There, at the entrance of the alley was a petite figure, about the same height as he was, wearing a half-blouse and a small skirt, barefoot and with the golden hair loose onto his shoulders. The pair of blank eyes was stuck onto him, from the scull that bore them. There was no doubt of who he was staring at him right now, blankly and still so intensely! Alphonse was sure that if he had the power to burn holes in him with those blank eyes, he would have done it already… There was no doubt of who he was.

Pride.

Edward Elric.

"Nii…san…" Alphonse croaked out

Pride was standing still in his place, not moving an inch. It was the very first time Alphonse had the chance to examine his body from up close in daylight, without having in mind the killings right behind, or the metallic smell of blood all over the place. He could clearly see now; the small figure with the wide, well-built waist, the strong legs and the weak, thin golden hair falling to a pair of strong yet small shoulders. A pair of golden eyes was staring dully at him, dully and in an empty way as if nothing was on him to notice. The body was covered with red, complicated alchemic patterns, Alphonse had never seen before. He had no idea what kind of alchemical symbols those were; nor their use, nor their meaning. What he knew for sure was that they were covering hid brother's body; tangled all over him like bloody snakes, ready to strangle him. His soulless eyes looked already dead, dull like the pair of eyes he had seen in that horrific nightmare of his a little while ago.

Pride was silent like a grave. He was only staring at him, as if he wanted to burn holes inside him with just a look of his. His eyes seemed cold, frozen without the flame in them, the flame they used to have, but still Alphonse felt them like burning. He had no idea how that was even possible in the first place… However no matter how much he waited, he longed for it, Pride remained silent.

"N-Nii-san…" Alphonse stuttered, "Is that…really you…?"

Silence.

"Is that…" he took a step towards him, "…you in the flesh…?"

His words fell on the wall of silence once more. Pride remained unmoving; silent, non-responding.

"Nii-sa-."

"Why?"

Alphonse gasped and looked up. This Homunculus that had his brother's face, this Homunculus that was his brother, had spoken only one word, and that word came out soulless, whispery and somehow dangerous. That voice that belonged to his brother, had nothing of the impulsive strength that used to exist inside Edward Elric's voice. Even so, Alphonse froze at the sound of his brother's voice, addressing him in calmness, unlike the other time he had heard him in the whirlpool of battle, the other time.

"Nii-san?"

"Even if Father said it clear…"

Pride took a step closer and then another and another.

' "Do not get close to him", he said….'

The voice kept on coming out of that throat, flat, and the pair of bare feet were clacking onto the cobbled pavement as Pride was slowly walking closer.

"Even if he said that… Even if he said that…"

There was no tremor, and still Alphonse felt some form of frustration inside that monologue of his; because Al could tell, Pride was not necessarily talking to me. Most likely he was making rhetorical questions to himself, not sure if any answer existed to them, or if it did exist, if he wanted to hear it.

"Why…?"

He had approached a few feet away from Alphonse when he stopped once more. Al could feel his heart beating to his throat and his breath hitching into his lungs. He had the impression that his brother was close…so close… He felt that if he extended his arm, he would be able to touch him, and yet his arms remained fastened upon his ribs as if some strange force was stopping him from moving.

"Why can't I stay away from you? Why am I feeling so drawn to you?"

Pride's, no, Edward's eyes were stuck into his now and Alphonse knew that this question was indeed addressed to him! He could tell; Pride was now looking at him and him alone. Alphonse felt like shaking; like the rabbit in front of the fox for some reason he couldn't tell, but at the same time he was feeling a strong urge inside him that he could even call it hedonistic; it was his blood calling for him. He had never realized it so far, or at least never so intensely, but now he was certain; that the teen before him was indeed his brother, that he was not some kind of imposter. Immediately he felt himself ready to laugh at his own illusion. What if he saw what he wanted to see? But even if he was hallucinating, he grabbed onto this feeling as if it was the bread that would save him from starvation. He wanted; no he needed!, to believe that this person was his brother. Only then he could be able to face this situation he was in right now.

"Why" Pride continued, "Why do you keep appearing in my mind…? Why do I feel like I know you? Why are you confusing my mind like this?"

