The Conflicts of Haruhi Suzumiya

A Haruhi Suzumiya fanfic.

Disclaimer: Haruhi Suzumiya and all related characters have been created by Haruhi without her knowledge. Tanigawa Nagaru wrote it all down.

Author's Notes:

As you see, this chapter is longer, and more the size I prefer, compared to the prologue. Actually, this is probably longer than I suspect the rest of the chapters will be. Depends on how I divide them. Anyway, I give my thanks to the so far two reviewers, and the favourites' listings. But for now, let's get the show on the road.

/ Another Duck


Three Meetings


At lunchtime, after eating my meal, I had this sudden urge to go and check my shoe locker. I couldn't get that note she left me last time out of my mind, so I had to see for myself that history wasn't repeating itself.

Naturally, it was. There was a note in my locker. It was almost exactly the same note, with only one small difference. The words, "you don't need to come alone." Imagine that. Asakura knew I wasn't comfortable being alone with her. Scratch that sarcasm. Of course she knew. She may not have had a firm grasp of how humans perceive death, but she could handle herself socially. How else would she get to be the most popular girl in the class? It was one thing that separated her from Nagato. Another was my trust for the girl. Which made her the obvious choice to ask to accompany me.

I won't say I was exactly calm, but Nagato's presence in the brigade room did help my mood. She was alone as well, so there were no annoying girls who could hear what wasn't meant for their ears.

"Yo."

"..."

Our standard greeting was soothing as well.

"Hey, Nagato, you know Asakura has returned, right?"

A slight nod.

"Do you know why?"

I decided it was best to get straight to the point. That was usually the best way to hold conversations with her, unless I just wanted to talk about random things, but then there really was no point to get to in the first place, so it was irrelevant. Anyway, small talk wasn't her forte.

She shook her head.

This worried me. I mean, I was confident she would do everything she could to protect me, so I wasn't afraid of that. However, the thought of Nagato not knowing what another Interface had as her goal was worrying. Would she try to kill me again? Was I in any kind of danger? Well, probably, but what kind?

"There's no need to worry. She is incapable of physically harming you or Suzumiya. Furthermore, she is incapable of lying to you."

Huh. This is interesting. Is she harmless?

"How do you mean incapable?"

"Her body will shut down."

"You mean she will, um, die?"

"No. Only her physical body will cease to function."

"For how long?"

"She will remain in such state until she is granted permission to take physical action."

"So you're saying she'll remain like that until the Integrated Data—"

"No. You have been granted access to limited control over Ryoko Asakura."

Things just kept getting more and more interesting. Was this some kind of punishment for Asakura for her previous actions?

"Limited control? What kind of control?"

"It's better that you speak with her about this issue. She possesses more information. She is safe under the current circumstances. I will be informed if they change."

I nodded at her. I got the feeling that if the conversation were to continue, I would stop understanding, or it would go in circles. I must admit, though, it made me feel a lot better about Asakura, but I can't say I wasn't wary of her. However, my trust in Nagato exceeded that, so I made up my mind to meet the long haired girl later on. Besides, I think she wouldn't give up if I didn't come, and it would probably be better to not annoy her if I could avoid it.

I was back in the classroom just as the bell rang, so I didn't get to speak with Haruhi. She did seem to be in an awfully good mood, though.


I didn't walk to the clubroom that day. Haruhi dragged me there, so the way I got there was more akin to a kite in stormy weather. It was one of those rare days when the lovely Asahina wasn't dressed up as a pretty maid. Our dear, dear brigade chief was far too excited for that.

"Listen up! I'm sure you're all aware of how Ryoko Asakura has mysteriously shown up again. It's our job as the SOS Brigade to explore that mystery!"

There was no stopping this girl, but you knew that.

"Yuki, does she live in the same place as before?"

She lifted her eyes up from her book and gave the crazy one a calculated glance. Then she nodded, after which she decided her book was more interesting than the current event. It was a grey book with a partitioned sheep and yellow text that was too swirly for me to read. I can't say I blame her. She was the wise one, after all.

"Great! Now, all we have to do is to get there and see if we can find any clues about why she left."

That's all? Only breaking in this time? Well, we've done that before.

"Don't get smart with me, Kyon, or I'll assign this duty to you alone."

