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The Unwilling Slider [Azecreth & Wingshadow]

"Huh?!" Haruhi blinked, the shock she endured from Kyon's suggestion nearly causing her to fall out of her chair, "But how would that explain any of the other stuff? Like the cold chill that some of the people described, or the-"

"Perhaps we should go back to the basics and reassess the situation," Koizumi spoke up, cutting off Haruhi and saving Kyon from what most likely would have been a rather lengthy verbal lashing, "Perhaps not all of these incidents have the same root cause. That would explain why they are so different from each other." He held up his hands, "One person might have been contacted by aliens, or perhaps they were simply having a reaction to the fumes from improperly burning gas. Simply because two individuals claim to have seen something similar does not mean they experianced the same phenomina."

"Hmph..." Haruhi settled back in her seat, but her expression displayed her dismay all the same, "I suppose that is also a possibility... It would explain a few of the less extreme examples, but it still doesn't explain very much. If its aliens trying to communicate to us, what are they trying to say to us? Why can't anyone understand what they are saying? If they are goign through the trouble of talking to us in such a roundabout way, then they must be advanced enough to translate their message into our language, too. If its just the people's subconsciousness, then why do we have so many similar incidents all in the same general area? If its just a reaction to leaking gases, then why haven't the utility companies done anything about it yet? Are they just trying to cover it up or something?"

Haruhi blinked, "Well, actually that last one sounded somewhat interesting... A conspiracy to artificially raise utility bills while appeasing the masses by covering it up as a mere urban legend." Haruhi smiled, "Well, anyway... I think we all have a lot to look into now so I'll assign you some individual tasks to keep things moving forward." She pointed at Koizumi, "You look into the local utility companies and see what you can dig up." Turning to Mikuru, she declared, "You'll ask around and see if anyone has been able to understand the message. If there is any meaning at all to it, then surely someone has learned to desipher it by now." Haruhi then looked at Kyon, "I'll tell you about your special mission later."

Standing up from the table she placed her hands on it and declared, "Dismissed!" With that, she picked up her book bag and slung it over her shoulder, heading out the door without another word.

After a short pause Koizumi smiled, "Well, that certainly could have gone better, but at least we managed to throw Haruhi off the trail for the time being."
 
Kyon was unsurprised by Haruhi's reaction to his suggestion, since she was the type to always go for the strange or mysterious answer. A logical one was not what she was looking for, even if he had to admit that it didn't cover everything anyway. He was more intrigued by Koizumi stepping in to back him up and calm her down, even if he had the feeling that he might be getting insulted at the same time. Well, if it wasn't obvious then he didn't have to react to it.

"I guess that could be possible," he agreed with a slight nod of his head, looking between the others as they talked over the possibilities. Given that he didn't talk all that much in meetings anyway when Haruhi wasn't going crazy as usual, it was fairly easy for him to do. And no one asked for his opinion, so he could keep quiet.

At last they seemed to reach some resolution, Haruhi sending off all the group members to investigate different things, yet holding him over for a special mission. That earned a silent groan, since he could only imagine what it was that she wanted to do. Unless this had changed with their relationship, he had the feeling that it would involve a lot of suffering on his part. He was just surprised that she left the room, indicating that he might need to stick around for when she came back. If he guessed anyway.

A sigh escaped as the door slammed shut, Kyon leaning back in his seat. 'Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "She's like this in my universe too, only less likely to pay attention to the opinions of others." Not that it was helped by Koizumi basically being her yes-man for everything. "Now we just have to worry about whatever crazy things her mind thinks up for us next."
 
"You say that as if you don't actually enjoy it," Koizumi smiled, "And we all know that's simply not the case... Even if you are a Kyon from a different universe." True or not, that self-satisfied smirk on his face certainly made his comment even more irritating. "Even so, I think we should exercise extra caution from here on out. We would not want Haruhi to begin changing the rules of the game on us if she starts becoming too excited about this fox fire business." He stood up from the table rather abruptly, "I'd like to stay and discuss the matter further, but unfortunately I've been called in on rather short notice so if you'll excuse me..." He packed his things and slipped out without further ado, having recieved his marching orders as it were. Stuck between the three demanding masters of his Organization, Haruhi, and school, it was a wonder he had time for anything else.

Mikuru looked toward Kyon for a moment before she picked up her bag and made for the door as well, "I'll see you tomorrow, Kyon. I have to run some errands as well." More likely than not, the soft spoken upperclassman had some research to catch up on concerning Haruhi's new tasks and did not want to burden Kyon with the details. For whatever the reason, however, they had both made a quick exit from the scene, leaving him a few choices...
 
