Chapter 10. Darker than Dark
I'm not sure why it wasn't surprising to see the adult Asahina-san again. I could count all our meetings with the fingers of one hand, though I'm going to have to use the other hand if I want to include this new encounter. Whenever she showed up, it usually meant providing guidance and warning about danger. Maybe that's why her appearance fits our current situation. It's quite welcome, I might even say. Guidance and warning are things I could definitely use if it helps us clear the mess we've stepped into.
Asahina-san (big) made herself comfortable in the hard library chair I offered her. Once she sat down, I noticed she had a flower with long white petals in her hair. Its scent was so gentle and sweet, as if it had only just been picked up from its place in a sunny glade… Or maybe a garden with a caretaker who is an ambassador of nature and knows how to handle his job.
"That's a nice flower you're wearing, Asahina-san," I complimented her decoration.
"Thank you," she smiled to me. "It's from a secret admirer. He insisted that I put it in my hair before I go and wait for the two of you here. And I couldn't refuse."
"Is that so?" I sat back in my chair. "You sound like this admirer of yours is someone from your future. Maybe even a member of the same faction you belong to."
"You are correct, Kyon," Asahina-san nodded. "I'm on an important mission in this time plane. This person is the man I am working with. He is one of our best operatives."
"Wait, didn't you just say he was a secret admirer? How can he be secret if you know who he is?"
Asahina-san pressed a finger against her lips and winked at me.
"He is a secret to everyone else but me, Kyon. He is a master at being subtle and obscure, yet at the same time he can be very open about his intentions when he has to. That's why I'm most likely the only one to whom he revealed himself."
I felt a sick sting of jealousy inside my heart. She makes clear she's not indifferent to that man. But… It couldn't be helped, I suppose. Asahina-san (little) once mentioned she can't engage into a relationship with anyone who wasn't from her future. It's only inevitable someone else gets to be the lucky one.
"Although, I would rather not talk about him right now," Asahina-san knocked herself on the head. "Like I said, I've been waiting for you to come. It's very fortunate that you decided to take Nagato-san along with you. I expected nothing less from you, Kyon."
There was a light in Asahina-san's eyes I've never seen before. Daichi Koizumi was looking at me like that after I emerged from the Closed Space last night… No, not exactly like that. It's something different from admiration and disbelief from what I had done. I think I know what it is, but why I deserved this look eluded me. For whatever reason, Asahina-san was glowing with pride.
"You have changed a lot since our last meeting," she said, observing the reaction on my face. "And you have come far from that puzzled boy who couldn't believe what he saw when he first met me in the clubroom. You have finally begun developing the best traits of your character. The fact that Nagato-san is here with you proves it. You've always cared about your friends more than anyone, but now you are openly showing it. Truly, you are the heart of our merry band of misfits."
"Oh." That was all I found myself able to answer with. I didn't know how to respond to something like what Asahina-san just said. For the second time in the last few minutes, I was blushing red.
"This will become very important in the future, and sooner than you think. If you want to express your thought about people that are close to you, now is the best time. Kyon…" She closed her eyes, and the smile faded away from her face. In an instant, it was replaced by sadness… and unrest.
"Asahina-san? What's wrong?"
She didn't reply at once. I had to wait for a few moments before her eyes opened, filled with emotions which matched her expression.
"I can't afford to fail my mission. Everything depends on its success. If only you knew the true nature of what has been going on in this time plane... I have returned here, and now I'm starting to see the big picture. When I was in my younger self's place, living with fear of what Dark Haruhi might do next was so much better than what I'm dealing with now."
Why is she so sad all of a sudden? You know things aren't going well when the more mature and easy-going version of Asahina-san looks so depressed. I've seen her scared, determined, even angry, but never like this. If this mission of hers inspires even more despair than Dark Haruhi's morbid way to entertain herself, I'd hate to get as much as a taste of it.
"Your mission… Can you talk about it? Or is it classified information?"
