UPDATE: Ending changed on July 20, 2005
Burning Bridges
"Behind you Mustang!" Came the frantic voice of his subordinate Riza Hawkeye. Roy mustang turned around, his blue uniform jacket whipping behind him. He raised his left arm, pushed his black hair out of his face then with his right hand, snapped his fingers causing a blast of flames to erupt in the face of his persuader. He was breathing heavy from all the running. It seemed like forever since he was able to stand still. Even now he wasn't standing still. He needed to keep running. Roy ran sideways, trying to find his subordinate who was once only a few steps behind him.
"Hawkeye!" He called out in a desperate plea to find her. Just then, a silhouette emerged from the side of the blazing ball of flames. Shielding her face from the heat and sparks, a blonde woman in a matching blue uniform ran aside of the flames and headed towards Roy. Roy smiled and turned completely around to continue running. He came apon a bridge, and old rickety bridge. He slowed down his pace as Riza caught up to him.
"Mustang...now what? They have us... trapped." Riza breathed out through gasps of breath. She stumbled forward and Roy caught her just in time before she collapsed onto the old wooden planks of the bridge.
"Hawkeye..." Roy helped her to her feet and put her arm around his neck. She was extinguished. She couldn't run any more. She was replying on him for defense since three days ago when her supply of ammunition ran out. The war, the Ishbal war. It was happening again. And Roy and Riza were caught in the middle. They were caught off guard and for two months, were trying to get home safely. They had lost all communications with their side and were only inches from death, if they didn't continue running.
"Lieutenant. We just need to cross this bridge. Home free." Roy looked down at his subordinate and tried to smile. He wanted to make her feel safe, secure, but his attempts where failing. Her breathing was deep and fast, she was too weak to move on her own, she couldn't even lift her head. He supported her as they started across the bridge, one step at a time. The bridge swayed back and forth gently as they slowly crossed. Once across, they would be home free. Able to reach home base, and get the medical assistance they both required. Halfway across the long bridge, Riza lost her footing and tripped, Roy who was also beginning to feel exhausted, fell down with her. For a moment, they laid on the wooden planks. Both breathing heavily.
"State Military! Get Them for what they have done!" Came an angry voice from behind the two military personal laying on the bridge.
"Hawkeye, come on!" Roy started to stand up as a bullet flew by his head, cutting off a few strands of his black hair, which fell lost to the ground. Roy pulled Riza to her feet, but she couldn't move, she needed to rest. Roy didn't have the strength to pull both him and Riza across the bridge, but he needed to try. Her black boots were practically dragging along the bridge as Roy moved at a slow-quick pace. Another couple bullets flew by him. The angry shouts were getting louder as the group of Ishbalians grew in numbers. Two defenseless military personnel stranded on an old bridge. Just what the Ishbalians needed.
"M...Mustang..." Riza lifted her head and looked up at her colonel.
"Just...leave,...leave me...you need...to make it ...to base." Riza breathed heavily and swallowed. She couldn't go on and didn't want to be pulled.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye, I will not abandon you behind enemy lines." Roy lifts Riza up a little more and moved quicker across the bridge, more bullets flying by.
"Get them!" The men yelled as they started across the bridge towards the two state military personnel
"Hawkeye..." Roy quickened his pace, almost to the other side. Riza didn't look up. She just stared down, between the planks of the bridge at the endless ditch below. Roy looked down at the top of the blonde head and took in a deep breath.
"Riza!" Roy called out loudly over the shouts from behind. Riza looked up at him. It was the first time he called her by her first name. Her eyes were wide.
"You will make it back to base. Understood!" Roy looked a head and saw that he was only a few feet from the other side. He took hold of Riza's arm and pushed her ahead of him, she stumbled and landed with a thud on the grass. Roy looked at her for a moment, what seemed like forever.
"That's an order lieutenant!" Roy smiled and turned around. He pushed his black hair out of his face and raised his right arm, with a snap of his fingers, he yet again had large flames and he threw them over at the Ishbals, just as they were beginning to reach him.
