HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY EVERYONE! If you don't know what that is, it's basically Independence Day but with more Australia and less Independence. It's usually the same colour, though. We celebrate Australia (you don't say?) and have lots of barbeques.

The person who got the last reference (Skulduggery Pleasant - go read that! It's good!) was Doppler Effect! Great work!

I'm running out of things to reference now… Hmmm…

Well, I tried to think of something Australian, and this was the best I could come up with. I didn't know any good quotes from it, so here's the synopsis:

It is based on the true story of a dog who travelled all around Australia and even across the ocean to Japan for a short time in search of his owner who was killed in a motorbike accident. It is mainly set in the outback town of Dampier. Hint: the dog is russet-coloured…

ON TO THE STORY!

Of Battles and Brutality

Smack! Smack! Thud! Thump!

Roy's and Edward's strikes countered each other in painful synchronisation, elbows hitting elbows and shins hitting shins.

The two sparred intensely, watched by a group of onlookers consisting of each ambassador, their escort, and a group of armed bodyguards. The Emperor's eldest son Kenji had joined them as well, taking the trip by horse to a near-empty field outside Ranri at his father's flank. Roy and Edward had yet to catch a glimpse of the prince's two younger brothers.

The battlefield the two Amestrians were using was a large circle of dirt amidst the grass which was surrounded by a simple wooden fence. The spectators gathered around said fence, observing and cheering.

Roy reflected on the moves being made in the match, how their close-combat fighting styles seemed to somehow complement each other surprisingly well. They'd both been taught completely different ways of fighting from completely different people, and this seemed to add to the aesthetics of their fight in some way.

Roy had learnt his hand-to-hand the normal way for an Amestrian recruit; he'd been taught and trained at the academy by other soldiers, picked up on their styles and sometimes improved them. He and Hughes had worked on their moves together and had many tag team formations, as did he and Hawkeye.

His way of fighting was short, sharp and straight to the point, no fancy tricks involved. In Roy's opinion, speed was one of a person's greatest assets, and he exploited this belief to it's full extent. His punches were quick and brutal, his kicks were low, blunt and devastating. His way was similar to boxing; quick and simple.

On the other hand, there was Edward. From what Roy knew, the boy had learnt to fight from a travelling alchemist who had been a strict but helpful teacher to not only him but his brother Alphonse as well. Where Roy had tag teams with Hughes and Hawkeye, Edward had the young armour-bound alchemist. The Colonel noted that Alphonse's fighting style was actually quite similar to Edward's, despite their size difference.

The main deviation between them was that the Fullmetal Alchemist's blows were adapted to take advantage of the fact that he had two metal limbs to work with, but also to make the most his small build and high flexibility. Alphonse seemed to draw on the fact that he didn't tire and didn't feel pain, and that his blows would hit a lot harder due to his fully metal frame.

Edward used every one of his unique traits as a plus, his strikes being devious, extravagant and acrobatic. He attacked from any available angle - even springing up and coming down from above - and his punches ranged from wide and powerful to fast and sharp. His kicks were aimed high and he moved with such quick mobility that Roy almost had trouble keeping up with him.

But the reason that their vastly different techniques complemented each other so well was all in the two main categories; attack and defense.

When Edward attacked, he would come in at high speed and sweep around Roy like a vicious wind, swiping and striking and retreating and flipping and coming back in again. His style was erratic and showy, striking hard and jumping back, moving around and flying back in.

Roy's defense was tough to crack; he moved swiftly but deliberately. If Edward got close enough, Roy would pull a move from no-where and counter with his own attack. He was as solid as rock, withstanding Edward's wild, devastating blows until it was his turn to pay the boy back.

And when he did, Edward sure didn't get to take it easy. Roy's offenses came in hard and relentless, like a wall closing in. He fired blow after blow after blow and Edward countered them all in his own style, jumping this way and that to dodge them and putting his own strikes in from different sides.

The contrasting styles worked wonders for the overall look of the fight; Edward's speedy acrobatic attacks made Roy's already brilliant defense look as impenetrable as steel, and Roy's ever-pressing offense let Edward's quick wit and perseverance shine through.

The crowd seemed to be lapping it up, cheering and calling out encouragement. Roy didn't really notice, too busy dealing with his skilled subordinate. This might have just been a sparring match, but the boy didn't let up.

Pretty soon, the both of them were panting and coated with sweat and dust. Edward stood on the balls of his feet a couple of metres away, analysing Roy with intelligent golden-amber eyes.