"Of course I can." She smiled once again, but she appeared very, very exhausted. "That's the reason why I wanted to find you. This is something you will want to hear – an important warning. Dark Haruhi isn't the only one you should worry about."
I interrupted her:
"Hold it for a moment, would you? You do know the younger you has lost her TPDD, right? She can't contact her boss, and in fact, she is powerless now. Aren't you supposed to do something about it?"
"It's not that simple." She shook her head in disagreement. "I know about her problems better than anyone. But you should be able to understand why I can't just show up in front of her and give her a new TPDD. My identity must be kept secret from her until the time is right. And besides, I couldn't help her even if I wanted. I have my orders, and one of them is to retrieve her TPDD from Dark Haruhi. Then and only then she can have it back."
"And assuming that you manage to take it back from Dark Haruhi, how is the young you going to receive it if you can't return it to her? Or will then be the proper time for you to reveal herself before her?"
"My partner will handle it. He is the one taking care of Dark Haruhi, and he will give my younger self her TPDD once he reclaims it. However, my part of the job is different."
That convinced me a little bit. So the adult Asahina-san is working in pair with someone from her time traveling organization, and they've been sent here on a task which includes finding Dark Haruhi… Good grief, that other incarnation of our Brigade leader must be a real menace if even the folks from the future are after her. And who's Asahina-san's partner might be? Probably someone I don't even know. I wonder if he is more than just a "secret" admirer to her…
"Kyon." The future version of my dear moe character was staring in my soul with sincerity in her sight. "You know I have fond memories about being a member of Suzumiya-san's Brigade, despite her somewhat inappropriate treatment, and I've always been happy about coming back to this time plane. And I am glad to see you and Nagato-san, because it's the most precious part of my visits here. But now… I envy myself in my past for having to play such a minor role. Seeing the other side of the events behind Dark Haruhi's appearance helped me realize how fragile everything is. This very time plane… It's unstable."
Nagato put her book away and was listening carefully to Asahina-san. Seems like that final phrase alerted her somehow.
"Unstable?" I decided to try and clarify this for Nagato. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well…" A quick thought glimpsed in Asahina-san's eyes. "Do you remember our conversation when I revealed to you who I was? That day, I told you that future can't be changed because there is no continuity between the time planes, and meddling with one won't affect others in any way. That's how it's always meant to be. But then, there was Fujiwara who found a way around that rule."
"Haruhi's power…" These two words came out from my mouth as a whisper. "He planned to give it to Sasaki and change the future with her help. And now we have Dark Haruhi who already has this power. Does that mean…?"
"You are not far away from the truth," nodded Asahina-san. "Suzumiya-san's power is indeed the only thing capable of breaking the stability of time planes. But if Dark Haruhi truly was behind the approaching crisis, she would have already used her power to cause it. That's why my mission is so complicated. Dark Haruhi is but a single piece of the puzzle, and there are still many more of them to be uncovered."
Hang on… What exactly did you just say? I'm not sure I follow – no, I'm quite positive that I don't. So Dark Haruhi isn't the big bad?
"Here's what is happening," said Asahina-san. "A critical point for this time plane is coming. In its center is a force that may change this world irrevocably, and it has the potential to cause a number of very different futures which cannot coexist together." Asahina-san took a deep breath. "Soon, a fateful event will take place. When it does, it will eliminate all possible futures save one, setting a single course for this world's destiny. For me, it means… If I don't succeed, a different future is going to replace the one I came from. It will be the end of my world. Everyone I know, everything we've worked hard to create will vanish into nothingness. And it will probably reach me even in this time plane, erasing me as well."
I didn't know how to feel about it. Imagine that you have a foreign friend from a different country, and one day he brings you news about his homeland suffering destruction – for example, it's engulfed in the flames of war and being obliterated little by little, or maybe all at once. How would you answer to that? You'd certainly say you were sorry to hear about his loss, but you'd never be able to sympathize with him, unless you have experienced something of that level. Asahina-san (big) was this sort of friend to me now. She was worried about her future, but… it's the future she was talking about. It's as distant from one's ordinary life as humanly possible. As much as I realized this was nothing to joke about, I couldn't share Asahina-san's worries.
