Hinamizawa Hell
"Revealing Demons" Arc: 2
Ch. 8: Underworld Dreams
Author's note: Hey everyone, in this chapter a few answers will be given and also more questions to ask. For the most part, I'm doing my best writing these chapters up, now that I'm recovering from surgery.
On another note, and most importantly, Rena's boyfriend is introduced for the first time. This OC is NOT mine. Ryuu is the creation of ( mindofamaniac0851 ) the creator of the Higurashi fanfic "Redemption". With his permission, I am able to use this character, keeping in a somewhat Alternate Universe feeling of connecting these fan fictions.
Go check out "Redemption" when you have time, if you have not already read this awesome fan fiction. He ranks with me in the top 5 of TV Tropes Recommended Fan Fics, so you're sure to find a good read with his work. Enjoy.
"Hmm…I wonder if he's home…I wonder…"
Rena traveled early that sunny morning before her father woke up, wearing a cute black summer dress for the occasion. She shuffled along with a blue gym bag, holding some overnight items like clothes and, unknown to others, her cleaver for protection. It was hot out that day, soon to be sweltering by afternoon for the inhabitants of the quant village. After a few miles of walking distance outside of Hinamizawa, she was nearing her destination; making her way to a special person's apartment. Her morning wasn't that pleasant, having relived another tortuous nightmare in her dreams. For some odd reason, many parts of the dream dissipated in her short term memory, so recalling it was a little hard at the moment. All that she knew, for the most part, was that she was in the dungeon of the Sonozaki estate, being killed mercilessly at the hands of a demonic Mion. Sighing loudly to herself, she trudged down the sidewalk, almost in a daze-like state. She was more tired than yesterday from a lack of sleep, having slept in a corner for the rest of the previous night.
After another half hour of walking, Rena managed to reach the large, grey complex at the corner of the road. Its revolving doors from time to time allowed entrance and exit to many people coming and going, which Rena herself entered. The lobby was large and air conditioned, comfortable for any stranger to escape the heat that day. Heading over to the elevator, she pressed the white button for the 14th floor, rejoicing in the fact that soon she would see her beloved boyfriend.
When the doors opened, she felt renewed hope and energy; striding quickly to the door. Though the apartment was enough for 3 people, her boyfriend kept to himself due to his circumstances. Today, though, she was certain he was lounging inside the apartment room, probably chilling on a sofa watching TV or even eating breakfast. He was off today from work, last time she remembered. She prayed silently coming up to the door, hoping that her boyfriend was there to surprise a visit with. With one last prayer said, she knocked on the door to his apartment, waiting eagerly for his presence. Thankfully, and after letting out a sigh of relief, she heard stirring from inside the room. Putting on a large smile, weak as it was from her draining energy, Rena watched as the door opened slowly.
In moments her boyfriend appeared in the doorway, his black, neck length hair a bit messed up from sleeping. He was wearing green khaki shorts with no shirt on, an appearance much to the liking of Rena's inner desires as he revealed his tanned, toned muscles. With a well built body standing a little taller than hers, he seemed like an intimidating adversary to normal people, usually because of his grayish eye color, however; he was only this scary from all the strenuous work he did. Personality wise, he was respectable and smart; a fun person to be around even. Rarely, though, did he ever show that to strangers. Only for people close to him, such as Rena, did he open up. Rena knew a lot about him, but still had a ways to go in understanding him entirely. It was almost half a year into their relationship and she still had so much to learn; about him and being in a relationship for that matter.
He stared at her for a moment, surprised and also dumbstruck to see Rena even there. Honestly, he was expecting someone like a neighbor or the landlady if anything. After rubbing his eyes a bit, thinking he was dreaming, he smiled with a big grin, pulling Rena into a quick hug.
"R…Rena-chan?! Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have cleaned up a bit at least…"
"I…really needed to see you Ryuu-kun…"
Releasing Rena from the hug, Ryuu had heard, intently, something different in Rena's voice. She sounded tired and distressed, sad even; a trait that should normally never belong around this loveable woman. Upon further observation, Ryuu found Rena to exhibit clear signs of fatigue; her eyes possessing dark bags under them and the way she wobbled while standing. Accordingly, her beautiful blue eyes held the same feeling of sadness in her voice; a dull gaze staring a thousand yards past Ryuu.
"Rena-chan…what happened to you? You look like you haven't slept in days." Ryuu was outwardly concerned for her health, ushering her into his room to sit on his fold out futon. He took her things and set them aside on the floor, from which he then grabbed a warm cup of milk to soothe her weariness. It was Rena's favorite drink, so he knew that it would do some good for her.
