All right, I can't stop writing on this story…I can't help it…
Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I do own Kararu Rinamino, and Silvermoon15 owns Shikou Stone, I'm just borrowing.
All's Fair in Love and War
Chapter 4
"Where's Kararu?" Ed repeated, his voice full of worry and concern, his expression showing as much, if not more.
"Well…you see, Edward…" Hughes started.
"She's dead…isn't she?" Ed asked.
"Well, we don't know that yet." Hughes said.
"How can you not know if a person's dead or not?" Ed asked. He wanted answers right then, and didn't want to stand for a guess.
"Ed, to start off with, you've been missing for two weeks." Winry cut in.
"Say what? What about Kararu?" Ed asked worriedly.
"I'm getting to that. I'm going to go over everything that's happened." Winry said. "Mr. Hughes will take over for the parts that I don't know or miss."
"Two weeks ago, you all went into a battle a few miles away from here. While there, you and Kararu were caught in an explosion, and you were shot. After that, we have no details for you. We found Kararu trapped under a large boulder, and she was of course unconscious. It turned out that she had been shot with a paralyzing dart.
"A week after the battle she woke up, wanting to know where you were. We had thought you were dead, seeing as we found a piece of your jacket and-" Winry said, but was interrupted by Ed.
"My necklace!" He cried, putting his hand to his neck to find it was gone.
"Yes, we found it. We had presumed you dead, so…we had a funeral two days before she woke up. Kararu flipped out, suddenly taken over by grief. Slowly, over the past week, she's lost most of her sanity, almost to insane to tell the difference between right and wrong. Now, this is the part that I don't know the details to." Winry said.
Hughes nodded, then sighed. "Yesterday evening, Mustang went in to tell her it was time for dinner when she suddenly started yelling. She tore out of the house, Mustang, Shikou and I running after her.
"Mustang found her at your old estate, drawing over the old human transmutation circle that was still slightly visible on the ground. He managed to convince her not to do it, but when he said that they were going home, she refused, saying that she couldn't live without you, and everything there reminded her of you. So, the four of us went to stay at the inn, where all hell started to break loose as a bomb raid started.
"Mustang ran into Kararu's room to find her missing, and he was hell bent on finding her. That's…when she disappeared. He saw her at the top of a hill one moment, then a bomb exploded and when the dust disappeared…she was gone. He still searched, and it got to the point where I had to knock him out to bring him back with us so he wouldn't get killed.
"We went out this morning after the raid was over, and we were searching for Kararu…but we found you instead, with no visible whereabouts of Kararu anywhere." Hughes finished.
Ed had stayed silent through the explanation, staring down at his hands. Suddenly, the door burst open and Havoc ran in.
"Hughes, I found these outside!" He said, holding out two objects.
"Oh no…no…" Hughes muttered as he took them. It was two silver chains with the pendants that Kararu had been wearing.
"Where did you find this?" Hughes asked.
"Right under where Edward was found, sir." Havoc answered.
"This can't be a coincidence…could it?" Hughes asked.
"It's possible it's not…but then again, when do you find a person's necklaces at the same place where someone different was found?" Havoc asked.
"I don't know…I seriously don't know…" Hughes whispered, handing the necklaces to Ed.
Ed stared down at them, his eyes welling up with tears as did so. "She…she's gone…" Ed whispered, his voice cracking.
"No…no, Edward. We'll find her!" Hughes said.
"Yeah, we will!" Winry said.
"Don't worry kid…we'll find Kararu." Havoc reassured him.
"I don't think so." Ed said as she shook his head. "I wasn't able to save her…"
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Kararu stared at the door, wondering who was going to come in and tell her their true feelings next. It opened, and in walked one of the two people Kararu didn't want to see. It was Shikou.
"Shikou…please say that you're not going to tell me what I think you are…" Kararu said. Her best friend since they were little, her family, her sister in all but blood…she didn't think she'd be able to bear it if her only family hated her.
"What? Afraid to know what I think?" Shikou asked softly.
Kararu looked up, shaking her head frantically, not wanting Shikou to think her weak in any way, even though they both knew the others secrets, weaknesses and strengths.
"Oh, it's okay, 'Raru." Shikou said, then sneered. "I'm not going to sugarcoat anything for you. Everything I say is going to be the straight and simple truth. You are worthless. Ever since I met you, I knew that. The only reasons I became your friend was because you didn't have any and that you were weak and almost too pathetic to even look at. You were never meant to be any kind of use to this world, so why don't you just die?" Shikou asked angrily.
"I…I want to…" Kararu whispered, looking at the floor in shame. "Why do you do this Shikou?"
