an: i'm quite proud of this one, ngl. and quite hype :)) i wonder why :)) hope you all enjoy!

song for this chapter: travis - closer


1915

and when i see you then i know it will be next to me

and when i need you then i know you will be there with me

i'll never leave you

Riza hadn't given much thought about how she would die. The concept of death had become an intense fear when she was only a child. After her mother's death it was suddenly very real. Berthold had silenced young Riza whenever it was mentioned, being too lost in his own grief to even begin to discuss it with her, so she'd quickly learned not to bring it up again. It was never explained to her properly, so this image of death had manifested itself in her mind as a being who took away those she loved most.

Growing older, her fear had eased somewhat. As her understanding of it grew, the fear of death lessened. That had not been an enjoyable lesson at school when her teacher first broached the subject. Sitting in pure terror, young Riza had excused herself and bolted from the room. It had been too much. However, after reassuring her teacher that she was fine, it was just a stomach bug, Riza quickly learned to swallow it and cope if the panic reared its ugly head. Digging her nails into her palms sharply, not hard enough to cause any damage, but enough to jerk her mind out and away from those thoughts worked well enough. It stopped the panic from overwhelming and consuming her completely. Once leaving school, it had almost all disappeared, having been buried so far down that it was forgotten about completely.

After her father's death the beast returned, but it was quiet. It lurked in the darkness of the shadows but after her isolated childhood and her father's neglect it was hard for her to muster up the same grief she felt when her mother passed. Riza always thought he'd died along with her, though. His body lived on but his soul had departed when her mother's did. It led to a difficult childhood. The thought made the skin of her back tingle as she remembered her tattoo.

After her father's death, for the first time in a long time, Riza felt free from his oppressive and silencing presence, as well as the burden he placed upon her. She felt like her own person, and not someone shushed and hidden away by a man who was so lost to grief and his life's work that he worked himself until he died. She was allowed to think and feel and fear. It was freeing.

Then Roy Mustang breezed back into her life though and brightened it once more, like he'd done when he was her father's apprentice.

After marrying Roy, the thought of death niggled away inside her mind once more. After their initial six months of bliss it was a terrifying thought to lose him. She'd found someone to love and to care for and Riza didn't want to lose him in any capacity, which was only natural, she felt, when falling in love.

Roy made it through Ishval, alive, but at a cost. After realising she hadn't lost him to gunfire, losing him to his mental state became another beast to tackle entirely. It had been rocky, sloppy at certain moments, but they'd made it through. They'd only been young. She'd still been young, barely even twenty. There was a lot of naiveté there, not to mention juggling being a new mother as well as a husband that was suffering from PTSD and struggling to deal with it. It was a lot to have been thrust upon her at the same moment, but she pushed through as best she could despite feeling like she was being pulled in so many different directions. If Riza could go back and change a few details from how it was handled, she would. Just to make it easier on them both. However, those choices had allowed them to grow, not just individually, but together. They'd made it through those tumultuous few months and come out the other end closer and more tightly knit. Despite the pain and heartache, it had been productive at the very least. Most importantly, they'd made it through.

Then everything with Maes… Again, Riza would change the way she'd worded things. She'd tell him to take a second to breathe and listen to her, rather than getting angry at him throwing accusations in her face. It had hit Roy harder than anyone because he felt responsible for Maes' death. He'd been upset and angry, both very valid emotions for what they were going through, and they were both at fault with that big blowout. They were both grieving. It wasn't an excuse, but they were only human. With that outcome, that fear of losing him to death had come rushing back, as well as losing him to himself. She didn't want Roy to be murdered for discovering the same information Maes had. When dealing with it, the agonising time they'd found themselves in didn't help matters, and she'd been all over the place thanks to hormones. Not their finest hour, but they'd persevered. Sitting down to a mature discussion and airing everything out had done them the world of good, despite the fallout that sparked such a deep regret inside her heart.

Every time, they'd made it through. Death and loss hadn't come to claim them yet.

Then the Promised Day arrived.

