[ pppsst when roy sees 'the truth' listen to this when reading if you want: click ]

"You didn't..die, did you? If you're here, and I am as well, then.."

Maes Hughes' words ran through his head, words that came out with a concerned tone, and he could even remember the ounce of seriousness on Hughes's face. If Roy was going to be honest, the thought that he(and Riza Hawkeye) died in the process of coming here never came as a possibility in his head. He had believed that whole accident had transferred him into another world and that it would be possible to return back to Amestris. He thought he and Riza could find a way home using alchemy, and could continue to help save Amestris from ultimate destruction. He had been certain he could have figured it out in a few days and the two of them would have been on their way home awhile ago.

But those hours turned into days. And those days turned into weeks. And those few weeks turned into a month.

And during that month, it seemed to be quite eventful in Roy's mind. To begin, not long after he ran into Riza, she disappeared. He didn't know where she could have wondered off to, or why she wasn't certain on staying in the Ascendants. Roy knew that he didn't have his full trust into the group, but he remembered that Riza told him years ago that she would follow him into hell if she had to. Surely, being away from their home and forced to be a different kind of species, this has to be like hell, doesn't it? After she disappeared, his thoughts of this place almost being like hell only began to get worse. It was hard to let himself come to trust the Ascendants, or even allow them to know who he was. It was strange living in a new home, in a new environment that he never would have imagined himself living in. Talking animals seemed to be the normality here, while back in Amestris that was barely thought on. He was close to never opening up his trust until his closest friend, Maes Hughes showed up.

Roy actually thought Hughes was Envy, at first. Roy had been under the belief that no one could come back from the dead, the Elric brothers were the perfect example to show that bringing the dead back to life wasn't possible. He had thought Envy made his way to this world to find him, but then disregarded it, as the homunculus wouldn't stop it's plans to mess with the Flame Alchemist- who can't even interrupt or stop their plans now. In the end, Roy was convinced that it really was Hughes, not just by Hughes recalling on who he was, but when they had that private conversation. The private conversation had been bittersweet, he loved having the chance to talk to Hughes again, hear his friends voice- but now those words Hughes asked won't leave the back of his mind.

Roy was up in the middle of the night. It was getting close to dawn, only in a few short minutes will the sun be rising in east and Ascendants members will be waking from their slumber. Roy didn't get a single ounce of sleep. What if, somehow Maes was correct? What if he did die? He can't recall what exactly happened in that accident, all he remembered was a transmutation circle being activated, and he had been in the wrong place and wrong time. He couldn't remember the details of the circle, he can't remember anything about it!- And then, suddenly a vivid flashback came right before his eyes.

"Hmm, that's definitely a human transmutation circle alright." He heard his calculative, confident voice speak up as his surroundings began to become more clear. When his surroundings finally cleared up, Roy could see himself, Riza Hawkeye, and the Elric Brothers. But there was one small difference, they were all human!

"Of course it's a human transmutation circle, Colonel Bastard! How the hell did it end up here? Who was planning on using it?"

He heard Edward's familiar voice speak up not long after him, but for Roy- he hadn't heard that voice in over a month. It almost felt strange hearing it again.

"I'm not sure who was planning on using it, thankfully we were called in before anyone got hurt. We'll start an investigation on who was responsible for drawing the array tomorrow."

He was then watching himself walk towards the array, who probably just wanted to get a better look, but didn't seem to notice the alarm on Fullmetal's face.

"Colonel! Wait a damn second!-"

"Fullmetal, relax! I'm just taking a look-"

And then, he came to a stop, when he suddenly felt small hands grip onto his body. When he looked down, he saw black hands, tearing him apart. Eyes widening, he noticed a single, large eye with a gray iris open right below him. [i]What? When was the transmutation activated? He thought to himself with shock, unable to pull himself away from it. He didn't activate it, nor did Alphonse oe Fullmetal- and Riza wasn't an Alchemist so it wasn't her.

"COLONEL!"

"No Lieutenant, don't get near it, you'll get caught in it too!"

And then, he heard Riza's screams of agony, and before he could see what was going on, his vision turned dark.

