Monster.
That word rang in her skull.
Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster.
No...
Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster.
"No!"
She stood rigidly. Her tail was lashing, and her hands were on her head. But it was no good. There was something inside her, stirring, waking up!
"No! No, no no no no no no no!" she screamed, shaking her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
It wasn't right! She wasn't anything like that monster! Nothing like that thing in the photo on the floor! Nothing!
... That was a lie...
Sobbing, she sank to her knees.
Those times when her flaw had come through... That was the beast rearing it's ugly head. She was losing it. Would the displacer beast one day come through... Permanently?
A harsher sob wracked her body. She suddenly felt small and frail. Not like a powerful Chimera. Small, powerless, weak, unimportant. How could she fight the monster as well as protect Ling? That was almost impossible!
Putting her hands over her face, she screamed in anguish.
Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster. Monster.
"No!" she screamed.
She wouldn't let it take her... Not while she had people to protect! Not while she was still alive! She could hold the rage back long enough to protect Ling, help him on his search!
She slowly stood up. She was strong. She could make it. She'd survived the Homunculus trying to kill her. She could live long enough without it winning!
She growled. "No... You stay..." she hissed.
The thing inside her was settled down now. But it wouldn't stay that way for long...
So she'd better work fast.
Hiss following close behind her, she ran back to where she'd entered and writhed back out. Then she ran again, finding where she'd left Ling and then following his scent. She growled at how many guards there were. She'd have to improvise.
Finding a decently tall tree, she climbed it, and from there, jumped over the tall wall surrounding the prison. She scented the air. No guards anywhere close, but one was coming this direction! She quickly ran to the building, surrounded by bushes, and hid in a bunch. The guard looked around curiously, having heard the slight rustle of the bushes. There was a loud hiss, and he looked down, then took a few large steps back, startled by something.
She craned her neck and saw Hiss glaring up at the man. The guard then continued on, giving Hiss a wide berth. Hiss then slithered into the bushes after her. She purred, scratching beneath Hiss's chin as he wrapped himself around her arm. Scenting the air, she didn't smell any other guards coming, so she made for the barred window just a slight bit away. She was small enough to writhe through the bars.
"Wh-what the-!"
"No... Shh." she hushed, putting a finger to her mouth. "Free." she said simply.
The two men in the cell grinned, getting the message. "Free all." she murmured softly. Going to the barred door, she scented the air. No guards close by, but one was coming. She stuck one hand through the bars and stuck one claw in the lock.
"Look out!" hissed one of the inmates. She jumped up and crouched behind him. A guard passed by.
"You two normally start fighting around this time... What's going on?"
"Nuthin'... Nothing to fight over." the other one said dully, yawning. Kyurem kept herself curled up, as small as she could make herself.
There was a pause, and then the guard moved away. She came out, nodding her thanks as she got back to work on the lock. Eventually it popped open. "Go! Help others!" she mewed. The two nodded and went different directions, working on other locks. She went straight across the hall to the next cell.
Soon, people all along the halls were clamoring for freedom, and she could hear guards coming. "Guards! Careful!" she yelled.
Her speech was evolving. Short, broken sentences were all she could manage, but that was a start!
Scenting something familiar, she darted to the next cell... And cocked her head in confusion.
A young woman stared back at her. She smelled faintly of...
"You..." she murmured, pointing. "You know... Ed and Al?"
"Wh-who are you? What are you?"
"Freeing you. Seen boy, long black hair?" she asked.
"N-no..."
"There she is! Open fire!"
Hissing, she turned to face the guards...
... And she was shot several times. She fell to all fours.
"Rrrrrr... Rrrr!" she growled. Her eyes definately weren't baby-Kyu right now. Her ears were pointier, larger... Her tail was longer, lashing... Her claws were bigger. "Rrrrr... Rrrrrrr!... Rawr!"
As she jumped, ready to claw them up, she was shot multiple more times. She fell to the ground, coughing some blood up. She was too weak to support herself now...
As she fell, the soldiers ran past, rounding up prisoners... So much noise, so much activity... It hurt...
A soft hiss made her open her bleary eyes. "H-Hiss..." she murmured, feebly reaching for the snake.
... He was crying... Tears rolled down his angular head and into her wounds...
It wasn't so hard to see now...
"Oh..."
Hiss was more valuable to her than just a friend, she realized. It wasn't hurting...
