Author's notes: Sorry, this part sounds a bit forced and broken - I had writer's block and was having trouble getting it down on paper…It loosens up a bit towards the of this chapter.
And my next chapters after this one are reaaaaaaaally random (I've prewritten most this story, so I'll be updating pretty often). I don't know what got into me. So enjoy the saneness while it lasts – cuz it's almost over…
The walk from central to the graveyard was painfully slow. Mustang kept sinking into the snow on the un-shoveled side walks. By the time he reached Hughes's grave he was soaked from head to toe and shivering violently.
He looked down at the small headstone, a lonely little piece of rock in a sea of gray granite, all lined perfectly up. Someone had left a bouquet of poinsettias, and they wilted sadly in the cold, snow weighing down their bright red petals.
Mustang remembered with a jolt that he hadn't brought anything. He began franticly searching his pockets for something, then his finger tips touched the cold metal of his pocket watch. Mustang almost had to laugh; he was an alchemist – he could transmute something.
Groaning at the creak in his back, Mustang bent. He traced a large transmutation circle in the snow, then clapped his hands and thrust them down, pressing them into the snow, his thin gloves failing to keep out the damp cold. There was a brilliant blue light and two shinning ice sculptures grew from the snow.
The gleaming crystal-like forms of Gracia and Elicia looked down at the grave of Maes Hughes, sparkling in the fading sunlight. Now Hughes wouldn't have to spend Christmas alone. He'd have some company, even if it was as cold and stiff as he was…
"I'm sorry Maes." Mustang breathed. "It's all my fault. How can you possibly forgive me when I can't even forgive myself?" He collapsed into the snow, surrendering himself to the cold.
"I've killed innocent people – I've killed my best friend. I don't deserve to live." Mustang choked on the words, fighting back tears. "Things would be better off if I hadn't been born."
The snow fell harder then ever. He watched each flake as it tumbled down, light and care free. Drifts piled up quickly around him, and the cold was seeping even deeper yet into him.
"I want to sleep." He murmured, shifting slightly and settling him self down. "I want to forget."
Mustang closed his eyes, snow flakes sticking to his eye lashes and melting, mingling with the tears on his cheeks.
He must have fallen asleep, because when he opened his eyes – the sky had changed from dusty gray to inky black. The snow had stopped and the stars glittered like million diamonds. Mustang sat up and rubbed his eyes. His hands felt nub and his fingers were stiff.
"Damn." He cursed under his breath. He stood, brushing away the snow that had covered him while he slept. He began trudging back to central, fighting his way through the drifts, which was twice as high as when he'd come. Mustang didn't look back at the spot where Hughes lay, but continued on. Had he though – he would have noticed that the two ice sculptures had disappeared…
When Roy reached the doors to central he was soaked from head to toe and his cursing had grown steadily more vile.
" – never enough heat, I have to freeze my -" He flung open his office door, half way through a rant about the building's temperature regulation. He tossed his coat down on the floor, not even bothering to hang it up on the stand three feet away.
"Havoc mopped up for a change." He muttered, seeing the spotless floor beneath the coat stand. "He waits 'til I'm gone, nearly broke my neck before. Lieutenant – Bring me some coff-" Mustang looked up mid order to see that the room he was standing in was completely empty, not only was Hawkeye missing from her usual place by the window – but his desk was gone as well. Instead heavy gray filing cabinets had been shoved together in a clumsy row along the back wall, and molding office chairs were stacked atop each other.
"What the –"Mustang surveyed the scene in confusion. "Fullmetal." He chuckled to himself at last. Of course – this was all Major Elric's idea of a joke, he had just assumed the young alchemist had better things to do on Christmas then prank a colonel. That kid really needed a life.
"Okay Edward – you can come out now." Mustang called out loudly. "I know you're hiding in that filing cabinet – you're the only one small enough to fit in there." He waited for the explosion. If Ed were within fifty feet of him he'd be freaking out any second. There was silence. Maybe the kid wasn't in on it after all – still – there were a few jokers around central. Havoc and Furry were probably behind it…
He opened the door and stuck his head out into the empty hall way. "Hey you losers - You can come out - I found my office. Now it's my turn to have fun. I'm going to enjoy watching you put it all back." He waited for somebody to jump out and yell Merry Christmas. Nobody did.
From the end of the hall came the sound of foot steps. Roy strained to hear as they grew closer.