The next chapter of Michiko and Reiko. The summary's the same, so I'm not going to post it again. The story's hopefully going to make more sense than the last one did, but it's still going to be more or less the same. I only rewrote it because the last one seemed too confusing, hopefully this one won't be as confusing.


Chapter 5- Ending 2

Kirie

The other girl...how can she still be so stubborn? Wanting to save her sister from this fate...it's impossible. She must know that there's no way I'll let her intervene any further. And Mafuyu...stalling me and preventing any other ghost from harming her. How I long to kill her. No matter, he can't guard her forever.

With Reiko being purified right now, what can Michiko do? Nothing. Nothing at all.


Michiko

Groaning, Michiko sat up and rubbed her head. Opening her eyes made her feel nauseous; her vision was blurry and discolored, a grayish color. 'Reiko…she was here…right?' a voice in her head questioned. 'No…it was…it was…'

"Kirie," she whispered as an answer. "She was here…"

Suddenly remembering what had happened, Michiko stood up, a bit too fast, and ran down the stairs to find Reiko. On the last step, she lost her footing and fell down with a crash. This made her nausea even worse and her hand flew up to her mouth. She tried to breathe slower, but lost it when thoughts of Reiko made her heart race. The ipod had clicked over yet again, but Michiko ignored it. The noise became louder and she turned her head to the door, where the noise was loudest. As she was about to stand up, she caught a glimpse of a transparent hand phasing through the door. Startled, she jumped away from the door and watched as the rest of the long armed man came through the door. At once, the man darted for her. Michiko side stepped him and raced up at the stairs to the anteroom, suddenly thinking that it would be safer. The man hovered, almost lazily behind her, trying to grab her ankles. Michiko turned, the man passing through the wall and opened the door. She slammed it shut just as his finger grazed her shoe. To her surprise, he wouldn't go through the wall into the room. Not wanting to take any chances though, she sat near the drawers and rifled through the bags she had left in the room.

Grabbing a bottle of water from her bag, she drank deeply and scanned the room apprehensively. To her comfort there was still no sign of any ghosts. Her breathing was returning to normal, her dizziness was almost gone, and her nausea had almost faded away. The only thing that remained was her gray vision. No matter how hard or how many times she rubbed her eyes, the gray still remained. A sudden memory passed through her mind. 'Your sister has no powers? …she can see them, you can't…'

"Is that what Mafuyu meant?" Michiko asked, tightening the cap and placing it back in the bag. "Reiko could see these things…like this? How?" She pulled her earphones off her ears and hung them around her neck. "Guess there's no point in wearing these if I can see them too."

She lay against the drawer and looked up at the ceiling. So many thoughts passed by in a blur, she couldn't hold onto one of them for longer than three seconds. 'How can I see the ghosts…Where's Reiko…Where the hell is Mafuyu…Should I leave without her…How are we going to get out of here…Why's this happening…I…I want her back…'


Kirie

How stupid I am! Giving that girl the same power...what was I thinking! It must have been Mafuyu's little distraction. I didn't think that he would have guarded the other girl for this long. Well, the other ghosts can still try to attack her; I don't care what happens to them. All my attention has to be set on Reiko. If she forgets for a second...it'll be almost impossible to get her back under my control.


Reiko

Cold air seeped through the large hole at the top of the ceiling making Reiko shudder again. The large hole in the center of the shrine was completely blackened except for the small slivers of silver light from the gaping hole in the ceiling. Reiko could see a rusted ladder in the moonlight and wondered briefly if it was safe to climb down. She stepped forward and peered down into it. She could only see a foot below before the darkness swallowed up the rest of the cave. Reiko stood over the edge and suddenly wondered how she had gotten here. She didn't remember walking here, she didn't remember her searches of the mansion, she barely remembered there was even a mansion, she could vaguely remember someone with her…someone close to her…

'But…who?' she thought. 'Why…can't I…remember…Mich…Mi…what was the name? Was it real…or is it just…a dream I had…or something?'

