[FFML] [Haruhi] Sympathy -- Chapter Six

[Brian Randall]

#     Sympathy

##     A 'Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi' fanfiction

###     Chapter Six -- Cool Blue Reason

     Disclaimer: The novel series of Suzumiya Haruhi that began with '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.

     ---------------------------------

     For all of my planning, I hit the immediate and frustrating wall of
having no real options yet.  I can make nice with Kyon, and keep Mikuru
from playing things up _too_ much, but that's really just biding time.  Not
that I can think of anything else -- what I really need is more information.

     Something to act on, anyway.  Well ... as lucky as it was to find the
things I have so far, it's not like I can expect it to just be _handed_ to
me, is it?

     When I trudge into the entry room at school, I find a note in my shoe
locker:

     {stationary}

     After school has let out, meet me in the 1-5 classroom!

     {/stationary}

     ...huh.  It looks like a girl's handwriting.  More than that, I
couldn't say -- there's no signature, or tell-tale stickers.  I put it in
my pocket and head to class, thinking.  Who could it be from, then?  And
what's it about?

     I suppose it might be from Mikuru.  Not cutesy enough for her act, but
maybe this is how she really is?  I'm not sure what she'd want, but I'll
need to be careful to keep it from turning against me.  I guess she didn't
like me apologizing and backing off, huh?  Well, not like I want to work to
make her 'job' easier!

     I must look pretty distracted by thinking about things.  When I get
into our classroom and sit down, Kyon wonders, "Still not sleeping well?"

     "It's mild May sickness," I reply, sighing.  "This is all getting so
boring."

     He seems about to reply, but pauses, looking out the window with a
frown, obviously thinking about things himself.  It takes me a moment, but
I think I can guess what's going through his head.  I'm bored, and the club
is starting to get boring -- but he doesn't know how to tell me to change
that without me giving Mikuru a hard time.

     I think I'm seriously starting to dislike that time traveler!

     "So today, your assignment is to make a website for the Brigade," I
decide.  "I mentioned that I wanted one, right?  That's why we have the
computer, even!"

     "I don't know the first thing about that," he protests.  "Make a
website?  Where do I even _start_?"

     I roll my eyes.  "With those grades and your natural aptitude, I
expect it'll take you almost ten minutes," I reply.  "Seriously--  If
you're _really_ worried about it, ask the computer club guys for some help."

     He grumbles a bit, but nods.  "Alright," he allows.  "I'll take my
lunch to the clubroom and get started on it early."

     "Good!"  I'm happier to hear that, and even though he's trying to look
annoyed, I'm pretty sure he's actually not that upset himself.

     ***

     I check in on the clubroom at lunch, just to see if Kyon's doing what
I've told him to do.  I bring my cafeteria lunch; by the time I'm through
the lines and at the clubroom, he's already halfway through the bento he
has sitting to one side of the mouse-pad.

     He looks up and nods at me wordlessly, focused on his work.  I set my
lunch of a large wrapped pork bun at the table and move to look over his
shoulder.  From what I can see, he's going between some piece of editing
software, and a basic website tutorial.  At the very least, what he's got
isn't complete enough for me to really judge -- and it's the code, not the
page itself.

     Still, he's working on it, so I nod in approval, but before I can
speak, I realize that Yuki -- silent as ever -- is at the table opposite
from the seat I'd chosen, her own empty bento to one side, book in hand.
 Today's title is in English, so it takes me a minute to puzzle out, but
'Anathem' isn't a word I recognize.

     "Any good?" I prompt.

     She looks up from her book and blinks a few times before saying, very
softly, "Unique."

     Kyon taps at the keys, providing some background noise.  After
unwrapping my bun and having a few bites, I wonder....  What exactly does
an alien get out of reading, anyway?  Is she learning about our culture?

     As I understand it, most of what we have in books would be information
she and that whole 'Integrated Data Sentience Entity' probably already
have.  After thinking about it, I realize I'm staring at her -- though,
she's gone back to reading.

     "What do you like about it?" I ask.

     "The concept of altering reality with information," she answers
without looking up.

     Hmm, I guess that would fit, wouldn't it?  After I finish eating,
though, I get up and crumble up the wrapper the bun came in, tossing it
into the corner.  I overshoot the waste bin, but it bounces off the wall
and goes in--  Good enough!

     Kyon looks up from the monitor dubiously, and I tell him, "Keep up the
good work!"  After that, it's a bit too dull to just hang out, so I start
scouring the school again.  Mostly, I'm distracted by that note, though....

