Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, nor do I own Fullmetal Alchemist. However, the unique plots and events I put the characters through are original creations of my own mind.
"Are you alright?" Al silently stalked over beside the strange girl named Sam, who seemed drastically disturbed. Well, irritated beyond belief would be the better track to go on. The four no longer sat in silence by the fire, but now, walked in awkward silence. An hour had passed now, and still, not a word had been exchanged between the four. Edward stalked up front, grip deathly tight around the suitcase, often muttering inaudible curses, daydreams of how to exact revenge on Danny flitting through his mind.
Above the four, an opaque being, flew, Danny's arms crossed, illuminated green eyes only looking forward to the moonlit skies, often huffing in annoyance, flicking his head back every once in a while to rid his eyes of a fallen strand of white hair. If Edward could have heard his incessant rambling, he would have probably vowed to kill him at this point. It was but Al and Sam that walked side by side. It was her that Edward and Danny both glanced at occasionally.
"I'm fine." Sam hissed to Alphonse, gaze remaining in front of her, though her amethyst eyes occasionally shot Danny a vile glare. Coincidentally, he seemed to fly higher with each gaze he felt on him. Al, however, was not convinced. Still, Sam scared her. He got the vibe that she was just as vicious and individual as Winry. Looking up, he breathed in astonishment as he watched Danny.
Looking down, Danny quirked an eyebrow at Al.
"Eep." The light in his eyes becoming bright with embarrassment, the armor tensed, and Al's gate became stiff. Danny just shook his head, grunting, and flew higher into the night sky, darkness hiding his form. Sam turned to Al, lightening up a bit. Al looked to her, scratching the back of his neck.
"I, uh...heh...but, how can he...?"
"We told you - he's a ghost. Ghosts can fly, right?" Sam muttered, arms now hanging loosely by her side.
"How can he be a ghost? But..." Al paled, "Are you a ghost, too!" He shrieked, attracting a glance from his older brother, but no real interest in his eyes. Sam just laughed, nearly falling over in a fit of giggles.
"Me? A ghost? Yeah, right." Wiping a tear from her eye, she stood straighter, clearing her throat. She looked to Danny.
"You know, I've never told anyone...about Danny, that is. I mean, I just met you, and here we go, blowing his cover."
"Why would a ghost need a cover?" Al asked, deeply interested. Mentally, he sighed. Why did his brother have to be such a stubborn ass? But, still...he would have horrible memory flashes of Ed being possessed by Danny. Or overshadowed. Whatever. It was still horrifying.
"Back at home...people don't like him very much, and...if people knew who he was..."
"Before he died?"
"Huh?" Sam gave Al strange look, though he remained calm.
What did he mean about that? Danny neva died... It was then Sam realized, once more, they were in another world. They had passed through the Gate. Ghosts might be something different here. In Amity, they weren't the disembodied souls of the dead. Ghosts had been a term for ecto-plasmic creatures, or the remains of a deceased person in the form of a plasma image. Such as Desaray, the Genie, or the Dairy King in Wisconsin.
"Oh, uh...well, its kinda like that." Sam answered, chuckling nervously. What was she getting herself into? Looking to Danny for strength, she decided to change subject.
"What about you? Danny said you're a ghost, so did you die?" This time, Al tensed. What had he gotten himself into? He really did not know how to answer this question. He hadn't died...but he wasn't alive. He had a soul, but it was attached to the bulky armor that stated his presence.
"Well, uh...no..." Al chuckled in a habit to try and calm himself down, and he prayed the topic would be forgotten.
"Tryin' to decide if you're dead or not?" Sam smirked, silently wondering how much longer they were going to walk on the pathway. Not only did she have no idea where they were going, it was at night, and she was exhausted. Since Ed and Al realized the military were not far behind, they refused to stop until they got as far away from Dublith as possible, whether Danny and Sam had last spotted them.
"No! No...I'm...alive...I mean, I can't possess people or fly or somethin' like that."
