Teito: We would like to thank Ana Houten, Somechick, Rima-chan, kimiko-ryu, cool guy 33, Lunarady, Sarkura, RisenBlackBird, tyu123suzy, Dizee, mimmi angel, memememeeeeeeeeeeee, vylin00spunx, ayanami lover, luvit, Sora Nadeshiko, Larkfall, and Ohime-chan for reviewing! We love to hear from you.
Lea: Sorry for the late reply. This chapter is about twice as long as my normal chapters. I just didn't have the heart (or correct place) to split it up.
Yukikaze: Yep! :3
Lea: Ok, quick note about this guy. *points at Yukikaze*. Most people have not read "Begleiter", and there is a major misconception about him. Most people think Yukikaze is the begleiter who died protecting Ayanami in the one-shot, but THAT IS NOT TRUE!! In "Begeiter", Yukikaze was the MAIN CHARACTER!! The story of the begleiter who died protecting Ayanami was told to Yukikaze by Hyuuga, and that begleiter is nameless. (Trust me, I read that short story over and over and over).
Hyuuga: It's true!
Lea: It is revealed to us, however, that Yukikaze is dead. It's in the Drama CDs. I have no earthly idea how, so I made up something tragic. If and when I find out, I will change it to fit the story. As of now, it stays this way. So Ayanami now has two dead begleiters. I hope that clears things up.
Yukikaze: Wait, if I'm dead, then how an I here?
Lea: I asked Caster to drag your soul back here temporarily for my explanation. Back to the great beyond with ye!
Yukikaze: Ok! *puppy dog eyes* *vanishes*
Lea: Hyuuga! *tosses lollipop*
Hyuuga: *catches lollipop* Lea Andrews dose not own 07 ghost. This is just a fanfic written for fun!
Lea: Thanks! Let's get this show on the road.
"Eve!~ Waky waky!" Hyuuga called as he opened her door. Kuroyuri, filled with curiosity, along with Haruse and Konatsu, trailed behind him. Eve slowly sat up from under the covers. She looked strained and haggard. Her eyes were bloodshot and dulled from the pain.
"We made lots of cakes this morning!" Kuroyuri smiled cheerfully. "Want one, pastry girl?"
"Sorry, but I'm not hungry…" Eve responded kindly, but with a hint of sadness. Kuroyuri looked at Eve with slight surprise and seemed somewhat hurt. Haruse hugged Kuroyuri.
"Are you alright Eve? You don't look so good." Hyuuga observed.
"I'm fine." Eve lied, looking away.
"Haruse, why dose pastry girl have red eyes? They're not bleeding." Kuroyuri asked with her usual cuteness.
"Hyuuga and Kuroyuri are right. You don't look good at all! You look like you haven't slept for days." Konatsu replied, walking up to Eve and talking a good look at her.
"I couldn't sleep… I had a lot on my mind. That's all." Eve cut in. "I'm fine, really."
"Fine enough to go through a day with Aya-tan?" Hyuuga asked. Eve's eyes widened at the sudden thought.
"Um… well I… I…" Eve started to reply, but no words came to her.
"Oh my~ You are not well at all, are you?" Hyuuga cut in. "Kuroyuri, Hyuuga, could you two go bring someone from the medical unit? Preferably one with a healing zaiphon. Konatsu, go tell Aya-tan that Eve is sick."
"Ok!" Kuroyuri smiled, dragging Haruse out of the room.
"Yes sir!" Konatsu saluted before following Haruse out.
"But- " Eve objected, but Hyuuga placed a finger over Eve's mouth.
"Now now, Eve, you should get some rest." Hyuuga smiled.
"But I can't sleep…" Eve muttered, looking away.
"Aya-tan and Katsuragi should be returning from their inspection soon." Hyuuga said. "They will probably want to check on you too." Eve's eyes widened. His name hurt like a jab from a dagger in her side. Sweat started to form on her face. Hyuuga noticed the reaction and said nothing. He lifted up her bangs and noticed the seal missing. 'The seal is gone and the Eye of Michael has been tampered with.'
"I… I don't want to see him." Eve stuttered, tightening her grip on the blankets.
"Why's that?" Hyuuga asked, touching her shoulder and leaning over to look at her face.
"WAHH!!" Eve screamed out of impulse. Hyuuga quickly removed his hand and looked at Eve with surprise. After a moment, they both settled themselves. "I'm sorry… I…" Eve stopped, looking towards the ground. Hyuuga looked at her and sighed, almost as if he was expecting this, or possibly even worse. Eve was too mentally distressed to notice.
"What did he do to you?" Hyuuga asked bluntly.
"What are you talking about?" Eve asked, trying to act innocent.
"Your wrist." Hyuuga continued. "What did Aya-tan do to you?"
"No-nothing." Eve stuttered. Hyuuga simply looked at her, waiting for an honest answer. "Ok. Ok. It was my fault. I goaded him and he punished me. I really don't want to talk about it." She replied quickly, and returned to her gloomy state.
"Thought so…" Hyuuga replied with a smile. Eve's eyes suddenly lit up like angry flames.
"Thought so? What do you mean by that?!" Eve snapped.
"Call it a good guess." Hyuuga replied.
"Oh? And how did you know it was Ayanami?!" Eve demanded.
"He's used that arm-twisting method on criminals, but usually he doesn't hesitate to shatter your arms. He has quite a reputation as a torturer." Hyuuga replied nonchalantly. "And considering your still wearing yesterday's uniform, which is in fairly good condition, I can assume you're still a virgin." Hyuuga finished. Eve looked at him for a moment with disbelief.
"What?" Eve asked surprised. "And how did you know I'm a virgin?!"
