Hello readers. Once again, sorry about taking nearly a month to update again. School started up, so I was frantically trying to finish all of my summer work, only kind of succeeding. Now, I have that taking several hours out of every day, plus homework, so sadly updates will be slower than they were over the summer, but I guess that's to be expected. Luckily, it's a four day weekend right now for labor day, so I can get this chapter out before things really start to get intense.

Also, hurray, we've reached the thirties.

Chapter 30

When Selim awoke the next morning he slowly allowed the shadows to seep back inside of him before looking around the forest. It looked like a pretty clear day, and was actually bright out, the clouds from the rain before gone. He wasn't sure how long he'd slept, or if the Elrics would have came already.

Standing up and halfheartedly attempting to brush himself off, he started back towards the cabin. If the brother's already came, then it'd probably be bad when they saw he wasn't there. They might of thought he was kidnapped or something, and he didn't want to miss them if they did think something like that. Who knows how long it would take to find them again. It still seemed like it was pretty early though, so he was hoping for the best, since it was really the only thing he could do.

The old building soon came into his sight, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of the older Elric brother walking out through the front door. Quickening his pace a bit, he waved in order to get his attention. The blonde teen quickly spotted him and walked over.

"Hey, I was worried for a second that something might have happened to you," Ed said, and Selim smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to make sure that if the homunculus came to look for me here, they wouldn't find me sleeping in the cabin," the black haired boy explained, and Edward nodded, looking a bit impressed at his idea.

"Smart. Now let's go," he said, and Selim started following the taller boy. Looking around, he couldn't help but get a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that something wasn't exactly right.

"Mr. Edward, where's your brother?" he asked, and Ed just looked back at him over his shoulder and smiled.

"Back at the hotel, we'll meet up with him later," he explained, and Selim nodded, continuing to follow him. It wasn't long before he noticed that they were going further into the forest, and the inkling inside him wouldn't leave him alone. Pride was silent though, he wasn't sure if the sin was awake yet, or if he was just ignoring him. Either way, as he stared at the back of the teen alchemist, he couldn't help but get the feeling that something was wrong with him. It wasn't something he could pinpoint though. It was just in his movement, and the subtle twitches of expression.

"Mr. Edward, is everything okay?" he asked after another few minutes of walking, and again he nodded, giving him a strange, slightly off smile.

"Of course, now don't worry, it's only a little bit farther," he said, and Selim peaked out in front of him to try and see whatever it was he was talking about, but couldn't spot anything.

"What is?" he continued to ask.

"Oh, you'll see," Edward said, a slight tint to his voice that Selim knew he recognized from somewhere, but wasn't able to place it, but it most certainly was not the eldest Elric brother. Stopping in his tracks, he looked the man over as he turned around to face him. It didn't make any sense, he looked just like Edward, but there was definitely something not right.

"Who are you?" he finally asked, watching as a huge, almost unnatural grin spread across the teen's face. "Pride!" he called to the sin, hoping that the voice would come to life inside his head and explain to him what was going on.

"So you managed to figure it out all on your own? I have to say I'm either impressed with you, or severely disappointed with Envy for letting himself go that easily," Pride said, and Selim's eyes widened at the sound of the name, but wasn't able to respond to the internal sin before the fake Edward started speaking.

"Well, well, well, Pride, you really have been giving us some serious problems, I don't even know why Father's bothering with wanting you back alive anymore," he said, without warning his body starting to morph into a form Selim recognized, the skimpy black clothes and long, scraggly hair as distinctive as the insane smile plastered without restraint on his face now.

"I'm not Pride," Selim said almost defensively, but Envy didn't seem very interested.

"Yeah, I've heard. Well whoever you think you are, we kind of need Pride back, and according to Greed, he's still in there," Envy said, walking towards him. Selim took a set back with every one he made forward, allowing for his shadows to seep out around him. If he had to fight, then he would. He wasn't about to fall on the floor crying like he had their first meeting, at the very least. "Well, someone's grown a backbone."

"You're not really all that scary," Selim said, unable to hide the smile at the sin's shocked expression. He quickly switched it back to his insane smirk, although the black haired boy could still see a hint of irritation in his face.

"We'll see about that when I drag you back to Father kicking and screaming like a little kid," he spat, changing his arm into a blade and starting to run towards Selim. Swinging his arm, Selim took a few steps back as he sent tendrils of shadows out at the man, not able to tie him up, but effectively stopping his assault.

"I'm sorry Mr. Envy, but that's not going to happen," Selim said, carefully trying to make sure the shadows stayed under his control. Envy just raised an eyebrow at him though, a nearly confused look on his face.

