Until the day I change my name to 7th Expansion, I do not own Higurashi.
Cicada of the Dark -SacredHero-: I'm glad you like this one. It's kinda a pseudo-sequel, I guess. And a very happy(late) birthday to you! I'm glad I chose to update on such a day! I hope you continue to keep reading. And thanks for reviewing.
Tails-Coyote-Carnivore: *Hi-fives back* I guess it really was a good day to update! I hope you enjoyed your trip(wherever you went). Was it Akasaka? Well you'll just have to read this chapter and find out. Thanks for reviewing.
Japaneserockergirl: Well goody goody for you then! Yeah, the bat part could have been more vivid, but I plan to use that one again eventually, and that's when it'll be more graphic. But I still could of had it somewhat more vivid this time anyways, so I'll work harder on matters like that in the future! Really, my wording improved? That's fantastic! I hope it hasn't gone back to mush(oatmeal?) in this chapter, here's hoping! I accept your half-cookie! *devours* Please continue along with the helpful ideas. Thanks for reviewing.
"Nice to know that the ride isn't any shorter than it used to be." I remark to myself sarcastically. I've been pedaling for what seems like hours now. My legs are beginning to get extremely sore, and the fact that my body is heavier than I used to remember it being does not help at all. To go from a six year sleep to an enormously straining bike ride may not be the best thing for me. When this is all over, I'm definitely going to get another few years of sleep.
The sun is beginning to go down, it's behemoth for slowly sinking behind the mountains. The sky is a vivid pink, the clouds a dark purple.
"I'm almost there." I mumble. I can suddenly remember this part of the path, I'm much closer to the town than I thought! In fact, I should be able to see it down below anytime now.
This part of the road is much easier to ride on, seeing as it's downhill now. All the scenery speeds by, as I rush down towards the valley below. The trees blur, and I have to focus to avoid falling off the bike(piece of junk).
And suddenly I see it. Hinamizawa, bathed in the radiance of the sky above. It looks so beautiful from where I am, perfectly serene in the valley below. But it's not the same peace that the village once had, it's something much different now. Something....terrifying.
"I'm coming back." I speak without even registering it. This is for real, I'm actually returning. But there's not much to return to. My friends, my family, the villagers; they're all gone! Am I just returning to nothingness?
There's still Satoko. The thought flows into my mind, providing me with a ray of hope.
That's right, Satoko might still be alive. But what will I do if she is alive? Just what has she gone through these past years? What can I do for her?
My mind drifts off, a powerful memory surfacing.
Satoko stands in front of me, unwilling to look into my eyes. I can see bruises all over her. Bruises on her arms, her face, everywhere that bastard hit her! She refuses to look at me, but I can still see how terrified she is just to be here.
"I...won't run away." I mutter, fists clenched at my sides in anger. I can hardly look at her without rage seizing my entire body.
"?" She looks at me in confusion.
"Unlike Satoshi...I absolutely won't run away." I look her straight in the eye, showing my resolve. "I won't abandon you!" I watch her closely, to see her reaction.
"Thank you..." She whispers quietly, looking towards the ground at her feet. Her tears fall to the ground below, one drop after another. And then she looks up, and smiles at me despite the tears running from her eyes.
I don't say anything. How can I? She's trying her hardest to be strong, but I can still see the fear in her strained smile. This feeling of frustration, it's unbearable.
And so I make another vow to myself, silently this time.
No matter what happens, I will protect Satoko.
"Protect...her." I sound the words out, as if they were some kind of alien idea. "Protect Satoko." I nod my head in approval. For now, that's all I need to do. I can worry about the rest later, I just need to protect Satoko! Even if she still hates me and fears me, I'll do whatever I can to clear my name. And if that doesn't work, I'll protect her anyways!
I stop the bike for a second, climbing off and taking a deep breath of air. "You can't beat the air of this place." I chuckle to myself.
Hinamizawa's closer than ever now. It's practically a stone's throw away. I can see the first few of the buildings, now looking old and run-down. Although I can't see too much of the village from this view, I can still feel that weird vibe from it.
"Everyone, I'm back." I stare at the town up ahead. "And....I'm sorry. Whether it's my fault or not, I'm sorry that all of this happened." I force my eyes shut, but a few tears still run down my face.
The thoughts of my friends fill me with grief. All the happiness we had, all the laughs we shared, all the fun times spent together; all of them are gone. Why did something so terrible have to happen to us? We didn't do anything wrong. So...why?
I suddenly start to cough again, my irregular breathing makes my chest hurt. My lungs feel like they're on fire!
