The Lost Slider

Injected Personality

15:30

After the final class Haruhi declared that she was going to go and torment – sorry, I mean find – Asahina-san before going into the clubroom, so I assumed she was on the upper floors.

As I picked up my bag, ready for another hour or two of residing with Haruhi's whims, I heard my two other friends chatting.

"Did you see her?" Taniguchi leered.

"Yeah, she really did look nicer..." Kunikida continued, before looking at me, "Hey, Kyon, have you seen her today?"

Who? If you just refer to the person as 'her', I'm not likely to figure out who out of the female population you are referring to. I'll assume you mean the one they always talk about when the conversation involves me.

"You mean Haruhi? She just left."

"No, no, no!" Taniguchi crossed his arms in a defiant gesture, "Not that crazy Suzumiya woman, I'm talking about the A- girl! I might increase her rank to AA+!"

As I chose to immediately forget your insane categorising of girls into alphabetised ranks, I need you to remind me.

"Nagato Yuki, of course!"

He showed me his book, with pictures from the official school roster, her passport photo staring back at me with the same vitality that the real one more or less resided in the clubroom held. I didn't want to know how he got them from the school secretary.

Then what he said just registered with me.

"Wait, what about Nagato?"

Taniguchi sighed happily, "I've never seen a face like that on her... She's usually so... boring, you know? But this one! That one emotion is one I've been dying to see on her face... She seems so alive..."

I paled...

The Slider was Nagato's sister...

My mind flashed back to the first battle I was in, and I suddenly thought of Nagato using the same knife, the same barriers, everything.

Except now they would be to kill her own sister...

I lunged at Taniguchi, not wanting to hear any more. I grabbed his shoulders, "Where did she go?!"

"Wha-? Hey Kyon, you're hurting me, man!" His bemused gaze did not pacify me.

"I saw her go towards your clubroom a minute ago..." Kunikida spoke up, quirking his eyes at my random outburst.

Barging past them, filing away Taniguchi's complaints for an apology later, I flew to the clubroom, and flung the door open.

There inside was a person I knew very well. That pose, that face, that book, that emotion she expressed when I came in.

I had met her before.

Shutting the door behind me, I went closer to her, yet both fearing for myself and for Nagato.

"What are you here for?" I asked, barely able to contain my anger.

Her eyes widened, "I... I wanted a book..."

I faltered. There was no change from what I remembered, and her reddening face made me grow in realisation.

No!

Our assumptions were all wrong.

She shouldn't exist, not any more...

"Y-You can't stay here, I need to get you out..." I grabbed her arm, only for her to gasp and weakly hold on to my school jacket, afraid by my sudden movements.

My heart felt like it was stabbed again, as those horribly nostalgic feelings of December floated back into my head.

The door opened and two people came in. Koizumi stared at me and our guest, and opened his eyes for a moment. The other person who entered, another Nagato, blinked once at me, and the person next to me. Thinking that privacy was of the highest importance, Koizumi shut the door behind him.

I sighed, because I was going to need their help.

"Koizumi, Nagato, I'd like you to meet Nagato Yuki, the human version of Nagato from that alternate world."

"But, why does that girl look like me?"

Yuki – this is the name I will now use for the parallel Nagato, to determine which one I'm referring to from now on to prevent migraines – asked this rhetorical question, not having let the truth of my statement sink in.

Nagato walked up to the shy version of herself, and blinked again. "She is invisible to my data protocols. I will now establish a temporary link to the Data Integrated Thought Entity to enable decryption of the Slider known as Nagato Yuki."

Muttering another spell, I saw her shoulders sag a tiny bit, and I think I knew why.

This was the person she had created herself two or so months ago. The corruption within her body, those emotions she had been building up inside of her which she took to be threatening, made her alter the world to the new reality where no special powers existed.

And thus this Yuki was created, a shy bookworm, the only member of the literature club.

