ATE: Well, would you look at that? I finally managed to update this story (everybody's probably thinking "ABOUT TIME!!!). I had to majority of this chapter done before I started working on it today, which was mainly because I was busy with college so far. I'd like to thank viper's fang and Crystalmaiden62 for reviewing so far, and to those who've read the first chapter at this point. I worked really hard on this chapter and I hope that everyone will enjoy this update.
Declaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, own any OC characters you encounter within this chapter.
Chapter 1
Ed was confused when he found himself surrounded by a huge expanse of white all around him, but then he realized where he was when he saw the familiar formless white form (or outline) of an entity he knew he'd never forget after what happened that fateful night: Truth.
"What am I doing here?" Ed demanded.
This only caused a grin to appear on Truth's face.
"What? After everything I've done for you, this is the thanks I get? Haven't you heard the saying 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'?" Truth asked.
Ed suddenly felt confused by what Truth said.
"What are you talking about?"
"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about, Edward. After all, the last few times you've slept you 'dreamt'of her."
Ed finally realized what the entity was talking about as his gold eyes widened in shock.
"You mean Amber?" Ed asked.
Truth's grin seemed to get larger upon hearing this.
"Oh, so you do know what I'm talking about. And here I thought you forgot all about your experience on the other side of the Gate."
"The other side? So those dreams I was having—"
"Weren't dreams?" Truth finished. "Exactly. The only reason why no one else could see you besides that little girl was because you had to temporarily give up that aspect while on the other side since you were sleeping."
"But then why was she able to see me?"
Truth merely chuckled.
"Why don't you see for yourself?"
Before Ed could respond tiny black hands suddenly grabbed him from behind before pulling him through an open gate that had been behind him. He watched as he got farther and farther away from Truth until the doors of the Gate slammed shut before him.
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Ed's eyes shot open and he gasped him surprise, only to find himself standing in a familiar room that he remembered to be Amber's room, but it was different than the last time he saw it. The small wooden desk he remembered the little girl sitting at was no longer there, and in its place was a bigger desk meant for a bigger person. There was the absence of toys and stuffed animals that left Ed confused, but what confused him even more was the form he spotted sleeping in the bed in front of him. Before he could get a better look an annoying buzzing sound went off, causing the person in the bed to reach over and slam their hand on top of it. The person grumbled something incoherent before sitting up in bed and Ed's eyes widened in shock.
The person in the bed was Amber, except she was older! Her once chin length chestnut hair seemed to come a little past her shoulders and the features of her face were more defined than they were when he last saw her as a 5 year old. Ed blushed as he was suddenly reminded of what she told him before she fell asleep the last time he saw her. Did she still remember that?
Ed then noticed that she was staring at him with half lidded eyes, but a few seconds later she started screaming. He barely dodged the pillow she threw at him, but luckily he managed to do so.
"Hey! Why the hell are you throwing—"
Ed didn't get to finish since he got hit in the head by the alarm clock she threw at him and he ended up on the floor trying to recover.
As for Amber, she had gotten out of her bed to grab the next closest object to her, which happened to be her lamp. Just as she was about to throw it at the boy on the floor the door to her room opened, causing her to turn and find her mom standing there.
"What's wrong, Amber? Why are you screaming?" Her mom asked.
Amber was confused. Couldn't her mom see that there was a complete stranger lying on the floor after she hit him with her alarm clock?
"Nothing's wrong, mom! It was just a spider that freaked me out, that's all! I took care of it!" Amber lied.
"Okay. Just remember that you need to get ready for school."
With that Amber's mom left, closing the door behind her. Amber turned back to the boy who was now sitting up and rubbing the spot where he got hit by her alarm clock. Her hazel eyes narrowed and she stood over him while armed with her lamp.
"Okay, now talk!" She whispered loudly so her parents wouldn't hear her. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my room?"
"What, you don't remember me?" He asked, gazing up at her with a pair of stunning gold eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw them, but then she mentally told herself that they could be fake since they did make contacts that changed your eye color.
"Who hasn't seen a person cosplay as Edward Elric? I've seen tons of them before." Amber didn't notice how the boy's body tensed up. She then had a thoughtful look on her face. "Then again, I haven't seen a costume as detailed as yours before. I wonder how much time you spent making it?"
"I didn't make it! I bought it like you would any other outfit in a store!" The boy protested after getting up. "And what is this 'cosplay' you're talking about anyways?! Better yet, why would people want to dress up as me in the first place?!"
