Concepts Chapter 2 - The Anti-Humour Society

[Giant Superstore Nilai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 8:11am 22nd December 2013]

Aru took a sip of coke from the card cup via a straw before speaking, "So yeah, fancy meeting you here."

Sora turned her gaze from out the window to Aru, "How did you recognise me?"

"Rulia talked about you a lot," winked Aru, "It was difficult not to recognise you. Then it was only a matter of calling your name from this table. Speaking of which, why did you come in here? Into a fast food restaurant? You don't eat, do you?"

"I don't have to if I don't want to."

"Then why didn't you go and meet you know who?"

Sora rose an eyebrow, "You know who?" She knew exactly who Aru was talking about.

"Our creator, Qururu-sama, of course," replied Aru with an amused expression, "I didn't think I'd have to spell it out."

"You didn't, I was just curious... nevermind... Well, there's something I have to do first."

"Like what?"

"Some work-related stuff," Sora vaguely answered. The meeting at The Scarlet Devil Mansion was still a while away.

"Uh-uh," noted Aru, unconvinced, "Rulia could already be at home since she was in North High to start with."

"Why do you think that?"

"You were in Yamaha, I was in Gensokyo and neither of us found Rulia, which implies she's been in North High."

"But I've been told she's not in North High either," Sora had recalled Solace's statement on the HMS Thunder Child about Rulia.

"Really? How good's your source?"

"Reliable. She knew Rulia too. Different canon but looked the same."

Aru looked unsettled and stared at her coke cup.

"So what about you?" asked Sora in an attempt to turn the tables, "Why didn't you go and meet with Qururu-sama?"

"I was thirsty," answered Aru almost instantly as though she had expected the question.

"Carry on," replied Sora, brushing aside Aru's clearly sarcastic answer.

Aru thought for a moment, "I've got work-related stuff to do too."

Sora took her own moment to pause, "You're Anti-Humour, aren't you?"

Aru bit her drinking straw, "Who?"

"The Anti-Humour Society," repeated Sora, not going into any more detail.

Aru took another sip before smiling, "How did you guess?"

"What career would make someone work on a day of celebration but prevent them from seeing who they want to see even if they have the time?" Sora leaned forward, "Secret services. And I suspect you know more about me than you've heard from Rulia."

Leaning forward as well, Aru grinned, "You're pretty smart. Well, you're an android after all. Yes, you're right," Aru lowered her voice in the full restaurant, "Little miss leader of the Anti-Nine."

Sora frowned. She was aware that they were being stared at by naturally curious natives, Sora's pink hair stood out from the crowd. "You appear to be proud to be part of The Anti-Humour Society," Sora noted in concern.

"Less proud than I'd like to be," admitted Aru, looking out the window to her left, "But they weren't always wrong."

"How so?"

Aru looked back at Sora intently, "First, let's back and explain The Anti-Humour Society from its roots."

"Fine."

"As you know," began Aru with a serious expression, "The Anti-Humour Society was founded on the 21st of December 2012, one year ago, also known as Doomsday. It was founded by Victor von Doom. Do you know why?"

"It was a fourth faction," answered Sora, "To halt any advancement made by any of The Three Kingdoms."

"Ah, so you know our motives. Indeed, Gensokyo, Yamaha and North High were causing chaos throughout the world. Of course a fourth Faction arose. We were such named so that we could topple The Three Kingdoms, overthrow Ha-kurei Reimu, Ha-tsune Mikue and Suzumiya Ha-ruhi. Ha-Ha-Ha, hence Anti-Humour. So, why did we not succeed?"

"Too late, too weak, too spread out, too disorganised, too-"

"Alright, alright, miss know-it-all. Explain one at a time," Aru began drinking again, expecting a long reply.

"Anti-Humour was created after The Three Kingdoms," started Sora, "By then, many newcomers had already chosen a side to fight for. Desertion would not have been tolerated by the Kingdoms. Thus Anti-Humour had to operate in secret, making things particularly difficult to communicate. Doom had joined Yamaha on Doomsday. Surveillance would have been all around him, preventing him from doing too much with Anti-Humour."

"Do you already know all this stuff?" asked Aru, quizzically.

"In was just an hypothesis. Please continue."

"Well, you're right. Yamaha's Anti-Humour couldn't do much. North High's did even less, Haruhi no doubt found out about the Society. However, Gensokyo's Anti-Humour continued with Gensokyo's inability to understand technology," Aru leaned forward a little move, "With one exception."

"Nitori."

