(Here's chapter thirty one of 'The Flower Princess and the Alchemist'. I don't know if I said it before, but this fanfic now has its own TV Tropes page! Hooray! And thanks to everyone who remained loyal to this story! Really appreciate it! Anyway, enjoy! Oh, and happy Thanksgiving!

Guest (Alaora): Thanks for the encouragement! Now, it didn't bother me at all. It only proved the person has very little understanding of Orihime's character. Like all the things that Orihime got in trouble for, she managed to get out of by herself. Shows they were hardly paying any attention and only nitpicking flaws like a true hater. And I did have a little 'chat' with them to see why they hate Orihime so much. And they things they said was so stupid, it was laughable. They hated her because she used to live in an abusive home and she's a pacifist. I'm not going to say anything else. Just let you sink that in. But it does get me worrying if people have the same mindset as they do. Like, just because Orihime's the main character, do they immediately assume that this is a crappy story? Give Orihime a chance is what I'd say! Though, don't go reading it if you are just an Orihime hater. If you are just going to bash her, then just leave.

Guest (tidal): Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like the Edward/Orihime moments. They are very fun to write! Not that I wasn't sorry for Ed, but now you made me feel even more sorry for him. Edward just can not compete with Ichigo. Ed is kind of good looking, but Ichigo is just hotter and stronger. Edward, it's hard for me to say this, but Ichigo would kick your ass. And hope people start writing more crossovers with Orihime as the star. It'll be fun to read!

Guest (Urgh): Thanks for the review! I think saying Kagome is a realistic school girl character is over stretching it. She's more of a wish fulfillment than anything else. I mean, nothing changes about her from beginning to end. She's the same entitled, spoiled brat from beginning to end. And she's more of a bitch than she lets on. But Kagome wasn't the only reason I quit being a fan of Inuyasha. There were other flaws in it, too. Like the subtle hints of racism the gang seem to possess. It's subtle, but it's there. Honestly, the only reason I go back to Inuyasha, if ever, is only for nostalgia because it was one of the first anime I watched, next to Pokemon and Naruto. And I do love all the openings. And I do mean all of them!)

A Princess's Doppelganger

"I'm not sick!"

Orihime denied, although, she wasn't really convincing with her face all red, puffy, and flushed. She was sweating and she felt tired and nauseated. Not to mention her throat felt sore and stomach was constantly doing flip flops.

"Orihime, you are sick," Edward spoke for the upteenth time that day, feeling exhausted trying to convince the stubborn girl. He held her steady when she began to wobble. "This is what you get for playing in the rain," he chastised her.

"Maybe we should stop by somewhere to let Orihime rest. She doesn't look so good," Alphonse suggested, worriedly.

"But where, Al?" Winry asked, watching her female friend dizzily walk as if she had two left feet.

"There should be a town not that far away. Just a few more minutes of walking," Al answered.

"Good!" Ed pulled Orihime along before she tripped over herself.

Unfortunately, that quick motion jostled her stomach in uncomfortable ways.

"Eddie… I don't feel so good…," she hoarse out, weakly

"What?" Ed immediately paled at the ginger haired healer's blue face. "W-wait!" he shouted, frantically. "Stop! Turn the other way!"

The next moment, the sickening sound of puking could be heard.

Ed's horrified scream followed afterwards.

Winry dipped a folded cloth into a bucket of cold water. Once soaked, it took out and wrung it and placed upon the Orihime's burning forehead.

The four rent of a small house in the town they came upon. The couple that offered it to them said that it was haunted. They said that anyone that goes inside mysteriously disappears. They warned them not to go near the tiny house, but Ed wouldn't be into all the superstitious ghost tale.

"You are really burning, Orihime," Winry spoke, feeling the auburn haired girl's sweaty face.

"I'm sorry," Orihime whispered, tiredly. She felt horrible. She was slowing everyone down.

"Don't worry about it," the blonde mechanic reassured her. "You just rest and focus on getting better."

"Maybe we should buy some medicine to help reduce Orihime's fever," Alphonse suggested, sitting in the corner of the room.

Edward was busy hanging up his red coat to dry after certain someone vomited all over it. Ed wanted to stay mad at her, he really did, but seeing Orihime's pitiful form, he just couldn't. And the occasional fits of cough didn't help matters either.

