Hola, mis amigos! Study hall during Spanish class. We're missing half the class, so we just have study hall. He offered to give us a surprise test to improve our grade, but I shot that down. There was one kid who tried to convince us to take it cuz he has a terrible grade, but my teacher just looked at him, sighed, and said, "no, you have no chance to do well the test... you won't get even a fifty." Yeah, his English isn't too great, but he is an awesome teacher. We have a party tomorrow, too. Yay! I hope I don't fail the essay later…
~33~
~~~~X~~~~
The demon girl looked up at the boy with curious eyes, though the girl that stood there in the corner, almost taunting her with her very presence, distracted her vision. He held her head gently in his hands to make sure she was looking at him, a little annoyed that her vision wasn't completely on him. He gazed into her glowing green eyes, smiling at her. Mion tilted her head to the side, still a little confused. Her vision began to trail off to Rena in the corner, the voice in her mind telling her to kill her and eat her.
"Look at me, Mion," Keiichi ordered her gently. Her eyes returned to his face, a light blush highlighting her features. He smiled gently at her in an attempt to distract her from Rena, knowing exactly what she'd do when she got a hold of that girl. "Good girl," he spoke.
Then, he did something that surprise Mion. He reached his hand out and patted her head gently, just like he'd pat Rena. She blushed fiercely, though she wondered to herself why he head never pat her like that before. He had always done it to Rena, so why not her? He ran his fingers through her hair and down the length of her long green ponytail, just missing the two horns protruding from the front of her head, curving back over her.
"You're a good girl, Mion," he told her, "so listen to me now, okay? I've got something really important to tell you."
Mion nodded. "All right," she murmured underneath her breath.
He smiled. "All right then, Mion. You see… Mion… the truth is that…"
Mion glanced over to her side, finding the sight of Rena very, very distracting. Her mouth watered a little, and she tried not to drool. Keiichi was saying some things to her, though her ears refused to pick it up. Rena's eyes widened when she noticed that her glowing gaze was once again on her instead of Keiichi, and she stared at her.
She could feel that rage and that hunger slowly coming back, a feeling that she heavily disliked. She hated being a demon, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Her stomach growled, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. She knew the demonic urges were going to come back any moment now. She couldn't help but look at her prey with eyes full of hunger, causing her pretty to jump in alarm.
Rena tugged on Ryota's arm, causing him to look over at her. She pointed a finger to Mion, and he looked in that direction. His eyes also widened when he noticed that Mion was not paying to attention to Keiichi's words and that their plan was failing.
"…Hey, are you listening to me, Mion?" Keiichi asked, moving her head back towards him.
Mion's head snapped back to Keiichi, and she nodded even though she hadn't heard a word of what he had said. Keiichi let out a sigh of relief. "All right then, Mion, but please look at me while I'm speaking to you. I want… I want to make sure you hear everything I'm saying," he said.
Mion nodded once.
"All right then, Mion. Where was I? Oh yes. You're my best friend, you know. You were always so brave and I always admired your courage. I remember when you stood up for us, trying to take the bullet for us when Takano wanted to shoot you. I was amazed at how brave you were, Mion," Keiichi said, looking directly into her eyes, which were slowly averting her vision. "I've never met someone as brave as you before. I can't even compare to the bravery that you show off. I... I'm really just a coward compared to you, aren't I?" he spoke, a sad smile on his face.
Mion glanced to Rena, finding it hard to take her eyes off of her. Keiichi let out another sigh as he redirected her vision back to him. "Listen, Mion! You've really changed me. I used to be someone without friends, someone who didn't care for anything other than grades and that crap. However, you taught me how to have fun with everyone and how to have good friends. You changed my life from something dull into something fun to live," he said. "And for that reason, I don't care if you're a demon or a human! You may be a demon, but none of us care about that, all right?"
Mion nodded, finding her gaze slowly drifting back to Rena. She was looking at Keiichi, a huge smile on her face. She couldn't help but growl at that. She found it disgusting to see her gaze on the boy she loved. Didn't she know about her feelings for Keiichi? In that case, why did she ever try to love him, too? Mion couldn't help but feel enraged by such an action.
She felt her claws at her sides bury into the pebbles, trying to control her actions. She was finding it hard to hold back her demon side, the side of her that wanted nothing more than to kill. Keiichi let out another sigh as he noticed this. "This isn't working at all," he said. "You keep getting distracted by Rena, why is that? Why can't you just listen to me!" he cried out in frustration, bringing his fist down on the rocks that covered the riverbank.
Mion frowned. "I… I'm sorry, Kei-chan. I don't know why, but I can't… I can't get my eyes away… she's… she's trying to… to…" her whole body began to shake violently, causing Keiichi to take a few steps back. The last time he had seen something like this was when he saw her at the tree after murdering Kimiyoshi. After that, she had grown those horns and those claws, as well as her fangs.
"Stop it, Mion! Hang in there!" he called to her, knowing fully why she was shaking. She was going to transform again. "Don't fall to the demon! Don't fall to it! Fight it, fight it!"