"I don't," Kyon objected, even if it was only as a matter of course rather than a statement with actual substance behind it. Of course there were times when he actually didn't, like when Mikuru had been given lasers from her eyes and such when they were making that movie, but when there was less threat to life and limb then he was more willing to accept it. Though he doubted that he would be convincing them of that point any time soon now. They didn't seem to believe him.

Sadly it seemed like the meeting had to come to an end, even if he noted how quickly the duo made their exit from the classroom. "Oh, alright," he replied as he watched Koizumi and then Mikuru exit the room. "See you later." Well then, that wasn't particularly ominous based on what he had been told earlier. Actually, if he didn't know better he would say that it was related, if only because of how affectionate Haruhi tended to be here.

So for now he decided to wait a bit, if only to make sure that Haruhi wasn't about to come back and give him that special mission, or drag him into a make out session either. She'd probably be annoyed if she returned just for him to not be there. If she didn't return though, he would gather up his stuff and make his way cautiously to the supply shed to see what it was that Asakura had wanted him to see, while being careful so as to avoid any potential dangers. He most definitely did not want to end this day by getting stabbed. Again.
 
The seconds and minutes ticked by, without any sign of Haruhi returning. Whatever the special assignment was, apparently she did not wish to discuss the matter at present. This only left the supply shed to be investigated. Granted, many of the students had already left the premises, with the remaining few still participating in club activies until later on in the afternoon. Even the teachers had either retreated to the office or had already begun preparations to head home themselves. The hallways for the most part were entirely empty, making it rather easy for him to proceed on his way without running into anyone unexpected. Asakura's absence was particularly unusual, however, since she was very much the type to stand in the halls talking with her friends after school before heading out.

In any case, Kyon reached the supply shed uninhibited, the same metal doors half-lit by the afternoon sun before him, and the narrow pathway around the back. There certainly did not feel like there was anything particularly off about it. in fact, the supply shed was frequented so often during the day it seemed unlikely that anyone would even consider hiding anything around it. Even so, when he came around behind it, we would find a small wooden object resembling a small shrine of some kind. It sat on a round stone base, a tiny offering plate stood just in front of it, with what appeared to be bits of folded paper placed on the dish. Had someone from the arts club set it there as some kind of prank?
 
Kyon waited for a good ten minutes or so to see if Haruhi would come back, but every minute that ticked pas indicated that she was well and truly gone. Well, if that was the case then he supposed he could move. She'd probably get that special mission to him later, since there were only so many opportunities she could do that if she actually wanted him to do whatever this particular mission was in the first place.

Well, with Haruhi obviously not coming back Kyon rose and departed the club room, headed towards his destination at the supply shed. He passed a few people along the way, most of whom were headed to a club or leaving the school. The absence of Asakura he thought nothing of, since it really just made him feel better overall to know that she wasn't around in the first place. Unusual though it might be, for his peace of mind it was all the better.

Arriving at the supply shed, he wondered just what it was Asakura had wanted him to see.Going off of what Koizumi had said he was a bit nervous, but investigation revealed nothing new inside, and no psychos with a knife for him to worry about. In back was where he found something interesting, a shrine of sorts on a round stone object, an offering plate there as well. "What's this then," he mused to himself, stepping closer to examine the shrine. So what was it that Asakura wanted him to see?
 
When Kyon stepped closer, the interior of the shrine began to shimmer faintly, first with a dull yellow glow, then a pulsing blue light that grew stronger and more frequent with each flash. The light began to extend outward from the shrine, reaching out with arm-like extensions until they lifted the bits of folded paper. The paper began to unfold then refold upon itself, linking together as massive amounts of small bits of paper began to pour out of the shrine. It soon became clear that each of the bits of paper had something written on them, from one-word requests to intricately-detailed wishes. The mass amount of them, however, soon filled the area behind the shed and overflowed, pressing against the brick wall that ran along the back and squeezing out around both sides until Kyon was surrounded by them. They continued to fold and unfold ominously, then all at once the world around him fragmented into similarly tiny fragments of paper.

He stood on a simple plane, a vortex of paper bits swirlign around, with himself at the very center and a radius of about twenty feet or so from the innermost edge. Before him stood a single figure, Asakura. She looked up at him calmly, "I was hoping you would join me today. You've been acting a bit cold toward me lately, and I was starting to wonder why. I suppose that makes some sense, though, because you aren't really from this world, are you?" She shrugged, "Well, no matter... It doesn't really matter if you are the Kyon from this world or from some different one, because a certain someone does not seem to be able to tell the difference between the two. In fact, I wonder if there is even any meaning in attempting to distinguish you from any other Kyon."

