It was normal quiet day in Resembool. But soon in a household nothing will be the same. "YOU WHAT?!" Yelled a man in his mid 30's screamed. His gold ponytail shook as he he turned around to face the person he was talking to. "L-Like I said. I'm going to Central to participate in the State Alchemist Exam." A boy who would be an exact replica of him without the extra hair said. "But, wait, how, gyah! What the hell!" The man screamed in frustration. This man the former State Alchemist Edward Elric. His son, who he is discussing this matter with, is Tristan Elric, the Elric's oldest child, standing at the pure age of 15. At the corner of the room, where the door not fully shut, watched one of Edward's daughter Sarah Elric from a crack. She looked on as tears filled her eyes. Why? Because earlier that day, Sarah had found the letter addressed to her dear older brother. After using one of her favorite tools from her work bench, (For every automail mechanic should have one.) She read the contents, and said "If you don't tell dad about the exam, then I will!" But truth be told, she didn't wait to hurt the bond between her father and her brother. She wanted to make sure that they knew, so Tristan running away or abandoning them was out of the question. But now, she's wondering if it was worth it.

Soon Tristan started talking.

"Well, I... Remember that time you took me to central when I was 4, and I got lost? Well, I was walking through the halls, and next thing I know I'm watching the state alchemist exams from the roof. I was so cool! It was like magic. But soon after I realized that no one was chosen, I felt bad. But I still wanted to know more. So since then I've been going to the library to go read some alchemy books. I've also developed my own transmutation circle, if you know what that is." He blurted out.

"Why? Out of all things? Why couldn't you go into Automail like your mother? Why alchemy?" Edward wonders.

"Come on! What's so bad about alchemy!? Why do you hate it to much? Is it about Ishval? Because guess what? It's up and running again thanks to-"

"Yeah yeah I know stupid, annoying, useless on rainy days Fuhrer Mustang." Ed finished.

Tristan stared at his father, shocked. His dad just mocked the most strongest man in Amestris. He saw his father sit down on his special lounging chair rubbing his temples. After a long while Ed finally cut the silence.

"Tristan."

"Y-Yes?"

"Go to your room."

"What?"

"I said go to your room!" Edward yelled. Out of shock that his father actually yelled at him, Tristan speed out of the room. "Tristan I'm-" Sarah started but Tristan ran past her and into his room.

Sarah started to cry when she heard laughing and the front door opening.

"We're home!" Winry Rockbell & Alphonse Elric said in unison.

"Hey, Sarah!" Alphonse said happily but when he noticed that she was crying he got worried.

"Sarah what's wrong?"

"I-I-It's all my fault."

"Why would you say that? Why sweety, what happened?"

"T-Tristan got in a fight with, with, with da-" The poor girl started but her mother understood completely.

"I get it now. That stupid Edward." Angrily, she made her way to the kitchen to find Edward making salad.

"Hey Winry." He said with no emotion.

"Ed," Winry said crossing her arms.

"Where's Tristan?"

"In his room." He replied, still not turning away from his salad.

"Well, could you call him down here?" She said, tapping her fingers against her upper arm.

"Can't"

"Why?"

"Because he's grounded."

"Could you tell me why?"

"No."

At that moment, she lost it.

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'NO'?! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHY MY OWN SON IS GROUNDED?!" She screamed, making Edward turn away from his work with a face of anger.

"Winry," Edward said really pissed off, but the automail mechanic wasn't listening.

"I mean you and Tristan are so close what could he possibly do to make you ground him-"

"He knows alchemy." Winry froze. Oh how that one word dragged her husband and her brother in-law into the military. They had to give up so much. Alphonse's body, Edwards arm and leg, (Which he got back by the way. Except the leg.), Brigadier General Hughes, A lot of military soldiers, and all of the Homunculi. They didn't really mind, all except Greed though, he was their friend. So when Edward said those words, she knew she was in for a whirl wind of trouble. Without a warning, she reached into her pocket and with her wrench, smacked Edward right across his face. After Edward suddenly got wind of what happened his cheek felt hot and he was furious.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" He yelled. He was going to rant more but Winry butt in.

"'THAT' Was for not telling Tristan or any of the kids the truth. You need to at least tell him about the accident." she said with furry. How else was she going to get it into his thick skull?

