Snowflakes came cascading down upon Tokyo, as was expected within these harsh winter climates. Hundreds of unique glided elegantly to the pavement below, only to be stepped on by passersby. None of the thousands of unique individuals seemed to pay the snowfall any mind. To them, it was just a sign that the weather had become downright unbearable. The chill that ran collectively through the waves of erect bodies would be unsettling to anyone.

No one thought to observe the glistening white wonder around them. Not a single person bothered to think how each flake was entirely unique from the rest. Nor did a single person bother to think that they themselves were entirely unique from the sea of bodies that flooded the streets.

It was not a glamorous city, as many foreigners were let to believe. In fact, the real beauty of Tokyo is not that of beauty, but rather life. The city reeked of the living, just like every great city on the planet. Tokyo is, and shall forever be, many things to many people.

For some, it served only as a tool to climb the business ladder. The gangs see it as their playground, where anything is attainable as long as your switchblade is longer than your victims. To the scholars, it is merely a great source of collective date. The best libraries in Japan could be found in Tokyo, and to the more intellectual types, this is indeed one of the cities more alluring aspects.

Then there was a man named Kyon, who would have liked nothing better than to escape the freezing cold of this December night. Kyon was the president of a broadcast company, which had fortunately filled his wallet with enough yen that he wouldn't have to work another day of his life. Ever since he started working, he failed to understand what all the big hype about being successful was all about.

'Why in the world would anyone want to run a business?' He often caught himself pondering.

Kyon enjoyed simplicity in every aspect of his life. He would most certainly never dream of becoming involved with anymore strange 'beings' and their silly problems. The poor soul had the most troubling of teenage years. Not only was he involved with a feisty young girl with god-like powers, but he was also forced into a position of keeping her life from becoming melancholy.

Life was meant to be lived by one's own terms, and never meant to be manipulated by other powers. He chooses, for the benefit of his mental health, not to believe in such silly things as gods or goddesses. The world doesn't need them, and humanity most certainly doesn't need an overactive holy power manipulating every aspect of existence. Mankind exists because it believes it exists. This also applies for little girls with god-like abilities. Truly, if mankind could wish itself into existence, then surely one girl could wish herself into a position of power without realizing that she could do so. Thus, it was concluded in Kyon's mind, that the 'rebellious' youth he once fell for in high school was merely suffering from a delusion that she managed to spread around to everyone who associated with her. Everyone had bought into the fantasy just the same as she had, and that's how it happened. That's the explanation he had come to in his mind.

It was best to lie to himself rather than face the truth. That he had been shunned by his goddess, and forced to live the rest of his existence in boredom. Things would never go back to the way they were back in high school, and no matter how he tried, he was never able to find another to fill the gap. He felt cursed. He was cursed to be alone in a city that was giving him far more money than he could possibly spend.

Being the head of a TV station is one thing, but having produced dozens of award-winning programs one after another is a completely different beast. It was a beast that refused to see his pockets empty. Just as long as there were television viewers within the Tokyo area, there would always be profits. Profits raining from the hundreds of companies that fought fiercely for each and every advertising spot Tanigawa Productions had available. With the level of sponsor support Tanigawa received within its first year alone was substantial enough for the station to withstand several programs bombing. The bombs have yet to drop. Every program has been a complete success. Even those labeled with failure right from the 'conception' period flew gracefully once put on the air. The science fiction romance 'Lost Love' was immediately considered a failure by everyone in the offices. Doom was predicted for the program even before the pilot episode was released. No one would have guessed that such a bizarre little story would sprout wings and reach the heights that it did. It was a terrible show, and everyone knew it. Lost Love ended up becoming the most successful program Tanigawa Productions had ever produced, and all the thanks came flapping towards the man responsible for green-lighting it. President Kyon believed in Lost Love, and so the money came rolling in. Or at least, that's what all the executives believed. Every project the man touched turned into a tidal wave of yen.

No one would have suspected that one of the most successful icons in modern Japanese television was walking among them. While each individual who walks the streets of Tokyo are completely unique from the others, much like a sky filled with thousands of snowflakes, it was impossible to distinguish the differences between one and the other. It didn't help matters that he chose to disguise his face with a heavy leather jacket.

He knew it was out of style. He knew it was tacky. That's why no one would pay him any mind. He was just another guy with a god awful fashion sense.

