[FMA Big Bang Fic] Chasing the Desert (1/9)
Title: Chasing the Desert
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight… Not long after the Promised Day was over, Roy and Riza are getting used to their newfound romantic relationship. At the same time they make progress on restoring Ishval and help out with rebuilding Amestris’s political and government system. The plans didn’t get off to a great start when several Ishvalans were skeptical over Roy’s plans on revising the Ishval policies and supporters of the late Fuhrer Bradley not wanting the changes to happen.
Notes 1: For 2011-2012 fmabigbang. Huge, HUGE thanks to muziris and missyquill for their fabulous betaing and dealing with me wanting them to look over the chapters several times until everything makes sense. This story had been through so many rewrites you have no idea, lol (romance and politics tis hard). Also shout outs to my artists seta_suzume, plasticapollos, and xX-CookieMonster-Xx for their wonderful art. Also big thanks to enemytosleep for organizing this year’s Big Bang and the reassurance I go through with this story until the very end.
Notes 2: A bit of background before getting into the story. This story is a follow up to two of my Roy/Riza fics, Say My Name and These Scars We’ve Earned. Also there are some references to my Big Bang fic I wrote last year, Down the Road and also the FMA Wii games Prince of the Dawn and Daughter of the Dusk. However, this story you can follow along pretty well without reading the fics I had mentioned. You also don’t have to know much about the games except that in one part Bradley had assigned Riza to do an assassination attempt (which was stopped by Edward, haha).
Another thing I want to mention is I’m using Brotherhood’s version of the ending for this story, so if you guys are wondering, “Why Roy and his team aren’t in East City yet?” rest assured that will happen eventually. Lots more I want to say, but let’s run this show now!
(banner by me)
Chasing the Desert
Chapter One
You can tell a true war story by the way it never seems to end. Not then, not ever.
-Tim O’ Brien
“Fuhrer Grumman announced today that he has agreed to meet with King Claudio of Aerugo after receiving a letter from him requesting a ceasefire between Aerugo and Amestris. Fuhrer Grumman states that he 'already hoped to settle' the border disputes between the two nations and open peace negotiations and that he is 'happy to see' that King Claudio has already taken the first step towards that goal by requesting the ceasefire. Grumman already has plans for future relations with Aerugo, saying 'it would be wonderful if we can build a strong relationship through trade and mutual trust. Of course, nothing is set in stone at the moment, but I like to remain optimistic.'”
“The two leaders are to start private peace negotiations one month from now. There are no plans for a welcome festival, however a press conference will be held immediately following the meeting.”
“That’s all for today’s afternoon news at Radio Capital. Tune in again at four o’ clock for more news in Amestris.”
+++
King Claudio made arrangements to travel to Central immediately.
Preparations for the trip luckily went smoothly and without a hitch. The Aerugian King had requested Fuhrer Grumman to let South City Military Headquarters know he would be on his way to South City and have a train ready for him and his guests. The Fuhrer was happy to comply.
And so King Claudio, his son Prince Armel, and several advisers began their journey, the King’s wife remaining in Aerugo to oversee the country during her husband's absence. They first travelled from Padrid City to Rouge Town by train, which took over a day, and it was another two days from there to South City by carriage. When the group finally reached South City, the General in charge of the military headquarters greeted them and showed everyone to their train. The trip to Central City would be three days.
The first two nights as the train passed through Amestris the king and his son discussed politics pertaining to their country. On the third night, that was when they decided to talk about the peace negotiations with Amestris.
“So the peace talks will be private, am I right, Father?”
“Yes, Armel,” King Claudio said. “Fuhrer Grumman said that some high ranking generals and a few special guests will be there, but that is all.”
There were no plans for a welcoming celebration this time due to the King not wanting a repeat of the last time he visited Amestris, which involved a terrorist attack in Central and him being taken hostage. He was hidden inside an abandoned warehouse for a while until a few military men found him, one of them he remembered being Colonel Roy Mustang. King Claudio was grateful to them for saving his life before it was too late.
Prince Armel raised an eyebrow, but chuckled soon after. “Special guests? Well, as long as this peace talk doesn't turn to a crowd gathering, everything should be fine.”
King Claudio also wasn’t sure what Fuhrer Grumman meant by special guests. Perhaps lower rank military officers the Fuhrer trusted well? People with external connections to the military? Whatever the case, he found it intriguing.
“Indeed.” The king nodded and smiled before turning to gaze out the window, seeing a town with lots of farmland and small buildings scattered all over slide by.
The train had several stops to make before landing in Central, and the King couldn’t help but notice that the people at all the different stations looked very hopeful. He had heard of what happened during the Promised Day and knew the country was going through a massive political reconstruction. It seemed everyone was looking forward to the upcoming changes, and he honestly couldn't wait either.
+++
Roy and Riza made it a routine to take turns visiting each other’s places every few days and not let anything or anyone get in their way.
Tonight they were in Riza’s bedroom, clinging together as if it there was nowhere else to go and they were the only two people left in the world. As the two remained still on the bed, Riza had her head rested on Roy’s chest, enjoying the steadiness of his breath. She felt his fingers slowly stroking the back of her neck, which made her shudder in delight.
Riza found it funny how their relationship had started. She had loved him for years (and knew he felt the same way), but it wasn’t until the night after they were allowed to leave Central Military Hospital that she really wanted them to be more than friends and loyal comrades. When they were in her apartment, she first apologized to Roy for threatening to kill herself during the Promised Day, only for him to say sorry for hurting her and accidentally called her name aloud. She had smiled wickedly at him, glad to hear him say “Riza”- to her, that meant he was willing to be close now. One thing led to another, and they were lost in their intimacy.
Yes, they had a lot on their plates while rebuilding Amestris and restoring Ishval, but it would be foolish to set their love aside. Riza believed they deserved to be together after all they had gone through, so she was happy they were able to work this out.