"You sure you're not Pride kid, because you're acting an awful lot like him," the sin said, and it took all of his concentration to not let that question get to him. He wasn't Pride, even if he was acting much more confident than normal. Whatever the reason for that was, either all the experiences he'd been having lately changing him, or Pride's influence, he didn't know, but now was not the time to start thinking about it. Later, once he was safe and away from the homunculus.

Without warning Envy started at him again, and Selim was barely able to get the shadows to move in time. The skinny sin was only a few inches away from him when the child had the shadows force him back for a second time. It didn't seem to deter Envy any though, who was looking more amused at the situation than anything.

"Ya know Pride, I always thought you were an ungrateful little prick, but you were always the last one on my list to go against Father," Selim could feel the irritation inside Pride bubbling up at his comments and tried to ignore the grumbling as he sent out several spike tipped shadows his opponent's way. Even though Pride would of course say that irritation and anger didn't exist inside him, Selim had been here long enough to realize what a lie that was.

"I already told you, I'm not Pride," the black haired boy repeated as Envy managed to dodge each of his attacks which what looked like ease. Even with Pride's powers and the practice he'd had, he still wasn't much of a fighter.

"You act like Pride, you can use his powers, and you look like Pride. In my opinion, that makes you Pride. Maybe you just can't handle of shame of going against the person who created you. Little Mr. 'oh of course Father! Anything for you!' actually getting a rebellious streak? Must of broke your freakin brain," Envy said, flipping a strand of his green tinted hair out of his face.

Selim wasn't sure if it was his anger or Pride's that was filling him at this point. They were both angry, and it wasn't something that Selim was used to. He wasn't Pride though, but the more he denied it, the less he would believe it, even if it was just a tiny part of himself with doubt. Either way, he sent sling after sling of black shadows after the sin, until eventually he managed to catch him.

"I am not Pride," Selim repeated for the third time as he walked up to the struggling homunculus. "My name is Selim Bradley," he said, and Envy stopped in his desperate attempt at an escape to look at him for a moment.

"Okay then, Selim Bradley, just what is it you're planning on doing with me now?" he asked, and Selim frowned as he tried to think of an answer. It was just like when he'd managed to catch Greed, but at least this time he had a much better hiding place.

"Where are the Elric brothers?" the child finally decided to ask, realizing that they hadn't of shown up.

"Oh don't worry about them, Father needs them alive for his plan after all," Envy said, but Selim wasn't sure if he actually believed him. "You didn't answer my question though, what you planning to do with me? Kill me, and I know for sure you aren't the normal little kid you're pretending to be," the sin asked again. Killing him had never even crossed Selim's mind though, and he almost instantly shook his head at the suggestion.

"I could never kill someone…" the boy mumbled, starting to walk about the sin, wondering what he could possibly do to get away this time. Envy just smiled again though, and Selim couldn't help but freeze in his tracks at the insane chuckle he let out.

"Really? That's interesting. I'll let you in on a secret…" Envy said, and Selim couldn't help but step back as crackles of energy started forming around him, the sign that he was about to change. "I could," he said, and before Selim could even realize what was going on, the homunculus was too big for the shadows that'd been holding him, and Selim wasn't able to think straight enough to retie him. Instead, he just backed away, staring at the huge, dripping body of mutated flesh that now stood in front of him. It almost looked like a giant, six legged dog… if dogs were made out of constantly distorting human body parts, that is.

"P-pride? What…" Selim managed to ask, not bothering to attempt to keep the thoughts in his head as what had to of been Envy turned to face him. He still had the mop of green tinted black hair on the top of his head, but almost nothing else was recognizable. It was then as Pride answered that Selim noticed that the twisted faces lining and bulging out of the side of his body were speaking. It took the child everything he had to keep from throwing up as a piece of flesh dripped onto the tip of his shoe.

"That is Envy's true form. Not the most pleasant thing in the world, quite fittingly, but it gets the job done," the voice inside of his mind explained, and Selim could just barely nod in agreement as he took a few more feeble step back from the monstrous being. He couldn't fight this. He was just a kid, even with Pride's powers. He couldn't… He wasn't Pride…

Selim didn't have any time to allow the shadows to shield him as Envy lifted one of his huge, clawed paw like hands, and flung him across the forest.

Hurray, cliffhanger-ish ending. Sorry about that, and once again, sorry for the wait. I know that this chapter wasn't even that long even after all of that either, but I'll try and get myself more used to school being back, and find a balance in between work and free time.
Well, I hope you like this chapter anyway, and please review.