Beyond the Lens
Sae found herself back in the Hellish Abyss where she was to be
sacrificed without Yae in an attempt to appease the acursed place. She
didn't understand why no one ever spoke of its name. To the villagers it
was taboo to either speak, hear, see, or even think of the place because
it was said that to break any of these laws you were to be cursed by it.
"Did it even have a name at all," she wondered. Or maybe the name had
been forgotten so everyone just referred to it as the taboo name. "Hell,
Hades, the Netherworld. It's all the same to me." And yet here she was
ready to be made into a sacrificial offering without her beloved sister
to complete the ceremony, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
She never should have listened to the folklorist or his assistant and
she never should have tried to run away.
As she dangled from the noose that was around her neck she looked at all
of the veiled priests that were standing around as her vision began to
fade. They were all bowing, praising her as if she were their god. Then
she saw her father who was smiling, smiling at what, she did not know
nor did she care as her last conscious thought was covered with
darkness.
"Arise shrine maiden. Arise from your slumber!"
Sae opened her eyes and was horrified to see hundreds of corpses strewn
around her as far as the eye could see. Their bodies were covered in a
dark liquid that resembled the blackest black and was overwhelmingly
cold against her skin. Light from above cast an eerie glow on the pile
of bodies that she was standing on. Then the voice came again, like a
thousand voices all talking in unison. "Sae, Sae Kurosawa, oldest of the
Twin Shrine Maidens. Do you know who I am?"
"Hades?"
"Yes, I have been known by that name before. Do you know where you are?"
She looked around and could not believe what she was seeing. She
shouldn't even be alive, but she knew where she was all too well and it
filled her with utter despair and caused her to tremble as she spoke.
"T-The Hellish Abyss," she replied. The powerful voice returned again,
this time sounding somewhat mused.
"And yet you do not wish to be here. I can see it in your eyes. Tell me
why you did not wish to become a butterfly."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought back to the time that she
fell from the mountain pass and how it reminded her of how weak she was.
Yae had broken her promise of never leaving Sae alone. Now she would
never be one with Yae and she would be forever tormented by it.
"Because, I, I. I couldn't do it," she yelled out in frustration.
"I was too weak to go through the pain and suffering of having to die. I
just wanted to be with my sister till the end of days by her side. But
now she's gone.
"And it's all because of me," she yelled in frustration.
Sae dropped to her knees and sobbed profusely. She had always been such
a burden to Yae, no wonder she had left her. Tears continued to run down
her face as she spoke.
"I've always been weaker than everyone else. I wish, I wish."
Despite the terrible cold of the Malice beneath her she didn't really
care, even though the stench of rotted flesh that stung her nostrils
made her want to vomit.
"What do you wish my child?"
She stopped crying and suddenly felt a different feeling. It was the
same feeling she had when she realized that Itsuki was dead.
Hanging there limply, his face frozen in time: And those eyes, the ones
that always made her feel so powerless under their gaze, were now closed
forever.
This made Sae wish that he were still alive and almost made her want to
cry again. It just didn't seem possible for Itsuki to just hang himself
for failing to get her and Yae out of the village.
It couldn't be true.
Without realizing it, Sae began to dig her fingers into the skull of a
man lying beneath her whose eyes were flowing with mucus out of their
decayed sockets.
"I wish I could be strong; to be able to protect the ones that I love. I
wish I could."
"Kill," the voice added.
Sae shuddered at this thought. Ever since her dear sister had left her
behind in the forest she had felt betrayed. Not just by her, but from
everyone in the village, making her believe that she was doing something
honorary by being turned into a Crimson Butterfly while Yae was free to
go on through life the way she saw fit.
God she wished that she could kill her. Make her suffer in the most
unimaginable ways until her very last breath.
"I can give you that power, power beyond your wildest dreams. You are
indeed strong Sae, much stronger than you ever imagined which is why I
shall give you the greatest gift that I have ever conceived. But it is
up to you to accept it.
