This one is done, but I really need to write in the four stories I had already going when I started this one, so it will be a while until it gets another chapter. I cannot say how long, but hopefully it isn't too long.

Chapter 2 is actually kind of "Introduction: Part 2." While Chapter one dealt with the Shiki storyline only, this one sets the stage for the Karneval side of it, and the story really starts in Chapter 3, which just as a warning will chronologically be six months after this.

I have only seen the anime for both series (though I looked up a bit of manga details for the story). As such, a few things might be off. One, the time Gareki spent at Kuronomei. I don't know normal course schedule length, so if it seems too little we can attribute it to Gareki's exceptional intelligence and his desire to get out of there so he worked overtime. If it seems too long, then we can say it's because it was a completely new course. Either way, we'll make it work. As well, I don't really know the personality of Gareki's roommate, but I decided to make him a bit of a prankster. He's only mentioned once, so I don't think it's a big deal. I also took a bit of liberty with Karoku because you don't really get to see his character in the anime (at least not Circus's Karoku). He is very insistent on being near Nai, and because of that he does butt heads with Gareki cause Nai is so attached to him. One last character thing I did, Yogi typically just uses Gareki, but when he is being playfully he uses Gareki-kun.

And now, I will leave you with the 6785 words in this chapter. :3

I do not own Shiki or Karneval :'(

Chapter 2: A Different Type of Varuga?

Big, red eyes blinked at him several times, peeking up over the edge of his bed and disturbing him from his slumber. Brows knitting together in a frustrated attempt to remain asleep, the dark-haired male clutched the item in his arms closer to his chest and letting out a quiet groan. The uncomfortable feeling stirring him from the actually quite pleasant dream he was having wasn't going away though, and in a moment of clarity he realized it was because he was being watched. Blue eyes snapping open, it took him only half a second to react to the person crouching just half a foot away from his face at the edge of his bed.

"GAAAAAHHH!" His scream could probably be heard halfway back to Kuronomei.

Rapid, stomping footsteps rushed down the hall, their owner nearly colliding with a wall as he slid around a corner. A pale hand reached for the doorknob, yanking it open with such an urgency that it almost tore it off the hinges. A look of fear on his face, his pajamas still hanging loosely on his body and a Nyanperona pillow under his other arm, the blonde-haired Yogi stared into the room that had been given to the recently returned Gareki. He calmed immediately once he looked upon the scene, though. Both hands over his sensitive ears, Nai was sitting on his knees on the floor at the edge of Gareki's bed, one eye opening experimentally like a puppy that knew it was about to get scolded. Now wedged in the corner farthest from the unexpected intruder, knees pulled up to his chest which also happened to hide the item he held there from the blonde's view, was the bed's owner, the pink of embarrassment barely dusting his cheeks.

The small half-Niji slowly uncurled himself from the ball he'd defensively gone into at his friend's scream, sitting up on his knees and putting both hands on the edge of the bed. "Good mor—" he was just opening his mouth to speak when he was cut off.

"Couldn't you have waited for me to wake up first!" Gareki yelled, instantly regretting it when Nai shirked away a little. "Or… well… at least woke me up normally?" he asked, tone a lot softer and face brightening another shade.

"I didn't want to wa—" again Nai was cut off before he could get out a complete sentence.

"Now, now, Gareki-kun, there no need to be so mean," Yogi cheered from where he was now leaning in the doorway, a broad smile on his face. "He was just excited to see you, since he was out with Karoku when you got back yesterday." Now that he was part of the conversation, Yogi took a moment to take in the ravenette's appearance. He had managed to scurry out from under all of the dark covers in his attempt to put some distance between himself and being that had startled him, revealing bare feet at the end of his dark blue pajama pants. His knees were now laying on the bed, allowing him to take in the nice v-neck his shirt made with the first button undone, that pale collarbone a very tantalizing sight for older male. He'd liked Gareki from the first moment he saw him, not that he would tell him anything because he wasn't quite that stupid, but he'd long since accepted his sexuality and wasn't one to deny the attraction to himself. The more he learned about the messy-headed teen the fonder he grew, and speaking of messy hair, his bedhead was causing several strands to stand on end, making him look like some kind of hedgehog mix. He was about to gaze into those beautiful, blue eyes just long enough to make the younger man feel a little uncomfortable when something in his lap caught his eye, and he looked from it to the Combat Physician's face several times. "Gareki, is that…?" he asked, too stupefied to say anything else. Resting in the seventeen-year-old's lap, a little worn and lumpy, was the Nyanperona pillow he had given him just before he left.

