Amber Hudson

Short story

Chapter 1

Jade's Story

Three hundred and fifty years have passed since that day and I'm still sitting here waiting for him to come back. Oh! You want to here more of my life story? Well, I warn you it's a very sad tale, full of death and agony. Wait! I was just kidding! Don't leave! Here I will tell my real story to you. It all started the night of the Ishbal war.

Gun shots sounded very late after the sun had settled. I still remember the fear that fell upon me and my younger sister when we heard them. The first thing I though was to get us out of the house, but I was very wrong about that. We had both left to see the military pointing guns at us. I couldn't think! We were both so young, had our whole lives ahead of us. Me being 12 years old and my sister being 4 years younger.

I pushed her back in the house and all the way out the back door. But she stopped not moving another step. "Sister!!! What about mom!!!! And Dad!!!!" The girl had yelled. I stopped and looked at her not saying a thing. But before I knew it she was inside the house and saw our mother and her father standing in the door way. I heard a gun shot and my sister scream, I knew then our parents were dead.

I ran back into the house and grabbed her pulling her out, dragging her away from our home. I wasn't that strong back then so by the time I had gotten her to the house of our good friend Scar, I nearly collapsed.

"Scar! Scar! Where are you?!" I yelled running around the house looking for him. The small cloth in the living room moved over and Scar looked at me with a concurred face. He was not much older than I was. His brother then walked out of the place, his body covered in Alchemist circles. "Scar..? What's he…"

Scar cut me off by ushering me and my sister into the cellar. I sat there with my sister for the longest time. We were alone and in the darkness, scared that Scar was now up with Ishbala. I started to cry ever so slightly, I didn't want my sister to hear or see me.

"Luna…." I muttered. The young girl looked up at me. "I want you to forgive me for this, okay?"

The girl looked at me confused, "What are you talking back, Jade?" I said nothing back to her and drew a small circle around her. "Jade don't! Don't you know what'll happen?! Jade stop!" She yelled at me but I just continued to draw the circle. She went to grab me and push me away but I hit her.

I always regretted hitting her but I really hand no other choice. I wanted her to live and using the forbidden was the only way to save her.

She fell onto her back in the center of the circle; tears falling from her eyes and the military broke into the cellar and pulled their guns at me. I pressed down hard on the circle and activated the alchemy. A flash of blue light came and the last thing I heard before the gun shots was my sister screaming as she disappeared. After the shots sounded I only can remember a lot of pain and then the world went black.

The last thing I remember thinking was about Luna. Hoping she was okay and safe from the military. I wanted her to be okay. I wanted Ishbala to forgive my great sin of using Alchemy. I wanted to be able to keep living and someday find Scar again. But I knew the moment I woke the good dream that fled my mind would forever be gone.

Amber Hudson

Short Story

Chapter 2

Luna's Story

I remember the time my sister used alchemy to save my life, but what she didn't know is that what she did changed me forever. Oh! So you just got done talking to her? I see she told you about the war, well I'm going to tell you my story of what happened next.

After that dreadful night when I was transmuted away by my sister Jade I woke in a small pair of hands of a crying boy. He had blonde hair and looked very sad. I remember him saying something about him wanting to keep me. I was very confused at the time and didn't know what to think. I looked to a woman much older that both me and the boy, she looked to be his mother. The woman shook her hand saying, "No Edward. I'm sorry but we can't have a cat."

I sat up in the boy's hands to find I was indeed a cat. I wanted to scream and run off but I was to cold and wet from lying in the rain for so long and very weak from all the stuff that happened. I looked to a door and saw another young boy looking in at me. He looked shy or maybe scared, I couldn't tell. But he looked a lot like the other boy named Edward, maybe brothers?

I let out a soft meow as I tried to speak to them, tell them about my sister and about the war. I wanted them to go find Jade and Scar. They all looked at me and finally the woman said something, "Alright Ed, you can keep her."

