Hey people, I finally updated! See, I promised I'd update about once a week! It took me a long time to write this as I've had a bit of a writers block lately but I managed to trudge through and finish this chapter. The hard part of writing is not the act of writing itself but keeping the piece fluid and uniform as a whole. Here's a nice long chapter for your enjoyment. Hopefully this chapter will answer some questions (and mabey keep your interest?) I love reviews so please write if ya have any comments (they don't have to be good reviews either! Constructive criticism is also welcome! Just don't be mean. I hate literary bullies!)

Ch. 3: A Ward of the State

Sage always said that if she could go back in time, she's go back to the early 1900's. Wish granted. She was absolutely fascinated by this new world! It was a parallel of her own Europe as it was in the 1910's. This city, "Eastern" Maes had called it, resembled many of the German cities of her own world. It was like stepping back in time for her. She loved the 'old' feeling of everything. Though outwardly it slightly resembled the bygone times of the world she hailed from, it was nothing like anything she had ever known. She was an adaptable 'go with the flow' person by nature but it did little good to hide the fact that she had 'foreigner' written all over her. She both fit in and stood out at the same time. And she LOVED it! The sights, the sounds, the smells, the people, the buildings, the scenery! This city, hell this whole world or what she's seen so far of it, fit her like a glove. She spent every moment exploring. Well, every moment she could at least. She had to stay on her toes lest she get dragged down to headquarters. And it sometimes it was downright difficult! People in blue uniforms stopped by the house from time to time and Hughes or one of his supporting officers was always coming or going. Hughes had been trying to fill out an incident report all week and she was only making his job more difficult. She felt kinda bad but she was afraid the military would start prying. She was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible in this new world. At the very least she was a foreigner with no papers, no passport, and no nationality. Do you have any idea how bad that looks? What would they do to someone who had no country of origin? They couldn't deport her. She did not want to find out the answer for herself so it was essential that she didn't blow her cover. Sage could tell that Hughes was the kind of man that hated being out of the loop. And it was so hard not to tell him more!

"Gotcha!" Hughes made a grasp for the hood of her cloak as she made her latest escape.

Ow! Note to self, next time don't button the throat of your cloak!

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Finally! After a week Hughes was able to turn in his incidence report. He had given up on getting any additional information out of the girl and turned his report 'as is', focusing more on their failure to apprehend Chimera. Sage sure was a strange one. One minute she was a witty, charming young woman so full of spirit and mischief and the next she was an unreadable stoic aged beyond her years. There was a familiar a glint in her eye. That sly, almost cocky shine. That unflaunted shadow of 'I know something you don't'. Where had he seen that look before?

He'd drug her to the office with him all that week. It had been no easy task getting her there. He had to keep a wary eye on her. That girl could slip in and out of the room so quick and so silently it was unreal. One second was all it took and she'd be gone, leaving no evidence that she had ever been there at all. He needed to get a bell for that kid or something! She'd scared him half death one morning when she just 'appeared' out of nowhere to ask him how he liked his coffee.

Meanwhile, Sage had been avoiding Mustang like the plague. This had not gone unnoticed by Hawkeye either. As Hughes temporary arron boy...er girl, she was bound to run into the Colonel from time to time either in passing or on the job. It was obvious to Hawkeye that something was troubling her but she always hid it under a naggingly familiar ere of disciplined pacifism and nonchalance. She may have smiled as if nothing was wrong but her face was always slightly off color in his presence. When she was sure no one was looking Sage looked absolutely miserable.

"Are you alright Sage?" Riza had asked after catching her red handed in her sulking. She just flashed the same familiar nonchalant grin and assured her that everything was fine. Stubborn girl, she's just like the Colonel. Wait... Riza Hawkeye stopped dead in her tracks The Colonel, Mustang. Just like Mustang! That was it! Just like Mustang!

Sage was already gone.

