Wow, look that the rate that these chapters are being churned out. I have only about three chapters left, too.
I should slow down, no? Oh well.
Anyway, now that I'm back to writing instead of my muse, you can expect a little…sugar.
Disclaimer: I've seen some people get really upset at having to right disclaimers over and over again. But all you got to do is type I - d - o - n - o - t - o - w - n - E - v - a. You can even do copy and paste. That works too.
Fourth Impact
Chapter 54: Release
Dai-syo watched as Ariline chatted quietly with Misa. The two had become instant friends, for reasons he could not understand at all.
"It must be nice, being engaged." Ariline was saying. "To be able to say to the world, this is the one I love, and he loves me enough to stay with me forever."
Misa giggled. "Yes, it is nice. But you sound sad. Is there someone that you are in love with?" she asked. "Not to be rude, I'm sorry." She added hastily.
"No, it's all right." Ariline replied. "As a matter of fact, there is…someone. But unlike you, we can never be together. We're too different."
Misa sighed in sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that. But, the world is changing, and I'm sure that you will be accepted here."
Ariline shook her head ruefully. "Not even here. Even a society as liberal as your could not accept it. Only on our own could we possibly be together."
Then Misa suddenly gasped. "I…understand. That's…so sad. To be held apart the way you are." Ariline nodded. "Perhaps Dr. Akagi could help you. I'm sure she'll be able to get around the barrier somehow."
"Maybe, maybe." She didn't sound convinced.
Dai-syo turned as a hand touched his shoulder. His eyes fell upon Samantha, whose escort was trailing close behind. "She's in love with someone." He whispered. Her eyes narrowed, and she drew back.
"You, Dai-syo, are the biggest idiot I have ever known. You have lived with her for almost a year, and you still have no clue about her. What is wrong with you?" She slapped him. "I'm sorry, but even the fact that you're a boy does not excuse you." she stormed off.
He chased after her, determined to understand. "Who is it, then?" he demanded. "Who?"
She spun to face him, tears in her eyes. This was the reason she wanted Adam to die, to stop this very sort of misunderstanding. The existence of individuals prevented the unity that should have been.
"She's in love with her Eva, Dai-syo!" she snarled. She stood, tensed and teary, waiting for his response. He tried to stutter a reply, but she only hit him again and ran off.
Samantha sat on a hill in the ruined Geofront, staring at the devastation. "Why? Why him of all people?"
"We can't control where our hearts go." She spun to see Adam's host walking toward her. She slid back, suddenly filled with terror. Her body chilled, and her skin became covered with goosebumps as the Angel walked ever closer to her.
"Quiet." Samantha spat. "You don't even have a heart. You're an Angel"
Misa calmly lifted the hem of her shirt up to reveal her core. "All that means is that I wear my heart on the outside of my body, where the world can see it." She let her shirt fall back into place. "If all humans were so, the world would be a lot more understanding." She sat down beside Samantha, who quickly scooted away.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk." Samantha only glared at her. "Ever since I absorbed Adam, I have begun to sense the emotions of those around me. I feel a great sadness and pain in you."
Samantha's eyes widened, but she spun away. "Stay out of my head. I heard what you did to Ariline and Dai-syo."
"You were once a very carefree girl, weren't you." Misa said softly. "And then you fell in love." Samantha shook her head. "I was once much the same. Let your emotions guide you, and you will be fine."
"My emotions tell me to stay away from everyone, including you, and him, and the girl who stole his heart from me!" She shot to her feet. "I tried to follow my emotions once, and look where I am now!" She turned to leave.
"Keep trying." Misa told her. "Keep trying, don't give up. Listen to what your heart tells you. Don't lie to yourself, and don't lie to him." She watched Samantha freeze. When the green-haired girl turned around, Misa was gone.
Misa found Adamu waiting for her at the entrance to the main building. "So, since when were you everyone's guardian Angel? Or has little Misa decided to start playing deus ex machina, fixing everyone's problems for them?"
"I'm only doing what my conscience tells me." Misa replied. "They lost, but they are still people, and they have problems that need to be fixed." She shot a glare at her fiancé. "You have no sense of romance, you know."
He nodded. "But at least I'm not like your father."
Flashback—
"For the last time, we didn't do anything!" she shouted.
"You were there all night, naked, I presume," Misa nodded. "And he was…"
"He was wearing a pair of shorts." She snapped.
"And after all the accusations you made about him being a pervert, he didn't even touch you?"
Misato glared at her father. "He might have touched me, I don't know, I was asleep. If he did, I probably enjoyed it enough that it doesn't offend me. But father, we're engaged. Aren't we allowed a little freedom?"
