#selim is still pride

[metamatronic]

Roy be like “I thought I burned up the last of you freaks years ago” and then there’s baby Selim/Pride going “Haha I’m in danger”

uh oh! the horrors have awakened! he’ll be quite pissed as soon as he finishes his drawing and then maybe gets a danimals from his mom

[junosswans]

Merry (belated) Christmas to my lovely @shocotate !!!

What do you mean it’s already 12 Jan? I can’t hear you LALALALALA—

But ya, seriously though, I’m really sorry that it took me so long T_T between my work and my fucked up arm I’ve been absolutely suffering through this piece and my sis was like “you’re already so late just give up la” but I was like nooooooo I wanna gift it T_T feeling so relieved that I got this done!!! Please take this as a gift n I hope you like it!!!!

Wordless ver under cut:

[tipsy-scales]

I’ve been playing with 9S only & Selim looked so raggedy at the meet yesterday next to him. I decided to change his eyes & give him some attention today!

I’ll keep these in him for a bit. Yesterday he looked totally dazed. These eyes help him look more intentionally creepy ^^’

[iris-nonsense]

Sometimes i forget that the greatest pice of shit of fma is this cute little child

[auxwired]

I FOUND IT.

are selim and bradley father and son or brothers

[waffliesinyoface]

Somewhat of a continuation of that Envy post I made earlier, let's talk about Pride. Because he's also a pretty interesting little bastard.

First of all, let's look at one of the reasons he's the way he is: his relationship to Father, how he's treated, what he looks like, and what he has to do, etc. etc. All of that, combined with the fact that he's the embodiment of pride? You couldn't design a more tailor made way to torture him. And Father couldn't care less.

He's the first of the homunculi. Except, no, not really, Father was the first, and he's just a knockoff version of his original form, restrictions and all.

He's the oldest of Father's children. Except, no again, he's stuck looking like a young child. And how must that chafe, forever stuck in a form that means people will always be looking down on him?

He's incredibly strong and dangerous. But, as Madam Christmas discovered, Selim isn't the first time he's been stuck in this role, he's always, always forced to be nothing more than a messenger boy and an inconspicuous pair of eyes for Father to spy on government officials.

If he can't take pride in that, what else? His usefulness to Father, maybe?

Except, no once again, because Father views his children, the homunculi, not as people, but tools. Acting on their own, or, god forbid, outright disobedience? He'll dispose of them in a heartbeat.

Pride is trapped in his own personal hell, and the person responsible for crafting it either doesn't realize, or doesn't care.

So. The only thing left for him actually take pride in is his status as a homunculus.

When he's on his last leg, literally crumbling to pieces, he throws that away too. He is Pride, but he has none left. Which is where Kimblee comes in.

Now, there are two different explanations for why Kimblee was able to fuck Pride over how he did. One explanation is that he was already crazy, and therefore the sea of souls wasn't enough to actually dissolve his conciousness. But, personally, I prefer the other explanation: when Bradley talks about the experiment that turned him into Wrath, he says that he doesn't actually know if he's the original owner of that body, or if his soul was simply the most wrathful one.

Kimblee embodies pride. He takes pride in what he does, he does whatever he wants, he plays by his own rules, and he could not give a single solitary shit about anyone else's opinion. One of the reasons he's so adamant about catching Scar is because Scar's existence means his job isn't finished - he can't very well boast about massacring ishval if one of their priests is still alive and kicking, can he?

So when Kimblee is stripped of his body and reduced to nothing more than just another soul in a sea of hundreds of thousands of voices... he's completely unphased by that, because his ego and his self possession is just that strong. He's the most important person in that crowd because he says so.

If he wasn't interested in seeing where this was going, he and Pride might've very well been like Ling and Greed, fighting for control the whole time. But he was content to sit and wait.

So when Pride ditches the last of his pride... he is no longer the most prideful soul in that body. Kimblee is.

What Ed did to Pride was a mercy in more ways than one. Instead of being under Father's thumb, he has a supportive mother who loves him. He's a child, but he's able to grow up. And instead of being filled with others' souls, he has to stand on his own two feet.

