Lily: Hello...*pant*...everyone and...*pant*...WELCOME TO CROSSING WORLDS...*pant*...CHAPTER 10!
Snowfur: Why...*pant*...THE HELL...DID THEY CHASE US?
Arin: They were chasing Lily.
Myra: Th-That...*pant*...WAS SCARY!
Mustang: *sighs* Why did you four drag me into this?
Lily: Because Ed and Al aren't here and we need someone to do the disclaimer.
Mustang: ...Where are they, anyways?
Snowfur: Well...Izumi, Major Armstrong and General Armstrong were chasing us and we used Ed and Al as bait.
Arin: We took the chance to escape while we could.
Mustang: Chasing you? Why?
*the sound of Edward and Alphonse screaming followed by more yells echoes throughout the area*
Mustang: ...nevermind. I don't want to know.
Lily: No...You don't.
Myra: DISCLAIMER PWEASE!
Mustang: Uh...well...what do I say?
Myra: *whispers instructions to Mustang*
Mustang: Oh. A-HGaming doesn't own FMA or any of the characters. It belongs to Funimation, and other companies. Please support the official release.
Snowfur: Wow. We should just replace Ed. He does it a LOT better and less sassy.
Arin: I know...
Lily: ENJOY TEH CHAPPIE!
"Maes...he's...dead?" Mustang asks in disbelief after reading Lily's report. She didn't want to say it out loud, so in the end she decided to tell the colonel through writing. Plus, she needed to write an official report of the incident. "He's...gone?" He mutters. The entire office went silent at his words. "Lieutenant Colonel…" Hawkeye mutters. Mustang was in total shock. He continues to stare at the paper, reading it over and over to the point where it was embedded in his brain. My best friend...he's...just gone.
"I…" Lily starts, choking back tears. "I'm sorry…" she mutters. The silence continues, the situation fully sinking in. Mustang grits his teeth and crumples the paper into a ball. He slams his fist against his desk.
"You...you…" he mutters, an unexplainable rage taking over him and consuming his mind. He gets up and stares Lily down angrily. "How could you?! You were there! You were right there damnit! And...you didn't do a damn thing to save him!" He yells. "Chief…" Havoc warns, staring at him. "YOU BASTARD!"
"He...he was my best friend! The only person there for me and he's...he's gone! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Mustang raises a fist towards Lily, and starts to slam it down. A bullet flies above his head, and he freezes. His eyes widen in shock as to what he was about to do. "Sir...I am as upset as you are, but hitting your subordinates is not the answer." Hawkeye mutters angrily. Mustang turns around and was surprised by Hawkeye's expression. Her eyes were glossed over and she looked as if she was about to cry. "I...I'm sorry, Lily…" He mumbles.
"P-Please...n-no more g-guns…" Lily says weakly. Hawkeye lowers her gun and puts it back, lowering her head. Mustang inwardly winced at how utterly defeated she sounded. He remembers Hughes telling him stories about Lily and how important she was to him. She probably felt the same way about him.
Damnit! Why the hell did I do that?! Mustang thinks, guilt blossoming in his chest. He looks over at Lily. She was frozen in place. She's probably terrified of me…It wasn't her fault…DAMNIT! He glances at Hawkeye, who was still angry, but now, worried. Mustang lets his gaze fall. She probably saw his expressions on his face. At his current state he wasn't hard to read. I say that I'll protect my subordinates, but here I am trying to hurt one… He thinks. And a kid, no less.
It's all my fault, it's all my fault. It's all my fault! Lily replays those words over and over again in her head, as flashes of the night before resound through her mind. Screaming, Envy, blood, and a gunshot to end it all. "It's all my fault…" She mutters, gaining the attention of the officers in the room. "You're right...I-I w-was right th-there.." Mustang's expression turns to disbelief at his subordinate's words.
"I w-was r-right there a-and I...I…" Tears start to gather in Lily's eyes and roll down her cheeks. "H-He kn-knocked me on the g-ground, c-cuz I l-let my guard down. H-He g-grabbed the gun a-and…" Mustang's expression softens, and he walks over to Lily. He sits down next to her and wraps his arms around her in a warm embrace.
"Shh...It's alright. It's not your fault, Lily." Mustang mutters. "I-I'm so w-weak...a-as a State A-Alchemist I-I'm supposed to b-be s-s-strong...b-but I'm h-here crying a-and I c-couldn't e-even save o-one person...th-the person wh-who I l-looked up to a-as a f-father…" She breaks out into sobs, and Mustang puts a hand on her head, resting her on his shoulder.
