A/N: This story has begun because of another that I have read, so all I can say is: Thanks for giving me the inspiration! I hope to have more of the story posted shortly, but I dunno if my schedule will permit me to be able to do that… anyway, sayonara!

Author's edit: I have edited several of the chapters, so if you want just glance through them to find the miniscule changes.

Kara sat up, breathing hard for what seemed to be the 3rd time that night. The dreams kept coming to her, always in the image of Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes's death. It happened every time her eyes closed to allow sleep to take her weary form into the land of dreams. She couldn't sleep more than an hour anymore and was incredibly frightened of going to sleep. Quickly she pulled herself free of her tangled sheets, sheets that had managed to snake themselves around her body as she twisted and turned in her nightmare plagued dreams.

She dove into the hallway where she was met by the Lieutenant himself, "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly, seeing the raw anguish that rested upon her face.

"N-nothing, just a bad dream, I was going down to get some tea." Kara looked at him and felt a shiver run up her spine as she saw his corpse lying near a phone booth I can't take this anymore... she thought grimly.

"I'll come with you-" He started rifling through his pocket until he pulled out a picture, "this should cheer you up, my daughter! Isn't she just so adorable? She's only just turned 3!"

Kara smiled softly at the image of a young girl, her smile faltered when she saw the image move, "Mommy, why are they burying daddy?" The tearful voice rang through her ears.

She ducked her head and pushed the picture away, "Adorable kid, Lieutenant." She sighed as he went off.

"I know! She is the most adorable little girl in the world!" He hugged the picture tenderly and danced in circles.

Kara turned and began walking down the hall, the heels of her boots clicked softly as she moved. Her black pants swished softly as she moved towards the cafeteria. Her deep, blood red shirt was wrinkled and twisted around her petit form; however it went unnoticed as she sank into deep thought. The type of dreams that she was having were so much like the ones several years back.

Several years previously

Kara, at the time barely 10 years old was curled up into a fetal position on her bed, having just awoken from a horrible dream. Nobody was there to comfort her, her mother and father, both state alchemists, were out for the night, searching for a man who had been attacking both men and women. There was no trace of the man, but Kara knew her parents would find him, they always found the troublemakers. It was just, her dreams had told her that the man would kill them that night and she was frightened by the thought of losing them.

Hurriedly she crawled out of bed and moved towards the door softly, the hall was dark so she moved towards the front door. As she made her way outside she heard the scream of a woman, a scream that meant the woman had faced death and lost. She ran towards the voice, heart pounding and terribly frightened of what she would see. Her legs gave way beneath her as she saw the man's shadow, the evil man stood over her father who held the corpse of his wife. Then his eyes lighted on her and grew wide, "Kara, run!" He cried out, "Don't stay here its dangerous!"

The man turned his face towards Kara and a grin crossed his face, "Daddy, what's going on!" she wailed, "What happened to mother!"

Hearing her call her father 'daddy' the man turned to her, and descended upon the quivering girl, "So, you are the daughter of this alchemist scum? Good… now he can watch both of his women die before he follows."

"No!" Kara wailed, sinking to her knees, "you leave my daddy alone!"

She could feel the alchemic powers swelling up within her at the sight of her mother's mangled form and her father's paling face, her eyes fell upon a gaping wound in his stomach and she knew that he would not live much longer. "No!" She wailed, climbing to her feet.

Kara felt the control seep from her body, as though another person had taken control over her. She moved towards the man, her eyes cold and hard. A quick movement came from her, and suddenly she had drawn a circle and created a sharp weapon that impaled the man. She saw his eyes widen and he mouthed the words, 'you have learned alchemy?' before he collapsed into a bleeding heap.

"Daddy!" She wailed, crossing to him, his eyes were wide as he looked at her with newfound pride.

"My daughter, when did you learn alchemy?" he asked, coughing violently, spraying blood into his hand.

"I- I studied your books, daddy, I studied them hard and learned in private, I was determined to make you proud of me." Kara choked out, "Please daddy, don't leave me!"

"I've always been proud." His hand touched her cheek and Kara could feel tears spilling onto her cheeks as it slid to the ground below. "Promise..." he murmured with his last breath, "not to attempt forb-" His words were cut short as the life seeped from his body.

"No!" Kara wailed, running away from the scene, bent on bringing them back, she was not willing to lose her loved ones and she had learned of human alchemy through her father's multitude of books.

She rushed into her house and pulled out items, items that would help her in human transmutation. She kneeled on her kitchen floor and drew an alchemic circle; she placed the articles in the middle before turning and drawing a similar circle and placing similar articles into the circle.

Before she could talk herself out of doing it, Kara cut her hand and slapped both circles. A sudden bright light filled the room and she smiled hopefully, only then to feel a burning pain in her left arm, it started at the elbow and made its way down her hand, another pain filled right leg as her surroundings changed and she stood before a large door, suddenly filled with a great knowledge. "All that you wish to know is inside." A voice purred softly and the doors slid open, revealing a bright light.

Kara, in awe, slipped into the room and moved foreward. The shadow of a figure appeared to her from a distance but she saw naught what it was before she was pulled back. "Please!" She cried, "Please, not yet, I'm so close to the knowledge that I seek!"

"That is all that you will see for what you have offered." The voice replied.