“I think we should go to sleep now,” Riza teased, smiling. “We have to wake up early tomorrow.” Her fingers traced around the scar tissue Roy had from Lust, which was warm and soft.
“Maybe, but we’re used to not getting much shut eye,” Roy whispered into her ear before nipping it. Riza made a soft sound, being thrown off the edge, and found herself already kissing him. Before she knew it, though, her lips drew away from Roy’s jaw and she lowered her head down in shame.
“Are you okay?” Roy asked, looking at her in concern.
Riza heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I deserve to come to that peace negotiation tomorrow. I almost assassinated the king.”
Tomorrow Riza, Roy, Breda, Fuery, and Ross-she still was getting used to having her in Roy’s team- were to accompany Fuhrer Grumman during the peace negotiations with King Claudio and Prince Armel of Aerugo. The treaty talk was going to be behind closed doors, a private affair. There would be a press conference on the signing, on the other hand. Riza knew why Grumman wanted the team to come and she was honored, but…
“Actually, you could have killed the person disguised as King Claudio, but don’t worry about it. Fuhrer Bradley was the one that wanted the king dead.”
“True,” she said, a slight smile playing around her lips. “It’s ironic, though, that you were the one that got arrested for attempted murder.”
Roy narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t remind me.”
Riza couldn’t help but laugh and kissed his cheeks. After having herself pulled closer to him, Riza wrapped her arms around Roy’s waist as he leaned in to catch her mouth with his. She felt butterflies in her stomach, his skin hot against hers.
“I’m glad that we’re rebuilding this country, revising the Ishval policies, and…us finally together,” he said when they took a moment to catch their breaths.
“Me too.” A soft note of content laced Riza’s voice when she said that.
They kissed once more, Riza not minding losing some sleep tonight.
+++
Roy was never the kind of person to be excited over greeting special guests, but knew today’s visitors were important for the reconstruction of Amestris. Having strong ties with other countries was the first step.
When Fuhrer Grumman had let him know about the King of Aerugo and his son coming for a private visit, he couldn’t help but chuckle. He only met the king once over half a year ago, back when King Claudio was still a prince. Apparently not long after the terrorist incident, the elder man became king-Roy found it weird Claudio wasn’t crowned king yet until early winter this year, despite him being married and having a son for many years already. Grumman then told Roy he wanted him, Riza, Ross, Fuery, and Breda to join him during the peace negotiations because they had rescued him and that they were hard at work with rebuilding the country. He was fine with that reason and looked forward to meeting with King Claudio again.
He and his team were now outside with Fuhrer Grumman, waiting for the royal father and son to arrive. It was a cloudy morning with the cold breeze kicking in, so everyone wore their military coats. Roy shivered a little.
“You don’t like the cold either, huh, my boy?” Grumman said mischievously after taking a glimpse at him.
“Maybe.”
“The King and Prince should be here any minute now, so don’t worry,” Ross said, a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “Actually, this weather is a nice change after being in Xing for so long.”
“Well, Ishval is pretty hot too, so you’ll have to get used to the heat again,” Breda shot back, smirking. Ross responded with a glare.
Roy chuckled and shook his head. He instantly had Second-no, First now-Lieutenant Maria Ross inducted into his team after the Promised Day was over. Second Lieutenant Falman was positioned once again in Briggs due to Major General Olivier Armstrong needing him there, so Roy had asked Ross to join him in helping out with the reconstruction of Amestris and restoring Ishval. Ross happily agreed to it.
“How long will the peace negotiations last?” Riza asked the Fuhrer and then cleared her throat. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to my voice not being as strong as before.”
A frown appeared on Roy’s face. There was a hint of roughness in Riza’s voice now that would constantly remind him how he almost lost her. He assumed that cut on her neck went deeper than he expected. This was not the right time to think that right now.
“Several days, I assume,” Grumman said. “King Claudio and I do have a lot to discuss.”
Roy knew that would be the case and assumed he and his team would partake in the peace talks when the opportunity arose. They were invited, after all.
It wasn’t long until everyone finally saw a few men marching up the stairs. Roy had spotted two particular men that Grumman, himself, and his group were waiting for. They both wore the same blue overcoats and red Aerugian military uniforms. The younger looking man, which Roy knew for sure was the King’s son, was straightening his glasses and looking at him with deep interest. Roy blinked, wondering why.
“So it’s true that you got your eyesight back, Roy Mustang. I never thought that was possible.”
Roy couldn’t help but chuckle. “I didn’t think that either, Prince Armel, but I have a certain doctor to thank for that.”
Ever since he got his sight back thanks to Dr. Marcoh, Roy was determined to set things straight with the Ishvalans. All would be done in due time, but Roy only hoped his eyes wouldn’t disappoint the people he was trying to help.
The prince smiled at that remark and followed his father as they walked towards Grumman. When they came close to him, the King and Fuhrer shook hands.
“Welcome to Amestris,” Grumman greeted. “I’m glad that you wanted to get started on the peace talks.”
“I wanted this war to end long ago, but it was impossible while King Bradley was still in power. My son is the one that suggested I talk to you as soon as possible. ”
King Claudio stopped talking, and glanced at Roy, grinning at him.
“It’s nice to see you again, Colonel Mustang. Again, I want to thank you and your men for saving me during my last visit.”
“I’m actually a Brigadier General now,” he corrected, but smiled back. “And you’re very welcome.”
“Oh, so you got promoted? Congratulations!”
The men shook hands, but Roy saw confusion in the King’s eyes.
“Wait, there was one more gentleman with you. I remember most of you,”-he pointed to Riza, Fuery, and Breda--“but one's missing.”
“Oh, you mean Falman. He had to be transferred to the North because one of the generals needed his help.”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense.” After giving Roy a quick nod, King Claudio turned to face everyone. “Okay, then, let’s get started with the peace negotiations, shall we?”
