Summary: When Roy Mustang regains his sight, he is forced to pay another toll, even though he has the Philosopher's Stone. Now, with the help of Riza Hawkeye, the Elric brothers, and other faces brought into the conflict of the Promised Day, they must all help to regain the Flame Alchemist's memory.

Well, here is my first Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic that isn't a one-shot. Yay! This is set at the ending of Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhood/Manga (after Promised Day), so those who haven't reached up to this part/haven't watched Brotherhood or read manga, there will be spoilers. There will be eventual Royai, and instead of Parental!Roy (I LOVE THEM FICS), it'll be the Elric brothers guiding Mustang. Could get a little angsty in future. And cross-posted on AO3 under 'TheWizardDragonRider', if anyone wants to check it out.

Chapter 1 - Regaining Sight

"Here is the Philosopher's Stone." I heard Tim Marcoh's voice, the alchemist who possessed the Philosopher's Stone, reaching my ears. "You may have your eyesight back... but only if you help to restore Ishval with it."

I couldn't believe my ears. A Philosopher's Stone?! I'd never bothered in wanting it. In fact, I'd heard it only once during my alchemy apprenticeship, and I never bothered to think about it again. Then, when the Elric brothers had came into my life, with the older brother, Edward, becoming a State Alchemist with the codename Fullmetal, with he and his younger brother Alphonse seeking it in order to return their broken and stolen bodies after their failed human transmutation, I was drawn into a plot. A plot of Homunculi - which had Philosopher's Stones at their core, the Stones themselves, and our country in the middle of a devastating plot. A plot to use every single Amestrian soul as energy in order to create the perfect Philosopher's Stone for the Homunculus Father.

I'll never forget that day. It was called the Promised Day by the Homunculi, and we, who were in the midst of its battle, call it that today. I remember finding out the true killer of my best friend, Maes Hughes - Envy - and myself in a berserk rage, ending with Envy killing himself. The day Edward Elric had defeated Father with his bare fists, with people calling out his name to give him support.

I was one of them. I was also one of the five human sacrifices - me, Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist; the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse; their alchemy teacher, Izumi Curtis; and their father, Van Hohenheim. We were used as sacrifices because we had enough power to activate the circle. And how we had enough power? We had all gone through the portal by committing a taboo.

Me - I'd never wanted to commit a taboo! I remember Pride and Wrath, the two Homunculi under the disguise of Fuhrer Bradley and his son, Selim, forcing me to commit the sin of human transmutation, even slitting the throat of my beloved Riza Hawkeye. She had survived the battle, thank goodness, and I refused. So they opened the Gate another way and forced me through instead.

That had led me to meet Truth, as the Elric brothers and their teacher had done before. He had forced me through his Gate of Truth, which held all the alchemical secrets of the world, which led those three alchemists to transmute without a circle.

But the law of equivalent exchange is what alchemists live and work by. Truth did not care whether I did the taboo or not. I had seen through the Gate and lived; so he charged me a toll. He took away my eyesight, and I was sent straight to Father, alone and blind. We activated the Nationwide Transmutation Circle against our will, and Father's plan had almost succeeded, but thanks to the Alkahestric Reverse, with the help of the work of Scar's brother and the Elric brothers' father, Van Hohenheim, it failed, and the souls of the Amestrians returned to their bodies.

We continued to fight until the very end, I remember that.

Edward beat Father - who had now swallowed the power of God and Truth and had become a perfect being - with his bare fists. I didn't see it, but I remember how we had all yelled Fullmetal's name, which had given him support and strength.

It had only been a day, the Promised Day was, only a day that I lost my sight, but I remember it was the darkest time of my life (no pun intended). Now, it was just a day after the final battle, and Dr Marcoh, along with my old 'buddy', Dr Knox, had offered me the Philosopher's Stone.

The Stone… it had been made out of countless human souls. The thought of it scared me. But it could heal me… and I remembered my friend 2nd Lieutenant Havoc, who had lost all contact with his legs… I remembered how I had captured Gluttony, with the hope of using the Stone to heal him…

"Sir, do it." I heard Riza Hawkeye's voice next to me. Of course, I couldn't see her current condition, but both she and the doctors had assured me she was fine. She'd survive her injuries. Thank God. I felt her smile to me, even though I couldn't see it, and I smiled back, and nodded.

"Alright." I heard scuffling noises, and a hand clasping my arm, but I took it away, and said. "No."

I didn't see it, but I knew that the people around the room were shocked; my friends and subordinates, Breda, Falman and Fuery, and the doctors, and Hawkeye. I smiled, and said, "Wait. Not me yet. I want you to heal someone, a friend of mine, before you heal me."

"Who?" asked Marcoh.