"You're engaged, not married." Shinji replied.
"Fine then!" Misa flared. "Adamu-chan," she grabbed his arm, "we're getting married right now." She spun to face her father. "And then he can touch me and play with me and ravish me all he wants." Adamu's face as was almost as red as his eyes. "And I don't care how many laws it breaks."
Asuka coughed nervously. "Actually, after Third Impact, a few laws were repealed…and the age limit was…um…"
Misa's eyes lit up as Shinji's widened in betrayal. "Asuka-chan—" she absently hit him in the back of the head.
"Quiet dear. They're getting married. Now shut up." He nodded meekly.
"So is the date set?" she asked. He nodded.
"One month. Lilliko and Takoru are going to wait a while longer. Are you sure you want to do this so soon? You do know what I'll do as soon as we're free."
"You'll take me somewhere private, tear my clothing off, and have your dirty way with my poor, helpless body." She said calmly. "And I'll be very disappointed if you don't." She skipped away.
"Free to go?" asked Ariline. Misato nodded. "Even after—"
"Misa-chan convinced me that you are alright." Misato told them. "Besides, with the wedding coming up, we needed to get you out of the way."
"Wedding?" Ariline's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Who?"
"Misa-chan and Adamu-kun." Misato replied absently.
"Misa-chan!" Ariline squealed. "Please, can we attend?" Her eyes grew wide. If this were an anime, her eyes would even start to take up her entire face, and hundreds of lights would shine from within. Since it isn't, they stayed pretty much the same size but the moisture did reflect a bit more than usual.
"If we…" Misa then appeared, Adamu close behind. "Misa-chan, is it alright if the three of them attend the wedding?" Misa looked over the trio. Samantha looked nervous, Dai-syo confused, but Ariline was bursting with energy.
"Sure." She chirped. "As long as you three can occupy yourselves for the next four weeks, it will be fine."
Ariline nodded happily and embraced Misa. "Thank you!" she stood back and gestured to her companions. "I guess this is goodbye, then." Misa nodded. "Well, thanks for everything." She turned to her friends. "Wait here while I get changed. We'll meet up in the front of the building, all right?" The two nodded and Ariline ran off.
The three of them made their way back to Kyoto and moved into a three-bed hotel room. Ariline kept staring out the window towards where Unit 16 was settled.
Life soon returned to normal for the three of them, Samantha waking up everyone with her singing, the daily spats between her and Dai-syo, Dai-syo and Unit 16 constantly challenging one another, and Ariline trying to calm everyone down.
Every day Ariline would walk to where Unit 16 was staying and simply sit inside her Eva, talking to her. It was during these sessions that Ariline realized what she wanted to do with her life. "Unit 16, I want to become an actress. I want to let the world see me, and I want to talk to everyone through the big screen. What do you think?"
Unit 16 let out a low rumble that could almost be called a purr. "I'm glad you approve."
Samantha sat at the desk, looking at what she had written. Was she really going to leave? To abandon her only two friends and go back to America, to her long, tedious series of foster homes and orphanages? Did she really want to return to the loveless land of gang wars and street politics? Loveless. That's why. There is no love there, and thus no heartbreak. She had lied to Dai-syo. She had never had a boyfriend. She had a gang, but she had ruled by fear, not love. And when the time came, she left them, and they quickly dispersed.
Yet, if she left, Ariline would be sad. Samantha smiled ruefully. If only she had fallen for her, instead of him. But Dai-syo shared many qualities with Ariline; he could be kind, could be generous and gentle, could be sweet. Unlike Ariline, however, he was not so innocent, he could accept hardship and pain, and he had the strength to stand on his own and the will to do so.
And her? What did Samantha Azrael have? Short, messy hair, a temper to match, shifty black eyes, and the stupidest heart in the universe. She had an independent streak, but did not have the will to live alone.
Her phone rang. "Samantha! Get here quick! Dai-syo's gotten trapped in a karaoke bar and we don't know enough Japanese to tell people that he wants to leave!" Samantha blinked at the sound of Ariline's voice. Then she crumpled up the note and tore it apart with a stream of dots.
"Where did you wander off to this time?"
AN: If you think you were jumping up and down, Layra-chan was…never mind. Don't worry, ChibiIchigo, two more chapters and an epilogue to go… depending. The story part of the fic will be done in two chapters, but the epilogue may be one or two parts depending on reader response.
Layra-chan: You're actually asking for reviews? How could you?
DreyonLegacy: I'm not asking, I'm making a neutral statement with no bias toward or against reader's reviewing. If they do not want to have their preferences acknowledged, that's fine with me.