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The sky clouded over and the world turned gray. Perfect. Now I match. When she had made a break for it and slipped out for the day, it has been brilliantly sunny. Walking around town, a black cloud had formed above her, drawing in energy and infecting the sky with its blandness. Ever since she had begun to cultivate her metaphysical awareness she had possessed an affinity for the weather. Now in this world of heightened physical senses where she was connected to everything that influence was stronger then ever. She glared at the ground as she walked, feeling the gathering energy of the storm around her. The more she sulked the darker it got. She sat at an open air table outside a cafe brooding about everything and nothing over a cup of weak tea. She clenched her teeth and balled her fist in frustration and the thunder rolled softly.

She knew she was being followed. She didn't care. She was busy contemplating her current situation. Something was not right with her, something felt wrong. People had two bodies, a physical one and an astral one. Most people are never aware of their second half but Sage was aware of the astral world and of course her astral self. Each person has a physical presence, a solid feeling within the space of reality, and the intangible ethereal presence of the aura and soul. Yet, sensing inward, now she felt only one presence. She hungered, she thirsted like any living person. She could see, she could hear, she could smell with mortal senses. She could feel the flesh beneath her fingers. But the distinctive feel and presence of a physical being was no longer there.

With her elbows on the table Sage put her face in her hands. She was so tired. She felt diluted like a cup of weak tea; thin and fading like a puff of fog. "What's wrong with me..." a single tear slipped through her fingers and the rain began to pour. She reached inside her cloak and looked at the picture she kept close to her heart. It was a simple photo of someone who had left her a long time ago but it was still one of her favorites. She often looked at it for guidance, reassurance, and comfort but now it brought her only torment. It hurt her to look into the eyes of a man who's face she had seen just this morning. Putting the picture up she slouched in her patio chair, head back eyes closed enjoying the cleansing feeling of the rain on her face.

"You can come out Lt. Hawkeye. I know you're there." Sage stated plainly after a few minutes.

How did she know? She could hear an echo of a soft chuckle from her hiding place.

"Care to join me for a spot of tea?" Hawkeye came over but she did not sit down.

"No thank you."

"Tea's bad here anyways." Hawkeye noticed Sage was thoroughly soaked.

"You do know its raining." Sage grinned.

"I kinda like the rain. It feels good." Riza was loosing her patience.

"Your going to catch a cold if you sit out here like this." Sage opened her eyes and smirked at Riza who was leering over her.

"I'm not worried." Riza made a grab for her arm as she got up but the cloak slipped through her fingers. The thunder cracked loudly above them and Riza was taken aback by the dangerous look in her eye.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't follow me this time."

Riza just stood there in the rain and watched her go. She didn't know what to say to her.

"Miss..." The waiter came over and shook Riza from her daze. Sage had stiffed her with the bill.

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Night was falling and it was getting very cold. Man I'm bored. Her stomach rumbled. And hungry. She had stumbled into a very active square full of stores and places to eat. It was obvious that this was a local night life spot and a popular place for the locals. There was also an outdoor market congregating around the fountain in the center of the space.

She signed "Ah, so many nice things I can't afford."

She sat on the fountain edge, running her fingers through the water behind her and indulging in a little people watching. She really felt like playing some music. Wanting to test her abilities and deciding it was time to utilize the energy of this world, Sage held her hands out and focused. Consolidating her personal energy and extending her presence outwards, she visualized her goal, felt its presence in her mind, willed it into reality. She opened her eyes and there in front of her was a guitar. My first manifestation. She was dumbfounded. It had worked! She touched it and it was solid beneath her fingers. She plucked the strings and practically melted at the masterful, full-bodied sound. Its worn 'broken in' shell and the modestly elegant scrollwork was the physical embodiment of her aesthetic tastes. The sound quality was of such richness and body that only a true musician could appreciate it to its fullest. This instrument truly was an extension of herself. She couldn't wait to play it!

She plucked a simple tune, completely consumed by the energy of the notes. She was oblivious to the crowd of people that had begun to gather. She had slipped into a trance, immersed in her task. The crowd was enthralled by this new sound, so exotic and full of expression, and was impressed by the talented young woman's seamless blend of structure and improvisation. A pile a spare change and small currency bills had begun to pile at her feet. Words began to pour from her mouth, strange words that no person in this world had ever heard. They were passionate and exotic, poetic and flowing. She was singing in Spanish. She was shaken from her daze by the sound of clapping when she rounded off the sound to flex her stiff hand. So they like that huh? She'd made over ten dollars so far. If its music they want then its music they'll get.

