Author's Note: Nothing much to say, this is just another short FMA Fan Fiction that I made when I was bored during breaks in school.
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA nor it's characters. This is just purely fan made.
- The Beginning -
Young Edward, Alphonse, Winry and little Den was playing outside.
" Wait a minute, brother! " Alphonse said as he ran after his brother.
Edward looked back, " Hurry, Al! Before Winry sees us! " He said as he ran faster. Alphonse sighed and used all his strength to catch up with his brother.
Edward then hid on a bush nearby and pulled Alphonse along with him. They knelt down and watched out for Winry.
After a few minutes, The boys saw Winry came to their view. Edward and Alphonse dug lower on the bush. Edward was eyeing Winry carefully, while Alphonse's nose started to itch due to the leaves.
" Brother… " Alphonse said as his brother quickly close his mouth shut with his own hand.
" Quiet, Al! She's going to hear us! Look, she's getting closer. Try to be quiet and stay low." He said whispering, then he let Alphonse go and watched Winry and Den.
" Ah, Winry is such a cheater. Look she's making Den find us. " Edward whispered as he saw Den sniffing around.
Alphonse on the other hand, was still having a hard time. " Brother… I have to… " he started, but Edward interrupted him.
" Quiet Al! Do you want us to get caught? " Edward whispered as Alphonse shook his head.
" No brother… It's just I really have to… " Alphonse was once again interrupted.
" They're coming, closer! On the count of three, We'll run further to the left… " Edward said as he prepared for his plan.
" Brother… " Alphonse uttered, unable to hold it any longer.
" One… Two… Three! " Edward uttered as fell to the ground startled by his brother. Alphonse sneezed so hard that the leaves around them blew away.
" I found you! " Winry said giggling as she peeked into Edward and Alphonse's hiding spot.
Edward fumed while stomping his feet angrily, " Al! Why did you blew our cover! "
" I'm sorry brother… I tried my best not to, but I just couldn't hold it any longer. " Alphonse apologized as Edward pouted childishly.
" Looks like I win this round. " Winry said as she bent down carried Den. The little dog barked happily at her in response.
" Best Two out Three! " Edward said determinedly, pointing at Winry. Winry smiled in response and was about to reply when the three heard someone calling them from behind.
" Ed! Al! It's time for lunch! " Trisha called out to them as the two boys look back from behind them and quickly waved their hands.
" Yes, Mom! " Alphonse called out. " Coming, Mom! " Edward added and the two watched as their mother smiled at them as she waved back and soon went back to their house.
Then the two boys turned back to look at Winry and Den, " I guess we have to get going now, Winry. " Edward said.
Winry smiled at them and placed Den down beside her and spoke, " It's alright. Mom and Dad will probably call me for lunch soon too so I'll just go back home now and beat them to it! Grandma is making us her special vegetable stew! Den and I loved it so much! " she said happily, then she giggled as Den nuzzled her leg.
" Ah, we're having the same! Mom also makes the best Stews! " Alphonse said cheerfully as Winry nodded and giggled again.
Then Winry turned to look at Edward. " I guess we'll continue our match some other time, right? " she said as Edward looked at her and smirked. He then nod and spoke, " Yeah! "
Winry then started to walk backwards to their house and Den followed her from behind. " See you later, Ed! Al! " She said as she waved her hands.
" See you later! " Alphonse responded while waving his hand back at her. Edward on the other hand just crossed his arms together, " See you later, Winry. Don't forget about our match! I'll definitely beat you. " He said as Winry grinned. " I won't forget! I'll be looking forward to it! " She said and she soon turned and started to run to her house with Den following her from behind.
Then the two boys looked at one another and smiled. Then they slowly made their way towards their own home, laughing as they joked around.
As they got back home, they were greeted by Trisha and a bowl of hot stew waiting for them in the table.
The two boys smiled at their mother and ran towards the table and happily started to eat their stew. Trisha smiled at the look of the two.
" Ahh! " Edward uttered as he placed his bowl in the table. " This stew is the best, Thanks mom! " he added with a toothy grin.
Trisha smiled back at him and patted Edward in the head, " I'm happy that you liked it, Edward. " Trisha said as Edward smiled and laugh.
Then Alphonse spoke, " It is delicious, Mom. Did Dad love to eat this too? " He asked innocently.
At first, Trisha made a weird face and looked sad. But she quickly smiled a few seconds later. " Of course he does, Alphonse. " She said as she patted his head. Alphonse then smiled at her. " Really? " he asked as her mother nod in response.
Edward saw the face her mother made before she smiled. Alphonse then noticed that his brother was silent so he turned to look at him, " Brother? " He called out as he saw that Edward was glaring down the table and clenching the spoon on his hand.
" Is brother, angry? "Al thought as he continued eating while he looked at his brother who was also eating silently, his gaze showing anger.
" I'll ask him later. " Al thought as they continued to eat their lunch.
After Lunch, Trisha took all of their dishes and told the boys that they should go and take a rest. The two boys gladly complied with a nod. Soon they stood up from their chairs and left the kitchen.
Then as they closed the door behind them, Alphonse saw that his brother was looking down and sad again, " Brother... is something bothering you? " He asked as Edward looked at him, his golden eyes felt like breaking down and cry but he continued to resist it.
" Every time we ask Mom about Dad, we always see her frown and look sad... I hate seeing that. " Edward said softly as he clenched his fist.
Alphonse then soon felt sad about it too and look down, " I see. "
Then Edward fumed, " Darn that old man! Just where did he go? " then he looked at Alphonse and his younger brother looked back at him, " Come on, Al! Let's go to his study room. " He added.
" Why do we have to go to Dad's room, brother? " Alphonse curiously asked.
" To see if we can find any clue to that old man's whereabouts! " Edward said as Alphonse nodded. " Alright, let's go brother. "
They soon raced one another towards their father's study room in the farthest corner on their house.
As they got there, they opened the door slowly and took a peek at it. Everything was still in it's place and dust where already thick and it shrouded around the whole room. They soon entered the room entirely and closed the door behind them and soon looked around the room to find an answer to their query.
They searched every corner, to every page of the books in the shelves but even as an hour pass and they found no answer.
Edward continued to look at each page of the book. Seeing that the book was just an ordinary with no envelopes or other written things by his father, he sighed and put it back to the bookshelf and space out for awhile before he looked at Alphonse. " Find anything, Al? " He asked.
Alphonse, who was busy looking at the compartments on their father's desk. He looked up to look at his brother only to shook his head as he found no clue to where their father could be.
" Darn it! Just where did that old man go and why? " Edward said and in frustration, he punched the bookshelf hard.
Coincidentally, a heavy looking book fell from the bookshelf and landed on his head.
" Ouch! " He uttered as he held his head and bend down to pick up the heavy book and look at it for awhile. He read the title of the book, " A-alchemy...? " He uttered curiously as he forgot the pain on his head and soon opened the book to look at it's contents.
Seeing his brother went silent and seems to have been quite hook at the book, Alphonse curiously move towards his brother and also took a look at the book. Both soon seem to become drawn to it.
As they seemingly finished reading the first page of the book, Alphonse covered his ears as Edward fumed, " Geez! Why is this book so difficult to understand! " He screamed.
" Brother, calm down. " Alphonse said as he patted his brother's back and laughed sheepishly.
Then Edward looked serious as he look at the book and tried to read it once more. " Al... " He called out, not looking at his younger brother as he continued trying to read the book.
" Yes, brother? " Alphonse asked as Edward finally left his gaze on the book to look at his younger brother.
" This maybe the key to what we are looking for. Maybe this book can give us the answers to our questions that we've been searching for. This book might be the only thing that can help us. " Edward said as his eyes look like they were burning, " Al... let's study Alchemy. " he added seriously.
Alphonse look at the book worriedly for awhile, but soon closed his eyes for awhile and opened them to look at his brother determinedly with a nod. " Let's do it, brother. "
After that day, they began to read the books about alchemy and spend a lot of their time in their Father's study.
They spent hours and hours, just trying to understand the books about it. They quickly learned that Alchemy is the Science of understanding the structure of matter and breaking it down to reconstruct it to something else.
But they also learned that it is not all to it for alchemy is not all powerful for something of equal value must be loss to received something in exchange. The brothers quickly learned Alchemy's greatest rule. The law of Equivalent Exchange.
Apart from that, they also learned more rules and laws to follow and taboos to avoid. The days continue to pass them but they continued reading about alchemy because they believe that this was the only way they could find the answers they were longing for.
What they do not know is that Alchemy would change their lives forever. All they know is that there is no turning back.
~~ Two weeks later ~~
" Ed? Al? " Trisha said as she opened the door to the study room. She put her hands on her hips and eyed them sternly, " Looks like you're scattering all your father's book again. " She said as the two boys look up to her then to one another and nod.
Then Trisha watched as Edward started drawing a circle on the floor of their house. " Hey Edward, no doodling on the floor. " She scolded softly as Edward continued drawing it.
" I'm not doodling... " Edward replied calmly as he knelt down and went to position.
" Look at this, mom! " Alphonse said as he and his mother watched what Edward was doing. Soon, a bright bluish light raised from the floor the moment Edward placed both of his hands on the circle.
Once the bright light seized, Trisha saw a wooden carving of a bird on their floor. She was shocked and wide eyed from what just happened, " That's Alchemy, isn't it? " She asked as the brothers nodded.
" Yes... Is it a bad thing? " Erdward asked as Trisha shook her head and quickly replied, " No, and I say that this is a wonderful thing. " then she clapped her hands together once and closed her eyes with a broad smile on her face, " I'm going to brag about the two of you to everyone. " She said happily and excited.
The two boys then smiled and look at one another as they felt happy and excited too. Then they look at each other determinedly and nod.
They knew that Alchemy would change their lives the moment they started studying about it. Without worrying about the risks and problems that would arise, it doesn't matter to them as long as they see their mother smiling. Just seeing her happy made them inspired to get better.
The Elric Brothers remain unaware of the great change alchemy will do to them, they continue to look forward to learning more from it as each day pass because they're still unaware of what it has in store from them in the future.
All they know that it has just started and it is still far from ending for it has only been just, the beginning.
~~ End of story ~~
The Beginning
Author's Note: Well, I hope you liked it. I only intended this as a short story since I still have a lot of school things to do and I still plan on finishing my other stories here. I only wrote this because it was getting in the way as it continued lingering on my mind and it kept bothering to write and finished it so I did.
Thanks for reading the story, I'll be studying for awhile before another new Fanfiction idea comes to my mind.