InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Humanity ❯ Departure ( Chapter 4 )

Humanity

By Joyfulmusic

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Inuyasha. Never have, never will.

This fanfic contains some spoilers. I haven't seen the whole series of either show so I'm not sure how they end. But that's why this is a fanfic!

 

­­­­­­­­­Chapter 4: Departure

 

When she woke the next morning Willa could feel her back aching with pain. She frowned as she felt the floor beneath her. `What am I doing off the bed?' Sleep made her mind foggy as it always did. But when she opened her eyes and saw the armor, memories came flooding back. `That's right. They're here to help me.'

 

“Morning.” Alphonse whispered. He'd been watching as his hostess roused. She had tossed and turned all night. Nightmares seemed to have been haunting her. She'd mumbled his sibling's name, though by her voice he was certain it had been a different Edward. “Brother is still sleeping.” He pointed to the bed.

 

Sitting up Willa could see the blond laying sprawled over the mattress. Al had made sure to keep him covered, just as he had with her. Apparently Ed also had trouble with nightmares. And just like hers, his were the ones which had haunted his mind for years. His hair had come loose from the braid and lay fanned around the pillow. He was frowning deeply.

 

Sleep was still causing Willa to waver, just a bit. She felt as though the world had become full of fog overnight. Though, she knew that was how she felt every morning. She stood slowly, holding on to the bed rail for support. Then she stumbled to the bathroom. Her throat was too sore to speak with Al just yet. She did regret that, and hoped he would understand.

 

Alphonse watched as she quietly closed the door behind her. `She wakes up a lot like brother does.' He mused to himself. Then, standing as quietly as possible for a suit of armor, he moved to where the opening to the hall had been. Drawing an alchemic array with a piece of chalk he placed a hand within it. The power surged through the wall, returning the door to its rightful place in the room.

 

 

When Willa looked in the mirror she frowned. `I look terrible.' Her loose hair was full of tangles. Normally she would have put it up before going to bed. But last night had been full of too many events to bother. Now she would have to pay for her forgetfulness. Picking up a brush she decided it would be best to go back to the room. By doing so she could sit down, which would be good considering this would take awhile.

 

Opening the door, she found Al standing beside the hall wall. “Morning.” She murmured, moving to sit on the stool to the vanity. “Oh.” Noticing her other guest was still asleep she felt bad for having spoken at all. Silently she slipped out the door, which Alphonse had opened.

 

They both left the room. Willa started for the stairs, her visitor following close behind. As they made it to the first floor she gasped. There were rocks everywhere. Whatever had thrown them at the bedroom window must have become infuriated. Moving to the living room she could see that every glass had been broken out. Dashing through the room she made her way to the dancehall. The long line of windows, which opened into the empty room, were all broken. Shards lay scattered across the wooden floor. The creatures couldn't come in, but they'd found a way to attack without having to set a foot in the yard.

 

“Willa.” Al tried to comfort her. “Brother and I can fix it.” She had her back turned to him but he saw her tremble. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder to try and ease her pain as best he could. “It'll be good as new, you'll see.” As she glanced up at him he could see the tears in her eyes. They were accompanied by a sorrow with no end.

 

“I can't stay here.” She sobbed, wanting so much to hug him, but knowing she shouldn't. This was not her old friend, and yet her heart begged for some form of comfort. “How can I, after this?” Her head shook as she lost her voice. Alphonse knelt down on one knee to be closer to eyelevel with her. Immediately she turned, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt foolish but at the same time she was desperate.

 

“We can take you away from here.” He offered, stroking her back softly. She looked so weak, so helpless but he didn't know what to do. “We'll leave today, go to the next town.” Her head shook against him. He wasn't able to feel it, but he could hear her skin rubbing against his metal and see the movement of her hair. “Why not?”

 

She pulled away from his embrace and glanced up at him. “It's a day's walk to the next village. What if we didn't make it there before sundown? That's why I couldn't leave before. It's so far to anywhere.” Her body was racked with another sob. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep from shaking. `It's all over. There's no possible way to escape.'

 

“What happened?” Edward's voice came from the bottom of the stairway. He ran through the living room, stopping when he saw Al and their hostess standing in the ballroom. His eyes were full of concern. The young woman looked as though she were about to go mad with grief. It pained him deep inside. “We've got to leave. Now!”

 

Al nodded as he raised Willa into his arms. She didn't try to resist him, didn't want to. Staying here was too dangerous. Her mind told her that, with these brothers she had some chance of being safe. `I'll let them take me with them. But then what will I do? I've got nowhere to go, no friends to turn to.' Her head shook away the thought. All that mattered was getting to safety.

 

Edward grabbed both coats from the pegs. He threw his on but carried hers. The rain had passed, so the day wouldn't be cold enough for her to require one. Yet he knew that it was better to take it, should they need one later. He glanced out before cautiously moving to open the door wide enough to pass though.

 

“Meow?” Pharaoh gave the three a questioning look. His master was leaving, and he didn't know why. He'd spent the whole night hidden under the greenroom bathtub, safe from the flying rocks. “Meow?” He leapt up onto the banister, and then into Willa's arms. If he had any say in the matter, he would not be left behind.

 

“Good Pharaoh.” Al murmured as the girl stroked her pet, still holding tightly to the brush. Luckily she hadn't removed her shoes the night before. So he followed his brother down the pathway. “We don't need to pass Wick brother.” Ed nodded and at the crossroads took the one that led away from the town.