"Yeah, me and you should run to the store, Al," Ed said, standing up. "There should be some cough medicine we could buy."

"Good idea!" Al stood up as well.

"Eddie…" They all turned to face the sicken Orihime. Her gray eyes were droopy as if she was going to fall asleep any minute. "If you are going to the store, may I make a request?"she asked, weakly.

Edward smiled, softly. "What is it?"

"Can I…? Can I have some cheese?"

They all raised a confused brow at that odd request, Al, in a figurative case though.

"Cheese? Why?" the blond alchemist was the one to question.

"Be-because I like cheese. Lots of cheese sticks."

"We will buy you all the cheese you want, Orihime," Al chuckled.

Orihime smiled. She made an 'oh' sound as she remembered something.

"Oh, and strawberries, too!"

"Strawberries?" Winry questioned, inquisitively.

The ginger haired girl giggled, cutely, hiding her shy, reddened face half way under the blanket. "Strawberries…" She cut herself off by yawning. She was really tired. She just wanted to sleep. "Strawberries… They remind me...of...him."

Soon the sound of soft snoring could be heard as Orihime fell asleep.

"Of who?" the suit of armor asked, puzzled.

Winry let out a sheepish laugh as she shrugged her shoulders. "Go to the store, you two!" She practically threw them out the door, much to their bewilderment.

The Elric brothers walked on a small dirt path towards the grocery store. They managed to get directions to the nearest store by a helpful civilian.

Although, Edward's mind was preoccupied with other things.

"Strawberries… They remind me...of...him."

The blond alchemist's lips curled downward as he tried to ignore the burning pit in his stomach. Strawberries reminded her of who? The first thought that came to mind that maybe she had a boyfriend or something. She did say 'him', meaning it had to be a boy.

Orihime already told him of her brother who died a several years ago. And if she was talking about him, she wouldn't have been so happy. After all, who smiles and laughs at thought of a deceased loved one? Ed thought that maybe she meant her friends back home, but then why did she subtly signal out this one specific person?

His frown deepened. For some reason, the thought Orihime...liking...someone else...left a bad taste in his mouth. There was a pit of fire burning in the bottom of his stomach and his mood became extremely foul. He really wanted to know who Orihime was talking about. And that dreamy expression on her face just made him want to punch him. Perhaps getting out of that small house was good for him.

Ed was internally confused and conflicted by his own thoughts. Even if Orihime does like someone else, why does he care so much? It could be because Orihime is a really close friend of his, just like Winry. They've been through a lot together, after all. He just wanted someone who would treat her right. There are a lot bastards in the world.

However… The image of Orihime...with someone else really upsets Edward for some reason he can't fathom. She did promise to stay by his and Al's side until they get their bodies back. He hoped she wasn't thinking about breaking that promise.

"Brother?"

Al's worried voice snapped Ed out of his raving thoughts.

"Is something wrong, brother?" his younger brother asked, concerned. "We're at the store."

Ed's golden eyes widened slightly as he stared at the store's doors standing in front. Was he so loss in thought that he didn't notice it?

"What's the matter, brother? You seemed...distracted."

The elder Elric brother let out a puff of air to calm himself down. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Nothing, Al," he replied, casual. "C'mon, let's go buy some medicine for Orihime."

Just then, the doors opened and out walked a girl with long, black hair, carrying a bag of groceries. Edward's eyes widened tremendously in astonishment. It was only a quick glance, but a caught a glimpse of the girl's face. Her face…! Her face looked awfully uncanny to…! But there was no way! It was impossible!

He tried to lean his head in to get a better look at the girl, but, unfortunately, he couldn't because her back was turned to him. He watched her as she disappeared down the dirt road, his heart racing with panicked alarm and shock.

Her face…! It looked exactly like Orihime's!

Eria was carrying bags of groceries for dinner tonight. She felt slightly disturbed and she knew the reason. She felt a presence that was hers, yet not hers at the same time.

"Ah! Eria!"

"Huh?" the darked haired girl hummed as she turned her curious gaze towards a middle aged lady. "How are you doing, Ms. Heathers?" she smiled, kindly, greeting the woman. "How is your leg?"