After sipping on the warm drink, Rena began to recount her nightmares to him.
"These past few days have been hell for me. I'd sleep fine for the first couple hours after I go to bed, but soon after I'd get these dreams where…a good friend of mine is torturing me. She was jealous and angry about something, but I can't remember what. All I know is that I and my other friends…somehow caused Mi-chan to hate us over something strange…"
At hearing these words, Ryuu suddenly began to remember a dream of his own he had awhile back. He suffered something similar to what Rena had gone through, but in the end he just forgot about it up till now. In those dreams he had killed innocent people, friends even, because of some outward fear and paranoia of being killed. Not all of the dreams surfaced entirely, completely for that matter, but he passed it off to spare any inner turmoil at that moment. Thinking about it would cause an unnecessary headache, something he surely did not need that morning.
"Rena-chan, I'd say that these dreams are harmless and that you might need to take a sleeping pill, but if you're this worried about them then I should be too. I'm glad you came, so feel free to spend the night here as much as you need, if it provides that much comfort for you. I'll even watch you the first night if you want me too, heheheh…"
Ryuu grinned in his usual manner, rubbing the back of his head like he always did. Rena's eyes welled up tearfully with thanks, happy to know her boyfriend was so caring. She kissed him on the cheek, smiling a bit.
"Thank you Ryuu-kun. I appreciate…it…a lot…"
Suddenly, Rena's eyes felt heavy enough to the point that she slowly closed them. She leaned against Ryuu's shoulder, feeling as if her body's weariness took full control over her next actions. He felt so warm and safe to the touch that her body finally gave in to its fatigue and fell completely asleep next to him. Ryuu looked on; glad to know the warm milk had done its job. He picked up her sleeping figure, surprised she weighed so light in his arms, and laid her on his bed softly; snuggling next to her for a long while without even caring about his other activities planned that day. All he cared about was comforting Rena, protecting her whilst she slept peacefully for once. It was daytime, and if anything, he was sure that Rena would be able to get through tonight with no problem while he was around.
"Sleep tight, love. There's no such thing as a nightmare during the daytime…"
After the first week of overlooking the Watanagashi Festival's preparations, Rika and the other village heads were already well ahead of schedule for the following week's festivities. This year so far was looking to be the best yet for the festival, as even people like Takano and Tomitake were helping out with the preparations in the village. Many vendors applied this year, so there would be more booths for activities and food than ever before. Rika's performance as well reveled in the fact that both Hanyuu and Satoko would be performing in the Cotton Drifting Ritual. Both practiced very hard over the past month for the performance, and for many days even had to leave their friends hanging in order to prepare with the other performers for the ceremony. For everyone, it seemed that normal club activities and even school wouldn't resume to normal at least till after the Watanagashi Festival.
Finishing on that cloudy day in the village hall, Mion and Rika stretched from their seats, once again saying goodbye to the other elders. Everything was going well for them, and quite honestly it wasn't as bad as Mion had thought for the preparations. After stretching a bit from her seat, Mion got up and brushed herself off.
"Mi…how are you doing Mi-chan?" asked Rika, sweetly.
"Good, I guess. It's been hectic, that's for sure," she replied, looking down to her friend. It had been a while since she'd seen the young girl.
"That's good. I'm worried that with everything going on that Mi-chan hasn't had fun for herself."
"Well, Mizuho-sensei took me to the gun range a couple days ago, and I've had dinner with her too, so you can say I'm dealing with it well with her company," spoke Mion, replying sincerely.
"That's good. I've heard that everyone's dealing with some form of stress right now, so it's good to relieve some of it."
*Relieve stress? Oh, that's not the hard part, it's the other "stress" I need Kei-kun to relieve…* thought Mion. She blushed at the idea and its absurdity all the while, sighing loudly.
"…Poor Rena-chan though. She told me the other day that she wasn't getting a lot of sleep. At least she's over her boyfriend's apartment sleeping as peacefully as a cat now, Nipah!" Rika picked up her hands, imitating a purring cat.
"Hmm…Rena-chan's boyfriend's apartment? I guess that's why I haven't seen her around lately. I…wanted to talk to her about some things actually…" Mion's sulked a bit after mentioning this, turning her head away from Rika. Rika noticed this and decided to press on to reveal what her friend's problem was.
"Mii…did something bad happen between you and Rena-chan?"
"Umm…not really…just some misunderstandings I'm sure," Mion wished she didn't say anything, so as to not cause any trouble. She didn't want the others to worry about it for now. Once Keiichi returned, she thought, things would finally go back to normal at least.
"Well, Rena-chan doesn't hold a grudge, so I'm sure whatever it is will end with you two making up!" she smiled again, cheering up Mion.
