I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Brotherhood. But there will be some direct lines from the story.

This story deals with a gender-swapped Ed.

And please feel free to comment and or give suggestion

After that night in Dublith I decided that it was time to go back and see Winston, mainly because my arm needed to be fixed. As we got off the train at the station we walked straight to town looking for Winston. I was smart enough to wear my red coat so no one could see my broken automail. We found him pretty easily because people kept shouting his name and talking to him as they walked by.

"Al I wanna try something." I I cleared my throat. "Oh Mr. Winston." I called in a high girly voice. He turned his head around. "Aren't we happy today with this fine weather." I continued. I started to laugh with the look he was giving me.

"Ed! Al!" He hugged us. "You never keep in touch why are you here all of a sudden?" He questioned. I took my right sleeve off and showed him my automail. He dragged me back to his work place. Paninya was there too, 'Great how much time have they been spending together.' I thought to myself. He started covering the exposed mechanics with gauze while I told him what happened in Dublith.

"Did you at least learn anything?" He asked

"I think so we might be coming from the long way around but I think we are getting somewhere." I answered

"Good at least you didn't break my automail for no reason." He started writing things down on a list. "So where do you plan to break my automail next?" He asked

"Central, I want to check something out in the HQ there."

"Central take me with you!"

"Why?

"I wanna visit the Hughes family again"

"You're right I should probably go and say thank you." Winston stood up.

"I'm going to order the parts so go kill some time." He stood and left the room

"What do you mean kill sometime?" I questioned and then Mr Garfield(Winston's mentor) offered to take care of us and that made us run to the door.

On our walk I got bored really quickly.

"There's nothing to do here, it's all automail shops." I complained

"Well it could be worse I like it here cause everyone thinks that I'm all automail so no one questions me walking around." I smiled it was nice that he felt comfortable.

"Mister...Mister, let me fix your arm, I'll do it cheap, please mister." A mechanic begged.

"Get lost, I already have a mechanic." I told him after he sulked away I looked to Al and he laughed. "I hate it here because people like that target me." I glared one last time at the man. I looked back to Al and he wasn't besides me any more "Al?" I questioned he was leaning in the alley. "Al it better not be another cat." I told him.

"Close enough" he said as he showed me an uncontentious boy. He had dark long hair a golden shirt and white pants, he had a pretty good build to him too. "Let's get him something to eat."

Within twenty minutes we fed the foreigner and he was thanking us for the meal.

"You guys saved my life thanks thanks." he said he had a heavy accent but I didn't know where he was from.

"So where do you come from?" I asked trying to start a conversation with him.

"I come from Xing." He said.

"Wasn't it a lot of trouble crossing the desert?" I asked starring at him

"It was, the rail road got buried in the sand so I had to swap between horses and camels to come here."

"Wouldn't it have been faster to use the sea route?" Al asked

"I really wanted to see Xerxes." He told us.

"So are you a tourist?"

"No I'm looking for something, I want to learn about the Alkahestry in this country."

"What's Alkahestry?" I asked it sounded like Alchemy but I wasn't sure.

"Oh that's right over here it's called Alchemy."

"Well you happen to be in luck because I am a State Alchemist, Edward Elric. Mostly we use Alchemy as a military resource, what's it used for in Xing?" I leaned closer to him and pushed the bangs away from my face only so the could fall down again.

"Mainly for medical purposes. I'm Ling by the way. Is there a big need for alchemy to be used for the military here?"

"We have non stop border line battles with Aerugo and Creta, and the situation in Briggs isn't looking to good."

"What a violent country."

"It was all that bad, alchemy became military based when our current leader King Bradley took over." I finished

"I want to learn about Alchemy in your country." Al said.

"Yeah tell us about alchemy specialized for medical purpose." I smiled bright at him.

"I'm sorry I'm not an Alchemist."

"Wait then why do you want to learn about our Alchemy?"

"Well I'm looking for something more specific, have you to every heard of the philosopher's stone?" he asked looking right into my eyes. My heart beat sped up a bit and I could feel my face turn a little red. 'What the hell is wrong with me, I mean he's good looking, and smart, and that accent. Holy crap I did not just think that! Calm down he thinks you're a boy.' I had the mental conversation with myself. "I really want it bad." He said still looking in my eyes. I started to breath faster. "Do you know about it?" 'We can't tell him. Why not? Because it requires human sacrifices and we don't know on whether or not he's willing to do that, but Ling!'

"No." I was a bit flustered when I said it. I broke his eye contact and cleared my throat. "I don't know anything about that." I had to get away from him and think clearly. "No business with each other any more so I guess we'll be going." I was talking to fast it looked like I was hiding something.

"Oops there is one more thing." He said as he snapped his fingers. I felt a blade press against my throat. "It seems like you guys know something about it, can you tell me?" He questioned smiling. 'Oh he has such a cute smile. Stop that you're about to be murdered!' I reminded myself.

"What are you going to do with the philosopher's stone?" I asked trying to keep my voice steady.

"To find out the way to gain immortality!" That was another person who wanted the stone for immortality 'where do these guys come from?

Hope you guys liked it. I know the Ed/Ling part is a little rough but I found a way to make it work and sorry I know you meet Mae before Ling but the Elric's haven't meet her yet and I just want to stay with them for now.

Next time I'll be seeing you in Rush Valley again.