"Kyon is Kyon, and that is all there is to it," Asakura smiled, reaching out and snatching up one of the papers, "Humans have always confused me. They look at the world and no matter what they are never satisfied with it. What more can I do, they wonder, what more than I experiance? They are always looking for answers yet are never satisfied with what they find. Humans and data entities are not that much different in that respect, I suppose. And these wishes are the very embodiment of that dissatisfaction, an outlett of their frustration with the world for not giving them what they desire." She calmly unfolded the paper and showed him what was written on it... A single word: "Kyon". She tilted her head to the side slightly, "You know whose wish this is, right?"

Asakura released the bit of paper and it swirled into the vortex surrounding them, just as she turned and walked toward it herself. Her body began to fade, "Take care, Kyon... If you aren't careful, those wishes will devour you whole." Just as she vanished entirely, the papers began to gather together into one place, folding into a massive shape that could only be destribed as monstrous. It had three dragon-like heads and six legs, and two long tails each tipped with sharpened blades.
 
Stepping closer to the shrine, the danger that Kyon had been prepared for took on a form that he hadn't seen coming as a light began to emanate from the shrine, and they took the form of strange arms that touched the pieces of paper. Said papers began to unfold and then multiply in an incredible amount, filling the room. "Wha-What?" Kyon took a step back, ready to run for it only to find his escape closed off by that wall of paper. His head practically swiveled around, and that foreboding feeling chastised him for it being right.

Then suddenly the paper fragmented, and he found himself on a plane that stretched out, with one other person there. "Hey, Ryouko, what the hell is this," he protested, even as his inner feelings settled into certainty. Dang it, he knew that it had been too good to be true. Now she was trying to kill him again! And naturally, he bet that Haruhi was responsible. Again.

Then she explained, a grunt escaping as he took a step back to confirm what she had thought, the fact that he was not the Kyon she knew but a different one, even as she claimed that it didn't matter. Naturally he found himself in confusion, wondering what it was that she wanted, and what she was trying to do to further her agenda this time. With how things had been going one would assume Haruhi was providing all the stimulus they needed. Was it not the case?

All arguments and wonderings were shut up though, his eyes widening in shock at the same time as he saw his name written down. "Asakura...." Suddenly aware of the fact that she was departing he stepped forward, a hand outstretched to try and stop her. "Wait, hold on a minute-" But she was gone, and he found himself confronted by a giant beast formed from all that paper, with three heads, six legs, and not exactly looking like the friendliest person.

"Why me," he muttered under his breath, keeping still and trying to stop it from attacking by not appearing to be a threat, if only to try and buy some time. Of course, once it did he would take off, stumbling and putting all his exertion as he circled the beast and dodged, avoiding the vortex as well as the giant monster. "Nagato!" Here was hoping she knew what had happened and would intervene before something bad happened. He really didn't want to die again.
 
The massive beast turned its heads toward him, a deep, resounding growl reverberating through the air which was almost deafening to his ears. Its eyes, folded paper sockets filled with a single brilliantly-gleaming orbs, stared directly at him with insidious intent. It took one step forward, turning its body slightly as one of its tails sliced across where Kyon had stood just moments before, his stumbling motion diverting his position just far enough for its sharpened tip to miss grazing him. Its heads continued to follow him, studying his movement as he fought to avoid being split in two. One of the head's mouths slowly opened, a brilliant blue light shimmering deep within the monster. It traveled along its body and up its neck, the light peeking out through the edges of the folded paper creases, finally concentrating it the beast's slightly opened mouth. The light shimmered there for a moment before the head jerked backward abruptly, a beam of pure energy surging forth from its maw. The beam screeched, traversing the distance between its point of origin and Kyon in mere moments-

But the blow never landed. Just before him stood that familiar being that he could remember saving him so many times before, yet in this universe may well have been the very first time. Nagato held her hand out in front of her, a forcefield deflecting the beam as it splintered into countless tiny flecks of light. Her eyes remained focused before her, but she whispered to Kyon, "Stay behind me... Don't move."

Her lips became a blur, incomprehensible words flowing from her as the monster's growl sharpened to an angered roar. Ss soon as the energy beam faded, it turned and swung its tail toward her, and Nagato dashed to the left, intercepting the attack with her body as she was tossed aside into the raging vortex of paper. The monster then lunged forward with one of its heads, jaws open, but once again nagato dashed in, reaching up and taking hold of its lower jaw, holding him back mere feet from Kyon's body. How exactly her small body could endure such a massive amount of force pushing against her remained a mystery. had she augmented her physical abilites before confronting it?

