I do not own FMA.

A Train Ride to Build Trust

1914

Bo.

Al. Nate. Edward. Bo. Edward. Nate. Al. I glanced back and forth the less suspicious as possible to everyone. I was sitting next to the Edward Elric. I did not know how I was able to keep myself contained. Was it because there was some distance between us? Was it because I had this special power to contain my emotions?

"Bo, can't you stop smiling like an idiot?" Nate shook his head, and sighed. "Fangirls."

He was very lucky that we were in a train and with the Elrics.

"Can you guys remind me why you are traveling with us?" Edward asked, annoyed.

"Brother…" Alphonse let out.

"It's alright Alphonse," I said. "We've only know each other for hours. His question is justified."

Nathan stared at me.

"Are you guys really related?" Ed asked. "She's nice."

I blushed at the compliment. I could die now, because I was complimented. Nathan did not reply, and diverted his eyes to the window. He had an amused smile on his face. Mister was totally entertained. I bit my lower lip, and kept my cool.

"About your question, Edward, we are just going to East City. We couldn't stay in Liore after everything that happened. Who knows what could have happened to us?" I gave as an answer.

"Fair enough."

"Indeed, Little Goldie. It's not you pretty messed things up back there, but it's pretty much it," My brother added.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE?" Edward fumed.

"Who do you think? I mean I'm pretty sure that you are the only blonde shortie here." Brother was poking some fun out of Ed, and it was totally working.

"YOU, I WILL KILL YOU!" yelled Edward.

"Why don't you, Fullmetal?"

"You want a piece of me, don't you?"

All the passengers onboard were looking at us. It was a little embarrassing. Nate just had to push Ed's buttons. Was he that bored? Their argument was escalading to dangerous heights. I feared that they would kick us out of the train. Alphonse attempted to stop them, but words were not going to the trick. I grew annoyed by their childish tantrum, and decided to take action. I took out two rings from my pocket, and put one of them on my ring fingers.

"Bailey, what do you think you are doing?" The mere action alarmed my brother.

I glared at him as I transmuted the rings into two guns and pointed one on each boys' head. They both jumped at the action. Their eyes were popping out of their socket.

"Alright, gentlemen, here's the thing. Behave." The little fan side was gone now. "I don't want to end up walking to East City."

The wagon was completely silent. I expected that effect actually. You do not continue your conversation, when there is armed person threating to shoot. I felt Alphonse's hands on my wrists.

"Bo…" he whispered.

I exhale, and turned transmuted the guns back to rings. I heard Nathan take a deep breath.

"Why do I have to travel with this trio of freaks? A trigger happy, a choleric shorty and a sweet suit of armor," said Nathan.

"Who is the shorty?" Edward's eyes were twitching.

"Boys," I called.

The both grumbled.

"What's wrong with you anyways?" Ed complained.

"You didn't actually think that she was going to be all cutesy til the end," my brother said. "Like I told you, we are state alchemists. She's the newcomer, the Gunslayer Doll Alchemist."

"That's right," I affirmed with a proud look. "I'm the rookie specialist in combat-oriented alchemy who even caught the eye of Brigadier General Grand himself."

"Nothing to be proud of, sis," retorted Nathan.

Crossing my arms, I glared at him. He was so annoying.

"What about you?" hostilely Edward asked.

That was dangerous. I looked at my brother in panic. His eyes were on Ed.

"Sorry, Fullmetal, but it's classified," he replied. "All I'm telling you is that I'm the Blackheart Alchemist. You may interpret it as you wish, but I'm not telling you nothing."

"What about those arrays on your gloves, are they also classified information too?" Ed asked.

I knew that he started to have some distrust in my brother. Nate was used to it, and did not care if no one would trust him. His alchemy was just part of the Devil's research, so preferred keeping a secret. Even the Fuhrer himself thought it was better to keep quiet about it.

"Those gloves…" Nathan glanced at the leather gloves he had on. "They are for basic alchemy purposes only. I can construct, deconstruct and reconstruct with them. You want to know anything else?"

Things escalated pretty quickly again. The tension was unbearable. Both of them looked at each other in the eyes. I could not stand still on my side of the seat. Al seemed worried. We preferred not to meddle in our older brother's business.

"So Al, why the suit?" I questioned to change the topic. It was the lamest one.

Before Al could reply, Ed took the lead.

"It's classified information," he repeated.

I sighed. Was there a way to ease things up? One moment they were poking fun at each other like children and the other moment they were at each other's throat like kids. In both cases, they were both not acting their age.

"Equivalent exchange," I said. "I tell you my secret against yours Al."

If our big brothers were going to act like babies, we were going to show the civilized mature example. We were all alchemists, so an equivalent exchange was sacred.

