Author's Note: This is a story my friend and I came up with together! She told me the general idea, and I wrote it! ^_^ Hope you like! Please read and review! Thanks! (Yay! First time I've ever written about a boy main character! ^o^)

Chapter 1: Arrival

It was 8:00 PM, and I was in my room on my computer like usual. As always, I was having that darn writer's block again, so I went to to watch anime. I didn't feel like watching Inuyasha, Hetalia, or anything new at the moment, so I decided to watch my favorite episode of my favorite TV show. As always, I got to the right page fast, and clicked on the button for Mega Video to upload, and then pressed play.

While the loading bar inched forward, I watched it, too excited and scared to go to a different page—in case it might change in any way. It was my favorite TV show, at my favorite episode, and I loved watching it almost every night!


Edward Elric groaned.

"Jeez Al, you don't have to go hard on me, do you?" Edward asked hysterically as he rubbed his hurting automail. "I'm still not entirely used to this stuff, you know."

"I know, I'm sorry," his brother, Alphonse said with concern. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I'm not hurt!" Edward snapped quickly. "I'm just not entirely used to my new limbs yet!"

Al sighed. "Alright, alright," he said shooing his hands to the ground and looking out across the plains of Resembool.

There was a breeze traveling through the grass fields that Alphonse could not feel. The green trees stirred slightly, but Alphonse could not feel that either. The sun was also hot above the wisps of clouds, but still Alphonse could not feel it. Alphonse could not feel anything, but sadness. Sadness, longing, and fear of being trapped in this body of cold armor forever. Finally he looked away from the beautiful scenery even farther up the rising road to take his mind off of it, but only became even sadder as he looked on the very top of the hill.

There stood his house. The house he hadn't gone back to for almost a year now. He missed it. He missed many things, especially… But no matter how much it hurt to look there, what Alphonse wanted to do more than anything was go over to it. Just to see his house one more time…

Though there was no possible expression on his face, Edward could tell his brother was thinking about something.

"What is it?" Ed asked, though he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," he said gazing back towards Ed. He tried not to show any signs of longing in his voice, but when he gazed back at their house's white sidings that said it all.

"Don't you worry, Al. I'll get your body back no matter what it takes. I just need some more time. But I promise I'll get it back." When Al continued staring at the top of the hill, Ed looked down to stare at his hands, seeing the two were completely different from each other. One was soft, warm, and squishy; the other was made of cold, grey, steel.

Edward clenched his fists and his shoulder gave a slight tingle. He looked up. "Right! Let's keep going!" Ed suddenly shouted, making Alphonse jump with a small clink. "The sooner I get this thing working correctly, the sooner I'll make that statement a reality!"


I was still watching that loading bar.

"Jeez, how long can it take?" I muttered to myself, but I started it anyway.

"Okay! Second episode, second episode!" I sang to myself as it started.

"Alchemy: the science of deconstruction and reconstruction…" the narrator started, I adjusted myself as it continued. "…but it is not an all-powerful art. You cannot make something out of nothing; that's the law of 'equivalent exchange', the basis of all alchemy. In accordance to this law there is taboo among Alchemists. Human transmutation is strictly forbidden. For what could equal the value of a human soul?" And then the theme song, Again, started. I mouthed along with the words, having no idea what they meant in English.

I smiled to myself as the theme ended, and switched through the whole beginning just to watch my favorite part at 6 minutes and 45 seconds…


"Ow!"

"We should stop, Ed!" Alphonse said. "Your automail can't take too much in one day! You need to rest!"

"Oh stop it, Al!" Ed retorted but through compressed teeth. His eyes were shut, and he was on the ground clutching his right shoulder, and holding his left leg close.

"I'm not kidding! Maybe we should stop."

"I said I'm fine!" he shouted. "I promised myself one year, and that's what it's going to be! Now—"

"Ed! Al!" The pair turned around toward the Rockbell house to see their friend, Winry, on the balcony. "What are you guys—" She stared at Ed sitting in a ball on the ground. "Oh great, what did you guys do now? Were you being too hard on your automail again?" she asked, showing no sympathy toward him at all.

Edward just turned back around to grumble some curses to himself. No one else could hear.

"Anyways," she resumed looking away. "Granma says to come inside for some more adjustments. She says—"

"Not AGAIN!" Ed wailed coming back to his senses, though he still ached all over. "I've already had THREE tune-ups this morning!" he complained.

"Oh, don't be a baby!" Winry said putting her hands on the railing. "I'm sure this won't hurt quite as much as the LAST time," she said, peeking out of the corner of her eye for Ed's expression—which was utter fear.

"I'm sure it won't," Ed mumbled again.

"What was that?" Winry asked.

"Nothing," he said trying to look innocent. Winry scoffed.

"We'll be waiting," she called, walking back through the door she came out. It shuddered behind her.

"Erg…" Ed took a deep breath and tried to stand up.

"Er, Ed!" Al rushed to him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Ed wobbled, but stood on his own anyway. "We'd better go see what Granma wants," he said, taking a step. He stumbled back down.

"I'm not kidding, Ed! You shouldn't push yourself! …Do you need me to carry you?" Al asked sternly.

Edward glared at his brother but said nothing. Finally, sighing, he shook himself, waited for a moment longer, and let go of his arm able to stand. "I'm fine," he said again. "Now let's go." He walked up the steps with slight unbalance, and opened the front door.

Alphonse wondered why his brother always acted so tough on the outside, even when it meant taking much longer to do things alone.


