"Hi...Shiba..." Kiri said as she was lead into another cell.
"Ne....I know it's not worth much now...but...I'm sorry...for everything that you've had to go through....it's...it's all my fault...I'm not looking for forgiveness....but....when you get out...be happy?"

Armstrong locked the cell gate behind her and headed towards Edwards cell.
"No fussing or struggling... Roy wants to talk to you first..." He said under his breath to him.

I looked on at Kiri as she was put into her cell, my eyes swelled up.
"K-kiri...why did you come back..?" I asked, my voice shaking. I shook my head.
"No apologizing...youre safe, and thats all that matters to me..." I shook out under my breath.

Edward sighed and stepped out into the hall without a sound.
"Fine.." He said.

Kiri slumped to the ground in front of the bars, looking as well as she could at Shiba.
"Why did I come back?" She chuckled to herself.
"Why indeed....I.....I guess....Someone just told me...that I shouldn't worry those that care the most for me...and that running away...wasn't the solution.." She smiled holding her hands up.
"So...if these chains means your freedom....Shiba...I'll gladly give up the sun."

Armstrong led him up the cold stone steps, only dimly lit by flickering lights in the ceiling and was led into Roys office at the top of the steps. Roy was sitting in his chair, his hands folded under his chin.
"Do you know why I am releasing you?" he said quietly as Armstrong still kept a tight hold of his arm, and his hands still in the anti alchemy shackles.

"Someone? Kiri, where have you been all this time? We were looking all over for you, we were so worried!" My eyes gushed.
"You are like my little sister!!! I would do anything to protect you, to be there for you! It hurts the most that you would run away from us! We...love you so much. We were going to talk to Roy to be able to have custody of you after the tests were over, that he swore would not harm you... but you ran off... and now I don't know if he will even let us go."

"....Because a little idiot came back on her own?" Edward said. He wasn't in the mood to talk to Roy...but it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter anymore.

"I ran away...like you said. I didn't mean to...but I ended up with Edward and Alphonse's freind Winry....she's...she's the one that told me that I shouldn't worry you....and that I should go back to where I belonged...she...her and Alphonse are the ones that brought me back...I left them at the train station to come find you...." She laughed bitterly.
"Seems I can't help but hurt people who care about me huh?" She looked over at a corner.
"I don't care anymore...let the Mustang Man do what he will...I've made amends, and my mind is clear."

He stood and looked out the window.
"Because I believe her. I dont think she will struggle anymore. I planned to give her to you and Shiba when I was finished... but.. she still is a homoncouls.... even after her rebirth. NOw I am not so sure what I should do." he sighed and looked to Edward.
"I need your word that you will not break her out of here once I release you and Shiba."

"I... wanted you to stay safe... but not to not ever return, or be on your own...Kiri, we love you and we only worry about you and your safety. You are a small child after all." I sighed.
"Alphonse and Winry are here?" i looked up at her.
"If you would be good, and cooperate, we wouldn't be hurting... you need to follow Mustangs orders, and maybe he will let you be with us when he's done. He needs you alive to do the tests. He wont hurt you. He knows ill whoop him a new one if he hurts you."

".....You think I'm willing to put Shiba back in that prison after this little stay? You're crazier than I thought Mustang...but no....I will not break Kiri out after we're released." His face was serious, and his voice low.


Kiri nodded.
"I know that....now.." She sighed...she might have been a child in body...but she still felt like her old self. She looked at her hands, and then back to Shiba.
"I miss...the flow of time..." She muttered.
"Yes...they....might be wandering around...but they're here." Kiri's heart fell in her chest. Tests...that word scared her more than most...but...but she stilled her trembling body and pulled herself up straight.
Maybe he'll let me go.....if I'm not dead by then.... She didn't say it....but she knew that it was a possiblity, Mustang didn't consider her a person....only a thing....he'd told her that he knew that she was a Life...but..with the way she remembered him from before...he didn't act like it.

Roy nodded.
"Prison is not the place for a lady like her." He snapped a glare to Armstrong.
"Release him. Then go get Shiba and bring her up here." Armstrong did as he was told and uncuffed Edward, and then disappeared down the steps again. Roy sighed and plopped down in his chair.
"Have you seen Tucker in your travels?" He said, his head in his hand.
"He's been missing since Kiri was resurrected, along with the lifeless body of his daughter."

CLICK.
I stood with the help of Armstrong and looked to Kiri.
"I will make a deal with him. Please don't worry. We wont' leave central unless youre with us. I love you... stay strong..Ki- little sister." She was led out, and I looked over my shoulder at her until the darkness consumed her. I sighed and looked forward, my eyes watery as I emerged dinto the natural light of the office. i hissed and looked up. I looked to Edward, who was not cuffed. I looked to Roy.
"@sshole." I said simply.

