A/N: You'll notice that I've replaced 'it' in reference to Pride with 'her' or 'she.' This is intentional because of reasons to be explained next chapter (as well as Pride's behavior). Sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy!

If anything seems rushed or OOC, please let me know!

Happy to have relayed the message to Father, Pride decided that, for the time being, her work was done. Turning on her heels, she strolled over to the steps that had led herself and the Colonel into the tunnels and began to climb up. When she reached the top, however, a sharp pain shot through her head. Stumbling slightly, she reached out and braced herself against the tunnel wall.

The voices within her Philosopher's Stone suddenly seemed to become more lively, their shrills and shrieks louder and more defined than they had before. It nearly seemed as if they were forming proper words… She growled and shook her head, pushing them back as she finished her ascent.

After replacing the door that had led to the tunnel, she hastily began to make her way back to the house Van Hohenheim had secured. Why the speed, she did not know. But for whatever reason, something within her was nagging her to get there quickly.

Help! Save us! PLEASE!

Kill us!

I'm scared!

She staggered a few more steps before she could no longer take it. Slapping a hand to her temple, she snarled, "What are you doing?!" as the voices grew louder and louder. Never before had they formed such complex words and phrases. At best, their screams normally would be composed of unintelligible shrieks and the occasional wail for help.

It took a few moments, but at long last the Lieutenant's voice broke through the cacophony, clearer than the rest as she said, "I don't know… The souls seem… unsettled."

With a low growl, she dug her nails into her temple and snapped, "Then tell them to shut up."

"You know I don't have the capability of doing that," came the Lieutenant's worn reply.

Leaning against a tree, she took a few deep breaths and massaged her temple, pushing against the Stone's force as the souls' screams seemingly reached their maximum volume. Then, all at once they silenced themselves. Pulling her hand away from her head, Pride held her breath, searching for anymore signs of upheaval. After the souls had settled for over a minute, she willed herself to continue on to the house, uneasy about the momentous ordeal…

The instant she walked through the door the people seated in the middle of the room grew quiet, their eyes immediately honing in on her. Keeping her eyes focused on them as well, she slowly took attendance of everyone there. In addition to the Colonel, Alphonse, the Xingese girl, and Van Hohenheim, there was another. After a quick confirmation from the Lieutenant, the young girl was immediately identified as Winry Rockbell, the long-time friend of Edward and Alphonse.

When Pride's eyes caught the young girl's, the blue eyes instantly looked away and focused down on Edward, her lips pressing together with discomfort. A small smile played across Pride's lips. It appeared that they told the young girl about her.

Sensing movement over to her left, she saw the Colonel look up at her, though she was surprised to see that his face carried no expression. No resent like she had imagined. No emotion whatsoever.

She quirked a brow in his direction and silently gauged whether or not she would receive a response from him. When he instead opted to look away, she watched him with surprise. But when her eyes scanned down to what was on the floor in the center of them, she began to understand.

After dealing with the souls' turmoil, the idea of Edward Elric now being among them had escaped her momentarily. Now that she saw him lying recumbent between them, the memories flooded back. It would make sense that the Colonel would be tending to the boy, especially after the way he had reacted in the tunnels.

Curious to see what was going on, she took a step forward, but was stopped when Van Hohenheim raised a bloodied hand in protest. "I suggest you stay back," he said bluntly as he eyed her critically. "You are not needed."

She watched him back, but the man did not waver. After a silent standoff, she decided that it wasn't worth her time. With a mild scoff, she turned away and made her way over to the staircase. Placing her hand on the railing, she slowly began to ascend the stairs, keeping her eyes locked on gold.

She could see the sadness reflecting in the immortal man's eyes and could almost feel the despair radiating off of him. It didn't surprise her in the least. After all, the boy was critically injured. She wouldn't be surprised if the boy didn't make it to sunrise.

When she reached the top of the staircase, she turned into the closest bedroom and sat down on the edge of the dusty old bed, deciding to ignore the Lieutenant as she begged her to go back downstairs. It seemed that the very thought of losing the boy had driven her to fight back…

Laying back on the bed, she folded her arms behind her head and stared up at the colorless ceiling, her thoughts slowly beginning to wander back to the mind-numbing pain the souls had caused when they acted up just minutes before. As memories of their cries and emotions flooded her mind, a strange pain blossomed in her chest, directly over her heart. Freeing one of her arms, she grabbed a handful of her shirt that laid over her heart and twisted it irritably, wondering why the thought of those souls caused it to ache.

