Alchemy, the science of understanding the structure of matter, breaking it down, then reconstructing it into something else. It can even make gold from lead. But Alchemy is a science. So it must follow the natural laws. To create, something of equal value must be lost. This is the principle of Equivalent Exchange. But on that night, I learned that the values of some things can't be measured on a simple scale.

"Al... AL, NO! STAY WITH ME! DAMN IT!" Ed screamed out as his brother was gone, only leaving a pile of clothes he had been wearing just seconds ago. "This wasn't suppose to... No! What have I done!?" Hearing a groan he turned away from where his brother disappeared from, to look where they had begun the transmutation. "Mom? Is that you?" But it wasn't his mother..it wasn't the beautiful woman he'd once known, instead a corpse of black laid in her place, a monster of his wort nightmares. Reaching out to him, trying to move closer to his crumbled body.

He screamed. Terrified and confused.

My brother and I knew the laws of science, of Equivalent Exchange. The gain required sacrifice, that something had to be taken from us. But we thought there was nothing more we could lose. We were wrong.

Edward crawled his way over to the armour knocking it over, the helmet failing away to skid across the floor. He moved to the open hole, his bloodied fingers shakily moving across the inside of the armour making a transmutation circle.

"Give him back! He's my brother!" He squeezed his bleeding stump. "Take my leg, take my arm, take my heart! ANYTHING! YOU CAN HAVE IT! Just give him back! HE'S MY LITTLE BROTHER, HE'S ALL I HAVE LEFT!" Ed cried out.

His hands slam together and the circle glows a bright blue.

His arm is taken, and his brothers soul is placed to the armor of the transmutation his brother placed in his blood.


"Brother.." Alphonse mumbled over the book he'd been reading for the last few hours.

Edward hummed as he turned the page. "Brother, you should get something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry."

Edward only shrugged, as he again turned the page. "Finding the stone is more important right now, my hunger should be the least of your worries Al."

The door to the library opened, a man in blue uniform walking in. He stood before Ed and Al throwing his hand up in salute. "Sir, Colonel Mustang would like to see you."

Edward narrowed his eyes, "That damn bastard! He knows we're researching the philosopher's stone! It's just like him to interrupt us, just to give me some lame ass assignment that he's to damn lazy to do himself!"

"Brother, calm down. I'm sure it's nothing like that."

Ed let out an unamused laugh, "Come on Al, don't go standing up for the bastard. Watch you'll see. He's only in it for himself, he doesn't care to give us the time we need to accurately be able to research the stone like we need to."

Ed stood, slamming the book closed and handing it over to Alphonse. "Here, take this and any other book you find worth looking through. I'm gonna head up to his office by myself, I'll be back soon."

"Sure, okay." Al nodded, as he stood and gathered a handful of books.

Ed pulled his red coat from off the back of his chair and threw it on before moving towards the door, obviously pissed off.

He marched down the hall, coming up to Mustangs office and slamming the door open.

"Oh, hey boss." Havoc called from behind his desk. Ed gave him a nod as he went forward and used his automail foot to kick open Mustang's main door.

Mustang with his stupid smirk looked up catching Ed's eyes. "Fullmetal." He greeted.

"Shove it Mustang, me and Al was looking into something important when one of your men came in asking for me!"

"Oh Ed, come now, no need to be so short tempered."

"Don't call me short!" Edward yelled out kicking at the man's desk.

As fun as it was to tease Ed, Roy decided it was time to get to business. He pulled a folder from his desk and let it drop from his hands and in front of Ed. The boy narrowed his eyes as he stepped forward grabbing up the folder and opening it. "So, it is some stupid assignment." Ed growled out as he saw he was to travel, again.

Roy pulled out two train tickets from his desk and slapped them amongst the table. "This isn't the same Fullmetal." Roy said as he crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. "This isn't like our country."

"Wait a minute!" He looked back up glaring hatefully at Roy. "I'm going to another fucking country! What the hell for!?"

"Language." Roy smirked.

"Damn Bastard! This is crap! I have more important things to do then go on some stupid lame ass assignment! I have to get Al back into his original body and you're holding me back damn it!"

Roy let out a heavy sigh. "Ed come on, you should know I'd never send you out that far.."

"So it's someone higher up then you?"

"Yeah, Fuhrer Bradley.." Roy replies.

Ed's eyes go back to the folder. "The hell he wants me to go to another country for?"

His eyes scan over the assignment for the first time. And he can't believe it, "the four nations?"

Roy humms with a nod. He's already went over Ed's assignment. "Says he wants you to try and learn their ways, to learn how they are able to control the elements."

Edward's read little of the four nations when he was younger, it was a book he came across in Hohenheim's study, but he'd never imagine going there, unless it involved the stone.

"Someone else can't go? Why me?" Ed whines.

"Fuhrer's orders."

"Whatever, I need to get back to Al." Ed turns, the folder under his arm as he walks to the door.

"Oh, Fullmetal, you are to leave today..in.." he pulls out his pocket watch flipping it open. "Half an hour. Don't go missing your train."

"The hell Mustang!?" Ed snapped around to glare at the man. "It didn't say so in the assignment!"

"Fuhrer's orders, also I need you back as soon as possible. Don't want you out having to much fun. It's better if you leave now then waiting a couple days."

"Damn bastard!" Ed sneered as he turned back to the door opening and slamming it as hard as he could behind him.

Mustang groaned, his fingers massaging his temples as he felt a headache coming on.