-Narrator's POV-

The Kouta woke up with a cold, he tried getting Nyu to get him some water, since Ed wasn't there and Alphonse was still sleeping. Yuka arrived to Nyu running around shouting 'Water'. She found Kouta sick and the room full of random items. Al walked in, "What happened in here?"

"Water..." Nyu said.

"Did Nyu just talk?"

The other two nodded.

"What's going on in here, Kouta?" Yuka asked

"I tried getting Nyu to get me some water..."

"And how did that work out?"

"Not... very well..."

"Kouta, go to sleep, you need to clear this cold out." Al noted, Yuka nodded in ageement. Soon the boy drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, Kouta woke up to Yuka's face, "Yuka?"

"Nyu!" Nyu said, she was standing near bye in full clothing.

"I let her wear some of my clothes... I've been giving it a lot of thought... and... you can't live here alone with Nyu and the Elric brothers, so I'm gonna live here too! Honestly, three boys and one clueless girl isn't a good mix."

"Huh?"

"Don't take it the wrong way... it's not like I've forgiven you yet.." a sound came from the entrance of the room, they turned their heads to see a familiar blond.

"I'm back, everyone!" Ed shouted from the front door. He came into the room wearing shorts and a tank top, showing off his automail. "I was thinking of heading off to the beach later today, anyone wanna come?"

"Sounds fun." Yuka said with a smile, "Oh I'll be staying here with you guys, just so you know."

"Fine with me, too many guys here anyways. Al, you ok?"

"Yup!" The younger Elric came behind him, "You said we were going into town when you came back here, right?"

"Yup, come on Al."

"When you guys get back you'll have to clean up outside the house, k?"

"Or we could do it now..." Both walked out and quickly tansmuted the weeds to grass, dead flowers to soil, and the dust and other junk off the walls and windows. "That good enough for you?"

"Y-yes... I'll see you two later."

"Um..." A soft voice came from behind them.

"What is it?" Kouta asked. It was a small girl with black hair wearing a yellow sweater holding a closed up umbrella.

"Um... someone left this on the beach last night... and um... the adress on it said it was from here... so here you go." She said handing the umbrella to Kouta.

"Wait... Last night?"

Suddenly Kouta started asking her about the night before... when Nyu was nearly killed.. or so Kouta thought.

-Al's POV-

I sat with Kouta, the girl, and Yuka as Kouta questioned her. Brother had gone off on his own. I heard a thud outside the room and I went to see what it was, "Is that you, Nyu?"

She was laying on her back, she must've slipped on the wet floor. Kouta and Yuka walked out too, "You ok, Nyu?" She stood and walked over. THe same look she had when attacking the soldier was on her face, her hair shaded her face.

I saw the arms come from her and go towards Kouta, but they suddenly stopped, a shocked - and slightly regretful - expression on her face. She turned and left. Kouta didn't seem to have seen the arms, neither did Yuka... Am I the only one who can see them? I asked myself. Or am I just going crazy.. and what she did to the guard last night happened in my imagination...

"Hey you wanna stay for lunch.. uh..."

"Mayu...my name's Mayu" (1)

"Ok! Wanna stay for lunch?" Yuka asked.

"Lu-lunch?" She asked with a slight bit of drool on her lip. It dripped down to the floor making a ploop sound. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" She said wiping her mouth off.

"All right, Ed should be back by the time food's done, so go wash up!" Kouta said with a smile, Mayu obeyed.

-0-0-0-

After Brother returned we started eating. Mayu gobbled down the food as if it was the first real meal she had in weeks. "It's delicious!"

"Really? Thanks!" Yuka said with a smile.

"It's not that good..." Kouta mumbled.

"WELL THEN YOU CAN'T EAT IT!" She shouted, slamming her fist on his head, causing my brother to laugh. "Anyways Kouta, we need to find a way to get more money, we're running low."

"Yeah... you should by less stuff for Nyu."

"Shutup!" The two started arguing over how they spent the money they had

"Geez, we sound like we're already married..." Kouta said, earning a salt shaker in the face.

"Stop talking so wierd!" Yuka said before scolding him over talking wierd and grabbing boobs. Mayu began giggling and Yuka smiled at her. "How old are you, Mayu?"

"Um... I'm... uh... 12..."

"I see."

"Um.. I have to go..."

"Could you tell me how I can contact you?" Kouta asked, "I may have more questions later."

"Um... I... I really have to go!" She ran out of the room and I decided to follow her.

"Mayu! Can I walk you home? You're a 12 year old in only a sweater and underwear. If you go alone someone may want to take advantage of that." I said fidgeting with my fingers a bit.

