Lilover131: Hey everyone! I'm back! I hoped you liked the last chapter! Sorry for the confusion of the anniversary day. I feel so silly for messing that up so badly. Lol. Thank you all so much for helping me reach my goal of 300 reviews!! You guys are awesome! My new goal is 350 now. Let's see how far this story goes! Anyways, here's chapter thirty-nine! Enjoy!

Cry of a Wolf-Chapter Thirty-nine: Plan B

Eriol stood in complete silence for a moment after hearing what Kohaku had just said.

"So the curse we're dealing with is that dangerous, huh? I figured. But…one thing I can't figure out…why doesn't Yelan seem aware of this?" Eriol asked.

"Yelan is Kyo's wife. Of course he wouldn't want her to get involved. She was told about it briefly, if you recall her telling you, but she does not know that it's a curse nor the consequences of having it," XiaoLian said.

"The consequences…what exactly will happen to Syaoran?" he asked. The wolf lowered its head.

"Do you remember that pain Syaoran had in his chest?" XiaoLian asked. Eriol nodded.

"…What will happen to Syaoran will be far worse than that."

Eriol's gaze saddened before he looked back up with determination.

"…Then I will help you stop it. What can I do?"

Back at Xueman's house

It did not take much time for everyone in the house to finish their brownie. Syaoran was the first to finish, but that was not because of his great love for chocolate. Xue kept nibbling on his brownie, so he only really got to eat three-quarter's of it. Despite not getting an entire brownie, he was not at all disappointed. The taste left him feeling right at home like he did many years ago. The uneasiness he had still did not leave, but at least he could speak without feeling like a complete burden to his grandmother.

Xueman went around the room and collected the empty plates. Each person thanked her in return or offered to help. The woman claimed she didn't need any help, especially not from guests, and that they should wait quietly for her quick return. It was only a few minutes later that she came back and the conversation resumed.

"So Sakura-chan, how long have you and Syaoran been dating?" she asked. The couple blushed more than they could count today, and this had been yet another one out of…a million?

"Well…we've been dating for a while now…though it has been hard living in different countries," Sakura answered. Syaoran noticed the slight sad expression she wore. They called and wrote letters to each other often, but that was hardly considered an active relationship. It was only long distance.

"So now you're visiting?" Xueman asked. Sakura nodded.

"Yes. I sort of…missed him…so…" Sakura said rather quietly. Her embarrassment was evident. The woman laughed in entertainment.

"You don't need to be so shy Sakura-chan! I won't bite!" she said. The young girls' blush only darknened.

"Since we met Sakura-sama, she has always been like that," said the three bodyguards. Everyone was slightly surprised to hear them speak after they had been silent for so long.

"We've only known her for a few days, but she has proven herself to be a very kind person," said the girls with a smile. Sakura widened her emerald eyes a bit. She was fairly touched from their compliment. Xueman smiled as well.

"So what does Syaoran need such cute bodyguards for?" the woman asked. The bodyguards, unlike Sakura, did not blush. Instead, they had adorable grins planted on their faces as if to enhance the answer.

"The elder's have asked us to help protect Syaoran from the horrible Naraku!" said the girls. At that moment, Xueman nearly dropped her tea. Her eyes were wide in fear.

"…Naraku?"

Back at the Li Library

Eriol and XiaoLian spoke for a while about the curse. Combining all the information they had gained proved useful to the research and gave them more hope for the future.
"So…this is what we know so far…" Eriol started.

"It's a curse. It affects only the Li clan heir. The curse consists of two spirits, one of light and one of dark, who want control of Syaoran. The spirit's mess up the balance, which means Syaoran does not have complete control of them. And if they gain control, which would be after your power runs out, there would be chaos."

The wolf form of Kohaku nodded. They both began to think.

"Isn't there a way to remove one of the spirits so that he becomes balanced?" Eriol asked. Kohaku shook his head.

