If there was one thing in life Riza both despised and was beyond grateful for, it was bobby pins. The small, metal clips looked so unassuming, so innocent, and yet they could hold more weight than one would think at first glance. What made these bobby pins so special, though, was that they blended in so well with her hair. While many pins were dark in color, these were an unassuming yellow-white which made them completely unnoticeable in her golden hair. It made it easy to tuck her hair in such a way, that it looked like she had just a boy's cut with a bit of fringe off to the side.

However, the pins also were experts at getting lost, and she often woke up with one in her mouth, or on her bed, or even sometimes dangerously close to the hole of her ear. She should shower to the tune of high pitched clatter on the marble floor, and brushing her hair returned many of the pins she thought she'd lost.

She often considered just cutting the hair off if she was going to go to all this trouble to look like it was so short, but stopped each time she grabbed the knife. As she looked in the mirror, her mother's eyes and her father's face staring back at her, she remembered the only compliment her dad ever gave her: "You know Riza, your hair is so pretty."

So, she kept it, staring her past down as she pinned it up every single morning. It was a necessity. Women weren't allowed in the military nor could they be in the inner circle. But men, of course, could do as they pleased. So, Riza just had to pass herself off as a very convincing man and she too would be able to have the freest of wills over her own life.

Riza lived by herself in her family's old home. It was a small little shack, nothing fancy, and certainly nothing anyone else would want to live in. The battered wood was in desperate need of repairs, but Riza was always so busy, and it had survived the winter, so she figured she'd gotten a few extra months out of it. Her mother and father were buried on the property, and although Riza would love a reason to leave, she couldn't bring herself to. Besides, she couldn't afford a place on her own and if she had a roommate, her secret would be discovered much sooner.

She placed the pins she didn't use in the container on the porcelain sink. Knowing how easy they were to lose, Riza did her best to keep track of the bobby pins and always placed them very deliberately and in easy to find places. She double checked that she'd tucked everything in its place and, once satisfied, she left the bathroom. Grabbing her coat off the kitchen table, she made her way outside. Riza never locked the door, because the house wasn't valuable and neither was anything in it. She might mourn the loss of her bobby pins, but everything she valued-her coat, her clothes, and her bow-she carried with her.

She walked the long trail into town where the Royal Training Grounds were. Every morning she trained so she would always be loose with her bow. Her bow was her most prized possession and was passed down from her father. Granted, he never intended for her to have it, but when she joined the Royal Forces, it came in handy. She was quite the shot too, the best sniper in the entire Kingdom. They called her the Hawk's Eye as a play on the name she introduced herself as-Hawk.

It was a quiet morning and the air was comfortably crisp. Winter was over and the last snow had melted, and Riza was sure there would be no more snowfall until next winter. For that, she was grateful. She did not enjoy the grey skies and cold weather. For one, the house was not equipped for a comfortable winter. The cold also made training more difficult, and sometimes the road from her home into town would be so covered in snow, she wouldn't get in for the day.

But now, all she needed was her blue cloak which was warm enough but would be discarded once it warmed up in the afternoon. She breathed in the sharp air and let her shoulders relax as she strolled along. The town was never out of her line of sight and it loomed higher as she approached. It was early, but the gates were open and she passed through the tall stone arches. She waved politely to the guards on the wall and they waved back, but no words were exchanged. Speaking would have been unnatural in the quiet stillness of the half-awake town.

Amestris was a beautiful kingdom with large, expertly crafted towns surrounding it. But, the most beautiful of those towns was the capital, known as Central. It was perhaps the most obvious name for a place, but also the most practical. It was the central-most town, after all, where everything happened, where the military was based, and where the King lived. All the towns in Amestris had charm, but Central was downright beautiful. The finest stone built up the town and there was not a drop of litter in sight. The people were friendly, the kids were cute. Central was almost too perfect. If Riza could afford it, she'd move right into the center of town. She already knew the city so well from a childhood of wandering the cobbled streets and, perhaps, she wouldn't feel so lonely surrounded by people.

