"Well, to say the trees are the problem here is not entirely true. It is more… the forest itself," amended Legolas. He walked closer to the tree line and closed his eyes in concentration.
"The trees are the problem in Fangorn. They are… known to hold grudges."
"Trees hold grudges? Right, and armor moves by itself," sighed Ed, and then bit his tongue. Al had moved by himself. No, Al was real. A person. Get a grip, Elric, don't lose it now.
"Come, let us search for Merry and Pippin- the forest hopefully has not gotten them yet." Legolas led the hunters dutifully into the dank and enclosed area of trees.
God, I can't believe I actually miss home! Not only Resembol, but even Central would work for me right now. Not that I miss that bastard Colonel. That would be bottom rung. They pushed hard against the thick branches and brambles. Aragorn looked for a path from the Hobbits, but his search was in vain. Gimli checked residue on the leaves around him.
"Dew… water… not touching that…" He suddenly spit violently. "Ptui! Orc blood!"
"Someone followed them in here. They were obviously noticed as being alive," said Ed.
Aragorn caught the movements of another creature on the forest floor. "These are strange tracks," he murmured.
"The air is so close in here," commented Gimli. Ed made to remove his red coat, but a burning sensation on his neck caused him to pause. Someone else was there, watching them. He slowly put his back under the cloth and checked for his gloves in his pocket.
"This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory... and anger," mused the Elf, sensing Ed's mood change.
Right. Tree's are like elephants- they never forget.
A chorus of groans reverberated through the forest, causing a very anxious Gimli to raise his axe and a taunt alchemist to clap his hands.
"The trees are speaking to each other!" said Legolas.
"Gimli!" said Aragorn. With a gesture he whispered, "Lower your axe."
Legolas smiled at Ed. "They have feelings my friend. The Elves began it; waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."
He raised his eyebrows as high as they would reach- teaching inanimate objects to speak? Waking them up? What had this Elf been doing in his spare time? Gimli spoke up before Ed had reason to say anything.
"Talking trees? What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings," he commented. Ed snickered quietly behind his gloved hand.
Legolaswhipped his head around and up onto a mossy tree-root. "Aragorn, nad no ennas! (Aragorn, something's out there!)" he said, drawing an arrow.
"Man cenich? (What do you see?)" asked the man, coming up beside him. They looked at each other intently for a moment.
"The White Wizard approaches," whispered Legolas. He ran two fingers up the feathered tail of his arrow, readying to string it at any moment. Ed clapped his hands once more, feeling the alchemic reaction waiting to be released on any object he could for defense.
"Do not let him speak," said the man. "He will put a spell on us."
Aragorn wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, Gimli tightened the hold on his axes, and Legolas notched the arrow to his bow. Ed decided to use the ground for an attack- either open it or make it rise beneath their enemy.
"We must be quick."
With a sudden yell, the four swung around to attack. Gimli's axe and Legolas' arrow were both deflected. Aragorn dropped his sword as it had become red hot within his grasp. Ed tried to raise the ground, but his attempts were halted by an unexplained drainage of his energy. He dropped to his knees and almost passed out. The others shielded their eyes with their hands from the bright light emanating from the White Wizard. Ed kept his face to the ground, concentrating on keep his eyes open.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits," stated the White Wizard.
"Where are they?" shouted Aragorn. Ed began to sway on his knees, a loud screeching piercing his brain. He felt like his ears were bleeding, but from the hold of his hands, he knew that wasn't happening.
"They passed this way the day before yesterday," he explained. "They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
As the bright light dimmed, Ed could make out the form of the late Wizard Gandalf. He wore all white and stood tall before them. He watched as the others bowed to him. He began to lose consciousness as Aragorn spoke- "It cannot be…" His world went black.
'AL! Al, no, stay with me! Don't leave me! Alphonse!" Ed cried into the bright light and smoke. They had tried to bring their mother back, but something had gone wrong. Their blood was in-equivalent exchange and the forces of true alchemic power had retaliated- taking Al as retribution.
"Please no, not Al. Don't leave me alone here. Please… I need him here," cried Ed. A curdled cry came up from the center of the circle. "Mother?" He glanced at the body… it was imperfect. The mangled form clawed at the ground and gurgled through a mouthful of blood.
"Oh God. I need to get Al back from the other side. I need him here," he said, tears thick in his voice.
He turned around and searched the laboratory for something to use for Al. He spotted a full body suit of armor close by. He grabbed the leg and dragged it to the circle's center. He dipped his finger in the pool of blood- his blood from his missing leg and inside, at the neck, drew the blood seal that would keep Al grounded in this world. Quickly, he began the transmutation and the light began to grow. The white light blinded him as a searing pain pulled at his right arm.
"Edward? Edward? Can you hear me? Are you alright?" said Aragorn quietly, shaking the young alchemists shoulder.
"Al?" he said, opening his eyes. Inside, he groaned. Al was gone; he had watched his hollow metal body fall. Slowly, he raised himself into a sitting position. His arm jammed up at the elbow, causing his hand to slip in the soft moss. Aragorn caught him before he hit the ground. "Sorry."
