Okay, so, here we go with chapter 2.

To recap: Yuusuke and co. are on a vacation in the mountains. There is brief cuteness, as in most horror stories. And then someone is brutally killed. In this case, that someone is Botan. Let's pretend we care. Come on, how many people ACTUALLY like her THAT much, really?

Well, anyways…here you go.


Shattered Twilight: Chapter II


"I just don't see how this could have happened."

The seven of them were gathered in the living room of the cabin. Yuusuke and Keiko sat on one couch, Yuusuke's arms tightly locked around his still-crying girlfriend. Kuwabara, Shizuru, and Yukina sat on the other couch, Kuwabara handing the two girls tissues while Yukina cried into Shizuru's lap. Kurama sat on the floor, leaning against the couch where Yuusuke and Keiko sat, looking pale and stunned. Hiei stood alone by the window, glaring at it as if to burn through the glass.

Answering Kurama's statement, Yuusuke said quietly; "But it did. The question is…how?"

"Most people would have figured it out by now, Yuusuke." Hiei said dryly. "She was murdered."

"Hiei!" Kurama said sharply.

"What?" Hiei snapped. "They need to come to grips with what happened, whether they like it or not. That wasn't an accident, Kurama. That was cold-blooded murder—one of the most thorough I've ever seen."

Cradled against Yuusuke's shoulder, Keiko gave a dry sob.

"In any case;" Hiei continued. "I'd suggest we get the hell out of here. Chances are, our killer is a youkai who managed to get into these woods. More likely than not, it'll realize there are more of us—or worse, who we are, and come back. And we probably don't want to be here when it does."

Kurama shuddered, drawing his knees to his chest and resting his head against them. "Hiei;" he murmured.

Hiei sighed, crossing the room and settling himself cross-legged next to Kurama. "I'm sorry, fox." He said softly.

Kurama nodded against his knees.

"Hiei's right." Yuusuke said. "We should get out of here."

"What about…" Kuwabara cast a glance outside, in the direction of the oak tree.

"We'll burn the body." Hiei said. When the others turned to him in horror, he clarified; "We'll give her the proper funeral rites, she deserves that much, but what will we achieve by bringing the body back with us? She has no family to return the body to, and there's no point in bringing it to Ningenkai police. We'll burn her body; take the ashes back with us. We can give them to the brat when we see him next—he'd probably appreciate them."

There was a stunned silence.

After a moment, Yukina raised her head. "How can you be so…calm?"

Hiei gave a bitter laugh. "Do you think this is the first time I've come across a murder? Yukina, this—" Kurama lay a hand on his shoulder, and Hiei paused, and then nodded to Kurama.

Leaning forward, the kitsune continued where Hiei had left off. "Yukina, this is hard, I realize that. But you need to understand this. Humans are suspicious by nature. If we returned with a body, what do you think the first thing they would consider would be?"

"That we did it?" Shizuru guessed.

"Exactly." Kurama said. "I don't like it any more than you do, but it's out of our hands."

"There might be a problem, though." Hiei said suddenly.

Kurama turned to him. "With what?"

"Leaving."

"Why?" Kurama frowned.

"Can't you feel it?" At the blank looks from his teammates, Hiei rolled his eyes. "There's a kekkai around this entire area. I'd guess Botan put it up before she died—probably to keep the youkai out."

Keiko's voice, though soft and strained, was ominous. "So…we're trapped in here?"

Hiei shrugged. "For the moment. I'm going to go and see if I can break through it. Kurama, come with me. Yuusuke, come if you like. The rest of you, stay here." That said, he rose to his feet and left the room, Kurama close behind.

Yuusuke considered his options, and then detangled himself from Keiko. "I've got to go check this out, Keiko. I'll be back."

Keiko nodded. "Please be careful."

Yuusuke attempted a grin and failed miserably. "I will be." He said lamely, and followed his demon teammates outside.


He found them near where the van was parked. Hiei was glaring at a spot about two meters away from them. He glanced at Yuusuke. "Right there;" he said, pointing. "Starts there, covers the perimeter, forms an overhead barrier about twenty meters above us."

There was only one question on Yuusuke's mind. "Can we get through?"

"There's only one way to find out." Kurama said simply, walking forward. Cautiously, he touched his hand to the invisible barrier, and was promptly blown backwards, crashing into Hiei.

The smaller youkai hit the ground, Kurama held protectively against his chest. Sitting up, he looked down at the kitsune. "That;" he said bluntly; "was foolish."

Kurama sat up, wincing, holding his hand against his torso. "I noticed that."

