A/N: Hi everyone! I don't know if any of you would know me—I've never written an FMA fanfic before—but I'm super happy that you chose to come to this story. I originally came up with the idea based on a piece of fanart I saw on Pinterest (www . pinterest pin/327144360410392573/ in case anyone is curious). I saw it a few weeks ago and thought a bit on the idea, but never actually got out of the planning stage. That is, until I convinced my good friend (and co-writer of this story) Donjusticia to watch Brotherhood. He of course loved the anime, and when I told him about my idea for this story, he eagerly requested to help me write it. And by "eagerly" I mean he gave me some really good points to consider, then parodied Ed's proposal to Winry at me.

…Well, you guys can thank Donjusitica for really getting this story off the ground. His insight and detailed writing combined with my general ideas and penchant for creating good dialogue have combined into what we hope will be an enjoyable story for all you readers.

With that said, neither Donjusticia nor I own Fullmetal Alchemist, nor do we own that piece of fanart that I based this off of.

Enjoy!

Prologue - Was, Is, and Will Be

Blue lightning dances around him, but all Roy Mustang can think about is how much his hands hurt. This shouldn't be happening. He refused to transmute, and that should have been the end of it. Now the homunculi have a way to force someone to commit human transmutation?

The lightning grows in intensity. The transmutation is almost complete—and he can't do anything to stop it.

"Colonel!"

Roy's head snaps up in alarm at the sound of his lieutenant's voice. He sees her struggling against the chimera and the Xingese girl, trying to make it to his side. If she does—she'll get pulled into the transmutation too. He can't have that. Absolutely not. "Stay where you are, Lieutenant!" he orders, lifting his head up as high as he possibly can. "You can't fulfill our promise if you're dead!"

He sees her freeze, a look of realization on her face. Realization and horror.

"If I step off the path, shoot and kill me with those hands. You are qualified to do that."

And he has stepped off the path. He nearly lost himself to revenge not long ago, and now he's going to become the last piece the homunculi need for their plan to succeed. That plan's success would result in the deaths of everyone in Amestris—and what is the worth of one man's life in the face of millions?

Riza draws her gun with unsteady hands. The sight hurts Roy, far more than the pain in his hands, far more than any injury he's received in the past, far more than the sound of her screams as he burned the tattoo off her back. He's always hurting her somehow—and this is the worst burden he's ever placed on her shoulders. If he had the time to apologize for everything, he would. But the transmutation is almost complete—there is no time.

Out of the corner of his eye, Roy sees Wrath take off, sword drawn. He's going to stop Riza—he's going to kill Riza. Roy screams and thrashes about against Pride's shadows one last time. The shadows dig into his throat and arms, but he ignores the pain—it's nothing. "Now, Riza!" he shouts. It doesn't even occur to him that he just called her by her first name. He makes eye contact with her one last time—her beautiful brown eyes, now stained by tears. He smiles. "Go on, Riza. I trust you."

He hears a BANG—

…

… …

… … …

… …

…

Roy Mustang awakens in a white void, gasping for breath, his head pounding. He raises a hand to his head—surprised to see the lack of a stab wound in it. He looks around in confusion, seeing nothing but an endless void of white, save the large stone gate before him. Intricately carved into the gate is a design that looks exactly like the tattoo on Riza's back.

He is alone in this place. Or at least, he thinks he is.

"Hello… al-che-mist."

Roy spins around in shock. Where at first he had only seen empty space, he can now see the dim outline of a male figure about the same size as him, crouching just a few feet away. The only feature the figure possesses is the outline of a mouth with grinning teeth—a smug and hungry-looking expression.

He backs away immediately, pressing against the stone gate.

"Why the sudden terror, al-che-mist?" the figure asks, not moving from its position. "Are you afraid of the truth?"

…The truth… the Elric brothers mentioned that, didn't they? That they saw a figure called Truth when they opened the portal. Roy straightens, stepping away from the gate. "So you're it, then? You're Truth?"

"I have been called that," the figure admits, "though you humans have affixed many other titles to my being. One, All, the World, the Universe, and even God. But you can also say that I am you." The figure points at Roy.

