This is my first fanfic. I do not own any characters or storyline of FMA.

Envy, "And remember to eat your daily waffles!"

Please review when you are done with these. First few chapters are up. Thank you for reading!

-Snow22-

Prologue: The Truth

Alchemy is basically the science of creating and recreating matter.

It's flaws and creations have led a worldwide phenomenon in our humble world of Shambala. This somewhat crude manner of science has led on through wars and times of crises and famine. It has been told of in legends and stories of great and powerful heroes and leaders. But its power has also been corrupted heavily and used in the wrong ways.

In order to perform these so-called miracles, many rules are enforced with each single transmutation circle. Humans cannot be resurrected or else strange things happen. Greed, as in example trying to create gold from lead, is strictly prohibited. Even the famed Philosopher's Stone is said to bring great power at a terrible price of which I am not even sure of myself.

My sister Bethany and I have learned this through our parents Winry and Edward Elric and also through the skills of our home teacher Izuma.

We were born only two years apart, I being the eldest. During our childhood we met many of our parent's old friends who told fascinating stories. Many were still in the military forces. For some reason, our Teacher always told us that we should never join them no matter how friendly they were.

Her son, Noah was just an infant at that time.

One of my father's most hated friends had a son around my age named Michael that played with me on the weekends. He found my type of alchemy fascinating, but also had a terrible fear of guns that was never explained. His hair was about shoulder length, pitch black like ink. His sister, Maria, was the type you'd stay away from. She had dark black eyes with a hairstyle similar to her mothers. She loved weaponry and wasn't hesitating to use it on someone at any given moment.

But my sister Beth, she always stood next to me during every little thing. Whether it was dinner, sleeping, training or nature walks, she always stood so faithfully by me. Her hair is mysteriously black, with huge blue eyes and a shy and quiet air. I was the exact opposite, loud mouthed and obnoxious at times.

Then a couple years ago, about two or three, our parents went out on a strange mission and haven't returned since.

We decided to pair up with our closest relative, Alison Marie Elric who was the child of our uncle Alphonse and auntie Rose. She was only a month older than I, but we did tend to fight at times. Due to several accidents in the past, all of her limbs were replaced with automail graciously given to her by our mother. She is interested in mechanics, and also loves to race because she always wins. Her eyes are blue, and her hair is put into two braided pigtails, and the bangs look eerily like her father's.

Everyone always tells me I look like dad. Well sure I have the golden eyes, long blonde hair tied up into a braid. I also always have a red ribbon tied in a neat bow on my thick right bang.

Now I am sixteen, my sister who is terribly smart is fourteen.

Our school was called The Junior University for Young Alchemists. Three hundred kids and teens worked and played, and teachers taught only five or six children at once. For us now, Teacher was our mother.

Bethany shyly smiled at me as I held her shoulder looking at the fountain where other children were playing near the track outside.

Michael and Maria Mustang, who spoke over the noise, laughed to a joke an Isvalian teen told. As for our teacher, she was busy smiling at her two-year old son, playfully giggling at a nearby summer dragonfly. But during the peace, Alimarie noisily punched my arm with her automail smirking with a happy-go-lucky kind of attitude, "Come on…we've got to go…" She looked down at my outfit and jumped up slightly, "So you actually wore a skirt shorty?"

A deep red blush entered my face, and I swiped at the long blue-tipped skirt. It was rare for me to wear anything like this at all. "Yeah so…today's special. I can feel it right here!' I pointed at my chest.

"In your bosom?" She was just waiting for me to snap. Her breasts were very large, like you could punch her there and she wouldn't even feel it. Mine were tiny, so she always made fun of both my height and size.

"No my heart you doofus!"

Beth shook her head, pulling on both our shirts, "Stop bickering girls. We've got to study. If we do good on our test Teacher's going to treat us to dinner tonight."

We agreed, heading into the building somewhat at peace with lightning running through our veins. Whenever she and I argued it lasted for about ten seconds and then realizing our mistakes and that we were family, we laughed like maniacs. And that's exactly what we did; holding each other's shoulders in family pride and laughed all the way into our next class, making heavy tears flow down our cheeks in hysteria. Teacher followed holding her son as Beth sighed, scratching her head silently.

A shot rang through the building and the lights were turned down as an emergency session. Bethany and I stood close to each other, holding our waists in fear. Thoughts ran widely in my head. Where was Ali?

One of the kids in the classroom was so terrified he puked, another fainted.

Suddenly the wall decomposed, and we braced ourselves, me standing in the front of the ten kids.

But on the other side was Ali, standing with bloodstains on her pure white blouse. She quickly clapped her hands together, refusing the wall back together. She could do that, for she had seen Truth two times in a row.

"There are only two killers, but don't go out there! They could be anywhere! And already too many kids have gone…"

It was true, later I would see the true slaughter of the area. People's bodies lie scattered around the building, blood was like a sea and the pipes were thrown about spraying water on the alchemic circles used to try and defend the students. Whatever these thieves were, they were dangerous if they could deflect master alchemists like our teachers.

As we embraced the moment, the door was knocked down. A figure stood in the darkness, a figure I couldn't make out at first. Then I saw it was a man with gritty black hair, bagged eyes. He wore nothing but a pair of pants and a large sleeveless jacket. On his chest was an enlarged red tattoo, one that I'd never seen before. A red serpent biting its own tail around a six-pointed star…

He looked at Beth first, holding the gun up to her chest. Before any of us had to move or act, and with an apology he said, "I'm sorry but it was ordered by them."

