A/N: Greetings earthlings! T'is a story by Smitty-Mouse (foxenmouse92) and Greyfitti! Thought we'd do a partner project, so here it is! If you don't like OC's, then suck it up or go away. I like OC's. (When they're done well.) Here is what we (though Smitty definitely deserves more credit than I, she did SO much more work!) came up with. :D
-Grey
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Prologue
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The water was lowering, signaling the next explosion to come. "Edward- wake up! EDWARD!" But he couldn't hear them, the roar of the sea waiting for him outside was echoing off of the cave walls; and the fact that he was out cold didn't help either. The water cleared of the tiny space he was in, and within seconds it would come rushing back in. "Edward!" He was being shaken furiously but Ed refused to waken. "Edward open your eyes!" The shaking worsened. Still nothing. Edward's body slumped over his own weight; showing a river of blood and an open gash behind his neck, scrapes and cuts covering his back and shoulders, and more spilled blood pooling around his body onto the ground beneath him now that the sea water was gone.
The person shaking him stopped, too frightened from the sight to continue, and trying to desperately wipe the blood off of her hands. "No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! This is bad- Edward! EDWARD ELRIC!" The shouting and panic was increasing from this, and the upcoming wave that was growing out at sea was possibly being an even larger factor of terror than the blood. "It's coming! Hurry!" The shaking was replaced with a death-grip, his clothing clenched tightly in two, terrified fists.
And then the water crashed through the walls.
-
Unul
"If we were to describe her beauty in our world, she would have been called that of a foreign Rose. Her voice was silk, just as her hair, and just as robust- but her eyes were of emerald. Her skin was marked by the sun, darkened by the many long days beneath its warmth, and her proportions heavily blessed-"
"Oh, good Lord, Guestauve." Said the woman. "Did you REALLY just write that?" She was leaning over him as he wrote, crouched over his study like a crazed hermit.
"Well you ARE." Was his only rebuttal. "Yes, but you don't have to write it. I don't even know WHY you're writing it."
"Because I want people to know your story."
"Well I don't."
"Engel, please-"
" 'Engel, please; Engel, please'; that's all I hear from you."
"That's all I have to say."
"It's not worth it." She ended, beginning to leave the room and down the hallway stairs to the first floor, calling after him. "No one would believe it anyways. No one would be interested in my tales either; no matter how silver your tongue may be."
Guestauve scooted away from his desk and followed the woman as she spoke. "Well, who's to say that? I seem interested enough!"
"You are a writer with the imagination of a wild child born off in another world; you'd be interested in a flies landing." She scoffed.
"And isn't that why we're friends?" Guestauve smiled, catching up to her. "And, what if there's another world out there? What if there's a place called Spanish? Or Canadia?" Engel shoved the boy in a playful manner, a smirk of her own on her face. "Well now you've got me started! I'll have to write about this new world now!" Guestauve laughed along with Engel. "We'll call it Guestave-o! Land of the free!"
"Land of the pig-headed man! Name it something more noble, like Nobile Natsia!"
"Oh, THAT'S original!"
The two friends sat and laughed on the edge of the stairs for a few minutes longer spilling playful banter off their lips. Suddenly, they were interrupted by an abruptly opened front door. Guestauve jumped in surprise; while Engel dashed to her feet, dagger in hand but hidden off to the side of her while she crouched for attack. Her attacker stood in the doorway looking at her curiously.
"What? Did I scare you?" His curiosity turned into a devilish grin.
"Damn it, Albrecht*!" Engel stood straight, sheathing her blade. "I should slit you for your stupidity."
"Then why don't you?" Guestauve asked her. "What do you want, Albert?"
Albert chuckled a bit before answering. "Those treaty foreigners from Amestris are here. Just arrived on the AnnaMarie. I thought you'd like to know." Engel bolted forward out the door and into the dirt road. All the while being yelled at by Guestauve.
"You forgot your boots agai- Engel! Engel come back! Engel!" she ignored him profusely, except for an order.
"Have Walter send someone for the horses in the back!" The boys looked at each other, then back to her; running on and making the boys run after her into the town. By the time they had caught up with her, she was halfway to the village and still moving headstrong. It wasn't until Guestauve hit Engel with her own flying boot that she stopped and acknowledged them.
"You represent the Island. Stop running around here like a wild animal!" Engel's dissatisfaction was clearly seen, but she laced her boots right then and there; knowing that Guestauve was right as always.
"Gypsies…" Guestauve muttered.
~~~
"Albrecht, go help them unload." Engel ordered.
"Aye, aye, captain!" He said with a cheeky grin as he ran.
"Cheeky bastard." She mumbled. The docks-men were still unloading the foreigner's luggage and supplies from the heart of the AnnaMarie when Engel and the boys arrived.
The people that the trunks belonged to were very strange indeed. Two of them were adults; both wearing an exact copy of a blue suit, with the exception of badges, buttons, and chains. The woman was blonde, but fierce. Engel could already see it in her eyes that she would not take anything lightly. The rifle slinging from her shoulder was only there to confirm Engel's suspicions (as it was so obvious a weapon).