[kattythingz]

I was talking with my mom the other day about the struggles of writing the homunculi in a modern au because the seven cardinal sins aren’t exactly socially acceptable things to name a child (although I have read some stories where that isn’t an obstacle or is pointed out as a strange thing to name a child but is otherwise disregarded past that). So we were trying to think of names for modern au versions of the homunculi.

Some already have one, so those are easier depending on the iteration. Pride being King Bradley in 03 and Selim Bradley in Mangahood. Lust using the alias “Solaris” in Mangahood. Sloth using the name Juliet Douglas in 03. Wrath being King Bradley in Mangahood. It’s not all encompassing, but they are names that can be used for the characters. Envy is likely to use the names of the person he’s impersonating, while Greed and Gluttony don’t have a different alias (unless you count Greed and Ling sharing a body as Greed partially having Ling’s identity, I guess?). So we thought up some things.

Mom supplied the name “Avery” for Greed as a shortened form of “avarice”, and it fits so well???

In that same vein, I think Raven could be a suitable name for Gluttony as being short for Ravenous. But Tony could also work with that same logic.

I know Lust does have an alias with Solaris already, but I can’t get it out of my head that Desiree is also a very fitting name for her!

Elias for Envy as an altered version of the word “alias”, alluding to his ability to have any alias of who he’s impersonating but also starting it with E for Envy.

With Mangahood sloth, I figured just using Douglas could work. 03 sloth is Juliet for short while Mangahood sloth is Douglas for short, still keeping with the main alias used by sloth in 03.

03 wrath, though? Head empty, I wasn’t able to think of anything. Maybe you would have better luck knowing more about 03? Or maybe you have other names that you think fit the other homunculi?

(Also, technically off topic, I like to headcanon Lust and Greed as twins. Lust being the second oldest and with the Ultimate Spear and Greed being the third oldest and with the Ultimate Shield, I figure their abilities and ages being so close could allude to them being created around the same time with Lust being shortly before Greed)

YOOOOOO YOU ARE COOKING WITH SOME OF THESE NAMES. I love Desiree for Lust!!! I think Tony fits Gluttony a lot more than Raven, since Raven kinda has a... cool edge to it? And Gluttony is kinda the opposite of cool, lmao. Elias works great for Envy, and I like splitting the Sloths' names so it's one each! I dunno how I feel about Avery for Greed, though... It's a little basic for him, methinks. Greed, above all the others, would want a "cool" name or at least sth that stands out over the rest. What do we think of Rich, like a derivative of Richard? :D

03 Wrath... see, it's funny cuz I was struggling to give him a title in my hades au the other day too. If we're keeping his mommy issues with Izumi, then he'd def pick sth "ugly" to identify himself as far away from her. Or he'd try too hard and pick a unique name that sounds way too edgy. Nothing specific comes to mind though.

[fictionkinfessions]

One of my powers that isn't canon is I could melt into the shadows. I'd essentially become a snake in shadow form. I'm sad it's not canon. But it's I'm still proud of my powers regardless if they're canon or not.

-Pride/Selim Bradley #🩷🖤

w

[sparklybitch-101]

still remembering when selim bradley (pride) shouted DONT COME INSIDE ME in the official manga

[ficks-of-fancy2]

So we all know this little shit, Pride the Arrogant, but I have a vision for you and if you've read the tags you can guess what it is. A Dual Ego au were Selim and Pride are the two distinct individuals inhabiting the same body, like Seele from honkai impact and "Veliona" or the "Other Seele". (This could work with any of the Homunculi)

I'm going to talk about it like it's a mha au. The homunculi would still be well homunculi, just a creation of All For One's attempts to create a new and truly immortal body for himself. Pride was a undesirable result that initially sought to usurp him, this could have been about the time that AFO gave Shigaraki his quirk so about twenty years before the cannon start. AFO lets him go expecting him to come back or die in a few days, due to his core (Philosopher's Stone) needing to recharge to keep his body stable or just needing energy to stabilize. But Pride manages to discover that devouring people allows him to turn them into energy for his core and prevent his body from disableizeing and returning him to how he was before (A "stillborn" child, don't ask).

