AN: This is one of three Fics I'm working on right now. The other two stories are for Pokèmon: The Value of Teamwork and Digimon: Guardian of the Spirit. Later will be my first priority, though I will try to update the other two as well. Summaries can be found in my profile. Please check it out.

Warnings: AU, minor OOCness, somewhat time travel, spoiler for current Manga, Movie and Anime elements

Pairings: probably hints of EdWin and Royai

Summary: In 1917 Ed and Al get imprisoned by the Homunculi. Left with little hope and sure of coming death as human sacrifice, Ed makes a desperate attempt of transmutation. In 1911 an eleven years old Edward wakes up, having seen the horrors of a future, that has yet to come, in his nightmares, which drives him to stop his plans of human transmutation and leads to the discovery of Hohenheims secrets. How will things play out in a world, where the Elric brothers never tried to touch the sun? In a world, where the Fullmetal Alchemist never exited...

Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own FMA. All I own are a few Mangas and Anime DVDs.

"…" – Speaking

'…' – Thinking

--- … --- – Scene-change

--- Changing Circles ---

Prologue

--- 8th February 1917 ---

--- Beneath the 5th research lab. ---

The circumstances of their cell were disgusting. Everything smelled like rotting flesh and garbage, and you could faintly hear the screams and cries of other prisoners and test subjects/results of (probably highly illegal) experiments. Within the cell Edward Elric resumed his pacing, while his brother Alphonse just set in his corner of the cell, hugging his knees to chest.

After the failed combo-attack of North and East, lead by Colonel Roy Mustang and Major-General Olivia Armstrong, they had send Winry together with Mei-chan and her Pet Xei-Mei to Xing, where both girls would be safe, at least for the times being. Winry had been against leaving and only the combined effort of both brothers and the promise that they would follow the moment their 'business' in Central City was resolved. A promise that now never would be fulfilled.

Acting on the last request of Colonel Mustang, they had tried to sneak into Central to free 1. Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, who had been taken Hostage in order to keep Mustang in line. A mission, that had been doomed from the start since Lieutenant Hawkeye had been watched by no other than the original Homunculus Pride. Pride, upon the news of Mustangs death, didn't see any more reason to keep Hawkeye alive and used his shadow power to behead her in front of the Elricbrothers. Shocked and disguised they had attacked the ancient being only to be beaten and thrown into the situation they were now. That had been a week ago.

Earlier Envy had come to their cell, gloating about the success of the plan, which had been completed due the massacre at Briggs castle, after the failed assault of North and East. Amestris' people soon would be nothing but a mindless part of a huge Philosophers Stone. And they would be the main sacrifice to start the process. A process that would be started in a few hours…

Which was the reason, why Ed was currently rattling his mind for a way to escape the current situation. Because there was no one who could send help, or cared enough to do so. Most of their allies already were dead (1). Ed sight, the pacing hadn't helped as much as he had hoped it would. He stopped and looked at his little brother, who already seemed to lose hope. They already had tried to escape by using Alchemy, but that had been proven to be impossible. What ever their cell was made of it was a material that neither of them knew so there was no way of transmuting their way out. The last time he had felt so helpless had been, when he had been caught in Gluttony's stomach, behind the fake doors of truth…

The doors of truth…

Suddenly a faint shine of hope glowed up, inflaming Ed as he started to calculate the possibilities and outcomes of this last straw. It was risky and there was a high possibility that he and Al both would die at the attempt. But if he had to choose between being swallowed by the truth or being forced to become a main component of the Philosophers Stone… He thought of the reactions of the souls, the people of Xerxes, he had used when he had escaped Gluttony's stomach… 'Thank you' they had whispered…

His eyes grew misty as he thought of this incident. They had been so grateful, even thought he had used them out of selfishness. The fate of a human sacrifice seemed to be a terrible one. He faintly heard Envys voice hall to their cell. If he wanted to move, then he had to be fast.

"Al…Do you trust me?", he asked with quiet voice, his eyes focused to the ground. Al threw his brother a rather confused look, well as confused as an armour could look like. "Why do you ask such a question in a situation like this, ni-san?"