"It's a male thing." Hyuuga replied without a care. "Aya-tan's a sadistic misanthrope. He'd prefer to torture someone to death then to have a one night stand. Actually, he'd rather not deal with woman at all. They annoy him. That's just how Aya-tan is!" Hyuuga smiled. She became furious again.
"He can rot in hell for all I care!" Eve snapped. Hyuuga looked at her, slightly taken aback. "Seriously, Hyuuga," Eve continued. "You mean you knew Ayanami was like that, and you didn't even bother to give me a hint?! Is there any other reputations he has that I should know about before he kills me?!" Eve snapped.
"Lets see…" Hyuuga stopped and put a hand under his chin in thought, "torturer, sadist, strategist, brilliant, workaholic, psychotic, cool-headed, slave-driver, crazy, impulsively-angered, maniacal, serious, shall I go on with the titles?" He asked with a smile. Eve gritted her teeth and threw one of her two pillows at Hyuuga's face. "I take it your not happy."
"Not happy? NOT HAPPY?! For the past three days, you were trying to set me up with him! In fact, you were the one that convinced me to go on this psychotic joy-ride in the first place!" Eve snapped. "You could have at least given me some warning!"
"But I thought it was obvious." Hyuuga replied, scratching the side of his head.
"Not to that extreme!" Eve refuted. There was a long, silent pause. Eve went into fetal position and began to chew on her thumb nail.
"Perhaps I should tell you a bit more about him then. It's only fair." Hyuuga replied from behind his square sunglasses. Eve perked her head up and glared at Hyuuga. Hyuuga sat down in the desk chair and pulled out a lollipop. After putting it in his mouth, he put his arms behind his head and stared out into space in thought.
"I've known Aya-tan for years. We were in the same class, but… well… he was always that quiet studious type. I'm pretty sure he hated me always standing over his shoulder and trying to get him to open up. He had a rough life, but he was a natural for the military. No doubt about that. He came from a family of low, ruined nobles and no one let him forget it. Even back at the academy, he was always emotionless and cold. Still, there was always something special and singular about him. Something in his eyes, you know? His eyes were always so lonely and sad, but he still stayed strong and kept to himself. After we got out of the academy, we were immediately drafted into the Raggs war. Aya-tan quickly rose through the ranks, and I was always right behind him. And well, towards the beginning of the Raggs war, he was assigned his first beglieter." Hyuuga started.
"And?" Eve asked, not seeing a point.
"Hold on, hold on. I'm getting there." Hyuuga smiled. "The two worked together very well, and Ayanami trusted him very deeply. It was almost as if they were married." Hyuuga laughed. "His first assistant was smart, sharp, and always on point. Well, towards the end of the war, the two were fairly attached. Aya-tan even started to smile a little. You wouldn't believe it, but… it was a beautiful smile. It was only small and faint, but it was so sincere. That begleiter served him without a second thought to his own life, and eventually, he lost his life protecting Aya-tan from an enemy."
"Oh…" Eve muttered.
"That's not the end of it though. After all, the Raggs war ended 10 years ago." Hyuuga continued.
"Wait! How old is Ayanami?" Eve demanded.
"We're both 28." Hyuuga replied.
'I can't believe he's 10 years older then me…' Eve thought, feeling slightly awkward.
"As you can imagine, Ayanami fired every assistant they sent him. Eventually though, there was one candidate he didn't fire. It was back with the Black Hawks were first being formed and it was mainly just Aya-tan and me. I think Aya-tan had just become the Chief of Staff as well. The next assistant he had was named Yukikaze." Hyuuga smiled.
"Yukikaze? You mean he had a female assistant?" Eve asked.
"Nope. Yukikaze was a boy." Hyuuga replied.
"Right…" Eve muttered, looking away.
"He was cute though. He was the opposite of Aya-tan's first assistant. He was a total klutz, but he really did try." Hyuuga smiled in remembrance. "He was nearly always late, and Aya-tan always called him a useless lump. I remember once that he tripped and fell when carrying in Ayanami's tea and the teapot smashed against Aya-tan's face!"
"Oh dear…" Eve muttered. "I can only imagine what Ayanami put him through."
"Yeah… Aya-tan treated him more like a pet then a person. Then again, he always dose. I even remember making this same sort of speech to him about Aya-tan's first begleiter at lunch one day when he was feeling down. He never refused to give up being the best begleiter he could be. One time though, we had a run in with a criminal who had the ability to shape shift. He turned into varies military men, including Yukikaze, in an attempted to steal the Eye of Raphael. Yukikaze and the criminal began to fight, each claiming to be the real one, but Ayanami could tell the difference. He said that Yukikaze had the 'eyes of a puppy'." Hyuuga smiled.
"Ok. I don't believe that." Eve replied.
"Oh? Trust me, it's true. After that little mishap, Yukikaze promised that he wouldn't die like his previous beglieter, but fate had other plans." Hyuuga sighed. "There was another rebellion and we were sent to silence it. Katsuragi and Kuroyuri had just joined the Black Hawks as well. It was all going fine until… well…" Hyuuga stopped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yukikaze wasn't made for war. The blood and death overwhelmed him. After that first rebellion, he was never quite the same. After we returned, we heard that there was another breakout at a base where Yukikaze's older twin brother was stationed. His brother was killed when leading a defense squad. After the threat was settled, Ayanami accompanied Yukikaze to go see his dead brother before they buried him, but..." Hyuuga stopped again.
"But what?" Eve asked.
"Ayanami always had lots of enemies. Rebels and military men alike probably hate Ayanami more then anyone else enlisted." Hyuuga continued. "Word got out about Ayanami accompanying Yukikaze to pay their final respects. To make a very long story short, an assassin tried to kill Aya-tan, but Yukikaze was accidentally killed instead. Before he died, Yukikaze said that he was happy to have met Aya-tan and he didn't regret any of it. Even though Yukikaze said that, Aya-tan still didn't quite believe it. Even now, I'm sure he blames himself for both of their deaths." Hyuuga finished.
