Fatal Frame 2 Fanfiction.
Contains slight spoilers
Please read commentary.
A/N: This was entered in Anime Banzai's 2006 fanfic contest but did not win. That's ok, I did not expect it to. It was not written to be popular or entertain but simply because All God's Village had a long history of the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual and not all of the stories could possibly be told in the game while keeping it timely and good. Fatal Frame 3, (aside from the Kusabi, whose story we already knew) did not use any ghosts from Fatal Frame 2 but attempted to include the Osaka twins, which were (arguably) not in Fatal Frame 2 because Miyako was inhabiting the house instead.
Every story is told so well in Fatal Frame that I did not feel I would do any more justice to the characters by writing fanfiction about them. Instead I chose to write other tales that hadn't been told. As such, none of the main characters are included. I did include Tsuzuri and Musubi (fan created Osaka twins from Fatal Frame 3 manga) because I thought their story was short and interesting, but they are only mentioned. The main reason for writing this, I suppose, was that the only altar twins talked about in any game are Itsuki and Mutsuki but since they already had the tradition established I figured there had to have been more and wanted a story about that.
This story should not be read by people who aren't Fatal Frame fans, haven't completed the game, or aren't old enough to play the game. I don't feel that it warrants an M rating but the game itself is rated M and since the ritual is slightly included I did not want to go against standards.
Keeping with Fatal Frame tradition, it is written as a journal. Please do not leave negative comments.
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Makai Nakiato - age 8
Today I celebrated my birthday with mommy and daddy and Joukai. I don't get to celebrate my birthday on my own since it is Joukai's birthday too. Stupid Joukai!
My mommy and daddy look worried every time our birthday comes up. Most kids go out and play on their birthday. No one ever invites me. And I don't get to go play on my birthday. Mommy and daddy talk to priests for a long time and then we eat and sometimes get presents. The presents aren't so bad, but I always get the same thing that Joukai gets even if I don't like it! I wish Joukai would go far away!
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Makai Nakiato - age 11
It was my birthday the other day! I got a red kimono. I guess I shouldn't complain too much because it is pretty, but I hate the color red. And I don't like wearing formal kimonos.
I overheard my mom and dad talking to the priests on my birthday. It seems like some problem happened when we were born. Nobody knows who was born first. The priests said there is a special ceremony so that this mistake is not made but I guess on us things went wrong and now there is just no way to tell.
Why does it matter who was born first any way? I wonder if I'm the older one? Joukai can be such a baby.
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Makai Nakiato – age 13
It's rainy today so I have to stay inside. I found this journal while I was cleaning up. Going through and reading everything I've written in the past is only making me angrier at Joukai. Ever since I was born I haven't really liked Joukai. It's too odd to have someone with the same face as you!
Here in All God's Village we are taught that twins are the same soul, split into separate bodies. My mother and father got me in trouble every time I disagreed. So I stopped saying it. But I still don't believe it. How could we be a part of each other? I don't like him.
I always see all the other twins walking around the village together. They seem so attached. I don't envy them at all. I hate my twin. When we were younger I always wanted to go outside and play with the others. I wasn't allowed to go out if he didn't come too. But he was ill when he was young. On the occasions that we were able to go out and play everyone acted strangely and stayed away from us. I'm pretty sure it was because of him. He looked sickly.
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Makai Nakiato – age 15
When I was a child I don't remember having many outsiders in the village, but lately there have been a few. I have to admit it's nice to have new faces. They don't treat me any differently than they treat anyone else. Well, at least they didn't at first. The more they talk to the priests the more they stay away from me. I wonder what the priests are telling them? Maybe they think I caught a disease from Joukai. A lot of people think he's sick since he stays inside all the time and he's so weak. My parents asked me to take care of him when we were younger but I'm not going to do that! I have my own life to live! So my mom takes care of him. She cries all the time. I hate to see her sad but there's nothing I can do about it. It isn't my fault that Joukai is sick and I'm well, right?
When the visitors came they were all surprised at the number of twins we had in our village. Do we have a lot of twins? Aren't there this many twins everywhere else? Aren't twins kind of a common thing? I really wouldn't know; I haven't ever been able to leave the village. Come to think of it, I don't think anyone leaves the village much… if at all. Any way, from their surprised comments I think that something must be unusual!
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Makai Nakiato – age 16 - ? day ? month
Today I was watching Tsuzuri Osaka from my house. She and Musubi are usually together however she was alone today. Lately I have been talking to Tsuzuri a lot. Neither Tsuzuri nor Musubi seems cautious around me like many others in the village do. Maybe it is because they also have a twin. Any way, she and Musubi are almost never without each other so I thought today might be my chance to go up to her. I think she looks nice sitting out there under the tree with all of the red butterflies surrounding her. They are always fluttering around our village, even in the winter time.
