The Lost Slider

The Other

Thirty minutes later

The shop front was dark, the sun had breached past the horizon recently, and was suitable foreboding for what we were about to do.

I held the doorway, ready to push the door open knowing that the lock would open for me, but I was still frozen by some important questions.

Why did the portal reopen, didn't we seal it previously?

How did Yuki know someone else had arrived? She's only human in this world, not an Entity Interface.

Who the hell has arrived?

Nagato removed the strange barrier only I noticed, allowing the door to push inwards. The musty smell of the disused shop front was now charged with static electricity.

And yes, that ugly orange rip in the fabric of space-time through the universes was also there.

"I calculate that this was in existence for forty two minutes precisely."

So, the time that Yuki felt this presence...

"Can you find the Slider?" I knew I was asking too much.

"No, complete absence of common properties between members of the Sliding contingency results in negative detection of another person." Nagato was still looking at the portal, "I am still unable to detect the previous Slider. Confirmation is only guaranteed by physical contact or visual sighting, due to previous association with said person."

Again, no difference here, just because she knew that Yuki was the Slider, seeing her meant that her senses could detect her, if only by sight, and presumably any physical contact would result in the same response.

"In other words, you're still reduced to human forms of detection for the Slider, no data manipulation."

"Correct, though we are processing the data for Sliding detection at maximum priority. It is only a matter of time before we can locate them using our abilities."

I hoped this was sooner rather than later.

"Can you close it again?"

"Yes, although I am unable to prevent further reopenings, as displayed by this very portal."

"Better closed than leaving it wide open."

"Confirmed. Activating Sliding Portal Shutdown Procedures."

The air around the orange began to shimmer, and slowly the air ate away at the portal, reducing in size consistently.

However, just before it shut completely, two things happened.

One, a tiny part of a head appeared through the opening, the eye looking through to our world before staring at me.

Two, an epileptic-attack-inducing flash of white, blue and red almost at the same time.

The white flash was a silvery object, travelling at high speed through the now closed portal.

The blue flash was a defensive barrier which Nagato had raised at the last second, only for the glow to be shattered like glass by the previous object.

The red flash was a large gouge and high pressure blood flow emanating from my neck, as the knife sliced me just deep enough.

I can't begin to describe the pain, my eloquent speech is being drowned out by the blood filling my throat anyway.

I'll just leave you with my falling unconscious...

Later

My head is pounding, my mouth is dry and I find myself staring into Nagato's eyes.

"You have regained consciousness."

"How long was I out for?" I moved my hand to my neck, only to feel a small hand already there. Coughing with embarrassment, I realised it still hurt.

"Seven minutes and twenty two seconds. You suffered a laceration hitting the common carotid artery due to a metallic projectile from the Sliding portal prior to its shutdown." She spoke in her neutral tone, "Death would occur in less than five minutes without immediate medical care." She blinked once, not a good sign, "Due to the nature of the injury, and the Sliding properties of the blade, whilst most damage has been recovered, further repairs are required."

I see, so even items from the Slider's world are not subject to our rules.

"Is that why the dagger broke through your barrier?"

"Yes, it completely bypassed it and was not slowed in the slightest."

"Oww..." My neck felt sore.

"Skin restoration in progress, you may feel some slight discomfort."

My eyes tracked back and saw the dagger embedded up to the hilt in the wall of the shop. I'm only thankful that it didn't hit me full on...

Some time passed, and it only struck me until my neck healed when I noticed that I was lying on her lap.

"It seemed pertinent to elevate your head during the processing."

I guess that's a good reason.

"Can I move yet?" I didn't want to get up before I was ready.

"Yes." She removed her hand, "Your body has been restored to its original state."

"Thanks, Nagato." I sat up, feeling my neck which still felt a little tender, but not surprising given the skin was probably seconds old.

That eye, I knew who it belonged to, but I didn't want to think back to it.

"Please, don't tell anyone about what happened to me." I didn't want Asahina-san to worry, or for Koizumi to get close to me again, like that time with that mole.