Face darkening a few more shades, he scrambled to hide the disheveled thing behind his back, defiantly spouting, "I-it's not what you think!"

"Aww, did you miss me Gareki-kun?" he sang, leaping across the short distance in an attempt to hug the younger man.

A vein popping on his forehead, the addressed male threw his arm right at the blonde's face. The blow was softened by the plush pillow, but it succeeded in keeping the prince off of him, and as he could see the defeated tears in those amethyst pools he managed to bite out, "It was the only thing I didn't care about getting damaged so I used it to fend off my roommate."

"Ahh, Gareki is still so mean to me," he cried, futilely waving his arms in an attempt to catch the ravenette. The newest member of Circus wasn't falling for it.

"Now you two," he started, continuing while he anger allowed his voice to hold steady. Pushing the Fighter back by his face and gently grabbing Nai's forearm, he led his two intruders back to the door. "Get out so I can get dressed!" he yelled, shoving Yogi until the blonde fell on his ass and kindly coaxing the little animal out of his room before slamming the door. Once the two were safely locked outside, he leaned back against the door and slid down it, hugging the pillow tight to his chest and burying his face in it. Like hell was he going to admit he missed the annoying post-human. Admitting it would mean having to analyze his feelings for him, and he was having none of that. Just thinking of the fact that he was—well, possibly… might be…—attracted to the overly cheerful idiot was enough to make his face rival a tomato.

Shaking his head vigorously to clear such thoughts, he rushed back over to his bed and straightened the covers, almost placing Nyanperona next to his pillow before remembering the excuse he'd given to Yogi. While it had been true that Shishi had taken to playing pranks on him, he'd never used the pillow to fend him off. He had to find some place to hide it so he could change before the blonde decided he was taking too long and bust back in to 'help.'

His outfits really hadn't changed over the years, his goggles still lopsided on his head and his signature blue long coat hanging down to his knees. He was just tying his second boot when, as he had suspected he would, Yogi came bursting back in, no longer clad in his pajamas but nevertheless still wearing bright, sun-shiny colors. Although he didn't show it, he was actually a little disappointed to find him fully dressed. So much for fan service, he thought as he managed to wrap his arms around the shorter male's shoulders, nearly toppling them both back onto the hastily made bed.

"Seriously, Yogi!?" Gareki growled, finding himself pinned uncomfortably from behind and unable to wiggle free. "Must you always act like such a child!? Get off me!"

"But I was stuck doing chores as punishment for trying to skip my checkup and didn't get to see you yesterday either," he cooed lovingly, resting his head on the ravenette's shoulder and holding him a little tighter, and yet gentler at the same time. The endearing way the twenty-three-year-old said it sent the blood rushing straight to his face, a deep blush coloring his cheeks.

"O-okay, I get it," he stated, unable to completely hide the stuttering his heart was doing. "You can let me go now."

"Gareki, do you have a fever?" a small, cute voice in front of him asked, drawing both sets of eyes curiously towards the innocent Niji. Nai had his head tilted slightly to the right, curiosity and concern showing in his large, ruby eyes. "Your face is all red. You're not getting sick, are you?"

Blinking several times, completely surprised by Nai's remark, both just stood there for more than half a minute. Then, recovering enough that he could turn towards the male he was hanging on to, Yogi quietly remarked, "Your face is really red… So you really did miss—"

"It's just embarrassing to have you hanging all over me!" Gareki countered, managing to free an arm and shove the blonde away. Then, in a much softer voice than the gruff tone he'd used with the older male, he said while ruffling the Niji's albino hair, "I'm alright, Nai. Just happy to be home." At this, the smaller boy's face lit up in a broad smile.

