ATE: Hey everyone! I've recently gotten into watching Fullmetal Alchemist (both the original anime and Brotherhood) and this was an idea I gotten recently for this story and started writing it before I went to Metrocon 2012 (my first anime convention). Please go easy on me since this is my first time writing something for the Fullmetal Alchemist category.

Declaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or anything relating to it. I only own my OC and any other characters that aren't from the anime or manga.

Between Dreams and Reality

Prologue

Edward Elric had always experienced a few strange dreams so far in his life, like the one he had of Alfonse, Winry, and Pinako trying to force him to drink milk, or the one he had of Roy Mustang wearing a miniskirt (even to this day, that dream still disturbed him on so many levels and he tried his best to suppress it). But the dream he was having at the moment was different and it felt so realistic that he felt like he was actually standing in the grassy green meadow under a clear blue sky as a gentle breeze blew strands of his blonde bangs around; even the air he was breathing seemed to be real as well. It surprised him how peaceful his surroundings were and he couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips as he closed his gold eyes to enjoy the breeze.

Suddenly Ed was brought out of his thoughts when he felt something tugging on the hem of his red coat and he opened his eyes before looking down to see what was causing it, only to have his eyes widen his shock to see who it was.

"Nina?" He thought out loud, feeling shocked.

"Huh?" The little girl asked, tilting her head to the side as she gave him a confused look. "Who's Nina?"

That was when Ed realized that the girl wasn't Nina. Sure she appeared to be around the same age as her (about 5 years, he assumed), but she looked nothing like her. The little girl before him had wide hazel colored eyes that showed the innocence all children possessed so early in their lives and chin length chestnut colored hair. Being the age that she was she only came up to his waist.

"Uh, just someone I once knew." Ed told the little girl.

At this the little girl gave him a bright smile as she looked up at him, and there was something about her smile that made him feel weird, but in a good way.

"I'm Amber." She said cheerfully.

Ed couldn't help but smile at Amber before he knelt down in front of her so that he was at her level.

"I'm Edward, but just call me Ed."

Amber's face seemed to light up when she heard his name.

"Great! Now we can be friends!"

Ed wasn't sure how to respond to Amber's declaration, but since this was a dream he figured that he'd go along with it. But there was a small part of him that seemed to be telling him that this was more than just a dream, and this only served to confuse him more. He was taken by surprise when the little girl grabbed his left hand and he almost stumbled as he got up with Amber dragging him somewhere.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Back to mom and dad. I want you to meet them."

At this Ed felt somewhat nostalgic since he was reminded of own parents; not so much his dad because of the fact that he left them, but his mom. Oh how he and Al both missed their mom. He soon spotted a man and a woman that he assumed were Amber's parents since she looked like them (she looked more like her mom than her dad) and noticed that they were sitting on a huge blanket with a picnic basket off to the side.

"Back so soon, Amber?" Her mom asked. "I thought you said you were going to pick some flowers."

"I was, but then I made a new friend!" Amber said excitedly. "This is Ed."

The reaction Amber's parents made weren't what Ed expected. They seemed to be a little concerned as they whispered quietly to each other, and he managed to pick up the words 'imaginary friend'. This confused him. Why would they say that about him? Couldn't they see him? It was then that Ed had to remind himself that this was only a dream he was experiencing, but for some reason he couldn't get rid of the slight disappointment he felt.

"Can he join us for lunch?" She asked.

"If it's okay with him." Her dad replied.

It was then that Amber turned to look up at him with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Is it okay with you, Ed?"

The way Amber looked at him reminded him of Nina and how sweet she was being. Ed couldn't bring himself to say no to such a cute little girl, so he smiled down at her before nodding his head. He was taken by surprise when she suddenly hugged him, or in this case his automail leg (which he was glad she wasn't able to see). Ed ended up sitting down on the blanket next to Amber as she ate a sandwich (she had offered him half of her sandwich, but he politely decline; he was in a dream after all); her parents' expressions seemed to be a mixture of concern and confusion and when they turned to look over in the direction he was in they seemed to look right through him instead of at him. Was it possible that they couldn't see him? If that was so, then why was Amber the only one who could see him?