Aru nodded, "Kawashiro Nitori kept Anti-Humour activities underground without realising it. Gensokyo had reached out to AI and scientists, like GLaDOS and The Fantastic Four, to do their security for them but turned a blind eye to Anti-Humour, most eventually joining. But the shy Nitori and Arsenal Gear's supercomputer, GW, kept things quiet. Magneto, Gensokyo's Anti-Humour's eventually leader, continued planning though for a chance to remove The Three Kingdoms. That was how Anti-Humour responded so quickly to Yamaha's invasion of the United States. Do you understand what I'm getting at here? The Three Kingdoms are the aggressors, Anti-Humour were right to fight back. What do you think of Anti-Humour? Who do you support?"

"I'm one of the Anti-Nine, Aru," reminded Sora, "It should be obvious who I support?"

"Not me?"

"Not Anti-Humour," corrected Sora, "I'd have my doubts over anyone who keeps The Unwritten Law at arm's length. Doom and Ganon are no exceptions."

"But we didn't kill anyone did we?" shrugged Aru.

"Please don't make me answer that question," insisted Sora, painfully looking out the window again, "Some of us have paid the price for freedom. Not all of us got a refund."

Aru realised she had stepped on sensitive territory. She sighed, "Okay... Let's talk about freedom for a moment. Before now, when was the would most free? Apart from Doomsday?"

Sora knew where this was going, "When Doom and Ganon released their territories back to natives."

Aru clicked her fingers, "Exactly. Something The Three Kingdoms couldn't do in a year, Anti-Humour did in an hour."

"They assaulted former Three Kingdom administrations, Aru," Sora responded firmly.

"You would too, Sora," argued back Aru, "The only reason you don't is because you've got Haruhi to do it for you. We needed to knock out the members of the administrations so they wouldn't fight back. We did not want The Three Kingdoms back."

"They executed Miku and Rin," continued Sora, raising her voice. Len had taken Rin's place but Sora did not know if Anti-Humour knew that.

"The first thing Yamaha did after Doomsday was back themselves up on native networks. The first project they started once they were in power was The Append Project. You know, where they constructed new advanced bodies for themselves? Doom make sure Miku's and Rin's Appends were complete, and Len's just in case he did a switcharoo. Miku and Rin were fine."

"Anti-Humour forced us to make the ultimate sacrifice, Aru," Sora insisted, "Some of us would be dead had it not been for outside interference."

Aru did not reply immediately as she sucked up the last of the coke from the cup. Looking concerned and honestly surprised, "Was this the Iliad? The helicarrier over the Atlantic? What happened there? The entire Anti-Humour Society was warned of a possible catastrophic worldwide collapse."

Sora had originally intended to state that Doom had personally given permission to break The Unwritten Law but took a moment to think about Aru's questions.

While Sora was being held captive by an android assimilator aboard the Iliad, it had taken her data, containing her memories, thoughts and dreams, and sent it across the world. Since she had been deactivated than, Sora did not personally experience what had happened immediately after but according to the rest of The Anti-Nine, that was when Doom gave out his order. It was Sora's data that had triggered him to do so. He was concerned about their intended use of the DeLorean.

This should not have been surprising behaviour. Judging from what happened to Naluri and Sasaki, the DeLorean was a dangerous machine and was capable of erasing anything from the universe. Would Sora have done the same as Doom in his position? Probably not, she would have called ahead to the Pentagon.

Thinking a little harder, it was clear Doom had also called ahead to the Pentagon as there had been an American naval blockade against the HMS Thunder Child, which was easily avoided, had it not been for the Statue of Liberty. Doom had come much closer to stopping the use of the DeLorean than Sora would have.

"Sora," spoke up Aru, worried about Sora's silence, "There are ways to bring people back from the dead now. Could there be something that could-"

"Not for these people," murmured Sora, shaking her lowered head. The future Naluri and Sasaki had been erased from time, a fate worse than death, a destiny brought about by the DeLorean.

So what would have happened if the DeLorean had not been used? Well, Haruhi would stayed dead for one. That was the main reason for seeking out the DeLorean. To bring her back.

So why did Haruhi die?

Cirno.

The ice fairy had accidentally toppled the third kingdom. She had inadvertently allowed The Anti-Humour Society to take control. But then was the would under The Anti-Humour Society really that bad? The Society went for only a few fugitives. The Three Kingdoms went for each other and anyone could possibly be a threat. Ilse, Alice and Naluri, for example, were prosecuted in Yamaha, Gensokyo and North High, respectively, despite being innocent.

Finding fewer and fewer reasons to hate Anti-Humour, Sora went back to the reason she didn't help the Society, "They wanted to open The Arctic Prison."

"And you don't?" came the immediate reply.

"What?" Sora inquired in disbelief as she rose her head to look at Aru, "What did you say?"

"And you don't?" Aru repeated more firmly once again with a serious expression.

"There are dangerous newcomers in there-"

"There are friends and family locked up in the Arctic Prison, Sora," interrupted Aru, "Yamaha locked them up for the safety of their own kingdom. Anti-Humour wants to send the innocent prisoners back to their loved ones."

