They stood, ready for battle at the edge of the city. The air was hot, dry as it would be in a desert city. The homunculus prince squinted out in the distance toward the thing he sensed. It felt so familiar…

There was something off about it. Something different about the qi he sensed. It wasn't the ominous energy surrounding it either. This person- this opponent shared something with him he couldn't place.

A large silhouette of a humanoid beast formed in the distance. It had sharp claws for its left hand and what looked like a mechanical claw for its right. As it approached, its size grew and more of its features became evident. It had a green face and sharp jagged fangs. It had black, messy hair and, if it were human, a long face with a square jaw that came down to a rounded chin. Its eyes glowed menacingly as it narrowed in on its prey.

It shot the claw at Ling, attempting to grab him. When the Xingese prince jumped out of the way, it growled irritably, hollowly. Its long legs clad in tattered blue pants allowed it to bolt toward the prince, letting out a hungry howl. It swung its dark talons at Ling who guarded himself with Greed's armor, only allowing him out for a moment.

The prince lunged forward, spying an opportunity to attack. His right hand formed the blade he needed and he swung at the monster, allowing Greed to take over for just a split second. What the hell is this thing? He thought as he dodged the mechanical claw again. He lunged at the creature forming his mock sword and attempted another strike.

It caught it and stared into Ling's eyes. Something about those eyes… they glowed intensely from the energy that fueled it. It wasn't that that caught the homunculus's attention: it was how tired they looked, how weary they seemed. It was almost… human.

I wonder… Ling thought as he managed to overpower the creature's hold and distance himself from it.

"Wonder what…," Greed asked curiously.

This thing… he sidestepped the claw that was shot at him. Is it someone that's cursed? It has qi, the qi I've been sensing. He responded as he grabbed the line the claw was attached to. He gave it a tug and forced the lanky green coat clad beast to him.

It took advantage of this and swiped at the prince who blocked again with his arms. As usual, his body was instantly healed. Now, Greed! He ordered, throwing a fist at the creature. His eyes opened to reveal the red eyes of his partner as the hand struck the abdomen. He kept hitting it, over and over. He took the wire like extension and began to toss the creature into the ground repeatedly.

Greed yawned, placing a hand to his mouth as he tossed it back and forth. Gees, this is boring. The homunculus thought. He finally stopped and stared at the downed creature. He approached it again to blankly stare at it. "You through?"

It staggered up, hunched over, knees bent. It groaned, this time sounding more human than beast. It clutched its head. For a moment its hair seemed to shift to a dark brown, its dark claw-like hand more human for a moment.

"H-help- Hrrrg," it attempted to plea, the sound of a man in agony underneath the disjointed growls.

"It is a person." Ling focused more on the being. He could have sworn he sensed this type of qi before. He had run into someone of similar origin. The only way they could find out was to break the curse on him. "Keep fighting him. It seems to be working!"

"I can see that," Greed sarcastically snapped, dodging another shot from the claw. His opponent's movements seemed less coordinated. Each attack seemed out of desperation.

The creature roared and swiped again at him and he stepped back from the barrage. He smirked at how easy it was to dodge. He continued to sidestep its attacks, throwing a few punches when he saw an opening.

It swung its claw down when he got too close once again. Greed parried with a grapheme blade. With how close he was the beast, he let a fist barrel towards its orange shirt clad torso. He jumped back and observed it again.

It held its stomach, recoiling in pain. It didn't have anything to say but the howls in agony it bellowed. It didn't notice the prince walking toward it, poised to strike.

With a swift movement, Ling's hand connected with its jaw, sending it flying backward. When it landed, it laid there for a moment. The dark aura began to fade from its form, but before either the avarice or the prince could see who they had cured, its body glowed a bright teal blue and shifted into a smaller shape- a gun.

"A weapon…," Ling asked, walking over to the bronze pistol lying on the ground. He picked it up, easily. He felt its soul resonate with both his and Greed's. They held something in common somewhere.

"This guy," Greed began to notice. "He's got some avarice! Nice…" Ling could almost sense the smug look on his partner's face. There was silence for a moment. "…Wait... That's not why we're in sync."

"Huh," the prince responded, looking over the weapon in his hands.

"It's his restraint. It's really strong. He's the kind of guy that will wait things out just to get what he wants." He heard the construct chuckle "I admire that…"

Who was he, though? That couldn't be the only reason Ling found himself the meister of two weapons. Their new ally seemed very quiet at the moment… Perhaps even asleep. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a groan from something other than Greed.

