August 4th, 1970

Ethan dropped wearily down on the couch, falling into his usual dent in it with a sigh of relief. It had been a good day of work, but a trying and busy one. Wall-to-wall patients all day long, including several unenthusiastic children, a stubborn old man, and then an afternoon spent in alchemical treatments. All he really wanted was a nap and enough energy to get rid of his own headache.

His stomach growled viciously, but he was too tired to go to the kitchen and feed it. Four pairs of feet on the stairs –two human, two canine– were the only warning he had before Eamon, Lily, and Brigitte ran into the room. "Daddy, you're home!" Eamon grinned and tackled him on the couch with a hug.

Oof. "Hey there," Ethan smiled through the grunt and gave his son a big bear hug. "Careful big guy!"

Eamon laughed and backed off. Lily's hug was –blessedly– less of an attempt to squeeze Ethan insensible.

"So what are you up to?"

"We're going to go play ball with Brigitte," Lily held up the blue rubber ball that Brigitte was staring at with longing, her little while tail wagging like crazy.

"Then you'd better get to it before she explodes with excitement," Ethan suggested.

All three young things vanished out the back door onto the deck and Ethan closed his eyes. Maybe now he could get that nap.

"Ethan?"

Or not. Ethan cracked one eye and looked up at his wife who stood above him, most of her hair up and back except for her bangs; in that cute professional look she wore to work. She was still wearing one of the straight-line skirts and blouses she wore to work as well; this set in whites and pale greens with a subtle pattern to the skirt that looked like cherry blossoms. "Yes?"

She smiled and sat down next to him, perching on the thin strip of couch between him and the edge. "Long day, huh?"

"Excruciatingly."

Lia bent over and kissed him. "Anything I can do to help you feel better?"

Tired as he was, Ethan couldn't resist. "Wouldn't mind finding a hot school teacher in my bed."

"But you do that every night," Lia poked him lightly in the chest.

Ethan grinned. "Yeah I know. I'm sure your students are horribly jealous." What high school boy wouldn't have a crush on a hot, young, blond teacher?

"Come ask them sometime," Lia chuckled. "Nothing like uncomfortable squirming to improve classroom morale."

"Your class must love you." Ethan could just imagine how that would play out. He doubted teenagers had changed must in the past decade or so. Well, a bit more. He'd turned thirty-three last month. "I'm just glad we have plenty of time before Eamon and Lily are that age."

"Thank goodness," Lia smiled. "Though still not as far off as it seems. Don't forget, pre-school starts at the end of the month."

His kids were old enough to start school. Well, they were four-and-a-half. Still, it was a slightly scary prospect. "Is it just me, or did a few hairs on my head just turn gray?"

"You're hallucinating," Lia assured him, her fingers playing with his long bangs. "If anything, they're just turning a lighter gold."

Ethan grabbed her hand. "Very funny." His stomach growled again.

"I think that's my cue to change clothes and start making dinner." Lia kissed him again and took back her hand. "I need that to cook."

"Well….I guess I can let you have it back, temporarily."

Lia vanished upstairs and Ethan closed his eyes. He could still catch a cat nap.

Bbrrrriiinnnnngg.

Ethan dragged himself back off the couch and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Ethan!" Will's voice came enthusiastically over the line. "Have I got an offer for you."

"An offer?" Ethan leaned his back against the wall.

"How'd you like to go to Xing?" Will continued. "I finally got permission from the Tsen Clan and the Xingese Government to visit the ancient temple in Kauta Province!"

Ethan brightened up immediately. He knew Will had been trying to get access to that particular national shrine for a couple of years. It was known to have several very old texts about alchemy within its library. "That's fantastic!" Wait… "You want me to come?"

"That's what I just said," Will laughed. "It won't take more than a couple of months, and I got permission to bring a small research team. I figured you, Dad, and Uncle Ed would like to come with me."

"Well of course I would!" Ethan replied. A trip to an ancient temple in Xing for alchemy research... how could he pass up the opportunity? Outside, squealing giggles and laughter and barking caught his attention. Oh, wait… there was the kids, and work… and everything else in his life.

"I hear the hesitation," Will accused, though he chuckled. "Ren told me to expect it. Look, talk it over with Lia and get back to me. I don't have to call and verify who I'm bringing for a couple of days. We'd leave next week."

"I will," Ethan promised. "I'll let you know what she says."

"Great. Talk to you later!" Will said before hanging up.

"What who says?"

Ethan looked over at Lia, who was back downstairs in more comfortable clothes, looking at him suspiciously.

