CHAPTER TWO

There was no doubt that something wet was plastered to his head. However every time Rin touched his head there was no sign of the liquid. Rin shook his head trying to lose the foggy feeling clouding his mind. The fog slithered from his mind into his sight; he gained tunnel vision. The fog cupped his eyes, erasing his peripheral vision ticking Rin off. Rin let his anger fade to be replaced by confusion; he found himself trudging through a village. Rin commanded his body to stop multiple times but was ignored until a glimpse of shimmering red flashed in front of him. His feet came to a complete halt almost forcing Rin to fall. Flapping in front of the demon was a crimson butterfly. Rin felt his hand extend towards the bug and watched the butterfly float above his fingers. After four seconds of watching this bug, Rin felt the butterfly land on his neck; Rin who was not afraid of bugs became terrified once the butterfly perched itself on Rin's skin. Rin could not see but knew this butterfly somehow wrapped its wings firmly around his neck and disappeared.

Rin's eyes snap open as his hands went to his throat. Nothing was there. He sighed. Rin jumps when something warm touches his cheek; his eyes frantically lock onto the suspect. Yukio stares down at his older brother worried even though his thumb and index finger were pinching Rin's cheek. Rin swatted Yukio off him and sat up, noticing blood dripping from his head. Yukio removes bandaging from a hidden compartment and convinces Rin to let him wrap them around the wound; Rin may heal fast but Yukio wanted to be safe. Rin quickly became irritated when he felt his heavy clothes cling to his body; however his curiosity kicked in when he realized it wasn't raining anymore and his location was odd. Rin joins Yukio and sees the village down below. Yukio grabs Rin's tail before he jumped off the ledge; Rin went to his knees. Rin was going to yell at his baby brother until he saw Yukio removing his clothes and hanging them above borrowed fire. Rin did the same and sat down.

"I thought you'd be wearing some embarrassing underwear," Rin jokes.

"I'm not like you brother. I just hope our clothes dry fast," Yukio replies glancing around, hoping no one would see them.

"What? My underwear aren't embarrassing."

"What about the one with the black cats?"

"Hey they looked like Kuro and you have a pair too."

"Only because you clicked buy when I was shopping for new ones online! Anyway Rin why are you injured?"

"Hmm? Oh… Actually I don't know. I was chasing that troll and then…. I think I fell."

"Rin we need to be careful, even more than before," with a sigh he explained to his brother their situation. They sit in silence until their clothes are fully dried; Rin quickly covers himself and taps Yukio's shoulder.

"Then all we have to do is find the troll and make him take us home."

"You make it sound so easy Rin."

"Come on let's go find us a troll," he grabs Yukio's hand and drags him into the village once Yukio was done putting his clothes back on. Even though they were in high school this strange moment of holding hands reminded Yukio of their childhood. It half relaxed him while also half way irritating him and Yukio didn't know which emotion to act on. Rin's tail stands tall once they stop in front of the first house greeting them; crashing noises mixed with footsteps pounding along the wooden floor, were coming from inside. "He's in here," Rin informs sliding the door open and running inside. Yukio grumbles to himself while cocking his gun.

"Stop hiding," a voice whispered behind Yukio. He spun around but found no trace of anyone. He shoved his foot forward in an attempt to search but was stopped by a breaking noise. Turning back to the house he sees Rin huddled to the door frame while the lamp post above the door was now littering the ground.

"Rin!"

"I was coming to get you. I swear it was an accident." Rin shrinks when Yukio walks past him.

"Are you sure it's in here?" Yukio asks while in the process of opening the second door.

"I get the feeling you don't believe me."

"You could say that. Should I believe your demonic instinct?"

"Yes damn it!" He answers shoving past Yukio and kicking the door in. Yukio slapped Rin upside the head once he caught up. Rubbing the back of his head they each take in the room. It looked abandoned.

"Where is the troll?"

"Um… He's somewhere in here."

"Want to repeat that?"

"Don't get mad at me! Once I walked in here my senses weakened!"

"Weakened?" Yukio blinked at Rin.

"Hide and seek!" echoed a voice through the house. "Find me and I'll tell you how to get home. Hide and seek!"

"That damn demon is toying with us!"

"Don't act reckless Rin. All we need to do is find him and we can get out of here." Yukio had grabbed Rin's elbow, letting go he walks ahead yet again taking control. Rin reluctantly followed and shoved his hands into his pockets. As they searched the front Rin kept scratching his throat, at first it was only lightly but while leaving a small room Rin began scratching harder. As Yukio was going to stop him, Rin gasped and pointed down the narrow hallway.

"Yukio someone ran that way," Rin said before taking off. Yukio chased after finding his brother trying to open a locked door in a smaller hallway. Across from Rin was a staircase which Yukio thought would have been better to go up. Instead he joined his brother. "Stupid door!"