'It's doesn't matter though.' He told himself. 'This is just a dream anyways.'

But as time passed Ed found himself doubting that this was a dream. And Amber seemed to be too realistic to just be a figment of his imagination. But how else was he supposed to explain it? Maybe he was just having a really realistic dream and that this would only be a one time thing, but upon thinking that he felt somewhat disappointed. Even though he just met her, he found himself already fond of the little girl he sat next to, just like he had been when it came to Nina.

'If only Al could meet Amber. He'd probably feel the same was as well.' He thought.

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Ed found himself waking up to find that it was already morning. He sat up in the bed he had slept in and stared down at his left hand, causing him to think of the little girl who had held it with her small one. Despite the fact that it had only been a dream Ed could still remember every single detail, as if he had actually experienced it only a few minutes ago. In fact he could vividly recall the warmth that came from her hand. This confused him since by this time he would've forgotten what he dreamt about unless it was a dream that really stood out to him.

'Why is this one different?' He thought.

Ed heard the sound of a door opening and looked up to see Alphonse enter the room he was in. Even though his soul was bound to a suit of armor his brother's glowing eyes seemed to brighten a bit when he saw that he was awake.

"Good morning, brother." Al greeted, and Ed could hear the smile in his echoing voice.

"Morning, Al." Ed managed to say as he yawned. It was a wonder that his younger brother could even understand what he said.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." Ed got out of bed and stretched his arms (both flesh and automail) above his head. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"We're going back to Sheska's place to see if she's done copying Dr. Marcoh's notes, remember?"

Ed couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed and stupid for asking and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

Ed ended up getting in the shower and as he stood under the hot water he couldn't help but stare down at his left hand that he had lifted up to his face. He could still feel the faint sensation of Amber holding his hand in the dream, as if it still lingered like phantom pain. But there wasn't any pain at all, only warmth. How could his hand still feel like this when it had all been a dream? How was it that Amber had been the only one to see him, but not her parents?

'Could it be that it wasn't a dream?' Ed thought. He closed his eyes and shook his head, his wet hair sticking to his damp face and back. 'No, that's not even possible. It was all in my head.' He then opened his eyes and found himself staring at his hand again. 'But then…why do I feel so unsure? Why am I doubting myself?'

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After Ed went to sleep that night he was surprised to find himself standing inside a room. In one corner there was a small yet simple looking wooden desk that had papers and crayons scattered across its surface, two nearby windows that showed the outside would (and it happened to be morning) and two doors (on near the desk and the other on the other side of the room). But what caught his attention wasn't the bed that was pushed against the wall right next to one of the windows, but the little girl that occupied the bed. She started stirring in her bed before sitting up to rub the sleep out of her wide hazel eyes, but when she spotted him her face instantly lit up with joy.

"Ed!"

Before he knew it Ed was being hugged by Amber as she wrapped her arms around his automail leg. He was surprised that she was hugging him like he was a close friend she hadn't seen in years.

"Where did you go yesterday? I searched and searched for you, but I wasn't able to find you at all. And I was really worried that you didn't want to be my friend anymore." She told him.

This surprised Ed. Did Amber really believe that he was that important to her even though she just met him last time? But she was just a dream, right? But then why did he feel her warmth along with a soft glowing feeling in his chest after hearing what she said? How could just a little girl in his dreams make him feel this way?

'It's almost as if she's real…' Ed thought.

Ed bent down so that he was eye leveled with Amber before placing a hand on top of her head to ruffle her hair.

"Of course I want to be your friend. Why would you think that?" He asked.

"Because you suddenly disappeared." Amber looked a little sad. "One second you were there and the next you're gone. Like magic."

At this Ed frowned slightly as his brows knitted together. He just disappeared? And she actually tried to look for him? Sure he woke up that morning, but to hear a little girl in his dreams tell him that he just suddenly disappeared was strange. Was this even normal? She made it sound like this was something that actually happened in real life, but it couldn't be, right? Dismissing that thought for now he gave Amber a smile that soon turned into a grin.

"Hey, cheer up! I'm here now, so you have no reason to be sad!" Ed said, trying to make her feel better. He didn't know why he felt the need to do this, but for some reason he felt that he just had to, like it actually mattered.

