A/N: I really should be working on my other fanfictions, but this stupid idea wouldn't leave me alone and I couldn't focus on anything else. So here I am, with another fanfiction. To anybody reading my other stories, worry not, with this distraction of a story written, I can finally write a decent chapter. This story will be updated weekly as of right now, but next month, I probably won't update at all so that I can focus on my other fanfictions. With that said, here's a more detailed summary of this story:

Ed wakes up in a van, severely injured and basically mute, with the Colonel next to him wearing black mask and driving like a madman as bullets rain down on them from behind. And he has no idea how or why he's there. The last thing he could remember is getting on a train for a mission he can't remember. Now, he's being told that King Bradley has been murdered, a new ruler has ruined Amestris and the surrounding nations, and that he's been missing for over a year. To top it all off, he apparently has amnesia, considering that he can't remember anything after getting on the train.

The burning wasteland and war zone that was once Amestris is a complete mystery to him because of this. Colonel Roy Mustang, now the only rebel force still standing to defy the "new ruler"and his only ally left, isn't helping much either as he refuses to say a word about what's happening. Ed has no choice but to follow Mustang into his new and drastically different "missions" in order to discover just how crazy the world he once knew has become. But all of these problems and questions are insignificant when compared to his most important question that nobody will answer. Where's Al?

In case it isn't already clear to you, this is a BIT like an apocalyptic/ post-apocalyptic AU, but it still has canon characters, locations, and is essentially the same world. What really makes this an AU, to me at least, is that there's another villain who has interfered with Father's plan and the characters are in a completely different situation. Also, it might just be me, but there aren't many apocalyptic AUs in the FMA Fandom, which I find very strange, considering how popular it is in some other fandoms. Plus, I had a lot of fun writing this, which is why I decided to go ahead and post this story. If you have any questions or confusions, feel free to ask me about it, it'd be greatly appreciated! With that said, let the story begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA

Chapter 1: In a Blink of an Eye

The last thing Edward Elric remembered was getting on a train, feeling annoyingly vulnerable due to the absence of his little brother. His purpose for getting on the train and the reason why Alphonse hadn't been with him was a mystery to him at the moment, but he vaguely recalled that he had a mission of some sort. Judging by his current predicament, he had probably failed fantastically.

He wasn't sure how he had failed or even what he failed at, but the burning sensation on his back and the numbing feeling spreading from his flesh arm alerted him that he was injured. Terribly injured. That didn't exactly sound like the results of a successful mission.

When he had first been woken up by the sound of gunshots and screeching tires, he had felt as if he was being continuously stabbed by lightning and a sick feeling had immediately began settling in his guts. To make things worse, when he had opened his mouth to groan in agony, he barely managed to produce any sound at all, save for a pathetic croak that even a frog would scoff at. As he was carelessly tossed around in the place where he sat, Ed slowly reconnected with the world and overcame his pain, allowing him to evaluate his situation. His vision was blurry and black spots danced around before his eyes, making it hard for him to figure out where he was, but the young alchemist determined that his surroundings were dark, meaning that it was probably nighttime. Tall shadows also surrounded him, before he realized that he was in the middle of the forest. The next thing he noticed was the feeling of movement beneath him and the breeze that brushed its weightless fingers though his hair, leading him to conclude that he was on a moving vehicle.

Due to the fact that he felt as if he had been sleeping all his life, it took awhile for him to come to his next realization. A really important realization. Since he was obviously not the one driving this car, that meant that...

As if on cue, a voice next to him cursed violently as a storm of bullets flew by, barely missing their vehicle as they punched holes into the dirt road next to them. Ed slowly turned to see who the driver was, only to see a figure in an over-sized black coat wearing an equally black mask. The driver appeared to be tense, but the only sign of their nervousness was their hands, obscured by bone white gloves, gripping the steering wheel in a death hold. Other than that, the masked stranger appeared to be the epitome of tranquility. Ed opened his mouth, prepared to demand for some answers from the stranger, but once more, his voice didn't respond to his wishes and his throat ached at his attempt to speak. His demands came out as an unintelligible rasp, too quiet for the masked driver to hear over the sounds of their attackers, who seemed to be getting closer by the minute.

Heavy and strangely hollow sounding footsteps started to rise from the distance, getting louder and more rapid by the moment. Ed didn't dare look back to see the source of it, for it sounded as if an army were after them and it sent chills down his spine. The young alchemist was rarely frightened, but something about the footsteps sounded off and he had no urge to find out why.

