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.
Even though I have fallen into the most dreadful of all things possible -- a routine -- I've gotten used to being stuck in the mountains. The brief reprieve to check in with the Brigade chief helped, for some reason, and I found myself helping my cousins with their lessons with a bit more vigor. When my aunts needed something moved, my step was lighter.
That single phone call for the few hours the lines were up helped quite a bit!
When evening rolls around and the entire family is brought together to eat by lantern light, Yurie and Matsuri are given a temporary reprieve and allowed to join everyone else for dinner.
Both of them are well behaved -- well, Yurie almost always is, but Matsuri is still her more quietly reformed self. They share a side of the kotatsu while their mothers parcel out food.
"It's a good thing we picked up so many supplies," I remark to Uncle Keiichi, thinking of our shopping trip to Okinomiya.
"That's true," he answers, nodding. "A real stroke of luck. But you know, it's not half as fortunate as finding that cable to patch the phone line!"
I can't help but smile, thinking about Haruhi and how she must have subconsciously made that whole thing possible. I should probably be more alarmed, but her powers being used to help people? That strikes me as fine, really. Maybe a little bit selfishly, I'm also okay with it because it benefits me--
Anyway, the effect was subtle enough, wasn't it? Still.... "How unlikely?" I wonder.
"It was in the back of the emergency supply shed," Uncle Keiichi explains, shrugging. "That's checked and rotated around every few months, though, so it's odd that the exact cable we'd need and all the tools turned up in the back of the shed suddenly. In fact, I'm not sure how we missed it earlier, since we were using the blankets and pillows from that shed anyway."
"A lucky stroke!" Aunt Rika exclaims cheerfully. "Pin-pon!"
Uncle Keiichi shrugs at her sound-effect, smiling softly. "Lucky indeed," he agrees.
Well, once in a while, that sort of thing is probably okay. Yurie and Matsuri look strangely thoughtful -- but then, they've been cooped up all day, haven't they?
Being thankful once more that we still have fresh water and gas, I shrug myself, just enjoying my aunts' cooking.
My reality-check lets me know I'm in a dream almost the moment I arrive. Naturally, I'm in the clubroom again, and if not in a dream, why else would I be there?
I'm stuck in Hinamizawa, after all!
The surroundings seem largely unchanged -- I have to wonder if this place will stick around like Haruhi's little palace? I suppose it's just being refreshed by the fact that I always appear here, so probably not.
More importantly, I can meet up with Haruhi! There's also the possibility of running into Asahina-san again, which wouldn't be bad either!
Of course, when I open the door, set to the Grecian undersea palace ... there's no sign of Haruhi at all.
As it's hardly the first time that has happened, I turn back to the door, closing it and thinking of her. No luck, unfortunately. The door opens to the very worn and abstract remnants of my block-puzzle village, first. Instead of refreshing it, I grimace at the unwanted sight and close the door, trying again.
After the third familiar but empty vista, I close the door a bit more forcefully.
Alright. That just means that Haruhi isn't here. Maybe she's up late, or just too tired.
I think of Asahina-san suddenly-- I could see her, couldn't I? I grab the doorknob, but pause before opening it. I don't mind her company in the slightest ... but I had just given her some hints to determine who her superior actually was, hadn't I?
Could I really handle being around her without blurting the rest of it out?
I know my own limits, and in some areas they might be too weak!
Well, what else is there to do?
Glancing at an urn which depicts a figure that must be Asahina-san meeting Haruhi in the dream, it suddenly occurs to me. I could try and find the dreams of others, couldn't I? Now, who could I look for?
My cousins? I think for some reason I'd rather avoid those. The same for the rest of my family, really.
In fact, thinking about it, I'd really only want to try and reach the dreams of people who could understand what it meant. Just wandering into, say, Taniguchi's dreams wouldn't be satisfying. Other than the fact that I'm certain I know what he'd dream of and don't really care for that, I especially don't want to deal with him blathering that he'd dreamed about me at school the next day, even if I don't have to be there for it!
In a flash of insight, I realize there's someone who I should be able to meet without any problems at all. While I know I can rely on Haruhi to look out for the Brigade, there's one other person who's just as dependable, isn't there?
That thought in mind, I firmly envision that reliable person, closing my eyes and grabbing the doorknob. It twists in my hand and a soft breeze gently tugs it open.
I know I must be smiling as though pleased with myself as I open my eyes once more and step forward -- into a soft green meadow, glowing in the bright sun. I take a moment to admire my surroundings. They're green, gently rolling hills that stretch as far as I can see. Directly behind me is the door I came in through, incongruously standing on a platform at one edge of a giant archway.
I think it may actually be a perfect circle, only slightly more than the top half of it above ground.
A wide river lazily flows from the other side of the archway and across the valley floor before winding around a hill and out of sight. Directly below the doorway, and perfectly following the river, is a cobbled path.
Of course, this is a dream, so in addition to all of those scenic features is something really astounding. The other side of the archway lets me see a far more alien space! For starters, a pair of suns are in that foreign sky -- a tiny blue star and a much larger red orb. Their total light is dimmer than the golden illumination from the sun directly overhead -- but through the archway, I can see that the alien landscape is covered with sprawling buildings of all kinds as far as I can see!