The man, however, was much less threatening- simply by being surrounded by several women. He was handsome, no doubt about that, but what bothered Engel was that he was very aware of it himself. Engel took another look at the women surrounding the gentleman, and made a startling discovery that they were women of the village. Each of them looked as though they had seen an angel fall from the heavens, and were very potent about keeping him down here on earth.
'May have some problems with him.' She figured. "I thought there was supposed to be four of them?"
Guestauve stepped up behind Engel, watching the scene play before him. "There are." Engel's eyes stayed forward, her expression serious. Guestauve looked at her, and then followed her gaze.
Another man stepped off of the AnnaMarie with care, holding a single suitcase himself. He was dressed from head to toe in armor; sizing to be about seven feet tall, and very broad. Suddenly from behind, a young blonde haired boy ran around the armored man and onto the dock; nearly tripping the man to the ground.
"Careful, brother!" He cried.
"You're too slow, Al! Hurry up!" he called. The boy in particular was rather small, but Engel saw that his spirit was much larger than himself. He carried a red fabric in the crook of his arm while he ran, the breeze from his speed making it flap behind him; and when Engel saw his braided hair trailing behind him like the fabric, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
His extraordinary level of excitement was just more proof of his innocence. As soon as his feet touched land though, he stopped short to take in his surroundings. There was a look of wonder about him, but the longer he stood there, the more serious his stature became. His excitement had melted, and there stood only a boy with his hands to his hips. By the time the armored man had caught up behind him, the boy muttered something inaudible for Engel to hear to him and moved forward; the armored man following behind.
"Hm." Engel grunted. "He's a quick fix, now isn't he?" Meaning how quickly he moved on from his abundant excitement before. The boy aside, Engel knew that she was not the only inspecting the outsiders; she had taught her people better than that.
Around her, she could hear the villagers whispering, and feel them staring at the new arrivals. They were frightened of the armored man, intimidated by the rifle-carrier, captivated by the handsome man, and excited at the boy. Further inland she could see families ushering their small children inside their homes, and other villagers shy away when they met the young blond boy's gaze, whispering gossip behind their hands. In fact, several had snickered and giggled.
"He's got a braid…"
"He looks like a ghel!*"
"That guy's HUGE!"
"She's got a gun! What'll we do?"
"They look like they're ready for battle; what if they attack?"
"Don't worry, Engel will protect us. She knows what she's doing."
"That man is so handsome! He doesn't look the brute type."
"He's got a braid- doesn't he know those are for girls?"
"His eyes are gold!"
"He's got a braid..."
"He's got a braid..."
Engel couldn't help but smile at her villagers. If it wasn't for her, and her people, none of them would understand the amusement of the boy at all. The strange collection of outsiders standing on her doorstep caused mixed emotions from her villagers, but if one of them could bring a smile to their faces with some of her heritage; then, to her, it was worth it.
She assessed the situation for a second longer, and then turned to Guestauve. "Put the woman and the armored man in the room across from mine. The other two can share the room down the stairs."
Guestauve whipped back to her. "But, Engel, he looks dangerous." His voice was low as he spoke, as was Engel's.
"That's why I want them there."
Guestauve glared at her, and then back to the docks. "I don't like this." Engel merely scoffed and went on to greet the new arrivals.
"You act like you don't trust me, Guestauve.: was thrown over her shoulder to him, once again ending the conversation.
.
Edward was not pleased. Sure, he was excited- but that only lasted as far as the trip. He stood in the dirt with a growing displeasure burning inside. He was glad that he had some free time for research; but damn it all if the Colonel had to come along and watch his every move! Originally, it was Roy's mission in the first place; but when he told Edward that there were strange goings on at this island, strange goings on that might interest him like Lior did, Ed had to see it for himself. It was like holding out food and water to a starving man- he couldn't resist. 'Bastard knows exactly how to get to me.' He thought angrily. 'Pisses me off.'
On top of that problem, when Ed actually took a look at the land ahead of him, he noticed the land to be quite... Boring. Certainly not that of a town with significant and unexplainable powers like Lior. 'I've got a bad feeling about this place.' He thought. 'But it looks like a complete waste of time.' The scowl on his face was a clear visual point that explained his mood, Alphonse being the first to notice it.
"What's wrong, brother? You were so excited just a moment ago." Ed didn't move from his stance, but continued to scan the scene as he spoke.
"It's too plain. The philosopher stone isn't here."
Al was taken aback from his brother's words, but when they sank in, he knew he was right. If the philosopher stone was here, this place wouldn't seem so quiet. Al's heart sank a little inside of him, his usual cheerful self sinking along with the sudden despair. But then, Edward moved further inland; instead of trekking back and getting on the boat. Al sparked from this, and followed his brother with quickness to his step. Ed wasn't going to give up on this land, so Al wouldn't either. There was a power source here that could help them. And by God, they were going to find it.
As Ed joined Lieutenant Hawkeye, Alphonse noticed a woman speaking with another man; both staring dead on him and his comrades. He sighed to himself. 'I should be used to this by now.' Al caught up with Edward and the Lieutenant fairly quickly, but by then, the same woman that had been staring at him was walking over to the new arrivals. "Brother," He whispered. Ed notched his head towards his younger brother, then to the approaching woman that Alphonse had alerted him to.
