A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, and followed after the last chapter. Special thanks to minmax300, who has been a wonderful sounding board. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, which begins a small plot line within the story as a whole.

Chapter Six: Postponed Preparations

The sun had just begun to rise, adding warmth to the late-autumn chill of the morning. Riza drew her robe closer around her shoulders and raised her ceramic mug to her lips. Careful of the steaming tea, she took small sips so that she didn't burn herself accidentally. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, slowly releasing it. Mornings like this were the closest she came to peace. Without thinking of anything in particular, this was how she came to a state of meditation, even if she wasn't aware of it herself. The world made itself intimately known; the bird songs, in particular, stirred her heart. Without seeing, she could tell where the wind brushed against the treetops, where a rabbit raced across the dirt road, where the foundation of the house creaked. Her hearing was incomprehensibly sharp, something that had been remarked often when she was younger. Her eyes were the same way, but others were much less likely to tell if she saw something; her eyes were often elsewhere than the person who was speaking to her, and it was often misunderstood as shyness. She had given herself away with her hearing when she spoke to someone who was not addressing her or who said something that she was not supposed to hear. Ever since, she kept quiet and discreet about what she was able to pick up on.

Her eyes opened when she heard an unusual sound for that time of the morning. It was by no means a quiet noise. Footsteps landed rapidly and with force from the second floor of the house, picking up pace as they descended down to the ground floor. Again, she could hear them darting around the house, and she sat upright when she heard them approach the front door. Roy burst out of the house, completely ignorant of her presence. His sleeping pants were on backwards, and he was both shoeless and shirtless. His hair was a tangle of black, declaring that he slept on his right side. His head moved as he looked around the front yard, his eyes moving as quickly as his feet had. He started to hurry off the porch, intending to run into the yard barefoot. Before he had a chance, Riza asked from behind him, "Shouldn't you be wearing shoes before you do that?"

Roy whipped around, narrowly missing one of the support beams. "Riza!" He exclaimed, far more loudly than was necessary. "I... We... This..." he panted, holding an opened envelope out to her. He waved it up and down to indicate that she was to take it. Riza reached inside and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She looked up at Roy before opening it, making sure that she had permission to read the contents.

Roy-boy,

How much effort does it take to write a letter? The girls are losing their heads without hearing from you. Jessica has convinced herself that you lost your way and have been sold into slavery in Drachma. There's no talking sense into that girl, either. You should know better.

The only way to quit their elaborate melodrama is, I think, for you to visit home. Apparently, suggesting that they give you a call is too much for them to bear. I bought your ticket in advance, and I got one for your little girlfriend, too. Hopefully I can kill two birds with one stone here and get them focused back on work.

So help me, child, if you miss this train and waste my money, you'll be working it off during your winter holiday. Go ask your teacher or whatever else you have to do, and get your rear in that seat. And this time, actually pack for a week's stay. If you bring one outfit like you did when we went to the South, you'll be doing your own laundry every day.

Get to it,

Aunt Chris

Riza held the tickets in her right hand and the letter in her left. She looked at the date at the top of the letter, and then in the corner of the envelope. "Roy! This was postmarked two weeks ago!" In her surprise, she had forgotten her propriety.

"I know!" Roy groaned, clutching the sides of his head dramatically and swaying slightly. "Look at the tickets."

Printed in the right hand corner of the ticket was the date 26 November. Below it, in bold, was the time 1300h. Slowly and with purpose, Riza moved her eyes up to look at Roy. He faltered under her cold gaze, crying "I know!" before dropping into a seat on the wood.

Without any fuss, Riza rose to her feet, tying her robe around her waist. She folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope with the tickets, holding it in the same had she was using to grab her tea. Wordlessly, she walked into the house, leaving the door open behind her. When she saw that Roy wasn't following her, she looked back over her shoulder. "Well? Didn't your aunt say to 'get to it'? We both have packing to do, and you're going to be the one who tells father where we're going. You can't do anything if you keep sitting there, you know."