"If that is what you want." Nagato stood up, "We should search the nearby area."

"Yeah, but I doubt we'll find someone we know so easily..." Getting to my feet, I looked at the room again, "This place is beginning to give me the creeps, the way things change each time we come here."

Nagato opened the door and as we walked outside, my words were not confident in the slightest, "Okay, we'll try the main street, but then we have to go home."

"I can search indefinitely, I require no sleep."

Nagato, don't overstretch yourself, you've already done enough, "There's no need, whoever it will find us soon."

As expected ten minutes later, we left to our relative homes, ready for the next day.

8am

I looked up at the hill to our school, it was dauntingly high today. I barely had enough sleep just thinking about how close to death I was.

If Nagato wasn't there...

I swallowed hard, another reminder that even something that simple wasn't possible yesterday evening in the shop without gulping another helping of blood.

A waft of mint accosted my senses and it came from my left.

"Huh?"

Tsuruya-san was looking determined, coming towards the corner I was about to go up to the school. It was a little odd since she walks from a different direction.

I waved to her, sending a good morning her way, as it is always good to respect your elders, even those that are just one level of mystery that has yet to be revealed.

She was looking at me fully now, just a few steps away, before I noted one thing which didn't belong on her face.

A frown.

"Oh shi-!"

Grabbing my tie, she pulled me away from the main road and dragged me into the bushes, further into a small park, passing through it to wasteland, then into a piece of property of which construction had halted for the time being.

Remembering I had my bag still, I swung it at her to get away. Her reactions were true as ever, and she merely smacked my arm, throwing my aim wildly and letting my bag hit the wall harmlessly.

She didn't hold back either, slamming me against the same wall with a lot of strength behind it. Her hand was now holding my neck tightly.

"You bastard..." She spat, her fury marring that otherwise perfect, beautiful face.

"Sorry, Tsuruya-san." If she was anything like her counterpart on this world, I knew my strength would be nothing but a mere fly to a ravenous spider, useless resistance, "Kill me if you must, but I want you to know that I didn't mean to harm you or the others."

Her grip was becoming dangerous now, before loosening.

"Stupid fool, why woulds I kill you?"

Her face was still angry, but that frown was one of confusion now, as she lowered that powerful fist of hers, those fingers looking that each one could break a bone in my body.

"I needed to get you, nows, before it was too late..."

She turned around now, that long green hair just like our own, but her stance, if anything, was more focussed than our Tsuruya-san, if that was even possible.

"Kyon, you destroyeds our world. You chose your originals land, rejecting our one." She spun on the spot, pointing at me, "You alone are accountable."

"Accountable, for what?" That moment, my throat had finally expanded enough after the pressure Tsuruya-san exerted on it.

Those eyes peered at me, looking beneath my skin, much like a girl I am all too close to, and yet, she reminded me of myself, with her inquisitive stare and accusing tone.

"You are responsible for the deaths of six billion people."

The hollow voice, those empty eyes, that face of righteous anger, drilled those words into me better than any combat dagger could penetrate.

I felt my legs give way, and the illness of realising what I had done rushed through me.

"I killed everyone?"

I never thought of it that way, Nagato only created the Emergency Escape Program for me, to rewrite reality. It was simply our world rewritten with new personalities.

"Though it did seem likes it reverted back to your reality, it instead mades our world a rejected version, and sent our universe intos a total collapse."

She was getting more agitated, maybe the memories for her were even worse.

"Even though your world's version of Yuki-chan was ables to change the planet, once you left, without you as an anchor of sorts, the universe wents down the plughole."

"But that's insane!" I was dumbfounded to say the least, "What if I died, or was in an accident, would your universe end anyway?"

Her laugh, tinged with bitterness thundered in the rickety old building, "We'll never knows now, will we?" She shrugged, "Maybe the fact you weres still 'there', dead, meant something. Perhaps the program itself was coded to self destructs?"