"Who are you?" Edward asked with an embarrassed and dull look on his face.

"Oh! I'm so glad you asked!" answered the faceless being in front of him, who blended so well into the background it was hard to distinguish him from it. He gave off an aura of surprise, satisfaction, and happiness all at the same time as he said, "I am called by many names," and continued on. "I am the World. I am the Universe. I am God. I am Truth. I am All. I am One." He moved to point at Ed. "And, I am also, you," Truth said; Ed stood speechless. There was a sudden rush of wind behind, and a large creek. "You have dared to knock on the door," Edward dared not look behind him. "Now, the door is open."

Black hands shot out of the doorway. Ed tried to turn and run, but was seized. He squealed and screamed as the hands snatched his arms. Without much trouble, the hands pulled him into the portal.

"Quiet, child," Truth said. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Edward still cried out, reaching to him—to god—but the Truth did nothing.

"I will show you, the Truth."

The door closed; my computer screen went out. I waited for a moment; nothing happened. I tried pressing the power button; nothing happened. Still I waited; still nothing.

I licked my lips and pushed my glasses up father on my nose. "What the hell?" I muttered to myself. Finally the screen came back on, but only the back light. I sighed in relief, but it wasn't the resuming window that came on screen. I stared. There was something else on it: the eye of the Truth. Then black hands shot out of my computer to seize me.

"Ehah!" I gasped as the hands held my arms fast, pulling me closer to the eye—though even I don't even see how I could get much closer to my computer.

A void of darkness suddenly consumed me. I was in a never-ending hell, but I could not move for the black hands still held tight, suspending me there. I didn't know what was happening. All of a sudden, all I knew was darkness, and the hard ground.


"Finally, THAT is over with," Ed growled rubbing his shoulder again as he and Alphonse walked back outside. They turned and stopped to gaze at the red sun for a second. Edward looked away. "We should keep going. I need to get this automail issue straightened out as soon as possible." He got in a battle stance.

Alphonse looked at him and swayed. "Uh, brother?" he asked.

Ed sighed, but stood with his feet together again. "What is it, Al?" Edward asked putting his hands behind his hips, and closing his eyes. "Something's been bothering you all afternoon."

"Well it's just that—" Alphonse stopped.

"What?" Edward asked again.

"Well, I… I just wanted to see our house again… you know, before we…"

"Oh…" Edward was surprised. "Yeah, I kinda did too…" Ed glanced over at him. "So, you wanna go?" he asked looking at him as he crossed his arms.

"Uh… well if you don't want to…"

"Oh it's fine!" Edward laughed. "It's not like that 'Truth' guy is going to be there or anything!" He smiled as he nudged his brother. Al didn't move an inch; he had no idea what Ed was talking about. "Just a sec, I have to go get my coat." Ed twirled back through the front door. Alphonse still stared at the house on the hill.

"Alright, let's go." Edward rushed back out wearing his crimson coat, black undershirt and pants beneath it. He put his hands in his pockets, gazing at the dull dirt road that seemed to go on forever leading up to their house. Not knowing what to say to his brother, the two slowly traveled to the house they hadn't been to for almost a year.

As they scuffled farther, it got darker, and the trees grew quieter. The birds started to settle down, and the stars above began appearing, and before Ed knew it, they were standing on the edge of their house's yard.

Neither of them really knew what to do, so just stood there looking at the house. They wondered whether either of them challenged to go in or not, but didn't move from their position none the less. Suddenly Alphonse flinched and made a sound that startled Ed. He was staring at the porch. Ed noticed a bump on it, but nothing usual. Until he noticed it was breathing, and it was also a different color, texture, and shape than the rest of the wood scantlings.

Alphonse ran to it, but Edward stayed put—thinking it really was Truth…

"Ed!" Al yelled making him jump again. "There's a person on our porch!"

Ed blinked.

"What do you mean, 'there's a person on our porch?'" He said in a hoarse voice, thinking his brother was crazy.

"No, really, Ed! There's a person on the porch!" Alphonse shrieked. Edward didn't know if Al wanted him to go see, or stay where he was. "Come here, Ed!" Al screamed. Ed didn't see what was with his tone, but did as he was told, anyway.

He was right: there was a person there! Thoroughly astounded, Edward crept closer, and he and Alphonse bent down.

She was a girl—not very pretty in Edward's mind, but—had a kind face. She lay there with her mouth open slightly, and didn't look too far from a normal Amestrian. Only her hair a bit darker shade of blonde, and her face not quite as broad. She almost as though she had fallen asleep there, but didn't look too comfortable, so that probably wasn't the case… She didn't look too much taller, or older than either of them—if Alphonse had his real body, of course—but she did seem to have a serious look to her features next to the kind one…

Edward bent closer; her clothes were strange. It looked like she had something under her shirt covering her—

"What are you doing, Ed?" Alphonse finally asked.

Edward sprang up. "What? Oh, nothing," he said eyeing under her shirt again, but then thought better of it and shook his head, quickly looking away. "Are you done? Let's go." He hastily spun around and started walking back down the path again.

"Uh-h, Ed!"

"WHAT?"

Alphonse hesitated.

"We-we aren't just going to leave her here, are we?" he asked, looking between them. Ed shrugged.

"I don't see why not," he said plainly. Alphonse gave him a look, and picked the girl up easily.

"Well I'm not leaving her," Alphonse stated, and walked back to the Rockbell house beside his brother. Edward rolled his eyes.

"You're too nice, Al."

If Alphonse had had a tongue at that moment he would have stuck it out at Ed.