(A/N: Here comes chapter ten! And just as a reminder, updates for this story would be slower. I did say in the first chapter's author's notes that this fanfic would end up being a slow burner. Well, there you go, enjoy this chapter!
risedragon0009: Thanks for reviewing! It might be quite a while before Edward accepts that Orihime's powers disobey the laws of science. Part of it is because Orihime keeps the full potential of her powers [and somewhat the nature of it] a secret. How would he react when he eventually finds out? Well, I think Ed would be...a little less than happy, giving his personality and his believe that science rules/governs all. That's just me.)
Alchemy
Here they are! They trio finally made it to East City!
Orihime watched tentatively as Edward flashed their tickets at the receptionist.
"So… We are finally here," Edward groaned. He didn't sound very happy, which made Orihime frown.
"You don't sound very excited to be here," Orihime said.
Ed gave her an exasperated look. "Of course not! Once again, I'll have to listen to Colonel Bastard's sarcastic lectures of my failures."
This caused the girl to raise a quizzical eyebrow.
"What brother means is, he has to report to Colonel Mustang every once and awhile," Alphonse elaborated. "He doesn't like the Colonel much."
The auburn haired girl nodded in understanding. There were some people Ichigo didn't get along with as well.
Orihime followed quietly behind Edward and Alphonse, ignoring the whispers going on around her. It was broad daylight, so adults were out working and doing their usual daily activities. Although, some would stop, point at them, and mutter something to their friends or families.
The ginger haired girl didn't really mind much. Though, Ed was a different story. He would occasionally shoot angry daggers at the passerbyers whilst Al just shook his head solemnly at his brother's temperament.
The trio finally arrived at a large, white building covered in a green banner with a dragon like design on. The huge structure was surrounded by a large fence. Orihime stared in awe and amazement at the building.
"Well, here we are... Eastern Command Center," Edward announced, pushing the fence open and walking inside.
Ed walked up to the lady at the receptionist desk. As he chatted with her, Orihime took a look around her surroundings. Everyone, men and women, were dressed in a blue uniform. The girl quickly concluded that must be the standard issue military uniform for this country. She wondered why Edward didn't wear it. He is part of the military, right? Unless, the uniform is optional.
They were all to busy scurrying around jiggling paperwork and the like to pay her any mind.
"Let's go, Al, Orihime."
Ed's voice snapped the auburn haired girl out of her thoughts.
"Right. Coming." She followed after the Elric brothers as they led her through the twist and turns of the hallways. They finally came upon a large white door, and Orihime instantly knew this was Edward's superior's office. She swallowed down the anxiety that began to build up.
"Just relax," she inwardly told herself, trying to calm down her nerves. "I've been through this before with the Soul Reapers. I just need to keep calm and handle any situation they throw at me with a cool headed composure."
Without warning, Edward threw the door open, startling the already nervous girl.
The first thing her gray eyes took notice of was a man with short black hair scribbling on a piece a paper, grumbling to himself while a lady with blonde hair pinned back was sending him firm glares all the while standing behind him. They both wore those blue uniforms.
Hearing the door slam open, the blonde woman looked up, a small smile gracing her lips as she took notice of the two boys. "Welcome back, boys." Her brown eyes finally took notice of the auburn haired girl standing behind them, her hands fidgeting at the hem of her gray blazer. "Who is this?"
"My name is Orihime Inoue! Pleased to meet you," Orihime spoke up, louder than intended to, causing her to quickly cover her mouth. The amused smirk Edward sent her made her face turn a light shade of pink.
The two boys took their seat on the couch and Orihime followed suit, sitting beside Ed.
The black haired man finally took a moment out of his paperwork to glance at the three. "Fullmetal, you know you're not allowed to bring unauthorized personnel in here," he chastised the blond boy, sending him an annoyed glare. "Even if they happen to be your girlfriend," he added, a small smirk appearing on his face.