Riza hadn't known what to expect. She was concerned for Roy, wondering if their talk about him seeking out Maes' murderer had been enough. In his heart, his choice may have been to remain calm and collected about it all, but until faced with that confrontation, and so suddenly too, one could never truly tell how they'd react. Roy had struggled with it. Riza could see that clearly. He didn't want to give into his hate, but it was still there, cruelly enticing him away from her and into a realm of darkness. Envy's teasing and mockery hadn't helped at all, neither had the attack on her.

Thankfully, he hadn't given in. He'd resisted. For now, in the middle of this battle, that was all that mattered to Riza. All talk and discussion of what had happened with Envy could be done afterwards when a threat to their lives wasn't waiting around every corner.

And they needed to talk.

Roy wouldn't look at her. Shame clouded his eyes and marred his expression. Once he'd let go of her in his desperate hug he didn't touch her again. His hands lowered to the ground and gripped onto the stone tightly. The tips of his fingers turned white underneath his nails.

At least Edward and Scar had turned and given them some distance after Envy's death. Riza had taken the chance for a quiet moment together to try and talk to her husband.

"Roy?"

His eyes never lifted off the ground. All he could muster was a broken, "I'm sorry."

"Listen, Roy."

His fingers shifted on the stone, gripping it even tighter.

Riza cupped his cheeks in her hands and slowly guided his face towards her. Well, she tried to. She was met with resistance but would not be beaten so easily. Instead, she moved so she was in front of him. Riza didn't try to lift his head this time though. She simply kept her hands on him as a comfort. Her thumbs stroked his cheeks and she noticed him flinch slightly.

"Roy. I need you on your feet."

No response. She could see his mind racing and the disgust in his eyes. Her hands dropped to his shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze instead.

"Colonel. We need to move."

His eyebrows tugged downwards in confusion and his eyes flicked over to look at her, but quickly turned away. It made her chest ache that he couldn't even look at her. Déjà vu struck, remembering how she'd done the same to him during and after Maes' funeral. Riza swallowed, uncomfortable when the unbidden and painful memory popped into the forefront of her mind. Like him, she would persevere and help him through this.

"We can talk about this later, okay?"

Slowly, his gaze made his way up to meet hers. She gave his shoulders another encouraging squeeze and a kind smile.

"I –" His mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat.

"Let's get through today, all right?"

He scoffed to himself quietly, that disgust in his eyes twisting his expression too. She could see it tearing him apart within. He didn't want to be that monster again and he'd fought it off. He'd chosen not to do it. Roy would never accept that, would think he failed, Riza knew that for sure.

"I really am no better than they say," he muttered bitterly. "I'm a monster."

Her thoughts were confirmed. "Roy –"

"I hurt you," he croaked. His eyebrows tugged together to a frown. "Yelled at you when you didn't deserve it. That's inexcusable. And I did it after saying I wouldn't."

Riza shook her head. Roy's head jerked to face her in disbelief, but he was met with nothing but honesty.

"We have no idea how we'll react in a situation until we're in it. Especially not this one."

"That's not good enough," he shook his head.

"Well, they weren't exactly playing fair either."

"Please," he begged her, "don't try and make excuses for me."

"Roy." She commanded his attention fully and he held her gaze for longer than a second for the first time since Envy's defeat. "I love you. And I need you on your feet. We need to keep moving forward. Don't get stuck in the past. Not now."

His eyes averted away briefly, but when he looked back up at her he didn't look away. "I don't deserve you," Roy whispered hoarsely.

"You do," she argued, her tone confident.

"I almost pushed you so far away that you left me. Again," he scoffed with a barked laugh. "I do not deserve you at all. You deserve so much better," he added bitterly.

"Well, I want to be with you. Still do. Nothing has changed."

He shot her another disbelieving look but Riza just shook her head in the negative.

"We can sort through this like we did before, but we can't do it here. It isn't safe."

Roy let out a long breath.

"Let's get through the day and work on finishing this. We have two kids waiting for us to come home. Both of us. So I need you on your feet."

Exhaustion was apparent as Roy lifted himself to stand. Riza latched onto his hand tightly and gave it a squeeze. He hadn't tried to, but she wouldn't let him pull away even if he did. Riza wanted him to know she was there for him.