So flash forwards twenty years and Pride is having moments when he blacks out and wakes in a random orphanages. So in his infinite wisdom Pride has a piece of himself pretend to be a shadow and he finds out that his body has a ego of it's own that has slowly been astabithing dominance over him. AKA Selim, who is the polar opposite of Pride and his ego had been randomly taking control of their body. Pride, being, well Pride, doesn't want this to happen so he's been trying to take the body back for himself. Separation doesn't work due to them both being the same person on a spiritual level, and it is extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous to be separate for long periods of time. So eventually Pride has to make some form of agreement with Selim for shared use of the body. (They call each other Humility and Arrogance)

Eventually it gets back to AFO that Pride is still alive and has developed healing powers and light manipulation, well Salim has and he found his way into U.A somehow, maybe Nezu figures there's something up with this nine year old that isn't quite normal. So AFO makes more Homunculus like Pride, to hunt him down (Pride is the perfect vessel in his eyes, or at least able to return him to normal) and a couple of encounters later Pride and Selim find out that as long as their core remains in one piece the can revive with minimal effort. Eventually one of the other Homunculus begin to gain a separate self (Greed and Ling) and defects form the L.O.V this continues until all of them have a opposing self. It takes a while to discover that the "other selves" are the people who the bodies were before death and Selim took so long to manifest because he was stillborn. Some accept their others, some ignore them, but Wrath out right dominates his due to his passive nature.

I don't know, I just like the idea of the sweetest kid imaginable and the most spoiled rotten brat being the same person. I would love to hear other opinions.

[felixcloud6288]

Fullmetal Alchemist Chapter 101

Wrath's wounds probably got infected after swimming in that water.

I didn't find anywhere that Ed or Al told Alex about human transmutation, but there were a lot of opportunities it could have happened. I think the most likely scenario would have been during the information exchange at the Cselkcess ruins.

The look on Olivier's face when she hears Buccaneer died.

We don't see her eyes for the next several panels. The next time we see them, she says they can't allow themselves to cry if he died smiling.

She's vicious, but she cares about her men. When everything is over, she will grieve his death.

Roy was so close to slipping right back into that monster he was when he fought Envy.

The candidate soldiers held Roy's hands while they had him restrained. Considering how Roy's Alchemy works, he could still attack as long as he can move his fingers.

The doctor shares a bit of overlap in how he thinks of his "kids". He provided the candidates food, education, and a purpose and he thinks that earns them his absolute loyalty. But it's not the leftover candidates have a choice but to serve him.

There were at least 26 candidates based on how one of the ones the Doctor sacrifices was #26. The first 11 died before #12 became Wrath. During this fight, there were 13 leftover candidate soldiers. One was killed by Hawkeye, five were sacrificed to activate the teleporter. Two were restraining Roy. Four restrained Scar. And one restrained Hawkeye.

So there's one unaccounted for. Maybe he once tried to escape and was made an example of.

In one panel, we can see that Roy's right glove is still torn. In a later panel, it doesn't have that damage.

I double-checked some later parts and we never get a good look at his right hand to see if the damage on his glove is still there, but Roy exclusively uses his left hand going forward so there's no noteworthy inconsistencies.

Royai fans start squealing!

Wrath seems rather happy that Roy has grown and won't follow the script. He really does admire humans. And maybe he wishes he could defy his intended purpose.

How did Pride get there so fast? Al took a car and was still outside Central HQ when he got pulled through the gate.

If anyone wants to argue that Roy could have beaten Wrath in a fight, this chapter is the proof against that. Wrath managed to instantly close the gap on Roy while dodging his flames. If he wanted to kill Roy, Roy would be dead right now.

Wrath didn't seem particularly happy to be reminded of his origins. No matter what the doctor thinks, Wrath feels no gratitude for his existence.

And then Pride stabs the doctor to use him for a human transmutation. While Pride would have done it regardless, he shows a certain scorn for the doctor when he does.

There is an unusual camaraderie between Wrath and Pride, likely owing to their pretend relation as King and Selim Bradley. Perhaps Pride knew of Wrath's hate of the doctor.

Or maybe Pride thought the doctor's immorality was too much.

DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN!! IT WILL PERMANENTLY DAMAGE YOUR EYES!!!

