Young Lovers: A Royai FanFic
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA… It is annoying to constantly write that… .
And now time for some response to reviewers (Sorry if I missed you, I try my darn hardest not to forget anyone.):
Rizahawkeye21: I'm glad Roy's chapter reached you! I only hope you like this chapter that talks about Riza.
The world may never know: Thanks for reviewing, here's the next chapter.
Lt. Hawkeye: The final chapter is here so go ahead and read it! XD I hope you like it.
Shadadukal: Oh wow, thank you for that flattering statement. I'm really happy you liked it that much.
BGwildRoze: A two year separation must be tough I admit. All I know is that I'd be worrying everyday if something like that happened to me. Thank you for reading! Oh and please don't apologize for the long reviews. I really enjoy reading them! X3
Final Chapter - Chapter 20: Riza
It all happened so fast that I can barely believe that it happened. Things had finally been looking up. My father had returned to me. Roy and I had no more distractions in life. Things were truly going well and I felt that way as I fell asleep that night.
I felt bad though… I didn't even go to the gate to tell Roy and Maes that I wasn't going to school that day. For a second, I was worried about what Roy would say. However, it wasn't the time to think about it. Other things kept occupying my mind. Too much had been going on to put into simple words. It felt like I had to evaluate what I felt and understood in life. My father was drifted away. Yes, that was the beginning of it. Suddenly he was receiving letters from the military. There were numerous times when I asked about them. Now having known the truth, I find it foolish that I didn't see it before. My father dismissed any talk that concerned those documents. Therefore, I put those questions to rest.
My father… I honestly believe that he raised me well. He was a man who honored manners and I thank him every day for passing that belief onto me. Yet, sometimes, I would often wonder how my mother would've raised me. Would she have been just as strict? My grandfather had told me on many occasions that she was a kind woman with a wild spirit. Maybe I would've been more social and outgoing if she was still with us. I've been told that it's a shame that I strongly resemble my father and not her.
My mother is what started everything. Of course, I don't mean that directly. Her death was what caused all this pain and difficulty. I wasn't told the truth until hours before my life took a turn for the worst. Everything I once knew broke apart into a million pieces and I never hope to piece them back together again. She was murdered. If you look up her file it'll say "accident." My father knew better. He knew it was murder. That's what he began to tell me once I confronted him on the secrets that existed within our walls. It took a lot of pleading to convince him that I could handle whatever he could throw at me. Though I must admit, I wasn't expecting anything like that.
Father told me that my mother was lost to a raid that happened in Central. A rebel group got out of hand and started killing people in random houses. My house turned out to be one of them. I was only two weeks old when that happened. The military reached our house in time but when they opened fire… they killed my mother. Needless to say, my father was angry beyond words. They shouldn't even have had permission to open fire if a civilian was at risk. I remembered reading about that raid but never that it caused my mother's death. However, she was married to a military man and came from a family that served as well. Thinking back, it made more sense that they would cover up something like that. Everything started out with that. That is what my father would constantly repeat to me.
He told me that after that happened; he avoided me for a while. He didn't know what to do for a while. In fact, my grandfather mostly took care of me. Maybe that's why I feel so close to him as well. In any case, he remembers back to when I was almost two years old. I followed my father into his bedroom one day. He was crying about my mother again. That was when I noticed a gun next to his feet. I made my way over there and picked it up. At that moment, my father noticed that I was there. It took another second to see that I was holding his gun. From that day on, my father dedicated himself to making sure I grew up in the very best way possible. Therefore, he started missing out on work a lot. His superiors didn't like his actions. They started talking about placing me away in a day care. It was only day care but my father wouldn't hear of it. So he asked for a leave and filled it out for the amount the time. Back then, no one really paid attention to those documents so he was able to get away with me for a while.
He couldn't tell me how we managed to get away for so long. He regrets not finding a more suitable way to escape his service. He must've been reading my thoughts when he told me that I should not feel responsible for this. It was all decided by him and he loves me far too much to let anyone take me away from him. My eyes were lined with tears by the time he reached this part. On top of that, I was getting tired. Maybe the stress of having heard this all at once was getting to me. My father suggested that I go sleep a little more. I saw no harm in it so I did as I was told. However, that changed everything.
