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

Ayana

She opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was propped up in what she deduced was probably a hospital bed; there was the beeping sound of a heart monitor, and she could see an IV sticking out of her left hand. Her right was in Edward's grasp as he sat in a chair by her bedside. He was sleeping with his his body leaned forward and his head resting on her mattress. Even in slumber, he had a worried look on his face. She would have brushed his bangs out of his eyes if she had a free hand. But as it was, his grip was tight enough that she didn't want to risk waking him if she moved it. There was a door on the opposite side of the room, which was closed. A counter and sink ran along the wall, and various instruments were stored neatly on shelves along the other wall. The ceiling had a large scorch mark on it, which seemed unusual.

Not wanting to wake Ed, she sat in silence for a while, absorbing what had happened. She remembered Kimblee blowing up the mine, and she recalled falling into the shaft. Everything after that was hazy and the details were gone, but she remembered the gist of it. Avatar Kyoshi had appeared and helped her heal herself, at least partly. And that was the last thing she remembered.

She took her free hand and pushed the blankets back on her left side, then pulled her shirt up to look at the wound. There wasn't much to see since it was encased in bandages. Oddly enough, she found that her thigh was slightly sore, too, but she couldn't reach down that far to examine it. She found that she couldn't breathe deep without pain, so she was forced to take shallower, more frequent breaths.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and a doctor peeked his head in. Seeing her awake, he smiled broadly and crossed the room quickly and stood on her left. He shot Ed a warm look and spoke to her softly so as not to wake him.

"I'm glad to see you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Honestly? Its sore. And breathing hurts. How bad was it?"

The doctor's face turned serious. "It was bad. You managed to repair the organs before you turned up here, but you have three ribs that are completely gone. There aren't any bones left to heal, and unfortunately those don't grow back. It will probably be tender in that area for a long time. It hurts to breathe because the lung was likely bruised or punctured, but it will heal with time. I had to take some skin from your thigh to create a graft to repair the damaged areas. The damage on your back was worse than the front. Is it painful to lay on? We can try some different pillow arrangements to take the pressure off."

"It's not bad, but thanks." She was grateful that the damage was minimal, considering what had happened. If three missing ribs was the worst thing she walked away with, she counted herself extremely lucky.

"You're due for another dose of pain meds, so I'll just administer those here." He explained as he produced a needle and injected its contents into the IV line. "If you need anything, just let us know." Smiling, he turned and left the room.

She felt Ed's hands squeeze hers and she turned her head to look him. He was bleary-eyed but awake.

"Hey. How you feeling?" He asked as he tried to stifle a yawn.

"It's sore and throbbing. But it could be worse." With him sitting up now, she got a better view of him. He looked haggard and worn out. "How long have I been here?"

"Two weeks... maybe more. I lost count." He replied. "You had a bad reaction to the first batch of meds they gave you. So they kept you under for a while until they could get a different brand or something."

"Oh." She glanced up at the ceiling and pointed at the burn mark. "Is that from my bad reaction?"

"Yeah." He replied tiredly. He looked so drained that she started to feel concerned about his health.

"You should get some sleep, you look terrible."

He didn't even try to argue, which just alarmed her even more. He put his head back down on the mattress and closed his eyes.

"There's no way that's comfortable. Aren't there any beds anywhere?"

He mumbled something too soft for her to make out, but then said louder, "They're all in use right now."

"Well. This one's big enough for two." She scooted over a bit and patted the space next to her. He opened his eyes and met hers with a probing look. "I'm cold, anyway. Your body heat would be nice."

With a small smile, he carefully climbed up on the bed next to her. She moved the pillow to the middle and they shared it. His hand found her left and grabbed it, pulling it up to rest on his chest while being careful of the IV. He was asleep within seconds.

Edward

When he woke, he found Ayana's body pressed against his and her left hand still on his chest. He hadn't slept that well in days. Probably weeks. Gently, he moved her hand and sat up, trying not to wake her. He successfully stood up without rousing her and quietly crossed the room, heading towards the kitchen. He was starving.

