Equivalent Exchange

[Evoth]

Edward grinned at her, "That's a nice trick that your teacher showed you. Shara speaking of her teacher made Ed a little nastalgic. Those long days he and Al spent the day learning the properties of Alchemy. But then the memories of himself getting scolded intreluded. His neck temporally disappeared into his shoulders as he cringed.

"Come on. My rooms upstairs." Edward walked up the mahogany stairwell and down the plush hallway until he came to a stop at the first door to the right. Pulling a small silver key from his coat pocket he opened the door with a click and entered the room. It was rather spacious considering that it was meant for two people. Two beds with maroon covers. A small reading lamp that sat on a table between the beds. A cherrywood chest sat at the end of each bed. Upon one of the chest sat steel armour.

Its head turned toward Edward, "Brother! You're back!" Ed smiled at the response for his arrival, "Of course I'm back Al. I told you I just wanted to get some air." His smile faded away, "By the way, I brought a friend with me."

[Ben]

"Yeah, it's one of the few he could teach me in a week's time" She said frowning as they walked up to the room. When Ed opened up the door and stepped in she followed him in and then after her first inspection of the room she jumped when the Metal armor talked.

Her eyes went wide and she eyed Al. "I never thought you were..." She trailed off and brushed past Ed and over to Al and gently tapped on the metal and smiled when it echoed. She stepped back and nervously rubbed her right arm. "Sorry, I've heard much about you two, I'm just not up for believing it until I see it for myself."

She lost her nervous appearance and leaned against the wall thinking. This place, no matter how over run with military 'dogs' it was, was much better than she had ever seen. She'd grown up moving from one place to the next, whether it was from a hut, or an underground bolt hole, a laboratory, or the house they had liven in when she was eleven. This looked a lot more inviting than anything else she'd seen for a long time.

She sighed softly as memories came rushing back to her and reached up and let her hair down. It fell over her shoulders and with a shake of her head it fell down over her face, shading her eyes. "So about what I was going to show you Ed" she said walking over to the bed that Al sat in front of. She sat down and worked the straps on her gloves.

[Evoth]

Small laughter echoed in the hull of Al. It wasn't uncommon for people to poke and prod the vessel that he was sealed to. Alphonse had become used to it in their many travels across the countryside. "There's nothing special about us." he said with his soft voice, "We're just like any other person."

Edward laughed, "Just with a few exceptions." He took off his wet coat and laid it across the chest. His automail arm now fully exposed. It glistened under the light as small water droplets let gravity take a hold and pull it down. Ed grabbed a small towel and dried off the moisture.

Without any hesitation Edward plopped down on the soft bed and kicked his wet boots off. They made a near silent thud as they landed under the bed across from him. His gaze quickly turned to Shara as the words, "So about what I was going to show you Ed." reached his ears. "What does she mean brother?" Ed shook his head in response. As if to say he didn't know himself.

[Ben]

'Messy Housekeeping' was the first thing that came to her mind as the boots landed under the bed she was sitting on. She sighed softly and when Al questioned Ed she giggled softly. 'too bad he doesn't have hair to ruffle' She shook her head.

"Please, please don't freak out." She said and then hesitantly rolled the sleeves of her sweater up and pulled the sleeves of her shirt out of her gloves and then pulled the gloves off, her palms up. They were both auto-mail. Not as good as Ed's but they were in great repair and shiny.

She knew that they'd get the idea that this wasn't such a big secret so she bit her lower lip and turned her hands over. The ruby red glinted in the light of the room and She smiled sadly. "It's split in two and each piece is only a centimeter thick, but I've seen what even a tiny ring can do." She paused and looked up at Ed and then over at Al.

They were bracketed securely into the auto-mail. It was only a small square, but she knew that even what she could had, if used in the wrong way could be rather powerful. "He told me never to use them and I haven't. I barely know anything besides what my father left me." She said pulling a small, thick black book from her sweater pocket and caressing the cover. She stuck the book back in her pocket and slid her gloves back on.

[Evoth]

Both brothers didn't get by what she meant by "Don't freak out." Why would they? What could she have that could possibly do that to two well seasoned Alchemist? Ed and Al watched the young girl with full attention as she was about to reveal what Sorrow was after. As she removed her gloves Ed's eyes opened wide as the crimson hue of the stone emitted from her automail.

He jumped from the bed and stared at the two stones. "Could it be?" his thoughts were racing in his head. But he wasn't the only one who reacted to the stone. Alphonse had gotten up from his sit. "There's no way that could be..." Al's words trailed on in silence. It seemed just like the same stone they found back in Le'ore. But it wasn't.

