A/N: I disturbed myself with this chapter.
The Rebels
Rei climbed over the ruins. Seattle loomed in the distance, silhouetted by the sunset. Finding a flat piece of concrete, Rei sat down, cross-legged. There, she contemplated the ruination around her. The water had smothered much of debris, broken only by islands of stone, brick, and steel. Ancient cars were still scattered here and there. A few forgotten street signs marked the ancient roadways. It was a testimony to stagnation, an ode to despair, a triumph of the bleak.
Her contemplations were interrupted by the sound of a pipe organ. Eyes flying open, she quickly scanned the region for the offender. There was nothing that could be creating it… Her eyes fell upon an old church. It was situated on a hill, and had miraculously (so to speak) survived both Second Impact and Third. Adroitly leaping across ruins, she made her way over to the roofless building.
She recognized the music. It was Fugue in D Minor, the famous Bach piece associated with Halloween and vampires. As it reached a mighty crescendo, a wave of memories struck the cliffs of her mind: an early part of her life, walking through the streets on Halloween, guided by the now-despised Gendo Ikari.
Finally, she arrived in the church's garden. Walking amongst the ancient tombstones, she felt the doom, she felt the despair, but she did not surrender to it. Passing through the ancient doorway, Rei stood behind the offending organist. Drawing the piece to a close, the musician straightened his back and turned around.
"Sainman," said Rei, calmly.
"Ayanami," he replied.
There was a long silence. Finally, the boy climbed to his feet. He took a few steps forward.
Standing before Rei, he caressed her chin. "In Innsmouth, a girl would be horrified if she were alone with a boy in a deserted church, with no one to 'rescue' her." There was a pause. "It was a rather puritanical community." He walked up to a window and looked through the pieces of stained glass that remained.
"We are in Seattle," said Rei, wisely, "as opposed to Innsmouth." Sainman glanced at her, smiling faintly.
"You want to rebel, but you don't know how," said Sainman, quietly. "You wish to return to the LCL Sea, but you can't."
Rei looked at the ground.
"There is a way you can rebel," said Sainman.
Rei glanced up. Sainman was at the door now. She quickly made after him. They made their way across the debris. Both moved quite adroitly over the ruins, quickly reaching the top of a pile of concrete, steel, and ancient cars.
"There's more than one way to rebel, Ayanami. Of course, you know all about that. You rebelled against Ikari, and you tried to rebel against Kaworu. Yet he has you trapped with more than just a twisted sense of blind loyalty."
There was a long silence as Rei watched the great red sun full towards the horizon. She hated red, she'd hated it a long time ago. But now… Now, she just felt dull and tired. She wanted to lie down and let the world flow past her, around her, and through her. It took her a few moments to realize she had fallen backwards. She also found her head was resting in Sainman's lap.
"The fact is; we're a pair of rebels in a world that refuses in a care. We're a pair of rebels who fight an unwinnable war against an unjust system. We're two of a kind, Ayanami, in more ways than one."
She stared at him. He stared back.
"Why does no one care?" asked Ayanami.
"They believe it is better to rule in hell then to serve in heaven."
"Then what are we fighting for?"
He stroked her blue hair for the a moment. "Piece, justice…" He paused. "Even love," he whispered. Ayanami had no idea how to take the last comment. Sainman saw the incomprehension in her eyes, and smiled sadly.
"You are not matured, not yet. But one day, you'll understand me and I will understand you. You see, the stars are singing our fates."
She was baffled.
"We should return," he said, sadness still tingeing his voice. "They will be expecting us."
He got up, leaving Rei on her back. The Nephilium climbed to her feet, and followed him. They walked in an almost awkward silence, until Sainman spoke for that last time.
"We're two of a kind, you and I. In more ways than one.
-
Shinji Ikari was serenely playing his cello. No one could hear him, save the guards outside, and Shinji suspected that they did not have terribly great taste in music. So, the young one played unappreciated.
The familiar sound of the door being was heard, but the cellist ignored it. Fuyutski stepped into the Shinji's quarters – more like a cell.
"We can find no reason to hold you," said the old man, looking neutral.
"Good." The cellist played on.
"You will be placed with Asuka Sohryu."
"Ah."
"You leave now." Ikari immediately stopped playing.
"Excellent," the boy said, climbing to his feet. Fuyutski noticed the boy had already packed his things, as if he had already known. It was, of course, inevitable. Fuyutski didn't like releasing the strange kid, but he liked to pretend that the people had some rights. It was not like he wasn't being watched.
-
Asuka sat opposite him, eating absently. Yes, Shinji had known that he would end up cooking dinner. He had not expected to be chastised for sleeping too long.
"You're supposed to be the 'great' Ikari," she fumed. "Why weren't you up sooner? Lazy Dumkopf… Hikari got seriously hurt! You should have seen Toji with her…"
Shinji just let the rant roll off his back. It was not his fault.
"Are you listening to me?" she demanded, as he went to bed.
"No," he replied as he shut the door, leaving a baffled Asuka. The redhead almost wanted him to go back to being permanently sorry. This Shinji was almost frightening.