Edling

"I'm sure as hell not dying in this place with you. But you have people waiting for you too, right?"

- Edward to Ling

Edling is the slash ship between Edward Elric and Ling Yao from the Fullmetal Alchemist fandom.

Canon
Both Edward and Ling are seekers of the Philosopher's Stone, as Ed needs to right a wrong that fell upon his younger brother (as well as himself), while Ling needs to save his entire clan by becoming the next Emperor of Xing. This goal drives them to leave the places they call home to search for it, with their close allies that journey beside Ed and Ling and to make sure that they don't get into trouble, as it has a knack for finding them.

Edward first meets Ling during his second time in Rush Valley as he and Alphonse wait for Winry to return with the parts for Ed's automail arm by killing time. At first, Ed assumes that his younger brother Alphonse had found another stray cat until he's shown Ling, who had fallen unconscious from hunger. The Elric brothers take him to a local restaurant, after some persuasion from Alphonse.

After eating a shockingly large serving of food, Ling thanks Ed and Al for the meal before asking them if it's their treat; all something they hadn't expected. Ed was, however, a little impressed that Ling had crossed the desert in order to reach Amestris from Xing, as Ling wanted to see the ruins of Xerxes to aid in his mission. Ling also explains to Ed that the alchemy in his home country is known as alkahestry, as well as it being medicinal, before Edward tells Ling how Amestris's alchemy is mainly typically used for war as he lists the border conflicts they are facing.

Edward later becomes annoyed with Ling when as he learns that he doesn't practice alkahestry although that he came to Amestris to study alchemy, and when Ling informs them that he seeks the Philosopher's Stone, he's quick to assume that they know something about it. However, because of the infamous main ingredient to make a stone, Edward didn't want to give Ling the information he'd been seeking.

As well as thinking that Ling's goal to become immortal for political reasons was rather ridiculous, Edward didn't appreciate Ling sicking his retainers (Fu and Lan Fan respectively) on him and and his brother, along with the damage and restaurant bills that Ling left them to deal with without any aid.

They shortly meet again in Garfiel's automail shop, where Ling quickly greets him as if they were as if they were friends, much to Edward's dismay. Ling explains that he is a prince of Xing-- the twelveth in line to be exact-- and due to his large number of siblings, when his father became gravely ill, he decided that he needed the Philosopher's Stone to obtain immortality and up his chances of being chosen as the next Emperor. Ed, however still wasn't going to help Ling, which got the prince to state that he'll stay by Ed's side until he's gotten what he wanted.

Upon Fu asking Ling why he wants to lower himself to someone like Ed, Ling explains that it is a small price to pay for the Yao Clan's future, before they accompany Ed, Al and Winry to Central.

The two part ways once they all arrive to Central, although their paths cross again quickly after; inevitably splitting up once again due to Edward being dragged off to a once-bustling civilization in the midst of the desert between Amestris and Xing.

When Ed finally returns to Central, he sees Ling and Lan Fan eating a meal courtesy of his hotel room bill, before he kicks them out of the room. After Ed learns that an infamous criminal has returned and discovers that the mysterious homunculi would want to keep the man from killing him and his brother, Ling offers to help Ed capture of one after hearing him say that they might just have the clue to immortality like he's been searching for. After he helps Ed catch one, of course.

Fanon
Edling is currently considered to be one of, if even the most popular slash ship involving Ling Yao in the Fullmetal Alchemist fandom. Due to all that the two have been through together after their first meeting in Rush Valley and even remaining supportive of each other after Ling's body was used to host Greed, this very well makes sense.

On AO3, the ship (as of 2022) has just over 500 fics under the paring tag. How many other works exist beyond that are unknown, as it's rather hard to track down specific tags on Fanfiction Dot-Net and other sites given its source's peak in popularity was during the more premature stages of the internet.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR
 * (English ver. 1)
 * (English ver. 2)

TWITTER


 * Edling on Twitter (English ver. 1)


 * Linged on Twitter (English ver. 2)


 * リンエド on Twitter (Japanese ver.)


 * 린에드 on Twitter (Korean ver.)