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.
After rubbing some sleep from my eyes and putting on some proper clothes, I stumble out of my borrowed room. I'm about as wakeful as I'll probably get until I can properly rest, so I trudge over to the living room. Aunt Rena is in the living room when I step in, comforting a tired and alarmed looking Yurie.
I do forget sometimes that for her intelligence, she is just a child; a storm like this, and a hike up the hill in the rain would naturally frighten a girl her age. "There, there," Aunt Rena soothes. "Ah -- Kyon-kun, I'm going to put Yurie-chan to bed with your sister; Shion-chan and Rika-chan should be coming by, soon, too."
I nod, too anxious to just wait. And I can't sleep, so that means no chance to contact Haruhi. The way things left off -- again -- I'd like to call her, but at this hour? She'd tear my head off for being so inconsiderate!
A glance at the clock reveals that it's shortly after one in the morning; I'll need to wait until after sunrise before calling to be properly respectful of our Brigade chief. That plan in mind, I feel like Sasaki Kojiro, waiting for Miyamoto Musashi to show up for the duel. And much like that historical figure, I expect I will be defeated in our encounter.
Trying to distract myself from that, I go to the doorway and grab the winter coat my mother insisted I bring along. I didn't anticipate it would be needed, but in this weather, it seems more than justified. The blast of wind from the outside rattles the door when I slide it open, revealing a dark landscape--
Until a blinding flash of white crackles in the distant, momentarily lighting up the entire valley below Aunt Mion's place. The sheeting rain falls in brilliant curtains -- which immediately turn into black walls surrounding the entire valley. The falling water is like a thousand tiny drums, almost deafening, until the rumble of thunder rattles the house behind me.
Nine seconds -- that works out to about three kilometers away, I think. That's not even across the valley, really just to one side! It takes a few moments after the echoing thunder stops bouncing off the valley walls, but when it does, I hear a distant wail over the sounds of the storm.
It sounds like a child, so my first guess is that it's one of my cousins. I slip on my shoes and hurriedly rush out into the storm; there's only one road down to the village, so I don't think I'll get lost, but after a few steps, another flash of silent lightning behind me reveals the figures I'm looking for--
My heart stops.
Blue hair, sharply focused gaze, the glint of metal in one hand--
I can't help it; a scream of alarm escapes my throat and I almost fall over in my panic before the rest of her features absorb into my brain and I realize it's not.... Not her. I recognize my aunt Rika before the next flash of lightning; she's standing next to me, giving the flashlight a firm shake to get it working again. I keep from sprawling into the mud, ironically both comforted and physically supported when Matsuri -- wailing again -- emerges from the darkness and glomps onto my leg. A moment later, her younger brother follows suit, both of them shaking as the thunder rumbles through.
"Is Kyon-kun alright?" Aunt Rika asks tiredly, giving me a curious look.
"Fine," I agree quickly; this is no time to be standing around staring like an idiot. "Uh-- Matsuri, Shutaro, come on; let's get into the house."
"Good," Aunt Rika says, before they can answer. "I trust them in Kyon-kun's hands; I must go down to the shrine and warn anyone who seeks shelter there to go to the school. Matsu-chan, Shu-chan -- you will both behave!"
Before I can answer, she turns away, flashlight still in hand, and walks into the darkness.
I don't care to stay out in the rain, and Matsuri's tears are far too genuine for me to ignore. I pick up Shutaro in one arm and manage to unwrap the girl's death-grip on my legs to lead Matsuri, too. She grasps my hand as though afraid that the wind and rain might blow her away. The light over the door is a beacon that I lead them toward; when I get there, Aunt Rena immediately bundles the pair of them up, clucking in worry.
I help Shutaro get himself dried off a bit. Aunt Rika dressed her children for the weather before coming out into the rain, but if there was an umbrella involved it must have blown away in the storm. Shutaro stops sniffling very quickly once we're inside, though both of the children shake as another nearby lightning strike shakes the house.
"Both of you," Aunt Rena sighs, shaking her head and giving a warm, but drawn smile. "Let's get those coats off and warm you up in the furo -- then we'll put you to bed, alright?"
For a moment, I think that Matsuri will protest, but she nods, giving me a forlorn glance before following her aunt into the house.
Taking stock of the shoes, Aunt Satoko and Aunt Shion (and their children) are the only ones missing. This time, I have the foresight to grab a flashlight before stepping outside -- though like Aunt Rika's, it needs a good shake before it lights up.
Properly armed this time, I step into the darkness, looking down the road for a glimpse of their own flashlights as they hike through the onslaught to the relative safety of Aunt Mion's home.
Things quiet down a bit after Aunt Satoko and Aunt Shion finally bring their children in, and the cousins are too subdued to put up any real fuss. I'm mostly just pleased to be in from the rain, but I still can't help thinking of my uncles, out trying to help people evacuate, or work on the levees.
Aunt Mion and Aunt Rika are out there, too.
Haunted by that reminder, Aunt Rena and I maintain a solemn vigil in the living room, responding to the occasional whimpering cousin in need of water, or wanting to be reassured because of the lighting. I had expected that Matsuri might complain a bit more after being settled in, but surprisingly enough the only one who emerges from the bedrooms and stays with us is Yurie.
Neither myself nor her mother begrudge the girl from curling up near Aunt Rena's side and falling asleep at the kotatsu with us. That does mean that I'm the one who has to go attend any of the children when they need help, but that little bit of activity is actually a welcome distraction on a night like this.
