Rejoice all ye fangirls! It's the moment you've all been waiting for; the Tachibana boys! Here we have the 'older' of the Tachibana twins, Itsuki the white-haired hottie. -grin- Mutsuki will be uploaded to Sutemasu ASAP.

Warnings: Severe angst; hints of twincest if you're into that kinda thing and look uber uber hard for it, Itsuki POV, lots of thoughts addressed from Itsuki to Mutsuki, UBER SPOILERS. UBER SPOILERS.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fatal Frame 2 in any way shape or form. Trust me; you'd be seeing so much more of Mutsuki if I did... X3

I repeat, UBER SPOILERS. THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER REVEALS A PRIMARY PLOT POINT OF THE FATAL FRAME 2 STORY. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH LEARNING WITHOUT PLAYING. (I finally found a spoiler warning format that works!)

Oyakusoku

A fanfiction by Shayde (AKA Hino Akai)


Mutsuki...

Dear brother...

Please tell me again...

Why are we doing this...?

It's like my mind has lost all grasp on logic in the face of losing you.

Why must I lose you?

You're so scared of this ritual, and it usually has better results when the chosen twins are Twin Shrine Maidens instead of Altar Twins.

Sae is eager to do this ceremony.

Why couldn't they do it?

No!

I must not think like that.

If you knew of these thoughts, you would be ashamed.

So I will push them away, and simply look at you as we step on the panels to open the twin doors to the ritual chamber.

Dear Mutsuki...

If you only knew how reluctant I was to let you go even for that purpose...

I will lose you forever soon.

I know you say that you will be a butterfly and we will be one, but that does not change the fact I will not have my Mutsuki beside me in the night. That does not change the fact Chitose will lose a brother, and will have to suffice with only two arms around her when she runs to find comfort from something that frightened her. That does not change the fact you will be gone, taking my heart with you.

Mutsuki my love, did you not think about how this would hurt the ones you love?

I know I clutch your hand too tightly my dear one. I can hear your sharp inhale and feel the soft shuddering wince you give. I am almost angry enough not to care. Just like you don't care about the hearts of those you are leaving behind.

Beloved, why do you act as though this is harder for you?

You are giving your life to save this village and the life of a girl we have known for years.

And I am the one that must take it.

I am the one that must extinguish the burning flame in your eyes.

I am the one that must still your dear heart and stop your sweet breath.

Do you remember, my dear one, all the nights we have spent awake, simply listening to the sound of the darkness and each other's breath?

Do you remember the first night Chitose slipped into our room after she heard something like the sound of laughter from the Kiryu house? She said it was Akane and her doll. You told her that she was just hearing things and had been listening to too many ghost stories, because Hana-san had lived there for her entire life and she had never heard or seen Akane and the doll in the entire twenty-three years.

Do you remember sitting on the steps that lead to Kureha Shrine and just talking about anything and everything?

My poor Mutsuki...

I am sorry for my anger, and my harsh manner.

I slip my arm around the shoulders of my dear one, pulling him close as he shivers.We are passing through the chambers that hold those who have seen the X. They are fearsome creatures, bound with rope and blind.

My dear brother...

He holds tightly to my side and I can hear one of the masked priests behind us make an irritated noise.

Unable to help myself, I murmur to my dear one, breath gently moving wisps of rich ebony hair.

"I hope that was Father."

He responds with a choked chuckle. He always does that when he's trying not to laugh but can't help letting something out.

I'm going to miss it.

It seems like only seconds after he relaxes beneath my arm that we are in the horrid room and he is whispering to me, standing in front of me with the pedestal behind him, his breath rushing past my ear as his lips brush it gently.

'Promise me Itsuki... Promise me Yae and Sae will never have to go through this.'

He shifts to lay on the pedestal after speaking, pulling me with him as the priests begin their clanging of staves and chanting.

I swallow hard as he forces me to straddle him in the customary position for the ritual.

'Promise me.'

"I promise."

I swear it takes all of my strength to force those two simple words out. And Mutsuki... My dearly beloved brother... He simply smiles as he guides my hands to his throat.

He's forcing courage as he pulls me close, squeezing me gently and smiling reassuringly.

'I love you Itsuki... Remember that...'

Those words...

No.

No!

I can't do it!

I try to pull away but Mutsuki grabs my wrists, holding them tightly and keeping my hands in place. His brave, smiling mask is gone now, replaced with a wide-eyed and raw expression of fear.

'Itsuki... Brother... Please... I beg of you... Make me a butterfly...'

He whispers to me, voice soft and scared.

Mutsuki...

I'm sorry I must do this...

I tighten my fingers around his throat, almost wincing at the feeling of soft, warm flesh compressing against bone, bruises forming already thanks to my harsh hold. I want to finish this quickly.

I will make my brother's end come swiftly.

I won't let him suffer.

And I won't lose my nerve despite the quick, fluttering pulse beneath my palms.

Mutsuki clutches at my shoulders, pulse starting to slow and attempts at breathing coming between longer and longer pauses.

I have to say it now.

I have to speak the words I should have been murmuring with my every breath since birth.

I have to tell him before the light in his eyes is gone.

"... I love you..."

A bare trace of a smile crosses those angelic lips that have whispered secrets so willingly in the past.

Mutsuki...

My love...

I barely notice as they pull me away from you.

I only know what I've done after Mourners lift you and prepare to throw you in.

A priest I'm sure is Father holds me back as your limp figure falls into that pit.

I want to run to you.

My beautiful one...

My shining sibling deity...

... I have killed you...

We wait.

One heartbeat.

Two.

And Kurosawa-sama turns, leaving the chamber with a murderous expression.

Mutsuki my love?

My golden star in the darkest night?

My other half?

My dearest twin?

Please forgive me beloved.

Pleasehave mercyfor your devoted Itsuki.

Havemercyfor my soul.

Forgive me my sweet brother.

I have failed you.


Ayah, Forgive me if you come across a couple of words smooshed together. I proof-read everything multiple times, but the blasted Document Uploader thing keeps killing spaces.