Disclaimer-- We do not own Naruto or FMA... But we do own that drug ring on the corner, you know the one. We've seen you there.

Maykitty: Hey everyone! Pretty quick chapter update huh? Just had a new one the other day and now there's this one! . I feel so proud of myself!

k-a-storiez: Proud that you're an idiot?

Maykitty: No.. Don't you have a corner that needs your attention? The guys are waiting...

k-a-storiez: Sarcasticly Oh yeah, cuz you know that's what I do.

Maykitty: Okay now that we've agreed on that. The results of the poll so far about who will be with Ino and whether there will be a Lemon or not will be at the end of each chapter until it's closed so you know how it's going. Now without further delay! The new chapter!

Previously

Ino looked at him slightly concerned "What happened?" She asked and he looked at her "He has a possible lead on the Philosopher stone.. Me and Al need to go." Winry heard him and stepped into the room before he went off to grab Al. A few minutes later both boys were back in the room about to leave just when Ino asked them a question "Can I come with you?" Both of them stopped in their tracks and looked at her "Uh.. Well.." Ed began before Al started to talk, smiling as best as a piece of armor could "I think she should brother. I mean she's a ninja so we would have another fighter with us and it would make it easier if we ran into trouble."

His older brother smiled as well "Okay, okay. You guys win, she can come with us." Ino all of a sudden hugged him "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said very fast and he blushed "Y-your welcome.." Al started laughing along with Winry "You're blushing big brother!" He glared slightly at him "No I wasn't! It's just hot in here!" Ino smiled and started to laugh too, looking forward to when they would set out.

Ino was walking along the dirt path that was supposed to be like a road as her blonde hair that was up in a ponytail swayed back and forth along with her movements, Ed and Al to the right of her with the shorter of the two in the middle. They had left soon after Mustang's call about the homunculus and the Philosopher stone and the group had been traveling for a few days now with the occasional stop to eat and rest.

"Ed could you check the map to see how far it is to the next town? They might have some information and depending on the distance we might wanna pick up the pace so we can get there sooner." The kunoichi told him before he grabbed a piece of paper from the pocket of his black pants, his red coat swaying a bit from the movement as he unfolded it reveiling a decent sized picture of the surrounding area "The nearest town is Whitelake, it's probably about five miles from here but it's getting dark pretty fast so we'll have to make camp out here for tonight but we should get there before noon tomorrow." Ed told her and she nodded "Alright, I guess we should find a safe spot then to stay for the night."

The group of teens walked for about thirty more minutes before they finally found a good spot to set up camp amongst a group of trees. The camp wasn't much, there were no tents or anything like that, just a fire for warmth that would also be used to cook their food so they wouldn't be eating raw meat "So who's getting what this time?" Al asked, the two others would usually get the supplies and just had him stay to watch the campsite but there would always be an arguement between them about who got what.

"I'll grab the firewood!" They both yelled in unison before looking at eachother while slightly glaring "You!? No I am!" They said together again and Al just sat there not really wanting to get involved but he knew if he didn't say anything the yelling would just escalate until the two were right in eachothers faces "Um.. How about rock, paper, scissors? You guys could decide that way." He mentioned nervously not sure how they would react to his suggestion as the people in question stared at him for a minute before they turned to face eachother again "Fine, but there's no way I'm gonna lose!" Ino declared and Ed snorted at the statement "That's what you think."

The game conditions were best two outta three got to get firewood while the other was stuck with animal hunting duty, after they both agreed on the rules they began to play. The first game ended pretty quick with Ed as the winner, he smirked thinking that this was going to be easy and done very soon with him having the easier job. The second game lasted longer with them making the same move as eachother for three times in a row before Ino won, when the third round was starting they were staring at eachother in a very determined way both thinking only about winning. Eventually after about six minutes of playing, yelling, swearing, and some scared looks from Al it was over and Ed had lost "Ha! Told ya I'd win!" The happy girl yelled as the grumbling boy stood up.

"Whatever, I still say you cheat." Ed told her and she stuck her tongue out at him childishly "And you're a sore loser." He rolled his eyes and walked into the more forested area to hunt while Ino finally stood up and went to look for more firewood so they could keep the fire going.

Ino had returned first with a bundle of firewood in her arms as she walked over to the fire and set them down nearby. She glanced at Al but she couldn't tell if he was sleeping, hell she didn't even know if he did sleep because she know he didn't eat anything, she turned her head slightly when she heard some rustling in the bushes and her brain went into defensive mode as she grabbed a kunai from her back pocket. All of a sudden Ed emerged carrying a few dead rabbits but when he saw her weapon he froze for a second "What're you doing?" The blonde girl quickly put the kunai away before looking straight at the shorter boy "Sorry, I didn't know it was you."