Mion slowly shook her head. "I… I can't," she whispered as her body's trembling began to increase. "I… I can't! I can't!" she cried out. Her limbs began to move a bit at her sides and her feet attempted to kick, though the ropes that Satoko had put up restricted them. A surge of pain ran throughout her body, reminding her of the time she had gained her demonic features. She knew what was happening to her instantly and she began to try to fight the force within her body that was slowly transforming her into the demon that she was.
"Quickly, everyone, hold her down!" he cried out to the group. They all nodded, running towards Mion. Each of them placed their hands on her, as if trying to give her power to stop her transformation. The last thing Keiichi wanted to see was her in an even more demonic state than the one she was.
"She's going to turn into her true form!" cried Rika as she desperately held Mion to the floor. "We have to stop this transformation, now!"
"True…. Form?" spoke Shion. "W-What do you mean by true form?"
Rika frowned as she looked up at the other Sonozaki twin. "Every demon has a true form that resembles an animal or even a human of some kind. They all have a special power, too. Mion's transforming into that true form of hers right now, and god knows what she will look like when she does. I don't want to see her in such a state," she explained to the girl.
Keiichi titled his head. "What kind of power will she have?" he asked the girl
Rika shook her head. "I don't know, Keiichi, but how about if we DON'T find out what it is?" she suggested, applying more pressure to the girl below her who was currently struggling to break free of the grasp the rope had on her limbs.
Ryota nodded. "I'd also prefer not to find out what her true form looks like," he said.
"I agree with Ryota-san!" cried Satoko as she attempted to tightened the ropes restraining Mion. "I don't want to see her like that, that would be awful!"
Keiichi glanced down at the struggling Mion, his teeth clenched. Her struggling was beginning to increase, and Keiichi was finding it hard to hold her down. Her power was escalating slowly, her limbs beginning to break free of the ropes that were binding her.
Finally, the ropes snapped, causing Satoko to gasp. She stepped away quickly, holding the rope she was about to bind to Mion tightly in her hand. They were losing the struggle.
"Quick, everyone, just let go of her!" cried Keiichi, who reluctantly let go of her. Holding her down like that was just adding to the pressure and to her pain. The other club members let go as well, understanding exactly why he had told them to let go. The struggle was pointless. Mion couldn't fight herself, no matter how hard she tried to.
They all took a few steps back, their eyes focused on the trembling girl in front of them. Some of them covered their mouths with their hands while others looked away, unable to bear seeing their club leader in such a state. She slowly stood up on her two legs, shaking like crazy. She let out a scream of pure pain and clutched her chest tightly as the pain spread throughout her whole body, almost to the point where it was unbearable. Her fangs elongated quite a bit, their tips even more sharp. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably as her claws grew longer and sharper.
The glow in her eyes increased, the green now completely blocking her pupils from sight. Her eyes were now just a glowing green color, looking like they were empty of soul. She began to cackle insanely, throwing up her arms as she did so. The club members took a few more steps back, considering the idea of running away. Mion stopped laughing and began to stare at each and every one of them with her glowing, demonic eyes.
"Get ready to become minced meat, RYUUUUUGUUUU RENNNAAAAA!" she cried out. Instantly, she lunged forward, aiming for the orange-haired girl. Rena ducked out of the way as fast as she could, falling down on the uncomfortable pebbles as she did so. She rubbed her stinging back, grumbling a little.
Instead, Mion was now on top of poor Satoko, who was looking at her with horrified eyes. She looked into those soulless green eyes, looking like she was about to scream. "M-Mion-san!" she cried out as she attempted to shake the demon off of her. "Stop it, this isn't you, Mion-san! Stop!"
Satoko threw a smoke bomb in the air, causing it to go off around them. She managed to struggle free from her and escape behind the others through the thick smoke, her face plastered with terror. She clung to Shion's skirt, hoping that she would give her some comfort. However, Shion was frozen to the ground, her mouth opened and her eyes full with fear and shock.
"O-Onee," whispered Shion. "W-What in the world… happened to you?"
The smoke soon cleared up, revealing Mion's figure glancing about the area in desperate search for the others. She spotted them, gazing at them for a little while. She opened her mouth slightly, wanting to intimidate them with her long, sharp fangs. She licked her lips once before she pounced on Rena, pinning her to the ground. She cackled madly as she looked into Rena's blue eyes, full with horrification.
"Prepare to become dinner, Ryuuguu Rena!" she cried out. Rena let out a shriek as she struggled beneath her, feeling Mion's claws dig into her flesh. She flailed about, unable to get the insane girl off of her.
Then, using all her force, she rolled over, causing Mion to fall with her. Mion crashed on the floor, pebbles hitting her skull. She growled at the slight pain, looking at Rena with fierce eyes glazed with a green glow. "That hurt," she growled as she slowly pulled herself up. "That hurt," she repeated, "that really, really hurt. Don't you know that, Rena?"
