Chapter 1
The Elric brothers returned from the depths of the desert to East Central, Ranma quietly lagging behind his brothers as they departed the train. Major Hughes greeted them flashing his picture of his daughter as they walked up, Ranma simply rolled his eyes. "Jeez Major we don't get four steps off the train ya start flashing the picture around," the pig-tailed boy rolled his neck.
"Yes, but isn't she so cute," Hughes cooed at the picture hugging it like it was nothing.
Hughes guided them out of the of the train station, about mid way from the library Ranma seperated from the group and headed for headquarters. He planned to make the report that he knew Edward would lag in filing, mainly because his younger brother loved filing late and giving the Colonel a headache. Walking quietly down the street he took to wearing a red skin tight turtle neck sleeveless shirt, baggy loose fitting jeans something he move freely in a fight, like his brother wore a long red coat only his was made of leather. The gloves he wore were black leather gloves, his hair was done in a ponytail that blew lightly in the afternoon breeze. He wore the same style of slipper shoes as he always wore, his life on the road with his younger brothers had been one of much love and discovery, like Edward, he had became a State Alchemist more to lend whatever funds his brother needed to find the Philospher's Stone and the other was to buy martial arts techniques he and his brothers could train in. Surprisingly he found many including a copy of the Nekoken of all things, he proceded to read the instructions carefully flipping each page until coming to the last before exploding in a violent rage. "That bastard if I ever find a way back I'll kill him!" he remembered shouting. That had been two years ago, water splashed him along the way and he groaned heavily, one of the few places he went by himself in the six years since he had been with his brother had been to China. The boat ride had been excruciatingly long, felt it would of been better if he just would of ran across country. When he arrived he used the map to the locate a training ground he heard about, going deep into the inland found the said training ground, upon entering said grounds his danger sense kicked into overdrive. Talking to the guide was tough, but the guide had convince him it was a bad idea to train because of the curse pools, but not passing up an opportunity for study Ranma decided to take a sample of the water back for Edward to check it out, that's when it happened.
Loosing his footing Ranma fell face first into one of the springs, he was lucky he was close to the edge otherwise he would of never of been able to get up with the automail on. Upon emerging from the spring he found his automail had gone limp.
Flashback
"What happen to my automail?" Ranma stated in confusion then notice his voice was higher. "Wha..the?"
The Jusenkyo guide walked, "Mr. Customer fall in spring of young girl, now take body of girl," he held up a mirror showing Ranma, his new red-headed feminine appearence.
"AAAHHHH!" Ranma screamed. "Please tell me you can reverse it?"
The guide shakes his head, "No can be permnamently reverse hot water change you back though," he stated dumping a luke warm stream of hot water over Ranma's head. "See all better."
Ranma looks down and sighs heavily. "So cold changes me and hot water changes me back," the guide nods as Ranma refastens the nerve connections wincing each time. "Great looks like I'm going to need Winry to make an adjustable automail now," he muttered.
End Flashback
The curse wasn't something he could easily explain to his brothers, but they were very sympathetic of him after they stopped laughing. Ranma snorted at telling them, apparently he arrived at the Rockbell home at the same his brothers did, having had a run in with the Alchemist killer Scar. He of course yelled at them for it, the very idea of coming back from his training trip only to find out his only family in this world dead wasn't one he relished.
Flashback
"WHAT!" Ranma screamed which was considerable since he was a girl at the time having Winry measuring his girl half, to make the adjustments for his automail. "Did ya beat the snot out of this fool?"
"Um, the other way around," Al said tentatively holding up his good arm. "He was so fast, kind of hard to believe really."
Ranma glared at his two brothers, who looked away from him. "Guess were just going to have to work on that speed, then aren't we," crossing his arms as Armstrong looked between the brothers. Ranma held up a piece of paper, "After I obtained my problem I entered this village had a talk with one of the elders their, manipulative old bat too." Explaining the techniques he saw. "I think more than half those I spotted while I was there could help us out, in our search and that Amaguriken techinque, is the perfect speed move."
End Flashback
Though Ranma had mastered the moves he got from the Amazons, in truth it was easier to say he stole them by doing what he does when studying alchemy. His eyes had been so finely tuned with watching Edward and Alphonse perform alchemy he was able to copy it perfectly right down to Edwards ability to use alchemy without a transmutation circle. Now anything he's seen more than once he could copy, he's already managed to copy Mustang's fire projections, Armstrong's stone alchemy, without so much as three glances. It's what earned him the State Alchemist title BladeEdge not for his ability to make sharp blades, but his keen eyes that are so sharp they are the preverbial blade edge. This is what the Fuher and Mustang relayed to him after his test.