"Then why do you wear an armor suit all the time?" Sam whined. The intimidating, gothic style armor was...awesome! Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. How she wanted to try it on!
"It's a...hobby..." Al spoke, beginning to walk a bit faster. Ahead of them, Ed stopped dead in his tracks, his silhouette frozen against a moonlit scene. Curious, Al and Sam exchanged glances, the two sprinting ahead to see exactly what was the matter. As Sam was about to reach the tip of the crest of the path, Danny dove down from the heavens, roiling black matter becoming his legs once more, holding Sam back. His face was paler than usual.
"Don't look, Sam!" He spoke, but her anger at his actions previously willed her to ignore him, shrugging his cold hands from her shoulder. Stalking off, she stood between Ed and Al, and suddenly, her mouth was agape.
Before them was the charred remains of a small, agricultural village, homes and structures no longer where they once stood. Smothered to the earth by flames, among their skeletons lay scorched bodies, sprawled unnaturally into disarray.
"Oh my god." Sam breathed, feeling tears well into her eyes. She wanted to cry, but held back the tears. Sam would never cry, but this was different. She could see the ashes of homes, and the bodies of people, infants even. This was not just a natural forest fire. The small town was decimated. Not one was left among the living.
"Brother...?" Al croaked, examining the village in disgust. Ed hung his head low, golden locks hiding his eyes. He shook with rage, white gloved hands clenched and trembling in anger. He recognized the large transmutation circle. From their perspective, they could see the grooves in the dirt roads. An experiment. Whether wrong or right, it depended on what sick alchemist had tried.
Sam felt Danny's hand on her shoulder, his green eyes focused solely on her. She did not repent his consolation. Who could have done this? When she heard movement, she looked up, watched as Ed walked down the path to the decimated village. She did not try to follow. Of all the movies she had watched, be it Zombies, Psycho Serial Killers, or Vampires, nothing had prepared her for the sight or scent before her now.
Ed slid down the steep end of the path, stumbling slightly as he reached its base. The path snaked in numerous directions, once guiding family to their houses. It was now just a pathway to the graves of the dead. Holding his breath, Ed ignored the scent of charred flesh, and walked along the transmutation circle. It was still fresh. Amber eyes avoiding the sight of the curled, black heap of an infant's corpse, he continued on, noticing some embers on the fallen debris of homes. The village had burned not hours ago.
"Haven't you nosed around in our business long enough, Fullmetal?" Darting to the side, Edward narrowed his amber eyes, Lust appearing from the shadows, slender arms crossed about her breast. A smirk played across her face, livid eyes filled with amusement.
"You did this?" Ed hissed, barely able to stand the smell. Lust extended her index blade, scratching at the soft earth. It matched the same etched markings as the human transmutation circle in the ground.
"What use is that to you? You can't use alchemy."
"DANNY!" Sam's cry pierced the air, and the faint illumination of blue sparks lit the night sky. Edward wheeled around, eyes wide. Wrath was here. He began to run back, back to those strange two, but innocent, people and his brother, but Lust swiftly leapt over him, landing cat-like before him, blocking his way. Skidding to a halt, Ed wasted no time, and clapped his hands together. Extending his left arm over his right, the metal transmuted into a blade, and he lashed at Lust.
Counter-attacking his blade, Lust blocked it with her clawed blades, and lunged at his chest, ring finger targeted. Dodging the attack, Ed yelled, slashing the blade across Lust's stomach. Her eyes widened, and she fell, blood seeping from her mouth. Standing his ground, Ed narrowed his eyes at her. Lust coughed, but then her rose lips twisted into a smile.
"Thank you for bringing us the Ghost boy. You really are a great help." Ed bolted off towards the crest of the hill, behind him, Lust already recuperating from the nearly fatal blow.
