A/N: I'm sorry for the delay! Schoolwork had been horrible, although I love my classes and I love all the people in them along with my new teachers. So, enriched English class? UGGHGHGHGHGHG! It's hard, but not impossible. We do a lot of reading and analyzing essays, which isn't my favorite thing in the world to do, but that's what I wanted! I really like reading into stuff so I hope I can use fancy analogies, aphorisms, metaphors, oxymorons, similies and all that good stuff into my writing! Essays are interesting…just interesting…

Oh! And if someone could maybe draw my oc's for me? Or the usual FMA crew with my OC's? I tried to but I think it's a fail and my computer is a beeeeeeccchhh and won't let me put it on here. -_- stupid technology.

THANKS FOR REVIEWS PEEPS!~~


Chapter 9: Ling of Xing And Ghosts

~()~()~ September 14 ~()~()~

Wyatt's face blanched and he watched the two girls across from him in horror.

"I prefer under."

Bella raised an eyebrow in interest as they spent their last day on the train to Xing talking away. "Oh really?"

"Yep," Camile smirked.

"Well don't they usually go over?"

"Yeah," Camile said in thought. "But…under is more convenient. Easier to get to."

"So they usual jus—"

"WHAT the HECK are you two talking about?" Envy butt in, staring at the two an aisle across from his. Wyatt sweatdropped and stared at the homunculus in front of him who asked a question beating in his mind.

"Toilet paper rolls," Camile blinked at him casually and went back to tracing her fingers over a rather colorful drawing she had made when she was bored earlier.

Wyatt nearly felt his heart stop with relief. "Uh…"

"You are so dirty!" Bella exclaimed, smiling and pointing a finger at her cousin.

"I didn't know you thought that way, Wyatt."

Wyatt's face got red from the neck up in anger. "I do not!" he huffed and crossed his arms, averting his attention to the window.

"When are we going to eat?" Camile whined and slammed a hand on the table demandingly.

"Yo!" Camile said suddenly, gathering attention from several passengers. "Hey, Ed!"

Ed sighed and looked confused before turning around from his seat to hers behind him. They decided to switch seats every new day on the train. Lucky Ed, he got Camile behind him this time and she absentmindedly made sure he was entertained and kept awake while on the train.

"Yes?" He asked, resting an automail arm on the top of the seat.

"I'm hungryyy!" Camile pouted.

Ed blinked. "We should be there in less than ten minutes."

"I could go for some pickles right now..."

The group all turned their attention to Camile, slightly frightened and weirded out by her odd food request. It seemed something a pregnant woman would request.

"Are you pregnant?" Bella asked.

Camile dropped her brow in confusion. "I'm pretty sure I'm not, why?"

"You guys looked pretty cozy the other night." It was Greed who commented this time; referring to the close proximity he saw Envy and Camile in.

Envy growled but Greed only chuckled.

"Hey, sweets, you can get pregnant can't you?" Greed smirked. Envy was building up with fury.

Camile's face turned completely pale before it changed into deep anger. "OH NO!"

Greed chuckled.

"I swear if you even think about doing something, I'll make sure your thingy is deformed!" Camile threatened.

"Hey, now, I was just curious. Maybe lat—"

"Greed, shut up!" Envy shouted and nearly hit Greed in the back of the head. Everyone was met by a loud yelp from a certain brunette.

"OWW!" Bella winced and held her nose. The impact from Envy's fist made it bleed but it wasn't quite broken.

Envy stared expressionless for a minute, eyes glazed over.

"Now look what you did!" Ed said. Most of them didn't even notice he was still resting his arm on the seat behind him.

"It was an accident, shrimp," Envy growled.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE CAN'T EVEN FIT IN A CARSEAT?!"

Al laughed nervously, quite fidgety from all the racket and looks they were getting. "Um, brother," Al patted his brother's arm. "We should at least try not to draw attention to ourselves."

Camile nodded.

Ed sighed angrily. "Well it's hard to do when you're traveling with three homunculi!" His voice had only dropped slightly.

"Does it look like we're happy going with you too, pipsqueak?" Envy said, waving his hand haughtily.