I kept quiet, noticing something that had only occurred to me that instant.

"If that's the case, how did you survive?"

Uh-oh, that frown again, maybe I shouldn't upset her any more than she is currently.

"It's funnys, your pervy alter ego didn't come back when yous left. The day the police founds Yuki-chan lying in front of the school, we looked everywheres, and you went missing. She couldn't remember anythings, like why she was in front of the school to begins with. We couldn't find you anywheres. Ironically, you weres the main suspect."

I swallowed, her uncanny knowledge hitting too close to the truth.

"I starteds to look for you, trying to find out more abouts you and Yuki-chan, and I felt that something odd was happening." A pensive gaze was levelled at me, "Somehow, you found two people froms another school, and even gots Mikuru to join you. The moment you pressed that keys, you disappeared with a smile on your face."

"Wait..." I held my hand up, "That still doesn't answer my question." I paused, feeling bad about that time, "Did Asahina-san tell you I left?"

"Yes she did, and that other girl was reallys annoyed from what she tells me." Tsuruya-san folded her arms, "Then Yuki-chan just vanisheds in the middle of class a week ago. That's when I knews you were strange."

"Me?" I laughed, "I'm only human, not an esper, alien or time traveller."

"Slider?"

I was about to deny it before I understood, "It wasn't intentional, it's not like I wanted to be there."

"When we started to see the stars die, everyones panicked. The Earth killed itself befores the end of our reality, so much terrors, sadness..." She closed her eyes, "Our town was still bearables, so the children stayed in the schools. There was nowheres to run. The girls tried to fight off the boys..."

I slumped my shoulders, understanding immediately. If the whole world would end, chaos would rules. Wars would be fought to settle age old scores, religions would flourish in their doomsday sayings, and finally mankind would resort to cavemen mentalities, lusting after anyone possible.

"I kept them away sfrom Mikuru, but soon that Taniguchi hit mes good."

Bastard, I'll punch my own one in revenge.

A rare smile from this Tsuruya-san emerged, guess humour does reach her on some level.

"That girl you weres with, Haruhi-san, and that quiet boy, Koizumi-kun, they cames to protect Mikuru, and me because of what I was doings."

My jaw dropped, how could that girl get in so much trouble in even that reality?

"We stayed there for two days, then it was onlys one hour to go until the Moon vanished into the darkness. In that clubroom, wes were safe, until that girl came."

"Girl...?"

"The only other person who was founds with Yuki, remaining in a comas in the hospital in Tokyo."

"But that can only be..."

Suddenly, the eye from the portal came back to me, and that serrated edge of the dagger.

"Asakura Ryouko."

She nodded, "The moment she saws me from the window, I knew we woulds die that day. Those screams..."

Again, a simple guess from me would be that she reverted to her last emotion, and chose to brutally murder everyone in the school, until she got to the clubroom.

"Haruhi-san was boarding up the door, somehows she knew that this would be the ends, and Koizumi-kun was preparing to fight."

I didn't have to ask about Asahina-san, she was probably frightened in the corner furthest from the door.

"What were you doing?"

She grinned now, "I felt this urge, to finds the truth of who you were, of Yuki-chan, and even Ryouko-chan... I turneds on that computer and started typing even while it was bootings."

This was quite creepy, the way she leered over this.

"It looks like, despite my borings normal life, I wanted a little excitements and adventure in it as well."

"Oh..."

Now I knew who she reminded me of...

"Somehows, I stumbled upon that text, those messages you got, and wrotes my own code, don't ask me how."

I saw her hand, the right one specifically, begin to turn silver and translucent at the same time.

"The clubroom door openeds, but we all escaped from her, followings where Yuki-chan went."

This was unexpected, "All of us?"

"What, you thought you could just up and leave us, huh, John?"

There are few moments in one's life where events that defined your reality occur.

Meeting the strange girl known as Haruhi Suzumiya was one of them. The way my life got flipped and turned upside down, and that's how I became so used to mayhem.

