A/N: Hello to all! Well, at least the people that are reading this, at any rate. Well, I apologize for the lack of an Author's Note last chapter, I emam/em, after all, relatively new to the publishing side of Fanfiction. But, anyways... This is my first fanfiction published on here (not my first by a long shot), and I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this.
Before I do anything else, I'd like to thank lilaclily00 for following and reviewing. In reply to your review, thank you! And you'll just have to wait and see!
Note: Anything in italics is a flashback
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist is awesome. Hiromu Arakawa is also awesome. I'm not awesome enough to own Fullmetal Alchemist, and even if I did, I wouldn't write fanfiction, would I?
"Urgh… I hate trains…" Rhiannon murmured, rubbing her sore behind from sitting on that unforgiving wooden bench for too long. She hated trains… Oh well! More reason to be optimistic about reaching East City, no?
"Now arriving in East City Station," the conductor announced via loudspeaker. As she walked, she thought about what exactly had gotten her into this predicament.
)-o-0-o-(
Flashback
"Rhiannon Broussard, age 20," Roy Mustang read to himself, smiling slightly. It was an odd thing, finding reports of female alchemists worth recruiting. They were far and in between. And then hearing about a female alchemist who had come up with a new way to do alchemy… This discovery could revolutionize the alchemic community! And to be done at the age of twenty… They most certainly must be a genius.
"Sir, just make sure that this isn't a mistake like last time," First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye reminded the man, and he nodded.
"That mistake just happened to be a good one, Lieutenant," he replied, and the woman nodded.
"Right," she replied, and Roy nodded to himself.
"Maybe this'll be another good mistake," Roy whispered, walking up to the door of a small, modest house. He knocked, expecting yet not expecting an answer, and was partially surprised when a girl who looked about twelve or so opened the door.
"Yes?" she asked politely, and Roy froze, before clearing his throat.
"I'm looking for Rhiannon Broussard," he told her, and the twelve year-old giggled.
"That's me!" she exclaimed chipperly, before noting Roy's military uniform.
"Am I in trouble for something? Because I didn't do anything bad! I swear!" she exclaimed hurriedly, waving her hands wildly in front of her face.
"Why are you home alone?" he asked, and Rhiannon froze.
"I… My parents left a long time ago… I haven't seen them in six years," Rhiannon replied stiffly, and Roy froze again. A girl being abandoned by not one, but both of her parents at age six? Unspeakable!
"You've been on your own since you were six?" Roy asked incredulously, and Rhiannon chuckled slightly.
"No, no. I've been on my own since I was four," Rhiannon replied, and Roy almost fell over at that. Then the Lieutenant walked up, noticing Roy's slight problem with standing straight.
"Are you Rhiannon Broussard?" she asked, and Rhiannon nodded, before looking as if she were mentally slamming her head into a wall.
"Where are my manners? Come on in," Rhiannon invited. At any other occasion, it would be kind of hilarious to find a twelve year old acting like a grown woman, but Roy was still too shocked to really pay that any heed.
"Tea?" Rhiannon asked politely, and the Lt. nodded, as did he. She smiled in reply, quickly walking out of the room before returning.
"Good thing I was making myself some hot chocolate when you knocked, otherwise heating up the kettle would've taken forever!" Rhiannon sighed, lounging on the couch.
"Ms. Broussard," Roy eventually managed to say, drawing the twelve year-old's attention to him.
"Are you an alchemist?" he asked curiously, and Rhiannon noticeably perked up at the subject.
"Oh yeah! I've been studying for years, and I've worked out a new way to use transmutation circles…" and on she babbled about her discovery, while Roy spaced out. A twelve year-old had worked out a new way to use alchemy? Another prodigy, so soon after the last? Seemed like coincidence. Roy, however, was jolted out of his thoughts by a loud whistle.
"Oh! The kettle!" Rhiannon exclaimed, hopping off of her perch on the couch she lounged on, and bolting into the kitchen, where a hot kettle of water whistled.
"I can't believe a twelve year-old came up with new alchemic theories," Roy whispered to the Lt. as Rhiannon walked back into the room, two teacups and a mug on a tray.
"Twelve?" she asked incredulously, setting down the tea tray, before breaking out in laughter.
"What's funny?" Roy asked, and between guffaws, Rhiannon managed to say something.
"I'm… Ten… Almost… Eleven!" she replied, and the two military officers exchanged glances. This child was younger than…
"And how long have you been studying alchemy for?" Roy asked curiously, and Rhiannon slowly stopped her heaving laughs.
"Eh… Almost eight years. Will be eight years in seven days," Rhiannon returned in response, and Roy's curiosity piqued. She had been studying alchemy since age three?
"How would you like to be a State Alchemist?" Roy asked abruptly, causing Rhiannon to come out of her nostalgic memories.
"You could do that?" she asked, causing Roy to nod.
"Amazing… And I wouldn't have to wait any? Because I heard that State Alchemists have the best library access, and that would be a treat," Rhiannon trailed off, seemingly dreaming of the books.
"Not at all," Roy replied, feeling a slight glare on his back.
"I'd love to! When are the next exams?" Rhiannon asked eagerly, and Roy smiled slightly.
"Late September next year. Come to East City, and tell them that Lieutenant-Colonel Roy Mustang sent you," Roy replied, and Rhiannon nodded.
After some pleasant small talk between the three of them – they found out many things, mainly that Rhiannon idly chattered quite a bit – Roy and the Lt. were done with their tea, and Rhiannon with her hot chocolate.
"Well, I'll be seeing you," Rhiannon wished them, and Roy nodded.
)-o-0-o-(
End Flashback
Rhiannon walked down the streets of East City, eventually coming across Eastern Command. When she got there, a short blonde in a red coat bearing the flamel was arguing with someone in uniform that looked eerily familiar.
"Lieutenant-Colonel Mustang?" she called out tentatively, causing both the blonde and said man to turn around. The blonde looked to be on edge, while the Lt-Colonel looked quite – and pleasantly – surprised to see her.
"Ms. Broussard?" he inquired, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow. Rhiannon raised one teasingly in the blonde's direction in response, causing the slightest of pink dustings to cross his face.
"That's me!" Rhiannon proclaimed peppily, a spring in her step as she walked over to the pair.
"Who's this?" she asked rather inquisitively, poking the blonde in the left shoulder.
"I'm Edward. Edward Elric," he replied, the slightest trace of anger from being poked leaking into his tone.
"Rhiannon Broussard. Pleasure to meet you," Rhiannon stated pleasantly, before beginning her babbling.
"Are you taking the State Alchemist Exam as well, Edward? I am, and I'm excited for it. I heard that you can turn in research as the practical part of the exam, but can you do both?" here she looked to the Lt. Colonel, who nodded, causing the eleven year old to smile.
"Amazing! That means I can turn in my research findings and show them, if they don't believe me! It is somewhat hard to believe, and you would not imagine the work I had to put into it, especially with the syllables…" and off on a tangent she went, Edward keeping up with the alchemic talk quite easily.