Eve was silent. After hearing all of that, the torment she had felt didn't seem nearly as bad compared to what he went through. Eve had never experienced the loss of someone so close. The more she thought about it in silence, the more she realized how strong the bond the soldiers shared was. Ayanami began to appear as more of a big brother figure who was forced to act strong and cold in all possible situations, but never was allowed to express himself because of circumstance.
"So, are you still sure you don't want to talk to him?" Hyuuga asked. Unknown to either Hyuuga or Eve, Ayanami was walking to one of the conference rooms and heard them as he passed by the door. Ayanami suddenly stopped when he heard their voices and began to listen.
"Well… After hearing all that, I wouldn't mind a good talk, though, he's not really the talkative type. His actions tend to speak for him. I feel like he hates me and doesn't want me near him at all. Now, thinking about it, that whole torture experience was probably his way of saying that the Eye of Michael is the only reason he allows me to be here, and that I really don't belong." Eve sighed.
"Aww~ Eve, don't say that." Hyuuga replied.
"But it's true." Eve replied. "I'm lucky that he hasn't killed me yet."
"Actually, we were very surprised about that as well." Hyuuga admitted. "Aya-tan would normally kill someone on the spot or torture them to death without mercy for something like that. You're a bit of a special case."
"Let me guess." Eve replied bluntly. "It's because I'm the reincarnated daughter of some dohicky who he loved once upon a time."
"That played a little in it, but actually, he mentioned something about when he was fighting you the night you tried to steal the Eye of Michael." Hyuuga replied.
"What?" Eve asked.
"Don't you remember anything?" Hyuuga asked. "Anything at all?" There was a long pause of silence. Moments upon moments passed. Suddenly she gasped and her eyes widened.
"Oh *(insert preferred word)*!!" She yelled at the sudden epiphany.
"Remember now?" Hyuuga asked.
"If I see that bishop again, I'll kill him! I'll put him in a bag and throw him down a cliff! Ug! I knew he was up to something like that! I knew he was trying to start a huge political mess! I knew it! Damn… and to think... He knew Ayanami would be there, and he knew he was Verloren. I bet the real reason he forced me to do it was because I was his only known possible weakness! Yeah, yeah, just throw his supposed lover at him! Damn… that was a low… *(insert preferred word)*!!" Eve ranted.
"Now do you see why he didn't kill you?" Hyuuga asked.
"He should…" Eve replied. "Torture really was a mercy."
"He said he could tell you never really wanted to do it." Hyuuga continued. "He saw the whole thing coming a mile away. You were the only thing he didn't quite expect. He even mentioned allowing you to actually steal the Eye of Michael from him, just to see what you would do."
"I knew taking it was too easy…" Eve muttered. "And here I thought I was over examining things."
"He forgave you because you didn't give it to Zehel, but he was irritated that you took it in the first place."
"I was mad at both of them." Eve replied. "I was mad at Frau for forcing me into a terrible situation, and I was mad at Ayanami for the stunts he pulled on me at the party. I felt it was my way of getting back at both of them, and it also removed the political problem. I just never thought it would go inside of me."
"Yeah… it dose that." Hyuuga replied nonchalantly. Eve looked at him with irritation. Of course he would have known that. Eve hardly knew anything about it before she stole it, other then what the bishop briefly told her. "Well, now that that's settled, don't punish yourself. Take a good nap, and eat." Hyuuga continued.
"I was never trying to punish myself. I'm not that stupid. It's just… so confusing! I tried to sleep, but I just can't relax enough. I know I'm starving, but the thought of food just makes me want to gag. So many things were dropped on me at once that I don't know what to think." Eve sighed. "I'll be fine. Talking to you helped. I… I just need some time to sort things out… a lot of time…"
"I'll have Kuroyuri bring you some of the cakes when she and Haruse get back." Hyuuga sighed. "Try to relax."
Ayanami began to walk again as if he heard nothing.
Eve wrapped the blanket around herself and tried to sort things out. Everything made a lot more sense, but it was still a little hazy to her.
Kuroyuri entered the room carrying a first aid kit with Haruse trailing behind her. "We got him!" Kuroyuri smiled. A young, shy soldier looked into the room.
"Ayanami's clumsy beglieter got sick and hurt himself." Hyuuga smiled. Eve didn't particularly like getting referred to as a boy, but she didn't complain.
"Well, I can tend to his wounds, but zaiphon can't cure the sickness." The soldier replied. Kuroyuri nudged the soldier and he slowly walked over to Eve. The soldier looked at Eve and scratched the back of his head. "Oh my… he doesn't look good at all dose he." He said to Hyuuga, then turned to Eve. "What hurts?"
Eve said nothing and lifted her arm from under the covers, but still kept the blanket close against her.
"Oh my!" the soldier stopped and examined her wrist. "How did you manage that?!"
"Did I mention that he was clumsy?" Hyuuga smiled.
"Right…" the soldier replied. "Don't ask, don't tell." He lifted up the sleeve of the white undershirt. She was still in yesterday's uniform, except for the boots, belt and over jacket. "His arm bone is bent too. It's surprising it didn't snap." He winced. "Anywhere else?" Eve still said nothing and showed her other arm. "This one is bent too, but not that bad."
"Can you fix it?" Hyuuga asked.
"Yeah." The solder replied. He moved his arms and blue zaiphon began dropping out of his fingers. He ran his fingers down her arms and her bone slowly straightened correctly. He began to drop a few words into her wrist. Eve winced as the zaiphon touched, but after a moment, it felt fine. "How dose it feel?" He asked. Eve began to move her wrist around.
"It's healed…" Eve muttered. The soldier jumped slightly at the pitch of her voice. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He replied, blushing and scratching the back of his head. He began to act slightly flustered.
