Fullmetal Angel

Chapter One

Elder Brother (Edward Elric)~8
Younger Brother(Alphonse Elric)~7

Seven year old Alphonse Elric opened his eyes to find his world turned upside down.

The transmutation circle still gave off a faint glow, proving its recent use. But there was no sign of their mother, Trisha Elric. In fact, there was no sign of his brother either.

Sitting up, a very frightened Al looked around desperately for his brother. His golden eyes-only a shade darker than his brother's-scanned the room.

Their was a lingering smell of sulfur, acrid and fresh. Something else hung in the air, too, but Al couldn't quite place it. The transmutation circle not only still gave off a faint, sinister purple glow; it also was burning hot, a fact Al learned when his right hand brushed across it accidentally.

"Ow!" He cried, cradling his burned hand to his chest. His eyes started to fill with tears.

"Brother? Brother, where'd you go? Brother??"

The last part ended in a sob as his eyes landed on a sickeningly large pool of blood. As Al inched closer, the awful, metallic smell of blood filled his nose.

Slowly, it dawned on him.

"No! No, your calculations were perfect, Brother! How? How could this happen?" Al shreiked, seven-year-old voice reaching a fever pitch of despair.

Then, rising, Al dashed for the door, sobbing.

Once he was outside, he didn't care that the rain was soaking through his clothes. He was gratefully, in fact. As if the rain could wash off the acrid smell of sulfur and the heat of the transmutation circle. As if, by letting the rain wash over him, he was letting it wash away the memory of the blood and the smell of death.

That had been the smell Al hadn't been able to place. It was death.

Then, Al took off running again, this time for the house not too far from theirs. For the Rockbells. For Winry and Grandma Pinako.

Anywhere but that house.

Al didn't see the figure perched on the roof, white wings draped around himself to protect himself from the rain. The golden hair and eyes, just a tad bit lighter than his own. The tears streaming down his face as he watched his sobbing younger brother run away from the spot of his believed death.

Then, lightning flashed, and the figure closed his eyes, remembering what had happened to him.

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"Ready Al?" Eight-year old Edward Elric asked, eyes shining. He wanted to see his mother, so, so badly, see her smile, if only once more.

Al gave a nod of confirmation, and together the two young brothers clapped their hands together, placing them on the white edges of the freshly painted transmutation circle.

Immediately, it began to glow a bright blue. Through the light, Ed could see the vague form of his mother beginning to form.

Then, the glow changed to an eerie, deep, foreboding purple. Ed gasped when he saw the figure he believed to be his mother open its eyes, and they were bright red.

The thing wasn't his mother. This was a monster.

"B-Brother? Something's wrong." Al called, voice small and frightened.

"Take your hands off the circle! Do it now, Alphonse!" Ed commanded, and saw his younger brother hesitate. With his foot, Ed shoved All off the circle. He saw his younger brother yelp As he hit the edge of the table, and Al's eyes slipped closed.