Heart of a SIN - FMA Envy Fanfic [Edited]

6 - East City

Arisa pov:

I walked past Sou Tucker's house to the Central Command Office, ready to take the final exam to become a State Alchemist. I had had a sound breakfast that would surely give me energy until the exam was over and, hopefully, I passed.

With the weather warm and pleasant, I wore a comfortable, loose shirt that fell off my shoulders, exposing the straps of the camisole I wore underneath. My knee length shorts were low waist, held up by a leather belt, and my feet were covered with comfortable, thick-soled leather shoes – I'm sure they would be most comfortable for the lifestyle I would have here. They were great for walking and running, with amazing grip for easy maneuvering even on wet surfaces.

Upon entering the grounds of the Central Command, I took in the setting prepared for the exam – many people were gathered near the barricade surrounding an expanse with trees and water and stone and every other element possible that could be transmuted. Nodding, impressed by the preparation, I stepped to the entrance but was stopped by a soldier.

"I'm sorry, miss, but you can't go beyond this point. Entry is for examinees only," he said.

Showing him my papers, I said, "I'm taking the exam."

He was momentarily surprised. He stuttered, "O-oh, I see. I'm sorry, it's the first time we've had a girl take the exam. And you look younger than 16."

I regarded him with a smile before I stepped into the barricade. The other examinees sent me curious stares though there were a few who didn't seem happy to see me there.

"A girl is taking the qualification exam?"

"She looks pretty weak! What is the military thinking, letting a girl take the exam?"

"She actually thinks she's good enough to stand in the same place as us?"

I rolled my eyes at the comments I received though didn't bother looking at the ones who had spoken them. It was not long after that, that Gen. Haruko stepped towards us with documents in hand, ready to commence the exam.

"Alright everyone, I have your attendance and track record sheets with me. The Fuhrer hopes to see some skilled alchemists join the military this year, so let's see what you got." He wished everyone good luck but eyed me a moment with an expectant smile. Bowing, the men began to show off their skills one by one.

I watched as one guy converted stone into a huge ten feet statue. Military personnel who were watching gasped and clapped at the transmutation. The guy grinned but staggered as he stood up. He walked to the side and ended up collapsing to his knees because he was so exhausted.

Another guy walked into the pond that was created and splashed in the water. I raised a brow because he looked like a child flailing about in the water. When he was drenched, he touched the transmutation circle that was drawn on the back of his hand and the water from his clothes and hair disappeared. From his arms, he had ice swords which he used to cleanly slice down some trees close by. People clapped for that too.

It was a few more men later that I stepped up to show my skills, or rather, test my skills without restriction. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes a moment. I felt the build-up of energy in me and when I opened my eyes, I was ready to roll. The tattoo on the back of my neck pulsed and I got down on one knee to place my hands on the ground. I erected six slabs one behind the other – each a meter thick and of various hard metals. Those watching me didn't seem too impressed by what I had done but my next move caught their attention. Placing my hand on a stone that was next to me, I transmuted a huge halberd.

Widening my stance while gripping the hilt with both hands, I eyed the slabs. I condensed air and moisture at the tip of the blade causing it to spark. The audience broke into curious whispering as I raised the halberd. They gasped when I made a clean slash, releasing the wind, water and electricity together in a crescent shaped blade. It sliced through all the slabs cleanly and easily, leaving what fell crumbling and debris rising around the whole ground. The blade hadn't dissipated and before it could come in contact with the military building, I raised my hand and fisted it making everything dissipate with a bright blue spark.