"It's great!" the woman replied, happily. She flicked her out to emphasize her point. "Thanks to your alchemy, I could start working again!"

The lady's lips then set into a grim line. "I heard that some travelers were staying in that place," she told Eria, face scrunched up in fear and eyebrows furrowed in concern. "I just hope they know what they are getting into." The woman walked away, disappearing down the street.

Eria knew what Ms. Heathers was talking about when she meant 'that place'. She was referring to the small house that was previously the hunting ground of a Hollow. Though, she has long since exterminated it, it left a sense of terrifying fear in the townsfolk as it took quite a handful of lives before its death. And since they couldn't see or sense a Hollow's presence, they still believed the place to be haunted, and avoid it like the plague.

The black haired girl's mind drifted off to the new information she received about a group of travelers staying there. Normally, she would keep her nose out of stuff like that. She wasn't interested in who came and went out of this town as it was not any of her business. However, this particular group of travelers caught her interest because she could faintly feel a spirit energy similar to hers in the midst of them.

She would investigate once all her work is done.

Edward was strodding back to the hut alongside his younger brother, Alphonse. There were bags of groceries and some medicine for Orihime in each of the brothers' arms.

His brother was trying to make idle conversations with him, however, Ed's mind to preoccupied. Ever since he got a glance of that girl, he couldn't get his mind off of her. She just looked so much like Orihime that it was uncanny. To her heart shaped face and long, slightly wavy hair to her curvaceous figure, not that he pays any attention to that...her body shape, and long legs. The only difference between that girl and Orihime was that her hair was black and was tied into a high ponytail, she had brown, slightly smaller eyes, and her skin was a sun kissed tan color compared to Orihime's silky, smooth, fair skin.

She didn't just look like Orihime, she seemed like an exact replica of her down the last detail, albeit a few minor changes! He honestly would have presumed she was Orihime's twin sister, if Orihime didn't relay the fact that she only had an older brother.

"Brother…! Brother!"

Al's voice snapped Ed out of his disconcerted musings. He gazed landed over to his armored brother.

"Brother, what's wrong? You seemed distracted ever since we went inside the store?" Alphonse asked, concerned.

The elder Elric shook his head, trying to take his made off Orihime's lookalike. "It's nothing, Al," he said, dismissively. "Are you sure we got everything?"

"Yep!" Al replied, cheerfully. "Got the medicine for Orihime's fever and some soup."

Ed threw a questionable glance. "Soup?"

"Yeah. I thought it would help Orihime. Mom used to make soup for us whenever one of us gotten sick."

Edward nodded, a sense of nostalgia flooding through him. Sweet memories of his mother feeding him soup while he was sick in bed flashed before him. Ah, he missed those days.

"Brother, I think it's nice we're doing this for Orihime," Alphonse spoke, his tone holding a sense of beholden.

A yellow brow rose n curiosity. "Why's that?"

"Well… She's always been looking after me and you, brother. It just...feels...nice, satisfying, encouraging and comforting that we could look after her for once," Al finished, rather sheepishly shy.

Edward agreed with his little brother. It was nice to return the favor for Orihime's kindness for once.

(FLASHBACK)

"Damn, bastard!" Edward cursed as he dodged another spikes of rocks thrown at him.

As per usual, Edward and Alphonse were committing one of their customary civic duties of recapturing a dangerous alchemist escapee.

"Crap!" Ed scrambled out of the way to dodge another one of the criminal's vicious attacks. The spears of rock managed to graze his human arm causing him to hiss in pain.

Alphonse came from behind and punched the alchemist's so hard, he crashed into a nearby wall, knocking him out.

"Does your arm hurt, brother?" Al asked, concerned, glancing at his older brother's wounded arm.

"No, it's alright," Ed replied. "It's only a graze."

The Elric brothers entered their coed hotel room, only surprised to see Orihime was up. They were pretty sure she was fast asleep when they left. And besides, it was late. What was she doing being up this late?

"Hello, Edward, Alphonse," she greeted them, yawning afterwards.

"Orihime? What are you doing up so late?" Al questioned, curiously.

The ginger haired girl seemed slightly caught off guard by Al's innocent question.

"Oh, I was just getting a late night snack," Orihime answered with a flushed face. "I woke up because I was hungry." She seemed to take notice of Ed's injured arm as her gray eyes went wide with concern. "Oh, Edward…! You're hurt!"

