Summary: After two years, Edward is finally able to go back to his world. But as always, there is a catch, and even the Fullmetal Alchemist is not able to tell easily if the chance that was given to him is a blessing or a curse. After series, Pre-movie. Yaoi (RoyEd)

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Promise.

A.N: This is entirely anime based, though obviously the whole concept of the "Truth-being" was inspired by what I've heard about manga, but even that I changed to the way I found I needed. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy

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Prologue

The familiar yellow light was absent. That was the first sign to Edward that something was different from before, and he thought that maybe this was it, maybe he was finally at the end of his journeys and the gate was going to claim him (all of him – his body, his mind, his soul) for the eternity. But the moment he thought this the stifling darkness around him shifted somehow, and he felt he was no longer alone. One more moment later he heard footsteps.

There was no light, but as the sound came nearer, the human silhouette became clearer and clearer until Edward could see the person as well as if he stood in broad daylight. It was a boy no older than ten, smiling innocently and waving at him.

"Hello, Edward" he said, halting his steps as he stood in front of him and grinning up at him playfully "I'd say I'm glad to see you here again, but as I am The Truth, it would feel bad to lie."

"The Truth?" Edward asked, surprised, and the boy before him pouted.

"I'm hurt, nii-chan. You came in contact with my gate so many times and you can't even tell who I am?" The Truth asked and turned away from him. When it turned back it was looking like a woman as beautiful as Lust "It doesn't matter, I suppose." She spoke and began moving again, her steps elegant and soundless.

Edward did feel like he knew the presence before him, met it before, bargained with it before. He knew it well enough not to be surprised at all by it changing its shape.

"It feels like you are a regular customer of mine by now" the woman said, slowly walking around him, making Edward feel as if she were a predator, circling its prey "And so I decided to give you some… special service, if you will." She whispered in a silky voice going behind his back, and then appearing again next to his left arm, looking as an old man with two golden front teeth.

"You see, equivalent exchange is a tricky thing, especially in this situation. If we want to keep things even, I have to make a real effort this time." The old man said, looking at him with seemingly unblinking eyes, making Edward feel as uncomfortable and anxious as his words did. "You must have enough experience already to realize that even all that blood down there is not enough to pay the whole price." Edward flinched at these words and looked away – he was angry, horrified, ashamed, sad, he was grieving, he had no longer expected to come here – but The Truth came into his line of sight again, unperturbed by his reaction, this time looking as a teenage girl.

"I've put a lot of thinking in this" she said gazing dreamily off into the distance "And I think I found a way to make the given and the taken equal. The good news for you is, you get to go back to your world. But I'm afraid you'll find yourself a stranger to your friends. You'll understand what I mean quite soon after arriving there, I'm sure. You're a smart one after all. A prodigy" the girl batted her eyelashes as if flirting, but he did not care about that. He was busy trying to make sense out of Truth's words.

"To say it differently, I'm giving you a path home, and I'm giving you a chance to change things. That's your gain." Spoke a man in a business suit, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with a pale blue napkin "But the catch is, you won't be able to change anything for yourself, you'll stay as you are. That might be more difficult than you imagine. And moreover, you lose all the relationships. That's the price." He finished and put his glasses back on.

"What do you mean?" asked Edward. He couldn't make any sense of what The Truth was saying and his head was starting to hurt.

"Don't be too hasty, young man" huffed a granny, putting her basket on the ground. It smelled like baking. "As I've said, you'll understand everything soon. You should be going now, anyway. Do you want something to eat on the way? I've got some delicious warm buns in here. With blueberry jam" she said, taking off the cloth covering the basket to reveal that it really was full of buns, taking one out and putting it in a baffled Edward's hand.

"Oh, and take this too" a teacher-like woman said taking out a blueberry sized thing from her pocket. "It's sour, but then again, most memories are. Take care of it, I can only give you one – it's to make the equation equal on both sides. Use it wisely. Think things through and save it for the one to whom you are sure you have to give it, and not to someone who might not even want to remember. Now off you go."

There was no flash of light, but there was even more darkness, and after that, Ed found himself in front of his house – the same one he burned so many years ago – with no one to explain anything to him, and a still warm bun in his hand.

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A.N: If I left you confused, don't worry – a lot will be explained in the next chapter. Feedback is loved, cherished and worshipped. So please review! XD

Oh, and this is my first multi-chapter (and I do hope I'll be able to finish it, though I am not making any promises about updating fast), so someone to read through my writings before I force them unto other people would be very much appreciated xD. English is not my first language after all xD.