Amber stared at him in confusion.
'What?' She thought.
And that was when she noticed his height. Even though she was a few inches taller than him, he was still short.
"You have quite the big ego for a pipsqueak midget."
Suddenly the boy's face had a murderous look as he glared at her.
"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!!!!!!"
Terrified, Amber threw the lamp she was holding at the stranger and caused him to fall to the floor again. As she stared at him she couldn't help but suddenly be reminded of what happened on her first day of kindergarten, a memory she had thought she'd forgotten (and had wanted to forget) for a long time. It had been after Simon had shoved her to the floor that she had heard a voice yell those same words at him, but that boy hadn't heard them at all. Then she remembered that voice asking her what she was drawing, and that same drawing being ripped in half by Simon. But there had been someone that voice belonged to that had been her friend, but she couldn't recall what they looked like. What she did remember was a mechanical right arm and left leg.
"Damn! You're just as bad as Winry!" The boy muttered.
"Who are you really?" Amber asked quietly.
Ed looked up at Amber and he noticed the slight terrified look in her eyes as she gazed at him. But most of all he could see her confusion. She really didn't remember him at all. Slowly, Ed got up off the floor so that he didn't end up giving her anymore reason to throw something at him before reaching into his pocket. He noticed Amber's body tense up out of the corner of his eye until he pulled out the folded piece of paper that contained the drawing she had given him last time.
"I think you need to look at this before I continue." He told her, holding the folded paper out to her.
Amber was confused as to why this stranger was holding a folded piece of paper out to her. What did a piece of paper have to do with who this guy was? Hesitantly, she took it from him before slowly unfolding the paper. She became even more confused when she saw the crude drawing on it that had been done in what appeared to be crayon. The drawing itself was of what appeared to be a little girl with short brown hair and a older person with yellow hair that was pulled back in what looked like a ponytail and wearing red and black. At first Amber wasn't sure what to make of it, but as she continued to stare at it the drawing started to look familiar, but where had she seen it?
"Look familiar?" The boy asked, causing Amber to look up at him with a confused look. "You made that drawing and gave it to me the last time I was here. When we first met you're parents thought I was your imaginary friend. I remember hearing you telling your mom that I was real after she told you I wasn't. I was there when that kid Simon was picking on you on that first day of kindergarten and how he ripped the original drawing you happen to be holding onto at the moment. Before you gave me that drawing, you thought I was a guardian angel and I told you I wasn't, along with the fact that I don't believe in god."
Amber wasn't sure what to make of what this stranger was telling her, but it all sounded familiar. But it was the last bit that left her confused.
"Why don't you believe in god?" She asked.
He didn't say anything, but what he did do was start taking his red coat off, and Amber suddenly felt anxious, her heartbeat seeming to be very loud in her own ears, as he managed to slip it off completely. He then took off the white glove that was on his right hand before he started taking off his black jacket. Amber let out a gasp when the jacket came off and her eyes widened when a metal right arm was revealed in all its gleaming glory, along with a glimpse of a metal left leg when the boy lifted his pant leg up to show her. Those couldn't be real! There was no way that what she was seeing as actual automail! She took a step back when his gold gaze met hers, looking at her solemnly, as if expecting her to respond somehow.
Amber suddenly remembered a rainy day, feeling sad, and then gleaming metal limbs along with a familiar face, the same familiar face that was now looking at her. Filled with fear, she opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out regardless of how hard she tried. This couldn't be the same person she had known when she was little, the one that had supposedly been her 'imaginary friend'. She now knew, without a doubt, that the person standing before her was in fact Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. And it scared her.
"Do you need me to tell you the story or do you remember what happened?" He asked.
Not knowing what to do, Amber quickly picked out a random outfit before rushing into her bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.
Ed just stood where he was as he hung his head. Amber's reaction to seeing his automail limbs kept replaying in his head and just thinking of it made him feel horrible. She hadn't reacted that way when he first showed her when she was still 5, so why was her reaction so vastly different than last time?
Ed sighed before getting his stuff back on, but it was as he was getting his red coat back on that he noticed the drawing lying on the floor. Amber must've dropped it before she ran into the bathroom. His legs seemed to have a mind of their own since he found himself walking over and picking up the drawing before going over to the bed and sitting down on it. He then heard the door to the bathroom being unlocked and looked up in time to see Amber walk out wearing blue jeans and a white shirt that had mid-long sleeves that had slits in the sides starting at the shoulders before stopping at the end. He turned his head away to hide the blush he now had from seeing her in the outfit she chose to wear. And then his blushing face deepened as he was reminded again of when she said she 'loved him' the last time he saw her.
