AN: Haruhi's outfit is the one seen in the opening of the anime, but never used within the series itself. Just a tidbit.

Last chapter: Exchanging words with a mysterious figure, Yuki passes away. At the same time, Haruhi's gambit is finished, and the inevitable confrontation draws close.

"Citizens of the United States of America, I speak to you In this time of great worry. I speak to you to assure you: the strength you poured into making this country what it is today will now be returned. No resources and no effort shall be spared to guarantee your safety."

Kyon watched the broadcast dejectedly from the dirty sofa. Not like he had anything better to do, really. He only wished his English comprehension skills were a notch better. The foreign stations were choke-full of meaningless sesquipedalians and he watched them only because all the Japanese channels were already dead.

"We confirm that the weather phenomenon has just reached the West Coast. Provisions and shelter for the citizens are already being prepared."

He hadn't given much thought to why he had met no normal people on the streets ever since his talk with Koizumi Itsuki. In retrospect, he understood everyone had fled from the city – it was here that all the weird stuff started happening. When his family called, telling him to come back home and prepare to evacuate, he had made up a lie that all students were to hide in the school basement and couldn't leave it. In truth, he had known from the start it was no normal typhoon.

"It is true that the reaction originated in central Japan. However, there is currently no reason to suspect that it is any specific action undertaken by the Japanese that is to blame for the occurrence. We hope to extend a helping hand to any Japanese survivors, and are constantly trying to establish contact with any remaining members of the Japanese government."

But as fate would have it, the city was the eye of the storm, and the only safe place on the whole Japanese Islands.

"Remaining members of the government, huh?" Kyon muttered to himself.

While he was taking advantage of a recently-abandoned apartment, his compatriots were all facing mortal danger and fighting for their lives. That was one unhappy thought, but he was too tired to properly sympathize.

Well, there was still his own family. Evan that monster of a little sister…

He took out Koizumi's cell phone. The thing never had problems with signal. It could establish a connection with anything that had a speaker.

"Hi, Mom. I'm still in the middle of all that. No, don't worry. It doesn't matter either way. If the super-aliens win, we're all doomed. If the superhuman high school girl on our side wins, she'll fix everything in no time at all, you won't even remember the scary stuff happening."

Nah, that wouldn't go over well.

His thoughts went to Haruhi. She would be there already, wherever or whatever there was. Still, he had the nagging feeling there was still something he had to tell her.

Or maybe he was just feeling restless.

The TV went on spouting blasted English.

Kyon felt the irresistible need to go outside.

Chapter 5

Yet Another Way of Many

"It doesn't fit, does it?"

He had no idea, and told Haruhi likewise.

"Use. Your. Brain. Fits? Fits not?"

Haruhi's haughty demands served little purpose other than to make him squirm, anyway. She was already discarding the outfit in question and bringing about another one.

Haruhi, set loose on an abandoned and defenseless shopping district. Not that she actually needed to help herself to the wares on display. It was a matter of 'inspiration'. And of a mirror, too.

"Hand me the hairbrush over there, Kyon."

'Over there' was on the other side of the shop window, and the door was most certainly closed. Meaning that the only way he could obtain the requested item would be through an act of vandalism. No, he didn't think too highly of the idea.

Haruhi glared daggers first at him, and then at the shop window. Unlike Kyon, the glass couldn't survive the pressure. With a sad clatter, the window shattered into a thousand small pieces.

Kyon sighed at Haruhi's antics and reached for the hairbrush, passing it over to her in a docile enough manner. Haruhi humphed, took the accessory and gave the shattered glass one more look. The window was all too happy to fix itself. Or rather, it was fixed the moment she wished for it to be.

Since bewilderment could only keep him silent for so long, Kyon decided it was time for a little interrogation.

"So, what was in that letter?"

Nagato really could have made the thing a multiple-use item and saved him the trouble of getting the info out of Haruhi. Was this her idea of a final joke?

"In the letter? Only everything," but it actually seemed he had hit the right button and Haruhi had wanted to talk about it, and let her dissatisfaction be known, all along "Even Yuki brushing her teeth, the one time she went about it like normal people do."

