Chapter 37

Edward

The doctors had said exactly what he was expecting them to say. Al's body was malnourished and the muscles atrophied, and they expected him to be in their care for at least a month or two. As for his own injuries, the doctors had stitched and wrapped up his bicep, but he was otherwise fine aside from minor cuts and bruises. Miraculously, no one had suffered any major injuries from the entire ordeal. Unless you counted Mustang's blindness.

He sat beside Al's hospital bed. His little brother, after eating what he called 'the most flavorful dinner in the world', had passed out cold, able to sleep for the first time in five years. He couldn't stop gazing at his brother. Even with his pale, sickly appearance, he was, in Edward's opinion, the greatest sight in the world.

Ayana was sitting on the floor across the room with her two friends sitting on either side of her. She had her eyes closed and was leaning her head back against the wall with a peaceful look on her face. Her friends sat gazing around the room, obviously feeling out of place in a strange, foreign world.

"Ayana." Bolin whispered loudly, and she opened her eyes to look at him. "Any chance we can get some food? Pabu's hungry."

That was a name Ed hadn't heard before. He was about to ask, but Ayana spoke first, and she sounded irate. "Are you serious? You brought him here?"

"Well… I couldn't very well leave him behind!" He replied crossly. Mako just rolled his eyes as he stood and offered a hand to his brother.

"C'mon, Bolin, let's go find the cafeteria." He pulled his brother up to his feet, and together they headed for the door.

Ayana called after them, "I wouldn't let people here see Pabu if I were you. Either feed him under your shirt or bring the food back here."

"Okay, okay! Will do!" Bolin waved over his shoulder as they left.

Under his shirt? Ed was really confused now. "Who's Pabu?"

She looked up at him. "Bolin's fire ferret. I can't believe he brought him here." She shook her head as she said it.

He was going to ask what a fire ferret was, but then decided that was a stupid question. It was probably a ferret that could breathe fire.

"So, how's it feel?" He asked her, adding on when he saw her confused look, "To have Harmonic Convergence behind you."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back again. "It feels like a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I'm sure there's still some aftermath to deal with, though. I'll bet there's still some random dark spirits that need to be dealt with." She opened her eyes again and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Also, Bue disappeared. I'm not sure he's really a threat now, though. I'm not sure if it's worth pursuing him or not."

"Hmm." He hummed noncommittally in response. He knew there was more to Bue's story than she'd told him. But in his opinion, it was worth pursuing the spirit, if only to make him pay for all the damage he'd helped cause.

She looked over at him. "What about you? How's it feel to not have to worry about Father?"

He stood up from the chair and walked over to sit down next to her. "Same as you, I guess. I don't have it weighing down on me anymore. And having Al back in his body, its… indescribable." She smiled at him as she grasped his hand in hers. She'd grabbed his right hand, and he relished the fact that he could feel her warm touch.

He desperately wanted to ask her about what was going to happen next. Everything was over, the battles won, and the portal open. She could, and would, return to her world, but that didn't stop him from wanting her to stay. She'd told him before that she didn't have a choice and that she'd have to go, but a small part of him wanted to try to convince her otherwise.

He was trying to figure out how to start that conversation when the door opened and Mako and Bolin strolled back in, holding trays loaded with food. They sat cross-legged across from them and began chowing down. Ed could see a small, red ferret sticking its head out of Bolin's shirt, and the boy was passing it food.

Mako ended up voicing his question for him. "So, what happens now, Ayana? That blonde guy was it, right? There's no more bad guys?"

"No more bad guys." She answered, laughing a little at his word choice. "As for what happens next…" She paused and glanced briefly in Ed's direction before continuing. "I guess we go home."

"What? Just like that? This place seems really cool, I'd love to explore it a little!" Bolin complained.

Ayana's voice was sad and dejected. "We don't belong here, Bolin."

"But who says we can't just treat it like another nation? You know, Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Alchemy Kingdom? Maybe sign a peace treaty with them?" He asked.

He hadn't even considered that. But now that he thought about it, it was a possibility. Why couldn't they treat each other like bordering countries?

