Title: Mirror rorriM
Series: Boundless Kakera, Chapter 12
Fandom: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Summary: Two sisters share a close bond unlike any other, a truth that the Onibaba completely disregards in favor of family tradition.
Pairing: Mion Sonozaki & Shion Sonozaki (familial)
Posted: November 29, 2024
Brought into the world are twins,
Sisters who shared the same face.
Mion and Shion were their names.
Sonozaki family tradition raised an issue:
Twin heirs could bring about disputes.
As tradition demands, one must perish.
Wizened hands reached for the youngest.
Wails sounded from the poor infant.
Cold was the heart of Onibaba,
The head of Hinamizawa's Sonozaki clan.
Onibaba saw fit to follow tradition.
Fate, however, had a different plan.
Akane, mother of the twins, intervened:
"No baby should ever suffer death!"
"Twins will guarantee disaster!" argued Onibaba.
Love triumphed over the family tradition.
The mother put her foot down.
Onibaba decided to relent. For now.
One, two, three, four, five, six…
Several years marched on with followers.
Side by side, they grew together.
The twins shared everything they could:
Toys, clothes, smiles. Thoughts as well.
They always loved to swap identities;
Mion to Shion, Shion to Mion.
Child mischief demanded they switch places,
Time and again for their fun.
People struggled to tell them apart.
That fact contributed to their want.
Sadly, their fun would not last.
Onibaba had not forgotten the past.
She still remained true to tradition.
Soon, she sought to realize execution.
Onibaba approached one of the twins.
"Come with me, grandchild," she demanded.
The twin complied. "As you wish."
A disappearance had transpired that day.
The other sister succumbed to dismay.
Etiquette and leadership and much more.
Grandmother prepared her for the role.
She was to become Grandmother's successor,
Heir of the demons called Sonozaki.
The twin obeyed yet mistrusted Grandmother.
Something about that woman felt off.
Worse than Grandmother was this heartache.
Internally she weeped, her sorrow deep.
Part of her heart was gone.
Missing was the crucial piece required.
Her need to become whole exacerbated.
She longed for her other half.
Often, she stared at her reflection.
In the mirror, she would lament.
Days, weeks, months. Much had passed.
The mirror became her only companion.
Its face was just similar enough.
Still, the melancholy festered within her.
More and more, her loneliness grew.
Little by little, her sanity dwindled.
One day, she faced the mirror.
A smile actually greeted her frown.
She had gaped in shock. "Sister…?"
"Of course!" her beloved twin snickered.
She wholeheartedly smiled with misty eyes.
In the mirror, her sister resided!
"What happened to you?" she asked.
"Granny killed me," said her twin.
This horrific revelation inverted her grin.
Suspicions became confirmation. Distrust became disdain.
Grandmother was responsible for her pain.
"What must I do then, sister?"
Her other half smiled so sweetly.
"Kill Granny and reunite with me."
"How do we reunite?" she inquired.
The following response told her enough:
"Hearts are doors, knives are keys."
At her sister's behest, she proceeded.
The night was moonless and silent.
Darkness had intruded in Onibaba's room.
The twin followed the night's example.
She stayed mute and in shadow.
Held in hand was a knife.
Tonight it would steal someone's life.
She approached the evil, sleeping woman.
The weapon aimed for the neck.
Stabbed, Onibaba choked until her death.
The twin rejoiced in her actions.
No more would Onibaba draw breath.
Her sister had truly been avenged.
Then there was the next step.
Near her hung a large mirror.
She made her way toward it.
Her eyes stared at that face,
A grin that matched her own.
"Well done, sister!" commended her twin.
"Oh, thank you, my other half!"
She pressed her forehead against hers.
Her dear sister's skin felt cold.
"Time for our reunion," she declared.
"You know what you must do?"
"Hearts are doors, knives are keys."
Her twin giggled, "Good. You know."
The knife pointed at her chest.
Small hands gripped the handle.
Steel tasted blood a second time.
The twin collapsed to the floor.
She stared up at the mirror.
Last she saw was overwhelming glee.
Darkness claimed her for her deed.