A/N: Welcome to the third Arc. This arc introduces a favorite character of mine…Shion! This arc will be known as Nejimagarutouei-hen, or 'Twisted Reflection Chapter'. I think this will likely be the best Arc yet. Anyways: Here is Chapter 11: Mirror

The sound of birds chirping and the ever-present song of the cicada's welcomed me to the living world, as I awoke in my home once again.

So it begins again. But what will change this time?

I got out of bed, slowly making myself presentable. Everything had returned to normal…for the time being. Glancing at the calendar, I took note of the date.

June 13th. That gives me six days before Watanagashi, and three days after that…

I shook my head. Now that I knew Rika was aware, I could strategize, and perhaps gain a tactical advantage over…over…

Not again! Who exactly is my enemy, and why can't I remember!? There was…a woman, and…some type of group. But who!?

Despite my desire to know what I was up against, I decided to let it be, knowing that it was futile to try and remember, just as it was in the last world. I couldn't bring that information from one world to another, but at least I knew I'd won against the enemy in the last world, and if I could do it once, I could do it again. I decided what mattered most to me now wasn't the defeat of the enemy, but the rescue of my friends.

I will find a way. Mion, Keiichi, and Rena…I won't let you all down again.

The melancholy of my mood was broken by the ringing of my phone.

"Who could be phoning me this early?" I picked up the receiver, still wondering.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Ryan. It's Rika; could you please come to my house before school starts?" Rika asked. I smiled.

"Someone seems to be jumping the gun; I only just woke up, but sure, I'll be right over." I hung up and quickly left, everything I needed to do at home was already finished.

*knock knock*

I stood outside Rika's house, waiting for her to answer. Surrounded by the forest, I listened to the steady song of the cicadas. The sound was relaxing, reminding me that there was more to this town than just battles and insanity.

The last time I was here, this place was a battlefield. But now, without any threats, this place is so…peaceful.

"Hello. Please, come in." Rika had answered the door, and invited me in quickly.

"Thank you Rika. What did you want to talk about?" I asked. Looking around, everything looked nearly identical to the last world. I examined the closet behind the door before fully entering, despite knowing that there wouldn't be anyone there.

"Mii…just some school things." Rika abruptly changed to her cute voice. As we turned the corner into the kitchen, I saw Satoko cooking eggs.

That explains the shift. She must not want to let Satoko know about herself…

"Hey Satoko. How's it going?" Satoko turned to me for a moment.

"Ryan!? What are you doing here? Great, now I need to cook even more." She acted annoyed, but as I walked past her, I saw the hint of a smile. I could tell she didn't actually mind, and actually seemed pretty happy to have company.

"I'm here because Rika asked me to come. And don't act like its more work, you have to make breakfast anyways, and you look like you enjoy cooking." I said, chuckling.

"It's not that I enjoy it. Have you ever tasted Rika's cooking? Bleugh." Satoko made a face. I nearly laughed, only holding back because Rika was right behind me.

"Mii…I didn't know I was that bad." Rika made a sad face, instantly turning Satoko apologetic.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean it badly…I just…I'm sorry!" Satoko apologized profusely. I smiled at the pure innocence of the situation.

"Satoko…I don't think Rika is offended. I think she's just teasing. Look, she's smiling!" I pointed out Rika's ineffectual efforts to hide her grin. Satoko huffed, before returning to the stove. I turned and followed Rika into her room.

Once we arrived, Rika stopped, and turned to face me. Her eyes seemed to pierce into me. The carefree mood Satoko had established shattered, as Rika's eyes darkened.

"I know you have questions still, things you weren't able to ask in the last world…but…" Rika trailed off.

"But?" I pressed, wanting to know why she had called me here.

"But I don't want to unduly influence you. You change Fate so drastically, and I'm worried if I tell you too much…you'll change how you act, and thus, doors in the labyrinth will close. I don't want to risk losing our chance to escape these tragedies."

