[FMA Big Bang Fic] Chasing the Desert (4/9)
Title: Chasing the Desert
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…
Note: There is one art seta_suzume did for me that isn’t related to a scene but moreso how she pictures how a couple of characters look like. Here's one with Mek and Adil! Also there is NSFW art at the end, kind of. @_@
Chasing the Desert
Chapter Four
The sky faded to twilight, and one by one the stars began to shine. Roy and his group were following Adil and Mek as they were taking them to Madam Shan and the other Ishvalans. While everyone was walking, Roy felt his heart racing. Soon he would be facing the people he wanted to make amends with; all the different ways the meeting could go wrong played through his head like the scenes from a radio drama.
A few more minutes flew by and when everyone entered an area where many collapsed buildings were spread out, Adil and Mek halted the group. Roy recognized those as the houses, the ones he, Riza, Miles, and Scar were looking for earlier. He gazed around for a bit until Adil spoke.
“Madam Shan and the others should be eating dinner by this time,” Adil said. “We’re not far from them now.”
The dark skinned men began walking again, the others following suit. They passed the dwellings and Roy’s mind drifted once more. He wondered what the housing in Xerxes was like in the past. Not only that, he was interested in how the Ishvalans were able to settle here.
It wasn’t long until the two Ishvalans stopped again with Roy, Riza, Miles, and Scar. The four looked around and their mouths collectively fell open. Out on the open space there were several Ishvalans scattered around a roaring fire, eating dinner and talking amongst themselves in hushed voices. Roy believed there were around thirty of them outside. In an instant, one woman turned her head and noticed them. She beamed.
“Adil, Mek! They’re back!” Upon hearing her, all of the Ishvalans stopped eating and turned to look where the two men with Roy and his group stood. The woman dashed towards Mek and embraced him. “Are the both of you all right?”
“Yes, dear Esha, we are.”
As soon as the two parted, Esha gave Roy and the others a sharp look, her demeanour changing immediately. He noticed the Ishvalans staring at him coldly. Roy caught a glimpse of Miles, Scar, and Riza, all of them staring straight ahead and standing strong. But he could feel their uneasiness.
“Brigadier General Mustang informed us that Fuhrer Grumman sent him here to talk with us,” Adil told Esha, pointing his finger at the Brigadier General.
A few Ishvalans began conversing with one another. No shock to Roy that they recognized that name. He could tell from their tones that they were suspicious as to why he wanted to negotiate with them now.
“My sister and father were killed by your men,” Esha looked Roy straight in the eye. “How do I know you can be trusted?” More mutterings from the Ishvalans resonated in the Flame Alchemist’s ears.
Roy was at a loss of words for a moment. It should be easy to say he wouldn’t harm anyone, but would they believe him? Before he had a chance to think of something, someone suddenly spoke.
“Esha, that’s enough.”
The Ishvalans grew quiet when an elder lady and a young boy helping her walked slowly toward them. One feature of her that stuck out the most for Roy was the eye-patch covering her left eye. No doubt she had gotten that injury from the war. The woman and boy halted in front of Esha.
“Madam Shan!” Esha’s eyes flickered with fright, but she made no haste in bowing to her. “I’m sorry for my harsh questions. Please forgive me.”
“Watch your words next time. I won’t have you or anyone else bringing shame to the name of Ishvala.”
So this is the Elder, Madam Shan. He couldn’t explain, but she had that intimidating air around her. When the old woman finally looked at Roy with what appeared to be great curiosity, he swallowed nervously.
“So you’re Brigadier General Roy Mustang?”
“Yes, that’s me,” Roy said, nodding.
A brief silence followed. If he could explain the look she was giving him now, it seemed she was displeased with him suddenly coming to Xerxes.
“You and your men must be hungry. Care to eat with us?”
Roy wasn’t expecting her to invite him for dinner. He turned around to see if his men were okay with this; they all looked just as surprised but nodded. Roy swung his head back and smiled gently at Madam Shan.
“We would like that, Madam Shan.”
“Good. You may sit there.”
Madam Shan gestured towards a large stone in the middle, not far from where the fire was but a safe distance from it. Roy and everyone else sat down there before two Ishvalans gave their visitors water and bowls of soup. He tried some of the soup, which tasted spicy, but he liked it nonetheless. The meat and carrots in it were very soft.
“So General Mustang, why are you here?” Madam Shan asked. She and the boy were still standing.
Roy cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, as you probably overheard from Adil, I came here to talk with you and your people.” Roy stopped for a second, choosing his words carefully. “For the past four months, I have been at work revising the old Ishval Policies, and negotiating to return all your land to you.”