It seemed to work since Amber looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Yep!"

That was when Ed heard a door open and both he and Amber looked over to see her mom enter the room.

"I was coming in to wake you up, but I see you're already out of bed." She said.

"Mom! Ed's back! I told you he'd come back!" Amber said excitedly.

Ed wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw that concerned look on Amber's mom's face.

"I…see." The older woman said, sounding hesitant. She then smiled. "Are you excited about your first day of kindergarten?"

"Yeah!"

Ed then stood up and looked down at Amber.

"I'll wait outside the room." He told the little girl.

"Okay!" Amber then turned back to her mom. "Ed said that he's going to wait outside my room."

"Well, isn't he quite the gentleman."

Ed felt his face heat up slightly in embarrassment as he made his way outside Amber's room (luckily her mom left the door open) and he sat down on the floor as he leaned his back against the wall next to the door. He closed his eyes as he relaxed a bit, but then he found himself opening them when he heard the current conversation.

"Sweetie, Ed isn't real." Amber's mom said, causing Ed to frown. "He's just someone that you made up to be your imaginary friend."

"But he IS real, mom! And he's really nice! If you just meet him you'd understand!"

"I wish I could, but he's not real. Maybe you'll make new friends that are just as nice as you say he is."

This confused Ed. How was it possible for a woman in his dreams to claim that he wasn't real? Wasn't she, along with Amber, just a dream? This made no sense to him at all. It sounded as if he fell asleep and instead of dreaming he ended up in a different world or something, at least judging by what Amber told him.

'The longer I think about it the more confused I get!' He thought, feeling a slight headache from thinking so hard.

Ed noticed movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see Amber being led out of her room as her mom held her hand and he figured that was his cue to follow them downstairs into what appeared to be a kitchen (which had a few things he wasn't familiar with). The expression on Amber's face looked a little gloomy, but then her face lit up when she saw him and she smiled. Ed decided to sit next to her at the table and listened as she talked to him, asking him simple questions like what his favorite color was and such. Her mom came over to the table and set a plate of scrambled eggs in front of Amber, but then he frowned when the older woman placed a cup next to the little girl that contained a certain opaque liquid that he was too familiar with: milk. Ed felt his stomach churn in disgust as he watched Amber drink her milk. She must've noticed him watching her since she stopped drinking and turn to look at him. Her gaze switched between his face to the cup in her hands, then back up to his face before she held her cup out to him.

"Do you want some?" She asked, and Ed resisted the urge to shudder at the thought of drinking the diary product.

"No thanks." He said dully.

"Why?"

"Because I hate milk."

Amber gave him a surprised look.

"How can you not like milk, Ed? It's supposed to be good for you and has calcium to make you big and strong."

Ed was about to yell at Amber for implying that he was short, but he held himself back since she didn't know any better. What he did do was slouch in his seat and let out a quiet, yet slightly irritated, sigh as he closed his eyes.

"I just don't." He grumbled. He honestly didn't want to ruin her appetite by telling her that milk tasted like vomit to him.

"Maybe you don't like it, but I do." Amber told him. "In fact I'm drinking it so that someday I can be as tall as you."

Ed opened his eyes before turning to face Amber with a bewildered look.

"You want to be as tall as me?" He asked, pointing to himself.

"Yeah. When I grow up I want to be as tall as you."

Ed turned to look away from Amber as he felt himself blush slightly. He wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or not by her comment, but he found himself smiling regardless.

After Amber finished her breakfast her mom helped her get a tiny backpack on her back and Ed found himself following the little girl into a car (though it looked different than what he was used to). Even though Amber was only going to her first day of kindergarten he honestly had nothing better to do seeing as this was all a dream. Besides she was the only one who could see him anyways.

'And knowing me I'd probably die from boredom! Is that even possible in a dream?' He thought.

As Ed stared out the window of the moving car he was in he couldn't help but let his mind wander. He was honestly glad that he and Al had managed to obtain Dr. Marcoh's notes (all thanks to Sheska who happened to have really good photographic memory that she managed to copy everything for them in five days) and so far they had spent the majority of their time trying to decipher them. Maybe it was a good thing that he was experiencing the dream he was in, seeing as it gave him some time to relax a bit from working so hard.