The little boy jumped with joy and hugged me tightly. The other boy came out with a smile and patted me softly on the head. I was scared, terrified really. But for some reason I felt that I belonged with them. Like they were my family, like they could help me become the girl I once was.

I spent the next year or so living with them and their mother. She seemed to be so nice, caring, but for some reason I felt like she was ill, it scared me. Till one day when Edward and Alphons, or Ed and Al for short, came back home with me to see their mother lying on the floor. I had jumped off Ed's shoulder and ran over to the woman. I knew I was right, she was sick.

For the next few weeks Ed, Al, and I never really left her side. Then one day she was gone. I can remember the flowers all over her grave and how Ed, Al, and I stayed there past dark. I wanted to cry, but I knew I couldn't. I wanted to become alive again, be a human. I wanted Ed and Al to know they weren't alone. I wanted to help them, but I couldn't no matter how hard I tried.

After that we all stayed at the Rockbell's home, till the storm hit. Ed, Al, and I all went to go help by using the alchemy they knew. Then Ed and Al saw a woman who went by the name Izume using alchemy with out a transmutation circle. I knew that they were about to embark on a journey of a life time. Ed and Al both had begged Izume to take them with her and to be her apprentices. I thought it was very cute at how much they wanted to learn alchemy, but I didn't think that Grandma Rockbell would really let them go with her. But she did.

After Ed and Al left with Izume I stayed with the Rockbells and tried to help with what ever I could in this form. I remember bring Winry tools, and how I helped her make auto-mail for paying customers, and when attaching the parts to the body I would sit in the lap of the customer and comfort them through the pain.

But before I knew it Ed and Al were back a year later. I was sure that the Rockbells didn't know yet so I went off the greet them, but when I got to their home I saw something I'd never forget. I was watching from the door and the young boy had just cut their fingers, blood fell into the middle of an alchemic circle and they pressed their little hand down hard. The circle started to glow and the contents in the middle started to move.

A moment later the Alchemy had gone wrong, I stood in the door way looking as black creatures consumed Al and stole Ed's leg. I was about to run out and help them but Ed used Alchemy to keep his brother's soul with us. He was now in a large suit of armor, he looked at his brother and picked him up and ran past me and over to the Rockbells. I fallowed him and after Ed was in the care of the Rockbells, I went back to the house and stepped into the circle. With out knowing it I activated it and blue light surrounded me. I let out a scream, and then gasped at the noise I had just made.

Amber Hudson

Short Story

Chapter 3

Jade's Story

I woke up apparently a week after that day. I was in a small room: it looked more like a hut though. I could tell that an outcast Ishbalian had found me and helped me to health. I sat up holding a blanket over my non-clothed body; a shiver went up my spine as a voice sounded for behind me.

"Why hello there, I see you've finally come too. I was starting to worry," the voice seemed old and womanly. I felt safer knowing that I was near another female. I turned my head toward the woman and looked at her. She laughed at my expression of knowing her. She was the outcast doctor of my small town in Ishbal.

"Oh what?! Remember me?" She laughed. I nodded very slightly not moving my eyes from her.

"Yes I do. How could I forget? You always came to my house when either I or Luna was sick. Even now you're still making me well again," I said smiling softly at her. Then the thought crossed me, maybe Luna was here. "Oh old Yonoka! Please tell me Luna, my sister, is here!"

The woman shook her head and sighed, "I am sorry but she's not, and don't call me OLD Yonoka! I'm not that old you know."

I laughed at her remark them slowly stood up, picking up the clothing she had washed for me. "I think I will be taking my leave then. Must not keep her waiting," I threw on the clothes and walked out. I then stared on this journey now not able to turn back.

I traveled for many days on end, headed to town to town looking for any one I might have known. I ended up traveling for six years and not finding a soul I knew. I was about to give up hope. I was not 18 years of age, almost old enough to live on my own. I wanted to find Luna before I got to old. I wanted to find any one really, I didn't want to be alone any more, and so, I set off again.

