Hi Hi! ^^
Sorry for being so late with this chapter. Between finally finishing moving into a new place, and holidays and birthdays and my own birthday lol, I have time to write! Still, I am very sorry for making you guys wait so long. I hope you enjoy the last chapter and ending. This was my true ending, though I made 3 other ones, 1 good and 2 bad, just so there would be multiple endings kinda like the games have, plus I had so many ideas, so I'll be posting 3 other endings after this one and hope everyone will enjoy them. Thank you all again for your reviews and feedback! =D

With the camera held firmly in my right hand I slowly backed against the blood stained wall beyond the irori, I stared at the stunning scene before me. Bodies of Sae's victims lay slaughtered on the floor. Blood was slowly seeping from their wounds as if the massacre had just finished. I'd expected to hear Sae's murderous laugh, just like that time she'd lead me into this room and wrapped her hands around my neck. But what I suddenly heard wasn't laughter, instead I heard soft moaning whispers to my left.
"My arms... Where are my arms?"

"My face. I can't see!"

On impulse I slowly tilted my head to the side and my eyes focused on two shadowy figures. One seemed to be walking toward me, but with a slight limp. The other dragging itself along the floor. As lightening flashed for the first time and thunder echoed the room was bright for a split second, I saw the deeply scared face of a woman in pain. Her kimono shredded in various areas and stained a deep maroon. She was staring at me with black eyes.
"Please, my arms. Where are my arms?" She reached toward me with the stumps of what was left of her shoulders. I started to back away but suddenly a pair of hands grasped my calf. It was one of the corpses begging for help, their body twisting in agony as they let out a blood chilling scream. All I could do was scream in return and pull my leg back violently till they released it. My heart was pounding in my ears, my body was shaking, the woman was creeping closer. Her missing limbs were replaced with hanging kimono sleeves that swayed as she moved.

When spirits had attack us before Mio was the one who fought them off. I was always cowering behind her trying to ignore their cries, like a child under the covers in the dark. I was the elder twin yet Mio was always the one protecting me from danger. Even when we were younger it was like that. I was always too weak or too slow, that's why I hurt my leg back then when we were children. I couldn't keep up with her. Now I was alone, she wouldn't be coming to my rescue at any moment. The only one that could save me was me.

Peering through the lens I aimed the camera in the direction of the woman spirit. I could hear static like sounds and whispers from the camera in my hands as she approached, a bright red circle centered on her. I held my breath and took the photo, forcing her back across the room where she fell to her knees and slowly faded. The hand that had grabbed me released and I took this moment to turn and run to the entrance of the room. Lightening flooded the room revealing bloody handprints along the walls as I slid open the door, shut behind me quickly.

Hurrying along the hall the thought of the photo I'd taken of Yae crossed my mind. Somehow I believed she was still with me, but a part of me wondered if that would matter or not. Would she be able to get through to Sae? Would I be able to defeat her with just the camera if it came down to it? All that mattered was that we got out of this nightmare alive, together this time, or at least if not together than Mio alone. If I hadn't followed the crimson butterfly on that day, none of this would have happened to us. Even now I still hear faint voices call to me.

Mio's POV
In that moment when Sae embraced me I felt so cold, like my veins had turned to ice. Was this what death felt like? Her grip was tight but it also seemed caring, like meeting someone you hadn't seen for so long. When she pulled away my vision had turned grey and instead of seeing the deranged grinning Sae I knew with blood stained hands, she was the innocent Sae who Seijiro Makabe had once taken a photo of. Her smile so gentle as she held my hands and slowly pulled me to walk toward the gates, I followed without protest. It took me a moment to hear the chimes that echoed around us, they were coming from the veiled priests staves slamming against the bridge.

The chosen ones become butterflies and descend to heaven... The butterflies watch over the village... If this is my fate so be it, as long as I'm with you...

"...Sae." My head and body quickly turned back on their own, but the bridge and the priests were gone. It wasnt dark anymore and the sun reflected in a running stream. I'd been brought back here again, to the stream where me and Sae had once played when we could sneak out of the village. This was our special place. Standing under a tall oak I placed my hand against it for balance and watched, as two small girls in pure white kimonos chased one another in a game on demon tag.
"You can't catch me!" Yae's mocking voice was filled with laughter.