Once again I woke up to the sound of footsteps in my room. Expecting nothing at all, I didn't open my eyes and shifted in my bed a little. Seconds later, I thought I heard more footsteps so I opened my eyes. Immediately I was staring up at the faces of three men that I didn't know. I screamed and that's when they pulled me out of my bed. I put up the best fight that I could. However, three grown men against me was too much to fight against. I had no choice but to listen to them. One told me to quickly get dressed. I didn't understand but then one of them slapped me. The pain stung my cheek badly and so I obeyed. The whole time I thought of my father. If he didn't come up to save me then it meant that he was also caught. At one point I heard gunshots. My movement halted for a minute before the men yelled at me to continue.
Afterwards we walked down the flights of stairs to where I saw my father on the floor. He didn't look like he was moving and he was soaking in a pool of blood. I ran to him and pulled him up. Thankfully he was breathing and that was when I noticed that I was kneeling down in front of a General whom I hadn't met before. He started talking about my father's worth in the military due to his impressive aim. For that reason, they were willing to look over the fact that he fled from his duties if he agreed to come back willingly. Father spit at the floor and held onto me protectively. That General frowned and pointed a gun at my father's head. I was scared beyond words. He was injured and had a gun pointed to his head. I had no time to think.
I pushed away and blocked my father from the gun's aim. He was too weak to stop me so I made an offer. My life would be offered for his. If they promised to leave my father alone, I would go with them instead and fight for them. Behind me, I could hear the faint protest of my father but I didn't care. I only requested that he be sent to a hospital. I also assured that I would not say anything about how they shot him. They were quiet for some time. I felt my heart stop beating if only for a second. Then, finally, a decision was made. I was to be to taken in for service instead of my father. One soldier was ordered to go back up to my room and gather my things. I started to cry again. It was to save my father so I wasn't crying for that reason. I cried because this meant I couldn't see him again. That dawned on me once the deal was made. Then I fell to my knees and sobbed until my tears ran dry. My father came up behind me and hugged me. From my lips, I softly muttered the name Roy and I knew my father could hear me. He kept whispering in my ear to take back the offer. It was not worth it. That was the phrase he repeated this time. No, I made my choice and I was going to save my father's life even if it meant abandoning my own.
My father was placed in one car and that was the one that left first. That would be the last time I ever saw my father. It's a painful memory that stays with me always. Afterwards they pushed me into a different one and we made our way to Central. My eyes looked out the window the entire time and it was the sky that I paid the most attention to. At one point, I noticed that we were coming up on Roy's house. That was when I remembered that I had to say goodbye to him. I yelled at the driver to stop the car but they didn't pay attention to me. I tried explaining that there was someone I wanted to say goodbye to but it didn't faze them. I fought back a little and they rendered me unconscious.
When I finally woke up, I was on a train. I looked around and noticed that I was in a train booth. At the door were two guards and I started crying again. I was trapped. There was a note next to me. It said that my father was taken to the hospital and that he was going to make it. I clutched the letter tightly to my chest. My father was going to live. Then I continued reading and it said that he was going to be kept under tight watch. It was to avoid him from escaping and coming into contact with me. That was fine. It meant the world to me that he was still alive. The rest of the train ride was quiet. I was too busy preparing my mind for what was going to happen to me. I was only sixteen. Just what would they have planned out? Regardless, I realized that I couldn't bow down to their pressure. They'll get what I promised to them, a soldier. I will always have this contempt for the military but it won't show on my face. Let them have the perfect soldier but my loyalties are elsewhere.
For once I felt relieved when I saw who came to pick me up at the train station. My grandfather was standing there, waving at me. I ran to him as fast as I could and wrapped my arms around him. A soldier gave me my bags and handed another note to my grandfather. It was a quiet ride back to his house. He tried to say something several times but something stilled his tongue. In fact, I didn't say very much for about a month. They sent me to a military academy where I finished up the remainder of my education. There wasn't a moment that slipped by that I didn't think about Roy. Everyone probably knew by then. How did Roy deal with this separation? I wasn't sure if I should've written letters to him. In the end I didn't and I regret that everyday.