Grumman let out a joyous laugh.“Yes yes, we should.”
The Fuhrer gestured for all to follow him inside, and they complied. Roy hoped that everything would go smoothly.
+++
The negotiations indeed stretched out for a few days, as Roy predicted. The talks started with opening the railroads to and from Aerugo, and proceeding through to the removal of Amestrian troops posted within the country. Fuhrer Grumman agreed to this almost immediately, as Amestris was eager to have her troops come home. However, the atmosphere became a little tense when King Claudio requested a large sum of money to be paid as compensation for the damages done to Aerugo as a direct result of the war. There was a debate, and Roy felt on edge as Grumman and Claudio struggled to find a middle ground and agree on the amount of money due. Initially, Claudio demanded a total of seventy-five billion cenz, but after a while, Grumman had managed to talk him down to forty-four billion cenz in reparations. The tension subsided shortly after, and the negotiations continued smoothly through many other terms and conditions. Overall, Roy thought the peace talk was going well so far. He and his team did partake in the discussions, voicing their opinion over some of the topics at hand- one of which if Amestris should give the annexed land back to Aerugo, and if so how much. That happened on the last day of the meeting.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to give all of your land back easily,” Grumman said as calmly as possible to the king. “The Amestrians won’t be particularly happy about it.”
“There might be revolts,” Lieutenant General Ernest, one of the high ranking generals invited to the discussion, added in. “This country doesn’t need another one!”
“Well, it would be rather hard to be allies with a nation so unflinching. I can’t think of many Aerugians who would ever want to,” Prince Armel challenged, closing his eyes.
“That’s unreasonable,” Major General Hakuro, another high ranking general taking part of the peace treaty talks, said and glared at the prince. “You can’t just expect us to give all of your land back in one fell swoop.”
“For many years we have fought to regain our land,” one of the Aerugian generals said. “We can’t let that go. Our people died for that land!”
The whole room all of a sudden erupted into an argument, Roy and his team the only ones not involved as they chose instead to quietly observe. Everything became more intense than Roy expected as Fuhrer Grumman and King Claudio were then engaged in diplomatic warfare.
“As soon as I saw the percentage of annexed lands your country demands back, I told General Hakuro that Aerugians have a great sense of humor.”
“Surely you understand the need to appease the people, you Excellency. We wouldn't want them to think Aerugo was under any pressure would we?”
“Something has to be done about this before it gets out of hand,” Ross whispered to Roy.
“I know,” Roy said back. He scratched his chin, trying to come up with something, and just like that an idea hit him.
“King Claudio, your country is initially a trading nation, right?” Roy pointed out. Everyone in the room quieted themselves...and turned their attention towards him.
“Yes, that’s true,” King Claudio said slowly, curious. “Are you suggesting something?”
“Well, considering this country is going through a huge reconstruction right now, and Amestris could benefit from your resources. How about we reach some sort of compromise. We’ll give sixty percent of the land back to your country and in return Aerugo open trade with us. Aerugo gets most of its land back, and the people of Amestris are pacified by the incoming resources. The resources will be put to good use.”
All the guests in the room remained silent, waiting for the answer from King Claudio. It wasn’t long until the king of Aerugo nodded in approval.
“I actually like that idea. I’m willing to discuss which resources you want from us, Fuhrer Grumman.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Grumman beamed and laughed. “I knew I made the right choice in having you take part in this discussion, Mustang.”
In the corner of his eye, Roy could see Hakuro scowling at him. He knew how much the Major General hated his guts, Hakuro was one of the few generals that didn’t approve of his promotion. That was the least of his concerns, though. Roy looked at Grumman and smiled.
Many hours had passed and after Fuhrer Grumman and King Claudio talked over everything, it was agreed upon the signing would be tomorrow and a press conference to be held for this special occasion. The men shook hands and everyone erupted in applause.
The Fuhrer shook hands with King Claudio one more time and turned to everyone in the room. "Okay everyone, you're all dismissed. I expect to see every one of you there tomorrow."
Roy and everybody else saluted and yelled out, "Yes sir!" to him. The Brigadier General and his team waited until Fuhrer Grumman and all the other military officers marched out of the room. When it was their turn to leave, Roy was halted by a hand on his shoulder. He looked over and saw King Claudio with a warm smile on his face.
"I actually want to talk to you in private for a moment."
Roy's heart drummed loudly. Why would he want to talk to him? There was only one way to find out; this would be a meeting of two kings. He glanced at his team who looked equally confused.
"Don't worry guys, I'll be fine," he said, bidding them a reassured smile.
His team didn't look convinced; nonetheless, they nodded and everyone but Riza left Roy and King Claudio alone. Silence held them tight for a moment, but the older man coughed and started the conversation in a stern voice.
"Brigadier General Mustang, I want to talk to you because you're the one that is overseeing revision of the Ishval policies."
This wasn't the first time someone wanted to talk to Roy about Ishval, but he felt the insides of his stomach churn.
"Yes, that's true. What would you like to know?"
King Claudio didn't say anything at first--Roy assumed the older man was choosing his words carefully. "You already know how Aerugo involved itself in the Civil War by providing the Ishvalans with firearms?”
"Yes," Roy said and nodded. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.
"If you must know, I’m very aware of what the State Alchemists are capable of as I have lost too many men to them. So tell me, Hero of Ishval -” Roy flinched at the title, “- what you expect the end result of the revised policies to be? I’m concerned those would result in another genocide.”
Roy felt pressured to give the King a good answer, but a determined expression was set on his
face. No, if the King's intention was to get him to crack, he wouldn't fall for it.
“King Claudio, let me ask you this. Why was it that during the Ishval Extermination you didn’t give refuge to the Ishvalans? Why go to such lengths to smuggle weapons to them if you never intended to help them escape Amestris? Unless...”