"I don't care what you're called," Roy retorts angrily. "You're the one who took away Alphonse's body and Edward's limbs. Is that why I'm here now? So you can torture me the same way?"

The creature's grin grows wider. "No need to imagine such unpleasantness of me. I simply exist to see that the law of equivalent exchange is upheld."

Roy holds in a laugh at that. He thinks of how "equivalent" of an exchange those boys received, giving up their bodies only to receive a hollow, mangled corpse. "So I'm to be punished for human transmutation, then? When I had no say in the matter? That sure sounds just," he says dryly. "Then again, you do uphold equivalent exchange exactly, such as when you let people with Philosopher's Stones bypass your own law."

Truth snickers, holding up one finger. "First correction, equivalent exchange is not 'my law', as you claim. It is an unalterable principle of reality. You can escape the principle no more than you can escape your own human mortality." Holding up a second finger, it continues, "Second correction, despite all their power, Philosopher's Stones do not bypass equivalent exchange. They merely replace the medium of exchange with energy from human souls. Surely one like you would know that, al-che-mist. You're the one who forced two homunculi to deplete all the energy within their Stones."

Roy crosses his arms, looking away from Truth. "I didn't come here for a lecture on alchemy. I didn't come here of my own volition at all, actually, so I'd really appreciate it if you just let me go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Roy Mustang," Truth replies, leaning forward. "As you so rightly pointed out, since you were forced to commit the taboo, you should be able to get off easy."

Roy blinks in surprise, but then considers Truth's last words. "I should be able to get off easy? What do you mean, I still have to pay a price?"

"The homunculus Pride has shouldered most of the debt within his own Philosopher's Stone," Truth explains, "but it cannot take all of it. A law is a law, and I do need to exact a toll from you." It pauses, shifting around its weight with a sigh. An actual sigh. "That is, I would exact a toll from you, if you were alive."

"What?!" Roy exclaims, recoiling into the stone gate again. "What do you mean, 'if I was alive'? Of course I'm alive, how else would I have—" A memory flashes before his eyes. Riza's tear-stricken face as she stares back at him and pulls the trigger. He'd been so confused by waking up in this place that he'd completely forgotten what had happened right before he got here. He'd just assumed the transmutation had gone through, but it couldn't have. "…I don't understand. I should be dead. I shouldn't have been able to do the transmutation, I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't—"

"Ah, so you remember now," Truth interrupts. "Yes, Roy Mustang, you should be dead. And yet, against all odds, you are here before me. The moment the transmutation was completed and the moment the bullet entered your head occurred simultaneously, thus you are here now, waiting to be shown the truth, and leaving me in quite the predicament."

Before Roy can reply, a mass of shadow hands, reminiscent of Pride's, snake around his body, pulling him backwards. He snaps his head around to see the hands coming from the gateway—the two stone slabs now wide open. He's going to be pulled inside, and the thought terrifies him. He thinks this is going to be his punishment, dragged back into whatever hell lies beyond those doors. Roy desperately thrashes against the shadowy hands, ripping some off his shoulders while dozens more wrap around him.

"No!" he cries, as the number of hands grow too much. "This isn't right, you can't do this to me!" He reaches out, but there's nothing to grab hold of. Nothing is before him other than the cold smile of Truth.

The gate slams shut before his eyes, and now he's falling. Falling through space and time. Random images and equations, forced into his brain. Flashes of his memories, played out in reverse before his eyes. His eyes grow wide with shock and pain as he looks about. Every inch of space around Roy's body is crowded with an innumerable host of images and flashes of knowledge, impossible to describe and even more impossible to comprehend. He sees secrets of alchemy he never considered, solutions to problems no human could comprehend, the innermost thoughts of every creature that had ever inhabited the Earth.

It's too much.

Roy screams—a guttural sound unlike any he's ever heard before. His head pounds as though to burst, like he had spent ten straight years cramming textbook after textbook of information in a hasty preparation for some impossible exam. It isn't just his mind—his very being feels like it is shrinking to nothingness. He feels as though he is drowning in this ocean of knowledge beyond the portal.

