Soldier keep on marchin' on
Head down 'til the work is done
Waiting on that morning sun
Soldier keep on marchin' on

**********

Rushing water splashing against plates would be the first sound a person would hear when they entered the home. The next would be the sound of a woman's voice, humming along to a song only she knew. If that person were to follow the voice, they would find a woman standing at the sink washing dishes from dinner. The woman had black hair as short as one would see on a boy, and dark green eyes that would only prove themselves green when sunlight hit them. As it so happened, the person who we were using as a metaphor was real.

"Hi, Aiden!" the person yelled.

Aiden, now identified as the woman at the sink, whirled around with a knife in her hand. Her eyes scanned the room and narrowed on the female figure. She scoffed and tossed the soapy knife back into the sink.

"I swear Jessica," Aiden addressed her friend. "One of these days you will give me a heart attack! You're twenty years old, act your age."

"I'm just here to pick up my favorite brother-nephew," Jessica replied cheerfully.

Jessica was in some ways a daughter to Aiden, despite their nine-year age difference. Aiden found Jessica on the streets when she was 27, Jessica being only 18. Her mother had thrown her out in a drunken stupor. In the two years since that night Jessica had become both daughter and sister. They bonded over their love of tv shows and films, and Aiden's son Tristan. He was two when Jessica had been brought home, always calling her sissy and aunty Jess. He didn't seem to mind she was both.

Before either of the two had entered her life, Aiden spent her childhood with a good family she loved. Her mother and father lived in the next town over and always made it a point to come see their grandson and granddaughter. When she hit eighteen, she went straight into the military, just as her father had. It scared her mother to death, but she respected her daughter's decision.

By the time she was twenty-three she had earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and with that rank came the opportunity to have her own little squad or team she could command. And while she didn't mind giving orders or the paperwork that came with the rank, Aiden missed the civilian life. So she resigned, assigned her subordinates a new commanding officer, and returned home. Much to the relief of her mother.

Two years later Aiden had a son, Tristan Ross Wilson. The father wanted nothing to do with him so as far as it concerned Aiden, he was out of the picture. Her parents doted on the boy who was a spitting image of her. Then another two years later came Jessica and although her parents thought it weird to be mothering someone only nine years younger than her, they accepted it and spoiled Jessica just as much as they did Tristan. Now, at age twenty-nine, Aiden and Tristan lived in a two room, one bath apartment. Jessica lived a few blocks down the road and visited whenever possible.

"Aunty Jess!" an enthusiastic voice yelled from the couch.

Aiden smiled as her son ran around the object and Jessica spun the boy around in her arms. Tristan was giggling madly. Aiden turned around, rinsed and dried the knife, and placed it in the drawer.

"Are we still going out for ice cream?" Tristan asked as he was set on the floor.

"Have you eaten your dinner yet?"

"Yes!"

Jessica cast a look over to Aiden and smiled. "Can we mom? Please?"

Now on the receiving end of two pairs of puppy eyes, Aiden laughed and nodded.

"Of course we can! But I'm driving."

Aiden walked over to the door and grabbed the keys hanging from the hook. A quick glance out the window told her to grab a coat just in case it rained, Jessica and Tristan followed suit. Tristan grabbed his Batman hoodie, Jessica tossed on one of Aiden's grey jackets, and Aiden opted for a hat and a dark trench coat belonging to Jessica. It was the one with way too many pockets needed, most of which were hidden. She had asked Jessica once why she needed so many pockets; the answer included hiding a lot of candy, snacks, and pulling books from nowhere to make people lose their minds.

By the time they had loaded themselves into the car and gotten into the street, it poured rain. Aiden switched on the headlights and windshield wipers it was so bad. Sure there was still plenty of light in the sky, but the dark clouds rumbling above coupled with the heavy rain made it very hard to see other cars. They made it to the ice cream shop with no complications. As they sat inside, the three opted for a window seat. They listened to the rain pattering against the window and the street and the tin roof of the shop. Every time the occupants heard a big kaboom they would grin and Tristan would giggle and look at the sky in wonder.

"It's coming down out there," Jessica commented. "Might need the headlights on extra bright instead of dim."

Aiden nodded in agreement. Her name was called and she went to grab the ice cream and bring it back to their table. Both women watched in amazement and wonder as the ice cream sundae Tristan ordered disappeared before their eyes.

"You ever wonder where he stores all that?" Jessica whispered.

"He must get it from you," Aiden said, nodding towards Jessica's cone with only a bite left. Aiden still had far to go.

The trio left the shop in high spirits. Tristan had somehow managed to get ice cream on his forehead. When Jessica reached over to wipe it off her elbow was lowered too far and it ended up in the ice cream. This sent both ice cream children into bouts of laughter.