Rena hopped on her feet, backing away from the girl in front of her. "Please don't do this, Mi-chan! You're not thinking properly! Don't you understand anything at all!" she screamed out. "You've got everything all wrong!"
Mion narrowed her green eyes, looking not confused, but angry. "Oh, I have everything right, Rena. Do you not think that I of all people understand what you are going through? You love Keiichi, but Keiichi is mine. I cannot allow you to take him from me!" she screeched out,
"STOP IT!" cried Ryota, stepping into Mion and Rena's little fight. "That's not true, that's not true at all! Rena-chan doesn't love Keiichi! She told me herself that she wants you and Keiichi to get together!" he yelled at her, a fierce sound in his tone that surprised even him.
Mion crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Rena nodded her head. "Yes, I think that you and Keiichi-kun would make the perfect couple! You two are just so cute together, you have no idea! I would love nothing more then to see you two kiss! Why don't you understand, Mi-chan?" she cried out to the girl so locked in her insanity that she could not see the truth. It was obvious to everyone that he liked her back, so why couldn't she see it, too?
"YOU'RE LYING!" screamed Mion, causing the nearby Higurashi cicadas to fly away out of pure fear. Rena stumbled back, surprised by the sudden shouting. "I know that you're lying to me! After all, I'm a demon! I know the truth and I know that you're just trying to confuse me so that you and Kei-chan could be together!" she yelled. Then, she raised her claws up in the air, showing off their new sharpness. "PREPARE TO DIE, RYUUGUU RENA!"
Mion ran forward, her claws outstretched. The group of friends jumped away, startled. Her claws grazed human flesh, causing the owner to cry out in pain. Mion growled. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Rika," she hissed at her, "so stay out of the way. I don't think it's appropriate to eat a child."
Rika scoffed, the blood from her scratch mark dripping down onto the pebbles, staining them a crimson color. "I am not a child, Mion," she told the demon, "looks can be deceiving. You should know that better than anyone else," she told the enraged girl. "After all, which one of us is the man-eating demon is disguise?" she taunted her.
Mion slashed her claws against Rika's skin, this time on purpose. They cut into her stomach, causing her to wince in pain. "Don't you dare say something like that!" she screamed at the little girl before moving down to tear her skin once again. Her sharp claws cut her over and over again, making Rika cry out with the pain of being slashed so many times.
Satoko threw a pack at Mion, which exploded all over her. Dust flew up into her face, causing her to cough over and over again and cover her face. Blinded, Satoko took this as an opportunity to fight back. She crouched down on the floor, beginning to set up a trap. None of them really understood what she was doing, but not one of them bothered to ask in this situation.
Keiichi tried to think of some way to protect his friends while not hurting Mion. He couldn't bear to hurt the girl he loved. That would just be plain cruel, not to mention wrong. He growled and clenched his fists in frustration, watching as Mion tried to gain back her eyesight.
"Why you," growled Mion as she took steps forward, only to step on the trap that Satoko had set up. It triggered, sending a whole bunch of smoke flying out. Satoko searched the pebbles below, finding a giant rock within them. She tossed it up and down in her hand before throwing it at Mion, hitting her directly in the stomach.
Mion clutched her stomach, screaming out in pain. Satoko winced at the sight, hating the idea of hurting her friend like that. However, at a time like this, she had no choice. Mion glared at her with glowing green eyes, a hatred in her expression. "Do you want to die too, kid?" she snapped at her. "I was just here to kill Rena. I wasn't planning on killing you, but if you interfere, I guess I have no choice."
Satoko ducked as Mion lunged for her, though she did not miss. Mion looked down upon her with menacing eyes, gazing over her tiny body. She sniffed her a few times as if she was some kind of animal. Then, she positioned her mouth right above a chunk of flesh on her arm, ready to bite down.
Rena thought quickly. She stuffed her hand in the pocket on Shion's skirt and snatched up the taser she kept there. She ran forward with it, pressing the button as he aimed for Mion. She pressed the prongs to her back, sending an electric charge through Mion's body. She let out a cry as she fell to the ground, shaking violently.
Satoko stood up, glancing at the spot where Mion was about to bite. She suddenly felt a little ill as she thought of Mion eating her, an image she'd rather not see. "Thank you, Rena-san," muttered Satoko, "I could have been dinner!"
Rena shot her a quick grin and nodded. Then, she focused on the demon on the ground, who was stunned from the electric charge. She crouched down so that she was closer to her and looked down upon her face, almost unable to read her emotions through those pupil-less eyes. Mion's eyes narrowed a little when she caught sight of her, but she did not move.
Rena raised her hand high before bringing it down on Mion's cheek, giving her a good slap. Then, she did it again, this time to the other cheek. "Snap out of it, Mi-chan!" she cried out. "Don't you understand anything? I don't love Keiichi-kun! He's a really good friend of mine, but I've never had a crush on him, not even once. So stop thinking this way! Why won't you believe me?" she yelled to the stunned demon.