---

Suddenly the screams fell quiet. It turned so quiet to an eerie silence, and Roy found himself standing in an entirely white area, that he didn't recognize. Confused, he began to mutter, "Where the hell am I?" He looked over his shoulder, and froze at the large gate before him. He began to mouth the words 'what the hell', when a new voice spoke up. "Hello Mr. Al-chem-ist."

Quickly, he whirled around, his gaze landing on a white figure that was tall as him and had no eyes but a set of white, grinning teeth. "Who are you?" Mustang questioned, and the being grinned more. "Oh, I am so glad you asked me!"

"Who am I? One name you might have for me is the world, or you might call me the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. I am All, and I am One. So, of course, this also means that I am you." Truth said, as it pointed at Mustang, who's eyes were widened with shock and despair.

Before Roy could process what Truth was saying, the large gates began to open behind him. He whirled around, to see that familiar eye staring at him, with those tiny black hands reaching out for him.

Before Roy could process what Truth was saying, the large gates began to open behind him. He whirled around, to see that familiar eye staring at him, with those tiny black hands reaching out for him.

"You dared to open the portal, Mr. Al-chem-ist. I hope you get what you wanted!"

And then, Roy was begining dragged in by the black hands, screaming as the gate closed.

And then, everything began to go faster, what he had seen in the gate had been almost like a blur to him. He had been hanging upside down, forced to learn all the information Truth was throwing at him. He remembered himself screaming, demanding for Truth to stop, to end this living hell-

Then it stopped. He was suddenly standing before Truth again, his entire body shaking. He looked up, to see Truth grinning like a mad man to him. "How was your trip, Colonel Mustang?" Truth questioned, as Roy didn't respond right away.

A few moments passed by. "Well, Mr. Al-chem-ist?"

"Is that all?" Roy found himself questioning, as his body shook from the shock.

"Mostly yes, that's all you could see with the toll you payed."

Toll? What was his toll?

And then, suddenly Truth's appearance was turning into him, and when he looked down at himself, his body was disintegrating again. He almost let out a scream of shock, but Truth cut him off before he could do it. "Don't worry Colonel Mustang, you aren't done for good yet. You might have no use for Amestris, but you can be useful somewhere else."

His vision turned black, and suddenly he was waking up in a field.

And then, the last few weeks of his life flashed before his eyes.

Waking up in Ascendants. Running across Riza Hawkeye. Reuniting with Maes Hughes. His fight with Beck. His conversation with Hughes. And finally, his body change to a melanistic bobcat.

With that, Roy broke out of the trance.[/i]

---

Roy let out a gasp as he suddenly stumbled back, feeling his heart beat in his chest. The melanistic bobcat was still attempting to process what he just witnessed, or well, remembered. He somehow got involved in a human transmutation array, and his body was the toll. His body, he lost his entire body! But Truth said he wasn't done yet- that's why he's here. So, that means he really is dead in Amestris, doesn't it? He was almost in denial, when a sudden vision appear to his eyes for a single moment.

A white figure, shaped as a bobcat stood before him in a white area, grinning at him with sharp, flesh tearing teeth.

As soon as the vision came, it faded- Roy's eyes widening with despair. That was all he needed to know this was the truth. That was Truth, just as a bobcat. Truth did say it was him, meaning that this bobcat is truly him, he can't return to his human self.

The male found himself silently padding out of his room, and then the observatory. He sat in the field he first appeared in, looking up at the sunrise in the east. "So, Hughes you were right the whole entire time," He muttered, mostly speaking to himself as he felt tears swell up in his eyes, "I died back in Amestris, there's no way to go back home..." Not fully comprehending that he might not be alone out here, the male looked down at his paws, tears running down his cheeks. Paws beginning to shake, the male has never felt so much like a failure, and being completely useless in his life until now. His ears pinned back to his head as his body entirely shook, flint claws digging into the earth.

[ 1,722 words !!

tldr: Roy thinks back to what Hughes said to him a few nights ago and has a flashback that reveals the truth to him on how he ended up in Ascendants. Roy learns that he 'died' in Amestris and that this is his life now, and that he feels horrible for failing Amestris and leaving them in such a bad state. Y/c can overhear what he said at the end if you want! ]

Hughes had hoped that he was wrong that night.

