Disclaimer! I do not own FMA or the characters within!

This is my third try at posting stories/one shots and I'd like to hear what you think, good or bad! read and review! I just ask that you're civil about it. (T.T) it's no fun to read if it's just hateful and insulting. if you have any problems with how i've done this, I would very much like to hear them so I can attempt to fix it in later chapters. I tried sticking with original FMA but Brotherhood might get mixed in so I can have more detail. I hope you enjoy! (sorry about my mini rant here)

It all started when I was a little younger. I was about 13 years old. That was the year I met the two most influential people in my life. It was quite the unusual meeting too. It led to so many things.

~3 years ago

Grrrrnnnnggggllllrrrr. "Time to eat, I guess. You hungry too, Kida?" I looked at my mutt. He had short black fur with white on his front feet, chest, and an almost diamond shape in between his two different colored eyes. I loved looking into his left green eye and right blue eye. They were beautiful.

He looked at me questioningly, huffed and laid down. He always almost seemed to understand what I said.

"Oh, that's right, you can just go and beg for food whenever you want..." Kida sneezed at my comment, " lucky dog..." I sighed and looked around the place I called home while zoning out. My thoughts drifted to my situation in life. My mutt and I were in a makeshift tent I created in a back alleyway that wasn't used often. I had collected several old sheets and blankets people had thrown out all over Central City and used what i knew of alchemy at the time to meld it to the wall of a dumpster and the building it was assigned to. I was lucky that I hadn't been found by anyone who wanted me out yet. I tried to hide it by making it the same color as the shadows near it, but it still isn't the most inconspicuous. I have probably been saved only by fact that the building was a bar and I only ever really saw drunks that couldn't care less about my alley. At least I had Allen. He was a busboy at the bar and was in charge of taking out the trash. He would sometimes slip me extra food because he understood my situation and wouldn't tell on me. He liked to be a big brother to me, I was 13 and he was 19. He didn't talk much, but I liked that about him.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrunnnnnnlllllloorrrrrr. My stomach brought me out of my reverie. I was about to stand when my eyes focused on the only poster in my home, my wanted poster. I was a known thief around these neighborhoods and had earned my own poster. They didn't have a picture, I made sure of that, but they did have a good description: 5 feet tall, female, mid-long black hair with one white streak on the right side, green eyes, no freckles or scars and usually wearing torn and dirty clothes. This description always made me feel important. They felt the need to create a poster just for me. I was only worth $20 dollars though...that was disappointing. At least they hadn't caught on that I used a scarf to hide my hair most of the time now. Everyone looks for that trademark streak that I got from my Ishbalan roots. I threw it on and bid Kida farewell as I left to find my next meal, or the money to pay for it.

I took my time wandering the open market place three blocks down from my alley. I got suspicious looks, but no one said anything. All the traders were watching their stalls carefully. I didn't have a chance to steal anything. I began scanning the crowd. Everyone seemed wary of me today... except one boy and a man in a suit of armor with him. They seemed oblivious to everything but their own conversation. I snuck closer to hear what they were so involved in.

"So the state alchemist exam is in a few days?" The man in the armor sounded echoed and almost child-like, I found it rather odd.

"Yeah, and I'm ready. I think anyway." The boy seemed overconfident. I knew those exams weren't easy and he was just blowing it off. I was actually kind of annoyed. My father had tried for years to become a state alchemist before he finally gave in to despair and booze. That was what led to his death... but I didn't want to think of that. The boy was shorter than I was if you ignored is platform shoes and the blonde spike that stood out from his golden braid. They were perfect to steal from. They weren't paying attention and I had a slight grudge. It was ideal for me. I slowly started creeping closer as they continued talking.

"Why can't I try to pass the exam too?" armor man almost seemed to be bossed by blondie. Maybe he was a servant or something. I was only a few feet away now.

