That night, I felt an extremely large special disturbance. I called all the other members of the SOS Brigade, sensing danger somehow. Kyon didn't answer, neither did Suzumiya. Yuki, Mikuru, and I gathered at the school grounds.

We came to the conclusion that Suzumiya had created a closed space and moved herself and Kyon into it. For some reason, Koizumi could only partly enter this space, only enough to give Kyon a brief message. Yuki was also able to send Kyon some messages.

That universe is destabilizing. Leaving current action to your discretion.

That was the message I got. It was finally happening. Suzumiya had decided to destroy and remake the world. I wondered what would happen. Would Kyon be able to convince the stubborn Suzumiya to hang on to this "boring world?" I honestly wasn't sure. And I wasn't about to sit around and find out. As Suzumiya herself said, nothing will happen if you sit around and wait.

"I'm going to the new world," I told the others. "Anyone want to come with me, just in case?"

"I think I'll stay here," said Koizumi.

"I'll stay too," said Asahina.

Yuki nodded in agreement.

I concentrated, sensing the distortions of space in the new world. I found two small, almost imperceptible distortions after some searching.

"Found you!" I exclaimed.

Then, I stepped forward and into the new world. I saw Kyon and Suzumiya together. There were Celestials everywhere. My face contorted into a scowl as I bared my teeth. I ran up to the two of them.

"Suzumiya Haruhi!" I yelled.

Suzumiya jumped and whirled around to face me.

"Kazuko, what are you doing here?"

I could feel myself being pushed out of the new world, but I managed to stay in it.

I took a deep breath.

"Suzumiya, I'm a slider," I said, "This is a new universe created by you due to your dissatisfaction with the old one. However, because of your selfishness, the old world will be destroyed when this one is completed."

"W-what?" Suzumiya asked.

"I can understand if you don't believe me, you probably think this is a dream. But it's the truth. Only you can stop it, so wake up, Suzumiya Haruhi!"

"This doesn't feel like a dream. But even if what you say is true, it just feels like everything will be okay if I stay here."

"Well, it won't! You'll kill billions of people, not even counting all the aliens in the world. And you don't need a new world, I'm a slider, and all the others have secrets too. The excitement you're looking for has been under your nose this whole time."

"But…"

"Who gave you the right to recreate the world?"

Suzumiya scowled.

"Whoever gave me this power gave me the right!"

My hand stung. Suzumiya looked off to the side with a look of shock and with a noticeable red spot on her face. I breathed deeply.

"Suzumiya," I said, "We are not toys for you to throw away when you're bored! Come on, you were going to save the world by overloading it with fun, right? You're not going to give up are you?"

Suzumiya scowled.

"I know that!" she said. "I don't want everybody to die…"

"Then destroy this world," I said, "or I'll do it. I'll make a gravity well so strong it rips this whole place apart, us included."

"I-I don't know how!"

"Sakamoto, look!" said Kyon, pointing at the Celestials.

There were glowing balls flitting around the Celestials and cutting them apart.

"The espers. Suzumiya, this world should destroy itself once all those giants are gone," I said. "I can give you a lift back to the old world, or you can just wait."

Suzumiya smiled.

"As if I'd pass up the chance to see your slider powers in action!" she said. "Let's go!"

"Okay," I said, "take my hands."

Suzumiya and Kyon grabbed my hands.

"Okay, one, two, three!" I announced.

We jumped forward in unison and landed in the old world, in an unfamiliar bedroom.

"Suzumiya, is this your bedroom?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, "Oh crap, how am I going to explain you guys to my parents?"

"Like this."

I pushed Kyon and he fell through the bent space I had created. I followed and we were out front of Suzumiya's house.

Kyon and I breathed sighs of relief.

"That was a close one," I said.

"Yeah," said Kyon, "I was about to try the Snow White method when you showed up."

"Y-you mean…"

"Yup, a kiss."

"Of course, telling Suzumiya the truth comes with its own set of problems."

"Yeah, could you drop me off at my house?"

He gave me his address.

I put my hands on my hips.

"I'm not a GPS," I said. "I don't know where that is. I'll walk with you there though. I can help you come up with an excuse for being late."

"Sounds good."

We walked to his house together, during which time we came up with a story about emergency club business. After we arrived there, I teleported home. I tried to catch some extra sleep, but I was too nervous. Before I knew it, it was time for school.

I received a text from Suzumiya. "Emergency club meeting during lunch," it said.

The first part of the day passed normally. Suzumiya acted as if nothing had changed. Then came lunch, and it became apparent that Suzumiya was going just a little bit power mad.