A figure of a young kid, no more than 13-14 judging by appearance was running on the streets of Central city.
'Oh crap, oh crap! I OVERSLEPT!'
The hooded figure ran fast and sometimes bumped into someone or tripped but it didn't matter. It was running towards the alchemy test.
'Because of oversleeping the chance to be a State Alchemist would slip out of my hands like wet soap yet AGAIN! I missed the exams last year because the train derailed! And the year before there was a storm that caused the only bridge that could be used in miles fell! God, it's like the universe is trying to stop me!'
With a final turn and skid it entered the Central and ran towards the exam room.
"Stop! Who are-!"
"Shut up, I'm in a hurry! My ID!"
An ID was thrown in the face of the guard as the figure ran past them before they could react. It had disappeared by the time they turned around. As it ran inside the halls a lot of people were startled and some even dropped the things they were carying. At one corner the figure collided with a blonde boy with red jacked, causing him to fall.
"Sorry dude! I didn't see ya!" - it shouted as it ran down the hall and disappeared.
"Who the heck are you calling so short he can't be seen?!"
"Calm down brother, I'm sure he? she? didn't mean to be rude. It was in a hurry, also you weren't called short." - Alphonse said to his brother.
"I know Al but still...Che! I hope we don't meet!"
"Ok. Now, lets go, the Colonel is waiting for our report."
===In the special area designed for the test way in the back===
"Are we ready Malcolm?"
"Almost Brood. Just to check the list of passed participants and we can begin."
The two examiners talked to eachother. Malcolm, a man with shoet dark-blonde hair and thin goatie, and Brood, a dark haired man in his late 40s with thich eyebrows, were watching the people that were taking the exam. They were quite disappointed and guessed none would survive long enough even if they did pass by some miracle.
"I swear more and more incompetents take this test each year! Remember how the year before only one person passed and it was a 12 year old kid! Are all adults no good these days?" - Malcolm sighed.
"Don't worry this much! Lets start with the check and get over with the test. Attention! Norber Ainzer?" - Brood patted him on the shoulder.
"Here!"
"Breta Colman?"
"Here!"
"Anrie Forflaicht?"
No one answered.
"Is Anrie Forflaicht here?"
The doors burst open and a hooded panting figure stormed through them.
"WAIT! I'm here!"
"Who are you?!" - Malcolm shouted.
"I'm Anrie Forflaicht! I'm sorry for my tardiness!"
The figure saluted and took off the hood of the jacket. Black locks on both sides of the face made it stand out like it was in a picture. The back was cut short on layers, th bottom very short and the top hald longer. Beautiful eyes that seemed like they had every color in them, small nose, thin lips, a mole under the right eye and the smooth, slightly childish face combined with the shortness made the figure even cuter. Some of the younger men blushed at the sight.
"You are excused for now, but don't expect such things anymore, little girl!" - Malcolm scolded her.
"Thanks sir! But I'm not a girl, I'm a boy!" - he saluted and went to his place.
Everyone was staring at Anrie with the same though 'How the heck is THIS a boy?!' . They continued with the list without any more problems and started the practical exam. The examiners were a bit surprised by the performance of some while others failed spectacularly. Then Anrie stepped forward, his posture confident although he looked messy, both his shirt and pants wrinkled, shoes not tied with one shoelace hanging, almost on the grownd. When you were in a hurry you didn't have time to look neat. Anrie took out two gloves with circles sewn into them. It could not be seen clearly but there were also circles on the palms as well as the back of the hands. Brood stared at the circle on the back of the right glove. It was the same circle Mustang had on his gloves with a few diferences, so he was a bit shocked the other circle, however, was strange. It was very complex with one line going down towards the sleeve, the circle was also unfamiliar. Anrie clapped his hands and put them on the grownd. A set of chairs and a table with cups appeared along with a pit for fire filled with wood. With a snap the wood lit on fire while Anrie used his other hand to transmute an icecube into water again in one of the cups. He sat down on a chair took out a bag of corn, transmuted a bowl with a lid, pored the corn in and closed it. Everyone wondered that he was going to do. He placed it on the table, clapped his hands and pressed the lid down with his left hand. The unfamiliar circle glowed dimly and sent sparks in the bowl. After a while numerous pops were heard from the inside and the examinees that were close backed away. None of them had seen something like this and were worried that if a mistake was made it could explode and hurt them. Anrie was calm and after some more time he removed the lid to reveal freshly made popcorn, not that the others knew what that was. He took a couple blew at them and ate them.