"Stop lying," Mion hissed, slowly pulling herself up. Rena blinked in surprise. The stun from the taser should have left her immobile for a good amount of time. And yet, it didn't. Mion easily stood up on her two feet, now higher that Rena. She looked down upon her with hate in those demonic eyes of her. "Now shut up and let me eat you. I'm a hungry demon, and hungry demons aren't very nice."
Shion snatched the taser back from Rena, staring at it with wide eyes. Then, she looked over to her sister. Should she use it on her? Shion gulped, not sure what she could do in this battle. One part of her, the side of her that was Sonozaki Shion, the club member, told her to go ahead and attack Mion. The other part of her, the side of her that was Sonozaki Shion, Mion's identical twin, told her to leave her alone and watch. She couldn't hurt her sister, could she? That wouldn't be right!
Mion saw this and sneered. "Aren't you going to kill me with that taser of yours, Shion?" she asked her.
Slowly, Shion shook her head, taking a few steps back. "I can't… I can't hurt you, sis, I just can't hurt you…"
Rika glanced over to Shion, her jaw dropped. "Shion! We can't think of something like that at a time like this! Maybe you can bring her to her senses if you taser her a little. Just help!" she cried out to her.
However, Shion simply shook her head again. "I… I can't! I can't hurt my sister… I can't hurt my twin! But I can't let you guys die…" she looked at the taser in her hand, her eyes wide. "I DON'T KNOOOOW!"
Mion smirked. At least she had one person who wouldn't hurt her. She glanced over to Keiichi, gazing at him for a little while while the others tried to help Shion with her conflicted mind. He turned to meet her vision, looking into those eyes of hers. Mion blushed, hoping to herself that Keiichi wouldn't hurt her, either. He wouldn't, would he? Such wouldn't be Keiichi. He wouldn't hurt her… he just wouldn't.
"Mion," sighed Keiichi, "would you please listen to what I have to say?"
Mion titled her head to the side. "I'm sorry, but I can't right now. I have to deal with a few pests," she answered, focusing her gaze on the rest of the group. Shion was clutching her head, muttering a few things while the others tried to snap her back into reality. Mion darted her tongue up, touching the tips of her fangs. She licked them, grinning widely as she did so. She had the perfect chance to attack.
Focusing on Rena, Mion ran forward with her claws outstretched. Rika spotted this and tried to warn her, but they were not reached. Mion charged into her, knocking Satoko out of the way as she did so. She clawed Rena with sharp slashes, aiming to kill her the same way she had killed Etsuko and Hajime. Then, when she was dead, she would eat her body. It seemed like a flawless plan to Mion. After all, no one had stopped a demon besides another demon.
Mion slashed Rena more and more, grinning madly. Satoko grabbed onto one of Mion's arms, trying to pull her away with all her might. Ryota did the same, tugging at her. Mion screamed and struggled to get free, thrashing her arms about. Her claws constantly grazed Satoko's face as she flailed about, causing blood to trickle down her cheek.
"STOP IT" screeched a helpless Keiichi. "STOP IT YOU GUYS!"
None of them heard him, however. Mion stretched her claws out, clawing Rika in the face by accident. Rika cried out in pain. Satoko, alarmed, threw another giant rock at Mion, causing her to whip around and attack her. Keiichi watched the scene with tears welling up in his eyes, which soon flowed down his cheeks.
"STOP IT!" he cried out once again, though all his words he knew were in vain.
Mion continued to attack the others. She bit down on Ryota's hand, sending a cry out from his mouth. Shion backed away slowly, not sure what to do. She placed a hand on her taser, though she did nothing with it. Rena hit Mion in the face for hurting Ryota, which only made Mion claw her, digging her claws right into her soft flesh. Satoko placed her hand on a smoke bomb in her pocket, tempted to use it. Mion noticed this and growled, knocking the smoke bomb right out of her hands.
Rena moved to attack Mion, only to end up with Mion's fangs buried deeply into her arm. She cried out in pain as Mion focused on digging her fangs as deeply as she could into her flesh. Tears from pain splattered to the ground as Rena tried to shake her off to no avail.
"MION!" screamed Keiichi.
She didn't hear him. She was too focused with her kill to hear his screams. She drew her fangs out, licking up the blood that poured out from the wound. Ryota tried to stop her, though Mion saw his attack before he could launch it. She punched him in the face with her demonic strength, sending him stumbling backwards.
Mion returned to Rena, stretching her claws out. Satoko and Rika tried to intervene, but Mion gave them a deadly glare, sending them stumbling backwards into a stunned Shion. She licked her bloodstained lips with her pink tongue, enjoying the taste of the small amount of blood. Rena hesitated, not sure what she should do. She really wished that she had her cleaver; she could probably fight her off then. Mion raised her hand up high in the air and brought it down on Rena, scratching her from her face all the way down to her stomach. She buried her claws right into the soft flesh as she raked her, finding the feel enjoyable. Rena screamed louder than ever before, tears running down her eyes like a waterfall. She hated feeling so weak, but there was really nothing she could do.
