Hughes was torn between his emotions. He was happy to be alive again, and to be with his best friend. He felt that he had failed as Roy's supporter, as a friend, so he could only look at his reincarnation as a second chance. Not only a second chance at helping him, but a second chance at life. Yet he couldn't let his old life go. Memories of it always flooded back, images of his wife's face, or the sound of his daughter's laughter. It was always painful, especially when he would recall the Ishbal war. The battle had haunted him for a long time, and even after dying, it still would.

Anyone would be happy to live again, even as a different being. But he can't get past a lot of things. It's painful to think that he had left so many people behind. It hurt him more than he could put into words. But he still put on a smile, because Roy was happy to have him back and he, for the most part, was happy to be back. It wasn't that he hated being alive again, but it was that he had to start over again, even with memories of the past time.

That night, after an eventful and stressful day, he crept out of his quarters. He was tired--exhausted, even--but his mind was buzzing so badly he could hardly sleep. With all these thoughts tormenting him, he couldn't help sneaking out to clear his head. At night, the dome had a haunting atmosphere to it. Shadows danced across the floor, keeping him on edge as they ran across the walls. He wasn't sure why he was so on edge. The whole place just gave him weird vibes--but the whole situation was weird.

Once outside, he feels like he can finally breathe again. The chilly night air ruffles his fur as he takes a seat on the grass, face pointed downwards towards his paws, glasses sliding down his nose. It would usually irritate him, but now, he hardly pays it any mind. He can only focus on the thoughts swimming around in his head.

"SPEECH"

Hughes wasn't the only one torn between his emotions. Roy was as well, but certainly not in the same exact way. Roy couldn't imagine what it was like to come back from the dead; as he, like many others, had believed coming back from the death was impossible. The Elric brothers were the perfect example, they had thought they had the array to the human transmutation perfectly, yet it turned into a disaster. Alphonse lost his entire body, confined to a suit of armor, and Edward lost his left leg and right arm. And back when Hughes was murdered, he remember standing at his grave, realizing why the Elric brothers did it. He wished Hughes could have came back then, but he knew why human transmutation was considered to be a taboo. It wasn't safe first off, and there had been no possible way any attempt could be successful. It could only end in pain and regret.

But he guessed in whatever world he's in now, coming back from the dead was possible. At first when he came across Hughes, he didn't believe it- he originally thought he was Envy, but then decided Envy wouldn't make an effort to come to this world to mess with Roy. He would be out of their way, they wouldn't make an effort to possibly put their plans on a pause to mess with the Flame Alchemist. Anyways, they probably don't even know Roy is alive. But it was Hughes, he was still wrapping his head around the fact that his best friend is here with him. He had been alone, in this new, unfamiliar world. It had been confusing, and hard to adjust to- especially after he ran into Riza, and for her to only disappear not long after. Maybe adjusting here will be easier with Hughes, but this was where his conflicted thoughts came into play.

He wants to find a way home, to Amestris. He wants to continue his goal to reach Fuhrer and help save Amestris from the Homunculi. But Hughes, his closest friend, is here. Roy isn't sure if he'll ever see Hughes again, he doesn't want to leave his friend alone here if he somehow finds a way home! He has no idea if Hughes can even come back with him if he discovers a way, considering Hughes human body is a corpse. He didn't want to leave Hughes alone, to fend for himself- Roy learned from the few weeks of being alone that it was hard and confusing. Constant thoughts ran through his mind, thinking of the people he was forced to leave behind. Thoughts of them being concerned for him, for Riza. He couldn't imagine what thoughts must be going through Hughes head, and surely they would only get worse if he was left by himself here. Roy might have had similar thoughts, but there's a difference with Hughes. Hughes died, his best friend had to take that in mind, think of all the mourning that his wife and daughter went through, as well as his friends.

Roy wasn't able to keep his eyes closed. He honestly hasn't been able to sleep that greatly in these past weeks. In the past weeks, he had thoughts on how to figure out a way home on his mind, and how absurd this world is. And now, he's having thoughts about Hughes as well. The tiger let out a sigh of annoyance, knowing that he won't be able to sleep for the rest of the night. It'd be pointless to stay in here all night, staring at the ceiling. He should probably get some fresh air, maybe it can help get some things off of his mind.