A sense of dread coming over him, Gareki almost mechanically turned to face the rambunctious blonde. Tears once again dotted his eyes, an almost pained expression on his face, the very childish adult threw himself at the dark-haired teenager for the third time that morning. "You really did miss us!" he cried.

"Gah! Damnit Yogi, get off me!"

It was over five minutes later and the young Physician was still struggling to remove the older male. He was so determined to remove the blonde that he didn't even hear the soft footsteps approaching his door. "I figured I'd find you two here," Tsukumo said, hiding her quiet chuckle behind one hand. Ship Two's Fighter was seating in their newest member's lap, both arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders. Gareki, on the other hand, was doing everything he could to push the Prince off of him, his back supported against his bed frame as he tried to dislodge the blonde. And cute little Nai was just giggling to himself while watching the display. "Hirato has called for all of us to meet him in the briefing room. Try to finish up here quickly. Come on, Nai," she said sweetly, the youngest of the group not hesitating to stand and follow her.

Just as she was turning away from the door she caught the glimpse of two faces darkening in embarrassment, which cried in unison as she left, "Wh-what's that supposed to mean!?"

"Are any of you aware of a small country in the eastern sea called Nippon?" The Captain asked once all parties were present and seated. Their briefing room looked more like some kind of living room, a large couch and coffee table positioned just off center and a couple recliners mirroring it across the wooden surface. There were several end tables, a second couch pushed against the back wall, and considering that Gareki could remember peering in on several occasions to find the blonde snoozing on the couch they were now sitting on he wasn't entirely sure why they insisted on calling it a 'briefing room.'

"I remember reading about it at Kuronomei," Gareki replied, chin tilted down slightly into one of his hands. "Several rare herbs grow there, but they are difficult to obtain because the country is completely closed off from the outside world. Even establishing the smallest of trade routes is said to be a major feat."

"I'm surprised they had to research such a place, considering we are unable to go there," Hirato commented, clasped hands resting between his knees as he leaned forward on his elbows.

"Actually, that was something I self-studied," he remarked, looking out the large window to his left. "Although, no matter how much I searched I could not find a reason why, only that it's been closed off for almost a thousand years. The government deemed foreign influence 'en epidemic' and forbade all contact from without its borders. The only trade to and from the country is through either illegal avenues or government agencies. Other than that, there really wasn't much I could find."

"That is pretty much all that we know of that place," Hirato agreed, leaning back in his seat. "What little trade is accomplished is merely goods, with no information exchange, so any culture over the last thousand years is a complete mystery. On top of that, the library that held all records from before the blockade burned three-hundred years ago and most of the documents were destroyed. It is really... a complete mystery."

"So then, the reason you brought it up..." Tsukumo started, a worried expression on her face. He could tell what direction her mind was going.

"Yes, our next mission is on that continent," he stated simply. "Circus has kept a distant eye on it for a while now. A closed country forbidding access or information exchange is suspicious at best. It would be the perfect breeding ground for the research to create Varuga. If there were ever signs of such activities we were prepared to invade, but did not want to risk innocent life in such a conflict. Now, though, our assistance is being requested. By the government itself."

"What could have happened to make them suddenly revoke the ban?" Gareki inquired, shock clear in his voice.

Letting the silence hang between them for a short moment while he retrieved a report paper from the table, just long enough to build up the suspense, Hirato responded with, "They were attacked. Three nights ago a small village by the name of Sotoba was destroyed in a fire started by the villages as part of their war against 'savage monsters that move in the night and kill without mercy, changing some of their victims into their own kind.' That was a statement one of the villagers made when questioned. Not even a fourth of the population survived the massacre, and when the country's own enforcement units arrived two more were 'killed by those demons.' Having known what we fight against, that is when they called for Circus's help." Flipping the pages back so they lined up nicely, he tossed the report back on the table and leaned back in his seat once again, carefully observing the reactions from the members of his team. A whole range of emotion was displayed across their faces, from Nai's innocent confusion to Gareki and Tsukumo's uneasy contemplation.

Tsukumo was the one who spoke up first. "If the attack happened three days ago," she started, "then our enemy has a pretty decent head start."

"And plenty of time to destroy any evidence of their activities," Gareki added, both looking back to the Captain.