Clouds of flying metallic shapes -- Vehicles? Robots? -- stream between buildings and through the sky on the other side of the portal, and I find myself taking a step back to appreciate it. I suppose for a dream, neither of these are very fantastic, but the juxtaposition is something else entirely!
But where can I find who I'm looking for here?
As I think this, I hear an oddly grating, somewhat synthesized sound, and turn in alarm, hopping into the air. Hey! Where did that come from!?
I almost laugh at the sight, once I recover from my alarm and drift down to the ground slowly.
The creature there chews on the grass in front of it, giving me a flat, yet simultaneously amused stare. The speaker grill on its side emits another partially synthesized, "Baaah," before it turns and wanders away, across the valley floor.
I really do laugh at the power cord hanging where the tail should be!
Following it at a trot, I find the landscape blurring away, and almost instantly reach a distant hilltop. The river and its portal sparkle in the sun behind us, but directly ahead is the person I was looking for!
She looks up from where she's lounging on a lawn chair, wearing one of her outfits from our long-ago summer vacation. The book in her hands has a title that I can't decipher, but I smirk, glancing at a small cluster of the creatures I followed here.
Unable to help myself, I ask, "Do you really dream of electric sheep, Nagato?"
"I can," she answers smoothly, surprising me a tiny bit. I'd have just expected a nod!
"What do you normally dream of, then?" I wonder.
"I do not normally dream," she replies. "But it is necessary to meet you here."
...really? I scratch my head at that. "You mean, you needed to meet me here?"
She gives that familiar, tiny shake of her head in response.
"Then -- you mean that you couldn't meet me here unless you had a dream?"
That gets me her familiar tiny nod.
Well! Momentarily at a loss, I just scratch the back of my head again. After a moment I close my eyes and envision another chair -- and a low table with an umbrella over it. When I open them again, those things have appeared, so I take the other chair without hesitation.
Actually, this is kind of nice, too.
Nagato sets her book on the table, and I ask, "So ... is this that 'new space' that Haruhi created?"
"Yes," she answers softly.
Settling back into the ridiculously comfortable chair, I sigh. "Well ... for better or for worse, this has set things into motion." Though, thinking about things.... /"I'm pretty sure Haruhi used her powers to fix the phone line at Hinamizawa, too."
"The IDSE tracked notable data creation at that point, but was not able to fully analyze it," Nagato answers, eyes seemingly locked on me.
Hmm, so they might want to study it? I guess as long as they don't interfere that's probably fine. "At first I was thinking it was alright for her to do that without knowing what she can really do. Now that I think it over a bit more, I think it's for the best that she figure things out -- especially with this 'shared dream' thing."
Her head tilts slightly, but she remains silent.
"Er, I mean ... these things are harmless, but if these kinds of changes are being made, then the one responsible should be aware! I mean, otherwise it's not really 'responsibility' as much as the person who is 'to blame'...." I trail off, realizing I'm rambling pointlessly. "Um, it's nice to see you again, Nagato."
"I am glad you are well," she answers, startling me a bit, giving her trademark tiny nod.
Well, why can't she have sentiment? It's been a while since we've met or talked! "I-- I guess what I'm trying to say is that for better or for worse, Haruhi is on the path to figure ... well ... everything out. But you probably already noticed that, didn't you?"
I get the strangest, tiniest inkling that she's smirking, with a mischievous glint in her eyes as she says, "I am aware."
Hmm? What's that mean? I guess it's probably best not to worry.... Anyway, even if I'm comfortably lucid dreaming, I'm supposed to sleep normally too, aren't I? That thought in mind, it's probably best to drift off to real sleep.
"In any case, hopefully I'll be able to come back home soon," I muse. "Though, I guess if I don't, we can still meet here! Anyway, I should probably rest, but it was good to meet you."
"See you soon," she answers, as I relax, letting my awareness sink away.
It's almost with regret that I make my reality check, recognizing that I'm in the dream again -- although given the landscape, it's almost pointless, as this place doesn't look like it could exist anywhere in the Japan I know.
I'm standing at the edge of a fairly sizable lake that's covered in streamers of mist. That in itself isn't all that unusual; the huge western-style mansion that's standing above the mist is, however. It's not quite as big as Himeji Castle was, but it has to be the biggest house I've ever seen in person -- or dreamed, I suppose, since I'm not really seeing it. It's hard to tell whether the mansion's on an island in the lake or on the far shore, or even whether it might be built directly out of the water -- the mist is thick enough to conceal the base.
The other odd thing about the scene is the irregular patches of ice covering the surface of the lake. It's definitely not cold enough here for it to have formed naturally, but there are odd-shaped stretches of it all the way across the lake, at least as far as I can see.
While it's an interesting view -- if not as wild and crazy as some of the other places I've found myself in -- I put it out of my mind, suppressing a sigh as I do so. While I'm not going to complain about finding myself in a dream again, after the day I've just had I'd almost rather get some normal sleep, where I don't actually have to think about what I'm dealing with.
