A beautiful dark haired woman gazed out of the window towards the hill in front of her house. A blaze of light glared up in the distance as several men in military uniforms limped about the campsite talking and occasionally laughing at one another. Nodding silently, the woman went in the kitchen cupboard and pulled out several first aid kits she had bought just for this occasion. She knew the war would be close and was eager to help out both sides as much as she could.
Throwing a dark fur-hooded cloak over her pink dress she walked out the door. She hesitated at the front stoop, went back inside and grabbed her last carton of cigarettes. It was the least she could do, she thought. Trudging up the hill as fast as she could in the fast ominous wind, she noticed many of the men stopped what they were doing completely to watch her walk up the hill. "Hello there, gentlemen." She said in her cool voice. "I've brought you some things you might need." She nodded towards the bundle in her arms as she set them down on the ground. "And any of you who are extremely injured are of course welcome to stay in my house. I'm just down the hill." Smiling one last time over her shoulder, she began to retreat down the hill when a rude insolent voice stopped her completely.
"Why don't ya stay a while, honey? We'd love to have your company." She froze at the voice. For some reason it put so much fear into her body and petrified her. Turning around she looked at the man who was pushing his way in front of the crowd. "How about it, doll?" He was a skinny man with long black hair tied at the nape of his neck, and his hands had transmutation circles drawn on the palms. She gasped at them, thinking of the one that she too had; only it was tattooed in the center of her chest. "What, you like these?" He said, putting his hands up in the air to give her a good look.
"It's, just… I study alchemy, too. I… have been... for years." She frowned at herself for stuttering so, but this man… she had no idea why he instilled so much fear into her mind, but she couldn't keep her eyes off him; and the silver watch that dangled at his side.
"Oh, so you're an alchemist, eh? Why don't you join the military?" His cold eyes stared at her chest, right where the tattoo of the transmutation circle was located.
"I… really don't like to fight. I just help out in ways I can." She gulped. "Plus, I haven't studied as much as I can. My alchemy is hard and very… painful at times."
"Oh? And what might 'your alchemy' be?" He laughed and took one large step toward her.
Frozen with fear and unable to move her glance from his eyes, she whispered slowly, "I… can transmute my body. I can become… animals." Tearing herself from his gaze, she looked around and found all of her supplies and the men were gone inside their tents.
"It's just you and me, sweetheart." He laughed slightly and roughly took her hand. "Come on. You'll be coming with me." With a laugh, the Crimson Alchemist drug the woman into his tent. Paralyzed with fear, she gave no struggle but uttered one last cry before entering the flap of the tent.
5 years later, the same woman, Jennifer Jeffries, stood at her doorstep watching a young boy run around the yard with his new dog, Bradley. She smiled at her son, wondering how someone so innocent and sweet could come from such terror. Ever since that night she met the crimson alchemist she devoted her life to her son and gave up on her alchemy. Her next door neighbor and love of her life, Troy, often tried to get her back into alchemy, but he knew what happened that night and didn't push her very far. Instead he encouraged marshal arts, and so she trained with vigilance. She was a very skilled fighter, and over the years had developed her very own technique. Troy trained with her every night while her son, Joshua, looked on with adoration.
When Joshua was born, Troy assumed all fatherly responsibilities and helped Jennifer raise her son. He knew that financially and emotionally she wasn't ready; he never told her that but he assumed she knew because she never refused his help. They wanted to get married one day, but it wasn't something on their immediate list of things to do. Both Jennifer and Troy were comfortable with the situation, and Joshua asked no questions.
Lately, though, Jennifer's mind had been plagued with the thought of money. She had no job, and Troy's job at the bookstore just didn't bring in enough money for a growing boy. She was starting to feel guilty for depending on Troy's low salary for so long, and wished she could find a job herself. One day, while walking in the study thinking these very thoughts, she tripped over a book that had fallen off of the shelf. Frowning, she bent down to pick the book up, but froze as she saw the cover: "Alchemy for the Advanced". Sitting down in the floor, she began to read the book, and suddenly she missed it. She was getting so far and so close to being able to transmute her body into any animal form before that night. If only she could do it, and maybe become a state alchemist. Money wouldn't be so tight, and she could finally use and develop her alchemic skills to help people. Getting up and walking back into the kitchen, her mind was set. She would call Troy and discuss it with him. There was no way she wouldn't do this.
"Jennifer!" Troy yelled as he slammed his fist on the table. "You'll get yourself killed!" The two of them were sitting at the table looking into each other's eyes solemnly. Jennifer's eyes filled with tears as he turned her gaze outside the window to her son running around chasing butterflies and laughing. "I know it's dangerous, Troy, but I'm going to do it. I've been studying a little every night after Joshua goes to bed, and I did it last night." She smiled as she took his hand and said, "I transmuted into a tiger last night. I finally did it. Now I'm able to transmute into any animal with little or no pain." She got up from the table and got a letter from the kitchen counter. "I got a letter from the military after I wrote them a while back. They said I was welcome to take the State Alchemist exam next month if I think I'm ready. In fact, I know I am. I just need a little more time to study." She sat back down and watched the pain in his eyes as he tried to be happy for her.
"Okay, then, do it for me. Transmute right here, right now. If I see no evidence of horrible pain, Joshua and I will take you ourselves to take that test. I should be glad you're getting back into alchemy, and I admit I am. But I just didn't think it would take this course." He smiled weakly as he watched her get up slowly from the table and stand in front of him. Joshua came bounding up the steps and walked into the kitchen as she stood there. Winking at her son, she closed her eyes, clapped her hands and placed them slowly on the tattoo on her chest. There was a blinding flash of light as the two boys watched her slowly transmute into a tiger. "Whoa Mommy! That's amazing!" Joshua yelled as she stood in front of them on all four paws. She ran over to Joshua and licked his face before clapping her paws together and slowly changing back. Looking steadily into Troy's eyes, she said calmly, "No pain." He nodded and looked down for a bit. Suddenly, he bounded up from the table and ran to her side, giving her a big hug and a wet kiss on the lips. Blushing, she returned it and stood there in his arms for a while, gleaming with happiness. This was it, she thought to herself. Their lives were finally going to get better.
Exactly one month later, Jennifer came walking slowly down the steps to the Central Military Headquarters building. She had done it. She was the only one who passed. After seeing her brilliant tiger display at the last exam, the Fuhrer wasted no time in naming her the champion. With a gleam in his eyes, he personally handed her the certification papers that named her the "Animagus Alchemist." Tears of joy slid down her face as she looked into the Fuhrer's eyes and also took the silver pocket watch he held out to her. "Here, Miss Jeffries. Take this watch. And we also have a military uniform for you. We will waste no time; you are now Lt. Jennifer Jeffries." Beaming with pride he watched her walk down the steps towards her family. "Well," he thought to himself. "There goes my key to the victory in Ishbal."
"Troy! Joshua! I did it!" She ran up to them and gave Joshua a big hug and Troy a kiss on the cheek. "You look beautiful in the uniform, Jennifer." It was true, she did. She was dressed in the full uniform, and her pocket watch dangled loosely at her side. She blushed with embarrassment as she scooped her son into a giant hug. "No matter what, I'll always love you."