[FFML] [SYnY] [Lime] The Shadow over Nishinomiya, chapter three

[Henry Cobb]

The Shadow over Nishinomiya, chapter three
By Henry J. Cobb

[My apologies to the obvious original authors, whose works should never be
combined.]

On Sunday night I piled up a few books against my bedroom door, but they
were still in place on Monday morning. It seemed that Yuki Nagato had
obeyed my command to stay out of my room after all.

I also felt more rested, with the undisturbed sleep and so I was in better
spirits than previously, until I reached my classroom.

The bane of my existence, Haruhi Suzumiya, was sitting at her desk with
arms crossed. Her glare followed me as I walked to my desk and she remained
ominously silent until I had taken my seat.

"You failed me Kyon."

"What?" I turned towards her, trying to think of what her problem might be.

"Yesterday, I checked the sectors you said you had covered on Saturday and
I saw several interesting items that you failed to report."

"Such as?"

"Isolated houses, dark alleys, places where children played."

"What does any of that have to do with the strange creatures you say you
want to find?"

"We're not going to find our targets walking down the street. So our best
bet is to find the people that they target and monitor those."

I supposed that either "He who fights with monsters should look to it that
he himself does not become a monster" or perhaps its reverse applied here.

"So we're going to do it again next weekend, and this time we will do it
right. Do you understand me, Kyon?"

At lunch Haruhi went off to look for more members for her club, or perhaps
more likely some victims I thought.

As I was eating, our class president, Ryoko Asakura, came over and leaned
over my desk. I wondered if she wanted me to feed her something from my
bento.

"You failed her." Her whisper was a statement, not a question.

"Look, I don't think anybody knows what she wants."

"We shall discus this later." She grabbed my free hand, placed a note in my
palm and folded my fingers over it.

The entire class watched Ryoko return to eating lunch with Taniguchi, and
he seemed almost as confused as I myself was.

I took a moment to glance at the note she had surreptitiously passed to
me. It read: "Return to this classroom at the end of the day, after all the
other students have left."

At the Supernatural Phenomenon Research Club room that afternoon, Haruhi
went over the results of our searches the previous weekend, along with her
new potential victim finding routine.

When she saw that none of us were brave enough to offer any questions to
her insanity, she came up with one of her own. "Yuki, I saw that you came
to the hunt in your school uniform on Saturday. Don't you have anything
else to wear?"

"No." Miss Nagato didn't look up from the book she was reading.

"Oh, it's because of that fire that killed your family. Well that outfit is
just too easy to trace back to here, so I have to get you some new
things. How about a catgirl maid outfit? Wouldn't that complement Mikuru's
miko uniform nicely?" Haruhi pulled the book from Miss Nagato's hands, then
lifted her out of her padded chair by her arms and pulled out a tape
measure.

"We had best be going." Itsuki Koizumi grabbed my hand and pulled me from
the clubroom.

Once we were outside I yanked my hand back and asked him. "What was that
about?"

"Do you really want to know Yuki's measurements?"

"No."

"Good boy. Be seeing you." He waved and walked off.

I thought about it for a moment then decided to take up Ryoko on her
invitation. Better to let her chew me out alone then have her assign me
punishment duties in front of the entire class.

When I got to our classroom I found her standing there smiling and
beckoning me over.

Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all, I thought as I walked over to
her.

"You seem to be getting a little too close to Yuki Nagato."

"What?" I tried to ponder why Ryoko would make such a statement. "Is she a
friend of yours?"

"No." Ryoko flipped up her skirt and unholsted a pair of sharp tipped
scissors from the side of her panties.

My gaze was so focused on her unmarked thigh, as I wondered how she had
managed to avoid scratching herself, that I didn't respond quickly enough
to keep her from stabbing me in the abdomen.

"Now die!" She twisted the scissors in my wound.

"Ow!" I stumbled backwards with my hands clutched at my gut as blood gushed
out and fell backwards onto the floor. My head hit hard and I was stunned.

Ryoko knelt down over me and pulled out the scissors. "Now to finish you
off."

She was so intent on finding the next place to stab me that she never
noticed the gloved pair of hands that reached from behind to twist her head
to an unnatural angle. Her neck gave way with a loud crack and she
collapsed on top of me.

I looked up at my savior. It was Itsuki.

"Suffer not a witch to live." He stood, turned away from me, kicked the
open door three times loudly, then moved to the side of the classroom.

"What's going on in here?" Taniguchi entered the classroom and then stopped
at the sight before him. "Kyon? Ryoko!" He ran in and grabbed her lifeless
body. "Kyon you bastard! How dare you make a suicide pact with my
girlfriend!"

