EMPTY CHAIRS AT EMPTY TABLES // O, HUGHES MEMORIAL

[Roy Mustang]

Roy can't do it. He can't bury his best friend, he can't do it for a second time. Just the thought of having to bury Hughes himself got his paws to shake. He already had to watch his friend get buried once, he never thought he would have to bury Hughes himself. Just thinking about it makes him feel so nauseous that he barely manages to keep his lunch in his stomach. Though, Roy knew that he can't allow Hughes body to rot, whether he likes it or not he has to do something with it.

Which is why Roy decided to cremate Hughes. Choosing this option didn't suddenly make this task become a breeze for the Flame Alchemist, no. While cremating him was far better than burying, it was still hard for him to do. It's not everyday you have to turn your best friend to ash. Roy made sure he burned Hughes corpse as humane as possible. He made sure the flames weren't out of control, and tried his best to make it least noticeable as possible. Once the task was completed, Roy put Hughes ashes into an urn. This urn was navy blue and gold, Roy brought it along with him as he cremated Hughes body. Once all the ashes were inside the urn, Roy closed it shut.

Eyes dry from tears, Roy made sure the room smelled pleasant, as the smell of a burning corpse generally isn't pleasant. He wouldn't want people to be distracted by the smell when he gathers them around for Hughes memorial. After that, the bobcat carefully grabbed the urn, and made his way to the middle of the observatory.

Setting the urn on the ground, the bobcat set down behind it. There was one thing Roy grabbed before he cremated Hughes- Hughes pendant. The pendant was carefully crafted, it was silver and it had the Flamel on it- a snake draped on a cross. It also had detached wings and a crown above it. It was a symbol that attributed to Nicolas Flamel, a famous alchemist, as the cross appeared on Flamel's grave and symbolized his research on the Philosopher's Stone. Who would have imagined that Maes Hughes, who Roy wouldn't even call an Alchemist, had a pendant that was related to alchemy, and the Philosopher Stone- which is related to immortality. Roy grabbed the pendant for one particular reason- to wrap it around Hughes urn. Hughes never got a chance to wear it, and now it can be with him forever.

"Everyone gather around for Maes Hughes memorial!" The melanistic bobcat called out for all to hear, ears pinning back to his skull as he awaited for members to gather around.