“Ah, so I heard. I know a couple districts were already opened, but many more are still closed. Shouldn’t all of them be opened by now?”
“It’s easier said than done. The reopening of each one has to be approved by the higher military staff.”
“Oh, so the military are still occupying our land?” one of the younger Ishvalans spoke up angrily.
The corners of Roy’s mouth twitched. Again, he had to choose his words carefully to not sound like he was the bad guy. After he was able to figure out how he’d approach the subject, Roy took a deep breath.
“Technically they still occupy some of the districts. However, they are only there to oversee the reconstruction process and gather information from the Ishvalans living in the districts so that we can better revise the Amestrian Ishval Policies to better suit the needs and wishes of your people. I told the higher staff I want to call off military occupation in Ishval and return the homeland to its people. They are in full support of this, but thought it would be better if it’s done slowly as they want to be absolutely sure that the districts are stable and self-sufficient before reopening them and removing the troops.”
A little after Roy had returned to the military, he had spoken to Fuhrer Grumman and the other generals about revising the Ishval policies. All of them believed if that were to happen it must be done with caution, which Roy agreed to some extent. There was still discrimination against the Ishvalans and he wasn’t counting on that to end soon. However, the Ishvalans would react badly as well-some of them then had to wait longer if they wanted to go back to their district.
“That’s their reason then, huh?” another Ishvalan, this time a female that looked and sounded much older than Esha, said. “Figures. They’re more worried over their country breaking up than us.”
This was what Roy was afraid of, the Ishvalans not taking kindly to the Generals trying to prevent a revolt. Their feelings over that were understandable, but he needed to convince them that changes were underway.
“To be fair, Amestris is going under a huge reformation of its government and political system, so the other generals want to avoid a protest from its own people. I have an official letter from Fuhrer Grumman himself that explains everything.”
The Brigadier General took out an envelope from the pocket of his military jacket and handed the letter to the elder Ishvalan before sitting back down. Roy gazed at Madam Shan as he drank more of his soup, trying to figure out what was going on in her mind. He was hoping at least she didn’t think what Grumman wrote in the letter was all garbage.
“To be honest, I’m still not sold on the country making sure Ishval gets all of its land back,” Madam Shan said after finishing the letter and giving it to Roy. “As I said, I do hear some rebuilding is in order, but that’s not enough.”
All the Ishvalans voiced out their agreement. Roy cringed a little, not liking how the discussion was going thus far. He glanced at Riza, Scar, and Miles, the two men looking uncomfortable too while Riza frowned. The Ishvalans quieted themselves, but it took a while for them to settle down.
“Is there anything else you want to talk about or let us know?” the boy next to Madam Shan asked.
At this point Roy wasn’t sure what else he could say.
“There’s actually one question I want to ask you,” Mek said as he looked at Roy. “As you probably know, all of us are aware of what you did in Ishval. Why are you doing this now?”
That part of the conversation Roy knew would come sooner or later. The Ishvalans were all watching him attentively, waiting an answer, and Roy felt uncomfortable beneath their gaze.
“What I did in Ishval was terrible, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember and regret it. I can rationalize that all I was doing was following orders all I want, but that doesn’t change anything. But there is something I can do now. I can revise the Amestrian-Ishval Policies; I can rebuild the towns, I can give you your land back, and I can make sure that something as terrible as the Ishval Extermination never happens again.”
“Just because you’re doing this doesn’t mean we’ll forgive you,” Madam Shan said.
“I know and I’m not asking for that. What I’m asking from all of you is a chance to make the changes happen.”
After Roy paused, the Ishvalans talked quietly amongst themselves. They seemed to have done that a lot tonight, he mused.
“If I may,” Scar spoke for the first time since they sat down. “I can’t bring myself to forgive Mustang for what he did during the Ishval Extermination, but I’m willing to let him go through with his plans.”
“That’s easier said than done.” Closing her eyes, Madam Shan said, “You’re going to need to prove yourself if you want us to accept that.”
“Those changes won’t happen overnight --”
“And I’m well aware of that. Perhaps you need to realize that we won’t trust you until after we see some progress,” Madam Shan interrupted.
Roy grimaced. The conversation had turned tense, and he knew now that she had decided from the very beginning that he wasn’t going to accomplish anything.
“If you don’t mind me jumping into this discussion,” Miles said after standing up, “Mustang wants me to overlook the changes in Ishval.” The Lieutenant Colonel took off his glass goggles, his red eyes bright and fierce.