After giving it some thought, Ayana responded. "I don't think that'll work. Most spirits already despise humans in their realm. Having tourists traveling to and from each portal won't sit easy with them."

"Won't find out until you try. I don't think you're giving the spirits enough credit." Bolin responded.

"Maybe when we figure out what's going to happen with our government, we can bring it up." Ed suggested to her. He was willing to hang on to the small shred of a chance that Bolin's idea might work out.

She gave him a sad smile. "Maybe."

Ayana

Two weeks had gone by since the fight with Father. She'd sent Mako and Bolin home with Raashu, telling them she had some lose ends to tie up but she'd return home soon. They left without complaint.

Things finally seemed to be settling down; there was quite the uproar in the Amestrian military as they scrambled to recover from the turmoil. Mostly, it seemed, everything was being covered up. She saw nothing in the newspapers about Father, or the homunculi. It was all being swept under the rug.

General Grumman, who was apparently a friend of Colonel Mustang's, marched in and took control of the government in Central. Within a day of his arrival, he'd had the concrete in the courtyard repaired to hide the light that the portal emitted. And when she'd gone down with Mako and Bolin to see them off, she'd found the portal being guarded by Grumman's men, and she'd had to explain who she was, and prove it, before they had let her pass.

Edward spent most of his time in his brother's hospital room. Sometimes they'd walk around the gardens together, slowly building Al's muscle strength, but otherwise they would be in the room. Ling and Lan Fan had left a week ago to head home to bury Fu, who had sacrificed himself in the fight against Wrath. Mei had left shortly after, taking her panda with her. Ayana hadn't seen or heard anything about Scar; no one seemed to know where he had disappeared to. The chimeras had also vanished; she hoped they had gone home to their families. Colonel Mustang was in the hospital recovering from his injuries sustained from his fight with Wrath and Pride before he'd been blinded.

Which reminded her, she'd wanted to talk to him about something she'd been thinking about lately. She pulled herself out of her thoughts and glanced around the garden, looking for the Elric brothers. She'd come down here with them, and doubted they'd leave without saying anything. Standing and stretching, she paused as she felt for their chi, then followed her senses through the garden.

She found them after a few minutes. Ed waited patiently as Al sat on a bench, resting. She waved as she approached them. "Hey, I just remembered I've got something I want to talk to Mustang about. I'll meet up with you later."

"Hey, wait, we'll go with you." Al replied, and his legs trembled slightly as he stood. "I haven't seen him since the Promised Day. I'd like to go say hello."

"Oh, okay." She hadn't really wanted an audience for her conversation with Mustang, but she couldn't say no to those sweet, innocent eyes. Ed hovered close by his brother as they slowly made their way to Mustang's room.

Upon finally reaching his room, they knocked on the door, which was opened by Hawkeye. She ushered them inside and announced out loud who it was to Mustang so that he knew who was present. There were stacks of books piled around his bed, which she thought peculiar, since he could no longer read.

"What's with the books?" Ed asked as he guided Al to a chair.

"The crew's been quizzing me on Ishvalen history and culture." Mustang answered. "I'm making it a priority to learn everything about them, and I plan on working to restore the land to its people."

"It's good to see you, Colonel." Al said.

"Alphonse, I can't tell you how happy I am that you're back in your body." Mustang responded sincerely. The unspoken phrase hung in the air; 'it's good to see you too'.

"Ayana, didn't you have something you wanted to talk to him about?" Al prompted innocently.

Damn. She really didn't want others here for it. Sensing her hesitation, Mustang asked, "Do you want me to kick everyone else out?"

That just made her feel guilty about her apprehension. "No. I mean, maybe. I… I hadn't planned on an audience for this. But I guess it's no big deal." She approached Mustang's bed, ensuring she made plenty of noise with her footsteps so he could track her movements. She didn't want to startle him. His head followed her as she walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, on the side that allowed her to face away from everyone else. "I… Well… I can't make any guarantees it'll work, but I happen to know a skilled healer…" Mustang was quiet as he sat frozen at her words. The entire room was deathly silent.

