Good morning :)I haven't got that much to say. Just want to tell you to enjoy the story n.n and feel free to point out any mistakes ;3

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist...

Farewell and Hello

The sky cried. Everything was painted in crimson red. Thunder roared through the rather big village and lightning pressed through the grey clouds. The noise was unbearably loud. The air was thick, humidity that high, that it was hard to breath. No one even dared to go out in this frightening tempest. The abandoned streets were covered in water that was once rain. This place seemed like a ghost town. Some trees had fallen and buried houses beneath them after being hit by lightning or ripped out all together from the strong winds. Fire filled the scenery. Its biting red flames steadily consuming the area that will soon be forgotten. It looked like a left-behind battlefield. Everything was destroyed.

Summer storms were a usual occurrence. However, this was truly one of the worst storms this village people have encountered. It was usually a calm and weather stable place. The mountains shielded it from most natural forces and being in a valley helped that protection.
These people shouldn't be this accepting! They should be shocked. They should be hyperventilating! Not calmly accepting their death! Every single one of them was sitting inside their own little home waiting for death to whisk them off their lives. Waiting for something they could have escaped from if they had tried, even if the chance was almost zero.

Inside one of those houses lay a young girl. Her long black hair was seemingly well taken care of, for it gave off a healthy shimmer. It was messily falling down her shoulders. Deep sea blue eyes adored her porcelain face. It gave the saying 'Still waters run deep' a whole new meaning. On the outside she looked so calm, while her eyes gave away her worry and fear. They were mirroring her soul's distress. Every single thunder made her jump. Her whole skin was covered in goose bumps. She could be no day older than 10.

Hiding under her blankets, she waited for the storm to end. Her mother had told her to stay in her room and get some sleep. She said that it will be all over by tomorrow, but she was no little child anymore. She knew something was off and her bad habit of eavesdropping had just confirmed her suspicion. The reason sent chills down her spine. She was on the verge of tears, but every time they threatened to spill she held them back. No, she won't cry. She promised herself to never cry again after what had happened.

Seconds seemed to turn into hours. Breathing got harder and harder the more time passed. She lost count of how much had passed. It felt so surreal. Her whole body refused to move beside the bad case of shaking. Something was pressing down on her throat and she didn't like this feeling at all. Her heart was racing, already beating in her ears. The scene she had seen repeated in her head over and over again as well as everything she regretted. There was so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to change. And yet here she was, lying in her bed, unable to say even the slightest thing. She had always been everyone's darling, obedient without any discussion, giving lip-services and always being overly considerate. Not that she protested, after all it really was her nature, but sometimes it really demanded everything out of her not to just yell out of anger or to just happily jump around in joy. She had always been the calm level-headed and nice girl everyone could talk to and trust when there was no one else. Her 'best friend' had once compared her to a bluebell. Every flower had a meaning and this one stood for humility and gratitude. Like a flower bestowed its beholder with an indescribable feeling she gave everyone a shoulder to cry on. Still, a flower no one cared for will wither, she would break. It had already been too late. Her soul was broken. She was just a hollow marionette that did what was expected from her. No one noticed. No one will ever notice this emptiness inside her. It was surprising how no one ever questioned the way she looked at them. Those distant and deep eyes that were always looking into ones very core.

That didn't matter anymore now. It was too late! Everything would be over soon. Half of her 'friends' were probably gone by now. Gone for good…

Her tense body tightly gripped the sheets beneath her. She needed to stop thinking. Honestly, this way she would end up as a mental wreck in less than an hour, if she wasn't already one, suffering from manic depression and not telling anyone for years. This mental disease was commonly known as bi-polar disorder. Many people misuse this word for something simple as mood-swings, but it was something much worse than that. Her distrusting character didn't help with that.

Suddenly screams of pain and agony filled the house. The voice had come from the living room right after a loud crash. It took one second for the girl to comprehend what had happened. A lighting had struck her home.

Hurried, she threw off her blankets, revealing a rather big collection of manga and a phone. She had been distracting herself with reading manga and fanfiction. Mostly the latter.
Eventually having arrived her destination, she leaned against a wall. No, this couldn't be happening. This… this must be a dream. Yeah! Of course it was. She always had dreams like this. How could she have believed this was true, when the obvious was laid in before her eyes.

Tentatively pinching her arm, she closed them. She would surely wake up in her bed or somewhere just like all the other times. However, this time she opened her eyes to the exact same picture as before. Her father and her mother buried under a heap of rubble, eyes wide open and glassy.

Nothing. She felt nothing. Not a single sound would leave her pinkish lips. Not a single thing on her body showed any grief. She didn't want to believe what had happened. Still, in the back of her head she knew that she was just in denial.

Her parents were dead.

Her sister had been standing there the whole time, staring at her as if waiting for something to happen. Her face was tear stained and unbelieving. When no reaction came from the younger sibling she walked up to her, her expression having changed to complete fury.