"N-no I'll be fine!"

"Please?"

"Um.. ok... but you can't tell anyone about my..uh... home..."

"All right."

Outside she looked around panicked, "Where's Wanta? Wanta? Wanta!" Barking came from the distance and a white dog came running towards us. "Wanta!" She hugged him before asking him a question, "You won't... leave me too... will you, Wanta?"

"Leave you?"
"Um nothing! Let's... um.. go!" She said before walking off. We stopped near a bakery some time later and she told me to wait outside, "I gotta get some bread crusts for Wanta."

"All right!" She went in and got the crusts and we continued walking.

As we walked we heard a large banging sound and looked to see what happened. We found Nyu and another girl with purple hair (2) standing in front of eachother in a fighting stance. Mayu decided to butt in and ran over.

"No fighting!" I watched as an arm came from Nyu and the other girl screamed for Mayu to run away... the only thing that stopped her from warning Mayu was her left leg being ripped off of her, followed by the fingers from her outstretched hands. Then the arm went across Mayu's face and sent her into a tree.

"This doesn't hurt at all!" The purple haired girl yelled. Soon, one of Nyu's extra arms ripped her right arm off.

"How about now?"

The memory of seeing my brother on the floor with his arm and leg missing after waking up for the first time in that suit of armor nearly caused me to lose my lunch. I managed to run forward screaming at Nyu to stop. The purple haired girl screamed at me to run away, but I ignored her pleads. That only lead to me falling forward as one of Nyu's vectors made contact with my skull.

-Ed's POV-

An hour or so after Al left with Mayu, the phone rang. Kouta answered and it was the Hospital. Al and Mayu were there, so I stood and volunteered myself to get them. Kouta decided to go with me. There the two were standing in the lobby beside a nurse who we walked over to. She explained what happened and the four of us started walking to the Kaede House.

Kouta started interogating the girl as to why she had called for us. I understand Al, but why this girl who we had just met today would is beyond me.

We each sat down for dinner... Mayu included. We tried asking her about her parents, but she didn't tell us anything and ran out. "You sure we should let her go?" Al asked.

"I don't think it's the right time to start prying" Yuka relied.

-0-0-0-

The next day Kouta came home from a day of looking for Mayu. Her birthday was today, as Kouta had heard from the bakery where she got bread crusts, and her only companion was Wanta.

"We should have her come here! To celebrate her birthday!" Alphonse shouted out of the blue.

He used to tease me about having a crush on Winry, now I had two different girls to tease him about, "First Nyu, now Mayu? My, Alphonse, you sure are a lady's man!"

"I don't have a crush on either of them! I just have a soft spot for people younger than me..." He said, his face red with a blush.

"But, Al, Nyu's older than you!"

"She acts like a 5 year old, Brother!" I could tell he was regretting teasing me from before. "Someone shouldn't be alone on their birthday..."

"All right, Alphonse." Kouta said with a smile.

Later Al went out to find Mayu so he could bring her to the Kaede House and those remaining in the house (not including Nyu) began setting things up for the party.

-Al's POV-

It suddenly started raining as I ran, looking for Mayu. I should've brought my coat. Not wanting to get a cold, I started to pick up speed and soon ran into someone, causing both of us to fall on our butts. "I-I'm sorry..."

"It's ok... Mayu?"

"Alphonse!"

"Mayu, can you come with me to the Kaede House?"

"W-why?"

"There's a surprise... you'll like it..." I reached my arm out to her

"Um... ok..." she said, grabing my hand, I helped her up. We ran back towards the Kaede House, not wanting to get ourselve's soaked any further, when we opened the door 3 'Surprise!'s were heard, a 'Nyu' mixed in.

"You planned me a birthday party?" She asked, obviously not expecting this.

"Yeah, the lady at the bakery told us. Oh and she wanted to give you this." Yuka said, handing the girl a box with a small cake in it.

"If it's ok... we want you to stay here with us..." Kouta said with a smile.

"Be part of the family!" Brother said with his goofy grin.

"It would give us peace of mind... and we don't want you out there alone anymore." Kouta stated. "But in return, we'd like you to clean and cook."

"Cleaning is your job, Kouta!" Yuka scolded her cousin.

I watched as tears started dripping down Mayu's face, I smiled and huged her, soon Kouta, Yuka, and Brother joined in, followed by Nyu half glomping us.

-End of Chapter-

1: for those not familiar with the anime/manga, it's pronounced my-you

2: it's purple in the manga