"Urgh… Where- where am I," an older man's voice asked from within the gun. "Why is it pitch black… Is that the outside world," he inquired as his reflection showed on the curved side of the pistol. His face was similar to the creature's in structure, but he had stubble on his chin and a light tan for his complexion. He peered out at the prince with tired brown eyes. They widened when he realized what he was seeing… well, what he assumed what he was seeing. "A giant?! The hell?! Can someone tell me what's going on?! I can't see anything!" He paused for a moment, finally noticing the lack of his usual garb on his shoulders. He yelped and attempted to conceal himself with his arms. "…And I'm naked…," he observed nervously, a cold sweat running down the back of his neck. The pistol rattled in the prince's hands, simulating the cold shiver of the person inside.

"God, would you shut up," Greed demanded from within Ling. "We're men, it's not like we haven't seen this stuff before. It's not like we really care, either so get a grip!"

"Easy for you to say," they heard him snarl. "One moment, you're minding your own business, traveling the world, the next you're in a pitch black space, without any clothes, and talking to a disembodied voice."

The prince cleared his throat, reminding the man in the gun that he was there. "And your meister- Wait… You've never been in your weapon form before, have you? You seem pretty old for a newcomer."

"I'm not old," he corrected, his reflection glaring at him. "And you're saying I'm a weapon? As in… What? This space isn't really here?" He went to the window where he saw the prince and pressed his hand through it. He felt the air of the desert hit his skin. He flexed his fingers to aid his understanding of his surroundings.

Ling leaned back from the hand as it groped around from the now teal glowing weapon. "Please stop that… That's freaky," he requested as he watched the fingers carefully feel the shape around them.

The flintlock gasped as the hand retreated back. There was stunned silence from their new company. "The Pickpocket's Pistol," he exclaimed, the weapon almost jumping out of the Xingese's hands.

"The 'who-what-now'," the other two asked, confused at the stranger's outburst.

"M-my gun. The gun I invented… Did I take its form? I'm- I'm… I'm my own invention… My pickpocketing gun. The Pickpocket's Pistol…" He slumped down to sit on the floor of the dark space. He closed his eyes for a moment to think about the situation. If he was a weapon- his weapon, he'd have to know how to fire as it. He knew the ins and outs of that gun. He just had to picture himself in his element- firing it at a target, an enemy, or a locked green chest situated in the most impossible place. The best way to do that was to imagine himself firing it. He'd prefer to be comfortable if that were the case. He felt the familiar warmth of his clothes around him suddenly along with the weight of the gun at his side. He opened his eyes and looked down to see the orange shirt, blue pants, brown buckled shoes and red socks he had worn prior to the whole incident. That's more like it! He thought as he leaped to his feet, drawing the pistol.

"Feel better, now," Greed groaned. If he were in control of Ling, he'd glare at the man.

"You have no idea." He pulled the trigger and fired, a bolt of blue energy flying out of the gun in Ling's hands.

"Whoa! Watch it," Ling panicked, almost dropping the weapon. He sighed gruffly. "At any rate… You were employed by the witch, yes? What were her plans?"

"Plans…? What plans?" He looked out again at the prince. Hold on… a witch, did he say…? Oh no… Not again. Not this again. He thought more about the situation. This had something to do with magic. If there was anything he knew about just as well as his own inventions and skills, it was definitely that.

Ling rolled his eyes at the gun. He yanked it closer to him. "Yes! Plans. What's your employer planning!"

"'Employer'? Abductor, more like," he threw back at them. "Besides… there wasn't a witch. Just a flash of light and nothing else." The homunculus could almost feel him roll his eyes. "I didn't even see them cast the spell. Usually, you'd need to draw the symbol for it to work, where I'm fro-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up there. First of all… No witch? Second of all… You know about magic?!" The two sensed the incredulous face the being of avarice made.

"No one was around. I have a keen sense for these things. Years of living in the gutter. As for magic… I happened to study up on it a bit. I just lack the gift for it, is all," he revealed. There was silence from the other two. He leaned back when he saw Ling's incredulous glare increase. He could tell he was omitting information.

"What else is there…," the prince asked. "Don't think you can lie to me. I'm also good at sensing things, you see. A talent of a citizen of Xing- especially one of its princes."

Oh, geez. Here we go. The homunculus soul thought, tilting his face away in the sea of souls.

"Oh, a prince, eh? You look nothing like one," He smirked. "I'm not lying, you should know. I've told you all I know about how I got here and what happened to me. I won't tell you about my past simply because I don't want to, alright?"