Taniguchi was so intent on Ryoko that he didn't even notice Itsuki leave
and then reenter the room.

"What's going on here?" Itsuki looked around the room, without his
gloves. "Somebody call the emergency number!"

At that point everything faded to black.

"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh C'thulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

That was Miss Nagato's hoarse whisper, wasn't it? What on Earth was she
saying? I opened my eyes and turned my head towards her.

She had been reading from a book to my sister, but now she looked up at
me.

My sister followed her gaze and ran the two steps to my side. "Kyon! You're
alive!"

"Apparently. Where are we?"

"At a private Catholic hospital!" Haruhi threw open the door to my hospital
room with Itsuki and Mikuru behind her. "Thanks to deputy brigade leader
Itsuki, who was able to get you a private room here rather than having you
go to a public hospital. The local media is all over this story. Kyon, I
warned you and then you had to go and do this."

"Uncover a great mystery for you?"

"What mystery? It's the typical story of how a jilted girl commits a
murder/suicide. I've never gone that far, but I know how Ryoko must have
felt when you turned her down. Kyon, you heartbreaker. I don't know if Yuki
even feels safe in your house anymore."

"I am comfortable around Kyon." Miss Nagato stood.

Yeah, a bit too comfortable. Help yourself to the boy of the house, why
don't you?

"Don't take away big sister Yuki!" My little sister complained to Haruhi.

"Don't worry. I won't take away your friend." Haruhi bent down to play with
my sister's hair. The look she had in her eyes, it stirred fears in my mind
that I dared not even put thoughts to.

"How long will I be here?"

Haruhi turned her unsettling gaze from my sister to me. "Just a few more
days. It wasn't all that serious. But you will miss Asakura's funeral
tomorrow. A pity, as I'm sure she would have wanted you next to her at this
time."

Yeah, lying next to her in another casket.

"Now, let's all go and give Kyon a chance to rest up." Haruhi grabbed my
sister's hand.

"I'll get Kyon a newspaper to read."

"Okay, Itsuki. We'll wait for you in the lobby."

Itsuki returned alone with a newspaper. The headline was "One student dead
in suicide pact".

"As if my life wasn't crummy enough. Why did you do all this?" I asked
Itsuki.

"You've been most helpful to us. You've already revealed one of the
cultists. Do keep up the good work." He waved and left, with his smile
intact.

A while later a nun-psychiatrist came to interview me. She concluded that I
wouldn't be a danger to myself and so could be released.

Yeah, yeah. I was to be released out into a world that was suddenly filled
with unknown dangers.

Two days later, on Thursday afternoon, my mother came to pick me up. We
rode home in silence. My mother was thinking about something, but she
waited until we were all seated at the dinner table before bringing it up.

"Well, Kyon."

"Yes?" Now even she was using that nickname?

"You know I'm not one to pry into your affairs, but this thing with Miss
Asakura. It was a bit much."

"Sorry."

"After all, you've got a much nicer girl right here. Yuki, you don't have a
boyfriend, do you?"

"No, Ma'am."

"And my boy here, has he ever been unkind to you?"

"No, he's been most helpful, Ma'am."

"Don't you think he'd be a fine husband?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Do you mind if we go shopping for engagement rings for you two on
Saturday?"

"I have no other plans, Ma'am."

"Please, call me mother from now on, Yuki."

"Yes, Mother."

"You're getting engaged?" My little sister hopped out of her chair and
jumped into Miss Nagato -- strike that -- It Yuki from now on, as my mother
seemed intent on moving Nagato to a middle name at best. My little sister
jumped into "my beloved monster fiancee" Yuki's lap and said, "Now we can be
sisters forever!"

"We'll schedule the wedding for just after they graduate from high school,
so you don't mind Yuki staying in your room for the next three years?"

"No, no. It's great to finally have a sister to talk to all the time!" My
little sister beamed while Yuki patted her head.

Yuki seemed to be pleased with herself, with this victory, but she'd have
to wait a few years before claiming her spoils.

That evening as I was washing up, Yuki once again entered the bathroom,
naked.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked.

"Now we are a couple."

"Not yet. My mother has only decided that you will be part of her family in
three years time. So get out."

"No."

"No?"

"I will wait until you are reconciled to the facts, and then I will brief
you on the situation." She pulled up the second stool and sat
cross-legged, with everything on display.

I decided to ignore her. I finished washing, rinsed off and got in the
tub. As I was sitting there soaking, she was washing herself. As she
started rinsing, I got out of the tub.

"You seem to be excited about something." Her gaze was level from where she
sat to just below my waist.