Continuing on from this event, after the restoration of the world, Nagato was to be punished by her boss, and I vowed to use my trump card against it, lest Nagato be deleted or removed forcibly. Even though she chose to restrict her own abilities, I still worried for her safety, and her thanks for my support only strengthened our friendship.

Yuki was scared. Here she was facing someone who looked exactly like her, speaking in a way she never associated with herself and completely emotionless in how she conducted her business.

"Yuki..." I spoke her first name to draw her attention whilst Nagato scanned the girl, "Why are you here?"

"Why? I... I don't know..." She held her book nervously, and began to shiver.

I guided her to a chair and sat near her, to give her the illusion of space, as we were all crowding her.

"Yuki, you've come from another dimension... Like a reality where everything is the same, except some things are slightly different." I made sure she was listening to my voice, and I tried to sound calm for her benefit.

"But... I didn't know... I've only read about this..." She looked at Nagato and Koizumi, "I remember you from when you came into this room, with that loud girl... You were from that other school."

"Oh no..." I spoke out loud.

Yuki had all her new memories from before Nagato's Emergency Escape Program was initiated.

"You rejected my application..."

She shook again and stared at me like I was the worst person in the world. I felt like that too, since seeing an expression of horror and terror on a face that was looking at me from Yuki, or Nagato, chilled me.

"And y-you shot me..."

I closed my eyes and covered my face with both hands, elbows resting on the table.

This Yuki had absorbed all the knowledge of the alternate reality. Perhaps her last thought was how I killed her, I could never change that.

Sucking up my tears, not wanting to go back to that time for various reasons, I looked at her as honestly as I could.

"I'm sorry, Yuki... I had no choice... You weren't killed, you just went back to normal..." I looked at Nagato for a moment, and she noticed this movement.

She stood up suddenly, "You wanted me to become her?!" She squealed in despair, "That's not me, that's a doll!"

Yes, that's what I thought at first, but Nagato is just someone you have to get used to...

Koizumi held his arms wide and smiled at her, "Yuki-san, if you'll allow me. Please calm down, we mean you no harm." He gestured to the chair, "Sit and relax."

She looked at his face and mellowed slightly, I suppose she fell for his fake smile. She went back to the chair but stopped when she saw me, her hand frozen on the back of it.

Understanding the hidden message, I got up dejectedly and made my way to the window, closing my eyes whilst facing the outside, trying not to let her justified fear of myself affect me.

"What do you remember, Yuki-san?"

"I... I remember school, when one day he came in and scared me..." I'll presume she pointed or glanced at me, "I gave him an application form, and later he came with you, a senpai from a higher grade, and a loud girl. The old Literature Club computer made a sound and he looked at it, happy. He pressed a key, and then somehow I was at the school at night, alone..." She swallowed loudly and her fear could be heard, "Then, he comes at me with a gun..." She shook her head, not wanting to continue.

"That's okay, Yuki-san." Ever the diplomat, Koizumi knew when to stop pressuring people, "What about after the gunshot?"

"I fell... Out of a yellow ring..." She held the book tighter against her chest, "I was alone, in a strange land with weird shapes, smells and it felt like another world... The sky was just stars, and there were many islands, but no sea..."

I looked at Koizumi and nodded, this was probably that Xen area Nagato spoke of.

"I ran everywhere, but no one was there, nothing but those odd walls, they looked alive. I don't know how long I was there for, then another ring came out of nowhere..."

"And I presume you went into it?" Koizumi ended her sentence.

Yuki nodded, "I landed in a shop, and could hear people, so I went to them, and I was in the street. I thought I was back home, but then I saw him and that girl..."

So, that would explain the sense of someone watching me at some point...

"I ran... I ran home, but I didn't have my house keys, so I couldn't get home..."

Koizumi's smile faded, "Did you sleep rough?"

Yuki nodded, and I suddenly felt bad for her, "That was until I remembered that the school wasn't locked well at night, so I slept in the nurse's office. I stayed there on Sunday too, because I knew I wasn't in my home, my world..." She placed her hand over her heart, "Everything was the same, but I couldn't feel it like I used to inside, like my senses don't work properly..."

