Oh man, it has been FOREVER since I've updated this fanfic (the last time I updated was back in 2013 YIKES) and let's just say the reasons why are both good and bad. A lot has changed since I graduated college, which was two years ago can't believe it, and being an adult but I have a lovely boyfriend who makes me feel very special. Part of it also dealt with not having the motivation to work on it and I went through a very bad writing block back in 2016, but I feel like this fanfic has a lot to explore which I'm ready to write to my heart's content. My resolution for 2017 and throughout is to write. Even if it's a sentence or a few a day, it can help me profoundly.

Hopefully the alterations I've made within the FMA world make some sort of semblance of sense, but hey I'm having fun in the meantime.Since it's been such a long time, so I tried to make sure certain plot points are consistent.

Enjoy this chapter!

The countless soldiers of the Amestrian military was something brand new to Yugi and the others. Around every corner, men and women dressed in blue uniforms with emblems and markings showed their proud ranks. This was not like the armies back in their world, not by a long shot.

/

Tears continued rolling down her face, the thought of food made her sick to her stomach. She collapsed to her knees, Denny tried all of his best to console her. "You know this is not true, you were with me the other night just as our shift was ending I invited you to have a drink with me."

Despite all of his best efforts, nothing was going to snap her out of it. The little girl inside wailed, images of her parents turning their backs onto her. Loneliness and isolation were the things she feared as a child. Just for once, she wanted to be proud of something true and obtainable. Her mind ran with thoughts of her parents dying, her life would trickle in a prison cell for an eternity.

I joined the military to pay for my parents' caregivers. Twenty-four years old and I can barely make enough money for myself. I have to rely on others to make up for my mistakes and this is the biggest mistake of them all which I didn't even do.

For the next few minutes she stared at the ground, cold and blank with her whole body numb. Nothing Denny could say get to her and Winry desperately fought back against Riza, yelling and screaming at her. "Let go of me! You have no right to treat me like this, Maria needs my help-" Just as she resisted more and more, an instant slap across her face stopped her as blonde hair whipped back furiously.

"Winry, you need to quit acting like a child and listen to me right now-" the Lieutenant reprimanded her with, she did not want to feel like the bad guy at all. In fact, Riza knew that the presence of the Homunculi and Scar only made the situation worse. "I know you want to do something to help out others just like when you make automail for Ed or anyone, but this is a political affair you have no control over. There is high suspicion amongst the Senior Staff and I was given the orders by one of them to deliver the message to her. They will handle this issue discretely. I have no political control over this incident, it's the senior staff who does. I'm just a lowly insect on the bottom of the feeding chain and in the meantime we need to get you to safety."

Instinctively, Riza knew it was time for them to leave. "Winry, you have to come with me now and I want you to make a promise," She turned her head towards Denny, "From now on I want you to act like you have never interacted with Maria at all and consider her dead. I was informed that you are supposed to meet with Edward for some repair work, but you cannot tell Edward any of this. The Colonel and I will tell Edward when the time is right."

Winry wanted to scream right there, she desperately wanted to help Maria. All her life, the military took her parents away and she didn't want Maria to be taken away as well. However, Winry knew in the back of her mind karma would come around and help out people who needed it.

While Denny was still in a shocked state no time to react when one of the senior staff walked in. It was Colonel Henry Douglas, a man who took any type of treason with serious consequences. When he saw Maria slumped on the ground, he was absolutely disgusted to see a soldier let their own emotions get the best of them. "As it stands Lieutenant Ross, there is a high probability that you were involved in the murder of Maes Hughes. It would be wise to be cooperative throughout the process, it could lessen your sentence or even death penalty."

Maria bit her lip, the last thing she wanted was to have an out-lash at them. "Understood, Colonel." A handful of soldiers escorted her down the hallway. While going down the hallway, she softly cried and prayed that justice would work in her favor. Please, I hope Roy has some kind of plan to get me out of this.

/

Bakura thought he heard something, he briefly popped his head out of the office before Roy shouted and sneered at him.

"Hey white haired boy, you're not going anywhere understand?" Roy's sneer was absolutely unsettling.

However, Joey was still peeved about Roy's comment, he bit his lower lip in anger. "Who do you think you are saying that kind of crap to my friends? We're still not used to being here so quit the smarmy act will ya?" The same old rage burned in his eyes, but a slap from Tristan made him think to his senses.

