I know it's been long and I really wanted to write more. So here it is. Chapter 7 has finally come and chapter 8 will come soon as well. Hope you had a wonderful summer and I hope your christmas's are filled with merriness and love!

Chapter 7

Ed scanned the village from the front porch of Marie's house. But for all his thorough searching Al was no where to be seen. Taking care to not move too fast, Ed led Marie off the steps and through the village. She hadn't moved in 400 years, she might still suffer from the effects of the transmutation that had 'cursed' her so. As Ed, nor any other alchemist to his knowledge had ever seen the use of this transmutation before, one could never be too careful.

"Wow, the town has really aged. I suppose it couldn't be helped." She said softly, gazing at all the abandoned homes and weed invested garden beds. "Where did all the people go? Do you know?

"A cart driver in the nearest town said everyone left after you and your mom... went missing. They say your place was really haunted.". She listened quietly, taking in all the changes 4 centuries can bring. "Yea, it's pretty rough, but there's a lot more out there now. The world's pretty amazing. Amestris, the country I'm from, is very large and there's wonderful landscapes and opportunities. Perhaps you'd like to see it?" Ed asked with a touch of hope in his voice. He felt a touch of responsibility to get her adjusted to the new world, seeing as she knew no one alive. "You'll see it all. I promise." Ed smiled encouragingly. "I'd love to!" She smiled back and peeked around the corner of the last building on the right at the end of the gravel road.

The bench Ed and Al had slept in not 12 hours earlier was barren and wet with the last rain fall. Ed looked around nervously before leading Marie towards the bench and setting himself down on the edge, not worrying about the little water droplets that soaked into his coat. "Have a seat." He motioned to Marie, as she followed suit. "We should rest a bit. Maybe Alphonse will come back."

A few hours later Alphonse crested the hills bordering the village, followed by the burley Alex Louis Armstrong. Al had attempted to go for help and happened to run into Armstrong along the way. Armstrong claimed to have caught wind of where they were headed and had followed their path the following day to assist with any search.

Al led the way as Alex Louis Armstrong followed behind him at a brisk pace. On the way back to the ghost town Al had explained the entire story to the Major, only after being intimidated by the Major for the truth and nothing but the truth. As usual, he had flexed his muscularly carved physique and made

Al spill his guts for him. He had expressed such overwhelming worry and love for the missing Ed and the girl of the dreams that in the instant Al had told him he was pulling Al back to haunted town!

"It was the stairs that fell after Ed had bound up the stairs to the upper level. I couldn't follow. I don't know what's happened to him. I hope he's all right." Al echoed his previous worries.

The Major nodded his bald head and patted Al on the shoulder. "Don't worry Alphonse Elric. We'll save you older brother and the young lady." The Major supportively.

"Thank you Major." Al replied.

As soon as they topped the last hill Al ran up the gravel road. The ground was now dry as ever, as if it had not rained 10 hours earlier and the sky was clear and bright as the sun began to sink behind the tops of the buildings.

"Over hear Major!" Al called, running to the left towards the bench Al remembered sitting on with Ed.

Al reached the bench and saw Ed, sleeping, head tilted back and snoring, a girl leaning on his shoulder, eyes closed and lightly breathing. She had the longest braid which hung down past the bench and dangled about her knees. Her faded blue dress was layered and thick, with a high neck collar and small puffy sleeves. She looked ancient - except for her actual physic. She appeared to be about Ed's age, smooth features and long lashes. She had freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and around her neck hung a palm sized medallion with a large crack through its centre.

"Is this the girl you spoke of?" Armstrong asked.

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen her." Al replied. He poked his brother and with a sudden snort Ed jolted upright, nudging Marie in the process. "Oh, sorry brother! I came back!"

"Al, you're here! Where'd you go! We looked all over for you!" He complained loudly. "We were worried sick!"

"I went to get the Major. I couldn't help you, the stairs broke, and I thought he could help." Al assured him. "I met him on the way back to the town so we came back immediately."

"The Ma-"

"Good evening Edward Elric. I was succumbed with concern for your welfare that I came as soon as I heard you were in trouble. You mustn't go off into unknown territories without back up." He added.