So the sumatran tiger got up, and left his room, and quickly headed out of the observatory. As he padded outside, he felt the chilly breeze brush up against his fur. With the chilly breeze, he caught a scent in the air- one that he now knew belonged to Hughes. Hughes was awake just like he was, and he wasn't surprised. It was almost expected, as who could really get a good night sleep after such an eventful and stressful day? The Flame Alchemist let out a sigh, as he let his paws take him over to the canine, his gaze eventually landing on the black labrador. When he entered the scene, he noticed Hughes was staring down at his paws, his glasses sliding down his nose. He seemed to be lost in thought, Mustang could tell by the look of his face.

For a moment, the male stood there quietly, before he decided to speak up to break the silence. "So, you're awake too Hughes," He commented with a swish of his tail, deciding to pad over to the canine, sitting down on the grass near him.

That was one of many things. He was afraid that, somehow, Roy had died, too. If Hughes had come back, then he didn't see why he couldn't, either. It was a stupid thing to think, that the Flame Alchemist of all people had died. Maybe he saw him as a bit more untouchable than he actually was, but it was still one of his fears. He had a lot of faith in him, though, and there was that doubt in the back of his mind. But then he wasn't sure how else he would have ended up there. Either way, he was supposed to be back in Amestris, working to become Fuhrer like he always had. He deserved it after all his hard work.

Still, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't afraid of being alone without him.

He didn't want to be selfish and keep him back just because he didn't want to be on his own. Unlike him, Roy wasn't a dead man. He had his own ambitions and goals, his own life. He didn't want to hold his best friend back. What kind of friend would he be then?

The sudden scent hit him, but he didn't look up. He heard him approaching, the grass rustling under his paws. It was both comforting and unsettling to have him there as he debated over everything. He didn't want to cause any worry, as Roy had enough to deal with already. Plus he was just as proud of a man as he was. His sadness was a private thing to him, though there had been times in the past where they had seen each other at their lower points.

Finally, the canine lifts his head, glasses half-way down his muzzle. He doesn't bother forcing a smile, as he probably already knows the emotional turmoil he's going through. It wasn't clear on his face, but somehow, Roy would see it. He knew that much. He just didn't seem like his usual, cheerful self.

"Yeah. Eventful day, y'know?" even he blinks at the blankness in his voice. Although he had done a good job at seeming optimistic for the most part, he was pretty damn depressed about the situation. He can't help thinking about everyone he had left behind, the thought of them grieving over him a constant in his mind. He wonders how his family is doing, and how the Elrics are getting on. He had thought long and hard on speaking about what he had found in the library, yet he eventually decided against it, assuming that they had already found out all they needed to know. The brothers were smart, that much he would admit.

He sighs, the weight that laid heavy on him evident in the deep outtake of breath. The most traumatizing image was the one of his own wife holding the barrel of the gun towards him. Even now, looking up at the tiger, he can still see it so vividly. He bites his tongue, though. "How..-" he starts, then stops. He isn't sure if he can talk about it so easily. It feels weird, talking about his own life like it wasn't even his. "How are things? You know, in Amestris?"

"SPEECH"

Roy was honestly beginning to have that kind of thought creep into his mind in the past few days. What if, somehow he died in that transmutation accident? All he remembered was the transmutation circle activating, and his body began to disintegrate- after that, everything went black. It wasn't long until he found himself waking up in Ascendants territory- he didn't remember anything that happened in between. It made him wonder if he'd ever remember what could have possibly happened between the two, it couldn't have been as simple as disintergrating and waking up as a sumatran tiger.

"Yeah, it surely has been an eventful day," The tiger sighed, speaking up a few moments after Hughes did for the first time. This was honestly still weird for him to wrap around his head- not just his situation of being a bloody tiger, but Hughes being back. Roy never thought people could come back from the dead, but Hughes proved it wrong. He was sure if he found a way to be human again, Edward and Alphonse would refuse to accept it as the truth. Those two were so set on believing the dead will never come back, and even he had been like that before this situation. He couldn't help it but feel relieved, that in the end, it is possible to come back. If it wasn't possible, he wouldn't be sitting here with Hughes now. He would continue to live here alone, and in confusion and desperation. Hughes was honestly helping him adjust more to this place, despite the short time he's been here.