The paper dragon stepped forward, putting more of its weight to bear against Nagato as she held him back with one hand. She glanced back at Kyon, those calm, expressionless eyes of hers meeting his for but a moment before she pushed her arm upward, a massive explosion erupting from her hand the very next instant. The entire dragon head fragmented into bits of paper, the remaining pieces quickly becoming incinerated. The other two heads, meanwhile, had been chargign their own energy beams, which they then unleashed upon the alien. She jumped back then kicked Kyon firmly in the chest, knocking him backward as the two beams crossed over her body. In a brilliant flash of light that enveloped her entirely, the attack struck her, sending her rolling across the ground. As soon as she stopped tumbling, she stood back up, holding her arm by her side as she looked up at the beast before her.

"Don't worry... its over," Nagato said to Kyon, just as the dragon's entire body burst into flames, vanishing into a cloud of thin, grey dust.. The vortex of paper gradually subsided, the remaining bits of paper scattering across the ground and lying motionless and lifeless. Nagato then fell down onto her knees, then over onto her side, exhausted from her fight. The world around them faded back into the one Kyon was much more familiar with, leaving the two of them behind the shed together, with the now-empty miniture shrine behind them.
 
"Whoa!" A yelp escaped as Kyon barely dodged the razor sharp tail, doing his best to survive in the hope that Nagato would realize what was going on and come to save him before he was the next meal for this thing. Whatever Asakura was doing could be worried about after that. Yet he knew there was no way to dodge, and watched with wide eyes as the beam of energy came in, with Kyon resigned to being wiped off this earth even as he raged at the injustice of it.

Then suddenly a figure was before him, the beam deflected and scattered by a forcefield in the way, and now his eyes were wide for a whole separate reason. "Nagato....." It seemed his hope had been rewarded, just like the first time that Asakura had tried to kill him. But he certainly was not going to disagree with her as Nagato got to work, displaying that skill he had seen so many times to counter the dragon.

Kyon stayed in place as he followed the fight, watching with worry as his friend went to work in saving his life. "Nagato!" The more poignant cry escaped as she was tossed into the vortex, only to be silenced as the alien suddenly returned, intercepting the dragon again. It seemed she had buffed her physical capabilities in preparation for whatever might happen, which was good with the situation that they were now in.

He held in place and watched, at least until he found himself kicked and sent tumbling, a grunt accompanying it as he felt the heat from the beam pass right by him. "Whoa!" His concern at seeing Nagato sent tumbling again was negated by how the alien immediately stood up afterwards, and he had more to watch as the dragon burst into flames before dissolving, heralding the end of the vortex that had held them in place and returning them to the world and the now empty shrine.

Yet his concern rose again as Nagato fell onto her side, and he scrabbled to his feet before running over to where she laid. "Nagato, are you alright?" He carefully took hold of her, looking the alien over and waiting for a reaction as he supported her. After she had saved his life, he felt bad for the damage that she had suffered because of him. But for now he could nly hope.
 
Nagato's body did not seem critically injured, although there were some rather sizable bruises on her arms and legs that were doubtless uncomfortable for her to bear. She looked up at him calmly, "My injuries are not severe." Shrugging off his concern she reached up to grasp his shoulder, but in the process left them in a very compromised position as his arms were already supporting her as he held her up, her somewhat intense gaze fixed entirely on him. To make matters worse, she pulled herself up even closer to him, her head resting on his forearm, as she spoke to him, "The entity that we confronted was a rare species which feeds off strong human emotions. It took up residence here for just such a reason. The reason behind its aggression, however, remains unclear."

"Asakura's inaction does not consitute hostile action against your person," Nagato answered his unvoiced question, "I will continue to observe her for now. I cannot determine the reasoning behind her actions, but she may begin taking more aggressive steps toward you..." She blinked once, "For that reason, I wish for you to remain close. That is all." Despite finishing her brief speech she still clung to him in a calm yet demanding manner. Anyone who walked in on this particular scene would most certainly get the wrong idea, and given his somewhat well-known relationship with Haruhi this would doubtless complicate matters. Nagato doubtless understood this as well. Just what did Nagato want from him, exactly?
 
"Ah, good," Kyon replied with a sigh of relief as he felt Nagato's hand on his shoulder. He noted the bruises, and it was a testament to how sturdy the alien was, that even after all that she was nonetheless intact. It made him glad to have a friend like her, since otherwise he knew he would have been toast multiple times in the past. And really, how could he ever repay her for it?