"Well, I am! I certainly have more dignity than your ilk, it would seem!" He shook the gun, effectively dizzying the man inside. "And does it matter? We're all going back to our separate worlds, anyway! Who cares?!"

"Oh, trust me. I don't need everyone gawking at me if I did tell you everything. Do you know how irritating that would get?!" When he was done he awaited their response. He saw the prince smirk and began to wonder if he had said too much.

He finally said it, what he had been dodging. "You're a prince, also… aren't you," Ling guessed, grinning confidently at the pistol.

Damn it. He had him there. If he could sense his deceit, he could definitely sense dishonesty. "Fine! I'll admit it! I'm flipping royalty," he huffed, throwing his arms up from their crossed position over his chest. He leaned toward the window he had to the outside world, crossing his arms again. He scowled out at the prince. "Just don't make a big deal out of it. It's not like I'm any contestant for the throne. That spots been filled." He shook his head defeatedly. "I'm about as royal as anyone else at that rate."

Ling laughed. I guess that's part of it… Why his qi seemed so familiar. We're both second rate princes at best. He peered down at the rugged prince in weapon form. "I'll try to keep quiet, then. What should I call you? Mr. Pickpocketing Pistol? Prince of the Gutter?"

"No, none of that, now," the man inside the gun moaned in response and rolled his eyes once more. His weapon form glowed and he appeared as he did in the space within. The lanky shabby figure before them chuckled with a sly smirk. "Just call me Swaine. Just… Swaine."

"Nice to meet you, Swaine. I'm Ling, thirteenth prince of Xing. The voice you heard was Greed. He's kind of… Erm… Like another soul inside of me."

Their king really got around, huh? Swaine thought as he raised an eyebrow. "Another soul, you say? Don't most people have… you know…" He motioned his hand in a circle. "Just the one?"

Ling rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's hard to describe."

The thief tilted his head, letting the subject drop. It would confuse him more than anything. "Well then… It's good to meet you, Ling." He looked down at his hands. It was probably for the best they stick together in that world. Perhaps he could lend his services once again. "If I can figure this out, I'd be happy to help as a 'weapon'. I might even be able to help you out with this whole 'other world' business you've got going on. I've had a hand in that before."

"So this isn't your first time being in a strange world," the prince observed, eyeing Swaine suspiciously.

"Ha! Far from it. One of my best friends is from another world! I've even been there. Perhaps we can figure out just what kind of trick this witch is up to, eh?" The lanky thief held his hand out to the side, a confident look on his thin face.

"Are you sure," Ling asked.

"He definitely looks sure. He also looks like he wants to get out of this place, just as much as we do," Greed commented.

"Well, I can try. I can give you that at least. I'll give you my word on that one, even," he swore, putting a hand to his chest. "Look, kid, I'm offering my services to you because we're stuck in this mess together, obviously. Give me a chance, will you?"

Ling smiled simply at the thief prince. He held out his hand. "You say you give me your word to help us," he cautiously asked behind a deceptively calm smile.

He set his jaw, intently focused on the prince. "That I do. And when I give my word..." He shook the young Xingese royal's hand firmly, flashing a trusting smile and even a wink. "I don't go back on it. Ever."

A flash of fire flew past the mad doctor's face. He grimaced from the heat it brought with it. He opened his eyes as he leaned against a tree in the forest next to the DWMA. Nothing stood in front of him. There was no sign of any fire behind him.

He jolted his head back to look ahead. He squinted in the distance. Who would he face? The dark shrouds of the cursed aura prevented him from seeing its soul. That flash of fire was his only clue. Who was it? Who was it who he faced?

He maniacally grinned. This was going to be fun.

~.~.~

Author's note:

I have returned, my children. I have returned from the land of the dead. This fic shall live again.

Swaine breathed new life into it somehow. I think it was because I took up writing Ni No Kuni fanfiction after playing it and really got my writing gears back in working order. Swaine was the subject of many a fic of mine over there (and still is!) He's fun to write about! Really fun to write about.

Ling/Greed: Hey! We're the main characters here!

Me: I know… now you have a helper when you can't get close to a target!

Swaine: If I can figure this whole Weapon business out. -turns a hand into the end of the pistol and nearly shoots his eye out with the grappling feature- Yeesh!

Ling: …He might be a while…

Anyway, sorry for the wait, guys! I know I took quite the extensive break.

Ling (in the background): A year! You took an entire year to come back to us! What the hell?! -thinks for a moment- Are you the witch?! Is there a witch?!

Yes. I took a year. Life happens. I plan on wrapping this bad boy up. Whether it's what everyone's expecting, I can't really say yet. So, I hope you all enjoy!