Title: Flint and Ashes
Author: Spirix

Genre: Hot War fic
Rating: M for sMut
Pairing: EdRoy RoyEd
Summary: Roy is a young state alchemist in a new war to "unite" Amestris under one banner. But is that what's actually happening, and who is the newest alchemist?

WARNING: Shameless Cliffies

Disclaimer: I hate this part; it just reminds me of my lack of owning such a great story.

"The Beginning"

--At the age of 10 in 1894, was found in the basement of his family's home by a ranking military official who covered up the situation and took him in.--

Edward looked at the array, checking it for mistakes.

"Brother, are you sure about this? The books all say—"

Ed turned towards his little brother and said, "Al, look, we've been over this. Those guys were just failures so they made up a bunch of crap to scare off the weak. We are anything else but weak, you know that. Teacher taught us so much, now we can apply that knowledge and bring back Mom!"

Al shuffled his feet and looked away, "But this is wrong. What would Father—"

"That fucking bastard wouldn't know what to say because he's never here! He left and Mom died waiting for him. He didn't even come to the funeral." Ed ran his hands through his short hair and then sighed. "Al, I know you're scared, but just think, with one touch of that array, we could be a family again. That's all I want, don't you want it too?"

Al clenched his fist in front of his chest and gave his elder brother by one year a hard look. "Let's do this. Let's bring Mom back."

"That's the spirit!"

Edward sat in an empty room, shivering and utterly alone with only the faint candle light to reveal what lay in the room's thick shadows.

The transmutation failed.

He called out in a small voice, "Al? Are you there?" but he knew it there would be no response.

That was the price after all.

But Ed couldn't help but wonder: was it the price of the transmutation or the price of his failure that Al was taken from him?

"Hello little alchemist. You came here too soon; you don't even understand the rules."

The genderless voice of the thing in the gate rang in his mind as he sat in the darkness.

"You came here for your mother, silly child. You can't take back the dead once they belong to me but I'm not completely heartless... well I am, but that is beside the point. Edward, do you know what happens to those who come here?"

He hadn't.

"They are punished for committing such a sin. Do you know what that punishment is?"

He didn't.

"You see? You have trended into a place not meant for children, or adults for that matter. This is somewhere humans can never understand and I cannot let you go unchanged. You want to be a man so much; I will treat you like one and give you exactly what you deserve."

Ed felt oddly light in his head as he ran over the thoughts in his head. Thousands of images and ideas coursed though like a tidal wave and he swayed where he sat. It was all too much. He shoved all down and focused on what was important: where was Al?

"Your price will be your family, since it is the only thing you value. Coming here means giving up what you love the most, so I will take your brother in exchange for the Truth. Go and live, little alchemist."

"You, you took him," Edward said to the room. He pushed himself up on his feet, making certain not to have anything touch his tender palms. He didn't have the courage to look at the marks left there. They were brands of a sinner. The gatekeeper had explained that much too him. All those who crossed that creature's path were given that symbol. It was a symbol that any alchemist would recognize called the ourobosos and now it was burned into both of his palms.

Edward awkwardly stumbled to his feet, his legs shaking violently and his skin covered in a film of cold sweat. He grabbed onto the desk with his fingertips but he knee gave way, forcing him to grab onto it for support fully. The straight edge jarred his nerves and set them on fire with pain that laced through his whole body. Ed swayed and passed out, tipping over the desk and candle along with it.

It was only much later that he was told by a stranger in blue that the fire had consumed his home and all the research Edward might have used to win his brother back.

"What kind of research?" Marco asked in curiosity.

Sure there were plenty of farfetched books written by alchemist who had more lint in their pockets than thoughts in their mind, but they were just fairytales. Marco had read every one in existence as far as he was concerned and none had had enough merit to produce an array like this child was describing. Despite what all the files said about him being a prodigy, Marco knew that this boy had to have gotten his information from somewhere crucial to his own plan.

Those books were ashes now, according to the major boy, but if he knew even a fraction of that research by memory, he would be worth his weight in gold.

Major Elric halted his story and looked at Marco hard, as if trying to discern between Marco's genuine curiosity and possible anterior motives. He could tell by the hardened colour of the major's eyes that this simple question had hit a nerve and thereby thrown the conversation down a path he did not want.

"The research was my father's personal journals," the major told him simply and waited for the inevitable question that came next.

Marco did not deny what was expected and asked, "Who is your father?"

Major Elric looked at him with eyes far too old to belong to a teenager. He crossed a leg over his knee and spoke flatly. "My father then, was a simple alchemist with delusions of grandeur. His notes were insufficient for human transmutation, which I know is what you don't want to hear. Even if you had all of those books, you wouldn't be any step closer to making red stones then you are right now. What you need is something else."

Marco let the surprise show on his face. He wasn't a complex man and ill suited for such conversations that required complete control over one's emotions. He leaned over in earnest with his hands flat on the desk, "What do I need?"

Major Elric held up two white gloved hands and touched his palms together. The air in the room changed from a stale tent smell to a charged and ozone smelling one. Marco watched in horrid fascination as the alchemic energy each alchemist possessed concentrated between the boy's palms. It was white hot and lit the entire tent, leaving no shadow unharmed. It was so instance that Marco had to sit back in his chair and hold onto the desk for fear of falling over. The moisture from his skin began to evaporate and Marco felt as if he were going to dry up.

Just as abruptly as it had started, it stopped.

The boy major was still sitting calmly in his chair as if nothing had happened. The only change on him was the broad and cocky smirk plastered on his face. He rolled up his sleeves silently and showed his bare arms to Marco as if he just did a magic trick. Marco was panting like he was about to faint then stopped breathing entirely. Two black vivid dragons that were facing each other were tattooed on Elric's palms, one on each hand. They were the brand of evil, of sin and of...

"You need me Marco, because I know the Truth."

END

There you go boys and girls. You have some answers, but probably a lot more new questions to replace the old. The next chapter should be back to Sandbox life, I just wanted this one to stand alone.

Thank you for all your patience and I have something to put out there for anyone who may know. Are there any good Ling Ed Roy triangle fics out there? I don't think there are on FFnet, but if you know of a GOOD one on lj, feel free to point me there before I end up writing one to sate this itch I have.

-rix the demon