"You ok? You're turning red." Eve muttered.
"You're really cute." He finally said. Eve gaped. "Uh… I um… for a guy I mean. I'm not gay! I uh… Sorry!" He stuttered, completely embarrassed. "I got to go back to work!" He said too quickly. He than turned and left the room. Eve stared at the door for a moment after he left.
"Hyuuga… did he just…" Eve started, still in shock.
"I told you that you were cute." Hyuuga replied. "Oh, Kuroyuri, Eve said she would eat some of your small cakes after she has a nap. Not too many though cause she's sick."
"15 then?" Kuroyuri asked.
"Just one." Hyuuga replied. "She doesn't eat as much as us."
"Ok." Kuroyuri smiled before skipping out of the room. Haruse followed behind.
"Try to get some sleep Eve. Aya-tan won't be happy to have a 'useless' person on board." Hyuuga replied merrily before stepping out.
'Right…' Eve thought, slightly annoyed. She gave a small sigh and embraced the silence. She was still consumed by depression. Still, Hyuuga was right. She couldn't just get herself sick. She slowly forced herself to come out of the covers and she went to go sit down at the desk. She leaned over, planted her chin against the cherry wood surface, and stared intently at the mirror. Konatsu was right too. She had no idea why the medic soldier thought she was cute when she looked comparable to a train wreck. Eve glared at herself and focused directly at her bloodshot eyes.
What Ayanami did the night before was the first thing that came to her mind, but she felt that she already dwelt on it long enough. It was still painfully traumatizing, but she tried to replace the horrifying memories with facts and excuses. It was working well enough, so she didn't question it further. She pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on one of her other emotional scars.
"Well… I guess I'm a murderer now…" She muttered to herself. "It was self defense, but I still killed them- massacred them- lots of them. I'm… terrible… How did I do it?" She pondered. "I've never really fought before. I never even learned self defense. But still… somehow I slaughtered them so… so revoltingly!" She suddenly stopped and shook her head. "What am I thinking? I killed them and I'm wondering how I did it? What's wrong with me? How could I have done such a terrible thing in the first place?" She trailed off, staring at her hands. She sighed and rested her head against the table. She began to sort through more in her mind. The maze in her mind slowly began to unravel as things slowly began to line up once more. As they did, she slowly began to relax. Eventually, she dozed off into sleep.
Unknown to Eve, all of the Black Hawk leaders knew what had happened to her before they visited her that morning. When Hyuuga asked where she was, Ayanami didn't hesitate to tell him that he tormented her the night before. Hyuuga and Konatsu both felt worried and somewhat guilty about it. Kuroyuri, on the other hand, was curious to see if Eve killed herself yet. Haruse and Katsuragi didn't really care, but Haruse went to see her because Kuroyuri did. In the end, even though she seemed like a total wreck, they were surprised at how well she was doing. Hyuuga didn't even mind getting some of the blame. In fact, it made him feel somewhat relieved.
A while later, Ayanami stopped his work to check on Eve. Hyuuga pestered and pressed on him for nearly an hour, insisting that he see her. He didn't feel worried or sorry, rather he felt obligated to make sure his subordinate was alright. More or less, he just wanted Hyuuga out of his face. Still, Ayanami felt it would be rather irritating if he walked in on her impulsively doing something rash, like slitting her wrist. It didn't seem like something Eve would do, but even rational people like her did do uncharacteristic things from time to time.
Ayanami slowly opened the door and walked in. She was still sleeping at the desk like a bear in hibernation. He walked over to take a closer look at her. Konatsu was right. The sleep was slowly rejuvenating her, but she still looked worn out. He watched her for a moment with bitter irritation. She had done far better then most people he tortured.
He wanted to hear her scream again, but he knew he couldn't do as much as he wanted. She was only a temporary soldier who technically didn't do anything wrong. From a political standpoint, the Eye of Michael was still in his possession; he couldn't let anyone know that it was actually inside of her. Not only that, but he knew she was of noble blood even though she didn't. *note: back in chapter 2 and 3* He would no doubt be Court Marshaled, and possibly executed if the truth became public.
There was no mercy for a warsfiel, and he knew that very well. Persecution was heavy and their existence was already an unforgivable crime. If he got caught doing anything scandalous, it not only meant his death but also the death of all of his warsfiel subordinates. Hyuuga, Kuroyuri, Konatsu, Haruse, Katsuragi… it was only under his tight leash that they were aloud to live. There could be no mistakes. A single mistake could mean the death of them all.
Still, he had his reasons for the multiple risks. If he was correct about what was waiting for them when they landed, Eve would be necessary. She was his pocketed ace, and the only concealed one he had. He needed her in fit enough condition to fight, weather she was willing to or not.
Using zaiphon, Ayanami moved Eve from the desk back to her bed. After, he stepped towards the wall and placed his hand on it. At his command, a wars rushed out of him and seeped into the wall, coating the entire room. Within a few seconds, the wars hid itself. He turned to look at her. She looked undoubtedly fragile. He gazed at her graceful glasslike neck and chest that slowly raised and lowered like a little bluebird. He took a step back to contain his overwhelming desire to break her.
'There will be others. Not her.' he assured himself. Eve began to stir, but did not wake up.
As he headed back towards the door, Ayanami stopped and looked at his reflection in the mirror. At first, it showed his majestic human appearance, but after a few seconds passed, his reflection changed to his skeleton from. His eyes narrowed as he glared at his reflection, and the mirror suddenly cracked in response. Ayanami lowered his cap slightly and left the room.
