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Chapter Six: Midnight Rendezvous
Selim lounged on a gray couch, taking in his surroundings. He and Kimblee had taken up lodgings in a rather ramshackle part of town, and this house was no exception. It was small, for one, with two bedrooms, a bath, and a living area barely large enough for the kitchen it contained. His couch and the small, wooden table with four chairs were all that could be considered remotely part of a living room. Of course, he figured that anything was better than a slum; however, as the former Führer's son, Selim had grown up surrounded by luxury. This was clearly a step down for him, and it was certainly taking a toll on his pride.
He smiled wryly at the thought. Such an ironic statement. He was literally the embodiment of pride, so of course he felt that he deserved no less than the best. However, circumstances would not allow for him to take up refuge in anything better. Only a day after he and Kimblee had stolen the last remaining Philosopher's Stone, High Command had been put on full alert. They were searching for both him and Kimblee with a vengeance.
Selim had learned all of this by using his shadows. It turned out that they could be particularly useful in the art of espionage. Being careful, he had been able to gain access to the most recent updates about the manhunt in Central Command. He knew, though, that he couldn't spy on the Führer or his closest associates, as they had all been present through the Promised Day, and would therefore be able to sense his presence.
Despite the ongoing manhunt, Selim could move around the city with relative ease. High Command had decided not to alert the general populace to his or Kimblee's presence. He had to admit that he had been slightly surprised, though upon further thought, found that it made sense. After the Promised Day, only those who truly needed to know what had happened were given the information. Those who didn't, such as most of the citizenry, were given some excuse created by the government. They didn't know that Selim had been a homunculus, or that he had consumed the essence of Kimblee. How could they know that Kimblee had been resurrected, when they all thought he had perished in the fighting? And Selim himself was fairly popular throughout Central. There would be much doubt surrounding his apparent betrayal and newfound abilities. Because of this, if Selim properly disguised himself with a hat, he could walk about the city with relative freedom.
Today, he decided, was a good day to exercise such freedom. Selim had been in the house for the past day, using his shadows to spy on various aspects of Central. And, honestly, he was bored. Kimblee was currently out gathering…well, he wasn't necessarily sure what Kimblee was doing, but it must have been important, because he had donned a black coat instead of a white one. As well, he had told Selim that he would be gone for a few days, and ended with that, having refused to elaborate.
Selim stood up and stretched. He wanted to go to the park and Main Street, places he loved to go with May and Edward before all of this. So, why not? It was a beautiful day outside anyway. Selim put on a black fedora and light jacket. Perhaps he would see his friends there? Quickly, he shook his head at the thought. They weren't his friends anymore, no matter how much he would like to think so. For all he knew, they hated him and would never want to speak to him again. In the race for power, Selim supposed, certain sacrifices were inevitable.
Selim made his way through the impoverished areas of the city before reaching the park. He raised an eyebrow at the massive crowd of people who had gathered at the edge of Main Street. What was going on?
Careful not to be recognized, Selim moved through the crowd until he could see the road. His eyes widened.
It was General Olivier Armstrong and her husband Miles! They were riding in a town car toward Central Command. Briggs soldiers followed closely. Behind them, in another car, were Alphonse Elric and his wife, May, with their two children. What was going on here? Why were these famous people parading through the town?
Last but not least came Edward Elric. He was not with his family. Instead, he sat next to General Mustang. The two were deep in conversation and unperturbed by the cheering citizenry lining the sidewalks.
Selim's eyes narrowed. This could only mean one thing: Central Command was calling in the big guns. They wouldn't alert the people, but everyone who knew anything about Pride and Kimblee were being called in to help. For the first time, he began to feel a seed of doubt in his mind. Could he and Kimblee truly defend themselves against everyone here? And how would they control them so that Selim would be installed as Führer? His goal suddenly seemed impossibly far away.
He turned quickly and headed back into the park to think. How had he not thought of this - what they were actually up against? He had known that they would have to take down Central Command and perhaps a couple generals here or there, but suddenly his mind was put into perspective. Olivier and Miles were more than capable, as he had witnessed at the Armstrong house on more than one occasion. Alex would also show up. They had taken down Sloth together, and surely were ready to take down another homunculus. Izumi and Sid Curtis would also be called in, and both were experienced against homunculi.
