Work Text:
It’s barely even disconcerting anymore when his eyesight suddenly greys out. He isn’t certain what that says about his life, exactly.
It’d been terrifying when he was younger, and he’d refused to sleep for days at a time before coming to the realization that this had nothing to do with sleep and everything to do with him. Now that he’s lived more of his life with these—visions? Daydreams? He isn’t sure what to call them, precisely—he’s resigned himself to the knowledge that this is going to happen and there’s precious little he can do to control it. It’s one of a dozen reasons he never left his hometown, despite yearning to see more of the world. Not only is there far too much for him there, but he can only imagine what some stranger in Central would think when he suddenly stops in the middle of the street because he’s seeing things that aren’t actually there.
It's hard enough to deal with here as it is, and he has friends here who try their best to understand. They can’t, of course, but he thinks it’s nice of them to make the attempt.
He shakes his head. This isn’t the time to dwell on it. He’s here to see something, and the sooner he does the sooner he can get back to his life.
The sight of a golden braid is a pretty familiar one by now, and of course it’s the first thing he sees when the fog begins to lift. It’s new to see a strand of it break off from the braid and dart into the fog, though, and before he can even consider it he’s following the strand to see where it leads.
The fog doesn’t clear as he goes, and he can hardly see where he’s going. The only light is the faint glimmer from the golden strand, and even that dims as the fog continues to close in. The strand presses onward, though, and so does he, until…
A ribbon of shadow twines around the golden strand, and the most obvious reaction would be to be afraid. Fear is the last thing on his mind, though, when he sees the way the two strands intertwine. It’s not menacing, not in the slightest; it’s mesmerizing, ebony and gold twirling around each other as the light grows brighter, bright enough to start shoving away the heavy fog.
He can’t help but stare, utterly transfixed, even as the twined strands lance their way towards him and—
“Brother!”
A heavy weight lands against Ed’s shoulder, and he blinks rapidly to clear away the remaining fog from his field of vision to reveal Al shoving at him. “What?”
Al points up the road. “You’ll never get rid of any of these if you’re too spaced out to notice when you have a potential customer.”
Ed sighs. “It’s Resembool, Al. The only reason anyone would come up this road is because they live here, and the only reason anyone would buy tomatoes from us is out of pity because they know we accidentally grew way too much.”
“I don’t think that man lives here.”
“And I don’t think he wants tomatoes,” Ed points out as he glances up the road himself. “He looks like he’s lost. Poor bastard, probably on his way to East City or something and got off at the wrong stop.”
“What makes you think that?”
Ed snorts. “Look at him. Everything about him says city boy.”
Al rolls his eyes. “How would you know? You’ve never been to the city.”
It’s true. Ed’s never left Resembool. He can’t, no matter how much he once wanted to. It’s not worth dwelling on, though, not now. Instead he says, “Can you imagine a guy like that out in the fields?”
Al looks over at the stranger again and then smiles. “Okay, that’s fair. What do you think he’s here for?”
Ed watches as the man turns and sees them, then starts to approach. “I’ve got a feeling we’re about to find out.”
Sure enough, the man comes closer, and Ed does his best to keep the surprise from his face when he’s close enough to make out more of the man’s features. The dark hair had been obvious even from a distance, but the eyes that are dark enough to match that ebony hair are…
Wait. Ebony. Could it really be that simple?
He’s still debating with himself when the man starts talking, and it causes him to miss the first part of what he’s saying. He mentally shakes himself just in time to catch looking for the Elric brothers.
Ah. He’s always wondered how long they’d be able to do what they do for the townsfolk—mending houses, helping with irrigation during droughts—without attracting attention. It would appear their time is officially up. Probably something to do with the flood walls they rushed to install at the river last month, if he has to guess.
A swift stomp to Al’s foot keeps his brother from replying, and Ed grins up at the stranger in his place. “Well, I’m afraid I can’t help you with that one,” he says, delighting in the way the man’s face falls. He rushes to add, “But I do know who can.”
Al gives him an incredulous stare, but Ed knows he’s making the right call. Delaying the man like this gives him time to process everything that’s happened in the past ten minutes, and he needs another set of eyes to judge this man’s character before he makes any sudden moves.
The man perks right back up, and Ed tries to ignore the way something flutters in his chest as the man’s attention fixes on him. “I’d be happy to accept any assistance you can give me.”
Ed takes a breath and studies the man’s face for just a bit longer. Once he makes this move, after all, there’s no going back. He might as well be as sure as he can that he’s making the right choice.
It’s difficult to look past the superficial, to get through his initial reaction to an objectively attractive collection of features, but when he manages it he’s only further intrigued. The man either is or was part of the military—there’s no hiding the straight line of his spine and the careful stance. There’s an exhaustion about him too, something that speaks to a difficult life with difficult choices, but beneath that…
There’s a fire in his eyes, one Ed immediately understands and relates to, and he knows without a doubt that he would follow this man anywhere if only he asked.
Well, shit. It probably is for the best that he has no intention of revealing who he is just yet. He needs a chance to actually think rationally about this whole thing, even if it doesn’t actually change anything.
“If you keep following this road,” he says lightly, “there’s a general store on the right. Red shutters and a blue door. Big sign that says ‘General Store’. Can’t miss it. Best damn lemonade in town, too, might as well get some while you’re there.”
He ignores Al’s gaze burning a hole into the side of his face in favor of watching the stranger before him. “All right.”
“The woman who runs the store, if you can persuade her? She knows just about everyone in town. Prove to her why you need to find these brothers, and if anyone here can help you, she can.”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
Ed grins. “Nah. Nothing else I can tell you. Say, you wanna take a few of these tomatoes off our hands while you’re here?”
The man smiles back. “You know, I think I just might.”
As the man leaves with a small sack of tomatoes and a grin, Al nudges Ed’s shoulder again. “Why didn’t you just say who we were?”
“I needed to be sure of something,” Ed replies, eyes fixed on the retreating stranger.
“But you sent him to Mom. Why not send him away if you’re not sure of whatever it is?”
Ed finally grins. “Just… a feeling I got. Maybe it’s nothing.”
Even as he says the words, though, he knows they’re a lie. Whatever this is, it’s only just beginning.