'Why'd I have to think about that now?' Ed thought.
Ed suddenly heard the sound of a door open and he looked up in time to see Amber walk out of her room before shutting it behind her. He didn't have anything better to do so he followed her (not surprised by the fact that he was able to go right through the closed door) downstairs into the kitchen. She sat down at the table and despite the fact that he took a seat in the chair next to her, Amber seemed to be ignoring him completely. He scrunched up his face in disgust when he noticed the glass of milk she was drinking and he could've sworn she glanced at him.
When Amber had finished eating breakfast Ed watched her tell her mom that she was leaving for school before following her outside as she walked to school. As he walked beside her, Ed glanced over at Amber to see that she was avoiding looking at him. He was starting to get a little uncomfortable from the awkward silence between them (and somewhat irritated).
"Mind telling me why you're giving me the silent treatment all of a sudden?" Ed asked, hoping that he could get her to talk.
Amber didn't say anything, causing Ed to sigh.
"Are you seriously going to be like this the whole time?" He turned to her and saw that she wasn't doing anything in response. Ed placed his hands on her shoulders so that she was forced to stop and look at him. "I don't know what it was I did, but whatever it was I'm sorry, okay?"
Amber looked away from Ed, feeling herself blush slightly from him placing his hands on her shoulders.
"You didn't do anything." She told him.
She heard Ed sigh in what sounded like relief.
"Good. I was kinda worried that I did something wrong."
"It's not that though. You're not supposed to exist here."
It was quiet before Ed spoke again.
"What do you mean?"
Amber sighed before reaching into her backpack and pulling out a copy of the first volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga and handing it to Ed. She watched as his gold eyes widened in shock.
"This is what I meant, Ed. In this world you're a character in this manga and TV show called Fullmetal Alchemist, while there was another one called Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which is more accurate to the manga. But what I don't understand is how I've known you before this manga or both animes were created."
"Your guess is as good as mine." Ed said before handing the manga back to Amber.
Amber was confused. She had been expecting a different reaction from Ed.
"You're taking this pretty well, considering that you just found out you don't exist in this world."
"What were you expecting?"
"I was expecting something along the lines of you being angry that someone made you and your brother up and created a story just to entertain people. Maybe even yell at me for telling you this and showing you the manga."
"Normally I would be, but then I kinda did the same thing by thinking that you didn't exist and that you were just something my mind came up with while I was asleep. I guess it's only fair to some extent."
"You got a good point. I had thought you were some imaginary friend."
It was quiet between the two before Ed spoke.
"You do remember what happened the last time I saw you, right?"
"Sort of. It was 10 years ago so my memory's a little fuzzy." Suddenly Amber remembered something and blushed. "I…didn't say anything to you before I fell asleep that time, did I?"
"Actually, you did."
Amber's blush got deeper.
"You mean I actually said that to you?"
"Yeah." She noticed Ed started to blush.
The rest of the walk was spent in silence until both Amber and Ed arrived at the high school she was attending. She glanced at Ed out of the corner of her eye to see that he was staring wide eyed at the building and she couldn't help but giggle, causing him to turn to her.
"What's so funny?" He asked.
"Nothing!" She told him. "I'm guessing you've never seen a high school before, have you?"
"'High school'?"
Amber sighed quietly.
"How was schooling done in Amestris? You know, like grade levels and such?"
"How should I know? To me school was just school."
"Well, here we have different grade levels, starting with kindergarten and then first through twelve grade. Kindergarten through fifth grade is taught in one building known as elementary school, while sixth through eighth grade are taught in middle school, and ninth through twelfth grade are taught in high school."
"So your grade level is between ninth and twelfth grade."
"Amber!"
(Ed's POV)
Ed turned in the direction the voice came from and saw a boy come up to Amber. The boy himself had short black hair and had brown eyes that were hidden behind a pair of glasses. His outfit was casual looking, with a white button up shirt and tan cargo pants. But the worst part was that not only was he taller than him, but he was taller than Amber. And why was he being so friendly with her as well?
"Hey, Cody! What's up?" Amber asked.
