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

Ayana

Ed's hair had been so soft, and its beautiful golden color had shone brilliantly in her hands as she'd braided it. And he hadn't complained at all. He had even seemed eager to let her do it for him. She hoped that wasn't the last time he would let her braid his hair for him.

For the first time since arriving in this world, a thought came to Ayana's mind, unbidden. Do I really want to leave?

The thought surprised her and she instantly repressed it. No, she didn't belong here. Her world needed her; they needed their Avatar. She didn't have any choice; she'd have to go back eventually. Still, even knowing that was the right thing to do, she still felt sad thinking about it.

She was pulled back to reality as Envy led them to a door and opened it.

"Wrath will take over babysitting you now."

As they walked through the door, Ayana was shocked to see Fuhrer Bradley sitting at a massive desk. This must be his office, and he must be Wrath. Across from him Mustang sat with a very unhappy look on his face.

"Colonel?" Edward exclaimed in surprise. "What's going on?"

"Where do I begin?" Mustang scoffed. "Fuery's been shipped south, Falman's gone north, Breda's been reassigned to the west, and Lieutenant Hawkeye is now personal assistant to the Fuhrer."

Ayana, Ed and Al absorbed this news in silence. What the hell? They're practically hostages.

"Please, sit." Bradley indicated the remaining chairs next to Mustang, and they all approached and seated themselves.

"So, what was that, back in the hospital that day? You really had us going there, huh?" Ed accused Wrath with a sarcastic tone.

"I don't recall lying. I told you to suspect everyone. All you need to know is that you're important to us. Keep your heads down and out of trouble, and no harm will come to you." Bradley replied coldly.

"Yeah? And what about those who aren't lucky enough to be considered sacrifices?" Edward spat.

"I've already told you all that you need to know, is that clear, Fullmetal?" Wrath sounded annoyed now as he spoke Ed's title in a tone of authority.

Ed scoffed. "You chose that title for me. I only joined the military because I thought it could help us get our bodies back. But now I know what the State Alchemist program really is, it's a way to recruit your sacrifices. I won't let you use me like that! I resign my title as a State Alchemist!"

He stood, pulled his silver watch from his pocket, and tossed it onto the desk in front of Bradley. "Your plans are going to fail, I swear on my grave that I'll stop you! I'll warn the other State Alchemists, I'll…"

Wrath cut him off. "What was that lovely girl's name again?" Edward froze in alarm. "Ah, Winry Rockbell, wasn't it? I've heard she's made quite a name for herself in Rush Valley."

Ed slammed his hands on the table. "You stay away from her! Leave her out of this!"

Wrath narrowed his eye as he met Ed's angry gaze. "That's up to you, now, isn't it? If you won't take this back, I'll just have to cut her down." He slid the pocket watch back across the desk to Ed.

Shaking with anger, Ed grabbed the watch and sat back down, crossing his arms and glaring at the wall silently. Ayana's mind was working. So, they have leverage on Mustang and the Elrics. What could they possibly have on me?

She glared at Wrath and said as confidently and coldly as she could, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't destroy all of you. Even you are no match for me, Wrath, and you know it. So tell me why I shouldn't put an end to all this, right here, right now." She saw Mustang, Ed and Al all turn to look at her with expressions like they'd forgotten she was there.

Wrath met her gaze, and she saw annoyance and fury in his eye. "Because, Avatar, I know the location of the portal you so desperately seek."

Ayana was surprised, but quickly suppressed it. She didn't want him seeing that reaction.

She replied vehemently. "How do I know you're not bluffing?"

He smiled at her, but it was not a warm smile. "I can describe what it looks like. It is a large sphere, pulsing with energy, black at the core but hazy around the edge."

Damn. He wasn't lying. She glared at him, unsure what to do. She couldn't kill him now, he had information she needed. Maybe she could get more out of him. "What do you even want me for? I'm not a sacrifice."

"That's correct, you're not. You will play a different role, but as I told Fullmetal, all you need to know is that you're important. Stay out of trouble. I'll remove the warrant for your arrest this time, but slip up again and I will not interfere in your subsequent capture."

Ayana glared into his eye, trying to convey her hate for him. He glared back, unperturbed.

"If you manage to stay out of our way, I'll tell you where you can find the portal."

She broke her eyes from his and looked away, defeated.

Al spoke up hesitantly. "Sir, you don't have to worry about us. But please, allow us to continue searching for a way to get our bodies back."

Wrath looked unconcerned as he replied. "I don't see any reason why I can't allow that."

"And I still have my ambitions, so I'll hang on to this as well." Mustang declared, holding up his own pocket watch.