"The ritual has to continue." Someone sharply said behind her. "Go down the ladder."

'Ritual? What ritual?' Reiko thought as she turned around, not surprised to the sight of the ceremony master and the priests. Although she wanted to ask her thought, she asked something else. "Will it hold?" she started to smile. "It really doesn't look…stable."

The ceremony master nodded slightly causing Reiko to think that he was irritated with her. She laughed at the thought although there wasn't any reason to and started to climb down. The ladder did hold her weight and she reached the bottom of the cave with a slight splash of water. She looked at her hands and saw that rust was on them, she rubbed her hands on her shirt and looked more closely at the new surroundings.

A mummy was right across from her. Reiko examined it and could see that it was in pretty bad shape. The neck seemed to almost have cracked completely off and the head was leaning dangerously forward, giving the impression that she was in a bowing position. Reiko smiled and touched it. The bones were cold and felt wet, like rain had dripped onto her which was impossible since the mummy was in a little alcove. Reiko backed away as she had heard a light splash to her right. A woman in a white kimono stood near a door Reiko hadn't seen. The woman's appearance reminded Reiko of herself and someone else, the same person she supposedly had entered the mansion with. She tried again to recall the name, but it didn't work.

"You know what you must do," the woman said, her voice echoing in the small area. "You have to finish the ritual, so that the gate won't open."

"I never started the ritual," Reiko replied, laughing loudly again. "How can it be finished then?"

The woman frowned. "You know what I mean. The ritual has to end with your sacrifice. It has to finish with you."

Reiko couldn't control her laughter and before she knew what she was saying, she opened her mouth again. "It was supposed to end with you, but you were a failure! You were given a second chance years ago and you blew it! Now it's my turn," she stopped laughing but continued to smile. "What'll you do if I fail? Who else is there that you can use?"

"You're insane," the woman said coldly. "You have no idea what you are saying."

"You're telling me that I'm lying?" Reiko asked with a laugh.

"I'm telling you that you don't know what you are saying. I'm not saying that you're lying; I'm saying that you have to finish the ritual. Now!"

"Why can't you use that other person?"

"There is no other person," the woman said calmly, but Reiko could see her eyes widen in surprise. "You are the last. The last Shrine Maiden."

Reiko stopped laughing and tried to remember the other person she had mentioned. 'Who is she? Why do I have any feeling that I know her when I have no memory of her? Wait, how did I know it was a girl?' Another voice seemed to pop in her mind. 'But I know she's here, I've seen her around the mansion. I've tried to kill her…but it hasn't worked yet…Mafuyu guards her…could she be used?'

The woman stared at Reiko as she looked up the hole. "There's another person here. Don't lie to me and say that there isn't." Reiko turned back to face the woman. "Don't lie, Kirie."

Kirie blanched. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. Finally, she snapped her fingers and the priests appeared beside Reiko, two grabbed her arms the other two followed behind and the ceremony master led the way. As they neared the door, Reiko laughed again at Kirie as she turned back to the evil Malice Kirie.

"I don't want to die!" she shouted mockingly at her as the priests tried to push her through the door.

Kirie cursed Reiko under her breath and vanished, leaving Reiko struggling against the priests.


Kirie

Damn her. She can hear my thoughts? She doesn't remember her life but remembers mine? What the hell? I shouldn't use her then. She may still be insane and not remember her past, but if she remembers mine the ritual will fail. But Michiko...can I use her? Mafuyu is watching her closely, it's going to be impossible for me to get near her...maybe...maybe Reiko still has a use to me after all...


Michiko

A noise echoed above her. Michiko looked over and could see a small square high in the ceiling. She stood up and walked just below it. She hesitated as another noise could be heard from above her head. 'Maybe I should just leave…but what door should I use?' Michiko turned around and could see the other door beside the drawers she had laid against.

"Go through the door you came in."

