'What the hell!', I growled, dust and smoke had covered the path that we were on and, despite my excellent vision and hearing, it was not enough to sort through the floating debris. Shaking off my annoyance, I glanced sideways to where Scar stood beside me, tense and waiting for the dust to settle. When it did, I let a deadly smirk cover my features when I finally spotted our target, General Grand, the Iron Blood Alchemist. Releasing a feral snarl, I was about to surge forwards and end the abomination's existence right then and there, when I felt a restraining, but soothing hand rest on the furred space between my white tufted ears. Looking up in confusion, Scar answered my questioning glance with a small shake of his head.
'Refrain, Ash' He said, as he moved to place himself slightly in front of me, trying in some way to keep me from harm, I guessed. 'Leave the bigger brutes to me, I wish for you to seek out the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric and bring him to me'. Nodding, I stepped back and slipped towards the nearest alleyway that held the freshest trace of the Elric brothers. Before I fully left the clearing, I glanced back at Scar with a mischievous grin on my feline features. 'Try not to get yourself killed, eh?' Facing forward again, I padded down the concealed alley, shooting one last remark over my shoulder, 'And don't have too much fun while I'm away'. Leaving Scar to deal with the five tonne rock.
I suppose you're wondering who I am, and how I ended up having the Ishbalan, Scar as my travelling companion. Well, let me just say, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you; but I'll take a shot. Firstly, lets rewind to six years ago, back to when it this all started: I'd been a normal girl with a normal life, going by the name of Ash. Not even in my prime at the age of 17, having just moved in with my grandparents in Cyprus, Greece. I had only been living there less than four months, when I had lost my footing on one of my regular walks around the surrounding forest and tumbled into a hidden cavern. During that time, I must have lost consciousness, because when I had woken up, it was dark and I was alone bleeding in some alleyway; you could have guessed my disorientation. Though by nature, I'm one who's able to adapt to my surroundings pretty quickly because of my love to travel, so I found out quite soon that I was is some alternate universe, and so was slightly prepared when confronted by society. It was ironic, then, that the first person I encountered in this new world was the least sociable out of anyone, not to mention deadly.
I bumped into Scar a couple of weeks after the day of my Appearance, I had taken to calling it that ever since I made my decision of starting a new life here; though at the time I wouldn't start considering it a 'life'. I had resorted to becoming a no good Street Rat, I was still a bit wary at settling in completely, as I was afraid that people would ask questions. So, the moment that I had literately careened into the Ishbalan, I had been currently running from some of the Military 'Dog's', this was one of the many terms that I had picked up, after being caught snatching one of their Alchemist's pocket watches. Apparently my victim had been someone quite high up in the ranks, a Colonel Mustang, I believe.
Anyway, back on track, after our extravagant introduction, let's just say that he sent the soldiers packing, and probably would have done the same to me, knowing him as well as I do now. I'll take a pretty good guess that the only reason he did not do so at the time, even if he still won't admit it, was because of how much I resembled an Ishbalan, one of his people because of my dark skin. I think that I'll smugly add that my eyes were most likely the main reason that Scar had stood there, staring at me as if he'd never seen a girl before. I'll admit, I've been told that they closely resemble feline's eyes, a piercing sapphire blue, highly rare and nonexistent with the people living within Central. Later on, he did admit to me that this was the reason that stopped him from maiming me on the spot, the eyes that is.
But on the bright side, I thought happily, glancing down at my chain where the pocket watch now hung around my neck like a pendant,I did manage to keep hold of the watch. Turning a corner, I came face to face with..a brick wall. Damm, a dead end. Sitting down, I cocked my head in thought, pondering on how to get past this new obstacle as quickly as possible.
After that, we just seemed to be constantly bumping into each other, he would show up whenever I got myself into a fix I couldn't fight my way out of, which happened to be quite often in the first month of my new life. This had frustrated me to no end, the fact that I couldn't defend myself, and with him always showing off his fighting skills and goading me with that damm amused twitch of the corner of his mouth and the challenge clear in his eyes. I know this pisses you off, so come on and do something about it, was what he seemed to be saying. So I had. Rumour had travelled round of a combat instructor living in a town called Dublith, and after living and training there for six months, the Mentor finally deemed me acceptable.
Isn't it kinda obvious what I did next? I searched out that pain in the ass Ishbalan dude and challenged him. What? I wanted to prove to him that I was stronger. And no it wasn't so I could show off my new skills; it wasn't like that at all! He earned my respect that day. Of course I had admired him the first time I had met him, when he saved my ass from the Military, but I finally could see the extent of his strength. Though he went overboard, which I soon learnt was usual with him, and blew up a whole wall on me; however, he made sure it wouldn't hurt me too much. I realised that he just wanted to put me in my place, and did so without going all out. I still remember trying to push off all the rubble that had pinned me to the ground, when he was suddenly there, hovering over me. Let's just say that the day ended with Scar gaining a new tag along, I had never left his side since, not if I could help it. At first, our travels were more like stray and provider, me being the stray; but, fortunately for me, my curious nature allowed me to brave up and enter his social circle. I think his own respect grew for me after that.
