Chapter One: 'Cause This Gate Has a Sense of Humour

Al groaned and flopped onto his back. His eyes slowly opened, blinked once, twice. His brain was having trouble making sense out of what his eyes were seeing. He was in a cave, which was obvious, he could see the roof. Sitting up and looking around Al saw he was in a deserted city. There was no sign of life. At the end of the ruined street, Al could see a partly collapsed building. It appeared that an aeroplane had crashed into it. How did an aeroplane get into a cavern like this? City. Underground. Aeroplane… The city under Central! It worked!

'Brother! It worked, it worked! We're back home!!' Al's excited yell echoed through the dead city. 'Brother? Brother!' Al cried, looking around in panic. It couldn't happen like this. Not again. He didn't want to be with out his brother again! Brother had promised they'd both come back, together, that they'd never be split up again. What if they didn't give enough to the gate?! What if brother had to be left behind or worse, stuck inside the gate?!

A series of meows echoed through the heavy silence that lingered after Al's outburst. Hearing the cat sprung up memories of Ed, soaking wet, holding a half drowned kitten, arguing with their mother; of himself, trapped in a suit of armour, arguing with Ed over a small wet kitten. Turning to the cat, tears gathered in Al's eyes.

'Al, why are you crying? We're home!' Ed demanded, stalking towards his distraught brother.

Al just stared wide eyed as a sleek golden cat mewed and stalked towards him; its golden eyes held a disturbingly familiar irritated expression. The cat's auto-mail limbs made a metallic clank that echoed through out the dead city.

Al just continued to stare, his mind not wanting to really accept the conclusion it had come to.

'Hey Al... Why are you so big?' Ed asked as he looked up at his brother.

Al had a feeling that the cat was trying to communicate with him, but he couldn't wrap his mind around that this animal could possibly be his brother.

When the cat let out a louder, more demanding yowl, Al's animal soft spot got the better of him.

'What you want, little guy?'

What the cat did next Al would never forget. Its fur bristled out to twice its original size; it's back arched before it started to jump up and down and run around in circles all the while letting loose a series of ear-splitting yowls and screeches.

'WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE HE'LL SUFFOCATE FROM A MINISCLE PIECE OF DUST FALLING ON HIM!!!?'

'Ed?' Al whispered, 'is that you?'

Ed stood on his hind legs and waved his arms (forepaws), Ed hasn't realised he's not human anymore)) 'who the hell do you think it is!?'

'Y-you should take a look at yourself...'

Ed glanced down... and just blinked. He was a cat. How could he be a cat? Didn't they give enough and this was the only way he could come back? Or was the gate pulling a prank on him? But that would mean the gate was sentient, or was it what's inside the gate? Ed let out a pained yowl, his train of though was giving him a headache.

'Are you alright Brother?' Al asked concerned, Ed was taking this suspiciously well.

'What do you think? I'm stuck as a cat, I don't know how to get back to normal and I bet we're just going to run into General Sarcasm, wont he have a fun time with this,' Ed's tail swished in agitation.

While Al couldn't understand cat, he did know how his brother thought. 'General Mustang really could help us, brother, and you're no longer a State Alchemist, remember?'

'Did you even listen to a thing I said, Al!?' Ed yelled stalking around his little brother, his tail moving into overdrive.

'Sorry brother, I don't speak cat. But I know you well enough to know when you are complaining about the General.' Al ran his hand down Ed's silky fur, smiling as Ed let out a small purr.

'Al! What are you doing!?' Ed cried, leaping away, 'I'm your brother, not your pet!'

'Sorry, brother, but I couldn't resist,' Al chuckled at Ed's disgruntled expression. 'It's a good thing you're a cat, they express themselves really clearly, don't they, brother.'

'Yeah, my claws, your hand,' Ed muttered holding is left paw in front of his face and starting to wash it.

'You'll have time to groom later, brother, now we have to go see Mustang,' Al scolded gently, with a laugh in his voice.

Ed looked at his paw it horror. I was doing what!? But it felt like I should... Knock it off! This is only temporary! Ed started to stalk off, but found himself scooped off the ground and brought up against Al's warm chest.

'I can walk you know, Al.'

'It'll be quicker this way, brother.' Al guessed what Ed had said. Judging from the small growls and the wiggling into a better position, he'd guessed right. Unable to help himself, however, Al started to scratch Ed behind one of his ears. To Al's delight, Ed started to purr.

'You know, brother, this could be karma getting back at you for not letting me keep that kitten...'

Ed jerked his head away from Al's evil hand... he'd found just the spot... then the comment sunk in.

Al laughed as his brother started to squirm, wiggle, struggle, bite and yowl.