Disclaimer: No disrespect is intended with the posting of this story. Situations and characters are property of Nagaru Tanigawa, and are used here without permission. His stuff; we're just borrowing it for a wee bit. Additionally, some tinting (characters and settings) are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the property of Ryukishi07; the gaggle of cousins that appear are covered by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Note: Takes place after novel eight and ignores novels nine through eleven. Welcome to a divergent AU! This is not a proper crossover; just using some established characters due to laziness.
I barely have time to register Kyon's eyes going wider at my expression - although given how much he was staring to begin with, that's quite a trick in itself - before he disappears; he must have woken up - or maybe someone else woke him up, since he vanishes so fast.
I can't say I do much better, though; I can feel the blood rushing to my face - he was staring straight up my skirt for how long?! - and then, abruptly, I'm staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom, feeling like my face is literally on fire. Even with no one else in my room - hell, no one else in the entire house - and being fully clothed in my pajamas, I can't resist pulling the sheets up to my nose and trying to hide from the overflow of embarrassment.
I... guess I can't really blame Kyon for it, not entirely; while I'll admit he was the one that shrunk down like that, it was pretty obvious that he wasn't doing it for some perverted reason. And I was the one that was still wearing that French maid outfit, entirely by choice! I wasn't really paying attention to what I was wearing when I got into the dream, and with Mikuru having been on my mind all day, it's not really surprising that I'd think of it - or of myself in it. The stunned expression on Kyon's face when he saw me, though...
I pull the sheets down and let my arms flop down at my sides as I sigh, watching the light slowly growing outside. I could try to make excuses about why I didn't change out of it, but let's face facts here, Suzumiya: you actually kind of like it when Kyon looks at you like that. It's annoying to see him staring at Mikuru, true, but kind of gratifying to see that I can have that same kind of effect on him. Obviously I'm not going to try doing a striptease or something for him - where's the fun in just giving it all away? - but it's fun as hell to tease him with it, and I can't help but see it as a kind of compliment - that he thinks I look good enough to just stop and stare at me. I know him well enough by now to know that he doesn't stick around just because of my looks, but it's nice to see that he appreciates that about me, too.
Part of it was watching him shrink, too. It was kind of weird, actually; the more flustered he got, the more he shrank, and I have to admit it was pretty cool and amazing to watch - and I'm pretty sure he didn't even mean to do it! It was almost enough to snap me out of being irritated about him fumbling around for something to say about Mikuru and Koizumi - almost. Thinking about it a little more, though, it's actually worrying me a bit; even just hearing how hesitant he was to say something in the first place got me concerned, although letting him see that would have taken all the pressure off for him to actually give me an answer.
Imagining what it must have been like for him - me as some kind of angry giant, looming over him and demanding answers... and he still felt like he couldn't give me more than a hint? What's so important about Mikuru's secret that he'd stand up even to someone three or four times his size to hold on to it? It's not like I would have actually done anything to him, but just trying to picture myself in such a situation, even with someone I trust as much as Kyon... yeah, I'd definitely be more than a little nervous!
I can respect that if it's something she told him in confidence that he wouldn't want to betray her trust - in a way, that actually makes me trust him even more, that he'd hold a secret so well - but it still ticks me off that the two of them would be keeping secrets behind my back like that! At least he gave me somewhere to start - although 'ask Yuki the right questions' isn't much help by itself. So I know who to talk to, great, but what are the right questions? 'What is Mikuru-chan's secret and why won't Kyon tell me' doesn't seem like it's going to get me very far, since I imagine if she knows she's been sworn to secrecy just as much as he has - and I can't see Yuki blabbing something like that any more than Kyon would.
Why direct me to her at all, then? I let out a sharp sigh, then climb out of bed to stretch a bit as I think about it. Obviously she can tell me something that Kyon can't, or he thinks she can give me some kind of help that he can't for some reason. I can kind of see the latter more, at least for the moment; she's actually a lot less difficult to get in touch with until he gets back, which... actually, I should have asked him about that.