"I'm going to get Mustang." Riza said. "Go ahead and introduce yourselves." She left the boys to handle the approaching woman. Before the boys could say anything to her, though, she was already greeting them.
"You must be the Amestrians; welcome to Wavver Island." The woman stopped a few feet away from them with her hands on her hips and took the scene with a quick glance at each character.
"Thanks." said Edward, "We're the Elric brothers. We were supposed to meet with a man named Engel. If you could tell him we're here-"
"I am Engel." The woman quickly interrupted with a cocked brow and a slightly amused look. "The man you are waiting for is me."
Edward blinked in surprise, and the brothers studied the specimen before them. A red scarf covered her dirty blonde head and loosely held her hair into a ponytail. Her skin was dark like an Ishballan, but her eyes were green instead of red. And just above the left corner of her lips was a small beauty mark that looked like she held a pen too close to her mouth. Around her slender neck were two single pendant necklaces that dangled dangerously close to her bosom; and her blouse didn't help hide the gems either. If Alphonse had cheeks, he would have blushed insanely at the sight. One of the pendants swung to her shoulder when she shifted her weight, leading his attention away from the blushing source. He noticed a scar just below her right collarbone in the shape of a ragged coin that damaged her smooth skin; and for whatever reason, felt saddened by this.
Alphonse ripped his eyes away from her shoulder, inspecting her clothing instead to take his mind off of it. He blouse was a low cut corseted-type top with a forest green body and cream colored half-sleeves hanging off her shoulders. Around her waist were about four different scarves and chains embroidered with tassels, gems, and metal coins; each tied separately and left dangling down beside her pants. A belt was hidden in there holding a sheathed broad sword reaching down to a little passed her knee; just before the tops of her leather boots. All in all, a gorgeous woman however you look at her. Edward wasn't having it.
"You're Engel?" The woman nodded once. "But Engel is-"
"The leader of this Island." The look disappeared. Edward mentally smacked himself, 'Damnit, Mustang!' He thought. Both Riza and Roy had gathered with the brothers by then, letting Ed catch a glimpse of Roy's grin from his own pissed off glare.
Mustang spoke up, used to contributing to meetings. "Please forgive my friend here; he has a bit of a SHORT temper." Edward cursed him under the silent restraints of his brother, Alphonse. "Is there anywhere we can talk in private?"
"If it's talk of peace, then my people are free to hear." Engel spoke with dignity. "Your living quarters are a bit of a walk, and unfortunately, due to stupidity," A boy behind her flinched. "your horses are there too."
Roy paused for a moment before nodding and continuing. "Very well. As we have said earlier, we've come to promote a peace treaty between our country and Wavver. Your island lies on unclaimed territory, so you could, in all rights, be considered another country." He was suave, cool and collected as always, but this didn't move Engel in any way like the village women.
"We don't have any higher form of government, you know. This island has us Roma, and villagers alike. Even then, the gypsies only make contact with the villages to trade. Right now, there's no actual government that rules the entire island." Engel stated. "I've seen many a traveler, but never ones with clothes like yours, so you must from somewhere very advanced. You won't stupid enough to make a treaty with a place not recognized by other countries as a country itself."
Mustang smirked, but his eyes stayed serious, if not a little lighthearted. "I'm glad I don't have to sugar anything over then. Alright- you want to know why we're here, then I'll tell you. We're here to investigate." The Colonel was given a look that Engel could only describe as "you idiot" by his Lieutenant. "We will bring no harm to you or your people, I can assure you. All I ask is that we have full access to whatever it is that we find."
Engel's face darkened with the shadow of a scowl. "Full access to all of our lives, our homes, food, hospitality, our transportation…" She paused, eyes still hard as the shadow deepened. "our secrets. All in exchange for what?" Roy stood still, never flinching. Engel snorted. "You know what? I believe you're right. Our business will continue behind stone walls."
Roy nodded curtly to Engel's sudden change in attitude, but still stayed silent without another word spoken. A second man, different from the one that Alphonse had seen, had trotted up next to the woman to gawk at the new arrivals- showing his lack of dignity by leaning an arm on Engel's shoulder. 'An Ishballan!' Edward thought, and when he looked at Alphonse he knew his brother was thinking the same thing. The Ishballan boy stared at the group with a gaping mouth. 'Just like a fish.' Ed suppressed a chuckle within himself; but the boy... "Just like a ghel." He laughed to no one in particular, staring at Edward. Before Ed could attack the new man, however, Engel shrunk her shoulder to heave him off of her.
"Albrecht! Ajuns la maturitate, copil." She hissed. The boy was yet another victim of gravity, falling forward with no one to catch him. This being ignored, Engel stood tall once again and turned to leave. "Come. You will stay with me in my home." This time Riza spoke up. "We would be more than happy to pay for an inn." Engel continued on without looking back.
"The kertsheema* is non-existent. You are staying with me."
~~~
"Stay where you can see me. Any farther and you may get lost." The leader of the Island commanded the group without care; showing them how much she had gotten used to being in charge. This, of course, didn't sit well with Edward.
"She's ordering us around like mutts." He muttered.
