"There is nothing left to say."
Chapter 11: Painful Summer Part Four
Island Mansion, the next day, 6:00 am
The alarm clock buzzed Ray awake as he looked at the table between the two beds, the other empty and he could hear a yawn behind him. Ray got up and noticed behind him Haruhi sat on the bed, staring out as the night became day.
Ray then said "Do you always stare out the window at such an early time?" Haruhi turned to face Ray and nodded her head before saying "Most of the time but not all the time." Silence made itself known to the room for a while as the day played out nominally.
They were only there for one month out of the summer and it would be some time before the SOS-dan gathered again for the last leg of summer like before. Time passed on as there were neither any more incidents nor issues. Haruhi and Ray acted as if nothing eventful occurred the trip and neither brought up the new fact that Ray had told Haruhi about the agency's existence though not of its nature.
The Following Month, Suzumiya's home. 1:35 pm
The rest of the SOS-dan were doing their own things now save for Ryoko and Sasaki who were now both residents of the same building Nagato resided in, rents paid by the organization now rather than the IDTE, Kyon was off visiting relatives in Tokyo, Koizumi was most likely keeping an eye out for closed space or planning for the final leg of summer as closed space does not appreciate summer as much as humanity.
Ray sipped tea as a movie played on the television, Haruhi on his right watching it with a rather bored expression. Visiting her had become routine and neither acted differently around eachother than they had prior to Ray's revelation of several things to her.
Ray had learned that Haruhi's parents were indeed aware of her abilities and aided the Organization with neutrality in exchange that they support Haruhi however they can, be it finances or the more common staged events and vacations. Haruhi was bored of the movie as it was only halfway over and turned her head to face Ray and said "I'd rather just walk about the park or something than sit here on this couch all day watching TV" Ray nodded his head in agreement and said "The usual place we keep looking around for mysteries and the like?" Haruhi sighed and replied "Sure." with a lack of interest which Ray quickly became aware of and said "Or would you rather just head out for something to eat, my treat."
Haruhi nodded her head but still had the expression that she was bored as hell and the day passed on by with a meal at the usual café the SOS-dan meet at.
As the night came Ray told Haruhi "I'll see you later." before leaving her house and walking down a hill towards his current residence.
8:18pm
Ray arrived and felt something odd, as if something was off about everything as he opened his door and made his way straight to bed.
?, ?.
Ray woke to the sight of a bluish-grey sky and felt nothing but cold cement on his back instead of his bed. He immediately bolted up to his feet and quickly took in his surroundings of the city. He was trapped in closed space and it seemed he was the only one there.
Ray wandered about with Eagle Vision active, he could see the borders of closed space visually as if they were Nanite shields and more importantly what caught his attention was a golden hued person down the street at North High, Ray immediately knew who it was and it was Suzumiya Haruhi who seemed confused to her surroundings.
Closed Space, SOS-dan clubroom, 110120101201021210122
Haruhi had put on tea as Ray had a serious expression and didn't break eye contact whenever Haruhi looked in his direction and frankly, it was getting on her nerves.
Haruhi decided to speak, saying "What is it, the way you look at me is like I'm the reason we're stuck here. This might just be a dream, I've had one exactly like this before but what bothers me more is that cold stare you're giving me." Ray sighed and said "This is no dream, this is an enclosed region of space that we might be trapped in for eternity unless there is a change of mood." Haruhi gave Ray a puzzled look before saying "Am I responsible for this? Is that what you're saying? Out with it then because if we're going to be the only two stuck in here I want to know why!"
With that some kind of switch flipped in Ray's head as he said "You want to know why we're here? Because for some reason you want us to be here! This is your doing, we're trapped in here until you decide that the world is worth living in. You have capabilities Haruhi, but I can't tell you all of them. I would rather not be trapped in here and sooner or later if we get out some shadow organization or Abstergo themselves will try to take you for their own ends. Ever since the island you've been distant, depressed and sometimes angry."
Haruhi replied, shouting "What capabilities do I have? Why would I want to be stuck in here, such a small part of the world were nothing seems to be happening? And even if I was responsible for this then why the hell should I bother with the way things were? What would make it worth it? I have more questions than answers and I'm getting sick of it!"