Slap

A stinging pain shot up to the 10-year old girl's face. Yet, she remained calm. She didn't hit her sister or talked back at her. She just stood there, looking into her almost black eyes intensively. She and her big sister never did really get along. It was a love-hate relationship, with the majority of the time hating each other. Well, at least on the older sibling's part. She treated the little one like her personal slave, ordering her around, scolding her as often as possible and insulting her very being. She deserved it! Everyone loved her and even their mother treated her better. At least that is what she thought, but if you looked at it differently you would see that the younger sibling actually acted like the older one. She took care of the household, she looked after their parents and even her big sister, because she usually tended to be childishly egoistic and inattentive.

"It's all your fault! Look at what you did! First you kill our little sister and now our parents! WASN'T ONE ENOGH?! I HATE YOU INDIFFERENT BASTARD! GO AND NEVER SHOW YOUR UGLY FACE IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN! YOU ARE NOT MY SISTER!" The older one yelled. Once again tears were spilling from her eyes. Those words hurt. Yes, they used to be three. The youngest one died because of her…
Her big sister just loved to reopen already closed wounds.

A sad smile crossed her face as she once again looked into her sister's eyes. Inside of them she could see how much she was suffering.

"Sorry…"

That was everything she had managed to say, before her feet carried her away from her 'home'. Fire surrounded her as she passed the entrance. The air outside was hot and heavy, even heavier than it was inside. The rain was refreshingly cool against her heated skin. Her over-sized shirt that she wore as a nightgown got soaked, as well as her hair. The loud booming of the thunder nearly crushed her eardrums and the lighting scared her to no end.

Slowly she looked around. Everything was ablaze, even though it was raining non-stop. Realization sunk into her thick skull. She just left home for good. She had seen her parents dead in front of her eyes. Her only relative she knew had now officially deemed her as unworthy family member and thus she wasn't her sister anymore. It was… it was all too much. No, she couldn't go on anymore. A break. She needed a break.

Carefully she sat down against a tree and shut her system down, her eyelids dropping close.

Here I come death. I welcome you with open arms.

Everything turned black. The last thing she could remember was lightning crashing down on the tree she was leaning on and that was it. Blissful nothingness greeted her at first, but then her surroundings changed colours from endless black to blinding white. Honestly, couldn't death simply decide?

Cautiously she opened her eyes. Was she truly dead? How could she open her eyes when she was dead?

I see you are finally awake.

A somehow familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She scanned the area for the culprit, but what she found was something she wished she would have never uncovered. Why? Out of all places that could have been chosen, why this one? This was one she would have wanted to go to years ago! Her mind must be playing tricks on her. She was probably just lying in a coma or something.

You are quiet awake girl.

What the hell?! He could read her thoughts?!... Oh well scratch that. She should have known. After all, it was the 'Truth' himself, herself… itself?

Staring ahead at the white figure, the blue-eyed girl continued to think. What should she do? If she went through the gate, she would have to pay a price and she wouldn't know what to give… maybe she did, but was that enough? On the other hand, if she didn't do anything, she'd probably die. A try won't hurt… hopefully. This was an once-in-a-lifetime chance.

A gentle smile graced her expression as she stood up and walked over to Truth. Her hand held up in a formal mannerism.

"I guess, I was kind of rude. I apologize." Her voice was a bit wavy.
Not a bit surprised by her actions Truth took her hand and shook it. He was her and she was him. He was everything, so he knew everything.

Are you sure that you want to do this? I am usually not one to ask, but you are giving more than you need to. He had let go of her hand and sat down in front of her. A frown was somehow visible on his non-existent face. The said girl just smiled slightly.

"Yes, when the right time comes I will ask you for a favour. Is that alright with you?" Better safe than sorry is what they said. So she was going to have him indebted to her. She was sure it will come in handy some time around.

Knock yourself out. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you. Truth turned around and opened the gate. Confidently she stepped ahead, nearing it. With a final wave she was taken away by the little black hands. Many, many things flashed in front of her eyes. Knowledge was forcefully pushed into her skull. Her price had been paid and she already felt the emptiness inside her grow bigger. She didn't really know why she did what she did. It was on a whim. She just hoped it was the right decision.

Her brain felt like it was going to split open. A major headache made itself felt. Damn it, why couldn't she just pass out? Idiotic body with that idiotic thick skinned characteristics. A sigh escaped her pale lips. This was going to be a long journey.

Typical noises of a bustling street woke the young girl from her more or less dreamless slumber. Her small hands tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes as a yawn made its way to her mouth. Observing her surroundings she came to the conclusion that she was in an alleyway somewhere in a city. Why was she in a city again?... Oh right, she asked Truth to take her somewhere specific. The only place that would have offered her a life. It was either die because a lighting had struck her or give Truth a sacrifice and live on somewhere else. She was in-

"Hey, little girl. What are you doing, sitting alone in this alleyway? Don't you know how dangerous it is?" A big man in a familiar blue uniform asked as he approached her. He was bulky and kind of scared her. She immediately tensed, but showed no such emotion to the man. Only her eyes were screaming murder. She never liked it when adults spoke to her as if she was some baby. Anyways, this uniform, it was the proof that she had landed in the right place.

More men gathered as the man tried to get the little girl to speak, asking what was wrong. The former explained the situation, saying it was nothing serious, that the girl just didn't answer his questions. Again he turned to the cause of all this confusion and asked her to stand up. So she did, but her legs gave away and she fell forward. She braced herself for what was to come. However, before her body could hit the ground, two strong arms wrapped around her small frame. She could feel warmth emitting from them. Those arms picked her up, turning her to their owner.

