Note: I am very religious, so do not take this out of context.

It seemed almost too easy to escape Xing, and enter Amestris; that's if you were used to riding camels in the sweltering heat of a desert. Ling and Lan Fan seemed almost too used to it.

Edward complained about the desert like he always did whenever he found himself in one.

Riza Mustang couldn't have fared much better than the previous Fullmetal Alchemist, with Mrs. Mustang being pregnant after all. She did not utter a single complaint.

Ed, however, felt the need to complain about how hot, his automail leg got in the desert.

Ling was, of course, his usual cheerful self, and constantly felt the need to say, "It's not that bad, Ed."

Naturally, this made Ed's foul mood worse, and started arguments, like the current one.

"To make matters worse; I'm going through this god forsaken desert with the idiot prince." Ed groaned almost incoherently.

"I'm not a prince, Ed. I'm the emperor, and I thought you didn't believe in God." Ling said, rather cheerfully.

"I don't, " grumbled Ed, "but if I did; he wouldn't be here."

"They say that he's everywhere, Ed." Ling chimed with a smug smile.

Ed muttered bitterly, "What part of 'I don't believe' do you not understand?"

"For not believing in him, he sure helped you out." pointed out Ling.

"As an alchemist, I don't believe in God." Ed announced stubbornly.

"You're not an alchemist anymore." Ling felt the need to point out.

"How long are you going to keep saying that, Ed?" Lan Fan asked curiously.

Ed didn't have an answer to that, and fell silent for the next hour and a half.