"Let's go," he announced grimly.

Edward and Scar turned to look around, hearing Roy speak. He nodded to them both and exhaled slowly before he started to move.

They walked in silence and slowly, Roy's grip on her hand eased over time, as did hers. They no longer clung to one another, just walked comfortably side by side. She took that as a good sign and her breathing became easier. They were moving forward again.

In her free hand, she grasped her rifle. It was not aimed or ready to fire, but it was there. It was a comforting weight and Riza was thankful for it. Her pistol had been holstered. She didn't want to hold that again so soon. Not after pointing it at her husband's head. That image was seared into her mind and made her stomach roil. Riza didn't think she'd be getting over that any time soon.

At least you never had to fire it, she thought. Letting out a long breath she reminded herself of that fact.

Edward started muttering to himself as they walked, head turning left and right as he looked around the endless tunnels. Everywhere looked the same to Riza so she didn't even pretend to know where they were headed. There was no way to tell, no landmarks, just endless doorways. Envy was right, this place was like a labyrinth.

Roy shot her a tiny smile before extracting his hand from hers. His stride lengthened as he moved ahead to catch up with Edward.

"Was it this way? Or this way?"

"Are you lost, Fullmetal?"

Riza rolled her eyes at his light mocking tone. As they bickered Scar fell into step with her, silent as he watched the two alchemists.

"You two should keep quiet," Scar scolded suddenly, "before the enemy hears us."

She hadn't even considered that, but from Edward's indignant yelling, that could very well become a possibility. She shifted her grip on her rifle, moving to hold it in both so that she could be ready to fire and defend if need be.

"Scar?"

There was no reply, but his head turned a fraction towards her, signalling he was listening.

"I just wanted to say thank you for helping us back there. I don't know if I would've been able to talk him down by myself." It stung a little to admit but it was true. "I don't know if that means anything to you. I'm not really anybody in the grand scheme of things and after what Roy did in Ishval… Well, I wanted to thank you for your kindness."

His head turned further. Scar's eyes were sharp as he regarded her. "Your gratitude is unnecessary." Without another word, Scar turned and continued walking.

Still, Riza would be eternally grateful to Scar. Like she said, after what Roy did in Ishval, Scar didn't need to assist with talking him down. His help had been invaluable, and she'd never forget it.

The group walked until finally, they came upon an open room. A man was crouched in the centre, seemingly waiting for him. Underneath his feet was a transmutation circle, drawn in white chalk. Riza gripped her rifle tighter. Roy stepped forward, partially putting himself between her and this newcomer.

"Well now," the man said in greeting, "I wasn't exactly expecting to have an audience. You're going to give me performance anxiety," he chuckled, flashing his teeth in a grin. One single tooth was pure gold and caught the light in the room, making it shine.

Edward clapped his hands and turned his automail arm into a blade. Roy and Scar readied their stances to fight, causing Riza to do the same. She didn't like the look of this man at all. He made her skin crawl, and she was instantly alert.

"Who the hell are you?" Edward glared at him, reading his stance.

The man grinned again, his smile unsettling.


Riza's rifle was knocked out of her hands by one of the Fuhrer candidates. She jumped back and out of the way of his advance, evading his swinging sword just in time. The man lunged at her, his expression completely blank and unchanging as he fought. He moved impossibly fast, but she managed to dodge far enough away so there was enough time for her to draw both of her pistols. The second one Roy had given her had lain dormant, but now it was time to put it to good use. Especially with the speed these men were moving at.

Breda had resupplied Roy with a weapon after he'd passed on his own to Riza, but after their fight with Envy, he'd given it to her. She understood the weight of such a request. Now she had two to train against him, should she need it. Riza vowed that would not be it's purpose and she would not let things escalate as it had done before. She was adamant about that. Plus, Roy was strong enough now, she was sure of it.

Riza drew both pistols from their holster but only fired one, and in record time too, to hit her attacker's sword arm. He crashed the ground but uttered no sound of pain. Riza didn't trust him, but his form remained unmoving while his fingers twitched from the result of his wound. He didn't get back up, just stared blankly ahead. He wasn't dead but he was out of commission for now.

