10/19/16 No, I'm not dead. Neither is this story. Reviews are greatly appreciated!

Doctor Knox was able to stop the bleeding from Al's eye in a short amount of time. The wound was clean and posed little to no risk of infection, but he wasn't all clear yet. When asked to cover his right eye, he couldn't make anything out with the other one. He'd be permanently blind in his left eye, but at least it would be a fairly easy obstacle to overcome. His brother, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

Al had yet to see his brother, but the doctor told him he'd have to wait until the next day. If Ed had too many things going around him at once, he'd be far more susceptible to shock. With the limited supplies the ship had, going into shock could prove fatal for the little boy. Kain knew all too well what it was like to lose an older brother, he didn't want Alphonse to go through that.

Kain had always been the youngest member on the ship, he had an inkling that's why he'd been chosen to watch over Al. He knew nothing about taking care of kids, even if he was still considered one himself. It's not that he was angry or upset, he was worried he would mess up. The last time he'd interacted with anyone his age or younger was when he was fifteen; gosh, had it really been three years already? Time was supposed to heal all wounds, but the memory was fresh in his mind like it only happened yesterday.

The western breeze brought a salty scent into the air. It was autumn, the leaves were various shades of red and yellow. Despite the season, it was quite warm. The town of Fotcett was in the southern sector of Amestris, so the winters were fairly mild. Being near the coast however meant they were often struck with winter typhoons. All of the citizens worked together to support the flood walls with sandbags and they boarded up all windows with whatever scrap wood they could find.

The winter months were a dark and gloomy time because of that, but Kain accepted it as a part of life. He longed to leave someday, but not before he could change his friends' and family's lives for the better.

When he was only five, his mom found herself trapped in a cellar during one of the storms. A small search party went and looked for her, but were forced to return to safety when the typhoon grew stronger. If they had known which shelter she was in, they could have saved her. If she had a way to communicate her location, she would have been fine. After three days, the storm died down and his mother was finally found. She had passed away from a concussion and dehydration.

Ever since then, he made sure every storm shelter was stocked with a ten day supply of water and enough candles to burn for three days. He and his brother, Caleb, collected scrap pieces of metal and wires to build radios. When there was a stubborn radio that was beyond fixing by Kain's means, Caleb would patch it up with alchemy. It was risky, but it was worth it. Because of them, every home was fitted with an emergency radio in order to prevent any more needless deaths.

The noon siren blared throughout the city and the clouds above were low and ominous; a big storm was fast approaching. Kain quickly picked out a loaf of bread and put it in his bag along with the copper wires and iron slabs he purchased earlier. He gave the baker a silver coin and didn't bother with getting the change back. She was always sneaking cupcakes and other sweets into his bag when he wasn't looking. He wasn't sure if it was because she was grateful for what he did for the town, or if it was because she had a crush on him. Caleb assured him it was a combination of the two. Kain blushed lightly and he trotted down the main road with the heavy bag carefully wrapped in his arms.

Citizens waved at him as he walked by. Since his hands were full, he smiled at them in return. One of them called out and offered him a carriage ride back to his home, but he declined. His family's farm was only a kilometer away from the town, and he liked to stay in shape by walking. When winter rolled around, he'd gladly accept the free rides, until then, he was going to enjoy the mild weather.

"Hey, wait for me!" Kain stopped and saw his brother running after him.

"Oh, I thought you were leaving town early today." Kain smiled at his brother and they walked together down the brick road.

"I was going to, but then I saw this." Caleb reached into his bag and pulled out a small container of sugar.

"What's that for?" Kain frowned a little. Sugar was an expensive commodity, and they weren't exactly well off, especially since they didn't charge for their radio services.

"I want to make Dad an apple cake, like the ones mom used to make. I thought it'd be a nice surprise for him to come home to." Their dad was away for the week selling eggs and wool, he was supposed to be home the next day.

"That's actually a nice idea, but how did you pay for it?"

"Worry not, little brother. Your big bro has things taken care of." That translated to 'I'm up to no good'.

"Caleb," Kain lowered his voice even though no one was around anymore, "what did you do?" Caleb looked around and whispered back when he deemed the coast clear.

"I transmutted some of the metal from our scrap wires into silver coins."