Ed's face turned beet red in response to that suggestive statement. "She's not my girlfriend, you ass! She's the healer we were sent to Greia to retrieve!" he shouted angrily.
Mustang paused, eyes widening slightly, taking a good look at the girl sitting next to the Fullmetal Alchemist. In all honesty, he never expected someone so young to be an expert healer. He expected someone older and wiser, not a teenage girl.
He clasped his hands together, placing his elbows on the desk so they shadowed the bottom half of his face. "So, you are the incredible healer rumors started going on about?" he asked, scrutinizing the girl.
Orihime let out a nervous smile, scratching the side of her cheek. "I guess so…"
Mustang rose an inquisitive brow. The girl seemed to be pretty modest, unlike Fullmetal, who likes to be brag about his accomplishments.
"Orihime's powers are incredible, Colonel!" Alphonse chirped. "She has an amazing ability to heal any wound! She healed brother's injuries twice!"
"Al!" Edward cut in, feeling somewhat humiliated. He was making it sound like he was beaten so badly, Orihime had to step in to save his life.
Once again, the Colonel was staring at the ginger haired girl contemplatively, causing the aforementioned girl to shrink under his intense gaze.
Mustang knows that Alphonse rarely lies, and if what he's saying is true, then rumors were not kidding about the girl's healing prowess. Just imagine someone like that working under him. He tried to suppress a smirk from forming, a perverted smirk. He wondered what the girl would look like under a nurse's uniform. Having a personal hot nurse would be incredible, not to mention he'll be closer to getting that promotion to Central.
Edward scowled at the look the Colonel's facial features were expression. He knew his superior was thinking of something dirty. "Whatever perverted thoughts you have, get it out of your head right now!"
Mustang frowned at the blond boy. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, feigning ignorance. "And besides, I thought you said Orihime wasn't your girlfriend?"
Ed glared angrily at the dark haired man. "She's not! But she deserves better than a perverted bastard like you!"
The Colonel raised a playfully challenging eyebrow. "Oh? And who would be a better partner for her?"
The Fullmetal Alchemist clamped his mouth shut, unable to come up with a reliable answer. He hasn't known the girl long enough to know what kind of guys she likes.
When the question of what guy Orihime would like to have as a boyfriend, thoughts and memories of Ichigo popped up in the girl's head. She bit her lip back to keep herself from sobbing. She must remain strong! She'll find a way back home somehow.
The sound of a gun cocking ceased the men's arguing as the blonde woman pointing her pistol at the back of the dark haired man's head, making him sweat nervously.
"Oh, there's one more thing we forgot to mention, Colonel. Orihime was attacked by the homunculi," Alphonse informed the two officers, a grave expression decorating his voice.
This news seemed to shock the two officers as they both stared at the girl intensely.
"Are you sure it was the homunculi, Alphonse?" the blonde lady asked, voice full of alarm.
"Yep, definitely," Edward answered for his brother, a serious expression on his face. "It was Lust and Gluttony. We managed to fight and drive them off before they could make off with Orihime."
Orihime began to fidget under everyone's fierce gaze as they were all staring at her. Were these homunculi people really that dangerous?
Mustang was the first to speak up, his voiced laced with an overall serious and grave overtone. "Orihime, what did the homunculi say to you?"
The ginger haired girl thought for a minute. At first, she was considering not telling. She didn't want to bring anymore trouble then she already was. But… Seeing as they all seemed know a lot more about these...homunculi, it was better to come clean and confess. Maybe they had better equipment to deal with situations like this. After all, they are the natives of this world, not her.
"They didn't say much," Orihime answered, her nervousness showing through. "They only said that they wanted me as a sacrifice."
There were shocked gasps that sounded across the room.
"A sacrifice, huh…" She heard Mustang mumbled.
"There is an Alchemy Exam coming up soon," the Colonel announced. "It's a test where alchemist take to become State Alchemist. If you pass, you'll be working under me providing medical care for our unit. And in return, you'd be provided protection from the homunculi and other threats." He gave a tiny smirk. "Of course that means you would become the dog of the military just like Fullmetal."