"Al you told him!" Ed stood and yelled at him in a joking manner.

"Well brother, I was worried for you." He said nervously.

"Well we'll see how worried you get when it's you that needs saving and I'm getting the Major." He laughed at him, then pulled his laughter back in rein. "I almost forgot!" "Al, Major, this is Marie Thranklein, Marie, this is my younger brother Alphonse, and this is Major Alex Armstrong." He introduced.

"I'm very pleased to meet you." Marie spoke with an accent, shaking both their hands and smiling. "Edward saved me. And I'm very happy that he did, even though he risked his life." She said, turning to face him slightly with a small smile on her face.

Edward blushed slightly and turned away. "Y-yea, I did. Al! Did you know she knew dad? He was her doctor!" He said excitedly. Marie nodded in agreement.

"He was. He gave me this automail leg when I was 10! I can't believe he's still alive! That's very unusual but I've wanted to see him again. He made my mom so happy." She smiled sweetly at the memory. "He lifted the hem of her dress slightly to show Al and the Major her foot and Al gasped!

"When you were ten?! That's amazing. Ed, I didn't know auto mail existed back then."

"I know," Ed replied. "But hey, if anyone would have known it would've been him."

Al then piped a question her way, worried about hurting her feelings he asked out of curiosity. "How old exactly are you?" He asked as politely as he could.

"Al, that's not nice." Ed groaned. But Marie waved his comment aside and answered Al's question with no concern at all.

"I was 16, 403 years ago." She said with a steady voice. "So I guess you could say I'm 416 as of today, but I'm only 16." She looked down at her feet in the awkward silence that followed. So she was their age, Al thought.

"So," Ed started. "How about we move on out? It's going to get dark soon and we're not entirely sure what comes out at night here. I still need to search the house tomorrow for some information, but we need a place to rest. WHat would you suggest major?" Al nodded in agreement and Armstrong glanced about the town quickly to provide a suggestion. There looks to be an abandoned inn in the town. Let's see if they have functional beds." He said thoughtfully. The group of four began to head back toward the town.

By the time they reached the inn in the town it was dark and the stars twinkled over head. Edward and the Major scouted the inn for sturdy flooring and found 2 rooms with acceptable furnishings. There was enough left over furniture to start a fire in the fireplaces. Al, Edward and the Major were to share one room, to Edward's displeasure, and Marie got her own room.

Marie hung out her window, gazing up at the bright stars that she had not seen for 403 hundred and sighed. "They're gorgeous!" She said to herself when a knock came to her door. "It's open." She called, and Edward came in.

"Is everything alright?" He asked sheepishly. He rubbed the top of his head with his flesh hand, his eyes looking up, his head tilted slightly forward.

"Yes, thank you. I haven't seen these stars in such a long time. I would think they haven't changed a bit since I've been gone! But I did miss them so. Have you ever sat and watched the stars?" She asked him.

"Not really. I'm usually on the move, more then enough to just lay back and watch them. But I wouldn't mind doing it." He said.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" She smiled and pulled him from the room and down the stairs till they lay on the ground across from the inn, watching the stars.

"Wow," Ed breathed. It was relaxing and calming, like he never thought it'd be like. A huge grin spread across his face as he turned to Marie, also gazing up.

"My mom and I used to do this when I was little. I miss her so much. Do you have a mother?" She asked, turning to see him watching her.

"I- we had one, yes. She would take Al and I out to watch them, but I never looked up like Al did. I was too busy with the dirt beneath me." Ed replied nonchalantly. "I'm the alchemy buff."

"And where is she now?" Marie asked hesitantly.

"She… died. And that's when Al and I decided to research Alchemy."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What about Hohenhiem? Is he still around?"

"No, he left when I was little and we haven't seen him since. I could care less." Ed said with a grimace. "He left our mom without ever thinking of how much she needed him. To me, he's just rotten. I'm glad though, that he at least brought you and your mom some happiness." He stared at the stars with a look of determination in his eyes. He would slug his father one as soon as he saw him. He had it coming.

"But he was such a nice man." Marie pushed lightly, tapping her leg with her finger.

