[FFML] [SHnY] The Coin - Chapter Four

[Michael Clark]

Previous (and revised) chapters can be found at
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7218037/


Chapter Four

They stopped the game after the incident, leaving it unfinished in the
bottom of the seventh.  All around the outside of the stadium, blue and
red lights flashed.  Police officers gathered at each gate and stair,
ushering those who could walk outside.  Paramedics pushed their way
through the crowd and tended to those who couldn't.  Most people had
held on to their seats, even as their legs and feet came off the ground.

But the others, like the umpire on the field who had nothing to hang on
to...

They gave Asakura a glimpse of what she wanted.

How do you even explain this?  How do you go about describing what
happened?  Asakura should've been dead, but she wasn't.  She was
alive--no, she wasn't even human!  She did all this; it wasn't me!
Guys, you have to believe me when I say that.  I know I have some
powers, some magic or whatever, but I didn't do this.  I wouldn't do
this.  You have to believe me.

You have to because I have Mikuru-chan's cap.

Now, there are a lot of reasonable explanations, I'm sure.  Maybe some
passing hero snatched the hat off her head and transformed it into a
spear, hurling it across the stadium to pierce Asakura's shoulder.

Yeah, right.  Let's just say this hero had a grasshopper mask while
we're at it!

"Haruhi!"

I was about four sections from our original seats when his voice cut
above the chatter.  Kyon pushed through the crowd as best he could, but
the wall of people was like a river current, constantly pushing us
toward the exit.  Under any other circumstances, it might've been
impolite to weave and shove his way through the crowd like that, but it
did the job.  We came together as an island of stillness in a sea of
suppressed panic.

"Where on earth did you run off to?" Kyon asked me, taking my wrist.  "I
thought you were going just to get drinks!"

That's what I was trying to do, but then I stopped at the toilet, and
then--look, Kyon, you're not going to believe this, and I gave you a
hard time about her, but it was--

"Asakura."  His face scrunched up, like he wanted to spit out the taste
of her name.  "Something this sadistic could only be her doing.  Am I
wrong?"

I'm glad you didn't take her love confession seriously, then.

"If only it had been; I'd have found that refreshing.  Come on."  He
tugged at my wrist.  "Let's get out of here before we're bowled over."

Wait a minute; wait a minute!  What do you know about Asakura?  And what
about the others?  Are they all right?

"We were never in any danger.  I told the others to go ahead while I
went after you."

Okay, that's one question answered, but you're dodging the other.  What
about Asakura?  You don't seem at all surprised she'd be around, that
she's alive, that she could make this kind of CG-esque light show or
threaten thousands of people.  What the hell's going on here, Kyon?

"That's what I'm going to explain to you," he said, putting an arm
around me and walking us out of the stadium.  "I've known a lot of
things for a long time, but none of them are as clear or as certain as
this:  that Asakura is a nut and would kill in a heartbeat if it served
her."

I trembled.  Kyon, how do you know this?

"Because that day she sent me a letter in my shoebox--that was the day
she tried to kill me."

+++

We waited half an hour at Koshien Station for a bus to take us back
home.  They tell you to leave the stadium early and avoid the rush, but
I can't imagine it was usually that bad.  They could muster extra buses
or something near the end of the game--if they knew when it'd happen,
anyway.  I guess no one anticipated an evil alien lifeform hijacking the
laws of physics and causing a mass panic.

"I don't even know if _alien_ is the right word for what she is."

Kyon kept me close to him, and it could've have been because the bus
platform was overcrowded, either.  Maybe he was afraid that Asakura
would come out and jump us at any moment.

"I doubt that.  If she told you she was beating a retreat, you can
believe her.  It's not that she lies--though I guess I wouldn't put full
confidence in anything she says.  It's that she's utterly twisted.  With
all her power, she came at me with a knife of all things.  She didn't
want to just kill me.  She wanted to feel it."

How'd you survive, then, if she was so strong?  Did I stop her?  Without
even knowing it?