After seeing the man's face, the black-haired girl couldn't help but feel slightly depressed. Out of all people it just had to be him. On the other hand, it was just perfect. Her sea blue eyes bore through the man's sparkling green ones. He seemed quite surprised by her intense stare. Nevertheless, his smile never faltered.

"Hello there. I am Maes Hughes. Who may this little princess be?" His eyes shone even brighter behind his glasses. Yes, it was obvious now. She was in Amestris. In Central to be accurate.
She answered his question with a sweet smile, gesturing to her throat. Apparently it was one of the things she had paid. Her voice… it now belonged Truth.

The soldiers behind Hughes retreated, seeing that their superior could handle himself. It was just a little girl after all. A small chuckle left his lips as he started to talk again.

"Oh, I am sorry for that. Then let's talk in a different way. Just shake your head or nod okay?" His voice alone was enough to make her feel happier. He held up a finger. She guessed it was some kind of gesture.

Although a lot was crossing her mind at that moment, plans on what to do in the future, things that she should do, how she should act, she nodded. It wasn't every day that you get to land in an Anime/Manga. Whatever she was in right now, she shouldn't change the storyline. She should just try to survive in the shadows. She had no way to get back home after all… Home… No, this was her home now! Well, maybe she had to find one, but still... Her sister had thrown her out and demoted her of the title 'little sister'.

Weakly she nodded to herself and looked back at the person that was carrying her. He shot her a bright smile and continued.

"Are your parents around here?"

Shake. Oh no, what should she do about that… they were… they were dead…
Her gut decided to do flip-flops, making her feel ill. She gritted her teeth and tried not to show too much discomfort.

"Do you know where you are?"

Again, shake. Ah, this was a lie. She didn't really want to lie to Hughes, but what could she do? It was already hard enough not to freak out or to have a breakdown. She'll just suck it up and do the same she did after… after her little sister… died.

"Can you write?"

Nod. Well, no duh. Not like she had to attend school. Maybe it was just not as normal to have an education here. She'd just have to go with the flow.

"That's good!" He ruffled her hair enthusiastically. A sad smile appeared on her face. It felt so good being treated nicely once in a while. Too bad that she couldn't stay with him. Or could she? Whoops, she forgot to consider his thoughts. He must find her pretty suspicious. Her clothes were half burnt – modern clothes. And her body all bruised. Perhaps he didn't ask her about it, because he didn't want her to remember. What a considerate man.

A wave of tiredness overcame the little girl. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Eventually they completely dropped, not hearing the man speaking anymore. Her head nuzzled against his chest and her body completely slumped. What a bother. Sleeping was so overrated.

"Ma! PA! Don't die! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Startled the blue-eyed girl woke up, grasping for air. Her eyes were wide in horror as she gripped the bed sheets placed on her for her dear life. Cautiously she looked around, calming her breath. What was that? A nightmare? Has anybody seen her freak out? Better not, or else it would prompt unnecessary questions.

The beating of her heart against her chest was still painfully strong, but the shaking had ceased. Pushing herself to move, she stood up. Where was she? This place was not familiar to her… Hughes had probably taken her to his home. Yeah, there is no other reasonable explanation for this situation.

Bandages covered almost her whole skin and her clothes were changed. She now wore another oversized white T-Shirt. This one was held in place by a light blue ribbon, matching her eye colour. Her hair and body had been dried.

Tasty smell filled the air. Food was being made. Soundlessly the little girl sneaked out of the room she was staying in, following the scent. Obviously she ended up in front of a kitchen. She didn't know what to do. Just barging in would be plain rude, but her stomach was already having a verbal diarrhoea. Then again, she was kind of afraid to knock. It had always been a problem of hers, being a scaredy-cat. Her hand was lifted to knock, but she simply couldn't move. It felt like strings were holding her off… a living marionette. That is how her habit of eavesdropping came to be. Standing in front of a door and not having enough guts to knock. From where she stood, she could hear every single word being said. It's not like the Hughes had any secrets from her, for that she knew about everything. Still, why did she have to be here?! Why not Hetalia or something less dangerous and depressing? She would have even gone with Digimon! At least no one died there… and she didn't need to be athletic. She was really a poor athlete. Besides throwing thing far away and having a tad bit too much strength for a girl, she couldn't do much.
Definitely she would have sweatdropped at her though, but it wasn't like her to act like that. Her face stayed stoic and distant.

After what seemed like hours the black-haired girl pulled herself together and gently knocked. She couldn't stand the smell of food while being hungry. It was a miracle that no one exited the room by the time she was standing there rooted to the spot.

A vigorous 'come in' echoed through the hallway. It had been Hughes who answered. The blue-eyed girl opened the door with no sound and entered. Two pairs of green eyes rested on her, making her quiet nervous. Before she could do anything a voice interrupted her.

"Did you sleep well dear?" It was Gracia. Her voice was filled with warmth and concern. The little girl locked her gaze on her eyes. She could see worry and love in them. Such a nice woman. She was glad Hughes had her, considering his status in the military he had to have a hard time.

