Hughes's Paradise

Everybody in the military was in the graveyard watching as they started burying a body. Coronal Mustang couldn't believe that somebody as lively as Hughes, his best friend was dead. But all in the same he absolutely refused to cry. But he almost broke when he heard Elysia, Hughes's daughter. She was only 3 years old. She doesn't understand that she's never going to see her daddy again.

"Mommy, why?" Elysia asked pulling at her mother's arm. But Gracia seemed to be ignoring her. "Why are they burying daddy? Why are those people burying daddy? Why?" she pleaded with her mother to tell her.

"Elysia." Gracia finally answered. How can I tell her? What can I say? If I can't get though this how can she? She's so young. Oh Maes why did you have to die? she thought and listened to her only daughter's cries for her father.

"I don't like this. If they do that, daddy can't work anymore! Mommy stop them." Gracia bent down to hug her. "Daddy said that he had a lot of work to do. Make them stop! Don't bury him mom! Daddy! Daddy!" she cried. After awhile everybody started to leave. All who was left at the grave was Mustang and Hawkeye. Mustang told her how Hughes said that he would serve under him when he became Brigadier General. Hawkeye didn't know what to say.

"It's raining." Mustang said and let a single tear slide down his cheek.

The next day Gracia was depressed. She didn't know how to help her daughter. She had been crying all night.

FLASHBACK

Gracia tried to tuck Elysia under the covers. But Elysia wouldn't have it. She was struggling.

"Mommy no! No mommy no. Daddy has always tucked me in. No! I won't do to sleep until Daddy comes home. No! I won't do it. No!" Elysia cried.

"Elysia please. Daddy's not going to be tucking you in for awhile. He asked me to do it for him. You don't want to make him mad, do you?" Gracia asked as gently as she could.

"Well no. So I'll let you tuck me in but only for tonight." Elysia said.

"Thank you." Gracia said.

"Then when daddy comes back I can tell him what a good girl I can be." Elysia said. It took everything in her for Gracia not to start crying again.

END FLASHBACK

Gracia picked up the phone and called the one person that Elysia looked up to besides her father, Hawkeye.

Hawkeye picked up the phone at her house.

"Yes hello. Hawkeye here." she said.

"Yes Hawkeye I was wondering if you could come pick up Elysia and explain to her what happened I just can't do it." Gracia said.

"I understand. This has got to be very hard for you and your daughter. I'll do what I can to help." Hawkeye said.

"Thanks I really appreciate this. I just don't know what I can do for her." Gracia said.

"I'll be there in about ten minutes, bye." Hawkeye said.

"Bye." Gracia replied and hung up. In was exactly ten minutes when Hawkeye got there. She knocked on the door. Hawkeye took Elysia to the park and bought her an ice cream. They sat down on the bench together.

"Ya know Elysia you sure are being brave about this." Hawkeye said.

"Well yeah. I have to be. I'm trying to make daddy proud of me." Elysia replied though her ice cream.

"Elysia…" Hawkeye started. "Has your daddy ever told you the story of paradise?"

"No. I don't think so." Elysia replied.

"Well in paradise is where your daddy is right now." Hawkeye said.

"He is?" Elysia asked.

"Yeah. He's in paradise getting it ready for you. He's getting all sorts of candy and animals for when you get there. But until he's ready for you to come you can't see him but he can see you." Hawkeye said.

"Is he watching us right now?"

"Yeah. You can talk to him but he won't be able to talk back." Hawkeye said.

"I want to talk to him now." Elysia said.

"Well go ahead. Look up at the sky and just say what you want to him." Hawkeye said. Elysia nodded and looked up at the sky.

"Daddy I love you and I want you to come back. Oh and by the way I want some cotton candy when I get to the paradise that you're creating for me." Elysia said.

"I bet that once you get there, you can have all the cotton candy you want." Hawkeye said.

"I hope so. Daddy turned me on to it. I love it." Elysia said and walked back home with Hawkeye. But what Hawkeye didn't know was that Hughes really was watching over his daughter. Just as he had when he was alive.

"Cotton candy it is. My little angel." Hughes said.

In memory of Maes Hughes, who gave his life in the act of duty.

(A/N) Hey guys please review. I just saw the Japanese version so Elysia might have actually said something different when they buried Hughes but I thought it was cute so I just had to write this story.