(It was an old dream, of a place long gone, and a time long past.)
"Lady Lilith, where exactly are we goin'?"
She looked over her shoulder at the third of the four boys accompanying her. "We are trying to find a way to the Other Side; our attempts at infiltrating SEBEC have failed thus far, and the Rumors are becoming more widespread. If Maki-chan's dreams are accurate, then the Other Side may provide the means of nullifying the Rumors for good...and then we'll be able to focus our efforts on the Angels. Does that answer your question, Eikichi-kun?"
The pale teen — clad in a blue gakuran-style uniform with an ornate tunic going over his pants — stared agog, his spiky hair — dyed a dark blue, with a white streak above the forehead — bobbing from the motion. "Oh, come on baby; haven't I said it's best to call me the great and magnificent Master Michel?!"
"I thought that was just a stage name," bluntly said Naoya Toudou, the first of the four boys.
Eikichi twitched, glaring at the boy from St. Hermelin's. "You're lucky you're a fellow rival to Seven Sisters, because I swear I'd get all bad-assu on you!" he retorted, saying 'badass' in poorly enunciated English.
"...I didn't know Kasugayama High was our rival," honestly said Naoya.
"See? SEE?! How can you expect me to work alongside two chumps from St. Hermelin's and Mr. Popular," he added, pointing dramatically towards Tatsuya Suou, "from Seven Sisters?!"
She smiled cherubically at them, as a mother amused by the antics of her children. "I'm sure you'll be able to work it out."
"Obviously, she wants us as meat shields in case something nefarious happens," remarked the fourth boy of the group: a serious young man wearing a St. Hermelin's uniform, with the distinctive difference being a blue scarf bearing the numeral '1' on it. With his black hair slicked back (save for a few unruly strands at the front) and full-rimmed oval glasses, he cut a sophisticated image...and quite intentionally. "It's only logical, if this 'individual' is powerful enough to reach the Other Side," explained Kei Nanjo.
"...meat shield?" dumbly repeated Eikichi.
"And this is why we can't take you anywhere, Nanjo," griped Naoya, placing an arm around Tatsuya's shoulders (much to the latter's discomfort). "Ain't that right, Sleepy Suou?"
"...why do you keep calling me that," Tatsuya muttered.
"Because sometimes you're so quiet that it's hard to tell if you're awake or not," answered Naoya. "It's not like talking every once in a while is going to kill you."
"Says the man who prefers to let Inaba-san, Uesugi-san, and Ayase-san do the talking in our group," griped Nanjo.
"But they like to talk," clarified Naoya. "I only talk if I have to."
Sighing, Tatsuya mustered up enough resolve to speak to her directly. "...do I have to call you Lady Lilith?"
"I do not object to it. But if you'd prefer, I've also been known to go by 'Rei Ayanami'."
"...Ayanami-san," said Tatsuya. "Why exactly did you select us?"
As they continued walking along the streets of Sumaru City, Ayanami answered, "Maki-chan is still recovering from her ordeal in the hospital, so it seemed best for Lisa-chan and Maya-san to remain behind to watch over her. The others are still recovering from our victory over the Snow Angel, as well."
"See? Meat shields," repeated Nanjo.
Eikichi snarled, "I swear, if you badmouth Lady Lilith one more time-!"
"Do you think there'll be trouble?" interrupted Tatsuya.
"...I am unsure. The person we're going to meet is an old acquaintance...perhaps someone I could even call a friend. He is rather knowledgeable about affairs in Sumaru City, but prefers to keep a low profile so as to stay hidden from the Angels."
"...so we are meat shields in case something goes wrong," concluded Tatsuya with a sigh.
Ayanami huffed, tipping up the rim of her wide straw hat. "No more a meat shield than I am. If something were to go wrong, I would be fighting by your side."
This sufficiently mollified the four boys, who quietly followed her the rest of the way (well, mostly; Eikichi was still getting on Naoya's case for inadvertently disrespecting him. Somehow.) to an old antique shop of sorts within a more rundown part of Sumaru City. As the five entered, their gazes fell upon numerous clocks, watches, and paintings; their arrival was witnessed by the proprietor. "You've brought a lot of guests, young lady."
