ALMEI WEEK 2016

For August 21st: Senses

(somewhat inspired by ClosetFMAFan)(CAN go with crossover but doesn't necessarily have to)

During the years in Xing, when Al was busy learning Alkahestry from Mei(traveling through different provinces, doing anything from picking pockets of crooks to mingling with traveling nobles) Al was usually the one who asked the most questions.

"'What exactly is the 'Dragon's Pulse?' 'How do I tap into my qi?' 'When are we going to eat?' When are you going to start talking to me again? I said I was sorry' and other questions that any teenage boy might have while going on a road trip with a younger teenage girl who was trying to teach him the ways of his internal energy and the earth. Every now and then, though, Mei would ask a question, and usually it was the same one.

"Alphonse… What was it like when you were in the armor? Can you tell me?" He would try to do his best to describe it to her. How he couldn't necessarily feel things when he touched them. How he felt lonely at night because Edward had to sleep, and he could not. How he would pass fields of flowers and imagined what they would smell like, almost smelling it with the sheer force of memory.

But no matter how he described it, he could not sate her curiosity forever, and soon he would have to try to find new ways to explain, to help her experience the enigma that was his armor days.

"Can you tell me more about what it was like?"

One day, they came to the town of Xiánghé Kang. Though made up mostly of livestock and farm land, its most famous export(surprisingly) was not something many could export at all(unless you were talking ground-up plants in alcohol). Xiánghé Kang was famous for, as Mei put it, "wellness of the soul". There were meditators sitting in the middle of the streets. Tincture venders advertising the benefits of ginger and lemon balm. Al even witnessed people ingesting things that made them go into another reality entirely. He supposed that that would be the exception to his self-imposed rule about sampling everything.

On their second day of exploration, something new was brought out by the vendors. It seemed to be a large tank made of some strange kind of metal, big enough to fit a human or two inside it, with a large deck connected to it on the outside, complete with stairs. Mei crept closer and Al dutifully followed. Using the deck almost like a pulpit, a tall, thin, bald man was selling his wares at the top of his lungs.

"Introducing the Xingese sensory elimination chamber! Developed and produced here in Xiánghé Kang, Enlightenment's capital! Within this chamber is a man who has volunteered to float in the tank for two days! No feeling. No sound. No sight. No smell. Let us see how he feels, after all the noise of the material world has been lifted from his brain." The bald man opened the tank, and called down to his comrade. "Come on out, Qin! The world awaits your verdict!"

Slowly and dazedly, a Xingese man of about thirty climbed down out of the sensory elimination tank. Al and Mei watched as he blinked in the sunlight, as though he never thought he would see it again. Despite the apparent relief on his face, a smile burst forth through the gloom as he lifted his arms in triumph.

"I HAVE BEEN FREED!" The man called Qin shouted to the crowd that had gathered the last few minutes, and Al felt something squirm in his stomach. Maybe he was just cynical, but this seemed like a load of charlatanism to him. He had been free of all of his senses for several years, and all it made him feel was trapped. He shook his head and went to grab Mei's hand, when he realized she was pushing her way through the crowd.

"Mei, what are you doing?!" But she ignored him, pushing her way through the throng until she got up to the salesman. He noticed her immediately and Al wasn't sure whether it was because he wanted to sell, or because she had grown taller in the last two years since Promise Day.

"If you're having other free trials, I would like to take part, please." The man looked down at her and started to laugh, which prompted the rest of the crowd to do so. Al felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and his fists clench.

"I'm sorry, Little Miss," he said. "But Qin here was the last free trial we were allowing. Now if you were a paying customer, that would be diff—" the salesman's and Alphonse's jaw dropped as Mei handed over a fistful of money. What on earth was she doing?

"This will be enough for three days, I trust?" Al heard her voice smile coolly and saw as the man greedily palmed her money, though there was a hesitant look on his face.

"But two days is the most I can recommend for immersion," he said, 'there could be adverse side effects for those who stay long—"

"Sir, do you want my money or not?"

The crowd became tense as the man looked at Mei with a mix of reproach and suspicion, but soon his face broke into a smile— a smile Alphonse did not like at all.

