The sensation I felt next was almost as if I was pushing through a thin membrane, or a balloon. It made me shiver later when I remembered how it felt.

As I broke through the barrier, the sounds of the battle suddenly became audible. Time slowed, it seemed. I landed in between Yuki and Ryouko. The blue haired demon had just hurled spikes at Kyon.

What happened next I am still not able to explain. Instinctively I raised my hands as the spikes closed in. What appeared to be a tornado sprang from my hands. If I were to describe it, I would say that it looked like a liquid water tornado. The color was a slightly dark gray with a hint of brown. Well, when whatever it was reached the spikes, they flew backwards.

"What…what is this?" Ryouko asked, clearly confused.

There was a strange fog surrounding me. I faced Ryouko.

"Who's there?" she asked again.

I didn't speak. Instead, I rushed forward quicker than I had ever moved before. Somehow, the fog seemed to follow me.

I extended my arm, and as I passed her, I struck her in the face. Clearly caught off guard, she stumbled backwards.

"Who are you?" she asked again, facing me and firing blades again.

Again, I reached up and the watery tornado-like energy whatever it was flew out of my hand. It threw the spikes back, and this time struck Ryouko. She flew backwards again.

I rushed forward again, grabbing the knife that she had dropped and brought it to her neck.

"We warned you," I hissed. "But you didn't listen. Now you will pay the price."

"Slider," she said, her smile returned. In an instant, I found myself with the same knife to my neck.

"I don't know how you got in here, Slider, but I control this space. You are going to die." With a kick, she sent me flying, the fog following me. I landed hard on the ground next to where Kyon and Yuki were.

"You're a Slider?" I heard Kyon ask.

"No time to explain now, Kyon. Yuki, are you finished yet?"

She looked at me. "I am nearly complete."

"How much time do you need?" I asked.

"Fifteen more seconds."

"You got it." I stood and faced Ryouko again.

"You have no control here, Slider," she said pleasantly. "For interfering with this operation, you will die as well."

"Dream on," I said with a chuckle as I rushed forward again. This time, however, she was ready for my attack and placed a shield up. I was deflected and thrown back again.

Something tore through my left shoulder, causing an immense amount of pain. Ignoring it, I stood and extended my hand. Instead of before, green bolts of lightning shot out and struck the shield. One actually passed through and struck her square in the chest. She flew backwards

I laughed. "It's over," I said.

"What's over? Do you mean the lives of everyone here?"

"No," Yuki said, suddenly beside us. "Commence termination of data link."

Ryouko's smile disappeared as she began to dissolve. "It…it can't be."

I reached down and once again grabbed the knife she had dropped. I then walked over to where Kyon was kneeling. Thankfully, the unknown fog still followed me.

Yuki, who had not been injured during this fight, turned to the rouge interface and said, "You were an advanced Interface. That is why it took so long to hack into this time-space program. But it's over now."

Ruouko smiled slightly. "You modified your program with a detonation element didn't you? I thought you seemed weak, but that explains it. That's the reason you used all your attack data when you started to fight." She laughed dryly, and then continued. "This is a shame. I guess I really was just a backup Interface. I thought this was my big chance to get something to finally happen around here."

She looked over at Kyon, who flinched at the glance. She nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and said, "I guess I lost. Aren't you happy you get to keep living? But please be careful though. The Data Integration Thought Entity has more Interfaces that are just like me. Someday, you might meet another Interface that also seeks radical change. Or perhaps the one pulling Nagato's strings will change his mind."

"And we will be waiting for them," I said.

Ryouko looked at me and smiled. "I'm sure you and your people will be. But until then enjoy your life with Ms. Suzumiya. Goodbye!" She giggled as her face dissolved into white sparkles.

The area became silent. Yuki was standing in front of Kyon looking at nothing, while Kyon was clutching sand in his hand like his life depended on it.

"Who are you?" He asked, finally looking up at me. I could see that he was trying to identify me through the fog.

I debated what I should say. After a few seconds, I came up with what to do.

I walked over to Yuki, enveloping her in the fog. I nodded to her. Suddenly, as I expected, there was a huge noise coming from all around us. Dust and dirt flew up as the data in the room was rearranged by Yuki.

While she was finishing that, I turned to the totally confused Kyon and replied, "A friend."

Suddenly we were back in Yuki's apartment. The fog disappeared, and soon it was just me and Yuki.

My shoulder suddenly began to hurt again, and I remembered that Ryouko had injured me there.

Yuki looked over at me. "You are injured." Before I had a chance to reply, she extended her hand and began to speak in that weird language. Instantly, the pain vanished and the jacket began to rearrange itself.

"Thank you, Yuki," I said after she was finished. I then noticed that she was feeling her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, even though I knew what the answer was.

"I forgot to recreate the glasses."

I smiled. "I actually think you look better without them. I don't think anyone in the Brigade has a glasses fetish anyway."

"What is a glasses fetish?"

I smiled. "Look up the word fetish online and you'll see."

She looked over at me with that cold and calculating expression she always wore. "I see."

Not another word was said for the remainder of that night.