Yet with what Nagato said, he couldn't help but protest. "Not hostile? She's the one who led me to this thing in the first place." Say what you might, but he was finding it a tad difficult to justify how that wasn't hostile on her part. "I'll do my best," Kyon added with a nod as Nagato suggested that he stick close to her. It would be hard to do with the relationship she was supposed to have with Haruhi, but he could manage it to some extent.

While somewhat aware of the awkward position that he was in, Kyon was nonetheless focused on taking care of Nagato first and foremost. "Do you think you can stand up," he offered, ready to rise and help her to her feet at the same time. They couldn't exactly stick around here after all, so the sooner they got on the move the better.
 
Nagato's grip tightened just a bit when he revealed Asakura's involvement, but she did not comment further on it. Perhaps she had been unaware of this fact before, but whatever the case may have been, it certainly would not be the last time the class president would step forward to throw a wrench into Kyon's efforts. She slowly nodded once in reply to his inquiry, but made no immediate effort to move her position. Instead, she did so reluctantly, allowing him to help her up before standing on her own. She took a step back from him then simply began to walk off on her own without further discussion. Something felt a bit off about her, though, even if it could not be completely put into words. Even though her injuries had vanished almost entirely by that point, her stance swayed a bit and she stepped at a faster rate than the usual slow pace she often employed.

She paused for just half a moment to remind him, "Be sure to read it..."

Just as Nagato had put about twenty feet or so between herself and Kyon, a familiar figure stepped out from behind the storage shed. Her deceptively disarming smile and stately flowing hair concealed her true intentions. "Ah... I really don't understand," Asakura shook her head, "What do you find so important about this human, Miss Nagato?" In an instant, Nagato appeared in front of her, taking hold of her hands and pushing her back. Even this did not allarm Asakura in the slightest, as she continued to pour forth her questioning upon her, "You only just met a short while ago. Why did you step in to protect him, Miss Nagato? Do you not understand that our purpose here is to observe, not to directly involve ourselves? By simply speaking your name, you took it as a personal request, but whose request is really being met? Are you here to follow Data Integration Thought Entity's instructions, or simply your own wishes?"

Nagato stared back at her, voicing her own question in turn, "Why did you lead him here, knowing that he would be in danger?"

"I was going to use the opportunity to warn him about the dangers of trying to appease everyone," Asakura shrugged, "Humans are limited beings. They cannot satisfy themselves and others all at the same time. I was going to step in and save him before you butted in, but I suppose I should have anticipated this." She leaned in and glanced at Kyon briefly before smiling, "You envy me, don't you, Nagato?"
 
Slowly Kyon helped Nagato to her feet, allowing for the two of them to depart this place even if it took the alien to o so. Once she was back on her feet he found that she no longer needed his assistance, and he stepped back to allow her to walk on her own. He would provide help when needed, but he wasn't going to insist upon it when she didn't seem to want it. "I will," he replied as she walked away, reminding him of the book and acting with some alacrity even as he r wounds vanished from sight. He wasn't sure why, but that was something to work out later.

Yet Kyon was not ready as Asakura suddenly appeared, and he took a step back as he watched the confrontation with growing alarm. To say he trusted her now would be foolhardy, since he knew better than that at this point. She had just tried to kill him, and he was more than ready to run for it or avoid her next attempt.

Of course, she was all smiles and confusion, seemingly taken aback by Nagato's willingness to interfere in what had been going on. Not that Kyon would have expected anything else from her, with how she had proven to be a manipulative psycho time and time again. And if she thought he would simply let her try and confuse Nagato in that manner, she would have to think again.

"Hey, don't listen to her," he said to Nagato, eyeing Asakura with well deserved suspicion. "She's trying to get to you." Nagato had always had that problem with emotions, which seemingly had never been the case for the other alien. He knew it had to do with their roles and the factions they had belonged to, but he didn't claim to understand it all that well. Right now, he could only do what he knew how to do.
 
Nagato glanced at Kyon then released her from her hold, taking a few careful steps back from the data interface. Asakura simply shrugged, "You would rather be bound and blinded than free and enlightend to the world as it truly is. You might think my meathods are strange, but when you try so hard to be something you are not, I cannot help but wonder how long your superiors will simply look the other way." Asakura then turned to Kyon, "You must be happy. With someone like Nagato around, you cannot help but feel safe. Just a word of advice, though. How long do you think Nagato will be able to deceive herself?" She then turned and walked away, leaving them in peace for the time being.

Nagato looked over at Kyon once Asakura had stepped out of sight, but rather than approach him, she began to walk away once again without another word exchanged.
 