Central was also laid out in a very simple and straightforward way: The King was in the center, the Royal Court in a circle around the Palace and the Nobles in the next ring. The rings made up the city, with the most important, and rich, people living towards the center and the others on the outskirts. It was nearly impossible to get lost with the layout of the city, even for those who had never once stepped foot in Amestris.

She approached yet another set of gates and this time shouted up her identity so they would open for her. As the gates opened, the sprawling emerald of the Palace Green came into view. This was also home, and Riza found comfort in being part of the Royal Forces. Besides, she might be a solitary individual, but there was someone she had to protect.

"Hawk!" A deep, cool voice called from behind the disguised woman and she turned to see a handsome young man with dark hair and eyes approach her. Besides their coloring, there was a stark difference between Riza and the man. She was dressed as an archer, in royal blue armor and a blue cloak. He was in blue as well, as blue was the choice color for the Royal Forces, but his clothes were loose and draped in robes. He wore a light hooded cloak and wore white gloves with a red insignia on them.

Roy Mustang was a Royal Mage. More specifically, he was the Fire Mage, and he was the person Riza had to protect.

"Good morning, sir," Riza said politely, nodding as she slowed to let the man catch up to her. Her voice was dropped in a low pitch. No one knew she was a woman, not even her best friend and superior. Roy smiled warmly and they fell into step together as they approached the castle grounds. "Have you completed those reports for Lord Hughes yet?"

"Uh…" He had obviously not been expecting that question, and it was obvious he had not. Riza sighed and shook her head. "I'll get them done today!" Roy protested, as though she had chastised him.

"Of course, sir," she responded politely, though they both knew that was a bold faced lie. Riza would be busy training and following orders, and Roy would likely get distracted by something. They would have the same conversation the next day, as they always did.

"What is the schedule for today?" The Fire Mage asked her as they passed into the building where their team's office was. The Royal Forces were divided into teams, with each team having a Mage at the head of it and a group of soldiers ready to follow orders. It was efficient and left room for advancement, which kept the people happy.

"I will be training this morning, as usual," Riza responded. "You should as well. That or paperwork. And then you have a meeting with Lord Hughes. Your afternoon is free, but something is likely to come up."

Mustang sat at his desk which was positioned at the head of a large room. Riza gathered some papers from the shelf to her right and placed them on the already messy and disorganized desk. She hoped the Mage wouldn't forget today, though she knew he likely would.

With a final reminder to please fill out the reports, she left so that she could get some training in before the late afternoon classes took over the grounds. So early in the morning, it was likely that she would be the only one practicing and that was how she liked it. The fewer people around her, the less chance she had at being found out. Even after four years of this disguise, she never once felt even the smallest bit like a male. Perhaps it was her own bias causing her to feel like she wasn't going a good enough job. What was more likely, however, was that she was such a good sharpshooter, no one was going to question her.

She was frankly amazed Roy hadn't figured it out, after everything they'd been through together over the past years, but he was so focused on rising up that he probably didn't pay much attention to anything not directly in front of him.

Thunk. Riza smirked to herself. First shot right in the bullseye. Perfect. She grabbed another arrow from the pouch she had at her side, lifted her bow, and drew it back. The under side of the first knuckle on three of her fingers felt the bite of the sharp twine, though they were so calloused, it caused no real pain. She closed one eye, then the other, and adjusted the bow's position before letting go. She heard the whoosh of the bow fly just a few inches from her nose and it hit, right on the red center target, just slightly to the right of the first arrow.

And so she went until she emptied her pouch over the course of a half hour. Some wild shots ended up on the target but in a circle surrounding the bullseye. Most of them bounced off the three that were crowded in the bullseye since there was no room for them on the target. The ground was littered with those arrows, and Riza picked them up on her way over to the target. She then returned to the marker and picked up another arrow.

"Mustang."

