One Thousand and Counting

One Thousand and Counting

Chapter 1:

As the last day of summer progressed, the pain at my stomach grew, as though the proverbial Ouroboros was eating at me while it still ate its tail. The afternoon came and went, as I reviewed this morning, the ache growing.

The group had gathered together at the same cafe we had gathered at for centuries. I watched as Haruhi walked out of the café and I forlornly begged my legs to work, demanded my brain to think of something, anything to keep this cycle from continuing.

Something tickled at the back of my mind. I considered my summertime homework, and was about to shout at our prison keeper, demanding that she help me finish, but... something about the idea seemed futile. Déjà vu again, and I stayed seated. It was useless. It wasn't that I couldn't stop Haruhi. It was that I couldn't keep her going. She was intent on running through the same fifteen days. I just couldn't sense anything that could be done.

As I stared miserably at my empty glass of milk, Koizumi's smile drifted towards his phone as he worked the keys. Miss Asahina was slumped, her head resting on her crossed arms, which rested on the table. Eventually, the impetus to stay was eroded, and I stood, bidding everyone farewell.

I went home, where I find myself now, miserable and restless in my bed. I've been here all day, since yesterday's failure destined meeting at the cafe.

My annoying little sister cheerfully proclaimed dinner in fifteen minutes. I suddenly found the prospect of eating my last meal with my family pointless and distasteful.

I found my phone in my hand and I searched through the contacts. The name stopped on the name of the last person member of the club. I stared at the name for a long time. Yuki Nagato hadn't said anything that last meeting with the group. She simply stared at the wall opposite. Utterly composed and stoic, I wondered if I had imagined the deep depression I had sensed earlier that week.

Not entirely of my own volition, I pressed the Call button. Resolved that what's done was done, I held the phone to my ear and listened to the ringing. It rang again and again. I wondered if Yuki was out, and wondered where she might go. I was about to hang up, when I heard someone pick up.

The soft sound of breathing came from the phone, and I, suddenly nervous, said, "Hey, Nagato. Its, ah, me."

There was a pause. A long pause. I was suddenly stricken with the idea that this was a mistake, and I had been about to stammer an apology when she finally said, "I know."

Not sure what was going on, I said, "Well, I had just been wondering if you wanted to go get food or something. To celebrate or, err, mourn really our, uh... you know this was a dumb idea. I'm sorry. I'll, uh, see you to-" I cut myself off from saying anymore. I don't even know what I was doing.

Ostensibly, I suppose I thought I was trying to reach out to someone who might understand the pain in my gut, though I now realized how utterly stupid the idea was. Nagato had been through so much worse than I had. She remembered everything. Trying to compare our suffering was like trying to steer Jupiter's orbit with the mass of a walnut.

Just as I said, "I'll see you," she spoke, "Let's go."

More time passed as I stared in stunned silence, "What?"

More time has passed in silence between us than had words, but she finally repeated. "Let's go. Meet me here."

I nodded, before forgetting that she couldn't see me, adding, "Alright. Be there in a few minutes."

I spared a few moments to apologize to my family for skipping out suddenly, though I hardly doubted it would matter if they were angry at me tonight. Come tomorrow, it wouldn't mean a thing.

I jumped on my bike and headed to Nagato's apartment.

She was waiting for me there when pedaled my way up to her apartment building. She was wearing her school outfit as always, waiting for the first day of fall classes that would never come.

I would have said there was absolutely nothing notable about her current expression, but her eyes were wide and watched me as I approached, glinting in the light. I wondered if that was something to do with her alien nature, or if I was just reading into it too much.

I came to a stop before her, and we stared at each other. I at her in curiosity and concern, and her at me in inscrutable focus.

After a few moments, I finally asked, "So… what do you want to eat?"

She shook her head minutely, which I took to meaning that she didn't have any preference.

I waited a moment before asking, "Is there anything good around here?"

She didn't respond this time, just watching me, as if trying to figure me out.

This was even more awkward than the first time we had ever been in the club room together. Finally, I said, "I think I saw a fast food place back the way I came. Would that be okay?"

I didn't make the suggestion because I was broke or anything, though my savings did take a beating from the week's penalties. Trying to get Yuki to express something as simple as a suggestion was like trying to find the Higgs Boson with only a few rocks to pound together.

"That's fine," she finally said, after much deep thought. I got down off my bike and we began to walk back towards the restaurant I passed.

After locking my bike up to the stand beside the door, I took my place in line after Nagato. She stared up at the menu as if it were a piece of post-modern art waiting to be examined and dissected. I wondered if she had ever been here before, given its relative location to her apartment.

Yuki gave another minute head shake, "No, I have not."

She reached the front of the line and stated her order, a number one combo, with nothing extra.

Before the alien could pull out her wallet, I said, "No, I got this."

"No, it's fine," she rebutted, still reaching for her money.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "No, really. I want to get this. It's the least I could do after all you have done." I hadn't been able to buy her the mask from the Bon Dance festival and, as scary as it sounds, I probably failed to do that thousands of times by now.

I was a little worried about having gone too far by touching her. She went unnaturally still as I did. The cashier still had his management-enforced smile on, though he did look a little concerned.

After a few endless moments, she acquiesced, "Alright," and put her wallet away.

I made my order, feeling courageous by ordering this season's bizarre milkshake flavor, and took our number. Yuki waited for me to pick a spot and I went for a relatively isolated corner, so we could talk. Or so that I could talk to her, at least. I was a little unsure if the exchange was going to be equal.

We sat quietly while our order was being worked. I tried not to stare at her, glancing around the room, studying the receipt, and looking out the front window to see if my bike was untouched.

Yuki simply stared at me without saying a word.

Finally, my eyes fell back to her, and I asked, "So, you said you hadn't been here before?"

She shook her head, eyes closed and hair bobbing in the blissfully air-conditioned room.

I nodded, "Not a fan of fast food?"

She hesitated, "I have never tried it outside of time spent with Haruhi Suzumiya."

I was a little amazed at that, asking, "Not even after all this time? You don't… try something new in each iteration, just in case?" I couldn't seriously believe that she didn't try to do anything new during these past fifty thousand weeks.

Surprisingly, she wasn't quite as emotionless as I was expected. "My purpose is to observe." The faintest hint of annoyance was in her voice. This must have been her equivalence to howling furious rage.

I nodded, about to reply, when our number was called. I stood up to get our food, and returned in quick order.

Yuki stared at the food I put in front of her. I took a sip of my milkshake and regretted my adventurism. Cucumber and raspberries were surely components to Mary Shelley's monster.

Finally, I continued, "I was trying to think of something new. I almost suggested we do our summer homework before classes start. I probably should have tried, huh?"

Yuki meticulously unwrapped her burger, saying tonelessly, "Completing summer homework has been attempted four thousand, three hundred fifty-two times."

I winced, chewing on a fry before prompting, "I hate to ask, but what else have we tried in desperation?"

Yuki, as graceful as any emperor's daughter, placed her napkin, drink and food in order, before answering. "Declaring another search for non-human life forms in the city has been tried six hundred, seventy-seven times. You have declared your romantic interest in Haruhi Suzumiya seventy-nine times. Itsuki Koizumi has declared his interest fifty times. Mikuru Asahina has declared her interest in Haruhi Suzumiya seven times. You have explained to her that you were "John Smith" to her one hundred, four times. You have had everyone at the table explain what they were to her thirty times. Itsuki Koizumi has attempted to tell stories to her in the style of Shahrazad seven times. You have burst into anger and called her various derogatory terms for her childish behavior two times. "

I sat in dumb silence while she exposited all the ideas I had, and several I hadn't. Finally, as she began to eat, all I could say was, "I am surprised it has only been two times."

We ate in silence for a while, before I finally asked, "Are you going to be okay, Nagato?"

She masticated with a single minded dedication, staring at the condensation slowly running down my infernal milkshake. I continued eating while she spent time actually thinking about my question. I must have phrased it better than I had on the first day of this iteration.

She finally said, "Continued time in this endless loop is not conducive to my long term efficacy. However, as long as we are restricted by this incessant time loop, I am unable to restore equilibrium as errors continue to build up in my cache data." She stared, almost glared, at her fries as she slowly demolished them.

After a moment's hesitation, "Is there something I can do to help?"

She unhesitatingly replied, "You are doing it." She didn't look at me as she spoke. I could hear a softer edge in her voice as she answered, but her eyes were just as sharp as before.

"I… alright." I didn't want to ruin whatever I could be doing by asking, as if by observation alone it would escape as quickly as Heisenberg's electrons.

We finished our food and sat quietly for a moment. I finally broke the silence. "So, what now?"

Yuki stared at me like I was asking my home room class teacher how to tie my shoes again.

I grimaced, and tried again, "I mean, what now? If we were going back in time, we would be older than the Kamakura period of Japan. Do you have any ideas to break us out of this nightmare?"

She shook her head, looking glum.

I persisted, "Could you try to tell us earlier in the week? Maybe we could solve it if we had more time."

She spoke in a more depressed and listless, though still relatively flat, voice, "My purpose is to observe."

I nodded slowly. Gathering all the trash we had back onto our tray, we cleaned up after ourselves and walked back towards her apartment without words.

We stopped just outside her building's lobby door and she turned to face me.

We stood staring at each other for a little time, before I finally asked. "How many times have I had this conversation before?"

She, with almost the slightest bit of awe, said, "Never before has this event occurred."

I nodded, contemplating that. "Well, when… I mean, if we repeat the cycle again, whether it helps you or not, I wouldn't mind coming out to meet you in another cycle."

Yuki stood stoically for a moment, before saying, almost inaudibly, "Me too."

There wasn't much else to say, so I nodded to her, "Alright. May the next thousand years of summer never come. Good night, Yuki."

I rode off back towards my house. I am pretty certain that Yuki Nagato watched me until I was out of sight.

By the time I got home, I was exhausted, and went straight to bed.

It was the morning of August eighteenth. I have the strangest feeling of having forgotten something extremely important and also the strongest sense of déjà vu. Without even thinking about it, I pulled my swim trunks and a towel out and put them on my desk. I had a feeling I would need them later.

I lay on my stomach, my covers sprawled at the end of the bed. My head and front arms were hanging over the edge. I was staring at my cellphone, just barely in reach on the carpet. I stared at the dark screen like I was expecting a call. I wasn't. I didn't have that same strange sense of Déjà vu I had just two weeks ago. Two weeks ago for the last one thousand fifty-seven years. The years themselves were becoming cumbersome to think. I'd have to start just thinking in Arabic numerals again to count the years, let alone days or weeks.

We were living in an endless summer that only four people could remember, and three of them were only vaguely aware. I just spent the afternoon in what must have been the worst way possible of all the times in all of history. That Haruhi. I swear, one of these times I am just going to snap and pull a Shining.

So now, I lay in bed and wait for the world to be renewed. Of course, we had family dinner to get through first. My little sister had poked her head inside my room a few minutes ago, to tell me that dinner would be ready soon.

Not able to stand the idea of watching the world repeat while pretending to enjoy dinner with my family, I grabbed the phone at the floor and dialed a number impulsively.

It rang a couple times, then there was the soft sound of breathing on the other side. "Nagato? Its, uh, me."

She answered almost immediately, "I know."

I laughed, "Ha, I guess it would be a surprise if you didn't. I mean, you already know everything, and you probably have caller I.D. or something…" I trailed off, realizing that I was rambling. I took a moment to gather my thoughts, "Well, I mean, what I called you for was… Well, I was going to go out to get something to eat and I was wondering if you would join me."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes. Meet me at my apartment."

I nodded, quickly realizing she couldn't possibly see me and adding, "I'll see you in a few."

I closed my phone and shook my head. What was I doing? Had I lost my mind?

Well, not really. I could see Nagato had been suffering all this week. She looked more than just bored. She looked hopelessly, utterly bored. I felt sorry for her, even more than I had for myself. I just realized that she was probably dying for something interesting to happen. Maybe she would derive comfort from the idea that someone was with her on the last day. Even this morning, when we traveled to a fish market and learned from one of the vendors how to pare and debone a tuna, she only looked mildly interested. Probably because everyone could tell Haruhi was bored by the rancid smelling task in minutes.

It didn't take long for me to ride my bike to her place. She waited outside her apartment, dressed in the school uniform, basically Plato's archetype for the poor girl slash humanoid interface. She was more than just an alien trying to fit in with humans. She had spent more time among humans than most castles now.

As I pedal closer to her, I got that feeling. That feeling that caused my head to ache and my eyes burn. Yes. It was déjà vu again. It wasn't as severe as usual, just barely brushing against the outskirts of my mind, but I could never mistake it for anything else.

I broke to a stop before the dark haired girl. I asked her, "I have done this before, haven't I?" I hoped I didn't sound as forlorn as I felt.

She had the strangest look on her face, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to sympathize or be amused. Or maybe she just didn't know the etiquette used to break the news to a friend that they had two-week long anterograde amnesia.

Either way, she was definitely becoming more expressive. I don't have to remember the last thousand years to know that Yuki was no longer quite the same person she was three weeks ago, in non-Bizarro time.

She finally answered, "It's fine. I don't mind."

Something in her voice, or maybe I just wanted to imagine it, made it seem like she was being sincere. I relaxed; glad she wasn't bored yet, and hopped off my bike. Decidedly, I secured it to the rack outside her apartment. I'd be walking her back after dinner anyway.

"So… where do you want to go?"

She stared out into the city, "Anywhere is fine."

I nodded, thinking. "You know, I saw a fast food place just on the way up here. Have you ever…" I stopped myself, realizing what I was saying. It didn't take half-memories of the past to realize that I had probably made the suggestion before. It the lazy option, therefore it was my first instinct. Surely even, the mediocre student that I was, could think outside the box.

"You know what, I don't even want to guess how many times I have treated you to dinner at some greasy chain." She turned herself from the city to look at me, "Why don't we walk the opposite direction and see what there is."

She nodded, "Okay."

So we walked away from her apartment and my bike, heading towards where I vaguely remember a grocery store. There had to be something to eat near there.

We walked in silence for a good while, as we watched the glowing sign of a convenience store come closer. Finally, I broke the silence, "So… whatcha reading now?"

And then, something struck me, so terrifying that I had to freeze mid-step and grab Yuki by the arms. I turned her towards me, where she looked vaguely dumbstruck, as I nearly shouted at her, "You haven't been reading the same book this whole time have you!?"

There it was again, the glimmer of something more than just initiation. The real glimmer of outright personality. Not that I much appreciated it. Yuki looked like she was about to smile, which pretty much means falling over in raucous laughter for anyone else. She shook her head, "No. You stopped me from doing that during the six thousand, four hundred and thirty-seventh cycle. "

Despite my relatively not humored feeling that she had been laughing at me, I was relieved. "Whew." I wiped the sweat off that had accumulated on my brow during this hot and humid evening. I wish my damn past-self had caught her sooner, but for now, she was at least not reading the same things over and over again.

We continued walking, and I asked her, "So, what are you reading now?"

"Reference section."

I nodded, knowing that would probably even slow Yuki down. "What's next on your reading list?"

With an inscrutable look that spoke of a riddle that would befuddle even the Sphinx, she said, "Romance section."

I tripped over my own feet, turning to stare at her straight on. Yuki Nagato, face deep in the confines of a romance novel, voraciously reading the contents of a book not meant for our young eyes? The idea was just so…

Come on, Nagato, are you just messing with me? She stared at me expressionlessly, pausing so that she didn't get ahead. Was that your attempt at humor? What exactly did you pick up from when reading the Comedy section at the library?

"Comedy is primarily a memetic function wherein the expected is supplanted with the unexpected, without any intention to scare the target of the joke."

"Are you still messing with me?"

She looked past me down the street and pointed, surprising me with the gesture.

I looked back with her. "A curry shop? Is that what you would like to get?" I was pretty certain that the humanoid interface was doing this on purpose, but like a master magician, her best trick was misdirection.

She nodded minutely. I put my hand to my face and sighed, "Alright." We went to dinner, and I still had no idea if or what Yuki had been joking about.

We all stepped out of the café- after I paid, of course- and headed our separate ways. I was at the back, and Nagato trailed behind, walking her usual slow pace when she wasn't accompanied by anyone.

She had seemed so... bored. It had been noticeable at the pool, but my impression of its extent grew with every passing minute. Now she was walking off to be by herself, and I couldn't keep myself from thinking how sad it would be to let her go on without a word.

Of course, I had no idea how I got onto this train of thought. Nagato didn't seem her usual, well, not perky self, but she didn't even seem like her usual stoic self either.

"Hey, Yuki…" I trailed off, not sure where to begin. "Is everything okay with you?"

She stopped and turned halfway to face me, but simply stared down the street past me. She answered robotically, "I'm fine."

Every muscle and bone in my body screamed at me to leave. Really, could anything actually faze the immutable Yuki Nagato? What could be wrong that she would be bother by it? "Ah, okay, never mind, I just…" I trailed off, as my mind turned on that last question. What would cause Nagato, who usually casts as much of an emotional pall as a light post, to look so depressed at the pool earlier?

I knew I hadn't imagined it. Her face, eyes half closed and eyes downcast, not even having the energy to watch the kids at the pool enjoy themselves. I gripped the handles of my bike a little harder, and forced myself to dig deeper, "Are you sure? It seems like something is bothering you."

Her eyes flicked to me, before her body turned to face me directly. The motion was fluid, instantaneous, disconcerting. Even if I had doubted she was an alien before she grabbed a knife intended for my heart, I wouldn't doubt her now. It was like she forgot how to act human for a moment. Seeing how deliberate her usual attitude was, the closest comparison I could make to how odd it was to see would be like watching Asahina suddenly assume the role of a military general, issuing orders and shouting commands at Japanese militia defending the country from invasion. To say it was disturbing would be putting it lightly.

I was frozen, half in fear and half in awe. Nothing she could say would startle me more, as she opened her mouth to speak, "We are currently experiencing an endless time loop that begins on August seventeenth and ends on August Thirty-first."

I furrowed my brow, asking, "What? I don't remem-"

She interrupted me, "Currently, only those linked to the Integrated Data Thought Entity are the only ones fully aware of the universal constraints."

I took a moment before stammering, still a little dazed by her directness, "Well, how long-"

She interrupted me again, "We are currently on the Twenty-seven thousand, three hundred and fourth cycle."

I had been very wrong. There was something that could startle me more than Yuki making that quick half-turn-step.

While she stared at me, intently cold and analytical, my mind slipped into doing the math. Twenty-seven thousand, three hundred and four times fifteen days, divided by three hundred sixty-five days. Yuki didn't seem to mind the wait, while I slowly realized that it had been one thousand, one hundred twelve years.

"Are you saying that we have been doing the same thing-"

Yuki shook her head, appearing to relax a little. Maybe she had been dying to tell someone, and just needed a firm nudge. I relaxed a little too. Going through summer that many times, doing the exact same thing all the time would be insanely hard to believe.

"No, we haven't. Iteration twenty-one thousand and eleven was not started with a visit to the public pool, likewise, there have been seven iterations without the Bon festival. There were three thousand fifteen iterations during which Mikuru Asahina did not suggest goldfish scooping. There have been five thousand one hundred thirty-three times without instances of part-time jobs, and our tasks during the job have had seven different variations. We have handed out balloons, stocked shelves, cashiered, cleaned-"

I put my hand on her shoulder, saying more forcefully than I intended, "Stop. Please stop." I did not want to hear any more of the horror story. A little more softly, I said, "I need a moment to process all of this." I stood there and thought for a little while as the small girl stared up at me, eyes brighter than I have ever seen before. What was this? Was she… eager? Happy to tell someone of this plight? You know, Nagato, you don't have to keep all your problems to yourself.

She nodded, still watching me.

It didn't seem fair that I had to deal with nonsense like this. I rubbed my eyes, while I asked, "Who is the-"

Yuki was still in an interruptive mood, and said, "Currently all data implies that Haruhi Suzumiya is the sole origin of this time loop."

I frowned, "Why haven't you-"

Nagato cut me short, this time sounding nearly frustrated, "It is my duty to observe. My direct interference is not permitted."

I sighed, exasperated. I kept my eyes closed and thought for a moment. "We need to call Koizumi and Asahina." Nagato nodded.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the contacts. I called Koizumi first, who answered cheerfully, "Itsuki Koizumi here, How may I help you?"

"We have a problem," I stated seriously, trying to knock his cheer down to manageable levels. It wasn't the time for jokes.

He didn't hesitate. "What kind of problem, may I ask?"

"The kind where we need get together and discuss it. Do you think you could meet me at the park just down from the cafe? I'm going to call Miss Asahina next."

"Sure. May I presume that I will not need to call Miss Nagato?"

I shook my head, though he couldn't see the gesture. "Yuki is with me."

Koizumi sounded a little surprised but said, "Well. Then I will meet you there in a few minutes."

Next, I looked at my phone, figuring it had been almost ten minutes. By now, Asahina and Haruhi should have separated to go their own ways. I dialed Miss Asahina's number. It rang for a bit.

"Hello?" Asahina's voice came out over the speaker, as if unsure she pressed the right button.

"Hey, Miss Asahina? It's me." I was a little nervous, but pressing matters overrode my usual caution with the beautiful Asahina.

"Hi, Kyon! Can I help you with something?"

I hedged a bit, "Well. Probably. Are you free at the moment? I'd like to talk with you, and the others, in private."

There was a pause before she said, "Um, sure, Kyon, where do you want to meet?"

"At that park you, um, took me to at the end of last semester. You know… 'back then'?"

I could just imagine Miss Asahina blushing, as she replied, "Oh, that park? Um, sure, Kyon, I can do that. See you in a bit."

"Thanks. See you." I hung up, and looked to Nagato, who watched with icily attentive eyes.

"Well, let's go wait for them."

Nagato nodded slightly, and we headed to the park and waited.

By chance the two of them arrived at the same time, from opposite directions. We watched them approach, Koizumi with a friendly wave and Asahina with a brilliant smile. I stood and they stopped, facing me, Koizumi with his trademark grin and Asahina with a shy but curious look on her face.

"We have a problem."

Koizumi interjected first, "You said that on the phone earlier, but you didn't seem willing to elaborate."

Asahina looked confused, "You never said that there was a problem…"

While we waited for the other two to arrive, I had talked to Nagato about the problem a little. "Well, it concerns all of us. Have either of you been dealing with momentary déjà vu and headaches along with them?"

The pair looked at each other, then back to me, almost comically in-sync. Koizumi spoke first, "Now that you mention it, I have. Is that why you brought us here?"

"Partially. Miss Asahina, have you been feeling the same?"

She nodded hesitantly, "I don't know what it was. I sent a message back to my superiors, but I haven't gotten a response yet…" She looked concerned, "I only sent it an hour ago, but they usually don't take this long to respond."

I nodded, "I was afraid of that. I don't… think you are going to get a response."

She jumped at that, "What? How do you know? Why wouldn't I get a response?"

I sighed. "Because time isn't working correctly… Um. Yuki can explain it better."

All three of us looked at Yuki, who was sitting at the bench beside me, watching the traffic go past in the distance. She looked up at me first, then to the other two. "We are no longer coupled to normal space-time. We have been repeating the same two weeks for Twenty-seven thousand, three hundred and four times, starting from August seventeenth at twelve o'clock midnight to August thirty-first, at eleven fifty-nine."

I watched their faces, Koizumi's smile faltered a little. I wonder what it would take to stop his mad grin in its tracks. Asahina had a look of concentration on her face, as if she were trying to process the information.

She finally spoke up, "But, if that were true, then…"

"Then… what?" I asked, prompted her.

She shook her head. "No, it's nothing. Would you mind giving me a moment? I need to check something."

She stepped away and took a seat not too far away on the ledge separating the path from the park's foliage.

Koizumi looked at me, "How sure are you of this?"

"Very sure."

"I mean, is there any chance that you could be mistaken? Do you have any verifiable proof?"

I raised my eyebrows, motioning to Nagato, "Is Yuki's word not good enough?"

He chuckled, "Well, when you put it that way… I just find it hard to believe that we have spent more than a thousand years repeating the same summer vacation each time, that's all that I am saying."

Nagato spoke up, "Each iteration was unique and there are a notable number of instances that deviate in a major fashion. Iteration twenty-one thousand and eleven was not started with a visit to the public pool, likewise, there have been seven iterations without the Bon festival. There were twelve hundred fifteen iterations where Mikuru Asahina did not suggest goldfish scooping. There have been five thousand one hundred thirty three times without instances of part-time jobs, and our tasks during the job has had seven different-"

Koizumi interrupted, "Thank you, Miss Nagato. I will take your word for all of this."

I didn't have any room to talk, but I was a little annoyed that he would interrupt her like that. Maybe I was just unnerved that we both happened to stop her around the same time.

"Well, do you see what-" A second interruption occurred, this time while I spoke.

"Whaaaaaa!?" Asahina nearly shouted as she jumped to her feet, her face contorted into alarm, no make that outright panic. "You guys, I… I… I can't contact the future!" Tears welled up and she stumbled towards us.

Her eyes already running with tears, she wailed a little more, before tripping at the last moment, catching onto my arm and sobbing. I was yanked a bit, but kept us both upright. She gripped onto my arm like a sailor overboard, gripping the last lifeboat. Suffice it to say, this was very distracting.

Both Koizumi and I spent the next few moments looking around to see who might be nearby. As the sun had set by now, there wasn't anyone at the park.

"What- what- whaaaahaaaaa!" Miss Asahina seemed to be desperately finding words, but she seemed unable to stop crying. My arm was going numb.

"Miss Asahina, please calm down. We will figure this out. Why don't you take a seat?" I gently nudged her towards the bench near Nagato, and she finally got the hint, taking a seat next to the other girl. She did not, however, release my arm, so I stood there, awkwardly, while my arm was used as a poor handkerchief substitute.

Koizumi had more questions to ask, "May I infer that the person responsible for this is the only member of the SOS Brigade not here currently?"

"You may." Nagato responded immediately, cutting off my sarcastic reply.

Koizumi nodded philosophically, "Because we have spent so much time repeating the same events, we, as in the three of us excluding Miss Nagato, have been experiencing increasingly severe déjà vu. This has culminated in Kyon investigating the issue. May I assume he learned the truth of the event from you, Miss Nagato?"

Nagato nodded, "You may."

Koizumi nodded, still thinking. "I am not feeling any particularly sharp feelings of déjà vu right now. I wonder why that is."

Nagato was quiet for a moment, before saying, "Discovery of the time-plane disruption was not an event that occurred until the one thousand, fifteenth iteration. Since then it has become increasingly common for Haruhi Suzumiya's human companions to notice the time anomaly. It has only been more recently that this cycle has been modified. Nineteen thousand two hundred and fifty times, the time anomaly was noticed and investigated initially by Itsuki Koizumi on the fourth day of those iterations. For the last seventeen iterations including this one, the anomaly was discovered by you," she looked at me, pointedly, "and investigation into possible solutions to escape this time-plane have been initiated on the first day of each time loop."

Koizumi shook his head, "Why haven't you warned us, Miss Nagato? Surely, with your memory intact, you could have warned us sooner. Observation, by the nature of quantum physics, already changes that which is observed. Why not take a step further?"

Nagato looked down at her shoes, and she answered, "My roles is to observe, not interfere." She actually sounded a little sorry at the accusation.

I glared at Koizumi, "Hey, don't pick on Yuki here. I think it's safe to say that out of all of us, she is the one suffering most. I am sure she wants to leave more than any of us." I'd have put my hand on her shoulder, but Asahina still held it, though she wasn't sobbing so much as just hiccupping.

Koizumi tilted his head at me, but acquiesced, "You are right, of course. I am just frustrated at the concept of having had so much time wasted. Not that we are short of it." He straightened, and said, "Please, call me Itsuki. It's clear you and Miss Nagato have gotten closer in the intervening years, beyond the stretch of time. I'd like us to be as close of friends."

I'll think about it, though I'd much rather not be any closer of friends to you, o' invader of personal space.

Sniffling, Asahina finally pulled her head away from my arm saying, "I tried classified information to classified information. It's safe to assume classified information if we never return to the usual flow of time."

I looked down at the sweet, if delicate girl trying to hold her composure. I wouldn't necessarily say that she didn't she wasn't suffering either. I suppose not being able to contact the future is a lot like having irrefutable proof that the world has, for all intents and purposes, ended, and we only have two weeks to live. Don't worry Miss Asahina. I might not know what you refer to, but we will fix the timeline.

She sniffled one last time, "I told you, you don't have to be so formal, Kyon. Just call me Mikuru."

I'd think about it, but first we needed to find somewhere we could talk about this in detail.

"My place is secure," Yuki volunteered, standing. If my capacity for shock tonight was not already strained, I would have been amazed to see Yuki take the lead. She walked away, walking in that mechanical way she did, like she was following the instructions on how to walk from a book, rather than from personal experience.

We followed. It was time to discuss our plan to escape this time-mess.

"Alright, we have gathered here today, on the twenty-eight thousand, six hundred and tenth iteration of summer vacation to discuss options to escape, jolt or otherwise return this time-plane to its natural order."

Oh jeeze, stop with the theatrics, Koizumi.

"Heh. My apologies. We are just gathered here so formally. I felt something needed to be said."

We were arranged around the square kotatsu in Yuki's apartment. "We should probably focus on trying to escape this time loop, not jokes."

"You are right, of course. Where do you suggest we begin?"

"Well… um…"

Asahina spoke up, asking, "What have we tried before?"

We all looked to Yuki. She took in a deep breath and began, speaking, generally towards me. "We have tried completing summer homework on the final day one thousand times. You have expressed your love for Haruhi Suzumiya eighty times. Itsuki Koizumi has declared his love for Haruhi Suzumiya one hundred twelve times. Mikuru Asahina has declared her love for Haruhi Suzumiya twelve times. You have told Haruhi Suzumiya that you are John Smith two hundred seventy-two times. You have had all of us explain to Haruhi Suzumiya what we are sixty times. Itsuki Koizumi has attempted to tell her stories in the style of Shahrazad seventeen times." Koizumi snapped his fingers in disappointment, "You have burst into anger and called Haruhi Suzumiya various derogatory names five times."

I'm surprised it is only five times.

Yuki nodded, "Yes." Wait, was she agreeing with me? She was still nodding too.

Mikuru Asahina made a small noise and we looked at her, "Um…" she looked very nervous but seemed to have something on her mind, "… we could… could we kill her?"

We were all dead silent for a second, before Yuki continued, "You have killed Haruhi Suzumiya once. Itsuki Koizumi has not killed Haruhi Suzumiya and has refused to do so in previous iterations. Mikuru Asahina has killed Haruhi Suzumiya fifteen times." Koizumi and I stared at Asahina, who looked appropriately mortified. "Each time results in a catastrophic failure in this fold of space-time, creating a void that lasts for precisely as long as the remainder of summer would have lasted, before returning to the normal loop."

Koizumi nodded, "So what you are saying is that this loop is not only caused by Haruhi, but she is also the main force keeping our current space time from collapsing?"

Yuki nodded. "Itsuki Koizumi has tried confessing his love for you three times. Mikuru Asahina has suggested volun-"

"Sorry, Yuki. I think we need to pause this for a moment. How many different attempts have we made since we started this gathering?"

She continued, "Every time you start this gathering on the first day of the time loop, we have endeavored to not repeat previously multiple failed attempts since the discovery of the time-plane loop has begun on the first day. This has occurred nine hundred and five times."

Koizumi shook his head, "We might do better just to throw out ideas… Or maybe Miss Nagato could give us a list of the different things we have attempted on paper. It might save us some time, instead of listening to the entire list."

I shook my head, "We can do that, but I'm not sure I want all our misdeeds spelled out on paper. Homework assignments, on top of my current load, are not appealing…" Not only that, but I hated reading tragedies. I always get melancholic after reading sad endings. Our failures would definitely be a tragedy.

Miss Asahina looked between us both, "Um… should we just blurt out suggestions?"

I shrugged, "Sure, and Yuki can tell us if we have tried it.

And thus we started the nine hundred and sixth bi-weekly "escape from Haruhi Suzumiya's twisted endless summer" meeting. May it be the last.

The cicadas created a constant thrum of noise, dulling the sounds in the distance and lulling me into slow, easy nap. I could feel myself slowly drift into sleep, a blissfully granted boon for what looked like a busy next couple of weeks.

I heard a quizzical hum nearby, a consternation almost childish and easy to associate with a single identity. The voice was on the other side of the wall of bushes I had surrounded myself with in order to hide from the blisteringly hot day. The voice was quiet for a moment.

Suddenly, there was a loud "Ha!", accompanying the whisper of something moving through air. The bush nearest my head shuddered with impact. A beat, then a disappointed "Aww.."

"You miss him?" I said, quietly, not wanting to give away my location to possibly nearby oppressive leaders.

Miss Asahina gave a bit of a yelp, and I could hear her hop back in surprise. No wonder really. I found this perfect little circle of bushes, almost impenetrable but for a small opening I stumbled upon in my hunt for cicadas. The clearing, dappled by shadows and tiny spots of sun escaping the canopy above, was big enough for me to lay down and then some. It was serendipity manifest.

I sat up, parting the bushes where they were just slightly thinner than everywhere else. My head poked out and I saw Miss Asahina a little to my left, looking at my emergence like a wonder, her mouth a perfect circle.

Clearly having surprised her, I said, "Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Realizing who I was, she took a step forward. Miss Asahina had taken advantage of the beautiful, steaming day to wear a sundress, yellow and sunny as her disposition. It was not, however, the most ideal outfit for tromping through an overgrown forest, and I could see she had a few scratches on her exposed arms and legs.

"Oh, Kyon, I am sorry. You startled me…" She said, still looking concerned. She looked past me towards the bushes that I had hidden in. "Is everything okay?"

I was not wounded or anything, if that was what she was worried about. I just found this perfect little hiding spot and decided to take a nap.

Asahina tilted her head, "But what about the cicadas? Don't you want to win?

Oh, I wanted to win. But I was getting a headache from hunting cicadas again, and decided to seize the chance to be a rebel.

She giggled, then looked around the forest, as if searching for prying eyes. "Can I join you? Is there room?" She looked doubtful and hopeful at the same time.

Well, for Miss Asahina, I'd make room for her even if it took upending the mountain. In this case, it was not necessary. "Of course. There's room for both of us." I got up a little further and shouldered aside the bushes, wide enough for her to squeeze through without catching her dress on too many grasping branches.

She sidled in past me, a sweet scent added to the fresh air of the wind through leaves, settling into the far side of the little clearing. I looked away as she sat down, fighting my youthful urges to watch her. Instead, I sat down myself, cross legged, while she settled down in the soft earth on her knees, likely to keep her dress clean.

She put her box of bugs and net down beside mine, tucked away into a corner.

"How many have you caught so far, Kyon?"

I hedged, "Oh, six or seven?" I had eight, but I could tell already that Miss Asahina had caught less. "How about you, Miss Asahina?"

"You can call me Mikuru, Kyon." She reminded me, before glancing at her box and shrugging. She didn't look too upset, "Just three. I don't think I had a chance from the start. I saw Haruhi catch two with one stroke, a while ago. What were you doing in here?"

I shrugged, "Just a short convalescence, really. I am still thinking of something new to try for this cycle. Its hard to believe that we have been doing this for fourteen hundred years…"

"Yeah…" her voice turned soft, a tone I always associated with her thinking about her future. Or would it be her past? The tone she used when thinking about her original time-plane.

I felt my eyes droop with the return of cicada traffic. It wasn't that I didn't want to admire her perfect outfit, but the attraction didn't draw my attention, not right now, when I just wanted to drift.

"Do you think we are trapped here forever, Kyon?" Her voice had become quiet, perhaps picking up on my previously softened tone, as if we were trying to maintain the sanctity of this solemn little hideout. More like, we were trying to maintain our privacy.

"I am pretty certain that we will get out of here eventually. Haruhi will drag us out of these bushes if we stay too long, Miss Asahina, if nothing else."

She softly swatted my leg, a scandalously brazen action from Miss Asahina. Was she getting as bold as I was becoming laconic, in this warm endless heat? "You know what I mean, Kyon."

I did. "Yeah. I think we will. I think even Haruhi will get bored with eternity. We just need to jostle her out of her fear of the future."

The time traveler gave a soft noise, considering. "The future, huh?"

I wondered if I should say anything. "You okay?"

She visibly shook herself, turned her face to me and blinked. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

Her mouth opened, then closed. Asahina looked away before she finally said, "It is just terrible, you know? She sort of took away my future because she was scared of it. I just want it back, you know?"

Miss Asahina looked tired. Almost as tired as Nagato, even. It was odd to see her face age right before my eyes. Not to her detriment, of course. For a moment, she looked like her older self, and because she was sitting down, I couldn't compare her height to my memory.

Unsaid was her commitment to doing whatever it took to get her future back.

"I was thinking we could take her to a space and science museum. To inspire her with all the discovers man has made, and to maybe spark her imagination about what she could discover next."

It was quiet but for the cicadas. For long minutes, we were surrounded by nothing but nature.

Finally, my thoughts turned to something substantial, "Miss Asahina." I opened my eyes, finding myself staring at Asahina's face, blinking quickly, like someone brought awake suddenly from a light nap.

She rubbed one eye with the back of her hand, "Yes, Kyon? And call me Mikuru."

I half-smiled, "What do you think? About the museum."

She considered the idea. "Well, she does, um, well, I can't say that…" she looked apologetic, as if she had accidentally said her catchphrase. A moment later, and she continued, "But she seems to like science. It is all a mystery for her to, um, explore." She shrugged. She didn't sound as confident as I felt.

Not exactly a roaring endorsement. I just figured it might inspire Haruhi to think of new scientific theories or whatever to explore, which she could only do if she let us leave summer behind.

"Kyon! Mikuru! Where are you two!? If you two don't get here in three seconds, you will face the penalty!" A ringing shout seemed to penetrate the forest as if it did not exist, permeating the leaves. Did the sound rustle them, or did her force of will?

Asahina looked startled, half standing up. "Um… should we… should we go?"

I waved her on, "Go ahead, Miss Asahina. I am still rebelling. She can wait on me for more five minutes." I'd get back out there before dark. I was still feeling too peaceful in this grove to want to leave. Not like it would improve her mood if I showed back up with Asahina in tow anyway. She'd just lump me with the dinner bill if I were late and alone.

I was worried about that, now. I wanted to convince Haruhi to take us to a science and technology museum and she wouldn't if I was in her bad books. Nagato was looking really down lately, and I think it was about time to get serious about ending loop of time. I normally wasn't one to take action and decide things, but this cycle would be different. I'd help both Asahina and Nagato get past this.

Asahina fought her way through the brush, giggling a little at my comment before she left our hideout.

She didn't walk away immediately, whispering into the circle of bushes, "And I told you, Kyon, call me Mikuru."

I smiled and said nothing, laying down in the shadowy darkness. Not for another few centuries, at least, Mikuru, I thought to myself. Too bad we were getting out of the time-loop before then.

Even as dark fell, I was confident the future was only getting closer and brighter.

"Two days hence I shall enter an error state, should this time plane not return to normal."

I was sucking on the straw to my shake, which I sincerely wished I could enjoy. As Nagato stared at me, I asked, "What do you mean, error state?"

She looked away, staring at the fries on her tray. Normally, Yuki was a voracious eater, though she seemed off today. Of course, who could blame her? It was another endless summer cycle coming to an end, and we weren't very confident that the cycle was over.

Koizumi had suggested that we post flyers all over school before classes start, just to keep ahead and remind everyone that the SOS Brigade wasn't going anywhere. This, of course, involved breaking into the school, but by miraculous chance, or secret intercession, we weren't caught and hung up nearly two hundred flyers. Haruhi had started off eager, but by the end, she was frowning at every poster we put up.

"I will attempt self-termination in approximately thirty-four hours."

I put my shake down, and pushed my food aside, staring intently at Yuki, who refused to meet my eyes. I didn't say anything for a few moments, hoping the pale girl would look at me. She did not. "What can I do to prevent that, Yuki?"

She spoke in monotone sadness, "There is nothing that can be done."

I shook my head vehemently, "I don't believe that. There must be something I can do for you." I felt my hands form into fists under the table, angry, sad, desperate.

Yuki looked up at me, saying, "This will not be the first instance of this error state. Previous experience correlates that this error state will not lead to the end of the cycles of endless summer. There is no reason to be concerned. Everything will return to normal in the cycle after next, and no one will remember anything of the event."

I was speechless. What? This has happened before? She was telling me that she had reached her limit. What was it they said about suicide? This couldn't be anything but an attempted suicide, either. Should I comfort her? Should I be stern and tell her not to do it? What authority did I have, beyond that of being her friend? She was a hyperdimensional data integrated thingy, and I was just a normal human. I wasn't even a special human, like Koizumi or Asahina.

My heart hurt and my head was filled with a buzzing noise. I could taste the edge of bile at the back of my throat. I clamped down on the rising sickness. Ryoko Asakura could show up right then and stab me in the gut, and I wouldn't have flinched after this. It took me a few minutes, before I finally said, "Do you think that makes it alright? What about you?"

Yuki was back to staring at her food, "I will be deactivated for approximately thirteen and a half days and remember nothing after the error state. Normal functionality will return within eight hours on the morning of August 18th, fourteen days from now."

I put my hand on my face and tried to process this all. Nagato continued, "I only warn you on the off chance any inkling of this cycle makes it to you in the next. Please do not do anything rash. Last time you threatened the Integrated Data Thought Entity, and should that cycle be the one that ended the summer, the stability of the world and universe at large would be gravely endangered." Unsaid was her opinion that the universe's continued stability was far more important than her continued survival.

I looked up at her, "I threatened the Integrated Data Thought Entity?"

She nodded, looking up at me, almost shy, almost in awe.

I shook my head, "I can't imagine what I could have done. But it would have been worth it to have you back, Yuki. You of all people deserve to see the true end of August, and if your boss didn't let that happen, I think I could live with the world ending."

Nagato's eyes did something I could tell in my bones was something that had never happened before. Tears glassed over her eyes, gratitude and hurt filling them. "These error states are inevitable, as inevitable as the endless temporal rift." Her face remained dry, and I didn't know if she was simply mimicking human physical responses or if she really did want to cry. Her eyes never shed tears, just turning that unmistakable shine that held tears back.

There was not a single iota of doubt for me about if she was in pain, however.

I stood up and moved to her side of the table, giving her a hug. She didn't react, but I wasn't quite surprised about that. Nagato wasn't really one for physical affection. I let her go and stood up. She still looked tiny and broken, like she wasn't even bothered by her casual suicide, simply dreading the endless repeating summer that would follow.

"Nothing is inevitable or endless, Yuki Nagato. Come on. I am not going to leave you alone in your apartment tonight. Let's walk around the city a little." She nodded, mute.

I collected our trash and disposed of it while Nagato followed. We walked in any direction that wasn't closer to her apartment. Well, whether or not we walked together was debatable. I walked. Nagato didn't so much walk as drift, silent, a shadow without a person attached. I sometimes wondered, if no one were looking at Yuki, would she really be walking? Or would she just conserve the energy of making the effort to exist at all, and vanish in those moments?

It was a stupid thought. Forget I thought it.

It was dark and the streets were illuminated by well-maintained light posts. Nagato lived in a particularly nice side of town and I wasn't too concerned about where our meandering walk took us. It was a beautiful night too, wasted with the mood we carried around.

I glanced at Nagato again. Her eyes didn't wander, looking straight ahead. They looked sharp and focused, as if the had no other interest beyond deciphering the path ahead, but something told me she was not actually looking at anything in particular. The underwhelming sense of exhaustion and sadness crept from her figure and, just like back in the fast food restaurant, I was utterly convinced of her sincerity. I was also relatively certain she didn't want to be here, with me, right at this time.

I wondered if I should have left her to her own devices, but I couldn't let her suffer in solitude. I couldn't in good conscience let her commit suicide, even temporarily, without trying to convince her otherwise.

While my mind rolled to its final destination, Yuki's eyes slid from the unfocused distance to my face. Like a blast of cold air in winter, the door to my thoughts opened, and words stepped out.

"Nagato, I don't want you to kill yourself to get an escape. Could you instead just take a vacation? Tell us- Tell Haruhi that your family misses you and that you will be out of town until classes start?"

Nagato stared at me, with the sad disdain of someone who had to explain to a child that yes, this pot of boiling water is hot too. Boiling water is always hot.

Maybe I just felt more clueless around Yuki than usual tonight. My conviction faltered first, and I looked away first, waiting for the crosswalk like to change.

"Any plausible story will cause Haruhi Suzumiya to be interested further into my background, which will mean the Integrated Data Thought Entity will have to invest resources and time into fabricating an elaborate story for her to believe, which could easily backfire."

"Won't you dying be even more curious for her to investigate?"

"Death is the terminal point of all humans. It is easier for Haruhi Suzumiya to accept that I am not present because I am not living then it will be for her to accept that something takes precedent over her while I live."

I shook my head, mostly out of frustration, not disagreement. I could believe that Haruhi wouldn't accept that Yuki has more important things to do than than the SOS Brigade. Instead, I said, "How does it know that would even work? There's no assurances that a fabricated death wouldn't interest her more than a vanishment," I said, looking back at Nagato, partly to make sure she was still there, two steps behind.

She was. She didn't look happy, and I hated forcing her to talk about this. But I didn't understand and Nagato was the only one who could really explain it.

"The previous iteration of this occurrence implied that Haruhi Suzumiya was willing to accept the hastily fabricated situation of my passing presented by the Integrated Data Thought Entity until you started to intervene." She wasn't so much as upset as she was mournful, though it could have just been the lighting, her face washed electric blue by a neon sign. "It is predicted that with better preparation and no outside influence like you, Haruhi Suzumiya will go through the same sadness. Time will loop again, and I can be reconstructed from stored records."

I ground my teeth a little, "You want that to happen?"

Yuki said, with more authority than she usually mustered, "Of the available options, yes."

I spoke without volition, needing to ask. "Why are you choosing to do this, Nagato? Isn't this all even more complicated and hard than the time loop already is?"

Nagato, sounding frustrated for the first time since I met her, "I am not making a choice. Errors have accumulated. There is no other avenue for clearing the cache. I cannot change anything on this static time-plane. I cannot change what I am or how I react." Her jaw was set and she wasn't looking at me. There was a hint of heat in her dark eyes, and it wasn't a friendly heat. "My intention is not to distress you but there is nothing that can be done. It is the only option."

I opened my mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Having an argument with Nagato was not what I expected to happen. My mind was slowly grinding to a response before it was interrupted.

"I do not want to talk about this," Nagato said with finality and what seemed like a little regret.

I opened my mouth, then closed it, nodding.

I suppose at this point, we probably should have just gone our separate ways. My first instinct was to just leave her alone so she could… do whatever it was she planned on doing tonight, before time reversed.

It would have been easy to let Nagato go on her own. I wanted to. Just like I wanted to let her walk away from the cafe, after a day of swimming in the public pool two weeks ago.

My gut rebelled at holding her hostage any longer. Who was I to know what was best for Nagato? How could I guess what inscrutable purpose she has? If she wanted me gone, she would never say as much, and I felt the pressure of the awkwardness between us now, like a weight.

We meandered for another hour or so before any more words were said. Describing the route we took and the places we passed would be a complete waste of time. If Yuki was right, then I wouldn't remember any of it, so I didn't waste time committing the path it to memory.

My thoughts were churning, though they hitched every time they came to a certain point. What could I have possibly done to threaten the Nagato's boss?

"You told Haruhi Suzumiya that you were John Smith and that the Integrated Data Thought Entity had taken me away. You told Haruhi that she had the power to bring me back and destroy the Thought Entity with the snap of a finger."

I startled at the sudden sound of Nagato's voice. I hadn't realized I gave voice to that last niggling thought. Hearing her answer, at first, had me questioning whether or not Nagato suddenly could read minds. I am rather relieved she couldn't. Or that she pretended she couldn't, at least.

Skipping a few beats and getting back to the topic, I finally answered, "But you told us that I already tried telling her that I was John Smith to break the endless summer."

As I watched her, I took in that she didn't seem quite as closed off or as angry. Maybe she just needed some time to cool off.

She said, "Much of Haruhi's power is being utilized to maintain this timeloop without major inconsistency or error every iteration. She is not able to access her powers normally while this time-plane is in existence. She had very little time to process the data you provided, and she was still coping with my absence. It-"

She paused a moment, as if reconsidering her words. The action, so normal and human and so very not-Nagato-like, caused me to stand still, mid-stride to stare at her., "I theorize that should you reveal your past history with the Haruhi Suzumiya of three years ago to the current Haruhi, it would lead to an awakening in her powers, as long as it happens outside the current static time-plane we exist on. The results such a revelation are impossible to truly predict." Yuki stopped as I did, looking into the impassive distance. "If my absence would have been enough to end the time-plane, the universe at large would have been at peril, as I was told that Haruhi Suzumiya was particularly… upset with what you revealed to her, and demanded of her. The Integrated Data Thought Entity would like to avoid this outcome from occurring again, which is why I am warning you not to involve Haruhi while the current time-plane continues to re-occur. Once August ends, two weeks from now, I will return and you will remember nothing."

We had made a long circuitous route, but we were back in the same park we first met in, just a few months ago, when she took me to her apartment for the first time. That girl took me to her apartment and asked me to trust her. She was asking me to trust her again.

I didn't like it. But she seemed to know what she was talking about. I couldn't imagine what and angry and upset Haruhi would do with her full breadth of powers, and I shudder to guess. I must have been very desperate to get Nagato back.

"Alright."

The small girl slash alien looked up at me, considering. I repeated, "Alright. You might need to leave me a note. I don't think I would trust anything your boss told me."

She nodded.

"And if you don't come back, I don't think I would keep my promise not to tell Haruhi."

She nodded again.

It was quiet, less than an hour until the world ended and started again.

"Do you mind if I stay with you until the end?"

She shook her head, eyes already staring into the distance.

We took a seat on the bench same bench she waited for me on, months ago, years ago, before I knew what she was.

It was dark, that night of August 31st.

On the morning we gathered to go shopping for yukata, Yuki didn't show up.

For a moment, my heart stopped, and I felt a deep sadness. I blinked, and the moment passed. I couldn't figure out what came over me. Yesterday, we parted ways after discussing the events of the summer. Yuki looked... not quite right, and I asked her how she was. She just said, "It will be fine." I was going to ask further, but she had already started walking on.

"Where's Nagato?" I asked. Haruhi looked at me with a scowl. Koizumi's smirk was not quite as bright as usual, as if something was bothering him.

Asahina shook her head, "She hasn't shown up yet."

I already had my phone out, scrolling through my contacts as she spoke, and Haruhi asked, "What are you doing?"

"Calling her, what does it look like?" I pressed the dial button and held the phone to my ear. What was this sudden urgency within me?

Haruhi looked miffed, but I didn't care. There was a dread building in me, rising from nothing like the universe from the Big Bang. Nothing could stop Yuki from coming to meet us. She was our powerhouse, our protector. She didn't even bat an eye when Ryoko skewered her with transformed classroom desks. What could keep her from being here?

I hung up in disgust when the phone rang for the twentieth time. "Come on. Let's go find her." The other three were looking at me with a mix of concern, confusion, and, in Haruhi's case, annoyance.

"Hey, you don't give the orders around here!" Haruhi barely paused to let that sink in before demanding, "Let's go find Yuki!"

The others had to walk quickly to catch up to me, as I had stalked off in the direction of her apartment building, Haruhi at my side.

I had a feeling that she wanted to make this into something more fun, but my grim mood must have started to impress upon her that this was not an adventure.

We knew something was wrong as we rounded a corner and saw her apartment building. We had approached it from the opposite direction of the main entrance. Down the street, was an ambulance with its lights going but without the siren. There was a small crowd and a police cordon on the sidewalk. Everything lurched to the side as I saw something... not quite right about the color on the side of the building. I found myself leaning against the building next to us, my hand gripping Haruhi's arm.

My mind flashed to the sad, terribly sad, girl watching the public pool just yesterday, that nagging sense of deja vu. My first thought, unbidden and unexplained was, 'Oh, Yuki, it finally got to you, all this time...' I didn't understand my own thoughts, but I knew what had happened now.

Haruhi looked at me affronted, "Hey, what's the big id-"

"Shut up." My voice was cold and I looked behind me, "Koizumi, get Miss Asahina out of here." He had been staring at me with a frown, confused. Always very clever, I could see it click on Koizumi's face, and his eyes shot towards the apartment. He looked back to me, then nodded, emotions impossible to read on his face. Asahina was still completely bemused, but she let the esper lead her away, while Haruhi yanked me towards her.

"What's your problem, huh? You can't just go-" She had started to get into the swing of her tirade, before she looked back to where a terrible gravity pulled my eyes. A block away, they were loading someone into the ambulance. They didn't seem to be too careful or hasty about it.

Haruhi saw the same North High uniform I did, though thankfully, we couldn't make any more details from here. "No..." she breathed. "No... it could be someone else. Someone else who goes to our school, right Kyon? It doesn't have to be Yuki."

There was a cold rage in my gut. Nothing could kill our Yuki. She wouldn't have just fallen off her balcony either. It had to be her boss, the Integrated Data Thought Entity. She wouldn't do that to herself, would she? My hands were in my fists as I tried to figure out who I could lash out at. The worst part was that Yuki must have known it was coming too.

"Come on," I muttered. We had to make sure. I took the brigade leader's hand. Haruhi dragged on my arm for a bit, before finding her feet and taking the lead. I didn't mind. She was far better at the investigation game than I was.

It turned out that we didn't need to ask any questions at all.

As we approached, the ambulance closed with a dual thud, and started to drive away. The sirens were not bellowing for anyone to make way. The crowd was dispersing at the motions of the policeman motioned for people to move along.

An older couple, a man and a woman were talking. "It's such a tragedy when this sort of thing strikes a young girl like that."

The man nodded, his voice familiar, "Oh yeah. And she was such a sweet little thing. So quiet. I think she was getting lonely these past few days. She didn't talk to anyone, but she was never standoffish or nothing."

The little old woman said, "Oh, poor dear. Her parents live out of town? What was her room again? I should leave flowers."

The old man, the same old man Haruhi had sweet talked when we investigated the disappearance of Ryouko Asakura, nodded, "Yes, me too. Room 708. Yuki. Yuki Nagato was her name. She lived all alone. Never saw her parents once too. Maybe they will stop by."

Haruhi was now gripping my arm, trying desperately, feebly, to convince me that I was wrong. "No, it couldn't be... It wasn't... It can't be her, Kyon. They must be wrong!" I was thinking furiously, as Haruhi looked lost.

A nascent thought came to me, "Emiri Kimidori." That quiet, nice, second-year girl that had hired us to go looking for her 'boyfriend'. Her boyfriend was supposedly the computer club president. I had questioned him afterwards about it, and he said he never had a girlfriend.

I asked Koizumi if he had been behind sending Emiri Kimidori, and he had denied it. She must have been sent by Yuki to get us involved. She must be another interface. Once the idea came to me, it became sealed in my mind, unshakable. I knew this for a fact. I don't know how I knew this, but I knew.

Haruhi looked at me, confused, "What?"

I looked at her, saying, "Emiri Kimidori. Come on, let's go find the others." I normally would have never made the connection. But my brain was in overdrive right now, trying to solve a puzzle like a turbo motor suddenly given the nitrous oxide. Haruhi's mystery ZOZ Brigade symbol caused super weird ancient alien data parasites to infect the computer club president, Emiri came to us for help.

It made sense. Only Nagato and the Data-thingy could have guessed that someone would be infected by some ancient whats-it.

The other two members were just down the street and around the corner at a bench near a fast food place. Koizumi looked haunted, and Asahina was trying to figure out what was wrong.

They looked to us, though I spoke before they could. "We need to find Emiri Kimidori. Do you remember, Asahina? I think I recall Yuki telling me afterwards that Emiri was her... cousin or something. We need to talk to her."

Both of the girls looked at me in doubt. Haruhi asked, "Kyon, how are we..."

I interrupted her before she could finish her thought, saying, "The computer president, she was his girlfriend, right? You two go find him. I am sure he is home. He will have her address, or her number."

Haruhi started to get belligerent again, and she asked, "And what are you going to do?"

I pointed back towards Yuki's apartment, "Koizumi and I are going to search for information at her apartment. Maybe we can find Yuki's family contact information there."

Haruhi put her arms on her hips, asking, "And why am I not on that job?"

I smiled, not feeling particularly amused, "I don't think there is anyone more suited to extort information from the computer club president than you two." A shock, and I saw that Haruhi looked almost, just a tiny bit, guilty. Mikuru whimpered a little, still remembering her last encounter with the computer club.

I felt a little guilty for using her like this, but I needed Haruhi out of here, and Asahina would be safer away from ground zero. And for some reason, I was angry at Haruhi too. I couldn't explain it. It was irrational, but deep at my core, the anger didn't seem irrational. Just inexplicable.

"Besides, Koizumi could claim to be Yuki's boyfriend or something." Koizumi raised his eyebrows at that, but said nothing.

Haruhi scowled and grabbed Asahina's arm. "Come on, let's go then. Call me in two hours to report." She must have been more rattled than she pretended to go along with me so easily. If we weren't dealing with matter more grave, I'd put thought into taking control more often.

Koizumi watch in faux amusement as the two walked off, before turning to me and asking, "And what exactly are we doing? Surely not looking to find Yuki's family information."

My smile turned vindictive, "We are going to remind an alien superbeing of its place in the pecking order."

I began trekking back to the apartment building, Koizumi in tow. He was a little behind, and had to speed up to get beside me, "Okay. I understand your reasoning. The Integrated Data Thought Entity must have some role in this and circumstances are serious. Yuki Nagato was my friend too. But, Kyon, what are you going to do?" I slowed down. We were walking past the… scene, and towards the other side of the building, where the main entrance was.

"I am going to threaten the Integration-thing through Emiri Kimidori. You know where she lives right? I have always had a feeling your Organization thing keeps tabs on her kind."

Koizumi scoffed, and I turned my face to glare at him. His eyebrows rose and he said, "Oh, you're serious. I thought you were kidding about trying to bully a nigh-omniscient incomprehensible alien from beyond the stars."

I continued walking, approaching and passing the cordoned off sidewalk area. The stains covering the ground and wall were terrible and I didn't need to look at them to emphasize my point. "Nope."

He was silent for a moment as we passed another onlooker to the grisly scene. Koizumi's voice dropped into a quiet scoff, "And how do you plan to do that?"

I didn't actually know until Koizumi's words spurred me to come up with a solution. "They will bring back Yuki… or else I will teach Haruhi everything I know about Godwin, Nietzsche, and Lovecraft."

Koizumi frowned, "What, you intend to send her into a fit of despair and melancholy? Won't that kill everyone?"

I motioned in negation, as we walked up behind a man who was holding a bouquet of flowers and approaching the intercom. I gritted my teeth in a smile, my voice coming out as a whisper, "No, I was thinking more of creating an Ubermensch fueled by individual exceptionalism and with a burning hatred of incomprehensible monsters from beyond our solar system who do not care about us humans."

Koizumi was quiet, letting out a simple "Oh."

The man with the flowers got the door open, and, just as it was sliding closed, I stuck my foot in the door, mirroring an obstinate friend who entered the same way last time. "So Koizumi. Where does Emiri Kimidori live?"

He shook his head, "Most of the TFEI's live upstairs. I will call my superior and ask."

"Good."

We got in the elevator, and I held the Close Door button while Koizumi talked on the phone. I was too focused on trying to ignore the gnawing pain at me from Yuki's fate, and for rage for the Integrated Data Thought Entity, to listen.

He finally hung up, "She is in room six-oh-three."

I pressed the number six.

Koizumi was quiet for a bit, then asked, "Are you sure that you aren't overreacting? The IDTE might not have had anything to do with this."

"Are you suggesting she did it to herself?"

Koizumi paused at either my tone or to cushion his next words. "The possibility exists. She did seem off yesterday."

I sighed, "Everything seemed off yesterday. It felt like I could predict every word out of everyone's mouth. Every event and each happenstance."

Koizumi took even more time to respond. Did he think I was crazy? Finally, he sighed, "You too, huh?"

I nodded, and the elevator door opened. I stepped out heading straight for the door with the six-zero-three on it.

I pounded on the door.

There wasn't a response.

I pounded on the door again. "Open this door, Kimidori. I want to have a word with your boss."

There was nothing. I was about to pound again.

The door opened. The pale haired girl stared at me from across the threshold, a concerned look on her face. My fist slowly lowered.

"Where is Yuki? What did your boss do?" My voice shook with some amalgam of emotion. Fear and rage and sadness and more.

Emiri Kimidori frowned, "She is in the ambulance heading for the nearest hospital. Would you please step inside? I don't think this is the best place for this conversation?" Her voice was wispy and soft, like before, but I could tell she wasn't acting the concerned girlfriend anymore. She stepped back and headed for her living room.

I stepped inside, Koizumi was about to follow, but I looked to him and shook my head. "Stay here. Call for help if I don't come out in ten minutes."

Koizumi was bemused, "Call who? I think this is even out of the Organization's scale if things go wrong for you."

I looked at him dumbly, "Call Haruhi. Who else?"

Koizumi smiled, looking almost sad. "I'm almost jealous. Your complete trust in her to do the right thing. Just like her complete trust that you will make everything alright."

I shook my head. This isn't the time for your nonsense, Koizumi. We need to stay focused.

"Right, sorry. I'll bring in the cavalry if you need it. Good luck in there."

I turned back towards Emiri, who was looking at me curiously from down the hall. I took off my shoes and put on the spare set of slippers Emiri had. No need to be impolite while I shake them down for information.

If I actually paused to think about what I was doing. A small singular mouse trying to argue down an alpha wolf. The thing was, I did have a lion at my back. The lion didn't know it yet, though.

Emiri Kimidori motioned to the table in her living room. It was a real table, not a kotatsu like in Yuki's apartment. At the center of the table was an old fashioned cast iron teapot and some teacups decorated with pastel flowers.

She took the seat furthest from the door, pulling out the boxy chair and motioned for me to sit. "Would you like some tea?"

I didn't sit down. "No. I want to know what you and your boss did to Yuki."

She shook her head, "I didn't do anything. Neither did my 'boss' as you put it."

I didn't buy it. "That's bull. Do you expect me to believe that? I want straight answers or I start making conditions for your unequivocal surrender." I was starting to get concerned I spent too much time with Haruhi, but her declarative nature, usually a contrast to a normal high school girl, seemed oddly appropriate here.

Emiri shook her head and extended her hand towards me. In her hand was a letter. I couldn't explain it. When she first extended her hand, there was nothing. Next, there was a letter. It was literally conjured from thin air. It was unfolded, and there were lines of words written on there so neat it could have been typed.

"What's that?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yuki told me to give it to you. She said it would explain everything." Emiri poured herself a cup of tea as I hesitantly took it from her hand.

I read the letter. It didn't start with any fanfare. It simply stated facts, written so nearly it could have been printed.

" If you are reading this, I am no longer currently functional. This is not an unexpected event and it is not something you need to be concerned about. I have written this at your request. You are likely not quite sure what has happened. To put it simply, you and the world are trapped in an endless recursion of time. All time from August seventeenth to August thirty-first is current in a static and stable loop. There have currently been thirty-eight thousand, five hundred fifty-eight repeats of the last two weeks of summer vacation. At the start of each loop you and the other members of Haruhi Suzumiya's club are rendered memoryless. You have, however, started to retain fragments of these recursions, most easily identified by you as deja vu. During this time, errors have actualized in my processes, errors beyond my capability to properly render or ignore. These errors have resulted in my self-termination. I request that you listen to the advice provided by the Integrated Data Thought Entity and my proxy Emiri Kimidori in the interim. Please do not instigate Haruhi Suzumiya's powers against the Integrated Data Thought Entity again or aggressively attempt to alter the current time-plane. I should return to normal functionality when the time-plane returns to August seventeenth. I want to return. Please do not attempt to circumvent what is now the natural order. Please wait for me. I want"

The letter ended abruptly. The last few lines made my eyes sting. I put the letter down and placing my face in my hands. After rubbing my eyes a moment, I looked up at Emiri.

"Is what's in this letter true? Are we in the middle of a recursive time loop?"

Emiri nodded, serenely sipping her tea.

"Why aren't you affected by the same errors?"

She shrugged, putting the teacup down, "Once the time loop was known to be stable, all other active interfaces were put into stand-by mode to avoid errors."

I picked up the letter, "And Yuki?"

She shook her head, "By the nature of her required and involved observation, she could not be put into stand-by mode."

I stood up, having sat down while reading the letter. I shook said letter at her, "And this is okay for you? For your boss?"

Emiri looked concerned, "We certainly don't want her malfunctioning. What do you mean?"

"I mean, why did you let her suffer like this? Errors? You let her deal with nearly sixteen hundred of years of repetition? It's not some computer error she is dealing with, but pent-up emotion from centuries of boredom and dashed hope. Why did you do that to her?"

Emiri tilted her head at me, "Do you propose we reprogram her emotional protocols to allow her to better deal with it? Her personality might change as a result."

"No! I want you to care about your goddamned employees. You get to sit in standby mode while she suffers. Could you somehow give her a break that doesn't require her to try to kill herself?"

Emiri Kimidori shook her head, "Any simulacra we created to replace Yuki Nagato would not be equipped to deal with any unexpected occurrences. Likewise, the replacement would be noticed by you and possibly Haruhi Suzumiya which could lead to further disaster. There is also the chance that something else might strike out at Haruhi Suzumiya while Yuki Nagato couldn't protect you. Is there anything else?"

I was about to yell something in retort, when I realized there was nothing here for me. Yuki's boss was as cold and merciless as they come, and I couldn't get anything by just shouting.

Yuki requested that I didn't fight. The last time she requested me to do something was when she told me to read her book. So I walked out of the apartment without any further words, Koizumi looking at me with a concerned look on his face.

I handed him the letter to read while I walked back to the elevator. He followed as he read. I pressed the button for the ground floor.

Koizumi must have finished, as he folded the sheet closed and handed back to me. "Well." He seemed to need a moment to find the words, "What do you think about the letter? I don't want to bias your opinion with my poor attempts at humor."

I looked over at him, then stared at the folded sheet, "I believe that we are in a recursion of time. Everything about yesterday was bizarre. I certainly felt like I was watching the same movie for the thousandth time."

Koizumi chuckled, "Well, if this letter is to be believed, that is a fraction of the time we have spent at the pool."

I turned towards him, "What, is this a joke to you?" Because I assure you no one, not a single person is laughing. Least of all me.

Koizumi, for the second time that day, looked shocked and dismayed. "Listen, Kyon. Our differences aside, I wouldn't joke about this. We have spent fifteen centuries going to the pool, Bon festivals and other frivolities. Naga- Yuki, someone I do consider a friend, killed herself to escape for a mere thirteen days. How much time will she endure before she has to do it again?" He looked a little angry, staring back at me, "How many times has it happened before?"

He caught onto that too, huh? Obviously I had threatened the Data Entity before, with possibly calamitous results equaled only by Chernobyl and Three Mile Island multiplied together. Yuki's letter sounded like she was pleading, not just asking.

Finally, the slow elevator reached the bottom and opened. "Sorry," I felt the need to apologize. "I don't think this has happened too many times. I am not feeling any déjà vu. Are you?" I did feel better that Koizumi wasn't making this out as some big joke.

He shook his head, "None at all. Good thinking."

My phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was Haruhi.

I sighed and looked to Koizumi. What do we tell her?

He looked baffled, "I don't know any better than you do. I would suggest that we don't show her this note, however."

Thanks, genius. I would never have thought to show her that note in a million years. I answered the phone before Haruhi went ballistic on my voice mail.

"What took you so long to answer?! Where are you?"

"We are still at Nagato's apartment, but we are about to leave."

"What!? Why?"

I rolled my eyes, grasping for some lie to tell her. "We couldn't find out anything about Nagato's family at all."

Haruhi growled, literally growled, before exasperating, "We couldn't find anything either. The club president wasn't home, and when we asked a neighbor, they said that he went to see family in Osaka until the day of classes."

I nodded, "Makes sense. Lots of people go out of town on summer."

"Yes, but..." She sighed, sounding like she deflated, miserable. "Kyon... Yuki... she..."

I knew what she meant. Nagato was the standard by which we all measured normality. She was, for all her silence, the club's most stalwart member. She even waited in the club room before the Brigade was even started. With her gone... I looked down at the note in my hand. It was literally our only hope.

"Yeah. Do you want to meet up still?"

She sounded despondent. "Yeah. I... It's..." She trailed off.

"Yeah. We'll see you in a bit."

In the end, we all gathered together and mourned our friend's... disappearance. The next day, Haruhi forced me to go investigating Nagato's apartment again. She dug around and found out more than I had expected. According to the building manager that day, a fit man in his thirties, Yuki Nagato was an orphan who inherited a fortune that was managed by the family lawyer, who lived out of town. We tried contacting him, but he wouldn't see us.

Normally that kind of challenge would just inspire Haruhi to new heights of creativity, but she was clearly too distraught to have a fit and storm every law office in Japan until she found the right one. I wondered if the thought entity had a plan for that outcome.

Koizumi surmised it must have been Haruhi who caused the temporal loop to occur, because only Miss Asahina, he and I experienced the pain-inducing deja vu.

Asahina couldn't contact the future either, so that ruled out finding out for sure if Yuki Nagato still existed in the future. Of course, getting no answer was more reassuring than a grim answer.

I tried not to think about anything in these last two weeks of summer. I even finished my homework to keep my mind busy. I had never lost a friend like this, and I didn't want to ever have to do it again. So Koizumi, Asahina and I went along with whatever Haruhi asked, hoping that would be sufficient enough to bring our Yuki back when time reverted. If time reverted.

On the last day of summer vacation, Koizumi and I were loitering just down the street from Yuki's apartment building. I stared at my phone clock. It was 11:58 pm, nearly midnight. If Yuki wasn't back in three minutes, I was going to call Haruhi and bring the thunder.

"Do you really think this is the best plan?"

I ignored him for a moment, but Itsuki asked a valid question. "Do I ever really think I know what's best? It's a crapshoot, Koizumi. Do you really want to live in a world where the Integrated Entity-thing gets away with this sort of travesty?"

He tilted his head and thought about it. "Well, to be fair, this is more Miss Suzumiya's doing than the Integrated Data Thought Entity's. Shouldn't we be waiting outside her house?"

I looked at him, and he laughed, "Of course, you know I am kidding. Haruhi may have the power to isolate the world in a recursive time loop, but she isn't quite responsible for it, either. It is like someone gave her a magic box that contained all the powers of the world. You don't hold a child responsible for driving off in a car. You hold the adult who gave them the keys responsible."

I frowned, "So you think that some greater being gave Haruhi the keys to the universe and walked away?"

He looked incredulous, "What? Oh, you know me. I am no good at explaining things. I think nothing, therefore I am nothing." Eyes wide, he was doing his "oh don't mind me" impressions.

I ignored him halfway through his theater performance, and stared down at my phone again.

11:59...

12:00.

I pulled up Haruhi on my phone and dialed. My whole body was buzzing with attention.

She didn't answer for a while, but finally, the phone stopped ringing, and a muzzed Haruhi asked, "What? Who is it? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Haruhi, I am John S-"

My alarm went off, and I flailed halfheartedly at it to shut off. Eventually, it was silent, but my sister was already humming her way into my room. Her bright voice penetrated the silence, "Wakey-Wakey, Kyon!"

She grabbed my sheets, which I had been laying on, and pulled with all her might. I didn't have the energy to fight back this early; it was a Herculean effort and I was just a man.

I rolled onto the floor and she giggled, skipping out of the room.

I finally opened my eyes and blinked at the ceiling, before a dagger stabbed through my heart. I was awake in an instant, scrambling. Finally, I found it and rapidly pressed the dial button.

The phone rang once, and then cut off. I could hear someone breathing on the other side. "Hey, Yuki. Its... its me. I hope I didn't wake you." What was I doing? Was I possessed? Why did I call Nagato in such a panic? What was that feeling gripping at my gut, worry that she might not answer?

"No. I was not sleeping."

My breath went out in a relieved sigh. She was okay. The feeling of fear and worry left me, leaving only confusion. Why was I so concerned about Yuki's wellbeing? If anyone was okay, it was the club rock, Yuki Nagato. I shook my head, "Sorry, Yuki. I, um..."

Well, since I was talking to her, I might as well make sure she is okay. "Are you doing okay? I had a feeling..." How do you explain that you woke in a panic, suddenly certain a close friend was suffering? Or that they might not answer at all?

There was a pause. I wondered if there was actually something wrong. If there was, I would start selling my services as a psychic and make Koizumi take a new class specialization. She finally answered, "I'm good now."

I wasn't sure, so I asked, "Were you doing bad?"

A shorter pause, "It's nothing."

Well that was frustrating. Weren't we friends? "Yuki, we're friends. It means we look out for each other. I want you to tell me if you have something troubling you. I want to help you like you've helped me. Tell me when you need help." A thought occurred to me, reminding me of that time in at the island retreat. "Consider that an order, Yuki." I tried to make it sound like a joke, but it was lame, and I was embarrassed and even feeling guilty for saying it at first. I didn't want her to take it literally.

Of course, this was a morning of impossible events, and I think I heard the barest breath of laughter from the speaker at my ear, followed by:

"I will. Thank you."

It couldn't have been a laugh, could it? Surely it was a cough, or maybe the sound of fabric against the receiver. Could Yuki have actually made an amused noise? No really, I'm asking. I'd think it would take a thousand years to teach her to laugh. Nah, it had to be static.

Suddenly, I was nervous, "A-a-anyway. I didn't mean to bother you. I think Haruhi has something cooked up for today. I just have a feeling. Um... see you later."

"See you."

I hung up and swore to myself that I would forget everything about this awkward morning for the rest of my life. I even had a deadline. By the end of the week, but surely by the end of the summer, I would completely utterly empty the memory storage banks for August 18th. That was the only way I could I remain sane in a world where Yuki started laughing at a joke.

I tensed, at the ready. My armor was strapped on, my weapon wielded close. The blow would come any moment, but I would be ready. I would be stalwart. I would hit-

A white orb of immense speed and spin flew past me before I could even react, impacting the fence behind me with a resounding, embarrassing clang.

I sighed, and turned away from the lonely catchers mound. Behind me was a fence to make sure any missed baseballs do not hit any spectators. I guess that would be bad business for the baseball center we found ourselves in, if the baseballs could easlly careen about the non-batting customers.

I lowered my bat and walked back to the entrance of the cage I was in, Koizumi waiting, amused at something annoying, next in line.

I opened the gate and stepped aside, to allow him to bat next. He shook his head, moving aside for the next person. He'll never get a chance to bat if he is always so courteous.

I took off my helmet and put my bat back on the nearby rack, as Koizumi sidled up next to me. Far closer than any romantically unattached people should get, he stood adjacent to me without any care, saying, "Oh, I don't mind missing my turn. I wanted a chance to talk to you instead, while we had some time."

I didn't need a mirror to imagine the face I had on. Yeah, I could already tell it was going to be one of those talks. "Fine. What do you want?" My helmet went onto another rack and I walked towards the bleachers to spectate while I worked up the energy to puzzle through Koizumi's crypticisms.

He chuckled, not at all discouraged, as he followed. He waited for us to take a seat half way up the stands before speaking. "So, how are you doing, with only a week left until the end of the world?"

I pointed out to him that it was only August twenty second. We had eight days left.

He chucked, "Well, I suppose that is an optimistic way of putting it." He drummed his fingers on his knees, a curiously nervous gesture from the unflappable esper. "Have you ever heard of of the Capgras Delusion?"

Of course not. I'm not a sociologist.

He chuckled, "Actually, it's more of a psychology thing. You see, in some very rare cases, usually in older people with neurological issues, they become confused. They start to believe that everything around them has been changed."

