Preface: Rejoice!

There are times in life when you have to choose between freedom and prison.

There were days when I believed he would change his mind, but he has made up his mind now. I have no real choice, and giving up my skills would be a crime within itself. I only hope that my brothers know what they have chosen and are willing to make the sacrifices of that choice.

Teacher has left me to choose before the ball tonight, but I have already made up my mind. I will not show to the ball, because I have chosen to leave my father's kingdom to study my Alchemy. I wish he would understand, but there is nothing I can do with the laws over my head.

There is only one place I may be welcomed now.

Roy Mustang

The rain fell down around Bailey as she stepped out to catch the train to Central, her blue eyes shining through the streaks of brown hair hanging from her black hood.

"Lady Amaya, what a pleasure to have a member of your family on-board!" The conductor smiled at her as she removed her cloak. "How has the family been?"

"I don't know who Lady Amaya is, but my name is Bailey," she replied to him. "Mister, the lady you refer to hasn't been seen for some time; reports say that she ran away."

"Oh, my apologies Miss Bailey," the conductor winked at her as she took her seat. "I do hope you have a pleasant trip today."

"As do I, thank you," she replied as the train moved north on the tracks.

Bailey looked around at the passengers around her, admiring the families traveling, as a uniformed officer walked past her seat and sat behind her. Bailey quickly tried to slip into the shadowed part of her seat before he saw her, only to be caught by the female officer following him. The officer looked at her and laughed slightly to herself, but didn't give away where she was.

"Look, this Lady Amaya thing is going higher on the chain. We need to send people to find out what's going on without breaking Lord Baylor's laws." The male officer opened a file as he addressed his assistant.

"I over-heard a passenger talking to the conductor about the girl earlier; rumors say she ran away or died." The female officer eyed Bailey as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, but did I hear you say 'Lady Amaya'?" she spoke up, knowing she was trapped anyway.

"Yes, do you know anything young miss?" The male officer turned to her, "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, State Alchemist, and this is Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye."

Bailey flinched and seat up right in her seat, "um, well I'm from that kingdom."

"I knew it." Hawkeye exclaimed with a smile, "You talked to the conductor."

"Yes, I did. He mistook me for the missing girl." I quickly replied with a smile. "Lady Amaya has been missing for about a week now. Rumors say that she ran away to get freedom from her father's rulings."

"So, how come she looks so much like you?" Hawkeye smiled again, "You aren't Lillian's daughter, are you?"

Bailey fell back into her seat, "how did you know?" She turned to look towards the conductor.

"I knew your mother, worked with her actually." Riza smiled at Bailey before continuing, "Now, which daughter are you?"

"Bailey," she turned back to them, "please, don't turn me in to the police. I can't go back home or I'll go to jail."

"Wait, Bailey why aren't you at home?" Mustang spoke up, connecting the names. "Your father has been searching for you. He even has the military helping him."

"He wants me home so that he can put me in jail for committing a crime I couldn't control." Bailey replied as she looked down to her feet. "Lord Baylor's biggest law is that no Alchemy is preformed anywhere near or in his kingdom. Since I got my mother's Alchemy skills, I'm a criminal by birth."

"Wow, how did the military not know this?" Hawkeye asked, turning to Mustang.

"We did know." Mustang took my hand. "You understand that with the military trying to find you, we can't help you."

"I understand. I only want you not to turn me in, or say I was here." Bailey turned to the window, "I would forever be in your debt for it, and there's no log of me being on the train."

"I'll do what I can." Mustang stood up and pulled on his gloves, "just don't get caught."

"What?" Bailey looked at him before a spark flew through the air at her. "What are you trying to do, kill me!"

"Bailey, look." Hawkeye spun Bailey around to see the gaping hole in the train's side. "Now, we have to go see your father, please leave here."

"Thank you," Bailey waved at the officers before jumping into the fields just outside her father's kingdom.

"Great, back to square one," she told herself before being jumped on by a dog.

