This has to be one of the weirder ideas I've ever come up with. But, think Voltron characters in the Fatal Frame series with all them lovely ghosts and that is the jist of it. This story will mainly be set in 3, but not exactly follow it's plot line. I would not want to write a story that just follows the game step by step. The story will also reference, for sure, 1 & 2 and possibly 4. The fifth game would be the basis of a sequel if I ever write one for this story. I do hope you all get some enjoyment out of this. If not, welp, I dared to dream right?
"Takashi."
He heard Takashi sigh softly. "Just been having a lot of nightmares lately."
Adam blinked a bit, briefly glancing at Takashi out of the corner of his eye. "About what?" He asked even though he already had a feeling he knew the answer.
The rain dropped hard onto the car and created a loud echo in the car. That was all Adam heard for a few minutes until he heard Takashi give an answer.
"About that village." Takashi's voice wavered slightly. "I keep seeing Kuron and red butterflies and…" He paused while his body trembled, and he gripped the seat tightly. "And those things."
Adam sighed softly. "We'll be home soon. Just focus on the rain." He frowned and kept his eyes on the road. He wished he knew what to say to make Takashi feel better. Kuron going missing and then being declared dead had really gotten to Takashi. But, things like ghosts and haunted places just didn't exist. He knew something terrible had happened to Takashi when he and his twin disappeared a few years back. Yet, he found it hard to believe the tale Takashi wove to him.
The supernatural just didn't exist.
"ADAM! LOOK OUT!"
He tensed at Takashi calling out, gritting his teeth. He was about to say something when he blinked. In the middle of the road was a woman. What was a woman doing out here in the middle of the night? He didn't get a good look at her before he found himself having to quickly swerve out of the way. His eyes widened at feeling the car move further than he wished. The rain slicked road made it hard to keep his tires from sliding.
"TAKASHI! Hold on!" He placed his arm over Takashi's chest as he felt the car hit the barrier at the edge of the road. If only the road wasn't bordering a cliff like it did. While the car started to go beyond the barrier, he clenched his eyes shut.
"I love you, Takashi. I always will."
"Adam I lo-"
That was all Adam heard before everything went to black.
"ADAM!" Shiro sat up quickly from his bed and panted loudly. He wiped at his forehead before quickly glancing around his room. His eyes focused on his bedroom door that slowly opened. A teenage girl with glasses on her face and clothes that were baggy appeared before him. He blinked slowly, his mind finding itself a bit cloudy presently.
The girl huffed loudly and came inside the room. "Shiro, it's Katie? Pidge? Geez. You really are horrible to talk to when you first wake up." She placed a plate of food onto the table. "Matt brought over some food. He said he would be back over with some photos from that place you two went to together. The one uh…," she trailed off slightly before huffing a bit, "your late fiancé went to with that co-worker?"
Shiro tensed at the mention of Adam. Adam's death still stung after a year. But, he slowly nodded as he got himself out of the mental fog. "Thanks, Pidge." He called her by her preferred name, a nickname she apparently gave herself some years ago.
"No problem." She headed back towards the door before taking a deep breath. "I know you may not like this, but Matt is bringing over that co-worker. Matt thinks the guy may have some answers about the uh…strange dreams."
He scowled a bit. He hadn't been wishing to see anyone new since Adam's death. Only when he had to for work or needed to. He wasn't sure meeting this person was necessary. However, he had corresponded with the man and at least the person seemed nice. It just didn't stop the desire to seclude himself away though with the darker emotions that lingered inside him.
"Do you know when they would be coming over?" Shiro slowly got out of his bed, stretching his arms and legs. He saw Pidge look down at her phone.
"In a few hours? So, you got time to get yourself ready and looking presentable." She shrugged slightly. "I'll make sure the house doesn't look a mess. So, don't worry about that." She smiled at her boss and roommate. "Though, you might have some photos you still need to develop. Not sure. I'll double check that. I'm sure that can be done after the visit though."
