SCARLETT

"You two really are wusses. I haven't eaten for longer than either of you two, and you're wobbling around like you're gonna die." she said, strolling ahead, then coming back about every ten feet.

Ha. Don't tell them...

She ate almost right before Gluttony swallowed them and had a small amount of solid staples...

"We can't help it... You're used to it..." whined Ed.

At that moment, Ling collapsed.

"Wuss. Look, Ed, food. I'm not gonna whine about cannibalism now that I've shed everything else." she said blandly, pointing to Ling.

"What? What are you talking about? We're just fine, see?" the two chorused, picking up the pace and whistling a merry tune.

"Got you to shut up about how hungry you are." she smiled, secretly slipping a bread-crust in her mouth.

But, a short while later, the both of them collapsed. They crawled onto a large circular stone pedestal, almost, and complained about how hungry they were.

"Man, you guys are wusses."

She stood between them and pulled out an apple.

"If that what I think that is?" "Oh, please, let us have it!"

"Yeah, definitely wusses." she said, holding it out as they begged and pleaded for it. "One for you and you, because I'm feeling generous."

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" they both cried, tears streaming down their faces.

"Yeah, whatever. If you want more, you have to earn it. If you're gonna act like spoiled pooches, that's how I'm gonna treat you. You can go a while without food." she waved their grateful cries off and pulled out an apple of her own.

Biting into the golden fruit, she sat down. "So, dim-wits, do you have a plan, or are we sitting around until you think of one?" she asked.

"Well, we'll find a way. Even if it takes us a while, we'll find a way." Ed smiled.

"You seem more cheerful and strangely optimistic." Ling commented.

"So do you, now that you have food." she told him.

"Well, not really. I'm just stubborn like that, and I've got Al's iron fist to look forward to if I even think of giving up!" the cheeky blonde grinned.

"You got my titanium fist to look forward to if you don't behave properly or stop yakking and start thinking!" she told him.

"That too..." his smile faltered a bit.

Danger!

Both she and Ling jumped up. "What's wrong?" Ed asked.

"Something's out there." Ling murmured.

"Envy..." she growled, gritting her teeth.

"Oh, great, I shoulda known it was you guys." the Homunculus growled, sloshing into view.

"Ask me why I'm not cutting him to ribbons as we speak?" she hissed to Ling.

"Please show us the way out!"

"What! You're just going to beg the enemy for help?" she and Ling both yelled at Edward.

"If it means surviving, I'll be his best friend!" Ed yelled back.

"It doesn't matter because there is no way out!" Envy said loudly.

"What...?" the boys gasped.

"Told ya so."

"I can't believe you got me swallowed with you!" Envy groaned.

"You just said swallowed... Does that mean we're really in Gluttony's belly?" Ling asked.

"Well, yes and no. Just ask the pi- I mean the Alchemist! He knows where we are." Envy said.

"Well, I did feel a sense of familiarity when we were pulled in..." Ed said slowly.

"So? You do know. I mean, this isn't the first time you've been here."

"You mean...?" Ed stumbled back.

"What?"

"So this is the Portal of Truth? But... It wasn't dark and filled with a sea of blood... It was more like this white void..." Ed stammered, fear in his voice.

"So that's what the real one looks like." Envy said casually.

"Real one?" they all asked.

"Gluttony is a failed experiment by our father to create his own portal. So we're half-way between our reality and Truth. There's no way out, so all we can do is sit and wait for our strength to run out." the Homunculus said, sweat dripping down his face.

"Told you so. This place is infinite." she said grimly.

"No... I can't die here! What's Al gonna do without me? We made a promise..." Ed was on the verge of tears.

"So this is really it?" Ling was stunned.

Sighing, she looked at Envy. "So just who is your so-called father, anyways?"

EDWARD

He and Ling both looked up. "Are you gonna answer?" she asked.

"A failed portal... Homunculi... It's Fuhrer Bradley, isn't it?" he snarled.

"What? You gotta be kidding, Bradley's just a Homunculus!" Envy almost snorted.

"We told you so!" Ling and Scarlett both said triumphantly.

"So then... it was you guys behind Ishval?" he yelled. Scarlett's eyes widened then narrowed, and, growling, she turned to Envy.

"Oh, Ishval? Do you know how that started?"

"I... I was always told that a soldier accidentally shot an Ishvalan child." he admitted.

"And the one that proudly pulled the trigger was yours truly! I couldn't have asked for a better job! I ravaged their entire country with a single bull-"

"I do so wish you'd quit bragging."

Scarlett was turning her back coolly on Envy as he clutched at his bleeding throat. "Scarlett, you're acting rashly!" he warned.

"And if that's how you wanna play it... I'm gonna show you brats something really amazing before we die!" Envy roared.

"Scarlett! Get away!"

"I know. The sorry bastard's larger than he's ever let on." she nodded.

"Ling, Scarlett, what are you talking about?" he asked nervously.

"In the forest, his foot-steps were rather deep. That hints... That he may be a bit big..." Ling said, gazing up.

"Yeah. Real big." Scarlett nodded, letting all of the blades she had out.

SCAR

May had been devastated at the loss of her panda. He'd eventually agreed to help her find her lost pet.

"Mister Scar?"

He looked down at her.

"Master Yoki told me about Ishval."

He continued silently.

Yuuki... Why did she cry like that?

She used his image to get through everything that happened to her, and now they were on opposite sides.

The girl must be heart-broken..