Roy took a quick glance at the Ishvalans, each one appeared to be shocked as they whispered intensely to one another. He glimpsed at Madam Shan, an astounded look appearing on her face.
“Ah, so there’s an Ishvalan in the military. I thought they were not allowed to become Amestrian soldiers.”
“I was lucky to be stationed at Briggs as Lieutenant General Armstrong hadn’t confined me or sent me to the internment camps.” Before Miles continued, he put his goggles back on. “I’ll understand if you still feel unsure about Mustang being in charge of the changes. Speaking as an Ishvalan myself, though, I wouldn’t have agreed to help him with this if I didn’t think he had the Ishvalans’ best interest at heart.”
Madam Shan didn’t say anything, giving Miles a long stare. Roy assumed the old woman wasn’t fond of an Ishvalan dressed in military uniform. A chuckle escaped from her.
“I find it hard to believe you would still be in the military after what happened to your people. Do you feel any resentment at all?”
“I admit that it was difficult at first, but realized I could do more for Ishval by remaining in the military.” Miles smirked. “One of the reasons why I stayed in the military is so I can change the Amestrisans’ opinions of the Ishvalans.”
“I see. As much as I wish for that to happen, I feel they’re still not ready to embrace us yet.”
“Well surely you don’t think all Amestrians are bad?” Riza said, also joining in the discussion.
“No, I don’t,” Madam Shan answered, a small smile curled around her lips. “I’m pretty sure you heard of the Rockbells, correct?”
“Yes we have,” Riza said in a low voice.
Roy glimpsed at her, seeing sadness in her eyes. He remembered when Riza told him how she found out Winry Rockbell’s parents were murdered by Scar from Edward.
“They saved my life and the lives of many others, and for that I am truly grateful.” The smile on Madam Shan’s face disappeared. “And if I’m not mistaken, the person that murdered them is the one sitting next to you?”
Madam Shan pointed to Scar, who instantly turned pale. Roy too grew stunned as he wondered how she knew that. Had she known who he was all along?
“I recognized that on your right arm and your face is scarred very badly. I remember back then your face was bandaged.” She stopped shortly to take a deep breath. “I know the sins you have committed, Scar, killing many State Alchemists for revenge. Since you’re with Mustang now, I’m curious as to why you’re helping him.”
“Miles is actually the one that wanted to take me to Ishval and Mustang approves of it. I want to revive our culture. I want to save my people with my own hands. I want to repent.”
“I’m glad you want to keep our religion and culture alive, Scar, but don’t think Ishvala will forget your past actions. Don’t expect to win my support so quickly: I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Scar and Miles gave one another a quick glance. “We’re fine with that,” Scar said.
Another moment of silence fell upon them. Roy looked at Madam Shan: she seemed to be deep in thought.
“I think I’ll have this meeting end right now, Brigadier General Mustang. There is no more to be discussed.”
“I’m glad that we were able to have this discussion,” Roy responded, hiding his disappointment as he spoke.
“You must understand that trust takes time. Maybe I’ll have more faith in you the next time we meet.”
Roy hoped that would happen too. He realized that it was pretty late in the evening, too dark to be riding in the desert.
“Is it all right if my men and I sleep here for the night? I promise we’ll leave promptly tomorrow morning.”
“There is one house you all can stay in. Follow me.”
Madam Shan gestured for Roy, Riza, Scar, and Miles to follow her, which they did.
+++
The house that the group was staying at turned out to be a collapsed one that had been restored. There were already a couple beds ready, which Riza figured the Ishvalans had made themselves. Everyone immediately crawled into bed and fell asleep, exhausted not only from travelling, but from the meeting as well.
The next morning Riza woke up to found herself the only one in the house. She blinked, wondering where everyone was. Clearly Roy, Miles, and Scar weren’t going to leave without her, so most likely they were waiting. Riza rushed outside to find them, but stopped when she caught Roy looking up in the sky.
“General?”
Roy swung around, looking blank. “Oh, morning.”
“Where are Miles and Scar?”
“They’re getting the horses ready and should be back to get us soon.”
The both of them turned quiet, Roy looking up again while Riza stared at him. She could tell he was reflecting on the meeting with Shan last night. When the Elder said there was nothing more to talk about, Roy was pretty upset and Riza had admitted that she was too. The Captain did think he was asking a lot but wished Shan would give him a chance to make those changes, however the elder lady was right when she said trust takes a while to be formed. A thought then occurred to her.
