I can't believe I'm finally writing this chapter. I remember thinking up the events of these last few chapters quite a while ago, but it seemed like it'd take forever to get to this point. By now, I've had the scenes play out in my head so many times that I've almost forgotten how awesome I felt when I first thought it up. I'm very confident you guys will think it's awesome, too!

For those of you who are wondering, the reason this chapter was so delayed was for three reasons: One, school was in the way and I couldn't start this fic until it was out of the way. Two, I was having a great deal of anxiety with this chapter, since I wanted it to be perfect, and three, I had received an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo DSi, and I had a ton of games to play on it. Sooooo, GOMENASAI!!!!

I'd to especially call attention to Xipz and Nix Ginevra Black for their numerous reviews in support of this fic. Thank you for spamming away the review section. :P

Here it is, guys and gals. The moment you (may or may not) have been waiting for.

Chapter 28

It's been a long time since I cried. They say that it's not manly to ever cry, unless you're under the most extreme of circumstances, such as losing a loved one. Well, I was about to lose the universe, and my own life. Does that count? I have no idea…

The last time I cried… I think it was a few years ago when I discovered my cousin making out with that deadbeat. I think I tried really hard to bury that emotion ever since. The memory was too painful at the time. Looking back at it now, it seemed really childish to be so sad and depressed over such a thing. Surely my problems were significantly greater now... Why did things have to be like this?

These were the thoughts that were going through my mind when I was sitting at the edge of the stage at the convention center, desperately hoping that Haruhi would show up. By now, the bluish light had taken over my forearms. I continued to stare at my hands as they glowed, tears dropping onto my hands. I noticed that my hand was growing slightly numb. I only wished that my emotions could be just as numb.

I was beginning to give up on Haruhi showing up as I watched my leg dangle only a few centimeters from the ground. If I pointed my toes a bit, I could reach the floor. I briefly wondered why the stage seemed a little low to the ground.

I then remembered something that confused me a bit. If the things in that haiku were meant to be taken literally, then how could I possibly hang from the edge of this stage? It wasn't far enough off the ground... not even by a long shot. What kind of stage would be high enough off the ground for me to…

I then felt an overwhelming desire to hit myself in the head. How could I be so incredibly stupid? The answer seemed so immensely obvious that it's a wonder why I would make such a silly mistake. I briefly thought about Koizumi's stupid theory and thought to myself that if anyone was reading this happening, they would probably think I was a moron by now.

The answer, and the place where Haruhi is currently located, is none other than the Kiyomizu-dera!

It was nice that I knew where it was located now, but there was one major problem. It is quite a distance away, and my body is looking more and more like it is flavored Blue Hawaii.

I bolted out of the convention center and began to look around the area for some means of getting there as fast as I could. There was the car that Koizumi drove to get here, but I didn't know how to drive. It was too risky getting behind the wheel of that thing for the first time. Running there would be too slow, and I don't think I have the stamina to do so. I have to find some other means of getting there.

I began running around the streets looking for something... anything that could get me there before I was removed from this space. I then spotted a bicycle off in the distance, about a block away. I shot out towards it with all the speed that I could muster, hoping that the bike wasn't chained up or broken. When I made it to the bike, I was relieved to find that it was free, and it appeared to be in working condition. However, there was a minor problem. It was a rather small bike, similar to the one that I had a few years back. I knew I could still use it, but it was going to be uncomfortable and unwieldy. It didn't matter to me anymore, so I climbed up on it and began to pedal away with all my might.

In hindsight, I don't remember how I was able to figure out which way to go. I knew it was north east from where I was, but without the sun to give me an idea of where it could be, I had to rely on pure instinct and memorization. I had looked at a map of Kyoto many times over the course of the last week, and had a general idea of where to go, but the specifics were lost to me. Whatever…I'll figure out the rest when I get there.

It was then that I felt a drop of water hit the back of my neck. I looked up in confusion and felt another one hit my forehead. I was a bit bewildered, considering the fact that it never rained in all the times I entered any kind of alternate reality. The drops came harder and harder until the rain was pouring hard. I suspected that Haruhi had something to do with this. Perhaps it was symbolic of her current emotional state. If I was correct, it meant of course that I was definitely not going to meet a happy Haruhi if I managed to get to her... not that I really believed that was possible anyway.