Later
I went up to Tsuzuri today. I was going to talk to her seriously however almost the whole time she was staring at her twin who was talking to another man in the village. She seemed really disturbed so I decided to make it brief and I left her alone. Maybe I'll tell her how I feel later. There's no rush.
Makai Nakiato – age 16 - ? day ? month
I intended to tell Tsuzuri how I felt about her earlier in the year but I never got around to it. And now I think it might be too late. No one has seen Tsuzuri or Musubi in three or four months. I've looked all over for them and visited their house but their father always sends me away. And their mother seems sad.
Sometimes at night I think I see someone who looks like Tsuzuri or Musubi walking around the village as if they were in a daze. But the person I see couldn't be either of them. They had black hair, and this mysterious new resident has white.
Finally it occurred to me that maybe Tsuzuri and Musubi left the village and their mother was sad because they moved away! That was brave of them. No one ever leaves this village. I wonder why? I don't enjoy the village much.
Maybe people stay because they really do believe that angels guard this village in the form of the red butterflies that are always here. But that's probably not the case. This village is actually a terrible place to live. The harvests are so undependable and there are often earthquakes.
Come to think of it, when I was young I remember other, older twins were in the village. I don't know where they went either. I would understand if they all found a way to leave the village, since everyone distances themselves from the twins here. My mother told me twins are treated this way because they are "special." Our village worships twin deities, I suppose that it why. But I really don't feel special. It's more like alienated.
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Makai Nakiato – age 17 - ? day ? month
This year has been a horrible one. Many people form our village have died. The fields are dry and the harvests are poor, and every week an earthquake splits the grounds. My family is not wealthy, and yet somehow we have been getting enough to eat.
I want to help. When I asked if I could work in the fields there was a long debate over it. Eventually, since they needed the help badly enough, I was allowed to. I like working in the fields. I don't have to wear a formal kimono every day. It feels good to be out in the sunshine. And occasionally people talk to me.
Even though things are not going well in the village right now, I am happy.
Makai Nakiato – age 17 – ? day ? month
I watched today as people brought in the final harvest of our meager crops. However I was not allowed to help. About half way through the season I was no longer allowed to work in the fields. I felt like working in the fields was making me stronger, however at the same time Joukai was getting very weak. My mother said I should come be with him in the last moments. He's weak but I doubt he'll die. My mother is probably just exaggerating.
Makai Nakiato – age 17 – ? day ? month
Tonight is the eve of my 18th Birthday. I don't really look forward to it, but my mother seems to. At least she always acts cheerful on our birthday. In the past. Unfortunately this year something's wrong. She's been crying every night since Joukai got sick. Also, she avoided me all day. I hear the priests will be coming to celebrate with us later tonight. Perhaps she is just getting nervous in her old age.
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Makai Nakiato – age 18 – ? day ? month ? year
Last week… or… was it two weeks ago…
The priests came on our birthday and forced Joukai and I to leave our parent's house. I suppose it is about time we were leaving. We are past the age. However I have no clue why we have been moved to these houses in particular. The houses are nice, and much bigger than ours is, but it doesn't feel like home. Every day the priests make me go through cleansing rituals and other things like that. I hate them. I think they must be doing these for Joukai's sake since he seems to be doing better. He actually asked to stay in the same house as me, but since there are two houses I am able to avoid him easily. It's his fault that my life is the way it is. If only he weren't here…
Makai Nakiato – age 18 – ? day ? month
Today I was told about a certain ceremony. It's a ceremony that no one in the village is allowed to talk about. And I'm angry.
I always knew something was wrong about this village. There was something strange about it. The Crimson Ritual is something that is muttered under one's breath. It is not to be spoken of. And yet today I was told about it… because I am to perform it.
The priests explained to me that when it is needed two twin shrine maidens go down under the village to perform this ritual. There is something terrible down there. The -. It was opened up once before, long ago… or so I hear. That explains the huge rock in the village entrance that has sutras on it…
However in the village right now there are no shrine maidens. But… the ritual still needs to be performed. Joukai and I will have to do it as Altar Twins.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask the priests. What exactly do you do in this ritual? Does this have something to do with what happened to Tsuzuri? I wanted to yell at them. I wanted to curse them. But I felt strange. I felt as if I couldn't speak… couldn't move the whole time they were telling me this. I felt cold.
Makai Nakiato – age 18 – ? day
A few days ago I was speaking to a servant in this house. He is very kind person, and finally I got him to tell me more about the ceremony. He kept glancing around as if he were nervous that someone would hear him. But I finally got the whole story.
