It's Just A Name
Chapter One "Cutting Ties"
Edward Elric sat down with his eyes sunken low as Winry stood over him, looking down at his long golden hair which stretched down to his shoulders. She had not noticed how long it had gotten when it was always up in that braid, strung behind him so when he walked along his path that he could see ahead. His eyes matched but had the essence of fire within them, an undying passion and incomparable compassion and drive that this Winry very much admired about him.
She moved her fingers through the back end and held it there gently, hesitant all over about this. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"
Edward blinked, not moving his head but giving her a glance that answered everything for her. He didn't realize what this would symbolize, it was just cutting his hair but for him it was more than that; his name was to be gone along with it, the name his mother gave him.
"Yeah Winry, it's alright." He said quietly but unfaltering.
She began to use her scissors and worked all the way up to his bangs, until all that was left was a boyish style messy and short. He breathed out as if in relief that now there was no turning back, this was mostly done to remind himself that he could not fall back on his old life.
Turning, Edward set his one hand and his other metal and gears hand at the back of his seat, looking at her being reminded of her other self on the other side of The Gate. It was weird to get to know her when the Winry he grew up with was on the other side, finally knowing that she wouldn't come back to him. He was nineteen years old now and still had her Automail, not daring to change it no matter how it needed more maintenance than he was able to give it.
It was a big price to pay but in the end there was always a trade-off. He would never stop believing in that.
This Winry had a similar personality though a lot more shy and skittish; it took a lot of explaining before she would even enter his house at all. He wasn't going to stay there long though, not when he and Al had to make a new life for themselves.
Their worlds were connected, so he had met counterparts of many he admired in his own world. Alphonse Heiderich for instance was this world's version of his brother and the one he had been closest to before he died, Hughes was left behind because he remained on the wrong side as a Socialist Workers Party Member but he hoped he would at least marry Gracia and straighten his life out. And here was Winry Hiedler, with blue eyes and skinny arms from lack of working out as her counterpart did wearing a dress to boot. She was different from his Winry so at least it was not hard to talk to her without that looming feeling over his head.
Right now she was the only one he felt he could trust right now. He was a listed man and now all of Germany was looking for him, looking for anyone who spoke or had any contact with him and any soul to cross his path. The name "Edward Elric" was not a safe one anymore, at least not for the people around him which he wants to protect.
The room they were in was lit with a single lantern, one Winry Hiedler put up for him; it brought back nostalgia of the light in his mother's window. The light from the fire made the shadows move all around, blurring the background and filling it with unrest; much like how Edward was inside right now. To interrupt this train of thought Alphonse came in through the back door so as not to be seen from the front, setting his brown waistcoat on the hook as he took a good look at Ed.
"You about ready, Brother?" Alphonse said solemnly as to be respectful for the situation but couldn't help the kindness in his voice.
At the very least Edward would never be alone, even in the darkest hours they found a way to reach out to each other and now would be no different. He was a lot taller now and though set back a few years because of The Gate's effect on his body he was still as healthy and himself as he could be. His hair was short too but it had always been that way, he had not yet been found out but dropped his name too like his brother. It was a year since they reunited and since then a lot had happened but Alphonse was determined not to let things change between them.
Because Edward didn't answer he changed the subject. "You look more like I do now don't you, Brother?"
He teased him but Ed wasn't in the mood.
"Just remember who the older one is, Al." He let him have his fun, didn't want to punish Alphonse just because he was really angry with himself for making such huge mistakes.
"You're just mad because I got taller than you again." Al baited him.
"WHAT?! That's a lot of nerve considering it's only half an inch! I'm almost twenty you know!" Ed snapped back.
Winry put her hand to her face and chuckled cutely, the time they spent together still was not enough to slow her laughter towards their way with each other.
After a few minutes of Ed measuring himself in the mirror beside the door he now saw how strange it was looking at himself now, all that long hair and personality stripped from him. His shirt was hung on the chair that he set aside while she was cutting it so the Automail stuck out too; nothing was there to cover the place where the scars were.
"It's gonna be harder now." Al said a little more seriously, sympathetic to the way Ed was feeling.
Al could always read Ed like a book so it hit him harder when he was guilty about anything. Ed's strong sense of guilt kept him determined but it also gave him occasional setbacks.
"Neither of you can help it, there's a line drawn in the sand and a war has started." Winry said nervous to speak at all. "The world can't know you're Edward Elric anymore…"
End chapter