“... Unless the intention was to use them?” A sad smile spread across the king’s face.
That made Roy let out a grave sound. The Brigadier General didn’t expect King Claudio to admit so boldly to something like that, so he became speechless. Roy glimpsed at Riza for a second as she dropped her gaze from him and frowned.
“But…why?” he asked finally.
“Back then I thought it would be a great opportunity to gain the upper hand in the war. Bradley had taken many of the State Alchemists away from Aerugo so that they could fight in Ishval and the Ishvalans needed help. However, when the Ishvalans sought refuge in Aerugo, I had my soldiers refuse because Bradley wouldn’t hesitate to send his men after them. I didn't want any more bloodshed in my country than was necessary, and that was selfish of me. I've always regretted it.”
Roy could tell from King Claudio’s tone that he was indeed sorry for not giving the Ishvalans refuge. He would feel the same way if he were in his place.
“I believe you, King Claudio,” Roy said with a tiny smile. “I hate myself for what I had to do in Ishval. It was orders, I keep telling myself, but…” He paused, staring down at his hands. “I know revising the Ishval policies won’t relieve me of the sins I committed, but I can at least try to make amends by revising the policies.”
“I understand your situation very well. At least now with Fuhrer King Bradley gone, the Ishvalans can breathe easier. Speaking of which, I decided to provide you with technology and supplies to help out your efforts in rebuilding Ishval.”
Again, Roy was left speechless. He always thought King Claudio was uninterested in helping out Ishval, but he was wrong. Sometimes he liked being surprised.
“I accept your offer, then.” Roy’s smile became wider. The men then shook hands.
+++
“How the meeting with His Majesty go?” Breda asked.
“It went better than expected, actually,” Roy explained. “Long story short, he’s going to help out in the rebuilding of Ishval by sending in technology and supplies.”
Upon entering the office with Roy, Riza had already expected her fellow comrades to ask questions about the private meeting. Thinking back, she grew a little uneasy as Roy and King Claudio were talking, only to be stunned when the king offered to help out with rebuilding Ishval. Riza was glad everything worked out well in the end.
“Wait…the King’s going to do that?” Ross said, throwing Roy a shocked look. Riza noticed both Fuery and Breda wore similar expressions of disbelief.
“Yes. I was surprised upon hearing that, too. He was sorry for not helping the Ishvalans out during the extermination and wanted to make it up.”
“Oh, that’s great news!” Fuery said, his face stretched with a grin. “I’m sure that’ll help your plans immensely.”
“I’m sure it will.” There was a smile on Roy’s face, but it soon faded to a frown. “Captain Hawkeye, can I speak with you in my office please?
Used to having Roy wanting to talk with her alone, Riza said instantly, “Yes, sir.” She caught a glimpse of Fuery, Ross, and Breda, the three looking on in confusion. Nonetheless, she followed him as they made their leave.
After the two military officers entered the office and walked a few steps, they halted and Riza gave out a surprised gasp when Roy cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her. Part of her wondered why he was doing this and what would happen if they got caught, but those thoughts soon faded away. As soon as his lips parted from hers, she looked at him in confusion.
“Next week we’re going on our first trip to Ishval,” Roy said before Riza could ask what was going on, “and I know the first few talks with the people will be very shaky. I want you to promise me that no matter what, you won’t leave my side.”
A smile played on Riza’s lips. “I already promised you that long ago.”
Riza’s arms wrapped around Roy’s neck and she pressed her lips against his, feeling his hands slide onto her back. The both of them had to be quick about this if they didn’t want to get caught. She too knew Ishval would be rough for some time, but they would get through this together.
For one fleeting moment, she tasted the desert.
+++
“King Claudio of Aerugo and Fuhrer Grumman have signed the peace treaty, ending the war between the two countries. It has been agreed upon that Grumman will pull out all our troops stationed in Aerugo immediately, though the process might take some time. Trains between Aerugo and Amestris will soon be open as well. Before King Claudio left Amestris, he announced that he’ll help the Ishvalans out by giving supplies and technology to them.
“Speaking of Ishval, Grumman also mentions that next week Brigadier General Mustang and his team will start visiting several Ishval districts and making ties with the people there, the first one being Daliha. We asked the Fuhrer why ‘The Hero of Ishval’ was chosen to lead this task, he responded that 'Mustang is the one who wanted to do this in the first place. His dedication to revising the Amestrian Ishval Policies to better suit the interests of the Ishvalan people is unrivalled: no one is better suited to the task.'”
On the day of the peace treaty signing, many journalists gathered around outside Central Command, pens and cameras at the ready. Each time someone flashed a picture, the sudden light would make Roy wince. That was why he hated people taking pictures of him.
For most of the press conference he and Riza stood still. The Flame Alchemist thought it was unnecessary for Grumman to state his trip to Ishval, but it was flattering the Fuhrer thought he was the perfect person for the job.
As the treaty signing was underway, Roy felt Riza holding his right hand and pulled them behind their backs. When he saw her smiling at him, he grinned back. He glanced at everyone behind them-their eyes were on the King and the Fuhrer. Roy’s face relaxed to a grin as both men finished signing the treaty and everyone applauded.
“One down, two to go,” Riza whispered.
“Hopefully Creta and Drachma will follow.”
“I have no doubt they will.”
Roy's fingers gripped Riza’s tighter as he watched the King and Fuhrer wave to the crowd. Of course, it would be a long road until everything in Amestris was settled. Nonetheless, the hard work would pay off in the end and he was glad he and Riza could be a part of it. Now he was looking forward to the Ishval trip more than ever.
(Art by plasticapollos. Leave her comments here!)
Onto Chapter Two!
This entry was originally posted at http://bay-alexison.dreamwidth.org/78332.html. Feel free to comment wherever you like!