"Let-me-go!" Danny squirmed, the savage eyes of Wrath clearly amused, baring a feral smirk, untamed black hair going whichever way it desired. His arm, or Ed's, really, was wrapped around Danny firmly with an elasticity to it. Picking up a rock in his other hand, he slammed it on his unnaturally stretched arm, and transmuted the hard stone to it, making it a much harder substance.
"Let him go, Wrath!" Al spoke, assuming a fighting stance. He knew he was Izumi's child, but he wouldn't let him hurt anyone. Even a ghost. As Al spoke, Sam rushed over to Wrath, not heeding of Al's knowledge of who this homunculis was. Wrath merely smirked, tightening his small fist into a formidable weapon. This time, Danny smirked.
Phasing through the hold, Danny flew up, swiftly coming down, leg extended. In one moment, Wrath saw this, his expression shocked. With a loud 'thud', Wrath fell to the ground, skidding in the dry earth. Danny landed, brushing himself off. Wrath would not give up the fight so easily. Flipping into the air, he landed on his feet, and extended his right hand.
"Why don't you just stay still, Ghost boy? I need to make Mommy proud." Blue sparks flew around him, and the ground reared up, producing an elaborate, steel spear. The alchemic energy dissipating, Wrath grasped the spear.
"HYEA!" He shouted, charging at Danny at an inhuman speed. Flicking his head back, Danny sighed. Opening his palm, ecto-plasm began to form, and as Wrath lifted the spear to strike Danny down, the green ray shot out, making Wrath spiral out of control and be hauled backwards quite a few yards.
"What kind of Mommy do you have?" Danny spoke, jumping into the air. His legs disappeared, becoming a roiling black mist as he floated sternly before him. The boy smirked, scrambling to his feet. Al cringed at the irony in Danny's statement.
"What do you want with them, Wrath?" The three turned, watching as Ed stopped beside Danny, glaring at the vicious, wild boy. Sam and Danny exchanged glances. Those two knew that homunculis? Wrath just cackled, assuming a charging stance.
"None of your business!" Beating his legs on the ground, his was sprinting towards the foursome, gritting his teeth. Danny sighed, opening his palm to shoot an ecto-plasmic ray from it again. As the green ray erupted, Wrath suddenly flipped over it, laughing. As his fell, he raised the sharp spear above his head, below him: Sam.
"Sam!" Danny shouted, realizing she was in danger as only feet separated her from the boy. Flying towards her, he opened his arms.
Faster, Danny, faster! He screamed at himself, but knew he was not fast enough. Sam held her hands up to her face, shutting her amethyst eyes, frozen in fear. The spear was a foot. Seven inches. Three inches.
---
CLANG. Danny grabbed Sam, and the two hurtled out of the way. Glancing over Danny's shoulder, she watched as Wrath leapt back, Ed's metal arm blade blocking the attack. Beads of sweat fell down Ed's face, and he assumed a fighting stance, a wry grin on his face at Wrath's dissatisfaction.
His arm...its...not real! Sam marveled, suddenly finding herself being steadied on the ground, Danny's hands on her shoulders. Behind them, Ed and Wrath charged at one another, one equipped with his limb blade, the other, a spear. The two met equally, digging their heels into the ground as sparks flew from their encounter.
"Sam! Are you alright?" Danny asked, desperately afraid for her. Sam blushed at the attention she was receiving, and all previous anger at him melted away.
"I'm fine."
"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GET IN THE WAY!" Wrath shrieked, hurling the spear at Ed. As he bent his knees to dodge it, Danny noticed Wrath transmuting the ground, making something that was not good.
"ED!" He yelled, and two plasma blasts hurtled from both his fists, the first knocking the spear from its intended target, the other catching an unsuspecting Wrath, breaking his concentration. The blue alchemic sparks died away, and the quick sand pits beside Ed dissipated. Edward himself raised an eyebrow, amber eyes turning to Danny as he floated beside him, fists raised, his green eyes glued to Wrath.
