5/8/04
Disclaimer: the characters in this story such as Mio, Mayu, etc. don't belong to me; they are property of Tecmo.
Dedications: God, my parents, my friends, and all of you lovely readers!
Special dedication to Vince, for introducing me to the wonderful world of Fatal Frame 1 and 2.
Fatal Frame 2: Together Forever
By Tiger5913
What a beautiful sunset it was.
And to think, just last night everything was dark and gloomy, a terrible setting - one of the most terrifying nights of my life, really. But today, right now, the sun was finally out again, once overshadowed by the darkness of the restless dead. It felt so warm on my skin, when I'd gotten used to being bitterly cold and had always tingled with frigidity for the past countless days. I was also… happy, something I only felt a few times since the beginning of my horrifying adventure into that dreadful village. Next to me was the reason why I had gone through so much insanity and fear, but it was all worth it, just to save her since I couldn't help her when we were kids…
"Sis… are you okay?" She asked just then, so softly that I wondered if something was bothering her.
"Yeah…" I nodded a little, and tried to smile to show her I was telling the truth, "Just thinking about… well, you know."
"M-me too… but… but I feel so happy right now. I'm so glad you came to save me, e-even though…"
I knew that my sister meant it in a good way, but her words were really stinging and made me remember… "It's okay. As long as you're back…"
She laid her head down against my shoulder just then and let silence fall over us again.
Mio and Mayu Amakura… that's us, the twin sisters that were always inseparable, so naturally, when she wandered off deep into the forest, I had to follow her. Both of us had heard of the mysterious village somewhere around that place, but who would've guessed that my sister of all people would find it? Really, we were so young before the whole thing happened… Mayu and I liked to play a lot, walk around in the forest together and look for the little animals. Some people thought we were weird because we hated to be apart from each other, but I wasn't about to leave my sister alone again, not after that nasty fall she took when we were younger… I promised that I would protect her, and never leave her side of my own will.
We had our birthday only a couple of months ago, but I didn't feel fifteen anymore. Especially not with this new handicap of mine… Mayu always said that I was brave, but she was too! I don't know how she could be so calm when she was being controlled by the spirit of a crazy dead girl that wanted revenge on the whole village… All I did was wander around and looked for clues that would help me follow wherever she went… I mean, wherever Sae took her. Sae loved playing cruel mind games with me, always saying such horrible things using my sister's mouth and disturbing the resting dead with Mayu's unwilling body… That evil girl had so much power from the darkness, and for a while, I thought there was no way I could ever beat her, but then I got help from… him.
Itsuki with his ice-colored hair and contrasting dark eyes… he was such a nice boy. He had a twin too, named Mutsuki, but he lost his brother a long time ago. I met Itsuki while I was outside some kind of jail and he was always behind those bars, which I thought was strange, and if I could free him, I would've without a second thought. Itsuki was so helpful; he told me what happened with Sae and her twin sister Yae regarding the failed ritual, and that's how I found out why Sae was so evil and wanted to do the things she did. I didn't know very much about the history of this village, so what he told me came as a big surprise, but it sure explained a lot. Itsuki and I talked whenever I passed by the jailhouse, which was often because I needed a break sometimes from chasing Sae-disguised-as-Mayu around for hours… I guess ghosts don't need rest.
The only thing I actually enjoyed doing throughout the whole crazy ordeal was talking to Itsuki. I think he liked my company too, because every time I told him I had to leave, he looked so sad… but then again, maybe he was just lonely, since he was trapped behind bars and all. Actually, Itsuki always looked pretty sad, but he did smile sometimes when I showed up, so I think he smiled for me because if he didn't, then I'd feel just as melancholic. How can anyone muster up enough energy to show any signs of happiness in such a dark and hellish place like that village? Itsuki was so strong to have just that small sliver of light still shining in him… he must've been quite a pillar of strength for many people.
I know it wasn't the best time to be thinking something like that, but I thought he was really cute. Itsuki was just so nice inside and out, and befriended me instantly without judging anything about me, which I really liked, because not a lot of people are that kind. I remember the last night I talked to him - it was just a couple hours before I was going down to the ritual site and rescue Mayu. I wanted to say good-bye to Itsuki, and thank him for all of his help… I had some kind of… strange feeling toward him, like a crush, I guess, but I wasn't going to say anything because it was such a bad time for that kind of confession. I didn't know what he thought about me, but as long as I knew for sure that I liked him, it would have to be enough…
Itsuki really surprised me though; just before I left to finally free my sister from Sae, he took my hand and kissed it… And when I turned back to look at him in a bit of a shock, he cupped my face and kissed me on the mouth this time… not that I was going to complain about that, of course. My first one, and from a nice boy that I liked so much… For just a moment, I pretended that we were kissing each other good night after a date instead of a sad farewell where we might never meet again. His lips were a little cool, but I thought it was just the weather making him cold, since the village didn't exactly have a heating system like normal houses after all. Being with Itsuki like that was such a great feeling, but I was also very sad inside… because I knew there was a really good chance I would never see him again, and I almost felt like crying, but I didn't; I had to be strong.
