Hello internet. Time to ignore everything else I should be doing and write the next chapter, and actually on time in the random schedule in my head that doesn't actually have any real set dates and is frequently readjusted. Anyway, here's the chapter, hope you all enjoy it.

Chapter 33

It was eerily quiet as Selim made his way down the long, curving tunnels. He wasn't entire sure the exact way he was suppose to go, so just kept straight. The only sound came from the creaking of the grates that separated the hidden chimeras from him, and the echoing taps of his footsteps as he made his way forward.

When he actually reached the large entrance to the main room with the huge chair that he knew the old man Pride called Father was sitting in, he stopped and hid behind the doorframe before peaking inside. He couldn't believe he'd actually managed to walk the entire way without running into anyone, but he figured that the chimeras were usually their alarm and first defense. If they didn't start to attack, and no one was in the vicinity, then they couldn't of possibly known someone was coming, and since he was 'Pride' now, they would leave him be.

Starting into the room, he had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do now that he was there. Should he play up the Pride angle again? What good would that do with getting him home though? If he told them the truth, he had no reason to trust they wouldn't just kill him, and even if Pride's shadows were strong and he'd finally managed to gain a basic hold over them, it wouldn't be enough if he had to fight more than one person at a time. With how the sin inside of him had acted, he wouldn't be surprised to see the other homunculus jumping up to defend their master, or at the very least doing it once they had been ordered to.

After what felt like an eternity, he drew in a deep breath and began walking into the room. The child still had no idea what he was going to do, and Pride was completely silent. That might have actually been a good thing though, he didn't want the often irritated sin to end up distracting him or anything.

"H-hello, father?" the child asked, the name feeling strange as it rolled off his tongue. The large blonde being stared down at him from his tall chair, and it became clear that he'd already knew about his presence before he had spoken, although for how long, the boy couldn't tell. Selim tried to keep any of the intimidation he was feeling inside of him as he started to speak again. He wasn't Pride, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold his own if he really needed to. At least, it didn't mean that anymore. "I need your help."

The being known as Father didn't say anything, instead just stared down at the child, a blank expression on his face, as if waiting for him to go on. Taking another breath, he did.

"My name is Selim Bradley, I-I somehow ended up in control of Pride's b- container," he stopped for a moment, allowing some of the shadows to seep out around his feet, as both proof and a bit of extra protection, just in case anything happened, "I need you to… help me get back into my body, then you can have Pride back to normal," he finished, and waited silently for an answer, the black mass swirling restlessly around him.

When he finally did speak, his voice was cold, practically emotionless. Selim tried to hide the fear that it stirred in him, although it didn't work very well.

"I see… and Pride is still aware?" the ancient being asked, and Selim quickly nodded, feeling Pride's presence start to perk up at the mention of his true self. Staring at Father, the black haired boy really couldn't tell what he was thinking. His mind was like a wall, and it scared him. He'd rather have to deal with someone like Envy, since at least then he knew he was about to be attacked.

When the man stood up, Selim almost instantly made the shadows rise higher in protection. It didn't seem to bother Father any, the old being just continuing to walk towards him. Selim didn't attempt to attack though, since he'd hadn't actually done anything threatening yet. Something told him that if he made the first move, then things would end very badly, very quickly. Of course, the same thing could happen if he waited too long to act as well.

"Are you going to help me?" Selim asked at last, not able to stand the silence and Father just looking him over again and again. This had been a very bad idea, what in the world was he thinking? He was going to die or something, and it was all because of his own stupid decision to go back to a place he'd known he shouldn't have. Just like last time.

Father turned back around and sat down in his large chair before speaking again, and Selim tried to keep his anxiety and worry in check as he waited for the answer. Of course, even if he did say he would help, he could very well be lying, and he'd just end up dieing no matter what. There wasn't any way for him to really know if what he said was true or not, but at least knowing if he was about to be attacked and killed for certain would be slightly helpful.

Selim's entire focus was on the man, until something moving out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Swirling around, he was just barely able to make out a solid block of stone flying towards him, alchemical lights still flickering around it's exterior. The child wasn't able to focus his mind fast enough to move the shadows to protect himself, and the last thing he felt was rock smashing into his borrowed body, effectively knocking him out cold.

Slowly Selim started to come to, but the pain in his head wouldn't allow him to concentrate on what was really going on around him. What had he been doing before he fell asleep? Something… something important. Attempting to reach up and rub his head where it was the most sore, he found that his arms wouldn't budge. Finally managing to open his eyes due to the shock, he found himself staring at a dark grey ceiling, mostly covered in shadows from being so high out of reach from the small amount of light the room had.

Selim wasn't able to keep the cold panic from gripping him this time, almost instantly beginning to struggle against the binds that held not just his arms, but his entire body down. What had happened before was quickly coming back to him, and it was harder than anything to keep himself from starting to cry. How could he have made such a stupid mistake? He'd been trying so hard not to die, and then he'd walked right up to death's door. Those homunculus were no doubt going to expel him in the quickest way possible, and that probably didn't involve finding a way for him to survive and go back home and into his real body.