Sae considered the offer for what it was worth. The power to kill any
and all who stood in her way was indeed satisfying but there had to be a
catch.
"What price do I have to pay," she asked.
"Price," the voice asked dumbfounded. "You have suffered at the hands of
these unholy worshippers long enough. For they have taken everyone and
everything from you that is most sacred. And that cannot be replaced.
You have already bared the price, now the time of Repentance is at hand!
"So what will it be?"
Sae hung her head as she contemplated what she would do. Ultimate power
was indeed something that all people would love to acquire and with this
power you had the ability to do whatever you wanted. She grinned
savagely as she spoke the words that would seal her fate. "I accept your
gift; bless me with the power that will grant me my wish!" "So be it,
Sae."
A wave of cold swept over her body as the Malice from the bodies of the
sacrificed began to rise around her feet. The cold was intense but
deeply gratifying as it began to slowly wrap around her frail body.
Suddenly she felt a stab of pain in her back almost as if someone was
carving with a knife across her back.
"Do not fear Sae, for this marking is merely a token of my gratitude. It
will let you unleash a force more deadly than any on this earth. It will
also protect you from harm. Use it wisely."
Sae gasped as the Malice spread across her delicate curves and soft
flesh that seemed to drive all the air from her lungs. She tried to move
her legs but they refused to even budge. Her heart was slamming in her
chest as the substance spread over her face and into her mouth. She
tried to scream but nothing came out, and as she looked up towards the
light seeking some sort of salvation, the Malice covered her eyes and
the light seemed to get smaller and smaller until there was nothing
left. Then there was silence once more.
That was ages ago, before Mayu; this puppet that she was controlling now
and the girl that resembled Yae were ever born.
It felt nice to actually be in a physical form for a change, well, at
least other than her own. This girl resembled Sae almost perfectly, both
physically and mentally. After she had seen Mayu enter the village she
felt almost compelled to be with her. It didn't take much for Sae to
lure her away from her sister, seeing how she seemed to be quite
vulnerable to the supernatural.
Mayu followed the butterflies like a duck to water, completely ignoring
the pain in her leg as she struggled to keep up with them. Upon reaching
her, Sae told Mayu about what had happened to the village, how she had
been left behind, and how Mio would leave Mayu again. Mayu was shocked
to hear this. She didn't want to believe that Mio would leave her again.
Ever since the accident she had sworn to never leave her dear sister's
side. But after hearing how Sae had been abandoned, Mayu was, for the
first time in her life, having doubts.
What followed next were a series of events that would draw Mayu further
and further away from Mio until Sae had her all to herself.
Now, the final showdown was about to begin in the Hellish Abyss.
Mio crept forward with her camera in hand as she moved past the ancient
archway overhead. She could see Mayu standing at the edge of the pit
locked in a trance that made her blood run cold.
Mio called out to her.
"Mayu?"
The words that came past Mayu's lips were without any kind of emotion.
"We were born for this Yae. We always promised each other that we would
be together. But you ran away. Let everyone in the village die. Why did
you leave me back then? If we had just done the ritual none of this
would have ever happened and I would be a butterfly. I would be one with
you Yae. Was that so much to ask for? All I ever wanted was to be with
you forever till the end.
Mio was almost on the verge of crying. "Stop it Mayu! You aren't being
yourself! It's me, Mio, your little sister. (by a few minutes that is)
You know I would never leave you behind." Tears started to roll down her
face. "Please Mayu you've got to snap out of it!"
Mayu showed no reaction whatsoever, instead she lifted her head slightly
and spoke the next words that made Mio's heart stop. "Shall we begin?"
Mio knew that Mayu was no longer with her. Sae had taken complete
control over her weak mind. Damn her she thought. Damn her for putting
Mayu through this and damn Yae for making all of this happen to begin
with.
But she had no choice. She was going to have to hurt her own sister to
get to Sae. Mio took several steps forward before Mayu reacted.
