Looks like we're getting on this train," Kuri said, adjusting her bag. She glanced over her shoulder at Ed, who was dragging his feet. "Mustang wants us on it."

"Ugh, really?" Ed groaned. "That guy…"

"Come on," Reiko said, tugging on Al's arm and pulling him toward the train.

"Whoa!" Al stumbled after her, laughing.

"I got sandwiches!" Kuri grinned, holding up a paper bag as they boarded.

Inside their compartment, the four settled in for the ride. Ed took a moment to show off his automail arm to a wide-eyed kid who had wandered over, while Al and Reiko sat quietly, sharing a sandwich. Kuri leaned back against her seat, watching Ed with an amused smile.

"You just love being the center of attention, don't you?" she teased.

Ed smirked. "Can't help it if people think I'm awesome."

Kuri shook her head, laughing softly as she pulled out a hairbrush. "You're something, all right."

Xxx

As the train rumbled on, the group drifted into a relaxed silence. Ed leaned back in his seat, his eyes growing heavy with sleep. Kuri watched him for a moment before sitting beside him and gently undoing the braid in his hair.

Her fingers worked through the strands, brushing them smooth. Ed murmured something unintelligible and leaned into her touch, relaxing completely.

Kuri smiled, her voice soft. "I was thinking… isn't it about time Al and Sister—"

"NO!" Ed bolted upright, his face flushed. "My little brother is not doing anything with that fox girl!"

Reiko turned sharply, her green eyes narrowing. "Excuse me?!"

Before Ed could dig himself further into trouble, Kuri clapped a hand over his mouth. "Geez, calm down," she muttered. "It's not like I can do it. It's her responsibility to revive the Hikawa clan. I'm the youngest."

Ed blinked, confused, as she removed her hand. "What does being the youngest have to do with anything?"

Kuri rolled her eyes. "When I get married, I won't be a Hikawa anymore. I'll take my husband's name. You'd remember that if you weren't such a—"

"What?" Ed interrupted, genuinely baffled.

SMACK! Kuri slapped his shoulder, dropping the hairbrush in frustration. She stormed off to another seat, leaving Ed sitting there, dumbfounded.

Xxx

Just as the tension began to settle, the train jolted to a sudden stop. Shouts echoed from the front of the train, followed by the appearance of several armed men.

"What the—?!" Ed stood, fists clenched.

"It looks like an old-fashioned hijacking," Kuri muttered to Reiko. She gestured to Al. "You and Al take the back cars and deal with the goons. Ed and I will head to the front."

Reiko nodded, her eyes glinting with determination. "Got it."

Kuri grabbed Ed by the wrist and pulled him toward the window. "Let's go!"

"Wait—what?!" Ed yelped as Kuri climbed through the window, dragging him with her.

The wind whipped past as they climbed onto the roof of the train, carefully making their way toward the coal car. Kuri glanced at the water coolant below, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Ed," she said, gesturing toward the pipe, "you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Ed's smirk mirrored hers. "Oh yeah."

Xxx

Inside the train car, the hijackers were thrown into chaos when water began flooding in from a transmuted pipe. Shouts of confusion echoed through the space as the hostages scrambled for cover.

"You guys in the criminal group, can you hear me?" Ed's voice rang out over the chaos. He had transmuted a makeshift megaphone. "Let the hostages go!"

"Are you one of Mustang's secret agents?!" the leader, Bald, snarled. "If you interfere, I'll kill the hostages, one by one!"

"Go ahead and try," Ed said smugly. "Let's see how well you handle this!"

At his signal, the water surged forward, scattering the hijackers and forcing them into the corners of the car.

Kuri swung in through the window, landing gracefully beside Ed. "Nice work," she said, raising her bow. "Now, let's finish this."

Xxx

Bald stepped forward, his automail arm gleaming. "You're a fellow automail user, huh? A brat like you? Is the military using kids now?"

"You'll pay for that 'brat' line!" Ed snapped. "And for the record, I'm not being used by anyone!"

Bald charged at him, his automail arm swinging. Ed blocked the attack with a transmuted shield, countering with a blow that cracked Bald's arm.

Meanwhile, Kuri fired a volley of sacred arrows, pinning Bald's accomplices to the walls. "You've got some nerve hijacking a train full of civilians," she said coldly. "Too bad for you, we're here to stop you."

With one final transmutation, Ed shattered Bald's automail completely, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Good grief," Kuri muttered as she dusted herself off. "That was something else."

Xxx

As the group regrouped on the platform, Roy Mustang appeared, his uniform pristine despite the chaos. He assessed the scene with a calm, calculating gaze.

"Don't kill anyone. That's what I told you," he said, glancing at Ed. "And it looks like you followed orders."

"You're Mustang, aren't you?" Ed asked, his tone sharp.

Roy snapped his fingers, sending a controlled burst of flame toward Bald. The man yelped, his clothes singed but his body otherwise unharmed.

Reiko's eyes widened. "Wow! That's way better than fox fire!"

"I held back," Roy said with a smirk. "The effect isn't as bad as it looks. Remember this: I am Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist."

Kuri crossed her arms, studying him. "So, you're the guy who sent us on this train in the first place."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "And you're welcome."

Xxx

As the group boarded the train again, Kuri sat quietly by the window, her back turned to Ed. He hesitated, holding out the hairbrush she had dropped earlier.

"Hey," he said awkwardly. "You forgot this."

Kuri didn't look at him. "Don't want it. Brush your own hair, alchemist."

Ed swallowed nervously. She was mad—really mad. "I-I didn't forget, okay? I just… didn't realize…"

He trailed off, extending his pinkie toward her. Though it was now automail, it still carried the memory of their childhood promise.

Kuri glanced at him, her expression softening. She linked her pinkie with his, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"It's a promise," they said in unison.

The train rumbled on, carrying them toward their next adventure, their bond stronger than ever.