The dark haired man glanced up from the paperwork and smiled at the older, also dark haired man who was standing in his office. He had been doing paperwork and was glad for the distraction.

Pushing aside the papers, he stood politely for his superior. "Hughes," he smiled. "To what do I owe the pleasure so early in the morning?"

"Oh, just wanted to check up on my favorite little Mage!" Hughes sang as he came into the room with an impossibly large smile on his face. "Did you know my Gracia had a baby?"

Roy sighed. "Yes, isn't your daughter, like, four months old now? I think everyone's heard."

"Well, I commissioned an artist to draw my precious angel! Look!" He thrust a small parchment into Roy's face and he looked at it. It was a beautiful drawing and had obviously cost a lot, so he didn't know why Hughes was carrying it around instead of hanging it on his wall or something.

"She's beautiful, Hughes," Roy said kindly, though he didn't have the heart to tell the man that his daughter looked like every other baby he'd ever seen. Perhaps when she got older a portrait could really depict her unique features, but Roy thought she looked just like a little pink lump.

"I know!" Hughes exclaimed as he grabbed the picture back and hugged it. "Roy, it's so hard to leave every single day and not get to spend time with my two wonderful ladies! Oh, I would give anything to bring them with me wherever I go."

"Forgive me, but I don't think the Palace Military Offices is the best place for a baby…"

"We could start a daycare! It would be wonderful!"

"Yeah…" Roy could think of few things he would want less than a daycare in his place of work. "Anyway, is there any other reason why you're here?"

"Actually, there is." The Fire Mage was always surprised at how the older man could go from gushing over his family like a lovesick teenager to a serious and accomplished member of the Royal Guard. But, Hughes's face darkened and he stepped closer to the desk, so their conversation is more private. "Have you thought about taking a vacation, Mustang?"

Roy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Perhaps he had misheard. "A what?"

"A vacation. You know, get out of the city for a bit."

"Why would I want a vacation?" Roy asked, completely confused. "Everything is so quiet here, every day is like a vacation. There's no stress to escape."

"I think there will be," Hughes said cryptically.

"You do?"

The man nodded and stole a glance at the door. Seeing no one, he leaned in closer. "The King feels threatened," he said in a dark voice just above a whisper. "He is going to turn on the Mages."

"What?" Roy asked, his surprise evident in his raspy, loud whisper. Hughes just nodded solemnly.

"Yes, King Bradley feels that the Mages are too powerful. He worries they will come for the throne."

"That's absurd! Where did you even hear this? I never thought you one to get wrapped up in gossip, Maes."

The man shook his head. "I can't say, but Roy we've been friends for as long as we've known each other. You came to my wedding. Please trust me." He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder in a comforting way. It was in that moment that Roy realized how much Hughes looked like a father. His daughter was lucky, she was going to have the best dad in the world.

"I do trust you," Roy said softly. "But what do you want me to do? I've worked so hard to get to where I am today, and I'm about to be hunted down because I have this gift? That isn't fair. I've done more for this country than most!"

"You should get out," Hughes replied kindly, knowing the decision wouldn't be an easy one. "Just for a little bit. Let this settle down and wait for a time when it's a little safer to be a Mage. At the very least, if some fighting breaks out, you can say you weren't part of it. That might show loyalty."

"This is coming out of nowhere…"

"It isn't, Mustang. There have been meetings you and your team don't know of."

Roy sighed and looked away, contemplating what he was going to do. Running off to get away from all of this seemed cowardly, but he also wouldn't achieve his dreams as a dead man. "Alright," he finally said. "I'll think about it, but I will heavily consider your words of warning."

Hughes broke into a brighter, but still tight, smile and pat the young man's shoulder before returning his hand to his side. "'Atta boy! Don't worry, this will all blow over. You know how the King gets in peacetime. He's always looking for something."

Roy didn't find it in himself to tell the older man that he didn't think this was just an example of the King being himself. If this was truly happening, the King was turning his back on some of the most powerful people he had at his disposal. There was no doubt they would be imprisoned at best, killed at worst.