"True, and it will take another day for us to reach them, too," Hirato stated. "Our mission, though, is to track down any that might have escaped and eliminate them. If you happen upon some evidence we can use, then by all means collect it, but this is a fragile time at the moment or adherence to the mission assigned to us could very well determine the trust this government puts in us. Gareki, you understand the medical importance this could play, but it could also help eliminate one more place Kafka could infiltrate and hide."

It was unspoken, but everyone could hear it clearly; We can't afford to mess this up.

"We will split up into groups for this," he continued. "Yogi, Gareki, and Nai will scour the village and surrounding woodland in search of any surviving 'monsters,' as the villagers called them. Tsukumo and Karoku will accompany me as I interview those who survived and see if we can locate anything that might be related to Kafka."

"I want to go with Nai," the blue-haired male stated defiantly, matching stares with the Captain.

"That will be an inefficient use of our resources," Hirato countered, by this point used to the young scientist's outbursts. He really didn't like to be away from his half-Niji. "If you are worried about Nai's safety then you can put your trust in Yogi and Gareki. Our young Physician may be just out of Kuronomei, but he has had combat training, and you know plenty well that our Fighter will take care of him. Nai's abilities are best served searched for unknown targets. You, on the other hand, have been held captive by Kafka before, and as such have a better understanding of how they work. You might very well notice things Tsukumo or myself might not." When Karoku remained begrudgingly silent, he continued, "Are there any other complaints? Good, then you have until we arrive to prepare. Dismissed."

Nai was practically hanging on Gareki's arm as he exited the room, the ravenette able to feel the Niji's guardian glaring at him as his precious child was 'stolen' from him. Geez, if he wants to be with the little animal so much he should just come over here and grab him, he thought, ignoring the older male. It wasn't that Karoku didn't like Gareki, just that he got jealous towards him easily since Nai had become so attached to the Physician.

There was one other unnerving sensation running up his spine, too, and this one he absolutely refused to look at because he knew the instant he did he'd be clobbered by the extremely immature Second Ship Fighter. Yogi was following behind him like a lost puppy dog, tears dotting his eyes and the most pathetic aura possible surrounding him. He was somewhere between extremely happy for the dark-haired male having returned and completely despondent at being ignored. It wasn't until he had almost reached his room that he finally gave in and turned around. "Okay, Yogi, what do you—Ahg!" he was cut off as the blonde tackled him to the ground. "Y-you big oaf! Get off me!"

A large grin plastered on his face, the incorrigible blonde sang in his cheeriest voice, "Let's play hide-and-seek."

"Ooh, I want to!" Nai chimed, jumping up and waving one arm back and forth in the air.

"I guess I have nothing better to do," Tsukumo stated, acting a lot more bored with the idea than she really was. It was not like she'd ever admit that Yogi's childish attitude and games made the Second Ship feel more like a home, but she did enjoy it.

The next voice that spoke made everyone jump. "Ehh, hide-and-seek? Sounds like fun," Karoku drawled, startling the small group since none of them had heard him follow them.

Then the four sets of eyes turned to the last member of the group, the seventeen-year-old tsundere that was still pinned under the oversized child. "Good, then you four can have fun with that," he stated defiantly, purposely not looking at any of them.

Gareki made the mistake of looking at Nai, the small half-Niji's crimson eyes filling with sadness. Tears dotting the corners of those bright pools, he mumbled dejectedly, "But I wanted to play with Gareki…" Shivers ran up his spin as the albino sniffled and rubbed his eyes with a sleeve, turning away from the animal before his resolve caved and he gave in.

A mischievous smirk touching his lips, Karoku sighed dramatically and walked over to Nai, patting him gently on the head. "Now, it can't be helped if the little amateur is too afraid he's going to lose," he cooed to the boy, dropping to his knees and wrapping one arm around his shoulders while the other pet the purple tips of his hair. "We should just let the scaredy-cat slink ba—" A firm hand gripped his elbow, cutting him off.

Gareki was sitting up now, completely ignoring the blonde that was still seated in his lap as he glared at the scientist, a vein popped out on his forehead. "What did you just say?" he bit out.

Grinning back, Karoku replied, "If the little brat fresh out of Kuronomei doesn't think he can play a simple game of hide-and-seek then we shouldn't make him participate."

