By SuperSpecialAwesome

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, never have and don't plan to in the near future.

Rated T for colourful language (mostly from Ed)

Summary: When Lux Elric finds two boys in trouble in the woods and saves them they come to depend on each other. With similar pasts and linked futures the trio must rely on themselves and some very unlikely allies if they wish to save their world from the threat of the Seven Sins. But with the military trying to recruit the young alchemists will they be able to stop the Sins, stay free of being dogs of the military and look after themselves without everything blowing up in their faces? R&R please!

((A/N Ed and Al change their surname to Elric later in the story))

Chapter One – The Start

As the golden sunlight filtered through a gap in her bedroom curtains, fifteen-year-old Lux Elric opened her light hazel eyes. She sat up and looked at the clock, stretching her aching limbs.

"Shit! I'm late!" She exclaimed, leaping out of bed she rushed to get ready.

Running down the stairs she tied a blue silk ribbon into a bow in her waist length light brown hair, the shoulder length bangs that framed her pale face swaying as she went.

Lux decided to skip breakfast for two reasons. One, she was running really late and didn't have time, and two, it wasn't like anyone would tell her off for not eating some. She stopped in front of the full body mirror in her hallway to straighten her school uniform; a white blouse, sailor suit styled tie, short navy blue pleated skirt, knee length white socks and black shoes with a slight heel and, of course, her own personal touch: a blue silk ribbon choker with a silver disk on it, engraved on the disk was a transmutation circle.

Satisfied everything was in place, she grabbed her school bag and left the house, locking the door behind her. She decided to take the short cut through the woods.

As she walked she looked at the sky, smiling. Walking through the woods always helped calm her; she supposed it was from the amount of time she had spent here the day her mother died. Lux looked down, the memory threatening to overpower her.

A shout, full of lots of cursing, from ahead snapped Lux's head up.

She raced towards the sound, the voice didn't sound like it belonged to an adult or even a teenager. She reached a clearing in no time, what she saw shocked her.

Two small boys, similar in appearance, were being surrounded by a group of teenage boys, most of which had some sort of weapon, whether it was a branch or a metal pole.

The younger of the two boys was cowering behind the other; the latter appeared to be stood in a ready position as if he was going to fight the entire gang all by himself. Lux couldn't help but smile at the young boy's determination.

One of the gang lunged forward his make shift weapon, a tree branch, raised high above his head. Lux's eyes narrowed, no one attacked children on her watch.

Quickly she clapped her hands together then touched them to a nearby tree. Blue lightning flashed around the clearing, emanating from Lux's hands. Tree roots shot out of the ground lifting the thugs off their feet.

A smirk appeared on her face as the gang shouted in protest.

"Next time you want to pick a fight, pick on someone your own size. Not two little children." She said, walking forward to stand a little away from the two boys facing the gang.

The gang took this as a cue to leave, leaving their weapons behind.

"HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE EVEN AN TINNIE ANT IS THREE TIMES HIS SIZE!" the older of the boys said, stamping his feet.

The other facepalmed, "Brother no one said that…" he muttered.

Lux turned to face the shouting boy, raising an eyebrow. He was the one that had been swearing before. Her eyes took in his appearance.

He was a short boy, roughly 5 years old, with bright blond hair, most of which was short apart from the bangs that framed his face with one bit that stood up at the front of his head and between his bangs. His eyes were a golden colour and shined with a fiery determination.

Her eyes then travelled to the other boy. He was roughly the same height as the other but looked younger, maybe about 4 years old, he had dirty blond hair; one side of his bangs was longer than the other and would have framed his face if they were longer, and he had silver eyes full of kindness.

Lux smiled the younger smiled back but his brother looked away.

"Thank you for saving us, miss…um…" the dirty blond said.

"Elric…Lux Elric." She said, stepping forward and offering the boy her hand. He shook it.

"I'm Alphonse, but most people call me Al. This is my brother Edward." Al said, glancing at his brother.

Edward huffed in response, folding his arms over his chest. "I coulda taken them; I don't need some girl saving me." He grumbled, kicking a stone.

Lux raised an eyebrow.

"From where I was standing, Edward, it looked like you could have done with the help." Ed let out an hmph sound and turned his back to her.

Al's eyes filled with sadness, he obviously didn't like the way his brother was acting.

"So tell me, Al, what are you two kids doing in the woods without an adult?" Lux asked.

