Deathly Games

Author's Note:

Title: Deathly Games

Author: Kanata Saionji.

Genre: Mystery/Romance/Family/Thriller

Story Line: Shaoran Li, the most famous as well as the youngest Private Eye is assigned the job of protecting the would-be heiress to a vast fortune—Sakura Kinomoto. A sense of foredoom befalls our young detective as he undertakes a deathly vacation to the Hill house of the Amamiyas—Nadeshiko Kinomoto's maiden home, which is surrounded by something more than the beautiful climate and nature. How can a young detective stand against the greatest Automobile Empire of the Amamiya family…?

Disclaimer: The Author does not own the characters. Everything is the sole property of whomsoever it was created by. However the story, in the general version, belongs to the Author.

Author's words: Enjoy the story to its extreme and please, the readers can make any sort of comment. Anonymous reviews are welcomed.

Story…

Episode 7

'You want to see that broken old thing…?' asked a raven-haired messy looking teenager to the brunette haired detective and his ember haired step-brother. All the three were standing in an old junk yard.

'Yes, for the hundredth time, yes!' answered Shaoran, obviously irritated.

Yukito placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and turning to the raven-haired teenager said, 'we'd like to see that i10…'

The raven-haired sighed and shrugging his shoulder said, 'don't know what's so great about that car…'

Then, the two followed the teen through rows and rows of junk and broken cars. Shaoran tried not to look at any of them as he had something for cars that made him feel queasy when one gets squished. On the way, the raven-haired had many things to talk.

'I don't believe this…' he was saying, 'first thing in the morning, the police sends us the broken down old junk saying it had an accident down the hill and now, you people come back again to see it… I just don't understand this police department any more…'

Yukito smiled as Shaoran raised his eyebrows, apparently irritated. Within a few minutes, they were standing inside the junk yard's main garage. After a few minutes, they were brought to the i10 in question. It was nothing to how Shaoran remembered it. Sure, it was the same color as when it hit that massive old tree by the cliff, but now caressing his hand over the car's front, Shaoran felt unfamiliarity pass over him.

'Are you sure this is it?' asked Shaoran, raising his eyebrow at the teen, who nodded his head and said, 'of course! This was the one that was delivered this morning…'

Yukito watched as Shaoran looked at every nook and corner of the damaged car. Finally, Shaoran pulled back his head from the inside of the car and looked at Yukito disbelievingly. The latter knew nothing that was going on in the brunet's head. He just sighed and turning to the raven-haired teen asked, 'so, is there anything wrong with it?'

'It's totally smashed, can't you see that?' asked the teen rather reluctantly.

Shaoran's nerve was almost visible on his forehead, out of the frantic fury that he was currently tending. Yukito just shrugged and asked further, 'I meant, is there something wrong with the braking system…?'

'The braking system?' asked the teen and let out a short laugh.

'What's so funny?' asked Shaoran, his anger evident in his intonation.

'Well…' said the raven-haired shrugging his shoulders, 'of all you could've asked, you had to ask the one thing that remained intact throughout the entire misfortune that this little devil had to endure…'

'What!' gasped Shaoran, 'you have to be kidding me…? You mean there's nothing wrong…?'

'Yup!' replied the teenager cheerfully, 'everything else is damaged… obviously… but there's nothing wrong with the brake system… it's perfectly in order…'

'What the…?' gasped Shaoran under his breath and his eyes looked a little confused, something that the auburn twins had been devoid of many times.

'Are you positive…?' asked Yukito to the raven-haired teenager, sensing Shaoran's sudden collapse, 'are you positively sure that there is nothing wrong with car?'

'Of course!' replied the teen tentatively, 'what's the big fuss…? I mean… isn't it good that there is nothing wrong with at least one little thing in this goddamned thing?'

'What's going on…?' thought Shaoran as he closed his eyes and thought back to the night when Sakura and he had crashed. It was still fresh in his mind and could almost feel his feet hitting the brakes frantically but in vain. Yet, here is a raven-haired talkative and irritable teenager who is ready to prove that there was and is nothing wrong with it…

'Shaoran…?' he heard a distant voice call, as thought from another world.

