Ok, so I wasn't happy about the number of reviews for that last chapter, especially considering the number of hits, but I decided I would update today anyway. Sorry for any spelling errors in this one. I just got back from spending the weekend at the college I'm going to next year so I'm completely worn out and too tired to do my usual second read through.Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I really don't know if you're enjoying the story because almost no one is reviewing.

Disclaimer: It's still the same. I still don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I do however own Kayt. Not that it matters. I honestly don't care if you use her.

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"Hurry up!" Trisha called upstairs. "You'll be late for school!"

"Coming!" the boys shouted back.

Edward was first to come running down the stairs. Alphonse followed soon after.

"No running in the house," Trisha sighed, handing the boys their bookbags.

"Sorry! Bye!"

The two quickly pulled on their shoes. Grabbing their bags and ignoring their mother's warning, they sprinted out the door.

"You think Winry's still waiting for us?" Al asked.

"I dunno. We are kinda late. She may have gone on already. It's not like it's out of the way or anything so we should still check."

"Yeah!"

"We should see if Kayt wants to walk with us, too!"

"I don't know…I mean, it is kind of late. You think she'd be there?"

"It's on the way, too," Ed said pointing at the white house in the distance. "We should check!"

Upon arriving at the house, Ed ran to the door. Al stayed back on the path, fidgeting uncomfortably. Ed knocked on the door. Someone opened it almost immediately.

"You again?" the woman asked. "Is it not a little early to be playing?"

"We're on our way to school," Ed answered indicating he was talking about Alphonse and himself. "We were wondering if Kayt wanted to walk with us. Or has she left already?"

"Kayt is home-schooled."

"Oh…"

"Is that all?"

"Oh! Yes! I'm sorry."

"Hmph."

The door closed, and Ed turned back toward Al. Al looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there.

"So?" Al asked carefully when he saw Ed's expression.

"She's home-schooled," Ed responded sadly.

"Oh." Ed could have swore he heard Al let out a sigh of relief. "So? On to Winry's then?"

"Yeah, I guess."

It only took a couple more minutes before the boys reached Winry's house. They seriously considered running. Winry was standing outside waiting, one hand on her hip, the other bouncing a wrench.

"Sorry we're late, Winry," Al said carefully. "Brother didn't want to wake up this morning."

"Hey, don't try to put all the blame on me!" Ed exclaimed eyeing the wrench warily.

"And then he insisted on stopping by Kayt's," Al said with a slight wink.

"Oh?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ed started, "but she's home-schooled."

"So I guess that means she won't be going to school with us?" Winry asked hopefully.

"Yeah…"

"Thank God," Winry mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing!"

The school day went by as normal as ever. Ed fell asleep in class, Winry scolding him. They had lunch together and swapped their food around. Some of the boys picked on Al at recess, and Ed got in trouble for punching one. The only thing different was the few kids who asked about Hohenheim. Edward was trying his best to push that man out of his memories and ignored them. He had more important things to worry about, like getting to know Kayt better. He'd realized during class that he knew very little about her. He didn't even know her last name or how old she actually was.

"We could play hide-and-go-seek again," Al suggested as they were walking toward Winry's house.

"I dunno," Winry said with a tinge of anger. She'd been angry since they'd met up with Kayt on the road.

"Kayt's it this time!" Ed said not seeming to notice.

"Yay!" Kayt exclaimed.

"Actually," Winry started, "do you think maybe we could not play with Kayt today?"

"What? Why?" Ed asked shocked. He glanced at Kayt. She looked like she could start crying at any moment. "How could you say that?"

"I just don't want to play with her."

"Winry!"

"No," Kayt said slowly, "it's fine. I'll just go home. You guys have fun." She ran off down the path, a few tears falling.

"Wait!" Ed called running after her.

"Geez, Ed," Winry said as she watched Ed run out of sight. She looked angry. "You can be so stupid sometimes."

Al, on the other hand, looked worried.

"Winry? Do you think Brother really thinks…"

The unfinished question hung heavily in the air.

"Of course not, Al," Winry said, not entirely sure she believed it herself.

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"Why is she so mean?" Kayt asked Ed from their hiding place in the bushes. She glared at Winry who was napping peacefully on a hill.

"She usually isn't," Ed said. "Well, she's kind of violent sometimes, but she's never done anything like that before."

"I haven't even done anything to her!" Kayt protested. "We only met once! I should go give her a piece of my mind!"

