Wow, this chapter really seemed to write itself! (At one in the morning, I may add.) Thanks in advance for reading and reviewing!

The blistering desert sun was like torture. Winry couldn't even image how Ed was feeling, since his automail was probably boiling his skin. Of course, he made no sign that he was in discomfort.

"How are you feeling?" Ed asked. That idiot always put others' well-being before his own.

"I'm fine. Just thirsty." Winry could have sworn her stomach was bipolar; one minute it was fine, then the next, she wanted to vomit all over the place. Ed had her convinced it was a side effect from being away from home so long. Different countries had various bugs and illnesses that Amestris did not have, so her queasiness would pass on soon.

"We'll be there soon. Hey, look!" Ed pointed to a figure of something green. When the two were closer to the object, it turned out to be a plump cactus. "I'll get us some water." He used his left foot to bash the plant open, and he dipped an empty canteen as far as he could until it filled up with the pale liquid. Ed held it up and offered the drink to Winry.

"I think I can wait."

"Come on, it's not poisonous. You have to drink something."

"Ed, it's not safe to eat or drink strange plants."

"Sure it is! I do it all the time." To prove his point, Ed guzzled down the juice. "See. Nothing is happening. Have some!" His pupils grew large, so his golden irises were barely visible. Winry wasn't going to touch the liquid.

"I'll pass. Well, let's keep going. You want to see your brother soon, right?" She started to walk and Ed followed her like an excited puppy.

"Yeah! I can't wait to see you, Al!" Winry gave him a strange look, but kept walking. To her dismay, Ed began to giggle hysterically.

"What?" She questioned.

"Al, you look like a girl. Your hair is really long." Winry rolled her eyes and decided to play along with her delusional fiancé.

"So is yours." Ed patted his head and grabbed his ponytail.

"Whoa! When did that get there?" He looked like he was trying to pull it off. "Quick! Get me some…uh…scones!"

"You mean scissors." Normally, Ed's strange behavior would've been amusing, but now, they were running for their lives in the desert. Now was not the time for drug enticing cactus water.

"Yeah!" Ed raised the canteen to take another sip, but Winry slapped it out of his hand. "No!" He dove to the ground and tried to save the juice as it soaked into the sand. "You killed us, Al!" He raised an accusing finger at Winry's face.

"Shut up! We need to keep going." She did her best to lift Ed on his feet, and he leaned against her, not being able to stand up fully.

"Why don't you ask the hoboes for directions?" She looked around and saw a fox peeking its head out of a hole. Xing had to be close; they scheduled themselves to arrive this day. Winry grabbed Ed's arm and pulled him along.

For hours, Ed snapped his fingers and shouted, 'fire!' as he did so. His snapping and random shouts about tiny miniskirts had Winry on edge, but they both stopped when they could hear the whirring of an engine.

"Dragon!" Ed shrieked and he threw himself at the ground. After hours of Ed hallucinating, the noise of civilization never sounded better. She only hoped whoever was driving was Xingese.

The car stopped next to the young adults and Winry sighed a breath of relief; the people inside were Xingese. "Amestrians?" An older man opened the car door and rushed to the two. "Please, come with us." He opened the door and helped them get into the car.

"Oh…this is the best belly I've ever been in." Ed's childish comment made Winry slap her hand to her forehead. The two men in the car gave their new passengers a strange glance.

"We ran out of water this morning, so this idiot thought it would be smart to drink cactus water." She explained.

"It's quenching." Ed confirmed with a wild grin. Both men began to laugh heartily.

"Don't worry, miss. That should wear off soon."

"Thanks for giving us a ride." Winry decided to add.

"No worries. It's all part of the job."

"You drive a car around in the sand?" She didn't know what type of job would require one to go into the desert.

"You don't know? We're smugglers." Winry wrapped her hands tightly around Ed, even though he was currently useless if something bad were to happen. The man could tell she was worried. "Oh, not like that! Emperor Ling paid us to bring refugees from Amestris to the safety of Xing."