"Alchemist! Retreat!" They yelled as the flames engulfed them. One stray flame caught the rope of the bridge on fire. Roy didn't see, but Riza did. Roy took a few steps towards the Ishbalians as they retreated back to their side.
"Colonel! The bridge!" Riza called out, she was laying on her stomach facing Roy, one hand stretched out, trying to reach him. Roy turned and stared wide eyed at the rope that was just about burnt through. He knew if he moved, it would only brake quicker. He turned his gaze back towards Riza who was trying to stand up, her attempts all a failure.
"Mustang! Hurry!" She called out to him but he just stood there. He looked at the rope then back at her. Some Ishbalians were starting back on the bridge, heading towards him. He couldn't let them reach Riza. He started the slow-quick pace back across towards Riza. Only a foot from the grassy land, the bridge gave way. Screams of the falling Ishbalians are heard as Roy turns his head to look over his shoulder. The bridge was slowly disappearing. He moved quickly, but it was too late. He reached out one hand as the bridge beneath him gave way.
"ROY!" Riza grabbed his left arm and held for all she was worth. Tears started to form in her eyes. She couldn't loose him Not now. Not here. He wrapped his gloved hand around her wrist as she attempted to pull him up. She held on to the wooden post that once held the bridge ropes. A bullet flew by and hit the cliff side, just missing Rika's arm.
"Hawkeye! Back away, you'll be hit!" Roy desperately pleaded with Riza to move away, but she refused.
"I wont let you fall Colonel!" She cried out. Her grip on his arm slowly slipping.
"Riza..." Roy stared up at her.
"I'm sorry. Promise me, you will make it to base." Tears formed in his dark eyes as he let go of Riza's arm. He slipped down, Rika grabbing his gloved hand tightly.
"Roy..." Tears fell down Riza's face.
"I promise." She said as her emotions began to get the best of her. Roy's hand began to slip as Riza tightened her grip.
"Riza remember your promise..." Roy said as his hand slipped from his glove and he started the long plunge downward.
"ROY!" Riza cried out as she reached for the unreachable, clutching his empty white glove tightly.
Riza sprang up suddenly. Breathing heavily, sweat rolling down her face, causing her long blonde hair to stick to her cheeks. She swallowed hard and wiped her face, peeling her hair from her cheeks. She swallowed once more and took one final deep breath. She looked around and relized she was on a train, heading for a distant country in which she would live with her grandfather. The ride was long and had many stops on the way. She looked down into her lap at the white glove that she was clinging to. Tears welded up in her eyes and she stared out the window as the train began to move. She watched as a man walked up to the pay phone at the edge of a platform. He reminded her of her lost comrade
It had been three years since she was found in the forest outside the boarder lines of Ishbal. Hugging her knees as the Military ran in looking for any survivors. But, they only found her, tears in her eyes and Roy's glove in her hand. She was discharged from the military weeks later being labeled mentally unfit for battle. Now here she sat, longing to see his face. A face that she will never again see.
Outside the train, a man in ragged clothing with cuts on his face, walked out onto the platform looking for a pay phone. He looked like he just crawled out from a ditch somewhere. His black hair stuck to his face where dried blood was already lingering. He watched as the train rolled slowly out of the station. He found a phone right on the edge of the platform. He dialed a number he knew belonged to a comrade. His left bare hand held the phone while his white gloved right dialed the number. It rang and rang and rang and rang...
A/N- Well? You wont believe how many times I changed the ending. Good god there are so many different ways to end this story. I probably will continue to change the ending, and keep reloading it. So keep checking back Please Review. Constructive criticism accepted. No Flames (Only Roy is allowed to do those)
Please look in my profile oo0AnimeChild0oo for all my other stories. I have finished stories, in progress stories and some stories that are forever on going with no end. I also often make request in my profile for help finding information. So please, check out my profile. And again, thanks for reading.