She lost sight of Roy as they fought. Riza tired quickly, just like she had after fleeing from Envy's attempted kidnapping. Adrenaline was fuelling her but that would only last so long. Her legs were quivering already after everything she'd gone through that day, not to mention the blood loss from the wound on her shoulder. It hadn't been deep, but it was still throbbing with pain as she moved.

As she leaped backwards to avoid another strike from a sword, Riza's back collided with something solid, stopping her momentum. Springing away, she turned, weapons lifted and aimed, coming face to face with Roy. He smirked at her, his own hands ready to fight, but they dipped slightly once he realised who was in front of him. Behind him though, a candidate lifted his sword and aimed right for Roy's head. Riza fired immediately behind Roy, making him cringe.

She killed him.

A bullet entered through the candidate's skull and he crumpled in place, sword clattering to the ground. He didn't get up or move.

You killed him.

Riza didn't even think about acting before she fired. She saw the man aiming his strike to kill Roy and she pulled. There was not a moment of hesitation before pulling the trigger.

If they threatened to kill her, kill her family, then she'd fight back. There was no question about it.

"Riza!"

Her grip on both pistols grew slack. Riza was just staring down at the corpse before her. Roy was gone. He'd moved away – Riza thought she'd seen him lunge behind her but wasn't sure – leaving the dead candidate in full view in front of her.

You killed another human being, Riza.

Someone gripped her arm roughly. She jerked away on instinct when she turned, Roy was looking at her worriedly. His eyes were wide with concern and his mouth was moving but Riza couldn't hear a word he was saying. All she heard was the roaring in her ears.

"I killed him," she breathed.

"Riza –"

Roy disappeared from view and grunted, punching someone out her field of vision. It took Riza a few seconds to process his quick movements.

"Riza, you with me?" He was desperate as he called to her, urging her to answer him.

"I'm…"

"Stay with me, Riza," he breathed. Suddenly, there was a heat upon her forehead as he spoke against her skin. His lips caressed it, making her relax slightly. His touch was enough to anchor her back to the present. Riza swallowed down the vomit crawling up her throat and let loose a shaky breath.

"I'm so sorry," Roy continued, "I am, but please, just stay with me."

His arm wrapped around her shoulder tightly, dragging Riza in close to his body sharply. She gasped at the sudden movement. Stumbling slightly, she fought to regain her footing as Roy spun her away. He punched another candidate in the face, knocking him down to the floor.

"That should do fine. I suppose it's about time we got started," the doctor across the room finally spoke.

Riza turned to look at the doctor, returning to the world around her. He was standing now in the centre of a completed transmutation circle. Before Riza could comprehend it any further she was shoved forcefully backwards away from Roy. It broke her concentration and she hit the ground hard. Looking up, she saw Roy was almost standing over her, protecting her, as he fought his way through the onslaught of candidates.

Snap out of it, Riza!

She had to stand up and fight. She had to help him.

One candidate charged at Roy from the left while he was already struggling with another. He grunted and gasped, realising at the last second that he may be overpowered and beaten.

Riza fired. Twice. One shot hit the man in the shoulder, throwing him off balance so he tipped and veered off to the side. The other hit his forearm and the sword fell to the ground at the same time he did. Riza let out a breath as he remained there, grimacing in pain, but didn't get back up.

As Roy fought off the other candidate and shoved him away, Riza stood. Once she was up she noticed the other candidates had all frozen in place, waiting for their new command now the doctor had spoken.

"You okay?"

Riza exhaled and turned as he gently touched her bicep. Roy's worry was evident. His question was less for her physical state and more for her mental one. She wasn't okay. She'd killed someone, taken a life. Riza didn't think she'd ever be okay with that. But she did promise to fight to protect her family. That guilt would stay with her for the rest of her life though, she was sure.

The weight and consequences of any actions would be dealt with later, she'd told herself. If only it were that simple.

"Riza?" He was desperate for an answer. He needed to know.

She gave him a tiny nod.

"Number Sixteen," the doctor called to the room. Candidate Number Sixteen's head turned sharply to face him. "Number Seventeen, Number Twenty-One, Number Twenty-Three, and Number Twenty- Six. Come join me."