To be honest, Kyon did indeed feel safe with Nagato on his side. Having a nigh reality warping alien to help you with problems would do that, even if he tried to keep from abusing that particular fact. It wouldn't do to become dependent on that sort of thing, especially with how he had seen it turn out in his own world. He didn't want a repeat of what had happened in December here as well.

He held his silence as Asakura made her exit, before looking to Nagato as she made hers as well. "I guess I'll see you later," he decided the as he called after her. Once she was gone he would shrug and do a last sweep before leaving, moving to head home and prepare for the next day. Well then, this plane had become all sorts of trouble, hadn't it?
 
Since he was able to arrive back home at a reasonable hour, little of note confronted him for the rest of the day. More than a few simple concerns, doubtless, would continue to bother him, but with little time remaining in this particular plane, there was little he could do to resolve them. With the passing of night came yet another change, but wether it would be for the better or worse remained to be seen.

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

In the early morning hours, the room felt cold and heavy, silence bearing down on him from all sides. Something hard and thin brushed his cheek, icy and unrelenting. Open or closed, his eyes revealed nothing, saw nothing, observed nothing as the pressure bore down on him from all sides. It twisted around him, cutting his skin, tearing his clothes until the stinging stensation spread throughout his body from top to bottom. The air was squeezed from his lungs, but just as soon as his conciousness began to fade, a firm hand grasped his arm and pulled him free-

Kyon lay on his room floor, the thick blankets wrapped around him tightly as his little sister looked down at him from above. She wore a rather confused expression, her hands grasping his arm as apparently she had just succeeded in pulling him out of bed. "Its morning, Kyon," she said simply then stepped over to the door, giving him one last glance before slipping through it. Another day had begun, the world that he was more familiar with once again welcoming him with more strangeness.
 
Arriving back home at a roughly reasonable time, Kyon was left with only mundane things to give his attention to, allowing him to think over what had happened today. It had been quite a bit to handle, and he could use the time to think on it. Nagato, Asakura, how much of it had been her fault and how much had been left behind by the Kyon of this universe, which he now had to deal with? He wasn't sure.

So he did the homework that he had from school, and once he was done he turned to the book that Nagato had given him. Sitting down he read for a bit before his brain got tired of translating English. Afterwards he went to sleep, to face whatever happened to him next.

- - - - -

In the morning, Kyon groaned in his sleep, pulling the sheets closer to combat the cold up until something began to press down on him, twisting and pushing from all sides until he felt like he was going to suffocate in its embrace. No, this was not fair! This wasn't how he wanted to go out, how it was supposed to end! Needless to say, he had no idea what was going on.

Then abruptly it was over, blankets slipping away as he found his little sister there with a hold on his arm. Huh, he had fallen off the bed but hadn't woken up in the process. Odd. Also odd was how his sister reacted, but if something was wrong then he figured he would find out about it soon. She couldn't exactly hide things from him, after all. For now, he rose to his feet and went to prepare for school, wondering just what was in store today.
 
The trip up the dismal hill felt just as unenthusiastic as any other day. If anything, the air felt a bit colder than before, as the days grew inperceptibly longer each day. Perhaps the season itself worked in tandum to the current circumstances, as the long-term solution to Kyon's predicament remained unknown, the future threat ever lingering in the distance. Upon further inquiry, Kyon's sister merely stated that he had been saying strange things in his sleep, without defining exactly what she meant by strange. Granted, considering what he had to deal with on what felt like a daily basis, whatever he might have been muttering while unconcious may have been remarkably normal by comparison. In any case, none of this had much bearing on his daily morning trudge up that confounded hill.

Taniguchi caught up with Kyon halfway up, reaching out and clapping him on the shoulder to alert him to his presence, "Yo, what's up? Something on your mind, man?" It seemed even someone as unobservant as Taniguchi had managed to pick up on his troubled vibe.

"Is it just me, or did another cold front blow in last night?" Taniguchi wrapped his arms around himself, a shiver running up and down his body, "I mean, seriously..." Continuing the conversation longer than was absolutely necessary would not likely benefit Kyon in the slightest.
 
All this world jumping really was messing with Kyon's head it seemed, as evidenced by his sister telling him that he had been talking in his sleep. That was something to wonder about, but it was a confusion that was tempered with the need to prepare for school. At least he was back in his home reality, where he didn't have to worry about Asakura wanting to stab him or something like that. One time had been more than enough, as far as he was concerned. Nope, aside from that slight situation with Nagato and the fox fires, everything was normal. For now, anyway. With Haruhi you never could tell how long such periods of normality would last.