Ayanami smiled, letting the man kiss her hand in the manner of a gentleman. "I had heard a Rumor that the 'Palace of Chronos' would have the key to another world. I immediately thought of you."
"How unusual...I suppose I can only oblige what Fate has arranged." Turning towards the four boys, the man of indeterminate age theatrically bowed, his red overcoat and long pale hair — seemingly altering in shade from white to silver to ashen gray, depending on the angle — giving him a fantastical appearance. Though his left eye was hidden by a clock-themed monocle, his right eye — colored a heavy and deep brown, with traces of crimson — was lively with insight. "Greetings, gentlemen, to the Time Castle shop. You may call me...the Time Count."
"...sounds lame," bluntly said Naoya.
"Yeah, I kinda have to agree," murmured Eikichi.
Tatsuya and Nanjo stared at their companions with some measure of disbelief.
Fortunately, the proprietor did not seem to be offended. "Names carry power...as do titles. Given a particular title, a Rumor can be formed from it with surprising ease...even if the ultimate cause is beyond human sight."
"That is what we are here to try and get to the bottom to," said Ayanami.
The Time Count smiled. "Then I would be honored to help."
(Nothing but an old dream...and it was time to wake up.)
xxxx
/Thursday: August 20, 2015/
Rei Ayanami opened her eyes, blinking quietly. "...ah. I passed out," she murmured, sitting up with a pained grimace; the past couple of days had been utterly exhausting, with well over a hundred Acolytes vanquished throughout Japan's Tōhoku region, plus a brief run-in with the Reaper. She had finally collapsed after dealing with an influx of Ghosts on Sado Island...at some point yesterday, well after sunset. How many hours did I sleep? Sitting on a forested ridge looking over Sado Island's far eastern shore, she at least had a beautiful view of the sunrise peeking over the Japanese mainland.
It certainly improved her mood, compared to...well, it was best not to think of such times. What good would it do for me...?
(An eternal punishment for an innocent sin.)
(You deserve much worse.)
Sighing, Rei reached for her phone, looking at the most recent message log; it was from Gendo Ikari, of all people.
G. Ikari: Certain events have transpired.
G. Ikari: I'll fill you in over breakfast.
"...breakfast sounds good," she murmured to herself. Given how her abdomen ached with hunger, even Gendo's company was worth stomaching.
Thus did the First Child transition out of physicality, sliding along the contours of reality to return to Tokyo-3.
xxxx
/Gendo Ikari's Office, NERV/
"There's a funeral today in Nishiawakura."
There were times when Rei Ayanami was convinced that Gendo Ikari wanted to give her a premature heart attack. (Who opened a conversation that way?!)
(Who's dead?)
(It can't be Ikari-kun.)
(What if it is?)
(Who's dead?)
(Who's died?!)
Rei quietly lowered her chopsticks, setting it beside her plate of seasoned rice, tofu, and cabbage. "...a funeral, you say?"
Gendo stared at her evenly from across a small table, his expression veiled by familiar orange shades. Compared to the ostentatious table used in lives prior...
Another place. Another time. Somewhere familiar, in ways that hurt.
The first time, the meals had been genuine...so to speak. His (clumsy, in retrospect) attempts at currying her favor, whether born from cynicism or malnourished affection, were successful. She had appreciated these times.
Afterwards, in every subsequent life...there would be the sharing of odd anecdotes, and unusual stories from other lives: a way of staving off the bitterness they both felt.
After his deception with regards to Yu Narukami had been discovered...well, no more stories had been shared.
Only food, and silence, and regret born of pained spite.
Little wonder that they kept up the charade, if only to remind each other of their own self-hatred.
...well, it was certainly more plain, being nought but a folding table kept behind a filing cabinet, and two folding chairs. It was such a perverse mockery of their own memories that she wondered why they both bothered with the pretense.
Her Other quietly watched an old photobook burn away.