Al looked at his brother, biting his lip. Edward turned to face Lux, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why do you care?" He all but shouted.

"I care because it's dangerous for two children your ages to be out in the woods on their own. That gang is just one reason out of many why it's dangerous." She replied calmly despite the boy's tone.

"You don't even know are ages! You don't know us! So why do you care!" Edward shouted, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Lux could tell easily he wasn't one to trust easily.

"I may not know your ages but I know you two are just children. Also as for why I care let's just say it's because I don't want to see anyone get hurt, this world is already full of enough suffering without two kids getting hurt to top the list." Lux said, still using a calm tone.

At first Edward seemed at a loss for words, and then he looked down. His golden bangs hiding his face from view. Lux could only just hear the words he muttered.

"I know this world is full of suffering… I know that all too well…"

Lux knelt down so she was closer to their height. Gently she wrapped her arms around the brothers and pulled them into a hug. Al immediately hugged back; Edward on the other hand hesitated before wrapping his arms around her.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, with Lux knelt on the forest floor embracing the two young brothers. Slowly she released them and stood up.

She smiled warmly down at them, "I have to get to school, why don't you two come too. That way I can get the nurse to give you a check over to make sure you aren't hurt."

"We aren't hurt though." Edward said immediately, folding his arms over his chest.

"I still want you two to come with me; I'm not leaving you in the woods on your own." Lux said, folding her own arms.

Al looked between the two people and sighed. He could tell neither was going to give anytime soon.

"Brother, maybe we should go." He said, trying to get past this stalemate.

Edward looked at his brother. "But she's a stranger." He said.

Al looked at his feet for a few seconds before looking up at his brother. "Yes but she saved us. I refuse to believe she could be a bad person."

Lux glanced between the two boys, before speaking up.

"She is running very late and is willing to drag you two with her if she has to."

Al gave her a look that said 'you wouldn't, would you?' Edward gave her a glare.

"Fine we'll go with you." He said turning away from Lux and Al. Edward started walking away.

"Um…Edward…that's the wrong way… my school's this way…" She said pointing the right way out to the kid.

Edward blushed slightly before changing the direction in which he was walking. Al laughed at his brother before following, a smiling Lux walked beside him.

A crash from ahead made them rush down the path.

Edward was lying face down on the floor, his foot caught in some tree roots. It was obvious he'd just tripped face first into the dirt.

Lux clapped her hands then touched the roots, the roots turned into small blocks off wood around Edward's foot. Al helped his brother up. Edward winced badly as he placed his right foot, the one that had been caught, on the floor.

"Well if you weren't hurt before you are now…" Lux said, stepping towards him.

Gently she scooped him up in her arms bridal style. Ignoring his protests she started walking, Al beside her.

"I'm already late enough as it is, kid, I don't need you limping slowing us down. Plus putting weight on it might make it worse." She said as she walked, glancing down at the young blond in her arms.

Edward folded his arms over his chest, yet again, a pout on his face. Lux couldn't help but smile, he looked adorable like that.

They managed to walk through her school without a single person seeing them. The boys glanced around as they walked, well as Al and Lux walked while Edward was carried.

"Welcome, boys, to Alchemy High." She said as she walked, noticing the boys curiosity.

"Wait did you say alchemy?" Edward asked, his face lit up in a smile, the first smile Lux had ever seen him give.

She smiled in return, "Yep, this is where I learn my alchemy. Which is what I used to save you and free your foot."

"So cool!" Edward exclaimed. He spotted the silver disk on Lux's choker, pointing to it he asked "Is that what allowed you to do those things earlier, I didn't see you draw a circle anywhere and that has one on it." Lux shook her head.

"Nope, I only use this when I can't clap." She explained.

"When you can't clap?" Al asked, looking up at her. Lux nodded.

"Yep, you see I can do a special rare type of alchemy that doesn't involve drawing a circle. But I need to be able to clap my hands to do it." She said. Both boys' faces lit up in grins.

"That's so awesome!" Al exclaimed happily.

"Can you teach us it?" Edward asked.

Lux's grip on the boy tightened slightly, but quickly slacked without the blond even noticing it. "No." she said. Lux quickened her pace; Al had to jog to keep up.

Edward's face dropped. "Why not?" He asked.

"Because." She replied, walking up a flight of stairs two at a time.

"Because why?" Edward asked.

"Because I said so." She replied, not wanting to go into details as to why she wouldn't teach them.