'So his name is Cody.' Ed thought.
"Nothing much. So did you manage to see that episode of Brotherhood?"
"Yeah, I did." Ed noticed that Amber sounded somewhat nervous for some reason, but he soon realized that it probably had to do with that show she was telling him about awhile ago.
"It's funny how I got you interested in Fullmetal Alchemist all those years ago. Although I didn't expect you to become an Edward Elric fangirl in the process."
Ed was surprised to hear this, but when he turned to look at Amber he saw that her face was red. So it was true.
"At least I'm not into the whole Team Edward/Team Jacob thing that's been going on because of Twilight. And if I remember correctly you had a thing for Winry."
"That's only because she's a mechanic and you know how that kind of stuff interests me!" Cody said as he blushed a bit. "But wouldn't it be cool if any of it was real? That way I'd get to learn how automail works and everything."
"Y-yeah, it would be cool…if it was real."
"Well I better get going so see you later, Amber!"
Ed's eyes widened when he saw Cody kiss Amber on the cheek before leaving and he could see that she was blushing because of it. Without realizing it he was gritting his teeth while clenching his fists.
"Ed, are you okay?"
Ed found Amber staring at him with a confused look. He then realized what he had been doing and looked away from her as he tried to relax.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He grumbled.
Amber then moved so that she stood in front of him, her hazel eyes observing his face with a thoughtful look. Then her eyes widened.
"You're not jealous, are you?" Amber asked.
"What are you talking about?! I'm not jealous at all!" Ed yelled.
'I just don't like how friendly he was with you!' He added mentally.
"That's why you're being very defensive right now."
"I'm not being defensive!"
Amber sighed in slight annoyance.
"Whatever. I need to get to class now."
Ed watched as Amber walked away and entered the school. He remembered Cody kissing her cheek and suddenly became angry, only to have his eyes widened as he realized what he was doing.
'Crap! I am jealous!' He frowned. 'What am I saying? There's no point in me being jealous in the first place! I don't even exist in this world!'
Ed started chasing after Amber to catch up with her.
(Amber's POV)
Amber turned around and smiled when she saw Cody running up to her.
"Hey, Cody! What's up?"
"Nothing much." Cody replied. "So did you manage to see that episode of Brotherhood?"
Amber tensed up as she remembered that Ed was currently standing next to her.
"Yeah, I did." Amber said nervously.
"It's funny how I got you interested in Fullmetal Alchemist all those years ago. Although I didn't expect you to become an Edward Elric fangirl in the process."
Amber blushed at this, and it didn't help that Ed was forced to listen to this conversation.
'How embarrassing! Now Ed's probably thinking that I'm some obsessed fangirl or something.' She thought.
"At least I'm not into the whole Team Edward/Team Jacob thing that's been going on because of Twilight. And if I remember correctly you had a thing for Winry."
At this Cody ended up blushing slightly.
"That's only because she's a mechanic and you know how that kind of stuff interests me! But wouldn't it be cool if any of it was real? That way I'd get to learn how automail works and everything."
"Y-yeah, it would be cool…if it was real."
'If only you knew, Cody.'
"Well I better get going so see you later, Amber!"
Amber was surprised when Cody suddenly kissed her on the cheek before heading inside the school, causing her to blush in the process. She lightly touched the place where he had kissed her. Cody had never done anything like that before so why now? Did he…like her?
She suddenly remembered that Ed was standing next to her and when she turned to look at him she saw that he was clenching his hands into fists and he was frowning. He looked as if he was ready to murder someone.
"Ed, are you okay?"
Amber watched as Ed turned to her, but he then looked away from her.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He grumbled.
She knew something was up seeing as there had to be a reason why he was acting the way he did, so she moved around so that she stood right in front of him. She stared at Ed's face, trying to find the answer to her question, only to soon widen her eyes.
"You're not jealous, are you?" Amber asked.
"What are you talking about?! I'm not jealous at all!" Ed yelled.
"That's why you're being very defensive right now."
"I'm not being defensive!"
Amber sighed in slight annoyance.
"Whatever. I need to get to class now."
Amber walked off, not caring if Ed was following her or not, as she went inside. She groaned quietly as she remembered that her first class happened to be chemistry, a subject that she hated.
'If I'm lucky maybe Ed can help me with it.' She thought.
