Here's the next part. Hope you enjoy it! :) I will post the next part once I finish my exams - and if I get another 5 reviews ;)

16 years ago
Riza was beginning to feel disappointed. A month had passed since Roy Mustang had become her father's apprentice, but she hadn't talked to him again since that first night. She hadn't even seen him that much at all...only twice, and he'd been with her father on both occasions.

Today was sunny, so she decided to practice her shooting. She'd been taught to fire her father's rifle last year, by one of her father's apprentices. Her father had decided it'd be useful for her to know how to fire a weapon so that she could defend herself. Riza hadn't expected to love shooting, but she'd been pleasantly surprised when she'd found that firing her father's rifle was something that came naturally to her, something that she actually enjoyed.

Riza was heading towards the shed where her father kept his rifle, when she realised that Roy and Berthold Hawkeye were actually doing alchemy outside today.

"One is All, and All is One," was saying Roy. "While we live, we take energy from other living organisms. When we die, we are destined to be decomposed by bacteria and they will generate the energy they need to survive from our bodies. To decompose and recreate; that is Alchemy."

"Good. You're ready to start your real training," said Riza's father with a bored voice. "I will see you tomorrow, Roy. Don't forget to finish reading 'Bio-alchemy, vol. 1'."

Berthold Hawkeye didn't wait for a response. With a fast pace, he went back inside, most likely to continue his research. Roy sighed, but then he seemed to notice Riza's presence.

"Haven't seen you for while," he told her with a smile. "What are you doing?"

"I was just about to get my father's rifle and practice my shooting," she replied, starting to walk towards the shed. Roy followed her.

"That's an odd hobby for someone your age," he commented. "Can I try it before I go home?"

Riza shrugged, and took the rifle, along with two dummies from the shed. She hung the dummies from a tree nearby and prepared to shoot from a distance of about fifty metres. She fired, and the bullet went right through the first dummy's chest. Roy whistled.

"You're pretty good," he observed. Riza handed him the weapon without saying a word. "And just so you know, the last time I fired a gun was two years ago, so I wouldn't be surprised if I miss."

And miss, he did. Badly. The bullet didn't even come close to the dummies. Riza laughed.

"Fine, I'm really bad. Try shooting the other, Riza."

She obeyed, and the bullet went straight through the dummy's head. She shot again, and the bullet went through the hole the previous one had left. She shot a few more times, just to show off.

"You're amazing!" exclaimed Roy. "You should be a bodyguard or something! Have you ever thought about joining the Military?"

"My father says people who join the Military sell their souls to the State," she replied instantly. "The few times he ever talks to me he goes on about how much the hates State Alchemists."

"I thought you didn't listen to your father. And State Alchemist are there for the people of this nation," he told her seriously. "My dream is actually to become a State Alchemist so that I can help people...Well then, I think I'll get going, Miss Riza. I have a lot of work to do; being your father's apprentice is hard work."

"Don't slack off, Mr Mustang. My father complains about how lazy you are," she said, shaking her head. Roy smiled and waved as he began walking home across the long field that led to civilization. Riza's house was in the middle of nowhere, and apart from the occasional cow, there was nothing for about a mile.

Time seemed to drift past after that. Riza didn't see Roy often, and when she did, they only said hello to each other, and that was it. He was busy studying alchemy, and she was busy with her own things. She started going to the shooting range in town when she turned thirteen, and people started paying more attention to her after that, saying she had potential.

Almost two years passed until the next time she was able to talk to Roy properly again. This time, he came to find her. He was seventeen now and no longer looked like a kid. He was wearing a big, black coat and white gloves, each with a red transmutation circle painted on the top. He didn't like drawing circles anymore, it seemed.

Riza didn't look like a kid anymore herself. She'd cut her hair short, serious-looking, in a way that made her look a lot older than she was. And despite the fact that she was still only fourteen, she was the deadliest person in town.

Roy smiled like he usually did, but this time, instead of saying hello, he transmuted a piece of wood into a statue of a dog, a much bigger dog than the one he'd given her when they'd met.

"You see? I've become a pretty good alchemist," he commented, as he handed her the dog.

"Yeah, it's better than your first one, Mr Mustang," she replied, taking the wooden dog and placing it on the table behind her. "The detail is quite impressive. You'll be better than my father soon."

"Of course not. I only know the basics of Alchemy," he said instantly. "Your father's so skilled! And I don't know if he told you about his research, but..."