Michiko turned back around and saw Mafuyu standing right in front of her. She gasped and almost fell backward but regained her footing.

"Where've you been?" Michiko asked.

"Don't take your anger out at me," Mafuyu said. "I was upstairs, as I think you heard, trying to stop the ghosts from entering the room. You'd be surprised at how strong they are," he added noticing her skeptical face. "Especially when they're angry."

"Angry? At me? What did I do to them?"

"Nothing. They're angry at being ordered around by Kirie since they had left years ago, but now they're back and are being told to kill you…which they're happy to do since they think that they'll go back to where they were after my sister defeated Kirie." He sighed. "They don't know that it's not that simple…"

"Do you know where Reiko is?" Michiko asked, cutting him off.

"Yes…"

"Well?"

"She's at the Moon Shrine. The shrine in the atrium."

"Oh…ok." Michiko went through the door and went down the hall, not noticing until she was about to go outside that Mafuyu had followed her. "Why are you stalking me?"

"I'm not stalking you!" he shouted angrily. "I think it's better for me to come with you so that I can protect you and your sister."

"You don't need to; I can see the ghosts too, so I can take care of myself." Michiko said as she opened the door and went outside.

Mafuyu sighed and whispered to himself. "Seeing them only gets you so far, you can't attack them. At least I can…"

It was windier now than when they had first entered the mansion. Michiko hurried to the building in the atrium and went up the small set of stairs. Looking down, she could see a few pieces of a tablet on the ground and a plate hung loosely on the door. Mafuyu looked at these and started to think that they shouldn't go in there, but Michiko had beaten him to speaking and had already entered the shrine.

Michiko looked around the bare room, wondering if it really was the gray that she could see or was it a different color. A large shrine had slid back and now revealed a hole. Michiko walked warily over to it and looked down into its depths. Nothing was there, at least she couldn't see if anything was there. Mafuyu looked over her shoulder and stared down the hole. As Michiko was about to go down the ladder a shout startled her and she had almost fallen down.

"Reiko?" she asked, leaning over the edge as far as she could without falling. "Reiko! Are you down there!"

"Use your flashlight." Mafuyu said, pointing to her pocket.

Michiko took it out and turned it on. As the light went down the hole another yell sounded. Michiko almost dropped her flashlight as she saw a flash of a transparent arm far below. Fearing it was Kirie she backed away as Mafuyu vanished. She almost yelled in anger, but was stopped when something cold grazed her cheek.


Reiko

The priest had finally let her go as they had heard someone up above yell her name. Reiko watched, confused, as they left her. She laughed again as she heard the same person above scream and heard feet hit the metal of the ladder. Reiko stepped closer to the mummy and watched as the girl finally reached the ground. The girl turned around and looked as though she was going to cry. Reiko stepped back, smiling when she saw the ceremony master right behind the other girl.

"Reiko," the girl said, choking back the tears. "I've been looking for you…come on, let's get out of here."

Reiko shifted her head to the side, but didn't move. She didn't even acknowledge that the girl had spoken to her. All she could hear was Kirie's voice, almost yelling, in her head.

"Reiko, what's wrong?" the girl asked, concerned. "We have to get out of here, now. Come on!"

The girl turned to go up the ladder and the ceremony master had vanished just as she reached up to grab a rung.

"No!" Reiko shouted, grabbing the girl's wrist. "There's a quicker way."

The girl stared but shrugged to let Reiko lead the way. Reiko opened the door to the side and they entered another larger cavern. They went down and ran past the narrow bridge, avoiding the ghosts standing by, watching them.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Michiko asked.

They opened the doors at the end of the hall and entered the room. In the center of the room was a large wooden wheel, stained with blood and other turning devices around the large table. Michiko gasped and looked at Reiko.

"Where are we, Reiko?"

Reiko opened her mouth, but stopped as Kirie appeared sitting on the altar. Michiko backed away, grabbing Reiko and leading her back too.