A second vein appearing beside the first, the calmness permeating his voice as he spoke was unusually chilly. "I'll do better than some idiot who managed to get captured by Kafka," he said smugly, the competitive edge in his tone sharpened with ice.

Eyes narrowing in interest, Karoku taunted, "Oh, so the kid thinks he can beat me?"

Jumping up and knocking Yogi back on his ass, Gareki yelled, "You won't even know what hit you."

Smirking again, Karoku's reply was only two words, "Challenge accepted."

"Time limit is one hour, rules are you can't leave the ship and no using the Circus ID, and the first person found loses!" the two shouted at the same time, then ran off in opposite directions, leaving the other three behind in stunned silence.

Tsukumo was the first one to recover, the only girl in the group saying, "I'm not sure if they like each other, or don't…" She received a small nod from Yogi, but Nai actually spoke up.

"They like each other, just in their own way," he replied, eyes closed and both hands over his heart. "I can feel it. They act like they don't get along, but they really do."

"If Nai says so, then we know it's true," Tsukumo smiled, teasing his hair. "Well, I'm gonna go hide then. Yogi, you be it."

"What? But I wanted to hide!" he cried a few second later, once her words set in.

"Then you should have said something earlier. Come on, Nai," Tsukumo stated apathetically, the Niji giving him a slight nod before following her.

Sniffling a little at being forced to be it, Yogi slowly moped his way over to the wall and leaned his forehead against it before starting to count.

Tsukumo was the first person he found. Well, technically it was Hirato, who happened to come down the hallway and ask why he looked like someone had just taken a pair of scissors to his Nyanperona costume, but he wasn't playing so he didn't count. Second, to the dismay of the one being found, was Karoku. The bluenette had managed to stuff himself behind some towels to the point where very little of his body could be seen. Unfortunately, his shirt clashed so completely with the towels that it gave him away immediately. Nai, after the last time when he'd falling outside of the ship, had steered clear of any grates or air ducts, instead stowing away in his closet behind his clothes in hopes that he would blend right in. It almost worked, Yogi having to do a double take in order to see him. And finally they were down to just Gareki, and the time was running out.

"Aaah, where could he be hiding?" Yogi whined, trudging down this particular hallway for the third time.

"Are you sure you've checked everywhere?" Karoku grumbled, still sore that he had lost. He could already hear the Physician gloating, and it was ticking him off. At least they hadn't denoted some type of punishment for the loser.

After a slight pause, Yogi replied, "…Yes."

The blue-haired twenty-year-old stopped in his tracks. "What was that pause for? You know where he is, don't you? This was all a setup to make me look bad, wasn't it?"

"What? No!" Yogi defended, putting his hands up instinctively. "It's just… I don't want to go down that hallway…" he explained, fear clear on his face as he looked down the dim hallway to his right.

Now fuming, Karoku grabbed the blonde by the wrist and started dragging him down the hall, where they were suddenly registering in Tsukumo's mind. "I see," she said absently, following behind the protesting pair. When they reached the door at its end, Karoku slammed his fist into the button and made it slide open, revealing their target, reclined back on the examination bed with a book in his hands.

"Took you guys long enough," he stated indifferently, turning a page.

"You set this up, didn't you?" the bluenette accused, jabbing one finger in the Physician's direction.

"Not at all," Gareki replied, not even looking up from what he was reading. When Nai tried to peer around him to see the title it almost gave him a headache, the poor thing not even able to understand the characters. Whatever the book was called, it was written in a different language. "I ran off the direction I did because I just wanted to get away from you. However, there really wasn't anywhere to hide that way, and when I came back I realized that Yogi was the one being 'it.' I knew where I was going to hide immediately at that point, so after sneaking into my room and grabbing a book to pass the time I came here. With how terrified he is of doctors, I knew the last place he'd want to look for someone is the medical bay."

"Why didn't I think of that…?" Tsukumo mumbled, looking down in embarrassment. Karoku, on the other hand, could do nothing but leave his mouth open in astonishment, a dark blush tinting his cheeks. He really had been acting immaturely, and quite honestly it was embarrassing.