Barefoot, the two examined each other closely.

One hand still held in a defensive position, Edward reached around behind his back and quickly whipped his black singlet off and tossed it aside to relieve himself of the clingy, sweaty fabric. This revealed his scarred torso, showing the marks that tore across his chest from his auto-mail and more.

Roy smirked a little from behind his raised fists, knowing his own grey singlet was drenched by this stage. But removing it was a risk; Edward might be honourable, but he had been taught how to fight dirty. Roy didn't think for a second that the boy wouldn't attack him and take him down instantaneously if he dropped his guard.

The two circled, eyeing each other carefully. Eventually, Roy made a move. He feinted to the left and then lunged forward on the right, sending out a hook punch at Edward's nose. The boy slipped backwards quickly, swinging up his right leg in a crescent and knocking Roy's fist to the side. He slipped to the man's right side and swung his auto-mail fist at Roy's exposed ribs, landing a punch.

Roy grunted in pain and bent over a little, bracing himself against a follow up punch from his opponent. After he felt the painful thump a second time, he immediately began to work out a counter for Edward's next attack.

As the the boy swung his auto-mail elbow up towards the Colonel's slightly lowered head, he ducked quickly and thrust forward, grabbing Edward's metal arm. He pulled down, flipping Edward over his shoulder and thumping him to the ground.

Edward grunted, but endured the fall quite well. He rolled to the side right when Roy's foot stamped the ground where his head had just been.

He swept to his feet and charged the man, springing into the air and coming at Roy with a straight flying kick aimed for his head. He let out a sharp cry, eyes narrowed.

The Colonel, not having expected this, went for a last ditch approach and threw himself forward, skidding underneath Edward's airborne body.

It took a few seconds for him to get back to his feet, but it took Edward the same amount of time to get his balance back. Unfortunately for him, he also had his back turned to his opponent.

Roy dashed forward and smacked his palm into the back of Edward's head. He followed it with an elbow to the ear, but his target was too fast.

Roy felt his foot slip as Edward ducked turned in one smooth motion, striking out with one leg and sweeping his opponent's stance from under him.

Roy slipped backwards and landed on his rump, hands still raised. He caught Edward's foot as the boy aimed a kick at his head and pushed forward, knocking him back down to the floor with him.

They both rose to their feet, slightly crouched. Before Edward could react, Roy tackled him and the two became locked in a battle of raw power.

Eye to eye, they shared a strained grin and pushed against each other with all their might, each aiming to haul the other to the ground. For someone so small and light, Edward was actually a worthy opponent for Roy strength-wise. The Colonel was quite surprised at the sheer brute force the boy contained, although he knew he really shouldn't be. He also reminded himself that he wasn't exactly in top form, and that he would stand a better chance of overpowering Edward on a day where he was at full health.

Speaking of which, he could feel his strength fading fast and from the gleam in his eye, Roy could tell Edward knew it as well. Best end this fast, he thought to himself. Time for that one trick…an oldie but a goodie.

He suddenly averted his gaze, putting on a look of shock as he spotted something over Edward's shoulder. His expression changed to worry.

Edward's strength faltered and his head turned the slightest fraction.

Roy took pride in his own skill and shoved Edward to the ground, placing one hand on his hip. He flashed a grin. "I win."

"Nah-uh, you cheater." Edward grinned up at the man. "Look again."

Roy glanced down at his feet. Edward's arm lay right beside him, and a second later, he felt himself being swept to the ground once again. He was secretly impressed by Edward's arm strength.

The two pushed themselves up on their elbows, sharing a look of weary satisfaction.

"I guess it's a tie then," Roy decided.

Edward nodded. "We fought so long that in the end, we both made dumb mistakes. Me falling for that lame distraction trick and you forgetting about where my arm was."

They rose to their feet, brushing dust from their clothes and smudging dirt into their skin accidentally. Roy took the opportunity to ease a little of the discomfort of the sweat-soaked rag he currently called a singlet, pulling at the low collar to try and cool off a little.

It took him a couple of seconds to register the fact that the spectators were all applauding them. Well, all except Claudio - although Tyrell gave a few timid claps, watching the prince.

Edward's grin stretched to idiotic proportions and he gave a quick thumbs up. He went to pick up his discarded singlet then headed for the gate out of the ring.

Roy nodded his head in acknowledgement, smiling and walking toward the gate as well.

Upon exiting the dirt circle, Inuya handed them metal canisters filled with water which they gulped down thankfully.

