I do not own the Fullmetal Alchemist

The whistle blew, signaling for the train to leave. Ed turned to stare out the window, agitation clear in the tapping of his metal fingers on the windowsill.

Winry blew a gust of air from between her lips. If anyone looked close enough, they would see three suspicious teenagers boarding a train in suspicious silence. Luckily, no one seemed to care much as they were going to Rush Valley, of all places. If it weren't for the felony they were committing, Winry was sure she would've talked both boys' ears off by now about automail.

By the time they'd finally arrived, Ed strayed close to Al, who still had Nina inside him. Her whimpers were drowned out by the large crowds all around them as Winry rushed around, pressing her face against windows separating people from the amazing automail.

Ed rolled his eyes and coughed to attract Winry's attention. 'Come on, Winry. We have to get going, remember?'

Winry pouted and stepped back as more people jumped to stare at the automail. 'Yeah, I know. But just one more!'

'Argh. Fine! But we're leaving really soon.'

Reluctantly, Ed stayed back with Al and Nina as Winry leapt around, before they knew it, the crowd had spotted Ed and he'd gotten pickpocketed and they had to go get his state alchemist pocket watch back by climbing up a mountain, to Nina's great joy, she was let out of Al's armour, and was free to bound around and stretch her legs.

'This is all your fault,' Ed panted as they turned a corner, the sun beating down on them. He fought back a smile as Nina jumped up and licked his face, cringing at the sweat. 'Not not, Nina,' he said, not sounding all that mad, but Nina still obeyed.

Winry growled. 'It's your fault for getting pickpocketed. You should've taken better care of that watch!'

Ed whirled around. 'Shut up!'

Al raised a hand for attention. 'Uh, guys?'

The two annoyed blondes whirled around towards him. 'WHAT?'

Al pointed at a bridge swaying gently underneath them a good distance away. Midway on it, was a girl with dark skin and hair. Something round and silver glittered in her hand. 'Isn't that the girl?'

Ed glared at her, the small quarrel with Winry completely forgotten. 'Oh, she's so going to get it,' he snarled. With a clap of his hands, Ed slammed them to the ground. Dirt and pebbles rolled off as the ground rose up, lifting Ed away from his friends.

Nina watched fearfully from beside Al as he and Winry split up. She watched as the transmuted ground carried them down, watching Ed chase the girl. The mountains blocked her view until they were lowered back onto the ground, where in a few minutes, the pickpocketing girl showed up, running from Ed.

Al clapped his hands and transmuted the ground. The girl froze and looked around in awed surprise as sandstone bars rose up from the rocky ground, trapping her in a man-sized birdcage.

'Wow, not bad!' the girl trilled.

Ed smirked and walked towards her. 'Now, give me back my-'

Before he could finish his demand, a flash of silver gleamed behind the bars-no, through the bars. A foot planted itself in Ed's chest, sending him flying backwards.

In a flash of panic for her friends, Nina barked, a new instinct that surprised her as she did so.

The girl stared over at Al, one head tilted. Her face was an expression of confusion mixed with curiosity. 'You a dog person, Mister Armour?'

'Gotcha!'

'Hey!'

Ed was standing over the girl, who was now wrapped in thick chains of sandstone, twisted around her legs so tightly she could only slightly move her arms, which were pinned to her sides. Ed walked up to her, looking down triumphantly. 'Now, my watch. I'm taking it-'

The yellow flares of gunfire exploded through the sandstone chains faster than Ed could blink, knocking the air out of him. He crashed back as the girl jumped to her feet, shaking off sandstone debris. Her other leg was also automail, with a gun's muzzle attached as part of the knee.

Nina didn't know much about automail, just that a lot of people had it, like Ed, but she was pretty sure the strange girl's legs were above normal.

Winry's eyes were as large as wheels as the girl began running again. Ed jumped to his feet, shouting after her. Nina was sprinting after the girl, determined to catch her when Winry beat her to it.

The girl stumbled, and managed to regain her balance as Winry gripped her wrist tightly with both hands. Nina halted and began jumping at the girl, trying to grab the pocket watch with her jaws. The girl held it out of her reach.

'That's right, Winry!' Ed was shouting as he ran up. 'Don't let her get away!'

Winry's eyes glinted. 'Ah, that's the plan,' she said, holding the girl's hand to her chest excitedly. 'I won't let you get away until you let me examine your automail!'

Her statement apparently did not only catch Nina off guard, as Ed and Al tripped over their own feet in surprise, and faceplanted on the sandstone ground, Al's helmet falling off in the process.

Then the door of the house beside them opened to reveal a tall, thin man, and a short woman who was heavily pregnant. 'Paninya?' the woman called. 'Are these your friends?'

Nina sat, confused, as Paninya smiled at the woman nervously, Winry looking at her, ecstatic.

Paninya chuckled nervously. 'Um, not exactly,' she said.

The woman didn't look at Ed and Al strangely, or at Nina, instead, she waved them all inside the house. 'Well, come on in.'

Thanks for reading!