Episode 1: Girl with the Golden Braid

"She should be in a hospital!"

"The doctor himself said there wasn't much they could do for her there. It's better for her to be at home with her family. He's willing to come out here for the treatment."

"I'm just glad I was able to get back in time. Why didn't you call me sooner?!"

"She didn't want you to come home early just for her! what else was I supposed to do? She's already torn up about this all as it is!"

Sadi heard them through her bedroom door and frowned. Daddy and Mom never fought. Daddy had just gotten back from his trip with Benjamin. This was usually cause for fancy dinners and games on the lawn. She wasn't completely lost to the fact that he had only come home early because of her however. It made her feel bad. Daddy had been exploring to the west of Amestris, learning about all sorts of things and in return telling the people his story. Benji had been accompanying him practically since he could walk.

Her bedroom door swung open and Benji walked in now. Sadi looked up into his grieved face. This was why she hadn't wanted them home. It was hard enough having mom check up on her in the night, explaining that she couldn't sleep, seeing the silent tears slip through her closed eyelids. Today was the day.

"I'll be just like daddy!" she'd always tell her mother when she gave the pained expression. "I'll have a metal leg too! And then you won't have to worry anymore. The pain will be all gone." She'd smile up at her mom and ask her to braid her hair just like daddy's.

Benji came over and sat at the far corner of her bed where her small legs didn't yet reach. He gave an attempted smile.

"It's been a while, little sister. You've grown a lot since I saw you last."

"Mom and daddy are fighting." She couldn't keep the tremor from her voice. They were fighting because of her.

Just then there was a knock at the front door. The house fell deathly silent and footsteps could be heard making their way to open it.

"It's the doctor. Good." Sadi clutched a small fist around her blanket. "Now we can get this over with and everything will be happy again." There was slight murmurings coming from the next room before finally her dad came in, the doctor in tow.

"Winry?" Daddy called. Her mom appeared behind the twosome. "I want you to take Ben and go." He dropped his head, his bangs hiding his eyes, but not before Sadi saw the tears. Two of them running down her daddy's cheeks.

"I couldn't..." she began. Benjamin was already on his feet.

"Please," her dad whispered. "I'll come find you when it's over. Get some ice cream or something. I'll find you." Without another word Ben left the room, her mother soon followed.

The process was painful. Her daddy held her in his arms and she squeezed his hand for support. Her right leg was removed above the knee to prevent the infection from spreading to the remainder of her body. To try to save her life.

"After this mommy's going to make me an automail leg just like yours, daddy," she explained to him. He squeezed her hand back, his baby girl.

(7 years later)

"She never cries."

"Pardon?" The Fuhrer looked up from his pile of work. General Riza Hawkeye Mustang stood at attention by the corner of his desk facing the door on the opposite end of the room. How had she snuck in on him? It was as if she had just appeared from thin air.

"They say she never cries. The new alchemist." She never looked his direction as if trying to give off the impression of ignoring him. This, in his opinion, was rather pointless. No one else was in the room. If she had something of importance to discuss with him, then she could at least give him the decency of direct eye contact.

He sighed and ran a hand through his stringy black hair. He had plenty to worry about right now without concerning himself with the State Alchemist exam taking place later in the day.

"Brigadier General Fathoms has taken an interest in her," she continued.

"Good for him. Invite me to the wedding." His cool hand on his forehead felt good. Perhaps he was coming down with a fever.

"Very funny, sir, but you know that's not what I meant." She sighed as if finally realizing that he wasn't exactly giving his full attention to the conversation at hand. "Look, just make sure you show up before the exam is over." He watched as she stalked out of the room.

He waited until the door was closed before scratching his head. Why the formality? He sighed. There was no way he could concentrate on his work now. She'd been hinting about the new alchemists, the ones taking their state exams today. As Fuhrer he was supposed to be there, and that was no doubt where she had gone.

He slid his chair from the desk and stood up, stretching and yawning. The sun glared through the window at him foretelling the coming night, a few hours away yet. He cast one last look around his office before heading for the door.

"Fuhrer King Mustang!" He turned to look at who had called. A young girl, hands full of paperwork, hurried to join him.

"Elicia?" She smiled as she caught up and adjusted her pile of files to her other arm.

"Are you heading to the exam? Mind if I join you and Riza?" He nodded once.

"Sure."

"I'll meet you down there, save me a spot!" she hollered, already rushing back down the hall. She truly was her father's daughter. Elicia Hughes took over Maes' office work as soon as she was old enough. She seemed comfortable with it, and as long as he reigned Fuhrer he could guarantee her safety. Her job would not be her reason of death, not like her father before her.

