Oh, my gosh, guys, it has been so hectic…I just started high school in August, we've been moving, and everything has just been so confusing…I haven't had a single spare minute to write…so…I hope you enjoy this!

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 8

Ed sighed, nodding, then the door opened and two people walked in. Ed, Al and Shikou all looked up only to stop dead with what they were doing.

Ed and Al's eyes went wide, blinking. Shikou gulped, her eyes wide with deep fear and slight confusion.

Ed and Al were the first to speak. "Mom?"

Shikou finally found her voice a moment later. "Si…Sister…?"

"Yes, Sister?" The young girl asked.

"Yes, Edward, Alphonse, Dears." The older woman said softly, shutting the door, her finger slipping over the knob unnoticed.

"Yes, Shikou. It's been far too long, hasn't it?" The younger girl asked, her hands clasped behind her back as she walked closer to Shikou. "Why are you here in the hospital?" She asked, head tilted to the side.

"I was hurt in a battle...wait...don't you know we're in a war?"

The girl shook her head. "No."

"We're in the middle of a war here, Tiara! Don't tell me you didn't know that!" Shikou cried, throwing her arms up into the air as she moved to the edge of the bed.

"I didn't know that...who is it that we're fighting with?" She asked, head tilted to the side in question.

"The Ishballans! Who else would it-"

"Rebels against the military? A weird cult group? Homunculi?"

"Why would the Ishballans fight us, though?"

"I can give a few reasons why-"

"Tiara, I was being sarcastic! The Ishballans have no reason to fight us-d"

"Other than the fact that you haven't done anything to help them, Shikou! I was in love when I was killed, and can you guess who it was with? No, I bet my soul that you can't! You were too wrapped up in the dang military to even freaking notice!"

"Who was it that you fell in love with, then?" Shikou asked, now sounding dejected and hurt. It was true...what had she done to help the Ishballans? She didn't even know that her sister had been in love...

"It was with an Ishballan, Shikou! I loved him with all my heart! Nikhil wa-"

"WHAT!?" Shikou cried, jumping up from the side of the bed.

"See? This is why I didn't tell you!" Tiara said angrily.

"Tiara, I could see you falling in love with someone, but with an-"

"Ishballan? I didn't think so either, Shikou, but my heart said otherwise! It's not my fault you fell in love with the freaking Fuhrer, of all people!"

"You leave Roy out of this!" Shikou said angrily.

"See? Now you're the one getting defensive!"

"An Ishballan, Tiara!…What were you thinking?" Shikou muttered, then was suddenly thrown to the ground, her head spinning. She reached a hand up to her stinging cheek, then doubled over as she was kicked in the stomach, letting out a pained cry as she was kicked again, this time feeling a few ribs crack.

"I wasn't, Shikou! I wasn't thinking!" Tiara hissed, her voice like acid as she kicked her sister again. "But you never approved of anything I did anyways, so why should I have thought! Tell me that, Shikou! Oh, wait, ya CAN'T!"

Shikou found herself being lifted off her feet, then a side of her face throbbed as she felt Tiara punch her. A hand gripped her throat and she started to see black and stars as she started to run out of air.

"Tiara...I'm...sorry...so...sorry..." Shikou gasped, not even trying to get Tiara to release her.

"Sorry won't even begin to friggin' cut it!" Tiara hissed, throwing Shikou against the wall, watching as she slid down, not moving afterwards. She spat at Shikou, a snarl decorating her lips. "Good riddance."

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Ed looked over at the woman that had walked in, completely oblivious of what was happening to Shikou, Al in the same condition as his older brother.

"Edward, Dear, why are you in a hospital?" Trisha asked, looking worried.

"We're visiting a friend...why are you here? You're supposed to be dead, Mom!" Al said, sounding shocked.

"No, Dears, I'm not dead...where would you get such an idea?" Trisha asked, head tilted to the side.

"Dad left...then Al and I sat there while we watched you die after you collapsed one day..." Ed said quietly, looking over at her.

"Well, I'm here, so how could I be dead?" She asked as she took a few steps towards them.

"Stop! You're not our mother…" Ed said, grabbing Al and pulling him to stand as he himself did just that, pushing his younger brother behind him.