Author: bay115
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: R
Word Count: ~40,000
Pairing/Characters: Roy/Riza, Miles/Miles’s wife, Scar, Breda, Fuery, Maria Ross, Grumman, various other canon and original characters
Warnings: Language, some violence, mild sex, instances of discrimination over a fictional race/culture (in this case, the Ishvalans)
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who wanted to set things straight… Not long after the Promised Day was over, Roy and Riza are getting used to their newfound romantic relationship. At the same time they make progress on restoring Ishval and help out with rebuilding Amestris’s political and government system. The plans didn’t get off to a great start when several Ishvalans were skeptical over Roy’s plans on revising the Ishval policies and supporters of the late Fuhrer Bradley not wanting the changes to happen.
Notes 1: For 2011-2012 fmabigbang. Huge, HUGE thanks to muziris and missyquill for their fabulous betaing and dealing with me wanting them to look over the chapters several times until everything makes sense. This story had been through so many rewrites you have no idea, lol (romance and politics tis hard). Also shout outs to my artists seta_suzume, plasticapollos, and xX-CookieMonster-Xx for their wonderful art. Also big thanks to enemytosleep for organizing this year’s Big Bang and the reassurance I go through with this story until the very end.
Notes 2: A bit of background before getting into the story. This story is a follow up to two of my Roy/Riza fics, Say My Name and These Scars We’ve Earned. Also there are some references to my Big Bang fic I wrote last year, Down the Road and also the FMA Wii games Prince of the Dawn and Daughter of the Dusk. However, this story you can follow along pretty well without reading the fics I had mentioned. You also don’t have to know much about the games except that in one part Bradley had assigned Riza to do an assassination attempt (which was stopped by Edward, haha).
Another thing I want to mention is I’m using Brotherhood’s version of the ending for this story, so if you guys are wondering, “Why Roy and his team aren’t in East City yet?” rest assured that will happen eventually. Lots more I want to say, but let’s run this show now!
(banner by me)
Chasing the Desert
Chapter One
You can tell a true war story by the way it never seems to end. Not then, not ever.
-Tim O’ Brien
“Fuhrer Grumman announced today that he has agreed to meet with King Claudio of Aerugo after receiving a letter from him requesting a ceasefire between Aerugo and Amestris. Fuhrer Grumman states that he 'already hoped to settle' the border disputes between the two nations and open peace negotiations and that he is 'happy to see' that King Claudio has already taken the first step towards that goal by requesting the ceasefire. Grumman already has plans for future relations with Aerugo, saying 'it would be wonderful if we can build a strong relationship through trade and mutual trust. Of course, nothing is set in stone at the moment, but I like to remain optimistic.'”
“The two leaders are to start private peace negotiations one month from now. There are no plans for a welcome festival, however a press conference will be held immediately following the meeting.”
“That’s all for today’s afternoon news at Radio Capital. Tune in again at four o’ clock for more news in Amestris.”
+++
King Claudio made arrangements to travel to Central immediately.
Preparations for the trip luckily went smoothly and without a hitch. The Aerugian King had requested Fuhrer Grumman to let South City Military Headquarters know he would be on his way to South City and have a train ready for him and his guests. The Fuhrer was happy to comply.
And so King Claudio, his son Prince Armel, and several advisers began their journey, the King’s wife remaining in Aerugo to oversee the country during her husband's absence. They first travelled from Padrid City to Rouge Town by train, which took over a day, and it was another two days from there to South City by carriage. When the group finally reached South City, the General in charge of the military headquarters greeted them and showed everyone to their train. The trip to Central City would be three days.
The first two nights as the train passed through Amestris the king and his son discussed politics pertaining to their country. On the third night, that was when they decided to talk about the peace negotiations with Amestris.
“So the peace talks will be private, am I right, Father?”
“Yes, Armel,” King Claudio said. “Fuhrer Grumman said that some high ranking generals and a few special guests will be there, but that is all.”
There were no plans for a welcoming celebration this time due to the King not wanting a repeat of the last time he visited Amestris, which involved a terrorist attack in Central and him being taken hostage. He was hidden inside an abandoned warehouse for a while until a few military men found him, one of them he remembered being Colonel Roy Mustang. King Claudio was grateful to them for saving his life before it was too late.
Prince Armel raised an eyebrow, but chuckled soon after. “Special guests? Well, as long as this peace talk doesn't turn to a crowd gathering, everything should be fine.”
King Claudio also wasn’t sure what Fuhrer Grumman meant by special guests. Perhaps lower rank military officers the Fuhrer trusted well? People with external connections to the military? Whatever the case, he found it intriguing.
“Indeed.” The king nodded and smiled before turning to gaze out the window, seeing a town with lots of farmland and small buildings scattered all over slide by.
The train had several stops to make before landing in Central, and the King couldn’t help but notice that the people at all the different stations looked very hopeful. He had heard of what happened during the Promised Day and knew the country was going through a massive political reconstruction. It seemed everyone was looking forward to the upcoming changes, and he honestly couldn't wait either.
+++
Roy and Riza made it a routine to take turns visiting each other’s places every few days and not let anything or anyone get in their way.
Tonight they were in Riza’s bedroom, clinging together as if it there was nowhere else to go and they were the only two people left in the world. As the two remained still on the bed, Riza had her head rested on Roy’s chest, enjoying the steadiness of his breath. She felt his fingers slowly stroking the back of her neck, which made her shudder in delight.
Riza found it funny how their relationship had started. She had loved him for years (and knew he felt the same way), but it wasn’t until the night after they were allowed to leave Central Military Hospital that she really wanted them to be more than friends and loyal comrades. When they were in her apartment, she first apologized to Roy for threatening to kill herself during the Promised Day, only for him to say sorry for hurting her and accidentally called her name aloud. She had smiled wickedly at him, glad to hear him say “Riza”- to her, that meant he was willing to be close now. One thing led to another, and they were lost in their intimacy.
