To Thine Own Self Be True
Chapter 4 - The Alchemists of Amestris
After that day, Mustang never once asked Hawkeye to do his work again. He did his own work, well at Hawkeye's gun point. After about a year of working together, they stared to get along better. She was often seen standing behind him reading over his shoulder to check his paperwork. She didn't do this by choice, he had asked her to do it. Then one day, the mail came in and a letter arrived for Mustang from a small town called Risembool.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye, I think I'm going to pay these boys a visit."
"Yes, sir."
"Hold down the office while I'm gone."
"Yes sir."
"Well, I'm off. Need to stop by the Fuhrer on my way."
Mustang grabbed the small letter and placed it in his pocket. He then proceeded to leave the office.
"Have a nice trip sir."
Havoc called out as the door to the office closed behind Mustang.
BANG!
Havoc and Breda got back to work.
In Risembool, Mustang got off a train and began his walk down some old dirty roads. As he walked, the sun began to set and night slowly crept up. He thought about seeking shelter in a small hotel, but then thought against it when he crested a small grassy hill and saw some strange lights. He looked on in the darkness as a small house's windows lit up with the lights and sounds of alchemy. He watched from the shadows. A cold breeze blew by and he pulled his black jacket tighter around his body. Then, as the lights disappeared, a large metal suit of armor ran from the house holding a small child in his arms. Mustang watched with a sense of sadness in his eyes.
"They attempted a forbidden taboo."
He looked down and watched the suit of armor run down the street and into another smaller house. Mustang choose to follow those boys. He stooped at the first house and saw the address. It was the same as the return address on the letter. So he then choose to follow the suit into the small house. The door was open when he arrived. Inside, he saw a short old lady looking over a small boy in a bed. His right arm and left leg were missing and were now just bandaged up stumps. In the corner, the suit of armor was sitting on the floor with a blonde haired girl curiously looking at him. The armor spoke and the girl jumped. The old lady turned around and faced them.
"Alphonse, now what happened?"
When the suit of armor didn't reply, Mustange took this as his moment to enter the house. He stepped into the small room.
"I'm guessingthe armor andthe boy in bed attempted forbidden alchemy - human transmutation."
Everyone except the boy in bed turned to face Mustang. The old lady looked pissed.
"Who are you?"
"Easy now."
Mustang pulled out his state alchemist watch and showed it to them. The old lady didn't calm down. The suit of armor, known as Alphonse, looked at the watch.
"A state alchemist."
He said.
"Why are you here?"
The old lady asked.
"I'm here because of this..."
Mustang put his watch away and pulled out the letter from his pocket and showed them.
"Thats our letter. Do you know our father? Where is he?"
Alphonse asked. Mustang put the letter back in his pocket.
"I'm sorry, I don't know where your father is."
"Then why are you here?"
The old lady spoke rudely.
"Grandma."
The blonde girl tried to calm her grandmother.
"The military has no use in my house. Out with you. Out!"
Mustang smiled and turned to leave, arms in the air for defence. He glanced once more at the boy on the bed, he looked like he was sleeping, but Mustang knew better.
"Well, I'll leave with that. By the way, my name is Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang of Eastern."
And Mustang left the house, walking back up the hill to the train station. After Mustang left, the boy sat up from the bed.
"Mustang huh? A state Alchemist."
Everyone looked at the boy.
"Edward, get rest. I was hoping you didn't hear him."
Edward laid his head back down. Back outside, it began to rain as Mustang got to the station. He dug around in his pocket for some change and then called up his office.
"Lieutenant Colonel Mustang's office."
"Hello Hawkeye."
"Hello sir."
"I'm on my way back. Send Hughes a message for me, I would like to speak with him when I return."
"Sir, Major Hughes has already left for the day."
Mustang's brow twitched.
"Well, then send a memo down to his office and have ... oh never mind. I'll just call him."
"Okay, sir."
"Go home Hawkeye. Get some rest. Need to talk with you guys tomorrow."
"Good night sir."
Mustang hung up and then walked over to the ticket counter.
"I need to use your phone, military business."
He flashed them his watch and they handed him the phone. He dialed up Hughes house number.
"Hello?"
A lady answered.
"Hello, this is Lieutenant Colonel RoyMustang, is Major Maes Hughes around?"
"Yes, one moment please."
"This is Major Hughes."
"Maes, I've got a proposition for you."
"Hey Roy... do you have any idea what time it is."
"No and I don't care. listen up..."
And with that, he told Hughes the plan and hung up the phone and got on the train, flashing his watch as a form of 'free ticket'. Once back in Eastern, mustang didn't bother to go to the office, he just walked straight on home.
Elsewhere, Hawkeye was walking up her walkway to her small house when she noticed an envelop tapped to the door. It was addressed to her from Major Hughes. She opened it and found a picture inside. It was of Mustang flashing a shinny state alchemist watch. She blushed and turned it over.
"Why did he send me this?"
On the back it was written in his handwriting, 'He may seem to be a total ass at time. But if you give him a chance, he can really be a nice man. Signed Maes.' Hawkeye stared at the photo for a moment. Mustang had his cocky smile on. It was a close up of his waist up. The watch bore the symbol of the state alchemists. On his jacket were the rank bars for a Major. Hawkeye shrugged and walked into her house, placing the photo on her mantle over the fireplace for the night.
A/N - And it starts to come together now. I'm not going to be following Ed and Al's trips. I'm going to be concentrating more on the Military side of FMA. So if you want to read about Ed and Al, go find another story. Please review. Constructive criticism accepted. No FLAMES (Thats Roy's job only). Please look in my profile oo0AnimeChild0oo for all my other stories. And again, thanks for reading.
"Write a wise saying and your name will live forever"
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