A/N: Wow, sorry about the wait, guys! I don't write as quickly as mebh. D: Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please drop a review at the end if you can. As usual, don't own etc etc.
"Come on Roy! We've got to be on the parade ground in fifteen minutes!" The door swung open and Maes Hughes marched into the room, looking every inch the model cadet in his dress uniform. Every button and buckle was done up correctly, his hair was combed and slicked back and the golden braid on his jacket gleamed. Cassie was perched on his shoulder and even she looked smarter than usual, her normally messy fur glossy and neatly brushed. Seeing Roy standing by the mirror, Maes gave an overly dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes as he leaned back against the doorframe.
"Still fussing over your hair? Honestly, you're worse than my last girlfriend. I mean, I know you want to look your best for the big occasion, but seriously, Mr I'm-going-to-meet-the-Fuhrer, if you spend much more time in here, it's all going to be over before you've even left the room!" Roy laughed as he knew Maes expected him to, pushing down the wave of almost nauseating anxiety that threatened to overcome him. Ever since he- an apparently 'outstanding' cadet- had been selected as one of the chosen few to meet the fuhrer on Founding Day he had been battling down a growing sense of unease. As a child he'd idolised the fuhrer and had spent many happy afternoons slaying imaginary enemies with a stick in the living room, pretending he was Bradley fighting against the Drachman horde in the famous battle of 1884. Ariadne had always transformed into a lion cub during those days, the closest she could come to imitating the fuhrer's fearsome, majestic daemon. His aunt had never seemed happy at his make-believe games but he'd always just assumed it was because he was messing up the furniture. It was only until he was older that he began to piece together the true picture.
He'd overheard his aunt talking to General Grumman when she thought he was asleep, phrases like 'political activism' and 'extremist group' floating out through the half-closed door to where he listened at the staircase, Ariadne a tiny dormouse perched on the bannister. The words hadn't made much sense then but, years later, he'd dug up all the old newspaper clippings he could find on his parents' death, the yellowed pages revealing a story his aunt had never dared to tell him. His parents' murder had not been the act of a random, opportunist gunman as he had always been led to believe, but rather a calculated act by an extremist political group- known supporters of Bradley and his regime. The papers never stated it outright, of course, but reading between the lines, Roy could tell that many people suspected Bradley may have condoned the group's actions, maybe even commanded them. He knew that was what his aunt believed.
Shaking away his unsettling thoughts, Roy combed back his hair one last time before turning to face Maes, a smile slipping easily onto his face. With an air of reluctance, Ariadne rose from her resting place at his feet, stretching out her front legs against the wooden floor before padding over to greet Cassie. The pine marten leapt onto Ariadne's back, her small body brimming with all the nervous excitement her master was struggling to contain. The fuhrer's attendance at their Founding Day ceremony was having an effect on everybody, whether they were meeting him personally or not. Privately, Roy was glad that Maes was feeling tense; it would make it easier for him to hide the true cause of his own fears. Maes had an uncanny sense for secrets and, without a distraction, would almost certainly noticed his friend's seemingly disproportionate anxiety and taken upon himself to sniff out the reason behind it.
"Alright, alright, have it your way," He grinned, his tone purposefully light. He strode towards the door with Ariadne following, the tight set of her shoulders the only indication of the struggle taking place within them both. "I was just about to leave anyway." As he reached the door, Maes ran an appraising eye over him, letting out a low whistle of mock admiration.
"Looking sharp, Mustang! No wonder you spent so long getting ready, you're trying to make the rest of us look bad, aren't you?" Maes laughed and Cassie joined in, her voice high and bright. "Well, I'd love to say your evil plan isn't going to work, but looking at you now, it probably will."