Amazed that she was actually going along with the last-minute chaos, Roy lifted himself obediently to his feet and followed her into the house. By that point, Riza was already up the stairs. He frowned as he looked at the door to Berthold's study. If he had opened the letter when it arrived, he wouldn't have this problem. After he had gathered all of the courage in his body, he managed to walk to the door and raise his hand, knocking softly. When no response came, he repeated the process with a little more force.

"What?!" the voice behind the door barked.

Roy slowly pushed the door open, hiding himself behind it. He had learned not to enter the study or leave himself without a form of defense. Berthold had a fondness for throwing books he was frustrated with. "Master Hawkeye, sir? Well, you see, I got a letter and I didn't read it on time and now my aunt is going to be pissed at me and Riza is involved and-"

"What about my daughter?" Berthold looked up from his desk and stared Roy down, his blue eyes empty and cold.

"My aunt bought us train tickets to come visit her."

Annoyed at being interrupted for such a trivial reason, Berthold waved his hand dismissively. "Do what you want, boy." He turned back to his notes and began writing hurriedly. His voice remained flat as he added, "If anything happens to my daughter, it'll be your head."

Roy got the feeling that this was a multi-leveled threat to him. He gulped and managed a hurried "Yessir" before closing the door again. It wasn't until he was clear of the hallway that he heaved a sigh of relief. That went much better than he would have thought. With newfound courage, he rushed up the stairs and threw open the door to his bedroom. In a mad dash, he pulled out his smaller suitcase and began to throw clothes on the bed with abandon. Suddenly realizing that he needed his toiletries, he veered down the hall and into the bathroom.

Riza, who was in the middle of brushing her teeth, stood perfectly still as Roy darted around her like a hurricane. As soon as he arrived, he was gone, but not without a trace. Her eyes moved around the small, once pristine room, taking in every open drawer and cabinet along with their strewn contents. She looked back at her reflection and sighed, deciding to finish the task at hand before doing anything else. As she was done using them, she placed her things into her travel bag one by one, making sure she had everything. She zipped the small, plastic bag closed and dropped it off in her room before walking down the hall to Roy's. It was as if the hurricane in the bathroom spawned a tornado.

She walked calmly into the room, sidestepping Roy every time he moved past her. Without asking permission, she picked up a shirt from the bed and began to fold it. Roy, who was trying to hold the suitcase shut, stopped long enough to notice. "What are you doing?"

"Just because you like to leave things till the last second doesn't mean that they can't be done right." Riza placed a folded pair of pants on top of the shirt. "You're only making things worse when you panic. Taking five minutes to do something properly is better than finishing it in three with ten minutes' worth of cleanup." Another shirt joined the pile. "Now take everything out of your suitcase and fold it properly. You aren't packing your entire wardrobe."

Roy hesitated. He had been yelled at by Master Hawkeye, growled at by his Aunt Chris, but this was an entirely new form of scolding. It was clever, hidden underneath the words. The very fact that he knew it was there made him uncomfortable, as if the disapproval were more intimate, piercing on a different level. For perhaps the first time in his life, he didn't argue. The two worked in silence until Roy had a full suitcase and the rest of the wardrobe was put away. He was able to zip his suitcase with ease. Feeling foolish, he coughed once before saying, "Thanks. You didn't have to do that."

"You're right." Riza's reply seemed harsh, but the look in her eyes was not. "Now, go clean up the rest of the chaos you made. I still have to pack my own things." She hesitated in the doorway. "Oh, and don't forget to get your toiletries back out. I won't be sitting with you unless you brush your teeth."

Roy took it upon himself to carry both their suitcases to the station. Riza didn't like the idea, and the two argued for several minutes about the capabilities of the female sex before she relented. "I know you're perfectly capable of doing it yourself. I'm just trying to be nice," Roy grumbled, wanting to have the last word.

"Then I thank you for your chivalry." Riza mimed a deep curtsy as they walked. Roy frowned, unable to think of a proper comeback in time. He had waited too long, and saying anything now would be a pathetic attempt. He muttered underneath his breath and pushed his hair out of his eyes with his forearm. "How long of a train ride is it, anyway?" Riza asked, looking over at him.