"I LOVE YOU, SO STOP IT!" screeched Keiichi desperately. "I LOVE YOU, I
LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!" tears fell down his cheeks. He knew all too well that his words would never reach Mion. She had gone too far into insanity to focus on anything other than killing her prey. He rammed his hand into a tree in frustration, unable to control the endless tears that were now streaking down his cheek. He was conflicted. He couldn't hurt Mion, and he couldn't let Rena die. So what was he to do? He glanced over to Shion, who was watching them with wide eyes. She too did not know what she should do.
Ryota tried ramming into Mion, trying to get her away from Rena. At this rate, she'd surely die. "Stop it!" he cried out. "Don't hurt my Rena, don't hurt her!"
Rena shoved Mion away from her, sending her stumbling back. A good amount of blood dripped from her outstretched claws and splattered on the rocks beneath. Tears still ran down Rena's face, though they were slowly fading away. She glanced down at her limbs, covered with countless scars. She was beginning to feel faint due to the loss of blood. Her vision was blurring and she began to stumble, almost unable to stand.
Ryota stood in front of her protectively, his fists clenched. He stretched his arms out, acting as her shield. "Don't you hurt her anymore!" he yelled at her. "I'll… I'll protect her from you, demon!" he snapped.
Mion frowned. "Get out of my way," she demanded.
Ryota shook his head. "I will not move!" he spoke stubbornly.
Mion growled at him. "I told you to get out of my way," she hissed.
Yet, Ryota still did not budge. "I will not move!" he repeated, his voice firm.
"I TOLD YOU!" screamed Mion, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
Mion screamed, holding her claws up high. She threatened to bring the down on Ryota, but he still did not budge. He looked up at those claws with courage in his eyes and he practically glued his feet to the ground. He couldn't be afraid. He had to make sure Rena was safe. Mion brought her hand down, only for Ryota to grab Rena and push her out of the way. Her claws missed them both, slicing through thin air.
"Why you," growled Mion. Her body was slumped over, her bangs covering her eyes. Slowly, she raised her head slightly so that only one of her glowing eyes were visible, full of anger. "I'll kill you," she hissed. "I'll kill you!"
Mion charged forward. This time, however, Ryota was ready. He jumped backwards just in time, Mion's claws missing him once again. He kept taking steps backwards as Mion slashed the air in front of her, stepping forward. Ryota moved his head to the right and to the left to avoid her sharp points, surprised at his ability to dodge. Rena was forgotten as Mion desperately slashed, missing his flesh with each and every move.
Finally, Mion grew annoyed. She opened her mouth and let out a ferocious cry, stretching out both of her hands. Using all her force, she lunged her claws forward, set on digging right into his flesh. Ryota didn't know what to do, and he had to act fast. Without thinking, he bent backwards. Mion's claws went right past him, just barely missing his nose.
Mion and Ryota stood upright, looking into each other's eyes. They were both panting like crazy, their chests heaving up and down. They said nothing, all the words they needed were exchanged through eye contact. Ryota narrowed his eyes, holding his hands out again. The expression on his face was stern, and he showed no sign of giving into her.
"Why… YOOOOOOOOU!" screamed Mion. "I'L KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL ILL YOU, I'LL KILL YOU!" she repeated over and over again, her tone filled with insanity. Her hands began to shake violently, followed by her feet and then her entire body. "I'LL TEAR YOU INTO PIECES, YOU LITTLE FUCKING BRAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" she screeched.
Hanyuu glanced over to Rika, who was watching the whole scene with wide, afraid eyes. "Rika!" she cried out to her.
Rika nodded her head. "I know!" she screamed to Hanyuu. Then, she whipped around to Satoko, who was also watching with wide, afraid eyes. "Satoko! Look away!" she cried out to the girl.
Satoko turned to Rika. "What?" she said.
"LOOK AWAY!" she ordered her.
Satoko instantly obeyed, covering her eyes with both of her hands. She didn't understand why exactly, but she knew that she couldn't disobey her friend. It was surely a serious matter, whatever it was.
Rika glanced about the group. Everyone had their full attention on Mion, not one of them looking away aside from Satoko. She cleared her throat, and then bellowed, "EVERYONE! LOOK AWAY, RIGHT NOW! LOOK AWAY!"
Keiichi looked a little confused, but then he realized what was happening and quickly averted his eyes. He looked over to the rushing stream, gazing at his own reflection to distract himself. Shion hesitated, giving her trembling sister once glance before she too looked way, covering her eyes tightly. Rena did the same, knowing fully well what was going to happen. Ryota stood there, his eyes firmly locked on Mion. He couldn't look away; he couldn't hurt the pride that he gained!
"Ryota, look away!" screeched Rika desperately. However, the boy still did not look away. "RYOTA, I SAID LOOK AWAY!
Ryota gave a glance to the trembling Mion and then to Rika, wondering to himself if he should just listen to her. He looked back at Mion, seeing an extreme amount of fierceness in her eyes that caused her to shudder. He then decided that he shouldn't force himself to act braver than he should and covered his eyes, knowing that the commotion before him was something that would forever scar him if he were to see.
