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4

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Ailne found that she rather liked Mustang's office. She sat across from Edward as they listened to the dark-haired man read off a piece of paper about their appointment to state alchemists. She rested her cheek in the heel of her palm and shared a slightly bored look with her brother. Both of them just wanted the man to get to the point. All the grandstanding was pointless at this point. It was too much.

"The silver watch shows that you two gained the title of state alchemist," Roy informed them, holding out two boxes for them to take. "I also have the contracts with the smaller details for you two."

"What, you aren't gonna read that to us as well?" Edward asked as they accepted their watches.

"I'm too lazy to read them all out, just confirm it yourself," Roy shrugged as he opened a manila folder.

"Just do your job you freeloader," Edward huffed as Ailne lightly laughed.

She turned her attention towards her contract and began to read the fine print. Follow the laws and always show loyalty to the fuhrer. Ailne blinked at something. They were at the rank of a Major? Why were the alchemists that rank upon entry? Nothing else on the paper explained it and she frowned in thought before sighing. She'd never understand it. How annoying. She spared their dark haired superior a glance before looking back at the paper. She could always ask him. If she wanted to give herself away as being foreign.

"The Fuhrer sure gave you an ironic name," Roy stated as he looked at Edwards title.

He simply raised a brow at her title, and she tilted her head in response. He even double checked it, as though the name made no sense to him. He handed over the title paper and she read it. She blinked, looked at him, then proceeded to reread it. The Gunmetal Alchemist? What kind of title was that? Was the man just pulling her Automail? Wait. How did he see that her Automail was darker than most? He was missing an eye for gods sake!

"It…it makes sense," Ailne muttered, and Roy raised a brow, "I have darker Automail, it has a bit more carbon in it to help make it lighter. It makes it look like gunmetal."

Winry had taken her suggestion of such metal to heart, but Pinako was the one to make it into reality. Ailne could only hope that Winry would make her Automail one day. She adored the design used for Edwards. She simply lifted the pant leg of her capris, and he noted the darker metal. It fit.

"Fullmetal?!" Edward asked and Ailne snorted.

"You're so stubborn that even the Fuhrer picked up on it?" She asked as she held in a proper laugh.

"Laugh it up Gunmetal Alchemist," Edward huffed before grinning. "I happen to like it."

"Are you on your way to look for a way to restore your bodies?" Roy questioned as the two put away their paperwork.

"Yeah, that and a few other things," Edward nodded and Ailne stood up in unison with him.

"Don't forget to get your uniforms," Roy reminded them. "My duty's done."

Edward grumbled something before sparing a glance towards Ailne. It would help for her to have some extra clothes, and something a bit heavy. She was going to freeze wearing such light clothes. They made their way through the large building and eventually they found the small mart that housed the uniforms. Edward quickly ushered his sister inside and Ailne sent him an unamused look.

"Oh, are you looking for your parents?" A woman running the register asked with a kind smile.

"We just became state alchemists, and she needs a uniform," Edward stated, and the woman gave them a strange look.

Ailne sighed and pulled out her pocket watch. The woman took a glance at it before Ailne added the contract they were given. That got a smile out of the woman, and she held out a hand. The golden-haired woman stiffly followed, and Edward sat out. He crossed his arms across his chest and pondered where to go first, and what to search for. It was October, so if they finished what they had to in a few days then it would be possible for them to make it to the east before the end of the year.

"All done!" The woman from behind the register chirped. "It was actually difficult to fit you for a shirt."

Ailne had a deep blush on her face as the woman looked at her chest. It wasn't her fault that the billowy shirts of her people hid her figure. The tight-fitting uniform was strange to her, the skirt restricted some of her movement, but not enough to hinder her completely. She was given three more uniforms, plus a heavy coat lined with fur around the hood. It was paid for with her uniform allowance. She placed them in her small suitcase and Edward watched as she faltered in the dress shoes they also put her in. She seemed unused to such clothing, and it showed.

"Don't trip," Edward warned.

"I'll bring you down with me," She hissed slightly as she stumbled slightly. "No hesitation."

Edward let out a laugh at that. She held onto his shoulder as they walked to the station. The train back to Resembool took a little longer to get there than the one to central. The boarding went a bit quicker the second time around and Edward looked out the window in thought before looking towards the slightly uncomfortable Ailne. She looked like she fit in, a little too well. He watched as a few people sent her looks, a few glares and a few of the lecherous variety. He sent glares at those kinds. It was the little brother's duty to threaten potential suitors…right? He wasn't too sure about that one. Alphonse never did that for him, then again he wasn't a girl. He didn't know. It was something out of his sphere of knowledge.

"A little brother makes sure that potential boyfriends are properly scared, right?" Edward asked and she blinked in confusion before giving him a soft smile.

"You didn't do that to Colonel Mustang," She pointed out.

"Wait? You like that bastard?!" Edward asked in surprise, and she laughed a bit, her cheeks turning a light pink.

