Prologue

A pool of crimson scattered upon the ground soaking into the dirt, weak cries from four legged felines as they finished their meal. In the corner of a dark pit the felines look morosely at the poor human that had been tossed in along with the badly needed food. The young boy didn't hate them for their actions; it wasn't their fault for starving. The world was growing darker by the moment as his blood seeped from the wounds given to him by the cats. As he laid dying his only regret was that he'd never see his mom again.

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In another reality and fifty years in the past two young boys had finished collecting the elements of alchemy that would help them attempt to bring their mother back. "Ready Al?"

The younger of the two nodded and both placed their hands upon the transmutation circle and invoked the Pandora's Box so to speak. Energy swirled as the alchemy began, however something went wrong mid-way through. Edward Elric looked up and saw a huge door had opened and was pulling his brother through, trying to reach out he watch as his brother disappeared. The door shut leaving Ed behind shocked, he looked over at center of transmutation circle and saw a mass of matter pulsating and groaning, not looking remotely human shape. Horrified at the sight Edward blacked out, when he came to the mass had vanished. Looking around he notice his brother was still missing. Realizing what had happened, Edward tried something that only a handful of Alchemist in the world knew of feeling light headed, he dragged himself over to a suit of armor knocked it over. Using his own blood to created a transmutation seal inside the armor put his hand to the armor. "Please work," he muttered.

XXX

The young boy's life signs continued to decline at a quick rate and the only thing he could hear was, "Have you've learned that technique yet boy!" a fat oaf shouted from above ground sitting on the only way out.

Not saying anything mainly because he was unable to, the young boy resigned himself to his fate just as a circle of light surrounded him. He felt himself sink into the ground and few moments later found himself in a shaft of light. Whatever was happening to him it didn't make his wounds heal or give him a measure of comfort he thought it would if this was what death was like.

When the shaft of light ended he felt himself stand upright again and his wounds reminded him of how close to death he was. Wherever he was smelled of metal and iron, it was tight and constrictive. "Um, hello?" he tested his voice, finding it weak and scratchy.

The constrictive space seemed to tense a bit, "Who said that?" the voice surrounded the young boy. But the young boy didn't answer slipping back into unconsciousness.

Al gently picked up his brother and prepared to run to the Rockbell residence, when the voice spoke. Not sure where it came from and at the moment not really caring, he ran as fast he could toward the Automail shop at the bottom of the hill. Opening the door to the house, he shocked Winry and her grandmother. "Granny help my brother, please," not sure what else he could say.

It had taken nearly thirty minutes to get Edward cleaned up and bandaged. The three sat down and spoke of the reasons. Pinako Rockbell looked over at the unconscious form in disapproval, "Stupid boy," she muttered softly. Al looked down in shame, as he did his eyes settled on a streak of blood that was leaking out from one of the joints.

The blood had been cleaned off the outer parts of his armored shell, "Granny I think I might of got some blood inside can you get it for me, just don't mess with the seal."

Pinako nodded, went to grab a sponge and cleaner as Al opened his chest to check inside. Neither expected what would occur next. As soon as Al opened his chest plate a body of a young boy no older than Ed and Al spilled out. The boy fell to the ground in a heap blood pooling underneath him, he had several open wounds. Winry did the only thing she could think of; she fainted while Pinako and Al looked on in shock.

Pinako quickly recovered picking up the young boy and put him on the work bench, "Al get the doctor, this is something I don't think I could heal."

Al nodded running out the door and down the hill as fast as he could. Pinako tried her best to put pressure on the larger wounds but there was just too many. The doctor arrived with Al a few minutes later and spotted the poor boy. The doctor was an alchemist healer so by quickly drawing a transmutation circle, he placed his hands upon the circle the boy was surrounded by a bright light, when the heavy life threatening wounds had been sealed to a point that made it easier for him to treat normally, quietly applying medicine and alcohol to the wounds he looked at the sad shape the left arm and legs were in. "The boy is going to lose his left arm, the entire right leg, and the left leg up to the knee."

"What caused this?" Al asked trying to figure out how a boy could possibly been inside his armor.

The doctor quietly examined the wounds, noting they were already healing at an accelerated rate. "Looks like he was mauled by several small animals, likely stray cats but the sheer amount disturbs me," he picked up something on the shredded clothing, "fish sausage," he frowned heavily.

The rest of the night the doctor with the aide Pinako had amputated the boy's arm and legs, bandaged them, and put him in the bed next to Edward.

It took two days for the two unconscious boys to regain consciousness. Edward was the first to regain consciousness, sitting up he looked at the other boy in the other bed. "Al?" he spoke asked.

"Right here Ed," Al walked up and sitting down beside his brother. Edward nodded looking down at his single arm.

"Screwed up big time didn't we Al," he whispered glancing over at the other boy.

