[FFML] [SHnY][Dark] Downfall: Act I -- Betrayal

[Brian Randall]

     Downfall

     Act I: Betrayal
     (Drama/Tragedy)

     A 'Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi' fanfiction.

     Disclaimer: The novel 'Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu'/'The Melancholy
of Suzumiya Haruhi' is the creation of Nagaru Tanigawa.  No disrespect
is intended by the posting of this fanfiction, as I do not own the
characters or settings involved.  I'm merely dabbling with another set
of paints.  ;)

     Note:  Diverges in volume 10 on the Beta path.  For this
universe, there is no Alpha path.

     Before we begin.... This is a grim story with a lot of unhappy
stuff.  The mood-shifts are so severe between acts that I'm not really
sure what the correct theme is.  Probably better to stick with the
darker ones, even though that may be (unintentionally) a bit
misleading.  So, even though it's marked as such, the ending is
intended to be uplifting.  We'll see if I can pull it off....

     That being said, the first act clouds the skies so that no light
escapes.  The second act studies the winds, and doesn't seem any
brighter, except for the flashes of lightning....  The third act I
will _try_ to write so that it can be read on its own, independently.
I believe in happy endings.  As long as we are willing to write, happy
endings can exist!  This is the wish that lights my soul gem!  What I
am willing to bet my life to fight for!

     ...anyone have a spare Grief Seed?  *ahem*  And now ... for the story:
     ---------------------------------

     Dismissed from the apartment, watching Haruhi's retreating
figure, Kyon stood like a statue, his feet strangely immobile in the
center of the patch of light beneath the exit door.  The last hints of
orange on the horizon would be completely concealed by the building,
so he didn't look for them.  Overhead the sky was dimming, a curtain
of deep gray, too polluted with city light to be truly dark.

     A breeze, a sign of the turning season, aspiring to be chilly,
but without the strength, whispered across the parking lot as the last
trace of Haruhi's hair vanished from a pool of light and around a
corner at the end of the block.

     Gone, now....

     Yuki was still upstairs, resting, though he was less than
satisfied with the state of things there.  If Haruhi couldn't make her
better ... then who else possibly could?

     A quiet cough roused him from his distraction, and he tiredly
moved his eyes over to the esper behind him, standing just at the edge
of the pool of light, his face softly shadowed.

     Mikuru had gone ahead, a few steps ahead of Haruhi herself, so it
was just the two of them, now....

     Still, he couldn't find the energy to move.  His mind buzzed with
thoughts, sorting through half-baked ideas and forced confrontations
with the one he thought was an enemy....  The one who might have been
inflicting this upon Yuki.

     And then at the end ... he remembered what he said he'd do if he
had to, if Yuki was in danger once.

     That thought felt like it kick-started his heart, prompting him
to take a deep breath and rousing him from his sour mood slightly.
Things might be bad ... but there were still valid options.

     "A pleasant thought?" the other boy prompted.

     He started, realizing he'd almost forgotten his presence somehow,
and shrugged.  "Can we leave it at the thought that with Haruhi's
care, I believe Nagato will recover?"

     Itsuki's normal smile faded slightly.  "I find it a comforting
thought....  Well--"  He turned to one side as a dark taxi pulled onto
the street ahead of them, turning towards the sidewalk they stood upon
before drawing to a halt.  "Can I perhaps offer a ride?  We could
discuss it on the way."

     Grudgingly, Kyon agreed, climbing into the back of the vehicle
with the esper, glancing ahead to see the familiar figure of Arakawa
driving.

     "May I know what reassures you so suddenly?" the esper prompted,
dropping his mask for a rare moment to show a genuinely hopeful smile.

     Uncertain, Kyon looked away.  He'd never ... actually revealed
the specifics of that, had he?  He'd revealed his adventures in time
travel, ultimately, but he'd never explained those critical
details....

     "I admit," Itsuki continued, "even though my own circumstances
are simplified, it's difficult to be relieved that this break comes at
the expense of one of our members."

     Difficult?  Kyon thought it was more like _impossible_.

