State Alchemist Mustang
Chapter Eight - Testing: Part I
"Roy! Raven! Get up! NOW!" Riza yelled from the bottom of the stairs. It had been year since her daughter lost her leg in an attempt at alchemy. Roy went though months of explaining things to Raven about Alchemy and the exam she was to take. And today was the day. She was starting her exam today. Wednesday. And Raven couldn't be more excited. If only she would get her butt out of bed.
"Roy and Raven!" Riza yelled once more, finishing up making breakfast. Two loud thuds and moaning was heard upstairs. Riza rolled her eyes and continued doing what she was doing. Then, two figures came walking down stairs in full military uniforms.
"It's 0700 and we need to be there in 30 minutes" Riza glared at the two sleepy heads and sighed. Roy staggered a bit. He hated mornings, especially after a 'romantic night' with his wife.
"Roy!" Riza glared at him and he straightened up once he heard the safety click off her gun.
"Mom." Raven laughed and walked over to grab some breakfast.
"Yes?" Riza asked putting the safety back on.
"Teach me how to control men like that." Raven smiled. Roy sweat dropped and Riza laughed.
"Later." Riza replied and Roy sweat dropped again. He now had two woman to fear. He straightened up and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pair of white gloves, very similar to his own.
"Oh, Raven..."Roy tapped his foot on the floor and looked at his daughter who was trying to act innocent by whistling. Raven smiled and reached into her pocket.
"This?" She laughed and handed him his alchemist watch that she stole.
"Yeah." Roy took his watch back. Riza watched the watch move from her daughter to her husband and sighed.
"I have the strangest feeling I'm going to need 9-1-1 on speed dial." Riza said out loud and Roy and Raven laughed.
"No, just keep a first aid kit handy." Raven laughed as she and her father grabbed their toast and headed outside. Riza grabbed her toast and followed them. At Central's base, Raven got out of the car and froze in place.
"What's wrong?" Riza approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm...nervous." She replied as Roy walked up.
"No need to be." He said. "You know everything."
"I know but I just am. Because I really need to work extra hard. Just because your the Fuhrer does not mean I'm gonna get in easily." Raven said and looked up at her dad.
"True. I will be in control of the testing." Roy said as they began walking towards the building. The main lobby was full of those who were taking the test, military personnel and civilians.
"You'll do great." Riza assured Raven as she started to walk over to the forming line.
"Riza, will you be supervising as? I need a couple extras to stand guard." Roy smiled.
"Okay." Riza agreed as they began walking to the first testing room.
Inside a large circular room, many rows of bench seating went up at an incline. There were five or six military officers, including Riza, standing at the very top monitoring for any cheating and disturbances. Down on the main floor, Roy sat behind a table, with a couple other military officers on either side of him. They were looking up at the many people who came for the exam. The test takers were spread apart and all had a very large test booklet in front of them. They all stared down at the Fuhrer waiting for the command to start. The room was very quiet.
Roy's eyes scanned the room quickly, "Begin." He said very simply as everyone taking the test, opened their booklets and began.
After the long hours of taking the test, everyone slowly passed in their booklets and left the room, heading outside to go back home. Raven came out and plopped down on the lawn out front of the building. She leaned against a tree and closed her eyes. Her hands were numb and her wrists felt like jelly. She heard a familiar barking and when she looked, she got tackled by her mother's dog Black Hayate.
"Black Hayate." Raven giggled as the dog kissed her. She pet the dog and he got off her.
"Hey Raven." Came the voice of one of her parent's friends Jean Havoc. Raven smiled and stood up. They exchanged salutes then relaxed to talk.
"Heard you took the test?" Havoc asked.
"Yeah, they need to make it shorter." Raven massaged her writs and Havoc laughed.
"That's what everyone says." Havoc smiled. "How do you think you did?"
"Don't know, I finished it, even though my handwriting got sloppier as time went on. My wrists and hands were so sore and numb." Raven said. Black Hayate came up to the two and barked.
"Well, good luck on the rest of your tests. I got to take the dog back in before your mother thinks I killed it." Havoc smiled and waved good bye as he leashed Hayate and took him in. Raven sat back down under the tree and closed her eyes.