I leaned back, head resting on the bleacher seats behind me as a makeshift rest, "Sounds like normal old dementia."

"Well, yeah, it does. The difference being that people with Capgras Syndrome believe everything has been changed around them, and replaced with identical objects, completely indistinguishable from the original they remember." He spoke casually, sitting close and watching my face like he was waiting for some revelation.

"Alright… so how do they know these things were replaced if they are identical?"

Koizumi shrugged, glancing away, into the crowd of people below, "How can I say? This is a disease that affects those with severe issues, or with degenerative brain diseases."

I almost sighed, but held back. In my head, I did sigh. Koizumi was in one of those moods, slippery and without purpose. Some stories have the wise characters converse around topics of great importance in a circular manner, not quite talking about the revelation the hero must make, but never quite off topic either.

Koizumi spoke around inanities more like a drunk moth might orbit a candle.

I didn't need to fill the silence, fortunately, as he had another orbit to make. "Scientists are trying to build a computer powerful enough to simulate a tiny universe. They say it will help us understand the fundamentals of how our world was formed, and give insight into what theories of physics have merit." His eyes flickered back to me. "I just wonder, when they turn the universe simulator off, then turn it back on again, do any of the digital molecules get affected by the Capgras Delusion?"

I blinked, staring back at his disinterested-interested face. "Are you trying to allude to something? Because I am not going to pretend to follow your kitsune logic."

He broke into a wide smile, like I just gave him a grand compliment. It was not a compliment.

"All the same, I will take it as one. I suppose I can be a little less obtuse for you. Can you think of anyone else who might have the capability to simulate a universe? Who could replicate the truth so closely that we might never be able to tell the difference? If, given the right circumstances and enough information, they could start and reset the universe after a set period of data collection, like in a science experiment performed by labs?"

I sat up, looking away from his focused gaze to glance in a particular direction.

In the center of a cage, with a small crowd of onlookers, stood a singular figure. They were standing with such stillness, I wondered if the person were a statue for a moment. There was a flash of movement and resounding clang, as a baseball bat hit a baseball going at over ninety miles an hour. Haruhi Suzumiya gave a shout that could be heard from here, revelling in her victory.

She must have hit ten balls in a row again, which meant that she, unofficially, could stay in the high-speed cage for another round. It was a local tradition, and apparently Haruhi planned to challenge the patience of the other potential batters, for as long as we stayed here.

I didn't get his point. What does it matter about the mechanics of how Haruhi held us in this time loop? We just needed to break her simulations.

Koizumi laughed, and I suddenly realized he was breathing down my neck. "Not quite who I meant, Kyon. I am thinking of scientists with powers well beyond any human means. Beyond any comprehension we could really put forth."

I glanced at him, disbelieving, while my eyes inexorably searched the crowds, looking to find a certain pale girl with a penchant for reading.

It took me some time to find her. My first inclination was to look for her where people were not, but I finally spotted our school uniform.

It was a smaller girl, wearing a helmet that covered most of her hair. She held a bat in her right hand, but it dangled limply beside her, dragging on the ground as she stepped into a cage. When she turned to activate the batting cage of a mere sixty mile-an-hour round of baseball, I saw her face, none other than the Yuki Nagato.

Frowning, I watched her turn to step up to the bat, almost on top of it, not facing the mechanical pitcher's mound. Her bat was still held limp and her face downturned.

This all sounds terribly depressing, but that wasn't the impression I got from Yuki. She seemed more… spacey than depressed, like her mind was in a completely different place. She didn't really care where she was. I bet she was only in the cage because Haruhi ordered her to practice at least once. She wasn't unhappy, just floating above the needs and wants of us mortals. If I hadn't known, but someone told me she was actually a living breathing example of extraterrestrial life, I might have believed them, the way she was acting.

Then I remembered what we were talking about. "You think that Yuki might be behind the time loop?" I'd describe my voice as drier than usual, befitting my absolute disdain for the idea. "The one person who appears to be suffering the most from this whole thing?"

The pitching machine went active, and I tensed. She was still far too close to the batter's mound and she hadn't raised her bat at all. She would get hit if she stayed-

A ball flew past her, fractions of distance from her stomach. I could see her uniform get ruffled by the wind, but she was unphased, unmoving as if just wanting to admire the baseballs from above as they moved past her fast enough to bruise a human.

Koizumi hedged a little, "I am not accusing Nagato, per se, but there is no reason to think her employer is as beneficent to our cause as she is. And she has admitted that she and her employer are immune to the loop caused amnesia. Wouldn't you think this would be the perfect opportunity to collect and manipulate data? See how each of us acts under different stresses. A perfect environment to study Haruhi given minutely different scenarios? That is their goal after all. Observing Haruhi."
I flinched every time a baseball flew past Yuki, knowing she wouldn't get hit, but worried all the same. Did she even know how close she was to being hit? She wasn't just worrying me, but the people waiting in line looked concerned, staring at her and glance at one another.

In response to Koizumi, I said, "They operate without interfering. Creating a time-loop just to study Haruhi is a pretty huge risk. What if she notices, or what if it makes her less stable? Seems like a pretty stupid gamble to make just to see how she reacts if there are tiny changes during a two week period."

Yuki's turn was up fairly quick, and my heartbeat slowed down for the time being. She floated out of the batting cage, her bat still dragging beside her. She replaced the equipment and laconically wandered back to a small corner of the bleachers that held her book, some textbook that looked like it came from a university.

Koizumi seeme to acquiesce the point, "Well, that's true. What about another point of interference? What if there is something that happens in the future that a particular group is trying to prevent?"

I glanced over to the kiddy area of the stadium, where Mikuru was gleefully playing with the kids orbiting her. They were tossing a ball back and forth, with about an equal catch rate between the five year olds and the second year high school student.

"Mikuru doesn't know anything about this and seemed pretty upset on August seventeenth." I said, pretty sure he wouldn't give up the argument so easily.

Koizumi made an ambiguous sound, "They could have kept her out of the loop too, so to speak. They seem to be human, but they have abilities and technology far beyond any we could conceive of today."

This seemed pretty weak, even for Koizumi, "Why would they even do it though? And how could they do it in a manner that didn't tip off the Yuki's kind? They wouldn't take too kindly to mere humans from the future messing with their observation so seriously. This isn't a funny joke."

Koizumi sighed, sounding, almost frustrated, "Is there nothing I can say that will make you take me seriously? I am trying to think of alternatives is all. You do give the impression of letting all the craziness from our club just happen to you."

What was this, psychoanalyzing-me-time? Where did he get the right to put me on the chair? I think about plenty of things. I don't just let things happen. Or, I didn't want to let things happen. If you asked the me from two weeks ago, he'd probably say it was too much of a bother to try to get involved. But now-me wasn't interested on standing on the sidelines. But I wasn't going to get in the game by turning on my team.

"Why like this? Are you trying to turn against allies? Do you think that I would side with you over them?" I gestured, not sure what I meant, "You are just as liable a suspect as they are, and I don't spend time thinking up those possibilities either. Haruhi is not only the most likely cause, but also the safest."

Koizumi had a decidedly neutral look hidden in his blaise face. "What could I be doing? In almost all senses, I am just as human as you."

I glanced away, looking around to see if anyone was listening to us casually discuss bizarre, paranormal topics. My gaze eventually found his again.

"Well, this is all supposed to be created by Haruhi, so maybe it is some sort of specialized closed space. One that you guys have decided to let be, so that she can be happy forever, and never wake up. Let the sleeping god's dream last until she breaks it herself." In spite of his words, I don't just sit around and complain. I had thought about this. I immediately dismissed my concerns because I thought it would demean the trust I put in our group.

Koizumi looked a little humored at this, saying, "Yuki and her kind would hunt us down if we left things that way. They knew when you were gone on your dream excursion." His smile was a little too mocking at this time, and I wanted wipe the smug from his grin.

"They noticed my absence from the world, not the closed space itself. Maybe if the closed space is large enough, they can't detect it. And it would explain why time-travel seems to be not working." I continued before he could interrupt with some other inane theory. "No. In order for us to be friends, we can't throw blame or doubt between each other. Infighting will not get us out of this." And if it did, I am not sure I'd want to end the endless summer.

As the thought occurred to me, I interrupted his response, "You just don't want Haruhi to be the cause of this. You want someone else to blame."

"And how do you know that? Haruhi seems to usually be the source of trouble for us." Something in his voice told me he was trying very hard to sound amused. I didn't buy it.

"That doesn't mean you have to like it. You don't like your 'deity' to be the sole cause of trouble in our lives. You want her to be innocent for once."

The obviousness of it all made his statements completely clear. My mind involuntarily went to the first night of the loop, as Yuki Nagato listed various attempts to break the time loop.

I pulled away from those thoughts before anything unsavory came to mind. I didn't need to understand Koizumi's motives.

Haruhi was already getting another unofficially free round of baseball, her skill indomitable by the machine. Her manic grin showed she was having quite a bit of fun right then.

Koizumi was quiet for a moment, not grinning like always. "Why do you think something as silly as that?" His voice was wistful as he stared at the brigade chief in action.

I sighed, standing up, "Just a feeling. I've got a headache now, from taking you too seriously, not from deja vu. I'm getting a drink. Do you want something?" While I was up, I could go check on Yuki.

He laughed quietly, "No, I am good. Seems my joke just caused more strife than less, don't you think?"

I didn't answer as I left. I didn't really like how the conversation had gone, or what Koizumi had been trying to do. At least I probably won't have to remember this conversation again in a week.

I wonder what kind of drink Yuki would like.

"Hey Yuki?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I invite Miss Asa-… Mikuru along for dinner? She was really out of this whole time and I don't think Haruhi's extra attention helped. She might not want to come, but… she might also want a little company today too. I don't remember her ever seeming so down during one of these cycles." I say remember, but I really mean I don't have any déjà vu about her being so out of it.

Yuki, strangely, seemed warm to the idea, "Being alone during hard times is difficult. I am fine with it." And Yuki was far more talkative anymore. She expressed opinions occasionally. Maybe all this time was really changing her.

Let me back up to August seventeenth.

We had all gathered in the park, after just parting ways from the café not thirty minutes ago. I looked between Itsuki and Mikuru, who were standing around me, listening to Yuki lay out the truth of the matter.

The story was as follows. We were trapped in some sort of time-loop thing. We have been repeating the next two week for over fifteen centuries. Haruhi caused it all too. Hmm… maybe I should have let Yuki explain. She's better at it, though a little more… wordy.

Koizumi spoke up, "How sure are you of this, Miss Nagato?"

She spoke up, "Very."

I motioned to Mikuru, "Miss Asahina, can you confirm her story? Maybe the future could tell us how to get out?"

She opened her mouth, "Oh…" She had seemed out of it all day. She had even forgotten to bring a lunch for us at the pool. I think she would have forgotten her bathing suit if Haruhi hadn't brought her one to wear.

Mikuru, regardless of her usual discomfort around Yuki, sat down next to the pale alien. She sighed. "Do I have to?"

I was taken aback, and the pain at the back of my skull, my déjà vu sense, abated some. "No, of course not, Miss Asahina…" I had never heard Mikuru simply deny a request like that.

She sighed again. "Sorry, Kyon. My head hurts. If you asked me what I thought would happen next, I would tell you that there won't be a classified information. Knowledge before acknowledgment is theoretically a sign of classified information, which leads into classified information…"

She looked down into her lap, "And if I have to classified information and I don't even get classified information… I am going to cry. I just know it, like I shouldn't. All these un-memories…"

I looked at Koizumi, who was looking back at me. Mikuru was definitely being melancholy today. By the look on Itsuki's face, he was even more surprised than I was. I looked back to her, stepping closer to put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Miss Asahina, you don't have to check right now."

She looked up at me, tired, mildly annoyed, and maybe a little humored, "I told you, stop being so formal. Please call me Mikuru if you like."

I nodded, "Right, sorry Miss Asa- Mikuru." She giggled tiredly at that, and I looked at Itsuki, "So where to from here, do you think, Koizumi?"

He smiled and gave one of his shrugs, his hands rising in surrender. "Don't look at me. You called us here, do you have an idea? Also, please, if we are all being informal, call me Itsuki."

I glanced at Yuki, who was staring at the sagging Mikuru with mild interest and a hint of concern. "Let's go somewhere and talk about this. We can see what we have tried, and we can maybe come up with a new plan to stop the cycle from repeating.

Of course, all of that happened fourteen days ago. On August 31st, we tried volunteering at an elementary school at Koizumi's request. Haruhi was happy to run around the school during the morning, but by two o'clock, she was tired of hanging up decorations and scrubbing desks. She dismissed us and we all went home.

Around four, I called Yuki and invited her out to dinner.

Now, I am calling Mikuru to see if she wanted to join us. I probably ought to invite Itsuki too, but I'd leave that off for next time. Mikuru seemed to do better with less people, and I don't actually quite know how much the two of them got along. I wasn't doing it for my own enjoyment. Mostly.

"Hello…? Mikuru Asahina speaking..."

"Hey, Mikuru, do you want to come out with Yuki and I to dinner? You seemed kind of out of it, and I figured you might like company."

"Oh? You and Miss Nagato? Would I be… interrupting something?" She seemed uncertain.

I better clear this up quickly, "It's nothing, really. Just hanging out. Mostly, I think Yuki is humoring me. She won't tell me how many times I've taken up her evenings with pointless conversation anymore. I think she likes the company, and you are more than welcome."

"Hm. I wonder." There was silence, and I imagined her in some ridiculously adorable thinking pose. "Alright. Sure. Where are we meeting up?"

I told her the details and she agreed to meet us out in front of Nagato's apartment.

I didn't know what traffic would be like today, so I headed out early, and got there before Mikuru, though not before Yuki. Of course.

She stood outside her building, still as a statue and twice as quiet. The wind ruffled her school uniform's skirt, and made her hair twitch. In the falling light, she seemed as one with the universe, staring into the street like she could see the whole universe in the passing traffic. Maybe she was coping with the passage of time better than I worried.

Maybe this was just a good cycle.

"Hey, Yuki."

She turned towards me, breaking the silent spell with a nod and "Hello."

"How are you doing?"

She shrugged, a surprising motion from her, "I am currently at peace."

That was certainly more telling than her usual 'I'm fine'. I smiled, "Good. I told Mikuru to be here in ten minutes. She seemed really out of it. She even refused to sing when Haruhi ordered her to sing at karaoke. That really shocked me." Seeing Mikuru stand up for herself was by far the last thing I expected to see.

She nodded, "As the time loop is extended beyond comprehension of ordinary beings, emotional barriers break down through the passage of time. Occasionally this affects one of us in an extreme manner. Depression, fury, insanity has affected all of us at least once throughout the endless repetition of time but for two members of the brigade."

"Huh. Who are the two?"

She looked up at me, "Haruhi Suzumiya… and you. Haruhi Suzumiya appears to be static and unaware of the centuries passing, like all those outside of the club. Your worst emotional shift occurs when you verbally berate Haruhi for keeping the time-loop going."

"I probably ought to do that more often." I shook my head, "Don't know what makes me special."

"It is theorized and predicted that your stability is dependent on the relative instability of any situation we deal with and by your connection to us. As long as we are coping, either successfully or not, with the oddities around us with you, you are able to deal sanely with any issues that might arise."

I shook my head, "What, like the power of friendship keeps me sane?"

Yuki shrugged again, "Possible. Or it has been considered that you might suffer from some undiagnosed dissociative disorder. The Integration Data Thought Entity is uncertain."

I think I'd prefer the first one, if I had any say in it. I was almost afraid to ask Yuki which one she believed was true.

She tilted her head towards me a few Plank's lengths and shrugged again, a glint of humor in her usually cold eyes. I rolled my eyes. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

"Remind me to invite Itsuki next time too. I kind of like the idea of us getting together on the last day, commiserating." Nagato nodded in affirmation. Whether she was nodding in agreement, or just confirming that she would remind me, I couldn't tell.

Mikuru was actually late, if you'd believe it. You would think a time traveler would be able to keep time. Though, I would try not to give her a hard time. She looked tired and even a little frazzled, like she had been napping before coming over, her hair in cute tangle. She smiled as she approached us, but it was a tired smile, like she was happy to see us, but also had been working for twenty hours straight and just needed a break.

"Hi. I am sorry if I kept you two waiting. I accidently rode the train one station too far. Transportation in this time plane is…" she paused, frowning, "Less efficient."

I laughed, "Well, if everyone can teleport through space and time like you, I can see why."

She shook her head, "No. I am here on special assignment. There are classified information in classified information." Like always, Mikuru only realized after she spoke what exactly she said. She sighed, "Sorry. It's like I think the sentences, but somewhere in between my classified information and my mouth they get censored." She realized what she said and sighed again.

Yuki spoke up, "Mikuru Asahina, do you like curry?"

Mikuru looked between us in mild wonder, and seemed unsure if she should laugh or not. "Um, sure, as long as it isn't too spicy… And you can just call me Mikuru as well, Yuki."

Yuki nodded and, surprisingly, she led the way down the street. Maybe she found some place she liked? I'd like to eat at a place that Yuki chose of her own free will.

Of course, I bet I have before. Maybe she'd know what I liked. I'll ask her. I guess we will have to discover what Mikuru and Koizumi like too, eventually.

We fell silent for a little while, before I finally had the nerve to ask. "So Mikuru… why did you um… kill her so many times?" I was flashing back to the night at Yuki's apartment, two weeks ago. I'd only killed her twice, I suppose out of obligation to the world to try something. Just the thought of killing a friend made my skin crawl. But Mikuru had killed her thirty-two times. That seemed excessive to me, and Koizumi had been completely aghast.

Mikuru froze for a moment, her face a rictus of startled embarrassment. She unfroze and slumped. I winced. Sorry, that was totally not appropriate for me to ask.

She shook her head and lifted it to look me in the face. "No… it's alright…" She continued walking, sighing like all the weight of the world was on her shoulder. "I know Koizumi told you about what he thinks Haruhi is, right?"

Some kind of god, or a sleeping dragon.

"Right, well… that's not quite what we think. By we, I mean us in the future… She is more like… How should I put it… A force of nature? She isn't directly responsible for all the events that occur… just related to them?" She looked surprised, "I guess I didn't say anything restricted there… She is like a classified information, unstoppable. And now she…" Asaina waved her hand vaguely before her, "She has destroyed the future. I don't have anything here, Kyon. Everything I know is a lie, and as long as this continues..." She shook her head, surprisingly loquacious if melancholic, "I effectively don't exist, and neither does anything else."

She shook her head, "Maybe my previous instances believed that killing her would be a way to stop the disaster, just like you can use classified information to break down a classified information. It would just take a lot of stress for me to actually… consider… um, murder."

She looked at me, seeking validation. "Does that make sense?"

I nodded, "Yeah. I can see that. For me, the future just is… coming, but not here. For you, all your friends and family and knowledge come from a place that doesn't exist. Sort of like staring into the abyss, and the abyss staring into you."

She seemed a bit lost from my reference, but she nodded. "Yeah. Like that." She sighed again, but didn't seem as depressed. Maybe she was glad to get it off her chest.

I put my hand on her shoulder, saying, "Don't worry. We all have our issues. Yuki said I have issues that make me so crazy I'm sane most of the time. Isn't that right?"

I had kind of expected that she would deny this, but Yuki appeared thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. Hey, whose side are you on?

Mikuru giggled again, and the awkwardness faded some.

"So Mikuru… you seemed down this last couple weeks. I mean, more than usual. More than my déjà vu sense remembers, at least."

She sighed again, walking on my right, while Yuki walked before us. "It all just hit me. When Miss-.. um… When Yuki started to explain everything, it all clicked, and I knew why I was so sad. We've spent so much time here that…" she sighed, "Nevermind. I know it's classified."

I nodded, "That conditioning must be tough to deal with." I looked at the back of Nagato's head, "I wonder if Yuki can translate your intended words."

Mikuru looked nervous at the idea, but Yuki shook her head, "I can infer what words might possibly fill the gap with relatively high probability, but I cannot actually be certain that is the intended information."

Mikuru looked a little relieved though in a depressed manner, "Oh good, at least they got that right?" She shook her head, "You know, they sent me here with nearly no information. I mean, I was classified information to speak classified information…" She shook her head. "I mean, they taught me to speak your modern Japanese, but they didn't teach me much else. Those first weeks trying to figure out paper currency were so hard."

I raised my eyebrow, "Should you be sharing that?"

She shrugged, "Not really, but who cares. You won't remember it, and if Yuki wanted to know she could just download the relevant information."

That was pretty cavalier for Mikuru, but Yuki spoke up, "I do not download information as would be defined by modern standards."

Mikuru giggled half-heartedly, but looked at me and winked, "Neither do I. If classified information were classified information, I could probably know what you and Koiz- Ituski philosophized about all the time." I could swear, if she were a few inches taller right now, I wouldn't be able to tell her apart from her "big sister's" more sly and mature self.

I frowned, "Surely your history can't be that different from ours. Surely Aristotle or Newton can't be that far back in time for you as compared to us."

Mikuru threw her head back and laughed, seeming all the world like I told the best joke of the century. Yuki looked back at her, then to me, and gave me a thin but real smile. Great, both of them were laughing at me now.

"I wish I knew what the joke was." I said, a mite grumpily.

Mikuru shook her head and finally stopped giggling, "Sorry, Kyon. But with enough… time, you might understand." Her smile still threatened to burst into more chuckles at my poor ignorant self.

Yuki nodded along with her. She stopped and turned to face us, pointing, that unique gesture of hers, at a local curry shop.

"Is this where you want you eat?"

"This is where I would like to eat, if there are no objections."

Neither of us objected and the aye had it. As we stepped in, Mikuru grabbed my elbow and pulled me down to whisper in my ear. "Thanks for inviting me out. I didn't really want to spend the rest of my evening alone in my apartment."

It's not a problem, Mikuru. It's what friends are for.

It was two in the afternoon. We had finished visiting an over-packed waterpark for the last day of the world festivities and Haruhi declared our trip a wash after lunch. We were still trying to think of new things in order to stop the endless time-loop we found ourselves. Haruhi was still being obstinate, and didn't seem impressed by the activities. I had gotten home maybe five minutes ago, and was trying to figure out to do with the last of my summer vacation. There wasn't any possible way I could finish my homework in time, so I didn't even bother.

I guess I would just lay around for the rest of the afternoon. That's all I really wanted to do. After two weeks and seventeen centuries of running around, I just wanted to relax, lay back and sleep. Would the universe survive one more iteration? I certainly have nothing else to try today.

Yeah, sitting back and relaxing sounded good. Maybe eat dinner with the family. Though something about that put a bad taste in my mouth… Maybe I could-

My phone rang, which launched me out of the fugue state I'd just entered, moments from falling into a nap.

I jumped to my feet and went to the phone on my desk. As it rang again, I saw it was none other than our resident non-resident, Yuki. I answered immediately.

"What's up, Yuki?"

There was a pause, and she finally asked, "I require your assistance."

"What?"

She paused again this time for longer. Finally, her breathing stopped and she answered, "I need help. In a previous iteration, you ordered me to ask you for help if I ever needed anything."

I smiled. "No, I mean, what can I do for you, Yuki? Is it something to do with Haruhi or the time loop?"

"I would prefer to discuss the matter in person. No and partially."

That took me a moment to think about, but I finally figured out what she meant, having answered my questions exactly as I asked them.

"Okay. Sure. Where should I meet you? Should I call the others?"

"My place will suffice." She hesitated, "I would rather have your help alone with this."

"Alright. I will be right over." I hadn't really been too interested in sleeping anyway, and for Yuki, I'd brave Suleiman's army across Asia Minor. She had done so much for us all, and was keeping it together over all this time. She saved my life, and all I've done is ask her for more. I wonder what she could need.

I gathered my stuff and biked over to her apartment. She let me up and inside. As I removed my shoes and put on the slippers, I asked, "So what can I help you with, Yuki?"

She didn't answer, walking into her living room. I followed, and she motioned for me to take a seat at her table. I was a little concerned this might be something serious, given her reticence to talk. What in the world could Yuki need help with I asked.

She brought a tray with teacups and a pot resting on top to the table. It was so much like that first time I came over to Yuki's apartment that I was getting déjà vu, though not the headache-inducing-endless-summer déjà vu. She didn't ask if I wanted tea, however, just gave me a full cup.

She finally sat down. Staring me in the face, she finally said, "I have finished every piece of written publication within my travel limits."

I had been about to take a sip. I was glad I hadn't or I would have spewed tea everywhere, like an out of control garden hose. Instead, I just froze, staring at Yuki. Finally, I asked, "I'm sorry?"

She rephrased, for my benefit., "There are no more accessible books to read within this city that contain unique information."

I put the tea down. "You have read every single book?"

She shook her head, "That is not accurate. I have read every single book within the city limits that is not secured or otherwise withheld from my perusal by means I cannot circumvent."

I covered my face with my hand for a moment, "Oh brother. So you called me over because you don't have anything else to read?"

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, "I did not mean to exceed my bounds by asking you this." She sounded concerned, and maybe even a little hurt. Could Nagato express two emotions at once? Nevermind that. I should probably clear this up.

"No, no. It's totally fine. I was just concerned that you were going to tell me that you were losing it, or that the mole men from the world below were going to attack once the cycle ended."

She shook her head, "No, my current functions are relatively stable other than my reading concerns, and there is no impending attack."

I guess that was as close to a confirmation that she was doing fine as I was going to- wait, no impending attack? Does that mean the mole men are real? She's joking with me, got to be. She still looked a little worried though.

"Seriously, Yuki, its fine. I am glad you asked for help. I want to help you, okay?"

She seemed to relax, just a little, and nodded. "Okay."

"So you have read everything in the city that isn't secure… have you tried used book stores?"

She nodded.

"Okay. How about universities? They probably would let you in, since it is summer. You might not be able to check them out, however."

She glanced away for a moment, looking slightly guilty. "I have modified minor data so that I show up as a student in local higher learning facilities in the city so I may check their books out."

I raised my eyebrow, "Well… I have only ever seen you read books. Have you tried doujinshi or television shows? They say a picture is worth a thousand words."

She shook her head, "I do not… process visual data as efficiently as native humans might. While I have gone to museums and other displays of visual media, but I have trouble ascribing descriptions or distinctions amongst them, let alone a thousand words."

I nodded, and sipped my tea. This was serious. I didn't know what would happen if Yuki started getting, not only bored of each SOS Brigade event, but also the entirety of the time she spent waiting for us to figure out how to get out of this time distortion.

Of course, I had one idea left, but it was risky. I don't know where it might lead, and if I was doing something that might possibly be even more dangerous to the future of humanity as a whole. I don't even know I if I was being dramatic by thinking that either.

The alternative would mean Yuki sitting alone in her apartment staring at the wall or something, in complete silence for years on end. The thought was too much to bear.

"Okay, Yuki. I have an idea. We need to go to the library however." She nodded. I finished the tea and we set off downstairs.

She rode on my bike behind me, nearly weightless and not needing to hold on in order to stay seated. When we arrived at the library, it was pretty quiet, which was good.

We walked in, and Yuki stared at all the shelves, probably ones she had seen a thousand times. "Okay, Yuki. You've used a computer before, haven't you?"

She hesitated and nodded her head as I guided her to one of the computers that were available for everyone's use. I sat her down in front of the computer, and then stole a chair from nearby. Of course she had. Nagato had shown us the webpage on the computer club president's home PC. "Have you used one to do much more than check the SOS Brigade's homepage?"

She shook her head.

"Alright. Well, surely you have read about them?" She nodded. "Well, there's a lot more to them than just doing your work as an observer."

A window showed up. "This… is the internet." I double-clicked on the icon for a web browser.

I showed her how to get around. How to type in new website addresses, how to click on links. How to scroll down a page. I left her on Wikipedia to start with. I figured that would take her some time to get through. I didn't think she could run out of things to read on the internet.

But I am pretty certain that there are a lot of things on the internet she shouldn't probably be reading.

Yuki started reading the first article, which was the featured article of the day. It was about some guy named Alan Turing.

I am not sure if it was the monitor reflecting off her face, or something more, but her eyes glittered like the night sky, endless and deep.

Yuki Nagato, reading the entire contents of the internet during an endless recursion of time. It's not a problem, surely. Probably…

We sat around Yuki Nagato's table, about to begin our first brainstorming meeting for the forty-five thousand seven hundred and thirtieth loop of summer. Asahina was interjecting with "Well, should we start with learning what we have tried in the past?"

Yuki spoke up, "I have a prepared message for that question."

Itsuki asked, "Prepared? What do you mean?"

Yuki looked at Itsuki, "You have, on a previous iteration, prepared a statement for me to recite, triggered on asking what we have done in the past."

I raised my eyebrows, "That was pretty smart of us. When did we start doing that?"

Yuki looked at me, "I was told to tell you that you should stop asking questions and just let me recite the speech. By you."

I frowned as Itsuki and Mikuru laughed, "Past me is a jerk. Go ahead then, Yuki."

Yuki nodded, took a breath, and began speaking in her normal flat tone, but with my cadence and word choice. It was… disconcerting, to say the least. "You have gathered here to brainstorm ideas. That's good. We did the same. But we did something better than just try to escape our own iteration. We have some advice for you, after we toot our own horn, so to speak.

"Mikuru had first prompted the idea that she wished she had classified information that could store information beyond the time-loop. Itsuki brilliantly realized that we did have something like classified information, whatever Mikuru meant, since Yuki can effectively transfer messages beyond our current iteration. I just made up the message, so don't let me from your loop feel too smart for my part in this."

"Past me is really a jerk." Everyone was now smiling again, trying not to laugh. Yuki even smiled a little.

She continued, "First of all, don't ask what we have done in the past. At all. It doesn't help and it's kind of depressing. You probably shouldn't even ask how many different things you have tried. Just make suggestions and Yuki can tell you if it has been done."

"Hearing Yuki talk like you is very disconcerting." Itsuki was smiling blithely, but something in his eyes told me he wasn't joking as much as he usually did. I didn't blame him. I agreed, actually.

Yuki paused, tilting her head to the side, "I can provide you with a direct vocal match, but previous iterations have stated that it is even more unsettling to hear your voice coming from my person." I think Yuki was joking about actually doing this. She couldn't have been joking about it being unsettling. I didn't really want to see voice impressions as done by Yuki.

"No thanks. Please continue." She nodded.

"This will save you a lot of time." She continued, in her cool, controlled tones, "Secondly, stop killing Haruhi. Seriously, it doesn't help. All it creates is this black void thing that only Yuki can remember. She gets in trouble each time Haruhi is killed too, and Yuki has been through enough, don't you think? So stop killing Haruhi, especially Mikuru."

Mikuru, at this point jumped in her seat and made a nervous noise while Yuki continued, "We know how tough it is. You are not alone though, and you aren't facing oblivion. We'll get out of this and make sure your future happens. So lay off the assassinations."

Mikuru started making apologies, but Yuki continued on.

"Third, remember to be, not just a little, but very spontaneous. We don't know when you will get this message, but, remember, everything you would usually try has probably been done. Multiple times, in different ways. Start thinking outside the box. Do crazy things. Make up stuff like you are trying to challenge Haruhi to new depths of insanity. Our past selves lazily took all the easy stuff. You now have to make up for their predictability."

I shook my head, trying to imagine imagining beyond my normal imagination. It made my head hurt.

"Finally, and most importantly, have fun." Yuki nodded along with this, so it must have been important. "It's been more than seventeen centuries for us. No telling how long it has been for you. We've all become friends, and I mean that. When we got together here on the last day of our cycle, it wasn't just to make a message for your benefit. It was to be together. I am not going to go into some sort of shtick over 'bonds beyond time,' or some crap. That's Haruhi's gig. But remember to rely on each other. This goes for you especially, Yuki."

Yuki almost smiled a little at that last part, having finished reading a script I had once come up with. I hate to criticize, but I think I could have done better. Still, as we sat around the table in Yuki's apartment, on the first day of the end of the world, we looked at each other.

Sometimes, I wonder if it is all worth the effort, this Brigade of ours. Then again, I have never felt like I belonged to nearly anything as much as I have belonged here.

Mikuru broke the silence first, "So… what should we do?"

I laid back, staring up at Yuki's ceiling, "Anything we want, I think."

If there was any time loop that I could steal memories from and keep, it would be this one. I don't know how my past selves would vote, but its too bad. I get the vote this iteration.

To be perfectly fair, I wouldn't keep all the memories. Maybe just the memories of this last day. It wasn't even over yet, but the morning I got to see something more incredible than a giant camel cricket.

It is August thirty-first. We were doing our duty and trying to escape from the endless summer. I had come up with the most stupid idea yet. We were going to run some insanely silly thing called a confidence course.

I know exactly where the idea came from, though I hadn't been paying attention much at the time. I had been watching baseball the morning we all went to go to the pool, but the deja vu monster made seeing it all yet again unbearable. So when I changed the channel, there was some military documentary about how armies around the world train their troops.

It wasn't my usual interest, but I didn't get a headache, and even got a small nap before Haruhi's fateful call instigated the loop again.

I must have heard about the confidence course then, but I hadn't remembered what exactly it was. I suggested that be our last day of summer event. Which, in hindsight, was really stupid.

Confidence courses are really torturous obstacle courses with really, really good marketing. The name certainly threw me off.

When we arrived this morning to try our hands at a realistic confidence course, my heart sank, along with Mikuru's. Itsuki seemed to be expecting what was to come, a bland smile on his face, and Yuki was stoic, as always.

Haruhi was brimming full of energy. Patton, ready to make his mark on the world stage.

She was insufferable the entire time. Shouting like a drill sergeant at us to keep up the pace and parading around like there was nothing this course could do to slow her down. Every balance beam or dirt crawl or wall climb or tire hop seemed to invigorate her while we, her mortal brigade members, were worn down.

By the second to last obstacle, we normal humans were dead tired and all of us, but Haruhi, were sweaty and filthy with mud. Even Yuki's school uniform's hem was covered in muck with her arms and legs streaked in drying mud. The rest of us fared far worse. Mikuru's cute clothes that morning were ruined with soil, and she had the drying mud all over her knees and up her back on her left side. Koizumi and I would be better suited to counting the areas without mud, having been used for all the heavy lifting and dirtiest work.

Haruhi somehow managed to stay fresh and clean, with only the hint of dirt almost artfully decorating her face.

Before her there was a gap over the largest puddle of mud yet, a rope suspended from above in the center. The gap was far too large to jump, even for our inexorably energetic brigade leader.

She stood before the gap, surveying the challenge, Koizumi and I panted as we had to scramble up the wall to get to the platform with the others.

Haruhi shouted, "Kyon! Get down there and get me that rope! Double-time! You have five-"

Whatever amount of time she was going to give me vanished, as a bug landed on Mikuru's arm.

The time traveler made an almost inaudible squeak and flung her arm out wildly, trying to get it off. Her hand knocked right into the center of Haruhi's back.

There was no heart-stopping moment, no last chance trying to balance. Haruhi had been standing right on the edge, away from us. She fell over like a domino, right into two feet of sludge.

The heart-stopping moment came then, as we four looked at each other. Mikuru showed a rictus of fear and guilt. Itsuki's face was simply awestruck, unable to processes the event. Yuki looked bemused, as if she couldn't quite decide what emotions would be most appropriate.

I, being myself, couldn't say what was on my face. We all stepped towards the edge of the platform to see our brigade chief and drill sergeant sputtering and struggling to stand up straight in the insidiously sticky mud.

Under an impulse I couldn't quite place, like a puppeteer suddenly took control, I lightly put my hand on Mikuru's shoulder, pulling her away from the edge before she could say something.

Haruhi was pulling herself out from the mud and to her feet when she looked back at the rest of us. She had fire in her eyes, ready to raze the earth. Her eyes met mine, and the slowly forming smirk on my face.

I looked at my right hand, covered in drying dirt, as I casually said, "Hey, while you are down there, could you get the rope for us?" The world didn't go completely silent, but I wondered at blood freezing in my veins. If it happened in an instant, would I feel the pain?

No, my blood didn't freeze, though my comment was met with icy silence for several seconds. It was definitely the most angry I have ever seen Haruhi. She was so livid she wasn't saying anything. It was the first time I could… well, the second time I could remember her speechless, but counting those seconds before a bizarre shared dream ended was silly. This moment was far less flabbergast than it was furious.

I think everyone was staring at me, as if expecting something terrible to happen to me on the spot. After about ten seconds passed, and Haruhi turned away from me, from us, towards the rope. She seized it and swung it back towards us without a glance. Yuki was the only one of us that had the wearwithal to grab it before the rope swung back out of our reach.

We stood there, waiting as Haruhi slogged out of the puddle back to the other side of the platform to climb back up. She was coated in mud, head to toe. Her back was relatively clean, but her face and all of her front got covered. She was as dirty as Itsuki and I, but without any time to let the muck dry and fall off of her in the oven hot air, like it had for us.

It was very quiet among us as Itsuki moved to offer a hand down to Haruhi, to help her up. Haruhi did not take it. I stared off into the distance to the side, innocent, as she stomped over to Yuki and took the rope from the humanoid interface.

Haruhi effortlessly swung across the gap, landing and throwing the rope back to us in the same action. She surveyed the last obstacle from the platform, coincidentally facing away from us.

The last of the course was run in the same stony silence. I had a hard time not laughing, every time I saw our fearless leader as dirty as the rest of us, even if the act would have gotten me slain in an instant.

We cleaned up as well as we could at the fountains provided by the park, but there was only so much a faucet stream could do. Haruhi still wasn't talking to us as we got on the train back to town. We arrived back at our home station at around noon.

"Club dismissed," she said flatly, barely above a whisper and the only words she had said for an hour She stomped away, sparing me one last cold glare..

The four of us watched her leave. We didn't say anything until she was out of sight.

Finally, we stopped watching for Haruhi's return, and looked to each other. Mikuru was first to break the silence, "Kyon… you didn't have to…"

I shrugged it off, " Don't worry about it. She gets mad at me all the time. She'll get over it. I doubt she will even remember this tomorrow, am I right?" No one laughed at my joke. Belatedly, I looked to Yuki, suddenly more regretful than I had been for any moment of Haruhi's misfortune, "I'm so sorry."

Yuki didn't say anything. She did meet my gaze, understanding what I meant.

Itsuki was smiling blithely again, something he didn't dare to do while Haruhi comforted us with her presence of glowering anger. "Well, I think it's safe to say we are not going to escape the summer with this attempt. I am not sure I would be up for the load of work required to calm down her subconscious if summer does end."

I shrugged again, "It was a bad idea on my part anyway. She didn't need to be inspired to take over a general's disposition anymore than she already does. I can't imagine her taking that attitude into the next school semester. She'd try to invade the school council or something."

Mikuru still looked upset, "Yes, but…" She shook her head, as if changing her mind, "Well, thank you."

"Don't worry about it," I repeated, "You guys want to get together this afternoon? I don't really feel like wallowing in my room, but I definitely need some sort of shower before going anywhere else."

I motioned, but they all knew what I meant. Our clothes were filthy and there was still dirt here and there about our body.

We made the arrangements and decided to meet in another couple hours for a late lunch.

Both Yuki and Mikuru separated to go their own ways home while I watched. It did not surprise me that Itsuki decided to stick around a little longer. What did he want to talk about?

"Oh, like you need to guess. Do you really think it wise to… anger Haruhi so casually?"

I rolled my eyes, "You treat her like she will end the world if she gets pushed too far, Koizumi."

His lopsided smile held a bit of displeasure at my joke, "You know full well that she can do that, Kyon. Why would you risk that?"

I sighed, "Because I was tired of seeing her drag Mikuru through the mud for no reason but her own twisted logic." Haruhi actually did drag Mikuru at one point, when Mikuru balked at crawling under a barrier. "Because I'm annoyed she forced us to scrub out that broken freezer with all the bad meat, just so she could get a stupid costume. Because I was tired of seeing her look so immaculate while we did all the work." I didn't say anything for a moment.

Why did I act like I pushed Haruhi into the mud? Mikuru probably would have gotten a little punishment, but Haruhi would have believed it being an accident on Mikuru's behalf. What was that little thought at the corner of my mind, saying that I wish I did push her myself? Was I angry at Haruhi? Why did I smirk? Because throughout human history, there are always stories of the mighty falling, and for once, I got to see a legend's petard be hoisted

"I am not proud of what I did. It was petty. But I am not sorry for it. If the world ends because Haruhi got a little dirt on her face, then I am not sure we had much of a chance in the long run anyway." I wasn't surprised by my words so much as I was surprised at how true they were. And did I sound as resentful as I thought I did?

Itsuki seemed to stare at me for a little while, considering, before he gave a shrug, "Well, there's nothing for us to do about it now. We just have to try again next time. Preferably without embarrassing Haruhi when she... makes a mistake." He shook his head, as if he still couldn't believe it happened.

Really though, who could believe that Mikuru would push Suzumiya into the mud? Even as an accident.

I smiled, "Maybe. I'll let you come up with the idea though. I'd rather not make the mistake of being the person to recommend that sort of torture for us." I chuckled, not laughing at my own joke, but still amused. "See you in a few, Itsuki."

Nothing really more to be said about my following actions. I'd like to avoid boring you with details that I wouldn't remember even if the world wasn't going to be reset, Haruhi forbid.

Suffice it to say that we met up at a small diner to actually eat lunch. By this time, Yuki was not the only one to eat their food with a speed that, under other circumstances, would have been cartoonishly fast.

The four of us were refreshed and refueled, when we discovered that none of us really had a plan for the evening.

The four of us were quiet for a bit, not sure what to say.

Let me say it without any bit of padding. The silence was a bit awkward. We ate without talking much, and now we were left without any real conversation to pick back up. The time lengthened, and I was struck by how hard it would be to break the silence with something constructive. Even now, I could sense that the others were gravitating towards heading to their prospective homes, to quietly watch the world end.

"I passed an arcade on the way here. Would you guys be interested?"

It took me a moment to realize I was the one to speak.

When did I start making suggestions to hang out on the last day of the summer? Surely this isn't the first time…. Was I becoming more than just a mediator between Haruhi and her differently-abled minions? More than a go-between for three different political parties that didn't quite understand one another, didn't quite trust one another, but that must rely on one another?

Gods above, please keep me from taking on something so responsible as to be called a leader.

Yuki seemed interested, given the way her dark eyes glowed with the fluorescent buzzing light that rained from above our heads. Mikuru was the first to speak, however, murmuring, "I haven't ever been to an arcade…"

She had looked away from the table to Yuki, as if concerned, "I haven't, have I?"

Yuki looked over to Mikuru, laconically responding, "You have not gone to an arcade while in my presence, but I cannot speak for every moment of your life. Will they have arcades in your past?" Yuki almost sounded like she was joking there, and Mikuru didn't look so much seem appeased as annoyed. Adorably, her response was simply to stick her tongue out at the humanoid interface.

As if her own gesture surprised her, Mikuru almost immediately closed her mouth, turning pink with embarrassment at her reaction. Not one at the table commented, but I think we were all feeling a little less oppressed by the awkwardness of before.

Itsuki chuckled, saying, "I don't think I have been to an arcade in years. You don't mind, I would like to make it my treat. We can't rely on Kyon's generosity at every event, after all."

He stared at the center of the table, where the single check lay for us, with my change on top. I had paid for everyone without even realizing it. Had anyone noticed it at the time? Even Itsuki didn't seem to smirk more than usual as I paid. Wow, how many times have I paid for dinner in the past thousand years of summer that it became second nature to cover the bill rather than second nature to complain?

I chuckled, which lead Mikuru to smile a little and Itsuki's smirk widened. Yuki even seemed especially amused, though she didn't quite show anything.

We walked down to the arcade in good spirits, and Koizumi exchanged a fair portion of real money for valueless imitations that could be used in the machines. He handed them out and we roamed the machines together, a dim forest of blinking lights and digital audio, punctuated by the occasional gasp or shout of the other patrons.

I motioned to a game that was supposed to represent the a race on jet skis. There were four consoles and there was no one playing the game, probably because it cost an unreasonable amount of fake currency. Still, Itsuki didn't skimp on the tokens, probably because he had plenty of spare cash from never paying for lunch, if I may add, and we played.

Well, "we played" is a bit of a misnomer.

Itsuki and I played. Yuki and Mikuru definitely were mostly in it for the experience. It was not an easy game to grasp immediately, as you could rock from side to side, as well as steer with the handlebars. The throttle wasn't labeled and I don't even know if there was a brake.

So while Itsuki and I raced, Yuki, who seemed to not quite get the idea of steering, nor the idea of racing, barely twisted the handle, puttering along in an absolutely straight line. She continued on this straight path until she collided with the side of the race track, which she scrapped along at an even slower, glacial pace.

She was being outpaced, slightly, by Mikuru, who seemed to take to tilting on the jet ski facsimile with abandon, accompanied by a cornucopia of murmurs, stutters, slight shrieks, yelps and other miscellaneous noises as she moved full throttle in wide rocking circles and stylish twists. I could have sworn that she was going backwards more often than forwards, but she still outpaced the exothermic-death-of-the-universe speed that Yuki sported.

Itsuki beat me, though we were far outpaced by the computer players. We could have been there for hours, but fortunately rounds were also timed, so soon after, the game ended. I wanted to challenge Itsuki again, but Yuki and Mikuru seemed disinclined. I suggested they find a game to play together while Itsuki and I have a showdown.

This second game was clearly better matched, as I beat Itsuki. We still were beaten by the computers. He offered for a two out of three match, but I had noticed a dilemma already forming.

Yuki and Mikuru had moved several paces away, into a little open space between games. Mikuru was looking flustered, as she pointed to games, offering in a quiet voice to play that one, or this one, or maybe the one over there, while Yuki politely looked to each offering without saying a word.

Mikuru didn't seem to understand what I clearly could see on Yuki's face, that Yuki just wanted to enjoy the ambiance, and didn't care what game was played. She was just being too polite or shy to say it.

Mikuru seemed to stutter more, as if she was getting embarrassed by her own lack of communication skills with the humanoid interface. I motioned to them for Itsuki, and we walked over.

"Come on, Yuki, I think I saw some pinball machines in the corner." She took to my words like she did most things. That is to say, quietly and without any form of rebellion. I figured Itsuki and Mikuru could find something they enjoyed more easily, given that they both were relatively well-adjusted humans. Yuki was a relatively well-adjusted humanoid interface. I don't know what that made me.

As I pulled back the plunger to launch my first ball, I could sense her eyes tracing the multitude of pathways and lights and little doodads on the playing field.

By the time I lost the first ball, I glanced back at the others to see Itsuki explaining the basics of a dancy-rhythm game. Mikuru looked both in awe and determined to figure out the strange cultural nuances.

By the time I lost my second ball, the pair were playing, Itsuki a quite a bit less enthusiastic than Mikuru.

By the time I lost my final ball, Mikuru seemed to actually begin to pick up the basics, and Itsuki was having to actually try in order to beat her.

I smiled, glancing at Yuki. She seemed more interested in the next pinball machine, so I shifted over and started a game, so she could enjoy the nuances of a very slightly and completely different pinball machine.

I don't know how long I took to make my way down the series of six differently themed pinball machines, but Yuki and I seemed to enjoy ourselves. She had even begun to pay for my feeble attempt at the next machine in preparation for my impending loss.

Itsuki and Mikuru had moved onto an air hockey game. I glanced at Yuki, but she didn't seem particularly interested in anything at the moment, so I wandered around a little, with Yuki following. I didn't think she really wanted to interact much, so no more competition games. She might like the cold precision of rolling a ball up a ramp, or perhaps a rousing game of trying to toss coins onto a conveyor belt to get tickets.

Finally, we settled on a claw machine. I tried for a couple of the easier looking toys, but, as usual, the claw seemed to slip around them, rather than grip, even when I got it perfect. I was about to try for a fourth time, when Yuki grabbed my elbow, gently but firmly, "This game is…" She paused, looking for the right word, "rigged. Don't waste your coins."

I chuckled, thanking her, as I re-pocketed the coins. I looked around, noticing that we were near the entrance of the arcade. Outside, a vendor had set up a little stall with a bit of a line to it. His sign advertised deep-fried sweet dumplings. As my eyes found it, Yuki's eyes seemed to lock on to the desert being doled out to those in the front of the line.

I smiled, putting a light hand on her shoulder. She looked at me, not sharply, but with a quick turn of her head. A little worried I went too far, I pulled my hand away. "I'll go tell the others where we are. Wait in line for me?"

She seemed a little disappointed, at what I couldn't tell, but nodded with interest when I asked her to get in line. She floated over and I wandered back into the arcade, vaguely wondering at our casual touch and wondering where the heck did the other two had gotten to.

They were playing a different rhythm game, this one with drums. This one was definitely not Mikuru's style, as she was already knocked out of the game while Itsuki played on. She didn't seem to mind watching, however. I told her where Yuki and I would be, and told her we would get enough for everyone.

She offered to come back with me, but I waved her off. It wouldn't take three people to get some dumplings. Besides, she seemed to be trying to figure out the drum game, which would be easier while watching Itsuki.

I returned to the front of the arcade and standing in line with Yuki before long. We didn't talk much, but there wasn't much to say. I had this impending sense I was in a dream that was about to end. When I woke up, I wouldn't remember any of this, and, for that, I was sad. Hopefully, Yuki could remember and enjoy it for me. All the good times at least. I certainly think she was enjoying herself, but I wasn't great at reading her.

The line was slow, as the vendor was frying them right as they were being ordered. We stood in comfortable silence.

I couldn't say what I thought about for much of the time, but I was happy, nonetheless. Our silence was one of mutual understanding, synchronized and unfettered by the ordinary turmoil of idle chatter. It was nice.

We got our fried treats and found that Itsuki was waiting for us just outside the arcade. "I found a small bench just a little ways from here. I think it would be nice to sit for a while as we eat."

I agreed. "I'll go find Mikuru. Where's it at from here?"

He gave me the directions and I dived back into the arcade, looking for our time traveler. She was back at the dancing game, determinedly stomping to the beat. She did pretty good and finished the round far better than I would have.

She followed me back to the bench, exactly where Itsuki described.

They were sitting at opposite sides of the bench, located in a small little park that was nearly impossible to spot from the main road. Both of them were silent, holding their own, and one extra tray of dumplings for us. Itsuki was smiling, but I could tell it wasn't quite comfortable, nor was it quite uncomfortable either. Something about it told me that he wasn't quite sure what to say.

I wondered if he tried to initiate a conversation with Yuki. She didn't seem to be in a talkative mood, really. Or maybe she just seemed to be her normal self right then. Either way, she probably wouldn't have responded to some of Itsuki's philosophical commentaries, even if he had tried.

She seemed to be soaking in the experience we had here. I guess she had to enjoy them as she found them.

Once we all settled down, the conversation started again, mostly between the humans, though our alien friend would offer a slight opinion occasionally.

It was all good memories, even the awkward memories, but I wouldn't remember any of it, so the details seem a little moot. The universe will forgive if I didn't dedicate my time to remembering every nuanced joke, or each honest comment. I hope it would. I didn't want to waste the energy remembering every moment. I just wanted to be with my friends for one last night. Too bad it all ended tonight.

If I had my choice I would have bottled the memories like a perfume to savor forever. But even if we weren't in an amnesiac time loop, I'd never be able to memorize all these good instants in time. It was all just a shame.

Well… I guess there is tomorrow. I could make lasting memories next time and hoped they would stick. But for tonight I enjoyed what time we had left.

"I think I used to hate you, did you know that?"

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes." He chuckled, in his superior tone that didn't grate quite as much as it used to. His façade was a little more obvious to me now, and his act made his know-it-all attitude was more of a parody of itself. "I was so jealous."

I looked away from the sight of Mikuru and Haruhi sound asleep, adorably leaning against one another in the dark overcast by a beautiful starry night. My eyes settled on Ituski's, who was staring at me. We were sitting on the opposite side of the balcony, enjoying the night's serenity. Or, at least, I was.

"Of what?" I wasn't quite incredulous, but I was surprised. I didn't have anything he didn't. I didn't even have amazing esper powers. Of course, those had the downside of a part-time job that could end the world. But still, its not like I was anything special.

Itsuki chuckled. "It isn't as simple as a single item. You have several things I am jealous of." He fell silent, and I wondered if he would continue. Finally, he started again.

"You have Haruhi Suzumiya's unerring trust and love. Something I will never attain and must watch you squander." He was watching me, as I glanced over at Haruhi. I was now sincerely incredulous.

"What are you talking about?"

He shook his head, "Don't play stupid with me, Kyon. You are far more perceptive than you let on. You know she likes you. I happen to know she loves you. The way I love her."

I looked back to Itsuki again. "What?"

He smiled, the smug self-confidence revealing actual self-depreciation. He was much easier to read than he was two weeks ago. "She is a beautiful, charming, intelligent, driven girl who knows what she wants in life. When she is happy, the world brightens in return, when she is sad, it darkens in respect. She is the sun, and I am just, and always will be, one of her followers. I can't make it to her level. Do you know how often a head priest or priestess of a religion ascends to godhood to be "with" their beloved god?"

This was all a little heavy for me, so I just numbly shook my head. "Surely someone in Greek Mythology?" Something in me hinted at Cupid, but I was just trying to keep up.

He shook his head. "Only one instance there. Eros and his bride Psyche. And the god fell in love first. No, that isn't really an encouragement to me." He glanced away, "Definitely a better example for you."

We sat in silence for a moment, before he continued, "I'm still jealous, but I realized something recently." He still wasn't looking at my face, just at the ground between us and Haruhi. "I am not the only one who is burned by a deity's love."

Itsuki lost me again, and I asked dumbly, "What?"

He looked up at me, the mock-self-satisfied but actually self-deprecating smile was back, and he shook his head, "I am not the only one blocked in my desires by her love. Unless I have been reading it entirely wrong, anything between you and Yuki has little chance to survive either."

We both glanced at Yuki, who was sitting beside the telescope, cross legged with a laptop in her lap. She had pulled the computer out once Haruhi and Mikuru fell asleep. I wonder when she got it, as I don't remember her pulling it out before.

The glow of the screen washed her face of any color it might once have had, but her expression was extremely clear. Her eyes slid from the laptop to Itsuki. Her eyes portrayed no little amount of reproach. I definitely probably imagined it, but she might have looked hurt too.

I looked back to Itsuki, and said, "That's not funny, Koizumi. Tease me with your weird mind games all you want, but Yuki doesn't deserve your abuse. I have no idea what you are talking about, but you should apologize and mean it."

Itsuki huffed a moment of laughter then stated, "Sorry. I didn't mean to hit a sore spot. I was just trying to explain myself. As much to Yuki as to you. She deserves to know. But I am sorry." For once, he sounded honest.

My eyes went back to our silent hostess, who hesitated a moment, before nodding minutely and looking away. She did not look at me once. I didn't know what that was about. I didn't know if I wanted to know, given the uncomfortable knotting in my stomach.

The silence hung for a while, and I thought Itsuki was done, but he continued. "I was also jealous of your luck."

Now this was an outright joke. If anything, I was the unluckiest mortal in the world.

"Is that so? Then you would actually deny that, up until the end of middle school, you would have given anything to be in the exact situation you are in right now? I did some checking up on you, remember? The organization interviewed some of your old classmates. This is exactly the sort of situation that your younger self craved. Surrounded by weirdness, friends with a time traveler and an alien, pestered by an esper?"

"You are one of my friends too, Itsuki, even if you get on my nerves." He smiled blandly at that, but I could tell it relieved him slightly.

"You have everything in the world you wanted. You have everything in the world Haruhi desires. And for the longest time, I was certain that you wasted it, ignored it and abused that fun and excitement like a-… a… well, my analogies fail me now."

He didn't sound angry, still in his conversational tone, but he didn't sound as frustrated as he should have been, given his words. I interjected, "Like Niagara squanders water?"

He considers it, "Yes, perfectly. You squandered everything the world- that Miss Suzumiya- gave you."

I didn't nod, but I could kind of see where he was going with this. It's easy to take things for granted when it all feels like a requirement, a chore, or an obligation. What changed Itsuki's mind, I wonder.

"It wasn't quick. It didn't come to me all at once. I think I started to realize when you began gathering us on the first day. You did care. You weren't just along for the ride. Once you stopped treating it all like a burden, I think I saw what you were doing. You had to play Yin to Miss Suzumiya's Yang. The Straight Man in a comedy skit. You may not have realized that you were doing it. I didn't. But your snarky reluctance is a grounding force for everyone here. When things became serious enough because Haruhi was stuck in a rut, you have stepped in to make things right."

I am not sure I like being part of the feminine aspect of Chinese philosophy, but he sort of had a point with the groundedness I bring. Sometimes I feel like the last sane man on earth.

He laughed, "Maybe you are. So I want to apologize for hating you, Kyon. I want to apologize for nearly doing the unforgivable thing."

He pulled out his cellphone and looked at the screen. I didn't know what he was talking about, but he seemed to be staring at the time.

"I almost tried to murder you, tonight, Kyon." His smile reminded me of a certain classmate; curious and almost regretful. The face that faded into a million particles when Yuki deleted her.

I froze and Yuki looked up with interest.

"The organization positioned a sniper on the building across the way. I told him to fire on you when the clock hits one AM if I didn't give the signal to stand down." His phone flipped open and he began typing something. "I just did that. I am sorry for even being involved with the attempt."

I was rooted to the spot, unable to say anything. Yuki spoke up, startling everyone still awake, "You have attempted to kill him many times, Itsuki. Thank you for standing down. I do not like having to incapacitate you or your employee."

I still didn't move or say anything, but I did ask myself, 'Employee?'. Itsuki laughed, and he sounded like he hated himself for it. "So we didn't even succeed before now? I thought it was a slightly novel way to try and leave the time loop."

Yuki hesitated. "I do not remember any attempts that succeeded. But there is a possibility of an error or absence in my memory, placed there by myself or my… employer."

Itsuki nodded, "Ah. Well, that bodes even more ill for the attempt. Thank you, Yuki. If I composed a short private message to my future selves, would you deliver it? I don't think I want to ever try again."

Yuki nodded, looking almost eager.

None of us said anything for a while. The silence wasn't quite comfortable. I was still processing all of it.

Later that week, I did make a point to text Itsuki that I didn't hold it against him. He had been regretful, and I wasn't dead, and Yuki wasn't malfunctioning. And in another few days, we all wouldn't even remember the conversation. But a sort of peace settled between us. I hoped it continued in the future.

Itsuki Koizumi was fiddling with the television cables, trying untangle the mess of cables that was made in transport. He sat on the floor while Mikuru Asahina hovered nearby looking like she wanted to comment, but remaining silent, but for the occasional concerned hum.

I sat on the floor, facing Yuki Nagato across her small table. "Are you sure it's okay we crash here for the night, Yuki?"

She watched her teacup as if she was trying to count the molecules within. "Its fine. This has happened twenty three times before." A laptop sat out on the table, but she didn't seem interested in opening it. She didn't seem to be interested in anything.

I put my own cup down and stared at her, "Hey, Yuki." She looked up at me with her cold, blank face. Well, not quite. I don't know if it was just some innate talent, or something I have picked up in the last millennium, but I could sense her acute attention, rather than just her eyes looking in my direction.

I always wondered if I was being too familiar, using Yuki's first name, but maybe it was okay. We were comrades in arms, fighting the proverbial endless war. It wasn't a war of fire and death, but simple attrition. This cycle seemed especially rough on Yuki.

Itsuki and Mikuru were growing weary as the years pressed down upon us as well. I was already beyond tired of this endless loop. There wasn't much we could do that didn't inspire the Deja Vu monster anymore. I literally couldn't see how Yuki managed to continue functioning in this mad world. More and more time was spent in each other's company, and tonight was no different.

But first, I addressed the girl before me, "It's the last day of the universe. I won't get to see you again until tomorrow night when I ask what's bothering you. I don't want to know how many times we've done it before. I want to hear that you like having us over. I don't want to intrude if you want to be alone this last night." I don't quite know what came over me, or why I was acting so especially familiar with Yuki. Maybe it was the exposure due to time, but more than anything, it seemed strange that it wasn't strange talking to her like this. Maybe I am thinking myself in circles here.

Regardless, Yuki looked actually pleased as she said, "I do not enjoy being alone." She gave me a real smile, which nearly stopped my heart, "I like spending the last day of each iteration in each other's presence."

Recovering quickly, I smiled back encouragingly, happy to see the girl out of her shell. "Good. I do too. I am sure Itsuki and Mikuru feel the same." I spoke up on the last part, looking at the other two.

Mikuru was looking at the smile on Yuki's face like she was seeing a second sun come over Earth's horizon. But she quickly recovered and smiled, nodding fervently. "Um... It's scary being alone in this time plane. Without you all here, I don't know what I would do."

I nodded to her, knowing she had to be terrified of the idea that tomorrow doesn't exist. Itsuki added, "Well said. Before you called and suggested this, I felt like I was standing on the edge of an endless void, eternal and dark."

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics, but somehow the annoyance I used to feel for his antics had faded in the past two weeks of forever. "Yeah, well. I just thought it would be better than staying at home alone staring at the clock." They nodded in agreement; Yuki vehemently so, understandably.

I finished my tea, and stared at my phone, an idea hitting me. I mulled, then asked, "Hey, would anyone mind if I invited Haruhi? She would probably enjoy the festivities, and it feels almost... weird to do this without her."

Each of them looked at me, then each other. Mikuru shook her head and Itsuki smiled and motioned, saying, "Go ahead." Yuki didn't say anything, but there was a certain sense of agreement from her body language. I was getting to where I could read her like a book. Maybe I should write the translation textbook for those interested in Yuki to Japanese.

I stood up to go to Yuki's balcony as Mikuru finally decided to assert herself as the primary cable wrangler. The role reversal, where Mikuru took charge of something, made me almost laugh. Pulling the phone from my pocket, I stared at my contacts, clicking through until her name showed up. I dialed our captor and friend, hearing the tone ring twice.

I explained to her that we were at Yuki's apartment and that we planned to stay the night, staying up late to play video games and watch movies to defy the end of summer. We'd skip school the next day if we needed to, though Haruhi didn't need to know that wasn't one of our concerns. She yelled at me for starting without her and said she would pack her things.

I hung up and went back inside. Itsuki just finished turning on the television and my old gaming console, smiling, "Looks like we are all ready to start. Is Miss Suzumiya coming?"

I nodded and plopped on the extra pillow I brought over, saying, "Yep. So, what do we want to play before Haruhi takes over?"

Mikuru looked over my selection of used games, picking out the fighting game with a maid and a pirate fighting on the cover, "Um, could we play this one?"

I nodded and Itsuki showed her how to insert the game.

I looked at Yuki to see she was pouring herself more tea, and if my ears weren't broken, humming, very faintly, what I thought was the theme song to the game that hadn't even turned on yet. Remind me not to try to beat the walking computer that has probably played this game a thousand times over, literally.

By the time that Haruhi arrived, we had everything set up. The night had gone well. We played some games for a while. We ate dinner, a glorious delivery meal, and played a couple board games.

At the moment, Haruhi and Mikuru were battling to the death again on the television. It was sudden ultra-super sudden death mode, as declared by Haruhi.

Turns out that once she got into the swing of it, Mikuru was surprisingly adept at button mashing her way to victory.

Haruhi and her had been trading bouts for the last ten minutes when I noticed Yuki, who had been sitting behind everyone, suddenly walked towards her balcony door. She slid it open, squeezed through and closed it, without a word to anyone. Haruhi and Mikuru were too engrossed in the screen to notice, and Itsuki was taking a quick nap, serenity on his face as he lay discretely next to Haruhi.

I watched Yuki's departure with confusion, until a sudden urge to look at my phone struck me. I stared and then put it down, following the diminutives girl whose home we were invading.

I shut the sliding glass door behind me and approached Yuki from behind. She was standing furthest from the door, in the corner, looking over the city.

I didn't think words were necessary, and came up from behind to stand at her right.

I was prudent enough not to comment on the tears streaming down her face.

Instead, all I did was place my hand over hers resting on the balcony. I didn't do this out of some perverse need like high school love, though the thought did cross my mind. I quashed the inane thought instantly. I couldn't believe I was thinking something like that right now.

Yuki Nagato, of all people, needed a friend more than anything in the world right at this moment. That's what I would be.

I stared up at the sky for the first time in a long time.

"Yuki, what can I do to help?"

Her voice came mechanically, "We are no longer trapped in a repeating time plane. The event that usually precludes the return to the past wasn't completed. We are currently experiencing September first for the first time in- in-in…" Her voice was even, robotic and coldly emotionless for her speech. But something in it cracked and she trailed off. Following her pause came out as something broken, relieved, and utterly, utterly human. "I think I require a moment to process the data."

I didn't even bother doing the math in my head. What was the point? I did it two weeks ago and the numbers don't bear repeating. It would take too long.

While I ruminated, Yuki turned to me and pressed her head into my chest. I embraced her, my arms folding around my friend, who had endured horrors no sentient being should ever deal with. She was doing remarkably well.

From the apartment, there was a shout of victory, and Haruhi declared her prize was Mikuru herself, as loudly as possible. I heard a pitiful and cute scream, but didn't say anything. They hadn't even noticed our departure.

Finally, I said, "I am so glad it is over."

Muffled by my shirt, Yuki spoke, "It is not over. Sometime two to six months from now, I will enter an error state and cause unknown catastrophic damage to the world. It is inevitable."

Normally a statement like that would cause my heart to stop, but I just spent centuries worth of shocked in the last five minutes when I saw the date on my phone. It would take a little more than Yuki's warning to faze me yet.

"You don't know a more specific time than that?"

Her head shook against my chest, and she muttered, "My sense of temporal algorithms are no longer calibrated or stable. I just know it is inevitable."

"Yuki, nothing is inevitable. We aren't stuck anymore, and I will do anything I in my power to help you. So will Mikuru and Itsuki. And if it comes to it, I know Haruhi would too."

She pulled away from me, looking up at my face as if searching for deception. I smiled at the small girl, who no longer just pretended to be a human. Her eyes were still shining, but she wasn't crying anymore.

I asked, "Do you want to go inside?"

She shook her head, turning back to stare out over the city, "I need a little more time."

I chuckled, quietly so as to not attract attention. For the first time, I knew for a fact that Yuki was joking. And I knew she wasn't. I put my arm around her, resting on the opposite shoulder, and we watched the city experience the most momentous day its history. A day that would never, ever happen again.

"I'm sorry, but it is inevitable… I will leave this planet, but not before killing everyone for all that I have suffered." Yuki stared down at me from the top of the steps leading up to the shrine, eyes dark and emotionless. Only a faint tremor, a whisper of something more, hid the emotion she was trying not to convey.

She wore the yakuta that Haruhi had picked for her on the endless summer, a steel blue number with an electric blue collar and belt. Her hair was done up and she looked immaculate and cold, like the edge of a fine blade.

I stuttered, "But… what about all those other people? Don't their lives mean something too? I know you want to take out your anger, your frustration... your sadness, on something. On someone…" My eyes turned down, and my voice turned husky. "You already took your revenge for all that pain, Yuki. If you have to release any more of your anger… do it to me. The world doesn't deserve it."

Yuki's voice caught and she slowly took steps down the stone stairs towards me, her wooden sandals clacking closer, like a countdown to some infernal device. When she was just a couple steps above me, I dared look up. Those two narrow stone steps that separated Yuki and I had also put us at eye level.

To my left and Yuki's right, on the stairs, there was a weak moan of a girl. I flinched, hoping Yuki wouldn't again assault the girl that caused her so much grief. Yuki didn't notice, just stared at my face.

She said one word. "You." Her hand rose and pressed itself to my cheek. Time froze for a million years and I wondered if she would kiss me.

The moment died, and she continued, "I wouldn't hurt you. You are the only friend I have. All the others deserve to die. But you… For you. I will s-spare them." Her voice cracked, and she added. "Because I love-"

"CUT! What the hell is that, Yuki? Who told you you could adlib?!" Haruhi screamed at the top of her lungs from ten meters away.

Yuki's hand dropped away, and she looked just the slightest bit petulant. "You told me to be more impulsive."

Haruhi stomped closer, and she glared at our club's resident bookworm. "Not that kind of impulsive, Yuki! I meant I wanted you to be more expressive. Not-" she waved her hand vaguely into the distance, "like that. I hate it when romantic stuff is pushed into the plot. If the romantic chemistry is there, then the audience will feel it! Just saying 'I love you' ruins the moment! The scene was so good too until you raised your hand." Haruhi's pout outshone Yuki's petulance by megawatts, but they were both pretty cute about it.

Of course, Haruhi ruined the moment by turning on me, "And you! Can't you do any better? Your delivery is worse than Mikuru's. She is a little endearing with her sloppy attempts, but you ham it up so bad I thought we were in a butcher's shop!"

I rolled my eyes, "How would you have me do it, oh Ultra Director?"

She gave an exasperated sigh, "Not like you just did, that's for sure."

"Um, guys? Can I get up? These stairs hurt…" Mikuru called out from behind me, having been laying on them this entire time. She had been the moaning girl in the background. She was currently dressed in a nurse's outfit.

"Actually, Ha- Miss Suzumiya, if I may interject, I have an idea." We all looked at Itsuki from where he stood on the hillside, the tripod angled so the camera would be level. "If we get a few shots of Mikuru on the stairs, we can use part of this shot and the retake together, and no one would notice."

Haruhi grinned, teeth bright in the slowly descending sun. "Great idea, Chief Cinematographer. Come over here and hurry. I want the lighting to be the same for the shots, so the audience doesn't catch the change."

Yuki and I were bustled to the side, while Mikuru was forcefully directed on how to shiver and moan and twitch in agony from Yuki's ultimate suffering beam.

I watched for a moment in amusement, when I noticed that Yuki was staring up at me.

I looked down at her, now that we were at equal footing again. "What's on your mind?"

She tilted her head a little and looked away, as if unsure she should say anything. Finally she said, "Would you meet me tomorrow night at the park?"

I glanced sidelong at Haruhi, who was still shouting directions at the poor beleaguered Mikuru, "Um… sure. Is there something wrong?"

She shook her head mechanically, but her voice was low, with some emotion I couldn't grasp, as she said, "No, but it's important."

Well that settled it. "Absolutely. At seven? We should be finished shooting for the day by then." She nodded once her assent.

It was less than two weeks until the Cultural Festival. I was a little nervous that we wouldn't have enough time to edit the story properly- my job, of course- but Haruhi was unconcerned, and we seemed to be finished with most of the scenes. All and all, the movie was going spectacularly well, with all of us giving it our all.

Sure, Itsukii had been concerned when the cherry blossoms bloomed at the beginning of fall. Other than that, the strangest thing we've run into was an extremely rare male calico cat that Haruhi used as Mikuru's evil pet. The cat was currently being tortured by my little sister at my house, as it wasn't part of today's scenes.

Unfortunately, my comment wasn't quite quiet enough, and our ultra-director froze in reaction. I winced.

Haruhi suddenly whirled away from the cringing Mikuru. Her eyes shot to me first, narrow and hard, then to the sunset. I didn't know what the glance signified, but it couldn't be good.

"Kyon! Get back into position! We need to reshoot your scene while the light is perfect! Get up there! Koizumi! Camera to position two! Mikuru, you are good down there." We all hurried back into position, and I strained to make sure I didn't forget my lines. Mikuru shifted a little, and Haruhi told her to move back.

"We have to make sure the shot is consistent! It's not enough to have a good movie, but I hate it when I can spot missing details when scenes change. Yuki, half a foot to the left. Kyon! Ugh... That will have to do. You are walking me home! We need to talk about your delivery. It sucks! Alright! Ready?! Start from your line 'You?' Yuki! Action!"

We shot the scene again, and this time my worry and fear weren't nearly as forced as they were during the last shoot.

Maybe I ought to explain what is going on. We are filming a movie as our unofficial club's activities for the cultural festival this year. Haruhi planned most of it, and she came up with the plot.

Yuki Nagato, played by Yuki Nagato, is an inscrutable space-faring alien who comes to Earth in order to learn what it is like to be human. Mikuru Asahina, played by Mikuru Asahina, is a time-traveling nurse, desperate to try to find a cure for a disease in the future. She finds Yuki Nagato tries to force her to help use her alien powers to cure the disease. Yuki refuses, not concerned with a future Earth, as she doesn't plan to stay long. Angry and determined to force the alien to help, Mikuru uses her time powers to make it so that Yuki can't use her own powers, and so that she can't leave. Suddenly the alien who only planned to stay for a few days is trapped. She finds she is helpless and needs guidance in this lonely world. That's where the dashing rogue Kyon, played by me, whose name is definitely not Kyon, comes in. My character helps her get back on her feet and find a job at a library. One day, Yuki is knocked down by a rushing pedestrian and hits her head. When she wakes up, she has access to her powers, and decides to take revenge on the always nearby and gloating Mikuru. Only a desperate appeal from her friend Kyon saves humanity and convinces the alien to help save the future. You catch all that?

Yeah, me neither.

As to how this all came about... well, that will require me to go all the way back to the end of the endless summer.

Yuki didn't show up for the first week of classes.

Of course, we all skipped the first day of classes, to finish up our homework while Haruhi monitored our progress. My parents were not too happy, but Haruhi somehow convinced our teachers that we had all been sick. Maybe she just intimidated them into accepting her "truth". I asked Itsuki, but he just gave me a cryptic look and smug grin.

Yuki's disappearance, of course, was perfectly understandable. She even warned me, meeting me just outside my house the morning of classes to talk to me about it, and gave me her homework to turn in.

She told me that she needed time off, and that the data-mind thing wanted to… test her for any issues. I made sure to remind her that if she didn't return in a week, that I would call in the big guns to save her. The big guns, in this case, was Haruhi herself.

Yuki nodded and promised to come back.

On the second day after summer break, during the first official reconvention of the SOS Brigade, Itsuki and I were playing a game of chess while Mikuru hummed and made tea.

Like a baleful crack of thunder, Haruhi kicked the door open as usual. "Hello everyone! Welcome ba-" Haruhi stopped, looking around confused. "Where's Yuki?"

I would like to state for posterity that the following exchange happened when I was not at my best. I didn't get much sleep the night before, fervently trying to finish my homework when everyone else was done hours before. This is my excuse, and I am sticking to it.

"She won't be here the first week of classes. Don't worry, I turned in her homework for her."

I was focused on trying to beat Itsuki's poor feint and win in three moves, so I only assumed Haruhi had some sort of frigid look on her face. She asked me, very slowly, "Why?"

My mind froze in its tracks, sluggish from a summer's worth of laziness, then scrambled, "Her, ah, parents are concerned about her. They flew her to them to see how she is doing. They are concerned she was, um, lonely and not doing well alone at her apartment." It was only now that I realized that both Itsuki and Mikuru had ceased moving, as if they stared into the face of the Medusa.

I looked at Haruhi. She had the strangest blank look on her face. It was scarier than her brilliant, hare-brained scheme grin. I swallowed.

"No, I mean, why did she have you turn in her homework? Why did she tell you this, Kyon, and not anyone else?"

I tried, very hard, I might add, to play it off as if it were no big deal. "Yuki didn't want to bother anyone else." I moved a pawn, ignoring the obvious trap Itsuki set up, praying this would be the end of the topic.

I glanced back at Haruhi and saw her look darken, as if she were connecting quite a few dots. "Uh-huh… So, when did you get to be so close to Yuki that you began to use her first name?"

I glibly added, "I call you Haruhi all the time, and use Mikuru and Itsuki's name. No big deal." Haruhi looked unconvinced, and I was reminded of two nights ago. Yuki and I were walking back inside from the balcony. Haruhi looked up and saw us, the same blank expression on her face.

Wait, she didn't think… I glanced at Itsuki and he looked very, very bland. Like he was trying very hard not show the great deal of pain, or stress, he was feeling. Mikuru was nervous as usual when Haruhi was in a mood, but maybe three shades paler.

I tried to provide more information, but I just dug myself deeper, "She lent me a book once, and I helped her get a library card. She hadn't known how to check one out and was too shy to ask. I think she just trusts me."

