The more time passes, the more you start to believe that hope was a mistake.
While you've only been at the camp Scar mentioned for a week, it's been about a month since the Promised Day (you'd only managed to make it here so quickly thanks to a stranger buying train tickets for you and Cheng. It looks like the attitude towards Ishvalans is already starting to change in Amestris). You know Scar said to give it three months before… but as more time passes, you're beginning to think that it's impossible, that he's not coming for you.
That Scar died fighting the Homunculi shortly after carrying out the plan.
You only know that was a success thanks to Doctor Marcoh leaving a message for you with Scar's former master, along with an address and telephone number. According to him, Scar had left with a different group that morning, and that was the last Marcoh saw of him. All he knows other than that is that the Alchemy of Amestris has shifted, meaning that Scar was alive long enough to make that happen, at least. After that, no one knows what happened to him. There's a rumour apparently that he fought with one of the homunculi, but no one has verified that yet.
If it's true however, things aren't looking good on the side of Scar still being alive.
You've taken to spending your days gazing into the camp's fire, as if you're trying to find answers in the flames. Or maybe you're just thinking back to the wedding, and the promises you made. Promises you entrusted to Ishvala, promises you swore never to break. Yet in the end, you did manage to break them; this reality is very far from the forever you promised.
A tap on your shoulder brings you out of your thoughts; it's Scar's former master, holding out a cup of water for you. 'May I sit with you a while?' You take the water gladly before nodding with a smile. He elder Ishvalan takes a seat next to you, his eyes falling on the flames too.
He lets out a deep sigh. 'You're thinking of him, aren't you? If he shall return?' Hardly a stretch. Does he expect you to think of anything else?
You match his sigh with one of your own. 'I don't think there's ever going to be a moment when I'm not thinking of him. Every time I close my eyes I can see him, in all the different ways I saw him. I see the murderer lying wounded in a tent. I see the man who seemed so scared when I told him I had feelings for him. I see the man who gave me my first true kiss in an abandoned mine after I said I'd die to protect him. I see the man that made love to me, and accidentally gave me the greatest gift of all. I see the man who shed a tear at our wedding when he though no one was watching. But mostly, I see the man who held me in his arms and slipped away from me because he knew it was the only way I'd be safe. Thinking about it, I'm not sure which one of those men was really Scar, or if he was all of them at once.' You take a sip of your water, still staring deeply into the flames.
Moving closer, Scar's former master places a hand on your shoulder. 'He was all of those men at some point or another, but most importantly, he was him. I can still see him as a child, so innocent and naïve. I wonder if your child will look like he did.
'There are no accidents in this world. Things all happen by design. Perhaps the man the world calls 'Scar' was meant to die that day, and the child he created with you is meant to take his place in the world. To be the second chance he came to want so desperately.' It had initially surprised you, how well he'd taken the news of your pregnancy. Given how far gone you are especially…
Yet for such a wise man, there's one thing he still doesn't understand.
You shake your head. 'That's not it at all. This baby isn't his replacement. The two of us were always supposed to be a second chance for him. A reason to make amends for the things that he did, and a reason to make the world better. He should be here with us right now. He did what he had to. He helped save Amestris. Was it not enough? Was it ever going to be enough? It's not fair. He could have just run away with me but he didn't, because he thought…' you throw your cup onto the ground, placing your head in your hands.
As you begin to cry, you don't notice someone approaching.
'You're Scar's wife, right? The woman from Baschool?'
You gasp; you know that voice!
A single glance upwards confirms your suspicions; it's the Ishvalan soldier from Fort Briggs. Of course, he's wearing those goggles of his again, so you can't be a hundred percent sure, but it certainly looks and sounds like him! What was his name again?
What does he want from you?
