A/N: In the original light novels, Mr. Tanigawa never directly states what year it is. Based on what little information we're given, the actual dates are impossible. For instance, if the events of December 17th through the 20th take place on school days, there's no way the following Valentine's Day could fall on a weekend as it does in The Intrigues.

Despite that, the best clue we have comes from the prologue of The Melancholy, where Kyon heavily implies that he's starting high school in the year 2000. For that reason, I've chosen to set the contradictions aside and roll with that. It's not really a big deal, but I wanted to get that out of the way before it comes up in this fanfic. Since this is their second year of high school, you can assume that this story takes place in July, 2001.

As always, I appreciate any feedback, and let me know if I start messing stuff up one way or another. We're getting to the part where I don't have a really solid reference for how the characters would act, so there's some guesswork involved, but I'm trying to stay true to the originals.

I hope you enjoy chapter four.

"...Hnn... Huh? Mikuru, what's wrong?"

Come on, Haruhi, not now. Miss Asahina, please, put her back to sleep. I really don't feel like dealing with this right now.

"Hey, talk to me. What's the matter?" She paused. "And how did we get here? Isn't this Mr. Tamaru's mansion?"

I turned to Miss Asahina, who was still bawling. "Hey, listen," I said. "It's going to be okay. We can get her back, alright? I've seen it happen with my own two eyes. All we have to do is get the Data Integration Thought Entity to change its mind."

"But—I—don't..."

She was trying to talk and breathe at the same time, and it wasn't really working out. "Look, just try to calm down, okay?" I glanced over at Haruhi. "I'm sure you've got a ton of questions, but you're going to have to wait a bit. It's... complicated."

She shot me a glare, but luckily, she seemed more worried about Miss Asahina right now. You're usually the one making her cry in the first place, you hypocrite!

"My TPDD..."

Looks like she's starting to calm down. "What about your TPDD?" Don't tell me...

"Miss Kimidori did something, and now it's... it's..." She burst into tears again. "It's gone! It's just like before! I don't know where it could be, and I..."

Her words quickly deteriorated into incomprehensible sobs. No TPDD? That meant we had no way to travel back and prevent Nagato from being deleted. Hell, we didn't even have a way to get off this island, and I'm pretty sure Miss Asahina's sleep-inducing ability is probably linked to it, too. She was essentially a normal girl now. Just like Haruhi.

I looked over at Koizumi, who seemed to be struggling to keep up his calm demeanor. "What about you?" I asked. "Do you still have your esper powers?"

He sighed. "I think so. Not that it really matters at the moment. My abilities only work inside closed space, and I don't think we're very likely to see any of those anymore."

Right. For all intents and purposes, the members of the SOS Brigade were completely normal.

Haruhi got to her feet and started brushing herself off. "Okay, I don't know what's going on, but it's time for one of you to start explaining. I was having the craziest dream, and now I'm here on this island. And where's Yuki? And—..." Her eyes widened, and she glanced at the sobbing form of Miss Asahina before focusing her stare on me.

"Kyon. Where's Yuki?"

Dammit, Haruhi. Why do you have to be so smart? Can't you just give me a little more time to get myself together before interrogating me?

It was Koizumi who bailed me out. "Don't worry. Miss Nagato's going to be alright, she's just... well, she's not here right now."

"What does that mean?" she demanded. "I don't—"

"Kyon."

It caught me off-guard to hear Koizumi refer to me by that name. "What?"

"This is something she needs to hear from you."

It was probably the most serious look I'd ever seen on his face.

"Hear what?" Haruhi asked. "You guys are really starting to scare me."

God dammit. I couldn't put it off any longer. The sooner she understood the situation, the sooner we could find a way to bring Nagato back. "Okay. I'll do it."

Koizumi nodded, and started heading for the door. "We'll leave the two of you alone, then."

Hey, that wasn't part of the deal! Miss Asahina, please don't tell me you're just going to abandon me with her?!

She seemed to hesitate, but eventually gave me an apologetic look and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Et tu, Miss Asahina?

