DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself

A/N: Until I figure out my schedule, the chapters may be a little helter-skelter, but I whipped this up for you guys because I love you that much :)

Chapter Ten: Thou Shalt Not Kill

Intricately painted glass cascaded down from the sky, crashing into thousands of pieces as the shards shattered upon the tile floor. The splintering sound of glass was accompanied by the heavy thud of feet making contact with the ground as rebel Ishbalans forced their way into the temple through their crude entrance. An attack was something that had been expected; an organized ambush was a different story. The fact that the Ishbalans put so much thought into the attack meant that they were serious about taking back their city, as though it was the last chance they would have.

Charlie fired the first shot, taking down an Ishbalan within a relatively short distance. The man standing beside his fallen comrade lifted his voice in indignation, roaring "You dare kill a man in his own sanctuary?!" Before he was able to aim his rifle, Charlie fired a second bullet, stopping the threat with a cold look in his eyes. This was what had to be done, and he was a loyal soldier. Roy had made it clear that they were to shoot to kill - clearly orders passed down from the higher-ups - but he would follow them all the same.

At that moment, chaos began to envelop the temple. With two comrades dead, the Ishbalan soldiers began fighting with a vengeance. Orders weren't necessary for the Amestrian soldiers to spring into action. Riza dove for cover behind one of the wooden pews, firing bullet after bullet at the insurgents. A splintering crash sounded from behind her, but she didn't dare turn her head to look at the source. Doing so would have been suicide. As she kept her eyes on the rebels opening fire in front of her, she could hear more hurried footsteps behind her from near the source of the crash. As a sniper, she had learned to identify sounds, and the footsteps weren't those of feet encased in standard issue boots. By process of elimination, they were enemies.

Riza's heart skipped a beat as she heard a bullet stream past her head, barely missing. It had come from behind, and she threw herself to the ground to safely regain her senses. They were becoming surrounded, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to safely shoot at her targets. If this kept up, she would be forced to stand and simply hope she was lucky enough not to be fatally wounded.

Before Riza was able to lift herself off the ground, she felt a rush of hot air travel over her back. A split second later, there was a loud crack behind her accompanied by a piercing scream. Daring to look, she caught a glimpse of the charring remains of a man crumbling to the ground not three meters behind her. A look in front of her showed her Roy, standing with a harsh look in his eyes as he watched the man burn. Words weren't needed for Riza to ascertain that he had just saved her life. With a short nod, Riza rose to her feet, firing off another round of bullets before changing the magazine and withdrawing her second gun. They were outnumbered, but the Amestrian soldiers held the advantage in skill. Yet what the Ishbalans lacked in prowess they made up for in passion. These men were fighting for the last thing they had left, and it was clear they were willing to die for it.

Riza evaded the bullets being shot at her, but she found herself being backed into a corner by her assailants. She didn't want to leave her back open, but it was proving more and more difficult to stay covered. A quick glance around showed that her comrades were having a similar problem. Despite taking out a large part of the Ishbalan forces, they were still sorely outnumbered. She quickened her pace back as she fired relentlessly, hoping for a bit of cover.

A gasp escaped her lips as her back, instead of hitting cool stone, smacked against something that was warm and definitely made of flesh. With speed powered by adrenaline, she sprung back, pointing her guns at the strange figure. Relief flooded her eyes as she saw Roy standing before her, gloved hands raised and her expression mirrored upon his face. In a fraction of a second, they exchanged a look that set up a plan between them.

Immediately after, Riza whipped back around, pressing her back against Roy's as she opened fire once more on their attackers. Despite the fact that she could feel him moving behind her, dodging attacks from his end, they were able to keep their contact as they took on the Ishbalan forces as a whirlwind. It was clear that, together, they were nearly unstoppable. Roy's flame alchemy engulfed anyone in its path, and Riza cleanly knocked down enemy after enemy before swiftly changing the magazines of her guns.

One last bullet struck the final Ishbalan standing in the temple, and the Amestrian soldiers were now left standing in a room full of bodies. Riza and Roy separated, both breathing heavily. Roy did a brief headcount, relieved to see that he hadn't lost a single man in their standoff. Gunfire was still audible from outside, but even that died down after a few short minutes. The all-clear was sounded, and Roy visibly relaxed. They had stopped the riot, and he had managed to keep his promise to protect Riza no matter what.

Riza had to step over several fallen bodies to make her way to the front doors of the temple, and she helped her comrades move away the barricade they had erected. The sight that awaited them outside was no better than the one they created within the walls of the temple. Bodies lay upon the bloody sand, crippled and broken. And yet it was with a distant sense of indifference that Riza made her way onto the main road. She felt numb, just like she always did after such an event.

She fell into the group of soldiers making their way back to camp, not wanting to linger there any more than the others. What they had done that night was unforgivable, but they all would eventually find their own way to cope with the blood stains on their hands. At the moment, however, they had lapsed into silence. As the sun began to rise over the dunes on the outskirts of the Ishbalan capitol, Riza turned her eyes to glance over at Roy. She was unsurprised to find that he had looked over at her as well, and their mutual disbelief and horror at their actions remained unspoken. Tears would be shed at a later date, but, for now, the reality of their actions had yet to fully kick in. On the battlefield, there was no room for regrets.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated and adored.

Up Next:

Chapter Eleven: Scars