"Several hours. I don't know exactly. It'll be really late when we get there, and that's if the train doesn't stop. There are a couple trains that make stops at a few other towns on the way there, so we'll just have to see." Roy shrugged. "If it's one with the stops, though, we'll be in one of the compartments. If we're lucky, we won't have to share. That's the best."

A train roared from the station, its horn bellowing into the air. The two children picked up their pace. Neither of them owned a watch, and they couldn't risk being late for the train. As they climbed onto the platform, Riza reached into Roy's back pocket and grabbed their tickets, moving too quickly for him to react. She offered them to the man standing on the platform, who punched holes in the paper. "Cutting it close, aren't you?" he inquired as he gave the tickets back to Riza. "Go on, then." He nodded at the train. "Turn left and go four rooms down, then enter the one on the left."

"Thank you, sir!" Riza called as she took her bag from Roy, hurrying onto the train. The floor beneath their feet jerked as the train set into motion, and Riza had to place a hand on the wall to keep from losing her balance. She decided that a slower pace might be better suited at that point. Mentally, she counted the doors as they moved down the narrow hallway. She stopped in her tracks when she came across the fourth set of rooms. A large man in a black suit stood in the hallway, looking at her from behind his sunglasses.

Roy set down his suitcase and placed a hand on Riza's shoulder. "I've got this," he promised before squeezing past her. As he approached the man, Riza took a half-step back.

"Can I help you?" The man asked, looking down at the black-haired child.

"Yeah, this is our room and you're standing in the way."

"This is a private room."

"No, it's not. Our tickets say that these are our seats. Don't they, Riza?"

Reluctant to be drawn into the conversation, Riza shuffled forward and wordlessly handed the man their tickets before looking down at her toes.

"Doesn't matter." The man handed the tickets back to Roy, who snatched them from his hand.

"What the hell do you mean it doesn't matter?! We paid for these tickets, those are our seats, now get out of the way!"

"Little brat. I'll teach you how to speak to your elders -"

"What's going on here?" Upon hearing the soft, female voice, Riza risked a glance up. The woman was dressed quite nicely; Riza had never seen fabric that shone in such a way as it did on the woman's shawl. She had placed herself slightly between Roy and the man. One hand held her shawl around her shoulders, and the other was on her hip.

"Ma'am, I was telling these children that this is a private car. They refuse to listen."

"Because these are our seats!" Roy wanted to pull his hair out in frustration.

The woman turned around to face Roy. Riza was sure they were about to be chased off. Instead, the woman gave a slight smile and held out her hand. Suddenly uncomfortable, Roy placed the tickets in her palm. She studied them for a moment before handing them back, moving to face the man once more. "There must have been some sort of mixup with the reservation, Shepherd. I'll have my husband speak with his assistant once we arrive in Central. But the children are right; they are ticketed to sit in this car. It's no trouble, really." She looked back over her shoulder and smiled kindly. "Come on, then, you two. I'm sure you want to put your luggage away and sit down for a while."

Roy picked up his suitcase and scowled as he walked past Shepherd. Riza was two steps behind, looking at the floor as she walked. The door to the compartment slid closed behind her. Roy took her suitcase from her hands, and she took a seat as he placed it on the rack above their heads. She hated it when unnecessary attention was drawn to her, especially if it was due to something negative. She began to rub the pads of her thumb and middle finger together, a sign that she was stressed. This involuntary reaction didn't escape Roy's notice as he took a seat next to her.

"Sorry about all that. Shepherd takes his job a little too seriously sometimes." The woman smiled at them.

"We're sorry for starting the incident, ma'am." Riza's voice was meek, yet audible. Her eyes lifted, and she saw the woman's face for the first time. It was a kind face. She looked rather like Mrs. Davis, the physician's wife. "Please excuse us for the trouble we caused."

"Oh, don't worry about that, dear. We're not as fussy and uptight as some people like to think we are."