"I…I get it. So even if I ask about what's happening in this world, what's different; you won't tell me, just in case this world can be changed into a perfect world."

"Exactly. There's only one thing I do want you to know. Ryan…I trust you." Rika smiled, and I felt myself returning it.

"Well, I'll do what I can Rika. Can I still count on you for basic information though?" I asked.

"I guess, though there isn't much else I can tell you." Rika answered.

"Just want to know what I have to work with. Thanks Rika."

"Hey you two; come and eat!" Satoko called from the kitchen. Shouting back that we were coming, we ran to the kitchen.

What will happen now?

The walk to school was uneventful, just talking about nothing in particular. Satoko seemed quite animated, more so than usual. I thought I'd figured it out.

I think I remind her of Satoshi a little bit, and that's why she's so happy. I hope I can eventually find him, and maybe even find a way to cure him.

Lost in my own thoughts, I tried to figure out my plans, and what I wanted to do.

First off, I need to protect Rika, as well as all my friends. Stopping…the woman and the group she works with should take care of that. I also want to try and find Satoshi. Rika mentioned Irie knew about that, so that's a good place to start, although he's hiding him, so there's no guarantee that he'll even tell me. Even if he does, Satoshi has Level 5 Hinamizawa Syndrome, so he's dangerous. Maybe just finding him will be enough. Then there's the Syndrome. It's hit me and Keiichi so far, as well as Satoshi one year ago, and something tells me we aren't the only ones susceptible to it. The last thing is the 'Chain of Mysterious Deaths'. I don't believe Oyashiro is involved, which means there are other forces at work. Finding them could be the key.

"Argh…this is confusing." I muttered.

"What is? Ryan, what are you thinking about?" Satoko asked.

"Umm…nothing, don't worry about it." I said, covering up my worries. Satoko didn't need to worry about this kind of thing.

I need to focus on what I can influence. I should watch everyone carefully; and find the one who's acting strange. After school…I'll go talk to Irie, find out what I can. As for the 'Chain', there isn't anything I can do right now. And Rika…she isn't in danger until after Watanagashi, which means I have plenty of time to work with.

Having resolved my worries for the moment, I joined into the trivial conversation, forgetting my worries for now, as we arrived at school.

"Alright everyone. After school, we have some extra special Club Activities!" Mion was excited about something, calling a club meeting before class started. Mion even asked Satoko to forgo her usual trap for Keiichi, so she'd have time to tell everyone. Satoko seemed disappointed, but agreed.

"Extra special? How are they special Mion, how?" Rena asked, clasping her hands up and down, rivaling Rika for total cuteness.

"Well, my Uncle is hosting a small games tournament in his store in Okinomiya. I expect everyone to be there, and to give 110%! We need to show just how good our club really is!

A tournament? This is new…

"Sounds like fun, but if this is a tournament, then what's the prize?" I asked, curious.

"The prize? Nothing less than 50000 yen!"

"50…50 THOUSAND! Holy cow, that's a lot!" I exclaimed. I had enough money in the bank to supply my basic needs, but not much spending money, meaning the 50,000 yen would make a fairly big difference. The account seemed to be resupplied every two weeks, though I'd never lived long enough to actually see it happen. I didn't really know who was resupplying it, but so long as it happened, I didn't really care. I pretty much assumed that Oyashiro had done something. I made a mental note to ask Rika about it.

"Yep, so you better play hard if you want to get your hands on it. But remember who you're facing. It's unlikely you'll be able to defeat all of us." Sighing, I admitted she was probably right. Aside from a couple of games and activities that I was freakishly good at, such as Crazy 8's and eating contests, everyone was able to absolutely stomp me in club activities, with the exception of Keiichi.

"Don't worry Ryan, just do your best, and I'm sure you'll do fine." Rena said encouragingly.

"Get real Rena, there's no way he'll beat me! Ohohohoho!" Satoko started laughing.

"You little runt, I'll make sure to beat you just for that!" I grinned towards Satoko, making her laugh all the harder.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see!" Satoko said, staring at me as she did so.

