There are no secrets that time does not reveal.

**********

Aiden ducked out of the room before it could collapse and ran up the steps to retrieve Lan Fan. Ling had gotten there before her and she picked up the girl before she could so much as ask what was going on.

She rushed down the steps, "Long story short Roy pissed off the homunculus down stairs."

"It had another monster in its belly," Ling added. "He's swallowing up everything in sight."

They exited the house just in time to watch Ed, Al, and Roy disappear into the forest followed closely by Gluttony. A honk sounded and she turned to Nox as he pulled the car up.

"Hurry up and get in!" he ordered.

She wasted no time in getting Lan Fan into the car. Suddenly the girl looked over her shoulder and Ling did the same. The two glared at a bush but when she looked there was nothing there. They must have sensed Envy.

"Come on! We don't have all night we need to get moving!" Nox urged.

"But Ed and the others -" Ling protested.

"No way! I'm a civilian, not military! I'm not about to die in the middle of a battle with some crazed monster." He faced forward and frowned. Then he slapped the steering wheel. "Damn! What's taking those idiots so long?"

Just as the words left his mouth the rest of the group exited the treeline. Riza held up a wheezing and out of breath Colonel and Ed and Al kept glancing at the trees. Then an echoing 'no!' sounded from within the forest, sounding much like an angered and defeated Gluttony.

Edward sighed in relief, "Perfect. He fell for the Mustang decoy."

"Doesn't sound like he's very happy about it," Al noted. As if to prove his point the sound of falling trees reached their ears.

"Great. Now get in the car, invalid." Ed opened the front door and tossed Roy inside.

Aiden carefully passed Lan Fan to Ling and reached over to poke Roy in his shoulder. "Are you alive?" she asked the pained man.

He grimaced when his wound flared and straightened up. "Takes more than a homunculus to kill me. And you?"

She shrugged and grinned, "Some days I'm just not sure." Her wound was still aching but she knew it was nowhere near his pain level.

Ling had already set Lan Fan in the back seat when Al instructed Riza to take care of her. She looked unsure but nodded and climbed in. Roy turned his attention away from Aiden and looked at the three teens standing together.

"You expect me to run away and leave this to you?" he barked.

"If you stay you'll just get in our way!"

"Yeah! Leave!"

"They're right, you won't be any use here. Sorry."

With Ed, Al, and Riza against him, he slumped down in his seat in defeat. Aiden patted his shoulder and smiled reassuringly, it didn't help. She sighed, there was no helping this man when he'd been told most of his military career that he was useless. Though it didn't stop her from trying. He wasn't useless, he just had limited combat options.

"Right now you need to go and do your job," Ed said. "The head of the military is a homunculus. Don't you think you should do something about that?"

"The head of the military? You're aren't talking about Fuhrer Bradley are you?" Riza questioned. If they were then that would mean the betrayal within the military went too deep.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "We can talk about it later. Now get in."

The brothers looked at one another and nodded. "The car looks full, you go ahead."

"You dumbasses!" Nox snapped.

"You can't really believe we'll let a couple of children fight this battle for us," Riza said.

Aiden walked around the car and gave the syringe of opiorphin back to the doctor. He'd set it beside the table before the house almost collapsed and she'd grabbed it before she got Lan Fan. The doctor sighed and once more took the object and placed it on the seat next to him.

"Emergencies only and small doses please," she said. "It's really strong."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who'd you find to test it on?"

"Random injured soldier during the last prison break," she lied.

On the other side of the car, Edward nodded and took the gun outstretched to him. Ling gave a look and asked them to look after Lan Fan. Aiden nodded and waved them off, they needed to go. Lan Fan cried out for Ling to wait but the trio was already headed into the woods.

"I'm going with them," she announced. She stepped back from the car and turned and ran after the teens, ignoring Roy's shout to come back.

