Torn Wings
Chapter Three
As was promised, the next few days went on as normal, without incident. If anything seemed to change, it was that Ronin was being quieter than usual and seemed a bit more absorbed in his own thoughts. Saku was almost certain of it, but he forced himself to swallow his paranoid thoughts and just enjoy the time he spent with his brother. He was letting all this 'two become one' stuff go to his head. It probably didn't mean anything.
Aside from Ronin's increased silence, there were several changes that was unrelated to them. Or, at least, Saku liked to think that they were unrelated. The glances that the villagers would cast in their direction weren't very reassuring of the matter. The earth seemed angrier than usual. There were more earthquakes, growing more and more violent as the days passed. They were getting to the point that Saku could barely keep his balance, and Ronin definitely could not, and ended up falling hard on his backside every time one hit. It was more than a little unnerving, especially with how the villagers would constantly bow their heads and pray whenever another earthquake hit.
On more than one occasion, Saku found himself wondering if it meant that what their mother said was true, and it really was up to them to keep the earth calm and pure. If that was the case, how would they even do that? They were only in their fifteenth year, and they had yet to understand this 'two become one' business. How could they do something that was obviously important to the village if they didn't even know what they were supposed to do?
Today seemed especially bad.
No sooner had they stepped out the door to their bedroom did an earthquake hit. Saku stumbled and ended up slamming against the wall, barely managing to catch Ronin's arm to keep him from falling against (or worse, over) the railing next to the stairs. It took a good few minutes to subside, and it took the twins a few more to regain their senses before they could even stand up again. Once they were on their feet again, they moved slowly down the stairs, as though expecting another one to hit at any minute.
As they stepped outside, Saku was more than aware of the glances thrown in their direction. The villagers didn't seem to even try being discreet about it anymore. In fact, he doubted they ever were in the first place. Regardless, it still made him feel uncomfortable and annoyed.
Ronin seemed to pick up on his feelings right away, as he felt the inconspicuous nudge of his brother's elbow against his side before he started up the path towards Misono Hill. Saku followed gladly, eager to be away from the stares, from the prying eyes that seemed to know more than they would say. He was getting sick of it. He didn't want to feel them looking at him anymore.
As they reached the top of the hill, Saku stopped as his jaw dropped in surprise at the sight that awaited them.
"…There's so many of them today…"
There was an unusually large swarm of crimson butterflies today. Normally there would just be about three or four, hovering around the large stone at the center of the hill, but today there were at least twenty or so. They seemed agitated by something. Saku assumed it was because of the earthquakes. They were probably stirring up whatever nest the butterflies had come from.
Ronin took a few slow steps toward the swarm of butterflies, extending his hand towards them. He remained still for a moment, and slowly, one by one, a few of the butterflies landed on his arm. Saku never quite understood how he could do it. Ever since he was a kid, Ronin always seemed to be able to get the butterflies to be comfortable around him. Maybe it was the fact that he was quiet and gentle by nature, but whatever the reason, the butterflies seemed to enjoy his company.
The crimson butterflies… yet another thing of mystery in this village. The butterflies seemed to have some sacred meaning to the villagers, one that once again had yet to be explained to the twins. All Saku knew was that the villagers would pray whenever they saw the butterflies, as though they served some divine purpose.
He wouldn't be surprised if they did. Every time he saw the butterflies, he was reminded of something their mother told them when they were really little.
"The two chosen children
Will be carried to heaven
On the wings of a butterfly."
He never understood what it meant, but he had the feeling that it had something to do with him and Ronin being twins. Everybody in the village seemed obsessed with that fact. Why was it so important, anyway? There were two of them. Did it really make that much of a difference when two happened to be born instead of one?
Saku continued to watch Ronin as the butterflies continued to cling to his hand and the sleeve of his kimono. One of the butterflies, instead of landing on Ronin's arm, decided to land on his neck instead. At first, Ronin seemed surprised, but then, for some reason, he began to look sad, but he didn't move, so that the butterfly was not disturbed from its chosen resting place.
Saku had no idea why, but the very sight seemed to chill him to the bone.
"Pardon me…"
The sudden voice startled both brothers. Even Ronin turned so suddenly that the butterflies all flew away in a panic, fluttering away as fast as they could. The source of the voice was immediately identified, as a person was standing just beyond the torii gate marking the entrance to the village. He was a relatively young man, a little unkempt, carrying a case in one hand, with his kimono and haori a little dirty from traveling.
Saku didn't even notice himself moving, but soon after identifying the intruder, he had moved closer to Ronin, eyeing the stranger warily. If there was anything he could tell for certain about this person, it was the fact that he was an outsider to the village.
