Hey y'all. Look, it's a new chapter that isn't grossly overdue! How did this happen? I'm bored and don't feel like starting my homework, that's how. Not the best reasoning in the world, but it'll work. Plus, I just don't want to keep you all waiting forever again, so here it is.

Chapter 31

Selim felt his body slam into one of the many trees and sank to the ground, the rough bark scratching at his back. It took everything inside him to keep from passing out and actually stand back up. If he was in a normal human's body, he would have been out cold, or possibly have broken his spine. Even in Pride's body, it was painful to move, and his head was spinning like crazy, he could barely make out the giant green form of his opponent as he made his way towards him through the forest.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you?" the monstrous creature said, but Selim didn't bother to respond, shaking his head and attempting to get his eyes to refocus. Before he was able to make much progress the giant claw was once again flinging him through the air. The only thing he could be thankful for was that this time he managed to somehow miss any trees, although he still ended up slamming into and skidding along the ground.

"S-stop," he managed to squeak out, although it sounded absolutely pathetic even to himself. Clinging onto a tree, he pulled himself up once more and looked around until he caught sight of Envy through blurred eyes, an amused look on his animal like face.

"Giving up already? Fine by me," he said as he made his way over to the child. Selim shook his head though, closing his eyes to attempt to make himself a little less dizzy. He couldn't just give up, he already swore he wasn't going to let himself die without a fight again. He could hear Pride sighing inside of him at his stubborn and probably idiotic refusal.

"You should stop acting like a complete fool, there's no way for you to win this time, so quit struggling so hard," Pride told him, but Selim couldn't listen to that advice, no matter how much he almost wanted to. Rubbing his eyes, he managed to focus them enough that the trees stopped appearing to be swaying, and allowed the shadows to once again seep from around his feet.

"No," he said to both Envy and the voice inside of him. He really wasn't sure how much of the shadows he was letting out at this point, but he didn't bother to try and look around and see, keeping his sight trained on the enemy. Envy's expression changed from one of cocky victory to a bit of curiosity. Selim had no idea what he was doing, it always took so much concentration to be able to make Pride's shadows listen to him properly, and that was still usually in small amounts. He'd already let out more than he'd ever before, and if his vision wasn't fooling him, it almost looked like he was starting to intimidate the large green beast.

All of a sudden, the mishmash sin was charging towards him, knocking several trees over in the process. Selim let the shadows rush forward to protect him pretty much of their own accord. He didn't seem to have any control as several managed to slice or puncture the huge target. The pained screams tangled in with the rest of the voices calling out on the monster's body caused him to snap himself into enough control to be able to pull most of the shadows back, hovering around him in a swirling mass that felt ready to rush off again like a coiled spring.

"You… brat," Envy huffed, and it occurred to Selim as his now refocused eyes watched blood run down his already disgusting body that this was the first time that he'd actually directly injured someone with the shadows. Crackling flashes of red light highlighted the wounds as they healed almost instantaneously, but it was more than clear that Envy was absolutely furious. "Like hell will you get away with that," he growled, and Selim tried to plant himself firmly on the ground as the wind started to come back into him, and he focused the shadows towards him.

Envy started to charge for a second time, and Selim let the shadows shoot forward and dig themselves like spikes into the sin. Once again he was howling in pain and anger, but this time Selim didn't immediately pull back in surprise, and Envy still tried to push forward.

The shadows were once again beginning to rage out of his control, and a few mouths began to form. He couldn't remember if he'd even made mouths since that first time the shadows had appeared, but as bit into the giant sin's back, he instantly forced most of them to retreat, trying and failing not to gag. He could taste it, the constantly mutating flesh, as well as the blood that filled the shadow's mouth.

Envy took that moment to allow himself to begin healing again, and Selim had mostly regained control and somehow managed to keep himself from throwing up once he had finished.

"If you can't stomach it, you shouldn't use that skill," Pride said rather matter-of-factly. It was the same tone of voice that he usually used when he was trying to not let him know he was annoyed, although Selim could sense his emotions anyway, so he wasn't sure what the point of it was. Even if he couldn't, it was clear that the fact that he was managing to hold his own against Envy with the help of his own powers was not about to please him in the least.

"I didn't mean to, and I didn't know that you could actually taste what those mouths eat," Selim defended, but quickly turned his attention away from the internal sin and back to Envy, who seemed to be trying to think of some other attack method then just 'charge,' seeing as that didn't seem to be working out so well.

"I'm not going to let you take me again," Selim said, and it just caused the frown on his face to deepen.

"Don't go thinking you've won just because you got a few cheap shots in, I won't lose to a bipolar brat like you," Envy growled, but Selim didn't respond to the insults. Instead, he managed to attack first, sending shadows spiraling out towards him, for once not in an attempt to bind his opponent, but it was an actual attack. It wasn't like it could die anyway, and he didn't want to kill him. It would just keep regenerating, and if he didn't attack, then he could get caught. It was his only choice.

The bulking monster attempted to dodge, but he was too big, and the trees surrounding them hindered his escape attempts. Suddenly, the increasingly familiar crackles of light formed around him again, and he was back to the original form that the black haired boy had seen him in.