"Relax, I'm messing with you," She said. "Besides, it takes more than a pretty face to catch my attention."

"The more you say, the more I worry," He bluntly stated.

She simply smiled in response and looked out the window, the uniform not allowing her to really slouch in her seat. She also had to sit properly, something she hadn't really missed since her etiquette lessons. She could almost feel the harsh smack of a metallic ruler from her old teachers. Which reminded her of one thing.

"You do realize that as a member of the military you might have to go to formal events?" She asked and his expression fell at that. "If you're ever strapped for a partner just ask Winry, she'd enjoy going to one with you."

Edward let out a strangled sound and Ailne made a mental note to tell Alphonse when she got the chance. It wasn't her fault that she found them to be easy to tease. It wasn't until Edward gained an evil glint in his eyes that she wondered if she should've stopped while she was ahead. He grinned and she felt a frown appear on her face, as though challenging him.

"I bet the Colonel'll have no issue going to an event like that with you," Edward stated, and she let out a sigh.

She should've stayed quiet about that. Even if it was a joke, it was going to be blackmail for the rest of her life. She brought a hand up and scratched the back of her head in thought. How was she supposed to respond to such a thing? She knew she'd never be ready for a relationship, her betrothed made sure of that.

"Bold assumption that I'd want to," She quietly said, and Edward took in her expression of unease.

"Man, that guy sure did a number on you for you to still be uneasy even though he's dead," Edward commented, and he frowned towards the window. "The guy is lucky."

"Yeah, Alphonse would beat him up," Ailne stated, and Edwards eyebrow twitched.

"So would I!" Edward stated. "It's not our fault that you seemed to have been inducted into the family."

"As long as you don't start chanting 'one of us' I'm happy about that," Ailne said with a shrug. "You two are great brothers, besides I was the youngest for a long time until my last sibling was born…I've had plenty of practice."

"Was it one of your brothers that found out?"

That question caused Ailne to pause. It hadn't been. She had come forth herself to show what that man had done to her. The humiliation of showing her back to a whole court of people while that man stared the entire time made bile rise in her throat. Edward watched her demeanor change completely. She was grasping at her biceps to make herself seem smaller. She wanted to disappear. He recognized a panic attack. He had them for a while during the rehabilitation of their limbs. Ailne helped him through them, no wonder she knew how. That man really was lucky that they couldn't get their hands on him. No one deserved to be mentally tormented for so long.

"No, I had to show what he did to a whole court of people," Ailne's quiet answer threw him for a loop. "He was there the entire time…that was the first time I experienced such humiliation, and the last."

"Your father did nothing?" Edward asked, his blood running cold.

"He sent him to jail," She muttered. "He never even looked at me after that. My mother was the one to do so. She took care of me and was the one who tried to tell me it wasn't my fault."

"She sounds nice," Edward muttered, his mind going to a place where he wondered if they were alike.

"From what Granny told me, they were very similar," Ailne confirmed.

Edward gave a weak smile at that. Ailne spared him a glance before removing one of her hands from her bicep and gently placing it on his head. Edward tensed for a few seconds before enjoying the slight warmth that came from such an action. It had been a while since anyone treated him like a kid. She pulled back and he watched as she turned her attention towards the window, her expression blank. He decided to catch some extra sleep, Roy had them get up early to make that meeting. Ailne watched with a very soft smile on her face before looking back out the window. That was her little brother. He let out a soft snore and she smirked slightly before it returned to a gentle look.

Two days on a train wasn't as bad as Ailne thought it would be. Granted, she was incredibly stiff as she stood up. Her back popped slightly, and Edward winced at the sound. No wonder she kept moving if that was the sound she made after she'd been sitting for a while. Alphonse met them at the station and waved at the two. His hand paused at the uniform Ailne was wearing. It was such a change from her usual clothing.

"You look nice," Alphonse complimented, and her cheeks turned a light pink as she smiled her thanks.

"See, he's nice to me," Ailne informed Edward.

"Yeah, he's nice to everyone," Edward pointed out.

"The betrayal is real," She sighed, and Alphonse looked between the two in worry.

Ailne could tell that was what he was feeling. She brought a hand up and gave his head a pat, startling him slightly. Alphonse was grateful that she treated them equally, granted she was nicer to him. Few people treated him like a kid anymore, it was nice. They headed back to the shop, and they were noticing all the looks they were getting. Ailne rubbed the back of her neck in discomfort before shaking off the stares. She smiled instead, simply because Winry was happily waving at them. Ailne gave a wave back and the preteen gave her a surprised look before smiling sadly.

"You better stay safe," Winry mumbled.

"I'll try," Ailne quietly told her. "You said you wanted to practice piercing ears, right?"

That was enough to stop her worry as she quickly dragged the unsteady woman into the shop. Pinako laughed slightly at the sight. It was wonderful when it was so lively at her house. Granted, she knew that it wouldn't last. She knew that look in their eyes. No wonder she was allowing Winry to practice her skills on her ears. It was a chance to make a happy memory with the other girl.

