Chapter Four

An Impromptu Graveyard

June 26, 1916

Ed woke up to Kestrel hugging him.

Once she realized he was awake, she jumped back awkwardly and brushed her hair out of her face.

"You were having a nightmare," she explained, avoiding eye contact.

Just like always. He could still remember the bloody armor, Winry lying there, and Mom... He didn't want to think about it.

"Yeah," he muttered, staring at the ground.

"It'll be a few days before they find us. We should try to find food." Eye contact was thoroughly avoided. Ed tried to escape nightmarish thoughts and found himself trying to figure out Kestrel. There was something up with her and alchemy. His first suspicion was that she didn't have a Gate either, but she didn't seem to know what Human Transmutation had to do with it. He clearly recalled thinking he didn't need another confusing girl in his life.

The world couldn't just leave well enough alone, could it?

Kestrel started laughing.

The pair of them were looking through the wreckage of the train. Ed had been thinking about his inadequacies until her laughter distracted him.

"What are you laughing about!?" She was laughing too hard to speak, but pulled a brown shoulder bag from the carnage. Her luggage.

"It's— so horrible—" She bent over laughing. He was surprised by how giggly her laugh was. Did all girls giggle or something?

Once she'd gotten down to the occasional muffled giggle, she opened the bag. Out went books, a shirt— underwear, right into Ed's lap. He blushed and threw it at her.

"Do I have underwear on my head?" she asked calmly.

"Well— yes." She snorted and put it back in the bag. "I found it."

"Found what?"

"Food." She pulled out an apple and a knife. "Not much, but—"

"Breakfast!" Ed stole the apple.

"Eat it and I stab you," she said flatly. He considered the risks. "You'll get half..." With this promise balanced against her threat, he handed the apple back. She cut it into fairly even halves. Ed immediately grabbed his, while Kestrel took the time to eat it slice by slice.

In the end, half an apple wasn't an overly satisfying breakfast, but it was better than nothing.

Central

Roy Mustang was getting sick and tired of being discreet.

Really, it didn't seem like the dumbass was going to care. But Riza cared that he was there, so no fraternization. Not even holding hands.

"Aha! A mysterious disappearance!" The Doctor walked into his office with a newspaper.

"I see."

"In Risembool."

"Risembool?" He groaned. "Please tell me it wasn't Edward Elric..."

"No."

"Good."

"Alphonse Elric. And Winry Rockbell!"

Roy pounded his head into his undone paperwork.

"You know them, then?"

"Elrics. They'll be the death of me someday..."

"Ah, so you do know them."

"At least it wasn't Fullmetal... but still, why? Why Elrics?"

"I'll leave you alone, then..."

The Doctor turned, raised his eyebrows, and went to inform Riza Hawkeye of this development.

"You asked about—"

"Way ahead of you." He glanced back toward Roy. "What is it with him and Elrics, by the way?"

"A long story."

"Oh, I've got all the time in the world."

"Edward Elric was... you could call him General Mustang's subordinate. They didn't get along."

"I wouldn't call that long..."

"I omitted details for the sake of clarity."

"I see. And Alphonse Elric?"

"His little brother. Nice kid."

"I see... Winry Rockbell?"

"Edward's mechanic."

"Mechanic?"

Riza paused. "He has a mechanical leg."

"Oh, interesting!" "I... wouldn't say that to his face."

"Right. No calling his leg interesting to his face."

"Shall I get train tickets, or can you handle that yourself?"

"We'll take the TARDIS. Allons-y!"

She went to get Roy. He was pressing his forehead against his paperwork.

"General?"

He looked up. "Why me, Riza?"

"You're being melodramatic again." She kissed him, and then they allons-ied.

Keir, Lytia

Evening

"I'm hot..." Winry complained. She was lying on the floor while Al read one of Aravis' papers. It was on chimeras. Lytian alchemy didn't seem to have chimeras yet, and Aravis was developing her chimeras with plants. It seemed exceptionally intelligent, but Al was distracted by memories. He'd have to warn her. Aravis seemed like a sweet girl. She'd be miserable if anyone misused her research...

Aravis walked in. She handed Winry a fan (which she frantically fanned herself with) and knelt down to see what Al was reading. Once she saw, there was a sharp inhalation. She tore the paper from Al's hands and tore it up angrily.

She took a deep breath. He blinked at her. Slowly, she knelt down, paused, and gave a strangled sob. Al slowly held her, and she buried her face into his shoulder. She whispered in Lytian, things he wasn't supposed to understand. He held her closer as he realized what she was saying. He wished he didn't. She hadn't meant to tell him.

But he knew, and he held her. Because Aravis was a chimera.