Yes, they had a lot on their plates while rebuilding Amestris and restoring Ishval, but it would be foolish to set their love aside. Riza believed they deserved to be together after all they had gone through, so she was happy they were able to work this out.
“I think we should go to sleep now,” Riza teased, smiling. “We have to wake up early tomorrow.” Her fingers traced around the scar tissue Roy had from Lust, which was warm and soft.
“Maybe, but we’re used to not getting much shut eye,” Roy whispered into her ear before nipping it. Riza made a soft sound, being thrown off the edge, and found herself already kissing him. Before she knew it, though, her lips drew away from Roy’s jaw and she lowered her head down in shame.
“Are you okay?” Roy asked, looking at her in concern.
Riza heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t think I deserve to come to that peace negotiation tomorrow. I almost assassinated the king.”
Tomorrow Riza, Roy, Breda, Fuery, and Ross-she still was getting used to having her in Roy’s team- were to accompany Fuhrer Grumman during the peace negotiations with King Claudio and Prince Armel of Aerugo. The treaty talk was going to be behind closed doors, a private affair. There would be a press conference on the signing, on the other hand. Riza knew why Grumman wanted the team to come and she was honored, but…
“Actually, you could have killed the person disguised as King Claudio, but don’t worry about it. Fuhrer Bradley was the one that wanted the king dead.”
“True,” she said, a slight smile playing around her lips. “It’s ironic, though, that you were the one that got arrested for attempted murder.”
Roy narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t remind me.”
Riza couldn’t help but laugh and kissed his cheeks. After having herself pulled closer to him, Riza wrapped her arms around Roy’s waist as he leaned in to catch her mouth with his. She felt butterflies in her stomach, his skin hot against hers.
“I’m glad that we’re rebuilding this country, revising the Ishval policies, and…us finally together,” he said when they took a moment to catch their breaths.
“Me too.” A soft note of content laced Riza’s voice when she said that.
They kissed once more, Riza not minding losing some sleep tonight.
+++
Roy was never the kind of person to be excited over greeting special guests, but knew today’s visitors were important for the reconstruction of Amestris. Having strong ties with other countries was the first step.
When Fuhrer Grumman had let him know about the King of Aerugo and his son coming for a private visit, he couldn’t help but chuckle. He only met the king once over half a year ago, back when King Claudio was still a prince. Apparently not long after the terrorist incident, the elder man became king-Roy found it weird Claudio wasn’t crowned king yet until early winter this year, despite him being married and having a son for many years already. Grumman then told Roy he wanted him, Riza, Ross, Fuery, and Breda to join him during the peace negotiations because they had rescued him and that they were hard at work with rebuilding the country. He was fine with that reason and looked forward to meeting with King Claudio again.
He and his team were now outside with Fuhrer Grumman, waiting for the royal father and son to arrive. It was a cloudy morning with the cold breeze kicking in, so everyone wore their military coats. Roy shivered a little.
“You don’t like the cold either, huh, my boy?” Grumman said mischievously after taking a glimpse at him.
“Maybe.”
“The King and Prince should be here any minute now, so don’t worry,” Ross said, a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “Actually, this weather is a nice change after being in Xing for so long.”
“Well, Ishval is pretty hot too, so you’ll have to get used to the heat again,” Breda shot back, smirking. Ross responded with a glare.
Roy chuckled and shook his head. He instantly had Second-no, First now-Lieutenant Maria Ross inducted into his team after the Promised Day was over. Second Lieutenant Falman was positioned once again in Briggs due to Major General Olivier Armstrong needing him there, so Roy had asked Ross to join him in helping out with the reconstruction of Amestris and restoring Ishval. Ross happily agreed to it.
“How long will the peace negotiations last?” Riza asked the Fuhrer and then cleared her throat. “Sorry, I’m still getting used to my voice not being as strong as before.”
A frown appeared on Roy’s face. There was a hint of roughness in Riza’s voice now that would constantly remind him how he almost lost her. He assumed that cut on her neck went deeper than he expected. This was not the right time to think that right now.
“Several days, I assume,” Grumman said. “King Claudio and I do have a lot to discuss.”
Roy knew that would be the case and assumed he and his team would partake in the peace talks when the opportunity arose. They were invited, after all.
It wasn’t long until everyone finally saw a few men marching up the stairs. Roy had spotted two particular men that Grumman, himself, and his group were waiting for. They both wore the same blue overcoats and red Aerugian military uniforms. The younger looking man, which Roy knew for sure was the King’s son, was straightening his glasses and looking at him with deep interest. Roy blinked, wondering why.
“So it’s true that you got your eyesight back, Roy Mustang. I never thought that was possible.”
Roy couldn’t help but chuckle. “I didn’t think that either, Prince Armel, but I have a certain doctor to thank for that.”
Ever since he got his sight back thanks to Dr. Marcoh, Roy was determined to set things straight with the Ishvalans. All would be done in due time, but Roy only hoped his eyes wouldn’t disappoint the people he was trying to help.
The prince smiled at that remark and followed his father as they walked towards Grumman. When they came close to him, the King and Fuhrer shook hands.
“Welcome to Amestris,” Grumman greeted. “I’m glad that you wanted to get started on the peace talks.”
“I wanted this war to end long ago, but it was impossible while King Bradley was still in power. My son is the one that suggested I talk to you as soon as possible. ”
King Claudio stopped talking, and glanced at Roy, grinning at him.
“It’s nice to see you again, Colonel Mustang. Again, I want to thank you and your men for saving me during my last visit.”
“I’m actually a Brigadier General now,” he corrected, but smiled back. “And you’re very welcome.”
“Oh, so you got promoted? Congratulations!”
The men shook hands, but Roy saw confusion in the King’s eyes.
“Wait, there was one more gentleman with you. I remember most of you,”-he pointed to Riza, Fuery, and Breda--“but one's missing.”
