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

Ayana

It took a few days to get to Central City. She was sick of trains by the end of it. She'd be happy if she never rode one again in her life.

It didn't take them long to make their way to the library that Marcoh had suggested they search in. But when they turned around the last block, the excited anticipation everyone was feeling came crashing down around them. The building had collapsed, and the rubble was lying in large heaps. Burnt books littered the ground, their charred pages scattered everywhere. Ed cried out in despair and rummaged through the debris, trying to find anything that might have survived. His search proved fruitless.

A pair of officers showed up while they were investigating the rubble and took the Major's role of guarding them. Why did she need a guard, again? Mustang must still be leery of her. She didn't need protection; all these soldiers were doing was making sure she didn't cause any trouble. It was annoying, but there was nothing she could do about it that wouldn't cause harm or draw suspicions.

At least these officers had an idea of what to do now that their only lead had gone up in flames. Literally. The one who introduced herself as Second Lieutenant Ross mentioned a woman who was previously employed at the library and suggested she might be able to help. Ayana couldn't see how, unless she could somehow bring the books back from the ashes.

Which, as it turned out, was exactly what she could do.

Sheska's photographic memory could reproduce Marcoh's notes, but it would take her a few days to write it all down. She shooed them out of her home, telling them she'd call when she was done transcribing.

"Well... what should we do in the meantime?" Ayana asked.

Ed turned to look at her. "Let's go to one of the other libraries. We'll see if we can find anything to help your… uh... predicament." He finished vaguely as he eyed the two officers standing a few feet away. Ayana was thankful for his discretion.

And that's how the next few days were spent. They'd go to the library in the morning, each of them searching the shelves for titles that sounded promising, then they holed themselves up in one of the many empty side rooms to read and search. They didn't come up with much.

"This book here says there were some ruins found in the north of Xing, believed to be an old shaman temple. Shamans are supposed to be pretty connected to spiritual stuff, right?" Edward asked, looking up to see if anyone knew the answer.

"Usually, yes. But all they found was ruins? I'm not sure how helpful that would be." She responded sadly. Ed tossed the book over his shoulder into his steadily growing stack that he'd labeled the 'useless' pile. She could see the frustration in his face. After several days of searching, they had found nothing substantial.

"Maybe you should try looking in the spirit world again, Ayana." Al suggested. He was trying to keep his voice light, but she could tell even he was running out of steam.

She sighed. "It's frustrating to keep trying something that doesn't work. It would be helpful if any of my spirit friends would bother to show their faces... then they could help me look…" She closed the book she'd been reading and placed it on the table. And it wouldn't be so lonely, and Raashu can cover ground so much faster than I can. He'd be a huge help right now…

"Who's Raashu?"

She hadn't realized she'd voiced her thoughts aloud. She turned away from them, embarrassed for admitting she gets lonely in there. "A good friend of mine. He's a wolf spirit."

"A wolf? He's not dangerous?"

"Every spirit is dangerous, in a way. They all have light and dark sides to them."

Ed opened his mouth to say something but had a change of heart and shut it again. He put his head on his fist as he thought about her words.

Al broke the silence timidly. "Is there any way we can help you search? Can you take us with you?"

She jerked upright, completely surprised that he'd ask such a question. She looked at him skeptically and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you guys believed in this 'spirit other-worldly crap'…" She airquoted the last part with her fingers.

They had the grace to look flustered at her accusation. They both fidgeted and refused to meet her gaze. "Well, we didn't. Not before we met you. But now, I mean, you're living proof that it all exists, right? Why shouldn't I believe it now?" Al reasoned.

Ed looked at his brother in surprise. "You believe it enough to want to go there? Seriously?"

"I think I do, Brother."

She put her elbow on the table and leaned her head into her fist as she thought. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. Another set of eyes might also be helpful. But they wouldn't cover any more ground than she could alone, since they would have to stick together. Plus, there are dangerous places and spirits there. She'd never forgive herself if she lost one or both of them to a spirit like Koh.

With a start, she realized something. Al was sitting here in a suit of armor only because his soul was bonded to it. The physical manifestation of his soul in the spirit world would most likely reflect his physical body before he was bonded with the armor. She'd never considered what dictated one's appearance in the spirit world, but she assumed it was their spirit, since the body is left behind. And Al's spirit had originated in a human body, not the armor, so it would most likely resemble his human form.

Maybe taking Al to the spirit world would be cruel. If her theory was right, how would he react? Would he be happy to finally get a break from the armor? Or would it make him depressed to have to go back to it afterwards? She didn't want to cause him any more pain than he'd already endured. That he was enduring every day.

