Hello! Wow, this is a really early update for me, I just updated two days ago, right? Well, anyways here's the next chapter...there's not much of anything to say for me. Oh, I almost forgot! I'm in my school holidays now so I might be able to update way sooner than ever...might. But, if my family decides to go to my grandma's house then I might not be able to update...

For the time being, Please enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Chapter 4

"Congratulations!" Seth said happily while clapping his hands. He was sitting across from the two brothers, who still had a surprised look on their faces, while his sister sits next to him. Seth stopped and looked back towards the two, "So, how did you managed to find her?"

"We-" Al started but was finished by someone else.

"We bumped into each other on the hallway while I was bringing some off Roy's paperwork" Alice answered before taking a sip of the milk in her cup.

Seth looked at her for a moment before looking back at the Elrics, "Yeah… I figured you found her by accident, no one's ever been that lucky before though"

Alice nodded without looking at either of them. Seth coughed a bit, "So… Have you asked her yet? Knowing you two I was hoping you'd shove the question right away, but seeing that you told me to come here…" He glanced towards Alice, who in return merely shrugged. "I suppose you haven't even asked her at all"

"Ask me what?" Alice asked while looking at the two boys in front of her. She furrowed her eyebrows, "And why didn't you just ask earlier?"

"We…" Ed rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably before continuing, "Were worried we had the wrong person and that you were just pretending"

"What? Wait, why?"

The two paled and sweated. They glanced at each other before looking back at her, "Because…" They started the sentence together, and will end it the same way, "We thought you were a boy"

…Flashback.

"Brother, are you sure that…girl, is Alice?" Al asked in whisper as the two of them faced away from the girl.

Ed furrowed his eyebrows, "Yeah, I know what you mean"

The two turned and stared at the girl, who claimed to be Alice, she was still picking up the fallen paperwork. They narrowed their eyes, she had short boyish hair, she was wearing an eye patch that usually boys would only wear, there was no trail of feminine in her face, she was wearing the boy uniform, and…her chest was…flat.

The two turned back with puzzles in their heads. They looked at each other before glancing back slightly, "So, do we ask…her, or not?" Al asked as he struggled to call the person a 'her' when that person was so much like a 'him'.

Ed narrowed his eyes dangerously before crossing his arms over his chest, "Well, maybe we should just ask Seth himself if she, is his sister. We can figure out if he's lying or not"

The two nodded simultaneously.

…Back in the Present.

Seth was sitting on the corner and was curled up into a ball with a dark aura was practically hovering over him. He whimpered slightly until his whole body was shaking, "Why does, everyone think my sister is a boy? So she wears a boy's uniform or maybe she wears an eye patch or maybe she doesn't like wearing makeup or anything girly or maybe…" The boy keeps listing all the reason why his sister was considered a boy while making the aura over him darker by the second.

Alice just gave her brother a side glance before looking back at the boys. She had her arms crossed, her feet over one another, and her eyes narrowed, "So… You thought I was a boy?"

The two felt chills went down their spine when the girl growled slightly like a predator, and unfortunately it seems like they were the prey. She sighed, "Well, I guess that's normal"

The two boys blinked, "What?"

She shrugged before looking to the side, "Everyone thinks I'm a boy other than the Fuhrer and my brother. But I don't really mind being called a boy, as long as they don't try and rub it in…"

"So, you really are Alice?" Ed asked, just…making sure.

She sighed again before looking at the boy in the eye, "Yes, I'm Alice, Alice Lockhart. If you want more specific identification, I'm an Intel in Alchemy and other subject that consist of them but…I don't do much Alchemy at all"

Ed raised an eyebrow, "What? How can you not know how to preform Alchemy but you're supposed to be one of the most knowing person about Alchemy here?"

She grunted and looked away; her cheeks were puffed and slightly red, "Fine! If you don't want my help, then I won't bother it anyway!"

"Wait a minute! That's not what I meant!" Ed said in slight panic. If she refused to help them, then it would've been a complete waste to even found her.

She looked back at him with a glare, "You're not a very nice person you know that, Edward?" She leaned forward and slammed her hands on the table, "Just because I said I don't do much of Alchemy, doesn't mean I don't know how to!"

Ed raised his eyebrows slightly, "…Oh…"

Alice stared at him golden orbs for a moment before widening her eyes and backing away. She seated herself back on the couch before bringing up her hand to her forehead and narrowing her eyes, 'Great! Not now! Please…'

Alice stared at the scene in disgust but at the same time…she wasn't bothered by it.

The place was dark and reeks of the scent of blood. In the middle of the room could be seen a transmutation circle that was already filled with so much blood and a creature could be seen at the middle. She narrowed her eyes, "A human transmutation circle"

"Mommy! Alphonse!" She looked to the side and saw a boy with blonde hair on the ground near the edge of the circle. He was reaching out towards the creature but his eyes were filled with horror. Alice furrowed her eyebrows before glancing towards the boy's legs, or maybe leg would be enough.