When the gun shot off, Ali moved her joints to fully punch the male in his jaw, sending him through the wall and leaving an impact into the steel lockers. I caught Bethany in my shaking hands, eyes overflowing with unfelt tears.

"B-Beth?"

She looked down at the wound, impacting the side of her ribcage. The blood was now pouring out from the round area, her breath becoming shallow. Blood began to gurgle in her throat but she managed to slice clearly through, whimpering.

"Samantha…I hurt."

"Shh…I know. Just hang on alright?"

Ali gasped at her condition, the other kids backed away when I lay her on the floor. "What are we going to do?" She told, tears forming as well.

I shook my head, hair flying out of my braid. "I'm going to do something. Beth, please don't give up. You've gotta be strong."

Just across from us were the class projects, a collection of art given to the school as a new way to show off our talents. Bethany had made this piece of body armor built tall for a woman. It had bosoms, black hair, pointed boots but the most interesting thing about it was its other features. It had the head of a fox compete with ears and also a tail hung from the back.

She loved foxes, her favorite animal.

The school was going to place it on a pedestal but I snatched it from the corner.

"I saw this in one of the books…maybe it will work."

Ali even stepped back when I drew a seal on the back of the armor's neck. Her face became blue with nervous tension, "What are you doing?"

I didn't answer. Beth's chest was moving slower and slower with each minute we wasted. So with no hesitation or though whatsoever, I created a very large transmutation circle using her lost blood.

Then with one last swipe I kneeled towards the bottom, Beth in the very middle of it. With my eyes stuck, I clapped and placed bloodied hands on the circle.

Everything was swallowed into a plain of soft and soundproof nothingness. "Ali? Beth?"

When I began to catch glimpses of cream-colored tinges, a gate the size of a mountain stood directly in front of me.

It had the tree of life with Latin terms etched onto its steel surface and a cold presence lingered. Suddenly the armor with the blood seal landed behind me.

Beth's body now completely stripped of clothing lie in front of the Gate, not even breathing but in a deep peaceful sleep. Her long black hair was spread on the ground in a small half-circle and it appeared as if she was going to float at any moment.

"This is…the Gate…?" I'd never seen it myself before, so I was a little shocked. This Gate was said to be the whole source of alchemy and of suffering. A voice appeared next to me and a small glowing child-like figure with no real body stood. "What do you want?"

"Who are you?"

"Names from everywhere I have. God, Creator, All, One, Truth or Universe. Hey let me guess, you want this girl brought back?"

My golden eyes glowed with hope, "Yes…can you do that?"

"Yeah kid, but a few rules have to be set down. Go in there first and then if you survive, I'll let you in a secret."

I didn't have a say in the situation, the gate flung open with the force of God and there was naught but pitch black. Without warning an enormous purple colored eye slanted opened and following is opening, black tiny arms stretched and picked towards me with long extended fingers.

When I saw the truth, it was a terrifying experience. All the knowledge and information on creation itself was exposed before my eyes, streams of human memories floating away and disappearing. I struggled to get myself through the blackness, covering my eyes as the tiny evil imps nibbled on my legs and arms. In an effort to push them away, I stumbled and landed on my elbows, looking up towards a bright light. A warm somewhat familiar voice called to me and I reached out my hand. After that I ended up coming back to the boy, still lying on my stomach.

"Hm…you actually made it girly. Nice work. But too bad…"

I stood up and faced him with fear still implanted in my face. "What's too bad?"

"The girls' body has to remain here until her body has healed. Until then I need something from you so I can place her soul in the armor."

It took some time for the whole situation to run inside my thoughts but finally with a sharp turn on the back of the leather heel, I walked up to the bodiless spirit and held up my right arm. "Take this from me! I don't really need it anyway. Take the skin and muscle from the upper top half of my back. Just make sure Beth's alright when I get her back!"

Without another word the figure smiled widely and...I felt a weird sensation in my arm. As I looked down, my body froze watching as the flesh turned into ribbons, sticking onto his shapeless body. Even a medium portion from my upper back was added, and the smile grew wider.

"Thanks lady, nice doing business with you."

Reality arrived when the blood started to spurt out. I screamed aloud, louder than anything else in the building. Ali was so shocked, almost hyperventilating upon my arrival. She started to transmute things in my blind spot.

The pain, it forced me to kneel down, using my remaining arm to hold onto the area where the blood flowed as if it was a waterfall. Tears formed in my eyes, upon seeing that Beth's body was gone.

Teeth clenching I forced my head to get up and scan the area.

The armor lie there still, glowering black holes for eyes in the world of the undead. As Ali finished making automail to replace my broken areas, wrapping me in bandages she asked me in a panicked voice with snot and tears mixing with the blood.

"What the hell did you do Samantha Elric? What did you do?"

The eyes on the armor started to flicker and strange yellow glowing spheres formed in the center of the eyeholes. When I hear her hum, it was the point when I relaxed.

"I saved her Ali. I have made her immortal, until her body heals."

A slap was found across my cheek and I looked up. Her face was red, and a scowl now littered her beauty. "Don't you understand? How are we going to do that now you idiot? You don't know anything of the Truth do you?"

"I was there Ali! I saw it too! Listen, we will get her back one of these days. We will find my parents and we will go home as a family!!"

After that point I blacked out.