"Joey, do you want to get thrown in jail for doing something stupid? Remember, this is a military base. Whether it's from our country or a different world, please, show some respect."

The kind hearted soldier Kain graciously and discretely closed Roy's office door, wood squeaked against the aged door frame. "I think it might be best to have the doors closed so no one can eavesdrop on our guests." Everyone stared at each other blankly; it was a very awkward situation. Téa looked down at her feet and fiddled with her hands, but after nearly two minutes she couldn't take it anymore. "Listen I know you military people are very serious about your job and protecting your people, but let us assure that we mean no harm at all. This is all just big one misunderstanding and we're caught in the nasty middle of it all."

"Yeah, whoever one of the military dudes said that we were spies from a different country that we wouldn't have the slightest clue about. Yet they think that a few teenagers would pose as a giant threat." Joey responded sarcastically with and scoffed at. Without taking any manners into consider he quickly propped his feet up on Kain's desk, the young sergeant was very distressed while Tristan was ready to slap him for the second time. Just as Tristan was about to wail another hook, Roy quickly snapped his fingers and the sight of flames surprisingly calmed the hot headed, teenagers down.

"Enough of your childish behavior! You young ladies and gentlemen are in front of one of the most powerful members of the military and it would be best that you have some respect. Yes, I know things right now are crazy here in Amestris, but in the meanwhile we cannot act like chickens with their heads cut off!" Roy yelled, with an undeterred face and emotion in his tone. All of the stress with Scar and the Homunculi were wearing him down to the bone. The Colonel was not looking forward to dealing with the senior staff whatsoever; it would be nothing but corruption spilling out of men who did not deserve the occupation of being involved in the military. "I'm sorry for snapping like this, but a LOT has been going on in Amestris more than I can imagine."

Off to the side Mai occasionally elicited a pained groan, her previous injuries from the motorcycle accident still took their toll on her. Both Vato and Heymans were shocked at her state; the two of them attempted to make her comfortable as possible. However, Vato spoke up. "Sir, we don't have the proper medical capabilities to take care of her. Please, send one of us to take her to a hospital or get a letter to prove that she's a guest under your jurisdiction."

Roy nodded in agreement. "That would be the best course of action; I'll have the second lieutenant write a quick letter granting permission not just from me, but the Fürher as well. The rest of you in the meanwhile will stay under my eye until we can figure out where we can house you."

Joey kept his firm grip on her, but he didn't want her to be taken away to a hospital yet. "When the paperwork gets filed, can you please let me go with her?"

Roy agreed to the request. "Sure, but we'll make sure one of my men is with you."

Seto remained quiet for the longest time and cocked his head to the side showing how impatient he was. "I understand you have a lot of responsibilities to manage Colonel, but it doesn't mean you get to use your power to control us."

Both Téa's and Bakura's eyes opened wide and were aghast. The white haired boy was ready to apologize for the rich boy's temperamental attitude, but Atem spoke up. "Listen, we're very sorry for inconveniencing the current situation but as soon as we are situated in some kind of home, we can figure it out from there. It might sound crazy, but I do possess magical abilities that could get us home."

All of Roy's men raised their eyebrows; Heymans wasn't one to believe in the supernatural. "So, you're saying that you can use alchemy to transport where you belong? Seems a bit impossible don't you think?"

Atem was willing to respond to his question. "What you may call alchemy, I call it magic. My soul was reincarnated a long time ago, but with my memories shattered into pieces. They were literally put into a puzzle and Yugi was the one who helped me for a very long time to piece them back together. My lineage extends back to an ancient country known as Egypt and much of my own magic can reach into some dark matter. However, I have Yugi and the others to thank me for all of the years."

All of the information was so fascinating towards both Heymans and Vato.

"So, what you're saying is that your body used to be inside Yugi's? Then how did you get your own body? Another alternative form of alchemy?" the larger, heavyset soldier questioned.

"Well, Yugi and I had a duel which was really a card game based on old myths of creatures of all sorts. Before the match, my soul was separated and manifested into its own body. If I had won the duel my soul would have been free to go lie in peace, but Yugi was the victor of that match. I continue to live my life as normally as possible attending school and living at his home. If it weren't for Yugi, my life would have probably continued into a descent of darkness."

Roy had a smirk on his face, but Téa didn't find his face funny whatsoever. "What is your deal?"