Haruhi nodded, her face still dark and thoughtful, "Right." She sounded distracted, walking to the computer and sitting down. She turned it on and stared at it, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

I looked at Itsuki, who had pulled out his phone. He sighed, "Looks like they had an emergency at my work and no one showed up for this shift. I need to go in," he looked at me hard, and I had the presence to look a little chagrined. "I hope that you can excuse me for the afternoon."

Haruhi waved him off, distracted and without a word.

Mikuru and I tried desperately to look busy for the remaining of the club time, while Haruhi angrily ruminated. The brigade's dour leader finally left, without a word.

There was silence for a moment as I stared after Haruhi. Mikuru and I were in the room alone. Mikuru, I remember from the last loop of the summer, had taken the news that she couldn't contact the future like someone had reminded her that a dear friend had died just last week. She was quiet and morose for those first few days of the loop, quite the opposite of her usual demeanor. Eventually, she began to perk up as we determined that we would try to have as much fun as possible this loop.

Coming back to the SOS brigade, she was back to her shy cheerful self, brightening the room and donning her maid costume. We met eyes after a few moments but didn't have anything to say. None of it was needed.

She looked away first. "I suppose I will get changed…" I nodded and grabbed my bag.

That's my cue to leave. Have a good day, Mikuru.

"Um," Mikuru interrupted me as I reached for my bag, and I looked up. She looked aside for a moment, before looking back at me, "Would you wait on me and walk me to the station? I'd like to ask for your, um, opinion on something."

I nodded. "Sure, no problem." I stepped outside and leaned on the wall next to the door. As I stood there, three thoughts occurred to me.

Thought number one: If Haruhi sees us walking together, she will be pissed.

Thought number two: Of course, maybe she won't be as pissed as she usually might, given how she reacted to Yuki's disappearance and my explanation.

Thought number three: Since when did I become so self-aware, and aware of everyone in the club?

The last thought brought a frown to my face. Time in that loop had changed all of us, in ways that were impossible to measure. All of us but Haruhi. This was odd, even scary in a way. What trouble would it mean in the future? How had the vagaries of fate changed in response to the overwhelming change in the SOS Brigade dynamic?

Itsuki no longer annoyed me with every blasé comment and seemed far more down to earth. Mikuru no longer set my heart aflutter with every action and was relatively far more opinionated and assertive. Yuki was... complicated. More complicated than she had ever been before, which is an impressive feat, given that she was already as inscrutable as could be expected of an artificial interface of an alien race that existed as raw information.

And Haruhi was Haruhi. If the others were right, she was in some way responsible for it all, but she was almost... left behind in all the changes that had happened. It was going to be a problem if we four seemed like better friends with each other than with Haruhi, and she noticed. I didn't know what to do. Maybe I ought to get everyone together to talk about it. She didn't deserve to be an outsider in the group she forged.

And now I was thinking about proactive problem solving, instead of just letting the future fall as it may. What happened to all my past selves, to put me in this place? Had I always been this introspective? Even if I had, was my past self, so many years ago, as blind as he seemed now?

The door to the classroom opened a crack, and Mikuru peeked out, as if to check if I was still there. I nodded to her and she smiled adorably as the door opened the rest of the way.

We were out of the school proper, before Mikuru finally decided to speak up. "Sorry if this is an inconvenience."

I shook my head, "Not at all. What's on your mind?"

I looked down at her to see that she had bitten her lip, "Well... I needed someone to talk to, even if I can't explain it very well."

I nodded. So this was some time traveler thing, "Alright, shoot. No promise I'll be much help though."

Mikuru gave me a strange smile and I suddenly wondered how old she was again. In that moment, she seemed ten years older, and ten years wearier. Not just the weariness all of us got from the time loop, but something that was simply indescribably adult, rather than just world-weary.

"Thanks, Kyon. Its about..." She glanced around quickly, to make sure that we were alone on the sidewalk, "the future. My, um, superiors were surprised when I explained what happened during the summer break."

I imagine they would be. It's a pretty amazing event, even for a time traveler.

Mikuru made an amused noise, but shook her head. "No, it's not like that, Kyon. It's amazing for me, because I went through it without prior knowledge. The problem was that the future was surprised, not by what happened, but for how long. They were expecting me to report that we were in the time loop for just under six centuries... when I told them exactly how long Yuki claimed we were in the time loop, they panicked."

I thought about this, and was about to ask a question, when she continued, "The future, um, they should know exactly what goes on in the past. It should be, um, immutable, because of classified information. That their history conflicts with our current events is like... having absolute proof that green is green, but then someone else with absolute proof that green is red. It could mean classified information, which could become cataclysmic. Um. I am not good at explaining this still, am I?"

I smiled, "You actually are much better. I only missed two of those points. I get what you are saying though. Basically, your supervisors are acting on information that is no longer valid, which is impossible, because they are acting on history that no longer exists." I thought of one person I thought of as her supervisor, Big Asahina, and frowned. What did this mean? That the Asahina from the future has different memories than this one? Wouldn't that be a paradox, as Big Asahina would only exist as she does because of current Asahina's actions. Normally I would have given up on finding a solution, but I grasped at a few straws.

Did we slide into another dimension? If so, what happened to the us from this dimension?

Mikuru sighed, "Those are the questions my bosses kept asking. Travel has been halted at every timeline, while they figure out what damage might have been caused, or how things could have changed."

I nodded, "So does that mean you are stuck here?"

She nodded, and I frowned, "Shouldn't they be able to contact you immediately after they last talked to you, since they are from the future?" In my head, I tried to grasp the complexities of time travel.

If they were trying to figure out what happened, they could take years to find out what occurred, then contact Mikuru a few minutes later in our time, unless there were some extra time-rules I couldn't fathom.

But Mikuru nodded again, a little more glumly. "You have it. They haven't talked to me since yesterday evening." She slowed to a stop before the station, "I might be stuck in this time plane for a lot longer than expected." She didn't seem terribly upset, just sad. I'd ask her why she wasn't more upset about the prospect of never returning to the future, but she just dealt with that last week. This would definitely explain why she seemed distracted while we were doing our homework.

In fact, if this were three weeks ago, I would have just grunted in acknowledgement and wished her a good evening. I would have let things come as they would, and ignored all else until I had to face it.

But now, I spoke up, "Don't lose hope. We will get this sorted out. I was thinking about calling everyone together to talk about our next steps anyway, once Yuki returns. This is just another agenda item. We will look into it and figure out something from our end."

Mikuru looked a little cheered about that, and I added, "If all else fails, we can talk to Haruhi about it, and see what she can do to fix it. She will be so excited that we are sliders that she won't even ask too many classified questions."

Mikuru, who had been turning to step past the turnstile, laughed, her eyes turning to meet mine before winking.

I fell in love again, just for a moment. I was under the sway of the shifting tides of a young male teenage heart. Like the fates, I could waver occasionally with the right pressure.

She stepped out of sight, my heart calmed back down, and I watched the train leave before turning to my own home, thoughts of time travel and aliens pushed to the back of my mind. First business of order was assist the Esper Boys. And to do that, I needed my phone.

Once home, I planned my next words carefully. This was made easier by the fact that I was texting Haruhi rather than talking on the phone. Far less likely to fall into a pitfall.

"hey Haruhi, got a moment? its important."

"what"

I could feel her anger through the digital letters. "Its private stuff about yuki. don't share it with others"

My phone rang. Haruhi. Well, it was worth a try to text it. I answered, "Hello?"

"What do you mean private?! What did you do?" Her voice held the distinct anger and disapproval found in the voice of a thousand parents throughout time.

"What? No, I didn't do anything. It's about... her family." I paused hoping she would take bait.

"What about her family?" she groused.

"Her parents are... really distant and strict. She was visiting them this week about her school work and her independence. They were considering transferring her to another school."

"What!? They can't take my Yuki away!"

I felt really bad about all this lying, but I was also a little annoyed that she just assumed ownership of Yuki. With the mix of annoyance and chagrin that was surely on my face, Haruhi probably wouldn't believe me if she could see it. That is why the phone was my most valuable weapon right now. "Exactly. She went to see her parents to convince them she wants to stay. But she's shy and couldn't explain it to everyone."

Haruhi made a humming noise, and then asked, "So why did she tell you?"

Here is where my story gets tricky. "Well, she sort of introduce me to her family once when they were in town, near the start of the SOS Brigade. They wanted proof that she was actually attending a club."

"And she picked you to meet her parents." It wasn't a question, just that same cold toneless tone from before.

"Her parents are very strict, and she wanted to make sure they met someone from the club that was completely ordinary." While I didn't meet her parents, so to speak, she did make sure to inform me that I was a "completely ordinary human being" at the time.

"Pfft. Well she got that part right."

She sounded like she wanted to add more, but I continued, "Yeah. And she was really worried you might be too vivacious to show her parents. They expect her to be the president and leader of whatever club she was in, and wouldn't want her to be a subordinate. Anyway, she should be back on Monday. Could you be nice to her? She's scared that even if she comes back, she won't be welcome. I've seen what her whole family's pressure did to her cousin," Ryoko might not be a direct cousin, but she was definitely close enough, "and she went crazy trying to satisfy their demands. Yuki just wants somewhere to belong."

"Are you stupid, Kyon? Of course she belongs. She will be back on Monday and everything will be fine. If it isn't, I will storm all the way to her parents and show them exactly what I think of that kind of oppression. They won't even know what hit them!"

I grinned, "Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Yuki would like that too... Does that answer some of your questions?"

Haruhi sounded like she was in thought, but finally answered, "For now. Thanks for explaining it, Kyon."

She hung up. I stared at the "Call Ended" screen on my phone until it disappeared. I wonder. Did Haruhi believe me because she expects me to be the honest and blunt cast member or did I get better at lying? Why did Haruhi believe me so readily? Was it trust? I would feel a little guilty if it was.

Normally I would dismiss the thought offhand, however… this night I would contemplated the changes wrought upon the earth in these past two weeks. I needed to puzzle out what it could mean.

I got a text thirty minutes later from Itsuki. "Thanks for the assist. It looked a little grim there for a bit. We should talk later."

"np. Gonna have a group meeting when Yuki returns"

"Sounds like an excellent plan. See you tomorrow!"

The rest of the week passed with little incident. Haruhi seemed to be frustrated that we weren't taking part of the school's intramural sports event, scheduled for the first week of classes, but without Yuki, it would have been strange and, I imagine, impossible to win.

I left Yuki a couple voicemails while she was gone to tell her about my probably ill-thought out story.

Yuki didn't show up for classes like I expected on the following Monday. I looked for her during lunch to see if she had arrived.

Fortunately that afternoon she was waiting in the clubroom, like always, after classes had ended. She sat in her corner chair, halfway through turning a page of some newly released novel. As I watched her, some invisible, immeasurable weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I don't know what it was.

After stepped into the room, Yuki looked up at me and I smiled, "Hey Yuki… Good to see you." She nodded, continuing to stare at me as I took my usual seat at the table. "Got any plans tonight? We are having a meeting." She nodded and returned to her book. She wasn't quite as zoned out as she first appeared. I could tell that her metaphorical ear was cocked, ready to be involved if she was needed. And it might have been my imagination, but her chair looked like it was a little closer to the center of the room.

Mikuru looked between us with a humored look on her face. I cocked an eyebrow at her, and she held up her tea tray in surrender without a word, turning back to the kettle to watch it bring water to a boil. She seemed a little lighter on her feet as well, compared to last week.

Itsuki entered next after a knock. He stepped in and declared, "Greetings everyone. Welcome back, Yuki." She looked up and nodded briefly to him, before turning back to her book. Itsuki smiled to himself as he placed his bag on the table.

I stared out the window for a bit while Itsuki shifted through his bag in the seat opposite. The door opened with a crash. I don't think any one of us flinched or looked in the direction of the noise. We were so shell-shocked the noise no longer registered.

What did have everyone pause was that Haruhi immediately stalked towards our resident bookworm and alien.

We all looked up at her as Yuki suddenly stood, appearing, very minutely, worried at the oncoming harbinger and leader of the SOS Brigade. Yuki stood up straight and faced our commander, her book held limply at her side. Yuki's eyes met Haruhi's, for the first time I could ever remember. Then Haruhi was at arms-length away from the alien.

Haruhi wrapped Yuki in a huge hug, smothering the smaller girl in a warm embrace. I glanced at Itsuki and Mikuru but they were just as flabbergasted as I at the wordless exchange. Yuki's stance had been tense at first, but she seemed to visibly relax after a few moments of contact.

Haruhi let Yuki go, though stayed close enough to whisper something in her ear. Yuki nodded, and Haruhi nodded in return. A moment's pause, and Haruhi turned back towards the rest of us, neatly slipping behind her command desk without comment.

She took a moment to compose herself, then, with everyone watching, a switch was flicked. Her face broke into a wide grin, and she announced, "I have an announcement!"

We watched and waited for a moment. I glanced at the others. Well? What is the announcement?

She turned to me in acknowledgment, and said, "We are going to do something amazing for the Cultural Festival!" She smiled, as if that was enough to explain it all. We stared at her to elaborate, and Itsuki pressed first.

"What sort of something? Are we going to publish a book, a la the literature club?"

She turned to him and shook her head, "No, no. Good idea though. That would give people something physical to remind them we are around. No we are going to do something more," she grasped the air, as if trying to catch the idea, "explosive! More dynamic! It's a surprise! I know you all will like it. I expect a hundred and ten percent participation! Especially since we couldn't take part in the sports exhibition!"

She crossed her arms and looked at us imperiously. I shrugged, and said, "Sounds like it will be fun. When can we get involved?"

Haruhi's mouth opened into a little "o". I realized what I had said and blinked. Did I just express interest in one of Haruhi's plans? Was I going crazy?

But I reflected on that night at Yuki's apartment where we got together to celebrate the end of the world that never came. I considered the time we helping each other stock shelves at the grocery story, making it a game. I wondered at the time we all teamed up against Haruhi to catch cicadas, only to fall short by one. She somehow cheated, I'm certain.

We threw ourselves into it all, having decided that we would spend the entire time loop trying to have fun. We didn't even try some crazy scheme to end the time loop. Yuki said we had tried a hundred different schemes since the last fun loop, so we decided on another fun loop.

Haruhi seemed to recover sooner than the rest of us, and asked, "Okay, who are you, and where have you taken Kyon?" Her arms were still crossed, but she was frowning now.

Itsuki came to my rescue, "Well, when you say it with such enthusiasm, how can we not be excited?" His voice held an almost mocking tone. He used that voice on me all the time, but I couldn't once recall him turning it on Haruhi.

I was withering under her gaze, but now Itsuki was getting the full blast. His smug attitude didn't waver. "Are you making fun of me, Koizumi?"

Yuki spoke up then, speaking monotone, "I am just as excited as Itsuki. Maybe even more so." No inflection, just a flat emotionless drone.

We all turned to look at Yuki, who didn't look up from her book, turning the page, even as Haruhi glowered even harder.

Mikuru set, nearly slammed, her tray full of cups and saucers on the table with a clatter. Amazingly, not one spilled. "You all shouldn't tease Miss Su- Haruhi! She's... she's sensitive!"

Mikuru tried to look disapproving at Yuki, Itsuki and I. She then met eyes with a bewildered Haruhi and flinched.

The room was silent, but when I saw Yuki's face down-turned even further than usual and her shoulders shaking, I started to grin. Itsuki did too, a dry chuckle. Mikuru stifled a cute giggle with her hands, and was looking at Haruhi with apologetic eyes.

Haruhi looked at us all like we were evil doppelgangers. She threw her hands up in surrender, making an exasperated sound, "I let you all make one decision over the summer break and I have a mutiny on my hands! I am going to have to work you all like servants to get you back in line!"

We all chuckled again and she grumbled, taking a seat at her desk and turning on the computer.

So cavalier. Were we still traumatized by the time loop and were now acting irrational because of it? Is there counseling for post-traumatic chronic rift disorder? How many times were our personalities rewritten by the loop of time? And most of us didn't even have to remember each loop. Maybe we were just relieved to see Yuki back, and still feeling rebellious from the last time loop.

Just another issue I added onto the agenda for tonight. I even had a list on my phone. What was the world coming to? Me, the group secretary.

Haruhi spent part of the club time angrily typing at the computer, before she stomped out, muttering something about "obtaining material" and "light convincing."

The door closed, and I looked at Itsuki. He met my gaze over the board game covered in reptiles and escalators.

He took a moment to get my meaning. "Ha. No." He shook his head, "No 'part-time job' today. Haruhi was more annoyed and surprised than anything more serious."

I nodded and looked to the others. "So… Where do you want to meet?" I assumed everyone would want to head home and change first, but for Yuki.

Mikuru spoke up first, "Um… somewhere new? We would have a better chance of avoiding, err, being spotted." Yuki nodded in agreement.

Itsuki looked thoughtful, but not disagreeable. "Did you have something in mind, Mikuru?"

The girl in the maid outfit blushed slightly, as if caught and feeling guilty, "Well… there is this one place that opened near my apartment. It's a French Bistro style restaurant. I've heard good things about it…"

Since no one had any further suggestions, we agreed on the location and planned to meet there an hour later.

It didn't take long for that hour to arrive. Home and back out again, I found that Mikuru lived closer to downtown, and not necessarily a good part of downtown. Still the neighborhood was nice, and it looked like it was trying hard to become a bustling shopping district in a few years.

I wondered why Mikuru lived quite so far from the school, but I figured there was some time traveler logic somewhere in there.

I wasn't the first or the last person to arrive, with Mikuru and Yuki holding a table and waiting for Itsuki and I. I hadn't had but a few moments to sit down, before our final member of the secret meeting to begin.

"Sorry I am late. I can pay for the meal, if we want to make that a tradition." He spoke casually, as he sat down. Mikuru murmured something negative, and I just rolled my eyes. If we made that a rule, then I would always end up paying. I don't have special means of transportation unlike everyone else.

Yuki smiled a little at that and Itsuki chuckled, as the waitress approached and took our drink orders. Mikuru didn't smile. It wasn't until after the meeting that I realized that she was going to be just as slow as I was for a while, because time travel was effectively non-existent.

There was a moment of silence. We took a look at the menu for a bit, and didn't say anything. Finally, someone broke the awkward void.

"Well… we made it out. But we aren't quite in the clear. I have four issues we need to at least consider. Better now than later, before they come tumbling down on us like the Tower of Babel." The other three looked at me with various degrees of surprise. I was a little insulted as I scoffed and pulled out my phone. "I even have a list." Their expressions didn't become any less shocked. "Whatever. Listen. First topic: How are you doing Yuki?"

Everyone turned to look at Yuki. Her expression turned blank for a moment, before biting her lip. Our drinks arrived, and we made our orders.

As soon as the waitress left, we all turned back to Yuki. "I am doing better. I was not as heavily reprimanded as I expected. The Integrated Data Thought Entity had done more than shut down the other available interfaces, but had begun sequestering large portions of its own data into stasis, in preparation for an unpredictable extension of time in the distorted time-plane we were trapped in. As a result, it was not prepared for a return to normal space time, and spent much of my break examining my data and reacquiring its own lost segments."

We took a moment to absorb this, before I asked, "But how are you? Do you feel any uncontrollable urges? Can we help somehow?"

Yuki looked at her drink, something bright green and probably full sugar. "I am not doing poorly. I find myself occasionally… drawn into my memory… against my will. I cannot forget and I have found that I occasionally lose track of universal time constants, or my data provides incorrect values…"

Losing track of time seems like no big deal to us humans, but I can only imagine how stressful it would be for Yuki. As if on cue, Mikuru reached over, hesitantly, as if a little afraid, and grabbed Yuki's hand, squeezing it once on top of the table.

Yuki looked up at Mikuru, surprised but not ungrateful. I wondered at Mikuru's forward action. She had always been a little shy around Yuki, a little nervous. She looked like her older self again, and I wondered what had changed. Maybe Mikuru hadn't ever seen Yuki look quite so vulnerable.

Itsuki next chimed in, "It sounds like you are dealing with trauma and flashbacks, Yuki. People who experience horrible accidents or who participate in war will find themselves returning to the memories against their volition. In some people, it can trigger violent reactions or catatonia."

Yuki nodded slowly, adding, "When I woke up this morning, I thought it was August 18th and waited in my room for Haruhi's call. I was late for class and chose not to come."

We all looked a little sympathetic at that. It would have been a terrible morning to sit around and wait to go to the public pool again.

"What can we do to help, Yuki?"

She slowly extracted her hand from Mikuru's and put it on her drink, looking down at the table, ashamed. "I am not expecting to enter an unpredictable error state for another two months to five-"

"Yuki. It isn't an error state. You aren't full of errors or mistakes. You are experiencing a rush of emotions. You told us that you had entered "error states" before, in the time loop, but you wouldn't describe them." I looked to Itsuki at my left, and Mikuru across from him, then back to Yuki.

You aren't error-ing, or whatever. You are having an emotional breakdown because you weren't prepared to live for more than a thousand years in the same place. Nothing that experiences time like a human is prepared for something like that. It is nothing to be ashamed of.

I didn't say any of this. I didn't want to belittle her experiences, her own opinion by imposing my random theories. I just said, "But we are here if you need us now, alright?"

Yuki looked up and searched my eyes. I don't know if she found what she wanted, but she nodded minutely, then looked to her other two friends for reassurance. They provided what she needed too, and she nodded again, a little more firmly, glancing back down at the table.

"Thank you. Your words and attention seem to be assisting. I would like to request that we change the topic for now."

I had planned to talk about something similar next, but tabled it for last. I nodded, and as our food arrived, I sorted out how to talk about the next topic, glancing at Mikuru.

Without anyone else suggesting a topic, I forged ahead, "Well, this is not my expertise, but Mikuru has a slight issue regarding the future. I don't think it is pressing- and its not what you are thinking, Yuki, don't worry!"

She had paused mid-bite, in what looked like panic. "Sorry, I should have explained better. Mikuru can contact the future, and they were responding."

Itsuki raised an eyebrow, "'Were', past tense?"

I grimaced and nodded, "'Were'. Its Mikuru's story, so she can give better details, but the sum of it is this: Their explicit knowledge of what happened in the time loop directly contradicts what Yuki says happened."

Yuki slowed in her devouring of food again, frowning slightly, and Itsuki pressed further, sounding nonplussed, "Really. How do they view the matter?"

Mikuru fiddled with a few cooked vegetables on her plate, speaking up before I could, "Well, when I told them how long we had been in the time loop, and they didn't believe me. According to them, we should have only been in the loop for around six hundred years…"

It was quiet, while the other two thought about it. Given how much more quickly they tended to grasp things than I, it didn't take long. Itsuki took a drink, and said, "So you are telling us that your boss, who should already know how our present events unfold, does not agree with our experiences?"

Mikuru nodded, looking worried. "That's it exactly."

I interjected, "Personally, I think that Haruhi was tired of us not having any sliders in the group, so made all of us into sliders. We are in another universe."

Itsuki and Yuki frowned at this, but didn't immediately disagree.

We got refills, and Itsuki responded, "While that is one possibility, I think there are multiple others. For instance, either memories in the future were altered completely, without error, or Yuki's memories were altered." When he saw the look on our faces, he held his hands up in surrender, "I don't doubt Yuki's interpretation. We simply have no other word other than yours to confirm our story. I am not sure I like the idea that someone or something could so completely alter the memories of everyone in the future, or that could manipulate the data of Yuki's kind."

It was silent a moment, while we contemplated that. Yuki spoke up next. "If something could change data and my… experiences… without detection, there is no way to confirm that. Another option includes that the members of the future time plane which Mikuru Asahina is contacting are lying to her, for reasons unknown."

Mikuru frowned, "I don't think they would cease all time-travel for every time plane just to perpetuate a lie."

Itsuki shrugged, "Well, it's about as testable a theory as memory alteration, which is to say, we can't disprove either option…" We sat quietly for a minute or so, before Itsuki sighed, "Well, I guess I have one more idea. My… organization has a few theories about time travel. The higher-ups don't explain it all to me, but basically, we were living in a consistently non-causal universe." Yuki seemed interested immediately and focused her attention on Itsuki.

Well, I can clearly see I either missed some important classes in physics, or he is talking about something way over my head.

He laughed, "It's mostly thought experiments, not something covered in class. In a very broad sense, a causal universe has no time travel. The past causes the present, and the future has no impact on the past or the present. By contrast, in a self-consistent, non-causal universe, time travel exists, but the universe is self-correcting, and disallows paradox, so there is no choice when it comes to certain events. Time travelers cannot go back in time to kill their past selves, as it is a pre-determined event that they make it to the future in the first place."

Itsuki looked at Mikuru, asking, "Are we even close?"

Mikuru looked a little pale, and said, "That's classified information." Then, very, very slowly, she nodded, her head moving like a rusty hinge. She was countering her own mental conditioning. That must have taken a lot of effort. That she even tried meant she must have been really worried about the future.

I followed all this about as well as a bicycle follows traffic on the highway, but I finally managed to ask, "So you said we 'were' in a consistent timeline. What do you mean?"

Itsuki put lifted his hands up again, this time looking a little apologetic, "Well, if we take for granted that both our current selves and the future Mikuru works for are both correct… then there is some event that occurs between now and Mikuru's future that has created a paradox, a fault in time where our past, present, and future does not lead to the future. We would no longer even be living in a logical universe. I can't even imagine the complications that could lead to."

We were all silent as we sat around the table, thinking about this. Yuki was the one to break the silence, "I will inform and warn the Integrated Data Thought Entity to not synchronize with the future until the issue is resolved. If there is a… fault in time somewhere, it could lead to sending paradoxical data back in time, creating an unstable loop which could lead to destruction of large swaths of the data stream my kind survives on."

I started at that, "You mean it isn't listening in already?" I had figured that it would be listening all the time.

Yuki shook her head, "I requested that be able to have privacy time as long as I upload the entire cache data to the entity later. During the summer I became used to a certain lack of close supervision, and it became lax in its direct control. It agreed to my request for now."

That was interesting, that Yuki would want time isolated from her maker. I didn't know what to make of it, or the time discussion. "Well, it's too bad we don't have another time traveler to double check with."

It was Mikuru's turn to jump, at the same time that Itsuki made a "Hmmm," noise. They looked at each other and something unreadable passing between them. Itsuki spoke up about it first, "Well, there might be someone… but my sources say he is not very agreeable, and it could be dangerous to tell him this information. I will talk about it with my superiors and-" he motioned to the girl across from him, "Mikuru, to weigh the possible danger."

The time traveler shrugged a little, "I don't know much, just that there are other time travelers around, and that some are not very, um, nice."

Itsuki nodded, "Well, once I get the okay from my superiors then I will talk to you about it before we make a decision, just in case, Mikuru."

I nodded, "Good. Let's report back on the problem next meeting. On to the next problem."

We ordered dessert, when the waitress came by, just so we wouldn't be occupying the table without reason.

I looked at Itsuki, "Your turn. You wanted to talk about something?"

He looked a little amused, "Well, this is news to me. What did you want me to talk about?"

I gave him a look. He knows what I am talking about.

He raised his eyebrows, "Oh, you want to talk about this here, with everyone?" He laughed when he saw my face, then continued, "Oh, alright. Well, I want to talk about something that is not quite as world shattering as impending paradox, but it does affect us. It's about Haruhi." He took a sip of his drink before continuing.

"We all have different opinions as to what she is, or does. But we all agree that a happy Haruhi is a healthy rest of the universe. So, when something drastically changes around her, it is something we should all take heed of."

I put my drink down, and asked, "Come on, out with it. We don't need to talk circles around it."

Itsuki paused to look at the girls. Mikuru, who didn't quite see where this was going, nodded hesitantly, and Nagato said nothing, but stared back at him without flinching. "Alright. Let me be blunt. Haruhi is noticing the shift in our personalities. She sees the changes. She sees-" He paused to look between Nagato and I, "that she now has a new romantic rival. She might like you both, but she wants Kyon for herself. Yuki, you used to be a non-entity, if you forgive me the term. Now she knows that you are a damsel in distress that has somehow gotten far closer to Kyon than even she has. Haruhi might be willing to deal with Mikuru for the next year and a half until she graduates, because she likes what Mikuru brings to the table. But now a dark horse has entered the race. One she can't intimidate into submission without being a villain."

The table was silent. Mikuru was blushing and looking at her drink. Yuki didn't break her ice-cold stare towards Itsuki. My jaw was set trying not to blather my excuses about how it wasn't fair, how I didn't like Haruhi like that, or how this was stupid issue to begin with. None of the excuses were true, but for the one about fairness.

The world wasn't fair, and I had a particularly volatile and singularly powerful girl who had delusions of liking me.

The admission took all my effort to come to, but I could admit the self-evident truth without blocking it from my mind. I still had the natural intention to rebel against the very nature of the concept.

It actually came to me during the last loop. It could have come to me a thousand times before the last loop of the summer vacation, though I only remember this latest realization. I had been summoned to Haruhi's dream for a reason. There was a reason that I tried confessing some ill-conceived notion of teenage love to Haruhi. I must have realized the same thing. She liked me. And in my heart of hearts, I might have liked her. But I also realized something else in that time.

Instead, I opened my mouth, to ask a simple question. "How do you feel about Haruhi, Itsuki?"

He seemed to be relishing his honesty and his drink at the same time, but almost did a spit-take at the comment. "I'm sorry, what?"

You heard me. What are your feelings towards Haruhi? You claim to be able to sense her emotional state for three years. You spend almost all your time agreeing with her, and have spent years studying all the things she likes, just so you could get closer to her.

Itsuki looked sour, all the former pride sucked away. "When did you get to be so perceptive?"

I shrugged, "Who knows, maybe you told me a thousand times during the time loop, and some of it stuck. Maybe I am more perceptive than you give me credit for." I paused, playing with my straw a moment. "Are you going to answer, or dodge some more?"

At this point, Itsuki would have grinned and shrugged, saying it had all been a joke. Either the added pressure of eyes from Yuki and Mikuru got to him, or he wasn't feeling very comical. Or maybe he was more honest after the centuries. "I think she is a beautiful, vivacious, and intelligent young woman. I am a teenage boy. Who wouldn't like her?" He still grinned at me, but his eyes said he was nearly furious with me for pulling this out of him right here, right now.

Serves him right, for trying to make this about me or Yuki. We might be friends, but he could still grate on my nerves occasionally.

I nodded, and looked down at my drink. The admission didn't really please me. I didn't take any solace in pulling the information from Koizumi. I just wanted to direct the conversation away from Yuki. Itsuki might not have noticed it, but I sensed that her feelings are not something she wanted to discuss with anyone right now, whatever they were.

It was Mikuru who broke the silence, surprising all of us. "Why don't you try to catch Haruhi's attention, Itsuki?"

We looked up and at the time traveler. She looked like she wanted to grab her words and shove them back inside herself. "Er… I mean, wouldn't that take some pressure off of Kyon? If, um, he doesn't want it?"

Itsuki turned his grating false grin on Mikuru, "I thought the future was set in stone, and your faction wanted Kyon and Haruhi together?"

Mikuru shook her head, "They don't tell me what the future is like. They even changed my memories so that I can't use history- that is, my history from my time-plane- here in this time. I have a few warnings like…" she swallowed, "not to get to get close to Kyon, but that's it. And if there is a looming paradox… well, it's not like time can get any more ruined. It's already happened- will happen. And even if this leads to the paradox… well, it looks like that's a pre-determined event now, until we can learn more." Itsuki's jaw was still set into an angry smile, but he looked a little more thoughtful.

I shook my head. "Listen, Itsuki. Why does Haruhi even like me? It's not like I am very interesting outside of the club. I don't have any special powers and if it weren't for her, I wouldn't believe in any of the crap she does. I am just the completely normal cynic in the group, like in any other paranormal story. I am the guy who says, 'This is impossible' just before the horror story offs me."

I push my half-finished dessert away, unable to finish it. "All I did is complain. What does she see in that?" I have to force myself not to clench my teeth and glare back at Itsuki. I was asking him this seriously. He needed to say it.

How did we even get here? What has changed in me that I can even consider all of this? Why is it that I can look back at every conversation before this with Itsuki and see carefully concealed envy? Envy of what I have, and what he cannot? I wish I had more than an internal dialog to talk about all this with, but what psychologist would believe all this crap from some high school student? I'd be labeled crazy and sent to the loony bin the second I started talking about esper boys and time travel.

I was still staring at Itsuki, and he finally answered bitterly, "Opposition. You challenge her, where no one else does."

I nodded. "Now, it's your turn. You should try challenging her more, like you did today. Show her the dynamic isn't all one-sided."

Itsuki laughed, low and bitter, "Today was a mistake. I broke character. The organization will be annoyed."

I shook my head, "So what? They can't remove you from the group. We will hunt them down like we would Yuki's boss. Break character. Let's see more of Classic Itsuki Koizumi." It might not be so easy as that, but then, for the most part, Koizumi's group are just humans, which is a far step lower than trying to threaten the Integrated Data Thought Entity.

He shook his head but answered, "Maybe. Let me think about it. Are you certain that the future doesn't have anything to say about what does, or does not happen between Kyon and Haruhi? The other travelers seemed to imply there was."

The question was for Mikuru, who shook her head, "No one told me about it. I would say that another time traveler would be more reliable to believe than me… but they might just be assuming too? If it becomes a problem, someone should intervene… or maybe not. I don't see why you can't try?"

Itsuki turned to Yuki next. "I can guess your feelings on the matter, but what does the IDTE think?"

"The Integrated Data Thought Entity doesn't have an agenda one way or another, as long as it can continue to study the creation of data in order to learn to replicate it. Or, if that proves impossible, that the created data can be observed and collected to further its own end."

It was my turn, as Itsuki turned an unusually serious eye towards me. "And what would you say if I started dating Haruhi, assuming, of course, that is even possible?"

I shrugged, "I don't have that kind of attachment to her." There was a pregnant pause as everyone thought of that special closed space in the middle of the night. "I mean… not anymore. I don't really expect to jump for joy at the thought but… I don't think my feelings for her are as strong anymore. She isn't completely to blame for the summer, and the time wrought a lot of good between us four… but it was a serious pain to deal with, and we will probably not see the magnitude of the aftershocks for weeks or months. She isn't directly responsible, since she doesn't know… but I bear a small grudge anyway, for the pain she caused us. For the suffering she is indirectly responsible for. I don't know how to get past that grudge."

That wasn't all I wanted to say, but any more might leave me shaking. In some small way, I hated Haruhi. She acted like a child. Used us for centuries for cheap personal enjoyment. If I thought about it too hard, I wanted to slap her. It was worse than just taking advantage of Mikuru's weak will. She forced another one of us to endure endless torment, and wouldn't stand to be rebuked, if what Yuki said about our attempts to escape was true.

Yuki's boss may have done poorly to not give Yuki the means to deal with such stress, but Haruhi, in some small manner, pressed her with the weight of time like a man being judged for witchcraft gets crushed by stone. I couldn't fix it quickly enough to prevent the damage to us all, but at least something we did finally worked. My guilt towards Yuki wasn't resolved, but it was… matched in equal amounts relief that I helped end the cycle.

I stared at my half eaten dessert, not looking at Yuki. If I did, I don't think I could hold my emotions behind a placid mask.

Itsuki nodded, thoughtful. "Hm."

"If you decide not to try, we can come back and talk about the group dynamic more next meeting."

I could sense everyone relax, feeling that every topic was covered. I sadly had to break that momentary peace. "We have one last thing to discuss on the list. It occurred to me today that we have another problem to talk about." The topic changing, I relaxed some while everyone else tensed.

They thought we all done. None of them were really up to more issues. Each of us was emotionally and mentally drained. We covered months of material for wacky hijinks and dangerous folly in a couple hours. It was getting dark.

None of us wanted to do anymore; least of all: me.

Itsuki broke the silence first, a mocking chuckle, "Well, if I had to say anything, I would have to conjecture that maybe Haruhi is right. Who are you and what have you done with Kyon? What has you airing out all this dirty laundry right now? Where's the Kyon we all know and love, with his head stuck in the ground?"

Sighing, I took a moment to answer, "That is sort of what I wanted to talk about. Well, everyone else had their moment of truth. It's my turn."

I looked up at Yuki, and asked, "Do you remember what I asked you at the O-bon festival, on the last iteration?" Yuki blinked at being addressed, and seemed to take a moment to parse the information I was looking for. She nodded, very minutely.

I looked at the others. "I asked her how much time had passed before I started instigating our day one meetings to discuss how to escape the loop." I clenched my fist under the table, ashamed. "It took me a thousand years. A millennium. One-zero-zero-zero. Just to discuss options each loop. Another hundred years before I pushed us to start trying new things every single loop. I tried to let others handle a serious, unending problem for more than a thousand years while a friend suffered under the weight of all that time." Maybe my anger hadn't quite dissipated yet. And despite my best efforts, my palms were shaking, under the table where no one could see.

It looked like Mikuru was about to interject, but I shook my head, "We aren't in an anime, some story where we can't talk about the problems we are facing, just to further the plot via ignorance. Haruhi might have the strongest opinions in the group, but I have archetypes I love and I hate too. I hate it when I see characters running around in circles, causing pain and more trouble, when all their issues would be solved by simply talking about them. But to fix that, someone has to start the conversation."

I stopped then, letting them protest, if they wanted to.

None of them did.

I nodded, to no one in particular. "That old me you first met is, if not dead, simply gone. I have changed. So have we all. That is what I wanted to talk about. Are any of us okay? Are we going to be able to hold us together?"

They looked confused and I explained, "I agreed with Haruhi today. The three of you teased her. If this happened a month ago, it would have clearly been some sort of mirror universe by everyone's standards, not just Haruhi's. As it stands… are we okay? We all have dealt with terrible trauma. I get shivers when I feel something akin to déjà vu or when I think about the last two weeks of summer. Most of us are just dealing with uncountable numbers of erased memories barely glimpsed; the other is strong enough to face the world with all memories intact after just a week's vacation." Out of the corner of my eye, Yuki's eyes turned down, "Are we okay? Is this something we should be concerned about? It's hard to describe how I feel any more about anything. Especially Haruhi. I know she isn't completely to blame for what happened… but I can't help but be a little angry about it."

This was met with a more contemplative silence than my confession.

They seemed to buy my understatement. Or maybe my conviction to be angry wasn't as strong as I thought it was. Why had I invited her to the party on the last night of the summer? Did I feel guilty for leaving her out despite the torture she put us through? Well, we were friends, I supposed. She couldn't help it. Itsuki's smug attitude annoyed me sometimes, but I didn't let that bother me much. It's hard to tell how I feel about it all. I wonder if the others feel the same.

"I am a little surprised we aren't angrier at her," Mikuru sighed.

Yuki shook her head, "You were, once, but as the time went on, you exited that stage and went on to focus on other emotions."

Itsuki nodded thoughtfully, thinking a moment before filling the silence. "So we all went through the various stages of grief? I had figured it was closer to Stockholm Syndrome."

Yuki opened her mouth as if to say something, then changed her mind, "I am not an expert on human psychology."

Itsuki shook his head, "Yuki, you know how fast the average human reads. If you read every book in the city, like Kyon says, then there is no doctor on the planet that could quote more medical literature, even if all they did was read for ten years straight."

Yuki looked a something between amused and annoyed at that, and said, "I shall rephrase. I do not think there is any psychological concept currently devised that would encompass partial memory restoration during thousands of repeated time plane iterations. I saw many symptoms of many issues, but most of them only lasted for singular cycles at a time. In order to diagnose, a psychologist studies both the patients past and present progress. I have only been able to study thousands of minutely different iterations, without knowing which cycles might be applicable to your current state. In addition, it would be impossible to diagnose my own issues as I am not human, and therefore there is no literature available for apt comparisons. Likewise, my observations are not from a perspective that would qualify as human, so they could be inaccurate from that regard as well, since I cannot confirm that my observations align with how a human might perceive it."

Itsuki smiled at that, as if pleased to have gotten a rise out of Yuki, but said, "Touché. I can't argue with that."

"And most of this is beside the point." I interjected, before they could argue more. "What I wanted to say is basically along the lines of 'we don't have anyone else, so we have to stick together.' I don't want us to diagnose what the problem is, but we need to stick together for any breakdowns." I looked over at Koizumi and Mikuru. Yuki knew the dangers already.

"We should share our troubles when we have them. Or else we will take them out on Haruhi, or each other, or the rest of the world. And we don't have any more do-overs. We can't try stupid things just for the fun of it anymore, and we can't undo the past. So let's stick together now, and in the future."

The others nodded and we all paid our bill when the waitress came by next.

Mikuru turned to look at Yuki, "Yuki, would you, um, like to see a movie with me tomorrow? I don't know if the future will contact me again, but… I still want to do my research. And I don't like going alone. Sometimes... well, I think I would be left alone more if someone were with me, and… um… We don't know each other very well. To be very honest… I used to be scared of you."

Yuki frowned, "I am not very good at processing visual data."

Mikuru, looking a little let down, answered, "Oh… that's okay then. I just- No problem."

Yuki shook her head, "I would like to come, but I do not think I will be able to provide much companionable conversation about the movie at the end, as is prescribed by social rules."

Mikuru laughed a little at that, "Oh, don't worry. I don't get them much either. But I've heard they are more fun with a, uh, friend."

Yuki nodded assent. As if that were the signal, we all stood and filed out, our first post-summer meeting finished.

We stepped into darkened streets and made pleasant goodbyes, then went our separate ways.

I pulled out my phone and looked at my list of issues, wondering if I missed something, while waiting on the train.

We found out a week later that we hadn't covered all the issues we needed to address. Or, to be more specific, I found out. Forcefully. We talked about own issues, but forgot the most important part.

I was just about to settle down for lunch, relaxing into the meal and nodding to Kunikida as he prepared to move over to Haruhi's desk when she left on her inevitable assault on some mysterious something or other.

Or so I thought, until I found myself gripped by the tie and forced to my feet. There was the visceral sound of my chair scraping across the ground as I was forced from zero to Mach one, dragged towards the door.

I planted my feet and skidded a moment, then slowed to a stop. Haruhi glared back at me, "Kyon, come. I want some words."

I am not your dog, Haruhi, and this isn't my leash.

At the back of my mind, I wondered if, suddenly, the school had been plunged into the far side of Pluto's surface. The air seemed to go thinner, and I was suddenly freezing despite my jacket. No sound was made, as everyone in the class seemed to sense the danger in the air. I wondered if my face looked as furious as Haruhi's. I saw a glimmer of confusion coalesce in her bright demanding eyes.

I took several steps forward, towards Haruhi. There was a moment's pause and then she continued her practical run. I trotted keep up, not letting her pull on my tie to keep me moving.

As we walked towards the familiar back stairwell of the school, I realized, before she could tell me, what was wrong.

Each day, after school, Haruhi had been stopped cold in the middle of something, at least once. One day, it was when I laughed at one of Itsuki's jokes. I stopped when I noticed her bemusement. Another was when she came back from cleaning duty to find Yuki at the computer. Yuki got up without a word and returned to her book. Yesterday, Mikuru had asked permission to choose different outfits on the rack to wear. Mikuru immediately apologized, changing her mind, but Haruhi gave her permission anyway after that lost moment in confusion.

Haruhi knew something was up. I was observant enough to guess what was on her mind. All of this sort of came to me as we marched quickly towards my interrogation session.

"Alright, Kyon, what the hell is going on?"

I have no idea what you're talking about. And could you let go of my tie?

She gripped tighter and yanked a little. She was standing on the step above me, while I stood on the small disused platform holding the battered equipment of the Art Club. "Don't get cute with me, Kyon. What is going on? Why is everyone acting weird?"

Weird how? I didn't see Mikuru levitating any objects, or Itsuki crawling on the ceiling.

Haruhi looked annoyed enough to slap me, but I met her eyes, just slightly higher than my own, one step higher on the stairs.

"I mean, since when does Mikuru take a break from making tea to doodle in a drawing book? Since when did Yuki start playing against you and Itsuki at board games? Since when did Itsuki start printing off ghost stories from around town and leaving them in my shoe locker? And," she paused, as if this last one was the worst of all, "since when did you find a backbone?"

While I could have said a lot about her last comment, I was idly more annoyed by Itsuki. He could pursue Haruhi however he wanted, but why do it by encouraging her bad habits? And using ghost stories as a love letter was pretty bad, even for Itsuki.

The thing was, I didn't really have an answer for her, or for myself. I, for one, wasn't quite as wary of her moods as I otherwise used to be. Before, her reaction to what I did had always been at the back of my mind, especially after that dream set in the school. Now… I felt more distance between us. I was less… ensorcelled by her antics.

I think the other humans in our group, Itsuki especially and Mikuru to a lesser extent, had, in some way or another, forgiven her already for the summer. I don't think Mikuru could hold a grudge, for one. I couldn't read Yuki, and didn't feel comfortable guessing at answers because they were inevitably not kind.

I knew how I felt. With Haruhi here, glaring at me like Emperor Yoshinori must have done to Kubo Mochiuji for causing insurrection in his realm, I was disinclined to be honest with her about said feelings.

Instead, I approached from a different direction, "Haruhi, how many friends do you have?"

She blinked, a caught off-guard, but her glare returned quickly. "What are you talking about? Changing the subject?" The edge in her voice told me to tread carefully. Itsuki didn't need more work than he had lately.

"I mean, do you consider the brigade members your friends? Or just subordinates?"

Haruhi scowled harder, "You are dodging my question! This is what I am talking about! You are stepping out of your assigned role! Everyone is!"

I sighed, "So is that what we are, Haruhi? Roles? Are we your playthings?"

"Yes! I am your supreme leader, and you are my followers!" Some small fraction of how I felt about that statement must have shown on my face, as Haruhi's hubris broke a little, and that tiny confusion showed.

Her grip on my tie loosened. I grabbed the top of the tie and pulled it from her hand. "Haruhi. We went through the summer as friends. Maybe the difference you see is our bond as friends growing stronger. I thought we were closer to you as well, but if that last night of hanging out together meant nothing more than a gathering of your minions… I don't know what to tell you. We are your friends, Haruhi. Are you ours, or are we just your servants?"

Her face was a war between indignation and hurt confusion, but the indignation won. "Of course you are my friends. What a stupid question! I didn't know my summer activities were so effective at bringing us together, is all."

Oh they were, but not how you think. We had more bonding time than the Gutenberg printing press has had with paper. Too bad you only caught a glimpse of the last book off the press.

I smiled regardless, "Good. We are more relaxed is all. No matter how we change, we will be your friends, Haruhi."

She wasn't quite assuaged, but she seemed more relieved than I expected to hear those words. How long had Haruhi been without friends? Maybe she needed them more than she had realized. Maybe I needed to be reassured we were friends too.

By the time we got back, I had only enough time to open my lunchbox when the teacher arrived. Alas. The burden of friendship.

That thought though, stuck in my head. Friendship. We needed to do something for Haruhi. With Haruhi. Not just about Haruhi.

I glanced back during a lesson on biology I wasn't quite sure I understood anyway, to look at a girl I didn't understand at all.

Haruhi was staring out the window absently. She saw me glance back at her and glared at me, not quite as angry as before, but still a little of the same heat.

I tried to return to my notes while I brooded. We all needed to do better.

That afternoon, the three of us started our inquisition, a finely crafted mechanism of assault on Haruhi's insurmountable barriers.

We were all seated and enjoying ourselves at the table, Yuki and Mikuru watching with fierce interest in our card game of War. As Itsuki and I played the game, comprised mostly of random luck, Haruhi was tapping something furiously on the computer. I was a little worried that Yuki wasn't reading, but she did have a book nearby. It looked brand new, but it looked like it was written in sanskrit. She didn't seem bored, watching us play with cards.

I glanced at Itsuki significantly. He looked back, smiling a cool poker smile, as if we were playing for money in a game of skill. He did not get the significance of my gaze, or if he did, he chose to ignore it.

I hadn't had a chance to talk to any of them about Haruhi's talk on the abandoned stairwell. I'd give them a rundown later. I supposed if Itsuki could some how predict some of Haruhi's moods, he should have some idea of what might have happened anyway, and had just decided to not say anything yet.

I signed mentally, wishing I wouldn't have to do all the work, but alas, the burden falls where gravity takes it.

"Hey Haruhi," I said, as I played a game-shaking three of hearts against Itsuki's jack of spades.

"What?" she replied, a little grouchily.

Itsuki glanced at Haruhi, then back to me, as if suddenly grasping the meaning of my glance. My eyes returned to the game in a perfect simulacra of nonchalance. "What is the big project you have planned for us?"

Haruhi's grouch worsened, though it was less hostile and more protective now, "You haven't earned the right to know yet."

My eyes flicked to Mikuru. She was still fascinated by the riveting action on the board, but I had a feeling she wouldn't have caught on yet. "Didn't we do a good job at the grocery store? We got you two of those frog costumes." I continued, still watching Mikuru, trying to get her attention. "Don't we deserve a reward?"

Mikuru looked at me confused, then blinked, eyes sliding back to Haruhi. I am not sure she got my meaning as she stood up and walked over the to the tea station and grabbed her tea tray. I tried not to sigh as dutifully I handed her my empty cup.

Haruhi looked around the computer monitor at me, as if I was playing some dirty trick on her, "No, it doesn't."

Itsuki smiled serenely as he played an ace to my king, "You know, it doesn't do you any good to have subordinates if you don't properly delegate. Maybe we can help."

His feint caused Haruhi "hrrmph" with indignation, " A leader must take on responsibility herself sometimes. Somethings are too important to divide." She imperiously offered her cup to Mikuru, who had collected everyone's mug already. Almost as an afterthought, she muttered, "You guys aren't just subordinates anyway."

I couldn't see her face, resolutely hiding behind the monitor. I'd like to imagine there was some extra emotion akin to embarrassment or apology in that last statement, but I think it would have been simply wishful thinking on my part. I glanced at Itsuki to see he was staring at me with some speculation.

Of course, he didn't know what was said on the stairwell, but I would have been a little surprised if he didn't know that Haruhi had dragged me across the school. We did walk past his class after all.

It was quiet for a moment, as Mikuru poured the tea. I finally added, "Then, as fellow members of the brigade, could we have a chance to help?"

Haruhi sighed, exasperated, "This is top secret stuff, only the most privileged of brigade members can know."

Mikuru delivered tea to Itsuki and Yuki with consummate grace. She'd discovered that Yuki would actually drink the tea as long as Yuki's tea was approximately forty nine point five percent sugar by weight. Mikuru then rounded the table to my side in order to deposit my tea, as I played a jack of diamonds, trumped by his well timed king of diamonds.

Ituski mused, "I wonder if there is a process to request top secret access. Seems like a lot of responsibility for a single person to shoulder."

Haruhi started to blandish him off, "Yes, well, I am willing to shoulder that burden to make sure tha- Hey!"

Mikuru had deposited Haruhi's tea into her hand as she spoke, but the time traveler hadn't left the brigade chief's side. Instead, Mikuru stepped to the side, next to the window and out of Haruhi's vision. This let her take a long stare at the computer screen Haruhi was working on. When Haruhi's exclamation decried that she had seen through the resident maid's deception, Mikuru jumped pressing the empty tea tray to her chest as if a shield with an embarrassed "Eep!".

Haruhi continued as Mikuru walked back to her tea station, "I swear! I can't get anything done around here, trying to manage you three from digging out secrets. Yuki is my only true loyal member, it seems." She started downing her tea.

Yuki's eyes slid away from the rivetting card action on the table, where Itsuki continued to dominate me with every turn. She looked at Haruhi through the computer monitor, saying, "It was my intention to wait until the others were finished with their subterfuge before making an attempt to 'dig out' secrets myself." I scoffed in amusement at her wordy statement.

Yuki was talking more often to the group than before, but it tended to be either stilted short responses or longer over-elaborate sentences intended to be funny. These longer statements were always deadpan, but I could tell she was trying to convey humor.

She seemed a little worried too, like maybe she wasn't sure she was doing it right. I don't think the others picked up on her nervousness though.

For some reason, it harkened back to that first night at her apartment where she explained that she was an alien. Looking back and thinking that she might have been nervous explaining everything to me was enough to make me smile. Like she had anything to be nervous about. She was downright adorable in her attempts to be a bigger part of the group.

I was only amused, of course, by her forays into 'light' conversation, nothing more. I absolutely don't want to give any more credence to the fact that I might feel anything more than normal, friendly affection for the resident humanoid interface. Especially with all the trouble she has had to deal with.

I forced my thought away from those quiet moments on a silent, cold balcony, where my mind was trying to settle.

Haruhi was yelping, almost spit-taking on her tea, "Even you Yuki? Oh man! Betrayal! I can't get anything done with this troupe harassing me." She stood up in what seemed like exasperation. I wasn't sure, but I had the feeling she wasn't as annoyed as she claimed to be. "Alright!" She clicked on the screen a few times, likely saving and hiding her work, then stomped around to the front of the desk.

"I am at a good stopping spot anyway, so I suppose I could make some time for team building exercises. What games do we have that we can all play?!"

We were all stunned a little as Haruhi deigned to play a boardgame with us. She usually was off in her own world, making plans or ranting about something or thinking to herself.

We made room at the table and started a new game. And she played with us. Maybe I wouldn't have to do all the legwork in bringing us together after all.

We spent the next few weeks trying to get a little info out of Haruhi, to a far less excessive degree than we had that first day of coordinated assault.

Just a little dig here, a little nudge there. We were getting close to the end of September, and still she wouldn't budge.

I was walking to the club room one afternoon when Itsuki casually walked up beside me. This was a momentous occasion, as I have never actually had him escort me to the room before now. "To whatever did I owe this pleasure? "

Itsuki looked a little surprised, like I stole his line. He finally spoke up, "Well, I actually have a bit of a plan. I need you to help. I am not worried about the others, but you might be attuned enough to Har- Miss Suzumiya to succeed."

I had no idea what he was talking about, more than usual.

His smile turned a little self-admonishing, as he said, "I don't have time to explain. You will get it in a bit. Trust me. Just, when its your turn, lose. Think of anything but what could be the right answer."

With that baffling bit of advice, we were at the literature club room which was currently under hostile occupation by the SOS brigade.

I knocked on the door, as had become my unfailing habit, and got a soft "Come in!"

Yuki and Mikuru were already there, one dressed in the school uniform, the other dressed like a school nurse. Only one guess as to which was which. Mikuru had only tried out a different outfit twice before, since school started, but she seemed to enjoy changing it up a little once a week.

I glanced at Itsuki, wondering if he would explain further, but he kept an especially enigmatic look on his face as he took his usual seat at the table. He hadn't grabbed a game, instead sitting serenely, his head resting on one hand staring out the window, into the late afternoon sun.

Since he didn't seem interested in playing any games, I went over to the bookshelf that was filled with novels that either were left behind by the actual literature club or were Yuki's. One of them looked well worn and I pulled it from the shelf to glance through while waiting for… whatever was supposed to happen to happen.

The book was weird, something about a square talking about spheres and lines. Fortunately, the club room door slammed open. I glanced at Itsuki, but he still did nothing.

Haruhi went straight to the computer, as was her unfailing habit these days. Whatever had grabbed her attention seemed to be stronger in pull than her usual whims.

She settled in and seemed about to begin typing furiously, as she had for the past few days in particular, when Itsuki finally spoke up. "So Miss Suzumiya…"

I could hear her grumble already, a tone that I usually associated with how she responded to me, "Yeah?"

"I have a proposal for you." He seemed to remain idly conversant, like he was only speaking as an idea came to him.

"Uh-huh?" She wasn't quite dismissing him, but she seemed ready to start ignoring him at any moment. She had grown, well, not frustrated with our antics, but well used to them now. Disdain, I think, would be the proper word for her tone.

"I propose to you a game. Win or lose, we stop bothering you about our future project."

Haruhi, who had remained steadfastly behind the computer monitor before now, perked up from behind, "Oh? What's this game?"

Itsuki shrugged, as if not sure it was worth the effort to go on now, "I was just thinking. What if we made a guess at what your plan was? Whoever gets the right answer would get to help out with the project and the rest will leave it be."

Haruhi huffed, "What would guessing the project prove, to earn the exclusive rights to be my executive assistant?"

I could sense that Haruhi didn't want help but wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea either. Maybe with a little push, "Huh. Well, if anyone could guess what you were trying to do, they probably would have enough insight into your 'brilliance' to follow along with your plan…" I opined, emphasising that I thought whatever she was doing was not quite the brilliance she thought it was.

Haruhi scoffed, "You guys are good brigade members but you aren't leadership material like me. You couldn't guess what I was doing in a million years."

Mikuru was organizing her tea supply. Casually, far too casually for it to be an actual intentional goad, she sighed, "Too bad. It might have been fun."

Haruhi looked at Mikuru, then back to Itsuki and I, as if trying to figure out something. I went back to my book, not daring to add any more.

It was quiet as Haruhi went back to tapping at the keyboard, slower than her usual menacing relentless assault on the poor keyboard.

So quiet and calm had the moments followed that I was almost starting to get into the book when Haruhi finally shouted, "Okay! Fine! One guess each! And you have to write it on a piece of paper so you can't change your guess after hearing someone else's! Whoever gets the answer exactly right can help! After this, no more pestering me about it, win or lose! Fair?"

I was woken from my reverie, looking at Haruhi, who glared at us as if we put her to thumbscrews to make the decision.

Itsuki calmly pulled out a stack of index cards from his bag, saying, "Will these do?"

Haruhi waved dismissively her ascent, a queen humoring her subject. Well, perhaps that she wasn't quite that imperious, which surprised me more than Itsuki's gambit working.

Itsuki handed out the cards to each person, Yuki having moved her chair to the table to write her answer and Mikuru taking a seat as well.

We all got a card and I sat there staring at it.

I was supposed to write a wrong answer, according to Itsuki. Let me say that this was, by far, one of the easiest requests that Itsuki could have given me.

I can't imagine how I could possible get this right. Haruhi was crazy. She defied comprehension. If I could guess what she was doing, I needed to be shipped off to the loony bin.

So. Knowing I couldn't get this one right, I couldn't go wrong, right? Or did this merit more than the cursory thought?

I then realized that if I did accidentally get this right, then I would have to help Haruhi get it, whatever 'it' was, done.

Suddenly, this was way more pressure than I had expected. Okay. What could Haruhi not be working on? She couldn't be working on building a new school that was an exact replica of this one, to trick some ghosts or something. She couldn't be working on a script for a play with us as actors playing ourselves as characters in a bad sci-fi movie. She couldn't be working on plans to invade Canada. Could she? None of these were remotely close. I could put any of them down. What if I was right?

I swallowed. I didn't trust myself to put any of them down. Instead, finally, I decided to put one word down. If I had to guess, I was totally wrong. I wasn't sure though. Damn it, Itsuki. Why did you suddenly saddle me with so much pressure?

I flipped my card over, uncharacteristically nervous as I put my pencil down, waiting for the others to finish.

I was the last to finish, as my minor internal panic attack had slowed me down enough to get behind. Haruhi had stood up from behind her desk, arms crossed over her chest, as if she couldn't believe she was doing this. "Alright. One person at a time. Yuki, you first."

Yuki held up her card in front of her face, which had only one word on it. She read it aloud, "Library."

I chuckled. Itsuki looked amused too, and Mikuru was watching Haruhi, as if ready to find out if that could be the right answer. Haruhi asked amusedly, "Were you guessing what I was doing or what you wanted to do? Nope, nothing to do with a library."

Yuki put her card down and gave the impression of a shrug. She didn't actually shrug but she gave off the same emotional sense that a shrug might have displayed.

I would have laughed, but I didn't want to seem like I was laughing at her. Besides, Haruhi had already moved on, "Mikuru, go."

Mikuru didn't show her card immediately, seeming nervous, "Well, I don't think I am right, but I think this idea would be fun, if we had time. If we could get to do it." She held her card out to Haruhi, who took it and glanced over it.

Haruhi's face scrunched up a little, as if considering, "'Volunteering to help in some way with children'? Thats a cute idea, Mikuru, and completely fitting your character. It definitely was not my plan." She looked up at Mikuru, who seemed a little disappointed, and added, "But we can find some way to do that if you like."

Mikuru perked up at the promise, and Haruhi turned to Itsuki next, "Your turn, Koizumi."

He held up his hands in defense, "Alas, since this was my idea. I think it would only be fair if I went last."

Haruhi nodded and turned to me. I gulped and turned my card over, pushing it to Haruhi. All it said was, "Santa."

Haruhi read it and rolled her eyes. "Wrong season, Kyon! That's not for a few months!" Wait, she has plans for Santa?

Haruhi looked to Itsuki, measuring. I breathed a mental sigh of relief that at least I wasn't helping with her latest plot.

He smiled a little more confidently than usual, handing his card over to Haruhi. "I think you are planning on something a little more cinematic, actually. Are we going to make a movie? Or a TV show?"

I started to smile at the absurdity of that idea, but then I noticed that Haruhi's hand. She had extended her arm to grab his card but she stopped, mid motion to stare at Itsuki.

She looked a little dumbstruck. Well, given that Haruhi being taken by surprise almost never happened, any amount of dumbstruck was huge.

She took the card from him a little hastily and read it to herself, as if trying to catch him giving a different answer than was on his card.

She scowled, looking from the card to Itsuki and back. She put the card face down on the table. "Fine. Koizumi, I want you to me at the school library for lunch tomorrow. I am going to have to go over the details so you aren't behind. You better put everything you have into this, mister, or you will regret it!"

Itsuki looked pleased as a salaryman after a promotion for a moment, but quickly stifled his glee. "Absolutely, Miss Suzumiya."

So we were working on a movie. Dear gods, we were working on a movie?

So… We were making a movie.

"Yes, though I hope you don't plan on digging for information. I have been given Miss Suzumiya's strictest confidence."

So he wouldn't even give me a little hint?

"Nope. Sorry Kyon. You'd have better luck digging information out of Miss Suzumiya."

I would, but someone made us promise not to bother her anymore about it with that little bet.

To that comment, Itsuki only replied with a sly, sardonic smile. I don't know if this was some plan of his to begin with, but it had been three days since Itsuki had been promoted to producer and chief editor of Haruhi's secret movie and we still knew little more than we had at the start of the month.

After the big reveal those days ago, Haruhi swore the brigade to absolute, top secret classified, code black conspiracy, whatever that means. She was worried about competition hearing about our plans and trying to show us up.

When I asked who could possibly want to compete with us, I got the expected glare.

She also held us to the promise that we wouldn't ask any more about it. Itsuki was the only person allowed to know about the details.

I sighed. "So why did you want me to get the answer wrong then? What if Mikuru or Yuki got it right?" I would have been a little worried if Mikuru was shoehorned into helping Haruhi, and I can't imagine Yuki would have any sort of input to provide. I am not even sure Yuki would want to be involved.

Itsuki shook his head, "While it would have been inconvenient, I don't think Mikuru really gets Miss Suzumiya. Yuki doesn't want the job, whether or not she knew what was going on. No. I didn't think I would have to compete with her."

"But you thought you would have to worry about me? Why would I want to be forced to be her assistant and slave." It would have been a hell of a lot of a work. Well, it would be. Itsuki would have to bear the brunt of it.

And in spite of my words, I wouldn't have slacked off. I might not have put all my energy into it like I had during the end of the last loop of summer, but I would have tried. Even if it just meant curtailing some of Haruhi's worst habits, I would have put the effort in.

In my heart of hearts, even I wouldn't admit it might have been a little fun, being Haruhi's confidant.

Itsuki shrugged, "Well, I think that of us all, you were the most likely to accidentally get the right idea if you weren't second guessing yourself with my request."

"Well, I was thinking she might have been working on a play or something silly. I am surprised I got that close. Sheesh." I paused a moment, looking away from my lunch to Itsuki himself, "So have you decided then?"

Itsuki played with his vending machine provided coffee can, tilting it on its edge with a finger, back and forth in a lazy circle. "I couldn't possibly guess what you might mean."

I scoffed, a grin broadening on my face. "Oh, I guess I was just rambling. Ignore that question."

He sounded like me. Or, his line sounded like something I would have said, if that makes sense, if our positions were reversed. When our positions were reversed before summer. So I tried to steal his lines in response.

His gaze, focused on the coffee can, didn't move and his smile, closed mouth and even, hadn't changed, but I could tell he was amused too.

I am glad he made up his mind then. I didn't envy his choice. It would be a long and hard road for all of us and was liable to end in heartbreak.

I guess its better to move forward than linger in the present, though. "Thanks for joining me, Itsuki," I said, as I packed up my lunch, and he his.

His usual smile returned from the introspective grin he had on earlier, "No problem, Kyon. Thanks for finding me. We will have to do lunch again sometime." He packed up his own lunch, and we headed back to our respective classes, the impromptu meeting adjourned

Yeah. I think Itsuki made a good choice. It was better to keep moving than get stuck in the mire of an endless purgatory of status quo, I thought, as I saw Yuki across the way in the glass walkway between the old building and the one where the classes were held, book in hand and heading back to class.

It was only one week later when I was barred from the literature club room. Generally, this wouldn't bother me. If I am barred from the club room, then Mikuru is changing.

What was notable about this occasion was that Mikuru and Yuki were also standing outside the clubroom.

Mikuru stood across from the door and kindly greeted me as I approached, "Hey Kyon, how are you?" She was still in her school uniform, though it looked like she left her school bag somewhere.

"Not bad. Why are we waiting out here? Did we lose the key?" I glanced at Yuki, a little concerned that she might have either actually lost the key or couldn't break into the room. Didn't Itsuki say something about the club room being some sort of locus, a place so strange and out of whack that odd things never happened there? He said something like that around the time of the camel cricket incident, I think.

Yuki turned the page on her book, saying, "Nothing to be concerned about. The club room was commandeered by the commander." I could hear a girl's voice now, faint through the door, directing someone with a loud tone attempting to be hushed. Yeah, that was Haruhi.

I glanced at Mikuru, who wasn't sure if Yuki had been making a joke. I was smiling, so Mikuru must have made up her mind and smiled as well. "How are your classes coming?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't remind me. You?"

She shrugged, "It's not too bad. I only have trouble with history." Mikuru frowned cutely, staring at both Yuki and me, "Yeah, I know, you don't have to make the joke." She sighed, "It's harder than you think. I didn't grow up around here."

My mouth had been open, so instead of making my comment, I laughed as Mikuru anticipated my joke on her history problems.

I glanced at Yuki to see she looked amused as well, adding, "My classes are going satisfactorily."

"I don't think any of us worry about your-" I got a text, and finished as I fished my phone out of my pocket, "-grades."

The text was from Itsuki, the absent member of the group, though I was guessing he was who Haruhi was talking to through the door. I'd be concerned if she were shouting quietly at herself.

The text was short, and uncharacteristically poorly typed for Itsuki, "heads up and tell yuki i'm sorry".

My eyebrows rose as I showed the text to Yuki, who took a moment to realize what I was doing. She blinked, as her head slowly rose from the contents of her book to stare at my phone screen. She saw the text and frowned as well.

Mikuru, a little confused, looked at me questioningly. I showed her the message as well. She had just enough time to read it, and look concerned, when the door burst open.

"Come on in everyone! We our secret meeting will begin soon!" Haruhi was smiling brilliantly, looking triumphant before anything even began, stepping into the hallway.

"Yes, let's begin the secret meeting we keep in the same place and time as our usual gathering. " Itsuki smiled as he finished talking, stepping into view, while Haruhi's smile dimmed for one tenth of an instant and she shot Itsuki a look.

We filed in, but I was a little concerned about Itsuki's text. It was too vague. I could tell Yuki was worried too, as she didn't start reading her book immediately. Itsuki didn't give an air of being deeply worried when Haruhi wasn't looking, but he did seem apologetic. Maybe it wasn't bad news?

Whatever news it was, I assumed it was hidden underneath the sheets that covered both the whiteboard as well as the table. There appeared to be few boxes on the table, given the shapes under the sheets. I looked at Itsuki worriedly, but his eyes were on Haruhi, who was watching us all expectantly, waiting for us to take a seat.

I sat down, cautious in my faith that this wasn't a big deal. Itsuki would look more worried if it was serious. Surely.

Haruhi waited a few more seconds, before nodding at nothing in particular. "Okay! Are you all ready?!" She stood on the left side of the white board while Itsuki stood on the left. They both put a hand on the sheet, ready to rip it off in some dramatic reveal.

Mikuru nodded vigorously, her usual chair turned around to watch the whiteboard intently. I nodded a little more cautiously, too nervous about what was coming to make some joke about what she would do if we weren't ready yet. I was getting paranoid in my old age.

Haruhi's grin brightened ten fold, eager to show off her masterpiece, and they both pulled off the sheet, Haruhi with great force and Itsuki with a flourishing bow.

The sheet fluttered to the ground as we all stared at the board.

"The Revenge of Yuki Nagato

A story presented by the SOS Brigade

Presented for the first time at the North High Cultural Festival

Haruhi Suzumiya- Ultra Director, Head Producer, Main Writer

Itsuki Koizumi- Co-writer, Cinematographer, Best Boy

Yuki Nagato- Lead Actress playing Yuki Nagato, the mysterious alien

Mikuru Asahina- Actress and main antagonist playing Mikuru Asahina, the time traveling doctor

Kyon- supporting actor and plot device, editor"

Well, I was definitely speechless. I glanced at Haruhi, and she stood as proud as the sun's core was hot. Itsuki was looking still as bright as usual, though there might have been something akin to apology on his face.

"Hm." The muted hum came from Yuki, who starred at the board. Her head was slightly tilted, and what little I could see of her face seemed to be puzzled, though she was facing away from me.

Haruhi nodded enthusiastically, saying, "Yep, thats right. You're our star, Yuki. You are an alien from an incomprehensible distance away, who came to earth to study humans a little and explore the world a little. Little did you know that Mikuru, a time traveler from the future,-" There was a small, nervous 'eep' from the time traveler herself here, "-who is desperately searching for a cure for a disease in the future. She finds you, and tries to coerce you into helping her find a cure. You refuse, since you aren't supposed to interact with humans in any major way, and she takes away your powers and leaves you stranded here alone on earth, a place you barely know."

Haruhi took a step forward, addressing everyone, rather than just Yuki. "Its a story of loneliness and growth. It's not what I originally planned for my first foray onto the movie screen, but it will be amazing. Every great director get's their start making some small little indie movie. Most of them start in college, but I know that this is an opportunity I have to seize, and the earlier I start, the better known the SOS Brigade can become!"

There was a pause here. Was Haruhi looking for applause? For what?

Before she could continue her spiel, Yuki interjected, "My purp- … I am a far better observer than participant. I do not think my skills would be adequate for this role."

Haruhi shook her head emphatically, facing Yuki, "You are perfect because of that reason. You always are so intense in everything you do, so deliberate in every action. Besides, isn't it fun to do something outside your comfort zone? You should be impulsive! Enigmatic! And as the movie progresses, we will pull out some of the more emphatic notes from you as we need! Its going to be great."

She had bent down to look at Yuki directly, who stared back unblinking. "Besides-" Haruhi said with a flourish, "as Koizumi pointed out, you are well known for being so reserved and quiet in school, so you being the lead actress will draw out all sorts of curious people to see the movie. And your- well, I am sure your family would be proud."

I had started to give Itsuki a look because it sounded like he was half responsible for this situation, then winced. Apparently Haruhi was taking my warning about Yuki's family seriously, and decided to give Yuki a bigger role because of it. Maybe we were both a little at fault for putting Yuki on the spot.

"Understood. I will do my best to make sure the production is not hindered by my… reserved nature." Yuki sounded mostly resigned, but there was a bit of dry in her statement. I don't think she really wanted to say yes, but if she was willing to make a bit of a joke out of it, she probably wasn't too upset.

"Great! That's settled then! Now, on to the logistics!" Haruhi marched two steps to the table, and ripped off the cloth hiding the surface, revealing several boxes, "I got our camera, acoustics and other stuff from the audio/video club. They were wise and generous enough to give me their brand new models, just the second after I gave them the requisition."

On the table were indeed some brand new camera equipment and all the associated equipment. I wondered if it had been as easy as Haruhi said. Or maybe they perhaps knew someone in the computer club and had heard the stories and decided not to argue when Haruhi came a knocking. I didn't want to know. My eyes trailed to Yuki, worried she might not be up to this. The movie's story was a little too close to home for me to simply accept that she was okay with it all.

I guess I'd have to call her when I get home. Shame she didn't have a phone I could text her on.

Oh crap. Was I supposed to be in a movie for the cultural festival too?

I did call Yuki later. She wasn't too talkative, but she also did spare a few words to say that she "was certain that it would be a unique experience," which, given how Yuki seems to favor original experiences over routine, was as good an answer I was going to get.

Haruhi admitted that she wasn't quite satisfied with the script, but she did tell it was in progress and that Itsuki was being as critical as possible.

She said this last bit with a tone of irritation that didn't sound entirely unfriendly, though I wasn't going to make a mountain from an anthill.

It wasn't for another week that we actually started filming. The scenes were pretty rudimentary, just scenes with Yuki first arriving on earth, or scenes of her moving around the city with second cuts to show Mikuru lurking in the background. Once at a library, with me behind the counter as a seeming "extra" while Yuki roamed the shelves.

Actually, the library scenes were all an interesting story in and of themselves. Initially, it had only been an idle thought of Haruhi's.

"You know, it would be nice to be able to find a place to film. Like an actual location. I wish we had a store or a restaurant we could work at."

Yuki spoke up surprisingly quickly, before anyone could comment, "I have started volunteering at the library on the weekend. They might be amiable to short scenes being filmed as long as we are not disruptive. They would appreciate any attention we can bring them. They have gotten less patronage in the past year and they are concerned their budget will be cut."

We all rocked back on our metaphorical heels at this revelation. More than one sentence at a time, even an -almost- speech from Yuki. She still read her book, almost acting as if she didn't say anything at all.

If someone asked me, and I felt comfortable sharing my confidences with someone, I would say her face was slightly more downturned than usual, a few femtometers or so, and that she might have been a little nervous about voicing her opinion.

Haruhi hummed a moment, staring at Yuki with an intense look in her eye. It was definitely the first time I remember having seen Yuki volunteer any information. Learning that she volunteered at the library was quite a bit of a larger shock.

Haruhi didn't seem uninterested, but it was Itsuki who recovered first, "You know, it could be an interesting side plot and a local human interest topic we could include. We wanted Kyon to work somewhere for a job, and a library would have a lot of downtime for us to do filming in."

Haruhi nodded along, slowly. "Yeah… I like it. We could include something about supporting local libraries in the story. You know, the internet is nice and all, but it simply cannot replace the human touch and tactile experience of a real location filled with books. I mean, research should never start with just the internet, and while no textbook is perfect, printed fact can't be edited by any idiot who has a keyboard. Do you have time this afternoon, Yuki? Could we go by this evening and get permission? I'd like to see if we can't lock down any of our less conventional filming locations quickly."

Yuki nodded once. "Yes."

Haruhi nodded as well, "Good! Koizumi, your job is to find a good set for the final confrontation. How that plays out is going to drive our earlier scenes. How did you put it earlier? 'The journey is nice, but the audience is going to be left at the final destination'? I like that. So we need to get to that soon."

Itsuki nodded, "I will be happy to find something. I know there are some older shrines in the mountains nearby. Surely one of them will have the right ambiance."

Haruhi nodded, "Right, sounds good. Kyon!"

"Mmm?" I was following along just fine, she didn't need to shout like I wasn't paying attention.

"You are coming with Yuki and me. If we are going to be putting someone behind the counter for a few shots, they have to know who it is, so try to appear competent and polite."

I smiled but groused, "Don't act as if I spend all my time looking like a oafish fiend, Haruhi."

Haruhi acted as if I said nothing, "Don't forget, we are meeting at the station tomorrow at nine sharp. The usual penalties for anyone who is late!"

