A/N: Hey guys! Thought I'd try my hand at writing for the first time in a long time. Please note that while I don't plan on making this a romantic fanfic I reserve the right as the story develops to pair up as I please for the sake of story progression. Pairings will most likely be canon if this does happen.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist nor do I profit in any way. I'm simply using it as a creative outlet for all my Fullmetal Alchemist fantasies.
She could hear crying every night from the room across the hall. It was always shallow, as if the person in question couldn't breathe, quick bursts escaping her and a small wail that sounded as if the source of the noise was trying to cover it up. The moon was peaking in through the curtains of her bedroom as she turned to face it trying to block out her mother's anguish just two doors down. It had been over eight years since that day. Eight years since the two soldiers had appeared at their door, their solemn expressions already betraying why they were there for. She was too young at the time to realize what had been happening. She was only three years old. Before the soldiers could even say a word or be invited inside her mother had collapsed on the ground before them, covering her mouth with her hand trying to hold in the gasping cries that had begun to fill the room with as she shook her head vigorously in denial. The soldiers just stood there, heads bowed. They had removed their hats and were holding them limply in front of them as they waited for her mother to regain her composure. She tugged quickly at the sleeves of her mother's dress asking her over and over again what was wrong and why was she so sad but the only response she received was being pulled into a tight embrace as her mother's sobs grew in intensity shaking both their bodies with their intensity.
Elicia sighed and sat up. She wasn't going to get any rest until her mother had calmed down. She leaned over and picked up a small picture frame that was lying facedown on a small table next to her bed. She settled back into bed and just stared at it for a few minutes in the dim glow of the moonlight. Her father stood there smiling with two fingers behind her head giving her bunny ears while her mother tried to give him a stern face to behave in front of the camera so they could have a nice family portrait, a playful light betraying her letting the man in the picture know she didn't really want him to stop what he was doing. Another small sigh escaped Elicia's lips as she placed the picture frame back in its original position as she slid her way out of bed and padded softly over to her closet and pulled out a binder that she had shoved in the back corner where she knew her mom would never look. She brought it over to a small desk that was across from her bed and opened it up and took a seat. She ran her fingers over the transmutation circles purely out of habit. She was so familiar with them by now she could draw them with her eyes closed but it comforted her to know they were there. She flipped through the pages and took small notes on a notepad she had pulled out from one of the drawers, tsking her tongue when she'd find something she had missed despite the fact she'd gone over the material at least a hundred times before. She needed to be absolutely sure that this went right. She didn't care what happened to her but she'd only get one shot at this so there was no messing it up. She was the only one who could make everything normal again.
A/N: I know this chapter is short, for the first two chapters I'm making them both the prologue. I'm just setting everything up to get all the pesky exposition out of the way. Splitting them up just made the time jumps less confusing. By the official Chapter One it'll be staying in the same time period.