'Is it a coincidence that I'm experiencing this kind of dream a second time?' Ed glanced over at Amber before looking out the window again. 'Could meeting Amber even be considered a coincidence, or that she's the only one that can see me?'

Distracted by his thoughts Ed hadn't been aware of what was going on until the car came to a stop and he had to blink a few times until he realized that the car had arrived at the place Amber's mom was taking the little girl to. When the older woman opened the car door to retrieve Amber, Ed got worried since he happened to be sitting between her and the door. And there was no way for him to get out of the way in time. But to his surprise the older woman went right through him, leaving him completely baffled.

'WHAT THE HELL?!' His mind screamed.

That was when the car door was closed right in front of him and Amber's mom started leading the little girl after she got her out of the car.

"Hey! I'm still in here!" Ed yelled in complaint, only to hear a sound that he was familiar with. "Dammit! She locked me inside the car!"

Ed reached his hand out to manually unlock the car door, only to be shocked when he suddenly went through the door and end up outside the car itself. He stared at the ground as his mind tried to register what happened. It didn't take that long for it to do so.

"WHAT IS UP WITH THE PHYSICS OF THIS DREAM? THIS IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE!"

It was then Ed realized that both Amber and her mom were far ahead of him and he had to rush to catch up to them. He followed them into the school and through a hallway until they entered a room that had a bunch of kids around Amber's age and an older woman that appeared to be around the same age as her mother (who he assumed to be the teacher of that classroom). Amber's mom soon left her after saying that she would be back to pick her up when school was over and it was then that the little girl turned to him with her bright smile.

"I'm so happy you came with me, Ed" Amber said.

Ed grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Hey, it's nothing really. It's the least I can do" He told her.

Amber opened her mouth to speak, but she was suddenly shoved forcefully to the floor.

"Amber!" Ed was by her side in seconds as he knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?"

Amber didn't say anything, but hearing her whimper did little to ease the growing concern he suddenly felt. She sounded like she wanted to cry, but she was doing everything she could to hold everything back.

"Watch where you're going you pipsqueak midget!"

At neck breaking speed Ed's head shot in the direction the voice came from and he had a murderous look on his face as he glared intensely at the boy who had pushed Amber.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET WHO CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE BEACH BECAUSE HE'S SO SMALL HE'D SINK INTO THE SAND AND THEN WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN HE DOESN'T EVEN SINK AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DROWNING BECAUSE HE'S SO MICROSCOPIC HE CAN BREATHE OXYGEN OUT OF PURE WATER?!?!?!"

By the time Ed finished, he was breathing heavily due to the fact he had somehow managed to say everything in one breath. He was expecting the boy to answer him, but then he remembered that nobody else but Amber could see or hear him. Speaking about Amber he turned to glance down at her and he found her staring at him in shock with her hazel eyes being wider than they usually were.

"Simon! I saw what you did!" The teacher said as she marched over to where the boy was until she towered over him. "Apologize to her now!"

Even though the teacher's anger wasn't directed at him Ed felt somewhat fearful since the teacher herself reminded him of Izumi whenever she got angry. This time he couldn't suppress the urge to shudder. The boy, Simon, turned to face Amber with a scowl on his face.

"Sorry." He grumbled.

"EXCUSE me?" The older woman asked.

"I said I'm sorry."

"Now say it like you mean it."

"I'm sorry." The boy finally said, but despite the fact that he sounded like he meant it Ed knew that it really didn't mean it.

It seemed the teacher thought the same thing he did since she sighed quietly, knowing that was probably all she was going to get from the stubborn little boy.

"Good. Now run off."

Simon seemed more than eager to get away and Ed frowned. It was only the first day of school and already Amber was having problems, and it wasn't even her fault at all. The teacher eventually walked away and Ed turned to Amber, his gold eyes softened as he watched her get up off the floor.

"Thank you, Ed. Even though you weren't able to do anything, just knowing that you tried means a lot to me." Amber said quietly.

Ed wasn't sure how to respond to what the little girl said. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? He wished he could've defended Amber from that boy, but then he'd probably go right through him. He couldn't understand why he was suddenly so protective of Amber, but right now he didn't care. All that mattered right now was that he made sure to be there for her when she needed him.

