"Isn't there something right here that you can take?" Edward Elric smirked confidently jerking his thumb at the looming gate behind him in the vast white space.

The white being across from the blond teen stood shell-shocked. Then he chuckled- letting his voice echo through the white space. Then he gave his trade-mark grin in the teen's direction.

"I admit my loss boy, however, I decide that I won't take it."

"W-what do you mean? " Ed was confused. But then he began to panic. Other than his gate, he had no idea on what to give.

"Let's have a trade young-alchemist, " the entity grinned once again. "I will only temporarily take your alchemy for, let's say. . . 3 years. . . " - Ed nodded in anticipation - " and you and your brother will also lose about 6 years of age."

"And I'll have my brother back?"

"Hn, maybe I can be even lenient enough to give back your teacher's organs and Mustang's eyesight. What do you say?"

Ed clenched his fists. There was no way Truth would be kind- like hell- enough to give so much to them. There had to be a catch.

"I see you don't believe me little alchemist~" Truth continued to smiled. With a "snap", he opened the opposite gate that led to Alphonse. The teen that was clearly malnourished sat there with bond hair darker than his brother's.

"Brother? You came!" The boy- with much difficulty- crossed the gate that Truth had opened. But the moment he walked over, he shrunk. "Ack!"

"Alphonse!" Ed cried and reached out for his fallen brother.

"What do you say for the deal? Say yes and all I have to do is remove around 3 years of Alphonse's alchemy along with those 6 years. All you will lose is 3 years of your alchemy and 6 years too. What do you say? This is a once in a lifetime deal!"

"I say yes!" Alphonse weakly- but surely- responded.

"Al! Ggh. . .fine, I agree too, " Ed reluctantly agreed to the deal and attempted to help Alphonse up.

"Well, in the time limit too! Well then, I'll see you foolish alchemists in the future! The more entertainment you pile, the better for me!" The entity continued to cackle even after the little black hands emerged from the gate and pulled Edward and Alphonse Elric out.

"It would be no fun if you guys were so accommodating after all. . ."

Roy Mustang waited with anxiousness along with the others for any sign of the return of the brothers. Izumi Curtis cursed with renewed vigor and clenched her stomach. The pain oddly returned.

With a thump, Roy collapsed and Hawkeye swiftly rushed to his side. Izumi coughed but there was no blood that landed on her outstretched hand. Roy clenched his eyes at the pain and blinked rapidly to rid of the pain he felt. Thankfully Hawkeye was at his side or he would have collapsed again.

"Fu-fullmetal?" he weakly called out and redirected Hawkeye's attention to the direction his finger was pointed to.

"Yes sir, Edward Elric and, " -she choked - " possibly Alphonse Elric."

Roy immediately got up and hobbled over to where the two teens were. Teens? He quickly stopped in his path. It was impossible!

There was a boy with short, light brown hair with wide golden eyes. He had a stray strand of hair sticking out of his head. The clothes that he was wearing was obviously larger than what he needed. He was holding the other boy in his fleshy arms. The other boy had slightly darker hair and wide golden eyes with a green tint. Unlike the other boy, this boy was clearly malnourished and was naked. He shivered and the boy holding him, held him tighter.

These two were clearly. . .BOYS. Not the TEENS Roy had gotten to know.

"Colonel? Can you see me?" the light blond boy questioned carefully.

Roy nodded and carefully responded. "And Fullmetal, can you please tell me why you look like a little boy?"

The other boy- no Alphonse - chuckled, "We made a deal with Truth again."

"You two foolish boys! What have I told you with making dangerous deals with that Truth?!" Izumi Curtis scolded them but ever-so-carefully, she embraced the two. "You poor things. What did you lose? Both of you definitely shrunk."

"Well, 3 years of my alchemy and 6 years off my age so I'm. . .10 now?" Ed cautiously responded- thinking back to the deal.

"And I think I lost 3 years of my alchemy too and 6 years off my age also, so I'm 9 now I guess." Alphonse replied tentatively.

Izumi's eyes were graced with unshed tears. "Thank goodness the two of you are safe." Then she glared at Roy Mustang. "There is absolutely no way that I'm going to allow you to make these boys stay in the military!"

Roy held up his hands in mock surrender. " No, there is no way I would try to keep you guys from living and there is also no way for you to stay in the military either. If I'm correct, you both helped give me back my eyesight so I thank the two of you."

Izumi froze on the spot. "If you say that then-"

"Yes Teacher! You should have your organs back!" Alphonse gleefully cheered.

A.N

First try at writing a story, suggestions are welcomed if not aggressive. Thanks for taking the time to read!