Yuusuke came over and knelt beside them. "Hey, are you guys okay?" He scanned them quickly for injuries. "Kurama, your hand—"

Kurama smiled grimly. It was burned, not horribly, but badly enough that he wouldn't be using it much for awhile. "It could have been worse, Yuusuke. At least it was my right hand."

Yuusuke stared at him. "Kurama, you need your right hand."

The redhead shook his head. "No, I don't. I'm a leftie. Most geniuses are." His mouth twitched slightly. "Anyways, I think that solves our question about getting through it. If this" he motioned to his hand "is what happens when we barely make contact with it, think of what driving right into it would do."

"That would be pretty suicidal." Yuusuke admitted.

Kurama nodded. "Exactly. I'd guess we're stuck here for awhile."

"For how long? We don't have the resources to last forever, Kurama."

The redhead nodded in agreement. "Logically speaking, the barrier shouldn't last more than a few days—a week or two at the absolute most. The remainder of Botan's ki is what's sustaining it now, but that won't hold it forever. As Botan's body settles, it will begin to fade, and it will eventually disappear." He sighed. "I don't want to be the one to tell the others that."

"Don't worry about it, I'll tell them." Yuusuke said. "Come on; let's get that hand taken care of. I'm sure Yukina would be happy to—"

Hiei frowned. "That's not a good idea, Yuusuke. She's too emotionally unstable, and the last thing you want is a shaky healer working on burns like that."

"Hiei's right." Kurama stood up. "I brought a first aid kit with me, it's in the bathroom."

Hiei nodded. "All right, I'll take care of it." He glanced at Yuusuke. "Good luck, Yuusuke."

When they returned to the cabin, Kuwabara was waiting for them at the door. The first thing he noticed was Kurama's burned hand. "What the hell—Kurama, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine, it was a bit of an incident with our little barrier problem." Leaving it at that, he left to retrieve the first aid kit, Hiei following.

When they were gone, Kuwabara looked at Yuusuke. "Well? Did you figure anything out?"

Yuusuke nodded grimly. "Yeah, we did. But you're not going to like it."


"So, what do you make of all this?"

Hiei's sudden question startled Kurama out of his reverie. "Hm? Ouch!"

"Sorry." Carefully, Hiei dabbed a bit more antiseptic cream onto a cotton swab and gently sponged it against the burn.

Kurama sighed, careful to keep his hand still so as to not inhibit the fire demon's ministrations. "I don't know, Hiei…I wouldn't have seen it coming. I didn't detect any youki when we came up here, and there were no traces of youki anywhere near where we found Botan's body."

Hiei set the cotton aside and picked up a roll of bandages, wrapping Kurama's hand with an almost tender care. "So what, you think it was a human? Spread your fingers, if you can."

Kurama did so with only a slight wince, and Hiei began to gently wrap each digit. "I don't know. It's hard to say—it's rare that you find a human who kills quite so—thoroughly. And again, the idea that a human could conquer a being of Reikai—"

"She was in human form, Kurama." Hiei reminded him, tying off the bandage and releasing Kurama's hand.

"Still…do you think it's possible that she didn't fight back because it was someone she trusted?"

Hiei could almost hear the gears turning in Kurama's head, and worked just as quickly. "Kurama…you think it's one of us?"

Kurama shrugged. "I'm just saying it's a possibility." Using his uninjured hand, he pushed himself off the bathroom counter. "If someone else is killed, we'll know it's one of us. No youkai can get through that barrier—I'm sure of it."

Hiei frowned, hopping off the toilet, where he had been standing to reach Kurama's hand easier. "What makes you think someone else is going to die?"

"Don't you remember? The message on her arm?"

"'Cry for those who follow'." Hiei quoted softly.

Kurama nodded. "Exactly." He sighed, running his good hand through his hair. "Well…let's go join the party."

Hiei nodded, and started to leave, but Kurama caught his arm.

"Hiei…don't tell them what we talked about. They don't need anything else to scare them."

Hiei nodded again. Kurama squeezed his arm and released it, and they walked back to the living room, this time together.


"So…we are trapped here, then?"

Yuusuke nodded. "For now, yes, we are."

Yukina, sitting primly on the edge of one couch, hands folded neatly in her lap, looked up at Yuusuke curiously. "Is there any way to get through this barrier, Yuusuke-san?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Yukina. Kurama tried." He glanced at the redhead, who smiled grimly and held up his right hand.

Yukina gasped. "Kurama-san! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? I would have been glad to heal it for you!"