Maybe it was the Lieutenant's emotions playing into it as she continued to protest. Maybe it was the memory of the pain, manifesting now in her chest. Either way, she did not like it.

"Colonel."

Roy jerked his head up and blinked a few times, trying to chase the exhaustion that had set in away.

Seeing that he had Roy's attention, Hohenheim smiled lightly. Crouching down next to him, the older man turned his attention to Edward, who was lying in the same position as the night before. "Any changes," he asked as he reached forward and lightly pressed a hand to his son's cheek.

"No," Roy answered as he too focused his attention toward Edward. "A little restless at times, though his fever has plateaued."

"I see," Hohenheim muttered as he pulled his hand away, a frown tugging the corners of his lips down. "If it hasn't gotten any worse, though, I'd like to try and move him to a more suitable room later. He should be stable enough to move by then."

"Right," Roy replied. "If you need help moving him, I'm more than happy to."

"That won't be necessary," Hohenheim said as he shook his head. When Roy cast his glance toward him, he explained, "Alphonse and the two young ladies will be helping me with that.

"For now, I'd like for you to keep our 'friend' busy."

"You mean Pride," Roy muttered for clarification.

"Yes," Hohenheim responded. "If you two could go to town for a few supplies, I'd be grateful."

"You also want me to keep it away from Edward, is that correct?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation. "And the others as well. Right now the young Rockbell girl is still trying to comprehend the concept. With everything that happened last night, I wasn't able to properly address her about the matter again. It's best to do without it here."

"… I understand," Roy said as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Hold on one second," Hohenheim said as he dipped his hand into his pocket. Producing a piece of paper, he held it out to Roy. As he took it, Hohenheim continued, "This has everything I need picked up for Edward's care. The chemist will be closing soon, so I'd recommend going there sooner."

Nodding with affirmation, Roy slipped it into his pocket, only for Hohenheim to quietly add, "And be sure to keep a close eye on our friend. The fact that it brought Edward back so willing suggests that there may be an underlying motive.—" Hearing the sound of footsteps descending the staircase, he looked over his shoulder to see their 'friend' making her way down the stairs, red eyes boring into them.

Getting up to his feet as well, Hohenheim clapped a hand on his shoulder and smiled lightly. "Just make sure you get to the chemist first. They should have the antibiotics on that list in stock."

"Alright," Roy replied slowly. But as he began to turn away, he saw the smile vanish from Hohenheim's face, replacing itself with a look of caution. He returned the look with an indiscriminate, sharp nod, dictating to him that he received the message.

After casting one last glance at the sleeping boy sprawled out on the mat they had set down, Roy made his way over to and past Pride, who had stopped and was watching them with her arms folded across her chest.

"You're coming with me," he muttered as he brushed past her, causing her to turn on her heels to follow him.

She quickly fell into step behind him. "Want to keep an eye on me, I see," she replied, a small smirk evident in her tone. So she had heard them…

"Exactly," Roy replied dryly as he opened the door to the home and stepped outside. "It'll also keep you away from them for the time being."

"Keep me away from them," she mused. "Afraid that I'm going to cause them harm?"

"Yes," he replied bluntly as she at last caught up with him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small look of surprise cross her face, though it was concealed moments later. As she fell into rhythm with his footsteps, two paces behind him, he heard her say, "Very well then..."

Surprised that she hadn't tried to automatically challenge the comment, Roy instantly put his guard up, expecting her to fire back with something in addition. When she continued on as if nothing were amiss and remained quiet, he idly began to wonder what she really was planning…

"I'm surprised she left so willingly," Alphonse observed as he eyed the door the Colonel and Pride disappeared behind.

"It is peculiar," Hohenheim murmured as he scratched his chin, his eyes too focused on the home's door. "It seems more docile now…"

"Do you think what you did is working then," Alphonse asked hopefully as he dipped the cloth into the bucket of water and then rung it out.

"I honestly don't know," he replied as he turned away from the door and knelt down next to Edward. Placing a hand on his eldest son's forehead, he added, "While I would like to think that, I fear that it's still too early to tell."

"What… what did you do," Winry asked slowly as she looked up at Hohenheim.

"It's a bit… complicated," he explained. Tilting his head slightly, he added, "And not something you need to worry about, dear. For now, I would like for us to focus on Edward.