Yes, even during an eclipse!!!

back

[clearbun]

since you mentioned AUs!!! I am beaming my fma merpeople and pirates AU right into your head!!

Greed is a shark merman who has a little mermaid-style meeting with the gang when he sinks a military prison ship and drags all of them to shore. I haven't really worked out if the gang is nonhuman or just humans who used to be soldiers, but Greed leaves them be on the beach. They end up stealing a small ship and Greed shows up like a month later to be like "hey I'll protect y'all if you follow my rule and take me wherever you want. Btw I saved you :)" and it's very silly. And ofc Greed's big power is that he has his shield and claws +strong teeth and extra agility. Also he still wants money and power and whatnot, but it feels a little silly because he mostly just sits in a bucket when he's not in the water.

As far as other things go, Lust is an eel mermaid, Envy is a catfish merperson who can become a sea dragon, Gluttony is a basking shark from the waist down (mouth and eyes included), Sloth is an ocean sunfish, Pride is still Selim but he controls a kraken and has to be near the sea regularly, and I still haven't decided what's up w Wrath

oh I am chewing on this so hard hello

greed is legally required to be something shark related in any sort of aquatic au I don't make the rules (he's part shark fishman in my one piece au 🤝 we love pirate aus in this house)

him randomly saving them and disappearing for a month so they're all just like "hey what the fuck happened" until he decides to show up again is so funny. like yeah I guess you do just roll with it and be pirates now and work for this shark guy what else can you do

those are all SUCH good concepts for all the rest of the homunculi I'm looking sooo politely 👀 especially the basking shark for gluttony is so smart

[just-absolutely-super]

Bradley/Pride (2003) vs Bradley/Wrath (Manga/Brotherhood)

Me circa 2014-ish: The president guy must be pride right? Since he's the president?

My brother: No he’s wrath…a little boy is pride

Me: HUH?!?!?!?

Tbh I didn’t really mind 03 Bradley, but he got kinda boring there after the reveal. Like they just focused on his arrogance and yeah, pride, but idk he just lost all his appeal to me?

Wrath Bradley was affable, and while he also looked down on humans, he was very good at working the crowd. Like, this guy would have been reelected in a heartbeat. That's why Mustang's coup worked so well, because the goal wasn't to turn the country against their leader, but the people who worked under him.

There was also something really compelling about Wrath Bradley when it came to his wife. Like he was trained from day one to be this super soldier type of guy...but it was him who chose to get married. I don't really know for sure if he did love Mrs. Bradley, but part of me liked to think he did.

03 Bradly didn't have that spark of humanity because he freely gave that up when he became a homunculus. And while I don't exactly blame the guy for keeping his bones at his house where he can keep an eye on them...it's was kinda dumb for him to put them in the hands of an actual child and not think this could have some repercussions (RIP 03 Selim)

Like, I think out of all of 03' homunculi, Bradley was the least offensive, but he was still pretty basic as a villain

[tipsy-scales]

Happy FMA day! Fullmetal Alchemist and my great love of it was a huge inspiration in making my YouTube channel. FMA is still the topic I have the most videos on and I’m grateful for how it inspired me. So here is a collection of all the FMA videos I made. I added a summary of what they’re all about and the length. I make my videos sort of like tv episodes with segments and I also like to talk about my process. The videos are intended to be enjoyable even if you don’t know much about the topic. I’m trying to improve my thumbnails and titles so that makes it more obvious LOL.

Needlefelting Gluttony

This was my first ever video! It’s very different from my current ones because of that. It’s mostly me talking about FMA over progress of felting and I talk a little about what needle felting is.

18 minutes

Lust nendoroid Doll

This is my most viewed video. I make a nendoroid doll of Lust and talk about making customs with premade parts. Includes skits about Pride, Gluttony, & Envy getting ready for Lust to arrive.

17 minutes

King Bradley Figure Review

Review of Megahouse’s King Bradley figure. Has skits with the Pride, Envy, & Lust. I did this review in cosplay because why not.

18 minutes

King Bradley Figure Comparison

Comparing the Megahouse King Bradley scale figure with Goodsmile Company’s budget figure. In this one I talk about how much I like the Bradley family.