He nearly laughed at the irony of her words. A few weeks ago, Edward was sitting on the steps in front of East HQ pitying himself for the exact same reason.
WE'RE ONLY HUMAN! We're only human...lowly humans who can't even save an innocent little girl!
"Heh. I guess we can both understand why your friends did what they did now, huh?" Mustang mutters, and Lily makes a choked sound. She knew he was referring to the human transmutations. "M-Maes…" she mutters, the stream of tears not stopping no matter how much she wanted them to. "Just let it out." Mustang mumbles quietly.
Lily hated herself for being so weak. Here she was, a teenage girl, crying in the arms of her superior officer whom she had only known for about a week. She felt like a kid, and she hated it. She absolutely despised it. It was no wonder Ed never liked to show weakness. "I-I feel so w-weak…" Lily mumbles, her tears slowly starting to dry. "It's alright to show weakness once in a while, Lily." Hawkeye says, in a kind tone Lily had never heard from her before. She smiles, and pulls away from Mustang, wiping her eyes.
"Sorry…" She mutters, looking down, ashamed. "It wasn't your fault." Mustang says. Lily shakes her head. "I don't mean that." She says. "It's not fair. You allowed me to cry over M-Maes, and you helped me, but I gave nothing in return. Y-You didn't get to vent your feelings." Mustang's expression turns to shock, and then melts back to sympathy.
"My...my relationship with Maes was different than yours. Losing a father is different than losing a friend. I've been acquainted with death far too many times for one person." He says, setting a hand on Lily's shoulder. She stays silent. Oh Mustang, if only you knew. She thinks to herself. Anni...Sage… Lily looks up and gives as small smile. Maes...take good care of everyone up there. Take care of all of them.
~~~LATER THAT DAY~~~
Lily sighs as she walks out of her dorm to head to Hughes' funeral. She didn't want to go; she didn't want to face Gracia and Elicia. She didn't want them to know how she had failed to protect him. Lily was in a normal funeral clothing style. She was wearing a black blouse with a black skirt that flowed down to her knees. Hawkeye had also let her borrow some black heels, which she was still getting used to walking in. For today, she let her hair down and had a small black hair clip in.
As soon as she arrived, she knew that it wasn't going to turn out well for her. There were military officers there, all looking down with their hats off. Some were surrounding Maes' tomb, and were getting ready to put it in the ground. Lily bows slightly as she walks past the officers, and they salute to her. She slowly lets out a breath, and walks up to Gracia and Elicia. They notice her immediately, and without a word, Gracia grabs her hand and gives it a squeeze.
Throughout the course of the funeral, Lily thought she was going to be okay. She thought she would be able to go through the entire thing without crying. She didn't want to look weak in front of the officers there, Gracia or Elicia. She just couldn't. She outranked many of the people there, and she had to be strong to keep her pride. Lily knew that she didn't need to be strong, but she just felt like she had to. It's…so difficult to put it words. I just…feel like I have to stay strong.
Soon, it got to the part where they started burying Hughes' body. And that's where it all went downhill. "Mommy…" Elicia mutters, tugging on her skirt. "Why do they have to bury Daddy?" She asks. Gracia lets out a small gasp. "Why are you burying Daddy?!" Tears start rolling down Gracia's face. "Elicia…" She murmurs.
"No…" Elicia says. "No…if they do that Daddy won't be able to go to work anymore! He said he had a lot of work to do!" Gracia picks up Elicia and hugs her. Lily sniffs and water starts gathering in her eyes. Gracia wraps her other arm around Lily and pulls her close. Lily rests her head on her shoulder, but she doesn't cry. She refused. "Papa…!" Elicia mutters in Gracia's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, Elicia. I promise." Lily mutters to her, patting her head. She knew it was a lie. It wasn't going to be okay. It never will be. "Big sis!" Elicia cries, and jumps into her arms. Lily catches her, fumbling a little bit before steadying her. "It'll be okay…" she whispers.
~~~TEN MINUTES LATER~~~
After the funeral, Lily was the first person to visit Hughes' grave. She could see Mustang and Hawkeye talking at the bottom of the hill, and she guessed they would come up soon. She turns back around and faces the grave. She kneels down, brushing her hands against the newly placed stone. "Hey…Maes." She mutters.