Eve woke up in the mid afternoon, feeling much better. Still, she didn't feel quite right. She felt as if she was being watched, but she concluded that it was because the torture left her in a state of paranoia. The first thing she noticed was the large crack in the ominous mirror. She wondered what had happened to it, but she discarded it as unimportant. She noticed a small silver dish covered by a silver top. She lifted the top out of curiosity. Underneath was a cute, small, decorated strawberry cake. Eve gave a slight smile when she thought of Kuroyuri, but it quickly faded. The feelings of melancholy still overwhelmed her. She gave a small sigh and went to go take a shower to ease her nerves.
Ayanami was working hard on going through documents and signing papers. As he finished his stack, Hyuuga came up to Ayanami with another pile of papers, and Konatsu followed behind.
"The paperwork I promised you to do is done, Aya-tan!" Hyuuga smiled brightly. *note: from back in chapter 1 and 2* Ayanami stopped and look up at Hyuuga, and then at Konatsu.
"I was surprised. He actually did it." Konatsu assured Ayanami as Hyuuga placed the documents on the desk. Ayanami began to flip through the long pile of paperwork. Hyuuga not having work usually meant that he would either waste time drawing or pester Ayanami at his desk. Ayanami found Hyuuga rather trying. He left the paperwork alone and turned back to his work.
"I'm going to go check on Eve-chan!" Hyuuga smiled.
"Don't bother. I checked on her ten minutes ago and she was still sleeping." Ayanami replied.
"Chibi is still sleeping?" Hyuuga blinked.
"Chibi?" Konatsu asked.
"Well, every girl needs a cute nickname." Hyuuga replied.
"I don't think Eve would appreciate you calling her short." Konatsu sighed.
"But she looks short." Hyuuga replied.
"She's a girl. If she was a boy, yes she would be a little shorter then average, but considering she's a girl, she's actually rather tall. You're just a giant." Konatsu reasoned.
"You sure?" Hyuuga asked.
"In height, girls average 5'3" while boys average about 5'8". I'd say she was about 5'7". Kuroyuri is about 4'8". I'm 5'8". Ayanami-sama is 6'1". Hyuuga, you're 6'7". You're a giant."
"I suppose so." Hyuuga laughed.
'A bluebird suits her more then name Chibi' Ayanami thought, recalling her beautifully frail sleeping frame. Still, he said nothing.
"Anyway, Aya-tan, how's Chibi?" He asked again. Konatsu slapped his forehead.
"Sleeping," Ayanami replied, "though she might be up soon."
"But Ayanami-sama, haven't you been at your desk all day?" Konatsu asked. Ayanami wafted his hand as a sphere appeared. The image of Eve's room began to appear in the sphere. "A wars then…" Konatsu muttered.
"Aya-tan, can you make it bigger. I can't see anything." Hyuuga whined. Ayanami was about to stop the illusion, but instead, he flicked his wrist until the sphere was about the size of a beach ball. Ayanami didn't mind having Hyuuga keep an eye on her. It got him out of his face and doing something that was somewhat useful.
"Where's Eve?" Hyuuga asked. "I don't see Chibi anywhere."
"She should be in the bed." Ayanami replied.
"Nope. She's not there…" Konatsu continued. Ayanami perked his eyes up to look at the sphere.
"Oh wait. There she is." Hyuuga smiled and looked with interest as Eve walked out of the bathroom with one towel wrapped around her frame and another around her neck.
"Oh my gawd!" Konatsu flushed and covered his mouth as blood started to flow from his nose. Konatsu jumped when he realized his nose was bleeding and he ruined a good pair of gloves. He quickly left to go get something to stop the bleeding.
Ayanami also looked at her, though his eyes were more distant. He didn't care that she was only being covered up with a towel. In his eyes, she looked just about the same as any other girl. As he looked at her a moment more, he began to notice a certain grace in her movements. He also felt something alluring about how her wet hair hung over her softened eyes. Still, it meant little to nothing to him. He was easily able to ignore it and go back to work.
Eve began to dry her hair, and her short hair fluffed up into a poofed wad. She dropped the towel and fingered her hair. She wasn't used to it being so short. She pranced over to the dresser, looking for a brush. Not finding one, she began searching through the drawers with no luck. She gave a small sigh and glided over to search the bathroom. She still could not find one.
Hyuuga began to snicker at her irritation and crazy hair. Ayanami looked up once more. After realizing that there was nothing worth noting, he turned back to his work.
Eve grabbed her bag and dug into one of the smaller pockets, eventually pulling out a brush. She quickly brushed her damp hair down before it dried that way. She gave a small sigh and rummaged through her bag again. She noticed everything was neatly folded and clean. "What the…" Eve muttered. She suddenly pulled out the green dress she had worn the day she ran away from home. "This was filthy from the country roads… How did it get cleaned?" She suddenly stopped and blushed deep red. "Damn it Hyuuga! I'm going to kill you!"
Hyuuga laughed at hearing her outburst. Ayanami lifted his eyes and looked at Hyuuga suspiciously. "What did you tell her?" Ayanami demanded with words like ice.
"I told her that Aya-tan handled her dirty clothes." Hyuuga replied nonchalantly.
"I have servants for that." Ayanami refuted with no emotion.
"What about yesterday?" Hyuuga smirked mischievously.
"You fainted when I told you to do it." Ayanami replied coolly.
"But it's still fun to watch all the same." Hyuuga replied. Ayanami's irritation ran to his grip, and his fingers put too much pressure on his pen, snapping it in half. Hyuuga's eyes suddenly widened as he barely dodged both parts of the broken pen that flew passed his face like speeding bullets. Ayanami opened up the bottom left drawer and pulled out another pen. Hyuuga swallowed hard when he saw how deep the pen parts were lodged into the now-broken tile floor. He silently turned to watch Eve.
Eve was standing in front of the closet wearing lacy white underwear and a matching bra. She flipped through the uniforms, wondering how on earth they knew her size. She however, forced herself to stop thinking about it. It kind of freaked her out.