Riza glanced down at her palms and shifted in her seat. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm afraid I don't know who you are."

The woman looked at her with surprise. "Oh. My name is Anetta. Anetta Bradley. What's yours?"

"Wait a second, you're Anetta Bradley?" Roy asked, looking at the woman intently. "You don't mean that you're the first lady of Amestris, do you?"

The woman laughed and waved her hand. "People take me much too seriously with that title. Mrs. Bradley is just fine."

Although Riza understood the significance of the woman's position, she didn't quite comprehend Roy's reaction. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Bradley. My name is Theresa Hawkeye, but I prefer to go by Riza."

"What an unusual name," Mrs. Bradley mused. "I like names like that. They make a person stop and think."

Riza could feel a tint coming to her cheeks. "Thank you, ma'am."

Realizing that it was his turn to introduce himself, Roy spoke up. "My name's Roy Mustang, ma'am."

"It's very nice to meet you both." Mrs. Bradley smiled kindly. "What are you doing on this train all by yourselves?"

"My aunt bought us tickets to come and visit Central. Master Hawkeye, Riza's father, he said that it would be fine," Roy explained.

"Master?"

"Riza's father is teaching me alchemy, ma'am."

"Is that so?" A masculine voice spoke from the doorway. The man was in full military dress, and he looked as if he were born to wear those clothes. His face had a quiet dignity to it, and the way he carried himself showed his pride. He took a seat next to Mrs. Bradley.

"Yes sir, Fuhrer King Bradley, sir." Roy wasn't quite sure how to react. This was a man who commanded, and was worthy of, respect. He wasn't military, so he didn't salute. Bowing would be just plain awkward. He couldn't extend his hand, because he had yet to introduce himself.

As though he could sense Roy's inner turmoil, Bradley laughed with a joy that did not match his previous demeanor. "It's alright, child. Continue."

"Yes sir. I was just saying that Riza," Roy nodded in her direction, "and I are going to Central to visit my aunt. I am studying alchemy under Riza's father, and he said it was alright for us to travel alone."

"Is that so? What alchemy are you studying?"

"Well, I don't really know yet, sir. I'm still trying to get a grip on all of the basics."

"You should consider joining the State Alchemist program when you get a little older. We could always use alchemists with unique skill sets."

"Dear, we're in a train, not a recruiting office," Mrs. Bradley reminded her husband.

"Right. My apologies." Bradley smiled widely. "I can be a little serious at times, can't I?" He laughed at himself.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, what brings you out into the East?" Riza asked, speaking to the man for the first time. Roy was surprised; her voice was as level and loud as it was when she spoke to him. For whatever reason, she didn't look intimidated by the Fuhrer. "There isn't very much out this way."

"Right you are, my dear. I spent some time at Eastern Command recently. There's some tension about the annexation of the Ishval region as of late." Bradley was frowning as he said this, and both Riza and Roy felt as though they were being studied. A moment later, nothing seemed to have happened. "But that's not something that young minds need to worry about. Everything is perfectly under control."

At that, the car fell silent for a moment. Roy, who had been looking out the window, sighed. "We haven't even hit the Awrosut stop yet. Then there's Geob and Nipppax once we make it out of the East... This is going to take all night."

"Don't be silly," Mrs. Bradley urged. "My husband asked that the train skip its usual stops from East City to Central City. We should be at the station before nightfall, right, Dear?"

Bradley nodded. "I won't make my late meeting, otherwise."

"In that case, I need to call my aunt." Roy rose to his feet and stuck his hands in his pockets. To Riza, he asked, "Will you be alright here?" Once she nodded, he gave her a reassuring smile before slipping through the door. She reached into her bag and pulled out a Cretan classic, which she was attempting to read in the original language. As she settled back into her seat, Bradley quirked an eyebrow and looked at his wife. She was beaming, pleased with how intelligent these stray children were. He would have to keep an eye on these two and see where they went in the next few years. The majority of humans lived perfectly ordinary lives, but these two had a good chance of being extraordinary. He planned to make that work in his favor, if at all possible.