"Well…this is kinda my first time talking to a grave like this but…I have a feeling you're listening. I'm so sorry Maes. I…I know what you're gonna say. 'It's not your fault Lily! You did everything you could!' I know Maes, I…I know. B-But what I could do…it wasn't enough to save you. I was right there Maes. I was right there, right next to you and I couldn't do anything. I regret a lot of things, Maes. I regret letting my guard down, I regret not getting there sooner, I regret not saving you; I need your help…M-Maes I w-want to see you again. Y-You don't know how b-badly I want to see your face. To s-see you fawning over me and Gracia and Elicia…a-and all your annoying pictures…I-I…" Lily's voice cracks and water builds up in her eyes. "I m-miss you…Maes."
Mustang and Hawkeye walk up the hill and see Lily crouched over the grave, talking to it quietly. Hawkeye gives a sad smile and walks up to her once she grows silent. She sets a hand on the teen's shoulder and Lily looks up. Hawkeye squeezes her shoulder, and Lily gives a faint smile. "Promoted two ranks in death, eh?" Mustang mutters, looking at the headstone. "You lucky bastard." Mustang sighs and puts his hat back on, looking up to the sky. "Are you alright, sir?" Hawkeye asks. Mustang stays silent, still looking up.
"Hey Roy," Lily mutters. Mustang looks over, slightly amused that she used his first name. "I-It's a bad day for rain…isn't it?" She asks, finally allowing the tears to fall down her face. Mustang nods, a tear also falling down his cheek. "It is a terrible day for rain, Lily. It truly is."
~~~HOURS LATER~~~
Mustang sighs as he continues walking. He was investigating Hughes' murder, and was looking at the scenes. It's really was a shame that Lily didn't get the chance to see the killer's face. It would've helped their investigation immensely. However, they did know that the killer was a male, from the report Lily had given him. He was heading to the phone booth where he was killed, when he ran into Lily. Literally.
"Oh-! Colonel Mustang! I-I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!" Lily stammers, giving a brief salute. Mustang gives a small smile and waves his hand. "It's no problem." He says, and then gets an idea. Though, he wasn't really sure how to say it. He watches Lily walks away, and he reaches out his hand. "Hey Lily, I have something to ask you." He says and she turns around. He immediately regretted his actions.
"Uh…" Mustang trails off and silently curses himself before regaining his composure. "Would you like to head to the phone booth for my investigation? It would help to have someone who was there." He winces at Lily's initial reaction. She quickly turns her expression from sadness to a fake happiness, though. I could've asked that differently…
"You don't have to if it still bothers you." Mustang somehow manages to say. Lily shakes her head. "It's alright. I can go." She says. Mustang winces at the coldness of her voice. She's probably blocking out her emotions… Mustang thinks. Damnit, she should not have to deal with this! I'm going to burn whoever killed him.
The two of them walks in silence for a while as they head to the phone booth. Mustang hated it. He didn't like seeing Lily like that, but at the same time was afraid to stop it. He didn't know what he was feeling, really. Why do I care so much for her? What was he feeling?
Was it…fatherly?
Mustang scoffs at the idea. That was impossible. He had only known the kid for a week. The Elrics seemed more likely for him to grow closer to. Though, the two of them had seemed to have bonded and grown close in only a day, more so than anyone. Mustang lets a small smile slip. He could picture Hughes doting over him, and teasing him for acting like a father. He'd probably be saying how he should get a wife before a kid. Wait…was he actually accepting this?! I have other things to worry about, and acting like a father isn't one of them. He turns back to Lily. She's already lost two fathers. I can't be a third.
He sighs and stops walking. Lily turns around and asks, "Mustang?" She stops walking as well. "You know…you really don't have to go. I don't even know why I asked in the first-,"
"I'm going." She says, cutting him off. He furrows his eyebrows. "You said you would like help. I am offering it to you. Can't you just accept it as it is?" Lily mutters, and turns around. She starts walking again, and so does Mustang. She's hiding something from me. He thinks, narrowing his eyes slightly. There's no other reason she would get defensive, if only a little.
However, he stays quiet, not prying any information out of her. Mustang still felt guilty for how he acted towards her in the office. And he was positive that she hadn't forgotten. He thinks back to what happened afterward, and a light blush covers his cheeks. He quickly tries to calm himself and force the blush away. That was so out of character for me…and I did it in front of the whole team no less…sh*t. He thinks. They won't let me hear the end of it…especially if Fullmetal finds out. It's bad enough he overheard my whole miniskirt monologue.