Shara pulled pulled her gloves back on. Ed looked up at her; his features were shaking, perhaps of excitement or maybe fear. "It's....it's the philosopher's stone." he managed to coax out in a mere whisper. Ed turned towards his brother. What they were searching for, what they wanted to create; it was right before them nearly within their grasp. The thoughts of getting back Al's body seemed almost attainable.

[Ben]

When Ed jumped to his feet and started talking about the stone she drew her hands to her chest and almost glowed in anger. They'd have to get past her and dismantle her auto mail to remove the stones. "You touch my hands and I'm going to..." She dropped the sentence and inched away from them as muchas possible while still remaining on the bed.

'I shouldn't have told them about it! Stupid me, now there's no Sothe to save me when things get rough. Next you know I'll be using the stones!' A look of pure terror flashed across her features and she put her hand behind her back.

Hopefuly she could get the circle right without having to look at it and give it away. It'd give her time to escape if she had to use it, but she really didn't want to. She'd finaly found someone who's catualy let her come inside for a bit and now allthey wanted was the stones.

She clenched her teeth and glared at Ed and almost wished that Sorrow was here to distract the midget. She tasted blood and then realized that she'd been biting down hard on her lower lip. She licked the blood up and watched Ed and Al warily. Once she knew how to use alchemy she was planning to use the stones to get her father back.

[Evoth]

Shara began to back away slowly. Ed blinked at her unware of the fear she had. It was like she was cornered by savage fiends ready to strike down an innocent. She withdrew her hands behind herself. Fear upon her face. "What's wrong with her?" the thought flashed through his mind.

"Brother." Al's voice pierced the silence of the room, "It's the Philosopher's stone!" he said completely oblivious to Shara's fear. "I know Al. I know." His body shivered with excitement. "If only..." he thought. But it all came clear to him. He and Al were acting like the Humunculus. Deprived beings only after the stone.

"Al, come on. We have to go outside for a moment." Alphonse didn't understand why. But he knew it wasn't best to second guess his brother. Both of them withdrew out into the hallway and shut the door behind them. "What is it brother?" asked Al. Edward pulled Alphonse down to his height and whispered into what was supposidly Al's ear, "That stone....it's what that humunculus I met early was after." he bowed his head, "We have to put aside what we want the stone for and keep it out of their hands."

Alphonse remained silence. He stared at his brother, "Of course. Anything to stop them." Edward nodded. His brother was always a kind spirit willing to lend a hand. It seemed that Ed was finally taking the same path. "Come on, we better go back in. She looked scared half to death because of the way we acted."

[Ben]

She watched them and then when they left she checked the circle and shook her head sadly and drew another one. She caught her breath and composed herself. She took her boots off and stuck them down beside Ed's boots. With her back to the wall and her hand with reach of the circle she folded her legs, placed her hands on her legs and reluctantly closed her eyes.

She listened hard and thought things over. They'd scared her, acting just like Sorrow. Driven to get the stone for their own foolish needs. She didn't need any more people coming after her for the stones. She heard the door opened and a few of her muscles twitched reflexively.

She opened an eye just a tiny bit and then shut it, and fought to keep herself from leaving at that instant. Her body wanted to bolt, her mind was screaming bloody murder and her thoughts were in turmoil, but deep down she kept a grip of her sanity and managed to talk with only a slight fearful waver in her voice.

"Fear is what drives me so far from home. I once learned several lessons from various people. Fear is the mind killer, Fear is the black oblivion, Fear drives people to madness and insanity, I must not fear, for if I let fear drive me I will be nothing but a slave." She mumbled and then opened an eye again, her mind repeating the lesson. She seemed calm and cool now, but underneath her clothes she still shook.

[Evoth]

Ed opened the door to find Shara on the floor clintched together. She spoke, her soft voice seemed to quiver in the very air. He was right. They had driven her into the clutches of fear. Ed looked to Al and shook his head in shame. Never had he intended this to happen. A pit began to form within his stomach.

"We all have something to fear in life." Ed walked over to her side and kneeled down next to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder to try and ease her. It was all he could do, "My own fear is to lose my brother. He's the only family I really have left." Al looked down at his brother and nodded, "It's true. But it's fear that can help drive us." Said Al as he closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry if we scared you." Ed let out a small sigh, "Me and Al....we've been searching for the Philosopher's stone. You showed it to us and we reacted just like Sorrow." There was nothing but remorse in Ed's voice. He truely felt sorry for the discontent he had cause. Alphonse felt the same, if not worse.

[Ben]

She listed to Ed and al and then nodded and smiled softly. "All of my siblings were killed, my mother ran away, my father tortured and finally killed." She opened her other eye and looked from Ed to Al and then back. When he apologized she nodded. "We all have something we want the stone for."

