SEE?! I said it wouldn't be two years and it wasn't!

So at this point I'm honestly trying to get through basic training...so if it seems rushed that's why.

Probably one more chapter will be basic training and then we'll get into the meat of the story.

Now don't misunderstand me. We won't be going to Ishval immediately. We'll be seeing the effects of the war on other parts of the country first. Feel free to scream at me in the reviews and/or PMs if you're getting bored...but please be gentle I bruise easily.

"Soldier's don't quit easy. We fight until we can't go on and then we fight some more. " -Captain Jean Havoc

Camp Rodger Young

March 1, 1905

0200 Hours

Edward's eyes snapped open at a loud clang. How he'd heard it over the thunder and lightning, he had no idea. He was sitting in a foxhole in one of the fields just outside Rodger Young, slowly sinking into the mud as the ground got more and more saturated with rain. Riza was sitting across the hole from him, teeth chattering.

"T-t-that w-was the b-bell." The girl scratched out beneath her teeth impacting. Edward popped his head out of the hole and looked towards the drill field a little ways away. Lightning flashed and for a moment Edward saw the sergeant major was standing there in a raincoat. She was applauding a recruit that was slinking away towards the barracks. Edward shook his head and sat back down in the muck. One more recruit admitting defeat and going home. Edward's eyes sagged as he look around his hole. A few dozen holes had been dug and two recruits were in each hole. Apparently the cadre thought the recruits were getting soft what with having blankets and mattresses and the solution was to sleep under the stars. The best time to do this of course was in the middle of one of the worst storms to thrash the Northern Sector in a decade. Cold rain lashed the recruits as they dug into the muck, but at least the movement kept them sort of warm. Now the captain's orders were to stay out there all night.

"Who was it?" Riza chattered out. Edward shrugged.

"Couldn't see. Only saw for a split second with the lightning."

Riza scowled up at the sky before looking away. Rain had soaked through their fatigues and into their skin. Edward's eyes drooped.

"Ed."

Edward's eyes snapped back open. He looked at Riza. Her skin was pale and her lips were turning blue.

"I'm cold…" The hazel eyes looking at him had bags underneath them and a red tinge around the iris. Edward had always like Riza's eyes. No matter how cold she acted on the outside he could always find warmth there. He held out a hand.

"Come here."

Riza grabbed his hand and he pulled her over to his side of the hole and she crawled up against him. The poor girl was practically vibrating she was shaking so hard. Edward wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The sharpshooter did the same and they stayed like that. Ed and Riza had hugged before, but this wasn't sibling relationship or romantic. They were simply trying to leach as much heat from the other as they could.

"I don't wanna be here anymore, Ri. I'm so fucking cold." Edward's eyes cut to Riza and she stared back at him. The girl pushed on his chest with a sopping wet hand, pushing him into the foxhole wall.

"Don't you dare. A little rain isn't going to ship you out. Remember when the furnace in the orphanage went out in December that one year? We're ok!"

"This was your idea in the first place, Riza...I never wanted to do this!"

Anger flared in her eyes. It was not often that Ed got Riza angry, but whenever he did he shrank a little as the girl seemed to be trying to light him aflame with naught but her glare.

"Then leave! Go back to Central and wait tables for a living! Don't make anything of yourself, but make no mistake! You will be leaving alone! I'm staying! I'm finishing this and I'm getting my damn crossed rifles!" Riza managed to make her teeth sit still and set her jaw at Edward. The boy stared back and then looked towards the bell. The sergeant major was still standing there. She was smoking a cigarette now and seemed to notice Ed looking because she gestured to the bell and then to the barracks where lights were on and smoke was rising from the chimney. Ed sank back into the foxhole and wondered how nice it would be to be drying off in front of a fire.

"Ed…please don't."

Ed looked at Riza and almost recoiled at her eyes. The warmth he usually found there was nowhere to be seen. The girl was deathly afraid that he was going to quit. Ed looked at the barracks one more time before he got somewhat comfortable against the foxhole wall and pulled his patrol cap low over his eyes to let the rain run off of the front. He pulled Riza in tighter and settled in.

"Not going anywhere."

