AN This my first fanfiction, it's set in the Brotherhood timeline, and begins during "Hidden Truths".

Prologue

—Third Person—

Ed and Al had just promised Major Armstrong that they wouldn't investigate the fifth laboratory. The Major had left them in their small cramped hotel room.

"Well, we'll stand guard outside, you two better get some rest, tomorrow we'll investigate the fifth lab," Lieutenant Ross said to them kindly. Maria Ross was quite motherly to the both of them as she spoke, but mid-sentence she remembered that Ed outranked her, so she ended with a formal salute. She then left the brothers in their room for privacy, practically dragging an utterly exhausted Sergeant Denny Brosh out with her.

Ed slumped onto his bed and sighed, as his bodyguards' shut the door on their way out.

"Hey Al...?"

"Yeah, Brother?" Al turned to face his older brother. Ed didn't want Ross and Brosh to discover his plan, so he simply gestured to the window with his head. "Oh," replied Al with realisation, "okay."

Ed proceeded to nearly jump from the unmade bed, and land lightly on the wooden floor. He placed his finger over his lip, signaling that they should make as little noise as possible. Going to the window as silently as possible, Ed assessed the best way to the streets. He proceeded to retrieve a length of rope from under the bed he slept on. He tied it to the windowsill and climb down to the street. Al merely leaped to the ground making a loud mechanical clanking noise.

Ed recalled the general direction of the fifth laboratory from the map. He ran down the street.

"This way," he said to Al, who was following closely behind him.

After some time Ed was sure that they were nearing the fifth laboratory. Then Edward heard the sound of another set of fast-moving footsteps. He stopped. The sound neared the brothers, along with the shadowed figure it belonged to.

"Where is it?!" Asked the shadowed figure in a deep commanding voice.

"Where's what?" Ed didn't even know who this guy was, but he sounded urgent.

"The way out," both brothers were extremely confused.

"Way out of where? Central?" Asked Al, wanting to help this man.

"No, the portal. The way out of this realm."

"Uh, we don't know what you're talking about," Ed just wanted to get to the fifth lab, this guy sounded crazy, he didn't see a point in talking to him.

"It was just here! What did you do with my portal? If you're trying to stop me from completing my task, you will see my wrath!"

"Sir, it's okay, we don't want to stop you," reassured Al.

"They took it! Children took my portal! They want to stop me! No matter I can summon another portal."

"Al, lets go. This guy's crazy, and we need to get to the fifth lab."

"Brother, that's mean, we should help this man." The man in question was now frantically muttering to himself.

Clouds that were covering the full moon, moved and the street brightened slightly. They saw that the man had long dark hair and was wearing a long brown coat. The man had a necklace with a single glowing red stone tied to it.

'A philosopher's stone,' thought Ed, 'why would this weirdo have a philosopher's stone?'

The man grabbed hold of the stone with his right hand.

"I MUST HAVE MY PORTAL!" The man all but screeched the almost incoherent words. Both brothers were bewildered as they were suddenly drowned in red light. The sound of a transmutation could barely be heard before they were enveloped in whiteness.

Ed stood alone in the whiteness, his younger brother nowhere in sight. He saw the huge gate and realised where he was.

"Back again so soon," he turned and behind him was the Truth.

"Why am I here? I didn't attempt human-transmutation, so what do you want?"

"Oh I want nothing... But the toll has been paid, you remember the theory of equivalent exchange, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Once the toll is paid you will cross the Gate, you will see the Truth." The Gate opened, black hands spilling out, they dragged Ed inside. As he was pulled inside the gate he saw the Truth sat in the whiteness. He was dragged through it and awoke on the other side.

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