Ikiru's POV

I left early in the morning to get ready for the next phase. I found my Father's office.

"Ikiru. It's good to see you. The second phase is going to be an interview on the three legged chair. You'll be at my right hand while..." And he went threw everyone who was going to be there. "We're starting. Come on." We made it to the room. It was dark except for the single light on, directed at the three legged chair. Roy was standing next to me and the applicants started to come. They had to trust the chair. They didn't know it, but their alchemy helped them stay upright. I gave a small quiet giggled every time someone fell, soon silenced by a glance from my Father. Then Ed came in.

"Well will you look at that?" I said quietly. He sat down and was interviewed. He passed. I know he did. He looked at me.

"Is there something wrong Edward?"

"No, nothing." I couldn't help it and fell out of my chair laughing. Everyone looked at me.

"Seriously Ed, don't lie to my father. You were looking at me. Don't deny it." I wiped a tear. He blushed a little and then was dismissed. Father looked at me.

"Ikiru, a little more professional please."

"Sorry Father. The boy brings the real me out. Not the boring as shit formal front you make me put on."

"Princess, please." I nodded at Roy.

"Why do you listen to Colonel Mustang and not the Füher, let alone your father." I looked at him and bowed my head.

"Sorry Father. You know I do it because I want the discipline you never gave me as a child. I was raised by people who don't care for what I do. I feel that I have been neglected the alchemical parenting punishments. Sorry again Father." He seemed pleased. It continued and only about 10 people passed.

"Ikiru, tell that Elric boy he passed and I expect him here to be in the alchemy exam grounds around noon." I smiled and ran back to the Tucker's.

"Ed! Come here!" He came down the stairs with Al and I smiled.

"What is it? Do you have news on my status?"

"You are to meet at the alchemy exam grounds tomorrow at noon. I'll be going with you so this should be good. But you need to decide what you're going to show off to the others and myself. Okay?" He nodded then him and Al started to stress on what he should show off. We were in the boy's bedroom and Ed was writing a letter.

"Is dat to your giwfwend?" Nina asked. Ed blushed.

"No, he's writing a letter to Winry, one of our friends." Nina nodded and Ed breathed out. Then Nina started to draw a picture. She told us about how her mom left her father and I bit my lip. Lies. Why does everyone tell lies?

It was the next day and around noon. Al and Nina stayed outside and waited for Ed and I while we were doing the exams.

"As you can see, we have enough materials here for you to all do your alchemy" A man made a tower but was to tired afterward. Another man pulled trees out of the ground and made a blimpish thing, but it failed and hit the tower, knocking it down and Ed turned it into flowers. Without a transmutation circle. So he became the state alchemist, the only one to pass this year. I was so proud of him. We went home and the next day Ed was picked up with me to go get his title.

"Why do I need a title?"

"Every alchemist has one. For instance, I'm the Flame Alchemist." Roy explained. Ed looked at me.

"Open the damn envelope." He did.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist. Kinda catchy."

"Kinda ironic." I said.

"The Füher has an interesting sense of humor."

"Well Onii-sama, we will be leaving now. Oh here's your watch Ed. This silver pocket watch proves that you're the military's dog. Let's go home. Havoc! Give us a lift." He nodded and we were off.

"Ikiru?"

"Yeah?"

"You have a State Alchemist Title right?" I nodded. "What is it?" I bit my lip.

"It's weird. You might laugh at it."

"What do you mean? Mine if Full Metal, I'm only 22% metal. Come on. What's yours?"

"Immortal. I'm the Immortal Alchemist." His head tilted.

"No one's immortal though. And that's not really a type of alchemy."

"I'm really lucky when it comes to near death experiences that I don't die. Look at what happened to those who raised me. They died and all that happened to me was mental and emotional scarring. I came out lucky, while others, like you and Al, lost significantly." He pondered on it.

"I guess in that sense it makes sense. At least you're not the hoe alchemist." I glared.

"At least I'm not a midget." He freaked the fuck out.

"What did you say?"

"Ed stop! You'll make us crash."

"Come here."

"Edward!"

"Excuse me you two but STOP IT!"

"Ikiru!"

"Edward!"

"Whoa!" We just missed the sidewalk and the pedestrians on it. We made it to the Tucker house.

"You almost killed us you asshole!" I pretty damn near screeched.

"Well you started it!"

"Doesn't mean anything! You're older!"

"By a few months!"

"So?"

"Whatever." Ed got out of the car.

"Brother! How'd it go." Ed held his pocket watch out and smiled.

"I'm a state alchemist! The Fullmetal Alchemist." Tucker offered Havoc to join us for our feast, but he denied.

"Oh, Ed. Major Hughes called. Said that you, your brother, the Colonel, The Füher and him are going out to celebrate this coming weekend." Ed and Al seemed excited. I smiled.

"Aren't you coming to Ikiru?"

"Nah it's a manly bonding experience. It'll be fine. I'm working this weekend anyways." They looked a little sad. "Oh yeah, Ed, come here." He stood and walked over.

"Yea-" I captured his cheek with my lips and had my hands around him.

"Congratulations on becoming a state alchemist." I stood straight, stepped back a little, and saluted him. "I will look forward to working with you!" He saluted me back. I smiled. After the feast, Nina went to bed and Ed and I were walking around the house. Ed noticed that the picture that Nina had drawn had been torn and burned.

"What is this?" I looked away.