"Then we have nothing more to discuss. You are all dismissed." Wrath instructed firmly.

As they turned to leave, Mustang stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "May I ask one question, Fuhrer? Were you responsible for Maes Hughes' murder?"

Ed and Al gasped.

"No, that wasn't me." Wrath responded.

Mustang looked like he wanted to say more but stopped when Ayana put a hand on his shoulder. She was trying to be reassuring, but he looked more annoyed than anything. Together, the four of them left the office.

Upon exiting Central Command, Ed and Al decided to find the nearest phone booth and call Winry to make sure she was okay. Mustang was walking over to Hawkeye, who stood waiting for him.

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." Ayana told the boys. They didn't waste any time as they waved over their shoulders and turned to hurry down the street. She turned and approached Mustang and Hawkeye.

"Colonel."

"Avatar."

"Look, I just want you to know. Whatever I can do to help, let me know."

He sighed heavily. "I'm not sure there's really anything you can do. He's playing a political game, moves and countermoves, and we must be cautious. But I'll remember that. Thank you."

Ayana waved goodbye and jogged down the street after the brothers. She found them at a phone booth talking to Greed. As she approached, Greed was walking away and calling over his shoulder, "It's still Greed, kid."

"What did he want?" She asked.

Al held out a long piece of cloth with symbols drawn on it. "He gave us this and asked us to give it to Lan Fan."

"I knew Ling was still in there!" Ed exclaimed happily.

They split up. Ed got recruited into some military alchemist stuff by some nearby MP's, so Ayana and Al went to Doctor Knox's house to get the girl inside his armor some medical help. After they arrived and turned the girl over to the doctor, they gave the Ling's message to Lan Fan, who was there recovering from her amputation.

"It says he found a Philosopher's Stone!" She exclaimed. "He's saved our clan! We must return home immediately with the news! Where is he?"

Ayana shared a look with Al. Lan Fan picked up on their hesitation. "What's wrong? Is he okay?"

"Well, we think so. It's hard to explain but, basically, the Philosopher's Stone is in his bloodstream. His body was taken over by a homunculus." Ayana replied sadly.

Lan Fan's face fell. "So, he's trapped inside the monster?" Ayana and Al nodded. "So there's still hope! Al, I need an automail engineer, please help me!"

Al was shocked, "But you haven't even healed yet!"

"It doesn't matter. Please, Alphonse!"

Al sighed. "Okay, I'll introduce you to one soon, but for now you need to rest and heal."

By the time they left Doctor Knox's house, night had fallen. Together they walked back towards the hotel and happened to meet Ed on the way. They sat by a fountain in a plaza and Edward told them he'd gone to visit Hawkeye to return her gun, and he relayed what she'd told him about the war in Ishval. It sounded like she didn't hold back any details.

"That's awful." Al finally said after Ed had finished.

"And you know what else I found out? You know how our alchemy didn't work underground this morning? Turns out it wasn't working above ground, either. Other alchemists were unable to transmute, too."

"But how were the girl and Scar able to do it?" Al asked.

"Exactly. Somehow her alchemy is different. We need to find out why."

"She's resting from her injuries at the doctor's house, but we could ask her tomorrow." Ayana offered, then added in a lighthearted, sarcastic tone, "Unless you want to try asking Scar."

Ed threw her a look. "No thanks. We'll ask her tomorrow."

The next morning, they called over to Doctor Knox's house to ask if the girl was up for seeing visitors, but he told them she'd left. Ed was pretty pissed about it, but eventually they decided their best bet was to look for the girl by asking people about her panda bear. It was an unusual animal in this country, so surely anyone who saw it would remember.

However, after a few days of inquiring all around the city, they'd had no luck. Finally, they decided they needed a new plan, and Al suggested they check out the library and try to find any information on alkahestry, which was apparently the name for Xingese alchemy.

Ayana didn't really feel like spending the whole day cooped up in the library, so she declined their invite and decided to stay behind in the hotel room. They looked disappointed but didn't question her.

After they had left, she sat on the couch and crossed her legs. It had been too long since she'd visited Jinora in the spirit world. Closing her eyes, she began to meditate.

She found herself in a rocky area, with jagged spires all around her. Mentally picturing the tree by the mountain, the world around her blurred, and she arrived at their prearranged meeting place. Jinora wasn't there, but Furry-Foot was, and so was…

"Raashu!" She yelled in delight as she ran up to her spirit friend.

The wolf cantered over to her, happiness glistening in his eyes. He lowered his massive head to her level, pushing the side of his face into her body. She laughed and stroked his white and blue fur.