Riza pulled her jacket tighter over her shoulders and mumbled something Ed didn't catch as his eyelids drooped again.

Camp Rodger Young

March 1, 1905

0600 Hours

Edward awoke and was unsurprised to see it was still raining. The light drizzle was accompanied by the purple light of dawn. Ed looked down and found Riza dozing, with her head still on his shoulder, mumbling in her sleep. Ed craned his neck to peek over the top of the whole and was flabbergasted. There were around fifty recruits left out of the one hundred and two that went into the rain at dusk yesterday. Fully half of the remaining recruits had rung out of training last night. Ed turned his head and found Sergeant Major Parris still standing by the bell in her raincoat.

'Has she been out here all night?' Ed stared at his senior drill instructor.

The woman seemed to have a sixth sense for these things, as she turned and looked him in the eyes. What happened next Edward would never forget. She looked up at the retreating storm and then at the foxholes. Sergeant Major Elena Parris turned to Edward and gave a small nod of her head towards him. Edward felt pride swell in his chest at the miniscule acknowledgment from his senior NCO. He nodded back to her and looked back at Riza. The girl was no longer mumbling, simply sleeping soundly. Edward looked up at the drizzling rain and grinned at the towering storm clouds.

'You ain't nothin'.'

Edward leaned his head against Riza's and fell asleep without any trouble at all.

Camp Rodger Young

March 1, 1905

0800 Hours

Edward awoke to see an instructor standing over the foxhole eyeing him and Riza. The instructor smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"Do I need to separate you and Hawkeye, Elric?"

Well that was a first. Before now it was always Beauty Queen or some variation of shithead, fucker, or retard. Edward shook his head.

"No, Sergeant!"

Riza awoke and looked at Ed and then looked up to see the instructor. She leapt to her feet and sank into the mud they'd been laying in. Edward attempted to stand up as well, but slipped and almost tumbled into the sludge. The sergeant shook his head and gestured towards the equipment in the corner of the foxhole. Ed and Riza's rifles were both sitting on top of their rucksacks to keep them out of the mud.

"Grab your gear, we're running Riviere."

"Yes, Sergeant!" Ed and Riza chorused as they jumped to gathering their equipment. The rain had stopped by now and the sun was shining. The air was humid and the recruits were sweating even before they were done putting their equipment in their rucksacks.

There were no complaints from the recruits as they got themselves together and fell in front of Captain Jackson. The Captain was in his own fatigues instead of the dress uniform he'd always worn. He carried a rifle and a ruck.

"Company! Fall in! Ten-hut!"

There was a slosh in the water and mud as the recruits came to attention.

"Right face! Port, arms! Forward, march!"

The recruits marched towards the gate, looking for all the world like the soldiers they aspired to be.

"Company! Double time, march!"

The trainees picked up the pace into a steady run as they ran towards Mount Riviere, a mile distant.

Mount Riviere

March 1, 1905

1200 Hours

Captain Jackson belted out another cadence and turned up the switchback as the recruits shouted back in return. Sergeant Major Parris was trailing the formation watching for any slip ups and had dashed into the formation several times as recruits stumbled or started to slow down.

Riza kept her eyes on the back of Andrea Barrett's head and tried not to focus on how heavy her waterlogged fatigues and equipment were. The words of Captain Jackson at the bottom of the mountain echoed in her head.

"Nobody goes home until everyone is at the top!"

With that thought in mind Riza glanced to her left and found a female recruit from another platoon beginning to slow down. Hawkeye did not turn her head when she hissed a warning to her.

"Pick it up, Cromwell! The Sergeant Major is gonna smoke your ass!"

Cromwell's eyes moved in her direction before the recruit nodded slightly and fell back in with everyone else. Riza felt eyes burning into the back of her skull and was waiting for the Sergeant Major to shout out a threat and insult. However nothing came of it and the eyes moved somewhere else as a recruit stumbled!

"Do you want to quit, Ford?! There's a truck at the bottom of the mountain! Special bed just for you!"

Ford swallowed before pushing himself back into step.

"No, Sergeant Major!"

"Then hurry the hell up!"

"Yes, Sergeant Major!

Riza turned her eyes back onto Barrett's head as the formation rounded another switchback.