"Sorry! He loves people!" Someone yelled as she scrambled to get to her. "Dragon, get off her."

The young girl pulled off her golden retriever from Bailey and apologized again for the dog.

"It's fine, thank you," Bailey replied as she wiped off the dirt from her clothes. "His name's Dragon, huh?"

"Yeah, he's mean and fierce." The girl smiled, holding steady to Dragon's leash, "do you have any pets?"

"No," Bailey's smile vanished quickly as she began to think of home. "You should be getting back home, do you how to get there?"

"Yeah, mom will be worried." The girl quickly forgot about the incident and took Dragon on home without turning back. "Come on, Dragon. Let's race!"

Bailey watched them for a minute before walking along the rails, remembering memories of better times. She managed to get a good ways away from her father's kingdom before being stopped by a short blonde kid and his armor wearing friend.

"Excuse me, but do you know how to get to Ookani?" the blonde pulled out a picture of her old home.

"Yes, why do you need to go there?" Bailey replied with a hesitant smile.

"We are following up on a report and as a State Alchemist, I am forced to look into it." He began to walk with her, keeping up easily with her steadily fast stride.

Bailey sighed before looking at him, "the kingdom is right up here. May I ask who I am escorting there?"

"State Alchemist Edward and Alphonse Elric," the blonde looked up at her filled with pride.

"Aren't you a little young to be State Alchemists?" Bailey looked at him, then at his brother. "Why have I heard of you before?"

"Ed's known everywhere for his work with the military." The brother answered in a younger voice than Bailey expected. "What's your name, miss?"

"Um," Bailey looked around them quickly, "Blood. Some people call me ribbon though."

"How come, it's not a usual name for a girl like you?" Edward stopped walking as Alphonse spoke.

"Well, I'm not supposed to speak of it. I can get into trouble." Bailey told them as they neared the gates.

Colonel Mustang and Lt. Hawkeye stood at the entrance, waiting for the boys, as the three of them walked up. A few of the kingdom's guards walked around her as Bailey stared at Mustang, hoping he wouldn't give her up.

"Edward, you are late." Mustang turned to the boys and sighed, "Lord Baylor has been waiting."

"Sorry, Mustang," Edward replied, "we got a little lost on the way."

"So I see, and who's this?" Hawkeye glared at the boys.

"Her name's, um, Blood. She was escorting us here after we got lost." Alphonse replied through the heavy armor.

"Well, thank you, Blood. I hope they didn't treat you un-kindly." Mustang shook Bailey's hand with a smile. "Please, would you mind walking with me?"

"It would be my pleasure to walk with a Central officer like yourself." Bailey smiled at him as he started into the kingdom.

"Blood, do me a favor. Keep the boys and you out of trouble while we are here." Mustang stared at her before looking around. "With Lady Amaya's death, Lord Baylor hasn't been to kind to any strangers. I could use some help from someone inside the community."

"Mustang, I'm not really allowed to be here. What happens when my father sees me?" Bailey looked at him, trying to find a way out of the kingdom without being seen.

"I'll handle your father," a voice came from behind them as Bailey caught sight of her.

"Mom," Bailey looked around again before hugging her mother. "I don't know what to do, I thought you were dead."

"Everyone did, come child." She took Bailey's hand before walking toward the castle. "We have to face your father eventually. Just long enough to tell him we are leaving."

Bailey stood there, too shocked to move, as her mother walked away from her for the second time.

"Bailey, you should go now." Mustang said, pushing her a bit before heading back to Edward and the others.

"Thank you, Colonel." She smiled at him before running after Lillian.

"Colonel, why did you do that?" Riza asked as the colonel walked up.

"Simple," Mustang looked at Edward, "You never found Angelica, did you?"

"You think Bailey will take you to where Angelica is?" Hawkeye shook her head as she spoke, "I don't even know if Lillian knows where her daughter is."

"We'll just have to see, now won't we?" Mustang replied before heading toward the castle.