Ethan sighed and smiled. "What you would say if I told you that Will got me in on a once-in-a-lifetime research trip to Xing?" He quickly outlined the details before she could cut in.

Lia listened patiently until he was finished. "You're right, it does sound fantastic. You really want to go don't you?" The look in her eyes told him she knew his answer.

"It would be a great opportunity," Ethan pointed out. "And…"

"And somebody needs a little adventure." Lia chuckled and stepped forward, giving him a hug. "It does sound like a great trip, Ethan. Especially with your father and Al along. It makes me wish I could come too." Impossible, though, given the school year would begin before there was any chance of getting home.

"I wish you could too," Ethan replied, hugging her back. "We had some good times in Xing."

Her hug tightened. "Yeah well… don't have another near-death experience while you're gone."

"Does that mean I can go?"

Lia looked up at him. "Yes, you can. I'm sure you will have a fantastic time."

"I love you." Ethan kissed her enthusiastically. He would miss his family, of course, but other than trips to Resembool, and a couple of South City visits to her parents, they hadn't been anywhere since Lia first got pregnant with the twins. I guess maybe a little wanderlust is genetic.

August 12th, 1970

"You know, I remember when you wouldn't see a train through here more than maybe once a week," Edward commented as he stood on the Resembool station platform.

"And now there's two coming through in opposite directions within an hour of each other. How strange," Winry chuckled.

"Do you have to say it like that?" Ed complained as he looked down the tracks.

"Make you feel older?" She asked more softly, smiling sideways at him.

Ed didn't meet her eyes. "Maybe."

"Well it's convenient anyway," Trisha chuckled. She and Roy stood beside them on the platform, suitcases sitting by their feet, ready to go home after a summer of alchemy training.

It had been enjoyable having them both in Resembool. Ed had worked them hard, and was satisfied with their results and progress. He hoped they were. Though Ed was just glad Roy seemed to have his grandmother's common sense. Otherwise he'd have had more reservations about the fact that the boy was also dating Ed's oldest granddaughter.

Trisha could take care of herself though.

"I'm almost sorry to be going home," Roy sighed, though he was smiling. The sun ruffled his dark hair. "This has been an amazing summer."

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it," Winry smiled. "It was great to have you."

"We'll see you for the winter holiday right?" Trisha asked.

"Yes, we'll be there," Ed nodded. It would be nice to spend this year in Central.

A whistle in the distance announced the first of the trains. A minute later it came around a bend into view, and they waited while it pulled up. Ed felt his pulse pick up a little with excitement. Winry had only given him a knowing smile and rolled her eyes when he told her about the trip.

Almost as soon as the train stopped, they were mobbed by a familiar swarm coming off the train. Ethan, Will, and Al – all ready to go, grinning broadly, and Elicia in one of her traveling outfits. She had decided to come visit Winry while Ed and Al were out of the country.

"Ready to go?" Al grinned as he and Ed shared a bone-crunching brotherly hug.

"Do you even need to ask?" Ed laughed.

"Are you sure it's safe to let them run off alone again?" Elicia asked Winry as the girls hugged too. "They always seem to get into trouble."

"I'm hoping that the boys will be a good influence," Winry glanced over Elicia at Will and Ethan.

"Us?" Ethan looked at Will. "Are you a good influence?"

Will shook his head. "According to Ren I'm hopeless. She was making rather vocal statements about needing to pull the home gym equipment out and dust it off the whole time I was packing."

"She has no trust in your self control huh?" Ethan laughed.

"Of course she doesn't," Will grinned. "She knows me too well."

Ed didn't bother to hide his smile as Winry and Elicia both shook their heads.

"Well just don't cause a food shortage in Xing." Winry stepped up and gave Ed a hug and a kiss. "Have a good time."

"I will. You enjoy yourself." Ed held her tight for a moment. It had been a long time since he'd spent any length of time without her.

In a quick flurry of activity goodbyes were finished, and Ed joined Al, Ethan, and Will on the train with his suitcase and took Elicia's seat in the berth the guys had gotten. They left the women on the platform, waiting for the train going the other direction that would take Roy and Trisha back to Central.

Only when they had pulled away and Resembool was distant behind them did Ed stop looking out the window. "So, research scholar," he grinned at his nephew. "Since you're the instigator of this little trip, what's our itinerary?"

Will grinned. "Well first stop is the Imperial City. We have to stop there first to pick up the official documents that will grant us access to the region and the temple. Fortunately that's right on the way, and there's a train that will take us most of the way to Kauta Province."