But the Elric brothers! They were absolutely geniuses. Even though Edward couldn't use alchemy, Selim had no doubt that he would be able to devise a way to take him down. And Alphonse and May? One of the greatest power couples next to Olivier and Miles. Shingese alchehestry was notoriously unpredictable, and Selim had not seen enough of it to feel confident fighting against it.
His pride was slipping, and he knew it. As much faith as he had in his abilities to use alchemy, he still hadn't mastered shadows. And against all of these people he would never win.
Not to mention that Roy Mustang had it out for him, seeing as Pride had forced him through the portal of truth and into blindness.
Selim sat on a bench. How had he decided to go along with this scheme? Had Kimblee tricked him into believe that it would be easier?
A sudden thought rushed through Selim's mind, causing his blood to run cold. Kimblee… Kimblee of all people should have foreseen this. He was intellectually brilliant, and yet he always acted as though it would be a simple task to dispose of and control Central Command. What if…
The realization hit Selim as though he had been punched. This was Kimblee's goal all along! He knew that it would all be too much for the two of them. He knew that the only way to control this country was to have a scheme as elaborate as the one Father had procured. More importantly, he had known that Selim would have not remembered any of it. He used this ignorance to goad him into whatever scheme he was really playing at. The "let's take over Amestris" ploy had really been to cover up Kimblee's true objectives.
Kimblee wanted Selim dead. Truly dead. Selim knew that he had "eaten" Kimblee after Heinkel had ripped out his throat. What did this leave? Kimblee had been damned to an eternity in Selim's mind, and once that had ceased to be a whirlwind of tortured souls, he must have hated Selim for it. Was it possible that this entire plan was part of a bigger plot to murder Selim?
"Alright," said Selim, to himself. "So Kimblee could be trying to kill you. No, there is no 'could be.' He is. He wants you dead, and so does everyone else in the country. You have been played like a fool. Congratulations." So this left… what?
All throughout his life Selim had been smart. He had been at the top of his class and had the makings of a brilliant strategist. Therefore, he should be able to come up with a plan now. He didn't regret that he wanted to overtake Amestris. That would still be a preferable outcome in the future. However, he did regret his resurrection of Kimblee. He had to get back on the side of the government and convince them that he was the victim.
First off, he needed allies. Someone he could trust to support him in the clearing of his name and destruction of Kimblee. Someone who could provide access to High Command and perhaps grant him amnesty.
He knew just the person.
Admittedly, it was a long shot. A really long shot. Why would May ever want to speak to him again? However, she could be forgiving and had always been his friend. Until, of course, now.
Selim stood outside of the Mustangs' house in the nicest section of the city. He had been to the large white townhouse numerous times before, but never like this. There were soldiers standing guard outside the house, and his shadows told him that there were a few walking the perimeter. He also knew that May had returned from Ishval, and was currently in her room.
Unable to simply walk up to the house and knock on the door, Selim sank into the shadows.
He arrived in May's room, and he felt extremely creepy in doing so. During the day, the spacious room would have been happy and filled with light bouncing off the paintings on the wall and the mirror where May did her makeup. Today, it felt solemn and dark, not at all like the May he knew. Selim made his way toward the canopy bed.
"Stop," hissed a voice from behind him. Selim froze, feeling a knife at his throat.
"Hello May. It's only me," he said.
"Oh, it's only you, Selim. What the hell are you doing here? Do you expect me not to kill you after what you pulled?" May's voice shot daggers as she spoke from behind him.
"Look, May. I've come to talk to you about that."
"And you better have a damn good explanation after what you did."
"I do. If you would remove that knife I'll tell you."
"Do I have your word that you won't kill me if I do?"
"You do. But you actually trust my word?"
"Of course I do, Selim. We were friends once, even if we aren't now." May let go of the knife and walked forward. Dressed in a simple shirt and pants, she was not her usual, jovial self. Right now, she resembled her father with her stern look and fire in her eyes. Selim noticed that she seemed thinner and tired, with circles under her eyes. Despite this, he still felt that she was extremely beautiful.
"What do you want to say?" She asked.
"Have you not been sleeping well?" Asked Selim before he could come up with something useful to say. May raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sure that's not what you came to talk about. But no, since you were wondering, I have not been. My concussion keeps me up."
"Your concussion?" Asked Selim. May huffed.
"Yes. Your little stunt with Kimblee did quite a lot of damage you know. I just got a concussion. Poor Edward fared far worse: His arm is broken and he has a concussion too. Not to mention that Anna is dead." May's voice was flat and emotionless as she spoke.