Alphonse swallowed the saliva he did not have to calm himself, and make his mouth move to form the words he wanted to say.

"Nii-san…" he croaked out in a drenched whisper, "Can you tell? Can you tell who I am?"

The absolute eagerness in the boy's tenor voice made Pride look at him once more. Was it a flash of emotion somewhere deep inside his frozen eyes or was just Al's mind playing tricks on him?

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Pride murmured again, "Why does this word ring into my head constantly?"

He fastened his eyes deeply into Alphonse's hazel ones. The boy felt himself freezing.

"Who are you?"

Al swallowed hard once more, feeling the knob down his throat and his hear hammering against his ribcage.

"I am-…"

WHOOSH!

Both of them turned around at the sudden intrusion at the moment that both of them felt that they had reached the critical point. They saw a tall woman with wavy black hair and dark lipstick, tight dress and dangerously low cleavage being followed by a fat, hairless boy. Both of them had something in common; the Ouroboros tattoo in some part of their body.

"As I expected, you came here after all, Pride?" Lust said in her mocking, deep voice.

Pride looked at her blankly.

"Lust" he whispered.

There was nothing in his voice to betray his emotions but Alphonse believed he had felt the slight aura of uneasiness coming off from this boy, who looked like his brother.

"Came! Came!" Gluttony echoed with his large, toothy grin

Lust grinned maliciously and her violet, slit-pupiled eyes seemed like glowing in the evening sun.

"Father had warned us about this but I never expected such a thing from you!"

Her voice was mocking, as if making some kind of imitation of a strict mother scolding her child.

"Father had stated clearly that you shouldn't approach this human boy."

She licked her lips almost lustfully.

"He told us to stop you, if otherwise"

Pride had lowered his head barely at that. He gave no response and he did not seem perturbed either. He was an emotionless mask. Lust grinned once more, revealing her sharp teeth.

"I wonder who got you off the track so much, Pride. Was it that boy?"

Instinctively, Pride turned around once Lust looked over his shoulder and towards Alphonse. A triumphant grin lit up on Lust's face.

"I see. So it's him after all. I wonder why. You were such a pretty, such a cute little doll, to sit obediently and do what you were told! Why would such a human child get you all fussy about?"

She was mocking him, Alphonse could tell. Somehow he knew she knew. She knew the truth behind Edward all time long. Lust was now walking before Pride, swaying her hips in some slow rhythm only she could tell. Gluttony giggled again, placing his fat finger into his mouth. Alphonse felt a chill at the two Homunculi staring at him.

"If he is the source of your distress then why don't you kill him already? Are you saving for later? To play with him a little further? Oh, what's wrong? Did I hit a nerve?"

It was Pride's sudden jerk of his head that made Lust mock him in a fake childish voice. The movement almost resembled a twitch. It was too small but she had noticed. It was a tiny bit of reaction. Lust cracked her sharp fingers, self-complacent.

"Then if you feel too weak to actually do it, I might do it for you"

In a blink of the eye before Alphonse could even gasp, her nails extended in incredible length, like spears. Alphonse closed his eyes shut.

STAB!

The startled Elric boy slowly opened his eyes. There was the sound of dripping. Was he stabbed? Was he stabbed? He should be, there was blood. But there was no pain… As he opened his eyes, gasped in the greatest surprise he had in his entire life. Pride had extended both of his arms in either side of his body, protectively daresay, and his left arm had taken the blow instead. Lust's spear-like nail had penetrated through the arm and the sharp peak was extending through it from the other side. Blood was dripping slowly from the wound. Lust was frozen in spot and even Gluttony had removed his index finger from his mouth, in order to half-open it in shock. The most shocked of all seemed to be Pride himself. He was staring at his pierced arm in absolute disbelief. His dull eyes were now half-widened in wonder and that was his most detailed and clear expression still.

"Why…?" he thought in shock, "What am I doing…?"

Lust surpassed her shock and replaced it with anger, as she glared daggers into the smaller-sized Homunculus before her.

"What are you doing, Pride? Are you out of your mind?"

The look Pride gave her could be interpreted as "desperate".