If you were to put sleeping Haruhi and irritated Haruhi side by side, you'd think the latter was some sort of evil twin. Looking across the table at her, it felt like I was staring down the Vagan Battleship armed with a rubber band gun and paper mache armor. I knew she was really just worried about Nagato and Miss Asahina, but it still felt like I needed to choose my words carefully.

"Haruhi, do you trust me?"

She scowled. "What kind of question is—"

"Just answer it," I said. "I mean it. Do you trust me?"

Apparently I caught her off-guard. "Well, of course I do," she said. "I trust all of my brigade members."

"Good, because what I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy, but I'm one hundred percent serious. I need you to hear me out, and keep an open mind, okay?"

She crossed her arms. "Just get to the point. What's going on?"

Here we go.

"A while back, we had a talk at that café we always go to. It was the day none of the others showed up, so it was just you and me. Do you remember?"

I tried to savor the confused look on her face. It didn't happen often.

"I think so. Wasn't... Wait, you mean that day when you tried to convince me the other members of the brigade weren't human?"

She has a good memory. But then, I think she actually used that conversation as inspiration for the movie. "That's the one."

I took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

"The truth is, I was being completely serious."

She stared at me for a few seconds, apparently torn between the fact that I'd sworn to tell the truth and the fact that what I was saying sounded completely ridiculous. I decided to go on.

"Miss Asahina really is a time traveler from the future. Koizumi's an esper, and Nagato's actually an alien. They were all sent here to keep an eye on you."

After a few more seconds of silence, she asked, "Kyon, are you feeling okay?"

See, Koizumi? This is why I wanted the two of you here, so you could back me up. I hate to say 'I told you so'... Actually, no I don't. I told you so.

But it was too late to back out now. "I'm serious. They were all sent by their respective organizations to observe you and keep your powers in check."

"My powers? What the heck are you talking about? Kyon, I hope this isn't some kind of..."

It's not a joke. I told you that already, didn't I? "Look, I'll just get straight to the point. Four years ago, a high schooler happened to be walking by as you were sneaking into East Junior High. He was carrying his narcoleptic sister on his back, and you made him draw all those hieroglyphs on the school quad."

That got her attention.

She stared at me in shock for a few seconds before lowering her head, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. "How do you know about that?" she asked, gripping the couch cushion. "Who told you about him?"

"Nobody," I said. "That night, Miss Asahina told me she wanted to take me somewhere. She actually took me back to four years ago. July 7th, 1997. I didn't know why at first, but then I ran into you."

Haruhi was trembling. "That's not possible," she whispered.

"But it is," I said. "Haruhi. I'm John Smith."

She lifted her head, looking at me with the same astonished expression she'd had in the alternate world, last December. I wish I could have taken a picture.

"You're... John Smith?"

It actually felt pretty good to get that off my chest. "Like I said, we went back in time to Tanabata, and I helped you draw those weird symbols. And I know what they said, too. They said, 'I am right here.' Oh, and my narcoleptic sister? That was actually Miss Asahina."

Haruhi was quiet for a good thirty seconds after that. She was probably trying to find some other way to explain how I knew so much.

"And I know about that dream you had, where we were trapped at the school. Those blue giants are actually these things Koizumi fights. They're called—"

"Why?"

Huh?

Haruhi stood, walked over to where I was sitting, and gripped my shirt. For a second, I thought she was going to headbutt me again.

"Why are you telling me this now?" She raised her head enough for me to see the anger in her eyes. "If these amazing things are really happening all around me, why would you wait so long to tell me about it?!"

Hey, in my defense, I technically did tell you.

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. It was weird. I'd been prepared for a question like that, but the way she asked it caught me by surprise. She actually seemed... hurt?

I finally found my voice. "Hey, it's complicated. I haven't even gotten to your powers yet." I pointed to the couch across from me. "Sit down, and I'll start from the beginning."

And so, I told Haruhi everything.

Well, not everything. There were some things I really didn't want her to know about yet. But I told her how Nagato, Miss Asahina, and Koizumi had approached me one by one and tried to convince me that she had these weird powers. I told her about some of the things that had happened afterward, things that proved they were telling the truth. And I told her that if she were to find out about her powers while she had her powers, it could make things even more complicated than they already were.

Haruhi pretty much just sat there and listened to my whole spiel without saying anything. The angry look on her face had gradually faded away, and had been replaced with one of curiosity.

"Actually, it feels like you're just reminding me of something I already know," she finally said. "Like when you can't remember how to solve a homework problem, but as soon as I tell you, you wonder how you ever forgot in the first place? It feels like that."

That's great, but do you think you could come up with an example that isn't so condescending?

She finally nodded and grinned, lighting up the room with that million-watt smile of hers. "Alright, I believe you. But you still haven't explained why it's safe to tell me these things now."

Right. That brought us back to the situation at hand. How was I supposed to tell her about Nagato? There was no easy way to go about it.

"Let's see. I guess it all started last December."

At this rate, 'last December' was going to become the new 'three years ago'.

"There was an error in Nagato's program, and she used your powers to recreate the world without any of the supernatural stuff." I didn't have the heart to tell her she was the reason Nagato was so stressed out. Six hundred years of reliving the same two weeks over and over? I know I wouldn't be able to bear being responsible for putting somebody through that. Especially somebody I cared about.

"So you're saying I don't have them anymore?" she asked.

Don't sound so disappointed!

"Well, you don't, but that's not why," I said. "We were eventually able to fix the world back to the way it was."

I'd reached the point I'd been dreading this whole time. I thought back to that conversation with Nagato at the hospital, where I'd used Haruhi as leverage against the Data Integration Thought Entity.

"The truth is, Nagato's superiors were going to punish her for it, but I threatened them, so they dropped the issue."

She smirked. "You threatened an alien overmind? I don't believe it. Who knew you actually had some guts?"

I ignored her and went on. "It worked for a while, but I guess they decided it was too dangerous to let me have that kind of power over them." I forced myself to make eye contact. This had to be worded very carefully.

"They took your powers away, and then terminated her data link. Her mind still exists somewhere in the thought entity, but she doesn't have a body anymore."

I know it's a cliché expression, but the only way to describe the expression that took over Haruhi's face... It was like she'd seen a ghost.

"What do you mean she doesn't have a body anymore?"

"I mean she's gone, but it can be undone. The same thing happened to Asakura, and the Data Integration Thought entity brought her back not too long ago."

"You idiot!"

Haruhi stood, clenching her fists. "She's been in trouble this whole time, and you're telling me now? What's wrong with you?!"

What was I supposed to say? 'Sorry, Nagato was deleted by an alien thought entity, and by the way, you're not god anymore'? You wouldn't have understood if I hadn't given you some context!

"We don't have time to just stand around," she said. "How are we going to get her back? Do you even have a plan?"

Well, no, not exactly, but that's never stopped us before. "It's not going to be easy, but we still have a few options."

I really didn't want to turn to Tachibana's group for help, but the only thing that could stand up to an all-powerful alien interface was another alien. Granted, Kuyoh Suoh and I weren't on the best terms after she tried to kill Haruhi, but that had mostly been Fujiwara's doing. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like her, but Nagato's neck is on the line. Besides, she's our best bet at getting Nagato back.

After a moment of eye contact, she seemed to relax a little. "Well, I guess it can't be that hopeless if you're able to be optimistic about it, but I wish you'd told me sooner."

I took that as my cue to stand. It was probably about time to find Koizumi and Miss Asahina, anyway. I could use a cup of her tea right about now.

While I'd been talking to Haruhi, Koizumi had apparently been consoling Miss Asahina in the main foyer. They were sitting on the central staircase when we found them, and she seemed to be feeling a bit better.

I'm glad. You can go ahead and step away from her now, Koizumi.

Haruhi looked from one to the other, giving them the same accusatory look she'd given me earlier. "Is what Kyon said true?" she asked. "About you two, and Yuki?"

Koizumi smiled. "Well, assuming he told you that I am an esper, and Miss Asahina here is from the future, then yes, it's all true. As for Miss Nagato, she would be the alien of the group."

She glanced back at me, apparently satisfied that our stories matched.

"While the two of you were talking, I took the liberty of calling my colleagues for help. A boat should arrive to pick us up in a few hours."

And you're sure they won't do anything to hurt Haruhi?

He sighed, but never broke his smile. "No, now that she's just an ordinary girl, there'd be no point. And regardless, Mr. Arakawa and Miss Mori are loyal to Miss Suzumiya."

"No way," Haruhi said. "You mean they're in on it, too?"

"Oh, my apologies. I guess I should have asked exactly how much he told you."

Just enough for her to believe me. I'd told her that her 'dream' last year hadn't been a dream, that Koizumi's part-time job actually involved battling those blue giants we saw, and that Nagato's 'ventriloquism' in our movie was actually Shamisen talking. I'm not sure what I'll do if she does get her powers back, though. It could be a problem if he starts waxing philosophical when my sister's around.

"I see. In that case, why don't we go for a walk? I'd like to tell you a little more about the organization I work for, and what it is we do."

Haruhi nodded. "Sure. You'll probably be able to explain it better than Kyon could anyway."

Hah. Ahahah. If Haruhi only knew how long-winded Koizumi's explanations could be, she'd avoid private conversations with him like the plague. Serves her right, though. We'll see if she still feels the same way when he's ten minutes into a pointless philosophical monologue.

The two of them headed upstairs, presumably to wander around for a bit. Haruhi looked back at me as they rounded a corner, glaring from me to Miss Asahina before disappearing from sight.

What's her problem?

Nothing can calm my nerves quite like a cup of Miss Asahina's tea.

We were back in the lounge, having spent a few minutes in the kitchen while she brewed our drinks. I'd been surprised to find a fully stocked pantry, considering the mansion was supposed to be unoccupied right now. Maybe it had been Nagato's doing.

Miss Asahina had stopped crying, but she still looked concerned. Not that I could blame her. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" I asked, taking another drink.

"Oh, it's just... everything," she said. "I know she didn't really die, but that's what I thought at the time, so that's still what it feels like."

I see. It hadn't exactly been easy on me, either, but at least I'd known it was reversible. Miss Asahina hadn't had that luxury. "I'm sorry."

"O-Oh, no, you don't have to apologize!" she said, waving her arms. "I'll be fine, really."

I set down my cup, and she refilled it.

"By the way, Koizumi called that girl while you two were talking. The one who..."

It took me a second to figure out who she was talking about. "Wait, you mean Tachibana?"

She nodded. "Mm-hm."

I'd figured we'd have to contact her, but I wish he'd talked to me about it first. "Did he tell you what she said?"

"No, he just said she'd be able to help us get Miss Nagato back."

Does that mean she's on our side? Sure, Fujiwara had misled her about his intentions, but she was still more enemy than friend, at least to me. If it wasn't for her, that incident in April wouldn't have happened.

"Well, don't worry," I said. "Once we get Nagato back, we'll get your TPDD back, too." The fact that I'd met the older Miss Asahina meant she had to get it back sooner or later, right? Or was this one of those we-failed-to-save-the-future situations?

"That's classified."

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Koizumi stepped into the room. "Hey," I said. "Where's Haruhi?"

"She's up on the roof getting some fresh air. I think taking everything in at once has been pretty hard on her."

I wonder whose fault that is. With your lung capacity, you could probably earn Japan some Olympic gold medals in the swimming events.

"Do you think you could talk to her? You've had success cheering her up in the past. And this time, we don't have to worry about the cherry blossoms blooming out of season."

I guess I can give it a shot. Normally, she'd be the one spurring us on to save Nagato, but I guess this time I'm going to have to kick her back into gear.

Between getting flung into a wall and only getting an hour and a half of sleep, I was really starting to wish this mansion had an elevator. The stairs were killing me.

When I emerged onto the rooftop balcony, Haruhi glanced over at me before returning her gaze to the sky.

"Hey," I said, walking over to lean against the railing next to her. "I guess Koizumi filled you in on the Organization?"

"Is that what he's normally like?"

Huh? What do you mean?

"Koizumi. The way he talked... He's not as much of a blind follower as he makes himself out to be."

Oh, that. "Yeah, that sounds about right. When he's around you, he's nothing but a suck-up, only speaking when he's spoken to. But get him alone, and he'll talk your ear off about all sorts of pointless stuff."

We stood out there in silence for a few minutes. In any other situation, it might have been kind of nice.

"It feels like I don't actually know any of you anymore," she said, resting her head on her arms. "All this stuff was happening right under my nose, and I never even noticed. It makes me think. How well do I really know you guys? Yuki has so much going on in the background, Mikuru's from a completely different time, and Koizumi goes around fighting those celestial things every time I get pissed off! It pisses me off!"

Do you not see the irony here? And actually, that last one saved us a while ago.

She picked her head up and looked at me. "How can I call myself the brigade leader when I'm the only one left out of the loop like that?"

I sighed. "Haruhi."

"Yeah, what?"

"You're being an idiot."

She scowled. "Who are you calling an idiot?"

I turned around, leaning back against the railing and tilting my head back to look at the sky. "Sure, we hid stuff from you. We had to. But we're still the same people, you know? Miss Asahina's still shy and soft-spoken, even when she's talking about time travel. Honestly, there's not a lot she can tell us in the first place. Koizumi's more talkative, but I honestly wish he wasn't. And Nagato... Well, I don't usually understand much of what she's saying, but I guess you could say she's stuck by your side longer than any of us."

"And what about you?"

I looked over at her. Me? What about me? Am I a different person to Haruhi than I am to the others? I've never really treated her any differently than I would have if she didn't have the ability to recreate the world, so I can't imagine having a different personality when she's not around.

"Sorry to say it, but this is all there is to me," I said, shrugging. "I'm just an ordinary guy, so I don't really have a reason to wear a mask around you. I'm just along for the ride."

That seemed to satisfy her. She looked down at the water, though I can't imagine she'd really be able to see anything at this time of night.

"Koizumi told me some other things, too."

Great. Like what?

"Like the fact that you had a chance to live in a world where we were all normal, and you passed it up," she said, as if it were an accusation. "And Asakura tried to stab you?"

Twice. And she actually succeeded the second time.

"He said you've been a loyal brigade member, more than I could have known. So..." She swung a finger into my face. "I'm promoting you to Chief First Member of the SOS Brigade!"

Yeah, Haruhi? How is that any different from my old title? All you did was all 'chief' to the front. You might as well call me 'Head Grunt'. I guess I'll take what I can get, though. Even if it doesn't really change my standing within the brigade, it feels nice to have an actual title.

Not that I'd admit that to her.

"Gee, I'm honored," I said. "Anyway, we've all been in dangerous situations since we joined the brigade, but isn't it the duty of the members to keep an eye out for their leader, or something? I'm pretty sure you'd do the same thing for us."

She smirked. "Of course! But I wouldn't make stupid mistakes like you do. Honestly, having to have Yuki rescue you? That's pathetic!"

Haruhi pushed off from the rail and started to head back inside, but stopped. I watched, confused, as she turned around and walked over to me.

Then she slapped me. Hard. I had to take an extra step to keep from losing my balance.

"Ow! What the heck was that for?!"

"That night, at the school," she said, heading back toward the door. With one hand on the handle, she swung an arm back and pointed at me. "I never gave you permission to do that! Ultimate penalty!"

A/N: I feel like this was a pretty dialogue-heavy chapter, but it had to be done. Chapter five will be a bit more balanced now that Haruhi's more or less in the loop. Thanks for reading. :)