So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.

There are only two left at the grave, a ginger sun slowly falling behind

"How can he help me rise to the top if he's two ranks higher than me?"

He lets out a chuckle, dark coal eyes glued downward. His jet-black hair is slicked back neatly, only a few strands falling forward. His thin lips curve upward into a cold smile. 'Ironic.' He holds his hat with his right hand, letting it dangle from two of his fingers.

"Sir," She says, rather quietly, but still stern.

Her blonde hair is still pinned up with the mahogany clip; her eyes of the same colour look at him rather sympathetically, but hold a sadness of her own. "We should go."


Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

A knock on the door.

Roy creaked it open, weary ink eyes blinking.

"Got my girlfriend to bake you an apple pie.. want it?"

Maes's yellow-tinted eyes glinted as a smile crossed his face.

The door opened.

Inside, there were papers everywhere; transmutation circles on the ground and buckets of who-knows-what and notes and broken glass bottles.

Maes stared at them, half in horror and half in annoyance.

"Roy."

"It's called a taboo." A look of complete nonchalance crossed his face, a slight smile, eyes looking down at what a mess he made. "Forbidden alchemy. And it's actually kinda fun.."

Maes grabbed him by the white, wrinkled collar of his dress-shirt.

"I don't understand much about alchemy," He snarled, "But I'm no fool, and I certainly know what happens to anyone who tries to commit a taboo." Roy unclenched the man's hand from his collar. He could see concern in Maes's eyes.

"You can relax, Maes," He said, straightening the shirt. "I haven't done anything."

"Maybe not yet, but you were planning to."

"You don't understand.. I killed a lot of people out there." He shook his head, black hair unkempt and greasy.

"It was a war."

"Easy for you to say.. You weren't even there." Roy said calmly, and turned away, shoving his hands in his pant pockets.

Maes sighed. "No, I wasn't." He looked down, eyebrows furrowed. "And if you didn't want to kill enemies in battle you shouldn't've either. Should've asked for a desk job like I did." He looked up at the alchemist. "Did you really think if you became a State Alchemist you could fix anything? Bring back anyone who died in a controversial war? Invent some utopian world?"

He shrugged his shoulders, the same blank look on his face.

"I dunno."

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

He soon felt a fist collide with his cheek. He touched his hand to it delicately.

"Is a taboo so easy to commit you just need a little binge of studying to pull it off?"

He looked to Roy's desk, where he saw a gun.

"Or.." His eyes seemed to burn a hole in Roy's skin.

"Do you just want a way to die?" He paused. "'Cause if that's the case, then there's plenty of easier means."

Roy removed his hand from the cheek, which now held a slight dent.

"I had it in my mouth, Maes, but I couldn't pull the trigger. Too afraid to end it."

"I should hope so.."

"It's just the kind of cowardly human I am."

Maes smiled.

"Every sane person is."

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,

"Why didn't he tell me, why couldn't I help..?" He wants to look at her, to see someone smiling at him, telling him it will be allright, but he doesn't.

"Maybe because he knew you'd try, sir."

Now, he does look, eyes cold. "What's that mean?"

Running over the same old ground.

"... Sometimes your decisions aren't exactly rational." She speaks in a soft voice, eyes warm, and lips pulled into a frown.

His head moves down slightly.


What have we found? The same old fears.

"It's going to rain today."


Wish you were here.

".. Yes."