"And when we run out of train?" Al asked.

"There should be a car to get us into Kauta, but the temple itself is only reachable by walking up the mountain."

"How many miles is that, exactly?" Ethan asked.

Will looked slightly apologetic. "Fifteen. We might be able to use horse or ox carts, but that's all that will make it that far. The monks of the temple, and the Tsen clan as a whole, are rather particular."

"Particular?" asked Al.

"Traditionalists," Will explained. "Not surprising really, given how far they are from any other culture, and how seriously they take their duties as guardians of the temple."

"If they really have texts that explain the nature of the soul and soul attachments, I'm not surprised." Al sat back contemplatively. "That's sensitive material."

"That's never been translated," Will pointed out. "It's in ancient Xingese."

"Which, of course, you've been brushing up on," Ethan grinned.

Will laughed. "Of course. That's where the approval of the monks is useful though. Most of them can read it."

"But they're not alchemists," said Ed.

"Not everything useful to us is alchemical," Will pointed out. "While Xingese alkahestry is medical in nature, some texts apply to medicine as a whole, or studies of a more spiritual nature. The problem is, if you know what the soul is, and what can be done with it, you could harm someone on the most basic level possible."

"Kill or remove the soul," Al nodded. "Torment on that level might be worse than killing someone outright."

"Depending on what you did with it," Will agreed.

As they conversation got deeper into the philosophical nature, Ed stopped trying to follow it completely. Al and Will could go on for days, and probably would now that they might finally find answers. Ed was definitely interested in the results, but he had already heard most of the theory before.

"Hey, Dad," Ethan said as he stood up. "I'm hungry. Want to go grab something in the dining car?"

Ed grinned as he stood up. "Sounds good to me."


Winry watched the second train vanish towards Central, then turned to Elicia. "Do you want to go straight back to the house, or stop in and see Aldon and Cassie first?"

"Oh let's stop by there first," Elicia smiled as she picked up her suitcase and the two women left the train station. "I never get to see them except during holidays or weddings."

"There aren't enough of either," Winry chuckled. "Though I expect there will be more weddings before too long."

"Anybody engaged I should know about?" Elicia looked at her curiously.

"Not yet," Winry shook her head. "But I'm pretty certain Coran and Reichart are pretty set on Gale and Deanna."

"That's good," Elicia nodded. "They're both great girls. I can think if plenty of worse matches… and not really anyone who would be better." She paused. "Has Urey started seeing anyone?"

Aldon's third son was now fourteen. "Not yet," Winry shook her head. "Though he's almost as obsessively focused on alchemy as Ed and Al were at that age. That and he's a bit shy around girls."

"I can't imagine," Elicia chuckled, teasing. "I suspect he'll find girls coming his direction without trying before too much longer. He was already turning into quite the good looking young man when I saw him last."

Winry nodded. Urey's build was definitely more of a throwback to her own father – more solid like Aldon – than anything, but all his training with Edward was definitely paying off. "He's cuter by the day," she confirmed. "Not that I'm biased," she chuckled.

Elicia shook her head. "Of course not. Not a bit."

August 22nd, 1970

New technology never ceased to be almost as amazing as alchemy, Edward thought as they rode in the cars that had been waiting for them at the Imperial City train station up to the Palace. The trip that used to take them thirteen or fourteen days on a train now only took nine. "It almost makes the idea of a short visit reasonable," he chuckled as he looked out the windows. He hadn't been to Xing since his and Winry's last trip, but he was enjoying the bustle and energy the city always had.

"It would be shorter if you were willing to visit parts of Xing other than the Imperial City," Ethan chuckled. "Though a lot of my favorites are further in, so that doesn't really do much good, does it?"

"No not really," Will agreed. "The Eastern part of Xing is fascinating. Every Province is different in its own way."

"That's because so many of them used to be small countries, before they were part of the Empire," said Al.

Will nodded. "The history of Xing is amazingly complex. Almost every Clan used to be the head of its own little Country actually. Or a mini-Emperor over several smaller clans. That was hundreds of years ago though."

"And as long as the Imperial family is healthy and well, your kids don't inherit," Al elbowed his son gently in the side.

"Thank goodness," Will laughed.

Ed could just imagine the shock Xing would be in for if Minxia ended up on the throne.

The car pulled up through the private Imperial gate in the walls around the palace, and into the area where only the Imperial family and their most personal guests entered or left the palace. Ed couldn't help grinning. Mei, Mao, and the whole family was there to greet them.

