So, it's my birthday, and I really wanted to post a Higurashi fic sometime…so here it is.

June 19, 2014

Ashes's POV:

I blinked my eyes slowly, then growled and looked away. I want nothing to do with you, demon. The small purple-haired girl in front of me stamped her feet, clenching her fists. "Hauauau! Pay attention!" she whimpered, and I turned and started walking away, knowing exactly where this would lead. Get out of my head. A cold hand grabbed my wrist, dragging me to a halt, despite the fact I was much bigger than the child. I turned, seeing her innocent indigo eyes go dark, with an ominous violet-red glowing behind them. "Don't run from me. You can never run from me, because you can never run from your fate. I'm waiting for you, Shōkyaku Ashes." she ground out, her voice echoing in the stygian darkness around us. I gritted my teeth. Get out of my head! My eyes widened as there was a burst of images, swirling crystals spinning in the endless abyss around us, and the grip on my wrist burned like cold fire. My ice blue eyes narrowed in fury.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD DAMNIT!"

I shot upright, breathing hard. The ragged cotton blanket, stained with many years of usage, slowly settled to my waist, and I put my face in my hands, sucking in a slow breath. That dream again. I thought shakily, then turned my wrist over and looked. Sure enough, there was a bruise, shaped like a tiny grip, around it. My jaw tightened. Damn that demon. My eyes cleared as I sucked in a deep breath and I looked up to the sunlight shining through the hole in my roof. Birdsong and the endless humming of the cicadas met my ears, and I half smiled as I got up from my futon. Rolling up my blanket and placing it at the foot of the soft mattress, I traced my fingertips over the worn hilt of my hunting knife. Still there. I reassured myself, then smiled and walked down the worn hallway to my bathroom. Running the water, I began cleaning myself up to face the day.

3rd Person POV:

"Eh?" Keiichi blinked a few times as Rena and Mion paused. "What is it Kei-chan?" Mion asked inquisitively, and he pointed to a pair of sneakers. "Whose are those? I thought that was an extra shelf?" he asked in confusion, and both girls looked away. "That's Shōkyaku Ashes's. She almost never comes to school, so Chie-sensei doesn't bother to put her name on her bin." Mion muttered, and he blinked. "Shōkyaku? Who're they? And why doesn't she come to school that often?" Rena scuffed her foot on the floorboards. "Ashes-san is an orphan. She lives in the woods, all the way on the other side of the village. She has to hunt for her own food since she won't take a job; she scavenges sometimes at the dump for things. I see her there from time to time." Keiichi blinked, and then jumped as the bell rang. "Crap! We're going to be late!"

***Time Skip***

Keiichi blinked several times as Mion and Rena sat down, seeing the teen at the other end of the classroom, balancing her work on her knees and writing with an old, slightly grubby pencil. "That's her?!" he hissed to them as they took their seats. "You didn't tell me she has white hair!" Rena made a worried hushing motion as Chie-sensei began talking. "It's a long story, but she had a traumatizing event when she was younger and now her hair's just that color, okay?!" Mion hissed as she got out her things, and Keiichi glanced askance to the figure sketching in the corner. Her eyes were ice blue, and intently focused on her work. She was wearing a slightly grungy but not altogether stained jacket, dark grey with a white inner lining, along with some kind of tank top, also white. Her pants were a dirty grey as well, and she had no socks. She really is from the poor end of town… he thought with a gulp, then hurriedly turned around as her icy eyes glanced up at him. She's creepy!

Rena perked up. "Say Keiichi-kun, have you made any plans for tomorrow? Have you?" He blinked. "Huh?" Mion tapped her pencil against the air. "You still can't find your way around Hinamizawa, right?" He looked away uncomfortably. "I guess not. I'm still not really sure how to get anywhere besides the school and the town." Rena perked up. "Yeah, so, you know, tomorrow we were planning on taking a walk around Hinamizawa to give you a better idea of the place. I'm going to make a boxed lunch, how about it?" Mion grinned. "You're coming, right?" Keiichi shrugged. "If I'm free, yeah." Mion scowled at him. "What's with that attitude?! A girl's asking you out!" He turned away. "If I'm free, yeah." he repeated airily, and Rena blinked at him, looking pitiful.