"With this young lady's help," he continued as he gestured to May with his free hand, "I was able to close the wound in his side. But one thing we were unable to do much with was the infection that's currently running rampant through his body. So while they're collecting the medications I requested, I would like for us to continue to monitor him and keep him comfortable." When he pulled his hand away from Edward's forehead and allowed Alphonse to put the damp cloth on it, he nodded and then rose to his feet. Seeing the three pairs of eyes that followed him up, he slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled lightly. "I have to run out for a couple of minutes to check on something. It shouldn't take too long, but while I'm away I'd like for you all to keep an eye on Edward, alright?"

"Sure," Alphonse agreed as he looked up at his father. "Do you need any help?"

"No, no," Hohenheim replied. "Just going to take a walk and network about a few things. After all, I'm still helping with the reconstruction."

"Okay," Alphonse responded as his father walked toward the door.

Stopping with his hand on the handle, he threw one last look over his shoulder toward them, he reiterated, "Remember to change the rags every ten minutes or so. I've been getting water from the pump outside. And again, I'll be back shortly. If something were to happen, I encourage you to run into town to find someone."

"Yes," Alphonse agreed as his father opened the door and slipped out, closing it behind him. Not allowing his thoughts to wander back to the conversation the three of them had the night before, he turned his focus back to Edward. He needed to focus on his brother. Picking up a rag, he began to ball it up in his gloved hands.

"Alphonse," Winry asked quietly as she looked down at Edward, "What is he planning?"

Alphonse froze, his hands hovering over the bucket of water. After a few moments he dipped a second cloth in and began to soak it. Trying to keep his voice even and neutral, he answered, "I can't say. He asked me to promise him that I would keep quiet about it for a while longer."

"Does the Colonel know," she asked as he reached forward and pushed a strand of Edward's hair away from his forehead.

"… No," Alphonse answered as his soul-fire eyes flickered up to May momentarily before returning to his work, "He didn't. He said it was best he didn't know."

"Oh," Winry replied quietly as she drew her hand back, her eyes scanning over Edward again. After remaining silent for a few moments, she added, "I just hope that whatever happens, everything will be okay."

Once the words sank in, Alphonse nodded. "Me too, Winry. Me too…"

The walk to the local chemist proved to be an awkward one. After the night's events, Roy's mind was constantly on the young man that was laid up at the small residence they were occupying, drawing his attention away from the Homunculus that drifted along beside him. Interestingly enough, she did not seem to want to pry, instead opting to remain as silent as he.

Stealing a glance toward her, he saw her eyes darting back and forth, watching the road ahead of them… but at the same time not. It was difficult for him to explain without saying anything. But something about her expression suggested that while she was watching their path, her mind wandered elsewhere…

A shrill shriek drew Roy's focus away from her and toward a small group of children that ran out in front of them. One of the smallest, a girl looking no older than four years old was trailing behind them. When she had reached the center of the road, her foot came down on her shoelace and she stumbled, tumbling to the ground with a loud wail.

Just as Roy took a step forward to assist the child, he stopped.

Without prompting or hesitation, Pride stepped forward and knelt down next to the child and lifted her up, setting her back down on her feet. Roy saw her red eyes flicker about, observing the various bandages and scratches on the young girl's body, suggesting that it certainly wasn't the first, nor the last, of her falls.

"You need to be more careful," Pride quietly admonished the girl. "Do you want to hurt yourself even more?"

The little girl gave her a toothy grin and tilted her head. "No," she replied in a sing-songy voice. Her eyes then deviated to one of her waiting friends. Raising her hand, she waved and said, "Thank you, lady," before sprinting off to meet the pack of children that awaited her.

When Roy stopped beside Pride, she scoffed. "Stupid child won't listen to a word I said." As she rose to her feet, she saw his bemused expression and shot him a critical look. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "Just a little surprised that you actually directed your energy toward helping someone."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't see you moving at a breakneck speed so someone had to do it. Otherwise the child was going to scream." When she began to continue back toward their destination, Roy jogged forward to fall into step beside her. After walking side by side in silence, she suddenly turned toward him and snapped, "Will you shut up?!"

Recovering from the initial shock of her sudden outburst, Roy stated, "I didn't say anything."

Blazing red eyes searched his expression, looking for signs of a lie. Then, after not finding what she was looking for, her face softened slightly and she turned away. "My mistake," she muttered. "I thought I heard you say something."

