DISCLAIMER: Nope, don't own FMA

(-Edward-)

Edward hated the rain.

Even when he was younger, the rain had always bothered him. It would prevent him and Al from playing outside because their mother refused to wash their muddy clothes and in their little village in the countryside, getting a cold meant being miserable for two to four days without medication. Not to mention, his port would ache and phantom pains to tear up his arm.

Another reason he hated rain was because it was always a bad omen for death and loss.

So it was safe to say as the rain soaked him to the bone and trailed down his back, head bowed into his knees, he felt miserable.

"Tucker will be facing martial judgement," Mustang spoke, walking down the steps beside the three alchemists. Edward ignored him, however, too caught up in his grief to honestly give a damn. "I expect you three to comb through his research for anything that may be of use, and to not speak a word of this. Is that clear?"

The words caused Edward's head to snap up and eyes to shine with fury as he glared at Mustang. "So you're covering it all up?! You're not going to let people know about it?!"

Mustang's glare matched his own. "Fullmetal, if the public were to know the military had such an alchemist at their disposal, do you honestly believe they would bat an eye?" Turning around he began to walk away. "No, people would cause an uproar. One we certainly don't need."

"Nina." Edward, Alphonse and Mustang's eyes trailed over to where the lone redhead sat, dull hazel gaze facing the ground. "What'll happen to Nina?"

Mustang ignored the three teens as he answered, "She'll be moved to a lab to be closely monitored." He barely flinched when both the Elric's jumped up in fury, shouting their protests. "Hawkeye, let's go." The blond lieutenant nodded mutely and followed after him to their vehicle, casting only one mournful gaze to the three as they left.

In the corner of his eye did Edward spot some soldiers hauling a whining Nina onto a truck. "Like hell I'm letting them treat her like some sort of lab-rat," he spat, clapping his hands and slamming them down onto the ground. The truck which had been taking off shook, before falling onto it's side. Shouts of soldiers escalated, and a barking Nina jumped from the truck.

"Nina!" Alphonse exclaimed desperately. The chimera stopped to look back at them hesitantly, before bolting down the road.

Edward didn't need any prompting to chase after her.

He didn't stop to wait for Al or Madison, since he could hear two sets of footsteps trailing behind him. He ignored the rain, ignored the huffs behind him and the way his chest clenched uncomfortably in familiar guilt.

It was merely five minutes later, after they heard the howl of pain did they stand in front of an alleyway, eyes staring up in horror at the silhouette made of blood on the wall that so closely resembled Nina.

It took all of his willpower to keep his legs from giving out from under him, but Madison wasn't so lucky. Crashing to the ground that would bound to leave her with bruises, she let out a wailing sob from her throat, the sound crushing the hearts of both brothers.

His nails dug through his gloves as he let out an anguished cough. Dammit. How could he let this happen? He saw her not two hours ago. He saw her laughing and smiling and there. And he let her leave with that monster. He saw her holding his hand and he had just abandoned her and left her to die. He had left her to die twice. What the hell kind of alchemist was he if he couldn't even save one little girl?! Why the hell couldn't he save anyone?! Why did he let the people he loved get hurt and killed?! What was the point of having his alchemy if he couldn't save anyone with it?!

"N-no... t-this is my fault..." Madison's shaky exhale fell on deaf ears, for the two brothers had the same thought rushing through their heads. However, the next words were not quite so simular to them, and once Edward heard them, his blood ran cold; "W-why didn't I remember? Why didn't I save her?"

Madison didn't realize her mistake until his head had snapped around to face her, his voice shaking with barely contained rage as he coolly hissed one word; "What?"

Sputtering, Madison jumped to her feet, hands waving frantically. "N-no, I meant... I, uh," her hands were shaking at her sides, red hair sticking to her freckled face as she tried to get the words out. "Please, let me explain, I-"

"Explain what, exactly," Edward growled, stomping forward to her, causing the girl to back up against the wall. He brushed off his brother's hand on his shoulder, his eyes never leaving Madison's terrified ones. "What do you mean, 'remember'? What the hell didn't you remember?!"

"I, uh, uh," Madison stuttered uselessly, lips trembling in fear as she breathed in quiet quick gasps. She couldn't get the words out, couldn't explain to him, couldn't give him an excuse as to why she had let Nina die. "Ed, please-"

"No, no!" he shouted, and in one quick swift motion her shirt was held tightly in his auto-mail fist, head thumping harshly against the hard brick wall. Edward paid no head to her whimpers, however, as his eyes shook with rage. "Do not call me that. Explain, Madison! What the hell are you hiding from us?!"

