Please R&R when you are finished! I don't care whether it's good or bad, as long as I know someone is actually reading this. :)

Disclaimer: Fatal Frame is the rightful property of Tecmo.

Sae found herself back in the Hellish Abyss where she was to be sacrificed without Yae in an attempt to appease the X. She didn't understand why no one ever spoke of its name. To the villagers it was taboo to speak, hear, see, or even think of the place because it was said that to break any of these laws you were to be cursed by the X. "Did it even have a name at all," she wondered. Or maybe the name had been forgotten so everyone just referred to it as the taboo name.

"Whatever the hell it's called. It's all the same to me." And yet here she was, ready to be made into a sacrificial offering without her beloved sister to complete the ceremony, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She never should have run away.

"Let this be over with, so that I may finally know peace."

The priests led her down the ceremonial steps, their staffs ringing as one throughout the cave. Sae hung her head as she walked, idly counting the number of times the staffs hit the ground. It did little to help the situation, but at least it eased her troubled thoughts.

For a moment Sae looked back, hoping that her sister was racing down to save her, in a sense. The only thing she saw were the shuffling forms of the other priests. A light nudge forced her to continue forward, and with a barely audible sigh, she turned back and moved on.

Before long they had reached their destination, beneath the Shinto gate...where a lone rope tapered down into a hangman's noose.

"Sae..." said a stern voice

The shrine maiden could not bear to look at her father, feeling unworthy of his presence.

"Look at me." he commanded.

Sae painstakingly lifted her head up to his, her eyes focusing on a spot just above his right eyebrow. Ryokan Kurosawa fixed her with a look of disappointment. She knew he was angry, angry at her for trying to run away, but it wasn't her fault. If only Yae had come back for her…

"You were born for this purpose," he said, his voice dripping with hate. "And you will die, just as the others have before you." He narrowed his eyes at hers, "You were to be the purest maiden in the village for the Crimson Ceremony, but now things have taken the turn for worse."

Ryokan shook his head, ashamed of his own twin daughter for defying the village. "You will be punished for your betrayal, Sae," he motioned his head to the two priests standing behind her. "Pray that your agony can save the village."

It was too late to be sorry now. She had to hope and pray that her suffering for Yae and Itsuki's loss would be enough for the X to be satisfied. Sae felt something thick and scratchy wrap around her throat, effectively cutting off her air supply. Then she was hoisted up to the Shinto gate that stood at the opening of the sacred place.

As she dangled from the noose that was around her neck she looked at all of the veiled priests that were standing around as her vision began to fade. They were all bowing, praising her as if she were their god. Then she saw her father who was smiling, smiling at what, she did not know nor did she care as her last conscious thought was covered with darkness.

Drip…drip…drip…drip

The sound of water falling upon water echoed through her mind. She could feel something under her, cold and wet. Her eyes remained closed however. "No, I don't want to see it."

Drip…drip…drip…drip

Sae knew she was dead, or at least her mind was telling her that, and whatever the hell was moving underneath her feet she did not even want to know. Then the moaning came, like a hundred voices crying out from unrelenting pain. It was horrible. There was also something else there, hidden behind the mourning: a low rumble that stirred in the dark.

"Is…is that growling? Or more like breathing?" Sae shuddered, wishing that the vile presence would just leave her be and wrapped her arms around her slender frame.

Drip-drip…drip-drip-drip-drip

The sound of falling water returned with increased fervor and the moaning grew louder at sensing the young twin's distress.

The X was hungry. It was hungry and she knew it.

"Please, just go away, I don't want to hear it. Just go away!" Sae scrunched her eyes as the moaning suddenly took on a higher pitch that made her heart quicken in pace. The room began to shake as the Abyss fed on the one thing that Sae was trying to hide…fear.

The ground underneath her seemed alive, squirming, writhing, and shifting in the torment of the frightened young girl.

"Not real, not real, not real, not real, not real, not…" Sae was shaken from her chanting when something cold and clammy grabbed her ankle. She bolted upright, trying to shake off the crude feeling. Then, she made the mistake of opening her eyes… and was met with a putrid sight.

'My God...'

Hundreds of corpses strewn around her, their bodies horribly burned to the point that the skin was charred. Some of them were covered in a dark liquid that resembled the blackest black and was overwhelmingly cold against the skin of her feet. Light from above cast an eerie glow on the pile of bodies that she was standing on: Their eyes reflecting the same color as that of the Malice.

Even more disturbing was that someone else was there with her.

A young woman stood maybe a few feet away from her on a slightly raised mound of the dead, her virgin white kimono glowing brightly in the light.

Her eyes were hidden from Sae by her long ebony bangs. Although she couldn't see the girl's face too well, she appeared, gloomy. The lone figure outstretched its hand, beckoning for her to accept it. Like a stray moth to a candle flame, she was drawn to the strange being. Carefully placed foot after carefully placed foot she made the trek across the room without so much as glancing at the carnage before her; the lone figure serving as a beacon of hope in the perpetual darkness that surrounded her. When she got to within talking distance, the figure lifted her head letting the light from the ceiling reveal her face.