Her side pulled slightly and she grimaced. Running up and down the stairs and chasing after the kids wasn't doing her healing wound any favors. She followed the continuous sound of whooshing and Gluttony's bellows. The teens were shuddering behind trees staring at the rampaging homunculus.

"I know we said we'd handle it and all, but that's seriously freaky," Edward whispered.

Aiden nodded, "Yeah. I don't like the way he eats things." She dodged the swing she knew was coming and raised an eyebrow. "Really Edward? Pay more attention to your surroundings. The panda and Ling knew I was here."

"Sorry."

A rustle of leaves drew their attention and the group turned around in time ready for a fight. Ling raised his sword and the panda she knew as Shao Mei bared her teeth when a black Doberman walked forward. She raised an eyebrow and grabbed her gun to aim down the barrel.

"A dog?" Al asked.

"Stop it! Now Gluttony!" the dog ordered.

Ed gasped. "A talking dog!"

Aiden almost retorted that the dog wasn't a damn chimera when she caught herself. Those words would be too insensitive and it'd hurt both boys deeply.

The dog looked at them and grinned. "Hey, long time no see." Red lightning formed around the animal and the group, minus one, watched in shock as it transformed into Envy. Aiden glared at the homunculus even harder. It was because of him her friend had almost died. "How are ya, Fullmetal Pipsqueak?"

Ed took off running at him. "Dammit, I told you before! Don't call me short!"

Envy ducked in alarm as Edward sailed over him in an attempt to kick him with his automail leg. He held out his hands in front of him. "Hey calm down! I'm just here to get Gluttony back, nothing more than that! I don't want to fight you Pipsqueak!" He ducked as a punch was sent his way and jumped to a nearby low hanging branch.

"That's five now!" Ed roared.

"What are you talking about?"

"That's five times you've called me Pipsqueak! Twice here and three times at the laboratory! Don't tell me you've forgotten already!"

"Impressive, you've got a short memory there," Envy deadpanned. He turned around and jumped from the tree, looking at Gluttony as he came hobbling over. "You're becoming bothersome."

"Mustang was here! Mustang killed Lust! Swallow! Swallow! Swallow him up!"

"You don't get the Colonel," Envy replied. "Or the Elric brothers."

Ed slid down the slope to rejoin the group and listen to the homunculi.

"Why not?"

Ling stepped around Alphonse with a smirk. "I've sensed this multiplicity before. How many people are inside you, homunculus?"

Envy frowned and leaned on his brother. "I know you. You're that kid who crossed swords with Wrath, aren't you?"

"What do you mean kid?" Ling snarled. "I happen to be the twelfth son of the emperor of Xing! My name is -"

"Eat him."

At Envy's okay, Gluttony took off after Ling who booked it the second the words were spoken. Aiden groaned and ran after the pair, more out of necessity than wanting to avoid Envy. She'd have to face him in a minute anyway.

Aiden pulled the trigger on her gun, the bullets hitting Gluttony's back. The homunculus turned around and she jumped to the side and began running back toward the brothers, Ling catching up to her quickly. A twinge of pain registered and she gritted her teeth again. Damn her wound. And damn Lust and her finger spears too.

The pair bolted past the brothers and a wall was erected behind them, cutting off Gluttony from chasing them. "Ling! Aiden! You guys get that one!"

The pair shared a look before turning to the shapeshifter before them. Aiden felt malice grow with her at the sight of him. He was the reason Maes had to go into hiding and had she not have been there then her best friend would've died. Maes couldn't go far from the damn cabin else he be spotted and reported. He couldn't see his family because he was dead to the world.

Ling charged forward first, Aiden choosing to keep back and watch them fight. She'd be no use without her alchemy to help them, and that was knowledge she didn't want getting out.

Envy knocked the sword from Ling's hand and went to strike him with his own bladed hand when a bullet went through his head. He stumbled back and glared at the woman who'd dared shoot him. She grinned wickedly and shot him again. Long-range fighting was just fine for her. He went to charge forward but Ling blocked him.