Ray sighed and replied "Fine, I'll tell you several things. First of all, I know more about you than I've let on. It wasn't the rumors or Kyon's babbling mouth that gave me the information but rather the fact that these neutral parties set up a Light Novel series, Manga series and Anime series as a cover to deter anyone from investigating. It revolves around your high school life but instead of focusing on your point of view it focuses on Kyon's and holds all the answers you want, that is what is coming over from the US, my entire collection of books and a DVD that I paid no serious attention to until I learned of the truth. The last time you were stuck in this place was because you wanted a relationship with Kyon-"
Haruhi was both surprised and angry as she interrupted Ray, saying "First of all, if I had any feelings for him I don't anymore, second of all I find it extremely hard to believe you. If what you're saying is true then the only damn reason we're here then is because I'm waiting for you to do something interesting!"
Ray rubbed his forehead in frustration as he replied "This will only end badly and I suppose I should tell you everything to prevent that grim future I know about. Perhaps I will and then I'll end up in a future that whilst it won't be as bad it will still be unbearable! For once in your entire damn life think about someone else's wants and needs rather than always selfishly choosing only that which appeases you."
Haruhi was silent for a moment before replying "Does it even matter anymore? Has it ever really mattered? If you're so worried about a world you can't stand to live in and if I really am the cause of all this and, if what you're saying applies, if I have the ability to change it all, just show me a world you would want to live in, find a compromise!" Ray shouted in response "No! If the world is to change it must change with direct action and not simply a write-over. I've made my decision, I'll tell you everything if you promise not to act on this information so quickly."
Haruhi nodded and said "Alright, I'm listening."
Ray took out an Apple of Eden from his pocket, he seemed to always carry it on his person as it suddenly sent a surge of information into Haruhi's mind.
Her eyes widened as she became aware of not only the secrets surrounding herself but all the things that had, or rather to her experience, will occur regarding an alien bent on the destruction of all existence. But that wasn't the only thing that the apple did, it placed some kind of mental barrier on Haruhi which prevented her from activating or controlling closed space consciously or subconsciously and because of the information the apple gave her, she knew it would only last five minutes.
Ray placed it back in his pocket as he said "There, are you satisfied? How will you react?" Haruhi shook her head to the side slightly and said "In five minutes everything will change. I promise it will be for the better." Ray sighed and said "I was afraid you would say that. I'm glad we had this chat but."
With those words Ray's eyes flashed red for a second and he grabbed Haruhi's hand as he said "Forget...".
101201021012012012
When Haruhi came to, she had forgotten the entire conversation. The two were still trapped in closed space though to Haruhi's POV she was just waking up to it.
As Haruhi asked simple questions such as "Where are we?", "What happened?" and "Why is this happening?" Ray merely shook his head and lied with the words "I don't know."
Ray wanted only to remain in the clubroom and sip tea though Haruhi continued to explore around the school trying to figure out what was happening.
A red light with the shape of a human formed near Ray who immediately said "Ah, Koizumi. How's the free side of the world?" Koizumi's avatar replied "To our view we are almost non-existent, the world doesn't exist and we believe that what is happening now has happened before regarding Kyon and when I asked how he saved everything he simply replied 'I thought about the tale of Snow White.'."
Ray shrugged and replied "I've read and watched your cover-ups, You're basically saying Haruhi has lost interest in Kyon and is now focused on me. She's like a lost puppy, clinging to whoever brightens up her day the most, be it exploring the city or someone who can fire bursts of energy from his hands. Tell me something, something not in those cover ups. Haruhi mentioned noticing the fear in your eyes when eye contact is made. Do her parents also have the same emotion when they look at their daughter?" Koizumi replied "Yes they do, If Haruhi is perceptive enough to notice that then it would explain why lately she has been having bouts of closed space. Personally I would rather she not take an interest in you though it's not like anyone can simply tell her what to do and expect to be able to make it happen."
Ray replied "She is nowhere near ready to learn about the truth regarding her powers. I've told her several things including the fact that her DNA was altered at Tanabata four years prior to now." Koizumi replied "That is the result of the elder Asahina Mikuru's faction's meddling. You're from the future, have you ever heard of a type of bullet known as DN-Ammunition?"
Ray replied "Yes, in my time the technology was banned and time travel technology was destroyed after a rather large blunder which nearly caused the formation of a totalitarian government which dealt with overpopulation to such measures that they employed the death penalty on multiple-child families. Let me guess, someone shot Haruhi with a DNA-Altering bullet four years ago."