'Why am I suddenly so protective over a dream?' He asked himself.

Later that day Ed was sitting next to Amber at the table she was at as she and all the other kids where having art time or something to that context. As he watched her, he noticed how she was leaning over the paper as she colored with crayons and this made him curious. He tried to lean over her to see what she was drawing but when Amber noticed what he was doing she quickly covered her drawing from him with her arms.

"Don't look!" She said.

"What are you drawing?" He asked, smiling in amusement.

"It's a secret."

Ed chuckled.

"You do realize I'll find out eventually, right?"

"No you won't!" Amber shook her head.

Suddenly a thing of blue paint had been tipped over, which happened to get spilled on the table Amber was working at and got her arms covered in it. On instinct she quickly got out of her seat, hugging her drawing close to her, before it could ruin her shirt some more. But it didn't stop there. Ed was forced to watch as Simon snatched Amber's drawing out of her arms and ripped the paper in half, causing both himself and Amber's eyes to go wide in shock. This didn't escape the teacher's notice since she went up to the boy and scolded him for his behavior.

Ed looked at Amber to see that there were hints of unshed tears in her eyes, but again she was holding them back like before. He honestly couldn't stand the fact that Amber was being bullied for no reason and before he knew it, he found himself pulling the fist of his automail arm back before thrusting it forward to punch Simon, but his arm went right through him and Ed ended up losing his balance before falling to the floor. He forced himself to get up off the floor, go over to the ripped up halves of the drawing that was now on the floor and bend down to pick them up and hold them together, only to be surprised to find that it was a drawing of himself and Amber holding hands, the drawing itself having been crudely drawn with crayons. He looked back up at Amber with a soft expression when he saw that she looked somewhat upset before standing up and going over to her. She didn't seem to notice his presence when he stood in front of her.

"Amber…" He said quietly, which caused the little girl to look up at him.

Ed held the two halves of the drawing to Amber and she slowly lifted her hands up to take them from him before staring down at them sadly.

"My drawing…" She said quietly so only he could hear.

Ed kneeled down in front of Amber before placing his automail arm on her shoulder, making her look up at his face.

"At least I got to see what you were drawing." He said, trying to lighten the mood.

Ed's words did little to cheer Amber up, but at least it let her know that he was there for her. He now knew that she thought highly of him (if the drawing wasn't any indication) and even if this was all a dream he wouldn't let her go through this alone. He might not have been able to help Nina, but he'd try his damn best to help Amber.

Even when Amber's mom came to pick her up from school the little girl was still somewhat upset and Ed couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He didn't understand how he could feel so strongly for what happened to Amber when this was only a dream. It wasn't normal to feel this way, he knew this, and like so many other times he started doubting if this was a dream or not.

'What if this wasn't all a dream and was actually happening?' He thought to himself.

Ed ended up following Amber up to her room as soon as they got home and he found her sitting on her bed while hugging her knees to her chest. He decided to sit on the side of her bed and looked over at her, trying to figure out what he could do to make her feel better.

"You know, I've actually been picked on for my height, even by my superiors." Ed started.

This got Amber's attention since she looked at him.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, especially by Colonel Roy Mustang. He's an extremely sarcastic and egotistical jerk who thinks that the search for the Philosopher's Stone that me and my brother are on is a complete waste of time." Ed had been quick enough to call Roy a 'jerk' instead of a 'bastard' for Amber's sake. He then changed his voice to imitate his superior. "'Struck out on the Philosopher's Stone again, huh? How am I supposed to keep funding this goose chase? Money doesn't grow on trees there, chief. Ed? Where'd you run off to? Oh wait, there you are! I couldn't see you there beyond my paperwork! Seeing as how you're so short and all! Hahahaha!'"

As Ed said all this he did all sorts of gestures to emphasis his point. And it wasn't long before he heard Amber start to giggle from his Roy Mustang impression. He smiled, knowing that he'd been able to cheer the little girl up, but he was taken by surprise when she suddenly hugged him.