Lily sighs shakily, snapping Mustang out of his thoughts. "We're here." She says, her voice a bit shaky. He nods, looking at the phone booth. There was blood covering the inside, the handle of the phone, and it was splattered against the side of the booth and the pavement. Mustang sighs, nearly loosing himself to the grief. "Lily…do you have any idea of what Maes was trying to tell me?" he asks, turning back to her. "N-No…I only c-came after he hung u-up the ph-phone…" she says, trying to keep her voice steady.
Pain. I don't understand why you resist. I truly don't. Humans are pathetic. They aren't as strong as us.
They can be killed so easily…
Hahahaha! You lose this time, Pain.
Lily…I'm sorry…I…couldn't keep my promise to you…or my family…
Lily's breathing starts to quicken as she stares at the spot where Hughes died. The sound of the gunshot rings through her head, the one shot by Envy, the one that ended it all. The sight of his body slumped to the ground and blood spilled everywhere as the life drains out of him appears in her mind, refusing to leave.
She looks up slowly, seeing Mustang talking to Hawkeye and Armstrong. Had they showed up when she wasn't looking? Lily tries to say something, but her mouth refused to move. Her voice refused to work. Her head turns around and forces her to stare at that spot again. That. One. Spot.
Her breathing gets faster without her permission. She knew what was happening immediately. She was having a panic attack. The feeling wasn't foreign to her. Damnit…I already have anxiety…having PTSD won't help my case. She tries to calm herself. Breathe Lily…slowly….in….and out…in….and out… Her body didn't comply with her mind.
"Lily, are you alright?" Armstrong asks, noticing her change in expression. "Don't avoid the question Major!" Mustang exclaims, and then also looks over at her. Lily shakes her head. I'm never going to be alright. "Th-That's…that's wh-where…" She manages, and points towards that spot. The three officer's eyes widen at the new information. "I-I'm sorry…" Lily apologizes. "I…I c-can't…" Without warning, she bolts away. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to leave there. She just had to.
The three officers stare after her, and Mustang starts to run after her. "Don't. She needs time alone to heal." Hawkeye says, stopping him. He sighs, and reluctantly complies. "Alright Lieutenant." He mutters, turning to Armstrong. "Major Armstrong, I order you as your commanding officer to tell me what you know about Maes Hughes' murderer!"
Armstrong sighs. "I'm sorry Colonel, but I cannot tell you!" After a brief pause, Mustang looks down and lets out a breath. He salutes the Major. "I apologize for my tone Major. You are dismissed." Armstrong salutes and walks away, pausing. "The Elric brothers left yesterday." Armstrong says. Mustang looks at him. Why is he talking about…oh. "Oh really?" He asks, and Armstrong turns around. "Did they happen to find what they're looking for?" Armstrong shakes his head. "No sir, that would be quite difficult, considering they're pursuing a legend." He says. "Is that so? Well, thanks for your help." Mustang says, and Armstrong salutes again, walking off.
Hawkeye narrows her eyes. "So, the murderer is connected to the philosopher's stone…" She mutters. Mustang looks at her. "There's something Lily is hiding from me." Mustang says. Hawkeye eyes him oddly. "What makes you say that?" she asks. "It doesn't add up. Her report was missing some points that were very coincidental." He says. "For example; why did she feel the need to look for Hughes?" He turns towards the booth. "How did she know he was going to be at this phone booth? Why did she immediately fight the murderer, without asking him questions first? How could she not have seen the murderer's face during her fight?" He looks back at Hawkeye. "There was something they knew…both Lily and Hughes. Something big."
"Wait…so you're saying whatever the Brigadier General was trying to tell you…" Hawkeye trails off, and Mustang nods. "Lily knew as well. And I am sure as hell going to figure it out."
~~~?'s POV~~~
A cloaked figure sighs as it jumps away from the sight of Hughes' death. "So…he's gone, huh?" The figure mutters to itself, sighing. "Damnit. I really wished he'd survived. I would've liked to meet him." It says. Right, like I'd want to have a camera shoved in my face. A voice echoes in their head. "Oh shut up." It says, and then sighs. "Still, we made it here too late. We didn't get to see her." Though they mentioned her name. The voice says.
"Yes Sage. Yes they did."
Lily: PEOPLE! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ? PERSON. DON'T. I'LL BE TEMPTED TO SPOIL IT.
Arin: ...please tho. No ask plz.
Snowfur: UUUGGHH. GRAMMAR PLEASE.
Myra: Noz.
Snowfur: ...
Lily: hOI! Im teMMie...and dis iz mah friend...TEMMIE!
