Chapter 9:
"What?"
Haruhi stood from where she had been sitting in the armchair next to me, wide-eyed, mouth gaping open. "What?" she repeated, directing her question at the grim-faced Koizumi. Incidentally, I generally prefer it when he's grim to his usual unreadable smile. But right now I'd prefer the smile a thousand times over.
"Mikuru-chan's missing?" Haruhi frowned and walked across the room to where the esper and alien duo were standing, Yuki's face expressionless as always. Koizumi merely nodded.
"When?" I found myself asking, considerably worried. After all, the peerless Asahina-san out there in the swirling white of the freak blizzard...all alone! She could freeze to death! Or worse, someone might find her before us!
"We think she disappeared sometime in the night," Koizumi said, looking sideways over at Nagato for confirmation, which she did not give, unless you counted the solitary blink. "No idea why she would have gone outside in the middle of the night, but it must have been before the snowstorm started."
No, that girl is so adorably muddle-headed that she might have headed out during the blizzard, oblivious to the snow altogether!
Haruhi frowned, tapping her fingers against her chin as she thought. "In any case, we need to split into teams and go find her immediately!" Having thus made up her mind without anyone else's consent, as per the usual, she marched over to the closet by the entry and began pulling out warm coats, scarves, gloves, you name it, that I hadn't noticed when I'd put my light summer jacket there a couple of nights before. Maybe it had been too dark to see when we'd arrived. Maybe it was because Haruhi had wished that they would be there. Who knows, by now?
"Don't just stand there, Kyon!" she snapped at me, throwing a long, heavy, navy-blue scarf at me. "Start packing supplies!"
"Ne, Haruhi," I said, as Koizumi obediently disappeared into the small kitchen, "don't you think we should consider where she might have gone first? Maybe she's in the cabin afterall. Maybe she fell asleep somewhere or..."
"Don't spout nonsense! Of course she's out in the blizzard; where else would she be?"
I sidled a look over at Yuki, standing there motionless as Haruhi threw various garments which piled at her feet. She gave me the slightest of glances, as if to say, "If Haruhi wants Asahina-san to be out in the blizzard, she will be out there."
Oh, joy. Just when I was getting cozy in this nice, snug cabin. I cast a lingering look at the snapping fire and consigned myself to fate as Haruhi, dwarfed by enveloping layers of warm brick-red material, held out her fist, in which she held four matchsticks. We all knew the drill by now.
"Marked."
"Unmarked."
"Unmarked."
"And that makes me marked," she announced, holding up the last one. She sent a "don't you dare fail me" look in Koizumi's direction, who gave a sheepish smile and began packing flashlights, dried fruit, fire starter materials, and other "necessities" into a backpack. I automatically began to pack some of the supplies into another backpack. At this point, I wasn't sure whether to pity him or laugh at him, getting stuck with Haruhi, so I turned my gaze to the purple-haired girl who was, at the forceful suggestion of Haruhi, donning various garments. I wondered briefly if she did it just for show. In any case, of the three, I was happiest paired with her. At least I wouldn't have to worry about dying with her around. With Haruhi, I wouldn't be surprised to end up at the bottom of a canyon somewhere just because she'd mistaken a random rabbit for Asahina-san.
Haruhi marched over to the door and opened it, letting drifting remainders of the dissipating snowstorm seep in with the cold air. Hands on hips, she tilted her chin up at the rest of us.
"Here are the rules: Whoever finds Mikuru first wins. The losing team has to pay for the train tickets home."
Has it ever occured to you, Haruhi, that some things in life aren't a game? That she might actually be in trouble?
"When somebody finds her, send up a green flare," continued Koizumi, a bit more calmly, and held up the long-sticked object he held in his hand like a magic wand. If this were the world of Harry Potter, you would be Cedric, I think. And you would die. Hahaha. "If anyone gets in trouble, send up a red flare, and yell 'Expelliarmus'." He sent a wink in my direction. Damn you, esper! Did you read my thoughts?
"That didn't make any sense at all," commented Haruhi from her post at the door, like a greyhound ready for the opening on the gates. "C'mon, everyone! Ready, set, go!"
She dashed out into the cold woods, yelling back at Koizumi, "Come on! Do you want to lose?" He gave us an apologetic smile and started out after her.
I looked over at Yuki, who was methodically tying a light-blue hat on her head. It matched her coat and mittens. Actually, it was a good color on her. "Ready to go?" She nodded silently, and we followed the others out into the icy terrain, closing the cabin door securely behind us.
The sun had come fully out as the snowflakes discontinued their dance, still partly hidden behind the looming grey clouds, and blinding us with its rays on the frozen snow. Unlike earlier when I had stood out here with Haruhi this morning, the snow crunched slightly with the thin icy crust. Around us, dark firs heaped their protective branches in clumpy areas, leaving the rest of the hills barren in clearings.