Reaching out to grab her arm as she began to walk away, Roy furrowed his brow and asked, "Is everything alright? What was that—"

She jerked her arm away as his fingers brushed it. Without giving him a second look, she shook her head and said, "It's nothing. The chemist is going to close soon, right?" When he nodded, she quickened her pace and said, "Then let's get going."

Had he not paused for an additional moment as she continued to walk away, Roy almost would have noticed her raising her hand to wipe away a drop of wetness that had spotted her cheek.

"So this is where you discovered him," Hohenheim muttered as he stooped down and brushed his fingers over the droplets of blood that speckled the tunnel ground. After noting the amount and pattern, he allowed himself to look up and into the darkness. "It' so empty here without you constantly patrolling," he continued, taking to no one in particular, "I wonder what your Father must think of that."

He was met by silence, as he had expected. It was unusual and somewhat alarming that Father had allowed Pride to venture off so far from their home base, even if it had agreed to watch the tunnels from Liore. No matter how much he wracked his brains, however, he still could not figure out what the Homunculus had in mind.

It was as if it were purposefully leaving the tunnels unguarded… As if actively inviting them to advance forward. Edward could have been a consolation prize for all he knew. None of it made any sense…

Racking his fingers through his hair, he got to his feet and looked down the dark tunnels one final time. Sitting and pondering would get him nowhere, he feared. So for the time being, he would have to tend to his son… and keep a close eye on the Homunculus that was in their possession.

Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he turned away from the tunnel and began to ascend the stairs that led outside, shoving the thought to the back of his mind for the time being.

By the time they had finished running the errands Hohenheim had requested of them, darkness had already begun to set in. With the winter's solstice drawing closer, the days were growing shorter and the nights were growing longer. The perfect time of year for shadows to emerge and embrace the darkness.

When Roy stepped into the bedroom they had designated for Edward, he saw that only Van Hohenheim was present. Upon hearing the Colonel enter, the older man looked over his shoulder and shot him a weak smile. "I appreciate you taking the time to run around and collect what I requested, Colonel."

Setting the bag of items down on the ground next to the mat Edward was stretched over, Roy eased himself onto his knees next to Hohenheim and asked, "How is he doing?"

Hohenheim shrugged his shoulders. "About as good as he was before you left. Hasn't moved around much and has mostly been sleeping. The infection spread to every inch of his body. It's going to take a lot of time and effort on his part to bounce back."

"I see," Roy muttered as he glanced down at Edward, seeing that the young boy was taking shallow, quickened breaths and was covered by a fine layer of sweat.

"I never got to thank you," Hohenheim began. "For bringing him home."

When Roy looked up, he saw that Hohenheim wasn't looking at him. Instead, he was looking at the blonde woman leaning against the doorway, her arms folded over her chest.

Pride scoffed and looked away. "I only did it because the Colonel probably would have had an aneurism if I hadn't."

"Still," Hohenheim contended with her, "The fact remains that you brought my son home. And for that I am eternally grateful."

"Try not to get too comfortable with the idea."

"Alright," Hohenheim agreed as he reached up and pushed his glasses up with his fist, rubbing his eye. "I'll keep that in mind." When she huffed, Hohenheim turned his focus to Roy. "Will you be willing to take the night watch? Even I have hit my limit."

"Of course," Roy replied as he sat back and tried to make himself more comfortable.

Looking back over his shoulder, Hohenheim said, "You are welcome to stay as well."

She tensed, her eyes still glued to the floor. Then, after a few moments of dedicated thought, she eased her way into the room and slid down the wall, seating herself on the floor at the opposite end of the room.

Seemingly appreciating her response, Hohenheim slowly got to his feet and stretched his arms above his head. "I'm going to head off to bed for a while. Give me about three hours of sleep and I'll be right as rain."

As he lowered his arms, Roy shrugged his shoulders. "You're welcome to sleep longer if need be. I'll be fine."

"Let's play it by ear," Hohenheim replied. "If I'm not mistaken, you had a fairly restless night yourself, Colonel."

Realizing what Hohenheim was insinuating, Roy nodded in reply. "We'll play it by ear then. Have a good night's rest."

"Will do," he replied cheerfully as he shoved his hands into his pockets and turned, heading toward the door. After throwing one last glance toward Pride, he stepped around the corner and vanished.