"I guess so." I responded simply.

"Ok guys, it's almost time for class to start. Make sure you're ready after school." Mion quickly told everyone, before we got ready for class.

After school, we made our way to Okinomiya, where the toy store, and thus the tournament, was.

"I can't wait to win this! You all have no chance!" Mion was highly excited. I smiled, saying nothing. I walked behind everyone, watching carefully. No one was acting at all out of the ordinary…just 5 kids, enjoying life. Even Rika seemed happy, talking with Satoko. All I could think about was how precious this time was.

Without this kind of relaxation, this pure happiness…I'd lose my mind in no time. Everyone…thank you for this.

Entering the store, I was surprised for a moment to see a bunch of other kids waiting around. In a moment, I remembered that it was a tournament, not just us. I grinned, knowing that I wasn't likely to come in last.

"Alright everyone, gather round." The owner of the shop called into the crowd. Mion stood next to him, arms crossed.

"The name of the game is Karuta!" The owner announced.

Karuta!? Crap…I'm so screwed.

Despite the knowledge Oyashiro had granted me, it wasn't 100% complete, and thus, I knew almost no Japanese proverbs. Since this game revolved completely around identifying them, it was pretty much hopeless.

"Umm, excuse me. But, Ryan hasn't been in Japan very long. It isn't fair to play something like Karuta." Keiichi spoke up.

Hmm? I never said anything, so why is he acting on my behalf?

"Really? Ok…I'm sure I have something here…aha!" The owner had retrieved a strange barrel, shaped like a strawberry, with various needles stuck through it.

"This is a game of chance, so no one has the advantage. Now…let's get started." As we moved to sit down at the table, I noticed Rika looked very surprised.

I guess this hadn't happened before. Heh, even Rika can be caught off guard it seems.

The game was fairly simple. Each person took a turn removing a needle from the barrel, which, if you were lucky, would cause marbles to drop out of it. Despite the random element though, I knew I was still up for a challenge. Though there was no way to be certain of your choice, there were ways to maximize your chances, by paying attention to the sounds of the marbles within.

"Alright! Let's go!" I shouted, eager to play. The sentiment was echoed around the table, as the contest began.

Despite everything, I lost to Keiichi and Mion. Before the tie could be resolved, the clock chimed in the background, and Mion bolted up from the table.

"What's the matter Mion? Afraid you're going to lose!?" Keiichi mocked her playfully. Mion grinned back at him.

"You wish. I have to go to work now, so the game remains undecided. Don't worry though; I'm sure there's a consolation prize." Mion called back at him. The owner walked up to Keiichi with a package, announcing that it was his consolation prize. Keiichi opened it…to find a doll. Looking at it with distaste, he glanced around at his friends.

"Here Rena, this isn't really my thing, and this only really suits you." He handed the doll over to Rena, before turning to Mion, "…and it really wouldn't suit you Mion. I doubt you've ever even touched a doll." Keiichi started laughing. Mion turned without a word and exited the store. Even though she hid them well, no one else noticing, I caught a glimpse of tears gathering quickly in her eyes. Feeling concern, I tried to follow her, only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Rika, a knowing look in her eye. Heeding her unspoken advice, I allowed Mion to leave without pursuing her.

What the heck, why is she…wait a minute…does she like Keiichi? If so…that comment from Keiichi would have felt like he was stomping on her heart. I hope that she's alright.

"Well, I really need to be getting home, dinner won't cook itself. See ya later guys!" Satoko left, taking Rika along with her before she could say anything.

"I'm going to take this home with me…thank you so much Keiichi! I really really like it." Rena skipped away, radiating joy. That left Keiichi and me alone in the store. Suddenly, a strange rumbling sound was heard.

"Hey Ryan, you busy?" Keiichi asked me. I shook my head.

"I heard there's a really nice restaurant in town. It's called Angel Mort, and it's apparently got the absolute best desserts. You want to come along with me; I don't really want to go alone, but I'm starving." I contemplated it for a moment, before my sweet tooth had its say.