Roy's face split into a real smile, the first of that day. Maes always knew how to cheer him up, whether he meant to or not. But his good mood soon faded as they walked out of the barracks and onto the parade ground. The green and white and gold of the Amestrian flag adorned the front of all the buildings surrounding them. The white dragon, the symbol of Bradley's regime, danced in the breeze against the backdrop of vast marble pillars. A stage had been erected in front of the academy's headquarters for the Fuhrer's speech and already the state-approved news teams were flocking around it, preparing their vast arrays of equipment for the momentous event, the first to ever be captured on film. Maes and Roy lined up with the rest of their company, joining the sea of neatly assembled blue uniforms and fresh, nervous faces. But Roy barely noticed the presence of his fellow cadets or the bustling activity around him. His eyes were drawn towards the stage, where the Fuhrer stood next to his daemon; Re. Roy was not alone- almost everyone was staring openly at Bradley, a mixture of awe and astonishment on their faces. Re shook his head, his mane catching the mid-morning light and Roy could hear several cadets stifle gasps. He couldn't blame them: they'd all heard the stories, seen photographs, of course, but the reality was still unsettling. It was almost unheard of for anyone to have a daemon of the same gender, especially not one as imposing as Re. Bradley was smiling as he watched the crowd, his face moulded into an expression of almost paternal benevolence but the lion at his side gave no such signs of warmth. Re's eyes surveyed the growing crowd of young men, his gaze shifting backwards and forwards before stopping and focusing directly on Roy. The force of those golden eyes, predatory and without mercy, made Roy's breath catch in his throat. Ariadne shivered, pressing herself against his leg, an almost inaudible whine of distress coming from her mouth. Roy fought the urge to run, every instinct within him screaming that he was in danger. But then Re's eyes moved on and the moment was broken. Roy took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his calm. If he had been nervous about meeting Bradley before, he was terrified now. Everyone knew that a person's daemon was the outward expression of their innermost nature and, in that brief moment, he had stared into the eyes of the Fuhrer's soul and seen him for exactly what he was. Re was a killer, his grace and regal demeanour hiding an all-consuming rage, an unquenching thirst for destruction. Ariadne twitched at his side, her claws digging into the ground. This was the man that was ruling the country?
After what felt like hours, the last of the cadets were assembled on the grounds, the officers were lined up on the stage and it was time for the Founding Day ceremony to begin. Roy stood to attention and saluted towards the flag with the rest of the cadets, his head bowed low as the twelve gun salute went off in remembrance of all who had died in past wars, every inch the model soldier. But he barely heard the speeches being given up on the stage, nor the hundreds of voices singing along to the national anthem. All he could do was count down the minutes until he would be up on the stage with the fuhrer, shaking hands with the man who had ordered his parents' death. Only too soon, it seemed, that moment was upon him. He and the nine other cadets lined up below the stage, waiting to be called, one by one, to shake hands with the fuhrer. As the youngest cadet, Roy was last in line. He watched as each of his colleagues climbed the stage in turn, their heads held high but their daemons fawning and supplicant at the feet of Bradley's lion. He watched as they each shook hands with their country's leader, the fuhrer exchanging a few uniquely tailored pleasantries with them all, congratulating them on their fine service to their country. Finally, it was his turn.
Roy heard his name ring out over the crowd, heard the dutiful applause from the sea of uniformed bodies and he knew that he had run out of time. He began to climb the stairs leading up to the stage, the thumping of his heartbeat echoing in his ears, drowning out the crowd. He could sense Ariadne beside him too; more strongly than he had for years, the rush of emotions strengthening the bond between them. He could feel every silent press of her paws against the wooden planks, every whisper of the wind against her fur. She was unbearably on edge, her fur standing on end, her claws ready at any moment to be unsheathed. Roy took a deep breath, hoping to calm them both, but he knew it was no use.
A few short steps and he was standing in front of the fuhrer, gazing up into the man's single eye. The fuhrer was smiling but his eye was cold. It seemed to reach into the depths of Roy's mind, reading his every thought. He could sense Ariadne biting back a whimper and, as if to compensate for her nearly betrayed weakness, the leopard stood up even straighter, refusing to back down even as Re loomed over her.
Roy forced a smile as the fuhrer shook his hand, hoping that his anxiety would be passed off as mere nervousness and modesty as the fuhrer addressed him. "Congratulations, Cadet Mustang, your dedication to your duties and training is an inspiration to us all. Amestris is proud of your service." Suddenly Bradley's eye narrowed and his voice grew quieter, slipping out of the easy, rolling tone of rehearsed phrases.
