Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl with the Kind Eyes ❯ This is the Beginning ( Chapter 1 )

“Ed, we need you over in the South, you're familiar with that area, are you not?” the Colonel asked, looking at the orders in front of him.

“Yeah, I am, what is going on?” Ed asked, settling into his usual indignant pose and giving his superior a look. “Town sinking too fast for them?”

“I didn't read them in detail, that's your job, here,” he said, irritated, and handed them to Ed. “You'll have company for the trip down.”

“What?! I don't need to be babysat; I'm in no danger this time!” Ed yelled, slamming his hand on the desk.

“She's not here to baby-sit, she's just heading in the same direction, she asked to meet the infamous FullMetal,” the Colonel said, smirking, and the door opened.

A girl of maybe 17 years stepped in. She was of medium height and had long dark blond hair, tipped with blue, and had light tan skin. She wore a black tank top and a blue beaded necklace, and had a tattoo of the Fuhrer's symbol on her shoulder. She wore a short black pleated skirt with random star patterns on it and thigh-high black socks and black boots, along with a black, sleeveless jacket that went to her knees. She smiled, giggling, her kind blue eyes twinkling.

“This, Edward, is Colonel Alexis Tirian, the Angel Winged Alchemist,” Mustang said, standing and saluting the girl. She saluted loosely back and walked up to Edward.

“It's nice to meet you at last, FullMetal, or can I call you Ed?” she asked, her voice light. “You can call me Alex, it's easier, the Fuhrer gave me a ridiculously long name.”

“You can call me Ed,” he replied, looking away, his cheeks a bit red. She was good looking, not stunning, but she also reminded him of Winry, which didn't help.

“We're leaving this evening right? How about we go out to dinner before that? I already talked to your brother about it,” she said, grabbing his arm, “No worries, I'll pay.” She saluted again to the Colonel and dragged Ed out.

“Oh! Alex, you got brother, good!” Alphonse said, standing up with a metallic clunk and walking over.

“Good friends already, huh?” Ed muttered, following them.

 

Alex stopped in front of a small family restaurant, “Here we are! It's simple, but you'll love it!” she said, pulling them in and greeting the waitress. “Hey Marian!”

“Hello Alexis, have you brought friends this time?” the woman asked quietly, smiling at Ed and Al. She was probably in her 50's, but seemed a little younger because of her smile.

“Yep! We're heading off to the south for work,” she replied, as Marian led them to a booth in the corner.

“That's nice; you'll be able to go home.” Marian left after handing them the menus.

“You live in the south?” Al asked, eager.

“Yup, near the Southern Command Centre. My dad used to run it, we have our family house there too,” Alex replied, scanning the menu. “We have a house here too, I use it for now.”

“You must be loaded then...” Ed grumbled, flipping open the menu.

“We are. I come from one of those `Ancient Alchemy' type families. Ever met that Armstrong guy?”

Ed and Al stared at her, petrified.

“Apparently you've met him,” she said, laughing, “Well, my family is sort of like his.” Her statement brought thoughts of muscle-bound beauty-obsessed men to Ed and Al's minds. This scared them further.

“S-so, Alex...” Ed started, stammering, “How long have you been in the military?”

“Um... a little less than a year,” she said, blushing sheepishly. “I only took the exam a few months ago.”

“And you're already a Colonel?!”

“My dad pulled some strings, and I have to work directly for the Fuhrer...”

“You work for the Fuhrer? I know all Alchemists do, but you don't have someone like Colonel Mustang?” Al asked, curious.

“Nope, I take all my orders from the Fuhrer directly.” Marian came back, holding a pad of paper. “I'll have my usual Marian.”

“Um... pasta please,” Ed said, just picking something from the menu. He was too interested in talking to Alexis to look at the variety. Al shook his head, handing Marian the menu. She smiled and jotted down the orders, leaving silently. “What do you do then?”

“Anything really. I once went on a mission to where Ishbal was, and then one up in the north, I got to pose as a tribeswoman and get info, it was fun, and dangerous.” She sat with her arms folded on the table. “You're more famous than anyone though. I've heard a million stories.”

“Yeah... they're probably exaggerated,” Ed said, blushing. Their food came soon after and their conversation was interrupted by the sounds of chewing.

****

“Alex... why are you called the Angel Winged Alchemist?” Al asked, breaking the silence. They were on the train, and she was watching the landscape go by. She looked at him and smiled. She pulled off her jacket, revealing two thin wings made of metal and crystal.

