Chapter 13: Forgotten

After a day of allowing her to get back under composure, the homunculus and Noah began travelling. They normally avoided the larger cities and the homunculus stayed in the forms of Greed and Pride to deter people from trying to hurt Noah.

They had travelled far and had met many bands, but the homunculus refused all of them. It always claimed they were not right for her. Though they would stay the night with them, they would leave early the next morning.

Noah usually avoided looking at the homunculus, even when they were talking. Until something strange began to happen to it. Noah frowned as she watched the homunculus' hand flickered. "It's been doing that for a while now…"

"No it has not. It has been spreading." The homunculus said as it looked at Pride's hand in concern. "Yesterday, it was only my fingers. Now it has spread to my forearm… I am worried I may not be long for this world."

"What could have happened?" Noah said worriedly. She may have hated the homunculus for taking the Elric brothers from her, but she didn't want to see anything bad happen to it.

It was keeping its promise to her, and she suddenly realized as she faced the prospect of losing its company, it wasn't that bad a creature. It had been kind enough to give her a day to herself before they continued, and it hadn't done anything to hurt her at all.

"I believe the Gate did take a toll on my body, well at least the structuring that allows me to exist. I do not know if that means I will no longer be able to hold a physical form, or if I will vanish completely from this world. We must hurry. I do not wish to find out which answer it will be." The homunculus said grimly.

Noah nodded as she walked ahead of it, allowing the homunculus to watch her back.

Noah sighed in exhaustion as she sat behind a small brush by the side of the road. "How is it now?" She asked worriedly.

The homunculus frowned as it removed one of Ed's jackets Noah had given it to hide the flickering. It had spread now to the middle of the upper arm and the flickering in the hand had become more severe. "I fear I am not long for this world after all…" It said worriedly.

Noah's head drooped as she looked at the ground. "So I will be left alone…"

"No. I shall keep my promise. Even if I do not like the band I must place you with, I will find a band to take you in. It will have to be the next band we meet, though. I cannot risk pushing it and end up leaving you alone."

"I guess…" She sighed. "I can't keep calling you 'homunculus'… Wouldn't you like to have a name of your own?"

The homunculus smiled in amusement at her. "Odd, I had been considering that myself. It would be nice to have a name I can call my own, even if it is only for a short time. Do you have any suggestions?"

Noah blinked in surprise at it before shaking her head. "No… I'm sorry…" She said, looking at the ground.

The homunculus laughed. "Do not worry. I had one that I was strongly considering. It seems highly appropriate considering how much of it I had caused you and the brothers. I believe I shall name myself 'Pain' until we find you a band. After that, I had intended to give myself to the Gate; hopefully I can still do that before I vanish completely."

Noah cringed at its choice of name. "I guess if that's what you want… Pain… I can call you that."

Pain nodded. "It is what I want. I am not long for this world, so it really does not matter. Pain suits me. Come along, we must hurry before this spreads too far and it becomes impossible to move by daylight." Pain said, motioning to its arm.

Noah nodded in understanding as Pain helped her stand and they began walking once again.

Pain frowned as they came upon a thick forest separated by the road. "Be cautious Noah…" It warned warily as Pride's hand went to the sword hilt that rested behind its back.

Noah looked at Pain worriedly before nodding.

So far they had been lucky and hadn't run into any trouble, but it seemed that their luck had run out. Six men appeared from the forest holding guns aimed at Pain and Noah.

Noah cowered in fear as Pain stared them down calmly.

"Let go of the sword or else we'll shoot you." One of the men beside Pain warned with his gun aimed directly at Pain's head.

Pride's hand left the sword hilt and rose into the air.

Noah glanced pleadingly at Pain who shook its head as the men began to drag her away.

"Heh, what's behind the eye patch, buddy?" The man with the gun pointed at Pain asked, grinning in amusement.

"Do you wish to see?" Pain asked.

The man looked at it in confusion as it lowered a hand to the eye patch and removed it. The man could only stare in surprise at the blank white eye before it suddenly rolled down and revealed Pride's Uroboros marking.

Suddenly, Pain vanished from the man's sight, causing him to snap out of his surprise.

"What the hell is he?!" He yelled at Noah.

Noah was frozen in terror as the men around her suddenly screamed and large gouges appeared in them.

Pain reappeared in front of the man as all his comrades collapsed, dead. Pain stood there, pointing the bloody sword's tip at the man. "Well?" Pain asked simply as the man pointed his gun at it.

The gun went off, hitting Pain directly in the head.

Noah screamed as Pain collapsed, staring blankly at nothing.

The man aimed his gun shakily at Noah. "Y-You're coming with me girl…" He said unsteadily, walking up to her.

"Hmph. It appears that even though I have consumed no red stones, I can still come back to life a few times…" Pride's voice came from behind the man.

The man turned suddenly and stared at horror as Pain stood and brushed itself off. The hole in its head smoked as the bullet was forced out.

The man suddenly collapsed to his knees, the shock of what he was seeing finally hit him full force. With a quick slash of Pride's sword, the man joined his fellow bandits in death.

"Now, shall we move along?" Pain asked brightly to Noah, who could only stare at it in terror. Pain sighed as it replaced Pride's eye patch. "Do not worry, Noah. I would never harm you. I am here only to protect you and help you. Come along before we are found with this mess. Get changed in those bushes over there. Those clothes will only help to damn us if this is discovered." It ordered, pointing to the place where a few of the men had come from.

Noah fearfully complied, keeping a wary eye on Pain as it cleaned off the sword and turned into Greed to clear away the blood.

Another day had passed and the strange phenomena that plagued Pain continued to spread, with both arms now flickering violently. "I am sorry, Noah, but it appears as though the next band we run across will be the one that will take you in. We cannot afford to waste any more time waiting." Pain said worriedly as it examined Greed's arms.

"There's a place where bands go to rest and restock water up ahead. I remember it from when I was with my old band. Hopefully there will be one there." Pain nodded.

"And if there is not a band there, we will wait until one makes camp there. Hopefully one will come by soon."

Noah nodded as she led the way to the clearing in the forest. "We're in luck." Noah whispered as they got close enough to see the clearing, but not close enough so that the dogs the band had as guards would notice them.

"They will have to do." Pain said frowning as the flickering became visible through its open coat.

Noah nodded as Greed walked away from her. "Where are you going?" She asked worriedly.

"I am going to hide this jacket. It would not do well for you to see it and wonder where it came from." Pain explained before fading into nothing, the jacket plummeting into the bushes. "I will deal with you last." Envy's voice echoed around her.

She nodded in understanding as suddenly the dogs began acting strangely.

The humans got their guards up as people gradually began holding their heads with strange expressions on their faces. Soon, humans and dogs were looking around in confusion, wondering what had happened.

Noah looked around worriedly. "Pain…?"

"I am here. Take care of yourself, Noah. I am sure the Elric brothers are doing the same. Enjoy your new life."

"Thank you…" She muttered before the same strange feeling came over her.

For a moment or two she stood staring blankly before wondering why she was standing so far from her band.

A flickering Envy appeared as soon as she entered the camp and was welcomed back with open arms. A grin appeared on Pain's face. "I am glad I was able to help you…" Pain said before the Gate appeared and the Children grabbed at it, pulling it willingly back into the Gate.