"Well you are dogs of the military." Edward was startled to hear this come from Engel, seeing as she was a good six feet in front of him leading the way, and he had barely spoken above a whisper. The same leader turned her head back towards him with her cocked-brow look again, continuing to walk forward without interruption. Edward switched from startled to indignant in an instant. "You sure hear like one; is there something you wanna tell us?" Engel merely scoffed him with a slight chuckle, along with Roy, making Ed more irritated.
Edward would have continued to brood for the rest of the trip to their lodgings, had a muddy girl, no older than ten, not come running down the road chasing an even muddier boy and screaming childish profanities.
"Hit me again with another load of rubbish and I'll whoop you a right good one!" The girl screamed, catching up to the boy who was trying to run faster.
Before they could run past the group- "Hold it you two!" Engel grabbed the children by their waists and pulled them in front of her. "What's all the hullabaloo about? Andra, I'm supposed to marry your father and his new wife this evening, and I could have sworn that he wanted a little lady to be present; not this strong and courageous beast." She wiped some mud off of the girls smiling cheek. "And you, Alec, you, of all people, know not to get her started because you'll always loose. Besides, there are other ways to get her attention for your love- and don't give me that." The boy cringed in disgust, but Engel cocked her brow with her amused sparkle and Andra giggled wildly. "We all know I'm going to have to marry you two when you grow up!"
"But, Engel, I-"
"No buts." Engel stopped Alec mid-sentence. "Now go get cleaned up."
The children ran off again, laughing this time instead of screaming. "Well, you handled that nicely. Friends of yours?" Roy was as charming as ever, his every word dripping with amusement. After watching the kids go for a second, Engel swirled around behind her and threw her dagger down at a new pair of feet. Albert shouted in surprise and tried to jump out of fear, but the dagger landed true, right through his pant leg and into the ground.
"What the Hell was that for?" He screamed, infuriated.
"You can never sneak up on me, copil." Engel spoke to him in a muttered, annoyed voice as she ripped her weapon out of the ground, freeing him from his prison; only to be hit by the butt with gravity again.
"You guys are really slow," He grumbled, rubbing his behind. "We took their luggage back to Engel's cabin and set it all up in their rooms. Got bored just sitting around so I thought I'd help you out, Engel." Engel nodded at him, pulling him up to his feet. Another Ishballan boy came down the road following Albert from a few yards away. This time, he was carrying horses. Satisfied, she turned back to face the group she was leading.
"Alright you lot, let's get going." Engel stopped.
"Where's the boy?"
~~~
Edward would have continued to brood, had Engel not pulled two children aside and spoken to them. He was curious to see how she interacted with them, which he did mostly, but something else was catching his attention from off in the distance. A sound unlike anything he had ever heard before.
'It sounds like screaming but, at the same time...' Edward couldn't put his finger on it. He had to find it. He stepped away from the group, and off the path. The grass beneath his feet was soft enough to quiet the thud of his boots, and the brush of the forest was parted slightly in one spot for him to walk through without much effort needed. Edward didn't have to try too hard to sneak off anyways because everyone was too engulfed in the scene with the muddy children. On top of that, his curiosity was driving him, so thinking of slinking was out of the question. It was just too easy to get away for a moment.
He went on bushwhacking through the forest, thickening and thinning in different areas. He could no longer hear the crowd he had left behind, but the strange sound that had enticed his curiosity was getting louder with each step he took.
"Ow!" The branches snagged, ripped, pulled, and tugged at his clothing and hair; his braid being pulled apart slowly with each step. "Damn it." He grumbled to himself, and loosened his hair from its braid to be fastened into a ponytail in the clearing a little ways ahead of him.
Ed was a real sight to see; sweating, ragged, and wild looking with his hair down. If anyone ever saw him like this- no, he wouldn't dare think it. Instead, he forced through another thicket. 'Few more steps and I can fix myself up in the clearing.' He thought. 'But this is ridiculous!'
Edward was stopped by two crossed saplings that refused to budge from their roots. He sighed, exasperated, and stepped into the crossed section of the two young trees, lifting himself above his trap and dropping down to the other side- just to be stopped by more laced branches. Ed growled in frustration and decided to go under them this time. He shielded his hair from the twigs with his arms on the way back up, and stopped. In the clearing he was trying to get to, there right in front of him, was a poorly concealed rabbit trap.
"They could have at least baited it." Edward mumbled. He easily side-stepped the sorry excuse for a trap and moved on- only to hear a snap, a twing, and a sudden view of the world from upside down. "What the-?" Ed bounced heavily on the vine of the second, perfectly hidden trap. "Damn."
Ed looked upwards, down at his tightly bound feet on the branch high above him. He scrunched up in half, reaching to try and free himself with no use; only causing himself to bounce more when he dropped his weight back down. He quickly crossed his dangling arms as he swung back and forth trying to figure out his next move. Edward grunted with effort, folding in half again and grabbing hold of the branch.
"If I can just..." The branch bent in a dangerous angle as he touched the crook of his arm atop it and maneuvered himself to clap his hands. Quite suddenly, and without warning, his arm slipped off the branch. It snapped backwards, caught on his weight swinging by the vine, and snapped back forward to slap him in the face when he swung by again.
"OW!" Edward held his now red nose and mouth while he swung side to side. "Well, that could have gone better…" He grumbled through his hands.