I'd rather break into your house, thank you very much. Actually, that sounds like a fun idea. It would give you a taste of your own medicine.

"We're leaving now."

Wait, now? But I have to...

"Haruhi, isn't it better that we, you know, talk to her first? Then we can find out if—"

"If what?"

She stuck her nose much too close to my own. It was almost like an Eskimo—ahem. Back to the topic at hand.

"Would you rather rush blindly into her apartment, or try to find out what you should search for first?"

Standing up, she drew her one of hands to her chin, putting up a thoughtful expression. So she actually listened to me. For once. It took her a few seconds to decide, so I got to at least breathe out.

"It's decided. Tomorrow, we ask her about Canada, what she was doing there, and why she went there."

Apparently, that was enough for our meeting, as she left promptly. Thank God. Or was that thank Haruhi? I sure hoped not, as I didn't want to thank her for still having a crazy plan, even if she relaxed it for a day. I sighed in relief.

"I'm going to leave as well."

I might as well get it over with. It's nagging me the wrong way. What would happen if I skipped out on it? According to Nagato, no physical harm would come to me, but I'm sure Asakura could do worse than that without having to resort to violence.

As I rose, I noticed Nagato giving me a nod to go on ahead. She always took care of me, didn't she? Someday, I need to tell her how much I appreciate it.


With not a little apprehension, I opened the door. I really didn't know what to expect. After all, Asakura wasn't exactly a normal human being. In some ways, she actually was human, but only physically. How they fit the mind of an all-powerful computer in that body was beyond me.

She wasn't the first thing I saw when I entered the classroom. On the bench closest to the entrance was a combat knife. Asakura herself sat in the far corner, at Haruhi's desk, appearing to distance herself from the entrance. Or perhaps, from the knife. This made me very uncomfortable, but I couldn't say if it was because it creeped me out, or because it seemed like a friendly gesture coming from someone I really didn't expect it from. Or wanted from.

"I was not sure you would come. I know you disagreed with my actions last we met, but—"

"Why is there a knife here?"

I cut her off. I distinctly remember exactly the same kind of knife in her hand. Swinging at my throat.

"I thought you might feel better if you were not unarmed. I do not wish to kill you this time, so please think of it as a peace offering."

This was one mighty odd offering of peace. But, it made sense, in a strange way. These people thought logically, not emotionally. I picked it up and examined it, not forgetting the other person in the room. I can't say I was completely reassured yet. But if she did speak the truth, and Nagato said Asakura couldn't lie, I was safe. At least for the moment.

If anyone would've entered the room at that moment, they'd see me slowly approaching an innocent looking classmate wielding a knife. That would be so troublesome for me. At that instance, I felt the weapon growing lighter, and I saw dust particles surround it, much like around Asakura the day she was deleted. In less than a second, it had disappeared from sight, and God knows where it went.

"I see that you do not wish to harm me either."

At my questioning look, she elaborated. She certainly was more talkative than her bookish counterpart.

"The combat knife has been deactivated as you did not wish to use it. If you change your mind, you can activate it at will. If you harm me with it, it will be difficult for me to heal, as I have configured it to be an effective weapon against myself."

"Why would you do that?"

It didn't make any sense at all. Why would anyone construct a weapon to use against herself?

"I want you to feel safe."

There was a very final tone to her voice. Out of everything she had said so far, this came out as the most honest and heartfelt. I couldn't help but believe her, despite our past. Trust, or feeling comfortable at all around her, not so much. She's still the same person who tried to kill me.

"So I could essentially kill you with it?"

"Yes and no. You can damage my body permanently, to the point where I would need to be restored by the Integrated Data Thought Entity to come back to this world, but it would not grant me that permission one more time, so I would be dead as you see it. To do so, you would need to strike at my brain, since I can heal as long as that is intact. The knife can penetrate my skull easily."

How weird is to hear someone give you advice in how to kill her? On a slightly different topic, there was one thing that bugged me, and had been since first I saw her.

"Nagato deleted you before, so who are you really?"