"Umm. Miss Suzumiya? What do you want me to do?" Asahina had looked up from her drawing book where she seemed to be practicing her long abandoned art of calligraphy with her pen. "I don't want to not pull my fair share…"

Personally, I think Mikuru does more than enough around here, but I doubt Haruhi thought of it that way.

Haruhi waved her off. "I've been thinking about that, actually. I hadn't realized how much you've been doing around here. Also, call me Haruhi. You make our tea and clean up after us too. Kyon just sits around and plays games. I won't have it said that I treat one of my brigade members worse than the others. You are our mascot, not our servant." I raised my eyebrows at this, though Haruhi didn't bother looking around to see what we were thinking.

She was mostly in her own world, staring at the whiteboard like it was an enigmatic puzzle that held the secret to her movie's success. Either she was a perfect actress, or she really was not aware of the subtle changes she seemed to be undergoing.

Haruhi was still the brash, impatient, energetic girl searching for all the secrets in the world. But even before our talk on the stairway, she seemed to have become unconsciously aware of how much more organic the Brigade has become, and has shifted to mold herself into the group. It reminded me of how we all were that last night of the loop.

I don't take credit for this. I might have told Haruhi how it was, but I don't doubt she changed because of it. After what I said, she was just more aware of how we felt. Knowing that we weren't acting against her, she has shifted a little to become more accommodating. More available to us as an equal, not just a commanding officer.

She was still playing catch-up in a lot of ways, but… she wasn't falling behind, which is good. She just had so much time to make up for. It was reassuring in some ways that she wasn't getting further behind.

I got the feeling that we hadn't seen the worst of her temper about it yet though.

"Alright, club dismissed! Yuki and Kyon! Front and center! We have a library to scout!"

I nodded, standing. My stuff was already packed, but Yuki had to put away her book. We both were ready in seconds, however. Haruhi, on the other hand had to pick up things from around the room, flitting from place to place to get a notepad, pens, her bag, turning the computer off, and a few other tasks. She looked to us once, to make sure we were ready and nodded in approval.

We took the train down to the general vicinity of the library and made our way to that fateful building I once took a nap in.

Once inside, Haruhi looked to Yuki to guide her. I was a little curious myself too, wondering what kind of people Yuki worked. Actually, I was curious about how the Yuki even got a position at the library in the first place. She wasn't really the volunteering type. I could imagine her being somehow shanghaied into helping once or twice, Yuki never really argued about much, but I can't imagine she would keep coming if she didn't like doing it.

Yuki led us to the main desk of the library, where a young man, no more than a few years older than us was sitting at the desk typing on the computer, waiting to help someone check out books.

As we approached, he looked up and saw Yuki, smiling pleasantly. "Miss Nagato, a pleasure to see you. I thought you said you wouldn't be able to come by for a while. Can I help with anything?"

He seemed friendly and warm, though he spoke a little slower than was necessary, as if he wanted to make sure she understood him. It annoyed me a little, but Yuki nodded, replying evenly, "I will be still busy. My friend has a request. Is Mrs. Yamato here?" The short stilted sentences were not very characteristic of our resident bookworm, formal and almost like she had to force the words from her mouth.

He nodded and directed us to the office around the corner, down a hallway. I followed and after Yuki very, very briefly introduced us as her friends to Mrs. Yamato, Haruhi took over, speaking surprisingly polite.

She calmly explained that the brigade wanted to shoot a few scenes in the library, and that they would try to do so when there were as few people around as possible, so as to not disturb the readers. Haruhi also offered to make sure to plug the library's plight and need for support in the movie in return for letting us use the library as a set.

All in all, it reminded me of when she sweet talked that old man at the apartment complex. Professional and exceedingly polite and one hundred and ten percent charm that fully reminded me of how much charisma Haruhi really had, when she didn't act like a complete weirdo.

Mrs. Yamato was an older woman who looked like a stern old schoolteacher that became a librarian by mistake. She listened too Haruhi's pitch in stony silence. At the end of it, she glanced at Yuki, as if to confirm Haruhi's story.

Yuki, of course, did nothing but stare back, though some message seemed to be transmitted in the unspoken moment.

We were given permission, as long as we didn't disturb the other people at the library and as long as we gave them a couple day's warning before filming in building.

Haruhi thanked her and promised to follow her directions, before leading the way out.

We didn't immediately walk to the exit, instead, Haruhi leading us to a clearing in the shelves near some tables and couches. The library wasn't quite empty, but it certainly wasn't very busy in this autumn eve. It hadn't quite become cold yet, and people were still enjoying outdoor hobbies, no doubt. Or maybe Yuki was right and they were not getting many people this year.

Haruhi stopped, looking around for a moment before saying, "Stay here a moment. I want to scout out shots." She gave us a dismissive hand gesture and stalked away, an air of determination in her eyes.

Yuki and I both watched her walk away for a moment, before looking to each other at the same time. I don't know if it was an accident, or if she just timed her movements to mine. I shrugged, motioning to a pair of chairs. We both took a seat and I savored the calm silence for a moment, a silence decorated with the sound of an occasional turning page, or of the clicking of a mouse.

"So you decided to start volunteering at a library?"

Yuki had been staring at the computer banks a little distance away, but her eyes slid to me and she gave me a look that acknowledged my humored tone. "It became a habit during the summer. It started on iteration..."

Yuki trailed off here. I was sitting a little too far away and, in the distance behind Yuki, I saw Haruhi walk between the stacks hands before her face, forefingers and thumbs forming a square.

I wasn't worried about Haruhi though. Yuki was frozen, a person caught in stasis between words. I wanted to reach out and put my hand on hers. Each frozen instant built pressure against my sense of self-possession. Giving Yuki a full fledged hug would probably go over as well as screaming my head off in the silent library to Haruhi. That is to say, not well.

This was basically one of my worst fears manifest, right here, right now. There was no doubt in my mind that Yuki was still struggling with fighting the effects of centuries on her psyche. Human or not, she struggled. My mind dripped into a dark place where this time, this place, Yuki broke. She remained a frozen statue, gets found by Haruhi, who freaks out. Yuki never gets better and Haruhi recreates the world and, at a fundamental level, Yuki, effectively killing the girl who fought to stay alive and sane for two weeks of forever.

Of course, it might not go down like that. I just imagined it. Watching the flash-frozen gaze of Yuki, my stomach twisted, my heart pounded, my adrenaline flowed. Conflicting desires tormented me, as I tried to decide between giving Yuki more time or risking Haruhi's turmoil at seeing me get closer.

I don't know how much time had passed. A minute. Ten minutes. An hour. It felt like hours. But it was only probably ten seconds before my own will broke.

"Yuki?" I asked in a very calm and soothing tone. I couldn't imagine what might happen if Haruhi came by when Yuki was like this. I swallowed down a nasty taste at the back of my throat.

Fortunately she woke from her trance with one word. A blink and she returned from that distant place I lost her in. She looked at me and acknowledged my apparent fear. She nodded minutely, and I could tell she was telling me she was okay. I am not sure I believed her, but it wasn't the time to press her now.

She continued, looking away, not wanting to talk about her little episode, "It was late in the summer." I took this to mean that it was late in the "endless" time loop, not actually late in the summer vacation. "I started rearranging the books on the shelves, ordering them correctly. The disorder did not bother me so much, as much as I heard someone complaining one iteration that they were short on staff and did not have the time to fix it. I was…" she paused, "between topics and decided I would help this once, just as something unique. This was not strictly against my role as an observer, as it there was little probability my action would have any effect on Haruhi Suzumiya."

She looked over to where one of the library workers was shelving books. "It was pleasant and easy. After they realized I was not making things worse, they let me continue, thanking me for helping them." She looked back at me as if to judge my reaction. I was still coming down from my spiral of worries, but I nodded for her to continue. "They seemed to appreciate the help, and there were several days during vacation that my day was free."

This was true, there were at least four or five days in the summer vacation I remember that we had the day free, only to meet up in the evening. I guess I just imagined Yuki sitting around in her apartment during these events. "So you started doing it more regularly, as something to do, since they were nice and didn't mind? Good for you."

Yuki nodded, almost appearing relieved, though I couldn't guess why, "Yes. It was a revelation as to why many of the other humanoid interfaces have jobs outside of their assigned purposes." Her eyes brightened a little, something humoring her. "I believe the library staff think I have some sort of disability."

I laughed. What a patently silly idea. Of all of us, Yuki was the least disabled of us. Haruhi was the one with issues, if anyone.

Yuki shook her head, disagreeing with me, "I have far more limitations than others, of which these could be seen as disabilities. I was created to observe, not socialize." She seemed to have been speaking a little faster as well, as if trying to spit the words out before they abandoned her. "I am not comfortable talking like this with anyone but for-"

When she cut herself off, it seemed less because she ran out of words than as if she got interrupted.

It wasn't until Haruhi reappeared not two seconds later from behind me, announcing in a stage whisper, "Okay! Let's get out of here," that I realized that she had been interrupted.

We stood up and followed her out of the building back to the train station, my conversation with Yuki abandoned.

I wondered at what she was going to say. Sure, she used to be a little sparse with her words when with the others, but since the summer ended, she hasn't been quite so isolated and quiet. She would talk to us all in a group.

But then, it wasn't like she became a chatter box. When it was just Yuki, Itsuki, Mikuru and myself, she tended to speak when prompted or to dispense facts.

Mikuru said that seeing the movie was nice with a friend, but there wasn't much conversation, when I asked her about it later.

Yuki didn't say more than a few sentence at a time in the clubroom with Haruhi around and it was usually some joke. This was why today's comments were so surprising.

In fact if you asked me right now, I would almost say that Yuki wasn't comfortable around Haruhi. She stood on the opposite side of me, trudging along in her mechanical "disinterested" walk a few paces behind. When we got on the train, this remained the standard, keeping me between Haruhi and herself.

Maybe I was looking too far into nothing. I wasn't one to put too much faith in my own guesses or analysis, my grades in class a prime example of why I shouldn't anyway.

I also didn't really like the implication that there was some unspoken tension between the two girls I was currently riding the train with.

We got off the train, and Haruhi turned to face us. "Good job guys. That was a perfect setup Yuki. I am going to go home and revise some scenes because of how it isn't what I expected, but I think it will work out well. Get home and get some sleep tonight guys. We are doing lots of scenes tomorrow!"

I nodded and sighed. I wasn't much for acting myself. I wanted to be involved, but I think I would prefer to be the cameraman. It would be safer.

I'd have liked to talk to Yuki a little more but she already began to trudge off, head held a little lower than usual. I was a little worried about her, but I stood there, not sure what to do. I wish I could text her right now, as calling when she gets home felt a little too intrusive.

I was the last to start moving, heading back home with, as usual these days, far too much on my mind.

The filming went well. There were some hiccups. The cherry blossoms bloomed in the fall, and then there was that male calico cat that Haruhi found, which was extremely rare, but not too alarming. Not like it started talking or anything.

We were finally filming some of the country-side stuff today and tomorrow, but next week we were going to be more pressed for time, as each class started their own work for the cultural festival at the start of November. Only two weeks left, and I while I was pretty confident we will finish with plenty of time to edit all the material we had and would have into a good movie, I still was worried for some reason.

Itsuki had been kind enough to think ahead and request permission to film at the shrine we were using for dramatic backdrop, so today was as smooth as I could expect it to have been. Except for the last part of it.

Today, I am walking Haruhi home. A dangerous prospect.

Of course, I am carrying her bag, along with the camera she "obtained". Not much talking was happening yet. We had just gotten on the last train together, after having said our goodbyes to the other three. I was pretty certain that Itsuki, Mikuru, and Yuki ride this train to get home too, but for reasons beyond comprehension, they found excuses to not follow Haruhi and me back into town.

The train ride came and went, with Haruhi standing beside me, scowling at the fellow riders.

It wasn't until we got off the train and started walking towards her house that she finally found something to say.

"Kyon… What's going on between you and Yuki?" Her tone was even, almost casual.

"Nothing really. We are friends. What's going on between you and Itsuki?"

"What?! Nothing! Why could you even-"

"Well, I mean, he's been walking you home every day for the past week. I'd be surprised if he hadn't met your parents yet." Nonchalance was my armor here, as I deflected as well as I could figure.

Seeing Haruhi flustered at my guess was almost worth the awkward, dangerous situation. She sputtered a moment then said, "That's nothing! My parents were leaving at the same time we arrived. He- you-... What are you meeting Yuki about tomorrow?" She changed gears suddenly, obviously not needing to explain herself.

I shrugged. "No idea. She sounded concerned, so it might be something to do with her family. I hope not. That sort of thing worries me."

Haruhi replied with a simple contemplative hum. We walked in silence for a while.

"Is there something that happened when I wasn't around, Kyon?"

What did she mean?

"You know what I mean. I still get this feeling I have been left out of the group. That I am an outsider. It's been almost two months since the end of August, but everyone seems like it's been two years. Everyone is different. More open, but I can't help but feel there is a mountain of secrets I am missing out on."

I turned to face Haruhi directly, asking, "What makes you feel like that? How have we changed?"

"Well, for example… Koizumi, he's… far more attentive than usual. Not background noise anymore, sort of. You know, he has that air of being above everything, but now he watches me a little closer, and he has been giving advice and suggestions. He even disagreed with me a couple times. And Mikuru has been sticking up for herself. She even said she would rather wear the cheerleading costume instead of the bunny girl for the movie. And Yuki… she's the worst. Well. She has changed the most, I mean. She's making jokes and is really acting in the movie! I mean what is that about?" She shook her head as if still having trouble comprehending it. "And you are getting involved in things. You aren't pretending not to care anymore about the club activities."

Haruhi's face, this entire time, has been a mixture of puzzled, annoyed, and just a tiny bit shy. It was pretty cute looking, if I do say so myself, though it didn't distract me. I really was worried about how much she had noticed. Had we really been that obviously different? I finally asked, "Do the changes bother you?"

She looked sour, "Well no. I don't need a Yes Man to know my ideas are good and he has been a really great help for the movie. It makes hi- it more interesting, but it's not like him at all. Mikuru still listens to me, she just offers opinions. And I was a little worried she would graduate and never get her own backbone. Yuki… Yuki I don't understand very well but she seems more lively… and I am glad you stopped complaining at every comment and decree I offer. Even so, it doesn't all add up, like you all are really good doppelgangers, but you didn't study the right backstory."

She paused here, as if summing up her thoughts, "And there are secrets too. Like today, when you were off going to get food for everyone, I said that I wished it were summer again, so we would have more time to film."

She watched my face, looking for something and found it. "Do you know what Yuki did?"

I feigned ignorance. "No. What did she do?"

"She turned white as a sheet. No, really. I thought she was going faint or something. She turned white as a sheet and went to go to the bathroom without a word. She locked the door and wouldn't come out, and didn't until you finally returned."

"Huh." I wondered if my acting skills were really as bad as Haruhi said they were. She didn't call me out on my blank stare yet, but she looked suspicious.

"Exactly. I haven't ever seen her go to the bathroom before, either, thinking about it! She looked terrified, and worse, Mikuru looked almost as bad, and seemed to want to hide in the bathroom with Yuki. Only Koizumi acted 'normal'… if you call trying to distract me with an argument that movies with more time crunch were interesting. Something about 'adversity being the crux of great success'."

No wonder the table was so tense when I got back with the food. Hell, was that what Yuki needed to talk about? I'll try to call her tonight. "That's interesting."

Haruhi turned to face me, stopping on the sidewalk just past the train tracks near my house. Haruhi told me an interesting story on this exact sidewalk once, just before I had a very disturbing experience in closed space.

She crossed her arms. Ah, the interrogation was about to begin. "And you just act all cool about everything. You know what I think? I think something huge happened and I am being left out. I think you know what is going on! What is happening, Kyon? I feel like the butt of a joke. You all look around at each other every once in a while, with a smile, or a smirk or even just a glance, like there's some hidden joke. You all spent our entire summer break making everything into a game, trying to do it all bigger, faster and more exciting than it needed to be. And you all had gathered at Yuki's apartment before you even thought to invite me…"

Haruhi's face broke into something more solemn- more lonely and heartbroken- than I had ever seen, even the last time we stood at these train tracks, and she talked to me about baseball. "Am I a bad friend, Kyon? Am I being left behind? What did I do?"

I swallowed. This wasn't what I expected. What we expected. Could we have anticipated that Haruhi would notice everything so obviously? Or were we that bad at hiding it?

The problem was that Haruhi really did get left behind. She wasn't a part of the déjà vu club, a subdivision of the SOS Brigade. She had no fractional memories of nearly two thousand years of summer. She stepped out of the time loop exactly two weeks older than when she stepped in. How much older, or at least, how much different did the rest of us step out to be? Considering the facts… she really has done a phenomenal job of not falling further behind.

It wouldn't be hard to play the part of old Kyon. Feign ignorance. Let Haruhi make her own answer. Let that answer come back to bite us all in a few weeks or months. She'd buy it, I bet. Just to get a taste of the way things used to be, so she could pretend she was imagining that her friends had changed without her.

Haruhi. Master of self-delusion. If anyone has any doubt of that, then just consider how many other people could bring together time-travelers, espers, and aliens in one place, but so completely disbelieve that sort of luck that they refused to accept it was true when I told them outright.

But I couldn't do that to her. Haruhi didn't deserve that, and if there was ever a reason why we had to tell her the truth, why would she trust us if we did act like she wasn't as important to us? And when it was most important, that sort of lie would come back to bite us like nothing else could.

Best to stick to the truth, "You didn't do anything, not really. Something happened over the break to all of us, including you. But I can't tell you right now, Haruhi."

"And why not?"

"Because for one thing, in the wise words of a friend, you do not take the information I give you seriously. You need to be ready to believe anything."

"What, so you can spin me some fantastic yarn?" her head was tilted and her fists rested on her hips in emphasis.

She didn't expect my response.

"That's exactly it. Until you can believe me, it wouldn't be safe to explain it all. And it isn't my story alone to tell you."

She looked like she didn't know if she wanted to be furious or sad that I wouldn't tell her. "What does that mean?! Did you all get abducted by aliens or something when I wasn't watching?"

Not quite, though she wouldn't believe how much more realistic it would sound compared to the whole story.

Haruhi heard that, and instead of being furious, like I expected, she looked lost and forlorn. She almost looked like she would turn and run any second.

I slumped a bit, but didn't lose my resolve, "Haruhi. I promise you, we aren't going to abandon you. We are your friends."

Her eyes flashed angry again, then down at the sidewalk. She took her bag from me, leaving me with the camera. "Whatever. Just do whatever you like." She began to stomp off.

I followed her, exactly as I hadn't last time at this very trains crossing.

She looked back at me and glared harder, "What are you doing?"

I raised an eyebrow, "My home is that way." I gestured with the bag holding the camera. Her face was more exasperated than anything now.

"Fine."

We walked a few steps, and I finally said, "Hey, Haruhi."

"What?" she drawled a bit, as if tired of my shenanigans.

"Just think of it as a mystery to be solved. You did so well on the island." I didn't mention that I was the one that helped her solve it, with the details I noticed. "This mystery is just a little more complicated."

At this, she paused to study my face. She searched for a minute, before something caught in her eye. "Are you issuing me a challenge?"

I shrugged, "If you like."

She didn't quite smile, but her eyes shone. Maybe I just bit off more than we could chew just now. Then again, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Have I ever thought 'maybe it wouldn't be so bad' and been right before? For the life of me, I couldn't think of one time, all the way home.

When I got there, I called Itsuki and warned him about the possibility of closed space tonight, while Haruhi slept. I also warned him about what I said to Haruhi.

"Oh, Kyon, you fill the empty hours of my life. Well, I will inform the others. You get some rest. Tomorrow we are shooting action scenes."

The next day, I spent more time running and jumping and rolling around in the dirt than I have ever done before in my life. I was sore and bruised, and my clothes were a mess. If I were a suspicious type, I'd wonder if Haruhi had some sort of latent annoyance she was trying to work on, using me as the punching bag.

Filming started with only a minor catastrophe occurring, wherein Itsuki noticed that the camera we were using was suddenly a far more advanced and expensive model than it had been the day previous. Haruhi either didn't notice or didn't comment.

When the day ended, I first went home to change. As a result of my sister pestering me about her acting role this weekend, I happened to be a little late to the park where I met Yuki once, in those early days of the Brigade.

Yuki was waiting patiently on the same bench as when I first met her here, resting at the exact center. I slowly got off my bike, asking, "Hey. I didn't make you wait long, did I?" I sat down on the end of the bench, watching for her reply.

Yuki responded with a simple shake of her head, her eyes watching me.

We sat in semi-comfortable silence for a bit, though after a few minutes, I felt the need to break the quiet. "So how are you? You sure you're doing okay after yesterday?"

Yuki pondered the question for a bit. If it were anyone else, I would be worried about how long it took. Yuki just didn't say much reflexively. I always assumed it was so she could translate her words into language without lying. "I was troubled at the time, though Haruhi's concern for my well-being did much to assuage my fears that we might revert. I believe I would... not be fully prepared to handle re-entering the time-loop."

That was an understatement, if there ever was one. Is there a word for the opposite of hyperbole? Yuki pretty much embodies the whole idea of anti-hyperbole.

I nodded. "Makes sense. Anything I can do?"

She shook her head, "I am working on modulating my responses. It would not be good if I am unable to cope with any reminders of those last two weeks of summer for the remainder of my existence."

"Alright. Tell me if I can help."

She nodded, "I will. But that is not the reason I requested your presence here. I have a couple factors I wish to discuss outside of filming or the club as a whole."

"Sounds good. Lay it on me." This got a bit of a surprising response from her, at least to me.

She suddenly smiled. I had seen Yuki's small, slow smile more and more lately, but this one happened all at once, like a burst of sunlight on a cloudy day, rather than a gradually dawning sun.

She followed with a quick response as well, "In my time exploring the internet, I have found a great many unique things. Did you know that there are whole databases that have been created that are open for exploration, their sole intent: to teach artificial intelligence how humans think and process language? Thousands of sayings, idioms, metaphors and other esoteric knowledge."

I shook my head, "We haven't even created artificial intelligence yet. Why bother?"

"They hope that if humans do develop the technology, these databases would help develop friendlier and more understanding artificial intelligence."

"Did they help you?"

Yuki paused, turning on the bench to stare at me. I met her gaze a little surprised. She finally answered, an unreadable look on her face, "I am not an artificial intelligence. At least, I am not an artificial intelligence in the sense that humans define it. I was created by the Integrated Data Thought Entity, specifically as a humanoid interface. The concept is hard to convey in human language, but I do not think the process was much dissimilar than how humans developed dozens of breeds of dogs from tamed wolves. Or how children are products of their parents. You consider yourself no more an artificial intelligence than I do, in that regard."

"I am not sure those two analogies are as close as you think they are. But I didn't mean to insult you."

She blinked, "I am not insulted. The concept is simply hard to convey in human language. But I did think the databases were..." She turned away slowly, looking past the park, beyond anything a mere normal human could observe. It took her a long time to finally answer, but I waited patiently, "Cute. It was... endearing that they would go to such effort to welcome truly inhuman intelligence into their culture."

I chuckled at that. Yuki found something us humans did as endearing. She continued before I could speak up, "None of the information created data, in the sense observed by my kind. Only Haruhi Suzumiya has that power. But knowing that other humans welcome the concept of foreign intelligences beyond her is reassuring, in a way." She looked down at her lap. "All of these databases, and the internet itself as a whole, have been observed by the Integrated Data Thought Entity. Had I wanted, I could have observed it all in a similar manner, all at once. But I have found some... comfort in discovering the various features on my own."

This I understood. It was the thrill of the hunt, at its basic level. "Just like how you enjoyed reading books, rather than just, ah, taking the knowledge from the thought entity itself." I had wondered why she read books. It didn't seem likely that her boss would have not absorbed all the information it could from human culture.

She nodded, turning her head to face me. "Exactly. Part of the reason I have asked you to come was because I wish to express my gratitude for sharing the internet with me."

Her eyes were luminous, glowing from the bright sun falling behind us, as she stared into my face. Caught off guard by the intensity of the gaze, I looked away, dismissing her gratitude. "No big deal, Yuki. I'm just glad you ended up finding it unique." I smiled and glanced back at her, having used her turn of phrase, and hoping she wasn't staring at me quite so intensely.

She was, but she seemed to have something else on her mind, "It is a big deal. It means a lot to me." She faltered, looking away and down. "There is another reason I requested your presence here. Like many of the things I discuss, it is a concept that is hard for me to verbally convey to you."

Judging by the look on her face, I wondered what could be so serious. "It's okay. I'm here for you. Take your time."

She glanced back at me in momentary gratitude, before she began to speak. "My purpose when I was created was to observe. This is not a universal purpose for all humanoid interfaces created by the Integrated Data Thought entity, nor even a specialty for most. But it was, and still is, my specialty. I have a refined sense of data flow through most observable space around me, and it allows me to observe the flow of data with a lower probability of error than most of my related humanoid interfaces."

Well, she lost me already. It sounded like she was sort of starting over from yesterday at the library, but in more detail. Was she giving me her back story, or something? Yuki was sitting stock still, arms crossed in her lap. She looked like she was staring at a spot in the pavement about five meters away, though the dark hair on the side of her face concealed much of her expression.

"I was created to observe the space around Haruhi Suzumiya during the period of time she was expected to enter high school. There are and were other interfaces observing her before then, and several watching her on the night of July seventh three years ago, but I was not meant to be a primary agent in that event until you arrived on my doorstep with Mikuru."

She said Mikuru's name without her family name, interesting. I wonder, did they know to start observing Haruhi before she could create the burst of data?

Yuki started at my question, before answering, "The data created ripples that could be tracked in means beyond normal space-time. The Integrated Data Thought Entity can detect when and where the creation of data occurs, but not how or why. To do that, it needed to have others watch her during prime events. Once my primary observation role began at the start of this school year, it was not my purpose to have any interaction with Haruhi or other students directly. My capabilities allowed me to observe entire areas of data without my actual physical presence. I obviously expected to encounter you at least once, and possibly Mikuru, since you thought to find me when you were trapped in the past. I did not expect to be sitting alone in the literature room at lunch one day and have Haruhi burst into the room, requesting my permission to use the room for some event later that day."

Wouldn't you know that would happen, since you synchronized?

Yuki shook her head, before standing suddenly, and smoothing out the skirt to her school uniform. It was an odd gesture from Yuki, almost outright unbelievable.

Yuki didn't make extraneous gestures but for the occasional glances, or blinks. It would be like watching Haruhi sit completely still and read a book. Even in class, or when she was sitting at the club computer, she was moving, either tapping a foot or something. Yuki smoothed her skirt out a couple more times, as if she couldn't get it to lay down how she wanted.

Yuki sat back down, and I had to double take. I had to make sure I was really seeing what I saw.

"Synchronizing with my future self is not quite time travel. Nor is all data sent from the future to the past. It is very complicated. It would be easiest to say that only relevant information was sent back into the past, so as to avoid creating a paradox, or to avoid removing my agency as is the case for human time travelers. If I knew exactly how the next three years would continue, then I could not make decisions. I did not expect to see Haruhi. And I did not expect to see you enter the classroom. It would be my second encounter with you, in my personal experience, but it was your first encounter with me, in your personal experience."

When Yuki sat back down, she seemed to be sitting closer. It wasn't by much, but it was definitely there.

"As I stated before, I was mainly created to observe. I hadn't studied much on human interaction, as before the brigade started, I did not have much need for it. That first conversation with you demonstrated my need to expand my skills. I had begun reading books a few weeks before the actual semester of school began, believing that it would help integrate the social knowledge I had been given, in the light of your arrival on that initial Tanabata, three years ago. When Haruhi started her club, I knew that you would need to know who, and what, I was."

Things started to come together for me. She was rambling. Yuki was talking in a nearly constant stream, about, as far as I could tell, nothing quite important. Not that I minded, or that what she said wasn't important to me. I wanted to let her speak, because if Yuki felt like saying something, it was usually very important. I didn't get that feeling now. She was talking her way into something important, but this part was just her way of getting there. Was she nervous? Had she made a nervous gesture just then, when she stood up and smoothed her skirt? Was that what all these words were? Some sort of nervous chatter, Yuki-style? What did she have to be nervous about?

"I requested permission to tell you about what I was, so that when you went back in time, you would think to find me. The Integrated Data Thought Entity gave me permission. It was at that time I attempted to contact you covertly, as I did not wish to attract the attention of Haruhi or Mikuru. It is, of course, a matter of course that I tried to contact you by means that I would have found effective, had they been they used on me, but I could not conceive of another that would have caught your eye. The bookmark-"

"Yuki."

She flinched, very, very slightly. She was still staring at the concrete a few meters out. I hadn't interrupted her mid-sentence before, because I was trying to figure out where this was leading. I think it might take a long time if I let her talk without interruption, and it was getting dark.

"It's not that I don't like hearing this, and if you want, you can continue, but I get the feeling you might be talking around something… What exactly are you trying to get at?"

Yuki hunched a little, and took a deep breath. "Much of my development has been prompted by you. I wish to thank you for spending the time and energy for being patient with me. I… appreciate it greatly. I cannot be so open with anyone else, not yet."

That might have been part of it, but she was still talking around something. "Yuki, your so called development was prompted by yourself. We are friends, all the development we go through is mutual… What-?"

I stopped talking, as Yuki stood. She turned to look directly at me. She stood over me, looking down into my face, three parts calm and cool like usual, one part very minutely terrified.

"You are a key aspect of my current self and much of my data is oriented in your direction. I do not wish to be without you. It is very important that you stay with me, in spite of my primary goal of watching over Haruhi Suzumiya."

Oh. Ooooh. This was… oh good grief. I am not prepared for this sort of thing. We were just first-year studentsl! Wasn't this sort of thing supposed to happen in my senior year, after years of bonding? Well, I suppose we have more years of bonding than any normal friendship, but I couldn't remember more than two weeks of it.

Hell, how many times did I offer to buy her that mask at the O-bon festival? How many times had I asked about her, concerned, that first night after swimming? How many times did I pay for her dinner on that last night of summer?

Of course, I was sitting there, dumbfounded, and I really ought not leave her waiting like that. Already, her face had slid from one-fourth mildly terrified, to something closer to two-fifths.

"You are very important to me too, Yuki. You are a vital part of the team, and if you weren't around to protect us, I don't think I would be nearly as calm, or sane, when a crisis comes around."

She blinked, something I said sliding into place. It broke my heart to see her suddenly crestfallen. I was a little shocked she would jump to conclusions so quickly, but I figured it must be all the books she read. Yuki looked like she was in more pain than any time during the loop I remember, and I stood in response. I put my hands on her shoulders, half smiling. I wondered how much terror showed on my face as I began to ramble.

"I like you too, Yuki. A lot. I don't think I would handle you disappearing without complete panic. I am not saying that we can't be together! I am just scared I am going to do something even crazier than try to…" I had to force the next word out, it almost refused to come, "Date someone as spectacular as you. You might think you are not as socially capable, but I am a teenage boy! Do you know how dumb that makes me?"

Yuki's face had fallen to the ground seconds after I saw it shift into sadness, but now she looked up at me again, confused.

"You've read more books than any human ever. Don't more than a few of them describe the folly of the young adolescent male mind?"

Yuki looked up at me, in a difficult to pin down mixture of bemusement, contemplation, and worry. My heart pounding, I finished my improvised, scattered speech.

"I like you too, Yuki. I don't know how this will work out, given... well, everything." I took a breath to steady myself, a momentary pause before I came out and said it..

"But I can try, but we have to take this very slow. Very, very slow. You are still... well, dealing with perfectly reasonable issues. I am not very good at... much anything, so this is will probably be one of those things. For now, let's just be closer friends, and move on from there."

Though, for the life of me, I didn't know what she saw in me. I was actually a little worried she was fixated on me because she had no one else to talk to. I should try to get her to hang out with Mikuru or Itsuki or even Haruhi more, just so she would have perspective.

At this point, though, I would be a little crushed if she found out she liked me because I was just the first person she trusted. I'd understand too... but be crushed.

Well, to be honest, I had a tsunami of thoughts and emotions going through my head. It will take me days to sort out what exactly happened tonight. I might not ever figure it out.

She seemed to take as long to process my words as I needed to process them myself. Finally she nodded. Not quite excited, not completely relieved, but not upset either.

"Alright." We stood in peaceful silence for a few minutes, my hand still on her shoulder.

Finally I dropped my hand to my bike, and said, "It's getting dark. I'll walk you home, and you can tell me more about the database you found, the one for artificial intelligence training." I liked to hear her talk, even if ninety percent of it went over my head.

Yuki hesitated, then nodded.

We walked away from the park. We even stopped at a café for tea on the way back.

I was quasi-sort-of-maybe-very-casually-partially dating an alien. What was next, Santa turning out to be real? I think I could believe it.

We finished the movie without a hitch. Well, a major hitch. Of course, Tsuruya became telekinetic for an afternoon, and my sister could read minds for a few days. And on the last day of filming, we found that the camera we had been using morphed into a model twice as expensive again. Haruhi, thankfully, didn't quite notice any of this, but I think she suspected something about how my sister kept answering questions before they were asked.

The movie was... pretty good. I wasn't too ashamed of my presence in the movie, and while we had to spend three twelve-hour days editing the work, it was worth it. The school seemed to dig it too. Apparently it was widely regarded that Yuki was an ice queen or something, and to see her play an emotional role was a huge surprise. What was even more amazing was when Haruhi took over the guitar and vocals for ENOZ, a band our school's music club produced. I had no idea that Itsuki could play drums.

A few days later, we dueled the Computer Club into submission over some space game they created. Of course, both teams were sucked into the game, inexplicably. Haruhi called it a group hallucination, caused by some gas leak from the old building. No one dared argue. I could tell even Haruhi didn't quite buy it, but she couldn't find a more rational explanation and we didn't offer one.

The next day, we had our belated Halloween party, hosted by Tsuruya, in her family's mansion. Everyone came: the brigade, Kunikida, Taniguchi, my sister and even the computer club. The computer club members had to be waiters, poor fellows. Yuki even brought a friend, the pale haired girl Emiri Kimidori. They dressed in matching witch outfits, which sent Haruhi all atwitter. She couldn't figure out why Emiri and the computer club president, whom I must learn the name of, weren't talking. She finally decided on an answer and warned Itsuki not to get involved in the lover's spat when Haruhi thought everyone else was out of earshot.

It wasn't until the end of November that we finally made headway on our time-travel problem, if making plans for a meeting to discuss it counted.

Mikuru told me in the clubroom, though I am sure Itsuki would have rather delivered the bombshell himself.

"Oh, Kyon?" she inquired after ever so kindly placing my tea before me.

I looked up from the study book I was glancing through, trying to get my homework in line during the club downtime. "Yes? And thanks," I thanked her for the tea.

She smiled, pleased, "I hope you like it." She walked over to deposit a cup in front of Yuki as well, who was fiddling with one of the ill-gotten laptops we acquired from the computer club.

Haruhi hadn't shown up yet, cleaning duty again, and Itsuki was, auspiciously, called away for work.

"Well, I have a message from Itsuki. He said he would have liked to deliver it personally, but he didn't know when he would have the chance." Mikuru took a seat at the table herself, settling in to enjoy her own tea.

Itsuki's workload has gotten more and more strained in the last couple weeks. Haruhi wasn't adjusting as well as we could have hoped, and while she seemed to be coping during the club time, her nights and idle moments were still a chaotic mess. Itsuki's been surviving, but even I can tell the lack of sleep is starting to wear on him.

He was currently our biggest resistance to telling Haruhi the truth. I wanted to tell her right after the movie was finished, using the unedited footage to prove our point. He said he was already overworked as it is and if our revelation made things worse, his organization wouldn't be able to handle it. He might have been more than just worried about his own standing with Haruhi too, when we reveal we have been lying all this time.

That was a month ago, and things still haven't gotten much better. Possibly even a little worse. All while, on the surface, Haruhi acted as her usual self. I was beginning to worry about how much she was pretending everything was normal for our benefit. Or was it because of our distance from her?

"Oh yeah? What's Itsuki got to say?"

Mikuru sat down herself, after depositing Yuki's tea. She held her cup before her in both hands, a dead ringer for elegance. She could have been part of the tea ceremony club at her skill level. She tilted her head a little, biting her lip, "We have a day scheduled for meeting the with the other time traveler. He said he would only meet our group if he could bring his own. The plan was to meet in one week, on the weekend."

I nodded, "Makes sense. I am sure this mysterious time traveler wouldn't much like to face a rival another group without backup. Are they time travelers as well?"

I wondered if they also had issues traveling in time. Rival corporations or not, surely it was in everyone's benefit to keep the timeline working properly.

Mikuru shook her head, "No… they are sort of like us. They have a time traveler, an alien, an esper and… um." She paused here, biting her lip again and glancing towards the door, as if worried someone might barge in. " And another person."

I laughed a moment, "Oh, don't tell me there is another poor normal human being dragged on adventures in Japan. Even that stretches the bounds of my imagination."

Mikuru was playing with her tea cup more than drinking anything from it. "Um. Not really. She is… well, she is more like Miss Su- Haruhi. She is someone you know, Itsuki said. He wanted me to tell you, so you had plenty of time to prepare yourself."

I raised my eyebrows. "I knew 'her'? They have another reality warper, one that I know?" I wracked my brain, trying to think of anyone I might know that could be like Haruhi Suzumiya.

No one. Haruhi stood alone. She had no peer. She literally could bend the world to her will, though I wouldn't go so far as to say she was a god, or a wrinkle in space time, or some data anomaly. I couldn't vouch for those things, but I know for a fact that she was something. I'd seen that evidence with my own two eyes.

Mikuru said, "No, he you might react oddly to this, but Itsuki would rather you know now so you can think about it than to see your face when you learn who it is…" She sounded like she had been trying to quote him there, before continuing, "He said her name was Sasaki."

I was thankful that I hadn't been drinking anything at the time, for I would have definitely choked or spit it out or both.

I did manage to swallow and say nothing, but something must have shown on my face, for Mikuru's gaze grew concerned and I could see Yuki's eyes turn towards me.

Mikuru spoke first, "Kyon, are you al-"

There was a crash as the door opened with it's familiar vigor. Haruhi Suzumiya had arrived.

Fortunately, there wasn't anything showing on my face but extreme puzzlement, a befuddlement not bashed out of me by Haruhi's sudden arrival. "Hello everyone! How's-" Haruhi looked around the room, and her radiance dropped by about half. "Where's Koizumi? Not his job again." Haruhi frowned and gave an almost sigh, eyes focusing on me, "And what's with the dumb look?"

Hey, it wasn't any more dumb than the look she was giving, but I decided to keep my mouth shut for the time being.

Sasaki? Sasaki was their Haruhi Suzumiya?

Maybe I should be more clear. I waved off Mikuru's curious gaze, who was blinking approximately one and a half times more than usual. I tried to indicate that it wasn't super important, and for once, she got my gesture after a few moments.

Sasaki was an old acquaintance from middle school. We were in the same class and sat closer to each other than not. Not only that, but she also went to the same cram school as I did, so twice a week, we rode a train out to the cram school together.

Sasaki was not going to the cram school for the same reason I was, namely, to stop the steadily plummeting rock that was my grades at the time. She was actually pretty brilliant, though she had a formal way of talking to boys that she didn't use with other girls. She could match Itsuki's philosophic circumlocution and maybe even beat him, with twice the charm, or at least, less annoying charm to me.

That was beside the point of Sasaki, however. That Sasaki and I talked frequently in middle school was not something that would be considered unusual. While I think there were some conversations from others about it, it was pretty clear that nothing would happen, nor did either myself or Sasaki expect it.

The reason I simply can't imagine a completed set of the supernatural to surround her is that she is the penultimate realist. She doesn't believe in anything supernatural. At all. There is no comparison, other than to say she is basically the opposite of Haruhi Suzumiya in that regard.

I couldn't really imagine a more odd person to be friends with a time traveller, alien and an esper. It was too odd an idea. Beyond my comprehension. I filed it away for later. It would be something I dealt with later. The next few days of mine were occupied by another worry. I glanced at Haruhi, who was playing on the computer, but my eyes settled on Yuki, who went back to her computer.

She was tapping at the keys, precisely one keystroke every two seconds. It was an exactness that worried me, but I did not voice my concern. The next few nights would be more important than I could spare to be distracted from.

Two days passed and it became December. My phone was showing me both the date and the time, almost eleven forty-five PM.

There wasn't much to say about today. Old Man Winter had started to show his face, and it was time to break out the scarves and gloves.

But tonight was important. Not to most people. Just one or two. Well, maybe a couple of their friends too.

I called the person for whom it was the most important.

The phone rang five times, before it picked up. All I could hear on the other side was heavy breathing.

"Hey… its me."

More breathing. It sounded strained and ragged, almost like someone was hyperventilating.

"Are you at your apartment?"

More breathing, then a small, "No."

My fears confirmed. "Where are you at?"

A pause, "School."

"Alright. Can you wait for me, Yuki? I will be there in a moment."

There was a longer pause, and a weak, sad sound responded, "Maybe."

I didn't bother to say goodbye. I hung up and shoved the phone in my jacket. I had already snuck out of the house, but the school was not exactly close by. I started to run.

I had bought her the cheap phone a couple weeks ago, so that we could keep in contact in emergencies. I told her she could use her powers to it into a nicer phone if she wanted. She hadn't. I had tried to cover the phone bill, since I knew she wouldn't use it often, but she wouldn't have it, and paid for it herself.

Leaving from my house, I made time that would have impressed the running team. I was gasping for air as I reached the top of the hill my accursed school rested on, approaching the front gates. A lone figure stood before them.

Wearing only her usual school uniform with its jacket, Yuki stood before the gate, one hand gripping a bar of the gate. The other hand was still holding her cellphone up to her ear, listening to silence. A beautiful frozen statue dressed in a school uniform, shining in the pale moonlight.

I approached her now, puffing like a fish out of water, and put my hand on her outstretched arm. She finally looked at me but she seemed lost, alone. I noticed she had the glasses back on. I didn't wince, but I was worried that she might be regressing somehow.

I was starting to get my wind back, and puffed out, "You… are not… alone." I opened my arms and she fell into my chest. She didn't cry, or shake. Her arms were wrapped around me, however, as if I were the last remaining flotsam in a shipwreck.

I wrapped my arms around her. Our experimental dates hadn't even led to so much as a casual handhold or hug, but this situation was an exception, not a rule.

"Happy two-thousand year anniversary, since first meeting three years ago, Yuki. Happy anniversary since your first encounter with the world. I know you think tonight you might have some sort of big emotional breakdown, but I'll be here, so don't worry. It will all be fine."

She said something muffled in my jacket. I didn't know what it was exactly. It didn't matter, not really. I understood exactly what she meant.

Yuki replaced her hand on the gate of the school. She slid it aside, though I knew they locked the school gates in the evening. She opened it far enough for me to walk through beside her. I stepped through beside her, but let her lead.

She maintained her statue composure even while moving: not quite stiffly robotic, but simply inhumanly mechanical. I broke the silence to ask, "May I invite the others? I think they would like to be here too."

This wasn't just an idle thought. I had been thinking I should invite them all along, but I wanted to gauge Yuki's state of mind before actually doing so. I also wanted to make sure it was important enough to wake the other up.

This was important enough. I got the feeling that, beyond her initial outburst of expression by hugging me back, this was not a night that would be better served by solitude. Yuki just hit a terrible landmark of memory, having now existed for at least two millennia, without the self-serving feature of being able to forget.

It's funny. Most people wish they could remember more. They wish they could remember where their keys were. They wish they could remember what exactly that argument with their best friend had been about last month. They wish they could remember all their classes, or their family members' birth-dates, or a million other things.

None of them really think about the tragic downside to perfect or near-perfect memories. They'd have to remember every mistake they made, every single dream, and every single meal eaten alone. They would have to remember every time they had to do a menial task, or every dull trudge up a giant hill to their school, or every single dashed sliver of hope at the end of an eternal tunnel.

Yuki never responded, so I pulled out my phone and composed a text to Itsuki:

"Hey come hang out with yuki and I at school if you are free? Ask mikuru if she is free and pick her up? thx. "

I continued to follow Yuki, who made it to her shoe locker and started the prescribed ritual. I didn't bother. I think the school could stand to have a couple shoes scuff the not quite pristine hallway floors. I didn't really want to let Yuki out of my sight either.

Maybe I should have invited Haruhi. It burned a little at my gut that I didn't. But I was worried it would have made things worse. Yuki tends to close up the most around Haruhi. I think, even, that Yuki might be afraid of Haruhi, which was terribly sad, if you think about it. Haruhi was really doing a good job of thinking of us lately, in a good way, but it would take more than a couple weeks of freedom to make things better yet.

I patiently followed at Yuki's side, marveling at the dark grey sky and the abandoned dark school. The air was eerily still and we seemed alone in the world. I could almost imagine I was in closed space, trapped with a different girl, speaking of awkward memories I wish I could forget.

As we slowly traversed the school grounds, I mulled over the time Haruhi and I nearly created a new world. We were both young then, if you could believe it. I'm a little embarrassed that my first kiss went to a love-struck girl with the propensity to change reality like some people change their hairstyles. I won't deny that I might not have been a little love-struck too. Or, at least, partially enamored by those same qualities that Itsuki so admires.

Perhaps I am being a little too introspective. Yuki's presence does that to me. Or maybe I am just using her as a good excuse for my bad habits.

We were walking towards the old building. Towards, I suspected the club room. Each door Yuki approached yielded no resistance, as if they knew that there was no stopping us, so they didn't even try. As we walked up the stairs, Yuki as silent as a ghost and me causing each step to squeak, I got a text back. I pulled my phone out.

"I'd love to. Mikuru said she'd like to join as well, and I am going to pick her up. What's the occasion?"

"Just hanging out. were in the clubroom."

Yuki opened the clubroom door and stepped in, flicking the light on with a practiced motion. I put my phone away and followed her in. She headed straight for her chair, in the right, far corner. She took a seat.

Just as she settled, a book appeared in her hand.

I blinked, trying to go back over the moment in my head. She sat down. She lifted her hands to her lap. Then there was a book in her hand. I wasn't surprised so much that she pulled the book out of nowhere, just that that she pulled it out of nowhere while I watched.

I bit my lip a little, wondering just how far gone she was, but I didn't comment.

Instead, I went over to the tea kettle and started it, so that we could all have something to drink. I didn't plan on making any, as even my family has barred me from the task, but I figured it could get ready for when Mikuru and Itsuki get here. I also turned on the space heater that Itsuki had so kindly provided the club. It wasn't freezing, but the school heater wasn't on, and it was chilly in the room.

I took my usual seat on the opposite table as Yuki, but not before picking out a few games to lay on the table. I didn't know what kind of games Mikuru or Itsuki would like to play, but I figured that we could pass the time in comfort.

Mikuru came into the room twenty or so minutes later. If I may say the following without insulting the club's mascot, she looked like she just got out of bed and put on the fastest outfit she could find. Her hair was in a bit of a tangle too. It was cute, and she looked like she could use a little more time to wake up, but she greeted us with a cheerful yawn and "Hey, guys. Um, How are you? Itsuki should be here in a minute…" She looked at Yuki in concern for a few seconds, but the humanoid interface didn't respond.

I shrugged at Mikuru and just motioned to let Yuki be. She seemed not to get what I was trying to say at first, but then grasped it, nodding.

Mikuru, almost against her own volition, seemed drawn to the outfit rack. She began pawing through them, as if trying to decide which one would be best, before I spoke up, "You know, you don't have to change into anything. Har- we are just chilling today." I didn't really want to mention the uninvited member of the brigade or her absence.

Yuki was still reading her book in the corner, in complete silence. I hated the simile that came to mind, but she seemed a little like a bomb that didn't have any instructions, one that we weren't sure if it had been armed yet or not. I hated myself for making the comparison, but it was what it was.

I remembered her standing on the balcony, emotionless from the rush of experience of being free. I remember her in the library, frozen in memory. I see her now and all I want to do is help. I don't know how, but I am trying.

Mikuru smiled, "Ah, well. I am just in the habit. It's a little chilly in here for most of these. Which of these do you think is warmer?" For comparison, she pulled out two sleeves of the identical-in-all-but-color pair of frog suits we had. We got them as payment for the grocery store job in the summer, though why in the world Haruhi wanted them, I couldn't imagine.

Mikuru took one look at my face and giggled with a wink, before rearranging the rack to look more organized. "I would make tea, but Itsuki said-"

"I said that it would be remiss to make you do all the work around the clubroom, especially on an unexpected meeting. Ah, good, everyone is here." Itsuki opened the door and explained.

In one hand, he had a convenience store bag. "I hope no one minds, but I took the liberty of collecting some snacks and treats, as well as milk and sugar. I wanted to make some black tea, if no one minds. Good timing tonight. It is my day off."

By all means, the caffeine would help me wake up, though I did sympathise with Itsuki. He looked weary, like he hadn't slept well in the past few nights, and tonight would be fixing that any time soon.

"Sure, sounds good. Any games you three want to play?"

Mikuru asked to play Connect Four while Itsuki took over her job as chief barista for the evening.

The hours waned, and we played a couple different games in the meantime. Itsuki napped for a bit at first, but joined in after about an hour.

Itsuki and Mikuru were neck and neck near the end in Candyland, with me still trailing at the starting line, when Yuki closed her book with a final snap.

We jumped then looked over at our Yuki. She took in a deep breath, and let it out in a grand sigh. She looked over at us and took off her glasses. She stood, and the book and spectacles were both gone, just as quickly as the book had appeared.

Her eyes reflected the florescent light as her gaze danced among us. Finally, she said, "Thank you…"

We all smiled, and I was about to say something, walking around the table to her. She continued before I could get the words out, "-for being my friends. I think I will be okay for now…"

Her lips twitched into a half-smile, "I think I might need some rest." She wobbled a moment, looking faint. I rushed to catch her before she could hit the ground.

She steadied herself, though her hand reached to grab my arm. "No, I am fine…" She her smiled widened just an iota, and she leaned a little harder on me. "Just a little tired."

Mikuru and Itsuki offered to clean up so I could take Yuki home. I did just that, and made sure she made it into her apartment. She looked like she had mostly recovered by the time we made it to her floor, but she didn't seem to mind holding onto my arm for support. We didn't talk on the way back.

I left her at the door, the pair of us staring at one another across the threshold. I smiled at her, "I told you, nothing is inevitable."

She gave me her small, heartfelt smile, agreeing simply with, "No."

"Goodnight, Yuki. Remember to call me next time, alright?"

"I will. Goodnight. See you later."

The unexpected turn of phrase from her lips made me smile. "See you."

While I couldn't read her mind, I had a feeling she was going to be alright. There might be episodes or hiccups, but Yuki would come out okay, and that meant the rest of us would be okay too. At least, I thought, with no small wry irony, until the next disaster.

I do not remember where I had encountered the quote, but I simply have to agree.

Events are cowards, and run in packs.

I think I read it when I was distractedly paging through one of Yuki's books in the clubroom. That was weeks ago, and not really relevant. I really need to tell you about the present.

It was still that night, or that morning, where Itsuki, Mikuru and I gathered in the clubroom to support Yuki, who was having some sort of episode. I didn't know what might have happened, but she seemed to be better, even in a good mood, as we left the school.

I walked Yuki back up to her apartment. It wasn't that I didn't trust her to make it there herself. Mostly. Okay, maybe I didn't trust her to be on her own completely, yet.

I was now walking home, tired and chill and ready to sleep, as I would have classes in about four hours.

On an otherwise boring empty street between two large apartment complexes, I came across a small dark alley that extend into the cracks between buildings.

These small alleys were unlit and the shadows within had this eerie stillness, a like the shadows were trying to reach out into the dimly lit street, one of them reaching out tendrils across a patch of dead grass. These thoughts were just idle thoughts as my mind wandered, nothing notable was actually notable about these alleys, even as I walked past. Or, as I tried to walk past.

I didn't notice who it was. You don't blame me for having my mind on everything but my surroundings, do you? I was thinking about school tomorrow, and how relieved I was Yuki seemed okay, and how worried about our meeting with Sasaki in two days.

The only foreshadowing I had was the clatter of boots sprinting on concrete through one of those dark alleys. The last thing I expected was for someone to barrel into me at full speed from the dark.

The impact shook my whole body and I was flung into the air. As if to keep me from getting too complacent, the world began to spin as well, and I found myself on top of my attacker as we collided hard with the ground. We tumbled into a short skid on across that nearby patch of grass all the way on the other side of where I was walking.

Dazed, I looked up into the face of who assaulted me. I found myself rather more confused and awkward than angry.

"Miss Tsuruya?"

It was indeed our Tsuruya of the Tsuruya clan. I didn't know her first name, but I'd recognize her raven black hair and dark laughing eyes anywhere. Right now though her hair was done up in a tight bun and she looked as shocked as I felt.

"Kyon? Whats are you- The seals should have kepts you from-" She suddenly broke into a wide grin and gave a bark of laughter. "Of course, you'd be an exception, huh? One second."

She wrestled an arm up to her ear and pressed her fingers against the wire I just noticed sticking out of her ear. A head set? Like some secret agent might wear?

She began shouting in an authoritative tone, "Bravo team, Don'ts lets that son of a kappa out of your sights. Herd him towards the shoppings center and don't use the kanji scrolls, he's an expert counter-spell. I will intercepts in five." She listened for a moment, before continuing in her bizarre language, "I ran into a cognizants. No, I don'ts think we need a wipe-team for this ones…"

Her eyes flashed to mine like a razor shimmering in the dark. She could cut someone dead with that gaze. She finished, calmly and confidently, "He can keep his mouth shut." Her teeth shined, a wolven grin in the street light, but her eyes were as dark and serious as that alley she came from.

For the first time I could place, Tsuruya looked more threatening than welcoming, and her elongated canine only added to the verisimilitude. I wondered what she was doing out here in the night, and why it looked like she was holding a staff in her other hand.

She listened for a moment more before seeming satisfied, lowering her hand, "So, Kyon... think you can lets me up?"

At this, I realized I was still laying on top of the girl who so casually threatened me after plowing into me at full speed and spoke about spells and kappas to something called 'Bravo team'.

I scrambled to my feet, trying to get off of her as quickly as my stunned mind would let me. I stood, and, looking down at her, I could finally see what she was wearing.

It looked like she was wearing the military uniform of Japan's secret shrine maiden paramilitary division, if such a thing existed.

The top had long flowing sleeves and was cut like a kimono jacket in front, but was dyed a dark grey-silver, almost black. The sleeves had small pockets sewn into it and her belt was adorned with pouches and a pair of drums and what looked like bells covered in cloth. Over one shoulder was a strung bow, and on her back was no backpack, but what looked like a quiver of arrows. Her pants matched the top, made of tough material that tried to mimic a shrine maiden's hakama, but was black or a dark green instead of red. Her shoes didn't even pretend to be a part of a miko's attire, just black army boots with straps. Gripped in her left hand was a spear with a long bladed tip, bright and curved as the crescent moon at the end. I wasn't an expert in such things, but it was definitely no toy.

All in all, it was the most bizarre thing I could imagine Tsuruya, or anyone for that matter, wearing. Unconsciously, I offered my hand to her. She took it with her free right hand, still grinning madly, and hauled herself to her feet. "I bets you have some questions, huh, Kyon?"

I nodded dumbly, but my brain was still skipping tracks, "Um..."

Her smile widened and she laughed again, "Well, I'd like to explain, but I can'ts. Like, ats all. Justs pretend you never saw me." I blinked, and she continued, waving at nothing in particular, "And if you can'ts do that, just promise me you won't tell Mikuru about this? She's my friend, but she doesn'ts need to know abouts..." she motioned to her outfit, "-this, alright?

She looked thoughtful for a moment, adding, "Also, thats goes double for Koizumi. His group is cute, but they can'ts know whats my family does. It would mega shatter their little worldview, and it is simply too..." She gave a short laugh, "-adorable. That's why we pay them nots to snoop on us." She spoke about this in such a blasé, unconcerned manner, like it was a simple fact that the Tsuruya clan was part of some secret shrine maiden squad.

She smiled again, looking me up and down, before nodding. I still hadn't recovered enough to say anything. "I knew you and I were the same, I could smell its. We are both justs average humans, wrangling the supernaturals, in our own way. Anyways, I gots a youkai to catch. See you ats school, Kyon!"

She turned for a moment, but I caught her free hand, "Wait! Do you keep creepy stuff from finding Haruhi? Are you another group of her creation? What do-"

Tsuruya looked like she was about start laughing her head off, but her face turned dark. She transitioned so fast from cheerful joy to stern stoicism so fast that my words caught in my throat.

She pulled her hand from mine and held up her finger in a single motion. I dutifully said nothing. She pressed her hand to her ear again. I was still trying to comprehend her warfare miko outfit.

"Under the hospital, you said? He must think thats hideouts is still undiscovered. Mega Perfects. Isolates him under secondary alpha isolation and watch the sewers. He can'ts escape now. I am en routes." Her gloved hand gripped onto her shortened naginata in a gesture I could only describe as anticipation.

Looking into the distance, Tsuruya was grinning a sanguine grin, towards the hospital I knew was just a few blocks away. It was a happy grin. It was a predatory grin. Tsuruya looked more dangerous than I had ever seen in that moment, and in that moment, I knew she wasn't joking about any of this.

Something on my face must have shown, and she dialed the smile back a notch, looking more abashed than proud. "Sorry Kyon, I forgots you were there. Whats was thats? Haruhi? No, we don'ts handle her kind. We are strictly spirits, shadows, demons and the like. She has nothing to do with us, directly or indirectly. She's gots her own handlers, we justs make sure the Organization have the means to handle its for us. I hope you don'ts mind I like hanging outs sometimes. It's nice to have normal friends. Well, normal-ish." She gave a cocked grin at that, like she told the best joke in the world.

I was still dumbfounded, "So you aren't trying to hide things from Haruhi? She doesn't make your monsters?"

I was so used to everything in the world revolving around Haruhi. Well, everything weird, at least. Time travelers, Espers, Aliens. They were all obsessed with Haruhi. What was a military shrine maiden doing *unrelated* to Haruhi?

Tsuruya laughed again harder, this time at my expression. "Seriously Kyon. We are not related ats all. My job is to keep the creepy crawlies from everyone, Haruhi and you and the world. Your job is to keep your special brand of supernatural friends herded too. Thats how these things work. I trusts you to keep this to yourself… or else." She twisted the short naginata; the blade twirled a half spin and the lamplight glinted in my eyes.

There was, again, that flash of threat, a terrible burst of danger from her usually happy face. Her eyes were colder, calculating and no longer smiling. It wasn't a frown on her face, just honesty. It was a threat I was not used to in my usually tame life. Even Haruhi never scared me like the woman before me did now, holding a spear and dressed for war. I decided not to risk my life and I would keep her secret to the grave, just in case. I nodded.

She grinned again, bubbly and friendly, "Buts seriously, I gots to go! Good to see you!"

In the blink of an eye, she sprinted into the darkened alley opposite the one she entered, enveloped by shadows so quickly I wondered if a spell was cast. I could hear her shout echo back at me, "Haru-chan is nots the center of the universe, Kyon!"

I wondered what she meant. It was so easy to assume that the world was as small as the clubroom for me. The thing was, I spent my days dealing with hapless time travelers, exhausted psychics, developing aliens, and a teenage girl with immense hidden powers that she didn't know about.

There were more time travelers and aliens and espers and teenage girls with immense power out there too, a completely different group, if Mikuru and Itsuki was to be believed. I thought the world was already big, but maybe I was too narrow minded to really see the big picture.

Maybe I had been getting a little full of myself too. I thought I was some sort of central cog to a network of extraordinary people. Apparently, the world had more odd experiences to surprise me with as well as secrets to keep from me.

Of course, right at that moment, as I watched that darkness for any bigger secrets, I was unaware of how much I really didn't know about the universe.

Too bad the world had to end for me to find out how big-and how very, very small- our universe was.

I didn’t sleep well.

There weren’t any more strange occurrences, thankfully, but I wasn’t for lack of things to distract me.

I got home and snuck back into the house via the back door. No one woke up, no one questioned me, and I got back to my room before the creeping vestiges of pre-dawn light could appear on the horizon. Mentally exhausted, I took off my outer layers and crawled into the relative safety of my bed.

Safe but not sound, so to speak. Never once had I endorsed Haruhi as a god, or a force of nature, or some evolutionary keystone. But apparently she wasn’t even the only source of supernatural?

Would Yuki really be okay after one small session of group therapy, which mostly consisted of sitting in a room while friends played board games in the middle of the night? Who would be stupid enough to think it was that simple? Of course, she might be okay right now, but no one got over their issues by simple virtue of being near friends during a single moment of need.

Of course, there was no respite this weekend either. We were meeting with the other time traveler, and with that came a whole other set of problems. What was Sasaki doing with a time traveler, an esper and an alien? Itsuki promised he would explain, but there hadn’t been time these past few days.

He was busy trying to keep Haruhi’s subconscious from subsuming the world. We all were, in some manner. She hadn’t make plans for anything exciting since the Halloween party. Part of that might have been just the normal downtime between events, but something told me she was spending most of her time stewing on what I told her she didn’t know about us.

We were keeping secrets from her, and she knew it. She knew, without any shadow of doubt, that the universe was keeping mysteries from her, and she simply had to look hard enough to find them. But which was worse? An uncaring universe coincidentally keeping secrets, or close friends refusing to share something important.

Of course, the universe kept secrets from Haruhi’s friends too. Tsuruya was some sort of magical girl, or something. She kept supernatural things from everyone, apparently. What was next?

Was Taniguchi secretly a shonen hero, competing in secret supernatural fighting tournaments?

That last idea was too stupid to even consider, but even Haruhi’s friends kept secrets from one another. There was Itsuki’s shadowy Agency, Mikuru’s time traveling confidential background, and Yuki’s mysterious and  seemingly vast Integrated Data Thought Entity. And now I had to keep Tsuruya’s secret from everyone else.

How was Haruhi ever going to learn to trust us when we all had so much we couldn’t say to each other?

Needless to say, I had a lot on my mind. There was a certain point where I just realized I wasn’t going to be able to sleep. I hope the others did. Yuki deserved to, of all of us. As I lay awake, I realized Yuki suffered summer for nearly two thousand years, and it hasn’t even been seven iterations worth of time time since we got free. I don’t think I will ever complain about boredom again, given that frame of reference.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up. My alarm hadn’t gone off. Shamisen turned his head to glare at me, before shifting into another position. He knew full well that he had another thirty minutes before my darling little sister decided to wake us up. I don’t even know if she was up yet.

I got dressed and cleaned up well before the time I was usually awake. Using the upstairs bathroom, I never saw anyone, so no one questioned me about being up so uncharacteristically early. I sat on my bed, hunched a little, petting our calico cat idly for several minutes, lost in thought and tired.

My alarm went off, and I tapped it quickly to end the usually incessant noise. I continued petting Shamisen for a few more moments, before hearing a knock. My sister then promptly opened the door, only to stand shocked in the doorway, stunned at my awoken status.

“Hey, you shouldn’t burst in whenever. It’s rude.”

She smiled unreprimanded, “Awwwlright. What are you doing up so early?”

I shrugged, “I get up early sometimes.”

She laughed at that, as if I was joking. Hey, I got up early up... sometimes. Anyway, she skipped over to grab Shamisen and forcibly take him to the food bowl, singing idly as always. I waited for her to get out of sight before placing my head in my hands and rubbing my face.

First interaction of the day, and I was already exhausted.

I managed to get downstairs, eat a small breakfast and escape the house early, avoiding any questions about my unusual morning promptness from my parents.

I walked to school at a leisurely pace, and made it to the classroom in record time. I put my book bag down, pulled my seat out and plopped into the chair. I wondered if I could put my head down on my desk and try to take a nap before class started.

If I did, would Haruhi notice? Would she care? My mind, somewhat foggy but still active, ran through the possibilities of what she might ask, interrogate or question me about. I sighed. In my tired, dismal mood, in every mental scenario, she discovered all of my secrets like a KGB interrogation expert, including Tsuruya’s secret, and everything became more complicated and worse than it needed to be.

I commend Itsuki for being able to act like nothing was wrong for so long, after so many nights of unrest. I am tired after just one night. I don’t know how he manages it night after night, slaying Haruhi’s personal demons, those Shinjin,  while sane people slept.

I didn’t lay my head on my desk, risking any questions from Haruhi. I did rest my head and my hand and stared out the window of the classroom, watching people stream by, going to and fro in their own lives. How many of them had normal clubs and normal lives? How many of them had secret double lives also kept from Haruhi?

“Hey Kyon.”

I blinked, and turned my head to stare at Taniguchi’s concerned face. He continued, “You doing alright man? Seeing you here before the class is completely full is like witnessing a miracle.”

“Ha ha. You arrive nearly as late as I do most day, so you’re one to talk.”

He snickered, and said, “Yeah, well, I don’t have the aura of the Suzumiya’s group around me. Besides, I’ve been working after classes to earn money for a date this winter break so I need to sleep in a little. What excuse do you have?”

I rolled my eyes. Not because he thought he had more to do in his life. Mostly because he thought his chance of getting a date this winter was not measurably greater than the probability that he would become Santa.

I shook my head. “No excuse, just didn’t sleep well.”

Kunikida, who’d been sitting nearby and turned in his chair towards us, smiled sympathetically, “Sorry to hear that Kyon. Hope you aren’t coming down with anything. I heard there’s a really nasty bug going around.”

Taniguchi smiled broadly, pounding his chest once and pronounced, “I have a strong immune system. I’m not worried.”

I rolled my eyes again and asked how they were. A few pleasantries later, and Taniguchi went to his seat to sit down. I returned to my window gazing.

I was surprised myself when classes started and Haruhi didn’t take the seat behind me at the last moment. I looked around for her a bit, as if she might be hiding behind someone else’s desk, or the teacher’s stand, but she wasn’t in the room.

Strange. Haruhi might be almost as inattentive as myself in class, in spite of her amazing grades, but she never skipped before.

I wondered what was going on, just long enough to start worrying myself with outlandish possibilities, when the back classroom door slid open with almost violent force. Haruhi stood in the door, barely managing from keeping the door from banging.

She looked pissed, though I couldn’t guess why. Haruhi stepped into the room and slid the door closed with that same force, barely managing to keep the door from slamming.

The everyone, including the teacher, fell silent at the sudden arrival, as Haruhi walked to her chair. She barely spared a glance for me as she took a seat and stared at the chalkboard, as if nothing she had done was wrong and that the board had insulted and betrayed her family personally. It was, in its own way, pretty terrifying. I wonder who that anger was really directed at. If it had been me, she wouldn’t hesitate to stare me down.

The teacher, apparently having decided that it would be far from poignant to get onto Haruhi’s case for being late, continued with a bit of a cough, as if he had never been interrupted.

I didn’t really focus on classes that period. More than usual, as it happens. I don’t think I could have said what went even if someone asked.

At the end of the class period, Haruhi was up and out of her seat before the bell finished ringing. As she left, I pulled my phone out and sent a quick text to the other three.

“Hey, Haruhi is in bad mood everyone okay?”

I got an almost immediate response from Yuki in the form of two texts.

“I am doing fine. I cannot calculate any possibilities from my realm of influence that might have lead to this state of-

“-discontent. Please feel free to inquire further if there is anything I can do.”

I rolled my eyes. She was trying to be funny, and while I was smiling a bit, I think that she could learn the adage, ‘Brevity is the soul of wit.’

Still, it did warm my heart that she was feeling good enough to joke. And her relative calmness did remind me that Haruhi has been angry before without world ending consequences. Maybe I am just jumpy after last night.

I took a deep breath to calm down, eyes blissfully closed for a few moments, as I felt my phone vibrate again. I investigated, and it was Mikuru. I could tell by just reading the message. “hy i m gooood thaksfr warming”

I did snort at that. Mikuru was getting better at using her phone. She used to have trouble figuring out how to put spaces in the message. It became a game between Itsuki and I to decipher them. He was better at it than I was, mostly because he had been talking to her more regularly than I, trying to coordinate the time traveler meetup. Which was tomorrow? No…two days. We still had two days.

I closed my eyes again, trying to realign my thoughts. My brain wanted to jump from topic to topic, which was even more tiring.

I finally got the third text, but the message was not what I expected, “Koizumi will be getting to school in a few minutes, but thanks for the heads-up.”

I stared at the message for a few seconds, before starting to type out a reply. The bell rang and the door at the back of the classroom opened in a flash at the corner of my eye. I put my phone away, and Haruhi stomped to her seat as class began.

A glance back at her revealed she was not quite as annoyed as she had been during classes. Strange. I wonder what changed.

I was able to concentrate a little more on class this period though my heart and mind weren't into it. My eyes ached at the lack of sleep and while I was entering a slightly less tired period.

This time when the bell rang after second period, Haruhi didn't instantly fly from the classroom. Instead, she poked me with the eraser end of her mechanical pencil. The fact that she didn't use the pointed end was a surprise that got my attention immediately.

Haruhi stared at me with the intensity I expected she would bring to the sequel to the islands murder mystery case. "Koizumi wasn't here this morning. He said he forgot to set his alarm and slept in.”

I blinked, “He forgot to set his alarm?” That was really out of character for him.

She nodded, “Yeah. Sounds like something you’d do, not him.”

I rubbed my eyes and turned back to the front of the class, “Wouldn’t help me any. My sister would wake me up even if I forgot, so I never get to sleep in. Lucky bastard.”

Haruhi gave a noncommittal noise, “Hmmm… Maybe, but he has to work to support his family, so you don’t have it too bad.” I shrugged and nodded at this, but she continued, “Why do you look so tired Kyon?”

“Eh, didn’t sleep well,” I lied through my teeth, still facing away from her.

“Oh,” was all she replied.

She stayed in the classroom that break, so I didn’t really have a chance to text Itsuki to see what was up.

Thinking back, it had been a long time since she had stayed in the classroom long enough to talk. It took some effort for me to actually remember the last time she was here in the room with me between classes. Probably once or twice right after summer ended, but then she got wrapped up in researching stuff for her movie, then the movie itself took up all her time.

Even after the movie was done and gone with, she had basically been out of her seat doing something around the school, most frequently working on something on the club room computer, according to Yuki.

The fact was, she didn’t stick around in the classroom nearly as much as she had before summer vacation, when we first started bonding and just started the club. Funny how things change.

I could kind of sense a tension in the air, like she might have wanted to talk about something. But I was tired, and I wasn’t sure if she might press the issue of my sleep.

Finally, I turned sideways to look at her. She was resting her head on one hand, her elbow on her desk. She was looking outside, but her gaze flicked to me as I opened my mouth. I was just about to say something and the school bell rang.

My mouth closed, and I gave her a wry smile, but her eyes had already drifted back out the window.

I turned to the teacher just starting class and sighed. Soon, tests would be here too. I don’t know when I would find time to study, and I was actually a little concerned about it. If my grades slipped much more, the threats of cram school would come again, and in my lifestyle of managing the precarious balance of classes, clubs with unimaginably huge consequences, sleeping, and managing a precarious “close” friendship with an alien, I didn’t have time for cram school.

Thinking about what I should be doing beyond the next three days never happened to me before the summer. Now it’s all I can plan for. If I started to fail classes here, I would end up back in cram school.

Of course, cram school was where I first really got to know Sasaki.

Sasaki is-.. was a friend from junior high school. My memory defines her as a smaller girl, pretty with short-cut, straight, brown hair. Of course, she was more than the sum of her physical appearance.

Even among all the people I knew growing up, Sasaki was someone unique among my friends in junior high. She had a peculiar way of talking that would cater to her audience. When she was with boys, she would talk like boys. When she was with girls, she would talk like the girls did. She smiled quite a bit and always seemed to know something that everyone else didn’t.

If I had to compare her to anyone I knew now, Itsuki would be my first pick, though she had none of his deference and intent-to-please in her cutting wit and philosophic forays. Not that anyone can be reduced down to a few idle words, but Sasaki was considered by her classmates, myself included, as complicated and unique.  

Maybe it was because of my encounter last night with military maiden Tsuruya, but my mind wandered to a conversation I had with her late in our last school year together.

(Page break here)

“Kyon, why so serious? You look a bit dumbstruck there.”

I blinked, glancing at Sasaki, who had angled her chair back to look at me as I mindlessly stared at the chalkboard. Well crap, there was another period wasted.

“You know, if you keep up that, you’ll end up going to cram school with me on Saturdays along with Tuesdays and Thursdays," Sasaki quipped, an eyebrow raised, her short hair cropped above her shoulders.

While there were worse ways to spend the weekend, I made sure not to voice that opinion, instead saying, “Don’t joke like that. My mom wouldn’t hesitate if my grades don’t improve soon. And she probably would put you in charge of keeping me on task.” The final year of middle school had hit me hard and my mom had put me into cram school as soon as it looked like I might be a serious candidate for being held back. She had dreams of me going to college and doing something, though neither my mom nor myself had really figured out what that would be yet.

Sasaki scoffed, “Well, I will keep that blackmail in mind, should I ever find a need for your immediate cooperation.” She tilted her head in that, ‘I am studying something for more than just class work’ way of hers, and ask, “So, what was on your mind? What seized your attention all period so relentlessly that you failed to record a single note?”

Lackadaisically I glanced at my notebook to see that she was perfectly correct and that I didn’t have any idea what had really been covered in class. He sighed, “Well, if you must know, I was thinking about secret government organizations.”

Sasaki’s grin turned laconic, as she placed her cheek on her hand. She asked, “Did you come to any conclusions about their viability?”

My lips turned, “I hadn’t really thought that far. I was just thinking about why they try to control the world, or what they might be hiding.”

A single snort of amusement from her indicated her opinion on the topic, but she was never on who refused to elaborate, “Well, my policy is to speculate on the possibility of a group’s existence before trying to work out the motives of said group. And while there might be small pockets of collusion, there is no such thing as the Illuminati. The worst excesses of a cooperative organization in the government that exist only occur at the local level, in small communities, or in mundane collusion with business partners trying to get money flowing between politicians and industry. No, those things happen but there is no way to really keep some vast conspiracy like an entire organization, for the same reason that there are no aliens visiting earth in flying saucers.”

“Oh?”

She motioned to one classmate nearby. The classmate was looking at a cellphone, texting someone on the flip phone. Sasaki continued, “That phone, and most others coming out these days, have cameras. When UFO sightings became popular around the world, cameras were tools only the property of photographers, but rest assured, as information and the internet becomes more ubiquitous, we will have less and less reputable claims of sightings. Sure, people can say they saw aliens all they want for the attention, but it is far more likely that they are seeing a satellite passing overhead than anything extraterrestrial.”

I frowned, “What does that have to do with secret organizations?”

Sasaki laughed, seeming amused by my catching her topic change, “I simply mean that because of the spread of further technology, there is no way to hide the money trails and secret movements of shadow organizations. People will take pictures of black clad men in combat gear in the modern world. They would release secret documents on the internet. By the very nature of secret organizations, they can’t have everyone in their pocket. Someone would spill the beans. Occam’s Razor says they probably just don’t exist, Kyon. The simplest solution is usually the correct one.”

I thought about this for a moment before I opened my mouth to say something. Sasaki cut me off before I could say anything, adding laconically, “And if you think the simplest solution to my posed quandary is that I might also be a part of the secret government organization myself, then I offer the following: If they are so pervasive as to subvert some junior high girl to spread their propaganda, then what’s the point of worrying about it? They are either too pervasive to worry about, or you are simply too paranoid and delusional for common sense. And one of those options is really more likely than the other.” I laughed as she offered an honest shrug with arms spread open.

I raised my eyebrows after I got a hold of myself, finally offering, “Just because I am paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get me, Sasaki.”

She rolled her eyes, “Alright. When they get you, give me a call. I’ll talk to my superiors and maybe we can come to an agreement about your release in exchange for your cooperation.”

“No, no. I’d never join some shady secret mongering group like yours. Viva la resistance.”