Five of the candidates ran over immediately, removing themselves from the fight. They stationed themselves around the circle uniformly. Standing completely still, they remained in place for their next command.

"What's he doing?" Edward's cry pierced the room, then he gasped loudly, staring at the doctor. Or more importantly, what was beneath the doctor's feet.

"Now then," the doctor grinned. "Here goes!" His hand lifted, pointing towards the sky with his fingers splayed open. In a quick movement his hand slammed into the ground, in the middle of the circle to activate it. Blue light sprang forth into the room and the force of the transmutation kicked up a wind, buffeting her hair and jacket.

The circle changed in colour, turning purple. The light in the room turned to match it and black tendrils erupted from the floor. They stretched upwards and formed tiny hands at the end, waving side to side like long grass in the summer. Once they reached the height of the Fuhrer candidates, as soon as they made contact with their bodies, the men disintegrated bit by bit. Tiny squares of their bodies floated up into the air before vanishing into nothingness. Riza watched on in horror.

Suddenly, a large eye appeared underneath Edward's feet. Riza reached for Roy's arm on instinct, gripping onto his overcoat tightly. She remembered her last run in with an eye that looked exactly like that. The ghostly feelings of black tendrils wrapping around her throat and squeezing tightly made her recoil instantly.

"What," Edward gasped in terror, staring down at the large eye beneath his feet.

The same hands that had consumed the Fuhrer candidates reached for Edward.

"Ed!" Riza cried, taking a step forward, because he too started to disintegrate. His body was disappearing, bit by bit, in tiny squares.

Edward struggled in pain, trying to fight against the grip the hands had on him.

"No… Fullmetal!" Roy shouted for him, his expression matching hers. He couldn't believe what was happening either.

"You bastard!" Edward cried before he vanished completely. The arms snaked back into the centre of the eye, which blinked and disappeared, taking Edward along with it.

"Fullmetal!"

"He disappeared." Riza stared at the spot where Edward had been standing. She couldn't look away. With wide eyes she was begging the ground to return him to them, despite knowing that would not happen.

"What did you do?"

Roy's demand wasn't answered because the Fuhrer candidates charged as one towards them again as the doctor laughed to himself. The fighting resumed once more and Riza jumped back to avoid a lunge. She fired in response, not quite catching the doctor's response but from what she could make out, it made a chill run up her spine.

"You need not worry where he's going," the doctor grinned, "because you'll be joining him soon enough."

Blue light flickered and sparked throughout the room as transmutations were cast by Scar and Roy. Riza's gunfire also sounded as she worked on disarming the candidates. The memory of the one she'd killed made Riza's jaw clench tightly and her stomach twist, but she managed to put off the urge to vomit. Adrenaline and the fight to stay alive fuelled her, pushing her to keep aiming to disarm, rather than kill, if she could.

It cost her.

One candidate was charging and managed to dodge every single one of her bullets. In a last-ditch effort she aimed for his head, feeling her heart rise into her throat, but that missed too and he quickly closed the distance. In an instant she was grabbed and flipped harshly onto her back. The air was choked from her lungs after she landed and Riza gasped as pain flared up her spine. He pressed his forearm into her throat hard, restraining her on the ground and restricting her ability to breath even more.

"You bastards!" Roy yelled. "Let her go!" His arm extended, fingers poised to snap, but a sword cut through his gloves, slicing the fabric through the transmutation circle, rendering it useless.

Riza watched as two candidates grabbed Roy's arms, pinning them extended from his body. Her eyes widened and she struggled and fought against the hold, trying to yell at them to get off him. That cost her as well. The forearm pressed further, eliciting a harsh gasp from her. She couldn't breathe.

Painfully they lowered Roy to a seat on the ground, both candidates still armed and ready to attack him if he fought their hold. Riza's focus was removed from him when the candidate grabbed her arms tightly to push her roughly into a seated position. As soon as his forearm was removed from her windpipe Riza was coughing and spluttering, trying to catch her breath. Her chest heaved as she wheezed loudly.

