Just because everything's changing doesn't mean it's never been this way before

All you can do is try to know who your friends are as you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light

You'll come back when it's over

No need to say goodbye

The bustle and hum of the train station would never cease to amaze Riza. In all of her years of living in this little town, she'd never seen any place busier than this. Each person tottered from place to place, weaving through pedestrians and lugging large trunks and cases, always in danger of crushing a toe or two. Excited shrieks occasionally sounded from the platform as families were reunited and friendships reformed. Riza observed the crowd with a watchful eye, scanning for familiar faces. Yes, there was Mrs. Whitefield, her wrinkles getting deeper as she grinned widely and wrapped her arms around her son. And there was old man Crow, cantankerous as always, sweeping away the crunching leaves that had blown up onto the platform. Little Penny poked around her mother's legs, greeting her grinning grandpa for the first time. Riza smiled; in a town as small as this everyone knew each other quite well. Any visitors that came to stay were quickly welcomed into the fold and treated as a member of the "family". This included a particular eighteen-year-old, dark haired alchemist that Riza was currently studiously avoiding, not out of dislike, but out of self preservation.

Stop it, Riza chided herself. You're only wallowing in your own misery. Cut it out. Riza was not usually one to drown herself in the things she felt- in all of her sixteen years her upbringing had never allowed her to get distracted from her father's needs and wishes. But when it came to Roy… She couldn't quite place it. From the moment she'd met him, she had known he was different. There was something about the way Roy carried himself and the determination that effortlessly exuded from him. Riza had been surprised at how easily she let her guard down around him. She'd spent many a day peeking in on his lessons with her father, thankfully almost always going undetected. They'd grown up together, and as they became closer he had always treated her with the utmost respect (whether that was of his own volition or out of fear of her father she still didn't know). They'd been together for more days than she could count. And now… Now Roy was leaving for the military, and her heart was pounding against her collarbone at a speed faster than the bullet trains that sped through the station.

Caught in her thoughts once again, she didn't notice that Roy had stopped in front of her. Her confident stride sent her bumping straight into him, her nose colliding with his shoulder. With a sharp exhale of pain she rubbed her nose, trying to get rid of the sudden ache.

"Careful, there," Roy cautioned as he turned around to face her. A smile was stretched loosely across his face as he looked down at her. "You okay?" The glow in his eyes made Riza's heart stop momentarily. Oh, how she loved this boy.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Riza replied, attempting a smile. To her horror tears sprang to her eyes, and she didn't know whether it was from the ache in her nose or the pain she was trying to hide.

Concern swept across Roy's face, and he leaned down so he was eye level with her. "Hey, did it really hurt that much?" He placed a hand on her cheek, looking deep into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I guess my shoulders are a little bonier than most people's," he chuckled, an embarrassed smile returning to his face.

"No, no, it's not your fault, I should've watched where I was going," Riza laughed, hurriedly wiping her eyes. "It's okay." She dreaded meeting Roy's eyes, for she knew what she would find there- the look he reserved for her; a mixture of happiness, mischief, and unabashed affection. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to erase the tears this time. Stop acting like a child, she chastened herself again. You're going to be fine. It's not like he's leaving forever. With a deep breath she steadied herself and smiled. He returned her smile, and immediately Riza's heart ached once more. You promised you wouldn't look at his eyes, you idiot. As she had expected, Roy's face was full to the brim with that special look, and she wasn't sure she could keep herself from throwing her arms around him.

"Train to the Military Academy is leaving in five minutes!" The cry echoed above the chatter and excitement of the station and Roy stiffened slightly, a look of alarm entering his face for the first time. It quickly vanished when he noticed Riza staring, and he reassured her with a smile.

"I'm going to be fine, Riza," he said softly. "It's not like I'm going off to war yet." She wasn't entirely sure if he was reassuring her or himself.

"I know," Riza replied, looking down and biting her lip. With a halting voice she stammered, "I don't want you to go." Once again, she could not meet his eyes. When he had asked her to accompany him to the station she was surprised; they were a little more than just best friends but she had assumed that his headstrong independence and confidence would carry him there alone. She had mostly said her goodbyes the night before, when they had walked hand in hand through the forest behind her house. Riza supposed that most people would consider them to be 'together', though they had never chosen to define it as such. They had never put a label on their relationship- to them it had always felt natural, but given the choice, they would both agree that they were together. To call Roy her 'boyfriend' seemed painfully inadequate to describe the bond they shared.

