Chapter 1

Sophie

I gasped. This was no time to be thinking of that! …I was running…again…and being chased…again. It was getting annoying really, but then I was trying to lay low.

"Stupid, scar-faced person!" I muttered angrily.

Confused? Well, that's two of us. My name is Sophie, just Sophie, you don't need anything else. Anyway, I was just walking along then this guy shows up just as I was using a tinsy winsy bit of sorcery.

Okay, yeah, you're weirded out. I am a sorceress. I do sorcery not magic. Magic is for tricksters and charlatans. I am the real deal. Deal with it.

Crash!

I flinched. Oh yeah, I was supposed to be running away from that guy. That guy who is so very intent on killing me, I mean, come on, what is his problem?!?!?

"Just give up and face God's judgment!" he shouted at me, his right arm was surrounded by red energy and whatever he touched with it was utterly destroyed…can you guess why I'm running?

"Sorry!" I yelled back, "My God and yours must be really different!"

I glanced around, we were headed towards an intersection, and above our street was an arch. I speed up and passed under it, and then I whirled around, gathered my Will and said: "Burst!" The arch crumbled and fell, blocking the man's path.

I turned into the street, running again. I didn't know how long the barrier would hold the scar-man back. Did I mention that he had a huge scar on his face? I mean, as if the arm wasn't enough, he still had this x-shaped scar on his forehead. Scary…really scary.

Now before I was rudely interrupted I was introducing myself. My name's Sophie, age 14…roughly…and yes, I am a sorceress. What I do is hard to explain but my people call it the Will and the Word, we focus our Will, shape it with a Word then release our Will. Depending on what you want done, if you're adept enough, you can do almost anything. Almost. There are a few rules…but we can talk about that some other time…if I live.

I will admit that I'm short for my age but at least I'm not a midget. I have long hair. People frequently tell me it's like golden flax because of the color. I have deep blue eyes…I have a slight build, I'm not strong or anything yet look what I get myself into…not that you care. But on the off chance you do…stay with me.

So…I was looking over my shoulder to see if the scary-scar-face-arm-blast guy showed up again that I didn't see the midget-sized shrimp till he rammed into me.

"Oy! Watch it!" yelled the shrimp.

"Sorry." I said, as I quickly disentangled myself.

I noticed that the shrimp I bumped into really was a midget, he was shorter than me! He was a midget with yellow hair, braided to keep it out of his way, bangs and a ridiculous antenna of a cowlick sticking up from his head. He was dressed all in black, even his boots. The only colorful things he wore were his white gloves and bright red cloak with some sort of insignia at the back. His eyes were angry and determined, the eyes of someone with a goal, and the set of his shoulders told me that he would do whatever it took to achieve it.

I saw all that in about two seconds, I'm really observant…don't know why…maybe its because of my being a sorceress…anyway…

The shrimp grabbed my arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, no demanded.

"Look, kid, I'm really in a rush." I said, glancing over my shoulder.

"What did you call ME??" the shrimp exploded, "I'm not some kid! I'm EDWARD ELRIC, FULLMETAL ALCHMIST!"

I stared at him. I knew that the military had some people labeled state alchemists but I never thought they would recruit someone like him!

"Why in the world would the military recruit a midget-sized shrimp, no smaller than the dirt under my shoe but whose ego is far too large for the world as a state alchemist?"

The shrimp whose name was Edward froze.

"What did you say..?" he said in a low and supposedly dangerous voice.

He was actually quivering with fury! I could swear I could see smoke rising from his head.

"I said, 'Why in the world would the military recruit a midget-sized shrimp, no smaller than the dirt under my shoe but whose ego is far too large for the world as a state alchemist?' Now like I said earlier, I am in a rush, please let go of me?"

BOOM!

My shoulders slumped. Oh great.

"Scar!"

Well apparently, the shrimp knew the scar-man. I shook off his arm and faced the scar-man. Too late to run now…

"Fire!" I commanded, my open hand outstretched. Scorching fire burst from my palm and shot at the scar-man.

YES! He couldn't possibly have survived that! I exulted, a wide grin spreading across my face. Then a slab of concrete slid down. The scar-man stood, his red eyes gleaming with confidence, unscathed.