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Throughout the rest of the day Ed had followed Amber around to all her classes. It was during her classes that she silently communicated with him by writing something down on paper, and he would respond to her out loud seeing as no one else could hear him. This was also helpful when she asked him for help in chemistry, and he was more than happy to help her when it came to a subject he was very familiar with.
But when lunch time came around that was when things took a drastic turn, especially when Cody showed up to have lunch with Amber. And to make matters worse, he took the seat Ed was sitting in (which was next to her), forcing him to sit in the only seat left available: across from Cody.
During her conversation with Cody, Amber could see Ed glaring at her friend with a murderous look (bringing to mind the expression 'if looks could kill', which was probably what he was trying to do at the time). Not to mention that he was quietly growling every now and then. She couldn't help but wonder what his problem was and if it had anything to do with what happened that morning.
For the rest of Amber's classes, she wasn't able to talk to Ed like before due to Cody sitting in the desk next to her. It was during those instances that he'd wish he was solid so that he could push him out of his chair, regardless with how short the sense of satisfaction would've been afterwards.
So you could imagine how relieved Ed was when school was over for Amber, which meant it was just the two of them and no Cody.
"Man, am I glad to finally get out of there! The only things interesting were your chemistry and history class!" Ed said as he walked beside Amber.
"I'm not surprised that you found those interesting." Amber said. "But what I want to know is what's your problem with Cody? You kept glaring and growling at him like you were jealous or something."
"I'm not jealous!" He lied. "Why should I care if you like him or not? It's not like it matters to me in the first place!"
"Good, because I don't!"
This surprised Ed, but he didn't show it. He was about to ask Amber to explain when she spoke up, all the while having a smile as she seemed to reminiscence.
"I don't like Cody that way. We've been friends since first grade so it'd be weird. So you have no reason to be jealous."
"I ALREADY TOLD YOU I'M NOT JEALOUS!"
"Then prove it." Amber said.
"How am I supposed to do something like that?" Ed asked.
"Hmm…I don't know." She said playfully. "You're smart, so I'm sure you can think of something."
Ed wasn't sure if Amber was challenging him or not, but before he could figure it out she started running off down the sidewalk.
"Hey! Get back here!" He yelled as he chased after her.
"Gotta catch me first!" She yelled over her shoulder at him.
Ed couldn't help the huge grin that appeared on his face as he gave chase, all the while being reminded of when Amber was still the little 5 year old girl he first met when he still believed her to be a dream. Up ahead he could see that they were approaching the house she lived in and, in turn, Ed sped up; this was a challenge he was easily capable of winning, and he wasn't going to lose. Just a little more and he'd be within arm's reach of her!
But then Ed tripped over something and in the process dragged Amber down with him. He quickly recovered and blushed when he realized that he'd fallen on top of her.
"Amber! Are you okay?" He asked franticly.
It was quiet for a bit and Ed was confused when he heard Amber laughing.
'Did she hit her head or something?' He thought.
"Looks like you caught me." Amber said when she managed to calm down a bit.
"Yeah, looks like I did." He agreed, unable to stop himself from grinning.
"Laughing aside, would you mind getting up? For someone so small you're not exactly light."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SOMEONE SMALLER THAN A SPECK OF DUST?!"
"You, of course. And it did get you off me."
That was when Ed noticed that he was, indeed, standing in front of Amber. He quickly turned around to hide his reddening face as the memory of falling on top of her burned in his mind.
"C'mon, shortie. Time to head inside."
"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!!!"
Amber just ignored his protests as she merely went inside her house. Ed followed her inside and into the kitchen where she placed her backpack down next to the chair he assumed she was going to sit at the table, and he sat down in the next chair over at the table. He saw that Amber was rummaging through the fridge, so he took that time to allow his gaze to roam around the kitchen. Ed remembered thinking Winry would've had a field day with the technical stuff in the room when he first saw them in his second 'dream'.
His train of thought was interrupted when Amber sat down in her seat, along with a glass of milk sitting in front of her on the table as she was going through her backpack for the homework she had been assigned. Ed glared at the glass of milk, wishing that his gaze could've caused the white liquid to boil and evaporate before Amber even had a chance to take her first sip. Sadly that wasn't the case since she placed her homework on the table before taking a sip of her milk. Ed's face showed disgust at seeing her drink the milk and he couldn't stop himself from shuddering.
"How can you drink that stuff?" He asked.
Amber placed the cup down on the table before turning to face him.