"It wasn't your doing.  For that, I had some help.  That's who we're
going to see.  The best person to help with Asakura--or, I guess the
only person who can."

And who's that?

"It's--"

There was a squeal of brakes.  An empty bus pulled up to the platform,
opening its doors for the crowd.

"This one looks like it's ours," said Kyon.  "Shall we?"

You're dodging the question.

"You'll meet her soon," he assured me.  "I promise."

He took a step up, into the bus, and I followed with Mikuru-chan's cap
in my hands.  In a bus stuffed full to the last seat, I think I finally
understood what'd happened.  Mori-san was wrong.  She lied to me.  She
tried to trick me into feeling guilty for something I hadn't done--worst
of all when what I _had_ done made me feel guilty enough!  But she _was_
right about something--that she'd been watching me, that others had been
watching me, knowing what I could do even while I was totally ignorant,
while I knew nothing.  Asakura and Mori-san--they were the same.  They
were interested in me, in pushing me opposite directions to suit their
needs.

"I wouldn't put too much stock in what Mori-san says," Kyon muttered.
"I never thought she would've done it, but she did.  She bent the truth
to manipulate you.  She knew damn well you had nothing to do with
Asakura.  She used it because it was easy--no, because it was
horrifying.  She took advantage of you when you were vulnerable."  He
scoffed.  "And I thought she was one of the nicer ones."

One of the nicer what?

"Espers, Haruhi.  She and Arakawa-san, the Tamaru brothers--they're all
in league.  They're espers."

Espers?  First aliens and now espers?  Kyon, you've been holding out on
me!  How long have you known about this?  When did you first figure it
out?  When Asakura tried to kill you?  Before?  After?

"Hey, I tried to tell you!"

Bullshit you did.  You should've brought one of these people to the club
room and made them show me their tricks.

"Just how should I have 'made' them do anything of the kind?"

I don't know.  You could've told them we had cake.

"That'd be a lie."

Shut up.  Besides, this is about you--if you're in on this, the only
good reason for you to hold out is because you're one of them!  You're a
slider!

"If aliens and espers, then sliders?"

Exactly!

He made a face.  "That's actually pretty close to the truth, isn't it."

You _are_ a slider, on a secret mission between the universes to seek
out new life and new civilizations!

"No, no, you've got it all wrong!"

I do not, Captain Kyon.

"You do!  I'm not a slider or anything else for that matter.  I may have
been involved in things no normal human should be, but I'm nothing
special.  I'm just me."

That... can't be, Kyon.  You have to be someone special.  An alien
hiding out on Earth has a reason to keep their identity secret.  Same
for an esper.  Same for a slider or a time-traveler or anyone else.
They don't want to be found.  But if you're just a normal person, if you
knew all about these people and had no reason to hide anything for
yourself, why would you keep any of that to yourself?  Why would you
keep it secret?  I thought we were friends!  Why wouldn't you tell me?

The other people on the bus turned, staring, and Kyon didn't try to
shield me from them--or to shield himself.

"You're right," he said flatly.  "A friend wouldn't keep that secret,
regardless of what he thought might happen."

What might happen?

"Haruhi, do you really know the limit of your powers?  The full extent
of what you can do?"

I shook my head.  I hadn't pushed myself to do anything of the kind, not
since Taniguchi.

"They don't," said Kyon.  "I don't, either."

So that's what it is.  You're afraid of me, just like Mori-san.

"If you'd known there were aliens and time-travelers around, the world
would've been more interesting, right?"

Of course.

"Do you think if you'd known that, you might've decided the world would
be better if everyone were an alien or an esper?"

If everyone were an alien or an esper, how does that make aliens or
espers interesting?

He nodded.  "I never put a lot of stock in that theory, either."

There are theories about me?

"I'm not the best person to ask, but yeah, I guess there are.  That's
why there are aliens and espers around here, Haruhi.  You're interested
in them, and they're interested in you."

+++

When the bus stopped at Kitaguchi Station, we filed off and switched to
the train.  We disembarked at Koyoen, walking under streetlights and the
twinkling stars.  It was getting cooler, and I rubbed my arms for
warmth.

