Four

"This is Edward, Alphonse, and Simon Elric," Roy Mustang said to the man at the door, pointing to each child in turn. The man's eyebrows rose slightly as he took in the seven-foot suit of armor that encased one of the children. "Boys, this is Shou Tucker. You'll be staying with him while Edward studies for the State Alchemist exam." Roy turned to the man at the door, warning sparkling deep in onyx eyes. "You will ensure that these boys come to absolutely no harm. Should I find out that they've been injured in any way, I will take it out of your hide with no questions asked." Before the man could make a suitable reply, a little girl of about four years old barreled out the door, followed closely by a very large dog, which knocked Ed down to the ground. Simon had danced out of its way, laughing as Ed squirmed under the large, wiggly form. The little girl stopped and giggled at the sight, melting just about every heart there.

"This is my daughter, Nina," Tucker said softly, "and our dog, Alexander. He is a Great Pyrenees." He turned to his daughter. "Nina, this is Edward," indicating the boy still trapped under the happy dog, "Alphonse," indicating the suit of armor, "and Simon Elric. They will be staying with us for a little while so Edward can study for the State Alchemist exam."

"Oh, goody," the little girl squealed happily, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. "Big bwothers!" Ed had finally shoved the overenthusiastic dog off of him and sat up, grinning at the adorable little girl. His eyes widened in shock as the tiny child launched herself into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck and squeezing tightly. Struggling only slightly, he stood with the toddler in his arms, hugging her back as she wrapped her short legs around his waist. Simon snickered softly into his hand, love gleaming from emerald eyes as he sensed his younger brother fall in love with Nina. Ed held the girl for quite a while as Roy continued to outline what was expected of the three.

"Simon is blind, Tucker. I know that you've been translating books into brille for the visually impaired. I'd like you to give him some educational texts. He needs to continue learning his maths, as well as geography, all sciences including alchemy, history, spelling, and anything else you think he might be lacking."

"Come on, Mustang," Simon groaned, his eyes rolling. "I can do all that when I go back to school." The colonel looked at the eldest Elric, a small smirk on his face.

"Considering your goals right now, Simon, I don't think you'll be returning to school for a while. This way, you can help your brothers research."

"I can help you," Nina chirped happily from Ed's arms. "Daddy says I learn weal fast, and I already know my letters and numbers." Simon smiled toward the child, nodding his head once solemnly.

"I thank you for your kindness, Lady Nina," he intoned softly. The little girl giggled at Simon's behavior, squirming to get down. Once Ed set her on her feet, she walked over to Simon and grabbed his hand. The boy started a moment, his senses a little late picking up the approach of the diminutive child. He then cocked his head, as if he were listening to something, a pensive frown on his face.

"What is it, Brother?" Al asked worriedly, seeing the discomfort on his eldest brother's face. Roy's eyebrows dropped into a frown as he watched Simon's face for any clues.

"There's something in the house that's disrupting my senses," the senior Elric stated. "Some sort of vibration that's throwing everything off."

"Does it hurt?" Ed asked, his gold eyes wide.

"Not really," Simon answered slowly, "but it seems to be adding pressure to my head." He dropped Nina's hand and pressed his palms to his temples, trying to relieve some of the oppressiveness he felt. Simon wavered a little, and Roy wrapped his arm around the teen's shoulders to steady him. Simon leaned into the older man's body, trying to steady himself. A small whimper escaped the boy's lips, and Roy's arm tightened.

"He can't stay here," the colonel declared firmly. "Whatever is in this house is harming him. I'll take him to Central Command. There are dorms there that he can stay in, and it will be close enough for the three of you to visit with each other while Ed's studying. I'll get the texts Simon needs to study and bring them there." Ed nodded quickly, frightened for his older brother. Al just watched, his glowing eyes showing his worry. Carefully, Roy led the blind teen away, throwing final instructions back at Ed and Al as he walked away. "I expect that Tucker's house will remain in one piece, boys."


The day of Ed's exam dawned brightly, the sun beaming in through the curtains of the bedroom the boys shared. They both missed Simon's constant company, and tried to visit as much as they could. Simon's own studies had advanced remarkably, and by the time the exam day had arrived, he was ready for college-level work. Outlying countries, more advanced than Amestris, had provided Roy Mustang with the brille texts he'd been searching for, enabling Simon to study uninterrupted.