At least he knew why the interface didn't want him seeing all that. Unless he was giving himself too much credit and she wouldn't care.

"Besides what seemed like every second of her life, there was every report Itsuki-kun's Organization ever wrote and four year's worth of inter-time communication logs," Haruhi brushed her hair so forcefully, Kyon had to wonder if she wasn't hurting herself "A lot of contradictory stuff."

Haruhi nodded at her reflection in the mirror. In the end, she had settled for a long black leather jacket, a yellow tank top and the miniskirt of their high school uniform. There was a red band around her arm with the words Supreme Being (tentative) written on it.

Kyon didn't consider the outfit dazzling, but neither did he see the reason for Haruhi dressing up at all. Other than to escape the cold, of course. Evening had come, and along with it reason-defying subzero temperatures.

"But the bottom line is: my own club has been making a fool out of me for a whole year, if not four years!"

So she was pissed. Not that there was any point denying the true accusation.

"And that club, which was supposed to save the world by overloading it with fun in my name, royally screwed up, leaving their leader alone to clean up the mess!"

Kyon didn't know whether to feel happy or indignant about Haruhi ignoring the fact he was another remaining club member who could help resolve the issue. Or maybe she deemed whatever contribution he could make negligible, but would still drag him around? He should probably be more worried about her likening world-saving to cleaning duty, anyway.

At this moment, one of the rust-like clouds in the sky covered up the sun and plunged them into darkness. Haruhi snapped her head upwards and glared at the thing as if it was the culprit behind the deaths of her friends. The cloud dispersed immediately, but it was back a second later as if nothing had happened.

"The possibility that I wouldn't have done that, right?" Haruhi spat.

Kyon was used to feeling lost when it came to all the bizarre phenomena happening around him. But he also had to wonder if there was more to Haruhi's anger than she was willing to tell.

"What now, Haruhi? Are we going to actually do something, or do you just use a healthy dose of your new bogus magic to fix things?"

Haruhi waved her hand dismissively to show him what she thought about his view on her 'bogus magic'.

"There are five billion seven hundred million sixty-five thousand eight kindred twenty nine living people in this world, Kyon."

The number was smaller than what he recalled hearing during his geography lessons, but he didn't really want to know the reason behind that.

"But I can properly feel one person less than that. I'd assume that whoever is shielding themselves from my power has a reason for doing that. As in, they are the bad guy." Haruhi went on "For all their effort, with the process of elimination and a bit of bogus magic, it's easy to find out who and where they are."

Kyon looked at her blankly.

"So easy? Where's the fine print?"

"So easy."

Haruhi threw the hairbrush at him.

"I'm going."

"And not dragging me with you?"

Not that he secretly wanted to tag along, or anything. He was just making sure.

Haruhi turned to him with a strange look in her eyes.

"If I didn't have someone waiting for my return, I'd go crazy. After I'm done killing Tsuruya-san, that is."

Kyon watched her disappear in a flash of light.

The meaning of her words registered a second too late.

XXX

Tsuruya clapped her hands once, twice and finally thrice, blowing on the insides of her palms after each completed motion.

It wasn't much use and she soon sought retreat in the warm pockets of her coat. The night was unusually cold, after all. Far too cold for pleasurable stargazing at the school rooftop, anyway.

She almost felt relieved hearing the hurried footsteps become louder and louder still. It was like waiting for the pinprick of a needle, but relishing in the knowledge that the experience would soon be over.

Bang!

The rooftop door smashed open as if it had been a typhoon, rather than a schoolgirl, tearing it open. It was adequate, in a sense – how else should sound a door opened by God?

Tsuruya gazed upon the oddly dark town beneath her. Wandering up that slope each day – she would never have complained, no, but to never take advantage of it, to wait until such a day to admire her own town from the rooftop of her own school…

Feeble thoughts were an excuse for not turning around and facing the tangible wrath of the supreme being directly.

"Tsuruya-san!"

The yell itself snapped her head to the side. She was sure of this – she wouldn't have willed it to move herself.

It was so much for the easy way out, either way. It took her all not to make eye contact, she couldn't find it in herself to return to her previous stance.

