ONE MONTH LATER

The two men crashed through the narrow hallway, following the sound of screaming that was growing louder with each step. Whatever was happening, it couldn't be good... and there was no way that they would allow it to continue.

Knocking down a suit of armor in their rush, they finally reached the door, and crashed into it without hesitation. But the door was unlocked, and flew open effortlessly. They stumbled, and spun around, searching the round room with their eyes to find the source of the noise.

The room was pitch black, and the sound of another scream echoed in the darkness. A loud sound rang out, like something onnecting hard with something else, and all they heard was a sob and whimper.

A spotlight suddenly shown onto the two, and they blinked in the sudden illumination.

"You've come?" a voice asked, full of malice.

"No, of course not. You're seeing things," the shorter man replied.

"Don't be smart with me, boy," the unseen opponent replied.

"What are you doing here? Why did we hear screaming, what's going on?" the second asked, calmly. His eyes betrayed him, however... he was obviously very scared. His wife had gone missing the day before... and now this? It was just to uncanny of circumstances for his liking.

"We knew that you would come, they always do. Heroic ones like you two... but there will be no rescuing tonight," the voice cackled, as the door slammed shut on the dimly lit hallway behind them. The light shining on them went out, and the shorter man spun around, wishing that the screaming would start again. At least then he could have a better chance of finding the person...

A loud crashing noise sounded directly to the man's left, and he yelped, snapping his fingers. A flame licked up and illuminated the room, burning a circle around the entire space. They could see from the light of the flames, now... and their was a large object next to where they were standing. It looked quite heavy... enough that if it had landed on them it would kill.

There was a small crumpled figure in the center of the floor, dark and unmoving. Blonde hair sprawled out around its head, and the smaller man rushed over immediately on seeing the person.

Pulling the head into his lap... he wiped away the blood and brushed back the hair with his hand. "Riza?" he exclaimed in an urgent whisper, peering down at the face in the dim light. "It's her! Come here!" he motioned to his companion, who sprinted there and was on his knees next to them in a moment.

Her breaths were shallow, but her heart beat was steady. Eyelids fluttered as if she was about to wake up... but as soon as she moved she was still again. The man pulled her into his own arms, cradling her like a baby. His gloved hand gently brushed her cheek, but with his gesture came a shadow from the shadows.

"How adorable," the figure said, tauntingly. It was the same voice from before, but quieter... as a pose to what it sounded like before, which was as if it was being spoken into a microphone. "The lovers together again. Too bad it can't stay this way. Bad guy's here," the man said, his voice to calm for the younger (and shorter) man's liking.

His golden eyes narrowed, and his fist balled. But his gaze quickly flicked to the floor where he'd seen movement. A shadow to large to be his was cast out along side him own. In the shadow he saw something like a baseball bat raise into the air, and just as he spun around to see his attacker, everything went black. The last thing he heard was:

"ED!" from his companion's voice...

The scene changes

Ed's eyes blinked open, and he felt a horrible pan in the top of his head. He felt awful, and tried to moe his head to see what was going on. He immediately threw up all over his lap... he was extremely dizzy. Attempting to move an arm to wipe his mouth, he found that his hands were tied behind him.

Turning slowly, he noticed another figure tied to a chair. He was covered in blood... his hair matted against his face with sweat. "Roy," Ed whispered, realizing that his friend was also captive. Attempting to move his legs to walk, it was then that he noticed a terrible pain in his leg, as well.

A dirty t-shirt was tied around his leg, but it wasn't stopping the blood flow from the bullet wound in his thigh. What the hell? They knocked me out nd then shot me, too?! He wondered, outraged. Patting around on the ground with his hands, he felt the blood pooled beneath his rear.

Maybe I could make a circle with one hand out of the blood... Ed realized, immediately moving to do so. It was a simple transmutation circle, but it would free him of the rope that tied his hands behind his back.

Slapping a hand down, a faint light appeared, ad he felt his hands free. A loud noise rang out from near Roy, like he'd just been whipped with a club or something.

The man groaned in agony, but didn't scream. Ed slowly moved, fighting the pain in his leg. Helping Roy was much more important. Grabbing the wall behind him for support, he managed to get to his feet, quite wobbily... admitedly.