He sliced into Envy's side and suddenly the homunculus' arm was a snake wrapped tightly around him. Aiden hesitated with her next shot. Her aim was good, but she was no Riza Hawkeye. If Envy reacted quickly enough she might end up shooting Ling instead.

"Good isn't it? And you humans can't do anything like it." The snake hissed loudly and he continued. "So what'll it be? Strangled to death? Bitten to death? Or just carved into little pieces?"

She gritted her teeth. Fuck it. Three gunshots sounded and two bullets hit Envy, the third missing both people completely. Envy growled in pain but his wounds healed all the same. Before he could say or act against Aiden, Ling dropped his sword, kicked dirt into the homunculus' eyes, and used his arm to slice off the snake strangling him. Envy gasped in pain and stumbled back, his footsteps digging to the ground.

"That was a dirty trick," he snarled. "Blinding me, that's not playing fair."

"People have been trying to assassinate me since I was a kid. Under the circumstances you can't blame a guy for learning how to fight dirty." Ling strutted forward and Aiden sighed at his cockiness. She followed behind him but still kept a few feet between them. "So have you had enough yet? Are you going to come quietly now? I just want whatever information you can give me on becoming immortal. Or shall we go again?"

Envy's head snapped up. "You scum!" he raged. "A mere human like you can't con this from me!"

"You seem to underestimate humans. And that's a mistake!"

Gluttony burst through the wall, sending bricks and large rocks in her direction. Aiden ducked and dodged but couldn't avoid the rock that hit just above her eyebrow. She felt a telltale trickle of blood slide down her face and she shook her head, wiping away what was obscuring her vision.

"Stay out of my way guys I'm busy!"

Envy lunged forward.

"Ling!" Aiden shouted in alarm. He ducked and sliced Envy's leg off.

Envy landed with a yell and Ling went to slice him again when he changed his shape into a mirror image of Lan Fan. Ling froze up. A broken tree cracked under its weight and slowly began to fall in their direction. Without a thought, Aiden rushed forward to get Ling out of the way. Edward and Aiden reached him at the same time and then all she knew was darkness.

When she was conscious again the first thing out of her mouth was, "What the fuck hit me?"

The ground beneath her was solid and a few small rocks were poking her in places she didn't need them to be. She turned her head to the side and gazed at the blurry stone in front of her. Did she land on that? It'd explain her raging headache. It didn't, however, explain why her legs were wet.

She slowly sat up and stared at her legs. They were laying in blood. Her alarm bells went off as she looked around. Parts of buildings in ruins, skeletons, fire, and an endless sea of blood and blackened sky. An uncomfortable knot formed in the pit of her stomach and she cursed.

Then she sighed. "Swallowed by Gluttony. Someone obviously has it out for me."

She slowly stood and glanced around some more. A leather bag caught her eye and she grinned before grabbing it and slinging it over her shoulder. Then she reached in and pulled out a flashlight; a much better tool to use than a torch. Aiden turned to pick which direction to walk in when familiar screams and yelling drew her attention.

Needless to say she followed the noise, navigating her way around using the flashlight. She'd run in that direction in fear of them quieting down. And when the sounds stopped so did she. She heaved breaths and slowly continued forward. Nothing came from anywhere for minutes and she slowly became tense.

The blood around her started rippling and she shuddered. Either Envy was near or something as big as that monstrous dinosaur was coming her way. When the giant homunculus appeared in her field of vision she was only relieved that it wasn't something else. She walked forward and shined the light in his eyes.

"Hey! Envy!" she called.

He turned his gigantic head toward her and groaned. "Great. You got sucked in too. Don't tell me the other Elric is here as well."

"No. Where are Edward and Ling?" She caught sight of the large boulder he was carrying. "And what's with the rock?"

"The Pipsqueak needs them. If you want out of here then follow me."

Aiden raised an eyebrow at the offer, or rather, who it was coming from. She flashed her flashlight to another large rock a distance away that she'd passed. "Well, that one over there looks relatively the same."

