AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Hey guys! So, I wanted to give this a shot and see what everyone thinks of the first chapter and see if this story works out. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is one of my top five favourite anime shows so I hope eveyone likes this possible story.

CHAPTER 1- BEGINNINGS

Alchemy: the science of understanding, deconstructing and reconstructing matter. It's said that it can even turn gold from lead. However, it is not an all-powerful art. It is impossible to create something from nothing. If one wishes to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost. This is the Law of Equivalent Exchange, the basis of all alchemy.

In accordance with this law, there is a taboo among alchemists: human transmutation is strictly forbidden. For what could equal the value of a human soul?

This is the story of three young alchemists. Two of them are siblings, while one is a childhood friend of theirs. This story tells of their journey to right the wrongs of their past in order to fix their future and in the process, save the entire country and all those they care about.

My name is Kida Xerxes. It's a bit of a mystery on how my family got their last name after the famous city that got destroyed in a single night. I have decided it was time to share our story and it all begins in a small town called Resembool…..

The year is 1904. In a small town, a woman with long red hair, stood with a man with brown hair. They both stood at the front porch of their house, watching the five year old girl who also had red hair like her mother play with two blonde haired boys and a blond haired girl in the grassy fields.

The little girl with red hair? That's me. And the kids I'm playing with? The boys are Edward and Alphonse Elric and the girl is Winry Rockbell. The woman with red hair is my mother Lydia Xerxes and the man is her brother Jason Xerxes. When my mother married my father, she decided to keep her last name and both my parents decided that I should keep her last name too.

My father died in a train accident when I was still a baby and so, my mum moved in with her brother who like Edward and Alphonse's dad (who Ed doesn't like to talk about) is a gifted alchemist. He mostly practices medical alchemy and works along with Winry's parents sometimes.

This is how I first began to learn alchemy…..

"Honey? Where are you?" Lydia called throughout the house one morning.

She saw her brother Jason come out of the kitchen and asked, "Jason, have you seen Kida anywhere?"

"She wasn't in bed? I was about to go up and get her for breakfast." Jason said.

Jason suddenly heard the sound of drawing going on and listened carefully. He heard it again and could hear it was coming from his own study room.

He walked over and opened the door, to find his niece on the floor with a pencil in her hand and a pencil. On the paper it looked like a transmutation circle.

"Lydia, I found her." Jason called out.

Lydia came back and saw her daughter and asked, "Kida, what are you doing in your uncle's study?"

Kida smiled and said, "Watch this."

She placed her hands on the transmutation circle and in a flash of light, the paper folded into a perfectly crafted paper crane.

Both Lydia's and Jason's eyes widened at the sight in both surprise and awe. Jason then asked, "How….how did you do alchemy? I haven't taught you about it."

"I read some of your books uncle." Kida answered.

"And you can really understand it?" Lydia asked.

Kida continued to smile and nodded. Both Jason and Lydia smiled and began praising her, "That's amazing! / Incredible! / Wait until I tell everyone that my little girl can do alchemy."

And that was the beginning of my alchemic journey. Just like Ed and Al, I became obsessed with learning alchemy. I wanted to be a great alchemist just like my uncle. He began to teach me all he knew and each time I would perform a transmutation, it made them both smile and I even started helping some of the people around the town fix broken things.

At first everything was happy…..but then an epidemic swept the country. A sickness came and it not only took Ed and Al's mother Trisha Elric, but it took my mother as well. Leaving me in the care of my uncle.

Kida sat in front of her mother's grave and continued to cry and grieve. It had only been a few days since her mother passed and her death was still hard on her. Edward and Alphonse came up and placed their hands on her shoulder in comfort, for they too knew her pain.

"We know how you feel Kida." Edward said, looking down in sadness.

"At least you're not alone." Alphonse said, trying to comfort his friend.

"Thanks boys. I'm sorry about your mother too." Kida sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"How's your uncle?" Edward asked.

"He's sad as well…..I don't know what to do." Kida answered.

At her home, Jason sat in the barely lit room of his study. His eyes red from his tears as he continued to look at the photo of his sister, standing beside him with Kida.

He suddenly had a look of determination in his eyes as he thought of something. Something that meant…..he would be committing something truly horrifying.

If I had known what my uncle was thinking of doing back then, I probably would've stopped him. I would've stopped Ed and Al for what they were planning as well. But like my uncle, they had a good way of keeping secrets from me. Even though my mother's death affected me, it didn't stop me from wanting to learn alchemy.