"Edward, I'm hurt…what're you talking about? I'm your mother." She insisted as she took a few steps closer.

"Stay back!" Ed warned.

"Mother…?" Al whispered as he stepped out from behind Ed.

"Yes, Dear, Mother's here." Trisha said gently, holding her arms out to him. Before Ed knew what was happening, Al had pushed him out of the way and onto the floor, and was hugging Trisha.

"Mother…" Al whispered.

"Alphonse! What're you-!" Ed growled, painfully pushing himself to his feet. He went suddenly stiff, unable to move.

"What…!" Ed muttered, looking down. Stiff, rubbery water was holding him in place, and he looked to see that it was starting to encircle Al as well. "Al, move!"

Al ignored him, feeling safe and content to stay where he was, suddenly finding himself cold, shivering. He looked down as he tried to pull away, finding that he couldn't.

"Mother, what're you doing!" Al cried.

"Shhh, Alphonse dear, it'll all be over soon." Trisha whispered to him.

"That's not our mother, Al!" Ed muttered, and a moment later, his head was reeling, finding himself sliding down the wall, landing in a slump, pain shooting up from his chest.

"L-let me go!" He heard Al say.

Ed looked beside him on the ground to see a broken, bloodied Shikou, unconscious.

"Sh-Shikou…" Ed muttered weakly, discovering that the wind had been knocked out of him, soon trying desperately to breathe. He watched as Al tried to struggle his way out of Trisha's grip, but was failing miserably.

"Let me go!" Al said more forcibly, but was silenced as the rubbery substance moved to cover Al's face, and a gagging sound came from him.

"Let him go, you imposter!" Ed snarled as he got to his feet, watching as his younger brother's struggles became weaker and weaker as he lost air.

Ed ran over and knocked her away, Al falling to the ground, not moving afterwards.

"Al!" Ed yelled, but he was thrown into the wall again, giving off a pained yelp as he hit.

He felt the rubbery substance cover his face a moment later and he attempted to get it off, though it didn't work.

"Sweet dreams forever, Edward dear."

That was the last thing he heard as the world around him went totally black.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"Wonderful job, you two." Kararu said as Sloth and Anger returned. "I'll take it from here, thank you two very much."

Sloth and Anger both bowed their head in acknowledgment of the praise.

"Thank you, my Lady." They said in unison.

"Wonderful, you've gotten rid of three of them. Now, it's time to check up on news from Lior, I should think."

"Yes, I think you're right." Kararu said with a nod, grinning evilly. "Let's check up on our rebellion, shall we?"

XxXxXxXxXxXx

As the phone call went on and on with more news, Maes could tell that Roy was growing more and more uneasy.

Just as they were wrapping up the information, Roy couldn't handle it any longer and stood.

"You finish up here, Deputy Fuhrer. I can't stay here." Roy told him.

Maes looked up, confused, but nodded. "I'm coming with you. If something's bothering you this much, I really should go with you…" He turned back to the phone. "Something just came up, we have to go." He said, then hung the phone on its cradle.

"Let's go." He said to Roy.

Roy didn't even wait for that, and was already halfway down the hall. Roy was nearly going at a dead run, panic filling him as he did so.

He stopped in front of Shikou's room, hesitant to open the door. He gulped, finally reaching forward to pull it open. A moment later, he wished he hadn't as he rushed in.

"Oh no…" He muttered, running to Shikou's bloodied form against the wall. "Shikou…Sweetheart, wake up…" He whispered frantically, real fear entering his figure for the first time in a long while, shaking her shoulder. He received a groan from her, but nothing more.

Maes ran in after him, looking at Al. He ran over, shaking Al's shoulders. "Alphonse, Alphonse!" He said, then looked down.

"Why're his clothes wet…" He muttered, then Al coughed, water splashing out. Maes' eyes widened and he started to press on Al's chest, Al gasping and coughing for air a moment later, water spewing up as it became unclogged from Al's chest.

When Maes was assured that he could breathe, he ran over to Ed, who was leaning against the wall, and noticed that his clothes were dripping wet as well.

He pulled Ed away from the wall so he was laying on his back, repeated the same process he'd done with Al. "Come on, Edward…come on…"

Ed coughed up water a moment later, sputtering and gasping for air, coughing a moment later, taking deep breaths in. His eyes fluttered for a moment before they closed again as he coughed.

