A/N: Somehow I missed this, I could have sworn I wrote this in a previous A/N, but as I reviewed the previous chapters not one of them had this: Disclaimer; I do NOT own either Fatal Frame 2 OR Get Backers, however this IS my original story. Adherence to the characters' cannon behaviour has been done to the best of my ability, however artistic liberties were taken concerning the back-stories of the minor Fatal Frame 2 characters for storyline purposes. Um, there? Well, anyway, here's Chapter 10. Enjoy, it's going to be a bit before I update again because now I'm up to the point where I have nothing else actually written; I must write more now, this is as far as I had gotten.
Ban and Himiko made their way back down the ramp to the path and started heading for the Osaka house. They walked in silence for a while, Himiko completely miffed and nervous that Ban had let Ginji go. How could you outrun a ghost, especially when they can disappear and reappear behind you? Or worse, in front of you!
Himiko shuddered at the thought. She didn't like this situation one bit. "I know what you're thinking," Ban said aloud, catching Himiko off guard, "But Ginji's a man of his word, if he says he's going to do things quickly he does. He'll find monkey boy and get him and thread-spinner out in no time and they'll meet up with us." "Well that's good to hear, but that still leaves me with the worry of what we're going to do in the meantime..." Himiko said glaring at him the whole time. Ban never turned back to look but he could feel the weight of her stare. "We'll be fine," he said coolly, "We'll just have to be just as quick, that's all." "Heh, easier said then done," Himiko retorted as she stopped. They had reached the front of the house, Himiko pulled out the map again and looked at it, this time Ban joined her. They studied the map a moment before looking back to the house, "Well, lets do this," Ban said heading for the front door. Himiko winced as she followed behind him.
Once inside they were on their guard, Ban moved more quickly than Himiko but always kept his eyes on everything around him. Now in the sunken fireplace room they paused a moment to look around. Himiko pulled out the map and said, "Straight ahead, down this hallway," in a hushed tone. "Really think they can hear us?" Ban asked moving forward. Himiko simply glared at him and followed, 'Damn show off.'
Ban made it to the first intersection of the hallway and stopped, suddenly he felt a chill go up his spine and found himself looking straight ahead to the end of the hall, but saw nothing. Ban looked on a moment before turning his attention back to Himiko, "This way, right?" Ban asked as he thumbed to his left. Himiko nodded and they went down the short corridor coming to a sliding door at the end. They looked at each other for a moment then Ban slid the door open and they went inside.
Himiko led the search down the right side; she ran her hand along the wall trying to feel for crevices that would indicate a hidden door. About midway down the wall she thought she felt something, Ban came over and began inspecting the spot as Himiko looked at the map and moved over to the small altar. On her way to the altar something caught her eye on the floor in the far corner; there on the floor among the debris was an odd looking camera.
Himiko moved to examine the camera, Ban hadn't noticed, "Yeah, I think there is a door here Himiko, any luck with–" He turned to look at her but she wasn't where he thought she would be. "Himiko?" Ban asked looking around. "I'm right here Ban," she said from the floor. "What're you doing down there?" He asked moving over to her. "Look at this," she said picking up the camera to show it to him. Ban took the camera and looked at it, "It's a camera, what about it?" Ban looked at her handing it back. Himiko scowled, "Do you ever really look at things Midou? Look through the lens," she said shoving the camera back at him. He took it and held it up to see. "What do you make of those markings around the center?" she asked. Ban shrugged and handed the camera back. "Who knows, but it is a very old camera, I can tell you that much." "Thanks Sherlock," she said exasperated as she snatched it back.
Ban proceeded to examine the altar as Himiko lifted the camera to look through it once more. She looked around the room with it and the camera reacted when she looked at the door. It's reaction startled her and she brought the camera down away from her face. "What's wrong?" Ban said looking at her. "It...it just did something..." Himiko said amazed and she put the camera back up and looked at the door. It reacted again and this time she actually saw what it was reacting to; there was the woman, standing in the door. Himiko gasped and pulled the camera back down really fast and began to back away, but as soon as the camera was down she looked at the door and the woman was gone.