Kurama smiled slightly. "Thank you for the offer, Yukina. But I can assure you, it wasn't that bad an injury, and you should conserve your energy." He glanced at Hiei, who was making a point of looking away. Gently, he eased his free hand up to rest against Hiei's shoulder in a reassuring way. Almost against his will, Hiei found himself leaning against the redhead's comforting hand.

Shizuru spoke up. "Can I make a suggestion?" When she had the room's attention, she continued. "I think we should have Botan's funeral service now, before the body gets too—you know. After that…we can talk about what we should do next."

Kuwabara nodded. "I think she's right." He looked at Yuusuke. "Will you help me get some wood for a pyre?"

Yuusuke frowned. "Why gather it when we have someone who can just grow it."

Kurama smiled slightly. "I'd be happy to grow something for you. Hiei, do you mind…"

"No." He stood up. "Let's go."


The burning funeral pyre was a stark contrast against the clear blue of the evening sky. They watched the flames lick at the stars solemnly, traces of black ki occasionally darting within the crimson flames. Botan's body could no longer be seen within the swirling cloud of smoke and fire, and they watched the wood burn only to settle their own hearts.

Yuusuke held Keiko close to him with one arm, resting his chin in her hair. Next to him, Kurama stood quietly, his bandaged hand on Hiei's shoulder, his other hand by his side. The flames reflected an uncertain mix of emotions in the emerald eyes, and Yuusuke, on instinct, reached over and took Kurama's free hand in his. Kurama, startled, glanced over at him, and Yuusuke attempted a smile that he hoped was reassuring. Kurama seemed to understand, and squeezed his hand.

Finally the fire burned down. Hiei extinguished what remained with a wave of his hand, and Kurama knelt, murmuring a soft prayer to the gods to guide Botan's soul home.

Kurama stood and looked up at the sky. It was a soft black, dotted with stars. "Beautiful;" he said softly. Hiei nodded in agreement.

"So…what should we do now?" Kuwabara voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"I think we should go to the hot springs. They are within the barrier, after all, and we should make use of them." Shizuru said thoughtfully.

Keiko looked shocked. "Shizuru, I can't believe you! Botan died, and all you can think of his hot-tubbing?"

Kurama shook his head. "Quite the opposite, Keiko. Hot springs in Japan have always been known for their soothing healing qualities…I believe Shizuru is saying that we should visit them so as to soothe our nerves a bit, is that correct?"

Shizuru nodded. "I guess…I didn't really think of it in so many words, but that was the basic idea."

Kurama smiled. "Don't worry about it. Shall we go?"


The hot springs were, as Kurama had said, surprisingly soothing, Yuusuke thought as he eases himself into the water. The redhead in question was next to him, the water glistening on his skin. Kurama pulled his hair away from his neck with his good hand, careful to keep his injured one above the water's surface.

Hiei, who had agreed to go to the hot springs only in case something were to happen, looked slightly uncomfortable in the water. To Yuusuke's surprise, his hair remained sharply upright, the white starburst standing out starkly against the black. He remained close to Kurama, almost protectively, his katana in arm's reach.

The girls, in bathing suits, sat across the pool from the boys, speaking to each other in low voices. Yuusuke glanced at Kuwabara. "What do you think they're talking about?"

Kuwabara shrugged. "I dunno, man. Girl stuff, I guess."

Kurama glanced over at them, an almost amused expression crossing his face. "They're talking about Yuusuke, actually."

Yuusuke looked at him, startled. "How do you know?"

Kurama tapped his lips. "Lip-reading, Yuusuke. It's a wonderful skill, you should learn it. They're talking about how good you've been to Keiko through all of this, and how lucky she is to have someone like you."

Yuusuke laughed bitterly. "How about how lucky I am to have her. The only thing that's keeping me going is how much I need to protect her…to protect all of you."

Kurama frowned. "We don't all need your protection, Yuusuke. Hiei and I are youkai, remember that."

"Well, all the humans, then."

Kuwabara glared at him. "What the hell, Urameshi?"

"I know you don't like it, Kuwabara; but listen to me;" Yuusuke pleaded. "You're my best friend. Think about how I'm going to feel if you die."

Kuwabara shifted, obviously uncomfortable with the sudden confession. "Urameshi…"

Almost nervously, Yuusuke put a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. "Come on, man. You're one of the most important people in the world to me. Do you want me to feel like shit for the rest of my life if something happens to you?"

Kuwabara bit his lip, and then sighed. "Fine, Urameshi. I…I guess."

