Hello, people! Welcome to my latest project. The entire thing is complete, and I'll be posting another chapter in about a week. Or sooner, if it's well received.

Darkness was everywhere. Above, bellow, around. Wait, that wasn't right- there was something above, pulsing with warm, inviting light. Curious, he propelled himself at the light, bringing it closer and closer, until-

Edward Elric launched himself upright, spluttering. In his first few seconds of being conscious, he noted two things. One, that it was raining, and two, he was outside.

The light, Edward decided, wasn't as friendly or honest as it initially looked.

Once done expelling water from his lungs, Edward shivered and looked around. Whatever he had been doing before blacking out was fuzzy, which was not conductive to figuring out where the hell he was. To top it off, his arm wasn't functioning at all. The rain was falling in heavy sheets, making it near impossible to see anything farther then ten feet. But there, just to his left, he could barely make out the wall of a building.

Figuring it was his best bet at getting not only answers, but dry, Ed began to crawl through the mud until he was just in front of the wooden wall. The very familiar, weathered, sunshine-yellow wooden wall.

Ed groaned, before hauling himself to his feet, left hand resting on the wall for guidance. Just his luck. Winry was going to ask him how he broke his automail again, to which he would have no answer. Then she would kill him. And Alphonse-

Where was Alphonse, anyway? Ed thought for a moment, and then shrugged. Alphonse wasn't a little kid. He could take care of himself until Ed got back.

It took a few minutes, but Ed finally found himself at the front door. He only hesitated a moment before knocking- the aching of his ports was more urgent then avoiding Winry's wrath.

Luckily for him, it was only a few seconds before the door swung open. "Ed!" gasped Winry, eyes widening at his soaked form. "What are you doing outside! Get in before you catch a cold-" and she stepped aside and let him walk into the room. "Stay here. I'll grab you a towel." She then looked over him closer. "Scratch that- you're covered in mud. And your face is cut. What'd you do, fall on your face?"

"Something like that," Ed muttered, reaching up to touch his cheek. A stinging sensation told him that there was a gash there. His shoulder port throbbed, causing him to flinch. "A shower sounds great."

Winry smiled gently. "C'mon." With that she turned towards the stairs, speeding up them two at a time. "You know where the bathroom is. I'll bring you some clothes." Already at the top, she turned and grinned. "Nice outfit, by the way. Leather pants? Playing dress up?"

"Ha ha," Ed laughed dryly. "Good one."

Ed looked down at the steps before starting his accent. He hadn't had the chance to check his leg, but if his arm was broken there was a good chance his leg might malfunction, and the stairs was probably the worst place for this to happen. Once he reached the top, he looked up to see an empty hallway.

"You better clean the stairs when you're done," came Winry's voice from down the hall. "Granny'll hate to see them dirty."

"Noted."

The shower didn't take very long. The hot water helped with his port pain, heating up the metal just enough to keep his shoulder and leg warm. The pain didn't fully go away, and wouldn't until the storm stopped, but it was a nice relief. Showering one armed was awkward, but had become something he mastered over the years. It ended all too soon, the water going cold after not even five minutes, forcing Ed to jump out or risk becoming hypothermic. Drying became a quick affair when the cold air outside of the shower began to cool his wet automail.

Once out and dry, he glanced at his pile of soiled clothes. Concealed inside was the gun Hawkeye had given to him in the woods. Determined to ignore that fact for a little while longer, Ed remembered Winry saying something about clean clothes. Outside the door was a pile of clothing Ed was quick to snatch up and pull inside. On top lay a large button up long sleeved colored cotton shirt, covering the sweats on the bottom almost totally. The sweats were long, long enough to conceal his feet, which Ed saw as strange. Who was big enough for these in this house? After yanking on the offered articles, Ed looked to the mirror and sighed. Braiding his hair was out of the question. Even putting it up with one hand would be difficult, and not worth the effort. He continued to stare into the mirror, contemplating the odds of Winry braiding it for him (high), when a picture on the wall caught his eye, and he turned to give it a closer examination.

He'd never seen the picture before, which was odd, because it was of Winry's parents. Almost every picture of them was framed around the house or in photo albums kept in the study closet for safe keeping. This one appeared to have been taken on a sunny day, green hills rolling behind the happy couple. Sara was in profile, her eyes trained on Uley's face. Uley was oblivious, grinning straight at whoever had the camera. Something on the right side caught Ed's eye, and he took a step closer to examine.

And then he blinked.

Was this a trick? It had to be. No way was that a fourteen year old Winry, sprawled out on the grass behind her parents.

Sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Ed yanked open the door and lunged into the hallway. In front of his was a wall of impossible photos. Winry, laughing with her mom. Their entire family on a boat. Edward gave a little gasp when he noted that he was on the wall. Not just him, but Alphonse, too. Class pictures, birthday parties, lake trips- it was all there.

Alphonse, obviously over ten, in a body. Himself, also older, with an impossible flesh arm and leg. And his own parents-

His mother.

Edward's hand reached forward on its own, and touched his mothers face. It was older then he remembered, more lines near her eyes and small grey streaks in her hair. The changes didn't detract from her appearance. Just the opposite was true. The aging gave her a more majestic beauty, gifting her with the look of wisdom. And his bastard of a father-

He can't be turned loose- he'll run!

A intricate transmutation circle, suspended in the center of a room.

I'm aware.

A small child, shadows moving, tightening around his wrists, pulling him slowly upward.

Then what do you plan to-

His father- No! Not his father- ushering a lone officer inside.

He will be taken care of. I'll send him somewhere he'll have to stay until he's needed. I won't lose my sacrifice.

Memories flashed through Ed's mind, creating a hodgepodge of images and sounds. His head began to ache at the influx of information. Slowly, his eyes cracked open and landed on the image his father. This man was his father, at least. The color in his skin confirmed that. The strange doppelgänger was pale, enough so that it was easy to believe he hadn't set foot above ground for over a century, if not more.

The doppelgänger. This was his fault! Controlling the government, spying on him, changing Ling into that- that thing! And now, sending him into another universe-

But that was insane. Surely this was just a trick, some strange illusion to keep him in place. And, if that were the case, was Winry real? Or was she just that shape shifter? He'd have to find some way to prove it was her, something from their childhood.

"Ed?"

Ed snatched his automail arm in front of his body with his left hand, hiding it from Winry's line of sight. "Can I ask a weird question?" His voice was measured, controlled just enough to keep out panic, and he didn't turn to face her. Expression was one thing he didn't have much control over, and he didn't want it giving him away.

"Aren't they all?" Her sarcasm was tangible. "Shoot."

He took a deep breath. "Remember that one day when we walked home from school, and I fell into the river?"

Winry laughed. "Of course! We were what, six? Seven?"

"What did you tell me, right after?"

"I told you that only babies fell in the water because they walked on the railing, and then said I'd only play with Alphonse for the rest of the day because you were wet. Why?"

Instead of responding, Ed let out the huge breath he didn't know he'd been holding, stepped forward, and slammed his forehead to the wall. This was bad. This was very, very bad. Was his counterpart still here? And what if his parents saw him? Winry already had. There was so much that could go wrong here, not to mention that he was stuck in another dimension. He needed information, someone on his side, some who he could tell everything, who could hide him-

"Ed? Is everything okay?" Winry-who-wasn't-Winry's small hand touched his left shoulder.

He knew what to do.

"No. No, I'm not." Slowly, Ed lifted his head off the wall and turned to face the Winry double. "I think I'm stuck in another dimension."

Review, it feeds the ever hungry muse! (and prompts me to post faster.)

Wryder