This fic is dedicated to AnimeVamp1997 who asked me to write this after she won my contest. AnimeVamp gave me the basic idea of a Bakeneko story and me and my friend Taylor developed the plot of the story. I will be writing this story while Taylor will be my editor for this.

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT! Now that I've got this done I will be hosting another contest. I will have the rules posted at the bottom of my profile shortly after this is posted. I hope all of you check it out. ^_^

Chapter 1

The rocky walls gleamed with the low light born from the antique torches surrounding the gathering. At the head of the circular room stood a long curved table on a raised platform, the wooden surface so clean the ones sitting at it could see vague reflections of themselves. Sitting on the platform were the seven minor lords of the underworld who ruled under the lord of Hell, Lucifer. Each of them was a Master, the leading demon of their sector. They were called Masters because they were the best, the elite, and the only way to replace one of them was a match to the death. Few even dared to challenge them due to how powerful they were. They ruled all of demon kind, set the rules, and punished those that disobeyed them on behalf of Lucifer. To go against them meant certain death…

"We have reached a decree," one of the seven spoke.

I stiffened in my kneeled position. Two guards were stationed by my sides, holding chain leashes that bound my neck. Ordinary chains could have snapped under my strong, capable hands. These chains were not ordinary, having been infused with sealing talismans that rendered me weak and at the mercy of everyone around me. Had these been ordinary chains, it would not have mattered anyway. There were too many guards surrounding the tribunal for me to dispose of. And let's not forget the Masters. To them I would be nothing more than a new born babe, unable to fight or escape them. This situation did not bode well, especially because I knew what my sentence would be. Without a doubt they would execute me.

"You willfully disobeyed direct orders. Such an action is inexcusable and punishable by death…However, it has been agreed that you are not even worthy of that. You are hereby exiled to the mortal world."

Nari lifted her eyelids sluggishly, peering up into the brooding storm clouds that cried over the grassy land. Her clothes were soaked to her skin, though the cold wetness meant little to her. The memories of what happened occupied her mind and brought forth unbidden anger. For a brief moment, Nari allowed herself to vent her frustration. In one smooth motion she stood and swerved to punch the tree she had been leaning against. The bark cracked under her fist, leaving a dent from her blow. Not even a day ago a move like that would have obliterated the tree altogether. She should have expected how weak she had become.

Forgetting about the tree, Nari glanced down at her tail. She held the once forked appendage gently as she considered her current state. Nari was a bakeneko, a demon that had once been a cat. When a cat becomes powerful enough they transform into a bakeneko, appearing to be human but with altered features. In exchange for their newfound abilities, their memories of life as a cat were erased.

Feline ears sat perched upon her head, her red eyes bore slit pupils, fangs inhabited her mouth, and her tail had the usual fork…or used to anyway. When the Masters had exiled her and sent her to the mortal world they had been sure to weaken her by cutting off part of her tail. This rendered strength her barely above a human being and Nari wasn't even sure if any of her former powers remained. She felt too exhausted to verify this.

"Such an action is inexcusable and punishable by death…However, it has been agreed that you are not even worthy of that."

Nari growled as the memory resurfaced but she kept herself in check. She had never been one for emotions, let alone showing the few she did feel. But anger was something she felt easier than other emotions, even if she did hide it well. To Nari, emotions were useless, irrational, and human. Not like her. She wasn't sure if that was just her personality or being a bakeneko. She hadn't met many others of her kind, but for other demons they were more…willing to experience certain emotions. For most, it was either pleasure from a kill or fury when defied. As for Nari, they didn't come so naturally to her and it had never concerned her.

But this angered her greatly. How dare they say she was unworthy! Nari was a fierce warrior, able to cut down many opponents by herself and even face some upper-level demons that would have measly imps cowering in fear. The least they could have done was send her to her death with her honor, not strip away her powers and leave her stranded in the mortal world. Nari had never cared much for life in Hell but at least she knew her place in life. Now, where was her place? What was her purpose? What would she do? Live out the rest of her existence in the mortal world? She had spent more time in Hell, true, but she had visited the mortal world when on various missions. Human life was vastly different than that of the demons dwelling in Hell's abode, but Nari felt no attachment to this place. In fact, she had no real attachment to her previous home either. But at least she had a place there. And now, being Hell's reject, where would her place be now?