"Very well, darling." he said. "See you at noon tomorrow." The man prepared to leave his precious device and the people scattered. Mei came out of the crowd, looking quite pleased with herself.

"What the hell was that all about?" Al said. "I thought we were saving the money for other things, not for enlightening 'freedom' trips?"

Mei only smiled. "You sound just like your brother. I usually don't buy into that stuff. At least not what they're selling. They're both faking the difference to their qi, but I figured it was the best way to get to know how you felt in the armor." And with that she started walking back to their hotel, and Al's cheeks flushed. Sure, the girl kind of had an obsessive crush on him, but sometimes he could've sworn it went a little deeper than girlhood.

The next day, on their way to the sensory elimination chamber, Alphonse desperately tried to talk her out of going through with it.

"We can get your money back, a-and you heard what he said— three days not recommended!" For a girl that was the least a foot shorter than he was(if not more) he was struggling to keep up with her determined stride.

"Relax Alphonse, I'm a big girl now. Plus, they guy is a slimeball, He probably already spent my money anyway ."

Alphonse sighed, exasperated as she made her way to the crowd that was already gathered around the machine. She slipped through the chaos and he rushed after her, pushing people aside with "excuse me"'s and "pardon me"'s. Eventually shoving his way to the front, he saw Mei gracefully ascend the steps toward the bald man. Xiao Mei chattered on Alphonse's shoulder, nervously.

"Ah!" The bald man said, clapping his hands together delightedly and gesturing to the throng "There she is! Our brave little beauty!" He bent down, so he was on a level with her and spoke. "What's your name , child?"

"Mei Ling-Fan." She spoke without a hitch, and Al could've sworn he saw her look back and wink. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but their favorite lovers-in-denial were soon pushed from his mind.

"Mei Ling-Fan— what a beautiful name! How old are you, sweetheart?" The man projected his voice, the pseudonym Mei had given rippling through the crowd in excited whispers. The man was writing down her information on a small notepad, although Al wouldn't have been surprised if it was just chicken scratch. Al could not see her expression, but he had no doubt it was deadpan, with a hint of a smile.

"I'm fifteen."

The man put down his notepad, lifting Mei's right arm ceremoniously, as though she had just won a battle.

"Let's hear it for fifteen-year-old Mei, as she embarks on her spiritual journey!"

There was a loud cheer in which Al could hear nothing, but thankfully the bald man gestured to them to calm down before he spoke again, this time addressing Mei.

"You will be submerged in his tank for three days with no sound, no smell, no feeling, no taste or sight. The only person who will be in there with you is yourself. Are you prepared to do this?

"Yes."

"Then take this supplement." He held out a plant of some sort in his palm. "It stops hunger and the need to relieve oneself. It will help you focus on nothing else other than your introspection."

Al was about to say something when Mei took the plant, chewed carefully, and swallowed.

"Good," said the man. He turned around, bent down, and picked up a folded white garment that was lying on the deck "Now, forgive me for being so bold, but the point of this exercise is to read ourselves of things that tie us to this world. People usually forgo their clothes, but I understand that as a young woman, this may be unpalatable to your modesty—"

Al did not cover his eyes quick enough as Mei disrobed, undoing her many braids as she stood there, stark naked, back facing the crowd. He felt his cheeks burn scarlet, but forced himself not to look away as he regained his composure. All of her hair undone, her long black tresses fell to the floor, dragging behind her and she proceeded to wrap it around herself.

"No need." she said, and this time he could detect a smile in her voice. The main cleared his throat, taken aback as she made her way to the tank, stepping up on the edge.

"Hem—very well— let's wish some luck to Miss Ling-Fan everyone!"

The crowd screamed and cheered as Mei lowered herself into the tank. Alphonse felt his heart beat faster as she disappeared, turning directly to him to flash a shy smile before she was fully submerged. The bald man closed the tank after her and shuffled his hands in finality towards the crowd.

"Well, folks! See you in three days!" As the salesman walked down the steps, Alphonse wiped his hands on his pants, trying to calm himself as he headed back to their hotel. He hoped she knew what she was doing.

Mei allowed herself to relax as she floated serenely in the tank. She had been inside for thirty minutes, she thought, and it was rather tranquil, reminding her of her younger days when she was just learning how to control her qi.