She really didn't want to wear the uniform again. She found the thick wool fabric very hot and stuffy. She knew she would have to wear it later, but preferred something lighter for now. She turned and walked back to the bag and started pulling out numerous different outfits. Most of them she had bought at the shop near the train station. Still, she looked at the green dress and brown corset. Kuroyuri thought it was weird, but she still liked it. She always wore that outfit whenever she was depressed.
She slipped the outfit on and did a little turn. The green dress still to her mid-calf and the brown corset hugged her curves. She brushed her hands against her tiny waist and looked at herself in the broken mirror with a small smile. Her smile dropped as her eyes lowered. She gave a little tug at her hair. She didn't feel pretty anymore. Instead, she felt foolish. The more she looked at herself, the more she felt she felt overwhelmed with gloom. Even her eyes were laced with sadness. She was certain now that she wasn't the same person she was a week ago.
She grew up. She didn't even realize it. Before she had whined about being ignorant and locked up like a bird, but now she was juggling between unrequited feelings, infatuation, dark pasts, murder, warsfiel, and pain.
Her eyes lowered as she diverted her face away from the mirror, but suddenly, she felt a spark within her. She lifted her head up and looked towards the window. "What am I doing?" She asked herself, feeling awkward. She slapped herself and took a deep breath. Somehow, she had finally snapped out of it.
"Get a grip. So what if I'm not the same anymore?" She said, loosening her corset and taking the dress off. "I never wanted to be the same. That's why I left, right? So what if my hair is gone and I don't feel pretty anymore? I was prepared for something like this to happen. It could have been worse. This was my choice. I left home. I chose not to go back. I didn't want to be ignorant. Did I honestly think I wouldn't loose my innocence in the process?" Eve told herself. "This should have been expected…"
Hyuuga listened with interest and Ayanami also perked up.
"I can't keep up this foolish wistful thinking about the past. What happened happened. I can only move on from here." Eve told herself with a determined tone. She picked up the dress and began folding it. "Yeah, I killed. I don't know how, but I did. If I didn't, I would be dead. This isn't a fairy tail. I'm not some princess. No handsome knight is going to ride up and save me. I'm 18 years old. I got to take care of myself." Eve reminded herself. There was a brief silence, and Eve took a breath. "Ayanami tortured me, but it was my fault. I should have known better. And besides, if it was anyone else, it could have been worse… far worse. I'm alive and with my purity. Even my wounds are healed." She stopped and sighed.
"Besides, I shouldn't complain. He's had it worse. I'm sure they all have. Everything's so complicated." Eve muttered. "There is so much pain and sadness here. It makes me wonder how Hyuuga can even smile like that… The two of them are probably together doing something…" Eve stopped and looked back towards the door. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She slowly began to realize that she just couldn't bring herself to hate him anymore, even if she tried. "Ayanami's not such a bad guy. He's just… just Ayanami…" She finally concluded with a lack of a better word.
"Oh wow, Aya-tan. What did you think of that?" Hyuuga smiled.
"Eve needs to work on her vocabulary." Ayanami replied bluntly.
"Surrrrrrrre." Hyuuga replied. "Whatever you say Aya-tan."
"What did I miss?" Konatsu asked, heading back.
"You missed it, Konatsu. She made a rather impressive speech." Hyuuga smiled. "But Aya-tan is still dry."
"Torturing her will be more enjoyable." Ayanami remarked with a lightly curved sadistic smile. Konatsu and Hyuuga quivered from the cold cruelty in his voice. Ayanami picked up another document and continued to work. 'Eve's a saint' Hyuuga thought, but kept his mouth shut.
Eve went through several different outfits. She was now putting on one of her newer outfits: a gothic v-neck purple top with a pair of black shorts with purple ribbons weaved down the sides. She wished her hair was still long so she could put her hair in pigtails and tie ribbons in them. Still, she tied a small purple ribbon over her long bangs. It fell out. She sighed and began to play with the ribbon as she looked at herself in the broken mirror. She decided she didn't like the outfit too much either. There wasn't enough her in it. She took it off and started looking through the outfits again.
"I liked the blue-green outfit better." Hyuuga speculated as he watched her pick through clothes in her underwear. Konatsu sat in a chair beside Hyuuga, watching Eve while eating some of Hyuuga's chocolates.
"They all look good on her." Konatsu shrugged.
"Well, some of them look awkward when she has short hair though…" Hyuuga muttered. "She looks so frail with her neck exposed."
"True… I wonder what convinced her to buy all of those clothes." Konatsu muttered.
"I wonder how she managed to stuff all of them in that small bag." Hyuuga continued.
Ayanami was peacefully continuing his work. He was done with all of the work that he needed to catch up on, and now he was finishing up all of the work he needed to do within the next week. Occasionally he would glance up to make sure his subordinates weren't doing anything stupid, but other then that, he worked undisturbed.
Katsuragi trailed up the stairs and walked over towards Ayanami's desk. He glanced towards Hyuuga and Konatsu, then back towards Ayanami.
"Ayanami-sama." Katsuragi started. Ayanami looked up and said nothing. "The messages have been sent regarding our position and the casualties. We are to stop by the capital for a few days for reinforcements before heading out for the base. The orders came from above."
"I see. At this rate, we should be at the capital by tomorrow afternoon." Ayanami replied. "Send the orders to the pilots."
"Orders were sent to the pilots before I was informed, sir. Apparently, the higher ups didn't want any more improvisations like at the church." Katsuragi replied with slight irritation in his voice.
Ayanami narrowed his eyes. "I see…" he replied coldly.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking…" Katsuragi muttered, looking over towards Hyuuga and Konatsu, then back at Ayanami. Ayanami didn't respond. He only looked at Katsuragi with an emotionless expression, as if the answer was obvious. "Right…" Katsuragi finally said. "Excuse me then."
