A Simple Girl's Silence (part 3 of 7)

a Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfiction by Ancient Rime

Back to Part 2
Asuka had been on her way, and by now was standing in front of Rei's 
appartment complex. She stepped inside the lobby, and made her way up 
into the elevator. There was always that really weird clanking noise 
around this building. It had always been there. As far as the 
residents were concerned, they had grown used to it by now. Asuka 
watched the numbers on the overhead console of the elevator light up; 
5...6...7...8 Ding! She stepped out of the elevator as the double 
doors opened. The halls in this part of the building were dark and 
narrow, and seemed oddly indistrial for Tokyo 3. Asuka made sure to 
whine about it, even if it was just to herself and no one was there to 
care. 

She started searching for Rei's particular appartment number, it had 
to be around here somewhere. She had eventually come to the correct 
number and sighed, complaining about how dark the hallway was. Asuka 
knocked and waited for an answer. No answer came, and after about five 
minutes of waiting, Asuka had grown impatient. She grunted and stomped 
her foot. Walking closer to the door, she found the intercom, and 
pressed it. After the beep Asuka spoke into the speaker. 

"Hey WONDER GIRL! The least you could do is open your door when I'm 
nice enough to bring you your crap!!" 

There was another wait of about another ten minutes. Asuka wasn't 
going to wait anymore. She hit the intercom one more time and spoke 
into the speaker. "That's IT! I'm coming IN!" Asuka stormed into the 
house, only to find the dank dark appartment vacant. She blinked in 
confusion and looked about her surroundings. Was this really where the 
first child lived. It seemed just like her, so dark and dreary. The 
room was a mess as far as Asuka was concerned, and just as repulsive. 

She sat in the chair in the corner with a heavy sigh. It would seem 
that she'd come all this way for nothing. In the deep silence of this 
room, there was only that annoying clanking noise to disturb her 
thoughts. When Asuka was alone like this, her other side was so cear; 
it was the side of her that never aged, and was still a small child. 
Asuka bit her lip softly, she knew these papers had to be in some way 
important to Rei's duty as an Eva pilot. But, how was she to go about 
getting themt o her and concealing the fact that she did have a heart 
and undertsnading? It seemed that out of nowhere at all she had come 
to speak 

"Oh hell... I can do it. It's not like Wonder Girl actually talks to 
anyone for anyone to find out in the first place. " 

With that simple sentence, it seemed that Asuka had devloped a plan of 
attack. She was going to show her weaker side to Rei. But why? After 
she had left the appartment complex, she began to wander, as if lead 
by some sort of an all knowing sixth sense. She could just precieve 
where Rei was on her own. How difficult could it be? It wasn't like 
Rei actually went anywher often. Her first instinct was to search the 
most isolated areas of Tokyo 3, and she knew that would be the field 
and forest trails. 

Thoughts swirlled through Asuka's mind as she went along her way. And, 
although they had come to seem no more than vexing, Asuka was making 
an attempt at them. The scenery was beautiful, Asuka had never 
bothered to travel this far out of NERV head quaters. 

"This country side... It's beautiful. Is this what Rei is really like? 
I wonder if this is what she's hiding behind that front of hers. I 
feel so odd around that girl. Everyone thinks I call her Wonder Girl 
in a negative way... No." Asuka paused, looking at the heavy mountains 
coated in blue and pink mist at this twilight hour. She closed her 
eyes and bravely continued the thought that she did not even want to 
admit to herself. 

"I only call her that because... Because she's hiding so much. I want 
to know Rei, I want her to know me. I have to wonder sometimes if this 
is my quest to learn about her, or my own selfish endeavor to have her 
figure me out so that I don't have to. Rei... how do I cry in front of 
you? How am I supposed to show you that I love you?" 

Asuka stopped short, and she watched the gathered birds fly away in a 
clamor of beating wings. She was standing at the center of a field of 
sun flowers, and had been so deep in thought that she didn't even 
realize where she was walking. Asuka smiled brightly, if this was the 
results of absence of mind, then she would be content to let it wander 
more often. She paused from taking in the field for a moment, and 
looked down at her feet, she felt an itch. There seemed to be some 
sort of a draw string resting on her foot that lead elsewhere. Asuka 
cleared the thick stems of the sun flowers away and found Rei lying 
there, taking in the sun set reddened sky. 