He surprised her then by wrapping his arms around her and tucking her head under his chin. She had told him once that that was where she felt safest- in his arms, solidly guarded by him. Riza breathed him in, desperately trying to memorize how this felt, how he felt.

"I'll be back before you know it," he breathed into her short blond hair. The strands tickled her forehead and she couldn't help keeping the barest of smiles from her face. "It's only for a little while."

She knew. Of course she knew. Her head was perfectly capable of accepting it, but her heart wanted to slam out of her chest and keep him there, in her arms. It's too soon, Riza thought. It's too soon for him to go away, I need more time with him. I'm not ready. A lump rose to her throat and tears burned her eyes again, this time spilling over onto her cheeks. She cursed herself for falling apart like this; she hadn't last night and now certainly wasn't the time.

"I want you to promise me something," Roy murmured softly above her. She looked up at him, not trying to hide the tears this time. "But first, no more tears. No crying, okay?" He brought his hands up to cradle her face, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. She blinked at him. Well, that's going to be difficult, Riza thought, considering everything that he is to me.

"Okay," she replied reluctantly. She was surprised at how strong her voice still was, despite the lump currently occupying her trachea.

"Promise me this," Roy started.

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll remember me," Roy whispered, his voice tight. She allowed herself to look into his eyes, and to her surprise and dread, they were filling rapidly with tears.

Without a second thought she reached up and pressed her lips to his. He grabbed her again, holding her tight against him, his fingers tangling in her short blonde hair. They simply melted into each other, and Riza committed every precious second to memory.

Breaking away briefly, Riza asked, "I thought you said no more tears." Roy laughed, pressing a kiss to her nose, and then her forehead.

"Well, it looks like I lied a little," he said, hugging her once more.

Riza rubbed small circles into his back. "Know that I'm not lying when I say this: I will never forget you. I never could. You mean too much to me for that."

All the tension in Roy's body seemed to drain away as he sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you." His breath tickled her ear when he spoke. "I could never forget you, either."

Immediately her heart surged and she could only hold him tighter, still nestled in his arms. A rush of words came to her lips but she held them back, afraid that she wouldn't be able to stop talking if she started. What else could you possibly say? You said so much last night, how could you have any more words? Riza thought anxiously. His warmth seemed to sink deep into her bones, and she embraced his fire with no hesitation.

"Last call for the Military Academy!" Riza froze as the call came, and she held onto him with a newfound sense of urgency.

"Roy, please, don't say goodbye," she pleaded. She didn't want to hear him say it, because that would end everything. That would be too final for her, too condemning. Riza didn't know when she would see him again. He was going away to become a dog of the military and she couldn't stand his absence. This is what he wants, why can't you be happy for him? A sharp twang of pain resonated inside her soul; so many emotions were coursing through her, she wasn't sure she could separate them all.

"Riza, look at me," Roy said firmly. She met his gaze, stomach spinning, and was slightly surprised to find determination there amongst all the kindness. He stared at her with the same intensity as the fire he carried in his bones. "Don't do this to yourself. It's going to be a long time, and I don't want you to be upset like this. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied, her voice stronger now. She swallowed greatly, and began the painful process of compacting her emotions down into a small box, a process with which she was too familiar. With great effort she tore her eyes away to peek over the busy crowd. The train was not yet moving, but the number of passengers boarding was beginning to diminish. "Roy… your train is about to leave," she said, attempting to keep her voice flat.

"I'm so tempted to let it leave without me," Roy admitted, a laugh creeping in around his voice. There wasn't any seriousness behind the words, however- they both knew that wasn't an option. Cradling her face in his palm one last time, Roy leaned down and kissed her. Riza fought against the burning in her eyes. No more tears.

All too soon, Roy let her go. He pressed a final kiss to her forehead, and picked up his suitcase. Riza took a deep breath and clasped her hands together in front of her. Catching her eye, Roy gave one final grin, his eyes sparkling with the mischief she knew and loved. Oh, how she loved this boy.

"I'll see you soon," Roy said confidently, and in that moment, Riza's heart felt whole again. She could only nod, her eyes blazing with what she hoped was love and confidence.

Then, Roy seemed to simply melt into the crowd behind him, almost as quickly as Riza could blink. Steadying herself one last time, she swiftly turned away, refusing to look back. The hard knot inside her burned next to her heart, and she instantly knew it would not unravel until she was in his arms again.

This time, when the call came above the crowd, she was ready.

"Train departing for the Military Academy!"

A/N: Leave a review! :)