"Yae, slow down!"
She crossed the stream by running across the top of larger rocks, her wooden sandals making a small clanking noise as she went. Sae followed but half way across her foot slipped on the slick rock and she fell backwards into the stream. It wasn't really deep so there was no chance of danger, but when Yae looked back she found her sister sitting up in a soaked kimono with teary eyes.
"Sae!" Her feet splashed through the water as she knelt down beside her sister, not really caring if she got wet. "Are you alright? I'm sorry, it's my fault, I was running to fast." Without a word, Though tears still fell and her cheeks were red, Sae simple lifted her right arm and placed her hand on her sisters shoulder. "Got you." She smiled. Inevitably they both started laughing. Yae helped her to stand and then took her hands in hers.

"Let's promise to always be together Sae, forever. Even if we leave this village, we'll be together, and I'll always protect you."
Sae nodded. "Together forever." Like a photograph, the image before me froze and suddenly I could hear Sae's voice speak softly to me from behind.

"Even though I sprained my ankle and was in pain, I smiled because you stopped to check on me. We promised we would always be together. But I am weaker than you... There will come a time when I am unable to follow you any more, Yae. You will leave me behind... I knew this..." Her arms wrapped around me as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"This was my favorite memory of us, because after we returned to the village and we were caught, we slowly began to drift apart. That is why I want us to become one. Become one, and we can be together forever." My eyes began to sting as tears rolled down my cheeks. I had abandoned her once, I couldn't do it again. We could make it out as long as we were together.
"Let's run then, we have to escape!" I grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled her with me crossing the stream. The memory shattered and suddenly it was all to real. The sun vanished, and a full moon bathed the forest floor in white revealing our path ahead.
"Yae, slow down. Please!"

Without thinking the words flowed from my mouth. "Keep up this time! We're going to get out of here." We were running along a dirt path that seemed to be shrinking on the mountain side. My breath was shallow, my heart raced and my legs burning, but I couldn't stop till we were safe. I could hear shouting behind us in the distance, most likely the villagers pursuing us. That's when I heard a sharp sound like something scraping across the earth, and Sae's ankle twisted out from under her as she started to slip away from my grip. I was still trying to pull her with me and save her until I realized she'd dragged me down with her.
I could see my own feet as they came out from under me while colliding with the ground. The both of us rolled down a steep hill, I could feel each sharp rock that I crossed, each twig that snapped against me. The fall happened so quickly that within only a few seconds I was laying on my back in excruciating pain. My head hit against something hard, my vision blurry, and the last few images I remember before losing consciousness were of Sae and I being dragged by the villagers back toward the village.

Mayu's POV
As I pushed off the last step of the small staircase I entered the starting point of the connecting corridors. The twin paths that connected to the rope temple, where the kusabi was bound and hung still alive until he would be lowered into the hellish abyss. I cringed at the thought of what Seijiro Makabe must have gone through, as I walked along the path on the right. The same one Sae had taken before. I stared at the lovely pattern on the floor ahead of me, that when stepped on would release the doors lock. But this time Mio wasn't with me. I stepped on the square and it sank beneath me just slightly, then suddenly across from me I heard a small clicking noise, like something being opened. Gazing ahead I saw that Yae was standing before the small door, staring at the ground.

"I'm sorry I ran away and left you behind... I'd never intended to do so, I wanted us both to escape and live happy lives, but you were too weak to follow me. I'd thought even after I left about coming back, but I thought that you'd be safe if I wasn't there, I was wrong. It because of me that you're suffering won''t end..."
I listened to Yae's words as I gripped the camera in my hands. She was truly sorry for what she'd done to her sister. I hopped that if they were reunited Sae's hatred would lessen and things could be restored to normal. Passing through the small door I hurried across the room, glancing at the ropes above stained with blood. A sour feeling rose in my stomach as images of the cutting ritual I'd seen before entered my mind. So many cruel actions had been performed in the beliefs that it would protect this village.

When my fingers grazed the butterfly door my vision turned grey, everything was fading until I could see somewhere else. As if I was walking on my own down a long stone corridor. I could hear the sound of the veiled priests chanting behind me yet couldn't turn so I wasn't in control, then suddenly I realized where this was. Mio looked over at Sae who was holding her hand while they descended down a set of stairs leading deeper toward the hellish abyss.
"Mio!" My scream shattered the illusion and suddenly I was pushing against the dark oak doors and opening the way to the passage. I felt a tightness in my chest, my hands gripping around the camera with Yae's spirit in it. My last hope. It was my fault, I had to save Mio before she was dragged into the abyss with Sae. If I couldn't and I escaped this nightmare alone it would be nothing but a constant reminder of how useless I was, how it was my actions that caused her death. Even after all she'd done to protect me and keep me safe, I couldn't live without her.

