Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of Fire (Royai) ❯ Chapter 3

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

3
"So, tell me, Mustang, what exactly are your plans? Your letter didn't exactly explain everything." Fuher Grumman leaned forward in his chair, his elbows planted on the desk before him, his chin cupped on the back of his hands. In all his life, he'd never actually seen a blind man. Seeing Roy, the vacant look in his eyes as he watched him, was almost like having someone see completely through you. Roys gaze was dead on, though. It wasn't cast off to the side. He was looking directly at Grumman. His sense of direction, his hearing was brought up to the front from the incident.

"Of course not." Roy stared into the darkness that was ever growing. They were in his office, well secured. "I'm not about to mention the stone in a conversation over the phone, much less a letter. I want to use the stone to bring Ishval back to what it was. Before the war. With the stone I can give them their lives back. I can give them a water supply in the middle of the dessert, plentiful. They deserve it."

Grumman was calm, assessing. He didn't let his thoughts show on his face. "And you think doing this will bring you a step closer to becoming Fuher?"

Roy didn't smile. He didn't laugh. The look in his vacant eyes was almost sad. "No. The high-ups will look at it, no doubt, but I'm doing this because I want to."

"Why don't you use it for your eyes?"

Roy sighed. "Because I don't know how much power the stone contains. How much it will take to restore Ishval. I've seen firsthand how powerful the stone is. It's different when you use the stone on someone else. What I saw two years ago…the rumors…every time the stone was used for self-purposes it resulted in carnage and death." He shook his head. "I've come a long way from just being blind. I can keep going. The stone may only harbor enough power to bring back what Ishval once was." Ishval was only one city. It had only taken one city to make the stone.

Grumman arched his eyes. "You're a good man, Mustang. But know this, as long as that stone exist, there is danger. Not only from you but to anyone who may know about it. Power can corrupt anyone and if anyone outside of us hears about it…"

Neither one of them wanted to think of the consequences.

"So, when did you plan on doing this great escapade?"

Roy sighed. "I'm not sure. It'll take a lot on my part, too."

"Well, I'll be in Central for a while." Grumman rose and saluted Roy. He let his hand fall to his side slowly as he realized that, of course, Roy couldn't see it. He smiled sadly. The man had everything. He didn't need to keep pushing. He would acquire Fuher someday, but he wanted to help the world, too. "Keep in touch, Roy."

Riza was waiting for Roy when he stepped out into the hallway. He smelled that sweet scent of hers the moment he stepped out. "Where to now, Sir?"

And here he was again, the same as before. He was relying on Riza to keep him going. He was so dependent on her that it irked him. It wasn't right for her to give up more of her life for him. She'd already given up enough. "I think I'll go train."

"Alright, let me—"

"Alone."

He knew she almost argued over that but something in his face stopped her. Het let her lead him to his room and then to the training range.

"When you're ready to leave, just call me, Sir."

He nodded and listened silently as she left. When the door clicked shut he reached into his pocket and curled his fingers around the Philosophers Stone. What the hell was he doing? The Stone was capable of anything. Why he didn't just use it on his sight was really beyond him. But he could…He could do so much more with it than use it to return his sight. But he wanted to see. Even if for a moment.

He turned around in the direction he knew the targets were in and lifted his gloved hand. He summoned his Alchemy and concentrated as he gripped the stone. He felt the vibration in his hand, the throb of power. He knew what he wanted. The Philosophers Stone knew what he wanted.

For only a moment.

The darkness that he had seen for the past two years grew to a distant blurred shadow and his heart skipped a beat and then began to pound. The blurred image turned into dark images and then it was bright. The world around him blurred and he clenched his eyes shut against the sensation as it bore itself into his mind. No! He jerked his eyes open, wincing at the pain from the bright colors around him. The grass was green and—he snapped his fingers.

"Shit." He whispered, bringing up his hand to shade the light cast from the blazing inferno of his flames. He felt the power in that one snap. He'd hit the target straight on and the stone had amplified his Alchemy. Big time.

The bright colors hurt his eyes after two years of no sight. But it was beautiful. He didn't realize until now how he'd taken advantage of being able to see the world. He lifted the stone and then brought up another target. He paused. Brought up thirty more targets and then 100.

"What the hell am I doing?" He whispered. 130 targets. He could do it, of course but he wondered…he snapped his fingers and the explosion rocked the ground beneath his feet, almost blinding him. He couldn't help but laugh beneath his breath. He looked at the burnt remains of the targets. Unlike before when he'd hit the targets, each target had been engulfed by the flames all at once. The fire hadn't gone from one to the next. It had hit those dead on, at the same time.

"Shit." He whispered again. He was amazed, in awe. He couldn't help but practice a few more tries, ignoring the wreck he was making of the training range and then he went to the locker room where the weights were. He paused when he saw a mirror. He walked backward until he reached it and stopped.

He looked the same but he was thinner—but the muscles he had worked so hard for over the years were more defined. Still there. He lifted his shirt and smiled. He still had those tight abs. He remembered how hard he had worked for the past two years since losing his sight. On a random thought, he unbuckled his belt and pulled the waist of his pants outward. When he grinned, it was wicked. So full of himself. Still in good shape there, too.

It felt so good to see again and he was glad he'd ignored the thought of not doing it. But it was getting late. After dialing Rizas number he slipped the stone back in his pocket and let go of the concentrated power. At once his vision blackened into nothing and he sighed softly. Then he stopped.

He wanted to see her. He wanted to see Riza.

He didn't even think and this time he didn't reach for the Stone. It was in his pocket. The power was there. He concentrated, catching onto that thread of vibration. Slowly, his vision came back. He waited until he heard the familiar sound of her footsteps and then she was there.

He inhaled at the sight of her. He'd always thought she was beautiful. What man wouldn't? She was beautiful and skilled. Cool, calm and collected. Sometimes known as the ice queen or worse, ice bitch. Her hair was longer and her eyes seemed sad. But then she smiled.

"Are you ready…" He saw her take in the destruction behind him and barely refrained from turning his head. For some reason, he couldn't—didn't want to—tell her that he could see.

"Who are you mad at now?" Riza stepped around him and looked around. The targets were still smoldering, smoke rising up. Most of them were piles of ash. Even the walls hadn't escaped unscathed. They were blackened and would probably need a new coat of paint.

"No one." He shrugged. Turn back around. He urged silently. Let me see you one more time. He had the urge to run his hands through her hair but when she turned he dropped his gaze to her neck. He saw the smooth line of a scar. He closed his eyes, remembered watching while she lay there bleeding, telling him he didn't—he better not—do a human transmutation to save her. Thank God he hadn't had to.

"What's wrong, Sir?"

He shook his head and reached out. "You're beautiful." He said softly. He felt regret as he took ahold of his cane and released the power that was coursing through him. He almost groaned when everything went black again.

"You haven't seen me for two years. How do you know I don't have gray hair now?" Her voice was teasing.

His only response was, "I know."


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