Edward quickly covers the shining of his metal arm before anyone should see.

"Come on, Brother!" Al says as he tugs on Ed's coat sleeve.

"All right, quit pulling!" Ed says back to his little brother as they both get up out of the grassy ditch they're sitting in, each of them grabbing their suitcases and jogging up the small hill to the nearby roadside.

There stands Noa, their gypsy friend. Her skin is dark, her hair is dark, her eyes are dark. But her clothes are bright – white and pink and red. Such a beautiful contrast. She is beautiful.

"Come on, Edward," Noa says to him. "These nice people are going to give us a ride."

Ed looks at the people in the truck – and is immediately struck by the looks of the driver and his companion. Al is confused as to why his brother looks so surprised – and then he looks, both boys then smiling nervously.

The driver is the spitting image of Scar, their old enemy, and strangely friend – by his side, the spitting image of Lust, the monster and strangely friend. But both Ed and Al know that the people in this truck are not them – they only look like them, a concept Ed has had to grapple with for two long years and one Al is just now getting used to.

Noa hops into the back of the truck with a bunch of other people who are traveling along, a mixture of men and women, some more German-looking, others more Romani. She hasn't taken notice of Ed and Al's funny looks as they still smile awkwardly at the driver, she asking "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Right," Edward responds, quickly coming to the back of the truck. "Watch out, ladies!" he says as he tosses in his big suitcase, the young women giggling as the two young rogues climb in with them.

The truck takes off down the long country road, leaving Munich behind forever.

The year is 1923.

Al sits nervously on the truck bed bench, blushing for the handful of pretty girls around him.

Ed, sitting across from him, reaches over and nudges his brother, smugly smiling, "What's a-matter, Al? You act like you've never seen girls before."

Al spurts, "What? No! I mean, yes…"

The girls all giggle at the young boy's shyness, the men in the truck also chuckling, remembering what it's like to be young.

Ed smiles as he lets his face take in the warmth of the sun. "Ah, such a kid, Al… by the way, why are you so short?" Within a split second, Ed thinks to himself, Wow, that sounds weird coming out of me…

Al is quiet for a moment, making sure no one else is paying attention to the two of them. And then quietly he leans forward towards Ed, saying, "While my body was inside the Gate, it didn't grow any. When I came out, I was still the same age as when I had gone in."

"Add a few years and that makes you 13," Ed smiles that toothy grin of his, "And I'm already 18." He chuckles as he rubs Al's hair. "That REALLY makes you my little brother now."

"Knock it off, Ed," Al brushes his brother's hand aside, not enjoying being petted like a dog.

They are both quiet for a moment, enjoying the fresh air as it blows past them, the smell of the grass and the open road filling their senses.

Al looks over at Edward. "So… where are we headed now, Brother?"

"First we have to track down that uranium bomb that was brought over from the other side," Edward tells him. Both boys know that dangerous things come from the other side of the Gate, and this was certainly no exception. "A weapon like that shouldn't exist… no matter which world it's in."

Al nods, and looks out onto the road behind them. Something catches his eye – a small propaganda poster, crushed under the tires of the truck and spit back out onto the road. He gives a bit of a frown. "People say another great war is inevitable here. And from everything that's going on… maybe they're right…"

The wind blows the piece of trash away.

Al looks over to Ed, "Do you think we should get involved in their battles?"

"Like I said, Al – we can't keep thinking we're all that matters – that the world has nothing to do with us. That goes for both sides of the Gate. This is where we live. It's home now. And we have to do our part." He turns to Al with a confident smile, one that Al has seen many times before.

Al nods and gives a firm smile back, both boys ready to face the world.

Noa scoots a little closer to Ed, wanting to get in on their conversation. "You two are used to traveling a lot, right?"

Ed and Al look over to her as she speaks.

"I saw it in your memories - that you and he used to go from place to place all the time."

"Memories?" Al asks, a little perplexed.