That's when I began to wonder if I should sacrifice myself so that she could be free. Would it work? If I died in her place would she finally awaken from this nightmare? It was when I was considering this that Yae's voice whispered to me, Your sister needs you, you can still save her.
Maybe that was still true. Determined, I hurried through the passage running the best I could, my leg was beginning to hurt with each step I took, but I had to reach her in time. I half expected to catch up to Mio when I reached one of the shrine gates with hanging sacred ropes in the passage, but instead I found that she had already moved past here and I started descending the stone steps further into the earth.

Keep going... A voice whispered in my head. Whether it was Yae's or my own I was unsure. My breathing was heavy and my leg throbbed in pain when I started around the corner of the path. I wanted to fall and catch my breath, but I knew I couldn't. I could feel that my sister was close, like something was pulling me toward her location. We were going to leave this place together. With as much force as possible I pushed myself forward and finally the ceremony room with hundreds of lit candles came into view. There was Mio up ahead, walking with Sae's hand in hers, crimson butterflies dancing around their bodies in the air.

"Mio, please stop! Don't do this!" The words were screamed with all my might and echoed in the massive room. To my surprise she stopped walking toward the red shrine gate and slowly turned around to look at me, but even from this distance what I saw sent shivers up my spine. Mio's face was completely emotionless, almost like she was a walking doll. Her eyes seemed so dull and lifeless like she was in a daze. She didn't even speak to me she just stared in my direction as if hearing me but not seeing me at all. This was Sae's doing, she'd possessed her body. I started limping toward her until suddenly my arms were ceased. The veiled priests grip was powerful, they were holding me back. "Let me go! Mio!"

"You must not interfere with the ritual!"

"The ritual will commence as planned to save the village."
I jerked as hard as I could, the camera falling from my grasp, as I watched Mio turn away from me in her trance and continue walking down the path out of my view. Sae's laughter rang out from somewhere suddenly, I felt like what little hope I'd had was slipping from my grasp, until my eyes peered down at the shattered camera lens. A foggy white mist was seeping from it and I remembered that Yae was still with me. All at once the priests released me as they grabbed their heads and began to shout in pain releasing me. I stumbled back and watched as they swayed and groaned. Was this Yae's doing?
"I'm right here with you." I heard her voice as I didn't hesitate to take the chance and started running toward the large shrine gate entrance, I was so close, approaching hell with each step I took.

Mio's POV
When I had came to again, I was standing at the entrance gate to the stone steps that lead deeper into darkness. I didn't remember walking here myself so someone must have carried me. The smell of burning wax filled the air. Sae was at my left grasping my hand. Her expression seemed drained and there was still a small bit of dirt on her face from where we'ed both fell earlier, but slowly she smiled at me. "I knew you wouldn't abandon me, Yae."
"Mio!" A somewhat familiar voice called out from behind me. I turned back quickly looking between the priests who blocked the way, but I couldn't see anymore. Though I know I heard someone calling a name. That voice, that name, I felt like I've heard it before. Do I know that person?

"Yae?"

"Sorry... It's nothing." I gave her a reassuring smile as we continued to the end of the path into the room where the ritual would soon begin. I had only just noticed that the priests had vanished from out sides, Sae leading me carefully till we were only a few feet from the immense pit that was the hellish abyss. The ritaul that we were destined to do since out birth, there was no escape in now. Even if I wanted to, as long as we were together, I would be happy. Turning to face Sae her grip tightened in mine.

"I don't want to be alone anymore, so this time I'll take you with me." Her arms slowly extended toward me and her fingers wrapped around my neck. She wasn't squeezing so tight that I couldn't breath but slowly applying pressure as she turned me to where my back was facing the pit. My instant reaction was to grab her arms and try to pull them away, she was forcing me backward with each step and even though I wanted to go with her it still hurt so much. My heels were only inches from the drop off, my vision blurred and watery. When suddenly I could make out a white figure behind her.
"Sae stop this! Are you so desperate that you would take someone else in place of your own sister?"