Kara's eyes slid along her body and she gasped in shock as she realized that both her her left arm and leg were gone. The foot of her right leg was also gone as she was once more released to the pains of reality. She screamed in agony as she collapsed into a pool of some sticky, crimson substance.

She saw two figures, grotesquely malformed standing over her as darkness claimed her. "No..." She murmured, "Father! Mother!" She knew no more.

When next Kara awoke she was lying in the hospital, groggy and for a while uncertain as to why she was there before the events of that fateful evening slammed into her mind full force, revealing the gruesome scene to her. She stared at her missing limbs, bandaged with red stained gauze and she knew what she wanted. "Please." She called in an exausted voice, "I wish for... granny Pinako to fit me with automail."

"I don't think-" a voice began, but Kara cut it off.

"I want them, have them made for me!" Her voice was soft but harsh, "Do not critisize me because I am a child, just get them without question!"

And so Kara was fixed with a new arm, leg, and foot.

Present

Kara still remembered that day, the day that her dreams had without a doubt come true. It was only a few months later that she had been able to move on her newly acquired limbs, and it was that day that she went to the military to become a state alchemist, the day that she started her search for the fabled Philosopher's stone.

Before she knew it she had stepped into the dining hall and had a mug of tea clutched in her hand, "When did I get here?" She asked herself curiously, seating herself at one of the various empty tables.

She was determined to keep Lieutenant Hughes alive, at all costs. The homunculus would fail in their quest to destroy him, she would make sure of that. Tiredly Kara sipped at her tea, feeling the familiar tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Angrily she swiped them away, after all there was no need to cry, not when she would prevent the happenings that would take place a short time from now.

"What are you doing here?" The familiar voice of Edward Elric reached her ears.

"I couldn't sleep." She murmured, looking at him, "and you?"

"Same… tomorrow we're leaving central." His comment came so casually that Kara agreed before she realized it.

"Okay." She murmured, taking another sip of her tea, "I'll be ready."

Her casual tone startled him, "Alright Kara, what are you hiding?" He asked in exasperation.

"Nothing." Kara smiled falsely, "I just know that- we are closer than ever to finding the Philosopher's stone than before, we'll get the key soon."

"I know." Ed stood before her now, his eyes shining with anticipation, "We'll all get it, the three of us will be able to return to our original bodies and get on with our lives."

"You should get to bed Ed, I'll be right behind you, no worries." Kara chuckled softly, downing the last of her tea.

The two made their way to their rooms and soon Kara was curled up on her couch, waiting for the day to come, the day that would end her nightmares. The sun rose slowly, and by the time it's rosy light had fallen on Kara, she had dozed off, pitched back into the nightmare that had plagued her for so long… "Kara!" A fist pounded on her door, causing the startled girl to fall into a cursing heap just before it.

"What?" She croaked angrily, pulling herself to her feet and pulling the door open.

The disgruntled girl stepped back as Winrey barged in, "Sorry, just thought I'd... like to check your automail..." She smiled mischievously.

"What are you doing Winrey?" Kara asked nervously, "You've got that look in your eyes again…"

"What look?" Winrey's smile grew wider as she descended upon a rather helpless Kara with a monkey wrench, "I just want to make sure that nothing will break on you…"

Kara glared at her, "It's because of what happened to Ed isn't it? Have you checked his automail yet?"

"No..." Winrey sighed, "But I made sure to put all the pieces together this time... there will be no accidents... besides, I owe you thanks for saving his life- even if it was nearly at the cost of your own..."

"Yeah…" Kara fingered the bandage on her chest, "He would have died otherwise, when facing the suit of armor, although it was an unlucky break that Envy- mp…" She realized that she had said too much and turned her head, fist shoved into her mouth to keep her quiet.

"Who is Envy?" Winrey looked at her sharply, "Was that that strange man that gave Ed to us?"

"N-no!" Kara stuttered, feeling like a fool, "that was some other guy..."

She watched in horror as the base of the suit of armor stood and moved silently towards an unsuspecting Edward Elric who was trying to learn information of the Philosopher's stone from the head. "Ed!" A strangled cry escaped her lips and she ran towards him, pushing him only slightly before the sword was shoved into them- missing vital organs by mere inches.

They had shortly struck down the body, and had only just begun to question the armor before it was shattered by an unknown presence. "So, Full-metal pipsqueak, we meet at last!" The voice rang out behind them and instantly Ed lashed out.

"I am not so small that you can only see me through a high powered microscope!" He shouted.

The only thing that had saved his life then was the error in his automail. His arm had fallen uselessly to his side, and the one called Envy had kneed him harshly in the stomach...

"Okay, you're all checked and I haven't found any problems with your automail... now then, we're off to the train station!" Winry brought her back to the present and Kara shook her head to clear it.

Excitement filled Winry's voice, Kara stretched and followed Winrey out to a car that waited for them. Before they knew it, the two were at the train station.

A/N: So… what'd you think? Was it good? Review for me guys and I'll post the chapters quicker…

Chapter two: On the train, leap of faith…

Kara is on the train when it dawns on her that this is the night that Hughes is killed, in one faithful leap she jumps from the train to the surprise of the others… What'll happen? Tune in next time to find out!

Anyway, I will be very happy to recieve reviews containing good comments, or constructive critism, I don't want the random crap, if there's something wrong, tell me and I'll do my best to fix it.