Camp Rodger Young

March 1, 1905

1600 Hours

Riza watched as Ed got into the front lean and rest. He'd dropped his ruck when the formation halted at the bottom of Riviere and the Sergeant Major had seen him do it and took offense to "possibly damaging your equipment and compromising the entire company."

Just as one of the instructors was about to start Riza walked forward and got online with Ed as she dropped into a push up position, Mustang dropped next to her and Hughes dropped on Ed's other side. There was a shuffle of feet as the entire remaining recruit class stepped forward and got into the front lean and rest. The cadre didn't make a sound as the recruits got into position. As soon as the last recruit was ready the Sergeant Major stepped forward from where she was standing next to Captain Jackson.

"Down!"

Riza felt the familiar stretch as she lowered herself until her elbows were at a ninety degree angle. The instructor allowed them to stay like that for a moment before issuing her next command.

"Up!"

Riza felt a little pride in her chest as the recruits roared their count in unison.

Camp Rodger Young

March 1, 1905

2100 Hours

Ed groaned as he sat on his lumpy mattress. Riza kicked off her boots and put them neatly next to the rack before she climbed onto the top bunk and rolled her shoulders to work out a knot. Mustang was peeling off his socks as the two blondes simply laid in their bunk for a moment. The young alchemist took on a pained expression as he lifted his legs off the floor and onto the mattress. He laid his head into his pillow, that's what the Army called the bricks they kept under their heads, and sighed out relief. Ed's voice caught his attention.

"There's not many left…"

Mustang rolled over and looked at the duo before he himself took a look around. They were right. The barracks had been full when training began. Now only a quarter of the building was occupied. The instructors had ordered them to close the gaps wherever they formed, so the recruits weren't scattered and were instead clustered at the end of the long building. Two to a bunk where possible as always.

Mustang looked over to where Andrea Barrett was organizing her footlocker as Maes Hughes unsuccessfully tried to woo the recruit squad leader. Ed caught where he was looking and laughed. That confused Mustang but it was a nice sound. None of them had laughed in a while. Riza had caught him to and was smirking as she laid her head on her pillow.

"What's funny, Elric?"

Edward grinned, laid down on his back, and pushed on the top bunk with his foot.

"Yeah, what's funny Riza?"

Riza's smirk turned into a toothy smile before she turned her head and looked at Mustang.

"Hughes is barking up the wrong tree with Barrett. He's not her type."

Mustang was confused.

"Maes isn't anyone's type. What's different about Barrett."

Edward shrugged.

"I guess you could say he's not equipped for the mission."

Riza laughed this time and pulled off her shirt to reveal the sports bra underneath. Mustang didn't turn red like he used to. The recruits woke up every morning in their underwear and had communal showers. Though he didn't stare he couldn't help but notice that Hawkeye was well built. Roy screwed his face up.

"Why are you laughing? The joke went over my head…"

Riza rolled over and looked at him with a sly grin.

"Mustang...Andy is gay."

Mustang's face turned to into an 'ah' as he looked over at Barrett laughing at Hughes. The alchemist shook his head and laid back, wondering how long it would be before Hughes made a move and Barrett shot him down like a firing squad.

Camp Rodger Young

March 10, 1905

1200 Hours

Edward's teeth rattled as he pushed himself forward through the mud of the long pit. Barbed wire was just above his head and his M1 was carried in his arms as he followed the recruit in front of him as quickly as he could. He kept his eyes on the boots in front of him trying to ignore the hissing and snapping of bullets flying a few feet over his head. Riza was to his left crawling behind Mustang in another lane. Edward's ears pounded with the steady chug chug chug of the water cooled machine gun.

Edward knew the bullets couldn't harm him. They were at least four feet over his head. As long as he stayed on his stomach he would be ok. That information didn't stop him from gritting his teeth as a few wood chips fell on his head from a post as the machine gunner swept the gun back across the pit. The recruit peered to his left and saw Mustang crawling up the slope to get out of the muddy trench, Riza following. They both stood and ran towards the next line. He looked back forward to see the recruit in front of him pulling herself out of the trench. Edward clawed at the dry dirt outside the trench to pull himself out and began sprinting towards the next set of obstacles. Sergeant Major Parris was crouched behind a pile of sandbags and was shouting at recruits to throw themselves through a section of metal piping. Edward crabwalked through and found another instructor behind more sandbags. The instructor grabbed his sleeve and shouted in his face over the machine gun fire a little behind Edward.

