Hey, new chapter. I've finally been able to get my sleep schedule back in order since the last chapter. Had been completely nocturnal (going to sleep at 10 in the morning, waking up around six or seven) for a few days, and it felt terrible. I'm all fixed up now though, so I can think straight enough to actually write. Yay. Anyway, chapter time now.

Chapter 28

"Okay, what happened?" Edward asked him, looking Selim up and down as he stood next to him. Cautiously the blacked haired boy looked around him. What had just happened was pure luck, he didn't want to ruin it now by being spotted and taken away, just like last time.

"Can we go somewhere a bit more hidden first, Mr. Elric?" Selim asked, and without giving him any trouble on it Ed nodded, starting down the street again. The younger boy quickly followed, trying to think of how he could possibly explain what had happened to him once they got to Ed's chosen location. He had just barely managed to explain his situation last time, and found out that they knew about the white figure.

They were quickly getting farther and farther away from the center of the city, and Selim soon lost track of where they were.

"Um, where are we heading?" the boy asked, once they managed to leave the grip of the city all together, finding themselves in a forest. None of this seemed to bother Edward all that much, simply continuing to walk forward as he answered.

"Don't worry, it's not much farther. It's a little cabin we found a while ago," he explained, and Selim nodded as they continued down the path until their destination finally came into view. He couldn't help but notice how quiet Pride was being again, but now wasn't the time to ask about that, not when he was so close to getting answers and help.

"What about your brother?" Selim asked as they went in, quickly noticing the gigantic gaping hole on one side of the house.

"Yeah, I'd wanted to get him first, but he's with some of Mustang's crew, it would have been too dangerous, I'll talk to him later," the blonde said, pulling a stool over to sit down, "but first, start explaining. What the hell is going on?" Ed asked, and Selim took a deep breath before beginning.

"Okay… well, you already know about Pride… in my head," the child started, still not believing that they had believed him the first time he'd explained.

"Right, and he can like, hear us? Right now?" Ed asked, looking a bit spooked as he did. Selim just nodded, still wondering a bit about the silent state of the sin. "Is he… saying anything?" the black haired boy couldn't help but notice how Greed had asked the same exact question, as did Pride.

"Idiotic human… tell him that all of his attempts are useless, he should just abandon you while he still can," the sin said, and Selim had to keep himself from flinching at his harsh tone. Someone was having mood swings lately.

"Um, he says hi… and that your attempts are useless and to abandon me while you still have the chance…" Selim whispered, a bit worried that Ed would actually take Pride's advice and just leave him there. Instead he just looked a bit intrigued and surprised.

"Alright, well that's not gonna happen. Anyway, back to the explanation, how did you get away from Envy?" the blonde asked.

"I pretended to be Pride, and they believed me. I left when they weren't looking," Selim said, trying to keep it all as simple as possible. He wanted to get as much done as he could before he was found again. Even though he was trying to ignore Pride's insistence that would happen, it was getting to him, and truthfully it was the most likely thing to happen if they Elrics couldn't fix him soon.

"They believed you? That's… huh. How does Pride act?" Ed asked, looking both confused and surprised, not that Selim could really blame him. Even though he'd apparently met Pride when he was pretending to be a normal boy, Selim wasn't even like that in terms of being outgoing. The black haired boy couldn't help but smile slightly as an idea hit him, and decided to actually try it for once, not sure where the small amount of confidence had come from.

"Well Edward, you see Pride," he started, setting a smirk on his face, sitting up a bit straighter and using the slightly arrogant tone he associated with Pride. "he acts a bit like this, if the way those foolish homunculus were so easily tricked has any say in the matter," Selim allowed a small string of shadow to curl around him for added effect, knowing he shouldn't be having this much fun with his little act.

Edward was staring at him, a look of shock and suspicion on his face. Selim quickly willed the shadows back inside Pride's container, returning to his normal shy demeanor. He could feel Pride's annoyance at his act, but the sin said nothing.

"Um… yeah, that's how he acts," the black haired boy said again, causing Ed to blink back into a look of confusion.

"Oh, well wow… That was really good," Ed mumbled, looking him over a bit. Selim just smiled weakly until the blonde continued. "Well anyway, it's good that you found a way out," he said, and Selim nodded.

"You never got the chance to tell me about the white figure… do you really think you can get me back home?" the child asked after a moment. Ed seemed to come out of the remaining bit of suspicion he had for him after his little act at the mention of what had happened before, and nodded.

"Yeah, it'll be difficult though… dealing with the gate… if you really died then… no that wouldn't work…" the blonde mumbled, half to himself and half to Selim. He wasn't sure what Ed had meant by the gate, but he guessed it was the scary doors he had seen. It was a bit like a gate after all, it led him to this world, anyway.

Selim couldn't help but notice how much quieter and less objective Pride was being this time around. It almost worried him. The sin had said that telling the Elrics would ruin everything, so maybe it was already ruined, and that's why he didn't seem to care anymore. Whatever it was, the silence wouldn't sit right with him as Ed mumbled to himself.

"Pride, are you alright?" Selim asked while Ed was preoccupied. He could feel the steady annoyance the sin had with this whole situation, and he really didn't blame him, if he really thought about it from his point of view.

