A little attempt at something somewhat angsty. Let me know how it turned out. Disclaimer applies.


Pain

Roy's vision was tainted red with rage. Not more than twenty feet in front of him lay his First Lieutenant in a pool of blood. The offer he had been given was simple: perform human transmutation, and this woman's life will be saved. It would be so easy to give in. After all, he had sworn to protect the ones he loved, and he had never loved anyone more in his life than this woman who was struggling to stay conscious as she bled out.

"Colonel," her voice came out weakly and full of pain. "You don't have to do this. Don't sacrifice everything…for my sake."

And there she was, still looking out for him, still putting his needs and desires ahead of her own, even when she knew it would mean her own death. But damn it, he didn't want her to die—couldn't allow her to die. He needed her alive. If he didn't have her by his side, how on earth was he supposed to reach his goals? Who else could protect him? And if he was going to be completely honest with himself, he didn't even want to make Fuhrer if it meant losing her. Really, his life didn't have any meaning without her in it.

At the same time, though, if he did perform the transmutation, he would become the fifth sacrifice and the country would be lost. Not to mention that he would never be able to face his lieutenant again—no way would she ever forgive him for going against the good of the country to save a single woman. She would rather die than have him lose everything, and he knew it, but that didn't make it any less painful.

His gaze bored into his lieutenant's, hoping for a more satisfactory answer than "let me die for the greater good." His thoughts were raging a mile a minute, swirling throughout his head, incomprehensible and wrought with agony. His stomach twisted painfully, and his heart pounded in his chest, resounding throughout his entire body. A tear formed at the corner of his eye—don't let this be real, he begged and pleaded, but with who or what, he didn't know. Please, anyone but her. Take me, let me die. She doesn't deserve this…what did she do wrong? Save her, someone, please…don't let me lose her like this!

In the midst of all this, Riza's eyes moved ever so slightly—so slightly, in fact, that Roy almost missed it in his turmoil. But suddenly, he felt a completely different emotion than the ones that had defined him just moments before.

Hope.