Before you can say anything, Scar's former master speaks. 'As you can see, the young lady is hardly in a state to be questioned right now. Why don't you tell us what you want?' Where's Cheng when you need him?! Oh, that's right, he's gone to look for wood with a few of the men from the camp. Damn it…
The solider hums. 'Alright. My name is Major Miles. My commanding officer, Major General Armstrong, has requested your immediate presence at her residence. I am to take you there at once.' Oh shit. It's because… are you being arrested because of your relationship with Scar? Do they consider you an accomplice now? Will they… if Scar is already dead, do they intend to execute you in his stead? Can they even do that?!
The senior monk starts to lose his calm. 'Absolutely not. I'm not about to let you take a pregnant woman into custody! She's done nothing wrong, so unless you intend to fight the entire camp to get to her, I suggest you leave.' No! You can't let that happen! If he really needs you to go, you'll do it, if only to spare the camp the wrath of the Amestrian millitary… for the second time in their lives!
Sighing, Miles removes his glasses, revealing his Ishvalan eyes. 'I mean her no harm. You have my word on that, as one Ishvalan to another. Once the meeting is concluded, she's free to return. I can even have someone drive her here, if she wants to return.' Why wouldn't you want to go back?! You have to stay here, you have to wait for Scar! Just a few weeks longer…
It looks as if Scar's former master is about to protest, but you raise your hand to stop him, before managing to force yourself to your feet. 'Alright, I'll go with you. But you'll take me straight back afterwards. I need to be here.' Oh no, have you said too much? Will the camp now be monitored?
Miles smirks. 'As I said, if you want to return, I'll see you back safely. For now, if you'd like to follow me…' he gestures you to walk in a certain direction, towards his car you assume. You do so slowing, still apprehensive about this. What if this is an arrest, and he's lying to you? You can't think of any other reason the military would want to speak with you.
You guess you'll have to find out.
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For the first few minutes of the drive to the mansion, neither you or Miles speak. You're not ever sure what to say. Should you try and demand answers? Figure out if he was lying when he said you could return?
Before you can ask, Miles breaks the silence. 'So, how far along are you?' Seriously? Small talk at a time like this?!
Still, you might as well answer; you've nothing else to do. 'About seven months, give or take.' You already feel like you're body is going to burst though. Do all pregnancies make you so big?
Miles smiles. 'Not long now then. Seven months… isn't that when you were in the North?' He remembers that?!
You nod, and he smiles. 'I suppose that makes it an honorary northern baby. If Buc were still alive, he'd tell you that means the baby is going to be as tough as a bear, but I think that's a myth. Besides, given that it's father is an Ishvalan warrior, I don't think that baby needs any northern strength.' You'll take all the extra strength you can get for your child…
One thing sticks with you though. 'Did you lose someone?' You swear you can see Miles tense up for a second, and you immediately regret your line of questioning.
He relaxes again pretty quickly though. 'Yeah. I don't know how much you know about the Promised Day, but it was nightmarish. We lost a lot of good men that day. Buc was one of them. He ended up fighting one of the Homunculi; King Bradley himself. He got a few good hits in, but succumbed to his injuries. It's a shame. He was one of the best men I've ever worked with. A little… eccentric, yes, but a true warrior and a loyal friend.' He does sound a good man, but you can't help but think… how many people will speak of Scar that way? Will anyone else remember him like you will?
You start crying again, and Miles looks panicked. 'Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?' Why does he even care? He's here to arrest you, isn't he? Isn't he?!
Still, you take the opportunity to vent some of your feelings; he's basically a captive audience. 'Nobody cares, do they? About Scar? He could have run away from here at any moment. He didn't have to stay and help. He didn't… but where is he now?! He's dead, and no one has even taken the time to identify his body. Don't sit there and tell me that's not what happened because I feel it. I keep… sitting and waiting and telling myself it's for him but… but it's for someone like you. Someone to tell me I'm a widow now. But at the same time, I know that won't happen, because who cares that the man who murdered alchemists in a fit of grief-stricken rage also had a wife, and a child that's going to grow up never knowing what he was like, thinking that he's nothing more… I just want to know what happened to him. I need to know, or else I'll just spend my whole life waiting for him to come back to me.' Part of you doesn't want to hear the details, but you know you need to, if only to tell your child when they inevitably ask what happened to their father.
