Chapter two:
The Ushiromiya family
The Higurashi gang all knelt on the floor in front of the TV, dripping wet, and shivering. The boy with grey hair handed them all a towel, which they took gratefully.
"So, do you lot have names?" The spiky haired boy asked, sitting down on the couch.
"Furude Rika.."
"Furude Hanyuu."
"Maebara Keiichi."
"Sonozaki Mion."
"Sonozaki Shion."
"Houjo Satoko."
"Houjo Satoshi."
"Ryuugu Rena."
The black haired maid smiled.
"I am Shannon. This is Kanon-" She pointed to the grey haired boy, who bowed politely "-This is Jessica-" the blond girl grinned and gave a little wave "-Battler-" the spiky haired guy grinned and waved once "-George-" The man with glasses smiled, and bowed his head. "-And Maria." The youngest girl smiled at them after gazing at them with a curious expression.
"Nice to meet you." The entire group said in unison. Kanon looked at them before speaking.
"You're still wet. Shannon and I will get you some clothes for.. uh.."
"Some clothes to wear?" Jessica advised. The boy sweat dropped.
"I'm sorry.." He said quietly before he and Shannon left the room.
"I wonder what that was? I wonder?" Rena asked.
"Kanon and Shannon have not received a very strong education..." Jessica explained. They all nodded. A loud rumbling from Keiichi's stomach broke the silence.
"Oh, sorry." He said, smiling a little. All his friends face palmed.
"Excuse me? We have some clothes for you." Kanon's voice said from outside the door. The group got to their feet and separated, the girls going in one direction, the males in the other.
Jessica lay on her bed as Shannon helped the four girls get dressed.
"Ne, Shion-san, do you have a crush on Satoshi-san?" Shion blushed.
"It's more then a crush. They're going out."
"S-Satoko!!" Shion exclaimed. Everyone burst out laughing.
"What about Jessica-san and Shannon-san? Any boys (or boy) in your lives?" Mion asked, plopping herself beside Satoko.
The two girls blushed.
"I have a crush on a guy but..."
"Utterly dimwitted, likes someone else or is a noble git?" Shion asked. Jessica sighed.
"Noble git. Shannon-chan is so lucky~ She's engaged to my cousin!" Shannon turned an even deeper red then what anyone would have thought possible, which restarted the giggling.
Kanon was standing still as a statue beside the door, watching Keiichi and Battler ramble on. Those two were kindred spirits... the blond boy... Satoshi, he remembered, looked plain embarrassed. Kanon's opinion about him had become very harsh when he saw marks that only a needle could cause on his arm. The boy didn't seem like a bad human, someone that he wouldn't mind serving, but if he was a drug addict...
Unable to hold it in anymore, despite his strong self control, Kanon opened his mouth.
"How did you get the puncture marks on your arm?" He asked. The boy's eyes widened, and his hand darted to cover the marks on his arm.
"Satoshi, you don't need to be embarrassed." Keiichi said quietly.
"That's what you think." His friend muttered darkly. Keiichi sighed.
"Satoshi here got a disease over a year ago. It's a disease specific to our village.. anyway, it's pretty serious. To prevent death, he was put in a chemically induced coma until they could find a cure. Unfortunately, the drug needs to be injected frequently.."
"And makes me feel like an addict..." Satoshi said, sighing. Keiichi smirked.
"At least you don't get bored at school. Or is that because you're staring at Shion?" Keiichi said, smiling mischievously as he nudged Satoshi with his elbow. Satoshi turned the colour of a tomato.
"Shion? You mean one of those super hot twins? I don't blame you. They're gorgeous." Battler said, leaning back on his chair. Satoshi's eyes narrowed.
"One of them happens to be my girlfriend thank you very much." Keiichi snickered. Satoshi was awesome when he was jealous. Very awesome indeed.
Battler looked as if someone had just dropped a ton of bricks on him from the ceiling.
"You are one lucky man. And Kanon-kun? Could ya go see if dinner's ready? I'm starved." Kanon bowed politely before leaving again.
Hanyuu walked behind Maria, singing quietly to herself.
"So, the rose has a candy wrapper tied around the stem?"Hanyuu asked, looking at the rows and rows of beautiful roses.
"Uu~!" Maria answered, scanning the flowers as well. Loud thunder clapped from the sky, and rain began to fall.
"Hau~ We'll get wet! Hau~"
"Do you want to go back inside while I look for the rose?"
"No, it's okay! It'll be quicker if we both look, then we won't have to spend as much time in the rain!"
"Uu~ thank you~!"
Kannon tapped his knuckles on the door.
"Yes?" Jessica's voice asked.
"Dinner is ready." Kanon replied, and the door swung open and six females shuffled out.
"Wait, where is Maria-sama and Hanyuu-sama?" Kanon asked. Shannon frowned.
"We thought that they were with you..!"
Everyone grabbed an umbrella and burst outside into the storming garden.
"Is that a golden butterfly?" Hanyuu asked as the golden wings flapped passed her. Maria beamed.
"Uu~ Beatrice~!!!" Maria cried, as golden butterflies began to form a human woman....
Rika's feet pounded the ground as she followed her senses to Hanyuu's location.
Please be alright... you may be Oyashiro, but in this world, what guarantee is there that you are safe? That this world doesn't harbor a way to harm you?
The sight of purple hair and horns made Rika run faster. Along with Kanon, who seemed to be the only one whom was able to keep up with her.
"Hanyuu!! Maria-san!!" She called, and the two girls turned, the rain pelting off of their umbrella. They both grinned.
"Thank goodness that you two are alright. Hey, where did you get the umbrella?" Keiichi asked, his eyes narrowing. Maria's smile got even wider.
"Beatrice-sama gave it to us! Along with this letter, which is for me to read when we have finished dinner!" Maria replied, holding up a letter with a one winged eagle and an odd stamp on it. The people from this island looked shocked. The people from Hinamizawa just looked confused.
Lambdadelta stomped around, pure fury written all over her face.
"How could this happen?!!! How did the people from the repeating world of the summer of Hinamizawa Showa year 58?!!" She fumed. Bernkastel just laughed quietly.
"It seems that things just got a lot more interesting, don't you think?"
"Easy for you to say!! They will play for your side! They'll make us lose! I am not going to lose to you again. And not because of the same. Freaking. PEOPLE!!!" Lambda screeched. Meta Battler and Meta Beatrice looked at each other and shrugged before disappearing in a flock of golden butterflies.