After Kyon's call, most of the rest of the day passed in a blur. The entire lunch period was taken up with more arrangements for the fundraiser. The number of people wanting to participate just keeps on growing; at this point it's almost turned into a second cultural festival, with a dozen different clubs and classes all putting together events to help raise money. I have to admit the turnout's surprised even me; Hinamizawa's a tiny little village that's halfway across Japan, after all, but I suppose the fact that there's someone from our school that's affected by the disaster -- even if a lot of the students don't know him personally -- gives everyone a bit more incentive to help out.
I'd probably be even more fried if it wasn't for Tsuruya. After classes were over, she caught up with me in the Brigade room and offered to help take over a lot of the legwork in organizing at this point, which was awesome of her -- and she was right, too, as it really was getting too big for one person to take care of all the coordination.
Even with all the stress, though, there have been some awesome payoffs already. One of them's been the change in Mikuru; I didn't have much of a chance to talk to her today, but she looked more confident and focused today than I think I've ever seen before. She didn't say it outright, but she implied that she wouldn't be able to make it to the dream tonight due to some other business she needed to take care of.
Dealing with Yuki was a little odd, realizing that she was actually an alien; I didn't call her out on it directly yet, but I think she somehow knew that I'd figured it out anyway. And for Koizumi's part, he actually seemed to be making an effort to avoid me for some reason; I did see him while I was running around during breaks, but at the club meeting he didn't even show up, just sent a text that an emergency had come up with his fake 'part-time job' and he wouldn't be able to make it. I really do want to know what he was actually doing, though!
I think the best thing to happen so far, though, was what happened after the club meeting was over and we were all leaving. Just after I'd finished locking up the clubroom and was turning to leave, I'd spotted him. He was waiting at the end of the hallway in a shadow, and I might not have even spotted him if I hadn't caught the sunlight reflecting off his glasses.
Why the student council president was outside the club room, I still have no idea. I'd have expected him to try chewing me out for one thing or another; the fundraiser kind of had taken over the school over the past few days, and he probably wanted the student council to be able to claim credit for it. Instead of saying anything to me, though, he just turned his back and stalked off, and I could have sworn I heard his teeth grinding when he did.
Honestly, I don't even notice how much time passes while I reminisce; there's actually something relaxing to just sit back for a few minutes and file away the events of the day. While I'm in the middle of them all I can really think about is what's necessary right at that minute. Either way, though, I don't really want to waste the entire night rehashing what happened today. I reach up to turn the page to Kyon, then pause.
While it's awesome being able to have fun with Kyon like this, I've already proven that I can find other people here, too. Maybe I should see if I can find one of the others, too? Catching Mikuru in her dream was enough to show me what she really was, after all, and while I've got Kyon's words to go off of now -- at least now that I remember them -- it'll be good to find some corroborating evidence on my own, too.
With that in mind, though, who should I look for?
Yuki... hmm. She's as much as confirmed what she is to me already, and I really get the feeling if I was to ask her in the real world at this point, she'd just tell me. The idea of checking out an alien's dreams is really intriguing, but there's also the question of whether she dreams at all, or if it's anything I could even get into? Mikuru was human, just from a different time, after all, so presumably humanity itself hasn't changed all that much between now and whenever she's from.
Koizumi, though... In Koizumi's case, I still don't know much at all about him. He wasn't even around to try to get clues from in the Brigade meeting today, so the only things I have to go on in his case are that Kyon said he was an esper and that he was obviously covering up his Brigade absences with a fake part-time job. And presumably an esper will be a lot more similar to regular humans than an actual alien would be, so trying to find his dreams should be a lot easier.
The decision isn't even in question, really. With my mind made up, I reach up and turn the page--
It takes me a minute to regain my senses after the shift this time, but when I do, I can tell I'm moving pretty fast -- I'm matching pace with what looks like an old steam locomotive heading through the foothills of a large mountain range, pulling a passenger train behind it. It's a little strange, though -- where's Koizumi, if this is really his dream? And where am I, for that matter, to be watching the train from outside like this?
Of course, figuring that last part out doesn't take long; as near as I can tell, I'm not anywhere. It's almost like the very first time I managed to get into a lucid dream, where I left my body behind and went looking around, except that this time there's no body to go back to; the only thing I seem to be drawn towards is the train itself.
Should make it easy to spy on Koizumi! But first things first -- I'll need to find him.
With that, I move into the train itself. Fortunately, since I'm disembodied at the moment, moving through the walls of the train should be simple. I'll start with the caboose and work my way up; that way, I'll be sure not to miss Koizumi no matter where he is.
This train is... strange, though. From the outside it looks completely normal, but once I make it inside... it's an absolute wreck! It's totally bizarre, too; the caboose looked completely intact from the outside, but once I make it inside it looks like a burned-out hulk, with holes smashed through the walls and floor. I can see the sleepers zipping past through one of them -- this train is really moving!