"Yeah," Ed explains, a playful spookiness about his voice, "That's her magic gypsy power. She can touch a person and learn a lot about them."

"Really?!" Al asks excitedly. He sticks his hand out to Noa. "Do me!"

She chuckles, taking his hand. "All right." She closes her eyes for a minute, her breath slowing as she concentrates. "…You're kind, very thoughtful… and your brother hates milk."

Ed bursts, standing as he shouts, "Of course I hate milk! Who would want to drink something that came out of an animal's filthy tit?!"

The girls all start giggling.

"Brother! Sit down! You're embarrassing me!"

Ed sits down, grumbling as he crosses his arms, "Yeah, sorry Al."

Noa lets go of Al's hand, and brushes her hair aside for all the wind blowing past. "But I'm right, right? You two are practically gypsies like we are. You should have no problem adjusting to living with us."

Ed looks at her for a moment, and then closes his eyes, "I suppose. Only I'm not used to this many people."

Al smiles and pokes his brother in the cheek as he talks to Noa, "Yeah. Ed's kind of anti-social."

Ed snaps his jaw as if to bite Al, Al moving his finger back and laughing.

"You two really are very close," Noa says, they looking over at her as she speaks."It's so sweet. I wish I had a sibling. Or at least someone I was close to."

Al smiles brightly, "You've got us! Right, Brother?"

Ed looks to Al, then looks over to Noa. She smiles softly at him, the sunshine glowing off her hair. And Ed's not sure why, but he can't help but smile back.

"Yeah. You've got us."

Noa nods. "I'm glad."

X

The city long gone behind them, miles away, the truck has come to a rest near the river, all the riders piling out to stretch their legs and take a rest amongst the wooded countryside.

Ed stretches his arms, "Oh, man! It feels good to stand on solid ground. Nice to stretch the muscles."

"Hey Ed," Al asks, "Why is it you have automail still? I got all of MY body back. How come you don't have all of yours?"

Ed looks down at his right arm, his coat and gloves covering him. "I don't know. It's just one of those things, I guess." He looks over at Al. "And in this world, they don't have automail. I'd really stand out if people saw it."

"I must say," Noa interjects as she comes walking up with a small wicker basket, given to her by one of their fellow travelers so she can help forage for food, "This new arm of yours is even more amazing than the last one."

"Last one?" Al asks.

"Yeah," Ed tells him, "Dad was here in this world. He was able to make me fake limbs, though they were nowhere near as good as Winry's."

"Winry…" Noa says slowly. "…She was your childhood friend, wasn't she?"

Ed looks to her, watching Noa as she thinks aloud.

"I've seen her in your memories, too. You liked her…"

Ed nervously rubs his head as he blushes, "Yeah, she was a friend, that's all…"

Noa smiles quietly.

Al knocks on Ed's suitcase, "So is that what's in here? The limbs Dad made for you?"

Ed nods, "Yeah. These are just backups in case my automail ever breaks." Ed gives a proud smile, "But the best mechanic in Risembool knows what she's doing. And I doubt I'll be fighting any homunculi around here. The chances of it getting broken are slim." Ed moves his arm around a bit, rotating his shoulder. "But I've got to say, the skin covers are tight. Their meant for the ones he made, not the one she made."

They hear a woman call to them, "Hey you all! We have food if you want it!"

"Oh boy!" Al says jogging over to them. "I'm starving!"

Ed smiles, shaking his head. "Jeez, such a kid."

X

The band of gypsies all sit around, eating the small bits of food they've piled together for everyone. As he eats, Al can't help but stare at the driver, the big, tall man with a very commanding air about him. His resemblance to Scar is just too chilling for Al. Sure, he's missing the signature X mark across his face, but nonetheless his face is just the same.

The man looks over at the young boy. "…Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

Al sits up straight, nervous and sweating as he waves his hands back and forth. "N-no reason! It's just that, y-you remind me of someone I used to know!"

"Oh?" his companion queries as she sits by his side.

