Whaa! I've been on such a roll with this fic, lately! I can't believe what a big hit Loyalty is! For anyone who's interested, there are a few pictures of him on my DeviantArt account (linked from my profile page). This chapters is a bit small, but there's some big continuations of the plot, so I hope that can compensate for its size!
"So you're like Al, huh?" Winry asked as she pulled a long cord from Syaoran's ear, "Well, if you had to be stuck in a body, this is the one! I hope I didn't scare you by wanting to take you apart, but you're just so... cool!" She plugged him into a nearby outlet, making him feel instantly better. He flexed his legs as his body drew from the energy supply. The uncomfortable sluggish feeling slowly faded more and more, making Syaoran relax for the first time in a while. He felt welcome and at home at the Rockbell's as if he were visiting a dear relative.Winry leaned in, "But..." she eyed his body as if picking out the meatiest part of a cooked chicken, "Can I just take apart your arm or something? Please?"
"Eh?" That was one of the strangest requests Syaoran had ever heard in his life.
"Ano ne, Winry," Ed began indignantly as Pinako removed the final bolts holding his automail arm to his body, "He just died for goodness sake! He doesn't need the--"
"No, it's all right," Syaoran broke in, "Rockbell has been looking forward to seeing a persocom... like me." The last part of his statement stung more than he was expecting it to.
"Really?" Winry's eyes were sparkling so much, Syaoran was certain they would combust. She held his cheeks and kissed his forehead greatfully, "You're the best!" She sat Syaoran down into a chair and opened the database on his ear, pushing numerous small buttons as if she had done it a hundred times before.
"Which arm do you use to write with?" she inquired.
"M-my right arm... ano..."
"Thank you!" and with one final button, Syaoran's left arm went limp and lifeless. She extracted numerous tools from various places on her person and got to work, scoring the delicate immitation flesh. With a steady hand she loosened the skin and slowly pulled it off like a rubber glove. Syaoran cried out at the sight of his skinless arm as Winry peeled off the layer of cushy gelatin used to give his body a soft human feeling.
"Wow," Winry breathed at the labyrinth of wires and fans and frames, "This is so complex..."
"He certainly is peculiar," Tomoyo commented as she and Sakura studdied Loyalty. He was currently having an unannounced staring contest with Den, who cheated by licking the homunculus's face. Loyalty sat dumbfounded for a few seconds, then promptly decided to lick Den back, only to sputter out a mouth full of fur. The two girls giggled.
"Sorry, Loyalty-kun," Sakura answered his indignant face.
"It's like he's just learning how the world works," Tomoyo said once Loyalty was distracted by the shininess of Al again. Sakura nodded.
"And he hasn't said anything at all." she added. Tomoyo looked pensive for a few seconds.
"Perhaps he can't, because Li-kun can." she announced finally. She looked over to the uncomfortable Syaoran, "After all, he has everything Li-kun lost, except for two things; a voice and a soul."
"But why would someone make a homunculus to look exactly like Li-san?" Al asked, trying to ignore that Loyalty was halfway headfirst inside his armor, his poor head laying sideways on the floor next to him.
"Why don't you five get some sleep," Pinako advised, "We'll be at these two long into the night."
"Sleep... Agh!" Sakura cried, ignoring Ed's protesting moan, "I completely forgot about Kero-chan!"
"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo consoled, "After all, he's been asleep for over thirty years at a time."
"I guess you're right," Sakura murmured, "Just remind me to wake him in the morning..."
"You can sleep in my bed tonight, Hughes-san," Winry offered, "And Sakura-chan and Tomoyo-chan can sleep in the guest room, where Ed an Al usually stay."
"But, Al-kun..." began Sakura.
"It's all right!" he assured her, "I can sleep anywhere! I really don't have a problem. I'll sleep outside and watch the stars."
"Good," added Pinako, "Have that homunculus boy sleep out there too. I don't quite trust him to sleep in the house just yet."
"Yes, obaa-chan," Al nodded, removing Loyalty from inside him and escorting him outside, "Good night everyone."
--
Al looked up at the night sky as he laid out a blanket to lay ontop of. The sky was clear and he could tell by the atmosphere that the air was crisp too. His spirit sighed contently on such a beautiful night. He had even forgotten about Loyalty until he found him pushing against his body.
"What is it?" Al asked. Loyalty ran his hands up and down his bare shoulders to signify that he was cold, "Ah, sorry. I guess you need this more than I do." He stated, pulling up the blanket under him and handing it to Loyalty. Content with his new aquisition, he skittered off to a nearby tree and made a bed in its thicker branches.
Inside, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Maes had long fallen asleep as Winry was still working hard.
"You know what... Ne, obaa-chan, come look at this!" she cried excitedly. Pinako left Ed, drool pooling under his face as he fell asleep with his head on the table, and took Syaoran's arm, "Do you think it will work?"
"Hmm," Pinako puffed her pipe as she studied the connections, "Give it a try."
Winry nodded as she got, yet more tools from various other places and got to work rearranging wires. Pinako nudged Ed awake.
"We'll come back to it in the morning," she told him. He nodded and stumbled armless to the couch and flopped into it.
"And you're cleaning the sand out of it," Winry added, not breaking her concentraition.
"It's not like I went swimming in the stuff," Ed argued half-heartedly before sleep took over and he closed his eyes.
"Almost there..." Winry mumbled to herself as Pinako turned in. Drowsiness was making her eyelids hurt, but she couldn't stop this project in the middle. There was just no question there. Finally, she sat back and smiled.
"Now, just a few more adjustments!" she stated triumphantly. Slowly and steadily she worked into the night. Even Syaoran had fallen asleep out of sheer boredom. She was on the downward stretch by the time the first bird sang its morning song, alternating working on his arm and punching data into his ear. Not to mention the notebook now overflowing with notes and sketches.
"And that should... do it!" she said hopefully, leaning back in her chair to stretch out her back and arms. She leaned forward once more to tighten any last minute bolts and got to work getting ready to turn the power supply back to his arm.
"Brace yourself," Winry told Syaoran, "There's going to be a bit of a surprise."
Winry's heart was thudding, her hands practically shaking, "Three... two... One!"
She pushed the final button and in an instant Syaoran squirmed in his chair, crying out loudly...
...In pain.