Most people with any hint of sanity would avoid biking in this kind of weather. The water was building up far too quickly for the asphalt and drainage systems to absorb it. Too make matters worse, a lot of the path was uphill, making the road difficult to climb. In other words, it was an arduous task, and it was difficult to control the bike. The fact that my knees kept hitting the handle bars was annoying. Worst of all, I had this feeling of déjà vu in the back of my head. For some reason, this moment felt all but too familiar.

It was then that the bike hit something hard on the ground and lost control. I had only a half a second to figure out what it might have been before I hit the ground hard. My hand did its best to soften the blow, but I was still hit with a great deal of pain. It was all I could do to keep myself from rolling back down the hill. I groaned in pain, half worried that I had seriously hurt myself. The water that was landing on my body and rolling down the hill soaked and gave me an unbearable chill. When I attempted to get up, I felt a sharp pain in my wrist that I had landed on. I had little doubt that I had sprained it. No, that doesn't matter. I had to get up and keep going.

When I got the bike back up, I noticed that it was a pot hole that I ran over. No doubt the enormous amount of water going down the hill was what obscured it from my vision. I ignored my lack of luck and got on the bike again. I did my best to ignore the pain and took off again, feeling like I was racing hard on Snake Way in order to save the world.

By the time I finally figured out that I was close, the bluish light had completely enveloped my body, and I felt numb and weak at the same time. I could tell that it was more than mere muscle fatigue that was affecting my body. It was as if my very essence was being sucked from my body. It took every last ounce of my willpower to continue to turn the pedals on the bike.

My elation grew greatly when I saw the temple in the distance. I was almost there. Unfortunately, I still wasn't sure if I could make it before my body was removed from this space. I was thankful enough that I was rejected from the space at a much slower rate than the other Brigade members, but was it enough? And even if I did reach Haruhi, would that prevent me from being removed from this reality? The way I understood it, the only way that I could possibly stay in this space was if Haruhi wanted me to, and there was definitely no guarantee that I'd be able to. In any case, I knew my time was running out.

Man did I wish that I had a pair of Mercury's Winged Shoes right about now.

When I finally reached the entrance of the temple, my weakness had grown to the point where I could barely get off the bike without falling off of it again. When I did get off, I made my way across the temple grounds as quickly as I could. I wish I could've said that I was moving with great swiftness and grace towards her, but due to my condition, it was more like a lazy jog. I was careful not to trip over those wretched Love Rocks as I move forward, climbing several flights of stairs along the way.

Just as I was about to reach the stage, my legs gave out from both the exhaustion and weakness. As my body splashed onto the wet ground, I could see that the features of my body were now nothing more than a blue outline. Gasping for breath, I began my earnest attempt to pull myself to my feet, but I was horribly dismayed to find that my body no longer had the strength to do so. No! This can't be! Not when I'm so freaking close!

I looked out towards the stage to see if anyone was in sight. It was a waste though, as my eyesight had become incredibly blurry by now. I had no idea if Haruhi was there or not. I couldn't see her, and I couldn't move any further. There was only one option left. I'd have to call out to her. Maybe, just maybe, she could hear me. I was soon reminded of that terribly freakish dream I had of Ryoko possessing that stupid wooden turtle and trying to kill me. I made every attempt I could to get a hold of Haruhi, but it failed. Well, I couldn't fail this time. I had to try to call out to her, even if it's only once. With the rain pouring down as hard as it was, I knew my chances were slim, but there were no other options.

I took the deepest breath I could muster and screamed out her name one last time…

I heard nothing. There appeared to be no indication that anyone had heard me. I gazed outward, hoping that perhaps my fading eyesight could pick up something, anything. It was then that I noticed that my eye sight wasn't fading at all. In fact, it was actually improving. With every passing second, my vision cleared, and before long my eyesight had returned to normal. Not only that, but much of the fatigue that had all but sapped the last of my strength was also rapidly disappearing. I could now stand back up on my feet, and I wasted no time in doing so. I was also quick to find that my body was no longer glowing blue anymore. Did I do it? Am I now safe from being removed from this space?

I knew immediately why. Haruhi was there, and she must have heard me! If you were to ask me why it was that I was no longer in danger of being removed from this alternate space, I wasn't really sure. My best guess was perhaps that Haruhi subconsciously wanted to see me or hear what I had to say. In any case, I knew that the only way I would find out was if I ran to her. It didn't take long before I made it onto the stage of the Kiyomizu-dera. Almost immediately, I saw her.

Standing at the edge of the stage and looking outward was Haruhi Suzumiya.

I had felt an enormous amount of relief when I found her there. I had secretly hoped that the hard part was now over and that with talking to her, I could calm her down and perhaps end the upcoming disaster. I slowly approached her, giving myself a little time to think about what I would say. Looking at her, I could tell that she was every bit as soaked from the rain as I was. No matter how close I came, she didn't move a muscle. It was as if she was a statue, forever staring out over the city and the mountains beyond. If it weren't for the fact that she had prevented me from being kicked from this alternate space, I would've thought that she didn't even know I was here.

I knew better, though. I figured she was probably waiting for me to say something. So when I finally came close enough to talk to her, I was sure to call her name. "Haruhi!"

When I called to her, she made no attempt to respond. Instead, I noticed that the rain had begun to die down suddenly. Within seconds, a downpour had transformed into a moderate drizzle. Whether she did this because she was glad I was there or so that she could hear me better, I wasn't sure yet.

"Haruhi…" I called again hoping for a response. Again there was none.

With the rain calming down, I could see her in front of me a bit more clearly. I saw small droplets drip from her hair as the excess water moved its way downward. I saw her hand gripping onto the railing tightly, displaying a great deal of tension. I could also tell that her breathing was rather heavy. In other words, she wasn't happy…not one bit…

Well, here goes nothing. "I…I heard that you found out."

"Is that so?" snapped Haruhi with a hint of venom. Well, at least she's talking to me.

I swallowed hard before I continued, making a mental note of my own rising fear. "Look, I can understand that you would be upset that…"

I was cut off before I could finish my sentence. "Upset? Really. Is that what you think I'm feeling? Why does it matter to you how I feel? You'll be gone tomorrow, right? Don't you worry about me. Just go ahead and leave like you were planning to do."

You can't fool me into thinking that is what you want. The fact that you're on the verge of ripping apart the fabric of reality is a pretty big clue that it's the last thing you want me to do.

I took another deep breath, feeling my mouth becoming extremely dry. "Listen, the reason…" I coughed a bit due to the dryness in my throat. "The reason why I didn't tell you about the fact that I was moving was because I didn't want to ruin the trip since it seemed so important to you."

The next word out of Haruhi's mouth was barely audible. "Liar…"

"No, I'm telling the truth. It's not like I want to leave, but your father didn't give me a choice."

I then noticed her grip on the railing tightening even further, causing her nails to dig into the wood. Her entire body was tensing up to the point where it was practically shaking. I knew immediately that she was about to lose control of her anger and took a step back.

She then turned around and exploded in a torrent of rage and fury. "LIIIIIIIAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!"

It was at that very moment that all hell broke loose. It started with a mild rumbling off in the distance, but before long the noise became so loud that it was almost deafening. I watched in the distance as the ground within the city began to crack and break open. The cracks spider-webbed their way along the countryside, literally ripping the land apart. Several large buildings suddenly exploded violently and fell into the cracks below. The clouds, which had ceased raining, had darkened and begun to swirl ominously above in a faster and faster revolution. Large arcs of blue colored lightning began to shoot out from different spots in the clouds. And during all of this, Haruhi just stood there with her head down, completely motionless. The bangs of her hair obscured her eyes, leaving me to only guess what expression they gave. No doubt that they displayed a horrible, destructive ire. If I didn't know any better, I would've sworn that Haruhi was trying to tear this world into shreds.

"You don't care about anyone other than yourself!" yelled the girl with god-like powers.

As her words hit me, I then had a terrible revelation. What if instead of sending me back to the old world and destroying it along with me, she decided to destroy this alternate space while I was still trapped here?

Fearing the worst, I put a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down. "Haruhi! Listen! You need to calm down!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed as she swatted my hand away with one arm and proceed to slam the palm of her other arm right into my chest.

The impact felt like something close to being hit with a sledgehammer. I fell back several feet, feeling the wind knocked out of me. I lay on the floor for several seconds while I attempted to regain my breath. Whether she was capable of hitting me that hard naturally, or if the blow was intensified by her own powers, I couldn't be sure.

I eventually made it onto my hands and knees in time to see a bolt of bluish lightening strike the top of the temple, causing a chunk of it to explode and burst into flames. I then felt another violent rumble and shake around me, as if I'd been caught in an enormous earthquake. Barely managing to not fall back on my face, I then felt like my body had become several times heavier, which was enough to push me back down onto my chest. I couldn't understand why my body was being pressed down until I looked out into the surrounding area.

It was then that I realized that it wasn't my body that was being pushed down, but rather the temple itself was being lifted up into the air.

Perhaps most disturbing of all was the fact that Haruhi was motionless during all of this. It bordered on insanity that she would be unable to notice everything that was happening around us. There only explanation was that she was so engrossed with her anger and bitterness that everything around her had been tuned out.

It wasn't long before the temple had risen into the dark clouds above us. As the dark particles touched my skin, I could feel my skin chill ever so slightly, sending a shiver down my spine. The darkness of the mist around me had completely obscured my vision, making it impossible for me to see anything around me.

I then heard Haruhi's voice once again. "I knew you were hiding something! You were acting weird all week long. I asked you if there was something going on, and you lied right to my face!"

I felt my heart sink as her words penetrated my ears. An enormous amount of guilt and shame built up inside of me as I continued to hear her speak.

"After all this time, I thought I knew you, Kyon! I thought you were the one person I could trust! How could I have been so stupid?!"

By now I had become an emotional wreck. I was quickly losing the will to speak. I slowly got to my feet just as the clouds began to clear up. Soon everything around me cleared up, and I could get a good look at Haruhi once more. It was then that I noticed drops of water falling right near her feet. At first I thought it was more water droplets from her hair, but upon looking closer, I realized that the droplets were rolling down her face and down to her chin.

They were tears…her tears…

"The reason…that I was waiting so long to tell you my feelings…" said Haruhi, her voice cracking a bit, "…was because I was afraid that you didn't feel the same way. I was afraid that you only saw me as a friend, or worse, that you had feelings for someone else."

She then placed her hand onto her face as if to hide her sadness and despair. "But with all that had happened in the last month, I was so sure that there was something there. I worked so hard to plan this whole trip, making sure that everything was perfect. I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could finally be honest and open with you about how I felt. I prayed so hard in the hope that you felt the same feelings for me as I did for you."

I then watched as she fell to her knees and continued sobbing. Seeing her in this wretched state was an experience I thought I'd never see in my entire life. In fact, if you'd asked me a year ago if I thought she could cry, I probably would have said no. In hindsight, I realized that it wasn't that she couldn't cry. It was the fact that she would always hide it whenever she felt the need to. In the time I spent living with her, I realized that Haruhi's room was the sanctuary to which she could vent her sadness, despair and frustration in a way that allowed nobody to see her vulnerability. Unfortunately, her room was nowhere near here, and there wasn't anywhere for her to go to hide this side of herself. I could only imagine how degrading it must've made her feel to be seen like this. I would be lying if I said I wanted to see her in this state; it tore me apart inside.

Haruhi sniffled some before speaking again. "I know now that I was wasting my time. You don't care about me at all. I was never anything special to you. I almost wish I never met you."

I wanted to say something to her, but the words weren't coming out. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't think of what to say.

"I don't get it," spoke the young goddess. "What is it about me that isn't enough? Am I not pretty enough? Is my chest too small or big? Am I too weird or bossy? Is my hair too short? Did my parents put you off? Are you gay? I just don't understand."

She then looked up at me. I could see her eyes had become extremely red and filled with tears. She took a deep breath before asking me one important question. "WHY CAN'T YOU LOVE ME THE WAY I LOVE YOU?!!"

That of course was the one billion yen question. Why couldn't I love her like she loved me? Of course the question I first had to ask was "Do I love her?" Of course, it was a rhetorical question, right? Do I really have to answer?

Before I could attempt to answer her, Haruhi had stood up and grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me close to her face. "Tell me the truth. I have to know. What am I to you?"

I was caught off guard by the question. I had hoped that I wouldn't have to answer it right at this moment. "I…I…thought you wanted me to tell you when we…"

She cut me off. "Forget what I said before! I want to know now! Tell me! I can't move on until I know the truth!"

The next minute that passed by went by as if time itself had decided to take it slow so that I could get a chance to think. I was really hoping that I wouldn't be put on the spot like this, but seeing as there was nowhere to run and seeing Haruhi pleading with me so desperately, I realized that I could not back away from this anymore. I had to decide once and for all whether or not I did love her. Just the thought of it already triggered that internal fear response that would always appear every time I'd thought about it. Once again, my brain felt like there were a million warning klaxons going off all at once. No time to think about that. I need to tell her the truth, but what was the truth? How could I tell her how I felt if I didn't even know?

Okay, there's an easy way to solve this. I'll just start by telling myself. On the count of three, I'll say how I really feel. After that I just tell her and hope for the best.

Okay. One. Two. Three!

I…I…I…can't do it! Dammit! What's wrong with you?! Okay, how about this? Just tell her that you love her, even if it isn't the truth. We'll start again by saying it to myself and then to her.

Ready? Set. Go!

…Why? Why can't I do it?! A simple three words and I can't even say it to myself. Was there actually something wrong with me? I could try and say that I didn't love her, but for some reason my brain is fighting me on that too. How can I be so conflicted? I either love her or I don't, right? Which is it?!

I knew by now that the reason for my indecisiveness must've been deep within my subconscious. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of being able to take years of psychoanalytic therapy in order to determine the source of what was causing my never-ending uncertainty. Instead, I was going to have to settle on a crash course on self-psychoanalysis. I would have no choice but to probe deep within my mind and hope I could find something. Sigmund Freud would likely roll in his grave if he knew that someone would be attempting something this crude and have the nerve to call it psychoanalysis.

I began to mull over the various memories I had with Haruhi and the SOS Brigade thinking that the root of the problem was somewhere within those memories. I decided to start with the more unpleasant memories, such as all the times she would boss me around, or that one time at Tsuruya-san's house when she angered me to the point where I almost hit her. I was disappointed to find that none of these memories seemed to trigger the anxiety that I would feel whenever I thought of being close to her. I then tried some other memories, such as the time when she disappeared and the universe was remade by Nagato. Going by one memory at a time, none of them had but maybe a mild level of anxiety triggered. I was becoming incredibly frustrated by the lack of success. Surely none of these events were the reason for why I could not commit myself to an answer.

I then pushed further back to the first couple months of when I met Haruhi, during that turbulent period when we first founded the Brigade and when I was first finding out the truth about her and the other members. I noticed that the anxiety went up a bit. There! I must be getting closer. I then thought about the time when she and I were trapped in the closed space together and when I kissed her. No, that not it. It's further back, even before the Brigade was founded. I felt the apprehension grow further. I must be getting close. I tried thinking about that time when I was first getting to know her. Did she say something that put me off? I then thought of her introduction to the class when I first met her. No, that's not it, either. As odd as that introduction was, it wasn't the answer I was looking for.

Dammit, I know I'm close. There was an event at this time that had a major impact on how I would feel about her. What was it? Was when I first...I…I could feel it. It was as if the warning klaxons in my head increased tenfold. The day I first talked to her. That image in my head…it must've been the Friday of the first week. She had four ponytails on her head. I remember her rude remarks when I tried talking to her. This is it! That moment's important! But…why? Was I so upset over her rejection that I became unable to get over it? No, there's more to this. I'm sure of it. I need to probe deeper! The real reason was further back in the past... I can feel it!

I let my mind move deeper into my past, to the time before I met Haruhi. As I moved through the years that I was in middle school, I felt the pain in my chest grow. My breathing became shorter and shorter to the point where I was wondering if I was having a panic attack. Why are these memories suddenly so unpleasant? Was there something that my brain was trying to hide? What was it? What is it that makes me so unwilling to get close to Haruhi?!

Just when the negative feelings had just about reached the point where I could no longer withstand them, I then saw an image in my head that I hadn't seen in my years. It was an image that used to bring great joy and feelings of pure serenity. However, now this memory was poisoned beyond any hope of repair. Forever would this be a tainted memory.

That memory was the smiling face of my cousin…

And it hit me like a sledgehammer. All at once, I could literally feel all the synapses within my brain firing away, processing this newfound information. At last it was all clear!

The events that had led to my heartbreak with my cousin had apparently been far more traumatic than I had originally thought. There's a theory in psychology that states that some people who experience traumatic events would often create defense mechanisms that would be designed to protect that individual from any emotional harm. In my case, my brain would put me into a state of denial whenever there was someone to whom I was interested in that then caused me some level of emotional pain. I would then go out of my way to prevent myself from ever acknowledging that I had ever had feelings for that person.

All throughout Junior High, without even knowing it, I had done this over and over again. Whenever a girl I thought I might have liked rejected me, I would deny to myself that I even felt anything for her. This defense mechanism served me well for many years and did well to protect my psyche; however, one day it would betray me. That day was when I first spoke to Haruhi Suzumiya.

I remember now that the main reason why I wanted to talk to her in the first place was because I found her both attractive and intriguing. When she rejected my first attempt to talk to her, the defense mechanism immediately kicked in, blacklisting her and forever preventing her from being able to hurt me emotionally. This of course had the effect of making it so that whenever I tried to think about my feelings for her, the defense mechanism kicked in, preventing me from being able to be honest with myself.

But a lot had changed since I first met her, and she is not the same person that she was when I first talked to her. So why did the defense mechanism continue to blacklist her? Simple. Defense mechanisms function within the primitive, irrational part of our brains. Even though there was no longer any logical reason to keep my emotional defenses up, it remained there, reacting much like an overactive immune system reacts to an allergen. And as long as I remained unaware that this was happening, I would be powerless to do anything about it.

The moment all of this finally became clear to me, I felt a tremendous amount of relief pass through my entire body. I finally understood why I couldn't admit how I felt about Haruhi, and now that I was aware of the reason, it became easy to deconstruct the mechanism that had protected me for so many years. Once I did so, I was soon overwhelmed with the intense rush of feelings and emotions that hit me with radiating warmth. I was no longer in denial about my feelings now. I finally realized why I had been so divided. While one part of me had been fighting to protect myself from my feelings, the other had fought to embrace them. With the one side now permanently vanquished, I now knew the truth about how I felt.

I loved Haruhi Suzumiya. I loved her with all my heart…

And to think that I figured all of this out within the space of a minute. Ha, take that Sigmund Freud! Who needs you when I can solve my own psychological problems?!

I looked down at Haruhi, who by now was showing a great deal of doubt. Her eyes were red from all the tears that had been released, and those said tears were still rolling down her eyes. If it wasn't for the fact that she looked so terribly miserable, I would have said that she looked ridiculously adorable.

I gave her the warmest smile I could muster and placed my hands on her shoulders. It was now or never. It was time to tell her how I really feel.

However, before I could say a single word, I heard the sound of cracking wood underneath us. The stage itself was cracking apart. With nothing underneath the wooden beams to support it, the stage could no longer hold itself together, and soon cracks had formed all throughout the frame. Seconds later, the stage broke apart, causing the floor to suddenly tilt forward at a steep incline. The two of us could do nothing but tumble down the incline and over the remains of the railing.

Reacting by pure instinct, I grabbed onto Haruhi's hand while simultaneously grabbing onto the railing with my other hand. It seemed at the moment that I had saved the both of us, except for one major problem. My wrist, which had been hurt when I fell off the bike earlier, was now throbbing in excruciating pain as it held onto the railing. I screamed in agony as I struggled not to let go.

Haruhi immediately reacted by taking her other arm and grabbing onto my good arm, increasing her grip. I could see that she was deeply fearful of falling and was struggling to hold on.

"Kyon! Are you okay?" she asked, obviously noticing my pain.

"It's my wrist! I don't think I can hold on much longer!" Seriously, my wrist felt like it was being stabbed.

"Hold on! I think I can climb up!" She then attempted to climb up my arm.

Unfortunately, her movements only increased the pain in my wrist further. "Stop! Stop! It hurts!"

Haruhi stopped climbing and her grip slipped back down to my hand. We now hung there helplessly, unable to move. I didn't have the strength to pull her up, and any attempt made by her to climb up my body would likely cause my other hand to lose its grip. This could only mean one thing. We were going to fall.

No! This can't be how it all ends. I was so close to telling her! Dammit! Dammit, this isn't fair! I don't want to die! Not now! Not when I was ready to finally let go…

When the last words of that thought hit me, it was then that the full meaning of Nagato's haiku was finally clear. That was it! I now knew what I had to do!

I looked down at Haruhi, doing my best to ignore the pain I was in as well as my weakening grip. "I'll admit…that I've lied to you about more than just that fact that I was going to move."

Haruhi's expression bordered on absolute bewilderment when she heard that. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember that time on the roof when we asked each other who we'd want to be with if we were stranded on a desert island? Well, the truth is that I wasn't honest either when I said I wanted to be with Tsuruya-san. There's one other person that I'd rather be with, more than anyone else."

Haruhi was baffled as to why I was saying these things. "Why are you saying that? What are you trying to tell me?"