Edward rubbed his wrists and shook his head.
"I haven't seen him since that night.." He did smirk a little...it seemed the Colonel couldn't keep track of his other 'secret' either...Kiri wasn't the only one.

Kiri smiled weakly.
"Shiba......be happy.." She rolled over onto her side away from the door so that she couldn't see the last little bit of light before the door shut completely.

He sighed.
"It seems he had gone looking for you and Shiba. He wanted you to resurrect Nina. I was going to let it happen, but he isn't here, and it may be a successful transformation because she is human, and the recollected DNA from the chimera she was is of a human. No canine left in that small body." He sighed and looked to me as I spit out that last word.
"Oh temper temper my dear. No need for harsh words such as those."
"Go to hell" I hissed, loking at him though my falling bangs.
"Oh I assure you, theres a reserved seat for me there. Along with the both of you at my side for playing God."
"Bastard."
"Now then... Kiri. I'm sure the both of you are aware she is still a homocoulous."
My eyes lit up and I glared at him, and rushed for him, but I was still cuffed and being held by Armstrong.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT! SHES HUMAN NOW!"
He merely shook his head.

Edward....stayed unusually silent....he was fuming on the inside...though he was reluctant to let Roy know that....he'd pushed far too many buttons..and even if Edward joined him in hell like he'd said.....he'd be happy knowing that Roy was there first....
".......How can you tell if she's still one of the Homunculi?" He asked after a moment's pause.

He looked to him and pointed to the liquor on the floor.
"She manipulated my Daniels. She showed it to me. I don't know what to do with her when I'm done. i don't want her reeking havoc all over. I don't know if I can trust her."
I glared at him, clenching my teeth.
"If you leave us to take care of her, we will control her and be her guardians. She will live normally, and we will teach her to be good, like we originally planned." I looked to Edward; I sure hope he was with me on "adopting" Kiri...

Edward nudged the carpet with a boot.
".....You can't trust her?" He smirked and laughed to himself.
"That's funny...she's got more cause to distrust you than you her..." He lifted his head and looked at Roy.
"Or did you forget.....you're the one that killed her..." He looked over at Shiba..and then back to Roy.
"Well...more or less....if you'd just left her alone in the beginning...we wouldn't be having this problem now.." He crossed his arms, and stood there nodding his head.
"But's that's not the point now....I'm with Shiba...as much as she's been a thorn in my side...I think you should release the Bug into our care..."

[I thought u were calling Shiba a "thorn in his side" XD]


Roy just sighed.
"She is a homoncouls. The onyl one left alive. Do you honestly think she will live normally knowing that?" He looked to Edward.
He slammed his hands down on his desk.
"I am well aware that I am the one that killed her! What choice did I have!" He sat abck down and ran a hand though his hair. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. I was slung forward, my hair blocking the view of my face, still cuffed and held by Armstrong.
Roy folded his arms.
"Two weeks. I will put you up in the hotel for two weeks while I run my tests on her. Then, she's yours, under one condition!" He sighed, and looked to me.
"If she acts up, or uses her powers, at all, she will come back into my care. Understood?"
I glared at him.
"How would you even know she used her powers?"
"I have eyes everywhere. I'll know."

(LOL)

"Let her live....have not took Shiba away from us....not tried to tresspass...." Edward looked off to one side muttering his answers.
He sighed hearing Roy's descision, and looked over at Shiba worriedly...how would Kiri take the news...she SEEMED willing to cooperate now...but then again..she never was as she appeared to be.

"We are alchemists. We live normally, don't we?" I looked to him.
"She is no different than any of us, except she was born different." I sighed deeply.
"Let us go see her." i looked to Edward.
"Cuff him, so we dont 'try' anything, Armstrong will guide us down. I want to speak with her and let her know what you said, so she will cooperate."
He lifted an eyebrow and looked to Armstrong, who stood silent, holding on to me firmly.
"Granted. Cuff Edward." Armstrong nodded and looked to Ed.

"Eh?" Edward sighed, but...he'd just gotten out of theeeemmmm. Inside he sniffed, but held out his hands for the cuffs.
"Fine...let's hurry this up, so we can go see the WaterSprite.."

"......brother.." Whispered a small broken voice in the dark.
"Why....why did we go...where the other couldn't follow?" Kiri's small arms were tucked between her knees as her forehead rested on them, tears pilpping onto the concrete making her seem so small in the vast expanse of the jail.
"....I wish...I was back home..." But...home..lay beyond that place...beyond that white light that she'd been drug back from..and now...she was back here...