"Uh...thanks...?" He spoke, but the their expressions became distorted with surprise as a wave of earth hurled Ed into the air, the other wave reaching a height to knock Danny into the sky. Ed flailed his arms uselessly in the air, trying to flap his arms into wings. He panted, beginning to plummet back to earth.
As Wrath hurled his arm in a sharp, arrow-tipped fist, Al tackled him to the ground, piercing armor body tossing him into the thick trunk of a tree. Danny placed his arms by his side, speed increasing ten-fold. Grabbing Ed from under the arms, he spiraled back to the ground as Al tossed a punch at Wrath, dodging the child's kick, he in turn leaping away from Al's round house kick, successfully kicking Al back.
"Drop me over Wrath!" Ed shouted, looking up to Danny. He nodded, and corrected their flight pattern.
"Bombs away!" Danny shouted, dropping Ed. Diving forward, he extended his arm blade, and narrowed his eyes, the air irritating them, tears forming in his eyes. Plunging forward, Wrath looked up, seeing Ed seconds away from him.
A sickening tear of flesh sound pierced the air, and dirt kicked up around Ed and Wrath. Sam and Al shielded their view from the plume of dirt, and Danny floated above them all, hands whirring with plasmic energy.
The cloud clear, displaying Ed's arm impaling Wrath's chest cavity. The homunculis spluttered, a drip of blood rolling down the side of his mouth. Danny willed the plasmic energy to die down, and he landed on the ground with the use of his legs as Ed withdrew his arm, blue sparks arching across it as the blade slid back into his original metal limb.
Wrath fell to the ground, body shivering as it went into shock.
"We'd better get outta here." Ed muttered, turning away from Wrath as he died. The three watched as Sam rushed over to Wrath's motionless body, and began incessantly kicking his head in.
"Friggin' ass! Don't-you-EVER-do-that-again!" She screamed. As she turned, she smoothed out the long white shirt, cleared her throat, and smiled cheekily to three dumb struck boys. Suddenly a gasp pierced the air, and Wrath sat up, dazed, flesh replenishing around the impalement. Ed and Danny scowled, lowering themselves into a fighting stance.
Sam suddenly scowled, and kicked him hard in the face. Wrath flopped to the ground, head aching. Sam repeated the process, but her kicks moved along his body, finding more painful places to inflict damage. When she was finished, Wrath was motionless again, and blood speckled her black, menacing boots.
"You were saying?" Sam asked Ed, but he paled as he addressed her. Grabbing Danny, he shielded himself from her. Danny pulled the collar to the black shirt he wore, gulping. Sam crossed her arms, annoyed.
"Boys." She muttered, turning around as she began to make her way through the forest. Ed and Danny exchanged glances, Ed smiling sheepishly as Danny scowled at him for using him as a living shield.
"She's..."
"Scary? Frightening? Outspoken? Yeah, I know, I deal with it on a daily basis." Danny laughed, beginning to follow Sam into the forest. Ed and Al shrugged, Ed picking up his suitcase, and the four entered the forest. They would not look at the sight of the village again. Their smiles were to hide that memory, the sight that seared itself mentally onto them.
Wrath gulped for air, body twitching as his heart began to beat once more, reviving from death for the second time today. Standing up shakily, he looked about, dazed. Limping, he made his way down the path to the village. By the time he slid down the steep end of the path to the village of the dead, he stood strong, health perfected. He scowled.
"Lust!" He screamed, stomping down the village streets in a form of a child's tantrum. Glancing around, he found her.
"Why didn't you help me get the Ghost Boy! Master won't make us human if we fail her again!" Lust did not move, lavender eyes frozen, body paralyzed. Her voice was broken, and Wrath could not make out what was said. Around her extended blades was a silver and sapphire locket, the chain wound around her middle finger.
"Who is this 'Ghost Boy'?" Emerging from the forest came a large, intimidating Ishvarlan, red eyes piercing the form of Wrath. A large, white scar was visible on his face, he himself dressed in the traditional wear of his people. The peculiar image was the black, elaborate markings down his right arm.
...End Chapter...