"I wouldn't if I were you."

"And why not?"

Edward pointed at the grass next to Winry. The toolbox she had been looking at before drifting off was still lying open next to her. As if a wrench alone wasn't enough, a hammer and wire cutters could also be seen sticking out, not to mention what couldn't be seen.

"So," Kayt said. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"She won't think twice about hitting you with one of those. I learned that the hard way."

"Well then you should use her own tools to teach her a lesson," Kayt said with an evil smile.

"You mean hit her?" Ed asked stunned.

"No, no. Nothing like that. I mean something more like…use those wire cutters and cut off one of those ugly pigtails!"

"But-"

"It's not like it's going to hurt her. Hair grows back. Come on! I'll stand guard!" Not giving Ed a chance to answer, she ran over to the toolbox. She motioned for Ed to follow, which he did reluctantly.

"I don't know about this," Ed whispered, careful not to wake Winry.

"Come on," Kayt whispered back. "You know she deserves it. She wasn't exactly nice to me earlier. It'll be fun."

Ed picked up the wire cutters, careful not to make any noise. With one last encouraging nod from Kayt, he reached over and cut all the way through the pigtail. He held up his prize and couldn't help but smile.

"Alright!" Ed said a bit too loudly. Winry stirred a bit, and before Ed could even think of running, opened her eyes. Being too scared to move, he watched as she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Hi, Ed," she said softly before her eyes landed on the two objects Ed was holding. Her wire cutters and…hair? Blonde hair? Suddenly noticing the lack of weight on one side of her head, she reached up to grab the pigtail only to find that only a bit was left. "Ed?"

In the next second, Winry had transformed into a demon. Ed quickly regained his senses and ran. Looking around, he noticed that Kayt had already fled, but at the moment, he was more worried for his own life. Winry scooped up the entire toolbox and gave chase, trying her hardest to hit Ed with everything she had. She threw every tool at him until she ran out and threw the whole box.

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Winry sat bawling as her mother cut her hair to match the length of Ed's cut leaving her hair only barely grazing her shoulders. The air was tense as Edward awaited his fate. Mr. Rockbell was fuming, Al was comforting Winry, and Auntie Pinako had gone to retrieve Mrs. Elric. Edward couldn't meet his mother's eyes as she entered. She glanced at Ed, then at Winry, and finally, back at Ed.

"Well?" Trisha asked appearing calm, but disappointment weighed heavily in the air around her. "Care to explain, Edward?"

"It wasn't my idea…" Ed said softly, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Then who's was it, Ed?"

"Kayt's," Ed said so softly that he almost couldn't be heard. Winry and Al stared at Ed, both with an unreadable expression on their face. Trisha was shocked, and as she remembered who Al had said Kayt was, her expression turned to that of anger.

"That isn't funny, Ed," she said.

"But it really was her idea!" Ed protested.

"I was afraid this would happen," Trisha said, her expression softening slightly. "Is this because of your father? Is that why you're acting out? I know you're sad but-"

"This has nothing to do with him!" Ed shouted, startling everyone in the room. "I said it was Kayt's idea! Winry was mean to her after school so she deserved it!"

"That's enough, Ed! You can't use your imaginary friend as an excuse so you won't get in trouble! It just doesn't work that way."

"What?" Ed asked taking a step back. "Imaginary? Kayt's not imaginary!" Trisha's only response was a skeptical look. "Al! Tell her Kayt's not imaginary! He's played with her!"

"Sorry, Brother," Al said dropping his gaze to the floor.

Ed felt like he couldn't breathe. They were all staring at him. Was this some kind of a joke? Was this is punishment? Maybe Kayt was behind it. Maybe she'd planned the whole thing….They were still staring. Ed could feel tears starting to form, and he knew he had to get out of there.

"She's not imaginary!" he shouted as he ran out the door, ignoring the voices that followed. His destination clear, he ran as fast as he could toward Kayt's house with only one thought on his mind.

'She's real! She's not imaginary! She's real!'

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And that's my version of why Winry has short hair as a kid. Um, yeah, not much to say right now. My brain is kinda being fried from the smell of this stupid hair dye right now (purple with pink highlights, yay!). Have you ever smelled the stuff? It's awful! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. I'll put the names of all those that have reviewed at the end of the next chapter as I will do every five chapters. I usually repsond the reviews but that'll be my way of thanking everyone. So, until next time.

Equivalent Exchange: I write, you review.