"I'm sorry, but I'd rather not know about my father's research," she said bitterly. Sometimes, Riza was jealous of Roy. Her father gave him so much attention and even talked about what a great alchemist he'd be one day, while he treated Riza like a worthless person most of the time and never once said anything good about her.

"He's researching flame alchemy," Roy told her, ignoring her request. "It's one of the most complicated types of alchemy, and it's extremely deadly as well. Your father could easily become a State Alchemist with his the things he knows! I've tried talking to him about it, but he won't listen. You're his daughter, so maybe he'll listen to you."

Riza stared at him. She was angry now. The wooden dog was probably a bribe to get her to try and convince her father. Stupid Roy Mustang. "My father hates the Military. He won't join no matter what. And he never listens to me."

She turned around to leave, but Roy put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be leaving soon, Miss Riza. I plan to become a soldier and serve the State," he said sadly. "I'm starting Military Academy next month."

Riza was shocked to hear this, no doubt about it. She'd always had the childish hope that Roy Mustang would always be her father's apprentice, but now she wouldn't see him anymore. She wouldn't be able to daydream about the next they'd have a conversation. She wouldn't be able to tell him thanks for being one of her first friends.

And before she could react, he'd disappeared up the stairs, very possibly to give Berthold Hawkeye the news. At first, Riza was only aware of their arguing. But it was soon followed by screaming. Roy Mustang came strolling down the stairs, and Riza's father came behind him, shouting.

"After all I've taught you you're going to become a dog of the Military? They'll put a collar around your neck and send you to war, kid! You're selling your soul!"

"Master Hawkeye, we clearly have different views. But I'm still very thankful for all you've taught me and I'll come back after I become a soldier," told him Roy, trying to smile.

"If you become a soldier, I won't teach you anything else. You disgust me, Roy." And with that, Berthold Hawkeye stormed out the room and into the garden. Roy sighed.

"Goodbye, Riza." He didn't even look at her as he opened the front door and disappeared from her life for another two years.

At first, Riza thought that things wouldn't change that much. After all, Roy had spent most of his time with her father, so there was no reason for things to be too different. But she'd been wrong. Things changed all right. After two months, her father concluded the 'research' Roy had been talking about. And as soon as this happened, he came down the stairs, looking old and tired, but somewhat victorious, carrying all his documents and all the manuscrips he'd spent years writing. And he burnt them all.

Riza was speechless. But even more so when her father looked at her, a somewhat insane smile on his face, and said, "I need your help, Riza. I need you to keep my research. I need you to protect it."

If Riza had known what he'd meant by that, she would have left the house right then and never come back. But this was a rare request from her father, and she was curious. So she said the obvious thing, "how can I help you, father?"

"Follow me." Riza obeyed, and went up the stairs and into her father's room. Berthold Hawkeye then locked the door and lit two candles. Now Riza was starting to feel scared. "Don't ask questions, all right? Just do what I tell you."

There was a flask with some red liquid in it on the bedside table. There was also a sharp needle next to the flask. Riza tried to convince herself that it must be dye.

"Now," her father started, going to sit beside his bed, "take your shirt off and lay face down on the bed. No questions. Just do it."

Once again, Riza was speechless. She stared at her father and took a step back.

"Riza, I need you to do this for me. So if you don't take your shirt off yourself and lay face down on the bed now, I'll just make you do it," he said, sounding serious. "You are the only person who can keep my research safe, the flame alchemy research that took me years to complete."

The contents of the flask really were dye, Riza realised. Her father wanted to write his research down on her back. She took a deep breath, and obeyed his orders. But Berthold Hawkeye didn't just write his research down on his daughter's back. He tattooed everything he'd discovered in code, so that only a skilled alchemist could figure out what he'd found out.

What Riza remembered clearly was the pain. The agonizing pain that came with every circle, every symbol, every line her father drew on her back. It took him one whole year to completely finish the tattoo on Riza's back. And by the end of that year, Riza resented him more than ever. But she couldn't refuse. She was afraid of her father, afraid of what he'd do if she even tried to complain.

So she cried silent tears and did her best to stand the pain every week, when her father ordered her to lay face down on her bed wearing nothing but a skirt. Those months seemed endless, and when they were finally over, Riza was hardly able to believe she'd survived. But she had, and she could move on now.

The next year passed quickly, but Riza was constantly aware of the fact that she was carrying potentially dangerous information with her all the time. And she could no longer go swimming in the summer or wear anything that might allow her tattoo to show. She considered running away from home a few times, but sooner than she expected, her father fell ill.

