N/A: So, this is my first attempt at writing something for FMA... and Howl's moving castle. Weird, isn't it? I was listening to the soundtrack of both the movie and the '03 anime and... Bum! The idea popped out. I don't have the idea where it will go, though. This is my first fic in English (it's not my first language), so my characters may sound a bit OOC (hope not too much). Grammar and such may be an issue, too, but I try to review and correct before submitting. Please, review if you please!

As a final comment, I'd like to say that I'm focused on the HMC movie, not in the books. And I prefer the FMA '03 context to this story, prior to the Shambala arc. I didn't like it too much, so I'm avoiding it. Sorry, not sorry. Of course, neither FMA nor HMC belongs to me. If that was the case, I would have combined them since a long time ago.

As he fell, he waited for the outcome of his insensate expedition. He did not want to miss the only opportunity that was beside him. It took him a long time to reach this almost imperceptible zone, charged with an energy that was not supposed to exist in this world. The blond young man sold out all his belongings and cut off any communication with all his new friends. The goal was to reach that little dot on the map, coming back to the site where he ended a mission a few months ago… Maybe the storms would get him before he arrived at the little cave in the wastelands where he felt the little pang that remembered him the reason of his permanence in this shallow, empty, meaningless world.

The Gate.

He could feel a resemblance of the Gate inside that cave.

It was a weak impulse at first. But day after day the sensation grew up inside his chest, blocking any possibility of sleep. He learned over the years to resign and make the best of the situation: alchemy was not possible in this world. He would not have any way to come back. He spent almost three years looking for any clue, any chance, any little piece of hope, without results. He read a lot about science lasts novelties, but, after discovering the impossibility of forcing the laws of physics, he gave up… Until now.

What was his life supposed to be if he resigned before trying one more time?

He had to stand up and keep walking. That was the purpose of having legs, right?

His prosthetic limbs complicated the journey to the cave. He cherished them since they were the best artifacts available in Europe, but he could not avoid the memories of his automail. Even more with the harsh terrain, he was walking on now. Sadly, the weight of his backpack did not help him at all. The young man sweated heavily defying the cold wind that reached these heights.

It was time to rest since the sun was occulting between the mountains. A full moon started its journey through the sky. Reclining over a plain rock, he reached his left hand towards the stars. He wondered if the constellations would be the same ones that his little brother would see on a night like this one. He could not remember if that was the case.

"Hope this works, Al", he murmured.

He did not know for certain what would he do when he entered the cave. He kept the sensation of the Gate calling him inside his chest, and it was getting stronger each second. However, he had not practiced anything related with alchemy in years. He remembered the theory, but have no means to put it in action, he feared that his skills would have decayed over the time. He hoped for an instinctive plan emerging from his head as needed, but he knew that he should not count on it. The times when Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, saved the day with instinct and wits, were gone.

However, it was impossible for him to wait anymore. He took a deep breath and went inside the cave with firm steps. Dark, narrow and humid, the cave was not a welcoming environment at all. He did not care: this was nothing compared with the night that started all the madness in his life, so he kept walking.

Suddenly, a huge light emerged from the ground. It was a circle of transmutation that he had not seen in his life. It was a simple array, though. Brightness took over the petrous enclosure as he felt the ground disappearing under his feet. He shouted out desperately, trying to reach anything to hold himself. Within a few seconds, the force under him dragged him into the unknown.

Edward Elric woke up by the tiredness of laying over a pile of rocks all the night. After stretching and checking that he had no harm, he noticed their prosthetic limbs were gone. Well, that was a sign that proved he went through the Gate… at least that was the idea he dug his nails in. A bit confused, he tried to resemble his surroundings as he glanced anything around him. It was the wastelands, again?

Not quite. There was undergrowth emerging between piled rocks of different sizes. Neither trees nor animals of any type were at his sight. Clouds threatened with the possibility of a powerful storm in a few hours. However, colors did not seem the same as before in the wastelands he did know as the palm of his hand. Probably it had to be related with the irregular illumination coming from the skies… Sunlight escaped from the smallest free spaces where clouds collided, giving useless clues about the hour. Morning, maybe?

Edward did not have time to meditate anymore about this new location because a completely surreal object was coming over out of nowhere. It seemed like an improvised building, with overlapping rooms on all sides. There were some pipes over here and there, making the construction even more confusing. It was clear the architect behind this atrocious creation lacked a decent budget… or good taste, at least. But Edward knew better. He rubbed his golden eyes as he tried to hide his amusement, seeing why the strange structure appeared to get closer at each second.

The building had some sort of metallic chicken legs. And it walked slowly towards him.

"What the heck is this?! I need to get out of here!", Edward thought worriedly. That would have been a piece of cake with two legs, even if one of them was fake. But in his current situation, he was unable to move. Time was running out as the building was a bit closer. He tried to draw an array to protect himself, but his hand was trembling too much. Undoubtedly, crossing the Gate consumed a lot of energy. He had not enough strength to even crawl on the ground…

Suddenly, the building stopped at a few meters from Edward. Just until then he noticed the little stoop at the end of the structure. It had a wooden, dark door and a little lamp, just like any normal home. He was confused but kept his brave mask on. Whatever would happen, he would not look defeated before a battle.

The little door went open and a little old man looked out behind it. He was wearing a blue coat and his gray, silky beard, covered most of his body. His eyes looked tired as the ones of a man that has seen everything that can be seen in the world. His gaze made an utter contrast with the golden flames emanating from the young one on the ground.

"No limbs? That's new for a lackey of Madam Suliman. She's getting better at disguises but pity will never work with him…", the old man considered.

"Let him in!", a little voice was coming from the inside. "The castle want him as a guest. And it never makes a mistake, right? At least I don't."

"Hmm… Even if it's a threat, I can handle it. A short boy with only two limbs should not be a problem", said the old man.

"Who did you call a shorty who's so small that he's barely visible and hard to target?!" Apparently, the rant was too much for Edward. His exhausted body did not take any more.

He fainted.

"C'mon, Markl, just bring him inside", said the little voice.