My uncle let me go with Ed and Al to train with an alchemy teacher, who helped train not only my body but my mind as well. When I got back, I showed my uncle everything I had learned and he was so proud but a few nights later after my 12th birthday….is where everything went wrong.

A black crow flew around the barn where Kida's home was. Inside, Jason was preparing some ingredients in a large bowl. Inside, Kida was looking for her uncle, "Uncle Jay? Jason? Where are you?"

When there was no answer, an ominous feeling washed over Kida and she suddenly knew that something wasn't right.

In the barn, Jason had finished drawing a large transmutation circle around the bowl and added some blood from his finger to it. He took a deep breath and was about to place his hands on the circle, when suddenly the barn door opened and Kida entered.

"Uncle?! What are you doing?" Kida asked.

"Go back inside Kida, because in a few moments I'll have a wonderful gift for you." Jason told her.

Kida then looked at the transmutation circle and her eyes widened as she recognised the formulas and everything.

She shook her head in horror and demanded, "Uncle….you're going to commit the ultimate taboo?! Human transmutation?!"

"I have to! I figured it out! I'm going to bring your mother back and if it works, I can then bring your father back and we can all be a full family once again!" Jason shouted, trying to get his niece to see things his way.

"But what if it doesn't? You'd still be committing something horrible! Teacher always said that you shouldn't use alchemy to try and bring the dead back to life!" Kida yelled at her uncle, hoping to stop him.

Jason however didn't listen and slowly began to lower his hands to activate the circle. Kida couldn't let that happen and she quickly ran over, but she tripped over a pole and crashed into Jason. As he was moved out of the way, she accidentally landed on the circle and her palms touched it.

A bright blue light began to spring from the transmutation circle and it wasn't long until it turned red and a giant eyeball appeared from the circle.

Jason watched and said, "Kida….."

Suddenly Kida's right eye suddenly disappeared, causing her to scream in pure terror!

"KIDA!" Jason screamed and tried to reach out to his niece just as her left arm disappeared as well.

"UNCLE!" Kida screamed and tried to reach out to Jason before there was a bright flash of light…..

Kida suddenly found herself in some kind of room and everywhere was white, all except a giant grey door behind her.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Kida wondered, feeling frightened.

"Hello." A voice suddenly spoke.

Kida's eyes widened as she saw what looked to be a shadowy kind of person sitting in front of her. It was freaking her out.

"Who….who are you?" She asked.

"Oh me? I'm so glad you asked." The being answered. "I am called by many names. I am the world, I am the universe, I am God, I am truth, I am all, I am one….."

It then pointed at Kida and finished, "And I am also you."

Kida suddenly heard the sound of a door opening and turned around to see the giant door had opened and a giant eye appeared before her.

"You have dared to knock on the door and now the door is opened."

Black hands reached out to Kida, who screamed and tried to run away but to no avail as the hands grabbed her tightly and began to drag her into the door.

"Quiet child. This is what you wanted right?" Truth said as Kida continued to scream from the entrance of the door. "I will show you….the truth!"

The door closed and Kida screamed as she found herself floating in an endless sea of darkness and suddenly, images and formulas began to form around her and her eyes struggled to stay open as she continued to look on in fear.

It was like all the information of the world was being poured and pushed right into my skull. It was horrible to say the least and I felt like I was being ripped apart and put back together.

"STOP IT!" Kida screamed as her body began to rip apart like paper in front of her eyes. "PLEASE! STOP!"

Suddenly, Kida found herself back in the white room where she started and the door was closed. Truth asked, "How was it?"

Kida couldn't speak. She was still horrified by what happened. She asked nervously, "What was that?"

"The truth. When an alchemist does human transmutation, they all see the truth….for the toll they pay." Truth said as it stood up.

"What toll?" Kida asked, afraid of the answer.

"This. Don't you remember?" Truth asked as an eye appeared on its face as well as a left arm.

Kida suddenly felt her left arm and her right eye disappear. She gasped in fright and Truth only said one more thing before she disappeared with a grin, "It's the law of equivalent exchange….right young alchemist?"

Kida screamed as she held her right eye in pain. Her entire left arm was gone and blood was everywhere. Blood could also be seen spilling out from her hand that covered her left eye.