Mion began to scream louder than ever before and her body shook with such intensity that the pebbles below her began to scatter. Then, it happened. Her whole body began to contort and grow in ways unimaginable, the sound level of her screams escalating as it happened. People were tempted to look, though they thought better of it and kept their eyes shielded. Mion felt pain burn through her body, turning into strength as it numbed. She could feel her body distort and take on a new form, a feeling she found sickening. Her vision was blurring as well as her very sense of reality and she found herself unable to feel anything around her.
Then, it stopped. Mion's screaming ceased and she was now quiet. Her sense of touch was slowly coming back to her. The area around her seemed so different now that she was in a new form. She looked around at the club members. She was still the same height as them, but she felt different in a number of ways. For one, she was standing on four legs, not two.
Then, feeling madness returning to her, she let out a vicious roar. Rika peaked an eye open to take quick look, but quickly shut it again after she got only a small glance of the great demon in front of her. Then, once again, she opened an eye. She let herself observe Mion for a few seconds to confirm if her suspicions were true. Her eyes opened wide after a few second and her mouth circled into a giant O.
Mion glared at her with fierce eyes, causing Rika to jump back in surprise. Mion looked nothing like herself now, looking like a complete monster. Anyone who saw her would never be able to recognize her as Mion, but Rika knew better. The demon in front of her was indeed Mion.
Her true form was most interesting, to say the least. Rika hadn't quite known what to expect, but she was at least glad that she didn't look like a mutant pig or anything similar. She resembled a giant lynx, her fur the color of her hair. She had two, glowing green eyes just like the ones she had had before. Two white horns grew out of her head, curving over it. At her mouth, she had two huge, monstrous fangs that stuck out and reached down to her chin. She also had a tail that was bushy and soft, as well as green like the rest of her. She had several dark green, ominous patterns decorating her body of all different types. Some were stripes, while other were spots and rings.
"GRRRRAAAAAAWR!" she roared out to the world. Her roar echoed across the entire forest, able to be heard from every single corner. Birds perched on trees fled in fear, creating a mass of flying birds over them.
Rika covered her mouth with her hand, shocked at the sight before her. Right now, right in front of her, she was experiencing the most terrifying creature that had come to Hinamizawa in hundreds of years. She hadn't been able to tell how real the drawings were in the book, but now she new for certain that the creatures certainly did exist and were probably just as horrifying as drawn.
Mion growled as she observed her surroundings, finding that everyone had their eyes shut aside from Rika. She turned over to look at Rena, finding that she too was looking away from her. With a great swipe of one of her paws, she knocked Rena over. Rena's eyes shot open as Mion pounced on her, crushing her underneath her weight.
"GAAAAAAH!" screamed Rena as she kicked and struggled underneath the great creature. She landed a great kick right on Mion's stomach, causing her to yelp out in pain. She jumped off of Rena, looking at her with ferocious, soulless eyes. Rena looked back into those eyes, unable to find a trace of the Sonozaki Mion she knew.
"M-Mi-chan?" Rena spoke. "T-That can't be you… is it you?" she asked, scooting backwards away from the giant demon.
Mion said nothing, she simply hissed at her, opening her mouth to show off the full length of her great fangs. Rena shut her eyes, unable to take the sight before her. That demon couldn't really be Mion… right?
Keiichi could hear the great roars of his love, and yet, he kept his eyes shut. He didn't want to see what kind of creature she had become. What if she looked like an ugly, gruesome monster? Keiichi wasn't too sure what he'd make of that. Sure, he'd love her no matter what, but that didn't mean that he'd be afraid of her. He swallowed his curiosity and forced his eyes to stay shut, slowly backing away just in case.
Satoko curiously peaked an eye open, wondering what the sounds being made were. Mion turned to her, looking into her open eye with two, glowing ones. Satoko screamed, both of her eyes flying open. She stumbled backwards into a tree and fell to the floor; her eyes wide as she stared back at that demon who was her leader.
"Satoko!" cried Shion as she turned around, opening her eyes to look at the girl who was now lying with her back pressed up against the bark of a tree. She saw the horror in her eyes and couldn't help but feel a pang of worry in her stomach. Slowly, she turned around, catching sight of the demon before her. Her tail swished back and forth as she glared at her twin sister, hostility in her eyes. Shion felt herself freeze to the ground. She wanted to run away, but her body didn't let her. This was her identical twin sister, a demon. She almost didn't want to believe it. She almost refused to believe it.
Ryota's eyes slowly opened, his mind telling him to be brave. As he caught sight of what Mion had become, he gulped. She was nothing like the girl he had met the first day he had arrived here in Hinamizawa. When he had seen her, she was a natural leader, full of spirit and loyalty to her friends. Now, a little bit of envy had done this to her. He felt his whole body tremble, but he tried to ignore it. "N-Nice evil, demon, creepy kitty," he said as he backed away, scanning her body as he did so. "Don't hurt me now…"
Mion's eyes narrowed before she let out another loud roar, shaking the ground beneath her. Ryota took a few more steps back, this time faster than before. His heart rate was slowly increasing, though he told himself that he had to endure it. He also told himself that it was okay if he was a little scared, as the thing in front of him was something that was almost unknown to mankind. He gulped as Mion stared at him, growling.