Still, I received letters from my father. He would constantly write about how he was doing and how much he missed me. Every once in a while he'd write with the purpose of convincing me to turn away from the deal I made that day. Every time I would reply that this was what I wanted to do and he should focus on enjoying the rest of his days. Seeing his letters placed on my desk everyday when I returned from school always lit up me face. I think it was the only saving grace I had in my life. That academy was difficult. The physical training was beyond anything I had ever experienced. Then again, I knew that they were giving me more work to do. After all, I had already sworn myself to serve in the military. Thus they kept placing me in extreme positions. They pushed me so hard and when I finally felt caged, I cut my hair and I cut it short.
I raised above all the things they put me through and graduated six months early. What was the surprise that was waiting for me once I got out of school? I was shipped away… to serve in Ishbal. My grandfather was also pushed away from me. Two months before this, they sent him away to Eastern Headquarters. It was another slap to the face for me. By the time I boarded that train, I was indifferent to what fate would throw at me from that moment on.
I felt as though I was in hell once I arrived. There was a new place to kill everyday and it was enough to make someone sick. I threw up several times after my first mission. These people deserved to live not to die, especially not like this. Suicide came to mind almost all the time. If I died then they would have one less sniper to cause so many deaths. Throw in the fact that they ripped my family away from me, and then you can easily imagine how close I came to ending my life each time. And yet, something made me stop every time. It was like I had to wait for something. I didn't understand it then. I understand it now.
Some of my fellow comrades were cheering about seven months later. One of them told me that the Fuehrer decided to send in the State Alchemists. Everyone was hopeful that now we could go home and that the war would finally be put behind us. I knew better though. Even if some of us could go home, I knew I wouldn't. I was their obedient soldier who they could throw into any situation. Why? I sold myself to them to save my father and they know that very well. Since it didn't matter to me, I wasn't there when the alchemists arrived to camp.
The next day I was told that I was going to be the sniper sent to protect the State Alchemists from afar. I didn't say anything about it and simply left to carry out my orders. I picked up the cloak I used to hide myself along with my rifle and walked out. It was a twenty minute hike up to the rendezvous point. When they were finally in view, I walked a little faster. I didn't want them to wait for too long. I approached one of them and drew away my hood. I looked around to become familiar with the men whom I had to protect and then…
I came across a face that I knew. Black hair and black eyes which were staring back at me. It was Roy Mustang. He joined the military and he was now standing in front of me. Still I kept no emotion on my face and left to take my position. Maybe I hurt him then but I knew I'd apologize.
Our missions kept us apart for several days. One night I was looking over the destruction we caused and suddenly I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me. I didn't turn around but instead held onto those arms. It was obvious that Roy stood behind me. We finally got our chance to talk and that was when I told him everything. When I finished, he hugged me. At that moment I had to push away but he wouldn't let me. "It's getting dark, nobody can see…" He told me.
Know I write this having just left his embrace. He whispered in my ear that we'd both make it through this alive. I can smile now, knowing that I can trust his words. We may still be at war but I'll fight to protect him. He tells me that he has plans to change the country and I think my story was one of the causes for his decision. I feel blessed to have the love of a man who has been so dedicated to me. Someday, we'll be able to express how we feel again. But for now, its great knowing that we have each other…
Riza Hawkeye
Young Lovers - End
Author's Notes: This was a very difficult chapter to write. To say all those horrible things that took place made me cry more than once. At least things will take a brighter turn in the future. Well, there we go! Young Lovers has now drawn to a close. Has everyone enjoyed it? I sure enjoyed writing it even during the chapters that brought a tear to my eye. It's just one of my outlooks on how those two came to be. I'm so obsessed with this couple that it's not funny. So it's obvious to say that I'll continue writing this pairing. A big thank you goes out to everyone who took the time to click on this story. I am so glad that you did! The very big thanks goes out to those who took the time to review. I noticed that there are many names there so I won't bore you by listing them. Besides, you know who you are. X3 Now that this one is over, I'll proceed to write my one-shot for New Years! I hope you all want to read that. Review for this last chapter please! ROYAI!
BloodAura