"Careful!" Roy barked, glaring at the man holding her.

Glancing over, she saw him try and shrug off the hold they had on him before his eyes met with hers. Silently, Roy's eyes widened a fraction as he held her gaze. He was asking if she was okay. As Riza coughed, she nodded, not breaking eye contact.

However, before given a chance to properly rest she gasped in pain. The candidate's grip on her was unforgiving and his fingertips dug into her upper arm hard enough to bruise. Once seated, his arm wrapped around her throat with no mercy. Out the corner of her eye Riza noticed Roy was fighting to get free once more.

The doctor started to clap. "All right, good!" he praised. "Just hold him there."

Riza's gaze snapped up at the doctor's specific point of wanting Roy to be held in place. It also halted Roy's struggling, now the doctor's attention was focussed on talking to him.

"Here we are, Colonel Mustang," the doctor announced. "I'm afraid we're out of time. At this point, you've no choice but to cooperate with us."

Roy scowled at him and Riza shifted in place. Like hell he'd agree to work with them.

"I would like you to perform some human transmutation and open a portal for me."

"Are you serious?" Roy looked on in disbelief, just like Riza did. That idea… There was no way.

"It doesn't matter who. A parent you've lost? A lover?" The doctor turned his head to grin at Riza and she shifted uncomfortably. Roy bristled too. "A friend?"

Maes Hughes' face flashed in Riza's mind eye.

Roy couldn't do it. Not human transmutation. That's what had cost Edward and Alphonse their bodies. It was dangerous. Riza may not have known much about alchemy but she'd picked up enough as a child to know that human transmutation did not work, and it should never be tried. As she'd grown older, regrettably she'd come to learn just how devastating it could be.

"Or that man you were so close to. What was his name again? Hughes, right? He'll do just fine. I'll get things set up for you, right over here," the doctor taunted.

"You mean… I'm a sacrifice?"

Alarm bells were going off in Riza's head. She shifted again but the grip on her was too strong. The candidate tightened his arm around her throat to stop her from moving.

"Not yet," the doctor grinned, "but as soon as you've opened the portal you'll certainly become one."

"That's why the Elric brothers were chosen," Roy questioned.

"Yes, it is."

"They told me human transmutation couldn't be done," Roy replied forcefully. "Why would I even try to do it, knowing it would fail?" Roy was becoming more agitated by the second and all Riza could do was watch on, struggling to breathe.

The doctor laughed to himself. "You're right there, but all I really need you to do is open the portal and then return."

"No! Not a chance! I won't be your puppet," Roy spat. "You open it yourself!"

Riza relaxed slightly. Her earlier thoughts regarding him being strong enough were solidified inside her mind.

"I told you, we've run out of time." The doctor's tone and demeanour changed immediately. He was more threatening than before and a chill ran up Riza's spine as she watched him adjust his glasses, hiding the dark look in his eyes from her.

There was a sharp pain in her neck then Riza was falling. She wasn't sure where the pain had come from. As she tipped over she briefly saw a sword in her line of vision but was unsure why. Had that caused her pain?

"Riza!"

Her head had bounced off the ground after she fell, and that second head knock of the day had made her sight blurry and unable to focus completely. Head woozy, she focussed all her brain power on her vision.

Roy was screaming her name. She heard him, but it was as if it was from a distance. It faded in and out, which caused some anxiety for her. His voice always soothed her, and she felt like she wanted to hear it at that moment. In her gut, she knew it would help.

Riza was unable to determine why though. For a second, she blinked slowly and tried again to think about how she'd ended up horizontal on the cold ground. But no… It wasn't completely cold. There was a warmth spreading on the side of her head and body, enveloping it like a blanket would. It was moving slowly though, which Riza thought was odd. It trickled further up her head and disappeared into her hair, completely encompassing only one side.

"I'll kill you!"

Roy's screaming jerked her back to reality. She gasped in pain. Suddenly, every sensation flooded her mind as the shock wore off. Her neck had been sliced cleanly. She was bleeding out and dying. They were using her against him, just like his worst nightmares, and the bastard of a doctor was almost laughing about it.