“Oh, you mean Falman. He had to be transferred to the North because one of the generals needed his help.”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense.” After giving Roy a quick nod, King Claudio turned to face everyone. “Okay, then, let’s get started with the peace negotiations, shall we?”
Grumman let out a joyous laugh.“Yes yes, we should.”
The Fuhrer gestured for all to follow him inside, and they complied. Roy hoped that everything would go smoothly.
+++
The negotiations indeed stretched out for a few days, as Roy predicted. The talks started with opening the railroads to and from Aerugo, and proceeding through to the removal of Amestrian troops posted within the country. Fuhrer Grumman agreed to this almost immediately, as Amestris was eager to have her troops come home. However, the atmosphere became a little tense when King Claudio requested a large sum of money to be paid as compensation for the damages done to Aerugo as a direct result of the war. There was a debate, and Roy felt on edge as Grumman and Claudio struggled to find a middle ground and agree on the amount of money due. Initially, Claudio demanded a total of seventy-five billion cenz, but after a while, Grumman had managed to talk him down to forty-four billion cenz in reparations. The tension subsided shortly after, and the negotiations continued smoothly through many other terms and conditions. Overall, Roy thought the peace talk was going well so far. He and his team did partake in the discussions, voicing their opinion over some of the topics at hand- one of which if Amestris should give the annexed land back to Aerugo, and if so how much. That happened on the last day of the meeting.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to give all of your land back easily,” Grumman said as calmly as possible to the king. “The Amestrians won’t be particularly happy about it.”
“There might be revolts,” Lieutenant General Ernest, one of the high ranking generals invited to the discussion, added in. “This country doesn’t need another one!”
“Well, it would be rather hard to be allies with a nation so unflinching. I can’t think of many Aerugians who would ever want to,” Prince Armel challenged, closing his eyes.
“That’s unreasonable,” Major General Hakuro, another high ranking general taking part of the peace treaty talks, said and glared at the prince. “You can’t just expect us to give all of your land back in one fell swoop.”
“For many years we have fought to regain our land,” one of the Aerugian generals said. “We can’t let that go. Our people died for that land!”
The whole room all of a sudden erupted into an argument, Roy and his team the only ones not involved as they chose instead to quietly observe. Everything became more intense than Roy expected as Fuhrer Grumman and King Claudio were then engaged in diplomatic warfare.
“As soon as I saw the percentage of annexed lands your country demands back, I told General Hakuro that Aerugians have a great sense of humor.”
“Surely you understand the need to appease the people, you Excellency. We wouldn't want them to think Aerugo was under any pressure would we?”
“Something has to be done about this before it gets out of hand,” Ross whispered to Roy.
“I know,” Roy said back. He scratched his chin, trying to come up with something, and just like that an idea hit him.
“King Claudio, your country is initially a trading nation, right?” Roy pointed out. Everyone in the room quieted themselves...and turned their attention towards him.
“Yes, that’s true,” King Claudio said slowly, curious. “Are you suggesting something?”
“Well, considering this country is going through a huge reconstruction right now, and Amestris could benefit from your resources. How about we reach some sort of compromise. We’ll give sixty percent of the land back to your country and in return Aerugo open trade with us. Aerugo gets most of its land back, and the people of Amestris are pacified by the incoming resources. The resources will be put to good use.”
All the guests in the room remained silent, waiting for the answer from King Claudio. It wasn’t long until the king of Aerugo nodded in approval.
“I actually like that idea. I’m willing to discuss which resources you want from us, Fuhrer Grumman.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Grumman beamed and laughed. “I knew I made the right choice in having you take part in this discussion, Mustang.”
In the corner of his eye, Roy could see Hakuro scowling at him. He knew how much the Major General hated his guts, Hakuro was one of the few generals that didn’t approve of his promotion. That was the least of his concerns, though. Roy looked at Grumman and smiled.
Many hours had passed and after Fuhrer Grumman and King Claudio talked over everything, it was agreed upon the signing would be tomorrow and a press conference to be held for this special occasion. The men shook hands and everyone erupted in applause.
The Fuhrer shook hands with King Claudio one more time and turned to everyone in the room. "Okay everyone, you're all dismissed. I expect to see every one of you there tomorrow."
Roy and everybody else saluted and yelled out, "Yes sir!" to him. The Brigadier General and his team waited until Fuhrer Grumman and all the other military officers marched out of the room. When it was their turn to leave, Roy was halted by a hand on his shoulder. He looked over and saw King Claudio with a warm smile on his face.
"I actually want to talk to you in private for a moment."
Roy's heart drummed loudly. Why would he want to talk to him? There was only one way to find out; this would be a meeting of two kings. He glanced at his team who looked equally confused.
"Don't worry guys, I'll be fine," he said, bidding them a reassured smile.
His team didn't look convinced; nonetheless, they nodded and everyone but Riza left Roy and King Claudio alone. Silence held them tight for a moment, but the older man coughed and started the conversation in a stern voice.
"Brigadier General Mustang, I want to talk to you because you're the one that is overseeing revision of the Ishval policies."
This wasn't the first time someone wanted to talk to Roy about Ishval, but he felt the insides of his stomach churn.
"Yes, that's true. What would you like to know?"
King Claudio didn't say anything at first--Roy assumed the older man was choosing his words carefully. "You already know how Aerugo involved itself in the Civil War by providing the Ishvalans with firearms?”
"Yes," Roy said and nodded. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.
"If you must know, I’m very aware of what the State Alchemists are capable of as I have lost too many men to them. So tell me, Hero of Ishval -” Roy flinched at the title, “- what you expect the end result of the revised policies to be? I’m concerned those would result in another genocide.”
Roy felt pressured to give the King a good answer, but a determined expression was set on his
face. No, if the King's intention was to get him to crack, he wouldn't fall for it.