"Edward, what happened? Edward!" Maes said, shaking Ed's shoulder.

Ed coughed again, his gasps harsh and ragged, sounding as though he'd been half drowned.

"…I…I think…Homunculi…" Ed managed out before coughing again.

Maes looked over at Roy, who was looking between the brothers, not knowing what to do.

"She…she won't wake up, Maes…" Roy whispered.

"Go find a doctor, Roy…it'll give you something to do." Maes said.

Roy nodded, looking numb as he stood, quickly walking out of the room.

Maes sighed, reaching to the side table to grab an untouched cup of water and put it to Ed's lips, tilting it. "Drink this, it'll help your throat."

Ed obliged, still coughing, even after he finished most of the water.

"What happened?" Maes asked him.

"I…after you left…" Ed said, his voice harsh and scratchy. "Two people…came in…" He coughed, his midsection burning with pain as though it were on fire.

"Who?" Maes pressed.

"I…I think…Shikou's sister…and our mother…but that's not possible…our mother…is dead…" Ed muttered, coughing, and let out a pained cry. "My…my stomach…"

Maes looked, though he couldn't see any bleeding. "Where does it hurt?" He asked, watching as Ed lifted a hand to his midsection.

"You might have a few broken ribs…" Maes said with a sigh, turning to the door as it opened again.

"What happened?" The doctor asked as he ran in, going to Shikou first, who looked to be the worst of the three.

"I-" Ed started, but Maes put up a hand and silenced him.

"Don't talk, Edward, you'll just hurt yourself more…" He whispered, then turned to the doctor.

"We're still not sure on that ourselves, doc…" Maes said with a sigh. "Someone beat 'em up, that much is certain…and these two look like they've been half drowned…"

"But there's no water around…" Roy countered as he went over to stand by Shikou while the doctor looked her over.

"That's my point exactly…none of it makes sense!" Maes sighed.

The doctor called for a stretcher, and they brought Shikou out of the room, the wall and floor that had been touching her stained a sickly crimson.

"Just great…" Maes sighed.

"Is Shikou…" Ed started to ask, but he trailed off.

"We don't know about her, Edward…we just don't know…" Maes sighed, sitting back as the doctor came over to Ed.

"We'll have to get a few x-rays, but I don't think they're broken…just cracked." The doctor explained, then called in for another stretcher, them taking a bit longer to get him onto it, as they had to move him very carefully, Ed wincing or crying out if they moved him wrong.

"This is just perfect…" Roy said with a sigh. "This is not what I needed at all…"

Maes nodded. "I know what you mean, Roy…" He said, watching as the doctor moved to check Al over.

"He looks like he should be fine." The doctor announced, but called for a stretcher anyway. "And you two were gone for…"

"Ten minutes, tops." Maes said with a sigh.

"Incredible…to learn that that much damage can be done in such short a time…" The doctor said as he walked out.

Roy looked as though he were about to start crying, and Maes placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find out who did it, Roy…we will. You don't have to worry…come on, let's go wait on news for Shikou and the others, huh?" Maes asked, giving Roy a small smile.

Roy nodded numbly, though he didn't move at all.

Maes finally had to resort to pushing the Fuhrer out of the room, sighing.

"This…is going to be sad news, I can tell you already…"

XxXxXxXxXxXx

xxA Few Hours Laterxx

Roy looked up as the doors opened, standing as he saw Shikou's doctor coming towards them.

"Well?" Roy asked.

"She's in pretty bad shape. She has a major concussion on the back of her skull, three cracked ribs, five broken ribs, a broken left wrist, major bruises on her right side, right cheek and throat, as well as on her stomach. And that's not the worst of it."

Roy had already started to go pale, but at that last sentence he had gone white as pure flour.

"What?" He breathed.

The doctor sighed.

"She's in a coma."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

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Well, that's it for now…I know I promised a longer chapter before, but you all have no idea how much work it took to get back on my feet on this story…I'm so sorry… (-cries-) Please forgive me!

OOOOOOOOO, and I just now started writing on fanfic again and I ALREADY have a cliffhanger going! I'm on a roll! (-grins-)

Please DON'T forget to review!

Thank you for reading!