He squinted his eyes through the pain, his eyes narrowed to slits, only to be surprised by a sudden appearance of a tiny, little girl. Edward blinked in surprise, too dumbfounded to say anything. The girl stared at him with big, brown eyes. Ed blinked again, and she copied; eyes never leaving him.
"…Hello." He said. This moved the girl. She stayed silent and turned away from him towards more trees in a hurried, almost panicked motion. "Hey wai-" The sound burst again, making Ed forget the girl and turn to its source. "Woah!" Even from upside down, Ed could see a white wall through some branches. "That's the- WOAH!" Ed slammed down to the ground, meeting the dirt head on in a very intimate conversation. "Damn it all!" Ed held his head tightly. Despite the soft earth, the fall was hard. He looked up at the trap that had caught him to see that the vine had been loosed. He turned his head to the same girl at base of the tree holding the vine. Edward blinked at her again, "Thanks." He said, making her run away. Again.
Edward didn't have time to chase after the girl. The screeching sound had gone off again, and it was, indeed, very close by. An enormous explosion of water came from the ground shooting well over twenty feet in the air. "A geyser?" Edward shoved the rest of himself out of the brush and untangled his hair while rushing to the falling water. "It's salty..." He shivered when some of the water fell on his skin. "Not a geyser, too cold." He leaned over the hole that the water was escaping from and inspected it, watching the water slowly sink into the abyss.
Edward ran to the end of the ledge overseeing a cove and watched as he confirmed his suspicions with the next wave. The water lowered itself for the next surge, showing a twisted crack in the side of the cliff spitting out the water that had gathered in the hole he had just inspected. The next wave came crashing down against the cliff side, and the hole erupted again with more salty, cold water, and another scream from the force of air being rushed out of it. "I was right!" Edward laughed, "Awesome!"
The wind blowing his ponytail and coat was ferocious, howling along with the sea and helping to strengthen the wave's crash. Ed closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. "Even the air is salty." He said to no one.
"Ye, it is." A husky voice answered behind him anyways. Edward whirled around to face a burly Ishballan man with a beard standing by the forest's edge, a good twenty feet away.
'These people are like bats!' Edward thought. The man was clearly Ishballan, his dark skin and red eyes shining even from so far away. His fists were on his hips- and a sword hanging from his belt.
"Can I help you, stranger?"
.
Engel lowered herself to a kneel, tracing the footprints in the dirt with her fingertips. She followed them from tree, to fabric covered branch, to broken twig. She followed this heavily laid out trail, finally feeling the mud and skids on the trunks of two saplings before speaking. "He jumped from these trees." She said. "Mud's fresh. He shouldn't be too far."
Albert nodded. "He probably got distracted by the blow hole." Engel agreed with a single grunt. She had ordered the second Ishballan boy to take the guests to her cabin, leaving herself and Albert to find the missing boy.
Having to live on the island as gypsies, they were used to hunting and tracking. It would be easier for them this way. On top of that, they were given the privilege of speaking in their native tongue with each other in private; making them much more relaxed and in their element. Engel slipped through the two trees just as easily as Albert did behind her. He cocked his head to the side.
"The vines are crushed upwards. Did he go under?" Engel nodded, and slid under the bushel with equal ease. "The idiot got caught a rabbit trap." She chuckled, and Albert laughing right behind. Engel's laughter soon went away though. Another set of footprints were in the dirt, these much smaller and barefoot with a tiny gap in the heel. "Jaquline." Engel breathed, Albert right behind her.
"Look, I think Jaquline was here!" said Albrecht.
"Yes, Albrecht. I know." She ignored Edward's trail and inspected the ground further for Jaquline, not seeing any more human prints, but animal. "Penguin too." She said.
"They both ran away, Penguin must have warned her of Edward coming." Albert pointed away from Jaquline's tracks. "He went towards the blow hole." He paused. "And I think I see Bartholomaus, too; it must have been his trap." Engel snapped out of her trackers mode for Jaquline, eyes moving just as fast.
"At least she wasn't alone." Albert tried to calm her.
"From my uncle, I'd expect nothing less."
The scream of the blow hole cried through the air over again, but a new cry came with the latest howl and echoed off of the trees.
"IS THAT AN ANTELOPE?"
Engel and Albert looked at each other simultaneously. "Found him."
~~~
Edward was completely stunned. "Where did you come from?" The Ishballan bellowed a hardy laughter, leaving Ed shaken.
"My dear boy," He started, "That is the very same question I was going to ask of you!" he finished. Then, fell into a thunderous laughter again. Ed stared at the mass of muscle laughing before his eyes.
'Is he serious?' He thought. 'It's like every muscle-head is meant to be terrifying or obnoxious- this guy's both!' The laughter that killed out the roar of the sea and the shrieks of the blow hole finally died down, and the man responsible for the noise was walking towards the edge of the cliff- towards Edward.
Ed took a step back, knowing that he couldn't take on this giant on his own turf. Especially on a slick cliff side. He wasn't stupid. He needed to look for his options, and the only one he could clearly see was to run. Fast. Edward charged the Ishballan full speed with a battle cry at the top of his lungs. Okay... Maybe he was stupid.
