Second Higurashi when they cry fic

John woke up with a gasp; the hospital scene was still fresh in his mind. He checked outside and saw London this time. 'Just a dream again' he looked down and backed up as his bed was covered in blood.

"John" his mother came in "are you feeling any better?"

"Oh…sure" said John trying to keep himself steady.

"You still look a bit off" she felt him completely ignoring the blood. "I have a couple of medicines that should solve that."

"A couple?"

"Yes but you only get one" she said, she held out two pills "take the blue pill and go back to sleep or take the red pill and be on your way."

"Well…I-I really should get out of the house" John took the red pill and swallowed it.

"Good because Rika and Satako are waiting" said Maria. John saw Hinamizawa outside now as the door bell rang. They came in.

"Good morning, it's good you're not sick anymore" said Satako with cat's eyes.

"Yes that would be most unfortunate if you missed anything important" said Rika.

'I should've taken the blue pill' thought John. Hanyu apologized in the background. They left for the day and went into town. They met the others at the toy store.

"John, are you feeling well, you look really pale" said Rena.

"Had a horrible nightmare last night" said John.

"To affect you it must've been bad" said Mion "I've seen you watch the worst horror movies and then go straight to sleep."

"Rena took over the world with an army of hyper intelligent bunny rabbits" said John "which is scarily plausible when you think about it."

"I wish that dream was reality" Rena was in her own little world.

"Okay that's pretty scary" said Keiichi.

"No the scary part was when she put Satako in charge of Japan" said John.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Point taken that's no ordinary nightmare" said Keiichi. Satako growled and snapped her fingers and pans fell on Keiichi and John.

"Okay enough horror stories for one day, it's time for the club activity" Mion announced.

"At a toy store?"

"Tournaments are sometimes held here and we compete" said John.

"It helps us and attracts more customers" said Mion "so it's good for both."

"And Mion pays the winner" John added.

"I do not, the winner gets prize money."

"That comes from your pocket" John pointed out.

"Details, details" she waved it off "what matters is the tournament."

"So once Rena is out of her fantasy we can start" said Rika. She was still stuck with the hyper intelligent bunny fantasy.

"Little bunny road kill" said John. Rena snapped out of it and looked around in a panic "Works every time."

"There should be a Rena instruction manual" said Keiichi. John handed him the book.

"We all have it memorized." The others showed their own copy making Keiichi sweatdrop.

The tournament was officially on. Satako and Rika got ahead and then Mion silently threatened anyone that tried stopping here from getting any cards and John took two cards when he could get away with it. Soon enough Keiichi figured the game out and got a couple of henchmen on his side just like on the show. 'Assuming it is actually a show or something else' thought John, he got a card of his own while thinking about that. It was a tree way tie between him, Keiichi and Mion before long.

The clock then chimed "and that's it for me" announced Mion "the game is postponed."

"What, no fair get back here Mion!"

"Sorry Keiichi but I have to go to work now."

"Work?"

'And now something happens' thought John 'something that causes everything to go to hell.'

Keiichi was given a doll and he gave it to Rena. John only then remembered that was bad yet Mion didn't seem to mind unlike the show where it was clear she was hurt by it.

'That's not right she should be disturbed she doesn't get it, what's going on?'

"John, remember to pick me up from work" said Mion "we need to plan for the festival at your house."

"Right sure."

"The festival?"

"It's an annual thing that happens in Hinamizawa I'll tell ya later" said John. 'Everything was done the same so what's wrong?' the others left and Keiichi suggested getting lunch. John remembered this was when Shion was introduced and agreed.

"Okay this place is good" said Keiichi.

"Not sure what they were thinking when they named the place though" said John.

"Meaning?"

"Mort comes from the Latin word Mortuus meaning dead. So the place is basically called dead angel" said John.

"Or Angel of Death depending on how you read it" said their waitress. "John, you're here?"

"M-Mion?" asked Keiichi.

"N-not exactly."

"Shion, so you work here after all" said John.

"Yeah could you not tell my grandma about this?" she asked.

"Hold on why are you calling her Shion?" asked Keiichi.

"Mion has a twin did I not mention that?" asked John.

"No you never brought that up."

"Then this is Shion Sonozaki" said John "Shion this is Keiichi Maebara."

"The new transfer Mion told me about."