     ***

     After we finish classes we go to the clubroom.  Today, when Koizumi
and Kyon step outside to let Mikuru change, I follow them.  I don't ...
really think the manipulative time traveler would start making sounds that
gave Kyon the wrong idea, but I don't see any real reason to give her the
chance!

     When both of the boys look at me in surprise, I turn to Kyon and start
pestering him for website details.  "You're done with your assignment
right?" I prompt.

     "Y...yeah, mostly," he says, shaking his head.  "We don't really have
much content, though."

     "Well ... I wanted pictures, but pictures of just me probably won't do
it, so we'll have to wait until we find some amazing things!"  Kyon looks
reassured by this, even as Koizumi-kun looks slightly wary.  Well, why not
press that point a little?  "Yeah!  We need to take pictures of aliens,
time travelers, and espers when we find them!"

     "That's a nice thought," Koizumi-kun says, before Kyon can speak.
 "Kyon-kun, what do you think about that?  Finding those supernatural
beings in the real world?"

     "Hmm....  I'd really like to think they're out there to meet," Kyon
says in reply, looking down the hall.  It takes me a moment to realize;
it's my eyes he's avoiding meeting, not Koizumi-kun's.

     Before I can try and really think what that means, Mikuru opens the
door to the clubroom, dressed in her maid uniform as always.  Kyon's eyes
go to her, and that pretty much dispels the forming mood for _me_.

     Now that I know to look for it, I see a small hint of irritation in
Koizumi-kun's face, too.  At least I'm not the only one who isn't taken in
by her!

     After that, we troop in and I sit Kyon down at the computer, so he can
show me the website.  Mikuru serves tea while he boots the system up and
opens the site.  "This is local," he explains, showing me the front page.
 Kind of modest ... it really just has the name of our club on the front.
 At the bottom, he's put a hit counter, and that's ... kind of it.

     "That's the entire site?" I ask.

     "There wasn't much to work with," he says, shaking his head.
 "Anyway--  Across the top I put these links, see?"

     "Yeah, I see them," I say, rolling my eyes--  Actually, I had missed
them before.

     "So, since we didn't have much content, I made a separate page here--"
 He clicks a link titled 'mission statement,' which takes us to a new page.

     I'm a bit surprised; he basically transcribed the fliers that
Mikuru-chan and I passed out.  Now it reads a bit better -- since he
changed it for a website instead of a paper that we would hand out.
 "That's not bad," I admit.

     "And then I put in another page here," he adds, clicking on the
'contact us' link.  This pulls up a form that applicants or clients could
fill out to report stuff.  "When this is filled out, it automatically
e-mails us," he continues.  "The Computer Research Society had to help me
get that set up -- but I got us an e-mail address, too."

     "Well!  I was clearly right to assign this job to you!" I decide.
 Really -- that's not bad at all!

     He looks satisfied with that, and adds, "And if we get more content
later, the entire thing uses...."  And then he goes off into some technical
tangent I can't quite follow involving 'css,' whatever that is.

     "Perfect--  Now we just need some activities and pictures we can put
up there!"

     He nods, rising from the chair and relinquishing the computer to me.

     After that, well ... it's just boring waiting to see who sent that
note.  Being stuck in a holding pattern like this ... really sucks!

     I hope things change soon.

     ***

     Once it's time for clubs to let out, I release everyone and leave,
heading toward our classroom at a swift clip.  Not quite running, but I
have to admit -- I'm really curious to see what the hell this is all about!

     It doesn't occur to me that it might be some kind of prank until I
step through the doorway -- and find myself face-to-face with Asakura
Ryouko.

     Ugh!  That annoying, haughty girl....

     "So, you sent me a note?" I ask, sounding as unimpressed as I feel.

     "I did!" she admits, giving me a big smile, pressing her fingertips
together before her.  The lighting in the room from the setting sun casts
half of her face in a blood-red glow.  "You're right on time!"

     "Yeah--  What's this all about, anyway?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

     "Well, I'd hoped to talk to you!  Really--  I actually had a
question...."

     "Then spit it out already," I grumble.

     "Alright," she says, beaming at me again, her hands going behind her
back.  "Do you feel it's better do something and regret it than not do it
at all?"

     That's a stupid question!  "If you regret it, it seems pretty clear to
me that you wish you hadn't done it."

     She blinks at that.  "Hmm, well--  If you were stuck in a situation
where doing nothing would make things worse, and you didn't know how to
affect a positive change, what would you do?"

