A/N: SORRY that it took so long! Next time ill update sooner (i hope) p. Many thanks to my reviewers sehellys, rivendellelve and DarkOreo! And of course thanks to my beta- reader!

Chapter 4

When Horo Horo was almost done collecting the pieces, Ren and Pilica entered the room. Pilica went over to Tamao and sat down on the sofa next to her. Horo put the game on the table and glared at Ren.

"You're playing games? And I thought all you were interested in was training!" Horo smirked, he knew Ren hated it to admit that he would actually play or do something as childish as that. Ren just gave him his usual icy look.

"Ha, I think if someone needed to train, it would be you!" Ren began to smirk. Horo stood up and walked over to Ren, glaring daggers at him.

"Horo Horo!" Pilica tried to keep her brother from doing what she was sure he was about to do, but he ignored her completely, it was already too late.

"WHAT did you say, shorty? Shall I show you my power? I will make you regret that you challenged me!"

"You dont really think you could win, do you?"

"I can't stand it when they do that! Why cant they talk to each other like the others, you know - normal? ... Hey lets go find out if Yoh and Anna want to play too." Tamao nodded quietly while looking at the arguing boys.

The girls arose and left the room, Ren and Horo didnt even notice.

"Arrg, i hate it!" Though Pilica didnt explain, Tamao of course knew what her friend was talking about. She nodded a second time watching the ground, like she always does when thinking about something. Arriving at Yoh's and Anna's door Pilica knocked politely. Silence (except the quarrel of Ren and Horonext door, of course p) answered her ... Pilica tried a second time, this time a little louder ... still nothing. Finally she took her fists and smashed them against the door, hard.

"I think they're sleeping." Tamao tried to calm her putting her hand on Pilica's arm, it worked.

"You're probably right, lets go back and see what those baklas left of the apartment." With that they went back, just to see that the boys were still fighting.

"Say that again!" Rens spike shot up, his Kwan Dao was in his room, so he clenched his fists and held them threateningly in Horos face.

Pilica's patience reached its limit. "HOROHORO USUI!" she screamed so loud that Horo and Ren stood rigid and staring at the blue haired girl in fear. But she began to smile "Better!" she said happily making Tamao smile too. "Lets set up the game." She added still smiling and walked over to the table to sit on the sofa, Tamao followed slowly. Ren and Horo stared at each other for a moment, then followed too.

"Alright, lets play the game!"

"Ha, dont think you'd have any chance to win, I will!" Horo announced, jumping on the armchair.

... some hours later

"Thats impossible!" Horo called while he handed his sister his last money. She smiled happily and sorted her new money on some very high piles. It was much more than the others had, Tamao had already resigned the game. Next was Rens turn, he threw the dice and put his figure to a panel with three houses, Pilica's houses.

"I thought you wanted to win!" Pilica said grinning.

"I would win if you wouldnt have so much stupid luck."

"That wasnt just luck! I-" her voice got louder but was interrupted by the one of the purple haired boy.

"You want to say that you cheat?" Ren asked smirking, realizing Pilica would get angry soon, but unwilling to let this chance to tease her pass him by.

"Dont you dare call my sister a cheater!" Horo Horo burst out standing up.

"She has taken all of your money, too!"

"Yes, but this game is based on luck and Pilica is a fair player!"

"Ha, next time well play a game in which you cant cheat, youll have no chance to win!"

"I do not cheat, but ok what do you want to play?", Pilica agreed tightly supressing her anger for being called a cheater.

Ren started to smirk and pointed at the game lying next to his chair. "Chess!" Pilicas eyes widened and she blushed a little. "You can play Chess, cant you?"

"Of course I can play chess! ... But-"

"Then its decided."

KLACK

Tamao shrieked. The light had turned off, and since it was dark outside, they couldnt even see their own hands.

"W-Why did the light go out?" Pilicas voice sounded in the darkness.

"Surely it will turn right on again. Just wait and do nothing!"

10 minutes later

"OK, I think the light wont turn on by itself."

"Ill go to the basement and check the fusebox" The voice came from the chair where Ren sat.

"Does someone have a flashlight?"

