Somehow, she ended up in a part of NERV she'd never seen before. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. Confused, she wandered a little further.
Ahead of her, there was a heavy metal door, dusty and rusted at the hinges. For some reason, she felt like she had to look through that door. But she wasn't sure, given its condition, if it would open. The surprise came when she gave just a light tug at the heavy door and it swung open.
The room was dark...but she had no problem making out the lab equipment inside.
Or the shattered tube in the center large enough for a human.
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1 – 200 of 341 Newer› Newest»She gasped softly. "Narikage-kun...is this--?" She turned to look at him.
But no one was behind her.
Somehow she'd wandered away from him.
She bit her lip, then moved further into the lab.
Everything had simply been left where it had fallen; no one had cleaned anything or even bothered to cover their samples. The only things missing from the lab were several computer towers, probably where the confidential files had been stored.
As she bent slightly to examine some of the equipment, she felt a strong hand seize her upper arm, yanking her violently back, nearly throwing her off of her feet.
She gasped as she flew back, trying to keep her footing.
The person half-dragged her out of the abandoned lab, slamming the heavy door shut. Only after this, did Narikage spin her to face him.
His face was as pale as a ghost and there was a look of real fear there.
"Don't EVER go in that place again!"
She stared at him in shock. "What? Where...What is that place?"
"It doesn't matter what it is! You're never to go in there again!"
"Why?"
He grabbed her shoulders suddenly, whirling her and pinning her back against the wall. He wasn't hurting her, but it was a tight grip that she had no chance of escaping until he let her. That fearful expression was still on his face as he looked at her, a look she'd never seen on him before.
In itself...it was little frightening.
"That place is evil," he said, his voice low but holding a tremble that said he was barely holding back from yelling again. "There is NOTHING in that room but evil. NEVER go back there."
"I-I won't..." She looked up at him, startled, and a little breathless.
He looked satisfied with that because he let her go, but the scared look didn't leave his eyes, nor his face.
She reached up to touch his cheek. "Its okay..."
But he jerked his head away, refusing her touch. "The exit is that way," he said, pointing to the left. "I'll see you back at the apartment."
"But..." She blinked at him.
"Go!" The word was sharp but there was still that edge of fear to his voice. And his eyes...they were somehow different.
She jumped and nodded, going towards the exit. She glanced back over her shoulder at him.
He was standing where he'd been, his head bowed a little as he rubbed his forhead. He slowly reached back and rubbed his shoulder blades. As he did, she caught sight of the ugly scars there.
She bit her lip as she turned away again. What was he hiding...?
Such a horrible place...and the expression he'd worn when he pulled her away...she didn't think she'd ever be able to forget that look of utter fear.
She shuddered as she continued walking.
"Kira-san!" She heard a voice behind her and she turned to see Asuka hurrying towards her, a concerned look on her face.
She sighed softly. "Hai, Askua-chan?"
"We were worried about you. You left so suddenly..." The red-head trailed off, still looking concerned for the other girl. "Are you okay?"
She nods. "Hai. Just tired."
"We were going to go to a coffee shop to talk...do you want to come?"
"No...I think I'm going to go home and take a nap."
"Are you sure you want to be alone right now?"
She nods. "I'm sure."
Asuka nods. "Okay. But call me, call any of us, if you want to talk later. I don't think any of us will be sleeping much later tonight anyway."
She nods. "Arigatou..." She moves past her to head for an exit.
Asuka watches her go, still looking concerned, but she can't stop her from leaving.
Kira hurried towards the apartment. She paused at the door. She didn't know what to expect...
If he was already in there...what would they say to each other? and if he wasn't in there...what would he say when he arrived?
She shook her head and went in. She would deal with it when it happened... She started to head to her room.
Luckily, the front room was empty, as was the kitchen. Just as she reached her door, however, the door to his bedroom suddenly rolled open with a sharp 'clack!'.
She winced a little and kept her eyes down as she opened her bedroom door.
But he said nothing to her. He brushed past her as if she wasn't there, heading for the kitchen.
She went into her room and slid the door shut hard. She lay down on her futon and began to cry.
Narikage...was an angel. The young man who had taken care of her over these weeks...was going to become something she would eventually have to kill.
It just wasn't fair. She continued to sob into her pillow.