She rolled her eyes and seemed about to respond, when the class bell rang.

(page break here)

The bell had actually rang, and my head shot up from its spot resting on my hand. I blinked, confused as I was jolted from memories.

“What’s with the stupid look, Kyon? Did you actually fall asleep with your head propped up?” Haruhi was watching, looking disdainful and just a little impressed.

I did my best to pretend she hadn’t gotten it exactly right, saying, “Nope, just didn’t realize the time.” She scoffed and got up to leave the classroom and I asked, “Where you off to?”

She said offhand, “Itsuki.” When she saw the non-existent look on my face, she became defensive, “I just have a question or two for him. Want to make sure he is okay. I wanted to talk to him about winter break.” I hadn’t said a word, but she almost appeared flustered, “Whatever, I don’t have to explain myself.” She turned away suddenly and stalked off, looking marginally more agitated than usual.

I watched her leave, wondering what Itsuki and her were cooking up. Mostly because it was easier than musing on my dream memories.

The idea that Sasaki could have been serious about being part of some big conspiracy back then was ludicrous, really. But I was going to see her in a couple days, on Thursday. I could ask her.

Wait, did she know about her powers? Or about the people she was friends with? This was going to be impossible to talk about with her time traveller if everything was still secret. Did Itsuki realize this? What are we going to discuss if we couldn’t talk about it?

I would have either texted him or gone to ask him myself, but he was busy with Haruhi. And class was going to start again in a few moments.

Taniguchi and Kunikida were talking about something, but I wasn’t feeling like being questioned about my current friend status with Haruhi or being told about some inevitable date plans by Taniguchi that would never happen.

Instead, I looked through the textbook of the book I just slept through, trying to figure out what I missed. It was a sad day when I had so much on my mind that I tried to use the class work to keep from thinking about other things, like Haruhi or Sasaki or Yuki or time travel or everything. At least after the next class was lunch. I was looking forward to some peace and quiet.

I managed to survive the following class without falling into another daze, but I still wasn’t up to talking much. Instead, I grabbed my lunch and headed for the door, nodding apologetically to Kunikida who seemed about to move to Haruhi’s desk as per usual.

I just didn’t feel up to it today guys, sorry.

Haruhi had long left, so she didn’t have a chance to question why I’d abandon my post. I walked out the door, mechanically following the same steps I’d taken a hundred times before.

The clubroom was unlocked, and inside was a singular person that anyone could have guessed was there. Yuki was tapping at one of the laptops provided by the computer club as a result of their lost duel. Yuki did look up to acknowledge me with a bare but friendly nod, but she didn’t seem surprised to see me. I walked to the table and sat down across from her, putting my lunch down.

I came here for a few reasons, I must admit. One, I didn’t feel much like talking today, which was a little uncharacteristic. Mostly, however, I just wanted to check on Yuki. She had a long night last night and I wanted just make sure she was holding up. I didn’t mind if my checking only consisted watching her over the laptop monitor, and she didn’t seem to mind my attention while she was focused on the computer.

We sat in silence until a few minutes before the bell rang. I packed up my stuff as she closed the laptop, placing it on the stack and plugging it in to charge. Since I was moving a little slower today, I got to the door just behind her. She opened it for us both to return to class.

In that moment, just before we stepped out of the sanctuary of the clubroom, I placed a hand on her shoulder, a meager attempt at comfort and camaraderie and condolence.

The sense of stillness and silent tension she held about her this whole time seemed to lift, and she looked up at me, the vestiges of a smile on her lips. No words shared, but she knew what I meant to convey, and she was okay. Yuki was still doing okay and I didn’t need to worry about her.

I nodded and we stepped into the hallway, my hand sliding away from her long before we entered the public space of the hallway. We walked to our classes and before we separated, I said, “See you after class.” She nodded without looking and moved on.

She knew what I meant.

Tonight we needed to talk about the Meeting, and so my mind shifted gears. Sasaki wasn’t really the issue, though I had a feeling we’d be talking about her. What we really needed to focus on was the issue of time travel and getting this mysterious time traveler on board to help solve the issue of a lack of a future for everyone.

I managed, barely, to stay awake for the remainders of class. I did use the time between each to power nap. Haruhi was gone from the room as usual and I had begged my absence politely to Taniguchi and Kunikida.

After class, I was the one unlucky enough to draw cleaning duty. Though since cleaning was done on a schedule, I suppose it was less luck of the draw than it was destined fate. Not much to fate lately though, as it was apparently broken according to Mikuru. I was cleaning the room with Kunikida, so there was bound to be some conversation.

As Kunikida scrubbed the desks, he asked, “So, Kyon, how have you been?”

I was still tired from staying up all night after breaking into the school last night to watch over my close friend who might still be dealing with post traumatic stress disorder after two millennia of recursive time. The time stream is broken and the world’s resident reality warper is threatening to rewrite the world on a daily basis. I am desperately trying to keep everything together while still passing my classes.

“Not bad. A little tired.” I was cleaning off the chalkboards since I was tall enough to reach the top. “How about you?”

He chuckled, “Oh, the usual. Cram school most days. Don’t have the time for anything really interesting like you.”

I nodded, and it was quiet for a moment, as we both set to our respective tasks. I was fine with the silence, feeling comforted by its presence, a reminder of the quiet lunchtime hour today.

Kunikida was the one to break the silence himself, “I saw your guys’s movie. It was pretty interesting. You guys have some pretty oddball ideas. I think the general consensus was that people came to see your movie, but stayed to check out the movie club’s work.”

I nodded, “Good. They deserved the credit and attention. We certainly took up enough of their time. And equipment, since they let us borrow it.”

The shorter boy laughed, “I know, when I saw their camera in the corner, I was surprised at how high quality it was. I liked Taniguchi’s and my bit in the background of the montages, like a story in a story. What do you think of the plot of the story? ”

My cleaning slowed down enough as I wondered at his first comment. Did he notice the camera was unusually high quality? Or did he notice enough to think it was unbelievable? No. He seemed to think little of it. Still, it worried me.

“It had too many elements included all at once. Haruhi tried to make me an esper too, but we ended up making it a side gag. Which was still a little too much, but Haruhi is hard to influence when she gets an idea in her head.” I didn’t elaborate on the momentary on-screen exhibit of telekinesis that Tsuruya had shown off. We had a hard enough time explaining it to Haruhi at the time as wire work. We chalked up my sister’s temporary telepathy as precociousness. Not that my sister needed an excuse.

“Hm. Yeah, I can imagine. Still, I can’t help but think that Taniguchi was right, though don’t tell him that.”

I couldn’t control my eyebrows as they rose at the words. “About what?”

Kunikida smiled, “He was right that Haruhi seems to just infect everything around her with her virus. She’s got an energy, and I can see why you might want to be around-”

My phone buzzed and I held my finger up, frowning, and answered the phone, with Itsuki’s number on the screen. “Hello?”

“Hey. Sorry about the alarm this morning. I had kind of forgot that I had told Haru- Miss Suzumiya that I was going to meet her before classes. She’s gone for the day, so whenever you are finished, we will convene. I think we can discuss it all tonight. I certainly got the sleep.”

I nodded, “Alright, sounds good. Be there in a bit.”

I hung up, intent on finishing as soon as I could manage, getting out the sweeper and dustpan. “What were you saying, Kunikida?” I didn’t quite forget what he was saying, but I wanted to make sure I answered him directly, rather than miss where he was going.

He smiled, “Well, I was really just saying that you guys did a good job with the movie. It apparently got half the school interested in the other movies that the club put out. They are planning to hand out another set of their films later this week.”

I scoffed, “As long as they don’t ask for more of ours. I am not sure I could live if everyone remembered me as that guy in that one weird movie.”

Kunikida laughed, “Now that would be good. I kinda wish that was happening now. Taniguchi would get a laugh out of that.”

I rolled my eyes and we finished cleaning up the classroom and surrounding hallway. We parted ways, him to get to the train for cram school and me for the club room.

I didn’t make any great haste to get to the club room, as the others would be waiting for me before anything really started. I made sure to grab a notebook to write things down in.

The clubroom was just how I expected it, with Yuki in her chair, Mikuru standing not far from the teapot, and Itsuki relaxing in a chair opposite them. It looked like he had been playing Connect 4 with Mikuru, both of them staring at the upright game board as Mikuru worried a red piece of plastic.

The pair of them glanced at me as I entered, Yuki still reading. Both Mikuru and Itsuki smiled, and Mikuru said, “One second and I will get you some tea.” She walked back to the table and the game. She hesitantly dropped the little plastic coin down a slot before returning to the teapot.

“No rush. Everyone doing okay?”

There was a chorus of agreement as I settled into my own chair, pulling out the notebook and a pen. Itsuki added, “Sorry about causing concern this morning. I can’t believe I forgot to set my alarm. I’m more embarrassed than I would have been if I had simply forgotten to wear pants to school.” A click and a clack as he played his own piece in the game. Mikuru blushed a little at the comparison.

“At current average temperatures and wind chills, in that scenario, you would have far more to worry about than embarrassment, such as mild to moderate hypothermia and first degree frostbite.” Yuki put her book down and looked at Itsuki, “I would recommend to both pants and alarms in the future.” She tilted her head, looking thoughtful, “At least until spring.”

We chuckled, and I didn’t give him any flack for the accident, since Itsuki didn’t really have anything to apologize for. Everyone has off days. Mikuru had gotten me a cup of tea as I sat down, simply adding, “No worries. We were just worried is all. Haruhi especially.”

He coughed, “Yeah, for a certain measure of worry. Did you have to deal with this sort of pressure when she-”

“Yep, now its your burden, and lucky you, you volunteered.” I tried to keep my smile from being too wide.

He sighed, “I suppose I didn’t have to ask. I know as well as you her moods. Better, even.”

“What did you tell her as an excuse?”

He sighed, “I had been working later hours, which I have been, and forgot to set the alarm when I got home.”

I sighed too, sipping the tea. “We need to tell-”

“Kyon, we’ve done that conversation before. We can’t tell her. Not yet. She’s too unstable, too suspicious. If you hadn’t told her we were keeping secrets-”

“Then she would have fallen into some kind of despair, another melancholy and if she created any closed space, there isn’t any assurance that I would be in there with her this time. Right now she is frustrated with us because we aren’t being honest. We can fix that. We can’t fix a world-revision when she is mad at all of us and won’t bring us into a new world.”

Itsuki rubbed his face, “That is nice to worry about when you don’t have to spend nine hours fighting shinjin while she sleeps. My concern is that we are running ragged and we might fail one night. Haruhi shows no sign of improving and-”

“-and you are afraid that she might not be happy if you, especially- of all of us- had been lying to her this whole time. She might stop the shinjin, but she might not want to spend time with you anymore either.”

Itsuki’s response to my not so friendly comment was hot, “This is not about my issues, Kyon. I simply-”

But Mikuru interrupted before he could finish, saying, “Guys… we’ve talked about this… don’t fight…”

The room was silent for a moment.

I sighed, “Yeah. Alright. I’m sorry, Itsuki. I am just… I don’t know how you do this no sleep thing.”

Itsuki crooked an eyebrow at that, but Yuki spoke first. “I’m sorry.”

I bit my tongue, not meaning for it to come out that way. I half reached out my hand to take hers, but it wasn’t the right time, here in front of the others, I could sense. “Its not you, Yuki. I am glad I was there last night, really. I just had a lot on my mind, like the time travel issue and Sasaki…” Yuki looked up a little more, less pensive.

This had been the status quo of late. A little more snipping at each other, a lot more honest with each other, but tense between friends. I won’t deny I wasn’t helping as much as I usually do, but my the corner of my eyes stung with exhaustion today.

I finished my tea and Itsuki smiled, looking somewhat mollified as well, “Yes, I suppose that is good enough a segue. Let’s talk about Saturday.”

Mikuru refilled my tea and I murmured a thanks before asking, “So, we haven’t talked about this at all since I heard from Mikuru. What’s this about another group of weirdos hovering around a girl from middle school I knew? No offense intended, of course.”

Itsuki chuckled, “Well, I don’t mind the label, but I have it on good authority that Sasaki was more than just a girl you knew. Rumor has it you two spent a lot of time together. Rumor had it that you were dating, though I somehow doubt that.”

I didn’t miss the fact that Yuki seemed a fraction more interested in the topic. Sort of like how tigers were a fraction larger than house cats.

Mikuru sat down with her own tea, their game obviously abandoned. I sighed, “It really wasn’t like that. I was no more dating her than I am dating you.”

He motioned, “But you did spend a lot of time with her.” It wasn’t really a question, but I decided I might as well answer.

“I did. We talked a lot.” I paused, “If I get this out of the way, with me explaining my part of this story, can we move on with the discussion of the meeting itself?”

Itsuki nodded, and I continued, “Alright. Sasaki was a girl I sat next to in the last year of middle school, and I went to cram school with her a few times a week. I spent a lot of time talking to her. Mostly about this and that…”

I bit my tongue, trying very hard to fight my urge to be vague. I was naturally honest about myself and others in the same way that humans are natural to the moon by virtue of having landed there once.

“We talked a lot about random topics. Things I had been thinking about usually. She is very sharp, and tended to break down a lot of what I… I don’t know if ‘believed’ is the right word. She broke down a lot of what I dreamed about as just what they were. Dreams.” I tilted the cup in my hand slowly, watching the tea slowly rotate in the saucer. “She doesn’t- didn’t think anything supernatural existed. The ultimate realist, a believer in no belief, as everything could and should be explained, with enough thought, study, and experience.”

“You sound like you admire her.” Mikuru said this, sipping her tea, and I glanced up sharply at her, my eyes flicking to Yuki. Yuki was watching me closely, and I sighed.

“I did. And I didn’t. She didn’t believe in anything special in the world. The world just *was*.  And it didn’t bother her. I… never quite let go of that belief, because I thought the alternative was just too depressing.”

I had nearly let go of those final threads of hope of something special in my first year of high school. If I hadn’t met Haruhi… who would I be? If I hadn’t met Haruhi and everyone, validating everything I dreamed of… where would I be? What would I be?

I realized I had grown silent as I swirled my tea, silent as the others watched. I blinked, and perked up, “Sorry.”

The others were quiet, as if I had something really profound, or stupid.

Finally, Yuki spoke up, “I… am also glad to have met Haruhi as well as everyone here. In… in spite of everything.”

I blinked. Wait, did I actually say those last few lines, about hope, about wondering who I’d be?

Itsuki flashed a grin, “Well, I wouldn’t be here either, physically or as I am, and I’d be bored all alone here.”

Mikuru nodded, “I don’t know if I would, um, exist, without her. And you guys are safe. And fun.”

I had set my cup down and nodded, finishing, “Anyway, Sasaki was something of a downer for me, in retrospect, though I enjoyed the conversation at the time.”

Koizumi nodded, “So you never dated, as rumor had it?”

“Nope. Silly rumors, all of that. We were friends. Maybe good friends, but nothing more than that. I think my mom or her mom had hopes for something but… nothing really came of it.” For which, I am now glad. That would make this next couple days far more complicated. “So Mikuru said that Sasaki was like Haruhi? Some sort of demigod slash time locus slash evolution source?”

Mikuru nodded but motioned to Koizumi, who sat back, a little more relaxed, apparently out of interrogation mode.

“Well, you could say it like that. The people who surround her certainly believe it. My Agency has… run into their esper’s cadre a few times. At first, there was some thought that we were following the same, hm, girl when we awakened, but once we discovered that we were in fact linked to two separate girls, infighting between the groups had become something of the norm. Its been quiet of late, but…” He shook his head, “No, it basically is summed up the way you said. Sasaki is considered their parallel for Haruhi, though she either doesn’t have powers, or they are suitably subtle that we can’t detect any sign of them. Haruhi, I mean, Miss Suzumiya is very clearly the more overt user.”

I nodded, aware of Koizumi’s slip-ups in naming Haruhi have gotten worse as the pair of them have become closer. One of these days he is going to forget himself and call her Haruhi to her face.

“Which make sense if belief somehow affects their powers, and Sasaki doesn’t believe in the fantastic. You said there are three others surrounding her, and the espers aren’t friendly?” I might have been deflecting a moment, wanting to hear others talk.

Koizumi gave a vague gesture, “Well… the antagonism might be a bit mutual, though I firmly believe they tend to be greater escalators than we are. At this point it is just safe to say they aren’t very friendly to us. They have the same basic skillset, supposedly, that we do, though Sasaki’s others-space is different than Haruhi’s.”

I raised my eyebrow, “Different, how?”

Koizumi shrugs, “Not sure. For obvious reasons, we haven’t shared each other’s experiences. Apparently their closed space covers the whole world, but there are no shinjin. We only know this from when our… groups were not quite antagonistic yet.”

I nodded, “So who’s the esper?”

“Kyouko Tachibana is my parallel at Sasaki’s side. But-” he seemed to catch himself at, “-she seems to be her esper group’s ringleader. She’s thin, about your height and usually has her brown hair in twin ponytails. Hard to miss.”

I nodded, thoughtful. “And the time traveler?”

Mikuru put her cup down it a hasty clink, seeming surprised that her turn had come so quickly. “Oh, um… He’s named, um, he goes by Fujiwara. He’s not… very nice. He is sort of a… criminal? His device is, ah, stolen, I think. Or maybe a replica. He is not from my past, er, future. Or, um. Well, he doesn’t exist when I come from. I was told to avoid him if I could but there are no, um, actual constraints in place preventing me from meeting him. In his classified information. Or, ah… Dossier? Yes, in his dossier. I am supposed to avoid him, but he is the only time traveler I am aware of in this time plane. So if we want to learn anything about the collapsed time plane… he might be the only one we can ask for information.” Mikuru seemed to relax a little into her explanation as she spoke.

I nodded, “Makes sense. We can deal with jerks as long as we figure this stuff out. And the alien is…”

I glanced at Yuki, assuming this was her territory. Yuki gave a bit of a shrug, looking as if she were trying on the gesture for effect, as if it were a scarf and she were shopping for the winter. I wondered what she thought of it, but she was answering, “I know less about Sasaki’s extraterrestrial life form than Itsuki.” It showed how far along Yuki had come, to start just using a single name when talking about each of us rather than first and last name..

Itsuki half-coughed, half-laughed at that, “Very kind of you to have such confidence, but I was sort of hoping you’d know more about her, given you are the resident expert on everything alien.”

Yuki shook her head, “No. I am very familiar with different kinds of data-life forms and- to a perpendicular degree- organic life. What she is…” She shook her head again, for emphasis, “She is nothing. Nothing that we can detect. She is… orthogonal to our efforts to observe her. Either she is completely data permeable, which is impossible, or the state at which her data is emitted is not one we can detect, which is impossible.”

I chuckled at that, not really laughing out of the comedy, but at the ridiculousness of Yuki and her kind not understanding something.

Mikuru was frowning, and asked, “Can you not see her?”

Yuki hesitated a moment, before finally saying, “As long as I do not attempt to use any special observational abilities, my eyes can detect her, but even when recorded, she does not appear to be emitting visible light.”

I frowned, “Then how can you see her at all?”

Yuki shrugged again, trying on that same scarf, getting a feel for it, “I simply can, though the Integrated Data Thought Entity has advised everyone to avoid making contact until some means of understanding her has been developed.” She tilted her head a moment, “I am an exception in this case. It will not interfere with our meeting. We are currently calling them the Quantum Macroscopic Cosmic Entities, though this one appears to be only one that we have found.”

I nodded, then looked to Itsuki, since he might know more. He answered, “Well, I only have a little more to add. The alien does indeed seem to evade attention. We don’t know when she arrived, even when keeping tabs on Sasaki’s group. She appeared sometime around summer, but we can’t say when she joined Sasaki’s cadre. She is impossible to capture on camera or video, and melts into crowds, in spite of her odd habits. She seems to be confused, or befuddled, most of the time, and doesn’t communicate much… Beyond that?” He shrugged, “She goes by Kuyou Suou, has extremely long black hair and most descriptions call her very beautiful when they catch a glimpse. I haven’t seen her myself.”

I nodded, finishing my tea again, but motioned for Mikuru to not concern herself with getting me anymore. “And Sasaki knows what they are?”

Itsuki nodded, “Yes, although she doesn’t appear to believe that they are what they say they are.”

“Ha, sounds like Sasaki. So I guess if she is at the meeting, we can talk freely? No one here objects? I imagine she will laugh at our conversation, but she will think it too amusing to try to stop.”

None objected, so I decided to move on.

“Alright. We have the who. Now we need the what. What do we want from them, what will they want?”

Itsuki laughed, “Well, we want their time traveler to collaborate with us on resolving the issue of the future not being consistent, without making it worse.” He paused for a moment, “I am not sure what they will want from us. Generally, they don’t usually have much power over us, as Haruhi is by far the more active and expressive deity.”

I shook my head, “According to you.”

Itsuki smiled, “According to me.”

“Um.”

Everyone paused to look at Mikuru, who froze with the sudden attention, “Uh, Well. Why won’t they blame Haruhi for this? I mean… She does have a, um, record of messing with time.”

It was a good question. Why wouldn’t they blame Haruhi?

Itsuki looked a little cross at my and Mikuru’s question, “We’ve been over this. She isn’t to blame for this. Completely disconnecting the future from the past would take far more effort than a tiny repetition of two weeks. It would also run contrary to her current beliefs. She still believes in time travel, and when I’ve spoken to her about it, she still as enthusiastic as she always is. She vehemently refused the concept of paradox.”

I would argue that it wasn’t a minor repetition for some of us, but Yuki spoke up first, “The Integrated Data Thought Entity agrees with this assessment. At the beginning and end of any extra-physical action Haruhi performs, there are some small release of data. This is well measured and understood. During the summer, she released a small portion of data the first occurrence of the time loop, and at the last occurrence of the time loop, functionally identical each time. When closed space is created, we can also detect small data being created. But nothing in recent record even remotely resembles a time anomaly being created, especially one of the magnitude we are dealing with currently.”

I nodded. We’d gone over that part of this issue before, when we talked about the time-stream before. It wasn’t anything new. “But why would they believe us? I mean, it sounds like their group thinks of ours as some sort of opposition. If what you say is true, and Sasaki doesn’t manipulate reality, then aren’t we the prime suspects?”

Itsuki looked a little uneasy at that, finally struggling out, “Well, that’s what this meeting is for, right? That we want to clear the air, state clearly that we are not responsible, and ask for help, preferably with no strings attached. Its not like either we or them have any other supernatural people to rely on for help.”

I covered up my chagrin by rubbing my eyes. I wasn’t going to say anything to contradict Itsuki, though I doubted his words were true. The hunting grin of Tsurya popped into my mind. I wasn’t going to say anything about that, she might actually kill me. “Well, speaking of strings, what would they want from us?”

It was quiet. We really didn’t know much about this other group. It sounded like there was at least some opposition between us and them, via Itsuki’s Organization and Mikuru’s Time Travel Bureau.

I guess on the advantage, I am sort of friends with their deity, in so much that the awkward years of middle school would allow boys and girls to be friends. And there was no real animosity between Yuki’s boss and their alien, though I could sense behind her words that her boss might be a little worried or frightened by that which they cannot see.

“Well, at least we don’t know for a fact they would demand something silly, like our death or something.” My joke fell flat, but I wasn’t quite my usual perky self today.

They seemed to think some more as well, but there wasn’t much else for us to say. I feel like I was forgetting something. That maybe we should talk more about this, while we were all here, together. But my mind was fuzzy and the lights in the room were all humming a quiet dissonant tune that I think only I could hear.

“Well, if that’s all we have planned to talk about…” Itsuki said, and I didn’t interrupt, “I am going to go prepare for work. I am going to be working a double shift tonight so I can sleep tomorrow, in preparation for the meeting.”

Mikuru asked, timid, “Are you going to be okay, staying up all night?”

He waved it off, “Oh sure. I don’t think Haruhi would pick people who couldn’t handle the stressful weeks to be the protectors of her closed space.”

“Oh, Itsuki, I definitely think you are something special alright.” This time the joke landed as I took my hands away from my face to give him a look. The others chuckled, except for Yuki, who simply gave a small smile.

“Ha, fair enough, Kyon. Get some sleep, okay? Of everyone here, we need you at your sharpest.”

I blinked, “Why me?”

He put his bag over his shoulder and gestured plaintively, “We just have to handle our respective counterparts. You’re the one who has to defeat the false god.”

I rolled my eyes and everyone sort of gathered up to head out. Yuki and Mikuru and I picked up the room first, washing cups and such. I walked Yuki to her apartment. I didn’t have any real motive. I just wanted to be in her calming, composed presence. It was a quiet walk. A good walk. The only words we shared were a simple, ‘see you tomorrow’ and a ‘yes.’

I went home and barely had time to put my bag down before falling asleep in bed.

Getting up the next day was harder than usual, even with my dear, accursed sister’s help. I felt crummy but well-rested, if that were a thing. My parents forced me to come down for dinner, which I barely remembered. I apparently passed as lucid and capable enough to go to school for the day, though it did take a lot of convincing that I wasn’t sick. Just what I didn’t need: being too sick to make it to the meeting tomorrow.

Either way, it took me far too long to wake up and get to school, and I had even fewer seconds to spare than I usually did to get to class. Haruhi was already in class and gave me an imperious look, silently chastising me for my nigh-tardiness that day.

Like she was any better, I saw her rushing through the hallways not a few minutes before, doing  her usual morning oddities, no doubt.

She gave me a second glare in response to my eye-roll but class started before I could even take a seat, so the conversation was mostly non-verbal.

I still felt a little fuzzy around the edges, but I did feel alert enough to manage class, even as I tried to work out in my head what we needed to accomplish tomorrow. I wish I could say I was mostly concerned with the diplomatic entreaties necessary to convince a hostile foreign power to assist in the mutual defeat of a common enemy, namely, the messed up timeline, but… Mostly, I was concerned with how the hell to deal with Sasaki.

My personal feelings for Sasaki, or lack thereof, played absolutely no role in this mental debate. I can confidently say that I am not worried about that becoming an issue tomorrow. No. What I was concerned about was far more simple.

Sasaki was brilliant, and I was mostly just average. Hell, that was my role, being the normal sane person in a world of insanity. Sasaki… I don’t think I have ever come close to beating her in the sort of verbal sparring we traded when we were in class together. I am full of useless information, a lot of it gleaned from my conversations with Sasaki herself, but also personally learned as I tried to understand a lot of what she brought up.

I’d rather clean the Augean stables twice over than admit this to anyone else, but I don’t think I once got the upper hand against Sasaki in our debates. She grounded every idea I had in fact and reasoning. It was always a futile attempt to try to find some way to stump her.

I never did stump her, and when high school started, we did not communicate anymore. What did I have now that could defeat her inexorable logic? I was seriously concerned that the entire conversation would get derailed as she provided some ineffable proof that the supernatural didn’t exist.

Well, I did actually spend time with an agent from a shadowy conspiracy of espers. And I suppose there really isn’t anything in words that could convince me that I had not seen time-travel myself. I doubted Sasaki personally had ever seen inscrutable alien-made humanoid simulacra fight to the death either.

But other than that, I hadn’t grown much. Nothing much about myself really had changed, so I still had no idea what I was going to do.

Between one of my classes, Haruhi jabbed me with the pointed end of her pencil, twice. “Hey. Are you taking notes?”

I glanced at my notebook, which had some relatively lazy but sort of comprehensive notes on the page. I blinked. “Yes… why?”

She shook her head, “Since when did start taking notes?”

I didn’t have an answer for this, but thankfully, she didn’t really care, “Nevermind. Does your family have something planned for winter break? I… well, I was trying to get something together for the Brigade, like I mentioned yesterday, if-... you guys wanted. I don’t want to plan something at a bad time, or- if you don’t want to spend time with m- the Brigade, now’s as good a time to ask as any to ask. I need to know what days are open.”

I wasn’t quite know how to respond at first and she took my silent long pause as something less than positive, “I get it. Don’t worry.”

Her intense face slipped away, both physically as she stared out the window and metaphorically, as she looked into a future she didn’t want or understand.

“Nevermind. You don’t have to waste your break with me if you don’t want to. The others feel the same way probably, and if you don’t it's easier for them to back out. I won’t force anyone to-”

“Haruhi.” She paused, but didn’t look at me. “Thank you for asking. I really appreciate it. I’d be  glad to come to something you have planned.” I stopped, waiting for her to look at me again, “It wouldn’t be a break without an outing with the Brigade, right? I will make sure with my mom, but I doubt we have plans.”

Haruhi nodded assured and confident as if nothing had happened moments earlier. “Good. I am glad to see you finally take Brigade business seriously.”

I smiled at her, “Tell me if you need any help with the planning. I am part of the Brigade too, and Itsuki can’t do it all. Just don’t make it as long or as intense as the summer schedule of events.”

She rolled her eyes, though I had been quite serious and in no way joking about the last thing, “Yeah yeah. I am going to absolutely hold you to that promise though. So no complaining when I need you to pull your weight. Itsuki can’t do all the work.”

I chuckled and agreed, turning back forward to glance through the notes I barely remembered taking.

They were messy and relatively poor, but they did help me remember some of the stuff that happened in the class. Gods help me, did my becoming the group secretary start to bleed into my normal life?

It was strange to think of having a normal life, all those moments in class and at home and in transit that made up 90 percent of my time, and also having an SOS Brigade life, where I managed the supernatural as a matter of fact.

It was also strange to see Haruhi seem so easily defeated in the face of silence. Hell, it was strange to see her ask for something, anything. She hadn’t become passive in the past few months, as we dealt with the movie, or the computer club challenge, or anything else. But those few words I shared with her at the train tracks, telling her that the club was not completely transparent, since then she had become more pensive. Worried. Skittish even, occasionally. Or maybe it started the last time she tried to drag me away by my tie. I didn’t know, but I know it was because she wasn’t as comfortable around us as she was before. Or maybe she could see how uncomfortable we all got when she started making unreasonable demands.

So now she wasn’t quite as vivacious or demanding, but she also acted like we might not want to be her friend, which wasn’t much better than her absolute expectation of complete obedience. I could see in her eyes that it hurt her to do this, and it became this repressive cycle, and I hated it. I am sure Itsuki hated it too, because he had to fight her demons personally.

I hated seeing her be so hesitant. I wouldn’t mind, too much, seeing her seize us all with some concocted adventure, like she used to. No, not even when I used to complain about her doing just that. It was fun.

Now it feels like everyone is walking on eggshells as we avoid Haruhi to deal with outside forces.

I hated it. I wanted to tell her so much, tell her everything.

But she won’t believe just me, probably. I tried it once before, and if anything, she trusted me less now than she ever did before. And it would be a big violation of trust from me to the others too. They deserved to have their say, and for now we wait. Mostly, it was Itsuki’s choice, by my estimation, really. He had the most to lose, if his ‘god’ rejected him and us all.

I think he had the most to gain too, but he didn’t listen to me. Maybe I was being too hasty.

Ugh, it was all too complicated.

I made it to the literary club room at my usual pace, with Haruhi, Yuki and Mikuru already in place.

Haruhi had already written up on the dry erase board a big title, “Winter Break Plans”, with little branches off with our names on them. The one that said “Kyon” had a branch off to one side with “Nothing” at the end of it. I smiled at it, glancing at Haruhi, who seemed to look away quickly, back at the computer, so I couldn’t read her expression.

Itsuki didn’t take long to arrive and while he appeared tired, he didn’t have work that evening. No doubt in preparation for Saturday, tomorrow, the day we go and meet the rival gang.

Funny how easy it was to start thinking of it like that, even though I was really hoping we could come to a peaceful agreement.

Haruhi spent the club time going over everyone’s winter plans, and it was of no surprise to me that no one had any plans yet. Next, Haruhi started talking about how Itsuki was planning another mystery for everyone to solve. Personally I savored the fact that it was revealed upfront that another “murder” would take place. It was a little overwhelming and while I was confident that Haruhi would never wish for an actual murder mystery to happen, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t alarmed at the goings on.

Haruhi also was planning a Christmas party, and she expected all of us to chip in. She said she even felt like doing some volunteering, since Christmas was supposed to be about kids. We nodded in agreement, and some very basic plans were laid out, mostly covering costumes and where we might volunteer.

After an unusually long club meeting, we all went home. I slept poorly, given the circumstances I hope you can forgive me. Saturday came and we had a half day of classes. They didn’t last long enough and before long we were back in the clubroom.

I wish I could say this more artfully, but we were all waiting for Haruhi to declare our club time over as soon as possible. I wanted to go home and change, and I am sure the others felt the same way, before our meeting at three with Sasaki and Associates Incorporated. So I tried not to nervously play Battleship with Itsuki, who looked like he got another night of sleep, which looked good on him. Mikuru glanced through a sewing book that Yuki borrowed from the library for her to see. Yuki was playing on one of the laptops we more or less won from the club room, and from the way she was using it, I assumed she was reading something online.

Finally, at around one thirty, Haruhi declared she was heading home, and we all packed up and separated. I went home and changed and found this game me ample time to sit around and think. The meeting was at three, and it would take me no longer than twenty minutes to make it to the usual cafe.

That was one of the biggest flaws in our plan. Sasaki’s group wanted to meet in the same cafe that our group, Haruhi included, usually met at when we were getting together on Sunday. The risk of running into Haruhi was pretty slim, according to Itsuki, but I wasn’t going to not be a little paranoid. If Haruhi found us meeting with another group of people somewhere out of the blue without her, then…

I had no idea what would happen.

I don’t think it would be a completely unfair remark to say I was a creative person, when it came to thinking of fantastic events, but my imagination failed me. I know what would feel the worst to me.

Just imagining Haruhi’s face transform from shock, to disbelief, to comprehension to anger and sadness gave me chills. I wasn’t even outside yet and I felt terribly cold. I felt terrible for what we were doing to Haruhi, who should be our friend.

In the end, I hadn’t been home alone with my thoughts for more than a few minutes before desperately fleeing the house, to make it to the cafe early.

Of course, I was way too early. I got off the train at two-thirty and realized that I couldn’t enter the cafe before the others got here, and it was cold. Bitterly cold, but thankfully not too windy. We were supposed to gather here fifteen minutes from now. So I stood  outside of the train station, near a column, waiting for the rest of the Brigade, sans one, when I heard a voice.

“Kyon? Is that you?”

The voice was familiar, and when I turned around, Sasaki was standing before me, bundled up for the cold weather and with a little surprise on her small face, like she wasn’t expecting me. I certainly hadn’t been expecting her right here either.

“Oh, its you, Sasaki. Hey.”

Her face, one I hadn’t seen in a long time but that I would never forget, morphed quickly from surprise to feigned outrage, “Hey? That’s all you have to say to an old friend? Hey? I can see you’ve become more eloquent in the past years. It’s good to see you, I’d say.”

I chuckled, feeling a bit wary. This wasn’t how I planned to meet her again after so much time. I sort of expected to see her in the restaurant. Still, I answered before she could continue, “You haven’t changed much either. It’s good to see you too. What are you up to lately?”

Sasaki looked at me a little strangely, but gave a small motion of ambivalence. “Oh I have been good. I’m trying to go to a good college so that means I am still going to cram school but I took the day off. My mom wasn’t too happy about it, but I don’t often ask for breaks so she relented. Its been a long time since we saw each other, nearly graduation right? I was wondering if anyone from our school might set up a reunion but I haven’t heard anything yet. Of course, I don’t stay in contact with enough of them to be sure. I haven’t really tried to talk to many of my good friends like you. Its almost been a full year now, hasn’t it?”

Sasaki motioned with her hand to emphasize the passing of time before continuing, “You are going to North High, right? How are you enjoying it? Has it been fun?”

Fun is one way to put it, no doubt. I have had some far more interesting events than I could relate in just one sitting. And too many tales that might push the boundaries of most people’s ability to suspend disbelief.

She smiled, “Well, that sounds like a lot of fun. I can’t manage to say that I have observed any major defiances of the natural order of the world, so I think I can safely say my time has been boring. I’d like to hear some of your stories if I get the time someday.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to let her continue talking and guide the conversation, asking, “You went to some private school out of town, right? You are still doing cram school on top of that?” I felt like a spy, trying to change the topic to maintain my cover identity. My cover identity as what? A normal person? I was about to blow that cover with a crazy story about time travel. I actually felt bad already for avoiding the topic.

Sasaki nodded looking a little beleaguered at the thought, “You have no idea. It feels like I study to study in order study some more. I am getting on a train tomorrow to get to cram school again, but I endure. The train rides are just used for more studying. but they get tiring every day of the week. Especially in this cold. Did you know we are a full standard deviation colder than we usually are this time of year, and its been that way for a whole month? Its sort of impressive how out of character it is. But each year does vary subtly, and there are bound to be colder years and warmer years.”

I nodded sympathetic, but confused. She still acted like she hadn’t expected to see me here today, and I wondered if she wasn’t told about the meeting. The only way to find out would be to, well, ask.

“Yeah, every morning I usually have to complete a small Odessy to make it up the hill to my school, so I can sympathise with bad travel times, and walking in this cold has been the worse. Say, you said you took cram school off today, but you didn’t say why? What’s today’s special occasion?”

I felt a little like a creep for watching her face so closely, but all I could discern was vague amusement and maybe a dash of confusion. “Good question. My friends are a little, hm, odd, so to speak. They invited me out to meet another group of odd people. They think they need my support for their hobbies, but, well, they are my friends after all, and they don’t usually ask for much, even if I don’t understand them, and that’s what friends do right?”

I carefully kept my face neutral as she said this, not sure I wanted to give away my role in her future meeting yet. I nodded, understanding the sentiment she spoke to. Though, knowing that Sasaki didn’t believe any of her friends’ stories, I can’t say I really understood what she was saying.

Would I have done the same for the rest of the group if I totally believed that they were crazy, rather than believed they were what they were? Maybe… but I would have felt like a bit of  a jerk acting like I was humoring them rather than believing them. I guess for someone like Sasaki, who believed that nothing was supernatural, humoring her friends was better than being outright rude.

I am a little surprised that her friends didn’t tell Sasaki that I would be one of the people that she was going to meet. I’d better tell her that we were going to the same meeting, just on different sides.

“Hey Sasaki, I-” I paused, looking past her, towards a distinct figure floating nearer, locking eyes with the girl visible just past Sasaki’s short-cut hair. My pause and glance got Sasaki looking as well and the eyes I watch slid away long enough to meet Sasaki’s for a moment before returning to mine.

Yuki Nagato, with narry a word, walked past Sasaki to present herself to me, silent and considering, with the unspoken offer of assistance. The smile that slowly grew on my face at her arrival was not entirely under my control as I motioned to Sasaki. “Sasaki, this is Yuki Nagato.”

Yuki, after placing herself next to me, turned to face Sasaki, who looked about as stunned as she had when first running into me. I continued, “She’s a… close friend of mine.” I gestured, “Yuki, this is Sasaki, a classmate and friend from middle school.”

I didn’t think Yuki would mind me calling her a close friend. We weren’t dating, per se. Well, we might have gone out on what might be considered dates, though seeing the library or catching a quiet dinner weren’t really, you know, serious dates. Just sort of date-like things. So, I suppose, we weren’t anything more than close friends. Yuki didn’t protest my terminology, at least, but Yuki, dressed in her usual school uniform, was not the one who looked shocked.

Sasaki looked like she was trying to swallow her surprise, “Oh. Well. Its nice to meet you. Any friend of Kyon’s is a friend of mine.” Sasaki took a step forward and offered her hand in a Western-style handshake.

Invisible to the normal human eye, I could tell Yuki hesitated for a very brief iota. The only reason I noticed the hesitation was because Yuki was deliberate about nearly everything, and to see her hand waver a moment proved to me that she might not actually want to shake hands. Or maybe she wasn’t expecting Sasaki to be so open.

I didn’t say anything as Yuki took Sasaki’s hand and intoned, “Likewise.” I think Sasaki might have been surprised further by how quickly Yuki took her up on the handshake, but if she was, then Sasaki was doing a much better job of hiding this surprise.

Sasaki smiled, this one hiding something more than amusement, “Oh, my. Looking at you two, I feel like I might have interrupted something that was intended to be more private. I didn’t mean to intrude upon your afternoon.”

Yuki and I looked at each other for a moment, and she nodded minutely, though I didn’t know why. I shook my head and looked back to Sasaki, “Actually, I might have been talking to you under some false pretenses… You haven’t interrupted me at all, I just wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”

At this, Sasaki’s eyebrow rose, looking like Detective Holmes who caught the scent of a mystery, “Oh? How so?”

I rubbed the back of my head, honestly a little embarrassed. “Well, yeah, actually. You mentioned that your group was meeting something like group of oddballs? Well...” I shrugged a bit, though I could see she had already worked it out with her quick wit, “I and my friends are the other party, so to speak. I am waiting here for them, and will probably meet up with you again in a few minutes.”

Sasaki’s smile was mysterious and unreadable, but her eyebrow remained raised. “Well. Well.” I almost thought she would leave it at that, but she continued, “I suppose I am the one who broke the rules of engagement first then, by talking to you before the appointed time. I am sure my companions will have something to say about that. If they didn’t plan on this in the first place.”

She looked me up and down one last time, before shaking her head, “No, you have never been very good at deception, I don’t think this was your plan.” She smiled at me, and I wondered if I ought feel a little insulted.

She turned towards where the cafe was, but spoke back to us, “I don’t think it is in your character to have been waiting here intentionally for me, no matter how much you’ve changed. I will see you in a few minutes, then, Kyon, at the appointed time for parlance.” She paused as she started to take a step, looking back, “And you have changed Kyon. It’s been good talking to you. I look forward to talking some more soon. I am sure it will be an interesting conversation, if I remember our conversations in school with any amount of reliability.”

She chuckled as she said this last bit, and I think she was mostly humored still, but like back in middle school, I couldn’t quite understand her, so some things don’t change. She certainly hasn’t changed much, and I couldn’t say what she thought might have changed in me. Still, I replied.  “See you in a bit.”

I looked to Yuki, who was still watching Sasaki walk away, “Thanks for the save. I wasn’t expecting to see her here.”

“Mm.” Yuki said, before turning towards the station, where Itsuki and Mikuru had just walked into sight.

Well, we had ten minutes to spare. Any last minute strategic plans better come up now, or forever hold their peace.

"Well, it sounds like you had an interesting encounter indeed," Itsuki remarked, as I finished relaying what just happened with Sasaki.

I rolled my eyes, "Well, I guess that's what I get for arriving too early. Anything change as a result?"

Itsuki shook his head, "I say we stick to the original plan. Having Sasaki be forewarned by us might be better. If her cohorts wanted it to be a surprise, she might not be more inclined to be on our side."

I shrugged, "If you think so. I could have technically contacted Sasaki before today as well, and warned her, if I so chose. She will probably not be offended by either party. She's not one to hold a grudge."

Itsuki nodded, "I'll take your word for it then. We ready to head there?"

I nodded vigorously, more to get out of the cold than out of some eagerness for this meeting. It was going to be weird, and I had the strangest feeling that I wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Mikuru was oddly quiet, cautious even. I had a feeling that she was trying to remain calm. I bet it had to do with her being awkward about disobeying orders from the future, although its not like she has heard from her superiors in months. I imagine she was fretting pretty badly in her head, but Mikuru, I think more than anyone, knew that we had to try something to restore the timeline.

Itsuki was definitely putting his charm up to one hundred percent, which meant he was taking this whole situation completely seriously. He knew better than any of us what we were facing in that cafe, and he tried to carry the group's mood higher by the careless smile and nuanced spring in his step.

Yuki was quiet, as always, but she seemed to be in a mood uncertain. She wasn't floating like she had been when I first saw her, but she wasn't trudging like she does most of the time. It was a calculated normal posture and walk that she used, and it made her harder to read than usual, and I had gotten pretty good at reading her. I had a feeling Sasaki had something to do with it, but I wasn't sure yet.

I was kind of shivering, as I had been standing in the cold longest, so I was looking forward to something hot.

Yeah, I had a lot of other stuff on my mind, but it would take longer than the walk to the cafe to really convey it all, so I figured I would stick to the basics.

Inside the restaurant, it was pretty easy to spot the group with Sasaki. They were in a corner booth, all sitting on one side of the table, watching for us and waiting.

Sasaki was at the spot furthest inside the booth, to the left and against the wall. There was some space between Sasaki and the next girl, who looked about the same age as the rest of us, with brown hair and a sly smile on her face, like she already had a joke in mind. As I watched her, I even saw her lean over to the tall guy on the outside seat of the booth, her twin-tails bobbing with the motion.

The guy was tall, sitting on the outside of their side of them long booth, scowling a little already at the brown-haired girl's comment. He had blonde hair and an imperious look to him, like everything here was beneath him. I was guessing this was Fujiwara, the suspicious time traveler that we were here to discuss things with. The girl with twin ponytails was Kyouko Tachibana, and of course there was Sasaki.

The four of them looked at us with varying amounts of curiosity, from the time traveler's complete disinterest and Sasaki's "humored and something more" interested gaze, with Tachibana's gaze looking a little more sarcastic and mean-spirited than any of them. All four of them already had drinks, but they looked relatively untouched, which meant we weren't too late.

I walked up first, though the girl, Tachibana spoke up before I could, saying, "Well, glad to see you guys could make it. Its such good timing too, for you to come to us for help." Her eyes passed from person to person, before tilting in a fake confusion, "But you seem to be missing a member. Does your master know you four are consorting with the enemy?"

Her smile was poison, but the sudden smirk on the time traveler's face carried something darker. I had a feeling I wouldn't like either of them much. They were, of course, talking about Haruhi. We'd expected they would tease us so I ignored the barb. Itsuki stepped forward to introduce us, motioning, "Well, I am glad you could make the time today for us. I'm Itsuki Koizumi." He introduced himself, mostly to Sasaki, who watched interestedly. "This here is Mikuru Asahina."

I had to step aside a little as Mikuru forced herself to take a step forward and say, "It's nice to meet you," though she didn't say this with any confidence, like she might startle at any sudden sound.

Itsuki continued, "This is Yuki Nagato and this is-"

"I don't think Kyon needs an introduction, do you?" Tachibana drawled. "I think nearly everyone knows who he is, in some form or another."

I was a little sour at this, mostly because I was almost hoping I might be able to take on my *actual* name, rather than my nickname. Alas. Itsuki chuckled and motioned helplessly, saying, "Well, I suppose not." Itsuki motioned for us to sit.

I was going to enter the booth first, to sit across from Sasaki, but before I could step in, Yuki was there and sidling down the booth. A little surprised, I paused a moment, before following her down to sit across from the girl next to Sasaki. Itsuki followed me to sit across from the other Esper, Tachibana, unfazed by Yuki's break in the plan. Mikuru was last, sitting across from Fujiwara.

Sasaki watched the whole interaction with an arched eyebrow, speaking as we found our seats, "I am getting the feeling this might be unnecessary, but I can introduce us." She motioned on the outside of the table, "At the end there is Fujiwara. Next to him is Kyouko Tachibana." Fujiwara made no acknowledgement of his name, but Tachibana gave an ironic cheery wave. Sasaki continued, "The quiet girl next to me is Kuyou Suou and I am Sasaki."

I blinked, then stared at the spot adjacent to Sasaki and across from me carefully for a moment. Suddenly, I was staring into the face of an incredibly beautiful girl, albeit one that was doll-like and completely expressionless. I hadn't noticed her until Sasaki pointed her out.

It wasn't that she had been invisible before. She'd just been incredibly… unvisible. It was like my eyes registered something, then forgot. Only now staring at her face, did I recognize her for the alien that was supposed to be following Sasaki around.

She seemed to be staring back at me, though I am not sure she saw me very well. She opened her mouth for a moment, but no sound came out for a few seconds, until finally, "_You_". I watched her for a moment longer, but her eyes wandered away, apparently finished with the conversation. I nodded, glancing at Sasaki who shrugged.

"She's not too talkative. Kyouko brought her to the group not long ago. She said we needed to… Hm, how did you put it, Kyouko?" Sasaki glanced past Suou, who seemed more interested in staring at Yuki now, to Tachibana, who seemed to be doing a fine job of acting pleasant. "You said you wanted to have a well-rounded cast?" Sasaki chuckled, "You said you wouldn't be outclassed?"

Tachibana swirled her drink around, some sort of milk tea, looking superior and not at all chagrined, "I did well too, since they can't even figure out what Suou is. So I think that's a win in our books." Itsuki watched the exchange with interest, but didn't say anything.

Instead, I stepped in, saying, "Well, thats fine by me. Personally, I don't think we need to compete and the more resources at hand the better." I obviously gathered that there was a big powerplay at hand right now, but I wanted to cut to business. The longer we were here, the more likely this ended in failure.

The waitress came by and took our orders, each of our group ordering something hot, excluding Yuki, who got some sort of iced juice.

When the waitress left, I motioned to Itsuki and Mikuru, "You guys know the setup better than I do." I looked across the table at Tachibana, who seemed to be a bit of a ringleader, and Fujiwara who looked like he was bored out of his mind. "Where do we start?"

Itsuki glanced at Mikuru, who started, but then began to speak to her package of silverware, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "On September first, I reported back to my superiors after a… an anomaly in time. Because I have no classified-" She paused, took a breath and looked up, "I have very little pre-knowledge of the future. I reported the nature of the time anomaly as I experienced it to my superiors. They disagreed, and assumed I was lying at first, but as I described the situation, they cut off communication, as their pre-knowledge contradicted my experience, in order to identify the source of our disagreement. Shortly afterwards, my… ability to time-travel was disabled as a message was sent saying that absolutely no causal actions were to take place."

Sasaki chuckled, "So you are saying that a message from the future disagreed with what you said happened? And what, they feared a paradox might be eminent, which means that they stopped all time travel? If they are from the future, why couldn't they just tell you three seconds later what the answer was? You don't think that's suspicious?"

Mikuru, who'd been prepared for this question, nodded, "Yes. Exactly. If it took a thousand years, the future should still have the ability to contact me and update our status. Instead, a full, um, blackout of service and communications has occured. They didn't fix the problem. That's, um, why we are here."

Sasaki shook her head, "That doesn't make sense. Even assuming time travel is real, which it is not, then the universe has to fight to resist paradox, making the world self-consistent, if not linear. A paradox would just end the universe, because it means that time doesn't work anymore. You're making an argument out of impossibility. "

Itsuki cut in, "That's exactly the problem. We think something is coming to upset the plane of time we exist on. If the future can't solve this issue, then it is up to us do something. There is no reason to waste time letting the world end if we can do something about it."

"Yes, but if the paradox already happened, then there is no fixing it, is there?" Sasaki looked a little annoyed, "If time is indeed traversable via time travel, then the universe must be able to account for it somehow. There is no consistency in a universe that allows time travel, but then it falls apart. It's like fixing a broken glass before it breaks. It can't be pre-fixed. The idea is preposterous and seems a bit silly for anyone with sense to really entertain."

I was watching Kyouko and Fujiwara, mostly, since they were the ones we really needed to convince. Unfortunately, I could see that Sasaki's words of skepticism were reaching the others, closing them off from listening to us.

I caught Sasaki's gaze with my own, saying, "You are probably right." I let this sit a moment, while Itsuki glanced hard at me for not backing him up. Far be it from the truth, I was trying to derail the conversation from Sasaki, who would chip away at our argument piece by piece until we wouldn't even remember what we were arguing about anymore.

"But you are arguing from the perspective of someone who doesn't believe the glass will break. You don't believe in any of this. You don't believe that there is a reason to even entertain the idea, even theoretically. I believe it, my companions believe it, so please don't speak down to us about it." Sasaki didn't seem to like my conversation and was about to say something but I spoke first, "Fujiwara."

The pale haired fellow, who seemed, every moment longer, like he wanted to walk out the door. When he wasn't staring out the window towards escape, his eyes would shoot to Mikuru as if she were some otherworldly being. I couldn't tell what was in his eyes at those moments, but it was during one of those momentary glances at Mikuru that I said his name.

Surprised, he looked over at me then smirked, as if he were ready for anything. I asked him, trying to be polite, "As far as I understand it, you are a bit of a rogue element among time-travelers. You look a little older too, so maybe you can help describe what we are up against. We, well… I was kind of hoping you might know more about possible universe ending paradox and how to prevent them." He was still smirking, but it may have been a grimace more than a smirk.

The waitress brought our drinks and left quickly. Fujiwara looked like he was about to ignore the question altogether when he finally laughed, "You are a fool." He held his own drink, which looked like some sort of white tea, and gazed into the liquid. He waited, maybe to see if we were going to interrupt him, but I figured I could at least hear him out. He hadn't said anything more insulting that Sasaki had.

Finally, he continued as I sipped my blissfully warm tea, "You have no idea how time works, it is classified information, and I am not going to classified information anything to…" He paused, looking angry at himself, before asking, "Why should I help you at all? It is probably your fault that time has unwoven. The fault of your pet anomaly."

I nodded, "That's fair. You have a right to be suspicious. I am not sure what feud you have with our group, but it is true that you have a right to be suspicious. However, we aren't the cause of this anomaly."

Kyouko laughed quietly, "How could you possibly know that. Suzumiya is nitroglycerin in a train barreling down the tracks without any brakes. She's nearly broken the natural order more than once, just during that stupid movie set. Why couldn't she break time?"

"Because Haruhi still believes in a continuous space-time. I've asked her several times, and she is quite adamant. She doesn't do everything on a complete whim, she always has some motive. She has no reason to destroy the timeline, especially when time travelers still exist. All the evidence points to the fact that time was broken outside of her manipulation, as she had already been taxing her limits with another event." Itsuki seemed content to let me run the show, but spoke up against Kyouko here.

Kyouko scoffed, but Sasaki interrupted, "Wait, Suzumiya? Haruhi Suzumiya? What does she have to do with this?"

I glanced over at her, "She's our, hmm, locus of supernatural. Sort of your parallel, from my understanding."

Sasaki didn't look any less confused, "So you aren't their 'god' or whatever? Someone else has the supposed power?"

I shook my head, "No. Haruhi Suzumiya is our locus. I am just a normal mortal caught up in the crazy world of theirs. And well, they are friends of mine."

Sasaki wouldn't let it go, "But why isn't Suzumiya here then?"

There was a pause as Itsuki and I tried answer at the same time. Kyouko filled the space first, her cup cradled in her hands, as she sat back and watched, as if the scene was too delicious and yet she wanted to see more, "They are afraid of what Suzumiya might do if she knew the truth. She's frankly quite insane, and if they tell her she has the power to change the world, they know the dangers. She's quite ignorant of the fact that her 'friends' decided to meet us here without her." She took a sip in the silence that followed, adding daintily, "It would be a shame if she were to find out. Though the look on your faces would be delicious."

I didn't say anything to things, not really sure what there was to add. Instead, Fujiwara asked, "What do you mean, time seemed to break down while Haruhi was busy with something else?" I wasn't sure if he was feigning disinterest with his bored tone, or actually disinterested, and trying to end the meeting sooner by hearing us out.

I glanced at Itsuki and Mikuru, to see their reactions, but neither of them seemed willing to broach the topic themselves. I started, "During our summer break, Haruhi set in place a time-loop that had the four of us repeat the same last two weeks of time. This lasted for many cycles," I wasn't willing to really go into how long. It was unbelievably long, and I didn't want to break their suspension of disbelief. "During this closed time-loop, Haruhi didn't create closed space or any other supernatural events. When we got out of the time loop, Mikuru contacted the future. The four of us experienced a far longer time loop than the future expected."

Fujiwara scoffed, "Now I know you are making things up."

Sasaki added quickly, "You only realize this now?"

Fujiwara's smirking scowl deepened, but he ignored Sasaki's comment, continuing, "You couldn't have possibly experienced a true time loop and retain a coherent set of memories. How could she," he motioned to Asahina dismissively, "have sent an accurate measure of the time spent in the loop if it was truly closed? I doubt you managed to classified information the… you couldn't have Q. C. S.-ed the R. A. U. K. S."

I think everyone paused as he started to speak in acronym. Even he seemed surprised that it worked.

Mikuru shook her head though, saying, "I couldn't Q. C. S. but I did an A. N. W. C. C. as soon as the time loop ended and I realized it. That started the process of C. N. S.-ing the data. Um… If that, um, makes sense." Mikuru spoke confidently at the time, quickly grasping the acronym system, but seemed to lose steam as she met the eyes of most of the non-time-travelers, who were completely befuddled.

Fujiwara grunted, saying, "That still wouldn't give you an accurate measure of the discrepancy. How did you know your experience contrasted with the classifi- ahem, the future?"

Mikuru fidgeted a little, but mustered on, "I, um, didn't come up with the actual discrepancy. Yuki, um, Nagato did. She and her, um, kind were able to track the…" We all looked at Yuki but something was terribly awry at first glance, causing Mikuru to trail off.

Yuki was locked in a staring contest with the girl adjacent to Sasaki. With Kuyou Suou. The other alien. And Yuki was clearly distressed.

Anyone who might not know Yuki might construe her blank face as just that, or maybe anger. But could tell she was not angry. Her eyes carried the same weight they had just a few nights ago, standing before the school gates, frozen in nothingness. Here, she was in public, and in that same pain, staring at the other alien of complete unknown.

Almost immediately, I reached out to her shoulder, asking, "Yuki, are you okay?" I glanced at Suou again, having forgotten her for a bit, but now fully focused. The other alien was locked in a more placid stare back at Yuki, seemingly unaware of everything, even Yuki herself as the unknown alien stared unfocused through our friend.

Yuki twitched, and I noticed something very distinct as I looked back. The glass,still held in Yuki's hand and filled with ice and juice, was slowly, silently, cracking. The cracks slowly ran up the glass from her grip, like condensation in reverse, latticing the entire surface, defying all laws of physics. Her fingers were clenched so tight around the slowly cracking, impossibly slow, glass, I almost worried she'd hurt herself. Every moment, I expected it to burst apart, but Yuki spoke first.

"Hurts," she rasped, in a very un-Yuki-like rasp, deep and unsettled, "Tell. Her. To stop."

I looked back to Suou and tried to catch her attention, "Miss Suou, stop it. Whatever you are doing. Stop it right now." There was a hard edge to my voice I didn't recognize, and I was brimming with adrenaline and the urge to do something. The glass was still cracking but no one else seemed to notice its impossible physics, cracked completely from brim to bottom and still held together.

Itsuki and Mikuru were alarmed and worried, but seemed unsure of what to do. Fujiwara seemed wary, as if this were some sort trick, and Tachibana seemed almost amused, but maybe a little worried. Sasaki, mostly, just seemed confused as she stared between the two girls.

"Suou, stop. You are hurting Yuki. Tell her to stop, Sasaki. Now." My voice had more of that alarm and hard edge, as my fingers resting on Yuki's shoulder detected something akin to vibration, or trembling, not visible yet.

Sasaki shook her head, "Why? I don't see Kuyou doing anything. She is just sitting there. How could she be hurting Yuki?"

Suddenly, Suou blinked. Instantly, Yuki fell limp, her hand still gripping the glass tightly. She leaned against my hand resting on her shoulder and I had to shift to support her.

The alien girl, Suou spoke, "Query: Define hurt." She was completely monotone, soft and whispery and emotionless in a way not even Yuki could replicate, but she was looking at Sasaki directly, and everyone seemed stunned at her words.

As Sasaki collected her thoughts, I jumped in again, saying, "Hurt means to cause suffering, pain or wounds. You were doing that to Yuki."

Suou looked away from Sasaki and back to me, "Definition filed. Level Three comprehension reached."

Tachibana chuckled darkly, "Well, if nothing else from this meeting, we now have a socially capable alien that can attack Data Interfaces easily."

Sasaki more flustered than I have ever seen her, asked, "What is going? Did I miss something? And how did Yuki's glass-"

Sasaki had been motioning to Yuki, but Suou interrupted her as the unknown alien turned to Tachibana, "Level one admonition. Pain and hurting was not intended product of interaction. Communication baseline reached, but at cost." She spoke more like a robot than a person, softly and monotone, like she didn't understand volume. Tachibana certainly seemed surprised by the admonishment, and didn't respond.

Suou turned back to Yuki and said, "Complete apology offer. Pain is understood. Valence illumination at rest and will not be re-excited."

Yuki nodded slowly, sitting back up as she carefully kept her hand on the glass, "Accepted. You were sieving through my data too quickly for me to respond. I… Much of my data is associated to pain." Suou nodded once.

Yuki continued, adjusting her bangs with her free hand. "I was able to maintain my connection and a consistent memory through the time loops due to my connection to the Integrated Data Thought Entity's connection."

Her eyes were dark and luminous all at once, and I could tell it took a lot out of her to continue talking about this as she stared directly through Fujiwara's harsh demeanor. She had picked up the conversation exactly where we left it off, asking how could Mikuru be sure her math was right.

"By my own and the Integrated Data Thought Entity's count, the two week time-loop lasted fifty-thousand, seven hundred sixty eight iterations." She still sounded short of breath and weak of voice, but she apparently didn't lose track of the conversation during her battle of wills, or whatever it was, with Koyou Suou.

Fujiwara blinked at this, "That cannot be right."

"It is right," Yuki answered immediately.

"How the hell would you know anyway?" Fujiwara was being a little hostile, and it put me on edge. Yuki was still leaning a little on me, which made me nervous.

Yuki didn't flinch, "The Integrated Data Thought Entity uses a, by your terms, N.E.T.O.P., to maintain temporal constance. The possibilities of us being incorrect are several orders of magnitude smaller than the chances of an actual paradox caused by any instance of time travel."

Fujiwara seemed to be thinking hard,"If its been more than a thousand years between then and…" he shook his head. "I need to think about this and consult my-" He smirked, catching himself before saying anything more.

He took a breath and gave us all the most un-winning smile I'd ever seen. "Give me some time to do my own research. You guys are fucking funny." He stood up, "Don't call me," he said mockingly as he motioned to himself, "I'll call you," motioning to us dismissively with the last statement, before walking out the door at a quick stroll.

Tachibana made an annoyed noise, saying, "Wait, we aren't- Ugh." She watched him walk out and sighed, looking back to the rest of us, "Well, I guess the meeting is adjourned." Her face brightened again, "We should do it again sometime! I can't wait to see you all again." She winked, mostly at Itsuki, "Have fun managing your false idol. It'd be a shame if someone whispered some vicious gossip in her ears about what her 'friends' were doing without her. How's your sleep schedule?" Tachibana's words were well intoned venom, which Itsuki ignored with his usual smile.

She got up herself and Suou followed her out of the long booth, though Suou paused at the end of the table, her mouth opening and closing as if she was speaking, but words only occasionally fell from her lips, "_ serious _ aclimation_ polar_," before she too walked away. She was more discernible than before, but still quite incomprehensible.

Sasaki was left alone in the booth, as she stared at her companions' departure. She pulled out her wallet, and Itsuki spoke up, "Oh, don't worry about that. Part of the agreement was that we would pay."

Sasaki shook her head, but put her wallet away, sliding down the booth. She stopped, sitting across from me and stared at me. I met her gaze, though frankly I was still more worried about Yuki than anything else. She asked me, "Do you really believe all of this?"

I stared back at her and answered solemnly, "I believe all of this. I have seen it myself. Occam's Razor and all that."

She gave a weird look, "Occam's razor implies that the improbable has already been disproven. Have you seen anything that couldn't be disproved by a suitably amazing set of actors in your friends?"

At this, I smiled honestly and warmly. She seemed to have been caught off guard by it. I answered, "I have seen more than enough to know my friends are not good actors, nor am I. We have recorded evidence." Mikuru gave a nervous chuckle, and Itsuki's smile widened at this.

Sasaki shook her head again, and continued to slide out of the booth. As she stood there, I could see her eyes slide back to the glass Yuki held. I looked at it myself. It was almost like the glass was intentionally made to look like it was about to shatter, an art piece rather than a functioning container. And yet it sat, unbroken and still containing liquid.

I could see the cogs in Sasaki's head turning, as she tried to rationalize away the event. The glass was impossible. Yuki shattering the glass with a squeeze was also impossible. The glass had stopped cracking by the time Sasaki had noticed it. Would she be able to convince herself that the glass had always looked like it was half shattered, that it came to the table like that, filled with juice and ice? I didn't know.

Her gaze flicked back to us, "Well, it was nice meeting you all. I suppose we might run into one another again if I can spare the time. It was interesting, to say the least." She chuckled, as if she was going to brush off the entire encounter. "Mind if I call you later, Kyon? We oughta catch up on more mundane things, if you like."

I nodded, "Sure thing." My attention was on Yuki however, who was leaning more and more heavily on me. I didn't see Sasaki leave, but I heard Itsuki and Mikuru give her a platitude of farewells.

Chapter 7

Once the door chimed the retreat of the final member of the opposing group, Yuki slumped over against me completely, and I had to support her. It was no consolation to me that she was so light. I was extremely worried.

“Yuki? Yuki, are you okay?”

She blinked, her head turned away from me and nodded, though I more felt it than saw it. “I am refragmenting my data. I am fine. It is a slow process.” She sounded completely normal again, though I wasn’t buying it. She was basically resting all her weight on me. One arm limp between the two of us, the other seized upon the nigh-shattered glass before her, like it were a lifeboat.

“Are you sure?” I asked her again, motioning to the cup in her hand.

She nodded, rubbing her face against my shoulder once, “Yes. I have it contained in a small field. It will hold until we leave. It is going to take me some time to regain my strength but I will recover. I am… just tired. May we rest here for a few minutes?”

Itsuki and Mikuru slid out of the booth next to me, and took the vacated seats left by Sasaki and Kyouko, with space between. Itsuki answered, “Of course. We need to talk anyway.” He began rearranging the glasses, putting Sasaki’s and the others glasses at the edge of the table. It was quiet for a moment so he continued, “Well, that was a fun discussion. Can’t wait for the next one.”

Mikuru helped him some, and with her now across from me, I could see her face a little better. She looked more confused than concerned, and she started as she saw my eyes on her, before saying, “They were kinda hostile, huh?” She had finished her own drink, and instead had her hands under the table.

Itsuki scoffed, “Well, I suppose that’s to be expected. They do think we are their enemies. We made more progress than I had even hoped for, to be honest. I thought this would be a dead end.”

Mikuru shook her head, “They were all kind of mean. I’m not sure I like them.”

I agreed wholeheartedly, though I felt a personal urge to defend Sasaki, since I knew her. She wasn’t trying to be rude, she just… thought we were all crazy. Hm. Not the most resounding defense there. Sasaki is, or was, usually very pleasant to talk to, from my experience.

Itsuki arched an eyebrow at that, saying, “I don’t know. If a friend of mine were so completely dismissive of what I believed, like she seemed to be, I’d be more frustrated. That’s one of the things I like about you, Kyon. At least when you disagree, you give some small measure of knowing you could be wrong.”

I shook my head to disagree, but I didn’t argue. Sasaki was very convinced of her truth, and she didn’t like hedging time with lies or misbelief as she saw it. That’s all. “Well, the only one that actually did anything threatening was their humanoid interface Kuyou Suou, though she didn’t seem to do it intentionally. I think.”

Yuki lifted her head from my shoulder, where it had been resting, “She isn’t a humanoid interface. She… is an attempt by her kind to interface with humanoid interfaces, I think. She was designed as an emissary from the Macrospatial Quantum Cosmic Entity to talk to the Integrated Data Thought Entity through interfaces. They… don’t understand us on the same level as we don’t understand them. ” Her head rested back on my shoulder, to conserve strength or otherwise, I didn’t know.

Itsuki chuckled, “So she is a humanoid-interface interface? Good to know. Might explain why she doesn’t quite mesh in with the human world.” Itsuki still looked like he was bothered by something, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. Nothing that was said was that troubling, was it? I might have lost track of the conversation after Yuki was being attacked though.

Yuki agreed, “Yes. She is using humanoid interfaces as her template for humanity, which makes it difficult to accurately present herself. She…” Yuki trailed off for a moment, looking into the distance. She didn’t bother lifting her head this time, so I had to look nearly straight down and to the left to see her, “She changed the dimensional polarity of the parity nullspace between my outer shells of data.” I tried to hold back a smile as Yuki made a face not unlike Mikuru when the time traveler accidentally said ‘classified information’ too many times.

Yuki continued, “Kuou Suyou basically activated my stored data at random access points to, hm, siphon understanding. When I realized she was doing this as an attempt to communicate, I tried to facilitate the process. She became overeager, and started activating the more nodes than I could handle.” The alien at my side shook her head, “If I hadn’t had so much personal data to rely upon, I wouldn’t have noticed, and it would have likely incapacitated me. As it stands, I am still only strong enough to maintain this.” She lifted the shattered glass, still looking like it might fall apart at any moment. “I cannot restore it now due to the nature of her over-manipulation of my data.”

Itsuki nodded, and Mikuru asked, “So that’s why she seemed to, um, speak better afterwards? And why she seemed to have more substance afterwards?” Yuki nodded.

Itsuki gave a sour face, “Well, hopefully it is more to our benefit than otherwise. I am not sure I feel comfortable with giving them a better functioning alien, if they remain so hostile. Will you be able to prevent that sort of attack in the future?”

Yuki nodded, “So will other data interfaces, should the need arise.”

I could tell there was more to the story, but I wasn’t going to press it here. I had a feeling it was more a private issue. Instead I asked, “What’s bothering you, Itsuki?”

He blinked and looked at me, “Nothing at all, why do you ask?” He saw the look I gave him, and his grin was more a grimace than smile at being caught, “Just kidding.” He looked thoughtfully at the door the other group had left from, his eyes thoughtful, morose, “I suppose I am about ready to take your advice. The risk of their group telling Haruhi is too great. Even if they lie, the truth from us will be safer than any poison Kyouko Tachibana can come up with.”

I blinked, as I tried to recall what he was talking about, before remembering the Tachibana girl’s words, “Oh. I kind of had the impression she was more being, hm,” I tried to think of an easy term to use that would still be polite to say in good company, “mostly just antagonistic.”

Itsuki didn’t respond immediately, taking an uncharacteristic amount of time to measure his usually quick words. “When she threatened to tell Haruhi, my reaction was not one of anger or fear. I was…” He sighed, “I was sad and disappointed in myself, because my first reaction was that if Tachibana told Haruhi, I wouldn’t have to and it would be easier. Or I would just have to correct Haruhi with the truth, but at least I wouldn’t have to make that first step.”

I nodded, understanding. Were I in his place, I might have even felt the same. I made my stance clear, but it didn’t mean anything but pettiness if I pressed my opinion here. “Yeah.”

Mikuru bit her lip, saying, “I don’t mind telling her what I can, if you want.”

Itsuki and I looked at Mikuru, both of us surprised. Mikuru had always refrained from giving an opinion on the matter, probably because we were basically going to put her at risk from the most repercussions. Itsuki asked the question that I had in mind, “What changed your mind? I had the impression you were reluctant, at best, at the idea of telling Haruhi?”

Mikuru didn’t take long to respond, “I don’t think that we are going to be able to figure this out without her help. I, um, was kind of in a dark place when summer ended. I was pretty sure we’d never escape. We did escape, but.” She stopped there, sighed, then said, “The universe will have already ended soon. I don’t know when. There isn’t a contingency for countering paradox after they occurred, you know?” She was looking at Itsuki, since he had asked. “Part of me thinks that nothing can be done, even with, ah, outside help.” I had no idea Mikuru had become so fatalistic about all this.

I wonder if it had to do with her experience dealing with predestination and absolute future and past. If something completely destroyed my world view, such as proving, without the shadow of a doubt, that the sky was not the view into a vast cosmos, but a solid celestial sphere, rotating slowly around the Earth, I don’t know how I’d cope either.

She looked away, at the spot next to her that was usually occupied by Haruhi, “And if that’s true, I’d rather us all be together at the end. I don’t like lying. More than my job require me to, I mean. I think… I think Haruhi should be among us, aware. She… she can, um be difficult sometimes, but she is still our friend.” She looked up at the rest of us, “Right?”

Her question came out as more self-doubt than an actual question to us, like she needed to be reassured. I clenched my jaw, angry that I couldn’t immediately answer with a resounding yes. She was our friend more than we were hers, right now I feel, given our lies and skullduggery.

Itsuki sighed, “Yes. I think we are. But I can tell that there is something keeping us all from being sure.” He sighed again, “Me included.”

Artful as always, though I could tell this was no act, Itsuki put the finger’s of one hand to his temples, covering his forehead and shadowing his eyes. “We need to tell her. What day is everyone free? And is it okay by you, Yuki?”

“I am agreeable to this solution,” she said, her light head still resting against my arm.

The afternoon wasn’t a complete bust, at least. Maybe we could get Haruhi back as a friend soon.

I ended up walking Yuki home after we spent a couple hours discussing our plan. She was still weak from whatever Suou did to her and, while Yuki seemed perfectly able to walk home by the time we finished at the cafe, I didn’t want to leave it be and simply trust she’d be okay without being sure.

The glass had been discretely placed in the trash on the way out by Yuki, where I heard it finish actually shattering, a small smattering of tinkling noise that was barely audible over the dinner-time noise in the cafe.

Our walk was quiet and peaceful, letting us both process the conversation at the cafe. Well, the quiet gave me that sense to me, but I didn’t know for sure what Yuki was doing. Probably still cleaning up data or something. I hoped it was going well. Still, even in the bitter cold, it was nice to be able to simply relax. There was no pressure here, in this quiet between us.

We were walking close to each other, probably too close for just friends, but I didn’t feel any of that awkward pressure-to-perform or hormonal reaction of standing too close to another girl. It had nothing to do with Yuki actually being an alien-created artificial humanoid. The first time I met Yuki, I believed she was just a normal girl with a penchant for books and a quiet personality. It was hard to fight that naturally easy belief that she still wasn’t anything more than a normal girl with a penchant for books and a quiet personality. Even with everything I had seen.

But self-delusion had its limits. I’d seen Yuki at her absolute strongest, broken and impaled by classroom spears. I’d seen Yuki at her weakest too, quietly crying on the balcony of her apartment building, rapt at the sight of time unseen.

I think I had seen thousands more moments in Yuki than anyone could claim in anyone else. Something in the intangible barriers of memory, lost and immortal at the shadows of my mind, I think I loved Yuki. And I didn’t mean in that silly, small way of high school crushes. I wanted to protect Yuki and watch Yuki grow and never miss anything important to her, even if I couldn’t possibly imagine keeping up with her. I don’t think I would be upset if she never wanted to be romantically involved. I just wanted to be… well… the best friend I could possibly manage.

I know it is probably the darkest times of her life, but I wish I could retain just a fraction of those unformed memories I knew I had with Yuki. How many times had I walked with her, alone like this? How many times did I stay awake, thinking of her, worried during those summers? I get a feeling it was a lot. I will never know. I had only a handful of memories to cherish. Only human memories in my grasp, the same as every other human on earth, and I wanted more.

We made it to the apartment building and she didn’t argue as I walked her into the building, fully intending to walk her to the apartment itself.

In the elevator, unbidden, I found her staring up at me, a look in her like a question and a raised eyebrow, all in one and neither. I realized I was smiling down at her like a giant dope. It turned to nervousness faster than I could blink and change my expression.

Unable to not explain, I said the first thing that came to mind, “I was just remembering you, the first time we went to the library. You were very- um... Sorry, I didn’t mean to- ah. How are you feeling? What did Suou do to you? You said it hurt? What was she doing exactly?”

Smooth. I should let Taniguchi write my dialogue. He’d do a better job of it. Well… maybe I am doing a little better than that.

Yuki gave a half smile as I spoke, but turned thoughtful at my questions. I felt like I’d dodged a bullet, though maybe a knife would be more appropriate given my experience with the world.

She finally started, as the elevator opened, “It is very difficult to describe. Some of my description will be little more than inference gleaned from my experience in reading.”

I made my own face, “Then I am sure you have a better understanding than anyone in the world.”

She looked at me, asking plainly as we walked to her door, “Why would you say that?”