"Speaking of which," he started, placing the bookmark at in the spine and closing the book. Jumping off the bed and laying the volume on his work table, he walked right up to the poor blonde whose legs had already given out underneath him and continued, "I was asked by Doctor Akari to give you a checkup as soon as I got here and send him the report, so come this way." Grabbing Yogi's arm, he literally started dragging him across the room.

"No, Gareki, I don't wanna!" he cried, trying to loosen the grasp on his arm.

"Didn't you say you want to spend more time with me?" Gareki asked. "So stop struggling and just come on. It will be over before you know it."

Tears again dotting his eyes, although for a completely different reason now, Yogi cried, "N-not like this!"

Although as terrified as he seemed, he would have to admit later that it wasn't nearly as scary when Gareki was doing it.

They could only imagine how beautiful this place used to look, and it really was only in their minds that they'd be able to picture it because the fire had destroyed most of the area. Skeleton trees jutted out of the earth like the menacing spikes of a pit trap, the fire giving little mercy to the deep valley. Most of the village was burned, the houses left standing gutted of their belongings. There were a few people seemed to avoid, though, and as the group of three approached one they found their first clue as to why. The front door swung on its hinges, the frame splintered where the lock jam was supposed to be. The polished oak it was made of could withstand a substantial amount of force, so the fact that it was so completely fragmented sent horrid chills down their spines. Whatever had done this was incredibly strong.

Inside very little seemed touched. Most of the household goods were left in place, and it wasn't until they got to the back bedroom that they found the mess. The large, shuttered window was left open as whoever had been there had exited, but evidence of their visit was scattered all over the room. Drawers had been pulled out and overturned, the closet riffled through, and the mattress torn open. From what the could tell, the lattermost was because something had been hidden there, a nice, square section cut out of the center. The rest, who knows what they were looking for. And right outside that window was a nice view of the forest, and some of the few trees that survived.

"We don't know when it left, but we should try to track it down," Yogi stated, not waiting for his two companions to agree before climbing out the window. "Nai, can you feel anything?"

The youngest of the trio stood there with both hands cupped behind his ears and nose in the wind for a short moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, not yet," he replied, diverting his gaze to the dirt. It was there that he realized there were several sets of footprints in the dust, and as he followed them they vanished into the trees. "There," he said, pointing them out.

Looking from the Niji, to the tracks, and back to the Niji, Yogi beamed, "That's our little Nai-chan! Good job!" and petted his head. Then they started off after their target.

Hirato watched with mute fascination as the residents of the devastated town quickly packed up what they had and headed towards their vehicles. They had spent the majority of the day speaking with the survivors, piecing together what had happened at the village and trying to pull any clues out of them that might indicate Kafka's involvement. They were having difficulties on both fronts. Many of the reports they got were very similar, labeling the fallen villagers Shiki or Okiagari and saying they had risen up again with a thirst for blood. A name had been tossed around a bit, one Doctor Toshio Ozaki, whom most had contributed to their victory against the undead scourge, but none could direct them to where he was. They also heard a puzzling bit of information that these things were only active at night, and entered something referred to as 'the dead sleep' during the day. Things just weren't adding up.

"From what we have gathered, these things don't really sound anything like Varuga," Tsukumo pondered out loud, brows knitted together in frustration. "I've never heard of a Varuga being forced into an unwakable slumber when the sun rises, or being burned by its rays. Also, these things apparently didn't eat their victims, just drank their blood, and those killed by the Okiagari only had a chance of Rising back up as one. Infection didn't seem to be guaranteed."

"I have found no signs of Kafka's involvement, either," Karoku stated, glancing up at the lowering sun. "It is strange to think that they would even work on something with so many obvious weaknesses as well. Unable to tolerate sunlight, easily identifiable by the black and red eyes, falling into a deep sleep at sunrise? They seem more like vampires from legend and lore than something Kafka would think up."

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Hirato agreed, also watching the sun dip ever closer to the horizon. "I should call Yogi's team back before the sun sets, and start the search up again tomorrow. If we really are dealing with some type of vampire, it would be better to regroup for the night and come up with a battle plan before starting again." Let's just hope those fools didn't wander off too far… he added to himself.