Orihime already had her answer. She didn't need to think twice about. Clenching her hands together, she stared at the Colonel, determinedly. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to have to pass," she said, sternly and with such conviction.
"But Orihime!" Alphonse interjected frantically. "If you become a State Alchemist, you'll be provided protection from the homunculi."
"I know that. But I also know that I would only be restricted to helping people in this country, and I don't want that. I'm not an arrogant person, so I won't say that I want to help every single person in the entire world. Although, I also won't be satisfied with only helping a handful of people. I want to help an ocean's worth of people!"
Everyone stared at her wide eyed at her selfless and strong declaration. The silence and the intensity of their flabbergasted gazes were making the auburn haired girl's face turned pink in embarrassment.
Edward was the first to break the silence, turning away, scoffing. "Isn't that a little too optimistic?"
Orihime only gleefully laughed in response.
"If that's your answer, fine," Mustang cut in. "Although, I would still want to provide you with a couple of bodyguards. Can't have someone with your powers go to waste, especially if the homunculi are after you."
The aforementioned girl bit her lip. "Then who will be guarding me?"
The Colonel nodded his head towards the Elric brothers.
Getting the message, Edward swiftly climbed off the couch, his face set in a deep, disapproving scowl. "No way, Colonel Bastard! As soon as we came to East City, we were done babysitting. Me and Al still need to search for the Philosopher's Stone. We can't be babysitting anymore!"
"Brother!" Al chastised. However, Ed only ignored him.
"Don't think about it as babysitting, Fullmetal," Mustang replied with a small smirk. "Think about it as having an extra companion on your journey. And besides, with all the trouble you get into, you'll need someone to treat your broken and beat up body before you end up getting buried ten feet under."
The blond alchemist knew what his superior was insinuating. On one hand, having a personal nurse wouldn't be so bad. He wouldn't have to stop by the hospital every time he gets seriously hurt. But on the other hand, he didn't want another person tagging along, getting in the way of their personal mission to restore their bodies to their original state.
"Take Orihime with you, Fullmetal. That's an order," Mustang announced, leaving no room for argument.
"Fine," Ed agreed reluctantly.
The Colonel smirked, knowing he won. "And I also don't know why you don't want to have such a gorgeous girl traveling with you," he said with a playful smirk. "You must be blind or something."
Alphonse had to held his older brother back from thrashing the dark haired man.
As the men were making such a commotion, Orihime, remembering something, unzipped her bag, pulling out a tied up white cloth from it. She stood up and walked over the blonde haired woman.
"What is it?" the lady asked her.
Orihime held her hand out for the woman to take the bag. "Here. I made macarons. Take it, Miss…," she trailed off, not knowing the lady's name.
The blonde lady gave her a soft smile. "It's Riza. Riza Hawkeye. And thanks." She took the white bag from the girl's outstretched hand.
The ginger haired girl smiled in return not before being yanked away by a fuming Ed.
"Let's get the hell out of here! I can't stand being in the Colonel Bastard's presence anymore!" the blond alchemist growled out. The girl stayed silent as she let him drag her away waving goodbye to Mustang and Hawkeye with Alphonse following quietly after them.
Later that day, Orihime found herself in the hotel Edward and Alphonse used while they stayed in East City.
Orihime sat awkwardly on a brown leather couch as she watched Alphonse failed attempts at comforting a sulking Edward.
"You know, you don't have to be my bodyguards, if you don't want to," the ginger haired girl piped in.
This caught both boys' attentions.
"I mean, I don't want to cause anymore trouble," she said, shrinking away from their gazes.
"It's not trouble at all, Orihime," Alphonse reassured her. Edward, on the other hand, remained silent, a scowl still set on his face.
"It also...doesn't make me happy," she muttered under breath, a downcast expression on her face.