Shiro nodded and got out of the bed. He noticed he was still in his clothes from yesterday. He sighed softly. He must have forgotten to change out of his clothes. "Alright. I can check on the photos myself in a bit."
Pidge looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Sounds good. I'll be around if you need me." She left the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
Shiro sighed while running a hand through his hair. He took a couple of deep breaths before gritting his teeth. His right shoulder experienced a brief sharp stinging pain. It wouldn't be the first time his right arm and shoulder acted up. When he looked though, he blinked at the glimpse of a grey and black tattoo. "What?" He placed his fingers on the skin of what remained of his right shoulder. Right when he did so, the marking was gone and so was the pain.
"I must be still trying to wake up." He shook his head, recalling the pain happening on other nights since visiting the last place Adam did for their photography business.
While it had not been adventuring out into the galaxite frontier or even flying planes, Shiro enjoyed the business well enough. It paid the bills and allowed some creative outlets. But, running a business by himself now exhausted him and ruined some of the enjoyment he once had…The strange sensations and dreams since visiting that abandoned mansion only drained more joy out of photography for him.
At least last night's nightmares had been one of his usual nightmares and not one of finding himself traversing an old mansion filled with ghosts.
He sat at the table and started eating the food. He smiled faintly. Matt remembered he liked a somewhat healthy breakfast and got him some sausage, scrambled eggs, and a little bowl of various fruit such as blueberries. He would have to thank him later.
After finishing eating, he went about the daily tasks of contacting his various clients and developing photos. He hadn't realized how much time had passed until he came out of the dark room. "Pidge?" He noticed her staring at him with narrowed eyes.
"Uh, did you forget about the visitors? Figure you would want to wear more than that." She pointed at the fact Shiro only wore some sweatpants and a tank top.
Shiro flustered and quickly rushed up the stairs. He swore he heard Pidge snickering, but that could have just been him. His foot hit something soft and he barely kept himself from falling over. He glanced down to see two cats looking up at him. "Sorry Kuro and Red. Didn't see you guys." He smiled sheepishly before quickly entering his bedroom.
He threw on some black pants, a skin tight long sleeve black shirt, and a vest he got from somewhere. If only he could remember who gave him the vest with the hints of yellow and grey…
Once he got himself ready, he heard the doorbell ring. "I got it!" Pidge yelled from downstairs. Shiro sighed in relief while slipping on some black boots. Was Matt going to tease him he had gone Goth or something silly with all the black? He rolled his eyes while smiling at the thought. Matt could stand his darker moods somehow. Guess that was what childhood best friends were for.
He heard Pidge talking with people as he made his way out of the bedroom. He leaned over the banister and looked down to see Pidge talking with Matt and someone with dark brown hair styled in a mullet. He blinked at that, tilting his head. He was about to say something when he noticed Red going down the stairs and…rubbing himself against the stranger? His eyes widened at the sight.
"Woah Matt. You brought someone over Red likes that isn't me, you, or Shiro? Ho-ly shit I never thought I would see the day!"
Matt's laughter reverberated in Shiro's ears. "Eh. I'm not surprised. He seems really good with animals even if he's bad with people."
The stranger crouched down to pet Red, but Shiro had a feeling the guy was glaring up at Matt. "Yeah well, animals can be a lot more tolerable and more easily understood than people." The guy spoke while still petting the cat.
"Yeah yeah." Matt waved his hand dismissably before looking up. "Oh, hey Shiro! Glad to see you're up!"
Shiro smiled down at Matt. It was nice to know Matt still called him Shiro rather than well…his first name. He still had issues anytime someone called him that.
"Haha. I don't sleep all day you know." He smiled back and saw the stranger turn and look up as well.
Shiro's eyes widened at seeing a man with blue grey eyes looking at him and a scar across his right cheek. It was the facial structure along with the eyes though that caused his head to throb and images to appear in his mind.
