The Girl From Ishval

Exam Time

Ula was ten years old when Major Armstrong brought her in, at the end of the war with Ishval. She stayed with him until she turned eighteen, going out on her own, at least to get her own home. While she appreciated all the Armstrongs did for her, the nice mansion in which they lived just wasn't for her. She also brought with her a large dog, her Saint Bernard. She had found the dog as a puppy when she was 12, bringing the big puppy home with her, and was of course told she could keep it. 

She had also been given automail not long after being taken in. However, she didn't like the look of it, and got a sleeve-like cover for it to resemble her skin. It was paler than her real skin though, but it wasn't too noticeable. 

Armstrong had gotten her a place of her own so she wouldn't have to worry about that too much, although she insisted that she'd be in debt to him forever if he did so. 

She sat down on her couch, reading an alchemy book as she pet her Saint Bernard. 

Even though as a child she was caught in the Ishvalan war, and the Amestrian military killed her poeple, her own father even, she still joined the military. She was a simple Private at the time, but she planned on becoming a state alchemist withthe knowledge her father had given her, and using what Armstrong taught her. 

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Ula used colored contacts to hide her red eyes, making them look blue instead. It was the same trick she used everyday when getting ready for work. 

Her hair had grown long since she barely cut it. She had always thought that Olivier Armstrong's hair was beautiful with how long it was, and grew her own hair out as well (although she dislikes the woman to this day due to her claims about Alex.) 

Ula put her hair into a low ponytail to keep it out of her way, her bangs on the right side of her face being the only strands disobeying her wish to remain in the ponytail holder. She simply sighed, blowing the hair from her face only for it to fall back into place. She narrowed her eyes at her reflection. "Some day..," she mumbled, walking away from the mirror. Sh grabbed her keys, the now nineteen year old getting in the black vehicle and driving away from the apartment building, her dog laying in the back seat, her tail wagging. 

"Please don't get too excited today Lexi," Ula mumbled. With the dog's large size and energetic manner, broken objects were expected upon arrival anywhere with the dog. Lexi merely wagged her tail faster in response, lifting her head. 

Ula thought of Black Hayate, the dog belonging to Lieutenant Hawkeye. "The Lieutenant wasn't happy when you sat on Hayate, Lexi," Ula said, making Lexi whine. "You really don't know how big you are do you?" Ula said, looking in her rearview mirror at the dog, who just wagged her tail again. 

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"I don't understand why I'm stuck with you for the day!" the young alchemist yelled, throwing his hands in the air as if asking a God he didn't believe in "Why?!" 

"Y'know Fullmetal, I'm wondering the same thing," Roy Mustang mumbled. He had to assist with the state alchemist exams, and he honestly didn't want to deal with Edward Elric right now. Ed had to tag along for some reason, and neither could remember why. But they couldn't get rid of each other. Alphonse had run off somewhere to do something, and hadn't told Ed where he went. Thus, Ed couldn't leave without him. 

Ula ran into the building, Lexi at her heels. She reported to Hawkeye first, stopping in front of her in a salute. "I'm sorry for being late Lieutenant," she said. She was honestly afraid she'd be snapped at. Riza Hawkeye was certainly a strict woman. But Ula knew that Riza had a soft spot deep down, that she cared for all of them even if she seemed like she'd want to be far away from them sometimes. Ula remembered. 

She saw that care first hand, even if it was a dead child, she still cared. 

Although the Rockbells and Armstrong saved her, and others, and Riza did not, she still felt bad for causing so much pain amogst those people. 

She could tell that the woman had changed after that. While both had stared at each other like a couple of deer caught in headlights during the war, Riza now would never show that fear, or that hurt, that guilt.. 

Not in front of them at least. 

Ula wouldn't either. She didn't plan on revealing anything to them anytime soon. Maybe in the future when things were different, but not now. 

"Where's the Colonel?" Ula asked, when Riza told her it was fine and that she could stop saluting. "He has to help with the state alchemists exams today. Aren't you taking it today?" Riza asked. Ula nodded. "Yes, I am," she stated. She noticed her hands shaking, grabbing her right hand with her left hand in an attempt to make it stop. She was extremely nervous about the exam. 

"Don't worry so much, you'll be fine," Breda stated to reassure her. "Thank you sir.. But I'm afraid I'll still be nervous even after the exam," Ula stated, smiling. Breda laughed a little. "No need to be worried, you'll do great," Fuery said. He was alway so nice, much like Ed's little brother Alphonse. Ula had already met the two, and she enjoyed being around them. 

Ula prepared for the exam, hoping she would be able to become a state alchemist. When it came time for Ula to take her exam, she felt as if her legs would betray her and make her fall to her knees. 

Luckily this didn't happen. She just had to show how her alchemy would be useful in combat. She had already taken the written portion of the exam. 

She slipped on some gloves, each one having a metal plate with the circle engraved (much like Major Armstrong's gloves.) 

The people overseeing this were Roy and a few other state alchemists, as the Furher was doing other things. Ed was slumped against the wall, giving Roy a glare. Ula assumed Mustang had something not long ago to tease the younger alchemist, probably something about his height. 

"Are you ready?" Roy asked. He could tell she was nervous, and thus was calm, trying not to intimidate her and make her more nervous. Ula nodded, using general alchemy to make dummies of sorts to represent whoever she might attack. Using the alchemy taught to her by her father, along with other knowledge she found on her own, she began to show how her alchemy was useful. 

She used water, usually making it freeze either covering her victim's body completely in the ice or a certain part of their body, or letting the water cover the ground only to form into a spike of ice to impale her enemy or stop them in their tracks, as anyone would want to stop before being impaled. 

When she was done she stood up straight, shaking from how nervous she was as she waited to be dismissed. Roy and a few other alchemists in the room wrote some things down before ROy dismissed her. 

She released the breath she had held in before, a hand on her chest as she let her head hit the wall she now leaned on. "I'm so glad that's over," she mumbled, beginning to head back to the unit. She sat down next to Fuery with a sigh. "So, how'd it go?" he asked. Al was also in the room. Ula hadn't told Al about the exam yet, and Ed only knew now because of her taking the exam, thus the question he would soon ask wasn't shocking. "How did what go, Ula?" "I was taking the state alchemist exam... I just hope I did good enough." "Well if brother became a state alchemist I'm sure you will. I'm shocked he walked out without being filled with holes," Al said. "Why is that?" Ula asked. "According to the Colonel, Edward decided to shove the end of a spear he made in the Furher's face, no hesitation whatsoever. And then he simply criticized how if the Furher himself is present they should have some better security, that if he had been a real assassin the man would be dead." 

Ula stared, wide-eyed as Hawkeye explained what happened during Edward's exam. "I'm suddenly not worried anymore," is all she could say in response. Soon after this, Edward came running in, standing beside Al, his arms crossed as Roy walked in. "I can't explain how much I hate you right now Mustang," the blonde snapped. "Then don't," Roy just as annoyed as Edward. 

Ula looked at the Colonel, hoping he'd say something about her exam. He hadn't said anything before and it was driving her crazy. She had to know something. "Might as well stop looking at me like that, you'll have to wait for your results like everyone else," Roy told her, looking at her with a smirk on her face. 

She sat back in her seat, arms crossed, and she sighed. "You truly are a cruel man, aren't you sir?" she said, looking back at him. "Just being fair."