"Mustang? Where have I heard that name before..." He paused, seeming to think it over. "Ah yes, of course. I remember hearing about your mother and father... Such a shame. They were brave people."
There was something about the way the fuhrer said the words... A thread of insincerity, of amusement even. Roy bit the inside of his lip, reminding himself to say nothing. Even if Bradley was intentionally taunting him, the man was still the fuhrer of the whole nation and he, a mere cadet, had no choice but to keep his tongue. But it was no use. At his side, Ariadne began to growl. The sound started off quiet but soon rose in volume until it could be heard by all standing nearby. Her lips were pulled back in a snarl, her fur was standing on end and she was growling, low and menacing. His daemon was growling at the fuhrer. The murmurs spread outward from the stage, the voices nervous and disbelieving. Roy didn't think he'd ever been more afraid.
Re was standing at his full height now, his claws unsheathed and his teeth showing. It was a silent display of deadly power against which Ariadne appeared tiny in comparison. But Bradley showed no reaction, his face remaining impassive, his eye showing only dark amusement. Roy found himself unable to look away from the fuhrer's face, some near hysterical part of his mind remarking that it might well be the last thing he'd ever see. The fuhrer leaned in close, his mouth almost touching Roy's ear. When he spoke his voice was low, inaudible to anyone else.
"I see you're just like your father... He never knew when to keep his mouth shut either."
Ariadne roared, throwing herself at Re in a flash of bared teeth and claws. She landed awkwardly, swiping at Re's eyes, but not succeeding in even scratching him. Ariadne roared again, her voice sounding weak and hopelessly child-like compared to Re's deep, warning growl as her teeth struggled to reach the lion's neck. With seemingly effortless ease, the fuhrer's daemon threw Ariadne off, overpowering her and pinning her to the floor. His teeth encircled her throat, barely scraping against the skin. Roy couldn't move. His breaths were coming in shallow, panicked gasps, adrenaline running through him like poison, screaming at him to run, now. But it was impossible. He could feel the weight of Re's body trapping Ariadne to the ground as if it were upon his own chest, could see the light reflecting off the lion's yellow eyes as they stared into his soul. They were both trembling. Roy could hear the clamouring voices of the crowd, the outraged cries of the generals on the stage and the shocked murmurs of his fellow cadets, but they faded into nothing compared to his own terror. Re's slow breathing filled Ariadne's ears and it was all he could focus on.
"Re," the fuhrer called, laying a hand across Roy's shoulders, his thumb and index finger curling around his neck. "Leave her."
Re growled and Roy shivered as the vibrations coursed across the skin of Ariadne's throat. Slowly, deliberately, the lion closed his jaw the tiniest fraction of an inch. Roy gasped, his knees buckling, as Re's teeth broke Ariadne's skin. Tiny drops of blood welled up and streamed down her pale fur. Bradley caught him before he could fall, steadying him upon his feet. Re released Ariadne, her blood still glistening on the tips of his teeth, and prowled back over to stand by his master. Roy's daemon ran back to him, mewling and shaking like a newborn kitten. Roy couldn't blame her, part of him wanted to cry too.
Bradley leaned in again, murmuring into Roy's ear. Roy didn't want to listen, but he was still unable to move and he knew he could not afford to insult the fuhrer any more than he already had. "Very impressive, Mustang." The fuhrer said, still gripping Roy's neck. "I must admit, even I didn't expect that. No-" Bradley held up a hand, cutting Roy off before he could even begin to speak. "You don't need to apologise, I was thoroughly amused by the whole thing. I'll see that this little incident doesn't cause you any trouble." The fuhrer patted Roy on the shoulder, turning to look him full in the eyes. "I shall be expecting great things of you, Mustang. You have a lot of strength, and incredible force of will for one so young. But it is your anger, Mustang," The fuhrer smiled, a strange light seeming to gleam in his eye. "Your anger that drives you, that makes you so interesting. Perhaps you and I are more alike than you would like to think."
A/N: I can't help it... I just love Bradley. I think he might be my favourite villain evar. Definitely up there. Anywayyy... let me know what you think? :D