Thanks for all your reviews and kind words, it means a lot to me.I'm feeling better now, there are plenty of other people who knew them a lot better than me.

But anyways, let's move on.

So here it is, chapter 10. Only two more after this. And I've actually started on the main story -w00t- only, as usual, it has no title yet. However I am trying to make the chapters longer and more detailed, and I am working on putting more and better hughesxroy in it, since the shounen ai in here was pretty much mush. In a bad way. I haven't even finished the first chapterof the main storyand they're all over each other. XD Okay well maybe not all over each other, but close to it.

Yah, and keep in mind, the main story will be my first in-progress story that I will post, and I am no good at creating any sort of plot before I start writing. It just sorta comes as I go. >.> I hope that doesn't cause me to hit a dead end because of something I wrote in a previous chapter. I'm sure I would find a way around it. Mebbe. >.

But anyways, I looked over this chapter, and one: I know. Monologue. Ugh. I couldn't think of any other way to explain it all, and I have this problem where I neeeeed to have things explained. It comes with my mental unstableness. So yah, this chapter most likely has the most ooc in it. -sob- But it's finally starting to wrap up. Be happy!

I know one day in the future when I'm well into the main story I will look back at this story and say what the crap is this junk? Ugh! >.

Random Quote: -Kakashi (from the anime Naruto)- Hello gentlemen. Sorry for being late. A cute girl stopped me on the way, so I danced. -Naruto and Sakura- A lie!

Chapter 10: Truth

Roy had watched him begin walking up to the house, his words having no effect. Worried that something was obviously wrong, he had followed him into the house, surprised at the fact the every light was shut off. That surprise did not compare to when he stepped into the kitchen to find Hughes staring down at the frail-looking woman in the corner. He spoke quietly, afraid that she may not be alive at all.

"Gracia...?"

He sighed with relief when she stirred, ever so slightly, at the sound. Suddenly Hughes had stepped forward and was kneeling in front of his wife, his hand slowly reaching up to touch her cheek. She barely reacted, although her eyes showed slight recognition.

Roy could only watch as Hughes began to shake again, but didn't expect him to start speaking in such a steady voice.

"I remember now...what happened. But I guess I sort of knew all along, didn't I? I just refused to believe it and forced myself to forget..."

The corners of her mouth turned up into a weak smile, and she slowly lifted a hand to his cheek. She seemed so fragile, and although it had only been about four days, she apparently had lost the will to live somewhere along the line, causing her to deteriorate much more quickly.

Roy bit his lip as he watched. It pained him to see such a strong woman fall to pieces like this.

"Hughes, what happened? Will you tell me?"

He could see only his friend's hunched back as he knelt in front of his wife, but he could sense his tears.

"Gracia... is an alchemist. She never wanted anyone to know, and I promised never to tell anyone..."

Roy flinched. And alchemist? She had always seemed so content doing things the conventional way...If she didn't use alchemy, how could she be an alchemist? It didn't make sense. If she never used it then she wasn't an alchemist, she just knew how to use alchemy. But no, he was thinking to hastily. He just needed to listen right now.

"She loved doing normal things, cooking, housework, raising a family... But she was the descendent of a family of powerful alchemists. She had always had many heirlooms tucked away in the basement, ancient alchemy tools, chalk holders, molded alchemy arrays... Every now and then she would show me one and explain its history, what it was used for... And whenever she had an urge to do alchemy she would go down into the basement and create something. And she would get urges, she couldn't help it, it was in her blood."

"However, it would always be something simple, a rocking chair from logs, a new teapot from metal scraps... She would grow restless, wanting to do something more than just these things, but at the same time she would forbid it, wanting to live out her life as a normal woman..."

"One day she lost one of her favorite heirlooms, a molded alchemy array used to blend and create new breeds of flowers. I didn't ask her, but I went down into the basement to make sure she hadn't just overlooked it down there."

"I made sure to put everything back carefully, but I came across a small, strange lead box, lined with pewter skulls. I couldn't help but peek inside."