"Just leave me alone." I picked up a towel and wrapped it around myself,
not even looking back as I heard her lower herself into the tub.

On my desk I found handouts from class and in my desk drawer I found a pack
of condoms, with a note from my mother explaining that while she was
looking forwards to grandchildren, she wanted us to finish our educations
first, please.

I thought I had been fortunate enough that at least my sister hadn't seen
that note, until she pulled me aside the next morning.

"I know Mom doesn't want any grandkids yet, but it wouldn't bother me,
Kyon."

On the way to school I hoped I imagined that Yuki was almost skipping
alongside me.

We got to the shoe lockers at the same time as Kunikida. He looked at us
for a moment then said. "It almost looks like you're a couple now."

"No."

"Yes."

I turned to Yuki and said. "Don't contradict me around other people."

"Yes, Dear."

"And call me Kyon, just like everybody else does."

"Yes, Kyon."

Fortunately Kunikida didn't comment about this to my face. It would be
interesting to see how fast the news traveled, and a good test of his
friendship.

In the classroom Taniguchi glared at me once, then looked away for the rest
of classes. Haruhi seemed pleased with herself for some reason and then
insisted that I eat lunch with her.

Yuki came to our classroom door with her bento, saw me and Haruhi together,
then walked away.

In the clubroom that afternoon, Haruhi went over her plans to locate easy
to abduct victims the next day. "So, any questions? Yes, Yuki?"

"Kyon and I can't go tomorrow."

"And why not?"

"Because we're getting engaged." Yuki leaned over and wrapped both of her
arms around one of mine. As if her sitting at the table next to me instead
of in her usual comfy chair wasn't a big enough clue.

"What!" The other three brigade members said in almost unison and with
apparently equal amounts of outrage.

Haruhi got up, stormed around the table and pulled me away from Yuki's
grasp by my necktie, "Cancel. Brigade business is more important."

For the first time I found the courage to look back directly into her
eyes. "Sorry, but I can't do that. I owe my Mom after that mess with Miss
Asakura. I don't like it, but an engagement is exactly the thing needed to
throw off the rumors that have started swirling around my family." The
rumors that started when you roped me into this, Haruhi.

Haruhi stared into my eyes for ten more seconds, lightly bit her lip, then
released me and turned around. "It can't be helped then. We'll do the
patrol on Sunday. We meet on Sunday at one p.m., to give Itsuki time to get
there after church. Now, Yuki." Haruhi turned to her with an all too
familiar gleam in her eyes.

"Yes?"

"I've got a gift for you!" Haruhi put a paper bag on the table and pulled
out some black clothing. "Now strip!"

"As you wish," Yuki stood and started taking off her jacket.

Itsuki grabbed me by the arm and pulled me from the clubroom.

A few minutes later Mikuru invited us back in and we saw that Yuki was
indeed dressed as a catgirl maid. In addition to a minimal black french
maid dress with fishnet stockings and fur covered high heel boots, it had
cat features such as a headband with cat ears, a black cat tail that
dropped down below her knees and even tufts of black fur on the hand tops
of her elbow length fingerless gloves. The apron and some of the trim was
white, but otherwise it was an all-black outfit, a striking contrast
against her pale skin.

"So what do you think?" Haruhi held Yuki's right hand over her head and
spun her around.

"An amazing choice." Itsuki somehow managed to keep up his eternal
smile. "You've got quite a future waiting for you as a fashion designer."

"Sorry Kyon, but I had to have her remove her bra. Should I get her a
strapless bra? Do you really think she needs the support?"

"Don't bother." I sat down so I could look away.

"Now Yuki, show us how it works. Serve us all tea." Haruhi took the seat
next to mine. "And Yuki."

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"You need to wear your official outfit to every SOS Brigade meeting from now
on, just as Mikuru wears her miko uniform."

"As you say, Ma'am."

"So where is your outfit?" I asked Haruhi.

"On backorder, I'm afraid. Not many Japanese girls of my age can match my
figure. It's so much easier shopping for Yuki. Don't worry, you'll see it
soon."

On the walk back home I asked Yuki (once again back in her school uniform
and usual shoes), "how did you keep your balance in those heels?"

"I have excellent reflexes Kyon. Shall I show you tonight?"

"No thanks."

That evening as we sat down for dinner, our doorbell rang. I opened the
door and found Haruhi standing there.

"Hi Kyon, is your mother in?"

My mom looked out of the dinning room. "Yes, what is it?"

"Oh Mother!" Haruhi ran to and hugged my mom. "You simply must call off
this engagement."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid that Miss Nagato is of ..." Haruhi paused artfully, then
continued, "foreign blood."