"What?! It's my fault? It's yours too!"

"What?! It's not my fault!" she fought back.

"Yeah it is! It would've been better to tell him when he started doing or thinking of that." Edward said. As soon as Winry got what he was saying she blushed and flipped out.

"N-No! Not THAT accident! The one that happened when you were 11!" They had to tell their oldest about the other accident later.

"Okay, but I kinda raged out on him. Think you can calm him down a bit? He's probably still mad at me." He said while rubbing the back of his head. "See, this is what you get for being a dummy! I'll go talk to him." And with that, she walked up a flight of stairs while holding a book in her hand, and went to the last room in the hall.

Out of all the 6 bedrooms in the Elric house hold, his was the only one with a red door. He had it red since he was 7, saying he liked the color. Winry went to the red door and knocked on it. When she did, she waited a couple of seconds then knocked again.

"Go away!" A muffled voice said. "I don't wanna see you!"

"Well why wouldn't you wanna see me?" Winry said in a motherly tone. She heard the springs of a bed and his footsteps in the room making their way to the door.

"Hey, welcome home." he said quietly.

"Now you and I mister, need to talk." she said bluntly. Tristan looked down to the ground and started to talk.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have applied for The State Alchemist Exams." He said with sadness. "WAIT WHAT?! STATE ALCHEMIST EXAMS?!" Winry screamed.

"Wait, didn't dad tell you?" He said with curiosity.

"H-he only t-told me y-you could u-use alchemy..." she stuttered.

"Crap..." Tristan said while slapping his forehead.

"W-well, if you want to be a state alchemist or not is your choice." She said.

Tristan looked at his mother with shock. She was letting him choose between alchemy or not?

"Why? I-i mean I'm glad you're letting me become a state alchemist but I thought you would be against it like dad."

"Oh your father us against a lot of things in life, but alchemy isn't one of them. Here," Winry said while throwing Tristan the book she had.

"I thook that from your dad's study. You probably already read about alchemy but you probably didn't find a lot, considering how Resembool doesn't have any libraries and Rushvalley doesn't have much alchemy." She said turning to go to her room. Tristan looked at the book. It had a leather coating and looked old. It said the words TOP SECRET written on the top. Swallowing his saliva and his pride, he opened the book and started to read. The minute Winry was on the last step of the stairs she heard Tristan scream.

"HOLY PIECE OF CRAP THIS IS AN ALCHEMY BOOK! MOM! WHAT- WH-HOW?!" Chuckling, she went into the kitchen and said to Edward

"It's your turn. Don't screw this up!" She said sternly.

"Okay okay woman let me be." Was all he said as he went up he stairs and into Tristan's room.

"Hey." he said as he looked at his son who was reading the book.

Apparently, Tristan wasn't aware of his surroundings, so when he heard him, he went into a fighting position, but relaxed when he saw it was his father.

"Oh. Hey." Was all Tristan said.

"So... You want to be a dog of the military. Why?" Ed asked. T

ristan put a sour face because of the 'Dog Of The Military.' part but he replied anyways.

"Because I want to learn more about alchemy. Also, why the heck was this holy master piece in your study?" He said shaking the leather book in his right hand.

"First of all, don't say holy; We aren't that kind of people. Second of all, have you ever heard of the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Edward asked.

"Uh yeah. Hero Of The People, saved everybody from that huge alchemy experiment that was caused by traitors in the Central military. Führer Bradley and his son were few who died in the battle. And he's also the youngest state alchemist ever, and kind of my role model." Tristan said.

"He gave up his alchemy that day. Now no one knows where he is. Wish I could've met him."

"Well kid, I did." Ed says.

"Really?!" Tristan said like a little kid. It had been so long since Edward saw his son get so excited over something.

"Yeah, and from personal experiences he's..." He says while looking at Tristan's childish face,

"Obnoxious, annoying, hot headed, short, stupid, an alchemy freak, and man who committed a terrible taboo." He finishes.

Tristan's jaw drops. How many times in one day is his father going to insult famous and heroic people?

"But," Edward says as he notices Tristan's dismay.

"He's also brave, smart, protective, heroic, tries his hardest to make his loved ones not cry, a loving husband, a bad ass father, but he sucks at trying to cope with things he wouldn't expect. Like how Nina Tucker got turned into a chimera."