Mion swiped her paw, sending him flying against a tree. Then, she charged at him with her horns, ramming him further against the bark. He felt immense pain in his stomach at such an attack. He coughed out globs of sticky, red blood, which landed on Mion's fur. Blood trickled out of his mouth and he tried to wipe it away with his wrist.
Mion allowed herself to let out another roar, much louder than before. This one caused the earth to shake and sent creatures scattering through out the woods, crying out in fear. Ryota fell to the ground, his body pressed against the bark. Slowly, he drifted his eyes up, gazing at the sky.
That's when he noticed something funny. Dark clouds were gathering at a fast rate, stitching together to form a sheet of darkness above them. A single drop of rain hit his noise, and then another one. And then, yet another one hit. He gasped as thousands of droplets of rain began to patter against the rocks at a quick pace. Wind burst through the area, shaking the branches of the trees and causing some to rip off.
Curiosity got the best of Keiichi as he felt the drops of rain patter against his skin. He looked up, drops of rain splattering in his eyes as he did so. Mion let out another ferocious roar, which sounded throughout the forest and shook it like an earthquake. Once it had faded, a rumble of thunder came from the sky.
Mion whipped her tail, bashing it against the earth. As soon as her tail came in contact with the ground, a bolt of lightning struck down nearby. The smell of smoke soon became apparent to the club members, and they looked to the forest to see what had happened. A glint of orange could just be seen a little while over, slowly growing and overtaking the green. Seeing the effect, Mion lashed her tail again, creating another bolt of lightning. She grinned evilly as she heard the sound of it crashing against the ground, igniting the nearby plants.
Rika let out a gasp. "That's it! That must be her power! She can control thunder and lightning!" she called out to the entire group.
Shion looked wide-eyed from the forest to the great creature in front of her. "But that doesn't make any sense!" she cried out, "Mion is scared of thunder and lightning! She's horrified of it!"
Ryota looked at Mion, who was standing there with a psychotic grin spread all over her face. "She doesn't LOOK horrified of it!" he called out to the girl, trying to hear her over the crashes of thunder and the heavy rainfall. "You see? She looks like she's having a blast!"
Keiichi gulped, his eyes trying to avoid the demon in front of him. A part of him didn't want to see it. He wasn't so scared of what she'd look like, he found that he was a little more scared what of what he'd think of her one he saw her in such a form. Would their relationship ever be the same? He gulped, knowing that he had to look. Mion was a demon. It was a fact that he had accepted a long time ago. He needed to accept his club leader for who she was and what she was. And he knew on the inside that he'd never be able to do that if he didn't look.
Slowly, he turned his gaze towards Mion, taking a deep breath as he did so. The sight that he saw before him surprised him. She was not ugly, she was not hideous, and she wasn't too scary. Standing there in the rain, he observed her, watching as pelts of rain hit her fur and rain down her slender body. She was breathing heavily, her mouth partially open.
Sensing his gaze on her, she turned to meet his eyes. Mion was surprised when she sensed only a small amount of fear, and her eyes grew wide. And yet, all the same, she let out a small whimper. She wished that he had never seen her like this, and she wished that he had just stayed back in Hinamizawa while she silently killed Rena. Things wouldn't ever be the same between them, that for sure.
He gazed down her body, finding that it was much better than he expected it to be from the moment Rika brought up her true form. He had been prepared for the worst. He had been prepared to see a giant, hideous, horrifying demon in front of him. And yet, while she was still a little scary, he found her to be less than he imagined. Getting past the fear gained simply from her existence, she was hardly scary. In fact, she looked much better than he had imagined. Much better than he had imagined.
"Mion," Keiichi whispered to her.
"…K-Kei-chan," she spoke back, surprised to find that her voice sounded the same as her human form.
Keiichi smiled sadly at her. And then, with a deep breath, he spoke.
"You're beautiful, Mion," he spoke.
Surprise could be seen in those eyes of hers, those almost unreadable eyes of hers. She looked away, embarrassed. Keiichi smiled warmly at her, now finding her easy to look at. She said nothing in response, but Keiichi could tell that she was thanking him on the inside from her body language.
"You're welcome," said Keiichi.
However, their moment could only last so long. Mion soon caught sight of Rena, and her emotions turned back to rage. She whipped around to look at her, growling loudly. Rena let out a yelp, but she did not run. "Mi-chan," she said. "Why won't you turn back to normal? Why won't you listen to us?"
Mion narrowed her eyes. "There is nothing for me to understand!" she cried out. Then, she let her tail whip over and over again, sending crashes of lightning and roars of thunder out over and over again. She lunged forward with her paw, her sharp claws sticking out. They caught on her flesh, creating a huge gash on her skin. Rena jumped back, clutching the wound made. Her white dress was stained in splatters of crimson blood every here and there, some splotches older than other.