Snowfur: ...Please...I swear..
Lily: U sware waht?
Snowfur: YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A BAD TIME! *distant megalovania plays*
(A/N: Yeah...if u can't tell I recently got into Undertale. I just had to make a reference :P)
Myra: *ahem* Colonel...This is your cue to start the reviews...
Mustang: Right...uh...the first review is from Obsessed Fangirl. It says:
Please update ASAP! I love this story! (And I swear, if you abandon it, I will personally sic Winry, Riza, Olivier, and Izumi on you.)
On that cheerful note, I, ObsessedFangirl the Guest, will take my leave.
I am watching you...
*cackles madly then smiles*
Seriously, love the story
Lily: Awww...arigato! And no, I WILL NEVAH, EVAH ABANDON THIS STORY!
Myra: Evah?
Lily: Evah.
Snowfur: I...I can't...hehe...*mind starts to melt*
Arin: I'm not even going to bother.
Myra: Please don't watch us...it's creepy...
Mustang: Are all fangirls like this?
Lily: Yes. They are.
Arin: BUT WE ARE FANGIRLS!
Lily: I didn't say we weren't.
Mustang: I'm guessing it's my cue soo...Our next review is from gsunny6. It says:
Man, I did not cry at this part. Like, ever. I think there's something wrong with my mind.
Lily: YES. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH CHU!
Snowfur: That's rude Lily! And it's 'YOU' not 'CHU'
Lily: SHAT UP.
Snowfur: ...*starts glitching*...I can't...Handle...*mind melts even more*
Arin: Uh...Snowfur?
Snowfur: ...Th-Th-Th-The g-g-g-grammer...
Myra: Yup. She's broken.
Arin: Okay guys, no more improper grammer. She's gonna die at this rate.
Lily: Aww...fine.
Mustang: Okaaay...the next review is from Sakura Chara.
Everyone: *pales* Oh no...
Mustang: *eyes weirdly* It says:
*evil everything, extremely mad, millions of soaked tissues behind me* Liiiiiiiiiily... I believe I said, two comments back, that if you killed Maes, then I would send my Izumi and Armstrong army... And I LOVE to keep my promises~... Yes, very, VERY much so~... SO, I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO SEND THEM!
YOU BROUGHT THIS ONTO YOURSELF!
(ahem) *back to normal* That chapter was really well written, but~... *starts sobbing a flood* I-IT WAS WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY TOO WELL WRITTEN~! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH~!
*a few years later* I-I'll never stop crying about that... *back to Honey-senpai look* BACK TO THE HAPPY STUFFS~!
LILY AND ED~! *points dramatically* ONCE AGAIN I SHALL SAY IT~! THOU SHALT GET TOGETHER, EVEN IF I HAVE TO SEND ROY TO SHOVE YOU INTO A DESERT BY YOURSELVES FOR 10 YEARS OR WORSE~!
MYRA AND AL~! *once again, points dramatically* THOU SHALT ALSO GET TOGETHER, EVEN IF I MUST USE THE SAME CONDITIONS~!
SNOWFUR~! *points dramatically* YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT~!
ARIN~! *do I have to say it?* SAME GOES FOR YOU~!
That's all~! Hope to see ya soon~!
~Kura
Lily: *gulp* Th-That's another reason why I was dreading writing the chapter...
Snowfur: ...I'm scared.
Arin: So am I.
Myra: Auntie Izumi isn't that bad!
Lily, Snowfur, and Arin: *glares*
Lily: NOOO! DON'T SHOVE ME INTO A DESERT ROY!
Mustang: Why would I shove you in a desert...?
Lily: *sighs* Thank god...STOP TALKING...Y'know what? I give up.
Myra: *sniffle* No desert please...dessert yes, desert no. Speaking of...I WANT ICE CREAM!
Snowfur: YAY!
Arin: ...yay? I guess?
Ed and Al: *run into room and slam the door, panting*
Izumi: EDWARD AND ALPHONSE ELRIC, OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!
Lily: *pales* I'm so dead...I'm going to die...this is it...my life is about to end..
Major Armstrong: IS THAT LILY I HEAR IN THERE? LET ME COMFORT YOU WITH MY MUSCLES!
General Armstrong: That's it...*blasts door down*...there. Better.
Everyone: *screams in terror*
Lily: MUSTANG, SOMEONE, SIGN IT OFF PLEASE BEFORE I DIE!
Mustang: Uhm..okay...Bye everyone..!