When I was lost in an alternate version of my world, again seeing that odd girl again affected me in such a way as to help me get home, even if it was by pure accident.

That's why seeing her in my own real world was such a big shock.

"Haruhi..."

"Yo, John." She waved at me with that pseudonym of mine, the only name she knew me by, "Been a while, huh?"

"I'm sorry..." I bowed to her, only just noticing that Koizumi and Asahina-san were beside her, "I really did have fun there, but I wanted to be back in my home, where everything else was familiar to me."

"Bah, forget about it, water under the bridge." She discounted my apology like it was meaningless, "We're alive, that's what matters."

Feeling somewhat stupid now, I was nonetheless happy.

"It's good to see you again, all of you."

Koizumi bowed lightly to me, and Asahina-san stared at me with large teary eyes.

"So, what are your plans?"

Tsuruya-san took up the lead now, not Haruhi, which again was another surprise, "These guys are just normals, I'm different somehow. So, I'm going to finds another world for us, to live like befores."

"Can you do that?" I was surprised at her directness.

"I've found a world alreadys, I need two days to charge ups my hand before taking my friends with mes."

Her smile was sincere, and her happiness contagious.

In a world without espers, aliens and time travellers, even no reality altering being, there was someone who subconsciously wished to have a little more fun in an unconventional way, whilst being surrounded by a mundane life.

The only difference with Haruhi was that the latter preferred to have fun all the time, regardless of what she was doing or wanted to do, and to the detriment of those people who followed her.

Of course, she had the uncanny ability to mould things to her vision if things weren't going according to plan, hence the need to pacify her all the time.

Therefore, I had met my equivalent in that destroyed universe, that optimistic green-haired girl.

Tsuruya-san, or should I say, Tsuruya-senpai, lost her smile.

"She is coming..." She looked up at the ceiling, staring through it like it was glass, "It's only a matter of time before she can break through that barrier and then from Xen into this reality."

"But, why is she following you?"

Tsuruya-senpai shook her head, but Haruhi answered, "You still don't get it, do you John?" She sighed and looked at me like I was a five year old, "She's not after Tsuruya, she wants to kill you."

"M-Me?"

My neck began to itch, and I thought my fingers came back stained red after I scratched it.

"Well, I don't want to hurt you, I just want to get out of this crazy reality of yours..." Haruhi grumbled, "Koizumi-kun and Mikuru-chan want to live normal too, don't you?"

They both nodded.

"While I may still be a normal human, I too feel that this world isn't right for me."

Grr, he still had similar mannerisms to our own copy.

"Umm..." The girl who thought bad of me raised her hand, "I don't know what's wrong, but this place makes me ill inside."

I can't imagine what that is like.

"So you sees, you need to stay low." Tsuruya-senpai slapped her hand on my shoulder, "Find your friends and prepare for a fight."

With that, she opened the door to the building and pushed me out, "Now get to school, wes can't have you skipping classes now, cans we?"

Mumbling my apologies, I jogged back to the main road and after losing my energy and adrenaline from earlier, I struggled up the hill.

4pm

Clubroom

"... and that's about the size of it..."

Koizumi had on his thinking seriously face, which meant that he looked like his normal self, "So, we need to be ready to defeat her?"

Nagato stood up and walked towards us, "Slider properties are not fully decoded yet, so we cannot ascertain as to whether our own personal defences will be satisfactory to defeat items or people from an alternate dimension."

"Y-You mean, they might be able to walk through your barrier?" Asahina-san shivered.

Haruhi was out on a wild goose chase, thanks to us suggesting to our Tsuruya-san to let slip a small secret about the school janitor. Thankfully Koizumi got help from the Organisation to leave a shifty character there and take her to a strange building, which she insisted on investigating on her own.

"Asakura-san is coming...?"

Yuki's face was painful to look at, her emotions were obviously torn, but knowing the truth of what she was now from our world, she couldn't see her entirely as her old friend.

