Ugh, another short(ish) chapter... Oh, well. Roy's P.O.V.

Ah, yes, vocabulary from the last chapter! Well, Noelani's Ki-lin is her brother (Ki-lin is the guy "version"). Noelani is Tom's Ki-rin (Ki-rin is the girl "version"). The clan Shaman assigns the Ki-lin or Ki-rin pretty randomly. The Ki-lin or Ki-rin must stay and train with the other until both are of age (16). And yes, I got the Ki-lin/Ki-rin from the Chinese/Japanese unicorn.

When Roy woke up, he realized he had fallen asleep on the couch. He sat up, stretched, and looked out the window. The sun hadn't risen yet, but he couldn't go back to sleep knowing Noelani would be taking her exams today. He went way out on a limb to get her able to take them. He didn't think about it long because he was too worried for Noelani's sake. Did she really know what he got her into? Either way, she seemed pretty determined to find out what happened to her family. The thing that worried him was the fact a desert girl, use to the freedom of her old life, would be leashed to the military, if she actually made it. The case about the centaurs worried him too. Traveling clans in the desert had been disappearing, and now these chimeras appear. Roy didn't even want to think about how they were connected.

Roy sighed and got up. He looked around thinking, "They better not have stolen anything last night."

His eyes fell on the mantle above the fireplace. A few pictures of his friends, almost all of them with Hughes, lined the mantle. His most recent addition, he found incredibly interesting. It was a figure of a rampant stallion Noelani had given him on Christmas Eve. The funny thing about it though, it was made of ice, and there were no signs of it melting any time soon. When Noelani had said, "It shouldn't melt for a while," he thought she meant a couple of hours at the most. This would be one week it had survived.

Roy stretched and yawned and got ready for the day ahead. He would be there when Noelani took her exams and hoped it would help her confidence.

The written exam was about to start, and Noelani looked extremely nervous. When everyone had sat down, the Fuhrer announced the start of the exam. Roy was beginning to feel nervous too. Could Noelani have prepared herself in only a few days? It took Fullmetal months!

However, as time went by, Roy saw Noelani become more and more relaxed. She even began to smile!

She looked down at him and mouthed, "This is so easy!"

Trying not to let his jaw hit the floor, he thought, "What the hell did her parents do to her!"

After the exam, all the papers were taken up, and the Fuhrer scanned through them. Roy managed to see him look at Noelani's paper.

Written at the top of the paper in flowing handwriting was:

"Noelani Elensar"

When she walked into the dark interview room, she looked far more confident, but just as Edward had, she looked with curiosity at the three-legged chair on the transmutation circle.

"If you are a true alchemist, the chair will not refuse you," the Fuhrer said coolly.

She looked up at him, and sat down.

"Tell us why you want to be a State Alchemist."

She clenched her fists, "I'm doing it for my brother. He was always there for me, but now, it's time I was there for him."

After the interview, it was time for the practical exam. As usual, there was an assortment of materials to use to do or make anything you wished. As the Fuhrer announced the start, several alchemists performed. Roy was too nervous to keep track of what they did and stared into empty space until Noelani performed. She walked straight to the glacier provided. Roy thought it was good no one had used it yet.

Noelani put on her gloves, and light flashed around her palms when she held them up toward the ice. There was a loud crack, and the glacier shattered into thousands of ice daggers. The daggers were going to fall straight on Noelani! Just as Roy was aiming for his gloves, he saw Noelani dodging each dagger. She moved like water, each dagger in slow motion compared to her. This was a clever display of alchemic and physical skill. When one large chunk of ice was about to fall on her, she stood straight, lifted her right hand, and there was another flash of light. The ice was instantly turned into gas, and Roy could see the cold air slowly fall and frame her body. Calmly, she lifted her hands toward the piles of ice daggers, and there was yet another flash of light. The daggers liquefied, and she lifted the water into the air and brought it together. Then, there was a final flash of light, and the water seemed to explode. Snow fell out of the sky and covered everything in a light layer of white.

"Why didn't you tell me your last name? It's beautiful."

Noelani stood in front of Roy's desk, a State Alchemist, "I didn't think it was important," she blushed slightly.

"Anyways, Elensar," he pulled out an envelope, "you have been given your title. It's actually quite creative and ironic."

Noelani opened the envelope. She saw a sheet of paper with the insignia chimera heading it, and an entire letter below.

She read aloud:

"We give the name 'Northern Light' to thee, Noelani Elensar, in the name of Fuhrer King Bradley."

"Let's hear it for the Northern Light Alchemist!" Breda cried.

Cheers filled the room, and Roy saw Noelani smiling, but she looked horribly embarrassed.

"So, Elensar," Roy asked, "How does it feel to be officially part of our little family?"

"It's wonderful," she replied, just as unseriously, then added hastily, "sir."

"I can't believe you actually passed with only a few days to prepare," Edward seemed even more surprised than Noelani. He and Alphonse had decided to come over to celebrate, but Roy thought if Noelani weren't there, Ed wouldn't have come.

"Well, I had excellent teachers."

Ed blushed while Al twiddled his thumbs in embarrassment.

"Why didn't I get a party?" Ed asked, "I was the youngest State Alchemist ever!"

"Well, you actually had time to prepare," Havoc replied.

Why were they throwing her a party, anyway? Wasn't it a grim fate to be a dog of the military? Maybe it was her wild and free spirit still shining through that inspired them.

Roy looked over to Riza. She was smiling, but Roy couldn't tell if she was proud of Noelani, or if she was just enjoying the scene.

"I thought you didn't approve," Roy told her.

"I can change my mind, can't I?" she retorted.

Roy just laughed, with Riza looking annoyed. She must have been embarrassed at her un-Hawkeye-like behavior.

"I am worried, though," she finally said, going back to her usual self.

"Me too," Roy replied.

"You are?"

"Of course. It's hard not to get attached to her. Besides, if Riza Hawkeye gets attached to someone, everybody will eventually."

Riza looked annoyed again, but it quickly went away, "You know how hard it is when a soldier becomes attached to another person."

Roy couldn't agree more.

"Do you want to go with her?" he finally asked.

Riza looked at him surprised. In her eyes, Roy could see an internal battle between leaving his side and letting Noelani go with the Elrics.

Roy sighed, and said in an unwilling voice, "I swear I'll do my paperwork, stay out of the rain, and not get drunk while you're gone."

Surprisingly, she had to stop herself from laughing, "How will I know you'd keep your promise? While I'm not there, no less?"

"This is different! I promise!" Roy felt like he was talking to his mother or something!

"Fine, I'll go with Noelani," then she got a serious, and worried, look on her face, "But be careful, though."

End of chapter 10

Woooo! She's finally a State Alchemist! The "Northern Light" Alchemist at that. Strange, since she's clearly NOT from the North...

Note 1/1/06: I won't be updating for a few days (see profile). I'm having a mental block, along with other things...