I don't know how long we kissed, but when we finally broke away from each other, Itsuki's eyes were a little misty. I told him that I had to go rescue my sister and he understood, of course, and wished me good luck on my final confrontation with Sae. It was so hard to leave him, but I needed to save Mayu before it was too late and she got sacrificed for the ritual… I kept looking back at Itsuki as I was walking away, and he was staring directly at me too, waving slowly like he was in a dream, and finally, I had to turn away once and for all. If I saw the sadness on his expression for too long, I knew that I'd run back to stay with him, and that would've proved fatal for this poor village.
I didn't find out that he was dead until recently… It's a little frightening to think that I developed feelings for a ghost, but not even that will stop me from admitting that I liked Itsuki, and he returned my affections. Mayu… she doesn't know about Itsuki. I'm not sure why I haven't told her yet, but maybe it's because she'll probably get protective and a little paranoid, and grill the heck out of me for everything that I know about him… She's been acting this way ever since I pulled her out of that deadly abyss where Sae had fallen into, and found out that I was… blind. I escaped death too many times during my stay at the village, and I would've left unscathed had I not done something so dumb…
Really, it was my fault that I was blinded. After all, Itsuki warned me not to look into the abyss, and I did… stupid me… the spirits inside that darkness did something to my eyes, and now I can't see anymore… Mayu blames herself for what happened to me, but she had nothing to do with it, and I keep telling her that, yet she doesn't believe me. So because of my recent handicap, she promised to protect me instead, and said that she'd never leave my side for the rest of our lives. I should be happy and grateful that she'd do something like that for me, and I am, honestly! But the problem is… well, Mayu - the way she loves me is somewhat different than what I have for her, and I can feel it…
"Sis…" I heard her murmur just then, her breath tickling my ear, "what you're thinking about right now, is it making you sad?"
"A-A little, Mayu…" I admitted; even though sometimes I don't want her to know of my problems, I can't lie to my sister because she sees right through me.
I couldn't see her, but I guessed that she was pouting, an expression she usually displayed to show her displeasure toward something. "Oh, don't be sad, sis… I'll be here for you, always."
I felt Mayu raise an arm and slung it across my shoulders, and her hand that was now on the other side touched my cheek lightly before it rested against my neck. I heard a little more movement after that, and to my surprise, a warm pair of lips found my mouth just then, making me flinch a little, but my sister didn't seem to be bothered by my reaction at all, if by the way I felt her slight smile was any indication. The kiss ended soon and Mayu settled back to her original sitting position and rested her head down on my shoulder once again, leaving me very confused about what she just did. My sister… why did she smile when she kissed me? Just exactly what kind of feelings did she have for me…? The same that Itsuki and I shared? That very possibility alone was… so strange and definitely made me feel a little uncomfortable at the thought…
"Feeling better now, sis…?" She whispered softly, hugging me closer to her with the arm she had around my shoulders.
There was no way I could tell her my real feelings, and I hope that I sounded convincing enough when I told her, "U-um, yeah… Thanks, Mayu…"
"You don't have to thank me," my sister giggled slightly, making her hair rustle against my cheek. "I'll be happy if you're happy. I promised that I won't leave you, and I meant it…
"We'll be together forever, Mio."
I smiled a bit at her insistence, but the intensity of her words still made me shiver… I loved Mayu, but just as a sister, and I didn't know exactly what she wanted from me, and if I found out and couldn't give it to her… Well, that was a worry for later. For now, I just raised my chin and let the dying sun leave me with its warm mark that would have to last until its rebirth the next morning. An image came to my mind just then, with the unique-shaded tress and those reassuring dark eyes, and my smile widened at the memory, even as tainted with sadness as it was, taunting me with what was lost…
I wish we had forever, Itsuki…
The End
Author's Note: Whew, finished! Okay, right off the bat I have to tell you readers that this was my first Fatal Frame fic ever (I'm more of a Bloody Roar author) and I've never even played FF2, so I know that some, if not most of my information was incorrect. I've beaten the first game and seen parts of the second one, and Itsuki and Mio intrigued me, so I decided to write about them. Besides, I knew that my FF2 loving buddy, Vince, wouldn't mind reading a Fatal Frame 2 fic, so I did this mostly for him. =P Well, I threw in the kisses here myself, that much has changed, but I don't know the time frame of the story or anything like that. Oh hey, what do ya know, this was also my first yuri fic! Yay! :D I sure hope I didn't do too badly overall. 0 Anyway, thank you guys for reading this short little fic of mine, and please leave a review!
With love for my fans,
Tiger5913