14 minutes

Painting Selim Bradley anime badge

In this one, I repaint a can badge of Norman from Promised Neverland into Pride. I talk about repurposing merch for characters who don’t get much made.

14 minutes

Selim Bradley Dollfie Dream

My long and treacherous journey of making a Dollfie Dream of Selim Bradley. Includes info about Dollfie Dreams and what they are, my history with these dolls, a little about Pride and what made me want to make a doll of him, and my first time doing faceups on dolls and making my own custom. This video needs an update so the faceup stuff isn’t my best work anymore but hey!

1 hour and 9 minutes

Selim Bradley Cosplay

The longest video I’ve ever made. Is about how this very simple costume took me 2 years to complete. I talk about FMA, the character and why I like him, and my many nitpicky attempts at this cosplay. Is a bit more about my state of mind and what the cosplay came to represent than the craftsmanship of it. There’s a photo shoot at the end too where I talk about my process.

1 hour 25 minutes

[bluesadkid]

"He stood still"

by Muhammad Selim

Dec 2023'

----------

under the rain

I stood

feeling the monsoon

on my cheek

feeling the flame

in my heart

but I stood still

through the pain

like a tree in the woods

like a rock on the moon

even I was weak

all of the blame

kindle the fire in my heart

the blue sad boy

smiled over the pain

he had a long journey

and had no gain

no love

no pride

but even though

he stood

strong after all

he stood alone

against all

with a weird smile

with a mix of

pain and denial

his wounded heart

still beating

[lotusthewriter]

Dark, darker yet darker

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Rating: T

Relationships: Alphonse & Edward

Characters: Alphonse Elric, Edward Elric; MINOR - Winry Rockbell, Pinako Rockbell, Pride | Selim Bradley

Summary: When Al was little, he was afraid of the darkness. The light of the lamp, of his mother’s smile, and his brother’s presence used to soothe him.

Nowadays, Alphonse avoids the light.

Because in the light, there are shadows.

Including his own.

Word count: 1.911

AO3

TRIGGER WARNINGS - major character death in dream, nightmare, paranoia, hallucinations, trauma, panic/anxiety attack, and ableist language

DO NOT SHIP THE ELRIC BROTHERS. P/ROSHIP DNI.

--

The door opens, the light invading the dark room.

“Al?”

He’s sitting in bed, hugging his knees. For protection, like he always used to do.

“What are you doing here?” Ed asks, frowning. “Aren’t you going to eat dinner with us?”

“Oh, I’m not very hungry, Brother. I’ll eat later.”

Obviously, Ed is not going to buy the excuse. He’s narrowing his golden eyes in suspicion.

“What’s going on?” He questions, crossing his arms and standing in the entrance.

“Nothing.” Al tries not to stare at his shadow.

“Nothing, huh? Why are you sitting in the dark like a total creep, then?”

“Because…” Al trails off. “I’m just thinking, that’s all.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s true, Brother. I just wanted some time alone.”

Ed’s face softens a little, though it still looks serious.

“Al, if something is bugging you…”

“Don’t worry, everything is fine.”

Telling him not to worry is useless, Al thinks to himself. Regardless, his older brother sighs and finally gives up.

“Alright, fine. But if I find out you didn’t eat–”

“I will eat, Brother. I promise.” Al smiles for him. “Go enjoy your dinner.”

Ed looks sad and worried, but he doesn’t insist. He’s always respected Al’s space, and nowadays he’s learning how to be more patient, too. Hence why he closes the door and leaves Al alone.

The younger Elric finally releases a relieved breath, which he has been holding for quite a while.

He looks around the dark room, listening to the crickets outside. It’s peaceful.

He never imagined the dark would become safe to him.

--

When Al was little, he was afraid of the dark. The light of the lamp, of his mother’s smile, and his brother’s presence used to soothe him.

Nowadays, Alphonse avoids the light.

Because in the light, there are shadows.

Including his own.

The first time it happened was during a walk on a sunny day with his brother. It was a beautiful morning, the birds were singing and the wind was soft.

Ed’s voice suddenly shifted into another.

It became haunting laughter.

And on the ground, Al could see… a monster.

His shadow was a monster and it was about to get Ed.

