Questioning Sanity

As Aang and the gang flew to the village Ed was the first to see something was wrong. Scattered around the village were destroyed buildings several looking rather resent while a few looked slightly older.

"What happened to the village?" Katara asked out loud as they landed just outside of the wall surrounding the village.

"I don't know but it looks like they could use some help." Aang said as he jumped off Appa's head while the rest of them got off Appa's back. As usual Ed practically kissed the ground again, he hated flying and not because he disliked their mode of transport but it still felt wrong that a giant chimera like Bison started flying without anything to even hint at this ability.

Ed was positive Truth was laughing back at the Gate watching him, the great Fullmetal Alchemist being terrified by a flying Bison when he had faced down Chimeras, Homunculi, power hungry fools, crazy alchemists, and Scar without flinching at them other than Scar.

"Dammit Truth next time I see you I'll give you the beat down of a lifetime whether it kills me or not." Ed muttered low enough so that nobody heard him as they met a group of people at the entrance to the village who were eying them with a mixture of suspicion and hope.

"Have you come to help us?" the man at the head of the group asked as he looked straight at Aang. Aang for his part didn't seem uncomfortable or he was doing a good job hiding it as he looked back at the man.

"What kind of trouble are you in well help out as best as we can." Aang said while Katara and Sokka nodded at Aang's words. Ed for his part rolled his eyes but nodded as well, he had always helped out people when he could but had also learned the need of caution considering everything that had happened to him back home betrayal was unfortunately an all too common thing he had to deal with.

The villagers suddenly let out sighs of relief at the thought of someone helping them but the leader didn't look as convinced but Ed could see hope growing in his eyes.

"Are village has been under attack by the spirit known as Hei Bai, every night it comes and destroys buildings and kidnaps some of the villagers we don't know why it's doing this or what we did to anger it and have no idea how to calm it." Ed blinked for a few seconds at the man's words before pinching the bridge of his nose.

Great just great another place full of idiots putting their belief in spirits and other things. At least they aren't spouting about some sun god with the power to bring back the dead. Ed thought but what happen next was what made him start questioning this worlds sanity.

"Well Aang is the Avatar so he should be able to help you." Katara said while Aang nodded at her words and a smile started to spread across his face. The villagers including the leader let out sighs of relief at her words as an old man came up to them.

"Thank goodness the Avatar is said to be the bridge between this world and the Spirit World and with the coming Solstice we need all the help we can get." Were the words of what looked to be the Village Elder. Aang blinked in surprise along with Ed as they shared a similar thought. How am I/is he supposed to do that?

"Ya good luck with that and all I'll see you guys later." Ed said as he moved past the villagers and headed to one of the destroyed buildings in order to fix them as best he could.

Examining the area Ed found everything was still there just in pieces. This will be easier to fix than I first thought. A clap later the village went silent as lightning crackled in the air. The building in front of Ed returned to pristine condition only the small rectangles covering half of the building as an after effect when using Alchemy.

Ed turned to move on when he found himself surrounded by the villagers who were staring at either him or the house he just fixed with such intensity it made him feel uncomfortable as he subconsciously rubbed his right shoulder.

"By the spirits what are you? No man not even a bender could have done what you just did?" the Village Elder asked as he was the first to find his voice after the miraculous sight.

"Um I'm just an Alchemist and before you guys start yelling about it I'm human not some made up spirit you believe in." Ed stated unsure at first and quickly adding the last part when he heard someone yell about another spirit in the village.

The villagers were taken aback at the vehemence at the end of his words before many frowned at him including Aang and Katara.

"Child it is not wise to insult the spirits they can make your life difficult look at us we don't know why but the spirit Hei Bai has been tormenting us for some reason." Ed scoffed at his words again and his eyebrow twitched, he was starting to sound more like Mustang every second he dealt with these people.

"Forgive me if I don't care what some made up spirit thinks of me and even if they were real I doubt they could make my life any more miserable." Everyone was again taken aback by Ed's words as the Elder shook his head at the stubborn child (In his mind) before him.

"You are too young to understand child but in time you will." Ed was going to ignore him when one word registered in his head. Ed glared at the Village Elder fire starting to form in his eyes scaring Aang, Katara, and Sokka who tried to get through the crowd and save the Elder from Ed's wrath.

"I'm sixteen just so you know and I have a better grasp of the world then some old coot clinging to stupid beliefs in order to shut out things I don't understand."

The Elder looked surprise at Ed's age then he glared at him for insulting his beliefs again. This spurred him to say the one thing you should never call Ed.

