The Alchemists and the Fellowship
Chapter 3
Disclaimer: Yay! I love disclaimers! (Scowls) Yeah yeah, I don't own anything. I never do...(sniff)
After many uncomfortable moments in which Ed, Al, and Winry finally introduced themselves, the alchemists (and Winry) reluctantly agreed to help the strangers find their missing hobbits, Merry and Pippin.
"Are we there yet? I can't walk any further," Frodo complained after five hard, tedious minutes of traveling. "Isn't there an easier way to travel around here?"
Sam lightly slapped his friend. "Just keep going, Frodo," he said irritably. I don't know why I agreed to put up with this…oh yeah, that's right, because I'm stupid.
Legolas, of course, was trotting merrily some miles ahead of the group. "C'mon, you're taking all day!" he called to them in between shouts of "Merry! Pippin! I told you if you ran off one more time I'd take away afternoon tea!" It was the only meal Legolas had left to threaten the two with since he had already denied them breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, lunch, dinner, and supper due to the same cause. Although, he thought grimly, there are probably about fifteen more hobbit meals that I don't know about.
Aragorn tried hard to keep up with the Elf, but was unsuccessful as usual. "I'm almost…there…" he gasped.
"No, you're not," Al said innocently. His voice sounded very close behind Aragorn. As a matter of fact, it sounded as though…
Aragorn turned around and saw the others only about five feet behind him, walking. "Wow, you guys are fast," he rasped, and fell to the ground. Legolas, watching his companions using his keen Elf-vision, rolled his eyes and began to go back. This walking stuff wasn't doing much good for the Fellowship.
When Legolas finally reached them, he noticed that there was one less person than what they started with. "Where's Frodo?" He asked apprehensively.
He received blank stares until Sam grudgingly said, "he fell awhile back."
Legolas ground his teeth. "And you didn't bother to help him OR say anything!"
Sam replied with a look that plainly said "I was hoping that no one would notice."
Meanwhile, Ed and Winry were plenty annoyed with these new arrivals, and the rising level of irritation had created silence in the two.
"If you hadn't broken your automail, we wouldn't be in this mess!" She hissed at him. Actually, there were a lot of things that, if Ed hadn't done, they wouldn't be in the mess. Such as his birth, which he was regretting at the moment.
"You're the one that agreed to help him," he whispered back. Then he said aloud, "Ok, everyone. Winry, Al, and I are going to go get horses from our neighbor Nelly. Maybe then it will be a lot easier."
Aragorn suddenly regained consciousness and bolted upright. "Horses!" he squealed happily. Apparently he had selective hearing for the word. "I love horses!" He began to blissfully skip around in circles and sing notes so out of tune, the whole bordering forest full of noisy creatures went dead silent.
Legolas covered his face with his hands, frustrated. "Now you've done it," he growled.
Ed's reaction to Aragorn's strange (or, according to Legolas, completely normal) behavior was fearful alarm, Al was greatly amused, and Winry's reaction was a strange combination of the two.
"Just go get the horses!" Legolas demanded, and pushed them in Nelly's direction. The three started for their neighbor's house, with frequent glances over their shoulder at Aragorn, who continued to skip around like a five-year-old with obsessive compulsive disorder.
When they were out of earshot, Ed turned to his brother. "What just happened?" he asked, puzzled.
"I don't know…those are some very strange characters back there."
"What were they looking for again?"
"I don't remember what they were called…'homophobics' or something."
"Hobbits, Alphonse," Winry corrected him.
"That sounds like an alcoholic drink or something," Edward said.
"Or an alchemic array!" Al added. Within seconds, both of them were nearly on the ground with laughter.
"Alchemists," Winry mumbled sarcastically to herself.
Twenty minutes later, they finally reached Nelly's house.
"I think I remember her now!" Al cried as Winry rapped on the door.
"Took you long enough, Al," Ed smirked. Al stuck his tongue out at his dear brother, which was a costly mistake. Ed furrowed his brow and struck both hands together, alchemizing a pebble he'd found to completely enclose Al's tongue.
"Oh, you're in thor it now!" He attempted to say, and clapped his palms and placed them on the ground. The floor directly beneath Ed's feet vanished, leaving him to fall only four feet below the surface, which was still nearly over his head.
"You get me out of here right now!" Ed yelled, but gave Al no time to respond as he caused columns to rise quickly under Al's feet, knocking him face first into the ground. Al looked up, annoyed, and clapped his hands together again as Ed finally climbed out of the pit. Nothing happened.
"Ha, guess you lost your powers due to stupidity, smart on—" Ed suddenly lost control of his whole body. Ed gave Al his best ugh,-guess-I-shouldn't-be-surprised evil glare. Al slapped his knee with laughter.
"Let's see you get out of this one, Mr. Amazing State Alchemist!" Using the part of his soul he attached to Ed's body, Al bent his brother's body to pick up a small stone. Raising Ed's right hand to the perfect throwing position, Al began to move Ed's legs to face Winry.
"AUGH! No! No! Al! No! C'mon! I didn't mean it!" He watched his legs in absolute terror as they took a step toward his mechanic. "Alphonse! Stop! Right now! I'm sorry, okay! No! Augh! No! AL!" Winry turned around just in time to see Ed's hand right fling the tiny rock at the top of her head. Her eyes seemed to instantly turn a nice orange shade with fury. "Winry, it wasn't me! Al did it! It was all…"
"But she saw you do it, Ed! It couldn't have been me!" Al said playfully. Ed wasn't seeing the humor. Apparently, neither was Winry as she pinned Ed to the ground, fist raised. Nelly chose that exact moment to answer her door.
Their neighbor stood in the doorframe for a maximum of two seconds before stepping back in the house and closing the door again.
"Nelly! Come back! It's not what it looks like!" Winry cried, throwing herself at the door.
"Yes, it is," Ed and Al said in unison.
Winry whirled around to face them. "I suggest you fix that hole you put in the porch." The brothers eyed it at the same time and panicked.
A/N: Like it? Review! Hate it? Review! Have no emotion? Review! Me gusta...reviews...