"What was that?" Edward asked, his hard gaze staring straight at her. He wanted to know if he heard her right.
Orihime offered a lopsided smile. "Nothing!" She looked around the room. "So… What now? What do you guys do?"
"You still haven't explained to us what your powers are, Orihime," Ed said, looking at her sternly.
Gray eyes widened in realization. "Oh, right…" She paused for a second. "But can you explain to me what alchemy is?"
Both brothers glanced at each other, as if having a silent argument.
"It'll help explain my powers," she added in.
The blond alchemist sighed. "Fine."
"Alchemy is science," Alphonse stepped in to educate Orihime on the subject. "The principle of alchemy is to understand, deconstruct, and reconstruct matter. There are three steps to alchemy. The first step is comprehension." Orihime watched as Alphonse began drawing on the floor with a piece of chalk. "This means you need a deep understanding of the substance and the chemical and molecular makeup of that structure. Next is decomposing. Breaking down the structure into something more malleable, so it's easier to reshape its form." After he finished drawing, he put the chalk away. To the auburn haired girl, it looked like a circle with a square inside it and a diamond inside the square. "And finally, there's reconstructing the substance. Just basically shaping it into a new form."
He placed his hands on the drawing, and the ginger haired girl watched in fascination as the familiar spark of alchemic light began to flash before revealing a small wooden horse in the center of the circle.
"Wow! That's amazing!" Orihime yelled out excitedly, clapping her hands in admiration.
Alphonse rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "It's nothing…"
"What Al drew is called a Transmutation Circle," Edward said, cutting into the conversation. "It what alchemist draw to perform transmutations. There are some more advanced Transmutation Circles for different and stronger transmutations. This is one..." he explained, pointing at the chalk drawn circle. "...Is one of the more basic Transmutation Circles."
Even though Orihime was a straight A student for the most part, what she failed most at was science, barely making it with a B. And by what she could deduce by the Elric brothers explanation of alchemy, it requires extensive knowledge of science, in particular, chemistry and biology.
"However, alchemy does have its own laws and limitations," Ed continued, grabbing the girl's attention as she eagerly listened to their lecture. "The most important law in alchemy is the Law of Equivalent Exchange."
She seemed to perk up, remembering Edward mentioning this in Greia. Ed took note of the look of recognition on her facial expression.
"The Law of Equivalent Exchange specifically states that to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost. Meaning, you can't create something out of nothing. For example, you could only transmute water with something that attributes to water. And you could only transmute a hundred grams of metal with something that equals the weight amount of metal used. Get it?"
Orihime tried to process all the information giving to her. It was all so complicated. Science was complicated. But she got the simplicity of it. It sounded similar to the Laws of Thermodynamics and other set of laws she learned in her science classes, but the former seemed to be most prominent.
The ginger haired girl nodded dumbly, her gray eyes staring in awe at the two boys. They were so smart!
"Well?" The impatience underlining Edward's voice snapped her out of her musings.
She blinked in confusion. "Well what?"
"Don't play dumb!" Ed almost yelled out, his temper getting the best of him. "We showed you our alchemy, now show us yours. It's the Law of Equivalent Exchange."
Auburn eyebrows scrunched up in puzzlement. The blond alchemist's scowl deepened, clearly showing his irritation.
Realization flashed across her gray eyes. "Oh, yeah!" she smiled.
Ed just let out a nettled huff.
Orihime unclipped her hairclips from the collar of her blazer and placed them on the table.
"Why did you place your hairpins on the table, Orihime?" Alphonse asked.
She smiled at him. "You'll see…"
The boys stared at the pins in confusion before their eyes widened with bewilderment when it flashed a bright orange color before bursting apart in an small explosion of energy.
Once the flash of light settled down, it revealed the six fairies they saw during their fight with Lust and Gluttony. Alphonse stared at them in awed fascination whilst Edward gave a look of eager learning.
"You called Orihime?" Shun'ou asked.