"Father may want you back alive…" Envy started, a huge fire of loathing in his eyes as he walked towards him. "but if something were to happen before I could find you, then the old man would never know," he growled, and Selim tried to keep the threat from shaking his nerves as he kept the shadows poised to strike. He could feel the statement most certainly gather a reaction from the sin inside of him though.

"How dare that traitor even consider going against father's direct orders and then lying about it?" he asked in a huff, and Selim was taken back slightly by just how dedicated to his master's plan that Pride seemed to be, especially when he was probably the one considered a traitor at the moment, even if it was against his will.

"Really? He threatens to kill you and you're just upset that he was going to lie to your father?" Selim couldn't help but ask, managing to keep himself focused enough on the battle field to drive back an attack from Envy. Pride huffed, and Selim flung the sin across the clearing in a similar way that he'd been at the beginning of their fight.

"Even with you in control, Envy will not be able to kill me. Defeat you, yes, but death will not happen, so loyalty to father is a much more important issue," the voice inside of him explained, and Selim managed to nod slightly as Envy pushed himself up off of the ground.

Sending another barrage of spiked shadows towards him, Selim's eyes widened as one of the thick blade like masses went straight through his chest. Up until then he hadn't let them hit anything vital, but he was such a smaller target now… The child was frozen in shock, and Envy's words from earlier started to play back in his head.

Kill me, and I know you aren't the normal little kid you're pretending to be.

Shaking his head, he quickly pulled the shadow out of the man and watched him fall to the ground in a heap. The light was beginning to crackle around him, but Selim didn't stop to wait for him to be fully healed and just have to start fighting again. Instead, he turned and started to run in the first direction that was away. He didn't know if the sin was following him or not, but he didn't stop until he was outside of the forest, collapsing on the ground and his insides burning from all the strain.

"I… I didn't mean to…" he said weakly between gasps for air. He felt more worn out than both mentally and physically than he could ever remember, and he knew that he was covered in dirt and probably blood, and their were great tares in his clothes. He could hear Pride sighing inside of his mind, the disappointment that he hadn't been caught rather clear, even when Selim was as emotionally distracted as he was.

"Well it happened, and Envy isn't dead, it takes more than that to kill a homunculus," Pride said, and Selim nodded slowly as he scooted over and leaned against a fence. Now he really didn't know what to do. After all that work, he'd lost the Elric brother in one night before they were able to do anything to help him. It seemed that as long as he tried to go to them for help, the homunculi would find him almost immediately afterwards.

"I can't go to them for help anymore, can I? You're… family will just keep trying to catch me every time I find them," Selim said, pausing slightly when trying to figure out how to refer to the other homunculus. He figured that was how they were though, with that whole father figure and everything. He could sense Pride's intrigue at the way that he seemed to concede.

"Exactly. We have the Elrics under watch, so it's hopeless. What are you going to do about your problem now?" Pride asked, actually managing to sound genuinely interested in his future plan. Selim had to think for a few moments, allowing for the shadows to seep out and wrap around him in the meantime. It was definitely getting colder. It'd be winter soon enough, and if he didn't get back home by then, he wasn't sure what he was going to do or how he'd survive. The cocoon of darkness wasn't the most insulated thing in the world, it only kept in so much heat.

"I guess I'll just have to figure out how to solve it on my own. I don't know who else I could turn to," Selim said at last, not bothering to speak inside his head and closing his eyes. He was worn out from the fight, and still sore all over, despite this vessel being much more resistant than his normal body. If he was in that, he would have simply died of starvation or dehydration a while ago.

"You wont be able to. You have to know that you'll fail eventually," Pride said, and to the sin's surprise Selim nodded in agreement. Maybe it was just from the fatigue, he didn't feel like fighting anymore, even if it wasn't physically.

"I'll just keep going until that happens, I can't let it get to me. I don't want to die again," he mumbled, and Pride didn't say anything for a few moments, and Selim was certain after a while that he wasn't going to respond at all, it wouldn't be the first time he just stopped in the middle of a conversation.

"You are irritatingly persistent," the sin groaned, surprising Selim slightly, and he actually managed to smile, although it wasn't particularly funny or anything. He was rather surprised that he could still smile after everything that had happened today, but decided to not try and dwell on that for too long.

"I learned it from you," he said quietly, although he knew that Pride could still hear him, and could feel the sin roll his eyes at the statement. It was true though, and while he wasn't Pride, he couldn't really deny the influence the sin was having on his personality. He really didn't know if he liked it or not, but right now, it was helping him to survive, and that was all that mattered. As long as he was still himself on the inside, it'd be okay.

"I know," Pride grumbled, and Selim chuckled slightly before drifting off into a dreamless unconsciousness.

Yay, finished. Selim is once again alone, and it seems like he'd going to have to start to change his game plan now that Ed and Al seem to be off limits. I know I just wont let this kid catch a break. This was probably the longest fight scene I've ever written, I hope it didn't seem boring or anything. Writing fight scenes scares me.

Well, I hope you liked the on time chapter, and please review.