"Is there a village nearby?"
A simple question, and it was given an even simpler answer. Ronin pointed towards the path leading down the hill, towards the village. The stranger bowed slightly as an expression of thanks before starting down the hill, moving with an obvious limp. If Saku had to guess, he would have assumed that the man had fallen off the mountain path, likely from the near constant earthquakes they'd been having. It was highly probably that he came here seeking rest and medical assistance.
But the fact remained that he was an outsider. In their secluded little village, outsiders were not well-received.
Uneasy about what might happen, the brothers moved slowly towards the edge of the hill, staring down upon the main body of the village. Despite the distance, they could see the stranger quite clearly, speaking with one of the villagers. Shortly afterwards, the Ceremony Master of the village, the head of the powerful Kurosawa family, approached the stranger, flanked by two of the village priests. The brothers didn't know what to expect, but they knew it would be far from good.
Surprisingly, the Ceremony Master seemed to welcome the outsider, as did everyone else in the village. Such a warm reception was hardly expected by either twin, nor were they expecting the outsider to be led towards the Kurosawa mansion at the far side of the village.
Ronin and Saku exchanged confused glances before looking back down at the village.
What exactly was going on?
--
Despite their feelings of anxiety, the rest of the day was surprisingly uneventful, and not another word was spoken about the outsider. Even if the kind reception that the outsider received was simply for appearance, the brothers were expecting reprisal for leading him to the village. But not a word was said, not about the outsider or about the twins leading him there.
It was almost as though it had never happened. With one exception.
Ronin seemed even stranger than he had been before the outsider had shown up. Shortly after the outsider had vanished from sight, he had actually gone back to the village. Alone. He had claimed to not be feeling well, but before Saku had the chance to protest, or offer to go with him, Ronin was already headed down the hill toward the village. Unsure of what to feel, Saku simply sat in the grass on the hill, surrounded by the butterflies, and waited for his brother to return.
By the time the sun was beginning to set, Ronin still hadn't returned. Saku finally decided to head back home, wondering if his brother really wasn't feeling well. Any thoughts of that were quickly thrown out the window as he finally returned home, and he saw Ronin approaching the house from the direction of the Kiryu household. Saku didn't say anything to his brother, his emotions torn in so many directions. He was hurt at being left behind like that, and angry at Ronin for having lied to him, but he was more curious than anything.
Where had Ronin gone?
Dinner was eaten in silence, and no eye contact was made between any members of the family. Saku was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't catch Ronin's foot nudge against his own in a subtle attempt to catch his attention. Saku didn't even need to look at his brother to know what he was trying to say. As soon as their meal was finished, the twins went to their room in silence, with Ronin leading and Saku following. Ronin lurked by the door for several moments after he and Saku were in their bedroom, looking around warily before shutting the door and sliding the latch to lock it. Saku gave him a confused look, but Ronin simply shook his head, sitting on the floor next to the closet, his back leaning against the wall.
"…" Saku sat down next to him, studying Ronin's face for a long time before opening his mouth to speak. No sooner had he done so did Ronin start to speak, and Saku immediately closed his mouth to listen.
"…Saku… I know the reason why we've been having so many earthquakes recently," Ronin spoke softly, his gaze fixed on the door, as though expecting someone to come through it. "…What I'm about to tell you, I can only say once. The laws of the village forbid it from being said at all, so I need to say it now, when no one will hear it except you."
Saku frowned, but nodded mutely, waiting for his brother to continue.
"…Beneath the village… there is a place… a place which must not be seen… a place which must not be spoken about," Ronin spoke slowly, his voice getting so soft that Saku needed to strain his ears to listen, "Only the priests are allowed there, and these people called 'Mourners'… people who have seen that place and had their eyes sewn shut. That's why the priests hide their faces… why they cover their bodies in sacred writing… so that they may go to that place, and not be overcome by its power.
"They say that place leads to the land of the dead… and that it is in constant danger of overflowing if certain rituals are not performed. That's why the earth has been shaking so much lately… its seal is weakening. New rituals must be done to keep it closed." Ronin drew his legs to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he continued to stare at the door. "…That's why the Ceremony Master allowed the outsider into the village…"
"How do you know all this?" Saku interrupted, not sure exactly whether or not he could believe his brother or not. His brother wasn't one to lie or believe unusual stories like this. Obviously there was something going on that he was unaware of. It was sending chills down his spine.
Ronin simply glanced at him. "You'd be surprised the things that people talk about when they think nobody is listening."