When the sun finally rises, sadly little light gets through the ominous curtain overhead. It's brighter -- enough to see -- but the wind has only died down a little, and the rain hasn't let up in the slightest. The only real promising sign is that the lightning strikes have tapered off somewhat.
Not long after sunup, naturally, the cousins begin to rouse -- still subdued and more than a bit shaken, all things considered. I help keep an eye on them for a while until breakfast is ready. I'm not feeling hungry myself; I can get something to eat when I wake up.
More importantly, by the clock it's about half past eight in the morning -- maybe a bit early to call Haruhi, but I'm tired enough to ignore that for now. Aunt Mion's instructions send me to Uncle Keiichi's office to ensure that no cousins interfere.
I suppose I should just be happy that the electricity and phone lines are still up, considering this weather.
Thinking that, I pick up the receiver at Uncle Keiichi's desk and dial. My eyes are drawn from the gloomy window to the screen-saver on his computer's monitor as I hear the phone ring once, and then--
There's an abrupt, very pronounced stillness as the phone goes utterly silent, along with all of the other electronics in the house. I can only blink dumbly at the suddenly blank monitor, and then tap the phone a few times.
So much for that thought.... Even Haruhi will have to understand that the situation is beyond my control, won't she?
As I trudge down the hall to rejoin the others, I'm intercepted by a very tired Aunt Rena. "Satoko-chan, Shion-chan, and your mother will watch over the children," she tells me, rubbing at one eye sleepily. "Kyon-kun, you need to get some rest while you can; you've done a good job so far, but don't wear yourself out."
At that, I obediently trudge back to the guest bedroom I've been given, collapsing on the futon and almost immediately falling asleep.
I wake up wihtout recalling any dreams, once again being gently shaken awake-- Though, this time it's by my mother.
"What's going on?" I manage to groggily ask, sitting up. The rain is still drumming against the roof, but I don't hear the whistling wind. "Is it time to go home?"
My mother sighs and crosses her arms over her chest, giving a curt shake of her head. "I don't think so," she returns. "There was a mudslide, it seems. The base of the hill beneath the lines running power and phone service in from Okinomiya collapsed, so the main road out of town is blocked."
I blink the last of the sleep from my eyes and consider things. The only road into town? There are dirt back roads through the hills, but in the rain, they'll all be mud-- I suppose it's possible to walk the roads, but that doesn't seem to be a good idea at all.
She nods, satisfied that the enormity of the situation is settling in for me.
"We're trapped here?" I realize.
This is taking the idea of being stuck watching over my cousins to a whole new level!
But what can I do? Of all the people I know, I can't help but think all of them would be better able to handle this than I am. I don't have powers, or amazing abilities; there's really not anything I can do to help. If Haruhi were here, she'd....
If Haruhi were here, she wouldn't sit around and think about how terrible it was that she couldn't do anything! So I shake my head and ask, "What can I do to help?"
My mother blinks at me in surprise, but before she can answer, my aunt Mion leans in from the hall -- looking utterly exhausted. "There is one thing," she says. "You deserve a break from watching over your cousins, but I wouldn't fault you if you passed on this one."
"What is it?" I ask. It can't be harder than cutting wood in the rain!
"We need to deliver some comfort supplies to those who are taking refuge in the school," she answers. "There's already food -- but I have plenty of fresh tea."
She can see by my expression that I don't think much of the task, and shifts her shoulders in a shrug. "That's half of it, though. Among other things, the school has a short-wave radio. Since we don't have much contact other than trying to cross to Okinomiya by foot ... well, if you could bring that here, we could keep in touch better."
"It would be nice, but it's not the most important thing in the world," my mother counters, shooting Aunt Mion a worried look. "The Department of Public Works and the J.S.D.F. have been notified, so help should still be coming. It's fine for you to stay here, Kyon-kun."
I'd rather do something than nothing, though! What would I tell Haruhi -- that I ran and hid from a challenge?
"I'll do it," I agree, climbing up from my futon and shaking my head.
"Thank you, Kyon-kun," Aunt Mion says with a tired smile, giving me a nod before she yawns. "Ah-- I need to rest while I can; your aunt Satoko should give you something to eat and show you where the tea is. Be very careful, now, alright?"
"Very careful," my mother agrees, instead of arguing that I should stay where I am.
It wasn't the best sleep in the world, but it was enough rest to see me through the downhill trudge to the school. Considering that some people are out of their homes just now, I can't complain. A breakfast of Aunt Satoko's udon, thanks to the gas heating, gives me enough energy to keep going after the unrestful sleep that I've gotten so far.
A sturdy but worn backpack from the depths of Aunt Mion's house holds the tea I'm shuttling down to the school. The winds are still too rough to try bothering with an umbrella, so the bundled tea was preemptively wrapped in plastic bags; Aunt Rena's idea -- but they'll also keep the radio dry once I start hauling it back up the hill.
I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea, but it's whole worlds better than doing nothing. From Aunt Mion's mountainside home, I should have a good view of the village below. I would, too, if it weren't for the constant downpour!
The houses are all dark, with the power out, but I can make out the shape of the school before I hit the lowest stretch of the journey. Even the rain channels on the side of the road are uncomfortably full of runoff, though; the waterwheel on the millhouse connected to that channel is turning quickly, the wooden stop placed to block it broken by the water pressure.
The excitement of getting out of the house and being active is quickly subdued at this reminder of how difficult things are for some families. Quite obviously most of the homes in the village are fine, and it's the outlying areas that are more at risk. But with the rain still falling, how much worse will it get?
