Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or any of their characters (any of the others are mine)

A/N: I know this chapter is semi-short, but hopefully, the others will be longer. This chapter may be a little hard to get through (hopefully not) but please just deal with it. It'll get better I promise. So I want to apologize in advance if it's hard to read, but I suck at beginning stories. I'm MUCH better when I get going on it.

Ok, on with the story...


Her feet hit the hard cold pavement, every step was excruciating but she had to make it in time, she couldn't stop not now, not while she was so close. The rain drops cruelly hit her face leaving small whelps, but she didn't care and blinked away the water.

At last, the blonde girl could see the shape of a ship in the distance blurred by the rain. This is my chance. I have to take it. All she can think about is finally being able to leave this place she so dearly called home. I love it here and everyone too, but I just I know I can help in the war. I can give the people who have lost limbs another chance at life.

The young girl's grandmother surprisingly allowed the sixteen-year-old to go. She never would have believed it, but the older woman warmed up when Winry mentioned her parents dying by helping people. I won't allow more innocent men and women to die just because they're different.

Winry's heart starts pounding even harder and faster as she got closer and closer to the approaching ship each second. She knew she would only have about half an hour to sneak on board unnoticed, but she was determined and had to manage it somehow.

It frightened her a little as she knew she wouldn't be able to see this place for a while. However, Winry knew she couldn't back out now. Not as long as the war was still taking place and thousands of people who did nothing wrong die just because they were different.

She was almost there. She was so close that she could almost smell it, when, out of nowhere, came a man almost as tall as she was, but not quite. Both fell back from the force of the collision. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" the short man shouted while they both stood from their fall. Winry replied quickly, "I'm sorry, but I have to go! Excuse me!" She began running towards the docks again.


What the hell was that about? The young man questioned to himself. He simply shrugged the strange girl off while watching her run away. He didn't know why, but that girl intrigued him. She seemed somewhat familiar. Again, he shrugged off the feeling and started to walk back to his ship. He was getting cold in this damn rain!


Winry was worried that she wasn't gonna make it to the ship in time due to the run-in with that pipsqueak back there. The thought made her push her feet harder to move faster.

She couldn't help but remember that boy's eyes. They were a remarkable shade of gold. Even though she had never seen such remarkable eyes before, they strangely felt familiar as though she had seen them before. Strange.

She pushed that thought aside when sails and a look out came into view through the darkness covering the world.

Finally, she arrived. All that was left was to board a ship unnoticed and stay that way. That was the tricky part.

The girl neared the large ship, watching for anyone who could possibly catch her and bring an end to her plan.

She quickly took in the ship and subconsciously admired the beautiful craftsmanship. The bow, gorgeously crafted into a wonderful sea goddess, seemed to glow in the fog created by the rain. The one who can made such beauty must have had great patience and skill.

She passed the boat three times to make sure no one was around before she silently hauled herself up a side latter, delicately built in the side of the ship.

While scaling the side of the ship, she noticed the name "Red Souls" carved and painted in large bold lettering. Interesting name, but it wasn't Winry's style. Though, she didn't have much of a choice in the matter, so she would just have to deal with it.

She boarded the ship and quickly found the storage room below deck. She didn't know where else to hide, and she sure as heck wasn't gonna look in every room and risk the chance of getting caught by someone.

As she looked around the small room she couldn't help but notice how cramped the area was. How was she supposed to conceal herself in this tiny room for who knows how long? Something had to be done, she would need to rearrange some of the items during the night while the crew slept. But for now, she would have to make due with her ridiculously cramped she sat in the back corner, waiting for the ship to start sailing, she slowly felt herself drifting off into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, the warning bell went off and she could hear the crew above her running around. Winry's heart began to beat uncontrollably and her palms started to sweat. She had been found! What was she going to do? It's not as if she could sneak out the way she came in; they would be looking for her. Winry's mind started to race, looking around the room for any items that could help and stopped frozen when she heard a voice from above.

"We are ready to set sail, men. Be prepared."

