Okay. Got a new flash drive and finally, finally finished this chapter. I just couldn't get passed the first part. Sorry once again if my writing skills plummeted, I was sick today. But I figured, eh, lets go finish this. So I did. Enjoy, review if you want!

Chapter 12

~Edward's POV~

"I'm from the other side of the gate."

Shock and confusion made Edward's head spin. He had to admit, that was not at all what he was expecting. How could she have gotten here from the other side?

"You're lying." He challenged. There was absolutely no way he could believe that.

Her answer shocked him even more. Tara stared straight up at him. Her eyes were cold, and yet at the same time, they were filled with so many emotions that Edward didn't even know where to start trying to figure them all out. And she spoke to him, icily calm. "Edward. I have lied about many things. I have lied to many people. However, I do not lie when I say that I never, ever break a promise. So, right here and now, I promise you this: I would not lie about anything that had to do about where I grew up. About my hometown. About my family. Never."

Ed opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off again. "I know it's a pathetic answer."

How did she know I was going to say that..?

His mind snapped back into perspective as she continued. "But I assure you that it's true. And you have the power to choose whether you believe me or not."

Edward couldn't take this anymore. His mind was raging with so many possibilities, so many questions, and so much doubt and anger. He just couldn't take it any longer. He finally snapped. "Fine. If you're really from the other side, then how do you know so much about us? We're from different worlds, so there's no way you could have known all of this."

The last thing Ed was expecting to hear was that there was literally a story about them in her world. She explained everything, from the books to both series in the TV show. How one series seemed to follow the books more than the other one. How she could tell where she was at in the story by the location and events that had happened since she had arrived.

However, the only thing that she refused to explain was how much she knew about the story, and what their futures held. It drove Ed crazy, to know that the answers were all right there in front of him, and yet they wouldn't reveal themselves. It made him want to tear his hair out. It also made him extremely nervous. Maybe the reason she wouldn't tell them was because they didn't get their original bodies back. Or worse.

When Tara finished explaining, Edward's brain felt like it had been sent through the Portal of Truth for a second time. He was having trouble trying to process things. One glance from his brother and the "Bodyguards," and he knew that they were feeling the same way. Edward could read his brother like a book; Al was shocked senseless. Ross and Brosh were harder to decipher. Brosh seemed to be in an internal conflict with himself over whether he should look confused, or just stay out of it all together. Ross looked.. concerned.

The sound of movement made Ed's senses snap back to Tara. She had pushed herself into a standing position and was leaning against the wall for support. Pfft. Ed rolled his eyes. "Come on, I didn't hurt you. Stop trying to act pathetic."

Tara just rolled her eyes right back at him, making his temple twitch in annoyance. Who did this girl think she was, exactly?

"Edward, I had a condition as a baby that left me with asthma. It doesn't exactly help my breathing when someone pushes me up against a wall with their arm pressed against my lungs."

Oops. "Anything else you'd like to tell us? Or have you done enough for one day?"

Tara cringed openly at his words, and Ed almost felt sorry for her. But his anger and confusion took over the feeling, and he waited, almost mockingly for her to answer. He heard his brother's clanking footsteps nearing him. He knew Al was probably going to chastise him, but at this point he didn't care. He didn't care about anything at that moment except for getting answers.

But how would he know if the answers were truth or fiction?

~Alphonse's POV~

Seeing his brother rage with so many emotions at once was almost enough to drive Alphonse over the edge of insanity. He felt sympathy for Tara because of how frightened she looked, but at the same time he knew that he felt almost as angered at her as his brother was, though he would never show it or express it violently.

Al listened intently to the answers that Ed got out of Tara. They were very confusing to him, but at the same time, they made sense. Coming from the other side of the gate would explain why she mysteriously came out of nowhere in the middle of the desert and knew Truth, and the fact that she knew everything about them. But the thing that confused him was how she got here in the first place. As far as he knew, there weren't many things that could send her to the gate in the first place, let alone through. His brother went through as the price of the taboo, which Tara claimed she also committed, but how did Al know that she was telling the truth? His mind spun with confusion.