Properly in a somber mindset, I clear the low stretch and start the hike up the much shorter slope to the school. Through the still-intense rainfall, I can just make out the sound of a generator running -- so at least there's that.
I pass through the gate, but stop inside the entryway-- I'm fairly soaked, even with the coat, and my shoes feel heavier from all the mud stuck to them. "Hello?" I call cautiously, not wanting to deal with cleaning them even enough to remove, just at the moment.
When I don't get a reply right away, I add, "I brought tea!"
...that was dumb. I wanted to feel helpful, somehow, but now I just feel silly, if no one answers.
Before I can think about that further, Aunt Rika steps into the entryway, offering me a wan smile. "Aaah," she says, looking just as exhausted as Aunt Mion did. "I'm happy that Kyon-kun made it safely! If you give me that bag, I'll pack the radio for you; I wish I had something nicer to reward Kyon-kun's effort!"
"Ah, I'm just glad to help," I answer quickly, shaking my head and removing the backpack.
She chuckles as she accepts it, nodding. "The smallest things can provide comfort in trying times! You're doing good work-- Now I'll hurry, so you don't need to spend any more time waiting to change into something dry than you have to."
"Thanks," I mumble in response, feeling my face heat up at the encouragement.
She chuckles again, then vanishes back into the school building. It takes hardly any time at all for her to return, huffing at the effort as she hands the same bag back, but obviously much heavier. "I'm going to rest here," she adds, yawning. "Sorry to send Kyon-kun away alone; give Shu-chan and Matsu-chan my love~!"
I agree to do that, checking the bag quickly and wincing at the weight. A full radio weighs almost thirty kilos! Aunt Rika had already wrapped it in plastic bags, so even if I get soaked through, the equipment should be fine. Seeing that, I close the pack up and pull it onto my shoulders, giving my aunt one last wave before marching out into the rain.
The rain is worse and the load is heavier, but this hearkens back to a trek down and then back up the hill to school -- burdened with a heater. Having the weight on my back instead of in my arms helps a bit, even if I have to keep my head bowed to keep the pelting water droplets out of my eyes.
Of course, it's a long enough walk down to the flat section of the road, where I actually have to cross the rain run-off and walk on the edges of the flooding rice-paddies. The slight embankments at this point are a bit firmer than the muddy dirt paths. I can switch back to climbing up the slope to Aunt Mion's house....
I might pause to rest for a bit if I weren't alone in a world of falling water and gusting winds. The idea of getting back into a warm house and drying off is ample motivation, and I think I have to aknowledge that the hill leading to school has hardened me quite a bit. This hike isn't nearly as bad, even if I do have the extra weight of the radio on my back!
By the time I round the final bend in the path, watching the rivulets of rain runoff carve slowly growing gouges in the dirt road, I'm really looking forward to finishing this task. Of course, I'm also glad that I've managed to accomplish at least something in the face of this disaster. Really, there's not much point calling it anything else, is there?
When I get to the door, my mother is waiting in the entryway, looking relieved to see me. Behind her are my sister and Matsuri, both of them restrained by Aunt Satoko, with Yurie as the more well-behaved cousin behind them. "Kyon-kun," my mother greets, smiling warmly. "Set that bag down; we'll handle it. Take your shoes off and go straight to the bath!"
"I'll help!" Matsuri volunteers. "I'll wash your back!"
...not the reward I was hoping for.
"No, you won't," Aunt Satoko counters. "Silly Matsu-chan! Let Kyon-kun relax alone for a bit after that hard work!"
I try to ignore Matsuri's pout, setting the now-dripping bag on a folded towel that was prepared in advance. At a glance the power and phone lines must still be down -- the entryway is lit by a battery-powered lantern, and I can see the flicker of candles from the living room.
After slipping my shoes off and leaving them on a plastic bag in the entryway, I gladly stumble toward the bathroom. Dropping off the weight of that load leaves me feeling a bit unbalanced, though I have to wonder how much weight the water in my garments adds. Coat or not, my clothing is soaked through completely.
There's another battery-powered lantern in the changing room, so after I throw my wet clothes in a pile, I gladly move on to the washroom proper, hanging the light-source from a dangling overhead hook. Power outages aren't that rare in bad weather here, so that spares me having to figure out where to put the lantern to keep it dry.
I hear the exterior door open, and my sister chirp, "Clean clothes for Kyon-kun~!" before she giggles and dashes away.
Then it's time to slip into the gas-heated furo and soak for a bit. My muscles haven't tightened up enough to really protest, but the soothing heat is pleasant anyway, and chases away the chill that's seeped through me from the long walk.
Not long after I get out of the bath, my father and Uncle Keiichi return, both of them glum and exhausted. I suppose the effort I put into things doesn't hold a candle to what they've been through. After they warm up a bit themselves, they have some tea and soup, explaining about the work on the levees. It won't affect the village below us immediately, and the dam itself is holding, so that's a vast reassurance.
They did manage to reinforce one of the failing levees with sand-bags, and then evidently moved a piece of construction machinery in. From there, even though it wouldn't measure up to proper repair standards, they were able to dump several tons of earth in to build up the breakwater, reinforcing the structure enough that everyone was confident it would still hold.
Another levee was reinforced somewhat, but only enough to buy the families that lived below it time to evacuate. The third, Uncle Keiichi explains unhappily, was a lost cause. At least no one was hurt, and there may arguably be some good that there's a drain for the water building up in the reservoir, but that's small consolation to those who lost property.