"What was that?" the voice from inside him asked back, sounding just as peeved as Selim felt he was.

"What do you mean?" the black haired boy questioned, hoping Edward wouldn't interrupt them just yet. Luckily, Pride answered before the blonde did.

"Your little act. There was no need for it, and it was completely unlike you," Pride explained, and Selim really had to think about what his answer was. Pride was kind of right in what he said, but he'd just… wanted to. It'd been fun seeing the look on Ed's face, and pretending to be someone he wasn't when his life wasn't depending on it was kind of nice. He just didn't know if Pride would understand that, he barely did himself.

"It just seemed like fun. Sorry?" he said, feeling the sin inside him rolling his eyes in annoyance. Selim sighed softly. He didn't want Pride to be mad at him, even though everything he'd done was almost guaranteeing that to happen.

"Hey, everything okay?" Ed asked, breaking the boy out of his thoughts. Selim nodded quickly, hoping the blonde wouldn't get too suspicious. It'd be beyond confusing to try and describe whatever relationship he and Pride had, and he didn't want to distract the blonde if he was trying to think of a way to get him back home.

Edward looked him over once more before nodding to himself. Selim didn't think he believed him, but was glad he was kind enough to not press him into saying anything. After a moment Ed stood up from the rickety old stool, stretching his arms before turning back towards the young boy.

"I should go get Al, he's probably wondering where I disappeared off to," he said, and Selim couldn't help but agree. It would be better with both brothers here to help him, even if the other was a bit intimidating in his armor. "Will you be okay hiding here by yourself?" Ed asked, and Selim nodded. "Good, but before I go, what was that thing you did before, when you were pretending to be Pride?" the black haired boy had to think a bit before he realized what he was talking about.

"Oh, you mean the shadows?" he asked, and Ed nodded. Selim looked down at the ground, not having noticed he'd given away Pride's power at the time. The sin was yelling at him a lot less then he thought he would be. If fact, he wasn't saying anything at all.

"That's Pride's power. Like this," the boy explained, allowing the shadows to leak out around him, crawling up the walls and lifting the chair that Ed had been previously sitting on. They were still wobbling around the room just barely under his control, but it seemed to impress the older blonde quiet nicely. "They can do other things too…" Selim continued, allowing one to shape itself into a sharp spike. "I'll be safe," he said, and couldn't help but smile at the smirk on Ed's face as he nodded.

"Right. I'll be right back then," he said, quickly turning to leave the small rundown cottage, Selim pulling the black mass back into himself.

After the alchemist had left, Selim sat in silence, trying to go over what had just happened to him, completely by chance. It really was a good thing that he'd snuck into that library. He might actually have found his once chance at getting home alive.

For some reason, Pride's questions from earlier wouldn't leave him alone though. Why had he decided to act like him for that moment? It wasn't like it'd been anything bad, but the sin was right when he said it just wasn't like him. At least, not like the him that had first come to this world, or even the one just a few weeks ago. He was changing, and he wasn't really sure if he liked it or not. Even if he was becoming a bit more like Pride, the homunculus wasn't all bad. Selim actually did wish sometimes that he had a bit more of his confidence, after all.

"Hey Pride?" the black haired boy called out, hoping the sin would answer him, even after he had blatantly showed his enemy his power.

"What?" Pride answered, an exasperated tone to his voice. No, he wasn't all bad, Selim really hoped that after whatever his father's plans were happened, or hopefully didn't, he's still be alright. Sure, he thought humans were on the same level as weak insects, but he was still just a kid, really. At least, that's how Selim saw it.

"I'm sorry I gave away your power," the younger boy apologized. He could feel the regular eye roll, but the irritation the sin was putting off actually seemed to lessen, even if just a tiny bit.

"They were going to find out eventually. True, it was sooner then I would have wanted, but they've already discovered my identity. That was more important then anything, but only a minor setback in Father's plans, mind you," Pride said, not sounding too worried about what happened. It actually managed to calm Selim slightly. Like he'd thought, their relation was so complicated, just this morning he'd been near tears, telling the sin he could do it all on his own.

"Okay… You know, when Edward and Alphonse get me back home, you'll be free of me and be able to go back to your father and the other homunculus," Selim said, not sure why he was trying to cheer the sin up. It was true though, Pride would be free as soon as he was back in his real body.

"You're such a child," Pride grumbled, and Selim couldn't help but smile slightly at the comment. The last time the voice has said something like that, he'd been nearly in tears, and that had basically sent him over the edge, before the Elrics had calmed him down enough to speak again. Even now, remembering why he'd been crying in the first place, it didn't bother him too much.

He had hope now, and he had control. Sure, it was still flimsy, but there was a small confidence growing in him that he hadn't noticed before. He still wasn't anywhere near Pride though, but he didn't want to be. He was just able to hold himself up a little stronger then before, even after the rain and attacks and death he'd been through, and frankly, it shocked him.

"I know Pride, and you are too," he said, feeling the irritation radiating off the sin at his comment. He was still a child, but this time he wasn't going to cry.

Hurray, Selim still has a bit of hope. For an entire chapter? Blasphemy! Selim pretending to be Pride is really fun to write. I'm starting to get really interested in the way his psyce is changing, but this is my story, so I guess I should be. Anyway, I hoped you all liked the chapter, and please review.