The Long Dark

Chapter 2: Summons

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion.

/\/\/\/\

"Are you nervous?"

Sakura glanced over at Hikari. "No."

The carriage was large and plush, an expensive and unfamiliar indulgence. The cushioned seats were softer and larger than their beds. Lace curtains shielded the windows with ornate sophistication. Beyond, along the dusty streets of District 20, people stopped and stared with wondering admiration.

They glided out of town into the dense wood to the west. The path snaked through old trees that blotted out the sky. Civilization was behind them; the unknown waited.

"I'm not nervous," Hikari announced. She fidgeted with her dress, smoothing the hem. The carriage hit a bump in the road, jostling her. She smoothed the hem again.

She wore her finest dress, a subdued expression of formality she said she received from her older sister, who Sakura never met. Sakura wore her school uniform. She didn't feel underdressed, but the uniform lent an air of oppression to the trip. She glanced down at the note in her lap, rereading it, trying to glean a hidden clue she missed before.

It arrived six days after Shinji left. The paper was thick, heavy and expensive, the envelope's red wax seal imprinted with a strange family crest of a four-eyed bird of prey. The message inside was succinct: Regarding Shinji; a carriage will arrive for you tomorrow morning at eight. Come to the Soryu Estate.

There was no time to ask Mr. Aoba or Headmistress Ibuki about any Soryu. Sakura heard rumors in school of summer estates dotting the surrounding countryside, since fallen into ruin as the War claimed lives and fortunes. She got the impression they were all abandoned. The median level of wealth in the District did not suggest otherwise.

There were no signs of civilization or human life for miles. The thick forest crowded the carriage on both sides.

"How far are we going?" Hikari wondered aloud.

"We haven't been travelling that long."

"Maybe we shouldn't have come, after all."

Sakura's mind was made up as soon as she read the letter. Convincing her guardian was nearly an all-night affair but she conceded defeat to her ward's determination and her own curiosity.

"Too late to back out now."

"I suppose so," Hikari spoke. "And maybe we'll get some answers now. Hopefully whoever this Soryu is will be more forthcoming than Mr. Shinji."

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Sakura said.

"Maybe, but he put us in a difficult situation because of it. Someone hailing from an estate should know better."

Sakura decided to fight this particular battle another day. She didn't want to waste energy at odds with her guardian. Despite her proclamation earlier she was nervous to see him again. Although they had not spent much time together, from his clothes, demeanor and musical ability she deduced he belonged to a world far above her own. Now she was travelling towards proof of it. She fought against being too disheartened all week. Maybe it would have been better if she never heard from him again.

She shook her head. That was nonsense. He was alive and well. Getting depressed over the margins wasn't constructive. She wanted to greet him with a smile, not an inferiority complex.

The wooded path suddenly opened to a high wall. Twin wrought iron gates swung open revealing an expanse of grass and trees and gardens, all meticulously plotted and tended. A cobblestone road curved around the lip of a shallow rise to a structure longer than a residential block. It was dark and low, rising from the earth like teeth.

Sakura stared.

"Shinji ran away from this?" Hikari whispered in awe.

/\/\/\/\

The carriage pulled up to a stone paved receiving circle on the rise. The chauffer offered a hand to Hikari to help her out and she awkwardly accepted. Sakura slid out the opposite door herself.

They stood in the shadow of the mansion. It filled their sight. They climbed the front steps to a high sloped alcove between a set of pillars. The front doors were tall, darkly polished to a reflective sheen. In the center was a heavy iron knocker.

"Be on your best behavior," Hikari blurted as Sakura reached for it.

"Okay?"

"Whoever lives here must be very wealthy. Look at the size of this place, and the property, too. It must be a true aristocrat."

Sakura glanced back at where they came. It was at least a mile to the gated wall surrounding the estate. The land extended even farther behind the main building. She shook her head. Who needed this much space?

The front doors opened without warning, startling them both.

"Welcome to the Soryu Estate."

The man greeting them was tall and slender. Aside from his height it was impossible to discern an age. His features were smooth and agile, like he was molded rather than birthed. His smile never wavered, without touching the rest of his face.

