FLASHBACK: Two Young Alchemists New Friendship(Private/ Case & Mei)

It had not been too long since Mei had come to Central, now on her own and only 13 years old. Mei had decided to do some studying at the library, maybe she could find something out about her alchemy teacher's killer. All the young girl had to go on was the strange orouboros tattoo she saw that night. It had been at least an hour since she began her search and she must have read through at least 20 books but no information could be found on what she was looking for, she let out a frustrated sigh and went to put the books away. Mei then took another 10 books that were towards the back of the library but even then she had absolutely no luck. She set the books aside and laid her head down on the table. "At this rate, I'm not going to get any information on Kein's killer..." She said quietly to herself. She still remembered that horrible night, just thinking about it was enough to make her tear up. She put her head back up shook it a bit then wiped the tears starting to form in her eyes. "C'mon Mei! Crying won't do you any good, you have to try your hardest to find any info you possibly can!" After some encouraging words to herself, she looked through those books again, who knows, she might have missed something that could give her a lead.

It had been two long since Case had arrived in Central constantly traveling in and out of it since then but always ending back up at the station where he left his childhood friends he had left their orphanage from Xing from and with them toon the long way around here traveling all over the works before arriving here. He didn't know why but he always found himself lurking the streets of Central sleeping on the roof tops as if drawn back here like a candle to a flame though like moths he couldn't help but feeling that the flame was going to burn slot of people in the near future. These thoughts rambled his mind as he entered the Central Distract Library through a window he transmutated with a single clap of his hands though he knew no one but the library architect would notice as it was in a corner of the library deprived of natural light.
He landed inside as silent as a cat jumping down from a wall, tugging on his scarf to covering slightly abouvr his nose though not being wrapped tightly enough to conceal his identity Case began searching the rows of the books slowly making a pile of books on legends regarding Soloman's Seal the latest relic he was going to research hoping this one existed. As he walked along he found a Xiniese girl on the verge of tears before she spoke up giving herself worlds of encouragement before burying her face in her books. Leaning over he tapped the girl with his exposed arm making a light clinking noise "Hey do you think you could keep the self pep talks to an absolute minimum or a really low volume after this a library and people are trying to study."

Mei felt a metallic finger tap her shoulder and a male voice speak from behind her telling her, to keep her self pep talks to a minimum. When he said that, Mei looked around to see several people nearby staring at her, this in turn caused the xingese girl to blush intensely as she burried her face into the book she was reading to hide her red face. However, it was no use, she was red up to her ears and it was clearly visible. Eventually, everyone went back to what they were doing, allowing Mei to look up from her book and sigh a sigh of relief. She looked back at the person who had spoke to her to see a boy around her age maybe with spiky brown hair and blue eyes. She smiled at him meekly and bowed her head slightly. "Sorry about that, those pep talks I give myself are my only means of keeping myself together."

Case looked at the girl with a blank expression as the girl looked around finally taking notice of the several people nearby staring at her confused or trying to hold back laughter whom got a strict glare from him silently telling them to shut up, these events in turn caused the xingese girl to blush intensely followed by her burying her face into the book she was reading to hide her face which was now beet read from blushing, though it was pretty pointless as her face was red up to her ears and it was clearly visible. Case sighed as everybody slowly eventually went back to what they were doing, allowing the girl to look up from her book and sigh a sigh of relief as Case continued to watch the events unfold with his blank expression as she looked back at him smiling meekly as she bowed her head slightly a common way of greeting someone in the eastern countries "Sorry about that, those pep talks I give myself are my only means of keeping myself together." Case noticing the table was already full of books he took a few coins out of his pocket and counted them before placing them in between his palms, then closing his eyes looking as if he had suddenly began praying a ring of light came from around his hands as he transmuted the coins in his palms into two metal plates that had a transmutation circle only known to him engraved on each of them. He then dropped one of the discs on the ground and stuck the other one under his stack of books before letting them go, suddenly with a spark from the disc books didn't fall but just bobbed up and down in the air as he clasped one fist into his other hand and bowed to the xingese being familiar with the eastern country mannerisms. Once he stood back up he began playing with his scarf fixing it as he spoke it became loose when he bowed to the girl. "Ah i wouldn't worry about it i have seen stranger things plus everyone who saw you will forget in a few hours and continue on with their lives forgetting that you did anything of the sort."

