DISCLAIMER: Ed Elric, 48 (helmet and body), etc. © Hiromu Arakawa / Shukaku, Lady Tsunade © Masashi Kishimoto / Marina, Araphon © author.

Key:

Normal text - speaking/narration

Italics - thoughts

bold italics: - jutsu

Ch 20: I Feel a Change Comin' On

The alchemist and former death row inmate charged at each other once more. Sparks flew again as one countered the other. Ed paused for a millisecond. Huh? Something doesn't feel right in my shoulder....... 48 took this opportunity to swipe at the blonds head, who ducked just in time. The result was such that the watchman merely gave Ed's bangs a trim.

Immediately, Ed retreated. If I don't settle this quickly, I'm in trouble! He charged another time, locked into a stalemate with 48, and was kicked to the ground. The empty suit of armor approached slowly and attempted to stab the fallen alchemist, but Ed nimbly bounded away. However, he did not escape unscathed; 48 managed to score a gash on the alchemist's left shoulder. 48 backed Ed up until his back hit a square column. Swiping at Ed's head didn't work because he evaded and rolled to the left. The watchman stabbed once again, which Ed dodged......and proceeded to fall on his rear from exhaustion.

"Ed!" I sprinted over to my boyfriend, already calling up green chakra to heal his wound. I knelt beside him with my back facing Number 48.

"You've left yourself open, girlie." He attempted to behead me, and I ducked while still treating Ed.

"Don't you DARE lay a finger on Marina!" With a surge of energy, Ed launched himself at Number 48 and knocked off his helmet. The short blond returned his auto-mail arm to normal and advanced towards the helmet.

"What's wrong? My blood seal isn't broken yet. Just hurry up and destr––nuh?"

Ed picked up 48's head so they could see eye to eye. "There's something I want to ask you."

"About the philosopher's stone?"

"Spill everything you know," Ed demanded.

"No can do."

"Hey now, the loser shouldn't be putting on a brave front."

"I.........haven't lost yet." 48's body suddenly appeared behind Ed, ready to strike.

Forming a seal with my hands, I materialized between them and deflected a lethal sword stab with a transmuted kunai. "Marina, what are you doing?! I won't let you put yourself in harm's way!"

"Ahem, who was the one who managed to injure Scar way back in chapter 7? Yeah, I believe that would be me. Don't underestimate me, Fullmetal."

Am I being ignored?! The helmet decided to divulge, "I forgot to mention that Slicer the Homicide......"

"......Was actually a duo of brothers." The body finished. "Let's go for round two." He lunged at Ed, but I blocked him again.

"Hey, hey, your opponent is me!"

"What?! I'm facing off against a girl? Laaame!"

"Don't you underestimate me either!" I bit the tip of my left thumb, drawing blood. My hands then flew through 5 seals, and I slammed my left palm on the ground. KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU! A cloud of smoke appeared and dissipated. In place of the smoke was.............a common house sparrow.
The body sweat-dropped. "That's supposed to help you.........how?"

Saluting with his right wing, the sparrow greeted me. "Yo! Long time, no see Marina!"

"What the hell, it talks?!" Ed's jaw dropped.

The bird in question turned to address the surprised alchemist. "HE, not it, thank you." He further astounded Ed by transforming into a red-tailed hawk, and flew around the room to explore. Once done, he alighted on my left forearm, which I held out in front of me horizontally. The hawk cocked his head to the side and peered at me owlishly. "..........We're not in Konoha, are we?" This was uttered as a statement, despite the question mark at the end of his sentence.

"Um, no."

"All right then." I could tell he wasn't entirely satisfied with my answer, but he moved on to more pressing matters. "What's the sitch? What are we up against?"

"We are up against an empty suit of armor, so regular jutsu won't work," I informed my summon.

"I see. What's your plan then?"

"I was thinking of using Rasens––"

The red-tailed hawk looked straight at me. "No. Absolutely not. I see where you're going with this, and I will not allow it. The fifth forbade usage of that jutsu! You know this, and still want to use it?!"

"Hey, if it lets us get out of here alive then yes, why not?"

"If Tsunade-sama finds out about this, she's going to have our heads!"

"What she doesn't know won't kill her."

"Marina, I'm serious! If you use it, you might not be able to perform jutsu ever again," the hawk warned.

"Um, Marina-chan?"

"Yes Ed?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but who exactly is that?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about the introductions." The alchemist sweat-dropped. "Ed, this is my summon Araphon. Araphon, this is Edward Elric, my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you Edward." Araphon stuck out a wing for the blond to shake.

Ed raised an eyebrow. ".....Likewise?" He gingerly shook my summons wing. I'm talking to a bird. I must be out of my mind.

"Are we done chit-chatting now?" The suit of armor questioned, reminding me why I had summoned Araphon in the first place.

"All right Araphon, let's do this." My summon leapt off of his perch as a hawk and landed on the ground as a small, brown anole lizard. I formed a cross-like seal with my hands. KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!

Two Marinas appeared––one on each side of the original––and Araphon scurried over to 48's body unnoticed by the former death row inmates. Upon arriving at his destination, the anole suddenly transformed into a lion. He grinned a predatory grin, baring his long canines. "Boo." The suit of armor stepped to the left and then to the right, testing his limits. Araphon immediately mirrored his movements, the two performing a weird dance as 48's body attempted to slip past the lion.

Meanwhile, I was some distance away, trying to figure out how Konoha's #1 Noisy Ninja managed to create the S-ranked jutsu.

Shukaku, I'm gonna need all the chakra you can give me.

Do you even know how to do it?

Um...........it's like a rasengan, but bigger............right?

The tanuki tailed beast face-palmed. No duh. Sarcasm aside, yes: start by making a regular rasengan, and I'll keep adding chakra until you say when. I nodded and a swirling sphere of chakra took shape in my left palm.