"My brother's spirits are bound together. They cannot be separated. Moreover, they are both deeply embedded in Syaoran's heart, which is why they are activated by his emotions. The only way to remove them is by removing his heart as well," XiaoLian said. Eriol paled.

"We can't do that. The human heart (not the physical one) contains the emotions and memories of the holder. If we took that…"

"…Syaoran would fall into a coma and die," XiaoLian finished. Her words were harshly stated, but true. The heart was too important to life.

"A body without a heart is just an empty shell," Eriol said (YES! A QUOTE FROM TSUBASA!).

"…Who ever created this curse was quite crafty, huh?" the young mage said in frustration.

"…Quite…" XiaoLian said in sadness. An awkward silence fell upon the two. Eriol decided not to ask about it, considering XiaoLian didn't seem ready to talk about it. Was it too painful a memory?

"…It seems we'll just need a plan B," he said before continuing his research.

At Xueman's house

Xueman stared in disbelief at what she had just heard.

"Syaoran…why didn't you tell me Naraku has returned?" she asked. The boy hung his head in shame.

"…I…I didn't want to worry you…" was all he could manage to mutter out.

"Is he responsible for the murder of the head elders?" she asked. Syaoran nodded grimly.

"Yes…"

Silence rested among the group for another few seconds.

"…That man…killed Kyo…I won't let him get you as well," said Xueman seriously. Syaoran's eyes shone in concern when he saw his grandmother almost tear up. Before she could be saddened any further by the painful memories of Kyo, Xue flew to her aid and landed on her shoulder. The bird playfully and gently pecked at her neck in comfort. The sad expressions soon left, and they were replaced with small smiles. Suddenly, the bodyguard's heads all rose together in alarm. Sakura noticed their sudden serious faces.

"What is it?" she asked. The girls nearly shook their heads before quickly rising form their seats.

"Nothing. We should get going. We have some important business to attend to," said Ai. When they began to leave after bowing respectfully to Xueman for her kindness, Sakura found herself completely dumbstruck. They were actually leaving Syaoran's side for a little while? They were always following him like moths to a light! What was so important that they had to momentarily abandon their duty?

"Thank you very much for the wonderful food. Good afternoon."

Seconds later, they were gone. However, they had not gone far. The three stood by a large tree nearby in silence with maintained expressions.

"Master Naraku…you called for us?" the girls said in unison.

"Yes…" echoed a voice from the top of the tree. Naraku's dark figure dropped from the tree to the ground with a soundless thud. The area seemed to darken just from his presence. The girls then bowed low in respect for their creator.

"You have done well so far. Thanks to your research, I have found the source of the barrier around the spirits," he said with a dark ominous voice. The bodyguards rose their heads slightly.

"The wolf cub, right? It seems to be abnormal and it constantly follows the heir," they said.

"Yes. The wolf cub is the spirit's younger sister. She has placed a barrier around the spirit's to protect them from me. I can't obtain the powers if I kill the boy now," he said.

"Is that why you have been hesitating?" Lin asked in a respectful tone.

"…Yes. That, and…that blasted successor of Clow…"

A moment of silence passed upon them.

"I've been trying to drive the spirit's to releasing themselves, but to no avail. The boy's dark spirit empowers itself by anger. If I were to anger the boy enough, it might be too much for the balance maintainer to handle…the barrier would break and I could receive my prize. However, his friends and family have made even getting close a difficult task…"

"Clow's successor has asked the boy to restrain from using magic until the end of today," the girl's stated.

"I know. That makes releasing the spirits even more difficult. When he doesn't use the magic, it becomes easier for the sister spirit to control. Thus, it becomes harder for me to get them out," he replied. A look of irritation crossed his face….which soon turned to a sly grin.

"…But I have a plan B."

Back at the Li Library

"What should we do about Naraku? He seems desperate to obtain the spirits…but for what purpose? If it's a curse, then what use does he have for them? Wouldn't that hurt him?" Eriol asked XiaoLian. The wolf cub form lowered its head.