"Sure, why not. I'm up for it." Keiichi and I left to go to Angel Mort.

Strange, I haven't ever seen a restaurant by that name in Okinomiya before. Granted, I'm not here often…but still. Is it unique to this world…or am I oblivious?

"Man, this looks amazing!" I was sitting in the restaurant with Keiichi, looking over the menu. I'd decided on a mouth-watering lemon merengue pie.

"And so do the waitresses." Keiichi, like me, was devouring things with his eyes, though his target wasn't the food, rather, it was the waitresses, each dressed scantily. Eventually, one of the waitresses stopped at our table.

"Yeah, I'd like…MION!?" I nearly fell out of my seat as the green haired girl flushed with surprise and I assumed embarrassment.

"Mion!? Is this where you work!?" Keiichi echoed my surprise.

"Umm…well…you see…" She began stammering.

"But…this does put you in a different light. Yeah…I could definitely get used to seeing you like this." Keiichi was out of it, his eyes glazed. I could only imagine what was going through his mind…and none of it was good. I almost make a move to smack him, after all, despite her current dress, it was still Mion…but she beat me to the punch, slapping him silly after he made an idiotic move to almost grope her.

"OW! Damn, I never would have imagined you worked at a place like this…especially if you treat your customers like this."

"Keiichi…can it. You were out of line there, and Mion was completely in her rights to lay down the pain. Sorry about him." I quickly apologized in Keiichi's steed, knowing he was likely to just dig himself in deeper…plus I wanted to spare her feelings.

"Umm…thank you…but I'm not Mion. Mion is my twin sister, I'm actually Sonozaki Shion." She smiled shyly as she revealed her true identity.

WHAT!? No freaking way!

"You expect me to believe that! As if…" Keiichi retorted.

But if that is true…then why hasn't Mion mentioned her…and Rika too. Rika! That's it…I can sort this out by asking Rika. But for now…I'll take her at her word.

"In that case, I doubly apologize, Sonozaki Shion, both for my friend's rude behaviour, and for mistakenly calling you by the wrong name." In response, Shion smiled brightly.

"Don't worry about it. I suppose this outfit is a little bit revealing, and Mion has mentioned that Keiichi has a perverted streak. Then there is the fact that we are identical, so mistaking me for her is an honest mistake. Also, please call me Shion." Her face went dark for a moment, and so I decided not to question her motives.

"Hey! That's not nice to say about others!" Keiichi shouted.

"Maybe not, but it is true Keiichi." I started laughing, and Shion joined in a moment later. Keiichi crossed his arms, but didn't argue further.

"Anyways…what did you want to order?" Shion finally got back to business.

"I'd like the lemon pie...and I swear Keiichi, if you say anything perverted to Shion, I will definitely sic Rena on you tomorrow." Keiichi quickly stared at my face. The expression I wore clearly told him I was serious.

"I'll take…the chocolate cake." Keiichi said in a defeated tone. Shion took the order, and quickly left.

"Keiichi…even if that was Mion; you were a bit out of line." I lightly scolded the older boy. Keiichi bowed his head slightly.

"Maybe…but I'd just…never seen her in that light before." Keiichi admitted.

Hmm…time to play cupid.

"Maybe you should try then. For instance…you shouldn't have said what you said to Mion earlier."

"Huh?"

"Nobody else noticed…but Mion was pretty upset by what you said today, about the doll not suiting her. She's tomboyish to be sure…but I'm pretty sure every girl likes to be seen as attractive every once in a while, and what you said…kinda said the exact opposite. In fact…I think she nearly cried. You should be more sensitive." Keiichi stared at me for a moment, before a sense of realization dawned on him.

"Oh no…you don't think she's actually that upset, do you? Maybe I should apologize." Keiichi looked miserable. It seemed that despite his initial impression, he cared deeply for his friends.

That won't be enough. The Syndrome awoke in Keiichi and myself over far less, and if that has happened to Mion…no words will be able to break the illusions.