Sage played for another hour, dancing and waltzing about as she performed. A man selling flowers had given her a free rose which she had placed in her hair. A few followed suit and purchased more flowers for her as a tip. Eventually her hair was laden with them. People continued to cheer and clap and toss money at her. By the time she stopped she had made fifty dollars. Sitting alone counting her money, she shivered fiercely. Since the sun had gone down it had gotten very cold. The wind cut through her like a knife. And to make matters worse, she was still soaked from the rain earlier. She had tried to get a cup of soup from a restaurant but they had turned her away. Did she really look that bad? So here she sat. Alone.

"Great. Could this get any worse?" Right on cue, a group of shady looking men came out of the shadows and surrounded her.

"Look what we have here boys." Great I just had to open my mouth. His goons began to circle in, laughing and leering at her.

"Aww. A pretty little girl. And she's all alone" She didn't like the sound of his voice

"Poor lost foreigner" Was it really that obvious she wasn't from around here?

"Tourists shouldn't wander off by themselves." Sage smirked as she slung the guitar across her back, dropping into a fighting stance.

"I can assure you that I'm no tourist."

"Oh, feisty aren't we?" This particular man circled in closer, checking her out.

"Why don't you crawl back to the gutter you came from." she hissed threateningly, never loosing her cool composure.

"Oooo. Feisty and sexy..." Having wandered into her range, he went down like a rock. It happened so fast. Her leg shot out, heel connecting with the person's jaw. So much for diplomacy.

"Woah!" She could hear their supprised gasps over the sound of crunching bone. She held her striking position in a display of her perfect balance and strength. Damn, I lost my shoe. Sage grinned in satisfaction and that was when all hell broke loose.

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Sage did not come back to the office again. The incidence report had been filed and her temporary clearance had expired. She also did not return to the house that evening. Riza was worried as was Hughes. She could tell that he had grown attached to the girl over the last week of hosting her. The Colonel...well he was his typical self.

"Riza's right, she does bear an uncanny resemblance to you from time to time"

"Well I do have a reputation with the ladies. You know what they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery."

Riza looked annoyed "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Shouldn't we go look for her? If she was really as upset as Riza says, she could have gotten herself into a lot of trouble."

"Its not my job to keep tabs on tourists."

"Colonel?" Havoc stood at the office door. "Sorry to interrupt but there's a phone call from the police."

"Police? What do they want?"

"Something about a possible security hazard with a prisoner they apprehended last night. They say it qualifies for transfer to the the military police."

"Rrr. Just what I need. More work. Ok I'll take the call."

"Don't worry about it Roy, I'll take care of it." Hughes volunteered. "Sounds like a job for military intelligence."

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It was a foreigner with no ID, no papers, and no passport. Hughes could see why this was such a potential security hazard. The police had given up on getting any information out of the suspect and had hoped the military police would have better luck. Nope. So now Hughes had to go down to the police headquarters himself.

"She seems real out of it right now. Last night she was a real handful though. They had to put her in solitary to keep her from beating up the other prisoners." Hughes and his MP escort shared a laugh.

"Sounds like a real piece of work."

"Yeah she's something else. I wasn't present during the interrogation but a friend of mine tells me she's got no nationality. How does someone have no nationality? Mabey that's why she aint got no papers."

"Mabey..." Hughes stated absentmindedly.

"Well, here we are." He motioned to the unmoving figure in a heap on the floor.

It was Sage, and was battered, bruised, and sick.

"What happened!"

"Eh, got into a fight with a group of punks, twelve of them I think. You think she's bad, you should look at the others. She sent five of them to the hospital! Its a shame though. Those punks deserved the beating they got and here she is sitting in prison for defending herself. Well, I'll leave you to your work. I'll be down the hall if you need me."

There was blood and mud all over her clothes. Broken flowers and shriveled petals stuck out of her matted, tangled hair. Someone had given her a black eye. Pulling off her cloak he noticed that her arms were also covered with similar injuries. She shook violently in his grip as he leaned her against the wall.

"Come on Sage. Wake up." After a moment, she opened her puffy eyes and stared at him with a foggy expression.