"The least I can do for an old friend," he whispered to himself.

"It looks like we have thirty eight participants in the exam today. Fuhrer? Fuhrer Mustang!" He looked up startled.

"Ah, Brigadier General Fathoms. I'm sorry, must have dozed off for a second." He accepted the large folder Fathoms was waving at him. Leafing through it, he found the exam and interview results for each candidate, yet he wasn't exactly focused enough to pay attention to any of the names or numbers. What had Riza told him? That Fathoms had taken an interest in one of the new alchemists?

As if on cue, Riza came to his other side making it almost too clear she was refusing to look at Fathoms. I guess she isn't happy about his interest in the alchemist. He thought, but why?

"Well it looks like the final event is about to begin. I'd better get over there." Fathoms indicated the center of the vast expanse of land containing everything from a barren desert terrain to a frost covered mountain peak. Everything an alchemist could possibly need to transmute something.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Mustang. I doubt you want to miss this show."

"So, what are you holding against Brigadier General Fathoms?" He asked as soon as he was out of earshot. She seemed taken aback by his question but recovered quickly. She shook her head.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing that with you at this time. After all he is a lower ranking officer and I have a responsibility to him." Mustang frowned. Why wouldn't she just come out and tell him what it was about Fathoms that bothered her? He'd moved up in the ranks quickly and was extremely good at what he did. He was known for taking at least one new alchemist under his wing each year and helping them complete the exam. To date not one single individual who had trained under him had failed to pass it.

What must be the candidates were gathering in a small group at the center. Fathoms was explaining about all their resources.

"Impress us. You may begin." He gave a slight grin at the group. Slowly, one at a time, the examinees stepped forward. One man turned some water from the river into an ice sculpture, although no one was really sure what exactly it was supposed to be. It soon melted in the harsh heat of the day and soaked much of the sand in the desert area. A stern-looking woman cast him a dirty look as he had apparently ruined her attempt at turning the sand into glass.

Something caught Mustang's eye however. A golden braid whipped around in the wind. The person had their back to him, dressed in a tank top and black pants. It couldn't be...

"Is that... It can't be..?" He could barely get the words out. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at Riza. She was shaking her head.

"Meet the girl that Fathoms has taken an interest in."

ooo

"You passed with flying colors. I expected nothing less however. Here you are, your pocket watch and your name. You will now be known as the Keeneye Alchemist. Congratulations." The girl remained expressionless as she collected her things from the Brigadier General. "Oh, I nearly forgot. Our Fuhrer, King Mustang wishes to see you. I'll take you to him now." The girl nodded once and waited for Fathoms to lead the way. She brushed a strand of hair away from her face; her braid had nearly come undone during the exam.

ooo

"You should be proud of yourself, Brigadier General Fathoms. This is your best student yet I've heard." Mustang sat at his desk attempting a bit of small talk. She stood beside Fathoms looking directly at him with golden eyes just a shade darker than her hair. He sighed. "Will you please excuse us, Fathoms?" He had to hear her tell him herself. There was no other way his mind would be appeased. The door closed behind him leaving the two of them alone.

"Forgive me, it's just..." How was he supposed to put this? "What is your name, may I ask?" Upon closer examination it appeared that what anyone might mistake for silver shoes were in fact automail feet. Both of her feet were gone and who knew how much of her legs. Her right hand also seemed to have an automail covering with only two real fingers. The girl was half machine. just like him, he thought.

"I am Sadi. Might I ask, is something wrong?" Mustang shot out a hand.

"No! Not at all! I just... I had to know. Who is your father?" She didn't seem surprised by the question as if she'd been asked many times before; yet she did seem reluctant to answer.

"My father is Edward. Edward Elric. Yet he is better known as the Fullmetal Alchemist."

ooo

"She seems to be following in his footsteps, becoming a State Alchemist at the age of thirteen. She even has automail limbs. You don't think she tried human transmutation?" Mustang walked slowly through the empty hallway, Riza at his side. Black Hayate kept the pace.

"I highly doubt that. I don't think her father would have allowed it."

"Yet she stays here instead of going home. Why is that? What happened to her family?"

"Sometimes it's best to just leave things alone."

"You seemed pretty upset about Fathoms taking an interest in her."

"Yes, he isn't one of my favorite people to work with. She's young and I just don't want her used. No matter her circumstance we owe Ed that much. Just... just keep an eye on her. Maybe together the both of us can work things out." Riza waited for his confirmation.

"Okay." He whispered. "You're right. It's the least we could do for Ed."

ooo

"Did you hear? Elric's daughter is here!"

"I heard she passed the exam only because she's his daughter."