Hughes was slowly caressing his wife's cheek as he spoke, and she held his hand as he did so, her face showing little as to her thoughts, if she was thinking much at all. Roy listened intently, feeling more and more uncomfortable at the scene before him and the story Hughes was telling.

" Inside was the most beautiful gem I'd ever seen. It was twice the size of a pearl, and as perfectly smooth and round as one. It glowed with a fierce red light, but there was more of a yellow light at its core. Gracia came down at that time and saw me, and rather nervously asked me to put it back. I did as she asked, and she looked strangely relieved once I'd shut the lid. I decided not to ask her again. I never found out what it was."

His face became grim, despite Roy couldn't see it.

"Until the day Gracia tried to bring me back. Apparently after my death she had watched Ed and Al, noting from their mistakes and advances. In the end, she must have tried to come up with a flawless plan to bring me back."

He could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks, yet Gracia simply watched him with her empty stare, as if in anticipation of the story's end.

"Her plan must have been to first create a Homunculus, second, bind my soul to it, and finally, turn me into a human, all in her basement. Only, you must be wondering, how could she manage this without giving up her life? It seemed... that stone was the most perfected Philosopher's stone to date. Quite a 'prestigious' family indeed."

Roy was breathless now. Most perfected stone to date... what kind of bloodshed had her family gone through to create it? But besides that...How did Maes know all of this...

" She had succeeded at creating the Homunculus, and because she had that stone with her, she was able to create one already in human shape, most likely compacting some of the lives inside of the stone to create Red Stone already inside of it... She trapped that homunculus in a special barrier using a complex array passed down in her family... and explained everything to it as if it were me, maybe to help her stay calm. After all, she already knew it was going to become me eventually..."

Roy watched as his friend shuddered. Was it...with anger?

" I can remember what that Homunculus was feeling and thinking. I can remember as it sat patiently, its anger rising as it tried to find a way out. After she had finished, she had gone to draw her next array. The minutes ticked past as the Homunculus' impatience grew, wanting to find a way out, not wanting to become a vessel for this woman's lover. The array was centered around the homunculus, and she about to begin her next transmutation. Then..."

"You remember, Roy, how it was storming when I came to you? The thunder had scared Alicia, and she couldn't find her mother in her room. So she went to the next place she would probably be, the basement... She was already feet away from the array when Gracia realized she was there... She yelled for her to get back, but she had already started the transmutation, and Alicia had spotted the Homunculus, and began running towards it, crying 'daddy...'"

There was a moment of silence, only broken by Hughes' muffled cries as he tried to calm himself down enough to continue.

"At that time, the Homunculus had discovered that it could pass through walls and did just that. It began leaping towards Alicia, but was stopped short as the transmutation took over. The next thing I knew I had inhabited the Homunculus. However, I could barely see through the smoke from the transmutation and suddenly saw a light and heard Gracia scream... I ran towards it, and found myself in front of that horrid Gate..."

Roy gasped. The gate...the one Ed had told him about...

Hughes lifted one hand to his face. That gate...he loathed it with a passion that he didn't understand. Why did it have to look so familiar?

'Black arms had reached out of the gate and grabbed Alicia, dragging her in, as Gracia tried to stop them, screaming for them to give her back. But they didn't, and Alicia was crying and calling for mommy and daddy... And then it closed, and was gone. I stood there, unable to move or believe what just happened. Finally Gracia turned to look at me. And she said to me..."

Gracia interrupted him.

"I hate you. I tried so hard to bring you back and this is what I get in return? Isn't that what I said?"

The insane glimmer in her eye had grown to a full shine, and her voice dripped with malevolence. She slowly stood up, her weakened legs supporting her firmly now.

"And... And then I said, you never loved her! You hated her, and you took her away from me!"

Hughes had fallen onto his back, supported slightly by his elbows. Roy could see the same terror on his face as from the night he had arrived at his house...

She was all but screaming now.

