One More Chance
By: Lakija X
Author's Note:
This chapter will be about getting to the Abyss. Red Wings has absolutely nothing to do with it either! Ha ha!
Well, the next chapter is a bit of a crazy "thing," and a bit of a crossover. Just wait and see!
Lakija X.
Mio:
Chapter Five: Red Wings
I looked at Ayane-san. She folded her arms.
"That sounds a lot like Mutsu-chan. He is so understanding..."
I just dropped the page. "Oh no. Why do I have to kiss him?"
Ayane looked up at the ceiling, whistling a little. I fumed.
"What do you know?!"
Ayane was startled by my outburst. "Soo-oo-ry! It's just that I've seen Sae and Yankou kiss before. But it was awkward. Just a peck. I really think that they were just kidd-."
"I don't want to kiss him... It might make Mutsuki-chan upset...Does he even care that I'm gonna kiss his arch enemy?"
Ayane started to walk ahead of me. She didn't answer. She only shrugged her shoulders. "Let's go. We have to find the girls' room before long."
"Wait up!"
"Not till you get over it..." Ayane covered her ears. Maybe she was right.
"Ayane... aww! Come on!"
"Not listening!!!"
We arrived at the Family Alter Room after searching for Yae and Sae's Room. I didn't know where it was. But apparently Miss Kiryu did.
Ayane was looking around the walls for something. She ran her hands along the them... or rather along the lanterns. There was a gazillion of them along the walls.
I, on the other hand, stood in the middle of the vast room, trying to figure out where to start. The lanterns were giving the room a wooden, red color. Freaky...
There were stairwells, three of them, some going up, some going down. Two of them led outside, the last one leading upstairs to the Master's Bedroom. I wanted to figure out where Yae and Sae stayed, but it was going to take much longer than I'd anticipated... or was it?
"Ah! Found it! Let's go child," Ayane said happily. I looked in her direction. She was standing in front of an opening in one of the many shelves in this vast room. It revealed a wooden crawl-space leading through the wall. I never saw that on any map...
"Where does this go to?" I asked, reluctant to go inside.
Ayane was already crouched on the floor. "It's a... lady-in-waiting's entrance. It should lead to the twins' hidden room."
I nodded and followed her into the passageway. It gradually became bigger, and I was able to walk after a while. The walls were cold and washed down, so that the wood was pale. It was only slightly warped though, in good shape to be hundreds of years old.
"Were you Sae's servant?" I asked.
Ayane nodded, touching the ceiling of the hall, as if in reminiscence.
"I remembered that Sae left the key to their room in there. She was going to give it to her beloved Itsuki, but when she found his body, she became saddened. So I told her to leave it here. Therefore, no one would dare enter her room ever again. She said that I and my sisters were always welcome in here, no matter what happened. Afterward, I prepared her for the ritual, and let her go, sorrow, depression, duty and all."
I listened to every word. "Gosh... I never got to record that stuff in my memo book. Why I never came across any records of you... I don't know..."
Ayane and I came to a door, and she did not reply to my discovery...
The twins' room was certainly fancy... yet it was cozy. Everything was covered in dust. The wooden walls were pretty much still intact, and the satin pillows were untouched by insects. Yae and Sae's white kimonos were elaborately hung in their special places. Their others were folded neatly in a beautiful kimono box against the wall. I marveled at the pretty of it all!
"Go on. Open the box. Then, remove the cherry blossom yukata from it. If that particular scene we saw with Itsuki and Yankou was when I remember it was, then there may be another vision here, from the same summer."
Ayane looked at me, waiting. I however, wanted to know a bit more. Nevertheless, I opened the box. There had to be some really nice summer kimonos inside.
"So, you mean... that Yankou talked to Itsuki's girl right before he was to be in te Ritual? That's really low... oh this is so pretty... So basically, that same night, maybe, Yankou came to tell Sae about what he and Itsuki discussed... gosh, I just contradicted myself... he was innocently coming here to talk to Sae about how Itsuki was really a good person..."
"Mio... you sound like you're talking to yourself," Ayane warned. Did I?
"Oh! Sorry." I reached deep the box, pulling out a nice, soft kimono. I could feel embroidery on its front. Perfect. It had to be the one.
"Is this it?" I asked Ayane. She looked at it once, nodding.
"Of course! That's the one! Isn't it precious!"