He merely shrugged and moved closer to the fire before he sat down so he could skin the rabbits with the pocket knife he had "We all make mistakes so it's fine. It shouldn't take me long to skin and cook these.. Are you hungry?" He asked her but didn't look up from what he was doing "A little bit." She told him and then her stomache growled causing her face to go red "I guess I'm hungrier than I thought." Ed laughed making her face go even redder than before but since he wasn't looking at her, he never saw it.

Al just sat there leaning against a tree, he wasn't asleep no, he never slept because he didn't need such things anymore but he kept quiet as not to disturb the moment his brother and his new friend were having in fear that it would shatter like thin glass. He watched as the girl walked over to her brother and took a seat beside him as he worked.

Not long after, Ed finished skinning the rabbits and cut the meat into smaller pieces before he used some of the sticks Ino had brought back to camp to place the raw food over the hot fire "It's so quiet.." Ino stated as she looked up at the night sky, stars twinkling here and there across the dark blue background "Yeah, kinda eerie if you ask me." He replyed and she nodded in agreement until she let out a yawn her hand moving to cover her widening mouth "Just a bit longer and it'll be done cooking." He told her before she said sleepily "Mmkay.." Without evening realising she was doing it she slowly leaned over to rest her tired head on his shoulder.

The alchemist glanced over at her to see the fire light dancing across her face and she wore a peaceful expression, not sure of what to say he simply wrapped his arm around her pulling the blonde girl a bit closer and making his long red coat drape over her small form slightly. Ino started to smile in her sleep as her breathing evened out a bit, they stayed this way for awhile longer before Ed gently laid her down on the ground and took off his coat to cover her so she wouldn't get cold so he could remove the food from the fire before it burned and put it out. He quickly ate some of the fried rabbit meat and then wrapped the rest of it up for them later before he walked to a tree near Ino and Al.

He sat down and leaned against it before he fell asleep, blissfully ignorant that his younger brother had just seen the whole event with Ino unfold.

Ed blinked as sunlight shone into his face, reveiling slightly blurry amber colored eyes before he sat up "I was wondering when you'd get up brother, you've been sleeping for quite awhile now." The talking suit of armor stated as his older brother turned his gaze to him "Really? Sorry about that." He heard movement to his right and he glanced at it from the corner of his eye to see Ino "It's okay, you've been running around alot lately so it's only natural that at least once you're going to sleep longer than normal." She smiled at him and a light blush crept onto his cheeks after he remembered about the events last night by the fire "Th-thanks, so did you ever eat anything? You fell asleep before it was done cooking."

The blonde kunoichi nodded "Yeah, I got up a bit ago and grabbed some of the leftover food." She handed him his coat with a smile "Thanks for letting me borrow this last night." He took his coat from her and put it back on, he had totally forgotten about it and hadn't even realised he didn't have it on "No problem, you needed it more than I did at the time."

He stood up since he felt weird about being the only one sitting down "Should we go to Whitelake now brother?" Al asked and the short male nodded "Uh-huh, lets pack up and go." The three teens grabbed all of the things they were taking with them and made sure that the fire was completely put out so it wouldn't start a forest fire when they left.

After everything was done they started going North to the town Whitelake to see what they could find out about the rumors of homunculus activity and the Philsopher stone.

It was a bit after noon that day when they arrived at the edge of the town, and as they continued they noticed the stares of the local people as they passed by while some even went into their homes and locked the doors. Ino glanced around in confusion before she whispered to the others "What's going on? Why are they acting like this?" Ed's pupils narrowed before he replied "I'm not sure but it's definately strange.." Pretty soon they made it to the middle of the city where there were many different types of shops which surrounded a big fountain.

They stood there in awe for a second before there was a sudden splash and Ino's front was covered in water "Give me back my sister you monsters!" A young boy probably the age of twelve yelled as his father came and grabbed him "Niklas!" Ed looked at the two "What was that about?" He asked in irritation as the boy struggled against his father's grip as the older man looked up "I'm sorry, Niklas has a tendancy to.. Act out sometimes. My name is Joesph, please come by to my house for something to eat as an apology, it's not safe for outsiders to be wandering around here right now."

The three looked at eachother uncertainly but seeing as they were getting nowhere by standing there they agreed to go with Niklas and his father Joesph to their home.

Joesph and the three teens sat at the table, Niklas didn't want to join them but kept peering at them from around the edge of a nearby doorway glaring as best as he could from the spot "First let me explain to you why Niklas acted the way he did earlier in the town plaza." The sudden talking made all of them turn their attention to him "A few months ago the children in this town started to disappear, ages varying from eight to as high as sixteen years.. This was a little after a group of strangers had appeared and a week ago they took my nine year old daughter Ameena as well, that's why Niklas acted the way he did... You kids are strangers so he thought you may be with the ones who took his younger sister."

