Chapter Ten.

Ed almost collapsed from exhaustion, as he let himself fall onto Mei who herself was panting from the mixture of pleasure and pain from well for lack of a better and more artistic way of putting it, from the sex.

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They went on as if nothing had happened for both thier sakes, especially Ed's as he knew he'd have Mustang on his case if the Colonel ever found out. So Ed was at the library researching and Mei was walking aimlessly through the streets in search of something to entertain herself with, there was a market on at the high street but nothing really interrested her much. This led her retracing her steps back to the library to wait until Ed had finished or the library closed, the latter being the most likely to happen first. Slipping down a side street only two blocks away from her destination and she was thrown to the wall knocking the wind out of her, and before she could shout out a hand clasped her mouth tightly to stop her. She struggled against the person but they just held tighter trying to tire her out but she didn't stop. The person kneed her hard in the stomach with the intention of winding her, making her bend over as he brought his fist down on the back of her head, effectivly knock Mei out cold but getting some defiant strands of raven hair caught on his fist. Even so he caught her before she hit the ground and threw her carelessly over his shoulder his purple eyes flashing before running from the scene, his prey, bruised and battered, over his shoulder. A flash of green hair and he was gone, smirk in place.

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Mei POV

I came round, feeling as if i had been hit by a truck pulling a hand up to my head to see if there was any blood (there wasn't). Bare feet came towards me, slowly walking, i still hadn't comprehended what had happened before i passed out. Suddenly a hand grabbed the front of my navy t-shirt and pulled his face up to mine, my vision was blurry but i managed to work out that this guy had green long hair it took me a minate to realise he was talking to me.

"We've heard about your talents and your knowledge... The philosopher's stone?... i'll bet you know how to make it, right?" It took me a minate to know what he was saying, but as soon as i figured it out my eyes widened, as i thought about it i did know but this guy wouldn't find out. I said nothing, bad idea, i ended up with this guy's fist in my jaw almost snapping it in two (at least it felt like that) making me bite my tongue. I spat the resulting blood in his face only half intentionally, and he kicked me in the gut i fell onto my side.

Calm down, Envy." came a woman's voice, i turned my attention to her, squinting i could make out the girl Lyra from one of the first few episodes of the series. Then i remembered what happened to her and forcing myself to stand i faced her fully, Envy got ready to pounce like a tiger presumably if i made a move.

"Dante..." i breathed, scowling at the old crone. She smiled knowingly, shaking off the injuries i scowled back.

"Well, well, Mei Dearle... I've heard about you." i rolled my eyes as she continued "Apparently you're from the other side of the gate" I looked at her a little taken aback.

"Wha...? um... wait who even cares?" i folded my arms and tried to look as if i really didn't care "I know more about you than you about me." i boasted, she scoffed.

"Really?" she took a few steps closer so she was in my face "I know that to have come from the other world, you know how to make the philosophers stone." it was a statement, i said nothing. "i also know that you will make the stone for me." she moved away towards the large wooden door with Envy closely behind, and just as he was closing the door he said to me

"And don't bother trying to escape, or you'll end up the same way as the Major."

"You Bastards!" i shouted as the door closed and a flsh of light indicating i was being sealed in so i couldn't alchemise my way out of this rather large room, i ran to the door and banged on it shouting insults and empty threats at it.

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With Ed etc. normal POV

Ed was pacing frantically around his dorm room, Al and Winry sitting on one of the beds trying to get him to calm down saying Mei probably just got lost or something.

"What? overnight?" he said flailing his arms around. just at that point when it seemed Ed was going to continue his monlogue of worry there was a knock at the door and then it opened. Roy Mustang walked through the door.

WVWVWVWVWVWVVWVWVWVWVWVW

"That was quick!" muttered Ed to the Colonel as about 15 military personell had been summoned and were now helping in the search for Mei, but not for the reasons Ed was thinking.

"Of course Fullmetal" began the raven haired man "do you really think that we would let a suspect escape." he stated emmotionlessly and Ed's eyes widened in shock.

