Disclaimer: THANK YOU SO MUCH! See what your reviews can make me do? I can update sooner lol

Oh and sorry about the names I misspelled it gomen…

Ok, hmm I remember saying that we'll be having a fast forward at these chap but then I realize it's too early for that so…… just keep up with me for a while ok

Chapter 3:

The Unseen Motive

Syaoran looked at one of the rooms at the left of the castle. He was outside with his mother and sisters together with Takka and Wei. 'Father….' He said to himself. He wanted to say goodbye to his father, but his father was busy at the moment. He sighed and looked at his mother.

"I shall entrust our Little Prince to you for now, Takka-sensai." Yelan said.

Takka lowered his head, "Don't worry, My Lady."

Just then Syaoran's older sisters came at him and gave him a group hug. "Hey!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"OH! We will miss you our Little Prince!" Xeifa said.

"We may not look like it but we really really adore you, oh my cute Little Syaoran," Fanran said while pinching both of his cheeks.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Syaoran protested trying to break free.

"I really wish you won't have to go through this training oh my adorable Young Prince!" Fuutie was saying cuddling him in her arms. Syaoran sweat dropped. 'You just said that because you wouldn't have anyone to run errands for you, and what's with the adorable Young Prince? I'm not a dog!' he thought.

Feimei on the other hand was kneeling at Syaoran's front and buried her face at his chest and was crying her heart out. "OH my charming Little Brother! Please don't leave me!" she cried.

Syaoran sweat dropped. "Oi…. Don't you think you're all a bit over reacting?" he said in an irritated voice.

"Girls," Yelan's voice interrupted them all.

In a flash all the girls left Syaoran and stood at the side. They looked as if nothing happened. Syaoran sighed, 'Are we really related?' he thought.

Yelan looked at his son and kneeled down. She gave him a peek on the cheek that sent Syaoran to blush. "Oka-sama…."

Yelan gazed at his son's amber eyes and smiled tenderly. Syaoran was astounded at this. He never saw her mother smiled like that at him before. "I know we may be a little rough on you, but that is because we love and trust you son." She said.

Syaoran felt tears at the corner of his eyes. He may be a bit matured for his age though his still young at his heart. "I understand that mother," he said holding back his tears.

Yelan gave Syaoran a warm embrace and secretly slipped something that was inside a clear box into his pocket "Take care my son. No matter what happens, you must learn to face all of your fears. You must be strong and must live, for you are the hope of the Li Clan," she whispered in his ears.

Syaoran didn't understand her mother's words not that he doesn't know what she really meant; it's just that he doesn't understand why she was telling those at him. It gave him a wierd feeling inside him.

Yelan pulled away from his son and stood up. "Take care," she said.

"Thank you again, My Lady," Takka said.

Wei walked closer at Syaoran and gave him his suitcase. "Here you go, Young Master. And please take care of yourself."

Syaoran took the suitcase and smiled up at Wei. "Thanks Wei," he said. With that, he and Takka left the castle grounds.

When they were almost out the castle, Syaoran glanced back at his home. He felt that strange feeling again. It was like that woukd be the last time that he'll be seeing all of this. For the last time he gazed at the castle and they went on out to town.

Ryuren watched at Syaoran with such grave eyes from the window of his room. He couldn't help feeling the sadness inside him. He was supposed to bid Syaoran farewell too but he had to meet his men due to a sudden message he received from the Souma.

It looks like there had been another assault at their barrier last night, and if King Iruka together with Ryuren's battalion was delayed for just even a minute, the Lottuse could have already broken into the country of Souma Clan.

Ryuren knew that the time for war between the Lottuse and the other Three Nation was nearing. The Guardian of the East Tower had told him so in his dreams.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'Guardians of the Watch Towers, please protect us from harm. And please bless my son,' he prayed.

The old man with almost balding white hair sat on his throne at his palace. He was King Ren II of the Lottuse Clan, beside him stood the young boy that was about ten years old. His top soldier, General Macmillan entered the room and kneeled down in front of him.

"Your Loneness, just as Eriol-sama predicted the Li Clan had given King Iruka back up. We failed to infiltrate the Souma's," he reported.

Ren laughed manically.

"Your Loneness?" Macmillan was confounded at his King's reaction.

"General Macmillan, I see that you haven't realized yet that everything is going in plan," the boy said.