Shikou laughed. "You want to know why?" She asked, walking over. She grabbed Kararu's chin and got right in her face, saying, "Because all's fair in love and war, doll. Hates a type of love, I'll have you know." Shikou said, throwing Kararu's chin away, knocking her head to the side before she stepped back.
"Tell her what you really think. Channel your depression into rage." A voice said in Kararu's mind.
"You know what Shikou? I'm getting so sick and tired of everyone coming in to tell me what a waste of the world I am!" Kararu yelled.
"Oh, just shut up, you're wasting your breath."
"Why don't YOU shut up? I hate you! And everyone else! It seems that no matter what I do, I can't seem to please anyone! Well you know what? I'm just going to hate everyone!…except for Ed…" Kararu yelled angrily, whispering the last part. Shikou sneered again, then turned and walked out of the room without another word.
"That was wonderful!" The voice in her head said.
Kararu sat back in her chair, her eyes betraying her utter horror and shock. "Where…where is all this rage coming from?" She whispered.
"It's just what you've held inside for all these years." The voice answered.
"But…I've never felt this much rage at one time before…" Kararu whispered.
"That's because it's been building up in your heart. It's quite easy to do."
"Who are you?"
"The little voice in your head. You never really needed me until now."
If Kararu had been truly sane, she would realize that the voice she was hearing wasn't her own, but Dante's.
Dante knew that Kararu's sanity was leaving her, so she quickly had to find a way to make her rage, her strongest emotion, come out into the open. The only way Dante knew it was possible was to use the illusion of her loved ones…in a whole different sense.
"There's just one more person here to see you." The voice said.
"And soon…you will be the ultimate weapon as you loose all control to your rage…and all you can do is watch helplessly while you do what I say!" Dante thought with glee.
The door opened and Kararu's heart dropped into her stomach.
"Ed…please, don't…" Kararu whispered at seeing him walk in to stop before her chair.
"Kararu, it's okay. Really." Ed said, walking over to her chair. He leaned down and she closed her eyes, thinking he was about to kiss her.
A moment later her head shot to the side, her arms jolting against the shackles and chains. She looked up at Ed, her cheek throbbing.
"What was THAT FOR?" Kararu screamed, knowing he had just slapped her.
"For being an idiot." Ed said.
"Ed…you wouldn't really-"
"You are so stupid, Kararu. To think, I almost asked you to marry me. I'm just too good for you. You are an idiot; you're worthless! I knew that you were just a piece of scum the moment I met you!"
"ED! THAT DOES IT!" Kararu screamed, finally snapping.
Dante grinned with glee as she saw Kararu's eyes loose their soulfire, yet Kararu was still conscious and very much alive…but it wasn't the Kararu everyone knew…and they probably wouldn't ever see the old one again.
"YOU are the idiot! I've had it with everyone just telling me what a waste of space I am! I swear, everyone I thought I knew and loved has turned against me! I will never love again, or try to trust anyone! NEVER!" Kararu yelled.
Ed just sneered and walked out of the door.
"Just calm down." The voice in Kararu's head told her. Immediately she listened to the voice, taking deep breaths to calm herself.
"Now…someone will release you. When they do, you will not attack them, will you?" The voice asked her.
"No, I won't." Kararu said, her voice like a monotone.
"When you're free, test your skills of alchemy. Go find a piece of chalk and have fun."
"I don't need chalk. Not anymore."
"Oh, well good. Just go have fun then."
"All right."
Dante walked over and unchained and unshackled Kararu's wrists and feet, grinning when Kararu didn't do anything to her.
"Show me what you can do." The voice said. "Actually, go outside."
Kararu nodded, then she headed for the door. Dante followed her up the stairs and outside, then Kararu stood there like waiting for something.
"I want you to test your skills…make an army fit for a queen." Dante told her, Kararu still confusing that for the little voice in her head.
Kararu nodded, clapping her hands together. She knelt and put them on the ground.
A moment later, the ground shook beneath her and Dante, then the ground a few feet away from them started to disappear as it started to reshape itself above the ground.
Dante's eyes widened in shock as she watched the scene unfold before her. A minute later, her jaw started to slacken and drop as she watched. A moment later, Kararu stopped and stood.
"Is that good?"
"It's wonderful." Dante answered, looking at the army of moving armor that Kararu had created from the ground beneath them. "We will strike back…won't we now…our new Goddess?"
"I'm a Goddess?" Kararu asked.
"Yes. Don't you understand that? Everyone and everything is at your mercy." Dante told her. "Turn around and look at your followers." Dante said, and with a wave of her hand, all the Homunculi, along with her newest additions to the crew, appeared behind her.
Dante stopped the connection to Kararu as her 'little voice' for now, but would become that voice a bit later on.
"We pledge our allegiance to you, our leader and Goddess." They all said as one, kneeling on the ground to bow to her.