"An informed question, but difficult to answer. I am who you see. To you, I am the same Ryoko Asakura as you knew before. More specifically, I am a backup copy who has been modified slightly due to the problems we encountered last time. The modifications include, but are not limited to, restrictions from harming you or Haruhi Suzumiya, and from telling you untruths. You are aware that lying to Haruhi Suzumiya may be necessary to conceal our true identity, so I retain the capability to lie to her.

"Due to these restrictions, I have also been granted an upgrade to be able to learn more about human emotions. That was my personal wish, as there were concepts you demonstrated that I did not understand. That also includes an additional restriction to my data access clearance."

More talkative indeed. Well, Nagato could also lapse into expositions like this one, if she feels something needs explaining. I can't say I understood all Asakura said, but she did have a way of explaining things a little more clearly than some annoying philosophers I could mention.

"I apologise. I did not mean to bore you with all this information."

"No, it's okay. I'm used to it. You just... talk differently now than you do in class."

"As you are aware of my true identity, I can relax my speech protocol and choose more exact words."

That's a relaxed speech pattern? It sounded far more cumbersome to use, though considering just what she was, it sort of made sense. I honestly wish you'd speak like a normal person. It would make it easier to forget who you truly are.

I could detect a faint frown at that moment. I'm guessing this was a point of pride for her, or at least something similar. It seemed as if there were nerves I could hit.

"I do not wish for you to misunderstand me. Is there anything that is unclear?"

Lots of things, but I'm not sure what to ask. You certainly seem to be frank enough, and I'll admit, you've made me feel better about your presence. Better, not good. But then, people all around me have hidden agendas, and I can't be sure if you have one or not.

"What is your goal here? Why did you return?"

"My goal regarding Haruhi Suzumiya has not changed. In addition, I wish to learn more about humans. There are notions about you I do not understand, such as your concept of death. If you would allow me, I want to talk with you about that from time to time."

"I'll, um, think about it."

It was creepy enough to talk with her like this. Do I have to do it more than this? Can't she find someone else to talk with? I mean, she's pretty and all, but she did try to kill me. It's hard to forget.

That reminds me.

"There is one thing I would like to see for myself. Hit me."

She blinked. It was the first time today she showed anything but pure confidence.

"Why would you want me to hit you? It does not make sense."

"Just do it."

Walking up to me, her face remained slightly confused. It was an odd expression on her, even if I've seen it before on rare occasions. Once within an arm's reach from me, she raised her hand and punched me lightly on my shoulder. Then she just stood there.

"You didn't shut down."

"No. You gave me permission to hit you, which overrides the restriction on my actions."

"Are you saying that you could just as well have punched a hole through my shoulder?"

"Yes."

Huh. That would have been unfortunate, and quite frankly, I felt like I dodged a bullet there. Still, I wanted to test that restriction out. How to do that? Well, they are being very literal.

I took her hand in my own, which returned the confused expression to her face. She didn't resist, and seemed mostly curious. I then angled her fingers and pressed them against my arm, so her nails would hurt me. Not much, but a little. Almost immediately, her eyes shut down, and her legs gave out.

It was something I should have been prepared for, but it still caught me off guard. Her hand was still in mine, and I managed to hold onto her so she didn't fall down on the floor. If I hadn't known what was going on, I'd have panicked. I knew she was all right, so I wasn't worried.

Wait, worried? Should I have been worried about someone like her? I suppose it's a natural reaction when you see a beautiful girl just fall unconscious like that. I mean, she does look innocent. Even when she attacked me with a knife, she looked innocent half the time. Not trace of ill will on her face. But now she also looked very vulnerable, and that was not true back then. It didn't help that she actually was vulnerable like this.

Now, if you've known me for any amount of time that involves Haruhi, you could easily figure out what happened next. The door to the classroom opened. And just like the time with Nagato in a very similar position, Taniguchi walked in. You'd think he'd learn to knock or something before entering, but no, he waltzes straight in.

"Yo—"

We stared at each other. Then his eyes went to Asakura, who was now lying in my lap. Then he stared at me some more.

"This seems strangely familiar. I'll be going now."

That he did. I sighed. I wondered what he would think of it, and if I should come up with an excuse. I could think about that later. I still had someone in my lap, and I think she wouldn't want to be unconscious any more. Now, I was supposed to have some sort of control over her, and Nagato mentioned that specifically in this context. I didn't know exactly what to do, so I tried the first thing that came to my mind.