The Crimson Ritual is a sacrifice. To appease the spirits that would drag our village down into Hell, two twins are taken down to the - where one twin kills the other. I was shocked. So this is what happened to all of the other twins? This is what happened to Tsuzuri?
I am so angry but there's nothing I can do! For two days I have kept silent in my room. I only glare at the people coming or going. I especially hate the priests.
In any case, the night I spoke to the servant there was an earthquake and I heard screaming in my dreams. I haven't seen him since.
As much as I hate the idea of this ceremony that has gone into our village for Gods know how long, one good thing will come of it. One good thing. I will be rid… of Joukai.
Makai Nakiato – age 18 – ? day
My hand shakes in anticipation as I write this. I wonder if I've gone crazy. How could I kill a person? But it doesn't matter to me. Doing what the priests want me to do doesn't matter. Saving the village doesn't matter.
I wonder if I am still in my right mind? I wonder if I am still me? Having been in these houses for so long. Not being able to go outside. Ever.
I hate Joukai. I have always hated him. I want to get rid of him.
Die
Makai Nakiato – age 18 – ? day
Today I walked out into the hall. Someone came to take me out of my room, which I would not leave. I don't want to see anyone until this is over. But they made me move.
It hurt my eyes when I walked out into the hall. The candle light was bright. I glanced over and saw Joukai. Was he staying only a few rooms away from me? I wonder if he heard me screaming.
When I looked at him his eyes got big and he turned pale. He immediately turned away from me. He must know what is going to happen. He must know I'm going to kill him.
Later
I woke up back in the dark room I was staying in. A female attendant had a candle lit and when I yelled at her she was afraid. She said it would be good for me to get a little more light.
When I asked what happened to me she said I had charged at Joukai and had to be restrained. Then I passed out. I ended up back in this room.
A priest came in after the attendant left. He told me the ritual was to be performed tonight. I must go get ready.
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Joukai Nakiato – age 18
I killed Makai.
Earlier this evening… I got news… that...
After a debate that had gone on longer than the priests would have liked, it was finally decided that I would be the one to perform the Crimson Sacrifice. I was curious why we were brought to this house. And now I know.
I left my room right after I was told this. When I looked over in the hall Makai was standing there. He looked different. It frightened me. Then I felt guilty. It's true that Makai and I haven't ever gotten along but how could I kill my own brother? I couldn't look at him. Then I heard a yell. Like… a blood curdling scream and he came at me. The priests held him back and he went limp after a second. I didn't know what to do? I thought… maybe Makai is trying to hurt me so we won't have to go through with the ritual? Maybe he is scared that he has to die to save the village?
I was prepared with several smaller rituals then, and taken to a different house in the village, one that was encircled by water. We had to walk the whole way together. Makai did not try to attack me as he had before. But…
But his eyes were dark. He didn't look at me, and when he did it scared me. I won't ever forget that horrible look in his eyes.
I don't remember everything. I remember… walking down an underground passage. It smelled horrible. It was dark. We were surrounded… by priests, and…
There was a room. The room that had the - in it. Only mourners are allowed to go near the - so the altar was several yards away from it. Maybe seven. I don't recall. And… and then…
The priests grabbed my brother. He was surprised. I was startled. He was screaming and pulling away. I... He didn't want to die but I…
The priests held him down and told me to do it. I walked up and kneeled over him. I don't think I have ever seen a look so horrible as the one he gave me then.
"No! No! It was supposed to be you! I was supposed to kill you!"
That is what he said to me as I walked up to him.
I looked at the priests. They told me to keep going. I didn't know what to do.
I put my hands around his neck. I remember strangling him!
…
I… when… while the life was slipping out of his body the priests said…
Well they were encouraging me to keep going. They said I should be able to hear his thoughts. I think I could. 'We will never be one. I will never become one with you. I hate you!'
And then… with his last breath he cursed me. He cursed me.
Then I felt him die.
The mourners took him then. I don't remember if I watched or not. I was shaking on the altar.
When they threw him in there was shaking. A lot of shaking. It felt as if the ground would swallow us up. I heard noises I couldn't identify. I wanted to close my eyes but they wouldn't close.
Then I saw a hand. The priests assured me later on that it was my imagination. But I saw it. A hand reaching up from the -. Grasping the edge. At that moment…
And then the - sort of… collapsed. The edge began to expand as more and more rock crumbled off of it. Mourners ran, confused. Even the priests were panicked. I felt frozen. I couldn't move.
The crumbling stopped. Only a few feet from the altar on which I was frozen. Something was coming out of the -. The mourners were gone, I don't know where they were. But both the priests… the ones still there… and I watched. That moment went on forever.
It was a butterfly. A dark, crimson butterfly.