His short brown hair bounced with every step, eagerly crying out for the attention of any female onlookers. Though, no matter how hard he tried, they never looked his way. Kyon was a very attractive man, though he didn't look his age. His face seemed to accelerate in development during his mid-twenties, while the rest of his body didn't seem to get the memo. Bags lingered under his eyelids, and he almost always gave away an air of exhaustion. Meaning that many of the young ladies his eyes followed lustfully never wanted anything to do with him. That is, of course, until he flashes his cash in front of them. Then, suddenly, their panties would come flying off. Every time he ever came close to making love with one of these girls, something deep down in his gut would convince him otherwise. On every occasion, he would tell them to leave, and weep with his shame.

'Why do I have to be alone?' His right hand smoothed back his hair, which had just been ruffled by a strong gust of wind. 'What did I do to deserve this?'

He stopped and turned to his right, coming face to face with his final destination. The Sola chain of convenience stores had swept over Japan during the last six years, practically whipping the floor with its competition. This was the last place anyone would expect him to be.

'No one will spot me in this dump.'

There were two Smart cars parked just outside the front entrance, both of which had now become lightly layered in soft snow. This was not one of the nicer Sola stores in the city. The neon sign which was supposed to glorify the store's namesake flickered wildly on and off. In fact, there were many instances where it would just shut down entirely, only to power back up again several minutes later. This was, easily, Kyon's favorite place to shop. It was simple. You just bought your things and you left. No one knew his name here. No one gave a shit.

As he approached the front door, he snuck a glance at the advertisements taped poorly to the windows. The mascot of the Sola Corporation, a cute little 'moe' anime character with pink hair named Mii-chan, was graced on every single ad in the store. The girl was everywhere you looked inside of Sola. A shopper couldn't possibly turn around without seeing her smiling face haunting them from every angle. Mii-chan, however, had managed to become a pop culture sensation, even warranting her own anime and manga series. A laugh escaped Kyon's lips.

He had made a fortune from her televised antics, and "The Adventures of Mii-chan" had just been renewed for a third season.

'It's like I'm a magnet for hugely successful yet seemingly terrible marketing gimmicks.'

"Good evening," the overweight man running the counter called. Kyon just lowered his head and slowly made his way to the magazine aisle, though it was a real battle of wills to get there. He first pretended as if he were browsing through the sake brands, even though he had some at home. He pretended like he was interested in one of the Mii-chan figures that were lined up against the back wall, but the last thing he wanted was a reminder of how god-awful his own programming was. Lastly, he pretended like he was interested in buying some Pocky, even checking the 'best by' dates to make the deception all the more convincing. Surely, now he could make his move and not feel the least bit awkward.

He darted silently to the magazine aisle, coming face to face with what he had been lusting after all along. Stacked all neatly in a pretty little line were six 'men's interest' magazines. Kyon made a mental note that one had been added from last month, spicing up the erotic variety more than usual. Busty and exotic models lined every cover, each making his heart race with lustful anticipation. As usual, there was only one question left to linger in his mind.

'Now, which one of you lovely young ladies will be coming home with me tonight?'

So utterly and completely lost in his sudden surge of fantasy, Kyon paid little attention to the fact that there was a young woman standing right next to him, lost in her own state of fantasy. The woman's face was buried deep within a magazine entitled "The Truth: For Those That Wish to Know". On the cover a flying saucer could be seen blasting off from a Shinto Shrine, with a subtitle written in eerie green letters: "Ghost UFO Spotted! Full story inside!"

He quickly picked up a copy of "Tokyo Beauties", and began scanning through the pages very quickly. He didn't have all night to decide which one he was going to have to choose, so just like every logical man in his situation would do, it would come down to which one had the most appealing girls. Kyon was a simple man with simple tastes, and so he deemed that one magazine at a time was only appropriate. If he bought too many, he would be considered a lecher. But who in all of Tokyo would blame a man for buying one girly magazine every once and again. It was perfectly healthy, just as long as it stayed down to one. More than one, and you are technically a pervert.

Flipping through each magazine with a cool suave demeanor, he finally stumbled upon what that fit his needs perfectly. A pretty young thing in a yellow bikini stretched beautifully across a bed with silk red sheets. Her smile simply melted his heart with its pure childlike innocence, yet there seemed to be something more lurking below the surface. Something primal and oozing with urges waiting to be tamed. This truly was the cream of the crop.

With an issue of "Bikini Wonders" in hand, he began his journey back to the cash register. Without giving it much thought, he began walking backwards, making sure the coast was clear for his getaway. Then an obstacle suddenly came within his senses, as his back came colliding with the young woman who had never even noticed he was there. Paying little mind to anything within the realms of his own reality, he continued pacing backwards, scooting the poor girl along with him.

"Hey buddy, you're not the only one here," she grumbled. Her eyes stayed entirely focused on her magazine.

Kyon whipped around quickly, frantically placing the magazine back onto the shelf. He didn't want to be spotted with the thing, after all.