"How do you think we did?" asked Edward, looking at Roy and wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his wrist.

"I think you did brilliant!" exclaimed Inuya, grinning as he slapped Roy on the back. "Sure hope I don't ever end up against you two in a fight! I haven't seen a display that good in years!"

Roy grinned right back, replying with, "I'm glad you thought so."

He and Edward shared a glance, and then both looked to Claudio on the other side of the ring. He was looking at the scuff marks in the dirt with narrowed eyes, touching a hand to his chin.

Roy nodded at Edward. "Looks like we got him worried," he whispered.

The boy nodded in return. "A little, at least."

The two then thanked the other representatives for their praise, most of whom had approached them to complement their sparring. Tyrell appeared briefly to check Roy over and give his own praise.

"Nice work, guys," he said as he sat them down on a pair of wooden stools and took Roy's pulse from his wrist. "Really cool fight. Just remember, Roy, don't push yourself. Drink plenty of water."

With that, he moved off and left the two by themselves. Inuya had bounded up to the edge of the fence to watch the next match, a round between two of the younger representatives.

"So, are those the scars you were talking about? When you said they tingled when it was going to rain?" Edward asked nonchalantly, pointing vaguely in Roy's direction. Satisfied that his black singlet was dry enough, he slipped it back on.

"Somewhere around, yeah," Roy answered just as vaguely, placing his foot on his knee to brush the dust off it. As he did so, he looked closely at the patches of skin where the tone varied ever-so-slightly. "Yeah…"

"What's that one from?" Edward ventured, pointing at Roy's shoulder. A noticeable scar, small but obvious, was printed onto the top of his shoulder. It was oval-shaped and rough around the edges.

"Bullet graze," Roy responded. "Don't remember where from. I think it was Ishbal, but I can't say for sure."

"Oh. Okay." Edward took another swig of water. "What about that one?"

Roy looked where he was pointing. On his upper arm, about halfway down, there was a burn wound that was easily definable as such. It wasn't big, but it was red and had obviously been a bad one.

"That," Roy said, chuckling slightly. "Is actually for a really stupid reason. You see, me and Hughes were trying to prank some of the new recruits in the academy - this was right after we'd both got our full ranks now, and I was just getting the hang of Flame Alchemy. Some of the other guys had heard I could play around with fire, so they dragged us two down and told us to scare the newbies with it. I mean, we sorta succeeded, but Hughes pulled a stupid face and I started laughing, lost control of the flames and got burnt."

"So you did do stupid stuff as a teenager," said Edward, snickering.

Roy frowned contemplatively at the sky. "The sad part is we were probably over twenty."

Edward grinned, baring his white teeth. "That really is stupid."

"Yeah."

"What about that? How'd that happen?" Edward asked, pointing to a spot just below Roy's ribcage. His skin was covered by his singlet, and Edward quickly explained, "I noticed it when you were getting dressed the other day. It looks like a stab wound?"

"Hm?" The man looked down at himself and pulled up the corner of his singlet. Sure enough, there was the scar; small, neat, but a very noticeable shade of pale. He ran a finger over it, eyes narrowing. "This one, on the other hand, this one's pretty serious."

Edward tilted his head, canister in one hand and chin in the other. His elbow was propped up on his knee.

"This one nearly cost me my life," explained Roy. "You're right about how I got it - stabbed right in the side when I dropped my guard for a second out in hostile land near Creta's border in the West. I spent quite a while in hospital for that… Hawkeye wasn't pleased."

"I can imagine," replied Edward with a nod. He took another sip of water.

Roy's mind went back a little, to Hawkeye chewing him out in the hospital as soon as he was conscious and able to understand human language.

"Didn't I specifically tell you not to let your guard down out here, ever? Wasn't that the one thing I told you, sir?"

"Unh… Yes, Lieutenant…"

"And yet you do it anyway. Sir, keep in mind that having me watch your back won't do you any good if you yourself can't even watch your front."

"…Right…"

"And please be more careful in the future. This can't happen again. Sir, if you had died today…"

"I know… I would have looked incredibly incompetent."

Roy smirked. "So anyway, do you want to see if we can persuade the Emperor to let us have a little…" He clicked his fingers. "…target practise?"

Edward's eyes lit up. "Oh, hell yes."

KA-BOOM!

Roy lowered his hands in apparent satisfaction at the sight of the monstrous smoking tree carcass which he had just blasted into oblivion.