"I…"

Lust attacked again but Pride leaped in the air and stopped her move again, this time without shedding blood. Alphonse was gaping only at him. Lust was giving him a look that could light sparkles at any moment now.

"Are you betraying us?" she roared in disbelief

Pride said nothing. He clapped his hands together and, transmuting like Edward used to, created a scythe out of thin air. He span it, in the air before holding it firmly. The message was clear. Lust was now mad in anger. Her face was now wrinkled in wrath and hatred.

"You traitor!" she screamed, running at him

At a lightning's speed, Pride's scythe blocked Lust's nails. In a large leap in the air, the two opponents clashed again. Pride was moving his arms and legs.

"What's this? My body on its own…"

There was a kick and then a leap, a block and one more kick. A turn in mid-air was followed by a swing of the large scythe. Lust followed the moves with her own nails. The two of them were once jumping in the air and once fighting on the ground, moving at a blink of the eye. Alphonse had forgotten about everything. Pride, was ready to strike him a few moments ago and now he was protecting him with so much gusto, for no obvious reason! Against his own kind no less! All he could do was stare at the boy fighting before him. He could only focus on the moves as if everything was happening in slow motion.

"These moves…" Alphonse thought as if enchanted

Pride kicked again and slashed with his scythe.

"This fighting style…"

Lust attacked and scratched Pride in the cheek. Pride jumped to return the hit with a spinning kick, right across Lust's stomach. Lust was thrown back and she would have crushed on the wall if she hadn't re-gained her balance the last moment, to do a spin in the air and kick on the wall instead.

"This aggressive behavior in battle…"

Pride stroke, Lust blocked as if they were dancing. Alphonse could see their moves clearly as though they were happening underwater, as if they were not moving in their inhuman speed, as if they were right before him instead of constantly moving around. He felt his eyes being blurred from tears; hot tears burning.

"There is no doubt! That's him! That's my brother! That's Nii-san!"

Lust screamed at a sudden blow from Pride's scythe. Her whole face was twitching in anger now.

"Damn you! Pride!"

It was a hysterical roar of battle as she rushed forward. Pride, at a lightning's speed grabbed the nail of the shocked female Homunculus and then…broke it off! Lust shrieked in pain but before she had time to react, Pride slashed her chest, right across the Ouroboros tattoo. Lust backed down dizzily as thick red blood escaped her wound, onto the cobbled street. She had blood dripping from her mouth, to her delicate chin. She could only gasp in shock as Pride rushed forward at a lightning's speed and…thrust his arm right into her chest, right between her large breasts. Lust's eyes opened wide and her body arched backwards, in pain and startle as blood emerged out of her open mouth. Her black, wavy hair was flowing like a black river as she fell backwards. Pride looked at her only for a moment, blankly, before drawing his hand back. Alphonse's eyes opened wide as a tiny bit of stone at the color of blood, so shiny that almost seemed liquefied, appeared between Pride's fingers.

"The Philosopher's Stone!" he thought

Pride crushed the stone in his hand, still glaring at the enemy that was still falling. The stone got absorbed by his skin, as if it were made of sponge. Lust only let out a last, stewed gasp, staring after her killed as she fell. Her body started to deform and get slowly decomposed in tiny bits of ashes till there was only the skeleton left, which also disappeared as if it never existed.

Lust had disappeared before even hitting the ground as she fell…

Alphonse was shaking all over, not sure what had just happened. His eyes were as wide as they could be, staring at his brother, who was now frozen in place. He too seemed ready to start shaking but he was still motionless in shock as if some freezing air had turned him into ice. Gluttony was now agitating.

"Lust…?" he whispered, "Lust…"

He seemed like out of his small mind. Alphonse looked at his brother again. He had started to tremble as the images of what he had done came to him. The scythe fell from his hand with a loud clang. He was shaking. Suddenly Envy leaped from a high building and landed there.

"Pride! What the hell happened here!" he demanded.

He looked over at Gluttony who was walking around, like a trapped beast, whispering mournfully.

"Lust… Lust…"

Envy stared in shock and then turned to Pride, glaring at him.

"Pride! What have you done!"

Pride looked at his hands, shaking.