"I am terribly sorry," he apologized nervously. "I, uhhh, didn't see you there."

Her eyes moved back and forth with a feverish pace, absorbing every piece of information she could find. She had very little interest in responding, as she had now come across a particularly fascinating article titled "Alien Probing: Fact or Fiction?" Life was, after all, too short to respond to every moron who bumps into you. You've gotta stay focused and, above all us, you really want to know whether aliens will probe you in the dead of night. No one wants to be defenseless during a probing, after all. She must have a counterattack prepared for such an occurrence.

Kyon hung his head, feeling extremely embarrassed for having been so distracted. He planned briefly to make a run for it, to flee the scene of the crime, but his legs made no motion. It was almost as if his own body had turned against him, telling him that he couldn't leave just yet. Something entirely illogical was making him stay. Something completely outside of the ordinary. He was, quite literally, being glued to the spot by forces beyond his control. He was able to tilt his head back to its normal position, and his arms were able to sway here and there, but his legs refused to follow the orders his brain send them.

He took a deep cleansing breath and focused. He first focused on relaxing his eyes, which were darting about so quickly that he wasn't able to focus on his surroundings. They finally lay to rest, setting their field of vision directly in front of him. A thin girl wearing a dark blue jacket and jeans stood almost entirely motionless before him. She appeared to be a young, not a day older than twenty. Her flawless skin glistened within the light, perfectly reflecting the beauty of her youth. Beautiful brown hair hung down to her shoulders on both sides, with two cute yellow bows popping out from both sides of her head.

'No... it couldn't be.'

Kyon continued to study the specimen, hoping that through logical reasoning and determination he could come to a different conclusion than what rang true in his mind. Before him not only stood a beauty, but the girl he had been longing for. This was the girl who left his life, but had made his entire existence an unpredictable nightmare. The girl he had adored from the very moment she was gone. The girl he didn't realize he loved until it was too late.

'... It isn't her.'

His entire body turned to mush as he gaped awestruck at what was just within his reach. Surely she had forgotten all about him, and truly this couldn't be her. She looked far too young to be the Haruhi he had once known.

'I guess gods age rather gracefully... gah, what am I thinking?!'

Surely, this feeling was not unlike being hit in the head repeatedly with a lightning bolt. Every muscle within him screamed for action. If this was her, he couldn't let this opportunity slip. She had never left his mind since those days, and now may be his only chance. It was either he acted now, or slam his desk repeatedly against a work desk in the morning. His mind's resistance finally gave in to the aches of his heart, and he approached the girl, preparing himself for the worst.

"Say," he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Is that the most recent issue of The Truth?"

"What about it," she retorted coldly. Her eyes remained fixed on the page she was reading. Clearly, she wasn't the type to talk to just anyone. Even more proof to back up his muscles' argument.

"Nothing," he blurted. "It's just so weird running into a fellow reader. I love that magazine."

'I am the worst liar.'

An awkward fell between them, as she flipped the page with much vigor. It made a swishing sound that more resembled a man's neck cracking than anything else.

"This may seem strange," he walked forward a couple of steps, wanting to give it some air of confidence. "But I would swear that I know you from somewhere."

"Hmmm." It wasn't a question, more than it was a clear signal that she was becoming very irritable. She flipped to another page, far more distracted from the printed words then she was before.

He threw forth a supremely fake smile, in an attempt at looking friendly. He leaned forward, his head nearly coming into contact with her adorable little noggin. "You wouldn't so happen to be Ms. Suzumiya Haruhi, would you?"

She jolted upright at the mention of her name. Turning her neck to face her opponent head on, she wore a visibly vulnerable look on her face. She had made many enemies during her years, and this wouldn't be the first time she had to deal with one of them in public. Either that or he was just another stalker. Though, they were always treated in the same way as her enemies. A swift kick across the face usually did it.

Her eyes met with his, and it took but a moment for her heart to flutter with shock. The beat of the organ surged with a pace that caused her to drop the magazine that she had been so passionately devouring mere seconds ago. His brown eyes singed deeply into her, and for that moment, a flame that had been extinguished for over thirteen years had now roared back to life. It was him!

"... K-Kyon?!" She asked timidly, still in recovery from the sparks that had been flying between them. Nodding lightly, he watched as a mischievous grin grew slowly across her face. Her eyes lit up with that fiery passion that he remembered so fondly from back in the days of The SOS Brigade. The pure ecstatic joy that glowed from her expression spoke more than words could ever describe.