As Ed filed into the exam room with the other candidates, he looked around, awed at the size of the space. The domed ceiling drew his attention, and he marveled at the arrays splayed out overhead. They were all of a protective nature, used to contain and disperse alchemical energy in a safe way. The arrays ensured that no alchemist's power would be able to escape the room should it go beyond the alchemist's control. He walked up the stairs that sat between rows of seats bolted to the floor. The seats were arranged at a regulated distance from each other, and long tables sat in front of each line of chairs. The few candidates attending the exam found their places amongst the chairs, Ed choosing the seat farthest away from the examiner's table, high up in a darkened corner. He'd had many eyes on him as he walked into the examination room, and the attention was exceedingly uncomfortable.

There were four men sitting behind a long table at the front of the room, facing the applicants, all with a minimum of four stars on their shoulders. They were grim looking individuals, as if a smile would completely shatter their faces. They were in full dress uniforms, and Ed fought mightily not to roll his eyes at the display of obvious military power.

"Gentlemen, you are here to take the State Alchemist exam," the one in the middle said. His voice was very deep, but kind sounding, and he had a patch over his left eye. They were not introduced, so Ed only paid attention to the words themselves. "This will be the written portion of the exam. You will have three hours to complete it. Begin." Rustling paper and frantic scratching were the only sounds as the assembled participants worked their way through the exam. Ed's eyes were permanently wide as he went through the test, answering the questions as completely and quickly as he could. The three hours flew by, and before he knew it, it was time for him to put down his pencil. He groaned softly as he saw that he'd not been able to answer all of the questions, and he slumped down in his chair, already assured that he'd failed.

The applicants filtered from the building in singles and groups, grumbling and moaning about the test to each other or to themselves. Ed was the last to exit, and he saw his brothers waiting patiently for him. He was surprised to see Nina there, and she barreled forward, leaping into Ed's arms and squeezing him tight.

"How did you do, big bwother?" she asked softly, her eyes concerned. Ed just squeezed the girl to him, burying his face in her shoulder and inhaling the wonderful, flowery scent of her. His heart eased, the frustration and disappointment fading away as he allowed her presence to soothe him. He walked over to his other brothers and they moved a short way away from the building, finding soft, warm grass to sit on. Questions passed quietly back and forth as Nina continued to cuddle into Edward, and every now and then he would lean his head on hers, nuzzling the little girl he had come to see as a baby sister. They passed the time slowly, Simon catching Ed, Al, and Nina up on his studies, and Ed talking about the changes in his alchemy. All too soon, it was time for the interview, and Ed gently set the little girl down, walking back into the building as if he were walking to his doom.

Outside the interview room, he ran into the rest of the examinees, and they spent time studying him, most with scowls on their faces. A whispered conversation caught Ed's attention, and he focused in on it without looking at the three men.

"He can't be more than ten years old," one of the men hissed, his eyes flicking briefly to Ed's face. "Is the military that desperate that they'd bring in babies?" Ed bristled at the comment, but held his anger in, his face morphing into a scowl of determination.

"It's impossible that he knows anything about alchemy," another whispered harshly. "He's just wasting his time, and ours."

"Apparently, he does know something about alchemy," the third one responded to the hostility with a voice of reason. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have passed the exam."

"Well," the first one said, "he probably got an easier exam. The questions would have had to have been worded in such a way for a toddler to understand them." Before any of the men could reply, Ed was standing right next to them, his eyes furious.

"I took the same exam as the rest of you," he snarled, others gathering around to see the confrontation. Many of them had also had their doubts of Ed's knowledge and skill, and wanted to see if the child could prove himself. One by one, every candidate spat a question at the boy, and he answered in such a way as to leave absolutely no doubt that he knew his craft. By the time the first participant had been called into the interview room, nearly every other potential State Alchemist had their heads down, embarrassment heavy in the room from being schooled by a child. The only man to stick up for Ed stuck his hand out, a friendly smile on his face.

"Hi. I'm Jack Crowley. It's nice to meet you." Ed took the offered hand and shook it briefly, the scowl never leaving his face. The other man chuckled. "Don't let them get to you. It's rare that we come across a prodigy, and they're a little jealous."