"Rin just break it," Yukio sighs. Rin freezes and slowly scans over to Yukio.

"Really? Even though you lectured me earlier?"

"There are too many locked doors in this house, so yes Rin I am giving you permission to break the door." Yukio rolled his eyes when Rin innocently smiled and tore the door off. Rin tossed it aside and walked inside. Again there was no sign of the troll. Rin roughly kicks a wall behind a table only to have it cave in, reviling hidden stairs. A split second later a journal and some object fall off some hidden shelf. The twins just stare at each other for a second. Yukio picks the object up and inspects for damage, though when Rin sees it's a camera he snatches it from Yukio and looks it over. Ignoring his brother, Yukio skims through the journal while Rin tests the camera. He takes several pictures of the room then focuses his new lens on Yukio; one picture had Yukio pointing his gun towards the camera. Rin flips the camera around so it's facing him and moves it about trying to get a good shot. Yukio lets a soft "hm" escape his throat.

"What?" Rin asks still messing with the camera.

"This journal says that camera is called the camera Obscura and takes pictures of 'what should not be seen.' In other words Rin, ghosts."

"This Camera catches ghosts? Is it an exorcist tool or did someone just get lucky?" As his question ended Rin hit the button and a flash blinded him for a second. Rin gasp as a crack swam through the lens only to shatter the entire camera in two.

"Well it doesn't matter now since you broke it," Yukio held back annoyance mixed with a hint of laughter. Rin dropped the camera and grabbed Yukio's shoulders, shaking him hard.

"WHY DID THE CAMERA BREAK?! IT DIDN'T BREAK WHEN I TOOK THE OTHER PICTURES!... AM I UGLY!? WAS BON RIGHT?!"

"Rin stop shaking me!" Yukio ordered failing at trying to grab hold of his brother. Both freeze when a thud against the wall outside the room enters their ears. Yukio grabs Rin's wrist and pulls him into the hall. They follow the thudding up the stairs across from them only to break open another door. Before sniffing out their troll demon Rin got that itching feeling; he tried ignoring it. Yet again Rin clawed at his throat hoping to stop the itching, when Yukio noticed he slapped Rin's hand away. Rin hollered at Yukio as if a tantrum had erupted inside of him which confused Yuki. Trying to calm his older brother down Yuki pointed out that Rin's neck was a crimson red and could wind up bleeding soon if he continued scratching. Rin mumbled under his breath and began the hunt. Not caring anymore Yukio joins Rin in rampaging through the room trying to find their new friend. Yukio finally stands in the middle trying to think of some logical plan, as Rin runs around continuing his search.

"Yukio."

"This is getting us nowhere."

"Yukio"

"I'm tempted to let Rin burn the entire house."

"Yukio!" Rin shouts pulling Yukio towards him by the shirt collar. When Yukio looks up from his whip lash he sees an old woman standing there. She was hunched over letting her white hair cover her face. However Rin's alarm was brought on by her transparent body along with the blood knife clutched in her hand. Rin checks Yukio's body in case the blood belonged to him; to his relief Yukio was fine.

"Instead of a troll we found a ghost," Yukio says irritable. As Rin opens his mouth to rant with his brother the ghost threw her head back and screeched loudly before charging at the twins. Yukio shoved Rin out of the way and slid to the opposite side. Yukio aimed his gun at the woman only to realize his body was paralyzed; he wasn't afraid but he couldn't move any part of his body.

"Don't hide," Yukio heard once again only this time the words echoed through his ear as if someone was standing directly behind him. Rin unsheathed Kurikara and met the ghost head on. Yukio wanted to order his brother to stop but that was also something he could not do at the moment. The instant Rin swung his sword, his flames along with the ghost caused a blinding explosion, knocking both twins off their feet. When Yukio came too, small patches of blue flames ate at the wood; however that was not Yukio's source of concern. Rin was missing. Yukio forced himself onto his feet and hurried out of the room. His worry level rose higher when he saw Kurikara lying near the front door. Yukio took the steps two at a time, sheathed the sword, slung it over his back, and hurried outside.

Once again Rin was watching through tunnel vision. One second he was fighting that ghost woman, the next he was standing under a bridge connecting two houses. A small giggle made Rin's blurred vision focus upon a young child standing in front of him. The boy offered his hand to Rin and hesitantly Rin's body forced the demon to take the child's hand. Crimson butterflies shot out from the boy's body once their fingers interlocked. That strange fear of the butterflies crept into Rin's system. The boy led Rin down steps and through huge double doors; as they shut behind Rin he felt as though he wouldn't see Yukio again. The boy made clucking sounds with his tongue as they crossed a bridge; he was extremely happy. A loud chuckle bounced off the water causing Rin to turn his head; the only part of his body he could easily control. Sitting atop the bridges railing, smiling wicked back at Rin, was the little green troll.