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.

"Now!" Edward shouted past his foe, Scar's red eyes alight with furious determination. Swiftly dodging the deadly cursed arm of the Ishvarlan man once more, Ed smirked. Down from the heavens came a ray of green, firmly pushing Scar to the ground, leaving his clothes slightly burnt and smoking. Floating down came Danny, comfortably being beside Ed in combat, Ed once more scratching the side of his neck.

Scar got up shakily, but his will was unshaken. If he could not send the Boy directly, he would approach the situation from a different stand point. Closing his eyes, he focused, and thrust his hand to the ground, a vibration like a small tremor growing from it. With his sleeve now vaporized by the plasmic energy of Danny, the strange, black array upon his very flesh was displayed, beginning to glow violently.

"Brother! Danny! Move!" Al shouted, but their response was too late. Or, rather, Edward's was. The ground arched with red alchemical sparks, and disappeared, becoming a large hole. Yelping in surprise, Ed suddenly plummeted down. Preparing to swiftly fly down to save him, Danny was caught off guard as Scar suddenly lunged at him, successfully kicking his floating form while leaping over the hole.

"Ugh!" Danny muttered, thrown back into a tree, slumping to the ground as his legs reappeared, dazed. His head ached, and he no longer heard Ed's cries to the lands above. His luminous green eyes watched as Scar, walking as though none had ever attempted to defeat him, stood over him, glaring down at Danny. Kneeling, his massive hand encompassed Danny's head, and the array began to glow.

However, this time, he spoke aloud no prayer, only focusing on the task at hand. For a moment, Danny felt paralyzed with fear, and speculated if this was the sensation Sam had before he had made her intangible to save her. But as the alchemical sparks danced around Scar's destructive right arm, he fell forward, a solid form no longer there to support his arm.

"Bet ya can't...uh..."

"De-construct." Al finished Danny's phrase.

"Yeah, de-construct, what ya can't touch!" Willing himself solid once passing through Scar's passive form, Danny thrust his fist back, but felt a death-grip catch it, and with much quicker reflexes, the red sparks began to flow. Struggling, mind buzzing with too many thoughts to focus on anything else, human instincts took over Danny.

"HYEAA!" Leaping forth from the transmuted pit, Ed held high a silver decorated harpoon, and as he fell back to solid ground, began to bring the blade down. With no choice but to defend himself, Scar withdrew his destructive right arm from Danny's captive fist, and grabbed the pole just below the blade. In one swift motion, the harpoon was obliterated, but Ed was back on his feet, he and Danny preparing to subdue Scar once and for all.

"How'd you get out?" Danny asked, glancing to Ed beside him.

"Holes have walls, you know. Transmuting a staircase was only a matter of adjusting my body accordingly while falling so I could get to it. Creating the harpoon was just a plus." Scar lunged at the two, each darting to one side as he did so. Coming behind him, each rammed into Scar, shoving him into his own contraption - his pit.

Looking over the edge, Ed waved good bye happily.

"Won't he get out? I mean, he can do that crazy magic stuff-"

"Alchemy. It's alchemy. No magic to it." Ed answered, turning from both Danny and the pit, scratching his neck again as he slipped the maroon coat from him, shoving it into his suitcase, leaving on the black top and pants, the early afternoon climbing in temperature. Not to mention the few tears the jacket had received.

"And, no. Scar is against alchemy, but uses it to murder other alchemists. He only knows how to destroy, not create." Looking over the edge, Danny could not see anything but the shadows, and whistled at how far down it was.

"Jeez. What a hypocrite." Danny turned, and suddenly rushed over to Sam, leaning against Al's chest as each sat down, her breathing still sporadic. He knelt down before her, looking into her pained amethyst eyes. She feigned a smile.

"I'm fine." Wincing in pain, she bit her lip, pushing herself up. However, she was met with a gentle hand, pushing her back. Taking the gesture as an invitation, she leaned back against Al's cold armor, beginning to warm under her body heat, muttering 'thanks' to Danny.