"So how'd you like your ice cream?" Aiden looked into the rearview mirror and to the backseat.

"Yummy! But cold."

"No brain freezes?"

"No mama," Tristan giggled.

"Aiden look out!" Jessica screamed.

Aiden's eyes darted back to the road just in time to see a large truck over the yellow line and in her lane. She slammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid the oncoming collision. Two things happened at once. The truck swerved back into its own lane, where Aiden was, and she could hear her children screaming. Then it was all white.

"White?" Aiden questioned, surprised at the sudden blinding light. "But I was just... where was I?"

"Hello."

Aiden jumped at the voice and turned in circles rapidly. Her eyes landed on a white figure outlined in a fuzzy black. Something nagged at the back of her mind. She knew him, didn't she?

"Who are you?"

"Oh! Well I'm so glad you asked! I am called by many names. I am the world, I am the universe, I am God, I am Truth, I am All, I am One, and I am also you." Truth, whoever he - it - was, pointed at Aiden. The names of this Truth struck her memory. It couldn't be. No.

"Truth, huh? How did I get here?"

Truth cocked his head to the side. "You have not knocked on the door for answers, I brought you here."

"Why?"

"Entertainment."

"You brought me here so I could entertain you?" Aiden growled. "You can't do that! I have a family! I - I have a son and a daughter and -" she cut herself off. That's where she was. She was driving home with them. And then a truck came out of nowhere and crashed into them. "Are they okay? What happened to them?"

"Your offspring and the girl will survive," Truth intoned. "You, however, I brought you here for another chance and my entertainment."

Aiden slowly sank to the white floor. She was dead? What about Tristan and Jessica? They would live, but what would happen to them? Tristan was only four! He could end up with her parents which was nice, and yet this didn't calm Aiden at all. Jessica, while an adult herself, had little experience in the real world.

"How did I get here?"

The words tumbled from her mouth before she realized she had even said them. Truth cocked his head again, this time in curiosity.

"You are an interesting one. No others asked how. I used excess energy accumulated over a millennia. Thus, you have no price to pay for crossing worlds."

"I remember you," Aiden whispered. "You're not supposed to be real. You're a fictional character."

"Maybe on your side of the gate, but on this side I am very real." Truth's voice sounded harsh. Aiden felt shivers run up her spine and she clenched her fists to keep her entire body from shaking.

"And what now? Will I stay here for eternity?"

"You have two choices ahead of you. You can start over on this side of the gate as a new life or you can continue your life on the other side."

"What's the catch?"

"Smart girl," Truth grinned. "You will need to pay a toll to reenter the living world."

"A philosopher's stone would be nice," Aiden deadpanned.

She felt around her pockets, the trench coat ones too, and laid the items in front of her. All she came up with was her wallet and phone, a pen, several pieces of candy, empty wrappers, and to her surprise the manga of Fullmetal Alchemist. Why Jessica had it was beyond her. Aiden held out the book to Truth but didn't give it to him yet.

"What will happen if I choose the second choice?" she asked.

"The second choice requires a heavier toll, choose carefully now," Truth warned.

He hadn't answered the question, but he did give her advice. Aiden held out the book for him to take and the moment he did it disintegrated into nothing.

"A start," he said, "but not enough."

Aiden stared heavily at the objects in front of her. Then she grinned and shoved all items except for the phone into her pockets. She held out the phone for Truth.

"A philosopher's stone is energy. It's human lives taken in and transformed into energy that anyone can use if they have the knowledge. So here is energy. It's a different kind but energy all the same."

The phone too disappeared and Truth laughed. "Only one other person has offered this in exchange."

"So am I correct in assuming I'm not the first to go through this?" Truth's creepy smile and silence was answer enough. "What happened to those who couldn't pay their way?"

"Excess energy. With the book and this, you now have excess payment. What would you like?"

"I don't know." Aiden frowned, "I'm going into an unknown yet familiar universe with only the knowledge I have now and whatever else is on me. What do you think I need instead of what I want?"

"Curious how you would place this choice on me."

Aiden shrugged. "I don't know what I'll need in Amestris."

"Very well."

Suddenly a gate appeared behind her. It began to open. Fear coursed through Aiden but she stood her ground.

"Can you promise," she said. "Can you promise Tristan and Jessica will be okay?"

"I never lie. They survive the crash."

Before she could ask any more Aiden was pulled into the gate. Then it was dark, and there was a pattering of rain assaulting her. Truth had tossed her out into the rain like an orphan to the streets. Aiden stood up and shuddered as a wave of nausea washed over her. She reached blindly for the nearest object, which happened to be a wall, and she leant against it. The nausea passed and Aiden took a deep breath.