     Itsuki's expression became surprisingly somber, in a way Kyon had
not seen since the previous summer, during the filming of that movie.
"I apologize.  I didn't mean to be too flippant.  I misjudged your
cheer...."

     Sighing, Kyon realized that he had been glaring, and forced his
expression to calm, and stared at his feet.  The esper was right.
They were allies in this.

     "I do worry, though ... that you may intend to do something alone
-- something dangerous.  If you believe it's the path to success, then
as an ally, I'd like to stand behind you and support you however
possible," the esper continued, as the taxi drew to a halt at a red
light.

     Kyon bit his lip, part of himself wanting to admit and explain
his plan to the esper after all.  Had he ever really solved any
problem on his own?  Weren't these things all beyond him in the end,
anyway?

     Really ... it was the others who accomplished everything.  When
Yuki had changed the world and charged him with fixing it, he'd
stumbled -- it had fallen to _her_ to save him.  Was he, maybe ... a
little too confident in his thoughts that he could forge ahead with
Haruhi without any other help?

     At the same time ... that was something that only he and Haruhi
knew.  A true secret.  Not that ... he thought....  Well, with
Haruhi....

     "I shouldn't worry," Itsuki decided suddenly.  "I am simply
stressed, and pressing you too closely; you would not keep something
to yourself only from pride.  It's uncertainty over this situation
that skews my judgment so.  The bonds of trust between us all are
solid, and I should not test them so.  I apologize."

     Kyon almost laughed, managing a nod, feeling that -- for once --
the esper had shown enough of his true face that he could be honest.
If even the normally unflappable Itsuki were so shaken.  "Okay," he
sighed, leaning closer than he would have liked to the other boy to
whisper.  Arakawa obligingly turned on the radio, filling the front
with noise as Kyon explained what his trump card actually was.

     The esper smiled with visible relief, listening eagerly.

     ***

     The next day, assured by his conversation with Itsuki, and the
esper's advice that he continue to hold his trump card in reserve.  He
met with no one on the walk to the school, save spotting Taniguchi in
the distance.  Not wanting to speak with him, Kyon went to his
shoe-locker, freezing at the sight of a letter awaiting him.

     Heart racing, he shoved it immediately into his pocket, changed
shoes with almost frantic haste, and then dashed for the familiar
bathroom stall he had long ago chosen to read such missives.

     Trembling with renewed anxiety, he latched the door before
opening the letter, pulling it out and reading it anxiously:


          Kyon,

          This is a request I can only make one time.  It's selfish
and unfair, but at the same time....

          Please!  Meet me at Kitaguchi station at 9:30 AM!  If you
agree, it's very important that you not let Suzumiya-san see you!

          Be careful!

          -Asahina Mikuru


     He folded the letter away and stored it deep in his blazer, then
checked his phone.  It was half-past eight, about ten minutes before
the final bell.  If he raced for it and skipped school, he could make
it easily -- and that would be the easiest way to avoid Haruhi, too.

     That thought in mind, he took a breath to steel himself, then
raced out the school's western exit, going a roundabout way to avoid
crossing paths with her as he pushed himself, tearing down the hill
towards the nearer Kuyouen station.

     ***

     She didn't want to admit it, but now that Yuki was sick, sitting
in the boring classroom behind Kyon was actually one of the more
reassuring parts of her day.  She could still focus on and get through
her lessons, but it was sheer tedium, and only the consolation of
seeing that he was upset too was able to keep her from screaming in
frustration about the entire thing.

     He was the one she could vent her frustrations about with Yuki
and ... somehow ... it felt like he had a deeper understanding of the
situation than he pretended.  He ignored her bluster about making Yuki
better, while still encouraging her to do her best ... as though he
believed she could effect a positive change no matter what she did.

     And ... that made sitting in class manageable.

     So she noticed immediately when she glimpsed his form, fleeing in
a panic from an unusual exit off the school grounds as she ran to the
gate to beat the chime.  He had no reason to go that way ... and he'd
be missing school!  What did he think he was doing, being clever and
trying to sneak off?

