Notes: This takes place in the middle of the FMA storyline, and may contain some errors. Please feel free to point them out. Also, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, I'm just a fan.
Automail and Alchemy by Steven watemaker
Chapter 1: That stormy night
It was a dark and stormy night. The Rockbell house was silent. Pinako Rockbell was out of town attending an automail expo down south, leaving her grand daughter Winry in charge of the automail shop. Winry was inher syudy, a lone lightbulb turned on, pouring on the finishing touches on an automail arm she was working on for a client. She picked up a screw on the desk and cross-referenced it with her blueprints. She soonafter scratched her head and exclaimed:
"This screw is the wrong shape!" She turned the said screw this way and that, studying it.
"The parts shop wouldn't be open until noon and I promised the arm will be ready tomorrow morning!"
Winry spun around in her swivel chair, a habit that helps her think, and put her finger under her chin.
Thunder roared.
Suddenly, as soon as lightning flashed, thoughts of Edward seemed to flood her head. She thought of what that alchemist was up to, and how he and Alphonse were. That's when a flash of inspiration struck.
She entered her room, and knelt before a set of drawers. She extracted the bottom-most drawer and took out a black box. She opened the said box and retrieved a large, leather-bound book inside.
Winry flipped throughthe pages of the book, and took a small whiff from a page. Immediately, she was reminded of Edward and all the things they did during their childhood. But more importantly, she was reminded on how this book came to her possesion.
It was ten years ago.Ed was five back then, but already a budding alchemist. He and Alphonse went to the Rockbell house to play, but soon they became bored with the usual games they played, and decided to do something else. Edward flipped open a leather-bound book, drew a circle in the ground, and put his hands on the edges of the circle wile alphonse dumped some leaves into the center.
Sparks flew, and the leaves turned into a bouquet of flowers, which Ed instantly gave to Winry. Winry smiled and took the bouquet, giving Ed a big hug. Al simply sniggered at Ed. But not long after, Trisha Elric opened the door and summoned the boys back home. Ed and Al said goodbye, but mysteriously left the book behind.
Just as mysteriously as the boys leaving the book were the circumstances when the Rockbells tried to return the tome. They always failed to do so somehow. Sometimes they forgot, one time the Elric house burned to the ground due to the actions of the brothers, and other times, it seemed too inappropriate.
The Elrics did not ask for their book back.
Somehow Winry got the idea that fate didn't want the book returned, so it stayed in the Rockbell residence for ten long years.
The pages discussed equivalent exchange, transmutation circles, alchemic reactions... Things that long ago seemed alien. But the book changed everything. It introduced her to the great art. It introduced her second gift. It introduced her to Ed and Al's world. It introduced her to the world of alchemy.
She walked back to her study and sat back down on her swivel chair. She opened the book and studied three pages concerning alchemic reactions of metals. She then extracted a piece of chalk from her pocket and drew a circle inside the table. She added a few triangles to the said circle and placed the screw on the center. She then flanked the transmutation circle with both hands and concentrated.
Yellow sparks flew and the screw changed into the perfect shape. It now fit inside the automail arm.
She managed to keep her alchemy a secret; even from Pinako. Little did she know that that her secret was to be revealed by the most unexpected people.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared. And as if on cue, there was a knock on the door.
"Who on earth will come in this weather?" Winry asked.
She opened the door, and saw Edward and Alphonse Elric. Alphonse in his behemoth of an armor, and Edward, still short, his mangled Automail arm dangling in his shoulder.
Well, what do you think of the first chapter. Please review to let me know how you feel, and also to speed up the making of chapter 2!