There's no sign of anyone here, though, so I keep moving forward. The passenger cars look like what I'd expect from a train this old; it's like something out of Murder on the Orient Express, with separate passenger compartments that open out into a hallway along one side of the car. The cars immediately in front of the caboose are empty, but these look like they've been through a warzone too -- just not as much as the caboose did. There are what look like bullet holes through both walls in the hallway, and even what appears to be a bloodstain coming from underneath one of the doors, although when I stick my head in to see what caused it there's no sign that anyone's inside.
It's a little disturbing, but remembering that this is just a dream helps a bit with that. The next car up the line is the dining car, and this is the first place I run into actual people -- although it's nothing like I would have expected! The tables are filled with what look like old-time American mobsters, even down to having pistols and violin cases that have to have tommy guns in them! They don't appear to be doing anything in particular, though -- just sitting at the tables drinking and playing cards.
A movement behind the bar catches my attention, though... and when I turn to look, I really pay attention! Mikuru's just coming out from behind the bar, and she's wearing a red Western-style evening gown that's covered in sequins, cut extra low on top and extra high on the bottom -- there are slits for her legs on both sides, stretching way above her hips.
This Mikuru isn't moe at all -- this is just straight-out sex appeal, and then some!
The fact that I'm disembodied means she pays no attention to me at all, if she even recognizes that I'm here in the first place. She literally sashays out from behind the bar, heading through the door leading towards the front of the train. She's not just sexy, she knows it if she's flaunting it like that! While she's definitely not hard on the eyes, I can't help but be reminded of that fake Mikuru I saw when I was looking for Kyon in the dream the first time.
Even more so when I follow her out of the dining car! She's got herself plastered up against what looks like a conductor, rubbing that huge chest of hers against his arm-- geez, I'm totally jealous!
"You can let me past -- I just want to check on a friend of mine that's in another car," she purrs.
"I'm-- I'm really sorry, miss, but I can't let anyone through right now," the conductor replies, swallowing nervously. I can't blame him for that! "I can send word to one of the other conductors and we'll see if we can't find out what happened to your friend, if you'd like."
Mikuru tugs on the uniformed man's arm at that, a petulant look on her face. "I'm sure it'll be all right. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."
The conductor seems to be sweating a bit, and he's definitely looking everywhere but down the cleavage Mikuru's deliberately putting on display for him. "I-- I really can't, miss! I'll try to help you if I can, but the train is under lockdown until we can make sure that everything's under control -- there are some dangerous people aboard right now!"
"Yes, I know," Mikuru replies, her voice seeming a lot less sultry as she--
What the actual hell?! Mikuru just flipped the guy over her shoulder and straight off the side of the train! And from what I can see, we're rounding the slope of a mountain, so there's no telling how far that guy just fell! I instinctively cover my mouth to hide the gasp, but of course there's no gasp since I don't even have a mouth at the moment.
For her part, Mikuru just lets out a low laugh as she looks out over the drop. "I know there are dangerous people on this train, silly boy. I'm one of them." With that, she throws the lever on the coupler joining the two cars together, watching the end of the train detach and drop behind as it loses speed.
"Now, I just need to 'convince' the engineer to take the train where I want it," she murmurs, adjusting her decolletage as she opens the door and strides into the next car beyond.
I can't bear to watch this Mikuru any longer, so I flee further up the train -- not really paying attention to how far I'm going. By the time I've stopped, I seem to be in a baggage car, and this time it's Yuki that I'm with. She's dressed like a boy, though -- a tweed jacket and shorts over a boy's shirt, with a newsboy cap pulled low over her eyes. She's acting pretty stealthily, though -- peering around a stack of suitcases at a group of rough-looking men that are openly carrying machine guns and revolvers.
After seeing what Mikuru did, I almost don't want to stick around to watch Yuki -- but I do anyway. Is she going to turn out to be some super-skilled assassin that can take out the entire group of thugs by herself? I could just imagine her leaping into the middle of the pack, flinging oversized goons in every direction with incredible martial arts...
Yeah, right, Haruhi -- like that could possibly happen! Even if she's an alien, she seems so waifish that the idea is just too surreal to take seriously. She looks more like a spy, not a fighter -- someone to stay out of the way, unnoticed, gathering information while no one suspects a thing.
What she -does- do is almost as surreal as her mopping the floor with that group of mobsters, though! With a huge jump, she goes through the roof of the train without a sound and without a hole, landing lightly on her feet on the riveted metal sheets that form the top of the baggage car.
"I must get to him," Yuki says softly -- but who the heck is 'him'? Crouching low against the wind resistance, she starts to dash towards the front of the train -- come to think of it, we're not that far from the engine, are we?
Everyone I've seen seems to be heading for the engine, come to think of it, so it's probably not a bad idea for me, either. I have an easier time of it, though -- I can just zip along above the top of the train without worrying about whatever might be going on inside.
When I get there, I've definitely found my target... or targets plural, since both Kyon and Koizumi are there. Koizumi's carrying a pistol of some kind and has a bandage stained with blood wrapped around one arm, watching the walkway around the tender, while Kyon's dressed in an old-fashioned engineer's overalls and hat.