Ed looked up towards the inn windows and saw Al pass by his window; no doubt spying on him. Ed sat up and bent is head down, thinking about what to say next. The awkward silence stretching long between them.

Marie broke it with a light hearted laugh. "It is so wonderful to finally talk to someone! In the flesh! And to feel the grass on my skin and to breath the fresh air! Everything is just wonderful!" The stars glistened in her eyes like sparkles! "What are you thinking about now?" She seemed almost amused by his silence. "

Ed shook his head, "nothing. Just that man that hurt you. He must have been an alchemist. Do you know anything more about him?" Ed asked her.

She looked at him slightly confused, and then the question dawned on her and her smiled faded. "No." She pulled the pendant out of her dress pocket and handed it to him. "No, I don't know. If what you say is true about the circle on this, then he must have been. I never knew about it while I was... Awake."

Ed took the pendant from her and began to study it. The material appeared to be a tempered brass, and the circle was scratched finely into the surface. But that wasn't all. There was a dark substance in the scratches that he couldn't make out. If it was anything like the blood seal, then it was probably blood. Then a new question suddenly came to him. "Do you know anything about the philosophers' stone?" He asked quickly.

"The stone? Well I know it's red. The man had a study. I was forbidden to go near it, but that didn't stop me. I know he often whispered to himself. I went in once. He left one day and I snuck in. I saw tons of paper with scribbles everywhere in there. And on his desk I saw a red stone but I thought nothing of it. I thought it was a paper weight." She explained.

"Is it still there?!" He asked excitedly.

"I don't know. Do you want to check it out?"

"Yes, I would." He voice now carried an edge to it. He was getting close again. Maybe this time it wouldn't disappear on him. He thanked her.

Ed then stood up and held out his hand to her. "Lets get up to bed, it' been a long day- or night you could say." For one who'd been asleep for 400 years, sleep was probably the last thing on her mind. They may have been spent sleeping, but they had been an endless dream, not fully resting and not yet fully awake. He thought she must be exhausted, hence he offered her his hand. She took it gladly and followed him up to her room where he left her to wash up and rest for the night.

She longed for a warm bath to wash away the years of grime but settled for removing her old dress before climbing onto her bed. Marie unfolded her long, dusty braid and lay on the lumpy old mattress; threw mattress was much more comfortable than the old bed at her old mansion. Comfortable for the first time in ages, she closed her eyes of her own accord and welcomed the sleep that washed over her.

Ed, stood in the other room and threw off his red coat and unfolded his own braid, shaking the dust from his hair and washing his face before crawling onto the ancient mattress. Al sat on a small chair that accompanied the room and the Major lay sprawled on the second bed They had dragged in. Edward admitted he was tired from the days work despite entering the dream world twice. He punched his mattress to fluff it up before settling in for a peaceful sleep.

As soon as he shut his eye, Al called out quietly. "Brother." Ed looked up from his pillow and answered.

"Yea?"

"Do you think we'll ever get out bodies back? Do you think Marie would know anything about father? And the stone?"

Ed smiled behind the covers and replied, "Yes, I think she does know a little bit. In the morning we're going back to check out that mans study. She said she saw some papers and a stone there long ago. She may have known father, Al, but that was before he had us." Ed added gloomily.

Al nodded. "Alright. I hope you find a good lead brother. Get some sleep."

"Sure thing. Night Al."

"Good night."

It was fun trying to get back into writing this fanfic. I haven't spent a lot of time on this because I've been working on my novel. Chapter 11! It's been fun doing that as well. I came up with a map and a character web. But I hope you all enjoyed this instalment of Dream Girl and keep tuned in for the next chapter! Thanks for reading!

Edited and updated!

So after ... 7 years I've decided to come back (thanks to my FMA obsession) and edit my work and hopefully complete it! I have a tendency to leave things incomplete! I hope you like the updates! I've grown a lot as a writer over these last 7 years and have taken some classes. As always I know I'll grow and change even into the new chapters to come. I just hope you can enjoy it and hopefully it inspires you to write more of your own work! Please feel free to review my story and I'll do my best to take your feedback into consideration as this story unfolds.

Cheers!