"Eriol-sama?"

The boy whose name was Eriol Hiiragizawa smiled warmly at him. "The purpose of the assault to the Souma is to lure the Li's army at them. After we manage to get the half of the Li's army out from their country, we shall move forward to our next plan and that is to annihilate the Li's," he explained patiently.

Macmillan was surprise at this information. He had not realized that at all.

"Then, the ones we are really after are the Li's?" he asked.

"That is right," Ren answered him. "That wearisome clan who can manipulate the Guardians of the Watch Towers, they are the hindrance to our plans."

Macmillan watched Ren as he stood up and moved closer at him, "Now my Black Knight, go and continue the attack at the Souma's," he instructed.

"Yes Your Loneness," Macmillan lowered his head.

"General Macmillan," Eriol called.

Macmillan looked up at him. "Yes, Eriol-sama?"

"I shall personally instruct all of you when to attack the Li's," he said.

"I understand," he answered.

"Now go," Ren ordered him.

Macmillan bowed once again and stood up. He left the room without any more ado. Ren watched his back as he closed the door behind him. He smiled feverishly.

After a couple of hours, Eriol entered a very dark room. At the center of the room stood what looked like a crystal orb. He looked at it with his menacing dark blue eyes. It shows the face of Ryuren, and then switched at Syaoran. He smiled. A figure of a lady in long black dress was silhouetted at his back.

"Being mean again I presume. Nee? Eriol-sama," the lady said.

"Not really," he watched Syaoran as he and Takka walked at the busy town of their kingdom. "I just wanted to see how he'll be able to manage everything if I take all that means to him away," he said.

"It's not really the Souma Clan that I am after. That rundown little country doesn't even interest me. Crashing it down will just humiliate me. It was the power of the Li's, their ability to control the Guardians that troublesome gift of them is what interests me, though I don't want them to linger on," he said.

"If that is the case, then why are you letting their heir away?" she asked.

Eriol smiled, "Because I don't want to spoil everything yet. I deserve to have fun don't I?"

"You really are mean, you know that," but she smiled.

Eriol smiled his charming yet cunning smile. "My my I'm just an innocent little boy who wants to play with my toy, you know."

And once again he stared at Syaoran at the crystal ball.

Syaoran was already tired. They had been walking for hours and yet they hadn't stopped to rest. He glanced at Takka who was smiling since they left. He sweat dropped. 'What's wrong with him? Is he mad or what? Why is he smiling like that?' he asked himself. He then switched his attention at his surrounding. He hadn't really gotten a chance to wander around the town. He could see every person in town busy with their daily activities. 'I never knew the town is this populated and busy,' he thought to himself.

For about another half an hour of walking, they came into a clearing and ahead of them Syaoran saw a wide terrain with wild grasses growing at the side of the road. They walked for another hour and they finally stopped. This cheered Syaoran a bit because his feet was killing him.

"Well, at this point we are at the border of the Kingdom," Takka finally spoke up.

Syaoran glanced at him, "What?" he looked around him. In front of them was a forest, he could also make out a river not far from their side.

Takka turned at him and smiled, "From this moment on till your training ends, you shall address me as your master and as for you, you are nothing but an apprentice to me," he said.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow, 'What is he talking about?'

Then Takka's smile turned into something like a smirk. "Now, let as see what our little wolf can do," he said while taking out a small hand clock out his pocket. It had a small bell attached at the other end of the chain connected to the clock.

Syaoran stared at him with a quizzical look.

"There's a house at the middle of the forest, you can take your things there. But by that time, you wouldn't know where I could be." He said.

'What's he up to?' Syaoran wondered.

"The thing that I want you to do is…… Take this bell attached to the clock from me, if you succeed we shall go on the training, but if you fail you wouldn't be eating any meals until you manage to get the bell from me," he instructed Syaoran.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"I don't like repeating myself, little wolf. Anyway, you better move now or else you'll have to look for me in the dark," he said and smiled mischievously.

"But—." He was just about to protest when suddenly a gust of wind blew around them and Syaoran had to closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Takka was already gone.

(A/N) there, how do you like that one? I know it's a cliffhanger but don't worry the next chap won't be……..

RR pls. thanx again for the reviews I'll try my best here so I hope you'll stay with me