Ed decides to jump in on the conversation. "Yeah, but you're not them. What are your names?"

The man speaks, "I'm Serkan. And this is Lucine."

"Well I'm Ed."

"And I'm Al."

"Pleased to meet you," Lucine says, very soft-spoken.

"So, where you all from?" Edward asks.

"We're from Istanbul."

Ed gives a smarmy, half-amused grin. "Istanbul… you don't say…" the name sounding eerily akin to Ishbal.

Al can't contain his curiosity, "How long have you two known each other?"

Lucine and Serkan smile at each other, she petting his hand as she speaks, "Since we were children."

"But it feels much longer, doesn't it?" he says.

"Yes."

"As if we've known each other even before we were born."

Ed feels like laughing at the prospect, while Al's eyes are filled with stars. "How romantic!" Al spouts.

"Where are you boys headed?" Lucine asks them.

"Nowhere," Ed responds, a little aloof.

"Well you must be going somewhere," she says as she picks up her cup. "Your people aren't wanderers like us."

Ed crinkles his nose just ever so slightly, "What would you know about our people?"

Serkan, with his deep voice and a bit of a grim frown, says, "What would you know about ours?"

Ed sighs in his throat, calming himself. "...More than you'd know. Trust me. My brother and I haven't had a home since we were young children."

Lucine takes a drink from her cup and then says, "I'm so sorry to hear that. And you've been traveling by yourselves all this time?"

"Yeah."

Serkan breaks his bread in half as he speaks, "The same goes for us. For the most part, it's just been me and Lucine ever since we left Istanbul."

Lucine smiles, "Until you got that truck, and then we made a lot of friends."

He sighs, grumbling, "Freeloaders is more like it."

She nudges him in the arm playfully, "Come on! We're gypsies! We're supposed to have a band!"

"Just because we're travelers doesn't mean we're gypsies. And besides, we weren't born wanderers, you know."

Al asks, "Then why are you wanderers now?"

Serkan looks to the sky, watching a bird fly by as he remembers back, "I was fifteen when it started… The old empire was weak and falling apart. We owed a lot of money to other nations for the railroad that was built through our country. It brought with it money and progress… But progress means change… A lot of people didn't like our old imperial ways… There were revolutionaries who were determined to dethrone the sultan, which they did. The new rulers wanted everything to be Western, to be modern."

Lucine interjects, "They even gave women a lot more rights. It was about time."

Serkan shakes his head, annoyed, "They only reason we didn't give women more rights in the first place was because we knew they would flaunt them once they had them."

She smiles and gives him a nudge on the cheek.

He continues, his eyes dimming with seriousness, "But then the war broke out. I was twenty-one then. Our country allied itself with yours, but we were overtaken by your enemies. Their soldiers occupied our homeland… and it's not ours anymore."

Lucine stares sadly into her cup, watching as her own reflection shakes amongst the ripples in the water, "That's when we decided to leave. There was no point in staying there anymore. Even if we had stayed in The City, it was not the same City anymore."

Ed gives his sympathies, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Serkan continues, gently squeezing Lucine's hand, "We'll always have Istanbul with us, even if we're not in Istanbul."

A bit of a sad smile begins to make its way onto Ed's face, he thinking back to the countryside of Risembool… it's the same for him… even though he isn't there… it is there with him… All the memories… all the places… all the people… her… it's all in his heart now… Nothing more than a memory…

But as quickly as it had come, the smile begins to fade… If Serkan and Lucine ever wanted to go back home to Istanbul, all they'd have to do is turn the truck around and take off. But if he and Al wanted to go back to Risembool? …It'll never happen…

X

The sun has moved from its high point in the sky and is starting to descend, it not being quite as bright at this time in the afternoon, but certainly still as hot.

Noa stands by herself, alone in the woods at river's edge, staring silently out into the distance, not but the hum of crickets coming to wake filling the air.

Ed quietly comes up behind her. "What are you doing out here, Noa?"

