A/N: Thank you to the few that reviewed on the prologue of this story: flyingpoppy1060, kok0roxGuardian, and Fluehatraya. Also thanks to all who added this to faves and alerts. You guys are awesome!

Also although this first chapter was updated relatively close to the prologue, I can't promise that updates will be frequent or quick inbetween. And I'm sorry for that! Like I mentioned before, I only have a rough outline of the plot. I don't even have chapter two outlined yet. It all depends on how much free time I have to work on this.

Also I seem to have a curse of writing short chapters. I'm trying to cure that, but it may take a while if I can cure it at all. _;

This is the first time that I've ever written the FMA characters, so I'm a little worried about how they came out... But I'm like that for any person or people I write...

Well enough of my blabbering. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Crossing Paths.

Chapter 1

"Damn that colonel! Making us take a trek in this heat!" Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, wiped the sweat from his brow with a gloved hand while he complained to a bulky suit of armor that walked beside him. The pairing walked along a deserted path away from a quaint little village hidden in a valley.

"Come on, Ed," Alphonse Elric responded to his annoyed older brother. "It's not that bad. At least it was a lead on the Philosopher's Stone."

"Yeah. Another false one at that," Ed said dryly. "I feel like we're walking in circles. What's a guy gotta do to get a real lead around here?" He roughed up his golden braided hair with his right hand a little, physically expressing his agitation. He felt the slightly heated metal of his steel prosthetic limb beneath the glove before dropping both arms to fold them across his chest.

"I'm sure we'll find something soon," Al, ever the optimist, tried to reassure his brother.

"I hope you're right," Ed half smiled towards Al for a moment, dropping his arms back to his sides before his expression turned sour. "But now I have to report back to Colonel Cockypants and tell him that I've got nada. I can just imagine his smug face now..." He trailed off before abruptly stopping in his tracks, Al almost walking into him in the process.

"Hey, a little warning next time would be nice," Al said in an accusing tone.

"Do you feel something strange in the atmosphere here?" Ed asked, completely ignoring his brother's last words.

"Well... Now that you mention it... yeah. It almost feels like the air's rippling."

"So, I'm not the only one seeing that," Ed said as more of a statement than a question as he pointed to a strange, visible air current in front of him.

"No, you aren't..." Al found himself almost transfixed watching as the air seemed to almost rip open. "What do you suppose..." He started to ask Ed before all words escaped him. They both watched in awe as the air pulled and stretched apart. As it did so swirling green energy filled the void in which was being created. The circular hole in the atmosphere expanded until it was about eight feet in diameter.

"I've... never seen anything like this," Ed broke the silence between them. "It's amazing." The analytical scientist in him seemed to awaken as he took a step closer to the portal-like hole in the air.

"Be careful, brother! We don't know what this thing is or what it's capable of!" Al warned as he reached out to place an armored hand on a red jacketed shoulder.

"All the more reason why we should investigate further." Ed gently shrugged off his brother's hand.

Al sighed inwardly. Once Ed had his mind set on something...

"Do you think it leads somewhere?" Ed had gotten closer, reaching out with his right hand, index finger extended, to poke the green energy. Just a couple of centimeters before making contact, he stopped and watched the energy swirl around his outstretched finger.

"I don't think it's a good idea to find out." Al responded, almost reading the state alchemist's thoughts.

Ed seemed to deflate a smidge, realizing that Al was probably right. But then an idea struck him. He glanced around the landscape, quickly locating what he was looking for. He took a few steps to the side to pick up a relatively long stick. "Well if it's too dangerous for us to test first ourselves, than I'm sure this little guy won't mind being our guinea pig," Ed gestured to the stick before carefully approaching the portal.

Knowing that he couldn't deter his stubborn brother from proceeding, Al waited anxiously as Ed slowly let the energy encase the stick until his hand was a few inches from it itself. He kept it there for a few moments, leaning to check the opposite side of the portal. The stick wasn't protruding out from the other side, meaning this lead somewhere completely different than where they were standing right now. He removed the stick carefully.

"No worse for the wear," Ed said as he inspected the twig-turned-specimen. "Just think of what could have caused this. If it's alchemy, it's nothing I've ever seen before." He dropped the stick where he found it before turning to look at Al. "Imagine the possibilities. What we could learn from this, what answers might lie on the other side..." He trailed off as he made to approach the portal again, arm outstretched.

"Ed..." Al moved in closer to his brother.

"Come on, Al," Ed turned toward his brother, a hint of aggitation in his voice. "Aren't you the least bit curious?" He let his hand drop to his side.

"At least let me be the one to test it next. My body's a lot more durable than yours." Ed seemed to lighten up as the suit of armor walked towards the swirling energy.

Al repeated the same process the stick went through, though once he had his arm in position Ed asked "Can you still move your hand while it's on the other side?"

"Yeah," Al responded as he clenched and unclenched his unseen fist. After a few times he pulled his arm back out, completely unscathed.

"Now for the real test," Ed stated as he held up his left arm. He repeated the previous process for a third time. "Seems to be quite safe. Three tests, none proving to cause any damage," he relayed as he inspected his hand, now out of the portal.

"What about reporting to Central?" Al asked, half-heartedly tring to send Ed off track.

"Eh, let that excuse of a colonel wonder where I am. Payback for a dead end lead," Ed retorted, caught in the fantasy of witnessing Colonel Mustang's expression. "Besides," He continued, pulling out of his daydream, "we have no other leads right now, and this could quite possibly supply us with extremely useful information. We just need to make a leap."

"All it takes is one leap," Al repeated the words of a younger Ed.

"Exactly," The golden-eyed alchemist stared at his younger brother with determination flooding his facial expression. "Are you ready to take that leap?"

There was a slight pause before the head of the armor nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

The pair then turned in unison to the mysterious portal of swirling energy before jumping through.

A/N: And there's the first chapter. I hope I did alright... If it's not too much trouble drop a reveiw!

Until I'm back,

~PhantomPhever