"Who?" I asked her. "Who is going to destroy your future? Is it Dark Haruhi? Or someone else?"
She raised her head, heroically holding her composure.
"While Dark Haruhi definitely has an important part in this chain of events, there is someone else to suspect. This game of destiny has room for another player. They are the ones I am investigating."
I fidgeted in my chair, unable to deal with my impatience. This sounds incredibly important to wait for it so idly.
"Who are they?"
"They call themselves the Warlocks."
The Warlocks? People who use black magic?
"They are a special type of people who possess extraordinary powers," said Asahina-san. "There is very little information about them, even in my future nothing more than a mention of their faction's name can be found. All that's known about them is that they are different from me, Nagato-san and Koizumi-kun. Whatever their powers are, they aren't the same as those of the three of us. And before you ask," she tapped her finger on the table. "They are certainly not like Suzumiya-san or Dark Haruhi. A whole faction of people with their ability is an impossible scenario. In our world, at least."
"And they are the source of your stress?" I asked.
"Yes." A wrinkle appeared in the corner of her eye. "Based on the intel provided by my superiors, they are involved in destabilizing this time plane. However, there's not enough information. I must look into this matter and learn as much about them as I can. Their identities, their powers, their motives… They have already made a move, giving me a small clue. You've probably heard that Kyoko Tachibana has gone missing, if I'm not mistaken. Koizumi-kun had pointed it out a couple of days earlier, right?"
I tensed up.
"Shiraki suggested her family had moved away. And we saw Tachibana last Saturday. I mean, Shiraki and Koizumi did. What does she have to do with your mission?"
"They haven't moved away," spoke Asahina-san with dead seriousness in her voice. "Her whole family has been kidnapped."
I could hear and count every beat of my heart's pace in the ensued silence.
"Tell me you are joking."
"I wish it weren't true," sighed Asahina-san. "Roughly two weeks ago, the Warlocks broke into the Tachibana residence and abducted Kyoko along with her mother and father."
"Two weeks ago?" Now this just can't be right. "Asahina-san, I've just told you we saw her last Saturday. What you are saying has to be wrong."
"Let me continue on this part," she lifted a palm of her hand. "Two weeks ago, the Warlocks had kidnapped Kyoko's whole family for purposes unknown. I know it was their doing because of the traces they left in their house – don't ask me what they are, it's classified – and I had been looking for them after this incident occurred. And after a few days of thorough searching, I did it. I found their base of operations and managed to infiltrate it, freeing Tachibanas from where they were held captive. But the Warlocks responded to my intrusion in the most unexpected way. They simply… evacuated from that base, every single one of them. And they didn't leave behind any piece of evidence. Items, documents, computers – they took everything with them. In just a few minutes, there wasn't anyone in that place except for me and the Tachibana family."
"You mean those Warlocks didn't fight back?"
"Exactly, Kyon."
They sound like a ridiculous bunch of wimps. Did Asahina-san infiltrate their base on her own? Even if she brought help with her, why couldn't those guys use their powers to stop her? Maybe they can only work in a Closed Space, like esper powers? And most importantly – if they run away from a fight so easily, what makes Asahina-san worry about them so much?
"When Koizumi-kun and Shiraki saw Kyoko a couple of days ago, it was during her break from captivity," Asahina-san carried on with her story. "Tachibanas used to be members of an esper faction, rival to the Organization, as you know. Even though they have resigned, they still have connections and are on good terms with their former associates. They had no problem in finding a safe place to hide."
"Wait. Are you saying Kyoko's parents are espers as well?"
"Are you surprised?" Asahina-san's smile was barely noticeable. "Yes, Koizumi-kun isn't the only one whose powers run in the family. Somehow, this is also true regarding Tachibanas. But I digress. After helping them escape, I tried to learn from Tachibanas whatever I could about the people who had kidnapped them. They could tell me only a little, but even that small piece of information is extremely valuable."