"You have more secrets?" Alphonse was confused. "I accept."

I smiled. I liked to think he understood me. "I am visually impaired, because my brother and I bypassed the laws of equivalence." I took of my glasses. "I cannot see you no one now, except for those afar. The Truth said that it was my consequence for taking the right choice when it was right in front me."

"The Truth?" It caught Elrics' attention.

"I don't believe you," Edward added, insensitive. "It took nothing for committing the unforgivable sin."

I accidentally broke my glasses, when he said that.

"You shouldn't judge, before learning the whole story, Elric." Nathan was containing himself.

"What happened?" Alphonse questioned with a nicer tone.

"This exchange is nowhere near equivalent, Bailey." Nate did not give the time to answer. "It's the secret of our past against the secret of theirs not our past for the reason why Alphonse is a suit of armor."

Nate.

Edward stared back at me. They were cold and serious. It was a rare sight that I only saw when people crossed the line with Ed when I watched the episodes. However, I did not cross the line. I had all the right reasons to lay down the right exchange. We remained there silently staring at each other until Edward finally agreed.

I gaze at the window. I looked at the scenery in its gloomy grayscale. "I can only see the world in this saddening black and white spectrum to represent how my view on the world. I did not believe in alchemy, and I thought that the only way to prove it existed was to commit the taboo. I didn't even take the time to put the ingredients necessary for the transmutation. I just activated the circle with little Miss Sunshine over there. She knew the right choice, but she was curious. Like she said, she can only see from afar. The worst part was that the Truth took my mom and my youngest sister away." I glanced at Edward. "Now, is it still nothing, Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric?"

"We're sorry," Alphonse apologized. He was one heck of a nice kid. I like him.

"We only wanted to bring our mother back," Edward ended up saying. "I lost my right arm and my left leg. Al lost his full body."

We stopped the conversation there. There was nothing else to add. Well, that was what I believed. Bo began to cry. Seeing her sobbing was actually touching.

"Come on, there's nothing to cry about," Ed said, annoyed. "We promised to get our bodies back."

"I understood that much in Liore," Bo said. "It's just that now…it feels like we can trust each other, since we know this much about each other."

We almost know everything about each other I wanted to rectify. There were still a few secrets hidden deep. For once, I kept the unnecessary to myself.

"Bo, you are almost making me believe that there's this girl side that really exists in you," I teased, while she wiped her tears.

She glared at me. "You just had to break the mood, didn't you?"

We all started to laugh, and it was weird.

"So, what do you think of doing arrived in East City?" Ed asked, back to his good demeanour.

"Obviously visiting, Little Goldie," I answered.

"STOP CALLING ME LITTLE GOLDIE, YOU GLOOMY FREAK?" He tried to insult me.

I chuckled to witness how fast someone can change of behavior.

"Oh, Brother, talking about East City…" Bo had this devilish smirk on her face. "Isn't it where your older counterpart resides?"

"Older counterpart?" asked Al.

She had me there. For once, she was fast enough to pull a witty comment. I did not want to answer Al's question, but Bo just had to enjoy the moment.

"In the West, he's known as a lady-killer and pretty much the Mini-Roy-Mustang," She replied. "Didn't I mention that he is Lieutenant Colonel? Now, you know. He is both older and superior than us."

Edward was dumbfounded. "A guy like him was made Lieutenant Colonel."

"Believe it or not, I am the youngest Lieutenant Colonel that the army ever had since I'm 17 years old," I boasted.

"Whatever, like if I care," Edward huffed.

"Did you wish to meet the Colonel? We can try to present him to you," Alphonse proposed.

I did not know what to say at the proposal. Once again, Bo was quicker than me. She gave the suit of armor a hug. I was totally embarrassed.

"What's wrong with her? What's so exciting about meeting the Colonel?" Ed stared at her, almost like if he was betrayed because he lost his faithful to another.

"You tell me," she responded. "Meeting the Flame Alchemist means only one thing?"

"Which is?" I wondered.

"I get to see the greatest snipers of all time, Lieutenant Hawkeye!" she beamed. "She is my ultimate idol. She is THE GIRL. She is strong and perfect."

I should have not opened my mouth. Bailey started with her Hawkeye fever from how she admire to how long she had been waiting to meet her. As she did her one-man speech, I noticed that East City from the window. I guess she sort of noticed it, because she stopped talking and demanded me to repair her glasses. A new journey was awaiting us in East City.

As our heroes enjoyed a nice long ride from Liore to East City, they are unaware that danger and sorrow is near.

Next time, a rewrite of Episode 4 & 5 (An Alchemist's Anguish & Rain of Sorrows) as our four companions meet a sweetheart and an avenger [period].