Burning. Chilled. Sweat sleeking my skin and dripping off me like it was a wet rock. I had let out a noise of anguish. Something wasn't right. The smell of the room was different. The brightness of the lights crashing into my eyes, making me blinded to where I was. I tossed in the bed I was in just looking for comfort. I knew it was a bed because nothing could have been this comfortable with cloth wrapping themselves around my body. I gripped one of the pillows around my head, burying my face into it. Then I heard a voice, something talking to me even if I couldn't make out what they were saying. Trying to sit up, the blurry darkness was fading in around me, making my head feel like it was swimming. Once I thought my head was detached, floating above my head like a balloon.

I squinted my eyes open, hardly seeing shapes and shadows of the people and objects in the room I was in. This made my eyes hurt even more, the throbbing in my head to worsen, and the feeling the room was spinning to intensify. I thought there had been something near me to steady myself on, only to grab onto nothing, falling back to the plush pillows of the bed I was on. I think I heard someone call my name, but I wasn't too certain of that. All I was certain of was that the blackness didn't have the throbbing, aching, or loud noises that whatever I woke up to had.

I groaned, feeling aches and pains I didn't remember from before. I rolled over from what I was laying on, seeing a figure next to me. The figure was obviously male with blond hair. Very familiar blond hair and build. I couldn't make out any details, but the aura around them seemed so familiar and right.

"E-Ed?"

There was a sigh as the figure knelt down to me. "No, sorry, my name isn't Edward."

I nodded a little, feeling queasy. "Yeah...right."

He sighed, coming into my focus more. I frowned when it wasn't Ed, but looked like him a little. "My name is Alphonse. I'm from Amestris like you are."

"Yeah, you don't look like anyone from here."

Alphonse chuckled. "Yeah, I get that. I do stick out a lot."

I nodded, then groaned from too much movement. It really made me wish Ed was with me, comforting me.

Alphonse gave me a worried look that was similar to Ed's. I frowned a little when I saw it. He gave a softer look. "Listen, McKenzi," he started.

"Kenzi," I corrected, trying to listen to him.

"Kenzi," he repeated. He looked to me. "Do you remember why you're here?"

I nodded. "Someone wants to kill me."

"Yeah. Anything else?"

I groaned, trying to remember something I didn't want to think about because the remorse tightened around my chest and squeezed. "I had a bodyguard."

He nodded. "Where were you at?"

"Briggs." I wigged in bed, trying to get comfortable again and fall asleep to escape reality and hope Ed was in my dreams.

Alphonse looked me in the eye as he asked, "Who was your bodyguard?"

It was almost instant, the feeling of tears stinging my eyes and the thoughts and images of Edward reeling through my head. I buried my face into a pillow, not wanting to answer him. All I could hear in my head was Ed's voice, see his smile, and feel the crushing in my chest as I thought about him.

"His name," I started in a small voice, trying to play it off like it was me being sick that was making me like this, but I knew the truth, "was Edward."

"Does Edward have a last name?"

I nodded, feeling tears slide from the corners of my eyes. I whispered softly, hoping he heard me so I didn't have to say it again, "Elric."

Alphonse was silent for a moment, perhaps thinking or nodding. It was another moment before he said, "Get some rest, when you feel better, I will take you around the palace and show you around."

How could I rest when there were things on my mind?

"Hey, wait!" I called, attempting to sit up but failing. Alphonse looked to me, a silent question on his face, written in his eyes. "You're from Amestris, right?"

Alphonse nodded, as if he was begging me to get on with it so I could rest already. "Yes, I am."

"Did you ever hear of him?"

Alphonse gave a small, almost remembrance smile. It was faint but I could see it. "Yes, I did know Edward Elric."

Days turned into months at the Xing Palace. Eventually, I did get over whatever I had sickness wise. As for missing Edward, my heart ached, leaving my mind to think about why I hurt so bad. I'd think of his smile, his soft hair, his body against mine. Even if I had his red overcoat that used to smell like him, I still smelled it occasionally, trying to catch a glimpse of what he smelled like. Taylor was no help. I couldn't talk to her. Between her talking with Ling over kingdom relations and helping around the palace, I hardly saw her.

Perhaps it was a good thing.