Asahina-san cleared her throat.
"There were two of them. The Warlocks who came after Tachibanas were twins, a boy and a girl about your age, Kyon. They didn't catch the names of their kidnappers, but those two displayed some of their powers. One ability they had was to paralyze their victims, restraining their movements and rendering them speechless." She frowned, recalling something from her memory. "Tachibanas described it as a horrific experience. Being unable to move, but perfectly aware, trying to resist and protect their loved ones, but to no avail... Using that power, the twins easily abducted them, because their victims couldn't make a single sound. And they also obscured Kyoko and her parents' eyes with blindfolds and never removed them, not even when they brought their kidnappees to their base. So I'm afraid Tachibanas know even less than I do."
The details were scarce, but they were enough to form a pretty grim picture. There is a faction of people who can paralyze you with their powers – and God knows what other abilities they may have – and they are also criminals who choose to kidnap espers, amongst all the people in Japan. And, according to Asahina-san, they are somehow able to endanger her future… I don't understand this part, but neither does she, it seems.
"But why did those Warlocks come after the Tachibanas in the first place?" I wondered.
"That isn't known even to them," replied Asahina-san with a concerned look on her face. "I asked them about it, but all they could tell me was that they were being held in a room, tied up on separate tables, having their eyes always covered with bandages. Every day, someone they couldn't see would come and silently do… something to them. Kyoko figured out what it was – an effect of a supernatural power. That person would come to visit them without speaking a word and use this power on them for hours. But what exactly it did to them, Kyoko couldn't understand."
What a creepy fate to suffer. And I thought Closed Spaces with monsters were bad enough. Hell, it would probably be better for Tachibanas to have been abducted by ordinary criminals who'd beat them up and demand a ransom for them from their relatives. Instead, they got kidnappers with powers whose weapon of choice was terrifying their victims with the unknown. Who was that Warlock and what was he doing to them? There was plenty of room for imagination, and it would give a thousand ideas, each one more frightening than another.
"It wasn't long before the twins came back for their escaped prey. They found where Kyoko was hiding with her family and abducted them once again."
"What?" I was shocked to hear that. It happened to them twice? And it was the same two culprits? "But…"
"I know," said Asahina-san in a mortified voice. "Not only did this nightmare come back after them, but it's also a setback in my mission. The only connection to the Warlocks I had was snatched from under my nose, and I'm the only one to blame. I can only suggest they weren't done with Tachibanas when I came to their rescue. But I was arrogant enough to think I did all I could to keep them safe, and now…" She turned to me with the most sorrowful expression on her face I could imagine. "And now I'm here to ask you for your help, Kyon."
Sitting in my chair with my mouth agasp like a moron, I slowly pointed my finger at myself.
"Who, me?"
Asahina-san nodded.
"After they were kidnapped for the second time, I received new information. Kyoko and her family can be saved from the Warlocks. Once I find out where they are being kept this time, I can put an end to this and stop the Warlocks from coming back for them ever again. I am sure about this because it's a predetermined event. But the requirement is that you take part in it, too. You are the only one who can save Kyoko Tachibana. Kyon…"
Sad and desperate – that's all she was that moment and what I could read from looking at her. I knew where it was coming. She was one step away from begging for my help.
"Will you…?"
I glared at her silently. So that's the reason why she came all the way here to chat with me? To give me another quest? Last time she did it, I ended up doing a pattern of seemingly meaningless tasks without anyone telling me what was going on until I was done, and Asahina-san (little) was involved in it as well, having to serve as a decoy for a different group of kidnappers. I was mad at Asahina-san (big) for being used so mercilessly. However… Now it was different. She came to me in person and told me everything she knew about her situation. I won't deny it sounds really nasty and dangerous, and a huge lot of things are at stake. But if she is being sincere with me this time…
"Asahina-san," I locked gazes with her, trying to sound confident. "I need to know one thing. Are you hiding anything from me? If you want me to help you… Can I trust you?"