The ginger haired nodded. "Edward and Alphonse would like for me to explain my powers for them." She scratched the side of her head, sheepishly. "You could probably tell them better than I could."
Shun'ou nodded in understanding. "Sure!"
Orihime perked up as if remembering something. "Although, I would appreciate it if you left out the part about Soul Reapers, Hollows, and other...things out of the explanation. Just keep it about us and our powers as best as you could. Please?"
The blonde spirit stared at her master for a few moments before her face broke into a smile. "If that is what you wish, Orihime."
The aforementioned girl clapped her hands together in appreciation. "Thanks!"
The Elric brothers watched Orihime's conversation with the little pixies eagerly. The blonde one turned to face them.
"As you know, we are Orihime's powers," she started to lecture them.
"So? Her power is to manifest six fairies?" Ed asked incredulously.
"But I thought she had healing abilities," Al added in with his own question.
Shun'ou flew up so she was eye level with the brothers. "Well, in a sense, yes." Seeing the perplexed looks she was getting, the blonde fairy started to elaborate further. "We are the power that resides inside her soul. So each one of us is an extension of her soul, therefore, her power."
The brothers eyes widened, whether in shock or alarm, Orihime couldn't tell.
"Wait!" Edward practically screeched out, slamming his hands on the table in baffled astonishment. "Orihime was able to split her soul into six individual beings?! Then why isn't she dead?! Once the soul leaves the body, it's lost!"
He was really trying to his best to put all of this together. As far as any alchemical studies and knowledge goes, the soul is the most vital part of the human body. Once the soul leaves the body that means the body is no longer functional, it's dead. There were no cases of the soul actually leaving the body, and the body still being alive and functional.
Shun'ou made a hand gesture, telling him to calm down, he's talking too fast for her comprehend what he was saying.
"We are not her soul. We are only a part of it."
"Okay… I can kind of understand it," Alphonse spoke. "But where does Orihime's power come from. How did she acquire this power? I… My brother and I have never heard such a thing before in all our lives. It's really...a lot to take in."
The blonde pixie smiled and nodded in understanding. "It's understandable. Orihime couldn't comprehend it herself when she first summoned us. In fact, she was so shocked that she tried to capture us and take us to show and tell." Shun'ou snickered at the memory.
"Hey!" Orihime pouted.
Shun'ou chuckled louder at her master's pouting face before resuming her lecture. "Souls are very powerful energy sources. In fact, very few humans are able to draw power from their souls. To be able to manifest their powers, the strength of the person's soul is very crucial. It could be the difference between an average person, having hyper spiritual awareness, or uncovering your inherent ability."
The Elric brothers listened to her explanation with extreme interest. "So? Does everyone have the same powers?" Edward asked. He wanted to get as much information. All this could be useful in restoring his brother's body back. He needed as much knowledge he could get a hold of to achieve that goal.
"No," Shun'ou said, simply. "Just like all humans are different, all powers are different. It… It depends on what kind of person you are. Although, there are a few who share similar fundamental abilities that start to diverge once the person starts to understand and grasp their own power."
"But what about the Law of Equivalent Exchange?" Alphonse pressed. "Surely something has to be taken to attain such abilities."
Shun'ou paused, seeming slightly confused. She glanced back at Orihime and the girl returned her gaze with an encouraging smile.
The blonde female fairy sighed. As much as she appreciated the sentiment, that wasn't what she was looking for.
Equivalent Exchange? There was no Equivalent Exchange. But Orihime had told her to be as truthful about her powers as possible without revealing too much… And that includes twisting the facts a bit.
"The more she uses us and our powers, the more exhausted Orihime becomes," Shun'ou spoke, finally answering Al's question. "After all, we are using her soul as a power source." The answer wasn't a total lie. Actually, it was more truthful than she thought it would be. Orihime did faint the first time using her powers. And, over time, she's got so strong, she doesn't tire easily from overuse.
