AN: As far as pairings go, I'm planning to have Royai, Havocai and Riza/Rebecca show up at different points in the story, but how you feel about these pairings doesn't necessarily indicate how you'll feel about this story. The focus here is on Riza and her character development above all, and it's also going to be fairly dark. So if you're looking some Royai fluffiness or smut, I'm sorry, but this isn't it! But hopefully you'll enjoy this story in spite of that.

Kyubey had never had a quicker response.

Even the dying girls usually hesitated, at least a little. Somehow, even when you literally have nothing left to lose, there's still that worry about what the "catch" will be - as the humans called it. (Kyubey didn't think he was deceiving anyone; humans just had funny ways of defining these words.) That it might make death worse than continuing to live. They ultimately agreed, of course, but there was always that hesitation.

But Riza Hawkeye didn't hesitate. She knew what she wanted, and she knew she would do anything to get it. There was determination in her eyes, as she was slinging her gun over her shoulder, on her way to catch the next train to Central to report for cadet school.

"There's another way you could protect him, you know."

Riza spun around, her voice sharp. "What? Who? Who are you?" She breathed.

"What do you want? What do you know?"

Kyubey slunk out of the darkness and introduced himself. He continued, "And I know what you want, Riza. You don't even have to talk, I can hear the words banging around your head. You're very special; you have great magical potential. It's a wonder you never followed your father into alchemy."

I don't want to be like him, she thought. Not at all. I don't like what he does. Ever since the...I don't like what he does.

"I know what you don't want to tell me, Riza," Kyubey continued. Her eyes got big. The cat...weasel...thing didn't even have a mouth, and yet she could hear it clear as day. Who else could hear? "Don't worry, nobody's listening. Only potential magical girls can hear me."

Magical girls?

"That's right," Kyubey said. "What I can give you, is far more powerful than any alchemy. If you hunt witches for me, rid the world of their despair, I will grant you whatever wish you want. No equivalent exchange. Nothing like what the alchemists talk about. No limits, anything you want."

Then do it, she said. I'll do whatever you want. I wish...I wish what you said. I want to protect him. More than anything. The one person I've ever cared about. The one person who ever cared about me.

"Who?"

Don't fool with me, if you can read my mind you know who. Roy Mustang. The alchemy student, training to work for the State. He's where I'm going, he's in the military, too. He's the reason I'm going.

I wish...I wish to be able to protect him, so he doesn't die in that godforsaken war.

And suddenly, there was a huge, painful pressure in Riza's chest. It felt like the world was collapsing. And then...she felt so light, and there was a bright orange gem in her hands, the size of an egg.

"You use that to transform," Kyubey said. "There's a veteran magical girl you'll meet when you get to cadet school, and she'll show you everything you need to know about hunting witches."

The thing never changed its expression, but it would be smiling if it could, Riza could sense. "Thank you for contracting with me, Riza Hawkeye. And now...I believe you have a train to catch, don't you?"

Before she could bid it goodbye, Kyubey had left. She whirled around, still not sure if she hadn't hit her head in her rush to get to the station. But there was the soul gem...

It wouldn't be long before Riza Hawkeye learned that Kyubey hadn't been completely honest when he said her "type of magic" didn't involve equivalent exchange.