Just as she was about to shout and chastise Rei for causing her so 
much trouble, Asuka's voice got caught up in her throat. She smiled, 
her heart skipped a beat in seeing Rei, and being able to be alone 
with her. The dual natures fought with each other inside of Asuka,; 
the part that wanted Rei, and the warrior. The conscience and heart 
locked and clashed sword in a violent fray, a final duel. In the end, 
Asuka's inconsiderate ego came tumbling to the floor. 

Asuka smiled complacently, and tucked her skirt beneath her so that 
she could sit besides Rei who was on her back and staring at the sky 
through the canopy of intense gold. Her voice was soft and kind, 
something she never let anyone see; except for maybe Misato once in a 
while. But not even Misato had seen her this genuine, this exposed; 
save that one incident at the hot springs when Asuka begged her to not 
remind her of her past. 

That smile never faded, and Asuka had forgotten completely as to why 
she had come to see Rei in the first place. She just looked on at Rei, 
her gaze so adoring. She spoke softly, not wanting to scare Rei. Her 
deep blue gaze never faltered. 

"Rei I... Thought you would be here." If Rei hadn't spoken at that 
point in time, Asuka would not have known if this were but a pleasant 
dream, and herself a ghost in a whishfully imagined illusion, too good 
to be true. 

"The pilot of Unit 02... Why are you here?" 

"It's a pretty field, isn't it?" Skipping over Rei's question 
completely, Asuka moved on to another. Rei turned and stared at Asuka. 
Her voice was dismal as usual. 

"Why do you pilot your Eva?" Asuka lifted her brow and crinkled her 
nose in confusion. Her facade quickly restored itself. 

"What? Are you stupid?! I have to pilot it!" Rei stared at Asuka a 
moment longer, and then simply laid on her back again. It was a little 
over a minute before she spoke again. 

"Why must you pilot it?" Asuka was getting edgy. Rei was beginning to 
probe into areas that were quite uncomfortable for her. That 
conscience fought her strugling heart once again. She couldn't stand 
it anymore. If anyone was going to know the truth, Asuka wanted it to 
be Rei. She couldn't explain it, but she felt trust towards the 
emotionless wind-up doll, as she had put it. In her heart, Asuka knew 
that there was more to Rei, so much more. 

"My mother died when I was a little girl. She... killed herself the 
day I was selected as an Eva pilot. I have to pilot it, because it's 
the only just thing I can do. I'm not that special... I wish people 
would stop liking me because of how pretty I am." It had dawned on 
Asuka then; that was why she cared so much about Rei! Rei could see 
inside of her, unlike the rest of the world that only made it up to 
her skin. It was the only way that Rei could see the world, and Asuka 
knew it. 

For the first time ever to Asuka's knowledge, sympathy could be seen 
in Rei's eyes. Her soft melancholy voice rose in reply, rather than 
remain silent, or change the subject all together. "I'm sorry, Asuka." 
Asuka turned her head. Kind words from Rei were rare, and cherished. 
And, for the first time, she didn't reject the affection; she didn't 
run from it. Instead, she rested on her back side with Rei, and stared 
up at the same sky as she. She sighed, as a tranquil state overcame 
her. And just as she was about to close her eyes, Rei spoke to her yet 
again. 

"Flowers. There are so many, so many the same, beautiful, and without 
purpose. Are you telling me you're like a flower, Asuka Langley 
Soryu?" 

An enchanted blush crept across Asuka's cheeks. No one, not even her 
own mother made her small existence sound so perfect. And had Rei 
actually called her "beautiful"? It seemed that both girls turned to 
face each other at the same time. 

"Rei... Thank you." Whispered the awe stricken Asuka. Their eyes 
locked that second. Together, they reached an endless rift in time, 
that was sealed by a gentle kiss of understanding and compassion. As 
time reached a dead halt, their two hearts seemed to recombine. Just 
as the sky was a glow at this twilight hour, a mix of pale blue and 
deep red, so had two hearts seemed to momentarily have found a common 
standing ground. A smattering of blue and red, like God and his angels 
had partaken in a paintball match, no more eye-filling sight had ever 
been beheld in they sky before. 

Onwards to Part 4


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