I can see both my father and Uncle Keiichi aren't exactly thrilled about losing as much as they have, but both of them are too worn out to stay up long after finishing their soup. Even though I haven't done much the entire day, I'm still pretty tired myself.
The sun set around the same time that they came back, so it's early enough to go to bed. Just a little bit, the rain is finally tapering off, as well. Hopefully in the morning, things will be a bit better. I remember before I turn in for the night to pass Aunt Rika's concern for her children on to them, which Shutaro accepts solemly, and Matsuri tries to pretend is from me instead of her mother.
After that, it's time to try and sleep again -- hopefully to dream and let Haruhi know what's going on.
I'm woken in the early morning to something it takes me a few minutes to place-- But I realize what it is very quickly. After this long, it's the absence of raindrops pelting the roof -- a sound I haven't heard since the brief break a while back. Hopefully this one lasts much longer.
After I sit up and finish rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I groggily realize that I was still too tired to dream. On the other hand, as bad as things got, now that the weather's cleared, this is the last day of vacation. That undoubtedly means my parents are going to pack up and retreat; my mother, at least, is not terribly flexible about missing school.
Even though the eerie quiet tells me the weather's cleared, I still go to the window to check; the overcast sky is rent in several places like a torn war-banner, letting streaks of blue sky show. More pleasantly, the bright light of the sun spears through one of the gaps, finally working to dispel some of the gloom that's settled from the storm damage.
When I come out to the living room, I see that the power is still out. Thankfully the gas lines are still intact, so there's warm food -- and for my father and Uncle Keiichi, hot coffee. I don't even bother with the phone lines, as the last I checked, Uncle Keiichi's office had been converted into a temporary radio room. I can be glad that for all my effort, the radio not only worked, but has better reception from Aunt Mion's mountain-top home, as opposed to the school!
The cousins are a bit subdued despite the daylight, as it's still far too wet to do anything outside.
Before I can even ask, my mother steps in from the kitchen, raising an eyebrow at seeing me awake on my own and remarking, "Kyon-kun, considering the state of things, you should know we're staying in Hinamizawa for a while."
I blink in surprise at that, frozen halfway to reaching for a teacup on the table.
"It's really safer," Uncle Keiichi says apologetically, shaking his head. "The back roads aren't dry enough right now, and I'm really worried about getting caught up in people fleeing -- the way things are, give it a few days for the J.S.D.F. and the Department of Public Works to get here. The main route is shut down because of the mudslide -- probably for a few days at least. Last we checked, volunteers from Okinomiya are trying to get to it, but one of the burst levees still has active outflow that's making the road impassable between them and the blockage."
As if things weren't bad enough! I settle back, unable to keep the gloom of the situation from weighing down on me. Clear skies and awful news? I feel as though it's overcast all over again.
"We've raised them on the radio and help is on the way -- we can expect the J.S.D.F. later today, probably; they'll airlift in some supplies to keep the village going," my father breaks in. "So it's not much, but since we have access to the mudslide from this side ... but even then, it's not safe to work on until it dries out at least a little.
"The point is -- and Uncle Keiichi's right about this -- we're safe here for now. We have supplies to last us until relief efforts arrive, and while it's not ideal, we're in a good position to help the community. As relatives of Mion-san -- er, your aunt Mion -- it helps reassure the villagers if we don't try and run away, too."
"I get it," I agree -- though being entirely honest, there's no way I could really convince my family otherwise. What can I do? I can ask one critical question, I suppose: "I'm worried about my friends at school; with the phone lines down, how long will it be before I can let them know I'm alright?"
"Anyone's guess," Uncle Keiichi answers, giving me a sympathetic shake of his head. "Since we've got the radio for emergencies, that kind of communication is lower priority. It'll probably be restored before power, but that could be a week or more, easily. Still -- hopefully we'll have access to Okinomiya within a week. I'm sure your friends will understand that the circumstance is entirely out of your control."
All but one of them will, I'm sure. I'm not looking forward to the penalties that will be assigned me for missing this much time with the Brigade, that's for certain. But being fully honest, even if it's nice that I've met her in my dreams....
I want to see the Brigade once more; I want to be with my friends again in the real world. That thought in mind, I nod my understanding, restraining my frustration and worry to a faint sigh. We're really trapped here, then, stuck out in the country....
It doesn't take long before Uncle Keiichi and my father both head out to see what they can do around the village with the other uncles, leaving me behind to help the aunts watch over the children. That's probably the limit of what I can do to help, though -- so considering the severity of the situation, I'd better do the best job that I can. After rainfall of practically biblical proportions, and the rising energy of the cousins cooped up inside I feel almost like I'm aboard an ark with a pair of each of them!
That's fine, though; I've slept enough over the last two days that I'm certain I'll be able to capture lucid dreaming again tonight. At least I'll be able to tell Haruhi that way.
After a draining day of watching over the cousins, I come to realize I'm dreaming in the same situation that I first encountered Haruhi -- the empty club room. My reality checks confirm that this is a dream, so I immediately rise from my seat and look around.
It really hasn't changed much; I get the impression that it seemed somehow ... faded and dull until I paid attention to it, but it seems fine when I look closely. The club room isn't the important part, though, so thinking of Haruhi -- and not those strange dream versions of her -- I go to the door and use my door trick.