The sound of footsteps to his side made Selim snap his head to the left, quickly catching sight of the man like creature that had put him into this position. He could only manage to struggle even harder at the sight, not that it appeared to faze the ancient homunculus at all.

Reaching his side, he grabbed Selim's face his hands and forced him to stare at him without moving. The black haired child kept trying to get his head out of the old man's grasp, but he was stronger than he looked, probably on the account of not actually being human, and his finger nails would dig into Selim's cheeks whenever he tried to twist his head away too far.

"L-let me go!" Selim yelled, surprised that he had actually managed to get up the courage to. If he really thought about it though, it wasn't really courage more so than it was fear causing him to struggle as hard as he possibly could. Not to mention, he had already promised himself that he wasn't going to go down again without a fight.

Father didn't appear at all fazed by the struggling and distraught child pinned in front of him. The black haired boy wondered how he could look so distant when it was the spitting image of what was apparently his first and favorite child struggling in front of him. Of course, with the way Pride acted sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder what their relationship was really like. What if he didn't try to expel his mind at all? What if he just decided to kill him all together?

Insult bubbling inside of Pride caused the sin to emerge and speak for the first time since he'd started his way down to this god forsaken place.

"How dare you! Father would never consider such a thing! He will easily give me back control of the container he made for me," the internal sin defended venomously. Selim slowed in his struggle just slightly as he thought about what Pride had said. It was obvious that he truly believed that, but then again…

"Yeah… that's what I'd thought too, about my father…" the black haired boy thought weakly. Pride was actually quiet for a moment before practically growling again as he fought against any chance that his beloved father would possibly even consider destroying him when there could be an easy way to save him and get a loyal and powerful support back into his control before the promised day.

"Don't apply your pathetic life and human family to mine. You made the decision to come here on your own, so just accept your fate already," the sin spat, and Selim practically stopped fighting against his restrains at the information sank in. He was right, and there was no way he was going to work his way out of the bindings by himself. Father stared down at him, something almost akin to curiosity in his eyes as he attempted to decipher just what had happened to his oldest child.

"How did you end up in this state?" the man asked, his booming voice knocking Selim out of his internal dialogue and getting the boy's attention focused solely back onto him. It took Selim a moment to realize what he had asked, and a second longer to form together an answer in his head.

"I had been killed an sent to a place with a strange door, although I was told it's called the Gate, and this figure I told you about before said I could live, and I woke up in Pride's container," Selim managed to explain, staring up at Father as he waited for him to respond. He hadn't been killed yet or knocked unconscious again, so at the very least he could be thankful for that. He really didn't have very much to be thankful for.

"As you told me before?" the blonde man asked, and Selim just now realized that no one had actually figured out that he'd been in control the entire time. They really did think that he had managed to take control back from Pride and escape again. The conflicting emotions he could feel radiating inside of the arrogant internal sin distracted him somewhat, but he quickly tried to push them to the back of his mind as he started to explain again. There wasn't any point in lying, after all. There wasn't anything he could gain from it anymore, after all. Who knows, maybe he could actually impress the being that he'd been able to trick him.

"Pride had never been able to get control back… that had been me, the last time I was captured," the black haired boy explained, and watched as the older man nodded in understanding. The child still couldn't tell hide nor hair of what he was thinking though, it was like he wasn't even human… If he could slap himself, he would have. Of course he wasn't human, but even Pride and the other homunculus he met acted more human than this one.

"I see…" was all he said, before walking away to a place just outside of Selim's vision. He could still hear him though, and he was trying to hold in his fear that he might be seen as he started to let some of the shadows manifest themselves and shift themselves into razor sharp edges.

Concentrating as hard as he could the small child made sure that the shadows wouldn't slice into himself as he had them easily break the binds that held him down. He just laid there for a minute, practically frozen as he tried to think of what to do. He hadn't even move when making that last transmutation. He had no idea how that was possible, but really he didn't doubt anything anymore. He just wanted be able to think of a way out of here without being killed.

Taking a deep breath, he wasn't able to think of any other plan besides 'run' and decided to just act on that if he had no other choice. Springing up, he tried to keep the shadows in a sort of protective barrier between him and the ancient being.

Before he was able to make it to the door, a large alchemic flash left the room completely black, and something rock hard was wrapped around the child's leg at an awkward angle, keeping him from moving at all. All the shadows were gone now, and any attempt at bringing them back failed.

He could hear the sound of Father walking towards him, until he was practically towering over him in the dark. There was no way for Selim to get his leg free, it was keeping everything he had for the child to just keep from breaking it. He tried to hide the panic and fear that was increasing like crazy now, but even in the blackness that seemed to hide everything else, he knew it was still obvious.

"Now then, where were we? I don't remember giving you any permission to leave, Selim Bradley."

Hurray, finally finished. This chapter was kind of difficult, if for the character of Father alone. He's such an enigma and all mentally disturbed, I wanted to make sure I got him right. Still not sure if it was a complete success, but I hope you all liked it anyway. As always, please review.