His suit was fine and expensive, and entirely black, as if in mourning. The contrast to his pale skin and silvery hair was alarming. Blood red eyes met their unease without offense. The eyes of a Collaborator.

"I am Kaworu Nagisa," the man spoke. He bowed, sweeping an arm to usher them over the threshold. "I am Lady Soryu's attendant. Please, come in; she is expecting you."

Sakura collected herself and stepped past him. Hikari recalled staring was impolite and hurried after. Kaworu drew the front doors shut and the world beyond became far away.

Everything inside the estate was ornate and immaculately clean. The faded, chipped paint and dust and wear of the Suzuhara house became a private shame. Paintings and sculptures and artifacts lined every wall, all pristine and expensive. A wide collection of firearms were displayed behind glass, along with bladed weapons from less civilized eras.

"This way, please."

Kaworu led them through the foyer, to a side hall that curved under a wide staircase. Heavy wood doors allowed entrance to a parlor. Hikari lost in her struggle not to gape. Their entire two-story house and yard could easily fit inside this single room. The left and back walls were lined with tiered bookcases. The right wall was dominated by soaring windows displaying the distant mountain ring. Buttresses swept together far overhead into a massive sparkling chandelier. A collection of instruments sat carefully arranged by the windows, including a grand piano and enough strings for a proper quartet. Every surface gleamed in the morning light.

In the middle of the chamber were two couches separated by a long, low table. On the couch facing them sat a woman.

She sat tall and straight, her hands folded in her lap. Her dress was luxurious red intricacy, finer than anything Sakura ever saw. It dipped between her shoulders, displaying a long, elegant neck and flawless skin.

She was impossibly, unfairly beautiful. Lithe and symmetrical, curved without wantonness. A physical allure that was both natural and effortless, coupled with exotic red hair draped behind her shoulders and eyes the color of a cloudless summer sky.

"Lady Asuka Soryu," Kaworu presented, "Ms. Suzuhara has arrived."

"Hello," Hikari burst out, before giving a curtsey. She tugged Sakura into one as well. "Th-Thank you for inviting us to your home, Lady Soryu."

Asuka looked at her. "And you are?"

"I'm, I'm Hikari Suzuhara. Sakura's sister-in-law and guardian. Um, I work at the academy in town and…" She slumped. "I wasn't invited, was I?"

"My letter was too concise it seems."

"I am so sorry," Hikari said, and took a breath to apologize further.

"You are here now," Asuka politely interrupted. "If Ms. Suzuhara has no objections you are free to stay."

Sakura glanced at her guardian who silently pleaded for permission. She shrugged. "Fine by me."

Kaworu led them to the couch opposite Asuka before leaving the parlor. They sat a moment, sinking in plush luxury, again realizing how cavernous the room was. The estate was the largest structure Sakura had ever been inside. She felt a little silly using this entire chamber for a gathering of three people.

"So," she began, "where is Mr. Shinji?"

"I see he made quite an impression," Asuka mused. "How unusual."

"I just want to make sure he's okay."

"He's resting right now. He'll be along later." Lady Soryu appraised Sakura. "I wanted to meet the girl who found him for me. Please, tell me about yourself."

"There isn't much to tell," Sakura told her.

"From Shinji's account, you aided him without hesitation. You treated his injuries and secured lodging. I'm interested in the kind of person who would do that for a stranger."

She hid a frown. Was she questioning her motivations? "Well, I mean, he was hurt. I couldn't leave him." She rushed ahead. "I'm more interested in why Mr. Shinji left this place. And why he wouldn't talk about it. And what's your relation to him?"

She was older than he was, but Lady Soryu looked too young and too perfect to have a child Shinji's age. There was no resemblance between the two, either. The arrangement suddenly appeared odd, added atop Shinji's hesitant behavior.

"This isn't an interrogation," Hikari chastised her ward.

"Questions are only natural. Being direct is the most efficient course." Asuka was not caught off guard or even offended. She effortlessly adapted and spoke with the same smooth, level tone. "Shinji is the child of an acquaintance who passed during the War."

"And you're raising him?" Hikari wondered. "That's so generous of you."

"Someone needs to look after him. You must think poorly of me for losing sight of him."

"Of course not—"

"He was pretty banged up from wandering the woods…" Sakura intoned.