"I hope so…I feel really bad about what happened…I think…"
*Hmm…Mion…what is it that happened? And what do you mean "I think"? You never hold ill against others unless they threaten one of us…* Rika thought to herself, her wiser aspect overtaking her thoughts. That last part of the conversation awoke her interest in Mion's overall situation once more.
"Well, see you tomorrow Rika-chan. Say hi to the others for me…" Mion waved goodbye and headed out on her own way. Rika left soon after, heading slowly back to the shrine to think by herself for awhile.
Mion walked back on the same dirt road that took her and the others to Rena's house, hoping her friend was home to visit for a bit. After sitting in the meeting house for many hours, a walk, she thought, would accomplish some good for her sore legs. However, the walk wasn't her intention in heading in that direction. She decided today was the day to go on a walk with Rena and discuss some things, hoping to mend whatever was broken between them. Her anger would flare from time to time, but Mion still attributed it to her stress caused by her grandmother's passing and all the responsibility on her shoulders. She didn't want to be out casted from her friends, her sister even, after all that's happened. She felt ashamed of thinking ill like that, so to make up for it she wanted to start with Rena and mend their relationship.
Arriving at the Ryugu manor, Mion made sure to present herself nicely to Rena's father; brushing off her black kimono and making sure to bow politely. Taking one last deep breathe, she rung the doorbell and waited a few moments, proceeding to meeting a tall man with brown hair coming up to open the door. She smiled and then bowed to him.
"Hello Mr. Ryugu. Is Rena-chan home?" asked Mion in a formal manner. Rena's father was taken back at how well Mion presented herself.
"Ah, Mi-cha…er…Mion-sama…sorry, but my daughter is out of town for a bit. Is it urgent that I should contact her?" asked Mr. Ryugu, concerned.
"Ah, no. I just wanted to see if Rena-chan would like to go on a walk with me to discuss some things. Don't worry about it. Just tell her when you see her next to find me. I would appreciate it greatly."
"I understand. I'll tell Rena-chan once she gets back from that Maebara-san's apartment…"
At the mentioning of that name, Mion's world had been turned upside down completely; time stopping almost completely for her. She thought it was just an error, a mistake even, for that name to come up, however; she had heard it as clear as day. Asking again, she wanted to confirm if what she had thought was true before dying of a possible heart attack.
"Ah…umm…Maebara-san? Did I hear that correctly? Her eyes were wide with fear, hoping that she suddenly had a momentary lapse of judgment or was possibly going deaf.
"Yes. Maebara-san. My daughter went to spend a few days with him. He's a nice young man for her, from what I've speculated. Rena-chan told me he lives outside of Hinamizawa in an apartment complex by himself. Anyway, I'll relay the message for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some portfolios to go over for a business meeting before the Watanagashi Festival. Take care…"
Rena's father closed the door on Mion, who stood on the steps of the home completely awestruck with terror. She heard him say that name; the same name which she held dearly in her heart, come out as the elusive boyfriend of Rena…or so everyone thought. Everything up till now: the dreams, the anger, the jealousy…everything that she thought of Rena were all warning signs she put off in her mind. Now, it was biting her in the ass, but this time causing her to wake up to a grim reality.
Storming off quickly with great speed, Mion headed back to her home with an anger never felt before in her mind, body and soul. Her eyes were glowing with hatred; the old flame in her heart now dosed with gasoline and anything that could burn with the effigy of Rena Ryugu's name. She balled her fists, the knuckles going white from the sheer pressure in her grip. With every movement towards her destination her feet pounded the ground, intent on her mind ever present now to head to the darkest part of the manor and contemplate something over. And all the while, what burned greatly in Mion's mind was the fact that Rena Ryugu, her best friend, had completely betrayed her.
*It was all true! That lying…whore! How could she do this?!*
She took another step, starting to quicken her pace. Tears streamed from her eyes now, flowing over her contorted cheeks and facial expression. Her dull gaze and darker green eye color now was present to those around, as well, her fangs bearing a blazing rage.
*She told everyone she had a boyfriend to make it seem like she didn't care about Kei-kun! And while I wasn't around, she stepped in to strike and steal him from me!*
Mion's back burned more than ever, causing her to itch at it a bit along her shoulders and neck now. She was halfway to her home by this point; time going by quickly with each step in her home's direction.