Nobody was watching as he clapped his hands together and slammed them onto the wall behind him. A large cylinder-ish wall surrounded the flame alchemist, blocking him from further harm. Ed chuckled to himself as their opponents began to wonder aloud what had just happened. His laughter stopped however when he heard:

"GO CHECK FULLMETAL," they were coming for him, now. But he didn't worry about that... Where's Riza?

Moving quietly and ignoring the pain in his head and leg, he managed to make it halfway around the room before the others spotted him. But by then he'd spotted the woman... and was kneeling next to her. Her eyes were wide, and she was gagged. She tried to speak through the binds, and he quickly pulled it away from her face.

"Ed, we have to get out of here. Quick, take the gun out of my holster. It's against my stomach," she ordered. Ed blushed furiously as he untied her wrists from behind her back.

"Would that mean that I'd have to touch under your shirt?" he demanded, looking away from her. '

"Get over it, Ed. We're friends! Besides, this is a life death situation!" Ed immediately obeyed her, hearing the threat in her voice. He reached beneath her jacket, pulling out the gun immediately.

Spinning around, he claped his hands together and smacked the ground, the wall around Roy dissapearing. He rushed over as quickly as possible, a trail of blood following him.

"SHOOT THE FLAME!" The original voice commanded. There was the sound of a gunshot, a final scream, and then quiet. Ed's eyes darted to where the voice had come from, and spotted two men standing next to each other. A smoking gun was in one's hand. Ed was overcome by fury, he pointed Riza's gun, and took the two out in two pulls of the trigger.

"Roy!" came Riza's voice. She stumbled over to her fallen husband. Ed realeased him from the chair, and caught him before he fell to the ground.

"Riza, take care of Amber, alright?" his voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I gotta go now."

"Don't talk like that! Roy Mustang, you're going to live, do you hear me?!" she choked out, blinking back tears.

"Roy, it'll be alright. You'll live, okay? Don;t leave us, now!" Ed exclaimed, shaking his friend. Roy motioned Ed closer. He bent low, and heard oy whisper, just loud enough for him to hear:

"Promise me you'll take care of them when I'm gone."

Ed backed up, and nodded. "Of course." Roy gripped Ed's hand tightly, in a last truce of friendship, and then the grip was gone. The light left his gray eyes... andRoy Mustang was no more.

Riza sobbed, collapsing on his body, as Ed slowly closed the man's eyes. He tried to hold back the tears... and only a couple actually escaped. This was the second time he'd held a dying person's hand...

Ed sat up quickly in bed, supressing a scream. Panting for a few seconds, eyes wild, he gripped his hands into fists. He hadn't had that dream in a long time. Every time it came, he was shaken.

Roy's final words echoed through his head incesantly. Tears threatened to spill, and this time he let them, holding his head in his hands. "Why? Why's you leave, Roy? Why'd you have to go and die?"He demanded of nbody in particualr.

Sobs wracked his body, it was the first time he'd cried since the death. He sniffed, trying to hold back more tears... but he couldn't do it. Standing up, he slipped his feet into the bunny slippers and stood up slowly. He might as well check on Amber.

Entering the hallway, he wiped the tears from his face and sniffed. He walked down the hall, and found Amber's door ajar. He blinked a couple times before poking his head in, he thought he'd heard whispering.

Moonlight streamed through the open window, and a warm breeze blew the light weight, white curtains. Amber's bed was empty, and Ed glanced down below the window, noticing a small figure there. Her hands were clasped together, resting on her wooden toy box; her thick, waist length, black hair blew gently in the breeze. Ed could only see her back, but could see that her little feet were tucked underneath her... in a sort of kneeling postion.

She was talking, Ed stepped inside silently to hear the words.