The next day Ryouko Asakura didn't show up for class. Word spread around the school that she had been transferred suddenly. Haruhi cancelled the scheduled meeting so that she could investigate what had happened. As I knew she would, she pulled Kyon into the investigation.

Earlier that day, Yuki went out for groceries. I went along to help, completely forgetting what would happen later. As we were walking up to the building, I saw Haruhi walk out of the front door. Followed a few seconds later by Kyon.

Oh crap! I thought. I completely forgot about this. What should I do? I really wish I was invisible right now!

Suddenly something strange happened. My vision somehow changed. It became more monochrome, as if the world had lost half of its color. It also darkened a bit. I wondered to myself if I had entered a Closed Space, but when I looked at where the others should be, I could still see them.

"Yuki?" Haruhi asked when she saw her.

Wait, why hadn't she said my name? I looked at my hands. And I could see right through them! I had become invisible. Only Yuki seemed to be aware of my presence.

"I had no idea you lived in this building, what a coincidence," Haruhi said as we came up to them.

I saw Kyon roll his eyes at that. He and I both knew it wasn't a coincidence.

"Have you heard anything about what happened to Asakura? You know she transferred out toda, right?" Yuki shook her head at that.

"I see," Haruhi said, "well if you find anything out, let me know. You got it?" A nod from Yuki.

Haruhi tilted her head slightly and asked, "What happened to your glasses?"

At this point, Yuki looked over straight at me. I waved at her feverishly to stop, as I didn't know what she could say.

Haruhi sighed and walked passed Yuki. Kyon rised his hand as if to say goodbye. I watched as he passed, waiting.

"Be careful," Yuki finally said, then she resumed walking in. I saw Kyon stop and look back, then when Haruhi called him he moved on. I hurried inside. As I stepped in, the world resumed being colorful again, and I was visible. Yuki was entering the elevator.

"Wait!" I said as I hurried over with the groceries. She turned back and watched as I stumbled onto the elevator with her.

"Yuki?" I asked as we were going up the elevator.

"What?"

"Do you know what just happened to me?"

"You moved yourself into another dimension that normal humans can't see."

"Like a Closed Space."

"Similar, yes."

Silence filled the elevator as I tried to figure out what had happened. What had triggered it? My analytical brain took over and I began to analyze what had happened. It seemed to me that it had been a purely instinctual move on my part. But I had never experienced this phenomenon before. It was strange to me.

I hypothesized that the Incident had something to do with awakening my powers, for lack of a better term. I wondered if it was Haruhi who opened that portal so that I might move through it. It certainly seemed possible.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice that I was in the apartment helping put away the groceries until we were almost done.

After we were done, I went to do my homework. I then remembered that tonight was the night that Itsuki was going to show Kyon what a Closed Space looked like.

Time to try out my abilities, I thought. I changed into something that would hide my identity, black pants, black shirt, a black fedora and a black trench coat. I covered my mouth with a black scarf.

I then rushed to my computer, opened it up and pulled up the scene depicting the crosswalk. I must admit, I was scared. I had no idea what I was doing. I focused hard on that spot, trying to will myself to somehow go to that Closed Space. After a few tries, I was ready to give up, but I decided to give it one more go. I closed my eyes and opened my mind. Suddenly, it was as if I could see a map of the city in my mind as clear as day. The map moved until it hovered over a circular region that was colored differently from the others.

I instantly found myself standing in the empty crosswalk. The mist from before surrounded me. I hid behind a car and waited. Soon I saw Itsuki step through the barrier and Kyon behind him. I watched from a distance as they had their conversation. I decided that now was the time to reveal the existence of Sliders to them.

"It's starting," I said, walking up and standing beside them.

They both turned in shock.

"Who are you?" Itsuki asked.

I turned, and the mist covered me. They backed up. "I am a last remaining member of the Sliders."

Kyon looked at me. "But…earlier…"

"A lie, to mislead the rogue Interfaces. I am the only one of my kind." I watched as the Shinjin appeared.

"I watch Haruhi from a distance," I continued

"Is that you, Cancian?" Kyon asked.

I turned "Why do you insist on painting Cancian as a Slider, Kyon?"

"Show us your face to prove it, then," Itsuki demanded.

"I will not," I replied, "because I trust none of you. I do not trust the Organization and I do not trust the time travelers."

"What about the Interfaces like Nagato?" Kyon asked.

"I trust her more than I trust you," I replied. Suddenly I felt a great power coursing through me. I backed up, raised my arm and the tornado energy from before came out of my hand and struck the Shinjin square in the head.

I walked back. "I have never seen a Closed Space vanish before. This could get interesting."

Just as it did in the show, the Closed Space began to disappear. After it did, the mist surrounding me vanished. The other two were staring at me in astonishment. I just winked and walked away. When I was sure no one could see me, I focused hard on Yuki's apartment and instantly I was in the living room, with Yuki on the couch, reading.

When I appeared, she looked up at me, and then looked back at the book.

I sat down and sighed. I had just discovered the legacy of the Slider.

Finally! A new chapter! I made some changes, like his name, which is now Jon Wunn Cancian, and his hometown, a fictional town called Darrows, Oregon, near the Three Sisters. Enjoy!

morbiusgreen