She then giggled softly and got to her feet, pulling Ed to his feet as well. "Now that I've thought things over Ed, there may be a way to help you and your brother out." she paused to let it sink in and then went on taking again before they could start asking questions "I know a mixed variety of things about Alchemy. I only have enough knowledge of alchemy to keep myself fed and on the move." A dark look came to her face.

"If you're ever going to be able to use even one of my stones I'm going to have to kill Sorrow with my own two hands. I'll have to get him off my tail before I can do much else, Ed." She turned to look at Ed. "Teach me!"

[Evoth]

Her family was gone. Nothing left. Now that Edward thought about it. He and his brother were lucky just to have each other. She suddenly seemed a bit happy as she stood up. Ed felt her solid grasp and was hoisted to his feet. He looked at her with unblinking eyes. Then she spoke with words that caught both his and his brother's attention.

"There may be a way to help you and your brother out." those words caused his heart to leap in his chest. There had to be a catch. Or at least he thought. No one do such a thing without some kind of payment. Shara's face became dark. She wanted Sorrow dead by her own hands. A task that would be a hard feat to accomplish. Then it finally came, "Teach me!"

Edward gave a quick looked to Al and then back to Shara. He blink multible times and gave a meek smile. "I don't know if I'm the teaching type Shara." Alphonse simply shook his head, "Do it brother!" Ed looked at Shara and let out a defeated sigh, "All right. I'll do it."

[Ben]

She knew her words would spur the two into action and when ed finaly agreed to teach her she smiled and wraped him in a hug and picked him up a few inches off the floor. Carfuly she set him back down and smiled at Al with a giggle. "We'll start tomarow" She said and streched.

Her arms went abover her head and she streched up on her toes making her seem as tall as Al almost. Finaly thing were starting to come together. "Pick a bed, anybed" she said slipping her sweater off and then her shirt.

It was a good thing she had her underhsirt. She lay her clothes on the floor and sketched out a rough circle and touched her fingers to it and when the blue glow dissapeared she picked teh blanket up and hung it about her shoulders.

[Evoth]

Edward felt his body lift from the ground and the sudden popping of his back. He didn't know what he was getting himself into. The soft laughter of Alphonse reached his ears. Ed gave him cross look just before he was gently lowered to the ground.

Shara began to stretch. She towered aboved Ed while doing so. He let out a low mumble, discontented about how short he is. Alphonse heard hear say something about beds, "You can have either...." he stopped talking as soon as Shara started to take her sweater and shirt off. "AH!" he cried.

Edward rushed to his brother's side and took off his helmet. He then turned away from Shara and covered Al's eyes. "You shouldn't see stuff like that until you're older!" He could feel his face starting to flush, "Oh boy, now you've done it."

[Ben]

She looked up to see Ed with his back to her and Alphone's head in his hands. Shara shook her head and took a few steps to ruffle Ed's hair. "You're a funny one full metal. Perhaps there are things I can teach you." She said and smirked. She reached over Ed's shoulder and patted Al's shoulder. "Good night Al." Shara said and then ruffled Ed's hair again.

This was going to be so fun being with them for a time. She knew that these boys no matter how immature they seemed could teach her something. She stretched again and took a few steps over to the wall and knelt down to the wall and touched her fingers to the circle it glowed and the wall made a hole to the outside. "Narea?" About two minutes later a cat appeared in the hold and looked at her "meow?"

Shara pet the cat softly and closed up the hole on the wall. She picked the cat up and then over to Al. "I hope you like cats Al." She said placing the darkly colored tabby cat on his shoulder. "Be nice with Al okay?" She said to the cat and then she pulled the blanket tight about her shoulders and lay down on the bed. "Good night Edward." she said blandly and rolled over on her side. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep almost instantly.

[Evoth]

Shara's hands ran through Ed's hair as she ruffled it side to side. Ed made no movement away from her. It gave him a familiar feeling from when his mother was alive. How she used to do the same thing to him. Edward had a wry smile on his face. "Good night." replied Alphonse. Ed had totally forgotten that he held his brother's head.

"Sorry about that Al." He placed Al's head back onto his body and turned in time to see Shara transmute a hole in the wall and a small creature crawl through. Then came the sound of meow. Shara sealed the hole and in her hands was a small cat. She walked over to Alphonse and placed it upon his shoulder. "Don't worry. I like cats." Al began to stroke its fur. The cat began to let out a low purr.

Alphonse went over to the chest in front of Ed's bed and sat down as if to watch the door, "Good night Ed." he said quietly before he drifted off to 'sleep'. "G'night Al." Edward threw himself onto his bed and looked over to see that Shara had already done the same. "Night Shara." he said to her.