"I'm so sorry to have worried you. I ended up in another world. I'm trying to get back but have so far been unable to find a portal." Raashu looked at her sadly, sympathizing. "We need to find the portal on this side, too. When I cross over with my physical body, I won't be able to travel instantly like I can with just my spirit. I need to know where it's at so I can find my way back to my world's portal. Could you help me?"

Raashu barked affirmatively, then lowered his tall body down. Even down on his belly like that, it was still a challenge to climb up, but she eventually managed with Furry-Foot helping push her up. Raashu stood, and together, they ran.

They were able to cover ground quickly. He created a grid pattern, and they were able to efficiently search large areas in this manner. They continued that way for hours, and all the while Ayana relayed the many adventures she'd had in Amestris.

After a while they decided to take a break and rested by a lake in a forested area. There were other spirits milling around near the water, so she approached and asked them if they had any knowledge of a closed portal. None of them did. Disappointed, she returned to the wolf.

"So, what have you been up to since I've been gone?" She asked him as he lay next to her in the grass. He lowered his nose and pressed it against her forehead, sending her mental images of him howling in sadness at her being gone, him searching the physical world for her, and flashes of him helping some waterbenders battle dark spirits. He pulled his nose away, ending the pictures.

Ayana met his gaze sadly. "I'm sorry. I know it's been hard without me. I'll find a way back, I promise." She stood and stretched. "You ready?"

He barked again and she climbed up to his back. They continued their grid for a long time. She should probably think about heading back to the physical world, but she'd missed her best friend, and didn't want to leave him just yet. Besides, they were covering a ton of ground, and she was hopeful they might actually find something.

Ayana suddenly felt an odd tug at her spirit and heard a worried voice calling her name distantly. It sounded like Alphonse.

"Raashu, let's stop a minute." He slowed obediently and lowered himself to his belly to let her down. "I think one of my friends in the physical world's trying to talk to me. I'll come right back, okay? Wait for me here."

Raashu nodded and sat watching.

She stood still and closed her eyes, concentrating. She pulled herself back to the physical world and opened her eyes to see Al staring intently at her, with Ed pacing the room behind him.

"Al?" Her legs were killing her; she stretched them out and rubbed her thighs.

"Ayana!" He exclaimed. Ed stopped his pacing and faced her. He didn't look very happy.

"Ayana, do you have any idea what time it is? How long have you been in there?" He demanded. He sounded annoyed, but there was also a hint of relief in the look he gave her.

"Uh…" She thought for a minute. How long at it been? A few hours?

"It's nearly eight o'clock, you idiot. You missed dinner. You've been in there all day, haven't you?"

"Brother! Don't call her an idiot!"

"Why not?"

"Guys." She cut them off. "Sorry. I came back because your voice sounded urgent. But I need to go back and say goodbye to a friend." A sudden idea struck her. "Want to come in and meet him first?"

Al made a gleeful sound. "Yes, yes, I do! Pull me in!"

He positioned himself on the ground against the wall and waited impatiently. Ed was grumbling loudly.

"You should try, Ed."

"It never works."

Ayana gave him a piercing look, and she decided to call him out. "I think there's a piece of you that doesn't want to. If you can get past that, I can pull you in."

He paused, but finally replied stiffly. "Fine." He moved next to Al and sat, crossing his legs and putting his fists together as he gave her an annoyed look.

Ayana crossed her legs again and closed her eyes. She opened them to find Raashu waiting for her, his eyes watching her expectantly.

"I'm going to try to pull my friend's spirits in here." She told him, more as a warning than anything.

Closing her eyes again, she felt for Al and found him immediately, eagerly waiting for her to pull him through. She did, and he was instantly beside her. He opened his eyes and gasped at the giant wolf staring at him. She searched for Edward and found him after a few seconds. She reached for him and grabbed on. She could feel his apprehension pulsing through his spirit. She pulled gently, allowing him the chance to let go if he changed his mind.

He didn't.

Finally, after months of trying, Edward's spirit appeared next to her. She watched him open his eyes and gasp, also seeing a giant wolf sitting in the grass before him. Then he looked down at his hands, neither of which were metal. And finally, he looked up at his brother.

She'd never seen tears in Ed's eyes before. He was fighting hard, not wanting them to fall, but the emotions were written all over his face just the same. He ran up to his brother and bear hugged him, and Al squeezed him back strongly. Ayana walked over to Raashu and leaned against his leg, trying to give the brother's their space.

They stood like that for several minutes. Al finally pulled away and looked his brother in the eyes.

"I don't even know what to say." Ed finally managed. His voice was thick with emotion.

