Disclaimer: Don't own FMA, wish I did. Do own Alyssa, but that's all so far.
In Rush Valley the day had dawned beautifully. A young woman of 17 sat on a cliff high above the town. She had been watching the sun rise.
She stood and stretched, limbs sore from sitting so long. From far down below she heard the first train pull into the station and smiled. They were here.
She ran down the hill and thru town to the depot. She chuckled as she noticed the enormous crowd gathered around a 7-ft. tall suit of armor. She knew the armor wasn't what the crowd was admiring, though if they only knew…
"Ed"! She cried. "Hey, Ed, hey Al"!
"Get out of my way." A voice yelled at the crowd. "Hey Winry," was the reply.
A short, blond young man also 17, with copper eyes named Edward Elric strolled up to her. The suit of armor, also known as Alphonse Elric, Ed's younger brother, followed close behind.
"So Winry, has the old man given you the secret yet"? Edward Elric asked.
"Nope, but he lets me go up there to watch any time I want to now."
Winry led the way back to Garfiel's house. "How are you two"? She asked.
"As well as expected I suppose." Al replied.
"Still searching for a way to get back your bodies I see." Winry said. "So what needs fixing this time Ed"?
"My arm feels a little loose and my leg is kinda stiff." He replied.
By the time they had caught up on what each had been doing, they had reached Garfiel's house. Winry took a quick look around and noticed her tools were not where they should be.
She began to panic, racing frantically around looking everywhere.
"They aren't here"! She said. "I can't fix you without them"! Ed looked at her.
"Why not, there are plenty of tools here."
"They aren't the same, they aren't MINE"! She snapped.
"Well, where was the last place you had yours"? Asked Al.
"Um… Dominic's," She replied. "He's taking the week off of repairs. He told me last time I was there. He said not to come, but no one will be there for repairs." She said. "We can run up and do your repairs there."
They traveled far up into the hills above Rush Valley. Deep into the mountains, farther than many people were willing to go for auto-mail repairs.
"Not too much further now guys." Winry called to the brothers.
They reached the Le Court house and Winry knocked on the door. No one answered. "That's weird, someone's always here." Winry muttered. She twisted the knob, the door opened.
"Hello" She called. "Dominic? Ridel? Anybody?" Winry called.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."
A scream of pain echoed from Dominic's workshop.
"Dominic"! Winry, Ed and Al dashed towards the door and Winry threw it open.
Inside Ridel, Satera and Dominic stood around a young woman, no older than Ed and Winry.
Ed let his eyes wander across the girl.
She was beautiful with bright green eyes and wavy shoulder-length chocolate brown hair. She was Ed's height, and wore a blood red tube bra and boxers. Then he noticed something else and his jaw dropped.
Her left hand, right arm to her elbow and right leg to her knee were all auto-mail.
"Oh…my," Winry breathed what he had been thinking.
"OUT"! Dominic screamed at her.
Winry turned and strode back to the living room, too shocked to speak or argue. She sat on a wooden chair. Ed and Al came to stand by her.
"Who was that"? Ed asked.
"I have no idea. I've never seen her here before," Winry told him.
Dominic opened his workshop door a few minutes later and walked out with his family and the woman.
"Winry, why are you here"? Dominic asked in a harsh voice. "I told you I wasn't doing any repairs this week."
"I left my tools and Ed needed a little maintenance," She replied eyes downcast.
"Regardless, I told you not to come here. I was going to ask you to help me as my apprentice soon, but I cannot have an apprentice that disobeys. Please leave." Dominic told Winry.
Winry's eyes filled with tears as she turned and trudged forlornly out. Ed and Al looked at Dominic.
"That wasn't fair, Mr. Le Court." Ed said. "It's my fault that Winry needed to be here, you shouldn't punish her for trying to help." They turned and ran after Winry.
"Grandfather, the boy's right." The girl told him. "If you were going to make her your apprentice, she would have met me sooner or later. She must be good, cause you never take apprentices."
Dominic sighed. "I suppose you're right Alyssa. Ever since your mother died I've thought of you as my own grandchild and I've tried so hard to hide you when you're here. But the fact is, I'm getting old. I won't be able to do this for you when I die and I love Ridel, but he doesn't have the natural ability for what you need."
"So…"? Alyssa prodded. Dominic sighed again.
"Well, she stays with Garfiel, so that's where you'll find her."
"WHAT"!? "WHY AM I GOING"? Alyssa screamed.
"Because you were the one who mentioned how wrong I was."
Alyssa sighed. "Damn, what about the armor and the guy"?
"Winry told me what she felt she could. They are the Elric brothers, Edward the older brother, is a State alchemist. He and his brother Al, the suit of armor, are trying to find a way to get their bodies back to normal." Dominic explained. "I don't know how it happened, but Winry is their best friend so she might know more."
"THE Elric brothers"? Alyssa asked. "They're famous. Roy says they got the wounds in the War, but I don't believe him. He always twitches when he lies."
"Okay, I'll go down and talk to her shall I"? She said.
"Have fun." Dominic grinned, a rare sight indeed.
She went to the room Dominic set aside for her and found her clothes. They covered all traces of auto-mail. Her pants were black as coal with a bright blue flame running up the side to her knees. Her under-shirt was a dark red tank top, covered by a long-sleeved loose shirt of the same color and her favorite forest green cloak. Her boots were black with gold buckles and looked a little like army boots. (Think Ed's boots.)
She tied her hair back in a ponytail and fastened her mother's onyx choker around her neck and then put on her own necklace, which was the symbol of all state alchemists etched into a gold coin.
Her final touch to her signature look was her gloves. Like most alchemists gloves, hers were white, but there were gold symbols on them.
As she walked out into the living room, her adoptive grandfather called to her.
"Come here a moment Alyssa." The grin was back with a slightly evil edge.
All the way to Garfiel's Alyssa muttered to herself.
"Crazy old man. Sending me to do his job for him," And, "I wonder what they really did, probably something bad."
When she arrived, she knocked politely.
"Oh, hello Alyssa," said Garfiel as he opened the door.
"Hello, may I speak with Winry Rockbell"?
"Of course, she's in the workshop with a client, but she doesn't usually mind a quick interruption."
Garfiel showed her where the workshop was.
"Thank you." Alyssa said as he turned to go back to his chores. She reached for the doorknob, but stopped as she heard talking.
"Big brother, that girl had almost as much auto-mail as you do." She heard a boy's voice say. "I wonder how she got that way."
"I don't know Al, but Dominic was not at all happy about us seeing her."
Alyssa heard the unmistakable sound of a sob being choked back.
"Aw, come on Winry, you're still the best mechanic a guy could ask for."
"Thanks Ed, but now I'll never get better and I'll never be able to give you the best auto-mail," Winry replied.
Alyssa unconsciously sucked in a breath. So she was doing this for a specific person's sake. Amazing.
"What was that"? Said the boy named Al's voice. Alyssa heard footsteps approached and knew she'd better open the door.
She heard a thud as she did.
"Crap. Sorry about that." She apologized to the young man sitting on the floor.
"I didn't know anyone was there." She looked up and saw Winry glaring at her and a suit of armor chuckling.
"What do you want," Winry sneered.