The first thing that happens is that I open the door from my copy of the club room to that mountaintop where I last saw her. I get a more pronounced instance of that sense of ... fuzziness from the surroundings before I look and they sharpen considerably.
That's strange....
Looking around the environment, it still seems as it was when Haruhi battled the computer research society president -- even down to the hole in the clouds that she punched when she reached for the moon. That's an odd thought.
I set it aside for later, concentrating on Haruhi -- the real one, not some copy with an imitation of her armband. The door next opens to empty sky. I almost take a step out, but a drop of height from what seems to be far, far too high up in the atmosphere stops me. I'm sure Haruhi would be comfortable with an environment like this in her dreams! Edging as close to the door as I dare, I can peek out and make the edges of some blue metal surface -- so the door is evidently in something, but I can only really just glimpse the edge of a planet's curvature from my position.
That's a bit much for me, and there's still no sign of Haruhi through the doorway, so I quickly shut it and back away again-- Actually, as confusing as that was, I stop myself from scurrying away and quickly turn it to something else. Haruhi's familiar with the Yonaguni Monument, so I think about where it is and open the door--
Then I freeze like an idiot, because I was thinking of the view of it from underwater, and the other side of the door is a wavering wall of the stuff. It doesn't break or flood into the room, and I make myself think things through. It's a dream, after all.
I could easily breathe underwater, or fly.... And if I'd thought about that earlier, I wouldn't have needed to be so frightened of that tower. Still, to prove it myself, I step through the doorway -- it's right before the fairly well known 'turtle' formation on the top of the massive stone structure.
After that, I'm floating comfortably, breathing underwater. I don't even feel cold! The lighting is unreasonably good considering where I am; I feel like I can see everything I recognize from the various websites I've checked out about it.
I try to imagine what it would be like if we'd actually gotten to come here for the vacation. Actually, I suppose it would be too stormy for us to dive and explore the ruins. That doesn't prevent the image of Koizumi happily babbling on about the history of it to Asahina-san and Nagato from forming in my mind, though. I keep images of them from manifesting in the dream around me; I don't think I'd like leaving them behind here.
I suppose it would have been fun if we really could have done it.... Haruhi would probably have enjoyed it, and I could see us discussing the idea of it being natural or man-made while enjoying island cuisine afterward, too. Of course, if I wanted to know, I could just ask Nagato, but that would take all the fun out of it. Somehow, I really like the idea of listening to one specific member of the Brigade muse on what she thinks it might really be instead.
Maybe I can bring Haruhi here later; somehow, this doesn't feel like a place she's been yet. At least, I can't see her here. I swim back to the doorway that's just sitting in the ocean, and float gently to the ground of the clifftop. I notice that I'm conveniently completely dry, too.
Well ... the trick I used to find her last time doesn't seem to be working. Maybe she's just not dreaming tonight? So ... if Haruhi's not around for me to find, which seems to be the case, what next? What else can I do here? A written message would hardly work, would it?
Then again.... Nagato had mentioned that Haruhi had created a 'new space' of some sort, hadn't she? I wonder how far it goes beyond the bounds of traditional lucid dreaming. I know it goes far enough to let Haruhi and I meet, which I don't think is normally possible. I'm almost certain that the place where I am isn't something in my mind, or Haruhi's.
If she's not around, it couldn't be in hers, and too much of the stuff she's come up with isn't from me.
Does that mean ... that this place is still around, even if neither of us are dreaming it?
If that's the case....
The doorway to the club room is still behind me, just sitting on the clifftop and looking oddly both unnatural and as though it should be there -- the way things sometimes do in dreams. I take the handle and close it, thinking of that version of Himeji Castle that Haruhi made.
When I look through the door -- I'm taken aback. The scenery is a twisted jumble! The walls are all disproportionate and bowed out or in, like some surreal impressionist painting! The sense of grandeur that Haruhi put into it is still lingering, and as I watch the scenery seems to slowly be twisting itself back into some semblance of proper shape. Even so, I think it's safe to surmise that it didn't precisely 'survive' that well since we'd seen it last.
So, why were the clifftop and club room in so much better shape? Or ... had they gotten out of alignment and been restored when I focused on them? Then again, there was another possibility, too!
I close the door and focused on the version of the castle that I had tried to make that took Haruhi's image and my own together. This time when it opens, the fuzziness and lack of focus is much less severe. That's something!
It seems if we both work together on something, it will persist!
Of course, what I see when I open the door validates that theory. This instance of the castle is wavering a lot less, and firms up as soon as I look at it.
So! Haruhi made an area of shared persistent dreams!
How can I use this to leave a message for her? As far as she seems prone to wandering in her dreams, where can I be sure she'd even find such a thing?
I step into that alternate Himeji Castle -- we did both work together on it, after all -- and spend a short while exploring it. This time, I'm not haunted by storming rainclouds, at least. I stop in the same archway where I found myself shrinking last time, and contemplate.
I don't have any particular reason to think that Haruhi would come back here, though. I need to explain my discovery to her, first, and I can't do that until we meet up again. Really, before all that, I want to let her know that I'm trapped in Hinamizawa.
I nod decisively and open the nearest gate into her Greek palace. This place ... is also very wavery, but not nearly as much as her copy of the castle. I wonder if that means she's been here recently?
Like all of my lucid dreams so far, there aren't any other people around. No harpist, no one holding a tray of grapes.... Well -- if Haruhi comes here in her dreams, I can hope she'll visit it again even if I'm not around. That thought in mind, I study the reaches of the room.