"Haru-nyan. What brings you here?"

How subtle. The urge to lsap herself on the forehead was nearly overwhelming.

Haruhi could try and help her, though, instead of keeping silent. Like: "the end of the world as you know it" – it sounded dramatic, even, and would make for a Hollywood-esque climax scene.Or something more on mark: "anger", "revenge", "hatred".

No such luck.

"You know-sa…"

"Unforgivable!"

Tsuruya turned around and faced Haruhi fully, surprised.

"Your behavior was to my great dissatisfaction, Tsuruya-san! I would hate to revoke your honorary membership, but it is my duty as the Commander to keep the SOS-dan in top form – that means no member may slack off or break rules!"

Surprised, because of all things, she did not expect herself to be scolded in such a mundane fashion as this.

"A penalty is needed! You'll pay for lunch and apologize to everybody once this is over, understood, Tsuruya-san?"

Tsuruya burst out laughing.

Expecting the worst, being well-prepared to manage it – it all had its merits. Like when it all lead to the euphoric feeling of relief.

"Apologize to everybody once this is over, heh?"

"I megas underestimated you, Haru-nyan. That I did," and it felt good to admit it "I thought that accepting one's godhood would be too much even for you, that you would come here angry at me and terrified of yourself…"

She halted. And then she decided there was nothing to wait for.

"There were many who opposed you, but do not hold it against them. There were many gods with their own wishes – and each needed worshippers. Hate not Sasaki-chan, because she gave her life for your awakening. Don't begrudge the deaths of Mikuru and Koizumi-kun. They were simply necessary. And now that you know everything, possibly even temporary. Even Yuki-chi, at my own hands… but you are here, so you must know."

Haruhi nodded firmly and reached into her coat pocket to take out a carefully folded letter.

"Yuki said delivering this would be the last thing she could do. And she wrote many things about you."

Tsuruya chuckled.

"I won't ask you for the contents, Haru-nyan. After all, this is Yuki-chi we are talking about – if that girl ever wrote a lie I would take it for truth any time of the day."

"So," Haruhi demanded "everything since that snow mountain incident was a lie?"

"I told you my family would usually go there for vacation," Tsuruya responded easily "when I never had enough of a close family to back this claim up, right?"

Haruhi nodded in agreement and pocketed the letter. Suddenly, Tsuruya's smile turned maniacal, and she twisted away from Haruhi to hide it.

"So now what, Haru-nyan? So now what, with the very existence of the world struggling to remain, with all of them dead…"

Tsuruya trailed off, and Haruhi, resolute, seemed to compensate for this.

"Surrender. And let me set things straight. Not as a god, but as your friend. They have their own agendas: time travelers, espers, aliens… I don't care about them. I am the Commander of the SOS-dan, the well-being of my friends is my only priority. The world may be as boring as it wants to be, but together we can make it fun! Notice this! I want you to be a part of this happiness!"

It was something akin to a shiver that shook Tsuruya's body. She was moved. No, she wouldn't deny that. But it was too late. Such a pity it was. Everything.

"Sa," she began eloquently "You are the same Haruhi, the very same one I've met so long ago-sa. But you've grown so much I barely recognize you. Mysterious, that. No, nyoro?"

She unbuttoned her coat and let it fall to the ground. It was a cold night indeed, but her body was already far colder and she could feel no chill. It wasn't much use, that coat.

"Thank you, Haru-nyan. For considering me a friend when they no longer can. But relieving friends of their existence is too much a sin for a fellow human to forgive…"

Haruhi's stare was unyielding.

"I know-sa. You might be more than a fellow human. But that's a bit beside the point."

Pause.

"You're right, it's not that that bothers me. This is too elaborate to be a chance result of sad circumstances. I knew all the consequences of my actions as I performed them – I wouldn't do a single thing I thought unforgivable, whatever that makes me look like. Rather, the blood staining my hands is an inconsequential variable in the equation leading towards the grand finale."

Tsuruya almost felt bad saying all this. But the fact remained Haruhi's resolve was far beyond what she had anticipated, and she had no choice but to score low blows.