Edward stared at him as the audience burst into astounded applause, just about all of them never having seen Flame Alchemy in the flesh before.

Forget Flame Alchemy, some hadn't even seen your average, run-of-the-mill alchemy.

Catching Edward's look of wide-eyed surprise/concern, Roy raised a curious eyebrow. "What?"

"That was…an incredibly powerful shot. Even for you," Edward said slowly. "That was way over the top."

"I find it's a good way to release your frustrations," Roy replied smoothly, taking a small bow in the audience's direction. "And that Prince Claudio has me very frustrated."

And Edward reviewed all the choices that he'd ever made in his life in regards to annoying the Colonel and realised that he was absurdly lucky to have not been at least slightly charred over the last three years.

Roy raised his hand again for the finishing blow, (of two) and snapped.

Edward watched as the air between them and the tree seemed to contract, tightening slightly before expanding and making way for the lightning-zap of red which shot straight down the middle.

In an instant, it exploded wildly into a massive column of flames that barrelled forward and engulfed the already charcoal forme of the gargantuan tree, scorching it to ashes and burnt hunks of black.

It crumbled away to nothing, and a few burning embers sparked and died out. What had once been a monster of a tree, four stories high at least, had been reduced to nothing in a couple of snaps.

"And I could have done it in one," said Roy, as if he had used his so-called 'magical Flame Alchemist sixth sense' to read Edward's mind. "I just didn't want it over too fast."

Despite himself, Edward couldn't help but feel a slight amount of admiration towards Roy's complete mastery of such an advanced form of alchemy, and even felt pretty pleased with himself for being able to take him on - and nearly beat him, too - in hand-to-hand combat.

The two exchanged a glance as the audience applauded again.

"It's your turn, Fullmetal," Roy pointed out quietly, the first time he'd used the boy's military code name in at least a week and a half. "Show them why you're Amestris' youngest State Alchemist."

"Yessir!" Edward said enthusiastically under his breath, sporting a grin of anticipation. "Get ready to be totally shown up!"

"Just try and follow that, Ed. Just try. Good luck."

"I don't need it. Here I go!" Edward clapped his hands and slapped the earth beneath his feet, channelling the ground into the form he saw in his mind's eye.

Dirt and grass rolled out in the field as Edward extended the reach of his alchemy to it's furthest extent, drawing up chunks of stone from deep beneath the surface and moulding them to his preferred shape. The air crackled and fizzed, contracting and expanding as alchemic reaction flashed from the area.

The ground bulged and out shot a mound of earth, huge and ridged with great shards of rock protruding in four places. It was soon followed by a nearly identical form, several metres away.

Next to rise from the depths of the ground was a great smooth boulder, riding on the end of a huge earthen snout.

Slowly, gradually, shoulders emerged and hauled the hindquarters of a hulking lion from the ground. It had claws and fangs of stone, eyes of glittering quartz and a mane of hundreds of long blades of grass, waving in unison as the breeze twisted about it.

It stood in a crater-sized ditch in the field which stretched the whole way from one side to the other, it's creator having drawn supplies from a wide surface area so that it didn't make such a hole that the lion would be obscured by the edges.

Edward grit his teeth against the strain of holding the great creature together, his alchemy being the only thing keeping the massive structure from crumbling. He'd managed to secure the thing by merging tonnes of rock under the surface to give the lion a spine that held it's head in place, and the soil the head was created from was a lot less dense than the rest to make it lighter and able to be supported.

A painful tug deep within his chest told Edward that he'd almost reached his limit now, so he laid the massive thing back down to rest and returned the land to exactly the same way it had been beforehand.

The watching group applauded wildly, cheering as Edward stood shakily and wiped his brow. That had been a stretch, even for him. But as the old saying went; 'Anything to show up Roy Mustang'.

Roy rolled his eyes as Edward sent him a smug look, muttering, "Show off," under his breath.

As the clapping eventually died away and the watchers turned to observe another sparring match, still-humming with excitement, the two Amestrians closed the few feet of space between themselves.

Roy slapped Edward in the shoulder good-naturedly, and the boy flinched. A slight crease formed on Roy's forehead. "Alright there, Mr Show-Off?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Edward assured him. "That just took a lot of energy."

"I imagine so," commented Roy, walking close to the boy. "To hold something like that together must have required a lot of force…and some form of internal support… It's astounding the structural integrity managed to hold out."

Edward nodded, glancing up at the sky in the distance after spotting a weird-looking bird flapping off into the blue expanse. "That's why it was hard."