Smiling slightly, she nodded and weaselled over to the two adults. It was quite fitting that Truth had taken her voice. In her old… home she had always been 'Canada', invisible and unnoticeable. Thus her nickname had been born. Mattie.

Suddenly a pain struck her temples, causing her to collapse. Immediately Hughes came up to her and put a comforting hand on her back. What was happening? No, what had just happened?
The pain eased and she looked up into shocked faces. Sorrowfully, she smiled at the married couple. She didn't want to worry the Hughes any more than she already did.
Picking her up, the cheerful man sat her on his lap. Sadly, she wasn't very tall, and it annoyed her like hell. People could push her around with no problem, if she wasn't careful.

"You should eat something little one. It will make you feel better." The voice of Gracia had a very soothing effect one her. In the anime she had always liked the Hughes family. They were so considerate and unbelievably nice.

Hughes gleefully agreed and watched her eat. She was well raised. Her table manners were perfect. Why was a young girl like her this uptight?

Noticing a small notepad, she pushed aside her almost empty plate of soup. She took the pencil and neatly started to write down a 'Thank you. It was delicious. I am very grateful for your help.'. Then it struck her. They had been speaking Amestrian the whole time, but could she write it?

"Of course it was delicious! After all my dear wife was the one to cook it!" Hughes started to swoon. Gracia chuckled slightly and answered more reasonably.

"You don't need to be that formal. You can call me Gracia, okay?" The smile on the woman's face never left. It was sort of nice, but she knew how many things could be hidden behind one of those.
Picking up the pencil again, she started to write.

'It's an honour to meet the both of you. I have heard quite a lot about you Mister Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. I am Mattie.'
The handwriting was easy to read. A quick sign of shock passed behind the two pairs of green orbs.
It was, however, quickly replaced by a beaming smile. Of course the observant girl noticed that. She didn't really know what to do. React to that or play dumb? In the end she decided to stay silent.

"Don't worry. It's not a crime to know me!" The said man laughed hearty. It was such a shame that he was going to… die.

After a while of questioning Maes lifted the little girl on his shoulders and smiled up at her. They were going to meet the Führer, Bradley. That sent chills down Mattie's spine. Honestly, she didn't know how to act in front of him. He was downright creepy and on the top of that she knew that he was a homunculus. What was she going to do if he found out that she was from the other side of the gate? What if another homunculus found that out? She still didn't know in which time span she landed in this world. Was Ed already a state alchemist? Have the Elrics already gone to… Lesoto? Ehhh Reole!... Why did she even remember that city's name? Mou! Fine, she'd find out anyways.

In front of a big gate they came to halt. Two very familiar persons were stationed as guards. Weren't that… uhhmmm… Maria Ross and Brosh… something? Oh my, she forgot the names.

"Hello second Lieutenant Ross, Sergeant Brosh." Maes nodded as a greeting. The other two saluted. So their names were right! Lucky guess.

They were both looking rather confused by the fact that their superior was carrying a little bandaged girl on his shoulders. With one hand she was holding up a notepad saying 'Good day. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you.' And with the other one she waved, smiling all the while.
They couldn't help but smile back at her, waving as well. It's better to get on their good side. She'll most likely meet them again. Nothing she did was without a reason.

"Did I already show you my new set of pictures of my darling wife?! She's so beautiful~!" the loving husband swooned, pushing a few pictures into the faces of the two guards. He was glued to them, but somehow they got rid of him in the end. One of his famous Hughes moments. Hehe.

They passed many more people inside the big building. It was way bigger than she had imagined it to be. Well, after all she didn't really concern herself with this anime. Now she really regretted not having spent more time with this one. Still, her brain was that disobedient that it remembered most of the little details in any show she saw. Only the things she wanted to remember were always gone.

Knock. Knock.

Maes had stopped in front of a unnecessary enormous door to knock. His hand was still lifted.
From the other side came a cheery 'come in'.
As Maes stepped inside, he felt Mattie tense up. Her grip tightened on his back, but when he looked at her he could only see a polite smile.

"Ah Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. What a surprise. It is seldom for you to visit!" The Führer looked up from his desk and greeted his subordinate with enthusiasm. He looked even scarier than in the manga. His hair slicked back and a black patch over one eye.
The grip on Maes shoulder tightened even more, almost painfully. The girl was definitely scared beyond believe.

"Oh, you brought over a little girl. Who may you be?" Still carrying this sickly nice voice, the homunculi stood up and walked over to his guests.
Quickly the said girl took her notepad and wrote down her reply.

'It is an honour to meet you good Sir. I am Mattie Fleur.' Her whole body was stiff like a board. She was 10 damn it! And she was standing in front of the most important person of the country. Well, more like sitting. Who wouldn't be nervous?

All of a sudden the man started to laugh and patted her head. His smile seemed so honest that it hurt to know it wasn't. Still, in the end, if she was in brotherhood, Wrath was the one who was closest to human. Wait, he touched her. He. Touched. Her.

Immediately her soft and smooth skin was replaced by goose bumps. Her heart went on a marathon and she was barely able to suppress a sound of disgust that was threatening to escape her lips.

