LSDG

Part the Fourth

Getting Reacquainted

Mustang casually waved a gloved hand to Fionnuala in response to her final, cheerful farewell. As the teenager disappeared into the car of the train, his deep black gaze shifted to see Hawkeye, whose eyes seemed soft, a rare occasion for the stern woman. He smiled and chuckled oh-so-quietly as he went back to watching people board the train. The Lieutenant seemed to have noticed, for then it was her eyes that moved; they fixed themselves with veiled curiosity upon Mustang.

"What are you so amused with?"

Mustang's soft smile turned to a smirk. "You like her, don't you?"

Hawkeye made little reaction to the question. "What makes you think of that?"

"Oh, I can just tell." The Colonel slid his hands into his pockets and closed his eyes. As he turned on his heel and began to walk away, he added. "You usually don't take to strangers that quickly, Hawkeye."

Hawkeye followed, only saying calmly, "She's a pleasant girl, I admit."

It had been a while since Fionnuala had traveled by train, but it didn't take her long to remember the narrow, crammed hallways when boarding. Thankfully, her traveling partners were pretty easy to pick out. Edward's bright red coat contrasted against the more neutral colors of others' attire, but even more conveniently, Alphonse practically dwarfed all of those standing nearby. Nuala tried her best to catch up, weaving her way between people. "'Scuse me! Sorry, sir. Hate to bother you." All this for a couple extra seconds to say farewell to Hawkeye, no Riza, and Colonel Mustang. But it was worth it. She felt a strange satisfaction that she could not explain in giving a proper goodbye.

Ouch! She managed to kick her own foot when trying to get through a particularly narrow spot. "Sir, I'm so sorry."

She kept moving.

Alphonse, who was behind Edward, stopped and looked back, to see Fionnuala in her difficulty. "Miss Riddleson! I thought you were closer behind. Sorry about that."

Finally, the hallway was clearing out; most had gone on into other cars or had found their compartments. Nuala was up against the wall, for that was where she was forced to be by the crowd. "S'alright," Nuala replied with a brief smile. Relieved that the struggle was over, she walked towards the towering Elric brother. Bam! In her lack of attention, she had bumped her head straight into a shelf that jutted out from the wall. So much that she went straight backwards, landing on her rear end. Alphonse was shocked.

"A-are you alright?" He ran forward.

Fionnuala was ashamed. She wasn't usually this spacey. Except the occasional trip over nothing, or totally forgetting something she had been told, perhaps. "Yeah," she replied, rubbing her ribbon-covered forehead, "I'm fine." She put her feet back under her to make an attempt to stand. Alphonse he held out an iron hand.

"You sure?"

Nuala looked up, surprised, and then smiled. "Yeah." Taking his hand, she stood up. "Thanks a bunch."

"Not a problem." Good thing Ed didn't see me, thought Nuala. But it was just then that she saw Edward standing outside of their compartment. He rolled his eyes and stepped back inside. Shoot. "Is something the matter?" Alphonse inquired with concern.

"Nah. I'm good."

"Alright. Let's get to our seats." Fionnuala could feel the train beginning to move. Suddenly she wondered whether the Colonel and Riza were still outside or not. Shed rushed past Al and Edward and to the window, only to find that the station had faded into the distance. Oh well, she thought. At least I got the chance to say good-bye. She turned to see Edward, laid back in his seat.

He noticed her stare, returning it with hostile eyes. "What're you looking at?" He shot suspiciously.

Fionnuala came out of her temporary daze. "Nothing." Just then, Alphonse came in and shut the door, and then he turned to look at the girl.

"Hey, is that all you brought?" He asked, looking toward her simple leather sack.

"Erm... Yeah. I don't have much." She replied as she took a seat. "I have to be pretty mobile since I'm on the go all the time."

"I see."

"That, and I don't really need much. Hey, by the way. How did we get this compartment instead of the open seats and tables in the other cars?"

It almost came as a surprise to Nuala to hear Edward speak. "Mustang insisted that we buy tickets for nicer accommodations. Can't really understand why." Alphonse knew he was half-lying. When buying the tickets, Mustang had nudged Ed in the side and had said that he ought to be more of a gentleman now that he's got a lady traveling with him, and that only a compartment would do. Had Alphonse not restrained him, Edward might have attempted to nail Colonel Mustang to the nearest surface.

In any case, Fionnuala was a bit confused about it all, but instead she tried to relax. Impressing Edward would be tricky if he wasn't interested in talking. Alphonse distracted her temporarily from her fix. "You guys want anything to eat?"

"If it's not too much trouble. What do they have?"

"Usually fruit and such."

"I'll have an apple then."

"How 'bout you, brother?"

"I want some rice." Edward unexpectedly rose from his indifferent posture. "You stay here, Al. I'll get the food."

"That's okay, brother. I can get it." Alphonse insisted as he got up and headed out. Edward didn't quite know what to say.

"He insists on being kind, doesn't he?" Fionnuala pointed out with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way." Edward was about to return to his seat, when suddenly Nuala got up.

"Hey, Ed."

"Hm?" He turned, a little surprised.

She smiled kindly. "I was just thinking, maybe we got off on the wrong foot, so, uh, maybe we should try this whole getting-to-know-each-other thing one more time."

"Uh-huh..." He seemed uncertain, if not a little suspicious.

But that suspicion soon faded, for she held out her hand, and with a bright smile, she cheerfully introduced herself. "Hi. I'm Fionnuala Riddleson. I'm 15 years old and-"

Edward's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Say your name again."

"Sorry? Oh. Fionnuala Riddleson."