School starts back up on Monday, so I guess his family would probably be headed back either tomorrow or Sunday - maybe we won't get to meet up on Sunday night, then? If he's tired out from traveling, he might not end up in a lucid dream, even if he does spend tonight resting.
I head downstairs to start getting some breakfast together, frowning a little. It's a little disappointing to realize that I probably won't hear from him again until we get back to school next week, but since I'm not going to try to dream tonight myself, there's not much I can do short of trying to call him - and given what just happened before we parted ways this morning, some time to compose myself before I talk to him again wouldn't go amiss anyway.
I could definitely apply the thumbscrews the next time I see him for what he was staring at, but that's too much like one of those stupid tsundere anime stereotypes - I'm definitely going to confront it head on, but why yell at him for it when I'm not really that upset about it? And if I want to tease him about it, talk about mixed messages - I'd just be shooting myself in the foot if I get mad at him for looking and then turn around and -try- to get him to look.
With a shake of my head, I dismiss the entire line of thought. I could probably spend half the day thinking about ways to drive Kyon nuts - in both good and bad ways - but he did at least give me a direction for getting started. And I still haven't asked anyone about Yuki calling Kyon earlier this week, so it'll be a good opportunity to find out what that was all about, too!
"Thanks for coming over, Yuki - sorry to call you on such short notice." I close the door behind my guest, although I find it a little hard to meet her eyes just yet. It's a little weird to be tongue-tied around Yuki, of all people; she's always been quiet herself, and if I don't actually start talking we're probably just going to wind up staring at each other all afternoon - which she probably wouldn't care about but even the idea of it kind of weirds me out.
I consider trying to make small talk about how she's doing while she puts on house slippers and folds up her umbrella, but I decide against it. Knowing Yuki, she's going to give me either one-word answers or a polite expression and nothing else, and... honestly? Small talk like that is pretty stupid anyway.
So instead, I get her settled down in the living room while I go get some rice crackers and tea. I'll freely acknowledge that Mikuru's better at making tea than I am, but I'm not bad. It's something to occupy my attention for a few minutes, at least, but it doesn't take very long, and then it's just me and Yuki.
The silence is... strange. Not really in a bad way, but even without Yuki saying anything it's sort of like I can tell she's curious, mostly waiting for me to explain why she's here. I'll admit, I haven't always paid that much attention to Yuki - she seems to be really good at fading into the background when she wants to - but even with that, it's possible to read her. I won't say it's easy, but it can definitely be done.
We both have a few crackers - on my part, just because I need something to do to get my thoughts in order - before I start in. "So... I heard that you called Kyon earlier this week, is that right?"
A single nod is the only reply I get - not that I really expected much else.
"Why?" And really, given who I'm talking to, that's a bigger question than it appears to be. This is Yuki - she doesn't do conversation for no reason, and doesn't appear to be disturbed at all by things being quiet. So what would motivate her enough to actually call Kyon on her own?
It takes her a minute to answer; she actually looks somewhat troubled. "I was concerned for his safety," comes the reply. "Environmental conditions in his area have been dangerous."
I raise an eyebrow at that. "Dangerous? He mentioned that it's been raining a lot, but how is that dangerous?"
She sips at her tea again before answering. "Mudslides and flooding. Both have been reported in northern Japan during this week."
"Really? That's- wait." I stop to consider for just a moment. "Actually, yeah - I do remember hearing something like that on the news a couple of days ago, but it didn't really say where it was happening. All I heard from Kyon is that it's just been raining all week and he's been stuck watching his cousins."
Yuki doesn't say anything to that, although that's fine; I rest my teacup on my knee, feeling the heat soak through my skirt before I continue. "Well, I guess that's good." I'm finding it hard to look her in the eyes for this, though; maybe because -- like I did with Kyon -- I'm asking Yuki to give up other people's secrets. "So... Kyon said you might be able to help me with something that's been bothering me."