And so, for a week, Roy floated about in a haze as he watched the world around him crumble. He tried to make arrangements to get out of town but had nowhere to go. He also couldn't plan much without riling up suspicion. He didn't even tell his trusted aide, Hawk, that he was planning on leaving.

It was the seventh day after his chat with Hughes that the older soldier came back. He handed Roy a summons requesting all Mages attend a meeting at three that day.

"This is it," Hughes said solemnly. "Do you have a place to go?"

"Yes," Roy lied as he held the paper in his hands. He couldn't believe something like this was happening. He gave his life, his service, his loyalty to this country and it was turning its back on him.

"You'll be alright," Hughes said kindly, trying to force a smile on his face. "This will all blow over soon. Have you told Hawk? Is he coming with you?"

"Oh, no," Roy said sadly. He'd never told his best friend about the terrible news. He felt awful about it now but felt the need to protect the bow-man. He didn't want him to get all caught up in this and put his life on the line for Roy. No one should have to choose between their friend and the country they love.

"You should at least say goodbye. He's your best friend. He'll understand, and I know he won't say a word. He's more loyal to you than anyone else."

"But he's loyal to the country too. I just worry that-"Roy began, but a loud crashing sound cut him off completely. The ground shook and the two men rushed to the window to find the area outside covered in smoke. Like an ascending chorus, screams filled the air, and people could just barely be seen through the smoke running around.

"Get out!" Hughes shouted and pushed Roy towards the door. "Don't fight, don't get into this. Just get out of the city!"

Confused and worried and with adrenaline coursing through him, Roy began to run. He hadn't even had time to digest the conversation and he and Hughes had and now he had to get out of the city? Possibly out of the country? The day had started so normal, like any other, and there had been no build up. For the first time in a very long time, Roy felt lost.

And then his thoughts flickered to his aide, Hawk, who was in the direction of the smoke by the training grounds. Hughes was right. He had Hawk were such good friends and Roy knew he couldn't leave without him. He trusted Hughes with words and actions, but he trusted the boy with the embellished long bow with his whole life.

"Hawk!" Roy shouted, pushing his way through the smoke and people running in all directions. Another blast nearly knocked him off his feet, but he kept going. As he ran opposite the offices and towards the training grounds, he collided with something hard and solid. Glancing up, he saw Hawk, who looked relieved and nervous.

"Sir!" Hawk said. "We have to go find whoever is the cause of this!"

"No!" Roy grabbed his wrist and pulled him back against a wall. "We have to go. We have to get out of here."

"But we're sworn to protect the King! This isn't like you to run away!"

"The King is coming after Mages. He wants Magery gone," Roy explained quickly as he glanced around for a way out. "He feels it is a threat and we don't know who the real enemy is."

"Who told you this?"

"Hughes."

"Shit." Hawk knew how trustworthy Hughes was and if the older man had said something was up, it had to be true. Not to mention, rumors of something happening in the castle were swirling, but Hawk was so low in rank, all of those rumors were just dismissed as meaningless gossip.

"There he is!"

Both Hawk and Roy jerked their heads up to see guards rushing towards them. Hawk lifted his bow and sent a warning shot in their direction, which caused the guards to pause long enough for the two to run. Roy found himself surprised by how quickly Hawk was able to cast away his pledge to serve the crown and instead focus fully on his promise to protect the Mage.

They ran as fast as they could, out of the castle grounds and into the deserted city. It was nearing afternoon at this point and had the explosions not happened, the town square would be bustling with people. It seemed despondent now and Roy hated the sight. This wasn't how his morning was supposed to go.

Through the carefully laid cobblestone streets, the pair ran until they were on the outskirts of the town. The gates were closed and guards were on the walls and the two ducked into an alley. Hawk checked to be sure no one had seen them and then turned to Roy.

"I need an explanation now, sir."