“Special Auto-mail. I had real ones, they were ugly, it was a birth defect. My parents had them removed when I was 12, but then I got really sick, so they got these. The Fuhrer noticed them when I was taking the test and that's how he named me,” Alex explained, pulling her jacket on again. Ed was still staring at where they were.

“Who made those?”

“My brother, he's an auto-mail engineer, he's 25, and he made them just for me.” She looked back out the window, signaling the end of the conversation.

“I'm going outside to get some air,” Ed said, nodding to Al. He followed, leaving Alexis alone.

 

“I don't know what to make of her, Al,” Ed said, standing underneath the lamp lighting the back of the car.

“What is there to make of her? She works for the government, she has auto-mail, and she's young, brother,” Al said, looking at him.

“Auto-mail wings? There's no birth defect like that, we both know it. As much as she's willing to tell us, she still far too secretive, and she works directly for the Fuhrer, not even we do that.”

“We have to trust her. She doesn't have to tell us everything you know. You don't tell everyone everything, no one does,” Al said, sounding worried. “You know, she sort of reminds me of Winry.”

“Her? Yeah right, she's totally different.”

“They'd be identical if Winry had darker hair.”

“Alexis has different eyes.”

“Yeah, they're kind.”

 

“Sh! She's sleeping!” Al whispered as they returned to their seats. It was true, Alexis had fallen asleep, her head against the window. She had taken her jacket off, and she was covered in goose bumps. Ed smiled and removed his jacket, throwing it over her.

Al sat down and Ed as well. Ed soon fell asleep to the rocking motion of the train, with only the worrying thoughts of their companion on his mind.

****

“Why are we stopping here again?” Alexis asked as they left the train and waited for their luggage.

“This is our hometown, we promised we'd visit next time we passed by,” replied Al, looking at her.

“It's cute,” she said, looking around as the train pulled away. “I like it. It must have been nice living somewhere like...”

“Ed! Al! You came!” a girl's voice yelled, and was soon followed by a yellow streak of hair as the girl attacked Ed. “Took you long enough!”

“Relax Winry, we came didn't we?” Al said, trying to pull her off of his brother. Alexis laughed. Winry glared at her.

“And who is this, Edward?”

“This is...” Ed moaned, trying to escape her.

“My name is Alexis Tirian, the Angel Winged Alchemist.” Alexis stepped forward, holding out her hand. Winry shook it warily, still glaring at her. Alexis smiled.

“You wouldn't happen to be related to Gabriel Tirian, would you?”

“Yep, he's my older brother.” Winry stared at her in amazement.

“But... he's one of the greatest auto-mail engineers ever!”

“That's him. He's also an artisan.”
“I know that! That's why he's so famous!” Alexis smiled, “What's your name, obviously you're an auto-mail mechanic, maybe my brother has mentioned you.”

“Winry Rockbell,” she said, then realized something, “It's hot out here, let's go back to my place and talk.”

 

“Grandma! Ed and Al brought a guest!” Winry yelled at they entered the house. “Her brother's an auto-mail engineer!”

“There is no one here in this town by that name, you have the wrong number!” Pinako said to the phone in her hand, and then looked at Winry.

“Who's on the phone?”

“Some man asking for a girl named Alexis Tirian, you know her?”

“Right here,” Alexis stepped inside, walking up to Pinako and taking the phone. “It's me.”

No one could hear the person on the other line, but Alexis' face fell when he began to speak.

“Yes sir, I know that. I will complete my mission...I understand...” she said, putting down the phone. Before it his the receiver, everyone heard the man.

“Remember Alexis, you're worthless... nothing but an animal...”

“Who was that?” Ed asked, sitting down at the table, acting like this place was his home. Al sat next to him.

“Just... a friend.” Alexis looked empty for a moment, then smiled and held her hand out to Pinako. “I'm sorry for the intrusion, I'm Colonel Alexis Tirian, the Angel-Winged Alchemist!”

“Oh, another alchemist eh?” Pinako said, looking at Ed. “Your new girlfriend too I suppose.”
“No way!” Winry shouted, looking immediately at Ed, who by now had turned crimson.

“No, I just met him yesterday, I'm afraid. Not that I would break up Winry and Ed, they suit each other, and I've only known them for a few hours!” she laughed. Pinako smiled.