Dr. Miuchi warned me that my condition wasn't fully stable yet, and that certain states of mind would cause my lungs to act up. He advised me to take deep breaths, and calm my emotions down whenever I started to cough.
I follow his advice, breathing slowly and calming my mind. My cough slowly dissipates, and I feel much calmer too. "Thanks again Dr. Miuchi." I smile to myself. I really do owe him for a lot of things.
And as my mind begins to calm, my resolve begins to strengthen once more. All of my happy times in Hinamizawa, they truly were a blessing. Each one of those memories is a priceless treasure to me. I owe it to everyone, for allowing me to have such precious moments, to do everything I can.
So I take a deep breath, and smile, a true smile.
"Alright then, no more delays. It's time to go." I tell myself, climbing back on top of the bike. I move at a slow pace, afraid that something might happen if I move to fast. But the village grows closer anyways.
And suddenly I'm there, inside of Hinamizawa.
I slowly climb off of the bike, in a strange state of awe. My eyes take in all my surroundings, each site a different memory. I truly am back in Hinamizawa now, and it might be a while until I leave. I can't be sure, but I know that there's a lot that needs to be done.
"I'm home..."
---
"Can't you get it yourself Papa?" Miyuki asks, hands on her hips, fixing me with a critical glare.
"But Miyu~ki!" I whine in the most pathetic tone I can muster. "I'm so tired from all the sight-seeing today. Can't you even get your beloved papa just one single drink?" I give a small sniffle, fixing my eyes on her own.
"..." She continues to glare at me for a moment, her cheeks puffed out in a cute little pout. "Fine." She grumbles, taking a single bill out of my wallet and exiting the room.
I allow myself to grin the second she leaves the room. I stretch out, and allow myself to recline in a more comfortable position. "Ah~! Staying at the Hot Springs really is the best!" I moan, reveling in my own content. The night air feels cool, especially while I'm wearing this comfortable robe(AN:Hakama? I think?).
Why don't I go on more vacations like these? I don't think I've ever been so comfortable in my life. I'll definitely have to make plans for more of these in the future.
But today certainly was eventful. Miyuki and I went all over, looking at every single thing that had even some small acclaim. "But I guess I do owe it to her..." I mutter to myself, turning the tv on with a click of the remote. It's been a while since I've spent any quality time with Miyuki(precious daughter, light of my life). I'm worried that she's going to grow apart from me someday, and I don't think I'm strong enough to deal with that! "She wouldn't....abandon me.....would she?" I mutter.
"What are you grumbling about now?" Miyuki's voice chimes in. She stands in the doorway with that same skeptical look on her face.
"Ah, nothing." I mumble abashed, taking the drink(Oolong Tea) from her hands, as she walks over to me.
"You can be strange sometimes Papa." She chuckles to herself. Her attention turns towards the tv. "What are you watching right now?"
"Nothing in particular, just browsing around." I grin, continuing to flip through the channels.
"You should really learn to just stick with a show." She grimaces, sitting down next to me.
"Aw don't be like that. Come on, why don't you sit on Papa's lap?" I pat my knee and smile.
Her face flushes with embarrassment. "W-What do you think I am!? Five!?" She shouts.
"But you were willing to do it when you were eight.... Besides, it's not like there's anyone here to see you." I whimper again. I'm just one of those clingy parents, I guess.
"That's besides the point. I'm growing up you know?" She frowns at me, but still walks over and seats herself on my lap.
"Now was that so hard?" I tease.
"Hmph!" She ignores me, but I can tell she's happy. After all, she's still my little girl under this big-girl image of hers.
I stroke her hair happily. "You know, I used to do this with your mother." I smile at the memory, still so fresh in my mind's eye.
"Really?" She looks back at me, anger forgotten.
"Yep." I chuckle at her curiosity. "Her hair was so long and beautiful, your hair is just like it, only shorter." I smile.
Miyuki smiles back at me, obviously happy with this bit of knowledge. She goes back to happily watching the tv, and is silent for a while. "Hey papa?" She suddenly asks. "Who was that man you were talking to today?"
"Which man?" I ask, not really thinking.
"The one at that huge store we went to. Remember? He looked pretty young, and his eyes seemed kinda mysterious." She looks back at me as she explains.
"Oh right!....Mysterious? You think so? Or are you just saying he was attractive?" I smirk.
"It's nothing like that!" She shouts, hitting me in embarrassment.
"He told me his name was Maebara Keiichi. Other than that, I don't know anything." I shake my head.
