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Izumi walked down the streets of Dublith. In her arms were that week’s worth of food that would be needed and her medicine. She stopped and stared wide-eyed at a group of men in a circle kicking. She dropped the groceries at her side and slowly walked up to them. “Anything wrong, boys?” she asked kindly.

“Stay out of this or you’ll be next,” warned the man nearest to her. All of them wore black hoods and on the back of each of them bore a basic transmutation circle.

“So, you guys are alchemists, huh?” said Izumi casually. Her eyes darted to the middle of the circle.

A young teen lay there, curled in a ball. Bruises covered her cowering form. The only things covering her were old, brown rags. Tears ran down her face, and yet not a sound escaped from her lips.

Izumi quickly acted upon the sight by knocking each of the ten men out cold. She removed her white drench coat and placed it over the girl. “Are you ok to walk on your own?” she asked softly.

Bright yellow, cat-like eyes met dark brown ones. “I—I think so,” she said timidly. Izumi helped her to her feet.

“Where do you live?”

“I ran away from my father. My mother died when I was little and my father became very abusive over the years. These men took me in and I went against them. I deserved what I got.” Her voice became steadily colder the more she spoke. “You shouldn’t have helped me.”

“And why’s that?” Izumi asked kindly.

“When they wake up they’ll resume my punishment and only this time, it’ll be worse.” The girl swayed on her feet. She staggered to regain her balance.

“Sounds to me like you’re no better off with them than you were before. If you want a safe place to stay, you can come with me. My apprentices are about your age.” Izumi looked down at the small girl. How such a small person could go without crying while being beat was beyond her, but she liked that strength.

“I guess I have no choice.” She limped along side Izumi. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Izumi. Yours?”

“Kuro.”

Izumi bent down and gathered her belongings and walked on. “When we get to my meat shop, I’m going to have a look at those injuries and then you can be introduced to everyone.”

Thirty minutes later, they walked in the door. “Sensei!” Edward ran to her side.

“Where were you?” Alphonse stood from his chair.

“You two go get Sig and tell him to bring the medical supplies,” ordered Izumi.

They lowered their heads and searched the house for the big man. Izumi led Kuro to the dining room and forced her to sit down. Kuro at first was reluctant, saying that she never had been permitted to sit, but after Izumi insisted, she obediently took her seat. Minutes later, Sig walked in with everything he could find from bandages to painkillers.

“Thank you, Sig,” said Izumi softly. “Sorry I’m late, but I found Kuro here getting beat to a pulp by some guys and I just couldn’t sit back and watch.”

“I wasn’t getting beat to a pulp!” cried Kuro in protest. She stood from her chair. “They barely scraped me!”

“Sit down before you hurt yourself,” ordered Izumi calm and firmly.

“I feel—just—fine.” Kuro swayed and after saying “fine” fell to the floor.

Izumi walked over to her and lifted her head up. “Poor thing,” she said softly. “We should get her upstairs. In the empty room next to ours; she must’ve known that she is seriously hurt and didn’t want to admit to it.” Sig walked up next to her and lifted Kuro’s limp form into his massive arms. Izumi stood next to him and carried the supplies in her arms.

Izumi remained in the room with Kuro after treating a broken arm and a deep cut to the back. Sig ordered the Elric brothers into the room and stayed downstairs to run the business.

Edward knocked on the door lightly. “Come in,” said Izumi. She waited in the chair while Edward and Alphonse walked up to her. “This is Kuro. When she wakes, I’m going to go out for a while and she’ll be in your care, Ed, keep her in your sight at all times and don’t let her run off.”

“Sensei, what happened?” asked Edward softly.

“She apparently was being punished for some action she committed while I was coming home,” answered Izumi. “It was ten guys against her. She took her ‘punishment’ without complaint and it made me sick. Neither of you are to tell her of alchemy; if she asks, say that you know nothing of it and neither do I. I’m going to speak with the local children about this.”

“Why?” asked Alphonse?

“I want to know more about her before I reveal what I can do. I wish to know whether or not she fears alchemy. Just swear to me that you won’t use alchemy while you’re around her.” She looked at them with a piercing gaze.

“We promise, Sensei,” said the Elric brothers in unison.

“Good,” said Izumi. She smiled at them.

“Sensei—can you tell me why you trust children so easily?” asked Edward after a long silence.

“Because children are, for the most part, innocent,” answered Izumi. The three of them looked at Kuro as she turned to her side away from them and began muttering inaudible words. Izumi stood and put a firm hand on her shoulder. “Kuro—are you ok?” Kuro opened her eyes and twisted in her covers. “Kuro?”

“Make them stop!” cried Kuro. She launched herself at Izumi and began crying. Izumi patted the teen’s head lightly with one hand and with the other she rubbed Kuro’s upper back. “I didn’t do it!”

“No one here will hurt you, Kuro,” whispered Izumi. “Now, Ed and Al are going to look after you while I have a talk with the locals. I’ll be back in the morning. Stay inside and don’t do anything too rash.” Izumi handed her to Edward and after satisfied that Kuro was unaware of what was happening, she walked out of the door.

“Kuro, right?” asked Ed softly. She nodded. “Well, I’m Ed and this is my little brother, Alphonse. What didn’t you do that you’re being accused of?”

“I attempted human alchemy on my mom,” answered Kuro. Ed and Al exchanged uneasy looks. “After I learned alchemy from Hohenheim I left and attempted to bring my mother back from the dead.”

“Al, stay with her!” cried Ed. He ran out of the shop before Al knew what had happened.

“Did I say something wrong?” asked Kuro. She looked up at Alphonse curiously.

“No, brother is just going to get Sensei,” answered Al in a hurry.