And then he heard the question regarding Amestris. Almost instantly, Roy's gaze quickly landed onto Hughes. How was Amestris? Well, it certainly wasn't perfect. Some of the military's true colors were beginning to rise, and the homunculi were becoming far well more known between him, his team, and the Elric brothers. And it was honestly rough, regarding you know, the murder of Hughes. He was still trying to figure that out before he got sent here by mistake. "It's.. It's been a little rough, in all honesty." He said after a few moments on thinking, putting his thoughts together. "The true colors of the higher ranked staff of the military was beginning to show. We started to get problems regarding the homunculi- artificial human beings with philosopher stones as their core. The corruption went as far as the Fuhrer, we learned that he was a 'homunculus' too," He began to explain, before coming to a pause for the moment. Fuhrer King Bradley, when he learned the truth about him, it had given him more motivation and reasons to get that thing out of office. He thought he had more chances to obtain his goal and do good for Amestris, but clearly that has came to a stop.

"I don't know how Amestris is currently doing as of right now, I'm assuming you guessed that though. I can't exactly do my job and help in attempting to stop the corruption and the homunculi while I'm stuck like this here," He said with a sigh, speaking up a few moments after he first fell silent. It was honestly frustrating, to see all of his hard work basically being washed down the toilet. He felt so useless to Amestris, and he absolutely hates feeling useless. Not soon after that, the tiger fell silent again, looking down at his flint claws.

And then, a thought came to his head. For the past months, he's been constantly wondering who attacked Hughes, and murdered him. He originally questioned Barry the Chopper, when they had him hidden under custody while being kept an eye on by Falman. He ended up deciding that it wasn't Barry the Chopper. Maybe Hughes can explain it to him, describe who attacked him. Maybe Hughes could even tell him the reason why he had to use an outside line to contact him. He assumed it had been urgent, and Hughes didn't want it recorded on military lines, but he still couldn't help it but wonder.

"Hughes, I have a few questions of my own, if you don't mind me asking," The Flame Alchemist spoke up again with a clear, serious tone, slowly lifting his head to look over at Hughes. "On the night you...," He began to explain before falling short for a moment, trying to get a certain word out quickly, "died, did you remember what your murderer looked like?"

"And what were you trying to tell me? By the time I answered the phone, you were... you know," He asked his second and final question, this time not specifically mentioning Hughes's death, but instead rather implying it.

Hughes listened to the recent news with perked ears. He frowns at the sour news, but isn't at all surprised by any of it. His heart does sink at the news about the Fuhrer, though. He had hoped that he was wrong, that it was all somehow just a huge coincidence--but this proved that it all had been more than his imagination playing tricks on him. His death had been purposeful. These attacks were a lot more than what they had first seemed.

He nods, realizing now that he didn't need Roy around, but Amestris did. He wanted him to stay, yet he knew that he didn't belong there. He belonged back in the city, defeating the homunculi like he was supposed to, and becoming leader. It was his right. He had always agreed with his aspiration, and especially now, even though it went against his wishes. With a slight bitterness, he accepted the fact that he would eventually be left on his own.

The canine thinks that's the end of it, as silences takes over, the crickets singing and almost seeming to mock them. Then Roy asks the question he had been expecting for a while. His end had been a mystery, despite how much they had tried to solve it. The thought that his killer might be brought to justice, and that his family will get some peace of mind, makes the idea of being left a lot more easy. He does his best to rack his brain, the memories painful to dig up, both physically and emotionally.

A surging pain cuts into him, right where his scar is. He grits his teeth, his jaw clenching, but he manages to keep a somewhat straight face. It sears up through his chest, the ache making his throat dry. Yet he still presses on to answer. "I..I don't know. They looked like Second Lieutenant Maria Ross, but..they weren't her. Then-" he inhales sharply at the memory. He closes his eyes, telling himself it wasn't real--that it hadn't been his wife. "Then they looked just like Gracia. I tried to defend myself--I did..but I just couldn't," he recalls the details with sadness in his chest. He couldn't help wondering how things would have ended if he had just made a move.