She gasped. No, it couldn't be. It shouldn't be. But it was. Sae was face to face with none other than…herself.

Only this wasn't the sweet and innocent teenager that could melt hearts with a single look. This, apparition was a mirror image of that. Her features seemed coarse and withered. Her ceremonial kimono which was precisely the same one she wore was completely drenched in blood. Cold blue eyes shown with unfathomable sadness yet anger all at once, piercing into her very soul. Another interesting aspect about this ghoul was that her hair was much, much longer than her own, reaching clear down to the back of her knees. It was almost as if she had aged several centuries while her body remained the same. Still, it was, truly and completely the spitting image of herself.

"No, this can't be…it's not possible!"

The thing that was her grinned. "Oh but it is, Sae," it said, not actually moving her mouth. The true Sae moved back a step. "How...how can this be happening," she thought to herself. "Am I dead?!"

"Not quite," the opposite girl replied eerily. "More like in between. You see, when you are sacrificed your soul goes to heaven while the body remains here."

The opposite Sae motioned with her hand at the countless dead lying around them.

"However, if the ritual fails then the soul is trapped inside the body where the sacrificed remain in agonizing torment for all eternity."

The shorter haired girl swallowed anxiously. She didn't like where this topic of discussion was going, not at all.

The opposite Sae turned to face the gleaming pile of the dead, her eyes transfixed on a woman who had her throat cut.

"Tragic isn't it," she said pointing to the woman. "She was to be one with her sister, but the ritual failed and now she has to writhe in this place for the rest of her unnatural life."

"Do you mean, that I am to be trapped here forever," Sae inquired nervously.

The long haired Sae nodded, her back still facing the teen.

"Yes, you are caught in between the worlds of Heaven and Hell. This is a place of limbo. You will never fall nor will you rise from here, ever."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought back to the time that she fell from the mountain pass and how it reminded her of how weak she was. Yae had broken her promise of never leaving Sae alone. Now she would never be one with Yae and she would be forever tormented by it.

'Why Yae, why did you leave me behind? All I ever wanted, was for us to be together…I'm scared Yae, please, help me!'

This was it she thought. She would never become a Crimson Butterfly. She was to be tortured by the thoughts of her sister running away forever. Sae dropped to her knees and sobbed profusely. She had always been such a burden to Yae, no wonder she had left her. Despite the terrible cold of the Malice beneath her she really didn't care. The stench of rotted flesh that stung her nostrils made her want to vomit.

The long haired girl smiled. Even though her back was turned she could sense the elder Shrine Maiden's distress. She was also smiling at the offer she was about to give.

"Unless…"

Sae stopped crying for a moment and lifted her head up, her face wet with tears.

"Unless what," she asked, her voice quivering.

The long haired Sae turned to face her, a conceited look on her face.

"...Become one with me, and attain a power greater than you can imagine."

Sae hung her head in thought. Ultimate power was indeed something that all people would love to acquire and with this power you had the ability to do whatever you wanted.

Like getting back at everyone in the village…

Sae shuddered at the thought of actually killing someone. As much as she hated her sister for leaving, she wasn't sure if she could take a human life.

"I-I…" Sae stuttered, unsure of what to say.

The mirror image of Sae moved closer to the original, her lips curled in perverse joy.

"Don't deny it Sae, you've wanted to get revenge on everyone the very day Itsuki hung himself."

Sae's thoughts traveled back to the day she had found him in the storehouse.

Hanging there limply, his face frozen in time: And those eyes, the ones that always made her feel so powerless under their gaze, were now closed forever.

"Stop," she muttered.

"Come on, you know you want to," she teased.

"No, I-"

"Shhhhh- she interjected while bringing a finger to the young teen's lips. With the grace of an elegant goddess, she lowered herself down so that she was sitting astride Sae's hips, sliding comfortably into her embrace. The long raven hair spilled over their bodies, and managed to cloud all but one of the doppelganger's hematite eyes.

-Don't talk, just listen. I'm everything that you could never be. I am your guiding light, your savior. And only through me will you achieve the things that you so desire."

The opposite Sae slowly drew her arms around the timid girl and pulled her close, their faces just inches apart. "I am you Sae, and you are me. I know what you feel. Even now-

She lowered her head to the fair skinned girl's neck and brushed her lips against the porcelain flesh.

"-I can taste… your fear…"

A lone tear traveled down Sae's smooth cheek as she closed her eyes.

"-Your anger…"

"Please stop…"

The long haired girl smiled warmly. "Why resist such power, when it's yours for the taking?"

She kissed Sae's neck, near the collarbone, sucking gently on the smooth flesh of her skin. Sae gasped at the sensations coursing through her, the mere touch of her lips causing pleasure to run throughout her body. Her heart quickened in pace and her breathing drew more deeply.