She strode forward at frightening speed with her arms outstretched.
Despite her injury she was within mere feet of her within moments. Mio
jumped at this and snapped off a shot by reflex.
Mayu reeled back from the impact and screamed an unholy cry of rage.
Upon recovering from the hit, Mayu's mouth opened wide and Malice came
pouring out like a river being unleashed.
Mio's vision went completely black and felt her skin turn cold. Suddenly
she couldn't breathe and dropped the camera to put her hands around her
throat. It felt like someone was reaching inside and stealing her life
away. She then became very sick and fell to floor knowing that she was
going to die.
Then just as quickly as it happened it all vanished.
Mio gasped for air and felt the satisfying comfort of invisible
salvation entering her body again. But this was short lived when the
ground began to shake and when the hair raising laughter filled the
cavern. Mio quickly righted herself and picked up the camera, checking
to see if there was any damage. Satisfied that it was still working she
focused the lens on the evil specter that resided in the middle of the
room. Mio noticed that her vision was now replaced by a strange white
haze. It was the same with all of her previous encounters with Sae and
the Kusabi and it still haunted her to great effect.
A red fog started to spread around Sae as she continued to laugh
insanely. Mio tried to get her in the viewfinder but the Camera Obscura
seemed to be nullified by the strange mist.
Mio cursed to herself as Sae stopped laughing and charged at her. She
saw the viewfinder flash red for an instant but it didn't stay on long
enough to be an effective shot. She turned and ran away from the ghost
only to run into her again as she reappeared not six feet in front of
her! Mio tried to dodge out of the way but Sae was just too fast. She
closed her hands around her neck and started to strangle her. The cold
from Sae's hands spread across her arms to her chest, driving all the
air out of her lungs. At the same time she felt weaker and weaker by the
second.
Sae grinned savagely at the sight of Mio's panic stricken face. "How
does it feel Yae: to be the one to suffer!"
It took all of Mio's strength to lift up her camera and flash Sae in the
face with it.
Sae merely turned her head to one side, reflecting the effect the camera
had on her which was barely crap, then brought her face right up to
Mio's. She could see herself in the girl's eyes and giggled at the
effect her eye's had on the teen.
"That wasn't very nice of you," she replied happily. With an ease that
truly defied her physical limits she lifted Mio off of her feet and
literally single-handed her into the adjacent wall. Mio's back slammed
into the jagged outcropping and then fell some distance to the hard
stone floor on her side. Tears exploded in her eyes and felt her lips
almost contort into a cry of pain. Jesus, that never happened before.
Mio pulled her legs up under her and looked around for the camera.
"Where, where is that camera? I had it just before Sae threw me and."
then she looked up and saw Sae with the camera in her hand! "Oh crap."
"Looking for this," she teased. "Do you really think this toy is a match
for me!?! Hah! I have been blessed by the powers of Hell itself!
Sae tossed the camera aside and laughed insanely. "Let me show what I'
am truly capable of; and I swear by this night you will beg for
forgiveness YAE!!!
Now more than ever before Mio knew that she was well and truly screwed.
Sae had gone way off the deep end and as far as getting Mayu back seemed
the more impossible.
Suddenly a pair of gigantic hands materialized out of the mist and
grabbed Mio. This shocked her beyond belief, but had little time to
comprehend as the hands plucked her off the floor and tossed her clear
across the room. For a second Mio passed over the Abyss and feared that
she was going to plummet down into darkness. However she sailed over it
bounced across the hard floor and rolled right into the candles on the
far end. Several of them burned her flesh and caused her to scream in
agony.
But the punishment that Sae was putting out was far from over. For the
hands now formed into fists and pummeled into her battered body. Despite
the fact Sae's laughter once more pierced her virgin ears she felt like
she was going deaf. Mio covered her ears and swore that she felt blood
on her fingertips.