"Stop it!" she yelled out over the thunder. "Stop it already, Mi-chan! You're going to kill one of us, and then you're going to regret it!"
Mion narrowed her eyes. "Me? Regret killing you?" she said. Then, she let out a psychotic laugh; unchanged from the one she had in her half-demon form. "What a load of shit! Don't you understand why I'm like this?" she questioned the girl, stepping up to get closer to her. She circled around the girl, brushing her tail against her skin. "I'm like this because of you. Because of you, Rena!" she yelled.
"That's your fault!" she cried to the demon. "If you would listen to me, you'd understand everything! I don't want you to be like this, Mi-chan! I want you to return to being the real Mi-chan, the Mi-chan I know and love!"
"SHUT UP!" screeched Mion. She raised a paw up high in the air, her claws aimed directly at her head.
"NO!" screamed Ryota as he jumped up to his feet, stumbling a little. "DON'T!"
"STOP IT, MION!" screamed Keiichi as he took a step forward. "I LOVE YOU, SO THERE'S NO REASON FOR YOU TO DO THIS. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?"
Mion didn't hear him and the position of her claws remained unchanged. She was pinpointing the exact area she needed to stab for the instant kill. She wanted to make quick work of this pest so she could move on to her life with Keiichi right away. There would be no one to stand in their way anymore. They could love each other without worry.
"It's not working!" screamed Rika. "She's not listening at all!"
Shion hesitated. "Then, what do we do?" she asked the others.
Keiichi glanced about. Everyone stood there, having a loss of what to do. Their only plan wasn't working, leaving them with no strategy. With no strategy, it was just a helpless battle, one that could only end in death. He took a deep breath as he looked from person to person, and then to Mion.
"EVERYONE," he screamed out, "RETREAT!"
Everyone looked at him, confused. They hesitated a little, but then they decided to act quickly and make a run for it. Satoko and Rika scurried away into the forest as fast as they could. Shion gave her sister one last look with tears welling up in her eyes before she turned around and dashed into the forest, leaving her behind. Ryota ran for the forest, but then halted in his tracks.
Rena was still struggling, Mion's claws still positioned in front of her. "Rena-chan!" he cried out to her, "run away, now!"
Rena looked into Mion's eyes, gasping as she got a closer look. It really did look as if she had no soul. Then, with a deep breath, she turned around and ran away as fast as she could, just missing Mion's claws slicing through the area she had been standing in. Confirming that she was okay, Ryota ran into the forest as well.
Keiichi did not run right away, however. He stood there, looking at Mion with sad eyes. She returned the same sorrowful look, whimpering a little. Rain pattered down on her, soaking her green fur. To Keiichi, she looked like a stray kitten with no home. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her, but right now, he couldn't stay with her.
"Don't you worry," he told her, "I'll be back."
And, with that, he followed the others into the woods, leaving behind a sorrowful Mion.
~~~~X~~~~
Crimso's Corner.
Today was the last day of classes. I feel so empty on the inside for some reason, yet, I feel happy. I failed my History test, by the way. Well, at least I think I did. I should have studied more. Instead, I was writing this chapter for you guys. But you know what? Writing this chapter was funnier than studying. Besides, I got it finished rather quickly. I have no regrets, other than the fact that I think this chapter was really, really, really… urgh. Not as I hoped, okay? Maybe I'm just beat because I've been writing for such a long time, but seriously. If you were confused at all, message me. There's really only so much I can do with a chapter full of endless fighting. Sigh. I also wrote a bit of this in Spanish, History, Spanish, and… English. Yeah. I turned to my friend in history class and wrote, "SHE IS TURNING INTO A DEMON CAT THING." She laughed at me and wrote, "I love how that sound so silly out of context…"
Yeah, Mion is a giant, green lynx/saber-toothed tiger. That may seem a little random, but you remember those cats she had when she was little? Yeah. And look, her fear of thunder and lightning is being used for something other than fluff! Ahaha! I'll leave it to you to figure out why I did that. It's some kind of symbolism that's a little confusing for me to explain. And I realize that Keiichi failed at confessing again. Well, it wasn't his fault. Mion goes berserk every time she sees Rena, which really isn't her fault either. Seriously, don't be mad at him. Also, I realize he called her true form beautiful. Let me just say it's certainly better than a lot of demons. Remember what the demons in the book liked like? Like… that tentacle pig? Yeah, a creepy cat thing is better than that. Besides, Mion's true form is rather pretty (maybe that's just me, because I love cats). So there.
Ah… today was awesome! I went to the movies with my friend, and we ran into one of my other friends on the street and he joined us. Awesome, man. Just wanted to add that in there, Ahaha. Oh yeah, I think there'll be three more chapters after this. Don't take my word for it, though. I'm almost positive there is three, though.
As always, please review! Reviews motivate me! Reviewers get a plushie of Mion's true form. I love you all, really. I have to wake up at 7 AM in the morning to go on a sailing trip, so I'll have to leave this here. I still have to take a shoooower.
~Crimso