Himiko stopped, puzzled. "Himiko, what the hell's going on?" Ban asked concern and irritation in his voice. "I...I see her, but..." she began and then put the camera back up. The camera reacted again and there she was, still in the doorway. Himiko instinctively moved her finger to the shutter button to take a picture. "Himiko!" Ban exclaimed. Snap! Himiko took the picture and watched through the lens as the woman faded away. She pulled the camera down and stared at the door mesmerized; she was gone.
Himiko looked down at the camera in her hands, "Himiko! Is she still here, what's going on?" Ban said grabbing her this time, demanding a response. Himiko looked at him, "Ban, I think this camera can fight them, just like Ginji can. I took a picture and she's gone," Himiko said, half dreamily, looking back down at the camera and grabbing the photograph it had produced. Himiko looked at the developing photo and shook it in order to make it develop faster; Ban watched and awaited the results.
Himiko stopped shaking it to look, it was practically developed now and she saw her. "Look," she said handing the photo to Ban. Ban took it and looked at it, he saw the image of a woman, "Is this her?" he asked. "Yes, that's the woman that tried to attack me and Ginji when we were here last." "She's kinda cute for a dead woman," Ban said. Himiko punched him, "Midou!" she yelled. Ban laid on the floor rubbing his head, "Geez, can't you take a joke, Himiko?" he asked looking up at her.
She glared at him but could feel herself blushing and looked away, back at the altar. Ban stood, "Well, if you think this camera can fight them then there's only one way to find out," he said. Himiko looked at him, "Let's hang on to it," he said. Himiko simply nodded and clutched the camera. Ban looked at her with the camera a moment, but said nothing and turned his attention to the altar as well. Himiko was fiddling with it; it appeared that all the circular pinwheel crests could move except for the center one.
"Looks like we gotta make the colors match," Ban said watching her. "Yeah," she said pulling back. Ban took over and in less then two minutes managed to solve the puzzle. To their right they heard something click, it startled them, but Ban quickly recovered and moved forward. He put his hands on the wall where they suspected the door to be and pushed outward first, nothing, then he pushed to one side and the door slid open. Himiko pulled out the map and examined it, "That's it," she said, "The key should be down there somewhere." "Alright, let's move," Ban said and they both proceeded to descend the stairwell.
Kazuki opened the door he had come through with Ginji following behind. Ginji looked down the hallway, 'This place is even tattered on the inside too...' he thought. Kazuki hesitated a moment and then began walking forward. Ginji could see the nervousness in Kazuki's expression and decided to strike up a conversation in an effort to calm him. "So, uh..." Ginji began, Kazuki turned to him stopping in front of another door, "What do these little girls look like?" Kazuki bit his lip and looked to the door he stood beside. He put his hand on the door and appeared to brace himself before he slid it open.
Ginji watched puzzled and alert, something was obviously behind this door. Ginji moved closer to his friend and stood right behind him, ready to jump in front to protect him if necessary. Swoosh! Kazuki slid the door open and Ginji found himself staring at a disturbing sight; the walls were lined with tables decorated with countless dolls, but the disturbing sight was what was directly across from them, life-size replicas of two little girls and one was missing her arms and head!
Ginji stood motionless, "Th-thats's...them?" he asked. "Yes," Kazuki said, he began to motion to close the door but Ginji grabbed him, stopping and startling him at the same time. He looked at Ginji but Ginji was looking straight ahead as if watching something. Kazuki looked and saw nothing, and then he looked back at Ginji, still watching intently. "Ginji-san, what's wrong?" Kazuki asked nervous and confused by his actions, but Ginji didn't respond he merely stared on, his grip growing tighter by the minute. Kazuki winced, Ginji's grip beginning to hurt, and struggled to free himself, but Ginji's grip was iron clad; Kazuki wasn't going anywhere.
