In sickness and in health
A/N: Another one-shot, this time a Satoko/Rika pairing. Aren't those two just the cutest together?
"Satoko…" Rika lay unconscious in her futon, weakly mumbling in her sleep. Her body was wracked with fever, and Satoko was working furiously, constantly making cold cloths to lie on her head. Rika was her best friend, always there for her, and so, doing this in return was nothing.
"Rika…please get well soon."
Rika had been sick for a week, and Satoko was getting worried. Irie had come, several times, but there was little anyone could do. There was nothing the clinic could offer that Satoko wasn't already doing, so Irie left Rika in her care, though he continued to stop by at least once every two days. He brought groceries and medicine, though Satoko barely noticed.
"…" Rika was silent. Satoko simply continued what she was doing. She had left the room to get more water, and thus was startled when she heard Rika talking. She turned the corner, hope filling her, only to be dashed, when Rika was still sleeping. But she continued to speak.
"I'm…sorry. I…couldn't save you…Satoko…" Rika tossed and turned, distressed. Satoko held her friend close, trying to comfort her, though she was still asleep.
"What? Rika, what's wrong!?" Satoko's voice was filled with concern. She wondered if her friend was having a nightmare.
"…All these worlds…what's the point…maybe…I should just…die…" Rika's murmurings took a turn for the dark.
"Rika! No, come back! Rika!" Rika seemed to stir slightly at Satoko's voice.
"My friends…all die…again and again…all because I am…reborn…" Satoko grew confused.
"Reborn? Rika…what kind of dream are you having?" Rika's eyes opened. Rika almost covered her mouth, as if it could call back the words she had inadvertently spoken, before she simply accepted what had happened. She lay back.
"It's no dream…Satoko, what should…I do?" Rika turned to her friend, looking for answers.
"Rika…you're sick. Focus on getting better. We'll talk about this later." Though her friend had just woken, Satoko could tell that Rika was not kidding, and she wasn't delusional. Her friend had a secret, one she had accidentally revealed. Rika nodded, before slowly returning to sleep.
Two days later, Rika's fever broke. She was shortly back to her normal, cheerful self, or so it would seem. Her friends were all relieved, all but one. Satoko simply stared at her friend, concern in her eyes. Rika didn't seem to remember what she had said, and Satoko didn't want to bring it up. Instead, she decided to try and listen to Rika, to see if she would talk in her sleep again.
That night, Satoko lay awake, only pretending to sleep. A couple of hours after Satoko had lain in bed, Rika began talking.
"I spent almost all my time in this world sick. I don't know what's going to happen. Whether it will be Keiichi, Rena, or Shion who turns in this world."
"…"
"I know that! But it's hard! Living through the same month, again and again, dying without fail, and seeing my friends hurt, or even killed, time and time again. Especially Satoko…she doesn't deserve that. I really hope it isn't Shion…I really hate those worlds…"
"So it's true…" Satoko sat up, staring at her friend, who seemed so different than normal.
"Satoko!?" Rika nearly fell out of the window she was sitting on in surprise.
"When you were sick, you were mumbling about other worlds…and that you couldn't save anyone. I thought it was a dream…but you woke up and said it wasn't. You didn't seem to remember, so I thought it really was a dream…but it's not. Rika…why didn't you tell us?" Satoko held her friends hand. "I…I thought we were friends?" Satoko nearly started crying, though she refused to allow the tears to fall.
"Satoko…of course we're friends! That's why…I didn't want you all to worry. I…" Satoko shook her head.
"But we could help you! We could…but…you don't trust us." Satoko turned away. Rika reached out to her friend, but Satoko avoided her friends touch.
"I'm going to sleep downstairs. I…" Satoko stopped short, as she quickly ran out of the room. She didn't want to show any weakness to her friend. She had thought she had grown out of the need to cry…but she was wrong. Rika simply stood in the room, alone.
"Satoko…" Rika awoke Satoko timidly. She had tear-stains in her eyes, indicating she had cried at least since she had awoken.
"Rika." Satoko kept her voice level, preventing the hurt she felt from entering her voice.
"I'll…tell you. If you truly want to know…then I'm not a very good friend if I said no." Satoko nodded, not trusting her voice enough to respond.