He was still looking at her. She could sense the hope in his eyes. He really did want to try it. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I can't guarantee it'll work, but in case it does, there's some things you need to know." She had both of their rapt attention on her, drinking in her words. "It's not like this world, or even like mine. It can be dangerous. There are places that, if you get lost, you could be stuck there forever." Ed's eyes widened at that. "As long as you stick by me you should be fine, though. Also, the world itself operates... differently. Time and space run a little funky, and your surroundings, including nearby spirits, are affected by your mood. Staying as calm as possible is best. That all being said, it's your choice to try, and I'll help you if you so choose. But I wanted you to know the risks."

Al answered almost immediately. "I want to try."

"Al! Ugh, if you go then I'm going too!"

Ayana figured as much. Ed was definitely the protective older brother type, so of course he couldn't let Al go alone.

"Alright then." She stood and walked over to a spot on the floor that wasn't littered with books and sat down cross-legged. "If you want to try, come over here and sit the same way I am." Al came over promptly and sat down. Crossing his legs looked to be a bit of a task, with how rigid they were, but he somehow managed. Ed was more slow and hesitant about it; he was obviously not comfortable with this at all. She had her doubts that he'd be able to push past his reluctance to be able to get his spirit out of his body, but she kept those thoughts to herself.

After they were both settled, she raised her fists and put them together. "You can either put your fists together like this, or," and she demonstrated the second pose. "You can put your hands on your knees, putting your thumb and pointer finger together like this." They both opted for the fist pose. "Now, the goal here is separating your spirit from your body, and upon doing so, you'll naturally be drawn to the spirit world. To do that, try to clear your mind and relax your body. Focus on the energy flowing inside you, your chi, really feel it. Let yourself connect with it. Afterwards, when you want to exit the spirit world and come back to this world, you do the same thing. Focus and feel your soul, and will yourself back to this world. Your spirit will gravitate to your body, no matter where it is in the world, and you'll be back." She tried to give them a reassuring smile. Al had already closed his eyes. Or, at least, his eyes aren't lit anymore. Ed shared a look with her, then sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

She shut her eyes as well. While she doubted the possibility, she'd rather not have them get there before her, so no sense in wasting time. She put her fists back together and focused. Feeling her energy pulse, she felt her spirit move in response…

When she opened her eyes, she was in the spirit world.

She'd appeared in a meadow; grassy hills rolled around her in all directions. Off in the distance she could see where the grass ended and jagged, rocky formations began, with taller mountains even further away on the horizon. There were no spirits nearby.

In the past, she'd helped teach young acolytes at the air temples how to meditate, so she knew how to help draw their spirits to her. She closed her eyes and reached out in her mind, feeling for any familiar presences. She searched for a minute and was rewarded for her efforts when she could feel a small, nervous spirit reaching out. She latched on to it and pulled, feeling it follow willingly and easily. She suspected it was Alphonse. Sure enough, when she opened her eyes, a young blonde boy stood in front of her.

Not a suit of armor. A boy.

She smiled at him, elated that her theory had been right. She reached out a hand and put it on his shoulder. "Stay here and don't move, okay? I'm going to try to pull your brother in, too." He was staring at his hands in absolute wonder. "Hey! Did you hear me?"

He looked up, and his eyes were full of so many roiling emotions. It seemed to take a lot of effort for him to finally speak. "Y-yes. Don't move. Right."

She chuckled at him but wasn't sure she could trust him to obey. She kept her hand on his shoulder as she closed her eyes again, reaching for Edward.

It took her longer than it had to find Al, but she did eventually feel him. When she tried to grab on, she felt him retract and disappear. Disappointed, she opened her eyes. She'd suspected it would be harder for him than it would be for his brother.

Al was crying, the tears running down his face freely.

"Al, shhh, it's okay." She pulled him into a tight hug and rubbed his back in a reassuring manner. "Remember what I said about emotions here, right? I know it's a lot to take in, but you need to try to calm down. Have you noticed how gray and dark it's getting?"

He sniffed, trying valiantly to control his tears. Pulling away from the hug, he looked around. "Why is it so dull? Where's all the color?"

"It's because you're upset. Don't worry, it'll change soon."

He took a few heaving breaths to steady himself. And sure enough, his eyes widened as the vibrant color returned to their surroundings. "Whoa. Cool! Hey, wait!" He turned to look at her and pointed his finger in her face. "Did you know this would happen? With my body?"