"Brother!" Kain gasped. They agreed Caleb would only perform alchemy on radios that physically couldn't be fixed, or during an emergency. Baking a cake, while a nice thought, didn't qualify as either of those. "What if you're caught?"

"Relax, no one saw me do it."

"I worry about you."

"Hey, now, none of that. I'm the older one, I'm supposed to worry about you, not the other way around. So, did Sarah put any sweets in your bag today?" Kain ignored the change of subject and hid a sheepish grin.

"Not this time, I left too quick."

"If you're not careful, some other guy might come around and sweep her off her feet."

"So? She's just a friend. She only gives me the extra pastries because she's being nice." Kain couldn't hide his reddening cheeks fast enough. He never was able to hide anything from his brother.

"Uh huh, sure." Caleb playfully tousled his brother's hair with his free hand. "Whatever you say."

Kain stuck his tongue out, then nearly tripped when the brick road made its transition to dirt. If he had a silver piece every time he stumbled in that same spot, he'd be rather rich. His lack of gracefulness made his brother laugh, but Kain wasn't smiling anymore. There was a stream of dark smoke billowing from behind a tree-covered hill; his home was over there.

"Caleb, did you put wood in the fireplace?" His brother stopped laughing and his cheerful expression was exchanged with one of concern.

"No, it's not cold enough for that yet." They glanced at one another and jogged over the hill, only to be met with a horrific scene; their house was on fire. Caleb dropped his bag and ran to the blazing flames. Kain set his bag down and sprinted as fast as he could to join his brother.

A thunderclap startled the both of them and rain splattered the dry earth. The drops were heavy, but it wouldn't be enough to extinguish the mighty fire. Their home was destroyed and there would be nothing left to salvage. Lightning crackled in the darkening sky, followed immediately by the high rumble of thunder. The storm grew more malicious by the second, and they were stranded with no shelter to go for safety.

"We have to go!" Caleb shouted as he yanked on Kain's arm with ferocity. Kain had always been slower than his brother, so he felt rather helpless as Caleb took the lead, still dragging him along by the arm. The dirt road was now a muddy river, it didn't make running any easier.

Kain lost his footing just before the road was at the point where it was bricked and he slid a good ten yards.

"Dammit!" He shouted and tried to steady himself. Before he stood up, he could tell his ankle was sprained, and with the worst possible timing, too. Caleb helped him up and supported his weight as they continued downhill.

"It's not your fault, just keep moving." The descent wasn't exactly slow going, but they weren't making great time. They'd both be lucky to get out of the ordeal without getting sick from being drenched.

"Hello?" Kain looked up to see who his brother could possibly be addressing. In the middle of the road, there was a man with a white cloak draped over his head and shoulders. On the right side of the cloak there was a design of a three-pronged crown sewn in. "Are you lost? Come with us, we can help you find shelter."

"Are you Caleb Fuery?" The man had a low voice that was nearly inaudible due to the noise of the storm. Caleb tensed and sucked in a breath, then he placed a hand on Kain's chest to move him backwards.

"Who wants to know?"

"I'm asking the questions here." Another flash of lightning illuminated the gray sky. "Are you Caleb Fuery?"

"Okay, fine, ya got me. Now we really need to get out-" The man cut off Caleb before he could finish his sentence.

"Section 22, article 4." Kain's heart beat fast, it was hard to distinguish it from the constant thunder. "The practice of alchemy is strictly forbidden."

"I love you." Caleb only said it loud enough so his brother could hear it, then he forcibly pushed Kain into the muddy ground. A moment later, a gunshot rang out, only to be drowned by thunder and pouring rain. Kain yelped as his brother's body fell down.

"Brother!" Kain cried while scooting towards Caleb. His eyes were open and unmoving, even as the raindrops hit them. "Stop messing around, this isn't funny!" He hit his brother and shook his arms as hard as he could, hoping to entice a reaction. Caleb's blank expression didn't falter and Kain retched when he saw the blood on his hands.

"He didn't tell me there were two." Kain snapped his head around and saw the man, his brother's murderer, walking towards him with a gun carefully aimed at his head.

"Why?" Kain croaked out, barely audible. The rain stung his face and he couldn't feel his legs. More lightning broke up the uniformity of the blackening clouds. Why must the storms always bring with them chaos? "Why would you-?" The sound of the gun clicking interrupted him. How pathetic he must have looked, sprawled out over his brother's body looking helplessly at his soon to be killer.