This is not a spa day, Mei Chang! her conscience chastised. Remember what you're here for. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought of the boy— the man waiting for her outside. What had he gone through during all those years— no body to feel. No nose to smell. No mouth to taste... She smiled as she thought of his huge grin, and how two years ago, she had imagined him using that mouth to kiss her, doing that romantic dip backward, so common in Amestrian romances. Even though she had become less of an Alphonse fanatic, she certainly wouldn't mind—"

She lifted her hand out of the water, splashing herself. Stop it! Time to focus. You only have three days. And with that, she settled down, closing her eyes and trying to imagine herself without a body. No hands, no feet, face. Only a soul waiting for its other half to return.

Alphonse pulled out a chair and sat down at the bar where a rather large man(who reminded him of Sig) waited to take his order. Al looked at the menu until something caught his eye, "I'll have the spicy chicken with peppers and soy please". The man nodded, looking at him suspiciously as he readied a bowl and chopsticks, preparing to cook.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Al heard the man speak in a gruff voice.

"Where did your better half go?"

Al stammered, feeling his cheeks start to burn. "What?"

"The little girl you were with, pretty, pint-sized. Did you stuff her in a closet or something?

"Uh…No, of course not!" He fumbled, desperately trying not to remember how very much like a closet the sensory deprivation chamber was. "She's doing a clinical trial— a spiritual journey, a—"

"A crock of panda dung is what I call it." The bartender finished Xiao Mei chattered disgruntled on Al's shoulder.

"What do you mean?' Al was surprised by the cynicism, for everyone else in the town seemed to be really enthusiastic. The man continued as though he had said nothing.

"I mean, sure, it's good for a couple hours, allowing you to distance yourself from your body and all that—helps balance the qi. But a whole two days? That's just crazy. Someone could go mad in there."

Al felt a frog-sized lump form in his throat, and the dish that was being pushed in front of him no longer looked appetizing. He put some coins on the bar and pushed his chair back.

"Where you going, kid?!"

"Wrap it up for me and I'll come back for it tomorrow." And with that mouth closed the door behind him.

He ran to the road where the machine was and walked up the deck, attempting to look inside. Unfortunately the hatch was completely opaque. He could see nothing. Sitting down, he leaned his back against it.

"Was this really worth it, Mei?" He leaned his head back against the tank, resolving to stay there for a few hours before he had to go to the hotel and sleep there—alone.

Her body was gone now. She could feel nothing but her consciousness, and she floated in the water that perfectly matched her internal temperature. Why, it was as if there was no water at all. Just Mei Chang, floating. Floating. Thinking.

So this is what Alphonse felt like, she thought, staring into the dark abyss she had the urge to lift her hand out of the water, but forced herself to keep still.

No, she said to herself, Alphonse did not have the option, and neither will you. Come to think of it, if Alphonse had had no feeling, how had he been able to fight and hold things with such ease? To carry her? To hold her?

Her stomach dropped, and she realized something. What if she had nightmares tonight? She was completely and utterly alone.

Now you know what he felt like when Edward went to sleep, whispered her own conscience cruelly. Not so interesting now, is it? She felt tears begin to prick her eyes, but pushed them away. This was nothing compared to what he had felt, she shouldn't be crying. She closed her eyes tight and tried to fall asleep.

The blood was everywhere, as the spirits of dead Xerxians cried out for their bodies. Al was in his body, but it wasn't moving, his armor strewn around him in pieces. The Father was standing over him with a black patch over his left eye and King Bradley's sword in his hand..

"I'm going to hurt you, son of Hohenheim, more than you ever imagined. Alphonse didn't know why, but he felt his stomach drop, and his whole body shiver. He tried to move, but his legs wouldn't budge, as though the absence of feeling that his armor had given him transferred to his human form. He watched, helpless as The Father ruthlessly stabbed the old Führer's sword into the armor's chest compartment, causing blood to spill forth from inside.

"NO!"