Tears were flowing from her eyes, from fear, anger, grief and so many more emotions she couldn't name. She had killed Nina. It was her fault, she hadn't remembered, if only she had remembered. But she hadn't. She was stuck here, in a world she didn't know, full of strangers and danger and God she was so scared. He was going to abandon her, the only friends she had here, and she wanted to tell them so bad, wanted to tell someone but she couldn't. "Because, Edward!" she screamed, clawing at his hands uselessly, ignoring the way his eyes widened at her screech. "Because if I tell you I could kill someone else! Do you honestly think I wanted Nina dead?! Do you honestly think that if I could I would be here?!" She's letting out more than she should, she knows. She knows she shouldn't, that she could mess up and ruin everything, but she just doesn't care anymore. "If I could leave I would in a heartbeat, but I'm stuck here, Edward! And you're not helping!"

Madison is punching and kicking and screaming, and doing everything in her power for him to just let her go. "Let me go, Edward Elric! Just..." sobbing uselessly, she bows her head, "just let me go..."

She doesn't expect him to.

She doesn't regret running.

They don't stop her.

(-Alphonse-)

When Alphonse had first met Madison, he had grown attached to her very quickly. Her smiles and wit immediately drew him in, and he knew she had done the same to his brother. However, through their shared year together, there was the smallest part of him, the tiniest inkling of suspicion that she had been hiding something. It was the way she had spoke of home, so fondly and sad. It reminded him of himself, in a way. It was the way she would watch them occasionally, as if her eyes couldn't quite believed them to be standing right in front of her, or the way she would look at the world around her like she didn't belong.

They're barely listening as Mustang lists off the address they're to stay in when in central. Military perks, or something, he had said. Alphonse is the one to grab the slip of paper with the number on it that the colonel hands them, since Edward is sullenly brooding to his side.

"You're expected to keep it tidy, and pay rent every three months," Mustang lists off, bored. "Though with your earnings, I don't expect it will be much of a problem."

"Thank you, sir," Alphonse nods politely.

Mustang nods back, before raising an eyebrow at the still silent alchemist. "Is there a problem, Fullmetal? You're being more respectable than usual."

He huffs. "It's nothing," Edward growls.

Mustang ignores him, turning to the paperwork Hawkeye had forced him to finish. "Very well, dismissed." The two make to leave, before Mustang pipes up again, "Make sure Crimson hears of the new arrangements as well. You'll be sharing."

Edward walks briskly out the door, scowling.

Alphonse tries to keep up with his fast past (not that it's hard), and watches over the angry blond's head. The confrontation with Madison after N-...Nina, had not gone well. It was shocking, watching the two people he was closest two look like that, one ready to tear the other's throat out while the latter looked terrified beyond hell and like they wanted to be anywhere but there.

A part of him was angry like his brother. Madison had kept something from them, for an entire year. An entire year of laughing, smiling and being together. She had known something would have happened to Nina, (somehow) and hadn't done anything, and yet...

Another part of him sympathized with her. She had been distraught when they had discovered the chimera that Nina had been turned into, and had genuinely thought it had been her fault. She had been destroyed by her death.

Her words of, ' If I could leave I would in a heartbeat, but I'm stuck here, Edward,' still rung through his head. He wanted to know what she meant by it. Stuck here? Sure, she had lost memories, but that didn't mean she was stuck.

Madison was definitely hiding something, and Alphonse was dying to know what.

Arriving at the entrance to central command, Alphonse had perked up upon seeing the current girl in question. She looked worse for the wear, dark bags under her eyes, and a new set of clothes on than she had yesterday. She was staring down at the watch she had acquired merely 24 hours ago as she looked up at the large building of central command.

"Madison?" he spoke, ignoring the way Edward was shaking at his side.

Her head snapped up in fear, looking up at him. She sputtered, stepping back, eyes darting around like she was looking for some way of escape.

"Where were you last night?" he asking, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder when the boy tried to speak. Madison had been their friend. Even if she had hid something, a small part of him missed the way they had been laughing and carefree. So, he told himself that he still trusted her and believed if she wanted to tell them, she will in her own time.

Swallowing, she looks down at the watch once again. "I uh..." she spoke, her voice betraying her nervousness. "Stayed with the Hughes."

Nodding, he chuckled to signal he wasn't upset with her. She looked shocked, before smiling softly.

Edward hissed, pushing past her with his shoulder. "C'mon Al, let's go to the library." Madison watched him go with barely contained anger and sadness, rubbing the shoulder he had most likely bruised.