He found Heinkel and Darius at the table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. They both looked up at his entrance.

"Hey, Ed, we've got a bit of a problem." Darius said seriously as he slid a flyer across the table. He picked it up and scanned the words. It was a notice to military personnel, announcing warrants for the arrest of both him and Ayana. Kimblee must have reported their attack on him.

"No one knows we're here. We'll be fine." He replied as he tossed the flyer back down to the table.

"We'll have to leave eventually. I talked to the doc earlier, he says we can go as soon as the girl feels up to it. Maybe in a couple days." Darius replied.

"What are we going to do? Where should we go?" Heinkel asked.

Ed poured himself some coffee and joined them at the table. "Ayana and I need to join up with Alphonse. You guys don't have to come."

They shrugged. "Kimblee thinks we're dead, and we'd like to keep it that way. Besides, we don't have anywhere else to go." Heinkel reasoned.

"All right, then. I think I might know where Al is headed. There's a safehouse outside of Central that we've used in the past. I think we should go there first."

"Sounds like as good a plan as any." Darius agreed. "Do you think Ayana will be up for that length of a journey, though? You guys are fugitives now, so we can't take the trains. We'll either have to steal a car or walk."

"I'll let her answer that question." He replied. "We can wait another few days, at least. And we need to find a bank and get some money out to pay the doctor for everything he's done, but as soon as I do that the military will know where we are. We need to plan carefully and wait to take care of that right before we leave." The chimeras nodded.

Ayana

A few days went by. While the wounds ached horribly, the pain was, for the most part, bearable. She could walk around fairly easily but bending over for any reason was agony. Her thigh didn't really hurt; it felt more itchy than anything. And she found if she breathed slowly, it wasn't as painful.

She realized she was holding everyone down, and they needed to move. While the doctor and his wife had been very accommodating and professional, she knew that they were aware of the bounty on her and Ed. If nothing else, they needed to leave for their sakes.

Edward drew her back to reality by asking a question, but she had been so deep in thought that she missed the words. "Sorry. What'd you say?"

"I asked how much you remember from the explosion." He repeated. He was sitting next to her bed again and was gazing at her curiously. He looked a lot better than he had a few days ago; the dark shadows that were beneath his eyes were gone, and he seemed to have more energy lately.

She thought about it. "I think I remember everything. Some of the details are fuzzy, though. Why?"

He continued to gaze at her. "Who was that person that showed up? Kyoshi, right? Who is she?"

"She's a previous Avatar. During her lifetime, she practiced and perfected the healing skills associated with waterbending." She gave him a confused look. "I'm surprised you could see her. I thought I was the only one who could see them when they manifest themselves like that."

He looked surprised. "Others can do that, too? Do they do it often?"

"They all can. And no, not often. Usually, they only come when I ask them to. Maybe I did ask her… I don't remember."

"Hmm." He hummed thoughtfully.

Later that afternoon, she forced herself out of the bed and shuffled slowly into the living room, which doubled as the waiting room. She found Ed and the two chimeras sitting around talking. She approached them and sat gingerly on the edge of a chair between Heinkel and Ed, wincing as the movement compressed her wound.

They were talking about their next moves. "I think we should avoid the roads. We don't want to be spotted. Plus, it will be more direct, and we can get there faster." Darius was saying.

"But who knows what we'll run into out in the middle of nowhere? What if one of us gets hurt again? I think we should stick close to the roads, at least that way we can flag someone down if we need to. Plus, we'll avoid some of the more challenging terrain." Heinkel voiced his opinion.

"Guys," she addressed them, and they turned their attention to her. "I want to apologize in advance, I'm going to be the one slowing us down…"

"Don't." Heinkel cut her off. "It's not your fault, so there's no reason to apologize. We're trying to decide the best way to get to Central, keeping your condition in mind. What do you think?"