But no. Even now, Haruhi would not make it easy for her.

"Name it, Tsuruya-san. Tell me what world you want and I'll make it so. I'll give you flying pink elephants and yoghurt flavored pizza. This is our ending. Let's write it the way we want."

Tsuruya heaved a heavy, tired sigh.

"You truly are one of a kind, Haru-nyan."

The night stars twinkled mischievously above them.

"But the beauty of your powers lies in them being a dream. You were always pure, changing things unconsciously, based not on what you wanted to change but on what the final effect was supposed to be. You never needed comprehension to guide your power."

Tsuruya coughed and cleared her throat. But no, she hadn't caught a cold. Nothing so mundane.

"You never believed in sliders, Haru-nyan, because you could never understand dimensions. Those fellows confirmed this time and time again – and only when they became certain you couldn't reach them did they begin to manifest in humans."

Haruhi's glare was mortifying.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. Tsuruya complied.

"You know how Yuki-chi worked under the Entity. Humanoid interfaces were needed to emulate messages to humans – creatures of too different a nature to contact directly. But the idea of words and physical limitations was alien to the Entity – it needed approximately a week of trial and error to create its first two working interfaces. Once it got the hang of it, however, thousands of interfaces were spawned in hours. The Entity is the pinnacle of evolution of a four-dimensional being – it sees deep into the flow of time and believes it never was and never will be destroyed. But someone like you, Haru-nyan, someone who can control time to their liking, was a threat even to the Entity. Fearing you, the Entity never made attempts at meeting you directly."

"And the Canopy Domain?"

"Canopy Domain-sa? So that's how Yuki-chi called those fellows?" Tsuruya asked "They are an entirely different bunch. They were born as a five-dimensional existence, above anything you can imagine… but they are not so smart, those fellows. Lowly as it sounds, they are best described as a simple multi-dimensional bacteria. They poured excessive amounts of power into mimicking the Entity's interfaces. In six-month's time, there was a single success – Suou Kuyou, as you most likely suspect."

Tsuruya shrugged her shoulders in an abashed expression.

"They can barely learn from their mistakes, nyoro. Unlike the Entity, they would need those six months again to make another interface. And when they observed you never performed multi-dimensional changes, they dared take the risk of seeing you face-to-face. Except they still needed a container similar enough to a human… a human would suffice, actually."

Haruhi's eyes narrowed.

"You never knew, Haru-nyan, but hundreds died around the world as those fellows tried again and again to integrate with humans. To contain such a soul, so infinite a power, is not something a mere human can do – and it was morbid to hear about people dying hallowed – it was supposed to be a disease, but could any disease possibly tear a man apart from within in five minutes, less even, when that same man had been entirely alive but a blink of an eye before… It was all random, just who got to senselessly die on any given day. Yes, they did deduce that brain power could provide processing power and thus increased chance at stability, and, growing desperate, they circled Japan, hoping to find those affected by you, Haru-nyan, but in the end it was all random, danse macabre – perfect equality in the face of death and its roulette. With maybe one exception."

Tsuruya snickered.

"Your espers never manifested their powers in regular realities. Time travelers never used their devices outside controlled areas. Because of limitations and regulations? Or maybe not? How tempting a prize it would be for those fellows – a human already infested with irregular energy, capable of withstanding it for long periods of time, and perhaps even linked to you, Haru-nyan. Had there even been a single trace of their aura… Ironic is it not, Haru-nyan? Merely knowing Mikuru killed me – 'curiosity killed the cat' indeed. But there was more because, finally, I proved to be a being above the threshold, a suitable 'hive'.

If Haruhi's expression became still more grim, Tsuruya's mood had honestly, truly lifted.

"I'm dead, nyoro. I stand before you a corpse. But even this make-believe existence won't last much longer, this mind will soon be fettered into servitude and the body will corrode, leaving nothing but dust behind."

"And you know, Haru-nyan, it will all be meaningless. If I do nothing and pass away, the cycle will continue. If I let you exterminate myself, those fellows will be reborn in whatever world remains. This is the devil's scenario written for me by what I cannot control. Can you imagine this choking awareness – that you will vanish having accomplished nothing, for no purpose whatsoever? When you had people you wanted to save? Well, nyoro?"