"Asakura, wake up."

Her eyes opened. It was that simple.

"I feel strange. I had not told you what to do if I was shut down, so I did not know if you would be capable of switching me on. It made my chest ache a little. Your presence lessened the feeling."

She was worried? That's odd. When Nagato deleted her before, she cheerfully wished me good luck, and that wasn't a fake sentiment. She may have been a little disappointed when she realised Nagato had won their battle, but that was all emotion I remember her showing. This girl sure is a mystery, maybe even more so than Nagato.

"There is much I want to learn. I did not have these feelings before, even if I knew how to detect them in others. Do you think what I described is odd?"

"Ah, no. It makes sense. You were worried that you'd remain asleep, because you feared there was no one who would help you."

I don't know why I tried to explain it to her. I didn't really think she deserved it. I mean, I still held some rather negative feelings for her. Yet, she wasn't the same person any more, was she? It was strange. I didn't quite know how to relate to her. I've learned that Nagato could be rather difficult to understand, and sometimes it was just better to keep silent. She'd still know what I meant, and how I felt. I think, anyway.

Asakura, however, brought out other feelings. She was the most popular girl in the class, and likely is again, so there must be something about her that brings sympathy in others. I'm not sure I particularly wanted to feel sympathy for her, but I wasn't that keen on keeping my hostile view of her either. I mean, I even get so tired of being annoyed with Haruhi all the time that I welcome the times when I don't have to feel that way, and when she's actually pleasant to be around, rare as it may be.

Back to Asakura, who was... Oh, right. She was still lying in my lap, and apparently not feeling uncomfortable at all about it. I lifted her up so she could sit on her own, and I rose to my feet. I had been getting a little stiff there, so I stretched a bit. She soon followed, although she didn't seem stiff at all. Perky would've been a better word.

"That was Taniguchi before, correct? I remember him as one of your friends."

I was about to say a word or two about him being my friend, before something else struck my mind. It was what Nagato said about Asakura earlier today.

"I didn't realise you could still see him."

"My eyes were closed, but I could hear him. If I am put in that state, I am not what would be equivalent to being asleep. It is more accurate to say that I am paralysed. As I experienced recently, it is not a state I wish to be in. I would be grateful if you did not put me in it unless there is a need for it. At the same time, I am grateful for the experience, even if it was a negative one, so please do not feel bad about it."

I wasn't sure I could take much more of this ambiguous image of her I was creating. I needed time to let it sink in.

"I see. Well, I need to be going home now."

"Wait. If you have any further questions, please give me a call. Here is my number. Do not worry about the time when you call. I can answer no matter if it is in the middle of the night or during class."

She placed a small note in my hand. All that was on it was a phone number. Her explanation made me wonder whether she took her calls in an actual phone, or if it was some kind of mental ability she had. Probably the latter.

As I was walking home, I entered her number into my cell, thinking about the day. It had been fairly average as far as my stranger days went. It was actually easily comparable to my first days once Haruhi decided to start the SOS Brigade, when the three other members introduced themselves. This time, it was another of those Interfaces of the Data Entity thing. Only, I had met her before, and she wasn't quite as she was then. Sort of. I was still trying to make sense of it all.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting. Haruhi had promised to question Asakura about her alleged trip to Canada. Hmm. That might be fun, actually. For once, the person she was bothering wasn't someone innocent, and she certainly could handle herself. As long as she doesn't drag me into it.


Author's Notes:

Thus ends the second chapter of the story. The part with Ryoko explaining everything was the first scene I wrote for the story. Everything about her personality evolves from there, as what she shows in the series is mostly just a mask, but also who she really is. It's hard to explain, but her personality isn't straightforward, and can be interpreted in a lot of ways. There's something she isn't, and that's crazy, though. The old cliché, "she's not insane; she's just misunderstood [by fans]," actually fits. She's clearly rational and logical. She just doesn't follow human standards.

I should note that as a review incentive, I respond to all reviews with content (provided you signed in to review). That is, everything that's more than, "Yay! Awesome!" or, "Boo! Worthless!" Doesn't matter if it's a positive or negative review. Or if you just want to chat.

Lastly, I don't have a beta-reader, if anyone's interested.

/ Another Duck