Hi everyone! Welcome to story #4! And wow, would you look at that, an update two days in a row! I may or may not to a Halloween special tomorrow, if you want me to just leave suggestions for what you want the special to be (related to Halloween of course) and I'll see what I can do! Anyways, enough of that. Onto the story!

Summary: Roy tries to comfort Alphonse on the train ride back from Yeoz

This is a suggestion from the user named Pasty Koala who wanted more bonding time between Roy and Alphonse. So, here you go! I hope you like it, sorry it's a little short.

Timeline: right after story #2 (Prison Cell)

Warnings: none

Rated: K+ for mentions of death

Notes: this is a suggestion from a user named Pasty Koala

Story 4: Train Ride Home

The sky outside is a black/dark purple, the moon shinning brightly with the starts twinkling. The train cart they are in is completely silent, save for the occasional snores from other passengers.

Edward is sitting near the window, his cheek pressed up against the glass. He is drooling as he sleeps, a peaceful look having invaded his usual determined exterior. His hair is messy; falling out of it's usual braid and draping down around his shoulders in a tangled mess.

Alphonse is sitting next to him. He is looking out the window, but every now and then he will look at his brother and smile sadly before looking back out the window.

Mustang and Hawkeye are both sitting across from the two brothers. Roy tries to be inconspicuous as he studies the two while Hawkeye sits back, looking out the window. If it were any other situation, Roy would be in awe about how her hair shines at the right angle in the moonlight. How her eyes catch the sparkling of the stars above.

But this is a different scenario. He has been watching both Edward and Alphonse closely, looking for signs that this case had affected them. When he heard that the two had been thrown in jail for the attempted murder of a little boy Mustang had caught the earliest train and headed to Yeoz.

Of course, he had been told later when he had reached the station that the little boy named Benny had tragically died due to blood loss. And while he and Hawkeye had been on the train, they had caught the guy behind it all.

Of course, Ed had been over the top with his emotions. He was more angry than usual, exploding at every tease that was spoken. He had even snaped at Al a few times, though he had almost instantly apologized.

Though, the death of Benny hasn't exactly passed through Alphonse's mind like that of the ocean waves. It has taken a toll on the younger brother as well. He is more quiet than usual, and is more apologetic; apologizing even when he doesn't need to. Something that Ed had snapped at him about.

Roy had even caught the boy tearing up a few times throughout the train ride. And, while Edward had practically passed out a few hours ago, Al remains awake. Staring out the window with a sad look glinting in his gold eyes.

"Alphonse, aren't you tired?" Roy asks, causing the younger to jump slightly at the unexpected noise.

"Oh, uh," he stutters after recovering. He glances at Roy before looking down at his lap. "No, not really."

"Is this about that kid?' Mustang asks, causing Riza to glance over at him. As if to warn him.

"Colonel, do you think that things would have turned out differently?" Al asks, avoiding the question. "If-if I hadn't asked Ed to stay with them, then Benny would still be..."

"Alphonse, it isn't your fault for what happened." Roy says, shifting awkwardly. He has never been good with making others feel better. Somehow that was Hawkeye's job. Not to mention that this is Al he's talking to, Ed would usually comfort him. But Edward is showing no signs of walking up anytime soon. Roy almost wants to shake him awake so he could deal with it.

"But it is our fault. Everything is always our fault!" Al all but yells, causing a few sleeping passengers to stir. Ed remains completely motionless.

"Alphonse. Listen to me and listen closely." Roy says as he leans forwards. Al glances up, the moonlight causing the tears in his eyes to sparkle. "Nothing could have changed anything. Even if you could go back in the past, you would still go with those people. Because they are good people and offered two kids a place to stay. They would have made you go, even if they had to drag Fullmetal along with them."

Al can't help but crack a smile at that. Riza smiles and looks back out the window, crossing her arms. The stirring passengers have all grown still once more, sleep quickly reclaiming them in its warm embrace.

"None of this is your fault, Al." Roy continues. "I know that you did all you could. That you tried to defend both yourself and your brother. And, if given the chance, I know you would have done everything you could to save that boy."

"It's at times like these when I wish that bringing people back from the dead was possible." Al whispers, looking at Ed's sleeping face. "I just-if it was possible, I could bring Benny back. Then his parents would be happy again. Maybe...maybe bringing people back from the dead could fix the hurt that people feel."

"People die for a reason." Roy says with a sad smile as a few stray tears roll down Al's cheeks. "If there was a way they could be brought back from the dead, well, let's just say that the dead person probably wouldn't like it."

"What?" Al asks, surprised at the answer as he wipes the tears away with the back of his hand.

"Well, think about it. How would you feel if you suddenly died and was brought back to life?" Roy asks, leaning back with his arms crossed. "I bet that you would be confused. But also scared. Scared that you had died and scared that you could possibly go through that same thing again. They would probably be haunted by nightmares every night."

"Yeah, but even so.."

"Bringing someone back won't change anything. The loved ones and the dead person themselves would still be haunted with the terrible memory." Roy continues, looking down. "Wounds heal, but not if they are reopened again and again. If people could be brought back alive, then the wounds would just reopen, and soon enough the person would bleed to death."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, colonel," Al mumbles, sniffling.

"You will, when you're older perhaps." Roy smiles as he looks back up at Al. "But know this. People die for a reason. And it may hurt, you can scream and cry and beg for them to come back, but no amount of alchemy could ever bring them back. And that's for the better. You can grow stronger from tragedy. Just look at how far you and your brother have come.

''Yeah, I guess." Al replies with another small smile.

"You're a good kid, Al. I can see that you are going places."

"Thank you, colonel. For everything."

And that wraps it up! Again, sorry for the shorter chapter, I didn't know what else I could do with it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it Pasty Koala! Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for reading!

As for everyone else, don't forget to leave your suggestions! Also, if you want me to write something to do with Halloween, please let me know and possibly give me a suggestion! I'm coming up blank with what I could do for Halloween. Thanks again, and have a nice day/night!