Characters:

Hugh and Ash, the Mustang twins

Serena and Duncan, the Elric siblings

Mori, The Mustang's adopted Ishvalan child

Lei Yao

Chapter 1: The Past

The barricade would only hold so long. Al continued to stare at the opposite room, but focused as Mei called for his attention and began drawing an intricate circle. He looked back at the kids, studying them for what might be the last time. "I just hope that when you kids get there... They'll believe you..."

"They have to... It's our only option to save this world," Mei replied firmly.

Al nodded in agreement. He looked at the kids. "Now, I will warn you... The past isn't a pleasant place. Your parents may not believe it's you."

Duncan nodded. "Alright uncle Al, anything else we should be aware of?"

"Well... Your dad doesn't have his arm. I'm trapped in a suit of armor. Colonel Mustang has a lot of his vision... And... Ling and Lan Fan may or may not already be there." Al thought hard of anything else he could tell them.

"Let's just go before we run out of time," Lei said impatiently.

"Alright. I guess we can figure out the rest." Duncan said a bit quietly.

Hugh gave him a reassuring look. "I'm sure everything will be okay when we get there..."

Al and Mei activated the circle, the room lighting up. "Hurry through, all of you..."

"Right," Ash was first, freefalling into the reaction. Lei followed, jumping in. Duncan went next after Lei.

"Serena, we need to go," Hugh tried to encourage the Elric twin.

"Okay..." Serena nodded slightly. They leapt into the portal.

Everyone landed on the cold stone pavement. "Agh... Not an ideal landing..." Lei looked around, noticing Ling and Ed arguing at a table. "Dad? He's so young..." Hugh and Ash scanned the area, looking for danger. "Hugh, Ash. I don't think the Homunculi have shown up, yet," Lei said, looking around for a moment as well, then strolling to where Ling and Ed were seated.

Ling stands up. "Well, thanks for the food. Maybe I'll see you another time."

Lei tapped him on the shoulder. "Eh... Emper- I mean, Prince Ling. We need to talk."

"How do you know who I am?"

"It's... Hard to explain, especially out in the open." He looked at Ed. "We need you, too, Ed."

"First, you're going to tell me who you are and how you know who I am. I want to know how you know I'm the prince."

"YOU'RE A PRINCE?!" Ed fell out of his seat laughing.

"You shut up! You're just a short little kid!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Ed snapped up and tried to attack. Lei held him back. "WE'RE THE SAME FLIPPING AGE!"

Ash sighed. "Hugh, we don't have time for this." Hugh nodded and knocked them both out with a hit to the back of the neck.

"Alright. Let's hurry before the Homunculi show up..." Lei lifted Ling onto his shoulders and headed to Garfeil's.

Mori lifted Ed and followed. "Man...for a shorty this guy is really heavy..." Ed subconsciously kicked Mori in the shin with his automail. Mori shouted. "Ouch!"

"He doesn't like being demeaned," Lei said, arriving and setting Ling down on the couch. "Never thought father was so demanding..." Mori set Ed down. Ash and Hugh kept watch. Lei started trying to revive his young father, gently poking him in the cheek. "So weird that you're not the Emperor..."

Ash waved a piece of food in front of him. Ling jumped and chomped it down. "What happened?..."

"You were being stubborn..." Lei replied, giving him some space and sitting on the arm of the couch.

"So you decided to knock me out and drag me to a random location?"

"Pretty much," he replied. He studied Ling in silence. "It's so weird, looking at you and seeing you young..." He then looked at Ling's clothes. "And poorly dressed..." He chuckled. "And you're younger than me at this point..."

"What the h*** are you talking about?!"

"I'm Prince Lei Yao. Your son," he replied.

"I'm too young to have a son!"

"I'm from the future," he explained.

"That's not possible. The future hasn't happened yet."

"Not for you, but for us it has. We're from the future, coming into, what is for us, the past," Lei tried to explain.

Ash butted in. "Lei can't explain it very well. Just believe us. We're from the future."

Duncan nodded agreeing with Ash but seemed a bit distracted. "It's really hard to explain."

"That's okay..." Lei looked at Duncan. "What's up?"

Duncan looked around. "Something doesn't seem right... like we are missing someone... but we are all here..."

"I don't trust that the Homunculi aren't that far away..."

"I don't think it has to deal with a Homunculi, I believe that it has to deal with another person..."

"Who, Duncan?"

Duncan thought for a bit. "I'm not sure..."

"We'll worry about that, later." Lei smacked Ed. "Wake up!"

Hugh stopped him. "That won't work."

"Well, he needs to hear this, too."

"Hey Duncan?" Serena asked.

"Yes?"

"Didn't Daddy at this time have a short temper or something?"

"That's the rumor? Your dad has a short temper?" Lei laughed.

"I believe so." Duncan nodded, walking over to Ed and looking over at his automail. The Automail gleamed like new, finely glassed and crafted by his mother's hand and signature style she had slowly developed. It was nice to see something familiar in such an alien world.