"I'm not surprised," Asuka said. "He's never left the estate before. He's been in poor health since childhood. Shinji was curious about the outside world. But he realized he cannot survive in it. Here I can control the environment he's exposed to. For his own good, he must stay."

"So that's why," Hikari said. She wore her most sympathetic face. "How terrible. For him to cause you so much trouble. He should have known better. Why, with his health he was lucky you found him when you did. If only I would have known I'd have taken him to the police immediately…"

Hikari rambled on. Asuka never looked away from Sakura.

Kaworu entered the parlor wheeling a cart for tea service including a large gleaming silver urn, elaborately decorated cups and a tiered plate of pastries. The ensemble spoke of delicate expense. Hikari hid her disappointment at the omission of coffee.

He set up places for each woman on the low table between the couches and poured tea, all with an effortless, natural grace and economy of movement. His smile was fixed, even under Hikari's nervy glances.

"Don't be scared of him," Asuka said. "Nagisa is harmless."

"O-Oh. If you say so. I mean, of course not."

He left the parlor with an unfaltering smile. Mr. Aoba's warnings echoed in Sakura's ears. "How'd a Collaborator wind up with you?"

Hikari nearly choked on her tea. "Sakura…!" she whispered.

Asuka remained immune to offense. "Do you believe the horror stories about them?"

"Well, it seems a little unusual."

"The world after the War is unusual. Nagisa owed a favor to my family for negotiating his freedom. He serves as my attendant to settle that debt."

"Is he the only help you have here?" Hikari asked, unable to restrain herself.

"Yes. Only myself and Shinji live here. We are fairly self-sufficient."

Asuka took a measured sip of tea. Even that simple action was beautiful. Sakura tried to recall her own extensive teacup protocol, only to find she didn't care outside of a school setting. Even under a soaring roof of wealth and sophistication the lessons drilled into her seemed silly and pointless.

She sampled the tea. It was hot and bitter. She nibbled a biscuit. She decided she would be happy eating nothing but these biscuits for the rest of her life.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking," Hikari began, "how did Mr. Nagisa find Mr. Shinji?" She sounded ashamed at questioning her host. "Did word about the commotion he caused at the academy reach you all the way out here?"

"Nagisa has a devoted interest in humanity. To satisfy that interest he keeps ties with various people in various places. Those contacts led him to District 20. And of course, we were searching for Shinji."

"Oh, of course."

"I hope he didn't make too much of a mess for you."

"It was a bit of a shock to find him but things calmed down quickly. Everyone at the academy is dedicated to furthering their education."

Tell that to my classmates, Sakura thought. Ever since the incident she was the victim of a sustained whisper campaign of public invisibility. While the faculty had little tolerance for bullying and conflict, students shunning one of their own was harder to police. As far as she was concerned, it was the logical end to her initial interaction with her peers.

She found Asuka eyeing her.

"What are you studying at the academy?" she asked.

"Nothing important," Sakura answered.

"Please excuse her," Hikari stepped in. "The lessons have been an adjustment."

"I recall thinking etiquette classes were inane," Asuka said, almost wistfully.

"Really?"

"Wh-What?"

"It wasn't until later I realized their worth."

Lady Soryu looked at Sakura in a manner she couldn't place. She was a difficult person to read.

"Y-Yes," Hikari agreed. "It might not seem useful now, but one day, it surely will be."

"That's what they keep telling me," Sakura murmured.

Kaworu reappeared with the cart to clean up after tea. On his way out Asuka spoke to him: "Nagisa, fetch Shinji. He's been admirably patient."

He left through a side door. A moment later, Shinji appeared at it. He wore a fine, dark suit making him appear taller and mature beyond his age. It was a noticeable change from the ragged oversized work clothes Mr. Aoba let him borrow.

Sakura offered a wave across the parlor. He avoided eye contact. He looked nervous. She peered at him. Was he ashamed he was rich? It wasn't his fault.

He approached and she saw how finely tailored the suit was, cut specifically for his lean height. Taken against the backdrop of the expensive, massive parlor and estate Sakura realized how out of place she was beside him. She looked down at the frayed hems of her school uniform. She felt gross and boorish. An unfeminine orphan who happened to stumble onto real class.