Al laughed. "I'm glad you could finally make it here, Brother."

Ed tore his eyes off his brother to take in their surroundings. They had stopped on a plateau, flat and level, with mountains in the distance on one side and a forest stretching on the other horizon. He must have forgotten about Raashu because he jumped when he saw him, but relaxed when he saw Ayana leaning against him.

"Is this your friend?" Al asked as he extended a cautious hand for the wolf to sniff.

"Yes, this is Raashu. Raashu, that one is Alphonse, and the other is Edward."

Raashu barked in greeting, and the boys both jumped.

"Isn't he.. is he dangerous?" Ed asked.

"Oh yeah. But he won't hurt you. He's my friend."

"Oh. Uh. Okay." He sounded uncertain about her answer, and she laughed at his response.

Ayana pushed away from Raashu and turned to face him as she patted him one last time. "Whelp. You said we had to go, so let's get going." She glanced over her shoulder mischievously.

They both looked to be in denial, saying things like, "What? Who said we had to go?" or "But we just got here." They stopped complaining when she started laughing at them.

"C'mon. We're looking for the spirit portal on this side. You can either come with, or go back to the physical world." She climbed up on Raashu's back again and looked at them expectantly.

Neither one of them hesitated. Ed helped his brother climb up in front of her, then he scrambled up himself, sitting behind her and tentatively wrapping his arms around her waist. Ayana blushed at the touch but didn't shake him away.

She held on to Al, then said to Raashu, "Let's go."

He stood up carefully, aware of his new passenger's discomfort, and took off at an easy trot, moving slower than he had before.

They continued the grid pattern, and all the while Al and Ed were marveling at their surroundings. They were pointing and shouting excitedly to each other at the nature and spirits they saw. Ayana found that she couldn't stop smiling; it brought her so much happiness to be able to bring them joy like this.

Raashu slowed and stopped without warning as he stared off to his left, where a grove of trees stood. The boys stopped their chatter.

Ayana asked in a low voice. "What is it?"

Raashu growled softly in response.

"What did he say?" Ed whispered.

"He doesn't talk, he didn't say anything." She whispered back.

"Then how do you expect him to answer you?"

She didn't respond. She was distracted by the noise. The sounds of branches breaking hit her ears as something approached. Something big.

A large catgator spirit emerged from the brush, growling aggressively. Raashu growled back loudly.

"What the hell is that?" Ed asked. He actually sounded nervous, which was a rare thing for a confident, brave person like him.

"It's a catgator. Raashu, we need to get out of here." Ayana instructed quietly but urgently.

Raashu responded by backing slowly away from the spirit as he continued to rumble. Ayana noticed the sky was growing dark, and lightning was beginning to flash.

"Guys, try to calm down…"

Their emotions were spreading to the catgator; she watched as its body started turning dark, and it began snarling louder.

"What's happening?" Al was panicking, she could hear it in his voice. Things were starting to spiral out of control.

"Seriously, guys! Your emotions affect your surroundings here…" She was cut off as the catgator screamed and charged.

The wolf jumped out of the way, and the brothers yelled in fright at the sudden movement. Raashu pivoted his body and lunged, biting the other spirit behind its head. It thrashed, jarring him enough to send all three humans flying from his back. They landed hard and scrambled to stand up, watching the fight.

Free from his burdens, Raashu was able to move easier. Not releasing his prey from his jaws, he tore into its body with his front paws. It screamed from the pain, and its growls turned to cries.

The boys' eyes were widened in shock as they both stood frozen. The ground began to twist and warp beneath them. Ayana tried hard not to panic as she grabbed them both and spun them around to face her.

Attempting to keep her voice calm, she instructed, "Guys, calm down!"

But neither of them looked at her. Instead, they were gazing down at their feet, watching as the dirt split and a chasm opened beneath them.

Ayana was able to keep her grip on them as they all fell, screaming, into the abyss. Darkness enveloped them completely for a few seconds until she heard the rushing sound of water. They suddenly found themselves caught in the current of a wide river, twisting through the bottom of a canyon. There was no shore to swim to.

"What's going on?" Al cried out as he struggled to keep his head above water. Ayana reached out for him and Ed and hung on to them both.

"Don't let go! We can't afford to get separated!" She yelled back.

"Can't you get us out of here?" Ed asked between mouthfuls of water. The current was picking up as it buffeted them around. They hit several rocks and logs as they were carried swiftly downriver.

"I can't bend in here, so no!" Her stomach dropped as she saw an empty expanse past the river up ahead. It must be a waterfall.

"Hold on!" She warned as she tightened her hold on them. Together, they cascaded over the edge, screaming as they fell.

