Is this boring? I hope not. If it is, please give me something to un-borify it.

Sorry, this is the only fic I've posted on FFN lately, and I don't want it to be a poopy one.

On with the story!


"H-hey, Brother!" Al exclaimed. He was still slightly panting a bit after the whole brawl and sprint. He pointed to a flyer taped to a wall inside the library. "Have you seen this?"

Ed ran his fingers through his hair, feeling sweaty and gross like his sibling, as he leaned to read the flyer. His eyes grew wide and his face split into a grin.

It was an opportunity for young adults (probably around college age) to attend a seminar and see demonstrations of new medical technology at a hospital in West City.

"This is so perfect! And it's in a few days! We gotta go!"

"Aw, but look," the younger Elric said as reality crashed back down. "The signup ended a month ago."

"Great." Ed sighed in dismay. "Why do they always do that?"

"Maybe we can look around for something similar we can go to."

"But if all of them are like this, we can't afford to stick around for a month to actually go," he muttered back.

They both stood there for a moment, trying to think of a solution. Ed was the one to finally square up with a determined look in his eye. "No, we're going to this one."

"They won't even let us through the door!" Al argued.

"Maybe, maybe not. We should at least attempt to go in."

Al stared long and hard at him before he sighed and conceded to his brother. "We can try, but, if nothing else, we can just research more in the West City library."

"He-hey!" Ed smirked in triumph. "Come on, let's go to the train station for tickets. The sooner, the better!"

Al quickly grabbed a scrap paper and pencil from a counter and scribbled down the details on the flyer, then both headed again for the door. Upon opening it, they blinked at seeing a friend about to enter.

Rillie ran after them as soon as her business with the police and robbers was taken care of. She happened to run really fast.

"Uh, hey, Rillie," Al greeted. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you guys," she replied immediately, grabbing their wrists and dragging them away from the door. She let them go once they were on a section of the library's lawn that wasn't close to anyone else so they could have relative privacy.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked, slight worry in his voice. She looked pretty upset, hopefully not with them.

"I wish I didn't have to ask this," she stated nervously, then dropped to a whisper, "but please tell me the truth: Did you two try to bring someone back to life?"

Their jaws dropped, eyes widened, and backs leaned back in shock at the question. That was the last thing they thought anyone would ever ask them- ever.

"HECK NO!" both shouted.

"That would've killed us!" Al continued, looking slightly horrified.

"We're not complete idiots! We know that's something extremely stupid to pull!" Ed added angrily.

"Then how did you transmute without a circle?" she shot back.

Ed and Al blinked, then looked at each other. Oh crap.


Rillie was now in her home, lounging on the living room couch but without the TV turned on. She was already occupied enough with the life-changing information looping around in her head.

In order for her to understand, they'd spilled the beans on everything (though Ed believed the occasional fib was harmless, he really didn't want to full-on lie, especially to a friend).

Now, she'd read her fair share of novels about alternate universes, but she never thought any actually existed (though, in a way, it made sense that any alternate universes of her home world wouldn't have alchemy).

She also had heard some basic stuff about alchemy (by now the taboos and their consequences were well-known and even warned about in public announcements at times), but she didn't know there was such thing as a big Gate. Especially one that could steal your body parts.

But, if nothing else from their story caught her off guard, there was one thing... If they performed that kind of transmutation without a Philosopher's Stone (which, for all she knew, was just a legend authors liked to add into fantasy books), how'd they end up unscathed?

That was the million dollar question that both made her suspect they made up the incredibly strange tale to cover up the truth (and really had committed the taboo) and yet believe them all the more.

Whatever the case, they told her they were about to go west. They thanked her for everything and asked her to say bye to Milo for them too.

So... Was that it? After Ed and Al revealed where they came from and what they were doing there, they were just running off, gone forever? Would she never see them again?

She didn't want to sound selfish, but that just didn't seem fair.

However, she had no reason to just follow after them, either. True, she was an adult and could leave home if she wanted to, but... She didn't know squat about science beyond what they forced into her head in high school, and even that was fading away. She would be of no help to them, and no help to that friend of theirs they went on this journey for in the first place... If they weren't lying about her.

Come on, what kind of teenager would say so much strange stuff if it wasn't true? Adolescents usually lost most of their imagination by that age- she doubted the brothers could make all that up. ...Could they?

She tried to stop her internal debate about whether they told the truth or not, already exhausted by it. Brain, shut up already.

She heard a distant train whistle, effectively stopping the discussion by reminding her of something else.

