As Syaoran and Ed mumbled aimlessly in pain after having their arms attached, Sakura and Winry got things ready for the two of them to shower.
"Loyalty-kun," began Sakura, taking a set of clothes from her bag. Syaoran was already out back, "Could you deliver this to Syaoran-kun?"
Loyalty nodded and took the garment. As he shifted it in his hands a single brown strand brushed his fingertips, making him drop the clothing as if he had been burned. He looked frightened at it for a few seconds, before taking off out of the house.
"Wait, Loyalty-kun!" Sakura called after him, "What's wrong? Did you get hurt?" She searched the outfit, expecting to find some kind of stinging insect and was puzzled to find nothing as the hair fell forgotten to the floorboards.
--
"Ready?" Al asked after everyone was clean. He stood about ten feet opposite Syaoran in a large dirt clearing, "I won't go easy on you!"
"And I thank you for that," Syaoran replied, adjusting the sleeve of his old robes. He found he could afford a little more agility in this fatigueless body and wanted to wear something that would easily bend with his limbs.
"All right you two," began Maes, "Remember, no hand to hand, this sheer power against power. Ready!" He walked off to the side where everyone was watching. A piece of chalk was being gripped tightly in Al's hand as Syaoran held a pair of silk red tassels between his fingers, "Start!"
Al was the first to move, drawing a transmutation circle in the dirt. After a flash of blue light, a branch of rock burst through the ground and aimed at Syaoran. He leapt into the air just in time and landed in a squatting position on top of the rock.
"You're very fast, this is going to be a bit difficult," Al complimented to his opponent perched above him.
"One has to be," Syaoran explained, pulling out a sutra to create an electrical surge that crumbled the rock, "When one lives with the cousin I have."
After creating a small blinding whirlwind of dust and dirt, Syaoran went behind Al, who only noticed him and transmuted the metal bells on his robes into coils that wrapped around him like ropes.
Loyalty watched from a tree and moved out on his limb to get a better look. They looked like they were enjoying themselves to no end. However... Loyalty looked down at his body. Why did he have it? He had no soul. Sure, he had feelings and a basic thought process. He could smile, frown, learn, fear, but there was something missing. He could see it in Sakura. The life in her eyes and a certain... favoring toward Syaoran that Loyalty didn't quite understand. He saw it in everyone, only for different people. Loyalty was fond of his companions, but in a different way than these humans seemed to. To Loyalty, a soul was merely extra feelings. Like an upgrade package for a computer program. It wasn't bad to have the old version; the new one was just more convenient and filled with whistles and bells. That's how he justified the emptiness, like a fancy addition he didn't need. Wanted, but not needed. He looked back to Syaoran. He had that full program, but nothing to run it on. He wanted everything Loyalty had and rightfully so! This body didn't belong to him; it belonged to its rightful owner, to Syaoran. It wasn't natural for the two of them to exist in the same world and he was reminded of that earlier that evening. Syaoran's soul was to be with Syaoran's body and the world of balance wouldn't have it any other way without a fight.
One of them had to go, to leave this world forever. Either Syaoran's soul had to be taken, or Loyalty's body. He didn't like this emptiness; he wanted that upgrade more than anything.
--
"A good match!" Syaoran announced, shaking Al's hand.
"You were a great opponent! I'm not surprised it turned into a draw." Al replied.
"Thank you. However, everyone seems to have gotten bored," he looked over to their now sleeping spectators, "I suppose since neither of us got tired, it went on for several hours." The adults had already turned in after the third hour and the house was quiet when everyone else came inside.
"Well, Loyalty, how was your day?" Al asked as he set up to sleep, "Was the match interesting?"
He answered with a rustle of branches as his upside down body hung from a limb to give Al the biggest grin he had. Al felt like smiling himself.
"Ano... There's no room inside. Do you mind if I sleep out here?" Syaoran asked behind them. Al turned around and nodded.
"Of course!" he replied as Syaoran began to climb the tree as well. "Good night, everyone." Al finally called softly.
"Oi," Syaoran interrupted.
"What is it?"
"I was wondering... what it was like for you? What does it feel like to be a suit of armor?"
Al thought before answering, "Actually, I never thought of myself as the armor. It's like I'm driving a car. You don't say you are the car, you just control where it goes. It's almost like my soul is pushing on the inside, making it move. It feels so natural now, I don't even think about it. Why do you ask? Do you feel like you are the persocom?"
"Your brother said my case was a little different from yours. He said that my soul is probably meshed with the persocom's 'brain' so to speak. That even if my anchoring seal is broken, a little bit of me may stay behind."
"Well, let's hope we don't have to find out, ne?"
--
"What's wrong, Loyalty-kun?" Winry asked kindly as he walked with Sakura, Tomoyo, and she, into town to pick up a few supplies.
"He's been depressed all day," Tomoyo commented as he watched the ground move under his bare feet. He had been thinking about it again, about why he was here. It was getting worse since the sparing match a few days before. Occasionally the gate would appear when he was deep in thought, its doors remaining closed. Loyalty would get away from it as fast as he could and when he looked back, it would be gone. Like it knew that he was unsure about staying in this world, or perhaps waiting for him to give someone else to it instead. Whatever the reason, it sent chills through him that seemed to make his empty heart even hollower. However, this was one of the few times when he wasn't being haunted by it, so he picked up his feet and smiled the brightest smile he could. For the girls. For some reason, it made them happy to see his lips turned upward, so he did it for them.
After all, there may be a time when not even a smile will make them happy.
Ending note- Hmm... Loyalty's having conflicting thoughts? Sorry for such a short chapter. The rest of the story's all planned out, now and I fear that it will be coming to a close in the next two chapters! So, just hang on for a little bit, because the end is near! The next chapter will have some more post episode 26 spoilers, but it's nothing you won't find out in the next few weeks watching it on Adult Swim.