That gets me a slightly curious air - I can't even say that her expression really changes, but there's more of a sense of expectation in the room now. I half wonder if it's some kind of empathy or telepathy, but that's more wishful thinking than anything.
"So... you remember when we were at Himeji Castle, and when we finally found Mikuru-chan and Koizumi-kun?" Pausing only long enough to get the nod of acknowledgement I'm expecting, I push on. "Anyway, right before we got back to them, Mikuru-chan said she'd been ordered to wait where she was. I asked her about it later, and she made some excuse about it being what her parents told her when she was little and got lost, but it didn't sound all that convincing."
And that's where things start to go a little weird. I expected her to remain as impassive as ever, but at that point I saw something strange - Yuki actually starting to grimace slightly. I scowl a bit, but she doesn't actually say anything so I go on. "Anyway, Kyon pretty much confirmed that she's got some kind of secret - and Koizumi-kun too! - but that he couldn't tell me directly what it was, so I should talk to you about it."
Whatever's going on with her, though, it doesn't appear to be related to my question; she closes her eyes and lowers her face, a hand going to the side of her head - I don't like the looks of this!
"What's wrong, Yuki?" I frown.
"...headache," comes the reply a moment later, her voice even quieter than usual. "Apologies."
...really? Awfully convenient timing for a headache!
But, in thinking a bit more, I have to wonder. I've never seen Yuki call in sick or miss an event, other than the one time where it was just me and Kyon on a city search; the only time I can remember her getting sick-- well, I'm not even sure how much of that whole mansion in the snow thing was even real. She's always seemed really stoic - so if it's bad enough for her to show that she's hurting, I'm guessing it must be pretty severe.
With that in mind, I push my irritation aside; if Yuki's having trouble, I should take care of her. It's not like she can just fall back on this every time I ask - and I will ask again later - so for now, looking after her takes precedence.
"You don't look so good," I say with a frown. "Come on, let's get you somewhere to lie down."
The next half hour is spent getting Yuki taken care of. The first order of business is getting her to lie down; I put her in my dad's recliner and get her a cool washcloth to put on her forehead. It seems to help, or at least she seems to be dealing with it better. I finally settle back on the couch myself, blowing out a sigh, when Yuki breaks the silence on her own.
"...thank you," comes her quiet acknowledgement.
"Don't you even thank me!" I retort, although I keep my voice from getting too loud. "I'm the SOS Brigade's chief, it's my responsibility to take care of the Brigade members! If you're not feeling well, of course I'm going to help you!"
That earns me the faintest smile I think I've ever seen, but from Yuki it's as good as a grin. "Understood." She takes the cloth from her head, setting it carefully on the end table next to the chair.
"Do you need to stay here for a while, or do you need help getting home?" I prompt. "If you want to stay that's fine, but I know it's better to be in familiar surroundings if you're not feeling well."
"I will be fine by myself," Yuki replies, getting up slowly. She does look better, at least, but it's clear she's not at a hundred percent either.
"Don't push yourself, at least," I shoot back, giving her a critical look. "You're hereby assigned to report in later tonight, and if you're not feeling better, you will be treated to soup for dinner!"
She simply nods at that, although more slowly than usual - understandable, if she's got a headache. I try not to fuss over her too much as we head up to the front door; it's not until she's getting her shoes back on that she finally speaks again - and this time she's the one that's not meeting my eyes.
"Regarding Asahina Mikuru and Koizumi Itsuki..." she starts, sounding slightly hesitant. "Observe closely."
I blink in surprise - I didn't even realize that she still remembered my question, or if she had, that she'd even try to answer it. "Observe what?"
"Observe them," she clarifies slightly. "I... cannot say much, but observation should allow you to discover more information about them."