     Had he expected she wouldn't _notice_?

     Angry, she turned course without hesitation.  If Kyon wouldn't
bother with school, she _absolutely_ wouldn't.  Club meetings were
canceled on behalf of Yuki anyway, so what did it matter?

     As if summoned at the thought of her brigade, Itsuki dashed to
her side from a crowd of students streaming towards the entrance.
"Suzumiya-san," he huffed, "what is the matter?"

     "Kyon's running off," she replied between steps.  "We're going to
find out what he thinks he's up to!"

     "I see!"

     He said nothing else as they rounded the gate corner, and could
see Kyon's form ahead, jogging down the street.  She watched him turn
another distant corner, then picked a side-street, running parallel to
his current route.  "He's probably headed back to the train station,"
she deduced, "so we can cover less ground and keep tabs on him easily,
because in another block or two, I bet he's going to cut back in front
of us."

     "You have his measure, then?"

     "I'm sure going to," she growled, shooting him a sharp look,
challenging him to disagree.

     "I am eternally at your side, Suzumiya-san," her vice-commander
swore without hesitation.

     She huffed at that and nodded, looking away.  Itsuki wasn't like....

     She shoved that thought away for later.  What the hell was Kyon doing?

     ***

     Heart pounding, a sour expression on his face, Kyon reached
Kitaguchi station, leaving his bike in the storage locker for the
moment and scanning around for Mikuru's older self.

     He was surprised to be greeted by the younger one.  While he was
still wearing his school uniform, she was wearing a more casual outfit
-- a pink sun-dress with a wide-brimmed straw hat.  She gave him a
shy, relieved smile, her eyes glittering.  "You came!" she gasped,
sounding unreasonably happy.

     He could only stare in confusion for a moment before shaking his
head.  "You asked, Asahina-san," he answered, explaining everything.
"What did you need me here for?"

     She drew slightly into herself, looking apologetic.  "Ah ...
w...would you come with me for a while?" she asked hopefully.
Pointing to one side, she indicated an outdoor cafe, surrounded by
extensively groomed square hedges.  "We could speak over coffee...."

     Still confused, and feeling that the girl lacked the implied
urgency of her summons, he agreed anyway, following her across the
street to the cafe.  He started slightly, but didn't really complain
when she took his hand and pulled him through the archway to the
outdoor seating area.  A handsomely dressed young man in uniform bowed
at them, offering a polite smile and ignoring Kyon's school uniform --
and the time.

     Shortly, the pair were seated at a small table in the corner, at
a glance the only customers in the cafe, except for a pair of tired
salary-men discussing an un-liked manager in the opposite corner.

     Once their server had taken their orders and vanished through the
doorway, Mikuru took a deep breath.  "O...okay.  Um ... as ... you
know, there are usually certain, important restrictions about ... what
and when can be said," she began carefully.

     He nodded in understanding, recognizing how carefully she was
picking her words.  "So ... today, for ... reasons I don't really
understand, I can tell you something true."  She huffed a tiny sigh,
then offered a weak, awkward smile.  "It's ... a strange thing, but
I'd like to think that it might ... shed some light when Kyon-kun
feels surrounded by darkness.  Rather ... I have a thing to do if you
showed up, and it's an order, but since it's you, I don't mind it, and
if you didn't arrive, then I wouldn't need to do it."

     "What?" he asked, confused.  "Is this a pre-determined event, or not?"

     "I'm not entitely certain," she admitted, shaking her head.  "But
... I'd like to think it's still something good!"

     "You mean, you have some good news?" Kyon wondered, puzzled.  "Is
this about Nagato?"

     "Eh?  No ... or ... well, that is...."  She hesitated, then shook
her head.  "Not directly, no -- I just ... still hope to somehow find
a way to cheer you up, even if it's just a little."

     He sighed, running a hand through his hair.  Missing a day of
school was going to cause him trouble, especially with that recent
poor exam result.  Still ... it was Mikuru, so he couldn't really say
he felt upset by it, if he was confused.  It was silent for a moment,
him trying to understand her motivations while she seemed to put
something together in her head.

