Well this is it. The final chapter. It's been a super fun ride, exactly two years to this day since I first uploaded the first chapter. This is also the very first long multi-chapter story that I've actually managed to finish, so I'm kind of proud of that.

Anyway, let's get on with this final chapter already, how about it?

Chapter 38

Selim opened his eyes to find himself back in that strange, yellow tinted space. Looking at it now, it was very similar to the white one he'd just left from, and turning around slowly he found himself once again standing before a huge stone entryway.

Looking it over for a second time, this one seemed a bit more… Selim couldn't tell if the word he was looking for was gaudy or grand, with the twisted forms of stone caught climbing over each other on either side, the huge, staring eye seeming focused solely on him alone and giant staircase leading up. Different from the sleek, floating gate from the other realm, but still feeling just as powerful, if slightly less personal. It didn't scare him nearly as much as the first time he'd been here though, but he guessed after dying multiple times a creepy door really wouldn't be all that fearsome.

Without any warning the doors began to part, splitting the eye carving clean in two. Selim managed to keep himself from flinching, despite the nervousness and anxiety fluttering around in his stomach.

There really wasn't anything he could do at this point, after all, but just wait and see what happened. If that strange being calling himself the Truth from the other Gate had sent him back here to only die permanently, then as much as he wanted to fight against that and how much he would have tried anything he could to stop that from becoming a reality, he knew that there wasn't anything left to fight or do.

The only thing he'd had to help him this entire time had been his intelligence after all, and he was smart enough to know when something was impossible.

What seemed to be a million eyes all shot open at the same time, and despite himself Selim couldn't help but flinch. Tiny hands immediately sprung out afterwards, pulling the boy in without any form of struggle. It wasn't like the other gate's solid blackness that reminded him so much of Pride's shadows. Instead, it seemed to be a million, tiny beings all fighting to get a hand on him, to tear him apart piece by piece. Selim closed his eyes, trying to block out the way they all pulled at him, making his skin crawl.

Fighting now would just make the whole thing all the worse.

The transition was so sharp, it felt like someone had physically shocked him. The terrible black beings were suddenly just gone, and he no longer felt like he was traveling through a endless tunnel of space. The strange power that seemed to fill him for so long when he'd existed inside Pride's body was gone as well, and he couldn't even register at first that this was what a real body, what his body, felt like.

It took a few seconds for him to recover enough to remember to even breath, and as soon as he did Selim found himself almost doubled over in a coughing fit, not expecting the sudden smoky heat that filled his lungs.

"If humans are so inferior, how do you explain loving him?" the voice broke through his coughing fit and shocked him immediately. Without a second thought he pulled back with as much force as he could, breaking the hold on his shoulders he hadn't even yet noticed physically. Looking up, he saw the face of his father quickly contort into an angry, pained frown.

"You fool, what have you done?" he asked, starting to reach out towards Selim once again. This time though, the boy immediately backed up until he was out of his reach, fear shining in his eyes as he looked around for ways to keep his last experience from repeating itself.

He wasn't about to let that fear control him though, and quickly forced his wide eyes into a glare instead.

"Nothing!" he yelled, still backing towards the smashed doorway. His hands were shaking and clinging the bag on his shoulder now, which he'd practically forgotten was there in the first place.

That was right. This whole mess started because he went back to get his father's treasure. Because he wanted to protect it, and have his father be proud of him. He'd had enough pride to last a lifetime now though, and that stupid treasure that he didn't even know what it was had gotten him killed.

"I got…" he started bitterly, opening the bag and pulling the bundle inside out. Looking back at his 'father' he wasn't surprised to see the slight shock underneath the anger and pain. He was speaking with much more bite than he ever would have before all of this. "your treasure," he finished, holding it up for the man to see, but still staying well out of his reach.

"You idiot," the man growled, struggling to take a step towards Selim, eyes trained on the bundle in his hands. The black haired boy took several more steps back, quickly making the connection of what this so called 'treasure' really meant. He didn't even flinch when he looked up to notice the strange mark on his normally covered eye. It was the same one Envy and Greed had on them in the other world.

"No, Wrath," he spat, pulling the 'treasure' closer to his chest. He didn't miss the shock and confusion that passed over the older man's face, still looking on through the obvious pain he was trying to fight through to attack the boy. It was clear his mind was split though, trying to work out what the hell had gotten into his 'son' to act like this. To fight back and actually figure out there was more going on here than he ever should have known.

Just barely Selim noticed the man who was still pinned to the wall start to pull himself out. "I'm not dying this time!" he declared, although he highly doubted anyone in the room had any idea what he was talking about. With a smirk he took another step back.

