"We're going to help Selim? Why didn't you tell me!" yelled Nina.

Maes smirked as they entered the temple. The place was enormous. Every step reverberated throughout the entire building. He let out a soft whistle as a soldier approached them.

"I'm sorry but civilian's are not allowed into the temple at this time. We're going to have to ask you to leave." the guard said politely.

Maes reached into his pocket and pulled out his Academy ID card as Nina did the same. The guard took both of their cards and looked them over.

"The Hohenheim Academy for Alchemy. So you two are wanting to be alchemists then? What brings you all the way out here from Central?" asked the guard.

"Selim Bradley requested our assistance." Maes answered. The guard nodded as he looked at the cards again and then back up at them.

"Elric? You wouldn't happen to be related..."

"Yes, we are. Our father is Edward Elric." interrupted Maes. It was the same story almost everywhere they went. It seemed that dad had quite a reputation and almost everyone knew of their last name.

"Wow, the son of daughter of a national hero. Now, that's something that doesn't happen everyday." the guard politely waved them through and pointed them towards a stairway that led down to the lower level. "Major Bradley should be down there somewhere. If you get lost just call for help and someone will find you."

They left the guard and hadn't even made it two steps down the stairway before Nina's right hand connected with Maes' head.

"Ow, what was that for?" he protested as he turned only to find himself defending against a flurry of punches.

"You still haven't answered my question brother! Why didn't you tell me?" she yelled as she continued throwing punches at Maes. One connected with his cheekbone and it sent him tumbling down the stairs. Nina smirked but then quickly found herself reaching for a rail, the wall, something.

The two of them finally hit the ground with Nina on top of Maes.

"Now why'd you have to go and do that sis?" yelled Maes.

"I didn't do it. You're the one that pulled me down with you!"

"Well, I wouldn't have fell if you hadn't punched me!"

"Well if you would've just told me where we were going then I wouldn't have punched you." Maes found himself blocking Nina's punches again.

"Will the two of you stop it?" said someone.

Nina stopped punching Maes. A tall, handsome, dark haired boy was standing over them. He had longer black hair that down past his eyes. His hair didn't hide his eyes though and it wasn't like you could miss them anyway. They were bright and looked like pools of water. He was wearing a black jacket, white shirt, black pants, and he carried the pocket watch of a State Alchemist. They both knew this boy very well.

"Hey Selim, sorry about that." said Maes.

"Is there ever a time when you two aren't fighting?" Selim asked as he helped them both off of the ground. Nina couldn't help but giggle and blush as she smiled at him and scratched the back of her head.

"No, not really because Nina always has to be such a girl about everything."

"Because I am a girl!" Nina exclaimed as her fury started rising back up again.

"Whoa, easy Nina. If anyone's a girl here it's got to be Maes. I mean after all he is the shortest."

"Who are you calling so tiny that a squirrel could play with!" yelled Maes as he started pacing. Selim chuckled at both of them.

"You two just never change do you." he smiled at them both and sighed. "I'm glad you two got here safely."

Selim turned a motioned for them to follow. Maes laughed as Nina ran up next to Selim and walked beside him.

"You know sis, that might be the fastest I've ever seen you move." Nina shot a glare back at him.

"So Selim, what do you need us for?" she asked him as they proceeded down a hallway to a set of tall double doors. When the doors were closed a picture of a strange tree adorned them. It was a tree that was upside down. It's roots were at the top and the leaves were at the bottom with different branches spread throughout it's trunk.

"What is this?" Maes said as he ran his fingers along the intricate artwork.

"It's an imitation of one of the gates of truth." said Selim as he stood behind them and watched them analyze it.

"I've seen this before. Dad has a whole research journal about it." said Nina as she looked back at Selim.

"I'm sure he does. After all, him and your Uncle are the foremost authorities on the subject." he said as he walked forward and pushed the doors open. "But, that's not what we're here for."

The doors gave way and opened into a massive room that had been carved out of the stone. Torches lit the room up, revealing scientists scurrying around, taking samples of all sorts of stone, carvings, and paintings, but, there was one wall that they left alone. The wall was the one furthest back. It was filled with a giant painting that depicted what looked like a war. No, an extermination.

"Selim, what is this?" asked Maes as he gazed over the painting.

"We don't know. All we know is that it's Pre-Amestrian. The hallway we actually came through to get here was partially blocked initially. We believe that during the uprising here twenty years ago that the wall that blocked both the door and this room collapsed. No one found the room until a few months ago because no one had been down here since then."

Maes couldn't pull his eyes from the painting. Four horsemen, each wearing a different color, were attacking people. Each of them seemed to control some sort of power that no one could defend.

"These horsemen, are they using alchemy?" asked Nina.

"We don't know. We're trying to find out what we can but so far we have nothing. It seems that the former regime erased any records that we did have or Pre-Amestrian times. We want to transport the painting back to Central but for obvious reasons we can't. That's why I requested that you two come. I figured if Nina could get a good look at the painting that she could draw it back in Central from memory."

"Guess that photographic memory of yours is useful you freak." said Maes as he patted his sister on her back.

"Says the alchemy prodigy that can transmute without a circle." retorted Nina.

"You can transmute without a circle?" asked Selim. "When did you start doing that?"

"A couple months ago. I just woke up one day and saw Uncle Al do it and I decided to try it and it worked."

Selim scratched his chin. Maes knew what his friend was thinking. Maes was now one of the few alchemists in the world that could transmute without a circle. He also knew that it was because it meant something more serious. It meant that he had seen the real gates.

"Well, that should make it really easy for you to graduate from the Academy and become a State Alchemist." said Selim.

"Yeah, but is it really worth the price?" murmured Maes under his breath as Nina looked the picture over a few more times.

"Ok, I think I got it now. Is there anything else we can do Selim?" Nina looked up at Selim with her puppy dog like eyes. She was trying to find a way to stay.

"Nope, that was it. As long as Nina has the picture in her head you two can go back to Central."

Maes smiled and then looked over at Nina. She was gawking at Selim again, like she always did. Maes grabbed her arm and started pulling her away as she fought to try and stay.

"Why can't we stay a little longer? Maybe Selim will need our help with something else brother!" she cried. Maes stopped and looked back at Selim for support.

"Don't look at me. She's your sister and we got things covered here." said Selim as he turned and walked over to scientist and started looking at carving on a stone pillar. Maes turned and dragged Nina kicking and screaming out of the room and back outside the temple. They were heading back to Central. They were heading home.

TO BE CONTINUED...

(Next part is coming soon)