She thought for a minute. "Well… I'd rather not steal a car, that will just draw attention to ourselves, and it'll provide one more thing for people to be on the lookout for. And I'm not completely useless, I can still do some simple bends. If we come across any danger or difficult terrain, between my bending and Ed's alchemy, I'm sure we'll be okay. I vote we take the route that's least likely to get us spotted."

"I agree." Ed said confidently. "We can leave whenever you feel like you're up for it, Ayana."

Honestly, she didn't feel up for it at all. She found herself wishing again for a sky bison; this trip would be so much easier with one. But they couldn't postpone any longer; she knew they needed to move.

"Let's go tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Darius took Ed's pocket watch and a letter to the bank to withdraw money to pay the doctor. As soon as he returned and they'd settled up, they thanked him and left swiftly, knowing they'd just alerted the military to their whereabouts.

Sure enough, they had only made it a few blocks when they spotted military police cars flying past them. They kept their heads down and continued moving.

They headed south, avoiding the roads and any homesteads they came across. They didn't have any sort of shelter and had to make do with their surroundings each night. The first evening, they were lucky enough to find a cave, and were able to keep warm by a fire that she started. For the next several nights, Edward transmuted small enclosures from the dirt. They weren't as cozy as the cave had been, but at least it kept the wind and snow away from them while they slept.

She was agonizingly aware that she was slowing them down. The others didn't mention her slow pace, at least not to her face, but she felt guilty all the same. It still hurt to breathe too deep, and as a result she was winded quickly. Twice, Edward had offered to carry her, but she starkly refused. He was already carrying her repaired glider and bag for her, he didn't need to burden himself with her body, too.

They developed a routine as the days went by. Edward always walked beside her, no matter how slow she was going or how often she stopped to catch her breath. At night, he'd started making three shelters instead of four. They shared one together, keeping each other warm in the cold, winter nights. Darius and Heinkel had their animal fur to keep them warm, after all. In the mornings, Ed would tie her shoes for her. He'd started doing it without her ever having asked him too, but she greatly appreciated it. Bending over hurt like hell.

Between Heinkel's lion skills and Ed's trapping, they were able to keep themselves from starving, and water was plentiful in the wilderness via many rivers and lakes.

As the days turned into weeks, the season slowly changed from winter to spring. The flowers began to come up, greeting them happily by waving their colorful petals. The snows melted, and the air turned warmer.

Over the weeks, her injury slowly healed, and now the ugly scars were the only reminder that the explosion had ever happened. But even though the pain was mostly gone, Ed continued to tie her shoes in the mornings.

Edward

They had been traveling for weeks now, their pace slowly increasing as Ayana healed and her stamina increased. He was glad to be out of the snow and into some warmer weather. It meant they were getting closer to Central.

One night, after cooking a few rabbits and settling in for the night, he lay with Ayana in their shelter. Her head was on his chest, and his arm was wrapped around her. He loved it when she cuddled up like that. He'd been thinking about it for a long time, and decided he was finally going to ask the question that had been burning in his mind.

"Ayana?" He ventured. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Mm?" She sounded half asleep already.

"Do you ever think about… what will happen after you find and open your portal?"

She didn't answer for a several seconds. When she did respond, there was no sleepiness in her voice anymore. "I think about it all the time."

He waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he was about to prompt her, but then he heard her sniffle. That stopped his train of thought, and he forgot what he had been about to say.

"I'm torn, Ed. I don't want to leave this place. I don't want to leave you." Her voice broke at the end, but she swallowed and continued valiantly. "But my world needs me. I can't stay here. As much as I want to, I can't." Clenching his shirt in her first, she tried to keep herself from losing it. After a minute, she was able to take a deep calming breath. "I'm so sorry, Edward."

He simply squeezed her tighter to him, trying to portray his feelings that way instead of with words. He knew that's what she was going to say, but it still hurt to hear. He'd realized over the past several weeks that he couldn't imagine life without her. He loved her.

And she didn't have to say it, he knew she loved him back. Why else would she have sacrificed herself to save him in the mine? It was something that didn't have to be voiced. He felt it. He knew it. And knowing made it all that much harder to accept that eventually, she'd leave forever.