Nari gazed up once again into the cloudy sky, letting the drizzle of water drops land on her face.

"How much farther is it?" Ed complained.

Al sighed, "If you're tired we can take a break."

"I'm not tired," he grumbled. "I just want to get there already and out of this stupid rain."

Al shook his head at his brother's impatience. He had been in the same grumpy mood ever since they left the train station. The train they were supposed to transfer to had experienced some unexpected malfunctions and wouldn't be fixed for a couple of days. The Elric brothers didn't have days; they had to get to Central by this afternoon to see General Mustang.

General Mustang. Yes, the Flame Alchemist had been promoted to a General after…that day. The day that changed everything. When the gate between the two world's had opened and Edward had come flying in on a mechanical contraption he called a plane. On that day, the soldiers of Amestris, including Mustang, Ed, and himself came together to defeat the Thule Society. Afterwards, they destroyed the connection between the worlds so that history could never be repeated. And after two long years of searching for Ed, Al finally was able to return home with his brother. They stayed with Winry for a while before Ed decided to return to the military. Al would have been firmly against it, had Amestris not changed so drastically in the past few years. A position in the military was now looked highly upon after the wars between the surrounding countries had ceased. Edward had a desire for travel and was never one to sit idly around. So when Ed became a State Alchemist yet again, Al stuck with him just like back in the old days. When Al had first woken in his ten-year old body he couldn't remember the past four years spent in the suit of armor he had been sealed in. Now, three years later, Al had regained his memories of that time, slowly but surely. So now, even though he was physically thirteen, he had the mental state of a sixteen year old. And, despite being only thirteen, he was still taller than his nineteen year old brother.

"Hey, I think that's the town," Ed exclaimed, rousing Al out of his thoughts.

Al looked up to see a small town on the horizon. The population may not be high, nor the town very large, but there was a train station with trains running back and forth to Central every day. Luckily, this place was in walking distance so they could make it to Central on time. Now all they had to do was take the next train out and they would be at Central within the next couple of hours.

"YAHOO!" Ed cheered, taking off down the path.

"Brother! Wait for me!" Al called, running after him.

"Get a move on, Al! I'm starved!" Ed shouted back to him.

He shook his head. His brother was always thinking of food. They ran until they were about halfway there. That's when Ed suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Al asked as he stopped beside him, panting slightly.

In answer, Ed pointed towards a tree. No, not a tree. Al had almost missed the figure standing underneath the sparse canopy of leaves. She had been so still that Al hadn't realized she was there. The woman was young but somewhat older than Ed and taller than Al. Her lean body was covered in black baggy pants with what looked like combat boots underneath and a dark red top with a black and grey short sleeved shirt underneath. Her raven hair fell in tangled waves all the way to her waist. With her hair color and dark ensemble it made her pale skin ghostly.

The woman had been staring up at the cloudy sky. Noticing that she was no longer alone, she turned to look at them. Al gasped, but not because of how beautiful she was. Yes, she had a heart shaped face, almond shaped eyes with thick eyelashes, and other sharp features that made her striking. Even the horizontal scar that ran over her left eye did not detract from her beauty. But what made her the most striking was her eyes. They were a deep, blood red. She appeared part Ishvalan, part Xingese, and part something else. Overall, she looked exotic and obviously not your typical Amestrian.

As she stared at them contemplatively, Al noticed the cat ears on her head.

"You have kitty ears!" Al squealed with joy, the only thing stopping him from hugging the woman was fear that she would run away.

Her only response was to frown at him.

"That's weird," Ed commented.

"Brother!" Al reprimanded him, smacking his head. "That's rude!"

"No it isn't! Regular people don't go around wearing a cat getup."

"Maybe she likes looking like a kitty," Al suggested. "I think it's cool."

Ed rolled his eyes, "Of course you do."

