Disclaimer: I do not own The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya or any of its characters. I also do not own any of the materials referenced in this story either. This was made for entertainment purposes only and not for profit. So there you go.
A/N: Glad to see so many friendly people favorited and alerted my fic! That was really kind of you all.
This part contains some violence, a bit of angst, and the ramblings of a demented Fujiwara.
You have been warned.
It had been a so-so day for him. He'd been taking a simple walk in the afternoon sunshine in a no so important area of the city. The sun was high, causing the shadows to crawl up the walls of the nearby shops and businesses. Hands in his coat pockets, he cast sullen glances at the few people ambling about like ants. He watched them go about their meaningless tasks, talk about their meaningless dreams, and do other meaningless things.
He knew every move they'd make, every step they'd take, and every person they would love, hate, protect, or kill. It was all written into history.
He despised it.
Had he had the opportunity, he'd grab the wheel of time and give it a spin. Anything was better than being trapped in an endless circle of time. Upon thinking that, he chuckled lightly. He knew a group of individuals who'd done just that and fixed it.
But they still just as stuck as he was.
He ran his free hand along the side of a large brick apartment building. Gazing up at it, he admired the handiwork the builders must have put into constructing it. Very sturdy. A shame it wouldn't even be around in his time. He smiled bitterly. What was the point of making something fantastic if it was only going to be broken down and forgotten? So sad.
With a sigh, he continued on his walk, a thought on what his friends-no, accomplices was a better word-were doing at the moment. One was all smiles and flattery, one was steeped in silence and mystery, and the last was as keen as they come and his main reason for sticking around this place. After a debate with his superiors that seemed to go on for an eternity (heh), he decided he would go on a little stroll. Just to relax his worn-out nerves.
A corner at the end of the street greeted him. Maybe he'd run into that little brat with the glasses again. That was a tasty thought. He'd been in his sights last time so clearly, only to have been snatched away. There would be other chances for him to try- if his superiors allowed it. It was highly unlikely that he would meet the child again. The runt was most likely at home thinking about what that wretched girl had said to him.
Nettlesome gadfly.
He'd swat her down if the opportunity ever presented itself. The funny thing was that he couldn't quite remember what it was she'd exactly done to him or who she was again. Was she his mother? Sister? Aunt? Girlfriend? Daughter? He didn't know. But all he did know was that whenever he looked at her, he felt his heart ache fiercely and it reminded him of the same pain he'd felt when he couldn't save them. No matter what paths he took, choices he made, people he saved, people he killed....
His gritted his teeth at that sour thought. What good was time-travel if it only made something like a simple bike accident into something worse? Hands in both pockets now, he turned the corner of the building.
His eyes widened in considerable surprise.
There they were coming right towards him, dressed in casual wear. All five of them in a row like little ducklings. And there she was right at the front of the flock, talking her head off to them all. The one who was the source of all his trouble. And everyone else's.
Nothing good had ever come out of her. Her selfish wishes constantly placed the world into danger. Be it insufferable boredom over a useless slump or anger at a silly schoolgirl crush, the end of the world was constantly on the mind of her little followers. Yet, they all thought she should keep the powers to herself. He found it ironic that she could easily weigh the sins of others upon them when they frustrated her, but never the sins of herself.
Some god.
"Hey! You! I know you from somewhere, do I?" she shouted out to him, while her lapdogs eyed him warily. The time-traveler of the group began to whine and shiver like a pathetic puppy.
But this was completely unplanned. They weren't supposed to be here. Had he made a mistake and come to the wrong area he was supposed to? Was he simply at the wrong place at the wrong time? Was it her doing?
No.
This wasn't a mistake at all. This was excellent. This event was completely unscripted. Fate had brought him here. A reward for all his strife.
Or just a coincidence. No matter. He'd relish this moment either way.
"Why are you just standing there? And what's with the staring? Got a problem with me?!"
There was a saying he'd heard once that ran through his mind. What was it? Some Buddhist remark. Desire being the source of unhappiness; eliminate that desire and you can live a free life. He smirked. How very, very true for his predicament. The silly girl was a walking monument to desire.