"Yeah, it's not like we had a choice," Greed smirked.

Ed narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? Of course you had a choice."

Envy, Greed, and Wrath all sighed deeply. "T.M.K. is getting on our last nerves," Envy explained. "If some human, or whatever this person is, doesn't know they pissed off a homunculus."

Ed raised a brow but kept listening. Envy never told him this.

Envy growled lightly. "He's been proving a bit strong, even for me. He was a—good match for me on a little errand I had to run."

"And I never did get new clothes anyway!" Camile said suddenly.

Envy ignored her and glared at Ed. "So you see, Fullmetal? If anything Greed, Wrath, and I are doing this for ourself. You're just a precious resource to get us closer to hunting him down."

Ed sighed and nodded before sinking down back into his seat. "Then don't even think about trying anything funny, Envy."

Envy smirked. "I'm not that stupid."

"Never said you were!"

"I still want my food, ladies!" Camile whined loudly.

Wyatt groaned and held his head. "SHUT UP! You're giving me a headache," he snapped.

"SHUT UP, WYATT!" Everyone said in unison. Now the train folks were starting to get mildly pissed.

"Guys…" Al whimpered.

"Hey look…Xing!"

The group turned their full attention to the windows on the right, which held the ethereal landscape of that which is called Xing.

They all grabbed their suitcases full of clothes and other necessities for a night or two with the prince Ling himself. The prince seemingly snuck out of his place a few days ago and was now wandering in a small town in search of the beautiful and perfect future wife.

Ed and Al had gone to Xing a few months earlier in search of learning alkahestry, and ran into the prince. Now, he supposedly wrote them a letter explaining he had seen T.M.K. and his mask had fallen off in a shuffle. Behind the mask was another black ski mask so no one could see his or perhaps her, face.

Everyone grabbed their bags from the luggage compartments and discreetly walked out the train. Oh no, it wasn't a hard thing, all Envy had to do was keep in the disguise of a tall, thin, brown-haired, green-eyed man and he was golden. Wrath was in normal clothes and Greed; well he was pretty much the same.

The asian-themed air of Xing welcomed them in a strangely comforting hug. The train station left the group in a small town of Kiano, where Ling was rumored to be hiding around. Kiano was one of the smallest towns in Xing, and wasn't even on the map. The peach-colored mountains in the backround covered the town in a veil. It was also hard to believe you weren't in Xing, no matter how hard you wanted to. Everyone looked the same; small pale faces, red lips, dark hair, grey eyes, near the same height for women and men, and wore yellow, pink, or green clothing. Just a mere glimpse at the people of Kiano were odd, everything they did—odd. Even slightly more eccentric than the rest of Xing's people.

"How are we supposed to find Ling?" Al looked over at his brother with melted brown eyes.

Ed made a barely noticable frown, unless you were paying attention. He was trying to stay optimistic. "This may be harder than I thought…"

"What now?" Wyatt asked, stepping off the train last and dragging his bag along the cracked pavement. His yellow shirt was already dusty with orange sand from the wind.

"We'll just have to find him," Ed shrugged. He got in front of all of them, his blond ponytail swaying in the wind.

Camile slumped and said bluntly, "I'm hungry."

"You're not going anywhere without the rest of us," Envy said boredly. His voice sounded much more masculine in the body he was currently in. It took some time getting used to it, but the attitude was undoubtedly Envy's.

Camile gave a stumped look. "I wasn't—planning on it."

Envy glared at her for only a minute and then passed. "Whatever. You aren't leaving my sight."

"Trust issues," Camile coughed under her breath. Lucky for her, Envy's supernatural hearing wasn't focused at the moment or he'd probably put a collar on her or something for proof.

"Why don't I just watch her?" Wrath suggested, skipping along to the two's brisk pace.

"Because," Envy scowled slightly. "It's a new place, and with T.M.K. going around, I don't think so."

"Can I go with her to get something to eat?" Wrath said, absentmindedly licking his lips.

"I just said," Envy hissed. "No."