“You considered coming back here when more of the reconstruction has been completed?” she asked Roy.
“Yes, of course,” Roy said. “I’m unsure, though, how our next meeting will go.”
Riza offered him a sad smile. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself.”
“Perhaps.” Roy chuckled, but his expression turned sour. “Nothing else to do but keep focusing on my plans.” He was silent for a moment, then said suddenly, “You think I made the right decision in using the Philosopher’s Stone to regain my eyesight back?”
Riza gave him a strange look. “Are you having doubts?”
Roy sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Last night hadn’t turned out the way I wanted. Makes me question if what I did was right.”
Lowering her head slightly, Riza’s eyes fell to the ground. She figured Roy was concerned about that and wanted to let him know he shouldn’t have to be. Riza lifted her head to offer him a supportive smile.
“I think you’re doing fine so far, sir. Again, it’ll take time, but I’m sure the Ishvalans will open up to you, eventually.”
Riza’s heart jumped. A part of her wanted to slap Roy for saying that, but she held herself from doing that. Before speaking, she had her eyes fixed on his.
“Not everyone is going to let you move forward with your plans, no. Still, there will be those that will appreciate you for your efforts. It hasn’t even been half a year yet since we started revising the Amestrian Ishval policies and already you think another person should do this. Don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous?”
There was a short pause between the two military officers. It wasn’t long before Roy smiled back at her.
“You’re right. I was being too hopeful, I guess.”
“No one else is more fitted to do this than you, Roy.”
When Roy’s smile widened, Riza gave one of her own. She knew Roy might still have some doubts, but at least he felt a little better now. They were like this for sometime until Riza heard footsteps approaching. She turned around to see Scar and Miles in front of her and Roy.
“Scar and I have the horses ready back at the fountain. We should be able to get back to Daliha sooner as we’re leaving earlier,” Miles said.
“The sooner, the better,” Roy replied.
Riza hadn’t said anything, but agreed with Roy. After what happened last night, it was best to leave Xerxes as soon as possible. Everybody wasted no time getting away from the dwelling and to their horses.
+++
The return trip to Daliha took two days and Roy was glad that he and Riza were back in their room. Riza was on the phone with Fuery while Roy stared outside, deep in thought.
The meeting with the Ishvalans in Xerxes hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped. He didn’t expect everything to go smoothly. It also seemed Madam Shan had given him a tough time by asking him especially difficult questions. Roy was worried about returning to Xerxes in the near future, but after talking with Riza he became a bit calmer about that.
Roy heard Riza hang up on the phone and that caught his attention. “Fuery said Gunja is progressing nicely and he, Ross, and Breda will be heading back to Central tomorrow morning.”
“That’s good to hear,” Roy said, frowning. He was glad to hear that news, but his mind was still stuck on Xerxes.
Riza nodded and then the two fell silent. Roy was certain she had that on her mind for a while too.
“There’s nothing to be worried about as we concluded earlier.”
Roy looked at her in gratitude. He was glad Riza snapped him out from his disappointment over the meeting, unlike him to be upset like that.
“I’m sorry for overreacting. I expected I wouldn’t be welcomed, but not in that kind of way.” He smiled a little. “Now I think about it, the meeting went as well as it could have been.”
“There’s no need to apologize.” Roy’s throat hitched when Riza leaned in to kiss his cheek. “We’ll have to deal with more of those against us, but we’ll get through.”
Relief washing over him, Roy’s face softened. He couldn’t think of anything else to say, so instead he sealed Riza’s lips with his. Without a second thought he took off her hairclip and ran his hands through her hair, which wasn’t as soft as he remembered but that was fine. Their kissing became rushed but desperate as they shed off each other’s uniforms.
(Art by plasticapollos. Leave her comments here!)
Eventually the both of them were wearing nothing and Roy had Riza against the headboard as he sucked on her neck. The pleased grunts she made had Roy’s blood rushing. At the back of his mind, he wondered if it was right for them to be doing this now; at this point he didn’t care.
He took action once more by kissing her on the lips and slid his hand down to her thigh. When he felt Riza’s fingertips dancing on his back, he was reminded how those fingers could pull a trigger of a gun and kill anyone wanting to take his life, kill him if he strayed away from his path. They made themselves too vulnerable when they were together like this.
Not wanting to think about that anymore, Roy released her lips so he could kiss her neck again and began thrusting inside her. Riza’s moans of his name, as if it was a secret only she knew, kept drawing him in and he was content with their downfall.
Onto Chapter Five!
