Thomas left Central Headquarters three hours later. He yawned, stretching his sore muscles. Those tables were not the best places to take naps. Rubbing his head, he looked down at his pocket watch. Five o'clock. Jeez, no wonder he was hungry. Pulling his coat tighter, he began down the street, looking for a cheap food stand.

Finding a nice pasta parlor, he took a seat at one of the tables. The waitress came and handed him a menu and glass of water. He thanked her, looking to the choice of foods.

"I hope I at least passed the written exam..." Thomas heard a girl say.

"I know. My dad really wants me to get into the military. He said we'd get better benefits there, than if I worked at the shop."

Thomas couldn't help but peer over his shoulder. A woman, perhaps twenty-five, was hunched over the table, her head in her hands, her dark, red hair cascading over her shoulders. The man was maybe a few years older, his chin on the tabletop, his spiked, black hair falling over his eyes.

The alchemist chuckled. He remembered feeling that way before the exam, but now all that concerned him now was filling his stomach.

The waitress returned and took his order. After she scrawled down the price, she picked up his menu and headed back into the restaurant.

"Hey!" A woman sat down across from Thomas. "You took the Alchemist Exam today."

"Yeah..." He answered simply, taking a sip of his water. "Did you?"

"Of course! I sat next to you." He gave her a confused look. She leaned forward. "I kept tapping my foot."

"Oh, right. How could I forget?" He wanted her to leave. Sure, she was just trying to be friendly, but it was getting on his nerves to hear her high-pitched squeak of a voice.

"Here you are." The waitress set the bowl in front of him. "Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you." Thomas quickly ate his food, paid the bill and stood to leave. "I have to get going. It was...er...very nice to meet you."

"You too!" She squeaked. Thomas flinched slightly before turning on his heel and heading back to the hotel.

000

Letting out a heavy sigh, Thomas flopped back onto his bed. The interview wasn't for another half hour. What would he do until then? A thought came to his mind. The library was usually open. A good alchemy book could keep his anxiety at bay.

Grunting, the man pushed himself from the bed and proceeded to pull on his overcoat. Reaching for the door handle, something tugged at his pant leg. He looked down to see a small yellow cat had its claws snagged on the hem of his pants. He chuckled, freeing the creature. He patted the kitten's head, picking it up, and continued his way out.

The halls were dimly lit, the smell of old meat lingering in the air. The kitten purred lovingly in the man's arms as he made his way outside. The sun shone brightly, making Thomas have to shield his eyes momentarily before glancing at his watch.

"Shit..." He whispered. The time had flow by in what just seemed a few minutes, and he only had ten left to get back to Central Headquarters for the interview. Hailing down a taxi, Thomas climbed in, still holding the kitten in his lap. The cab started off down the road to where a very amused Lt. General was waiting.

000

"Take a seat." Said the Lt. General as Thomas entered the room. A chair sat in the center of the room before the judges, on nothing but three spindly legs. Thomas took the seat and, amazingly enough, the chair held him. Mustang smiled.

"Now, tell me, why do you wish to become an alchemist of the state?"

"To help others, and hope that they can help me find my life again." He looked down at his black gloved hands. "I remember making a promise long ago to my family that I would take all the ups and downs to get to my goal."

"Well said." The Lt. General scrawled something down on his paper, his smile still playing at his lips. "How long does it take you to draw your transmutation circles?"

The question was unexpected. Thomas didn't really count how long it took to draw the circles.

"Well?" Mustang folded his hands on the desk.

"About three or four seconds." The Lt. General nodded slightly, bringing his hands to his chin.

"Are you willing to sacrifice your own life to save a comrade's?" Thomas didn't respond for a long time. His words were slow and steady when he answered, "Yes, I would."

000

Thomas left headquarters twenty minutes later, pulling his gloves back on. There had been a bit of a physical exam as well, and Mustang seemed very interested in how and why he got his automail.

A soft mew caught Thomas's ear and he turned to see the small yellow kitten waiting for him. He smiled slightly and picked the cat up, scratching its ears. It mewed again, nuzzling its head into his chest. Cats always seemed to like him. His mother never let him have a cat...

'"Can I keep it?" The boy said, holding a wet kitten in his arms. His mother shook her head.

"But, Mom!" He complained. "It was shivering in the rain! I couldn't just leave it!" He gazed down at the soaked kitten. "It looked so helpless..."'

Thomas shook the memory from his head. He couldn't really remember what his mother looked like, or how she smelled even. In fact, he couldn't remember much of his family...except, that his father had left him when he was very young.

Sighing, the alchemist began his way down to the local library. He still wanted to find an alchemy book. A wry smile sat on his face, dreading the preliminary exam to come in a day's time.

000000000000000000000000000000000000

Sorry for the late update! I was so locked up with school and the one-act play auditions came up, so...

Yeah, well, I hope you enjoy!