Prologue

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"Whose dog is this?" demanded a man standing on a platform. He was pointing at a cage next to his feet to the crowd down below. Inside the cage, a puppy with brown chestnut coat and amber eyes growled. Judging from the eye shape and the body of the pup, you can easily see tints of wolf blood running through its vein.

The pup started to bite the bars of the cage, trying his escape. Next to him, the man was still asking for its owner. Another man, probably in his mid-thirties, walked out of the crowd. "He is my dog." The men said. "But I do not wish him back. He is not a pure blood dog, but with wolf blood in him." He glared at the wolf-pup. "He is a wild dog with a nature of a wolf, and cannot be controlled. This pup must die. If we don't kill it, it will kill us."

The man on the platform sighed, yet he could do nothing to stop the owner of the wolf-pup. People started to walk away from the crowd. They did not object the owner's cruel decision, since they were only here to watch and it wasn't their dog in the first place anyway.

While no body was watching, a boy creped silently up from the back onto the platform. He cannot stand this any longer. They were going to let this little puppy die in the forest, when the pup has done no harm to them. He reached out, and started to pick the lock on the cage. The pup growled at him. "Shh, don't make any noise, or else they'll notice me. I'm only trying to help you, don't be afraid." Strangely, the pup quietened as if he understood what the boy was talking about. The boy smiled as he put all his attention back onto the lock. Finally, the lock gave a clicking noise, then swan open. Yet the plan didn't go as well as wished, because someone noticed them.

"Somebody is freeing the wolf-pup!"

The boy quickly picked up the wolf pup, and ran as fast as he could.

"Hey, come back!" People where coming fast from the back. The boy threw something and it exploded as it hit the ground, causing a smoke screen. The boy disappeared, leaving a clueless crowd behind.

-

"Here," The boy handed the little wolf pup some food. It yelped its thanks and started eating the food. "You are a very cute little thing you know?" The boy looked at the pup thoughtfully. The wolf pup jumped up, and yelped again. "Here, my name is Neo. What's yours?"

The pup raised his head and locked eyes with the boy, his head on one side and his eyes big and curious. Simply, the little wolf was interested in the word name.

"Guess you don't have a name, not yet. What do you want to be called?" Neo studied the pup carefully. A long silence passed after he spoked. "Let me see... how about Syaoran?" Neo extended his and towards the wolf pup. The wolf pup looked at the hand... then it decided to put its paw on the hand. "You are a clever pup. Then it is agreed- your name is Syaoran."

And that was how the wolf pup got his name. Syaoran, meaning "little wolf".

-

Few days later, Neo and Syaoran arrived at Neo's home. Neo's mother came out to greet them. "You're finally home, Neo. I was getting worried about Nadesiko. I think she is going to give birth soon, but... she is a quiet weak from her fever." Hearing this, Neo dashed into the house. Nadesiko was Neo's dog. She was pregnant before Neo went away.

It was then that Neo's mother noticed the wolf pup. "Neo... this is...?" she pointed at Syaoran.

"Oh, mother, this is Syaoran, a pup I saved when I was out." Neo explained while looking for Nadesiko. Fujitaka, her mate, came running to greet his owner. "Hey Fujitaka, where is Nadesiko?" Neo asked. Fujitaka ran into the kitchen with Neo following closely behind. The father-to-be lied down next to Nadesiko. "Here you are, girl. Are you feeling well?" Neo asked when he saw Nadesiko. She whimpered in reply.

That afternoon was all blur for Syaoran, for things happened like a fast stream of water. First, they were getting prepared for Nadesiko to give birth, but then when Nadesiko was giving birth, she had some problem. The fever she had previously weakened her greatly, and she does not have extra energy. After long hours of labour, Nadesiko finally gave birth to a baby girl.

The baby was a pretty girl, her fur from head to tail white, expect for her forehead, where a patch of brown in the shape of cherry blossom lay and her eyes were the pretty colour of emerald green. The baby girl was named Sakura, the "cherry blossom".

--- ---

Months passed, and Syaoran lived with Neo and his family. Fujitaka and Nadesiko had looked after Syaoran like their own children. That, surprised Syaoran. He once asked Fujitaka, "Why did you treat me as your own, when you know that I am not a pure blood dog? I know that my mother was a wolf."

Fujitaka only chuckled at the comment, and said, "It is not what your outside show, but what you have inside. Nadesiko and I saw that you have a pure heart in you, and we trust you with all our lives." He nudged Syaoran lightly. "You are just like a son to us."

One day, Nadesiko asked Syaoran, "Will you be our foster-son?" Syaoran looked up to meet her eyes, surprised by the sudden question. "We used to have a son named Touya, but he died when he was your age."

Syaoran looked down. "I'm sorry."

Nadesiko smiled, "No, no need to be sorry, thanks to Clow Reed for Neo to find you." Clow Reed was the God of all the dogs and wolves.

"So, will you?" Fujitaka asked.

Syaoran looked from Fujitaka to Nadesiko, and from Nadesiko to Fujitaka. Then, he lowered his head and said, "Yes."

--- ---

"Syaoran!" Sakura yelped happily as she ran towards him. She is only four months old, but is more energetic then all the other puppies around her age.

"Yes?" Came Syaoran's sleepy reply. He had just gone out all day to hunt with Neo and Fujitaka, and had just come home, hoping for a good rest. But... it seems that sleeping is just a dream.

"Syaoran, Syaoran, play with me!" Sakura skipped happily around him. Seeing no reaction from him, she decided that she would nibble his ears.

"Errrr..." Syaoran growled. "Sakura~!" his eyes flattered open, as he jumped up, and started to chase Sakura around the house.

After about the fifth's circle around the house, Sakura finally got tired, and Sakura and Syaoran fall onto the grass together, laughing and giggling.

"You this daring little thing, aren't you afraid of anything?" Syaoran said after he caught his breath.

"Yes, you know that I am afraid of sprits and ghosts." Sakura retorted. "But you will always be there for me, won't you?"

Syaoran laughed. He licked Sakura's noise and replied, "Yes, Sakura. I will always be there for you when you need me."

"Promise?" Sakura's big emerald eyes were serious.

"I promise." Syaoran replied, amber eyes serious as well.

--- ---

A/n: what do ya all think, huh? Like this story? Please don't blame me if you do not like the way I write... I think I kinda personification the animals... hehehe... oh, did I mention that this fic is gonna to be a long- term story? (is there a word such as that? Oh well, who cares, anyway, that means this story is not gonna to be updated often ^^ don't kill me for that, k?)

Cya, and please remember to review!

-Syaoyue^^