"Looks like we may have a couple of assets on our end to deal with the Homunculi and Scar. Your friend has a couple of abilities that are much more powerful than the Homunculi that we've seen so far. We need to consider all possibilities before we make the next move."

Just the awkward tension was starting to get on Joey's nerves and if more than anything, he wanted to show Roy a few fists to show his fury. "Listen, we're not assets that can be easily disposed."

"That's just how the Colonel is." a boastful claim as Edward walked through the door. Even though Alphonse couldn't emote, he was embarrassed for his brother to yell like that.

"Ed, please. Don't do that. Who knows what the others may have been talking about."

"Fine, fine. No need to lecture me Alphonse, we got enough of that from our real teacher."

Edward and Alphonse definitely made things a little more awkward, but Seto wanted to get a handle on everything. "And where did you two decide to run off after the murderer got away?"

"Look, I know it was sudden, but Alphonse and I had something to take care of for our friend Winry. She's the one who made the automail for me and we met at a midway point because I was told that she was in town. I needed a quick repair. Although, she seemed a bit quiet and upset, but I wasn't going to ask her."

Seto looked away in disgust, an ugly smirk formed on his face. "Sure, whatever you say, runt." Seto was used to getting everything his way, even during the days of Duelist Kingdom. Even though he and the others have endured since that past memory, he still retained those negative personality traits. After the Ceremonial Duel, he and Mokuba haven't been on the best of terms with one another. However, Seto would do what he's best in which was instigating drama when it best suited him.

Edward wasn't in the mood to pick a fight, but he swallowed his pride for a moment. "Okay, so Colonel what's the plan with these guys as we try to figure what the hell's going on?"

Téa hated to keep her mouth shut, but she didn't want to feel like a burden to anyone. "Look, Colonel Roy Mustang, if you want us to do anything I know mostly everyone would like to pitch in. I don't want our situation to make us completely useless."

Bakura felt lost and confused; while normally Yugi and the others can come up with a plan on the fly, they were out of their element. The world of Amestris with the Homunculi was definitely a challenge for them. "It seems like everyone wants a piece of each other, try to find something to use as leverage over another person."

"That's just how the military is, some soldiers are willing to just walk over each other like that. Everyone has something to claim in the end, I know I'm no different." Roy spoke sternly. He wanted to come up with some kind of plan, but nothing fell into place; this would be the puzzle he'd have to solve, to make sure everyone else is still safe and protected. "However, that's aside from the point, I'm going to need every person to follow my orders as closely as you can. I can't be sure who to trust at this point, so we must act on discretion. For Yugi and the others, I've got a place in mind where you can devise a way to get home. I'll get the paperwork sorted out right now for the woman's injuries."

With everything that was noted, a quick stroke of his pen and a document was created for Mai. She was still in an unconscious state of mind. Everything that went on beforehand was like a flash. The events of the Orichalcos stone made her change her path. She wasn't going to feel tied down to anything or anyone; she wanted to feel free and travel wherever her heart desired. However, everyone else was casted aside and felt like they couldn't help her.

Mai, I know there's probably a lot you want to tell me that you told Valon. Whether or not you love me or like me, I'm gonna stick by your side for as long as I can.

Another knock was heard at Roy's door, it was the muscled alchemist. "So, is it now the appropriate time to take her to the hospital?"

"Yes it is Strongarm Alchemist, this blond gentleman wants to go with her and I have approval right here. Vato, you will go with the three to represent for me. Understood men?"

"Yes sir." Even Joey said it with Vato and Alex. Those two didn't expect someone of Joey's age to say something like that. Tristan and the others were a bit shocked to see Joey's mature side for a bit.

"Wow Joey, now you know to not act like a monkey around these guys. They mean serious business."

"We do Tristan," Roy responded sternly to, almost a slight anger tone to it. "Everything is such a, pardon my language, cluster-fuck that I need everyone on my side to work with me here. I don't want anyone's personal vendettas or grudges to get in the way of something that could kill someone."

Edward snickered a little bit, but Vato, Joey, and Alex left with quick haste to the hospital wing. Thoughts raced through Joey's mind to make sure Mai would get the best care possible. Vato and Alex would make sure she'd get the best care. I'm gonna make sure no one hurts you. If they do, well my fists will do the talking.

