CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Maggie found it hard to sleep on the train. The back of her neck burned and the pounding headache didn't help the exhaustion she felt. Curled up on her seat she watched the scenery fly by in a blur of colors. The train was silent; she'd picked the last train to leave for this reason. Military officers were still looking for her and she didn't the bright light of day to give her away. Still, the quiet made her feel alone and isolated.

The wool clothing she was wearing rubbed against the tender skin on the back of her neck. The tattoo would be red and puffy for a few days, but it was easier if it was permanently on her skin. The magpie transmutation circle wasn't a gorgeous tattoo but it was one that she would bare; for her sins.

When Maggie finally fell asleep she was plagued by horrid nightmares that shook her and rattled her restless soul. Everything was blurry, but the color of blood and the screams and shouts of pain were clear. Ed's voice was very distinct and if she could focus she would hear Al's voice strong with fear and worry. As tears began pouring down her cheeks, she heard Al's gentle voice whispering to her that everything would be alright.

"Wake up. Just wake up."

Maggie sat up with a start. Her chest heaved with anxiety as she ran a hand through her hair. The sky outside the window was painted a hew of pink and purple and orange. Her stop was next.

X*X*X*X

Liore was different from any place Maggie had been to before. While the buildings were crumbled and destroyed from civil war, it was still an oddly beautiful place. A few of the broken statues were so strange that she paused to admire them. The people were friendly and pointed her in the direction of the boy in armor.

It was strange how fast her heart beat walking along those dusty streets. Maggie did have a few glances sent her way but she wrote it off as just her stupid hair and old, moth eaten clothes. Children played in the streets while every working body helped rebuild their city, and she smiled. It was a glorious thing to see a place pick themselves up and brush the dirt off their feet after such an awful event. She only wished there was a way she could help.

When she did finally spot Al her heart felt like it was in her throat. He had his back to her, busy helping carry a stack of planks. That strange blond man was with him, grinning sheepishly at the suit of armor. Her feet refused to move her forward all of a sudden.

This was a bad idea, she told herself as doubt began to fill her soul. She'd slow him down. She could be his downfall- his Achilles heel. Maggie felt the air leave her chest, her mind went blank. This was such a horrid idea, why was she there? He had probably already forgotten about the pitiful girl who thought the world of the soul without a body made of flesh and blood. She was nothing but a nuisance.

Maggie took a step back, ready to run away, far, far, away. The blond man turned at that moment and spotted her.
"Oh," he mumbled, drawing Al's attention.

The suit of armor turned and froze. At first he barely recognized her. Her hair was longer now and a different shade of red. Her left eye was green now, no longer hidden by an ugly eyepatch, and the clothes she wore could hardly be considered clothes, they were rags. Purple semi-circles outlined the rim of her eyes and she seemed tired and thin. It was clear she'd been through hell and back just to see him.

"Maggie?" He said aloud, not expecting the girl to turn and bolt down the road.

Al dropped the planks and raced after her. Why was she running? What was she afraid of? He prayed she wasn't suddenly afraid of him. He called after her but she screamed at him, telling him to leave her alone. But why would she travel all this way just to run away from the boy whose heart she had stolen?

When he caught her, he scoped her up in his arms and held her tight. She was crying, her sobs shaking her frail body against his chest. After a moment of struggling, Maggie gave in and wrapped her arms around Al.

"Please don't ever run away from me." Al pleaded, desperately wishing he could hold her with his real arms and not ones he was in fear of crushing her with. "I don't think my heart could take it."

X*X*X*X

"So that tattoo gives you, like, fortune telling powers?" Winry asked, leaning on the edge of the tub.

Maggie blushed and glanced down at the bubbles. She felt like a child having to be watched after while taking a bath, but after the three dizzy spells she'd had half an hour before she didn't want to risk drowning. But it was still awkward.

"I guess you could put it that way." Maggie mumbled, scooping up a mountain of bubbles to hide her small chest with.

"Oh! Tell my future!" Winry seemed so cheerful, that Maggie didn't have the heart to tell her no.

Maggie held out her hands. "Give me your non-dominant hand."

Winry did with a little frown of confusion.

"Your dominant hand will tell you past while the non-dominant will tell your future." Maggie explained, calmly running her index finger along the lines of Winry's hand.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the pins and needles feeling returning to poke up and down her spine. Her brain felt fuzzy and blurry. Then she opened her eyes and took a deep look at the other girls hand.

"By the shape of your hand you have the element of air. Your heart line tells me of a strong interest in only one person in particular and that your current life is full of nerves and worry. Your life line predicts a long and happy life. By the dashes here, I see two children- a boy and a girl. One husband, I am told by this line. And this line, says-"

Winry tugged her hand away, a deep red blush burning her cheeks. Maggie swallowed, she felt light headed and dizzy and the water had grown cold, giving her goosebumps. She placed a hand on her forehead, trying to steady her thoughts.

The two girls stared at each other, before Winry stood and left the room.

X*X*X*X

Later that night Maggie resumed her nest on Al's lap. Rose found it odd that the strange girl found it comfortable to sleep on his metal lap, but Maggie didn't say a word. In fact, she hadn't said a word since her bath. Rose had found her collapsed on the floor of her bedroom, a towel wrapped loosely around her tiny body.

Al had tried to talk to her while she lay awake on his lap, but she only smiled sadly and wiggled closer to his chest. He watched her until it became too painful. He knew of the transmutation circle on the base of her neck- the magpie transmutation circle she'd created in order to find him.

He tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear and found her cheeks damp. Bowing his head, he prayed for her smile again. He prayed for anything to make the pain in his hollow chest go away.

A/N: Did everyone have a great Christmas? I did. And now that I have an iPad I hope to get out more chapters faster than before. I hope.

I did a bit of research on fortune telling- there are a lot of methods I've never heard of! The palm reading one I knew a bit of.

Anywho, thanks for the support, you guys are awesome! Please review, I read all of them and they make me smile! But if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing! Thank you!