"Stop it, just stop it," she cried as the blows continued.
She was sobbing through the blows as she pleaded to Sae to just end this
torture.
"Please, please stop, I'm not the one that you want!"
Sae's laugh continued to rip through her soul as she closed in.
"Why Yae, does it make you feel scared and alone," she taunted. "Ha-ha,
you were always the one to be scared so easily. It suites you so well
after all- Sae raised her hand to her face and snapped her fingers;
therefore making the giant hands vanish in a cloud of mist.
-you did run away!
It was in that instant that Mio snapped. Every muscle in her body was
beginning to spasm from the rage that had been building up inside her.
"For the last time, she growled.
My name is Mio!!
She charged at the ghost screaming at the top of her lungs, catching Sae
completely off guard. Even if she was a ghost, Mio was going to make her
hurt in whatever way possible. She swung her arm back and hit the ghost
with all her might.
Surprising enough, Sae stumbled back like any normal person would if
they had just been hit with a haymaker; contrary to a person in the
afterlife. You couldn't touch ghosts with your bare hands, but by some
strange circumstance, the tables had turned.
Sae had stopped laughing and was in a state of numb shock.
Within seconds Mio was on top of her and beating her ferociously about
her face.
She could hear screaming, and thought that it was Sae's until she
realized that it was her own.
"Die, she screamed. Die goddamn it, die!" Mio was tired of it all. Tired
of the pain of leaving Mayu behind. Tired of being haunted by this
place. Tired of Sae trying to kill her. Tired of everything!
Mio's fists slammed into the ghost's head causing her to scream and cry.
She attempted to push Mio off but this only drove Mio's bloodlust ever
higher. Mio started to claw into Sae's flesh with her fingers, tearing
through the fabric of her kimono. She wanted to see blood and was
rewarded at the sight of crimson droplets forming on her neck and
blouse. Sae screamed at pain that she had not felt in centuries. She put
her hands in Mio's face and pushed her up.
"Aaaaaaaah, Yae stop, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me."
Mio's eyes were ablaze with white hot anger.
"To hell with you," she yelled.
"You've killed hundreds of people out of what, joy? Women, children,
sisters, and brothers died because of you and never did you show any
mercy upon them. So why should I in my lifetime show you any at all!"
At this she clamped her teeth down onto Sae's soft, cold fingers sending
blood cascading down her arm. Sae's scream was nothing short of
earsplitting and caused the entire room to shake. She waved her free
hand frantically off to the side grasping for something, anything to
protect herself. Her fingers closed around something cold and hard and
swung at Mio. A lit candle connected with the teen's face and sent wax
spilling out all over her face. The reaction was instantaneous as her
eyes widened and she flopped over to one side of Sae rubbing desperately
at her face.
Sae tried to sit up but felt her muscles protest against her and fell
back to the stone floor. She could see Mio recovering from the attack
and was beginning to strike again when she realized just how hurt Mio
was. Apart from the rather nasty burn on her face she had cuts and
scratch marks all over her body.
One of Mio's leg stockings was cut all the way down one side revealing
white flesh underneath along with a tanktop strap that had been cut
loose. She looked like hell, though she herself was probably no better
off. Mio straddled Sae's stomach and placed her hands on her neck and
slowly began to squeeze the life out of her.
It was ironic, how Sae had done this so many times to countless others
and now she herself was to be killed in the exact same way. Suddenly she
was overcome with emotion and felt a tear form in her eye. Then, and
only then did she look up at the girl's intense gaze and saw not Yae,
but a very different girl. Sae could feel her life slipping away and
watched as the light began to fade. Her voice came out in a hoarse
whisper. "I'm sorry Mio."
Mio's face turned white at the mentioning of her name. Then she realized
that her hands were no longer around the Sae's neck, but her sister
Mayu.
Mio recoiled off of her and landed on her rump. Her body began to
convulse from shock as her mind slowly took in what little information
it could.
