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A river of flame descended over the city walls.
Soon, the horizon was a blur, ashes slowly coating the air. Quietly, dust settled gently, all too gently, and then — a pause.
A silence too loud for a city with lost souls.
Soon, a river of blood poured out beneath the rubbles, the tides rushing through the city’s streets.
Gently, then not too gently, the waves kissed his boots.
His fingers shook.
Behind him, a lone voice called out.
War! — the ear-deafening cry.
Around him, the world became a chorus of steel and gunfire. His breath shuddered, but he cannot stop. So his footsteps remained in sync, his fingers snapping along with the nightmare’s march. It’s what he does, dog of the military that he was. After all, chaos does not take no for an answer.
All for, what was it again?
Ah, yes.
An empire built on a city of ash and blood.
When it was finished, he turned to an old friend.
“A cadet,” Roy began, “or rather, the daughter of my master asked me, ‘Why am I killing people when I should be protecting them’?”
Captain Maes Hughes fixed him a piercing gaze. “You know why.”
“Yeah.” Roy turned away, his eyes concentrated on the sullen figure of a lone soldier sitting on top of a cliff. It was still noon, and the cruel rays of the sun bathed her flaxen hair. Despite this, she did not seem to mind the heat, her gaze focused somewhere far away.
Perhaps, somewhere beyond this city of despair.
Has he misled her by telling her about the military?
Hughes saw where his gaze fell. A smirk slowly formed on his lips. “If she can’t handle it, why else would she be here?”
Roy averted his gaze, tousling his disheveled hair.
“Her father, my master, just died recently,” he muttered. Then his hand fell, balling into a fist. “He entrusted her care to me.”
Hughes paused, scrutinising his friend. Carefully, he began, “You are worried that she’s digging her own grave.”
Then he paused, placing a hand on Roy’s shoulder. “You are also worried that you will fail your master.”
Roy crossed his arms, but nodded nonetheless. That was very accurate to his concerns. As expected, Hughes was still as quick-witted as ever.
Hughes could not help his laughter. Roy frowned, beginning to regret telling him about the cadet and his master. “What’s there to laugh about?”
“Don’t tell me you don’t realise, Roy?” Hughes asked pointedly, re-adjusting his glasses. When Roy just glared at him, Hughes contained his smirk. “She is someone you want to protect, yes?”
“And?”
Hughes gaped at him, stunned. His palm covered his face in utmost frustration. For a bit. Then he stared back at his friend. It could just be that Roy was downplaying things. Or rather, most likely, refusing to state it in case he puts the cadet at a higher risk of scrutiny, especially since Roy’s ambitions were high. Yes, that was it.
Well, it’s not that hard to discern since Roy would not be acting so cryptically if he has not calculated that possibility. Given that, it was better to speak to him in that way, at least, until they get out of Ishval. They were still in ground zero, after all, and that involves remaining under scrutiny of the government.
Still, there was the other possibility that Roy was simply unaware of the strength of his concerns.
After all, he wouldn’t be so aggressive towards Solf Kimbley earlier, if he wasn’t as affected as he was — not just by the war, but by Hawkeye as well. Hughes remembered how Roy grabbed that bastard Crimson Alchemist’s coat after admonishing Hawkeye for not being able to accept the reality of what they had done to Ishval.
Roy’s eyes had become feral, and if that bastard hadn’t left when he did, he would’ve been ashes, a statistic — Kimbley would’ve belonged to the 20% of military officers killed by subordinates in the battlefield.
YES, Hughes realised, nodding to himself, that was most certainly it.
Ah hell, he has pushed his friend too much already earlier. Taunting him would do no good.
Hughes pivoted away with a smirk, and just to be cool, he turned to reply. “Then do what you’ve done here today. Protect what you can. Protect those below you.”
Roy’s eyes lifted from the ground. His gaze, sullen and nearly going blank before, became clearer. Calm and focused again — just like the Roy of yesteryear.
Hughes could almost see how the gears of his brain were turning. He managed a small smile. It’s just as he said to Roy earlier. He’s become more pragmatic, yes, but his roots were still as naive as his ideals.
“You’re right,” Roy finally said, his voice firmer. “Once she graduates, I can recommend her to become my aide-de-camp. That way, I can still fulfill my master’s last wish.”
Hughes couldn’t help himself from being excited, though he tried to restrain himself. “That’s a life-long commitment, given that you plan to be in the military for life.”
Roy arched a brow. “She knows I plan to be in the military for life.”
Hughes paused, gaping. But still, he wanted to know how far gone his friend was. “What did she say to that?”
“She told me not to die,” Roy said, hands inside his pockets. “I told her she can’t expect me to uphold that kind of promise, though.”
Unbelievable, Hughes thought to himself.
These two are so married, and they don’t even know it yet!