Yuusuke sighed in relief. "Thanks, man."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Kurama put a hand to his forehead, pushing his bangs off his face. "Well, I don't know about all of you, but I'm going to turn in. It's getting a bit too warm in here for me." Standing up, he wrapped his towel around his waist and slipped into his sandals, glancing at Hiei. "Coming?"

Relieved, Hiei got out of the water, grabbing his katana as he fell into step behind the redhead.

Keiko sighed. "I think he's right. Isn't there a rule that you're not supposed to stay in a hot spring for too long at a time anyway?"

Yukina and Shizuru voiced their agreement, and, not wanting to stay in alone, Yuusuke and Kuwabara climbed out as well, grabbing their towels. They lingered behind the group.

"Hey…Yuusuke."

"Yeah?"

"Why…do you think someone else is going to be killed? We're in this barrier, right? No one can get in."

Yuusuke chewed his lip before answering. "Well…I heard Kurama and Hiei talking. They think…they think the killer might be one of us."

Kuwabara stopped dead, his surprise written all over his features. "What?"

"Shh." Yuusuke said hurriedly, clapping a hand over Kuwabara's mouth. "Look, they don't know I heard them, so don't say anything, okay?"

Kuwabara nodded, eyes wide, and Yuusuke removed his hand. "But...if it is…who do you think it is?"

"I…don't know." Yuusuke admitted. "Any ideas?"

"I think…I think it might be Hiei."

Yuusuke stared at him. "Hiei? Why?"

Kuwabara shrugged. "You know how much Botan annoyed him. Maybe she said something that just pissed him off a bit too much."

"Yeah…but…" Well, come to think about it, that was true. Botan did get on Hiei's nerves…a lot. "Huh. You might be right." He looked up ahead, at the katana clutched in Hiei's hand. "Look…be careful around him, okay? You're known to get on his nerves too, you know."

Kuwabara nodded. "Okay. You too, Urameshi."

They stood together in silence for a moment.

"Hey…Kuwabara?"

"Yeah?"

"…Can I give you a hug?"

Kuwabara looked surprised, but there was such unmasked fear in the brown eyes that looked up at him, he couldn't help but nod. "Sure, Urameshi." The smaller boy obviously needed a hug and, Kuwabara realized as he held Yuusuke close, so did he.


The next morning, they were woken by a scream.

Yuusuke's heart leaped into his throat. Oh, God...not again. Please, not again. He looked around the room quickly. Keiko was sitting up in bed, eyes wide with terror. Shizuru was sitting up as well, looking around. Kurama and Hiei were already out of bed, throwing on clothes and preparing to go fight whoever it was that was attacking them.

Kuwabara and Yukina were gone.

The scream had not been wrenched from a male throat.

"KUWABARA!"

Not bother to dress or even put on shoes, Yuusuke dashed outside, ignoring Kurama's sharp cry to wait. Following the sound of Yukina's crying, he ran around the back of the cabin.

And stopped dead in his tracks.

Yukina knelt on the dew-damp ground, sobbing into Kuwabara's unmoving chest, her arms wrapped around him. Hiei, who had emerged behind Yuusuke, ran past him, gently pulling Yukina away from the lifeless form. Ignoring her bloodstained kimono, Yukina threw her arms around Hiei, clinging to him and crying. Awkwardly, he held her, motioning with his eyes for Kurama and Yuusuke to look at the body.

Kurama got there first, kneeling and scanning Kuwabara over. Yuusuke knelt beside him. "Well?"

After a moment, Kurama looked up at him. "He's not dead."

Yuusuke felt his heart plummet. He's not?"

"He's dying, Yuusuke…but he's not dead." Kurama looked back at the body. "This is horrible."

Yuusuke couldn't agree more. Kuwabara's throat had been slit, and the skin of his face peeled down layer by layer, as if someone had taken an apple skinner and simply peeled the skin right off. The lips still moved, barely, as if struggling to still breathe. "Dear God…" Yuusuke groaned. "We've got to end it."

Kurama nodded, once. Hiei, who had detangled himself from Yukina and sent her back inside, came over, unsheathing his katana. "I'll do it." Hiei said shortly. "Get Yuusuke out of here."

Yuusuke shook his head stubbornly. "I need to be there for him."

Kurama gently put a hand over Yuusuke's. "You don't need to see this, Yuusuke. Trust me. Come inside."

"No." He shrugged off Kurama's hand and took Kuwabara's twitching one in his own. "I'm staying with him."

Kurama sighed, and meeting the Hiei's eyes, nodded once. Hiei returned the nod, positioned his katana, and stabbed down sharply.