"Make it stop!" he begs. "Please, make it stop! I don't want this—I just—isn't there some way I can fix this? Why can't I go back? I—please—I can't do this!"

He feels his body fall to pieces, strip after strip of skin, muscle, and nerves peeling away like sheets of paper. The agony is enough to make him wish for unconsciousness or even death—but then, he sees something, swirling overhead in this vortex of knowledge. He reaches for it.

Looking back, there is no way Roy can ever explain to another person what he saw, and yet somehow understood.

He sees the consequences of his death.

"I'm right behind you, Roy."

There's Riza shooting herself in the head, right before Wrath reaches her with his swords. A smile on her face.

"Is that…? Colonel!"

There's his body, deposited into the same room the Elric brothers and Izumi Curtis had been teleported to. There's Edward, flipping him over, only to see the bullet hole in his forehead, and screaming at the sight.

"The woman, we couldn't stop her. She shot him and then herself."

There's Pride, telling his "father" what happened, a hand over his face where it is beginning to fall apart.

"After all this time… and it's all been for nothing?!"

There's the Homunculus, going berserk, flashes of red lightning all around its body and the ground. There's spikes, coming out of the ground and impaling Izumi Curtis. There's sparks, disintegrating the armor that Alphonse is bound to.

"……You… you BASTARD!"

There's Ed, wrought with grief, madly charging at the Homunculus.

"I don't think so, Edward Elric."

There's Pride, gleefully leaping forward, capturing Ed with his shadows, holding him hostage until Pride forces his consciousness and Stone into the boy's body.

"…Well, I suppose it can't be helped. I'll have to wait until the next eclipse."

There's the nationwide transmutation circle, still activating despite the loss of the sacrifices, the legion of shadowy hands absorbing the souls of all in Amestris. And there's the Homunculus' vow, to ensure his plans would not be foiled again.

That is the future that awaits him outside of this gate.

Death and suffering.

But there's more. He continues reaching up, at the stream of energy he sees flowing in one direction. His hand brushes it and he knows just what it is. Time. It's time. And… it, it's changing. The flow of energy reverses, like a reverse transmutation circle. The flow is backwards now.

The souls return. Edward is freed. Alphonse's armored body is intact again. Izumi and Riza come back to life.

Roy comes back to life.

None of what he had seen happens!

He removes his hand from the stream and the flow resumes its original course, but it isn't the same as before. The stream is cutting a new path to the future—and he, Roy Mustang, had altered its flow!

"I can do it!" he exclaims. "I understand! Time! It's not immaterial, it's matter! It can be transmuted! I can fix this, if I can just see how! I can—!"

He's suddenly thrown onto his back, returned to the white void. His body quivers while he gasps for breath. Roy can't do anything but stare up at the empty white ceiling as Truth speaks to him.

"So, did you enjoy the gift your transmutation gave you?"

Roy sits up after a few moments, having caught his breath and gathered his strength. "I saw it… I saw the truth… time, it can be changed." He turns to look at Truth. "Why did you show me that? Did the Elric brothers see the same thing?"

Truth nods. "All who open the portal of Truth must be prepared to receive the knowledge that lies beyond. Although, so far, I've never actually seen a human who's been able to take it all in. Most either lose their minds or choose just a couple pieces of the Truth to focus on. Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, and Izumi Curtis all wanted to learn how to advance their alchemy, and so they all saw how to perform it without using a transmutation circle. However, in your case, it would seem you wanted to learn how alchemy could be used to alter Truth itself."

"I wanted to… alter Truth itself?"

"It's only natural, for someone who has died." Truth grins. "Tell me, al-che-mist. Do you even know what Truth is?"

Roy goes quiet, thinking about the answer. There's no way he's qualified to give a philosophical answer to that. "Truth… well… it's… it's the opposite of lies, and… uh… it's what's real. Right?"

Truth nods again. "Truth is indeed what is real, though your explanation is somewhat vague on the details. To be more precise, Truth is knowledge. It is the knowledge of things as they were, as they are, and as they will be."

"…I see," Roy says, but he isn't sure if he agrees. "Is, is that why I saw what I did?"