Not long after Ginji asked he blinked and could see Munakata before him seeming to try and console an older woman who knelt before the life-size dolls before her. "I'm very sorry about your husband Mrs. Kiryu." The woman merely nodded silently without looking at him; her head bowed in sorrow as she knelt before the doll on the left, the whole one. Ginji noticed that even though things were as new, the right doll was still incomplete. He wondered about that as he looked on.
"Um," Munakata shifted, seeming uncertain if he should continue, " Forgive me for asking," he bowed, "But do you know anything about the coming festival?" Mrs. Kiryu sat in silence, never looking at Munakata. Ginji became uneasy about her silence, there was something very dark about it; he could see Munakata was nervous as well.
Finally, after the silence seemed to drag on for an eternity she spoke, "We are not to speak about the ritual you speak of." "Ritual?" Munakata asked, surprised. "Yes," Mrs. Kiryu said, never moving a muscle. "Oh, um.." Munakata began both flustered and curious, "I, um, understand. Please forgive me," he bowed. Mrs. Kiryu simply shook her head, still unmoving.
Munakata lingered a moment, Ginji assumed it was for the same reason he would've lingered; he was still curious. After a brief moment Munakata spoke again, "That doll is very beautiful," referring to the doll she knelt before. "Thank you," Mrs. Kiryu replied, "My late husband made them." "He made all of these?" Munakata asked, looking around the room at the rows of dolls on either side. "Yes," she said.
Munakata looked back to the doll before Mrs. Kiryu and moved forward, closer to her, "This one is exceptionally beautiful, did he have a model for this one?" "Yes," she said, "These were my daughters." Munakata jumped a little from surprise at her statement. He looked to his right to see that in fact there was another life-sized doll, however this one was missing it's head and arms.
Munakata moved closer to it, "Oh, was your husband not able to finish this one?" "He did," she said, "However, we had to destroy it." "Oh? Why?" Munakata asked. Ginji wasn't sure he liked where this was going. "Because," Mrs. Kiryu began, "Our daughter Akane became possessed by a demon." "A demon?" Munakata asked looking toward the incomplete doll for a moment before looking back to her. Mrs. Kiryu finally stood, but never took her eyes off the doll before her, "Yes, our daughter carried around a doll of her sister, a doll her father made for her after her sister passed away. She began telling us that the doll spoke to her, told her things, and it was then we became worried for her. My husband took the doll from her destroyed it. Our daughter's condition however did not get any better. So my husband made this one," she gestured toward the doll Munakata stood before, "so that a ritual could be performed on it, sending the demon back to hell. Our daughter, however, took the doll and pleaded with us not to take it from here again. When my husband took it from her again, our daughter..." she paused for a moment, as if taking in the memory.
Munakata looked concerned, "What happened, Mrs. Kiryu?" Finally she turned to him, her face told of many years of both strife and deep regrets, "Our daughter, our dear Akane, chanting things a child ought not to chant, killed my husband." Both Munakata and Ginji froze with terror and disbelief. "Ginji-san!!!" Ginji heard from somewhere next to him and he blinked and found himself back to the present, his friend struggling next to him to free himself of his grip.
Ginji blinked a moment at his struggling friend and then released him. Both of them panting, Kazuki from pain and exhaustion and Ginji from shock, the two looked at each other. Ginji looked back to the dolls as Kazuki spoke to him, "Ginji what happened? Why did you do this to me?" he asked rubbing his arm. "I-I'm sorry," Ginji said looking back to his friend. Just then the temperature plummeted and Ginji and Kazuki could hear children's laughter.
Somewhere to Ginji's right he heard a child whisper, "Why do we kill?" Ginji didn't even turn to look, he grabbed Kazuki again and yanked him out of the room throwing both him and himself against the far wall with the door sliding shut behind them.
Ginji and Kazuki remained on the floor a moment staring at the door still panting, "That was..." Kazuki began. "Them," Ginji finished, not taking his eyes from the door. The temperature in the hallway was normal and Ginji and Kazuki could no longer hear the children. Ginji stood finally, looking to his friend and extending a hand, "Come on, Kazu. Let's get out of here." Kazuki looked up at Ginji bewildered, but took his hand and stood. The two of them set off down the hallway, silent for the time being.