That's a little irritating... but only a little. If she's in on the other two's secret, it makes sense that she'd be like Kyon - she wouldn't want to breach their trust by blabbing it to me, but that... it sounds like she's telling me that it's possible for me to figure it out on my own, if I get more information.
"I'll do that," I affirm. "For now, though, you worry about getting home and resting up! Call me if you need any help!"
"Acknowledged," is the quiet reply, Yuki dipping her head briefly before departing.
I'll admit, that's not much more to go on than what Kyon gave me... but again, at least it's a direction to start in.
For a few brief moments after waking up, the sound of the rain finally lets up-- I would have thought it would stop overnight, but after rubbing the sleep from my eyes and going through the morning routine, it hadn't.
The skies are lightly overcast with clouds that have shed their burdens, like vacationers themselves finally comfortable in a new setting. The downpour actually even lets up in stuttering bursts from breakfast until lunch.
Before the cousins can even start to make seriously determined noises about going out to play, however, a new storm-front appears, lining the horizon like the looming reminder that vacation is about to end. They sweep in far faster than I would have expected, leaving my aunts and uncles annoyed and grousing.
Most of them, anyway. Aunt Rika stands on the porch beneath the lining of teruterubozu that has been pinned there over the last few days, pursing her lips and staring at the oncoming clouds with an unreadable look. Strangely enough, it reminds me of nothing so much as Nagato's stare at times -- though she says nothing until the next wave of water actually hits.
When a renewed surge strikes, she finally grumbles her own quietly irritated, "More rain, saaa, saaa!" After that she comes back inside and declares that it is time to bake cookies, which occupies my cousins.
Feeling somewhat restless, I turn to my uncle Keiichi to see if there's something else to be done. So bored I'm looking for chores on my own! Of course, my aunts think it's too unreasonable outside for any of the chores I haven't already taken care of, and Uncle Keiichi is distracted by the weather.
How sad is it to spend your vacation like this? If I'd put off doing my Golden Week homework, I'd at least have that to focus on, but as it is, there's nothing, so I find myself playing games with my cousins again after all. This does distract Matsuri, so I suppose in a way I am still making myself useful.
I can try and tell myself that I'd probably be doing this even if the weather weren't so gloomy, but it's a small consolation.
An opportunity to do something else doesn't arise until Aunt Rika decides that she's going to get some supplies from her home near the shrine, because of how close it is to the river. After a brief car ride down to her place, I find myself helping pile spare bedding into a basket, while she's packing up extra clothes for Matsuri and Shutaro.
While the uncles are elsewhere, I'm a bit surprised when she breaks off humming softly and asks, "Is Kyon-kun missing his friends?"
Well ... I'm not missing Haruhi as much as I could, since I'm meeting her in my dreams, but I don't think that's the kind of thing you should tell your aunt! I wouldn't be surprised if I did, and then I found myself being exorcised!
What's weighing on my mind more is how much Haruhi might have puzzled out since I spoke to her last. If I were more confident, I might try calling her and ask, but I'm still a bit scared, despite my resolve. Considering how sharp she usually is, and how quickly she unravelled the mystery that Koizumi put together last winter, I can't help but worry about that!
Worse, I'm not supposed to meet up with her tonight, so I wouldn't be able to check in on her progress.
Still, being entirely honest, I answer, "I wouldn't mind seeing my friends again soon."
"It's easier for Nono-chan," Rika sympathizes, patting me on the head like a smaller child. "And Matsu-chan isn't helping, is she?"
"She's been better since yesterday," I say, unable to really complain. She is just a little girl, still." Younger than my sister, in fact.
Aunt Rika gives me a sympathetic look, tucking one final shirt into a bag. "Even so," she muses. "But! Soon, Kyon-kun will go home and can see them again! Won't that be nice?"
"I can't say it like I don't enjoy visiting my family," I say, shaking my head. "I mean, even if Matsuri can be trouble, it's not that bad. I guess the weather's got me down a bit, is all."
It's certainly not something that I can escape from. If it followed me into my dreams last night, I expect I'll have to look forward to more of the same tonight, too.