While the area is grand, it's also got a certain lack of real details.... I hope she doesn't mind, but by concentrating and looking away, I make the tiles of the floor form a grand mosaic -- her Brigade logo from the website. The modified one, not her original, just in case that's a problem. The columns and pillars receive some minor upgrades -- more ornate bases and some hooks higher up, holding small pans of burning oil for light. Some nearby urns are revised with images I think Haruhi would get a kick out of -- her most recent victory over the computer research society president primarily.
Instead of leaving it at that, I throw in her standing up to the student council president for Nagato's sake, as well, but stop myself before I go too much further. There's got to be room for more trophies, as well, and while I could probably spend all night making such images, I really shouldn't go too overboard.
Now, that alone should send something of a message, but how do I explain the Hinamizawa situation? Even if I've refined the place by adding to what she's made, hopefully making it more solid and persistent....
I could try and make a mural of it, but the idea is a bit complicated, and a Grecian mural of me moping behind floodwaters seems silly. There's also the possibility that these details are too subtle and she'll miss them if she's busy looking for something more interesting.
If her divan in the center of the room is a focal point, I could leave something there, couldn't I?
A few ideas go through my head, and one finally sticks with me. I'd probably die if word of it got to the waking world, but it should send a message to Haruhi well enough. I have no real confidence in my ability to make a tape recorder or something like that, but thinking of one of Shutaro's toys, I craft a replica of one of them -- by looking away and imagining it resting on her cushions.
I test it once, wincing at how silly it may end up being after all ... but it's better than nothing.
And now that I've finished with that task, what else?
I suppose.... I suppose with nothing better to do, I may as well relax. This is the closest I'll really get to time alone without having to deal with my cousins, or the disaster in Hinamizawa. That thought in mind, I go to the door I've left there, and open it to my bedroom.
It's exactly as I envision it, mostly. It's raining outside, a reminder of the situation I can't quite escape, but at least I can feel comfortable and relaxed in one of my favorite places. I don't really think about it until I try to turn on my television and game system, and they don't work.
Well, so much for that thought. Or, wait -- maybe I'm just going around this the wrong way? That's probably it.
I look away and concentrate, envisioning what I want -- not that game I've been working on. This is a dream, so I may as well take a page from Haruhi's book and go all out! When I look back, the screen is on, showing me the bright, colorful display of a shiny new game.
I start to reach for the controller, then stop myself. Why stop there?
I merely concentrate, and the cursor on the screen switches over to the 'new game' prompt.
Almost immediately, my surroundings melt away -- really melt away! -- and I find myself standing in a meadow before the gates of a small village. The wall is wooden, and neatly uniform; I see a repeating pattern of five posts, copied and pasted repeatedly in a line. The grass waves uniformly, with three different types of flowers for variety, all of them identical to one-another except for color.
Scanning around, a screen of identical trees blocks progress in all directions except for the town itself.
That's pretty typical for these games, though.
Well -- nothing for it. I check myself out a bit -- I appear to be wearing a cape (Haruhi would approve), and have a sword on my back that's roughly the size of a door, and should weigh two or three times what I do. I pull it out experimentally, and it weighs practically nothing.
That's not too shabby. I put it back and march to the gates, which open up as I approach.
As soon as I step through, I'm confronted with a maze of perfectly cube-shaped crates slightly higher than I am tall. Between me and them is a cleared area that looks somewhat like a market with around twenty villagers standing around. All but three of them are dressed identically, and bumbling around aimlessly.
I experimentally approach the nearest one and greet him, "Hello."
"There are many guards in the castle," he responds unhesitantly.
Not really unexpected. I try another non-player character and greet him, as well.
This time, the response is, "The king watches over us all!"
A few more experiments get me similarly empty bits of dialog. Well, that's a bit dull.
I go to the nearest person dressed differently, and try greeting him.
"Welcome to Tutoria!" he replies. "You're so fortunate! Today is our yearly celebration -- the annual Festival of the Pushable Cube!"
I actually groan at that.
Really? Really? I put myself in a brand new exciting game, and the first thing I'm confronted with is the most annoying role playing video game cliche of all time -- the block puzzle?
I almost start to get upset -- I'm trapped in Hinamizawa in real life, and in my dream, when I want to play around, I'm confronted with....
But then, it clicks. Here, in the dream, I can actually solve the puzzle. In the waking world, I'm stuck and can do nothing. So, my subconscious mind gives me something I can overcome to deal with instead?
I was looking for a distraction, and playing a role playing game in a dream in first-person seems fun, but I don't actually want to fight monsters. That's too much effort after a day with the cousins; a puzzle is actually just the perfect thing, isn't it?
Well, in these games you usually view things from above, not the eyes of the main character. The book Haruhi had me read actually had some tips on this, though -- or at least, something that would apply anyway. So, I concentrate, and quickly enough I drift out of my body, my viewpoint floating up and looking down.
My body is below me, and from above ... this is a surprisingly devious puzzle. I think this may beat that nasty block puzzle in Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals!
Below me, my body adopts a grin and marches ahead at my direction, grabbing the first block and preparing to slide it forward.
I pretty much lose myself in the soothing pattern of determining which blocks I can move to progress though the field, and there's no real sense of time passing anyway. All the same, I finally finish the puzzle -- which is funny, because it covers far more area than the houses the villagers are supposed to live in does -- and have to admit a sense of satisfaction. It may only be an obstacle I set myself, but at least I've defeated it!
Before I can head towards the exit and explore the rest of the village, I can feel myself drifting -- waking up.