"I'll get it later."

And that was how Aiden found herself sloshing through a sea of blood, following a homunculus carrying a rock in the direction of a hot-headed teen and his friend. She was sure she'd had weirder days but none came to mind. When she caught sight of the two she tackled Edward in a hug from behind.

"Wahg!" Ed cried as he toppled over. "What the - Aiden?"

Aiden pulled back and punched his shoulder. "Don't you ever do something this wreckless again!" she demanded. It was a futile demand, she knew that, but she cared about him.

"So, you're here too huh?" Ling asked, wary of the adult. "Sorry about this."

She shrugged and watched as Envy left for the piece of Xerxes ruins she'd pointed out. "It's fine."

He went to say more but his stomach growled and he grimaced. Aiden smiled softly before reaching to her bag and pulling out a thankfully unmelted chocolate bar. Ling shook his head.

"No, it's yours," he said.

"So you decline her food but you steal mine?" Edward whispered furiously.

She frowned. "Tell me, Ling. Do you often collapse or pass out often? Especially after not eating for... let's say six hours?"

Ed gave her a flat look. "Yes. He does."

Aiden pushed the bar into the prince's hands. "You're hypoglycemic, meaning that your blood sugar levels get extremely low. You need sugar before you pass out so eat."

Without further prompting he unwrapped the bar and chomped down. Aiden smiled and looked away. Children just had to be her weakness, didn't they? A thud drew their attention and the trio turned to look at Envy as he set down the piece of the broken wall mural.

"I collected all the fragments that I could find," he said.

They walked forward, Ling holding up a torch made from a bone. Aiden had stashed the flashlight away in her bag.

"So this stuff, it's all from Xerxes?" he asked.

"That's right. They're pieces of a large mural from what remains of their temple," Ed explained. "When I saw the ruins of the mural up close, I thought it was identical to the transmutation circle in the Fifth Laboratory. The one they used to create Philosopher's Stones. But it's actually different. The sun represents the soul, while the moon symbolizes the mind, and then there's the stone canvas of the mural. This represents the body."

Aiden sighed. She knew he was going to go off on a large tangent about how what represented what and the meaning behind it. There was no way she would listen to it. Not after she'd spent so much time in high school clueless about meanings in books. Chances were, a lot of teachers thought there was meaning in everything.

"Try to slow down there Ed," she said. "Keep it simple for those who have never studied alchemy."

She was referring to Ling. Edward frowned at her in confusion before remembering that she could only transmute with her hands and they still didn't know why. He glanced at the homunculus. Clueing him in about her gift in alchemy would make her a potential sacrifice like he was and he couldn't risk that.

"Basically, the mural was a summoning circle for human transmutation."

Ling's body tensed. "I don't know much about alchemy, but that one I do know. At least, I think I do. Is it used to bring back dead people?"

"Not quite. Alchemy is based on the rule of Equivalent Exchange. You can't transmute a life form from a soul that no longer exists in this world. You can trust me on that one. So, this is where I got the idea to get us out of here."

Aiden cast him a careful look. She knew very well what his plan was and that it would work, but she didn't fancy meeting Truth again if he decided to grab her and say hello. "Tell me you aren't thinking what I think you're thinking," she said.

Edward shook his head. "I can't transmute the dead. But what would happen if I transmute myself?"

"A living person?" Ling asked, wanting clarification. "Can it be done?"

"Exactly. I can use this transmutation circle to deconstruct myself, then I'll just put myself back together. That's what human transmutation is. And it'll open the portal."

The teen turned to look at Envy. "You said that Gluttony is a defective portal of Truth. I'll bet that if we pass through the real portal then we'll wind up in our own reality." He looked at Ling and Aiden, "I'll open up the real portal, and then you three jump through it."

"What happens if it goes wrong?" the homunculus questioned. She doubted that he didn't know the answer but didn't say anything.