When they hit the water at the bottom, Ayana tried to swim up to the surface, which was difficult while keeping a hold on the boys. She could see them trying to swim, too, but no matter what they did, the surface just kept getting further away. They were being pushed down somehow, into an impossibly deep expanse.

She was starting to panic. Her lungs were burning, and she saw her fright reflected in the boy's eyes.

Suddenly they burst out of the bottom of the water, and it dropped them in a bright forest. Drenched, they all coughed and sputtered as their lungs drew in sweet, clear air. Still wheezing, they looked around and took in their new surroundings.

"What just happened?" Ed asked. Thankfully, he must have gotten his emotions under control because he spoke almost in a monotone.

"I told you before, this world operates different. Your emotions dictate your reality, and time and space are funky. I don't know where we are, but we'll be okay." Ayana wrung out the water from her shirt as she spoke.

"I'm sorry." Al spoke softly. He looked at her with guilt in his eyes. "It was our fault. Our emotions caused all that. We're sorry."

"It's fine, no one got hurt." She tried to reassure him. "Let's just... catch our breath for a bit."

Honestly, they could have ended up in a much worse place, but she wasn't going to tell them that. She shuddered to think about what would have happened if they'd been dropped into Koh's lair, or the Fog of Lost Souls.

Having caught their breath and calmed down, the curiosity returned to their eyes as the Elrics gazed around, taking in their surroundings. There were a few spirits nearby who'd been startled by their sudden appearance, but now ignored them. The trees in this forest were extremely tall; the canopy itself started several hundred feet off the ground.

"What's that?" Ed pointed behind her, and Ayana turned her head to look. It looked like a giant wasp nest, hanging from the tree in an upside-down pyramid shape. She recognized it as Wan Shi Tong's library.

"It's a library." She answered, and his eyes lit up.

"A library?" Al sounded ecstatic. "Brother, let's go check it out! Imagine the kind of information they have here!" They both stood to leave.

"It's not that simple." She didn't rise from where she sat, and they hesitated as she spoke. "Humans aren't allowed in there anymore. It's guarded by a spirit who got sick of humans using his information for warfare and other evil purposes, so he's closed it to our kind. The only way in is to bribe him with information that he doesn't know. And believe me, he knows a lot."

The boys looked at each other, and she could tell they were trying to problem solve.

"Well… does he know about alchemy?" Ed asked.

"I don't know. Are you willing to bet your life on it?" She asked solemnly. He looked taken aback at her words because his eyes widened slightly.

"I think it's worth a shot." He finally responded slowly. "Besides, don't you think there'd be information on the portal you're looking for in there?"

"It's possible." Ayana admitted. She could tell they were itching to go. They loved books. They loved learning new information and gathering new insights and knowledge. She sighed as she realized that nothing she said would deter their desire. But she could postpone it.

"Let's go tomorrow, okay? That'll give us time to think up something to bribe the spirit with."

A flickering image appeared next to them, and Raashu materialized out of nowhere.

"Hey, you found us!" Ayana exclaimed happily. He padded over to her and gave her an image of him beating the pulp out of the catgator, who had ended up retreating, whimpering as it went. "Nice job, sorry we disappeared on you."

"I thought you said he didn't talk." Ed asked in confusion.

"Not verbally. He talks with mental pictures."

"Oh. That's… interesting." He replied.

The wolf touched her head again, this time showing him licking both Ed and Al.

She laughed. "He says he likes you guys."

Al started fidgeting, obviously wanting to get a mental picture from the wolf. "Can I ask you a question, Raashu?" The wolf turned his gaze to him. "How old are you?"

Raashu padded over to him and placed his nose on his forehead. Al got a faraway look in his eyes and gasped, watching whatever the wolf was showing him. He pulled his nose away, and Al's eyes refocused.

He looked over at Ed. "He's really old, Brother." Ayana laughed.

"I think it's time we go home." She suggested, and while the Elrics looked disappointed as they gazed at the library longingly, neither of them protested.

Ayana turned to the wolf, "I'll come back every now and then, okay? When I do, I'll go straight to the meeting spot first. Please, keep looking for the portal when you can." She approached him and hugged his lowered head. She could only get her hands partway around his massive snout. "See you later." He licked her in farewell.

Facing the brothers again, Ayana instructed them how to get back. Al left immediately, knowing exactly what to do and not feeling the need to wait through her instructions. As soon as he was gone, Ed reached out and grabbed her arm. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Thank you." He said, surprising her even further. "I haven't seen my brother like that since…" He trailed off.

She squeezed his hand. "You're welcome, Edward."