This entry was originally posted at http://bay-alexison.dreamwidth.org/79042.html. Feel free to comment wherever you like!
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight…
Note: There is one art seta_suzume did for me that isn’t related to a scene but moreso how she pictures how a couple of characters look like. Here's one with Mek and Adil! Also there is NSFW art at the end, kind of. @_@
Chasing the Desert
Chapter Four
The sky faded to twilight, and one by one the stars began to shine. Roy and his group were following Adil and Mek as they were taking them to Madam Shan and the other Ishvalans. While everyone was walking, Roy felt his heart racing. Soon he would be facing the people he wanted to make amends with; all the different ways the meeting could go wrong played through his head like the scenes from a radio drama.
A few more minutes flew by and when everyone entered an area where many collapsed buildings were spread out, Adil and Mek halted the group. Roy recognized those as the houses, the ones he, Riza, Miles, and Scar were looking for earlier. He gazed around for a bit until Adil spoke.
“Madam Shan and the others should be eating dinner by this time,” Adil said. “We’re not far from them now.”
The dark skinned men began walking again, the others following suit. They passed the dwellings and Roy’s mind drifted once more. He wondered what the housing in Xerxes was like in the past. Not only that, he was interested in how the Ishvalans were able to settle here.
It wasn’t long until the two Ishvalans stopped again with Roy, Riza, Miles, and Scar. The four looked around and their mouths collectively fell open. Out on the open space there were several Ishvalans scattered around a roaring fire, eating dinner and talking amongst themselves in hushed voices. Roy believed there were around thirty of them outside. In an instant, one woman turned her head and noticed them. She beamed.
“Adil, Mek! They’re back!” Upon hearing her, all of the Ishvalans stopped eating and turned to look where the two men with Roy and his group stood. The woman dashed towards Mek and embraced him. “Are the both of you all right?”
“Yes, dear Esha, we are.”
As soon as the two parted, Esha gave Roy and the others a sharp look, her demeanour changing immediately. He noticed the Ishvalans staring at him coldly. Roy caught a glimpse of Miles, Scar, and Riza, all of them staring straight ahead and standing strong. But he could feel their uneasiness.
“Brigadier General Mustang informed us that Fuhrer Grumman sent him here to talk with us,” Adil told Esha, pointing his finger at the Brigadier General.
A few Ishvalans began conversing with one another. No shock to Roy that they recognized that name. He could tell from their tones that they were suspicious as to why he wanted to negotiate with them now.
“My sister and father were killed by your men,” Esha looked Roy straight in the eye. “How do I know you can be trusted?” More mutterings from the Ishvalans resonated in the Flame Alchemist’s ears.
Roy was at a loss of words for a moment. It should be easy to say he wouldn’t harm anyone, but would they believe him? Before he had a chance to think of something, someone suddenly spoke.
“Esha, that’s enough.”
The Ishvalans grew quiet when an elder lady and a young boy helping her walked slowly toward them. One feature of her that stuck out the most for Roy was the eye-patch covering her left eye. No doubt she had gotten that injury from the war. The woman and boy halted in front of Esha.
“Madam Shan!” Esha’s eyes flickered with fright, but she made no haste in bowing to her. “I’m sorry for my harsh questions. Please forgive me.”
“Watch your words next time. I won’t have you or anyone else bringing shame to the name of Ishvala.”
So this is the Elder, Madam Shan. He couldn’t explain, but she had that intimidating air around her. When the old woman finally looked at Roy with what appeared to be great curiosity, he swallowed nervously.
“So you’re Brigadier General Roy Mustang?”
“Yes, that’s me,” Roy said, nodding.
A brief silence followed. If he could explain the look she was giving him now, it seemed she was displeased with him suddenly coming to Xerxes.
“You and your men must be hungry. Care to eat with us?”
Roy wasn’t expecting her to invite him for dinner. He turned around to see if his men were okay with this; they all looked just as surprised but nodded. Roy swung his head back and smiled gently at Madam Shan.
“We would like that, Madam Shan.”
“Good. You may sit there.”
Madam Shan gestured towards a large stone in the middle, not far from where the fire was but a safe distance from it. Roy and everyone else sat down there before two Ishvalans gave their visitors water and bowls of soup. He tried some of the soup, which tasted spicy, but he liked it nonetheless. The meat and carrots in it were very soft.
“So General Mustang, why are you here?” Madam Shan asked. She and the boy were still standing.