The book Haruhi gave me had tips to overcome that and stay in the dream, but this time, I don't bother fighting it -- I've finished for the night, and there's nothing further to be gained by staying here.
Morning's least pleasant surprise, after another wash in the gas-heated furo, is delivered before I can get to the breakfast table. The cousins are all gabbing among themselves, enjoying their time together despite the mood. It's Aunt Rika who stops me in the hall before I can head for some of the waiting food, poking one finger into my chest and arresting my motion.
"Kyon-kun," she says, looking curiously distracted, "I wonder what was with that expression when I dropped Matsu-chan and Shu-chan off two nights ago?"
It takes me a moment to realize she's referring to the flash of lightning that had lit her up and.... How can I explain that for a heartbeat, she looked like the psychotic alien who had tried to kill me twice before? "I...it was ... the lightning," I start lamely.
She nods, looking less than convinced, then shakes her head, her distraction fading as her gaze focuses on me. "Miii..." she sighs, making another of her nonsense noises. "Kyon-kun's been doing a good job helping out with the cousins; today, Satoko-chan and Rena-chan are going to give them school assignments, because the school building is occupied."
That makes sense -- and I won't complain about the break from watching over them, myself!
"Kyon-kun doesn't have to do schoolwork, but should be a good role-model and make sure he shows them to behave by looking busy! Maybe even with something that looks like a textbook, but is more interesting to Kyon-kun?" she suggests, a smile coming to her lips. "Satoko-chan and Rena-chan would appreciate the help, and a troublemaker -- no matter how cute -- like Matsu-chan would be better behaved, for that~!"
I ... can't think of any arguments to counter that. I do at least have the advantage of not actually having to do schoolwork, though. More importantly, if I try to fight it, I'm positive my mother will have me actually doing busywork from the books I brought up for my Golden Week homework anyway.
Somewhat resigned to the way things are going to have to be, I nod. "I understand," I agree, sighing.
"And then to stretch Kyon-kun's legs -- when it's time for a break, Kyon-kun can get some fresh air by delivering lunch to Kei-chan and the uncles~!" she affirms, nodding again. "They're working on clearing out the mudslide -- shuu, shuu~!" In her typical way, she finishes with a sound effect for shoveling, I guess, and beams me a bright smile.
"Got it," I reply, managing a sincere smile. While she's silly, she's right that I won't really mind doing another delivery run. Well, there's the 'fetch quest' I managed to avoid dealing with in my dream last night, I guess. It's hard to stay down too much with her cheerful disposition confronting me; seeing me smile back, she allows one last nod of approval before kissing her children farewell and heading back down to the school building.
The lucid dreaming textbook does look just like any other text book, and the cousins didn't recognize the kanji before, so it should be fine. I guess it could give me more of a chance to look for differences between the state of the place Haruhi made for us, and lucid dreaming proper.
That thought in mind, when I go to the table, it's armed with that same book. Only Yurie seems to muse over the cover ... but if she recognizes one or two characters, there's no furigana for her to decipher the rest. And, anyway, even Aunt Rika said it would be fine.
"Mm," Yurie muses after breakfast, tapping her lower lip. "Kyon-nii is smiling -- did he have a good dream last night, I wonder, I wonder?"
I guess she can recognize the character for 'dream' at least.... Well, that's still not a problem. "Just a dream about playing a video game," I answer, to my mother's fond sigh of exasperation.
She giggles at that, and then Matsuri launches into another bid for my attention.
While I do manage to read more of the book that Haruhi assigned to me, I spend a lot of the 'class' session actually being pulled into helping my cousins and my sister with their lessons. Hinamizawa's school building only hosted a single mixed class for all years anyway, so for my cousins this isn't terribly different from actually attending normally anyway. Evidently, the few older students end up spending much of their time tutoring the younger children.
Because of that, I end up skipping around through the book a little. I'm mostly looking for things to try -- things the book tells me are difficult or don't happen often. I have to wonder how many differences there are between 'proper' lucid dreaming, and this thing that Haruhi's set up.
Though, when I do figure out things that should be different, given the fact that Haruhi gave this book to me in the first place ... should I point it out to her? Well ... I haven't been able to give her many clues that have been really helpful, and I do want to help her in some way ... so I probably really should.
Those thoughts weigh on my mind, a metaphorical counterpart to the now-familiar backpack filled with supplies as I begin the trudge down from Aunt Mion's once more. It has to weigh as much as the radio, it's so packed -- and I suppose I should be happy that the hill has trained my body to be able to handle an assignment like this. Well, the hill and a certain Brigade chief.
By the time I set out, the cloud cover is gone, and the valley is heavy with the silent stillness that follows a storm.
I can hear the occasional bird chirping, but more, just the sound of my own footsteps. The sun has dried the dirt paths out a little, but there are still puddles and large patches of mud. I can see the tracks of my father and the uncles, and use those to determine the best route.
The village's main row hasn't flooded, and smoke from the chimneys tells me that the people in those houses are still home. From there, it's onto the firmer footing of the paved road, and a gentle upslope on the path toward Okinomiya. All told, it's about three kilometers to the mudslide.
The road is fairly typical for these mountainous regions. I hadn't paid much attention when we were coming into the village, but now that I'm on foot, I have a lot more time to look around. To my left is a steep slope, about a dozen meters of forested earth before a muddy footpath. I could climb down easily enough, but getting back up would be a trial -- and there's no reason to go down there anyway. After the footpath, another drop-off leads to one of the tributaries, raised from a tiny stream into a respectable river, thanks to all the rain.
