Again
Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa and the respective companies, although I created the original characters featured in Again. I am grateful to be able to create Again from this beautiful concept.
Prologue: Bowing to Sin
The fate of evil sweltered in the remnants of the expansive garden, lost amid the chorus of birds twittering aimlessly at their lullabies.
As like any other day during the height of spring, the little boy sat cross-legged in his garden, poking with a stick at the dusty ground in the hope of finding some creepy crawlies to show his mother. The high walls surrounding his secret glen only emphasised the exclusion from the rest of the world the boy had to live with, and these walls were now draped with ivy, the only indicator that illustrated the passing of time.
There was so much to do in the garden though, from the fountain continuously spurting water, to the orchard where he would sneak several apples into his pocket for his mother. She loved it when he brought back treasures for her from the world outside, as it reminded her of the sweet innocence her child possessed, since he had been unable to live his childhood the first time around. It seemed uncanny that the boy had been given a second chance at living; it was as if the world was being tolerant on the child winding back time for a reason, that of which had never been done before. His mother still worried herself to sleep, always fretting by her son's bedroom door to make sure all of the lights were out, so the shadows were still and kept at bay. She was frightened that he would remember even a fraction about his first life, and she knew deep in her heart that that day would come. However, she succumbed to the bliss of his innocence, so she could enjoy the years he would still remain a child.
It was odd though, as his growth was accelerated; in his first two years of life he had grown from a new-born to the age of a two year old, yet seven years on from then, he was unexpectedly the age of an adolescent, displaying the traits of one far younger than him… His mother was in her sixties now, and began to feel the ache in her joints as her son eagerly dragged her to his latest excavation site of insects galore. However, despite his clear display of innocence, Selim Bradley was still Pride the Arrogant, the only surviving homunculus which Father had created. Nobody knew who was in control: Selim Bradley or Pride. Even though Selim was a cover-up name for Pride, since the homunculus showed no trace of his past, it was decided that Pride and Selim were two characters, or souls, sharing the same body. The homunculus may have withdrawn into this body, or he could be in control now. Since he was the last of his kind, and without his Father, there was no hope for his return, so it would be safer for Pride to wait until all suspicions were lifted. However, one thing was certain: Pride lived on.
As the Fuhrer President Grumman had hinted, the uncanny principle on the matter was that nobody knew what would happen in the future concerning Pride. The child had endured trials and torments in his short existence as an individual. All they could do was watch and wait, in wait of the day for Pride's likely return.
Meanwhile, the boy had more important matters to attend to. Selim had moved onto his next site of exploration; deep within the orchard, where proud oaks stood in the height of summer, and no matter how high Selim climbed, he could never touch the sky. He adored the vaulted heavens above, as it reminded him of how the birds could feel the tingle of starlight on their wings, when he was forever trapped on the earth. Despite his love for the heights, Selim decided to instead wander along the shaded trails that spring morn, thick with brambles and nettles, wandering further into the woods so he could see the real prize in nature: the kingfishers.
Their pointed, elegant beaks and the way their blue wings shone in the sunlight after a dive into a glistening pond made his soul feel alive. His pace quickened, charging forwards beneath the dappled shade of the oaks. Today he was in search of one to catch. Today he would bring back one for his mother, who would smile and ruffle his hair for his being such a big, brave boy. A laugh burst through his shy demeanour. Today!
Today Selim had forgotten his net.
All euphoria draped away from the boy's features as his feet stopped instantly in their tracks, dragging as opposed to dancing across the leafy floor. Scrapping his shoes into the muddy soil, Selim sighed and sunk onto his knees towards the ground, tucking himself into a ball as he peered out between his curls of black hair, which had grown to fall at his eye-level. As he stared at the floating clouds, whilst the sunlight danced before his eyes and the leaves dappled them into ripples of waves on the forest floor, Selim lost his burst of vigour. It was several moments later when he felt the tears slide down his cheeks, only making the forest swirl faster in the sudden kaleidoscope of colour from the glistening pools of rain harvested from inside of his heart. Selim had failed his mother, and unfortunate guilt washed over him. She would get no prize today, and this was the first time that he had ever failed her.
Suddenly, a sharp stab of pain thrashed against his mind. Selim cried and grasped his hands to his head, fingers clutching his hair as ripples of pain throbbed throughout his entire body. Everything was so real, but it also all seemed like a dream, a memory of the past which was only now beginning to resurface. The young boy had been caught unaware, and very soon he was withdrawing into his mind, to protect it against this unprovoked attack. No harm had come to his body. His hands, held firmly tightly to his head, began to slip to the floor as the boy lost control of his body, and the cries were muted down to subtle whimpers. His mind was a different matter entirely.
"You are pathetic, boy," a voice echoed through Selim's mind, and he opened his eyes to the tiniest fraction so he could peer out to see who was talking to him. Nobody was there. However, instead of the dancing leaves, Selim was in a place that was massive, expansive, yawning… and red. It appeared that it could have hosted millions of people, or souls? A rush of recognition flushed over him, and there it stood, the shadow of the past and present. Curved teeth folded around into a sharp edge, crystal white against the piercing black; haunting red eyes locked their gaze with his, while small, winding hands woven into shadow edged closer to Selim's feet. The red was soon engulfed in the black shadow, now the only remains of the abyss Pride had fallen into from when he had allowed Edward Elric to destroy him. Since his physical host of Selim had grown stronger, he would now be able to emerge again, as the last remaining homunculus.
Pride grinned and navigated his shadows so one blood-red eye was level with Selim, who was silent with the velvet hands of the night wrapped over his body and lips, as the menace's mouth grinned by the little boy's feet, drawing blood as it gave a cunning smile; every trace of his past remorse had gone. All Pride allowed remaining untouched were Selim's eyes, nose and ears; what was it worth speaking when this useless runt of a human could not listen to the closest being to God?
"I was foolish enough to separate my soul from yours, allowing you to gain control. It was so I could regain strength in my abyss, boy! I cannot allow you to feel guilt for your mother when I am the living embodiment of a deadly sin which forbids such morbid thoughts! It is a taboo!" Pride taunted, as his hand dug deep into Selim's flesh so as to draw even more blood. But in this void, no more blood was necessary. "I fear I was too arrogant to foresee a future in which you would gain control… Oh well, never mind. It seems time for Pride without fighting for this feeble excuse of a body has given me precious years to think. Now the time for silence is done, and I must return to the world of light. Who knew I had a second persona, in the form of a boy, called Selim Bradley, who deeply yearned for a mother and family?"
Struggling was futile. The hands clung to him like a lost soul being revived to the awakening, driving his own into the depths of shadow.
"The setting of the present sun is drawing near, boy, and do you know what that means? The shadows stretch as the night approaches; when twilight sets over Amestris, I promise, we will watch the crows feast on the dead and listen to the song of the hunted!" Millions of eyes slit open in the silence as Pride's voice lowered to a whisper, "who knew one little boy could be the root of the destruction of those he loves?"
Selim Bradley screamed as the nightmare fell upon him.