He allowed a twisted giggle to escape his lips.
"Are you laughing at us? That's no way to treat the SOS Brigade, I'll have you know!"
She continued to blather on about her ridiculous little group and how he shouldn't mess with her, but truth be told, he really wasn't listening to anything she was saying. He simply cocked his head to the side and stared at her with the same amount of interest one would give to an endangered animal or a fancy piece of pottery. He had to admit, she was very beautiful. Lose the attitude, smile nicely a bit more often, and she'd have to be fighting off suitors with a stick. She both fascinated him and repulsed him at the same time. What did her future hold.
Hmmmm.
.....Was there a chance that he was actually her so-
No.
No.
Of course not. No way he could be related to a demented dreamer like her. He knew how cruel and unforgiving the world could be. She was still an ignorant kid. She wouldn't last a minute in his time. She'd be broken down and beaten so utterly that maybe he would even pity her. But now was not the time for sentiments. It was a time for action. He had her future plotted out for her right now.
"Tcch. Whatever. C'mon, guys. Let's get out of here. Patrol's over for the day, anyways."
They brushed past him. He watched all the glances they gave him. A glare from the angry god, a scrutinizing look from the boy, a suspicious stare from the esper, a frightened peek from the time-traveler, and an uncaring empty look from the alien. Let them judge him. He'd already judged them. He felt around in the numerous pockets of the coat that hung on his lanky frame, and felt something cold.
Perfect.
He had thought he'd taken it out and left it at the usual spot after his meeting. Fate (or Lady Luck)had smiled down on him again. Sure, there was a policy about carrying weapons around for this sort of mission, but then again, rules were made to be broken. They shouldn't have picked him for this in the first place. Their mistake, not his. He waited until they were all past him, with their backs facing him, before he turned and raised his weapon.
"Hey. Ribbons," he called out softly, but just with enough vigor to get her attention.
She let out an irritable sigh and began to turn around, her friends copying the movement. "What? Got something to sa-"
He pulled the trigger without so much as letting her finish her sentence.
The bullet flew gracefully, like a falcon from its perch, and pierced her straight through the chest; he praised himself for striking faster than the alien being able to anticipate his move. The short gasp that flowed from her mouth was sweet and rich like vanilla. A splash of crimson flew out from behind her and onto the gritty sidewalk she stood on. She still stood amazingly, so he decided to empty another shot into her stomach this time. It worked, and she crumpled to the ground, her knees buckling under herself. And there was that silly boy's jaw dropping to the pavement as well, conveying an expression that was oh so priceless.
He watched as the esper quickly knelt down beside the fallen god and hold her close to check her wounds. A noble, but useless gesture. It was too late even for the alien to do anything, either. He aimed for his smooth neck and fired. Another success. The time-traveler shrieked and began to cry about things not happening this way, so he fired off another round into her head to shut her up. The foolish boy cried out her name in despair. It was funny how she'd wrapped him around her little finger. Wanting the so-called "chosen one" to be able to witness his moment and suffer simultaneously, he adjusted his aim. The gun went off, the bullet blocked by a shield that materialized instead, and the boy's left kneecap remained unharmed as the alien came at him. The poor fool still went down without a sound from the shock.
How anticlimactic.
Even as the alien rushed forward and began to tear him apart with blades made of light, he continued to laugh. The entire world began to tremble and quake. He saw the sky flash and then darken repeatedly in quick succession. A loud groan came from the very earth itself. It was soon followed by a rumble of increasing intensity. The world- no, the universe-was dying.
He continued to laugh, even as blood gushed out of his mouth and his gun clattered to the nonexistent earth, only to dissolve into particles along with the blade that had run him through.
There was a flare of light that lit up the entire area where the street used to be.
And Fujiwara died with a smile on his lips.
After many lifetimes of torment, he was finally free.
A/N: Besides Ryoko, I also kind of find Fujiwara a bit terrifying. He's pretty close to what the show has as an actual "villain" compared to his teammates. I know it's OOC for him, but then again, someone who has no semblance of what free will is, is bound to do something crazy one day.
Read and review, please.
