Prelude

(dolore)

The voice of Truth was more childish than Pride's had ever been. Riza didn't think this was coincidental. The process by which the entity exacted tolls on those to cross into its realm wasn't equivalent exchange, but painful irony. Irony that hadn't been made wholly clear until she'd found herself clutching the dying body of her colonel at the gate. His blood was already starting to thicken and crust on her fingers, and his breaths were becoming faint. The deal wasn't fair, but not much in her life ever had been. She would trade his memories of her for his life. What an exquisite torture chamber.

"I-" Riza's chin trembled, and her grip on his body tightened.

"He's nearly dead, and you still can't decide?" The featureless specter grinned. "I'm beginning to doubt your devotion. Shall I rescind the offer?"

"No!" She shouted. The consequences could be weighed later; Roy's life was priority. "I just-" Riza glanced down. His face paled by the second. "How can you… I mean, we have a history. Surely you can't just slice out pieces of his memory without harming him or driving him mad?"

"Such concern." Truth's laugh devastated her as it echoed off of nothing. "The human mind is a remarkable thing, Lieutenant. It'll mend itself. The gaps will grow over one another like ivy on a wall." The shape of his head tilted. "Though, I suspect he'll want to simply avoid thinking of the gaps. Imagine searching your house for a lost shoe. Eventually you'll give up and substitute another pair even though you've passed the missing item numerous times where it sits under the edge of your bed. Colonel Mustang won't ever think to look under the edge of his bed, because he won't know the shoe is even missing."

"But I'll know."

"Yes, you will. That is the price."

Riza touched Roy's cheek, and wiped a tear from his cooling skin. Her tear. "Do it," She whispered. "What are you waiting for?"

Author's Note: Welp. That's all folks!

I don't think I've ever received such amazing feedback on any fic I've written in any fandom. Thank you so much for all your words, and for taking a chance on an experimental fic like this one. It means so much to me!

In case you hadn't noticed, this is heavily influenced by the song Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding. Fifty Shades of Grey did NOT deserve to have it on the soundtrack.