Roy cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, as you probably overheard from Adil, I came here to talk with you and your people.” Roy stopped for a second, choosing his words carefully. “For the past four months, I have been at work revising the old Ishval Policies, and negotiating to return all your land to you.”
“Ah, so I heard. I know a couple districts were already opened, but many more are still closed. Shouldn’t all of them be opened by now?”
“It’s easier said than done. The reopening of each one has to be approved by the higher military staff.”
“Oh, so the military are still occupying our land?” one of the younger Ishvalans spoke up angrily.
The corners of Roy’s mouth twitched. Again, he had to choose his words carefully to not sound like he was the bad guy. After he was able to figure out how he’d approach the subject, Roy took a deep breath.
“Technically they still occupy some of the districts. However, they are only there to oversee the reconstruction process and gather information from the Ishvalans living in the districts so that we can better revise the Amestrian Ishval Policies to better suit the needs and wishes of your people. I told the higher staff I want to call off military occupation in Ishval and return the homeland to its people. They are in full support of this, but thought it would be better if it’s done slowly as they want to be absolutely sure that the districts are stable and self-sufficient before reopening them and removing the troops.”
A little after Roy had returned to the military, he had spoken to Fuhrer Grumman and the other generals about revising the Ishval policies. All of them believed if that were to happen it must be done with caution, which Roy agreed to some extent. There was still discrimination against the Ishvalans and he wasn’t counting on that to end soon. However, the Ishvalans would react badly as well-some of them then had to wait longer if they wanted to go back to their district.
“That’s their reason then, huh?” another Ishvalan, this time a female that looked and sounded much older than Esha, said. “Figures. They’re more worried over their country breaking up than us.”
This was what Roy was afraid of, the Ishvalans not taking kindly to the Generals trying to prevent a revolt. Their feelings over that were understandable, but he needed to convince them that changes were underway.
“To be fair, Amestris is going under a huge reformation of its government and political system, so the other generals want to avoid a protest from its own people. I have an official letter from Fuhrer Grumman himself that explains everything.”
The Brigadier General took out an envelope from the pocket of his military jacket and handed the letter to the elder Ishvalan before sitting back down. Roy gazed at Madam Shan as he drank more of his soup, trying to figure out what was going on in her mind. He was hoping at least she didn’t think what Grumman wrote in the letter was all garbage.
“To be honest, I’m still not sold on the country making sure Ishval gets all of its land back,” Madam Shan said after finishing the letter and giving it to Roy. “As I said, I do hear some rebuilding is in order, but that’s not enough.”
All the Ishvalans voiced out their agreement. Roy cringed a little, not liking how the discussion was going thus far. He glanced at Riza, Scar, and Miles, the two men looking uncomfortable too while Riza frowned. The Ishvalans quieted themselves, but it took a while for them to settle down.
“Is there anything else you want to talk about or let us know?” the boy next to Madam Shan asked.
At this point Roy wasn’t sure what else he could say.
“There’s actually one question I want to ask you,” Mek said as he looked at Roy. “As you probably know, all of us are aware of what you did in Ishval. Why are you doing this now?”
That part of the conversation Roy knew would come sooner or later. The Ishvalans were all watching him attentively, waiting an answer, and Roy felt uncomfortable beneath their gaze.
“What I did in Ishval was terrible, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t remember and regret it. I can rationalize that all I was doing was following orders all I want, but that doesn’t change anything. But there is something I can do now. I can revise the Amestrian-Ishval Policies; I can rebuild the towns, I can give you your land back, and I can make sure that something as terrible as the Ishval Extermination never happens again.”
“Just because you’re doing this doesn’t mean we’ll forgive you,” Madam Shan said.
“I know and I’m not asking for that. What I’m asking from all of you is a chance to make the changes happen.”
After Roy paused, the Ishvalans talked quietly amongst themselves. They seemed to have done that a lot tonight, he mused.
“If I may,” Scar spoke for the first time since they sat down. “I can’t bring myself to forgive Mustang for what he did during the Ishval Extermination, but I’m willing to let him go through with his plans.”
“That’s easier said than done.” Closing her eyes, Madam Shan said, “You’re going to need to prove yourself if you want us to accept that.”
“Those changes won’t happen overnight --”
“And I’m well aware of that. Perhaps you need to realize that we won’t trust you until after we see some progress,” Madam Shan interrupted.
Roy grimaced. The conversation had turned tense, and he knew now that she had decided from the very beginning that he wasn’t going to accomplish anything.
“If you don’t mind me jumping into this discussion,” Miles said after standing up, “Mustang wants me to overlook the changes in Ishval.” The Lieutenant Colonel took off his glass goggles, his red eyes bright and fierce.
