Fourth Encounter

He was called Kyon. The Incubator was not interested in the human's real name but in what Haruhi Suzumiya called him. He existed primarily through his relation to her. Her thoughts, emotions and feelings regarding this singular being were beyond reasoned analysis. It came to the stage where the Incubator could no longer gain from watching the two from a distance. In earth years, Kyon was approximately the same age as Haruhi Suzumiya. Since their prolonged interaction had begun, however, the frequency of closed spaces had drastically increased and the universe itself had essentially reached something of a breaking point.

Whether this was all because of Kyon or because of Haruhi Suzumiya was something not even Yuki Nagato seemed to be aware of.

At this point, it was impossible for the Incubator to enter the literature clubroom at North High because the amalgam of otherworldly forces set up a firewall not even the Incubator could penetrate. It was unclear whether this was intentional on Yuki Nagato's part or not – regardless, this made the Incubator's work very difficult.

Though Kyon's emotional energy appeared to be low, even more so than the average male human (it would cost more energy to form a contract with him than could be gained in the long term), the Incubator decided that meeting Kyon would be the desired action. While the Incubator distracted Nagato by appearing to chase after Haruhi Suzumiya, it also appeared at Kyon's bedroom window at approximately 11:23:45 pm.

Nagato could not shelter both Haruhi Suzumiya and Kyon at once.

Can I come in? I would like to talk to you.

The boy looked up from where he was lying on his bed, not looking outwardly very surprised. In fact, he looked mildly irritated. "Did Haruhi make another cat talk?" he wondered aloud.

The Incubator was interested in hearing about these things. It had not known that Haruhi Suzumiya could influence even nature itself without the aid of contracts. This was most interesting indeed. The Incubator climbed down from the windowsill and onto Kyon's bed.

My ability to facilitate human speech was not caused by Haruhi Suzumiya. Actually, my thoughts are transmitted directly into your mind in your primary language, which in your case would be Japanese.

"So is this some kind of telepathy? Can you hear my thoughts?"

Great. The deepest, darkest corner of my mind is being penetrated by an albino rabbit crossed with an anorexic cat.

Your thoughts come across very clearly to me, Kyon.

I will try to censor my thoughts in future.

Actually, I would like to hear all your thoughts, particularly about Haruhi Suzumiya.

"What are you?" The thought was so empowering it burst from his lips as well as his mind.

The Incubator explained its role and reason for finding Haruhi Suzumiya. Kyon listened without objections; he seemed to have experience in dealing with other extraterrestrial beings.

"So you want to meet Haruhi and turn her into a magical girl?"

That's right.

If there are time travelers, espers and aliens, adding magical schoolgirls to the list almost sounds logical.

Perhaps it is Haruhi Suzumiya's wish to become a Puella Magi. I would like you to take me to her, Kyon.

Frowning, Kyon opened his mouth and gave his reply.

"No."

Is that so, Kyon? Very well, then. I had hoped to accelerate my acquisition of Haruhi Suzumiya, but that was not to be. In any case, Yuki Nagato is already showing signs of mental illness, so it is inevitable her defences will break unless she is replaced.

"Nagato has mental illness?"

That is what we Incubators would call it.

The human seemed inclined to ask more questions, but the Incubator was done with conversation. With a swish of its tail, it vanished from the windowsill.

The Incubator was not sure how long Nagato's degradation would take. In the meantime, Haruhi Suzumiya had reached maturation as a potential Puella Magi. Post-puberty, a human's emotional power tended to decrease. The time to claim Haruhi Suzumiya was now.

In Kyon, the facilitator of emotions and mental illness, the Incubator had found the weapon to strike against Nagato.