"So when do I get to start learning alchemy?" Selim asked over breakfast the next morning.

Ed's customary morning scowl deepened. That kid had no right to look so damn excited. He'd gotten up with Henry that morning, playing and making a ruckus like he hadn't just found out he was unholy demon spawn. It didn't help that even after he and Al had gone to bed, Ed had spent the better part of an hour second-guessing his decision to trust Selim. And yet the kid sat there with that stupid innocent grin.

"Tell you what," Ed told him. "How would you like to be stranded on a deserted island for a month?"

"Wh-what?"

"You can't do that to a kid!" Winry said.

"Nothing Teacher didn't do to us," Ed grumbled.

Selim's eyes flickered to Alphonse, who said, "That is how we were taught . . ."

"What does that even have to do with alchemy?" asked Winry.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Ed said around a mouthful of egg.

"Even if I were going to let you go ahead with this – insanity –"

"Let me?"

"We don't have time to pitch anyone off on deserted islands. We're leaving for Risembool tomorrow."

Ed shrugged. "One less train ticket to buy."

"Edward!"

"Oh come on, Winry, I was just joking around. You think I'm going to rip off Teacher's training methods? I'm more original than that."

Her eyes narrowed. "It wasn't funny, Ed."

He smirked at her. "Cheered me up."

That earned a roll of her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. I hate packing when you're in a foul mood." She stood and took Henry out of his chair. "Let's get you cleaned up, little man."

As she took him into the other room, Ed stood and started collecting dirty dishes. When he came to Selim, he rested his free hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry, Selim," he told him. "You'll have plenty of time to mentally prepare once we get to Risembool. Because once I've started with you . . ." He leaned down until they were nearly face to face. "You're going to need it."

As Ed turned and walked to the sink, he hoped the cackle he let loose sent shivers down the kid's spine. After all, what was the fun in being a teacher if your student wasn't a little afraid of you?

Since Selim was able to keep Henry occupied, Al was relegated to the odd jobs Ed "hadn't gotten around to yet" - meaning they were quick fixes for alchemy users. Even easier if one knew alkahestry too - the dragon's pulse helped Al find leaks in the drainpipe, which would have been fixed much earlier had he not been distracted by a cat.

Cats were one of the good things about traveling without Brother. Jerso and Zampano had never been bothered about them the way Ed was, and though he was never able to keep them, Al was happy to help them in some way. And this cat was nothing but skin and bones. Al had to feed it - but if Ed caught on, he would not be happy.

Al quickly formulated a plan. He would sneak into the house with a transmuted bowl and take some of the leftover stew, which he was sure wouldn't be missed. Selim and Henry were running around outside and so wouldn't be asking questions. Al stuck his head in the door and verified that Brother and Winry were upstairs packing. He slipped in and let the door close slowly behind him.

But as Al pulled the vat of stew out of the icebox, he heard the door open again. Drat.

"Oh there you are, Mr. Alphonse," said Selim, Henry beside him. "Look what we found!"

He held up the very cat Al was trying to feed.

Al ran over and covered Selim's mouth. "Shh. Put it out. If Brother finds out we brought it in here -"

"Brought what in here?" Ed asked from the top of the stairs.

Al cursed silently. He was trying to come up with an answer when the cat broke out of Selim's hold and came into Ed's view. With a squeal of delight, Henry chased after it.

"Alphonse . . ." Ed said it with a groan.

Al let go of Selim and turned to face his brother. "It's not like you were going to use all that stew anyway, Brother."

"But you brought. It in. The house."

"It didn't happen on purpose."

They were interrupted by Henry, who had caught the cat and was smothering it with hugs.

"How could you do this to me, Alphonse?!" Ed shouted the rest of his way down the stairs. "How DARE you indoctrinate my son in your cat-loving ways!"

"That wasn't on purpose either!"

Neither of the brothers noticed when the cat escaped Henry's grasp and ran up the stairs. What they did notice was the on-the-spot transmutation that blocked its path. They turned to look at Selim, whose hands were on the floor without a transmutation circle in sight.

Within seconds Ed had hold of Selim, careful to keep his hands from touching. "Okay, Selim," he snarled. "Why don't you tell us why you're really here?"

"I told you, I want to learn alchemy -"

"Don't lie!" yelled Ed.

"What is going on?" asked Winry as she emerged from Henry's room.

"You told us you wanted to learn human transmutation," Ed continued, "but it's obvious you've already done it!"