"I see. Well then little Miss Fleur, I need to speak with Lt. Colonel Hughes in private. Would you mind leaving us for a bit? I am sure that the staff here will help you, if you asked. You can look around this place. The yearly alchemists' exam is taking place! Many people will be around." His smile never faltered as he continued his speech. The visible eye was closed and his hand moved away.

Hughes looked up at his new charge. Yes, he made it his task to take care of this child. Her smile was so innocent. Just everything about her was cute! He wished his future daughter would look like that. Okay, that was impossible. The little girl's hair was pitch black and her eyes sea blue. She had such bewitching deep eyes. They seemed to have seen more than most children her age. No, they were the eyes of an adult.

However, the thing that made her interesting was the fact that she appeared out of nowhere. His men told him that they had seen red and blue light, like the light an alchemic transmutation gave off, but when they had gone to look what it was, they solely found a little girl. Her. She was drenched to the bones and her clothes were tattered. She looked as if she was struck by a lightning in a storm. By that time Hughes had no idea how right he had been…

Nonetheless, she was just too well informed that it was already suspicious. She knew his rank in the military as well as his name. Well, that wasn't that surprising, for that he was pretty known to the people working around Central. But she didn't look like an Amestrian person at all. More like a mix of Xingese and something he couldn't put a finger on. When she was asleep he looked up for every 'Mattie' around this country. There weren't many. And Fleur. He wasn't even sure how to pronounce that. It was either not her name, or she really wasn't from this country. He had to find out. Maybe she had just run away from home, but she was way too well raised and obedient to do that. At least it seemed that way. All of that gave him a headache.

Blue eyes were wide open as a certain little girl strolled through the crowded halls of the headquarters. So many people she didn't know. All of them were adults. Big and gruff. Well, most of them. There were also people dressed in this blue military uniform. Should she actually ask one of them to show her around? Naa, it's not like her to ask. She kept on stalking around herself, while the older ones looked at her with confusion. Some even tried to approach her, but she always disappeared in the big mass before they could talk to her. She didn't know how much time passed with just walking through the big halls of the central base until she eventually reached another big door. Where does it lead to? Her sense of direction has never been exactly brilliant.

Opening the big door, Mattie walked in. Her entrance was soundless, fortunately. The room, more like humongous room, was dead quiet. In her range of vision a boy with the most beautiful golden eyes she had ever seen was threatening the Führer with a spear. The tip was almost pressed against the man's neck. Everyone was tensed and shocked expect the victim himself and the golden eyed boy.

"Associations could have been done like that. Shouldn't you reconsider this method of examination?" The levelled voice of the young boy resounded through the silent chamber. He didn't seem to be nervous at all standing in front of the Führer himself. Of course Mattie knew who he was. Braided hair, golden eyes and a not very tall statue. The going-to-be youngest alchemist, Edward Elric. So she had landed in the examination room out of all rooms she could have landed in? What a coincidence. And that on this day. Perhaps someone inpatient wanted her to make contact with that certain blonde. However, she didn't want to mess with the future. They were better off without her in their lives. Still, seeing the 12-years-old boy standing there in all his might made it hard to tear off her gaze of him. Her eyes were fixed on his determined face. He had such flawless skin.
Lost in thoughts the little girl didn't notice the homunculus already walking her way.

"Hello little Miss! There you are! You surely are a sneaky one! The solders have been trying to find you for hours already!" The Führer stood directly in front of her, his voice clear and filled with amusement. She couldn't help, but slightly step back. Her gaze fell upon the golden haired boy, who had also been looking at her. Their eyes met shortly and she could see surprise in them.

"But Führer! We already told you that as soon as we got near her, she disappeared into thin air!"
One of the subordinates cried. That was when everyone's attention was not on the girl, everyone's, expect Ed's. He could see how she soundlessly retreated and then simply walk with the crowd outside. Who was that girl?

In the background the people continued to argue with the person they argued about long gone. Ed just shook his head and went away as well, but he couldn't get those deep sea blue eyes out of his head.

The crowd got smaller and smaller as Mattie continued to walk. Somehow she ended up outside. Ross and Brosh were strolling around the place, having been freed from their guard duty. They had a little chit-chat.
Quietly, Mattie approached them, her feet already hurting from walking all day. Finally she found someone she knew! She couldn't believe that she just left everyone in the examination room standing. Also, she could swear, she heard someone suppressing a laughter in the background. Urg. No good, someone had seen her.
Stopping in front of the two soldiers, she pulled at Maria's sleeve, who jumped at the contact.

"Who's there?!" Her eyes were filled with fear at first, but they quickly changed to apologizing ones. Brosh just laughed. Mattie didn't move at all, she just stood there with her hand clinging to the second lieutenant's sleeve.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to yell at you." She kneed down and put a hand on Mattie's head.
Quickly the girl pulled out her notebook. 'Don't worry, I know.' A smile spread on her face.
Maria sighed relieved. Of course. Mattie was their superior's charge, if something was to happen to her, they would be dead.

"Please don't scare me like that again. Now, what did you want?" Maria's voice was nice and not angry at all. The honest smile on her face was so… It kind of hurt to see it. The blue eyed girl also looked up at Brosh, who was smiling as well, just as honest. Only her own smile wasn't true.
Remembering the question, she swiftly wrote down on her notebook. 'Sorry. I'm lost and I've heard that Mister Hughes is searching for me.'