The engineer's compartment is a lot smaller than I expected, and it seems even smaller with all the levers and valves and gauges that are cluttering up every spare surface. Kyon's certainly got his hands full, trying to keep things running smoothly -- he's constantly adjusting valves, glancing between gauges as he keeps the train running smoothly.
"Can you slow us down any further, Kyon-kun?" Koizumi calls back over his shoulder. "This is still far too rapid for my taste!"
"No, I can't!" Kyon calls back. "I've got my hands full just trying to keep this thing from going any faster than it already is! If you think it's that easy, why don't you try it?"
Koizumi spares the engineer an irate look, then sighs, the anger leaching out of his expression. "I... can't," he replies, and from the look on his face it's not an admission he wants to make. "I thought I knew how to keep things under control better than you are, but I've come to realize that I don't know the first thing about how this really works."
Kyon snorts. "I'm not perfect at this either, and I'm doing the best I can, okay? I know... things are still going a little more crazy than I'd like sometimes, but I'm trying, all right? Just... try to trust us for once, okay?"
"You have no idea how hard that is," Koizumi mutters, gripping his injured arm and wincing. "'Trusting' cost me quite a bit -- I might even be intact now if I hadn't trusted my compatriots up to the point they turned on me." He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I... it's difficult, but very well -- I'll do my best. Just remember that there's a lot more riding on this than just yourself, all right?"
"I know, I know -- you've drilled it into my head enough," Kyon grumbles. "I'm not going to--"
Whatever Kyon was going to say as a sharp report sounds, Kyon's voice dying out in a grunt as red splashes across the train's controls. Wait-- did he just get shot?! I can feel my heart hammering in my chest as Koizumi's head jerks up, looking over towards--
"Kyon!" he shouts in alarm, just as the engineer falls forward against one of the levers in the cabin. Koizumi rushes to his side, pulling him away from the lever and checking him over. With a rising sense of dread, though, I can already tell it's too late -- Koizumi's hand comes away from Kyon's chest red. "Oh god, what am I going to do?" he stammers, his voice sounding on the verge of panic as he glances around at the train's controls.
Almost as if in answer to Koizumi's attention, the train starts to accelerate, the previously controlled thunder of the steam engine rising to a deafening roar and then a shriek as steam begins to whistle out of leaks in the piping. Koizumi leaps to his feet and starts frantically twisting valves -- but all to no avail, a jet of scalding steam finally hiding him from my view as the steam whistle sounds...
And then an ear-shattering boom rocks the dream, followed by a massive burst of steam and smoke before I burst through the edge of the cloud. Looking back, it doesn't take a genius to realize that the train's boiler has exploded -- and what's worse, it was crossing a giant trestle in the mountains when it did. The explosion seems to have damaged the tracks enough for the engine to have fallen through, the now visibly battered passenger cars trailing behind it as the entire train plunges towards the ground far below.
Just as the engine strikes the rock, everything goes completely black, the only sensation remaining the pounding of my own heartbeat in my ears. What a nightmare! I have to wonder what Koizumi must be going through to dream up something like that, though... and if it was that bad for me when I knew it was a dream, how much worse was it for him?
After that ordeal, I don't feel much like looking for anyone else; for once, I don't fight it when I feel myself slipping away from the dream.
After a relaxing dream of just lazing around while Nagato enjoyed her book, I wake up feeling completely energized. It's a pointless bit of energy, since we're still stuck due to the flooding, but it's better than waking up and feeling drained.
More importantly, I think this might be one of the first mornings where I woke up at the expected time instead of someone waking me up. Doing it on my own has a certain appeal. No cousins prodding me, or aunts teasing me for sleeping in.
When I open the door and step into the hall, Aunt Rika is escorting Yurie and Matsuri from their room to the bath -- first in line, seemingly. "You're up early!" she says brightly, once the girls are in the changing room. "Hmmm, were you woken up by some uncle's snoring, zuuu, zuuu?"
Now that she mentions it, I can hear one of my uncles -- or my father -- snoring away. "No, just up early," I answer, shrugging. With the bath occupied, there's not much to do ... but I'm still feeling energized. Well, nothing for it; I'm sure my mother would approve, anyway. "Any chores you need help with?" I offer.
Aunt Rika blinks very slowly. "Hmm, check with Mion-chan," she declares.
And thanks to that offer, I find myself elbow-deep in dishes in the kitchen, even though I'm still wearing my pajamas. Aunt Mion is delighted to have the help, though. "Ah, if you've got so much energy," aunt Rena poses, "I could use more firewood being cut!"
"Well, I hope this qualifies for today's session of carrying water," I grumble. Getting out of the house sounds nice, even if chopping wood isn't really that much fun -- it's a way to keep myself busy. I suppose that I must just be anxious because I know it's only a matter of time before Haruhi figures everything out ... and Asahina-san, too.
Koizumi and Nagato are my friends, too, but they don't have the same mysteries to solve. I'll be glad for Asahina-san to understand the nature of her own superior, and for Haruhi to really understand how special she is.
"Hehe, Kyon-kun is blushing," Aunt Rika announces, surprising me that she managed to sneak up on me, a wide-eyed Matsuri and Yurie in tow. "Is this a nice thought about a girlfriend suddenly?"