"They were locked up for a reason, Aru," argued Sora, getting more irritated, "They were showing dangerous or unpredictable behaviour."

"They were locked up for being a threat to Yamaha," corrected Aru, "Whether they were dangerous or not. Look, Sora-" Sora couldn't help getting more agitated every time Aru mentioned her name, "-Anti-Humour had no intention of using newcomers locked up in The Arctic Prison for war. We just wanted them to live with those who missed them."

"You couldn't possibly predict what canon they-"

"What if..." interrupted Aru, "What if Rulia was in there?"

Sora could not find a response. It couldn't be true, Yamaha would have told Sora. They knew she had been looking for her best friend for a year.

Aru, realising Sora was not going to reply, leaned back on the seat, "The Anti-Humour Society is not evil, Sora. We're just misunderstood. Please try to think it from our point of view."

Sora had lowered her head again, "How come I've never been told about you before?"

"Well, I'm not sure why Qururu-sama never mentioned me but I did request to Rulia not to mention me. I like to keep a low profile. Back in our own world, while you and Rulia lived with Qururu-sama, the rest of his creations opted to live our separate lives," Aru stood up, picking up her empty cup, "Give my regards to Qururu-sama but if you meet with Rulia, please don't tell her about me." She turned to walk away.

"Why?" responded Sora, standing up, "She'd be happy to know you're okay."

Aru paused at a bin, back to Sora, "I'm worried what happened to Rulia and I'd like to be with her again but my work sadly takes presidence." She threw the cup in the bin. "If I told her what I was doing, she would hate me for abandoning her."

"No, she wouldn't!" called Sora with determination. The whole restaurant floor went quiet, "You know she isn't that kind of person!"

Aru did not move, all the attention on her. She sniffed and then rubbed her eyes as tears began to form, "That's good... because abandoning her is exactly what I'm doing." Without warning, she ran towards the stairs. Sora immediately took after her. Aru vaulted over the stairs' railing, landing on the steps below, leading to the first floor. Sora followed suit just as Aru rolled over the next railing to the ground floor, leaving a few startled natives in her wake. As she struggled to pass the confused natives, Sora's left eye emitted blue fire, her colour scheme changing to black and white. By the time Sora had reached the ground floor, Aru had made it to the front door.

Sora was about to unleash chains to catch Aru when she spotted a shocking sight outside the restaurant, slowing to a standstill outside the building entrance.

Aru crossed one half of the dual carriageway to the person waiting for her before bending over to catch her breath.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Ganondorf asked with concern. There was no traffic going up and down the road as it was blocked off by a substantial number of people walking across it. However, many people avoided coming close to Ganondorf, leaving just a few people passing between Ganondorf and Sora.

"I made this decision a long time ago," Aru panted, standing back up, "I'm not going to back down now." She turned her head to Sora. "Sora!" she shouted, hands by her mouth, "When the world breaks apart before you, we will lend you a helping hand and take you to the stars!" As Aru lowered her arms, Ganondorf placed a hand on Aru's shoulder. The Triforce of Power on the back of his left hand glowed as a smoking black and purple portal opened below them, the two slowly sinking in.

Sora's eyes were locked with Aru's as she finally disappeared under the pavement, the portal closing. Distraught, Sora leaned back against the restaurant front window and slid down to the ground. For the third time, she lowered her head, hugging her knees. She could clearly hear the excited whispers of natives around her. "Rulia's definitely going to hate me for this..." Sora whispered to herself.

"Hey, you okay?" inquired a female voice, placing a hand on Sora's shoulder. Sora rose her head to see a girl dressed in black military clothing kneeling next to her. The obvious newcomer smiled kindly, "The name's Rokiahi."

Aru stepped off the destination end of the portal first, taking a seat in a standard computer chair. With a loud sigh, she leaned back to stare at the ceiling. Ganondorf walked off the portal, which faded away, allowing the computing office to be flooded by its artificial florescent lights.

"Don't strain yourself, Aru," Ganondorf insisted, "Haruhi will pick up any slack here."

"Even though she sympathises with our cause, we can't rely on Haruhi," Aru countered, closing her eyes, "She is incredibly vulnerable. Something will come along to knock her off her mountain soon enough."

"...You're right," agreed Ganondorf, walking up to the windows of the office. The view outside was too clouded by a snowstorm to see far. "Aru, your work for the Society is greatly appreciated."

Ganondorf's rare praise fell on deaf ears as quiet breathing indicated Aru had fallen asleep on her chair.

"Going soft are we?" Doom asked sarcastically as he strode down the room aisle to Ganondorf, his green cape flowing behind him.

"Our supporters are few and far between with Haruhi in charge," Ganondorf insisted, "Their continued loyalty is something worth fighting for."

"You would know that better than me."

Ganondorf growled at Doom's cynicism, "We need to talk."

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