I trekked ahead in vocal silence, making deep footprints which Yuki noiselessly followed in behind. We continued like that for what seemed hours, though the sun stubbornly insisted that it wasn't even noon yet. I considered conversation, but it was her who broke the quiet first.
"Over there," her voice came from behind me, and I twisted around where my feet were planted in the deep snow, trying not to fall, to look where she pointed. Not far away, the tree-less area of snow dropped off, its jagged outline barely visible against the barren snowscape. Without saying another word, she tread over to the edge of the ravine and stood there motionlessly.
I slid the backpack I was carrying from my shoulders and placed it carefully against the trunk of a tree, and walked to join her at the edge of the cliff. Peering down, I could see, far below, the weaving of a frozen stream and low banks on either side. Watching the alien beside me, I noticed that her eyes were roving like searchbeams, scanning the bottom and the sides of the cliff face. I tried to imitate her actions, but it was hopeless. I definitely couldn't see anything but the white on dark green of snow-encrusted firs and the sneaky silver of shallow ice.
Suddenly, she pointed down and to the left. "There."
"There? You think Asahina-san could have gone down there?"
"Is down there. I am only ascertaining the most effective route to descend."
"You found a path?"
She blinked, a stray flake catching on her eyelashes. "Yes. A path," she agreed.
Despite my slight fear of heights, I shuffled forward to see where she pointed. "How did you already know she was...Augh!"
The yelp was more surprise than fear, as I felt the soft snow beneath my feet crumble, but suddenly it did turn to fear as I began to fall. I clawed around for anything that might be stable, but she reacted first.
In that brief second, I felt her arms catch around my waist and hurl me to the side. Belatedly, I seized her as well, so that she was carried by my heavier momentum, and we rolled, over and over, creating a lop-sided pattern in the fresh snow, hardly aware as a full two feet of the soft sides of the cliff collapsed and poured softly down into the ravine like cream into a cup of tea. At last our momentum halted, and I lay there, panting, slightly dizzy, trying to get my bearings.
Inches away, lying in the snow, Yuki was not panting at all, but looking over at me critically.
"You are unharmed?"
"Yeah. Thanks. Again."
"There is no reason to express gratitude to me."
My heart still pounding, I looked straight up at the grey sky, fringed with the lace of evergreen tops. Grateful as I was to her, it annoyed me slightly that she had saved my life at her own expense so many times, and the only thing I had ever been able to do for her had been that one moment in the library. For a moment, I almost wished I had superpowers. But Yuki as a "maiden in distress" was even harder to imagine than Taniguchi as a "maiden in distress". I smiled a little impulsively as that image came to mind.
My pulse steadying, I looked back over at Yuki, still staring at me. "Are you alright?" I asked, aware for the first time that she might be hurt.
"I am undamaged."
"Oh. Okay, then."
I inched closer, leaning on my side so that I could sustain my weight with one arm, reaching across her into the snow, and looked down at her. Her expression did not change as she met my stare unquestioningly. Her hat had fallen off somewhere during our tumble, and her hair stood out in purple contrast against the sun-sparkling snow. She was attractive like that, I finally admitted to myself. Why? Impulsively, I took off a glove and gently brushed some clumped ice from the side of her face. I caught my breath as I did. Her skin was warm under my touch.
Her skin was warm, and the snow was cold. The damp of the snow that coated the several layers I was wearing was beginning to numb my backside, but the hand that traced her cheek was tingling warm. When did you begin to thaw, Yuki? When did you begin to change under my very eyes? Was it at the library? Was it before?
I wish I could see you smile, just once. Because the snow around us is biting cold, but you are warm; you are becoming more human with each passing minute.
"Have you rested enough?" Her voice broke into my thoughts, and I lifted my hand from her skin reluctantly to put the glove back on.
"Hai. Are you ready?" I sat up and pushed myself to my feet, holding out a hand for her.
"Of course." She took my hand, but only out of courtesy for me, and raised herself gracefully. Likely she had been ready the entire time but was only waiting for me to catch my breath. She pointed back toward the tree I had left the backpack under. "You should get that."
"Ah...yes." Was it just me, or had it sunk down into the snow a bit? I grimaced, brushing off the snow around the bottom and hoping nothing inside had gotten wet. "Then, we're going to find the path?"
"I already found it. We will be using it. It is slippery, so be careful."
Not like I have anything to worry about, being around you.
She held out her hand, palm facing me, to signal me to halt. "I will go first," she stated, and hesitant though I was, I let her. She turned and began treading shallow footsteps across the snow, which I followed with my deeper steps. Flecked frozen crystal began to float around us again, catching in the silver hair ahead of me. I guess Haruhi had decided two feet in the middle of July wasn't enough.
