Spoiler Alert! Don't read unless you dont mind spoilers or if you havent seen the episode after the Fifth Labortory episode that revolves around Maes Hughes! Heck you might as well finish the first anime before reading, so that you aren't confused about the eye patch.
I warned you.
Song: "Danger Line" by Avenged Sevenfold
The cold air chilled in the twilight, every living thing was huddled in any kind of warmth as the sun headed into darkness. A teen stood infront of a stone, her eyes looking down at the letters. Her light brown hair blew slightly in the breeze. She wondered how he felt as this man died, as he took his last breath. Did he think of his life? Did he think of his family? What was he feeling, running into the line of danger? She remembered what she was told a few years back about this man.
"Please sir, tell me what happened to him!" Her words echoed through her mind.
She remembered looking up at the man she was pleading, a state alchemist. He wore white gloves with a red symbol on the back of his hand; she was told it was a transmutation circle for alchemy. He was dressed in a military outfit, the black eye patch over his eye made him look somewhat mean. His black hair seemed to try to hide his matching eyes. She remembered glancing behind him, looking at the blonde girl sigh.
"Sir, I suppose telling her isn't out of the question anymore." The girl said.
The man sighed and scratched the back of his head, mumbling something that sounded like "She's as stubborn as FullMetal." but she ignored that statement. The man looked at her with his one working eye.
"He knew something he shouldn't. And he was shot." He said, looking down at the floor, remembering the day.
She remembered the shock she felt, that this man was killed for knowing something. He had been trying to reach his best friend and tell him before it was too late, but his friend had already left. She heard a lot of good things about this man from the other state alchemists.
She heard that he was in ishbal when the war broke out. He was brave then, and it seemed that he tried to avoid all fear possible. He knew it was possible that he would die, or he might lose a friend. But he tried to leave his fear on the line of danger. But she heard that he seemed to leave faith there sometimes too. But he came through.
And years later after the war, he's still in the military with his best friend who was also in the war. He was married with a new baby and he still put himself in the military. She heard that some other military members would wonder why they're doing this, and he'd shove a picture of his wife or daughter in an attempt to cheer them up. Back then, they said it was annoying. But the man in the eye patch she spoke to earlier disagreed now.
"He was proud of his family, and he did this to protect them. He was just reminding us why we were here. To protect the ones we love." The man with black eyes said, his bodyguard behind him. "And when someone feared that we wouldn't succeed, he'd say 'They may take one, but they won't take us all.".
She wondered what he was really thinking in his last seconds.
He stood in shock as the familiar woman pulled the trigger. Nothing shocks a man like a bullet hole. His shock was his doom, his distraction killed him. He slowly fell back, realizing that he'd been shot. His glasses slowly fell off as he was almost to the ground. He stared up at the blurry sky, his body heavy and numb. His mind wandered.
"I'm sorry I failed you. I do this for you and I die." He paused and chuckled slightly. "I killed multiple people in the past, and now I find myself in my own blood. And I've been here before, in this battle of life. But I can't live this, I can't be repaired." He looked beside him, seeing the picture he loved so much. A woman, himself, and a child near the age of 4. "I'm sorry Elysia, Gracia...I'm sorry for leaving you. I never meant to leave this world alone. But just think of the times we spent laughing away. Think of the times at home. I never meant to hurt you, the ones who care. I really wanted to grow old with you. But no one said life was fair." He looked back up at the sky, feeling his end come. He chuckled slightly again. "Heh, I never really believed in God...but now I find myself praying to Him. I guess I just hope for there to be an 'up above' and for there to be someone there...to remind God to leave his light on for me...but mostly, to tell my little girl that it's alright. Tell her that Daddy loves her. I've spoken my last request today...Just leave your light on...and tell her."
And with that, the soldier died, in the line of danger.
"Mommy, why are they burying Daddy?" A little girl cried as the hole was being filled in front of the stone. "He can't wake up and work if they bury him! He has a lot of work to do, he told me! Stop burying Daddy! Daddy wake up!" The words echoed in her head that the little girl cried. It was years ago, but it seemed to close.
The teenage girl smoothed her hand over the stone and headed home, unsure if she'll ever know. A wind blew behind her, blowing her hair into her face. She looked over her shoulder as the last remaining ray of the sun peeked through the approaching darkness. The ray shone onto the stone, shading the name of the owner: Maes Hughes. The girl gasped slightly as the image of a tall man with black hair combed back, leaving a strand of hair in front of his face, glasses on his face, appeared. He seemed faded and bright, like the sunrays itself. He looked at her with proud golden eyes and smiled before the sun was swallowed by the night, taking him with it. She stared at the disappearing image as the wind gently blew past her.
"Daddy loves you, Elysia." The wind seemed to say in the voice she had long forgotten, the voice of Maes Hughes.
She smiled, holding back tears, knowing that it was her and her mom he thought about in his moments of death. His last request was fulfilled. She smiled to the sky to what could be God.
"You're late." She said, replying to what she had heard.
The cold air chilled in the night, every living thing was huddled in any kind of warmth possible, awaiting for the sun's return. A teenage girl walked home, her memory of her father returning.
"I love you too dad." Elysia Hughes said, smiling at the moon, at her dad who died in the Danger Line.
Every since I heard the lyrics to this song, i thought about Maes Hughes...
Anyway, this songfic is in memory to everyone fighting for our lives, and for anyone who has lost someone important to them.
The main reason, however, is to remember the deaths of two Hughes's. Maes Hughes of course, who died in the Danger Line in the FullMetal Alchemist Anime/manga. And the second Hughes who this is for, if for my brother who's anniversary was the 1st of Feburary. He wasn't a soldier or anything, but I will still make this in memory of him as well.
In Loving Memory of all those fighting for us, all those who changed the lives of the people around them, Maes Hughes who seemed to have also changed a few lives, and my own Hughes brother.