Kararu grinned evilly in her current state.
"Well…let's have some fun getting revenge, why don't we?"
XxXxXxXxXxXx
As Ed sat there, talking to Winry, he suddenly felt something run down his face.
Winry stopped talking and looked, watching something fall.
He reached up a hand and felt something wet on his cheek. He pulled it away, seeing only clear liquid.
"I'm…crying?" Ed whispered. "Why am I crying?"
"Maybe…maybe…no, that's not possible…Mustang whispered, who had woken up an hour before.
"What?" Ed asked, looking over as more tears slipped down his cheeks.
"Maybe…you just felt the life of your love slowly dying…" Mustang whispered. "Or, maybe her sane part is finally dead…" He whispered.
"NO! I'm not going to believe that Kararu is dead!" Ed yelled angrily, then reached a hand up to his head.
"Ed? What's wrong?" Winry asked, seeing him wince and hold his head.
"My…head is…pounding…" Ed muttered, then he fell back on the pillows.
"Ed? ED!" Winry yelled, shaking his shoulders. "Ed, wake up!"
Mustang quickly came over, looking at Ed. "He's unconscious." He said. "Come on, Winry, let's go tell the others."
Winry nodded, tears in her eyes. "What's wrong with him, though?" She asked, following him out of the room.
"I'm not sure…" Mustang said. He then proceeded to go around, gathering everyone into the living room.
"All right…Edward's unconscious again…he knows nothing of the two weeks he was missing for. Kararu is missing. We need to decide what to do…and I think our best course of action would be to look for Kararu."
"Mustang, do you realize that we're probably looking for something that's been blown into bi-" Havoc started, but Mustang interrupted him.
"Yes, Havoc, I realize that, but I'm not believing it." He said stubbornly. "Now, who's with me?"
"You know I'm with you all the way, Mustang. You know I can't just let you go alone in case you die out there now, can I? I'm going." Shikou said as she stood, saluting Mustang.
"I'm not against it either." Al said. "Anything to help Brother get better." He stood as well.
"Well, Roy…what have you gotten us into this time…" Hughes whispered, standing after Al.
"I'll go with you as well, sir." Havoc said, standing.
"I can't just let you go out there without some gun protection now, can I?" Hawkeye asked, standing, cocking her previously loaded gun.
Mustang nodded. "All right, we've got a full team. I suggest we go out into the battlefield and…look…" Mustang said, turning to the window. His eyes widened, his mouth becoming useless in his shock.
"Roy? What's wrong?" Hughes asked, then looked out the window, his eyes widening as well. "Oh please no…"
"This has got to be fake…" Shikou whispered, running over to see.
"It's not…"
They all turned to see Ed leaning heavily against the doorframe. "If you're going, I'm going to." He said.
"But Brother…you're hurt, and-"
"I can still fight. I'm not going to let Kararu get killed because of some measly gunshot." He said stubbornly.
Mustang sighed. "All right…but take a look at this." Mustang said sadly, pointing outside.
Ed used the wall for support to walk over since his legs hadn't gotten used to the weight yet, looking out the window. His eyes widened. "Wha…? How could this happen?" He whispered. "When did the rebels get an alchemist?" Ed asked, shocked.
"I don't know…but there's no one in the armor…" Mustang said, having taken out a pair of binoculars. "Here, see for yourself." He handed them to Ed.
Ed put them to his eyes and scanned the armor. "You're right…they're moving on their own…" He said, then he and Mustang turned, walking towards the door.
"Well…good luck." Winry called after them worriedly.
"You kids better not get yourselves killed all right?" Pinako asked.
"We won't Granny!" Al said.
"Don't worry…you still gotta deal with me more before my time comes…trust me!" Ed said with that trademark toothy grin of his as they walked out the door, Ed being able to walk now without something to use as a crutch.
They stood, watching the armored figures walk towards them.
Ed grabbed the binoculars and looked over the army. "When did they get an alchemist on their side?" He wondered aloud again, then he caught something familiar out of the corner of his sight in the binoculars.
Mustang watched as Ed moved them over slightly, his eyes widening. He watched as Ed dropped the binoculars.
"Edward, what's wrong?" Mustang asked.
"T-take a look yourself…" Ed whispered. Mustang looked at him strange, then picked the binoculars off the ground.
"Where?" Mustang asked.
"At the top of the hill…" Ed whispered, pointing.
Mustang nodded, turning the lenses in the direction of the top of the hill, almost dropping them himself.
"No…it's can't be…" Mustang whispered.
There, standing at the top of the hill overlooking everything…was Kararu.
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I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm spewing these chapters out as fast as I can! I love this story, for some weird reason, and I can't stop! I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!
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