"Because, a suit of armor can't participate. It would be way too suspicious for you to enter. Mustang agrees that you have to drop out. I'm sure there's a physical examination. That wouldn't go very well." Blondie had dropped his voice and I had barely caught that first part as I closed the distance between us. I wonder what he meant by a suit of armor, what about the man inside? Why didn't he say anything about that? I shook my head to focus on the task at hand. I had been so distracted by their conversation that I hadn't really scoped out their clothes. Blondie had a black shirt and pants under a red trench coat with a black cross in a coiled snake below two little wings on the back. I saw a slight bulge in the coat pocket. It looked thick like a wallet or something that might be of value. I decided to go for it. I carefully slipped my hand into the right pocket and felt something that seemed like leather. It must be a wallet. I grabbed it and began to pull it out of his pocket. I had just gotten it out and was about to turn and run when his hand snapped back and grabbed my wrist. His hand was cold and stiff. It didn't feel right. I tried to pull away but he had an iron grip.

"And what do you think you're doing?" He said with a look of question. I was confused, he didn't seem mad. I didn't say anything I just pulled harder and whistled for Kida.

"Ed, she looks so thin... She's a pickpocket, but I think she needs it. Can we bring her back to Tucker's?" The armor man seemed compassionate. Well now I know blondie's name.

"Hmm, well I suppose. He's not going to be there right now, we could sneak her in, feed her, and she'd be gone before he even thought of coming back." His grip loosened a little. "It's her choice." At this he looked at me, "So it's up to you. Come with us and answer some questions, or I'll report you. What do you want to do ?"

"Neither actually." I heard Kida coming. He would save me.

"Please, we only want to help..." Armor man was either a creeper or just really nice... I thought nice, but I didn't want to test the reason why a man wanted to feed a 13-year-old thief.

"I'm sorry, but my freedom has arrived." I caught sight of Kida and gave him my command, "Get 'im boy!"

Kida, ever obedient, leaped at the arm holding me. I was expecting to hear a scream or a grunt, but instead I heard the clink of metal. Nonetheless, Ed released my wrist out of surprise. I bolted and called Kida after me. I headed for a nearby alley with a convenient fire escape I'd used in previous heists.

"Al, c'mon! She's not getting away!" Damn. This Ed can't just call it even? I go free, he keeps his money.

"Got it." Strike towards creeper on the tin man.

I dodged and weaved through the thinning crowd until I reached the alley. I could hear the two boys right behind me. I couldn't believe how fast the tin man was, how can he most so fast in a 6 foot tall suit of metal? Kida had run ahead and was already on the fire escape waiting. I pushed myself harder and jumped for the ladder. Just as I was about to grab the closest rung I heard a clap come from behind. The next thing I knew I was pinned against the wall next to the ladder and Kida was trapped in a cage. It was alchemy. How did they do it? They didn't use a transmutation circle.

"Damn she's fast. Now, which do you choose?" Smug bastard.

"I choose neither, tiny." The instant I said that, Al grabbed Ed and Ed began flailing around like he meant to hit me.

"You no good thief! Maybe I will report you! How dare you! I'm no pipsqueak, shorty, always-under-the-boot anklebiter!"

"Ed, she didn't say any of that. Calm down." Al seemed to be the reasonable one too.

"Fine. But now she doesn't have a choice. She's coming with. I'll get even for the short crack." He stormed off a few feet before stalking back and releasing Kida and I apart from handcuffs that chained Kida and I together. We had about 5 feet of extra chain between us.

"Let's go." Ed began leading us to wherever our destination was through back alleys and side roads, probably to try to hide the fact I'm a prisoner. I said nothing the whole way even though Al tried to start a few small talk conversations. By the time we made it to the large house that I assumed what the man Tucker that they had previously mentioned, I figured that Al really was just nice and not a creeper. In fact, he sounded like he was younger than me. I didn't understand one thing about these brothers. They're so intriguing, I may just stick around long enough to learn.

Hope you liked it! review please!