     A minute passed before their server returned, setting coffee
before each of them before bowing away, leaving them in privacy.
Mikuru shook her head and offered a surprisingly warm smile, rising
from her seat and moving to his side -- surprising him with her
boldness.

     ***

     Slipping onto the train behind Kyon without being spotted was
tricker than she'd expected -- and getting off was harder still ...
but thanks to a tide of salary-men, she and Itsuki had found enough
cover to pursue undetected.

     What was Kyon doing, meeting up with Mikuru here, of all places?
When they should be at school?

     Itsuki at her side, they managed to scurry to one side of the
ugly hedge surrounding the stupid cafe that Mikuru had led Kyon to....
 What was Mikuru up to, anyway?  She wanted to be mad at Kyon for
doing something this stupid, but he'd dressed for school, and Mikuru
hadn't been.  Had she then ... called him here?

     But ... why?

     She was becoming more convinced by the moment that this
subterfuge was a bad idea.  It wasn't her style, was it?  She should
just barge in there and demand to know the truth already!

     She heard Mikuru mumble some confusing nonsense about wanting to
keep Kyon's spirits up, and that kept her from surging to her feet and
storming into the cafe after all.  In the quiet, she peered closely at
the hedges, poking at it carefully until she found a branch she could
shift aside a tiny bit, just enough to see--

     "This is the truth, Kyon-kun," Mikuru said, her voice unusually
intense for the busty mascot character, "so ... I really, really like
you, you know that?"

     And then she kissed him.

     Haruhi felt her heart ... not miss a bit, or break, or anything
so cliche.  But she felt it tense, almost cramp and twist in place; it
was suddenly hard to breathe as she stumbled away from the hedge,
reeling.

     Itsuki caught her, supporting her gently as he promised, already
ushering her away.  Numbed, realizing she was shaking, she allowed the
boy to guide her down the sidewalk.  Why....

     Why?

     How could--  This wasn't _fair_!  This was--  Kyon, while Yuki
was sick, going out on a _date_ with--  And Mikuru, of all people
going behind her back while Yuki was still--

     She felt a ball of emotions she couldn't identify well up from
deep in her stomach, like a runner's cramp that seemed to dance around
from side to side, pulling her muscles tight with wild abandon.  The
boy at her side didn't falter, ducking around a corner and pulling her
with him.  "Suzumiya-san....  I suspected such a thing might--  I
truly wish you didn't have to see that."

     "You thought that..." she started, unable to put the
circumstances into words.  "What do you mean?"

     "I know of one thing that may reassure and calm you," he said,
surprisingly confident.  "I wish that my hand hadn't been forced in
this matter, but....  There is something you must not have realized
about myself that I should explain, here."

     Shaking her head, forcing a scowl at the vice-commander and
denying the tears she felt forming in her eyes, she demanded, "W...who
the hell do you think you are?"

     Drawing himself full upright, almost striking a pose, he gave her
a very solemn, almost familiar look ... as though....  "Haruhi," he
said, unexpectedly-- Unwelcomely! -- familiar, causing a jolt though
the tangled emotions she still hadn't sorted out.

     Her anger at everything finding a source, she balled her hands
into fists, ready to lash out at the first target, before dealing with
Kyon--

     "You know me," he interrupted her before she could cry out her
frustrations, even more inappropriately familiar, leaning close and
placing his hands on her shoulders.  "I am...."

     ***

     Shocked, confused, and unable to dismiss a deep-seated feeling of
wrongness, Kyon was unable to enjoy the kiss from Mikuru.  It was too
sudden--  Too....

     No, no, something felt wrong.  Her soft lips pressed gently
against his own, a little awkwardly, slightly off center as she bumped
his nose with her cheek.  It felt ... _real_ ... it felt ...
_genuine_....  But....  Somehow....

     He broke away, nearly falling out of his chair as he stood
upright, looking at the girl in confusion.  The salary-men in the
opposite corner had broken off to look at them in surprise, drawn by
the girl's immensely public display, undoubtedly.