In response to the sound of more pursuers, the masked driver growled in frustration and somehow managed to double their speed. Ed wisely decided to just stare at the road ahead, content with allowing the stranger focus on driving for their dear lives. He could always interrogate them later.

Suddenly, the night seemed to come to life as a wall of fire seemed to have risen from out of no where, blocking off the entire road and spreading throughout the surrounding area. The driver yelped in surprise and slammed his foot on the brakes. Dirt flew into the air as their vehicle came to a screeching halt, barely avoiding the flames by just a few feet. The air crackled with blue light, which could only be from the results of an alchemical reaction. The masked stranger took a few minutes to calm down, their hysterical breathing rapidly returning to normal. They then proceeded to unbuckle their seat belt and cautiously opened the door, only do nearly lose their life to a flurry of bullets. They immediately slammed the door shut, muttering some colorful words under their breath. Ed watched silently, not being capable of doing anything else. Also, he was now quite sure that the stranger was a man, considering how deep their voice was. But why did they sound so familiar?

He didn't get the chance to ponder on the matter for long however, as the stranger took out a familiar pair of gloves with red circles on them. Taking a deep breath, the now suspiciously familiar man slowly opened the window. He then quickly stuck a hand out of the car and a loud snap could be heard over the gunshots that were immediately fired at the sign of movement. A loud explosion shattered the night and through the rear view mirror, Ed saw a bright explosion which bought life to another wall of fire behind them. He turned to stare at the stranger with wide eyes. There was only one alchemist who could create such a powerful explosion...

The driver carefully stuck his head out the window, as if to make sure that their pursuers were no longer there. After a few seconds, when no bullet had hit him between his eyes, the masked stranger finally decided it was safe enough for him to get out. The car door was slammed shut after him as he approached the fire before them. Ed watched, wide eyed as the man stood a mere foot away from the flames and replaced his gloves with another pair, which had blue circles on them. He reached forward and a familiar series of blue light crackled in the air as it appeared to begin raining. Slowly, the flames began to die and within a few minutes, the only sign that the fire ever existed was the smoke still rising in the air.

Looking around, the masked stranger nodded in satisfaction before walking back to the vehicle. Ed watched silently, now thoroughly confused. What type of alchemist was this man? He seemed to be skilled in two vastly different forms of alchemy, on of which he'd never seen before...

After getting back in the car, the masked man drove onward, away from what would probably end up as a massive forest fire. Several minutes of relative peace passed as Ed struggled to process all that he had just seen while a wave of nausea came crashing down on him. They soon exited the forest, where the Fullmetal alchemist was met by a sight he has only seen in nightmares.

Under the full moon, as gray and lifeless as death itself, was a city. Unlike normal cities however, it was silent and dark. There was no sign of life. When they reached the edge of the abandoned metropolis however, the city's worst feature was revealed.

The misty air that settled like a white veil above the ghost town was drenched by the iron stench of blood. Ed choked on his own breath, feeling even more ill as the smell of war and death surrounded him. He didn't dare look around for the source of the smell, for despite his experience with death, he's never seen a the aftermath of a battle. The young alchemist feared that if he looked, he would find a pile of dead, wasted bodies. He wasn't sure if he could stomach such a sight, especially in his current condition.

The car suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

Now that their lives weren't in danger, the masked man seemed to have noticed Ed gagging. The black masked face slowly turned to look at him. Ed froze. For a brief moment, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the stranger's heavy breathing. Then, the mask was removed, revealing a face that Ed had half expected to see. Roy Mustang looked as if he was on the verge of tears. The Colonel then spoke, his voice hopeful, yet cautious at the same time, as if he were afraid to be disappointed.

"Fullmetal?"

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it, though it did take a while for me to finish. Note that this isn't edited! I'll go back and edit all my chapters at a later date, but worry not, I will edit this. I'd appreciate it if you showed some support by following, favoriting, and/or reviewing! Constructive criticism is especially appreciated, since I'm a beginner in the art of writing. I personally think that this chapter's only flaw was that it was repetitive and had bad pacing, but I'd like to know if there are any other mistakes. Feel free to ask me any questions if you're confused on anything and don't be afraid to tell me your honest opinion, even if that means telling me that this sucks. Until next week (hopefully, but I make no promises），I，EndlessStars, bid you farewell!