: "Brother..." Al rested his hand on your shoulder as your hair covered your face. The door opened as Ross and Bloch walked in.

Ross: "What's wrong?"

Ed: "I'm sorry ... I don't want to see it anymore, though." Al rubbed your back as Ed laid back down on the couch and turned around, not facing you.

Ross: "So, are you satisfied with the answer?" Ross leaned down and started picking up the papers. "Won't you regret stopping here?" You stood up and Ed looked up at you. You twisted your head quickly so your hair flung over your shoulder. Ed had to stop himself from gasping. There was a large gash on your left cheek, there were small pieces of glass stuck in your skin. "Can the thing you three have been looking for really be forgotten that easily?"

Ed: "You don't know anything, so please don't talk as if you do."

Ross: "I do. I know you three are looking for the Philosopher's Stone. And that it is created by sacrificing human lives." Ed turned over quickly and stared at here. "Although it was impolite, I overheard."

Ed: "If you heard me, then you should understand. There's no point in looking into this anymore. Just leave us alone." Ed laid back down on the couch once again.

Ross: "You are a child after all?" Ed jumped up again.

You: "Urgh. Shut up." Everyone looked at you. "We don't need you to lecture us. So just leave us alone. We don't need you."

Ross: "You're afraid of losing the answer, aren't you? You don't want to admit that all the things you have done until now were useless. Am I wrong?" Ed looked down and covered his face with his auto-mail arm. "I believe it is okay, even if it was pointless. I believe it's not pointless to prove that what you've done was not pointless. The thing you three have been searching for can't be forgotten that easily, right?" She stood up and smiled. "Why not try a bit harder, Edward?" She handed the older Elric the papers and he looked at them.

Ed: "You're right. It's like a book. Just because you get mad and stop reading, doesn't change the way it ends. We've come this far! We can't just quit!" Ed looked at you, your back was to everyone. "Right?" He reached out his hand for you. "Don't be mad at me. I hate when you're like that." You sighed and turned around.

You: "You know I can't stay mad at you. Not my big brother." He smiled as you grabbed his and he pulled you onto the couch with him. "We'll take this all the way to the end."

Ed: "Let's do this, Al."

Al: "Okay!"

Ed: "Marco's research is perfect in theory. But he didn't succeed in creating a perfect Philosopher's Stone."

Al: "Maybe there's an alternate method."

You: "Yeah."

Ed: "I'll confirm Marco's theory with my own eyes." You blinked.

You: "Truth?" Ed looked at you and look out the paper Marco had dropped. "The genuine truth behind truths."

Al: "Truth behind..."

You: "I see." The brothers looked at you. "There must be something else to this." Bloch laid a map onto the table. "According to the data, creating a Philosopher's Stone took a large scale facility."

Bloch: "There are currently four Alchemy laboratories owned by the Military. Of those, Marco was stationed at the third laboratory."

You: "We already checked out all of the laboratories, but there was nothing interesting, just a lot of fast talking berucrates."

Al: "But what about this one?"

Bloch: "Oh, that used to be the fifth laboratory. But they shut it down, and is currently unoccupied. It's a forbidden area now, since there is a possibility that it may collapse."

You: "That's the place. Look. There's a prison next to it."

Ross: "Central's second prison. What's so special about it?"

You: "The Philosopher's Stone uses humans as components. So shouldn't they have a research center at a place where it's easy to get a supply from?"

Bloch: "They used the prisoners?"

You: "Why not? You couldn't have a cleaner plan. Take condemned prisoners, say they're executed then use them for experiments. Who was running this lab?"

Ross: "Brigadier General Basque Gran..."

Bloch: "He was killed by Scar a few days ago."

Al: "Lita..."

You: "Fine. Let's go there and search it ourselves."

Ed: "Okay." You all stood up.

Ross: "Wait. It's an adult job from here on out. Also, Scar is still after you. It's too dangerous to walk outside."

You: "But still..."

Ross: "We will investigate the Fifth Laboratory, so please wait here. I'll report anything we find there. Please!" She bowed to you.

Al: "Lita..." You rolled your eyes and turned to her.

You: "Fine. You want to get killed. Be my guest. We'll let you guys do it. I'm counting on you."

Ross: "Yes, ma'am. It's the right choice."

You: "Count on you my ass." Ed chuckled as you snuck across the lawn towards Laboratory Five.

Break

Scieszka: "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes..." Scieszka laid her head on the desk, very tired. "I've finished writing out the record for the 3,236th court case."

Hughes: "Oh really?" Hughes set his hand on the phone. "Sorry, hold on a minute. Write out case 9,572 now. They're going to use it in tomorrow's trail, so make it quick."