"Whatever this treasure is, it's hurting you, isn't it?" he asked, although he didn't sound concerned at all. He almost sounded like he was mocking him. Like Pride.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the pinned man, Roy Mustang if he remembered correctly from all that time ago, had managed to free himself from the wall. Another smirk lit up his face, even though there was no longer any need to act like Pride. He wasn't acting anymore. Instead, it was a genuine, almost malicious joy in him at having figured a way out of this dilemma. Of knowing that he might actually be able to live to see another day.

"Mr. Mustang! Catch!" he yelled, throwing the bundle and watching as the fabric spiraled off it in the air. His 'father' didn't bother to pay him anymore heed now that he no longer held the strange item, instead turning as fast as he could towards Mustang in an attempt to stop him.

The second the 'treasure' fell into his hands, which Selim had finally managed to catch a glimpse of and see that it was a skull of all things, a huge tunnel of flames shot up, engulfing the homunculus at the center of the room. The boy scrambled farther out of the way, the heat practically unbearable even at the distance he'd already set himself at.

Stumbling into the doorway, Selim just sat unable to look away, frozen in horror as he watched the flames repeatedly build up around the man he'd used to call father, before dying down only to build up again. The grotesque form would only be able to regenerate slightly before being burnt to a crisp once again.

"I'll just keep killing you until you stay dead," Mustang said, glaring at the withering form flaring in front of him until finally that seemed to be the case. The strange bubbling liquid that was left of his father burning, until even the skull was thrown into the flames. The child couldn't help but shudder when even the bones quickly melted away from the heat.

For a second both of them just stared at the tiny flame still flickering on the floor. Finally though Mustang sighed, and only then did the gravely injured man look back up to where Selim still sat in the broken doorway. Even without saying anything, which Selim wasn't sure if he even could anymore, his look clearly spoke for him.

What the hell was that? !

Selim laughed nervously, avoiding the man's piecing eyes and holding onto the doorframe as he helped himself up.

"Um, you need help, don't you? We should probably go find a doctor or something…" he started hesitantly, not having any idea what he could say about what just happened. Reluctantly, Mustang nodded, and Selim couldn't help but sigh in relief. He wasn't going to try to get any answers out of him, for now at least.

Quickly, the child tried his best to help him through the still burning house. The smoke caused Selim to cough like crazy, and Mustang's extensive injuries forced them to move at a much slower pace than either would have liked. The second they stepped outside, the black haired boy couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief.

All of this. It was all finally over.

Then the gunshot went off. Mr. Mustang crumpled next to him. Selim jolted, running behind one of the busted columns that used to line the front of their house, just trying to keep himself out of the way of whatever it was coming. The child couldn't even scream as he peeked around the side to see the half-human, half-machine man that had crashed into his car what seemed like months ago.

More gunshots. Then the half-man fell.

Selim tried to start over to Mustang after that, but was barely able to get out of the way when a frantic blonde woman, that was right, Riza Hawkeye, came barreling up and collapsed next to Mr. Mustang. Selim stared for a moment, before quickly shaking his head and running towards the street. One to get out of there, and two to find someone to help Mr. Mustang, if he was even still alive.

Mostly to get out of there, though.

A fleet of cars pulled up out front before he even had a chance to call for help, and started storming the remains of their house. One of the men who got out of the cars started over to him directly, while the rest went into and around the old residence of the Fuhrer. Selim didn't pay him much attention though, simply watching as Mustang was carried away in one of the cars. That Hawkeye woman not allowing for anyone to take him out of her sights the entire time.

"Mr. Selim Bradley! Are you hurt?" the man asked, and finally the black haired boy turned to face him, shaking his head ever so slightly. He actually wasn't, which almost stunned him into silence.

He was back. He was alive. H-how had this happened?

"I-I'm okay… I'm okay…" he repeated, his voice shaking like mad, before his legs finally gave out on him from the shock of it all. More people rushed to surround him, but he didn't even look up as they asked what was wrong. Nothing was wrong. He was actually alive.

He didn't even notice several of the men get pushed aside, not until his mother came barreling into him, scooping the child into her arms without a word and bawling her eyes out. Selim was stunned for a moment, before quickly starting to cry as well.

He knew that he'd never be able to tell his mother that they were actually tears of happiness.

Ta-daa. It's over. Really over this time. Well, there's still the epilogue, actually, but you know. Like I said before, I can't believe this is really happening. I feel like I've really grown as a writer over the course of this story.

Well, I hope you all like the epilogue as well, and as always, please review.