The muscle-man blinked, watching the boy run towards him. Then, the air went dead, making the Ishballan stop still. Edward, however, continued forward. His speed increasing, Edward watched the man watching him charge, and it angered him, charging him even faster passed the blow hole. The man stood still, waiting. Suddenly, the wind blasted from behind with even more rage than Edward himself; forcing him off of his feet for a split second, landing in a slip on the slick grass, and finally slamming face first into the large man's chest, bouncing to the ground on the flat of his back. The man stood staring down at Edward, and Edward up at him until the water from the hole came raining down on them.
"Did you have fun, child?"
"I'm not a child!" Edward shot up. "And what the Hell was that?" He motioned to nothing in particular, seeing as the air itself was nowhere to be seen.
"It's called nature." The man had a chuckle to his voice, "I'm sure you've heard of it." He stuck out a ham of a hand. "My manners seem to have slipped me, stranger, just as you have. I am Bartholomaus." He cocked his brow with an amused smile slapped on his face. Ed stared indignantly before taking his hand.
"Edward Elric." Bartholomaus clasped Edward's hand into his and shook it once.
"I think you've met my granddaughter as well. She was playing in the forest when she came running."
"Yeah," Ed let go of the handshake. "I saw a little girl on my way here. But, she wasn't Ishballan." The man chuckled and jerked his thumb to the trees.
"That her?" Ed looked passed Bartholomaus and saw the little girl he ran into back in the forest high up in a tree.
"Uh-huh." He muttered, but then he looked down to the ground below her.
"IS THAT AN ANTELOPE?"
Bartholomaus bellowed in laughter again, just as another howl came from the blow hole. "That's our Penguin!" He laughed, Edward merely gaping.
"No, I'm pretty sure that thing over there is an antelope because if that's a bird- I'm going to be honest here, I'm scared for my life."
Bartholomaus laughed again, "No, that's really Penguin; it's his name." Ed whipped his attention from the animal, Penguin, to the beast, Bartholomaus.
"You own a deer-like creature with murderous horns on its head... and you named it Penguin?"
Bartholomaus shrugged and pointed to the girl again. "Jaquline named him. She was the one who found him, it only seemed fair."
Ed returned his gaze to the girl high up in the tree. She was hanging on to a thin branch near the top and swaying back and forth with the wind. "Don't you think that's a little dangerous? It looks like she's about to fall off!" Edward was a little more than irked by this, and he didn't seem to know why. "YOU!" Ed's vision shot back down to the ground to see Engel and her lackey Ishballan friend from before storming towards Bartholomaus. No... storming towards himself. Oh boy.
"What did I say about wandering off?" Engel caught up with the two, standing tall with her head high and arms spread wide from her hands on her hips.
"Something about getting lost," Edward replied "but I found my way here myself, thank you; so don't look down at me all high and mighty and crap."
"And what about the cabin, eh? What would you have done after it had gone dark and you had to find your way out of the woods? The sun moves much faster here than it does in your precious city, and there are beasts out here that would love to snack on your for dessert even if you DID find your way out." Engel kept her stance, but Edward was so furious he was leaning forward.
"I can handle myself-!"
"Oh really? I'd love to see that, it'd make my job a lot easier!"
The two instantly rounded into a quarrel that no one could understand, both Engel and Edward spouting off insults and defenses off one right after the other with barely a room for breath. Nothing would bother their attention from each other, even when Albert tried to butt in.
"ENOUGH!" Bartholomaus boomed; followed immediately by a third person's screaming. Engel gasped, stopping and turned her head wildly to search for the source. "Jaquline!"
"What?" Edward was confused by her sudden switch of interest, but then he too heard the scream and followed it above Engel. The girl from before had fallen from the tree top and was coming down at a strange angle; seemingly from swaying off of the top-most branch. Edward ran backwards as quickly as he could. From this angle it would be even harder to follow her with alchemy, catching her was his only option.
"I got'chya!" He shouted just before she landed in his arms. The impact from her came with brute strength and forced him to fall backwards- into the blow hole.
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"JAQULINE!" Engel was absolutely horrified. Ed had caught Jaquline in his arms and saved her; only to be thrown down into the blow hole filled with sharp rocks, a fifteen foot fall at least, and a time limit before the next wave came and either drowned them or shoved them into more rocks on the way back up to the surface. Any way to look at it, they were dead- and everyone knew it. The three islanders rushed together, leaning over the blow hole in a panic to glare inside.
"Jaquline! Edward! Jaquline- please answer me!" Engel was panicking more and more by the second. There was only water in the blow hole, no bodies to be seen, but plenty of bubbles. "JAQULINE!" The water lowered more, letting the girl's head pop up out coughing and gagging first. Engel belted out a sigh of relief, only to be caught in her throat a second later when she saw the red swirling around in the water as it sunk below Edward's head. "Edward- Edward wake up! EDWARD!" He didn't move himself; the water and Jaquline did that for him. Then, when Edward slumped in half, Engel and the others could clearly see the damage done to him even from way up above ground, knowing it was serious.
"No, no, no, no-!" Engel began to panic more. Jaquline as well, frightfully trying to wipe the blood off of her hands and onto her clothing.
Bartholomaus immediately took charge out of instinct. "Albrecht, grab a vine. The longest there is, quickly!" Bartholomaus ordered Albert with quick authority, and then turned to Engel. "Draga*, help him." Engel shook her head.