"You're so funny, Ed." She told him, causing him to grin.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

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Over the past nine days Ed and Al had been working non-stop to decipher Dr. Marcoh's notes (the former having managed to stay awake the whole time). They had been successful on deciphering the notes on the Philosopher's Stone, but what they discovered in the end wasn't what they expected. Dr. Marcoh was right when he told them that it was the devil's research.

The main ingredient in creating a Philosopher's Stone was human life. Just creating a stone the size of a marble required many human sacrifices. It would explain the real reason for the massacre that took place in Ishval all those years ago.

Despite the fact that they found the truth concerning the creation of a Philosopher's Stone, Ed now regretted learning the information he had found. Both he and Al had been so hopeful to get their hands on a stone to get their bodies back, but now knowing that it would be at the cost of many human lives this wasn't how they wanted to do it. There had to be some other way to do it without having to make such a great sacrifice.

So that's why he and Al were currently holed up in their hotel room. At least they were able to convince Armstrong (with the help of both Maria Ross and Denny Brosh) that they were exhausted from all the research they had done for ten days straight. At the moment Ed was laying down on a couch staring up at the ceiling.

He couldn't help but wonder how Amber was doing since he last dreamt about her nine days ago. He could only hope that she was okay after what happened on her first day of kindergarten.

'I probably might not have that dream again.' He thought, closing his eyes to get some sleep.

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Ed found himself standing in Amber's room with the little girl herself sitting at the small wooden desk in the corner seeming to stare down at something on its surface. In the background he could hear the soft pitter-patter of rain outside (which he was able to confirm when he looked out the window), and despite the fact that it was still day the room looked somewhat dim mainly due to the cloudy sky outside the window. But looking over at Amber he couldn't help but notice that there was something…sad about her.

"Amber…" Ed said quietly, getting the feeling that there was something wrong.

Amber didn't say anything, but Ed knew she heard him. She was the only one who could hear him in this dream. He slowly made his way over to where she sat at the desk and knelt down so that he was leveled with her. He looked down at the desk and he found a drawing of himself holding hands with Amber, just like the one that got ruined because of Simon the last time he'd been there, but what he noticed were what appeared to be drops of water that stained the paper with a slightly darker shade due to the wet substance. Confused, Ed lifted his gold gaze to Amber's face, only to become concerned when he saw a wet trail down her cheek that originated from her eyes, and he realized that she had been crying recently. He no longer cared if this was all a dream because the emotions he was feeling were too real to be just his imagination. What he was feeling was genuine, plain and simple.

"Ed…" He heard Amber say quietly, almost a whisper. And he noticed how sad her voice sounded, giving him a sinking feeling in his heart. "…What is…my purpose in life?"

This question surprised Ed. How was he, a State Alchemist, supposed to answer such a question when he himself didn't even know his own purpose? He honestly wanted to give her an answer, but he couldn't provide it to her.

"I wish I could tell you, but I don't even know the answer myself." He told her. "But what I can tell you is that it's something we'll find someday if we search long enough for it."

Ed watched as Amber lifted her head up from the paper, but she didn't turn to look at him.

"You're a guardian angel, right? Is that why I'm the only one who can see you?"

Ed frowned slightly at Amber's assumption.

"I'm no guardian angel. Not even close." He shook his head. "I don't even believe in god at all."

This was when Amber finally turned to look at him with red puffy eyes from when she was crying earlier.

"Why don't you believe in god?" She asked.

Ed sighed quietly before taking off his red coat, followed by the white glove on his right hand and the black jacket he wore over his black tank top in order to show her his automail arm; he lifted the pant leg covering his left leg to show her his automail leg before looking back up to see her hazel eyes were wide from what he was showing her.

"A few years ago me and my younger brother tried to obtain something that was very precious to us, but it ended up costing us more than we bargained for. I lost my left leg and right arm because of this, while my brother lost his body, and ever since that day I've been doing my best to do whatever it takes to get his body back."

"Did…it hurt when you lost your arm and leg?"

"More than you can imagine."

Ed was surprised when Amber suddenly started crying and he couldn't figure out if it was something he said or not, but then the little girl latched herself onto him, making him realize that she wasn't crying because of what he said, but for him. She was crying because she felt sorry for him. Despite not knowing what to do he found himself wrapping his arms around her small form, hoping that it would make her feel better. Eventually Ed picked her up before carrying her over to her bed and sitting down with her in his lap, just as she finished crying.