During the first three years of our wanderings, we grew closer as our past and private lives came out into the open. It was bound to happen, one can't be practically living with someone without finding out a few hidden secrets; it was also because we both came to fully trust one another. He was my protector of sorts, and I was his ward...of sorts. Scar told me of his family, mostly of his brother and how he was driven into madness because of the Civil War against Ishbal and the Military. It was because of my desire to drive away his pain which caused me to make the decision to do everything in my power to bring down those Military Dogs. Hate for what they had done to Scars' people was what fuelled me. He confided in me about his tattoo on his right arm, and his thoughts on what path his brother had set upon him because of it. Me, I told him where I had come from, that I wasn't supposed to be part of his world. It was pretty miraculous that he believed me the first time, but I was thankful that I meant that much to him that he would not doubt me. I also taught him Greek, though he was sceptical at first, I managed to persuade him to take the lessons, with the knowledge that it was an unknown language that we could use. When there was information we didn't want others hearing.
Closing my eyes, I gathered my energy and focused it to the point in the centre of my forehead, where an alchemist array was tattooed into my fur, the white fur that made up the array clearly outlined as my power activated it. Blue light enveloped the whole of my body, and when it died down, I stood up and stretched, flexing my now human fingers and aching joints. Man, that hurts every time, I grimaced as I massaged a particularly sore joint, though the pain is lessening every time I phase.
I was twenty at the time it happened. I was to meet Scar at Central Library, since he'd had told me earlier that he was heading there, something about researching the meaning of his arm tattoo. He'd told me he was starting to get an idea of what his brother's purpose was for him. Of course I'd rushed straight down there, though, unfortunately someone had other ideas. I was jumped from behind just as I was exiting the alley east to the library, waking up only to find myself locked in some sort of glass cage in some underground lab. It was then that the main conspirator introduced himself to me, one Mr Shou Tucker. I swear, if I had been able to get out of that glass prison, I would have kicked his ass. They told me the reason that I was here, and what they had wanted me for. It made me physically sick with what they were doing to people down here. Yeah, it wasn't just me they'd dragged down to that hell, several other kids, no older than 18, all to be tested and experimented on. Human-Animal Transmutation. I'd read about this during my first years arriving in this world, when I aimed to familiarise myself with Alchemy Science. It was the lowest form of alchemy, fusing both human and animal DNA together in a complicated array. It was an illegal science, mostly because 99% of experiments did not survive.
Hope was all I had, I was kept separate from everyone else, apparently I was the type to encourage the others to rebel, so I was isolated. Those next few months were pure agony, the 'White Coats', as I'd taken to calling them kept coming and going, checking up on our health, sometimes taking blood samples. I would have escaped, hell, I was usually strong enough to fight my way out, except they had obviously considered that risk, since they had kept us all physically weak through lack of food. There were twelve of us in total, each one paired up with an animal that showed similar traits to their own personalities, so each of were given our own personal array. I was paired up with an Iberian Lynx. I had pitied the poor creature, as its laws were bound by Mother Nature, not by equivalent exchange; it had a code it lived by. The night before the official fusion, I had cried. I cried for the creature I was to be joined with, I cried for myself, for the family I would never see ever again, in the other world. But most of all, I cried for Scar, because he would be alone once again if I didn't survive this. I had wondered if he was alright, although I knew he could look after himself, but I wondered if he knew that I had been kidnapped. Like Scar, I believed in God, and so believed in life after death. I wasn't afraid to die, just for the one person who would be left behind if I did.
Everything was blurry after that, but I remembered the pain; the feeling of my entire body structure being torn apart and rearranged. When I woke up, I was lying in the middle of the experimental room, within the array they had created. My senses were sharper, more defined, the world had become brighter; my sense of smell was more useful, and I could hear the breathing of those who resided just outside the room. The shock of finding out that my ears were not where they were supposed to be, but instead were white tufted lynx ears perched on top of my head, leaving faded scars where my human ears would have been; along with a short black bob tail protruding from the base of my spine. I had become a Chimera. Time passed once again as I tried to quickly gain back my strength, and once I had, I killed the next White Coat that opened my cage and broke out of that death prison. The one thing I regret was not saving the four others who had survived; I had been too preoccupied with my desire to get back to Scar's side.
Once I had reached the shelter of the alleys of the inner city, it was then I had found the time to wallow in my self-hatred. What I was, it was no longer human. I was not meant to exist. I was an abomination. I remember being terrified that Scar had moved on, either he had left the city, or thought that I had died. If not, that he would have been disgusted with what I had become. I wouldn't have stopped him if he had tried to leave me. God knows how long I stayed in that alleyway, not eating, just sitting there. I guess you could say that in my sub consciousness, I was hoping that Scar would find me; I yearned to see him again after that terrible year of separation. God must have smiled down on me that evening, for I had been hiding out in that alley in the town square, when Scar had come across me. I must have looked pitiful, huddled behind some empty trashcans, knees drawn up to my chin and rain plastering my new ears to the sides of my head, as I gazed up at him, terrified and half out of my wits. Oh how much I loved him for what he did next. Crouching down to my level, he had taken my chin in his hand, forcing me to look him in the eye. He then proceeded to tell me how much of a stupid girl I was, thinking that he'd leave me because of this. He held me that night as for the first time, I allowed myself to cry in front of him.
Smiling, I shook my head, white ears twitching, before I used my newfound agility to spring up to the top of the wall that was blocking my way.
After that, Scar told me of our new purpose, to pass God's judgement on those who have forsaken Him. In other words, we were going after the corrupted State Alchemists of the Military.
Fingering the pocket watch now hanging round my neck, I smirked.
Scar let me keep the watch, mostly because I had found it quite useful to figure out the time of day, as we were constantly becoming sidetracked in our little escapades. I figured it would also help Scar as a reminder of our new religious path against the Military. But enough about that, this is where our real story begins.