The world was ending.

I held Winry's hand as we ran from some unknown enemy. I wasn't about to turn around and see who it was. A figure flew out of the ruins of a building and launched itself at us. Winry hefted her pistol and shot it in midflight.

"Come on!" she shouted, pulling me along faster.

I shot down another of the enemy. "We have to get back to the safe house!" I called to Winry, who was surrounded completely by those black figures. She open fired on them, emptying the clip. She threw the empty gun in one's face and sent him flying with a well-placed kick. I rushed over to help, but she had it covered. She fought her way out of the circle and unsheathed her sword, slicing through the survivors with one slash of the poisoned blade. I grabbed her hand and we dashed up the street, the enemy hot in pursuit.

One of them slashed a black Stygian iron sword and caught the back of my leg, making me stumble. I pushed the pain to the back of my mind and kept going. The pain was harrowing and I could tell I was losing too much blood.

Winry picked me up and slung me across her back, grunting as she struggled to keep up the pace.

"What are you doing?" I yelled. An explosion went off behind us. Heat seared the side of my face.

"Saving your ass. You can't run and you're too important- to leave- behind-" She was gasping for breath. "Besides… now you know… what I'm… capable of…" She put on a burst of speed, flying down the street. The buildings blurred together.

"You can't keep this up!" I shouted.

"I don't have to." I heard the sound of our only jet overhead. I looked up and saw Scar, our saving grace, lowering rope down to us.

I almost fell off Winry's back trying to grab the rope. I hauled myself up, my muscles weak with relief. I climbed into the cockpit and turned around to say something to Winry.

Horror washed through me.

She wasn't on the rope. She was still on the ground, sword in hand, taking down wave after wave of our unknown enemy. She looked up at me.

"Winry!" I screamed. "What are you doing?"

"Saving you!" she yelled back, her hair whipping in the wind from the engines. "Take care of yourself, Ed. Save the world for me." She turned away and flung herself into battle. I lost sight of her as we flew back to safety. In a small corner of my mind I realized what an amazing fighter she was. But mostly I was in a complete state of panic, screaming her name over and over.

"Ed." Scar gripped my arm. "You can't save her now. She made her own choice."

I looked at him, horror-struck. "But-"

"We'll go back," he promised. "After we reload and get you patched up. With luck, she'll survive." He smiled, but I could see the doubt in his face. He thought she was going to die.

I clenched my fist and punched the metal wall, the pain shooting up my arm and reminding me that I was still alive thanks to her. I kept asking myself why I hadn't been able to stop her, why I hadn't somehow made her get on with us. If she died, it was going to be all my fault. And I'd have to live without her.

I remained in this state of guilt and panic the entire time I was being treated. The medics bandaged me up and kicked me out; they had more pressing patients who hadn't had Winry to save them.

We loaded up the jet, packing heavy gear. Within minutes we were airborne again, with my nose pressed to the window. I scanned everything for a sign of her. There was none.

Finally, I saw something gold on the sidewalk. On closer inspection it turned out to be white blond hair.

I gasped. "Down there!"

I jumped out before we'd even landed. I hit the ground running and froze in horror when I reached her.

It was her. I was sure of that. But she wasn't moving, and she was deathly pale. Slowly, my hand trembling, I reached for her wrist to take a pulse.

Nothing.

Something inside me collapsed. I flung my head back to let out a scream, but nothing came out. I just sat there, silent, the world crumbling around me.

"Ed. We've been here too long. They'll find us."

"Let them." I stood, picking up Winry's body and throwing it over my shoulder. I drew my sword.

Sure enough, within minutes we were completely surrounded. Scar was calling for a retreat. I ignored him, taking out every single thing that came at me. They'd killed Winry; I had all the time in the world to kill them. I was going to make these faceless bastards pay.

I was dimly aware of Scar tugging me away from my enemy. I found myself at the door of the plane, with Scar screaming at me to get on.

"No! They must pay!" I snarled.

"Ed, for God's sake, use your brain! Winry died so you could live. So you could live to fight another day. Not so you could throw away your life for pointless revenge! She wouldn't want this! Respect her dying wish, Ed, you at least owe her that!"

I hated to admit it, but he made sense. I slowly regained rational thought. I climbed on, refusing the offer of help with the body. I laid her down gently, brushing her hair away from her face. She was still beautiful, even in death.

I took her hand, a strange calm coming over me. "I'm so sorry, Winry," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'm sorry I broke my promise to protect you. I'm sorry I failed you." Teardrops fell on her face. Scar turned away, the only privacy he could give.

I heard a shout and glanced up. A giant missile was coming toward us. Scar grabbed me and threw me out with a parachute strapped to my back. Gratitude rushed through me, until again I realized Winry wasn't with me. Her body was still on the plane when it exploded.

"Winry!" I screamed, the world going black.

I flew up out of bed with a gasp, the back of my neck soaked in sweat. "Winry!" I rasped, panic surging through me.

"What?" she moaned, stirring beside me. "What's wrong, Ed?" She sat up, stretching, putting her hand on my shoulder.

I was shaking. My mind struggled to grasp reality. Alive, I thought. Safe.

As soon as my body listened to my mind and calmed down, I turned to look into Winry's blue eyes, which looked green in the light of our bedroom. She blinked up at me and smiled warmly.

I pulled her into my arms, my breath ragged, smoothing her hair and kissing the tip of her ear. She was real, she was alive. Thank God, I thought, tightening my arms around her.

"Ed, whatever it was, it was just a dream. I'm right here." She laid her head on my chest, pushing me back down. She brushed her fingers over my chest, trying to soothe me. I rested my cheek on the top of her head, realizing how lucky I was to be waking up beside her. I started to fall back to sleep.

But I needed to tell her something first.

"I'll always protect you, Winry," I whispered. "You will never be left behind. I'll always be there to save you." I kissed the top of her head.

"Ed, it's too early for serious stuff," she mumbled. "Shut up and go to sleep." She nestled closer and started snoring softly.

I closed my eyes and pulled her small body closer, covering it partially with my own, protecting her dreams.

The world was safe and so was she. This, I knew wasn't a dream.

We were real.