"I don't think anything but a Philosopher's Stone can fix me." Mustang replied softly.

"I think it's worth a try. But only if you want." She said kindly. She glanced over her shoulder as she heard Ed whisper something to Al, then he quietly got up and slipped from the room.

She could tell Mustang was struggling internally, not wanting to allow himself to hope. He sat silently for a while before finally sighing and saying, "What the hell. Let's give it a shot. What is there to lose?"

She smiled. "I'll do my best, but like I said, I can't guarantee anything, okay? But I'll try." Edward returned as she spoke, carrying a bowl of water and placing it on the bedside table. He shot her a calculating look as he set it down but didn't linger as he moved back to stand by his brother's chair. Hawkeye hadn't moved a muscle the entire time, but she was watching intently.

"Lie down flat and open your eyes." She instructed.

He did so, his milky gaze staring at nothing as he lay down. She reached towards the bowl and bent the water into her hand. She explained to him, "I'll be using water. Try to keep your eyes open unless I tell you otherwise." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and concentrated, probing internally for Avatar Kyoshi.

Mustang

He knew the Avatar was capable of some amazing things, but he didn't know that healing was one of them. But she'd also said she wasn't sure if it would work… He berated himself for the optimism he was feeling. He shouldn't allow himself to get his hopes up. But what harm could it do to try? If she failed and it didn't work, he wasn't out anything, right? What more damage could be done to his eyes?

Finally, he responded, "What the hell. Let's give it a shot. What is there to lose?"

She responded, "I'll do my best, but like I said, I can't guarantee anything, okay? But I'll try."

He heard someone moving across the room. It had to be Edward; his footsteps, one heavier than the other, gave him away. The Avatar adjusted herself on his bed and instructed him to lie down with his eyes open. He leaned back and opened his useless eyes. He could see nothing, just like every other time he'd opened them. He was sort of used to it by now, but it was still disorienting sometimes.

The Avatar's voice spoke again, "I'll be using water. Try to keep your eyes open unless I tell you otherwise." He nodded and suddenly felt nervous. There's nothing to be nervous about. Stay calm.

He waited. The room was strangely quiet, and he could feel some tension in the air. He jumped as the cool touch of the water caught him off guard. He could feel it moving around on his eyes, and it was difficult to keep them open. Slowly, a strange feeling of pressure started building behind his eyeballs. It felt like the water was behind them, although there was no way to be sure if that was true. But it sure felt like it. The pressure wasn't painful, but it was uncomfortable. He tried to control his breathing, but ended up taking a sharp inhale, which must have alerted Hawkeye because she was instantly at his side. "What's wrong, sir?"

"Nothing, just some pressure. I'm fine." He reassured her. He tried to ignore his discomfort as the pressure continued to mount.

"Close your eyes." A voice instructed. It sounded like Ayana, but also different. Almost like two voices had spoken at once. He obeyed, and that did help with the pressure some, but it still felt uncomfortable. He lay there for a long time, concentrating on his breathing and trying to take his mind off the sensation.

Slowly, finally, the pressure began to go away. It had felt like ages, and he felt immense relief as it dissipated. He felt like he was crying with tears leaking out of his eyes, but they never ran down his cheeks. The pressure was completely gone, now; he wondered if she was done, but didn't want to screw her up by opening his eyes too early. He waited with apprehension.

"All right. Open your eyes." The double voice ordered.

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he realized he was staring at a white ceiling. He sat up quickly and looked at Hawkeye. Looked at her. He could see the emotion in her eyes as she realized he could see her. Ed and Al were off to his left, behind her. He'd never seen Al's body before; he looked like his brother, but much skinnier and less muscular. Their expressions showed stunned surprise as they met his gaze.

He turned his head to look at the Avatar, who sat on the right side of his bed. Her eyes were glowing pure white, so he couldn't tell what she was looking at. But he felt her gaze on him. As he watched, her eyes dimmed back to normal.

Overwhelmed by what had just happened, all he could manage to say was, "Th-thank you."