Nari grunted, the two human boys turning their gazes on her again to find her glaring at them. The shorter one was older, had golden eyes and hair that he wore in a ponytail, and his clothes were black covered by a long red trench coat. The taller, younger one had short sandy hair, grey eyes, and wore a similar trench coat only blue but with black clothes underneath as well. Their bickering were only fuel to the flames of her ire. She wished them to be gone at once so that she could think in peace. "I have not the patience for this, for I am presently not in the best of moods. Leave at once before I silence you myself."

Her threat fell on deaf ears as their eyes strayed to her head. In her irritated state, her ears had flicked a couple of times.

"They moved!" the brothers shouted in unison as they jumped back a step.

Nari raised an eyebrow. She knew that humans were simple minded but this was just plain idiotic. One moment they were discussing her ears and the next they were astounded by them. Nari wasn't sure what to make of them.

"That's not possible!" Ed said.

"I thought they were fake!" Al agreed.

Nari crossed her arms, "I assure you they are quite real." She noticed how they saw the quick swish of her tail and their surprise increased.

"There's got to be some trick to it. Some specialized costume," Al concluded.

Nari crossed her arms and ignored them, bored with their pointless musings.

Ed didn't like them being ignored. Being stubborn as always, he approached her. He reached out and poked one of the ears, watching it twitch. With inhuman speed, the cat eared woman snapped her leg out and sent Ed flying.

"Brother!" Al called, running over to where he landed.

"Damn, what the hell was that for?" Ed yelled at the woman.

Nari sent him a cold stare, "I will not tolerate your childish antics. Were I less generous you would have paid with your life. You will do well to remember that."

Ed stood up slowly, gazing at the woman curiously. The animal features, the unnatural speed and strength, and even the slit pupils…It all added up.

"You're a chimera, aren't you?" Ed guessed confidently. He hadn't seen one since before his stay in Germany. Never did he think he would see another again, let alone a human one. And yet, here this woman stood as some feline hybrid. Someone obviously had been misusing alchemy. The thought made Ed's fists clench as fire ran through his veins.

Nari chose not to answer him. It was more than apparent that she was not a chimera: a simple minded beast created by the types of humans that called themselves alchemists. Alchemy was a far more basic magic used by the humans. Demons like herself had no need for it. Come to think of it, Nari had never attempted alchemy before. She wondered if she could perform it now that her powers had been taken. She shrugged inwardly, not caring to waste time on the subject.

"So who created you? An alchemist from that town perhaps?" Ed questioned her.

"My life was born from the mother who birthed me, as all life is created." She was about to say that she was the same as she was then as she is now but an image flashed through her mind. An image blurred and yet managed to spur something within her. Serenity, that was what it was. She knew what it meant but had never experienced it…had she?

She shook her head as her temples throbbed. Those same reoccurring images again. They fascinated her. They felt familiar, almost like they were from a dream long ago. She knew nothing about them except that they were to blame for her current predicament. At the moment, she wanted nothing to do with them.

"Hey, wait. Where are you going?" Ed called to her as she began to walk away. He wasn't going to let her get away that easily. He wanted answers, damn it!

Nari reacted instinctively when a hand grasped her arm. She countered the grab, moving his arm to leave his abdomen unguarded. She swiftly struck the opening with her elbow.

Ed coughed as the air was forcefully pushed from his lungs. He would have fallen to his knees had the woman not kicked his jaw, sending him backwards. His head hit the rough ground and sent his mind reeling.

"Brother!" Al screamed. He clapped his hands and touched the ground.

The sound of hands clapping alerted Nari. She looked over to the younger to find his arms barreling towards the ground. The gloves on his hands had circles. Transmutation circles. That would make this child an alchemist, perhaps the older one as well. This didn't concern Nari greatly but since she had lost her powers she would have to be careful.

A giant earthen fist protruded from the ground, hitting Nari dead on. The blow knocked the wind out of her a bit but was relatively harmless. While the fist was still in motion, she dug her claws into the top and flung her body over.