"Okay, where am I?" Aiden breathed.

She slicked her hair back to better clear her vision and a newspaper in a puddle caught her eye. Taking a couple steps closer Aiden could see the headline.

"Ishval Civil War Takes A Turn For The Worse," Aiden read aloud. "So I wasn't dreaming, or perhaps I still am. And if so what the hell kind of drugs did I trip and fall in?"

Aiden hummed in thought and ran all recent events over in her head. She died in a car crash, Jessica and Tristan would be okay, Truth sent her to Amestris - holy shit she was in Amestris, but that was a story. She shook her head; it wasn't the time to think of impossibilities. Truth gave her a second chance in return for entertainment, she paid her way back to the living, and then she was dumped in an alley.

A sudden sneeze came around and Aiden covered her face with the crook of her arm by instinct. Then she looked up and happened to glance herself in a mirror. Shattered though it was, Aiden could see her reflection well with the help of the lamp at the end of the alley. But something was off. Her eyes narrowed until they widened with realization, she was younger! Twenty-two by the looks of it.

Aiden cursed and took another glance at the newspaper. "It says 1907."

So she was present during the Ishvalan War no less! Why would Truth send her so far back in the series? Hell why even save her at all? With no answers Aiden growled and kicked the newspaper away. A weight thumped against her thigh in retaliation to her movement. The hell?

Aiden patted herself down, trying to find what the hell had done that. When she reached into a hidden pocket on the inside, she came up with a journal, Jessica's if no one else's. In a small burst of curiosity, privacy of others be damned, Aiden opened the journal. Inside was a list of events and she read them aloud.

"Unknown date, Xerxes is destroyed. July 1558, attack on Riviere. October 1661, Cameron Civil War. October 1835, attack on Aerugo. 1885, Roy Must -" Aiden stopped. "Hold the fucking phone, did Jessica write the history of Amestris?" A pause and she continued reading. "1885, Roy Mustang and Maes Hughes are born. 1899, Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell are born. 1900, Alphonse Elric is born." Aiden paused, surely Jessica hadn't written everything? She flipped through pages, scanning over dates until she came to the last one. "Spring of 1915, final battle with the homunculi, Ed gets his arm back, Al regains his body."

Aiden snapped the journal shut and stuffed it back into her trench coat. This thing would be dangerous in the wrong hands. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, today was really taking a toll on her. From this moment on, she needed a plan of action. But first, what did she know?

Amestris was real, and by default so were all rules and people including alchemy. The year was 1907, the Ishvalan War was still going on, and chances were the journal would tell when it would end. She was in a new country, with no proof of who she was, and no history. So what was her plan of action?

First, Aiden would need a past. With the year being what it was and her sudden youthfulness, she could only assume she was born in the same year as Mustang and Hughes. Aiden Wilson, born on the 8th of November, 1885. She would need a place of power to be helpful within this world, so she'd have to join the military at some point and climb the ranks as quickly as Mustang. Aiden had already been to war, five years of it, what was a few more? After the war was over, she could make more plans. Ready herself for the coming events.

Aiden smiled and nodded to herself. Yes, this could work. She turned and headed for the end of the alley, toward the light.

"Somebody help me!" a voice screamed out.

Aiden rushed toward the voice, following the sounds of a scuffle and shoes clacking against pavement. She came upon a woman in a purple dress and a man dressed in black, a mask covering his face. He was pointing a gun at her. Aiden slowly crept forward, relying on training she hadn't used in years to avoid making any sound. The man's back was to her so he would never see her coming.

"I-I have nothing," the woman stuttered. Her brown hair had fallen from its bun and she was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

"Oh come on," the man taunted. "A woman like you should have a lot."

"I don't! Please, let me go!" she pleaded.

"Well, I guess there's no use for you."

They steadied the gun but before the man could shoot, Aiden kicked her foot into the man's arm. The gunshot went off and the woman flinched, not seeing the gun fly from the man's hand. Aiden then tackled the man and sent a punch to his jaw. She heard a satisfying crunch and hoped she broke something. The man took a shot of his own and punched Aiden in the stomach and then in the throat. Aiden coughed and took a step back, eyes tearing up. Before the man could charge her she jumped up and kicked the man in his face. He spun and ran headfirst into the wall behind him, knocking him out. Aiden rubbed the sore spot on her stomach and throat, and turned to the woman who hadn't run. She was watching Aiden with wariness and a hint of fear.

"Are you okay?" Aiden coughed roughly.

"Yes," the woman whispered. "I think so, yes."

"Then we need to call the police."