*Everything…was true! How could I have been so stupid to ignore it all this time…DAMN YOU RENA! You told your own father that Kei-kun was your boyfriend, and you've tried all this time to steal him from me! I fucking hate you…I hate you…I HATE YOU!!!*
After a while, she reached her home, thankful that no one was standing in her path. Running to the farthest part of the property and passing the beautiful koi pond, Mion managed to find the large, steel doors to the underground dungeon. With a heavy push, light from the outside world had seeped down into the dark corridor, but was suddenly choked off once she quickly shut them behind her. In this domain, Mion wanted no one else to disturb her while she machinated a plan for revenge; especially the outside world.
Even in the darkness, Mion managed to light all the candles which soon illuminated the rooms of the dungeon. The shadows of various objects began to dance along the walls from the candle's flames; almost providing a homely comfort for the young woman. She didn't know why she was drawn to this place, but something deep in her heart told her to come here: the same voice that warned her this entire time. Now sitting alone in the room, she sat on one of the front cushions, almost on the verge of screaming with rage. She fumbled with a part of the cushion in her hands, almost shredding it with extreme prejudice. Her dull gaze came back in full force, her eyes manically moving to all points of the room in her mad and hatred filled moments.
"How could you do this to me, Rena?! I trusted you…but I see it so clearly now! You want Kei-kun all for yourself! You wouldn't accept him choosing me over you…and now that I'm too busy to spend time with him you're going to make your move…but Rena…Kei-kun would never betray me! That will be your downfall!"
*You gave her so much trust…and she used it to steal Kei-kun* spoke Mion's darker side. It was the only voice with reason now; the only one she cared to listen to. Whatever good that remained in her heart was silenced now, unable to speak with reason for her.
"Yes…that's right! She was my best friend, and look what she did!" she spoke to herself.
*She's the worst…the worst of them all…*
"Of…them all? Rena…wasn't the only one was she?"
* Think about it. Wasn't everyone in some way stealing him from you? It's not hard to see that…*
"Rena…was just the worst. The others…Rika, Satoko, Satoshi, Hanyuu, Shion, Komoto…everyone tried to take him away from me!" she screamed, her eyes widening at this sudden realization.
*That's right. They all tried to steal him from you. Satoko with her precious second Nii Nii, Rika with her shrine chores and cute expressions, Satoshi when no one else was around to hang with, and Hanyuu when she needed help shopping for desserts in town. Even Komoto when he took Kei-kun away that day to go to the gun range…and let's not forget about Shion. Even she is at fault, for all the times she caused stress in your relationship with Kei-kun, and when she stole him to discuss her own problems while you yourself needed him the most. They all took your time with him away and greedily used him for their own selfish reasons…*
"It's true…IT'S ALL TRUE! Everyone…everyone is my enemy! They all…want to take Kei-kun away and ruin our relationship…why…why did it come to this…" she began scratching her burning back some more, not noticing the red marks appearing along her neck and shoulders.
*They wanted Kei-kun for themselves. They're not your friends, Mion, they are your enemies. If you don't stop them, they'll take him away for good. You already allowed it to get this far by trusting them foolishly, but you've realized it just in time to prevent any further damage. They knew you weren't around as much anymore with all your responsibilities to attend to, so they sidetracked him from you when there was free time. They were plotting against you all this time, laughing at you behind your back!*
"They're…not my friends. They never were my friends…I have no friends but Kei-kun…I love no one else but Kei-kun…" Mion murmured to herself at this point, her glassy, dull gaze now stiffening to focus on the dirty floor. She sat on the cushion like a zombie, her mouth slowly opening with every sudden realization of her situation. Throughout all her thinking, flashbacks of happier times with Keiichi and the others were contorted into false perceptions: her friends abusing Mion's relationship with Keiichi like it was child's play. Images of their greedy hands, their lustful eyes; everything including the evil, cackling Rena were machinated multiple times over in her mind.
*Fear not…Kei-kun will never betray or harm you. He loves you with all his heart, remember that. You are Mion Sonozaki, head of the Sonozaki family. You are stronger than any opponent and more deadly than any woman alive. You have the power to stop them and live a happy life with Kei-kun…you just… have to do what is necessary…"
"…what…is necessary…I must…kill them all…"
*That's right…kill them all. Make them suffer far worse than you have ever suffered. Make them fear the terror you are capable of in their dying breaths. Make them see the power of your love for Kei-kun…and make them see their own sins whilst their blood pours from their bodies. You know what to do…its all here right before you to be at your disposal. Use it! Use the heritage in your family's legacy and show the cruelty and merciless vengeance of the Sonozaki head. You have the capability…the demon's always been in your heart."