She is quiet, not facing him. "… …Oh Ed… Why do there have to be wars? …And I almost started another one… all because of my selfishness…"

She falls silent again as her face falls towards the ground, Ed patiently waiting while the crickets continue their muted singing, slowly growing louder and louder as a natural chorus amongst the trees.

Noa looks down into the water, watching it lazily float by, it taking snatches of fallen leaves and loose grass with its current. "…I'm sorry… I'm sorry for what I did back there in Munich… I just-"

"We all are," Ed very plainly and calmly tells her. "We're all sorry for what we did. We all had our own reasons, and we thought we were doing what was right."

Noa sighs, dissatisfied.

"Besides," Ed continues, "Things turned out for the better, didn't they?"

A bit of surprise rushes through Noa as she looks up from the river. Things turned out for the better? She turns to face him, he smiling a beautiful smile, his golden eyes staring back into hers. She can feel her cheeks warming with blush, and she shyly looks down at the ground, nodding. "Yes…"

"Come on," he says to her. "Everyone's waiting for us."

X

The sun is just barely visible on the horizon now, the sky being painted a beautiful orange and red, faint dots of light becoming visible as the stars come awake. The band has built a campfire, big and tall, good enough for roasting food and warming their bones as they all gather around, settling down for the evening.

Al comes running up to Ed, "Brother! Look what I caught!" he says, holding a dead rabbit in his hands.

Ed laughs, "Just like old times, hey Al?"

"Wow!" Al awes, looking past Ed. Ed turns around to see Serkan has a big swan in his hands. "It's huge!"

"Found this down by the river," Serkan says. "Both of them should make a good meal."

Ed gives a grin, "Then let's eat up!"

The fires crackle and the people cackle, laughing and telling stories as they enjoy the open woods, Serkan in the meanwhile sitting on a log as he plays a guitar, strumming a melody to the passing night sky.

One of the girls gets up, brushing off some breadcrumbs from her lap, "Oh! Hand me my tambourine!"

Her friend pulls it out of a bag and tosses it to her, and she begins to beat it as she dances about to the rhythm of Serkan's tune.

Many of the girls get up and start to dance as well, humming a melody and singing aloud, grabbing their guy friends from where they sit on the grass.

Al laughs and smiles at the spectacle, loving the swirling colors and dresses before him, the jingling of their jewelry, the twinkling of their bracelets and anklets and bells. One of the girls stops and winks at him, and Al hops to his feet with glee. She holds out her hand to him, and he takes it and they begin to dance, Al with no particular talent about him.

Ed, sitting on the ground, starts laughing, watching his little brother act so silly. And then Noa stands there in front of Ed, she gently holding out her hand to him. Ed looks at it for a moment, and then looks to her soft and smiling face, he now realizing what's going on as he nervously waves his own hands back and forth. "Oh, no! No! I can't dance!"

"It doesn't matter!" she tells him as she grabs his hand and lifts him up, Ed red with embarrassment. She giggles, "Move your feet!"

Ed looks down, watching his steps, making sure his big old boots aren't going to crush her toes or anything. But then he feels her fingers under his chin, she lifting his face to look at her. With a smile, she twirls away from him, her dress a swirling cloud, moving and swaying with the rhythm of her body. Ed tries to loosen up, moving his shoulders a bit and starting to smile, Al in the meanwhile twirling in circles like a silly person.

And Noa shakes her way back up to Edward, taking him by the hand as they dance into the night.

X

The moon is high, the sky is black, the stars are twinkling bright. The fire has died down but is still alive, warming the travelers in the night.

Serkan and Lucine sleep in a tent, while many others sleep in the bed of the truck or on the ground. Al is also asleep, but Ed and Noa are not to be found.

They sit alone, together, by the riverside, watching the waters flow slowly by, the liquid disturbed only for but a moment as an insect briefly touches the surface, stirring the ripples of moonlight, taking them away into the darkness.