Leaning back against the wall, Roy folded his arms and glanced at Pride, who had chosen at that moment to look away. She refused to speak at all about what that small outburst was about, and he doubted that she was willing to open up about it now.

Turning his focus to Edward, he settled himself and got comfortable, knowing that the next few hours would be spent watching not one person, but two.

The last thing Roy clearly remembered was mentally noting that Pride had fallen asleep, her arms crossed and head bowed, tucked into that same corner of the room. After that, however, he vaguely remembered his eyelids growing heavier and heavier as sleep began to overtake him…

With a loud gasp, Roy's eyes flew open. He had fallen asleep.

Almost immediately he honed in on Pride leaning over Edward, one hand hovering over his head. In a fit of sleep-induced panic, he snapped, "Hey," causing her to flinch. When she turned toward him, he growled, "What do you think you're doing?"

With a mild scoff, she turned back toward the boy and gingerly picked up the damp cloth on his head. "While you were busy sleeping the boy's fever spiked and he had grown restless. I was simply going to remove the cloth and replace it with one that's freshly soaked."

Casting her a wary glance, he retorted, "I highly doubt that. What were you really doing?"

She raised a brow at his accusation but said nothing, instead opting to unfold one of the hand towels next to Edward. As he hurriedly got to his feet and began to make his way over to her, she dipped her fingers into the bucket of water next to her and, seemingly deciding that it was cool enough, dropped the cloth into it and began to soak it. Just as she began to pull it out, he collapsed beside her and grabbed her wrist, just as he began to dip his fingers into the bucket. The moment his fingers grazed the surface of the water, feeling that it was indeed cool enough, she yanked her wrist out of his grip and grumbled, "Did you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to use lukewarm water?"

As he began to open his mouth to reply, she cut him off and added, "It was the Lieutenant's idea. She doesn't want him to go too long without properly changing it."

When he heard her mention his Lieutenant, he drew back slightly.

"Before you bemoan the fact that you haven't spoken to her for a few days, I'm going to preface by saying that no, you cannot speak to her."

Roy scoffed and looked away, turning his focus back to Edward, who seemed to have quieted some.

The two of them sat in awkward silence, watching the young boy for what felt seemed like hours before Pride finally broke it.

"I don't understand," she muttered.

"Understand what," Roy grumbled back.

"I don't understand why," Pride replied, red eyes sweeping over the sleeping child before returning to Roy. "Why do you care so much for him? What value does his life have that another doesn't?"

Roy opened his mouth to reply and then abruptly shut it, wondering if he had actually heard her. When she made no move to correct herself or add anything, he muttered, "You want to understand why?"

"Yes," she snapped irritably. "Why do you invest such time and resources into that boy when your energy could be more effective elsewhere?"

Taken aback by the brashness of her questions, Roy was strangely not upset. Instead, he was intrigued by this line of questioning. Looking her in the eye, he replied, "If you have to ask those questions, then it is because you do not understand the value a human life has."

"That's because all lives hold the same value," she replied matter-of-factly. "Each life is tied to one soul, one lifetime. When that lifetime is finished, the soul will transcend the boundary of this world and the Gate and will vanish forever.

"Every single life will end in this manner. So what difference does it make that one will end?"

Surprised and slightly put off by her comment, Roy replied, "You honestly think that I'd abandon this boy's life? Just because of his current condition?" When she made no move to respond, he shook his head slowly and said, "I suppose it's because you hold no value in a human life.

"After all, you took my precious Lieutenant's body without hesitation, using it for your own personal gain."

She sat back on her heels and shot him a bothered look. "Like I said before, my presence within her body is a blessing. Had I not been hurt so severely before, I would have most likely killed her. At least now her body will live on."

"And whose fault is it, though," Roy challenged the Homunculus. "We have no way of knowing whether or not you would have killed her before. All we know is that your arrogance got you into that situation."

Pride scoffed and turned away, focusing on the golden-haired boy once more. "You're getting off topic," she growled.

Deciding to leave prying about the Lieutenant for later, Roy too turned his attention to Edward.

"So tell me, why this boy? What makes 'the hero of the people' so unique that you'd be so determined to keep him alive."

"Precisely that," Roy replied.

"Precisely what," she muttered.

"The fact that he's the hero of the people," Roy explained. "You see, Edward is like a beacon of hope for all of those that feel they have been wronged, whether by the military or by alchemy or what say you."

"So you exploit his doer of good image in order to make you and your military look better," she replied as she looked back at him.