"That's fantastic!" At least there was one sane country out there that wasn't determined to make Amestris fall. The sand gradually turned into dirt, and Ed was mumbling incoherently. They went over a little hill, which revealed hundreds of tents and small smoke stacks.

"We don't have room for the refugees to live with us, so they stay here until a family agrees to take them in." It sounded like a confusing process. Xing was kind enough to allow countless Amestrians in, but they didn't quite have all the resources for them to thrive and live like they once did.

"Bathroom!" Ed shouted, and everyone in the car jumped at the random outburst. "I need one, now!" Winry could tell his pupils were back to their normal size, and he was biting his lip with frustration.

"Uh, right over there." The driver pointed to a gray shack and Ed burst through the door.

"Thanks again. I think I should wait for him." Winry exited the car and waved to the drivers. She had a dreaded feeling Ed wouldn't emerge for a long time.

"Winry!" She turned around and saw a very familiar face.

"Alphonse?"

"Yeah!" He walked over and greeted her with a hug. "What are you doing here? And by yourself?"

"That's a very interesting story, but I'm not alone. Your moronic brother is paying for not listening to me."

"Brother is here? Great!" Al started to open the door to the shack, but Winry quickly stopped him.

"Uh, you might want to wait a few minutes." Al looked up and read the sign. He knew a few Xingese characters now, and this was a familiar one.

"Oh. But I'm really glad you're here. I kept calling the house when I heard about the war, but no one answered."

"No one?"

"Nope. I was worried something bad happened. I even called Mustang yesterday to see if he knew what was going on."

"What did he say?" Al shook his head.

"Also no answer. The phone didn't even ring. When I saw the news today, I-"

"Al!" Ed finished purging out the foul plant water and rushed out of the shack to hug his little brother.

"Brother! You're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay." Ed rolled his eyes. "It's just diar-"

"Ew, no! That's not what I meant. Did you know Central surrendered today?"

"No. No I didn't."

"I was scared something terrible happened to you. Nobody answered my letters or calls."

"We were in Aerugo. Sorry if I had you so worried. Hey, Winry?" She looked at Ed quizzically. "Why don't you talk to Mei and figure out why you've been sick." Winry looked in the direction Ed was indicating and she saw Mei giving food to some refugees.

"Okay." It was obvious Ed wanted to talk to Al in private, so she agreed and went to talk to Mei.

"Brother, what do you mean? Is Winry not well?"

"I don't know. She's been having terrible mood swings and stomach pains. I thought it was just, well, you know, girl things. But this has been going on for two weeks. I think she caught a disease or something from being in a different country."

"Oh. Mei should be able to help her. How was Aerugo, anyway?" Al could see his older brother blush slightly.

"Fine. If I wasn't so worried about Amestris, it would've been like a real vacation. And what about you? Do you live in one of these tents?"

"No, I live with Mei."

"Do you, now?" Ed smiled mischievously.

"I don't live with her. I just meant I live with her clan in a different town!" Now it was the younger brother's turn to blush. Ed chuckled softly and hugged his brother again. Even though it had been almost three years since Al regained his body, Ed still loved the satisfaction of hugging his brother in the flesh.

"Al, have you heard anything else about Amestris?"

"People are arrested everyday for being alchemists, and no one is really sure what happens to them. There have been many different rumors, but we aren't sure which ones are true. Most of these refugees are not alchemists, but even the slight accusation of being an alchemist is enough to get captured. I know there is a giant wall being built to prevent people from leaving the area, and I think Brigg's is the only place that hasn't been annexed to Creta yet." The brothers shuddered at the thought of anyone trying to claim General Armstrong's fortress as their own.

"What are you doing with all of these refugees?"

"I'm a smuggler. I cross the desert everyday and bring people here."

"Wow, Al, I didn't think you were the type to break the law." Ed felt a little prideful for his little brother.