"The King wants to eliminate all Mages," Roy said heavily as he wheezed out the words in puffed breaths. "He believes they are a threat to his throne. I don't know who set off those explosions or if the order has come down yet, but I'm going to assume by the guards ready to attack us that we're not on the friendly side."

Hawk stared at him for a long moment. "So, what do we do?"

"I have to leave. That's what Hughes suggested."

"Where do we go?"

"We?"

"I'm sworn to protect you, sir. Where you go, I'll go."

Roy studied Hawk's face, but he was as serious as ever. "Alright," he said. "Are you sure?" Hawk nodded. "Then let's find a way out of this city."

Riza had no idea what the hell she was doing. One minute she was shooting arrows in the training grounds and the next she was shooting at her own comrades. The first explosion happened as she was loosening an arrow. Startled, her arm jerked up and the arrow went flying through a window. Before she could turn around, smoke filled the area and she found herself running along with other guards.

"It's that damn Fire Mage!" she heard someone shout and her thoughts jerked to the man she was supposed to protect. Spinning on her heel, she rushed back towards the office, desperate to find Roy. The words of the soldiers didn't even register until the two of them were standing in an alleyway, hiding from the very people they had once thought of as friends.

"Where do we go?"

Roy stared at her. "We?"

"I'm sworn to protect you, sir. Where you go, I'll go," Riza replied fiercely. Roy believed she had just been assigned to him randomly, but Riza had a bond with him spanning years Roy probably barely remembered. If the country was against Roy, then she was against the country.

"Alright, are you sure?" Riza nodded. "Then let's find a way out of this city."

"I know a way," she said, grabbing Roy's wrist and running towards the other end of the alley. She knew this city inside and out. As a sniper, she knew every crevice, every false wall, every corner she could squeeze herself if need be. So, she knew that just a few alleys over in the southwest corner would be a false wall leading to the outside of the city. There was a chance it would be guarded, but Riza hoped they were faster than the guards.

Pressed against the wall of a building, buried in the shadows, Riza peered out and saw her prize, the false wall, completely unguarded. "See that stone there?" Riza pointed. Roy just shrugged. All the stones looked the same to him. "That's our way out."

Before the Fire Mage had the opportunity to ask what she was talking about, she grabbed his wrist again and barreled towards the wall. A guard above her on the wall shouted, and Roy called to her because he thought she was running full speed into a hard stone wall. To his surprise, the stones gave way and they found themselves on the other side of the city walls.

The pasture around the city was lush, green, and rolling. It seemed to go on forever and there was no tree cover. So, the two would have to run for their lives and hope they weren't hit. It was only a matter of minutes before more guards were alerted to the outskirts of the city and they would be hunted.

"This way." Riza took off through the pasture, Roy following close behind her. Her bow was propped up in attacking position and she was ready to shoot anyone she came into contact with. Roy, on the other hand, was a little apprehensive to hurt anyone because they were just following orders. If roles were reversed, he would chase after any of the men in a heartbeat should he be ordered to.

An arrow just missed Riza head by inches, so she turned, still running backwards and fired an arrow into the sky. She didn't see it land, but heard a thud behind her and knew she'd hit a man and he'd fallen off the wall. Well, now there really was no turning back.

Another arrow came close to hitting Roy, but he snapped his fingers and it caught on fire, and it disintegrated in the air just an inch from his nose. He turned back, trying to keep up with Riza who was much better at running backwards than he was.

"Hawk!" Roy shouted and snapped his fingers, lighting another arrow on fire just before it hit the bowman in the chest. She gave him a grateful smile and shot back before turning around and running full speed through the rolling green.

They passed farms and animals as they pounded the dirt path. Finally, they came to a place where forest sprung up to their left and the pasture continued on to their right. Immediately knowing they needed cover, they ducked into the woods. At this point, the guards would literally have to come to them because there was no way an aimed shot could reach them from the city walls.