He burst out in laughter. "What kind of a name is that? It sounds like a kind of cheese!" She was shameful, angry, and surprised all at once. Her mind in great conflict, she stared at the ground, trying to hide her embarrassment and wrath. At that moment, Alphonse entered the compartment, a paper bag and porcelain bowl of fried rice in hand. Surprised to find a silent Fionnuala and a snickering Edward, both out of their seats, he immediately inquired as to what had happened.

"I made an attempt to introduce myself," said the 15-year-old girl quietly.

"That's not much of a reason to be laughing," Al noted.

"Admittedly, my name's a little strange."

"What is it?"

"Fionnuala Riddleson. Since it's such a mouthful, I usually go by Nuala with friends."

"It's certainly different," said Alphonse, trying to smooth over the situation by making a friendly conversation out of the problem. "Your parents have a foreign heritage?"

"Not that I know of. They just thought it sounded pretty. Unfortunately, hardly anyone ever spells or says it right."

"Really?" He asked, taking a seat next to Edward's. "How's it spelled?"

"F-I-O-N-N-U-A-L-A. The spelling makes it even weirder." She sighed. By now, Edward had finally ceased his snickers and snorts. "By the way, Edward. I guess it would be too late for me to point out that you're supposed to shake my hand."

Edward was surprised. Her persistence was quite notable. Though she did not expect it, when she put her hand out this time, he shook it with a gloved hand. "Edward Elric, State Alchemist." Even more curious was the fact that his hand was unnervingly hard. Strange.

"Fionnuala," Al tried out saying the name. "Mind if I call you that?"

"Call me whatever you want, Alphonse." Fionnuala said with a light sarcastic laugh. She felt better as she was certain that he was smiling beneath that metal complexion. Both Ed and Nuala resumed their seats after receiving their snacks from Al, and she took up her pack which she had set in the corner. She proceeded to take out a pair of long needles and an incomplete scarf. Quickly, she set to work resuming her knitting project. Every so often she took a bite from the delicious apple.

"You knit, Fionnuala?" Alphonse asked, surprised. Edward was also curious enough to pause from his noisy consumption of the rice.

"Oh, yeah, I do. I don't usually have the money to buy clothes, so I make a lot of them."

"That's a useful talent," said Al. "What else do you like to do?"

Here's a chance to look good, she thought. "Oh, well, I don't have too many hobbies. Besides knitting, cooking's kinda fun when I get the opportunity, and I'm decent when it comes to cleaning and..." Just a second. That was starting to sound a little weird. "I sound like a housewife, don't I?"

"Yeah. You do." Edward agreed tersely, and then held the bowl back up to his face to keep eating.

Daggonit, she thought. This making-a-good-impression thing is making my head hurt. Maybe Ed would be more impressed if I had more useful talents.

"Alchemy is probably one of my favorites, but I haven't been able to learn much lately yet. Reading's also fun, too." That might sound better. Actually, truth be told, sucking up all the time was giving her a stomach ache. She felt like an idiot, trying things left and right to look good, and Edward probably didn't even notice, and if he did, it was at a bad moment. Well, she would see how the rest of the day went, and then she would decide how to handle herself from then on.

"By the way, where are we going?"

"Didja evem bover tuh rook ah yer ticket?" Ed sharply replied with a mouth full of fried rice.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Fionnuala chastised.

She found her ticket in her pocket. It read, "Departure from: East City; Destination: Durham".

"Durham? Where's that?" Fionnuala asked after taking another bite out of the apple.

Alphonse was the one to respond this time. "It's Southwest of East City. We heard that there's a collection of rare books there that might have some useful information."

"What are you guys trying to look up?"

Alphonse looked uncertainly towards his brother. He seemed to be waiting for a confirmation. Fionnuala was suddenly very curious. Maybe this had something to do with the brothers' abnormalities. For a short moment, there was no answer, until Edward put his finished bowl aside and ended the silence with a sigh. "We're looking for information on the Philosopher's Stone."

"The Philosopher's Stone?"

"Do you not know what it is?" Alphonse asked.

"What alchemist doesn't?" Nuala responded. "I'm just surprised is all."

Neither of the brothers had anything to say. Fionnuala remembered that Riza and the Colonel had pointed out that Edward and Alphonse would explain themselves in time. Answers would have to wait. Seconds passed with no words.

Fionnuala was desperate to revive the conversation. "So, we're just going to do some research in a library?"

"Pretty much," replied Alphonse.

"Sounds like fun. I haven't sat down with a good book for a while." Fionnuala smiled brightly.

Alphonse and Fionnuala talked for a little while about literature favorites, while Edward stared out the window. Fionnuala couldn't help but wonder at how reading interests made Alphonse even more unlike his intimidating appearance; the more she learned of him, the more he seemed like an intelligent, young boy. But she did not bother him about it. In time, the two grew quiet and preoccupied themselves with other things. The brothers seemed off in their worlds, and the girl continued to knit. The only sound was the repetitive humdrum of the train.

Eventually Edward got up and pulled open the compartment door.

"Where are you going, brother?"

"Just for a little walk around. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay."

He closed the door behind him, and then sighed before walking towards the front of the car. What a bother, this so called 'help with duties' business. He didn't see how this girl would help him, so far, it seemed that all she could do was knit and lag behind.

"Bleh. Maybe I'm wrong. Al seems to have a lot of faith in her." He thought out loud. "I guess I'll give her a few days." His mind then wandered off to other things.

But naturally, life with the Elrics never stayed quiet for too long.

A man burst through the front door of the car. He was tall, and a little burly. He went off at a run down the hall, harshly pushing Edward away by the shoulder. "Outta my way, ya little punk!"