"Then it'll rebound. A failed transmutation ricochets onto the one who performed the transmutation. In this case, that would be me."

The group was silent and then Ling spoke up. "I'm not gonna act like I know anything about alchemy," he said. "This is all yours."

Edward looked at Aiden who shrugged. "This is up to you, and I trust you."

"Right." The teen looked up at Envy and said in a louder voice, "Hey Envy, I've got something else that I wanted to ask you."

"Hmm?"

The trio watched as he ripped off a piece of cloth, dipped it in the sea of blood, and began drawing on the ground. It took her a minute but she recognized it as a transmutation circle. And it was an old one too if it was using the symbols of the sun and moon. Aiden glanced back at the rock pieces Envy collected. They were exactly alike. Well now she felt dumb.

"The partial mural I saw in Xerxes, it would've looked more or less like this," Edward said as he stood up. He pointed at something on the circle. "This is the first thing that caught my eye. The symbol for God is written upside down."

Aiden tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Was that what it was? She never studied alchemy aside from the basics so she'd assumed it was just the random writings a person sometimes needed.

However... she glanced at Edward as he kept on talking with Envy. The symbol, or whatever it was certainly wasn't written in Amestrian and it definitely wasn't English. So she assumed it was the language from Xerxes. Perhaps when Edward and Alphonse read their father's books they picked up on a few things.

"Who created all of you?" Edward shouted, drawing her attention. So he'd figured out that Xerxes had been sacrificed had he? "Who's trying to make himself powerful enough to surpass God? It was your father, wasn't it! Tell me Envy, whoever this guy is, he's been using you homunculi to try and recreate the destruction of Xerxes here in Amestris, hasn't he!"

Envy leaned down with a grin. "You get us out of here and I'll gladly tell you everything."

Aiden didn't dare accuse the homunculus of lying, she already knew he was. If Edward got them out then Envy could get away and not have to say a thing. If the transmutation rebounded and they got stuck then Envy wouldn't have to deal with Edward anymore and he could answer any questions, provided she and Ling made were alive with him. Their only chance was to take Envy at his word and maybe capture him if he tries to run off. And judging by the look on his face, Edward shared the same thought process.

"You've spent enough time beating around the bush, I'm tired of waiting for you to ask. You need to pay a toll right? To open the portal?" He opened his mouth to reveal the Philosopher's Stone embedded in his tongue. "This should work," he said.

"Those are the citizens of Xerxes, aren't they." Edward wasn't asking.

"At one time. But their minds and bodies crumbled long ago. All that's left is energy to be consumed. They don't even remember what they looked like when they were alive."

Ed gritted his teeth and looked away.

"Is that pity? How childish are you? You're desperate to see these things as human because you want to believe that your brother still retains his humanity."

He gasped as Envy's words hit too close to home.

"Would you hesitate to throw a bundle of logs onto a fire because you pity the tree they came from? These souls can never go back to being human! You have to use logic to determine was a human is. Don't let your emotions decide!"

Aiden ground her teeth and her head snapped up. "Shut up Envy," she growled. "Those souls may not have a chance at living again but Alphonse does. And when the day comes that he has his body back will be the day I dance on your grave!" She really shouldn't have let that slip out but her built-up anger at the homunculus surged up and out.

Envy cast her a disgusted look. "Is that a threat? You'll have to do better."

She didn't reply and instead turned to Edward. He was looking at her with a strange expression and she tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow. What? Did she say something?

He shook his head, "Nevermind."

Then he walked away and started drawing a large human transmutation circle at the center of the round rock they'd been resting on. It took continuous trips of walking over to the edge, dipping the cloth in the blood, walking back, and drawing the circle in great detail. All the while a homunculus, a soldier, and a prince stood by and watched him. When he finished Edward told Envy to get in the circle and Aiden and Ling to stand just outside of it.

"Alright. Ling, Aiden," he said, "this might not work out for me. If so you've gotta warn people about these guys' plans."

