Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is Alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth.

For the Love of Alchemy

Chapter 1:

The Alchemy of Children

With a piece of chalk in his hand and her hand, they both sat on the ground drawing. While the boy drew animals and various people, the girl drew circles and squares, triangles, and other different shapes. She felt the power in the circles she drew. The power surged and she was hooked.

"By the time, by the shape, by the force and the light…" The boy and girl walked down the road hand in hand. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a light pony tail. Her bangs slanted to the left and came to a little above her honey red eyes.

"Again, Again!" He jumped up and down tugging at his sister's arm. His blonde shaggy hair bounced on his head as he bounced up and down for an encore. His honey green eyes reflected a slight pain but a pure happiness.

"Okay! Taken to a new old world, by the time of course you will be…. My one and only true, true, time." The city came into view as they walked up the dirt road. A few feet ahead they would for sure hit some kind of stone. Cars were seen entering and making U-turns as they went in far.

"Be my only true, true light, be my great and powerful sight." They came to the edge of the city, a lone building stood and the cars were now coming to stop in front of the little house.

"Sir no one is in at the moment. What shall we do?" Soldiers came filing out of the gate around the house. All the men wore blue uniforms and black boots. They all came to stand in front of a man who looked to be in his mid twenty's maybe even thirties. His hair was black and sleeked back. He saluted the men and they all began to move back to there respected cars.

"Well I guess it's time to go check on Hohenheim," Said the man as he turned to get in his respected car.

"Can we help you? This is our house." The girl held her brother's hand as he moved behind her. The man with the black turned to her and just smiled at what he saw.

"Ahhhh, so you are the daughter of the Holy Alchemist. Christina was it?" The girl looked at the man confused of what he was asking. She slowly turned to her brother and whispered to him. He whimpered a bit but did as he was told, by going into the house.

"I'm Christina but I don't know who the Ho-Holy Alchemist is?" The man smiled and bent down to her height.

"Well the Holy Alchemist is your mother's nick name; she got it when she served in the military with me. But after she had you and we came to visit her, she totally disappeared from the military. Think you can let us talk to her, It's been a long trip and I'd rather not waste anymore time." The girl glared at the man's words had he not heard she thought.

"Well I'm sorry to say but you wasted your time. She died last summer, a plague rampaged through the town and she went with it when it left." Christina looked down at her hands and then to the man.

"What's your name?" He looked at her and then held out his hand, what caught her eye was the symbol on that white glove; it was one of those many circles she had drawn for her mother just last year. She slowly shook his hand.

"My name is Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist. Me and your mother were in the same war, same line. She was a good woman, sorry about your loss. How old are you and your brother?" Roy straightened up to look at the house. In the window her brother could be seen looking at them.

"I'm 11 and Christian is 10. He's uneasy when people are around; ever since mom died he hasn't talked to anyone but me and some villagers." Christina watched as Roy turned for his car and opened the door.

"Come to Central if you can, If you're anything like the Holy Alchemist you will indeed have her gifts. See ya and sorry for the up rising of your sorrow. Good bye and I do hope we meet again." He climbed into the car and Christina watched as he started and began to drive away.

3 years later

"Roy you were such an ass hole!" Christina now stood in front of Mustang's desk; she was now 14 and certified Alchemist.

"Hey you are under my jurisdiction, I wont allow you to call me such names, now try to be a bit nicer to me." He leaned back and watched Christina's face flare up with anger.

"To hell with nice you don't deserve it, I regret meeting you back then. All I want is the recourses! Help me out." She banged her hands on his desk and his eyes became serious.

"If I help you out you have to understand there are some others that need to know your situation right? But then again you would have to know theirs, so that makes it equivalent exchange right?" She stared into his dark eyes to see what his plan really was but she could get nothing out of him.

"Fine, but what will I do then with this help?" Christina backed off his desk and started to walk toward the door.

"You'll find out then don't worry." She walked out the door knowing she would not get the answer she wanted. Her mind drifted to that day after Mustang had left her quiet town, her brother Christian's crisp voice as he asked what the man wanted. She didn't tell him all but waited for the right time.

"I'll find you Christian…Just give me some time…"