Hey everyone! Finally an update! This is part two of this three-part oneshot. This is actually the first time I've hand-written out a draft (I was so bored in class) of an entire fanfiction, so hopefully I'll finish up this story soon! I hope you're all enjoying it! Please read and review~

Under the cover of darkness … They come to the Silver Star Teahouse … Seeking solace.

Night was falling again, like it did every day. Night was apathetic, it didn't have feeling. It fell no matter what happened in the world. Under its cover of darkness was when those seeking solace would come to the Silver Star Teahouse.

"Hiruko," Mizuki began worriedly, "what will happen to her?"

The baku sat in his usual chair in the back of the Silver Star Teahouse, not looking that great. He was a little paler, and his stomach made noises every so often. "I don't know," he said apathetically, "we'll see when she comes back tomorrow."

The landlady nodded, and then turned her attention back to the cloth she was using to wipe the counters. Her brow was furrowed slightly, worried about Hiruko. He hadn't eaten recently, and had expended energy last night. Mizuki was pretty sure that he wouldn't die, but … she didn't want to test it out.

The two fell into a calm silence, save for the occasional noise from Hiruko's stomach. Mizuki glanced over at the baku, only to see him staring out the window deep in thought. It looked like he was troubled after being kicked out of the dream the previous night. The landlady bit the side of her lip, wanting to help. But there wasn't really anything she could do.

As she was thinking, the pot of coffee in her hands that she had been making slipped, crashing to the ground with a loud shatter. Hiruko stood up, "Mizuki, are you okay?"

"I think so … " she said , carefully stepping out of the wet spot, trying to avoid the shards of porcelain, "I just dropped a pot of coffee."

Hiruko nodded, and stood to help, but the door opened at the same time.

A man of average height and messy black hair entered the shop quietly. He wore a kimono similar to Shodou's the night before, but it was jet black with just a few white bits mostly on the front. The kimono seemed too long for him, and dragged on the floor when he walked, but pooled around his feet when he stayed still. His skin was smudged with black, dirt or perhaps paint, but there were visible tear tracks showing pale skin beneath the grime.

"There's a baku here, yeah?" He asked, letting the door close gently behind him, his voice and speech a stark opposite of Shodou's refined way of talking.

Mizuki waved Hiruko off, and he went back to his chair. "Yes, Hiruko is there. Please excuse the mess," she gave a small, apologetic smile and began to sweep up the remains of the pot.

The baku in question looked concerned for his friend, but at her reassuring smile, he turned to his customer. "Your name?"

"Ah, yeah, it's Suzuri Sumie." He glanced away from Hiruko as if afraid. Hiruko raised an eyebrow in the stretching silence, but before he could ask anything, Suzuri spoke up again. "I - uh, that is .. I've been having a nightmare, I mean, y'know, you prob'ly knew that already .. " he trailed off, not giving Hiruko much information.

With a sigh, the baku leaned on the palm of his hand, "why don't you tell me what happens in your dream."

Suzuri visibly shuddered, but began speaking.

Every night, I'm trapped in a glass box .. but that's not the worst part. There's this .. bamboo, I think, tube thing coming out of my chest. My blood is always flowing out of it, and it .. it's slowly filled up the box and it's spilling out and - a-and the box is in a room, and there's this stone on one side and .. the blood keeps going under it. I want to get to the other side of the stone but .. if I try to move ..

"That's enough," Hiruko said, brow furrowed slightly, he stood and pointed his cane at Suzuri, "sleep now, and leave reality behind for a while."

The overwhelming stench of blood hit Hiruko first. His face showed no change, but he was quick to sit on his cane and float over the blood-covered ground. Like in Shodou's dream, the lighting was terrible, and the blood looked black.

Just as promised, a glass box sat in the middle of the room, and Suzuri was in the center, standing stark still, a bamboo tube coming out of his chest. As Hiruko watched, the blood began to fill the box even more. It was already just below the tube. "Hiruko, please, you gotta help me, I'll die!" Suzuri's voice was high and filled with desperation.

"I don't think you will," Hiruko said mysteriously, and floated to the stone wall. It looked solid, but it definitely looked like the same one in Shodou's dream, although this side had no indent. Hiruko frowned slightly. Then .. was there a key or cog in this room? The baku quickly floated around the room, making sure his briefcase didn't touch the blood, and examined it. On one side of the glass box was a strange white residue, sticky to the touch. It was faded and ripped, but it looked like it might have been a rectangle or square at some point.

"Hi-Hiruko!" Suzuri's voice weakly hissed from the box. The blood rose up to his neck, and showed no intention of stopping.

"The letters," Hiruko said suddenly, "where did they come from?"

The baku floated up, seeing as he had already examined the entire ground. As the light from his cane illuminated further up, he realized that the box had a closed top. With renewed interest, he floated up faster. The glass top was smooth, but as he came closer and lit more of it, Hiruko realized that at the top rested a black cog. A few letters were stuck under it, and more were strewn around it.

Floating above the cog, not standing on the glass for fear it might break, Hiruko reached to pick it up and found it was surprisingly heavy. With an uncharacteristic grunt, the baku removed the cog and Suzuri make a strangled sound.

Looking down, Hiruko noticed Suzuri was nearly covered with blood. "I - I can't!" He suddenly burst out, "I have to move, I - I can't .. " Hiruko quickly backed away from the box, just as Suzuri forced himself above the blood just as it reached his nose. Although some of the blood was draining from the bottom of the box, when he moved, he was slammed against the wall of the box, and it began to crack.

The same happened to him - somehow. A similar cracking noise came from him, and Hiruko watched as Suzuri screamed out in pain, and the baku's eyes widened. Making a quick decision, he rushed out the words, "time to wake up."

Still holding onto the stone-heavy cog, Hiruko sighed back in his chair in the teahouse. Suzuri was still sleeping, groaning in pain every couple minutes. "Hiruko?" Mizuki questioned, looking worries.

"He'll sleep for a while; until morning," Hiruko said, thinking about how tasty both Suzuri and Shodou's nightmares would be when he finally got them, "I'll take him to my room."

"Okay," Mizuki said quietly, "are you alright though? You haven't eaten a nightmare yet, and .. that black thing .. what is it?"

"I'll be fine," Hiruko said emotionlessly, ignoring the noise his stomach made in protest, "and this is the key to solving the nightmares." The baku took one of Suzuri's arms and put it over his shoulders, intending to half drag half carry the man up to his room.

Mizuki rushed over to help, and once upstairs, Hiruko put Suzuri on the bed and turned to Mizuki. "He'll wake up soon, but don't be worried if you don't see either of us today." At her confused glance, Hiruko continued, "I expect Shodou to come tomorrow night, though."

The landlady nodded after a moment, "if there's anything you need, let me know." Hiruko nodded, and Mizuki went to leave the room, but stopped and turned around. "And Hiruko .. Stay safe."

That only took me .. six or seven months. D:

I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner. I want to thank my three lovely reviewers; Meda Princess, PurpleDress and KaitouGirl1412. Thank you so much for your kind words!