The gazes of the adults softened as they read the note. She was just a little girl, they couldn't be angry with her. Brosh couldn't resist anymore and picked her up. Why does everyone have to carry her around?! Mou! She wasn't a play doll!

Swallowing her pride, she smiled at the young man, who carried her away while saying something she didn't pay attention to. He was smiling as well and Maria followed.
Eventually they arrived in another office. It had been a long day for most of the staff around the place, but the place was still buzzing with life. It must have been Hughes' office.

Mattie didn't notice when she was placed into other arms, but when she looked up she didn't see Brosh. It was Hughes himself smiling down at her. She had been half asleep already. Everything that happened was blurry and gone, before she could process it. Nonetheless, she noticed a certain black haired man staring at her with interest before her eyes shut against her will… again.

How many times was she going to fall asleep, randomly?! What a headache!
The black haired girl could feel how she slowly got her body under control again. Still, something was off. She felt weak.

Slowly she opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a bright white room and wires strapped to her body. What. The. Bloody. HELL?! Why were needles… many many needles sticking inside of her body?!

Carefully, she pulled them out. If there was something she couldn't stand, then it were needles and arachnids…. And insects. Yeah, that is so mainstream, but who likes those little monsters?

Suddenly a loud beeping echoed through the room. Naturally something like that would happen. She didn't think before she pulled out those pointy things. Nurses poured inside the room and looked if everything was alright. Sometime around a doctor entered the room.

Mattie didn't really care. Too many people. And why was she even in a hospital?
She took a deep breath and continued to ignore the questions flying around her head. She had to sort out her thoughts first. What happened before she fell asleep? She was in Hughes arms. Check. Why was she in a hospital? …
She looked at herself and remembered that her whole body was kind of burnt.
She was hurt. Check. What did the doctor want from her?
Finally turning her attention to the person in the room, she noticed that the nurses had left. Only the doctor was present and sitting in a chair beside her. He noticed that he had finally got her attention and started his question round.

"Good evening Miss, my name is Wang Yao." He seemed friendly enough.
Rubbing her eyes unbelieving, she looked at the doctor once again, and again, and again. Why did he seem so familiar?

"Is something the matter?" He asked, furrowing his brows.
Shaking her head, Mattie took her notebook from the table beside the bed. Her face was blank as her thoughts continued to circle.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" He asked, a smile adoring his face again.
The girl nodded, not able to tear her gaze from him.

"Your name is Mattie Flair-. Fleúr? I can't even pronounce that name!" Yao was probably talking to himself with his head facing a clipboard he had in his hand.
An attempted chuckle could be heard, it sounded more like huffing. Mattie made a no-good motion with her hand.

'Just call me Mattie.' It felt nice to be around Yao, although she didn't know him. She looked at him and saw a smiling man. His long brown hair was tied into a sideways ponytail and his also warm brown eyes emitted inner peace. A typical Chinese, no wait, it should be Xingese here.

"Okay Mattie!" He grinned. "How old are you?"

'10' She wrote down. Same with the rest of the questions. The typical questions.

"Your birthday?"

'01.08.'

"Height?"

'...1.48 m'

"Weight?"

'….'

The Xingese? Waited patiently for her to write down a number, though it was seriously getting boring. Just how long could this girl sit there and stare at him, without doing something?!
Eventually she gave up and wrote down her answer.

'50 kg'

"Was it that bad?" He asked teasingly, only to get hit by a notebook.

"Hey! That wasn't nice, aru." Of course, he was just joking around. Mattie hit him again, her eyes were sparkling with life. What's with the sudden mood swing? She seemed like a completely different person right now, the maturity in her orbs replaced by a child's excitement.

Energy poured through her body as she grinned like a maniac. Somehow it felt like all problems weren't even existent, they were pushed into the farthest corner of her mind, completely forgotten in the moment of pure joy. She was definitely going to regret not having fought her mood swing later, but for now she enjoyed this feeling.

By the time the sun started to disappear behind the horizon, a report of the girl named Mattie Fleur was done. The stack of papers was placed in the said girl's hands, carefully being read. Fortunately, Yao had no problem with her reading what he had written down, after all it was about her herself.

Suddenly a knock broke the relaxing silence between patient and doctor. Not waiting for an answer, the person on the other side entered, to the shock of the occupants in the room. It was none other than Colonel Roy Mustang himself, his mouth formed in his trademark smirk and his eyes scanning the blue eyed girl shamelessly. So this was the Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist and one of the key characters in the Fullmetal Alchemist's life. Hmm… That means… more fun!

Excited Mattie jumped down from the sick bed and proceeded to tackle hug the startled man at the entrance. Her pale arms tightly wrapped around him, effectively paralyzing him for a moment, not only him, but the poor doctor as well, shock written all over his face.

As sudden as she jumped up, she pulled back and looked up with big round eyes, smiling brightly.
Okay, she was officially deemed mad. This was so going to bite her in the ass when she'll least expect it.