"Of course." She responded quietly as she stood. A sudden thought came to his mind.

"Wait." She returned his gaze expectantly. "Do you think… could you help Havoc, too?"

Ayana

She had a larger audience when she and Kyoshi healed Havoc's legs a few days later; apparently Mustang's entire crew wanted to witness what had given their superior his sight back. She didn't like being watched by so many people like that but didn't have the heart to kick them out. They were just curious, after all.

With his eyesight returned, Mustang immediately got back to work. When she asked him about it, he was more than willing to help her set up an appointment with the new Fuhrer. She had practiced her speech in her head multiple times, trying to come up with the best way to ask him about treaties and partnerships with her world. She had considered going back and presenting the idea to her own president first but decided that, as the 'bridge between worlds', this was her territory, anyway.

As the appointment day and time finally arrived, the Colonel came to retrieve her from Al's room. She left with him and walked towards Fuhrer Grumman's office. She could feel her heart beating fast from the anticipation, and she had butterflies in her stomach.

"Stop worrying. Everything will be fine." Mustang said kindly to her. She just nodded as a response.

Knocking softly and hearing the answer inside, Mustang opened the door for her and followed her in. The Fuhrer was an older man, with white hair circling his bald head, and a bushy white mustache. He watched them as they entered.

"Hello, Ayana, is it? Please have a seat. Colonel, nice to see you again." Mustang returned the greeting and sat next to her in chairs positioned in front of the desk. "What can I do for you, dearie?"

She took a deep breath and began reciting the speech she'd prepared. She tried to sound as professional and respectful as possible. "Fuhrer Grumman, sir. I know that you're well aware of my background, and you're also aware of what the portal in the basement is, and where it leads. I feel the portal presents new and exciting opportunities for us as nations. As an ambassador of the United Republic of Nations, and permanent emissary to the spirit realm, I'd like to propose a cooperation between our two countries. I believe we can benefit from each other, and now that we're aware of each other's existence, it would be a shame to let the opportunity go."

Mustang, of course, kept his face shielded from emotion. But she thought she saw a small smile on the corners of his lips. Grumman, however, gazed at her with an expression she couldn't read.

"My dear," he began slowly. "I am indeed aware of your origins, and I have been told what lies beyond that portal. To be completely frank with you, I don't believe we have any use for wild and dangerous spirits invading our country, much less tourists and possible refugees from your world. Our country has just been shaken at its very roots, and we need to focus our efforts on fixing what is broken and reestablishing ourselves as a nation. I fear we can't do that effectively while also protecting ourselves from those spirits."

"Protect yourself?" She repeated, genuinely shocked. Fixing the country was a valid point, but protection from spirits? "There's nothing to protect yourself from, sir. Most spirits are simply curious. They are harmless."

"My men report otherwise, I'm afraid. There are some who have yet to return from the other side, and I can only assume the worst."

Her anger flared, but she kept it suppressed. "You've been sending men in there?"

"Of course. It's a gateway leading right to the heart of our country, and that makes it dangerous. I have to know what we're up against." Grumman responded. His voice was beginning to take on a testy tone.

"You're not up against anything!" She could hear her voice shaking as she continued to suppress her emotions, but she knew her efforts were beginning to fail. "Sir, with all due respect, you shouldn't have sent soldiers in there without discussing it with me first. There are fundamental differences in the spirit world that…"

"My dear." He cut her off sharply. "I am the Fuhrer here. You would do well to remember that." She stayed silent, afraid that if she spoke, she would just end up yelling in frustration. "I am told you have the ability to close the portal. When you return to your side, you will close it behind you. Is that understood, my dear?"

She couldn't meet his gaze anymore; she didn't want him to see her frustration. She looked at her feet instead. "I understand, sir."

"Good. You are dismissed, then. Although I would like to add, your friends and family are sure to be missing you back home. It would be best for you to leave as soon as possible."

She stood without looking at him or acknowledging his words and swept from the room. Mustang followed, trying to keep up with the quick pace she set.