He closed his eyes as the gun fired.

He'd always wondered if there was an afterlife, and he wondered what it would be like. He liked to think his mother would be there waiting for him; his brother too. It'd be warm and there'd be no more typhoons. There would be no need for money, and they could eat homemade cakes every day. But there was a problem. He still felt cold and rain continued to pelt every inch of his body. Thunder echoed and he shook uncontrollably. With great care, he opened his eyes.

The sky was still dark, save for the occasional flash of lightning. His brother was splayed beneath him, still warm. The unknown man was on the ground, but he was still breathing.

"Damn it all!" A voice from behind him called out. Kain didn't bother to look, he didn't care anymore. "We didn't save both of them."

"Stop, Captain." This time it was a woman's voice who spoke.

"We were so close, I failed. If we came only a few seconds earlier-"

"Captain, pull yourself together." Two pairs of boots came into Kain's view, both of them were covered in mud. The woman knelt down and draped her blue cloak over Kain's shoulders. "You're safe now." Her voice was pleasant and he sensed no ill will from her. "We'll bring you home."

"It's gone." Kain choked on a sob, he felt hopeless.

"Where's your family?"

"Gone." He looked at his brother, knowing it to be true. Kain couldn't face his father like this. What would he say when he found out Kain had hid behind his brother like a coward? He readily accepted death. His family was gone.

"Sir, what should we do?" She spoke to the other man. The stranger knelt down and he slung his cloak over Kain's shivering body.

"He can come with us if he'd like." Kain knew he had nowhere else to go. These people seemed nice enough, it seemed better than wandering the forests on his own.

"Please let me go with you." He hadn't meant to beg, but he felt so weak. "Please."

"Alright, up you go." The man stood up and helped Kain get to his feet. He used the man as a crutch since his foot was still in a lot of pain.

"What about my brother?" It seemed wrong to let Caleb lie there in the rain. That was his brother, he couldn't leave him there alone.

"Sorry, we don't have much time. There'll be people coming soon." The man mumbled sympathetically. It hadn't occurred to Kain that these people were fugitives, but that's what seemed to be the case.

"Captain, the Royal is still alive." The Royals? So that murderer was a part of the military? Nothing made sense, but he didn't care. His mind was foggy and he was freezing.

"Where did you shoot him?"

"The gut, sir."

"Good, let's go. We have to keep moving." They trekked uphill through the river of mud. The two strangers stood on opposite sides of Kain to keep him both warm and balanced.

"Who are you?" He asked while his eyes flittered; he felt like he would pass out at any moment.

"My name is Roy, and she's Riza." Roy sounded exhausted, but he did not stop supporting Kain.

"You're in good hands." Riza stated while making sure Kain didn't slip. He knew they were hiding something, but his instincts told him their intentions were good.

Kain looked down the hill one last time to get a glimpse of his fallen brother. He would never forget what the Royals had done.

"Are you okay?" Kain looked down and saw Al's concerned face looking up at him.

"Sorry, I'm alright. Say, how about I take you around and introduce you to the crew?"

"Okay!" Al beamed, and Kain couldn't help but smile. Kids often found the highest pleasures in the smallest of things. Maybe it would be easier to take care of the boys than he thought.

Kain led his small charge down the hallway and into the door with the painting of a sailfish.

"I know you've been in this room already, but I thought this would be a great place to start. This area is called the galley, it's where all of our food is made." The galley was split into two main parts; the cooking area and the sitting area. What separated the room were simply old wooden crates topped with a slab of limestone, making it a makeshift counter. The seating area had three small wooden tables with enough room to seat thirty people. The walls were lined with wine and produce barrels. Kain noted the vegetable barrels were extremely low.

"You've already met Heymans." He pointed at Breda who was resting on a chair next to the stovetop. "That's his assistant, John." John waved lazily and continued chopping carrots and celery.

"Why does he need an assistant if he's the best cook?" It was an innocent enough question, but Kain looked at Breda nervously. He didn't want to overstep any boundaries while giving the boy a tour of the ship.

