Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, The Wizard of Oz, and Sleeping Beauty or any of the characters

Ch. 13

Glenn and Riza walked the yellow brick road, waiting for a sign that says 'welcome to the forest.'

"Why are you looking for that Mustang guy anyway?" inquired Glenn.

"Why do you ask?" Hawkeye said.

"Just curious, I mean, you could always wish yourself home. It can be done, with or without a companion."

"Because we went in together, it's only proper that we go back together."

The young wizard shrugged.

"Is that all?" he asked, "No special reason? Not because you care, not because you… love him?"

"You really are young and green, aren't you?"

Riza smiled at the young man beside him.

"I'm not an idiot, you know." Glenn retaliated, "I know it when someone likes another person… I wasn't born yesterday."

"If you do know, why do you still ask?"

"Because I don't want to assume, I want to confirm if I'm correct."

"It's none of your concern, though."

"You're right. But if you had been listening to Glinda, you'd know that I'm pretty nosy."

"I don't have to listen to know a general fact."

"That's true." Glenn looked at Riza, "I'm tired of walking, aren't you?"

"I am not gonna stop until I reach that kingdom."

"Let's just use magic to get there."

Hawkeye glared at him as if he just said something bad.

"If you are capable of doing that why didn't you just do it?!?"

"Because we are not capable of transporting humans to the Emerald City." replied the young wizard, "Nor are we capable of transporting humans to Oz."

"Well, we've been walking towards the forest for quite a while now. Why didn't you just use magic to transport us there?"

"'Coz it's no fun."

The young man clapped his hands and they magically disappeared behind red and blue smokes.

Back with Mustang:

It was a short walk, soon enough, they stood in front of the castle, surrounding it was water with crocodiles waiting to be fed. They stared at it, wondering how they could enter when the drawbridge is shut tight.

"So," said the Lion, "Got any plans that involves breaking in castle walls without falling into a hungry pack of crocodiles?"

"That… I am not prepared for." Mustang admitted.

The scarecrow and the robot looked at each other, and for once, they agreed on one thing.

"We're doomed." They said in unison. "We're doomed to fail!!!"

"We're not doomed!" the lion piped in, trying to find a ray of shining light, "This is just a trial, an adventure!"

The lion held his head up high at the mention of the word "adventure." The clouds seem to agree with the golden feline for they parted to reveal the rays of the shining sun.

"No, they're right." Mustang said, "We are doomed to fail."

The lion's face fell in disappointment. He never thought that he would be hearing such words from his master, the man he admired for his courage.

"We have to devise a plan to attain success." Mustang continued, "But we've been doing things without one so we truly are failing."

"What do you suggest we do, sir?" asked the robot.

"We should use our failure to our advantage." Mustang replied.

The three looked at each other in confusion as they try to understand what Mustang's statement means.

Back with Riza:

After a few seconds of floating in a random wormhole, they reached the kingdom on the other side of the forest.

"Welcome to the Sleeping Beauty Kingdom!" introduced Glenn, "Home of the fourth most ignorant princess in the land, Aurora!"

Hawkeye raised an eyebrow at the young wizard's remark.

"If she's the fourth most ignorant, who's the first, second, and third?"

"Oh, that's simple!" replied Glenn, "Rapunzel is first for giving her little secret away, second is the little sea maiden for making a deal with an evil sea witch, and third is Snow White for accepting apples from strangers."

"What made Princess Aurora the fourth?" asked Hawkeye.

"Let's just say that her fairy godmothers didn't include I.Q. in their gift list." Glenn sighed, "That's just unfortunate because she is very beautiful."

"What does she look like anyway?"

"She looks exactly like you but she's kinder and more lovable than you."

Hawkeye grinned, thinking that it's his turn to be embarrassed now.

"So, you like her, Glenn?" Hawkeye mocked.

"No!" denied young Glenn, "I am not supposed to like humans that way! Besides, she's engaged to that forty year old machismo named Charming."

"Oh, I sense hostility."

"Shut up, Hawkeye."

"What's wrong with liking her, Glenn?"

"It's not allowed." said the young wizard, "Something goes wrong everytime magical beings fall for normal humans."

"Like what?"

"Ever heard of Rumpelstiltskin? He wasn't always ugly. But he fell in love with a human. It's okay to love a human it's just not right to act upon those emotions because if they don't return the feelings, we only have two options."

"What are those options?"

"It's either we kill the one we love or we turn into a hideous woodland creature who inflicts pain and suffering. Rumpelstiltskin chose the latter."

"Are you sure that it's not just a made-up story?"

"I'm certain. If you need another example, let me tell you about maleficent and the woodsman."

"What? Maleficent turned into a witch because she fell in love with a woodsman?"

"No. Maleficent was always a witch. It's her daughter who fell in love with the young woodsman. Maleficent wanted to protect her daughter so she turned the poor guy into a lion before anything else happens."

"Maleficent has a daughter?"

"Had." Glenn corrected, "She died of extreme depression after a few months."

"I see." Hawkeye sighed, "So it's safe to assume that you're not planning to act upon your emotions."

"I know better than act upon an erratic heartbeat." replied the young wizard. "What do you know anyway? It's not like you're acting upon your emotions and you have the privilege of doing so."

"Alright." said Hawkeye trying to change the subject, "I wonder how the boys are treating the princess."

Back in Shamballa:

The five men and Ross walked around in circles, thinking of a solution to this strange occurrence. What kind of illness can make a person fall into a deep slumber when pricked by a tiny needle anyway?

"Maybe we should call Schezca." Feury suggested. "She reads a lot, maybe she has some answers."

"Seems like a reasonable idea." agreed Havoc, "Anyone knows her number?"

"I do." said Bloch.

"And why do you have her number?" asked Ross trying to hide a bit of jealousy.

"None of your business, Ross." The Sergeant replied.

Maria Ross fumed in anger. Bloch noticed this and tried to take his words back.

"I'm kidding!" he said, "I have her number 'coz I asked her to go to the bookstore and get me that book I've been asking for."

Her glare did not cease.

"Havoc, please dial the number." Bloch said, "and tell her that I wouldn't be needing that book after all."

"Alright."

Schezca's home:

Schezca frantically searched for the source of the ringing. Being a forest of books, Schezca always seem to be lost in her own home.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" said the confused young woman, waving her hands in the air, as if the phone could actually see her hand signals.

Her frantic hand movements caused the books to fall over and as she drowned in a sea of books, on the bright side, she finally found the darn telephone.

"Hello."

She listened to the person to the other line. It was Havoc.

"Hmmm… there's only one solution to such problems."

Author's note: in this fic, green means naïve.