     "Change _something_," I say, frowning.  "That's got to be better than
watching a sinking ship."  Wait--  Hold up!  "Is this about Kyon?  And
you--  What, you...."  She _had_ come after me for 'leading Kyon on,'
didn't she?  "So, you're going to ask him out?"

     "If that were an option, I might!" she says in a way-too-friendly
voice.

     "W...what the hell does _that_ mean?"  This girl is pissing me off!

     "Well--  You agree that you would make a change to try and improve
things, even if you had to face the consequences later, right?"

     That's actually already happened to me a couple of times getting this
far -- all of them involving a certain time traveler that I think I dislike
_just_ about as much as the class-representative I'm sharing a room with!
 "I already _told_ you -- if you ask Kyon out, that's got _nothing_ to do
with me," I snap.

     Though, if what Koizumi says is true, he won't really care, will he?
 Hah!

     Completely unperturbed, shifting from foot-to-foot slightly, she
continues, "In that vein, my superiors are not capable of lateral thinking.
 They're really out of touch with how quickly things can change in this
reality.  Therefore, I'm compelled to do something in order to try and make
a change -- any change at all, don't you agree?"

     "...this isn't about dating Kyon at all," I realize aloud, narrowing
my eyes.  "So!  Which 'faction' are you with?"

     "You could consider Nagato-san and I colleagues," she replies, her
grin, if anything, widening.  "Though, our own sponsors don't agree on
ideal approaches."

     Okay.  Hang on a moment--  So, she's interested in Kyon, but....
 "This sounds interesting!" I say, feeling a smile of my own forming.  Hey
-- maybe I can get an ally out of this!  "I didn't get what you were saying
at first, but we're pretty close to being on the same page, here!  So --
what's your plan?  You want to show things to Kyon, right?"

     "That's right!" she agrees.  "I want to see a reaction!  Kyon-kun is
heading toward becoming very stable--  So, I want to change the environment
to see how he responds!"

     "Okay, change the environment how?"

     "Well, if you're willing to work with me -- kick him out of your club
and never speak to him again."

     ...and then, from the potential and promise of something amazing,
Asakura just circles straight back around to being stupid.  "Uh, no," I
reply.  "Be serious -- he sits _right behind_ me!"  I'm not willing to go
through with her idiotic plan, but even if I was: "How do you expect me to
pull _that_ off?"

     "Oh?  So you're not willing to do that?"  She pouts in a way that most
guys would probably think is cute.

     "That's really dumb," I advise her.  "Instead, how about showing him
some piece of amazing technology?  That'll get a reaction, right?"

     "I don't think it's the one I'm looking for....  But I'm tired of
observing the same things, day after day.  I mean something unexpected that
truly shocks him!"

     "Proving you're an alien should do that!"

     "He's watched too closely; there's no chance I could pull that off,"
Asakura says, almost apologetically.  "Well, that's fine; I have a backup
plan!"

     "Alright, let's hear it," I say, putting my hands on my hips, not
expecting much at this point.

     "I'm going to kill you to see what sort of reaction Kyon-kun gives!"
she chirps, beaming me the brightest smile she's offered yet.

     "...what?" I manage, my hands dropping to my sides.  "You're going all
'Nevada-tan' on me, now?  Come on, that's not--"

     I stop talking when she interrupts me, pulling out a _knife_ and
declaring in that way-too-syrupy voice: "Suzumiya Haruhi, please die~!"

     Holy shit, Kyon!  I thought the _Brigade_ members were crazy about
you, but this!?  Mikuru's got _nothing_ on Asakura!

     When she starts rushing me from the center of the classroom, I don't
waste any time--  I don't think of myself as a coward, but I don't see any
great reasons to stick around in a room with a knife-wielding psycho!

     Except, when I get to the classroom door -- it's _missing_.  There's
just a smooth continuation of the wall!

     Instead of wasting time thinking about it, I grab the nearest chair
and throw it at her as hard as I can.  It bounces off some forcefield, but
I'm working on running around her -- even the window has got to be a better
chance than facing her!

     She laughs, like this is all very amusing to her, and as I throw
another chair toward the window by Kyon's normal seat, something I can't
_see_ wraps around me, freezing me perfectly in place.  The chair slows
before reaching the glass, and Asakura explains, "I have complete
jurisdiction over this data-space; your efforts are futile!"

     So ... there I am frozen in place, unable to even scream.  Whatever
Asakura did, I can't even _blink_.  This isn't even a fight!  A fight I
might win, but all I can do is stare in silence as she launches herself
toward me.