"I'm so sorry," said Selim, actually feeling deeper regret than he thought he would.
"Sorry doesn't cut it. Why did you do it?" She asked, her voice turning into a whisper. "Why would you bring Kimblee back? We learned about him, we knew exactly how terrible he was."
"I have a lot to tell you, but I can't do it here," said Selim. "Shall we go somewhere else?"
"Yes. There are guards everywhere and I'm sure that someone would find us. But how are we going to get out of here? And how did you get in here in the first place?"
"That's part of what I mean to tell you. For now, you'll just have to trust me." May let out a laugh.
"That's rich. Trust you?" Selim glowered.
"Yes. Just for a few moments. That's all it will take." May crossed her arms.
"Fine," she said. Selim held out his hand.
"Take my hand," he said. May reached out and placed her hand in his, her face expressionless as Selim felt fire in her touch. Quickly, he regained himself.
"Prepare for a journey through the shadows," he said, as the darkness engulfed the two of them.
The shadows released them at the most private place Selim could think of: Father's Lair.
May gasped upon being released and staggered backward.
"What was that?" She demanded. "How can you do that?" Her eyes darted around the dimly lit expanse of a room. "What is this place?"
"This is Father's Lair," said Selim, walking to the center of the room.
"Father?" Asked May. Selim sat on the floor and motioned for May to join him.
"Our parents never told us what really happened on the Promised Day," said Selim. May gave a sly smile.
"I already knew that. Tell me something I don't know, like what the hell this place is." Selim smiled back, glad that May had decided to trust him again, at least temporarily. He motioned for her to lie down as he started his story.
"Our country has been controlled by a select few beings for centuries," he began. "They were called the 'Homunculi.' They were created by a man called Father. Father wasn't a man though. He destroyed the Kingdom of Xerxes in order to create a Philosopher's Stone within himself …" Selim went on to tell her about how the Homunculi had constructed a precise transmutation circle out of the country, in order to achieve Father's ultimate goal of creating a massive portal. He talked for an hour about how today's war heroes had fought against the homunculi, how they had destroyed nearly all of them, and how they had eventually won against Father himself.
May was silent after the story.
"It's amazing how much they kept from us. All of that… and we were taught that my father led a coup and there was a huge fight with alchemists."
"I know they would have told us eventually," said Selim. "Given who we are." May nodded in agreement.
"So your adopted father was the homunculus Wrath," she said. "But I thought you were adopted from his relatives? Wouldn't he not have any?"
"You're right," said Selim. "I'm not related to him at all. Here's what I want to tell you." Selim paused, not particularly sure how to continue. "I'm the Homunculus Pride." May seemed thoroughly unimpressed by the revelation.
"You? Pride? After all that Pride did? I thought the Homunculi were destroyed."
"They were, but not all of them were killed. I was reduced to the form of a baby, where I lost my memories and began to grow as a normal person. My immortality was gone."
"And you expect me to believe that you're a homunculus?" Selim nodded grimly.
"I didn't believe it at first either. But it's true." May shook her head.
"How did you find out about this?"
"Well, back when I was Pride on the Promised Day, I was fighting with Solf J. Kimblee against Alphonse Elric and a couple of Chimeras. The lion Chimera - you know Mr. Heinkel right? - he ripped out Kimblee's throat and his party fled. Apparently, I ate Kimblee." May laughed wholeheartedly.
"You ate that bastard? With your shadows?"
"I did."
"That's really funny actually."
"It is?"
"Yes! You were what, like nine years old and you ate the most delusional state alchemist in our country?" The way she put it made Selim smile.
"It wasn't done with good intentions," he said. "Apparently I wanted to add to my Philosopher's Stone. Anyway, before I disappeared for all those years, Kimblee appeared in my mind. He started talking to me."
"Like a schizophrenic?"
"Believe me, I thought I was. But no. I actually had another being inside of me, or, at least, the essence of one."
"So he told you all of this, then?" Asked May.
"He did, and I did my own research to back up his statements." They were both silent.
"So," began May. "You were Pride. You were raised as a normal human recently and would have died one too had Kimblee not interfered."
"Yes, but it was more than that," said Selim, readying himself to lie. "Kimblee had control over me. He was much stronger than me and seemed to know more about me than I knew about myself. He… he controlled me."
"What?" Asked May.