As Alphonse walked by her, he patted her head. She looked up at him under a curtain of red hair. "Don't worry, Madison, I still trust you," he whispered.

Lips trembling, Madison smiles shakily up at him. "Thank you, Al. It means more than you know."

He pats her head again, before following after his brother.

Now he had no doubts. Madison had no intention of hurting anyone, especially Nina. Even if she had been hiding something, it had to be because she didn't have a choice. Now only if he could get Edward to believe that.

(-Madison-)

It's not like I didn't expect it, but it doesn't mean it hurts any less.

With Edward declaring basically right to my face that he didn't trust me anymore, I had run away. Yeah, kinda not my best move, but I had to get away. I had to get away before he punched me, or I messed up and said something I shouldn't. I just... needed to be alone.

The Hughes had been kind enough to let me in when they had opened the door to see me sobbing, drenched and shivering. I had spent a solid hour screaming at God knows what, and after Gracia had given me a pair of clothes I had immediately passed out on their spare bed, letting the blissful release of dreamland take me over.

Nina's face haunted me, however. Never before had I felt such an immense sense of guilt. I had let her die, and I didn't save her. My dreams had been filled with the image of her laughing and smiling before turning into the beast she had become, only asking why I had left her to die. Nina could have lived a carefree, happy life like every other little girl should, but that wasn't what happened.

Edward was right about me. Alphonse's words at the front of central helped, but it didn't mean he changed my mind.

I was resigning.

Yup, look at me, Madison Sloane. One of the youngest state alchemists ever, and I'm resigning a day after being accepted. Who was I kidding, anyway? Did I honestly expect to get anywhere? Honestly Truth should have picked someone else for this stupid thing.

The sound of chatter and talking filled the cafeteria that I was residing in until Mustang returned. Apparently he had some sort of meeting or something, so until then I was to stay here and munch on crackers.

"Isn't she the cutest?"

Sighing, I pushed around the potatoes on my plate that the chef had given me, smiling wryly at the gushing man. "Yes, Hughes."

"And look at this one, already looking like her mother. I'll have to be protecting her from possible suitors anytime soon now!" Hughes looked angry at even the thought of his little girl being taken from him by someone, and I sighed as I slammed my forehead on the cool table when he went into a rant about buying more guns and hand-knifes to start teaching her with.

"One little mistake doesn't define you, you know."

Lifting my head from the table and replacing it with my chin, I scowled. "Thanks for the life-lesson, Hughes."

Placing his photos back in his wallet, he rests his chin of his crossed fingers. "I'm serious, Madison," I scowl at the use of my full name, "You have the working of serious talent, and I don't want you to throw that all away."

'Ha serious talent my ass,' I snort to myself. The only reason I was picked was because stupid Truth had taken me from my own world and the only way to do that was to pass through the gate. It wasn't talent or anything, just circumstance.

However, Hughes didn't know that, so instead I nodded and bit down into a piece of bread before shuddering at it. Dammit, I did it again. I hate bread.

I was about to ask see more pictures of Elicia to change the topic before I registered the thump of someone sitting beside me. I froze, catching the sight of red and yellow out of the corner of my eye and knowing only one person in the military with those kind of colours; Edward.

"Hughes, is there anyway the person who killed Nina was that serial killer you told us about a few months ago?" he asked, completely ignoring my existence.

Hughes frowned at the question, shaking his head. "No, that killer chops up his victims in separate pieces." We shuddered as we imagined the body we had seen, mangled and broken beyond repair. "The way Nina was killed... it was like she had been blown apart by the inside."

Murmuring, I added, "Like someone had deconstructed her..."

The both of them tightened their jaws at my words, but Edward continued to ignore me. "Has there been any new leads?" he asked.

Hughes shook his head. "Nothing. He kills his victims, then completely vanishes. We're absolutely confused by how quickly he kills them and disappears."

"Have you considered he may kill them someplace else?" Edward questioned, stealing my food since I wasn't eating it.

"Yup, awhile ago. We've been searching all cars entering and leaving the city but so far we've found absolutely nothing. We're at a loss."

It was like a puzzle, one that I couldn't solve. I scowled, realizing that if Truth hadn't taken my memories I could have stopped this killer from destroying more lives, but because I was too goddamn weak I couldn't do anything.

Unaware to my fists tightening at my pants, Hughes stood up. "Well, I best be on my way. This killer isn't giving me a break and if I want to get home then I need to start working." Giving us a lazy salute, he left.