"I will…become what I was meant to be…and I will make them regret the day they every fucked with me! Everyone…will die at my hands for what they've done to us…my love….AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The air that night successfully cooled off the scorching heat of the earlier day, allowing the inhabitants of the quiet village to sleep peacefully. However, late into the night whilst many others slept soundly in their beds, the long green-haired girl had finally crept out from the steel doors, locking them shut behind her. Her kimono from before, once majestic in design, was now tattered and sullen with dirt and dust, probably from the many hours spent working on her plan of vengeance. Pieces of cloth swung at her arm's sides, her skin layered in the thick grime while her hair fell down in a mess now. Mion, however, cared very little about her appearance that moment; all that the very depths of her being truly cared about was the coming time to carry out her plan. She grinned at the very thought, her fangs creeping out from the sides of her lips.
Carefully, she walked back along the shore of the koi pond, striding in pleasure towards the main house. She even danced eerily towards her destination, swinging her arms and lightly humming to herself all the while. As the fireflies came out in crowds along the dew-covered grasses, her presence sent them fearfully flying in opposite directions. Even the areas she passed by fell silent, as if afraid to utter even the slightest of noises. It was clear to any viewer witnessing this unusual event that Mion's aura was indeed choking and hate filled; a façade of a beautiful and young woman covering something terrifyingly horrible and evil.
As she stopped short of her house's entrance, Mion resumed her usual walk up to the steps. Upon entering and closing the door, she immediately began to cast off the old kimono; leaving its various parts to lie in a trail along the corridors towards the bathroom. Though manic in this fashion, she only displayed her growing insanity by the incessant way she scratched her tattoo and neck area; red marks now showing up and going with the passing of time.
"Damn kimono…so itchy…" Mion stated to no one in particular. She continued humming her unusual tune, though hearing this would frighten even the youngest of children; one which implied the approach of death on its way in every whistle and murmur of her tone.
Mion was now completely naked from head to toe as she slid a door open to enter the bathroom. She turned the lights on, revealing the splendor of her family's bathroom articles, and next, opened the faucets for the hot water. Readying a bath to relax in, Mion grabbed soap, shampoo, combs and other toiletries to set aside on the nearby sink countertop. It was at this moment that she looked into the mirror, noticing how dirty she really was. She laughed at her appearance, but took pride in her work over those long hours in the dungeon.
As the bath slowly filled with hot water, she recounted how she readied all the prison cells for her soon-to-be victims, how she set up "stations" to exact their punishments. She even moved the heaviest of torture devices, surprised with how much stronger she had been than originally thought. Having moved the Iron Maiden from one room to another was next to impossible for someone of her size, but somehow she did it; earning her a pat on the back. After the set up was complete, all Mion had left to do was gather some items in the house. Even now in the bathroom, Mion began one of the first searches for the remainder of that night to make her plan perfect. The last search she would need to do involved the matter of her own sister, but that would come in due time. For now, she bent down and began searching through a lower cabinet, knocking over some bottles and items with her outreached hand. Far in the back, just below the pipes, Mion had found exactly what she needed.
In her hands were two bottles. The first was a small, dark-brown plastic container with a white cap. Mion opened it with ease to find its contents: around 18 small white pills labeled with specific medical numbers. The label on the container held her grandmother's name, with Dr. Irie being the prescriber of such medication. It was clear as to what it was: sleeping pills. Grinning at finding this item, Mion mentally checked it off from her imaginary list. Now gazing at the second bottle, Mion noticed nothing which gave away its contents. However, she knew too well what this bottle held, having been the one to use it on her grandmother during intense fits and episodes. Careful not to open it, Mion set the bottle aside on the floor; its dark color masking any hints of what it held. She stared at it as she sit on the edge of the porcelain tub, smiling.
"Ahh…sleeping pills and a bottle of ether. I'll be able to take out even Komoto with these drugs. Serves the bastard right for taking Kei-kun away from me that weekend and even now!" She gritted her teeth, frowning for a bit but soon returning with a smile again. She then turned the faucet off, dipping her feet slowly into the steaming bath. Its soothing heat, along with its revitalizing effects, eased Mion's mind as her body slowly drifted into the water.
That moment felt like shear heaven to her. After many hours of work in a dark dungeon and after all her stress from the day's events, Mion felt like she was in total bliss. Humming again while she lied in the soothing water, she almost believed everything was perfect at that moment. However, after dwelling on this idea for a bit her smile soon vanished, no emotions on her face except a dull gaze into the ceiling above.
"This moment…would be perfect if Kei-kun was here with me…ahhh…Kei-kun…"
Mion began to think of him increasingly at that moment, her body becoming hot with desire. As she had wanted earlier that day, Mion began to fantasize about him, thinking about his body, his smile, his loving gaze; everything that defined Keiichi in her eyes. Blushing more with each minute, her heart beat did likewise; her body yearning for Keiichi's touch and loving hold. Every memory coming to mind, whether it was sexual or intimate, had started to satisfy some of her urges. It felt like ages since she last saw him; this unusual absence of her boyfriend marking the longest they've ever been separated in the time they've known each other. This fact, all through her imaginative thoughts of Keiichi, only dampened her mood and increased her need for him.