"Yuki, can I ask you something?"
Her eyes, staring straight ahead, did not blink as she answered, "Dozo."
"Since it seems like you already know what's going to happen before it happens, why is it that you always save me at the last minute?" And what did that moment in the library mean?
"Omniscience, which is not altogether part of my programming, is different from omnipotence. And there is a stipulation which states that due to human incapability of receiving over-stimulation in extenuating circumstances, I must comply with the situation to make it seem as natural as possible."
"Ah." I think I caught some of that. Anyone care to explain?
"Here," she said, and I eyed the edge with slight trepidation. She slid one foot forward carefully, and then found a foothold, slightly lower. "Careful," she said, unnecessarily, and began to slowly descend while I followed at a slower pace.
The "path" was a mere half-foot wide, snaking across the side of the cliff, made slick and neigh invisible by the icy coating. I wondered where it led. After all, I still couldn't see any place that Asahina-san might be hiding. I concentrated on remaining steady as I hugged the cliff wall, praying that I wouldn't slip. I hardly noticed when the path began to expand, and then pool into a sort of landing, half-way down the cliff, until Yuki stopped and pointed straight into the snowy wall.
"In there?" She nodded. Excited that we'd finally found her, and concerned that she might be hurt, I shuffled forward and pawed gently at the snowy wall. Surprisingly easily, it crumbled under my fingers and revealed a large opening, about two feet tall. Inside, it was pitch black, but I could hear distinct whimpering.
Asahina-san's whimpering!
Yuki stood motionless on the other side of the mouth, letting me take all the credit for the rescue as I widened the opening as much as possible, and called out, "Asahina-san? Are you in there?"
I heard a gasp, and then a hopeful voice called out. "Kyon-kun? Is that you? Pl...please help! I'm so scared..."
"I'm coming in," I announced, and gingerly stepped one foot into the opening. At that moment, a rumbling above alerted me that yet another portion of the cliff above was crumbling under the weight of the snow.
"Yuki!" I called out, glancing over at her, but she had already stepped out of the range of the falling chunks of snow and rocks, and was signaling me to get into the cave. I hesitated only a minute before scrambling in, and the next minute the entire entrance I had just made was blocked over by a deep layer from the avalanche.
Blindly, I fumbled around in my backpack side-pockets, pulling out a small flashlight, and switched it on. The darkness of the cave melted away, and I flickered it around, finally catching the figure of Asahina-san, moaning a little and flinging her arms over her face as the bright light caught her off-guard.
I aimed it away from her and inched over to where she was. The cave itself was composed of hard rock above, a little higher than the top of my head, and soft earth beneath. It was insulated from the biting weather outside, but still had the vacuum-like cold of a deep cave. I could feel Asahina-san shivering as I reached out a hand to find her and she latched onto my arm as though it was a lifeline.
"Kyon!" I heard Yuki's voice outside, carving through the deep snow. "I am going to find Haruhi Suzumiya and Koizumi-kun. We will return and remove the snow."
"You can't do it yourself?" I called back, knowing it sounded selfish, but also knowing that she could rescue us in a heartbeat if she wanted to.
"It is outside the probability of human capability," came her muffled voice. I couldn't help but sigh.
"It's okay, just do it!"
"Haruhi Suzumiya would not understand. If I were to come back with the two of you, the story would not fit into her expectations."
I relented at last. "Okay, but hurry!"
"There is no need to tell me that."
"Be careful! Yuki...Yuki!" She had already left.
Author's Notes: Yeah, this will all make sense when the next chapter comes out. I swear, I didn't just throw them into a winter wonderland without cause. Chapter 8 next!
Update: LOL! I'm reading through the 5th novel now (yeah, I cheated). I didn't even know they already had a "snow mountain" scene! Auhhh...now I feel like an idiot. That's kinda funny. Ne, why didn't anyone correct me on that already? Oi oi, people, I shouldn't have to say this, but review already! Oh, and by the way, I haven't watched the second season yet, but I did watch the movie. OMG! Almost died! Even though I'd already read the related novel, or maybe that's the reason why. I started to tear up right about when the Yuki from three years ago told Kyon who was responsible for the 'ness. (That's the word I use when I'm too lazy to describe things, by the way. I'd use "Supercalifragilistic expialadocious", but like I said, I'm lazy and don't feel like typing all that out). Ehhhh...why couldn't Yuki have a little more expression in this world, huh? She was soooo cute!
Translations: (I'm really lazy with these, gomen!)
Gomen: sorry
Dozo: You're welcome, or please go ahead (and a lot of other stuff like that)