"I had a theory. It's our souls that are here, not our bodies. I theorized that your soul would reflect your original body, your true body. Looks like I was right."

He hugged her again. "Thank you, thank you!" After several minutes he pulled back and gazed around at their surroundings. "It's so beautiful here. Wait, where's Ed?"

She felt guilty for some reason and looked down at her feet. "I tried to pull him through like I did with you, but he pulled back. I'm sorry. I don't think he's ready for this yet."

"That doesn't surprise me, Brother has always been more… rigid… about new things than I am." He pointed to a tall hill nearby, and he was practically dancing in excitement. "Can we go up there and take a look around? I want a better view. After that we can go wherever you want, to look for the portal!"

"Let's go, then!" She grinned broadly at him as they started towards the hill.

Yes, it was nice having someone to talk to. She didn't feel lonely anymore.

Edward

He didn't think it was going to work. He tried hard not to believe that thought, because he figured it would only hinder him even more. He'd done exactly what she'd told him, and there was even one instance where he thought felt something, but he pulled back at the last second. The sensation made him nervous.

After a while he gave up and winked his eye open to peek at the other two. They were both completely still. Ayana was breathing softly and evenly, while Al looked like a statue.

"Al?" He ventured. No response. Hm. Maybe he actually did it. Ed felt a bit of panic at this thought. How could he protect his brother if he wasn't there with him? He closed his eye and tried to focus again, but his emotions wouldn't let him clear his mind. Frustrated, he punched the floor as he stood up and he marched back to a pile of books, choosing one at random. He hoped they came back soon; he didn't like not knowing if his brother was safe or not.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably really only one or two, Ed was startled to hear a soft clanking noise. He glanced up from his book to see Al staring at him, the light having returned in his eyes.

"Al! You're back!" His excitement turned to worry instantly as he watched his brother, who hadn't said a word, put his helmet in his hands and shake with emotion.

"Hey what's wrong? Al!" He jumped up and ran over to kneel in front of his brother. He noted vaguely that Ayana still sat unmoving, but her eyes were open, watching them silently. "Al, come on, talk to me!"

"He's fine, give him a minute." Ayana said softly. Ed looked over at her and was about to tell her off. He wanted to yell at her for taking his little brother someplace that was obviously dangerous, but her expression made him freeze. Was that guilt? Sadness? Pity? She was hard to read. Why are girls so damn hard to read?

He turned his attention back to Al and put a hand on his knee. Al had stopped shaking and finally found his voice. "Brother. I'm sorry you weren't there. It was beautiful. So much color." He stopped. Ed waited, knowing there was more. "Ed. I… my soul…" Ed felt fear steal into his heart. He didn't know what he expected Al to say.

"Al, you're scaring me. What happened?"

Al heaved with a sigh and met Ed's gaze with his own. "My soul, Brother. My soul was the only thing that went to the spirit world." Ed was confused, and must have shown it on his face, because Al continued softly, "I left the armor behind, Ed."

Ayana had silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

Ed rocked back on his heels, dumbfounded. "Are you saying you were in your original body when you were there?" He wanted to believe it, but how is it possible?

"Yes." Al responded. "It was amazing, Brother." Ed was speechless.

"Alphonse," Ayana spoke into the silence. She was staring at the ground. "I want you to know, beforehand, I wasn't one hundred percent sure if that's what would happen or not, and I was scared." She paused and dipped her head even lower, her hair falling to hide her face. "I feared how you'd react. I hope that you don't view my bringing you there as cruel." She finally looked up at him, and her eyes were wet with tears.

"What? How could you think that? You've given me a great gift, Ayana. I can't even begin to describe how much that experience means to me." Al leaned forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. Please don't feel guilty."

Ayana sniffled a bit as she tried to blink back the tears and get her emotions under control. Finally, she pointed at Al and said in an almost motherly fashion, "Now, I have one rule you need to follow. You are not to go back there by yourself. Got it?" Ed was about to respond but she talked over him. "It's for your own safety. Without knowledge of any of the spirits, you could find yourself in a world of trouble if you go there without me. Promise me you won't!"

"I promise." Al reassured her. "Don't worry. I won't try"

"Good." Wiping her eyes, she met Ed's gaze. "I'm sorry. I tried to help pull you through but felt resistance, so I didn't force it. If you want to try again, maybe we can a bit later, okay?"

"O-Okay." He was still reeling with his brother's news, so he hadn't really heard what she said. Al had been able to experience a new world, and he'd got to do it with his real body.

It was the greatest gift that anyone could ever give his brother, and seeing the happiness it brought Al filled his heart with joy.