A tap on the arm brought him back to attention.

"Looks like we've got an especially keen admirer," murmured Roy, his gaze flicking to the dark-haired prince who was still staring at them through the crowd.

The two of them glared straight back, not allowing for themselves to be intimidated by the man. He was no better than them, and they had just proven it.

Mess with us, their gazes said. And deal with the consequences.

Claudio's eyes narrowed. I fully intend to.

How did I end up in this mess?! Roy thought hurriedly as he dodged Claudio's fist. He pushed the punch to the side and swung out a kick, but the prince evaded it easily.

The plan had been for Edward and Roy to show off their skills individually or on each other, but the Colonel had somehow ended up sparring Claudio.

"Tch!" He bared his teeth as he narrowly avoided another quick, powerful punch. A brief flash of memory reached him.

"Colonel."

Roy glanced over his shoulder at the source of the call, not surprised to see Claudio standing there and smirking as if he were the superior in the situation.

"Yes?" he asked coldly.

"No need for that tone, Mustang," Claudio responded lightly. "I was only wondering if you'd like to go a round with me?"

Roy smiled as he spoke, but his eyes were hard and icy. "Ah, I think I'll get by with just one round. Maybe some other time."

"Are you sure?" Claudio pressed. "I'd really like to see who'd win out of the pair if us."

"As would I, but I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down." Roy turned his attention back to Edward. "As I was saying…"

"Why not, Mustang?" asked Claudio. "Are you afraid I'll show everyone how much of a wet match you really are?"

Roy stopped.

Edward cringed.

Claudio smiled.

"What was that?" asked Roy innocently. "Didn't quite catch the last bit."

"I said, you don't want me exposing how useless and weak you are in front of all these people, do you?"

The Colonel was facing away from the other man, in a position where the latter was unable to see his expression.

But Edward could see it and damn, Roy Mustang was furious.

"Useless, was that?" he repeated softly.

"Indeed," replied Claudio.

Roy rose to his feet, ignoring Edward's blatant expression of panicked denial, internal screaming and apparent telepathic messages of logic and begging.

"Alright then." The Flame Alchemist drew himself up to full height, the tip of his head just level Claudio's nose. But unlike Edward would, Roy completely ignored the fact that his adversary had won in regards to height.

For him, the man with the higher amount of sheer power and the intelligence and skill to utilise it to it's fullest extent was winner.

And he had every confidence that man was him.

"I'll fight you. Just be warned; I'm not as weak as you convince yourself into thinking I am."

"I'll keep that in mind." Claudio nodded. "And you remember that I'm not just another rookie who hasn't ever seen real combat."

Edward continued to send telepathic warning bells at Roy.

"I know. I train people like you to be even better fighters."

He shifted to warning shots.

"You think so?"

"I know so. I have had more experience at this than you."

He thought, Screw this, and started firing real shots at him (telepathically).

"Have you now?"

"Yes. And you know I have, considering the fact that you seem to stalk me to try and find out every little detail about my life."

He gave up.

Claudio's eyebrow twitched up a little. "I've heard more than a few rumours about you. That's all." He turned to walk away. "Like how your powers are nothing in wet weather."

As the prince walked off, Edward let out a squeak of dismay and gawked at Roy with wide eyes. "I thought we were meant to be staying away from him…" he tried hopelessly.

"Well, when it becomes a matter of pride, I can't help myself sometimes…" said Roy. "And as far as wet matches go…"

He looked down at Edward, who met his confident gaze with an exasperated expression.

"It's not raining today!"

He swerved another punch and one of his own glanced Claudio's shoulder lightly. Right, the Colonel thought to himself. That's how.

He jumped back quickly, avoiding a swift uppercut punch and ducked beneath the following hook. He threw himself inside Claudio's guard and sent a light elbow straight into his chin.

Just as he raised his arms in a block, the prince cracked a fist into the side of his head. His right forearm took most of the damage, but the hit still set Roy's ears ringing.

That was too hard to be a sparring punch.

Claudio had made this fight real.

Roy's eyes widened and then narrowed at the realisation and Claudio smirked widely, his brown hair twisting in the slight breeze. "Come on then, Mustang. Show me what you're made of!"

Roy steeled himself, bringing his hands and inch higher and tensing his muscles. He launched himself forward to throw punch after punch at Claudio's head. He aimed for the chin; Hit the jaw, hit the brain, as General Gran had said once.