"I don't think that would work well. Maybe you should try doing something…after all; actions speak far louder than words. You might even be able to swing it around, maybe by mentioning you wanted to protect her reputation or something. Whatever you choose to do…do it in private."

"Ryan…what are you playing at? Why are you so concerned?" Keiichi suddenly asked. He seemed puzzled by my actions. I sighed quietly.

"I just…I don't want my friends to be upset with each other." I stated simply. I left the other half unsaid, though Keiichi wouldn't realize I wanted to say more.

I don't want my friends to be upset with each other, because that might cause them to kill each other. I am so tired of death and pain.

"Well, that was good, but we should be getting home now. Wouldn't you say?" The cleared plates in front of Keiichi and I spoke volumes about the quality of the food. I nodded in response, getting up quickly, and leaving a generous tip for Shion.

"So Ryan, what are you going to do tonight?" Keiichi asked, making small talk.

"Probably just sleep, or read some manga. You?"

Nothing really…" As Keiichi said this, he tripped, tumbling into a bike, which toppled over into 2 others.

"Umm…oops? Think the owners will be mad?" I glanced behind him. 3 bikers, each wearing a mean scowl, were approaching Keiichi. I quickly motioned to Keiichi that the owners were there. The bikers walked up, each of them sneering in a malevolent manner.

"Excuuuuse me, but did you just carelessly push our bikes to the ground? Are you gonna pay for the damages?" Without any more than this, I realized this problem could not be diplomatically solved.

These clowns are a lot like the gang members from New York. They won't back down.

"I-I'm sorry. It was an accident." Keiichi apologized.

"That's not good enough bub. We demand satisfaction." They moved forwards, preparing to shove Keiichi to the ground. Before they could, however, I reached forwards and grabbed the lead bikers arm.

"Listen up. It was an accident. You can take it at that…or I can get violent. You decide." I said menacingly. I was hoping I could intimidate them, and prevent a fight. The man yanked his arm out of my grasp.

"You think you're tough stuff pipsqueak? Let's go!" They raised their fists, and prepared for a fight. I stood in front of Keiichi, also readying for a battle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice echoed from behind me. I turned, and saw Shion, standing confidently, no longer in her waitressing outfit. Now, she was practically the mirror image of Mion, the only difference being their hairstyles.

"Oh yeah, and who's going to stop us from pounding this kid to mush." The biker in front sneered.

"Look behind you." The bikers glanced around, as did I. All around us were random villagers. Each, however, looked prepared to lend us their aid if a battle broke out. The bikers no longer looked confident, instead, fear was written all across their faces

"Um…I just remembered someplace I need to be. You got lucky." The biker grabbed his fallen bike and took off, his friends in close pursuit.

Another glance around, revealed the villagers to have returned to normal, going about their business with friendly smiles.

"Are you ok?" Shion asked; concern in her voice.

"I'm fine…though I think I could have taken them." I replied.

"Well, it's good that you didn't need to find out. I would have hated for you to get hurt."

"Yeah. Thank you Shion, you really helped us out…and especially after the way I treated you…" Keiichi seemed embarrassed and more than a little sheepish.

"Hey, don't worry about it. A friend of Mion's is a friend of mine." She smiled serenely.

"In that case, I'm quite happy to call you friend." I held out my hand, and Shion shook it tentatively. With a wave, Keiichi and I left, happy that we had managed to make a new friend. At that moment, the events that were to unfold, we completely unimaginable to me, despite everything I'd already experienced.

A/N: And that's all folks. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I got hit with a mild case of writers block, followed by a metric crapton of random things that ate up my time and energy. As a result, my writing suffered, but rest assured, I'm still around, and will attempt to get back into a regular update schedule once again..

Anyways, this chapter is just setting up plot elements, nothing spectacular has happened yet, though the next chapter should be fun(so long as the breaking remains as I've planned). As always, leave a review with any praise or constructive criticism, it's greatly appreciated.