Several hours had passed and they were still wandering through the trees, trying to follow the miniscule signs that even the animal in their group had a hard time keeping track of. They had backtracked and turned around enough times that had they not had a GPS on their phones they wouldn't be able to find their way back to the village. Honestly, it was starting to become infuriating.

"Oooh, no more!" Yogi finally sighed exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in the arm before plopping down on a tree stump. "This is impossible! Not even Nai can track them down."

"Why don't you just calm down for a moment. We can rest here for a bit before trying again, give our minds time to clear and think straight again," Gareki offered, taking his own seat on a nearby log. Almost immediately the white-haired half-Niji was at his side, both hands in his lap and feet swinging just an inch off the ground. It really had been a great tree, and the ravenette wished he could have seen the giant before it fell.

The minutes passed by in silence, broken only by the occasional bird song as the three enjoyed the moment of piece. And, of course, it had to be the blonde that disturbed it. "Hey, Gareki," he started quietly, watching his knees as he nervously touched his forefingers together multiple times. "Why did you choose to become a Combat Physician? I thought you'd become an explosives or firearm master troop instead."

Looking over at the older male, and having to berate himself mentally for thinking of how cute his actions were, he locked his arms against the trunk behind him and leaned back on them, face tilted to the sky. "…I don't really have a single reason… It had to do with multiple things," he replied vaguely, hoping that would be enough for the inquisitive Fighter but knowing it wouldn't be.

"Like what?" he probed, gaining an inch of confidence.

Sighing as he realized he'd have to give him more of an answer, Gareki continued, "Well, for one… I knew it would be a challenge. I would have to learn two very different skill sets, and I knew the texts would be advances and that appealed to me. When I thought of Yotaka, how he died and how much it hurt Tsubame, I wanted to be able to maybe prevent something like that from happening ever again. If I could save those touched by the Varuga, like I couldn't save Tsubaki or Yotaka, then that's what I wanted to do. But I also didn't want to be dead weight in the field. And it was Tokitatsu that suggested I try to become the first combat physician." He paused for a moment, worrying his bottom lip discreetly before adding in a much quieter voice, "And maybe if I studied medicine then I could help you get over your fear of doctors, or at least make it so you didn't have to go see Doctor Akari as often…"

Blinking a few times, for he knew he had heard something else but he couldn't make out the words, he asked, "What was that?"

"Nothing! Let's get back to work!" Gareki shouted immediately, jumping from his seat and starting off in a completely random direction. Yogi might not have heard it, but not only was Nai closer but he had very sensitive ears, and not only did he pick up the ravenette's voice, he had felt the connection between Gareki's heart as he spoke it, and it made him smile.

Continuing on their task, they found it just as difficult to find and keep the trail as it had been before their break. And as it was, even Nai starting to get the directions confused, something else itching at the back of his mind. He had never before been afraid of the dark, but an eerie feeling was settling in heavier and heavier the closer that bright orb got to the horizon. His Niji instincts were starting to go haywire, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end and his breath quickening. Something… something bad was coming.

BBBBBBBBRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Nai leapt about four feet in the air, but didn't land back on the ground. He had instinctively moved away from the sound, which led to him landing pretty much on Gareki's shoulders, one foot resting in the crook of the older male's elbow and the other struggling to find a foothold at his waist, both hands holding his shoulders in a death grip. He also nearly hissed at the cause of the sound, until he realized just what it was.

How he'd managed to stay upright with the sudden addition of weight Gareki wasn't entirely sure, but when he glanced behind him and saw the patch of thick briars he was silently grateful for it. Taking a deep, calming breath in an attempt to not snap at the already terrified child, the ravenette bit out, "What is your problem, Nai?"

Before the albino could reply, Yogi held the cause of the noise up to his ear and got about half a syllable of 'hello' out before another voice shouted from the other end. "Why did it take you so long to answer?!" Hirato yelled, nearly making his victim drop the phone. "I've been calling you two for the last ten minutes, but neither of you were answering!"