"No…" I whispered. I might have sworn but I was too shocked.

"Is that all you've got?" he sneered at me, he raised his arm charged at me.

Move! Move!! MOVE!!! I told myself, but my feet wouldn't respond.

RAM!!!

I was flung to one side, the shrimp was on top of me…protecting me from the destruction the scar-man's arm caused.

"Stupid girl…" he growled, then he stood up and faced the scar-man, "SCAR! You have to stop!"

"Who are you?" the scar-man asked then answered immediately, "You're the boy who said that he wasn't state alchemist anymore. So...why do you wear the silver watch?"

"I had to take it back."

"Then prepare for God's judgment! Isvala is truly kind! Not one but TWO alchemists will be destroyed!"

"I'm not an alchemist!" I shouted at them, "That's practically an insult!"

"Be quiet girl." The shrimp growled at me, geez he was growling so much he could be a mini-pinscher.

"I will deal with you after I finish with the Full Metal." Scar promised me, is that guy's name really Scar??

I gulped. Better get away while the two fought…I tried to get up. Something clinked. I immediately looked at my wrist. If I had voiced my soundless scream it would have shattered anyone's ears. The shrimp had chained my wrist to the ground!!! Of all the stupid things to do…I ducked my head to check what sort of lock he put…just in time,

CRASH!

Chunks of rock rained on me, I looked up, my head would have been bashed if I hadn't moved. It was really time to get away.

"Open." I hissed at the lock. It did and I stood up carefully. The shrimp and Scar had moved on so I turned in the opposite direction and was about to run for it when this suit of armor came charging up to me!

"Um, lady!" the suit of armor guy said to me, "I'm looking for someone, he's sort of small and…"

"A midget-sized shrimp no smaller than the dirt under my shoe but whose ego is far too large for the world?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"Well…yes…"

"He and the Scar-man went that way." I pointed down the street, "And they can kill each other for all I care."

"I have to help him."

"The shrimp? Why?"

"…he's my older brother."

I stopped dead. That annoying, little, puny moron was an older brother? No way!

"He's my only family see…" the suit of armor guy explained, "So I can't lose him too!"

I growled at myself. I hated myself for what I was going to do…but I couldn't help it…not when it came to losing brothers.

"Come on." I growled, "Let's go find your brother."

We ran together…towards the fight I was just running away from. I'm crazy, you don't have to tell me, but I just couldn't help myself. No one should EVER feel what I've felt…feel the inescapable despair of losing a loved one…no one.

"What's your name?' I asked.

"I'm Alphonse Elric, miss." He answered.

I had a feeling he was going to ask me for mine but fortunately, for me anyway, we reached his shrimp of a brother and the scar-man. We arrived just as the shrimp got his metal (metal???) arm blown to bits.

"Nii-san!!!!" Alphonse screamed, he charged at the scar-man.

"No! Al, stop!" Edward (the shrimp) yelled.

Too Late.

The Scar-man's arm glowed red and he lunged, palm out at Alphonse. The red lightning blazed briefly and Alphonse's side…EXPLODED!

"AL!" Edward screamed.

Scar stood over Alphonse, he reached out once more…

"Stop! He's my brother!" Edward yelled, "You just want me right? Kill me but just leave Al alone!"

"Nii-san, no! Run, run while you still can!" Alphonse cried.

"NO!" Edward thundered, "I won't let you take Al, please…promise me…"

Scar gazed down at Edward, who sat, head down, clutching the remains of his metal arm, on the street.

"I give you my word, I will not harm your brother…as long as he stays out of the way. But! But your life…I take."

"So be it." Edward whispered.

Scar stretched out his hand…

"STOP!"

Scar stopped. They all looked in the direction of the voice…namely…me. I am so dumb.

"You idiot!" I said to Edward, "Not only are you a shrimp but you're also an idiot!"

He didn't respond. He didn't even try to fight back. It infuriated me.

"Get up! Get up and fight! Are you such a coward that you won't fight? Sure, you think you're a martyr with your kill-me-just-leave-my-brother-alone thing. That's just sick. Look at your brother. Look at him! How do you think he'll love when you're gone? Huh? Answer me!"