"Because even if you've grown to pity and despise him...a reminder of simpler times is like ambrosia."
The Beast placed her hand into the fire, idly watching the flesh crackle.
"And if it hurts you...then all the better, right?"
"Whose funeral is it?" she asked, dreading the answer. (It wasn't Ikari-kun, it wasn't Ikari-kun, it couldn't be Ikari-kun, the Commander would be gloating if it were-!)
"Two, actually. I received word that the A.T. Agents Junpei Iori and Ken Amada fell in battle on the morning of the 18th. Some of the Agents stationed in and around Hakone actually sent out a request for condolence letters to be telegraphed to the local Agent in Nishiawakura."
"...I did not receive any such notice."
"You were busy with your own missions."
"...then let me rephrase the question," she said, quietly taking another bite of rice. "...what happened in Nishiawakura?"
"Based on the reports filed by both Agent Zenkichi Hasegawa and Hirofumi Kurosawa, a mysterious Persona-user that could summon more than one attacked Shinji Ikari without warning. She engaged in battle with multiple combatants, killing Agents Iori and Amada in the process. However, the conflict was interrupted by an apparent Angel of sorts, who challenged the assailant before they both departed to parts unknown."
"...I see," she managed to say with a stoic stare. A girl that can summon more than one Persona...it must be the same as the one who fought Katsuragi at the end of July. The words of the other Wild Cards came to mind, increasing her dread. (Had the Usurper made a play?!)
"You seem perturbed," remarked Gendo, idly eating another chunk of his grilled fish. "Are you aware of something about their identities that I don't?"
Rei pondered her options. Gendo's spitefulness and unusual control over Tokyo-3 presented potential problems...but would greater insight into the nature of their current situation help in the long run? (Even now, you carry some measure of hope...you're just like his son.) "The way you spoke indicated that it was an unknown Angel, and not one of the usual ones."
"The description was of a humanoid with black skin and white hair, bearing fiery wings and a sword forged of wind...and it also summoned Personas: three of them, with the names Zorro, Mercurius, and Diego."
The connection was made in an instant. Phanuel...Morgana. She had not been privy to the Angel of Hope's gambit. What will this bode for ADAM's state...? "I see."
"...in other news, the Second Child has made it to NERV-02. She'll be assisting Director Ikutsuki with Project Prometheus before making her way to Japan."
"Project Prometheus...I am unfamiliar with the term." Then again, she tried not to think about Shuji Ikutsuki on the best of days. He was...an unsettling individual, at the best of times.
"They involve the use of the remnants."
Rei went quiet, pondering how Gendo had enunciated the term; he could only be referring to...those who had been Lost. No; those who had been Sacrifices. (Lingering memories, carried on by nothing more than forgotten momentum; how many had completely faded away, lost to all...?) "I see," she repeated. (It was a safe and simple phrase, giving away only that she had observed the words spoken...giving no insight as to what she truly felt within.)
Finishing the last of his fish, Gendo — with all the aplomb of someone wondering if they had left the refrigerator open — idly wondered, "it would be a curious thing if you were to go there and see the faces of those youths from Sumaru City—"
His words were interrupted by the impact of ceramics against flesh, followed by the dull thud of porcelain upon the table.
Rei stared, almost confused; the remains of her breakfast now covered Gendo Ikari's face. Not even glancing at her trembling right hand — belatedly realizing she had thrown her plate at him — she quietly said, "you know very well that that's impossible."
Rather than explode with anger or irritably brush away the grains of rice sticking to his beard...Gendo merely smirked, suffusing it with every last measure of insufferable smugness. "And there it is...how strange, that you continue to throw up this strange facade of a dutiful soldier, staving off the enemies of mankind with every last fiber of your being...when deep down, you and I both know how you really feel."
Rei purposefully ignored how her fists began to clench together. "...and how do I feel?" she asked.