"Alphonse, you wanna look at the kitchen?" Al nodded and stood in front of Heymans. Kain followed since he hadn't been in the galley in a long time. Knives and spoons were carefully strung to the walls, various pots and pans dangled from the ceiling. The stove had a massive pot of soup boiling, which John tossed the vegetables into. At first glance the room seemed like a disaster, but it was organized chaos. Kain wondered what Heymans was up to. "Being a cook can be crazy sometimes, it's nice to have help. Besides, if I didn't have John, who would make the food when I'm sick?"

"Do you get sick a lot?" Alphonse asked while watching John dice an onion. Kain knew the gist of Heymans' condition, but he never pried further into it.

"Yes, but it's not contagious, don't worry." Heymans looked at Kain and nodded.

"Okay, thanks for showing us the galley. We still have a lot of places to see." Kain ushered Al up a set of stairs to the main deck. The wind picked up quite considerably since leaving the mainland. Large waves smashed into the hull, causing the ship to rock back and forth ever so slightly. In the distance, dark low clouds disrupted the blue sky.

"The Peacemaker is what's called a steamship; it's run by both wind and steam power. The stokehold is where we burn coal to boil water to create steam. The steam is transmitted into the engine room, which is located in the aft." He pointed his thumb backwards. "I'd take you there to check it out, but it's a dangerous place."

"The back of the ship is called the stern, the front is the bow. You'll want to learn these terms eventually." There was a lot of terminology to learn, it had taken Kain a couple weeks until he had it all memorized. Occasionally a fellow crew member would throw a slang term at him and catch him off guard. He still remembered Heymans laughing at him when he was stumped by the word fo'c'sle. A sailor mentioned to him the fo'c'sle needed light repairs and he nearly drove himself crazy trying to figure out what it meant. Heymans had been kind enough to inform him it was a shortened term for forecastle.

"The biggest sail is called the mainsail, the mizzen is located behind that one. The jib is that smallest sail up there." Kain pointed at the triangular sail near the front of the ship. "Each sail is controlled by a sheet. If you ever see one of the sheets loose, notify someone immediately." He had to deal with a broken sheet two years earlier; it hadn't been a fun time. They had to stop sailing until the problem was fixed.

"When we're on the deck, it's called topside." Kain led Al to the bow, making note the storm seemed to be getting closer. "This part is called the keel. It helps keep the ship balanced." He patted the piece of wood that jutted out and looped downwards.

"Up those stairs is the quarterdeck, that's where the officers' rooms are." On top of the quarterdeck was where the helm was located, it was the place where the captain was most often found. "I know this is a lot of information, and there's still lots to learn, but trust me, it's important."

"Thank you. You sure do know a lot." Kain smiled, but he was careful to not let the pride get to his head. Before the brothers' arrival, he'd been the one on the ship with the least amount of sea experience. Still, he couldn't help but be happy that Al thought he was a worthy teacher. "So what do you do?"

"I'm the boatswain, I'm in charge of keeping the ship and crew in order. If there's a crack in the hull, I send someone to fix it. If the bay deck is dirty, I send a sailor to clean it. When we dock, I'm in charge of the rigging and make sure all repairs are taken care of before we set sail. I'm also in charge of communications and making sure all of our radios are in working condition."

Al didn't seem disappointed, but he didn't exactly look impressed either. Maybe he had been expecting Kain to be a first mate or something like that. His job may not seem exciting, but it was a vital one. Everyone on the ship had an important role, no matter how frivolous it seemed.

"Ah, so this is where our bosun has gone." Kain sighed as Havoc walked down the stairs. One of the steps creaked, Kain made a mental note to have that checked later.

"Alphonse, this is Jean Havoc. He's the quartermaster, that means he's the main helmsman. He's the one who supervises my decisions." Havoc was a nice guy, he really was, but Kain couldn't help but twitch his eyes when his superior grinned at the explaination.

"I heard the Captain put you in babysitting duty." Havoc leaned against the railing and tilted his head slightly. "Hi there, you can call me Jean." He reached his arm out and shook Al's hand. Havoc watched the oncoming clouds and looked at Kain once more. "Guess you're not the baby of the ship anymore."

"I'm not a baby!" Al protested. Kain admired his enthusiasm and he smiled.

"'Course not." A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by the low rumble of thunder. The sailors worked quickly to close the sails before the storm hit; soon they'd be running solely on steam power. Havoc's playful tone transformed into a more formal one. "Fuery, have you completed your duties?"

