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Six Characters in Search of Suzumiya Haruhi – Act One

6

I hardly knew what to do or say. Chiaki knelt on the grass, cradling Anzu in her arms, and weeping; Anzu shuddered and squirmed as she tried to remember how to breathe. Her eyes did not open. I wanted to help. She didn't need my help, not now; in a few minutes, either she would be all right again, or she would be dead, and either way, there was nothing I could do. But I wanted to help anyway. It was my fault she was like this, so close to death; and I had to do something just to silence the voices in my head that were crying out for vengeance.

"Anzu-chan!" Chiaki called to her. "Anzu, wake up!"

Anzu weakly stirred. She was trying to reach out to Chiaki, I felt sure; but she lacked the strength.

"Is there... is there anything I can do?"

"You've done enough," Chiaki snapped. "That thing was after you in the first place, wasn't it?"

All I could do was nod.

"And I don't suppose you feel like telling us what the hell it was?"

"I wish I knew," I said. "I know it's called a Hunter..."

"Oh, now I know what it's called, that's going to be a great help."

"I'm sorry." I bowed repeatedly, even though Chiaki looked unimpressed.

"But what is it?"

"I don't know..." Then I came to an abrupt stop. "Wait a second. You could see it?"

"Well, not it exactly. Just some kind of presence in the air, like a cloud of smoke..."

"But no-one else could see it at all!"

Chiaki stopped. Anzu was still, not struggling, just resting as she recovered her energy. Her head was tilted towards us, listening intently.

"Hey, you're right," said Chiaki. "Do you want to explain?"

"I don't know," I said. "I think it might be some form of demon. It's not visible to normal people..."

"Then why could we see it?" She looked down at Anzu. "Could you?"

Anzu nodded.

"Mind you," said Chiaki, "I'm not sure I'd exactly call Anzu-chan normal..."

Anzu responded with a grimace that clearly said, "And I'm not exactly sure about you."

"But... but...," I said, "neither of you are magical girls, are you?"

"Magical girls?" Chiaki snorted. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Is either of you a miko, then, or anything like that?"

"Well, I did a part-time stint as a miko last summer," said Chiaki. "It was dull as all hell. Three weeks on the job and I didn't meet a single demon, unless American tourists count."

"I don't think so," I said.

"Huh, you don't seem certain of very much."

"I'm sorry!" I squeaked. "It's my first day doing this, and I didn't know the Hunters would be like that, and I'm sorry your friend got hurt..."

"All right, cut it out," said Chiaki. "I get that you're sorry, but that's not actually going to help anything. What I want to know is what we're going to do now."

"We?" I looked at her hopefully. "You mean you're actually going to help me?"

Chiaki tutted. "We just want to get to school without being attacked, and if you really are sorry, then you owe it to us to stick with us and make sure we get there. Are there any more of those things, do you know?"

"That girl said there were four Hunters..."

"Which girl?" Chiaki looked down at Anzu. "Can you stand?"

"I think so..."

"All right. Let's get going, and you, Asahina, can tell us your story on the way."

So we helped Anzu to her feet and set off together. The railway ran close beside a river, and along the riverbank was a wide path, sheltered by a long avenue of sakura trees. Through the trees, I caught a glimpse of houses and streets; at this time, now that everyone had gone to work, they stood silent. We would not find shelter there.

It was a cold morning, and no-one thought to take a stroll through the park, so we talked freely. I told the others about Ryouko and her club at the Haven; about my mission to fetch Koizumi; and about the mysterious girl who had threatened me and said she was going to unleash the Hunters.

"So we really have landed ourselves in the middle of a magical girl story!" cried Anzu.

"You don't need to sound so excited about it," said Chiaki.

"Why not? Aren't you even a bit excited?"

Chiaki snorted. "I'd rather get my excitement from watching TV. I don't want to be attacked again."

"Yes, but we survived, thanks to –"

"No thanks to her, that's for sure," said Chiaki, indicating me. "And that girl who stopped the Hunter –"

"Girl?" I said quickly.

"The girl with the long black hair. You must have seen her."

"I only saw the hair..."

Chiaki shook her head. "Anyway. That girl. She isn't here now. And I don't know whether this one has any powers –"

"You don't have to talk about me like I'm not here." I said.

"Are you a magical girl, Mikuru-chan?" said Anzu.

"And don't call her Mikuru-chan!"

"Sorry."

"Obviously she's not, or she would have fought that Hunter thing instead of standing back and letting the other girl do all the fighting."

"Hey!"

I scowled at Chiaki. She scowled right back at me.

I intensified my glare. So did she.

I clenched my fists and tried to kill her with my eyes.

So did she.

And then Anzu burst into hysterical laughter, so we both turned round and glared at her instead.

"Anzu-chan!" Chiaki cried.

"S... sorry!" Anzu said through her glistening tears. "I couldn't help it! You two were just... were just..."

