I suppose that, since this is technically my first once-shot that's longer than a drabble, I should state that I don't know everything. I tried to make this as canon as possible, the people as IC as possible, etc., but nobody is perfect, so please don't flame me. In fact, I'd rahter you let me know if I should continue. This is actually part of an idea for a prequel to a story that never really got off the ground. Opinions and ideas welcome.
Roy Mustang watched as brilliant light engulfed the ship that carried the Elric brothers. He sighed deeply; he was left with the task of destroying the array underground so that the Gate could never again be opened.
He knelt down and drew an array on the metal, clapped his hands, and willed the huge hunk of material to take the form of a glider. With a warm red glow, it submitted to being formed. When Roy was satisfied, he stood up and waited for it to finish it's gliding decent.
The ground below him was covered with throngs of people, all curious as to what on Amestris had just actually happened. The glider alighted in the midst of the crowd, just in front of Central HQ. The tattered green banner that normally covered the entire front of the building had holes though it, revealing patches of stone that hadn't seen sunlight in years. Roy felt that those patches must feel rather like him, lost, confused and blinded by the events of the past twenty-four hours.
"Mustang!" Roy was nearly knocked over by a young girl's 'attack'. He twisted around to see Winry's blonde head, her face buried in his back. She looked up, eyes filled with tears. "They're both…?"
"On the other side." Roy said softly. Winry let lose a choked sob, burying her face once again in his back. Roy managed to twist around and gesture for his former Lieutenant to take care of the distraught girl. Riza Hawkeye stepped forward, her face sad as well.
"I suppose this means they're never coming back." She sighed, placing a hand on Winry's shoulder. Winry immediately spun around to hug the woman tightly, still crying.
"Yes, I guess it does. I have my orders to destroy the array under the city." Winry's cries grew louder.
"They can't never come back!" she hissed at Roy, her eyes venomous through the tears. "They… They promised! When they first left!"
Roy mulled this over for a moment. He sighed. "Winry, I have to destroy the array. Otherwise, this all could happen again." He dropped his gaze to the ground, unable to stand the sight of the girl's utterly distraught tears any longer.
"Ed won't let it!" Winry protested. Riza clucked her tongue and drew Winry closer to her, holding her in a motherly fashion. Winry resumed crying into her shoulder.
"Roy…" Riza said, addressing the man before her, formerly her superior officer, as a friend. Roy looked up, having never been addressed as such by the blonde gunwoman. "If you destroy the array… is there… well, any possibly way…?"
"No. I have my orders, I have to follow through with them."
"Orders from Fullmetal?" Riza asked abruptly. "Since when do you listen to Major Edward Fullmetal Elric, Colonel Mustang?" Roy caught the spark of hope in her eyes. He raised his visible eyebrow.
"I'm not colonel anymore…" he paused. When she raised her own eyebrow at him, the force of what she was saying hit him like, excuse the cliché, a ton of bricks. "Indeed, when? I suppose I should refuse to destroy it simply on principle. Fullmetal shouldn't be ordering around his superior officer," he said haughtily. Winry turned around and glared at him.
"He has every right to order you around, you—" she stopped short, seeing the amused glint in Mustang's eye. "—GAH!" she cried in frustration, launching herself at him. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Roy gently pushed the girl away and strolled almost casually into HQ. There were damage assessments to be made, reports to be file, and paperwork to put off.