"Havoc," I replied firmly. "Jean Havoc, he's a friend. He can't feel his legs at all. Please, help him."

I heard the doctors step back. "Alright," replied Marcoh.

"Wait, the Stone can heal Havoc, right?"

"The Stone can give back feeling to his legs," replied Marcoh. "Then he must do the road to recovery on his own."

I sighed in relief. That was good to hear. But Marcoh was wrong in one part. Havoc wouldn't be alone. He'd have Breda, he'd have the whole team, he'd have me.

"We'll be leaving you with your friends now," said Marcoh, and I heard the door close with a creak and a soft slam at a close distance. I heard Breda's voice.

"Sir, that was a good thing to do."

I nodded. "Yeah, but I couldn't stand the fact that I'd be healed, and I'd only be waiting a whole day, while Havoc's been waiting for months, and he wouldn't get healed."

"That was thoughtful, sir," said Hawkeye.

"I can use the Stone to heal you too, before me, you know, Lieutenant Hawkeye."

I heard her chuckle. Man, I hadn't heard her chuckle like that for a while. "No, sir. You need it more. The doctors say with proper rest, I'll heal on my own."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Ooh, the Colonel's caring for his little Lieutenant," teased Fuery.

I felt my cheeks flush. "I care for all my subordinates. Hawkeye's one of 'em. I care about you guys too, you know."

There was silence. Until I heard Breda's voice.

"Sir, we can call Havoc, right? To Central?"

"Oh, right, do that now."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Marcoh said he was drawing a transmutation circle around me, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground. I was nervous for this, completely nervous. A little voice nagged at the back of my head: What if this doesn't work?

Shut up, you, I replied mentally, and the voice stopped, but always came back sooner or later.

I knew my subordinates were nervous. I think Hawkeye was extremely anxious for me, too. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and her voice. "Don't worry. It'll be okay."

I hoped she was reassuring herself as well as me. I nodded, and said, "Hawkeye, can I ask a favour of you?"

She could've seemed shocked, or probably expected this, but I couldn't see her expression, because, well… I was blind. "Go ahead, sir."

"Hawkeye… 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye… can I… well…"

"Yes, sir? We haven't got much time."

I took a deep breath. "When I get my sight back… please, can you be the first sight I see? You were the last person I saw before my sight was taken away, and now, when I get my sight back, I want you to be the first person."

If she wasn't shocked about the fact I had asked her a favour, she was probably astounded about what the favour was. She placed a hand on my shoulder again. "Of course, sir."

Marcoh slipped the Philosopher's Stone in my hand I knew it was blood-red, though I couldn't see it; but it felt smooth against my palm. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Taking a deep breath straight from the lungs, I nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Good luck, sir," said Breda. "Havoc sends his regards."

"Yeah," agreed Fuery. "We'll see you with your eyesight again!"

"And when that happens, we'll be standing here," said Falman. "Our Colonel Roy Mustang."

I nodded and beamed. That gave me great support. I couldn't wait to see my subordinates, my friends again. And Hawkeye… she'd be the first person I'd ever see.

I addressed Marcoh: "Do it," and he nodded. Suddenly, I felt as if my soul was separating from my body, and I turned unconscious.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"So, you're here to retrieve your sight, Roy Mustang?" I heard a familiar voice leer.

I sat up immediately. I remembered him. After all, it had only been two days since that happened.

"Truth," I said, "Let me have my eyesight back. I have payment." I held out the Philosopher's Stone. "I remember the law of Equivalent Exchange."

"Remember, huh?" I heard Truth. "Actually, that gives me… alright, Roy Mustang, your eyesight will be returned to you." I felt the Philosopher's Stone leave my palm, but it didn't take a genius to figure out where it went.

Then I fell into unconsciousness once again.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

I woke up, and opened my eyes. Where was I? I didn't know. I looked up, and noticed a blonde-haired woman, in her mid-to-late twenties, with long hair. She was beautiful, that was one of my first thoughts about her. Her throat was bandaged. What had happened to her?

She held out a bandaged hand to me. "Welcome back, sir."

I didn't understand. Who was this woman? Why did she call me 'sir'? I looked around. I saw an extremely old man smiling at me, saying, "The Stone worked, didn't it?" and three men all grinning at me, saying: "Welcome back, sir!" "It's good to see you again, Colonel!" "You can see us, right?"

"Yeah, I can see you," I replied, and I heard whoops of joy. "I'm in a hospital, right?"

The old man nodded. "You're a bit dazed, I think, Mustang. Don't worry."

Mustang? Was that me?

"Sir?" asked the blonde woman. "Are you okay?"

I looked at her, confused.

"Who are you?"