I had to gather my thoughts on this for a moment, “Well, you simply know so much more than everyone in the world. Even an inference, with so many to pull from in all your reading, I am sure you will be able to describe it accurately. You have always been more accurate than William Tell.” We paused at her door.

The door opened at her touch, though I doubt it had been unlocked a moment before. She shook her head and stepped inside her apartment. She was taking off her shoes as she spoke, “That means nothing. For instance. There are three plants that are covered by the family named Shepherdia. I know that all three strains grow in North America, primarily Canada. These plants produce berries. The berries are somewhat sweet, slightly bitter, and usually red.”

She paused, several steps into her hallway to the living room. She looked back at me, “Do you not want to come in?,” her face morphing from her ‘patient explanation’ face to her
‘mild concern’ face.

I opened my mouth and took a step forward at the same time, “Sure. I didn’t want to impose or, ah, anything.” Usually she invited me in formally, but this time, she just left her door open, assuming that I would simply follow, I guess.

As I kicked my shoes off, she asked, “Can you tell me the differences how the three different berries sound?”

I blinked, looking up at her a little confused, “How they sound?”

She didn’t back down, waiting for me to put on a pair of guest slippers, “Yes, how they sound.” The concern was gone and she was perfectly patient and calm, as if at ease in my decision to come in.

I shook my head slowly, “I couldn’t even guess. I don’t even know how each of them are different in appearance or taste.

She nodded, saying, “I cannot either. I know factually what makes them different, but the words mean nothing without inference. One of the three strains of berry is slightly more bitter, but ‘bitter’ is a measure that is, once again, an inference. Is it bitter like coffee? Is it bitter like sulfur? Is it bitter like oleander or dandelion? The same words used to describe Shepherdia berries are used to describe persimmons, but the words to describe these flavors mean as much to me as the actual taste, which is simply a chemical breakdown and inference based on what I have been told.” She looked into my eyes as I stood up straight, the slippers on, as she continued, “I can calculate how they might sound, but only after personal examination and experience.”

I followed her in, listening to her talk, enjoying the sound of it. She paused near her kotatsu, both of us standing and facing each other. I nodded slowly, finally asking, “So you are saying that you aren’t really sure of your own senses, since you don’t quite grasp the nuance of the human experience, even with two thousand years of study?”

She nodded, “Precisely. Would you like some tea?”

I was a little leery at this, since not an hour before she was still having trouble supporting herself at the cafe table. “I can make it, if you want to rest?”

Her eyes gained a little spark, as she quietly responded, “The general consensus is that you do not make the best tea.”

I frowned, “I can make okay- weren’t you just saying that you don’t really taste anything like a human anyway, and it is all just inference?”

The spark didn’t leave her eye as she turned towards the kitchen, “Regardless of my inferences, I know enough to discern the taste of good tea from your tea. You may help with the water.”

I sighed, having been sassed by Yuki. But at least I had been recruited to help. She indicated the pot she wanted me boil water in and I started the process with a small smile on on my face, “So you you were saying that you didn’t know how to relay the information to me about how it felt?”

She nodded, as she opened a cabinet with a box of simple store-bought tea leaves. “Yes. I am caught between explaining the sensation as I felt it, a poor transliteration of data interactions that do not have words in your language, or using metaphor, something you are adept at understanding, but I am ill-equipped to craft, as metaphors are constructed via unsaid inferences between disparate topics.”

I started the heat beneath the water, and I wondered why Yuki wasn’t able to instantly make tea like she so often did. Was she still struggling with some of the more complicated powers she could perform? How much did Suou change the polarity, or something, in Yuki’s data shells? What did that even mean? I didn’t ask any of this, “So, am I hard to understand sometimes? I mean, beyond just making odd metaphors?”

She looked thoughtful at this, “Hm. Yes and no. Metaphors are strange because it creates association between data that had no connection before, and it takes measurable time to create additional associations enough to understand what might actually be connected between the two nodes.”

She paused, to let me absorb that. She’d gotten better at doing that, giving me time enough to process what she was saying. Maybe I had some sort of look on my face, or maybe she’d gotten better at reading me the same way I was getting better reading her. “For example, there are many William Tells in the world, but the most prominent is a folk legend in Switzerland. He is known for being a deadly accurate assassin with a crossbow. I did wonder if you were saying that I could kill with accurate descriptions.”

Yuki looked at me, as if measuring her ability to watch me drop dead with a well thrown phrase, calculating and cold, but also with a hint of humor in those eyes. I tried not to give her the satisfaction but I couldn’t help myself and smiled. She continued, “But William Tell is more often spoken of with the story of hitting an apple resting upon the head of his son with a bolt, without fail. So, after trying to make several failed associations, I believe you were trying to say that my words always hit their target, which I assumed was a compliment.”

I nodded, saying, “It was.”

She nodded, “So the connection was clear, but was only by elimination of uncertain association that I could glean the meaning.”

“Okay, so are you saying that you aren’t going to be able to describe what Suou did to you without some very abstract metaphors that I am going to have to sort of make sluggish inferences from?”

Yuki gave a small smile and nod, while pointing, that personal expression of hers, at one of the cabinets, “Teapot and cups”.

I got out the tea cups and pot for us to use as she spoke, “Kuyou Suou, in the broadest sense of the term, used my data space as temporary external hard drive, replicating data and corrupting it at speeds that exceed current theoretical limits of parallel psudo-syncratic duplication. It sort of felt like someone stimulated every surface of my memory with nascent symbolism and frozen strands of parity.” I had placed the tea-ware on a tray she had nearby, and she poured the nearly boiled water into the teapot. She followed it up with a few spoonfuls of tea. This was a quiet procedure, mostly because Yuki had stopped talking and I was thinking.

I carefully hauled the tea to the kotatsu at the center of her living room. I sat across from her laptop, figuring she could either sit across from me at her laptop, or on one of the sides next to me. To my surprise, she chose to sit directly next to me, on the same side.

We weren’t touching, and, when I saw that she was moving to sit next to me, I scooted over some automatically, but it still surprised me all the same. Both of us settled, and I asked, “So… it sounds kind of painful but abstract. Did, um, she make you experience your memories again then? That would suck, if they weren’t good memories.”

Yuki watched the steam slowly rise from the pot as she shook her head, “Not quite. If it could be compared to anything, I would loosely compare it to the sensation of watching a movie fast-forward, being played on successive platforms while traveling past on a train. I recieve a sense of sensation; fast, uncomfortable and trapped with no platforms to leave the train. It was… worst when Suou found patches of bad data within my influence, and the train jerked to a stop and the experience of memory began to slow down.”

I nodded, not understanding, though knowing that Yuki was trying to explain as best she could. Inference, I told myself, as I tried to make associations and build that bridge of understanding. “It was worse when it slowed?”

Yuki nodded, as she said, “Yes. It happened around memories that were similar to, but worse than, two nights ago at school.”

I thought back to that bitter cold night, where Yuki stood frozen before the school gates, lost, afraid, almost alone. She spent that night fake-reading a book in the club room, as I and the others tried to be there for her, without bothering her. It was a rough night on all of us, and Yuki was weaker after that ordeal than she had been today.

What could have happened in her memories that was worse than those fateful twilight hours, when I was afraid I had finally seen Yuki at her breaking point? What worse memories did she hold?

My heart went out to her and my hand did too, as I reached with my left hand to squeeze her right hand. She didn’t stop me, but I didn’t leave it there, pulling it back into my lap. “Do you want to talk about something else?”

I could see the tension in her leave, as she nodded, emphatically for her and said, “Yes.”

I smiled, as she reached for the teapot and began to pour tea. “So did I tell you that I finished that book you lent me?”

She poured my own and her tea and nodded, “Hm, how did you like it?”

I smiled, sitting up to drink my tea, ”Yeah. It was pretty weird. I am not sure how much of it I missed, but the author had some strange ideas about how America was supposed to change. And I know the place is crazy, but I don’t think they let pizza delivery guys carry samurai swords. I did like a lot of the stuff about viral information and memes, though.”

She gripped her own tea mug, smiling slightly and I could see some of her stress slowly leak away as she responded.

Sundays, I usually caught up on my homework. It was usually the quietest day of the week, when Haruhi didn’t have anything planned. This week, Haruhi didn’t have anything planned.

I don’t know when I started doing homework so rigorously, anymore. Some sort of sense of vague personal responsibility had spawned from that summer.

Also, Yuki did very occasionally drop hints that “academic achievement was considered the purpose of school” and while she hadn’t ever said anything outright, I think she would have been a little disappointed if I completely failed my classes in my usual malaise of lethargy.

Personally, I just figured my change of heart had more to do with the difficulty of getting all my summer homework done in a single day, the day I was supposed to go back to classes. My parents did not let that go lightly, and I knew that one more infraction like that would lead me straight to cram school.

So Sunday passed with my homework and studies. I’ll be honest. It seemed like a waste of time, what with the impending paradox and such, at first glance. But I was thinking about it, and, assuming the universe would continue on, I would be the dumbest person around if I let all my studies pass me by. I had to make a living after school, and, assuming that I didn’t want to be a warehouse stockman, I ought to try to make it to a decent university.

Or that’s what I told myself to keep motivated. College was a couple years away, but if I forgot what I was working towards, why bother with the present? Presumably, I’d had two thousand years of living in the present, so I might as well look forward.

Monday was colder still, and now, every fraction of a degree could be detected minutely, like the blades of winter were sharpening in the night against a whetstone of bitter malice. Maybe I was exaggerating a tad, but when I say it was almost a relief to work up a little heat, walking up that eternal hill to school, I want it to be clear I have just made a monumental admission.

I arrived at the school about the same time as Taniguchi, who was changing his shoes already. He barely mustered a wave, saying, “Hey, what’s up with this cold? I nearly froze off my-”

Kunikida came out from the corner and lightly punched Taniguchi in the arm, saying, “What was that?”

Taniguchi held up his bag, smug, “I was going to say ‘lunch’.” Kunikida scoffed, and I rolled my eyes. We started walking towards the classroom.

Kunikida asked, “So how was your weekend? Busy?” He was looking at me as he asked, and I shrugged.

“Got my homework done. Trying to study for tests. Not much else.”

Taniguchi shook his head mournfully at this, and I asked, pointed, “What?”

He shrugged, his hands upturned at his side, “I don’t know what to tell ya, man. I wasn’t certain before, but now I know. You are a certified Haruhi-nut. Probably one of the those doppelganger’s out there, am I right, Kunikida?”

I glowered at Kunikida, who smiled and said, “Well, he certainly has changed from middle school.”

I sighed, “First of all, Haruhi doesn’t do doppelgangers. And secondly… just because you don’t want to get into a good college, doesn’t mean the same for me.”

Taniguchi snickered, “That’s right. Haruhi is way more into aliens and sliders. Which is he, Kunikida?”

I threw my eyes skyward, unable to defend myself against their clearly over enthusiastic Monday mood, as Kunikida just laughed.

Trying to derail them, I asked, “How was your guys’s weekend?”

The chatted on, the discussion thrown away, though I did wonder. Were there doppelgangers out there in the world? Did Haruhi make them? Or where they some other ‘other’, a problem for another group?

I sighed, as I sat at my spot in the classroom, mentally dropping the topic, as it was irrelevant. I’d deal with doppelgangers if doppelgangers showed up, but there was no reason to waste time with it today.

Classes went smoothly today, though I did struggle to pay attention. My mind kept sliding to Haruhi behind me, who seemed more interested in watching the windows, challenging the cold to come get her.

How do you explain to a semi-demi-god that they have powers, and that their powers make their friends hide and lie constantly? Of course, this is not the first time I have grappled with this question. I think about it all the time. It's not that I am sitting at my desk all the time, just snoozing or daydreaming.

The problem isn’t Pandora’s Box, not really. It was Pandora herself. I wasn’t worried about Pandora opening that box of evils out of curiosity. Pandora had shown amazing restraint, partly because she didn’t quite believe that the box existed and partly because she didn’t want to ruin the world.

Would a Pandora scorned, a Haruhi excited and infuriated by the lies, open that box completely?

I sighed. If only that Tachibana hadn’t made any vague threats, we could pretend to hold back more. But now…

The last bell rang, and I trudged to the clubroom, and met up with Yuki and Mikuru, I did make sure to knock, and Haruhi, who was playing on the computer again. I wondered what she was doing, but she was typing pretty seriously, so I didn’t want to bother asking. Mikuru was making tea, and I had pulled one of the books off the shelf to glance through.

Yuki’s local book collection was always an interesting eclectic. The book I picked up, at random, a collection of really old science fiction stories. I could tell it was a translation, but it was kind of odd, about a duchess who found herself in another world full of talking animals. My mind was too distracted to really get interested in the book, and I didn’t have the presence to do anything as complicated as pick out a game to play.

Itsuki made it to the room and I could sense something slow in his movements, more measured, hesitant, when his eyes reached Haruhi, still sitting at the computer, who barely spared him a glance from whatever she was typing.

I nodded to him and Mikuru gave him a small greeting and his tea. He returned the gestures, and took a seat without picking up a game himself. He seemed a little tired, his face in its usual pleasant face, but eyes closed. I wondered if he got any sleep last night.

It was quiet again. Club activities ended without much of an announcement some time later, and I wondered what was wrong. If everything were normal, I would have expected Haruhi to be planning more events, like a Christmas party or something, but there was nothing here. It was a quiet afternoon in the clubroom. It shouldn’t put me on edge, but it did. We had all done this a hundred times, it seemed, but today it seemed double edged and unnatural.

We all left with Haruhi. I think we were all tired in our own way. Yuki’s been overworked by her own memories. Mikuru has had to spend a lot of time and energy contravening her intense psychological conditioning. And I didn’t think I needed to explain how tired Koizumi has been all this time. I was impressed he was still standing upright, if he was half as overworked as he seemed to be.

That night, we all went home to sleep, and, at least for one more day, the world didn’t end.

Of course, I didn’t sleep well, knowing that the world would will probably end in less than a day.

I woke up that Tuesday before my alarm, though I did get a little sleep. My little sister acted just as surprised as last time, though I didn’t feel quite as personally wounded by the reaction this time.

I was dreaming of a visit to the surface of the sun, in the brisk cold, but I didn’t want to waste that much effort complaining about the weather, instead playing conversations in my head again and again.

I won’t deny, I did consider taking the coward’s way out and feign sick today. Yuki had still looked a little peaked yesterday, but not enough to make anyone else concerned by asking her in the club room. Her response to my question later, in a text between our phones, seemed satisfactory enough. I hoped she was doing better today.

I actually accidentally spotted Mikuru between classes. She made a nervous sound around a stack of papers being carried away from the teacher’s offices and the copy room therein and gave a small greeting, “Oh! Hi Kyon.”

“Hey Mikuru. How’s going?”

She adjusted the stack, and while I was a little worried she might drop the stack, she recovered fine. “Oh, good. Teacher forgot to make copies for everyone and, ah, asked me to help.”

I nodded, surprised that she was doing it alone, “No one offered to help?”

I knew this was almost impossible, as Mikuru, should the grapevine be believed, was one of the premier ladies at the school in terms of charisma points, and I had more than old lecherous Taniguchi to back this opinion.

Mikuru made a cute concerned face, which endeared her to the passing pair of third year boys I didn’t recognize, but said, “Hm, yeah, but I told them I would be okay. Usually Tsuruya would help, but her family business had an emergency out of the country yesterday, so she is away. Um.”

“Family business, huh?” This was of interest to me, as I wondered whether this was a corporate business or mystical business venture, but I didn’t ask. I didn’t think that Tsurya would come out from behind the darkness and silence me forever with that naginata, but I dare not risk it.

“Good to know. Need any help?” I gestured to the papers, but she almost immediately shook her head.

“No, uh, I got this. I think my classmates think I am a little helpless alone. I can show them,” her eyes gained a little bit of a glint, as she stared into the distance, her voice becoming hammy and over dramatic, “I will show them! I can make twenty-five more copies of our review material for the good of all mankind!”

I chuckled as she channeled her villainous character from the movie we all made- proud and imperious and not the least bit imposing.

She smiled back, and said, “Better get going, bell should ring in, um, twenty-seven seconds! See you later Kyon!”

I nodded, and with her clockwork precision timing to go by, I headed back to class, feeling a little better and maybe a little worse. Asahina had been nervous, just like I was, but she was willing to fake normalcy despite the hesitancy in her words. I needed to relax a little too. Being nervous wouldn’t help at all.

In class, the strain of not being nervous was making me feel a little twitchy, but I was able to contain it with effort. It was at times like this, I wished I were like the others in the group. No, I didn’t want any special powers, abilities or lives to live. They could keep that.

I just wanted to be able to attend class, without Haruhi breathing down my neck, figuratively, mostly. The others didn’t have to worry about constant scrutiny which surely had to make this waiting less painful.

The universe relented eventually, but even as the final bell rang, I had to control my reactions, trying to put my books in my bag without shaking. Offhand to Haruhi, I said, “See you in a bit.”

She just grunted. She had cleaning duty and was duly excited for it.

I slunk bag across my shoulder and I left the room, and while it felt like my heart might burst, afraid I might give some terribly clue or hint to Haruhi before we were ready, I made it out without any error.

I had to keep myself from running to the clubroom, just to burn some of the nervous energy off. I did make it there in good time, but that was just from a faster walk than usual.

Mikuru was still changing, when I arrived, so I waited outside the room, nervously tapping my foot. When Mikuru unlocked the door and opened it enough to look out at me, she smiled, also nervous and strained, but trying to reassure me all the same.

Yuki nodded to me as well and I took a seat at the table. I didn’t even pretend to get something out for us to do. Mikuru was still making tea, that kind soul, and Yuki was looking at a book, but it looked familiar, like she had read it before, and I don’t think that she rereads books. Maybe she was just as nervous as I was, but just was better at hiding it. Likewise, Mikuru wore her familiar maid costume.

Itsuki showed up a few minutes later, smiling wanly at us. He put his bag down, and rummaged through the game shelves. I couldn’t imagine him having any desire to play something, but he did pull out a chess board.

He put it on the table and began to assemble the board. “How is everyone?”

It was quiet and we all looked at each other. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife and eat with a fork. I wondered what tension tasted like. Would it be bitter, tangy maybe? Too salty and sour to really be palatable?

I met the others eyes, and finally said, “Well, I won’t speak for the others, but I am pretty frankly nervous as a bullfighter waiting in a china shop.”

They smiled, all to various degrees, and Itsuki chuckled, “Surprising. I have been feeling better and better these past two days.”

I fiddled with the black rook on my side of the board, “Well, if you have been feeling a single fraction of what I feel right now, I’m sorry for pushing us all into this.”

He waved off my apology, and Mikuru shook her head. Itsuki said, “Don’t worry about it. I think you were right all along, feeling how I do. Now relax, we will be fine.”

I nodded not quite believing him as he started making his first move with a white knight. Mikuru got us tea, and I slowly tried to figure out Itsuki’s strategy. He was playing awfully conservative and while I sought out a chink in his defenses, I wondered what we were doing, playing games when waiting for-

The clubroom door slammed open, causing me to flinch in surprise for the first time in months. I needn’t worry though. It was only Haruhi Suzumiya.

Then again… It was only Haruhi Suzumiya.

Haruhi walked into the room as if she owned the place. In many ways, she did.

The clubroom had become a nexus, as Itsuki had described it once. A central location that was imminently stable, a nigh fortress against the onslaught of Haruhi’s psyche.

Besides, this was the room she first brought us all together. It seemed only natural we tell her here. This rational logic did not keep my heart from pounding.

Itsuki smiled and nodded to Haruhi, “Afternoon. How are you today?”

Haruhi slowed as she passed us playing our game, seeming suspicious of his greeting. “Good. Chess again?”

She scanned the board, looking at the pieces arrayed. I could see her keen eye grasp the basics of what was going on, and I didn’t know if her mild reproach was for the game itself, or for Itsuki’s conservative strategy.

He nodded, as Haruhi walked past, “Yes. It's quite a symbolic game, don’t you think?”

Haruhi puffed in mild derision, “I suppose. You have your classic cliche of white versus black. Boring, I say.”

She sat at her usual seat at the computer, but she didn’t start typing away. She almost seemed… engaged somehow. Her tone was derisive, but in an… almost forced way, like she was inviting a challenge.

Haruhi artfully climbed into her rolling seat, spinning around once until she was facing me, mostly hidden from my sight. She seemed to be leaning back in her rolling chair, her head out of my sight behind the monitor. If I had to guess, she was leaning back to look at Itsuki.

Itsuki’s casual smile was up about twenty percent more sly than it usually was, and he nodded, “Oh sure,” He casually picked up his white king, examining it, “The basics of good and evil facing off are boring and have been overdone. I was thinking more on the scale of just looking at one team.”

She sounded bored and began to lean forward, according to the squeaking noise I could hear. “What’s so interesting about the team?”

He smiled, “Well, I mean, does it make sense that the most powerful piece on the board is also the weakest, and most well protected?”

I watched this exchange in silence, mostly more befuddled than involved. I glanced at Mikuru and Yuki to get their read on this, but I didn’t reap much understanding. Yuki appeared to only be half-listening, waiting on something to happen, and Mikuru seemed as confused as I was. At the cafe, we’d all decided to let Itsuki take the lead, when it came to breaking the truth to Haruhi, for several reasons.

For one, he has the quickest and had the most clear understanding of her emotional state. If anyone will know when to back off first, it’d be him. For two, he was probably the most eloquent and understood what Haruhi would and wouldn’t like to hear and how to say it.

Finally, and probably most importantly, he was, of all of us, the one trying to get closest to Haruhi. Without mincing words, he liked Haruhi, and wanted her to like him back. This was a personal topic from us to her, it made sense that he broached it with her.

The disagreement in Haruhi’s voice was almost as clear as watching her shake her head directly, “The Queen is the most powerful piece. She doesn’t need anyone’s protection."

Itsuki raised an eyebrow, “But she is powerless if the King is removed from the board, and the game can continue if the queen is lost.” He twisted the black king between two fingers, as if to look at it from a new angle, “Yes. If I had to compare you to any of the pieces on the board, I’d say you are definitely our king.”

Haruhi, and I could just hear her rolling her eyes at this, sighed, “Uh-huh, and where do you get this from?”

As I listened to this natural, fake antagonistic conversation, I wondered if this was how they talked to each other when they were alone. Was this how they argued about how to make the movie, when they were in the planning stages? I didn’t say anything, half afraid I might break the spell somehow.

Itsuki shrugged, “Well, without your guiding influence, we wouldn’t be here at all. I dare say that you are the only reason we exist in this clubroom at all, in more ways than one.”

“Are you trying to flatter me somehow?” Haruhi’s voice was mock annoyed, and I almost wanted to see her expression, just to figure out what was going on in her head. Damn the computer monitor.

Itsuki chuckled, “Please, if I wanted to do that, I’d comment on how good your hair looks today. No, I wanted to say that you really are the central figure to everyone here. But a lot like the king, we have to protect you too.”

I think I might have seen the barest hint of a blush on Koizumi’s face as he threw out the compliment in front of us all, but he didn’t even pause for breath when he continued.

Haruhi’s response was hot though only lightly edged with anger, “I don’t need your protection from anything.”

Itsuki nodded, “I think you are right. That’s why we are going to tell you everything today, if you have time.”

There was silence enough for that proverbial pin to drop, then Haruhi sat up, the chair squeaking lightly. “What?”

Itsuki put the chess piece down, and said, with a sigh, “We want to tell you about ourselves. I know that Kyon hinted at some of this once, but it's time we told you the truth.”

It was cold in the room and silence seemed to predominate the world.

Haruhi finally broke the silence first, barely, with a short, punctuated, “Hm.”

It was quiet again, and I felt compelled to speak, “Haruhi, when you made this club, what did you tell Yuki, Mikuru, and me about what the club was for?” I let the words sit a little longer, as Haruhi rolled her chair out from behind the desk, sliding next to Yuki, to see my face.

“Do you remember your words? Because I could never forget them… You said the reason you started this club, that the SOS Brigade was created so that ‘we could seek out aliens, time travelers, and espers and hang out with them.’”

I remembered back to those days with a fond smile on my face, even though those times had their sour note too. I continued, “Did you ever think that was possible? In your heart of hearts?”

Haruhi looked, well… displeased wouldn’t quite capture the emotion. Angry maybe? Embarrassed too? “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t believe it. What is all this? Why do I feel like I am being interrogated?”

I opened my mouth but Yuki spoke first, her book closed and her eyes centered on Haruhi like a submarine locked onto target.

“What I am about to explain is rather complicated and difficult to properly convey through words, but given who you are, I expect you will understand better than most.” Haruhi’s head flicked to Yuki, who had been silent and still up to this moment. Yuki continued, “I, like yourself, am not an ordinary human being.”

Haruhi scoffed, “Well, I could tell you aren’t exactly ordinary, Yuki.”

Yuki smiled slightly at this, “I do not refer to universally accepted personality traits that constitute cultural norms, nor do I refer to something as trivial as biology, psychology, or materialization. My wording was intentionally literal.” Yuki’s speech had grown more wordy and maybe less easy to follow, but I knew the intent by heart. It was one of those speeches that you hear once and almost never forget, just like Haruhi’s words when she started the club. “I am not an ordinary human being. I am an artificially constructed humanoid interface for an extraterrestrial force that primarily subsists completely on what you would consider the abstract concept of data.”

Haruhi blinked at this, saying, quite plainly disbelieving, “Uh-huh. Have you seen the doctor lately, Yuki? You have seemed a little peaked these last few days.”

Yuki shook her head, but already Mikuru was stepping forward, offering a steaming teacup on a small plate, “Um. I am-”

Haruhi took the plate and the cup, scoffing, “Oh not you too Mikuru.”

The girl in the maid outfit stood up straight in slight alarm, but nodded, “Y-yes. I am a- I am not actually from this time-plane. I am a… visitor from another era. I was…” Mikuru sighed, “This is hard. I am restricted from talking about this by classified information, which means I can’t describe classified information, classified information, or how time travel works classified information, like preventing a leaf from traveling down the stream by holding it in place for a short period.” Mikuru blinked. She paused, looking at the others, “Wait, did that metaphor work?”

Itsuki, Yuki and I nodded while Haruhi sighed, “Oh man, you all went crazy, didn’t you? I thought you were going to stop lying to me.”

Itsuki sighed, leaning his hand, elbow resting on the table. “I don’t suppose you will appreciate the fact that I am going to tell you that I am an esper. Most of the time, when you are asking me where I work? I am working as an esper. When I vanish around a corner, after you’ve followed me for an hour? I am working as an esper.”

Haruhi sighed in response, “If you are an esper, tell me what I am thinking.”

Itsuki smiled sadly, “I cannot read minds. I can, however, get a basic emotional read on one single person in the world. But this person is someone I am now so close to that I hardly need to read their emotions to understand their thoughts.” He sat up straight and stared Haruhi in the eyes, “You want us to be telling the truth, but you can’t let yourself believe it, because if we were lying…” he leaned forward slowly as he spoke, “if we misled you, made you believe in the impossible, the downright absurd… you don’t think you could live if we ended up lying to you about this.” Itsuki was stone-faced, but solemn, “And that you can’t believe us destroys you, in some small manner. Because what Kyon asked you to do, to just trust us, is so very hard."

Haruhi was almost rapt at his words, not quite aware that she wasn’t leaning back in her chair anymore, but almost leaning towards him, on his every word. She caught herself at the mention of me, her face turning sour again, her voice dripping with poison as she looked at me, asking, “And let me guess, you are the slider?”

I shook my head, “Nope. I am just a normal person. I did experience one strange thing thing all my own, once. Do you remember that day we went out to seek aliens, time-travelers, and espers all alone, a quiet Sunday afternoon? I beat you to the meeting place, and made you pay for my drink?”

Haruhi glared at me, “Was this where you tried to con me with this same story? Did you get them in on it too?”

I shook my head, “Didn’t you say you had a nightmare that week?”

Her glare froze, and I could tell she was remembering that dark night, that dreamscape.

“Did I ever tell you I had the same dream?”

Haruhi laughed, cold and bitter, “I didn’t ever tell you what my dream was about.” She stood up, “I’m outta here, I am tired of you guys’s jokes.”

She started to walk to the door, teacup and plate clattering on the table, and I spoke quicker.

“It was dark and quiet at the school, only two people left alive in the world. You and I, Haruhi, you and I broke into the main office to check the phone lines. They were dead. We went up to the club room, alone in the world, you almost excited, and me mostly confused and worried. You left the clubroom to go check on something, I didn’t know what.”

Haruhi froze at the doorway, hand on the handle.

“You came back, face aglow with excitement and the bright light from outside. ‘Something’s here!’ you yelled, as the bright blue giant, a massive celestial being rose from the dead silent earth like a phoenix from ashes. I was terrified, you were ecstatic.”

Haruhi turned around to look at me, blank faced. It was enough to almost make me flinch and shut up, but I couldn’t. She took a few steps forward and sat down on the chair at the far end of the table near the door, the chair making an awful scraping noise against the ground as she pulled it out.

“The thing began to destroy the school, but you were still excited, and I dragged you away from it all, afraid. When we stopped in the track field a ways away from the school, we argued. I stand by what I said then. Do you remember those last words I said?”

Haruhi looked more angry than before, though I couldn’t think of why. She finally said, her voice dry and angry and dripping with acid, “You said that ponytail I used to wear looked so good it was criminal.”

I choked.

That was not what I meant for her to remember. Damn it, I was trying to lead to something more dramatic than that. As I put my head in my hands, Mikuru and Koizumi made small noises as all the drama in the room fell flat into stupidity. Damn my teenage hormones. I looked up quickly, not wanting to lose all momentum.

Haruhi wasn’t the least bit amused, and I sighed, “No, not that. Before then. I mean the part about how the world was moving in more and more interesting ways and you just couldn’t see it yet.“

Haruhi didn’t seem amused or impressed, and with my point deflated, I was worried that I might have ended the world for all of us.

Koizumi stood, saying sadly, “I would love to be able to show you the world I see, Miss Suzu-... Haruhi. I could show you those giants again. But I don’t think I can take you to those spaces. Not when… Well.” He waved off an imaginary bug. “I need to go do some work, but with luck, you will get to see a little of what I can do.”

He walked towards the door, pausing beside Haruhi. He put his hand on her rigid shoulder, “I’m sorry. Please have a little faith in us. All of mine is in you.”

Koizumi left the room, and Haruhi hadn’t moved an iota. She might as well have become stone.

Mikuru stepped forward, probably realizing my meager attempts to talk to Haruhi had failed. “I umm, wanted to tell you. I like being in this club with you. The stuff we do is usually a lot of fun! I, um, wouldn’t lie to you about this. Really.”

The statue of Haruhi slowly turned her head towards Mikuru. I almost expected her neck to creak from lack of grease, the way it moved.

The brigade leader’s voice sounded hollow, disinterested, “Don’t even. I know you didn’t want to be here. I know you hated it. Don’t pretend now.” Her eyes fell back to the flat surface of the

Mikuru looked aghast, her tea tray clutched to her chest like armor. “Ha-haruhi!” Her voice was urgent and almost angry. Haruhi’s eyes snapped back to Mikuru’s “Don’t say that. Sure, some of it was hard on me. But you are my friend. I could… I will get into really big trouble for telling you about my… career, but…” She slowed stood up straighter, the tea tray held at her side, “I can make decisions. I could have left if I wanted to.” Haruhi raised her eyebrow at this, but Mikuru wouldn’t back down, “I could have! If I wanted. But I wanted to hang out with you more. And I wanted you to know about me because I… because we are friends.”

Haruhi blinked slowly at this, looking almost the barest amount less disinterest. “And what about you, Yuki? Why are you bothering to try to convince me of some impossibility, that you actually are an alien, just like you played in the movie?”

Yuki hadn’t opened her book again, but she hadn’t put it down, either. It was held in her lap, while she turned her head away from the window to look at Haruhi, “Without you, I would literally not exist. I am… was supposed to be an observation unit only, but if you did not exist, if you were not who you are, the Integrated Data Thought Entity would have never made me. It is no exaggeration for me to say that without you, I would have never come to live and enjoy living, with both the good and bad.”

I felt my phone buzz twice in my pocket, and Yuki stood up, continuing her speech. “I value you, as well as everyone else in the club, more than my own individual existence. However, the homeostasis we have developed is an unbalanced one, and you are not happy.” She walked to the window as I stood up and followed.

I motioned for Haruhi to follow, and I half expected her to simply walk out of the room. I wondered what was going on through her head, but I didn’t really have time to think about it too much. She seemed angry at us, like we had betrayed her worse than if we had just kept lying to her. Maybe we had, in some ways. But if she walked away disbelieving us, it could be the worst possible outcome, having raised her ire past a point where the Espers could control it.

Finally, she followed us to look out the window, standing between Mikuru and I. Unable to lie to myself, I struggled to keep from breathing a sigh of relief. I was really, truly afraid she wouldn’t join us at the window.
Even as Haruhi stood about as far away from either of us as she could, we looked down into the courtyard between the Old Building we were in and the rest of the school.

Itsuki stood there in the cold, hugging his arms to his chest in an attempt to stay warm. I checked, and he did indeed leave his scarf and jacket in here. He was looking up at us in the window, two stories below us. When he saw us all looking at him, he smiled, gave an ironic salute, then tromped his way towards the tree in the courtyard.

He made it halfway, before vanishing into thin air, disappearing into the aether of closed space.

Haruhi’s hand shot to the glass, slapping it and making the cold surface rattled, “Where did he go?!”

I answered, “He went to closed space. That’s what he does. He goes into those cold empty bubbles of the world, bubbled like we were in during that dream, and fights those glowing giants.”

Her face was a snarl, “Impossible. Nothing that big could live. It was a dream.” She glared at me, then down where Itsuki had vanished. Her face was a snarl, “It was a trick. You stay here, I will figure it out!”

She bolted from the room, nigh vaulting the table in her haste to get out and check out the courtyard below, as if looking for the special effects team that made Itsuki vanish.

A challenge for any olympic sprinter, she made it down there faster than I believed possible for a human, mere seconds after the club room door was violently pulled open.

She stalked the courtyard, trying to figure out where Itsuki could have gone, looking for traces, tracks, clues or macguffins. She wouldn’t find any. Her mounting frustration was evident, and as she paused to glare up at us, the club room window opened.

Yuki had opened the window.

Without any fanfare, Yuki leapt out of the window.

The humanoid interface landed moments later, before Haruhi could get more than the barest wisp of a shout from her mouth. Yuki landed on both her feet, not even bothering to bend them to absorb the impact. She didn’t feel a thing, and, if my memory served me well, and it did, she had always had this weightlessness to her. I doubt she really felt the fall from the third floor to the first. Her right hand was free, but her left still clutched the book.

I couldn’t hear Haruhi’s response, though it looked a hell of a lot like a whispered, ‘how...?’

Yuki’s response was crystal clear, though it shouldn’t have been given how far away she was. I had a feeling she was amplifying her words for me and Mikuru to hear properly. “I am not an ordinary human being. The clubroom is compacted with too much stabilized data structure for me to manipulate for a proper demonstration.”

Yuki held forward her book for Haruhi to take. Haruhi looked at it like it might explode. She finally started to reach forward, as the book began to morph, sliding into what I could only imagine being non-euclidean tesseracts or twisting into quantum infinite threads, until it reformed into a pair of oddly familiar glasses.

These were glasses that I don’t think I could ever forget, as their sudden absence one day signified a true paradigm shift in my world view.

I don’t know if Yuki chose to recreate the glasses as an intentional symbolic reference for me to catch, or if it simply just came to mind for her as an obvious representation of her power.

Haruhi stared at the glasses, at Yuki, like she was suddenly seeing the world for the first time.

She said something, I couldn’t hear it, her voice barely above a whisper, it seemed. Yuki nodded.

Haruhi took the glasses from Yuki’s offered hand and opened them, playing with them for a moment, before putting them on. Seeing Haruhi in glasses… that was a sight I’d love to see up close, though that thought was a distraction at this time.

I said from above, loud enough for them to hear, “You guys wanna come back inside? It's cold as the dark side of Pluto out there. I know Yuki should be okay, but the last thing I want is for you to catch a cold, Haruhi.”

Haruhi had been staring at Yuki with wide, incomprehensible eyes, but her gaze shot to me when I spoke, as if she’d forgotten about Mikuru and I in the club room. Maybe she had. I can’t imagine what was going through her head. I had the good fortune of having my life at dire risk from a former classmate to distract me from the revelation that everything I knew of the world was completely incomplete. Paradigm shift was, by nature, tumultus.

Eyes on me, Haruhi peered through conjured spectacles long and hard for a few seconds, before looking back to Yuki. She removed the glasses and handed them back to Yuki.

Yuki took the glasses and there was another set of unfathomable restructuring images, until her original book had returned. I recognized the book now. It was the same one she first lent to me, what seemed like- and actually had been to one degree or another- years and years ago.

Haruhi was walking back to the school, and Yuki followed mechanically. I closed the window and sighed. I glanced at Mikuru who looked nervous, but nodded encouragingly to me. I half-smiled back. “Would you mind getting me another cup of tea? I’m freezing now.”

The cold air from outside had penetrated and permeated the room during the short few minutes it had been open, and the little box heater that Itsuki had donated to the club was working overtime. Mikuru smiled, glad to have something to take her mind off of the much more difficult task at hand, and happily chirped, “Sure, Kyon. So far, um, so good, right?”

I did something like a choking laugh, “Yeah. I suppose. Let’s see if we can keep her from making more closed space though. This is a lot easier with Itsuki here. He understands her better.”

I adjusted the strictly-against-the-school-rules electric heater in the room, pushing up the dial a few extra notches and took a seat.

Haruhi came in shortly later, her face a mix of befuddled confusion and annoyance. Seems she had time to think things over in the last few moments. Hopefully we didn’t lose progress.

Following Haruhi was Yuki, who looked a little tired and pale. Well, paler than usual, which worried me. Was she so drained from her transformation trick that she felt the strain so obviously? I was sincerely worried about her, but I couldn’t bother to ask now. Haruhi was obviously the most distressed of us all.

I spoke before Haruhi could, who was still standing near the front of the room, as if weighing her options before committing to stay, “Haruhi, we’re still your friends, you know. We want to continue hanging out with you, do our normal stuff, and maybe continue doing the odd stuff too, like look for the fantastic things in the world.”

Haruhi’s eyes had been sort of looking into empty space through the table, flicked to me, then to Mikuru, who was pouring another cup of tea for me. “Why have you all lied to me? Why keep this a secret? And I still don’t have any proof Mikuru is who she said she was.”

I nodded, “We can cover Mikuru’s proof in a bit. We didn’t tell you for a couple reasons. For one, Mikuru wasn’t supposed to do so. Yuki’s an alien and her job is to observe, not interfere,” her eyes shot back to me, disbelieving. I nodded, “Yes, just like your movie. I think you’d picked up hints about all this earlier than you thought. Koizumi’s group has a very specific job that you might not approve of, so they didn’t want to tell you.”

She shook her head, “This is not a reason to believe that any of you want to be my friend, rather than just some joke for your amusement.”

A little tired of her being so stubborn, I did interject, perhaps a little harshly, “You know, I did try to tell you this before. Don’t you remember that second weekend search, just you and me?”

She bared her teeth in a surprising snarl, “Why should I have believed you? You didn’t have any proof!”

I accepted the tea from Mikuru with a polite nod, “A person once said that you don’t take the information I tell you seriously. Has nothing changed?”

Haruhi groaned, throwing her head back in frustration. “Why should I believe you anymore now, now that I know all this?”

I shook my head, “This doesn’t work if we can never gain your trust, Haruhi. The world might not live on if you stay angry at us. I want you to relax a little and assume we aren’t laughing at you, mocking you, or torturing you.”

Haruhi took in a deep breath, about to give another outburst, before deflating some. She did raise her finger, saying, “You don’t get to decide what I am angry about. You can’t pretend that this is all easy to accept, and that you haven’t been keeping secret some of the most important things in the world to me -from me!- in a giant conspiracy.”

I sighed but nodded, “That’s fair, but I want you to know upfront, this is not as giant of a conspiracy as you think. It's not like there are espers around every corner, aliens on every train, or time travelers at every convenience store. They aren’t nearly that common.”

Haruhi tapped her foot and looked at Mikuru, who was refilling Haruhi’s cup. “And what proof do I have that Mikuru’s a time-traveler, as you claim.”

Mikuru jumped a bit at her name, and turned around to face us, glancing at me. “Um… Well, I can’t personally attest to this, but I did hear the story from Kyon later.” She fidgeted a bit with her hands, looking down and worried. “You have apparently met me in a previous time-plane…”

Haruhi looked, rather than incredulous, suspicious, as if she were interrogating a suspect, “Why wouldn’t you remember?”

Mikuru grabbed her own cup, the hand shaking a bit, “Because… and I know I am not supposed to tell you this, I was asleep the entire time.”

Haruhi’s eyes flashed, and I could see it was all clicking into place for her.

Suddenly, Haruhi looked old, and her hand flashed to her face. She groped for a chair, which Yuki, who had followed in behind Haruhi, pulled out for her to sit down in.

Haruhi sat hard, shaking her head. “No.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, though she wouldn’t be able to see me. “Three years ago, I was carrying Mikuru-”

“No!” She shouted, looking up at me, angry, furious, and unbelieving.

I continued, because she’d not believe me otherwise, “I meet a young Haruhi, and helped draw some bizarre alien language on her school grounds. Mikuru took me back in time, and I had carried her around. Of course, if you asked me when it happened, it was just last July. On Tanabata.”

Haruhi’s face glazed into something unreadable. Really, I could not read her. I had no idea what she was thinking, as she finally stated, without question, monotone and lifeless, “You are John Smith.”

I sighed and nodded, before taking a sip of tea. It was mostly idle nervousness. I used the hot liquid running down my throat to remind myself that I had not yet been cast into stone or salt or disintegrated dust. I think Haruhi wouldn’t be too mad if that happened right now.

Haruhi Suzumiya’s eyes burned a figurative hole in me, however. Our brigade leader was angrier than I had ever seen her before. “Who the hell are you?” Her hands shook and clenched randomly. I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t realize she was doing it. “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, TO DO THIS TO ME!?”

The room shook a little with her anger, and I wasn’t entirely sure it was all in my head. My world had gone from metaphor to skirting the edge of real Ragnarok very shortly.

Shaking a little myself, I put down the tea. “We didn’t do anything to you, we just-”

Haruhi stood up, flinging her chair backward into the door of the clubroom. “YOU LIED TO ME! About everything! You mocked me with your acceptance! Humored me with your damned complaints! And you knew it was true! You knew it because you planted those seeds three years ago, as if it was a joke! I looked up to John Smith as a prophet, and now I find he’s just lying sack of-”

“Haruhi! If you don’t calm down, Itsuki will never come back from his closed world!” I held my hands under the table to hide how terrified I was, as I shouted over the furious Haruhi.

I did not believe she was a god. But only a fool would deny her words having power. I needed to stop her before she kills the Espers via overwork in her emotional outbreak, and then kills the rest of the world when they can’t do their job.

Haruhi froze enough to let me spit out words as fast as my adrenaline filled mind would let me, “Haruhi, why do you think everything you believed came true? You are exceptional, not just in your refusal to accept the world as it seems to be, but exceptional beyond definition. Yuki’s kind see you as a muse of inspiration, the only source of self-generating data in the world. Mikuru and the future see you as a lodestone of history, a keystone that, should it tumble, the future will fall apart. And Itsuki and his espers are just a step below outright worship, as you are their source of power and only guiding nigh-divine light in their life!”

Haruhi took a breath, looking like she was about to explode again, but said, only very simply, a small question, the most complicated question she could ask, “What?”

I took a breath, standing up to meet her eyes, albeit far less excitedly. My hands still shook at my side, but I hoped she wouldn’t notice that.

“Haruhi, you, by almost all accounts, appear to be the most important person in the world to several hugely secretive groups in the world. You brought aliens to the world through sheer force of will.” Yuki was standing adjacent to the whiteboard now and she picked up a dry erase marker.

“Mikuru can’t talk about this sort of thing because it is a direct violation of her rules, but you are instrumental in the guidance of the development of time-travel.” Mikuru nodded at this, but seemed to be writing something in a notebook. She was shaking harder than I was, but she seemed to be trying her best. I got the feeling she was afraid to look at Haruhi.

I motioned to the window she watched Itsuki vanish from, “Itsuki is not the only Esper, but he and the rest of them all woke up on the same day, aware they had powers, aware of how to use them, and most importantly, aware, with absolute certainty, who gave those powers to them.”

I took a shuddering sigh, as Haruhi still looked as angry as before, “They were all afraid to touch the sun and getting burned, Haruhi. But the sun deserves to know what life orbits within it’s power. You deserve to know what life and wonder you’ve wrought, and that is why we are telling you.”

Haruhi opened her mouth, but her eyes slid to the marker board. Yuki had soundlessly drawn an exact replica of a very familiar set of symbols. These symbols are the very same ones I remember drawing in chalk, just six months ago, though it was longer for Haruhi. I bet her memories were better than even mine, though, given how personal they were.

Haruhi looked at the symbol like a lost childhood toy found anew, her anger melting slightly, as Yuki explained, “It was the first message that our kind ever received from another species. A message of pure data, observable in the human visible spectrum in the form of a two-dimensional figure, bountiful enough to echo through time. It is still one of the single most powerful releases of raw new data ever found, it means one thing, defined by it’s maker.”

Haruhi took a couple steps towards the board. “You know what it means?”

Yuki nodded, “I Am Here.” She put the book down, the book that was once glasses, and a book before that. “We are here too, Haruhi Suzumiya.”

Haruhi reached out a moment, hesitated, her hand held in air alone and uncertain, then Yuki took Haruhi’s hand and held it a moment like she might kiss the back of Haruhi's hand. Yuki spoke first, “Without you, the Integrated Data Thought Entity would have never created me. Thank you.”

Mikuru stood up, her whole body shaking as she held the notebook out to Haruhi, almost looking like a priest trying to ward off a vampire with his holy book, but I knew she didn’t mean it like that. I could read the large block letters, all in English, written there for Haruhi to read.

Haruhi frowned at the notebook in confusion. “‘Einstein-Rosen Bridge?’ What is that?”

Mikuru swallowed and put the notebook down, and opened her mouth. She managed a high pitched, terrified, “It’s… not exactly right but… it’s not… well.. it;s sort of like it’s classified information. I-” Mikuru looked away shamefaced and tearful, “But it sort of… I’m sorry Miss Suzumiya. I really am. I can’t talk it’s-it’s-it’s-... it’s classified infor-.”

Poor Mikuru cut herself off, biting her lip, still not looking at Haruhi. She looked more angry at herself and ashamed than terrified, but she still shook like a leaf, holding herself now, though she still shook. Her face was red and she was just so distraught. To deny her being in pain would be to deny the sky being blue.

I was about to go around the table to put a hand on her shoulder, to reassure her that it was okay. Telling Haruhi was always going to be hardest on her. Mikuru wasn’t exactly the bravest soul, and she had gods knew how much mental conditioning and training to keep her from saying anything.

It was a vicious kind of mind control, this conditioning. I would use the term Orwellian, but it really doesn’t do the monstrosity of it justice. Mikuru not only had entire swathes of her life and knowledge locked behind a cage, but, and it was pretty evident, she was even trained to avoid violating those laws even circumstantially.

When she considered breaking those rules, she would become nervous and stuttery, and I had no doubt she was in pain. And mental anguish was just as punishing as any real world torture. I don’t think I’d survive, having such a massive part of my life locked behind a barbed wire cage, and being told not to think about it. The injustice that they did this to one of the sweetest people I had ever met was even more heartbreaking.

As I said, I was about to go around the table to offer Mikuru a hand, or a hug, or something, but Haruhi beat me there.

Haruhi was shaking still too, and she might have still been angry, but she was gentle and kind and did not become upset when Mikuru flinched in that moment when Haruhi’s arms wrapped around her.

There was a catch and Mikuru began to cry, sobbing something that brought back terrible deja vu, something that I might have seen thousands of times but yet I could only remember her crying once before. And this was worse too, than all those other times. This was primal and apologetic and self-hating all in one.

I did know the last time I saw Mikuru cry was during the endless summer. I watched her cry on the way to Yuki’s apartment, during the last first night of the endless summer where we went to discuss what we should try this cycle. She hadn’t sobbed like this, but tears fell down her face as she realized that the future, her entire life, past and future, was currently gone forever, and may never come back. She’d been strong then, but it was still so hard on her.

This crying however, this sobbing breakdown, was a terrible deja vu, but she wasn’t alone. Haruhi held Mikuru and was making quite shushing noises, holding her and trying to help. In my reverie, Mikuru had begun to cling back, still crying and terribly sad but slowly getting ahold of herself.

Maybe someone rude would have guessed it was because Mikuru was afraid of what Haruhi might do, that this was some sort of planned tactic. They would be wrong. Mikuru has only our friendship to lose. She’s already lost her future. She was trying to save her present and couldn’t do a good enough job, in her mind, to keep her friends, when Yuki and Itsuki could so easily prove themselves.

We stood there for a moment, and my eyes glanced at Yuki, who watched the pair of them without her usual cold expression. She was sympathetic in that moment, and she seemed infinitely patient. Her eyes slid to mine and we shared a thought, maybe a figment of comfort between ourselves.

Haruhi, still holding Mikuru and a little muffled by their proximity, finally whispered, “They really did give you a complete set of conditioning, didn’t they? To keep you from breaking character, or to keep you from upsetting the status quo.”

I think Mikuru nodded, but she was still shaking so much I couldn’t tell for sure. The time-traveler did slowly relax her grip on Haruhi, who pulled away enough so they may look at each other.

Haruhi asked, and it was a private moment, one I felt a little uncomfortable witnessing, like watching an intimate moment between a therapist and their patient, Haruhi asked, “Are you feeling okay?”

Mikuru still shivered, but swallowed again and whispered, “Better.”

Haruhi didn’t let her go, just sighed, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, Mikuru. I just don’t know what an Einstien-Rosen Gate is.”

Yuki spoke up here, instead, “An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a theoretical hole in space-time that would allow instantaneous travel between two points in three dimensional space. Further study implies that it might be possible to travel through time, should one end of the bridge be moving faster than light. This theory, while currently not-completely debunked, is not correct. The current human data being used to develop such a theory is incomplete, leading to an incomplete thesis.”

Haruhi nodded, “And I suppose the Integrated Data knows everything?”

Yuki shook her head, “There are many things that are not known by the Integrated Data Thought Entity. But it does understand the theoreticals behind time-traveler mechanics although it cannot use the same means to traverse the plane of time.”

Haruhi let go of Mikuru, who was still shaking a little but no worse than when she first showed the notebook to the rest of us. Haruhi asked, “Could you explain how the time-traveling works then?”

Yuki did not move, “I could, but I will not out of respect for my friend’s currently limited permissions. I do not want to trigger any possible discomfort for her.”

Haruhi nodded, and Mikuru glanced over at Yuki, looking grateful.

Haruhi turned around to look at me again. “You said something about Itsuki never coming back. What did you mean?”

Her face wasn’t as angry, or as cold, as before, but she didn’t look like she wanted to be trifled with. I didn’t want to trifle with her, that was for sure. But…

“I think Itsuki should be allowed to explain that to you. And before you yell at me, I won’t say anything about it.” She looked cross, either at my answer, or my pre-reprimand. “I am confident in telling you that he can’t come back until you are sufficiently relaxed. He and the other espers have jobs that are sort of linked directly to your emotions.”

She looked about to argue, but a thought visibly crossed her face as she blinked, “Is that why Itsuki has seemed so tired all the time? He has to do Esper things while I toss and turn at night?” She seemed to have more questions on her mind, but she was quiet as I processed this.

I was not quite astounded that she could so easily make that leap of logic, but it did take me a moment to gather my thoughts.

Sometimes, for all of her stupid ideas, I forget that Haruhi is actually quite brilliant. She doesn’t act it all the time, with her head in the clouds and eyes towards the stars, but she was one of the most effortlessly intelligent people I knew, even if she wasn’t the most affable. That she realized the connection all of a sudden was proof that she wasn’t nearly as oblivious as she seemed, sometimes.

I hedged a little, “It might be some of it, but I don’t think he blames you. We haven’t, you know, been completely forthcoming with you.”

Haruhi ‘harumphed’ and added, “Absolutely not. And I still haven’t seen any evidence that I am responsible for any of this stuff, like you said.”

I blinked, “I mean, you did cause the cherry blossoms to bloom in fall for the movie.”

She made a dismissive gesture, “Please, a measly wish doesn’t do that. It was warm for the fall, the trees just got confused.”

Mikuru spoke up and we both looked at her, “Um, you did wish for there to be more espers in the movie, and then Tsuruya and Kyon’s sister got psychic powers for a few days.”

I nodded and motioned, “My sister kept answering everyone’s questions before they asked them, remember?”

Haruhi looked a little less cross, and a little less certain, saying, “Your sister just inherited all of your sense, Kyon. You didn’t get enough, that’s for sure.”

Yuki spoke up then, “You precipitated a battle between our club and the rival computer club which culminated in the creation a temporary alternate space in which we piloted actual ships and cruisers into live combat wherein you nearly killed several of the computer club members by refusing their request for a surrender. After the event, you manipulated reality to give credence to your explanation that a minor gas leak led to a fugue state in all the members of our club as well as the computer club.”

Haruhi blinked, “Wait, so that was real?”

Yuki just nodded.

“And you are saying I caused it?”

Yuki nodded again.

Haruhi studied Yuki’s face, as if looking for a possible bluff in her immaculate mask. Not that Yuki was trying to hide anything. She was telling the truth. Yuki just always looked immaculate.

Haruhi shook her head, “I am not sure I buy it. Why, everything that has happened could just as easily be a result of Kyon’s twisted psyche. I mean, if we are assigning random powers to other people, then Kyon wanted espers and aliens and time travelers as much I did. Why isn’t everyone concerned with him being a deity?”

I blinked at that. That… almost made sense sense, after all. I did only Koizumi’s word that I was an ordinary human. Well, and also Yuki’s.

Mikuru was the one to speak up first, “Um, no. I can’t actually-” She sighed, looking exasperated at this point, “I can’t explain. It has to do with-” she paused for a moment, then glanced at the notebook she left on the table, written side up. “If he were the source of it, he couldn’t go back in time. It wouldn’t work. Kyon’s sort of… well, he’s basically normal. He doesn’t… he’s kind of…” Mikuru looked kind of a loss as she shrugged and looked apologetically at me.

I answered for her, “I am, other than a man of great patience and thought, completely normal. I have been told as such, many, many times.” I held my head high, humble in my acceptance of being normal.

At this, Haruhi laughed, although it was a single bark, probably at my expense, “I don’t agree with you often, but I agree you are boring as dirt, if nothing else.”

“I never said I was boring.”

Haruhi waved this off, “That’s all I heard. So Mikuru, you are saying that you can’t take me back in time? That sucks! Why does Dirt-Boring get to go do the fun stuff!?”

At this point, I almost had a glimmer of hope that Haruhi was coming around. Maybe she was believing us. Haruhi had wandered back to the window at this point, standing vigil over the courtyard, probably waiting on Koizumi to appear.

Mikuru responded, “No… I’m sorry. It would be like classified information during classified-” Mikuru sighed, before switching gears, “Like drinking tea before steeping the leaves. It would cause a paradox. An even worse one than we already have…” She looked thoughtful as she stared into the distance.

It was quiet for a moment, before Haruhi asked, her tone shifting less from interrogation to investigation, “Wait. What do you mean an even worse one? Paradox are, by their nature, impossible.”

Haruhi turned her head to look at Mikuru, who froze, as if she realized that she might have said too much.

She kind of had. We were going to tell Haruhi about the time-problems going on… but after she had settled down a little more. I spoke up, covering Mikuru’s stuttering denial. “No, not usually. But something has messed up the time-stream. We are sort of trying to figure it out before we, you know, reach a point of no-return.”

Haruhi harumphed, “And I suppose you would like for Itsuki to be here before explaining what sort of problem there is?” She returned to staring out the window.

I nodded, though only Yuki and Mikuru saw it. “Yeah. It would make things easier.”

Haruhi tapped her foot, no Itsuki appearing at her whim. “Fine. Alright. Yuki.”

Yuki had taken her seat again, but responded verbally, “Yes.”

Haruhi looked away from the window again to put her eyes on the humanoid interface. “Tell me about your kind, and your creator. You don’t have any limitations or barriers on your discussion, do you?”

Yuki shook her head, “I do not. What would you like to know?”

Haruhi flashed a lupine, carnivorous grin, “Tell me everything.”

“Understood. The Integrated Data Thought Entity exists and thrives in a co-planar orthogonal set of dimensions, whose vectors are indirectly calculated by transforming our current temporal plane with the planes associated with…”

Part 3, Chapter 11:

“So when I draw any two dimensional shape, I create measurable data on planes I didn’t even know existed, and sometimes wake up ancient lost aliens?”

Haruhi hadn’t moved from the window, nor had she often looked away, as Yuki talked. It was dark outside, but that was reasonable, given that we’d been here for about an hour now and it was the middle of December.

Yuki shook her head, “That is not precise. You create data as you alter the world. The symbols you created are more than just symbols or art but contain a tangible but unforeseen connections between the many planes of existence and indivisible particulars, which reveals or creates previously undiscovered pockets. This coalesces into data for the Integrated Data Thought Entity to process.”

Haruhi shook her head at Yuki, “But you are saying that sometimes, when I draw two dimensional shapes, I create data on planes I can’t even conceive, and wake up ancient lost aliens.”

Yuki hesitated, “Sometimes. But I would recommend that you not actively try to do this without giving me some forewarning. The possibility of waking up something malevolent is not outside the realm of possibility.”

Haruhi shook her head, “Maybe it's a good thing that I didn’t make scanned copies of my notes for class for Kyon to study. Wouldn’t want to accidentally signal the Zimbar Empire at the nearest quasar base that it’s time to attack.”

Yuki nodded, “Yes.”

Haruhi almost pulled her eyes from the darkened windows, starting, “Wait, there really is a- Koizumi’s back!” Her head, previously almost peeled from the courtyard below, snapped back into place. Her voice carried an authoritative, leaderly tone, but I heard the edge of something more. Excitement, eagerness, relief. Maybe affection? I was probably imagining it, but maybe?

Then she slammed the window open again, a blast of cold air seeming to invade the room like a foreign, malignant entity. “Itsuki! Get up here! You will catch a cold, and I am not going to sympathize! Don’t think your job is going to broker you any quarter from me!” Haruhi shouted from the window, already showing her true lack of sympathy.

I heard what might have been the start of a reply, or a laugh, but Haruhi beat back the cold to slam the window shut hard enough I was worried it might crack. Our leader stared out the window a minute more, before giving a ‘hmph’ and turning to the rest of us, arms crossed. Her face was a little flush from the cold.

She walked over to the room’s heater and crouched before it, warming up after her outburst and waiting for Itsuki to arrive. It didn’t take long, and as we heard his footsteps approach, Haruhi swept his coat and scarf from his chair and took it to the door even as it opened. Looking cross and away, she offered them to him with a sour expression. “You forgot this.”

He smiled at her, and I could see true affection in his cold, flushed face. “Thank you, Haruhi. I appreciate your concern.”

Haruhi’s face was still pink, maybe from the cold, but probably not, as she turned to face him. She didn’t snap back, like I expected. Instead, she took a breath and asked, “Itsuki.” She used his first name, how bizarre, but her tone of voice was hard and serious. “How many Espers are there that would like to be free from my control?”

It was silent in the room as Itsuki paused a moment from putting on the coat. He continued dressing after that bare pause, but I knew he was thinking furiously. Finally, as he untangled the scarf, he asked, “Why would you think that there are Espers that want to be free?”

She motioned him to go to the heater. I could tell he was resistant. He wanted to watch her face, to stay focused on her, not on his own comfort. But Haruhi’s will was relentless, and he obliged, moving past her as she spoke. “I don’t know your story yet, Koizumi. I think I can guess the gist of it though. Three years ago, you and a group of people suddenly had the ability, as far as I can figure, to read some base level of a random middle school girl’s thoughts, and then had to fight her demons while she slept. You have all done this at the expense of your own time and life, against your will for three years.”

She paused, as she hunkered down next to the heat near Itsuki, “And I enslaved the lot of you against your will for all that time, forcing you to fight for your existence, for the world. Even if you are all lying to me so perfectly that I can’t find, or don’t want to find, a chink in those lies… I want to make that right. I want to know that there are people I am able to free if they want to be. Not that I am sure I believe you all. This whole thing is fucked up. I don’t know what to believe. This is so fucked up.”

Haruhi didn’t look at me, or at Itsuki or any of us. She crouched there, staring at the heated coils billowing a warmth artificial. Her voice sounded dead, and our brigade leader just muttered the last line, as if she didn’t even have the energy to speak up. She’s been thinking about this, and thinking hard about it, even while we sat her talking.

It was quiet for a little bit, but Itsuki broke the silence. “It is fucked up.” Haruhi glanced at Itsuki for a moment, before looking away again, with something like shame. Itsuki continued, “It shouldn’t fall on the responsibility of one person to handle the power you have. But I personally, well and truly, think there is no one better to handle it. If we… if I could take this, all of this, from our explanation, to the power and the responsibility and our trust issues, if I could seal all that away from you and make this group back the way it was before summer… I wouldn’t. I believe in you, and I think all of us believe in you. Or else we wouldn’t have shared any of this.”

She sighed, but didn’t immediately argue or respond. “How much closed space have I created just since you came back? Tch,” Haruhi interrupted any response, with a noise and a gesture. “No, wait. What time is it?”

Yuki answered, “Five forty-seven.”

Haruhi sighed again, “I need to get home. My parents will kill me if I stay much later.” She sighed again, “Unless I utilize some sort of evil superpower to remove them from existence or something on accident.”

Itsuki chuckled, and, I could see, hesitantly put his hand out to pat her on the shoulder as they both stood. “While you might be conscious of your power, it's not that easy for you to rewrite the world. Just try not to be too flippant about what you wish for.”

Haruhi glared at him, “And are you saying I am usually flippant?” Her eyebrow arched, and I was humored to see what that face looked like when it was turned on someone other than me, and tried to hide my grin.

Itsuki floundered a moment, before catching himself. I could see him bolster himself and smile, “Would I do something so crass and unbecoming as insult the brigade leader?”

Her glare held, but she might have had a twinkle in her eye too. “You watch your tongue. We can all continue this discussion tomorrow…” She paused, about to leave it at that, as a command, before asking, “Is that alright with everyone?” We all agreed. As it was, I was liable to get into trouble as well at this point, at least if I didn’t text my mom. Haruhi nodded and turned to gather her things, which prompted the rest of us to follow.

We all filed out rather quickly, heading into that cold night below.

Haruhi and Itsuki took ahead, whispering to each other while Yuki, Mikuru and I walked a little more sedately behind. I wasn’t going to get into any more or less trouble by rushing, and I had a feeling that Haruhi wanted to talk to Itsuki alone.

It was quiet between the three of us, as we walked down the hill towards the train station. I wasn’t going to ride it, but Mikuru would use it to make her way further into the city. Our path was illuminated street lamps and the cold fog that left our bodies with each breath.

I finally broke the silence, saying, “Well, that didn’t go too badly…” I spoke quietly, as Haruhi and Itsuki were still in sight.

Mikuru ‘mhmmed’ before adjusting her bag’s strap. She said, “Yes… I hope Haruhi will be alright though. She was more disturbed than I expected…”

I nodded, agreeing. “Yeah… but she took us seriously pretty quick.”

“Itsuki was cavalier to show his powers to her directly, which facilitated her fast acclimation.” Yuki spoke, a bit of admiration in her voice. “Had she decided not to believe enough, he might have been stripped of his powers.”

I blinked at this, “What, like she was so skeptical of our words and her beliefs that her powers might prevent her from seeing the supernatural?”

Yuki nodded, “I had explicit orders not to show anything supernatural to Haruhi on the risk that her disbelief might remove my powers, and the powers of the Integrated Data Thought Entity, in the off chance she might be too unwilling to see the truth when it lay before her.” She glanced at me and Mikuru out of the corner of her eye. “When Itsuki was able to vanish, I requested permission to show some of my ability to manipulate data as well, to further our cause.”

I shook my head. “Well, I don’t think we could have asked for a more effective demonstration from you. I think Haruhi was going to have a heart attack when you jumped out of the window.”

Mikuru muttered darkly, or at least as darkly as Mikuru could manage, “I thought I was too.”

I smiled broadly at that, while Yuki offered a far more restrained, but similar, response.

Mikuru smiled shyly back at us and motioned to the train station, “Well, I will see you guys tomorrow. I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

Yuki and I looked at each other, a mismatched mirror, then back to Mikuru. She giggled, “You two are too cute.”

I smiled, bemused but unoffended, “What are you talking about?” I felt my phone buzz and fished it out of my pocket as Mikuru replied.

“You two. When did you guys get together?” I blanched, more out of Mikuru’s deduction and less because of the text I just got. She looked a little worried, “I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude…”

I shook my head and studied Mikuru for a moment, before finally saying, “No, its okay. I just thought we are little more subtle than that.

“Oh, it's not that obvious… I can see you go to visit her during lunch pretty often from my classroom. I, um, think it’s cute. ” Mikuru was still obviously worried that she might be intruding somehow still.

Yuki was silent at this. Oddly enough, she kind of reminded me of how she acted at the library, where she still volunteered at occasionally. Quiet, wary, reserved, almost reticent, although it seemed general reticence, not particular to any one thing.

And I mean that she really was all those emotions. It was completely different than how she was in the clubroom. Normally, she was a pane of glass, cold and clear and exactly as she appeared, in the clubroom. By contrast, when she was working at the library or otherwise in public, she was stained glass, a prismatic display of clouded white and blue and greys, not easy to pin down or quite so confidently herself. She seemed to be trying to be both herself and not at the same time.

Here she was now, as we stopped before the train station, as Mikuru looked on a little nervously. I was concerned at Yuki’s attitude. I didn’t understand it exactly, but I could tell she was feeling more and more that repressive emotion as we watched her, so I changed the subject.

“Mikuru, would you like to join us for dinner somewhere?” I pointedly looked away from Yuki, trying to signal to Mikuru to do the same. Maybe Yuki was feeling exposed somehow, embarrassed or otherwise at our relationship being noticed. Hm, maybe inviting Mikuru out wasn’t a good idea.

Mikuru seemed a little surprised, “Don’t you have to go home too?”

I gave a noncommittal gesture, as I glanced at Yuki, who seemed to be still trying to figure out how to respond, “Not really. I told my parents I would be out late studying with friends. My mom is dubious, but as long as I do okay on the winter finals, I should be okay.”

Mikuru nodded doubtfully, but she glanced at Yuki, saying slowly, “Well… I’d still ought to go… I hope you, um two have fun.”

I opened my mouth to stop her but my sidelong glance at Yuki didn’t reveal anything more encouraging. She was still frozen there, and it wasn’t because of the cold. I smiled awkwardly and said instead, “Yeah. Stay war-”

“Please join us for dinner if you wish to.” Yuki’s voice came out like a sudden dam break, a river of words sweeping out and engulfing us both, “I did not mean to insult by being less than forward but it suddenly occurred to me that my, our relationship may not be comfortable to you given that you present yourself with outward interest in him.

“I should have talked to you first about this, or otherwise should have engaged you following our tentative courtship, if only to diminish any awkwardness that often results as two females who have a shared interest in the same male peer. While I am not precisely female and you are not exactly a peer, I do realize suddenly that what has transpired may appear as rude or even possessive.

“While I have calculated and considered the risk of inflicting the wrath of Haruhi Suzumiya, I did not consider the idea that you might feel slighted or otherwise upset at the sudden existence of our relationship. This was not my intent and I would like to breach any discomfort that would have been caused by my natural inclination towards nonverbal communication. Please, if you would like: join us for dinner. I would enjoy your presence. I also understand if you have any reticence to joining us and do not wish to pressure you into making yourself uncomfortable.”

We all stood in silence for a moment, staring at Yuki. I realized what she meant and, more importantly, why she said it first.

Yuki was nervous again. She was being chatty because she was nervous. I glanced back at Mikuru, who was still looking on in stunned confusion. She glanced at me, hoping that I might be able to solve the puzzle for her, but seemed to only become more confused still. I realized I had a small smile on my face, no doubt very unhelpful to anyone who didn’t understand the context.

“Yuki is sorry that she didn’t tell you first, and is a little worried you might be upset. She would still like you to come to dinner if you like,” I felt a little proud and a little weird acting as interpreter to Yuki, but she nodded along with me, as if to affirm what I said.

Mikuru didn’t seem quite convinced, “Um… well, you didn’t, um… I mean, I am not upset. I don’t mind. I couldn’t- um.” She looked at me for a moment, before shaking her head and looking back at Yuki, “I am not, um, competing? Really, I’m not. So don’t worry about that. Did… did you guys have somewhere in mind?”

It was freezing still, and I was getting impatient and frozen by standing still. I glanced at Yuki, whose eyes met mine, and she asked, “Curry?” There was a place nearby that we went to last week. It would be warm and hearty in this cold weather.

I nodded, and we glanced at Mikuru who, while still a little bemused, smiled, “Sure. That sounds good.” Mikuru laughed quietly, shaking her head. “Sure, curry sounds good.”

I gave her a face, asking, “What?”

Mikuru shook her head, “Nothing. Nothing. I do feel a little bad for Mis- Haruhi and Itsuki... They won’t get to see how cute you two are,” she teased as motioned for us to lead the way, and the three of us began to head to dinner.

I was tempted to something mildly childish, but I restrained myself, saying, “Actually, Itsuki texted me, saying that he and Haruhi will probably be texting for a while tonight. He wanted to make sure we knew so we wouldn’t be surprised if Haruhi was asking different kinds of questions tomorrow.”

Mikuru blinked and pulled out her own cellphone, looking at the new message, no doubt from Itsuki.

She readed it and nodded, biting her lip. “Its kind of … weird, isn’t it? Haruhi knowing?”

I shook my head but answered, “Well, yeah. I am just glad. I feel less bad about the whole thing now. Even if the world ends, I don’t have to end it with a guilty consciousness.”

Mikuru nodded, “Yeah… I wish I knew what you meant.” Her voice had turned a little hoarse as she sighed, “I feel guilty even when I do things exactly how I am supposed to. I’ve always felt a little like I have been lying to you guys. I have always been lying to you, really. Sort of. It's kind of hard to explain." She sighed.

I didn't know what to say at first. Yuki spoke beat me to it. "Lies, from my experience, are more about intent than actual act. When there are... omissions from the truth, they are acceptable, even necessary when it comes to dealing with everyone else. Whether to protect someone else or... to protect one's self... omissions are required. You are not lying to us when you are unable to be honest. You are omitting the truth by requirement. Sometimes you have to omit things from yourself too." Yuki paused, seeming nervous to my trained eye, looking past me to Mikuru. "Otherwise we are all culpable when it comes time to lay blame about how we ended up in the current situation. What I mean to say is that I understand and sympathize. You appear cold, shall we go inside?”

Yuki motioned to the shop and the humans, that is to say, Mikuru and I, were surprised we had already arrived at our destination. I smiled, but Mikuru cut me off with a quiet, assured, “Thanks Yuki.”

I opened the door and held it for them, the cold blasting through the hot air in the curry shop in a fury of air pressure like elementals of ice and fire skirmishing over territory.

Part 3, Chapter 12:

I grinned as I stepped into the classroom the next morning.

Haruhi sat in her desk looking agitated and bored at the same time as she tapped her knee while staring out the window adjacent to her desk.

Her desk was busy today, which is what made me smile. She had two thermos sitting on her desk, one a cute green and pink, no doubt from Mikuru, and another a plain stainless steel. Between them rested a steaming cup of what looked like coffee, likely poured from the steel thermos, currently missing its lid.

Her feet tapped a little more slowly as I stepped up to her desk and placed a simple canned coffee on her desk.

She looked at it, then to me, and scowled, “What’s that.”

I casually answered as I dug through my bag, “A coffee. I heard you didn’t sleep last night and thought you might want it.”

Haruhi huffed, “Did Koizumi tell you to bring me cold coffee in this weather? Mikuru was kind enough to get me tea, and Yuki this warm coffee. And all I get from you is this cold can?”

I raised my eyebrows, “Well, I was going to offer you this warm stuffed bread, but if my offerings don’t please you…” I held up the foil wrapped bread from a bakery not far off the path up the hill from hell.

Her eyes narrowed even further, “Don’t tease your god, she is a fickle mistress.”

I scoffed, “You aren’t a god to me, Haruhi. You’re just a lead weirdo to group of other weirdos. Koizumi said you might be tired from last night, but if I know anything from desperate last minute study sessions it is that staying up late makes me hungrier than anything else.” I offered her the bread filled with meat and rice. We spoke quietly, so as to avoid the ear of any nearby curious classmate.

She snatched it up with an annoyed grunt and took a bite like she were a bear just awoken from a winter of slumber and starving for food.

She tried to mutter something around the mouthful of morsel, but I pretended I didn’t understand. Instead, I sat down and settled in, glad to see that she was enjoying it. “I’m sorry, did you say something? I couldn’t hear you.”

Haruhi gulped and asked, quietly exasperated with my pestering, “How was dinner with Yuki and Mikuru?”

I shrugged, “Nice, quiet. We talked a little about homework and about how glad we are you now are in the know.”

Haruhi looked a little less unhappy with each bite, but she still grumbled, “I can’t believe you kept this from me the whole time.” She might not have been angry, but the emotion was heartfelt.

I grimaced. Her accusation struck out at me directly, and I knew what she meant, even without an explanation.

I didn’t know what to say really.

Could it really have been said that she was the only one eagerly anticipating something fantastic?

I was just as… zealous in my own hopes and dreams until they were lost to mature rationale as I approached high school. And in her mind, she was just another high school girl, suddenly told that almost all of her friends are actually aliens and time travelers and espers, who kept it secret from her as something akin to cautious fear at best, and humored cruelty at worst. I don’t think that Haruhi suspected us of being cruel, per se, but I didn’t doubt for a minute that she considered it, especially given how little she liked being laughed at.

But she probably thought the least of me in our little club, especially given all the leading comments I’d made in the past few months, and considering that she probably felt most betrayed by the fellow “normal” human without external strings- namely, me.

I took a deep breath, about to say something when I was interrupted by Kunikida, of all people.

“Well, that’s quite a collection, Haruhi. Is it your birthday? I’m sorry I haven’t gotten you anything yet.” The diminutive boy stopped by my desk, but was looking at Haruhi’s haul.

The brigade leader scowled, and I winced. This wasn’t good timing by my classmate. Seeing that Haruhi didn’t want to answer, I spoke up, “Not quite. It’s brigade leader appreciation day. We wanted to show her how we appreciate how she brought us all together.”

Haruhi looked a little venomously at me, and I shrugged, not able to come up with an easier explanation. Kunikida chuckled, “Well, then. I won’t get in the way here. Congrats on bringing the club all together, Haruhi. It’s always good to have fun while it lasts. Class is about to start.”

Haruhi glared at me until Kunikida sat down, her eyes flicking to Kunikida, as if to ensure he was further away. When she looked back to me, I nodded, to nothing in particular, and said quietly, “Sorry. I don’t think it will help to say this, but I wouldn’t do it again. I won’t,” trying to pick up where we were last.

She didn’t seem quite assauged, but she also didn’t seem quite as upset either. “Fine. But I want you guys to tell me what happened during summer break today. And no more dodging. I know something happened. I know I did something.”

I nodded, no longer willing to hide the truth. It would be more dangerous than helpful anymore, and she ought to know what happened.

