Anna
The German countryside was awash in the flaming rays of the sun as it slowly sank below the horizon. Fields and pastures stretched for miles, interrupted only by a railroad that snaked through the land like a thin ribbon of metal and wood. A locomotive trundled along the tracks, drawing behind it a train of cars destined for Eastern Europe.
In one of the compartments, a girl with long, mahogany hair sat across from an older boy who was slumped in his seat, watching the countryside pass by with a mixture of boredom and disinterest. The girl wore a simple, dark grey dress well-suited for traveling. On her head was perched a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a green ribbon. It was evident that she did not come from a background where material possessions were found wanting, as her white gloves that came up to the elbow were made of fine leather. She picked at her plate of leftovers with a fork and suppressed a yawn; it was getting late in the day, and perhaps she had eaten too much for dinner. Her brother certainly had, or he wouldn't be looking this sluggish. She speared a lone pea, then another, and another, until several of them were neatly lined up on the fork. Holding up her food sculpture, she peered between the tines at a blond-haired boy sitting by himself in the corner of the car.
"Are you staring at him again, Anna?"
Anna jumped and immediately lowered her fork. To hide her embarrassment, she flipped the utensil around and proceeded to slide off one pea at a time with her teeth. "No…I was just admiring my masterpiece," she said tartly.
"Which one are you calling a masterpiece? The one you're eating, or the blond kid over there?" Her brother smirked and shifted into a more comfortable—but equally slouched—position. His poor posture made his coat ride up over his shoulders, revealing a green silk vest with a loop of delicate gold chain hanging out of the front pocket. The picture of indolence, as far as Anna was concerned, especially with the way he let the long bangs of his dark hair fall over half his face.
"Julius!" She exclaimed, and bit down hard on the fork by accident. "Ouch! Now look what you made me do!"
"Now, now, don't get so excited." Julius stretched languorously and put both hands behind his head. "What's so special about him, anyway?" he said through a yawn.
Anna looked back at the boy, who sat with both hands resting on the table in front of him. He was gazing at an invisible point beyond his fingertips with a faraway look in his eyes. "It's just…I don't think he's used to being alone. Like he's waiting for somebody to join him."
Julius twisted around to get a better look. "I dunno, he just looks kind of depressed to me." Then he noticed that the boy's feet just reached the floor. "Hey, he's kind of shrimpy, don't you think?"
Scowling at her brother, Anna put down the fork and rose from her seat.
Julius watched her, puzzled. "Eh? Where are you going?"
Ignoring the question, Anna approached the table where the blond boy sat all by himself. Most of his long pale hair was tied back into a low ponytail, and the rest fell loosely around his face. He wore a grey coat over a shirt with a ruffled collar that came up high on his neck, and his traveling gloves were white like hers. His appearance was pedestrian enough, except for his eyes, which were the color of her brother's gold chain watch and looked as though they had seen more than anyone should have seen in a lifetime.
It took a moment or two, but he lifted his head when he noticed her standing there. His yellow irises matched the dimming sunlight that flickered into the car as the train passed a copse of trees.
"Hello," she said, smiling at him. She heard Julius come up behind her. "Since we're traveling together, I thought I'd come by and introduce myself. I'm Anna Reinhardt." She gestured at her brother. "And this is—"
The boy's eyes widened as if her brother had sprouted another head. "Russell?" he gasped.
Julius scratched his head, looking perplexed. "Uh, no, I'm Julius. I'm Anna's older brother."
His eyes remained on Julius a moment longer, and then he visibly relaxed. "I see. You just look like…someone I know." A shadow seemed to fall across his face, and his eyes once again held that contemplative expression Anna had seen earlier.
"And what's your name?" she prompted gently.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. It looks like I've completely forgotten my manners," he said, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "My name's Edward. Edward Elric."