"Er, dishes are done," I say, somewhat lamely, trying to pretend I didn't hear the question.
"Until after everyone finishes eating," my aunt agrees. "Go ahead and take a bath, as long as you don't mind sharing with Shutaro and Naota."
That's fine ... I can keep the two of them from playing around too much. "Alright," I agree, quickly trotting down the hall to join my cousins.
As light as my step is, I'm not quite able to escape my aunts' giggling.
After the routine that the extended family has settled into -- a bit astounding, considering the fact that we're trapped because of the flooding -- I'm reminded that it's Saturday. The cousins spend a few forlorn minutes staring at the television, but even if we're getting sporadic phone usage, the power doesn't come back on.
For myself, Aunt Rena is more than happy to help me burn off the excess energy, so Yurie joins us on a walk down the hill to their house. "We're going to pick up a few more blankets and some clothing," my aunt explains. "Yurie-chan is going to be on her best behavior and help carry things -- and while we're there, Kyon-kun is going to help chop some more wood!"
I find myself waiting for Aunt Rika's 'choki, choki' sound-effect, but Aunt Rena isn't like that; she's just easily distracted by 'cute' things.
Fortunately for Aunt Rena, even if she's temporarily moved into Aunt Mion's house to wait out the storm, her own home is situated high enough that it's safe. There is the question of why she needs wood cut if she's not even staying in that house, but it's something to do. It's something I've done before, as well, so when we get to the house, I go to the chopping block and find the axe quickly enough.
While I'm normally a very relaxed person, and enjoy spending as little energy as possible, for once I find the exertion soothing. I quickly settle into a rhythm, setting up a log, splitting it, and tossing the split wood in a pile. There's a tarp to cover it all with when I'm done -- to help protect the wood from rain. It does need to dry before it can be burned, so maybe that's Aunt Rena's actual plan?
It's hard to say.
When I finally stop to stretch -- not feeling particularly tired -- Yurie peeks out from around the corner.
"Time off for good behavior?" I ask.
She giggles and shakes her head. "Helping carry things as punishment," she answers, stepping out from around the house and moving closer. Her smile fades as she adopts a thoughtful expression, touching a fingertip to her lower lip. "Do you think the weather will clear up soon, I wonder, I wonder?"
Well, it's been overcast again today, but.... "I think it has to," I tell her, shrugging. "How long can it really rain? I've got a good feeling these clouds will blow off soon enough, and soon things will dry out."
At any rate, I'm confident that they'll figure out how to restore power and open the roads up very soon.
Yurie's eyes go from me to the clouds overhead-- I ignore them and shrug. It has to clear up soon, though; I really can't see this bad weather keeping up. "Step back a bit," I warn her, I'm going to get back to work, and I don't want you to get hit with any splinters."
"That's not enough?" she asks in surprise.
I pause before grabbing another log from the pile to split. The entire hopper for cut wood seems to be almost full. I should have stopped and straightened the logs out, but it seems my throws were somehow good enough to stack it fairly well. It seems stable, if not quite as neat as it could be.
"I guess that might be," I admit. Without my phone to check the time, I've got no real idea how long I've spent -- but surely aunt Rena is done by now? "Alright -- I'll clean up here, then."
It doesn't take long to stow the axe and put the tarp in place. Yurie follows me, still looking lost in thought. When I knock on the door, Aunt Rena answers, holding a number of bags stuffed with clothing and blankets.
"Alright!" she exclaims. "Sorry about the wait -- I was hoping I had some more candles, but it seems we're running low. Yurie-chan, take this," she instructs, handling one of the bags to the girl. "And, Kyon-kun...."
I take most of the remaining bags, and Aunt Rena beams me a bright smile. "I'll see if I can't make you some ohagi in thanks, Kyon-kun~!" she chirps.
"Hmm, the cousins would love that," I remark.
"Oh, you're right, I bet they would!" she agrees, as Yurie's eyes light up hopefully at the mention of the treat.
Snorting, and realizing how excitable my cousins are going to be over things, I volunteer, "I'll try and keep them busy long enough for you to finish making them."
"Ah, poor cousin Kyon-kun! Lost to a pack of hyperactive cousins!" she teases. "Okay -- I'll be sure to save one for you when it's done!"
For all my energy, after helping out at Aunt Rena's, there's not much to do. True to her word, Aunt Rena figures out how to scrape together enough supplies from the dwindling cache to make ohagi. Since the kids are being let outside, I help Aunt Satoko watch over them.
Matsuri and Yurie are still in 'lockdown,' of course, able to do nothing more than peek out a bedroom window at the others. I scold Naota for trying to tease Matsuri, but other than that ... it's calm and uneventful.
"I'm glad it cleared up!" Aunt Satoko remarks, looking to the skies and stretching. "If we kept the kids cooped up any longer, they might just explode!"
"It couldn't stay cloudy forever," I say, shrugging. Just like I had mentioned with Yurie, really.
"That's true!"
"Kyon-kun!" the unruly Naota calls. "Let's play zombie tag!"