Scieszka: "Yes..."

Hughes: "What's wrong! Are you tired!"

Scieszka: "No, not at all..."

Hughes: "This one is a special swimsuit edition." Hughes had shoved a picture of his daughter into the girls face, once again. "See? It's so cute it makes your cares just melt away, right? You're not tired now that you have seen this, right? So?"

Scieszka: "Yes..." She spoke with a sigh. Hughes' attention was grabbed by yelling on the phone and he picked it back up.

Hughes: "So what have you found on Scar's body? Not found yet, eh? Understood. Try to send out some personnel from the office to secure the Central Library as soon as possible, all right? Huh? What? Oh, that. Someone introduced me to a good find. I have a favor to repay to Ed."

With you and the Elrics

You and the Elric Brothers walked up to the fifth lab. Ed grabbed onto the bars of the front gate and tried to pull them apart, to no avail. You looked around, memorizing everything about the surrounding area. You looked down and you flash of your eyes caught a set of wires laid on the ground.

You: "Trip wire alarms. They have pretty heavy security for a place that's not in use. It makes it seem more suspicious."

Ed: "Let's go through the back." You nodded and you both ran after the blond. You looked onto the wall to see it coated in barbed wire. "Al." The armor cupped his hands together and Ed stepped on them. Al pushed him up and Ed landed on the wall, on his auto-mail leg. He straddled the wall and unraveled the barb wire, making a rope for Al. "It's kind of sad, but in situations like this, I'm glad we don't have normal arms and legs."

Al: "Agreed." You wrapped your arms around Al's neck and hung there as he climbed up the wall, using the wire. When you got to the door, it had a barricade on it.

You: "The entrance is sealed tight, too."

Ed: "Hey, look." Ed pointed to a vent. Ed got onto Al's shoulders and lifted the vent plate off. "It looks like it continues all the way inside. Al, wait here. Me and Lita will check out the inside."

Al: "Will you be okay?"

You: "We don't have a choice. Ed can't go alone. And we can't fit you through the vent." You climbed on Al as Ed lifted himself into the went. You pulled yourself up and inside as well.

Al: "You know it's not my fault I'm big."

Break

Ross: "This is Lieutenant Maria Ross. Please get me Major Armstrong."

Armstrong: "What is it, Lieutenant."

Ross: "Major, there is something I need to discuss with you. What?" Gunshots cut her off. Bells went off as soldiers shot at an unknown target.

Soldier: "Hey! Call Headquarters and get reinforcements."

Soldier 2: "Sir!" Scar grabbed the soldier by the throat and held him there.

Scar: "I have no business with you people. Metal Cat, where is she?"

Ross: "You two stay here, the rest we'll use the outer stairs. He's heading to Ed's room." Scar kicked the door open, holding his stomach. He looked around, finding the room empty. Scar set his arm on the table and it reacted with Marco's notes. With red lightning the words disappeared and formed a clear ball. "So, Metal Cat figured it out. Just like I knew she would." He noticed the circle Ed had made around the fifth laboratory.

Ross: "Freeze, Scar!" Scar jumped through the window and she shot her gun. They all missed and Scar ran across the lawn.

Bloch: "Lieutenant."

Ross: "Where and Edward, Alphonse and Lita?"

Bloch: "This should give you a clue." Bloch had found the rope you used to help Al out the window.

Ross: "Damn her."

Break

Envy: "I've finished cleaning up the city of Lior. Now no one whose there knows anything unnecessary."

Lust: "Really. It must have been a tedious job, Envy. Things are going well on our end as well." Envy shape shifted into Edward Elric.

Envy: "I heard that the Full Metal shorty found the laboratory." Envy "transmuted" Ed's arm into a blade and put it to his throat. "Perhaps we should kill him before the military finds out."

Gluttony: "If you're going to kill him, give him to me."

Lust: "Wait. That child might just make our wish come true. We can kill him after that." Envy turned back into himself and looked at Lust.

Envy: "I hear that girl he's with is quite the looker." Lust scoffed at Envy.

Lust: "She doesn't matter."

Envy: "Why do you say that? She's just as skilled as Full Metal. Whatever, just as long as it doesn't mess up our plans. But then again, it's doubtful that they will get there saftley."

Lust: "I told those two not to attack them. But since they're stupid, I worry."

Envy: "If worse comes to worst, just get rid of them all."

Lust: "I know."

Break

Ed: "Damn it, this place is smaller than I thought. If we were normal sized, we wouldn't have fit through here. I'm glad that I'm small..." You gave Ed's butt a weird look. "No, it's not good!" You snickered and almost got kicked in the face. "Shut it."