"If you are truly sixteen than you must be the shortest sixteen year old I have ever met. I have met ten year olds taller than you." There was an uncomfortable silence in the air as Ed's eyes were hidden by his hair and the tilt of his head while Aang and the gang ran as fast as they could to stop whatever Ed was about to do.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR" everyone jumped as Ed rushed the Village Elder his eyes seeming to be replaced with to orbs of golden fire. Luckily for the Elder he was saved by Sokka who had been able to push the man out of the way but meant he was the one of the receiving end of Ed's 'Fist of Doom' as he has taken to calling it. The villagers watched as Sokka was sent flying across the village as Ed chased down the Village Elder that Aang had flown out of the angry Alchemist's reach.

"Ya word of advice don't comment on Ed's height he tends to get angry." Aang said as they landed on Appa who Aang had called for as he and the Village Elder watched Ed tear through the village looking of them while Appa flew steadily higher.

The Elder nodded as they watched Sokka who had taken it upon himself to subdue Ed was sent sailing into another wall courtesy of another of Ed's 'Fist of Doom' before he finally calmed down enough that Aang felt safe returning the Village Elder back to his village.

The rest of the day everyone stayed out of Ed's way as he fixed the damaged village caused by Hei Bai and himself as Katara tried to help Aang figure out how to stop Hei Bai while Sokka recovered from the beatings he took from Ed. The sun was starting to set when they all met in the town hall where all the villagers were holding up at while Aang went to the entrance to the village. All of them were waiting for Hei Bai to show up except for Ed who was once more writing in his journal but his eyes would flick to the window and watch Aang in case he needed help.

"I don't like this, we should be helping him face that spirit not hiding here watching." Katara said as she, Sokka (who had been healed by Ed as a sorry for hitting him) and the Village Elder looked out the window staring at Aang.

"Only the Avatar can do this we must all play are parts." Ed snorted at that as he scowled into his book. He remembered Father's plan for him and his brother and the whole destiny thing they kept talking about. It didn't work out the way they wanted it to but still cost him his brother and him ending up in a Truth forsaken world.

"Don't buy into that destiny crap the only fate you have is the one you choose for yourself no one can make you do anything you don't want to." The others turned to look at Ed as he continued writing in his journal and seeing he wasn't going to continue they turned to look out the window just as Aang turned facing them and walking away from the entrance to the village.

As he was walking away one of the strangest creatures Ed had ever seen walked into the village. It had a while head with black on the sides and what looked like small black ears on its head, four arms one pair while the other black with the while pair huge like Armstrong and the black ones smaller and thinner and if Ed was to hazard a guess a lot quicker than the white pair. It also had powerful looking legs also black while its middle was white all in all it definitely earned its name as the Black and White Spirit.

Everyone saw Hei Bai standing behind Aang who had paused and turned to look at it but no one could make out what he was saying to it. They did see that whatever Aang had said the creature it didn't take it well as it started destroying the closest building while Aang tried to calm it down.

"Dammit this is what you get when you put your faith in superstitious nonsense." Ed shouted as he stuffed his journal into his pocket and rushed out to help Aang. The others stood there for a second than Sokka rushed off yelling over his shoulder, "Ed's right, and I'm going to help out too."

As Ed rushed outside he clapped his hands and slammed them into the ground making a giant fist shoot out and slam right into Hei Bai hard enough to knock it to the ground. Hei Bai turned to look at Ed and let out a roar before shooting a beam of blue energy at the golden haired Alchemist. Ed jumped to the side of the attack clapping his hands as he jumped lessening the air resistance around him so he was able to move faster than he should have as he charged Hei Bai.

Hei Bai seeing its attack failed to deal with the annoyance rushed Ed with the intent to capture him but what it didn't expect was the sudden object smacking it just below its left eye and turned to look at Sokka who had caught his boomerang as it flew back to him. With its attention on Sokka Ed, using his momentum, delivered and devastating right hook right into Hei Bai's stomach making it take two steps back as it held its stomach in and letting out a cry of pain.

Faster than Ed could react Hei Bai reached out and grabbed him preparing to take the human who had hurt it when it froze. Ed felt Hei Bai freeze but wasn't concerned about it as he felt the unmistakable feeling he always felt when he stood before the Gate. Turning to look over his shoulder Ed could make out the outline of the Gate and Truth waving a finger at Hei Bai as he moved forward and gripped Ed.

"Well mister Al-chem-ist looks like it's time for another chat I'll be taking him unless you want to join us?" the last words were directed at Hei Bai which Quickly let Ed go and rushed Sokka taking him as it fled the village with Aang in hot pursuit.

"Pity, owe well come along mister Al-chem-ist its time I explained to you some of the more interesting things about this world." Ed suddenly went limp as Truth and the Gate returned to their domain.

and done sorry for the long wait my last prediction may have come a little early so sorry for the long update but on a more positive note I went back and fixed some of the mistakes in the other chapters.

happy to see you all still care about me or at least my work so I'll inform you chapter ten is already half way done and should be up in a few days and if its not well one of three things happened.

1. My computer crashed and all my stuff was deleted.

2. I'm dead (Really hope that's not the reason.)

3. Someone stole my laptop.