"Can we please get something to eat?" Camile asked, unknowing she was hooked onto Envy's arm. His face only had a brief blip of annoyance and then went blank as he stared at her.

"WOAH! Sorry," Camile laughed nervously and flung her hands away from him as though he were a wildfire.

"Yeah, we'll find a restaurant! What does everyone feel like eating?" As soon as Ed asked that, everyone shouted in several, confusing answers all at once.

"Umm," Ed said, scratching his arm, looking frantically about so he could satisfy everyone's hunger needs.

Jin's Grill—Eat here! We got everything!

Lightbulb. Ed headed off to his right and stopped at the tables surrounding outside. It was like a miniature café, except the fact that the tables were very crammed together and were in the middle of the street.

Ed decided it'd be easier to write down everyone's orders and then give it to the chef at the counter inside.

"We don't stick out," Luki said quietly, looking around self-conciously at the dark-haired, dark-eyed people staring back at them. He set his black backpack on the table and took a seat next to her.

Camile flung her violet-colored tote off her shoulder and onto the cast-iron stool next to Bella's things.

"Be right back. I'm going to wash my hands."

Bella made an 'ok' sound and Camile walked over to the bathroom. She was incredibly tired and being far from home always made her sleepy. The bathroom was old and the once pearly white paint that coated the building was now chipped with the erosion of age. She looked at herself in the mirror; slightly dark circles under her eyes and she was acquiring a tan. Her loose, navy-blue shirt was thin and airy, and the black tank top underneath made the tan appear darker. She looked at her teeth and noticed that her tan made her look less like a vampire.

She decided to splash her face with water in the sink to wake herself up. She was cautious not to wash away her makeup, even if it was very minor and wouldn't make a huge difference. Camile was a pretty girl to begin with, and never found the time to wear much makeup at all besides mascara, blush, and some lip balm. She also didn't realize that she was fortunate to have a 'baby face', which people mistaked her for sixteen. But, Camile was just self-concious. When she looked in the mirror again, water droplets fell from her chin and hands. But her hands were much whiter than usual—almost…transparent.

Camile blinked and blinked. She even slapped herself lightly only to feel what was her wrist smack her cheek. She looked skeptically down at her hands and thought they were disappearing. They were like looking through a thin veil, one that you would put on your windows as curtains. She was staring for a good three minutes before finding words to shoot through her ever-going mind.

"Tired…" Camile mumbled and quickly threw away the bizarre thought. She walked out of the bathroom and noticed her hands were now fully there. She sighed in relief and walked back from the back of the restaurant that was situated by an alley and to the front of the building. Little did she know that while she was gone, an unexpected visitor was rummaging through her belongings.

"What the…" Camile nearly had a heartattack to see someone sitting on—yes on—their table. And he was even going through Camile's bag while Luki and Bella just sat watching nervously. And of course Wyatt wasn't going to do anything.

Camile walked briskly over to the golden-dressed man. His black eyes stared at her calmly. "Is there, like, a reason you're going through my bag?" she pointed.

"Oh, hello. Why I just needed a pen, so I could write down your name, pretty lady."

Camile rolled her eyes at his obvious fail of flirting. She raised an eyebrow and held out her hand expectantly. The man still didn't drop the calm demeanor.

"I'm Ling," the handsome young man snatched up her hand and kissed it gently. "What's yours?"

"Camile," she said boredly. So…this is the prince? Huh. Interesting.

"Camile…?"

"Hansen. Camile Hansen. Now why are you here?" Camile asked. None of the others seemed to be doing anything, just staring at the prince before them. Ed and Al weren't back yet from the counter or else Camile figured they'd be hopping him with questions. But no, they just had to be stuck in line, leaving a stranger to go through her stuff for a pen and paper. And that was just for some stupid flirting…probably like he did any girl.

"So I heard you are the prince or something?" Envy asked, observing his fingernails. Camile rolled her eyes. He could be such a girl sometimes.

Ling smiled calmly. He didn't even seemed bother by the fact that there were people flooding the streets when he was supposed to be in 'hiding'. "You are correct."

