How long had it been? Months? Years? Decades?
Centuries, even?
The village was so quiet. The only thing that anyone ever heard was the insane laughter of an insane woman. They kept reliving that horrible day when they died…
Every now and then, a person would come and visit. Just recently, they had gotten two – a couple. Of course, they died – the Malice saw to it.
But, one fateful night, a new visitor came.
Yae.
It was Yae. She was so sure of it…the other girl…it was her, Sae. Yae had come back, and brought her memories of her sister with her…
Sae believed this. Her madness had fully consumed her at this point. All she wanted was to die at her sister's hands…
She called to them. She would engulf herself in her phantom, and bring Yae to the Hellish Abyss so they could perform the Ritual.
And save the village.
It was their fault. They needed to fix it…
The other girl was easy to inhabit – of course, it was Sae, no doubt, about it – and Yae willingly came to the Hellish Abyss. She had to fight her way through the Mourners and Seijiro, but she came.
Sae looked at her. Yae looked back.
"I kept waiting…in a dark, dark place…"
Yae looked at her sadly. I know you don't want to do this, Yae…but we need to. So we can be together forever. You'll see…
"Shall we begin?"
That night, the night that the Crimson Sacrifice was finally carried out, the village was saved.
Chitose Tachibana was reunited with her brothers.
Hikari Kiryu's limbs were healed, and she regained her sanity.
Akane was reunited with her sister and father, whom she had killed.
Ryokan Kurosawa saw his brother.
Seijiro Makabe saw Heaven, too.
And Yae and Sae were together.
Forever.
Mio and Mayu Amakura walked through the village. The light was beginning to creep over the horizon – something that had not happened in a very long time. The spirits of the deceased that had been attacking them so recently were now raining praise down on them. They smiled at each other.
"Mio?" the elder twin asked.
"Yes?"
"Do you think…do you think that…maybe…you were possessed, too?"
Mio sat and thought for a second. "I think it was more of a mutual decision. I think she was with me, not in me…I guess." She looked back up at the sky.
Mayu embraced her sister. "I'm glad…that you came…"
Mio smiled. "You know I hate it when you forgive me for stuff."
The two of them laughed together as the last of the spirits rose to the sky. They felt a sense of reality wash over them as the village reentered the earthly plane.
The sisters stood up and began the trek home.
Yae and Sae watched the sisters leave, and then they, too, left for their new home.
That was based off of the Xbox ending. Which, BTW, I haven't actually seen, so it's probably not perfect. But, hey, it's still happy.
I know it was short, but it's an epilogue. Don't complain. : )
All right. This story is finished…but I'll write more! I'm thinking about writing a story about Miyako and Masumi, since they got nothing in this story…