Stunned into silence, Yogi could do nothing but stand there in shock as their Captain continued to tear in to him. "Huh, no signal," Gareki said loud enough that Hirato, who was incidentally on speaker, could hear. He had summoned his phone when the older male had started yelling about 'trying forty times' to reach them and failing. "Must be the dense trees, or something. And since this is the first time anyone's been allowed on the island we don't have any receivers or boosters to help with the signal."

A sigh coming through the speaker, Hirato seemed to be calming down a bit. "Alright, I understand," he stated. "Just head back. And try to make it quick."

"Y-yes sir," Yogi stuttered, then waited for the man on the other side to hang up before letting himself breath. "Th-thank you, Gareki."

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it. Now… Will you please get off me, Nai!" he shouted a little harsher than he meant, but the Niji just held on a little tighter.

"I don't like this," he replied, although he did let go with a little more coaxing. "We should head back. I don't like this. Something… Something's not right."

Not one to dismiss Nai's instincts, the two Circus members exchanged similar glances before taking up positions on either side of the boy. "Alright," the older one started, "we'll head back right now."

That horrible feeling seemed to be going away, and Nai was almost about to relax when it suddenly flared up again. The trees had gone dark around them, night now fully descended and, with it, a renewal to that wrongness he was sensing. And whatever it was, it seemed to be drawing ever closer.

Gareki noticed it first, how Nai was shivering and hugging his shoulders tightly, crimson eyes wide. I made his gun immediately appear in his hand, and catching Yogi's attention, the blonde was soon holding his swords. Whatever was making the half-Niji so terrified was getting closer; even they could feel it now. And then, there was a rustle in the bushes behind them.

Spinning on their heels, they came face to face with a teenaged boy. He was tall and thin, dressed in what reminded them of a school uniform. His spiteful eyes, set deep in his long face, watched them cautiously, and the horrible feeling they were getting but just looking at him was making their stomach churn. Perhaps in town he wouldn't have looked so out of place, but here he was just too conspicuous to believe.

He seemed to pause one they turned on his, and as his small pupils trained on their weapons they could have sworn they saw a flash of red in them. He closed them immediately, though, and holding his hands up defensively he said in a particularly scared voice, "I-I seem to have lost my way. Do you think you can help me back to the village."

A fraction of a second of silence, and then Nai screamed, "No! His heart… He doesn't have a heart!"

Gareki made the mistake of looking at Nai, the small animal crouched down as close to the earth as he could get and both hands over his ears. The Shiki chose that moment to attack. Fangs appearing where his canine teeth had been, the Okiagari once known as Masao launched himself at the dark-clad male. This one… This one reminded him so much of him! He was just like Natsuno, and the blonde seemed very similar to the friend that outcast had taken from him. Even if he had been the one still on alert he'd have been the one Masao attacked first.

The saber came right at his chest, Gareki turning back to see those menacing fangs closing in on his throat. They stopped, though, a foot from his neck, one of Yogi's swords piercing through his heart. The Shiki looked down at the sword in shock, having forgotten about his opponent's weapons in the moment of rage. His body was already shutting down. "Why…?" he had the gall to ask as his limbs started disappearing into blue particles. "What did I do… to deserve this…"

Once he was gone, the three exchanged worried glances before deciding it would be best to try and fly back. They'd have to get up over the trees, but staying on the forest floor no longer felt even remotely safe. So, bouncing Nai up onto his back, Gareki used his new abilities to soar up into the sky, a sensation he felt he would never get enough of.

"What… what was he?" Yogi asked, flying up next to his companions. "He didn't look normal at all."

"I don't know," Gareki replied, focusing mostly on where he was going. It was bothering him, too, though. It hadn't been right. "We'll have to ask Hirato when we get back if they have any information, but, maybe… A different type of Varuga?"

I can just imagine Nai, as Yogi's phone goes off, acting just like a frightened cat with all its fur standing on end. Also, while I'm pretty sure Niji don't hiss, that is the defensive sound Nai makes when he is startled.

Masao got taken out REALLY quickly, but let's face it, he's a total wimp. I mainly just needed them to run into a Shiki, and rather than a nameless villager I made Masao have a stroke of luck and somehow still be alive. Well, now he's dead.

I hope you enjoyed chapter two and are looking forward to more. How I can get it out in a decent amount of time.

As always, reviews are luffed and appreciated.