This hasn't been updated for a long time, thank finals and writers block for that, but I finally have some free time so here we are.

Spoilers: blah blah blah blah 102

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist; if I did the universe (all of them) would collapse.

"Those eyes, so clear and focused…

I love them…

I look forward, to seeing those eyes become clouded by suffering

That day will come, very soon."

"Colonel, Colonel Mustang?"

His eyes shot open, but he stayed in the darkness, he was covered in cold sweat as he awoke on a moving train, to his right his subordinate had a firm grip on his shoulder, a worried look on her face.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked, pressing a hand to his forehead.

"You where thrashing around in your sleep, sir, I thought it would be best to wake you."

"Oh, right." He thought back to his dream, to the homunculus long since dead, of her parting words, of the truth behind them.

"Lieutenant, are we close to Resembool?"

"No sir, we've just passed East City."

"Where's Fullmetal?"

"He's in the next cabin over taking care of Alphonse."

"And the Xinganese prince?"

"With his bodyguard, two cabins over."

"Lieutenant," he hesitated. "What will you do now?"

"What do you mean, sir?" She looked down to avoid his unseeing gaze.

"Will you stay with the military or…?"

"I believe we quit the military when we where branded as traitors, sir."

"Then why do you keep calling me 'sir'?"

"Why do you still call me 'lieutenant'?"

"Force of habit I guess." He responded lamely. "Lieute- Riza, do you think all of this was worth it?"

"All of what, sir?" she asked hesitantly, her hand unconsciously going to her neck, the scar across it.

"Everything Ishbal, the rebellion, what everyone lost."

"No sir, it wasn't worth it."

"I see, thanks for being truthful-."

"But we're alive and that's the simple truth and that's enough to shoulder everything and strive for tomorrow; to stubbornly cling to the will to survive, isn't it sir."

"Yes, thank you."

"Hey, toots." Said Greed as he opened the door to the train cabin and woke the young Xinganese women inside.

Her eyes snapped open, right hand going to a kunai strapped to her ankle, left hand not there at all.

"Hey, hey, watch that thing you can poke some-ones eye out or something." Said Greed as he backed away from the weapon held at his throat.

"Greed" she said through clenched teeth. "What do you want?"

"I don't want anything; it's the brat who wants to talk to you" His eyes melted from the cold purple to the soft black orbs she knew.

"Master?" she gazed at him as he rubbed his head and looked up.

"RanFan! Are you all right?" He asked, staring at the automail port and the mechanical arm that laid in a case next to her.

"Yes young master." She said following his gaze to her detached arm. "Edward said it would put more stain of the structure if I kept it on, so I took it off."

He looked at the arm; it was broken in several places, especially at the shoulder area. He looked up at RanFan and knew that the flesh was raw where the skin met metal.

"How's your shoulder." He asked deciding to get to the point instead of pointlessly blathering.

"Its fine I believe it will be able to take the automail easily and it shouldn't cause any problem-"

"The part of your shoulder you can feel RanFan."

"Oh, it fine."

He knew she was lying, he knew her shoulder had almost been torn off in the battle earlier; he knew she was too strong to admit it.

"Here let me see." He said as he crossed the four feet to her seat by the window.

"But, young Master." She tried to shift away as Ling rolled up her sleeve, revealing red flesh that had been clotted with dry blood.

"RanFan, why didn't you ask for treatment at Central, we could have prevented this." Said Ling staring at the scarred skin that touched the metal surface of the automail port.

"Oh, it didn't really seem important."

Ling stared in silent disbelief for a second before he started to search for a first aid kit in the luggage compartment of the cabin. RanFan never cared for herself first; only for others, that much was clear by her missing arm, more so by the scars around the base of her shoulder where she had refused to let her fall.

"RanFan."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me, I decided long ago I would follow you to hell and back."

Okay that's chapter four, next time we arrive in Resembool

Note: RanFan and Ling are going to get RanFans automail repaired and Roy and Riza are going just to get away from Central for awhile.( Is that a lame excuse? '-')