The rest of the evening was quiet, and he wasn't sure either of them really slept much that night.

Over the rest of the journey, neither one of them mentioned their conversation again, and soon enough they saw the outline of Central City looming on the horizon. The excitement was tangible as they made their way to the safehouse they'd kept Gluttony in all those months ago. The sun had set, but no one said anything about making camp. They were all pushing to make it to the safehouse tonight.

Finally spotting it through the trees, he ran forward expectantly, and the others chased after him. They entered through the gaping hole Gluttony had left and found the house empty and dark.

"Well, so much for that." Darius said in a defeated tone.

"I thought for sure he'd come here." Ed replied in despair.

"We'll find him, Ed, don't worry." Ayana squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him.

Heinkel jerked his head up suddenly, searching the tree line with his eyes as he pulled his gun out. Everyone took the hint and hid.

"Someone's coming." Ayana whispered. "Someone I've sensed before but can't place."

They waited and watched, bewildered, when Greed walked into the house and collapsed in front of them. His stomach growled loudly.

"Greed?" Ed asked tentatively.

"Need… food…"

He laughed. "Nah, its Ling."

They pulled Ling up into a sitting position and handed him some of their stored food. He ate it all ravenously.

"Thanks, Edward! You're too kind!" Ling praised him after finishing their food. He glanced up at the chimeras. "Are you going to introduce me to your new friends?"

"That's Heinkel and that's Darius." Ed pointed at each one in turn.

"We're ex-military." Darius explained. "What's your story?"

"I'm a homunculus." Ling replied nonchalantly. The chimeras looked appalled.

"Ling! Can you try to be more discreet?" Ed scolded. Seriously, he didn't need Ling being a loudmouth about his true nature. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were in Central."

"I was, but Greed had a falling out with the other homunculi. I took advantage of his confusion and managed to gain back control of my body. I needed someplace to hide out and…" He trailed off as his face screwed up in concentration and his hand flew to his head.

"What's wrong?" Ayana asked worriedly.

"It's Greed. He's fighting me, trying to take control back. Listen, Ed! The one they call their Father, he's planning on opening up the portal of Truth on the Day of Reckoning. I might be wrong, but I think that when he does, you and Al should jump in. It might be a good chance to get your bodies back." Ling gasped, obviously struggling to hold back Greed. "The message! Did you give it to Lan Fan?"

He had to think back to recall what he was talking about. He suddenly remembered the day they'd met Father; Greed had met them outside and given them a cloth with foreign writing on it for Lan Fan. "Yeah, Al gave it to her. We don't know where she is, but we know she's safe."

"Good. Thank you, Ed." Ling sounded relieved. "I don't think I can hold him back much longer."

"This Day of Reckoning! Do you know the exact day?" Ayana pressed.

"It's… it's…" Ling's face suddenly relaxed and when he looked back at them, it was Greed behind the eyes, not Ling.

"Damn prince doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut." Greed mumbled as he stood. "Whelp, see you later." He made to leave the house.

"Hey wait! Aren't you going to try to capture us?" Ed asked in confusion.

"Huh? Were you even listening to what the prince said? I'm flying solo now. All these memories came flooding back and I went nuts on Bradley. Who knows what they'd do to me if I went crawling back. I don't work well with others, anyway, so it's probably for the best."

"Why don't you team up with us?" He asked, which earned him wide-eyed looks from everyone. "Seriously. You have nowhere to go, why not come with us?"

Greed laughed heartily. "You want me to join you? Thanks for the laugh, kid! Now it's a different story if you want to follow me. You're welcome to join my team." He turned away, still laughing, and exited the house. They watched him leave in silence.

"Why not team up with him?" Ayana asked.

Ed smirked at her. "I was thinking the same thing. What have we got to lose? He's got information we might be able to get out of him."

With that decided, he hurried after Greed. Wait, Ling? Gah, I'll just call him Greeling.