Before they'd left for the train station, she'd quickly scribbled down her phone number on that little scrap paper Al already had out, ordering them to at least call her when they were about to go home. She really hoped they'd call sooner than that, though- even better, see her in person. Even better, not leave Amestris. Even better, take her with them to-

Oh, no. Of course she didn't actually wish that. That'd be a one-way ticket, no turning back home. It could kill her.

...But she hadn't started college, already had quit her measly job, didn't have any loans to pay off...

Really, beyond her family, did she have anything holding her back from leaving?

...Love for my country...?

That sounded stupid, and she hadn't even said it out loud. She chuckled quietly to herself. Of course she liked Amestris- born and raised- but she probably wouldn't mind that much to live somewhere else.

She doubted her older brother could say the same. He was the most patriotic person she knew, and she knew a surprisingly large amount of people. You'd think he was from the boondocks or something.

Speak of the Milo, he just came through the front door.

"Hey," he greeted with a lopsided grin to his sister. "Are Ed and Al still stuck in their hole?" he asked nonchalantly.

"No, they're not at the library anymore," she answered, having automatically deciphered what location he referred to. "They actually are taking the first train they can to West City. Asked me to say bye to you for them."

"Always on the move." He seemed a bit disappointed, but then his brown eyes lit up. "Hey! I was actually gonna go visit a friend that lives near West City over the weekend. It's his birthday on Saturday. Maybe I'll get to see them and they can actually say goodbye properly. But not before saying hello again, of course."

Rillie ignored his attempt at humor, focusing on what was said right before. "Can I come with?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

He blinked and raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you sure? You generally don't like my friends."

She shrugged casually. "I haven't actually gone anywhere in a while, so why not?"

He quickly accepted her reason and was glad to bring his little sister along, babbling on about some different attractions in West City he could take her to. "It'll be great!"

"Yeah." I sure hope so. Sibling bonding time wasn't the only thing on her mind.


If you think about it... Ed and Al have been in Amestris for about... 3 days, I believe? And they're already going to the next city. I feel like that's really cool, for some reason- like, something I should be rooting about.

Any suggestions for how soon I should finish up this story? I know this is probably gonna be longer than "Family History" because of switching between perspectives and such, but I don't really know how much longer I should let it be because of the same reason. I don't want to drag this on too much, but I don't want to end it too soon either. ._.' Also, suggestions as to how to have cats in the future chapters would be greatly appreciated. XD

I was originally just going to have Alt. I here (thanks, Scaehime, for the idea), but I quickly whipped up an Alt. J because of something special next chapter! :D This something special pleases me, and hopefully pleases all of you too. :3


Alternate (Route) I:

"Hey, Brother?" Al said as he inspected the items in his backpack before they left for Amestris.

"Yeah, Al?"

"Do you think we should bring our phones?" he asked quietly. As he expected, Ed gave him a strange look.

"I doubt we'll actually be able to use them... And I don't want to break them by accident..."

"I know, but it wouldn't hurt to try using them. And we'd be able to play games on them in our free time..."

Ed sat there pondering the pros and cons of the proposition, then eventually resigned to his brother's wish. "If you really think it's a good idea, we'll bring one."

They quickly decided on just bringing Al's phone, since he didn't quite care about it as much as his brother did for his own. He tucked it into the backpack between his spare shirts, along with his charger.


"Man, I am so tired," Ed complained while they entered the inn room they were staying in meanwhile. Rillie's friend worked there so she convinced him to get them a discount; and luckily, said employee didn't ask for them to pay any money up front to stay there.

"Yeah," Al agreed simply, eyelids barely staying open.

"What time is it anyway?" Ed mumbled, reaching for his back pocket. He suddenly woke up more when he didn't find his phone there.

Al noticed the action. "Oh yeah, I forgot about our phones." He fought through his tiredness to dig through his backpack. He successfully retrieved his phone, which was completely unharmed. "I wonder if it has the time back home or the time here."

Upon turning the screen on, the clock said "7:36", but then it quickly reloaded to "10:36". The phone still had most of its battery, miraculously. Al was about to just put the device onto the nightstand, but then he caught sight of something on the top of the screen.

"Brother... I think we have service here," Al said, clearly surprised and a little excited.

"Eh?" Ed took the phone from him, and then wore the same expression. "3 bars! What?!"

Sleepiness now forgotten, Al grabbed the item back and started doing something on the screen. "I'm gonna try calling someone."

"Al, if you try calling someone from home, we're probably gonna end up with some stranger with the same phone number here," Ed pointed out the obvious. He then facepalmed when he saw his brother's embarrassed face that said he already started the call. The younger Elric hesitantly held the phone to his ear and waited for an answer.