"Hai." Pilica said, stood up and slowly made her way to her appartment with Ren right behind her. When they were in the bedroom, Pilica searched in the dark and soon she turned on the flashlight and lightened up the room. She headed towards the door and then turned to the stairs, Ren next to her. They went downstairs in silence.

"Why dont the employees check the fuse?"

"Well, maybe they're asleep!"

With that they reached the ground floor. "There is noone here!" Pilica said and turned the light of the flashlight so that it would alight the clock above the reception. It was almost midnight. A cold shiver run down her back.

"So, where is the basement?" Ren asked, he took the flashlight out of the ainu's hands and searched the room. Pilica wasnt very happy with that , but she did not mind right now, all she wanted to do was find this damn basement.

"Maybe its there, behind the reception," Pilica pointed at a door behind where the concierge had stood some hours ago. Ren just nodded curtly and went to the door, against his expectations it wasnt locked. They went inside and found themselves in a small room, full of shelves. Ren swung the flashlight around, there were reserve keys on the one wall, and a hook with work clothes and some other stuff on another. On that very side of the room, right beneath the window, was a wooden trap door inserted in the floor.

"That could be it!" Pilica said. Ren returned the flashlight to the ainu girl and pulled the lid of the entrance up and placed it next to the hole. With Pilica lightening up the room that was revealed, Ren could see some stairs.

"Do you think that's the basement?" Pilica asked, hoping against hope that the answer would be "no".

"Yes!" With that Ren jumped onto the stairs and landed fleet-footed on the ground. Pilica tried to follow his lead but slipped and fell right into the hole. She let out a short scream, and reflexively Ren turned around and caught her just in time. Lying in his arms she blushed furiously, and so did Ren. Immediatly he set her down and she thanked him quietly. They both turned to look into the long and dark corridor, nothing decorated the walls - it looked uninviting and cold, which it was. Ren started to walk. Pilica was next to him, trying to stay close and ignore the way she felt - frightened and hesitant. She held the flashlight straight as to miss nothing what could be hidden in the shadows.

KLONG

"W-What was that?" Pilica asked fearfully and instinctively took a step nearer to the cat eyed boy.

"Nothing."

"Didnt you hear that?"

"Yes, I did, maybe it was an employee turning on the light before us."

Pilica could see the end of the corridor emerging from the darkness, it devided in two directions. Suddenly she heard a second noise, it came from somewhere behind her, but before she could turn around, a huge scary shadow appeared on the wall beside her. Pilica screamed and dropped the flashlight. With a loud crack it touched the ground and went dark, clouding the mysterious shadow in darkness. Pilica took another step in Ren's direction when he suddenly asked: "What did you do?" But Pilica couldnt answer, she was too shocked, she just stood there in the dark and didnt move or give a sound.

"Pilica?" Ren asked into the direction he assumed the Ainu-girl. "Whats wrong" He stretched his arm out to find Pilica and make her walk along. When he finally found her arm, she awoke from the shock and stared into the darkness.

"Didnt you see that?" she asked quietly, hoping that whatever had made the shadow couldnt hear her.

"What?" Ren asked a little unnerved

"There was a huge shadow on the wall to the right, and it didnt seem like it was one of the employees." She explained anxiously and with great speed. Ren needed some seconds to realize what he had just heard.

"Calm down, it isnt there anymore, and Im here after all, noone will ever beat me. See? No reason to be afraid!" he said in an attempt to calm her down in his own way. "But we could find out what it was!"he said smirking.

"W-What?"

"You said on the right?" Ren gripped Pilica's arm and took her into the right corridor. They just walked straight ahead, sometimes stretching an arm to one side to feel, if there still was a wall. After some minutes, which seemed like an eternity to Pilica, they entered a small room. It was lightened up by a small candlestick hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. It wasnt very bright, but they could see each other and two more corridors.

"Who the hell constructed this labyrinth?" Pilica declared angrily, finally getting her voice back. Now she is like ever.Ren thought, and was surprised to notice that he somehow felt relieved.

"So, where do we go now?"

Without answering Ren went into the left corridor making sure Pilica would follow. Even though they reentered the complete darkness of the tunnels, Pilica wasnt frightened anymore, Ren was right, who would be a better guardian than him?

A/N: well, if yeou like it, please review! Thanks!