"Kyon!" She threw all of her weight towards him in an embrace that would have caused the 'unprepared' man to fall backwards onto the cold hard floor below. Kyon stood entirely rigid. Feeling her brush up against him was just too much for his poor little psyche to take.

"I never thought I'd end up running into you in a dump like this," she laughed giddily. "So how have you been?"

Her arms still remained tightly gripped around his mid-section, making it very difficult to fabricate coherent section. "I-I've been doing fine. It's, uhh, really weird meeting you like this, huh?"

Her arms slid away from his torso, coming back to rest beside her hips. "It must be fate that has brought us together like this!" She nodded enthusiastically, clearly having come to some sort of conclusion about an event that must have been purely coincidental.

'She hasn't changed a bit.'

"More importantly, how are you doing?"

She smiled, bending over to pick up the stray magazine lying on the floor. "Too good! I've got a really superb deal with a book publisher which basically allows me to write all the crap I want without them even paying the slightest attention. It's almost like they want me to write garbage!"

"So you're a writer then, huh?"

Haruhi put the magazine back in its respected spot, but then she noticed the covers that stood next to it, and nonchalantly hid it behind an issue of 'The Anime Otaku.' She obviously didn't want anyone to steal her reading material away.

"Yes sir," she smirked while placing a home cooking mag in front of 'The Anime Otaku.' "I have seven science fiction novels in print, and one non-fiction book." She straightened her back, cracked her neck, and sighed. "I have a long ways to go though. My writing isn't nearly as groundbreaking as it could be."

Kyon found it hard to believe that Haruhi every found the patience to be a writer. The youth he knew was spunky and impulsive, which completely went against the grain of what he envisioned great writers to be. There are certain skills that go with the art of creative writing, and they were all skills that she lacked.

'Times have changed.'

"Sooo, uhh... what do you write about?"

"All sorts of stuff," she replied. "I don't believe in just hunkering down with one subject. In science fiction, there are so many avenues you can go down, that it almost makes me crazy sometimes. I mean, what should I write about next? Aliens? Time travelers? Espers? I can never decide."

She raised her hand to her chin, deep in thought. "... You know, maybe I could write something with aliens, time travelers, 'and' espers. See! Just like that, a new brilliant idea swells in my mind."

It was almost as if no time had passed at all.

"But what are we lounging about here for anyways," she turned and tugged on his jacket. "Come on. We're going for a walk."

She gripped her hand tightly around his arm as she began dragging him out of the magazine aisle and towards the exit. The clerk merely looked at the two of them with a polite smile, as if this sort of thing happened all the time. For Kyon, it was an embarrassment. It looked as if a middle-aged man were literally being forced out of the store by a twenty-something who looked far too cute to possibly be threatening. He knew better than to judge Haruhi on appearances. She was a psychopath at heart. There was little doubt in his mind that she could snap at any moment, and he would be left unconscious in the freezing cold outside.

"You two have a great night," the clerk laughed.

Haruhi swirled towards the clerk and declared, "Imma gunna take this one home, Yorito!"

The clerk, who apparently went by the name of Yorito, shook his head. "Good luck with that, Haruhi."

"I don't need luck! We go waaay back."

'Someone kill me now.'

Yorito sighed. This wasn't the first man Haruhi had drug out of the store and scarred for life.

"As I said, you two have a great night."

"Not a great night. A glorious night!" Haruhi skipped out into the biting winter chill, as a reluctant Kyon gave up fighting against his goddesses' will.

The snowflakes had stopped their mad descent as the two spirits reconnected in the convenience store. The sidewalks had become mildly slick from the gentle peppering of white flakes, but that certainly didn't stop a certain overjoyed woman from losing her footing. Every one of her steps were performed with such gusto and vigor that there was little wonder that the sidewalk would punish her so. With but a gesture of fates hand, Haruhi went slipping, taking the innocent down with her.

"Accck," she screeched as a much heavier man fell on top of her. The two froze the moment their bodies collided, their eyes refusing to make contact with the other. Kyon's girth simply refused to move, for fear of making the situation anymore 'suggestive' then it already was. Haruhi simply basked in the moment, wishing it would last forever. The two laid in the positions for what felt like decades, until finally, one of them was brave enough to speak.

"You know, this is strangely erotic," Haruhi said with a quivering voice. "But you're sort of crushing my insides."

Kyon leapt to his feet, but in the process of doing so, fell straight on his back with a loud 'thump'. Haruhi would have sworn that she heard the breaking of bones, but decided that it would be best if she ignored such sounds.

"Rrgggh," he moaned. "I think I broke my back."

She rushed over to his side, crouching over his motionless body without the slightest bit of concern marked across her face.

"Can you move," she asked robotically.

"I think so."