"I know maybe you can't hear me, but it's Amber. I really wish you did't have to go see Mista Hughes in Heaven with God... I really miss you still. Sometimes when I imagine you, it feels like you're there. Momma says that you're still watching us, and whenever I'm a'scared... I just like to think what you would do. Sometimes I imagine you standin' next to me. Momma says you weren't afraid... I won't be afaid, no no. The puppy that Mista Ed gotted me eats a lot, and she's always sleeping. I kinda wish you could see her-," the little girl paused for a minute, as if pondering. "But if you're watchin' me and Momma, you pwobably see Chiyo, too. Mista Ed seems kinda sad sometimes, now. I dunno what's buggin' him. I know if you were here that you'd help him, Daddy. Well, I gotta sleep now. I couldn't get tired... but talking to you always helps! Goodnight, Daddy."

Ed's bottom lip trembled, and he bit his lip to keep from crying all over again. The poor little girl. She sat still for a minute, and then turned around, her eyes closed. Ed didn't bother to move... he ind of wanted her to catch him there. She was talking to Roy in Heaven... and from what she'd said, Ed guessed she did this often. He wondered if she remembered what her Daddy looked like, Sometimes I imagine you standin' next to me. The words rushed through Ed's mind, and he realized that he did the same thing, sometimes.

The girl stood, eyes still alf closed. He watched them flutter open, and then her gaze fell on him tanding there. For the first time, he noticed tears on her cheeks and welling up in her eyes. He couldn't stand seeing the sweet little girl cry...

"Mis-Mista Ed?" she stuttered, hurrying to wipe her eyes. "I was, um, I couldn' sleep," she whispered, looking down at her bare feet.

"That's okay," he said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. "Were you talking to Roy- I mean, your Daddy?" he asked kindly, walkign past her and looking out the window, up into the starry sky.

"Yeah... a little," she said, turning around and looking out the window again, too.

"Are you worried?" Ed asked, after a while of silence.

"A little. You and Momma seem different. Sadder, kinda," she whispered, big eyes looking up at the side of his face. "Were you cryin', Mista Ed?" she asked him, noticing the tear stains on the sides of his face.

"Yeah... a little," he replied, not able to lie to her. She furrowed her eyebrows when he didn't look at her, and crawled up on top of her toy box. Standing up, she was almost fac to face with him. He averted his gaze to look over her head... not wanting to look the inocent girl in the eyes. She didn't know wht really happened, how Roy died. He was afraid to break down in tears at seeing her eyes.

The girl reached up and put a small hand on his cheek, forcing him to look down at her. She looked worried, as she spoke: "What is the matter?" she asked him. "Tell me."

"I miss your Daddy, too," he replied after a second passed. "I miss him a lot. But I made him a promise, and I don't let losing my friend get in the way of that promise." Ed said seriously... he was positive that she wouldn't understand. It was complicated...

But to his surprise, Amber seemed to understand. She nodded, patting his face. "We all miss Daddy," she said, and her voice was strong. "But a promise is important." She leaned forward and kissed Ed's cheek, then flung her arms around his neck.

"What's wrong, Amber?" he asked, startled.

"I miss Daddy, I want my Daddy!" she sobbed into his shirt. Her feet slipped off the toy box and Ed found himself holding her, but not really knowing how to comfort a child. "Why'd he leave me, Ed? Did he not love me, anymore?" she asked through her sobs. Her words stung the Alchemist... of course Roy loved his daughter!

"Yes, he loved you very much, he told me every day. You were very important to him," he hushed the little girl.

"Are you sure?" she mumbled into his shoulder.

"I'm positive," he replied, his voice more sure than it had been through the entire conversation.

"That's good," she whispered, she didn't cry anymore. He felt her breathing grow steady, and realized that she was falling alseep.

Placing her in bed and pulling the covers up, he brushed the dark hair- her father's hair- from her face. "Goodnight, Amber."

"Goodnight, Mista Ed. Dream good," she whispered, slipping into dreams.

"I'll try," he whispered back, before closing the door quietly behind him.

A.N. I AM SO SORRY. This chapter took me WAY TOO LONG to update! I ope that it came out good! The longest so far, I'm proud! I started to write the chapter about... two days ago... but it turned out bad, so I rewrote it today. It's actually bad, in my opinion... I started about twenty minutes ago... and am glad to be finished. However, I enjoyed writing it! Now we know how Roy died, how sad. Aww, Amber wants a daddy back... maybe Ed can help... XD (shifty eyes). Next chapter will be good, bai bai!