"I'm sorry." She said, causing him to look down at her.

"For what?"

"That you lost your arm and leg and your brother losing his body. It must've been hard for both of you."

A small smile ended up forming on Ed's lips.

"But even then we still manage to keep moving forward." He told her. "It's that kind of determination that can motivate just about anyone."

Amber turned to where the wooden desk was before getting down from Ed's lap and going over to pick up the drawing sitting on its surface. She then came back to stand in front of him and held the drawing out to him.

"I want you to have this." She said.

Surprised, Ed slowly reached out his human hand to take the drawing from her and smiled as he gazed down at it. He carefully folded the paper twice before placing it in his pocket. From that point the rest of the day seemed to go by really quickly and before he knew it Ed found himself sitting on the side of Amber's bed while the little girl was under the covers ready to go to sleep.

"Ed, can you tell me a story?" Amber asked.

"I don't really know any good stories to tell you." Ed answered.

"Then can you tell me about a good memory you had when you and your brother were little?"

Ed was surprised by this, but then he smiled, all the while searching through his mind for a good memory of when he and Al where still little.

"When both me and Al were little, we used to play with this girl named Winry all the time. One day when we were playing outside we found this small puppy without an owner and we brought her back to her house. When she asked her parents if she could keep her, they said yes and Winry ended up naming the puppy Den. Ever since that day Den has been a part of Winry and Granny Pinako's family."

As Ed told Amber that memory he noticed how her eyes started drooping a bit, and he knew that she was starting to fall asleep.

"Thank you." She said sleepily and yawned. "I…love you, Ed…"

At this Ed blushed from what Amber said before going to sleep. She loved him? She couldn't have meant it that way. Maybe she meant that she loved him as a sister would love their brother or something like that. But what if she…?

'Where did that idea even come from?' He thought, his eyes softening.'She's…just a dream. Something that my mind created as I sleep. She isn't real.'

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Ed woke up on the couch he was sleeping on. He let out a yawn before glancing over to a nearby clock, only to be somewhat surprised when he saw that it was early in the morning.

'Damn. How did I end up waking up so early?' Ed thought. 'And I was having such a good dream too—'

That was when Ed noticed something inside one of his pockets and he reached into it before pulling out a folded piece of paper. His eyes widened in shock when he unfolded the paper and saw what was on it.

'What…?'

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Ed yelled.

Ed was unaware of the fact that Al was staring at him, clearly confused about what his older brother was yelling about.

"Ed?" Al asked.

"THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" He continued, not having heard Al's voice.

"Brother? Are you okay?"

"No! I'm not-!" Ed froze when he realized Al had been talking to him and turned to face his younger brother. "I mean, I'm okay! Nothing wrong at all!"

Ed started laughing nervously as Al stared at him.

"What's that you have in your hand?" Al asked.

Ed stopped laughing and quickly glanced down at the drawing in his hand. He had to think up of an excuse quickly before Al could assume anything!

"It's just the message that Dr. Marcoh gave us awhile back." He lied before looking in the direction of the bathroom. "I gotta use the bathroom!"

Before Al could say anything Ed ran into the bathroom before shutting the door behind him. He let out a quiet sigh before sliding down to the floor with his back leaning against the door. Ed's gaze fell on the drawing in his hands, still showed that he even had it with him in the first place. How was it possible that he had the drawing Amber gave him? That girl and everything else had been a dream, right? If that were the case, then why did he still have the drawing she gave him? Why could he still recall her warmth even after waking up?

'She couldn't have been real! She was just a dream! Or was she? Was Amber real or not? But then how do I even have this drawing in my hand?' Ed squeezed his eyes shut as he hung his head. 'What's going on? I don't know what the hell is real!'

ATE: That's it for the prologue for this story. This has got to be the longest prologue I've ever written before so far and it was 16 pages long! One thing I'm a little concerned about is if I kept Ed in character or not. Also I have the drawing I did of little Amber on deviantart so you can check that out (get rid of the spaces):

aerith -the- evenstar .deviantart gallery/ 3793 0095 #/ d55 9q 52

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter and please remember to review!