The important thing was telling the story without setting off Yuki or making it sound like we all blamed Haruhi. Tricky. I guessed that Haruhi asked more about the summer vacation last night, but I assume that Itsuki said he would only talk about it with all of us there. At least we’d also be able to talk about the next issue at hand too, the time disconnect. I did text the others (as well as Haruhi so she felt in the loop) that we were discussing the summer this afternoon.

Class was slow that day. I left between first and second period to drop off a canned coffee to Koizumi. I knew he had his gang of followers, and they were well organized, but if Haruhi stayed up all night, then he did too. He appreciated it, but he seemed surprised to see me at all. I rebuffed him, asking if he expected me to ignore all his work too. He chuckled, and I returned to class.

The rest of the day was only notable for the breaks between classes. I needed to focus a little more on classwork, but today wasn’t that day. Each teacher would make ominous comments about semester finals, and the rest of the class, myself included, would sink further into a malaise of concern and worry. Ugh, I hated tests.

Instead, I spent my time talking to Haruhi, quietly and privately. She offered me a pull from the tea Mikuru had made. I remember snippets of the conversation, but it was strangely familiar. It reminded me of the past. Back before the club started. Haruhi and I, chatting. Though this was not quite as simple as idle conversation about old dating habits or how best to style hair according to the week day.

“So when did the thing with Ryoko happened?”

“The day before she vanished.”

“No wonder you seemed unwilling to search with me. You really are a terrible actor.”

“Thanks. I guess I did well enough.”

“Shut it. How did she get you alone?”

“Well, there was an unsigned note in my locker asking me to come to the classroom…”

“Oh my gosh, you are kidding me. You nearly got stabbed while looking for love?”

“Whatever. It could have been anything.”

“So what happened?”

“Well…”

That conversation took up the remaining breaks until lunch. I finished the story, with Haruhi looking a little nonplussed as we left the classroom together. Maybe I did oversell Yuki being stabbed by twenty desk-spears, but Yuki wasn’t there to argue and, if Yuki were there, she’d just say ‘something something data shell humanoid interface something’, all humble like she is.

In fact, Haruhi seemed a little nervous for a moment as I got up to join her. She didn’t quite expect this.

Let me tell you how surprised- oh, so very, very surprised- I was to see Itsuki join us, he stepped out of classroom nine, smiling and serene. He looked as if he had been eating lunch with Haruhi for weeks now. When he saw me, his eyes narrowed, but his smile remained for his brigade leader. The two of them acted like they’d kept their lunchtime tryst a secret, but I wasn’t completely clueless.

I tried to keep the smug satisfaction from my face as I acted, excellently if I may add here, surprised, “Oh, so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. You guys have a good lunch.” Maybe I was being a little cheeky, but Haruhi needed to know we were still normal high school friends, which meant not everything was about aliens and time travelers and espers. Maybe I was being too bold, but I hoped a good natured tease might help.

I turned away, not looking at Haruhi’s savage glare or Itsuki’s biting glance. I hoped I’d get away without either of them coming up with a proper retort, given that both of them were sleep deprived from staying up all last night, but-

“Say ‘hi’ to Yuki for me,” Itsuki shot back, before I got a few paces away. I sighed, but didn’t look back. Damn espers and their spy networks.

Lunch was eaten in the clubroom again, Yuki and I quietly sharing the room. She was working on the computer.

After lunch, I returned to class to see Haruhi laying her head down on her desk. When I sat, she grumbled at me to wake her halfway through the final class period. I asked her if she was worried about studying for class finals, and she just said she already knew what the final would be for those classes and didn’t need to pay attention.

Damn brilliant psuedo-deities. I wish I could sleep during class.

I woke Haruhi up at the appointed time, and she grumbled at me loud enough for the teacher to stare pointedly in our direction. I returned to taking a few notes, but my willpower was lost and I wanted to just get to the clubroom.

Haruhi told me to go ahead, so I left class as soon as the bell rang.

When I got back to the club room after afternoon classes, Yuki was idly staring at the pages of a new book and Mikuru was there this time as well, already dressed. I raised my eyebrows at her. Mikuru shrugged, wearing a kimono from the rack. “It's cold.”

I nodded, and glanced at the clothing rack in consideration, agreeing under my coat that it was indeed cold. i wonder if the frog suit would be warm enough for me?

Mikuru smiled at that, and went back to making tea. I stepped into the room proper, checking to see if the heater was turned on full blast- it was- and sat across from Yuki.

Haruhi came in shortly afterwards with Itsuki in tow. She took in stride Mikuru in the kimono and nodded, approving. She herself pulled her chair out from behind the computer desk and placed it between Yuki and the heater. “I suppose,-” she said as Itsuki closed the door, “that I would feel bad about blocking the heat from getting to Yuki, but I get the impression she doesn’t need that kind of creature comfort?”

Straight and to the point, that’s our Haruhi. Yuki answered, “Environmental concerns are not among my weaknesses. I can detected the temperature and I know what standards are considered normal for humans, but it doesn’t affect me personally.”

I glanced at Haruhi and said, “You are fine.”

She gave me a sour look, “I figured it out, thanks.”

I stuck my tongue out, and she rolled her eyes, continuing, “Alright. So you all think I am some sort of special. A special creator, or a special time anomaly, maybe a special deity.” She rolled her eyes at that last option in particular and Koizumi shrugged sarcastically in response, his sly smile on. She huffed, “I’ve heard a lot of it, from how Kyon and Mikuru went back in time to help me draw a symbol to aliens. How Koizumi fights monsters to keep my psyche calm. I even heard about how Ryoko tried to kill Kyon and Yuki.” She looked between the two of us, saying, “And I have more questions about that later.

“But more than anything. I need to know what the hell happened in summer. Also, what issues are going on with paradoxes?” Mikuru winced, and Haruhi said, a little annoyed, “Yeah, I remember that. I am sleep-deprived; stupid, I am not.”

Koizumi smiled. I wondered if she was a little more rambly given how tired she was. Koizumi looked tired as well, and I knew he was exhausted too. I let him explain, “We will get to the paradox later. It's important that we talk about summer first, to set the stage, so to speak.”

Mikuru was distributing blessed, warm tea. Haruhi nodded, “Fine. Tell me what happened during the summer.”

It was quiet for a moment. Yuki then closed the laptop. “The universe entered a time loop that initiated on the day of August seventeenth that lasted until August thirty-first. The time loop was closed, forcing the universe to repeat this time period during our summer vacation forty-eight thousand, six hundred and nine times. This time loop was considered stable for all calcul-”

“Wait, what was that? Did you say that those fourteen days repeated for nearly two thousand years?”

Yuki nodded adding, “Fifteen days, but yes.”

Haruhi shook her head, “So you are saying that we did the same thing again and again for nearly two thousand years?”

Yuki shook her head. “No. Each iteration was unique and there are a notable number of instances that deviate in a major fashion. Five iterations were not started with a visit to the public pool. Likewise, there have been fifteen iterations without visiting the Obon Festival. There were one thousand, seven hundred and twelve instances where Mikuru did not suggest goldfish scooping. There have been eight thousand, seven hundred fifty-six instances without part-time jobs and our tasks during the jobs had seven different variations, including mascots, cashiering, cleaning, restocking the shelves, unloading, bagging, and handing out fliers in nearby districts. There have been six hundred seven instances without catching insects, one thousand, eight hundred twelve instances without doing fireworks. The test of courage was skipped on iteration forty thousand, five hundred and twenty-two and iteration forty-seven thousand…”

“Alright, I got it.” Haruhi cut her off.

The list was discomforting to me at first, inflicting deja vu in a vaguely painful manner, which, in itself, was deja vu to the countless times that it happened during the time loop.

“Infinite minute variations…” She shook her head, looking sick. Haruhi sighed and looked away from the group. “No wonder you all seemed so different. Why did you all remember the loop when I didn’t? How did you all stay sane?”

Koizumi took this one, saying, “In all actuality, only one person was able to remember all the time loops. Mikuru, Kyon and I were only vaguely aware of wrongness going on in the time loop, a sort of deja vu of events repeated. It took us some time to even realize what was happening and even the Pavolovian effect of uncomfortable deja vu took a long time to affect our habits.. You and the rest of the world seemed blissfully unaware. Even my associates didn’t recognize the effects. Almost everything in the world reset every time.”

Haruhi watched her tea steam while Koizumi talked. When he finished, she asked, sounding mildly sick, “So Yuki is the only one who remembers it all? She… experienced every bit of it?”

She didn’t look at Yuki. Yuki was looking at her. Both seemed lost.

Yuki broke the silence first, “It is not as you think it is. I do not experience time as a human does and as a result, I am far more-”

Haruhi growled, “Don’t sell me a line, Yuki. I’ve seen you these past months. You suffered in that summer, in that horrible summer that I supposedly caused. I could see it on your face for weeks. I was hoping it had to do with that… parent visit that first week of school, but now I know all that pain was me.”

There was a pause, before, Yuki continued, “I did suffer. I was not built for personal and intimate friendships with other humans. I suffered every time I was deviating from my initial task of observing you. My purpose is to…. was to observe. Haruhi Suzumiya, you’ve tested the bounds of my manufactured purpose ever since you entered the club room. But I requested to remain on duty with you beyond what I was required. I could have left once the Integrated Data Thought Entity reinitialized after summer ended. It... hurts me that you don’t think I could make that decision to be here of my own free will.” Yuki paused for a moment, staring at Haruhi directly her cold eyes glowing with an inexplicable passion, “You may be able to create or influence data, but you have not removed my agency as an autonomous creature. To imply that I am ‘selling you a line’ is disingenuous.”

Haruhi looked angry, “What is with you all and challenging me now? I didn’t ask for a club full of Kyon’s in my subconscious.”

I was about to exclaim, but Itsuki beat me to the punch, “We aren’t challenging you Haruhi. We are being honest. Yuki didn’t love the summer, but she doesn’t hate you. It became pretty obvious that you seemed to not have control of the time loop by the time we got out.”

Haruhi still seemed a little stung, but she asked, “How do you know that?”

It was quiet, but that was because everyone noticed that Mikuru had stepped forward, “Um. Because time is fractured. The future- That is, the future I am from- doesn’t have the same history as our present. Something’s… happened. Something happened between now and my future that broke all of history. We… we are trying to figure out what it was. Maybe fix it.”

Haruhi frowned. “You are talking about the paradox, which is impossible.”

Itsuki nodded, motioning dramatically at her, “Exactly. You have it in one. We have a paradox. And we, the people in this room, know it can’t be you who caused it. Your powers manifest through your desires and dreams. You don’t desire a universe with… inconsistencies like an irrational time-travel system. So something else has happened. Something that we are investigating with-” He paused, as his phone rang. He pulled it out while we all waited in silence. “Well, speak of the devil. Would you all excuse me for a moment?”

My eyebrows furrowed, but they weren’t as furrowed as Haruhi’s. She looked to me, asking, without words as Itsuki stepped out of the room for a moment. I cleared my throat, “Ah. Well. You won’t believe this but… you might not be the only supernatural being creator in the world. Maybe.”

Haruhi sighed. “No, of course not. It would never be so simple, would it. Is this going to take up more time to explain than… everything else? Who is it?”

Itsuki opened the door again and stepped inside as he slid his phone into his pocket, “Well, if you are up to it, we can probably explain it pretty quickly… though we may have to do some of it walking back to your house. It’s pretty important we do. They want to meet again tomorrow.”

Haruhi sighed again. She didn’t seem happier, being involved in all this. Exasperated, to the limit of being angry, mostly. She doesn’t trust any of us completely and she is angry. And more than anything, I think, she doesn’t like that she doesn’t have control of the group anymore.

But something in her eyes… Well, I can safely say that Haruhi Suzumiya wasn’t bored anymore either. Whether that is a good thing or not, well…

Oh wait, does this mean Sasaki and Haruhi are going to meet tomorrow? Good grief. I need more time to mentally prepare myself.

Haruhi sighed. "So there is another group of aliens, time travelers, and espers that have gravitated around yet another supposed controller of the universe? Why should I be surprised. Nothing else in the world is the same anymore. Anything else I should know about her? About them?” She sounded too tired to be agitated.

Itsuki coughed, “It’s not so different. In fact, there is no actual evidence that Sasaki has any powers herself. The others who are following her have displayed some abilities, but she herself never makes any changes to the world as far as we’ve been able to detect. Nothing at all like you do.”

Mikuru spoke up, “Um. Sasaki is also an old friend of Kyon’s. They weren’t dating though. Or, I don’t think they were.”

Yuki continued the trend, saying, “I will warn you that their non-human interface is… orthogonal to observable space-time. Much in the same way that your reality is orthogonal to data. You might have issues spotting the interface known as Kuyou Suou.”

Not wanting to be left out, I asked, “Where’s your house again, Haruhi?”

Haruhi growled, actually growled, before saying, “You guys are teasing me now, aren’t you? What did I say about having a club full of Kyons? I don’t need this kind of heckling. And my house is just down the street.”

Itsuki took a step closer to Haruhi, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, Haruhi.” She seemed surprised at his touch, but she didn’t look exactly displeased. “We are probably excited to be able to talk to you about this. Do you think that you will be able to come with us to our meeting? We’d love your help.”

Haruhi shook her head, “What are you stupid?" She looked back to Itsuki, asking, "Do you think I'd let you decide the fate of the world, yet again, without me? I thought you could read my mind."

Itsuki laughed, "Well, to be honest, we're both tired, and I am having trouble keeping up with your shifting mood."

"Hmm... And are you saying there is something wrong with how my mood is shifting?" Itsuki looked stricken and was about to say something, but Haruhi cut him off, "Mikuru, what did you say? Kyon dated their anchor?"

I hastily inserted myself, “We didn’t date, really. And what did you call her, an ‘anchor’?”

"Sure, sure,” She waved off my complaints, “Also, that's what I've decided to call myself and the others like me. I'm like some ‘anchor’ for weird crap, right? Well, I am claiming the name for us first." Haruhi sighed, "What's she like, Mikuru? Might as well size up the competition while I can." Everyone gave her a strange look, and she sighed, exasperated, “I mean my competition as anchor! I don’t care who Kyon was dating in middle school!”

I sighed as Mikuru blinked, "Um. Well, Kyon and Sasaki were good friends in middle school. Um, or so I was told. She seemed to be surprised by Kyon's changes since then, though. She's got short hair, and goes to Kyouen Academy with the other girls in their group? I think they all go there, at least."

Haruhi nodded, “And what about their other members of their anti-SOS Brigade?”

Itsuki asked with reproach, “Anti-SOS Brigade?”

Haruhi pouted, “What, they are like the evil version of our group right?”

Itsuki hmmed, “Well, I don’t want to outright deny that, but we are trying to enlist their help, so calling them the anti- or evil version of us is a little harsh.”

I wasn’t so sure they were *the evil group* between the two groups, myself.

“What was that, Kyon!”

"Just wondering where's your house again?" I answered quickly.

“I told you, just down the street. Now Mikuru, tell me about Sasaki and others.”

Mikuru seemed to want someone else to take over, but Haruhi was focused on her for now, and It's not like my opinion won't be biased. Haruhi knew that, and she'd probably get annoyed by me trying to answer.

Mikuru hedged, "Well... she's serious minded and not as... mean as some of the others. I... she was a little more... wry and sarcastic? But she was obviously very smart. Even so, she didn't believe her friends when they told her their secret. She doesn't believe in time travel at all, or in the stories we tried to tell her. She might have suspected something was off by the end though... Haruhi?"

Haruhi had frozen, falling behind a few steps before we all realized, and we looked back at her. Her voice was low, a snarl of brimstone, “How do you expect me to feel-” She paused as she looked at each of us, “-when I hear that their anchor is trusted enough to learn about the secret of her life, when I am kept in the dark for nearly a year, a mock leader of mock underlings.” Her voice switched from snarl to hiss as she continued.

“Sasaki’s friends trust her, but you barely trust me? You trust them, unknown forces, possibly enemies from how you describe them, but the Anti-SOS or the Kouyouen Brigade- or whatever!- is your first ally in all this?!” She motioned, her arms spread apart, asking, plaintively, “How am I supposed to take that, Itsuki? How am I supposed to feel about you trusting some other group that seems to be better friends than us, before groveling back to me when things get dicey?! What in hell! I mean, seriously, am I just a damned alien god like monster that you only spend all your time pleasing, so I don’t induce Ragnarok?! I didn’t form this group to have people to cater to my damned will! I formed it to make friends with you!”

I was standing near enough to hear Itsuki’s phone buzz twice over her thunderous panting after Haruhi’s outburst. Haruhi held herself small and inward, her face turned away and arms crossed. I doubt anyone but me, Itsuki and likely Yuki heard the buzz.

“I did it to make friends with people like you… but all you did was fear me and run away when things got bad.” The mist formed by Haruhi’s breath in the dimming light looked like it could be steam from fury, even as it wound down. The world grew darker. I hoped it was just the sun falling behind the horizon.

Itsuki didn't sigh or look upset as he explained. It was cold out, so his voice did quiver, "Haruhi, you frighten me more than anything else on the planet. I’ve seen the power you throw, the veil you pull across the horizon, so large and vast I can’t see either end of the bubble. Sometimes I think I am going to die with how vicious some of those giants are. I was afraid of telling you because if you feed those demons, me and my friends will die. I want you to meet them before that day. They want to meet you too.” No, his voice shook from more than just the cold. There was a tension in his tone, in how he held himself, and I wondered what maelstrom of emotion he was fighting in his head.

“You are right. Of course you are right. We should have come to you first. But we want you with us.” He gritted his teeth and paused, as if trying to gather his scattered thoughts.

Mikuru bravely stepped forward, “Sasaki does not believe any of her friends. She thinks they are-are playing a joke on her, or, um, deluded. Their friendship is ho-hollow. They are more a collection of people than a group of friends. You can see how their-their group barely likes each other. I was m-more afraid of losing your friendship like them, after I met them. There’s no… no love between them.” She blushed, and interrupted, “I mean, I mean, you know, friendship, they have no, ah, love of friendship not love-love Ugh, I mean...” Mikuru paused flustered, trying to figure out where to start again.

Yuki put her hand on Mikuru’s arm and spoke up, “It is the Integrated Data Thought Entity who wishes to observe you, Haruhi Suzumiya, in order to evolve. I am here as a friend. Data flows freely among aligned states. We are reserved around the other anchor group, and they are even more wary of us. Our end goal is the continuation of the universe, which is at peril due to causal distortion. My end goal is to be with friends as long as possible, as comfortably as possible. You should be comfortable around us. We should be comfortable around you. There will be dropped data packets between us, occasionally, but this is not about us versus you. It is about us versus nature. And you are important in that fight with us.”

Haruhi looked a little baffled at Yuki’s comment, before turning to me, “What, no anecdote about my power? I was expecting a full chorus, and you don’t have anything to say? And wipe that smug grin off your face!” I couldn’t help it. She was angry as usual.

“I am not as afraid as you think I am. You want me give you a speech? I know you want to be here with us. I know you want to listen. You are annoyed, tired, and your world has changed in barely more than a day. But you want to be here, listening to us.”

She scoffed, “And why do you think that?”

“Because we’ve been circling this block for the last half hour, because you don’t want to leave.” I motioned, and she looked around, confused, “You kept telling me your house was a couple blocks away, but you kept taking us on right turns. I am guessing you’ve been unconsciously moving your house just a little further, just around the corner, in a circle, because you don’t want to get home yet.” Yuki nodded to back this up. “What’s your address, Haruhi? Where is your address?”

Haruhi’s face had already looked confused before I asked my question, blinking and looking around as if for the first time. I looked around myself, but the area was only vaguely familiar to me. I lived about a four blocks away, if you could believe that. Haruhi’s confusion grew, and she spun around, before looking to Itsuki first, trying to understand.

Itsuki, oddly open, gave her a sympathetic half smile and offered his hand to her shoulder, “Sorry, Haruhi. Welcome to a weirder world.”

Haruhi shook her head, “No, that doesn’t make sense. My house has always been…” She glared at the ground, shaking her head, “What-what time is it?”

It was dark out, but Mikuru was able to answer, “Um, its five twenty-five.”

Haruhi looked around again, and as if feeling it for the first time, she shivered, wrapping her hands around herself, “It… we left around four thirty...We’ve been walking in circles for thirty minutes? Its…” She steeled herself, and asked, “What happened to the people who were displaced, or moved when I-... when my house moved around?”

Itsuki smiled, “They probably didn’t notice a thing, and will never notice. Your changes, if anyone notices, are more curious and interesting to people, not alarming. When they are bigger, most people never notice, as if your changes are how the universe has always been. They are fine.”

Haruhi shivered, this time from something other than the cold. “I don’t know how to… I should get home.”

I motioned, “Let’s go. I want to see where our illustrious brigade leader lives.”

She glared and looked about to say something, before stomping off. We followed, and made it to her house.

“I’ll stop in and say hello, if you guys don’t mind. Apologize for our capitalization of their lovely daughter,” Itsuki said, as we admired a nice looking home in the suburbs.

“Itsuki!” Haruhi said hotly, and I almost felt the blast of heat from the word, meaning many things at once. It was too dark to really see Haruhi’s face, and I was a little sad for that.

“Sorry, sorry. I am tired. I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying. Please forgive me,” I’d give Itsuki’s apology a four out of ten, but Haruhi seemed appeased, “I wrote down that recipe for your mom too, and I wanted to drop it off. You guys mind waiting?” He glanced at us, and I shook my head.

They walked up to her surprisingly sedentary home. I am not sure what I expected, honestly. It was, maybe, just a little smaller than my own house, but the yard was bigger to compensate. It wasn’t anything like Yuki’s barren flat, nor Tsuruya’s massive estate.

It was terribly, unsurprisingly mundane.

It fit Haruhi. I wonder where it was originally. I wonder how Haruhi felt about a new address.

Itsuki came back relatively quickly, because without the distraction of impending doom or an inquiring Haruhi -they were interchangeable in my mind- kept my thoughts off of how blisteringly cold it was. With the absence of sun, the night air ate at the outer edges of my being, whittling away my resolution.

“Well, that could have gone worse, right?” Itsuki said, cheerfully. If I didn’t know otherwise, it would have almost been like he’d gotten a full night’s sleep last night.

“I suppose… you doing alright? I heard the buzz.”

Itsuki nodded, “Yeah. Everyone else got some sleep last night. It was dicey for a moment, but we are okay now. Some of them were on light watch last night, others had to fight some small pockets, but they should be able to take the shift tonight. And all we have to do is hope that they can keep an exhausted, frazzled, and angry Haruhi under wraps.”

He smiled at that, but I wasn’t too relieved. “So what, we just go home and hope the world is here when we wake up?”

Itsuki nodded, “That’s what I am going to do. I can barely stay awake as it is.”

A cab drove up, conspicuous in this suburb of houses. I looked at it suspiciously. A familiar old man was in it. Itsuki smiled as if he was proud of himself as he offered it, “Mikuru, Yuki? Would you like a ride home?” He looked at me and shrugged, “I’d offer, but I know your house is just a couple blocks away.”

I waved dismissively, “No worries. Have a good night all. Hopefully see you tomorrow.”

Mikuru laughed and said, “A little more time would be nice, I suppose. Have a good night.”

Yuki just nodded to me, but I didn’t mind. Itsuki closed the door behind her, and stepped into the front seat, saying, “Thanks, Kyon. It was closer than I joke.”

I waved him on, “Its teamwork. Or friendship. Something like that. Anyway, go get some sleep.”

They drove off. I went home. We all woke up in the morning.

I wondered if we’d truly know if the world ended. I did keep waking up before my alarm. Maybe the espers had already slacked on their job, creating a world in which I was robbed of a few extra sweet minutes of sleep.

Sure, it sounded outlandish, but I wouldn’t have put it past Haruhi to want a world where I was slightly more annoyed in the morning than normal when my sister dragged me out of bed.

Naw, I was exaggerating. I didn’t think so low of Haruhi to believe she’d mess with my sleep.

I was feeling a little tired today regardless. Not quite under the weather, but not my perky self, either. I should have had my mind on this afternoon’s meeting with the… Kouyouen Brigade. Any time I imagined Sasaki and Haruhi in the same room though… Ugh, it wasn’t harder than telling Haruhi the truth, but I could only handle so much in such a short time span.

It was only Thursday too. The weekend couldn’t come soon enough.

Haruhi looked beat in the morning too, but she was still probably behind on sleep. Still, I was glad to see her. She wanted to be here, in spite of it all, and I couldn’t help but feel a little optimistic.

My tired morning greeting was met, however, with a muffled grunt, as Haruhi’s head lay on her desk, cradled in her arms. I don’t think she realized it, but her hair was a little rumpled. It took me a while to realize it, but she must have forgotten her omnipresent headband.

Good grief, she must have been seriously tired.

I knew better than to open my mouth about her appearance however. I wondered if Mikuru could help her in the clubroom later, before we left to meet up with the Kouyouen Brigade. Ah well, not that big of a deal, anyway.

I let her sleep some more. I could do with the time to focus on the knowledge the teachers were sure to hit us with before long.

Haruhi didn’t show signs of stirring until near lunch, and I know I wasn’t the only one worried about her. I saw Itsuki nonchalantly walk past the classroom a couple times during break as if making sure she was okay. I didn’t get a text myself, so I assume she wasn’t causing too much trouble in her sleep. I know she was getting texts occasionally because I could hear her phone buzz.

When the lunch bell finally did ring, Haruhi slowly lifted her head and rubbed it with one hand. “Ugh. Staying up all night sucks. I will never do it again.”

I raised my eyebrow at that, “You enjoyed it that last day of summer vacation.”

She made a face, “Ugh, when I had to skip the first day of the new semester to help you slackers finish homework? Yet another bad day. No more all night parties, seriously. I can’t believe I somehow convinced the school to let you all turn your stuff in a day late. It was a miracle.”

I raised my eyebrow, “You know how silly that sounds, right? Coming from you?”

She scowled and stood up, “I’m going to lunch.” She took a few steps away, “And say hi to Yuki for me too.”

I watched her retreating form. She didn’t have the best comeback in the world, but I shook my head. I could have retorted, but I laughed more in my head to imagine how Itsuki was going to explain that her hair was so mussed without offending her. Probably safer than me teasing her either.

“Not sticking around for lunch? You are so busy lately, Kyon. Saving the world, I bet. But, I guess your rumor was true, Taniguchi,” Kunikida said, as I grabbed my bag. “He really is dating that quiet, spacey girl that’s in that club. Then again he is known for hanging out with-”

Taniguchi leaned back, shaking his head, “-weirdos. Your loss, buddy, letting a girl like Suzumiya get away. Then again, maybe it’s nice not having someone shout all the time.”

I put my bag on my shoulder, feeling a little of the cold from outside creep in, “You are seriously going to piss me off. Do keep your opinions to yourself.” I had to bite back quite a few other comments. I wasn’t going to get into it here. I didn’t have the time for it today.

My voice must have carried more vicious bite than I had planned, because Taniguchi looked a little stunned and recalcitrant almost immediately, like he hadn’t expected my response at all. That didn’t surprise me. His ranking system rankled me, now, especially since he was now talking about my friends like they were things to be caught.

Kunikida stepped in and gave a smile, “Sorry, Kyon. Taniguchi meant no harm. Right?” He jabbed Taniguchi’s side with his elbow.

The taller of my classmates seemed to be shaken from his stupor and said, “Yeah, of course. Sorry Kyon, I didn’t mean to be a jerk. Seriously, I am sorry about that, man.” He scratched the back of his head, looking honestly chagrinned, and I took pity on him.

“No worries. Sorry myself. It has been a hectic week. Speaking of, I got to prepare for finals. I guess that’s been weighing on me.” I patted my bag, trying to cover for my uncharacteristic rudeness. Maybe Haruhi was rubbing off on me. Nah.

Kunikida waved me off, “No problem. Best of luck with that.” He smiled amiably, and I nodded, not willing to continue the conversation further for fear of another stupid comment.

I didn’t let their comments keep me from going to visit Yuki in the clubroom at lunch. It was a quiet place we could be together safely, and I did want to review my notes. They’ve been a mess this week and I need to organize them.

When I got to the room, I opened without knocking. It was lunch after all. Unfortunately, Mikuru was in the clubroom anyway. Fortunately, she was not in a state of undress. She was standing near Yuki, both of them looking my way, as if wondering who was coming in.

After the moment I had stood in the clubroom, I recovered and smiled back at Mikuru, who was giving me a cute, kind smile back. “Hi, Kyon. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just, um, talking to Yuki about some, um, time stuff.”

I raised my eyebrow, halfway to my seat at the table across from Yuki. “Oh? Need me to leave? I know it’s harder to talk around me.” Those mental triggers were worst around the uninitiated like Haruhi and myself.

She shook her head, “We were about done.”

I nodded, “Find anything out?”

Mikuru shook her head, before frowning with an adorable look that would make any uncommitted man swoon. “Well, the, um, Data Integrated Thought Entity hasn’t been able to detect any temporal shifts since the end of the summer. There have been a few, um, packets of information, but no actual shifts since summer. Which means that that person, Fujiwara, hasn’t made any exchanges either.” She shook her head again, looking back up at me, baffled, “If he hasn’t been making any changes, and my organization won’t make any changes, then I wonder what will cause the paradox.”

I nodded, sitting down and slowly unloading my bag as I thought about this, “Who exactly is this Fujiwara person?”

Mikuru shook her head a third time, “Honestly, I’m not… Well, I think I’ve guessed some of it. I know I am supposed to avoid them. They are using time travel that is not condoned by my, um, superiors. But…”

I motioned for her to continue as I unpacked my lunch. I wouldn’t eat until Mikuru left, that would feel a little rude, but I wanted to hear what she wanted to say.

Mikuru’s consternated smile echoed her tone, “Well… I am not supposed to think about things much, but Yuki says that his time travel basically works along the same set of rules as mine.” I glanced at Yuki, who nodded, “So… I think he might be a fugitive from another future that never happened. I am told not to contact him, nor that I should listen to his words, but there are no, um, directives that specifically prevent me from interacting with him, like there would be for anything that might affect my future. Not unless they are so buried that I am not allowed to read their triggers in my, um...” She trailed off, probably to avoid saying some forbidden word.

I nodded, “So… that means that your superiors don’t think that you can change anything drastic in your own future by interacting with him? That’s good, right?”

Mikuru sighed, “Yeah, something like that. Or maybe I was supposed to interact with Fujiwara at some point, and they couldn’t prevent it. But I can’t imagine they planned for this.” She motioned to the clubroom, then vaguely in the direction of the classrooms. I

asked, “You mean, telling Haruhi?”

She nodded, “Yeah. I shouldn’t… well, I shouldn’t have helped. I shouldn’t have told her anything. So many of my directives are to prevent that sort of thing… but I…” She scoffed, “Well, when we left the summer and I was allowed to talk to the future for all of one day, before they abandoned me…”

She sighed again, “Well, I’d rather stick with my friends than remain loyal to my mysterious, distant superior that had already seemed dead to me before the last week of the summer vacation. I got to see the future long enough to know it was closing off from me, probably forever.”

I winced internally, but some of it must have shown on my face, as she waved off my sympathy, “Oh don’t worry. I’ve had my fill of being useless and mopey about a lack of a future from the summer break. Crying about it just gives me those terrible memory headaches, you know? At least this time it probably isn’t caused by Haruhi.” She paused, smiling fondly at the little monolith Haruhi had on her desk, looking genuinely pleased, “I don’t have to blame a friend, you know?”

It was quiet in the room as we all silently contemplated this. She shrugged, “Anyway, I’ve taken enough of your lunch time, Kyon, Yuki. See you this afternoon!”

We said our farewells. I didn’t know what to add, and sometimes, it wasn’t necessary. I think if I learned anything from Yuki, it was that sometimes it is more important to listen than to talk.

I ate my lunch quickly as I gazed over the gaps in my notes, filling in a few spots I remembered, and making notes to look up some other things later. I ate one more bite of my food, before leaving about a third of my food behind for Yuki. I learned she didn’t eat lunch before I started coming.

She claimed it wasn’t necessary. I asked if she didn’t like eating food. She denied that, stating that food was satisfactory to her, but not necessary. I told her to eat some of my food. I could always pack more food in the morning if I needed to. She then started to eat some of my food.

It pleased me to see her eat in that rapid adorable pace, but I am sure she thought it some strange human thing that I must offer some of my food to her. Ah well.

The bell rang before I could get much further than one and a half subjects. I sighed, and packed my things, heading to class.

Haruhi was back, and she seemed a little more alive after eating something. Even so, we were quiet. There wasn’t much to say that I’d want to discuss in front of others, and I didn’t really want to engage my other classmates. I focused on my notes, and trying not to get too distracted by thinking about the meeting.

Still, class was over before long, and the group of us was heading to the train station. Technically, we weren’t supposed to wear our uniform around the town outside of class time, but most of us were so heavily bundled up after classes, it wasn’t like much of our clothing showed. And Yuki always wore her school uniform and no one ever hassled her for it.

The meeting place was the same old train station cafe, a convenient place that was roughly between North High and Kouyouen Academy. I don’t know where Fujiwara went, obviously not the all girls academy, but maybe he didn’t even go to school. Mikuru said she thought he might be from a time-plane that no longer existed. Who would have built him a cover story to insert him into class?

The five of us walked into the cafe, apparently lucky enough to have beat the Kouyouen Brigade. We all sat on one side of the largest booth they had, assuming the their group would get there soon. We didn’t talk much during the ride and walk over. Maybe we were all pensive, but personally, I was just cold enough that I didn’t want my teeth to chatter in the cold, just for some idle chatter.

Four of us ordered a drink. Yuki just ordered a water. That wasn’t like her. She usually got something more than water. I don’t even know if I’ve ever seen her drink just water.

A little concerned, I asked, “Is it because of…” I glanced around the room a moment, trying to spot the reason she’d avoid a drink in front of the Kouyouen Brigade. I trailed off, not quite sure where to end.

Yuki nodded, “If Kuyou Suou accidentally triggers a forced transposition of data, I do not want to risk any material damage. I will not drink.”

Haruhi made a noise and I looked over at her to see her eyebrow was raised. The seating arrangement had Yuki furthest into the booth, followed by me, Mikuru, Koizumi, then Haruhi on the outside. She seemed to insist on being on the outside, but I couldn’t fathom why. Maybe she wanted to be able to make a speedy getaway.

Haruhi asked, “What happened?” clearly indicating what Yuki last said.

I blinked, trying to think back. Wait, did we never tell Haruhi what happened the first time we met the Kouyouen Brigade?

Itsuki looked a little chagrined, and Haruhi answered, “You told me the basics, but you didn’t say anything about Yuki being forced to do something. What was that, you mentioned ‘Kuyou Suou’? Isn’t that their alien? She is hard to perceive, right? Also, what happened to Yuki?”

I nodded, “Yeah, and she did something on accident, trying to communicate with Yuki. It… well, it was somewhat painful to Yuki at the time, but after that, their alien was easier for us to see and understand, though she’s still a bit of a mystery.”

Itsuki nodded, “She did apologize, I remember that.”

The door to the cafe opened, but Yuki spoke up to confirm Itsuki, and added, “The transfer was compulsory, but no data was actually damaged or stolen. The Quantum Macrospatial Cosmic Entity was able to better assimilate its… understanding of both ours and human perception, and, I believe, is more able to incur coherence on human spatial planes.”

“Actually, Kuyou told us she prefers the term Sky Canopy Dominion.” Smiling before us, having come in just a moment before, was Sasaki, behind her trailed the two girls. Fujiwara wasn’t in sight. Sasaki continued as Haruhi stood up, “Whatever happened last time, she’s since been more coversant than she used to be. I am Sasaki, by the way. I presume you are Haruhi Suzumiya?” As Sasaki finished, her hand and Haruhi’s shot out in something that almost seemed synchronized.

Haruhi smiled tightly, as she answered, “I am. It is nice to meet you. I appreciate you helping out my brigade in my absence.” They shook hands. “By the way, I decided that we should be called anchors, given that we seem to be who our groups is tied to.”

Sasaki raised her eyebrow at that, “You know, I had given some thought to that myself, and liked the term ‘focal’ myself but anchor works.” She motioned her head down the table, “What do we call people like Kyon then?”

Haruhi scoffed, “Boring.” I was offended that everyone seemed to laugh. Even Yuki was smiling slightly. The moment passed and Sasaki started to slide down the booth.

“Wait!”

Everyone paused, looking at Haruhi, her other hand up in a pausing motion. Haruhi looked confused as she scanned our faces.

Finally, after two seconds, she finally asked, “Did Kuou Suyou sit down? There’s… something...” She pointed to the bench opposite of Yuki. Yuki hadn’t been watching the exchange, and she was staring at that same booth spot. I blinked.

Kuou Suyou was sitting opposite me and Yuki, there as she always had been. I must have looked surprised, because Haruhi was grinning like she won a prize as she noticed the alien girl too.

Sasaki gave a small low chuckle, “Ha, to be expected from what I’ve heard of the legendary Miss Suzumiya. Yes, that is Kuou Suyou. How did you notice?”

Our brigade leader turned back to Sasaki, answering, “My mind counted three of you when you entered, but after I stood up, I counted two. I also noticed that Yuki was staring at what should have been an empty seat. Elementary. She did sneak right past my eyes, though.” Sasaki and Haruhi and the rest of us glanced again at Kuou Suyou.

Kuou Suyou wasn’t paying much attention to us. She caught sight of her visage in the reflection from the metal napkin holder and appeared transfixed as Narcissus. I think she was just being spacey, though my second glance at her reminded me of her unearthly beauty.

Sasaki shrugged, “Good observation. Sorry, she’s not usually one for greetings and social rituals.”

Kyouko Tachibana spoke up from behind, “If she bothers to show up at all. She loses track of time constantly.” The taller, more biting of the Kuyouen Brigade spoke up from behind, looking sour. “Looks like you are finally in the loop, Suzumiya. How refreshing honesty must feel between friends, am I right?” Sasaki had started to slide down the booth, though I could see her wince a bit at the barb from Tachibana.

Haruhi face carried a sharp smile, still offering her hand to Kyouko Tachibana, “Honesty and trust is something friends share, not demand.” Haruhi’s gaze darted to Sasaki before returning to Tachibana. “Maybe you’ll learn that one day.” If there was anyone I wouldn’t want to try to get into a verbal sparring match, it would be Haruhi. She doesn’t pull punches.

That said, Sasaki winced again. I don’t think Haruhi’s blow was meant for her, but she was too smart to miss the bite. Tachibana, none the less, got the message. Her snide grin dropped a few degrees and she shook Haruhi’s hand. This was about the level of hostility I was expecting, still, I wish I was wrong in my guess.

Sasaki spoke up as the girls separated and started to sit down. “Fujiwara was supposed to join us, but he was late, so we decided to come ourselves so as to not leave our hosts waiting.” She paused, considering, “And for what it’s worth, I am… beginning to believe that there is some reason to doubt that my usual perspective about the world may have missed some details that otherwise be apparent to others.”

She tilted her head, and added, “After all, Newtonian physics was abolished as law once Einstein postulated his theories of relativity and while they are incomplete, they still stand today.”

Haruhi interjected with a motion, “Exactly, like how Quantum theory is now the presiding understanding of how physics work. Most of its mechanics are invisible to human observation, and we are building bigger and better tools every year just to look at smaller and smaller particles in the universe. Each one gets us closer to understanding the underlying mechanics beneath our world. We’ve already found Up, Down, and Strange. Who knows what we will realize when we see Top, Bottom, and Charm, am I right?”

Sasaki seemed unimpressed, “Well, I agree that there is some merit to some of the ideas at it’s core, it doesn’t look like much will come of it from what I’ve researched. Studying objects that current science can barely observe the tertiary reactions of is like looking at rain and guessing that it is caused because the sky is sad. The mechanism is invisible, and likewise, beyond mortal understanding within quantum’s viewpoint at this time. Even now, there has never been a confirmed break in Lorentz covariance in spite of nearly a century of research.” I was about to interject when Sasaki concluded, blithely, “You might as well believe in quantum threads and the many-worlds theories.”

I had no idea what was going on. I glanced around the table to see if anyone else followed. Yuki seemed her usual normal self. Mikuru was frowning cutely clearly baffled. Koizumi was wearing his usual bland smile, either because he was interested and didn’t want to show it, or because he was confused and didn’t want to show it. Tachibana’s eyes met mine at the same time mine met hers. She looked just as clueless as I felt. She gave a little quirk of her eyebrow at me and motioned with her head, as if saying, “Can you get a load of these two?” but Haruhi responded before I could really convey much in response.

Haruhi asked hotly, “And what’s wrong with the many-worlds theory? Relativity just barely as observable as quantum theory and, at the very least, it has found better understanding of the actionable forces seen in the universe than relativity has. Relativity can barely prove that neutrinos are massive and yet quantum has barely scratched the surface of its depth.”

I think that Sasaki was about to retort, but the waitress had walked up and asked, nervously, “Um… would you three like to order something?”

Sasaki looked just a little miffed that she was cut off, but I was thankful myself. I really didn’t want to see Haruhi and Sasaki fight over something as irrelevant as which is the best theoretical physics theory. Sasaki swallowed her retort to Haruhi instead, and said, “Sure. I’d like hot green tea.”

Tachibana smirked, as if she were enjoying watching the girls fight, and said, “Same for me, I think. Gotta keep healthy in this brutal weather.” She turned to the alien at her side, still staring at the napkin holder, “What about you, Kuou? Your usual of ‘whatever I order you’?”

Looking at the lovely, if nigh transparent, Kuou Suyou, she seemed to escape from being transfixed by her reflection, and looked up. There was yet another silent gaps, but she was far more coherent this time. “I will ____ what Target: Yuki Nagato' is having.”

Suou’s eyes were for Tachibana, but everyone else shared a glance, before looking at Yuki and her drink. Yuki’s cold water sat before her, and she looked back at the waitress. Everyone was quiet, until Yuki interjected a few moments later, “She orders the water.”

Tachibana scoffed, no doubt at the scene, and everyone relaxed a moment. I was still concerned with how Suou called Yuki a ‘target’ but at least everything was more relaxed.

The waitress asked, “Anything else you all need?”

Sasaki looked a little unsure, glancing at us then to Tachibana, “I don’t know, should I order for-”

The restaurant door burst open, a blast of cold air welcoming a tall silhouette of a man. The door closed, and the man- Fujiwara, in fact- had a pile of paper crumpled into the crook between his arm and body. He had the largest, strangest smile on his face.

Part 3, Chapter 15:

Fujiwara was a tall guy. I couldn’t quite place how old he was, honestly. Maybe third year high school? Maybe college-aged? But right now, what overtook most of us at the table, aside from a blast of cold air, was his broad, open, and utterly out-of-place grin. If I were going to be rude about my potential future ally, I’d suggest he looked quite deranged.

Not really hurting my impression, he sauntered to the table, motioning grandly to the waitress, who seemed as struck as us by his entrance, as he said, “If you are taking orders, I guess I might as well order your most unhealthy and most expensive item on your menu. I don’t care what it is. Just bring it out.” He seemed about to take a seat, before he paused, turning to the woman, saying, “No. Scratch that. Bring me an order of your most unhealthy thing on the menu. And bring me your most expensive thing. Both of them. I don’t care if they are the same. I got the tab.”

His gaze swept the table in a dark grin, “After all, life is fleeting. We won’t be around much longer.”

Using the arm that was not pinning a piled of crinkled papers to his side, he pulled out a carefully bound roll of cash from his jacket pocket, holding it aloft and studying it for a moment. The moment was as if to show that he was indeed able to pay for everyone, and wanted everyone else to see it.

I saw his eyes meet the waitress’s again, and he’s smile turned bleak again. “Whenever you are ready,” he drawled, dismissing the waitress without any sort of class or decorum.

She scurried off as he sat down at the booth next to Tachibana. I took a furtive glance around to ensure that I wasn’t the only who was taken aback.

I was not the only one taken aback.

Everyone else looked at him like he had grown a second head. At least I wasn’t the only one. He glanced around at us as well, and his smile didn’t fade. He started to pull the papers and what looked like various shipping envelopes out from under his arm. “I am sure I didn’t miss anything. You don’t have much without my presence. Also, what the hell-” his gaze centered straight onto Haruhi, a little more nasty than I liked, “-did you do to your own damned timeline? I am so fucking disappointed you couldn’t even keep it together long enough for me to try and fix it.”

Haruhi wasn’t one to sit quietly this long, I am surprised she held out, so when she exploded into quiet, but furious rage, I wasn’t really surprised, “Ex-cuse me?! I haven’t done a damn thing! I barely knew time could be changed at all, let alone that I had any power until three damned days ago. Do not come in here and assault me with your ignorance and shit attitude. You got that buddy?” She whispered everything but that last line, which was loud enough for other tables to hear too.

Fujiwara slapped the papers down in the middle of the table, as if he were about to say something again, but Tachibana spoke up first, “Yeah, what the hell? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you all day and you are the one throwing a hissy fit?” She glanced to our side of the table, particularly Haruhi, Yuki and Mikuru as if sharing a private joke, saying, “I swear, and they say us girls are the emotional ones.” For the first time, I saw Tachibana’s smile turned on one of her own allies, and I think I was starting to get to understand her a little.

Tachibana was one of those people who insulted everyone until she was well-innured into their good graces or seen as villain to the core. Or something. She wasn’t rude to be rude, she just used insults like most normal people used punctuation.

Fujiwara, I get the impression, was just rude to be rude. I get the feeling he didn’t want to be here, but he realized that he didn’t have any better options. He gritted his teeth at Tachibana’s jab and took a breath, calming down a moment, before, saying, “You know, given that she’s-” he motioned towards Haruhi, “the reason my future is dead, I think I am entitled to being a little annoyed. Why didn’t you tell me *she* was coming?”

This last question was directed at Sasaki and Tachibana. Sasaki seemed to recover at this time, and answered while Tachibana seemed to be soaking in the discord like a cat on a warm sunny day. “Alright Fujiwara, you need to calm down. You are not the only person in the world, and you aren’t the only person at this table. If you would kindly check your phone when you friends message you, you’d know Haruhi Suzumiya was coming. I sent you several messages yesterday once we confirmed the time. Now, I know you have trouble with phones-” Fujiwara scowled harder at this, “but that is no excuse to be rude to us for it. I skipped cram school for this and if my mother finds out, I will be in serious trouble. I thought this was important to you, but with the way you are acting-” She clicked her tongue, cutting off whatever she was going to say.

A moment passed, as she was obviously not quite finished and everyone else was a little stunned at her vehemence. Sasaki continued with finality, “Quite frankly, Suzumiya is far more welcome to be at this table than you are right now with you attitude. Especially since you were the one who requested this meeting in the first place.”

I was surprised by the mild anger and disgust I heard in my old friend’s voice. She wasn’t one to be angry easily but clearly Fujiwara’s mood was wearing thin on even her.

Around this time, the waitress returned, her tray laden down with the Kouyuen girls’ drinks, and two parfaits. One of them was massive and mostly chocolate and syrup and a frankly impressive amount of sprinkles. The other one was smaller, artful and appeared to be focused around a thin slice of black watermelon. The waitress left us in our silence. We all stared at Fujiwara’s desserts, but he seemed wholly unimpressed.

Itsuki spoke up, “I had no idea that you were the one that called us together. Did you discover something then?” He wasn’t being subtle. He wanted everyone to move past the slights and get Fujiwara talking about something more useful. To emphasis this intent, he pulled a single letter off the top of the stack of what looked like several crumpled letters on top of shredded and loose packaging

Fujiwara didn’t say anything, not looking at anyone, seemingly quietly seething, as Itsuki read the letter without further input. I could turn to read some of it myself, but Itsuki started to read it aloud.

“July 7th, Well, looks like you made it. If you found this, and as your elder, I know you have, you’ve made it to the past, gotten beat up by a street tough, and haven’t eaten for nearly twenty four hours. You’re stuck traveling slow time with the rest of the peasants while the device recharges in the usual method. This spot will be your emergency drop box. Yes, this is primitive and stupid, but believe me, you didn’t come up with any better ideas. Do not come here except when you feel you are completely out of your depth. And don’t waste my time. I will leave behind messages as I get time to write them up but only read the most recent package. Ignore any sequential packages you haven’t reached yet, or you will fuck up your timeline. Fuck it up worse, I mean. Now go back down the street you just came from and take your third left. The baker there just lost her shelf stocker and you just so happen to need a job and she pays in food. I’ll get you more money later. Have fun, kid, and get lost.”

Itsuki read the letter calmly and slowly, raising an eyebrow as it closed out. “You left yourself messages? Does that mean your future self figured out the rest?”

Fujiwara said nothing. He didn’t look at us. He stared at his desserts, as if angrily deciding which he would consume first.

Sasaki shook her head, “Not if these letters are in order, here-” She picked up the next one and began reading.

“‘January Sixth. Well, idiot, you missed the kid. Would have been pretty nasty to see all that blood splattered over the windshield of the van.’” Sasaki’s voice was uneven here, as she read this line. After a breath, she continued, “‘Yeah, I know that feeling right now. You hate it, I hate it. I knew you’d fail, but you could have succeeded too. We needed to see if the timeline was self correcting, and yeah, that was your sister. Don’t get too excited. You don’t exist in this timeline, she doesn’t know you. The cash in this package is for you. Go get a drink. Your elder has to think of a better plan. Murder isn’t going to destabilize anything.’”

I think everyone was a little chilled. Fujiwara dipped his spoon into the chocolate disaster before him, taking a bite. He spoke around syrup and misery, “The rest are from later, and are beyond useless. Apparently my future self didn’t know this meeting was going to happen.”

He took another bite in the pause, and spoke around the food. “Ipso facto, we’re fucked. My elder self would know if I was going to check the emergency stash for a message. Which means the paradox happens between now and January sixth. We have two, maybe two and half weeks left before our universe becomes irrevocably paradoxical. I assume that’s when the universe will collapse.” He took another bite, with a viciously jaunty motion, “Bon appetite!”

Sasaki seemed unconvinced, “A single letter is not proof. What if this is from a future that didn’t happen? You claim you are from a lost future, couldn’t it happen again?”

Fujiwara shook his head, “Not while Suzumiya holds the reins. The other letters explain it, but she-” he sneered this next line, “keeps her future consistent, or used to, even if it means shifting how every iterative event changes when time travel occurs. She ensures I will never exist in the future, even as you are proof that I must exist. But now even my future self doesn’t exist.”

I won’t lie, I was a little beyond my depth here, because I had no idea what to think of it all. I glanced at the others who seemed to be processing the information. Haruhi grabbed the letter that Koizumi had picked up. She looked a little annoyed from my spot, so I hoped she didn’t say anything too rash.

“It is not ‘my fault’ your future isn’t so robust as to survive one middle school girl.” Well, so much for hoping she’d be diplomatic, “What’s this part here that you mention a recharging device? Something to do with time-travel?”

Fujiwara continued eating for a few bites, though how he could stand what looked like nothing but chocolate chips, syrup and fudge, I don’t know. We all waited expectantly, though I had a feeling he was weighing his options if he should respond, or just leave.

Finally, with all our eyes, except for Suou, who was watching something on the ceiling, he finally answered, “Yeah. My… device that gathers energy that allows for traveling through time. It recharges slowly using classified infor-... particles that travel strangely in time. The device is large and unwieldy, so I don’t check it unless I get a mission. I checked it. It stopped gathering power sometime during the summer. That’s why I was late. I read all the letters, then went to examine the device. It’s basically dead, which means time is dead too. My damned future self didn’t even figure out how to keep himself alive, let alone fix my future.”

“Oh.”

I looked around, trying to figure out where that quiet exclamation came from, surprised to realize it came from Mikuru. We all were staring at her, before she blinked, “My… elder. My superiors, they include me, don’t they? I’m… in the future, I mean, I am part of who dictates what I do. That’s why I am kept intentionally in the dark. It’s my future self... ” She sighed and scoffed, “Of course, it doesn’t matter much if we don’t figure out what’s happening.” She smiled faintly at Fujiwara, who was giving her an odd look. “I, um, sympathize. I’ve been assuming my future has been gone since this summer ended. You’ve kept up faith longer than I did. And, um, brought us more information than I could have ever managed.”

Mikuru smiled down at the table before her, looking less amused and more musing, “I guess your future did send back the right person, if you’ve been trying this hard to get everything working again.”

There was a slight scraping noise as Fujiwara pushed the black watermelon parfait at Mikuru, saying, “Here.” He scowled harder, “You are doing… would do a fine job of things, if the future held together. My… letters told me so. And we siblings…-in-time need to stick together… Or something.” He signed, as if disgusted with his own rhetoric, but interrupted Mikuru before she could refuse, “No, keep it. I am already sick of this one anyway. Couldn’t eat any more.” He shoved the spoon into the huge bowl of chocolate parfait, frowning at it like it personally killed his future now.

Haruhi and Sasaki both said, “Wait,” at the same time. They paused, looking at each other, as if being polite enough to let the other go first.

Haruhi spoke up first, “Wait, you are both sound like you’ve given up.”

Sasaki chimed in, “Exactly. What exactly has happened that has prevented our future from happening?”

Mikuru and Fujiwara looked at each other a moment, and Fujiwara spoke first, “You can’t have a non-logical universe. I- Look. We can’t prove a paradox until it happens. We can see remnants of a future that never occurred, but proving a paradox is a paradox in and of itself, which would also destroy the universe.”

Sasaki shook her head, “By what mechanism is the universe destroyed though? How do we know we aren’t just on another timeline split from both of your futures?”

“Data is still being analyzed, but there appears to be an inexplicable effect on entropy occurring on the current spatial planes. This effect is indicative of a tertiary future unrelated to our expected timeline.” Yuki spoke up, surprising us all as our heads turned towards her. She paused, as if weighing her words. “There has been no consensus on the possible cause or purpose of this entropic manipulation, but it is possible that the destabilization of entropic decay centered on local space may be a non-temporal effect of the paradox before the catalyst triggers.”

She blinked as the weight of our stares seemed to bore into her. She opened her mouth, and I saw her trying to slip into something a little less arcane, “Local space has become colder, focused around this planet, and it appears to be spreading throughout the universe. The heat death of the universe is accelerating, possibly caused by the paradox.”

Koizumi prodded, “How fast is it accelerating? How far is it spreading?”

Yuki Nagato, “The rate is not consistent, not enough data available for a proper estimate. The accelerated decay appears to be spreading faster than the speed of light throughout the universe.”

“What the hell, why didn’t you tell us this earlier? Are you sure your alien is on your side? Because she’s withholding from us. Either that or she’s spacier than Koyou.” Tachibana gestured with her drink, shaking her head in disbelief.

Yuki responded with some reproach, “Unless an unknown variable were to change the approximated rate, the universe will end in approximately two billion years, at the estimated accelerated entropic decay. It was considered a lesser problem until the current issue was resolved.” She paused only a moment, as if to give a pause in her thoughts.

“It did not seem relevant until it was revealed that his-” Yuki looked directly at Fujiwara, “time travel device was no longer functioning properly…” She paused, “The Integrated Data Thought Entity has more blind spots than… they like to admit, and direct observation of the… particles that he references are outside the realm of their direct observation.”

Haruhi sighed, “Alright. Fine. You guys have done the math, things are broken. I feel like we are spinning in circles. What do we do?”

Fujiwara growled, “What we do is get you to stop messing up the timeline!” He sat up from his slouch, “If you’d god damned calm down, the universe wouldn’t be jacked up. Maybe if you’d- you’d- I don’t know, give your damned stolen powers to someone who wasn’t so erratic, like Sasaki, maybe we’d be in better shape.”

Both Haruhi and, to my surprise, Koizumi, spoke up, “Hey!”

Haruhi paused, building up steam, , but Koizumi continued, “You need to to lay off right now, or I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave. We don’t need your outbursts, and if I hear you casually blame Haruhi for something she has nothing to do with one more time I am going to-”

Koizumi’s tone changed here, something I didn’t recognize. Something colder and distant. Something dangerous, “-to have to provide you with better manners.” Koizumi, for all his usual playfulness, had nothing but detached fury in his voice. I almost didn’t recognize him.

The table had grown tense again, and I didn’t have an idea of what to say. Did I hear someone’s phone buzz earlier, or was that just the hum of the florescent lights?

Tachibana scoffed, seemingly immune to the atmosphere, “Pff, if Haruhi didn’t do it, who else could have? I thought that’s why we called this gathering, to discuss what to do with the misbehaving goddess.”

Koizumi pushed his drink away, looking all the world like he was about to shout, or storm out, or something even worse, when quiet voice spoke up from the corner of the booth, “Suggestion, Level 4: There is a third party anomaly separate from the source of serious dimensional fractalization, separate from Target: Haruhi or Target: Sasaki.”

I think we all had forgotten about Koyou Suou, sitting in the corner of the booth, opposite Yuki. The alien, whatever she was, seems to have spent the entire conversation in silence.

When she continued, I think we were shocked further.

“Local time is not a sequential experience, but simultaneous. All timeline acclimation occurs linearly and concurrently. When time for ____ loops continuous, I experience them simultaneously. ____ end of the *painful* loop, distortion from external source was ____ caused. Time ____ distorted. A polar synchronicity constant was lost, the anomoly unlike _____ Target: Haruhi and Target: Sasaki ____ enormous ____.” Koyou Suou petered out, and this time, her silent, open mouth where the gaps were seemed more like she was losing… focus. Or her batteries were draining. Her eyes even lost their focus as she stopped speaking finally, and her gaze drifted away from their focus on a fixed point at the center of the table.

I glanced at others, not quite sure how to follow, and my eyes met Tachibana’s who look just as bemused, her eyebrows raised.

It was Koizumi who spoke up, “Huh.” His voice still held a tremor of that anger, but he was clearly trying to contol himself, “Well, I don’t know if I caught all of that, but the idea of a third party is interesting. Who else could disturb the timeline? Does that imply there is a third… anchor out there somewhere?”

Sasaki shook her head, “Not if what Kuou said was true. She just said that the anomoly was unlike myself or Haruhi. Of course, I think she was also saying that she experiences time travel simultaneously, which doesn’t make sense. Time can’t be selected for.”

Haruhi shrugged, “Well, not for humans. Maybe time doesn’t work the same for her kind. I am more interested in figuring out who the hell is messing everything up for us. I can still…” she paused, glancing at the other side of the table, before continuing, “...Use my power, to some degree, but it seems like someone else has affected the timeline intentionally.”

Sasaki raised her eyebrow, “You’ve been able to use this so-called power that everyone claims you have?”

Haruhi looked a little cross at being called out, and answered, “Well, sort of. I moved my house. Accidentally.”

Tachibana cackled, “You are serious? That’s why our spotter was so confused yesterday. Ha, that’s hilarious. What else did you do, accidentally swap your closet up with the bathroom?”

Haruhi glared back, “No. I just moved the house. And are you spying on me?”

Tachibana waved a hand dismissively, “No more so that Koizumi’s groupies. Actually, quite a bit less.”

Itsuki spoke up, clearing his throat first, “I think the issue at hand is the possibility of something out there able to manipulate time so effectively as to cause a potential world ending paradox right now. Does anybody know of any groups outside of our own that could cause this? Any other supernatural activity that we can investigate?”

Everyone was quiet. I said nothing. Very carefully, I kept my face blank and thoughtless. I did know of something, or rather someone, else we could investigate. The problem was she threatened to kill me with a pike the last time I saw her.

Should I bring up Tsuruya now? She couldn’t kill me that easily, right? What could she have done to mess up the timeline though, and why?

No one said anything for a while, and finally the silence was broken by Yuki, “There are some factors that I would like to investigate within the altered closed space created by the anchors. There may yet be some uncalculated data still available for analysis.”

Sasaki raised an eyebrow, glancing outside, where it had become dark again, “Not tonight, I hope. I need to be getting home soon, and I don’t want to catch my mother’s ire any more than will if she catches me skipping cram school.”

Yuki shook her head, “I do not need to enter your altered plane tonight, but haste is due. We do not know how much time is left.”

Tachibana scoffed, “As if I am just going to let you wander around Sasaki’s world anyway. What’s in it for-”

Fujiwara cleared his throat as if to interrupt, looking shiftily at his food, then at Mikuru, who had half-eaten her gifted parfait. The pause was long enough to be awkward, before he finally said, “I also could collect… some data. May I come when you visit… Haruhi’s classified infor-.” He took a breath as if it took a lot of his energy to ask this, “-altered closed space? I would like to… do some analysis too, see if my tools can pick up anything.”

Itsuki raised his eyebrows, “I don’t see why we couldn’t accommodate that, if it is acceptable by Haruhi…”

She looked a little sour, saying, “You are acting as if I am going to be in the state of mind that would cause closed space. I might sleep peacefully tonight.”

The silence following that soured her face further - even the Kouyuen Brigade didn’t comment- she relented, “Okay, fine you can use my secret headspace for research...”

Itsuki smiled beautifically, “Thank you, Haruhi. I appreciate it.”

Haruhi harumphed, saying, “Don’t expect to get to do it and slack off though! I expect a full report when you are done!” She grumbled something next, nearly too quietly for me to hear at the other end of the table, “...just jealous you can enter them but not me…”

Sasaki spoke up, “If that’s the case, and Kyouko is willing, would you be able to enter my closed space and do your calculations Saturday? I’d like to… see and hear what happens immediately following. Unless the collection process will take a long time to complete.”

Fujiwara shook his head, “I’d need thirty minutes tops.”

Yuki nodded, “My expected time scale is very similar.”

Itsuki inclined his head, “If that’s the case, I rather do Haruhi tomorrow night, on Friday, so we can have a full team on staff to assist from my group.”

Tachibana barked a bit of laughter, “Well, I’m in. Sounds like it will be a barrel of laughs at this point. I’ll skip tomorrow's excursion. You nerds have fun collecting your samples and analyzing your data.”

Sasaki shook her head, “I’d love to come tomorrow, but I have cram school that I can’t skip and I am not one for sneaking out late at night. I can miss Saturday though.”

Itsuki nodded, “Alright, then Yuki, Fujiwara, we can meet here tomorrow, say at eight at night? This is usually a good place to be for a central location in the city anyway. Then maybe all of us can convene, do one last reconnoiter of Sasaki’s world-space and compare notes after class on Saturday?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. I am glad that everyone else was able to figure out what to say and plan without me. I barely had the presence of mind to give proper farewells.

My mind was on trying to figure out how to confront a long-fanged heiress with military combat experience about her supernatural experiences without losing my head. Literally.

Part 3, Chapter 16:

That next day, Friday, the day planned for the Journey Through Haruhi's Headspace, started with more changes from Haruhi, much to her consternation.

As I arrived at class, I got a text from Itsuki. It turns out that Yuki got moved to the same class as Itsuki. As in, permanently. Yuki no longer was in her own class, but in class 1-9, with Koizumi.

Yuki found someone sitting in her seat in her old room and asked their homeroom teacher, who seemed confused.

It turns out that Haruhi rewrote the universe such that Yuki had always been in the same class as Itsuki. I don't think it changed the universe too much otherwise. No one seemed to notice but our group, and a subsequent text from Yuki explained that relatively little data was changed to keep the universe consistent and that this change was not temporal, but in the memories of all involved.

Haruhi wasn't pleased. She was embarrassed, of course, which made her even more angry and irritable than usual. She texted Itsuki furiously a few times. I tried to placate her between texts, but that seemed to annoy her even more. She started explaining that she had been thinking it would be safer if everyone was better grouped, and convenient, but she didn't mean to change things. I agreed that it was an easy mistake, and genuinely didn't mean to annoy her.

I mean, it was a little funny to see her deal with the effects of her own power like the rest of us have for months, yes.

I was, however, the perfect gentleman and didn't let this amusement leak into my condolences.

Her stony glare at me and terse conversation between classes made it seem like I'd spent the entire time smiling and visibly trying not to make fun of her. Surely I have better self control than that.

At lunch, a little tired after dealing with a melodramatic Haruhi, I found myself walking to Mikuru's classroom. It wasn't Mikuru who I really wanted to see, but she was close to the target of my investigation.

It would have been easy to chalk up that night, staying up late with the unsettled Yuki Nagato followed by a chance encounter with battle shrine maiden Tsuruya as just a weird dream. Especially that last part.

Maybe I got grazed by a rampaging van in the middle of the night and dreamed up the whole thing. But, well, I never really was all that creative, and something about the glint of steel in the moonlight, followed by that cackling of the raven-haired heiress were all too real.

So I was going to see if Tsuruya was in class today to confront her about it. She might have something to do with time not working properly. She might not have anything to do with it. But if she did, then it would be monumentally stupid to try to call her out.

I was not monumentally stupid. I was going to ask Tsuruya at school, a very public place. I was going to ask Tsuruya without telling the others directly, so as to not raise her ire. But most importantly, I was not going directly to Mikuru's classroom.

I first went to Yuki, in the club room at lunch as usual. I dropped my stuff off and told her that I would be back before lunch ended, but that I needed to see Mikuru. I also asked that she come looking for me if I didn't make it back in time for lunch.

Yuki studied me at that last bit, and I was worried she was going to ask about it. Finally, she merely nodded. I was relieved. I didn't want to keep a secret from the others, but I was glad Yuki understood the need for a little secrecy sometimes.

The classrooms for the second years were not far from the bridge that connected the old building to the rest for the school. Mikuru had even told me she'd seen me going to the clubroom during lunch, so, while I didn't remember which class she was in, I had a good idea where to start.

It's funny. You'd think that with all my experience- with Haruhi's demanding presence among adults in the past year- that some of the brigade leader's imperious unflappableness might have rubbed onto me, but no, I was about as self-conscious as any first year might be, walking among his older classmates, staring into classrooms full of unfamiliar faces, all of them staring back at me, like I was an interloper in their midst.

The first two classes weren't Mikuru's and Tsuruya's, but I found Mikuru in the third. She was quietly listening to another girl's conversation, eating her lunch. A couple of the second years, including the one talking to Mikuru, stopped to look at me. Mikuru followed her gaze and smiled brilliantly, still as much herself as she always had been, and got up to meet me at the door.

I smiled appreciatively and stepped out of the doorway to talk to her in the hall. Mikuru smiled at me, a little concerned, asking as she approached, "Hey Kyon. Something wrong?"

I swallowed and and smiled, "Hey. Am I that obvious?" I was stalling, not sure I wanted to see Tsuruya. If that night in the alley wasn't a dream, well... the last time I was that terrified, the class representative was trying to kill me with a knife.

Mikuru gestured amusement, but asked, "Is this about Itsuki and Yuki? Is something else wrong?"

I shook my head, "No, no. Haruhi is a little upset, but that'll die down once she stops being embarrassed about it." I paused, before saying, "No, the reason I wanted to come and see you is that I wanted to talk to Tsuruya if she's here. I had- Mikuru?"

I watched the blood drain from Mikuru's face, her eyes filled with terror.

She blinked, quickly interjecting, "Oh no, I'd forgotten to tell you!" Her voice was a squeaky whisper and I felt my heart begin to race again as I wondered what could have gone wrong.

"Tell me what, Mikuru? What happened?"

Mikuru must have seen my own growing alarm, and seemed to, almost as quickly as she went white, started to turn pink, "Oh nothing bad! I mean, you can't see Tsuruya now! Well, that's not what I mean but- Here, one second!"

She left me, stunned and alone, as she raced back into her class. I continued to get a few looks from the others in the second year hallway, but I was just trying to control my breathing as Mikuru put that deathly fright into me yet again. As fortune would have it, I didn't have to mull long on the potential meaning and purpose behind her alarm at my mention of Tsuruya.

Mikuru returned quickly, this time clutching a letter in her hand. The letter was bound by a narrow red ribbon that wrapped a few times around its corners.

She looked awfully chagrined, but I couldn't tell why, until she said, "You wanted to talk to Tsuruya? I'm so sorry, Kyon. She left Tuesday. Something really serious with her family business came up. She said she was going to, um… Scandinavia? I don't when she will be back… but!-"

She motioned with the letter, "-but she told me to give this letter to you. I am so sorry, Kyon I can't believe I forgot I stuck it in my bag. It was just, that was the day we, um, told Haruhi, and it feels like ages ago now, but it was only four days ago. I, of all people shouldn't be surprised by the passage of time." She smiled at that, nervous that I was mad but trying to make a joke, "Sorry, again, Kyon."

I shook my head, taking the offered letter, a smile on my face to show that I wasn't upset, "No it's fine. I will be honest. I am kind of relieved." I did not really want to risk the wrath of that raven-haired heiress. If she wasn't here, all the better. "Don't worry. I'm not mad."

Mikuru nodded, peering down at the letter, clearly curious but not willing to pry too hard, "Is everything okay with you two? She said to tell you that she was sorry, and that the letter might explain it better… Did something happen?"

"Nothing big happened. I ran into her a week ago and she, uh, was busy and was a little sharp with me."

Very sharp.

"I wanted to ask her about something related to, um, then, but it may not be a big deal."

Just the end of the world.

"It can probably wait until she get back."

Hopefully.

Mikuru seemed a little surprised and confused by that, not able to conceive a world where her friend Tsuruya was rude to me. If you'd ask me before I ran into her in a combat miko outfit, I would say that the only way to really anger Tsuruya would be to threaten Mikuru.

I put the letter in my pocket, and made my escape for now. "Thanks Mikuru. I think your classmates are waiting for you." I motioned to the girl who she was talking to earlier, peeking through the doorway at us. The girl ducked out of sight when we both looked at her.

Mikuru smiled, but this one was more pained, "Oh. They probably think I just handed you a love confession or something." She sighed, "I swear, that's all that children from this time think about."

I asked, surprised, "You mean high-schoolers from your time don't constantly worry about confessions or dating?"

Mikuru gave me a look, one that I'd have expected from someone much older and giggled, "I guess time really doesn't change things. Teens will be teens."

I was about to ask how old she was again, but held back, knowing how she'd answer. Instead, I figured I would try to save her some headache instead, "Tell them I wanted you to show off your calligraphy, so my sister knows she needs to practice harder at her letters. They'll believe it, and it's true enough her letters anyway."

Mikuru beamed, a smile I would treasure privately, for if any other boy in the school saw it in my collection, they'd fight me for the chance. She winked, "Perfect excuse. Thanks Kyon. See you later."

I walked back towards the club room, pulling the square note back out and unfolding it. It was more difficult than I expected, protected by that red ribbon with a strange knot, and it was folded seven times, though I could detect no rhyme or reason for the complicated fold. I read the note as I walked slowly back.

"Hey Kyon, I am guessing that Mikuru will tell you this, but I wanted to say I am sorry. I didn't mean to- well, I did mean to threaten you. I guess I am sorry for scaring you? Though I did mean to do that too, wahahaha, sorry. But really, I didn't mean to freak you out or anything. Especially since… well, don't tell Mikuru, but I may not make it back to classes. If I don't… well, I guess you won't have anything to worry about. The world won't have anything to worry about at all, wahahaha...

"Anyway, don't look for me or tell the others still, but... well, if I make it back, we ought to talk more seriously. Swap stories or something. I can at least explain myself a little better to you. I'd tell you more here, but I probably shouldn't. Wish me the best of luck against the wolves of winter, and hope to see you before the New Year, wahahaha."

I read the note again to make sure I didn't miss anything. It was written in crisp, perfect letters, even the laughing, which I just could hear as Tsuruya's cackle. I sighed. It didn't really help me much, though. Something about her mention of 'wolves' and Scandanavia tugged at the edges of my mind, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

To be quite frank, the letter concerned me far more than it helped put me at ease. Was Tsuruya dealing with something potential world ending as well? What was going on? Were they related somehow? Ugh, I hated this actually. It would have been better to not know anything about this at all.

I sighed, and folded the letter back up, putting it in my pocket as I reached the clubroom, mulling to myself.

I opened the door and was stopped in surprise by the presence of Itsuki being in the room, sitting in his usual spot next to Yuki at the not-so-usual time of lunch. Both looked up to see me, and I saw Yuki's piercing gaze on me, as if she were silently admonishing me for making her worry. "Hey, Itsuki, no lunch with Haruhi today?"

He'd already looked a little embarrassed, but his smile widened, saying, "Well, usually I would, but she was… Well, I may have teased her when I should have consoled more."

I smiled sympathetically, "She still angry that she moved Yuki into your room?"

He nodded, rubbing his head, "Yeah. And stormed off when I made light of it. Alas. So I came in here to discuss with Yuki what might have changed in history as a result Haruhi messing with our classrooms, but apparently Yuki said that time didn't change, but everyone's memory was just muddled instead. Yuki still played the fortune teller for her old class even though she should have helped in my class's play, if Yuki truly had been in my class since the school year started."

I nodded, but I didn't see where this was going, as I sat down and began to unpack my lunch. "Interesting. Does that tell us anything?"

Itsuki offered an ambiguous gesture, "Haruhi hasn't been able to affect the past directly since the summer ended, apparently, which is more or less not surprising. Do you mind if I talked with Yuki a bit about tonight's Closed Space exploration?"

I gestured assent as I started in on my lunch, planning on eating hastily so I had time to review my notes. I'd be interested in listening in, but I wasn't planning on going to the adventure tonight. I'd likely just get in the way, and I was preoccupied with the note in my pocket.

What was I going to do with it? Should I tell the others anyway? It would be stupid if we spent all this time investigating and I had the answer all along, in the form of Tsuruya's note.

Or what if I told them and that would bring the end of the world onto us all, for involving everyone into a weirdness that we weren't equipped to deal with. Plus Tsuruya might try to kill me.

I pushed my last bit of lunch over towards Yuki and Itsuki gave me a strange look, "You aren't going to feed her your lunch directly? It would be quite romantic."

I gave him a look, "I am not going to feed Yuki the remains of my lunch."

His smile became approximately twenty percent more coy as he said, "Oh, well, I wouldn't mind if you fed *me* your lunch. I didn't get any today." He leaned closer as if preparing for me to feed him directly.

"I am not going to feed you anything, Itsuki."

He sighed, dramatically. "Well, then I guess I will just go hungry." He sat back down, though his eyes flicked to Yuki, then back to me. "Unless, of course, Yuki would be so kind as to feed me your lunch…"

Yuki pulled the lunch box closer, and appeared to consider the idea, as she picked up a bit of omelet with the chopsticks. She lifted it and proffered the morsel to Itsuki, who looked shocked that Yuki would actually feed him. He opened his mouth and about took a bite, until Yuki suddenly yanked the food away.

Itsuki looked confused and betrayed, before Yuki said, "I calculate a high probability that feeding you directly may incur unhealthy conflict within Haruhi Suzumiya's emotional state should she catch us in such activity. While this would lead to a more favorable probability of entering closed space tonight, it would not be good for long term productivity should Haruhi Suzumiya remain upset." She paused, "I will eat this lunch to spare you any further heartache and lost sleep."

She promptly ate the piece that she nearly gave him, before proceeding to eat the rest of the meal. Itsuki appeared as stunned as Julius of ancient Rome must have when his dear friend Brutus pulled that knife from his robes.

I snickered, happy to see that Yuki was also willing to tease Itsuki too, especially after he tried to get my… well, whatever Yuki was to me to feed him. He looked at me, though his bemusement slowly morphed into actual amusement. Clearly, he hadn't had Yuki play many jokes on him before.

Grinning, he stood, "Well, I can see that at least Yuki is thinking straight here. We can finish the plans after class, I should go find lunch somewhere." He laughed once, staring at Yuki who was slowly eating. "It would indeed be quite troubling if she had burst in just as-" The door to the clubroom burst open with a crash. Someone had kicked it in. It was Haruhi, of course.

"What would be troubling, exactly?" She looked severely between us, two small loaves of bread, clearly acquired from the cafeteria in her hands. "Come on Itsuki. I figured you'd be too insensible to go get lunch, so I got you something. And I don't want any complaints, either. You weren't there so I got you whatever I felt was best. And now you owe your brigade leader. And I charge interest!"