The next question is a little harder. His memory is still slightly blurry, mostly around the time of his death. But he still does his best to remember what he had tried to inform Roy of. He knows that it had been important.

"I..I had been doing research. I was looking back at records, and I..realized something. All the military activity, it all connected somehow. But I can't remember how," Hughes sighs. He only knew that the homunculi and the military itself were working together. It was all he could remember from what he had found out. "I'm sorry. My mind's in shambles. But I'll let you know if it ever comes back to me, alright?" he promises, as it was definitely something important--important enough to be killed in order for it to be kept secret.

"SPEECH"

[ retro to body change ]

For a moment, Roy sat there, his green eyes locking onto Hughes as he awaited an answer. Roy would understand if Hughes didn't want to talk about it right now. It was probably a hard, touchy subject to think on- it's not everyday one talks about how they were brutally murdered. Roy was okay with it if Hughes wanted to talk about it later if he'd be more comfortable with the idea. Roy also wanted to stay here- for Hughes. But it made him feel conflicted, as he still wants to return to Amestris, achieve his goal and help save his country. He doesn't want to leave Hughes here by himself, but he has to accept that as the reality if he will one day return home.

Roy's eyes suddenly widen with concern when the canine clenched his jaw, as if Hughes was in pain. Somehow his friend managed to keep most of a straight face, but Roy was still able to notice the distress. "Hughes! What's wrong-" He began to question, before he fell short as Hughes pressed on the answer. Roy's mouth immediately closed shut, gaze locking on the black lab as Maes spoke. He listened very closely to Hughes's words, not wanting to miss any word of it. This was his chance to figure out who Hughes murderer was, he can't bare to miss anything. This could bring Hughes death in Amestris justice, and peace to Gracia and Elisia. Roy wasn't close to figuring out who the murderer was by himself, hearing it from Hughes will make a difference.

Second Lieutenant Maria Ross? Like Hughes said, it couldn't have been her- he remembered when she actually became a suspect for the murder. In the end, it didn't line up, when she was convicted as guilty before a trial even took place. He ended up staging her death after she 'escaped' prison with Barry the Chopper- it made Fullmetal pissed but he had been prepared to show Fullmetal the truth. But what truly caught his attention was that Hughes mentioned they looked like Gracia afterwards. First Maria Ross, and then Gracia- who's a loving, faithful wife. And then Hughes mentioned he was researching records, and found something that involved the military- and then, it all suddenly lined up. Recently Roy and Fullmetal have learned about the truth regarding the corrupt staff and the Fuhrer being a homunculus. Surely the military had been corrupt then too, without a doubt. And whatever Hughes discovered, the fuhrer and the other homunculi couldn't let someone as smart as Hughes spread that information.

His gaze darkened, ears drawing back to his head. "Thank you Hughes, for the information you just gave me." He said after a few moments, with a serious expression across his face, a slight frown on his maw. "I know that must have been hard for you to give out," He said as he looked down at his paws for a moment, falling silent. After a few quiet moments, he looked up from his paws when Maes spoke again. He can't remember the exact details on what he found? Maybe the details will come back to him later, considering Hughes didn't even remember who Roy was at first. Hughes had to remember who Roy was back there, clearly his memories are not all in place. He wasn't about to force his friend to remember, not after Hughes just spit all of that out, and on top of that, looked like he had pain from chest while saying it all. "It's quite alright Hughes, if you ever remember, be sure to let me know."

"Though, I'm now pretty confident that I know who killed you that night," The tiger said after a few more moments, deciding to go with his idea of letting Hughes know. Hughes had a right to know, the last face he saw before he died had been Gracia. Or at least looked like Gracia. This should hopefully give him some relief that his wife and Second Lieutenant Ross were not responsible for his murder. Hughes seemed pretty sure on that, but at least Roy can give the murderer a name for Hughes. "It was a homunculus known as Envy, it had the ability to change it's appearance to anything at will."