"No way! There's nothing but skill running through her blood. There's no way she could have failed."

"I heard she transmuted Mustang's soul into a talking trash can. Now whenever you get tired of him talking, you just close the lid!"

"Heheh, wouldn't that be a laugh, but you know human transmutation is strictly forbidden. It's a taboo! She wouldn't have been that dumb."

"Still, it would be good for a laugh! Just think, his gloves would never get wet again! Just store them inside."

"There would be nothing but improvement there."

"It's not even eight in the morning and you're already cracking Roy Mustang jokes?" Lieutenant Colonel Maria Ross made her way through the mess hall and took a seat in the throng of people.

"Sorry, Maria," a man replied from the other end of the table. He didn't really look that sorry however.

"So what did she really do to pass the exam? What did she transmute?" someone else asked, mainly to change the subject it seemed.

"I believe she created a tornado."

Ross blinked. "She passed by creating a tornado?"

"It seems she was able to manipulate it to go around the area destroying everyone else's work. For her ability to manipulate it is what I believe she passed for."

"Hey, are we talking about Ed's daughter? She's causing quite a buzz, isn't she?" Captain Denny Brosh took a seat next to Ross and began plowing into his breakfast bread and honey. There were a few glances exchanged around the table that both Ross and Brosh seemed oblivious to.

"When is he going to get a move on and ask her to marry him?"

"Don't you think they've waited long enough?"

"He probably won't ask until they're both six feet under." Whispers flew through the air just out of earshot.

"Hey, has anyone seen the girl yet? I've heard she's staying here instead of going home at night. You'd think she'd have made her way to breakfast by now."

"If I were her I'd be avoiding places like this. I doubt the poor girl wants everyone gawking at her. Think how she must feel! Daughter of the well known child prodigy Fullmetal," Ross explained as she buttered her roll. "We all need to just give her some space."

"You've got to be joking! This is the biggest news we've had in over a decade! Why isn't the newspaper here yet? Think of what a business boom her coming here could be!"

"Hey, didn't she have a brother? I was sure Ed had two kids."

"Last I heard, he was traveling with his father. He must have left her home."

"That's it!" Maria stood up causing the bench to quiver. She snatched her tray with great force and stormed toward the doorway dumping her breakfast in the bin and sliding her tray onto the rack in one smooth sweep before disappearing around the hall.

"What's her problem?" someone asked.

ooo

She was only a child! Why couldn't they just give her some space. Ross couldn't help thinking of the young Ed. Such a dark and depressing past and such a terrible future had befallen him. He'd been so young. They had both had a good heart and never gave up no matter what. Now Ed's daughter was here, but why? Surely Edward hadn't encouraged her to join the military? No, that wasn't like him at all. That meant she had come of her own will. Did her family even know she was here? Was that why she hadn't gone home? Was she now ashamed to face them?

"Fuhrer King Mustang, might I ask where the Elric girl is? I'd like to speak with her." She'd gone straight to the Fuhrer's office, leaving the conversation behind her. Why couldn't they have just dropped it?

"Lieutenant Colonel Ross!" He seemed surprised at seeing her. She couldn't blame him having just gotten to Central this morning she had spend the better part of the past five years at East HQ. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid she has already gone. She hopped a train this morning heading to West HQ. I believe she plans to stay there for a while to aid in her study."

"And what is she studying?"

Mustang shrugged. "I'm not sure. She has been apprenticing under Brigadier General Fathoms. You might wish to ask him."

"Thank you, I'll be sure to do that. Sir." Ross saluted before retreating from the room.

ooo

Sadi sighed as she watched the vast landscape pass by through the train window. She'd started off on her adventure a bit late. Her father was still the youngest State Alchemist in history. Her mother had insisted she stay at home when she had turned twelve due to another amputation, this time from her right hand. She looked down at it now, the metal crossing over her palm and the back of her hand and her metal thumb and last two fingers. Her index and middle finger were the only real ones left. Then there was her right leg lost up past the knee and her left leg just below. She was like a patchwork quilt!

She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be concerning herself with those trivial things. She had much more important things to be focusing on. The library at West HQ was promised to hold all sorts of knowledge about everything Fathoms had been teaching her. Now that she was a State Alchemist she had access to any and every book imaginable. She had started off late, but she was going to finish ahead. Just the thought of one more person telling her how much she was like her father was enough to make her blood boil.

She pulled the tie from her hair letting her braid fall out and ran her fingers through it for good measure.

When she was little she had loved all the attention from everyone, even total strangers, but it was always the same. Soon expectations were raised. She was supposed to act and live and be someone who everyone was fashioning her into. When she turned ten, Sadi decided to become a State Alchemist, like her dad but not exactly. Fathoms had taken her in and trained her privately for years leading up to yesterday's exam. He had been the first person not to treat her like she was special or different and he had given her hope.