"I…I'm special. A few days after Watanagashi…some men will come and kidnap me. Shortly thereafter…I'll be killed. But that isn't the end for me. I will be reborn into a new Hinamizawa, about 2 weeks before Watanagashi. When that happens…nobody remembers anything about the old world…except me. For a time, I fought against Fate. In those worlds, I told all of you about it…but nobody believed me. After a while, I learned not to say anything. I simply try to endure, and enjoy what few joys are left to me…mostly the games Mion comes up with. I live, and I die, an endless cycle of futility and loneliness. It's gotten to the point where…I just don't care anymore. The only reason I continue is because there is no alternative. I can't even end my own life to end my suffering." Rika trailed off.
"…then I will fight too!" Satoko declared. She understood that her friend was suffering, and truly needed someone to be there for her.
"Huh?" Rika appeared confused.
"Rika. I will tell you a secret…something I've been ashamed of for…a long time. If you tell me about this secret in another world…then I will believe you when you say that you've seen other worlds. I'll believe you…because there's no other way for you to have this knowledge. If I do this…then I can help you in these other worlds. I can make it so you aren't alone anymore."
"Satoko!?" Rika simply stared at her friend.
"When we were younger…we played a game of hide and seek at the Furude Shrine. Do you remember?" Rika nodded.
"And do you remember what happened?" Satoko asked. Rika stood silently for a moment, thinking, before answering.
"…Someone was in the Saiguden. The statue was damaged…and my father punished me for it." Rika said, her eyes closed, remembering.
"..." Satoko took a deep breath, working up her nerve.
"It was me…" Satoko confessed, as she hung her head. "I…I was scared of your dad…so I didn't say anything. But…it was me! I climbed on to the roof, and fell in, and when I tried to climb out…it broke."
"…" Rika said nothing, simply waiting for Satoko to continue.
"I…I let you take the punishment that I deserved…I let you get punished, and I said nothing. I'm so sorry I betrayed you! Please forgive me!" Satoko felt a single tear fall from her eyes. Rika walked up to Satoko, and brushed aside the teardrop. Satoko gasped in surprise at the touch.
"…I forgive you." Satoko looked up at Rika, her eyes sparkling.
"To be honest…I kind of suspected you… but I never said anything. There wasn't a reason to make an accusation, it wouldn't change anything. I'm glad that you admitted it yourself though, even though it doesn't change what happened. It means a lot to me." Rika smiled gently at her friend.
"Rika…"
"Satoko. I will fight again, to defeat this Fate which binds me. I can do this…because I'm not alone anymore. Satoko…you don't know the true value of the gift you've given me." Rika was smiled brightly at Satoko. Satoko grinned.
"I think I do. I'll do my very best to help you…no matter what! No matter what happens, no matter how much it may hurt, I will fight by your side, as long as I live. I promise." Satoko smiled brightly, taking her friends hand.
Watanagashi came and went. The two young girls barely noticed. Rika and Satoko spent every waking moment preparing for the inevitable arrival of the men who would come to take her, and kill her. Satoko mastered as many new traps as she could, setting up an almost impenetrable defense, hidden in plain sight. Rika told Satoko of anything she could remember from the past worlds that was relevant. Together, they tried to puzzle out who their enemy truly was…but to no avail.
The night came quickly, and the men infiltrated their home. Satoko fought against the invaders, her new traps wiping out a large portion of the attackers. Unfortunately, however, they had the advantage of numbers, and within minutes, the two girls were subdued and captured.
"Rika…I'm sorry. I couldn't…" Rika shook her head, the only motion she was still capable of, bound as she was.
"Satoko…I should be the one who saying I'm sorry. I got you tangled up in this…and now…" Now it was Satoko's turn to shake her head.
"Someday, you'll be free…and because I know that…this is worth it. Rika…" Tears filled the two girl's eyes. A dark figure stood above the two girls, holding a knife and a gun. With a single shot, Satoko was no more. With a menacing step forwards, the figure brought the knife towards Rika, her intentions clear.
Rika closed her eyes. She had endured this many times before, except now, she knew that she wasn't alone. She was surprised to realize this made all the difference. Rika met her attackers gaze with defiance and newly acquired strength…an attitude that made her attacker hesitate for a moment. Rika smiled at this, and continued to smile even as the knife bit at her, and as her life flowed away.
Satoko…I'll see you soon.
A/N: This one is pure fluff, but sometimes, that's all you feel like writing. Enjoy. =D