"Just answer the question, Al!", Ed snapped, angry as their time ran away.

Al grew silent for a moment. It was rare for his brother to snap like this at him especially in a dangerous (and hopeless) situation like this. But if his brother had found a way to escape, wouldn't he explain it to him instead of asking him of his trust? Maybe this escape way was so dangerous that Ed didn't dare to voice it out loud. Or maybe there wasn't a way out at all. 'Or maybe there are just to much maybes…', Al chuckled humourless and answered with the only thing he ever would: "Yes" The trust in his brother was the thing he was certain of the most. "Yes, I'm trusting you. Always ni-san!"

Ed nodded, closed his eyes, then clapped his hands. Alphonse just watched silently but then realizing what his brother was planning he couldn't help but ask: "I-is that a good idea, ni-san?" Ed just opened his eyes and glanced sadly at his brother as he brought his hands to the suite to complete the transmutation process. "I'm sorry, Al…", was the only thing he could say, as the amore, that was his brother went into the nothingness behind the doors of truth. Then he clapped his hands again, this time training them on himself. As he disappeared too, one last thought flashed to his consciousness: 'If I could go back to undo one thing… I would wish I never had attempted the human transmutation.' And then 'Teacher is going to kill me, if she finds out…'

And then they were gone…

--- The doors of truth ---

In the place, where no shadow could exist, a lonely figure sat between a twin set of doors, looking at his counterpart's naked body and smirking as it felt a foreign pull.

'So the fool is back', it thought chuckling as it reached for the hand of the one, who was the ONE (2). And as their bodies and their thoughts became one, the truth thought 'You are truly a fool to try wish to try to fight the unpreventable… But… for your sacrifice I shall grant your wish, fool… And who knows maybe you can even rewrite your fate…'

--- 2cnd October 1911 ---

--- Resembool, House of the Elrics ---

The room was misty and unclear...

Golden lightning became purple…

And then a pull and his left leg went missing…

Pain shot through him, seemingly unbearable…

He looked to the transmutation circle, where his mother should be now. But he only saw a creature that could not be called a human…

Then he looked over to his brother, but where his little brother should have been, was now nothing.

He realized that all the effort had been wasted. And he screamed for his brother…

Shocked an eleven years old Edward Elric awoke from sleep, his heart and mind racing, working out the nightmare. Quickly he glanced over to his little brother, his only family left, assuring that it had just been a nightmare. To him, it had seemed so real.

Could it be some kind of omen? 'What a nonsense!', he thought. He was an Alchemist, a scientist, who only believed in facts and theories based on facts. He climbed over to the other bed and pulled his brother into a hug. Ignoring Al's sleepy questions about what was wrong and the silent tears that ran down his cheeks, he thought: 'There's no way this could happen…'

TBC…

-------

(1) The fate of several allies of the Elric-brothers in the dark future:

Major General Olivia Armstrong, killed during the combo-attack

Colonel Roy Mustang; killed during the combo-attack

Major Alex Louis Armstrong, arrested and charged for treason

1. Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, killed by Pride after the combo-attack

2. Lieutenant Fallman, killed during the combo-attack

2. Lieutenant Havok, unable to assist due his injuries

2. Lieutenant Breda, arrested and charged for treason

Private Ferry, arrested and charged for treason

Scar, killed by Zoff Kimbly

Ling Yao, consumed by Greed

Izumi Curtis, arrested and to be used as human sacrifice

Mei-Chan, with Winry on her way back to Xing

Winry, with Mei-Chan on her way to Xing

(2) Referring to Izumis saying: "All is One and One is All"

Author's Note: So much for the introduction. I still don't have most of it planed out, so feel free to make suggestions and point out mistakes. I really would like to continue with this story since I really think it's a plot worth to be written.

Preview: Three years have passed and much has happened. Ed stopped the attempt of human transmutation but trouble finds the Elric brothers as they discover their father's research as well as strange new abilities. But in a maze full of hazy memories can Ed find the way to truth? And what the hell is Mustang doing in Resembool?