Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Legend of Korra

Ayana

She was rocketing after him, using flames from her hands and feet as propellant, when he suddenly turned and sent multiple sweeps of air at her. She dodged the first two, but the third connected and sent her reeling down, and she skidded to a stop on a plateau. She stood quickly. The pain didn't matter. Nothing mattered except one thing. Kill Zaheer.

He was flying towards her. She extended her hands and shot flame, but as he flew past he brought a wind gust that pushed her backwards and over edge of the plateau. Her momentum took her down, and she hit multiple boulders on the way. But she didn't even register the pain. It was nothing compared to the agony of the poison wracking her body. She could feel it starting to take its toll. Her muscles were tiring. It was getting harder to move, and she was slower to stand.

She dragged herself up and bent the fire again beneath her feet, propelling herself toward Zaheer. She bent the tall column of earth nearby, collapsing it sideways on top of him. He somehow managed to survive and circled around to charge her. She threw a stream of fire again, but the pain in her being pulsed, and she lost all concentration. The fires fizzled out and she fell, slamming into the side of a column and landing on a small outcropping.

She lay there, willing herself to move, but her body didn't want to listen. The anguish was just too overwhelming. Kill… Zaheer….

Edward

He stood watching from the ground with the airbenders and the others. Ayana was throwing flame at a charging Zaheer, but her fire suddenly fizzled out and she crashed into a pillar. Zaheer stopped attacking and hovered nearby.

"We have to help!" Ed yelled to anyone who would listen.

"I could fly up on my bison!" Kai offered.

"You're no match for Zaheer. He's too powerful." Chief Beifong told him sternly.

"There haven't been this many airbenders in one place in a long time. We have power together!" Jinora declared boldly as she stepped forward. "Everyone, make a circle! Follow my lead!"

The airbenders all ran after her to a safe distance away from the nonbenders. Jinora stood in the center and raised her hands to create a small tornado in her palm. Ed watched as the other benders moved in unison, enlarging the tornado. It grew quickly, and the powerful whirlwind spun in a mighty frenzy.

It reached up to Zaheer, who looked like he was having trouble staying out of the cyclone's sucking air currents. He swooped to grab Ayana and tried to flee with her. But the twister grew stronger, reaching higher into the sky, and Zaheer couldn't escape. He was losing his grip on her; now he only had a hold of her hand as he tried to fly away.

He either lost his grip or let go, but as Ed watched, they separated. Zaheer flew up, unhindered and escaping.

But Ayana moved, whipping the long chain still attached to her wrist and wrapping it around his ankle. She dragged him down into the cyclone with her, and as she landed in the middle of the airbenders, she slammed the chain to the ground. It pulled Zaheer with it and he hit hard. He lay groaning on the ground, in pain from the hard impact. Ayana moaned and collapsed as the tornado dissolved.

"Ayana!" He and Al darted over to her as the Beifong sisters secured Zaheer in an earthbent prison; only his head was visible above the rock. He couldn't move a muscle.

Ed knelt at her side and pulled her into his lap as Al quickly clapped and released the shackles. He felt like this was déjà vu; he was having flashbacks to that day in the mine, when Kimblee had nearly killed her, and he was trying hard not to let the dread overwhelm him. "Ayana. Are you okay?" He asked softly.

She slowly opened her eyes halfway, and he was surprised to see they were still intensely white. They flickered a few times, but then she closed them again, still blazing. She seemed unable to bring herself out of the Avatar State.

Zaheer started laughing maniacally. "You're too late! The poison's already done its work. Soon the Avatar cycle will end!"

Ed's stomach dropped at the words. No, this can't be happening!

Jinora spoke up and yelled at the Beifong's. "The poison is metallic! You can save her!"

The metalbending sisters immediately rushed over and knelt down across from him. Su began working, moving her hands in sweeping motions, to pull at the poison inside Ayana. She did this motion several times before moving up by her head and bringing her hands upwards. Ayana jerked and her glowing eyes flew open as Su drew the poison out of her mouth and threw it safely away on the ground.

She coughed a few times, but when she recovered and opened her eyes, they were normal. Relief flooded Ed's heart, and he immediately pulled her up to his chest, hugging her close. She was too weak to hug him back.

"Ed. You're alive." She croaked. "I thought you were dead."

"It takes more than a crazy airbender to get rid of me." He replied softly.

Zaheer was shouting and cursing in anger. Bolin shut him up by shoving a sock in his mouth.

Ayana

"We need to get to Central." She announced in a hoarse voice, and Ed looked at her, aghast.

"What? Now? Ayana, you do know what just happened to you, right? You need to rest a couple days, at least."

"I can do that on the way." She waved weakly. "We're not that far from the North Pole, but it'll still take a day or two to get there."

"Ayana." Al spoke firmly. "Central can wait."

Giving in, she replied, "Fine. But let's at least get to Agne Qel'a for now. I don't want to stay here."

"Understandable. But where's Agne Qel'a?" Ed asked.

"The Northern Water Tribe capital city."