Sakura glanced back up as he drew near Asuka. Shinji living with such magnificence explained his lackluster response to entering an all girl's school. None of her classmates could claim a fraction of Lady Soryu's brilliance.

But seeing him now his actions did not speak of embarrassed longing or impure machinations. He was calmly subdued without affectation. He was a deferent, tamed animal.

Shinji stopped before the couches, glanced at Asuka for permission, then bowed.

"I know I caused you a lot of trouble," he began. "It was selfish of me. I am sorry."

I should have expected that kind of greeting, she thought. "We're just glad you're okay," Sakura reiterated, preempting any passive aggression from her guardian.

"Indeed," Hikari conceded.

"Do you want to sit?"

The only free space was beside Asuka. "I'll stand," he decided.

"Shinji," Lady Soryu spoke, "due to Ms. Suzuhara's modesty, it falls on you to answer my interest. Tell me about her."

It took a moment for the gears to start turning. "What would you like to know?" he stalled with all eyes on him.

"What do you think of her?"

"I, um…" His gaze fell on the floor. "I appreciate her generosity in helping me. Um…" He trailed off.

"He doesn't have to—" Sakura began.

"Let him finish."

Shinji resigned himself to not escaping. "I think she is brave. She makes me want to do better."

"I see," Asuka said without looking at him. "Shinji, play something for us."

He retreated to the instruments by the windows. After wavering a moment he sat at the piano. Without sheet music he began an intricate song, played softly as an accompaniment to conversation. Asuka listened along a moment with her eyes shut.

"He's quite good," Hikari told her.

"He has a ways to go."

"Oh. Um, I suppose you would know better than I. Sorry."

"So he's still getting lessons?" Sakura inferred. She had trouble imagining him sounding any better than he already was.

"Nagisa teaches him," she explained dismissively.

"Oh. So he's Mr. Shinji's instructor." Hikari nodded. "That's certainly convenient. I was wondering about his schooling."

"He's taught what he needs to know." Asuka shifted her attention. "You want to watch him?" she asked.

Sakura found herself leaning towards him in her seat. "Do you mind?" she asked before Hikari could shoot down the idea as grossly impolite.

"By all means."

She didn't need to be told twice. Sakura left the couch and Lady Soryu's line of sight. Her footsteps echoed over the music in the parlor. She wondered if rich people got tired from walking through their giant rooms.

Shinji did not react to her presence. He continued at the piano and Sakura waited for what she thought was a lull in the song before speaking.

"Hi."

He looked up to her. He did not stop playing. "Hello."

Not the reunion she envisioned. Maybe he was merely being cautious before his guardian. She was realizing from the academy and the day's events there was a separate world of decorum that was more stifling the further up the social ladder you existed. But that shouldn't preclude normal human interactions.

"You're welcome," she said.

"What?"

"Mr. Aoba told me you said thank you to me. You're welcome."

"… I am in your debt," Shinji said to her. "My resources in repaying that debt are limited, but if there is something I can do for you I will. Please do not hesitate to ask."

Sakura almost laughed at his formality before seeing he was indeed serious. "I didn't do anything because I wanted a reward."

"I-I didn't mean to infer that—"

She grinned at his flustering and he colored. There was the Mr. Shinji she knew. Sakura sat beside him on the piano bench. He panicked to make space for her without interrupting the song in an unintentional display of dexterity she wasn't expecting.

"I was only teasing," she said.

"Well, still, I need to repay you somehow."

"I'll keep that in my pocket. A favor from you, repaid at a later date. It's a promise now, so no backing out."

"If that's what you wish."

Sakura glanced back at the couches. Hikari still talked with animation. She could only make out a few syllables here and there. All she saw of Lady Soryu was a curtain of red hair.

"This is certainly a change from Mr. Aoba's house," she remarked, glancing around the parlor again. "Did you feel like you were suffocating in his place?"

"Not at all." He continued on a moment. "It was interesting to see how other people live. I will always remember my time there."

She watched him play. It was different than how he performed in Aoba's house. Here there was no hint of satisfaction as he mechanically moved from key to key. She recalled what he told her about music being a gift. She wondered who he was giving this to.