Mei watched the boy take out some coins from his pocket then he put them in between his palms and looked as if he were praying. In the next instant, a ring of light passed over his hands and when he opened them to reveal two metal discs. Mei's eyes widened at the sight of this. She couldn't believe there was someone out there who could transmute without transmutation circles like her teacher.He then dropped one of the discs on the ground and stuck the other one under his stack of books before letting them go, suddenly with a spark from the disc books didn't fall but just bobbed up and down in the air as he clasped one fist into his other hand and bowed to Mei like one would back in her home of Xing. Once he stood back up he began playing with his scarf fixing it as he spoke it became loose when he bowed to her. "Ah i wouldn't worry about it i have seen stranger things plus everyone who saw you will forget in a few hours and continue on with their lives forgetting that you did anything of the sort." The boy's response put her at ease and a much brighter smile grew on Mei's face. It then dawned on her that she had yet to introduce herself. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself, I'm Mei Harrison, but just call me Mei. What's your name?"

Case noticed upon fixing his scarf that girl staring at him with her eyes widened and then smiling at him  after he had responses to her comment about giving herself pep-talks as it seemed to put her at ease and a much brighter smile grew on her face, though the only thing that was registering in his head was the fact she was looking at him with wide eyes as if she was utterly shocked about something he was about to asked "There isn't anything on my face is there?" when the girl spoke up speaking at the same time as her "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself, I'm Mei Harrison, but just call me Mei. What's your name?" Case paused and thought of all the names he had been given from people from all around the world, though to him it seemed like he was only thinking about it for a few seconds though in reality he stood still in the same pose in front of Mei for a solid three minutes looking as if he was deep in thought before he looked at her once more with a blank expression pointing at himself "Well people call me The Railgun Alchemist, but my name is Case Silver I'm an independent alchemist." Once he was done introducing himself, he pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards resting his head on his unconcealed automail arm "So Mei what's your story why are you so far away from Xing?"

After Mei asked the boy for his name, she watched as he stood completely still for a whole three minutes. She wondered why he had to think so hard about introducing himself to her. Finally, he spoke up, introducing himself as Case Silver and the railgun alchemist. He also said he was an independent alchemist. Once he was done introducing himself, he pulled out a chair, sat on it backwards and rested his head on his exposed automail. Case then asked her something that caught her completely off guard, he asked her what her story was and why she was so far away from Xing. There was no way she could tell him the truth about her past. She decided it was best to lie rather than tell a complete stranger about her past. "Well, I was actually born here in amestris, I've never been to my homeland of Xing. My mother was Xingese and my father was an Amestrian. Anyways... I didn't know there were others out there who could perform alchemy like my teacher could. I wish I could perform my alchemy without my gloves but I'm not able to." Mei let out a sigh. She had no clue as to the real reason why Kein and Case were able to perform alchemy without the use of a transmutation circle.

As Case listened to Mei he tossed in his only comment and after that comment didn't speak until she was finished speaking "Well, I was actually born here in amestris, I've never been to my homeland of Xing. My mother was Xingese and my father was an Amestrian.
"Really well you should go it's a nice country and a great starting place to travel from here after all you could see the ruins in the desert. Though funny enough you look a lot like ons of the princess from the royal family, I saw her pic on a poster or something Iris and Hanel had in their room I didn't bother looking at it as much as Hanal did I think he might of had a crush on her but meh I didn't think she was attractive though I usually had my head in a book with Iris helping me turn the pages."
Anyways... I didn't know there were others out there who could perform alchemy like my teacher could. I wish I could perform my alchemy without my gloves but I'm not able to." His facial expression darken after Mei let out a sigh saying how she wished she could use alchemy the way he and aplenty her teacher could, sitting in silence for about a minute as case clenched his metal fist with small sparks flying from it as he forced himself to not break the table in front of him. "You want to know how to do it fine I'll tell you." Case said unknowingly giving her a death glare "You gain the ability to do alchemy like this after you see the truth..." he spoke in a low tone so only Mei could hear him "And one only opens the portal to the truth when they try and play god be it bringing someone back from the dead or trying to create a life but it falls under the greatest taboo an alchemist can preform...human transmutation. After all what could equal the value of a human life." he held up his automail arm a clenched his fist in front of Mei so she could clearly see it "This is the price for trying to okay god Mei and I got off easy, my father lost his emotions and parts if his internal organs...he barely made it across the dessert where he abandoned me in Xing as his pure logic brain thought I was too much extra baggage to and care of...his words not mine and even after he tricked me into trying that transmutation to bring back my mother who died giving birth to me"