"I'm in trouble arnt I?" She laughed weakly. Judging by her discomforted look she must have taken a hard blow to the chest.

"Yeah I'd say you got yourself into quite a mess." She continued to shake violently.

"May I have my cloak back please?" Hughes draped it around her shoulders like a blanket and wrapped her up nice and tight. She looked so tired. "Sir, we're friends right? I mean, we only met a week ago but... I can trust you. Can't I?"

"Sure Sage."

"Do you remember when I said I was from another world?" Hughes nodded.

She told him everything.

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Hughes had invited himself into the Colonel's office .

"I'm telling you that Sage is a Godsend! Elysia just loves her! She's really a big help around the house. She cook, she cleans, she helps Gracia with the shopping. Oh and what a scholar! So cultured! So talented! She really is quite an artist!"

"Why are you bothering me?"

"You should see some of her sketches."

"I'm busy."

"No you really need to see them." He slid the booklet across the table. Roy gave his friend a curious look and began thumbing through the booklet.

"These are good." He said passively. Wait for it...wait for it... Roy suddenly paused. He flipped through a few more, his frown growing. "What is this?" There were pictures of things, places, landscapes he had never seen before and sketches of people from unknown ethnicities wearing clothes from cultures he could not place.

"Remember when I told you about Sage claiming to be from another world?"

"Her head was addled. She wasn't thinking right."

"That sketchbook, its filled with things from her world. Its quite fascinating really. She explained them all to me."

Roy laughed . "Your kidding me right? She probably just made it up. Like you said, she's a smart woman and a talented artist. She probably is just messing with your head."

"I thought it was a little far fetched myself at first. But the more she told me the more it made sense. And then there was your story..."

"I thought we agreed not to jump to rash conclusions."

"You know... she had a brother. Well, sort of. It's complicated." Hughes mused. He pulled out the photo Sage had given him. He could not believe what he was seeing. It was him.

He looked so young. There were others in the picture, a little girl no older then ten years old and a blond haired woman roughly the same age as him. It was a candid photo, so simple. They were all leaning back on the grass and the older woman was holding the camera at arm's length. There was a date on the back. July 4th, 1995. It had to be a fake. A joke. Roy for once was speechless. At least for a while. It took nearly an hour to tell the Colonel everything he knew. Roy did not understand half of it. Well neither did Hughes for that matter. Sage had done her best to explain but it seemed like she was not completely sure herself. She admitted to her lack of any alchemic knowledge, a major hole in her theories. Instead she had focused mostly on where she was from and not how she got here.

"Where is she?"

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Sage was woken by the sound of her cell door opening. There was a man in a black uniform and he was looking pretty mean.

"Oh I know you." She said weakly. "You were at my interrogation." The man was obviously not amused.

"Get up!" He grabbed her rather roughly and pulled her to her feet. Her knees shook as she clutched the blanket Hughes had gotten for her.

"Does this mean I'm free to go?"

"Hardly."

"Oh ok. Then I'm going back to sleep." Her legs buckled and she went down. The sound of a piece of paper being unfolded was deafening to her throbbing head.

"By the authority of the military of Amestris and under the jurisdiction of Eastern district leader Colonel Mustang, you are hereby declared a ward of the State!"

They took her back to headquarters and gave her a military dorm. It was not much, just a bed and a dresser, but it was a lot better then prison. The armed guard stationed outside of her door was a little much. Where was she going to go? She was too sick to get out of bed, much less make an escape. They had at least allowed her to take a hot shower. Someone had been kind enough to drop off a pair of pajamas. Laying in bed never felt so good. Those guys really put me through the ringer. All she wanted to do was lay under a pile of blankets and take advantage of the peace and quiet.

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It had taken him two days to get Sage transferred into State custody. Hughes had stressed the importance of getting her out of prison and into a proper bed as soon as possible. He had sent Riza over to the dorms with a change of clothes and had gone over there himself after he finished his work for the day. Mustang did not know what to expect. There was so much on his mind that he did not know where to begin. This is stupid. Why am I here? The guard saluted him. He knew Sage had a reputation for running off but an armed guard? He dismissed him.