"Aren't you free? Aren't you?" she whimpered, and he held up a hand. "I am!" She perked up. "Great!" Mion twitched angrily. "I'm sensing some preferential treatment here!" she barked as she held up a fist warningly. Keiichi stuck his tongue out at her. "Bastard!" Keiichi turned to Rena with a grin. "Rena, let's go by ourselves tomorrow." She beamed back. "If that's what you want!" Mion spluttered. "Hey! I was the one who suggested giving him the tour!" There was a lengthy pause as Mion glared at Keiichi, and then they all started laughing.

***Time Skip***

"Hello!" The three teenagers turned as the blue-haired Rika and blonde Satoko came to a stop by their blanket. "Satoko…and Rika-chan?" Keiichi asked in surprise, his hands full of food. "What's going on here?" Satoko asked indignantly as they approached the picnic, and Keiichi spread his arms. "Can't you tell? We're about to enjoy Rena's homemade lunch box." Satoko bodychecked him with her hand. "I know that! I'm asking why you all spread a blanket and are eating in my yard!" Keiichi sat up angrily. "The shrine is public property! It's not yours!" he spat, and Rika beamed. "Keiichi's right. Let's make this everyone's yard." she chirped, and Keiichi grinned and pointed to a free space on the blanket. "Rika-chan's such a good girl! Take a seat over there, let's eat together!" Rika walked past him as Satoko held a hand to her mouth. "Oh, you leave me no choice. I'll keep you company." she said with a grin, and Keiichi smirked at her. "There's no room for you to sit, and there's not enough food for you either." he said, sticking out his tongue, and she straightened indignantly. "What was that?!" They began sissy-fighting as Rena beamed nervously. "It's okay! I made enough for you too Satoko-chan!" she said, but Keiichi cut her off. "No you didn't! I'm eating Satoko's share!"

"You can't do that!"

Despite Keiichi's protests, Rika gave Satoko some chopsticks and she began eating. "Youth is such a great thing." Mion joked, grinning, and Rena nodded. "Eat up. There's enough for everyone." she said with a beam, and Keiichi's eyes narrowed. "The hamburger steak's mine!" he shouted, lunging for it with his chopsticks, but Satoko leaped for it and elbowed the back of his head. "Oh no you don't!" He crumpled to the blanket, twitching. "Elbows are against the rules…" he groaned, and Satoko grinned. "Oh, we had rules?" Rena clapped her hands softly, grinning. "Eating lunch with everyone is so fun!" Rika nodded happily. "Rena's cooking is delicious…"

Mion blinked suddenly, then rose to her knees, waving. "Hey! Shōkyaku-san!" she called, and they all turned, seeing the white-haired teenager halfway down the stone steps. She blinked at the other children, not saying anything. Mion waved harder. "Come join us!" Ashes looked down the steps, then back at them, then seemingly shrugged to herself and skipped back up to their level. She sat down at the edge of the blanket as Keiichi and Satoko scooted apart to give her more room. "You wanted something Sonozaki-san?" she asked quietly, and Mion waved it away with a wry look. "Hey, my aunt calls me that! Mion-san, if you don't mind. We were just having a picnic and I wondered if you wanted in." Ashes blinked at the array of food. "It has been a long time since I had anything cooked." she murmured to herself, accepting a pair of chopsticks from her Rika and breaking them apart, starting to eat.

Satoko was next to break the awkward silence that settled over them after Ashes had joined the group. "So…what are you doing all the way up here?" Ashes nodded her head towards the shrine as she swallowed a rice ball. "Paying my respects to Oyashiro-sama. I do it every day, more or less." Keiichi squinted. "What with?" he asked tactlessly, and Mion elbowed him. Ashes smiled slightly. "I just toss whatever extra yen I have in offering, nothing much." Rena nodded happily. "And you go hunting in the dump for whatever you need!" Ashes colored slightly and looked away. "I just go there for things I can't trade or buy in town. Nothing more." she mumbled, and Rika smiled. "It's so nice of you to give to Oyashiro-sama every day!" she said, clapping her hands softly. Ashes rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Eh, it just makes me feel closer to my parents, you know?"

Mion smiled. "So, what do you find in the dump?" Ashes blinked a few times, then put a finger to her chin, looking up in thought. "Well, I usually go there to look for dishes, pots and pans, things like that. I find and restore some old things too, kinda like Rena-san." Rena blushed slightly. "You've seen me too?" Ashes smiled and tapped the side of her head. "You see me, I see you. Despite my hair color, I'm better at staying hidden than you'd think." she said with a wink, and they all laughed.

9.21 PM USA Central Time