Syaoran couldn't believe it even as he ran his hand over Den's coarse fur. Coarse! The conventionally unpleasant sensation felt wonderful to Syaoran. He waved his arm back and forth just to feel the small wind gust he had created with his movement. His right arm lay forgotten beside him as he touched everything in his reach. However, this new arm made him realize just how numb the rest of him was as he stumbled to stay upright. Sakura walked wearily into the room.

"What's wrong, Syaoran-kun? I heard you scream." she asked, rubbing her eyes. Practically everyone had been awake before her. Syaoran stepped up to her and touched her soft cheek.

"I can feel you, again!" he breathed. He was able to feel the very thing he missed the most since the accident; Sakura's warmth. He turned and bowed to Winry, "Thank you very much!"

Winry waved her hand dismissively, "Thank you for letting me take you apart!"

"Why can't you do that to my arm?" Ed complained, going at his automail with an old toothbrush and a basin of warm water.

"I won't, for three reasons. One, Li-kun's arm was halfway there to begin with and it was just a matter of rearranging and adding a few things. Two, you go through arms like crazy. Could you imagine the pain if you broke it or got it blown off like last time? Three, you... can't... afford it!" Winry listed, each reason deepening Ed's scowl more and more.

"How much are you charging him?" He prodded.

"He payed me with his very presence here, not to mention letting me tinker!" She replied, winking, "Now, how about we get to work on that other arm? It'll be a lot faster now that I know what I'm doing!"

--

The Lieutenant Colonel looked to the young teenage girl casually hand-sewing an elaborate blue hat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. She seemed content enough as she pulled each stitch with care, but it wouldn't be at all a hinderance if she were given a little extra motivation. His fingers ran across the glossy surface of the familiar photograph as he pulled it to his gaze. Maes shuddered with hapiness as a blissful smile spread across his face. A picture meant a thousand words even though he wasn't sure there were enough synonyms for the word "cute". However, Maes was willing to borrow from other languages if need be. After debating whether or not she could handle such intense amounts of adorabillity, he decided to go for it. After all, there was only one Elysia in the entire world and he wouldn't want an intelligent girl like Tomoyo to miss out.

"Tomoyo-san, look!" he stated proudly, holding out the picture of his beloved daughter. "This is my pride and joy, the light of my life, my adorable daughter, Elysia! Isn't she just the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

Tomoyo looked up from her sewing to look at the photo and squealed. Actually squealed! Maes's grin widened.

"She's so adorable!" she cried, practically limp in a gush. "You must be so proud to have her as your daughter!"

"Thank you!" he beamed. He was so happy to find someone, other than his wife, that shared the same apreciation for truly cute things.

"However, she's not as cute as Sakura-chan," she stated flatly, making Maes's shoulders slumped instantly.

"What?"

"Well, I'm not saying she isn't one of the cutest things I've ever seen, just not the cutest thing I've ever seen," she padded his shoulder, "It's not anyone's fault; it's just the way things are!" Tomoyo pulled out several photographs from her shoulder bag and held them out. They were all pictures of Sakura in various costumes and poses, all of which Tomoyo adored.

"You're wrong," Maes concluded, very sure of himself.

"I'm sorry?" Tomoyo asked politely, maybe she missheard him.

"You're wrong, Elysia is much cuter."

Tomoyo smiled. A challenger, eh? Perhaps he was too blinded by the love for his daughter to notice just how cute Sakura was. She stood up and opened the front door. Inside, Winry was making slight modifications to Ed's newly cleaned automail as Pinako looked over the notes for Syaoran's arm.

"Could I borrow Li-kun for a moment?" Tomoyo asked. Syaoran looked to Pinako, who nodded.

"I won't need you for a few more minutes, run along." she said. Syaoran got up and walked to the doorway.

"What is it?" as soon as he asked, Elysia's picture was shoved in his face.

"Who do you think is cuter? Sakura-chan or Elysia-chan." Tomoyo demanded. At that moment, Syaoran's soul went blank as to what to say. He looked to the picture, then to the love of his life playing cards in the grass with Al and Loyalty.

"Sa-Sakura," he stammered, mostly in truth, partly in fear of Tomoyo. She gave Maes a triumphant look. She knew Syaoran had good eyes.

"Don't be silly," began Winry, "Everyone knows Elysia-chan is the cutest person in the world." She winked to Tomoyo as Ed nodded.

Perhaps with coaxing and a few more pictures, the foolish Lieutenant Colonel would open his eyes and embrace the truth. The Truth of Real Cuteness. It wouldn't be easy, but Tomoyo was up for a little challenge.

--

Their card game had somehow moved Sakura, Al, and Loyalty down to the shallow river. Sakura slipped off her shoes and dipped her toes in the gently flowing water. It was crisp and chilly, but not bitterly cold.

"Do you come to this river often?" she asked after several seconds of silence. Al looked over to her.

"When I was younger I would come here all the time when I was sad or angry at nii-san," he replied softly.

"Did you and your brother fight often?"

"Not really,"

"He's similar to onii-chan. He may seem tough or mean on the outside, but I know he loves me a lot!" she explained happily, "I wonder what onii-chan is doing now? If he's worrying about me..."

"I'm sure he is," Al assured her. Several more moments of silence washed over them.

"Ne, Al-kun. What happened to your father?" Sakura asked out of the blue.

Al said nothing.

"Ah! I'm sorry! Shouldn't I have asked?"

"No, no!" Al said, "I don't really remember him much. He left when I was very young. Nii-san gets angry whenever someone mentions him, so I just wasn't ready for the question."

"I see. My mother died when I was little, so I don't remember her, either. Onii-chan was ten, the same age you were when you lost your mother. He said he could see her spirit, though." she explained. Sakura felt like she could really relate to Al, like he understood a special language only a select few people knew.

"What about you?" Sakura asked, turning to Loyalty, "Do you have any memories?"

There were only a few words to descibe the place he was in, now. It was everything, yet it was hardly anything. He didn't understand it, he couldn't understand it. Not in a million or even a billion years could he figure it all out. However, there it was, the universe and more cramming itself into his mind. Everything except for who he was and what he was. Where he came from, where he would go.

"And this one is called Loyalty," said an older woman's voice. He opened his eyes, slightly surprised that he had eyes to open. He had a form and mass and took up space. His vision was blurred as he got used to being grounded, part of scenery.

"A Virtue, huh?" this voice was younger and seductive. Loyalty could feel the gazes of several beings on him. He didn't want to move, not after all of that.

"So I guess that means this one wasn't made in sin, right?" came an annoyed male voie, "Weak."

"It's useless, so can I eat it?" asked a third voice.

"No," the older woman said shortly, "Let's watch this one and see where it goes."

"Loyalty-kun?" Sakura's voice brought him back to the present. He stared at her concerned eyes, how they were so much different from the cold glares he had recieved from his previous company. He did the first thing that felt right. He smiled.

--

"Leave me alone!" Syaoran outbursted again. The small creature giggled and poked his eye again.

"And that? That didn't hurt either?" he asked.

"I'll give you hurt, if that's what you want!" Syaoran retorted.

"I still don't get that thing..." murmured Winry, looking up from her work to raise an eyebrow at Kero.

"It's sort of like a chimera," Ed added, poking the tiny lion in the side.

"I am the Guardian Beast of the Seal, Keroberos! I am incredibly cool and very powerful and that is all you ever need know!" Kero explained, "I know it's a lot to take in. After all, you are only young humans."

Winry and Ed looked to his small paws, fluffy cute tail, and chubby cheeks and exchanged glances.

"I say poke it again," Syaoran suggested.