"Sorry," said Kyon.  "We won't be going too far."

I figured not; we were starting out on a familiar path.  This route from
Koyoen along the train tracks--I know it well.  So Kyon, we're going to
Yuki's?

"That's right."

Because that's where Asakura used to live?

"That's... true.  We're going to meet the friendly alien, the one who
saved me from her."

A real-life alien, huh?  And they're not psycho?

"She's one of the kindest people I know."

It's a girl.

"Ah, yeah, she is."

A human-looking girl?

"That's kind of the idea.  She's an interface.  She's meant to
communicate with people because the entity she represents can't."

Uh-huh.  And how well do you know this interface?

"I trust her with my life."

I see.  So she's fully-functional?

"Huh?"

I've never heard you gush so openly about a girl, Kyon.  Even that
friend of yours from middle-school--you were particularly cagey about
her!

"I was not!"

Yet here you are, saying how much you trust this alien, how kind she is.
For a guy like you, that could be enough.

"Enough for what?"

I'm just saying--some people find the mere idea of an alien to be a
major turn-on.

"Are these real people we're talking about?"

I would.

"Like I said, are these _real_ people we're people we're talking about?"

You're dodging again.  That means she _is_ attractive.

He made a face.  "Saying she's attractive _that way_ would be like
defiling a porcelain doll."

There's probably someone turned on by that, too, you know.  It's a rule.
What is it, thirty-two?  Thirty-three?  No, it's--

"Don't start!"

You know, Kyon, with that attitude, I can see why this alien hasn't
shown you all her features yet.

"She's a friend, Haruhi.  That's all.  Understand?"

All right, all right.  I mean, I guess we're on even footing, seeing as
I have some powers of my own, and really, it's not like I'd hold a
grudge against an alien.  As long as she's not crazy like Asakura and
likely to go on some sort of mis-programmed rampage, it can only be
awesome, right?

Kyon made a face again.  "Something like that."

Bracing ourselves against the cool wind, Kyon and I made our way inside
Yuki's apartment complex.  Kyon rang the bell in the lobby, and Yuki was
quick to buzz us in.  Hey, how did Yuki beat us over here, anyway?  And
Kyon, is it really okay to get Yuki involved in this?  Where's this
alien supposed to be?

"She's inside Nagato's apartment right now."

Of course.  It only made sense.  Someone interested in me would take an
interest in the brigade, too.  The great alien entity probably had its
interface planted in Yuki's class.  She must've befriended Yuki.  Maybe
she lives in this building, like Asakura used to, and Yuki, being quiet
and private and introverted, would naturally keep this mysterious friend
to herself--probably because she was asked to.  Sticking to a shy girl
like Yuki is the perfect cover.  So starved for attention, Yuki would
never suspect.

That's a crafty alien data being for you.  Mm!  I'm so excited!  Maybe
that's strange, coming off what happened the stadium, but I can't help
it.  We're going to meet a real,  live, extraterrestrial intelligence!
I mean, this is the kind of thing I've waited years for!  How should I
approach it?  Should I bow and say, 'Take me to your leader'?  Wait,
that's the wrong way around.  Hell, she might not even understand very
much, anyway.  Human language could be difficult to pick up for them.  I
mean, Asakura was around for a while.  I guess she found a way to blend
in, but that doesn't mean they all can.  I bet this alien is enamored
with Kyon somehow.  It'd figure if all she can talk about is how
beautiful his eyes are or something.

They are actually kind of--bah!  Focus on the aliens!  There's plenty of
time before the heat death of the universe for other stuff.

"Haruhi?"

Yeah, Kyon?  When did you get stuck holding the elevator open?

"Better question:  how long are you going to make me hold it?"

Aren't you getting clever nowadays.  With your connections to aliens and
espers and stuff, are you looking for a promotion?

He pulled his hand from the threshold, and the elevator doors started to
close.  Hey!  Not funny!  I ducked inside.  Honestly, you're making it
seem like you don't want me to meet the alien.