"Were just what?"

"Well, you know."

She pulled a face to illustrate, and then Chiaki started laughing as well, and suddenly all three of us were laughing together, and – it was almost as though we were friends.

We laughed so hard that we had to sit down on the grass. Even sitting down, I was shaking with laughter so much that I rolled over, and my hand rummaged in the blanket of fallen sakura petals, stroking them and relishing their softness, getting rid of the prickly sensation that still lingered from the fight with the Hunter. It's good that no-one was around to see us, though honestly, by that point I don't think any of us cared.

At last I said, "Shouldn't we get moving?"

"No hurry," said Chiaki. "We're late for school anyway now, so half an hour more hardly matters."

"I hope I haven't got you two into trouble..."

"No more than Anzu-chan is capable of getting into by herself." Chiaki rose to her feet, and shook the petals off her skirt. "Let's go."

We all got up, and started down the path together. For a moment, none of us could think of anything to say. Then something came into my mind that I couldn't just let go of."

"Chiaki-san?" I said. "Are we... are we friends now?"

Chiaki paused and looked thoughtful. "I suppose so, as long as we're all travelling together. No offence, Asahina-san, but I can't really say I hope that we meet again."

"I understand." I bowed in gratitude, and Chiaki managed a faint smile and a little nod. It was more than I could have hoped for.

The path began to slope upwards, and I felt myself growing tired. I glanced at the others, wondering whether I could ask them to slow down a little; but they kept striding onwards as if nothing could faze them. I quickened my pace to match; but after only a minute or so, I found myself panting and tottering.

Anzu looked round and grinned. "What's the matter, Mikuru-chan?"

"Don't call her – oh, I suppose it's all right."

"Just a bit tired," I said.

"This tires you? Goodness, we haven't even begun!"

"What?" I said faintly.

Chiaki gestured ahead, where I could see the path rising into the distance, and stretching up above the trees there was a hill layered with lines of roofs, one above another like the tiers of a wedding cake.

My heart stopped. "That's where we're going?"

"You should transfer to our school, Mikuru-chan," said Anzu. "You'd get fit in no time if you had to walk up there every day."

"But there's a train –"

She laughed. "The train doesn't go all the way. Only to Dokonimo, and the school's a long way above that."

I collapsed on the grass again.

"Get up," said Chiaki. "Any more of this and we'll go on without you. We can't be having you holding us up like this."

"Maybe some food would help," said Anzu.

"You're not giving her your food!"

"It's okay," I said. "I can make it."

I rose unsteadily to my feet. At once I felt a spasm run through me, but I tightened my grip on myself to stop myself falling.

I could do this. I had to. I couldn't disgrace myself, not in front of these girls, when I owed them so much already.

I huffed and strode along, swinging my arms at my sides to keep my movement flowing. Behind me, I could hear Chiaki and Anzu giggling. Silly fools. Didn't they realise that if they stopped to gape, I would leave them far behind?

– and then there they were, one on each side of me, bustling along beside me with enough breath to spare to cheer me along.

"Keep going, Mikuru-chan!"

"Don't call her – oh, whatever. Do your best, Mikuru-chan!"

After a while, we hit a bend in the river where it came down from a gorge that ran away to our left, while ahead the path turned slightly right away from it. The trees came to an end, and we climbed a little flight of stairs that brought us out onto a silent suburban street. I felt a little safer now. Even with no-one around, it just seemed an unlikely place for the Hunters to attack. Perhaps they had lost my trail by now.

The street continued to rise, and soon cut across the railway. At the junction was a level crossing – I knew what this was from picture books I had read as a child. The barriers rose with a clank until they reached their highest position, and then remained motionless in the air; but I approached them warily all the same. I could not shake off a feeling that at any moment they might sway and start to lower, and we would be caught, helpless, as the train came hurtling into view –

"Come on," said Anzu, taking my hand. "It's quite safe."

But I couldn't get the thought out of my mind. I could even hear the train bearing down on us, quite as vividly as if it were real.

I stepped out onto the crossing, and then took a good look to either side. No train. Of course there wasn't.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I stepped forward.

The barrier came down with a crash.

"What?" cried Chiaki.

Anzu was staring away into the distance. "Did you hear that?" she said.

"What?" Chiaki turned and looked up the railway. "There's nothing there."

She strode over to the barrier and tried to lift it back up.

I stood together with Anzu for a while, and then caught myself. Why were we only looking in one direction? I looked back downhill. Nothing. Just a tranquil railway weaving its way through the trees, so close on either side that the branches bent down to give the trains sakura kisses as they passed.

And then a roar, and as though a cloud had drifted across the sun, the scene became shrouded in darkness, a darkness that took a tangible shape; and all at once I saw a ghost train hurtling towards us, carriages built of shadow belching black smoke into the sky. A Hunter sat on the roof of the front carriage, whirling whips of shadow in his hands, as if the train was a living creature he could goad into motion, bent on driving us down.