She had never told anyone about her training or her desire to become a 'dog of the military' unsure of what their reactions might be. Now she couldn't help thinking of her mother. No doubt by now she had grown worried, wondering where her daughter had gone. It wouldn't be long before she headed to the military asking for her. She would find out soon enough what her daughter had done and no doubt be after her. She might even be waiting for her at the train station in West!

Sadi got to her feet. She couldn't just sit and think anymore, she had to get her mind off these things! Her bare metal feet made slight clanking noises with each step. She paced the car's small isle endlessly ignoring the eyes watching her progress. There weren't many people in the car with her and she couldn't be bothered with them right now.

ooo

Winry had done exactly that. When her daughter hadn't come home last night she had begun to worry, but when she still hadn't come that morning she had taken to the streets. No one had seen her and it all too soon became obvious of the one place she had gone.

"You mean Sadi Elric?" A secretary behind the desk at East HQ asked her. "Haven't you heard? She passed her State Alchemist exam yesterday with flying colors. Everyone's been talking about it." He seemed pretty shocked that her so-called mother hadn't heard the news that had the rest of the country talking. "I'm not sure where she would be now, but the exam took place at Central HQ. That would be a place to start."

Why? Why would Sadi do this? She hadn't told her anything but if she had passed the exam then she had been studying for years! Winry didn't know how to handle this herself. She found a payphone and dialed the operator. Ed would be in Creta by now, slowly making his way through the country and beyond. He had just left a week ago, but she couldn't help that right now. He needed to know.

"Hello? Winry?" His voice on the other end sounded cheerful. Things seemed to be going well. Her heart sank.

"Hey Ed, listen. I have some news you probably never wanted to hear..."

ooo

She saw him through her window. Not the person she had been expecting and definitely not her first choice. Sadi shrank back against her seat. How could she possibly get off the train without him seeing her? He must have hopped a train from Creta and beat her there.

Slowly she got up and made her way to the back of the car. A window stood ajar and she pushed it the rest of the way open before slipping out and falling easily to the ground below. All the while hoping no one had seen, she made her way around the back of the train. She would walk around the long way and go straight to Headquarters. She would have to face her family eventually, but not today. Her first full day as a State Alchemist should be a bit more pleasant.

As she cleared the train she pulled her automail hand in front of her to hide it from peering eyes. If only she'd worn shoes to hide her feet, yet she didn't see any need for them. They would only slow her down.

"Just keep moving forward. Don't look back. He won't notice you if you just don't look back," she told herself again and again.

The State flag billowed softly in the breeze as she ran up the steps. Only then did she chance a quick look back at the train station. Most of it was hidden from view, but she could see a few people and was relieved to note that none of them was her dad. Sadi clenched her automail fist before making her way inside.

Fathoms hadn't been lying. The Central library held all sorts of books that were impossible to find anywhere else, yet here at West HQ they went into greater detail on a small amount of them. Sadi slid her fingers across the titles of the books in wonder. Every book imaginable about the world. The wind, the water, the valleys and mountains. All sorts of things about history and myths, beliefs of their ancestors.

She made herself a little nest of books in a small corner and began plowing in, her eyes quickly scanning across and absorbing the information within. Fathoms had given her exactly one month for research here before he expected her back with a full report. She had to make it good.

Phosphorus is natural in rocks and minerals making its way into streams from runoff.

Nitrogen is liberated to the atmosphere and is one of the most common elements making up 3/4 of the atmosphere.

The breakdown of nitrogen in the form of ammonia consumes oxygen which may reduce to lethal levels.

"I'm looking for someone. You haven't seen Sadi Elric, have you? State Alchemist?" Sadi slammed her book closed and stuffed it back on the shelf. That was her dad at the front desk. Any second now he'd be in here looking for her. She ran.

Why was it such a big deal? Maybe her father merely wished to congratulate her. Not likely. They would probably be back on the train homebound with a long talk about how this wasn't the life for her. What did he know about what was best for her anyway? He was never home! No, that wasn't really fair. He had always been there for her amputations, and they had visited more often in the past few years, he and Benji. She knew he had a lot of work to do in the West just as Uncle Alphonse was working in the East. However Alphonse lived in Xing now instead of Amestris, so he was never far from home and his three children.

She could have gone with her father, she knew. He had offered to take her many times, but she had already begun studying Alchemy with Fathoms and it was too late. Everything had been too late.

Sadi heard the library door open and froze in between two narrow aisles crammed with books.