Panicking, Al yelped and jumped away from his brother to save him. Problem is, they were in the middle of town and he ended up tripping and falling over a poor vendor selling fruit. Ed, of course, didn’t understand a thing as he helped Al stand up, concernedly asking what the hell had just happened.

Yet as Al looked at their shadows again and nothing odd happened, he couldn’t tell him what he saw.

Because maybe that monster was a threat.

That if Al doesn’t watch out, his brother will be in danger.

If he goes to the light, everyone else will be in danger.

Since then, Al only goes out on cloudy and rainy days. Sometimes even at night to stargaze until late, much to Ed’s and everyone else’s concern. He does everything to avoid the light, and most importantly to avoid people in the light, so he only eats dinner in the late hours, or early morning so Ed doesn’t find out he basically skipped a meal.

Until one night, at 3 AM, Ed and the Rockbells confront him when he’s eating in silence. They turn on the light from the kitchen, as Al used the lamp from the living room to stay mostly in the dark.

“Alright, Al, this can’t go on any longer,” Ed says impatiently, arms crossed. “You’ve got to tell us what’s going on.”

“Tell you what?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Granny rolls her eyes. “The reason you’ve been completely paranoid lately.”

“Paranoid? I’m not paranoid.”

“You’ve been acting strange for days, Al,” Winry points out worriedly, the saddest out of the trio. “It’s like… you’re scared of something.”

Alphonse swallows a handful of food, trying not to stare at their shadows nor his own.

“Could you please just–” he gulps, “turn off the light?”

“No, Al, you’re going to tell us what the fuck is happening right now.”

“You don’t get it, I–”

“What we don’t get?”

“Edward,” Winry scolds him.

As Al looks at the three of them, he feels something chill in his bones, causing him to shiver.

A presence.

The monster.

He knows it.

Al drops everything, abruptly standing up.

“Al-?” Winry tries, but he’s rushing past them the fastest he can.

“Al, get back here!” Ed yells.

He closes the door and locks it right before Ed aggressively tries the handle and slams on the door.

“ALPHONSE, OPEN THIS DOOR!” Ed commands. “AL!”

“Ed, stop!” Winry begs. “You’re just going to make things worse!”

“Please, Al, just- just talk to me!”

It hurts how heartbroken Ed sounds.

Al is shaking his head, even if they can’t see it. He’s also trying not to cry right now, so he doesn’t upset his brother further.

“Please,” Ed begs, quieter. “Al…”

Winry sighs. “Come on, Ed. He needs some time alone.”

From the sounds of it, she has pulled Ed away from the door, as Al hears steps going downstairs. Only now does the latter realize he can’t breathe well and his body is rushing like it’s in imminent danger.

Al has to do this.

It’s for their best.

--

He sees…

The light.

The white void of the Truth, that took away his body.

The smile of a wicked child and their multiple red eyes.

Suddenly, shadows are trapping Al’s fragile human body, forcing his eyes open, unable to close and be comforted by the dark. It hurts.

In front of him stands Pride, the most powerful homunculus he’s ever had to battle. The boy is smiling at Al with gluttony, desiring more and more power. And next to him…

“Brother!”

Ed is also trapped in the black tentacles, but he can barely move. He looks hurt.

“You thought you would get away?” Pride teases. “I am everywhere. I am unavoidable.”

He’s tightening the hold around Edward, who doesn’t react. Al is crying.

“Brother, no!” He begs. “Please, stop!”

“It’s too late.”

Al gasps at the weakened voice that comes from Ed, who finally raises his head with hatred in his eyes.

“All of this…” he glares at Alphonse. “Is your fault.”

The other hiccups. “B-Brother… I’m…”

Pride smirks.

Multiple bones break.

“NO!!”

Ed is lying dead on the ground.

Al can’t even break free.

“No! Brother! BROTHER!!”

“Shh…” Pride’s shadow literally shuts his mouth. “It’s over.”

Al tries to scream as loud as he can, but it comes out muffled.

All he feels next is more unbearable pain.

And the shadows taking over the light.

And… darkness.

…

“... Al!”

He gasps, his face wet.

In front of him is…!

“Brother?” Al speaks like he’s talking to a ghost. “Y-You’re not…?”

He can’t finish the sentence as he realizes something.