He had always thought Roy was a tough asshole. Even without his alchemy, he would be hard to take down, with his perseverance and determination. It was why he was so hesitant to believe that he had died. He wasn't sure how he could have died, and if it had been anything like he had, he surely would have gotten away. Or maybe his end had come differently than his. But it didn't matter, because he wasn't dead. Maybe something with his alchemy or whatever had malfunctioned. Or the homunculi had done something. He had just come here somehow, and they had to send him back.

Even though he told himself this over and over, he was still kept up that night, his mind buzzing with all the worst case scenarios. What if Roy had died? And even if he hadn't, what if there was no way to get him back to Amestris? Was he stuck here forever, with his dead best friend? Hughes felt like a burden to him, although none of this was really his fault.

He decided that none of his attempts at sleeping were going to work, no matter how tired he was--it had been a while since he had a good night's sleep, after all. He was either too busy thinking to sleep, or his nightmares inevitably woke him up. During the days, he always tried to look like his optimistic, jovial self, but his exhaustion was clear in his glassy eyes and in his sluggish movements. He just wasn't himself anymore.

But the canine didn't have time to worry about that. He was more worried about his friend, who he had caught walking out of his room, then out of the observatory. He figured that there would be a repeat of their conversation a few nights ago, which made his stomach drop. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about what had happened again, as he could barely handle it the first time. But if it helped Roy on his journey towards the top, then so be it. He takes a deep breath before trailing after the bobcat.

The early morning was chilly. A breeze rushed through, ruffling his fur and making him shiver. He stops, observing the array of purples and oranges coloring the sky, before turning to look at Roy's back. Hughes is about to step forward, making his presence known, before he starts to speak. Then he pauses. 'So, Hughes you were right the whole entire time,' his heart drops into his stomach. The chill running through his body is no longer caused by the temperature. His mouth opens to say something, but it only opens and closes like a stranded fish's, nothing coming to mind. He couldn't believe they were both stuck here.

"You can't be," Hughes finally manages in a breathless tone, sounding almost defeated. His sleepiness is suddenly as clear as day on his face. "How...how?!"

"SPEECH"

Roy had believed he had been alone out here, the bobcat hadn't noticed his close friend trailing behind him when he left the observatory. It probably looked like Roy noticed his friend approaching him, when the bobcat spoke up, addressing Hughes. But that wasn't the case, no. Roy had intended to say that to himself, he didn't want Hughes to know the truth, not yet. It was too soon to their conversation a few nights ago, and he wanted his friend to relax and not worry about him. But suddenly, Roy's ears pricked up at a breathless voice that he automatically recognizes as Hughes. "You can't be... How...how?!" He heard the voice say, with an almost defeated tone in there as well. The male's eyes widened and quickly whirled around, to face Hughes, who looked like he was in shock and denial. "Hughes! I wasn't aware you were standing there," He said with a similar defeated tone, ears flattening to his skull again. Roy wasn't joking around about this, he wouldn't make a comment like that if he hadn't been serious.

But now that Hughes overheard him, and was demanding answers, Roy knew he couldn't keep the truth away from him. He has to tell Hughes what happened, especially if Hughes thinks he had a similar fate. Roy wasn't killed the way Hughes was, he wasn't murdered by the homunculi for finding information. He managed to get himself killed while investigating a human transmutation circle Fullmetal found, and he hadn't known it was activated. It had been too late for him when he stepped on it. "I was involved in an investigation regarding a human transmutation circle with Fullmetal, Hawkeye, and Alphonse. I went closer to investigate, but I didn't notice it's activation..." He began to explain slowly, trying to put his words together in his head. "Fullmetal tried to warn me.. But by the time I heard him, I stepped onto the circle and it was too late."