"What! suspect for what exactly?!" he yelled, Mustang looked at him making Ed realise "Hughes..." he said quietly, he looked confused, but said definatly "She wouldn't, so you can shut your bastard mouth." and he ran off Alphonse not far behind, then he walked down a familiar alleyway and looked around half interestingly but something fluttering in the wind caught his eye, on the wall, a few black cobwebs? no they were hairs, too long for Mustang, just perfect for Mei, though... just as he made this discovery a shadow moved on the roof above him.

"Fullmetal. you have to accept the possiblity." said probably the most unwanted voice in Ed's life, as he followed the blonde and suit of armor down the alley way, Ed ignored him. As Mustang opened his mouth major movement attracted all of their attention, as Sloth appeared and before they knew it had grabbed them in strings of water and had pulled them off the floor, the sudden shock too much for them to talk, until about two minates later when they were way out of the vicinity of investigation, then they began shouting, and screaming even though their captor said nothing until they reached the old church when they were taken down the secret passage although they were too busy demanding to be freed to notice whre they were going. When they were inside the water Homunculus dropped them and they all fell a considerable distance so the only one unaffected was Alphonse.

"What's going on here?!" yelled Mustang in an authorative voice.

"Sloth you only supposed to bring the Fullmetal shorty and the otouto." said a voice from in the shadows.

"Envy!" Ed said angrily "What the hell do want this time?!" he shouted, Envy's reply was a smug smirk, "We're not making the philosophers stone for you!!" Came Ed's stab in the dark, Envy's smirk widened.

"We don't need you to Fullmetal shorty, you're merely the persuation." Ed growled, and then they all gasped in unision as the ground beneath them half swallowed them so that all three had no way of moving, as they struggled Dante came through some large doors where she had obviously been out of sight until her cue to restrain the Alchemists. She ignored them and spoke to Envy.

"Now that everything is gathered could you retreive the guest of honour?" Still smirking Envy obliged to her request and walked off calmly.

"Brother what are we going to do?" asked Alphonse panicing, Ed stared intently at the ground,

"I was wondering the same thing myself Al."

seconds later

"Put me down you fat bastard, let the hell go of me i told you i'm not making your bloody stone!!" Envy sauntered back in the room carrying his load which was still shouting and cussing at him blindly.

"Mei!" exclaimed Ed "let her go!" he growled at Envy, Mei didn't seem to notice him yet though.

"Ugly! ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly,ugly." she repeated before being dropped harshly onto the ground, "OW! should you really be treating someone that way when you want them to do something for you?" Envy looked about ready to knock her out, but did his best to control himself.

Dante smirked as she walked over to Mei, who was still sitting on the floor. "Make the stone." she said icily, Mei looked up at her then stood up herself.

"Okay pay attention as i'm only gonna do this once okay?" Ed squirmed

"Don't do it, Mei." he was again ignored by both sides.

"okay you ready?" Mei asked and made it look as if she was going to do something important, then clapped her hands together. "Nooooo" she said. everyone looked shocked for a minate, then envy started stamping over to where she was stood, but Dante put her arm out as a signal for him to halt which he did with obvious little self control left.

"If you don't create the stone, " she paused and turned to where Al, Ed and Mustang were, and Lust came up behind them and shot her lengthened fingers through non-crucial parts of Al, but that would be if he were made of fleash and bones. He made some sort of scared whining noise as Ed was Calling to him not quite able to see, because of his position.

"Al!!" Mei gasped but then looked away and at the ground.

"Fine..." she said quietly "...but you have to let them go." Dante smiled in reply.

"Afterwards"

"fine"

"Mei, No you can't." shouted Ed. Mei turuned and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time and smiled sadly as if for the last, then Ed realised what she was really going to do. "Baka, Don't do it!"

Too late. Mei placed both her hands firmly on the floor and tried to steady her heartbeat, before absorbing her achemy into the ground, a circle appeared on all sides surrounding herself, Dante and most of the homunculi, and all too late dante realised what she was planning to do and the sparks began flying into lightning like impulses in the air gradually getting more and more bright by the second, so Ed and Roy had to look away from it. Al was the only one that saw the gate appear then it was so bright he couldn't see, as the ground started to crumble the trasnmutation was over. "Mei." said Ed quietly before the ground they were submersed in finally gave way and they all fell the basement floor beneath. Ed looked up at the hole in the floor.