"Good."

She stood up, looking up towards the cloudy night sky, losing herself in it. When you live in Tokyo, it makes it near impossible to see the stars at night. Yet, even without the twinkling lights to add that extra layer of wonder, you could often find her mind swimming in the dark void that can surround this planet. No matter how hard the human race tries, there is no escaping the darkness. There was also no possible way to avoid the light which would always shine through in the darkness. This was why she had made an oath to herself long ago. That if ever a light were to glimmer in her direction, she would not only resist denying it, but she would embrace it with open arms. Until the darkness was to fall again, she would keep warm within the light.

"Uhhhhh, would you mind giving me a hand here?"

She snapped out of her delusional visions of romance and back into reality. "Alright. But if you try falling over on me again, there'll be a penalty."

As she took a hold of his hand and hoisted him back into an upright position, she was reminded of how silly and pointless it was to dream like that. She had been alone for thirty long years, and any man she ever had an interest in was scared away by her outlooks and philosophies. No one would ever grow to love her. No one would ever bring her the light that searched for. Her existence was meant to remain in the dark, where she belonged. This was where she had been content for so long. Until she realized that she was lonely. When she realized that she wanted to be loved.

This reunion meant nothing.

"Did you have a nice fall there," she chuckled. "That looked like it really hurt."

"It hurt like hell," Kyon rubbed his head. "My back is really aching."

Haruhi choose to ignore the comment. If he had injured his back, then how were they supposed to have fun?

"Don't worry about it," she said supportively while linking her right arm into his. "So, are you going to treat me to dinner? Or are we just going to stay in my apartment, and I can show you some of the stuff I've been working on."

"Dinner sound ni-"

"Apartment it is!"

There was no reason not to treat this like a game. Things weren't going to work out in the end. She might as well enjoy the ride before she gets bucked off. Men weren't complicated. They just didn't want anything to do with her once they found out what was really behind her pretty exterior. Kyon already knew better than to expect a proper woman from her. She really hadn't changed much from the eccentric teen he knew back in the years of the SOS Brigade. The only difference between the Haruhi of the past and the Haruhi who now stood before him was merely the revelation that she couldn't face this world alone. The old Haruhi ignored the fact until it was too late, but now was a time for change.

Two entirely unique snowflakes had now melted into one beautifully deformed unit.

Writer's Corner:

I would like to thank all of you for giving this fic a shot. I realize you have a lot of amazing choices on this site, and that, for some reason, you have decided to give this story a shot. It's really amazing of you!

Anyways, my entire reason for writing this fan-fic was that I wanted to address a huge problem that I see with the fan-fiction community. There is a lack of stories that take the main characters in any sort of directions that we hadn't already seen before. And t hose that do try and so are (I'll be honest) typically pretty poor. My goal with this particular project is just to write something that I would enjoy reading, and share it with all of you fans that probably love the show a whole helluva lot more than I do. I write stories to please a readership, so it would be nice to hear some feedback. Don't worry about being too brutal either. I can take it! Bring it on! It's better to know that people dislike my writing than be lied to. If this story doesn't meet your standards, please tell me. I'm all ears, baby!

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I would like to point out a ton of 'anime' references that some of you might not have noticed. I don't' take this story 'too' seriously, so I often feel like, you know, leaving little easter eggs for those otaku sharp enough to spot them.

Reference #1: Tanigawa Productions

Teehee, that's the last name of the author behind the 'Haruhi' light novels. I felt it would be awesome to pay an homage to him somehow.

Reference #2: Sola Corporation

This is 'sort of' a reference to the anime Sola. I just thought the name was cool, and… you know, it sounded like a really awesome store name! Also, if you notice, I named the clerk 'Yorito,' which is the name of the main character in the series. I'm pretty sure I spelled the name slightly different… but I was waaaaay too lazy to check up on that one. Teehee.

Reference #3: The Adventures of Mii-Chan

This one is just… it really isn't too much of a reference, but it passed through my mind. Konata (in an episode of Lucky Star) asked Tsukasa what sort of a nickname they should give Kagami and… Mii-chan was one of them. So, in my sick little mind, that seemed to be the perfect thing to name the Sola Corporations mascot! … I'm a little strange sometimes.

Reference #4: Imma Gunna Take Him Home!

This was pretty much stolen from 'Higurashi.' Rena would say something along these lines quite often, and it's a quote that has really stuck in my mind ever since.

Anyways, that's all I have for now. Look forward to the next chapter! *waves happily* I hope you enjoyed my crap!

(the grammatical issues with Chapters 1 and 2 are going to be dealt with before I begin Chapter 3. Just a little update, lol)