"Kyon." Her hand reached out and touched mine, giving me goosebumps – the nice kind. "I am asking for too much to let myself be untruthful with you. If you decide to become involved, this will be a great risk for you. I don't wish to see you harmed ever again. That's why I have told you everything that is not classified." She finally smiled again, and a flicker of faith danced in her eyes. "And I will do everything in my power to help you survive."
Survive? Does this mean my life will be threatened if I agree to lend Asahina-san a hand? Is there a possibility I may die saving her future? Well… If that's how risky it is, then…
"Whatever threat those Warlocks pose, Dark Haruhi has already proven herself to be an unpleasant addition to my quiet life." Not feeling a slightest shred of fear in my soul, I spoke my decision: "You've made your point. If it's so important to you, then you can count on me."
"Thank you, Kyon!" Asahina-san brightened up as this new hope I gave her washed her grief away. "Thank you. As soon as an opportunity to take action appears, I will let you know. I will make all necessary preparations, and when the day comes, we will save Kyoko Tachibana and her family. Together."
Now this is the adult Asahina-san I remember. Smiling and optimistic. Let's hope I won't have to regret it.
"A few more things to discuss, and I shall be on my way," she said. "Abducting Tachibanas isn't the only thing the Warlocks have done. Today, this exact day, they've committed another crime."
Those guys really hate living without ruining someone's day, don't they?
"And what was it?"
"A break-in. They've targeted Tsuruya's house."
I jumped up from my chair and sprang to my feet, barely avoiding knocking over the table.
"What? Tsuruya's house? Are you serious?"
"Don't worry," Asahina-san took my sleeve, silently asking me to calm down. "It has happened a few hours earlier, before Tsuruya brought the younger me to her place for training. It's safe there now, although it's quite a mess. But you know Tsuruya," she chuckled. "You could burn her house down, and it would only make her really angry. Fear is but an empty word for her. She won't let this incident get in the way of what you've asked of her."
I sighed and fell into the chair, getting a hold of myself.
"I don't know if the twins were behind this break-in as well, but the burglars were definitely Warlocks," continued Asahina-san. "They stole things of great value, artifacts from the past. Hopefully, learning the history of those objects from Tsuruya will help me get closer to understanding the goals of the Warlocks."
"Wait. Are you going to show yourself to Tsuruya? Or are you implying she already knows about you?" I was stunned by one possible meaning behind Asahina-san's words. "This version of you?"
"She does," confirmed my guess Asahina-san. "She has known about me for a long time now. There's nothing to worry about. Tsuruya is a trustworthy friend."
Surprise, surprise. Although… Koizumi did mention one day that Tsuruya knows the real deal behind the SOS Brigade. Even Tsuruya herself told me she prefers to keep distance and watch the show when I asked her about how much she actually knew. But the grown-up Asahina-san… Seems like she's not such a big secret after all.
"But this is going to lead to serious trouble if left unattended. Tsuruya knows better than to talk about this incident, but rumors are going to spread, and there's nothing she can do about it. It's only a matter of time before Suzumiya-san finds out. And she will want to help her friend and start an investigation."
Asahina-san leaned closer to me and lowered her voice.
"You will have to stop her, Kyon," she said. "Don't let Suzumiya-san investigate this matter. She must not get herself involved into this mess. No matter what she says, whatever she will do…" She emphasized her next words. "Do not let her set even one foot in Tsuruya's mansion. Whatever – the – cost."
"Why not?" I scratched my forehead, processing what I've just been told. "Can she actually get on the Warlocks' trail if she does?"
"Not only that," replied Asahina-san. "Tsuruya has dossiers on every object that has been stolen from her. If Suzumiya-san gets her hands even on one of them… Well… Let's just say those dossiers are not for her eyes. But you, Kyon… You, however, will have to see them. You, Nagato-san, Koizumi-kun and my younger self. Once you persuade Suzumiya-san to abandon this, ask Tsuruya to share that information with you. It will help you in the nearest future."
