You know how this works. I don't own Roy (don't I wish), I don't own his staff, and I don't own Central. Pretty much the only things I do own are the plot, my character (General Ree), and the academy (yeah, that was me). Oh, and anyone mentioned in the flashback is also my creation. Quick background, I brought Hughes back (yeah, saw that coming, didn't you?) because he's too awesome to die. The grave can't stop him! Well, that's enough of that, let's get this party started.
She
found him where she always had, at the intersection of the Science
and the Combat sections of the school. "You never could find your
way around this place," she teased.
Maes jumped like he always
did when she snuck up on him, but covered it nicely, as he had
learned to over the years. "I always choose the path that seems
right and it always leads me back here. Remember orientation-" he
started.
"Just before freshman year. You were so lost…" The
echoes of another lifetime consumed her as she traveled
back.
several years earlier
A scrawny, short boy stood in the
hallway, pointing in first one, then another direction, muttering to
himself. As Arika came up from behind him, she began to speak.
"Lost?"
After getting over the shock of there being someone
else there with him, the boy said, "Terribly."
She stuck out
her hand. "I'm Arika."
"Maes," he said, shaking
it.
"Where are you trying to go, Maes?'
"I'm trying to
find my Intro to Command class."
"That's where I'm going.
I can show you where it is. Third period?"
"Yes…" he said
cautiously.
"Looks like we'll be having that class together,"
she said with a grin. They had gone not ten feet when some guy
knocked right in to Arika, knocking her to the floor.
"Oh, I'm
so sorry," he said. He helped her up and helped dust her off. "I'm
sorry, that was rude of me. Oh, um, I'm Roy." The boy talked fast
and without pause.
"I'm Arika. Nice to meet you."
"You
too," he said, and ran off. He was halfway down the hall when her
call stopped him and brought him back.
"Where you headed
Roy?"
"Intro to Command."
"That's where we're
headed," she said, gesturing to Maes. She looked at Roy for a
moment before adding, "You're going the wrong way."
"Nonsense,
I know exactly where I am."
present
They laughed at the
memory of a Roy from long ago. Suddenly, there was a voice behind
them. "It took me an hour to find that class," Roy said, "but I
found it."
"Like hell you did. We had to track you down,"
Arika said.
"Did I get to the class?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Then
I found it. Now, does anyone feel like a visit to the roof for old
time's sake?"
"I'd love to," Maes said, instantly
remembering all the great times they'd had on that roof. They found
the right hallway that led to the right door that led to the
staircase to the roof, and went out. "Do you two remember all the
stupid things we did up here?"
"Most of them," Arika
answered.
"There was the time with the fishing line," Roy
said.
"And he time with the dean's car," Maes added.
"And
the time you two almost got me killed," Arika said.
"Which
one?" Roy laughed.
"My favorite was the one with the
trampoline," Maes said.
"Really? I always preferred the one
with the jello," Roy said with a grin.
"I liked the one with
the pool, myself," Arika said nostalgically.
They reminisced for
a while longer about the stupid, dangerous stunts they had
pulled.
"And after everything," Maes started.
"We'd
always come up here," Roy filled in.
"And watch the sun set
over the city," Arika finished. "It was always so beautiful up
here." She laughed, a small chuckle, at first, but it built. It
became a huge sound that defied the city before her, and her friends
joined in, and together they mocked Central, spead, in all it's
glory, before them.