Silence ensued, in which Edward coldly flipped the pages of his book while munching on the food quietly. I fidgeted, all too aware of the tension created between us. I only wished I had something to ignore him with, like my ipod but low and behold, Amestris didn't have that technology yet.

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and I slammed my hands down as I stood up, making him jump beside me. Shaking, I choked out, "You don't have to ignore me. Scream, yell, but don't just pretend I don't exist!"

He glares at me, slapping his book closed. "Well if you don't like it then leave."

The cold words cause a lump to form in my throat, and my eyes to sting. I knew I messed up but... god it hurt.

"Fine," I whispered, hands shaking at my sides. "I will."

I stomped out of the cafeteria, ignoring whispers and stares of other military soldiers. Who cares about, 'Youngest state alchemists,' or, 'Talent,' and everything I just didn't care about anymore.

Feeling a scream wanting to tear at my throat, I quickly made my way through the halls and ignoring the front exit. Rather than randomly scream in a populated area, I opted to leave through a side exit so I could rant my frustrations about the blond, the military, Tucker, Nina, this stupid situation, Truth all the more quicker.

It's only when I'm finally outside, facing the back of a blond haired girl as she enters the back of an ice box, does it come rushing back to me.

Winry, Barry the Chopper, no evidence, disguise, ice-box, Edward going after them, pain, crying, Edward about to be killed-

Before I know it, I'm rushing forward before Winry makes it completely inside, shouting, "Hey, you're Winry, aren't you?"

She turns, long blond hair whipping about her confused. "Um... yes? Do I know you?"

I snort, waving my hands nonchalantly, only too aware of the serial killer standing only right beside me, frowning in displeasure. I need to act casual, I can't let him aware of the fact that I know. "Nah, Edward and Alphonse told me about you!"

I could save her, I could save Edward. I could stop this from happening. I remembered.

Winry perks up, clasping her hands as she grins, "Oh! Ed and Al! Are they here?"

I nod, smiling and pointing to the building. "Yeah, Ed's in there stuffing his face. Wanna see him?" C'mon, c'mon, say yes, say yes. We need to go.

Jumping excitedly, she nods quickly. "Oh, yes, please!"

Nearly wheezing as I see Barry scowling, I start pushing her toward the building, all too aware that no one is around and that Barry is gripping his dress in displeasure. "Well, Ed mentioned he had wanted to see you, so why don't we go surprize him, hmm?"

Winry is in front of me, confused by the sudden pep in my step, but she still smiles and nods. "Sure! I can't wait to see his face!"

I smile, until a hand slams onto my shoulder.

"My, dear. I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but with my old age carrying these steaks for the chef can be terribly dreadful," Barry whispers with a cheerful voice, contradicting the knife against my lower-back, the cold steel chilling my bones. "Would you mind giving me a hand?"

"S-sure, not at all, miss," I reply, voice nearly betraying my fear. His hand tightens on my shoulder, and I smile at Winry. "Why don't you go ahead? Ed's really excited to see you."

She frowns, but nods. "Okay... see you soon?"

I nod, giving her a shaky smile. "O'course."

God, how I know it isn't true. Because I had a knife against my back and a serial killer's breath against my neck, breathing down my spine and preparing me for my impending death.

You saved Winry, I tell myself. You did something right.

Winry walks away, and with each step I feel another piece of me go with her. When's she's out of sight, it only takes a second for something to hit my head and for me to black out.

(-Edward-)

After Madison had stormed out, he huffed and tore at his food, his anger nearly tearing at the seams.

He had been ready to curse and yell at her, but after Alphonse had talked some sense into him, he elected to merely ignore her.

Boy did that work well, he snorted.

"Brother, you need to think about Madison's side of things," Alphonse said, closing his book.

Edward scowled, gritting his teeth. "Why should I?" he retorted to his brother.

"Think about it, Ed," Alphonse said, "if she had been with us for an entire year don't you think she would have said something?" Looking down, he added, "Maybe what she said is right. It's not that she wants to, she can't."

"Well why can't she?" Edward growled, anger and annoyance seeping through his voice.

"I don't know, brother," Al responded calmly. "That's why we need to ask Madison herself." Edward huffed again, leaning back in his chair. "I... I don't think she wanted Nina to go through that, brother. If she had known something she would have stopped it."

Edward would have loved to believe it. Madison had been his friend, they had been close in the year they spent together. But... she had hid something from them, hid something crucial and she expected him to just forget about it? What else did she know?

"It's not like we don't have our share of secrets," Alphonse continues. "I think we should give her a chance to explain herself."