I see, just like how Nagato can't detect her using her data knowledge, Yuki instantly felt at odds with everything else around her in this reality.

Nagato stopped her chanting and looked at me, "Emergency Level: Red Alert. Suzumiya Haruhi and Asahina Mikuru are approaching rapidly."

Oh no...

"We-We've got to hide her, now!"

I was panicking, there was no way we could explain such a sudden appearance of a mirror-image of Nagato. I passed my eyes over the room and saw that metal closet, one which once held Asahina-san a month ago on two occasions. I opened it quickly and went to Yuki.

"You've got to get in there, Yuki, please!"

Her face became whiter and seeing my hands getting nearer to her, she let out a sharp 'Eek!' and closed her eyes, tears forming.

"YUKI~!" The power yell of Haruhi echoed throughout the school, and almost reverberated through the walls.

Three seconds later, the door burst inwards, a cracking kick denting the centre, as there stood Haruhi and a terrified Asahina-san.

"What's going... on...?" She started loudly then trailed off as she saw the set of twins. Asahina-san saw them and began pointing from one to the other growing more confused.

"Ahh..." I put a hand behind my head, trying to make the mood better, "We wanted it to be a surprise..." I thought of the only thing that would make a tiny bit of sense, "This is Nagato's twin sister, her name's Yuk... o..."

Brilliant, all I need is some acid to swim in, that's how doomed this ship was with that ridiculous notion.

"Her twin sister?" Haruhi's eyebrow arched up as she folded her arms, and peered closely at the new arrival, who shirked away, "I thought Yuki had no relatives!"

Nagato stepped forwards, "Correct, I was led to believe that I was an only child. However, Nagato Yuko has brought some documents that state she was adopted when just a month old. My parents it seems were unable to support two children, and regretfully chose to send her away." Nagato blinked once, "Despite all these years, her own family passed away, but left the note stating her real origins and my name. She came here to find me, and somehow located my presence immediately."

Haruhi nodded knowingly, "As I thought! Twins have a special bond between them, even if they are separated from each other for years they can still find each other no matter the circumstances." She looked at 'Yuko' and patted her shoulder, "Well, I'm sure we'll make her welcome to our school."

Those eyes, so similar to Nagato's, filled up with tears and she started crying, and ran out of the clubroom.

I started and began to follow her, only for a hand to yank on my tie, preventing my forward momentum, and also restricting the air flow to my lungs.

"Oi, Kyon! You scared her earlier! And why is she so sad?!"

"I... I don't know, Haruhi!" I was exasperated and didn't want to lose sight of her, "I think she's just very emotional right now." She wasn't letting go, so I put my hand on hers gently, "Please, let me find and talk to her."

Blushing and getting huffy at the hand-to-hand contact, "F-Fine! Do what you want!" I ran off, but heard her voice behind me, "But if you do anything to her, heads will roll, starting with yours!"

Five seconds later

I thought of the places she could go to and came up with precious few locations, even though this world was an exact replica of the one she was used to.

Given her state of mind, she wouldn't go home, since there was none for her. She could go to the nurses office, but that wouldn't be good to hide, same with her classroom.

Then I thought of the only place left for her, the only option remaining.

I ran upstairs, taking the steps two and three at a time my breaths becoming harder from the sudden exercise.

Palming open the remaining door, I ran out onto the roof and saw the corner of the edge of the building where sole figure was clambering up the chain link fence, her face a wreck.

"Yuki!"

Her scrambling for grip only became more frantic as she attacked it with greater fervour, I ran to her in seconds, and she hadn't even got up halfway. I pulled her arms and fingers away from the fence, and she fell into my arms, sobbing loudly.

Turning my back to the fence, I pulled her in as my knees fell limp, dragging me to a sitting position; like a father would do to a crying daughter, I hugged her.