Looking up at her, he saw the belief in her eyes. Shaking off the feelings of anger that began to bubble inside of him, he silently vowed to try a different approach. "You missed the point entirely," he observed as she raised her brows. "Yes, his presence might cushion people's harsh views of the military, and perhaps him being my subordinate puts me in a better light. But what you didn't seem to understand just what it means for him to be that beacon."

She shot him a curious look, her expression silently telling him to continue. "While he can be a pain at times, Edward always has the best interests of those around him at heart. He fights for what he believes in and will stop at nothing once he sets his mind to something." Gesturing to the nothing in particular, he continued, "The entire town of Liore got back up on their feet shortly after their revolution because he inspired them to." Feeling a faint smile play on his lips, he explained, "I guess you could say that his energy is infectious. I know I've been inspired by him a number of times.

"… And the Lieutenant as well."

Her eyes wandered back over to him and she raised her brows. "The woman," she muttered, "What value does she hold to you? After all, she is subordinate to you. You could easily replace her with another soldier. So why don't you do so?"

Roy slowly shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. A human's life isn't for throwing away. Instead, it's to be treasured and held in the highest regard. Just because the Lieutenant isn't here right now doesn't mean that I stop caring. I never did."

Her eyes searched his expression, darting back and forth as she tried to read him, tried to understand.

"Every human being has one life to live. After that, there will be nothing else. We struggle to capture and hold onto precious moments with the ones we care about, because once they're gone that's it." Gesturing toward her, he added, "You contain hundreds of souls, each of them with a history and stolen futures. And once they run out you too will cease to exist. Everything that was you, and them, will disappear."

Looking down at Edward, he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that every single life holds value, and it should not be taken for granted. The Lieutenant and I, and Edward and I, have many special moments together, and from those memories stems the reason I care about them…"

He paused and waited, expecting her to question his commitment to them yet again. Instead, he was met by silence. When he looked up at her, she saw brown eyes looking back. His heart immediately jumped into his throat.

"Sir," Riza murmured as her eyes wandered from his down to his throat… and to the yellowed bruises that were still wrapped around it, "I'm sorry…"

He opened his mouth to speak, but he did not immediately produce any noise. Swallowing the thickness in his throat, he placed a hand on the floor and leaned forward. When he felt his voice catch, he uttered, "Lieutenant… There isn't anything to be sorry about."

"No," she replied, "There is." Casting her gaze to the floor, she murmured, "I let my guard down, sir. I was too confident. And because of that I allowed this to happen." Moving her hand down to methodically run her hand over her arm, she continued, "What happened to Alphonse and that young girl May, and you… It was because of my arrogance."

"Riza," he began again as he reached toward her to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Seeing his hand, she instinctively reached up to grope her own neck as she eased back from him.

He drew his hand back and clenched it into a fist as memories of the measures he took to prevent Pride from harming Alphonse flooded his mind. And then… He remembered her expression, how utterly devastated and terrified she looked after seeing him in that state. His own hands had done that…

When she shifted his head snapped up… only to find red eyes watching him back. "Sorry. That's all I'm giving you," Pride muttered as she rose to her feet.

Seeing that the Homunculus had taken over yet again, Roy muttered, "Where are you going?"

"Like I told you yesterday," she muttered as she stopped in the doorway, "I still have a duty to protect the tunnels."

Feeling a jab of bitterness in the pit of his gut, he mumbled, "You could have at least let me say 'goodbye.'"

She glanced back at him over her shoulder and caught his eyes. After maintaining their contact for a few moments, she said, "She knows," before turning away and disappearing around the corner.

He considered running after her and catching up with her so that he could say what he had wanted to to her face. It wasn't just the fact that he did not get to say 'goodbye.' It was so much more than that…

Hearing the ruffling of sheets, Roy looked down to see Edward shift uncomfortably on the mat he was resting on, kicking the covers back slightly as he muttered incoherently under his breath.

Grabbing a dry rag that was folded next to the ice bucket, Roy dunked it in and quickly rung it out. Removing the one on the young boy's head that had already warmed, he folded the new one and put it in his place.

After a few beats Edward grew silent again, lulling himself back into a fever-induced slumber. When Roy had determined that he was comfortable for the time being, he willed himself to look toward the door yet again, silently damning himself not for failing to say 'goodbye,' but for not saying how sorry he was.