Hughes wished he could have given a bit more information on what he knew, even if it did hurt him. He wanted Roy to be able to solve all the problems in Amestris quickly once he got back. It was for the best, as he would become Fuhrer quicker once all the homunculi were taken care of. Even if he wouldn't be there to see him rise to the top, he wanted his friend to achieve his goals after all the hard-work he had done. He'd be damned if he let a bunch of mutant freaks get in the way of that.

He nods at his thanks, dipping his head. His chest still hurts, but not nearly as bad. It's a lot easier to handle. With the pain slowly subsiding, he's able to focus more on remembering, scouring his brain for all the details he had left out. It's short-lived, though, as Roy speaks up. His ears perk up at the mention of his killer and he turns to him expectantly. True, he didn't really believe that his wife or the lieutenant had killed him--but there was also the irrational doubt nagging at him from the back of his mind. Maybe it was true and his memory was still all messed up.

But, luckily, that was proven wrong. Now it all just made sense. The way they had manipulated their appearance when they had forgotten the mole on Ross' cheek, the swap of appearances all together--he sighs in relief, because he isn't actually going crazy. It's a huge weight off of him, knowing who had murdered him in that phone-booth, and that his family would finally get some peace. They just needed to get Roy back in action.

"I..Thank you, Mustang," he says, a sad smile across his maw. He didn't have much reason to address him so formally now, but it was out of habit. Then he realizes. He isn't completely sure if his friend had met the same fate as him, and the possibility that he had makes his chest tighten. Fearful it was true, Hughes sets him with a serious stare, ears pinned back against his skull. "You didn't..die, did you? If you're here, and I am as well, then..," he trails off, not even finishing his sentence. His jaw tightens again as he mulls over the prospect.

"SPEECH"

[ retro to oneshot! ]

Roy wants to bring peace to Hughes' family back in Amestris. Hughes hadn't seen their reactions to his death, Roy could assume that Hughes had a general idea of it though. Roy remembered Elisia tugging at her mother's dress, asking why the men were burying her father's casket at the funeral. He can almost remember her cries, as Gracia tried her best to hush her child without bursting out in tears. That had been hard to go through, watching his best friend get buried, who he thought he'd never see again. It only got worse when Elisia tried to tell the men to stop, and that Hughes has to complete his work. It had been tragic, and after he was buried, and everyone but him and Riza were standing at Hughes grave, tears had ran down his cheeks.

It was raining a lot that day.

Roy does need to get back in action, and he's sure he can do it. He can return to Amestris, he can! He just hasn't figured it out yet, it should come to him soon. Once he's back, he can live in some peace knowing Gracia and Elisia will know who the killer is, and that they will no longer have to mourn for hours wondering who could possibly do something so horrible to him. Of course, that wouldn't stop the mourning all the way, but at least if he can help in some way, then he will.

"I... Thank you, Mustang." The Flame Alchemist simply gave a nod in return, glancing at his friend and catching the sad smile on his face. Hughes really doesn't have to address him so formally, but he knew that it was probably out of habit. Before Roy could speak up again, he noticed that sad smile turn into a serious stare, as if a terrifying thought ran through Hughes mind. "You didn't.. die, did you?" He heard his friend question him, with concern, "If you're here, and I am as well, then.." Hughes sentence trailed off before the lab could finish it, leaving Roy with thoughts running through his head.

Roy honestly never thought of the possibility that he was killed. He can't remember the exact details on what happened, all he can remember it involved a transmutation circle. Surely, he can fix that if he remembers what the transmutation circle was, correct? This couldn't be after life, there was no way that he died back in that accident. Roy was sure of it. He was very confident that he was alive, and that he can return home, continue to reach his goal and avenge Hughes death. "No, I didn't die Hughes," The male said after some thinking, his gaze landing and locking on his close friend, "I remember some details on how I ended up here. I got sent here by mistake in an accident that involved a transmutation circle, no one murdered me." He didn't meet the same horrible fate as Hughes, thankfully. He definitely knows he wasn't attacked by a homunculus or someone against him.

"This is only temporary for me, we'll find a way to send me back, I promise." He said with a serious, yet confident tone, completely unaware that his confident thinking was blinding him from the true reality. The reality that Maes is correct on his concern, and that he will never be able to return home to achieve his goal or being peace to Maes family.