I do have this entire story finished so updates will be more frequent. Verses will be out of order in regards to the song. Sorry if that would annoy anyone.

Next chapter of The Prince is finished, I just need to edit and revise. Next chapter of Direct is almost done (I think).

There is a little bit of gore in this chapter. Warning for those who do not wish to read. It's a little shorter too. I cut if off where I did because it fit best.

Still don't own FMA:B or the song.

Can you hear the voice of the children
softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,
blood of the innocent on their hands.

Shattered

The small band of five left the Rockbell house just after sun-up. Spirits were high when they set out. All were sad to leave their homes, but they had no other choice. The war was getting closer and if they didn't leave now, they would most likely end up in a mass grave. They had only made it about two miles before they heard gunfire.

"I thought you said this route was safe!" Winry cried.

"As did I," Trisha concurred, "Come on kids, we gotta run!"

So we ran. We ran as fast as our little legs could take us. It didn't take long for Granny to fall behind.

"Pinako!" Trisha shouted.

Ed, Al, and Winry stopped and turned. Pinako was doubled over and breathing heavily. Tisha went back to help her.

"No," Pinako protested, "Go ahead of me. I'll catch up."

"We can't leave you behind," Trisha refused.

"Go. I'll only slow you down."

Gunfire burst through the trees before Trisha could say another word. It splintered trees and sent bark flying. The kids dove for cover. They didn't move for about a minute before Ed looked over to where Trisha and Pinako were standing.

"Mom! Granny!" The seven-year-old cried as he ran to his mother and friend. Al and Winry looked up at his shout. What they saw would scar them for the rest of their lives.

Trisha and Pinako were lying on the ground, covered in blood. The three children ran over to their family and friend. Ed stopped just short of the two women, horrified by what he saw upon closer inspection. Trisha and Pinako were riddled with bullet holes. Blood poured out of them all. But that is not what stopped Ed. What stopped him was the mess of brains that had spilled out of his mother's head and a large hole in Pinako's chest. Ed dropped to his knees, unable to comprehend what he was looking at.

Al and Winry ran past him, closing the distance between them and the two dead adults. The two children screamed at the women. They begged and begged for Trisha and Pinako to wake. Ed watched them silently, until an explosion in the distance broke him of his trance.

"We have to go," Ed told the two others as he stood up.

Al and Winry looked up at him in shock. They stared at him for a moment before protests started forcing their way out of the two children's lips.

"We can't leave them!"

"What about our food?"

"Shut up!" Ed silenced them, "We have to leave them. They're dead and we can't carry them. I know you two don't want to leave them but we have to. It's the only way we'll survive. We can split the food among our bags, we don't need as much now anyway.

"Mom and Granny would want us to go. They gave their lives so that we would live. And if we are going to live, we have to leave now."

Al and Winry looked at each other for a moment before standing up. The three then grabbed the bags of food and split it among their bags. The rest of the day was spent walking in silence.