She wasn't sure how long she cried; long enough to make her eyes swell. Her sobs were just beginning to quiet when she heard a little rap on her door--the signal for a meal.
She turned her head away from the door. She couldn't eat anything.
There was a long pause then another knock, not quite as sharp this time.
She couldn't let him see her like this.
Finally, after another pause: "Kira-san?" It was the first time he'd really used her name.
"H-hai?" Her voice was thick from crying.
"May I enter?"
"I-ie..."
He didn't enter, but he didn't leave either. It was like she could still feel his presense there behind the screen door.
She looked at the wall across from the door. She didn't know how to deal with this.
"Do you have questions for me?" His voice was soft but somehow clearly audible.
She didn't say anything. Of course she had questions. But what could she ask?
"I'll answer anything as honestly as I can."
"I don't know..."
"Gomen nasai. I will leave you alone."
She closes her eyes and starts crying again.
She heard his footsteps recede down the hall.
She cried harder. She was messing everything up.
She had millions of questions but she didn't know which one to ask, which ones would upset him and push him further away. Not only that, but now he was reaching out to her and what did she do? Push him away again.
She kept crying harder.
Eventually, she fell into a deep sleep, her body too exahusted to keep her awake any longer.
She slept deeply, though she tossed and turned.
Sometime between that deep sleep and just before she woke, she dreamed. She dreamed there were two Narikages in front of her, one with black wings dripping with blood, one with silver wings, also dripping in blood.
She called out to them, trying to reach them and failing.
The one with silver wings was looking at her, pleading with her almost, as if she could save him.
"Tell me how!"
"You can't save him." The black-winged Narikage spoke. "He has to fall. He must be destroyed."
"No...please..."
"This is how it has to be. You two cannot coexist."
"What?"
There was suddenly a sword in the black-winged angel's hands and the silver-winged Narikage was kneeling in front of him, his head bowed in preparation for what had to be done.
"NO!" She screams and reaches out.
"If you will not do it, I will." He raised the sword and plunged it through his body. Blood, dark and red, spurted from the wound, spreading around them in a dark pool.
She screamed and fell to her knees. "NO!"
"I am sorry, Kira...he can't be saved..." The body fell forward into the black blood, falling through it and disappearing. She began to fall too, everything around her blacker than death and a million times deeper.
She woke up screaming.
Someone was there in front of her, holding her shoulders as she flailed and fought against the invisible threat.
"No! Don't! Please don't kill him!" She flailed some more before her eyes flew open.
Narikage was kneeling in front of her and there was a cut on his cheek, oozing blood.
She gasps. "OH! I'm so sorry!"
He shook his head. "It's fine. It'll heal. Are you alright? You were screaming in your sleep."
She shook slightly. "I-I had a nightmare."
"Would you like to talk about it or would you like me to leave?"
"There were two of you...one with silver wings and one with black. The black winged one killed the other..."
His forehead twitched for a moment but other than that, his facial expression didn't change. "Kira-san...eventually...I will have to die..."
"I know..." She wipes away a tear.
"The angel DNA is slowly eating away at my own. I won't be able to control it forever."
She looks away, tears sliding down her face silently.
"Gomen nasai. There is no other way."
"I know...I don't have to like it."
"This is why I've always been alone, kept my distance from everyone."
She looks away, still crying.
"Gomen nasai." He didn't know what else to say.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you get like this..."
He was quiet.
"...it happened when I was young. Only six. I was chosen to be the main test subject for a scientist's theory of human/angel DNA interaction."
"Why?"
"I don't know why. My body was best? I was the closest at hand? I've never been told why it was done."
She wipes her eyes on her blanket. "I'm sorry."
"For what? You are at no fault."
"Its called sympathy."
"Oh...right. Gomen. Its getting harder to recognize or portray emotions."
She looks up at him, fresh tears in her eyes. "I wish things were different."
"The past cannot be changed. Nor can the future. I am going to become an angel and I will have to be killed so I don't hurt those around me."
"That doesn't mean I have to like it!"
"I know."
She bit her lip and looked away, holding herself as she tried to not sob too loudly.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black handkerchief, edged in black lace. He held it out to her.
She took it, burying her face in it.
"Should I leave you alone?"
"I don't know."
"Are you hungry at all? I made onigiri with pickeled plums."
She sniffs. "I can't eat anything right now."