"What, Korean or something? Can you prove this?"

"No, I'm afraid the records were all destroyed in the fire."

"Was Yuki at least born in Japan?"

"Why yes, sixty four years ago."

Yuki's eyebrows shot up at this, but she quickly recovered.

"I guess that explains her gray hairs then." My mom smiled and looked over
at me. "Kyon, you've got some great friends to make such jokes. Can you
stay for dinner, Miss?"

"Haruhi Suzumiya, and of course Mother. If it's no problem?"

Haruhi took the spot next to my Mom and continued to call her Mother for no
damn good reason for the rest of the meal.

That night Yuki came to my room again, but at least this time she wore
pajamas.

I waited for her to sit at desk chair and turn to face me before I
whispered, "I told you to stay out of my room."

"I think these chats are most helpful. They let us keep each other up to
date, since we are fiancees after all."

"So what was it about the sixty four years that got to you?"

"Miss Suzumiya miscounted. I'm only sixty three. My birthday isn't until
March 1st of next year."

"So you are a Pisces?"

"Human astrologers have not kept track of the precession of the
equinoxes. It's a part of the shortsightedness that comes from your limited
lifespans. Don't worry, unlike a human woman of my age, I am just now
entering my most fertile years which will extend a little past one hundred,
then slowly decline down to almost nothing in the low thousands. By the
standards of my race it would be a little unseemly for me to breed so
young."

"So you are physically and socially the equivalent of a junior high school
girl?"

"A crude analogy, but mostly correct."

"How does Haruhi know your approximate age so well?"

"She must have her sources. This raises the risks for us both."

My phone buzzed on my desk. Yuki picked it up and answered it. "Hello? Yes,
he's right here." She handed the phone to me.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You really aren't taking this seriously, are you?" Itsuki asked.

"Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?"

"Things that go bump in the dark tend to do so during nighttime hours. I'd
like to show you some of them. I'm sorry to pull you away from the sticky
tendrils of your fiancee, but please meet me in front of your house in ten
minutes. And leave the Misses at home please. Some of my friends don't like
her kind very much."

I looked up and saw that Yuki was already at my door.

"Stay safe, Dear." She closed the door after herself as silently as usual.

I turned on my light and got dressed.

I had just closed the house door behind me when a delivery van pulled up in
front of my house.  Itsuki opened the side door and gestured for me to get
in. The van pulled away as soon as I was inside. I saw that a half dozen
grown men were with Itsuki and they all had combat armor, night vision
goggles and each carried one or more large weapons, assault rifles,
recoilless rifles, grenade launchers and even flamethrowers.

"Don't I get any toys?" I asked.

"Here." Itsuki handed me a digital camera. "It's set for high resolution so
save your shots for the enemy."

"What enemy?"

"Oh, you'll see." His smile was as fake and unrevealing as usual.

Thirty minutes later we arrived at the port and got out next to stacks of
those huge cargo containers they load onto 18-wheeler trucks.  Itsuki
ordered the men to search and we were soon summoned to one container that
stood by itself. As we approached, the door burst open and strange creatures
emerged. They looked almost like starfish, except that they had six arms
and each must have weighed at least 200 kg.

Itsuki's troops opened fire on the creatures with limited effect. I started
taking pictures.  Twenty minutes later my camera was full and the monsters
were all dead.

Itsuki grabbed my shoulder and turned me back to the van.

"What about your men?" I asked.

"Oh, they'll be busy with the cleanup for a while. I thought it best to get
you back home so you can be rested for your big day tomorrow. Got to be
your best, when you set down for a lifetime with a monster."

"What were those things?"

"Illegal aliens. They get smuggled into the country from time to time."

"What do you expect me to do with these pictures?"

"I think you might know a certain brigade leader, who has an interest in
such things."

"Won't that blow up all your careful plans?"

"Not particularly."

On Saturday, my newly enlarged family went down to the jewelers. Because of
budget issues, and so as to not draw too much attention at school, we
settled on identical plain gold bands for Yuki and myself. Then we went and
registered the engagement.

When we met on Sunday, Haruhi frowned at the rings that Yuki and I wore.

I handed her the camera. "Look what I did on Friday night."

She clicked through the photos then handed the camera back to
me. "Obviously photo edited. Don't waste my time with such nonsense
again. And you even edited poor Itsuki's face into one of the photos. Shame
on you Kyon."

Mikuru, who had seen the photos over Haruhi's shoulder, looked up at Itsuki
with wide eyes.

He smiled.

-HJC
The unbreakable laws of writing state that Mikuru is due some face
time in the next chapter.
Cute girl in a world of monsters and culties, what could possibly go wrong?