Divide and Conquer (A Higurashi When They Cry FanFic)

Chapter 7: Book of Sorrow, Part One

Mion clutched the wrapped note in her hands, her body shaking with fury and fear.

How dare she? She thought. How dare she take Keii-chan away from me! How can she ask a life for a life, when both are of equal importance to me!

So you would sacrifice the life of the boy you love to save the life of a mere friend? A familiar voice echoed in her heart.

No... but if Rika dies, we all die... Mion thought.

So sacrifice him for the greater good! The voice continued. I'm sure you can move on from him. Men like him are a dime a doz-

No, they're not. Mion realized sadly. There's only one man like Keiichi Maebara, and that's Keiichi himself. There will never be another that can smile or laugh like he can. There's nobody that can move a crowd using only his words as easily as he can. There's only one of him in the world, and he's the only one for me...

Rika stepped forward. "It's Takano, isn't it?"

Mion looked at Rika, not wanting to answer. Then, she began to do something that the others had only seen her do once before.

She forgot about silence, and began to sob loudly. Tears streamed down her face, and she bent over, holding the note close to her heart. She was being forced to choose which of two people she loved would die, and she didn't want to do it.

She just wanted to be happy for once. After all she and the others had done, didn't they deserve a little bit of happiness in return? So why... why did pain and sorrow follow her everywhere she went?

Rika didn't need an answer from Mion. She had already guessed. And she had a close idea of what would happen next. She looked at Shion.

Shion was wearing a very familiar mask of rage on her face. Her eye twitched as she watched her older sister being reduced to bitter tears before her. How dare they do this to her Onee... who did they think they were...

Inside her, something snapped.

Shion smiled. They had to pay. So, she would collect.

"Detective! And Akasaka, can you come in here, please?" Rika said, knowing she had to take action before Shion completely lost it and did something she would regret later. Like kill someone, and then go on a murder spree.

Just like before, in the world where Keiichi didn't give Mion the doll.

As the two adults entered the room, she asked Hanyuu to talk to them and try and figure something out. Then she summoned Dr. Irei and told him her request. He looked at her in surprise. "But why do you need him?"

She looked at Shion, who was clenching her fists as she knelt next to her sister.

"Just trust me, Irei." She said, all hints of girlhood vanishing from her voice. "If we don't get Satoshi here, some very bad things will happen. He's one of the only ones who can calm Shion. And Mii will need all the help she can get."

He looked at her, and seemed to understand. "I'll grab the wheelchair." He dashed off to perform the errand.

Rika walked over to Shion and put her hand on her back soothingly. "Shion. You need to calm down... I know you're upset-"

"You think I'm upset?" Shion said evenly, barely audible above her sister's wails. She looked at Rika, and Rika took a step back at the raw malice in the girl's eyes. "Look at her." She pointed at the elder Sonozaki

Rena and Satoko knelt next to their leader as well, trying to bring an end to her tears. But there was no stopping it. Mion had finally broken and forgot about being strong. She was showing her true self to her friends for the first time.