     They say your life flashes before your eyes just before you're about
to die.  For me, it seems that even though she's streaking toward me like
an anime character -- there's a puff of dust behind her, and everything --
time just slows down.

     In an instant, she's covered half of the distance to me.  An instant
after that, half the remaining distance.  Weirdly enough, all I can think
of is Zeno's Dichotomy Paradox.  If she only closes half of the distance to
me every instant....

     Of course, when she's about a meter away, the strange stuttering stops
-- she drifts forward more slowly, but also more fluidly.  Her hair is
wavering behind her, and the light gleaming off the blade of the knife
doesn't change.

     I suppose ... I should be glad my body's frozen, so at least I can't
wet myself with terror.  I can be murdered with some dignity....  Kyon --
you'd _better_ figure out the supernatural from this!  You got me killed,
after all!

     But even as I think that, while watching Asakura's hyper-fast
slow-motion charge, moving at more comprehensible speeds, something I did
not at all expect enters my field of view.  First the elbow of a boy's
uniform, and then, resounding joy in my heart, the back of a hand,
streaking toward Asakura's face.

     The spell of me being frozen and Asakura moving in slow-motion is
broken as a thunderous _slap_ resounds, the class representative being
backhanded forcefully enough that she flies away, crashing into and
knocking over Yanagimoto's desk.  The knife clatters from her hand and
skitters away across the floor as I jump back, my body shaking with relief
that I'm not trapped anymore.

     Instead of regarding my rescuer -- probably Koizumi-kun, who I will
have to consider my _real_ ally after this -- I stare at Asakura.  As hard
as she was hit, and even though she's got a hand-shaped mark across her
face, she looks more _surprised_ than _hurt_.

     "Ah," she says, turning from where she's sprawled across the
overturned desk.  "That worked much better than I expected!  This is very
interesting--"

     "Shut up," snaps a voice that is not Koizumi-kun's, causing another
shiver to run down my spine--  If I were older, I'd be having a heart
attack here!  "Go home, Asakura.  Go home, and never come back to this
planet again."

     "Why?" she returns blithely, climbing to her feet and smiling just as
much as before.  "If I stay, I think even more--"

     "Go home or I'll wipe your boss out," Kyon overrides her.

     Before Asakura can even respond to that, one wall of the classroom
abruptly explodes inward, and _Yuki_ leaps in through the breach.  The
bespectacled girl freezes when she lands on the floor, staring at me, then
turning to regard Asakura.  Her expression almost _never_ changes!

     "Well--  If you change your mind, let me know!  I'd still love to play
with you more some day," Asakura says, shrugging.  Then, she spits out
something that I can't puzzle out, and her body puffs into a cloud of
shining particles.  The shining specs all fritter away into nothingness
over a matter of seconds, leaving that creepy smile of hers as the last
thing to fade.

     "_What the hell is going on_?" I shout, turning to stare at Kyon.

     For all that I just had a near-death experience, Kyon still looks
upset.  Way more upset than he was with me!  Koizumi-kun, according to what
he told me, is probably freaking out about things now....

     "I....  I can explain everything," Kyon says, sounding strangely weak,
compared to the force in his voice when he talked to Asakura.  But that
strength comes back to him when he rounds on Yuki and asks, "What took you
so long, Nagato?  Why weren't you here in time for her?"

     The seemingly emotionless girl blinks, then lowers her face, her gaze
oriented at Kyon's feet.  "...insufficient data was gathered on the
secondary observation target to predict this," she says, sounding the
slightest bit hesitant.  Then, her shoulders slumping the tiniest bit -- I
would have missed it if I weren't watching -- she raises her face and looks
at me.  "I am sorry."

     "Explanation!" I demand, my hands shaking.

     "Give me a minute, Haruhi, please," he says, his voice strained.  The
fact that he uses my given name without permission gives me pause.  I mean
... I'll allow it, but he said it so _casually_....  Something doesn't feel
quite right about this.  And that's going beyond Kyon -- entirely
justified, if you ask me! -- bitch-slapping a rogue alien into submission,
and Yuki's own entrance!

     I take a breath and turn to stare at the strange flickering,
static-filled void that Yuki blasted her way in from.

     "Nagato, you managed to save me, though -- why not her?"

     "I do not recall such an incident," Yuki answers.

     "Ah, right ... you're not the same Nagato...."  He trails off at that,
a look of pain on his face.  "Ah ... again...."

