There they were, in front of the Central Library, staring at the huge building: Alphonse and Edward Elric.

"So… here we are!" Ed said proudly.

"Brother…" Al started. But Ed wasn't paying attention. He was continuously watching the building like he built it on his own. "Brother…" Al tried again. No response at all. Ed was feeling something about that place, and he wouldn't move until he would figure out what it was.

Then Alphonse took his brother by the shoulders and pushed him towards the entrance, when Edward realized that he was dreaming with his eyes opened again and he started walking on his own. He pushed the door open and entered while his brother was following him. After Al closed the door, Ed stopped in front of a large group photograph in which he recognized Mustang, Armstrong and Hawkeye.

"Brother!" Al shouted. He was looking towards the registration. "Look!" Ed turned his head towards the registration. "She looks like mother…" Al added.

There was a girl, more of a teenage girl, talking to the librarian. She was wearing a black poncho, leather jeans and a pear of leather army boots. Her brown hair was braided. Her skin was almost white and her lips were thin and reddish. She looked upset.

"HAA?" she shouted towards the librarian. Ed and Al could clearly hear her. "What do you mean by 'only for army alchemists'?!"

"I meant that only army alchemists are allowed to read the content in the books that you have required" the librarian replied calmly.

The girl crossed her arms at her chest, and stared at the librarian. She was thinking about what she could do to obtain the books she needed. As she was waiting for her idea to hit her, Edward approached the registration asking the librarian for books about the homunculus. Both the girl and the librarian stared at the alchemist: he asked for the same books as the girl did. The librarian wanted to tell him the same story as he did to the girl, but he didn't have time to at least open his mouth, because Ed took out from his pocket and showed him his watch.

The girl noticed it was the type of watch that she needed and she was, in a way, jealous because she didn't have one. The librarian wrote three numbers on a piece of paper and gave it to the alchemist: "The first number is the sector of the library, the second is the bookcase, and the last one is the shelf where you will find the books about homunculus" the librarian explained.

"Thank you" Ed replied. He turned towards his brother: "Al!"

"Uh…" the librarian started. "Is your… knight friend an army alchemist, too?" he continued.

The alchemist turned back at the librarian and looked at him piercingly. "What do you mean?"

"I meant that if he is not an army alchemist…"

"What?" the boy asked eagerly.

"He cannot enter that sector with you…"

"Even if it is about the Full Metal Alchemist?" Ed asked proudly, knowing that telling his nickname always worked.

"Oh, my lord…" the librarian said looking better at Edward. "I didn't recognize you… You two are the Full Metal Alchemist and his brother… But how come you so short?" the librarian asked ironically staring at Edward.

"I'm just short!" the alchemist replied upset.

"Okay then. Anything for the Full Metal Alchemist!" the librarian replied. After that he took out some papers and started reading and rearranging them.

The girl stared continuously at the young man next to him. She never thought about meeting the Full Metal Alchemist. She heard about him, she knew a few things, things that probably she shouldn't have known and that possibly, are not known by many people. And she had a vague idea that she had some other profound connection with him. And there he was, right in front of her. She wanted to ask him for help with the books, but, then again, she thought that he would've told her the same thing as the librarian did, turn his back at her, and walk away towards the sector of the Central Library where she couldn't follow him because she didn't have the watch.

"Come on, Al!" Ed said once again towards his brother. The girl knew that she would never have that opportunity again, so she encouraged herself to speak:

"Excuse me!" she said finally.

The alchemist turned to her and looked at her with 'a question mark above his head' even though he thought she might want to talk to him after seeing his watch.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I was wondering…" the girl started. "Could you… help me… with some books… since you're an army alchemist…? I need… I mean…" she couldn't help being nervous even if she tried so hard not to be. She couldn't find her words and she felt embarrassed.

"Get your own watch!" Ed said careless. "If you wanna read those books, you gotta work hard for them, like I did."

The girl wasn't surprised when she heard his answer. She thought he would say something like that so she didn't feel bad listening to his words. At least, not that bad.

"Brother!" Al said.

Ed turned to his brother and asked whispering: "What?"

"Come on" Al said also whispering. "Don't be like that! You know how it is to be in her position! Help her!"

Ed sighed looking helpless at the teenage girl. He smiled to encourage her. "Okay then" he finally said. "I will take you to the Center so they can assess you and see if you are able to be an army alchemist."

The girl nodded and smiled back to the alchemist. Ed turned back to the librarian and showed him the piece of paper that he gave him. "I'm leaving and coming back later. Can I keep this?"

"Sure. Of course. Whatever" the librarian replied keeping his eyes on his papers.

"So…" Ed started. "How should we call you?" he asked the girl.

"Dina. And you're Edward Elric…"

"Yes!" Ed said proudly. He realized people started to finally recognize him as the Full Metal Alchemist and his brother as 'the brother' and not the other way round. "Well then, Dina, you must know that once you're in the army, you will have to do whatever you are told to do. You know that."

"Yes"

"And you're sure you wanna do this? Because I thought it would be okay before I enlisted, too, but now I understand why everyone was warning me about that; because now they are 'dealing' me in every way."

"Yes. I am sure. I need to know; therefore I need to do this, too."

"Okay. Don't tell me I didn't warn you…"

"I DID warn you!"