Shaoran looked into his step-brother's eyes and muttered, 'I'm gonna catch him…'

'Or her…' corrected Yukito smiling.

Shaoran just gave him a light smirk, thinking.

*deathly games*

'What do you mean, Eriol?' asked a beautiful young girl in her mid-teens with alluring azure blue orbs that made the seventeen-year-old boy totally daze everytime he looks into them. Now, however with his back to her, standing by the window in a royal suite in The Dorchester Hotel.

'I meant what I said,' replied the teenager curtly his eyes closed tightly.

'But you need help with running that company Eriol…' retorted the girl, desperation evident in her tone, 'grandpa could really help you…'

'I don't need any help!' exclaimed the teenager finally facing the girl, who took a step back at the sudden increase in the tone of his voice. Sensing anger, she looked at him cautiously and saw that anger was really ebbing into his azure orbs and she wasn't helping.

'Look, Eriol…' she started calmly taking steps towards him cautiously, 'you can't handle this alone… you're just seventeen… you're not even a major yet…'

He chose not to reply. All he wanted to do was keep his promise with his dad intact and all everybody is doing is trying to make him break it. No, he won't let that happen. No matter how many problems he faces with the company his father had created, he will not beg and plead for help. Not now, not ever…

'It's been just a year since they passed away Eriol…' came the soothing voice of the only other living soul in the room. She placed her hands softly on his cheek and he could clearly, in his mind eye, see the time she had done the same when during his parents' funeral.

He didn't reply again but chose to close his eyes lightly at her velvety touch. She sensed that he'd be listening without many breakouts for a while so she continued, in her soft voice.

'I don't really trust that lawyer and guardian of yours Eriol…' she said softly, now stroking his cheek.

Eriol opened his eyes and there was obvious confusion in them. He said, 'what do you mean…?'

'People tell me that he isn't that honest… from to the person he works for to his wife…' she said now moving a little closer to the boy, 'he also seems to be having extra marital affairs… I mean, one should be honest to the woman who trusts him, right…?'

'Do you mean his wife or his mistress?' asked Eriol, innocently.

'Maybe both…' she replied smiling. She could feel him edge closer to her, his arms twisting against her waist.

'Just two more years… and I'll have him out… fine?' he asked smirking, pulling her even close, the gap between their lips being just an inch. She turned a deep shade of crimson at his sudden closeness.

'Then… I'll have you change your name…' he said huskily, edging even closer.

She smiled lightly and seconds before he closed the gap between their lips she asked, 'to what?'

'Mrs. Eriol Hiragiizawa,' he replied smirking and finally with her arms around his neck and his' around her hips, hugging her close, they closed the remaining gap and the two kissed each other, passionate enough for the girl to trip a little back and fall on the bed in the royal suite. But that didn't stop their kiss and it continued…

Eriol snapped his eyes open and saw the Hill Side Mansion of the Amamiyas' coming into view. He was in the back seat with his brunette secretary—Ray, driving the car. He had apparently dozed off during the ride up the hill.

He closed his face with his hands and then retrieving them, looked out of the window of the car. The snow was starting to fall ever more strongly and he wished there wouldn't be an avalanche.

'Awake already?' asked the brunette smirking.

Eriol pursed his lips and merely glared at her. The smirk on the brunette's face grew even wider and she said, 'your grandfather is really an influential man, isn't he?'

Eriol chose not to reply as after all, it was quite clear she was not expecting any. So she continued, 'he completely cleaned up all the mess in that company of yours… I was really impressed when Ivo announced that you were completely out of debt…'

'I don't think so…,' thought the eighteen year old raven-haired teenager as he continued to gaze out at the slowly falling snow as if he was not listening to the husky voice of the brunette driving his car.

'Wasn't Ivo really pleased…' she muttered.

Eriol raised his eyebrow and despite himself asked, 'why shouldn't he…?'

The brunette smirked even more widely and heard the strangled voice of the teenager behind her.

'If it weren't for him, maybe I would not have been in debt in the first place…' he found himself breaking, 'it's because of his filthy greed that I was stuck with all of those bankers and the company's creditors, on my heels every minute… breaking hell onto me…'

'I wish Ivo had heard that…' said Ruby smiling slyly.