The doctors said he wouldn't recover from this illness, and that it was only a matter of time. Despite how much she thought she hated him sometimes, Riza still looked after him. When he died, where would she go? Where would she get money from?

That year, Roy Mustang came back wearing a Military uniform. His hair was shorter and his gaze stern, but apart from that, he looked exactly the same. He smiled thinly at Riza when she opened the door and they exchanged a few words before he left to talk to her father. At first, Riza stayed in the kitchen. But then she heard a loud noise, and a scream coming from Roy. So she ran up the stairs and stood outside her father's room, hesitating.

"Master! Master!" Roy was screaming. "Master Hawkeye!"

"Since I saw you grow...with my own eyes," her father said slowly. "I thought of bestowing it to you...What a pity...don't have any time left to teach you..."

"What?" Roy screamed.

"But my research...my daughter knows it all. If you say you will use my power, my alchemy, in the correct way, she will probably present the secret to you."

"Please get a hold of yourself!"

Riza could hear her father's gasps for air and the sound of vomiting. She decided she really didn't want to see what was going on in there, but still, she was frozen in her place, and could do nothing but listen.

"I'm sorry. I was so immersed in my research, I couldn't do anything for you. I'm sorry, Riza," Berthold Hawkeye whispered, and Riza was shocked for a second. "Roy...I'll leave my daughter to you. Please...please...please look after her."

"MASTER HAWKEYE!" screamed Roy. "SOMEONE! SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR! Is anyone here?"

Riza burst into the room, to see Roy Mustang holding her dead father, whose mouth and shirt were covered in blood. She stood by the door, having no idea whatsoever of what to do.

But she didn't need to know what to do. Riza didn't ask him to, but Roy still took care of everything. And a week later, they were the only ones who attended the funeral because Berthold Hawkeye hadn't had any other friends or family. It wasn't exactly sad, but Riza did wonder how she'd be able to keep living in such a big house on her own.

"I'm sorry, Mr Mustang," she said, staring at her father's grave. "Having you take care of everything up to my father's funeral..."

"You don't have to worry about it. As an apprentice, I'll do anything I can for my teacher," he told her sadly. "Don't you have any other relatives?"

"My mother has long been dead. And both my mother and father seem to have been estranged from their families, so I've never heard them talk of any relatives," she answered.

"What will you do from now?"

"I'll think about it," she decided. Riza was a young woman now, so she hoped she'd be able to get a job somewhere. Her father had left her some money, which she hoped would last until she found a job. "Fortunately, my father at least made me go to school properly...so I think I'll be able to live on my own somehow."

"I see." Roy smiled, though it wasn't a happy smile, and handed her a card. "If anything happens, you can visit the Military authorities anytime. I'll probably be in the Military for life."

"...For life?" Riza asked, shocked. She'd hoped he'd quit the Military now that there were so many conflicts with other countries. She spoke the words before she could stop herself. "Please don't die."

"Don't say such ominous things...I can't guarantee it," he told her, now looking somewhat disturbed. "Because in this occupation, someday I might just die on the side of the road like trash...Even so, if I could become one of this country's foundation stones and be able to protect everyone with these hands, I think I'll be happy."

Being able to protect everyone...that sounded so right, thought Riza. Why did people have to suffer? A world where everyone could live in happiness sounded so perfect. And suddenly, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. On that day, Riza Hawkeye decided that she was going to follow Roy Mustang. Wherever he went, she'd be right behind him.

"That's the reason I learnt alchemy," he continued. "In the end, I wasn't able to learn Master's secrets though...I'm sorry, I ended up talking about my naive dream."

"No. I think it's a wonderful dream," said Riza. "The secrets my father left behind...he said they were written in a code no average alchemist would be able to decipher."

"So Master left behind his secret manuscripts after all," whispered Roy.

"No. They're not manuscripts. He said it would be a problem if his lifetime research disappeared or was taken by an outsider," she explained. This would be awkward, but it wouldn't be worse than what she'd had to go through with her father.

"How did he leave them behind?"

"Mr Mustang, that dream, can I entrust my back to it?" she asked. "Is it all right to believe in a future where everyone will live in happiness?"

Present
Now that she looked back, Riza didn't regret her decisions, but they definitely would have been different if she'd known what would happen in Ishval. She tried to smile at the Colonel, and he smiled back.

"One day, Lieutenant, we'll accomplish our dream."