Author's note: I do not own FMA or its characters. I also do not own the song titles.

God's Alibi – Dancing Over Sand

The letter was waiting for her. It has been sent weeks earlier. To her surprise, it was from the young girl she'd shared a room with for three weeks the summer before Ishvar. The message was short and hesitant.

I know the military has its own songs for war. But I though soldiers might need one too.

Tucked inside were folded sheets of music. Caught in the desert sunset, the words stood out, bold against the paper. Riza couldn't imagine what that girl had seen to make her write this for soldiers. Riza wasn't much of a musician, but she did have perfect pitch, and from what she could pick out, it was a bittersweet melody. And one that stuck with her.

She had been humming it when Major Mustang nearly ran over her. They stumbled across the sand together for a moment, holding on to the other to keep upright. It was not quite a dance, but it didn't quite feel like a misstep either.