"A Hunter!" I shrieked. "Run!"

Chiaki tensed her muscles and gave one almighty heave, and the barrier lifted; there was a sound of cracking and splintering as the mechanism holding it fought back as long as it could, and then stopped resisting. We all ran through as fast as we could, and there was a whoosh of air behind us as the train soared past. Still we ran on, driven by fear, and didn't stop until our strength ran out and our breath left our bodies.

And then Anzu laughed and gestured down the path behind us.

"You see, Mikuru-chan? You can do it too!"

"I... I can!" I didn't know whether I was laughing or crying.

"But – the Hunter," said Chiaki. "You saw it?"

"Didn't you?"

She shook her head.

I turned desperately to Anzu. "And you?"

"I didn't see anything, Mikuru-chan. But don't worry, I believe you."

"I wonder why we couldn't see it this time," said Chiaki.

"Were you afraid, Mikuru-chan?" said Anzu.

"Of course... but what do you mean?"

"Well, perhaps it was giving form to your fear," she said. "And that's why we could see it, back there on the train. When it spoke to me... I felt a little bit afraid. You mustn't give in to your fear, Mikuru-chan!"

I gave her a weak smile. "Thank you, Anzu-chan. I'll do my best."

"Let's just get away from here," said Chiaki.

I couldn't run any more; but somehow, I found the strength to keep on going at a steady trot, until at last Anzu stopped and fell, panting, with her head between her knees. Chiaki was jogging along, a little way ahead of us.

"Is... is this it?" I said.

The street levelled off, and turned ninety degrees to the right. Nestled in the bend was a simple stone archway, through which I could see a much more modern set of gates, and beyond them, the platform that marked the terminus of the railway.

Chiaki stopped and turned, smiling as she saw Anzu out of breath.

"This is Dokonimo Station," she said. "Want to take a refreshment break?"

So this was Dokonimo... Ryouko's words came back to me. He'll be there on the dot at twelve o'clock. But there was no-one in sight, except for an elderly man guarding the ticket barrier, reading a newspaper to pass the time. Most likely, it was not twelve yet. I tried to guess how much time it had taken us to walk from where we jumped off the train, but so much had happened that it was hard to fit it all into my mind. I just shook my head.

Chiaki nodded towards a liffle café that stood opposite the station. It had a charming, old-fashioned air about it, with a trim grass-green awning and rows of potted plants with finger-thin leaves along the windows. One thing was for certain: we would not encounter the Hunters there. No-one could associate fear with such a place. It was a small world in which one could be frozen in time, enjoying a bubble of pleasure for as long as one wanted.

I looked longingly towards the café, but then something impelled me to look round again, back towards the platform. Nothing. It was an ordinary, empty stone platform, its monotony broken only by a few fallen petals that drifted along it. I turned away. And then, as my eyes lined up directly with the gap in the ticket gates, the scene changed. I was seeing the same platform, but all colour seemed to have drained out of the sky around it; the world had become featureless and grey.

I swivelled round – and at once the colour returned. I turned round again, and it vanished again, but only when I looked right through the little gap.

"Wait a second," I said. "Chiaki-san, can you see this?"

"What?" She sighed – she clearly had thoughts of tea and a cupcake on her mind – but she came back and stood by me. I pointed.

"Look through the ticket barrier. Does anything look unusual to you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, Mikuru-chan. I guess it's another thing that only magical girls can see."

"I'm not –"

"Well, you're not exactly normal." She took a deep breath. "And I suppose you're going to tell me that you have to go through the barrier."

"I... I don't know..."

"Be careful, Mikuru-chan," said Anzu. "It could be a trap."

"I know," I said. "I just feel that if I don't go..."

"Then you'll never find out what it is, and you'll be eaten up with curiosity for the rest of your life," Chiaki supplied. "I know how these things go."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be." She stared up at the sky. "I'd be just the same if it were me. I guess I'm jealous."

"Chiaki-san..."

"It's all right, Mikuru-chan. This is your adventure, and I'm not going to spoil the party. Anzu and I will be in the café. I hope you make it back safely."

"I'll save you a slice of cake," said Anzu.

"Thank you... both of you," I said. "You've done so much –"

"And you've taken up a lot of our time, so hurry up now," said Chiaki; but her tone was playful rather than malicious.

"See you soon." I bowed to both of them, and turned and walked solemnly towards the barrier.

It happened as I was expecting. At the moment I passed through, everything inverted: all around me was a cold monochrome world, except for the small part of the colourful world I could still see when I looked behind me. And now I noticed for the first time that, on a bench on the opposite platform, a girl was sitting, wispy and silvery, like a ghost. She looked up at me with a glint in her eyes, and I knew at once that she was waiting for me.