Amaya: Behold! Our very first chapter is here! :D The first chapter is Hazuki's. Hazuki sadly couldn't be here today to say her thoughts about the story, so I'm here to present it by myself! Without her supervision! Yay! XD I'm sure you'll learn the difference between our writing soon enough, it's pretty obvious. But we'll still tell you in case you reeeeally can't figure it out... ^_^; Anyways, this is her lovely OC, Alexandra! :D This is an older story of ours, written about a year or so ago, so luckily our writing has improved since this. I just now bothered to put it up... Anyway, if you end up liking this story a lot, let us know! We might actually pick it back up again. If you don't, well, please direct all flames towards my sister Hazuki. I don't wanna get burned. :(

Disclaimer: We do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the awesome characters in them... Thus the reason for lovely OC's! :D

Chapter 1: Flower Shop Pit Stop

Central was awfully cheerful today, full of laughter and merry people going about their merry ways. The sun was glaring at the buildings, casting thick shadows across the ground. Full clouds trekked across the sky, also aiding the sun in the attempt to douse the city's happiness. Even the birds seemed to be annoyed with the residents of Central. I was sitting on a bench, my hands placed neatly on my lap. Somehow, the sun managed to reflect off of the rings that wrapped around both my left and right middle fingers. On my left was a silver ring with a golden lightning bolt, shining up at my stomach. On my right, a blue water drop attached to a silver band glowered at my face. I rolled my hand into a fist, redirecting the light elsewhere.

The only thing that could convince anyone that I was a State Alchemist, besides my name, was that I carried around the pocket watch. And, of course, my identification card, just in case. You never know when one could come in handy. I slid my hand into my black pants pocket and retrieved my ID. My picture was in a small square on the upper right-hand corner, though it was probably the most photogenic I've ever been. Beside the picture was a long list of information.

Name: Alexandra Halligan, State Alchemist

Rank: Colonel

I stopped reading and shoved the card back into the safety of my pocket. After a nice stretch, I set off towards the heart of Central. It was a very busy city, making me happy that I didn't decide to move in. My footsteps were almost nonexistent compared to the loud voices of everyone in the city. As quickly as I had wanted to go further into the city, I decided against it and turned around. Thank goodness I was close to the edge of the city.

There was one place I had to stop at before I left Central for the day. It was a nice little flower shop that my mother owned, and each time I left Central, I had to say goodbye, just in case I never made it back around. My father never got the chance to tell her goodbye, and since he can no longer protect her, I feel like it's my job to watch over her. That was one thing I liked about being a State Alchemist: intimidation. My mother always tells me that I scare away business, but it helps me to know that she's still there.

I walked down the sidewalk, ignoring the whispers and hushed voices as I did. Unfortunately, my mother liked to brag a bit about me and so I was quite well known around here (which, might I add, is not the best thing for a State Alchemist). Finally, a sweet aroma beckoned me into a store called Lady in the Flower Petals. I smiled to myself, opening the door and breathing in deeply.

The small shop was white and clean, full of brightly arranged flowers. No one was in at the time except for a woman behind the counter. Her blond hair was coiled into a tight bun, allowing me to fully see her face. It was soft, warm, and inviting, just like her chocolate brown eyes. She was quite young, about thirty-three, thirty-four years old, and her pallid face was aimed at me.

"Alexandra," her sweet voice greeted. She pulled her apron up over her head and tossed it aside, coming out from behind the counter. She immediately embraced me, her warmer skin slowly heating mine. Her hands remained on my upper arms, as if she was imprinting my face into her memory.

"Hi, Mom," I answered.

"I didn't know you were in Central. I could've made you dinner," she said. "How have you been, dear?"

"I've been doing the usual: chasing the bad guy, putting him in jail, being a puppet for the government," I answered. "It's great."

Mom smiled sympathetically. "You didn't have to become a State Alchemist. It was your decision, dear."

"I don't regret it, Mom," I assured her.

"Alexandra, I want you to be happy with what you do. I know that finding Dana's killer was your top priority."

Dana. That name stabbed my heart with a newly sharpened knife. Dana…my sister…the whole reason I became a State Alchemist. I know that becoming one would put my life in danger, but I always thought it was for a good cause. I never really thought about how it affected my own mother. She would never want to have to bury another one of her children, especially after burying our father two years ago.

"And it still is," I managed after several seconds of thinking. I attempted to change the subject. "I'm going to head out, Mom. I need a head start to get a place to sleep for tonight."

"You don't have to go so soon. I have a room for you to stay in," Mom promised.

"It's okay, Mom, really. I only came to Central for my job, but it seems that what I was looking for wasn't here."

My mother nodded, her brown eyes filling with sadness. "If you ever need a place to go, you can always come back with me, Alexandra."

"I know," I replied.

Mom pulled into another hug. She spun on her heels and broke a white flower off of its stem. "Here," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear and placing the flower on top of it. "I know it's your favorite. Especially a white rose."

"Thanks, Mom."

"If you're ever in Central again, won't you come by here when you arrive? I'd love to talk with you."

"Of course." I gave her one last hug and faced the door. It was always hard leaving my mother alone, but she always had her flowers. My hand gripped the door handle, and before I walked out, I whispered two words, "Goodbye, Mom." I pushed the door open without looking back, knowing that if I did, my career would be at stake.

With a sigh, I began glancing at Wanted posters of the same girl, my target. Her light eyes had a glaring depth to them, even when the picture was black and white. She didn't threaten me, no matter how dangerous she was. I tore my eyes away from the posters and kept going, under the midday sun, out of the city and onto the soft dirt road.

Amaya: Short, sweet, and to the point, right? :D And yet she still managed more detail... How does she do it? Review!