When he heard the last comment from his brother, however, Al jumped back into perspective. Though he knew that Ed was only looking for answers, he also knew when his brother was starting to go too far. The last thing Alphonse wanted was to have Edward start a fight, or worse, have all of their answers slip out of their grasp from the result of the fight.

Al stepped up to his brother and saw him tense. Not bothering to even say anything, he just watched Tara. She didn't look at either of them, only lowered her head slowly. After a few awkward moments, Tara pushed her way past Alphonse, startling him. "Where are you going?"

She didn't turn back, but stopped before she continued again. "I'll meet you guys at the hotel. It's a little obvious that I shouldn't be here right now."

Alphonse watched her walk off. Turning to Ed, he questioned him. "Why did you have to act so hateful? You could have been a little nicer-"

His brother cut him off. "She lied to us, Al. Alchemy isn't possible on the other side of the gate. There's no way she could have used it."

Al stood there for a minute. He was right, Alchemy couldn't be used on the other side. And yet, she was here. And for someone who was from this side, she sure did know a lot about their story. How they burned down their house, how they made a promise, how they did human transmutation, how they were searching for the Philosopher's stone..

Wait.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. What if Tara had something hidden away? Something that she could have used to get over to the other side? Something that they were looking for..

Al looked up at Edward again. His brother was staring at him, eyes slightly narrowed. "You're thinking. I know that look. What is it?"

Alphonse answered quickly. "We have to go after her. I think there's something else she's not telling us.."

~Tara's POV~

As Tara made her way up the stairs to their room, she cursed herself over and over. She cursed herself for making such a stupid mistake. She cursed herself for managing to lose the Elric brother's trust. But most of all, she cursed herself for getting into this predicament in the first place. The saying went, curiosity killed the cat. This time, she was the cat.

Tara unlocked the door and sat herself on the floor. She sat there, looking at the wall. I didn't want this. She talked to herself. All I wanted was to get away from the pain, the torture. I didn't think that my wish would come true. And now.. I'm in even more pain then before. I want to go home..

She wanted nothing more than to see her friends, go back to her school, read all of her books. She wanted to lay in her own bed. She wanted to do what all of the other kids in her school were doing. And, surprising herself, she realized that she would even go back to living with her stepmother, if it meant going back home.

That's ridiculous. You cant go back.

Shaking her head, Tara got up and walked over to the table, where her bag was sitting. How the backpack had gone through the gate with her, she had no idea. But she was glad it was there. Her drawing things were exactly what she needed to help her calm down. Reaching into the bag, she fished around for her colored pencils. When she found them, she pulled them out. But that wasn't all that she found.

Her cell phone was wedged in the box, by account of the many anime key chains that she had hanging from it. And from one of those key chains, hung a strange necklace, one she had never seen before. Taking it from the chain, she admired the little red stone in which the chain held. It was quite pretty. Where had it come from?

Dismissing it as a necklace she had forgotten about, she put it to the side. Flipping open the cell phone, she powered it on. The familiar opening tone played, and the phone then switched to the menu screen. Switching to her messages, she glanced at the fifteen unread ones that showed up first. Almost every single one of them was from her best friend, Kaira. They all asked where she was, why she wouldn't answer back. Tara smiled sadly at them. If only she knew..

A couple others remained, but she neglected them. Snapping her phone shut and preparing to put it away, Tara was surprised by the incoming message tone that played. Opening the cell phone once more, she glanced warily at the message. It was from an unknown number. Hesitantly, she clicked the button and opened it. Only four words were wielded in the message.

It's time to learn.

Tara coughed. She reached for something to hold onto, just to make her feel safe. Her hands grasped the necklace and held it tight. Tara didn't register anything until she looked at the stone.

It was glowing.

Tara started to drop it in surprise, when the hotel door opened. Someone let out a startled gasp. Tara couldn't register who it was. Her mind started to go blank, and she fell back into darkness.

Okay. So, creepy message, interesting stone... Yup. Next chapter, guys, you finally get to see what was taken as Tara's toll! Stay tuned!