"I don't think that will be necessary," a new voice said.

Both women turned and found themselves surrounded by the military. Three soldiers ran past the two and gathered around the unconscious man. They cuffed him and dragged his body to a nearby vehicle. The woman gasped and ran forward to one man in particular. One that looked awfully familiar. Fuhrer King Bradley.

"What happened?" Bradley asked.

"I was taking my late night stroll when that man attacked me," the woman, who Aiden could now assume was Mrs. Bradley, said. "He demanded money. When I told him I had none, he said I was no use to him and was about to shoot me had this young woman not saved my life."

"I see," Bradley's gaze shifted from his wife to Aiden, who shifted uncomfortably. "And who are you I may ask. I would like to thank you for saving my wife."

Five years of orders that had been drilled into her came to the surface and Aiden snapped to attention, her arm raised in a salute. "Lieutenant Colonel Aiden Wilson at your service!"

Bradley bellowed out a laugh, "Well then I thank you miss Wilson. I would like to discuss more with you. If you would follow me, please."

Then Bradley turned and walked away, a gentle hand leading away his wife. Aiden followed at a distance, wondering what the hell had just happened and how. They led her to a car and was by herself for a short ride, Bradley and his wife presumably in another car. Then she was let out and followed the leader of the country into a large fortress like structure. Central Command, she realized. Many twists, turns, and one elevator lift later she was sitting in the Fuhrer's office. Aiden shifted as the guards were dismissed and she was left alone with Bradley. The homunculus known as Wrath.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked, sitting at his desk. "There are no Lieutenant Colonel Aiden Wilson's in my army. So, who are you?"

"My name is Aiden Wilson and my rank is Lieutenant Colonel in the military of my home country."

"You are not from Amestris? Then where?"

Aiden was rather ashamed of the first thought that came to mind. It was Gallifrey. "I'm from America. It's an island in the middle of the ocean, I doubt you'd be able to find it on one of your maps. A sea merchants map maybe."

It was technically true. All land masses were islands, just rather big ones.

"I see. And why are you here?"

"I was just travelling. My country is no longer at war with itself so I resigned and traveled."

"You are young, how could you have risen in the ranks so quickly?"

"I joined when I was young. My father was in the military, and his father, and so on. I was an only child and everyone underestimated me, so I joined as early as possible."

That was a lie. Aiden actually had no idea what she would do with her life so she joined the military and hoped for the best, it turned out fine in the end.

"And what do you want?"

Aiden startled and she looked up from her lap. Confusion was evident on her face. "Want, sir?"

"Yes, what do you want for rescuing my wife?"

"I... What? I don't want anything, sir. All I saw was a woman being attacked, and I decided to help. I don't know who she was until you showed up."

Bradley hummed in thought. "And what are your plans now?"

"I have no idea," Aiden shrugged. "Maybe I'll get involved in another military, I must admit I am missing the slight order to my life."

"How would you feel about joining the Amestrian military? You must be aware that we are at war with Ishval at the moment."

"Yes sir. That's how I got here. Your troops are so focused on the Southeast region you almost forgot about the West." Suddenly her face became red. "Not-not that you aren't a good leader! Or that your troops are -"

Aiden's rambling was cut off by Bradley's laughter. She hid her face in her hands. Dear god she was making a fool of herself in front of the leader of a country and one of the most dangerous men in the country.

"If all you needed was papers then why didn't you say so?" At the sound of shuffling Aiden let down her hands and looked at Bradley. He was shifting through files in his desk. "Ah-ha! I'll need your name, date of birth, nationality, and signature please."

Aiden stood and walked toward the desk. A glance at the top of the papers told her they were immigration forms. Right next to that was the form for the military. She took up the pen next to them and hesitated.

"Are you sure you want me to join your military?" she asked.

"Well, it's not every day we get someone from another country. You could offer a unique perspective."

Aiden nodded slowly and signed the immigration forms. She did her best to guess her weight and height for the military papers. After it was all said and done Bradley put the papers in a folder and waved in a guard.

"One last thing. You will be put into a boot camp to test yourself and determine where you will go after. Would you like your original rank as well?"

Aiden shook her head. "No, not really. I don't know how your military works, much like mine more than likely, but I know that a new person like me should never be given that much power right off the bat." Aiden smiled. "But you already knew that and agreed with it. You were just testing me."

Bradley nodded, a sign of respect to her answer. "Yes, and you passed with flying colors." Then he stood and held out a hand. "Welcome to Amestris, miss Wilson," he said.

Aiden took the hand and nodded, "I hope I like it here."

**********

Aiden: Wow I love my life!

Truth: I'm about to end this man's whole career.