Flashback
Ranma stood across from the leader of the country and Colonel Mustang, quietly waiting eye forward relying on his martial arts training and discipline. Mustang cleared his throat, opening a folded peice of paper, then tossed Ranma, a watch that signified him a Dog of the Military as Edward and many others have explained. "Welcome aboard, State Alchemist Ranma Elric," Mustang replied coolly glaring at Ranma. During Ranma's trial he performed a transmutation turning a pile of unprocessed cement into a statue of Colonel Mustang, then slipped on gloved that looked remarkably like one of Mustang's spares, snapped his fingers setting the statue ablaze. After the statue burned a bit Ranma dugged into the ground using Major's Armstrong's unique alchemy sent a shower of heavy pointed rocks into the Mustang statue which collapsed.
"What's wrong sir, still upset about the demonstration?" Ranma asked lips pursed. The Fuher turned his head slightly looking up at Mustange who stiffened a bit.
"Nope not at all, I take it your brother put you up to it?" Roy asked.
Ranma smirked slightly before nodding, "Might of had a hand in swaying me just a bit."
The Fuher laughed, "Very good State Alchemist Ranma, now for the call name you will be given and who others will refer you as. Your full name will be, State Alchemist: Blade Edge, in tribute for your unique talent in alchemy."
Ranma bowed in salute, "Thank you sir, and I will do my best."
End Flashback
Ranma chuckled lightly adjusting her automail as she walked up the stairs into Roy Mustang's office, inside he only found Roy's personal secretary Riza Hawkeye with a mound of paperwork in front of her. She frowned watching Riza try her best to clear the paperwork in front of her, diligently as she could. Ranma went into the nearby restroom heated up the tap and splashed himself feeling the change. The special bolt system Winry had installed clicked out and locked back into place. Ed often praised Winry on her work and Ranma agreed, Winry was probably by far the single best automail mechanic Ranma knew. Walking back into the office he stepped up to Riza's desk. "Um, is the Colonel in?"
Riza jumped paper's flying everywhere, using the Amaguriken technique Ranma snatched most of the paper out of the air before it hit the ground. Riza watched in fascination for a moment before gathering up the work that managed to fall to the ground. "The Colonel is out," Hawkeye said in a strained voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry for startlin' ya, Lieutenant," Ranma smiled looking at all the reports he looked down at the report in his hand and skimmed it, "hey isn't this the Philospher's Catalyst incident in my hands, that took place nearly a two years ago, didn't it."
"It did, I haven't had a chance to file it yet," Riza said irritably.
The pigtailed boy scratched his head looking at all the paperwork. "Must be hard for ya to be the only one workin' ain't it?"
Riza blinked know one except the Elrics ever seemed to know how hard she worked. And were one of the few that didn't keep her at a distance. "Colonel Mustang does help when he can," she lied, in her second year as his aide he may of helped once, and that was only before he tried to hit on her. She narrowed her eyes at Ranma, wondering if the Elric's eldest brother would be that shallow.
Ranma snorted looking up at the ceiling, "If ya mean helpin' by trying to flirt with ya, then yeah I'd consider that a big help. I'm just want ta know if ya need any real help?"
Riza blinked again looking at the young State Alchemist. The boy outranked her yet like his brother's never gave orders, preferring to keep things friendly. "We're over worked as it is, I can't get anyone in to help me."
Ranma smiled, "I ain't got anything to do really how about me helpin' ya with your filing that stuff?"
"But sir, wouldn't it conflict with you and your brother's research?" Riza asked not sure why she wanted to talk the pig-tailed alchemist out of helping her.
Ranma simply waved off the argument, "Pft, Edward and Al, are in ta spending hours reading, personally readin' books makes my head hurt and I get sleepy. If I can't learn it by watchin' it, I don't learn it at all," the pig-tailed boy chest puffed up slightly. "So if ya needs any help I'm offerin'."
Riza looked at the pig-tailed boy in shocked for a moment, then nodded dumbly. "Thank you, BladeEdge."
"Call me, Ranma," Ranma raised an eyebrow. "I think the Blade Edge name is cool, but I rather people I knew called me Ranma."
Riza nodded watching as Ranma looked at the case number of the file he was holding then a slots in the corner behind Riza's desk and quietly put it inside for later. "V-veery well thank you Ranma," she smiled slightly. "I appreciate it."
"Ya welcome," Ranma chuckled.