Edward Elric stood once again in that blank, empty space, the Gate looming above him.

"Welcome back, Mr. Al-che-mist!"

Truth.

The alchemist turned to face him-it? Whatever. "This white stuff is nothing, and basically everything, right?"

The Universe's grin faded ever so slightly. "Yes, why?"

"Hm . . . well, this might actually work." He clapped his hands and pressed them to . . . whatever he was standing on. And thus, the Great Table was created. Three more claps and two chairs were added - along with a birthday cake. Truth really didn't get that part. Instead of trying to figure out what was going on, it decided to watch Ed as he continued around the room, putting up what looked like party decorations. "Hey Al, where are you?"

The brother stepped out from behind the Gate. "Here. Oh Brother, you remembered!"

Truth frowned. "Remembered what?"

"My Birthday!"

Truth, um, blinked, I suppose, then seemed to grow whiter, by some miracle. "Are you telling me you're throwing a party in my domain?" it all but shouted. "You can't!"

"Why not? Is it against the law of the universe?"

"No, but-"

Ed sighed. "To tell the truth, pun not intended, bringing Mom back to life was also a Birthday present. But you interfered with the light show, crashed the party, and made it so Al wasn't able to have Birthday cake for several years. So I promised him that when we got his body back, we'd throw a party, and he could eat all the cake he wanted. And this just happens to be his Birthday, so why not throw a party up here? Or down, wherever this place is." He clapped his hands together. "Here are some clothes, Al." He tossed his brother the material and a cone-shaped hat that had 'Birthday Boy' written on it.

"Thanks, Brother!"

All the Truth could do was stare at the scene unfolding before him.

"So, any drinks you'd like to try, Al?"

"Hm . . . I think I'll just have water."

A few minutes later, You snapped out of it and checked its planner. He had a meeting with one Harry Potter in exactly a minute. With a snap of her fingers, he transformed into the image of Albus Dumbledore and the white expanse changed to looked vaguely like Kings Cross station in London. All turned to Ed and Al. "You, keep quiet. I'm getting a visitor right about . . . now."

And then Harry Potter appeared.

After a moment of standing around, some robes appeared near the boy, which he promptly put on. A whimpering creature lay nearby. After a few more minutes of dawdling, the so-called god-turned-Albus spoke up. "You cannot help."

Harry spun around. "Dumbled-?"

"Hey, scrawny kid!"

Harry's head snapped in Ed's direction.

"Yeah, you."

Truth sighed in exasperation, and Harry glanced between it and Ed before walking in the Elrics' direction. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. You see, my brother is able to eat for the first time in years." He jerked his head in the direction of a very malnourished looking kid. "And today happens to be his Birthday, so we're having a party. I guess it could also be celebrating the fact that I just defeated this guy who was trying to become god."

Harry blinked. "I'm just about to defeat a Dark Lord who's attempting to become immortal and take over the world, so I suppose we're in similar situations."

The blond kid smirked. "I'm Edward Elric, this is Alphonse." He gestured in his brother's direction.

"Harry Potter."

"So, are you joining the celebrations?" Alphonse asked.

Harry glanced back at Dumbledore, who, to his shock and surprise, had become a strange, genderless white thing outlined in black, which was now sighing. Again.

"Don't worry, I figured this might happen, so I froze your time. No one's going to die."

The Boy Who Lived turned back to the table, which now had a third chair.

"Take a seat. What drink do you want?"

He sat down and searched his mind for something. "Um, Butterbeer?"

Edward gave him an odd look. "Beer . . . made with butter. . . ?"

"Uh . . . maybe pumpkin juice instead?"

"Sure." With a clap of Ed's hands, there was a glass of orange-colored liquid on the table in front of him. "Thank you, but how did you do that? Creating food and drink is against Gamp's Law of Transfiguration, or something like that."

"I just used alchemy. Don't you have that?"

Harry nodded. "Of course, it's a form of magic. There's a class for it at Hogwarts, I think."

Ed gave him another weird look. "Magic? No, no no no. Alchemy is science, and science alone. Maybe 'magic' is just your word for alchemy."

This conversation was interrupted by the World. "I guess I have nothing better to do than join you," he said, checking her planner again. "So I will."

"No you won't," Edward replied firmly. "You're a bastard and I won't let you ruin the light show again."

One pouted. "But I'm lonely! There's nothing to do up here other than greet people and send them to the afterlife or let them live. Or steal their limbs." It sent a pointed glance at the automail leg attached to Elric the Older's self.

Feeling sorry for the powerful being, Al turned to face his brother with watery eyes. Ed seemed unable to resist after that.

"Fine, you can join, but no dragging us into the Gate or ruining the light show, okay?"

"Fine."

Al smiled. "Come on, World Universe God Truth All One Me! Do you want something to drink? . . . Are you able to drink?"

World Universe God Truth All One Me huffed. "Of course I can, I have a mouth, don't I?"

The boy tipped his head. "Good point. So, what do you want to drink?"

Truth shuffled his and Ed's feet. "To tell the truth, pun not intended, I've never actually drunk anything before. I haven't needed to."

"Well, I recommend Butterbeer," Harry supplied.

"Water's good."

"Have some orange juice."

The Universe sighed. Again again. "How about I just take all three?"

"Sounds great!" Al cheered.

Once One had tasted all three, she gave his verdict. "I don't like water."

Al looked surprised. "But you're the world, you're covered in it!"

"I'm tired of water. And most of that is salty, anyway. The taste lingers in my mouth all the time, literally."

Ed stood and stretched. "I think it's about time I started the light show. Could you make it dark?"

One snap of the fingers later they were plunged into complete blackness.

"Dammit, you didn't have to make it so dim! I can't see!" There was a clap and some chalk appeared. It could be seen because of the light emanating from Harry's wand. He wasn't sure when it had gotten there, but since it was available he decided to use it.

"Thanks, Harry."

A few minutes later they were watching colorful lightning shooting up into the . . . sky? When did that get there? There were also lights that weren't in the form of electricity trying to reach the ground but going up instead.

"Wow, Ed, this is just like that time we tried to bring Mom back to life. That would have been a cool present, I wished it had worked."

Harry, being more tactful than Ron, decided that it was best not to question the brothers' personal life and instead allowed them to continue rambling on about 'the old days'. These reminiscences were interrupted by All is One about an hour later. "I have an appointment with someone in five minutes, you should be getting back. Your friends are probably worried."

Ed leapt to his feet. "I thought you paused time!"

"I never said I stopped time in your world, did I? Just his. Now shoo. Harry, you shouldn't be procrastinating about saving the world either."

While Harry disappeared, the Elrics ended up being pulled through the Gate instead. "Wait a minute, what about the price for bringing Al back?" Edward yelled.

"I got to eat and drink, plus the light show. I think that was enough. Goodbye, Mr. Al-che-mist!"

The doors slammed shut.

9/28/2015 !This chapter has been edited! There is an 'a' somewhere in it that needs to be capitalized, if you spot it please inform me as to where it is hiding.

I don't know when Al's Birthday really is. So, whatever. XD

I enjoyed writing this immensely, I hope you liked reading it! Please leave me your thoughts - If you don't, World Universe God Truth All One Me will force you to drink salt water.

-Kareha