Lan Fan stared blankly at the mask she held up in front of her. She wasn't quite sure what to say about this thing.

"Oooh…that's actually a pretty creepy mask." Alice said, glancing over it herself.

"Well you told me to fix the mask I broke." Ed stated, noticing Lan Fan's expression. "So here it is."

Lan Fan began to tremble tremendously. Alice was the only one to hear her growl while Ed thought the woman was about to burst into tears of happiness, moved by the "beauty" of the mask.

However, that was not the case.

"Lan Fan!"

Said girl softly gasped as an object came her way. She caught it nonetheless, the object turning out to be a new mask, one that looked exactly like her old one.

"Alphonse made it for you. Good, eh?" Ling smiled as he held up the drawing of Lan Fan's mask.

Meanwhile, Alice sat over in her gloomy corner, mumbling to herself about how Ling didn't want to use her drawing of Lan Fan's mask.

Evangeline picked up said drawing, un-crumpled it from when Ling had thrown it away, and busted up laughing. "What the hell is this? A donkey? !" she laughed even louder.

"It was her mask!" Alice snapped.

"This thing is supposed to be her mask?" Evangeline looked at her with disbelief.

"Supposed to be," Alice grumbled, crossing her arms childishly. "I never said I was good at art…"

"You didn't have to. It's obvious just by looking at you. You don't seem like the art type and well…" she looked once more at Alice's drawing. "…You just proved it."

"Quit making fun of me!" Alice pouted.

Evangeline uncontrollably giggled. "No way! It's fun! Besides you deserve it after kidnapping me!"

Alice opened her mouth to argue but stopped. Her mouth clamped shut as she examined Evangeline.

"Uh… Evangeline…?"

"What is it?"

"How the hell did you get out of your ropes?"

"…HOLY CRAP I'M FREE!"

"QUICK! CATCH HER!"

Ed and Alice chased after Evangeline who turned her heel and bolted towards the door. Al got there first and grabbed her.

Evangeline was not pleased with the next outcome.

"I HATE BEING TIED UP THOUGH!"

Ling blinked. "Why is she tied up?" he asked while pointing to Evangeline who was hog-tied on the floor.

The two brothers and Alice exchanged glances. "Long story…"

Ed glared at Ling.

The train roared to life, and signaled its departure from the station of Rush Valley. It began to move, jerking everyone back in their seats a bit, but soon they settled again and began to enjoy the ride.

"We were really in a hurry and this had to happen…" Ed sighed irritably. "We wasted a lot of time fixing it, all because of you guys." Ed rotated his newly fixed arm around, all thanks to Winry.

"It'd have been all good, if you didn't break it in the first place!" Winry exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed grumbled.

"You should learn to be more like Alice, honestly." Winry said, glancing over at Alice who sat in her own seat with Evangeline – still hogged tied – across from her. "She never breaks her automail."

"She doesn't even do anything!" Ed exclaimed. "OW!" He shrieked as a shoe fell into Winry's lap.

"I heard that, Edward!" Alice growled.

Ed muttered to himself as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. Winry stood up to give Alice her shoe back. Meanwhile, Ling was enjoying the situation. He made the right decision by coming with them. He loved some good entertainment!

"Besides!" Ed continued, "It's those black-suited guy's faults." He went back to glaring at Ling. "I'll make you pay for the automail repair fee!"

Ling chuckled. "I scolded those two, so gimme a break…"

Ed leaned back, crossing his arms and huffing.

Ling smiled. "Oh by the way, the missy is Lan Fan. And the geezer is Fu. They are from a family that served us for generations. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Alice and this here is Evangeline!" Alice smiled brightly, poking her head up from her seat. "I'm sure we'll get along well!"

"Me too!" Ling nodded.

Ed growled. "Whatever…"

Winry blinked. "Come to think of it… I don't see those two…" she thought as she glanced over her seat, scanning all the other passengers.

"You have two followers, could it be you are from a wealthy family?" Al asked Ling.

"Huh~?" Ed grinned devilishly. "You're a man and you're too scared to travel without followers?"

"Well, it's dangerous to travel alone as a young teen." Ling remarked.

"Young teen?" Winry repeated.

"How old are you?" Al questioned.

Ling pointed to himself. "Me?" he blinked.

Al nodded.

Smiling widely, Ling replied, "Fifteen years old."

No one, but Alice, could believe it.

"Aren't you almost sixteen?" Winry whispered to Ed who went into shock.

Ed abruptly stood up. "Stand up," he ordered Ling.

Ling complied and stood up. Ed stood next to him.

The next scene consisted of many different poses of Ed frustrated beyond all belief.

Needless to say, Evangeline was currently laughing her ass off.

"SHUT UP, HOG!" Ed yelled at her.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A HOG? !"

"THE ONE WHO IS TIED LIKE ONE!"

"I SWEAR IF I WEREN'T TIED UP LIKE THIS-,"

"Let's not continue that threat…" Alice said, stuffing Winry's handkerchief into Evangeline's mouth. Alice pointed to Ling right on spot. "Ling, you are so tall for a fifteen year old! I am so jealous!" she grinned.

This ticked off Ed even more.

"…UGLY FACE!" Ed shouted, pointing at Ling with disgust.