"No, I still need to inspect the rigging and log the crew's hours." Another lightning bolt illuminated the gloomy sky. Gentle raindrops pattered against the wooden deck, accompanied by the sound of the mighty sails flapping and the occasional crack of thunder. Kain shuddered and tried his best to not think about the storm.

"Go to your room with Al and finish the logs. I'll take care of the rigging."

"Thank you, sir." His racing heart slowed down, but his mind was not at ease. The wind howled and ushered in heavier rain, thankfully the sails were nearly closed.

"Don't worry about it." Kain was embarrassed and ashamed with himself. Every time a storm rolled over he tended to shut down and panic. Havoc and a few others knew about his situation, but the ones who didn't would stare at him with ridicule. He didn't know how he was going to earn respect if he couldn't handle a simple storm. "You're going to be fine." Havoc patted his shoulder and left to check the rigging.

Kain grabbed Al's hand and he led him inside to the officers' quarters. His room was the first on the left, it seemed rather lonely since the co-navigator was on a leave of absence and no longer roomed with him. Notebooks and half written papers rested neatly on the desk along with a few pencils. Loose wires and radio parts lay strewn on the spare bed, Kain removed them and placed them neatly on the desk while brushing aside the writing utensils.

"Alright, this is where you'll be staying."

"But what about Ed?"

"He needs to stay where the doctor can supervise him. There's no extra room in the berthing quarters, so you'll need to stay here for now. Don't worry, this is temporary." Kain remembered to place himself in Al's shoes; he had recently lost his mother and his only living relative was recovering from a potentially life threatening surgery. It must be a confusing and frustrating time for him, Kain sympathized.

"Okay." Al looked at the ship blueprint charts on the walls and he plopped himself onto the unkempt bed. "What's that?" He pointed a small finger to a small black device hidden away on a shelf. Kain grabbed the small radio and held it in front of Al so he could see it better. It was smaller than most radios and it had a thick wire sticking precariously from the top.

"It's a wireless handheld radio, I can talk into it and the person with the other one can respond. It's like a phone, but there's no wires."

"Does it work?"

Kain pressed the gray button and started talking into the speaker, "Hello, do you read me?" He released the button and was greeted with static. After a few seconds of white noise, he flicked the off switch.

"Why didn't anyone answer you?" Al looked fascinated with Kain's invention.

"My brother has the only other one." Kain put the radio back on the shelf and he sat on his bed. The grumble of thunder was greatly muffled within the walls of the ship.

"What happened to him?" It was an innocent enough question, but it was one that was not easy to answer.

"I'm going to let you know something important. On this ship, there's an unspoken rule; we don't ask anyone about their history. Everyone here has a story, some more painful than others. If someone wants you to know their story, they'll tell you." Al looked down and scrunched his blanket.

"I'm sorry." He laid his head on the pillow and nestled himself into the mattress. "Thank you for showing me the ship."

"You're welcome. Good night."

"G'night."

Kain sighed and wrote a few notes down in his journal. Al was a smart kid who still had a lot to learn. He was kind and respectful, Kain was thankful for that. Maybe taking care of a child would be easier than he thought.

The only source of light was a small crack underneath the door. Kain's light snoring was accompanied with a light pitter patter from the rain. Al kicked off his blankets and made his way carefully to the door, hoping he wouldn't have to go too far to find a bathroom. He walked out of the room and noted the hallway had four identical doors. Taking a gamble, Al opened the door to the room next to Kain's.

It was lit by a lamp on the desk, and the room smelled faintly of cigar smoke. Both beds were made and the only poster on the wall was a world map. A bookcase caught Al's eye and he walked towards it, forgetting he was trespassing.

Most of the books were old with yellowed pages and worn covers. He didn't recognize most of them, a lot seemed to be filled with charts and military terms. A leather book with gold lettering on the bottom shelf stood out from the rest, 'The Science of Alchemy'. Al delicately pulled it out and flipped through the pages, admiring the illustrations of transmutations and formulas for the circles. He didn't know of anyone who dared to keep an alchemy book out in the open for all to see, it was unheard of. Inside the cover was a written name, 'Roy Mustang'.

Al didn't remember much about what happened before boarding the ship, things had been too chaotic. All he could remember for sure was the captain nearly left his brother behind. The only type of people who would have an alchemy book lying around were the types who lived above the law. Al wasn't sure if he liked the captain.

