I should mention that there is a slight spoiler past-episode-26 spoiler in this chapter about homonculi that you may or may not even notice... Just warning you and enjoy!

"Oh, come now. I don't really feel like fighting." Envy drawled, dodging Ed's attack easily.

"Then why are we locked in here?" Ed growled. He held his transmuted arm in front of his face in guard as he backed over to a booth. He didn't turn his back and he didn't sit down, his hands close together for a quick transmutation.

Envy continued, "I felt it offered a bit of privacy, don't you think?"

Ed sniffed irritatedly, "Why can't you leave Al and I alone?" He was frustrated with all of this. Envy scowled and thrust the heel of his palm under Ed's ribs. Ed gagged and fell to the floor, gasping for the air that had flown from his lungs.

"You know very well, why! If you only heed our requests, we'll leave you and your precious little brother alone, forever."

--

After another loud clatter, the tall muscular man in the seat in front of them stood up calmly.

"This is troublesome." was all he said before turning around. Sakura squeaked slightly as he looked right into her eyes, "Well, let's go. Young Edward Elric seems to be in trouble again."

"Hoe?"

The blond man suddenly threw off his shirt with grace and ease in the blink of an eye, his large muscles bulging. His very presence seemed to shine and sparkle.

"HOOOEEEEEE!" Sakura skittered back in her seat and fingered for Syaoran's "on" switch.

"Please do not be alarmed, miss. I am Major Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Armed alchemist, at your service." he introduced as he continued to flex.

"Y-you said Elric-kun is in trouble?" she asked. Alex nodded. Sakura got up straitened herself before advancing toward the dining car.

Meanwhile, two figures approached Syaoran and lifted him from his seat. They carried him to the very back of the train without even stirring Al from his sleep.

--

"...Under the contract, I, Sakura, command thee! Release!" the magical girl recited before the key in her palm turned into a long pink staff. Alex was awed.

"What impressive alchemy," he commented. Sakura shook her head.

"It's not alchemy, sir. It's magic!" And with that she retrieved a card from her pocket. "Unlock this door to let us pass, LOCK!"

Green light errupted from the card and slinked into the door like a snake. It was hardly a second before they heard a click and Lock turned back into a card. However, when they slid the door open they saw that the car was completely deserted. Wind was rushing from from the shattered window.

"Getting tired already?" Envy asked as Ed clung to the side of the train, wiping blood from his nose.

"You can only hope!" Ed spat back as he inched along the side. Envy swung his arm and hit Ed square in the chest making his grip slip.

"Wood!" from the open window, vines emerged, entwining Envy in natural restraints. Ed used that moment to pull his legs out from under him, sending Envy flying to the ground below.

--

"Wake up," said a calming female voice. Syaoran's eyes slowly opened to a lanky pale woman with a peculiar mark on her chest. He sat up and looked around. Behind her was a stout man with small beady eyes. His smile was large and in the corner of his mouth was a line of drool.

"Can I eat it?" he asked eagerly. Fear and dread circulated through Syaoran's spirit. This man couldn't be serious, but he looked like it as his drool level began to increase.

"What's the matter? Aren't you going to speak?" It took Syaoran a few seconds to realize that question was not directed at him. Lust was looking in the direction of a huddled figure dressed all in black with strange red lines running down his shoulders and arms.

"That's..." began Syaoran, staring at the boy, who looked back at him with familiar brown eyes. The same eyes that, until Syaoran's death, looked back at him from the mirror every morning.

"Did it work?" came Envy's voice as he slipped in the window, brushing leaves and vines from his body. He grinned as he saw Syaoran's feared expression and looked over to the young homonculus, "Still won't do anything?"

"At least he ate," commented Lust, tossing a red stone into the air, "But he still seems unsure of himself."

Envy was losing his patience, "Look you stupid brat!" he cried, kicking the boy in the abdomen, "What's the matter with you?" He continued to hit him with every word.

"Stop it!" Syaoran didn't believe that he had just spoken that. He stood up slowly and set his glare on Envy.

"And look at you!" Envy advanced on him, "You can hardly move. You're almost paralyzed and you have no idea why! I could hit you, but I know you wouldn't feel a thing. However," Envy walked behind him and rested his finger on his lower back, "Under that fake flesh and metal is your blood seal. What's anchoring your soul to this heap of scrap. With one blow I could shatter it and kill you for good."

Suddenly, Envy was thrown against the car wall, his neck impaled on a thick spine coming from the homonculus boy's hand.

"Loyalty?" breathed Lust, practically gaping at the boy. He said nothing as he let Envy go and took Syaoran's arm, breaking through the door into a brighter car. He turned around and held his hand on the door, which began to melt to its frame.

"You saved me?"

--

"Loyalty, huh?" sighed the Colonel, lifting the homonculus's shirt to examine an unusual red mark.

"That's what I heard them call him." Syaoran explained, still nervous to even be there. Why did he look exactly like him?

"Envy, Lust, Gluttony," Ed commented, "Loyalty just doesn't seem to fit with the other homonculi."

"Maybe this one's different," Al added, "After all, he saved Li-san's life."

"Loyalty means to stay by someone's side," Sakura sifted through her small English vocabulary. Roy looked down at his paperwork.

"That reminds me," he began, "There is someone who arrived here in Central today. They said they were looking for you Kinomoto-san."

"For me?" Sakura asked puzzled. The door slowly opened to a smiling face belonging to an elaborately dressed girl.

"T-Tomoyo-chan!"