It's Not Checkmate Yet | FMA

Riza's POV

"Protect what you want to protect, until the very end." ~Kyoko Sakura (Madoka Magica)

***

Alchemy.

The art in which our entire country runs on.

I find alchemy troublesome, though my father is infatuated with it. He locks himself away for hours a day, not coming out for anything: not even food. And with only him as a parent, I find this troubling. A girl, who has to grow up and raise herself. What a tragedy.

My mother died a while ago It was hard on me, but my father took it worse. Though, I managed to pull him through, somehow. The thought of not having him to protect, and keep alive, is the thought of an alternate universe. Everyone needs someone to protect.

"Father," I speak, standing before the aging man. He was bent over an alchemy book, his long, greasy grey hair hanging around him. His hooked nose was inches away from the dusty pages. and he doesn't move an inch when he replies with:

"Riza."

It's not much, but at least I got something, some sort of word, to escape his chapped lips. I sigh, and make my way up to him. Carefully, I set a hand on his shoulder and lean forward a bit, reading over his head. Looking at symbols that I couldn't ever hope to understand.

"You've been in here for a while, now." I was clearly stating the obvious facts. "Don't you want to take a walk? Get some sun?" I'm pretty sure he understands that I think he spends way too much time shut away, reading alchemy books. It was consuming him.

"One second, I almost have the theory right!" he grins manically, sounding excited but agitated. "Look, its the formula for-"

I cut him off, but without words. Maybe it was my expression showing the way I felt. I don't want to hear the formula, I just want my father. He looks at me with his faded grey eyes and sighs a raspy sigh.

"Alright." He agrees with me, but reluctantly. Either way, I was satisfied that he's finally agreed to spend some time with his daughter. "Lets go for a walk."

My heart speeds up. He's actually going to leave his tiny library for once! I was so happy, though, I didn't show it on my face. He didn't need to know how desperate I was.

I help him out of his chair, his old bones creaking beneath his sun-spotted skin. My father was aging, and soon, he'd be so old that there would be nothing left of him but dust underground. It was hard to acknowledge, but as soon as I did, it became easier to accept.

As soon as he was out, he smiled at me, his face wrinkled in expression. I smile back, a rare smile that I hardly ever show. Only my father has really seen that side. You know, before he shut himself out from the world.

I walk him to the front door, then we open it. The sun hit us with a gentle force, it's waves reaching our Amestrian skin. My father sighs again, probably reluctant to be away from his precious alchemy books. Oh well.

I needed to fulfill my needs sometimes, too.

We begin to walk to town, to the town hall. I think that being a part of the real world for once will be beneficial to him. Lately, all he's ever had time for was alchemy. Alchemy this, alchemy that. Riza, will you bring me my dinner, I'm too busy doing this new alchemy. It was quite frustrating to me.

"Hello Riza!" a woman calls out. I wave in response, then her eyes widen. "Mister Hawkeye!" She walks up to us, still apparently shocked. "I haven't seen you in years!" She seems astonished at my father's presence.

"Hello, um..." My father looks as if he is thinking hard. I bet he's forgotten her. Our neighbor, who we used to talk to so often. "Sorry, but I seem to have forgotten your name."