"Guiding Light"
Author's note: Writing this was a sort of therapy for getting over the series ending. It didn't work too well, but hey, at least I managed to write something half decent.
---
His golden eyes stared at the hand stretched out towards him.
What felt like another five years passed before the young man smiled, slapping the other's palm lightly in a casual gesture, as if it were some regular, informal occurance.
And then he was gone.
---
This isn't goodbye, moron. A handshake like that is for a goodbye. I'm not going off to get myself killed, so I don't expect you to rush into a suicide mission either. See ya later...and...take care.
---
"I've missed you."
"I know, you bastard. Can't do anything without me, eh?"
Roy smirked, amusment shining in his dark eye—a welcome change from the tears that had been there previous.
"Self centered brat as always, I see. Some things never change."
"Heh...if only you could say that about everything. I mean, look at yourself, Colonel--or whatever the hell you are now---You look miserable."
"Can you blame me?" the military man asked, a sigh escaping his lips. "Things have been...rather difficult."
"Still," the other voice said with a twinge of annoyance, "you can't let things get you down. Aren't you the top candidate to become the Fuhrer now?"
"Yes, but..."
"You're not getting anywhere if you keep moping around like this. Whatever happened to that famous Mustang drive?"
"...It went with you," Roy answered, the ghost of his earlier smirk twisting into a sardonic smile. "Funny how life turns out, hm? Here I am, about to accomplish what I've been setting out to do for almost a decade...and when I finally have that within my grasp, the most important people in my life slip away. The people who got me here to begin with..."
"Oh, so I'm getting some credit here? You're just inflating my ego, you know."
"...Heh."
"To think that despite everything...or maybe because of everything...I wound up this important to you. It's...hm. It does explain why you've been like this. And I thought I had problems with clinging to the past." The grin could almost be heard in the younger man's tone.
"What are you trying to...?"
"Listen. If you're ever gonna accomplish anything...you're going to have to let go."
"...I know. It's just..."
"I know."
"...I never told you..."
"I know. You never had to."
The words were accompanied by a gentle pressure on Roy's shoulder, warmth from it seeming to permeate through the heavy cloak and military uniform he was wearing. Past his skin, even...beyond the walls he had constructed to shut out both the cold and the heat, down to a place he had kept locked off for years.
"...then you have to understand."
"Yes, I do. But that's no reason to mope around forever. It's already been almost two years..."
"I..." Roy whispered, licking his dry, chapped lips. Had it been so long already? It had seemed like only yesterday that he felt the blonde's hand slap gently against his own...Only yesterday that they had parted ways, to follow their own seperate paths.
"Hmph...stop worrying. It's not like you," the other voice said, breaking the older man out of his thoughts. "Besides, we're bound to see each other again one way or another, aren't we? But for now..."
"...yes."
"So, go. Do what you were meant to do. Make the world a better place, like you always wanted to."
Roy leaned down, crouching in front of the gravestone he had been standing beside. "...I miss you, Edward."
"I miss you too. But you need to be strong...Promise me you'll be strong."
His head bowed low, his eyelid still closed. A look of resignation crossed his features, and he suddenly felt almost foolish for letting himself waste away like this. This wasn't what Edward would have wanted...not at all. He had to move on. Despite any tragedies, despite any mistakes... To not look back, only forward. Only now did Roy realize that these lessons had been taught to him by the other alchemist all along.
He slowly nodded his head, accepting. "...I will."
"Let go...we'll see each other again."
"I know."
"Open your eyes."
He did.