"No, Uncle, I can't leave-"
"Anahera!" Bartholomaus growled this with hushed urgency. Engel looked at him with fearful eyes. "We don't have much time." He looked her right in the eyes, his beginning to glow with his power. "I promise you. She will be alright." Engel swallowed, and took a long look at the two beings below her; their impending doom slowly sinking through a crack in the cave wall.
"Bartholomaus!" Albert shouted from the trees. "Boss! The only long one is wrapped around the branch- it's too tight!"
Jaquline looked up at Engel with her beautiful brown eyes filled with fear, and brimming with tears. "I need to stay to save them both." Bartholomaus spoke once again, his eyes still glowing brighter. Engel took one last look at Jaquline, held a hand turning into a fist out to her, and then ran to the trees.
"Albrecht- which one?" She shouted mid-stride. He pointed to a vine wrapped tightly around the branch he was holding onto, about twelve feet above the ground. Before he even touched it, a knife sliced through the vine and deep into the branch.
"HEY!" Albrecht cried. "Warn me before you throw things!" He unwound the vine with haste and dropped it down to Engel, then grabbing the knife, followed with a steady jump.
"Uncle!" Bartholomaus' eyes were even brighter than when Engel had left, and he was breathing hard. He ignored Engel, and with an enormous growling cry, fired off the exact same glow around his hands and into the blow hole. The light wrapped around the opening and slid along the walls of the cave; covering the deadly sharp rocks with a heavenly sheen.
"Give them the vine." Bartholomaus ordered.
Albert stepped up to him. "But Bartholomaus, it's too short." Both Engel and her Uncle turned to the young Ishballan boy. "WHAT?" Albert jumped in defense. "You cut it too short!"
"ALBRECHT!" Engel was furious, "Go get another one!" Albert stood his ground. "I can't! That was the longest one!" Now it was Bartholomaus that spoke. "Tie them toge-"
"There's no time!" Engel interrupted when she saw the growing wave. She ripped three of the scarves from her waist and threw them to Albert. "It's coming! Hurry! Albrecht, gimme the vine- NOW!" He threw it to her, watching her immediately tie it into a loop and dropping to her knees by the blow hole. "Jaquline!" Engel waved her hands wildly to get the young girl's attention.
When she finally looked up at her, Engel clung her own hands to her body. The girl nodded, and then clenched Edward's clothing tightly into her fists. Immediately after, the water crashed through the walls of the cave. Edward and Jaquline were slammed into the covered wall from the impact, and then forced to slide up and out of the blow hole.
Engel searched the heavens for Edward's red coat, swirling the lasso she had tied. "Albrecht, Uncle, get ready to catch!" Bartholomaus released the cover he made for the jagged rocks and stood to meet the boy; just as Engel spotted the two in the air and shot the lasso around them- yanking them down to the rescuers. "Albrecht, cross it!" The scarves were held between the two Ishballans in a "Z" form, catching the bodies right from the sky.
"YES!" Albert shouted victory with fists above his head, dropping the scarves and bodies.
"ALBRECHT!" Engel had already been rushing towards the group, but after Albert dropped her precious Jaquline, she was charging like a bull.
Jaquline was crying hard from closed eyes, clinging even harder to a limp, bloody Edward. Engel ripped the child from her own grasp on Ed and clung to her tightly in a whole body hug. Albert instantly dropped to his hands and knees to inspect the damage done to Edward, while Engel saw the blood on Jaquline's cheek.
"Her first." Engel ordered.
"His injuries are worse." Albert said.
"HE'LL LIVE!"
"SO WILL SHE!"
"ENOUGH!" Bartholomaus boomed. "You're being unreasonable! Albrecht, get to work!" Albert went right to work, placing his hands on Edwards shoulders and glowing just like Bartholomaus had earlier. Bartholomaus wiped Jaquline's cheek clean of blood and tears to show a tiny scratch. He glared at his niece. "It was from the branch."
Engel glared right back at her uncle. "You'd do the same for me." She murmured.
Albrecht stopped Bartholomaus' response with his own. "There are things inside him that aren't supposed to be there, I need you to hold him down." The man held her gaze for a moment longer, and then broke off to help the healer Ishballan.
Albert opened his eyes, blinked, shook his head and concentrated harder on what he had felt. Opening his eyes again a moment later. "What's wrong?" Bartholomaus asked. His hands were holding down Edward's ankles, but were moved away by Albert to inspect the boy's left leg a moment later. Bartholomaus was stunned. Albert then reached over and ripped off the clothing covering Edward's right arm to show the same metal. "Are those the objects that you felt?"
Albert shook his head. "Not all of them." He was just as stunned, but he shook his head harder to bring him back to reality. "I think some stuff got itself stuck inside through one of his cuts; so it's going to hurt like Hell. I need you to hold him down."
Edward was flipped over onto his stomach; hands down by his side, and head turned to make his left cheek touch the ground. Albert held Edward's shoulders again, and glowed even brighter this time. Scratches on Edward's neck began to fade away and dissolve; Albert's light moving down Ed's neck, over his shoulders, and across his back. Albert's light circled around each and every gash in Edward's body, working from the inside out to clear away the debris that had clogged itself inside of him. As the light lowered, some of Albert's light slowed around a wound high above Edward's belt. Albert scrunched his eyes in concentration. He was sweating with effort, trying to dislodge the obstruction.