In the meantime, Roy stood up from his desk, and paced back and forth for what to do next. Having a bunch of teenagers on his hands wasn't exactly the kind of thing he planned, but then again he was used to Edward's teenage attitude. "Yugi and everyone else, I'm going to have you escorted by Kain to one of our warehouses. Kain please take them to warehouse thirteen. I don't think anyone from the military will be wandering into there. The military only uses that warehouse for storing excess materials and other bizarre oddities."

Kain duly responded and agreed with Roy. "Yes sir, do you want me to contact your second lieutenant for any extra back-up?"

"No, let me contact her. I've got a plan in my mind and she'll know exactly what I'll mean the minute I explain it. Besides, she's got her hands full right at the moment."

Everything seemed so discombobulated; no one had a clue on how to handle the situation. Mai would be getting the best care Amestris could deliver; Roy had his men deployed in the right places. The other men were stationed at their posts around the military base so that the situation could be played on the down low.

Some of the other soldiers were gossiping about the foreign guests and just the commotion Scar has been causing for everyone. Each soldier would love to see that murderer taken down, but they had to follow their orders. Roy was ready to make the necessary decisions, nothing was going to stop him.

/

"Well then, looks like our guests decide to show up now." A snickering laugh escaped from Envy. "I think it would be best for me to go visit the blondie in the hospital. She might need a special kind of check-up, oh man that should send Joey into a frenzy. I can just taste the agony."

"Envy, do you ever shut the fuck up? I swear every time you open your trap more shit spews out." Greed responded coyly to. His situation wasn't exactly the best kind to be in, but he still loved to instigate Envy to no end.

Suddenly, a lark black nail shot from the ground up into Greed's prison. "Do you really want to pick a fight with your younger brother? Don't make me bring Father into this. I don't want you screwing it up."

"All of you," a booming voice echoed across the laboratory. Older blond hair scraped against his concrete throne. His age showed, but Father was ready to put his plan into action. "Enough of your bickering, if we want this plan to succeed, than I'll need all of you to listen to what I have to say. Envy, you will go to the hospital and Lust you will take care of the colonel. Sloth is positioned up north in Briggs, Gluttony has his mission, Pride hasn't been told anything yet. He doesn't want to react just yet, but Wrath will be watching over our guests. My new generation is ready to come to fruition. Humans can be molded so easily, if you give them something they desire, and then they'll become obedient."

With a quick flick of his wrist, a small glob of the Philosopher's Stone appeared in front of him. Greed wanted so desperately to break out and have a piece of it. "So old man, what do you plan to do with these guests?"

"Once I have them in my grasp, then the face of this world will change. Atem has a power more than any other human could; he has the power of a king, something that I will become. No, more than just a king, that's just a title humans like to give. I will become the greatest being on this planet."

Atem, your power will become mine. No human will want to fight me, I will instill fear into their hearts. You're quite familiar with darkness and that's what the world will become.

So, a lot has transpired in comparison to the anime.

1.) I do realize that I altered the impact of Maria being accused of Maes Hughes's murderer and Denny was lead to believe that she was murdered by Roy when she and Barry the Chopper make their dramatic escape. However, it does not mean that Roy will stop his pursuit to who the real murderer is and does knock, no pun intended, Dr. Knox out of the picture. I apologize because, just as I plan things originally they never come out the way I imagine. So, in order to tackle this issue Winry will remain quiet about it knowing how Edward would react if he found out more about the corruption within the military. IMO, Winry might have a somewhat better reaction to this than Edward did considering how "violent" (that I mean lightly by quotation marks.)

2.) The confrontation between Roy and Lust will be a bit different, rather than having it be led by Barry the Chopper, the two will come into contact due to different circumstances.

3.) Of course, keeping Greed alive does change things quite a bit and could even change the fate of Ling, Lan Fan, Fu, and Mey-chang. For the course of these events, they won't make their appearance because it would just complicate matters.

I hope these alterations still make sense and don't throw the whole story into disarray.

Just for a long while, the urge to write was hard to find. I work full-time and have a lot of commitments, so it can be hard to get that writing mood. However, I want to make that change for this year and afterwards.

I'm in the works with a special one-shot, a long one, for an underrated series I love so much and wanted to write for quite some time. So, I hope people who are in that fandom like it as much as I do.

ALSO, I will be participating in this year's FullMetal Alchemist Big Bang Challenge again, so I hope you guys like that too because I poured everything I love about FMA into last year's story.

As always, please R&R! ^w^