Hughes' Journal

Summary: After Maes' death, Roy receives the journal his best friend kept over the years. But why exactly did Maes leave this to him?

Disclaimer: If I was Hiromu Arakawa, I'd be sighing in relief and contentment that I'd finally finished FMA- but I'm not, thus the fanfiction.

A/N: I wrote the first chapter to this about a year ago, and have been meaning to add the prologue to it ever since, but I never seemed to remember to. Anyway, I'll be continuing work on the second chapter (which is in progress, and half of the last chapter is written as well) as soon as the writing bug bites, which hopefully will be soon

Prologue

It was almost a relief, really, that he was military. At the very least, he didn't have to put thought into what he had to wear, just mechanically put on his uniform. No choosing what color shirt he should wear (it would be black, although he would have told him that was morbid. Well, this was a morbid occasion). No tying of a tie. The only difference was he slicked back his hair rather than leaving it in its usual disarray.

When he was ready to go he just stared in the mirror, unable to recognize the ghost of a man he saw there. How was he supposed to keep going towards his goal when his biggest supporter (he would tell him a certain blonde might protest that, although he'd probably respond that she wouldn't debate semantics) was gone? A knock on the door disrupted his thoughts, and he took a deep breath before going to answer it.

"Ready sir?"

He looked to his dearest subordinate with sad eyes and a disheartened smile that clearly said 'Will I ever be ready for this?' before putting on his hat and nodding. They drove to ceremony in silence, with her being all too understanding of his need to be lost in his thoughts about him.

It went by too quickly. They said kind words about him- caring husband and father, loyal to the military, died in the line of duty- and suddenly they were at the gravesite, and they were burying him. Then they were done, and he was the only one left at the new stone, and she was telling him they should probably go, it was getting cold. But it was raining… Surely she must have seen that, surely it must have mattered more than the cold- but now the moments gone, and they leave to get him the answers he's looking for.

He talks to his co-workers, and it's raining there, too. Then there's the phone booth-he went outside on purpose to call him, and thoughts are jumbling through his head as he tries to process it all and make it make sense and-

"Colonel," her voice breaks through the noise, and he turns to look at her. "I've brought Major Armstrong," Riza gestured to the large man beside her, who was standing at attention in a salute.

Roy nodded to Armstrong and murmured, "At ease," before walking away with his hands behind his back. Hawkeye and Armstrong fell in step behind him, following him to an alley a short distance away from the phone booth. He stopped and turned around, Hawkeye stopping at his left side and Armstrong to the right of his. "Well?"

"The ones that are thought to be responsible for the murder of the Lieutenant Colonel are being tracked."

"Then why haven't you been able to capture them yet?" Mustang's hands fisted, his head spinning once again at the thought of nearly having Hughes' murderer(s) in their grasp.

Armstrong turned his head to the side before saying apologetically, "They are being tracked, but I do not know who they are."

Roy and Riza were both taken aback, staring at Alex Louis for a moment. Roy then shook his head.

"What do you mean? Explain yourself."

"I cannot."

Fury built up inside Roy as he commanded, "As a colonel I am ordering you to talk. Are you disobeying an order from a higher-ranking officer?"

"I cannot talk."

Armstrong stared Mustang straight in the eye, wordless communication between them before Roy nodded.

"I get it. Sorry for calling you out here. You may go now."

"Yes sir."

Armstrong saluted and turned to go, but paused, reaching into his jacket pocket., fishing for something.

"That reminds me. I forgot to mention this. Up until several days ago, the Elric brothers were staying here."

Roy's eyebrows shot up as he leaned back against the wall of the house.

"The Elric brothers?"

"Yes. The Elric Brothers."

"…Did they find what they were looking for?"

"No. After all, the thing they are looking for is a legendary artifact."

"I see," Roy closed his eyes and smirked, realizing what valuable information Armstrong had just given him, "Thank you."

"And sir… One more thing. This was found amongst the Lieutenant Colonel's personal effects…" The major handed him a worn book, which Roy took, puzzled. "There was a note on it, to give it to you… He must have meant to do so before…"

Mustang stared at the book, muttered another, "Thank you," and Armstrong went on his way. Riza spoke up soon after the major had gone.

"We couldn't get any information from what he said."

Roy chuckled as he examined the book, flipping open to the first page.

"No, the major is a real softie. 'The one that are thought to have murdered Hughes' means that there are more than one of them. That may mean they're part of an organization… Not being able to follow an order from a colonel means that someone with a higher rank than mine is silencing the major… I think that means the brass are involved. And finally, what the Elric brothers are looking for. In other words, the philosopher's stone.'

"Ah…" the lieutenant rubbed her chin in though, "An organization with ties to the brass, the philosopher's stone, and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes… Just what kind of link could there be…?"

Roy scratched his head, "I don't know, I'm also clueless." He paused to glance at what was actually written on the first page of the book, blinking in surprise as he saw the words 'September 1st, 1902- Day 1 at Central Military Academy.' It was a journal? From their days at the Academy? He shook his head and snapped the book shut, deciding to look at it later.

"But I won't let it end like this. I will soon be assigned to Central."

"Oh? Congratulations."

"This is the perfect opportunity. I'll search the brass and I'll definitely smoke out the guy who killed Hughes."

"It isn't like you to mix your professional and private agendas together."

Roy could hear the disapproval in her voice, but he was determined.

"There's no such thing as 'professional' and 'private.' My intention as an individual is to become the president as well as to avenge Hughes. I'm sticking onto the brass. Will you follow me?"

Her eyebrows raised, she looked at him.

"You're asking me that now?"

Mustang smirked, tucking the book under his arm as he left the alley, Hawkeye as always watching his back.

This was just the beginning- he'd find those bastards, and he'd make them pay for what they did to Hughes.

A/N: That last part when I changed styles with Armstrong's arrival was from the manga itself, so if it seems familiar, that's why! So the rest of the story will pretty much be moments in which Roy reads through Hughes' journal, a little at a time, which makes me frustrated at my closing sentence to this prologue, since it implies it'll be a revenge fic for Hughes… though I suppose in a way it will be. Eh, you'll see.

Please let me know what you think so far! The first chapter should be up relatively soon.