Roy took a quick glance at the Ishvalans, each one appeared to be shocked as they whispered intensely to one another. He glimpsed at Madam Shan, an astounded look appearing on her face.
“Ah, so there’s an Ishvalan in the military. I thought they were not allowed to become Amestrian soldiers.”
“I was lucky to be stationed at Briggs as Lieutenant General Armstrong hadn’t confined me or sent me to the internment camps.” Before Miles continued, he put his goggles back on. “I’ll understand if you still feel unsure about Mustang being in charge of the changes. Speaking as an Ishvalan myself, though, I wouldn’t have agreed to help him with this if I didn’t think he had the Ishvalans’ best interest at heart.”
Madam Shan didn’t say anything, giving Miles a long stare. Roy assumed the old woman wasn’t fond of an Ishvalan dressed in military uniform. A chuckle escaped from her.
“I find it hard to believe you would still be in the military after what happened to your people. Do you feel any resentment at all?”
“I admit that it was difficult at first, but realized I could do more for Ishval by remaining in the military.” Miles smirked. “One of the reasons why I stayed in the military is so I can change the Amestrisans’ opinions of the Ishvalans.”
“I see. As much as I wish for that to happen, I feel they’re still not ready to embrace us yet.”
“Well surely you don’t think all Amestrians are bad?” Riza said, also joining in the discussion.
“No, I don’t,” Madam Shan answered, a small smile curled around her lips. “I’m pretty sure you heard of the Rockbells, correct?”
“Yes we have,” Riza said in a low voice.
Roy glimpsed at her, seeing sadness in her eyes. He remembered when Riza told him how she found out Winry Rockbell’s parents were murdered by Scar from Edward.
“They saved my life and the lives of many others, and for that I am truly grateful.” The smile on Madam Shan’s face disappeared. “And if I’m not mistaken, the person that murdered them is the one sitting next to you?”
Madam Shan pointed to Scar, who instantly turned pale. Roy too grew stunned as he wondered how she knew that. Had she known who he was all along?
“I recognized that on your right arm and your face is scarred very badly. I remember back then your face was bandaged.” She stopped shortly to take a deep breath. “I know the sins you have committed, Scar, killing many State Alchemists for revenge. Since you’re with Mustang now, I’m curious as to why you’re helping him.”
“Miles is actually the one that wanted to take me to Ishval and Mustang approves of it. I want to revive our culture. I want to save my people with my own hands. I want to repent.”
“I’m glad you want to keep our religion and culture alive, Scar, but don’t think Ishvala will forget your past actions. Don’t expect to win my support so quickly: I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Scar and Miles gave one another a quick glance. “We’re fine with that,” Scar said.
Another moment of silence fell upon them. Roy looked at Madam Shan: she seemed to be deep in thought.
“I think I’ll have this meeting end right now, Brigadier General Mustang. There is no more to be discussed.”
“I’m glad that we were able to have this discussion,” Roy responded, hiding his disappointment as he spoke.
“You must understand that trust takes time. Maybe I’ll have more faith in you the next time we meet.”
Roy hoped that would happen too. He realized that it was pretty late in the evening, too dark to be riding in the desert.
“Is it all right if my men and I sleep here for the night? I promise we’ll leave promptly tomorrow morning.”
“There is one house you all can stay in. Follow me.”
Madam Shan gestured for Roy, Riza, Scar, and Miles to follow her, which they did.
+++
The house that the group was staying at turned out to be a collapsed one that had been restored. There were already a couple beds ready, which Riza figured the Ishvalans had made themselves. Everyone immediately crawled into bed and fell asleep, exhausted not only from travelling, but from the meeting as well.
The next morning Riza woke up to found herself the only one in the house. She blinked, wondering where everyone was. Clearly Roy, Miles, and Scar weren’t going to leave without her, so most likely they were waiting. Riza rushed outside to find them, but stopped when she caught Roy looking up in the sky.
“General?”
Roy swung around, looking blank. “Oh, morning.”
“Where are Miles and Scar?”
“They’re getting the horses ready and should be back to get us soon.”
The both of them turned quiet, Roy looking up again while Riza stared at him. She could tell he was reflecting on the meeting with Shan last night. When the Elder said there was nothing more to talk about, Roy was pretty upset and Riza had admitted that she was too. The Captain did think he was asking a lot but wished Shan would give him a chance to make those changes, however the elder lady was right when she said trust takes a while to be formed. A thought then occurred to her.
