Gold glistening strands flickered through the air, catching the sun with ever just that sparkle that attracts eyes and admirers, like a prize diamond. Through the frosted windowpane and the state of the art water heater nestled soundly behind it, the sun still managed to peek in and catch this amazing sight in all its beauty. Wet skin glistened, and was hastily rubbed clean and free of this ethereal image before it was quickly covered in black linen, and hands (one pale and slightly pink, the other a hard, cold steel) reached up and grabbed the flyaway gossamer of hair and tucked it neatly into three evenly grouped strands.

Weaving in and out, over one another in a dance these strands moved, until they had formed a thick, rope-like braid, still dripping with the water pumped from overhead only mere minutes ago. Crystal clear eyes slid open, as a small 'twang' announced the hand releasing a small, ductile hair tie that flung into its place, holding the spider thread strength hair in place.

Disrupting the peace, almost, Edward yawned, a loud, punctuating sound that normally would not have been associated with him if not for his near exhausted state. He reached over to the small wash basin by the military's new shower design (Gone were the days of buckets with holes in them), to grab his pair of gloves, folded quite meticulously and placed ever so gently down, by Al, no doubt, Ed never had the patience with little things.

He slipped the gloves gently on, and began adding the finishing touches to his morning routine, the teeth, and the slight layer of concealing dust (favoured by females) below his eyes, just to hide the bags present there. He waited quietly for Al's standard call of "Brother! You're going to be late if you don't come now!" But it never came. Intrigued, Ed slipped out of the cramped bathroom, and peered down the hallway, where Al's cold, metallic body stood, hunched over a small telephone, a recent and most wondrous invention, in Edward's eyes. "Yes sir." His brother mumbled into the receiver of the black device, his shoulders stooped and cramped, as if the hallway was too small to accommodate his build. "No sir." Came another mumbled reply, after a pause, and Ed guessed who it was that his brother was speaking to.

"How high was that again sir?" He mumbled under his breath, turning to the living room and a soft couch, falling on it in half a daze. His anecdote, strange if one doesn't know the background, earned him a glare from his brother, though how exactly a metal suit could glare puzzled him. Sometimes, Ed wondered if he just imagined that Al pulled facial expressions, for surely it was impossible?

"Yes. Thankyou sir. Good day." Gently, the receiver was placed back into its cradle, the hulky form of Alphonse turning to face his shorter brother. The hard face of the armour with its sharp angles was what he had come to hate on Alphonse, not at all like the soft, round boy he had been. Ed had to hold his scowl tightly. "The Colonel rang."

Edward nodded. He had guessed as much. The man who expected everyone to ask 'how high?' when he told them to jump. Ed couldn't hold his scowl back this time, as he thought with ever so slight a tint of malice about that particular smug face.

"He told me to tell you to stay home today."

Another nod. Sure... That was going to happen. Edward had heard that snow was forecasted in hell any day now.

"He told me to make sure you stayed home today."

Edward nearly let out a snort of laughter, but he caught himself at the last minute. He didn't want his brother's feelings hurt. Al gripped onto his white and blue apron self consciously.

"I'm sorry about this, Brother." The last thing Edward saw, a moment before he blacked out was a black metal fist heading towards the side of his face.

Cold chasm alone frightened abyss nightmare hatred fear and a smirking face appearing out of the dazzling brightness around him one he only half recognised with a rugged beard and shadowed eyes before it too dissolved and crumbled into light.

And of course the brightness was not to be disturbed with a petty thing like darkness so dazzling that it almost appeared that he died when as suddenly as the brightness had come, it left him alone, and ever further away from that grip on the truth held just above his head. Sizzle sizzle static and a crackle and a pop, his only warning before blue lightning flocculated out from liquid just between his legs, shooting up, spiralling, blinding him with it's glare, and making him it's possession with it's heat and deadly hum. Flickering just before his eyes, as he desperately closed them, trying to protect himself in one little way; however the complete immobility he was wrapped in prevented such an action spectacularly.

A flash of red shone through his eyelids a moment before they snapped open, searing pain encompassing his body as one of the forks scraped his side, rearing away like a frightened horse and turning a bright crimson almost to reflect the pain it had caused, and it seemed it caused itself before spiralling away, causing the whole of the lightning beam to turn a brilliant magenta before it sizzled out. Pain, pain, encompassing his body and filling him to the backs of his eyes with hissing, burning uncomfortable pain, almost as if he was being cooked from inside out, and then it all stopped.

Eyes flew open, disorientation set in, and Edward Elric forced from his memory the exact ruby red that the lightning had been.

A/N

Okay, sorry about that last bit. I get kinda carried away when it comes to semi-steam of conscious.

This fic has yet to be Beta-ed, so I will repost this, and the first chapter once that has happened. I'm impatient, and I only told my betas that I had given them the job this morning.

Little note: The computer spell check wants to change Elric to Erica. Don't trust computers kids, it's not good for you.

Thanks to my reviewers so far. I seriously didn't expect to get much of a response to this fic. Bear with me, the beginning is slow, and the action is yet to start.

Also, kitten-chan, I'm frenchiette on Deviantart, if you want to look me up, and bride-of-lister, no, I didn't know, that, thanks!

Even though I should have, seeing as I'm a year 11 chem student. X.x

Thanks again to my reviewers. Replying individually, unless there's a question takes up so much space and time, but thanks to all you guys for reviewing. -gives cookies-

And if anyone wants to apply for a beta position, I'm always looking for more. Post a review saying that you want to, and I'll email my drafts to you.