Equivalent Exchange (Edward Elric X Reader) {DISCONTINUED}

Chapter 26: The Phantom Thief Part 1

A/N: About damn time, am I right?! Lol anyways, enjoy!

(Y/N)'s P.O.V.

*Few Hours Later*

Ed, Al and I got off the train into a nearby town. Edward was still eating his food, while Al and I held our suitcases.

"Are sure it's okay to stop?" Al asked. "We're supposed to go straight to East City."

"It's right on the way. Maybe we'll find something on the Philosopher Stone and avoid a lecture." Edward responded. Why am I not surprised? I looked up at the sign that spelled out 'Welcome to AQUROYA'. This place is known for being a popular touring city. I remember about my father telling me about it as a kid.

"Besides, Aquroya is a tourist hot spot. I've always wanted to check it out."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for awhile, but it kinda feels like were playing hooky don't you think?" I said, with Al humming in agreement. Edward turned to us with an irritated expression on his face.

"Stop being so-!" Before he could finish, the cards that he had stuffed up his sleeves fell out. Al bent down as he picked them up.

"What do we have here?" Al said "What an oddly good hand of cards." Al and I looked up to see Edward running off. Al began to run after him, forgetting the cards that were left on the ground. I sighed as I picked up the cards, pulled up the hood on my cloak, and began to run after them.

*TIME SKIP*

My eyes glittered as I looked around. This place is AMAZING! Everyone looks so happy!

"This is a beautiful city, isn't it?" Al said.

"I'll say." Edward said while I nodded my head frantically. "Aquroya. The city of water and perennial tourist magnet."

"City of water? This sounds like my kind of city." I responded, making Ed roll his eyes at me.

"It sure beats the heck out of that East City dust bowl and having to see the Colonel's no at all grin don't you think?" Edward said, just as a carriage passes by and hits a puddle soaking Me and Edward with mud. Edward begins to scream after it while I clap my hands and remove the mud from our clothes. As soon as the light faded, I felt something wrap around my wrist. I look over to see that Edward and I were cuffed together.

Edward looks over that the man who was holding the cuffs by the chains. "Hey, shouldn't we talk first?"

"You're coming to the station, I've got some questions for you, alchemists." The man said, pulling up our arms by the chain.

Al began to quiver, Ed gave him an annoyed looked while I gave him a confused one.

*ANOTHER TIME SKIP*

The man took to the station like told, and began asking us questions. Edward was scarfing down a bowl of ramen the entire time. I wasn't very hungry so I only eat a 3rd of it.

"So...you two worked for the state? And that you're the famous Fullmetal Alchemist, hero of people? And the famous Aqua Alchemist, daughter of the former Ice Blood Alchemist?" He asked us for the eleventh hundred time already.

"How many times do we have to say it, chief? The watch should be proof enough." Edward said with his mouth full.

"Sure. If it's real, but I have my doubts. I'd say you're too short to be a hero."

'Oh no.' I thought

"WHO YOU CALLING SO SMALL YOU WANNA CRUNCH LIKE AN ANT?!" Edward shouted.

"Brother, please. He didn't say anything like that."

"I'm sorry, sir." I said politely. "He's a bit sensitive about the subject of his height."

"HEY! WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!"

"No young lady, it's me who's sorry for the third degree. I had to test him. We have a thief on our back named Siren and we're on edge." The man said.

"Siren?"

"Yeah. Real name is unknown. Only lead we got is that she uses alchemy. So I thought that you two might be connected....but you say that you're with the state and the Fullmetal and Aqua Alchemists, no less." The man said, as Ed scarfed down Al and I's ramen. After we finished talking with him, the three of us exited the station.

"Damn that guy. He kept saying the same things for 3 hours straight. He probably wears that hat to hide the hole in his brain!" Edward says.

"Don't be rude, Ed. Like he said, he's on edge right now. Doesn't it concern you that a criminal is using alchemy to steal?-"

"Oh crud!" I turned to see Ed down on his knees holding his stomach. His entire face was pale. Why did I have the feeling this would happen?

I sighed "Come on, let's get him to a doctor." Al nodded, as he helped Ed up.

*TIME SKIP (At the Doctors)*

"Well, it looks like it was a little bit of food poisoning that's all." The doctor said.

"You sure it wasn't from eating too much?" Al said, while I tried to stiffle a giggle. Edward gave Al a quick glare before turning back to the doctor.

"We'll need to give you an injection. Clara?"

Ed, Al and I paused for a second. "Injection?" We said in unison.

Edward pounced up like a kitten, while Al and I tried to pull him back in the room. Edward kept thrashing around, making it impossible to keep him still. Edward went silent, as Clara the nurse came in a placed a finger to his lips. She smiled sweetly at him as she injected the needle. I noticed the blush on his cheeks as he looked at her. I felt a slight pang of jealously, but immediately pushed it away.

"All done, Ed. That didn't hurt at all did it?" Clara asked. The boys kept staring at her in awe. I went up the the doctor and payed him for his service. I could here Edward talking to her in the background. I could still sense Edward's blush from where I was standing. I thanked her for Clara and the doctor for their help and we left.

Al started to talk about Clara as we sat down near a bench somewhere to relax. He just couldn't stop talking about her, let alone think about her.

"You've got the weirdest taste in women, Al. She was a bad gift in pretty wrapping." Edward said, as I nudged him with my elbow.

"Well I think it's adorable, Al. There's nothing wrong with having a little crush." I said. Even though I couldn't see it, I could imagine Al blushing just a bit.

Suddenly, the three of us looked over to see Clara talking to an elderly woman who was having trouble. The bread she had was too hard on her teeth. Clara smiled at her and pulled out a apple and a knife and began to cut apple slices for her. I noticed Al begin to zone out a bit. Edward and I looked at each other before we knocked him back to reality.

"Sorry, there's just something about Clara. Something really giving and calming about her. She kind of remind me of mom."

Edward seemed shocked about Al's words while I was struck by them. I never really thought about it until now, but she reminded me about Jane.

I was knocked out of my thoughts when I noticed that Al had left. He was taking the apples and transmuted it whole. It seemed to leave Clara speechless. Ed and I got up and stood behind him.

"You're Alchemists. I didn't realize that." She said.

Suddenly, the man from earlier came running towards us. Edward began to argue with him about our innocence's until I slapped a hand to his mouth to let the chief finish.

"I know you are, I know. But this time I'm asking you for a favor!" He asked.