Disclaimer: I own nothing. FullMetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa.
Title: Someone Worth Protecting
Word Count: 519
Rating: "T" to be on the safe side
POV: Riza
Pairing: Implied Royai
I looked through the scope's lens of my sniper rifle and spotted an Ishbalan that had survived an earlier attack from a state alchemist. I aimed at him and pulled the trigger. The shot echoed through my ear as the Ishbalan dropped to the ground, dead. I had no clue the number of people I'd killed over the time I'd been in Ishbal. The number didn't matter since ending another person's life never got easier. It didn't matter anyway since there was only one reason why I had decided to join the military. My reason was quite simple, there was someone I had to protect.
If I had discussed this with him after my father's funeral, the last time we had seen each other, he would've attempted to talk me out of it. There was only one person I had discussed my choice with. The person was one of my few friends, Ian. He said that he'd join the military to ease my mind because he claimed I wouldn't last long on the battlefield. I remember that I'd told Ian that this was my duty since he and I had known each other since we were children.
I was pulled out of that memory when I saw an Ishbalan go towards two people in the Amestrian military uniform. I quickly aimed the gun and squeezed the trigger. I watched the Ishbalan fall to the dirt and the two men turned around to look at the body. My eyes almost widened when I recognized the man to the left of the one with black hair and what seemed to be glasses. His appearance was the same as I remembered. His black war wasn't that well kept and his skin had remained pale even after being in the sun for an unknown amount of hours every single day. I bet that if I were to see his eyes I'd be shocked. His carefree eyes would be the same as mine, the eyes of a killer.
I noticed how he he had changed from seemingly calm to shocked. My best guess was that his friend had said something about the "hawk's eyes", the nickname I had earned over the weeks I'd been in Ishbal. I knew that he wished I wasn't there in the middle of Hell and that I was home where it was considered to be safe. I wish that he wasn't on the battlefield either. It was saddening how neither of us could get what we wanted since he should have known I'd follow him if he chose this path. Even though he had most likely known what I'd do, he made his decision to be in the military and, in turn, I made mine to follow him like a shadow.
To me this man was someone worth protecting. He was the only person I'd go to the depths of Hell and back for. He was the reason I continued to squeeze the trigger without hesitation. This was the man I'd sworn to protect and the only thing that would stop me would be death, either his or mine.
Author's Note: Some parts of this were actually based on a conversation I had with one of my friends a few days ago (i.e. The part where Riza remembers discussing her choice with a friend). I haven't read the manga so please forgive me if a few parts are completely untrue. I do watch Brotherhood and it didn't say how long Roy was her father's apprentice. I'm also aware that the last paragraph pretty much sucked, but I couldn't really think of a different way to end it. I guess the only thing left to say is to please review.