She hit me with those tiny, delicate fists, not stopping her wracking, soul-destroying sobs.

"You... It's a-all your f-fault!" She barely tapped me with those fists now, and leant in to the warmth of my jacket.

"I'm sorry, Yuki... I'm so sorry..."

I kept repeating it over and over, rocking myself whilst holding the petite girl in my arms, crying myself from her anguish.

"Why... Why did you...?" I said after a few minutes.

"I... I can't go on living... My home is gone, the family I thought I had, my friends... All fake..."

I closed my eyes. Nagato created all those memories for this girl in order to live a happy life without any knowledge of the previous one. That was the plan.

But I ruined it for her, for wishing for the old one back.

This is the second time it's happened before, Haruhi wanted the old world gone, but I didn't. Then Nagato felt like it too.

Was this world so bad?

"Yuki... We'll find a way for you..."

Why was I saying that, I couldn't guarantee anything!

She was shaking still, I couldn't blame her, everything she knew had collapsed around her and as such, she didn't know who to trust or turn to...

Ah, of course...

I let her go, surprising her suddenly, and looked at her fully, "Yuki, I apologise for back then. I said a heartless thing to you by giving back the application form, but I had fully intended to meet the other you in my reality. I liked you, but you weren't the one I had met first and made friends with..." I looked to the side, over the playground, "When I found out who changed reality, and what I had to do, I was horrified, and the only way it could be done was via that method."

I chose not to mention the old choice of the long syringe prior to Nagato forging a gun for me; having her faint now would not be appropriate.

"Yuki, I had no choice, you remember what happened then, 'I' was stabbed, and another 'me' who came to correct that mistake shot the gun. I pulled the trigger, but I hated myself whilst doing so..."

I sighed and lowered my head, in a meek form of a bow, "I know it's a terrible crime... Though I didn't kill you with the bullet, I knew it would end your life in that form, restoring the world to what I knew, and bringing back my friends..."

I held out a hand to her, giving her a sardonic grin for my foolishness.

"As pathetic as it may sound now, I want to make it up to you. Do you want to be friends with me?"

She looked at the hand as if it was a tarantula, and shirked away. My face must've twitched from her reaction, and I began to pull away, thinking that it was too early for her to accept it.

"No... I..." She reached out with both hands and grasped them around my own, but didn't shake it properly, just held it lightly, "I don't know what to do now... I don't want to be alone, and that girl scares me..."

Who, Haruhi or Nagato?

"B-Both of them... But I think Haruhi-san is more scary... She makes me nervous..."

Yeah, don't worry, we all feel that way, sometimes it's too much of a burden to bear.

"Umm..." She shifted about, and moved away from me, "Thank you, Kyon-san." She looked away, "I wasn't afraid of you, but I thought when I first saw you come in to the room today, that you would try that again."

I shook my head, there was no way I'd shoot Yuki another time, "That won't happen, I promise you."

I got up, dusting my trousers from the build-up of dirt from being in the corner, and began walking to the exit, until I paused.

"Actually, Yuki... I looked at her, "You need to keep your real origin a secret from Haruhi. Like you said, she's a bit freaky at times, and we don't want her getting overexcited."

Images of a kiss in a dark world came to mind.

"For now, we'll be calling you Yuko in front of her and the rest of school. However in private, we'll call you Yuki."

She nodded at this, understanding that there couldn't be two people with the same name. Her eyes widened for a second.

"I'm a bit worried, where will I go now?" She fidgeted, another sign that this wasn't Nagato, "I mean, the nurse's office is warm and comfortable, but I need to change my clothes..."

"Ahh..."

Yes, that part needs to be thought about, but I had already come up with the answer, though I knew it wouldn't be the one she wanted to hear.

"The only idea that comes to mind is for you to stay at Nagato's home, the same place you stayed in your old reality." Her paling face was a give-away, "I know you don't like it, but it's the only way. I could take you, just as Asahina-san and Koizumi could, but it would be too suspicious to Haruhi, as you're Nagato's twin in her eyes."