"It's not illegal here." It was funny for Ed to see Al trying to defend himself. "Ling is the one in charge. He sends out groups everyday to help fleeing Amestrians. We're trying to get as many people here as possible before that wall cutting off the desert is built."

"Huh, I guess the idiot prince isn't stupid, after all."

"He's the emperor now, and he's already managed to join the clans together. Actually, he is still supposed to be here until tomorrow. Would you like to see him?" Ed was curious to know what Ling was planning; it could be vital for saving Amestris and countless innocent people.

"That would be great. Then I can finally relax after that long trip through the desert."

"Oh, your leg."

"Yeah, but at least at night it wasn't so hot." Al took Ed to a large yellow tent and the two sat down on some plushy pillows.

"Ling! I brought a guest." The smell of cooking meat overpowered the room. A few days in the desert did its toll on Ed stomach, so his mouth began to uncontrollably water.

"Ed! It's great to see you, friend!" Ling rushed into the room and squeezed Ed tightly, so he could barely breathe.

"Can'breeh." Ed gasped and he tried his best to shove the idiot away.

"What?" Ling loosed his grip and Ed escaped from the clamp of death.

"No touchy." He pointed a finger at the emperor.

"Aw, but you and Al hug all the time." Ling whined and Ed scoffed at him. They were both adults now, there was no need to sound like a bratty child.

"He's my brother."

"And what does that make me?"

"Thankfully, no relations by marriage or blood."

"At least not yet." Ling responded in a sing-song voice, to which Ed harshly stared down his little brother who was pretending to ignore the conversation.

"Al?" His little brother seemed to take great interest in a fly that was buzzing around the room.

"Hmm?" Al looked away and made sure he didn't meet his brother's gaze. Ed could tell Al's face was turning a dark shade of pink.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Ed made sure Al could tell he wasn't mad when he spoke. Sometimes Al had trouble differentiating playful teasing from seriousness.

"Well," Al looked at Ling and Ed with innocent, pleading eyes. "I really like her. A lot. You're not mad, are you?" Ling and Ed both laughed in response.

"Of course not! My little brother is finally turning into a man." Ed wrestled his hand through his brother's hair, which quickly became a short, tangled mess.

"So, when's the big day?" Ling nudged Al's side with his elbow.

"I didn't ask her yet. I want to wait a little bit." Al looked at his older brother for reassurance.

"Do whatever makes you happy, Al." Al smiled shyly. "So, Ling, what have you got planned for helping Amestris?" The temperature in the room seemed to drop, and both Ling and Al's smiles vanished.

"We are going to continue smuggling people in until the desert is cut off. After that, we'll have to wait until this problem solves itself."

"So you're going to do nothing?" Ed growled and could feel his anger boiling.

"I'm sorry. Xing just got out of a never-ending civil war; we don't have what it takes to fight against three of the most powerful militaristic countries. We would be crushed."

"You have some of the most amazing fighters around, I think you can stand a chance."

"Brother," Al spoke calmly to ease the tension in the room. "Ling is right. Xing is a healing country. They're not ready."

"What do you want me to do? Sit here idly while my home is ravaged by war?"

"Yes. Sometimes, I think that you think you're still in the military. Brother, you can't get involved in this."

"So you want me to sit back and relax while everyone else is in danger?"

"Ed, I think you're missing a key point." Ling raised up a finger. "We are taking in as many of your people as possible. Many Amestrians fled here, so the majority of people living in Amestris are from foreign countries, anyway."

"What about the ones that are still there?"

"And that's where we come in. We'll keep on bringing Amestrians until it becomes impossible. If you want to help, I'm sure your brother would love for you to accompany him on his missions."

"Yeah, that would be great! The only problem is your leg might get painful from being in the heat." Ed waved his hand down nonchalantly in response to Al's concern.

"Eh, I'll manage. It's not that bad."

"Good. I'm going back into the desert in an hour."