'It's all because of him that now, I'm stuck with a whore driving my car, talking to me…' he raged, his auburn eyes, turning an amazing shade of purple at the fury that was driving him.

'Now, now that is not nice, honey…' droned Ruby as she took a slow hairpin turn and the Mansion finally came into view as it was just a few meters away, 'you wouldn't want me to start talking now, would you…?'

'Whatever,' he muttered finally, trying to control himself.

'Yes, you'd definitely not want that…' she said, driving steadily towards the parking of the Mansion.

She stopped the car before the entrance to the mansion and looked back at Eriol and asked, 'now, honey… be careful… Ivo isn't on your side and I ain't either… as a matter of fact, no one is…'

Eriol looked into her eyes for a few seconds and the next opened the door to the car and stepping onto the cold snow muttered under his breath, 'I don't need anyone to be…'

Ruby just smirked as he drove the car slowly into the garage.

Eriol closed his eyes and the sound of his father's voice echoed inside his head, "if she's not the one, don't take the risk… the girl of your dreams will come for sure"

'She did Dad… and I think I'm letting her slip out of my grasp just like you did…' he muttered under his breath and walked into the Mansion, feeling colder inside of him than out.

*deathly games*

It was dinner time and everybody were present at the table except one—Old Mr. Amamiya at the head, to his right, Sakura and to his left was Eriol. To Sakura's right sat Shaoran looking rather calm, with his eyes closed and to his right was Rika and beside her sat Tomoyo, looking rather contracted. To Eriol's left was Yamazaki and to his was Chiharu followed by an empty chair. At the other head of the table sat Mrs. Daidouji.

Naoko then entered the kitchen and placing the main dish in the middle of the table said cheerfully, 'Dig in everybody!'

And then, looking around asked carefully, 'where is Ms. Ruby…?'

The group looked up. Apparently everybody was in a world of their own and the little maid's sudden question had brought them all up to their senses. She raised her eyebrows at them all and wondered what was wrong with them.

Just then two distinct ring tones were heard. Everybody looked at each other and then, Shaoran immediately muttered carefully pulling out his cell from his front pockets, 'sorry…'

Then, beside Mr. Amamiya Eriol pulled out his cell as well and bowed lightly before switching it on and placing it on his ear. The two teens looked deeply stunned for some reason and incredibly both gasped, 'what…!' at the same time.

The two looked at each other, each calculating the other. Everybody else in the table was looking at the two as well with the exception of the two sitting at the head. The two switched off the cell and looked about gravely, though azure orbs bore more daze.

'What's the matter, Eriol?' asked Sakura as she noticed that the former was a little shaken.

'Um… my lawyer… Ivo Pallazi…' he started, 'was found dead in the rivers…'

'What!' gasped a few, pulling their hands to their lips.

'But you were in London till this morning, were you not Eriol?' asked the old man slowly.

Shaoran's ears perked up.

'Of course,' muttered Eriol, 'they found the body just a few hours ago… they are conducting a postmortem on him right now… but Charlie says that he's brutally injured by some powerful weapon…'

'Oh no…'

'Do you have some grave news too, young man?' asked the old man turning to Shaoran.

Shaoran, a little surprised, muttered, 'no… nothing of importance…' and added in his head, 'as he just gave my news as well…'

'I have to go there at once,' muttered Eriol, getting to his feet.

'Nobody can go out, now…' came a voice from the entrance to the dining room. Everybody turned to see Ruby walk towards them, a little pale in the face and drops of snow over her head.

'Why not?' demanded Eriol at once.

'Because the roads are blocked… nobody can go any further than the start of the roads to the hill…' she said and sitting down on the empty chair beside Chiharu finished, 'in short, we're stuck here till the storm cools down…'

Everybody gasped at the pronouncement with the exception of a fair few individuals.

End Episode 7

A/N: Sorry about the really, really late update… I was totally out of inspiration. Now, had a sudden spasm of ideas and this chapter here is the result. Hope you liked it… Please leave a review if you did… Thank you…