"What did I…? Why did I…?" he thought

His shaky hands grabbed his head tightly as a throbbing headache was coming at him.

"No! Make it stop! Make it stop!" he was thinking

"DAMN YOU, you bastard!" Envy yelled and punched Pride across the face.

Pride took the hit and was thrown away.

"Nii-san!" Alphonse yelled in worry.

Envy glared at him and Alphonse gulped in terror. He had seen Envy's tremendous, inhuman strength. He knew that he could crush him like a cockroach anytime any moment. Envy said nothing; he was only glaring and staring at him.

"You! YOU! You idiotic human!"

He was ready to strike when Gluttony grabbed his arm.

"Lust! Where is Lust?" he said pitifully.

Envy growled.

"YOU IDIOT! Let go now!"

He shook his arm out of Gluttony's grip but the fat boy was still mourning.

"Where is she? Where has she gone?"

Envy was twitching in anger. It was as if he couldn't decide whom he hated the most; Pride or whining Gluttony.

"SHUDDUP!" he screamed to Gluttony

Meanwhile Pride had started struggling to his feet and stood up obediently. It was as if the fight had never happened. He was once more the soulless doll that waited patiently for the puppeteer to order him around so he could move. He didn't even move from where he was. Envy growled again. It wasn't the time to kill this human in this mess!

"Pride, you treacherous bastard, do you have any idea of what you've done! Are you out of your mind! You were a doll! And you still you moved! Despite the orders!"

Pride lowered his head without answering.

"If it were in my hand I would kill you here and now! But you are Father's favorite. I cannot help it!"

He grabbed Pride's collar and brought the blank face close to his own, furious one.

"But mark my words! You will pay dearly for this! And I will be the one to make you do it! You hear me! I'll get you for this!"

Pride did not even move a muscle. Envy pushed him away.

"Come with me! Now!" he ordered

Pride nodded his head soullessly.

"Lust…" Gluttony whined again

"You'll shut up now or I'll send you meet her!" Envy snapped, "You'll get your chance to avenge her!"

Gluttony only sobbed without being tearful. It resembled the nagging of a child that was taken their favorite toy from them, but even if there was no sadness in his face, Gluttony seemed genuinely crushed by Lust's killing. Alphonse too was shocked by the obvious slaughter before his eyes, even if it was between Homunculi.

"We leave! Now!" Envy demanded again as he glared at Gluttony and Pride

Gluttony moaned in protest and then, despite his fat belly, he leaped in the air, so easily as if he had no weight at all, and landed on a building above, and continued. Pride looked over his shoulder and his look crossed with Al's for one last time, while Envy was also leaping his way out. That seemed to have awakened the teen because he got off the ground (he had no idea when he had fallen there) as if stroke by an electric bolt.

"No!" he screamed pitifully, "Stop!"

However Pride leaped away, obediently following Envy, Truth knew where. Perhaps to his doom.

"Nii-san…" Alphonse mumbled breathlessly and collapsed to his hands and knees.

After all this time…he had found him…and now he was taken away. Now he knew his brother was somewhere in there. He had protected him! Their blood bond remembered even if Pride's mind was bleached. Al's hands clenched. No! He had finally found his brother! He COULDN'T accept that he was gone forever! He should fight and get him back as fast as possible! And he knew his brother, if there was something of Edward still inside that cold body of the Homunculus, wouldn't drop dead so easily. Right now his fighting instinct had proved it. Alphonse stood up with strength anew; determination written all over his face.

Right now, he knew a Homunculus's weakness!

Goodness! FINALLY I updated! Please forgive me I couldn't keep my promise and I couldn't update this story for months but all happened together in my life recently and I had a "writer's block" too so... I FINALLY wrote this chapter and to be honest I was expecting to write this!

Well finally we get action huh? Sorry it took me so long!
Now you see why Father said that only Envy could match Pride in strength. Lust tried...and Lust failed!
Her death was inspired by the manga itself.

I want to apologize once more to the usual people for taking so long and I want to contribute this to SilverAngel-14 (on Deviantart) for the beautiful comment to my previous chapter.

Please comment me

Music that would fit: (High School of the Dead Ost Saeko Shows Up)

-because this song inspired me for this battle scene -