"I understand." Although I didn't have a clue how I was going to prevent Haruhi from sticking her nose into Tsuruya's business, I knew I couldn't let myself fail this task. I couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen if she ever faced a Warlock, and I didn't want to find out. "But how is it going to help us?"
"That's classified for now." Asahina-san gave me an apologetic look. "But… I know what you will find there still won't give you the full picture. It's very important that you discover it as soon as possible. And it infuriates me that I can't tell you everything here and now."
She straightened in her seat and closed her eyes. She inhaled sharply and clenched her fists, and this view made me feel nervous.
"Uh… Asahina-san?"
"Kyon…" She put her hand on her stomach and shuddered. "The reason you have become a part of these events… The reason why Dark Haruhi is here… It is because… Classified information..."
What in the world is happening now? Asahina-san was so pale, she looked like she was fighting nausea. She gulped loudly, took a deep breath and exclaimed:
"The Link!"
And then she burst into a severe coughing fit, her face twisted in pain. I felt my hair move on my head like a tangled ball of worms, and my mouth turned dry because of what I've just seen. I thought she was going to faint and fall from her chair, so I prepared myself to go and catch her.
"Sorry." Her voice was weak and hardly recognizable. "I've pushed my restrictions to the limit. I can't speak of it anymore. But I had to try. I had to give you a hint. Please… Don't ask me what it means. You will have to learn more about it on your own."
"Damn it, Asahina-san!" I rubbed my eyebrows, trying to banish the unnerving sight from my mind. "Don't scare me like that. I thought you were having a seizure."
"So I was, Kyon. I was."
Incredible. So that's what happens when a time traveler attempts to reveal even a fragment of classified information, to fight the intense brainwashing they received before using a TPDD. No, I didn't want to witness this ever again. I never thought it was possible at all. What do you know, today is the day of discoveries.
I was relieved to see Asahina-san could breathe freely once more.
"Nagato-san," she turned away from me and faced the alien girl. Nagato was unflappably listening to our conversation all this time. "As I've said before, I was waiting both for Kyon and you. I have to tell you something, too."
Nagato was staring at Asahina-san calmly.
"I am listening."
"I've overheard what you said about your plan to apprehend Dark Haruhi." Asahina-san's face regained its healthy color. "Your superiors intend to get to her through Asakura. You mustn't. Please, tell them to find another way. If I know Asakura, she will try to stop you from capturing her, and that can only end in her ultimate destruction. You mustn't let this happen. Her training with Kyon is too important. Nothing must get in its way."
I wanted to interrupt them, but I thought further explanation would probably belong to the realm of classified information, blast it. Not to mention it would be simply rude. So I decided to let Asahina-san speak what she believes needs to be spoken. She has already said more than she could.
"This will be taken into consideration," said Nagato. "However, it may not be enough to sway the consensus in favor of finding a different approach towards apprehending Dark Haruhi."
"I know," Asahina-san moved her head, and the mass of her hair shook like a sea wave. "But it's crucial for saving my future. Kyon's training must continue no matter what. I ask you – no, I beg you, Nagato-san… Don't let any harm come upon Asakura."
Nagato didn't respond. I think it means she can promise nothing. Asahina-san stood up and laid her sight on me.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yes." She put on the same smile she had when she came here. "Thank you for your kindness, Kyon. You don't even realize how much weight your help is going to carry. Because of you, when this time plane reaches its diverging point, my home will have a chance to see another day. Until then… Train well. It will come in handy soon enough. Bye-bye!"
And she disappeared behind the closest book shelf. I sighed and turned to see all the work I barely touched. The talk with the adult Asahina-san had one huge downside: I wasn't in the mood for studying anymore. Good grief. I suppose all of it will have to wait.
I took out my cell phone and dialed Asakura's number. I hope she won't mind if we begin our training earlier today.