Itsuki looked at us a moment more. I couldn't tell if he was relieved that Yuki had stopped, or concerned that they had been so close to possibly upsetting Haruhi. I could only offer a cheeky smile. Yuki continued to eat, unconcerned.

He offered a helpless gesture, "Of course, Miss Suzumiya. I should have been more sensible like you. Thank you for your generosity," and began to follow her out of the classroom.

As he closed the clubroom door, to follow the quickly retreating Haruhi, I could hear her, hotly saying, "I know I told you, call me Ha-"

I laughed again, a low chuckle, meeting Yuki's shining, dark eyes. I suspected that she did that just to mess with Itsuki, which was good, because we could do with levity.

I still didn't know what to do with the letter in my pocket though. I thought about it, instead of paying attention to classes that afternoon.

As I headed to the clubroom, I sighed.

Tomorrow was Saturday. Everyone was getting together after classes and lunch, to do explore Sasaki's headspace and compare analysis of closed space. I guess I'd tell everyone about Tsuruya as we finished that business. I didn't want to distract from the current plans, but everyone needed to know. Putting my own life at risk was paltry at this point, which sounded stupidly chivalrous, but I really wasn't quite as important as the others.

I barely had anything to add to the last meeting, and I was feeling a little left out. This way I could contribute.

And I won't lie, I am not brave. It's just that I did have my own alien in shining seifuku to protect me if Tsuruya was really mad. I'd bet on Yuki before any battle shrine maiden.

Of course, I'd have to warn them that they might be attacked by shrine maidens if I told them about Tsuruya. Wonder if they would believe me.

Club that afternoon was short, mostly just giving a quick overview that Yuki and Itsuki were going to meet with Fujiwara and Tachibana at the cafe that evening and wait for a closed space to open. Haruhi wasn't happy about it, of course, that she was being left out, and that they were essentially going to wait for her to cause psychic disturbances due to her emotional state, but she'd mostly cooled off after the morning's surprise.

I went home early. It was odd, not having much club activity. It felt like all I did lately was stay out late in cafes, or walk Haruhi home with the others, or walk Yuki home or something. My sister was glad to see me, though I did spend most of my time looking over my school work. My mom was pleased, but I felt the knowledge draining from my like a sieve in some ways. My heart wasn't into it, and all I could think of was the end of the world, paradoxes, shrine warrior maidens, and Yuki's mental health. Was it really only last week that Yuki nearly broke down in front of the school gate? So much had happened. They all had so little time left.

I went to bed tired and woke up on Saturday before my alarm, not refreshed.

Part 3, Chapter 17:

I might think that, as the ordinary human, I that have relatively little to contribute to the investigation of the universe’s potential collapse due to time failing or entropy or whatever. Heck, if my role were anything in this endeavour, it would be primarily just emotional support.

If Yuki is struggling due to those centuries alone and helpless, I need to step up. If Haruhi is getting a little too involved, I can act as the mediating rock of ordinary to steady her. Mikuru and Ituski have reached out in their own ways, both humans, who probably see me as, at the very least, apolitical and a decent sounding board.

In fact, after this mess, I probably should check in on Mikuru. She doesn’t have any friends or allies outside of us, and Tsuruya, who was out of town possibly trying to prevent the end of the world, and Mikuru probably is keeping a lot of her own reservations and struggles to herself as we try to reconnect our future to hers again.

But what I mean to say is, I really don’t serve much function outside of being the boring-ness core of the group. Even considering the information that I had in my pocket, I didn’t really have much to give the group but to provide another lead to follow.

When we got finished with classes that day, the group gathered in the clubroom for a bit. I didn’t bother pulling out my notebooks to study, even though I ought to. Winter finals started on Monday.

Instead, Itsuki filled us in on what happened in Haruhi’s headspace.

“It was a pretty quiet night, at first. We were a little worried we would miss an opportunity. Fortunately, one opened near the airport, and we let it expand out to where we were at the station cafe.” Itsuki spoke calmly as he drank his tea. “Unfortunately, one of the biggest disadvantages to waiting so long was that the Shinjin was rather… rowdy at that point, having destroyed a good portion of the town. I joined the others of the Organization after a few moments of making sure that Yuki and Fujiwara were set up. Tachibana decided to show up and… mostly just made snide comments.”

Haruhi grumped, “So? What did Fujiwara set up? What about you, Yuki? What did you all find?”

Yuki started without much preamble, “Fujiwara set up very little physical equipment, primarily consisting chronometer and used several dimensional focuses to gather information on temporal constants. He did not seem pleased with the numbers, which were not as accurate as he’d have liked. He reluctantly took my offered help with the numbers, but refused to let me correct the calibration of his chronometer. I believe it was linked to a different timeline than the future that Mikuru Asahina hails from, the timeline that most corresponds to the one that the Integrated Data Thought Entity would prefer. My own calculations were as expected, though entropy from within closed space does not have the same decay rate as without. Describing all of the details would expend much time make us late to our meeting.”

Haruhi nodded as if that made sense and looked at Itsuki, asking, “So what did Fujiwara actually do?”

Itsuki chuckled, “He pulled out what appeared to a shoebox and a few marble-looking things. My associates said he spent most of his time staring off into space, as if watching something that wasn’t there and scowling.”

Haruhi sighed, “Well, I hope we figure out more today. This sitting around and discussing our research notes is going to kill me. If I don’t kill someone else first in boredom. I feel like something is happening, but someone is holding it just out of sight, like a damned street magician!”

We were quiet for a bit, while we mulled. Finally, Mikuru broke the silence, asking, “So do you guys want to go get lunch? They said that they didn’t get out for another hour because of extra required studying.”

The brigade leader sighed, “Yeah, I suppose so. The cafe’s food is only meh, but I didn’t bring a lunch.” She stood from her chair, grabbing her scarf and bag.

We started to get up, and Mikuru interrupted, saying, “Actually… I wanted to go to the fast-food place across from the station. We could still watch for the others to arrive, but they… um, I heard they were going to start selling a hot American stew called chili. Its supposed to be pretty good, and it's been so cold so I thought...”

Haruhi considered this for a bit, before nodding, “Sure. Schedule amended by Mikuru’s request. Please adjust the agenda, Koizumi.

Koizumi, nearest the door,  had already pulled out a note pad and was scribbling, “Right away, Miss Suzumiya. Should I push back the three o’clock as well?”

Haruhi paused, standing nearest him, as if in deep thought. “Yes, please do. I don’t want to be a no show for the Ambassador.” Wait what? Was she being serious?

Koizumi nodded, “Can do, Brigade Leader.”

I squinted at them. I glanced to Yuki and Mikuru. Yuki was no help, not feeling very expressive today, and Mikuru looked just as baffled. Are you two practicing a bit? Is that what couples do?

Koizumi put away the pad in a smooth motion, “I don’t need to practice to serve my shining Brigade Leader.” At this, Haruhi opened the door and looked a mixture of amusement and chagrin.

I looked at Yuki, “We don’t do that, do we?”

Yuki’s face carried an echo of pity, as if trying to find the words to console me, but failing.

Mikuru started giggling, and I could hear Haruhi’s exasperated sigh at the stairwell from here.

--

The chili was okay. It was warm and filling, but it rather quickly became tasteless filler, rather than anything worth a second try.

We finished up with time to spare, but when we saw our four counterparts, I was so boring that I was matched up with air, we went out to meet them in front of the fountain.

The order was Haruhi, Itsuki, Mikuru, Yuki, and then myself, closest to the fountain. We matched their Sasaki, Tachibana, Fujiwara, Suou, and empty space as my counterpart in their group.

People were moving about quickly in the cold, passing us with barely a look, like we were utterly mad for stopping in the biting cold. Already the warmth of my meal had passed, and I agreed.

There wasn't much of a pause before Itsuki said, “So you guys up for this today?”

Fujiwara growled, “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t ready. I just hope I get better information from today.” To Haruhi he said, “Your mindspace is chaotic. Have you seen a shrink lately?”

Tachibana laughed, but Haruhi didn’t rise to the bait, oddly reserved. I instead spoke up, “Come on, guys, lets settle in the cafe, and we can work out our plan from-”

“Kyon? Oh hey man, hows it going, whoa-” One of the passing pair of people contained two familiar people.

“Oh, wow, you hosting a party in the cold?” Taniguchi’s eyes skipped over the group of us, sort of standing off. While Kunikida’s eyes glimmered with some form of amusement at his side, Tanaguchi took a step forward. “Hey, I’m Taniguchi, a friend of Kyon’s.” I could see Taniguchi’s eyes had settled on the unfamiliar faces of Sasaki and Tachibana.

Taniguchi had been counting off, and found that the male to female ratio of the groups was well in his favor.

Kunikida didn’t say anything, bookbag at his side, the dead fountain behind him. I asked Taniguchi, “What are you doing, on this side of town?”

Taniguchi scoffed, “Same think you should be doing. Studying for the exams. If I bomb these my dad is going to make me work during the winter break. What else would Kunikida and I be doing. What are-” Taniguchi slapped his side, as if expecting to demonstrate his own book bag. He didn’t have one.

His eyes grew wide and he turned to look back at the cafe, exclaiming, “Oh Crap! I for-”

His words halted a moment. He repeated, more weakly, “For-”

Something was wrong with his chest, I didn’t understand. Taniguchi stuttered,“For-”

Kunikida had stepped forward. It looked like his hand was on Taniguchi’s back. “For-”

But Kunikida’s hand had been cleanly shoved through Taniguchi’s chest. ‘For-”

Kunikida’s hand was sticking out of Taniguchi’s sternum, like a puppeteer who’d pushed too hard. “For-...”

Taniguchi looked down too, stunned. There was no blood. Instead, something inexplicably colorless dribbled from the wound. It was indescribable. The absence of all color. Iridescent absence. I knew nothing about this substance, but I could tell it was nothing but anathema. It was the color of the end of the universe. True void.

Kunikida pulled his hand from Taniguchi’s chest. A marionette with strings cut, Taniguchi fell to the ground, oozing void onto the pavement. “Ah, it’s nicer with a little peace and quiet. Don’t you think, guys?”

This all happened in seconds, and Yuki was suddenly in front of me in a flash, pushing me back. It wasn’t necessary, we all had started to take steps back. Suou placed herself between her group and Kunikida, like Yuki had for us, nearly shouting in her monotone, “Level 5 Alarm, Entropy manifest.”

“Data and Time distortion detected. We are currently in closed space.” Yuki’s voice was ice calm. The people beyond the fountain square had frozen, locked in place.

“What the fuck?!” “What the hell!” “Holy hell!” I finally found my voice to say something, but I wasn’t the only one to shout, as I heard both Fujiwara and Haruhi shout at the same time. The people beyond our little group, they’d frozen in time. Taniguchi continued to dribble void, not blood, onto the street.

Kunikida motioned with both hands to the heavens, void still dripping from the hand that had been inside Taniguchi, “Finally, we get to meet. I’ve so wanted to meet this most virulent strand of the Suzumiya. So dangerous, we’ve had to quarantine this entire cosm and sanitize the timeline.”

No one said anything, some of us processing, others of us still stunned, like myself. “What?” Sasaki followed up with, “Kunikida? What?” Clearly she was among the stunned like myself.

Kunikida looked between the two of us, amused and something else, but he didn’t say anything in response.

Tachibana, I was surprised, was the one who spoke up, “I guess you’re the asshole that’s fucking with our entropy? Got a cute little doomsday plot going on? Gonna start talking about your dark powers too. What with your size, you still got to be in middle school.”

Kunikida bowed a little at that, “Got it in one, but the joke was a little forced, don’t you think, Miss Tachibana? I was going to wait until Christmas, a most auspicious day for our little disease, but when I saw both malaises were here at the same time, I couldn’t miss the opportunity.”

I was still staring at Taniguchi, who appeared to be melting further and further into that voidness, that absence of all things. Itsuki chimed in, “What do you want? Why are you doing this?” Ever the diplomat, trying to appease all parties.

Kunikida comments, “I am trying to remove the blight of reality from this sick universe’s body. I’ve had to resort to drastic measures. Suzumiya had become airborne, so to speak. And she’s even re-activated the Sasaki strain.” He- ... or maybe It- that thing which possessed the body of an old friend- paused, as if trying to decide if it wanted to wait for more questions. It shook its head, “No, I can tell you aren’t getting this. I will explain it, children, don’t worry.”

“The universe,” it started, “is a singular, small individual. A person, repleat with thoughts, personality, and much more. Reality- ” Kunikida’s voice turned nasty and unpleasant on the word, as he gestured towards the decomposing body of Taniguchi with one hand, and at nothing in particular with the other, “- like this,is the blight of sickness on a person. Even I myself, in this form, contribute to this disease by being here.” He paused motioning again to the sky, “All that so called ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy’ your scientists babble about? That’s the uninfected universe, still struggling to live on, in spite of your crippling malaise.”

Sasaki shook her head, “That is insane. Really, Kunikida. The universe is not a person. Whatever game you are playing at…” She glanced at the immutable fact that Taniguchi was still dissolving into un-matter, halfway gone already, the remains dripping away into places unseen. “- you aren’t making sense. How could any of this be happening. How does Haruhi play into this?”

"Ah, Sasaki, I won’t lie,” it had a cat-like grin on its face, like it had caught the first canary and was eyeing the second, “when I was first sent to investigate the venomous infection of reality on the poor sick universe, I thought you were the cause at first.” Kunikida paused, “But I am getting ahead of myself here aren't I? I can take my time to explain, since your reality is already dying. After all, everything you have left is just time, am I right?" The thing that was wore Kunikida's skin, chuckled a familiar laugh. It was Kunikida's laugh, but I could see Taniguchi's corpse right beside him, spreading that ooze absent of color, the nothingness.

None of us moved, arrayed as we were to face the thing that looked like Kunikida, standing before the dead fountain. It was cold, but like the rest of the world, the wind was still and dead. No one spoke.
Kunikida rise both arms, his right towards Sasaki, while the left to Haruhi, his hand was offered, almost as if asking the girls to dance, "The Malaise, that which defines reality, gives it shape, and provides the means to proliferate reality across the universe. You are the disease given personality, drive and essence. You are reality itself, sickness itself. You are killing the universe, imposing physics, matter, and time on a poor universe that could be timeless, limitless."

He looked at Sasaki, a pleasant smile on its face.  "Sasaki's a known factor, like Polio or Chicken Pox. Very capable, organized, but also very preventable. Most universes are given a vaccine, so to speak, for the Sasaki Malaise within moments of coalescence. The only reason you and your elements even exist is because Haruhi provided you a reality to form in, so you’ve re-appeared, like shingles. A freak accident, but possible."
His visage turned to Haruhi, saying, "Ah but Haruhi here, she's Ebola. When she manifests reality, the universe will die, usually a quick painful death. Infectious, violent, deadly. The only cure is something like me, that will cut out the infection all together."
He shrugged, "Now, I am sure that this is all being lost on most of you, but I know the Integrators are trying to grasp this."

His arms moved slightly, gesturing now to point to Suou and Yuki, both of whom had tried to step between the Kunikida and their respective leaders. "The Integrators gather all that reality, the living space of the disease, and organize it, give it structure, dimensions, and provide for the general defense against other disease, or alien realities. Not effective against me."

A flourish, and it now pointed to Itsuki and Tachibana. "Speaking of structure. What's a rampaging Malaise without a Mediator, something to ensure that homeostasis between the host universe and malignant disease. Usually a Haruhi ends up trampling over and killing their Mediators off, but I couldn’t let this universe die such a painful death. After all, if the reality collapses due to rampant change, then..." his motion swept from the Espers to Mikuru and Fujiwara.

"How can a malaise build up to spread, via our Vectors? Time travel, as you so adorably put it, is how your kind of Malaise spreads from universe to universe, spreading more malign reality to be cured. Every time you little monsters travel-," it gave a nasty smile to Mikuru in particular, who withered under the look, "your reality is replicated, split and incubating in yet another universe. Or it did, until I burned out Haruhi’s connection to time. This universe can’t infect anyone else. This universe can now only travel forward.“

Everyone was quiet for a moment, as we all tried to take that in. Fijiwara responded first, “So you are just an… antibiotic, created by other universes to kill the sickness in this universe… which is reality itself, created by Haruhi?”

Kunikida tilted his head to think on it, “That’s as good an explanation as I could offer. I mean, remember, this is all metaphysics. I can only understand as much as this false reality allows. It does make you think though. Do you think that infections and antiseptics have these kinds of conversations inside human bodies? If we are smart enough to have the illusion of consciousness, what is the universe’s true concept of consciousness?”  

Mikuru spoke, for the first time, asking softly, “Kunikida? You don’t have to do this. Remember the movie we made together? We’re… we’re friends. We don’t have to do this.” Everyone looked at her sharply, and she froze, long enough to add, “Whether what you say is true or not, it doesn’t have to end like this.”

That which disassembled Taniguchi into his base components smiled, and it was a regretful smile, “Look at her. She’s still trying, even after I killed all possible futures of her, including her herself. I mean, because of the break in time, my cleanse didn’t affect this Mikuru, but, I mean, really,” its head lolled over to look at Haruhi, past Yuki, “you did one bang up job picking a mascot. Even now it tries to-”

The sound of running footsteps, and suddenly, something collided with Kunikida. From the station, out of Kunikida’s line of vision, a woman, no- a girl appeared.

Dressed in a North High uniform, and long flowing hair that was still drifting with the speed of her arrival, her voice was a small tingle of joy, “Ha, I guess I finally did get to stab someone in Miss Suzimiya’s class.”

She turned to face us, as Kunikida’s body fell to the ground, a knife embedded in its skull.

“Not exactly who I wanted to stab, but I think some good came of it anyway.”

She turned to face us. Ryoko Asakura turned to face us, smiling like the first dawn of day ever glimpsed by mankind.

“It’s so nice to meet everyone here. I am Ryoko Asakura. I am the humanoid interface of the current ruling faction of the Integrated Data Thought Entity. I’m here to take charge.”

“Alarmed Warning, Level 4 - !”

“-Oh shush you un-asslimilated dimensional anomaly.” Ryoko Asakura interrupted Koyou Suou’s late exclamation. “You weren’t doing anything. I found a chink in the closed space and took advantage.”

I noticed that Yuki Nagato had not stood down at the arrival of the Ryoko Asakura, the humanoid interface. The humanoid interface that tried to kill me the last time I saw her.

“You!” The latest voice was Haruhi Suzumiya, “I tried to find you after you vanished, and then I found out you tried to kill Kyon and you hid that you were an alien all along!”

Ah, priorities, Haruhi. Not trying to be rude here, but the thing that was Kunikida was probably a bigger problem right now.”

Haruhi gestured, “What the hell is all this? What are you doing?”

Ryoko’s sanguine smile became more so, and she said sweetly, “The Radical faction has seized primary control due to our willingness to actually do something about this existential threat.” She glanced at the ground where Taniguchi had been, “He’s been disassembled into his base entropy. A terrible loss of energy for our side, and it appears to be spreading to his immediate family by temporal connections.”

Ryoko Asakura shrugged, and gestured condescendingly to Haruhi “Don’t worry. I won’t kill your human. Unless I am asked to do so.” Ryoko’s eyes never met mine, but they glittered like blades.

I glanced back at the body on the ground. The only body. Taniguchi has dissolved into nothingness at this point, barely a puddle of the absence of all things left behind. Kunikida lay still. it might be laying down for a nap, if not for the hard concrete ground, the unnatural sprawl, and the knife hilt sticking out of its head.

“This will not work. It is not something that can be simply deactivated, and its component data disassembled.” Yuki was still on high alert, but from where I was standing, I couldn’t tell if her eyes were on Ryoko or Kunikida.

“Well, I think it worked just fine. What do you think, Sasaki? It seems my own “source” doesn’t approve. Do you think I did any better?”

“Well, I approve of the method,” Tachibana interjected, her twin ponytails bouncing with a nod, “but I fail to see much success. I’ve seen Koyou get hit by a truck.” Fujiwara and Sasaki turned to look at her as surprised as the rest of us, but she waved them off, “Long story- anyway, maybe your humanoid interfaces are flimsy, but you can’t just assume a little stab will stop him. It. Whatever.”

“And we are still in closed space. You guys called radicals because of you are about as sensible as the square root of a prime number?”

I noticed something, almost discernable, almost not, but Ryoko filled the empty air soon, “Ha, I’ll make you eat those words.” She paused and tilted her head, as if considering the phrase. “And I will. I will make you eat words. Once it is dismantled. I’ve injected a modular delayed action vir- Yuki Nagato!”

Everyone looked at Yuki, though I had to take step to the side and closer to see what she was doing.

That sound, almost discernable gibberish, Yuki’s mouth was moving faster than the eye could see and she seemed utterly dedicated to the act, staring not at Ryoko, but through her.

“Extreme Alarm Lev-”

“Shut up! We will integrate you next! Yuki Nagato, your faction is currently trying to de-integrate from our collective. That simply will not do. If you will not lend your data to our cause that is reason enough for you and yours to be deleted.”

“Hey, Asakura, listen, we probably should be spending time working together on this. You can’t just charge in here and take control of everything.” Yuki continued to mutter, heedless of everyone else.

“Oh, can’t I? I am the class representative. Isn’t it my job to meddle in things? Now give me a moment while I sever an errant thread of dat-”

“Interesting weapon.” A knife was being held over Ryoko’s shoulder, by the Kunikida thing. One moment, it’d been prone, another moment and it stood there like he was waiting in line behind the humanoid interface. Kunikida was shorter than her, and it held the knife like it was an interesting stick, or an artifact, the hilt between two fingers. “Took a moment for me to figure out the mechanism. Disabled the actual triggers before you entered my barrier though. Really did you think I was that stupid? Anyway-”

The thing stepped around Ryoko, who stood frozen mid word, before collapsing in a disturbingly similar manner to Taniguchi. I saw that ooze of nothingness bubbling out of her back as well, and I knew that Ryoko was hit by the same thing that had happened to Taniguchi.

Yuki wobbled, and my heart, already beating too hard to be safe, burned and ached as I leapt forward to catch her by the shoulders. It wasn’t but a moment before all her weight, sudden and unaccounted for, fell on me and I needed to shift my grip under her arms. I saw in her eyes a distant light not unlike that nothingness, but Yuki was still murmuring something just beyond understanding.

“You bastard what did you-” I didn’t look away from Yuki, terrified I’d see that entropy grow in Yuki’s eyes as it spread throughout the Integrated Data Thought Entity. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw that Haruhi had tried to take a step forward, but Itsuki interceded, glowing bright red and lifting a hand to stop Haruhi from charging the thing that was hellbent on destroying everything that existed. Apparently, his powers worked in this closed space.

Itsuki’s voice was cold, hard, and very even, as he said, “What do you want? Are you here just to taunt us? Its obvious you have the upper hand. We aren’t going to attack you again, but why are you here?”

“A practical one, aren’t you?” Kunikida looked Itsuki up and down, as if seeing him for the first time. “Looking for a bargain with a devil?”

Itsuki shook his head, “No bargain. We know your price. Just tell us what you want, and leave. You’ve made most of your points, I think? May we make our leave?”

I was barely listening as I held Yuki, now lifting her completely. She was still light, but human light, like she was just a small, thin girl who was struggling to breath her last breaths, or say her own last vows. The light stuck in her eyes, but it hadn’t grown. It hadn’t shank, but she wasn’t oozing entropy, like Ryoko’s body.”

“-and enjoy your last days, I recommend. Oh, and good luck on the finals! Study hard. You wouldn’t want to disappoint your parents in the last few days, am I right?”

The universe, I could tell, suddenly resumed its progress, the outside world suddenly loud and oppressive in the cold winter air. Kunikida began humming a Christmas tune as he skipped over Ryoko’s prone, oozing body, towards the train station.

Yuki twitched in my arms, and finally stopped chanting. Her eyes were dim, but there was no glimmer of death in them. Yuki started to speak, looking to apologize, and I shushed her, holding her close as the group stared at one another in varying amounts of bafflement, anger, and utter fear.

It began to snow.

---

“... and couldn’t find his bag.” Sasaki and Fujiwara had returned from their exploration of the cafe that, apparently Taniguchi and the thing that was Kunikida had come from.

“And I just got off the phone with one of my cohorts.” Itsuki sounded a little lost, “They were confused, and unable to understand who I was talking about.”

“You mean, they don’t remember Taniguchi at all?” Mikuru asked, softly but direct. “It’s like he never existed?”

Itsuki nodded, “I had to explain to them where his family shop was. They just told me that a themed cafe was there now. I asked them to look for everyone with the same surname in the city, just to make sure.”

“Mmmm… When time was… When someone really messed up badly, without a paradox, people could just vanish. With time travel. Unless the information was written in a… classified storage device, we’d never know.”

Fujiwara laughed, a small dark bark of laughter, but it held no malice, “Yeah. But even then, you’d have signs something was gone. I think right now, we’ll be lucky to find the absence of energy. Didn’t that other humanoid interface call it entropy?”

Yuki fluttered, resting her head on a pillow in my lap, where we all sat in an isolated corner of a library. I placed a hand on her shoulder, and she calmed. Koyou Suou had a hand on one of Yuki’s hand.

Earlier, the even-more-alien alien had grabbed Yuki’s hand as we settled in the library to recollect ourselves, the alien had muttered something about, “Planar ____ Correction _____ Assist.” Even as emotionless and subdued as she was, I could tell she was trying to help, even without words, so I didn’t stop her. Yuki settled into a nap.

No one bothered us. Haruhi was ready to glare at anyone who approached, but her force of will had already pushed everyone away, and no one commented on their conversation being too loud.

“I am furious. I should have walked right up to that monster and decked it into the next universe. I don’t care if he’s all powerful. He’s in my reality, isn’t he?!”

Also, Haruhi was the one doing most of the shouting, and if she willed it, no one cared apparently.

No one answered her, but even Haruhi knew this was more a dream than a workable plan.

Yuki’s eyes had remained open and they’d been flicking back and forth as if reading something a few yards away, some font none of us could read that was scrawled in all directions. She looked healthy enough, but I knew she was probably trying to recover from doing whatever it was that separated herself from Ryoko Asakura before the entropy spread throughout the Integrated Data Thought Entity.

If it could disappear Taniguchi and his entire family, it probably could un-exist data too.

Tachibana, not bothering to lower her voice for the library, laughed, a short bark, “Well, sounds like we are truly fucked. Anyone have any ideas? How do we fight some super-universal anti-virus, if we are just viruses? Assuming it didn’t lie about anything.”

Sasaki shook her head, “We know more than just what it said. We’ve been worrying about the heat death of the universe for days now. Time travel has stopped, and now we know why. It, that thing, doesn’t want any more replication of this strain of Haruhi. And I assume it's basically trying to entropy our reality out of existence so the rest of the universe can survive.”

Mikuru blew out in confusion, “If it was doing something like a paradox, Taniguchi is gone, to remove… what, his energy, then he won’t exist. Is that what happened to Ryoko?”

Tachibana said, blithely, “Yeah. The idiot though it could just stab a piece of hardened alien whatever into an unknowable super alien while the humans watched. If all of Taniguchi’s past was erased, how does it affect an alien hivemind like The Integrated Data Thought Entity? I am surprised Yuki is still here.” She blinked when I looked at her, adding, “I mean, I am glad Yuki is still here. We need all the allies we can get, but Ryoko and her are cousins basically, right?”

Realizing I may have been giving a sharper glare than I intended, I nodded, “Sort of.” I looked back to Yuki, “They were different factions, but the Integrated Data Thought Entity is all pretty interconnected.”

“The entity ____ to sunder in twain once the Aberrant faction acted out of turn. Much of its data was lost and there are connections to be ____.” Suou spoke, mostly coherent as she put Yuki’s hand down, who finally seemed to settle, “Disunited asynchronicity is required to avoid ___ Event Horizon. Broken, must ____ time to realign orbital synch.”

Yuki’s voice spoke, though her eyes remained closed, “I cannot synchronize with the Integrated Data Thought Entity until the entropy is excised. I am sorry. You will only have my direct assistance, as my kind try to restructure some order. Much of it was lost in the entropic purge.” Her other hand squeezed mine.

“So…” Koizumi started, “What do we do?”

“Curl into a ball and kiss our reality goodbye. We can’t kill that thing with more reality.” Kujiwara laughed, darkly.

“I don’t think I believe that. It could have quietly killed this universe, but it appears just as we start to investigate the entropy?” Koizumi was using his most thoughtful tone, used to annoy me or explore serious concerns, “We just have to pick up what pieces it knocked out of our hands. If we can…”

They talked for a little longer, but I didn’t have as much to add. Yuki still twitched and shuddered in my lap, and I had trouble getting the image of Taniguchi’s body melting into nothingness out of my head.

---

I took Yuki home later, after she woke up and seemed capable enough to walk. She leaned on me a little, while we were in the train, but if that was due to her being tired, or the lack of space, or something else, I couldn’t tell. Any time I’d ask if she was okay, she’d just say, “I’m fine,” with her old lack of inflection. I could tell she was probably spending most of her thoughts processing whatever happened to her when Ryoko and her part of the Integrated Data Thought Entity was… destroyed.

There was no brokered argument when I brought her up to her apartment, and she left the door open for me to follow.

“Would you like me to make you some tea, Yuki?”

She nodded and I went to her kitchen and started the process. It wasn’t strictly proper, a guest making tea, but I didn’t much care about Japanese tradition and Yuki was not, strictly, Japanese. I was also familiar enough with her apartment to know my way around.

Setting the water to boil, and readying tea bags of chai that I knew Yuki favored, I went back to her living room, to find Yuki laying down under her kotatus, her arms and head out from under the blanket, and little else.

“You know, you will catch a cold if you stay under there too long,” I said, not serious. I think that whatever hit Yuki was probably harsher than any cold, anyway.

I scooched in to sit next to her, where she’d clearly left space for me on her side of the kotatsu as she gave me a look that was a bit reproachful. That was a relief. If she had energy enough to deal with my jokes, she’d be okay.

“How is everything?” My crossed leg under the kotatsu rested against her side. We sat in comfortable silence while Yuki collected herself.

I went to go grab mugs, ones I’d bought her during the fall festival, each with a tea bag and hot water to steep. When I settled again she answered, “The Integrated Data Thought Entity cut off all flow of data to each of the humanoid interfaces still left. Every attempt previously to isolate the entropic decay of the Vaccine has been failed. By the time any isolation is possibly successful, there may not be enough of the Integrated Data Thought Entity left of any note.”

“Vaccine? Is that what you are calling that… thing in Kunikida’s body?”

“The Integrated Data Thought Entity found nothing to disprove its claims.”

“Huh.” The tea was slowly turning the water a dark amber, and I watched the essence of the ooze out of the bag, nothing like how reality seemed to ooze from the bodies of Taniguchi and Ryoko. “Does that make us the bad guys, trying to keep this universe ‘sick’ to survive?”

“Is the flu the ‘bad guy’ for doing what it’s biological means allow it? Humans have been trying to eradicate the flu for over a century. We are designed to live in reality. Haruhi carved that reality from the universe. Its-” I gathered Yuki meant the thing that was in Kunikida’s body here, “-purpose is to stop reality. We must play our roles.”

“Is that your thoughts, or the Integrated Data Thought Entity’s?”

“I do not know what the Integrated Data Thought Entity is thinking anymore. I do not want to cease existing, however.”

“Hmm,” I mulled, agreeing. “Your tea is ready.”

She sat up to drink.

Part 3, Chapter 19:

While Yuki and I convalesced - well, Yuki convalesced and I just… sat around being supportive, I suppose - the others weren’t just goofing off.

We got updates from Itsuki, but apparently they did end up going into Sasaki’s headspace later and continued to discuss things from inside there. Tachibana was a little offended they wanted to do a few more trips to Sasaki’s headspace later, but Itsuki was pretty certain she was just acting put out.

Apparently Mikuru and Fujiwara got over their differences long enough to pool more information. They think the current universe was in a closed space that prevents time from looping, much like with how Haruhi’s summer worked, but with no repeats. They didn’t know what else this meant, but Mikuru’s tech was definitely not going to work. With Yuki down for the moment too, all we had was Itsuki and his powers only worked in the right kind of closed space.

It was kind of scary, relying on a completely different group for supernatural assistance, but I guess we were lucky that whatever that thing in Kunikida was, it wasn’t made to neutralize and kill Sasaki viruses too, just Haruhi’s.

On Sunday, we spent much of our time trying to figure out what Kunikida was, his motives (it would be silly to think he couldn’t lie, Sasaki pointed out), or where he might be.

Rather than just spend the whole time arguing, Haruhi complained, she suggested everyone do what information they could glean from the different closed spaces between the two Anchors (Haruhi refused to be called a disease; if the universe couldn't hold onto its own dark matter, then she deserved a small piece for her own reality.)

While it was incredible to see Itsuki, Fujiwara, Mikuru and Tachibana vanish into thin air, it wasn’t exactly illuminating. I stayed behind with Yuki, who was still very tired, Sasaki and a not-so-quietly fuming, but still-impressed Haruhi. She wanted to go too, but the others (mostly me and Itsuki) said that if Yuuma-Kida was watching, it would probably be upset if Haruhi started exploring closed space of another Anchor.

We didn’t have any offenses. We didn’t have any defenses either. We couldn’t well risk another attack so soon. Yuki spoke up at one point, mentioning that the universal entropy was accelerating again. I asked her how much time we had left, she said not much.

I asked if that scale was in months or years. She looked at me dolefully, not wanting to ruin my good mood.

Well, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about winter final grades being sent back to us before the end of the year. Good thing too, as I was going to bomb those tests.

Sunday was ultimately futile, it seemed, and we all reluctantly planned to head back to school for Monday, and meet up afterwards. Our parents - well, Haruhi’s, Sasaki’s, and mine - wouldn’t tolerate us missing finals completely.

Monday morning though, we had a breakthrough.

---

“Huh,” I said intelligently, staring at where the ‘old building’ of our school stood.

“Yeah,” Itsuki said, eyes on the same place. His phone was in his hand, as if he’d been using it recently. He’d texted me to come to school early, but wouldn’t explain why.

The ‘old building’ was gone.

“Why’s the old building gone?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t one of my most brilliant questions.

“Would you believe me if I told you the school had secret demolition plans put into motion over our weekend, and the Organization had no idea?”

“Obviously, that’s where the Kunikida monster is hiding, Kyon,” Haruhi said, walking up from behind me, “I checked with the other students. They don’t have any idea what I am talking about. Looked at me like I was crazy too.”

If I had been interrogated the way Haruhi may have her fellow students about a missing building, I would have thought she was crazy too.

“Ha ha, very funny. Have you told Sasaki’s group yet?” Haruhi stood next to Itsuki, glancing at his phone.

“Yes. She said that it's great we have a breakthrough, but she has finals and won’t be able to do anything until the end of the day.”

I groaned, having forgotten we had finals today too, and I’d done no studying.

Itsuki’s phone buzzed and he said, “Ah, Mikuru will be to school soon. She missed her train. Apparently she and Fujiwara had-.. hmm. ” He paused and showed his phone to Haruhi, who looked and frowned.

“What? What’s up?”

“Nothing, she just spent some time with her time-cohort last evening”

I probed further, “And? Anything?”

“Nope, not really,” his phone buzzed again, and he laughed, “And she’s asking why the Organization hadn’t checked the school for where Kunikida might have been.” He began typing.

“Well it's a good question. Why didn’t they check here?” Haruhi asked, quickly, but not with her usual heat.

“Oh they did. For the same reason that they don’t remember Taniguchi. They are too removed from the center of the action. They don’t remember that the old building was here. I can even feel a closed space here, though it’s difficult to perceive.”

“So how do we know if the building didn’t just disappear when, um, that thing, uh, deleted Taniguchi, or part of the Integrated Data Thought Entity?” I asked

“The Integrated Data Thought Entity had no substantial ties to the old building of the school, nor did Taniguchi or his family.” Yuki had come up from behind us, where we stood to the side, watching the empty space where the old building used to be, now an extension of the park that was between the two buildings before. “I should have considered it may have been a primary target for the exo-vaccine.”

“Exo-vaccine? Really?” Haruhi drolled, “And why would it care about the old building?”

“Exo-vaccine was identified as a better alternative to the Inter-Universal Coherent Energy Counteragent.”

“I told her that the Interdimensional Data Thought Entity can’t name everything, and that less than five syllables was best.” I said looking at Yuki, who met my eyes and nodded slightly.

“And the old building?”

I think I knew the answer to that one, “Wait, is that because the clubroom?” Yuki nodded, but looked at her phone as it chirped that she got a message. Itsuki’s phone was buzzing too. I continued, wondering what I was being left out of, but answered the expectant Haruhi. “Yuki explained it. Your leadership and dragging a group of weirdos created a special place in the clubroom. It's basically a locus for a completely normal space. It's probably some sort of cornerstone for the evil thing to work its entropy on your, um, reality.”

Haruhi harumphed at the idea that this was her universe, and was interrupted Itsuki,“Speaking of entropy, Let’s get inside, it’s freezing.” His phone was buzzing still, as he typed out responses. When my interest wandered closer, he tilted the phone out of my sight.

We rushed inside, as it was as cold as he claimed. We broke up to exchange shoes, but met at the stairs. Haruhi asked, “So what do we do now?”

Itsuki shrugged, “Our finals, I suppose. We can’t do much until the others get here.”

Haruhi groaned, impatiently frustrated. I groaned at the same time, in dismay.

We made it to our floor, and Itsuki and Yuki peeled off together, towards room 1-9.

“Wait, Yuki-,” Haruhi asked, “Where are you going?”

I smiled, but let Itsuki explain, “Don’t remember? She’s in my class now, you rearranged us to be together, in your dreams.” Haruhi looked flustered long enough for Itsuki to wave and added, “You were probably worried about our safety. See you all later. Best of luck on your finals.”

Haruhi tsked and I laughed at the futility of that gesture. For my trouble, Yuki turned her head around and shot me a look that said she expected me to do better than to just answer all questions at random.

I sighed.

“Come on, Kyon, you can be miserable in the class with me. I want to see if Kunikida is in our class.” She groped for my hand, before catching herself and grabbed my sleeve instead.

Awkward or not, she dragged us to 1-5. Nothing that represented existential threats wearing familiar faces inside. I was relieved personally. Haruhi seemed disappointed.

I pulled out my phone. No texts since Itsuki early that morning.

Haruhi’s phone continued to buzz pretty regularly. I asked, “Did Mikuru make it?”

“What? Oh, yeah. She’s downstairs at the lockers.” Her face was cross, as she typed furiously.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing you need to be concerned about Kyon.”

“Ah, well.” I looked around the classroom. No Kunikida, no Taniguchi. Amazing how a few people missing can make a room feel empty. Everyone else was normal. I mean, all of them were stressed about finals. Some were still frantically studying. Others had their head on their desk. A couple were talking to each other, trying to quiz each other or something. “Do you think Mikuru will be okay in class alone?”

“What? Oh yeah. She’ll be fine. She’s got Tsuruya in her class, that girl is a firecracker. I’d pick her in a fight with evil universe ending monsters any day.”

I knew that Tsuruya was somewhere in Europe now, fighting her own battles while we… waited for class to start.

The bell rang and Okabe entered the room, a stack of papers in hand.

I hate finals. At least I wasn’t the only one to groan in despair this time.

---

At lunch, Fujiwara and Tachibana arrived with take out food in tow. “Your Organization owes the Agency for this delivery service,” she said without preamble as the five of us met them downstairs in the locker lobby. “And there’s an upcharge fee for delivery in this damned weather.”

Itsuki smiled beneficently, “Just put it on our tab.”

“Why aren’t you in class?” Mikuru asked, confused. “And won’t the school be upset with visitors?”

Tachibana handed the bag over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. “I faked having a flu and my parents came to pick me up. Fujiwara’s a good-for-nothing high school dropout.” We all formed rank into a circle, and I saw Mikuru’s face brighten in understanding as the world’s noise fell away. We were all pulled into Sasaki’s closed space, where everything was quiet, still, and empty.

No one would bother us here.

“You just faked the flu, and your parents believed that?”

Tachibana shrugged, “I took a nausea pill. Spilling breakfast in the hallway was proof enough for the school and my parents. I’m starving. Mine’s the steak and chicken, thank you, Kyon.”

I politely didn’t comment on her dedication to getting out of school during finals, and rummaged around in the bags while Itsuki lead us to the nearby empty teacher’s lounge

Food was distributed, but Fujiwara started us off with a probing question, as he stared at me intensely, “Did you all tell him? I damn well hope not.” I could feel Yuki’s animous at Fujiwara’s tone, just with her sitting next to me.

Haruhi shook his head, “No, and we won’t. He wouldn’t even know we were talking if you hadn’t decided to ask.”

“Tell me about what?” I got the feeling they weren’t going to tell me anyway, but it's one of those questions that must be asked.

“That’s classified,” Mikuru said, with a straight face. She smiled a little when I gave her a look.

“So I am being kept out of part of the planning from here on out?”

Itsuki shrugged, but Tachibana beat him to the answer by speaking around her mouthful, which was impressive, because she still managed to sound graceful and imperious, “Tough shit, ain’t it Kyon?”

I shrugged, “So what can we talk about?”

“Orbital alignment in overlapping ____ fields ____ difficult.”

Half the table jumped at the arrival of Kuyou Suou. Mainly myself, Mikuru and Fujiwara.

“Interesting,” Itsuki mused, “Kuyou is able to manifest in this closed space when ever she likes?”

“Eeehhh,” Tachibana equivocated, “More like, she exists all the time, and all the space. She’s like, you know, kind of a strange representation of physics. Or I think that’s how she described it once.”

Itsuki motioned, “Yes, and I felt her arrive. I didn’t think I’d have access to my abilities in this closed space, but apparently I have enough to sense her. We’ve already confirmed that you can see us and we can see you from each other’s closed spaces, but we can’t interact. Do you think she could interact with someone who’s in one closed space while standing in another?”

“Not sure, why don’t you ask her?”

We all looked at Kuyou, who seemed fascinated by the fork that was dipping between Yuki’s food and her mouth. She didn’t bother to stop eating while the others spoke. She’d been given the curry flavored one, as soon as I realized there was on in the bag, and she’s been eating it slowly - compared to her normal pace - this whole time.

As we watched Kuyou Suou watch Yuki for what seemed like an awkward eternity, Itsuki opened his mouth to ask. Suou cut him off, “Level 5 Existentialization exists in adjacent foreign ____ field. Instability with ____ increases with _____. Destructural integrity must be integrated with the ______ at lowest energy level possible. When?”

We all paused at that, including Yuki, a few seconds afterwards. Yuki answered, “The exovaccine is in the closed space generated around the club room, and we need to expend effort to expunge it from our local universe as soon as possible without destroying our universe with the energy expenditure to expel it. When?”

“Just how much energy does Suou expect us to use? It would hardly be a good idea to create antimatter to destroy it, and it would probably do more harm to Earth than it.”

“Theoretically, in calculations done by the Integrated Data Thought Entity before assaulting the exovaccine, it would take approximately as much antimatter as all mass collected by black holes that currently exist in the universe, and the result would place render our efforts to remain alive unlikely.”

Fujiwara scoffed, “What the hell was that stupid girl thinking then, that Ryoko? How much of a chance could it have?”

Yuki shrugged minutely, “The humanoid interface was wielding a shard of xeno-data that the Integrated Data Thought Entity assumed to be native from another universe.” Yuki looked away from her food and at Fujiwara, “It was a desperation ploy that would only work with surprise.” She paused, and added, “And the Revolutionary faction was always quick to jump to reckless action.”

“Casting a lot of shade for your data cousins there,” Tachibana commented.

“Trees of data, unlike human families, do not have funerals for the dead,” Yuki closed the box with her food, and balanced her spoon atop.

Silent again, and Kuyou Suou, like someone just now catching up in the conversation, looked over at Itsuki. “Cross-field interaction _____ Possible, but causes anti-aliasing effects in temporal-______ systems.”

Fujiwara frowned, harder at that, and Mikuru murmured a “Hmmm,” but the rest of us were more or less baffled.

No one explained, and we finished eating rather than risk spending too much time talking about obscure nothings that only three in eight people understood..

After finals today, Sasaki was going to come up to the school and we were going to scout around. I got the feeling we might have been planning to do more, but they weren’t going to tell me for some reason.

There wasn’t much else to do but to go back to finals after that.

Part 3, Chapter 20:

The less said about finals, the better.

We all met up again at a small restaurant at the bottom of the hill. This small amount of distance felt safer than trying to discuss our plans in the school, a stone’s throw away from where our enemy was. Also, we had to wait for Sasaki to make her way up.

Knowing her, it likely burned Sasaki to not be able to study all evening during finals, but she was probably acing tests without much effort, even at the prestigious Kyuouen Academy. Alas, the end of the world does put a damper on our daily habits.

Sasaki waved as she came inside, and plopped down next to Tachibana and across from Haruhi. “Whew, finals, huh? I hate proving derivations and integrals. What classes did you cover?”

I politely tried to look like I knew what Sasaki was talking about and shrugged, “Had English and History today. At least I am decent at those.” The less said about my Japanese scores the better.

“Are we really talking about arbitrary scores for questions that you could find on the internet rather than the topic at hand?” Fujiwara disdained.

“Ignore him,” Tachibana said cheerfully, “He got chewed out by work for taking the whole day off.”

Fujiwara scowled, “And how the hell do you know that?”

Kyouko Tachibana blinked, innocently, “What? Do you think Itsuki’s Agency is the only organization with people working in interesting places?”

Fujiwara started to growl something, but Haruhi said, “Enough.” Fujiwara shot her a glare, and she continued, “You are right, we do have bigger issues to discuss. Namely how some evil virus came into ~my~...” She dragged that word out long enough to realize we were all giving her a look, “- our reality.”

“A virus?” Mikuru asked, confused, “Didn’t it say you were the-”

Airily, Haruhi brushed off the idea, “And why are we listening to its opinion? It wants to kill us and all matter in this universe. I think we can safely question the veracity of its words.”

“She’s got a point,” I admitted, having been thinking along the same lines, “no better way to convince your enemy to give up than to convince them the fight isn’t worth having. It may be very powerful, but that doesn’t mean it can’t lie.”

I could tell by looking that except for Sasaki - who looked thoughtful and considering - the others weren’t quite so convinced.

“I don’t mean to argue, per se…” Itsuki started, “but I think that it probably didn’t have to come up with such a belabored story if it were just a menace to reality… Don’t the time travelers keep saying that there is no way of proving the universe exists before a fixed point in time that can’t be traveled past?”

I waved that off, “Yeah, but Yuki’s Data Overmind has existed for thousands of years.”

“There is no perfect way of proving that the universe exists before or after any given point in time with all existing elements exactly as they are, or if the universe developed natural since the beginning of time.”

Tachibana said, a little more punchy, “If I broke into your home, stole everything, and replaced it with exact replicas, how could you tell the difference? Same with your memories, how can you said you didn’t start existing at any given point in time?”

Sasaki shook her head, “It doesn’t matter if we concede the truth of our foe or not. None of us believe the universe, dark matter or not, deserves to exist any more healthily than we ourselves deserve to exist. I want to live. The universe may or may not want us to live. I don’t bend my will to imaginary gods, I won’t drop my admission of self value at the wordings of a murderer. Let’s stop him.”

The table was quiet for a moment. It was getting a little too quiet, until I realized everyone was staring at me. I blinked, then realized, “Ah, need me to step out? You got your secret plans to make?”

Itsuki shrugged, apologetically, “Well, it wouldn’t be a secret if everyone knew about it. We need to discuss some details. Do you mind going to the store and getting us the items from this list?” He offered a list to me, and I looked at it, befuddled.

“What? Is it for the plan?” It was a list for items I’d expect for a Christmas party.

Haruhi smiled, bright and luminescent. “Well, if we succeed, we’d like to celebrate, and parties take prep work. Call it killing two birds with one stone.”

I grumbled, and said something about the Agency reimbursing me later. Itsuki laughed, along with a few of the others. I couldn’t tell if it was just at my attitude, or at my demand.

A Christmas party, really?

***

I got texted a couple hours later, asking me where I was. I’d already bought everything they requested, except for Haruhi’s demand for a full, living Christmas tree, which I wouldn’t even know where to get one.

They were all, except for Fujiwara, waiting outside the same cafe and Itsuki kindly offered a hand to take the two bags of tinsel and other items. “Good luck up there.”

I blinked, looking at the others who were just watching me.

Haruhi motioned, “Come on, come on. We gotta get back up that hill.”

Itsuki, Sasaki, Koyou Suou, and Mikuru stood still as Yuki, Haruhi, and Tachibana moved towards the hill. Still confused, I asked, “Wait, where’s Fujiwara? What about you four?” I motioned to Sasaki and them.

Sasaki didn’t quite meet my gaze as I looked askance, but Itsuki waved off my question, “We’ll be along in a minute. We have to go drop off these-” he motioned with the decorations, “-with my associates anyhow. See you in a bit!”

Haruhi shouted, already some distance up the hill, “Come on, Kyon! We don’t have time for you to play 20 Questions.”

I huffed, but didn’t argue when I saw Yuki glance back down towards me.

I hustled to catch up, and heard Tachibana ask, “-always question every decision made?”

Haruhi sighed, “Every single one, especially by me. You’d think after being on the same team for some time, he’d trust us by now.”

I only question Haruhi’s ideas the most  because they tend to be bad ones.

“What was that?” Haruhi’s voice was tinged with a little more fire, which, how she managed in this cold, I felt was enough to even impress Prometheus himself.  

“Holy hells, I hate this hill. Do you guys climb this every day? I am glad I am smart enough to make it in Kouyouen.”

Haruhi muttered something about wanting to go to classes somewhere with more interesting people, but we were all feeling rather winded as the cold sapped our energy. Even Yuki, who’s characteristic silence was expected, seemed out of it and drained. I desperately wanted to ask how she was, but everyone seemed to be intentionally cagey around me now, and didn’t think it would help. I did reach out and take her hand though, which she seemed to appreciate.

We reached the school gate, which was still open, as there were many study groups staying at the school, desperate to get their last few hours of study in, even as dark pressed in. The school would shut down in fifteen minutes, but as we paused just outside the gate, I looked at the others, asking, “So? What are we doing?”

Tachibana motioned me closer, and we all stepped in.

She grinned at me, smiling jovially, “We are going to kill that asshole.”

“What?” I asked.

There was a sudden crash behind us, and the squeal of brakes. I didn’t have time to look as we all ducked away. I felt Tachibana’s hands slap my back and we all four phased into the cold empty Closed Space that Sasaki ruled.

Part 3, Chapter 21: Aleph

“What the hell?” That was Haruhi as we all stood upright to look at the gate of the school. Nothing was there. Everything in Sasaki’s Closed space was calm and serene.

“No time.” With no answer apparent, Yuki pulled her hand from mine and pulled from her jacket her other hand. Held in her small hand was a knife I’d always flash memorize in my memory as coming for my heart. The one that Ryoko Asakura tried to kill me with.

“What?”

Yuki handed me the knife, while Tachibana saluted us and disappeared - back into the real world, I assume.

“This knife contains the remaining folded data remains of the Integrated Data Thought Entity. During the de-assimilation event, the certain factions Integrated Data Thought Entities observed the rate and cause of decay. By observation, complete disentanglement was not possible, but… it is suspected that the data folded within will take some time for the exovaccine to eliminate, thus slowing his return. This is a condensated form of all its data structures. It will not survive assaulting the Exovaccine for long.”

“What, wait. Does that mean the Integrated Data Thought Entity is still decaying? How many factions are impacted?” I knew a lot more about Yuki’s kind than I usually let on with the others. We’ve spent hours in each other company in the past months. Her kind was a topic that was bound to come up.

“All factions have varying levels of impact. While the exovaccine exists, We-” she used that “we” in the sense of all her kind, not our small group of humans, “will not see the end of the universe.”

I was caught in that thought, that Yuki would die soon. Before January Sixth, if Fujiwara had spoken the truth. My mind was racing through the chaos of facing the heat death of the world without Yuki.

“Damnit Kyon,” Haruhi said, “I know why they sent me on this side. Get your butt in gear! The longer you take, the less time we all have! Go! And don’t dally!”

“But-” I wanted to interject on so many levels.

“Go Kyon, hurry.”

I held the knife in my hand, confused, looking at Haruhi, “Why me though?”

Haruhi sighed, “Because you aren’t any of us. You aren’t something that thing is made to kill, not directly. You aren’t an Anchor or Esper or Integrator or whatever. You have to go up to the clubroom and kill him.” Her voice turned more stern, “And we have a deadline. Go now! Please!” Something about her voice was different. She wasn’t demanding, not in her usual way. She was begging.

I looked at Yuki, who answered, more deadly seriously than when she told me that time had been on repeat for over a thousand years, all those months back, “Do it. Now. We need you to.” This ‘we’ felt like everything. The Data Entity, the group, all of the universe itself.

I took in a breath, but nodded, jogging off into the barren cold space of the school, towards the restored Old Building, and our clubroom, where the thing that took Kunikida’s body waited.

I took the stairs two at a time, holding the blade away from me like I thought it would explode, or that I was worried I’d trip and accidentally kill myself. What a damned joke that would be.

The stairs ended and the first door on my left was the club room. The world felt colder still, and I felt no compunction to take my jacket off. And I ran into the school with my shoes on too, like that still mattered.

The two of us were the only ones there.  I paused. The knife was in my hand, but I wondered how I could better hide it. Though it made some noise, I shoved it into my jacket pocket, knowing it would cut a hole in the lining. It cut smoothly, like my jacket were nothing but muslin.

Knife hidden, with my right hand gripping it, I walked to the door, and grabbed the handle with my other hand.

I blinked.

Another hand joined mine on the door handle. It was Kuyou Suou. She stood there, watching me, looking all the world like an incredibly beautiful doll in the perfect replication of humanity. Of course. She’d been here when I got off the stairs. My mind just didn’t make the complete connection. Her mouth moved, “______ ______ ______ ___ -sorry.”

“What?” I asked, intelligently.

Then I felt something grab my shoulder and something long and terribly, deathly hot slide into my throat. I tried to react, but Koyou’s grip was a vice, pinning my hand in place on the door. I was trapped for those crucial seconds.

I couldn’t scream, or fight, and I felt warmth run down my throat and out of my body. Suou never let go but  I slid to the ground, my vision going black, and the last thing I heard was a familiar voice say, “Sorry about that...”

1000+, Part 3, Chapter 21: Bet

“What the hell?” That was Haruhi as we all stood upright to look at the gate of the school. Nothing was there. Everything in Sasaki’s Closed space was calm and serene.

“No time.” With no answer apparent, Yuki pulled her hand from mine and pulled from her jacket her other hand. Held in her small hand was a knife I’d always flash memorize in my memory as coming for my heart. The one that Ryoko Asakura tried to kill me with.

“What?”

Yuki handed me the knife, while Tachibana saluted us and disappeared - back into the real world, I assume.

“This knife contains the remaining folded data remains of the Integrated Data Thought Entity. During the de-assimilation event, the certain factions Integrated Data Thought Entities observed the rate and cause of decay. By observation, complete disentanglement was not possible, but… it is suspected that the data folded within will take some time for the exovaccine to eliminate, thus slowing his return. This is a condensated form of all its data structures. It will not survive assaulting the Exovaccine for long.”

“What, wait. Does that mean the Integrated Data Thought Entity is still decaying? How many factions are impacted?” I knew a lot more about Yuki’s kind than I usually let on with the others. We’ve spent hours in each other company in the past months. Her kind was a topic that was bound to come up.

“All factions have varying levels of impact. While the exovaccine exists, We-” she used that “we” in the sense of all her kind, not our small group of humans, “will not see the end of the universe.”

I was caught in that thought, that Yuki would die soon. Before January Sixth, if Fujiwara had spoken the truth. My mind was racing through the chaos of facing the heat death of the world without Yuki.

“Damnit Kyon,” Haruhi said, “I know why they sent me on this side. Get your butt in gear! The longer you wait, the less time we all have!”

“But-” I wanted to interject on so many levels.

“Go Kyon, hurry.”

I held the knife in my hand, confused, looking at Haruhi, “Why me though?”

Haruhi sighed, “Because you aren’t any of us. You aren’t something that thing is made to kill, not directly. You aren’t an Anchor or Esper or Integrator or whatever. You have to go up to the clubroom and kill him.” Her voice turned more stern, “And we have a deadline. Go now! Please!” Something about her voice was different. She wasn’t demanding, not in her usual way. She was begging.

I looked at Yuki, who answered, more deadly seriously than when she told me that time had been on repeat for over a thousand years, all those months back, “Do it. Now. We need you to.” This ‘we’ felt like everything. The Data Entity, the group, all of the universe itself.

I took in a breath, but nodded, jogging off into the barren cold space of the school, towards the restored Old Building, and our clubroom, where the thing that took Kunikida’s body waited.

I took the stairs two at a time, holding the blade away from me like I thought it would explode, or that I was worried I’d trip and accidentally kill myself. What a damned joke that would be.

The stairs ended and the first door on my left was the club room. The world felt colder still, and I felt no compunction to take my jacket off. And I ran into the school with my shoes on too, like that still mattered.

The two of us were the only ones there. I paused. The knife was in my hand, but I wondered how I could better hide it. Though it made some noise, I shoved it into my jacket pocket, knowing it would cut a hole in the lining. It cut smoothly, like my jacket were nothing but muslin.

Knife hidden, with my right hand gripping it, I walked to the door, and grabbed the handle with my other hand.

I blinked.

Another hand joined mine on the door handle. It was Kuyou Suou. She stood there, watching me, looking all the world like an incredibly beautiful doll in the perfect replication of humanity. Her mouth moved, “______ ______ ______ ___ -sorry.”

“What?” I asked, intelligently.

Koyou Suou didn’t say anything. I tried to pull my hand away from the door, but her grip was a vice that I couldn’t free myself from.

My heart, already racing, jumped out of my chest, figuratively for a second, in an insane moment of fight or flight reaction. I felt like I’d seen a ghost, but my heart settled, and Koyou let my hand go. She nodded to the door before me, and I frowned, confused.

She nodded again, more insistent, and I got the hint.

I turned the door handle and stepped into the clubroom.

Inside was the Thing that was Kunikida, sitting at Haruhi’s desk its feet up.

“Oh sheesh, Kyon?” He laughed, “You? I thought they might mount a serious assault.”

I glanced back, and Kuyou Suou was gone. Back to the thing that killed Taniguchi.

I closed the door behind me and began walking slowly over to him, the knife hidden in my jacket like that would make a difference to an alien monster like it, already stabbed once before.

It put its feet down and stood to meet me around on my side of the desk, “Here to negotiate? Surely they don’t expect you to be able to do anything. Sasaki and her retinue, I’d possibly be worried about, but if they sent you, it's because they are desperate to fish for any solution.”

“No, I am not here to negotiate.” My heart raced again. My knuckled burned around the knife’s hilt. No time to psyche myself up. My mind was trapped on the image of Yuki’s mournful face, telling me that all her kind would be dead if this thing stayed in our universe. At Haruhi’s pleading demands.

“Well, what is it then? Want to deck me for erasing Taniguchi? He was kind of a dick anyway, am I right, Kyon? Is Yuki still around, or did the Data Tangle finally disintegrate?” It smiled wider, every appearance a human, by all accounts a monster, “Did you hook up with her? You know, at one point I thought you were the virus, given all the strange things happening around you growing up. I guess you really did just like weird gir-”

I pulled the knife out and walked into the thing unceremoniously. I didn’t know where to stab it, so I just went for his throat, so it would shut up. Plus, I didn’t know if I would hit its heart, if it had one. It was short, so I didn’t struggle to raise the knife high up.

I stood there a moment, watching it look confusedly up at me before its eyes shut closed. The sudden weight of a body going slack surprised me, and he fell to the floor, knocking me back, the knife coming out of its body, as easily as it slid out of my pocket.

His body made a thunk, and he also knocked over Haruhi’s paperweight, which clattered on the wooden floor.

I didn’t have time to process what exactly happened, as I heard someone shout “Kyon! Hurry, get out!” through the door.

I looked around, confused, but the classroom didn’t change around me. “Kyon!”

It was Mikuru, I finally recognized. She should be at the bottom of the hill, where we left her and Itsuki and Sasaki.

I turned to the door and moved around the table and towards the door, even as she shouted again, “Kyoo-!” I opened the door, and she stood there, along with Itsuki who gripped me at the wrist and yanked me through the door.

Tachibana, also there, closed the door behind me, as Itsuki hauled me by my tie, hard, towards the stairs. “Come on Kyon, we are on a timeline. Move move move. We have-”

Mikuru spoke up, “Twelve minutes, ten seconds.”

“What?”

“Not now,” Itsuki declared, “We have to get you past the boundary of this closed space here! Come on!”

Too confused to argue, I followed as Tachibana and Mikuru followed Itsuki, who nearly caused me to trip down the stairs. The knife was still in my hand, but my caution was thrown so far out of the window by my confusion, I didn’t even notice at first.

“We couldn’t tell you the whole store. We didn’t have time. We still may not. It’s kind of a long story, but we didn’t want you to say anything that could confuse or tip off the Oni eating our universe.”

“What?”

“You can ask afterwards. Come on, it reaches to the other building.” We walked across the space between the old building and the classroom building. Itsuki pushed the door open so hard his hands glowed with some of his red energy.

“Everyone ready?” he asked. Mikuru took his other hand, and Tachibana touched Itsuki.

A momentary flash, and we were in another universe.

Everything felt cold and empty in another way, but not like in Sasaki’s world. We’d entered Haruhi’s closed space, everything frozen in time, similar, but completely different from Sasaki’s world.

Another shift, and the universe suddenly started to breath again. I could hear the sound of people in the distance and sirens as well, much closer than I’d expect. Back in the real world.

“Okay, really, what is going on here?”

Itsuki stepped away from me, finally letting go. Mikuru shook her head, “Sorry Kyon, its stays confusing for a little longer yet.”

She touched my chest and stepped away. Then the world went all strange and distant, and I felt myself becoming sick.

I closed my eyes and fell to my knees on the wooden floors of the school, but the hand I put out to settle myself and my knees said I hit concrete. “He’s here, bring the van around.”

I blinked and looked around, finding myself in an unfamiliar place. As I started looking, a familiar voice said, “Well, eleven minutes. Other selves don’t like making this easy on us.” Itsuki hung up the cellphone and Sasaki offered me her hand.

“Come on, Kyon, get up, we need to hustle.”

I’d ask what is happening, but they weren’t going to explain it, were they?

“In the van, Kyon, We will explain it then.” At the end of the alley down the way, a van screeched to a halt, and the side door opened, revealing Mikuru in the back.

I could here the driver shout and honk the horn, Fujiwara sounding only slightly more angry than usual, “Get a move on!”

Itsuki and Sasaki started running, me stumbling after. Itsuki opened the front door and jumped in, while I followed Sasaki into the van. Fujiwara started moving before I could begin to close the door or fasten my seatbelt. Out of the window, I could vaguely recognize the shopping center that was relatively close to the school.

“God dammit, Kyon, you give us nine fucking minutes!” Fujiwara raved.

Sasaki, not nearly as phased, turned to me, pulling something out from the seat pocket in front of her, saying, “Ignore him. We were always on a tight schedule. Here, take-” She blinked, as the butcher knife she offered to me was rather redundant. I still held the same knife I’d stabbed the Thing with. “Does it matter he’s still got the same knife?”

Sasaki looked at Mikuru in the back seat of the van, who gripped Sasaki’s seat to avoid being tossed around by the maniacal driving, “It shouldn’t. In fact, the added confusion within the timeline may in fact give both more temporal stability to the act. But…” Mikuru shrugged, “I don’t know. Paradox philosophy was not my speciality in school.”

Sasaki looked again between both knifes and shrugged, stuffing hers back into the seat’s pouch. “Anyway, Kyon-”

A screech and some honking from other cars, as we took a turn really hard, stopping Sasaki’s words.

“Hell Fujiwara, where did you learn to drive?” Itsuji asked.

“Who said I learned. I told you I knew where to get a van.”

Mikuru asked, a little weakly, “This isn’t your van?”

“No.”

“For- stop distracting me- Kyon!” Sasaki demanded my attention, turned towards me completely, “You have to go to the clubroom again and kill yourself before you enter the room with Kunikida. You absolutely must.”

I opened my mouth to ask my favorite question today, but she forestalled me. “You were brought back in time fifteen minutes by Fujiwara’s method. It still works even if Kunkida shut down Haruhi’s time travel. Fujiwara’s travel method sends you back to a fixed point in space, which is why you were away from the school, and why we are hustling. Just go up stairs and kill yourself while Kuou Suyou is touching both of your bodies, to give them both the same time-space parity. If I understood them correctly.”

I took a breath and asked, “Why?” My most intelligent question of the day so far.

Itsuki was looking at his watch, something I don’t recall him having on earlier, “We have five minutes. Do you think you can step on it?”

The van’s engine growled in response, but it appeared to be struggling with the same hill I’d dealt with for almost a year now.

Mikuru spoke up, talking to me, “We, um, needed something from this universe to make the change. If any of us did it, well, it's designed to stop our kind you know? And a time paradox caused by the universe that it is trying to save may, um...”

Sasaki shrugged, “Its the best idea we had. Calculations from the aliens were run in conjunction with our time traveler's understanding of how their time travelling differs. We have a few other ideas, but… this one needed to be implemented fastest.”

“Why not just tell me?” I may have sounded a little harsh there, but this was all rather chaotic and maddening.

“Tell you, Kyon, that you need to kill two people today, including yourself in a bizarre fashion? From the stories I’ve been told, it sounds like Haruhi figured out best how to get you moving, which was to grab you and push you into the situation.”

“Speaking of… Fujiwara, it may be most efficient for you to go through the school gate.”

I swallowed, and Sasaki blinked saying, “But it’s surely closed for cars at this time?”

Fujiwara sounded grimly satisfied as we finally crested the hill, the school gate closed before us, “Yeah, it is.” The van picked up speed as we met level ground.

The crash was tremendous, and the brakes began to squeal as soon as Fujiwara seemed sure we’d broken through. I thought I saw a few people as we broke through, but when I looked again, they were gone.

The van whipped around, Itsuji was first to recover, the click of a seatbelt. “Kyon! Come on!”

I got my seatbelt off in time for Itsuki to slide the van door open. He let me jump out and took my free hand, “Come on! We gotta grab Tachibana on the way.”

I jumped out, dodging the remains of the school gate, and followed Itsuki as we ran towards the place where the old building used to stand. With a subdued flash, Tachibana appeared before us, grinning wildly, “Holy shit, you guys know how to make an entrance.”

“Not now, come!” Itsuki’s other outreached hand met Tachibana’s and we continued to run. She matched our pace and as soon as Itsuki seemed sure we were in synch, there was a flash of red and we were in the closed space of Haruhi’s mind.

Behind us, I could see the shadow of myself, where talking with Haruhi and Yuki’s shadows just ten minutes ago. It was strange, looking from one closed space to another. We couldn’t interact, I’d been told, when the others experimented, but Koyou Suou could touch all three realities at once.

“What if-?”

“No time, get in!” Itsuki flung open the door of the reappeared old building, part of Haruhi’s quiet closed space. We dove into the building and Itsuki scrambled to get us under the stairs to hide us from myself for when I ran upstairs in another closed space.

Sound doesn’t carry across closed spaces, so when Itsuki demanded, “Take your shoes off!” We didn’t have to worry about my other self hearing it.

I just looked at Itsuki, who stared at me hard enough to get me not to ask. “You need to be quiet. Shoes.” I started to take them off, and Tachibana followed suit.

She spoke, “Listen, Kyon. I know this is fucked up, but you must not flinch. You must not hesitate. You must not think about this. The fact that we all still exist right now, means we have a chance to get this to work.”

Itsuki said, “You are going up the stairs. Go on!”

I looked at her, and she said, “Come on,” and touched my shoulder.

Another sensation and we were in Sasaki’s Closed Space with my other self. Sasaki gestured incessantly. I started up the stairs, even faster than I had the first time, realizing I needed to make up time from all my hesitation.

The same knife still in my hand, gripped tight, with no indication it had stabbed another thing. No blood or ichor. Nothing to indicate the Thing had died.

At the stop of the stairs, I saw myself reach for the door handle, and Koyou Suou reach out to pin my hand there.

I was about to kill myself. Literally. Not suicide, as such. But to kill myself. What were they trying to accomplish? Why were they doing this?

What would I accomplish by killing myself before I killed the Thing in this timeline? What does that mean for myself.

I didn’t want to think about it. Not really. As I reached out, I wondered what I could to convince myself I wasn’t doing this.

Maybe I should pretend this was one of those Fruedian dreams, where killing myself meant I was killing my father and some unresolved trauma, or something. Maybe this is all fake, or part of some elaborate schema that Haruhi thought up. But no, even back then at the island, when that faked murder happened over a thousand years ago.

Aliens, Espers, Time Travelers, Anchors for all reality. All of them were easy jobs. Why did I get the hard one, being the person to deal with their schemes?

I did not flinch, I did not hesitate. I came up behind myself and grabbed me by the shoulder. As I did, Kuyou Suou’s other hand touched my knife-weilding side, behind the self pinned to the door.

The knife cutting easily into my neck. I couldn’t meet my dying self’s eyes, as I said, “Sorry about that, but it was easier for you than for me.”

“Fuck.” Tachibana stepped up to me and I stepped away. She looked, I couldn’t. The knife was crimson this time, and I dropped it. It thunk to the ground, the edge of it marring the floor.The cuff of my school outfit was wet. My mom would kill me for the stain.

Koyou Suou bent down to pick it up. Her one hand still pinned my dead body to the door. She looked at me, then Tachibana.  A quick motion and nothing seemed to happen at first.

Then Koyou Suou stepped away, and her hand remained, pinning my hand to the door, a void of blackness where her wrist was. The severed wrist was lowered already, and she said, “Permanence to all timelines. Necessary loss in energy levels. One small heat death to conserve the rest.”

I vomited, and blacked out as I tried to go down the stairs to escape the spreading pool of blood that already stained my shoes.

Part 3, Chapter 22:

I wish I could say I was of cooler head than that. But I think everyone is entitled to a little nap after implementing “self-termination”. Yuki’s words.

I couldn’t decide if it counted as murder or suicide. I still can’t. Probably murder.

They explained to me later that I’d hit my head on the fall, even as Tachibana tried to reach out and catch me.

Apparently, they needed to create a paradox. They’d figured out that the Thing worked like Kuyou Suou, and existed in all timelines, with some rules and differences. It existed in all spaces and times at once, when he wanted. When It was accelerating entropy, It had to exist in Closed Space like Haruhi’s either at the water fountain, where the Thing erased Taniguchi and Ryoko, or in the old building. It existed in both closed spaces to make the entropy happen even faster.

He was there, mostly to taunt us to waste our energy attacking him, probably. Which was why he tried to monologue. He probably thought he’d cut off all time travel, but he’d only stopped Fujuwara’s chronometer at fifteen minutes of stored time. The thing was designed to kill Haruhi’s not Sasaki’s, after all. You don’t send an anti-biotic to kill a virus.

Apparently, the infinity blade kept that Thing trying to untangle and destroy the rest of the Data Overmind long enough for the time loop of paradox to stick, where there is an eternity of me killing the Thing that was Kunikida, or killing myself before I could kill it. It was trapped in that paradox, because it existed in all timelines, where both events happened.

“Or, that’s how they describe it to me, more or less.” Itsuki shrugged from the hospital room couch. “No telling how long that keeps, but theoretically, it might keep the Universe-Killer trapped until, well, the universe dies. Or so the others said. I don’t get the what they are talking about, most of the time.”

I rolled my eyes, “You probably orchestrated half of it.” I squeezed Yuki’s hand, where she sat in the chair next to mine. She squeezed back, but didn’t lift her head. She’d laid her head on the bed next to mine. She was tired, and she was one of the largest intact fractions of the Data Overmind left.

“Feh, don’t give him all the credit. He’s got as big enough head as it is.” Haruhi entered, holding the door open for Tachibana, who looked sourly at me with a armful of snacks and drinks. The two of the three girls who’d entered approached my bed, while Tachibana distributed snacks to Itsuki and Yuki, who finally lifted her head.

“Damn, why do I keep having to pay for snacks? I practically saved your life, Kyon, with my quick thinking. And I did all the same running you did. And I brought Itsuki and Sasaki to meet you after you did your first murder.”

I didn’t say anything, but something must have shown on my face, because she blanched, saying, “Ah, sorry. Here, you like coffee, right?”

She started to hand me a canned coffee, but realized I only had one hand, with Yuki taking one. She fumbled a bit, and opened it, before handing it over. “Anyway, I think we did pretty good. No major deaths.”

“And only one maiming,” I said, trying to joke as I motioned to Kuou Suyou, who raised her stump, which was wrapped in fabric.

Koyou said, “Right.” I wasn’t sure if she was indicating that she agreed, or just telling us which hand was lost. The laugh in the room wasn’t completely forced, but it was enough to get us through the next few hours.

---

We were incredibly lucky, but it turned out that our universe wasn’t without its faults. Time travel was now deemed impossible, by the Time Travelers. The universe just didn’t register the same physics they understood. It was likely a remnant of the paradox or possibly of the Thing. No verdict yet.

The Integrated Data Thought Entity was a fraction of what it was. And if I understood Koyou Suou correctly, she wasn’t operating at peak energy levels either, let alone that she lost a hand. Though whether that was actually an inconvenience to the inscrutable alien, I couldn’t tell.  

Itsuki said that Closed Space for Haruhi would open and close randomly, but that there were no more Shin-jin. He said he wasn’t sure if it was Haruhi’s doing, or just another side effect. Sasaki’s closed space was as empty as ever, but both sides of the Esper pool avoided the permanent overlap of Haruhi-Sasaki space near the school, where an eternal paradox balanced precariously.

Haruhi and Sasaki still argued, but both of them have been trying to spend most of their time studying up their two sides of the scientific coin, though I couldn’t understand why at the time. When I asked what they were doing, really, Sasaki just smiled, and said, “Well, competing to end entropy first.” Haruhi motioned, “The last enemy of sentient life in reality, after all.” I left them to it.

Finals completed with me in the hospital. The Christmas Party happened at a restaurant that Itsuki had rented for the night. I had make up finals in January to make. I’d really hoped I’d gotten out of those.

I got a phone call one afternoon, lounging at my favorite kotatsu. I answered it, laying back from where I’d been studying. I didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello?”

“Kyon! Ha! How’s its going?”

I blinked, “Tsuruya?”

“Well, yeah! Hahaha, I bets you are wondering where I gots your number! From Mikuru, of course.”

“Oh yeah?” Crap, I’d forgotten all about Tsuruya in the chaos. “What’s up? You still around? Fight off Ragnarok?”

“Wahahaha!” She laughed so loud, I had to hold the phone away, disturbing Yuki who’d been lying next to me while I studied. “You got its in one, Kyon! I knew you would.”

“Well, your clue wasn’t exactly subtle. Was it… Did you succeed?”

“Aw, well, you can never keep a winter wolf down forever but we have a few centuries more. You handle your problems?”

I glanced down at Yuki, who looked up at me balefully for waking her up. She said we had a little less than a thousand years to figure out how to stop entropy before the universe collapsed. “They’re handled for now. Where are you?”

“Ha, Layover in Canada. Should be back home in a day or so more. Want any souvenirs?”

“Um… Maple syrup?”

“I’ll see whats I can do. See you soon! We can catch up! Swap stories.”

“Sounds good. Have a good flight.”

“Thanks! See you soon! Ha!”

Yuki continued to stare at me, “Ragnarok is a fictional mythological event of Norse origin indicating the end of the world.”

“Yeah. Tsuruya said she stopped it for a few centuries more.”

“Hmm.”

“Hey, may the next thousand years keep coming, right?”

Yuki groaned uncharacteristically, as if I’d said a bad joke, but I could never get her to explain what exactly I’d said.