“So, Winry mentioned you had an auto-mail engineer brother.”

“Oh? Gabriel? Winry said he was famous, but I don't know, I haven't seen him for a while.”

“Why not?” Al asked.

“The Military keeps us alchemists very busy, you should know that, Al.” Ed nodded solemnly.

“She's right; I barely got time to visit. They're expecting me in the south.” Ed sighed. “We have to leave in the morning. I just thought I would visit and get a tune-up.”

“Tune-up?”

“You didn't know? I thought you would since you're in the military. Ed has auto-mail too.” Alexis looked at Ed and smiled.

“We're in the same boat, huh?”

“Heh, yeah right, yours is only cosmetic.” Ed didn't mean to say that, it just came out. Winry stared at her, as did Pinako.

“Not nice Ed, revealing my secret.” Alexis pulled off her coat, extending her wings. They were large, about the length of one of her legs. Winry gaped at them as they glittered in the morning sun.

“Who made those? Cosmetic or no, those are amazing.”

“My brother, it was one of his first works, in his mind, there are crude. He wants to make new ones, I won't let him.” Alexis smiled.

“They're nice, but he's broken the rules,” Pinako said, sitting down and looking at the work.

“The rules?” Alexis asked, looking at Pinako. “I didn't know there were any rules...”

“They're sort of unwritten. Generally, mechanics like us refuse to do work like that. We only do it to help people.”

“You won't believe my side either then, they're honestly not cosmetic.” Alexis smiled sheepishly. There was a deadly silence after that, deafening.

“You know what! I bet you guys haven't eaten, I'll go make breakfast!” Winry exclaimed and Al jumped up to help her. It left Ed, Alexis, and Pinako alone, staring at one another.

“They're certainly well-made, aren't they Ed?” Pinako pointed out, breaking the silence.

“They are, but they look fragile,” he retorted, “Probably would break with one touch.” He didn't know why he was being so mean, but he was.

“They won't, and they're useful!” Alexis exclaimed, fluttering them nervously. “They're my alchemic tool. You use yours for alchemy too I bet. Each crystal is made of something different, from diamond to calcium, I can do anything. Of course I can do other alchemy too.” She fiddled with a silver chain around her neck, tugging at it, a nervous habit.

“Obviously,” he muttered. “Let's do an experiment then.” He clapped his hands and altered the air around her wings, sending a shock wave. The force caused them to chime, but noting else. Alexis smiled tiredly. “Show me yours.”

“Alright,” she said quietly, standing up and walking over to the coffee table, looking at Pinako. “I'll change it back if you don't like this.” Pinako nodded and Alexis continued. Her wings quivered for a moment and she held her left hand above the table, letting loose a violet wave of alchemy. The faint smoke cleared and the table was a stone statue, slightly smaller than the table. It was an angel in chains, wings spread to the sky. Ed and Pinako stared at it.

“I added some of my own crystal, do you like it?”

“It's lovely, better than that old table.”
“Breakfast time!” Winry exclaimed, bursting through the kitchen doors, followed by Al, with an armful of food. They placed it on the table and Ed jumped up and grabbed the utensils. Soon they all sat down to eat.

“Mhm!! This is so much better than my cooking!” Alexis exclaimed, putting another forkful in her mouth. They stared at her in amazement.

“You live alone? I know you said you live in a house in the city, but alone?” Ed said, staring at her in shock.

“Of course I do. I'm too busy for pets too, I live alone. But I don't spend much time there, except for when I write reports. I'm used to it by now. I used to live there all the time when I was younger.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah, except at nights, then my dad would return from Headquarters, but other than that, I was left to myself. Any maids my dad brought with him ignored me. That's when I studied alchemy.”

Ed smiled slowly. “So you studied alone too.” He was surprised by how calm she was about this.

“Yeah, did you?”

“With Al.”

“Al's an alchemist too?”

“Yeah, but not as good as brother,” Al said, giggling. He lifted up a bun and prepared to put it under his helmet.

“You don't have to do that,” Alexis said softly, “I know that body is empty.”

“How...?” Winry gasped.

“I don't know, I just have sense whenever alchemy is near. It's helpful. I can point out alchemists with it too, and how good they are. I can't figure out myself though, that's a bit of a downside. For example, Ed is one of the strongest alchemists I've seen. But you're so restrained...”