Hello!
I present to you a short one-shot, that you can read while listening to the beautiful song "If you fall" by JJ Heller. The lyrics made me think about my OTP: Royai!
The story of the OS stands during episode 54 of FMA Brotherhood.
It was a OS standing by itself, that I posted a few years ago. But I think that its place is here, in this compilation. Of course, the other version will be deleted. I made a few adjustments, and now it flows a little better now (and I corrected some mistakes and sentences that sounded too French).
Enjoy!
If you fall
You are a house that's broken down
You are a house that's burning
And everything in me wants to run
But that's not love
If you fall, JJ Heller
Riza saw this hateful look, those black eyes that burned with wrath, desire for revenge. Roy was about to be overwhelmed by his negative feelings. He wanted to kill Envy, avenge Hughes. However, he would lose himself doing it. He couldn't be the man he would had been anymore, the one who was ambitious, who wanted to be the leader of this country to change it and protect the people under his authority. A man overwhelmed whith hatred couldn't make Amestris better. He'd just destroy it more. Riza didn't want that to happen. She didn't want him to lose his humanity, she refused to lose the man she loved.
Riza stood up and aim Roy with her gun. He was about to burn the larva Envy had become by lack of philosopher stone. He was crushing him under his foot.
"What's this about, Lieutenant?"
His words were full of retained wrath. She suddered under their weight. She managed to keep a calm voice.
"That's enough, Colonel, I'll take care of the rest."
Riza was ready to take responsibility for erasing Envy's existence from the face of the world. It didn't matter anymore if she or anyone else did it. But she refused to see him do this.
"One more blow will do the trick." Roy retorted. "Lower your gun!
- I cannot consent. Please put your hand down.
- Stop joking! I'm ordering you to lower your gun!" Roy shouted.
Riza winced. As painful it was to hear him speak so angrily, she couldn't accept to see him plunge deeper in the pit he already was.
A blue lightning reached his foot and the ground heaved, projecting Envy right into Edward's hand who walked toward them with Scar. Roy turned to face them.
"Fullmetal. Hand him over."
Edward didn't answer. He saw the look in the colonel's eyes. He was horrified.
"I'll say it once more. Hand him over!
- I refuse."
The two alchemists exchanged ferocious glances for a moment.
"He deserves the worst death possible." Roy declared.
"I refuse.
- Hand him over! If not, I'll set your right arm ablaze along with him!"
Edward moved forward.
"Well said! I'll fight you head-on! But before we get to that, take a good look in the mirror!" The blond boy yelled. "Do you plan on standing at the top of this country with a face like that? That's… That's not what you've been working your ass off for, is it?!"
Edward finished screaming. Scar continued.
"So you're going to let your emotions take over and descend to the path of a savage. I guess that's fine. If you're going to insist on living for revenge, I won't stop you."
Edward turned to the Ishvalian, outraged. Scar was right, Riza tought. He had let revenge lead him during all those years after the war. He didn't feel worthy to stop somebody to go the same path.
"I don't have the right to interfere with someone's revenge. I'm just interested to see what kind of world will be created by someone held prisoner by hatred."
These words affected Roy, and his eyes opened wide, still full of hate. Then, Riza spoke.
"I won't let you kill Envy, Colonel. But still, I don't plan on letting Envy live either. I'll take care of him."
If Roy killed Envy, he would never be the same. Riza felt her heart painfully beating in her chest. If he killed the homunculus, he would lose his objective. And that would lead her to achieve to mission he gave her when she had become his assistant. She refused that to happen. So she had to kill Envy.
"I… I finally tracked him down!
- I know that!" Riza exclaimed. "But…"
Her hand started shaking.
"But what you're about to do isn't for the sake of the country, and it's not for the sake of helping your comrades either. You're trying to dispel your hatred. That indent alone is gnawing at your heart." The voice of the soldier filled up with sorrow. "You can't fall down that path.
Roy's face changed, and Riza could see he was fighting with himself. Then he calmed down. His voice was filled up with regrets and tension when he said:
"Shoot me if you want."
"No" said a little voice inside Riza's toughts. "I don't want, I can't."
"But what will you do after you kill me?"
Riza lowered her head. Why did he have to ask? He knew the answer. He knew since she had been ready to be killed by Lust, thinking he was dead. She sighed.
"I don't plan on living free and easy. After this battle is over, I plan on taking flame alchemy, an art that brings about madness, to the grave along with my body."
The internal conflict of Roy strengthened, rising until the colonel screamed and threw a huge flame in the transversal corridor. His wrath had disappeared.
" That won't do." He said with a dull voice. "I… can't afford to lose you."
This was a confession, Riza knew it. It was for the moment one of the few evidences of his attachment to her. Even dead, he couldn't stand her death. He had resigned, accepting not to take revenge. Roy shook his head.
"What's with this situation, I wonder. Being scolded by a child and being cautioned by a man who had been after my life for revenge."
He turned back to face Riza.
"I made you go through something dreadful again."
"I'm the biggest idiot in the world."
Roy put his hand on Riza's gun and lowered it.
"I'm sorry."
Riza looked at the man standing before her, embarrassed and repentant. She forgave him from all her heart. He was once again the real Roy Mustang. The one she wanted to protect instead of threaten, the one she loved. Roy sat on the floor. Relieved, Riza did the same.
Then, Roy took her left hand, which wasn't holding the revolver. She lifted her head and her eyes met his frank and grieved look.
"I forgive you." She whispered.
She lightly smiled. He squeezed her hand and gave her smile back.
"Thank you."
A simple word that was worth more than world's gold for Riza. She would not lose Roy today.