"Kei-kun…Kei-kun…ahhh…" These moans could only be heard from the bathroom in that lonely home for the remainder of the night. After this eventful bath, only then did Mion succumb to the temptations of her bed, sleeping in her nightgown peacefully without disruption. Throughout this, though, her mind eagerly awaited two things: the day of her reckoning on her deceitful friends and the day of Keiichi's return; a day where she would not have to worry about losing him anymore.
This place was so familiar to her, a place she'd been to many times in previous lives. This same place had been a nightmare in those lives; a place used for evil intentions and unspeakable machinations bent on causing excruciating pain to those undergoing a ritual called "distinguishing". This place was hated by the young girl; a place she considered a thing of the past, of forgotten practices and of dead traditions. Now, though, she lied on some wooden wheel; her arms and legs bound by steel chains. She didn't know what kind of device this was, but judging by the stretching effect on her limbs she could guess what would eventually happen. Though this all felt like a dream to her in this dimly lit dungeon, Rika knew all to well that this was somewhat surreal; a dream that felt all too vivid.
Gazing around at her surroundings, Rika's eyes slowly but surely recognized the location. She was in the Sonozaki estate's underground torture chamber, in one of the many viewing rooms for guests and victims alike. Blood in one corner of the room stained the dirt floor of the dark room, the metallic smell of death profuse in the air. Around the same area were numerous devices used to cause victims to cry for their mothers; pain-inducing devices with simple yet deadly mechanics. Passing her gaze over to the front of her bounds, she noticed a woman sitting on a cushioned seat. In front of her, dressed in a black kimono stained with blood and with closed eyes, sat Mion; terrifying in the very manner she displayed as to Rika. She calmly breathed softly, not showing any eagerness with her now awoken victim.
Rika knew too well that she was in a dream, that none of this was real. She had surely gone to bed that night, peacefully sleeping next to Hanyuu and Satoko in their shared futons. For her safety, she decided to play it by ear by letting her wiser aspect take over in her dream. She wouldn't be the sweet Rika, but the Rika which spat in fate's face countless times over. Her suspicions about Mion had come up before, but with this dream now existing in part of her memories for now even she wondered if she was going insane from worrying too much over a friend or that this dream was foreshadowing something to come.
"So, Mi-chan, may I ask what brings me to this fun-fun underground torture chamber tonight?" Rika peered deeply into Mion, certain that it was Mion and not Shion this time. Since the Dark Spector incident Rika knew of a clever method to separate the two apart now, something she doubted either of the twins knew about. Mion slowly opened her eyes, gazing at her once considered friend.
"…so I can kill you…" Though Mion only murmured those five words, it was enough to send chills down Rika's spine. For her own sake, she didn't show any fear but courage for the most part.
"Kill me? HA! What a farce. How droll can you possibly be? The very thought of killing me has become a laughable comedy over the years…" Rika actually began laughing, suddenly making Mion contort her eyebrows in surprise.
"Not scared…huh? I wonder why…or for that matter…how…I can make you scared. Oh, what fun we'll have…" Mion's dull gaze was apparent to Rika, making her cease any further laughter and, instead, resume her serious expression again. Managing to make the slightest of movements while talking to Mion, she determined escape was impossible at this point; the chains completely binding her legs and arms. She sighed and just watched Mion slowly rise from her seat, walking over to the torture wheel.
"I guess Kei-kun's absence is this hard on you, right? You disappoint me, club leader. I thought you would be stronger than this…" Rika tested how Mion would react; gauging whether she was aggressive or truly as sadistic as Shion was when she succumbed to Hinamizawa Syndrome. Mion halted in her tracks, standing sideways near Rika; her dark features not giving away her stance once at all.
"…"
"Come now, Mi-chan. Do you really feel that lonely without him? Or is it something else that is eating at you? Tell me!" she yelled, wanting to know the answer. She was beginning to feel that every moment she spent in that dream world that more and more of her was beginning to fall inside the black void of this hell; a sign of weakness she couldn't afford to show. She felt choked in this dream, like she had no control over anything. Was this the same hell Rena was going through days before in her dreams?
"Eating…at me? It's…you…and everyone else…you're all…at fault…" Rika was somewhat terrified at Mion's dull gaze. It seemed that no trace of her friend lied in those once caring and intense eyes; the fire dead and replaced with a dark pit of hatred. But somehow, she felt something was wrong with Mion, as if she was not herself. This, she thought, was the effect of that cursed syndrome.