The sound of people talking interrupted his thoughts and he panicked when he remembered this wasn't his room to snoop. He hurried himself and hid inside of the armoire, careful not to make a noise when he shut the doors.

"-spotted forty kilometers northeast." A woman's voice spoke and Al remembered her name was Hawkeye. She had been kind to him, he trusted her.

"We don't have the supplies to pillage a Royal ship." So they were pirates! As much as Al loved his mom's folk stories about pirates, he knew they were typically up to no good. Sometimes his mom used to tell him tales of pirates who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Maybe these guys were good. Kain treated him kindly and with respect, he didn't see how he could be a bad guy. "We need to restock before we make further action."

"I agree, sir. What are we going to do with those brothers?" The captain didn't respond right away, so Al could only assume he paused to think on it.

"We'll stay at port until the older one is in stable condition. I'll let them decide what to do from there." The captain chuckled. "Can you imagine the look on the Royals' faces if they found out the mighty Flame was stopped because of two little children?"

Al audibly gasped, then quickly clamped his mouth. He heard many stories about the infamous Flame Pirate; he burned villages and towns, killed innocent people, and he was well known for never showing mercy.

Al's heart thumped rapidly as the footsteps came closer to his hiding place. What would the captain do to him? Would he hurt Ed, too?

"Spying is often considered a capital offense." The voice sounded to be directly in front of the armoire door. Al shrank back as far as physically possible, he felt like a rabbit hiding from a wolf. The door swung open, the light blinded his eye momentarily. Mustang's rough expression quickly turned into a confused one.

"Alphonse? Hmmm, Fuery will-"

"No, don't hurt him!" Al cried out, cutting off the captain.

"What gave you that idea?" Mustang looked hurt, but that couldn't be right. This man had no remorse or morals.

"Sir," Hawkeye muttered, "he's scared of you."

"Oh." He knelt down so he was below eye level with Al. "I didn't mean to frighten you. You're safe here, I promise." Mustang seemed genuine, his face didn't appear to be the one of someone who was evil.

"You're the Flame Pirate." Al stated obviously, not sure what else to say.

"Ah, so I am. I bet you've heard lots of stories about me. I burn cities to the ground in seconds. I have a loyal crew of the undead that you can hear wailing when the night is still. There's monstrous beasts roaming the ship, constantly on the lookout for blood. When kids don't eat their vegetables, I sick my attack chimera on them. I bet you also heard my ship is as black as the moonless sky."

The captain had a point; Al's babysitter used to tell him if he snuck sweets out of the kitchen after bedtime, the Flame Pirate would come after him. The ship was an ordinary ship filled with a normal crew.

"Don't believe everything you hear, trust in these." Mustang pointed at his eyes. He was right, Al couldn't trust folk stories and rumors.

"I'm sorry."

Mustang smiled and glanced quickly at Hawkeye, like he was proud of what he had done. "It's alright. Will you come out now?" Al nodded and climbed out of the wardrobe, careful not to knock anything over. "So, you like alchemy?"

The alchemy book was still on the floor. Normally his reaction was to feign ignorance as it was the safest option to not know what alchemy was in the first place. Here, however, he knew he was safe.

"Yes."

"You can borrow this, if you'd like." Mustang grabbed the book and placed it into Al's hands. The captain's face lit up like he had came up with a brilliant idea. "Follow me." The captain stood up and walked towards the door. "We'll finish this talk later." He called out to Hawkeye as he shut the bedroom door.

Together, Al and Mustang walked down a set of stairs below deck. Their steps echoed in the hallway and all else was silent. They walked through a door and Al was surprised to discover it was the doctor's room.

"What-?" Al started to say, but Mustang shushed him.

Ed was silently sleeping on a bed, his chest rose up and down slowly. His body was covered with a thick sheet, and Al noticed the lack of a bump where his brother's left leg should be. The floor was shiny, it no doubt had been scrubbed since the amputation procedure.

"You can stay here tonight" The captain whispered. "Read your book, but don't wake him up. He needs all the rest he can get."

"Thank you." Al managed to croak out.

"No problem, squirt. Fuery will get you up in the morning." With that, Mustang left Al to be alone with Ed, and doctor Knox of course.

Al flipped to the first page in the alchemy book and eagerly began reading while glancing at his brother every so often.

Captain Mustang wasn't a bad guy after all.