"Hhey, is it fine for you to eat it? It was made by alchemy, it also looks weird." - a girl asked.
"Yeah, what the heck is this?" - another person asked.
"Oh, this is Popcorn. It's corn that's been heated so much it popped into this" he showed them one "without burning. It's fine to eat it, it's also my breakfast. Too bad I don't have salt or butter for them though." - he munched on another bunch and took a sip from the water.
The exam continued and finished without a hitch, although the examiners threw glances at Anrie as he watched from a transmuted chair while eating popcorn.
'That brat...!' - they seethed as they looked at him.
His smug face basically spoke: 'What? Jealous you didn't think of transmuting chairs instead of standing up the whole time?'.
===The next day===
Anrie had recieved the notice to come to Central and meet someone named colonel Roy Mustang. He knew he probably passed but kept it to himself just in case. He met the colonel in his office and greeted him formally.
"I hear what you did during the exams and I have to say I'm quite impressed. Beiing able to use multiple types of alchemy with ease is a feat of its own. I want to ask you something. The thing about the unknown circle on your left glove, what exactly does it do?"
"It's my own invention colonel, but with due respect, why do you want to know? I may not want to share my discoveries with others and want them to be my trademark secret only. Just like the art alchemy the Armstrongs use."
"I don't try to make you reveal its making, just what he...it does." - although he tried to look cool, he had paled a bit after the mention of Armstrong.
"Oh, it uses the electric sparks that are being generated by alchemy and makes them stronger. With some control you can do anything from pranks to frying a person from the inside-out. It also doubles as a lighter." - he made his point by clapping his hands and making electricity crackle on his palm.
"That's enough. The other thing was that I wanted to congratulate you. You are the second youngest person to pass the test, at the age of 15, congratulations!" he gave Anrie the signature watch " Congratulations, the Multi alchemist!"
"Multi, really?" - Anrie raised a brow.
"Yes, you use multiple elements, hence the name. For today you are free but tomorrow I'll assign you to a mission with another alchemist. Be sure to be here by 9:00."
"Yes, sir! Goodbye!" - he turned around and left.
After exiting the Central Anrie stopped and looked at the city in front of him. He sighed, his cheerfull face gone for a moment. He squeezed the pocket watch he recieved and went towards the marked to buy something to eat with new vigour.
"Aaa...ACHOO! sniff...Is someone talking about me?"
===Back in Mustang's office===
"Sir, you have to fill these documents." - Hawkeye entered the room with a small stack of papers.
What she saw stopped her in her tracks. A heavy and gloomy atmospere had surrounded Mustang. He had crossed his arms under his chin as he stared at some files.
"Sir, what happened?"
"Hawkeye, you know about the new recruit that came today, right?"
"Yes, what about it?"
He showed her a picture of a beautiful black haired kid.
'What a pretty girl. Is she the new recruit?' - she wondered.
"Tell me...how the HELL is this a boy?!" - he shouted at the end, balling some of his hair in his fist.
'What the...?! It's a boy?! It's also prettier than some girls. How is it possible?'
They stayed like that for quite a while, work forgotten. Later they were joined by Havoc, Breda, Falman and Fuery. They stayed like that untill late afternoon. Hawkeye had recovered by then and used her gun to 'inspire' the others.
===That evening at apartment 307, Bisca complex===
Anrie had eaten out to celebrate his acceptance and was now getting ready for bed. As he took off his clothes he looked at the calendar hung on the wall.
'I have to pay the month's rent tomorrow before leaving.'
He laid in his bed, which was a matress with sheets on the floor, a thing he picked from Xing while he traveled through the place. He turned off the lights and fell into restless sleep.