"Oh. Yeah, sure." He picked her up easily and held her cradled to his chest as he walked over towards Tenzin and the other adults. She noticed the airbenders were all gathered, too, and Zaheer had been trapped in an earthbent pyramid. Only his head was visible as it stuck out of the top. He had some sort of gag in his mouth, but she could tell he was livid as he locked eyes with her. She didn't look away. She glared back, putting all the hatred and anger she could into her gaze.

"We have some stuff we have to take care of back home, so we're going to head to the North Pole." Ed announced as he stopped in front of the adults.

They all looked as shocked as Ed had when she had said it. Tenzin was the first to find his voice, and he aimed his words at her, not him. "After what you just went through, I really think it's best for you to return to Air Temple Island to relax and recover. Mercury poisoning is not something to be taken lightly."

"Tenzin." She spoke. Man, her voice sounded horrible. "We have to. Their world is in danger because of me. I have to go. I'm the only one who can stop it."

He looked at her in a fatherly way with concern blazing in his eyes. He eventually sighed. "At least take a few days to heal before you go. Please."

"I will, I promise." And she meant it.

No one else challenged them about it, so Ed carried her over to Sona, who lowered herself as much as possible to help her get up. Even so, it was difficult. Her muscles felt like jelly, and it was challenging to move. Al ended up climbing into the saddle first, then reached down to grab her arms and hoist her up.

She felt bad that she hadn't even said goodbye to anyone. She tried to sit up to see them or wave at them. She wanted to thank them for saving her, but she didn't have the strength. She turned her head to look at Alphonse. "Al! Tell everyone thank you, and that I'll see them soon. Please."

"Don't worry, they just heard you say it. They all followed us over here." He informed her with a small chuckle.

She heard Mako call. "Make sure you're recovered before you go through that portal, Ayana. Be safe."

"See you soon!" She heard Asami shout. Everyone else's calls were all jumbled together as they voiced their encouragement and support. Her heart warmed at the love she felt from them all.

Ed had crawled up to Sona's head. He turned to look at her in the saddle and asked, "How do we get there?"

"Fly northwest until you see the icy continent, then follow the coast west." Her eyes were starting to feel heavy. It was hard to focus, and she felt so tired.

The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was Edward's voice. "Sona, yip yip."

Edward

Ayana passed out cold before Sona even left the ground. They soared into the air, and he pointed the sky bison to the right of the setting sun. He didn't know the distance they'd have to go, but they were pretty far north already. It couldn't be that far.

He glanced back to see Al wrapping blankets around Ayana and tucking a folded coat under her head. After he was done, he carefully crawled forward, hanging on to the bison's fur, to join him.

"Mercury poisoning can be really bad, Brother." Al sounded worried.

"She'll be okay." He responded assertively. "Even if there's side effects, she'll be fine. She's survived worse." Even so, he wished he felt as confident as he sounded.

Al didn't respond. They watched the sun set as they flew on. The sky turned purple before allowing the stars to shine through, and the moon bathed them in its cool light.

Ayana slept deep. She didn't move a single muscle at all throughout the night, and even through the next day. The following evening, they finally spotted the expanse of ice that was the continent of the Northern Water Tribe. They landed on the shore, eager to stretch their legs and give the sky bison a rest.

Ed walked around on the shore, moving just for the sake of moving. He was pondering the events of the last few months. When he and Al had decided to come here, they never imagined they'd walk into something like this. He was glad they had been here to help, but he felt like they didn't have a lot of down time that they'd spent together. They'd been on the run almost constantly with Zaheer and the Earth Queen hounding them like they had. But they were both gone, now. Maybe Ayana's life would get back to normal now.

Although, honestly, it didn't sound like the Avatar could have a normal life. She played a larger role in her world than he'd originally realized, and he finally understood why she'd been so desperate to get home two years ago. The people viewed the Avatar as a world leader, the one responsible for keeping the balance in the world. It was a tough life, that much was evident. He wondered if it was a life she was doomed to live alone.

She'd come help them stop the war in Amestris, sure, but she wouldn't stay. She couldn't; he understood that now more than ever. But the thought of being separated from her again was devastating. Even with all the challenges they'd been through these past few months, he would do it all over again just to be with her. But then a thought hit him. Why couldn't he stay with her?

He was pulled out of his musing by Al approaching, so he stopped pacing and waited for his little brother. Al put his hands in his coat pockets and looked at him curiously. "Brother? What are you thinking about? You've got steam coming out of your ears, your brain's working so hard."

Ed looked away from him and gazed out toward the ocean. The dancing lights in the sky were reflecting off the water, and it was a beautiful sight. "Just thinking about our time here."

Al paused as he looked at him thoughtfully. "Do you really want to go back, Ed?"

He didn't look at his brother. "Of course. We need to stop the Xing army."

"That's not what I meant, Brother."

He knew full well that wasn't what he meant, but he'd hoped his answer would be enough for now. He sighed heavily before replying. "I don't know, Al."

Al put a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you decide, I want you to know I support you. No matter what."

Ed didn't answer.