:Welcome back!: Mei came forward with clasps of hands and hugs for each of them in turn, starting with her son-in-law. :You look well, William.:

:Thank you,: he hugged her warmly. :Renxiang and the children send their love.:

Ed was the last to be hugged, but no less enthusiastically. :It is so good to see you! I wondered if Winry would let you run off again.: Her eyes twinkled merrily.

Ed laughed. :I'm expected to behave and I was told not to go looking for trouble. If it finds me, Winry knows it's not my fault.:

For a moment, Mei looked like she regretted something, but the look passed quickly. :Trouble does have a way of finding you,: she agreed.

By now the series of rooms in the wing reserved for visiting family was a familiar and enjoyable place. Ed was quite happy to have the room that practically belonged to him and Winry. Al was just next door, with Will in the room beyond, and Ethan's room was on the other side of Ed's. All of the rooms had back doors opening out onto the gardens.

Now that they were there, Ed changed clothes into something that hadn't been traveled in, and stepped out onto the porch behind his room. Apparently he wasn't the only one with that idea; Ethan was sitting cross-legged on the porch, taking in everything.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ed smiled.

"It's almost like being home," Ethan agreed. "It's peaceful, and I feel centered here."

It was with an old twinge that Ed recalled that one of the few reasons Ethan and Lia had moved back to Amestris permanently, despite their enjoyment of their two years living in Xing, was Ethan's near-death experience. "You're going to be okay, right?"

Ethan smiled. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm in perfect health. Lia wouldn't have let me come otherwise, and I'm not here to go running into buildings full of dying people."

"Though that does tend to happen a lot in our family," Ed sighed, but he felt reassured.

"I guess I'm not the only one with this idea," Al grinned as he joined them, stretching. He had changed as well, though into something a bit more Xingese in cut; being looser and more flowing in the lines. Will stepped out of his room barely a second later, and they all laughed.

There was barely time for pleasure though. Before they could get into a sparring match, or fall asleep in the warm afternoon sun listening to the waterfalls and smelling the cherry blossoms, Mei joined them. :I am glad to find you all here,: she smiled, though it seemed a little less brilliant than it had earlier. :May we talk?:

:Of course,: Al replied. :Please join us.:

:I am afraid that I come to you with a request,: Mei admitted as she sank gracefully to the edge of the porch, beside them. :It would not interfere with the goal of your trip, but it would alter your plans.:

:How so?: Will asked as he dropped down in front of her on the grass, cross-legged.

:I am making a diplomatic visit to the Tsen Clan in Kauta Province,: Mei explained. :And I would appreciate it if you would accompany me for the visit.:

Ed looked at Al and the others.

Will nodded. :Well that doesn't seem so bad. It would be good to pay our respects since they're allowing us into the temple. Why are you visiting now?:

That was the critical question, wasn't it?

Mei sighed. :Tsen territory borders both Yao and Chan, and they do not get along particularly well with either, though mostly with Yao. Ever since Yao became unstable, since they cannot merely assign a new family head while Ling Yao lives, not unless it were to pass to someone else in his direct line… well, I believe Tsen has been urging internal problems within Yao, subtly. This cannot continue. It's not good for the Empire.:

It was a more important diplomatic mission than Mei's earlier phrasing had implied, but Ed could see how critical it was. The Empire had only been stable since Mao took the throne, and while that was decades, it was hardly a lifetime of peace. Trouble probably simmered beneath the surface in many areas. The furthest outlying might be the quietest and most content, or the most bothersome. The powerful clans or –more importantly- the formerly powerful would be problematic.

:Sure we'll travel with you,: Al spoke up for all of them. No one disagreed. :This could be a very good opportunity for peace.:

:And if something does happen… you have four combat trained alchemists.:

Everyone looked up at Ed with a mix of expressions. Al looked annoyed at his pessimism, Ethan thoughtful, and Will nodded.

Mei looked like that was exactly what had been on her mind. :Yes. Let us hope it doesn't come to that. But thank you. I hope that it will be nothing more than a pleasant visit, and I look forward to spending more time in your company.:

:Then we'll assume it will go peacefully,: Will grinned. :After all, they've already given us permission to be there.:

:And all the necessary paperwork will be delivered to you in the morning,: Mei promised, smiling. :Including anything necessary to include you in my visit.:

:You figured we'd say yes, didn't you?: Ed asked.

Mei shrugged. :I didn't think you would say no.: