Chapter 1

Outskirts of Central- Amestris

Seven shadowed figures stood in a dimly lit room. On the floor, there was a design.

"Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the cause," asked the smallest of the group.

"Yes," nodded the person who stood closest to the design.

In one swift motion, the small figure plunged their hand trough the person's chest, then pushed them onto the design.

Suddenly, the room filled with a violent, crackling blue light.

The remaining six walked into the blue light. When they where all through, the light disappeared.

Rural Illinois, 4:23am

Ed Elric jolted awake, bedroom shaking. Disoriented, the seventeen-year-old jumped out of bed and bolted for the doorway, pulling the door open. Once the door was opened, the shaking stopped.

From outside, Ed could head car alarms sounding and dogs barking.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Are you okay, kid," asked uncle Maes, as he came down the hallway.

Ed nodded as Maes pounded on Alphonse's door.

A quiet "yes" came from inside the room. Maes looked back at Ed.

"I'm going outside to see if there's any damage. I want you to come with me."

Ed nodded and followed Maes down the stairs.

Once outside, Ed couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Shining the flashlight around the yard didn't help settle the nerves either.

Ed jumped when someone grabbed her shoulder.

"Edina, are you okay?" Maes asked, with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Fine," Edina replied, nodding.

"Okay, kiddo, you need to get back to bed. You still might have school in the morning."

With that, Maes walked back in the house. Edina stopped in the doorway and looked back one last time. Still, she saw nothing. So she walked back inside, shutting the door, making sure she locked it before heading up to bed.

The next morning, Edina and Alphonse sat at the kitchen table. Al eating cereal and Ed merely picking at the table.

Apparently Alphonse had slept through the earthquake and had still been sleeping when uncle Maes asked if he was alright. Edina had stared at Al. The kid slept through EVERYTHING.

A crash from the living room jolted Ed from her thoughts. As the person walked into the kitchen, Edina clutched her necklace.

"I think I killed the thing in front of the door," the person said.

The clang of a spoon hitting a glass bowl sounded. Edina looked up and saw Al's face pale.

"The b-big b-bb-board in front of tt-the door," stuttered Al.

"Um, yeah."

"DAD!" squeaked out Al.

Alphonse abandoned the table and ran for the front door.

1...2...3...4...5...

"Ahhh!"

Hey, only five this time, Edina thought to herself.

Across from her, the…abomination sat, raking his hands through his hair, which was in a rather messy ponytail.

Edina narrowed her eyes when he looked at her. She began to steam when he smiled. There was no counting that could calm her down at this point.

"Asshole," she spat out as she got up and stormed out of the room.

The "asshole" looked at Maes.

"What'd I do?"

Maes shook his head, "It's what you don't do, Hohenheim."

The said man looked at Maes questioningly.

Maes sighed, "When was the last time you worked or ever provided for those two. Alphonse might not despise you, but Ed…if she was alone in the room with you just now, she probably would have killed you."

Hohenheim said nothing.

"Well, as much as I love our chats, older brother, I have to get your kids to school and myself to work," Maes said, setting his coffee mug in the sink.

Hohenheim got up and followed his brother to the front door, where Ed and Al stood waiting. Again, Edina glared at Hohenheim.

"If you want, I could pick them up. Three o'clock, right," offered Hohenheim.

For a split second, Ed's gaze softened, then went back to a glare.

"You better be there," Edina said, then she walked out the door, Al and Maes following behind.

Hohenheim stood by the stairs and sighed. When did life get so difficult?

Lookitsapagebreakisntitlovely

"If he's not here, you call me, okay. Edina?"

Ed said nothing, instead she whipped the car door open and got out.

"I'll call you if he doesn't come," piped up Al.

"'Kay kiddo," Maes said, ruffling Al's hair.

When Alphonse got out and shut the door, Maes sighed heavily. The day could only get better, right?

Lookitsapagebreakisntitlovely

"So class, how many of you felt the earthquake last night?"

A few hands flew up here and there. Edina would have raised her hand, but that would be participating and she wouldn't want to take the risk of being social with these people.

"Am I boring you, Miss Elric?"

Edina's head popped up. So much for no socializing, right?

"No, not at all," she replied immediately.

"Could it be that the earthquake had you up or did it feel like you were being watched," asked the teacher.

"What?!" she screamed.

At this point, everyone was staring at her.

"I asked if the earthquake kept you up last night."

Ed nodded silently as the rest of the class laughed and whispered about her outburst. For the rest of the day she kept to herself, save for the moments she ran into Alphonse. Speaking of which…

"Where is the little bugger," she muttered to herself.

The bell had rang over five minutes ago and Al wasn't in the Sophomore hallway, nor the Frosh, nor the Junior. So out of options, she headed down to the Senior hallway.

When she rounded the corner, she froze. Al just knew how to push her buttons.

"Alphonse, where were you," she bellowed, stalking up to her brother.

"Chill Elric, we're just talking."

Edina's head snapped up.

Girls loved him, Edina hated him. He was so full of himself, a pompous ass. Sometimes Ed would envision scalping him. Cut all that black hair off.

"You know what, you don't listen. Stay away. I keep telling you that."

Edina grabbed Alphonse by the arm and started pulling him away, but Al resisted.

"Dad's not here. Maes said he'd give us a ride instead of bothering Uncle," protested Al.

Edina could have smacked Al at that point.

"What?!"

"Alphonse found me. He asked for the ride," chimed in Maes.

Edina's eye twitched. "You what?"

"Hey sis," Al cut in, "I can't feel my arm."

Edina squeezed harder, then let go.

"I'll walk home," she said, crossing her arms.

"Ed, come on."

"Not with that thing," Edina said, pointing at Maes.

"Ed…"

"Al!"

"Edina!"

"No!!"

Five minutes later, Edina sat in the front, passenger seat of Maes' Mustang.

"How narcissistic of you. To have a car that shares your last name," snapped Edina.

"Ed, be nice," screeched Al.

Ed rolled her eyes. She seriously contemplated jumping out of the moving car or stabbing Maes and pushing him our of the car, but she was just too nice sometimes. So she started gnawing on her fingernails. Man, was she aggravated.

When they got back to the house, there was an unsettling cal. Edina felt too relaxed? Even after Maes put the car in Park and Alphonse went into the house, Ed still felt too relaxed and she didn't why. She hated Mustang, right?

"So, I heard you freaked out in history," Maes said, breaking the relaxation?

Edina didn't looked at him. "Is this some kind of confirmation for your friends?"

"Nope."

"Pft, sure it isn't."

"Now, why do you hate me?"

"Um." Edina turned her head, Maes was staring at right at her.

"Edina," began Maes.

Immediately, she snapped out of her daze.

Before Maes could say anything else, Edina had already gotten out of the car and slammed the door shut. He watched as she ran up to the house, never looking back at him. He sighed.

"Maes…"

Maes whipped around and looked out the back window. There was nothing there. He looked on all sides of the car, there was nothing.

Giving up, he put the car in Reverse and backed out of the Elric driveway. Unknown to him, a pair of violet eyes watched closely.

This is the point where I ask you, the reviewers, to give me an honest opinion.

The whole basis of this came through my head over 2 years ago, after seeing Conqueror of Shamballa and the OVAs. I kept thinking to myself, "What if it didn't end with Edward and Alphonse? What if the Gate was opened again, but this time it wasn't closed." and other random things like that. So I've been tweaking around with it for about 2 years and have no decided to go through with it. Full on knowing it's going to bomb. I know, I think highly of myself, but I'd really like to follow through with this.

Later on, you will find out who the six are and other things about them, how Edina and Alphonse are related to Edward Elric, and all the...err, interesting things that happen. Oh, and yes, there are purposely two Maes'. I struggled with that for a while, then eventually gave up. XD

I think that's it. I hope it was...okay. Like I said, I've never thought highly of myself and I know it will bomb.

Ja!