We Are Soldiers
'Save your tears/for the day/when our pain is far behind/on your feet/come with me/we are soldiers stand or die
Save your fears/take your place/save them for the judgment day/fast and free/ follow me/time to make the sacrifice/we rise or fall' -"Rise" (Ghost In The Shell)
Riza Hawkeye was a soldier. She wore the uniform, bore the stripes and merits, and carried the pistol proudly. But it was not for her country, her patriotic duty, or even for her sense of being that she did these things. It was to protect someone precious to her.
She had to help him achieve his goal, to change things for the better so that no one would ever have to see the specters in another's eyes like she did in his. She had to help him accomplish his ambition so that he could maybe at last bury his demons.
For now he had to be content with simply pushing them to the back of his heart and walking forward. Sometimes the old guilt and fears would rise up from murky depths when he wasn't watching, and they would stand in remorseless and pitiless judgment of him and his previous transgressions.
But somehow, with her help, he finds the strength to stand up to the fiery condemnations and walk, fast and free, out of the suffocating courtroom and into the fresh air of his aspirations.
This path he has chosen requires many sacrifices on both of their parts, but neither object to it. No, he welcomes it, for he is still a faithful believer in Equivalent Exchange, and feels he must give something up to acquire what he seeks.
And so until his dreams grow to be tangible, she will stand fast and strong by him, ever watchful, ever vigilant. She will remain ever willing and prepared to pull the trigger for him, to protect him, for they are soldiers, born to stand.
-Fin-
(A/N: This is my second RoyxRiza, and while listening to that song "Rise" I just couldn't get this pairing and fic out of my head. So enjoy!)