"What? I've never done it before!"

"We're not stupid, Selim! The only way you can be able to transmute without a circle is if you've seen the Truth! When did you see it? What did you do?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" cried Selim.

Whimpering, Henry climbed up to his mother, who took him in her arms. "Maybe he just doesn't remember," Winry suggested.

Al shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. I'd forgotten about going through the portal and I wasn't able to transmute witho -"

"Portal?" asked Selim. "Do you mean . . . the gates?"

All three adults stared at the boy. "Gates?" Alphonse echoed.

"As in plural?" asked Ed.

"You've only seen one?"

Ed released Selim, who turned to face him. "When did you see these gates?"

"Most nights. In my dreams." Selim frowned. "Mom told me to keep it all a secret. She said they could take me away from her if they knew." He looked Ed in the eye. "It's because I'm a homunculus, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah," said Ed. "The military'd be stupid not to keep a watch on you after the part you played in the Promised Day. But if you've been dreaming about other people's portals . . . I think she'd be worried about you becoming a research subject."

"A research subject?"

"You haven't lost any body parts since you started dreaming about them?" asked Alphonse.

"N-no."

"A toll-less way to learn the secrets of the portal," Alphonse murmured.

"I wouldn't say toll-less, Al," said Ed. "He has lost a philosopher's stone, after all."

Al gasped. "Brother, you don't mean -"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean." Ed asked Selim, "How long have you been having these dreams?"

"As long as I can remember. Do you know why?"

"I've got a theory. And when it comes to the portal, that's as good as it gets."

Selim blanched. "You were talking about a toll earlier - and you asked if I'd lost any body parts . . . so . . ."

"The Truth guards the entrance to the portal," said Ed. "The toll to enter within . . . well, it depends on the person." He lifted his trouser leg to expose his automail. "He might take a limb, or maybe some of your organs."

"Your entire body, even," said Al.

"In your case," said Ed, "It looks like you're reaping the benefits of - I'm guessing - at least a thousand souls. When I put you into your current form, I thought I'd destroyed your philosopher's stone. But I suppose I must have sent it through the portal. And you're still connected to it . . . somehow . . ." Ed stretched out his hand to the scar on Selim's forehead.

With a gasp, Selim backed away. "Please don't touch it," he said. "It's very sensitive."

"What happens if I do?" asked Ed.

"It hurts. Sometimes I even pass out."

"Must be fun trying to keep clean," Ed muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. Do you dream of the portal when you pass out?"

Selim nodded.

"Then I'm certain it's trauma to your scar that triggers your visions of the portal," said Ed. "And if we took a closer look at your scar, we'd find a transmutation circle."

Winry set Henry down. "I'll go get my magnifying glass." She headed off to her workroom, stepping around the barricade Selim had made for the cat.

"I guess I'll grab a mirror," said Alphonse.

"What for?" asked Ed.

"How else is he going to see his own forehead?"

Henry scrambled over Selim's barricade and toddled over to his father. "You hurt S'lim, Daddy," he accused. "Not nice."

"You're right, Henry," said Ed with a smile. "That wasn't very nice at all, was it?" He turned to Selim and apologized.

"It's okay," said Selim. "At least I understand why. I don't blame you for not trusting me."

Ed was about to answer when Al and Winry returned. Within moments they were all crowded around Selim. Ed was proven right.

"It's almost like a blood seal," said Al. "But also . . ."

"A human transmutation circle," said Ed. "It's definitely meant to be a connection between two planes of existence."

"I don't understand," said Selim. "If you're the one who put me in this form, but you didn't know you sent my philosopher's stone through the portal, then how did you make this circle? Did you do it unconsciously?"

Ed frowned. "It's not very likely. Transmuting souls isn't something you do in your sleep. Your body, on the other hand . . . you don't still have an ouroboros tattoo, do you?"

"A tattoo?"

"I guess not. Well, the other homunculi had them, and when Greed left our friend Ling's body, his tattoo disappeared."

"So you're saying Selim's scar is like the tattoos?" asked Al.

"I'm saying that homunculus bodies seem to naturally express alchemical symbols," said Ed. "They are made from philosopher's stones, after all. It could be that the circle on Selim's forehead is just a physical expression of the connection to his stone, and not the cause."

"But if my scar isn't what connects me to my philosopher's stone, then what does?"

"I don't know," said Ed. "But we're going to find out."