I swallowed hard before I continued. "There was this girl that I'd fallen in love with many years back, long before I knew you. She broke my heart, and ever since then, I've been afraid to open myself up to those that I feared I might have feelings for, especially if I thought they might hurt me. And because of that, when your father told me that I had to leave, rather than standing up to him, I acted like a coward and decided to run away rather than face my feelings. Well, I'm not going anywhere! I don't care if I have to live on the streets! I'm staying where I belong... with you!"

Saying those things had an enormous impact on me emotionally, and as much as I hate to admit it, I could not prevent a tear from welling up and rolling down my cheek. Haruhi was now looking at me with a mix of anticipation and understanding. I think she knew what was about to happen.

"I love you, Haruhi! And I promise that I'll never run from you again!"

It was at this point that I realized that there was only one thing left to do. I knew from the height we were at, the fall would surely be fatal. However, with the last of my grip ebbing away, I knew that only one person could save us. I had to put my faith in Haruhi. And even if she were to fail, I knew that I still wanted the last seconds of my life to be the best I'd ever experienced.

I then let go…

I didn't give Haruhi the chance to scream as we began to fall. The first thing I did was pull her close to me and wrap my arms around her. As we continued to descend, I brought my face as close as I could to hers, staring deeply into her eyes. Despite the fact that her eyes were red and a bit puffy, she never looked more beautiful to me. Those amber orbs were are magical and mesmerizing as the day I first laid eyes on them. Feeling her breath tickle my lips, I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against hers.

The familiar sensations of the last time shot back like lightening, only this time they were stronger than ever. The softness of her lips. The sensuous taste. It was the most amazing sensation I'd ever felt in my entire life. Her arms wrapped themselves around my neck and back, pulling my body even closer. She felt so soft and warm whilst pressed against me, even despite the fact that we were both still wet from the rain. I soon felt like I was floating in air, quite literally. I never bothered to open my eyes to confirm this, as I'd learned that it was rude to open your eyes while kissing.

Moments later, the sensation of falling had returned. Before I had a chance to pull away from the kiss and open my eyes, I felt my legs suddenly hit something. It snapped under the force of my falling body, but it was soon followed by several more of its kind after that. I soon realized that they were branches of a tree, and that the two of us were falling through it.

I did my best to cover up Haruhi as we continued to land on the thin branches. Eventually, one of the branches hit my side and didn't snap. Instead, I bounced off of it hard. As my body began to spin the other way, my head then hit another rather thick branch…hard… I blacked out momentarily, and it was only when I landed in the soft, wet and muddy ground that I regained some of my senses. Somehow through all of it, I managed to protect Haruhi from most of the hazards, and when she got up, the most I could see on her was a large scratch across her right cheek. I, on the other hand, was on really bad shape.

Haruhi looked down at me to see if I was okay. "Kyon! Kyon, are you okay?!"

I struggled to raise a hand. "I think so. Maybe."

Looking somewhat relieved, Haruhi then looked up from where we had fallen. I too looked up to see what had happened. I was startled to find the stage as well as the rest of the Kiyomizu-dera staring right at us as if it had never moved at all. Not only that, but the sky was blue again, with only a trace of a few clouds. We were back in the real world.

"I can't believe it," said Haruhi before turning toward me with that infamous million-watt smile of hers. "Can you believe it?! We just jumped the stage at the Kiyomizu-dera!"

It was more like we fell from the stage really, and I hardly think that it's something to be proud of. I then began to struggle to get up, but it wasn't long before I felt an incredibly intense stabbing pain in my side. I was also having trouble breathing.

Haruhi was quick to notice something wrong, and her smile soon transformed into deep concern. "Kyon, what's wrong? Are you going to be okay?"

The moment she said that, I noticed that the world around me was starting to spin, and my head was in terrible pain. "No…something's wrong…" Just as I spoke those words, I felt my consciousness begin to slip.

The last thing I saw and heard was Haruhi leaping to her feet and screaming for help…

And so Kyon has finally admitted his true feelings! But what will happen to him now? Are his injuries serious? What will this mean for him and Haruhi? There are only two more chapters left, and if you want to see them... then you'll have to wait until I write them…

I also wanted to asked the reader here for another favor (I know, I'm really selfish). You see, I've desperately wanted to see fan art of my OCs, but I've been reluctant to ask since I thought it might have been a bad idea. After discussing it with some people who frequent this site, I've decided it was okay to ask. I'm looking for talented artists to draw Oruki and Naru fan art. I may even be able to discuss payment if you so desire. My e-mail is if you're interested.

Thank you very much, and I hope this chapter pushes this fic to the 1000 mark! W00t!