"You won't be able to get out that way," Kirie whispered, loud enough for both girls to hear her. "All the ghosts are out there and with a sacrifice standing right in front of them, I doubt that they'd let you leave."

"We aren't sacrifices, Kirie! We're not going to die just because you want to leave!" Michiko shouted.

"Who said that the both of you are sacrifices?" Kirie asked, standing up. "I only need one of you; the ritual won't fail either way. You're both able enough to be the next sacrifice. Both of your ties to the outside world have been severed for days, if anyone had cared enough about you, don't you think they would have come here by now?" Michiko looked down at the floor, clearly thinking that that was true. "The only problem is that Michiko is two years older than a normal Shrine Maiden…but the Hell Gate would find an older sacrifice far better than a younger."

Michiko swallowed and looked at her sister. Reiko was staring at the wheel, happily waiting for the girl to lay on it. "So I imagine you've chosen me, haven't you Kirie?" Michiko whispered.

"Very good, Michiko."

"I think the ritual will fail anyway though, if you use either of us." Michiko muttered. "So what if we haven't been outside for days, so what if the Hell Gate thinks that I'd be a better sacrifice? The thing is, I don't want to die, and you didn't want to die either did you? That's what caused your ritual to fail, that's what would cause mine to fail to, wouldn't it?"

"It's not my problem," Kirie said as the priests forced her down on the altar. "Once you've died, I can leave. I don't honestly care if it works or not. I just want to leave."

Michiko tried to struggle against them, but it was impossible. Reiko watched, amused, as the ropes were tied to her limbs. Michiko tried to yell at her sister for not helping, but the words died away when she saw how happy she was. At this, her heart felt empty.

'My own sister is smiling for me to die…'

The four priests and the ceremony master started to turn the wheels, causing Michiko to scream as her pulse started to fade. Michiko started to feel her arms and legs tear and the pressure on her neck caused her breathing to slow. After a few minutes the men paused.

"Any last words?" Kirie said, laughing.

"Reiko…" she said turning toward her sister. "Why…do you…smile?"

Reiko opened her mouth but wasn't able to tell her why. The priests and ceremony master all pushed one last time and Michiko's last scream echoed through the room. Blood showered the altar and her limbs were torn from her body. At this sight, Reiko screamed and covered her eyes. The men each grabbed a rope and left through another door, Kirie leading the way, leaving Reiko alone with Michiko's broken body.


Kirie

Michiko's ritual...it failed. The Malice went through the mansion and out to the nearby village trapping all the souls down to that place. Reiko was able to leave with Mafuyu's help and she's basically back to normal now.

At least I was able to leave, I was granted that much. For me now, Himuro mansion is a terrible memory. Poor Mafuyu, though. I wanted him to leave with me, but he wanted to stay behind. I don't know why he would though. Michiko will be just as I had been. Hopefully no one will stray into that mansion again...unless they have a death wish.


Reiko

Reiko stared hopelessly as she looked through the woods that had once been a village. Mafuyu had told her to run as fast and far away as she could from the village, since he had no idea how far the Malice would spread. Reiko couldn't believe how far things had gotten out of hand. A whole village was now gone because of Reiko. 'If only Michiko hadn't been sacrificed, none of this would have happened. All of this for a stupid report.' With her mind back to normal, she couldn't help but think this was all her fault. She kicked the dirt and frowned. 'I never even got to say good bye to Michiko.'

Sighing, she turned around and trudged back to the other town which was a few miles away. Just as she reached a sidewalk she heard someone whisper, "Reiko, why don't you smile?"


Yep, finally done part two. This ending sucked, I think, it didn't come out exactly as I wanted it but it was close enough. It almost mirrors Crimson Butterfly in a way. About the last line: basically when the Malice warped Michiko, it made her insane. Yeah, and Reiko's not insane cause Kirie left, which was the cause of her insanity. Yeah, okay kind of a ramble there, the third part will be happy and very short. Then this story will be done.