Chapter 2- Through the Gate

I was… once again, falling, no more like sinking. I sigh to make sure I'm in air. I don't take in any water, so I must be in air. It doesn't feel like water, anyway. It is all white and I am… floating, it seems.

It is boring and I lay down, or really, try to. I see the white seems to fade into blue. I think I am in the portal, but im not sure. I feel wind rushing past me and my heart races and shatters. I'm not in a portal anymore. Im falling from the sky and I am scared to death. What if I hit the ground? What if I die? What if I don't make it? What if…?

I turn my thoughts away. My heart flutters with hope as I see green below me, and a patch of blue. I was going to hit water. I sigh in relief, and hit the water hard. I sink to the bottom. Luckily it's not too deep, and I swim up.

As my head pops out of the water, I see a suit of armor run from me. I wonder, is it Al? No, it couldn't be. But if it was true… that meant I was in the alchemic world… I brush a few cattails out of the way and I swim to shore. I sit on the edge, drying as much as I can. I am soaked to the bone, but I don't think of that. I think of the armor. The person who could be Al. My suspicions go unanswered as I throw off my shrug. It's much to hot to wear it, and it's ruined anyway. My hat was lost in the portal somewhere, and my flip flops were… surprisingly ontop of the house close to the pond I was in. So I had my shirt and jeans left of what I had come with. The armor had finally stopped running, and I walked a little closer to it.

"Ed, Ed!" it shouts. Ed? Oh this had to be Al. "Ed! A pretty girl dropped down from the sky and fell in the water!" That is all I hear, but it's all I need to hear. But did Al really just say I'm pretty? I blush. Al turns around. I try to stop blushing, but it stays. Al points at me and then turns back to a figure standing near him. He stays there for about another minute and then turns around again, coming towards me. Finally the blush fades. I sigh in relief. Al is finally about a foot from me. "Hi," he says and I stand up.

"Hi," I say back. I stick out a hand and he shakes it. "I'm Liani. Ani for short."

"I'm-"

"That's okay, I know who you are." Al gives me a quizzical look and I smirk. This is going to be fun…I think.

"You do?" Al asks in astonishment.

"Yes. You're the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

I hear a growl from somewhere. I smirk even more. But I decide to tell Al that I'm kidding.

"No, actually, I'm-"

"Alphonse Elric. I know. I was kidding."

"Wow, you really do know me," Al says. He steps aside and I see the source of the growl, though I already knew who it was. Short, blonde hair, golden eyes… I know it is Ed.

Wow, he is short. Shorter than the manga made him appear, I think, turning my gaze to Edward. He saw me looking at me and he walked up to me.

He stuck out his hand for a handshake. Smirking, I take it.

"Hello, shorty."

He reacts the way I thought he would. He lets go, and clenches his fist. I know he's ready for battle. This is great. I smile. I had wanted to see if the Fullmetal alchemist was worthy of his title…

I turn a back flip and grab a stick. It was all I could get. Al slaps his forehead and sighs, while stepping out of the way. "So, they call you the Fullmetal Alchemist, huh? Let's see if you're worthy of that title," I challenge.

"Oh, you'll see. Check this," he says. He brings his staff out of the ground.

"Hehe. Let's see how well you can use it." He comes at me and I quickly draw a transmutation circle in the ground, and look for some type of metal. I recognize this house and I jump over to it. I keep my stick with me.

Just as I thought- a scrap of metal in the window behind me. I grab it and doge Ed, jumping to the circle. I throw the metal in the circle and clap, then slap the ground. The metal becomes a sword. I charge madly at him, and swing wildly. Instead of dodging, he uses his staff to fight my sword. Crash! They hit. He swings low and I jump up, swinging overhead. I barely scratch his cheek. It is bleeding. He looks at it and then looks at me. He swings at me, stronger this time and pushes me back.

He's good, I'll give him that, but he doesn't know what tricks I have up my sleeve. "Okay, Elric. Get ready for this one," I say, as I throw my sword at him. It knocks him over and in the short time I have I grab my stick and use it to draw a quick, simple, yet powerful, transmutation circle. He gets up as I finish. He's beginning to enjoy this, I can tell from the look on his face, and I am too. I clap as he starts to charge again, and he looks around. I laugh. He doesn't get it. I throw my hands up to the sky and water shoots up from the pond. He stares at it, amazed.

"Oh my god…" he says. I smirk and throw my hands forward.

The water shoots towards Ed like a rocket. He snaps to attention and jumps out of the way. "What the hell?!" Edward looks at me with wide eyes. "What is that?!"

"A little alchemy that I picked up on, that's all."

"That's not a little alchemy!" Edward yells.

"Lower your voice, Elric. Now do you wanna play or not?" I say, raising my hand. My fingers are raised up in a battle 'come on' pose. Edward obtains a growl and crouches. I reverse the water and he doges again. I have half of it come over Ed's head, the other half I leave behind. I make a little line, almost, and it drops on his head, even when he runs. He runs over to me, and I let the water go. I can't concentrate on two things at once.

I roll to the right and grab my sword in the process, and when coming up I hurl it infront of my face, protecting it from Ed's oncoming blow. We push and sparks jump from the metal. Ed gives and I push him back and clap, using the previous circle to drain the water from the grass, making a ring of dry grass.

My plan is set. But the one thing missing is the fire. I take a glance at Al and he has his head in his hands. "I'm gonna go…" but his voice fades from my head. Edward stands and points.

"YOU LITTLE PUNK! WHAT'RE YOU TRYING TO DO?!" Edward says, infuriated. I giggle.

"Then fight me you idiot." He pulls out a bit of ignition cloth and rubs it, setting off a spark. "Ohh, using the flame technique, eh?" I smile. The sparks catch onto the grass. I don't think Edward was meaning to do that, because in surprise, he jumps into the ring.

"You're good," he mutters.

"Learned from the best," I say. Something falls out of my pocket. I pick it up quickly. "What?" I whisper.

It's a silver band with a red jewel in the middle. A philosopher's stone ring. On Earth it's a cheap little cosplay item. But here? Could it be? Could it really be the legendary philosophers stone? As if to answer the ring flashes and the sword grows longer but keeps it's original thickness and width. "No freaking way…" I whisper.

It's only then I look up. Edward is in the air and swinging his staff. Suddenly I drop to the ground and roll. He just barely misses. I am up in a flash, swinging furiously.

A small ring of fire is on the ground. Its about waist high, but is building. "Maybe I let this get out of hand." But I'm fighting for honor. I try to swing, then realize I've dropped my sword. Edward walks toward me. He drops my sword. "What's this?" I ask, picking it up.

"You dropped it. Surely you don't think that I'm not going to give mercy to an innocent girl like you," he says. My eyes turn into a blazing fire.

"I'm stronger than you, bean boy. And I don't take candy from strangers." I run furiously at Edward, but his sword is raised so I can't get a hit. I jab and manage to hit his stomach.

Edward makes his comeback and fights with the ferocity I've shown. He's got the upper hand, but I've got anger. And when I'm angry I'm strong. He makes a cut on my arm and blood drips down. I look at it, wipe it, and then as more blood comes out I fight Edward with all the remaining strength in my body.

There comes a point where I, from blood loss and lack of sleep, begin a fall into unconsciousness. Edward takes that advantage and begins to get me closer to the edge of the fire. I give in.

He pushes me through the flames and into the pond.

Steam rises around me and I hear voices as my eyes close and I slowly fall into a faint.

"Hehe, sorry. It seems I don't know my own strength…"

"Big brother what did you do?!"

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"