The boys were absorbing all the information with rapt enthusiasm. This new type of alchemy was so fascinating! Now they had sudden urge to travel to Orihime's home country to find more alchemists like her. Maybe they'll be able to learn to operate this new type of alchemy for themselves.
"Hey, Orihime!" Edward called, grabbing her attention.
"Hmm?" Gray eyes glanced up at golden ones.
"Where is Japan located?" After seeing her tilt her head in puzzlement, Ed elaborated. "We want to go there!" he declared.
The ginger haired girl's eyes widened in alarm and she started to sweat nervously. "It's… It's…" She fidgeted with the hem of her gray skirt.
How was she supposed to tell them Japan doesn't exist in their world? To tell them she came from a completely different universe than theirs? And that also means to tell them she's been lying to them all this time? Of course, she felt poorly about being a fibber. But for the sake of her Soul Reaper friends, for the sake of Ichigo and all her friends at school, she can't tell the truth. She just can't.
Luckily, she was saved from the humiliation and embarrassment, when Tsubaki swooped in and kicked Edward in the side of his head. The latter let out a small grunt of pain and annoyance.
"Tsubaki!" Orihime scolded the fiery spirit, although, she was mentally thanking him for his intervention.
Tsubaki glared at Edward. "Listen, kid. You don't need to understand how we operate. All you need to know that we are part of that woman's powers. Got it, pipsqueak?"
"Pipsqueak?!" Ed growled out angrily.
"You know, for someone so tiny, you sure are bossy," Al commented with an animated sweat drop.
"Well, that's enough explanation," Orihime announced happily. "Oh… Before I forget… That's Tsubaki," she informed, telling the Ed and Al the names of her six spirits. "This is Shun'ou. Her name is Ayame. The bulky guy is Baigon. The one next to him is Hinagiku. And last, this girl's name is Lily," she finished introducing the six pixies that make up her power, the Shun Shun Rikka.
Tsubaki tsked. "Let's go back." He turn to glare at Orihime. "Next time, woman, don't call us for some damn exposition."
Before Edward could question where they were heading to, there was a bright flash of light. The fairies began to disappear and in their place revealed Orihime's floral hairclips.
The ginger haired picked them up off the table and placed them at their usual place on her blazer's collar.
Ed opened his mouth to say something. There were still so many questions he wanted answered. Like where did she find such alchemically charged hair accessories?
"Who's ready for dinner?" Orihime blurted out. At the mention of food, the blond alchemist's stomach growled. She giggled at his red face. She went into the kitchen to start preparing their evening meal.
He couldn't believe how late it's gotten. With the sky this dark, he couldn't doing any research on the Philosopher's stone. He guessed that it was going to have to wait until tomorrow.
The aroma of fruits and pastries wafted through the air and the sizzling of pots sounded through. Right now, Ed was thinking two things. First to quench his hunger, and second… Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have his own private chef and healer traveling with him.
The next day, early in the morning in fact, Orihime was woken up by Ed. He didn't really say much. Only muttering something about going to the library. And since they were bodyguarding her, she was obligated to come along.
So now… The ginger haired girl found herself at the East City Library.
"What are we doing at the library?" she asked.
"To find clues on the Philosopher's Stone," Edward replied.
Orihime raised a questionable eyebrow.
"The stone is said to be a legend, a myth, but we could always find bits of information about it in books. If we connect the dots, we may find the stone's location," Alphonse elaborated.
Orihime grinned and nodded in understanding. She watched silently as Edward pulled out a book and began reading. It amazed her at how focused he was. Nothing else matters, except the task at hand.
"Almost like Ichigo…" she thought fondly. She shook those thoughts away. It'll only make her sad and more homesick.
"Orihime?"
"Yes?" Gray eyes glanced up at the suit of armor.
"Want to help me look?"
"Sure! But… I'm not really that smart, Alphonse," she said slowly.
"Don't worry. You could just help me search through the books," Al said. If he had a human face, she could tell he'd be smiling.