     Enough is enough -- I grab his arm and turn him to face me, glaring
into his eyes.  I also keep a grip on his arm -- just in case he tries to
get away or something.  "I.  Want.  _Answers_," I growl out, one word at a
time.

     "Yeah, sorry," he mumbles, shying away from me as much as he can while
I'm holding onto him.  "Oh, I've really screwed this all up...."  He heaves
a sigh and raises his free arm--  The scene around us shifts, and we're
suddenly in the Brigade room.

     Like _that_!  That is pretty cool.  I'd be a lot more impressed and
happy if I wasn't almost _stabbed_, though, so I keep my grip and look
around, but....

     Things aren't ... quite right.  The bookshelf is completely stuffed
with books.  The tea set has had some additions to it -- all kinds of
interesting things are hanging on the walls, too!  The costume rack has
extra costumes in it, ranging from a miko outfit, a waitress uniform, a
witch's cape, and ... a frog costume?

     There's an extra table with a pile of laptops on it, a small
refrigerator....  "Interesting changes," I allow.  "So, are you going to
spill, or what?"

     "The....  The problem here," Kyon says uneasily, "is that you actually
don't remember ... ugh.  Well, I'm sorry about this.  So ... I have to give
you back your memories."  He barks out a short, bitter laugh, shaking his
head sharply.  "I went through it, so I know you'll be fine....  I'm really
sorry about all of this."

     Yuki, who is still with us, quietly takes a seat at the table.  I'm
too excited to sit!  Kyon doesn't sit down either, he just points at the
door.  It suddenly slams open, revealing--

     ...I didn't think things could _get_ any crazier.

     ***

     After everything went dark, I didn't really know what to expect.
 Imagine my confusion when after all of that production -- I found myself
standing in the hall outside the clubroom door.  "Oh, for the love of--"  I
cut off, hearing a _creepily_ familiar voice snap some shrill orders, and
then Kyon's mumbled reply.  He's _sorry_, is he?  Well!

     I kick the door open, ready to give Kyon a piece of my mind and demand
an explanation.  I only manage to take two steps inside before freezing.

     At this point, demanding an explanation would pretty much just be
echoing _that_ person.  _That_ person being what looks like ... well ... a
copy of _me_!

     The other Haruhi's mouth drops open, her eyes wide as saucers.  "Ah!
 I get it!" she exclaims, giving an excited grin.  "You're me from the
future!"

     ...I have no answer for that right now, so I turn to Kyon.  "What the
_hell_ is going on here?  The way Yuki suddenly vanished and then
reappeared, the way everyone else is missing--  I'm _positive_ there's
something paranormal going on here!  So, what, is she some version of me
from an alternate dimension?"

     "Kind of a little of both," Kyon says uncomfortably, adressing the
pair of us.

     "That's all you got for paranormal experiences?" the other me says,
sounding annoyed and unimpressed -- and also _still_ hanging onto Kyon's
arm.  I'm not sure how to feel about that.  "Bah--  I just had Asakura
Ryouko come at me with a _knife_!"

     That sounds scary, but it's hard to imagine that girl -- I can really
only barely remember her -- being violent.  Still, there's one problem with
her story.  "A knife is hardly paranormal," I scoff.  "Now -- what are you
doing with my subordinate?"

     "_Your_ subordinate!?" the other me replies, indignant.

     Kyon interrupts, "Um, you two are the same person -- both of you are
Haruhi.  Just ... touch hands, and everything will go back together."

     "Oh, yeah?" that other me says, scowling.

     "Really, I'd rather have a goddamn _explanation_!" I snap, annoyed to
be siding with her when she's still clinging to Kyon like that.

     "As soon as you do that, you'll get it," Kyon says.  Really ... I was
too distracted by the other things to notice it, but....  I've seen Kyon
really stressed, but not often.  I've seen him really angry very few
times....  Right now, I think I'm seeing a new look from him -- one I'm not
used to.

     I think ... he looks depressed.

     "Alright," I agree, fixing my double with a wary look.  "If she can
pry herself off you..." I prompt, extending one hand.

     Her eyes shoot wide and she releases Kyon like he was suddenly
electrified.  "Eh--  Well, for answers," she agrees, taking my hand without
hesitation.

     The second our hands touch, I'm completely overwhelmed with a surge of
memories -- and everything goes dark.

     _Again_.

     Damn it, Kyon....

     ---------------------------------

-- 
Brian Randall
--
Yrne awaits those with the courage to seek it.
--
I write fanfiction. Too much of it. You can read it here, on my terrible
webpage:
http://pishoque.net/brian/
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