The light.

The shadows.

The pain returns.

“Turn it off!” Al screams.

“What?”

“THE LIGHT! TURN IT OFF!”

“Okay, okay! I’ll turn it off.”

A few seconds later, darkness is reigning their room, much to Al’s relief.

“Al, why–” Ed interrupts himself, likely thinking over his next words. “Why are you… afraid of the light?”

The other sniffs, crying as he can’t forget his own brother telling him everything is his fault. He’s hugging himself to hide his shame.

“Alphonse…” Ed sounds like he wants to cry, too. “You can talk to me.”

“You don’t get it.”

“I might if you tell me what’s happening.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

The worst part is, Ed isn’t even angry this time.

Al can’t accept it.

“It’s–” He sobs. “It’s PRIDE, okay?!”

He can tell Ed tenses.

“Pride?”

Al squeezes himself tighter. “E-Every time we’re out in the light, I… I see him, I sense him, and he’s out to hurt you. That’s why I… I can’t let him!”

As he sobs, Ed is contemplative for a while.

“So… you’re afraid of the shadows,” the latter concludes

“I dreamed he killed you right in front of me,” Al weeps. “A-And you told me…”

Even though it’s mostly dark, he can see his brother’s tragic face.

“It’s my fault,” Al completes.

“Al… Oh, Alphonse.”

Ed is hugging him, kissing his head while Al can’t help clinging back, as if starved for the gentle affection. After all, he has been isolating himself from everyone in order to protect them from him.

They’re safe now.

They’re safe.

“I’m sorry for being a jerk to you,” Ed apologizes.

Al shakes his head. “It’s not your fault I’m being paranoid. I’m…” He buries his face in his brother’s chest and cries like a child. “I-I’m crazy.”

“No, nonono.” Ed is pulling him away to look at him. “Al, you are NOT crazy.”

“But I keep- I keep seeing things that aren’t there,” Al talks fast, unable to breathe, “and I keep making everything hard for you–”

“Shhhh,” Ed cups his face. “Pride scared you and he’s messing with your head. You’re not crazy, Al. You’re just scared.”

Alphonse sniffs, shivering as his brother softly wipes his tears for him.

“I… I just don’t want to hurt you,” he admits.

“You won’t. I promise no one is going to hurt us, and if they try to, I’ll kick their ass.”

Al can’t help smiling a little at the last sentence, lying on Ed’s chest again. The latter hugs him protectively.

“I don’t blame you for being scared,” Ed says. “Pride was fucking hell. I can’t even imagine how it must’ve felt to be… controlled by him.”

The moment he shivers, Ed is tightening the hold a little more, but not to engulf him. Al appreciates it, or else he would’ve felt like his bones were being snapped again.

“I wish I could kick his ass again for hurting you,” Ed hisses. Al smiles again, saying nothing.

His brother is warm, unlike the shadows, unlike the darkness. But he’s not the light either because he stays there for Al in the dark moment. He doesn’t have to be the light to be warm.

Al is grateful he has Ed with him.

“Ed?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

He can tell Ed is grinning like an idiot with the kiss he gives his forehead.

“I love you, too,” the latter says. “No meanie Pride is going to tear us apart.”

Al snorts, relaxing for once in the other’s hold. Ed is then lying both of them down, not letting go of Al for anything, smoothing his short blond hair.

As he’s slowly falling asleep, a question comes to haunt him.

“Brother?” He calls. “How… How am I going to face the light tomorrow?”

Ed seems close to sleeping too, since he hums tiredly and takes a while to reply.

“Baby steps, Al,” he says, rubbing Al’s back. “I’ll be there with you for each one of them.”

The younger Elric hums, satisfied. “Okay. Thanks, Brother.”

Ed yawns. “You’re welcome, Al.”

The Elric brothers stick together in the night. Al could never be more glad to be able to sleep with someone again, after staying lonely for years.

In a way, you could say Al was trying to seek comfort from the dark nothing of the armor. That’s why he’s been alone until now.

Though he doesn’t have to be anymore.

He’s got his brother with him, like he always did.

Like he always will.

Al falls asleep with a smile, protected by Ed, though making sure he gets to be protected, too.