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Colonel Roy Mustang heard loud crashes and booms all around; from attacks he could no longer see their origin or impact. No matter how hard he focused his eyes, only darkness came to his vision. It was the Promised Day, the date of the solar eclipse. Here he found himself in the midst of a grand battle against the most powerful of enemy. And Roy was incapable of directing any counter attacks, at least, until he was reunited with his Lieutenant.
Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was an expert marksman, talented in determining distance and trajectory. Roy felt embolden with her by his side, using her skills to successfully land blows on the enemy. Distantly he worried about the wound on her neck, but at the moment fighting and protecting Amestris was bigger than the both of them.
The battle raged on, loud blasts sounding nearby, the Lieutenant calm directions steadying his nerves. Roy felt small pieces of rubble hit his face and the Lieutenant wobble slightly under his arm. Fullmetal shouted loudly; back talking the enemy as usual.
An incredibly deafening noise discharged over Roy’s left shoulder, sending the Colonel and his Lieutenant airborne. Roy felt Riza pull her arms around his waist before they impacted the ground hard. His back scrapped against the rough ground, dragging several paces before they slammed up against a large piece of debris. Roy felt dizzy from the impact and tried to move, only to have his body refuse to respond. After several seconds his mind stopped struggling for consciousness and gave into the darkness.
++
Roy felt himself jolt awake, hearing a barrage of explosions in the distance. His brain was groggy, slowly catching details of his current condition. Roy tried opening his eyes, only to be meet by blankness. Groaning, he remembered that his eyesight was taken during the forced human transmutation. His right arm felt heavy, like it was caught under the debris he slammed into. The arm also felt slick, a thick moisture seeping through the material of his coat.
The Colonel tried to lift the arm, and it budged slightly, revealing that the weight was not nearly as immovable as he previously thought. No, in fact the weight felt like a body. Realization struck Roy like lightning, and he rolled over to his right side, left arm moving to pat at the Lieutenant’s form. He whispered her title while gently shaking her, desperate for a response. His left hand moved to feel her face but stopped when it contacted the unsettling feeling of blood on her throat. It flowed steadily over his fingers as he pressed against the wound harder, ignoring the searing pain radiating from his sliced palm while trying to stifle the bleeding. Panic bubbled inside of Roy as he cursed his sightless eyes.
Roy heard Edward Elric yell loudly against a sea of voices calling out to the Fullmetal Alchemist. The ground shook tremendously, leaving Roy with an unsettling feeling. He called out to his Lieutenant louder, hoping his voice would awaken her. A loud boom resonated in the air with crackles of gunfire. A throaty “NOOOOOOOO!!!” from the enemy followed before complete silence took over.
++
“Alchemist.” The single word forced Roy to take his attention away from his fallen Lieutenant. The air felt different than before. It didn’t hold the scent of gunpowder and smoke. The ground where Roy laid with Riza felt smoother.
“Alchemist. Your actions today have helped restore my form. By your law of equivalent exchange, I shall replace what you have lost,” the voice continued. Roy felt a painful surge in his eyes. It dissipated quickly as the Colonel blinked rapidly, images becoming clear.
Before Roy stood a giant gate in a white room, and he couldn’t suppress the groan that escaped his lips. Truth, God, or whatever it was called stood before him. Roy looked down at the Lieutenant in his arms, hand still pressed at her neck. She looked lifeless. Dismayed, the Colonel gazed at the Truth, his mind frantic. Truth pointed a hand towards the Gate.
Before the Gate stood the faint image of Riza Hawkeye. Her soul, Roy realized with a start. He quickly got to his feet, balancing her body in his arms, calling out her title. Her soul walked gradually, closer to the Gate. He yelled louder, ordering her to stop.
Slowly, her soul turned to face him, a look of sadness on her face. “Please,” he begged, “please, don’t leave me.” Her eyes wavered before she shook her head quietly. Riza’s soul touched her hand to her heart, drawing it outwards to him before pulling it back to her chest. Images of when he first met his teacher’s daughter flashed quickly in his mind, then ones from Ishval, East City, Central, all the way up to when her throat was sliced. He nearly lost her once; Roy refused to lose her again. “Riza!” he yelped frantically as she turned back around, resuming her journey towards the Gate.