Hiei's aim was true, and the blade pierced Kuwabara's heart. Blood frothed at the skinless lips, a faint gurgle came from the sliced throat, the body went rigid, and then, suddenly, went still. Yuusuke shuddered, and released Kuwabara's hand, surrendering himself into Kurama's arms. The kitsune pulled him gently to his feet, helping him inside.

The scene that appeared when they entered the cabin was nearly as bad as the one they had just left. Shizuru was screaming and crying, struggling against Yukina and Keiko. "I WON'T BELIEVE IT! I WON'T! GIVE ME MY FUCKING BROTHER BACK!"

"Shizuru-san, please!" Yukina cried, clinging to Shizuru's arm. "You must stop!"

Yuusuke groaned, burying his face against Kurama's chest. "Make it stop." He whispered.

Kurama's arm tightened around him.

When Hiei entered the cabin behind them, sheathing his katana, Shizuru's struggling doubled. "YOU KILLED HIM! YOU FILTHY RAT, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kurama, startled at the sudden threat to Hiei, stepped back, putting a protective hand on the demon's shoulder.

With a cry, Shizuru broke free, but instead of running at Hiei, she dashed past him, running outside and stopping when she saw her brother's body. "No…" she whispered, putting a hand to her mouth.

She staggered back. "I need to get out of here. I'm not going to be trapped with a murderer!"

Yuusuke realized what she was planning a second before the brunette moved. "No! Shizuru, don't!"

Taking a running start, Shizuru ran full on into the barrier.

Keiko screamed.

Shizuru's charred, nearlyunrecognizable body fell limply to the ground, only meters away from her brother's.

Yukina burst into renewed tears. Keiko continued to scream. Hiei tried to calm Yukina, only to be caught in another desperate hug. Kurama clung to Yuusuke, not trusting the dark-haired boy to stand on his own.

And for Yuusuke…

The world dipped, and spun, and the last thing he heard before the world went black was Keiko calling his name.


The sunlight stung his eyes when he woke. "Bright." He murmured.

A slender hand reached over him and closed the window blinds. Squinting, he could see Kurama's outline in the semidarkness. "Kurama?"

"It's me." Kurama sat down on the bed beside him. "How do you feel?"

"How do I feel?" Yuusuke spat. "Last night, I told my best friend that I would protect him. I wake up in the morning and he's dying! Not only that, one of my teammates has to finish him off so he doesn't suffer! And then, his sister goes and kills herself! How the fuck would that make you feel?"

Kurama's expression never wavered; he simply regarded Yuusuke with those bottomless green eyes.

Yuusuke was grateful for the redhead's silence, and caught his choking breath, wiping burning tears from his eyes. "So…I guess you and Hiei were right. It is one of us."

Kurama nodded, not bothering to ask how Yuusuke knew. "Yes."

"Kuwabara…Kuwabara thought it was Hiei." Yuusuke said quietly.

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "I expected as much." He murmured softly. "They never did get along."

"Do you…do you think it's Hiei?"

Kurama shook his head. "No, Yuusuke…I don't. Do you?"

Yuusuke shrugged. "I don't know. I want to trust him, but…"

Kurama gave him a slight smile. "Think about it, Yuusuke." He stood up and crossed to the door of the bedroom. He paused at the door. "Kuwabara and Shizuru's pyre has already been built. We were waiting for you to burn them. We thought…you'd want to be there."

Yuusuke nodded. "Thank you."

Kurama inclined his head slightly and turned to leave, but looked back. "Yuusuke;"

"What is it?"

"Don't jump to conclusions." With that said, he left, leaving a very confused Yuusuke staring after him.

TBC


And so ends chapter two. WHEE! Two birds with one stone!

I actually felt kind of bad killing Kuwabara. I'm kind of fond of him, in a tolerant sort of way. And I really like Shizuru. But, they had to go. They were expendable. Actually, just about everyone in this fic is expendable.

Reviewer Responses:

Bluespark: Yes, her soul is still alive, but, since she died, her soul was taken by another ferry girl back to Reikai, and the remaining Tantei can't contact Reikai at the moment. Thanks for the review.

Lady Starlight2: LOL. I love the custodian comment. He is adorable, isn't he? Is the day after soon enough?

Eveligne: Thanks! Here you go.

NightRain: Yes, Botan IS ditsy, isn't she :grin:

Twilight's Shadow: Ooh, cool name, first of all. So, all caps. You must have liked it. Either that, or you were really sugar high. I type in all caps when I'm sugar high. LOL. I'm glad you liked it, please enjoy the update!

Well, to everyone who reviewed, thank you again. See you next time!

XOXO,

—Rei