Edward couldn't help but looking at the scenery blur past him on the train. "Hey, Al?"

"Yes, brother?"

"Hey, when was the last time this happened? I mean… even if it's been more than twelve years since we last took a ride on a train like this, it feels as if it was just yesterday when I first set off to the west…"

"Yeah, I guess time really does fly, brother. It's nice just to have a peaceful train ride like this!"

"You two sound like you're two adolescent kids on their first date." Mustang suddenly interrupted.

"Gah! What the hell?!" Edward bellowed. "Way to kill the mood, you idiot flame!"

Mustang pulled up his sleeve and was prepared to snap his fingers. "Oh, so if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

Ed assumed a fighting position. "HELL YEAH! I may not be able to use alchemy anymore, but I can still kick your ass!"

Then, they proceeded to scream insults at each other.

"COME ON, YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T PUNCH ME EVEN IF YOU TRIED!"

"OH, REALLY? HELL, I BET YOU CAN'T EVEN REACH ME IF YOU TRIED!"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' LITTLE, YOU BASTARD?!"

Al looked around at the other passengers as a panicking grimace spread on his face. "Uh, guys, I think you should stop! There are other people here!"

But, of course, they didn't listen. In fact, they continued bickering.

"UGH, WILL YOU TWO SHUT IT?!" the entire train suddenly became silent. Rei simply arose from her seat and stared at the two men. From merely her facial expression, everyone on the train car could see her irritation. "There are other people on this train you know! And those other people are trying to have a peaceful ride. Now shut up, sit down, and stop disturbing the peace." Then, she sat down, produced a small book from her bag, and began reading intensely.

Both Ed and Roy sat down, and both of their cheeks had been filled with a rosy red color. "We were just told by a fourteen-year-old girl…"


An hour had passed since the two men had started bickering. "So, we'll be heading to a trading station between Amestris and Xing?" Al asked Mustang.

"Yeah, that's where most of the trouble is being caused nowadays… and it's always a couple of Amestrian idiots stirring up all of that trouble."

"Really?"

Mustang nodded. "Yeah… they act as if the Xingese aren't welcome here. It's terrible, but the military hasn't put much priority on the matter. Since we still have some attacks from Aerugo down in the south, we've got to keep all of our attention there."


Rei stayed in her seat, book in hand. Edward crept up next to her. "So, what is that?" he questioned her, pointing at the book. "Every time I turn around to look, you're always reading it. It's really starting to stir up my curiosity, you know."

"Well, curiosity killed the cat," Rei replied, without even looking up.

Edward sighed. "Ah, jeez, you can't even tell me what the book is about? Come on!"

"Do you really want to see it?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to!"

Rei stared into Edward's deep, golden eyes and hesitated. Then, she turned away, thrusting the book into his face. "Fine then. It's not like you'll understand what it is anyway."

Edward smiled and opened up the bound parchment. But the moment he had opened it he had become confused. "Rei…" he murmured, "what is this?"

He flipped through the creamy white pages, seeing no words or pictures, nothing. The book would have been completely blank if it were not for the large blots of dark red blood gluing the pages together.

Rei snatched back the book and stuffed it back into her bag. "I told you that you wouldn't understand…"