Saku's eyes widened slightly. "So that's why you left earlier?"
Ronin nodded his head slightly, averting his gaze. He was obviously ashamed of eavesdropping, and even more so about the fact that he had to leave his brother behind to do it, but Saku was quite aware as to why. Ronin was quieter, he was like a ghost when he walked. People would hardly realize that he was even there unless he made his presence known. And since everyone in the village seemed insistent on keeping secrets from them, Saku was more than interested in what Ronin had found out.
Saku swallowed hard before leaning closer to Ronin. "…What's going to happen to the outsider?" He kept his voice low, now watching the door in the same paranoid manner his brother had been just minutes ago.
"…A ritual, which can not be spoken about…" Ronin responded softly, "If I heard correctly… they are going to make him into a 'kusabi'."
"A ku--" Saku was cut off by Ronin's hand over his mouth. Apparently the word itself was taboo as well.
"…a sacrifice. I don't know the details… but he will be made to suffer… and then he will be taken to that place… and thrown in. Alive."
"Alive?" Saku grimaced at the thought. "Why does he have to be alive?"
"I don't know," Ronin responded, "I heard someone say that if he died, the ritual would be a failure… that the place will only be satisfied if he is alive and suffering. I don't know what's going to happen to him… I just know that he will never leave this place again… and it's our fault."
"…But… we didn't know…" Saku whispered, although the dread that came with the revelation far outweighed such a flimsy excuse. Ronin simply shook his head, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against his arm.
The brothers sat there in dead silence for a long time before finally preparing for bed. Neither of them really slept through the night, or if they did, their sleep was restless. The next day, they went back up to Misono Hill to sit amongst the butterflies in silence. They sat there all day, sitting back to back in the grass, in absolute silence. Even the butterflies seemed to pity them.
Not a single earthquake occurred that day.
Author's Notes: I said I would upload these once a day. I'm apparently a liar. I will try to restrain myself in the future as far as uploading the rest of these chapters. I simply wanted to post this chapter sooner rather than later. I feel this is where things are finally starting to heat up.
Many thanks to the people who have been reading this story. After three years of nothing, suddenly attempting to write again can be a little nerve wracking. Seeing more than just one or two views in just the first day is really reassuring. And for that I thank you.
Many thanks to my reviewers as well. Granted, at the time I'm writing this, there are only two reviews thus far, but even then, that's more than I expected to find in the first day.
To my anonymous reviewer: I thank you. I am glad you approve of my choice of characters especially. I must say that using twin boys was especially fun to do for this story. I just hope that the 'voice' of the story makes sense for the character, but I'll leave that up to you, among the other readers, to decide.
To MassacreDoll: Your words are especially reassuring. I have been striving to find a way to put more feeling into my writing, and seeing your words has really made me feel that I am doing something right. I'm also glad that I have helped in any way in giving you the inspiration to write again. I definitely look forward to seeing what you have to offer to the world.
Many thanks to you all. I just hope the rest of the story is enjoyable as well.
And now, cultural notes (with a few extra for those who haven't played Fatal Frame 2/Project Zero 2):
-"In their fifteenth year" - It means they're fourteen. Basically, think of it like this: when you're first born, you're in your first year of life. When you actually reach your first birthday, your second year of life begins. Therefore, since Ronin and Saku are in their fifteenth year, they are fourteen years old.
-Butterflies have come to symbolize a lot of things in Japanese culture. Since the very life of a butterfly is about transformation, of life and death, butterflies are often seen as the souls of the deceased, or messengers of the gods. In some areas, it is believed that butterflies are harbringers of doom, although in such cases, the butterfly is pitch black.
-Torii Gate - A traditional Japanese gate that is normally found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine. Normally painted red, they are composed of two upright posts, and two crossbars at the top. They mark the transition from the sacred world to the normal world (hence being located at the entrance to a shrine or other holy place).
-Minakami is a village located deep in the mountains. As a result, there is little to no outside contact, and therefore outsiders are not well received in the village.
-Minakami has no "chief." Instead, Minakami's leader is a man known as the "Ceremony Master". Since Minakami practices old rituals to cleanse the earth, to bring about a bountiful harvest, and to protect the village, the Ceremony Master is a crucial member of their society, as he oversees all the rituals performed in the village in order to ensure they are performed properly.
-There are five main families (or clans) in Minakami. They are the Tsuchihara, Osaka, Kiryu, Tachibana, and Kurosawa families. The Tsuchihara, Osaka, Kiryu and Tachibana families are all branches of the Kurosawa family. Therefore, the Kurosawa family is the most powerful and influential family in the village.