"Thanks," Ed answered, some of his hostility filtering away. Before he could speak further, the door opened and his name was called. Nodding to Crowley, he stepped through the door after the soldier, walking into a dimly lit room. In the center of the room stood a golden chair which swooped and swirled in arcs and circles. It was a small, delicate looking thing, and it stood on three legs that came down from the center of the seat. The legs were touching, and the feet were bare curves of metal, just enough to give the illusion of stability. Ed hesitated, not sure if he should sit on a chair that had only three feet. He knew it would never support him, as it wouldn't be stable. The man with the eye patch spoke up then, startling the youth.

"Have a seat," he intoned solemnly. "Alchemy is all about balance. If you're alchemy is balanced, the chair will support you." Hesitating for a fraction longer, Ed finally sat, eyebrows rising in surprise as the chair accepted him. "Why do you want to become a State Alchemist?" Roy Mustang stood in the corner, in the shadows, watching carefully as Ed deliberated over his answer for a few moments. His concern was that the boy would reveal too much of his purpose, and consequently would cost himself and his brothers their freedoms, if not their lives. He heaved a silent sigh of relief at Ed's final answer.

"I made a promise to someone that I would become a State Alchemist, so that I could help as many people as I could. The only way to do that is to gain as much knowledge as I can, to benefit everyone I come into contact with." The small smile that Mustang threw Ed made the teen relax minutely. The man with the eye patch nodded his head in apparent approval before rising and dismissing Ed. The blond left the room, head swimming from all the stress. As the rest of the participants waited, the examination board stepped through the door, looking at each individual for a moment before they made their announcement.

"You," pointing at one of the men who had criticized Ed, "you," pointing at a short, redheaded troll-like man, "you," pointing at an arrogant looking blond, "and you," pointing at a rat-faced brunet, "are dismissed. The rest of you, come this way for your practical." Turning, the panel exited through the doors, the rest of the participants following. The group, which had started out with fifteen, had been whittled down to seven, and Ed was glad to see that Crowley had made it this far.

They stepped out into a courtyard, and stared at the sight before them. There was a small mountain covered with snow, with a creek running past it, and a small forest of fir trees standing incongruously in the middle of a sandy yard. It was an odd looking oasis sitting within the structured walls of Central Command's common area. Murmurs sprouted up all around as the men waited for instruction.

"This is where you will do your practical," the man with the eye patch said. "We have provided you with the raw materials to transmute whatever you wish. Do your best, men, to impress us!" The first alchemist strode over to the small island, bending down to sketch out his array in the snow. Once it had been finished to his satisfaction, he lay his hands on the circle, the flare of light and power blowing his hair and clothes. From the ground rose a stone monolith, growing ever taller as the alchemist began to sweat and breathe heavily. It rumbled taller and taller, finally stopping at twenty-five feet, the spire spearing proudly into the sky. The alchemist fell back, sitting down hard as he panted and sweat, his hands trembling from the alchemical drain on his body. Murmurs from the examiners criticized the alchemist for using too much of himself, while at the same time complimenting his skill.

The next alchemist marched forward, taking down a couple of the trees and throwing a bucket of water onto them. The array drawn, the alchemist transmuted his raw materials into a dirigible, everyone gasping in awe as the hydrogen balloon rose majestically into the air. Murmurs of approval from the panel had the alchemist beaming proudly at his accomplishment, but that pride was short-lived. Jack Crowley bent down and drew his array, activating it and pulling the trace amounts of silver from the soil. Rising, he flicked his hands out and sent the silver bullet spiraling toward the balloon, puncturing it. He laughed softly under his breath as the dirigible slowly wafted downward, the pressure from the escaping gas pushing it toward the tower.

The alchemist who had created the tower was still collapsed at the foot of it, exhausted. Everyone watched in horror as the balloon impacted with the spire, causing the tower to rain large stones and debris down on the cowering alchemist. He cried out, his arm up to protect his head, eyes closing as he waited for his death. Ed darted forward, clapping his hands together before slamming them down on the ground. Everyone gasped in wonder as the transmutation changed the raining stones into falling flower petals. They stared in awe as Ed changed the tower and balloon into a stunning wreath of flowers with wings, which floated several feet from the ground. People walking by Central Command, as well as people inside the building itself, stopped to marvel at the beautiful sight.

"It seems," the man with the eye patch murmured to his fellow examiners, "that we've found our alchemists." They murmured amongst themselves, stunned that such a young child had such amazing alchemical talent and skill. They were also shocked to see that he didn't need a transmutation circle to complete his work. Though every other alchemist at the exam was talented, the board had decided on only two; Jack Crowley and Edward Elric.