Higurashi: a bloodstained friendship

Author's notes: This is my second Fan fiction, and my first to be based on Higurashi. Please don't hate me too much. I hope to do at least some justice to my favorite horror anime. I am not sure how long this will be or where it will lead, but it is starting to develop as I go. NOTE: the romance between Rena and Keiichi will NOT take center stage, with the exception of this chapter and a few others. Nothing against the people who love shipping, there just seems to be too many fics about a pairing with no other plot at all. This is not what fiction is, and it isn't how I write. *Outside of my lemons, of course.*

Summary: It hasn't been long since Keiichi Maebara, 15 years old, moved out of Tokyo and into the tiny mountain village of Hinamizawa. It is a rural life, but it seems to fit him. He has many friends, is a member of the Game club in school, and even has a girlfriend, Rena Ryugu. It all seems perfect until he hears about the mysterious deaths that keep happening every year. When it becomes possible that his friends are responsible, can Keiichi and Rena escape becoming the next victims? Disclaimer: I do not own Higurashi no naku koro ni.

The morning was cool and clear in the quiet mountain village of Hinamizawa, and Keiichi Maebara was just beginning to stir in his bed. The air was still and if he sat very still and listened, he could hear the songbirds singing happily outside his window. It was early June and spring was in full swing. The clean, pure air filled Keiichi's lungs, and got him out of bed. He went down the stairs t the breakfast table and ate his food before going out the door and walking to school. Even though he had only lived here one month, Keiichi already preferred the tiny mountain village to the crowded metropolis of Tokyo, where he used to live. The unpaved dirt road already felt soft under his feet.

The village was small, tiny in fact, and isolated from any modern luxury. For a long time, Keiichi thought he would hate it here. Nothing could have been further from the truth. In just one short month, Keiichi had fallen in love with both the village and the villagers. There was, however, one particularly good thing about the village did stand out, and she was waiting for him at the corner he was approaching right now. Her name was Rena Ryugu, and she always waited up to walk to school with him. He hadn't known her for very long, but he had already gotten to like the strange girl. It was funny to think of just how different she was from the friends he had back in Tokyo. At least, back when he'd had friends at all.

"Keiichi-Kun! Good morning," She shouted, waving to him excitedly. "Are you having a good day? Are you?"

Keiichi smiles as he gets closer. "Hey Rena. Are you ever not early for school? You do know there's no crime against sleeping in?"

She was still smiling when he got to her, just like she always was. "Rena can't sleep in, she can't. I don't want to make you wait for me."

Keiichi smirks and let out a laugh. "Don't act like it's such a given that I'd wait." He laughed a bit when she started to tear up. He always felt bad at this part. "Rena, you should no by now that I'm joking. Now let's hurry up before Mion starts to complain." He didn't need to look to know she was blushing. He burst into a run and shouted back a dare for her to keep up.

They ran happily, neck and neck down the Hinamizawa streets, shouting all the way. They began to slow as they approached an older girl with green hair and a wide grin.

"Hey lovebirds, you having fun disturbing the peace. Funny, you race all the way here and your still late."

"Shut up, Mion, you're the one whose late most every day." Keiichi glared at his antagonistic best friend. Mion was a year older than he was, and liked to paradfe around like she was superior. It never failed to annoy him.

"Woah, there, Kei-Chan. Is that anyway to talk to an upperclassmen? You should have more respect for your elders."

"Old hag!"

"Lay-about!"

The shouting match lasted for a few minutes, and after a while, an annoyed Rena punched them each in the head to shut them up. "There now." Rena said. " Now lets go. We don't want to be late, do we? Do we?" Because they indeed did not want to be late, they continued on their way, walking and chatting casually.

Mion was another reason Keiichi liked Hinamizawa so much. She was the exact opposite of Rena, the sweet quite one. Mion was loud, and sometimes obnoxious. Keiichi supposed that came with being the next head of the Sonozaki family, which effectively ran Hinamizawa and the surrounding area. She was the boss lady, and liked the feeling. More importantly than all that, she was Keiichi's best friend.

There was only one school in Hinamizawa, and all the grades learn together. Even then, there were maybe fifteen students. Keiichi mused inside his head how this would never happen in Tokyo, which was his undoing. He was not paying attention to the door he was opening.

In a matter of seconds, Rena had ran in front of his and pushed him back, instantly being covered in chalk from a falling eraser meant for Keiichi. "Keiichi-Kun should be more careful. You don't want to fall into her traps, her traps."

Keiichi was taken aback for a second, and then took on a serious expression. "Thank you, Rena. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. I'm ready for you, Satoko!" Keiichi stepped into the room, and fell forward on a trip wire, falling directly onto an ink stone. Standing over his ink strewn form was a young girl with short blonde hair.

"What exactly are you playing at, Keiichi-San?" Satoko asked with a smile on her face. "You can't possibly believe I did this!" Her vice dripped with sarcasm.

Keiichi grabbed the younger girl by the collar and gave her a menacing look. "Brats like you deserve a forehead flick." The girl cowered as he raised his hand, but a sweet voice stilled his hand.

"Keiichi-Sama should be nicer. Satoko was just saying hello, yes she was." The girl was Rika Furude, an adorable blue haired child and Satoko's best friend. Upon hearing her request, Keiichi immediately let go of the blonde haired little troublemaker. These two rounded out the group, and together they were the only club in school, the game club. Keiichi was the newest member, but already loving it. It was much more fun then sitting at home after school.

The day went by as normal, with Chie-Sensei running around teaching the younger children and Keiichi tutoring Rena and Mion. They weren't the fastest to catch on, but he could be patient for them. At least most of the time. It did annoy him to teach Mion, who was a year older, but that couldn't be helped. After class, but before club started, Rena walked up to him, her normal blush more prevalent than usual.

"Uuum, Keiichi…Kun, I was wondering if you, if you…" She was stuttering and blushing even more than before.

"Go ahead and say it, Rena. I don't bite." He was used to her shyness, though he admitted this was a bit excessive. Still, it reminded him just how cute she could be. "Whatever it is, I won't be upset. I promise."

"Well, if you're sure. Um Keiichi-kun, I was wondering if you wanted to…" Her cheeks were positively scarlet by now. "Maybe go out with me tomorrow, tomorrow." By this time she looked like she may faint. "I, I just thought you may like a tour of the village?"

Keiichi wasn't sure why this surprised him as much as it did. He always got the feeling that Rena may have liked him, but this caught him off guard. All he could say was "Yes, of course," before his tongue got too heavy to talk with. His life in Hinamizawa was turning out to be amazing. He could hardly believe it. How unfortunate that it couldn't go on forever.