After a few rings, a female voice came out. "...Hello?"

Al's eyes grew wide, realizing it really was who he meant to call. "Is that you, Lily?!" he nearly-shouted incredulously.

"Yeah...?"

Both Elrics glanced to each other with shocked expressions, then simultaneously started laughing hysterically- the kind of laugh that happens when you are drunk or tired out of your mind.

The other end stayed quiet, not sure what to say, though it almost seemed like an indignant silence.

When they finally calmed down, Al wiped a tear out of his eye and put the phone on speaker. "Sorry, Lily, we just didn't expect that."

"Wait- is that really you, Al?!" she said with a gasp. "Oh my gosh, I thought someone had stolen your phone or something! You buttfaces!" They could hear both mild anger and huge relief in her voice.

"Naw, it's us."

"This is so crazy!" Ed yell-whispered, to which Al nodded eagerly in agreement.

"So where are you?"

"Amestris!" both brothers cheered into the phone.

"What?! But then how am I talking to you right now?! Is this a prank?"

"No, we're really here! Al just brought his phone along because he likes to play Flow."

"So do you!" The younger brother punched the elder's arm. "And I saw that I got signal here and wanted to try calling someone."

"Have you called your parents yet?"

"No, you were the first I've tried."

"Dude!" she scolded. "They're crazy worried about you and don't believe a word I say! You should call them!"

"But imagine how much our mom will want to kill us!" Ed whined.

They could almost see her annoyed expression through the phone. "With good reason! We all thought you might be dead!"

Upon hearing that, the brothers gulped and sobered up. Al spoke again in a more comforting tone. "Lily, we're just fine. We're about to go sleep for the night, and tomorrow we're hitting the library. We'll call our mom and dad in the morning, because otherwise they won't let us get some sleep," he said the last part with a small chuckle.

"Good," Lily replied firmly. "And before you hang up... Can you send me pics of Amestris?" she asked giddily.

"Yeah, yeah. Also in the morning. We're totally beat," Ed answered.

"K. Good night, guys," she giggled. "Sleep tight, ninja-kick the bugs before they bite!"

"Bye, Lily," both chorused, one rolling his eyes and the other laughing.


Alt. I: Ed and Al's data plan works in Amestris. They call their family to let them know they're okay and text Lily some photos and updates of their experiences. Though she still misses them, at least she's able to live life relatively normally while they're gone.


Alternate (Route) J:

Alphonse could immediately spot how his brother knew where they were- little flags and other decorations surrounded them on the street and storefronts.

And every once in a while they could spot people wearing... sombreros?

Wait a minute.

They looked closer at everything taped or strung up, and realized they were Mexican flags and doohickeys.

"Looks like Spanish class," Ed muttered, then gave his brother a confused look. "Did we end up in Mexico?"

"I doubt it, the people don't look Mexican," here Al returned a 'duh' look, "and neither does anything else besides the flags."

Ed looked sheepish but agreed as they went onto the sidewalk. There were several more people walking on the streets than the brothers were used to seeing, but they could still keep at their own pace fine.

Al then spotted something. "Brother, look at the back of that guy's shirt," he whispered, discreetly pointing at someone some yards ahead of them.

It said 'Make Fun of Mexicans Day!'

They shared a glance, not even totally sure how to react.

"...Well," Ed finally started, "if we're really in Amestris... At least it seems the racism against the Ishvalans is done with."


Alt. J: They haven't seen Nullmetal Alchemist yet, and so, when they land, they don't know that they're in a place that sounds very Nullmetal-y. They also don't know of the fantastic things to come, like Alchemist's Christmas (which somehow survived all these years) and silly sound effects during transmutations. Oh, and people bursting into song for any reason.


Why do I do this? Maybe because I thought Mexican Bald had to chill, too. I mean, if just people like Roy Mustang were being stupid on "Make Fun of Mexicans Day" and not actually causing any harm, then it doesn't really matter. I dunno if my feelings would change if I was more than half-Mexican, but that's my opinion in this universe. *shrug* (I hope I haven't just spoiled NMA too horribly.)

Honestly, my own Mexican relatives have insulted me more than Amestrians would on a day like that. That's how they show love.
Even strangers on the street might call you "Flaca", "Gorda", "Güera", etc. and they're not saying it to be mean. (PS- "Skinny", "Fat", "White", respectively. All would have an 'o' at the end instead of 'a' for guys.) *the more you know*

¡VIVA MÉXICO! K bai!