Ayanami turned back to his work and Katsuragi went over to Hyuuga and Konatsu.
"Red's a bit weird, don't you think?" Hyuuga muttered analytically.
"You're right. I like the style, but the color is kind of bold. If it were yellow it might be better…" Konatsu replied. "But red's not bad…"
"Yeah. I could see her in yellow." Hyuuga replied with an approving nod.
"Konatsu, I'm surprised at you!" Katsuragi snapped. Konatsu jumped and Hyuuga turned nonchalantly.
"I uh… this… this isn't what it looks like!" Konatsu stuttered. He did have to admit that this was very uncharacteristic of him.
"Oh come on." Hyuuga smiled, taking out his lollipop. "Everyone needs a break now and then. Besides, we're doing something useful." He said, twirling the lollipop between his fingers.
"Such as…" Katsuragi started.
"Watching chibi-chan!" Hyuuga smiled.
"Chibi?" Katsuragi muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"He means Eve." Konatsu replied bluntly.
"Eve… Eve… Oh! That one girl. Her…" Katsuragi replied after a little thought.
"Yep!" Hyuuga smiled, then stuffed the lollipop back into his mouth and turned back towards the sphere. Konatsu had to settle himself after being embarrassed. Katsuragi took another step forward and looked into the sphere. He felt himself somehow get sucked in. He watched as she slowly slipped the slid the red and black outfit off and put her hands on her delicate hips. He began to feel overheated in his uniform as she fixed her bra and stared off into space in thought.
"Dose she… know that we're watching her?" Katsuragi asked a little hesitant.
"Nope!" Hyuuga replied cheerfully. "That's the best part about it. She would murder us if she knew."
"I see…" Katsuragi trailed off and continued to watch. He really didn't care who Eve was or that she was significantly younger then him. Like most military men, he rarely had any time for girls, but secretly, he visited 'dirty bars' in his spare time. Getting fan service from any attractive girl was enough to satisfy him. Katsuragi watched with full attention towards her slender body and graceful movements. He only wished that he had a bottle of sake to drink as he watched her.
Konatsu stopped watching Eve for a moment and looked at Katsuragi. He was slightly surprised when he realized that Katsuragi was a dirty old man. Still, Konatsu felt that he wasn't one to talk after watching her for so long.
Hyuuga watched closely as Eve walked over to the desk and noticed the tin covered plate again. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that…" She muttered. Hyuuga snickered. Eve took a large piece of the small cake and pushed it into her mouth with the fork. After she swallowed it, she began to gag. "Holy-!" she stopped as she began to cough. "How much sugar did she put in it!?"
"A lot!" Hyuuga laughed.
"Poor Eve. I can't believe she actually ate it." Konatsu replied, covering the lower half of his mouth. They watched as she fingered the cake. She still had ¾ of the cake left to eat. She looked at it distastefully, but she didn't want to upset Kuroyuri either. Too the men's surprise, Eve picked up the rest of the cake and shoved it into her mouth. She covered her mouth and after a few bites, she forced herself to swallow it.
"Ohhh!" Katsuragi muttered with amusement.
"She certainly has guts." Konatsu muttered. "I hope she doesn't throw it up later."
"Aya-tan, you just missed it!" Hyuuga called to Ayanami, "Eve just ate Kuroyuri's cake!" Ayanami looked at Hyuuga for a moment like he was an idiot. Hyuuga just smiled. Ayanami silently turned back to his work.
Ayanami took a long breath as he finally finished. He stood up, took a few files, and left the room. He would have to carry them down to the filing room and organize them.
Eve finally got up from the desk. "I hope I never have to eat another one of those again…" She muttered distastefully. She walked over to the pile of clothes and looked through them again. She finally picked up a pair of khaki shorts and a tight sky-blue tank-top. She put them on and did a spin around. She liked how the top emphasized her figure while the shorts gave a loose feel. "I think I like this…" She muttered with a small smile. "Not stuffy and not heavy." She smiled. She then began to fold and put away her clothes. Just as she finished, she heard a knock at the door. Her eyes lit up as she looked at it. She assumed it was Hyuuga or Konatsu, but just to be safe, she hid under the covers.
"Come in." She called hoarsely with a fake cough.
"Wait. What's going on?" Konatsu muttered.
"Um… Aya-tan…" Hyuuga muttered. "There's two soldiers in Eve's room, and neither of them are Kuroyuri or Haruse… Aya-tan?" Hyuuga suddenly turned to see his superior missing. "Where did Aya-tan go?"
"Who knows…" Katsuragi muttered, still staring at the sphere. "This is better then watching French dancers."
"What do you want?" Eve snapped from under the covers.
"How disgraceful, getting a cold." Shuri replied.
"Sh-shut up!" Eve snapped.
"This is a really bad idea." Said another young soldier. "Even if he wasn't sick, he still is Ayanami's begleiter." He reasoned. Eve winced when she was called 'he.' It hurt her feminine pride.
"I don't care." Shuri replied. "There is something fishy about him, and I want to know what it is." Eve wanted to give a smart-alecky remark, but no comment came to mind. She pulled the covers tighter and said nothing.
"Seriously Shuri, we should just leave." The young soldier insisted.
"Leave if you want you coward." Shuri snapped. "I'm going to make the whelp pay."
"You- you can't do that!" The young soldier stuttered in horror.
"Yes I can." Shuri replied bluntly. The soldier stepped between Shuri and Eve.
"Look, he's sick. That's just low." The solder replied. "At least wait until he's feeling better."
"No way. What's low is getting called over and thrown over the railing!" Shuri replied snobbishly. The soldier stopped and turned to Eve with disbelief.
"Well, I can't exactly argue with that," Eve admitted, "but it was well worth it."
"See! See! He admits it! I have reasons. Let's just mess him up bad before we get caught." Shuri snapped.