"I know it sounds completely false, but he did. Have you ever had another soul inside you tell you what to do? It's compelling. He would badger me for days on end about doing something. He taught me how to use alchemy – that's what I was doing in the countryside – and forced me to use it to resurrect him. He convinced me that it was a good idea so that we could take over Amestris together and so I could become the Führer." Selim stopped. Now that he said it, it sounded completely realistic, as though it could have actually happened. He continued.
"I put it off for as long as I could, but really, what could I do against him? I know I'm smart, but Kimblee … he just knows everything. I have no memories of my past. He knew of me and my powers and he knew how to get me to obey him."
"It's as though you switched places," said May. "Before you were the one in charge."
"I know," acknowledged Selim. "And I know what his plan is."
"What?" Asked May, sitting up.
"He… He wants me dead."
"Well I can understand why others would want you dead," said May. "Seeing that you were a homunculus with invincible shadow powers. Though, with your powers back, aren't you a homunculus again?" Selim nodded.
"Yes, I am. Kimblee fitted me with a Philosopher's Stone, though it isn't nearly as strong as the one I had before." This time, what Selim said was true. After all, that is what they had done in Ishval.
"Why give you a Philosopher's Stone if he wants you dead? Couldn't he have just given you a brain aneurysm?"
"No. He wants me to suffer as he had to when I pulled him inside myself to be a part of my former Philosopher's Stone."
"Seriously? So what does he plan to do?"
"He wants to pit me against all of High Command. They'll all destroy me, and he knows I won't stand a chance," said Selim.
"Wow," said May, leaning back. "I had no idea that something like this was going on with you." Selim felt relief wash over him. Evidently, May must believe his story.
"I'm sorry for everything that I did," Selim apologized again. "But know that it wasn't me." May shrugged.
"Obviously you still aren't forgiven, but at least I understand what's going on." She turned on her side to face him. "So, Pride, what do you plan to do about this situation? Last I checked you were somewhat of a genius. Do you have a way to combat Kimblee?" Selim smiled at the compliment.
"I do. I have to prove to Central Command that I am not a traitor," he said. "I need allies, people who will believe me and who will support me. That's why I asked you." Their eyes met, and May's lit up with surprise.
"Me? As your ally?"
"Like you said, we were friends once," said Selim. "I know what with everything that has come between us that it will be hard for you to accept me again, or to even trust me, but you are the only one I can count on." May stood up.
"Fine," she said. "I would like to be your ally. I would like to believe that you are still Selim and not that awful Pride. I would like to think that it was truly Kimblee behind all of this and not you."
"Let me prove it to you," said Selim, standing up as well.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Asked May. Selim walked until he stood in front of May. She was beautiful in her indignation, challenging him, daring him to do something that he knew he would hate. But he would do it, and he would do it for her.
"I plan to do it by doing the most un-Pride-like thing I can think of," said Selim. Not breaking eye contact, he slowly bent down until he was on his knees, staring into May's dark eyes.
"Please, May, I beg of you. Please help me to clear my name and defeat Solf J. Kimblee."
May stood there, calm and composed, not alluding to any shock she may be feeling. Selim felt incredibly sincere and awkward at the same time, realizing that this position was very similar to one where someone proposed marriage. The two just stood there for a few moments, yet to Selim it seemed like ages. Finally, May let out a grin.
"Of course I will help you!" She said, happily. "Now stand up! It's like you're proposing to me!" Selim blushed as May laughed, standing up to face her.
"Proposing to you?" He said. "After all of this? I'd be rejected for sure!"
"You're so silly!" Said May, reverting back to her jovial, flirtatious self. "Now," she continued, serious again. "We have to find more allies."
"Edward?" Asked Selim. May made a face.
"He is so mad at you Selim! You don't even know! But he is the next logical choice. Shall we convince Edward tonight?" She asked. Selim shook his head.
"Actually, I was thinking about tomorrow."
"Why tomorrow?" Asked May.
"Because," responded Selim. "Tonight I want to be with you." With that, he leaned in and lightly kissed May on the lips. She gasped.
"Selim! What… what are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" Asked Selim. "You know that my pride will take a serious hit if you don't return that." May laughed and wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh shut up. It's about damn time you did that." She kissed him back, and so it was, just the two of them, in the darkness beneath Central.
Selim desperately wanted to believe that all he had said to May was the truth. But he knew for sure that, no matter what lies he told, the homunculus inside of him could not be suppressed.