Golden eyes gazed at his arm as he lifted it up, then hid it behind his back. "It's just a cut, Orihime," he reassured, putting on his usual tough guy act. "I'm fine."

Orihime's lips pursed into a pout. She gently took his arm in her hands as she began healing him. "You don't need to act tough in front me, Edward," she asserted with soft, determined eyes. "I'm always here for you. The both of you." She smiled, brightly at the brothers.

"Yeah…," Alphonse nodded in gratitude.

Ed's golden eyes lowered a bit in appreciation, a light pink blush on his face. "Thanks, Orihime."

(END OF FLASHBACK)

Edward smiled fondly at the memory. Without them realizing it, Orihime had always been looking after them. Even the most simplest of ways.

"You're right, Al," he agreed with his younger brother. "It would be nice to return the favor."

Winry turned her attention towards the door when she heard it open with the squeaky noise it made. She raced down the hall to be greeted with Ed and Al.

"Welcome back, guys," she greeted them with a smile. "You brought the medicine?"

"Yeah," Alphonse answered, digging into the bag to take the medicine. "How's Orihime? Is she feeling better?"

Blue eyes lowered, somewhat sadly and with worry. "Her fever's getting worse. And she's started coughing now. I-I think she might have the flu."

Edward expression turned into one of slight fear and anxiety. He swiftly set the groceries down on the kitchen counter and raced towards the bedroom where Orihime was.

There she was, laying in bed with her face flushed a deep red. She was covered in sweat and she was breathing heavily. Her skin was slightly paler than usual and she looked sickly. There was recently damped rag on her forehead to help cool her down and bring down her fever.

When she heard him enter, the auburn haired girl turned her gaze towards him. He could tell how weak she felt the way her gray eyes was droopy. "You're back!" she hoarse out, weakly with a small smile, obviously her throat was sore.

Edward frowned, a slight look of pain sadness in his eyes. He didn't want to show it, but he was panicking on the inside. His mother died because of an illness! And Orihime looked just as sickly, weak, and frail as she did weeks before her death.

Sensing Ed's saddened and fretfully worried gaze, Orihime pressed her lips together in a thin line, her brows furrow. Whether she was pouting or not was hard to tell by how weak and frail she looked.

"I'm going to be fine, Eddie."

Edward kneeled down beside her bedside. "How are you feeling, Orihime?"

"I'm doing good. It's just a little sickness. It would go away soon enough, then I'll be better than before!" Orihime proclaimed with her usual childlike energy and enthusiasm.

The blond alchemist chuckled softly. She must be okay, if she still has her usual vigor despite being sick in bed.

"Did you bring it?"

He blinked in confusion at the auburn haired girl's expectant face.

"Bring what?"

Her lips pursed together into a pout. "The cheese! I wanted the cheese!" she expressed with alarm and disappointment as if she were a kid being denied her favorite toy. "I wanted to eat it! I'm hungry!"

Edward grinned softly at Orihime's pouting face. "Yeah, yeah. I'll go get it."

"Don't forget the strawberries, too!" she called out to him as he opened the door.

"Aren't you demanding today?" Ed threw back, teasingly. He watched in amusement as Orihime's flushed even redder due to embarrassment. He left with a small laugh before to could offer a retort.

Edward walked into the kitchen where he left the groceries. He saw Al pouring something in a pot and Winry cutting veggies. "What are you guys making?"

"We're making the soup for Orihime," Alphonse replied, cheerfully.

"Ed, give Orihime her medicine," Winry demanded, still chopping up vegetables.

The blond alchemist rolled his eyes, but complied with request, nonetheless, knowing that if he didn't, he'd be met with a wrench to the face. He grabbed the medicine that was sitting on the counter as well as grabbing the pack of cheese and strawberries Orihime requested. Mindful to take a spoon and a plate with him, he strolled back into the bedroom.

"I got the cheese and strawberries!" Edward announced, somewhat dramatically.

Orihime giggled with glee.

"But first, you have to take your medicine."

Then she frowned.

"I don't want to," she whined.

Ed sighed. "Don't be like that." He poured a spoonful of the medicine onto the, well, spoon. He held close to her lips. But one stubborn Orihime refuses to open her mouth.