The long haired girl ran a hand through the shy girl's raven locks, planting firm, wet kisses along her neck. Sae couldn't help but moan. The coolness of her lips felt indescribably thrilling against her skin.

The opposite Sae's lips traveled up her neck to the curvature of her ear, her tongue darting out to lick her earlobe, biting softly with her teeth.

Sae moaned low and deep, unwittingly spurring the demented twin on. 'Oh, gods. Can this is all be a dream?'

"No," said the spirit in her mind. The doppleganger moved her hand from around Sae's waist and placed it on the failed altar twin's chest, "This..." her impossibly smooth and pale hand slipped into her kimono, cupping the girl's left breast. "...is real."

Sae nearly fainted from the sheer pleasure that coursed through her, letting out a shuddering gasp as it all but consumed her petite form. She wrapped her arms around the long haired woman's neck and rested her chin on her shoulder, moaning into ear. "Ohh..."

Her darker counterpart grinned, -"And it's all for you, my dear." she whispered sweetly. Then she resumed her lavishing of Sae's neck, her pale fingers moving of their own accord inside the girl's kimono.

"Mmmmm." Sae knew she should stop this, but the burning desire inside her was overpowering her senses. She felt her whole body growing weak from the mind-numbing pleasure, and leaned herself gently against her twin. The girl responded by pressing back against Sae with renewed passion, leaving a fiery trail of kisses from Sae's head to her chin.

Sae tilted her head back in a silent cry of ecstasy, allowing her altar ego the freedom to move about her as she wished.

The whole thing seemed surreal beyond imagination to Sae. Here she was, at the end of the world, dancing between the thread of life with the devil's advocate. It made no sense whatsoever, and yet as she felt her kimono loosen around her shoulders, she knew that she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Doesn't it feel wonderful, Sae," she asked, velvet lips dragging across her face.

Sae still had her eyes closed, yet she found herself mouthing the word 'Yes'

"This, and so much more is yours for the taking, you only have to accept it…"

Sae lowered her head, her eyes glazed over with lust, and noticed that the doppleganger's kimono was gracefully hanging off her shoulders, revealing her flawless figure underneath.

"...Make the choice." she declared, her blue black hair falling over her face.

They both fell into each other's eyes for several moments, the whole world coming to a standstill.

She knew this was her last chance, after this there was no turning back. For a fleeting moment she contemplated on just staying in the Hellish Abyss, for all eternity.

But she ignored.

"This is what I want," she said.

Sae brought her lips to her twin, and relished the moment as priceless. It was long, both mouths opening and closing with almost psychic synchronization, as if they both knew each other's next move. Their bodies became intertwined, forming into one being.

"So be it, Sae," she heard the other say in her mind.

A wave of cold swept over her as the Malice from the bodies of the sacrificed began to rise around her. Despite the almost sub zero nature of the unearthly substance, it felt like her skin was on fire as it began to slowly wrap around her frail body.

Still, she did not pull away, her body becoming infused with the evil mixture. Sae could no longer feel the body of her twin in her embrace and slowly opened her eyes to see that she was no longer there. Her soul had become etched into her own.

Sae gasped as the Malice spread across her delicate curves and soft flesh that seemed to drive all the air from her lungs. She tried to move her legs but they refused to even budge. Her heart was slamming in her chest as the substance spread over her face and into her mouth. She tried to scream but nothing came out, and as she looked up towards the light seeking some sort of salvation, the Malice covered her eyes and the light seemed to get smaller and smaller until there was nothing left.

The presence faded. The cold receded. The moaning ceased. Everything went still. Sae Kurosawa, the once timid young girl whose destiny had been forged long ago, had become a deity.

When Sae's vision returned, she was still standing in the pit of Hell, only now she could no longer feel the Malice underfoot. Sae looked down and raised her hands to her face noticing that they had become unbelievably pale, along with the rest of her skin. Curious, she stooped down to a pool of the evil water and peered into it. She gasped.

The first thing she noticed was her eye color had changed from a soft, chocolate brown to a fiery amber red. Next she noticed that her hair had grown somewhat longer and now clouded most of her face from view. A barely visible rope mark adorned her neck, obviously due to the tightness of the noose that had been used to kill her.

Sae stood and slowly lifted her head to the sky above, the light bathing her in a bright blue glow. The floor beneath her began to tremble violently as the Abyss prepared to spill forth. A disturbingly large grin spread across Sae's face.

"It is time," she said to herself, her voice shadowing in the way that bespoke unimaginable power.

Then it happened, the Calamity had begun.

If you're wondering what voice shadowing means, I basically made that up:P. It entails that before and after you speak, you can hear the words forming before they ever leave your mouth, like ghostly whispers. The best example of this is listening to the dialouge between characters of Shadowman (N64game) in Deadside.

Thanks for understanding...I hope. -- lol