"And…"

"LING!" Ed screeched and came running to the table, nearly spilling the trayfuls of food he and Al held in their arms.

Al made an awkward noise. "Errmmm…"

Ling waved. "Ah, Fullmetal. So we are getting down to business are we?"

"With some friends too, I see," Ling, added, looking around at everyone.

Ed nodded, setting the food down at the center of the table where everyone grabbed their own dish. "I figured the better prepared we are for someone like T.M.K., the better."

Camile silently grabbed her bag that lay on Ling's lap. He was sitting crossed armed, smiling, and with one foot resting on his knee.

"Did you find a wife yet, Ling?" Al smiled.

Ling looked at him for a bit, but then smiled. "I see you have your body back!" he clapped, beaming. "Congratulations, my friend!"

Al nodded and smiled back politely. "Thank you…so…um did you?"

"Oh! Oh! That," Ling laughed. "I think I may have…" he then averted his attention slightly to Camile, who stood awkwardly and shifted her foot in the sandy pavement. She backed away a good ten feet.

Envy growled slightly. He shot up from his casual sitting position and grabbed her by the forearms and pushed her back into his stomach protectively. Camile fought a blush. Her dark hazel eyes were wide with confusion.

"Or not," Ling shrugged.

"I heard you found a mas—" Ed started only to have Ling read his mind and hold up an ethereal mask proudly.

The mask was dark green with red stripes. The eyes were an odd dark maroon color and were like tiny slits that were covered with a colored mesh. The mouth was barred and had spiky teeth like a piranha. It looked slightly demonic, and was something Wrath and Envy had now triggered in the memory. They were a little busy to remember details about the mask when they were fighting, but now that the mask was physically in front of them, it was easier.

"That's it," Wrath said in awe. He pointed a finger half-heartedly at the mask that slightly resembled The Shield.

Ling raised an eyebrow. "This thing? Are you sure?"

Wrath nodded energetically. "Yes! I remember it in a fought we had with T.M.K.! That's their mask!"

"Oh, it's definitely not a they. It's a male for certain," Ling said with pursed lips. "I could tell by their body type."

Ed raised an eyebrow and leaned in slightly, but said nothing.

"He was quite a challenge wasn't he?" Ling smirked distantly.

"Oh you bet," Wrath said seriously, his voice laced with disappointment.

"So how did you even get a hold of this? It sure is something," Ed said, grabbing the mask from Ling's hands and observing it closely.

Ling nodded and lifted up his sleeve to reveal a heavily bandaged left arm. "It was far from easy. As the future emperor of Xing, I have never seen such a fighter. It almost seems…"

Ling paused. "…Not from this world, I could tell you that. But that is only my opinion." Ling shifted his leg so that he was in a reversed, identical positon with his legs.

"Did he change much from when I last saw him?" Ed said, leaning on the table and resting his chin in his automail palm.

"No, not at all. He was still dressed entirely in black."

"Well, Ling. I have got to give you credit—this mask is one more step to finding this guy. And once we do, he has hell to pay."

Ling stared at Ed and then sighed, closing his eyes. "I would definitely not get cocky. He's not a force to be messed with. I found that out by my injuries and narrowly escaped alive."

For whatever reason, Greed found this funny and burst out laughing, which went willfully ignored for the moment. It soon subsided.

"Do you know where he went? Or at least see where he was going?" Ed asked, not moving an inch.

"It was broad daylight when we fought. So you need to have both eyes and ears open everywhere," Ling warned. "But he was headed toward the West last I saw."

Ed nodded and looked once more at T.M.K.'s mask in his hands. "Thank you, Ling. This will come in handy."

"Do you even know what to do with this evidence?"

Ed paused a moment and stared blankly. "Um…"

Ling sighed and smacked his head, but then laughed. He could be such an odd one. "I have a friend named Ilina, she paints, makes, and observes these masks for a living. She's the blacksmith just five blocks down. Make sure to bring this to her."

Ed nodded. "Oh, okay. Well, thanks Ling."

"Oh and one more thing…"

Ed stared and blinked.