"Then I trapped you in my barrier, but even that power you took away from me! You walked right out of it! And you ran away from me! I yelled after you, cursed you, but you kept running! I lost my daughter to bring you back, and this is how you repay me? I loved you!"

By now Hughes was a miserable sight. He had curled into a ball, holding his hands over his head in a futile attempt to block out her words. Roy couldn't see his face, but he knew he was crying the same despair as he had the night he had found him.

The Colonel stood planted to the ground. He wasn't sure what to do. Gracia was no longer the woman he had known, only a saneless shell of herself. But even so, he felt he couldn't attack her, it might destroy the last of Maes' sanity as well...

He realized that Maes had managed to uncurl himself and was holding his stomach, vomiting a mess onto the floor. Gracia suddenly stopped, and leaned over him, a disgusted look on her face that Gracia never would have expressed.

"Oh? And what's this? Because you went through the trouble to take my daughter away from me, you damaged the array! You damaged the soul attachment! And now look at you, being sick all over my kitchen floor! You're just like the monster Tucker made his daughter into! You're even worse!"

This had to stop. Her logic was twisted in on itself with her insanity. Roy dropped to his knees, drawing a piece of chalk from a hidden pocket. He swiftly drew out a simple array and placed his hand on it. Ropes shot from the ground and wound themselves about the crazed woman. She struggled violently against them.

"Let me go you damned bastard! When will it be enough for you? When will I have suffered enough? Let me go!"

Roy rushed forward and grabbed Hughes, who was shaking on the floor, still clutching his stomach. He found him to be surprisingly light. He rushed outside onto the lawn with Maes slung over his shoulder, depositing him onto the grass. It was no wonder that no one had come running at the sound of her screaming. He could barely hear her now; the house was well soundproofed. Not to mention most people were out on dates right now.

He shook his head, that wasn't important. He kneeled down next to Hughes. His breath came in pained gasps and his hand was clawing at his stomach.

"She's right Roy...I'm imperfected... that's why I'm always ill. I'm just some failed experiment, and I destroyed her life, and Alicia's..."

Hughes bit his lower lip until it bled. Roy found himself breaking into sobs. He didn't know how to help when his friend needed him the most... No... he was more than a friend now.

Roy leaned over Maes' body and embraced him tightly, willing for his pain to stop, he couldn't bear seeing him in so much physical and mental agony.

"Hey..."

Roy loosened his grip enough to lift his head, hoping to see Maes look perfectly fine again, as he always did after every time. But he was obviously still in pain.

"Since I'm imperfect..."

He gingerly pointed to his head, as if the simple movement of his hand hurt him.

"I can feel that homunculus' mind is still here... I think he wants out."

Before these words could sink in, Hughes flinched as if struck and passed out in his arms.

End Chapter 10

Fuwaaah! Isn't that just freaky? Seriously, what was I high on when I wrote this? O.o I mean, I totally slaughtered Gracia in more ways than one. -hides from any gracia fans- Sorreh! I needed a plot device! Mwahahaha do I even know what a plot device is? -ponders-

Okay, review time! (I told yah yu could be your happy selves people! Oh well, thanks XD)

Thatz of the Dragon knights: -buys you an imaginary car- Hey, I only have imaginary money. Thanks.

Duet Maxwell Shinobi of Wind: Thankies, hope you like this chapter -twitch- okay maybe this chapter scares me. -twitch-

Mauzkateer: Aww, yournice -huggles- thankies. They actually had people come talk to the football players (the people killed were on the football team) and they talked to the marching band too about dealing with stress and coping when someone you know dies. The funeral will be at school too. But enough about the sad stuff. Happy happy joy joy! -sprinkles rainbows and lollipops on random people-

Okay, random afterthought. Everyone here is probably older than me -sob- But that's not bad, as long as no one has a grudge against the young O.o

Must. Write. More. NOOOW. -squiggles away- Please review, plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz plz! Thankies. -huggles for all-

gah, I just went through and checked over my a/n, and fixed a bazillion mistakes. -stabs brain with pencil-