"Easy. I just bring the glass to my mouth and tilt it back slightly." She replied as if it was obvious.
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
"Really? I could've sworn that was what you were asking."
"So I ask a simple question and all I get as a sarcastic answer?"
"Pretty much!"
Ed sighed.
"And yet Winry calls me immature at times."
Amber was about to retort when the doorbell suddenly went off. In his curiosity Ed followed her to the front door to see who it was, but then he started feeling dreadful for some reason when the person at the door turned out to be what he thought was a police officer (at least he looked like he would be one even if the appearance of his uniform was drastically different than what he was used to seeing).
"C-can I help you?" Amber asked, and Ed noticed that she sounded uneasy.
Ed listened as the police officer asked Amber if she was who she was, and as soon as she confirmed it the older man's face became grim, an expression he had seen too many times to count. It was the expression one would give when something bad had happen and they were forced to be the one to give the bad news to the person who had been wronged. The dreadful feeling Ed had was explained when the officer told Amber that her parents were killed in a car accident. But how?
"How were they killed?" Amber asked, as if knowing what Ed's silent question was.
"Like we said, we found them both in the same car around noon today. It looked like a case of hit-and-run, but the damage to the car itself looked too extensive to be that. We're still not sure what happened exactly, but we're trying our best to figure this out." The officer told her.
Ed couldn't exactly describe the expression on Amber's face. There were too many emotions to pinpoint a single word to call it, but the one he saw the most was shock. Maybe even horrified by the news of the accident her parents were in. One thing he knew was that her mind was having trouble registering all this. Even the officer noticed this and showed some pity.
"I'm sorry. We'll have someone come back later to take you over to the station to see the bodies."
Even after the officer left Amber still had that expression on her face, like she was unsure how she should react to the news due to her mind. She just stood there with the door still open even after the officer drove away from the house. Ed walked forward to close the front door for her, but even the sound of it slamming shut (he shoved the door a little harder than he initially thought he did) didn't even cause her to flinch; she just stared at the now closed door with wide eyes. He wasn't sure what to do, but he had to do something to get her away from the front door, seeing as Amber didn't look like she was going to be moving from that spot anytime soon.
Ed grabbed Amber's hand and tried to lead her away from the front door, but she wouldn't move. He even tried grabbing her arm and dragging her, and despite being able to move her a little it was hardly any progress at all. This wasn't like last time where she was still a little 5 year old girl that he'd been able to carry, and he couldn't exactly do that now that she was older.
'Wait, I could carry her.' He thought. 'But actually getting her to move is the problem.'
Ed stood in front of Amber before turning his back to face her, and after some difficulty he managed to get her on his back. She was somewhat heavier than he first thought, but he was able to carry her into the living room and got her to sit down on the couch. Ed wanted to tell her to wait where she was while he went to get her cup of milk, but he refrain from doing so since he knew she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. What would be the point in telling her that when she hadn't shone any reaction yet? When he did come back with the milk he saw that she hadn't moved an inch, and his gaze softened out of pity as he sat down next to her.
"Amber, I got your milk for you." He told her.
She did respond. Ed went through his head, thinking of what to do just to get her to respond in some way. His gaze fell on the cup of milk he had placed on the coffee table in front of the couch. As much as he hated the idea, he'd drink the milk if it got her to respond at his own expense. As long as it got her to do anything but stare into space with that expression of hers.
"I'm gonna to drink the milk." He warned, picking up the cup and glancing at her. Still no response. "I'm really gonna do it."
Seeing that Amber wasn't going to respond anytime soon Ed gulped before chugging down the milk, and he tried his best not to gag or spit it out during the whole thing. He slammed the now empty cup on the coffee table, gasping after having drank the one thing he hated the most as the aftertaste still lingered on his tongue. Ed turned to face Amber as he held back a disgusted look from having to drink milk.
"See?" He groaned. "I told you I'd drink it."
But even then Amber hadn't responded at all. Ed started to feel somewhat irritated at she wasn't responding, but he also felt worried. This wasn't like her, at least from what he'd seen so far.
"Dammit, Amber! Say something! Anything! Laugh at me, call me little, I don't care! Just say something already!"
Ed was taken by surprised when tears started to fall from Amber's eyes, yet her expression was still the same. He watched as this took place before him and he didn't know what to make of it.
"Ed…" Amber suddenly said, her voice quiet. "…What is…my purpose in life?"