I viewed myself in the mirror. I looked just gorgeous. It took a while for Ayane to remember how to tie a butterfly obi, but she got it.
Let's get back on track shall we...
Ayane found a trap door in front of the kimono stand. It led out into a hall that must have been outside the Family Alter Room. I gave Ayane my belongings, and she wished me luck as I set off to find Yankou.
Ayane was walking after me when I noticed her footsteps slowing down. That's because right then, Yankou appeared.
"Sae... is that you? Look... I'm so sorry that this has to happen, but please try and understand that the Ritual is not all good."
I looked at him funny. Was he talking to me? Oh yeah! He was!
"Hm... oh yes! It's me... And... I understand."
He looked me over in the dark. "What? Just like that? You were so enthusiastic about the Ritual before..."
My eyes widened. I was?
"Oh! That... well, now that you've said it, it makes sense."
Yankou looked at me suspiciously. I could see a little wetness on his face, but his eyes were piercing into my skull.
"Are you okay? Are you... Yae?"
"No... of course not. I'm just..." I though of what Mayu would say.
"I'm just so frightened of what Itsuki and Mutsuki must do tomorrow that... I feel I have to be strong."
Yankou's gaze relaxed. "Yes, I know what you mean Sae. Mutsuki is really... not that bad. We used to be such good friends before... I messed that up. Now he'll probably haunt my family in his afterlife..."
"No he won't! He's much too... kind for that." I stepped toward him.
I had to make sure that he was real. He lowered his head in shame, and so I took that opportunity to touch his face. It was wet and soft. Warm too. He was almost a real guy. So my work was almost done... right?
Right?
He raised his head. His eyes were a beautiful mocha color against his soft golden skin. His long ponytail had been scented with something fragrant. He tried to smile a little, but a firm sense of duty inside of him kept it from rising to the surface.
Instead, he looked at me. He had downcast eyes, like Mutsuki, but I could feel a bad attitude! Ha ha.
Anyway, I couldn't help patting his face, so he wouldn't cry anymore. I guess he'd been sad for the Tachibanas.
He looked into my eyes. Then, I don't what hit me or him.
But somehow, we ended up kissing each other. At first I was surprised when his lips touched mine. I was confused.
Then a whole bunch of other emotions cut lose. I was angry at myself for doing this. Then I felt pleasing and warm. Then I was feeling guilty. Then I felt sorry for this poor creature. Then I felt as if I was a traitor!
Gosh...!
I felt his hand on my back, but... no way!
I stopped kissing Yankou, and pushed him out of my reach. He stumbled into a wall almost near the end of the hallway!
His eyes widened, then he shuddered, as if just realizing he were alive. His face was startled. "What's going on?! Sae? What were we-"
"Nothing! I'm not Sae!" I was yelling.
Ayane had watched the whole thing. She nodded to me. "Good going kid. I'm proud of you."
I looked at her like... what?
"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?"
I asked angrily. Oh, was I taking out my shame and frustration on Ayane.
She merely rolled her eyes, and went over to that girl-hypnotizer... Yankou...
I think I want to skip ahead, so here goes:
We arrived at the opening to the Hellish Abyss. I kept on the kimono, because I didn't have enough time to change.
Yankou was full ready to take on Sae after we explained everything to him. He was a little angry after I told him about the kiss. He eventually cast that aside though.
"Mio. You are doing this for Mutsuki-kun, right? Where did Yae go?"
I looked at Yankou.
"Yae got married. To Itsuki's best friend."
Yankou gasped. Then he got angry again. "Why would she do that? Did... oh... yes, I forgot... Mutsuki was gone by the time she married, yes?"
I nodded.
"She had children as well. Or one daughter at least."
Yankou simply sniffed and kept walking. I guess he didn't like that...
What would he say if I told him Yae had committed suicide?
We reached the Abyss in a short time. The mourners had not appeared at all. I wondered where they were. They usually guarded the entrance, with their eyes sewn shut, but what ever... If they weren't here, then I'd make the best of it.
I looked around in the Chamber. The air was extremely stale, and dust floated around. Fog drifted into the chamber from the Abyss, and the grief-stricken moans were frightening.
This was my first time seeing this portion of All God's Village. It was as I imagined it would be.
I gazed around me. Oh! There... there she was...