"Stand down or die!"

Edward looked at the Sergeant before the man pushed him forward. Edward fell about six feet and landed on his behind. In front of him was a wide pit with cinder block walls and trenches in it. On the other side, on top of a berm, were several concrete block houses with figures moving around inside. A tunnel through the berm was at the center.

Edward scrambled out of the way of the next recruit. He low crawled forward to where several recruits were gathered behind a tall concrete wall. Hawkeye was crouched next to Mustang and Barrett. Edward crawled up and got on his haunches next to Riza. Barrett was shouting at the other recruits.

"It's just one in a thousand! Come on guys! Move! Parris will turn the damn Maxim onto us if we don't get moving!"

The one in a thousand rule. Parris had explained it before this exercise started, quite patiently in fact. The instructors would be shooting at them with rifles at certain points. They would mostly have blanks, dummy rounds, but one in a thousand of those bullets was going to be the real thing. The instructors would be aiming to kill, or so the recruits were told.

"Guys! Move!" Barrett screamed and seemed on the verge of throwing down her rifle and putting her face out for an instructor to shoot. Mustang stood and started grabbing recruits by their fatigue jackets. Barrett followed suit and together they began shoving the recruits out from behind the wall and towards the blockhouses. Edward looked at Riza and understanding passed between them as they looked towards the tunnel. The point of the training was clear. Make it to the tunnel or eventually a bullet will find you. Accomplish your objective or die.

In this case the objective was to escape.

"I'll follow you!" Riza shouted over the increasing amount of rifle fire. Edward peered around the corner and more instructors were filing into shooting positions as more recruits dropped into the pit. Riza grabbed his shoulder and he turned to her. She smiled at him and nodded before taking in a deep breath. Edward did the same and they breathed out simultaneously before dashing for the next wall of sandbags. The slid in behind them and Edward turned to Riza before gesturing to a cinderblock wall a few feet forward from them. Riza nodded and motioned that she would go first this time. Edward nodded and launched himself after Hawkeye and this time got down on his haunches by himself instead of sliding into cover.

Edward took a moment to look around. Between him and Hawkeye moving forward by themselves and Mustang and Barrett forcing the hesitant ones forward, recruits were starting to move in teams towards the exit. Edward smiled and looked at Riza to gesture to another wall to take cover behind. She nodded and Edward crab walked over to go first. As he peered out to see the instructors a cloud of dust suddenly obscured his vision and made him cough. He got back behind the wall and looked at Riza who was white as a sheet. The color drained from Edward's face as he realized that he had found the real bullet in the pile. The boy nervously laughed as he looked at Hawkeye and the female blonde gave a half hearted smile. Hawkeye slapped him on the shoulder and shouted that she would go first. Edward gave a thumbs up and sprinted after Riza when she moved out from behind cover.

Moving like this they eventually found themselves at the exit tunnel. Both blondes sprinted through the tunnel and out the other side before stopping and started breathing in deeply. For some reason both of them realized that they were very out of breath. They found Captain Jackson on the other side waiting. The officer raised an eyebrow at them.

"Why is it always you two in first? Are you cheating or what?"

Riza and Edward looked at each other before Riza just shook her head and slumped her shoulders. Edward expected to get chewed out from Hawkeye's half hearted response but Jackson just laughed and gestured to a concrete pad with a roof over it.

"Fall in over there. We'll get the rest of the kids out of the Playground and move forward from there."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Edward and Hawkeye saluted and Jackson waved them off as he turned to Maria Ross and Jean Havoc running out of the tunnel.

So that's that. In case anyone is wondering, yes I ripped the "One-in-a-Thousand" rule from Starship Troopers...the book not the movie. Fantastic read by the way. Totally recommend it. Anyway, got the next chapter partially done, but don't expect for a week or so. Real life is about to get busy with work. So I will be posting it when possible.