"Our fault? What fault? You're making no sense…"
"OH WHAT? LIKE YOU DIDN'T KNOW?!"
Mion screamed into Rika's ears at full force, almost deafening her with the intensity of such a tone. With a quick thrust of one hand, Mion slapped Rika hard enough to bruise, to which she instantly realized that pain was quite possible in this dream world. Now Rika began to fear for her very life and sanity; wishing that she could wake up. However, as hard as she wished, nothing came to save her. This dream world was inescapable, probably until Mion had her fun once and for all. Rika looked back at Mion, determined to face this head on and gather as much information about what was troubling her so much in the real world.
"No, I don't know. Why are you showing such animosity towards Rena-chan and I lately?" she stated, cold in her words. Mion walked over to a nearby lever, beginning to crank it up and down a couple times. Rika suddenly felt like her limbs were being pulled tighter; the wheel now causing her spine to stretch a bit.
"All of you…should have known better than to take Kei-kun away from me! HAHAHAHAH! But soon all of you will be gone. I won't have to worry about you or Rena or anyone else ever again!" Mion began laughing, stopping the cranking of the lever to let Rika taste how painful the stretching could be. She could see the young girl find it a little hard to breathe, taking deep breathes with every passing moment.
"Hah…we weren't trying to take him away from you…" she struggled to breathe. Mion just laughed at hearing this.
"Oh, that again? Wow, you all think you're so innocent, huh? But I know the truth…you all never wanted us together in the first place…"
"What gave you that crazy idea? Or is insanity just a hidden trait in your family?" Rika spat to the ground, angered with how ridiculous Mion was acting. However, she did her best to remember that it was the syndrome influencing Mion now, not reason.
"We Sonozaki members bear some sort of evil in our hearts. For me, I bear the mark of the demon; a vengeful demon that will stop at nothing to get what it wants. I'm so much stronger this way, and I will have Kei-kun all to myself in the end…" her glassy gaze returned, her eyes wide with madness.
"You think Kei-kun will be happy without his friends? By hurting or even killing any of us you will just break his heart…"
Mion looked at Rika for a moment, listening intently for once to this statement. She didn't considered Keiichi's feelings about the others, and this would surely cause him to hate her in some way. However, after giving some thought to this for a few moments, Mion just replied with a smile; her confidence only fueling her resolve.
"Oh, you mean this 'heart'?" Mion took out the necklace Keiichi gave her during the holidays, something she never took off since. It was the locket shaped in a heart, its glistening carvings inside bearing the words "What only belongs to you…". Rika looked on, not getting any of this. "…this heart is a symbol of our love. Kei-kun gave me his heart to take care of; its mine to protect and keep. It is what only belongs to me…" she spoke.
"Then why are you so afraid of losing him?" she retorted, hoping that in this game of logic she could break through Mion's inner barriers to get some sense into her.
"I'm not afraid…I'm concerned. All of you present a danger to our relationship: whether it's stealing Kei-kun away from me like Rena or Komoto and the rest of you taking his time with me away. You're all a threat to breaking his heart, so I'll protect it by getting rid of all of you once and for all…" Mion began adding another couple of cranks with the lever, causing Rika's limbs to slowly feel like they were going to be torn off. She shed some tears from the pain, now finding it harder to breathe much more so than before.
"Mi-chan…stop this! You'll only…regret doing this…aaaahhh…." Rika couldn't find the strength to talk, unable to utter any more words. The pressure was too much, but she knew she could take whatever Mion would throw her way. She went through more painful deaths before; compared to this, those times were worse.
Mion just watched with amusement, feeling no remorse for torturing her friend. She looked on in awe, seeing Rika's joints and sockets slowly pull apart. She didn't even realize that her hand was still slowly cranking the lever, further nearing Rika to her death in that dream world.
"You know, I didn't think it would be this much fun honestly. Just watching you in pain is satisfying my boredom."
"Go…to hell…you sadist…Kei-chan will…never love you again after this!" she screamed. Mion just moved closer up to her ear, now whispering something to her.
