Parallel Trouble Chapter 1: Through the empty hell, a fullmetal alchemist fanfic

"Parallel Trouble"

Summary: Hey guys! Go easy on me 'cause it's my first fanfic. Anyway this story is about a boy that accidentally gets sucked into the gate. Now he needs to find a way back, but not before going through hell…Based on the manga and 2nd anime.

Disclaimer: Fullmetal alchemist is the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing his idea.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where am I?

"Uhnn…I hate Mondays..", Josh said as he got up to prepare for school. Josh is just an average joe, 19 years old, around 5'4" in height, black hair and dark brown eyes and tanned skin…He was often teased as somewhat being shorter than most guys, but he got used to it.

He never really liked school…College was never very likeable, but something else made this day a lot worse for him.

Josh slowly walked…actually he sort of dragged himself to the bathroom to get a shower and to get the sleep of his eyes. "…One bad day after the other. My life can't possibly get worse." He said as the shower started to pour.

It was the same routine as always, get up, take a shower, get dressed, breakfast then leave. "Josh, are you sure your alright?" asked his Mom. After all, he did have a bad day yesterday. "Yea …It's alright, Mom." Josh answered dryly as he hand-combed his hair.

Yesterday was hell for him, as break-ups were never meant to be easy, but his heart had been broken too many times. "I gotta go Mom!! I'm going to be late!" Josh yelled as he grabbed a sandwich and charged out of the house.

*****THISISADIVIDINGLINE*****

"Man…I should have just slept early" Josh said shortly to be followed by a yawn. 'Well, can't help it if I like to stay up late…Stupid paper won't get done on its own.' Josh thought.

It was a rainy day, so Josh wasn't surprised to see few people on the streets. It was just a little rain, but what made it strange is that it was very dark, even for dawn it was very dark. Josh sat near a newspaper vendor under the bus stop as he waited for his ride. The vendor then turned on his portable TV to watch the morning news.

"News flash! The Dep't of Education just issued an order that classes on all levels will be cancelled indefinitely because of an approaching storm."

"Well, you better hurry home kid. Storm's coming.", the vendor said. Josh was a little relieved at the news because it gave him a valid reason to skip school. A

"Yeah, gonna go now mister. Thanks for the heads-up." Josh said before running off.

"Well, that was a nice reprieve…at least I get to go home early. " he said as he rounded up the corner. All of a sudden a strange light flashed in front of him.

"What the-!!" Josh stammered as a huge black door appeared before him. "Where'd this thing come from? Something feels off about it…" Josh said to no one in particular, too stunned to even move.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…Better get out of here." Josh said. But before he could even take a step back, the doors swung open. Out of the now open gate came long black hand-like figures.

"Shit!"

Josh cursed as the hand-like figures grabbed him and slowly dragged him towards the gate.

"Somebody, hel-!"

He tried to call out, his voice drowning out as he was pulled in.

*****THISISADIVIDINGLINE*****

He remembered shouting his lungs out…Somehow nobody heard his screams. For some reason, he thought the inside of the doors would be much darker, but it was just…blank. All white, empty and yet full…Who was he again? What was his name? He couldn't remember…it felt as if his head was purposefully drained. Initially, he thought he was alone in that maddening place…left alone to suffer a lost identity…until "it" spoke.

"Welcome! Congratulations on making it hear alive…You're the third one in a long while. Though I have to admit, yours is a special case."

He tried to speak, but for some reason he could not. His mouth opened yet no sound came from it. At this, "it", the ethereal figure laughed.

"Kukuku…Can't speak, can we? Well, it was to be expected. You are the first one to reach me from 'that' side. It was quite surprising to learn that the turmoil caused on the other side of the river could reach out to the opposite bank, so to speak."

Again he tried to talk, again no words came. With a snigger, the figure raised his hand as if to tell him to stop trying.

"No need to exert yourself, I can tell what you're thinking anyway…And no, you're definitely not having a nightmare…Well, depends on what your definition of 'nightmare' is."

'He's beating around the bush, he thought, annoyed by the figure's incessant rambling. As if to affirm its earlier claim of being able to read minds, the figure stopped speaking…Though only for a moment. When he spoke once more, his voice seemed to ooze a very disturbing air about it.

"You are quite interesting…Still the same despite losing your memories and the ability to speak…I like you, kid. In fact, I'm thinking about giving you a little gift…"

At that statement, the boy whose name was Josh felt a racking pain course through his body…The pain was replaced by horror as he saw his body disintegrate at an alarming rate. At the same time, his head felt like it was fit to burst due to the innumerable information being forced into it…Then he passed out.

*****THISISADIVIDINGLINE*****

When he came to, he was still in the blank expanse of the gate…The figure was still there, and though it didn't seem to have a face, he felt it observe him from head to toe with gusto. His strange companion's interest poked at his own curiosity, prompting him to try and look at himself…A feeling of dismay filled him when he saw very little change…His skin was paler, but his height and his figure remained the same…Of course, he couldn't possibly look at his eyes, both of which were now purple and cat-like…Neither could he see the strange mark at the back of his neck, the mark of the Ouroboros…When he opened his mouth to speak, he immediately found that his voice has been returned to him, though his name still continues to elude him.

"…What did you do to me?"

The figure smirked through unseen lips at this question. His reply was swift as it was direct.

"As I've said, I gave you a little gift…I'm quite sure that, with all the information I've fed you, by now you know what alchemy is, correct?"

He nodded slightly; confounded that he knew what was being told to him…His surprise grew when he realized just what that massive amount of information was.

"Kukuku…Congratulations, I've just turned you into a peerless alchemist…Well, peerless may be an exaggeration. After all, there was the first two…Oh well. By the way, I also gave you a surprise…A very special surprise."

"What do you mean? What the hell did you do to me?!"

"Temper, temper…Relax, I only gave you that wonderful new body. No harm done…Well, better test that new body of yours…Out you go!"

"WAIT!!"

"What? Geez…You're a troublesome one."

"At least give me back my name! I can't just go home without a name."

"Home? Heavens no…You're not going to get a free trip home. I haven't had my fun yet. Kukuku…But I suppose you do need a name…Hmm…How about Lockheed? John Lockheed…Yes, that sounds just right… "

"I'm not your toy, you sick fuck! What do you mean you haven't had your 'fun' yet?! I'm not going to play along with your sick games!"

Josh, now John, and his cries were left unheard. He tried to make a grab for the semi-permissible figure, a vain effort on his part. He screamed out in frustration as he inevitably missed and was forcefully ejected from the blank world.

Well that's it for now. Hehe…I hope you guys liked it. If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to give them to me. All criticism will be taken positively. Promise!!