"Maebara Keiichi....." She puts her hand to her chin in thought. "Why does that name seem familiar?" She mutters.
"You thought so too?" I ask, hoping she might remember where she heard the name.
"I think I've read his name somewhere before. Where was it?" She scrunches her face up in concentration(my daughter is the cutest!).
"Well there's no point in worrying about it right now. It'll probably come to us eventually." I ruffle her hair, and resume my rest.
The tv show we're watching is rather boring(to me at least), and my vision begins to get blurry. Before I even realize it, I fall asleep.
Everything's dark, uncomfortably dark. All my senses are completely numb. It feels almost like time has stopped completely, including my own.
"Can you hear me?" A voice suddenly chimes in. It's the voice of a young girl, such a familiar one too.
"Who is it?!" I ask, somewhat on edge.
The outline of a small figure suddenly appears before me, but I can't make out any details.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" The voice giggles. Such a familiar laugh.
"Could you be...?" The realization hits me full force. It couldn't really be her could it?
"Yes. It's good to see you again."
"I can't believe it. Aren't you....dead?" Even I can find the disbelief in my tone.
"For the most part, yes." Her voice sounds somewhat bitter. "But I can still manage to contact you, although I don't have much time."
"I'm sorry!" The thousands of ways I always wanted to apologize, and it still comes out as something so simple. "I let them kill you! I was so wrapped up in myself, that I didn't even think of saving you!" My voice quivers with raw emotion.
"....It's okay. It wasn't your fault. You just found out that your wife died. You had every right to be distraught." Her voice is so sincere. "But we don't have time for these things. You must listen to me."
"Yes, I'll listen." I do my best to gather myself.
"It's too late for me, but there is still something you can do. Something for me, and for all those who died in Hinamizawa."
"Papa? Are you okay?" Miyuki's voice suddenly rings in my ears.
"We are out of time." The voice sighs.
"What do I do then?" I ask. Desperate to know how to help.
"You must find someone, a man. You've just met him recently. His name is..."
"Maebara Keiichi!!!" I shout, suddenly bolting up out of my slumber.
"Ahh!" Miyuki falls off of me with a thud. "What was that all about? You looked like you were having a bad dream, and then you suddenly throw me off you? Are you feeling okay?" She looks at me with concern.
"There's no time right now! I remembered where I've read that man's name before! Remember the book that Papa helped make?" I ask.
"The one about that town?" She asks, eyes widening.
"Yes! He was one of the residents in the town! And I remember hearing on the news that he was the only survivor from the incident, but he fell into a possibly-permanent coma!" I shout, quickly changing into my regular clothes.
"Really?" Miyuki is beginning to look excited too, her small body trembling with excitement. "Are we going to go find that man?"
"You betcha! Now hop on! We're gonna run!" I kneel down.
"I'm too old for that stuff!" She frowns at me.
"No time, hurry!"
"...fine." She reluctantly climbs onto my shoulders.
"Let's go!" I shout, dashing out of the room, despite the strange stares I'm receiving. "We're going to check the hospital where he was admitted first, that should get some leads!"
"Slow down a bit!" Miyuki shouts, holding to my neck tightly.
"We don't have time for that." I grin, the adrenaline flowing through my body.
"Mamoru Akasaka is on the case!"
Da da da daa~ Akasaka's on the case! Whoosh! You know crazy stuff's gonna go down now!
Wow, this chapter came out a lot faster than I thought it would! Although this one practically wrote itself(for the most part). Was this chapter any good, or do I still need to work a lot harder? I'll work harder either way, it's just nice to know whether I'm doing things right or not.
Keiichi's part was a little difficult to write this time around, but Akasaka's seemed so easy. I guess I'm just more comfortable with happy settings, as opposed to the more action-ey ones. It was kinda fun guessing how an older Akasaka would act, but I think he ended up pretty nicely. I especially like the "doting father" bit of his personality, makes him lovable.
If you're wondering about the book that Akasaka mentioned I'll explain. It's a compilation of all the information on Hinamizawa, and the incident that happened there. He and Ooishi worked on it together(with the help of Miyuki of course!). The books title is the same name as the anime itself. If you want to know anymore, than I suggest you read the manga(shameless plug).
Now we're getting into the heavy stuff here. Some crazy stuff is gonna go down, and I hope it'll be able to quench the reader's thirst for excitement. If not.... then I'll have Keiichi fight a dragon or something(GODZILLA!!!).
Thank's for reading this chapter! Please drop a review in if you have the time, and I'll see you next time!