Ling and Al were both shocked at how Ed suddenly changed the subject, but all was calm when a sword came down from the roof, narrowly missing Ed. Ed fell back and stared horrifyingly at the sword as it retracted.

"You bad mouthed him…" Lan Fan growled.

Ling happily smiled. Ed backed up a little and Al just looked up, stating Lan Fan's name.

"You're riding on top? !" Al exclaimed next.

"Are…are they okay? !" Winry concernedly asked.

"Why was I denied when I asked if I could ride on top? !" Evangeline frowned.

"They're getting a free ride! Security!" Ed shouted.

Ling laughed. "You think they will be caught that easily?"

"I love this train ride!" Alice smiled.

"You seemed to be far too distracted lately."

Envy blinked at the sudden entrance of Lust and Gluttony.

Lust smirked. "Is a certain red-haired girl getting on your mind, lately?"

Envy scoffed. "As if,"

"Envy, what was the true reason you picked her up off the streets?" Lust questioned.

"Didn't you notice it too? That girl has power… Not incredibly strong, but strong nonetheless."

"Then why did you drop her off with Greed?"

"I thought maybe he could help awaken it. Besides, I was too busy to take care of her anymore. All she was…was a nuisance."

If that were so, then why in the world did Envy cringe at his own words?

What had Evangeline done to him?

"Well!" Ed started. "Let's first go check out at the headquarters, Lt. Colonel should be at the Military Department, right?" he finished, carrying a suitcase over his shoulder.

"Yup." Winry replied smiling.

"Wonder if he continued looking up information regarding the philosopher's stone since then...?" Al pondered aloud.

"Hmmm, I dunno. The president is keeping an eye on him though." Ed replied.

"What? What're you guys talking about?" Winry asked confused.

"Men talk!" Ed answered quickly.

"Grrrr! It is always like that!" Winry growled in irritation.

"Hey!" the old man that was traveling with Lin interrupted. "Where's the young master? I thought he was with you the whole time."

Everyone looked from side to side looking for said person only to find that he was not there. And in finding out such a discovery Lin's two companions fell to their knees and hands in despair. Naturally, Evangeline laughed in their pathetic looking faces. Meanwhile, Alice pitied them.

"Too bad so sad... Let's go." Ed stated not really caring about the foreign man.

The walk to the headquarters wasn't terribly too long, and definitely not boring at all. Winry and Evangeline somehow managed to have a decent conversation. Alice and Ed hung in the back, the two keeping the same comfortable silence between each other. They didn't mind – it felt like they were having a conversation already without even speaking. They were just so used to each other by now.

A thought haunted Ed's mind though, so in the end, he opened his mouth, despite not wanting to break that comfortable silence. "Are you planning to run off for a while, while we are here?"

"What makes you ask that?" Alice inquired, folding her hands behind her back as she looked on straight ahead.

"I figured eventually you would want to look for clues." Ed replied.

Alice smirked. "You're right, I do. But there's not much I can do here, as much as I hate to admit. For now I have to let the story play out until the right people come in play. Then, I can make my move." Alice stated with her smirk fading, and her eyes focusing sharply ahead.

Ed's eyes lingered on Alice for quite a while. "Sounds like you're playing it game."

"I think I am, actually. Like…chess." Alice thoughtfully said.

Ed smirked. "Make sure to play it right. One wrong move and that's the end."

Alice smirked back. "This is a game a chess that I intend to win since the very beginning. Don't worry; I do believe I know what I am doing."

Ed halted. "I can't help but worry…"

Alice stopped as well, a little in front of Ed. "Why? I've done okay so far."

"Thanks to rotten luck!" Ed snorted. "You're an accident waiting to happen and you know it!"

Alice twitched in anger. "Jerk…" she grumbled.

"Alice," Ed spoke, his voice a little deeper as his eyes bored into Alice's. "You don't have to do anything alone. You've been helping Al and I for a long time now, so if you need any help, just ask."

Alice sighed deeply. "Thanks, Ed… But you shouldn't get involved in any of this. It's just a bunch of bullshit drama that will be settled soon. You have enough of that in your life already." She said.

"I just don't want to see a good friend of mine get hurt…" Ed continued.

Alice smiled. "Aw!" she cooed. "You think of me as a good friend! I knew you loved me!" Alice then proceeded to glomp Edward, where she then rubbed her cheek up and down against his own. Ed started to become irritated and regret opening his mouth and saying that. "I love you too, Ed!" Alice pulled back, pecked Ed's cheek and then skipped off.

Ed continued to linger behind. He wasn't sure what the hell just happened. His face had gone completely tomato red, and his heart began to beat wildly in his chest to where he almost thought it would break out of his chest like it was escaping from jail!

"Edward! Quit being such a slowpoke! Hurry up!" Winry shouted from way down the street.

Ed grumbled to himself under his breath as he jogged to catch up.

Alice was still smiling.

Lily: Now that some other things are finished, this story is now at the top priority to finish, which means updates will be more often now.

Bloodpuppy: We would like to thank: CloudEnvyKunoichi, IceFire Dragon Alchemist73, ixluvxprinny, EeveeRoseRunner, starlightmint72 and Lorelei Rinoa for reviewing last chapter!

Lily: Time to get some dinner! Please keep on leaving reviews! They encourage us to write.

Bloodpuppy: Cya!