"Takashi? Kuron? Where are you all?" A boy close to their age called out as the two twins hid themselves in the same bush. "I know I said I wanted to play hide and seek but come on! I swear you two keep moving!" The boy pouted while standing in front of their hiding bush. "And that's not how you play-EEEP!"
The boy got gripped tightly by Kuron who laughed loudly.
"Kuron!" Takashi pouted. "You just got us found by doing that!"
Kuron snickered while resting his head on top of the boy's. "It was just too hard to resist spooking him. He's just so cu-OW!" Kuron rubbed his cheek where the boy punched him. "And feisty."
Takashi rolled his eyes before looking at the boy. "Are you alright? He didn't scare you too bad, did he?" He couldn't help the slight jest to his tone as he gently placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, Takashi. At least you have manners unlike Kuron." The boy smirked and Kuron pouted, causing Takashi to laugh.
"Now now Kei-"
"Takashi? Is that you?" Shiro got interrupted by hearing his first name spoken by an unfamiliar voice. As he focused back on reality, he realized no, that voice was familiar. It was just older and belonged to someone he had only recalled when he could think about his twin without feeling intense stabs of pain.
"Keith." He spoke softly, watching Keith climb slowly up the stairs. "I…go by Shiro now." He quickly said while watching Keith come closer and closer to him. "But yes, I'm him. I'm not…" He glanced off to the side before feeling a hand on his shoulder. He looked back over to see Keith looking at him calmly.
"I know. I heard about what happened to him. I'm sorry."
Shiro wanted to cry out and say Keith really hadn't heard. The news didn't report what really happened to his brother. Adam didn't believe him, and he wasn't sure Matt or Pidge did either. He didn't dare to tell his other friends, Hunk and Allura, about that experience. So how could Keith know? But, he kept his mouth shut. He knew getting angry at someone he hadn't seen in years would do him no good.
"Thanks." Shiro said instead with a strained smile on his face. "I appreciate the sentiment."
Why did Keith scowl at him now? "You don't need to bullshit me." Keith spoke softly to keep Matt and Pidge from hearing. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Shiro blinked before smiling a bit more naturally now. "Right, you were always perspective of what me and him were feeling." He placed one of his hands on Keith's shoulder. "It's good to see you though really. I can't believe you were working with Adam this whole time. We could have had a nice reunion sooner." It was strange, but in that moment, he felt no pain talking about a what if that would never occur.
"Yeah, would have been nice. I just never heard his fiancé's last name so…I didn't assume it was you." Keith explained with a faint smile on his face. "With that out of the way though, I believe we have important things to discuss?" He pointed downstairs to photos spread all along the coffee table.
"Oh, right yes. Let's get that over with. We can catch up after." Shiro hoped he would be up to doing so afterwards. Even with Keith being someone he knew in the past, he wasn't sure if Keith wouldn't emotionally exhaust him. Sometimes even Matt and Pidge did.
But, as the four of them sat on the couch (which was a bit cramped with all of them on it like that) and discussing the mansion, Shiro found himself oddly rejuvenated. Matt's playful remarks, Pidge's smart-aleck comments, and Keith's blunt statements were all easy to work with. Enjoyable even. It felt like Keith had been there the whole time rather than just returning into his life unexpectedly.
He liked that feeling a lot.
However, as he glanced outside to see rain once more, he saw a figure in the backyard. He swallowed at the sight of a ghostly woman with tattoos covering her upper torso. His heart raced as she pointed to him and then to each of the others one by one. Then, he barely kept himself from screaming at her gripping what looked to be Adam and dragging him away as if implying soon they all would be taken away too.
"Shiro?" Keith called out to him and Shiro quickly looked at him. He swallowed while taking quick breathes.
"I'm okay." Shiro quickly said to reassure Keith, and likely Pidge and Matt as well.
But, he felt once again the burden of something heavy pressing onto his mind and body. And god knows if he would be strong enough to protect those around him from whatever had come their way…let alone himself. He could only pray that whatever entity had now chosen to plague him, and others would soon be vanquished, or else none of them would make it out alive.