Chapter 2

The west wasn't exactly as he had imagined. In fact, him and Al never really even visited the left side of the compass. He was, more or less, a little disappointed at how average it was. The west side wasn't extremely hot like in Rush Valley or on the way to Lior, but it wasn't freezing ass cold like where Alphonse was going to be. The people seemed genuinely happy but not overly outspoken (or freaking out about his auto mail and trying to sell him a new leg.) They just carried on about their business as if they each lived in their own little snow globe. Edward was hoping that it would be an eccentric town that would one day be turned into a story for his kids. Then, when he had gotten older and maybe had grandkids, he could tell them the same story with a little extra embellishment.

"I guess it is a little different from your average town...," mused Ed to himself. Hawkeye had gone off to find some sort of contact within the military that would take them to the outpost, leaving time for the newly drafted soldier to explore. The town they had landed in was rather small; consisting of a single dirt road with several buildings and shops on either side. The structures were oddly shaped compared to Central and the other places he's been, and they had a much different fashion statement going on. Other than that it was nothing special - nothing that would stand out in a war story, anyways.

Riza had been gone for a while, prompting the bored blond to wander into the nearest store. He figured she'd find him easily enough in this small of a town, so why not check out some stuff while he's here?

"Welcome!" greeted an old woman. She stood behind a worn counter with an age old cash register in the middle, her head barley clearing the top. Ed waved and proceeded to browse the wares that were offered. Nothing caught his eye, just knickknacks and souvenirs amongst novelty tee-shirts and hats.

"Find anything sweetie?"

Edward shook his head and smiled. "No, I was just looking."

The little old lady shuffled her way out onto the floor with a notebook and pen in hand. "Well I cant let you leave here without something," she said kindly.

Ed paused and watched as she hobbled on over, extending the leather bound book as an offering.

"Oh, thank you." The surprised soldier gradually took the notebook and began fishing around in his pockets. "I'm sorry, I don't have any money on me."

The little old shopkeeper giggled and waved away the offer. "No need, you're a soldier right? Well this notebook will give you some peace in hard times. Plus you can use it to write to your family and wife."

He was genuinely surprised that she knew about his family, but before he could beg the question a familiar face popped in.

"Edward its time to go."

Ed nodded and waved goodbye to the shopkeeper, her wrinkly smile offering him a small warmth of comfort.

"I have our contact waiting just down the road, he'll take us north."

The duo left sets of footprints in the dirt road as they made their way side by side, the thought of the battlefield weighing heavily on their minds.

"Find anything good in there?" Riza asked with a smile.

"Nah, just souvenirs and stuff. The lady gave me this-," Ed flashed his notebook, turning it over to observe the leather binding. "She said it would help in hard times and that I could write home. The weird part is that I never even told her about having any kind of family."

Hawkeye smiled as they approached a wagon that was hitched to a horse. In the drivers seat sat a man with the same blue and gold trimmed uniform, his hands loosely gripping the reigns.

"It was probably the ring," she replied as they climbed into the cart, taking their place as the driver turned around.

"You two ready?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Riza and Ed in unison.

The driver nodded and whipped the reigns as the wooden wagon wheels creaked from motion, the three of them bouncing over every divot and pothole. If there was one thing that made automobiles much nicer than wagons, it was suspension.

"How long until we reach the camp?" questioned Ed as he played with his ring, subtly smiling at how observant the sweet old shopkeeper had been.

"Not long, we should be there by the end of the day," replied the driver. "Sorry b'out the ride, I hope you don't mind the wait."

Ed smiled and watched as people and buildings slowly grew smaller with every passing second, dissolving into the horizon behind them.

"To be honest...," Ed sighed deeply, "It's not long enough."

The train ride felt like it had been going on for a lifetime. The seats felt like cold steel and the sound of the locomotive was like death himself calling out. They were going to war, to the front lines. They were going to use alchemy to takes lives; he was going to use alchemy to take lives. If he thought about it too much it made him sick.

"Colonel...,"

Roy shifted his focus from the window to the young man in front of him. "I've been promoted to General," he replied in a short and uninviting tone.

"S-sorry General," corrected Al. A small smirk grew on Roy's face while watching him.

"It's okay Alphonse. I'm just messing with you; try not to be so uptight. If it makes you feel better to call me Colonel than that's okay - I'm not formal."

Alphonse smiled back and relaxed a bit at the General's playful mood. "Aren't you worried at all?" he asked curiously.

The dark haired alchemist sighed and looked out his frosty window. "To be honest, yeah. I have a horrible feeling that this is going to be like the Ishvalan War of Extermination."

"But the Ishvalan war pointless, it was a scheme by the homunculi remember? This is an actual threat, so it makes it better right?" Al countered.

Roy chuckled at the young man's reasoning. Oh how he was familiar with it.