"He wishes to avenge something that happened many years ago…when he was still alive…" she said before stopping.

"…When Clow Reed fought him many years ago, he was not alive. In fact, he wasn't even human."

"In order to obtain his revenge, he even gave up his humanity…in other words…his soul," said XiaoLian. Eriol remained silent.

"Clow Reed sealed him away in hell after he attempted to destroy the Li clan, or what was his mother's side of the family was at the time. However, as you know, he broke free 10 years ago."

"…And when he escaped…why did his goal change from enslaving the Li clan to obtaining the spirits?" Eriol asked. XiaoLian took several seconds of silence before answering.

"I'm not sure how he even found out about me and the curse…"

Eriol rubbed him temples in frustration.

"…And when he broke free several years ago…he killed Kyo…" Eriol started. The spirit's wolf form nodded.

"Yes. He didn't know that Kyo had already had a son and passed it on to him. By the time he had figured it out, Kyo was dead and used his last remaining strength to protect his family," she said.

"…And that protection died out a few days ago, right? That's when Naraku began his attacks," Eriol asked. XiaoLian nodded.

"…Well…since he knows about you now, I wonder what he plans to do?"

At Xueman's house

"Are you tired Syaoran?" Xueman asked. The boy had been rubbing at his eyes for quite a bit after the bodyguards left. Not to mention every time he spoke, his voice seemed to be getting quieter. Syaoran gave a rather weak smile.

"…Not really…I'm only a little bit tired," he said. His grandmother did not seem to believe him.

"…Maybe you should rest…you've been awfully tired lately," Sakura suggested. Syaoran shook his head in protest.

"No. Resting here would be rude. Especially when I'm the one visiting," he said. Xueman could only watch her grandson in sadness.

"Have you been tired a lot lately? Are you eating properly?" his grandmother asked in concern. The boy nodded.

"I'm fine…really," he assured. Xueman felt like she had had this same concern for her husband and son before. And now it seemed that her grandson had inherited the same stubbornness that did not allow concern.

"…" she was about to speak, but she found no words would come out. All she could do was embrace him. Syaoran looked rather surprised, but he didn't say anything.

"…I really am glad to see you, Syaoran. Just understand that if you ever need anything, I am here, all right?" she said.

"…Right…" was all he said. Xueman then released her hold on the boy and turned to Sakura.

"That means the same for you too, Sakura-chan! If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me!" she said. Sakura smiled brightly.

"Thank you so much!"

The white haired woman began to walk elegantly towards another room before turning to the two teenagers.

"Would you follow me? There is something I wish to show you."

In the Li library

Eriol and XiaoLian continued to brainstorm. They had a lot of information, but none of it really helped them to understand how to stop it. It seemed to the only thing they could do was subdue it. And XiaoLian could not do that for much longer. Naraku was also proving to be a big problem. Curse his timing! Although, it was safe to say that everything was all right until he showed up. Syaoran's emotions were in a mess lately. It's not easy when bad memories are constantly brought up. Kyo was very important to the boy, and it was heartbreaking that his precious relationship with his father had to be cut so short in his life. However, with the influence of his sisters, Yelan, and Sakura, he was able to mostly get over that deep emotional pain in his heart. Naraku was simply digging at the leftover scars.

Finally, the silent thoughts were broken.

"….There must be a way to save him…" Eriol whispered in frustration. Then, a voice suddenly was heard in the room.

"Save who?" asked the figure as it walked slowly towards the two. It was Yelan. Eriol did not answer.

"I believe you have been keeping something important from me, Hiiragizawa-sama. Please tell me."

Eriol now had to make a choice. Should he tell Yelan? Little did any of them know that they were being watched by three figures in the shadows.

Lilover131: Sorry it took so long! I've been unbelievably bushy lately and I've been having major problems at home. Please forgive me for my late updates! I'll really try to write faster! Anyways, until then! Bye!