“You considered coming back here when more of the reconstruction has been completed?” she asked Roy.
“Yes, of course,” Roy said. “I’m unsure, though, how our next meeting will go.”
Riza offered him a sad smile. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself.”
“Perhaps.” Roy chuckled, but his expression turned sour. “Nothing else to do but keep focusing on my plans.” He was silent for a moment, then said suddenly, “You think I made the right decision in using the Philosopher’s Stone to regain my eyesight back?”
Riza gave him a strange look. “Are you having doubts?”
Roy sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Last night hadn’t turned out the way I wanted. Makes me question if what I did was right.”
Lowering her head slightly, Riza’s eyes fell to the ground. She figured Roy was concerned about that and wanted to let him know he shouldn’t have to be. Riza lifted her head to offer him a supportive smile.
“I think you’re doing fine so far, sir. Again, it’ll take time, but I’m sure the Ishvalans will open up to you, eventually.”
Riza’s heart jumped. A part of her wanted to slap Roy for saying that, but she held herself from doing that. Before speaking, she had her eyes fixed on his.
“Not everyone is going to let you move forward with your plans, no. Still, there will be those that will appreciate you for your efforts. It hasn’t even been half a year yet since we started revising the Amestrian Ishval policies and already you think another person should do this. Don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous?”
There was a short pause between the two military officers. It wasn’t long before Roy smiled back at her.
“You’re right. I was being too hopeful, I guess.”
“No one else is more fitted to do this than you, Roy.”
When Roy’s smile widened, Riza gave one of her own. She knew Roy might still have some doubts, but at least he felt a little better now. They were like this for sometime until Riza heard footsteps approaching. She turned around to see Scar and Miles in front of her and Roy.
“Scar and I have the horses ready back at the fountain. We should be able to get back to Daliha sooner as we’re leaving earlier,” Miles said.
“The sooner, the better,” Roy replied.
Riza hadn’t said anything, but agreed with Roy. After what happened last night, it was best to leave Xerxes as soon as possible. Everybody wasted no time getting away from the dwelling and to their horses.
+++
The return trip to Daliha took two days and Roy was glad that he and Riza were back in their room. Riza was on the phone with Fuery while Roy stared outside, deep in thought.
The meeting with the Ishvalans in Xerxes hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped. He didn’t expect everything to go smoothly. It also seemed Madam Shan had given him a tough time by asking him especially difficult questions. Roy was worried about returning to Xerxes in the near future, but after talking with Riza he became a bit calmer about that.
Roy heard Riza hang up on the phone and that caught his attention. “Fuery said Gunja is progressing nicely and he, Ross, and Breda will be heading back to Central tomorrow morning.”
“That’s good to hear,” Roy said, frowning. He was glad to hear that news, but his mind was still stuck on Xerxes.
Riza nodded and then the two fell silent. Roy was certain she had that on her mind for a while too.
“There’s nothing to be worried about as we concluded earlier.”
Roy looked at her in gratitude. He was glad Riza snapped him out from his disappointment over the meeting, unlike him to be upset like that.
“I’m sorry for overreacting. I expected I wouldn’t be welcomed, but not in that kind of way.” He smiled a little. “Now I think about it, the meeting went as well as it could have been.”
“There’s no need to apologize.” Roy’s throat hitched when Riza leaned in to kiss his cheek. “We’ll have to deal with more of those against us, but we’ll get through.”
Relief washing over him, Roy’s face softened. He couldn’t think of anything else to say, so instead he sealed Riza’s lips with his. Without a second thought he took off her hairclip and ran his hands through her hair, which wasn’t as soft as he remembered but that was fine. Their kissing became rushed but desperate as they shed off each other’s uniforms.
(Art by plasticapollos. Leave her comments here!)
Eventually the both of them were wearing nothing and Roy had Riza against the headboard as he sucked on her neck. The pleased grunts she made had Roy’s blood rushing. At the back of his mind, he wondered if it was right for them to be doing this now; at this point he didn’t care.
He took action once more by kissing her on the lips and slid his hand down to her thigh. When he felt Riza’s fingertips dancing on his back, he was reminded how those fingers could pull a trigger of a gun and kill anyone wanting to take his life, kill him if he strayed away from his path. They made themselves too vulnerable when they were together like this.
Not wanting to think about that anymore, Roy released her lips so he could kiss her neck again and began thrusting inside her. Riza’s moans of his name, as if it was a secret only she knew, kept drawing him in and he was content with their downfall.
Onto Chapter Five!
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