Claudio blocked almost all the hits with startling accuracy, each one glancing off his arms or missing entirely as he misdirected them. Roy managed to land one, on his cheekbone, and it already looked a little red.

After he'd become tired of the punches, Claudio grabbed Roy's wrist and spun him to one side. He let go, aiming to make the man stumble off to his right.

He's underestimating me. I think he assumes that with all that's happened, I must be much weaker than normal, Roy thought to himself as Claudio spun him away. Too bad for him, I've only weakened a little, and I was far stronger than him before. So even now, I'm still more than a match for him!

Using the momentum of the spin, Roy sped up and turned quickly, bringing the heel of his foot into his foe's side. Take that!

Claudio let out a huff of breath as he doubled over slightly, and Roy jumped on the opportunity. He brought an elbow down the prince's head. It wasn't a powerful one - he wasn't as vicious as his target - but it was enough to leave a slight bruise.

He then grabbed at Claudio's shoulders and drove his knee into the man's chest repeatedly (again, not as hard as he could) before pushing him back a small distance.

He smirked and raised his hands again as Claudio glowered at him. "I warned you not to underestimate me, your highness. And this is me holding back."

"Tch!" Claudio brought his hands up as well. This time it was his turn to attack. "We'll see if you're still so confident when this has been going on for a while."

He charged forward, shooting out his straightened hand in a sharp, cutting attack. His speed was unbelieveable, and Roy didn't even see the attack coming, let alone have time to dodge it. He hastily covered his neck, as this was the area normally targeted by such a strike.

But Claudio was sly, and he landed the blow on Roy's temple. Right in the weakest part of his skull. Damn.

The world spun for a few seconds and Roy floated in the middle of it, and the next thing he knew, he'd been elbowed in the other side of his head.

Hard.

The crowd must either have thought that the pair were exaggerating or they genuinely had no idea that Roy was really getting hurt. He couldn't tell. And who knew? They were aristocrats; maybe they'd never seen a real fight before.

If he'd been expecting Claudio to let up after a few hits, he'd be mistaken. The prince slugged Roy in the stomach and rammed his knee into the Colonel's forehead as he jerked forward.

The force behind the blow was ridiculously strong, and Roy was knocked to his back. Winded, he groaned and rubbed his thumping head for a second. Almost immediately, he began formulating a plan of attack.

When Claudio came over to execute the final blow, which he inevitably would, Roy would roll to one side, using Claudio's legs as footholds and swing to his feet right behind him. From there, he had a severe advantage.

As he'd predicted, Claudio came stalking over, smirking victoriously. Roy continued to act as if he were in pain and had no hope of getting up again, already putting his plan to action in his head.

On the outside of the ring, Edward was leaning in and gripping the railing tightly. Dammit! Can't these people see what's happening here?!

Some way behind him, he heard the Emperor and his son conversing.

"Isn't it a bit of a gamble to let the ambassadors from Aerugo and Amestris spar, father?" the latter was saying. "Not only is there political rivalry between their countries, but they clearly hate each other. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I don't think anything will happen," said Ryuumaru. "It should be fine."

Inwardly, Edward prayed for the day all the adults died and his generation ran everything: they were so much smarter. Kenji had just proven this.

As Claudio came to a stop before Roy, Edward's anxiety heightened. The Colonel didn't seem in any condition to fight. He was done for.

And not one of the observers could see how rough the fight had gotten. Were they all idiots? Had none of them ever seen true combat before?

Oh, that's it, he thought and vaulted the fence.

Claudio noticed his sprinting approach and flicked his head to one side, barking, "Tyrell! Come have a match with Edward here! Two on one doesn't seem fair to me!"

Next thing the shaman was in the ring too, and he'd intercepted Edward before the young State Alchemist could reach his superior.

"Tyrell!" hissed Edward urgently. "Get out of the way! You see what's going on here, right?!"

The white-haired teen shot him a worried smile and shrugged, raising his hands into a fighting stance. "What the big man says goes, Ed. You'll have to go through me to get to him…although I'm sure Roy's got a good enough plan up his sleeve."

Edward flicked his ponytail exasperatedly. "Grr! Fine! If this is how it's gotta be! Come on then, Tyrell, show me this fighting style that's so great and perfect to you shaman guys!"

Tyrell nodded once, looking a little nervous but determined nonetheless. "Alright. Here I come!"

The crowd appeared to have no idea about the present danger, but they loved the fact that two more people had joined the action.