"KIDA!" Jason screamed, holding his niece in his arms. "OH MY GOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

He quickly grabbed some bandages and wrapped her wounds as tightly as he could. Kida continued to scream, "IT HURTS SO MUCH! UNCLE HELP!"

Smoke filled the lab as he cried, "LYDIA! HELP ME PLEASE!"

They both suddenly looked at the middle of the circle, expecting to find Lydia there but it wasn't. They both gasped in complete horror at what they saw. It was some sort creature with long hair and was dead looking.

It reached out its blackened hand, but then coughed up blood and died immediately. Jason shook his head in horror and regret as he shouted, "NO! IT CAN'T BE! This isn't…..this isn't what I wanted! Kida! I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! KIDA!"

I had lost my right arm and my left eye that night and I wasn't the only one who lost something. It turns out, Ed and Al had the same idea as my uncle to try and bring their mother back. Like me, the transmutation didn't work and Ed lost his leg, while Al lost his entire body and thanks to Ed, his soul was now bonded to a suit of armour….at the cost of his right arm.

A week had gone by after that…that's when we first met Colonel Roy Mustang.

Colonel Roy Mustang looked in horror at the bloody mess on floor of the Elric's home. It was just like at the barn of Kida's home and his suspicions were starting to rise more as he began to figure out what happened.

His partner Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye entered the room and informed Roy, "Colonel, they're not in back either and it doesn't look like Kida Xerxes is here either."

She the saw the mess on the floor and asked, "What is this? It looks like back at the other home in the barn."

"Where are they?" Roy demanded, his tone sharp and serious. "Where are the Elric brothers and Kida Xerxes?! I want them all found!"

It was a while later they arrived at the Rockbell home and Roy knocked on the door, causing Den the dog to bark.

"Oh hush Den! Don't bark out our guests." Pinako Rockbell said as she opened the door.

Without waiting to be invited in, Roy entered the house. Pinako snapped at the military man, "Hey! What is this? You have no reason to come barging in here!"

Roy looked around and then glared as he found who he was looking for. Sitting in a couple of wheelchairs was Edward Elric who looked dead, his body covered with bandages underneath a shirt and Kida Xerxes, her eye covered with bandages and an eye-patch and her missing left arm covered with bandages as well under a loose top.

Roy walked up to both of them and lifted them from their seats by their shirts as he demanded, "We went to your homes and saw the floors! What was that?! What did you do?!"

Edward and Kida couldn't find the words to describe what happened. Suddenly the suit of armour gently grabbed Roy's arm and Alphonse spoke from the armour is sadness, "We're sorry….we didn't mean it. We're sorry. We're sorry."

Jason then walked up and said with tears, "If you're going to punish someone…..then punish me. For it was my fault what happened to Kida. Not hers."

Roy calmed down and began to listen to their stories. He sat with Ed, Al, Pinako, Kida and Jason at the table and at the end, he couldn't help but be slightly amazed that they survived the whole ordeal.

"This is a surprise to say the least. I heard stories of a few gifted alchemists living in this town, so I came to check them out." Roy spoke. "The last thing I expected to find was a boy skilled enough to attempt human transmutation, or advanced enough to bond a soul to a suit of armour. Nor did I expect a young girl to go through all that and survive."

He looked at Ed and Kida and continued, "I'd say Edward and Kida are more than qualified to become State Alchemists. Should they choose to accept the positions, they will be required to serve the military in times of national security and in return, they'll receive privileges and access to restricted materials. In time they may find a way to get their bodies back to normal."

Pinako placed her pipe down and said, "Right after they came stumbling at my door step, half-dead and covered with blood, I went over to their homes to see what had happened."

She looked angry as she continued, "What was there…..whatever that thing was, it wasn't human! Alchemy created those abominations and it nearly killed them! Do you really want them to go through that kind of hell again?!"

"It was my fault my niece had to go through that hell….I don't want her to go through it again. She hasn't really spoken since that night and…..I'm pretty sure she hates me for what happened." Jason said in sadness. "Not that I'll blame her if she does."

Roy looked into the eyes of the children and said, "I'm not forcing you, I'm merely offering the possibility. Will you both sit in those chairs and wallow in self-pity or will you stand up and seize the chance the military can give you? If you believe there is a way to get your bodies back to normal, then you should seek it out and keep moving whatever it takes. Even if the path ahead, lies through a river of blood."

Neither Kida nor Edward said anything as Roy looked into their eyes. A few minutes later, Roy and Riza left the house and began to head back to the train station.