Crashing into the woods, they ran for some time before they came to a place with a large rock where they could catch their breath. They both collapsed on the ground, panting and trying to control their breathing. Rize didn't feel her legs could move another step, but she knew their rest would only be temporary. The woods were small, so they would have to get going soon.

"Are you okay?" Riza asked, glancing at the Mage. He just nodded, too busy catching his breath to speak. Satisfied enough with his answer, she sat back against the rock and closed her eyes for a moment.

How had this day gone from peaceful to this? One day she was a bowman in the Royal Army and now she was one of the most wanted individuals in Amestris. She opened her eyes and looked at Roy. She couldn't even imagine what he was feeling. She loved her country, but Roy had plans on moving up in the Army and eventually getting into the Nobility. Now all of that was crushed.

Riza could never go home. The thought crashed into her as she thought about the small little house on the outskirts of the city. She would never be able to return to the only place she had ever spent the night, the only place her parents had ever lived. It was where they were buried. It was where her bobby pins were. She leaned her head against the cold stone and sighed heavily.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked once he caught his breath.

"We're not going home," Riza said simply.

"Yeah… I know." Roy paused and studied the green grass as if it would give him all the answers to his problems. "We're in deep shit."

"We need to know what's going on, but we can't get into the city," Riza said. "We'll have to piece together what we can. We need more information before we make a plan."

"For now, let's just get as far away as we can before night falls," Roy suggested. He smiled a little, his personality showing for the first time since they escaped. "At least I can make a fire tonight."

Riza smirked back and rolled her eyes. She was about to respond when they heard crashing through the brush and knew the soldiers had entered the woods. They jumped up, Roy heading further into the woods while Riza held up the back, her bow ready.

A chorus of arrows cascaded through the leaves and Riza swore, dodging them expertly. "Roy, run!" she shouted, turning and sprinting full speed through the trees. There were too many of them and no way they could take them. She had seen Roy hesitate to use his magick, so she knew he was not going to easily set the forest on fire. Besides, it would be best if they destroyed as little property as possible.

And then there was the cliff. Riza broke through the trees and saw Roy who was perched on the edge, looking warily down at the river rushing below. Riza stopped short and swore. There was no way out. The cliff was a deadly drop, and the pointed arrows behind them spelled their death. They glanced at each other and Riza lifted her bow towards the trees just as the soldiers came crashing through.

There was a pause. Riza knew that because she had killed or at least injured one of their men, they would be inclined to shoot on sight. They readied their bows, and she realized they were about to die right then and there.

That would be it. No more goals, no more life, no more protecting Roy. And worst of all, she had failed in the one duty she had been sworn to. She would die and so would Roy, and all of their hard work, all of her perseverance would be for nothing.

And then Riza broke.

She turned, grabbed Roy, pulled him close and jumped as a cascade of arrows followed.

I know, we were thinking the same thing: Man, Kat has like 4 unfinished stories and two sequels she wants to work on... she should write another one!

Oh, brain... why? Well, I've been wanting to write a fantasy, so here's a RoyAi AU Fantasy! It's largely an exercise in longer form writing. My chapters tend to be about 2k words and I want to use this to practice hovering around 5k, though some chapters may still be shorter.

Anyway, some notes: This is total AU. Also apologies for the pronoun switching, that should stop after the next chapter. Hopefully it flows alright. I use the word "magick" instead of "magic" because, traditionally, "magic" is an illusion. It's entertainment. But "magick" is the real deal, it's the working of the universe and power which is, of course, what Roy is able to do. If you look it up you'll find many different definitions, this is what I chose to use in keeping with my own experiences with magic and magick.

This will also pull some elements from Akatasuki no Yona and perhaps a little from the Books of Pellinor

Also, the title is based off of the song "Something Wild" by Lindsey Stirling and Andrew McMahon. While not a perfect match and the story isn't based off of the song entirely, it is where I've drawn the most musical inspiration.

Sorry this is so long. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Sometimes my world building skills can be less than great. As always, thanks for reading!