"You know…I'll win in the end. Good thing you probably won't remember any of this…so sweet dreams Rika-chan. I hope you enjoy your last days of living before time runs out…"
Rika eyes went wide with fear, watching as Mion's arm reached out for the lever once more. She pleaded to Mion, urging her to stop, but nothing would come of it. Mion began cranking the lever once more, this time, causing Rika's limbs to rip off. The sickly sounds of cartilage, muscle, skin and bone ripping apart reverberated throughout the dungeon; their sounds like music to Mion's ears. Rika screamed one last time as the chains tore off all four limbs, sending waves of blood to spurt out from every open wound. It took only a few moments for the intense pain to subside and be replaced with the hazy feeling in Rika's mind. She could breathe no more, the remaining shreds of her torso giving out to the blood loss; the dark liquid pooling on the dirt floor below. Her life was extinguishing; no more would she remain in that dream world. Before blacking out to the darkness, all Rika could remember were Mion's sadistic looks; the pleasure she took in watching yet another rival perish.
"HAHAAHAHAAH!"
"GAAAAAH!!!URGH!!" Rika instantly awoke, heaving to the side of the futon in her now sweat-drenched nightwear. She vomited all over the floor, spewing from her stomach anything she had left over from dinner that previous night. Her body shook uncontrollably, having a horrible nightmare unlike any other. Keeping her hand to her mouth, she let the last waves of sickness pass over, hoping that either Hanyuu or Satoko were awake that moment to help. She felt to powerless for some reason, scared that something had almost swallowed her whole.
After a few minutes of recovering, she noticed that no one in the room was there except her. Slowly getting up to find a mop and something to clean the mess up, she passed by the nearby bathroom, noticing that the light was turned on. Peeking into the room, Rika found Hanyuu holding up Satoko's hair, she herself vomiting into the toilet. She also caught how Satoko's clothing was drenched in sweat; Satoko herself exhibiting the shaking effects. She became concerned, moving up to her friend and looking at Hanyuu with fatigued eyes.
"Rika-chan, sorry to have woken you. Satoko-chan seems to have gotten ill from the food last night. You can go back to bed…" spoke Hanyuu, smiling to her tired friend. Rika just looked down at Satoko, pitying her for being in the same situation as she.
"Satoko-chan, did you really get sick from the food too? I just got sick when I woke up and…" Rika showed Hanyuu the mop, who instantly understood that she, too, was sick.
"Oh dear, hauuu!" Hanyuu went up to Rika, putting a hand to her forehead. Like Satoko, Hanyuu discovered that Rika too had a fever.
"That's ok, Rika-chan. We just got sick from the food last night I guess. The meat must have been bad. I knew we shouldn't have left it in the fridge that long…" Satoko raised her head, finished with heaving at last. She wiped her mouth with a wet cloth, slowly getting up and holding her hand to her head.
"Mii…we should clean up the messes and try to stay up for the rest of the morning. When we're better, we can go back to sleep." The others agreed without question, at which Satoko went off to find some paper towels to clean up Rika's mess in their room.
While Satoko was out, Rika turned to Hanyuu, wondering why she wasn't sick too. Hanyuu just smiled at looked at Rika.
"I'm not sick because I didn't eat the meat tonight. I wasn't really hungry at all; I had a stomach ache from eating too much of that delicious Angel Morte' cake earlier."
"Hanyuu...is it really the meat? Was it bad?" Rika asked, curiously.
"Probably, but I can't say for sure. It was kind of discolored, but we thought that was harmless. I guess it was bad from leaving it out for three days in the fridge, hauu," she replied.
"Hmm…I think I may have gotten sick from that nightmare I had," Rika replied, walking with Hanyuu back to their room. Satoko had already started cleaning up the vomit from the floor, so they opened the windows to let some air in.
"Hmm? A nightmare? Satoko-chan, didn't you say you had a nightmare too?" asked Hanyuu.
"Yeah, it was weird. I can't really remember what happened though. Something about Shi-chan, Nii-Nii, myself and Mi-chan. It was scary, that's all I could say. Did you have one too Rika-chan?" Satoko looked up to Rika, curious if she had one too.
"Yeah, but I can't seem to remember mine either. It must have been from the bad meat. Being sick can be weird sometimes. Let's just clean this mess up and go have some tea till morning comes." With that said, they cleaned the bathroom and their room for the remainder of the early morning, and then went into the kitchen to fix some tea. As hard as she tried, Rika couldn't remember what the dream was about and just believed that the bad food caused the nightmare. She sighed, joining Hanyuu and Satoko in the other room to clean after their room was done. Still, she couldn't get the feeling something bad was going to happen.
For him, it took lies to cause the madness.
For the beauty, it took distrust to cause the insanity.
For the fox, it was betrayal and loss of the brother,
And for the sister it was the loss of a loved one which led to the nightmare,
But what about the one who had love, which had everything?
What caused her madness to lead to such an end?
Next time on Hinamizawa Hell, "Reveal Demons" Arc 2, ch. 9: Setting the Stage.
Can you believe in this?