"Before the two of you go, let's eat. I'm starving!" Of course, the ever so greedy Ling had food on the top of his priorities. Food was a commodity around here, and being the emperor had its perks when it came to getting good food.

A roasted pig sat on the table, which was surrounded by strange looking foods that Ed already decided he was not going to touch. Al was brave and put a few of the nasty pieces in his bowl and didn't hesitate to stuff them in his mouth. Ed played it safe and only took recognizable pieces of pork, along with a heaping pile of rice.

"It smells so good in here." The three boys turned their heads around and saw Mei and Winry standing there. "Do you mind if we join you?"

"Of course not." Ed responded while swallowing his food. "So, are you feeling better? I know Mei is an excellent healer." Mei and Winry shot a knowing glance at each other, then they smiled at Ed.

"Of course. I've never been better. Now give me some food!" Winry pushed Ed aside and slopped various foods into her bowl. Amongst the mass of food, Ed could see she had some pretty strange things that resembled eyeballs and pureed stomach acid. He cringed and suddenly lost his appetite.

"That's gross." He said while covering his mouth with his hand, and Winry plopped one of the nasties into her mouth. "Uh, Al, let's get ready for the mission." Al nodded his head in agreement; he clearly thought the girls' choice of food was nauseating.

Ed made sure plenty of water was packed into the large vehicle. He didn't want to have a repeat of the earlier incident with cactus water. Al was in the tent grabbing a few more things and telling Mei he would be back soon.

"Al, you're going to jinx yourself." Ed stated casually when the two of them boarded the vehicle and Al gave the driver the signal to go.

"What do you mean? Didn't you say bye to Winry?"

"No. I'm not going anywhere. When you say good-bye to someone, it sounds like you don't plan on seeing them soon. That's why I think you're going to jinx yourself."

"That's ridiculous." Al laughed lightly, and Ed joined him.

"You're probably right. So, what exactly do we have to do?"

"Well, it's not that exciting. We drive into the desert until we find a specific tree, then we wait until a group of five people or so show up on horseback. We tie the horses up to be picked up later, and we take the refugees back to camp."

"What happens when the travelers are followed?" Al frowned and seemed to deeply ponder the question.

"That hasn't happened yet." Ed nodded and looked out the window. It wasn't a good idea to not have a plan ready in case something bad like being followed was to happen. The sun was still proudly in the sky, so a large, single tree was not hard to spot in the distance.

"There's the tree." The driver parked the car in the shade, and the three waited in silence as they scanned the horizon for movement.

"Hey, look over there." Ed pointed to a small dust cloud. "Is that them?"

"Yep." Al confirmed and seven brown horses came into view. They went from a steady trot to a gallop in seconds. The travelers were undoubtedly excited to see the landmark, and an even bigger dust cloud rose into the sky as the horses moved quickly toward the tree.

The group of seven was comprised of four women, two men, and a small girl. Ed glanced at the horizon again and saw another small cloud of dust.

"Did you get separated from your group?" Ed asked and he pointed to the cloud. Everyone stared at it with horror and panic, and he knew something was wrong. The group had been followed.

Ed ran to the car and threw the big barrel of water out since the vehicle was only designed to carry five people; there were ten of them there. Quickly, he and Al placed the women and child in the seats. The two men pushed themselves into the trunk.

"Get in." Ed demanded his younger brother.

"What about you?" Al never looked so frightened in his life. If whoever was chasing them caught up, Al could be taken away for being an alchemist.

"I'll take the horses and distract them." The cloud, as well as the threat, was coming closer. Eventually, Al was positioned awkwardly into the trunk, but at least he would be safe.

"Brother! What about Winry? She's-" The engine roared to life and Al was cut off, but Ed could see his words forming.

"Tell her to wait for me. I always come back, Al. Bye." Ed waved to the driver, and the car sped off. Quickly, Ed went to the horses and looked through their saddle bags. One of them contained a blanket, which was perfect for what he was going to do.