"Will they come?" Riza asked.

"They'll come." Roy answered.

"Those children, I've never seen anyone look so defeated." Riza commented, feeling sorry for those children.

Roy smiled and said, "That's what you saw? No. There was fire in those eyes."

Later that afternoon, Kida finally spoke to Jason, "Uncle, we need to talk."

Jason nodded and sat in front of her. Kida took a deep breath and said, "I don't and could never hate you for what happened Uncle."

Jason gasped at her words. She continued, "I know why you did what you did. You just wanted to give me my mother back and you wanted your sister back. You just wanted me to be happy and were willing to do whatever it takes. What happened, happened and there's nothing we can do about it now. But please know, that no matter what, I'll always love you. I will never hate you. You're all I have left of my family now and….I don't want to lose that. I forgive you."

Tears fell from his eyes and they embraced each other in a warm hug, tears falling from their eyes.

After I had forgiven my uncle, Ed and I both decided…..we would become State Alchemists in order to find a way to get our bodies and Al's body back to normal. But to do that….we needed automail.

"Are you sure you both won't regret this?" Pinako asked the two children.

"Our minds are made up." Kida said, determined. "How long will the surgery and rehabilitation take?"

"Three years." Pinako answered.

They both took a deep breath and said, "We'll do it in one."

Winry and Pinako gasped. Pinako then said, "You'll both be spitting blood."

Edward turned to Alphonse and said, "Al, just hang on a little longer and we'll find a way to get your body back."

Alphonse nodded and said, "And also find a way to get yours and Kida's body back to normal as well."

In a year, we had finished our rehabilitation period. Edward now had an automail arm and leg and I was fitted with an automail arm and eye. Edward's hair had grown longer and he now wore it in a braid. As for me, my hair gotten so long I had to get a haircut. My hair now just reached my shoulders.

We both headed to Central and took the State Alchemy Exam. It was then I discovered I was not only gifted in medical alchemy, but also water and air alchemy.

Kida was standing in the room where many military officials, including Roy Mustang and Führer King Bradley! King Bradley had heard of two young children taking the exam and decided to check it out.

Bradley looked at Kida and noticed her automail and asked smling with interest, "Ah! I see you too have steel prosthetics?"

"Uh yeah. I had an accident at home with a vehicle when I was a kid and lost my arm and eye in the process." Kida, quickly coming up with the story so she wouldn't reveal about the human transmutation incident.

"I see. Must've been a rough childhood." King Bradley commented. "Proceed with the examination."

"Do you require something to draw transmutation circles with?" The military officer asked.

She shook her head and pulled out a canteen full of water. She spilled the water on the floor and then clapped her hands and touched the ground.

Roy's eyes widened in surprise and he commented, "She can do alchemy without a transmutation circle as well. Just like Edward."

The water then rose up and froze in place, creating an ice sword. She then clapped her hands once more and touched the ice, causing it to disintegrate and create steam, filling the entire room. She then clapped her hands and touched the ground, creating a cannon, revealing it once the steam cleared.

King Bradley clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Amazing! You clearly have so much talent young alchemist. I wish you luck on the rest of your exam."

Edward and I had passed the exam with flying colours. We were known as the youngest State Alchemist in history of Amestris.

Edward and Kida sat in the middle of Roy's office as he presented them with silver pocket watches with the military emblem on them.

"These silver pocket watches identifies you both as State Alchemists." He explained.

He then pulled out their certificates and handed them to Ed and Kida as he said, "Congratulations you two. You're both now dogs of the military."

Kida read her certificate,

BY ORDER OF KING BRADLEY,

THIS DOCUMENT CERTIFIES KIDA XERXES HAS BEEN MADE A STATE ALCHEMIST AND IS HEREBY GIVEN THE TITLE OF AQUAMARINE.

"Aquamarine? / Fullmetal?" Kida and Edward both asked, confused by the names on the papers.

"That's right. State Alchemists are given a code name when they're accepted in the military." Roy explained. "I'm known as the Flame Alchemist. Officially Kida you'll be known as the Aquamarine Alchemist and Edward will be known as the Fullmetal Alchemist."

Edward smiled and said, "I like that. It's nice and intimidating. I think that'll suit me just fine."

Kida smiled and said, "Same here. Looks like our journey, is only beginning."

And that's how it all started. That's where our adventures as State Alchemists begin…..