Aiden couldn't help the sarcasm that came up. "So do you want me to warn people before or after one of the homunculi decide to kill me the moment we get back?"

"Uh..."

Ling huffed and turned away. "I'm not that concerned about Amestris, it's not my country."

"Are you serious?"

Ling cocked his head and gave him a soft smile. "You've got people you love waiting for you, don't you? So just make it back alive, and tell them yourself."

Edward's grim expression turned into one of determination and then he looked at the souls on Envy's body. They groaned and screamed. "I'm sorry, but I need to use you." He looked down and held up his shaking hands. "Get ready!"

Then he clapped and slammed his palms on the ground. Blue sparks of lightning faded to purple as black hands rose from the circle. An eye appeared at the center and Aiden shivered. Human transmutation felt wrong to her senses on so many levels. But somehow it wasn't as bad as what she and Roy felt in the Fifth Laboratory.

"Jump in it! Now!" Edward shouted.

She didn't hear Ling's response over her thoughts. The feeling of the transmutation was strange and it honestly creeped her out; the feeling of being deconstructed. Aiden hadn't gone through a human transmutation circle before and hopping dimensions didn't feel nearly as weird. All she could feel was some apparent wrongness as she was deconstructed.

When she opened her eyes she was blinded by whiteness. Aiden sighed at the familiar place and groaned. Why the hell...

"Hello, my little traveler," came the multitude of voices Aiden knew well.

Without hesitation, she sat up and looked around until her eyes rested on the form of the one and only Truth. She sighed again. "Hello, Truth," she greeted. "Nice to see you again. Mind telling me why I'm here?"

"My, you sure don't beat around the bush, do you?" he asked amusedly. The woman stared blankly at him and didn't respond. Truth sighed, "The least you could do is entertain me."

Aiden quirked an eyebrow. "I thought that's what I've been doing this entire time."

"Well yes and no. You saved Hughes and built friendships but that's it. You're not very entertaining even if I do look forward to the chaos of Hughes' return."

"What do you mean? I'm sticking to the plot."

"You shouldn't."

Aiden stared at the being in shock. Had she heard him correctly? Did she have blood in her ears? Was he joking? Did Truth even tell jokes?

She frowned and crossed her arms. "Are you telling me I should screw up the timeline to the point where my knowledge is useless?"

"I'm telling you to get a life," he deadpanned.

She gaped. "I - I have a life!"

"All you do is plan and work with the military. That's not what I call a life." Truth mimicked her and crossed his own arms. Before she could comment he continued. "Has it not occurred to you that this is only one reality? You know I've sent people here before so you must have wondered what happened to them."

To be honest, she hadn't thought about it. Not since she arrived all those years ago, anyway. But when she did think about it, Aiden remembered wondering what happened to all the others. Maybe Truth had let them go home, or maybe he reset the universe entirely. One reality of a multiverse wasn't on her list of possibilities so she hadn't thought of it.

Aiden looked him over carefully. "Are you saying that this specific world I'm in, is just one of the versions of Fullmetal Alchemist? That there are more out there, all slightly different or the same? Like the multiverse theory?"

Truth grinned his creepy grin. "Where would be the fun in resetting things when I get bored?"

"Well shit!" Aiden slapped a hand over her mouth. That wasn't supposed to slip out. Truth's smile widened even more as she was suddenly enveloped in black hands that began to drag her through her gate. "Wait a second! You can't just say that and then toss me out like a toy!"

"Get a life and start being entertaining," Truth droned.

If she was currently not being dragged through the portal, Aiden would've commented on how human Truth was acting. She would've found it amusing to an extent, as it was her he was complaining about. But of course, being a godlike entity could only provide so much excitement.

**********

Aiden: I love kids but there's no way I'll become attached to anyone in such a harsh world filled with corrupt governments, unstable people, and a god that thinks separating people from their families is fun.

Ed, Al, and Ling: Hey.

Aiden: ...... RECALIBRATING.