She started to move. Sharp corners from the uneven stone dug into her skin roughly as she was dragged and tossed into the centre of the circle.

"Riza, answer me!" he demanded of her, but she could barely get her mouth to work. Her tongue was like lead and refused to cooperate.

A choked breath left her lungs as she finally came to a stop. The means of delivery to her destination had not been kind, and her shoulder struck the ground hard enough to make her gasp in pain. Once the world stopped spinning Riza could just make out the sight of white chalk at the edge of her vision as it wavered. Then she saw the blood. Her blood.

She was in the transmutation circle. The bastard was trying to use her to get Roy to perform human transmutation.

He couldn't do it. She wouldn't let him!

Anguished, desperation flooded every part of Roy's expression. His image blurred in her vision. Riza still watched though on as he strained, wide eyed, and fought everything against him. But he couldn't escape their hold.

This was killing him.

Riza could see the tears falling down his cheeks and the way his chest heaved with his breaths. He choked, screaming once more that he would kill them for doing this to her. A violent shrug almost broke him free, but his captors quickly grabbed him once more as he called out to her, his voice cracking.

He was stuck.

And she was dying.

"Come on," the doctor taunted loudly above her. "If you don't hurry, your wife will be lost to you forever."

A tear trailed down Riza's temple, eventually getting lost in her hair. She couldn't die. She had two wonderful children to go home to once this was all over. She couldn't leave Roy all alone either. She promised she wouldn't. They were a team.

"Ah," the doctor continued, as if he finally realised something great, "I understand. Would you prefer to transmute your wife after she's already died? That would be acceptable," he reassured.

"I'm not gonna die," Riza finally managed to choke out. A shaky hand moved to press against the wound in her neck. It was agony to talk but she had to. Riza did it for Roy. For her children. "I'm not going to leave you."

Roy's head perked up as she spoke, stalling his violent thrashing.

The man standing above her scoffed, rambling about immortality but Riza didn't care. All that mattered was Roy.

"Roy." Her voice was quiet, her throat scratchy. "Roy, please." She didn't want him to hurt himself, but that would be a naive request. He'd tear the world apart for her. That was a fact.

"I'm sorry." He sounded so broken, stuttering over the words. Guilt and sorrow made his chest heave as he breathed. He was breaking down further. Riza knew he would be blaming himself for this, but he couldn't. Envy was the one who had pushed her out here, not him, and Riza had chosen to come here of her own free will. Roy would never accept that reasoning and would shoulder it all, Riza knew he would, but as the doctor said, they'd run out of time. She didn't have the time to reassure him.

Movement from above Riza caught her attention. Despite the pain ravaging her throat, she felt shock belay it when she saw the chimeras from earlier suspended in the pipes above her. The one that looked like a toad – Riza couldn't recall his name – pressed a finger to his lips before turning to look above, back up the tunnel.

"So tell me, Mustang, what will it be? Your precious wife is about to die. If you don't act, she'll bleed to death. All that blood before your eyes."

Ignoring the doctor completely, Riza returned her attention to Roy, and him alone. No one else mattered. She had a message to get across before it was too late for her.

"It's okay," she croaked. Her voice was raspy as she spoke, but Roy strained forward to hear every word.

"Riza–" Eyes wide, Roy pressed his lips into a thin line. He was struggling. It was clear on his face and his body was shaking. Her heart broke for him but she pleaded with him not to give into it. He couldn't do it. No matter how much it hurt, he couldn't save her with human transmutation. Riza wouldn't hold that against him. He had a goal to achieve for both of them. He had their children to look after too on top of that. They couldn't be left alone.

"Remember, Mustang," the doctor sneered, growing impatient, "I can save her life. All I need is for you to make a decision because whether you like it or not, her fate is in your hands, Colonel."

The doctor was relentless and Riza wanted to shoot him right between the eyes for it. He was being unnecessarily cruel.

"If you don't decide, can you live the rest of your life with your wife's blood on your hands? Could you really do that? Could you abandon her to her fate and live on, knowing you did nothing to even try and save her?"

Riza wanted to stand and wipe that smirk off his face, but her limbs were growing too heavy, along with her eyelids.