"I don't want it!" she cried, miserably.

Ed tried once again to pry her mouth open with the spoon, but Orihime was being extremely obstinate. How defiant could a sick person be?

"If you don't drink your medicine, Orihime, then no cheese or strawberries for you," Edward threatened.

The auburn haired healer let out a small gasp, her gray eyes wide with shock. Without hesitation, she immediately popped open her mouth, letting the blond alchemist feed her the medicine. Her nose promptly crinkled in disgust at the bitter taste of it.

Edward smirked, triumphantly. "Now, was that so hard?"

The ginger haired pouted then eyed the cheese and strawberries. "Can I have the cheese and strawberries now?"

"Yeah, sure." Ed opened some of the packs of cheese and gathered a few strawberries and poured them onto a plate. Before he handed it over to Orihime's eagerly waiting hands, a thought came to him.

"But first, why did you want the strawberries so bad?" he asked, curiously.

"Eh?" was Orihime's confused response.

"You said they reminded you of someone," Ed elaborated. "Who?" He didn't know why he was so obsessed with this one question. He just was. And when Edward becomes obsessed with something, he wants answers to gratify his curiosity.

Okay, now Orihime's blushing face made him frown. He didn't like that. He didn't like the expression she had on her face. The dreamy look in her gray eyes, the increased redness of her cheeks that was not due to the fever, and the her lips formed into a small yet genuine smile as if she was thinking of something desirability happy.

He frowned even more. He definitely did not like that look, that captivated, entranced and enraptured expression on her facial features! Ed could feel something strange in the pit of his stomach. Some sort of burning, bubbly sensation. It made his stomach curl up and he felt slightly nauseated.

Ed watched as the ginger haired girl pulled the blanket up, shyly hiding half of her face. "D-do I have to?" she asked, completely flustered.

"Yes," Edward pressed on, his lips formed into a thin line, his golden eyes holding an odd determination in them. He knew if Orihime wasn't sick, she would never tell him. He hoped that she was delirious enough to accidentally spill the beans.

Orihime squirmed even more becoming more bashful. Her face pressed together, deep in thought, the blush not going away. It was as if she contemplating whether or not the strawberries were worth talking about Ichigo.

"Okay, I'll tell you." They were absolutely. She wanted those strawberries! She liked them. They reminded her of Ichigo. She loves Ichigo! "But don't laugh!"

Ed remained still, his body itching with anticipation as he waited for her to explain.

She repeatedly opened and closed her mouth, her face a deep red, not knowing when to start. "It…," she finally started. "Strawberries remind me of a guy I like."

The blond alchemist scowl deepened, the corner of his lip twitching in irritation as the burning sensation in his stomach intensified. There is a guy Orihime likes?! Who the hell is the bastard?!

Orihime seemed to not noticing Edward's fuming displeasure and aggravation as she innocently continued on. "He's tall…"

An eye twitch. "Of course he is."

"...And handsome and he's got the cutest scowls," she spoke, giggling like a little schoolgirl. Her gray eyes lit up with fascination, admiration, and wonder. "He's got orange hair! And he's really nice and kind. He may act mean and tough, but he has a really kind heart. He's strong, too! I mean, super strong! And he protects and defends the weak and innocent."

Edward couldn't help but to get the sense of deja vu. He heard these words before. He remembered Orihime talking about someone similar to the person she's describing just months ago. However, he was hardly paying any attention to the conversation. Dammit! He wished he had. He could almost grasp the name of the person. He seethed, the guy she likes, but it was just out of reach.

"What's his name?" Edward breathed out, trying to keep his irritation at bay. It better not be someone who they've met while traveling, or someone's ass is going to get kicked!

The ginger haired girl bashfully hid herself behind her blanket. "No!" she refused, cutely pouting. Her voice was muffled by the blanket. "I'm not telling! I told you too much!" She shyly peeked her head out. "Can I have my cheese and strawberries now?" she asked. She was almost like a child waiting for dessert.

Knowing that he had interrogated her enough, Edward complied with wishes, a tight smile on his face. "Sure. Here." He handed the plate over to her. She cried out in joy as she meticulously became devouring the food with a dreamy expression. That expression made Ed sick to his stomach for some unknown reason.