With a terrible laugh, The Father opened the armor, and to his horror, Al saw Mei's 12-year-old body slide out from inside, slick with blood. Heart pounding, his legs suddenly sprang into action and she picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

"No! Mei! Stay with me! Please!" But the little girl only looked up, her tiny hand, trying to reach up and touch his face.

"I love you, Alphonse."

And then the little girl closed her eyes.

"No, no! Mei, no! Come on! He held his head to her chest, frantically trying to hear her breathe. There was nothing. "Come on, Mei! We haven't even traveled across Xing yet! You have to wake up!"

But she lay still on his lap. When he tried to blink with tears away, he saw her, slowly aging until her face and body matched the person he knew today.

"Please Mei. I love you."

"Ah!" Alphonse woke with such a start that he hit his head against the wall of the tank. He looked down at his lap, his hands frantically searching for Mei before he realized he was harassing a grumpy-from-being-woken panda. He sighed.

"Sorry Xiao Mei. Usually she gets to deal with me when I freak out." He put the panda back on his shoulder with one hand as he stood up, his limbs aching from sitting in the same position so long. He looked up at the moon and realized that it was slowly fading, giving way to a bright morning sun, turning the sky a dark blue. He turned back to the tank ruefully, wondering how she was doing.

"See you in another day or so," he said, smiling, as he trudged back to the hotel.

Mei awoke as she felt a gentle thump against the tank, once again, not able to see anything. She sighed, but frustratingly was not able to hear her herself. This thing absorbed all sound, even from inside. Why was she doing this again? Oh. Al. The man she had been dreaming about. It wasn't exactly a good dream at first, she had been trapped in a cage and unable to get out. Alphonse had helped her. Still in his armor, but when he took his helmet off, his face had been there. Gold eyes, blonde hair, and friendly smile.

She wondered if she would ever see that smile again.

Don't be ridiculous, a voice in her head said, of course, you will see him again. Just two more days…

Maybe.

How long had she been in here?

She tried to count the hours inside her head. She knew what an hour felt like, didn't she? She wasn't hungry, but that was probably because of the herb the bald man had given her. There were absolutely no lights filtering in from outside, so she couldn't tell the time by that. There was no way of knowing whether she was hours in… or days

.

Maybe this was how Alphonse felt, trapped in a body he could not escape.

And then suddenly, no matter how much or how little time had passed, she wanted to get out of the tank.

"Hello!" She shouted, hesitantly at first. "Is anybody out there?! I think I'm done now! I've learned when I came here to learn!" She waited for the hatch to open. No answer. The tiny seed of worry cracked open into fear, but she did not let it take hold. She was fine, she could get out anytime she wanted. She took a deep breath, and shouted, louder this time.

"CAN I GET OUT NOW!?" Still no answer. Maybe all the people were asleep. She tried to quell the quickening beats of her heart as she thought about it. Sleep. Despite it being over two years since The Promise Day, both she and Al were plagued with nightmares. Before he had come to Xing to learn Alkahestry she had often stayed at the Palace with Ling, only to be woken in paralyzing fear by visions of the past. Armored Alphonse kneeling in front of her protectively, the whole chest cavity of the suit split open, with the blood seal precariously exposed. Watching it disintegrate as The Father's blast forced his soul to the other side of the gate. Watching Ling die a thousand deaths, all harrowing, or maybe Lan-Fan as well. Sometimes even Edward was a subject, sacrificing himself—but in her dreams, never coming back. She would wake up, screaming their names, sometimes sobbing, and it had gotten to the point where her half-brother had designated a personal guard specifically to calm her from her nightmares. She was embarrassed at first, indignant, but figured Lan-Fan was probably doing the same for him.

Since she had went on this trip around Xing with Al, the nightmares had not stopped, but at least she had someone to share them with. They often slept together (not in the same bed, because that would be weird, but in the same room with separate beds) and when one of them would wake up with nightmares, the other would reach other hand for each other to hold until they fell asleep again. It was a small comfort, but it was a good one. Suffering wasn't so bad when you did it together.

But she was alone now. Alone in this pitch black, tiny room that she had paid to be in. No one to protect her from nightmares, no way of telling a time, no way of reassuring herself that she was even real.

She felt her heart pick up speed again, and quickly moved her hands around, searching for her kunai .