"Wait," the doctor remarked, "she looks so cold and still. Perhaps she'd dead already?"

Far from it, you bastard!

With renewed vigour, Roy strained forward.

"Roy, please," she gasped, noticing his effort.

It worked though. He paused. His body and face relaxed after hearing her speak.

"You don't have to do this. Don't sacrifice everything that you've already achieved just for me," she pleaded.

Roy let out a choked laugh of disbelief. She knew exactly what he was thinking: "How can you say something like that to me?" But she had to distract the doctor.

"But you will do it, won't you Mustang?" The doctor just would not give up, forcefully goading Roy further.

"I love you," Riza whispered.

Roy must have thought she was saying goodbye because his eyes grew wide, his body locking, and expression turning to pure terror.

"I'll always come back to you, Roy," she reminded him.

"Well?" The doctor demanded an answer, finally fed up with this waiting game.

Riza's eyes moved to look up towards the gap in the ceiling where the chimeras were waiting. That was her signal. When they returned and refocused on him again, Riza saw Roy turn away from her. His entire body relaxed as he averted his eyes, his fringe curtaining the orbs Riza loved so much, hiding them from her.

"All right."

Panic seized her. For a brief second, she was unsure of his meaning. Her breathing halted completely and the grip on her neck went slack as her strength waned.

"Good!" The doctor's exclamation was full of triumph. "I knew you'd see reason!"

"All right, Riza. I won't perform the transmutation!"

He hadn't been agreeing to do it before, like she'd feared. Roy had turned away because he was full of shame while admitting defeat. It cut him deeply not to fight for her but he was trusting her. She was grateful for that.

"You won't even save your wife?" The doctor was incredibly surprised, taunting Roy, and Riza saw his shoulders stiffen. Roy's lips parted as his teeth clenched together hard and his eyes squeezed tightly closed. "That's cold, Colonel," the doctor remarked, but Riza didn't particularly care for his feelings on the matter.

Riza thought Roy might snap again. His body language expressed his desire to. Silently, she thanked him for trusting her, despite the pain it was causing him.

Blinking once, Riza's vision blurred for longer than it had before. Sucking in a breath, she felt herself beginning to panic as the corners of her vision grew darker. She was fading. Her hand slipped completely from her neck. The back of her knuckles hit the ground and she could feel the digits were slick with her blood.

Riza didn't know what the chimeras above her were waiting for but she wished they would hurry up. She didn't have long left and she couldn't die! She couldn't do that to her children or to Roy. Riza refused.

There was a burst of movement and sound around her, but she was unable to determine what had happened. Her brain was too sluggish as she was fading faster.

No! She couldn't die! Not down here!

Fight.

Sudden heat startled her from losing consciousness. But only for a second. Riza's eyelids were too heavy to keep open. Hands grabbed her tightly, easing her with the greatest of care onto her back. There was a sudden warmth against her cheek, and it was nice as she felt her body growing colder.

Roy... That was the only person who would be holding her so tenderly down here, Riza thought. However, it was fleeting as she was losing her grip on everything. She barely even felt him gently removing the strands of bloody hair from her face. Or stroking her cheeks, temples, and closed eyelids with his thumbs.

She started to drift as Roy screamed her name in the distance. He ordered Riza to open her eyes. To come back to him. Her heart ached, wishing she could stick to her promise of remaining by his side, but knowing she'd be breaking it. That ache swelled as she thought of her wonderful children. She'd never see them again. How she so desperately wanted to. Her Mia Bear and Baby Maes. That thought brought her so much pain, but slowly eventually that emotional pain started to dull.

Although feelings had left her, sound was still present. Roy's sobs were still there. Riza wanted to open her mouth to soothe him, to reassure him that he would be all right after all of this, but it was impossible.

One last time, Riza wanted to tell Roy that she loved him with all of her heart. She'd tell him she was sorry to be leaving him and going back on her promise. That her decision had been made for her against her will.

Riza's body was rocked back and forth in Roy's arms as he cried over her. His tears lightly tapped the skin of her face, coating her cheeks and forehead in moisture and her husband's devastation.

But Riza barely felt anything anymore.