In Training

Mei slapped the floor of the hut repeatedly. "No, no, no!" Next to her, Xiao Mei waved her paws. "You're wrong!"

Alphonse groaned. "It's not making any sense. I don't get this whole 'dragon's pulse' thing." If he'd had legs, he would've gotten up and stomped off. As it was, not having those limbs made it impossible to do anything, except sit and talk to whomever might come near enough to bend an ear. Winry was usually close by, but even she'd gotten fed up with the continuous arguments between him and Mei over her alchemy. Alkahestry, he reminded himself. "Maybe we should talk about something else for a change."

Eyes narrowing, Mei said, "I thought you wanted to learn, Alphonse-sama!"

"I do!" He held up his one hand to block that scowl. Angry women were scary, even when they were little girls. And Xiao Mei showed a lot of sharp teeth. Not that she'd hurt him if she did bite; she'd probably break her teeth. "I'm just thinking that maybe we need to take a break from alkahestry and talk about something else for a change."

Mei opened her mouth, as if to make a sharp retort, then closed it again slowly. Her expression turned curious and she cocked her head, her braids slipping over her shoulder. "What would we talk about?"

"Why don't you tell me about growing up in Xing?"

Exchanging a look with Xiao Mei, Mei folded her hands together, bowing her head and studying her fingers. They were stubby and short, and her nails were dirty, and, as if she realized that, she tucked her hands into her sleeves. "What do you want to know?" she asked finally.

"I don't know; what about…what was your mom like?"

Mei blinked rapidly. "My mother?" Her eyes suddenly swam with tears.

"Or – or something else! M-maybe your favorite place in Xing?"

"Home?" Tears spilled down her cheeks. "You want me to talk about home?"

Oh, geeze! What could he say that wouldn't make her cry? "Um. If…if you want? I mean, I don't want to upset you!" He patted her shoulder, nearly over-extending himself and falling, but rocking back, saving himself from toppling over onto her.

Mei blinked up at him, wiping her eyes. "Alphonse-sama?"

"Uh, yes?"

"You nearly fell on me!"

Alphonse snapped, "I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

Mei banged her palm on the floor repeatedly. "You did, too!" Xiao Mei bared her teeth, bouncing up and down in front of Alphonse.

Some days, Alphonse thought, it didn't pay to come back from wherever his soul went when he blacked out.