Hello everyone. I didn't take two months this time, hurray~ Also, as you could probably tell, this isn't a normal chapter per say. Yes, I know right up near the end and you all expected a super climactic chapter, but this chapter does contribute to the story, and in my opinion we've been missing quite a bit of Pride in the last couple chapters. So, for both that and to say woohoo! Over 155 reviews, thank you all so much; here's a bonus chapter.

Bonus - Silent Observations

Pathetic. This little, shriveling, disgrace of life was absolutely pathetic. If the homunculus currently entrapped within layers upon layers of screaming souls was a bit less deluded in his ability to feel other emotions, he would have known the feeling bubbling inside of his as a searing rage.

The human soul that hijacked his body had been in control for far too long, but it seemed that finally the little beast's luck had managed to run out. It still boggled Pride's mind that a mere child had managed to evade capture by his siblings for so long. Of course, the boy had learned how to gain a basic control over his shadows in a relatively short amount of time. It wasn't Pride's fault if his powers were so strong that even someone who'd only just started to learn how to use them could readily defend himself against some of the most powerful beings ever created.

As he looked through the eyes of his container, eyes that he would soon once again be in control of, all he could see was the piercing darkness that the child had managed to land himself in.

Yes, just as he'd thought before, the boy's time in his container would soon be at an end. He was trapped with Father now, and he knew that his creator would be able to eject this single wayward soul out of his philosopher's stone or wherever it had hidden itself with ease. There was no way he would be able to scheme or fight his way out this time.

The boy had been a fool for thinking that he could ever stand a chance against someone so ancient and powerful.

Of course, Pride couldn't see Father at the moment, despite the fact that he'd managed to keep the ability to see out of his involuntarily moving eyes. The measures that his creator had to take in order to keep the human safely under control were trivial in the grand scheme of things, and so the sin knew that there was no reason for him to detest any of it.

Pride distinctly ignored the shudder that ran through whatever it was that constituted for the form he was locked in now. He was even almost able to block out the absolute hatred he had felt when the human had been not only foolish enough to attempt to run away, but also get himself caught.

Everything that Father had done was for his benefit, and was of course the best thing he could have done at any given moment. That included everything to the bindings that he had first placed the child into to the particularly brutal way he'd gutted his container only a few moments ago.

Even if the sin couldn't see the entire reasoning behind some of those things, there was no reason to question them. After all, Pride just had to remind himself that Father was perfect; he would be a god before the end of next year. Doubting anything he did would make him just as foolish as the pathetic child who's fear was causing his stolen container to shake like a leaf in the wind.

After all, Father knew that it wasn't really him controlling his container at the moment. His creator would never actually do something like that to him. He was his favorite child, and undoubtfully loyal to his plans.

Father was near them now; close enough for Pride to see his subtle outline in the near absolute darkness. The sin wasn't able to hear him though, having holed himself so far up inside of his own mind that it was almost as if he were under water. It was the only way to keep from hearing that infernal brat though, so he didn't attempt to uncover himself enough to listen to his Father's words. He would be able to catch up on any sort of changes or advances in their plans once he cleansed his container free of the boy. He highly doubted that Father would say anything of true importance to such a lowlife being as the child, anyway.

An odd tingling sensation that engulfed him suddenly brought Pride out of his thoughts, but any attempts to see out of his eyes only resulted in the same blackness as before. Well, when he focused on it more closely, he could tell that there was something slightly different about it. It was still something he recognized though. The child had closed his eyes for some reason or another, either by choice or as a result of the energy that had coursed through them.

The way that the raging souls inside of him calmed however was a new and strange sensation. The tormented creatures started to slowly twist around him instead of the fast moving vortex they'd been whipping around as only moments ago. Their shrieks had practically stopped as well, turning into low, agonizing moans instead.

A small smirk started to form on his not quite face. Of course, this was obviously a result of Father attempting to finally free him from his prison. It would only be a matter of time now before he found the correct soul to reject and he'd be able to help them all again, like he was supposed to.

And so Pride waited. Surely any time that seemed to pass was exaggerated by his desire to be rid of his entrapment. He doubted it would take any longer than an hour before everything was complete and he could move of his own accord again.

It took much longer than an hour for Pride to admit that it had been even that long, and he quickly started to mistrust whatever was left of his internal clock. Several times the souls began to stir up faster and faster, until the same pinpricks as before would surround all of them, and they're return to their sluggish state.

Pride realized after one of these cycles that the souls acted a lot like smoked out bees. The way that what the sin could only assume to be Father's alchemy dulling their primal need to escape and scream out in their eternal pain.

Twelve times were the souls required to be dulled, but Pride forced himself to wait patiently. It wasn't like there was actually anything else he could do, unable to sleep or move or do anything of any sorts in the position he was locked in. He wouldn't have tried to rush Father even if he could. He knew that his creator was doing all and everything he could do to return him control.

The thirteenths time that the souls started to pick up pace, Pride was surprised to find that the tingling of Father's alchemy never came. It wasn't long before they were back at their high speed racing around him, screaming out words he couldn't understand and had absolutely no desire to.

The sin attempted to open his container's eyes, to move an arm, a shadow, anything, but all was met with the same strange disconnect as had been before. Desperately he fought off the initial wave of disappointment. Father had not failed, there must simply be more steps to this process than Pride had first assumed. Soon, the second stage would be underway, and surely after that he would be free of this human boy.

Said boy had seemed to have found now as the perfect time to awake from his slumber, although Pride couldn't see a thing in the darkness that continued to encase them both.

He wasn't able to hear whatever it was that had caught the boy's attention, but watched with interest as he stared at a particular spot in the black shroud. It became rather boring, not that the ancient sin would ever admit such a thing, staring at the nothing that the human must have been having some sort of conversation with.

Pride was just barely able to notice his container stiffening up, as well as see just the very subtle outline of whoever was close to them now. He didn't think it was father, and from the height and build, the only one of his siblings who matched would have been Wrath. Pride didn't quite understand how the boy had managed to keep his cool talking to him for so long, he'd always seemed oh so fearful of the man, but didn't let that distract him. Reluctantly he had to admit that this wasn't the first time the human would have surprised him.

The horrible red light that immediately started flashing around him, combined with the absolute mayhem the already spastic souls went into caused Pride to grind his teeth, glaring out at what he could only assume to be Wrath. Soon, he the small connection he had to his container's eyes were gone, and he was trapped within the panicked souls as several were used in order to keep his container alive. One thought was ringing through his mind now, covered in bitter hatred at the pathetic, little, disgrace of a life that had control of his container still.

That damn Selim Bradley had gotten him killed again.

Hooray, bonus chapter is complete! I hope you all liked the look into what Pride's been doing all this time, and I do hope to get the next chapter out soon, hopefully within the next two weeks. Sadly, I can not make any promises, but if everything goes well I should be able to stick to this deadline.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and as always please review.