Tyrell dashed forward and Edward prepared himself.

The shaman came in striking at Edward with his palm at first, so the alchemist grabbed his wrist and pushed it to the side, attempting an elbow on his friend's head.

He hadn't expected Tyrell to have a counter ready - he didn't look like much of a fighter - but the boy twisted with the speed of a snake and jabbed two fingers into Edward's ribs. He froze momentarily and Tyrell wrenched his hand free to follow the jab with a punch. It wasn't hard, but it was strong enough to jolt Edward out of his temporary paralysis.

The Fullmetal Alchemist grinned a little as he realised he'd underestimated the shaman. "You're pretty good."

Tyrell didn't say anything, but he gave an embarrassed half-smile and shrugged again. "I'm not bad."

Next, Edward shot forward and ducked down, swinging a kick at Tyrell's head. He dodged backwards, and Edward followed by continuing his swing until he was upright and moving into a backfist punch to Tyrell's head. He hit the teen's jaw lightly with his auto-mail and followed with a second punch to the chest from his other arm.

Tyrell's eyes narrowed and he darted his hand up and jabbed Edward's wrist mid-punch with expert precision. A jolt of pain zapped up his arm and right into his chest. He recoiled a little and scowled. "That hurt!"

"Isn't that the point?" Tyrell asked and came at Edward, calculating and jabbing. The teen did his best to evade all the blows before coming back at his foe with his own attack.

They continued in this fashion as Roy battled Claudio a few feet away.

The Colonel had put his plan into action anyways, having landed several blows on the prince from behind, but that opportunity was long gone and they fought face-to-face once again.

In all the brutality they could without arousing suspicion.

Roy was aching all over now, but he imagined that from the hits he'd made on Claudio, the shady prince was probably feeling about the same - if not, worse. They were wearing down now, so the fight couldn't carry on much longer.

Their gazes met and didn't break apart for a good while, each one studying the other with hard eyes. Hatred was clear on both their faces and Roy felt fury burning up from within. From the enraged look in Claudio's dark gaze, he was becoming just as irritated.

Finally, both of them charged forward to meet each other, their anger affecting their fighting as they punched wildly and growled obscenities at each other.

Tyrell and Edward's skirmish broke apart as the two turned to watch their respective superior.

The pair were fuelled by rage and hatred alone now, swiping viciously and without thinking. Each hit was at it's strongest and would definitely leave a mark.

The two charged each other again and ended up caught in a deadlock; each one had blocked the other's punch with a palm, and now they were stuck trying to force their arms forward with sheer brute force.

"I'm in favour of breaking this up before those two tear each other to pieces," said Edward to Tyrell.

The shaman nodded. "That seems like a fair idea. I'll get Claudio. You take Roy."

The two teens strode up behind the men, who seemed to caught up in their fight to notice them.

Tyrell raised his hands behind Claudio's back, two fingers on each hand pointed inwards at the prince's ribcage. He nodded. "Three?"

Edward took up a position just to the side of Roy and returned the nod. "One…two…three!"

Tyrell jabbed his fingers into a space around Claudio's ribs and his back jerked straight, arms shooting back to his sides. He'd zapped him.

Edward wrapped his arm around Roy's waist, making sure he didn't fall forward or dive on top of his adversary and continue the fight in a wrestling match in the dirt.

"Let me go!" growled Roy, struggling in Edward's grasp.

"Not until you calm down!" the boy retorted, his grip not loosening in the slightest.

Tyrell had taken advantage of Claudio's moment of shock to sweep him into an armlock, a gentle but effective one.

"Tyrell! Let go of me at once!" he snapped.

"Take a look at what you're doing, your highness. If you get any rougher, you'll start to really get hurt."

After the two stopped struggling and cursing at each other and moved into a silent match of death glares, Edward and Tyrell let go.

"You got lucky this time," Claudio muttered. "But a few more seconds and I'd have beat you to a pulp."

Roy snarled and attempted another punch, but Edward latched onto his arms.

"Can it, Princey!" the young alchemist snapped.

"I'd beat the little pipsqueak managing to hold you back as well."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A ITTY-BITTY PIPSQUEAK SO SMALL HE COULDN'T HOLD BACK A FLEA?!"

Then Roy somehow found himself holding Edward back.

The crowd had started to look puzzled by this stage, not being able to hear anything except for Edward's shouting, so Tyrell urged Claudio away.

"Come on. There's nothing more for you to do here," he said.