"You know what? I'm going to get you a doctor." Ed knew that was partly an excuse to get out of the room without hurting Orihime's feelings. But the other part of it was one drive out of fear. What if Orihime's sickness was more than just a sickness? Just seeing her ill in bed, terribly reminded him of his mother. He didn't want Orihime dying of illness just like she did! Her illness could become worse over time, and wasn't taking any chances! He was going to get a doctor from this town and have them do a full diagnosis on her just to be on the safe side.

Just to be on the safe side.

Eria stepped out of a local cafe after eating her full. The desserts in that cafe were delicious as always. Her day had been spent grocery shopping, taking care of the sick and injured, Hollow hunting, and now she just had dinner. Still the strange spirit energy still bothered her. But it did not seem hostile, so she saved the investigating for tomorrow. Right now, she just wanted to go home, read, then go to sleep.

This place was nice. The townspeople were friendly. She could stay here and live a peaceful life. All she had to do was protect the people from Hollow attacks and all is good. Though, her heart still yearned for a certain man. With him here, living here would be even more fulfilling.

"Eria!"

The dark haired girl turned when she heard her name being called.

"Oh, Kia," she greeted the little girl. Her face contorted into one of fear when she noticed the panicky look on the small girl's face. "What's wrong?"

"Eria! You can heal anything, right?" Kia asked, urgently, a sense of desperation in her tone.

"Yeah, that's right." Eria tilted her head, wondering where this was going.

Kia earnestly tugged on her red sleeve of her blouse. "I need your help, Eria!"

Eria patiently followed Kia until she led her into the front yard of her home. Her brown eyes watched with curiosity as the brown haired as she scooped up a baby bird into her hands.

"See?" She held the injured bird out of for her to see. "I think this bird fell out of its nest, and injured itself. Please, help it," she pleaded on the verge of tears.

Eria smiled, gently at the little girl. "Sure. Just hold it out to me, and keep still."

Kia nodded her head, keeping her tiny hands out.

The black haired girl hovered her own hands above hers. An orange glow beginning to form. Kia watched in fascination as Eria began to work her magic. In just a few minutes, the baby bird began to move its injured wing, tweeting happily.

Kia smiled, brightly. "Thanks, Eria!" she shouted, happily. She skipped back over to the tree, being careful not to let the peeping baby bird fall out of her hands.

"Do you need help?" Eria asked.

"No," Kia replied. "I got it. I'm good at climbing trees!"

Slow and steadily, the little girl climbed up the tall tree, being mindful of where her feet touch. She leisurely crawled up the bark until she spotted the nest. Smiling, Kia gently placed the bird back in its home. She carefully slid back down off the tree.

"Thank you, Eria!" Kia thanked her, graciously.

Eria smiled, softly at the cheerful and happy girl. "Your welcome!"

"Hey." Both girls froze slightly when they heard a male's voice calling to them. "Are you Eria?"

Eria quickly regained her composure and faced the person who was calling her. To her surprise, it was the same young boy she almost bumped into at the store today. The blond hair and red coat was not hard to miss or forget.

However, the boy seemed to instantly freeze, his golden eyes widened in shock when he saw her face. Understandably, Eria tilted her head in confusion.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

Edward, realizing that he had been caught staring like an idiot, coughed into his hands to contain himself. Could he be blamed for staring? At last time, he saw her, he only caught a glimpse of her facial features. But now that he got a real good look at her, she really did look like Orihime! The resemblance was uncanny! Not to mention, she was the doctor he was looking for! And Orihime look alike with healing powers…couldn't be a coincidence.

But why…? Why does she have Orihime's face? Why does she resemble Orihime?

Ed, realizing that he's just been unresponsive to Eria's question, quickly answered her. "The people told me you were the doctor in this town," Ed said with an air of nonchalance.

"That's right," Eria replied, simply.

"Do you think you could check on a friend of mine? She's very sick."

"Hmm, I could see what I can do."

And there Edward was, escorting Eria back to the little house they were all staying at while Orihime recovers from her sickness. He couldn't help but to get an awkward and intrusive vibe from Eria. Could anyone blame him? Everytime he glances over to her, he sees Orihime's face. It...It was disturbing!

