At the edge of town, the Colonel gazed upon the setting sun in the distance. It had almost disappeared by now. Shimmering hues of red, yellow, and orange almost blinded his narrow eyes, but Roy could handle the light. The man had often stood still to notice the sun's goodbye for the day, since it seemed to help him feel calmer and more at peace. Even in the days of bloodshed at Ishbal this beautiful scene let Roy forget reality for a few moments. It was like alcohol without the hangover.
A few days ago Maes Hughes had passed away. Even though Roy had tried to conceal his emotions about the matter, he still silently cried himself to sleep every night. It was just too much for him to bear. The loss of one of his greatest friends had let his heart sink as far as it could into the depths of his depressed soul.
It was then when Colonel Roy Mustang brushed a few strands of hair from his eyes. He focused his glance away from the sky and sighed, remembering the death of his old friend. His mouth curved into a small smile. "I'm glad I met you, Maes," he began, "my life would have never been the same without you. I wish you were still here, to be with me in the sunset's rays, so we could watch this sight together." Roy paused, and his head stared down at the ground. His bangs fell over his eyes and the grin disappeared. "But you aren't, so I shouldn't go on saying what could have happened. I should be focusing more on what did happen."
Mustang pulled out photograph with the name "Maes Hughes" etched on the back. The picture portrayed his companion along with his beautiful wife and only child. Each of their faces showed warm, happy smiles. "They're not like that anymore, are they?" Roy asked the photo. "At the funeral, their eyes didn't hint one drop of cheerfulness. I only witnessed sorrow and grief. I haven't seen their expressions change since. And," a single tear began traveling down his cheek, "I don't recall seeing you there, either. You've missed your only funeral, Maes. We're not holding another one."
The snapshot was thrown absentmindedly to the ground. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Maes. I'll try harder next time." Mustang turned to leave, since the sky was barely lit. His memento continued to lie in the dewy grass, and it seemed as if the individuals in the photograph were allowing tears to escape from their eyes.