"Friendship is important," she says solemnly, even though I can see the hints of a smile in her eyes. "I'm sorry Kyon-kun has to be away from his friends. Even if they aren't close, keep them in your heart, doki doki!"
I manage a chuckle at her 'heartbeat' noise.... Isn't that more like the pounding heart of a romance manga, Aunt Rika? I'd better not ask for clarification; I'm not sure I want to know what she thinks about that -- but given Matsuri complaining, I suddenly realize what she probably thinks is going on!
"I...it's not like that!" I protest, shaking my head quickly.
Aunt Rika's smile appears, and she gives a quiet giggle, shaking her head. "I'm just glad that Kyon-kun isn't heartbroken over his beloved 'nee-chan'!" she teases me.
This is somehow more embarassing than shrinking in front of Haruhi in our dream!
She doesn't say anything else, just looking distracted for the rest of the trip back. Thinking about it, I suppose it has been a while since I've thought of the girl I called 'nee-chan.' More and more, aren't I really thinking of someone else?
Given all of my effort towards trying to admit other things to.... Well, maybe this is something I should put some thought into, as well.
Reality checking is almost an afterthought tonight, so I'm actually mildly surprised to discover that I'm in control of my dream again. Remembering what I told Kyon about getting regular sleep last night, though, I decide to take it easy; I'm not sure if it's possible to drop back from a lucid dream into normal sleep, unfortunately, so I decide to just relax.
Kyon shouldn't be around tonight anyway, so I figure I can have fun however I want to. For the first time, I actually stop to admire the place I find myself dreaming; I'm in what looks like an old Greek temple - what springs to mind is what I imagine the inside of the Parthenon would look like when it was new. True to form, though, the landscape outside is more surreal; the area outside appears to be underwater, although it doesn't feel like I'm moving through water in here, and the fish are all outside as well. Maybe I'm in Atlantis?
It's fun in a strange sort of way, though, so I'll leave it for now; what's more interesting is what I can do with the inside. It's pretty plain at the moment - lots of marble columns and benches, but no people, no decorations, nothing other than a few generic-looking carvings. The first step is definitely something to relax in; a moment's thought produces a plush chaise longue upholstered in red velvet. It looks a little out of place in an ancient palace like this, but in the end.... It's a dream, what does it matter?
Without a moment's further thought I throw myself down on it - it's soft enough that I actually feel like I'm sinking into it a little. I take a minute to enjoy the sensation, then consider for a moment. It's comfortable, yes, but a little boring; there's no people, no noise, nothing but the fish drifting by outside. That's no good, so I decide to try practicing something new: making people that do what I want them to, rather than just acting the way I think they should.
The first target is simple enough; even though it was Yuki I went to talk to, she's the one that's been on my mind all day, and so it doesn't take any time at all to make a copy of Mikuru. In deference to the setting, she's wearing a white silk toga, a couple of gold bracelets, and not much else, and she's got a bowl of grapes in her hands. Without me even having to ask, she kneels demurely next to the couch I'm on and waits; all I have to do is open my mouth and she gets the picture, feeding me one of the grapes.
I can't help but grin at that. If she's good at taking orders, she can take them from me too! And besides which, this is only a dream anyway; it's not like I'd force the real Mikuru to do this, or she'd do it without being on the verge of tears the whole time. I have to admit, though, the toga is a good look for her, if a little bit on the skimpy side; something to consider for a special Brigade event in the real world, maybe?
Anyway, this is setting up a theme; I figure I'll go the whole way with it. Changing my outfit is almost effortless; my toga is almost identical to Mikuru's now, and while it's comfortable, it's a little... breezy. Setting the thought aside for now, I start to add in the other Brigade members.
Yuki gets set up in the opposite corner of the room, playing a full-size harp; I can't help but give her something relaxing, after seeing her with that headache earlier today. She called back later to say she was feeling much better, though, so I'm not too worried about her.