CLANG!

A suit of armor crashed down on the floor. "Give him back… He's my only brother…" the boy muttered while drawing a symbol inside the suit of armor. "Take my arm; take my heart if you have to… Just give him back… Give me my little brother back!"

The boy clapped his hands together and the room was soon filled with light, so much that the view…disappeared.

Alice jumped slightly when two hands were placed on both her shoulders. She looked back and saw Seth smiling down towards her, "You shouldn't do that Alice you do know he didn't mean it."

Alice furrowed her eyebrows before looking back down towards her lap, "Sorry about that…Edward."

Ed raised an eyebrow at her sudden change of personality. He snapped out of his trance and asked, "So, do you mind if I ask you something…related to Alchemy?"

Alice stayed quiet and never lifted her gaze before speaking again; "The Philosopher Stone" Ed raised his eyebrows slightly. Alice looked up slightly from under her bangs, "You two…you're looking for the Philosopher Stone, aren't you?"

"How did you…" Al started the question but found that he himself was unable to finish it.

Seth let go of his sister and gazed down at her with narrowed eyes. He looked back up and saw Ed having the same expression as he was. Alice opened her mouth, "Your brother's armor…it's hollow, right?" She looked up completely and turned towards Al, "You just placed his soul in there… You might be able to create a Philosopher Stone of your own…" She was actually frightened at her own words.

Ed widened his eyes before a smile spread across his face, "So are you going to-"

"No" Alice looked back at Ed with an empty gaze before repeating herself, "No, I won't tell you anything about it"

Ed narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

Alice looked at him with narrowed eyes, "The Philosopher Stone, it's…it's a cursed stone, you shouldn't even be looking for such a thing"

Ed gritted his teeth, "What do you mean by that?"

Al looked towards his angered brother, 'Ed…'

Alice stood and gazed towards Ed with an unfazed look, "It means exactly what it sounds like, if you're an Alchemist then you should know that in order to gain something and equal amount of sacrifice must be given in return!"

The two sent glares towards each other; Seth was kind of expecting this to happen while Al kept trying to calm his brother. Alice scoffed, "I don't have time to deal with you" she said before turning around, Seth trailed behind her.

"What about a bet?"

Alice stopped and turned towards Ed, who was being held back by his brother, but the look on his face was still there nonetheless. Alice raised an eyebrow, "What kind of a bet?"

"Oh, boy…" Seth muttered.

Ed smirked slightly, knowing that he managed to get the girl's attention, "You can test me in any way you like, one fight. If I win then you have to tell me everything you know about the Philosopher Stone"

"And if I win, what do I get?"

Ed's smirk widened, "Then I'll do whatever you want me to for the next two months"

Alice raised an eyebrow, "You're volunteering to be my slave?"

"If you can actually beat me"

Seth stared at the two, 'Damn it! Alice never backs down from a challenge, at least not when it's that kind of challenge…'

Alice smirked devilishly, causing Ed's smirk to turn into the exact same one. She narrowed her eyes, "Fine, a fight it is. And you better not back down on that deal you said"

"Heh, I've been the military dog for years, I think I know how to keep my loyalty" Ed replied. He narrowed his eyes, "So, when is the fight?"

…Later.

"A fight? You're seriously going to fight the famous Fullmetal Alchemist?" Seth said while trailing behind his sister.

She sighed, "Well, it's the only way to keep him happy for the time being"

Seth narrowed his eyes, "Alice, what did you see this time exactly?"

Alice stopped in her step and glanced back towards Seth with furrowed eyebrows, "Ed's past… It's private"

"I see"

Alice looked back down towards her feet and recalled everything she saw, the blood stained floor and walls, the circle carved carefully on the floor, the creature lying in the middle of that circle, and the frightened Ed that was also covered in blood. She narrowed her eyes, 'He…tried to bring the dead back to life'

"Brother" Alice called out towards him without glancing back.

"Yeah?"

"…Where were you?"

Seth raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean" She glanced back with narrowed eyes, "Yesterday, you went away again without telling me"

He looked at her for a moment before sighing. He walked pass her, "Somewhere"

Okay... This chapter is very weird for me. So, just to make it clear, Alice does look like a boy. I made a picture of her and showed to my...story assistant, if you will call her, and her first impression was the fact that she looked more like a boy than a girl...I did not know how that happened. I am freaked out! Usually I can't draw boys... Oh, sure! When I want to draw boys I can't but when I wanted to draw a girl it comes out like a boy, thank you! I AM VERY PISSED ABOUT THIS!

Ehmm... Please ignore that. Now then, I kind of felt uncomfortable when writing this chapter, and I do not know why, so please point out if there were any flunkies or mistakes... heheh, flunkies...

Please Review!