... Because Hiss was healing her! His tears had healing properties! That was how she'd survived the Fuhrer running her through, how she'd survived for so long!
Grunting, she pushed herself up. "Th-thanks..."
"It's still alive! Open fire!"
She bounded down the hallway. They had to be more careful with their shots while she was moving... Otherwise they'd hit something they shouldn't...!
That hall was still full of inmates! She bounded down it, dodging through the men and women. "Uff!" she gasped, the wind knocked out of her as she ran into someone.
"Kyurem!"
"Ling!" she squealed, glomping the prince. "I came to get you!"
"That's sweet, but unless you can get us out alive, I don't really see the point right now."
Right above his head was an air-vent. She crouched down, then sprang up. "C'mon! There's someone I want to get before we go! There's a vent in her cell too!"
Ling followed her up, and they began crawling through the cramped dark space. "Impressive leap in your speech." he said.
"K-k-kyu!" she chittered, glad he couldn't see her crimson face. She started scenting the air at each vent-cover they passed, careful not to make too much noise.
"Wait..."
"Ling?"
"If you're breaking just two people out, it'll look suspicious. We should grab a few others, jut to make it look like they escaped in the confusion."
She nodded, seeing his logic. "But... No, no one dangerous." she mewed, carefully removing the vent-cover they were at. There was one person in the cell. "Psst!"
"Huh?" the guy said, confused.
"What'd you do?" she mewed. "To get in?"
"... Uhh... I stole some stuff..."
"Come."
Seven others were picked up before she found the right cell. She carefully removed the cover. "Hey!"
"You...!"
"Come on! I can take you to Ed and Al!"
"How do you know them?"
"I'm... sort of a friend of theirs." she said, extending a hand to help the woman up. As she did, she caught the name on the woman's wrist-chain. Maria.
Slowly but surely, the group made their way out of the prison. When they finally escaped, they saw a few others actually escaping in the confusion. She smiled. Now theirs looked even more natural! "We're out!" she purred, rubbing her head on Ling's arm. "Now c'mon, I said I'd get you to Ed and Al..."
She lifted her nose to the wind and sniffed. Faintly, she caught the Elric scent. Metal, sparks, oil and blood... That was them. "This way!"
The scent was faint, and tossed about on the wind, so they took several wrong turns, avoided a few soldiers, and hid out in an abandoned building for about an hour before finally arriving at the hotel where the scent was at it's strongest.
"How are we going to deliver her?" Ling asked. "We can't just waltz right up to the front desk and ask for the Elrics!"
"You two can't, but I can." she said haughtily, fluffing up her hair, flattening her ears, and tucking her tail into her pants. Hiss slithered off her arm and onto Ling's. "Be back in a bit!"
She bounded across the road and into the building. She put on her best innocent little-girl face possible as she came up to the desk. "Uhmm... Excuse me, but could you tell me which room Edward Elric is in? A delivery that was supposed to get to him got mixed up, and now we need to clarify what he ordered again." she said sweetly.
The man looked her up and down. She certainly looked like someone who would be doing this... Slightly dirty work-clothes, small, probably working for spare change...
"Yes... He's in room seven-hundred and five B. Seventh floor." the man sighed.
"Thank you!" she smiled, running up the stairs.
One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven! Which way? Right! She bounded down the hall-way, watching the numbers fly by. Skidding to a stop, she knocked on the door.
"Hello?"
"Ky-k-k-kyu!" she chittered.
The door was flung open. "Kyurem! What're you doing here? Where've you been?" Edward demanded.
"I brought you someone. She's just outside." she replied.
"H-how'd your... speech improve so... so fast?"
"Grr!" Grabbing his wrist, she dragged him after her and to the alley. "Ling! Hiss! Maria!" she called softly.
"Maria? As in... Ross?" he asked.
"That's right."
A new scent. Ling's fear scent. Maria's fear scent had increased. Hiss was limp. Someone here had found them. She growled. "Where are you? Are you so cowardly as to not show your opponent your face? Come out here so I can kick your ass!" she snarled. The baby-angel face was gone now, replaced by the angry face.
This scent was of several people.
Ashes.
Fire-arms.
And flames. Blood-soaked flames.
She growled. Someone here was responsible for killing many, and if there was one thing she hated more than not having Greed around, it was someone who mercilessly slew innocent.
"Kyurem, this might not be the best person to insult..." Edward murmured, although his gaze was hard too. Not addressing her, he said, "And what do you want, Colonel Bastard?"