I stopped, gasping for breath. I had never yelled at someone so much before…but, then again…no one had made me THIS angry before.

"You don't understand!" he choked out.

"That's what you think! You older brothers always think that they know best…but sometimes…sometimes you're wrong!"

Edward stared at me, his mouth open and his eyes' wide with shock. Al too seemed shocked and, surprisingly, so did Scar. Actually it wasn't all that unusual…especially since I, too, was shocked.

"So get up and fight!" I concluded.

"Stay out of this girl!" Scar growled, "If you are so eager to die, I will gladly oblige you."

Scar reached out again…and again Edward didn't move.

That idiot!!!

I lunged towards them and crashed, not into Edward, but into Scar! He roughly pushed me off him and stood, glaring at me.

"Are you really so eager for your death, girl?"

"Not really." I muttered but he ignored me.

"Face your DOOM!"

His hand reached for me, ready to blow me to smithereens.

No! Not this way! I'm sorry Matthew…but I think I'm gonna die now…

Or not…

"What is this witchcraft?" Scar yelled, banging on the pale blue sphere that protected me.

"Nothing much, its just a simple shield." I said, standing up and smirking at him. "All I needed was a single word."

"How?" Edward asked wonderingly, "You don't have any alchemy array…"

"Not an alchemist, remember?" I said, frowning at me.

"I don't care what you are, prepare to DIE!" Scar shouted.

He sent a surge at me, cracking the cement and making me lose control over my shield.

"Oh no you don't!" I said, running towards him. I brought my hands together to form a half-circle, "FIRE!" I shouted.

Fire burst from my hands, charging towards Scar…but he deflected it with his arm. He charged at me again…I had no time to create another shield so I jumped over him. I landed behind him and lashed out with my leg, sending him sprawling.

"SCAR!"

It was a completely new voice, we all whirled around to see who it was. Lo and behold…! It was Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist with reinforcements.

I exhaled loudly, "Well finally." I knew that the military would eventually get here.

"You want to battle a State Alchemist, Scar?" Mustang yelled, "Then face me, the Flame Alchemist!"

"God is truly kind to his lowly servant…I will destroy THREE State Alchemists all at once!"

"I'M NOT AN ALCHEMIST!" I yelled, jeez, how long will it take for them to understand that?

They ignored me and stared each other down. I was not surprised when Mustang made to attack Scar. What I didn't expect was for him to suddenly fall backwards.

BANG! BANG!

Lieutenant Hawkeye stood in front of Mustang, gun outstretched and smoking.

"Lieutenant! What was that for?" Mustang sounded annoyed…very.

"Stand down, Colonel, your glove won't make sparks if its wet. You're useless in the rain."

"…"

Well, she was right. And it was raining but not strong enough for me to really notice…then again, I'm not bothered by storms…

Besides, even if Mustang was out for the count, Scar couldn't possibly escape…not with a whole squad of soldiers surrounding him with their guns trained on him.

This really would be an appropriate time to leave…

…but my feet had other ideas and I stood rooted to the spot.

"Fate is against you, Scar." I said.

"So it seems…" Scar said, raising his arm, red lightning shot down his length.

!!!!!

A wordless scream echoed in my mind.

He thrust his arm into the street, generating a massive explosion!

I ducked. There was no time for any fancy shield-making and besides…sometimes ducking is your best option. Remember that when you need to evade huge chunks of street.

When the dust settled, Scar was gone and the military naturally went crazy, searching the surrounding areas.

'Its time to go now feet.' I said to myself.

But once again my feet turned traitor and I stood transfixed as Edward slumped down onto the wet street beside Alphonse's suit of armor. It was strange seeing it empty but taking into consideration that these people were all crazy alchemists, not so surprising.

"We're falling apart, aren't we, Al?" I heard Edward say.

My feet finally moved…but not in the direction I wanted them to. They brought me to stand in front of the Elric brothers.

"Idiot. Imbecile." Words fell from my mouth, "If you're falling apart then patch yourselves up. At least you still have each other."

They stared at me, too stunned to speak.

I began to walk away (my feet are under control YAY!) but I hadn't taken 5 steps when…

"Silvertongue? Am I right, is it you?"