Ino glanced at the young boy who was glaring at them before she looked back to Joesph "But why are they taking these children?" She asked not fully understanding the situation "No one has been able to find out yet, anyone who tries to get near where the group of strangers stay disappear and none of the ones who have gone have come back to town."

Ed had been listening intently the whole time to what Joesph was saying, his eyes shut so he could concentrate on the older man's words and when he finally finished he opened his eyes again to look at him 'This could be what Mustang meant when he said it might have to do with the Philospher stone or the homunculi.' Joesph spoke up "Is something wrong young man?" The alchemist shook his head to get out of his dazed state and noticed he had been staring at the man.

"Sorry, I was just thinking.." The man raised an eyebrow questioningly "About what?" Ed took a deep breath before he started to speak again "We might be able to find out what's happening to the children, we came here to investigate something and I think that they somehow might be connected to one another." Joesph went quiet for a moment "But we don't know where these strangers are staying so we won't be able to even check it out." He told Joesph and sighed in frustration "I can tell you where they are but I don't agree with sending ones so young, whatever happened to our town's children could just as easily happen to you three."

Al looked at him "Please, we need to go there and while we're there we could find out what happened to the children." Ino sat there silently listening to the three males talk as she glanced at her clothes to see if they were still wet from the splash earlier to see they were a little damp but mostly dry. She looked up and saw that Niklas was still by the doorway but he wasn't glaring at them anymore, instead he looked inquisitive.

"All you need to do is go through the West gate of town and continue that way into the forest, it'll be a couple days journey from here to where they're staying but the building is big and falling apart so you won't be able to miss it unless you're blind." The blonde girl had tuned back into their conversation when Joesph had started telling them the directions and she mentally told herself to remember them so they wouldn't get lost when they left "You kids can stay here and leave tomorrow. We've spent a great deal of time talking and it wouldn't be very safe for you three out in the woods at night."

The older male turned to look at his son who had been by the doorway the whole time "Niklas, would you show them to the guest rooms upstairs?" The boy nodded but didn't seem too thrilled to be doing this but his father said nothing as he turned back to the three teens "The boys can stay in one room while the young lady can stay in the other, they're right across the hall from eachother so you don't feel like you're being isolated." He smiled before telling Niklas that he should go show them now.

They thanked him before they stood up from the table and followed the boy upstairs into a long hallway with many rooms "Wow, I wonder why there are so many?.." Ino thought aloud and Niklas glanced back at her with his big brown eyes "We used to run a small hotel for travelers before the disappearances began, but now not many people come through here so we don't get much business." She looked at him "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up your misfortunes, it's really none of my business." He smiled "It's alright, we've gotten used to what's happening around here.. I just wish I knew what was happening to my little sister."

Ed stared at the younger boy as he thought to himself 'What's with the attitude change all of a sudden? First he throws water at Ino and screams but now he's all quiet and understanding? Ugh, I just don't get this kid.' While he finished his little statement in his mind they had finally arrived at their rooms "Here they are, the boys' room is on the left and the girl's room is on the right." Niklas told them and pointed to each when mentioned before he left.

The group split up, saying goodnight to eachother before they went inside their seperate rooms wanting to get a good night's sleep so they could be prepared for whatever might happen the next day when they went to investigate the old building in the woods.

Maykitty: So did everyone like this chapter? I hope so, it was longer than the last one and there was even a bit of Ino/Ed fluff. XD I worked hard to make sure this was a great chapter since it leads up to something very important to the story, you're probably wondering what that is but you'll just have to wait and see. But something you can hear about right now is the results so far for the polls.

Ed: 2

Envy: 0

Lemon: 1

No Lemon: 0

Maykitty: So far it's Ed in the lead with two votes and Envy has no votes at all so far, plus no one's suggested any other guy to be placed on there. And it looks like we'll have a Lemon later on unless a ton of people say they don't want one. . It'll be my first time writing one but I promise I'll make it a good one. ( I've read a ton of them so it can't be that hard right? Haha. )

Ed: Cheers Yes! I'm winning! And with that campfire scene there's no way I can lose!

Envy: Whatever pipsqueak, you've just got a head start is all. Soon all of my fans will flood the polls and I'll win by a landslide. Smirks You don't stand a chance.

Ed and Envy get into a huge arguement over who will win

Ino: Doesn't my opinion count?..

Maykitty: Smiles Not with this it doesn't. Okay, well don't forget to vote unless you want your favorite to lose, cya next time! Al take us out!

Al: Please no flames, but reviews are welcome. Flames are the reason houses are burned down and there are hobos in boxes behind Kmart.