"I sort of had a meal with your money while you were picking up silverware." Ling pointed to the stacks of empty plates with a few crumbs on them sitting on the table behind them.

Everyone could've sworn they saw Ed's vein shoot right out of his head. His eye twitched and pulsed with anger.

"AAAARARGHGRHGAGRRRGHHHHAAAAA HHHH!"

~()~()~

"Don't you think the whole screaming was a little unneccessary?" Al asked, brushing his hair in the mirror.

Ed crossed his arms and let out a loud huffing sound. He sat down on the brown sheets of the hotel bed and the springs creaked in distress.

"…emwtev," Ed mumbled. It sounded a bit like 'whatever' so Al didn't pursue it any further. Al was getting used to getting embarassed and dealing with everyone's mood swings and tempers; he'd had everyone been staring at them from the odd groups little outbursts for the past few days.

Al briefly held his attention to the mask in Ed's lap and then continued his way to the bathroom to take a shower. Showers were such an amazing thing. The warm water washing down his skin, washing away nearly everything. So, Al took showers when he needed to clear his mind for a while, even if all he could focus on was T.M.K.

The creepy yet beautiful mask was what they called a transforming mask. According to Ilina, T.M.K. is the only one who yields the power to use the mask to change its form and also change its appearance. He wasn't exactly a shapeshifter like Envy was, but his mask held the ability to change appearance. But the demonic form of the mask was definitely its orignal form. Who knew what exactly that thing did?

In the other room, Greed lay bored on the bed, bouncing an apple up and down in the air. He'd been having a pleasant conversation with the man next to him. The man wore a casual brown suit and a matching clad 1910's hat. He described his business affairs and also of how he was stuck in Xing for at least 200 more years until someone unlocked the door.

Greed nodded and listened to this man. He had to be one of the most hilarious men dead. Oh…you thought this was an actual guy? Of course not! The man's name was Era and he was a businessman who was having a civil conversation with Greed.

"So tell me what you know about the phantom," Greed said, more casually rather than imperative.

"I don't know much about that guy," Era said, adjusting his hat on his transparent head. "But I know that you may want to watch out for those four newbies."

Those four newbies were referred to the young adults in the room across the hall.

Greed sat up and stopped tossing the apple. "Huh?"

"They seem to be like me…" Era said and then something in the distance caught his attention and he left before anything else could be used to question his vague answer.

"Wait! Ugh, don't go…" Greed huffed and looked around. What exactly did that guy mean? Are they turning into ghosts too?

But then again the guy wasn't human. Ghosts were one of the least sane creatures out there, right above homunculi.

Greed whistled and half laughed. "Man…that guy was deeper than a black hole."

Envy shot out of the bathroom with a towel cleaning out his ears. He was in his original form. "Who were you talking to?"

"A ghost."

"...Ah."

A sudden racket outside the door interrupted the words from flowing out of Envy's opened mouth. It sounded as though glass had gone through a tennis racket.

"Wrath!" Envy threw the towel down on the floor like an angry teenager. It hit the floor with a sonic echo.

"What is that kid up to now?" Greed raised an eyebrow and slowly pryed himself up off the angel-soft bed.

Envy flung the door open to see the window at the end of the hall open. He thought he saw the flash of something black out of the corner, but it was pitch black out of the square panel of glass and once Envy arrived to the window, there was nobody but some kids playing in the street below them.

"Definitely wasn't Wrath," Greed said, smirking behind Envy.

Envy growled and sauntered back to the room. That surprised Greed—he was being—odd. Envy would've and should've pursued the matter. But maybe he was for once learning something from hanging with the humans.

Now I see what I'm doing wrong. I know what I want… Greed inwardly sighed. Now I see…now I see.


A/N: Short-ish chapter! With some Greed angst at the end.

So…I know the ghost part at first was a little confusing. But that's good! :D I hope you're super confused and asking all sorts of questions! As far as Ling goes, this is his only chapter unless you want me to include him in more…even though I plan to plug him into much of the sequel—yes, sequel, but I need at least around fifty reviews by the end of this before all that!

So review! I really tried hard on this after so much grueling school! It'd be much appreciated! :)