Mustang sighed. That ball was tonight, and it looked like he was riding solo. He smiled, thinking of how many girls probably were going single as well, and cheered up considerably.
That night, he could tell that most of the dancers and guests were orphans, a fake smile plastered on their desolate, weeping faces. The wings of an angel don't hold the answers, he thought. They will not help you know the truth.
And then he saw her. She was dressed in a long white dress, white gloves, and what looked like glass shoes. She was taking the stairs three at a time, but she didn't move onto the dance floor. Her long red hair had black streaks in it, and was kept in check by a white ribbon. She wore pearl earrings and a beautiful pearl necklace. For a moment, she moved towards the shadows, and Mustang felt a pang of disappointment. Did she have a partner in the shadows there? No, she was coming out alone.
He excused himself from the ring of swooning women and moved towards her. "Excuse me." he said boldly.
She looked up, then smiled. "Hello…" she said uncertainly.
"Do you have a dance partner?" She shook her head. "Are you waiting for one?" Another negative. "Would you care to dance with me?"
"Oh! Well… I guess…" she nodded slowly, taking his hand. Smiling warmly, he led her out onto the dance floor.
As the clock chimed eleven, Mustang smiled to himself. It seems to have a magic ring to it. I want to store this moment away forever.
"What is your name? I'm Roy."
"C-Cendrillon."
Mustang noticed that tears were flowing from her eyes. "Hey there! Don't cry." he soothed, leading her away to the stair-case. They could still hear the music, but they were alone. "It's okay. Dancing in clothes that'll turn back into rags in the morning isn't my favorite thing to do either."
She nodded sadly as they continued to dance, slowly and gracefully.
As the dance went on, she seemed to cheer up a little. Cendrillon. An unusual name…It means nighttime beauty, doesn't it? Mustang thought, smiling at her. She looked a little confused, moving one hand closer to his throat. Just getting a little friendly. Nothing more, that's all she's doing.
But then…
The clock struck midnight. Cendrillon let out a small wail, pushing something into his back. He stared dumbly at her as he fell to the ground, arms still wrapped around each other. Weeping, Cendrillon pulled a long blade out of his midriff. Her black dress tore as she ran down the stairs. Black? It was white, wasn't it? he thought, blood pooling around him. One thing remained of the girl he'd danced all night with: a single glass shoe. But as he watched, it dissolved into the ashes of a red fire. The wings of an angel don't hold the answers. They don't hold the truth about anything. And in a place full of orphans with fake smiles, someone like her seems like the wings of an angel, holding all the answers in the world… I was such a fool…
"Good-bye, Roy!" he heard faintly. And then the world faded out.