The teenager's heart beat slowly became stable as Winry relaxed. She knew the ship would sail any minute now and she would be safe.

She leaned against the wall and decided it would be best to calm down and stay hidden until nightfall came once again. When everyone was asleep, she could find the kitchen and steal just enough so that she won't starve and no one would notice anything missing.

However, fate did not appear to be on her side. Just as the sun rose was glimpsing through the porthole, the girl's worst nightmares came true as someone opened the storage room door. A young teenage boy switched a light on, turning to search for an unknown item. The boy's head snapped around to a sound of a small groan in the back of the room.

His eyes widened and he froze as he stared at the waking girl in the corner of the room, not but ten feet away from him.

Winry slowly opened her eyes, bringing her hands up to rub the sleep away from them. When her vision cleared, she took in her surroundings, the events of the day before returning to her mind. She looked towards the front of the room where she expected a shut door to be. Instead, she saw a boy around her age standing there, staring straight to her.

Winry's breath caught in her throat. She had been discovered! She didn't know what to do. She tried to explain, but no words left her mouth.

The young boy neared her and squatted down to her level. "I'm sorry, but I have to follow orders," the faint whisper escaping the boy's lips.

Winry was confused until he gently, but firmly grabbed her arm and led her out of the room.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked as he pulled her through the semi-dark halls to a stairway leading to the top level of the ship, where if she had a chance, she could jump over the railing and swim back to shore.

When the two teenagers reached the top deck, Winry realized her plan of escape was futile. They were surrounded. Men and women of all ages watching and staring as they walked past towards the large doors that lead to the captain's office and quarters.

Panic overcame her. She became frightened by what he would do to her for boarding his ship without permission and as a stowaway too!

The boy taking her to his captain didn't look a day over fifteen. Isn't he too young to be a pirate? Winry mentally face-palmed. What am I thinking? I'm only a year older than him, and I want to go to a war! What's the difference?

The sound of the boy talking jerked her out of her thoughts, "We're here," he softly stated before he knocked on the door receiving an invite to enter.

Winry couldn't help but stare at the person on the other side of the door.

The person she believed would be large and frightening was no more than a mere boy that was way too short for his age.

Surprisingly, the two males in the room looked similar, and it wasn't only because the blonde hair the two possessed, but there was something in their faces that was connected somehow. She did notice, however, that the boy holding her arm had light brown eyes while the one in front of her strangely had golden eyes that seemed very familiar.

Suddenly, Winry's eyes widened, for she learned that the boy she ran into earlier had been the captain of this ship!

The captain's eyes had widened as well, though only for a second. They then turned slightly irritated as this girl mocked him by sticking her tongue at him and exclaimed, "How are you of all people captain of a ship? You would think the shortest person on here would be a chef or something, not the boss!"

The captain became very red as all the blood in his body fled to his face as he shot back, "You do realize this 'shorty' could easily throw you off this deck and feed you to the sharks if he wants!"

The girl yanked her arm out of the younger boy's grip and marched forward towards the captain to respond, in a hushed tone, but still very intense, "Would you really do that? You don't seem like the kind who would hurt someone for no reason."

Winry's remark didn't even faze him. He'd already known that fact, so it didn't bother him. He never did like killing much. The captain stood his ground as the woman in front of him threaten him, but so as not to lose what little pride he had left, the older of the two males in the room started to defend himself to this girl.

After becoming tired of this charade, the boy that had brought Winry to the room sighed while restraining his over heated captain from doing something he would regret later. He informed his superior, with a little more power in his voice, "I found her in the storage room and I figured you'd want to know, brother."

Brother?! Did he just say BROTHER!? Winry was exasperated as she learned the connection between the two boys. How can this boy, that seems sweet as can be, be the brother of a pirate captain?

"Good job, Al. You thought well."

The captain then sat back down in his chair and turned to face Winry.

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. This here, is my younger brother and first mate, Alphonse Elric. I am Captain Edward Elric, though you may know me better as The Fullmetal Alchemist."


A/N: Chapter 2: Arm Your Battle Stations!