"It's too heavy." Bartholomaus moved Ed's shredded coat to reveal a stub of a rock jammed inside of his back at an upwards angle. "Albrecht-"
"I know, I'm fixing his kidney right now." He grunted, "It just missed his inferior vena cava."
Albert tried harder to shove the rock out of place. Finally escaping its bloody encasement, Albert let out the breath he was holding. With this, Edward gurgled. His body rolled up a bit, and spilled out a wad of blood from his mouth as if he were squeezed dry of excess blood. Albert ran his light down the rest of Edward's body to complete the healing process, but Ed still stayed unconscious.
"What's wrong?" Engel asked, "Why isn't he awake?"
Albert was confused as well, until he felt a trickle of blood run down his hand. "Flip him." Bartholomaus complied, and Albert took the back of Edward's head and forehead into his hands. The glowing resumed, and the scrapes and cuts on Ed's face melted away like the other ones before.
Just then, Edward gasped a sudden, great big gulp of air, his body rising from the effort. His eyes shot open on nothing at first, closing tight in pain, then opening again and focusing on Engel down by his feet. She was holding Jaquline close to her chest and watching him with such intensity that he was sure that she was the source of this new pain.
"What are you doing to me?" He growled through his teeth, trying desperately to wriggle his way out of Albert's grasp.
"Sit still." She ordered. "He can't help you if you keep on resisting." Bartholomaus kept his grip on Edward's legs, but his arms were still loose and flailing, only his head stable by Albert's hold on him.
"We could use some help here!" Albert shouted with sweat on his lips.
Edward tried in vain to get fee from the crushing pressure on the back of his skull, his fingers clawing and grabbing at Albert's hands; and even that plan was thwarted by Engel's grasp. She put her whole weight atop his right arm to just barely hold it down to the ground.
"GET OFF ME!" Edward shrieked, thrashing under the force of three other people. Engel motioned for Jaquline to come sit on his hand and wrist; with both sitting down on top of Edward's arm to force it completely to the ground. "We're almost done, just hold still!" Albert growled back at him. "I'm reconstructing your skull, idiot, now HOLD STILL DAMNIT!" The glowing and struggling went on for a few seconds longer before it stopped; leaving everyone panting and sweating.
"You're going to be trouble, aren't you?" Engel panted, glaring at him. Edward said nothing, merely glared right back at her. One by one, the Islanders let go of Edward piece by piece. He shot up and grabbed Engel by one of her pendants and pulled her in- she in turn held another dagger to his gut just as quickly. They stared each other down, both panting, and the Ishballan men watching. For a while, nobody said anything. Simply watched.
"What did you do to me?" Ed panted. Engel said nothing, only stared. "What the Hell did you do to me?" Ed asked again, fearful and angry at the same time. Engel stared him right in the eye and answered.
"Saved your life." Ed scoffed at her.
"And would you still have done it if it weren't for your girl over there?"
"The one that you're scaring?" Edward glanced at the girl behind the Island's leader, trembling with fear. He resumed his glaring competition with Engel. After a while, Edward decided that he would lose this battle, and let go first. Engel followed, sheathing her dagger into her boot. She propped up from her seat, grabbing Jaquline on her way up, and began to walk away; but not before throwing a word of a language he had never heard over her shoulder.
"Necazuri.*"
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A/N:
I don't know about you, but I think Engel makes a good 'rival' type of character in relation to Ed. Damn, that's some hate though they has just met! And now, a word from our sponsor…
-Grey
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What started out as a compliment on writing, turned into a friendship. Then one idea started a partnership between creativity. Thus: Isle of the Red Moon was born. ^_^ Grey and I were just pen-pals until her sister gave us the fantastic idea to share a story, taking turns to write a chapter each. So we did just that. (Except for this one, we work together to make it perfect.) While we were brainstorming, I had had an island story stuck in my head for a few weeks at that time. So, I decided to share it with Grey, and she agreed with me. If it wasn't for her input and help, In the combined version of chapter one; the idea of Walter and his men, German names, nervous villagers, peace treaty, stubborn horses, rabbit traps, and the fantastic Penguin being an antelope were all Grey's brilliance. Everything else was pretty much my idea, either on its own or influenced by what Grey had suggested in some of our e-mails. (Give credit where it's due, my lovelies.) On a side note, the language that Engel and the gypsies speak is Romani. (God bless freetranslations. X]) So if you were wondering, there's your answer. And one last thing- the braid? You'll find out soon enough, my lovelies. X] If you like our story, please let us know. We share the account made here, so therefore we share the credit. And you should know that it will take some time before the next chapters come out because we work together to make it perfect through our busy schedules; and that means So there you have it! We hope you enjoyed it. Luvya my lovelies. God bless, and have a very merry un-birthday! ~Smitty-Mouse
TRANSLATION NOTES:
Ajuns la maturitate, copil- mature, child; grow up, child
Copil, or Cha(h)vi - child
Chavi or ghel- girl
Chava - boy
Draga – Sweetheart
Kertsheema – inn, tavern