I heard Ed's sigh and looked over at him apologetically as we were led down the steps once again. I heard the sniffing of her small nose and my eyes swelled up. We entered the room.
"Kiri?" Armstrong led us to her cell.
"I'm sorry. I made a deal with Roy. As long as you cooperate with his tests, you can stay... with me and Edward permanently. He said... he would put us up in a hotel for the next 2 weeks, so we can stay in Central and visit you every day...." I looked into her eyes, and put my hand on her cold hands.
"You just need to hang in there and cooperate....for us, and your freedom."

Kiri looked up through the bars....with a sigh.
"Somehow...I thought...something like that would happen.." She looked down and away at her small hands bound in iron grips...was this...the same thing that would have happened...so long ago..if she hadn't killed all those people...she supposed...that this was her pennance...though it really didn't seem fair....she'd paid that due...when she'd past from this world in fire..
"I..." She started quietly.
"I will do as you say.....I will suffer...and endure.." She smiled with her head still facing the ground.
"....I will be free again..." She muttered.

My eyes swelled up with sadness. I toughed her cheek in the dim light.
"Kiri, don't you want to be with me and Edward? We can all be.. a family... and you... can be my little sister... that Ive always wished for..." tears ran down my cheeks.
"I dont think Roy has it in him to put you in pain intentionally. Please... be brave.. You will be free, with us, always. In our big house, with big open fields, where noone can hurt you anymore...right, Edward?" i looked to him, who seemed to be so silent in all this.

[for some reason, I really want to draw this scene]

Edward's head was turned to one side....his eyes narrow and sad.
"I'm not going to lie......there's probably a good chance in all of this...that there's going to be pain....." He looked back to the girls...dodging Shiba...and looking right at Kiri.
"Equivalent Exchange...is the way of the world...and everyone must pay his dues in time....." He moved beside the cell and knelt beside Shiba.
"Into every life..a little rain must fall...." He smiled then.
"But so too must sun..." He lay a hand on Shiba's shoulder.
"For all your rain Kiri.....the rewards....will be much sweeter.." She looked up at Edward...and then to Shiba.....then nodded...
"I see...." She placed her hands on both of theirs as the cuffs would allow, and smiled, tears racing down her own happy face.
"Then....until we can see that large house....I will wait here...I will wait forever...." Edward rose...and turned to leave..
"Only.....promise me?" He turned back at the tiny question.
"Promise me....you won't go where I can't follow?" Her eyes plead with the two of them...she'd been through that enough to have it happen again....she needed a promise...one that she was sure neither of them would break.

I looked to Edward when he mentioned pain, and furrowed my brows for a moment.. then he explained more, and my face lost all anger, and went to understanding.
"And during the shower, there may be a rainbow... so you never know what will happen. So, keep your chin up, and stay brave for us. We will leave together and build our home, together."
My tears fell again, looking to Edward as he stood, and I looked back at her.
"We would never go where you can't follow. I promise. I must say the same thing to you as well. Dont...ever leave me again... to a place where I can't be with you. Do you understand, Kiri?"
I stood, stroking my fingertips from her wet cheek for the last time for today.
"We will come visit tomorrow at 6 pm, alright?"

"I won't go there Ane....not to that place...not ever again..." Kiri smiled.
She nodded.
"Then...I will see you at six." She stood to see them out...and then..crumpled back into her corner...she...was still afraid...she clutched her small shoulders..and let the tears flow freely....silently...but freely...from her wide and quivering eyes.

".....if Roy breaks her spirit.." Edward muttered.
"I'll break his kneecaps."

"im glad to hear it. We will see you tomorrow." Ed and I waalked up the steps with Armstrong leading the way ahead of us.
"I hope he gives her a warm room, not that damp cellar...." I sighed, as we enetered Roys office again.
"Here." He put an envelope on his desk.
"Uncuff them." Armstrong did as he was told and uncuffed me and Edward and I rubbed my wrists and picked up the envelope.
"Whats this?"
"The money for your lodging in the same hotel from before. You will be staying there for two weeks. Come by every day same time to visit her."
"Can you at least give her a warm room to stay in? In freezing and damp down there." I pleaded. He whipped a black eye to me.
"Fine. I will see to it she has a comfortable room. have a pleasant day you two." He turned around and looked out his window and took in a deep breath.
It was silent for a moment, and I finally broke the silence.
"Please be good to her. Shes like my sister.."
He hmped and nodded, still keeping his back to us.
"You have my word."

Edward let out a sigh, as he breathed the open air out on the Central staircase.
"...Damnitall..." He said...
"This has been one more mess." He ran a hand through his hair, and looked out over the city.
"...Well....we can't do anymore damage here." He said looking over to Shiba..
"What say we go get our room set up...and then grab something to eat?"