Well, as long as the Houjou twins have been too busy to build pit traps, why not? Aunt Satoko laughs at me as I get tagged in and chase the cousins around until Aunt Rena comes to the door-- The promise of a treat wipes away all thoughts of the game; the cousins all try and swarm the poor woman.
She braces herself, and I feel mildly heroic for managing to get between the rampaging tide and her. "No pushing," I warn them, in time with Satoko's stern nod.
"Treats are for well behaved children," Aunt Rena agrees, when Naota pretends to be putting all of his strength into being held back by one of my outstretched arms. "One at a time, now -- smallest to biggest!"
"I'm smallest," Shutaro declares with pride.
"I'm shorter!" my sister exclaims.
"Wait, no, I am!" Naota counters, dropping to his knees and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Shutaro first," I say, letting him past.
Soon enough, all of the cousins have proceeded in an orderly line, until it's just myself and the aunts waiting outside. "You're still awfully energetic today," Aunt Satoko muses.
I really am, aren't I? Maybe it's a side-effect of that dream space. Or maybe I've just acclimated to the thinner mountain air!
"I've got to enjoy my time here," I say with a shrug. "Soon enough the road will be clear -- just like the sky, and then we'll be headed home."
"I can see your mother deciding against the summer visit, considering how long this one ran," Aunt Rena agrees. "Aw, I'll miss having Kyon-kun around!"
"We can't keep him from his girlfriend forever, though," Aunt Satoko laments, shaking her head mournfully.
Hey! I thought the nickname was enough teasing!
I sigh and shake my head, which just prompts both aunts to giggle. "Ah," Aunt Rena remarks, sobering slightly. "If Kyon-kun would be willing to take some ohagi to our little girls in lockdown, then there's one waiting for you in the kitchen!"
I nod; that sounds fine. Inside, the cousins are all seated at the living room kotatsu, chewing on their treats happily.
After fetching the plate with their ohagi on it, I head down to the room they're sharing and knock sharply. The door creaks open, Yurie and Matsuri both lighting up at the sight of the plate. "Ohagi!" they exclaim in tandem.
"That's right," I agree, stepping through the door as Yurie opens it the rest of the way. "I'm glad you two are still behaving! What have you two been up to, then?"
"Drawing," Matsuri answers, indicating a pile of crayon marked pages, pictures of the rainy hillsides. I dare say Yurie's got some real potential in her pictures. Matsuri, on the other hand, well ... she's very energetic!
"Those are nice," I comment, nodding.
"And listening to the radio," Yurie adds, taking one of the treats and nibbling at the top. "Did you hear anything, I wonder, I wonder?"
"It's not good, though," Matsuri says with a shrug. "They said it was going to rain this afternoon, but it's completely clear!"
"Well, being clear is a good thing, isn't it?" I ask.
"I guess," Matsuri answers, while Yurie nods vigorously. I nod back and give them one last smile before taking the plate and leaving them alone. I wonder why the weather report would have been so far off?
They probably only meant there was a chance of rain, or predicted sprinkling. That strikes me as the most likely thing.
...or did somehow Haruhi get tired of this bad weather? That's a strange thought. I'm not really sure how to feel about that. I guess I can't do anything! It benefits me, and I feel a little strange about that ... but I think it's okay. After all, this is leading up to explaining what Haruhi's powers are to her -- and I'm confident that she'll be responsible with them.
Those thoughts stay in my head until it's time to sleep. And then ... even though I didn't call her, and I missed her the previous night -- I think I can leave her alone and things will be fine, so try and settle into a night of normal, non-lucid dreams.
By the time morning arrives, I'm awake and on my feet -- for once I even beat the horde of cousins to the bath! I feel a bit restless on account of getting a full night of sleep. Without anything better to do, I join my aunts and uncles at the kotatsu in the front room for tea.
I really have missed out by sleeping in; an ancient battery-powered radio sits on the table. Not the bulky communication gear that we don't need as badly, thanks to the phone line being mostly restored, but a standard radio receiver.
According to the cheerful announcer, an anticipated storm-front due to hit the region unexpectedly scattered apart, promising several days of good weather.
Well, that confirms that suspicion, then!
"They seemed so sure of that storm, too," Aunt Rena remarks, herding Yurie and Matsuri toward the bath.
"Well, predicting the weather is difficult, I expect," I answer, shrugging.
"You're looking cheerful," Aunt Mion remarks. Adopting a crafty smile, she wonders, "Was it a dream about your girlfriend?"
...I have no idea why that line of questioning is so fascinating to my aunts and uncles.
"I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they clear the road, too," I comment, trying to change the subject.
"I hope so," Aunt Mion says a bit more seriously. "We're starting to run low on supplies. At this rate we'll have to take some of the rations that the JSDF are dropping off."
"We should be optimistic," Aunt Rika contributes, nodding judiciously. "Keep our spirits up! Especially those who are without homes, still waiting in the school for the roads to clear."
"And the JSDF workers helping keep everyone calm and healthy," Aunt Satoko agrees. "Hmm.... Ah, I have an idea. Mion-chan, do we have enough supplies to make a lot more ohagi?"