"B-But..."

She shivered, and this time I think the cold winds were biting her. I moved closer and put one arm around her, steering her back into the school.

"Nagato will take care of you, it does take some time to get used to her, but she will be able to accommodate you."

"I... Okay..." She was saddened at the turn of events, "Can I call you, in case I -"

"Of course you can." I nodded eagerly as we reached the clubroom, "Nagato has my number, call me whenever you want."

Satisfied that I had sorted things out, and that Haruhi was being indoctrinated by Koizumi and Nagato, I opened the clubroom door to see them looking back at me.

"Well, I think I'll allow you all to go home for today. We need the sisters to get acquainted now, don't we?" Haruhi winked at Yuki and Nagato, one 'meeped' lightly, the other said nothing and nodded.

Jogging out, she waved to us and soon was long gone, leaving us with Yuki.

"Yuki-san..." Koizumi began, "Are you feeling better?"

"Y-Yes..." She looked up at him, and I felt a little rage bubbling to the surface at the way she looked at him, "Kyon calmed me down now..."

"Do you need any help?" Asahina-san came closer and saw that Yuki's hands were red from trying to climb up the fence, "Oh! You're bleeding, I'll get a plaster..."

Moving away to the first aid kit which we had in case Haruhi overexcited herself and knocked out one of us, or the guys next door, she returned with cotton wool, alcohol and a plaster. Administering each in turn, she cleaned the wound eliciting a small squeak from Yuki and stuck the plaster on the small cut.

"There, you should be fine now." Her smile was warm, and Yuki rubbed her hand gently, feeling the pain going away.

"Yuki will be staying at Nagato's home from now on, until we find out what to do for the future." I looked at the authentic girl, "I'm sorry Nagato, but it would be weird otherwise if Haruhi hears of Yuki not staying with you."

Nagato nodded, "Understood, I will acquire additional items of furniture to allow adequate living conditions for my counterpart."

Yuki winced at the monotonous tone, and I spoke again, "Nagato, would it be okay if you could call her Yuko in front of Haruhi and everyone else, but when it's just us, call her Yuki?"

Nagato blinked once and nodded again, "Indeed, that will be necessary." She looked to Yuki and nodded again, "Would you like me to show you home... Yuki?"

Yuki stood nervously clasping her hands together before agreeing silently. I glanced at Nagato and the others before speaking again.

"Okay, tonight I'll take them home, but tomorrow will be a normal day at school, we've got to keep Haruhi from asking too many questions of Yuki, we don't want her tripping over something unfortunate like details of the portal, or even her old self there."

All nodded once in agreement.

"Okay let's get going." I turned to Nagato, "Can you arrange for Yuki to be transferred into the same class as you, Nagato?"

"N-No..." Yuki jumped in quickly before looking at me, "I want to be in the same class as you... I think people would be talking to me a lot..."

I shrugged, guessing that she was correct, but felt that she still didn't trust her sister implicitly 'Okay, Nagato, you heard her, right?"

"Correct." She blinked once, "I have informed the necessary authorities of this transfer and tomorrow Nagato Yuko will be required to make a class introduction."

Well, that shouldn't be too hard, though I can imagine that Taniguchi might press her for more information. Maybe even Haruhi would understand and help to protect her from the others.

"Good, it's all sorted out for now..." The sun had set by now, and we were all getting tired, apart from maybe Nagato, "Let's go home for now and look forward to tomorrow."

As Yuki bit her lip, I thought things couldn't get any worse...

---

Author's Notes

And here we are, the legendary smiling Yuki from the alternate reality.

Obviously you'll understand this is from Novel 4, and what the plot of Season 2 of the anime (whenever it gets released) will centre around.

Naturally, there will be more surprises coming for the group, and the next chapter will be from a very interesting viewpoint indeed.

- J