"I...I think she might've bruised a rib or somethin'." Al spoke, voice low and crackling slightly. Spreading out his arms, he leaned back, allowing Sam to rest in peace, still attempting to control her breathing. Although it was shallow, there was more of a pattern to it now. Behind them, Ed brushed off his hands, having transmuted the earthen staircase back into the original pit wall, and now made his way over to his brother, Danny, and Sam.

" You okay?" Ed asked, looking at Sam in concern. Smirking maliciously, she nodded, coughing.

"I hate...religious zealots. Don't stuff religion down other peoples' throats...I mean, I chose to be atheist."

"You're an atheist, too? Yes, I'm not alone!" Ed cheered, having no personal interest in believing something that does not exist. It seemed all the troubles of the world revolved around religion, and he did not want a part of it. Besides, alchemists were the closest things to god. He himself was a god. If one can create and destroy, can one not be considered a god?

"Too bad she lives in anotha world." Danny put in, laughing. Ed's frown and glaring eyes only deepened Danny's life, Alphonse joining in, Sam chuckling slightly but refraining from extraneous laughter, even breathing hurting her. Standing up, Ed looked about, then turned to Danny.

"Can you search the area for some kind-a town or Inn or something?" He asked, feeling awkward. It was the first time he had ever asked a favor of these two, let alone asking a ghost to fly around looking for a place to stay. Danny raised an eyebrow, but nodded, muttering an 'I'll be back' to Sam as he flew through the canopy, rustling the trees a bit, then disappearing to the naked eye as he flew inconspicuously in broad daylight.

The remaining three then began hearing Scar yelling and shouting in angry defiance, beginning to destroy the pit walls, just making his prison even larger.

"We'd better get moving. Danny will be able to find us." Ed suggested, and picked up his briefcase. Sam forced herself to stand, but could not. Tripping, Al deftly caught her, and hoisted her into his metal arms, cradling her like a child to his massive form. Scowling at being carried like a child, but not exactly refusing the help, the three pushed on, leaving the Ishvarlan zealot to yell into the nothingness at the bottom of his own pit.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" Al asked, breaking the calm silence between the three, the only slight noise the controlled breathing of Sam, the inhales and exhales still faint. Leading the way was Ed, hacking away at brush with a small, transmuted dagger, already getting dull after the few slashes they had used to cut through a rhododendron.

"Better." Sam croaked, coughing a bit after she spoke. As her coughing continued, Al tensed, acting as though he were a mother carrying a sick child, trying to protect it. Sam's coughing subsided, and she turned her head, watching as Ed silently stalked through the forest, their path clear for the moment. Her amethyst eyes lingered on him, finally resting on his visible metal fist, clutching the transmuted dagger in it.

"Ed, how did that happen?" She asked, voice low and hoarse. A moment of silence separated the question from the answer, but the answer came, nonetheless.

"I made a mistake, and this is my punishment for it." Al sighed at Ed's answer.

He always blames himself for everything...when will he lighten up and realize it wasn't just his fault. Al thought sullenly, knowing that his punishment was the armor physically appearing as Alphonse Elric. And besides this, Al also knew Ed's answer would not be good enough to quench Sam's insatiable curiosity.

"Punishment for what?"

"For attempting human transmutation." Ed slashed at a bush, hacking away at it to clear the path. Sam coughed, trying to disguise her astonishment. Every single Alchemy book she had read all spoke of human transmutation as a forbidden art, dark alchemy, and devil's work, much as they seemed to describe the Philosopher's Stone. As Ed fell in silence, Al just nodded, looking down to Sam in his arms.

"Our mother died when we were young, and we tried to bring her back...and this is what happened."

"And your Mom?" Sam rasped, truly coughing this time around. Al just shook his head, baffling Sam. Between the two of the Elrics, there was plenty of powerful alchemy, and even with their talents and Ed giving up his arm, they still had not brought her back. More importantly, Sam wondered what it was like to lose a mother. Sure, her mother was pushy, over-bearing, and frowned upon Sam's style of clothing, but she still loved her...

Time passed, the only sounds between the three of slashing at plants, coughing, and the soft rubbing of metal against metal. Though the sun cast long afternoon shadows now, Danny had not returned. Sam had eased in and out of rest a few times now, Ed himself slowing down the pace, sweat beading on his forehead. Finally, as the sun wavered above the horizon, Ed stopped, slinking to the ground.