It seemed that Sae was waiting for me. I wasted no time with theatrics or dramatic endings. I pushed Yankou in front of me right into Sae's deadly arms. He glared at me. But eventually got the message and looked at his would-be lover.
At first she probably wanted to deliver his death wish in person, but then, as she gazed upon him, she knew what I was planning.
She tried to run away from him, but Yankou grabbed her before she could leave.
Sae struggled within the boy's arms, but he had a firm grip.
I couldn't hear what he was telling her, but she stopped squirming. She started to listen to him. I told you he was a girl-hypnotizer. After he finished, Sae put her hand to her mouth. She shuddered, and looked down at her blood-stained kimono, I think.
Tears streaked her face. Yankou wiped them away, and at last, she wrapped her arms around Yankou's neck.
I got excited! I ran over to them, and Ayane followed me. She was being quiet.
I finally reached Yankou. He looked troubled.
"Sae says that the Abyss is going to blow at this time. So we need to get a move on. The Kusabi is angry now, so let's GO!"
He grabbed Sae's and my hand, but I pulled away.
"What about Mutsuki-chan?"
Yankou stopped. "What? I don't see him. And we don't have the time to wait. Not only is it almost sunrise, but the Abyss is about to go into total chaos!"
I shook my head. "I'm waiting. You just go home. You and Sae and Ayane. I'll be okay," I told him, sure of myself.
His confidence in me, however, was teetering toward none.
"No way! Not on your life. There's no way I'll let you stay here Mio! This is dangerous!"
Ayane spoke up then. "I'll stay with her. She has to do this. It's what she wants."
Yankou started to object, but Ayane stopped him mid-sentence.
"Yankou, I know you don't want her to, but how would she live if she didn't try? I know I sound crazy, but if she didn't die now, and knew she could save a life, but never even attempted to, how would she live with that?"
Yankou crossed his arms, but a tremor unwound them. He fell down onto the ground. The Kusabi was awakening....
Another tremor broke out soon after that. The deadly spirit emerged from the Abyss before I could get a move on. I gasped as he came forth. I could only do so much with this ghost but... I could do it, no matter what.
"GO! I'll be FINE!" I yelled. The wind had started to whirl around us, like a tornado.
Yankou had to be dragged outside. There was a chamber at the other end of the room, and it led to the forest, an escape.
"NOOOOOOOOO! Mio you get your a-"
I didn't hear the rest of Yankou's cries, but I think I know what he was saying. Something bad, probably.
He was so nice. A man of honor, that he was.
Ayane had my things for me. Quickly I equipped my camera, and loaded it with Type Zero Film.
I hoped that this spirit was an easy capture.
"YOU HAVE T...ONE SPOT MIO. HE CAN TE...!"
Ayane was yelling at the top of her lungs over the screaming tempest, but I only caught bits and pieces. The tornado was devastating. And I couldn't find Mutsuki anywhere.
I started out in a run. The Kusabi was stupid, I think, so he didn't follow me. Forcing my body against the wind, I found a spot where he couldn't touch me. I could see a forlorn expression on her pretty face. Why? I wondered.
The Kusabi moved about quite a bit. I snapped a picture of him as soon as he appeared in fron of me.. He merely moaned. What?
He wasn't dying!
I waited for my camera to charge again. The Kusabi was reaching out for me.
"Hurry up!" I yelled at my camera.
I ducked under one of the ghost's swipes. I screamed. He had nearly gotten my head!
Finally, I heard the click. Whoo hoo! The film was up again.
He started to go for an encore swipe. I sensed a Fatal Frame, and clicked the shutter. The Kusabi shrieked. He wiped his face, as if I had burned it. Ha ha!
But...
The Kusabi appeared behind me! I felt a sharp pain in my back. It felt as if I was being shocked.
I screamed.
"Get away from me!!!" I waved my arms around frantically.
The Kusabi did in fact, disappear. I reached on my back. A talisman! At that moment, I felt like the life was being drained from me. My mind started to shut down. The world turned before me. I was being turned off from the Earth.
I don't remember what happened after that. So I'll let someone else take over now. This story is well told by me, Mio, but I'm sure that Ayane-chan will be happy to tell you more about it later. I'll see you in a bit. Itsuki's making coffee for us...
Author's Notes: After you read this, you can also read Chapter Six! That's all for now! Have fun!!!
-Lakija XD