Then she remembered. She was naked.

Cursing herself for ever been so stupid, she maneuvered her body so she could position her right hand on the latch. Moving her fingers all around the fissure, she searched for a handle, a crack — anything.

There was no way to open it from the inside.

Heart pounding out of control now, she pressed her hand flat to the underside of the latch, trying to remember what little Alphonse had taught her about alchemy. She tried to focus, hard, but then she remembered that it had to do with the earthen tectonic plates and not qi.

That's okay, she said, trying to calm herself, Edward transmuted metal plenty of times. It doesn't have to be from the earth. She tried to focus once again, willing the metal door to open, until she remembered something essential.

A transmutation circle.

She searched around for materials she could use, but there was only saltwater, and of course, the blood in her body. She thought about it for a moment. A tiny, tiny, frightening moment, but for one thing, she didn't have her knives with her, for another, she couldn't see a single thing.

And for another, if Alphonse opened the hatch and found her bloody, he would probably kill someone.

She pushed her feet against the top of the tank, kicking and screaming as loud and as hard as she could, letting all of her repose go as she yelled for help.

"Xiao Mei! Alphonse! ALPHONSE!" She screamed until her throat was hoarse, and despite all of her efforts not to, she began to cry.

Al woke up the next morning to a frantic Xiao Mei scratching at his face. He opened his eyes groggily, and sat up, figuring she was asking for food. He had had a terrible night's sleep last night, waking up several times from terrible nightmares, some of Promise Day and some of Mei, each time in terrifying situations where he could not help her – trapped, tortured, even another one where she was dying — one where she was cooking in Edward and Winry's kitchen, suddenly dropping to the floor. Exactly like his mother had so many years ago.

Xiao Mei was hopping around frantically, as though, telling him to get a move on, and she smiled.

"That dream really did a number on me, huh?"

He patted her head, and stood up, walking over to the tiny cabinet where Mei kept her food. He poured it into a small bowl, absentmindedly, the previous dream from the night by the tank , popping into his head.

"Please Mei. I love you."

His wrist trembled unexpectedly, and he ended up spilling Xiao Mei's cat food all over the floor. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Dammit. Xiao Mei, here's a treat for you. Clean this—"

But he stopped, for the miniscule panda was not interested in her food at all, but was pawing and scratching at their bedroom door.

"Got to use the bathroom?" Al went to the door and opened it, only to see Xiao Mei running out on all fours, as fast as her legs could carry her." Hey, wait up!"

He stopped at the bathroom door(both the panda and her knife-wielding companion were very proud of the fact that she could use the human toilet), but Xiao Mei ran right past it, down the stairs and into the lobby. Alphonse followed her, thoroughly confused until he saw her scratching at the front door as well.

"Something wrong. You slept the day away," said the matron, a plump redhaired woman in her mid-fifties. Al didn't have time to respond as he looked out one of the front windows. His stomach dropped as he saw that the sun was already beginning to fade.

He looked back to Xiao Mei who was now hopping in earnest, absolutely frantic.

"Mei!"

Without bothering to explain, he ran out the door, picking up the panda as he went, his feet pounding the sand as he ran to find the metal tank.

She woke up, or at least she thought she did, still weakly banging on the walls of the tank. Her legs — if she even had legs — ached. And her throat still felt raw from screaming and crying. If she had any doubts that she was real, the pain and fatigue was the only thing that anchored her. Perhaps she should just sit here and wait it out.

Or maybe she would sit here forever, in this dark watery room, contemplating the world outside, if there was one.

Now she understood how Alphonse felt, how being outside of your body could get to you, how it could make you rethink things, question yourself, your very existence. Why was she here? Not in this tank, but here in general? To teach Alphonse Alkahestry. He didn't need her. He had already surpassed her in so many ways. Her job was mostly done. There was a flicker in her heart when she thought of the Xiao Mei all alone. But she had Al, he would take good care of her. She was gone. Mei Chang was gone. She didn't know where she had went, but she had almost dissolved. She stopped banging on the walls altogether, giving up herself to the new nothingness.

Perhaps this was how it felt to be a homunculus.