"Lady Soryu told us you left the estate because you wanted to see the outside world," Sakura began, "and that you returned because you knew you had to." She studied him. "Why did you leave this place?"

"If that's what Lady Soryu said," he told her, "then that's the reason."

He played.

She held her tongue. It might be fruitless to pursue this with his guardian a stone's throw away. Even if he did confess some horrible truth, what could she do about it? The feeling of powerlessness crept back over her.

Sakura already deduced Shinji wasn't the most confident person, so adding to his anxiety wouldn't help either of them. She remembered when doubt and worry invaded her letters to Toji, he'd tell her feeling bad was normal in a bad situation but to remember not everything was bad, and that one day it would get better if they stayed alive. It was a simplistic, straightforward approach she expected from her brother but knowing he hadn't given up hope gave some to her.

She worried the sentiment would be too crude for someone of Shinji's station and tried to decorate it for him.

"I like your song," Sakura told him. "Maybe one day you can play in front of more people, and give them the same gift."

She tried smiling at him again. He kept his eyes fixed on the piano. He did not smile back.

/\/\/\/\

The sun was nearly gone from the tall windows in the parlor when Hikari told Sakura they were leaving. Tomorrow was a school day and she wanted to return home before dark. Despite that, she sounded truly reluctant to depart.

Kaworu entered to see them out. Shinji returned to Lady Soryu's side. He bowed in farewell, almost lost in Asuka's shadow. Asuka wished them a safe trip.

"Wow," Hikari said as the carriage passed through the iron gates of the estate. She sank into the seat. "What an amazing day."

Sakura resisted the urge to remind her guardian of her initial reluctance to the trip.

"It was illuminating," she said instead.

"Oh, yes. Seeing how a real lady lives will be a wonderful point of reference for your studies. What a magnificent home."

Her estate was grand and expensive, but Sakura was never impressed by such ostentatious displays. Lady Soryu was wealthy and probably powerful, but she existed in a different, alien world, far removed from her own. Where Hikari covetously fawned over it, Sakura could only shake her head. The gap between them was insurmountable to the point of unknowable. She was too bewildered to be jealous of it.

"And Lady Soryu is so incredible," Hikari went on. "How she behaved, her speech… everything she did spoke of true refinement. And she's so generous. She was under no obligation to invite us out to her home but she did. I hope we made a good impression. Certainly, she must have all sorts of connections and contacts. She must be very important. But she didn't need an army of servants to wait on her. How independent. And she's raising a child by herself."

Sakura glanced at her. "So are you."

"Well, yes, but Mr. Shinji is just an acquaintance's child. We're family. And he's confined to the house. It must be difficult for her."

"She has Nagisa to help out. And money doesn't seem to be a problem."

Hikari frowned. "Do you not like Lady Soryu?" She whispered the unthinkable question.

"It's too early to answer that," she evaded.

"She was nothing but polite and gracious with us. She answered all our questions. What else were you looking for?"

A welcoming demeanor could easily hide ill intent. Sakura's orphanage existence taught her not to put much weight behind appearances.

But she let her guard down today. She was stunned by Lady Soryu's beauty and grace, and the adult confidence she possessed was utterly foreign to Sakura. As such, she was unable to give voice to what bothered her since they met in that empty mansion.

Shinji may appear safe as she hoped but it was the security of a prisoner. Fine suits and fancy surroundings did not conceal that. The feeling stayed with her back into town, even if she had no concrete evidence or plausible reason behind why Lady Soryu would conspire for such a thing.

But even the invitation to her home, while ostensibly generous as Hikari said, could be a means of intimidation by letting them see how wealthy she was. Her attendant seemed to have a spy network cast over the county. And Shinji simply did not act right around her.

Sakura, armed with nothing but vague unease, was powerless to change the control Lady Soryu held over their situation. Her composure and social skill gave her clear authority, a detached superiority over anyone she met. But beyond that, she did not act like a grateful parent being reunited with a beloved child. It was more than the emotional guards of the upper class on display.

Sakura realized Lady Soryu had not smiled once.

/\/\/\/\

End of chapter 2

Author notes: This is turning out to be a much slower burn than I intended. I can't say the payoff will be worth it, but some degree of buildup is required.

Next chapter: plot devices upon plot devices.