Ed harnessed the horses together and attached the blanket to them so it was laying against the sand. Carefully, Ed mounted the smallest horse, and he urged them into a gallop. The swirling dust cloud from the blanket was enormous, and much larger than one from a car would cause. He knew the threat would be more interested in the large cloud, and it turned out he was right. A large military truck came into view, so Ed loosened the rope keeping the horses together so he wouldn't be slowed down.

The poor horse had already made a long journey through the desert, and her breathing became heavy and staggered. He patted the mare's neck and hoped she had the will to keep going. The vehicle was much faster than the struggling horse, and it soon drove beside Ed.

"Stop!" A gruff voice yelled when the window was rolled down. Ed knew his steed wouldn't last much longer. "Freeze!" The man pulled out a handgun and shot the horse when Ed made no indication to slow down.

Ed clutched the horse's sweaty neck as she plummeted to the ground. He knew it would've been more dangerous to be flung off rather than fall with her. Fortunately, the mare fell to the left, so she was on top of Ed's automail leg. If it had been his right, it would most likely be broken now. Either way, this was a bad situation; he was pinned underneath a thousand-pound horse.

Three men wearing Cretan uniforms jumped out of the car and surrounded the dying horse and Ed. One of them snapped an anti-alchemy bracelet around his right wrist, and then they pried the horse off of him. While he was still dazed, the men searched his clothes, but found nothing.

"You're not Xingese." Ed squinted his eyes with frustration at the stupid comment. Of course he looked nothing like a Xing native! "What's your name?" If the dry desert air didn't cause his mouth to feel so parched, he would've spat on the men.

"None of your business." He growled out.

"Very well. Put him with the others." He was taken to the back of the truck, and shackled to his seat with five other people. They didn't have the same confused look Ed had; they looked frightened, like they knew exactly what was going to happen to them. Ed didn't know what happened to accused alchemists, but he bet it wasn't very pleasant.

For the whole duration of the ride, the Cretans constantly demanded Ed to tell them his name. He remained silent most of the time, but answered with an occasional 'screw you'. Once or twice, he even tried to lash out against his captors, but his movement was too limited to cause harm.

Once they left the desert, Ed could see the large wall Ling and Al were talking about. It looked enormous from the distance, and it was amazing something so large was being built so quickly by hand.

The truck came to a stop and the back was opened. The detainees were unshackled from their seats, but they remained bound to each other. After a quick glance, Ed knew he recognized this place. It was a fairground where farmers went to sell and buy livestock. He had been to a horse auction once, for some silly mission he had in his second week of service.

They had led the horse into the auction barn and walked it around in circles. Before the bidding started, people could examine it in the stables to see if they wanted to buy it. The whole thing had been boring to watch, but that memory was beginning to make Ed wonder why they were being sent here.

Maybe the prisons were overflowing and they had no where else to put the captured alchemists. Ed and the others were led into a stable barn, and each prisoner was placed into a metal cell after they were measured and a piece of paper was attached to the door.

Ed was the last one to be placed into a stable, and he made sure he fought back when the soldiers attempted to measure his height. Somehow, they were able to make an accurate measurement and they clasped a different bracelet around his left wrist. After much hitting, kicking, and swearing, most of Ed's clothes were torn off and he was pushed into the holding cell with only his boxers.

After several minutes of waiting, Ed made sure the soldiers were gone. He slipped his hand through the bars and snatched the piece of paper and read it intently.

"Name: Unknown.

Auction number 204.

Height: 5'5.

Sire: Unknown.

Dam: Unknown.

State Affiliation: Unknown and Unlikely.

Age: Unknown; Approx. 16 years.

Temperament: Stubborn and aggressive; ill-tempered overall. Would be best for field work."

It certainly looked like paperwork for a horse to be sold. Not a whole lot was known about the particular animal, and it didn't look like it had a good behavior, so it would be difficult to sell. Uninterested, Ed glanced at the top to see the auction number.

Ed looked at the number again, and then he looked at the new bracelet on his left hand. The number 204 was written on it.