 

 

As the Elrics walked quickly along the road both cat and owner slept. Alphonse had been watching them for some time now, as they lay in his arms. `She's so tired. She must never get a good night's rest' Aloud he said, “Brother, do you think those things will follow us?” He looked toward the blond.

 

Edward scowled, still walking at a brisk pace. “I'm not sure Al. But I think they probably will. I hope not, but if they want Willa badly enough, they'll follow.” He paused momentarily, glancing around the woods warily. He'd heard something that disturbed him. His eyes moved trying to locate its source.

 

There it was again, a noise, like heavy breathing. It was coming from just beyond the right of the dirt path. It was jagged, like a wild dog or beast. Whatever it was had been pursuing them since that morning but was only slightly tired. Its burning red eyes watched the brothers, though they didn't realize it.

 

“Let's go.” The alchemist motioned for his armored sibling to follow. They began to jog now, fear burning in their souls. Whatever it was could now be heard easily. Its movements had grown less cautious, the leaves were crunching noisily beneath its feet. Those eyes still trained on their prey.

 

Finally Ed broke into a full run. His heart pounding hard in his chest. `It is tracking us. Waiting for the right moment to attack.' His ears filled with the clanging metal of the younger Elric. It droned out the racket the beast had been, and was still making. Regardless of not being able to hear it, he knew it was still there.

 

“Meow!” Pharaoh had been rudely awakened by the jostling. Likewise Willa had woken, her grip tightening on the cat. Her eyes looked up to Al, who was following his sibling. Then she turned her head to see Edward racing at full speed along the path. `Something's wrong. Why are they running?' Apprehension filled her as she saw the movement in the woods.

 

It was a beast on two legs, two human legs. But it wore only a pair of ragged shorts. Its body had the markings of a tiger. Where there should have been human ears were instead pointed ones, like in old illustrations of elves. It stared at her with red eyes, full of determination and hatred.

 

Leaping before them, it hissed like a cat. Edward and Al stopped dead in their tracks. The alchemist gasped when he saw the being's claws. `It's a chimera. Like Nina only… more human than she was.' He shook his head, forcing himself to snap out of shock. “Protect Willa!” He ordered, transmuting his automail arm into a blade.

 

The younger brother nodded taking a few steps backward. He held the girl protectively in his arms. Glancing down he could see just how astonished she was. She'd squeezed Pharaoh tightly against her chest, but he didn't try to struggle. The cat wanted to be held tight, to be sheltered against this new monster.

 

The creature lunged at Ed, missing his arm but only by a few inches. Then it rotated in midair, with the grace of a feline. Hissing again it hit the ground on both feet, keeping his balance while doing so. Ed turned and charged, blade first. It leapt into one of the nearby trees, out of harms way, baring its fangs and growling at the human.

 

Without hesitation Edward clapped his hands and touched the tree. Instantly it transformed into a large cage. Inside the beast raged against the wooden bars. They shook but were limber enough to bend rather than break against the assault. The monster threw back its head and let out a long and wild call.

 

The alchemist turned to his brother, transforming his arm back to normal. “We've got to get out of here before whatever it's calling arrives.” Al nodded and they took off running again. `How can that be possible? It was so much like a cat. But it was still human, in body, not mind.'

 

 

Those red eyes haunted his thoughts. They seemed to burn into his psyche. They'd been wild and full of more hatred than he'd ever seen. Had the creature ever been human or was it born like that? Perhaps it came from a world where humans had evolved differently. He shook off the thought, finding it far too disturbing to dwell on.

 

“Brother.” Al called behind him. Ed slowed down but kept moving. “How are we going to do this? The next town is still hours away. What if another one of those things comes after us?” His voice was full of worry. It had nothing to do with his sibling's abilities, he had faith in those. Yet that thing had reminded him of Nina, a child who had been transformed into a chimera by her father. It bothered him that there could be human souls inside these beasts.

 

Edward stopped momentarily to catch his breath. “I don't know Al. But we need to keep moving. Still…” He held his chest. The shock had gone straight through him. Although he could normally handle anything, those eyes had caught him off guard, sending his adrenaline into overdrive. Now however it was spent, leaving him weak, his muscles drained.

 

Al moved to hold Willa in one arm. She was studying the alchemist with worried eyes. She didn't want to hurt these two, who reminded her so much of childhood friends. History was said to have a tendency to repeat itself. And now she was beginning to believe that this was her own fault, for brining them into her home. Though, sooner or later, her time would have run out. The beast would have come after her anyway.

 

“I can go on alone.” Both Elrics turned to look at her. She already owed them more that she could ever repay. But Edward's eyes reflected his inner thoughts. Just like her old friend, he would never leave her to handle such a dreadful situation on her own. “You shouldn't have to try and protect me. They don't want you.”

 

Shaking his head Al sat the woman down. “We won't leave you behind. Brother and I have faced worse than this. When he was in the military, we had to deal with a wide variety of dangerous situations. So we know how to handle things like this.” He didn't want to abandon her. `She's too weak. They'd get her in no time. We can't allow that to happen.'

 

Sighing she began to walk with them. Pharaoh had jumped up to ride on Al's shoulder, careful of the spikes. Willa began to slowly brush her hair to help calm her fraying nerves. `Why would they help me like this? They don't even really know me. We only met just yesterday. But…' She looked toward Edward, who led the way. `They're so strong, so like… Regardless I do need someone's aid. Maybe with them I'll be able to escape.'