“King Claudio, let me ask you this. Why was it that during the Ishval Extermination you didn’t give refuge to the Ishvalans? Why go to such lengths to smuggle weapons to them if you never intended to help them escape Amestris? Unless...”
“... Unless the intention was to use them?” A sad smile spread across the king’s face.
That made Roy let out a grave sound. The Brigadier General didn’t expect King Claudio to admit so boldly to something like that, so he became speechless. Roy glimpsed at Riza for a second as she dropped her gaze from him and frowned.
“But…why?” he asked finally.
“Back then I thought it would be a great opportunity to gain the upper hand in the war. Bradley had taken many of the State Alchemists away from Aerugo so that they could fight in Ishval and the Ishvalans needed help. However, when the Ishvalans sought refuge in Aerugo, I had my soldiers refuse because Bradley wouldn’t hesitate to send his men after them. I didn't want any more bloodshed in my country than was necessary, and that was selfish of me. I've always regretted it.”
Roy could tell from King Claudio’s tone that he was indeed sorry for not giving the Ishvalans refuge. He would feel the same way if he were in his place.
“I believe you, King Claudio,” Roy said with a tiny smile. “I hate myself for what I had to do in Ishval. It was orders, I keep telling myself, but…” He paused, staring down at his hands. “I know revising the Ishval policies won’t relieve me of the sins I committed, but I can at least try to make amends by revising the policies.”
“I understand your situation very well. At least now with Fuhrer King Bradley gone, the Ishvalans can breathe easier. Speaking of which, I decided to provide you with technology and supplies to help out your efforts in rebuilding Ishval.”
Again, Roy was left speechless. He always thought King Claudio was uninterested in helping out Ishval, but he was wrong. Sometimes he liked being surprised.
“I accept your offer, then.” Roy’s smile became wider. The men then shook hands.
+++
“How the meeting with His Majesty go?” Breda asked.
“It went better than expected, actually,” Roy explained. “Long story short, he’s going to help out in the rebuilding of Ishval by sending in technology and supplies.”
Upon entering the office with Roy, Riza had already expected her fellow comrades to ask questions about the private meeting. Thinking back, she grew a little uneasy as Roy and King Claudio were talking, only to be stunned when the king offered to help out with rebuilding Ishval. Riza was glad everything worked out well in the end.
“Wait…the King’s going to do that?” Ross said, throwing Roy a shocked look. Riza noticed both Fuery and Breda wore similar expressions of disbelief.
“Yes. I was surprised upon hearing that, too. He was sorry for not helping the Ishvalans out during the extermination and wanted to make it up.”
“Oh, that’s great news!” Fuery said, his face stretched with a grin. “I’m sure that’ll help your plans immensely.”
“I’m sure it will.” There was a smile on Roy’s face, but it soon faded to a frown. “Captain Hawkeye, can I speak with you in my office please?
Used to having Roy wanting to talk with her alone, Riza said instantly, “Yes, sir.” She caught a glimpse of Fuery, Ross, and Breda, the three looking on in confusion. Nonetheless, she followed him as they made their leave.
After the two military officers entered the office and walked a few steps, they halted and Riza gave out a surprised gasp when Roy cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her. Part of her wondered why he was doing this and what would happen if they got caught, but those thoughts soon faded away. As soon as his lips parted from hers, she looked at him in confusion.
“Next week we’re going on our first trip to Ishval,” Roy said before Riza could ask what was going on, “and I know the first few talks with the people will be very shaky. I want you to promise me that no matter what, you won’t leave my side.”
A smile played on Riza’s lips. “I already promised you that long ago.”
Riza’s arms wrapped around Roy’s neck and she pressed her lips against his, feeling his hands slide onto her back. The both of them had to be quick about this if they didn’t want to get caught. She too knew Ishval would be rough for some time, but they would get through this together.
For one fleeting moment, she tasted the desert.
+++
“King Claudio of Aerugo and Fuhrer Grumman have signed the peace treaty, ending the war between the two countries. It has been agreed upon that Grumman will pull out all our troops stationed in Aerugo immediately, though the process might take some time. Trains between Aerugo and Amestris will soon be open as well. Before King Claudio left Amestris, he announced that he’ll help the Ishvalans out by giving supplies and technology to them.
“Speaking of Ishval, Grumman also mentions that next week Brigadier General Mustang and his team will start visiting several Ishval districts and making ties with the people there, the first one being Daliha. We asked the Fuhrer why ‘The Hero of Ishval’ was chosen to lead this task, he responded that 'Mustang is the one who wanted to do this in the first place. His dedication to revising the Amestrian Ishval Policies to better suit the interests of the Ishvalan people is unrivalled: no one is better suited to the task.'”
On the day of the peace treaty signing, many journalists gathered around outside Central Command, pens and cameras at the ready. Each time someone flashed a picture, the sudden light would make Roy wince. That was why he hated people taking pictures of him.
For most of the press conference he and Riza stood still. The Flame Alchemist thought it was unnecessary for Grumman to state his trip to Ishval, but it was flattering the Fuhrer thought he was the perfect person for the job.
As the treaty signing was underway, Roy felt Riza holding his right hand and pulled them behind their backs. When he saw her smiling at him, he grinned back. He glanced at everyone behind them-their eyes were on the King and the Fuhrer. Roy’s face relaxed to a grin as both men finished signing the treaty and everyone applauded.
“One down, two to go,” Riza whispered.
“Hopefully Creta and Drachma will follow.”
“I have no doubt they will.”
Roy's fingers gripped Riza’s tighter as he watched the King and Fuhrer wave to the crowd. Of course, it would be a long road until everything in Amestris was settled. Nonetheless, the hard work would pay off in the end and he was glad he and Riza could be a part of it. Now he was looking forward to the Ishval trip more than ever.
(Art by plasticapollos. Leave her comments here!)
Onto Chapter Two!
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