Chapter 22 – Hurt
I was actually able to look at Hughes' will before the burial, and I was surprised to find that he wanted me to sing at his funeral. It was sad, to sit there in front of Mustang, and see that he was really actually gone.
That day, I left for the cemetery, with Edward and Alphonse. They were just as upset as me, but the news of his death hit me as if I tumbled down the largest cliff in the world.
I stood there, in front of his tomb, and smiled as his words engraved "Isn't she adorable?" I assumed he was talking about Elysia. He had always bragged about how cute she was, and he was right. A small tugging on the bottom of my black dress made me look down, and I saw her. Elysia.
"Miss Crimson?" she asked, her words slurred slightly with her first knowledge of the language. "Where is Daddy?" I bent down on one knee, so I was eye level with her, and wiped away a tear.
"In a better place, honey," I said. I looked back up to her mother, who had tears falling down her face like a river. I stood back up, and met her gaze. That bastard… she thought. I placed my hands on her shoulders and smiled slightly. "He was a great man, and a great friend."
"He was. Do you know what happened?" she asked.
"All I know is that he was-," I stopped. Something flooded my mind, and I looked at the body of Hughes, before it was closed and placed in the grave.
A stroll…
A wife and Husband together…
A gun and blast…
A chuckle than magic…
Black Blood Magic…
"Crimson?" a voice asked. I was faded from reality and in vision. "Crimson?" Then a pain across my face. Someone had slapped me, and I came back. I was looking into Edward's eyes. "Are you Ok?" he asked, "It looked as if you were-," he stopped, knowing the potential danger of saying the word transforming.
"I saw it…I saw it…" I kept repeating over an over again. I didn't know why, I just did. I turned to Hughes' wife. "Envy took on your form, and shot him with a bullet, a single bullet, made from-," I stopped and pointed to me. She nodded, and turned away. Roy came up and motioned for me to start as the burial began.
The soft piano's notes floated in the air, and as I sang, visions of my past with Hughes flooded into my mind.
"Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face
You told me how proud you were, but I walked away
If only I knew what I know today
Ooh, ooh
I would hold you in my arms
I would take the pain away
Thank you for all you've done
Forgive all your mistakes
There's nothing I wouldn't do
To hear your voice again
Sometimes I wanna call you
But I know you won't be there
Ohh I'm sorry for blaming you
For everything I just couldn't do
And I've hurt myself by hurting you
Some days I feel broke inside but I won't admit
Sometimes I just wanna hide 'cause it's you I miss
And it's so hard to say goodbye
When it comes to this, oooh
these lyrics found on you tell me I was wrong?
Would you help me understand?
Are you looking down upon me?
Are you proud of who I am?
There's nothing I wouldn't do
To have just one more chance
To look into your eyes
And see you looking back
Ohh I'm sorry for blaming you
For everything I just couldn't do
And I've hurt myself, ohh
If I had just one more day
I would tell you how much that I've missed you
Since you've been away
Ooh, it's dangerous
It's so out of line
To try and turn back time
I'm sorry for blaming you
For everything I just couldn't do
And I've hurt myself by hurting you"
As the final chord drifted away, I opened my eyes, and could have sworn I saw Hughes' spirit waving good-bye to me as it entered the gate. His glittering yellow-green eyes were happy as he walked away.