"Haruhi, this is about protecting ourselves from Asakura--that's all.
She's unpredictable and dangerous.  You saw that."

Kyon, you're pretty worried, aren't you?

He took a breath, staring at the elevator doors.  "I wouldn't have
dragged you out here, revealed all of this, if I weren't."

Ding.  Seventh floor.  This is it.  Maybe it wasn't for fun, but
still--to think I'd already met an alien and an esper in the span of a
couple days left a tingle on the back of my neck.  Go ahead, Kyon.
Knock on the door.  Let the alien answer.  Show me your face,
extraterrestrial creature!

"..."

Yuki, your timing needs work.

"You may enter," she said quietly.

We slipped off our shoes at the threshold and walked inside.  Yuki's
apartment--so clean, so spartan.  The hardwood floors were spotless, and
even walking on them with slippers, you felt like you might scuff them.
She'd opened the curtains halfway, letting the nighttime cityscape
inside.  Three cushions she'd set by the table--one for me, one for her,
one for Kyon--but shouldn't there be a fourth?

"Fourth?" asked Yuki.

Yeah.  Don't you have a friend here somewhere?  The--ah, Kyon, you
didn't tell her, did you?  Is that person hiding in the bedroom or
something?  This is really skeevy, Kyon.  What are we going to do about
Yuki?

"Nagato's not going anywhere."

Not going anywhere?  What are you, stupid?  Come here, you.  Yes,
closer.  You don't want Yuki to hear, do you?  What are you trying to do
with this?  You're going to frighten Yuki off this alien friend of hers.

"You want to meet the alien?"

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!  But Yuki--

He gestured beyond the table.  "You're looking at her."

Where?  Is she hiding behind the curtain?

"Haruhi--"

She's not in the bedroom, is she?  That would be cheating.

"She's right there!"

Right there?  Oh, you mean Yuki.

"You see now?"

Yeah, yeah of course.  Yuki's an alien.  It all makes sense now.  I
mean, just giving us the Literature Club room, being an utterly quiet
doormat but tagging along all the way through, so long as we let her
read--I mean, how did I not see it before?  Yuki's probably been
watching all along, taking notes silently, avoiding all suspicion.  It's
the perfect disguise.

Kyon relaxed.  "You're taking this pretty well."

Uh-huh.  Really now, do you think I'm stupid?

"Come again?"

You _must_ think I'm stupid if you want me to believe any of that!
Honestly, playing a joke like this, involving Yuki for no good reason.

I went over, holding Yuki by the shoulders.  No doubt by now she was
totally confused and too shy to say anything about it.  It's just
unconscionable to get someone like Yuki mixed up in all this.  Yuki,
hey, look at me.  Listen, okay?  Kyon's just having a little fun.  Maybe
in a few minutes he'll get serious, but for right now, you can tell him
the game's up.  Tell him and tell me you're not an alien or anything
ridiculous like that.  You're just Yuki.  Isn't that right?

"To facilitate communication with humanity and observation of the
phenomenon that calls itself _Suzumiya Haruhi_, the Integrated Data
Sentient Entity constructed this interface.  This process was initiated
four years ago.  I have spent three years in standby mode, approximately
five-hundred and ninety-four years in divergent timespace, and one year
in observation of Suzumiya Haruhi."

She said this without blinking an eye and in her flat, unaffected tone,
like she were reading off a catalogue of smoked cheeses.  Yuki... what
are you?

There was a pause.  "To facilitate communication--"

No, no, I heard that; don't say that again.  Yuki, say it plainly.  What
are you?

"An alien."

And your purpose here?

"To observe Suzumiya Haruhi."

And you're an alien like Asakura, right?  So you must have some powers?

"Yes."

I put Mikuru-chan's cap in her hands.  Okay, Yuki.  You want to pretend
you're an alien?  That you can manipulate data or whatever like Kyon was
telling me?  Prove it.  This joke of Kyon's doesn't mean anything unless
you can prove it.

She held out her hands, palms up.  The hat floated gently, shimmering.
It stretched, lengthening in one direction and narrowing in another.