"You're right Al, but they'll both have a lot in common when we're done. The military doesn't just lightly send alchemists to the front line - its more of a last resort kind of thing. They figure if they don't have to risk us dying then we'll be an asset for the future. So the fact both you and I are being sent can only mean one thing."

The Elric brother tried not to look frightened, he had been though worse, right?

"And what does it mean?"

"Lots of blood."

The two soldiers fell silent for a while, the sounds of the train saying all that needed to be said. It was going to be cold and miserable with a side of blood and death. Even though he was going to war, Al couldn't help but worry about his older brother. Even though he longed to be next to Ed, for them to fight side by side, Al was happy that he was out of harms way. He had a family, and Al didn't.

"You're worried about your brother," revealed Roy, breaking the silence. He had learned to read body language after all those years with Riza.

"Yeah, I just want him to make it home."

The flame alchemist smiled and even chuckled. "If I know Ed, he's too stubborn to die. Plus he's just on border patrol, hardly as dangerous as this."

Al replied with a silent nod, dread still festering in his gut.

"Listen Alphonse, don't worry about Ed. When we get out there, when we fight; you have to think only of yourself. Not your brother, not me, and not the people your killing. Because when you're on the battlefield, its you who's going to save yourself. No one else."

Alphonse remained silent, taking in all his thoughts and feelings. They were getting close, he remembered some of the scenery from when they were here when Sloth attacked. Briggs wasn't far off, and that meant that war wasn't either. One way or another he only had a short time left before he crossed the threshold of hell.

The sun began to boast its orange and yellow hues, the giant sphere resting on the horizon. The wagon ride had been uncomfortable at best and the thought of Al and Roy up north made it even worse for Ed. But even though it had been trying, the camp in the distance offered much more discomfort.

"We're almost there."

The outpost was already in sight, several tents and towers taking form as they approached. There were three towers that stood in a triangular shape, each one crudely and quickly constructed from wood. In the middle of the towered triangle were several tents that housed the soldiers stationed for border patrol, one of them being the commander's tent where plans were formed and tactical strategies conjured.

The cart they rode in eventually came to a stop. They both gave their thanks and said goodbye to the transporter as he headed back to the little town they had come from, leaving the duo at the entrance.

"Welcome!" greeted a gruff male voice. It was the commander of the station.

"Sir!" saluted Hawkeye. Ed glanced to her and followed; apparently he was a higher ranking officer.

"At ease soldiers."

The commander smiled and looked them over with satisfaction. "I'm General Jackson, welcome to my camp. Its good to have additional eyes on the battlefield."

The commander in chief swiveled around and began walking back to the tents, prompting Ed and Riza to follow. The outpost was in the middle of a sea of grass with sparse trees that dotted around the area. As they entered the camp they were shown around and pointed to the bunks, the armory, the "kitchen" and the bathrooms. It was a well built camp that sufficed for what they were there for, it didn't take them long to tour the area and make it back to the bunks.

"Go ahead and get comfortable for the night. You will receive your duties in the morning," said Jackson. Ed and Riza saluted while he walked back to his tent, the duo entering the bunks shortly after.

"What do you think?" questioned Ed as he selected the top bunk in the corner of the room; Riza, however, picked the bottom bunk closest to the entrance.

"It's nice enough," she replied, sitting down on the bed with a sigh. "I've been in much more hostile and unaccommodating places, so it feels good to me. How about you? What do you think of your first station?"

Edward chuckled as he lay down on his top bunk, staring at the top of the tent. "Eh, its not as bad as I thought, I might be able to survive long enough to see this through."

They both laughed a little in an attempt to keep their hopes up.

"To be honest, I'm not worried about us...," Ed sat up and rested his head in his hands. "I'm worried about Alphonse and Roy, they're the ones that are staring death in the face. I just wish I was there to help...,"

They fell silent for the rest of the night, unable to sleep much. They would receive their orders the next day and begin their life as active soldiers, watching the borders like a hawk. As for Al and Roy however, they were knocking on the devil's door and inviting him to a night out at death's bar.

Stay alive Al...

But what Ed didn't know was that he would soon be cheating death right alongside his brother.

Alrighty! And there you have it! Thanks for being patient, I apologize that it wasn't as long as I initially intended it to be; I caught the flu and have been fighting it for over a week now. Let me just say it's been completely miserable and horrible...

However! It has given me a lot of time to think and write the chapter in my head over and over again. Sorry if it's crappy writing or boring, I've just started feeling well enough to jot all this down. It was that awkward in-between chapter where its more of a transition than anything else, but never fear! I have some crazy ideas already budding in my imagination, so be prepared XD

Anywho, I hope you enjoyed it XD

If you get a chance, drop a review to let me know your thoughts. Keep smiling!

Have a wonderful and blessed day