As you might have thought I had travel for about another year, but this time I ended up in Central. As I got there I found out about the Alchemy exams. I got exited. Maybe I could join the military and find Luna that way. So I used alchemy to change my eye color and my skin tone, I put on new cloths, and set off to headquarters.

When I got there I took the exams and passed! Yay me! Okay well after I passed I got my uniform and I was going to get me alchemy name from Roy. As I walked up to the door I heard him talking about a letter to Hohenheim with another officer. He stopped talking as I walked in.

"Your name was given to you by Furher Bradley. It's kind of funny if you ask me, a little girly to be your name," Roy said with a smirk. I opened the packet and pulled out a form. It read, I give the name Dark Rose to thee Jade Cameta. I smiled and looked at Roy.

"I don't know," I said looking at him, smirking back. "I kind of like this name." He smiled then I saluted him and left. As I was heading for the lunch room to hopefully get some food I ran into Bradley.

"Dark Rose," He said in a commanding voice. "I have your first assignment. Go see Roy, he'll tell you what you need to do." I sighed and went back the Roy's office. There he gave me some papers to read through. If I can remember clearly they said that I must go to Rametala to investigate an alchemy serial killing. Roy then handed me a map and sent me off. But before I left I went back and got some food. Then I was truly off.

Amber Hudson

Short Story

Chapter 4

Luna's Story

I then ran out the building and stopped as I saw a man; he looked at me then started to walk over to the Rockbells home. I ran there and jumped in the window. I looked at Al then sighed, "What have you two done..?"

I think I scared the boy because he looked at me and didn't say anything. I had sighed again and walked into the room Ed was in. The blood every where told me that he was hurt. But after time he seemed to be fine as he slept. There was a knock on the door, it scared me very slightly. But the person at the door just came right in and up to Ed. I don't remember what he said but I do remember the part about the state Alchemists.

After time Ed healed and Al stayed in the armor, I myself stayed by Ed's side most of the time, talking to him every now and then. To me it seemed every one was shocked to find that I could speak. I didn't think they would take it the way they did, nicely. So after that Ed said some crazy thing about auto mail. Well he ended up getting an arm and a leg. I remember how he was screaming that day, it was horrible.

"This pain is nothing," He said. "Compared to the pain he went through."

I didn't like hearing Ed talk like that it was scary in my ears, but the feeling I was having soon passed and Ed and Al went off to join the military. Of course I went with them; they need someone to watch over them. Okay that's not why I went, but still I've always wanted to say that! The truth was I had started to fall in love with the boy, Ed.

But let's not get into that now. So Ed started to study at a man named Shou Tucker's house. His daughter Nina was the cutest girl ever but their dog kept trying to eat me. After Ed had passed the exams we found out that Shou had made another chimera with Nina and that mutt. I hated seeing Ed so sad, I couldn't take how he beat Shou, and so I ran off. Later I saw Scar, my dear old friend, with Nina. I was about to say something then Nina was dead. Ed came up sometime after I couldn't look at his crying face. But I stayed with him all the time.

After that day Ed wasn't the same, or in my eyes he wasn't. One day we were walking to go see Roy and there was a girl yelling at him, I sat out side and listened.

"You sent me to the middle of no where Roy!!! I was lost for six months!!! And all you can say is 'Did you get the information'?! Well no I didn't Roy!!!"

"So you didn't do your job, I see. Oh well I guess it can't be helped," Roy said to the girl who yelled at him. The voice was so familiar to me, it was like my sisters. I looked in the room and saw a girl with long brown hair and dark, more tan, skin. She looked just like her. So I said something or I tried to. I wanted to talk but I was frozen so I just left. At that time I jumped onto Ed's shoulder, and he and Al started walking.

I had this weird feeling of mocking Ed's height at that moment so I did! "So Al how it feel to be taller than your older brother?"