"So, meet anyone interesting in central?" Winry asked as she steadied her needle.

"Hmm, if I say anything are you going to tease me like Ed?" Ailne asked.

"Only in the friendly way that girls can," Winry stated as she pushed the needle through the cartilage of her upper ear.

"Well, that Lieutenant Colonel got promoted to an actual colonel," Ailne stated as she winced when the needle went through the other part of her cartilage creating a bar as Winry looked for the right earring.

"I knew it," Winry nodded as she found the right one and easily put it in place. "Keep that clean for a good month and air dry it."

"Right," Ailne nodded as she looked at the piercing. "You did a wonderful job, I think you'll have a booming business in the future."

Winry grinned at that before moving the woman's hair around. Ailne's eyes widened as it was all gathered into a braid like Edward's, the front of her hair being styled by the other girl. It was a silent occurrence. Winry knew what was going to happen, that the three were going to leave them. She was going to miss them, and they better write to her! She knew that Edward wouldn't, but she knew that Ailne would.

"The food was wonderful like usual," Ailne complimented the old woman.

"Try a drink for once," Pinako grinned. "I could easily drink you under the table."

Ailne took her up on the offer for once. The beer was hoppy, more-so than she was used to. She had made a face and Pinako laughed at the sight of it before gaining a sad smile. Only one other person had reacted to Resembool beer like that. Edward grumbled about the glass of milk in front of him and she shook her head.

"How else will you grow? You'll remain pea-sized for the rest of your life," Pinako commented.

"Like you? You shrunken hag." Edward challenged and Ailne placed another roll on Winry's plate.

She was going to stay out of it. They got some good insults out, she wanted to use them. Alphonse stared at the table with his hands in his lap, his shoulders hunched as much as he could. He was uncomfortable with the arguing amongst the two. She wasn't too upset by it, honestly it was Edward. If he didn't fight with someone who called him short then it wasn't Ed.

"Do you really not know what caused your people to disappear?" Alphonse's quiet question caused her to stop eating.

"I'm guessing that you two found something out," She softly stated. "All I know was that it was in line with my father's thirst for immortality."

"We found a book that gave us information on something called the philosopher's stone," Alphonse informed her, and he watched as her eyes widened. "We think it might be connected."

"Maybe…" Ailne nodded, and Winry looked between the two of them.

"You two are so serious," She sighed. "I guess it's a good thing since Edward struggles with keeping a level head."

Alphonse laughed as Edward yelled at them in disbelief. It wasn't their fault that he was so easy to rile up, it was just too much fun. Dinner ended and Ailne helped with the dishes, Pinako was grateful for the taller woman as she put away the dried dishes into the cupboard. Ailne wondered how the woman had shrunk so much as she aged, that couldn't be normal. Maybe it was a disorder? Ailne was too polite to ask, and felt that it was a sore topic for the older woman. She pulled her shoes on and walked behind Edward as they headed up the hill towards a two-story house. She could smell the fire before it grew too large.

"Hopefully, this doesn't burn the rest of the hill," Ailne muttered as she watched the yellow and orange flames grow larger and completely engulf the house.

"There's no turning back now," Edward stated, and Alphonse nodded.

"Yeah," He agreed.

"It's kind of sad to watch it burn, even without knowing the past of the building," Ailne informed them, and she brought a hand up as a few embers flew around them in a peaceful manner.

"Maybe one day," Edward shrugged before looking towards Winry. "Why are you crying?"

Winry simply sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. She didn't have to explain herself! Ailne smiled slightly and gently elbowed Alphonse, he simply shook his head in response. While it did lighten up the mood, he still felt guilty that they were burning their house down. What if…what if their father finally came back? The man would have no where to stay due to them.

"Man, you're hopeless," Edward informed Winry. "Your crying hasn't changed at all."

That didn't give him the reaction he had been hoping for. Ailne stretched slightly as she waited for the last ember to die out so they could start their search. A philosopher stone huh? Why did that name sound so familiar? She narrowed her eyes in thought as a cold pit formed in her stomach. It was like she couldn't remember and that was bothering her. She crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt to warm up. She felt cold.

"We'll head east and then make our way back through central before going to the west," Edward stated.

"And when we hear something we'll chase it?" Alphonse questioned and Edward nodded.

"It seemed to be the simplest way to find the stone," Edward said.

"Hopefully we don't go too far east," Ailne stated. "You don't want to end up crossing the desert with metal attached to your body."

Edward blanched at that, and she shook her head. He hadn't even thought about the fact that their Automail was made of metal. The extreme heat and cold would be their worst enemies. She'd have to take out her piercing if she wanted to go into the cold. The carbon mixture of her Automail might protect her more from the cold than Edwards would. They walked to the station and soon the city of Resembool was behind them. Ailne could only hope that their journey would be relatively safe, and not dangerous. She looked at her brothers, yeah that was unlikely.