It's been hours and Edward was encased in a giant pile of books. Right now, he was engrossed in his twenty first one. His ears twitched at the sound muttering and the clanking of metal. He has been hearing whispers for quite awhile now, but opted to ignore it in favor of concentrating on finding clues about the Philosopher's Stone.
Setting the book down, his curiosity getting the best of him, Ed went to investigate the ruckus. When he turned the corner, his jaw almost dropped at the number of guys piled inside a corner of a section.
Ed sweat dropped. "There's never been this many people inside the library before." He could make out some of the words the guys were spurring out.
"Hey! Why is the hot chick with you?"
"She'll be better off with me! I know how to treat her right!"
"I'll take you on, tin man! She'll see I'm a better man!"
The blond alchemist leaned in to get a closer look to see what the commotion was about. Trapped inside a corner, he could make out the outlines of his younger brother hiding an uncomfortable Orihime behind him, shielding her from the pack of dogs that call themselves men.
His irritation growing at the men's stupidity, he pushed past the crowd until he finally made it to Al and Orihime, catching the two's attentions.
"What's going on?" Edward whispered harshly.
Before Alphonse could answer, one the boys groaned, annoyed.
"Now, shorty's here's too?"
Another one snickered. "She's way out of his league."
One laughed out loud. "Yeah, he's too short for a hot chick like her."
As they were all laughing, none of them realize the throbbing, popping veins on Edward's red face.
In a split second, Ed lunged at the men. "SHORTY?! CAN A SHORTY DO THIS?! WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO CALL ME?! A HALF PINT?! BEANSPROUT?! MIDGET?! I'M STILL GROWING, YOU IDIOTS!" he all but furiously roared out, wrathfully tossing each guy in some corner of the library, knocking over shelves and tables and chairs to tumble over, banging loudly against the carpet floor.
Unfortunately, Edward's vengeful display caused the three of them to get kicked out of the library.
Alphonse sighed as they were walking down the steps of the library. "You couldn't just control your temper, brother?" he accused, giving Ed and exasperated eye glance.
In response, the elder Elric looked appalled. "How is this my fault? They were the idiots we called me 'short'!" he argued.
"No, it's my fault," Orihime said, feeling guilty for having caused that incident.
Both brothers stared at her.
"Now, look at what you did?" Al chastised, bonking Ed on the head for upsetting the auburn haired girl.
Edward flinched. "Ow! What the hell, Al?" he yelled, tenderly rubbing the back of his head his younger brother's metal fist hit. His golden eyes glanced at the girl's guilt ridden, gray ones.
Feeling slightly ashamed, he turned away, crossing his arms. "Don't blame yourself, Orihime. That stupid look doesn't suit you."
"But…" she began to protest.
"It's fine, it's fine," Ed cut her off, rubbing the side of his head. He began descending down the stairs. "And besides, I figured out our next step. So it wasn't a total loss."
"Really, brother?" Al questioned, as he and Orihime caught up to him.
"Yeah. Apparently, there's been a priest in Liore who does miracles by producing a bright flash of red light."
"Do you think it could be…?" Alphonse trailed off.
The blond alchemist shook his head. "I don't know, but it's all the have to go on at this point."
He looked up at the sky. Orihime could make out the raw determination shining through his golden orbs.
"C'mon, let's go buy our tickets to the next train to Liore!"
(A/N: That's the end of chapter ten! Hoped you enjoyed it! There's nothing much I want to say, except making Ed and Al Orihime's bodyguards. I know, it's kind of cliche, but it's only thing I could think of to keep them all together because Edward wouldn't allow it otherwise. And besides, I think it's a win-win on both sides. Orihime gets protection and Ed gets his own personal cook and nurse. Although, I don't think Orihime would like the idea of being protected after what happened with Ichigo. Bonus points for Edward and Alphonse for seeing, first hand, how much of a dude magnet Orihime can be.
Well, leave any comments, suggestions, and questions in review, and thanks for reading!)