"This isn't a prank is it?" asked Keiichi.

"No it's genuine" said John "you can trust me on that."

"Can I get you two some tea?" asked Shion.

"Coffee for me" said John.

"Coming right up."

"All this time Mion actually had a twin sister."

"They live apart so they're rarely seen together" said John. Afterwards he went and picked up Mion and went back to his house with her.

"No-one's home today" said Mion.

"I guess not" said John. He saw a note on the fridge door "ah right it's around that time. She's examining the health of the guards at your home."

"Then we can get started without any interruptions" Mion set up everything "Order of activities and rewards etc."

"Right I guess that's important" John sat down with her.

"Hey John is everything alright with you?" asked Mion.

"Why do you ask?"

"Something's just been off about you lately." John saw Hanyu getting close to Mion.

"Your right there is something off about me" said John "and it's only just showing now."

"Then what is it?"

"The truth Mion…I am an alien" said John.

"Huh? An alien?! Come on John stop joking around here!"

"It's true though I am an alien…from the UK since I am not native to this country" he said making Mion fall over anime style breaking any kind of paranoia she had.

"That's not funny John!"

"Hey I told the truth and you did set yourself up for that one" said John. Mion scowled "I wonder sometimes if anyone remembers I'm not from Japan."

"I guess we do forget it sometimes" Mion admitted "you've been living here so long we just don't notice it anymore. As far as we're concerned you're a Hinamizawan just like the rest of us. And thinking about it" she started to snigger "that joke was pretty funny you really had me going there. I know" she got inspired "we should totally try that on the others and see if they're hit by it!"

"Perhaps that's not the best-"

"Nonsense of course it's a good idea! The punishment game is surviving a fight with an alien! No wait even better the main event is figuring out which one of the group is actually an alien! I'd like to see just how many get that one!"

'Well at least she's not paranoid now' thought John.

"Thanks" said Hanyu. She went back to Rika while Mion was still making up plans. This would be an interesting year indeed.

'Yet I still haven't figured out why Mion reacted differently, what is it, what variable did I miss?' thinking about it more Shion also acted differently. 'What is it what am I missing?' he let Mion go to bed in the guest room and stayed up and set up a large white board in the living room. "Okay I went to the game tournament, the tournament ended in a draw just like the show" he drew the connections "Keiichi received a doll, he gave the doll to Rena just like in the show. Mion should've been noticeably disturbed by this but she wasn't, she was indifferent to it, why? Let's look at the variables, Satako's uncle and brother are still missing, Rika is the same, Rena is the same, Keiichi hasn't heard of the Cotton drifting festival yet and is still new. Ooishi hasn't visited yet, Tomitake and Takano haven't interfered yet. Shion…she acted differently as well she acted normally towards Keiichi. The murders and disappearances still happened. Everything is set up the same but things are playing out differently there has to be some cause, what am I missing?"

"Hey John" Mion was up "have you not gone to sleep yet?"

"I have a lot on my mind so I'm organizing my thoughts" said John.

"It's all in English" Mion complained "that makes no sense."

"I come from the birth place of the English language and I write in English" said John "your right Mion that makes no sense at all."

She pouted at him for a bit before getting a glass of water "look just be finished soon I don't want to have to drag you out of bed in the morning cause you can't wake up."

"Rika wakes me up you won't have to worry" said John.

"Oh yeah that's right she does" said Mion "I forgot about that."

"If you want to take over though I won't complain."

"D-don't get any ideas pal!" she exclaimed while blushing.

"Mion Sonozaki blushing I almost wish I had a camera" said John.

"In your dreams you'll never catch Mion Sonozaki in a blush!"

"First time for everything" said John with a slight smile.

"Maybe but not that one" said Mion.

"You know John sometimes you can be kinda dull" said Mion.

"Gee thanks" said John.

"Let me finish" said Mion "as I was saying sometimes you can be dull but you always come through for us."

"Do I?"

"Yeah, when Rena came back you helped her re-adjust to Hinamizawa and even when Satoshi…transferred you really helped out Satako and were there for her."

"I was…" new memories were coming back.

"Yeah those two really look up to you" said Mion "without you things would be totally different around here." That struck a chord in John. The final piece of the puzzle fit into place and John saw the whole horrific picture. "Well go to bed soon, good night."

"It's me…I'm the variable…"