Ed felt pity as he was reminded of when she had first asked him that question the last time he'd been here. Why was she asking him this question when he had told her the answer last time? Then again for Amber it had been 10 years since she last asked him that question.
"I wish I could tell you, but I don't even know the answer myself." He told her, giving her the same answer he'd given her last time.
Slowly he watched as Amber's expression started to change and it was then that Ed realized that her mind was beginning to register what happened to her parents when she started crying for real this time. He was hesitant on what to do, not sure if he should touch her at this time, but the part of him that wanted to help her got him to wrap his arms around her and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.
But as soon as he did that everything around them suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by a familiar white expanse, and the form of Truth waited patiently where it sat.
"Hello again, Edward." Truth greeted. "I see you enjoyed your little trip. But sadly, it's time for you to head back home."
Ed felt Amber stiffen slightly before lifting her head up to see Truth.
"Ed? What's going on?" Amber asked quietly, and he could hear the fear in her voice.
"Yes, Edward. What is going on?"
Ed growled quietly.
"How about you tell me?" Ed retorted. "Why's Amber here when it should be just me?"
"Oh, you didn't know? It just so happens that you're not going back alone this time."
"That's impossible! Amber hasn't performed human transmutation, let along any form of alchemy!"
"I thought that you would've learned by now that I don't lie. You should be a little more appreciated for what I've done for you." Truth grinned. "After all, her parents had just recently paid for her to go through the Gate."
Amber gasped in shock, causing Ed to look at her with his eyes wide as well as hers.
"You killed my parents?!" Amber cried.
"So what if I did? Would it really matter now that they're gone? They may have paid for your trip with their lives, but there's just one more thing that's required from you. Luckily for you, I happen to be feeling generous today."
Suddenly the ominous sound of large doors opened and Ed turned around with wide eyes when he saw a Gate behind him.
"Ed!!! Help me, please!!!"
Ed's head shot back to Amber and his eyes widened even more when he saw the tiny black hands that had ensnared Amber within their grasp as she helplessly struggled against them. He could see just how terrified not only on her face, but in her eyes as well.
"Amber!" He yelled.
In a desperate attempt to save her Ed wrapped his arms around her as he tried to pull her back. Despite everything he did to free her, they all proved to be futile since Amber was jerked out of his hold and pulled through the Gate behind her. Her cries for help were silenced as soon as the Gate slammed shut in front of him.
"NO!" Ed ran over to the Gate and started banging his fisted hand against it even if it would've changed anything. He let out a shaky breath as he tried to calm down. "Give her back…!" When Ed didn't hear Truth respond, he turned around to face him, his gold eyes glaring at the white entity. "I SAID GIVE HER BACK!"
"You know I can't do that, Edward. The toll has already been paid."
"Then why?! Why did you have to ruin her life by taking her parents away from her like that?!"
"Because she knew too much, and since she knew that you were real I just couldn't risk the chance of allowing her to reveal what'll happen in the future. It was because of the fact that she was the first person to encounter you that she became a sort of anchor that kept drawing you back to that world, hence why she was the only one that could communicate with you."
Ed froze at this, his eyes wide as he understood what Truth was telling him. So all this time it was because of meeting Amber that he kept being drawn back to her world! And because of him…!
"It's my fault…" Ed said quietly. "All this is my fault…"
"You see, Edward? That's why I took her. But don't worry, she's not dead. In fact, she's not missing any limbs or anything important in order to sustain her life."
Ed lowered his gaze to what could've been considered the floor. Knowing that Amber was still alive and in one piece was all fine and dandy, but it was what she'd already lost that got to him. And all because of him.
"Cheer up! You'll be seeing her soon enough. Maybe even sooner than you think."
Ed felt the tiny hands that grabbed him, but he didn't do anything to stop them from dragging him through the Gate. There was no point in doing so now after what happened to Amber. The last thing he thought about before the Gate closed in front of him was the fearful look she had given him before she was taken.
ATE: That's it for chapter 1 of Between Dreams and Reality. So not only do we have Amber as an OC, but Cody as well. That's right! I created more than one OC character this time. And before you ask, yes, Cody will actually be involved in this story than just his appearance in this chapter.
Oh, and I also have the drawing for Amber (the older one) posted on deviantart:
aerith -the- evenstar .deviantart #/d 5c zjyz
I'll eventually have to do a drawing for Cody eventually, though. But that'll be interesting to do.
Please remember to review! ;D