Once again he went up the hill, shivering against the cold and keeping as bundled up as he reasonably could in this situation. The cold clashed with his inner feelings, musing over everything that he had to deal with. The imminent threats, the possibility of what would happen at the end of a month if he couldn't fix whatever this problem was. it was enough to distract him until Taniguchi was already upon him.

"Oh, hey," he said as he looked back at his friend before nodding. At least Taniguchi was also enjoying the cold like him, which made things slightly better as they walked together in their mutual suffering. Even if it wasn't the sort of therapeutic schadenfraude that he hoped for. "Yeah." That said he fell silent, letting his mind work in loops upon loops as he headed up the hill towards school, and the next meeting with the Brigade. Will-o-wisps, Asakura, what a hassle.
 
As expected, Haruhi's sour mood had only somewhat calmed overnight as the plopped down into her seat without exchanging a single word with Kyon, not even the customary greeting. The uncomfortable air drew Taniguchi's attention, but even he possessed enough wisdom to avoid prompting Haruhi when she got herself into such a state. Given that Kyon and Yuki had been "slacking off" again, resulting in them turning up late to the meeting place once again, Haruhi getting somewhat upset certainly came with the territory. Had the lack of interesting data on the camcorder (which Yuki had altered prior to handing it over to Haruhi) simply added fuel to the flames?

Even Haruhi had her limits, and even before reaching the five minute mark after both of them had been seated, she reached forward and grabbed hold of his seat, pulling him backward until she could stare down at his upside down face mere inches from her own. "Hey... I think we need to change our approach to this problem." However apt her words may have been given the situation, the Haruhi of his own world had no way of knowing what the situation actually was. "Instead of trying to hunt them down, we should instead be trying to find a way to communicate with them," Haruhi declared firmly, "I need you to research a universal form of communication, and I'll find a way to set it up, got it?" She released her grip on his seat and once again left him in peace, for now at least. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked toward the front of the class, as if making half an effort to actually pay attention as a way of distracting herself from the frustration boiling inside her. One could only imagine how many overnight hours of work Haruhi's army of espers must have been putting in.

Once the lunch break hit, she picked up her books and rushed from the room, prompting more confused glances from their fellow classmates. Granted, if anyone at all in the room understood Haruhi other than herself, it would be Kyon. Haruhi's demands this time around felt daunting and vague. Exactly how did she expect him to come up with something like this? Was recruiting the help of an expect in the field be deemed acceptable? Haruhi had not said anything to the contrary, but it did not take a mastermind to figure out that there was more on her mind than strange glowing urban phenomina.
 
Arriving at the school itself, Kyon was not surprised to find that Haruhi was in a bad mood, probably as a result of what him and Nagato had done during their previous investigation. Yet by his consideration it seemed like something that should not have been weighing on her after so long. She could be annoyed with him, sure, but it seemed like there might be something more to it. He just wasn't sure what it was as he sat down at his desk and she proceeded to give him the cold shoulder treatment, as she had so many times before. He was used to it by now, so he didn't pay much attention to it and let Haruhi burn herself out, as she inevitably would.

Sadly, that burning out involved being grabbed from behind and pulled backwards, his head tilting backwards almost automatically so Haruhi could look him in the eye. this was another situation that he was used to, so he didn't worry about it too much. "Huh?" It seemed that Haruhi had some other idea on what it was that she wanted to do, and he would have to be the one to actually implement the plan. He listened quietly with an unfazed look as she explained that she wanted to try and find a way to communicate with the fox fires. Unfortunately he had already done that, but he couldn't exactly let her know that fact for fear of causing something bad to happen. Again.

'Got it," he confirmed with his characteristic dismissive motivation. He just had to figure out a way to do it that met her satisfaction. But the fact that Haruhi stomped off after lunch was not the most promising sign. What was he supposed to do in this sort of situation? Getting some help would probably be a good idea, if he even needed it in the first place. As long as Haruhi didn't find out it would be alright.

He shrugged before packing up his books and heading out of the classroom, en route to the club as was usual. Maybe someone would be there who could help him out, if Koizumi wasn't running around dealing with Haruhi's problems, and the others were around.
 
The hallway leading to the old school building felt oddly chilled, not that the air itself felt particularly cold, as the poor insulation in the outdated facility was well known and accepted by this point, but the aura surrounding it had a distant aura about it. Nothing looked out of place, but everything had a distinctive odd tilt to it. When Kyon stepped into the club room, the oddness only continued.