He says while putting his right hand to his face. "All the people that were sacrificed, all the sorrow that cause, it would've tore a normal man down, but he got back up with all the weight on his shoulders." Edward says deeply.

"And all that happened after a stupid attempt to being back his dead mother. The dead cannot really be brought back to life; Ever." He continues.

"I was so stupid back then."

It took moment for what what his father said to make his head click.

"YOU?!" Tristan yelled. No way was his father the Fullmetal Alchemist, right?

"B-But, the Fullmetal Alchemist has two automail limbs, you only have one! A-And he traveled with a suit of armor! N-No one here has that!"

"Tristan, that was your uncle Al."

"WHAT?! UNCLE AL!?" He screamed. The poor boy didn't believe any of this.

"As for the arm, it's kind of a long story. Care to listen?" Edward asked.

Tristan stopped having a panic attack and listened. After explaining the whole thing to him, Tristan looked pale in the face.

"Oh. So that's how Philosopher Stones are outlawed." He said. After a long period of awkward silence Edward spoke.

"So now do you believe me?"

"I'd have to be crazy to believe you." He started, causing a frown on Edward's face.

"So I guess that means I'm insane." The boy finished. The frown quickly turned into a smile. Soon, there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Winry asked with curiosity.

"Well, looks like my sons going to be a state alchemist!" Edward said excitedly.

"Wait, I can be a state alchemist?! Really?!" Tristan screamed excitedly.

"Yeah, but you're not one yet. You have to take the exam." Ed said while crossing his arms.

"Yeah, Yeah I know." Tristan said trying to look annoyed, but his happiness got the better of him and he started to grin the famous Elric grin his father does.
"And I am going with you to Central." The older Elric said.

Suddenly, Tristan stopped grinning and suddenly the whole room got hit with a wave of silence.

"...What." Tristan said sternly.

'Oh great,' Edward thought, 'he's back to his normal self again.'

"I said I'm going with you."
"WHY?!"
"BECAUSE I'M YOUR GOD DAMN FATHER THAT'S WHY!"
"WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING AGAIN?!" a small voice said at the door.

Standing there was two children. The girl who obviously looked older had golden hair with matching eyes, but the shape of them was different. Her hair style matched her mother Winry's and her attitude's matched Edward's. The boy who was next to her had short blond hair and blue eyes. His bangs were like his father and his shape of his eyes were his mother's. Unlike the both of them however, he was shy.

"Hi daddy." He said, waving at his father.

"Hey Van how was your day?" Edward responded, bending to open his arms for his 7 year old son. He immediately ran over and Edward picked him up.

"Daddy! Why'd you not pay attention to me?!" The girl screeched.

"Sorry Nina." Edward said.

"Hmp! I'm going to my room!" She said and turned to leave when she heard her older brother say

"Diva."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A DIVA SHORTY?!" She screamed.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT YOU DRAMA QUEEN?!"
"YOU, YOU HALF-PINT SHRIMP!"
"AT LEAST I'M NOT CONSTANTLY JEALOUS OVER EVERYTHING!"
"AT LEAST I DON'T NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE MYSELF!"
"WAH!" Everyone turned to the door where Alphonse was holding a bundle of blankets.

"Now you woke him up." He said. "It took for ever to put Urey to sleep!"

"Sorry Uncle Al." The two golden eyed children said in unison.

"And to brother, how'd it go?" Alphonse asked.

"How'd you know about that? Winry!"
"Hey, I had to tell him."
"Tell him what?"
"You don't need to know Nina."
"I wanna know too."
"What? You too Van?"
"WHAT'S THE SECRET?!" A girls voice cried out. It was Sarah.
"Alrighty then. Dad'll tell you the secret on one condition." Tristan said calmly.
'I wonder how Tristan can be so calm when Edward would freak out in situation like this, us invading his room and all.' Winry thought.
"What?" Nina said curiously
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM! ALL OF YOU!" He screamed.

'Never mind. He's exactly like his father.'
"Alright then, to the living room!"
"Someone go get May."
"Can I have Urey back Al?"
"Sure Winry. I've had enough of him for one day."