"Okay, break time..." Al stopped at Ed's words, remaining standing, Sam having dosed off in his arms. After Ed caught his breath, he remained sitting, and lifted the pant leg on his left, revealing the artificial limb, sunlight glinting off the metallic surface.

"Hurting again?" Al asked softly, watching as his brother massaged the area that transferred from flesh to metal, it appearing to be swollen slightly. As he did so, he began vigorously scratching his neck, the skin there also appearing a bit swollen.

"A bit, but I'm mostly really itchy..."

"Ed, I...I think you have a rash." Quirking an amber eye at his younger brother, Ed continued to scratch his neck.

"I'm fine..." He muttered, continuing to itch his neck as he pulled down the pant leg with his free hand. Ed wiped the sweat from his brow, and fanned himself, glancing to the transmuted dagger. Clapping his hands, he placed it on the weapon, blue sparks erupting sporadically from it, dying down to reveal its edge to be sharp once more.

"Ed..." Al whispered fiercely, trying to catch his brother's attention while not waking Sam. Groaning as he stood, Ed turned to his brother, expression pleading him to go on.

"What are we gonna do...with Sam 'n Danny, I mean?" The air remained quiet for a few moments, Ed thinking in detail about this query.

"I really don't know...if what they say is true, then they can only get back to their world through the Gate...'n the only way we can get to the Gate is if we get the Philosopher's Stone to return you to your normal body..."

"Not before we get your real arm and leg back from Wrath." Al put in hastily, Ed just rolling his eyes at his brother.

"Does that mean...they're stayin' with us?" Al finally asked as Ed began pressing on, he following close behind, their path clear for the moment.

"I guess...I'm not about to just hand over what those homunculis want." Ed added, ceasing his ever-growing itching on his neck, it appearing red and blotchy now. The three stopped as they heard something above the canopy. Waiting, Danny suddenly materialized before Ed, becoming visible once more.

"Gah!" Ed breathed in surprise, jumping back a bit, not expecting such. Danny just laughed, but then drew back, in turn, from him, green eyes glued to Ed's swollen neck.

"What happened to you?"

"Is it really that bad!" Ed shouted, bearing his teeth like fangs.

"Okay, okay! Sorry. Jeez. Anyway, there's an Inn about a half a mile that way," Danny pointed to his right, "from here, and there's a small farming town by the river a little ways off from the Inn. And trust me, they like to farm...I'll be scrubbin' for a week before I can get the smell of cow off of me." At that mention, Ed made a face, the scent of cows wafting into his nose, Danny shrinking away from his own arm as he inhaled the strong scent.

"Phew. You're ripe, Danny." Ed spoke, waving away the smell. Danny furrowed his eyebrows, matching Ed's pace in a more graceful, floating manner as they moved west.

"Next time, you fly a few miles over cow pastures, and we'll see how you smell!"

"Better than that." Ed smirked, and dodged a playful ecto-blast, making his laughing harder. Danny just huffed, crossing his arms as he floated beside Ed, legs visible and in a resting position.

"So...Danny..." Ed began, catching the ghost's attention as he slashed away some stray branches from their path. Danny turned his head to him, side-glancing once to Al, Sam sleeping peacefully in his great, metal arms.

"What was your plan?"

"Uh...my plan?" Danny chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, I mean, your plan to get back home..."

"Oh, that plan...I, uh, well..." Ed glanced to Danny for a moment, smirking.

"You don't have one?" Danny remained silent.

"You're not very bright, are you?"

"Hey, I get enough of that at school! I don't need it from you!" Laughing, Ed paused, hacking away a bush. A green ray came from his right, and in an instant, the bush was gone, he falling forward as his dagger had nothing to cut. Fumbling to get his balance, he turned, glaring at Danny, who had taken the liberty of conveniently looking in the opposite direction, whistling innocently.


Author's Notes: Please, read and review. I enjoy constructive criticism, and do not enjoy being flamed. If there is something that irks you to a high degree, either PM me personally or word it constructively in a review. Thanks. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!