Disclaimer: I do not own Haruhi Suzumiya or anything related.

This is dedicated to my friend and partner-in-crime, Patty.

A/N: Here's Chapter 4! Oh and answer to the HP shout-out was: "Hearing voices [inside your head] isn't a good sign". A line said by Ron Weasley in the book, and by Hermione Granger in the movie.

Title: The Origin of Koizumi Itsuki

Synopsis:

He was. And that was what he knew. He didn't know why. But he was chosen. Koizumi Itsuki searches for the reason why he was.

Chapter 4

"But I was really hoping that I could talk about this with someone who was going through the same…"

Sonou Mori's words stuck with me until late that night.

It's not that I believe her, but it's not that I don't either. I don't think someone like Sonou Mori would do such a thing. Then again, maybe that's what Yutaka Tamaru wants me to think.

By the way, I have not mentioned Yutaka Tamaru to Sonou Mori.

I looked outside the window. It was a full moon.

Maybe it is real. Maybe we all are espers.

I closed my eyes and murmured.

I don't know. I wish that someone could give me the answers straight up!

"Want me to help you with that, kid?" a voice growled.

I looked around and found a black, coat-wearing figure standing inside my room by the window.

Excuse me, but you're trespassing!

"Technically, no. Because you asked for someone to give you answers. And that, my friend is what I'm here for."

I looked at the figure closely, hoping to get a hint of how he looked like.

Who are you?

"My name is not important. I'd rather you call me Number 12."

Number 12? What are you? A secret agent?

"Why, yes." He laughed. "Of some sort."

He paced around the room. I was hoping that the moonlight would illuminate his face. Alas, he had a latex mask. It was useless.

"Itsuki Koizumi." He said. "I have come here to inform you of the power you possess within you."

I think I know this situation. I think I've seen this situation. Although there were less owls and umbrella-wielding half-giants, I knew that I was in for something that would turn my life 360 degrees.

"You possess a supernatural ability." He said.

ESP.

"Exactly." He said. "I was aware that Yutaka Tamaru approached you already."

Tamaru? Is this a joke you guys have cooked up?

"Oh, no. I assure you that Yutaka Tamaru is telling the truth."

Prove it.

"A little skeptical, aren't we?" he chuckled. "No matter. If you come with me tonight, I will show you the powers people like you possess. I will show you what your destiny is."

A little too prophetic, aren't you? Well, if somehow I end up on Punk'd, Tamaru's going to be spending more than a three-day school leave.

"I like your twisted sense of humor, kid." He growled. "Now, follow me."

He jumped off the window. I thought he would have fallen, but I was shocked to see him land gently on the ground.

"Well, this coat ain't just for show." He said.

He raised a hand. A black car appeared by the front of the gate.

I put on a t-shirt and some pants before I got outside the house, careful not to wake my mom up.

"I assure you. I will get you back before sunrise. I am aware you need to rest after that horrible baseball injury. Also, we wouldn't want to make your mom worry."

Okay. How did you know about that?

"I'm a secret agent, remember?" He said, sounding frustrated. "I've taken the liberty to investigate everything about you. Oh, and if it's anything, I would love to see your performance as Tiny Tim in your kindergarten play."

Wow. Intrusion of personal life much?

"Let's just say I'm the ghost of Christmas Future." He said as we got inside the car. "And you're Ebenezer Scrooge. ESP? Bah humbug."

The car turned around a corner.

So, are you going to tell me now what's going on?

"Do you believe in God?"

Frankly, I don't. There's just no proof. And if there was 'God', why are there many types of religion? Which is the real 'God' then?

"I think you misunderstand. What I'm referring to is the existence of a being that has the power to alter reality and everything else according to will."

Street lights flashed as we went along.

"Allow me to explain."

He turned to look at me from behind his mask.

"There is this thing called the anthropic principle."

Now where have I heard that before?

"If something is true for us humans, then it exists. Because we exist."

We went past an intersection.

"Then the universe exists… because we do."

Now that's just crazy.

"True. That idea sounds crazy. But there is an exception."

Exception?

"We call this exception 'Haruhi Suzumiya'."

Suzumiya. Haruhi.

Dark brown hair, topaz eyes. A girl. A young girl.

"Hm?"

I placed my palm on my forehead. Is the girl I've been having visions about… Haruhi Suzumiya?

"I am aware that you are having visions of Haruhi Suzumiya." He growled. "We all did in the beginning."

So what does she have to do with all this?

"She is everything."

That's a rather hasty generalization.

"Quite."

I suppose you expect me to believe all this? That a young girl is the cause of my frequent

visions?

"Yes. In fact, you are not the only one experiencing this phenomenon. We at the Agency all have ESP."

About how many are there of people like you?

"That's classified. But there is quite a number. Here and abroad."

I'm not saying I believe you yet. How, then, did this all happen?