Edward had been going to, until she had stormed out. He sighed, rubbing at his temples. He wanted this whole mess to be over. He wanted things back they were before, laughing and smiling and carefree.

"Edward!"

Jumping up, he scanned his eyes until they saw a blond haired girl. "Winry?!" he shrieked in shock. He was about to demand why she was here, until he saw her terrified expression. Running over, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Winry, Winry, what happened?"

"She-she," she stuttered, eyes shaking as recalled the events. "I was with this woman, then this red headed girl came over and said you were here." Madison, he thought to himself. "B-But then the woman asked her to help unpack and I left and when I remembered I forgot my bag I- I."

Noticing her beginning to shake, he guided her out of the cafeteria. "Winry," he said seriously. "I need you to tell me what happened."

Her lips trembled, before she burst out, "I saw her get knocked out and kidnapped!" Edward's eyes widened, but Winry went on, "I hid and- and the woman grabbed her and placed her in the i-ice truck."

'Ice truck?' He thought, until it hit him.

Oh no.

"Winry, take me to where this happened," he demanded, panic seizing his veins.

'Please be okay.'

(-Madison-)

It felt like I had been here for eternity.

Waking up to pains in my arms from low blood circulation by having them hanging above my head, and my mouth dry from the gag there had been the most terrifying way to wake up in existence. I panicked for a solid five seconds before the last thing that happened registered in my brain.

I then panicked some more.

Barry was humming some eerily cheery tune as he sharpened one of his knives, back turned to me. I tried to wiggle away, but it only sent a sharp pang through my arm and let a whimper escape my lips. Tears beginning to enter my eyes, I slumped against my bounds once I finally let the reality of the situation take over me.

I was going to die. Edward wasn't coming for me, I knew that for certain. He didn't care about me, no one in this world even knew me. I was completely and utterly alone here.

It's been an entire year since I've been gone. A year of being stuck in a world not my own, surrounded by strangers and danger and alchemy. I wasn't cut out for this. I wasn't cut out for anything. Truth should have picked someone else because I was going to die here and no one would miss me.

I missed my family. I missed my mom, with her bear hugs and sarcasm, my dad and his lame jokes, my sister with her singing, my grandma. I missed my two dogs and my fluffy cat. I missed Kate, and I missed my other friends. Hell, I missed school. I missed normalcy.

I was going to die here and none of them would know I had been chopped up in bloody pieces. Hell, did they even know I exist anymore? Did Truth just erase who I was back home? Was I a nobody there too? Why me? Why was I picked? Why did I have to suffer through this, why did I have to watch people die, and mess up? I never asked for any of this, I never asked to die!

Barry had walked away, and for all I knew he was preparing my future grave. It took everything in my to not curse and scream and sob, but I simply didn't have it in me anymore.

However, when footsteps began approaching me, panic seized me and I begun to whimper against the gag, struggling in the bonds to escape, anything to get away. I didn't want to die, I didn't want to die, I didn't want to die!

"Shush, Madison, it's me!"

Eyes flying opening, I stared in shock as Edward neared me and begun to tug my gag down. When he begun to try and work on the bounds, I let out a pathetic, "E-Edward?"

He smiled weakly. "Don't worry, you're okay now."

I shook my head, confusion taking over my previous panic. "Why are you here?"

"I couldn't let you die!" he retorted, scowling as the bounds seemed to be too complicated to work on.

"But... I thought you hated me..." I murmured in confusion.

He hesitated, frowning, before replying, "I... I was confused and upset. I wanted to know what you were hiding from us, but... I trust you." Smiling, he looked me in the eyes with his golden ones. "I trust you, Madison."

Relief at his words spread through my body, hearing them dispelling so many of my fears and doubts that I barely noticed the figure behind him. It was only when they raised the bat did my eyes widen as I screamed a panic, "Ed!" He didn't turn fast enough, and when it struct him, I could only whimper uselessly as his body slumped to the floor.

"My, my, look what we have here," Barry purred, crazed eyes looking over Edward's prone form. "A stowaway. Well, we can't have that, can we?" I could only sob pathetically as he gave a chilling grin towards me.

AN: Eyy, sorry for taking two weeks. This chapter had been really hard to get out, and I had kinda been dreading putting Madison through all this. Sorry Madison!

Also! I've been re-reading over previous chapters and cringed really hard, so I decided that I really need to edit them. So watch out for that!

Lizyeh2000:

At the moment Madison is currently 15, and so is Edward. Unfortunately I had to age Edward up a little bit, so he's not 12 when he takes the exam.

That's it for now!

-Adios!