Hope you enjoy the chapter

Chapter 14

"So why are we at the ice skating ring anyways?" Sakura asked angrily as she stood freezing on the ice skating ring that were surrounded by banners. The day boiling hot as she stood, slightly shaking at her knees, freezing to the centre of her core.

Sakura was dressed in a bright pink snow coat with long black track suit pants. She had a dark purple scarf that wrapped around her neck like a coil. Her skin was laced with goose bumps from the cold that threatened to extinguish her warmth.

The host club had dragged her along for this 'fun' trip to the indoor ice skating ring, for some free time. She thought of it as a torture trip but it was good to relax after what happened with the zoo incident with the numbered people. The memory was still burned into her eyes as she realised she was tensing up.

"Because it is a break from what happened two days ago," Ichigo said slightly frozen from the sidelines. His arms crossed and a stern look was written on his face. "Kaito decided it is best for the group to have fun, though it is costing us money by wasting time here."

Two days ago, Sakura thought to herself as she remembered the chilling events from before. What happened with the mysterious number 7 and 13, the thoughts of almost losing the people she had grown to become friends with, people she had a connection with. The people almost taken away from a silent terror that threatened everything in it's path.

I wonder what happened back then, she thought looking out to the frozen ice.

"Why are you being…." Kakashi yelled with a smile as he whizzed past her.

"Such a stick in the mud, Takashi finished as he whizzed past her as well. They both were good at ice skating.

"Stop being so negative," Toga concluded as he skated right up to her on the side lines. He stopped just in time then stood in front of her with a big smile. Kakashi and Takashi skated up beside him then they grinned.

"Let us guess," they said together to her with the all-knowing grin. "You have never skated before."

"Sakura has never skated?" Rukia said offended as they all turned around. She skated past then did a 360 in the air, twirling around fast then falling back, landing on one leg then skating with one leg. Rukia smiled at them then crashed into the barrier, hard. She landed on her bottom, rubbing her head and shaking slightly.

"Show off," Kakashi commented rudely to her, turning his head slightly by her stupidness.

"Fool," Takashi commented beside Kakashi.

"Are you okay?" Toga said as he quickly rushed to her aid.

"Kazuya!" Sakura's attention turned to Raiko chasing Kazuya who was skating faster than a cheetah. They were like flashes of lightning on the reflective ice. Kazuya was skating ahead with Raiko closely on his heel.

"Looks like everyone is having fun," Juniper laughed beside Sakura, Sakura jumped and landed on her feet, almost going off balance. "How thrilling, this reminds me of a time one of my customers came off a little frozen…"

Sakura looked at Juniper then shook her head. Juniper was dressed in a dark green striped shirt and dark blue shorts. His face had sunscreen on it and he had a smile on his face.

"Why are you dressed like that?" she asked rubbing her head.

"I was promised a trip to the beach," Juniper sulked to her, sitting on the cold ice below and looked at his blue toes. "Turns out, I get to meet with Mr Frostbite. It's quite thrilling, I can feel the pulse of my heart slowly fading."

"Why do I even ask?" Sakura muttered to herself, she shook her head then got up slowly.

"What a wonderful day," Annette sighed as she skated up to where everyone was with Moka. "This is a relaxing day we needed."

"I guess everyone is a little shaken up," Kaito laughed half-heartedly as he walked up on the sidelines next to Ichigo.

"Anyone find out why they are after us?" Raiko asked he and Kazuya skated up. Rukia and Toga skated up too.

Everyone shook their heads, a silence passed for an unknown amount of minutes.

"Father dismissed the matter then left for his study, he didn't come out," Moka sighed slowly. Kazuya nodded with a dismal look on his face.

"Father smashed me to pieces but I woke him up so that could be it," Raiko said lightly to him. "Lesson learnt."

"Father is on a business trip so I can't ask, though any records of these strange numbered people have mysteriously vanished," Ichigo said showing them the blank black screen of his computer. " If they ever existed.

"Father went silent," Kakashi sighed.

"Completely quiet," Takashi followed on.

"Like Kazuya over there," Toga said after them, pointing to Kazuya.

"He just sat still," the triplets chorused together.

"Dad wouldn't talk about it," Rukia said to the group with a sad look.

"Father started to cry and hold us tightly," Annette said with her hands shaking like an earthquake.

"While you guys went nowhere, I found something," Juniper said, everyone's attention turned to him.

Juniper got out a file report, battered and old, dirt all over it. Sakura looked curiously at the file. She knew her old friend was full of surprises but this was strange of him.

"I once heard a case where there was a john doe whose name was a number," Juniper started. "This report is from 17 years ago, my father did the autopsy of this strange person. Unlike most of his patients, this one was untouched," he opened up the report. "There were no specific cause of death, no visible wound or poison just a 'X' shaped scar on his right wrist."

"How does this help us?" Raiko questioned Juniper, their eyes met each other, each answering untold questions.

"The person who discovered the body was a lawyer named Haruhi Haruhi Fujioka. She went missing, the next week," Juniper said in a plain voice. "No one knows what happened to her but some say the old host club members went to extreme lengths to find her. This was also the last report my father ever did before his disappearance as well. I have kept this document hidden as a sign of respect till now."

"I've heard of Haruhi," Raiko said stroking his chin, his eye patch, a navy blue colour that matched his dark blue snow jacket. "A successful lawyer, she was a former girlfriend of chairman, now a cold case file."

"You think that we are in the midst of something," Sakura said with a gulp that set chills down her spine. "What do you think we should do?"

Kaito shook his head slowly. "This is going to get delicate."

"This is going to get us killed," Ichigo warned them with a snarl.

"We can't just leave it now," Takashi said desperately, much to people's surprise. "Not after finding out something our own parents have kept from us."

Toga smiled as he put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Look who's going out of line now." Takashi blushed as he started to shake. Toga smiled gently as Kakashi laughed.

"Who would of thought Takashi would of went out of rhythm," Kakashi mused as he pulled Takashi into a head lock. "I'm proud of you little bro." Toga grinned as Takashi relaxed slightly.

"I like my business at the moment, but if I leave Sakura. Nami is going to yell" Juniper said sadly.

"What happens, happens," Raiko said silencing the group. "We have found something, something that could get us killed," Raiko touched his eye patch then looked at his friends. "I have brushed with death before and am not afraid to die, not now, not ever. "Raiko smiled to himself. "Someone gave their life to protect me now it is time to protect the people I care about. Who's in with me?" he held out his hand.

"Wherever you go, I go," Kazuya held out his hand. "That is the bond we share."

"This is crazy," the triplets laughed together as they stuck their hands out on top of Kazuya's.

"Whatever," Moka sighed as she stuck out her hand.

"If my cousins are in, why not," Rukia smiled as she stuck her hand in.

"Since we are in this, I hope we don't lose our lives," Ichigo said with a serious tone. "I want to become head of my family than die a stupid death."

"This is the host club, so let's do this"' Kaito and Annette smiled together as they stuck out their hands.

Sakura sighed then stuck out her hand. "I am in it to pay off my debt. So what is the plan?"

"Easy," Raiko smiled to her. "We find Haruhi Fujioka and eliminate this curse."

"Right," the host club said together, then suddenly the people on the ice fell down in a heap. Landing one on top of another. Making a loud crashing sound as they did. The people on the sideline laughing as they did.

"But first," Sakura said then yelled, struggling. "Get off me!"

The group burst into laughter, "Let's do this," the host club said with a new goal in mind.

End of Chapter

Sorry, about all the talking in this chapter, I promise more action in the next chapter. Review and I'll give you a cookie.