Fullmetal Alchemist and the Flight of the Anti-Social Butterfly

Chapter 8: Flight Or Fight

      The sun began to rise and so did DeAnna.  As she stretched and yawned, she felt rather different.    So as she went into the restroom to look in the mirror, she couldn't believe what she had seen.   DeAnna shouted excitedly, "I have wings! I have wings! I have wings!"  Alphonse replied, "Yes, DeAnna.   We heard you 3 times now."  Then Edward explained, "Now, Alphonse, another part of autism is sometimes repeating things that were just said without realizing it."  Then Alphonse apologized to DeAnna and she accepted. Edward smiled, "I hear that today is a beautiful day for flying!  Would you like to try practicing flying for me?"  DeAnna nodded then she went in the backyard with Edward and Alphonse after she fed Zoe her scraps of meat for the morning.  Edward explained to DeAnna, "First thing you need to do is take a big stretch.  After you are done stretching, please open your pretty wings so you have a nice wing span.  This will help maneuver your ability to fly.  Can you flap your wings for me?"  DeAnna smiled as her wings began to twitch then they started to flap as she asked, "Like this?"  Alphonse praised, "You got it, DeAnna!"  Then Edward instructed, "Once you feel like your wings and your body is confident, get enough room to run then lift your automail legs up for takeoff."  

      DeAnna took a deep breath as she boasted, "Ok.  Here I go!"  She ran for several feet as her wings were flapping then she lifted her legs only to be lifted into the air just briefly before she crashed.  "Ow! I'm going to try again, ok?", DeAnna shouted.  Edward encouraged, "It was a nice try, but you will figure it out soon.  You can do it!"  DeAnna kept trying, but every attempt had failed.  Alphonse was starting to get worried as he questioned, "DeAnna, do you believe you are able to fly?"   DeAnna looked downwards as she replied, "I am a bit scared because I'm not used to trying something new."   Edward explained to his younger brother, "That is another trait of autism!  DeAnna is used to the routine of being on the ground, but we must be supportive as she eventually has her first successful flight."  

      DeAnna's stomach growled then Alphonse remembered, "Oh!  The birthday pizza should be ready any time now.  Let's all go inside for something to eat."  DeAnna thought to herself, "Pizza for breakfast?  I love pizza so I guess I will play along with it."  Alphonse got out the birthday pizza with a bunch of toppings and 3 kinds of cheese.  DeAnna reached in to grab a slice, but little did she realize that Edward was about to take the same slice.  DeAnna blushed and told Edward that he could have it.   Edward smiled, "Thank you so much for such good manners, DeAnna!  But I insist that you may have it since you're the birthday girl."  DeAnna giggled as she thanked Edward for his generosity.  After they ate, Edward and Alphonse were cleaning up.  So DeAnna ran outdoors to spend time with the butterflies as she remembered Edward's instructions.  She thought to herself, "I must do this for my mighty protector as a thank you for all he has given me."  Then she ran a longer distance with her wings flapping at full span as she lifted her legs and she had her first takeoff.  DeAnna cheerfully shouted, "Wee!  I'm a butterfly princess now!"  Edward heard DeAnna shouting through the window so he looked outdoors and thought, "I can't believe it!  Alphonse, come quick!"  Alphonse and Zoe ran outdoors to witness DeAnna's first flight.  Edward praised, "I am so proud of you, my butterfly princess!  Now I want you to be careful with your landing, alright?"  DeAnna inquired, "How do I land safely?"  So Alphonse explained, "Slowly flap your wings and close the wing span as you untuck your automail legs from under your bottom."  Then DeAnna listened as she made a successful landing as she ran up to Edward and did a half glide tackle to pin Edward to the ground with excitement.  Edward happily told her, "I knew you could do it and you flew on your own!"  

      Then DeAnna's eyes got cloudy again.  Alphonse asked, "Is something wrong?"  Edward explained, "DeAnna's eyes get misty when she senses danger approaching."  Then the same mob that tried to kidnap her as a sacrifice to the Homunculus ambushed DeAnna.  She told Edward and Alphonse, "Stand back, boys!  It's me they want so this is my battle.  Just trust me!"  The Elric brothers nodded as Alphonse asked, "Do you think she can defeat these bullies on her own?"  Edward answered, "If there is anything I have learned from training her, things can happen.  Now to see if she is really prepared to be the princess she was born to be."  So the first couple of bullies had flame torches that they were about to throw.  Edward shouted, "Be very careful, DeAnna!"  Alphonse said, "A very unusual opening attack.  Do you think DeAnna can win?"  Edward nodded, "We need to believe in her."  As soon as the flame torches had created a flame attack, DeAnna counterattacked with a water splash alchemy to take out the flames then her antennas created a water laser that knocked them out.  The second round had more bullies who threw knives at her.  She took a couple of hits, but her light alchemy helped her to recover some damage.  Then she clapped her hands together to create blades made of vines and thorns.  Edward thought, "Funny!  She must've just learned plant type alchemy.  Be strong, DeAnna!"  Then she slashed apart the second round of bullies.  Alphonse shouted, "Way to go, DeAnna!"  The third round was a larger group so they were armed with slingshots and large stones.  DeAnna ran back a bit then she flew.  Alphonse thought, "A rather risky gambit because even one stone could knock her out of the sky.  I hope DeAnna knows what she's doing!"  Then as the group fired their stones, DeAnna flapped her wings strongly at top speed until a cyclone had batted all the stones back at the bullies and knocked them out.  Alphonse asked, "When did she learn wind attribute alchemy?"  Edward guessed, "It must've came naturally with having wings, I guess."  Then the leader fired a net to try capturing DeAnna until she clapped her hands together to create two blades.  Alphonse asked, "Did you teach her to use alchemy by clapping the hands?"  Edward winked and replied, "Only during one of the training sessions when you were not around!"  DeAnna slashed the net and fused her two blades to become a giant spear.  She shouted, "This is the last one!  I hate to disappoint you, but I have no intentions on breeding Homunculus in this world because they lack understanding and are full of hatred which created their demise.  You will go down the same way!"  So she threw the spear and it stabbed the leader in the chest which instantly killed him.  

      DeAnna was weak and exhausted after she landed, but the Elric brothers cheered for her victory.  Alphonse praised, "You are so strong and talented, DeAnna!  Can you teach me some of your alchemy skills, please?"  DeAnna smiled, "Of course!"  Edward praised, "You did it and you won on your own!   That's my butterfly princess!" DeAnna smiled then she slowly crouched down as she felt dizzy. Alphonse asked, "Are you ok?"  Edward picked DeAnna's collapsed body up and whispered, "I will take care of you. I promise."  Zoe whimpered as she followed them indoors.