Ed became furious, I jumped off his shoulder and he ran after me around Al. "Who are you calling so short that you need glasses to see!!!!"

I then ran off and Ed fallowed. Al was coming after us to calm his brother down. I froze as something caught my eye. A young girl with horns and a cow tail. Ed then grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. The girl walked over and picked up Ed's watch I watched her then muttered, "Ed you lost your watch."

Ed looked into his pocket to see the watch was gone the looked up at the girl who had it. "Hay give that back!!!" He seemed to still be very mad from the event before. He dropped me and ran at the girl who jumped off onto the roof. Ed of course fallowed her. She ran fast but suddenly sprained her ankle and fell off the roof. Ed being kind, even when mad, caught her. I'm not to sure what they talked about but they were talking and Ed had taken her to the hospital after some minor attacks from a gang or two.

As Ed walked out of her room, I jumped on his shoulder, "So Ed who is she?"

"Her name is Twix; she's a chimera and a petty thief," Ed said.

"I see," Ed and I started to walk down the hall till we were knocked to the ground by a young woman. I looked at her and saw the same girl that was yelling at Roy.

"Oh I'm sorry," She said helping Ed up. "Oh! So you're the boy every body's been talking about? It's nice to meet you, Ed right?" She said holding out her hand. He shook it and smiled at her then looked at me as I jumped up onto his shoulder and looked the girl in the eyes.

"By chance," I started to say but was cut off by the girl gasping.

"You can talk..?" She said to me.

I nodded then continued, "By chance is your name Jade?"

"Why yes it is. Why do you ask? Is someone looking for me?" She said with concern.

"It's me oni-chan," I said to her. By the way her eyes widened then tears weld up told me that she knew she did this.

"Luna..? I'm…I'm so sorry…."She said as I jumped into her arms and she hugged my small fuzzy body. Ed sighed than walked off to find Al. "Luna. I can change you back! I know how too!"

Amber Hudson

Short Story

Chapter 5

Jade's Story

The sun was high in the sky, the air was nice and cool. The leaves on the trees, which were a soft orange and red color, were falling slowly to the ground. I saw kids that lived around the area were playing in the streets and the shop keepers were yelling at them for disturbing their shops. The place was so peaceful and calm, even beautiful.

My sister and I had left HQ and sat in a small park just down the rode from the Ishbalian refuge. I smiled at the small black cat that stood on the ground next to me.

"I've been looking for you for the longest time sister," I said as we walked.

"You have?" My sister said.

"Yes."

"I always thought you died," Luna said. "In the war."

I would be dead now," I said. "But Yonoka saved me and brought me back to health."

"Wow! How is she doing? I haven't seen her in ages."

"She's fine but look, I found a way to get your body back. It'll work! I know it will," I said.

"I don't want to get hurt again, Jade," She muttered.

"You won't be!"

"I sure hope so…" Luna said looking down.

I smiled at her then said, "But you are very cute as a cat!"

"Go to hell," She said coldly.

"Same bad attitude as always," I said teasing her a little.

She let out a soft hiss then jumped onto my shoulder.

I stood up with a smile, "I'll change you back right now. How bout that?" My sister looked at me and sighed softly.

"Are you sure this will work?" She said softly.

"Yep!"

I walked her off into a forest like area on the outskirts of Central. I set the small cat down on a tree branch and started to draw an alchemy circle. Ed and Al were walking along the forget and headed in, towards the two. After I finished the circle I picked up Luna and set her in the middle of it. Just as Ed and Al walked out to us, I activated the circle.

"What the hell are you doing?! Luna!" Ed yelled and ran over to me. Right as he got up next to me a growl came from the other side of the circle. A very large tiger jumped out over the alchemy and was preying on us.