Soon, all 5 Elric children, and 4 adults crowded around in the living room down stairs. After everyone demands what happened, Edward starts. When he finishes, he looks up to see his children's faces. Sarah was gapping like a fish.
Nina looked at him with wide eyes that read

"You're Insane!" Despite his words, Van looked at his father with excitement.

"So you're the Fullmetal Alchemist?!"
"Yup."
"Wait." said Tristan who looked concerned.
"How were you able to preform alchemy without a transmutation circle and how do you now have your arm back? Plus, how was Uncle All a suit of armor?"
"Brother, I think I'll tell them this time." Said Alphonse.
The kids sat attentively and listened. Nina saw her father twitch in his chair.

"Ed, your Chi feels weird." Mei finally said. She was quiet most of the time. She had spent most of her time at the emperors meetings and had learned to never speak up unless spoken to. She only did so around things that seemed like meetings. But so far, her husband Alphonse is trying to break that habit around family.

"That's because maybe I'm not so comfortable talking about this subject." He replied, still uncomfortable.

"I know!" Al piped in. "I sensed it too." He smiled at Mei, who smiled back.

"Just tell us already!" Sarah said eagerly. She spoke for all the children.

"Fine! Well a long time ago, when me and your dad were little kids, probably Van's age, an epidemic swept the country. Many died, and your grandma Trisha was one of them." Alphonse started.

"We know that." Nina said. She earned a nudge from her sister.

"Stop being so rude." Sarah said harshly."Geez, sorry!" The 'diva' replied sarcastically, but still rubbing her ribs, which were the unluck place that was hit.

"Continuing, after you grandma died, your brother and I were left alone. Well, not entirely alone. we did have Granny and Winry. But we felt alone. I guess that's what drove us to that." Alphonse said while stressing 'that.'

"Your father and I," He continued while looking worriedly at Edward.

"Did human transmutation." A wave of silence hit. The whole room was either on pitiful silence or in shock.
"What..."
"Huh...?"
"No way..."
"How?"
"Your father and I just wanted to see your grandmother's smile again. So we trained with an alchemy teacher named Izumi Curtis."

"GRANNY IZUMI?!" The children screamed in shock.

Baby Urey just gurgled at the sound of his beloved grandmothers name.

"Anyways, soon we came back to Resembool and we got to work. We made an alchemic formula that was perfect, but... The result wasn't. Your dad lost his left leg and I... Lost my body." Alphonse said softly.

"Your father was 11 and I was 10. He was in pain, he'd just lost his leg, but he still... Your father somehow knocked over a suit of armor and gave up his arm to seal my soul into it. We went to your mother's house for help and then after a few days, the military came."
"Then how come you guys weren't arrested?!" Sarah said shocked.
"Well, it wasn't the M.P.'s. It was a Lt. Colonel and a 2nd Lt. Turns out they were actually looking for us to join the military."
"Huh? But you guys were kids. Younger then me!" Sarah exclaimed again.
"Heh," This time Edward spoke. This was the only part of the story he was comfortable talking about.

"Apparently, out birth certificates were messed up. It said I was in my early 30's. Talk about weird when they found out we were kids. Hah! The look on Mustang's face. Wish I could've saw it." He laughed.
"WHAT THE!?" Tristan yelled. His father knew the Fuhrer personally?!
"Anyways, instead of reporting us, he gave us a chance to get our bodies back by recommending us joining the military!" Alphonse continued.

"And then Tristan, I believe the rest will be told to you when meet the Fuhrer."
"Oh okay. OH WAIT HOLD ON A SEC! Meet the Fuhrer?!" Tristan said standing up.
"Yeah, pretty much all State Alchemist do. You can never not see or meet the Fuhrer when in the military." Edward explained.

He was glad the kids took it in so well.

"Ahhh...Yeah I'm probably gonna die tomorrow." Tristan said weakly as he fell into the couch.

"Wait, tomorrow?" Said a confused mechanic.

"Yeah, I want get there as soon as possible." The 15 year old exclaimed.

"Well, if my memory serves me right, first is the written test, then the questioning by the Fuhrer, then the physical exam, then your good." Edward says.

"Physical?"
"Yep, but it's just to show how well your alchemic ability is."
'Wow. This is all happening so fast.' Tristan thought as he watched his family set up times and what they were going to do.
'But soon this will be normal. Starting tomorrow, I'll be on my way to Central with dad. Nobody's gonna stop me.'