Roy glanced down to her body in his arms, her face serene, then back up at her retreating form. “Please,” he pleaded in hoarse whispers, “I … can’t live without you.” His heart ached, tears starting to flow freely off his cheeks with the revelation of his deepest secret. Roy pulled his forehead to her body’s face, his tears soaking her cold cheeks. Riza’s soul paused briefly and she let out a slight gasp as she touched the side of her face before disappearing.
Roy looked up at the sound of the gasp, only to be met with nothingness. Despair panged deep within his heart. He lost her. Roy clutched at her body, emotions running high with hopelessness. Sobs erupted from his chest and Roy didn’t try to hold them back. His imagination ran wild with alchemic theories; he even considered going back through the Gate and losing another body part to get her back. His thoughts were so wild he thought he heard his name through the jumble.
Looking down at his Lieutenant, he was met with a pair of amber eyes looking back. Disbelief flooded Roy’s entire being and he sunk to his knees, clutching at her body urgently. “Roy,” Riza whispered again, weakly. Rationality escaped his thoughts as he pushed his lips to hers, desperately trying to show her what she’s meant to him all these years. When he pulled back, she smiled tenderly at him. “Riza,” he whispered back to her. She sighed ever so slightly, resting her head against his shoulder.
The angry wound on her neck began to seep bright red. Cursing and pushing back overwhelming panic, Roy gripped at her neck with both hands to staunch the flow. He focused on everything he learned from the seconds he spent within the Truth. Different varieties of alchemy raced across his mind, but none provided the answer to save Riza’s life. With dry gloves he could sear the wound closed with flame, but that was impossible now. Frustrated, he tried to calm his thoughts again.
Taking a deep breath, Roy clapped his hands to activate the fleeting solution that flashed in his mind. Pressing his hands against the deep cut, he placed all his hope with this one maneuver. Red light danced across her skin and Roy watched in amazement as it closed without a trace. He ran a finger across the delicate surface, relief flooding his every being.
Immense dizziness rocked Roy to the point of nausea. All at once, he felt weak and tired. The white nothingness of the Truth seemed brighter, oppressing his senses. Struggling, Roy forced himself up to his feet while cradling his Lieutenant against his chest, and stumbled through his gate of Truth and fell back into the real world before passing out.
++
Light streaming through a window, white barren walls, a bed with starched sheets. These were the objects Riza Hawkeye’s eyes focused on first upon awaking in the hospital. She felt weakened, like she could sleep until next Tuesday and it still would not be enough rest.
The Lieutenant surveyed the room and discovered her commanding officer sitting in the room’s only chair. Well, sitting wasn’t quite the word, she mused. He slept awkwardly half slouched with his head against the wall, his hair more untamed than normal. Riza frowned. Surely he should be out trying to gather information about the restructuring of the military and Amestris’s government, not idly waiting in her hospital room. “Colonel?” she called out softly, trying not to jolt Roy out of his slumber, “Colonel?”
“Colonel Mustang?” Riza gave up on delicacy, imploring more force in her voice. She watched him stir suddenly, eyes darting around the room wildly. Finally they settled on her, a small smile formed on his lips. “Lieutenant, I’m glad to see you’re awake.” Riza narrowed her eyes at him.
“Sir, why aren’t you meeting with our allies?” Roy looked taken aback by the question and slightly upset. Shaking his head, he fixed her with one of his signature smirks, “I sent Lieutenant Breda out to rendezvous with them. Besides, it’s only been six hours since Fullmetal defeated that monster. Everyone’s more focused on the wounded and the destruction to Central Headquarters than deciding who the next Fuehrer is.” He moved to sit on the edge of her bed, startling Riza with such a forward action. “Plus, I wanted to be here when you awoken.”
Riza felt a small blush creep up her cheeks, and she tried to ignore it. “Have I been unconscious the whole time?” Roy gave a small nod. She noticed the bandages around his palms. He glanced down at where she was looking, pulling one of his hands behind his head to rub the neck in a sheepish motion. “I’m fine,” he assured her, eyes shining bright with confidence. “Your eyes,” she whispered quietly.