Ed used alchemy and pulled out a large spear and hit the tiger so hard with it, that he flew back into the circle. The blue light from the alchemy faded and a young girl like figure lay in the circle. It was Luna she was human, normal again. I sighed with relief then gasped at what I saw.

The young girl was covered in black strips, her hair half black. A small pair of orange and black striped ears lay atop her head and a long orange and black striped tail swayed gently as she opened her yellow cat eyes. Ed turned to me and hit me as hard as he could in the face. I fell to the ground, blood shaded on my cheek. I got up slowly a looked at Ed then to my now chimera sister.

Chapter 6

Luna looked at Ed as he hit her sister. She let out a scream and grabbed Ed's hand, "What are you doing. Ed?! That's my sister! Don't hit her." She held his hand softly, tears lay under her eyes. She let go of his hand then muttered, "Stop touching my leg…." Her hand flung up and she slapped Ed, but the feeling of the touch stayed on her leg. She looked down to see a tail swaying from her butt.

Ed got up slowly, whipping his jaw, a small red mark from where she slapped him. Ed looked at her, slightly upset and angry. "Did you have to slap me?"

"I'm sorry Ed! I though you were being a pervert. I'm really, really sorry!" Luna said as she pulled on her tail. It hurt to pull on it so she soon stopped. Her eyes washed over her sister, who was leaning against a tree, crying softly.

"I'm sorry Luna I really messed up this time. You're a chimera now. I'm…..so sorry," she said pulling her legs up to her chest. Luna walked up to her knelling down to her level. Luna's softly hand cupped Jade's into her's and smiled at her.

"You did fine. I'm glade that I'm not a cat any more though. I want to thank you sister. You turned me back, well almost turned me back, to normal," She said softly squeezing Jade's hands within her own. "Thank you."

The wind blew through the trees, making a soft waving noise. The sun coming up slowly over the mountains, heading for the dark sky. Ed stood there looking at Luna and sighed softly, seeing she was okay. Jade smiled softly and looked at Ed, "You know you didn't have to hit me with your metal arm, right?"

Ed smirked at her softly, "I know I didn't have to but wanting to be a different story all together." Luna stood there for a moment pulling her tiger tail. Her hands dropped the orange and black tail and went up to her head to feel cat like ears lying atop her skull.

"I've got ears too," she said softly the sighed once more. "We should head back. Roy's going to kill you Ed and you too, sister." Both Ed and Jade nodded then turned at started to walk back over to central. Al was waiting on the stairs for them and stood up when Ed came into view.

"Brother! What took you so-," Al looked over to Luna, his armor clanked against the ground as he ran up to her. "Ed! It's a Chimera! Why are you walking with a Chimera? Where's Luna?"

"Hay Al," the Chimera said to the boy, who wore the armor. Al gasped softly and looked at her.

"Luna…?" he said in his soft voice. The girl looked to be his own age, and or slightly younger. He had never really put any thought to the matter of how old she was or what she looked like. "How old are you?" Al said with out thinking.

Luna laughed softly at his question, "I'm three days younger than you Al." By the way Al's armor clanked when he stepped back, it was obvious that he was shocked.

"I never would have thought you were younger than me. I always thought you were older than Ed," Al said as he looked at the girl. Jade walked off slowly, going back to Roy's office. She stood in front of his door for a moment then opened in and just walked in.

"Roy, I'm back what's my next assignment?" she ordered in a demanding voice. Her eyes staring into his, showing that she'd do anything no matter how hard it was. Roy laughed at her determination.

"I want you to go to Risembool, with Ed," Roy said in his smug attitude.

"What's in Risembool and why do I have to take shorty along with me?" Jade said.

"There word that a curtain someone has been seen in Risembool. I think you might know him. He goes by the name of Scar. I want you and Ed to find him and bring him back, dead or alive."

"NO! No way will I ever, EVER kill him. You know very well why! I'm not going and I won't let Ed go either!" Jade yelled.

"Then don't kill him," Roy said mockingly.