Al had made a direct hit that should have stunned her, so he was surprised when the woman leaped over it and towards him. He focused himself and assumed a fighting stance. His brother was down and Al had to do whatever it took to keep the both of them safe.

Nari sliced downward with her claws but the boy avoided it by performing a cartwheel. He was spry, she would admit. But the next blow would not be so easily dodged.

Al settled back on his feet and went straight into an upper cut. The woman seemed to anticipate this and ducked out of the way, catching his wrist as she went. He cried out as pain shot up his arm.

Nari could have broken his arm then. She had it twisted behind his back and at her mercy. Instead, she chose to knock his legs out from under him and incapacitated him with a quick hit to the head.

"Stay away from him!"

Something flew towards her and Nari reacted accordingly. She leaned backwards to avoid what appeared to be the older boy's altered arm. A metal blade that must have been created with alchemy was attached to his arm. It was a nice try but Nari had speed on her side.

While she was still falling backwards she kicked her leg up, hitting his arm and throwing him off balance. Nari finished her flip backwards and rushed her opponent before he could catch his footing. She pounced on him, sending him to the ground. One of his arms was held by a firm knee as the other was held by her hand. She raised her free hand to give the final blow. The boy's eyes widened as her nails lengthened to claws.

But suddenly, she wasn't seeing the boy anymore. She saw a smiling face that beckoned to her with an offered hand. The smile gave her a sense of security and warmth, as well as longing.

Nari paused in her actions. The images again. Something about this boy had ignited them, if only for an instant. What did it mean? What was her subconscious trying to tell her?

The woman lowered her hand slowly. Ed was taken aback. Just a few seconds ago she looked ready to kill and Ed had thought that his life would end. But now she seemed to lose the will to fight. Not that he was complaining, but why?

Her ears lowered in an almost guilty way as she murmured, "I grow weary of this." And just like that, she stood and walked away from him. Ed gaped at her retreating figure, unable to comprehend her actions. She had him in the palm of her hands and she let him go? There's no doubt in his mind that she could have killed him but she chose not to. All Ed could think was, why?

Nari kept to the path that led towards the town. She did not like this at all. Her life had begun nearly a thousand years ago and she had lived in Hell, following orders whenever she received them. Rising in the ranks of power never appealed to her as she had found contentment in her niche. She had a purpose and all was well. However, when the images began, so did her downward spiral.

The Bakeneko lost the little interest she had in her daily missions, but for awhile she continued to follow them. As the images came to her more frequently they brought about these…changes. She first noticed when she killed a mortal man. There had been so many deaths over her many years by her hand but somehow this one affected her. The blood on her hands, this insignificant human's blood, bothered her. Nari didn't know what it meant and did her best to ignore it. She didn't like it, whatever it was. But this progressed until she was faced with a tiny, human girl. Such a small, fragile thing she was, yet destined to become a prominent white mage. And when Nari's hand raised to claw out her throat, a twist in her stomach protested. The mere idea of having more blood on her hands was loathsome, and she couldn't fathom why that was. She had walked away, leaving the child for her comrades to deal with. Three steps out the door and the screams began, and as they did more of the images flashed before Nari's eyes. Before she knew it, Nari had run back inside and began tearing them to pieces. The little girl was already dead and this infuriated Nari. She fought her comrades but couldn't slay them all. Some escaped and soon after the Masters had learned of her betrayal. Thus, leading to her exile.

Nari thought back to the brothers she had just defeated. She could have killed them, but she had enough blood on her hands as it was. She did not desire for more. She had no qualms with this before those cursed images. They had made her become soft, and most unbecoming of a demon. That, perhaps was the reason that the Masters refused to execute her with her pride.

Those images though, they haunted her. They were familiar to her, as if memories from a past life… A part of herself she had forgotten long ago…

I hope you guys liked it! Obviously, this is post-CoS but Ed and Al remained on this side of the gate but still broke the connection. With this story being set after CoS it will give me and Taylor more freedom to write this. I'm not sure when the next update will be for this but I'll try to update when I can.

Don't forget to check about the contest! And review please!