     "W...what?" he managed, confused.  As much as he wanted to like
the idea of Mikuru confessing to him, that was just too much -- too
forward.  This was more in line with that strange copy he had seen in
the mansion over the winter break!  But ... he couldn't just pull down
the front of her sun dress and stare at her chest to look for the mole
and it wasn't low cut enough for him to see as things were.

     He berated himself for such thoughts when Mikuru's expression
shifted from confused to slowly crestfallen.  "T...that doesn't ...
make Kyon-kun happy at--  Oh....  Oh no!  D...did I steal your first
kiss?" she gasped, her eyes widening in surprise.  "B...but--  But I
was told it was okay!  Th...that classified--"

     Anything else she said was lost to a jarring shift in the ground
beneath him, an unwelcome breath against the back of his neck.  The
surroundings were impossibly still, everything around him seemingly
overlaid with a washed out yellow tone.  "Interestingly ... you are no
longer of any importance in the grand scheme of things.  Do you know
what that means?"

     He didn't.

     He dare not speak, just catching a hint of her sleeve, still clad
in her uniform from the corner of his eye, the edge of her hand -- the
handle of the blade.  The pinprick sensation against his throat
prevented him from even swallowing, his eyes drying with terror.

     "I'll explain~!" she offered, syrupy sweet, the knife remaining
held perfectly stationary, even as she herself shifted around to move
into--  He closed his eyes.  He had that much control over himself, at
least.

     "I have been attempting to break from the control of my superiors
at least as far as Nagato Yuki, you know.  My intention is to do that
through killing you -- oh, Suzumiya Haruhi will no longer provide any
interesting data, so this is really more from my own curiosity.  If I
kill you, will I become autonomous?  Might I truly evolve?  There's
just one way to really know...."

     He wished she would shut up and get to the point already.  He
hated her, and the temptation to try and flinch away from her was very
real....  But she could freeze him with a thought, and move faster
than thought.  This was the situation he was more familiar with; the
place where he was powerless, and forced to rely on his allies.

     "But the thing of it is ... since you're no longer really
relevant to any other projects, my superiors have decided to find out
if I'm right~!  Thanks for your help, Kyon-kun, now ... please die~!"

     ***

     Haruhi was asleep in his bed, exhausted by everything he had told
her -- everything that had happened.

     He couldn't blame her ... he was tired too, from the anxiety of
anything going wrong.  So dangerous, so risky ... and yet....

     Even the time travelers had acknowledged that it was a
pre-determined event, though.  Without their help, he thought it might
have been impossible.

     He expelled a long breath, staring up at the afternoon sky,
fleeced with irregular clouds.  From an abrupt nothingness, a light
green-haired figured appeared at his side, gingerly placing one hand
on the balcony railing as her eyes went to the sky as well.  "So?" he
asked, curiously.

     "The neutralization was a success," the girl replied in a
soothing tone.  "Nagato Yuki attempted to interfere even in her
current state, involving the entity known as Suou Kuyou in their
conflict.  Suou Kuyou fled through a dimensional breach.  Asakura
Ryouko survived the conflict, though was in no condition to defend
herself from me.

     "The responsibility of explaining Nagato Yuki's circumstances
fall to you; our half of the bargain is complete."

     He nodded, and she wasn't there anymore.

     Knowing that it didn't matter, he said, "The world will be in
better hands, now."

     It sounded ... for the merest moment, that the wind through the
trees below his apartment's small balcony sounded almost like
laughter.

     Frowning, he turned to head inside.

     No use dwelling on the past ... the future awaited.

     ---------------------------------
     Author's notes: Couldn't do first-person in this one.  Kind of
wanted to try, but....  Hmm.

-- 
Brian Randall
--
I write fanfiction. Too much of it. You can read it here, thanks to a
kind grant from the Larry F foundation:
http://www.florestica.com/brandall/
--
Together. Allegiance or death. BIGFIRE!
--
Haiku of my lament:

Forgive my spelling,
my U.S. education,
is the source of blame.