Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth.

While Pinako tended to her granddaughter, Alphonse and Edward watched in silence. The only sound that filled the room was the consistent downpour of the pounding rain. Finally, Edward was the first to speak.

"How did this happen, Al?"

Loudly and abruptly, old lady Pinako turned her attention back to the hollow suit of armor and his older brother, "Well clearly, it s a product of mischief! You were trying to bring back your mother, weren't you?"

Those furious words tore from Pinako s lungs with such hostility; Alphonse could only step back in fear. While no insult had been thrown his way just yet, her tone clearly told him that she blamed him for this.

At Alphonse s side, Edward's gaze trailed up from the ground to look into the empty holes that were now his brother's eyes. There was nothing but darkness behind them now. It made him sick. In fact, that was the only thing he could feel at that moment.

Every emotion that passed through him went so fast, he just wasn't sure how to feel. When he saw Winry at the door in the arms of a hollow suit, he felt afraid. When he heard Al's voice come from that scrap of steel, he felt confused. Now, as Pinako clearly placed blame entirely on his little brother, Edward felt anger course through his veins.

His jaw grew so tight that it became sore and he inhaled deeply as to shout at the old, bitter hag. But before a single utterance could be released, the sound of the front door creaking open stole their attention from each other.

"Well, that explains a few things. A human transmutation. I've never seen such a furious reaction before." A man with dark eyes and hair loomed in the doorway and shut the storm out behind him as he stepped in. "Pardon me." He lifted his hand and from his fingers they saw a distinct design engraved on the silver pocket watch.

"A state alchemist?" Alphonse murmured as a question to his brother, who only glared at the guest as Pinako did.

"What are you doing here?" The old woman growled, "I have no time to entertain dogs, can t you see these children are hurt?"

With almost a chuckle in his voice, the military man waved her off and presented them with another explanation in his hand, Take it easy ma'am, I'm just checking the mail."

Both Edward and Alphonse gasped, but Al was the first to speak, "One of our letters! Then you know where our dad is?"

"I only wish kid. We've been looking for the Hohenhiem for a long time and we're still only kicking up dirt."

This time, Edward decided to chip in, Well if you didn't have any information, why did you come? You sure as hell aren't going to find our dad here!"

Amused by this boy s grit, the state alchemist shrugged with a halfhearted smile, "Let's call it nostalgia or misplaced curiosity. Whatever it was I'm happy I came. If your brother here can perform human transmutation and survive, your dad just off from my priority list."

The unexpected and undeserved attention caused Alphonse to fidget and shift his weight back and forth between each leg. Nervously, he gestured towards the occupied bed, "W-well actually, sir ... it wasn't all me. Most of this was done by her..."

As his gaze followed the direction in which the boy was pointing, the state alchemist wondered if he had misheard. 'Could it truly be that this had all been the work of a…'

What he found lying limbless and unconscious between the sheets made him stare in silence and disbelief. "The girl? … You're telling me it was her? But she's…"

"I want you out of this house immediately!" Pinako suddenly interrupted the alchemist's spoken thoughts. "I've had enough lives ruined by the state!"

Even as the old woman ranted on, the young state alchemist couldn't seem to tear his gaze from the extraordinary sight he was faced with. A girl... no older than twelve or thirteen... was responsible for all of this? All this power.

More shocking still, had the transmutation been performed by the son's of Hohenhiem, that would have been one thing. Alchemy is in their blood. But this this was remarkable. 'The daughter of...'

Finally, it appeared in his expression that the alchemist had reached an internal conclusion. He flashed another small smile at the boys and Pinako as he made his way out, "The name's Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang, state alchemist. Pay me a visit in Central sometime."

In the morning, blinding rays of sunlight streamed through the window and beat down against my closed eyelids. I stayed silent and still for some time after regaining consciousness. It wasn't until someone leaned over my body and blocked the overwhelming sun that I was able to open my eyes.

There looming over my bed, placing a wet cloth on my forehead, Edward stared down at me. Behind him I could see a blue sky. It left no trace of the storm from the night before. However it was clear from the look in his eyes that it did happen. It wasn't just a dream.

"Where's Al?" I asked softly. "How... how is he?"

But I didn't get an answer. Rather than answer with words, Edward stared down at me with a grim and betrayed expression.

"Edward, I... I'm so sorr-"

"Save it," he snapped before I could even finish. "I don't want any apologies from you, Winry! I want you to tell me how you re going to fix this. What happened to Al is your fault! I want to know how you are planning to restore my brother's body!"

Whether he knew it at the time or not, I did have an answer but just as I opened my mouth to give it to him, Granny came in carrying fresh bandages. "Thank goodness you're awake. I was starting to worry, kid."

I couldn't take my eyes off Edward until he sneered away from me and retreated from the room. When the door shut behind him, I looked at Granny and caught her eye as she dressed my wounds. I could only hope that she would see my desperation.

"The savings that mom and dad left for me... I want to use it, Granny... for... for automail."

My words stunned her and she stepped back as if to get a better look at me. To my surprise she didn't argue or raise a fuss just yet. Instead, she allowed me to go on. "I can't go through my plan lugging around a couple of stumps. I'm going to visit that man, Mustang and become a state alchemist."

It surprised me even more when she sounded more reluctant than angry by my suggestion. With a deep sigh, she replied, "I was hoping you weren't conscious to hear that talk."

"He's not the only one I've heard from." I begin to explain, "The teacher I had told me about state alchemists. They've got access to the federal library in central with books on alchemy no one else has. They'll pay you and fund your research and those pocket-watches amplify alchemic reactions."

At last the lecture I'd been expecting finally came. Granny took a puff from her pipe and raised an eyebrow, "Please tell me that's not all your teacher said. What about state alchemists being the military's attack dogs called into war to mow down the lives of people the state tells you are bad. Did your teacher mention that? In the attacks that took the lives of your parents, there were alchemists involved. When war comes again, are you ready to do the same?"

She made a valid point and in all honestly she almost had me when she mentioned my parents. But there was nothing she could say to change mind. "I don't want to be chained to the state anymore than you..." I paused for just a moment and stared at the door Edward disappeared behind, "But I'll do whatever it takes to fix things."

Following my gaze to understand what had my attention; Granny glanced over her shoulder to find nothing. When she turned back, she sighed again and added, "Fix you or the world? Make sure you ask yourself that."