There was a sharp, low screeching sound; and she looked up, curious, but at the same time not really caring, as a bright light, blue and blinding, shined in her eyes.

"Mei!" Alphonse's head, shoulders and torso appeared over the opening. "Give me your hand!"

She just sat there, laying in the water, barely registering the colder air on her body.

"Mei, come on! Don't make me come in there!" Xiao Mei popped up from on top of his left shoulder, cocking her head quizzically.

She only stared at them.

"Mei Chang!" He shouted at her, this time, his voice breaking a little in fear. Something clicked and she reached out her hand.

He pulled her up and out of the pit, one of her legs getting caught on the edge as he pulled her into his arms. She noticed it was dark out, and the moon was full, slowly freeing her foot from the edge. His hand was at her back in an embrace, but he soon pushed her from him, cupping her face in his hands, his golden eyes wide with worry.

"Are you all right?"

She wanted to answer him, but instead, the tears began to flow.

"I'm sorry, Alphonse, I'm so sorry!" She sobbed into his shoulder, not even angry at herself for crying. She thought of all the times that she had insensitively asked him how it felt. To be without a body, to be a soul, aimlessly wandering, unsure of reality itself. Asking him to relive the terror and the loss for her own curiosity.

He only stroked her hair and muttered soothing words that she did not deserve.

"Shh. Shh. Mei, you have nothing to be sorry for."

She pushed away from him, tears still spilling down her cheeks, "Yes! Yes I do! All those years of you not having a body! Feeling trapped, and yet not being able to feel anything! I wasn't even sure if I was real in there! Oh God, Alphonse, I'm so sorry!" She crumpled against his shoulder again, losing control of her tears and her thoughts, thinking of a ten-year-old boy suddenly ripped from his very existence, to wander the physical world, and yet not really belong to it. How could she have been so arrogant, to talk about it, as though it were easy!

"Do you want to know what my first feeling was— well, one of them, anyway— after I got my body back?

She quieted somewhat, trying to slow her breathing. "What?"

"This." he said, bringing his hand over the back of her head. "The head of a thirteen-year-old girl, who was absolutely crazy about me, crying her eyes out because she was so afraid she had killed me by merely doing what I begged her to do."

Mei lifted her head, to see Al smiling at her, wiping strands of soaking hairr from her face.

"You know what else? Every now and then, when I get nightmares about still being in that armor, or being disoriented from my body, or being inside the gate— I wake up to the feeling of someone holding my hand, reassuring me that everything that happened is real. I thought the journey ended when I got my body back, but the truth is, it will be there forever. You remind me that I'm real Mei, and if you're not—well, then, neither am I."

She stared at him, newfound tears in her eyes, though they weren't exactly unhappy. She felt safe, becoming more and more reassured that the experience in the tank was just that— an experience. She felt herself leaning closer to him, and he did the same, tilting his head just a little. She closed her eyes, as she felt his hand on her back.

Her eyes snapped open again as he jumped away from her, his face suddenly scarlet as a tomato, his voice stammering in embarrassment. She felt the irritation of the shattered moment rise up within her.

"What?!" She said in disbelief. Al only rubbed the back of his neck, the blush spreading all the way to his jaw.

"I just realized something, Mei," he said, his voice almost shaking. "Other than your hair— well— you don't have anything on."

Now it was Mei's turn to impersonate a tomato as she caught the white garment, he threw at her. The one that the bald man had offered that she had declined. Like a true gentleman Alphonse turned around while she changed, clearing his throat as they both tried to swallow the moment.

"Um, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, "now I am."

They both looked at each other, standing several feet apart, looking at each other when the other wasn't, and looking away when the other noticed.

"So.." Alphonse started. "Should we go back to the hotel? You're probably starving."

"Yeah… I mean, no , I'm not. Not with the medicine he gave me, but I have to— I have to feed Xiao Mei."

Al started to walk down the steps, offering his hand to help her down. She took it, but let go as soon as she no longer needed it. She noticed both of their hands were sweating.

"Yeah, about that—" he said. "Xiao Mei was the one who said you were in trouble. Scratching, pawing. The whole nine yards. I kind of spilled her food all over the floor."