"Even now, to this very moment...you're still that little bundle of wrath and rage that was thrown into Evangelion Unit-00: murdered by a jealous woman, filled with nothing but hatred for a world that taught you to expect nothing but callous cruelty and cold apathy; nothing but fury for those who created you for the sole purpose of dying; how strange, that a tiny girl grown in a lab and constrained by the body of a titan could be more honest than a proverbial deity who's had untold millennia to understand herself and her own creations."
Rei impulsively rose, staring down at Gendo Ikari. (He was familiar.)
(You hate what he's become.)
(That familiarity was a balm.)
(You hate what he did to you.)
(She wanted him to see the error of his ways...)
(...you've always hated him, even if you could never say it.)
(...but who was she trying to fool? She couldn't even save herself.)
She wanted to yell (how dare he!), and throttle him. She wanted to rub his face into his own long list of failures (would he even care?). Instead, she stoically replied, "you condemn yourself by those very words, you realize?"
His smirk showed teeth. "You forget that I'm under no illusions as to who I am and what I've done...the same can hardly be said for you." Leaning forward, uncaring for the rice sloppily dripping off of his face (like maggots on a corpse), he hissed, "I wonder what your breaking point will be?"
What else could be said, in response to something like that? (Nothing.)
So Rei turned around and walked away, the skirt of her school uniform brushing against her legs with each step.
"You can run all you like, Rei," called out Gendo from behind her. "But destiny catches up with everyone, eventually...you would save yourself a lot of trouble if you just accepted it."
Her Other and the Beast were both silent.
She withheld her tongue, leaving his office with purposeful steps.
Rei didn't stop walking, even when getting onto the elevator; so frustrated was she that she continued pacing in the cab, trying to retain control over her own agitation. Even with her face set into a familiar mask of stoicism, she felt the internal storm within.
Her Other looked in a mirror, and saw a tiny face look back.
"There was some truth, to what Gendo Ikari said."
She took a photo of that face, to preserve it in time.
"There is a difference between being ignorant of your emotions...and simply trying to keep a leash on them."
In a way, she envied her former ignorance from her 'first' life; born and raised in a realm detached from normal human existence, she had possessed very little knowledge in how to handle her concerns, her fears, her worries, her confusion, and her anger; hiding it all under a blanket called 'stoic apathy' and binding herself to humanity via Evangelion had been her means of navigating the contours of life with some success (for however much that had counted).
The Beast sighed, staring at the ruins of an ancient city.
"Very generous of you, to call such interactions 'success'..."
But now? She had seen too much; experienced too much; lived too much.
Ignorance was no longer an option for her; naivete had long been cast aside. She knew how to categorize the emotions within her, and that knowledge came with a cost. Sometimes...I wish I couldn't feel...
"Ayanami-san?"
Rei slowly turned, even as she took in her current location with her peripheral vision; she had already walked several blocks from NERV Headquarters, and when crossing a building corner had inadvertently come across Hikari Horaki. The Class Representative was dressed in casual clothing — a long yellow skirt/overall combo, under which she wore a short-sleeved shirt with horizontal white and blue stripes — and held a note pad in her hand. "Hello Horaki-san."
"...why are you in your school uniform?" she asked, confusedly.
Rei looked down at her clothes. "Replacing my school uniform if damaged is more...convenient. I prefer not to endanger what other personal articles I do possess."
"...ah. Right. Your extracurricular work." Looking down at her list, Horaki said, "um...I was actually going to grab lunch before continuing with my errands. My older sister is supervising my little sister while she has a playdate with friends, so I thought I'd get some shopping done. Do...you want accompany me?" Tilting her head, Horaki added, "you...look like you could use some company, if you don't mind my saying so," she said, pulling on a bit of her 'Class Rep' tone.
Rei thought about it.
(June the 11th. Although she ate lunch by herself, she was listening to the Class Representative providing advice to Shinji Ikari. "...I just want you to enjoy your life as a student. Truly, I do." Hikari glanced over in her direction; Ayanami pretended not to notice. "I'm aware that Ayanami does a lot of 'work' with NERV. And, judging by what little Fuyutsuki-sensei was allowed to tell me, you're in a similar situation." She looked back at him, looking slightly softer. "I don't want you to end up like her." When Ikari confusedly repeated the last words, Hikari elaborated with "like...like someone who's only going through the motions. Who doesn't appear to enjoy anything." Horaki frowned, briefly looking at the world beyond their class windows. "I can't claim to know her story. I've tried to get her to open up, but she remains closed off. It just seems...sad. That's all." Well...it's not like the Class Representative was wrong, per se.)