Koizumi gets a toga as well, and stands by the doorway to this part of the temple - if I'm going to set up the role, I might as well do it right, and so he can bring me anything else I want from here. He's usually there to back me up anyway, so he might as well stick to the job he's good at.
Kyon, though... well, he's the Brigade's grunt labor, so it's only appropriate to have him bare-chested and wearing a loincloth, waving a giant palm leaf at me as a fan. He might be a bit more tan and muscled than from last summer's break, but I don't see a problem with that; I deserve to have some eye candy, too, if I'm just here to enjoy my dream - he's certainly gotten his fair share!
A beautiful servant girl, relaxing music, someone to cater to my every whim, and a great view - this is all basically perfect! I think I can sit back and enjoy this dream for now. I can't keep a slight smirk off my face, only letting it go occasionally to receive another grape from Mikuru.
The sound of Kyon's voice has about the same effect on my state of mind as you'd get by dragging a needle across an old vinyl record.
"Decided to move up from Brigade Chief to Empress?" he says dryly, stepping in through the doorway leading outside; I can't help but notice with some slight annoyance that there's a regular Western-style door attached to it now, or there is until Kyon closes it.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I snap, sitting bolt upright - almost knocking Mikuru over in the process.
"I wasn't exactly planning to come here," he answers dryly, looking sidelong at his counterpart. "It seems that, unintentionally, I found myself in a lucid dream, so I figured I'd at least try to find you for once. It seems to have worked, too."
The look of amusement on his face is starting to tick me off, especially with the way he's looking at his double. "Something you find funny?" I can feel my eyebrow twitching, and I clench one hand at my side in anger.
"No no, don't mind me - feel free to go back to whatever you were doing," he replies airily.
No way I'm letting him off that easily! "Fine, I will!" And with a snap of my fingers, there's only one Kyon left - still in nothing but a loincloth and wielding a giant fan, and now with a slightly startled expression. I just settle back on the couch and smirk a bit. "Since you ended up getting it last night, though, this time you're stuck being the fan service!"
There's a hint of an embarrassed blush at that, but surprisingly, that doesn't get him to start mumbling apologies - he almost looks smug, instead. One way or another, I'm going to take him down a notch here!
"After all, it is the grunt work," I say offhandedly, gesturing at the big wicker fan he's holding. "Now get to it, it's getting hot in here."
That earns me a scowl, and he gives the fan a couple of desultory swings in reply. I don't really plan on making him do this the entire time - if he's actually here, there's definitely more exciting stuff that we could do - but I'm trying to make a point here!
My thoughts are unfortunately interrupted at that point by what sounds like faint screaming and shouting outside, gradually getting louder. I look up abruptly to see that there's a slight smirk on Kyon's face, and before I have time to demand an answer, the room is overrun with a horde of screaming barbarians in furs and leather.
The fact that the 'barbarian horde' seems to consist of the members of the Computer Research Society doesn't improve matters, either. A bunch of scrawny, pasty guys in barely enough leather to meet the standards of decency... Ugh, this is venturing into nightmare territory.
To top it off, just as I'm starting to get up off the couch to do something about it, I'm shoved roughly back down - and when I look up, I'm confronted with an image that I really could have done without. The computer society's president is standing over me, dressed in an assortment of leather straps covered with iron spikes, a mocking expression on his face. The only counterbalance to this is that I can see Kyon standing behind him, and he's wearing an expression of distaste that I imagine mirrors my own.
"Your final defeat is at hand, Suzumiya Haruhi!" the president crows, striking what I can only describe as a pose straight out of a sentai show. "Your petty brigade is finished, and I'll be claiming the spoils of victory!"
And with that... okay, now I'm pissed off! Before I even have a chance to react, he grabs Mikuru, slings her over his shoulder, and runs off laughing like a madman!
"That does it!" I grind out, looking over at Kyon - who looks pretty irritated himself. "You're responsible for this, aren't you?"
