It is What it Is (FMA Fanfiction)

Decide For Yourself

Story: It Is What It Is, Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.

MANAGING 5 CHARACTERS AT A TIME IS HELL! T-T

I also had a lot of trouble writing for Ling in this chapter, he's so happy, yet he has some of the best inspirational moments with Greed, it's just hard to get him right.

Omake for previous chapter(Made by one of my friends, who also helped me with the information and passage about the chemical compounds in the previous chapter, which has been revised by the way, if any of you are interested.):

Ed: *smug* You just wish you could make awesome dolls like these.

Roy: If by 'awesome' you mean 'in appalling taste', sure.

...

When everybody, except Roy, had returned, the smell of cooking broccoli had filled the kitchen.

Alphonse had temporarily went to the guest bedroom to put up some books he'd apparently checked out at the library. When Edward was, even momentarily, left to his own thoughts, however, he began to wonder why Roy hadn't come by yet. He said he was going to. Did he say he was going to just to be nice? Had something bad happened? Nah, he's probably just being held back by some paperwork or something. He is dealing with that murder case...

I still don't know what that guy thinks of me half the time... We banter and argue a lot, but then he turns around and tells me that I should give myself more credit, even though I'm the reason Hughes is-

"So what's for dinner? It smells delicious." Ling's voice cut him out of his thoughts.

Edward jumped, glaring at him. "What are you doing he-?!"

Riza immediately had her concealed carry out in a flash and was pointing it at Ling. "Who are you?"

"W-w-wait! Hold on, Lieutenant." Edward jumped in between them. "This is Ling, one of my friends. He's from Xing."

Under normal circumstances, Edward would have never admitted to seeing Ling as his friend, but this was kind of an emergency.

Much to Edward's and Ling's relief, Riza lowered her gun, albeit still a bit suspicious.

"Xing?" She inquired, as a thoughtful look filled her gaze. "Hold on, but isn't that all the way across the desert...?"

"Yes, it is, but this idiot prince here got the brilliant idea of crossing the desert in search of the stone. I tried to tell him he shouldn't try to seek after it, but, like a dumbass, he wouldn't listen."

Did Ed just say Prince? This boy is a prince?

"Hey, lighten up on the 'idiot' stuff, will you?" Ling wined.

"No way, I'm only saying it because it's true. Only an idiot crosses a desert without proper food and water." Edward lightly hit him on the head. "And only an even bigger idiot would continue to seek out the philosopher's stone despite the warnings to stay away from it."

In reality, Edward knew that he would have sounded like a total hypocrite to those who knew his situation, because he had looked for the stone for two years. However, getting Ling too deeply involved in this was dangerous. He didn't want the same thing to happen to Ling that happened to Hughes.

"Oh, Ling, you came!" Alphonse said excitedly, coming back in.

"Hey, Alphonse! I was wondering where you were." Ling held up a hand. Riza was still currently cooking, but decided to let them to their own devices.