"My body was used as a toll for the transmutation, even if I didn't intend for it to happen. Riza got caught in it too, I'm assuming she was trying to grab me, she probably had a similar fate.." And now he has no idea where Riza wandered off to. He still doesn't understand why she didn't stay here with him when they reunited. He felt guilty for the lioness disappearing from his grasp, and that he's just sitting here in the Ascendants while she might be somewhere else. He hoped she was okay, and that he'll see her again one day.

"I'm sorry Hughes, for everything that I had worked towards- I just wasted it all and made it all go down the drain," He finished up as his body shook again at the thought, not daring to look at Hughes eyes. He felt like he needed to apologize- Hughes gave Roy his complete support for years. And even here, Hughes seemed determined to get Roy home to achieve his goal as becoming Fuhrer. But now it's useless, he can never achieve his goal while being stuck here, forever. This almost feels like a punishment from Truth, it took everything Roy had been aiming for years due to him accidentally committing the taboo. Even if it was an accident, he had to pay for his mistake, and this was certainly a way to make him regret his foolish actions that day.

Roy was staring at his paws when his ears pricked up at even more voices. "Well, well, well- how interestin'." The first voice that he recognized was Eternalwar, who had a smirk across her face. Thankfully, Roy didn't catch a glimpse of that smirk as he didn't take his gaze off of his paws. Roy was in shock and denial, one can easily tell by the shaking of his paws, and his eyes that have turned into slits as tears threatened to roll down his cheeks. It was bad enough that Hughes, his closest and best friend, overheard him. And now, his clanmates who had no clue about his past, are overhearing it too. She was even asking for an explanation, great. He supposed he doesn't exactly have a choice, now does he? If he refuses to explain himself, that will only cause more susicipion, and surely this recent news that Roy just told Hughes would be spread like wildfire. And then false rumors would spark from it. "Hughes and I are from another world," The defeated tone came slipping out of Roy's mouth, which happened to be an answer to Eternalwar's question. He wasn't about to go into detail, she can live with what he told her. He didn't want to go into detail anyway, considering how defeated he currently feels.

"Really? Some dumb accident is what you were hiding from us? Why didn't you just say so?"

Bastillepaw's words managed to get Roy's attention, the melanistic bobcat looking up from his paws to Bastillepaw's eyes. If Bastillepaw looked right into Roy's eyes, he would be able to see the anguish, despair, shock, and denial in them. Right now, Roy definitely does not look like that cocky, overconfident person he has expressed for the month he's been living here. Instead, Roy looks like he's in his worst state. And Roy couldn't help it but feel almost offended at the apprentice's comment. Roy knew and understood that Bastillepaw had suspicions regarding him, but it looked and sounded like Bastillepaw was disappointed with the truth. As if he was expecting something worse. As if the mention of human transmutation, the taboo in alchemy, wasn't bad enough. Clearly Bastillepaw must not know what Roy was talking about with Hughes. "You must not understand the seriousness regarding human transmutation, do you?" The broken male asked with a cold tone, tear stained eyes narrowing. "It's considered a taboo in alchemy! Why would I want to freely talk about or admit it?" He said with the same, cold broken tone, as he managed to keep his body from shaking again. While Roy didn't mean to commit the taboo, at the end of the day, he still did it. And it cost him his life.

Thankfully his attention on Bastillepaw didn't have to last forever. As Hughes spoke up again, and the black lab had been quite successful on making sure Roy was focused on him only. Roy certainly heard that fatherly tone from Hughes before, but in his current situation, the bobcat didn't think much on it. Instead, he focused on Hughes words. "How is this alright? This is anything but alright!" He found himself replying with a rough shake of his head, the flame alchemist clearly expressing his shock and denial. "What is there for us to figure out? We're both dead Hughes and this might be the end for Amestris as we know it!"

And then, Hughes next comment hit him.

"We'll get through this together, Roy."

Roy almost instantly fell quiet, his mouth closing shut as tears silently rolled down his cheeks and onto the ground. He didn't make any comment to this, but instead gave a nod as his eyes screamed out anguish and despair. Hughes wasn't wrong on that. They're both stuck here, unable to ever go home. They both have to get through this living hell together, along with the constant thoughts of Amestris and the people they left behind. Without a doubt, this isn't going to be easy.