Hughes was right, she was very sick. At the moment she was fast asleep under a pile of blankets. Seeing her like this, it was hard to be angry at her for the headache she caused him. He did not want to wake her so instead he pulled up a chair and sat with her. Just until she wakes up. From time to time she would moan softly or cough. Eventually she opened her eyes.

That expressionless glare of hers was unnerving.

"What are you doing here" Roy laughed.

"Is that any way to talk to the man who got you out of prison?" Sage sank deeper into her blankets, eyeing him warily. She really despised that smug, aloof expression.

"Why do you care?" Roy pulled the photo out.

"I believe this belongs to you" He was kind enough lean it up against the lamp on the nightstand where she could see it. The silence that followed was... awkward. Sage felt really uncomfortable. Although Mustang did not show it behind that arrogant smirk of his, she could sense his conflict. It was a look of pure sorrow that he saw as she turned her back to him. Watching the girl's stony front crumble before his eyes was... heartwrenching.

"You're two different people from from two two different lives. You just happen to have have the same soul." She sounded so empty, so broken.

"How can you tell?" Roy responded with genuine curiosity.

"Practice. It kinda helps that you look so much like him too." Sage grinned as she sat up in bed. "And don't give me that look. Havn't you ever heard of reincarnation?"

"Now your just being a smart ass." Sage laughed softly.

"I did learn from the best." She signed and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "I really messed up this time. I only made it one week before getting into trouble."

"Then we really must be related, in another life that it." he teased.

"I was a foster child."

"Oh." Another awkward silence. Then Sage smiled slyly.

"We were still partners in crime."

"So," Mustang smirked in a rather condescending manner. "The Lt. Colonel says you study metaphysics. Does that make you a witch or something or just plain nuts?" Gods, she hated that aloof, teasing smirk.

"Hey! You saying I'm a some sort of crackpot!" She fumed, crossing her arms in an aggitated huff. "I'm here arn't I? That at least gives some physical credit to my craft." Note to self, to annoy, insult her craft or her intelegence. Having vented a bit, she sighed. "Well, for lack of a better term, I suppose I am a witch of sorts." Sage moved on to a more pressing topic before she got drug into a lengthy conversation about metaphysics and esoteric philosophy. She really wasn't in the mood for being made fun of or ridiculed. She got enough of that in her own world. "So what do I do now that I 'belong' to the state?"

"You'll be escorted everywhere you go and you will not be allowed to leave headquarters without special permission and an armed guard."

"So I'm screwed?"

"At least until we get this mess straightened out."

"You and I both know I can't give the military the information they need to fill out their paper work. That's why I got thrown into prison in the first place. Looks pretty suspicious when a foreigner can't provide any papers or ID. Hell I don't even have a last name." She put her chin on her knees and tapped her feet in thought. And then it hit her. "I'll join the military!"

"What?"

"If I declare my allegiance to the state, I'll be able to get out of here!" Roy eyes her warily.

"You do know what your getting into?" She grinned.

"Be thou for the people right? Kinda like the sound of it. Reminds me of home 'one nation by the people for the people." Roy was intrigued by this. He would have to ask her more about her home country. But for right now his job was to help her fill out the necessary paperwork.

"So Miss. Sage Roan Morrison... you are now an entrant officer of the State of Amestris." Roy mumbled as he added his signature. The sound of snoring was the only response. Looking over the edge of his paperwork, Sage was curled up under her blankets and was fast asleep. He had kept her up long enough. It was very late and she was sick afterall. There was something nagging at him, almost compelling him to stay. Roy looked at his watch as he got up. It was already 3 am. He would be getting up in a few hours for work anyways. I guess I could stick around a little longer.

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Hawkeye found it curious that the guard was absent from his post that morning when she brought breakfast by for Sage. Inside she was suprised to find the Colonel asleep in a chair with his feet propped up on another. She covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. It was so...cute. The Colonel had been working a lot lately and he really needed the sleep. It wouldn't hurt him to come in late today. She gingerly pried the paperwork out of his hands for processing. Enlistment papers? Clever. She draped his discarded uniform jacket over him like a blanket before making her way back to the office.

She made sure she left an extra cup of coffee with breakfast.