She didn't think she could have gotten out of there fast enough. The longer Pride endured the Colonel's talks of individuality and genuine care for his subordinates, the more she wanted to loathe him… The exchange between the Colonel and Lieutenant seemed to have riled the souls within her Philosopher's Stone, their cries and moans so much louder than before.

As she stepped into the clearing that housed the entrance to the tunnels, she clutched the front of her shirt and growled. The damn Lieutenant's emotions were taking their toll. Pride should have never given into her demands, should have never given her that moment with the Colonel. Because right now the Lieutenant's overwhelming guilt was spilling over into Pride, causing a moment of weakness. It was bewildering, confusing, overrunning any other thing she felt at that moment—

"Hey."

Jerking her head up and around, shadows ready, Pride saw a familiar face step out of the darkness. Letting her guard down just slightly, she narrowed her eyes and said, "Envy, I told Father I had things under control here."

The other Homunculus shrugged its shoulders and smirked. "I don't doubt that. After all, you were always one for taking control."

"Then why are you here," she demanded.

"Simple," Envy replied as its smirk widened, "To make you pay for your treachery."

"What are you—" Suddenly an overwhelming pain erupted in her shoulder. Twisting around, she watched as a lion-like creature dug its teeth deeper and deeper into her flesh. A shadow shot up defensively and plunged itself into the toothed demon, eliciting a muffled yelp from it as it let go. But just before she was able to counterattack, the world began to spin.

Turning her gaze toward Envy, she attempted to take a step forward, only to have her knees buckle beneath her. Collapsing to the ground, she tried to recall her shadows to fight off the traitorous Homunculus to find that they too were affected, writhing and bursting into sparks of alchemical energy as they dissipated and vanished.

Fully recumbent now, she tried address Envy but found that she could not muster the words. Pride could only watch as it crouched down in front of her with its stupid shit-eating grin and grab a fistful of her hair so that it could see her face better. It began to speak to her, but by the time it was halfway done with its sentence, her consciousness escaped her.

With a loud gasp, Pride's eyes flew open, her world still plunged in complete darkness. When she tried to raise a hand to her throbbing head, she realized that she was unable to, her arms and legs strapped down to a table. Jerking against them, she tried to find some source of light, something to use to conjure her shadows.

"It's futile to struggle. Your shadows have no effect in complete darkness."

Immediately recognizing the voice, she murmured, "Father…?" Hearing something move behind her, she craned her head back to peer into the darkness.

"Hello, my child. I know we just spoke, but it still seems as though it has been ages."

"What… What's going on," she asked as she heard him wander over to her side.

"I sent Envy to retrieve you upon realizing my mistake," he began.

"Mistake…?"

"Indeed," he continued. "After Greed defaulted for a second time, I began to fear your wellbeing. And with that stunt you performed yesterday, I have concluded that harboring another dominant soul is too corruptive and too much of a liability."

"Stunt," she quietly asked. "I don't… I don't understand."

"I think you do," he replied indifferently. "After all, it is very uncharacteristic for Pride the Arrogant to think itself better than the one that created it.

"Your retrieval of the eldest Elric brother without express permission confirmed to me that you allowed the woman's soul to corrupt you and alter your sense of judgment."

"I saved his life," she contested. "Without my intervention your sacrifice would have died."

"True," Father agreed as he shifted, "But your rescue of the boy before consulting me has proved to me that you have grown too independent." Placing a hand on her forehead, he continued, "It was wrong of me to assume that the Lieutenant's soul would be beneficial to you.

"Her body is still of use to us, but her soul must be integrated into your Stone if you are to continue your existence. So for now," he muttered as red sparks began to dance in front of her eyes, "I will draw you back into myself and you will be reborn."

Realizing what was about to happen, a fit of panic rose within Pride. Not just induced by the Lieutenant or the souls within the Stone… But within herself as well. The thought of being torn away and this existence ending suddenly terrified her. Acting on the Lieutenant's instincts and her own, she desperately tried to jerk away from his grip. But deep down she knew that without her shadows, she was completely, utterly useless.

The red sparks intensified and a beat later Pride felt her essence loosen and get torn away, plunging her consciousness, her existence, into darkness.

A/N: Whew! Longer chapter this time. I hope it all makes sense. If anything is confusing or if anyone seems OOC, please let me know.

Thank you for all of the favorites, follows, and reviews. I apologize for it taking longer than before, but I hope I made up for it with the longer chapter…