Haruhi stood over Yuki, arms at her hips and the same disgruntled look on her face as before. The taciturn bibliophile flipped the pages of the book laid out on her lap silently, her gaze directed forward without scanning each line specifically. Considering what Kyon had already confirmed that she could do, she most likely did not even need to identify lines of sentences at all in order to read. In the very least, Yuki's condition seemed to have improved since the last time they saw each other, and considering the allegedly severe damage she had sustained, she had recovered remarkably quickly all things considered. The unwary so-called goddess, of course, had no knowledge of any of this.

Haruhi glanced over at the door at Kyon, a sigh escaping her as she turned back toward Yuki, "Alright, fine..." Her expression softened somewhat and her shoulders relaxed, "I'm not upset, Yuki... You should take care of yourself better. Do you have any idea how worried I was when I saw you just collapse on the video?"

Yuki remained silent, her fingers brushing over the edge of the next page as she turned it.

"Hey, Kyon," Haruhi looked up at him, the earlier tension in her gaze lessened somewhat from before, "You should have just told me Yuki didn't feel well when we met up yesturday. I mean, jeez..." She shook her head, "I'm surprised she even came to school after all that. She must be one of those kinds that don't feel comfortable in hospitals." Granted, the way she spoke about Yuki as if she was not even present was somewhat irritating, but it did feel refreshing for Haruhi to show some genuine concern for one of her brigade members.

"I guess we will have to postpone our field testing until Yuki feels better, but I'm not cutting you any slack, got it?" Haruhi walked past him and through the door, leaving Kyon and Nagato alone in the room.
 
Kyon was not so immune from the forces that surrounded Haruhi so as to not notice the sort of aura that surrounded the hallway which led to the clubroom. It put him on edge, and left him wondering if something bad was about to happen. That was the last thing that they needed right now, on top of everything else going on in this reality. But it wasn't as if there was anything he could actually do about it at the moment except to plunge in and see what the issue was. If it was because of Haruhi then he would just have to fix it, and if it was something else then he would have to do the best that he could and hope it worked out.

Arriving, he came to an abrupt stop as he found Haruhi looming over Yuki, the latter seemingly oblivious to her presence. To her credit she looked a lot better than she did before, even if she hadn't fixed all the damage that had occurred because of him. Not that Haruhi seemed to care, though he was as taken off guard by her apology as anyone else who knew her would be. She generally didn't seem to be all that tolerant when it came to the state of those under her control, so to hear such worry for Nagato was touching in its own way.

Setting his bag down, Kyon took a seat as he addressed her concerns. "Nagato didn't want me to tell you," he explained in a made up explanation that would probably have been true had that situation actually happened. The way she had come around to ignoring Nagato's presence was something he could live with as he prepared to have his lunch. "She said she didn't want to let you down."

Then, of course the kicker. 'Yeah, I've got it," he affirmed with a sigh before waiting for her to walk out the door. Once she had he turned in his seat, casting his attention over towards the only other person in the room at the moment. "Hey Nagato, how are you feeling?" Now to see what she wouldn't show Haruhi.
 
Nagato allowed Kyon to explain the situation, and thankfully Haruhi accepted it without protest as she left the room without another word. At first, Nagato did not react to Kyon's inquiry, simply staring at the page in front of her. Her hands no longer moved, not even to turn the pages, the only visible motion her body performed being the subtle and gentle rising and falling of her chest as she breathed. She blinked once, then her gaze slowly traced upward until her eyes met his. "My parameters are within acceptable limits," she slid the book slightly forward on her lap, her right hand pivoting to close the book while her attention shifted to the young human seated at the table. Her own seat stood by itself in its usual corner, present yet distant from the chairs huddled about the table, "For the most part."

"Upon watching the altered video, Haruhi may have subconciously influenced the state of my data, willing for it to become more stable," Yuki explained briefly, "With the limited resources I had availible, I had not predicted this rapid of recovery." All things considered, this seemed the most likely cause, assuming she was not simply underplaying her injury's severity once again while putting up a strong front in order to keep Kyon from worrying about her.

She leaned forward and lifted herself up from the chair, and while stepping closer to him she gently placed the book on the table's edge, ever so light footsteps carrying her closer to him until she stood mere inches away from his left arm. "Have you acquired any additional information from the other planes since we last talked?" Her gaze gradually deepened, her stare both intense and weighty but lacking any amount of threat or hostility. Her calm, expressionless face brimmed with unaknowledged emotion that shimmered just under the surface of her stoic exterior. Her eyes alone, like shimmering gateways to her soul, remained the sole point of transfer for the intense surge that welled up within her.
 
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