A/N: Hang on to your pants, kiddies! We're really scootin' along now! Haha! Speaking of pants, please read my short story, "Roy and Riza's Cracked-Out Car Ride"! I wrote it for my friend… Haha! Pants! Heehee! Anyways, get yourselves ready, 'cause it's a real doozey! Haha!

I do not own FMA – but oh, how I wish…

…

Chapter 3: "Her Name, Her Story"

Roy and Havoc were about to start on the general's overdue paperwork when a knock suddenly came at the door.

"Enter," Roy called out.

The door opened and in stepped a girl of about 13 or 14, with clear blue eyes and soft brown hair that fell past her shoulders, her long bangs tied back to keep her vision clear. She wore white gloves, long black pants, large black boots, and a black t-shirt underneath a dull blue coat.

"Are you Roy Mustang?" she asked without a hint of fear.

"Yes," Roy answered with a mixture of bemusement and apprehension.

"Then you knew my father," she said.

"Your father? Who is your father?" Havoc leaned forward and asked.

"Edward Elric," she stated, with such forcefulness and clarity that her words could not be mistaken. The silence that followed was absolute – even the wind had stilled.

…

"Your father… was Edward Elric?" Roy asked faintly.

"Yes," the girl stated.

"Then," struggled Havoc, "who is your mother?"

"Winry Rockbell," she said.

"Whoa…" Havoc said silently. Roy sat staring off into space, silent and unmoving. Noticing the change in his superior's behavior, Havoc took it upon himself to continue questioning the girl.

"S-so…" he stammered, "uh… where's your mother, then? Why didn't she tell us you were coming?"

"Because," the girl said simply, "she's dead."

"What! When did she die? How?"

"Just about a year ago – she was killed."

"Really? By who?"

"I don't know. It was dark out, and we were coming home. Suddenly there was a flash of light, like from a transmutation circle. Then a bunch of people surrounded us, and there was light everywhere – but beams of light, not flashes. There was a bright one that hit my mom – I saw her face lit up in it – after that she fell down; she was dead. All of the people laughed and shouted, and then there were more flashes of light from alchemy and they were gone."

"I-I'm really sorry to hear that… Wow… I wonder why we didn't get a report about it here in Central…"

"Because no report was ever made," she said. "I was the only witness. I knew it wouldn't help anything anyway."

"Well, then, what did you do afterwards?"

"I traveled."

"Traveled? To where?"

"Everywhere – all over the country. I was looking for information about my father."

"About Edward?"

"Yes," she said. "My mom told me a little bit about him, and so I've been going from town to town, person to person, gradually learning more about him and meeting more people who knew him. A man named Armstrong told me that I should come here."

"Armstrong, huh? Heh. Yeah, I guess that's about right. So, kid, what's your name, anyways?"

"Trisha Elric," she said. "I'm named after my grandmother."

"Trisha Elric, huh? So you have your dad's last name?"

"Yes."

"So, how come we never even heard about you? And why are you as old as you are? If you were really Edward's child you should only be about 6 or 8; after all, that was about how long ago we last saw him, and I know for sure that he hasn't been back since."

"Well, that's kind of a long story," Trisha said, her earlier stoniness and reserve vanishing. She gave an embarrassed smile and scratched her head behind her ears in an awkward sort of way.

"Well, considering the circumstances, I think I'd like to hear it," Havoc said friendlily, giving her an encouraging half smile.

"When my dad came back from the other side of the Gate a few years ago, my mom performed this really ancient sort of alchemy without him knowing it – it transferred a part of him, sort of, into her. I was born as a result. But since I was conceived through alchemy, I don't grow as normally as someone else. By average human standards, I was born three months too early, and I grew exponentially afterwards. By the time I should have been a year old, I was already physically and mentally a three-year old. When I should have been three, I was really about 5 or 6, and so on. It's gradually slowed down the older I've gotten, and it should eventually stop altogether after a few more years. I really don't totally understand it myself; in fact, I don't think my mom really did either at the time. I just know that alchemy is just as much a part of me as my father is – it's something that I can't help."

"Wow," Havoc said, his jaw dropped down and his cigarette dangling, "so… Edward… doesn't even know? About you? At all?"

"Nope. At least, I don't think so. That's one of the reasons why I want to be a State Alchemist – I want to see if I can't figure out a way to find him again – him and my uncle."

"Oh?" asked Havoc, "and what's the other reason?"

"I really don't have anywhere else to go. Besides, when I heard that the general knew my father, I just had to come. I had to know…" she faltered, trailing off and casting her eyes downwards.

"I see…" Havoc said softly.

"So, you want to know more about your father, huh?" Roy, who had been silent up to this point, stood and asked in an annoyed-sounding way, his expression stony and his eyes unseen through his hair.

"Yes, sir. And to become a State Alchemist."

"Fine then. If you can pass the State Alchemy exam like everyone else, then I'll tell you everything I know. Havoc will show you to the registration office so you can sign up."

"Yes, sir," Havoc saluted.

"Thank you, sir," Trisha bowed, turning to leave after Havoc and in doing so revealed the freshly-painted black flamel on her coat.

After he heard the door snap shut behind him, Roy sat down again limply behind his desk, sighing, thinking, and remembering as he weakly put his head into his hands.

…

6 more typed chapters to go! I wrote another 3 or so during school, but they need to be typed up so I can download them. Please review! Let me know if anyone is OOC or if there are any passages that don't make sense. Thx! (NO flames, please! Unless they're from Roy! Lol!)