Although, Eria was much quieter than Orihime. She hasn't said single word since they've began their walk. Normally, Orihime would be talking up a storm, saying thoughts or interests she had on her mind. But Eria had been completely silent, not even sound. He could say it was kind of nerve wracking and eerily creepy.

Eria may have an uncanny resemblance to Orihime, but he could definitely tell that their personalities were different.

Edward opened the door to the small house, leading Eria inside. Not seeing Alphonse and Winry in the kitchen must mean that they've finished preparing the soup for Orihime, and they are in the bedroom with her.

He led her to Orihime's room. "She's in here," he announced as he opened the door. Indeed, Al and Winry were in the room as well. Al was reading a book and Winry was tinkering with her gear and mechanics. He glanced over to see Orihime asleep in bed.

"I'm back, Al, Winry."

His little brother and childhood friend and offered him a small greeting in return. Both Alphonse and Winry jaws dropped when they noticed the girl standing behind him. They did a quick double take between the black haired girl and the sleeping Orihime.

Ed immediately knew what the two were thinking by the astonished and dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

Winry was the first to open her mouth. "Ed?" she asked, slowly. "Who is this?"

The blond alchemist stepped aside to allow the dark haired girl to step more into the room. "This is Eria," he introduced her. "I brought her to check up on Orihime since she's the local doctor in this town."

He drew his attention over Eria leading her to the auburn haired girl snoring soundly away. "This is Orihime, the girl I wanted you to do check on. She has a high fever, a sore throat, and she coughs sometimes. We're just worried if there's anything more than that."

Al realizing why the black haired girl was brought here, swiftly regain his composure. "Yes, could you check on our friend, please?"

"We would very much appreciate it," Winry added in.

Eria, on other hand, was in the standstill within herself. This was it, the same spirit energy she had been feeling all day. The same presence that was giving her a sense of anger and nostalgia. And now, she knew why.

It was because of this girl in front of her. How could she be so stupid not to realize that? There was only person with the same spirit energy as her. Eria was created from her, after all.

Eria balled her fists at her side, biting her bottom lip to keep her anger at bay. She wanted nothing more than to strangle this sick girl lying in bed.

She loathed her.

She despised her.

Eria hated Orihime Inoue!

(A/N: Well, that's the end of the chapter! Hoped you enjoyed it! Wow, this chapter turned out longer than I expected, so I had to make it into a two parter. Orihime gets sick and Edward finds out that Orihime's got a crush on someone. Talk about an awkward moment. But I do find it funny and amusing that Ed won't let the subject drop. Orihime makes one slip up and Ed's on her case, sort of. Oh, Ed… You are cute when you're jealous. But now, the love triangle between Ichigo, Orihime, and Edward is beginning to take shape now that Ed's aware of Orihime's affections for him, though he doesn't know Ichigo's name quite yet.

There's something that's been bothering me and I just want to say it now. There's people out there that say that's Edward is five foot four, even though he's short. Guys, do you not know how tall five feet, four inches is? That's pretty average, well, very slightly below average for a guy. But an average height for a girl. This is me saying that Edward is not five foot four. Maybe after the timeskip, but definitely not in the beginning of the anime. Ed is four foot ten at the beginning of the anime, but by the end of it, he's about five foot six or seven. So, he grows taller by seven or eight inches between the first episode of Brotherhood and the last. Almost a foot taller. Almost.

I know this has nothing to do with the story, but I want to discuss something. I want to discuss the difference between envy and jealousy. This is for everyone who was like me and thought they meant literally the same thing, just different wording. That's not...entirely true. They are, technically, the same, but they do have minor difference. Envy is more general and it's an attack on your insecurities while jealous is more personal and it's the fear of losing something. For example, things like 'that guy did better than me on this report. And I thought I was the best,' that's an example of envy. While something like 'I don't like my girl staring at that other guy.' That's an example of jealousy. Though, jealous doesn't have just do with romance. It could be any type of relationship, platonic, familial, or romantic, as long as it's something personal to you and you fear losing it. So, for everyone confused between the difference between envy and jealousy, hope this helps. Although, I won't be differentiate them much myself. I'll write like I always write. This is just a small little trivia.

Well, leave any comments, questions, or suggestions in a review, and thanks for reading!)