Comfort in the Thing I Dearly Hated

It had been years—YEARS—since Mayu had died, taken into all gods Village, ruined forever by Sae. Why were THEY still fluttering by me, the crimson wings beating, the ones only I could see?

I opened my eyes, and my head flew to the left. A flutter of crimson wings, and the spot on my neck throbbed. That mark that I hated. The one I had to hide.

The butterflies had been plaguing me for a week now. An entire, torturous week. Uncle couldn't know, even though he knew of my—of our—experience in All Gods Village. I couldn't tell him. He would call Rei and Miku… They didn't need to know…

One landed on my nose and I swatted it gently away. "Piss off…"

I hated them. They had led my twin away to her damnation and doom in that cursed place. I had never forgiven the idly fluttering souls for doing Sae's bidding. Never.

Not even if I knew they had no conscience… no way to tell themselves what they had done was wrong.

For another three weeks, they plagued me, and I couldn't stand it—I visited the lake which used to be All Gods Village. It had been destroyed, but evil still lurked here. The Abyss still lurked here… The rituals' remnants still clung to their pathetic presences here.

I felt the comforting, little edge Itsuki gave off. I missed him, but he had been long gone. He had tried to help me save my sister… but I had failed miserably. And so had he. That was why he still clung to this place.

"Mayu…" I whispered, closing my eyes.

When I opened them angrily to the sound of delicate fluttering, to the sound of those god damned crimson butterflies, I was stunned.

There stood Mayu, in a ethereal light… Red ribbon tied around her bruised throat, and I could see that dark waters glitter through her.

"…Mayu…" I whispered in awe. How could she still linger here?

"They… finally led you here…" She smiled.

I felt rage spike. "You sent them!?" I threw my flashlight down, it finally sputtering out from the faulty wiring I had hated all those years ago. "How dare you!? I…" Everything I was about to say died out in my throat, forgotten.

"Mio…I sent them to bring you here… so I could say… I'm sorry. I forgive you for what happened. It isn't your fault."

"I…" Wet, warm pearls dripped down my cheeks. I was crying as she stroked my face with her cold hand.

"They will comfort you, and protect you… they are me. They replace me in your life… only you can see them… but remember, I am watching over you, always." With that she fell back into the water, passing through it without any splashes.

'If course she wouldn't,' I thought dully. 'She's a ghost.'

And as the butterflies landed on my arm, and one on my nose and yet another on the turtleneck that hid my mark on my throat, I smiled.

They were my sister. "I'm sorry, little butterflies. I'm sorry."

Their wings fluttered as if saying, "It's okay."

"Alright, let's go home." I turned and jogged from the site, the butterflies trailing behind me as Sae's maniacal laughter faded behind us, and I vowed to nevermore return there.

My sister had sent me herself in the form of the one thing I had hated so dearly for taking her away.

The Crimson Butterflies never left me from that day on.

K.L.K-… no idea. I know I might have messed something up but oh well.

Mio-………..So… you picked the ending where she died.

K.L.K- Yeah, that's the one they chose to be canon and more importantly the one where your sister lived is only on Nightmare mode, I do believe. I know that All Gods Village was supposed to be destroyed completely, but I did the best I could with what I remembered. I'm watching a game walkthrough on FF2, so… hehe?

Mayu- still. Man… Oh well. At least Mio isn't blind.

K.L.K- that's the ticket! Anywho, please review!