Roy momentarily looked up towards the ceiling, then back to her. “It seems the Truth is not as cruel as we believed. Equivalent exchange is not just a constant, but also a truth. My part in the battle helped restore the Truth’s form. I regained my sight as part of equivalent exchange.”
“Besides, I wasn’t nearly as banged up as you.” Riza froze; she had nearly forgotten about the wound on her neck. Gently, she touched the side of it, only to be surprised that not only was there no bandage, but no mark of there ever being a cut. “… How?” she questioned softly, her mind searching for answers. “I healed you.” Riza’s focus shot up to her commander’s eyes. “You… healed me?” Roy grinned from ear to ear like he did when they were children. Medicinal alchemy wasn’t in his skill set.
“Well, to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure what I did. I had a discussion with Fullmetal. He believes I used my own soul like a philosopher’s stone,” Roy glanced upward thoughtfully, “It’s an interesting prospect, to use one’s own soul in an alchemic transmutation.”
Riza stared at him, blinking, trying to process what he just threw at her. Anger filled her being, “You idiot!” she yelled, causing him to rear back, “how dare you use your own soul to save me? What about your goals? If you ever get to become Fuehrer, you stupidly shortened your own life so you’ll have less time to lead!”
Roy grew quiet, not meeting her eyes. “You once said you didn’t want to live a carefree life all alone, that you would follow me in death, even to hell,” he whispered then paused before continuing. “Don’t you know it’s the same for me?” As if accentuating his point, Roy placed a bandaged hand gently atop hers, eliciting a gasp from her lips. “I didn’t just save your life, I saved my own. And I would do it again, a hundred times over.”
Riza felt her eyes moisten as raw emotion coursed through her body. Vague thoughts and feelings, almost memories of a white room surface in her mind. Her lips tingled, as if they were recently kissed. Riza pulled her hand to lightly touch them. Roy moved closer to her, pulling it away from her mouth. She breathed out as he lowered his head towards hers.
Moments away from touching a knock sounded on the door. Disappointment filled Riza as Roy cursed and hurried away from her. He answered the door, his back blocking her sight of the intruder of their private moment. But from the voice, Riza knew it was Lieutenant Breda.
After several minutes of deep discussion, Roy closed the door. He grabbed the chair, jamming it under the doorknob, successfully barricading entrance for future visitors. Quickly he was back at her side, a hand running softly on the side of her neck before pressing his lips firmly on hers. Riza felt a surge of adrenaline, which made her lightheaded as she enjoyed this new sensation. He snaked a hand behind her neck, pulling her closer. Unable to resist, she gripped the front of his shirt and deepened the kiss.
When he leaned away his eyes looked heavy with passion. Unsure how to respond, Riza reached up and straightened his unruly locks. Roy smirked, “Always pushing me to be my best.” He tried to smooth the wrinkles on his shirt. “Yes, Sir,” she replied, “always.”
“Sir, perhaps you should remove the chair. A doctor might try to come in,” Riza tried to gear him back to a professional level. They could investigate this new side of their relationship in a more private setting. Roy scoffed at her, “they’re just lucky I didn’t melt the lock.”
He stood, pulling his shirt straight. “I’d like to continue this discussion later, Lieutenant, perhaps after you are released?” Riza gave a quiet smile, “Oh course, Sir.” Roy pulled the chair out from under the lock with a clank. “I need to find Lieutenant Breda again. I’ll be back later to check up on your progress.” He opened the door and visibly stiffened.
Huge arms encased Roy’s body and a booming voice declared how happy it was to see the Colonel in fair condition. Major Armstrong released Roy after a string of curses and a direct order was given. The Major’s pink sparkles shone brightly, and he ripped off his shirt for no apparent reason. Roy tossed Riza a sympathetic but amused look and scurried away into the hallway, leaving the Lieutenant to fend for herself. Riza glared at the empty doorway, plotting her revenge as the Major made a beeline for her bed.