The fact that she had thrown most of her breakfast onto Gendo Ikari's face made the decision even easier. "...that sounds agreeable."
And that was how Rei Ayanami and Hikari Horaki ended up at Suemitsu Gurume; Ayaname opted for pancakes topped with fruit and maple syrup, whilst Hikari was having a hamburg steak with steamed rice and mushroom sauce.
"So...how have you been, Ayanami-san?" asked Hikari between bites.
"I have been performing my duties adequately."
"...that doesn't answer my question."
Rei hummed, acknowledging the point. "I am...managing," she calmly admitted.
"I...guess that's good," said Hikari, looking awkwardly around. "...how much can you tell me about your work...?"
Rei knew enough about Hikari's mentality from other timelines that she saw to her true intent. "Are you curious about how Ikari-san and the others have been?"
Hikari actually jolted in her seat. "Oh, um...ah..." The girl's shoulders hunched up, as though she had been caught doing something naughty. "Am...I that obvious...?"
Rei didn't answer her question. "They have...been through quite an ordeal."
"...I think I gathered as much..." admitted Hikari. "What with the Olympics...and whatever may have happened during the new moon as well..." Nervously cutting away at her hamburg steak, she added, "An officer of the Paranormal and Supernatural Countermeasure Office actually visited my home on the 10th, to ask about Ikari-san. I've debated as to whether or not I should reach out to them...and then I worry about what I would even talk about..."
"I see." Rei quietly bit into her pancakes, letting the ambience of the restaurant — the chatter of other patrons; the clatter of plates and silverware and chopsticks; the movement of servers back-and-forth from the kitchens — smother their mutual silence.
"...should I try and reach out them?" asked Hikari. "I'm not sure; you surely have more experience with that, correct...?"
"...that is not a decision I can make for you," remarked Rei, speaking honestly. "If you wish to follow up with them, to ask how they are doing...then that is your choice. If you would rather wait until they return, then that is also your choice."
Hikari's slightly puffed out in the imitation of a pout. "That's not very helpful, Ayanami-san."
"It is also the truth."
"...I guess..."
Ayanami thought she would do the young girl a favor. "...if you wish to open your heart up to them, understand that they may not be the same people."
"What...what do you mean?"
"During their summer vacation, Ikari-san, Aida-san, Suzuhara-san, Kirishima-san, and Yamagishi-san have...experienced many things. They have had many delights, and have endured many trials. Such experiences will have changed them...so do not be surprised. A lot can happen over the course of a single summer break."
Hikari seemed genuinely perturbed by this concept, almost bizarrely so. (Had she made a miscalculation? Her interactions with Horaki-san outside of a classroom environment had been relatively uncommon, over the many timelines she had endured.) "...have they really gone through that much...?"
"Such is the nature of the responsibilities that have come upon their shoulders," acknowledged Rei with a somber tone. "I have found out that they were involved in a battle that led to the death of two A.T. Agents. They will be attending their funeral today." At Hikari's look of shock and alarm, she added, "to understand how fragile life can be...and to experience the death of those close to you...that is something that changes everyone. The effects will only be more pronounced, given that they are of the age to ponder the true weight and heft of such concepts."
"...is...is everyone okay...?" wondered Hikari. "They're...they're not hurt, are they?"
"I do not know if they were physically injured; my missions had me elsewhere when this recent battle occurred. As for their mental or emotional state...that is something that you would have to ask for yourself." She tamped down on the instinct to meddle, for fear of inciting another action from the Usurper. I will trust in Ikari-kun.
"...I see..." Hikari seemed rather flummoxed, anxious...and afraid? What did she have to fear for?