You: "You shut it. Quiet down. We're not even supposed to be here." Ed kicked the vent out and jumped down, you right behind him. "There's light." Green neon lights lit the hallways of the lab. "Currently not used, huh?"

Ed: "Bingo!" Ed stepped on a switch and you looked up. Sharp spikes began to fall from the ceiling and you and Ed dodged them. "What the..." Ed's hand set off another switch. A huge blade fell out of the wall and you had to jump out of the way. Wherever Ed landed, he hit some switch. It was easier for you to dodge the traps because of your cat reflexes but Ed just got lucky. The floor opened up below you and you began to fall. Ed grabbed onto the edge as you hung from Ed's middle.

You: "Okay, you are not allowed to touch anything." Ed's shoulders began to shake and he chuckled.

Ed: "All of these traps. There must be something here they really don't want anyone finding. I'm getting excited. I just love being right."

You: "Well, don't get too excited." Your cheek was pressed against Ed's stomach and Ed chuckled.

Ed: "How can I not? I have a beautiful Sex Kitten hanging right from my waist. Now if you could just go a little lower..."

You: "Ed, this is not the time..." He pulled himself and you up and you smacked him.

Ed: "Ow... What was that fo..." Ed stepped on something.

You: "What did I just tell you about touching things!" The floor began to shake and you both looked behind you. A large boulder began to roll towards you. You both screamed and began to run. "Ed, if I survive. Remind me to kill you!" Two figures sat in a different room watching the whole thing. One of them began to laugh evilly and pulled out a Butcher Ax.

Figure One: "Hey! Weren't we ordered not to touch them?"

Figure Two: "I don't give a rat's ass. I have to cut them into pieces."

Figure One: "Wait. There are three targets and two of us. You can't hog them all."

You: "Damn it, these things are getting annoying." Ed tripped over a rock and you grabbed onto him, pulling him to the side. You both fit into the little gap on the side of the boulder were it didn't touch the wall.

Ed: "I'm really glad them I'm small... Ah, screw this!" Ed used his Alchemy to disengage all of the traps. You walked down the hall and came to a door.

You: "Inviting us in, eh?" You pushed the silver door open and you both walked open. Ed's foot hit a skull with it's lower jaw missing and you kicked it. The door slammed shut and you looked forward.

Figure One: "Nice job finding this place. I welcome you." A suit of armor walked up to you and unsheathed it's sword.

You: "You don't look to welcoming."

Figure One: "The task of guarding this place has been entrusted to me. I'll call myself Number 48 for now."

Ed: "48? Catchy."

Number 48: "I'm excited since I get to fight someone worthy for the first time in a long time. But you ran out of luck when you ran into me. Don't take it personally, kid."

Ed: "Don't take it personally when you get beaten by this kid." Ed transmuted his Auto-mail arm into a blade.

Al: "They sure are taking a while. What are they doing?" The second figure flew through the sky and almost slammed his ax into Al until he moved.

Figure Two: "That's nice ... You have a nice reaction time for such a big body. That makes things better."

Al: "Who are you?"

Figure Two: "I have to answer if someone asks who I am. My name is Number 66. But that's my business name."

Al: "Number 66..."

Number 66: "Yes, I have a real name but you would wet yourself if I told you ... So I'll tell you right before I finish you off."

You: "You said you guard this place, right? There's something I want to ask you."

Number 48: "I'll tell you anything if you defeat me. Let's see how strong you are!" He rushed at Ed which gave you time to use your Alchemy. You clapped and ran your hand over the length of your tail. It became plated with scales and the tip became that of a spear. You wagged it dangerously as your ears became scaly as well, instead of cat ears, they became Antlers. You growled and ran at Number 48. He slashed Ed's arm. "So, you're metal all the way to the shoulder, but... My sword will but through any metal."

Ed: "You've got to be joking. If I break this again, Winry's going to kill me." This made you stop, flashbacks of the kiss crossed your mind.

Number 48: "Gotcha." He turned around and swung at you. You turned around swiftly and blocked the blow with your tail. Ed jumped in and blocked another shot. He felt his shoulder jolt and he looked at it in shock. Winry picked up a screw labeled A-08.

Winry: "Let's see... Opps." You and Ed continued to attack Number 48. Ed roundhouse kicked him.

Ed: "This feeling, it's..." You jumped up and grabbed onto his helmet, pulling it back so the mouth opened up.

Number 48: "Kid..." He turned around and you smirked and Ed gasped as he stared at the red blood seal.

Ed: "He's..."

You: "The same as Al. A body made of armor."