"I-"
I don't bother giving him more time than that to answer, shaking my head sharply as I snap my fingers. Just like that, we're both outfitted in what looks like armor for ancient Roman centurions. Seeing Kyon in a big bronze helmet with a giant red crest on top is almost enough to make me giggle, but from what I can feel on my head I've got one on too, so before we both break down laughing at each other - we have a mascot to rescue!
Stepping onto the chariot that's appeared in the middle of the room, I grab the reins and hold them out for Kyon. "You're driving, I'm taking him down!"
He barely has time to register his surprise, but I have to grant that he recovers from it remarkably fast - within no more than a few seconds he's climbed up into the chariot next to me, taking the reins and getting the horses to carry us out the back of the temple-like room we've been in. Strangely enough - or maybe not so strangely, since this whole thing is a dream - the back of the temple opens out onto a rocky mountain slope, with a fierce-looking thunderstorm brewing overhead.
I don't have long to take in the sights, though - the ground is really rough, and we're moving fast enough that the floor of the chariot is jolting around all over the place. I manage to grab the railing before I'm sent flying, and barely a second later Kyon lets go of the reins long enough to get me between his arms. I shoot a glance at him at that, but he honestly seems to be concerned about me falling off more than anything - he's really focused on the path ahead.
Of course, with as fast as we're going it doesn't take us long to catch up to the president and Mikuru; he's at the edge of a cliff, with Mikuru sobbing behind him, and he's managed to get a huge battle-axe from somewhere. Kyon pulls the chariot up, blocking the path, and we both leap out, ready to do battle!
"I'll take him on, you get Mikuru-chan out," I hiss to Kyon; he nods in acknowledgement as I draw my own short sword, moving in to engage the president - who's standing there beckoning with a sneer.
I'll wipe that grin off his face!
I square off with him, settling the shield on my arm; the nice thing about this being a dream is that all this armor isn't any heavier than a regular set of clothes - I expect this kind of getup in the real world would weigh a ton!
"One defeat wasn't enough for you, huh?" I challenge. "I'll take you down anytime, anywhere - anything you think you can do, I'll do it better!"
"Big words, Suzumiya," he sneers back. "Think you can actually back them up, or is it all talk?"
Rather than waste my breath on a reply, I move in to attack! The fight is actually pretty uneven, though; he's got a lot longer reach with that giant axe, but I can move a lot quicker than he can since my sword's a lot smaller - so after I duck under his first swing, I jump in close and start slashing away at him.
He's faster than I expected, however, and before I can actually hit him he hops back a few feet, closer to the cliff edge. I can see out of the corner of my eye that Kyon's taken advantage of the distraction to get Mikuru back to the chariot; the two of them are standing behind it, watching my duel.
Just as I'm about to charge in to finish him off, he reaches behind his back, pulling out a pair of... scimitars? What the hell, Kyon? How do you get a fur-clad barbarian with a couple of scimitars? I shoot him a dirty look, but he looks just as puzzled as I do - and I have to suppress another flash of annoyance, too, seeing Mikuru clinging to him like that.
I shake that off, though, turning back to my opponent; he's now grinning like a maniac, twirling the twin swords around in flashing arcs and slowly advancing on me. I'm not even sure where to start to try to attack him, now!
Then I realize: this is my dream, I can do whatever I want here! With that thought in mind, I drop my sword and shield, then stretch my hand up, up, up - high enough that I can reach through a hole in the stormclouds, grabbing the crescent moon that I knew would be there in the middle. As I pull it down, I reach up with my other hand, grabbing one of the lightning bolts flickering through the clouds. Now, with this kind of bow and arrow, we'll see who laughs last!
He just glares back at me in defiance. "This isn't over, Suzumiya - this is only the beginning!"