Clearly the smirk on the Colonel's face widened at her gesture, but it changed into a more sincere smile at the sight of her innocent big orbs looking at him. It was as if she expected him to give her some candy right now.

Shaking his head Mustang turned to nod at Yao, greeting him. The doctor nodded as well, then swiftly left the room after wishing them a good night.

Everything was silent now, only the annoying buzzing of the machines that should be used on the patient filled the air. It would have been awkward, if Mattie hadn't felt so full of energy and glee. She went back to the bed and picked up her notebook.

'Good evening!' Her smile never left her face as she shifted her gaze forth and back, from her notebook to the man who had moved to sit on the chair in front of her bed. She could see confusion residing deep within his eyes, although she didn't feel like brooding over it right now. Playtime!

"Good evening." Mustang replied, smiling himself. He couldn't help it.

'I'm Mattie! And you?' Surely, she knew who the person in front of her was, but it would have been even more suspicious, if she revealed that she knew him as well.

Her heart was fluttering in excitement. It was so unbelievable what was happening. She was picked up by Hughes of all people that could have found her AND Mustang decided to pay her a visit in the hospital. It must be a dream. Now that she thought of it, it was too good to be reality.

Steadily, Mattie's mood dropped. Her mind wandered off again and her eyes lost their happy twinkle, returning to their mature and distant stare.
Why didn't she consider it before? Someone must have drugged her, or she was in a coma! After all, she was hit by lighting… and… everyone was probably dead by now. Who was she kidding! Hah! Truth had made her his personal toy! His obedient marionette… She would probably have to follow his orders or something like that…

"Mattie?" Suddenly a deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?" A gloved hand was placed on her shoulder, holding her in place. She didn't feel good at all, not anymore. Worry and regret was eating her up from the inside. Though, she managed a weak nod.

"I'm Roy Mustang, a friend of Hughes. Don't worry, I just came to see what that idiot had brought upon himself again." The last sentence was more of a sigh than a sentence. It seems like he expected a lot of trouble from her. The thought of raising a child must have been be a pain in the ass here.

'It's a pleasure to meet you Sir. I apologize for my previous behaviour. The medicaments made it hard to think straight. It won't happen again.' That was a lie, she just hoped it didn't happen in front of someone again… Damn mental illness!

Mustang just smirked. "You shouldn't worry about that. More important is-," his eyes hardened slightly. "who you really are and what happened before you were found." He didn't move a muscle. He was serious about that. Of course, it was because he cared about his friend, but he would never admit that, now would he? And Mattie knew she still had that conversation coming. Hughes presumably would have felt bad for interrogating a little girl, so Mustang took the initiative.

Should she lie? Or should she tell him that she was from the other side of the gate? He would find out sooner or later anyways… But… What would he do with that information? Humans are greedy beings… He would ask her more questions to get information. It would be a bad decision to tell him the truth just now…
Tentatively, she picked up the pencil again and started her explanation.

'I don't remember. All I can tell you is that the last thing I saw was lightning coming closer. After that I woke up in that alleyway.' She looked up again, staring into the analysing black orbs of the Colonel. It wasn't exactly a lie, but half a truth is a full lie… Hopefully, he wouldn't notice. Who would notice anything in her seemingly endless deep eyes anyways? They swallowed every feeling.

"What about your false name?" Mustang must have accepted her answer, although it wasn't really plausible… Wait, false name? My name wasn't false! Oh, right, she didn't exist in this world, so her name must be new to them.

'I don't remember my real name… I guess that I was hit by that lightning and my mind went into some protection state… I don't know.' Maybe he would buy that as well. Or he was just playing with me, pretending to believe me. Honestly… I should just stop to think that far. Urgh.

"Amnesia…" Huh? Mattie looked up, catching a whisper from Mustang. He noticed her staring and went to explain.

"You suffer from amnesia. A humans mind erases specific parts of memories, after having been in a grave shock state. Usually it is just the trigger memory that it deletes, but in your case it must have blocked everything. Though, most of the patients get their memory back after some time." It sounded like a quote from Wikipedia. Who did he think he was talking to? Definitely not a child. Luckily, Mattie understood what he meant, she already knew what amnesia was so… It was good that he thought that she suffered from it, right? That means he won't ask any unnecessary questions.

She picked up her report and handed it to him. He could do more with it than her anyways, and he would probably ask for it soon. He had carefully eyed her, before he took the bundle of paper and read through it. She could just see his brain working on full speed, trying to read between the lines. However, there was nothing to search for in the first place. No one could be perfectly described in a mere few hours.
Mustang was about to say something, when suddenly the door burst open.

"Mattie~! Look what I got for you!" Hughes enthusiastically stepped in with an enormous teddy bear in his arms. Mustang sweatdropped. Mattie herself couldn't suppress a smile. Hughes had seriously bought her a teddy bear. She didn't understand his kindness. He didn't even know her and he was most likely the one who found out that she had been lying the whole time in the first place. Despite his usual behaviour Hughes was quite smart, she knew that much.

At the same time the window opened and a certain person jumped in, the Führer himself… with a watermelon. Wasn't that what happened to Ed, when he was at the hospital? Oh gosh! What the hell is up with the world?! Wasn't Mustang enough punishment for her?
Immediately the two soldiers straightened and saluted.