I know how she was feeling, when I first met Haruhi, and indeed everyone else from the SOS Brigade, I saw them as normal people, aside from a few eccentricities. However, finding out their true natures meant that it was hard to see them the same way again.

However, I wouldn't change that for the world, even though this has technically happened to me in December.

"Yes, she is, but she's after me alone..." I heated up, but being surrounded by my friends helped me regain a sense of security..

"No..." Yuki held her chest again, and grabbed my sleeve, "Asakura-san is coming... Now..."

She shook as the sky outside began to flash.

"There appears to be a disturbance developing in the commercial district of the town."

Koizumi spoke as he looked out the window, only for his phone to ring.

Asahina-san held a hand to her ear and froze, her eyes widening.

Nagato stopped moving completely, even her autonomous breathing.

Yuki went to the window, leaving my arm and looking out at the black cloud in the distance.

"She's arrived..." She began to shake, "I'm scared, how can we beat her? She's coming to kill you..."

Koizumi moved in suddenly to me, "We have a situation." I moved my head back to escape his personal space, "An abnormal Closed Space has formed."

"A massive Time quake has been detected, changes are reverberating in my time."

"There has been a large expulsion of data emanating from within the city limits."

"Wait, does this mean Haruhi was bothered by something?" I looked at the skies too and saw that black cloud dissipate like steam.

"It most likely means that whatever happened in that area may have been due to something Suzumiya-san wished for, or alternatively made her excited."

Great, so her imagination dreamed up this horrific portal or whatever to appear there?

"But, what does this mean?" Yuki was still looking out the window, "Why would she use those weird powers of hers?"

I felt my blood run colder, only one reason came to mind.

"That must be it..." I shuddered, "She must have seen her. That girl..."

:But that's...!" Asahina-san jolted, "She can't have...!"

"It is likely..." Koizumi rubbed his chin, "We were arranging that small scenario for Suzumiya-san far from the central shopping location, but it is another possibility that either she got very bored of tailing our man, or simply, Asakura Ryouko appeared near Suzumiya-san."

"I am unable to detect her as a member of the Data Integrated Thought Entity. Asakura Ryouko is most likely one hundred percent human, albeit from the Alternate Dimension."

I'm still in two doubts as to whether she was human, she did seem fairly adept at the knife when she held it, and during that throw earlier.

Regardless, we can't leave her alone, if she's out to kill me, we might as well go to her. No sense in getting family members, or heaven forbid, Haruhi.

"Let's go find her. If she's coming for me, then we might as well dictate the place."

"You mean to set up an ambush?" Koizumi thought to himself, "There are a few places which would give us the advantage, but as you said, we don't know her true abilities."

"Okay, we'll talk about them on the way." I stood up, "Asahina-san, Yuki, stay home, they're after me, and you two should be safe away from us."

"Kyon-kun..." The third year shook, "I can't let you fight on your own, I've got to be there, for you, for all of us."

I guess Haruhi really did pick her as a mascot.

"I want to talk to Asakura-san one more time." Yuki turned around to look at us, her eyebrows tilted downwards, an angry expression blighting her face, "I need to know what she is thinking about."

"Are you sure Yuki-san?" Koizumi replied, "It will be dangerous, and we can't guarantee your safety."

"I will protect her." Nagato moved next to Yuki, the twins now standing as one, determined and for the first time, the same impression of strength from both of them.

"I am someone from an alternate world, perhaps I'll be able to detect her faster than any of you, I can already sense that she is in this world."

"Then it's settled." I wasn't going to delay this any longer, "Let head for that place again."

The place which many special events happened for me, as if that area has become the clubroom's play area outside of hours.

That sole park bench.

Author's Notes

Next, we finally meet Ryouko, no point in dragging out this story any longer than it has already been.

Glad to see the old non-SOS Brigade again though, and Tsuruya wanting more fun in her old life, just like Kyon when he rejected the alternate world, was great to write.

- Jason