Sorry its so late. I have no excuse. Please read and review! Hope you like it!

Chapter 12

Sophie

Don't ask me why I told Mustang part of my past. I don't know why myself. And yes, it is only a part of my past. Anyway, what's done is done and for good or worse Mustang knows that I had a brother and that he's dead and I have a fake left arm. I guess I'll just have to live with it.

The next morning, after I woke up the others, I went outside to wait for them to come down.

Mustang stepped out of the inn we spent the night in and looked around. He caught sight of me and walked in my direction. He was dressed nicely and was carrying his suitcase. Honestly, I can't understand how people can travel carrying those box-like contraptions.

"Was that necessary?" he asked, I guessed he was talking about what I did to the puny, pea-sized shrimp.

"Trust me." I said, smiling, "It was."

It wasn't long before the others also came out.

"Sophie-san!" Winry ran up to me, "Are we leaving already?"

"Uh-huh. Due north. The border is still far away."

"We're walking?" Edward obviously overheard us talking.

"Do you see any other means of transportation?" I asked, innocently.

At that point Edward started calling me all sorts of names. Of which, Witch was probably the nicest.

Finally, Mustang got tired of it. Personally I didn't mind all that much. I got called worse names while traveling the Outsider's World.

"Quit it, Full Metal." Mustang said, sternly, "There's no other way so let's go before it gets too hot."

Edward grumbled about it but he walked and that was the important thing.

From Estherville there was a few hundred miles of grassland before we reached the Dark Forest. I knew that we'd never get there in one day so I decided to stop at my little hidey-hole for the night. The next day we would continue towards the Dark Forest. Then we would find the East Town. The population there was mostly Nadrak so I would have to furnish the others with clothes. Thank the Gods I put all those extra clothes in the cave…

After the East Town, we'll cross the mountain range that protects the Old World. The magical barrier would be my job……it was somewhere on the mountain……hopefully I will find it before the winter storms set it.

Jeez…what am I thinking of? Those are all minor problems! If I even do get them to the Old World and somehow got them into the capital…Camion would kill me. Camion would definitely chew my head off…no matter how much I pull rank on him.

I scowled. Camion would just be one of those lining up to give me a tongue-lashing. Het and all the others would want a piece of my hide too.

"Sophie-san, how long are we going to be walking?" Alphonse asked me.

"Why? You can't be tired yet!" I said.

"It's not me." He told me, "It's nii-san."

I glanced back and saw Edward trudging along. It was high noon and the sun was high. Winry, too, looked spent.

I raised my voice, "There's a river a mile or so ahead."

"That's…pant…pant…great!…pant…" Edward said.

"Chin up, Edward, we're almost there."

I turned to Mustang.

"Can you see that big gray rock up ahead?" I asked pointing.

He nodded.

"Make your way to that rock. I'll catch up."

"Fine."

I left him and ran back to where Edward was languishing.

"Here." I said bluntly, holding out my water flask.

He took it and drank. When he was done he gave it back to me.

"Thanks."

He didn't look at me.

"Show me your arm."

"What?"

"You heard me, do it."

He shoved his sleeve and exposed his metal right arm. I touched it lightly; it was burning hot. I gathered my Will then spoke the Word to guide it. His arm cooled considerably. Edward's eyes widened till they looked like twin golden platters. I did the same to his leg.

"Thanks…really…" he actually grinned at me, "I feel better already."

"Great."

"Hey, I can hear the river!" Winry called from up ahead.

"Let's go!" Edward exclaimed, suddenly full of energy.

He raced to where his brother was then the two ran to the banks of the bright river. Suddenly he seemed to me to be more of a child then a state alchemist.

I caught up with Riza and Mustang.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I asked, "Last one to the river does the dishes!"

Riza glanced at me then at the colonel. Evidently she decided that the colonel didn't have all that much power here. In short, she ran for the river.

"Childishness." Scoffed Mustang.

"Suit yourself, Roy-kun, the dishes will love to have you wash them."

I ran on ahead…satisfaction welled up inside me when I heard Mustang gasp and chase after me.

"I will not demean myself like that!" he shouted at me.

"Then don't be last!" I called back cheerfully.

Mustang sped up at that.

Ha! Ha!

I think I'm beginning to like this man…

Sorry to cut it short. I'll try to hurry the next chapter up. Hope you liked it. Please review!