Mei smiled, rolling her eyes. "Of course you did. You're as uncoordinated as your brother." She strolled up beside him, but made sure to keep her hand away from his.

"I resent that."

They both laughed at the same time, and continued to blush intermittently all the way to the hotel. Things weren't normal between them for at least three days, but they eventually put it in the back of their minds. Every now and then, though, if they both woke up from a nightmare, they thought of what might have happened if embarrassment hadn't gotten in the way.

Due to the trauma of the water tank, Alphonse insisted that they stay a little bit longer before moving on to the next town. Mei argued at first, but soon her body started feeling the side effects of withdrawing from the herb she had eaten. Suffice it to say that forcing your body not to go to the bathroom or eat for two days straight put things rather out of sorts. This left Al to prepare for their journey onward alone. Going to stores, grabbing souvenirs (and occasionally running the apothecary for things like natural laxatives and mint extracts for Mei.) It was on one of these evening excursions that he came back to the food bar he had visited only days ago. Just as he was about to sit down and talk to the barkeep, he noticed two people he recognized sitting at the table in the far right corner.

It was the man who had first entered the sensory elimination tank, and the charismatic bald man that had sold the experience.

Being careful not to make a sound, Alphonse moved from the bar to the table adjacent to them, listening closely. To his horror, the bald man took out a small sack of coins and slid it over to the volunteer, Qin. The latter opened it, and began to count the contents.

"This isn't enough…" he whispered angrily, looking at the bald man. "You made me spend two days in that hole for this?"

To Al's amazement, the bald man only leaned back, crossing his arms and smiling. "I told you I would make it worth your while. It's not my fault your never happy. Besides, I've got a proposition for you—"

Qin lifted his hands in quick refusal. "Ah no. No way, man. I wouldn't get in that pit again if you paid me double this. It's hell in there, Kor. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm sure people could benefit from a few hours, but days? You lose who you are!"

"But that's almost the point, Qin!" said Kor, the bald man. He cupped his hand by his mouth in a conspiratorial whisper, "You see… I'm starting to think we should charge by the hour. Think of the possibilities! Get a pretty little flower to soak in there for a day— like that girl with the long hair— and then we just leave them in there for a couple days. You yourself said you lose track of time, they won't know the difference! As soon as we let them out, we tell them that they signed on for more time than they actually asked for, and they pay us the rest of the money!" He clapped his hands on the table at his own brilliance. "And if anyone starts complaining, we will just move on to the next town!"

"But what about the girl!" Qin asked, his voice high-pitched with worry. "When we checked in the tank, she'd disappeared!"

"So?" said Kor, "that big blonde boy she was traveling with could have gotten her out. I know there's no opening from the inside, that's the beauty of it! Anyway, who cares? It's not like she's reporting us!"

But Qin wasn't paying attention to his partner anymore. Instead, he was staring terrified at Alphonse, who was standing directly behind Bald Man Kor. Despite them being more than ten years his senior, he was taller than both of them. Al placed his hand ever so gently on the conman's shoulder and waited for a response.

The man only turned slowly, smugly looking up into Alphonse's face, as though he hadn't just been talking about him.

"Can I help you?"

Al's simmering blood was brought to a boil and the usually calm Elric brother clamped his hand harder on Kor's shoulder, twisting it roughly and slamming his face into the wall.

Al waited for the shock to wear off as Kor dislodged his face from the wood panels of the wall, spitting a mouthful of blood and a tooth into his hand. Apparently not learning your lesson, he turned and looked up.

"Why, you little—"

Slam! Alphonse did the exact same thing again, this time seeing cracks where the man's face collided a second time.

"A businessman should treat his customers with respect," Al said calmly, looking around at all of the stunned faces, especially Qin's who had turned a ghostly white. Looking at the damage to the wall, he swiped the sack that sat in front of Qin, and tossed it to the barman who was standing across the room, looking, if anything, slightly impressed.

"To pay for your wall," he said, turning to walk out the door.

"I saw nothing."

Al turned back to flash his friend a smile, and left. Mei needed the last of these laxatives, after all.

And to those who knew the Western Sage and the tales of The Soul Bonded Alchemist, if they had seen him, they would've sworn they saw Hoenheim in his eyes that day.