"My apologies, Edward Elric. I did not realize the amount of energy I was draining from you," amended Gandalf as Ed rose with the aid of the Ranger. "I believe I took too much."
"You think?" Ed held his automail by the elbow and tried to find where it had stuck. "Damn… I must have landed on it wrong."
"You fell off to the side from your knees. I did not figure much damage would be done." Aragorn touched the metal, but had not a clue how it worked.
"Don't worry, I'll fix it some how. Soon, I hope." He kept it as still as possible- it was almost like he had broken his real arm. It stung slightly.
They walked through the forest, with Gandalf leading the way, now wearing a gray Elven cloak to hide his white robes. "One stage of your journey is over, another begins," he started. "We must ride to Edoras with all speed and haste."
Edoras?" asked Gimli in awe. "That is no short distance!"
We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king," spoke Aragorn.
"Yes, and it will not be easily cured."
"Then we have run all this way for nothing?" said Gimli. "Are we to leave those poor Hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested –" as he spoke, the angry and agitated groans of the trees reverberated through out the forest. "I mean, charming, quite charming forest." Ed laughed at the dwarfs superstition and simple fears- if he had let that noise jitter him for a second time he would not be able to keep his title of Full Metal and his state certification. It would be dishonorable.
Gandalf stared at Gimli. "It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains." He smiled softly.
"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend," said Aragorn quietly to Gandalf. "You still speak in riddles." They both laughed. Ed tried to push the stinging sensation to the back of his mind. They needed to move quickly. He would try to repair it tonight.
"A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days. The Ents are going to wake up ... and find that they are strong," explained Gandalf.
"Strong! Oh, that's good."
"So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf. Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be." The wizard led the way to the edge of the tree line.
"This new Gandalf's more grumpy than the old one," mumbled the dwarf. Ed laughed, till he found it hurt.
Outside the forest, Gandalf whistled piercingly. Soon an answering neigh was heard and a white horse appeared from across the plain, answering the call. The horse comes round to stop in front of Gandalf.
"That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell," awed Legolas, smiling.
"Shadowfax," Gandalf explained. "He's the lord of all horses and he's been my friend through many dangers. We will ride together once more."
They all mounted their horses, Gimli and Ed sitting behind Legolas and Aragorn, and they rode off in the direction of Edoras.
Night had come and somewhere on the Plains of Rohan Gandalf was looking at the east. Aragorn gets up from the fire and joins him. Ed sat in the shadows and tinkered with the delicate mechanics of Winry's beloved automail. The elbow seemed to have been shoved into the upper arm and he had to find a way to pull it out with out detaching it. Unless of course he unscrewed it and took it apart completely then reattached it. Aragorn and Gandalf stood at the cliffs edge, discussing the future of Middle Earth.
"The veiling shadow that glowers in the east takes shape," said Gandalf softly. Ed stopped tinkering to listen. He needed to know what was happening and why he was fighting. "Sauron will suffer no rival. From the summit of Barad-dûr, his Eye watches ceaselessly. But he is not so mighty yet that he is above fear. Doubt ever gnaws at him. The rumor has reached him. The heir of Númenor still lives." They share a look.
"Heir of Númenor?"
"Sauron fears you, Aragorn. He fears what you may become. And so he'll strike hard and fast at the world of Men. He will use his puppet, Saruman, to destroy Rohan. War is coming. Rohan must defend itself, and therein lies our first challenge for Rohan is weak and ready to fall. The king's mind is enslaved; it's an old device of Saruman's. His hold over King Théoden is now very strong. Sauron and Saruman are tightening the noose. But for all their cunning we have one advantage. The Ring remains hidden. And that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams. And so the weapon of the enemy is moving towards Mordor in the hands of a Hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom. We must trust now in Frodo. Everything depends upon speed and the secrecy of his quest." Aragorn turned his head away as though thinking. "Do not regret your decision to leave him. Frodo must finish this task alone."
"He's not alone. Sam went with him."
"Did he? Did he indeed? Good. Yes, very good."
They separated and went to sleep. Before Ed dozed off, he dismembered his forearm and left the piece out to put it back in place in the morning.
"Master Elric, your arm!" exclaimed Gimli in a slight panic. Ed opened his eyes to see the whole camp around him, Legolas examining the intricate design of the automail.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Leave my arm alone!" Ed jumped up and ripped it from his grasp. "I need that, incase you haven't noticed. That's kind of my hand!"
"But how did this happen?" asked Gimli.
"It was an accident. Nothing more. Now leave my arm alone!" He turned around to replace his limb in its proper place. A tear came out of his eye and e wiped it away quickly, as though it burn. Al, I will always remember what I did to you. Even if we find the Philosopher's Stone, and I bring you back and set things right, I will keep this arm as a reminder. Forever, as a reminder of my stupidity. "Let's just go already."
Ed stood and mounted the horse behind Aragorn and they rode off, Gimli and Legolas's eyes on his back the entire ride.
"You should not be angry with them. Metal limbs are new to all of us," said Aragorn. "Seeing one apart from the rest of the body was a shock to say the least."
"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have reacted like that. But I don't even know if I fixed it well enough to keep going until I get home or if it'll cave in on me and I'll have nothing to defend myself with."
They rode the rest of the way in silence.