That adds a lot of perspective; I haven't seen more than torrential rain, but it's my first visual cue of the flooding. A tree branch, with one limb thrust into the air, like a desperate hand reaching for help, shoots through the rapidly flowing water. With that measure of just how fast the water is flowing, I move away from the edge of the road, and to the right -- the side of the mountains that this road cuts through.
The scenery on the other side of the road is actually a sheer, concrete wall -- slabs stacked up to protect the road from ... well, mudslides and erosion. Being closer to the reinforcement puts me in the shadow of the trees and shrubbery overhead, and limits my ability to see ahead.
Even so, there's no reason to get closer to the slope that leads to the river, is there?
I hear the people working on it before I round the bend in the road, calling to one-another and chatting. There's no sounds of machinery, which makes me wonder what happened to the equipment that Uncle Keiichi mentioned was used to reinforce a levee. It must be on the Okinomiya side of the blockage, I guess.
I do step around the curve, and quickly falter to a stop. I've seen pictures of mudslides before, and when I didn't think they were covered well in elementary school science classes, had looked up more information about them myself. Since Nishinomiya doesn't have much risk for it, it's not something that's focused on much. None of those pictures really helped prepare me for the magnitude of it, though.
When I heard 'mudslide,' I expected something like a pile of mud, maybe even broken segments of the concrete retaining wall. What I actually see looks more like ... well, a new ridge of the mountain that just happens to run directly across the road. The concrete retaining wall actually may be intact beneath all of that -- it appears the slide started further up the mountain and then just flowed down. There's remarkably little foliage or branches sticking up from the mud, though quite ominously, probably only two dozen meters above the slide -- that I can't even see the far side of -- is the twisted wreckage of the power and phone lines' support tower.
I have a moment of fear for the cables, but then realize they must be dead already; someone would have noticed the lines were down, and cut the power accordingly. I shake myself from my stunned staring. Uncle Keiichi and the other uncles -- and a good dozen men from the village -- are carefully digging away at the mounded soil. They're working from the top down to avoid further collapses, and I'm a bit surprised at how dry this mud already seems, compared to the paths I walked on from Aunt Mion's place.
Still.... A makeshift camp has been set up on the road, a fallen log pulled to one side to make a bench. Someone's set out a collapsing table, covered with spare shovels, picks, ropes, and a small stack of hard-hats. I'm a bit surprised to see that someone's hauled an ancient yatai up from the village, too.
The cart looks hand-made, probably usually only dragged out for festivals before this -- it's abandoned at the moment, but when they recognize me, one of the nearer men waves and jogs over to it. It takes him only a few minutes to open the cart up and transform it into a functional kitchen. Taking that cue, I'm glad to unload the heavy backpack and set it on the counter.
I don't remember his name -- or if we've even met before -- but before I can try to figure out a proper introduction, Uncle Keiichi is at my side, pounding me on the back with one hand and grinning. "Taiso, this is my nephew, Kyon," he introduces me, destroying any chance of me getting my proper name out.
Oh, well.
"Kyon," Uncle Keiichi continues, "this is Suzuki Taiso-san; he has a home out here, but usually works in Okinomiya. If we had the ingredients, I guarantee you, he would prepare the best takoyaki you've ever had!"
Suzuki-san chuckles at the praise, but doesn't break from setting up his portable kitchen. Right after that, my father arrives and starts unloading things from the bag -- handing them over to Suzuki-san to cook. "Lunch in about twenty minutes," he promises, setting his hard-hat down and putting on a proper bandana, then opening a compartment in the yatai to reveal a small sink.
By this point, all the other uncles and workers at the site have recognized the signal for a break. A glance shows someone else setting up a propane burner and preparing coffee, and the thermos of tea I brought with me is also quickly parceled out into cups.
"How are the kids?" my father asks. "Is your sister behaving?"
She and Yurie are probably the most well-behaved of the lot, really. "Everyone's fine," I assure him. "We had lessons in the morning, since school should be in session." I shake my head and look over to the blockage. Certainly, since it's a few meters deep, it's not going to be moved quickly -- especially with nothing more than hand-tools. "How are things here?"
"Well," Uncle Keiichi says with a sigh, his smile fading, "there's an awful lot of mud. I can't even guess at the power-- Probably, they'll need a new site further upslope, but who's to say? For getting the road clear, by hand it would probably take two months."
What a daunting task!
"Eh-- It's not that bad," he adds quickly, on seeing my downcast expression. "I expect that it'll take maybe up to a week for the Department of Public Works to get real equipment here-- In that time, we'll probably do as much work as they can in a single day."
"And that's one less day that they'll have to work in it to open up the road," my father adds. "Which is good -- for all we know, the mudslide's damaged to road or the retaining wall beneath it."
I nod thoughtfully at that. It's better than nothing ... but not a far cry from the 'busywork' I was doing earlier. I suppose that's the best we can do in this situation though, isn't it?
My pointless, wandering thoughts are brought back to earth when Suzuki-san announces that the cooking is done, and starts serving out food for everyone. I watch for only a moment before Uncle Keiichi gently jostles me, remarking, "Come on -- you eat too, Kyon! You've earned it after helping out by bring us lunch!"
"Ah, okay," I agree, joining him and the other uncles in line. Well, with any luck, I'll be able to reach Haruhi tonight. That's got to be better than relying on that 'message' that I came up with for her!