They slept on the ground that night to let Sona have a good sleep. When they awoke in the morning, they found both the bison and Ayana awake. She complained of a headache, but otherwise seemed okay, although she didn't leave the bison's back.

They departed shortly after eating a small breakfast. Ed took the reins again while Al sat in the saddle with Ayana.

They arrived at the city by midafternoon. It was much bigger than the city they'd seen in the South Pole, but otherwise looked similar. The buildings and streets were made completely of ice, just like down south. Ayana directed him on where to land, and Ed brought Sona down in a large courtyard outside a stunning ice palace.

As he and Al helped her down from the bison, a man with two guards approached. "Avatar Ayana, it is a pleasure to welcome you here. I am Chief Unalaq."

She tried to push away from Ed's supporting arms and bowed slightly at the Chief. "Thank you, Chief Unalaq. We're on our way to the spirit portal and request your hospitality for a few days."

Ed was sure the Chief had seen her sway where she stood when she'd pushed him away, but the man didn't say anything about it. Instead, he smiled warmly. "What's mine is yours, Avatar. Please, allow me to show you to our guesthouse."

The Chief turned away to lead them, and she instantly leaned against Ed again. He supported her as they walked behind the Chief, and Al stayed on her other side, ready to help if needed. Ed was surprised she was able to keep up the pace the Chief set.

Upon arriving at the house, he ushered them in and invited them to dinner later that evening before excusing himself. Ed led Ayana over to the couch and she collapsed into it gratefully. He sat on the chair opposite, eyeing her.

"What's with the look?" She sounded annoyed.

"You sure you're up for dinner?" He was skeptical. She'd barely been able to make it this far on her feet.

She glared at him as she crossed her arms. "Yes. I'll be fine."

He left her alone after that and decided to explore the guesthouse. Despite being made completely from ice, the place was warm and had a cozy feel to it.

Dinner that night was uneventful. They met the chief's two children, who were teenage twins around Al's age. True to her word, Ayana made it there and back just fine, but passed out in bed immediately afterwards.

She was still asleep shortly after noon the next day when a knock on the door startled him and Al. They'd found some books on the history and art of waterbending and had been reading intently since early that morning, so the sharp knock made them both jump. Al, being nearest, stood and opened the door to find an older woman standing there.

"Good afternoon. My name is Sakuda. May I come in?" She had a warm, polite voice, and Al ushered her inside. "Chief Unalaq requested I come speak with the Avatar. Is she here?" Sakuda asked after looking around and seeing only the two boys in the room.

"She's sleeping." Ed answered shortly.

Sakuda's face fell as she frowned slightly. "That's unfortunate. I'm a waterbender who specializes in healing. The Chief suggested that the Avatar could use my skills."

Ed shared a look with Al. He figured that it couldn't hurt; whatever helped her recover was worth a shot, and it seemed that his brother agreed.

"I can show you to her room, if you'd like." Al offered.

Sakuda paused before answering. "The most powerful healing methods involve the use of spirit water. There is an oasis behind the palace that has the water I need. It would be best if I could take her there."

He glanced at Al again, who shrugged. "Honestly it could be a day or two before she wakes up. She was poisoned with mercury, and it's really taken a toll." Ed informed her.

The waterbender's eyes widened at the mention of mercury. "We shouldn't wait until she wakes up, then. Can you carry her?"

"Sure." He pushed himself to his feet and padded down the hallway, then slowly opened Ayana's door. She was still conked out from the night previous, and he noticed she hadn't even bothered to change into night clothes after dinner. He scooped her up carefully and returned to the living room. Sakuda was waiting at the open door, and he followed her and Al outside.

She led them swiftly down a path that wound around the palace and down into a scenic oasis. There was a lot of water here, and Ed was surprised it wasn't iced over. Two wooden bridges led across the water to a small island, where a pond sat in the middle with a decorative archway at its edge. He had a feeling that this was a sacred place that outsiders weren't usually allowed to see. He should feel honored, but instead he felt apprehensive. He wasn't sure why.

They crossed one of the bridges to the pond, and Sakuda pointed to it. "Please. Put her in the water."

He did as requested, making sure to keep her head above the waterline. Sakuda didn't waste any time as she started bending the water, causing it to glow as it flowed back and forth gently.

Ed noticed as he watched that the pond wasn't empty; there were two koi fish in it, swimming in circles around one another. One was black, and the other was white. Like yin and yang.

"Koi fish?" He asked Sakuda.

She glanced over at him while she worked. "They are the moon and ocean spirits, Tui and La."

La. He'd heard that name before. La was the one who'd sent Ayana to Amestris two years ago.

"Which one is La?" Al asked. He must have recognized the name, too.

"The black one." Sakuda replied.

Ed approached the pond cautiously and watched the mesmerizing dance of the fish. They didn't stop, didn't stray from their path, as they circled each other. He knelt at the water's edge to get a closer look.

He swore he could see the black fish's eyes looking at him as it swam. Even though the circumstances hadn't been the greatest, he was still grateful for what the spirit had done. If it wasn't for La, he never would have met the love of his life.

"Thank you, La." He thanked the spirit softly.