Koizumi then said "Yes, though for what purposes is still unknown however according to our intel the bullet was coded differently and was discharged by an electrical current instead of a normal powder charge." Ray knew what was happening and was irritated at one simple fact, that Juno may have done something both potentially destructive and also potentially the salvation of the universe, even in death she was meddling with Ray and sooner or later the Assassins would realize Ray killed her before them, not that they would disapprove though they would have preferred he let them know.
Ray noticed Koizumi's form was shrinking and Koizumi then said "Well it seems we're running out of energy to maintain this communication. If you know how to set things back to normal then I suggest you do and if it doesn't work then at the least the story of Adam and Eve can repeat."
Ray said just before Koizumi faded entirely "You know nothing about Adam & Eve..."
And with that not only had Koizumi faded away, but a bright blue light lit the entire room as Ray looked out window to see a Celestial rising from a bending over position.
Ray ran at a pace beyond any he has shown Haruhi before, appearing almost instantly to her side as she took notice of the Celestial with both awe and what Ray perceived as joy. Ray grabbed her hand immediately and said "How about we get moving!"
Things were playing out exactly as they had in the anime cover-up as Haruhi spoke about being sure of a new world with the SOS-dan present as three Celestials continued to follow them as the boundaries of closed space now seemed eternal. Ray stopped, hand gripped onto Haruhi to force her to stop moving as well as he said "No I want to return to the world before, how it was, exactly how it was before! Not any different!"
Haruhi replied "Why? What is worth living in that kind of world? What would possibly attach you to it?" Ray knew what would end the closed space problem for now, is this how Haruhi chooses someone? Ray decided to let his emotions take over as he looked Haruhi dead in the eye and said "You. That's why I am attached to the world, why I still choose to draw breath instead of taking the coward's way out. I've been though too much for anyone to handle but your boundless energy and your personality keep me drawn closer. You said back at the island that you were looking for someone who wasn't only interested in how you looked or focused entirely on the same base instinct humanity has built a sad, sordid culture around. Perhaps not in the way you wanted but you did find someone who sees you for who you are. You are Suzumiya Haruhi, not just another person on this Earth, not just another 'fish in the sea' as people say. You are yourself and nobody else."
Haruhi didn't say a word, she didn't need or likely didn't want to as she grabbed and pulled Ray's head to hers as the Celestials approached ever closer, seconds seemed like hours before Ray woke in his bed, in normal space.
Ray's Apartment, 10:35 PM
Ray sat up from the bed, looking out a window showing a half moon shining in the sky. Haruhi was most likely either going to cover up her emotions with her usual antics or it would just get even more tense around her. One thing was certain though as Ray noticed a change in the wind and switched into Eagle Vision and focused intently at the stars, noticing a large object approaching, his nanites did the calculations for him, by December 28th, 2014, SEELE's feared Second Impact will occur which also means WW3 is just around the corner. Ray taps out of eagle vision and rests back on his bed, facing the ceiling and says to himself before nodding off to sleep "I've altered history before, moved up the clock on the birthdates simply by travelling back in time without specific coordinates. I still have Mikuru's TPDD grafted unto the gauntlets of eden, if I fail this time I will have to try again. But I won't fail this time. Once it's passed, once SEELE's attack dog appears and after I dispose of him I'll tell her everything if the incident makes her realize things must be done a certain way or Amon will still have his way. Something about the region of space Amon is entombed in makes him immune to a shinjin's rewrites, he must be killed physically or psionically. Tomorrow is the big day though, the day the Ray Sphere detonates and day something from the outside world pierces the information blockade directly."
Just before he falls asleep he thinks the words "It was a nice trip through closed space though, I wouldn't want to repeat the whole thing but I don't want to forget it either."
4:35 AM Local Time (10:35 PM, Nishinomiya), undisclosed location. 1201201201201021020120120
William continued to tap the desk as he was deep in thought. "Why did the observation team go rogue? I'm sure the reason Ray hung up so quickly was because that girl eavesdropped on the conversation though I don't think it will be a problem. In either case I should send someone to more directly keep an eye on Ray, someone he can trust as well." With those words in mind Will picked up his phone and browsed through its list of names before setting on one and pushing the screen to auto-dial it.
The name was listed as Laura Kylani.
To be continued...
Afterword
Laura Kylani is another OC that I will be placing in this story.
Other than that I have nothing else to say except...
Till next time...