Haruhi looked away for just a second, but her lips contradicted this moment of weakness, forming the reply she knew so well in the very same instant.

"I never knew anything."

It lacked remorse, for an admittance of utter failure.

"I was so taken up searching for the unknown, I missed all the simple things. I couldn't see Itsuki-kun burying his feelings to control me, Mikuru-chan sacrificing hers to appease me and Yuki giving her life to cleaning up after me. I couldn't see the price they all paid for my sake, just as I couldn't realize what you were going through. I accept this fault as my own.

Haruhi's hand rested on her pocket, where Yuki's letter was safely hidden, accompanying her on this final journey.

"But as everything came to an end, they bore no grudge against me. They believed in me and what I wanted… because they understood it well. Because somewhere along the line, we've all become friends who can trust each other."

It made Tsuruya blink, something, dazzlingly radiating from Haruhi's face, like sunlight tearing through clouds, and it had always been there but she hadn't been able to grasp it, not until she saw this broken smile. It was otherworldly.

And it was the melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi.

"But I learned from those mistakes. I see you here, I hear your voice – I know Tsuruya-san is alive. I'm not letting her go. I know her well enough to know she is still fighting. I know she has a plan. And, right now, I'm a friend enough to believe in her to the very end."

"This is the truth behind her melancholy…"

…the truth behind her melancholy, that she had lost happiness twice, once confronted with the insignificance of her existence, once robbed of friendship rediscovered, reclaimed. That now she earnestly, fervently wished to regain those days.

And that she was willing to believe in any single remaining friend.

Tsuruya laughed, laughed, laughed.

It sounded like a cackle to her, broken and dishonest. But, likely, that wasn't the case at all. Her very own laugh was too deep ingrained in her to yield even now. Surely, it was merely her conscience playing tricks on her, shattering the thousand-fold shattered image of reality once more.

She really was running out of time.

She really was happy.

"Haru-nyan, Haru-nyan…"

She wanted to express her gratitude, but the proper words had resolved not to come to her.

"A strong will may strengthen fate. But an unyielding, believing heart can break any fate, whatever it may be."

She helped herself with this passage straight from TV. Haruhi wouldn't recognize it, and it seemed fitting enough – wasn't life simply the most sublime of dramas?

Haruhi nodded in acceptance, as if there had been something she could acquiesce to, as if that passage had been an opening of a grander, preset play.

Tsuruya never failed to oblige.

"Could you look up a bit, Haru-nyan? To my left."

She didn't bother looking herself, she felt even now the connection, knew what Haruhi would see floating in the air. Knew long enough before Haruhi could make it out, black on the black of the night sky.

"It took me some time to make that, even with the theoretical details worked out beforehand-sa. It did pass the time waiting for you, though."

"A metal ball?"

Snicker.

"I didn't expect you to appreciate it," Tsuruya sighed wistfully "It doesn't seem like much, nyoro."

Her downcast expression was obviously fake.

"But it is megas-nifty indeed! It's a million tons of ferromagnetic materials enhanced, compressed, and restrained. The greatest magnet, to cover Earth itself."

"And what for?" Haruhi asked. The sinking feeling in her stomach told her she already knew.

"You know what Koizumi-kun would always say about the world? About how without humans to observe it, there is no existence at all? I suppose, this is yet another way of ending the world… because all humans have iron in their blood."

For a short moment, they were both silent.

"Show me, then." Haruhi said, her tone level.

There was the night sky, and a snapping of fingers, and dark tentacles of metal devouring the light of stars as they gobbled up everything in their shadow – the moon was gone, and the whistling of metal piercing air at a preposterous speed was weirdly reminiscent of the carefree chirping of birds-

Haruhi watched as the black mass went to end her world.

Preview:

Haruhi staggered.

"I-impossible! You weren't there! You couldn't have!"

But her protests changed nothing.

"This is Sasaki's true memento," the advancing figure smirked "The way to overturn the will of gods."