Mei jolted slightly when Case mentioned that she looked like the one royal Princess he saw on a poster in Xing. That stupid poster her parents had printed and put up to advertise Mei being 76th in line for the throne had come back to haunt her. She was dreading he might have figured out her real identity when he made a comment about not thinking she was attractive struck a nerve with her. She puffed out her cheeks angrily. However, it turned into a look of worry when Case's expression turned into a darker one. He looked up at Mei after a minute and told her how he was able to do alchemy without transmutation circles. She put her hand over her mouth when he finished explaining and showed her his automail arm. "I'm really sorry Case, I said something really stupid not even thinking about it" She then remembered what Case had said about not finding her attractive. It had really struck a nerve with Mei. "Hey Case, just why didn't you find the Xingese princess attractive?" she then realized what she had just said and looked away blushing "I-it's not like y-you have to t-tell me if you don't w-want to, I was just curious, t-that's all!" In truth, Mei wanted to know but asking such a suspicious question might help Case to figure out her identity.

Case watched as Mei put her hand over her mouth as he finished explaining the truth behind preforming alchemy with no transmutation circles and showed her his automail arm he felt no regret telling a fellow alchemist his information as she seemed to be an overall good person "I'm really sorry Case, I said something really stupid not even thinking about it" Case sighes his expression turning back to the normal blank slate he ways looked like, he was just hopefull that Mei would now never pursue to gain the ability he had "It's fine don't worry about it you said something stupid because you didn't know, but the impact thing is now you do." He stood up stretching his arms whilst yawning before continuing to speak "But it's not like we alchemist give out information about our techniques for free. We live by the law of Equivalent Exchange...no? Though for now let's just say you owe me one."
Case snickered while smirking as he told her the deal she had never agreed to and now had no way to back out of thanks to their shared life law but stopped when Mei asked her next question "Hey Case, just why didn't you find the Xingese princess attractive?" Case had a blank and slightly confused expression on his face when he looked at Mei who suddenly looked away blushing "I-it's not like y-you have to t-tell me if you don't w-want to, I was just curious, t-that's all!" Case sighed scratching the back of his head and thought for a moment "Well I just didn't as I said I never really looked at the picture I had my head in an alchemy or alchehistory book with Iris sitting next to me turning the pages for me reading it with me it reading an automail catalog or a book on the science of it. All the while Hanel would plan our..."next outing", fanboy over the many different posters he had in our room, reading with us or figuring out how to teach us to fight." Case spoke with his eyes closed as if he was in a daydream but when he was finished he looked back at Mei "Why are you so interested? Is she a friend of yours?"

Case told her, his information wasn't free and said she owed him one. This made Mei puff out her cheeks annoyed. Case then answered her question, he explained why he didn't find her attractive and it made sense but the next thing Case asked her caught Mei off guard and caused her to jolt a bit. "N-no! Of c-course I'm n-not her friend! Wh-what made you think tha-" Before she finished speaking she realized she had raised her voice quite a bit and covered her mouth to stop herself but it was already too late, people had began staring at Mei again with more irritated looks than anything, she sunk her head behind a book out of embarrassment. When she could no longer feels peoples' eyes on her, she lifted her head from her book and looked at Case still red as a beet. "Look, I was just curious about it, that's all, there's no connection between that girl and myself." She said in a much quieter voice that was like a half-whisper. Mei had no intention of telling a person she just met, her real identity. She had thrown away her past already and didn't want to be given grief or anything like that about it. She was no longer considered to be of high class and had lost her claim to the throne. Her parents disowning her and her leaving her home, cut her connection to her past and Mei intended to keep it disconnected.