The caravan jostled back and forth, making it nearly impossible to sleep. The young girl groaned softly and buried her head further into the soft fabric of her partner's shoulder.

"Elise, you really need to stop fidgeting." Mustang chided. He wrapped a protective arm around her and gently squeezed.

Elise sighed, but stilled. "I'm sorry… This ride is just bumpy and I can't sleep." She admitted.

Mustang smiled, his hand instinctively began stroking her head. "You're fine, it's your first mission… being nervous is alright."

"A first mission shouldn't be to Ishval with those fiends." Another voice growled.

"I'm as much of an Alchemist as you are, Grand, deal with it." Elise countered, her golden eyes glared back at him.

"Watch your mouth, brat. Your Father isn't here to save you." Grand warned, he glared back with equal icinss.

Elise scoffed and rolled her eyes "You couldn't do anything if you wanted."

"Who knows, Grand, maybe she'll do some good out here," a sly voice piped up, "even if she fails, her failure will be quite amusing."

Elise's eyes slid down the bench of people across from her, landing on the well-known Crimson Alchemist. "Am I that funny, Kimblee?" She asked, raising a slender eyebrow.

His grin grew larger, "Why yes you are my dear. Such an innocent soul… to watch the corrupt reality of war shape you into a new person… the thought is delicious." He seemed almost too gleeful as he winked at her.

Chills crawled down Elise's spine, Kimblee was always an nerve-wracking person to be around. She was always on watch when he was near. "This war won't change anything about me. Just wait and see, the only thing that will happen is I'll finally gain some respect around here." Elise snarled, glaring angrily around the caravan.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, the soldiers were too caught up in the mission at hand to continue bickering with one another.

:::

"I can't understand what your problem is." Elise muttered, collapsing on the cot in her tent. She turned to look at Mustang who was sitting on his cot which was pulled next to hers. Instead of the handsome smile she loved, his face was creased into a frown. It had been that way for the past couple weeks ever since she received her orders for war.

"I worry about you Elise, you know that."

She nodded and rested her arms behind her head "But I'm an alchemist too, just like you Mustang… I'm just a little younger than the rest of them, why don't they respect me?"

He frowned and shrugged, "Because they're jealous that you've been accepted so quickly, when we had to work for it. Bitterness runs strong within the ranks of this army."

"So are you jealous of me?" She asked, her golden eyes pierced his deep blue ones.

Mustang chuckled and tussled Elise's hair with a smile "Not at all. I'm glad you're here, though I'd be happier if you were back in Central…" His voice trailed off, they had already had this discussion several times.

"I'm staying here with you. End of story."

Mustang rolled to his side and propped his head up onto his hand, "But you're so young-"

"I'm Sixteen!" Elise snapped.

"And I'm 23, and I'm too young for this…" Mustang sighed.

"Hey, that's no attitude to have." Elise teased. She snuggled up next to him and began to stroke the back of his neck. She knew how he loved the sensation. "We have to have confidence if we're going to get through this." She leaned over and kissed his cheek sweetly.

Mustang looked down at her and couldn't help but smile. He gently caressed her cheek, tilting her head slightly so his lips fit against hers.

"I'm glad I'm here with you. I would have worried so much if I would have had to stay home." Elise breathed, pulling back from their kiss.

Mustang sighed and lay back on his cot. It was hard sometimes not to 'parent' Elise, as she liked to refer to it. She didn't understand the way war worked, or the way some of the other alchemists worked. He didn't want her to have to witness the ugly side of humanity. "I wish you were home with your Father."

"He's the Fuhrer, he knows what he's doing." Elise lay down too, next to her lover.

"I can't believe he sent his only daughter, a mere 16 years of age, off to war…"

"But I'm one of the most talented Alchemists he has. And you guys are going to need all the help you can get, to stop the fighting that's going on here."

:::

They didn't have time to nap. Grand called his pawns into action immediately. He sent them all on scouting missions, wanting them to get used to the terrain. Elise didn't like bloodshed, hadn't ever actually killed a person. But when they came running at her, torches lit, stakes ready, guns pointed, she had no choice but to defend herself. And she was left shaking. Blood coated her skin, speckled her face. She had to shut down mentally; she couldn't deal with the horror of the situation. When she finally managed to stumble back to base, Mustang was waiting with his arms open and ready. He knew that she wouldn't react well.

Elise showered, scrubbed the blood from her body… but she still felt so dirty. So disgusting.

"Do you want something to eat?" Mustang placed a bowl of food in front of her, patiently waiting for her reaction.

Elise looked up at him, still dazed, and shook her head no.

"C'mon sweetie, you have to eat." He prodded, holding out a spoonful of warm liquid.

Elise opened her mouth and let him feed her; it wasn't until then that she realized just how hungry she was. Slowly, but surely, as the days passed, she returned to her cheerful self, burying the memories of the first night deep within her mind.

:::

"Elise, sweetie are you okay?" Mustang stroked her hair and wiped the sweat from her brow with his sleeve.

Elise rolled over, still trembling from her nightmare. "Yes, I'm fine. Did I wake you?"

He smiled sheepishly and shook his head, "No, I was just up getting a drink and you were tossing and turning. Sorry for waking you." It was better to lie. He didn't want to let her know that he wasn't getting sleep, she screamed out so often, it was impossible to drift off.

Elise pulled him down and held his hand, "Goodnight, Mustang." She yawned, drifting back off.

:::

'This might be hell.' Elise thought, tearing through the village. Kill all Ishvalans. Those were her orders. And she didn't ever disobey an order. She didn't understand why they all needed to be killed, instead of just the soldiers and rebels who were acting up, but she didn't question it. "Surrender now and I won't have to hurt you." She ordered, one small girl in front of an entire mob of raging bodies.

"Get out of here, little girl!"

"We have no business with you!"

"Look she's with the State!"

And then they swarmed. Mostly men. Some women. They all had crimson eyes with one thing on their mind, revenge.

Elise stood there calmly, watching as they swarmed on her. She took a deep breath and pressed her hands together; she dreaded the feeling of energy that rushed through her body. "May you all rest in peace…" She whispered before she threw her hands down onto the sand, and sealed the fate of the town.