Ed stares out onto this serene scene. "It's so nice out here… And nice to finally relax."

Noa nods, she also looking out to the river, listening to the crickets who have now come out in full force to serenade the night. "…I want to thank you, Edward."

"For what?" he asks, looking over to her.

Her eyes are downcast, looking down at the ground beneath her as she says, "For being my friend… I've always been so lost and alone… but… Even through all my faults…" Her eyes rise to meet his, "You're the only one who's been kind enough to forgive me…"

Ed gives a bit of a somber smile, "…Probably because I've made a lot of mistakes in my life… I know what it's like to need forgiveness…"

"Oh Ed," she lays her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "It's so nice being here with you."

Ed, in the meanwhile, has stopped breathing momentarily. His eyes widen, his pupils constrict, and he looks both ways, afraid someone might see.

"Uh, Noa," he says, a little nervously, "You seem really tired. Maybe you should go to bed."

"Hmm?" she hums, and then softly she says, "No. I like it here…"

"Oh…" And Ed looks out to the river…

X

Later that night, while everyone is dead asleep, Edward nudges his brother. "Al," he whispers. "Al, wake up."

"Huh?" Alphonse stirs awake, rubbing his eyes. "What is it?"

"Come on, Al. It's time to go."

"Go? But why?" Al asks, confused and distraught.

"Because. It just is. Now let's go." Ed turns around, carrying his suitcase with him.

Quickly and quietly, Al grabs his things and starts to follow Edward. But then he stops for a moment, looking back at Noa, she sleeping peacefully in the grass… and then he turns and follows Ed off into the night…

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

Notes from the Author: To all Ed/Noa shippers: Sorry, this is not that kind of story. To all who don't ship Ed/Noa: I bet you're glad to hear that aren't you? I've got nothing against the Ed/Noa ship, but I just thought you all should know.
Also (Psst! Keep reading til the end of Chapter 4. That's where shit gets real. Chs 1 - 3 suffer from what I call 'Novel Syndrome': that is, they're all just setup. I'd still read them, just so you know what's what, but Ch 4 is where things take off).

To all Ed/Noa shippers: Sorry, this is not that kind of story. To all who don't ship Ed/Noa: I bet you're glad to hear that aren't you? I've got nothing against the Ed/Noa ship, but I just thought you all should know.

Also (Psst! Keep reading til the end of Chapter 4. That's where shit gets real. Chs 1 - 3 suffer from what I call 'Novel Syndrome': that is, they're all just setup. I'd still read them, just so you know what's what, but Ch 4 is where things take off).

To all Ed/Noa shippers: Sorry, this is not that kind of story. To all who don't ship Ed/Noa: I bet you're glad to hear that aren't you? I've got nothing against the Ed/Noa ship, but I just thought you all should know.

Also (Psst! Keep reading til the end of Chapter 4. That's where shit gets real. Chs 1 - 3 suffer from what I call 'Novel Syndrome': that is, they're all just setup. I'd still read them, just so you know what's what, but Ch 4 is where things take off).

To all Ed/Noa shippers: Sorry, this is not that kind of story. To all who don't ship Ed/Noa: I bet you're glad to hear that aren't you? I've got nothing against the Ed/Noa ship, but I just thought you all should know.

Also (Psst! Keep reading til the end of Chapter 4. That's where shit gets real. Chs 1 - 3 suffer from what I call 'Novel Syndrome': that is, they're all just setup. I'd still read them, just so you know what's what, but Ch 4 is where things take off).

To all Ed/Noa shippers: Sorry, this is not that kind of story. To all who don't ship Ed/Noa: I bet you're glad to hear that aren't you? I've got nothing against the Ed/Noa ship, but I just thought you all should know.

Also (Psst! Keep reading til the end of Chapter 4. That's where shit gets real. Chs 1 - 3 suffer from what I call 'Novel Syndrome': that is, they're all just setup. I'd still read them, just so you know what's what, but Ch 4 is where things take off).