"...whatever choice you make, do whatever you can live with," she offered as consolation. Finishing the last of her pancakes, she said, "I will charge my account with NERV for both of us."
The words seemed to jolt Hikari out of her sover reverie, "Oh, you don't have to-!"
"Thank you for your company," said Rei, ignoring Hikari's attempts at paying. "Have a pleasant day; I must return to my duties." With that said, she turned on her heel and walked away, telling their server to charge her NERV account — flashing her ID badge in the process — before leaving the restaurant. I will have to find an excuse to visit Nishiawakura in the near future...
xx
Hikari Horaki watched Rei depart with a forlorn gaze, feeling rather...unmoored. What...what have the others gone through since they left Tokyo-3...?
(They would be changing without her presence; without her input; would they still be recognizable? Would they even need her help after such trials? Would school life seem like a mere chore, upon their return?)
(You are superfluous.)
Hikari grimaced, finishing the last of her steak; she had errands to finish, and a household to see to. Hopefully the herbal supplements will be in stock for dad...
(Any little bit would help. Anything to be helpful; anything to make a difference.)
(You labor in vain.)
xxxx
Morning rolled over into the afternoon for the island of Japan...
xxxx
/Iwakuradera Temple, Nishiawakura, Okayama Prefecture/
The ritual for the funeral was rather similar to that of the wake, at least at first: Buddhist priests chanted their sutras as the mourners (arranged in a similar seating arrangement as the day before), stepped up to burn incense and offer prayers. Even the offering of the kouden — the condolence money — was performed by those who either hadn't done so at the wake (or hadn't attended at all; the mere fact that the temple was within Nishiawakura made it easier for grateful villagers to attend, as compared to the wake), not that that stopped some from offering kouden a second time.
(Misato had put her foot down while they were getting ready for the funeral, handing the five young teenagers envelopes with Yen notes already sealed inside. "The fact you kids felt mature enough to use your own funds was...well, it was very sweet of you. But damn it, let us adults provide for you somehow. You shouldn't have to do everything on your own.")
Kensuke Aida had not complained. (Neither had Shinji, but he didn't have much attachment to his own money anyhow, so either way was fine.)
The differences lay in a few areas. First, the location: from the modern, almost office-like environment of the funeral home, to the ornate wooden halls and elaborate altar at the village's local temple.
("There actually used to be a second temple some years back," remarked Sojiro as they watched the caskets being unloaded from the funeral hearse. "It was actually right down the hill from my house...but it got busted by an Acolyte during Second Impact." Sighing deeply, the old man added, "it's all crazy...")
Second: there had been a brief 'discussion' with the priests before the ceremony with regards to the new name that was supposed to be given to the deceased, as part of some ancient Buddhist rite that was supposed to keep the dead from returning if their name was called...or something to that effect. (Though, in a world born from the Sea of Souls, did the principle even apply?) Ryuji Sakamoto had been fairly blunt when speaking for Yukari Amada and Chidori Iori.
("Eh, if they're so bored that they feel like coming back to haunt us, we sure as heck wouldn't mind. And if they come back as the 'big G' kind of Ghost...well, I guess we can hire guys like you to kick the crap out of 'em. Everyone wins!" said Ryuji with a cheeky grin. The priests looked somewhat scandalized, but they let the matter lie.)
Third: once the funeral ceremony ended, flowers and funeral wreaths were placed into Junpei and Ken's coffins, along with telegrams that had been sent from across the country to commemorate their passing from well-wishers. Such effects were accompanied by a few perishable possessions that the men had owned: a wooden baseball bat that had been Iori's as a teenager (kept in the DeLorean's trunk, funnily enough); a tiny keychain holding the figurine of an albino Shiba Inu (which Amada had apparently always kept in his pocket, surprisingly enough...and why did that image ring a bell...?); and other trinkets to that effect.