"Beginning or not, it's over for now!" I almost don't feel the need to say what happens next, it's just too obvious; obvious and cliched, but also incredibly fun. With the moon as my bow and a lightning bolt as my arrow, the president barely has time to brace himself before my shot hits him dead in the center of his chest, blasting him off the precipice. I dash over to the edge, just in time to see him hurtling off into the distance.
I can hear him shout back at me, just before he vanishes into the mists further down the mountainside. "It's never oveeeeeeeeeerrr....!"
He might be back later, but he's definitely not going to be any more of a problem tonight! Now that I'm not as focused on my enemy, though, I can hear Mikuru and Kyon, shouting encouragement; I turn back to face them, holding my moon-bow up in the air as a victory pose. "As if there could be any other winner!" I crow.
Kyon smirks in reply, giving me a thumbs up - and then a startled look comes over his face out of nowhere, and he vanishes abruptly, his form puffing away like mist. What the hell, did he get woken up out of nowhere again?
My last image of Haruhi -- wearing a gladiator outfit, holding up the crescent moon as a bow -- contrasts sharply against the sudden view of staring up at my uncle Keiichi as he looks concerned. He's crouched at the side of my futon, and once he sees I'm awake he warns me, "Kyon-kun -- some of the supporting levees around the Okinomiya area have broken. All of your other uncles are going to join me with the emergency relief crews -- to try and see if we can't reinforce the sandbags--
"This is short notice, but we're rounding up the village children and families in low-lying areas. Most of them will be going to the school building, but we need to ask you to help out here. Understand?"
As much as I hate waking up, I sit up and nod immediately. This is exactly why Aunt Rika had brought changes of clothes and fresh bedding to Aunt Mion's house, isn't it? I manage to groggily ask, "What should I do?" even as I try and scrub the last of the sleep from my eyes.
I think I'm starting to feel the effects of what Haruhi was warning me about, with lucid dreaming not being as restful as the real thing, and this is a terrible time for that! Worse -- we were so distracted in playing around, I didn't even get a chance to ask how her investigation was going....
With that weighing down on me, I don't think I could sleep anyway, even if I hadn't just been woken up for an important task. And it's not like I can afford to go back to sleep to ask her now....
"Just try and help your aunts keep an eye on the children," Uncle Keiichi answers, rising to his feet and checking his watch, even as I hear the footsteps of one of my uncles -- or my father -- hurrying down the hall, grumbling about the urgency of the situation.
This is serious stuff! It may not be much, but if I can help keep my cousins distracted and out of the way, I'll do what I can to contribute-- But even thinking that.... If they sleep through most of it, as they should, all I can really do is mull over what Haruhi might have learned and keep my aunts company.
Uncle Keiichi shakes his head and moves to the still-open door. "Alright -- just stay up with Rena-chan and help her out; once morning comes around, both of you should be able to get some sleep and leave the rest to Satoko-chan, Shion-chan, and Imouto-- Er, your mother."
I almost ask about Aunt Mion and Aunt Rika before remembering that as a community leaders, both of them are going to be occupied helping with the relief efforts. "You can count on me," I say, climbing up out of my futon and recieving a solemn clap on the shoulder from my uncle before he joins my father in the hall, both of them rushing towards the door.
I can see my little sister standing at the doorway of the guest bedroom she's going to be sharing with more cousins soon, rubbing at her eyes sleepily and asking, "What's going on?"
"The cousins will all be joining us here," I answer, "but you should try and get some sleep while you can, alright, Imouto?"
She gives me a questioning look before breaking off to yawn hugely, then nodding and going back to her futon.
This is rapidly shaping up to be one of the worst vacations ever! Well, I can sort at least one concern out. As long as the phone lines stay up, I can at least call Haruhi and ask, even if I have to be careful about what my cousins might overhear. That's a silver lining that helps me deal with the impending sleepless night--
When Haruhi's likely to be awake, I can talk to her before getting what will be much-needed rest. With that resolve, I go to meet Aunt Rena in the living room, prepared for a very long night indeed.