As the two princes made their way off, Edward and Roy decided to do the same.

"Great job, Colonel Over-the-top," Edward commented. "I don't think you'll be able to get out of this one easily."

"I'll put it down to a political grudge," Roy said with a shrug. "Just watch. The Emperor will buy it, and if Claudio's any sense in him, he'll say the same."

"It looked like he was going to kick the crap out of you," Edward commented.

"I made him think he was. A plan. I didn't need the save."

"Actually, you kind of did. You would have beat each other blue, black and bloody if Tyrell and I hadn't intervened."

"I guess you're right…" Roy admitted as the pair jumped the fence. "Now, watch as I tell the Emperor what just happened and make him believe it."

Edward sighed. Another thing to add to the list of Roy's problems he had to keep in check; fits of violent rage.

What had he gotten himself into?

"Marcello." Claudio's smooth voice slid through the cold night air of the alleyway, reaching the ears of the man waiting there. Tension hung thick in the atmosphere and an aura of impatient annoyance buzzed about the young prince's demeanour.

"Milord," came the response from the shadows. "I caught word that you required me?"

"Yes." Claudio flicked his head, rather like an irritated cat would. "Come out of the shadows in my presence. It is most disrespectful to conceal yourself before royalty."

"Yes, milord." A short man of average build with dark brown hair stepped forward, his olive complexion eerily illuminated in the moonlight. His eyes were cold and obedient. "Apologies, milord. What was it that you needed?"

The pair had arranged to meet in a small street out the back of Kin Palace, an unlit alley littered with old crates, bins, scruffy old tabby cats and whatever other kinds of junk stereotypically lurked in suspicious shadowy alleys.

Claudio bared his teeth in an agitated half-snarl. "It pains me to say it, but there has been a change in plan. We're moving it forward. We no longer have any time to waste. There was a hidden factor that we neglected to take into account, which has greatly influenced our plans."

Marcello cocked his head slightly. "What would that be, if milord does not mind my asking?"

"It is not important," the prince spat dismissively. "However, locate our intel officer and have him executed. He is useless if he can't even manage to find out even the most obvious points about one man."

"Yes, I will see to it," Marcello responded. "But one thing; if we are to move the schedule forward, I must know if all the threats posed to us have been eliminated."

"One remains," Claudio growled softly. "The rest have been taken care of. Just one remains."

"That is a problem."

"Three days," murmured Claudio.

"I'm sorry, milord?"

"Give me three days," Claudio repeated, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. A dark rage burned within his gut, and his words were alight with venom. "Give me three days…and I will break him."

Okey-dokey! Sorry if this took a while - I neglected to mention I was going on another unwanted trip last week! I hope you enjoyed it despite the lateness! (Although they do say waiting makes it taste better… Not that you're eating the story… But then I wouldn't know… Maybe you are printing it out and eating the paper… Or devouring your internet browsing device…)

I sincerely hope the action in this chapter was all I made it out to be. If it wasn't, I SWEAR I'LL TRY HARDER! DON'T KILL ME!

And remember kiddies, even if I don't respond directly to your reviews, I'm still reading them and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the great feedback you give me! It makes me so happy to know you all like my writing!

(Last chapter, I was so happy about your reviews that I bounced around the house going 'YEAH YEAH YEAH AWESOME' for ten minutes straight until my sister slam-tackled me and told me I was being too loud.)

Review responses;

The Guest from Jan the 17th: Actually, you're right. Claudio didn't factor Ed into his plans.

Not so human: Foreshadowing or paranoia…? Only time and further chapters will tell…

Sokkasm: Yeah, I meant celsius. I gave up trying to convert everything into Fahrenheit because I kept getting it wrong and everyone was just like "WHAT TEMPERATURE?!"

Do a Barrel Roll: Okay. I won't faint. Got it. I won't faint because then I'd have to stop writing and that would be bad. D:

FlamingFlyingFoxOfDoom: Thanks for letting it live! I am eternally grateful! I will always enjoy everyone's random babbling, including yours. Keep doing it!

Until next time, ZAKURO AWAY! *sticks with the theme of Australia day and flies away on a massive rainbow kangaroo cooking shrimp on a barbeque whilst a dingo eats a baby and the toilets flush the wrong way and everyone eats bush tucker… Just kidding. Sorry if that offended any other people living in Australia… We cook STEAK and the toilets flush the RIGHT way here and dingoes eat ADULTS. Just kidding again. This is a very long asterisk bubble thing*