Oh my god, what have I done. I-I was, t-ttrying to kill M-Mayu. I was
hurting my own sister. Wha.why, why did I do that? Mio pulled her legs
in and wrapped her arms around them. She didn't want to believe that she
had attacked Mayu. She wished that she hadn't. Her vision became blurry
by tears that were flowing forth down her angelic face. Then suddenly
everything went dark and Mio passed out.
Sae felt nothing but pain. More so in her left hand than anywhere else.
She couldn't believe that she had been beaten, by a mortal. How was it
possible? Could it have been the connection between Mio and Mayu
that made for physical contact, or was it perhaps that Mio's rage had
nullified her mist. At that point she didn't have the foggiest idea of
what it was. All she cared about was the pain that wracked her body. She
tilted her head up to see that the front of her kimono had all but been
ripped to shreds as well as the open wound on her hand that was still
flowing with blood. Why did she bleed? Wasn't she supposed to be dead?
Well, as dead as she could be anyway.
Apart from the physical torture there was a tightness in her chest that
made her feel sick. It was the pain of hurting a girl that wasn't Yae
that hurt the most.
She was so blinded by hatred she didn't see Mio: the young teen that she
had been trying to murder, but Yae: the sister that had betrayed
everyone and everything in the village. Sae stared up at the ceiling
watching the shadows dance back and forth. She couldn't get up, nor did
she really want to. Doing so would provoke Mio into another assault. Sae
then closed her eyes and wished that she could die now and leave this
place. Something caught Sae's attention and she listened intently.
Someone was crying.
This prompted Sae to sit up despite the pain in her body. Mayu was
huddled on the floor crying softly to herself. Then Sae looked over at
Mio and immediately regretted doing so. Mio had cuts and bruises all
over her body, including a swollen red spot on her cheek where the wax
had stuck. Her clothes looked a lot like Sae's.
"No, she thought to herself," she can't be.dead. Sae couldn't bear to
stand up so she crawled across the floor to Mio. "Mio," she whispered.
No answer came.
Sae shook her arm. "Can you hear me? Wake up, please wake up."
Sae could feel tears welling up. "Mio, don't be dead. This is all my own
doing. I thought that because you looked so much like Yae she had
actually returned. So then I took Mayu away from you so that we could
continue the ritual and then I would become a butterfly."
Sae put her arms around Mio and pulled her into her embrace. "Oh Mio,
how could I have done this to you. You are the only person I've ever met
that could make me feel whole again. But now that's gone. How will I be
able to go on?" Mio stirred awake and smiled slightly.
"It's not your fault Sae," she stated. "I'm the one that should be
sorry. I mean, look what I've done to you." A tear rolled down her face
to her chin and fell on Mio's blouse. "Why, why can you forgive me after
what I've done?"
"Because no one should ever have to face the troubles you did Sae. You
had a life once. You had friends, family, and someone who was willing to
risk it all to save you. And if I were with you on that day when you and
Yae ran, I would have never left you behind. I would have promised."
Sae buried her head in Mio's chest and cried happily. "Thank you."
Mio put her arms around Sae's waist and gently rocked her to comfort.
It was on this fateful night, that Sae knew she had found a true sister.
Mayu was lying on her side when she woke up. Her eyes were barely able
to open, she was so tired. At first all she could see was a white glow
and black blur, but as her eyes adjusted it took on the shape of two
girls hugging. That was when she knew that it was Mio and Sae in each
other's embrace.
She couldn't quite believe it was happening. All this time Mayu was
trying to get Sae to listen to her. To tell her that it wasn't Yae that
she was after but her sister Mio. At the time Mayu thought that
everything she was doing was hopeless. That her sister would be killed
and she would end up being in the village for eternity-
Mayu smiled. "I always saw the good in you Sae," she thought.
Then she went to sleep.
-Everything was about to change.
AN: That was a pretty long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it thus far
and will review it when you're done. Thanks!
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