A/N: This is my first cross-over, keep that in mind and please R&R!!! Also, flames will be used for roasting marshmallows.

Another shaky breath breathed in. Uncharacteristically lacking confidence, Edward Elric stepped back to examine the circle once more.

The circle to get his brother's body back. It was perfect in every aspect; they had made sure of that. Nothing could possibly go wrong—and if it could, Edward wouldn't dare think of it. He looked up to his younger brother, getting stared at from behind a helmet of armor. He had grown so accustomed to seeing Alphonse as an armor body without anything else, how would he act when he was back to normal? No time to think about that. Act, don't think.

"Ready Al?" Edward asked quietly, as if his very voice would rupture the chalk lines and cause error.

"Mm," his brother replied just as softly, with a slight nod. The armor clanged as Alphonse gently stepped over the lines and set himself down in the middle, careful not to smudge any rune.

Edward breathed in once more. He clapped his hands and gently placed them on the chalky outline. A great energy surged through him, and he looked up from the transmutation circle to see Alphonse's armor being broken down and replaced with that same naked boy Edward had seen trapped in the Gate so long ago.

Alphonse's body wasn't the only thing changing, however. Slowly, the dark back round of Winry's basement gained a lighter hue, more ethereal even. Edward swore. They were in the Gate.

He was dreading seeing the Truth again, he hated being looked-down upon. Yet, he wouldn't dare take his hands off the transmutation circle. Alphonse wasn't there completely yet, who knows what repercussions that could have. Yet, Edward's hopes were renewed when he saw the ethereal setting being replaced with a forest-type scene, though that didn't calm his nerves.

The energy surging through the circle died down, and alchemy's signature blinding light faded. The two boys were now standing alone in this forest clearing. Yet this time, out of all the times they stood alone together, Alphonse had his original body back.

Edward had a melancholy smile on his face now; they had finally reached the one thing driving him these past years but Alphonse's body was starved and wild... He was worried how Alphonse was actually holding up.

"Alphonse..." he said quietly. Alphonse stood, a little shaky. Afraid he was going to fall, the elder brother rushed over to support him, taking off his coat in the progress. Edward draped the coat over Alphonse's shoulders. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah," Alphonse replied. Talking had come so easily to him in his armored body but his body's vocal chords were obviously disused, making the word come out raspy and soft. "It's been so long since..."

"Yeah." Edward sighed, taking a glance at their surroundings. "Bet you're starving... But we're gonna have to find where the hell we are before we can even think of getting anything to eat."

Alphonse simply nodded his reply. He was starving. But that was good. He hadn't been hungry in almost five years now and even though he felt horrible at hunger's hand, it felt good at the same time. Edward, on the other hand, was just glad that he brought his brother back to the way he was born, even if Alphonse was still taller than him—he could shout about that later.

The two continued walking through the heavily wooded part of the forest for about fifteen minutes. It felt much longer for the both of them, with Edward concerned for his little brother, and Alphonse finding it hard to stand. Luckily, though, in that time they found something hidden behind a line of bushes.

It appeared to be an archery range of sorts, sitting in the sun and boasting five human-shaped targets. There were five men standing parallel to these targets and one walking around them. They all wore red cloaks, but something seemed more important about the mobile man.

"Show me a straight Thunder, now," the man commanded. It was apparent in his voice that he meant business.

The two boys could only watch in amazement as the five men in a line shouted strange words and extended a hand—each one in sync with the next in line. Out of their extended hands, a bolt of lightning shot out and toasted the waiting targets.

"What was that?!" Alphonse asked his brother.

"Wasn't alchemy, that's for sure..." was the quiet reply. Something about the demanding tone of the man convinced Edward it was best to keep quiet.

"Nice magic trick, Ladies," the man said, getting dangerously close to a trainee's face. "But a simple Thunder spell won't get you any where on the battlefield. Your enemy has brought out a Wind spell, how will you respond?"

"Magic?!" the two brothers said simultaneously. Their voices were raised from the shock the words brought and right before Edward was going to say how impossible magic was, all the heads in the clearing turned towards them.

"Men!" the obvious commander shouted. "Investigate!"

The 5 men nodded their heads quickly and followed orders. They rushed over to the two boys and when they had tried to escape, threw a few spells into their path.

"Magic doesn't exist!" Edward declared as he watched a lightning bolt strike down the exact spot he was about to step. "This is insane... But if there's magic... There might still be science!"

With a defiant glare to the mages, Edward clapped his hands at the exact moment one of them seized his brother. Instinctively, he turned his arm into its blade form, although he gave up fighting when he saw his brother in a strangling grip.

"Alphonse--!" he said in a defeated tone. While he was staring angrily at his brother's captors, they were staring mesmerized at his arm.

"What sort of magic is that?" one asked.

"Maybe the Commander knows," another replied.

"Magic?" Edward scoffed. "This isn't magic. This is your worse nightmare." He smirked, despite the sweat accumulated on his brow and his worries that he would be unable to use alchemy. He watched Alphonse roll his eyes and tried not to take it into account.

Just then, the commander from earlier left his rather impatiently standing to go over to his men to see what the hell was taking so long.

"What the hell is taking so long. Civilians shouldn't pose a threat to you--" His voice fell short when he saw Edward's arm though, especially as it was pointed at him. "Get him!"

Edward watched his vision fade as several different spells were cast on him all at once, sending unbelievable amounts of pain through his frame. Alphonse gasped as his brother fell—never before seeing him so vulnerable. "Let us go!" he shouted. "We don't mean any harm!"

"Take them in, men," the commander ordered, ignoring Alphonse's pleas. "Give 'em some food and stick 'em in a cell some where. We'll interrogate them after supper. Good job out there today."

"Sir!" a mage said, taking the position of a stiff salute.

"Ed..." Alphonse muttered while watching the men handle his brother in such a brutal way. He was pushed himself towards the training ground, and had no other choice but to follow these men. He couldn't fight—not now.