"Oh. Hello Ayanami!" Eve smiled as she noticed Ayanami passing by her door. Ayanami stopped at her doorway and looked into the room. Shuri and the young soldier tightened up and slowly turned around to see Ayanami. They quickly ran out of the room and burst down the hall in panic. "And good riddance…" Eve muttered. Ayanami said nothing. He turned his head back into the room and looked at her.
"Thanks…" She muttered, standing up.
"I didn't do anything." Ayanami replied frankly. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. The two looked at each other, and they both said nothing. When she looked passed him at the broken mirror, every other shard reflected his human self while the others reflected his skeleton self. Eve found it very strange. Eve looked from the mirror back at him. Something about his disposition seemed a bit off to her, but she said nothing.
Ayanami took a few steps forward and Eve took a step back. Ayanami set the files he was carrying down on the desk, but did not stop looking at her. "You're awake." He finally said, but it did not ease the heavy tension in the air.
"Yes…" She replied. "But how did you-"
"How do you feel?" He asked tersely, purposely interrupting her. She diverted her face and looked toward the ground.
"Better…" She muttered after a brief second. He began to feel the throb in his chest, but it was stronger then when he left her the night before.
"I expect you will be working tomorrow." Ayanami continued.
"Yes…" She trailed off. Ayanami took a few more steps toward her, and she took another step back. He placed his hand lightly under her chin, but she quickly pulled away. He automatically grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She yelped as she stumbled back towards him; her head was only inches away from his chest. He placed his hand back under her chin and examined her eyes again.
"Your eyes are still bloodshot. Go to bed early." He commanded before lowering his hand and letting her wrist go. He turned away to walk towards the desk as the pain in his chest grew stronger.
Eve settled herself again. She had been bracing herself for another session of torture. 'It must be my imagination, but did he just show concern for me?' Eve thought surprised. Now she was certain there was something off about him.
"Ayanami, are you ok?" Eve asked shyly.
"I'm fine." He replied emotionlessly as he picked the files back up.
"It's hard to tell with your white hair, but I think you look paler then usual." She replied. He stood up strait and faced the wall with his back towards her. The throb in his chest began to grow almost unbearable. He felt being impaled in the chest by a dull spear would have been relief. His breathing suddenly became heavy and he closed his eyes. He was fully healed and he didn't understand what could be wrong with him. He took a deep breath and tried to force it down.
She took a shy step towards him. She reached her hand slowly out to him, but didn't know weather it was a good idea to touch him or not. He turned around to face her before she could decide. Eve lowered her hand and looked at him with a worried expression.
"I'm fine Eve." Ayanami said in his normal tone of voice. Still, she could tell he was in pain. Her eyes narrowed. He was an excellent liar, but she knew better.
"You're sick, aren't you?" Eve pressed.
"I am not." He replied sternly, but his chest continued to throb.
"We all know you're strong and determined, but if you keep pushing your body, you'll break yourself down." Eve continued. Ayanami said nothing, but glared at her as if belittling her. "Ok, fine! Don't listen to me." Eve snapped, looking away.
"I know my limits." He replied. "Learn your own." Eve's eyes lit up at the insult.
Ayanami turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Eve gritted her teeth and remained silent. 'Ug! That man!' She thought, staring at the door. 'All I did was show a little concern! Still, that was… strange…'
… kill… kill… kill… kill… Not now. Not her. She's not the one I want. I want her father. I will fill his heart with everlasting despair and destroy him. The world will be devoured in a sea of flames. Destroy… everything... Take it all back… Ayanami thought, gritting his teeth. It's only a matter of time. His head began to spin as he tried to control himself. He ignored it and forced himself to stay focused. The throb in his chest slowly began to die down, but it would not leave completely.
Ayanami walked into the small, dark filing room and closed the door behind him. He was finally alone. He walked over to the cabinets and slid the files into place. He stood up and leaned against the cabinet. He closed his eyes and slowly began to lower his guard. The pain became more apparent on his face as he began to pant. Memories started to rush though his head.
"You!! You killed my daughter!!"
"I didn't do it…" Ayanami muttered under his breath, placing a hand on his throbbing chest. "I was framed… they set me up…"
"I'll make you a deal, Verloren. If you find her soul, I'll give her, and everything else, back." He heard ramming through his head.
Liars! …kill… kill them… kill them all…
"You have… a sad wish..." He heard Profe's voice ring in his mind, "but… even if you obtain your "body"… what you truly desire… you won't obtain a second time."
Ayanami's eyes opened slightly, giving a vague, distant, and sad expression. Memories of her flooded into his mind. He remembered her so clearly, even after 1000 years. He remembered her lively smile and outstretched arms. He recalled her sweet laugh and graceful movements across the fields of purgatory. She didn't speak sweet lies, but rather, simple truths that melted his ice cold heart. For years, centuries, he longed for her soft, light touch and warm embrace. As the memories flew by, he also remembered when he first met Eve. He could never deny the resemblance. Their manners, habits, and even looks were identical. Despite this, he wouldn't let her interfere with his judgment. He had already decided that he would keep her at a distance. He was determined to be alone.
Ayanami felt himself calm significantly after remembering her. The throb in his chest gradually stopped and the desire to kill faded away. I wasted too much time… he thought, closing his eyes again. He turned and left the room.
Lea: Phew! That took forever. Editing was a pain. . It took me far longer to edit it then it took to write the darn thing! .
Labrador: I'm sure they thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lea: Yeah, well… Ayanami's character is difficult, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.
Labrador: Flower prediction time! ^_^
Lea: Get it done and over with.
Labrador: The flowers tell me that the Black Hawks will arrive at the capital. Concerning love, Eve will have… intresting luck.
Lea: Well, that's all for now folks! Please review!