"You saw the Truth of what will be, correct?" Truth asks. At Roy's nod, it continues, "It is inevitable at this point. Given the flow of time, everyone in Amestris is doomed to die. There is nothing anyone can do to stop it. That is the Truth."

Roy slams his fist against the empty void. "That can't be the whole truth!" he protests. "I saw it—there's a way to change it! If I could just go back and look, I could change what will be!"

"And so you begin to understand," Truth muses with a smile. "As of now, you have paid the toll for your involuntary transgression with a quick trip through the portal. You're free to return to your world at this point, but as you can see, you have two options before you."

Roy blinks, and suddenly there are two more sets of gates occupying the white void, flanking Truth on either side. Truth gestures to the door on the right. "Through this gate lies the future that is now. Should you go through this gate, your death will have managed to prevent the Homunculus from obtaining the power of God, but all of Amestris will still end up dead, as you saw. However…" Truth gestures to the other door. "If you insist on finding the Truth you so badly desire, then the answer lies beyond these doors. Who knows what you'll find? A better Truth, or one that's even worse? Just know that the toll to see the other side is a dear one. It's your decision, Roy Mustang."

Roy looks back and forth between the doors, considering his options. He can't even begin to imagine what he'll sacrifice to choose the left door—just that it will be extremely high. However, considering what he had seen in the portal… he can't let what happens beyond the right doors exist. If there's even a flicker of possibility for him to save Amestris and all of his friends, he will take it. He has to. But first… "What's the price for this knowledge, Truth?"

"You desire to alter time and therefore to alter Truth. These are not small gifts, so you should not expect the price to be small. But, why ask me that question when it is clear that you have already made up your mind?"

Roy clenches his fists, nodding in agreement. "You're right, I have made up my mind. I won't stand by and let everyone die because of me, because of the burden I forced on Riza. You can take my arms, my legs, my entire soul, whatever you need for your equivalent exchange! Just know that I will not give up until I have completely eradicated your miserable 'Truth' and replaced it with a better one!"

The right gate vanishes, and the remaining one swings open.

"Then the Gate is open for you. Go and claim your prize, Roy Mustang."

A/N: …So? Did you all enjoy this prologue? Please, tell us what you think in a review, and make sure you favorite and/or follow this story to keep up with it!

Oh! And before anyone asks, there aren't any plans to focus too much on romance outside of the general stuff you'd see in canon, but if there is, you can count on it being Royai.

And now, a word from Donjusticia:

Donjusticia's A/N: Thank you all very much for reading and enjoying this chapter. Sky has worked very hard on this, so please give this series your support and DO NOT forget to leave a review. And now, for no reason at all, I have a story I'd like to share with you!

*Tap. Tap.*

So I was hiking with my buddy Orville when my cousin Nelly decided to bring along her brothers, Larry and Ymir. We met the Park Ranger, Trevor, who informed us that two hikers, Ike and Michelle, had gotten lost while hiking with his partner, Eric. Larry and Orville were naturally frightened and wanted to call their buddy, Salem, an expert mountaineer, to see if he would accompany them and Trevor on the hike so that they could be safe. However, an air-headed tourist named Carly, and her friend, Alice, began chatting it up with Nelly before hiking into the woods so we were forced to follow.

My uncle Pete would tell you a different story, but I know what really happened. You see, Alice began daring the rest of us to hike into a dark thicket. Ymir backed out, but the rest of us didn't want to look like chickens so we hiked on in. Inside the woods, we met a geocacher named Filmore who was looking for a nearby geocache. Orville helped him find it, and in the process, we met another geocacher named Rita. Trevor warned us that it was getting dark and that we should head back, reminding us that Ike and Michelle had gone missing along this same track after they met the bear, Eric, but we told the park ranger to stop acting like my Grandpa George.

Alice took the lead of our group, skipping along as she did, when she suddenly stopped. There was the lost hiker, Ike, whistling while whittling a stick.

"What are you doing here!?" Nelly asked, before she heard a roar. There was Eric the bear, chasing after us. We all got out of the woods just fine, but my Aunt Delilah still won't believe my story to this day.

*End story*

True FMA fans will understand what I just did. And if you don't get it, DON'T WORRY! Just keep reading and enjoying!