"Just a few months ago, something happened. Nobody knows exactly what, but this event triggered the awakening of our powers."

Try me.

"We all woke up one day to find ourselves given abilities by Suzumiya-san."

How did you know it was her who did this?

"We just ended up with the knowledge: how to use it, and what it is for."

And if I had powers like yours, how come I don't know anything about it?

"You are a curious case."

Excuse me?

"It would appear that unlike others, your awakening is only partial. I would assume that you yourself are a hindrance to the awakening."

How so?

"ESP after all requires much of the wielder's mental capacity. If one's mind is open to the existence of such, then, it will flourish."

So, you are saying that I am narrow-minded enough to inhibit ESP?

"Yes and no. I am saying that although you do not believe in such, there is a part of you which is vulnerable to it."

And how, pray tell, did this Haruhi Suzumiya choose who gets powers?

"Members of the Agency have tried to look for a pattern among the chosen. After countless of background checks and investigations, we found nothing in common. It seems that it was some sort of random lottery."

Then there is a relatively low probability of getting chosen, right?

"Perhaps." He said with a hint of amusement in this voice.

Is Haruhi Suzumiya aware of this?

"She is not. Like you, she has doubts on the possibility of such events."

You said before that Yutaka Tamaru had nothing to do with this. How come you know him?

"He is a relative of another member in the Agency. In fact, he had already realized his full powers before you, and is now working alongside us."

And Sonou Mori?

"Sonou Mori is also like you. She has not been awakened fully. However, she has been able to utilize some of the powers."

Does that mean I will also be able to read minds?

"That, I do not know. It appears that each of us 'espers' have our own specialty." He looked outside the window. "Ah, it appears we have arrived."

The car came around an empty parking lot outside the local mall. We got off and he started walking along the parking slots.

I thought you'd be taking me somewhere a little bit nicer.

"The youth of today, they could be so impatient." He said, stopping somewhere between parking slot number 7 and parking slot number 8.

He reached out his hand.

"Take my hand."

Is this a blue pill/red pill moment?

I took his hand. He took a few steps forward, crossing from slot number 7 to slot number 8.

"I had to do that, because you have yet to learn of your abilities. I would like to tell you that we are not in the same parking lot as before."

I looked around. Everything was still the same. The black car was still parked on the other side of the lot, and everything else was where it seemed to be.

Nothing's changed.

But why do I get the feeling that this place is somehow another dimension. Something didn't feel right.

And why do I feel like I've been here before?

"Ah, there it is."

I spun around.

Holy---

A giant blue something just sprouted out of the ground. It looked vaguely humanoid in shape, yet it was made out of some luminous blue plasma material. It had three red holes where its face should've been, and was busy destroying the mall.

"Now, do you believe me?"

What does this have to do with all the things you said?

"We are in a place called Closed Space. Places like these are created whenever Suzumiya-san's irritation passes a certain point. And that monster…"

It roared.

"…is the embodiment of her anger and frustrations."

And you let it rampage around and destroy everything?!?

"This is an alternate dimension created by Suzumiya-san. Its real-world counterpart, so to speak, is relatively not harmed."

He turned to face the monster.

"It's our job, as 'espers', to destroy these monsters and closed space. Before it envelops the world, I mean."

He looked at me.

"Watch closely at what I'm gonna do, kid. You're gonna be doing this for the rest of your life."

Suddenly, he started to glow with red aura. Sparks of energy burst from his body and formed a glowing red orb surrounding him. Slowly, he levitated from the ground.

"Pretty cool, huh?"

I'd have to admit, yes.

He zoomed towards the monster and rapidly swerved around it, and where he swerved, the monster was cut. Blue liquid-like material oozed from the monster's 'cuts'.

A few more swerves and the monster was destroyed. Soon, a glowing red orb zoomed towards me.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

Quite.

"I thought so. You'll be able to do that in a while, when your powers have stabilized."

He looked up.

"Oh yes, when the blue monster is destroyed, so is Closed Space."

I looked to the sky. Giant cracks were appearing on it. After a loud rumbling, everything was back to normal.

I turned to the man beside me and asked:

Number 12, is it? How is it possible for Haruhi Suzumiya to be able to affect the world like this?

"Our theory is that the world, and the universe per se, exists because Suzumiya-san exists."

Anthropic principle.

"She possesses the ability to shape this world in any way she sees fit."

So that would mean…

"She is… as people would call it: 'God'."

This was too much.

"Itsuki Koizumi."

The tone in his voice sounded urgent.

"I am here to recruit you into the Agency."

Why would you need a kid like me?

"Though I told you before that your powers are not stable as of yet, you possess the curious ability to connect with Suzumiya-san's memories."

A/N: Koizumi can what? Okay, answers in the next chapter! Toodles! Happy New Year, everyone!