WARNING. Spoilers for Chapter 100. DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO BE MAJORLY SPOILED ON CHAPTER 100.

Warning #2: Reading this is sort of trippy. Stream-of-consciousness does that. Sorry.

So She Wishes It…
By A. P. Patterson

"I won't do it! No human transmutation! The Gate will stay closed!"

"Have you been listening to me? There's no more time."

The silver glint of the sword, sliding seductively through her soft flesh.

Riza's beautiful neck. He'd fantasized about her—

What can I say? I am a healthy, unmarried male—

running his fingers down her neck, tracing the lines of her collarbone to her shoulder, down the sides of her arms—

were they pale, like an angel's feathers? tan, maybe, warm and healthy?

He didn't care. She was beautiful.

And the only way he'd been getting through this was by her.

Believing in her.

Trusting in her.

She had his back.

But he didn't have hers, because if he did, she wouldn't be here right now.

she wouldn't be here and she wouldn't be captured.

she wouldn't be here and she wouldn't be captured and she wouldn't be helpless.

she wouldn't be here and she wouldn't be captured and she wouldn't be helpless and there wouldn't be BLOOD.

her beautiful life's blood running down

HER SKIN

her perfect skin

RUINED

THEY WERE RUINING HER!

Killing her!

"LIEUTENANT!" he bellowed.

"Now," said the man, the mysterious man, the calm cold man. Evil. "Open the Gate, Mustang."

Everything was red. His whole life had been reduced to the cascade of blood flowing from her veins like the finest Xingese silk.

She wasn't dead. Not yet. There was still time.

Pulling at the overpoweringly strong men holding him, Roy regretted every drop of alcohol he'd consumed in the past decade, every pound gained, every moment spent not training his body to its peak.

Choking on blood pouring from her mouth, larynx slashed, there was no way Riza could respond. It was all over for her.

Her name tore from his lips, over and over again, as if maybe she might stop dying if he could just yell loud enough.

She stared at him. Her eyes were dry. There was no sadness there—but he saw regret.

It was too early for her. She deserved so much more than this. He had led her down this path and now her path had ended.

Final.

Fatal.

"Riza, I—"

She stared at him, her ghostly face still somehow stern. She couldn't speak, but she could still communicate. She shook her head no.

No.

No.

No.

"I have no desire to live a happy, carefree life all alone.

"After this battle is over, my body will leave this world together with the corpse of the Flame Alchemist."

And it shall.

His heart wanted it. He wanted her.

But she had said no.

That was all he needed, her refusal. She knew what was right better than he could in this state.

"Open the Gate, Mustang."

"No."