Al nodded, "That we did, um brother did you see anyone in the armor before using your alchemy?" asked softly.

Ed gave his brother a confused look, "What are you talking about, of course not!" he stated irritated.

"I wonder how that boy got inside my armor then?" Al thought aloud. This brought Edward's growling to a grinding halt.

"What did you say?" Edward stated.

"He fell out of my armor when I brought you here, his wounds were bad brother. Whatever happened to him, happened before he appeared in my armor. The Doctor said he was mauled by kitties," Al said almost girlishly.

Ed raised an eyebrow for a moment, "I was being trained by my idiot pops in a martial arts technique," came a weak reply. Both Elric brothers turned to the young boy with them as he stared up at the ceiling weakly.

"What kind of technique lets you get mauled?" Edward asked.

The young boy looked down at his body seeing he was missing his left arm, his right leg, and most of his left. Considering the damaged he felt grateful he wasn't in a wooden box being put in the ground, "A stupid technique, one of my pops favorite kind," he paused using his right hand to sit up and take stock of his situation. "Name's Ranma," he said softly not bothering to add his last name. Willing to become Ronin if it meant he didn't have to do the Nekoken training again.

"Well I'm Edward and this is my brother Al," Ed smiled slightly.

Ranma nodded and rubbed the place his left once connected. "Guess we both didn't come out on the good end of Kami today, eh?" he stated looking at Edward's missing limbs.

Edward nodded slightly, "Yeah well I got him pissed at me for doing something that was forbidden," he shuddered softly. "The price was too high for my taste." Ranma didn't say anything until an old woman and a girl about their age walked in, the old woman was smoking her pipe gazing coolly at Edward before turning to Ranma with a more inquiring look.

"SO! How are we doing this morning," Pinako asked puffing on her pipe.

Edward cringed slightly, "Deserved everything I got."

"Glad you see it that way shrimp, trying to perform human alchemy just to bring your mother back, she would have smacked you good for it," Pinako glared at Edward. "Can only imagine what Izumi will think of this when she hears about it."

Ranma watched as both Elric brothers looked like someone ordered them to commit seppuku, "Um, old lady."

Pinako's gaze soften but not much at Ranma, "Call me Granny."

With a light shrug, "I'm Ranma," he introduced himself. "Who's Izumi?"

Pinako chuckled softly, "Well Ranma, Izumi is Ed and Al's alchemy and combat teacher. She warned them about human alchemy, and tried her hardest to teach them right, well Edward has always been a stubborn boy."

Edward snorted and would of crossed his arms if he had his right one, instead he jutted his chin and looked away.

Ranma looked excited when she mentioned combat training, but looking at three missing limbs he doubted he'll ever continue learning martial arts. With this cold realization his excitement dropped being replaced with depression.

"Why the long face kiddo?" Pinako asked.

Ranma explained the details of his life of the last five years. When he finished Winry looked green, Pinako, Ed, and Al looked steamed. "The Nekoken training went bad for me after the second time; I went down, into the pit. What was funny while I was laying there waiting to die, a bright light surrounded me and the next thing I know I'm lying here hearing about alchemy."

Edward was rubbing his chin, "Sounds like when I transmuted Al's soul into the armor I inadvertently opened up a doorway to another universe and pulled Ranma in," he thought about this for a few minutes before beginning to yank his hair out, "How in the hell did that happen, argh!" smashing his head into the wall behind the headboard of the bed.

Al sighs, "Oh brother," he states while Ranma looked on in amusement. "So Ranma you didn't use your last name, why?"

Ranma eyes became dark, "I don't want to ever be associated with my father ever again, I rather have no last name than his," he snorts softly."

Edward frowned, "How about this you take our last name, since somehow I manage to transmute you here. What you say Al?"

Al nodded, "Sure, um how old are you Ranma?"

"Ten," Ranma said simply

If Al could smile he would of, "Another older brother, that's great."

So it was Ranma became Ranma Elric honorary brother to Edward and Alphonse. A few days after that Ranma and Edward volunteered for the Automail surgery. Ranma having endured pain far worse than the connecting of artificial nerve connections and metal plates. Soon after Edward was given his new arm and leg while Ranma was given his new arm, leg, and calf. Shortly after this Edward began to teach his new brother about alchemy or at least tried. Barely an hour into reading Alchemy materials Ranma fell asleep, this kept up until Edward called it quits. However when Ranma would watch them perform alchemy he would perform the same thing without reading. So Edward taught Ranma not with books but by examples, in short order Ranma had caught up with his brothers in time for the three of them to leave Risenbool. During the months Edward and Alphonse had been training Ranma, a member of the military Roy Mustang offered Edward the position of State Alchemist in return for reading materials that would the lead Elrics to the Philospher's Stone. Edward agreed, putting the Elric home to the torch Ranma, Edward, and Alphonse departed for an uncertain future.