Her grip loosened and all at once they fell to her side. The wide grin had slowly shrunk into an expressionless thin line, as she turned her head first then body toward the other pale figure. When she did this her form seemed to change, her blood stained kimono pure white, but once she was facing the other girl the fog that had clouded my mind started to clean. Across the room I could see Mayu leaning against the wall panting, she was staring at me with relief and shock. I remembered now that Sae had tricked me into coming to this place. I had betrayed my sister, how could I have done something like that? I wanted to run to her side but the scene before me prevented me from doing so. Would things finally end well?

"Yae... You came. I always knew you would."

Yae looked away with a sorrowful expression. "Please forgive me. I promised I would never leave you, but I did... I'm so sorry, I should have came back for you-"
"But you did, you're here." Sae interrupted her, a small smile formed as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Now you can make me a butterfly, and we can be together always."
She pulled Yae's hands up to her neck, she didn't seem to hesitate even after Sae released them and relaxed. But what happened next surprised her. Instead of tightening her grip around her sisters throat, she embraced her. "No, we're going to go together."

Stunned, it took a moment for Sae to react, but the smile never left her face as she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her sister in return. Without warning yet ever so lightly she leaned back toward the pit and together they both fell swiftly fell into the darkness, a red light glimmered after their bodies had vanished, and a few moments later a crimson butterfly surfaced in the moonlight. Descending through the air till it faded.
"Mio!" Mayu's voice pulled my attention back to her as she crossed over to me and embraced me with all her might. "I was so worried I wouldn't make it in time, I thought I was going to lose you. I'm not strong enough to survive without you... Please, don't leave me alone."

"Mayu..." I wasn't completely sure what to say at first, how to start off my apology to her. I'd did the one thing that I never wanted to do, betray her. "I... I'm..."
"It's alright. It's finally over, isn't it? We can stay together, right?" She pulled away but her hands lingered on my shoulders, looking me in the eye. I was suddenly starting to feel sleepy and my head was dizzy.
"Yeah... It's over." My head collided with the rocky earth as Mayu leaned over me. She was shaking me and her expression was panicked, but I noticed that her grip was weakening, as she fell against me. Was whatever that was effecting me also effecting her? My eyes rolled to the side as I stared at the opening in the ceiling where the moons light flooded in. The last thing I saw before passing out was a wave of shimmering blue orbs and crimson butterflies. I could only imagine it was the past ones that had been sacrificed and the people of the village who had finally been set free.

Two Months Later
After Mayu and I woke from our endless slumber and the nightmare seemed to have ended, we found ourselves in the safety of our room. Mayu had been the one to gently wake me and remove the bandages. Upon doing so I expected to feel a burning pain from the lights above, instead my eyes slowly focused on Mayu's shocked face and began to water. My sight had returned to me, why though I wasn't sure but I was thankful that everything to do with Sae and the village was over. Now we could start to forget about it all and focus on living out own lives.
After Kei discovered we were awake and alright, since apparently we hadn't woken for almost a month from sleeping, he took us both to the doctors to be checked out. The doctor told me that it was a miracle for my eyes to have healed so suddenly and he couldn't find anything wrong with them. It took some time but eventually we assured him that nothing was going to happen to us again, that everything would be alright. Since then Mayu and I have been living each day to the fullest from long walks in our favorite spot at the park, to shopping and other various activities at home. We even cook dinner most nights for Kei and ourselves and ate together.
Now, a little over two months later, it seems like that village never existed. It was just a horrible nightmare that had finally ended. One day while I was making tea and Mayu was dusting, Kei came to us and said that he had to visit an old friend about his work that he couldn't seem to get in contact with. He wanted to bring us along with him so being the curious twins we were, we accepted his offer. A week later we drove almost all day till we reached the house of Kei's friend, it had started raining about half way there and hadn't let up. He hadn't told us much only that his name was Yuu. It was interesting to me and Mayu to get to travel with Kei. We'ed brought only a small bag with a few items because Kei was unsure if we'ed be able to stay the night or not.
Upon knocking on the door it took it took several moments before someone finally answered it. When the door opened it revealed a woman with short black hair and a sorrowful look on her face. She appeared to have not had much sleep for there were bags under her eyes, for some reason she wasn't completely looking up at Kei as she spoke. "Thank you for coming all this way, we have something we need to talk about." Kei was a little confused it seemed at what she said, his eyes looked worried as he turned back to us.
"Mio, Mayu, this is Yuu's fiance, Rei Kurosawa."
All at once my heart skipped a beat, as Mayu's hand suddenly gripped mine. My eyes widened while staring at Rei, the sound of rain drowning out everyone else around me as I slowly whispered under my breath. "Kurosawa..?"