"Well, maybe, but that'll really wipe us out," she answers, frowning. "We'll be down to rice and dried vegetables after that."
"Aha," Aunt Rika giggles, nodding knowingly. "But we can keep the little ones busy! Kyon-kun's probably right, of course, so we not splurge a bit?"
"It's not like you to be irresponsible," Aunt Mion says doubtfully. "But, well-- Your insight is always good. Alright! We'll go crazy and have the kids help Rena-chan make a ton of ohagi! Our energetic Kyon-kun can carry it down to the school as a pleasant surprise for those who are staying there, and the JSDF workers, too! Why not share a little bit of light in dark times?"
"So I'm going to be carrying a load of supplies down to the school?" I wonder aloud. I wouldn't complain for the chance to stretch my legs a bit, though.
"We'll go with you," Aunt Rika chuckles, shaking her head. "There could be too much for just you to carry, anyway."
I can't help but think my optimistic aunts are underestimating my cousins' abilities when it comes to eating treats, but nod wordlessly. From there, I get to avoid the worst of my cousins' antics as they spend the first half of the day raising hell in the kitchen. Hmm, come to think of it, carrying what they make down to the school means I won't have to help clean up the mess I'm sure they're making, doesn't it?
There's a balance in all things, I suppose!
I get to relax until the project is complete, dozens and dozens of ohagi later. Aunt Rena gets it all neatly packaged in plastic wrap, then loads them into bags. I end up carrying most of them, but true to their words, Aunt Mion and Aunt Rika carry one each, as well.
"Poor Kyon-kun," Aunt Rika says, standing up on tiptoe to pat the top of my head while my hands are full. "Come all this way just to act as a beast of burden!"
My little sister giggles at that, getting a dangerous glint in her eyes. Hey! That's no good-- "Well, uh, we should get a move on," I say quickly, before she can lead the other cousins in some new mischief.
"Right," Aunt Mion agrees, leading the way to the door.
Thankfully, before any further pranks or shenanigans can be engaged, we're outside, enjoying the clear skies, clean air, and bright sun. This isn't bad at all!
"It's nice out," Aunt Rika says brightly. "Almost want to curl up like a cat and sleep away, goro-goro!"
"Any cat would have hated the amount of water that's fallen lately," Aunt Mion notes with amusement.
"I'm just glad the road's dried out, and isn't a muddy river," I add, kicking at the ground below us.
Both of my aunts nod at that; the hill could get pretty scary in heavy rain! Shortly enough, we reach the bottom, and then cross over to the school. The uncles are already on site as usual, keeping themselves busy by hammering away at the roof, presumably patching spots where the buildings had started to leak.
"Hello!" Aunt Mion cheers, waving hugely. "Hey, hey-- Let's round everyone up! Rena-chan and the kids made a treat for everyone, to help keep our spirits up!"
"We brought ohagi!" Aunt Rika adds, waving along with my other aunt.
That's enough to pull out the rather startling number of refugees and their families from the building. Aunt Rena and Aunt Rika set their bags down and parcel out ohagi, taking the rest of the bags from me once they finally run out. I hadn't gotten a chance to meet the JSDF agents that were in town yet -- it made sense that they were here, though.
I wonder what Haruhi would say to such a person? I think about it, but when the four of them come at the very end of the line, ahead of only the uncles (at the uncles' insistence, naturally), all I can think to actually say is, "Thank you for your service."
The man in JSDF uniform that I pass this to is a bit surprised, but smiles as he takes the ohagi. "The most important thing in these trying times is maintaining a sense of community; your village is very fortunate to have people such as your mother and aunt, here, to look out for everyone who lives here!"
I feel my face redden at that, and Aunt Mion nearly explodes with laughter. "Sensei," she chuckles, "this is our nephew, from out of town."
"Ah, how embarrassing," the man chuckles-- Though looking closer, I can see his uniform is marked with a symbol that points him out as a medic. I guess that makes sense, though!
"But we are family!" Rika counters, handing the last ohagi to the doctor's companions. Probably also medics, really; who else would they need to send in?
"Er, yeah, my aunts are pretty amazing at taking care of the village," I agree, laughing a bit myself. "Everyone here is pretty fortunate."
"Alright," Aunt Mion says, still chuckling, but a bit more business-like. "Let's get these bags returned to the house."
After stuffing all the other bags into one of the larger bags, I heft them, and with my aunts and uncles waving, I'm off to the house again. I'm not sure what I'll do once I get there -- probably help keep the cousins busy while Aunt Rena tries to clean the kitchen. In any case, I've got the restless energy for it, so quickly march out of the school.
The long road between the refugees and Aunt Mion's home is mostly empty. Not only that, I don't know of many houses from the direction of the woods -- that terrain can be pretty unforgiving, after all! Seeing a quartet of refugees, I pause, checking the time with the sun, since my phone's not on me. I'd guess it's a bit after one in the afternoon?
One of these days I should look into getting a wind-up watch!
By the time I look down from the sky, I'm shocked to realize who's there. My knees tremble a bit as I can only spit out a halting: "Y...you!"
Of all of the people I would anticipate running into here!