He nodded a little as if he understood.
She lay back down. "I'm not going to school today."
He smiled a little. "There is no school today. It's Sunday. You've been sleeping for almost two days."
"What?"
"I figured you needed the sleep so I let you sleep."
She drops her head to her hands.
"Should I not have done so?"
She shakes her head. "Its fine."
"Perhaps a shower or bath would make you feel better."
She nods slowly. "Arigatou."
He nods and stands. "And I will heat up the onigiri in case you feel hungry afterwards."
She nods and gathers her bath things.
He leaves her room, rolling the door shut behind him.
She leaves after a moment and goes into the bathroom to start running a bath.
In the kitchen, Narikage heard the water turn on. He paused for just a moment before returning to washing. He knew he should be feeling something right now...but he doesn't know what.
NOthing came to him. No idea of how he should be feeling.
So he just finished washing the dishes and then prepared a little meal for her.
She took a long shower and came out, wearing nothing but a towel.
Narikage was just coming down the hall as she came out of the bath and he stopped short when he saw what she was wearing. His eyes widened slightly.
She looked up at him and he could tell she'd been crying more in the shower.
He coughed a little and modestly looked away. "I have something prepared for you. You can eat it in the kitchen or I can bring it into your room.
"Bring it into my room, please?" She walks that direction.
"Hai." He watched her go before turning back to go to the kitchen. He loaded everything on a tray then took it to her room.
She was sitting on her futon, naked.
The moment he saw that, he quickly turned his back on her. "Gomen nasai," he said.
"Why don't you want to look at me?"
"You aren't wearing anything--"
"So? What if I want you to see me naked...?"
"Kira-san, I have enough humanity left to know that it's not proper--"
"That's it? Propriety?"
"Kira-san, I'm not human."
She looks away. "So? I still-"
"It would mean nothing. I cannot feel the way you do anymore."
She looks away from him. "I hate you."
He doesn't respond immedietly but when he sighs, his shoulders drop a little more than usual. "That is alright."
She sobs. "NO its NOT! I don't want to hate you!"
"It's better for everyone if you do."
"But I don't!"
He turned back around and moved into her room, silently setting the tray down on her work table before turning to leave.
"I can't hate you..."
"You have to learn," he said quietly before rolling her door quietly shut.
She sobs even harder.
Narikage goes into his room, sitting on the edge of his bed. There is a pause and his closet door slides open ever so slightly.
"You care for her," says a quiet voice from within.
"I cannot care for anyone anymore. The DNA's influence is too great now."
"But you do."
He sighs. "In a way...yes..."
"She is as stubborn as us. She will not let you go easily."
"But she should."
"Yes. And we both know why. We know our fates. And hers."
He bowed his head. "Yes."
"She needs to leave this place, Yoshiko. You are getting worse and I cannot contain you without her seeing me."
He nods again.
"Tomorrow. No later."
Narikage heard the closet door open a little more and a hand touched his shoulder, squeezing gently.
"Its dangerous for you too."
"I can take care of myself. You can't kill me."
"I could...if I really tried."
"It would be much harder for you to hurt me than Naru-san."
"Hai...I know..."
"I don't want to see her go either, but we have no choice. She has to be protected."
He nods. "Take care of her."
"I won't be able to do that until after you are gone."
He nods again. "I know."
"But once you are...I will keep an eye on her. I won't let any harm come to her."
"Arigatou."
"Are you ever going to tell Shinji about who you are?"
"No. It'll be easier on him if he doesn't know."
The hand on his shoulder tightened. "You can feel something, Yoshiko. I heard the sadness in your voice."
"I know its there...but I can't fully feel it."
"It won't be much longer then."
He nods. "I'll leave tonight."
"The children are ready to fight you."
"Are they?"
"Yes. I can sense it."
"I hope you're right..." He stood and looked around the room for anything he might want to take with him.
"Your pendant."
He nods. "That's about it..." He gets it and puts it on.
"No, it's not."
"What else?"
"The picture of your mother and brother. If you leave it, she might find it."
"Oh. Right."
The person on the other side of his bed smiles a little.
He takes it. "Am I forgetting anything else?"
"No, nothing else I can think of. I will take care of your things."
"Arigatou." He turns to leave.
"I will see you again when I come to collect your soul."
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