"How could he?" Ed put a hand on my shoulder. For the next few days he was doing research on what happened to Tucker's wife, and then we were taken from the Tucker House. I stayed with them in the headquarters.

"I wanna see what's going on." I went with the two Elric brothers to Tucker's house. We went to the basement and Tucker was standing there. "Where's Nina and Alexander?"

"Look Edward, Alphonse, I made a talking chimera." He stepped aside. He didn't.

"You transmuted Nina and Alexander into that!" Ed started to beat the shit outta Tucker. "You did the same to your wife didn't you! Messing with people's lives. You're a monster!"

"Are you any better? You tried human transmutation. You're no better than me." Ed almost killed him if the chimera hadn't grabbed his arm and asked him to stop. Ed was about to separate them when the Brigadier General came in and took Tucker and the chimera.

When Ed tried to get the chimera the Brigadier General punched him in the gut and as they were driving off Ed destroyed the car and the chimera ran off. We went after her and made it to a dark ally. As if the rain didn't make it so erie, there was blood on the wall. No, not Nina. Ed was in front of the wall, hands straddling the blood. He was crying.

"There's no use in crying over it Fullmetal." And with that Ed and Roy got into a small argument. Then Ed ran out of the ally, crying. He wanted to get the one who killed Nina. I sighed.

"Ed." He looked at me. "Think of it this way. She's not in pain anymore. Being a chimera she would've suffered." He cried harder. "You have the celebration tomorrow night. Make the most of it and try to forget about it. The day after you'll have an assignment okay?" He didn't look happy. I sighed. "Major Hughes! Urge Ed to the celebration tomorrow! And make sure Al does in fact come. Ed, Al doesn't want you to think about it and allow it to eat you alive. Just try and enjoy yourself tomorrow okay?" He nodded. I kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"Hoping to cheer you up a little. I'm not allowed to stay in the barracks any longer this trip. I'll be staying at the Colonel's house okay? Call me if you need anything okay?" He nodded. Then it clicked.

"You're going to be with Colonel Bastard! In his house!" I face palmed.

"You make it seem like he's gonna take advantage me. He's not. Relax. This isn't the first time I've slept at his house. That's where I always stay while I'm in Central."

"Why not live at your house with the Füher?" Ed asked.

"I can't. Not when they're home." He tilted his head. "Anyways. Be a good boy and be nice to the officers in the barracks. Al, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." I smiled and left with Roy while they went to the barracks with Falman and Fuery. I sat next to Roy while Hawkeye drove.

"Ikiru?"

"Yeah Roy?"

"What's up? Did Edward object to you living with me until you leave?" I nodded. "He seems really over protective."

"He is. When we were little, I was always picked on because my hair was pink, he'd stand up for me with Winry. Even though he knows I'm strong physically, he knows my emotional strength is very weak and fragile. Another way I'm like a rose I guess. After looking past the thorns there's a beautiful flower that is fragile."

"That's deep."

"Of course it is. I compare myself to a rose a lot. Better than a weed at least." I nodded.

"Princess?"

"Hawkeye, we've been through this, Ikiru."

"Sorry, I can't do that."

"Can you not call me Princess at least?"

"She can't really just say 'Hey you with the pink hair' you know." Roy said. I thought.

"I'll call you Miss, that's as casual I'll go." I nodded.

"Okay."

"Miss?"

"Yes Hawkeye?"

"Why were you crying earlier? It didn't seem to be because of the chimera's death." I looked at my hands.

"He asked why I don't go home."

"And may I ask why that is?"

"My stepmother and stepbrother. They don't accept me being from my Father's first marriage. My stepmother picks on me mercilessly about my hair color, and my stepbrother is just so stuck up and thinks he's better because our Father left my mother. It pisses me off so going there is rare, one of the reasons my Father sent me to Resembol, the ex-soldiers wanted to go back home and that's where they lived, he had already found a new lover so I needed to go because he didn't want me to be raised in that environment."

"I'm sorry to hear that Miss."

"Don't be. My caretakers were no better. They nearly beat me to death for even mentioning alchemy, using it was almost a death wish, but they didn't because they knew that Father had people watching over me so killing me was suicide."

"And Ed didn't do anything about it? He must not be as overprotective as I thought he was." Roy said, irritated at the thought I was hit as a child.

"He didn't know. No one did. I was a reckless child so lying about where the bruises came from was easy. Killing them was a complete accident, but I don't regret it. I was able to live more freely, and I got to live with the Rockbells." Roy's facial expression went cold. "I know what happened, don't think too much on it." He softened a little. "I was happy living with the Rockbells, no beatings, no yelling, not as many lies. but alas, the joy in that house was short lived after you killed her parents. I'll say it again, don't think about it." He nodded.

"Miss?"

"Yes?" I said turning back to Hawkeye.

"When did you start wearing the clothes you're wearing now?" I smiled.

"When I was little. I liked the feel of the sun and dirt on my bare skin. So the more skin I show, the more comfortable I feel. I'd be wearing my mini skirt if I didn't have an image to hold up. Father and I have discussed this. If I want to wear a miniskirt I had to wear a T-shirt so that not to much skin showed."

"I see. It makes sense I guess." I nodded. "We're here." We pulled up to Roy's house. It wasn't grand or anything, more like one of the houses in Resembol, it was comforting.

"Come on Ikiru." I nodded and we went in.

So yeah... I'm late updating this... sorry. =)