"That's a shit reason!" Edward shouted a frown on his face.

"Edward!" Lux exclaimed shocked. She stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"What!" Edward practically shouted back.

"Don't use that kind of language you're just a kid!" She said sternly.

"I'll use whatever kind of language I damn well please!" The boy replied, his tone getting harsher.

"Brother, Lux, please don't argue." Al said quietly.

"Stay out of this Al!" Ed snapped at his brother.

Al's eyes filled with hurt, his brother never shouted at him.

"Edward! Don't shout at your brother!" Lux scolded.

Edward's eyes narrowed, he hated being told what to do, especially by people he hardly knew.

"You can't tell me what to do! You aren't my mother! So put me down and leave me the fuck alone!" Edward shouted.

Lux breathed in a sharp intake of breath, trying to calm herself before she lost her temper too badly.

Al's pain filled voice made both Lux and Edward look down at him, "Brother…"

Edward's eyes widened as he released what he had done wrong. "Oh Al, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, I was just angry that's all." He said, Lux could tell he was sincere with his apology, though she couldn't tell what he said that had upset Al.

It's not like Edward had shouted those things at him.

Suddenly a realisation hit her, "Boys where are your parents?" She had a suspicion as to what had made Al sad.

Al looked down, shifting from one foot to the other. Edward looked at the ceiling as he spoke, "Our Mother died a few weeks ago… our dad left a long time ago, not that I give a fuck about where he is."

Lux had been right at least about the mother part, she would never have guessed about their father though. She started walking, looking straight ahead of her. Al followed, still looking down. Edward looked at Lux, he could have sworn he saw a tear in her eye but she blinked at it was gone.

Lux opened the door to her class room and walked in, Al close behind her. Every set of eyes in the room was on her, the young boy in her arm and the younger boy hiding behind her.

"You're very late, Miss Elric." Her teacher said. Turning she saw the scowl on his face. "And who are these two boys? Your records say you are an only child."

"I found them in the woods on my way here. A gang was attacking them." She explained, shifting Edward in her arms slightly.

"In case you aren't aware, Miss Elric, but this is a high school class. We don't take in little kids until their parents come to collect them." Her teacher said coldly.

He'd said the wrong thing.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE EVEN A GRAIN OF RISE IS BIGGER THEN HIM!" Edward ranted.

Al facepalmed, he really needed to work on his brother's anger.

Lux sighed. "Edward no one said that, now hush." She said.

Edward pouted, causing many of the girls in the class to shout "Aww so adorable!"

The three in the doorway all rolled their eyes. The teacher glared at the class and they fell silent.

"We defiantly don't look after loud mouthed little brats." The teacher said his voice like ice. Edward's eyes narrowed but he stayed silent.

"I was hoping the nurse could check them over, Edward got his foot caught and fell. I don't know how badly he hurt it but he couldn't stand." She said calmly.

"To be honest, Miss Elric, I don't care if Edwin-" the teacher started.

"Edward!" Edward muttered angrily, "My name is Edward!"

"If the boy fell off the Great Wall in China and landed on his head, he cannot be here." The teacher said, speaking over Edward.

"Please, sir, we don't have anywhere to go and brother's hurt." Al said, causing all the girls to scream "Aww so cute!"

The teacher glared at the class causing them to become quiet. The teacher sighed.

"Fine then, I'll call the nurse. But as soon as she says you're both fine you are leaving." With that he left to room to call the nurse.

Lux sat Edward on a spare table at the front of the room before turning to Al.

"How did you manage to do that? Normally to get him to give in I have to argue all day." She said, picking the boy up and sitting him next to his brother.

Al blushed and shrugged. Lux laughed and ruffled both boys' hair. A few minutes later the school nurse walked in. She checked Al over first. Decided he was fine and checked over Edward.

"Hmm, it appears as if you just twisted your ankle. It will hurt for a little but should heal quickly. Other than that you appear to be fine, young man." She said, smiling at the blond boy.

Edward smiled back; glad it wasn't anything more than a twisted ankle. The nurse then left. As she exited she passed a man in uniform.

The man walked into the classroom and stood, a little away from the table the boys were sat on, facing them.

"You are the boys found in the woods by Miss Lux Elric. Is that correct?" The man asked. He didn't wait for an answer, probably because it was already clear as to what it was, before speaking again. "I am Colonel Roy Mustang; I'm here to collect you so we can find your parents."