"F-Führer Bradley! What a surprise to see you here!" Mustang managed to squeeze out after the shock had worn off. The homunculus just waved it off and laughed. "No need to be so stiff, I just came to visit our little Miss here." Then he turned to Mattie, putting the watermelon on her nightstand. Nonetheless, Hughes and Mustang stayed stiff. Only Mattie seemed to be at complete ease, though she was kind of freaking on the inside.

"I hope you like watermelons." Bradley smiled kindly, too kindly. She just nodded although she didn't like watermelons. There weren't a lot of things she liked.

'Thank you.' She wrote down. Hopefully, he would just leave. She felt her body tensing more after every second that passed with him in front of her. Awkward silence settled in the room. Mattie gazed at the Führer's eye, while everyone else's eyes were fixed on her. It was unsettling how his eye had a knowing glint in them. She feared that he found out that she was from the other side of the gate. Maybe he knew she had met Truth… No! She shouldn't think like that now! Bad! Bad girl!

She didn't know how long they had been staring at each other, but it was getting darker and darker outside. Eventually the Führer decided to break the silence. "Interesting indeed." He laughed. "I hope we will meet again, little Miss." Then he turned to the other two. "Take care." With another smile he left through the window he came in from.

That was taking weird to a whole new level. Can't they finally give her a break? She couldn't take much more confusion now.

The other two were conversing in the background, but she didn't understand much, she was way too tired to take in anything anymore. A silent yawn escaped her lips as she slowly drifted off to sleep again, leaving the men to speak in private.

Yes, she just woke up and now she went to sleep again. She didn't feel like talking anymore.
This time there was no dream to welcome her, only pitch black darkness.

The next day started with a painful thump. Mattie had fallen out of her bed. Fuu! Why was she such a klutz?!
Carefully she picked herself up and stared at the clock. It was freaking 4 o' clock in the morning! She had never been a morning person. Again she let herself flop down. Damn mornings.
After a few minutes of pouting, she eventually stood up and walked straight to the kitchen. A brain without food wouldn't work. Don't judge her, she was still 10. Let a child be a child.

The house seemed sort of empty without the Hughes occupying one of the rooms. The kitchen was cold and lonely, not that Mattie wasn't used to that feeling. Mechanically she moved to make crêpes. It took a while to search for the ingredients but by five she finally did it.

Crêpes with hot chocolate and coffee for later were placed on the table, with that she left to look for something to read. She could remember seeing a book on the table in the living room, when she passed it. What? It was her favourite hobby, she had to live long enough without reading something.

Back in the kitchen, she sat down and started to read away, drinking and eating every now and then. It was a book about alchemy. She could have guessed that, if she thought a bit, but she didn't. It was too early.

Some pictures helped with the circles that were taught about in the book. It was about air and water and air in water… wait no! It was water in air! Ehehe. And shadows. Aaaaand a lot of boring facts.

Mattie sighed and looked up. Today was Sunday. The Hughes won't be up that early. One try wouldn't hurt. One is all, all is one. Everything is a circle with no start and no end.
Tentatively she put together her palms and then opened them again, hitting the air in front of her. Nothing happened. Mou! Well, let's work on that.

Finishing her breakfast, she did the dishes and walked back to her room, book in her arms. Hours of reading, thinking and testing passed and still nothing happened. Frustration sneaked up on the blue eyed girl. It never took that long for something to work.

Eventually one of the Hughes dared to enter her room. It was around ten in the morning. Hughes peaked through a half opened door. Mattie was sitting on the floor, papers splattered across the room and an open book in front of her. Her face stoic as always, was looking down on her lap. She was way too deep in thoughts, that she didn't notice the man approaching her.

"Alchemy for beginners. Water, Air and Darkness." Maes read out loud. The startled girl jumped and looked up. Her heart was racing and her eyes were as wide as platters.

"Isn't that the book that I put on the table in the living room yesterday?" He asked no one specific. Then he turned to look at the papers. Many random things were scribbled down and even a few drawings were mixed inside the heap.
Mattie nodded absently as she regained her calmness.

"You want to learn alchemy?" Hughes picked up one of the notes, reading through it. His expression was neutral, but it turned into a sad smile. He must be thinking about the military. If she turned out to be a talented alchemist, they would take her away and use her as a pawn in war.
He looked into her eyes, searching for something, but all he found was her usual emptiness. However, there was a little sparkle of determination.

"Well, then there is nothing I can do to stop you." He ruffled her hair. "Just don't overdo it!" The note he had taken was placed into her hands as he kneeled down. "By the way, thank you for the delicious breakfast! I am sure you will be a great wife in the future! Just like my precious Garcia!"
She couldn't believe it! Hughes wasn't stopping her! Not even telling her that it was dangerous and stuff! This was so awesome!

Before she knew it she had tackle hugged the man to the ground. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was, how much of a help he was, but she couldn't bring out one sound. The words were stuck in her throat. Words that she will probably feel forever towards him. She just had to save his life. Fuck the storyline.

Thank you

I have half of the next chapter typed ass well ;3 it'll be shorter than this one, but slightly funnier. Let's blame it on a potty mouth. You'll see ;3

Till next time

Matti~