Miles looks… conflicted? Like he wants to say something, but something or someone is keeping his mouth shut.
He must come to some kind of understanding with himself, because he eventually speaks. 'We can launch an official investigation, if it will put your mind at ease. I can tell you one thing that we know for certain; Scar had at least one more death to his name by the end of the day. Thankfully, as it was the death of King Bradley, it's not something anyone will ever disapprove of. Far from it, actually. Bradley's body was in quite a state by the end; Scar must have fought hard. I think he must have wanted to return to you, to the baby. If he did go down, he went down fighting. That much I know.' So it's true? He did… he killed Bradley? He took down one of the homunculi in a fight? Even if Miles' friend did weaken him first, that's still incredible. You shouldn't have expected anything less…
Somehow, you smile through the tears. 'I'll take that. It's more than I thought anyone would do for me. I just… you understand, right? The need for answers? Although, you're wrong on one count; Scar doesn't-didn't-know about the baby. I couldn't bring myself to tell him, knowing he was about to die. The pain of dying when he had everything…' As much as you try to justify it, you're beginning to doubt if it was the right one. He didn't know that he had a family, a real family, waiting for him. Would that have made him fight harder? Made him stronger? Allowed him to survive?
Miles looks pained, almost guilty. 'I'm sure he… everything will be fine. We're almost there now.' He's become evasive all of a sudden. Have you touched a nerve?
If you have, it's best to avoid touching it again; you're in enough trouble already.
Instead, you decide to make your own small talk with him. 'So what about you, Miles? Do you have a wife? Kids?' He seems like the kind of man who would have a family, but it can't be easy for him if he's at Briggs…
Miles' smile is back. 'Wife. The most beautiful woman I've ever met. No children right now, but we've been thinking about it. I'm due to be reassigned soon, which'll mean I'll have more time to spend with her. Maybe once we've settled down…' He seems so happy talking about it, like it's something he wants more than anything.
You run a hand over your bump. 'Why wait? If it's something you both want, you'll make it work. After all, if I can carry a child through seven months of living in a tent in Amestris and beyond, you can manage. Trust me, you find a way. Like I'm going to have to figure out how to be two parents.' Then again, between Cheng, Marcoh, and Scar's former master, it's not like the baby'll want for male role models.
Miles looks nervous again. 'Just focus on being a mother then. The rest will work itself out. Besides, I can't imagine you'll have much to worry about. Settle down in a nice community, and they'll look after you, especially when the whole country finds out what Scar and the others did. He'll be a hero, and who wouldn't help out the wife of a hero?' You're hoping that'll happen, at least. After all, Scar's sacrifice deserves to be remembered.
The car pulls into a garage, and you realise this is the end of the line.
Time to face the music.
As Miles leads you through the manor, you notices there's quite a few Briggs solders lingering here. Some look injured, others exhausted. A few of the men smile and wave at you, and you're certain one of them checks out your ass, despite the fact that you are very clearly taken.
Finally, he leads you to a door, one that you think leads to a bedroom of some kind.
Before he opens it, Miles turns to look at you. 'Do you remember the first time we met in Baschool? What you said about Scar, abort redemption, it's stuck with me ever since. So much so that I told Major General Armstrong all about it. She seems to share my sentiment. What kind of world doesn't allow people a chance at redemption when they want it? When they'd do anything to achieve it?' Is this going somewhere?
You ask Miles as much, and he just smiles. 'I just wanted you to know that this is your doing.' With that, he opens the door.
As you step inside, the first thing you see is two people silhouetted against the window. One of them is clearly female, and presumably the woman Miles has been talking about. The other?
Your voice is small and uncertain. 'Scar?'
The silhouette turns to face you, the sunlight bringing his whole face into view.
Scar.