Fourth: while the old crematorium and the caskets were prepared for the next step, those closest to the deceased — which, as yesterday, were comprised of the A.T. Agents, the Emporium, and the Featherman girls in addition to those of the 'Hakone Caravan' — retired to a separate part of the temple to partake of sushi and saké: a farewell feast, in the name of the departed. This time, more stories were shared, especially since Ryuji, Yukari, and Chidori were in attendance.
xx
"I was halfway convinced that Iori-san was stalking Yoshino-chan," diplomatically said Keisuke Hiraga, referring to the time of Junpei's dogged romantic pursuits.
"I was completely convinced," griped Kyoka Hiraga.
"...in retrospect, I think I appreciated his persistence," murmured Chidori, idly nibbling at her tuna roll.
Ann Takamaki snorted. "Which he totally was. Persistent, that is..."
xx
"-still can't believe Junpei introduced himself by talking about my...assets," grumbled Yukari, her face slightly flushed.
Misato raised her saké cup. "Let's be fair: you look great for your age. Not surprised that you would turn heads."
Yusuke Kitagawa suddenly looked up. "...that reminds me-"
"No, for the twentieth time: I will not model for you, Kitagawa-san," bluntly remarked Yukari.
"Ah. Unfortunate."
Hifumi Kitagawa lightly patted her husband's shoulder. "Perhaps you will be successful next time, dear."
xx
"He sure earned his Stupei nickname..." grumbled Yukari, now much more inebriated.
"Junpei-kun was fond of nicknames in general," murmured Chidori, taking another sip of her saké; her face was close in color to her hair, now. "Despite his protests...I think he liked it."
"...Ken was the same way. He grumbled about Junpei-kun's nicknames, but he dealt with it. Kind of like how a younger brother would put up with an older brother's teasing..." Sighing deeply, Yukari added, "I'm gonna miss those idiots..."
The sudden swerve elicited a burst of tears from Rise Kujikawa.
"Aw damn it, I was doing so well," growled Kanji, even as he also began to blubber.
(Zenkichi Hasegawa idly glanced towards Sojiro Sakura. "Those two seem...pretty emotional," he whispered.)
("Having second thoughts about Kujikawa-san giving you her number?" quietly remarked Sojiro.)
("...not necessarily," he whispered back.)
(Sojiro snorted under his breath.)
xx
Finally, the time came for the cremation, which was reserved for family witnesses; given the nature of their profession, this meant that Ryuji would be attending alongside Yukari and Chidori.
(Ryuji glanced towards Toji. "Hey kid; you're welcome to come along if you'd like." The significance of this gesture was not lost on Suzuhara, who looked at his sensei with a stunned expression. After several seconds of silence, he shakily nodded before following Sakamoto towards the temple's crematorium.)
The more distant attendants had elected to depart at this point, with Ann, Rise, and Kyoka providing specialized catalogues so that they could choose gifts in return for their condolence money.
"...this part always felt odd," remarked Kensuke, even as he browsed through the catalogue. "It makes the whole ceremony feel a lot more...transactional."
"But it's for the family of the deceased to show gratitude for the generosity of those who provided condolence money," explained Mayumi, fiddling with the hand towel that had been provided as a starter gift for everyone who had visited.
"I know that. Still doesn't make my observation any less accurate," he replied with a shrug. "I mean, who decided that the value of the return gift has to be about half of what the condolence amount was?"
"Ritualized practice over many centuries, I assume," answered Mayumi.
"...why exactly are money and gifts involved with a funeral anyhow?" asked Mana with genuine confusion. "I mean, it's not like it'll make up for the fact that the people who died are gone."
Kensuke and Mayumi stared at her. "...I keep forgetting that you were literally raised in a band of nomadic orphans," remarked the bespectacled boy.
"Aida-san!" chided Yamagishi.
"What? I wasn't making fun of her, I was just making an observation!"
Mana nodded. "He's right. What's the big deal?"
Yamagishi sputtered, "I mean, j-just pointing it out like that is...well, rude!"
"...it is?" asked Mana with a confused blink.
The mutual banter between the trio prompted Shinji to walk outside, looking around with a pensive expression; further up the hill along a gravel pathway to his right, he could see the iconic monoliths representing family gravesites. The meeting hall where they had 'broken bread' together (which was a term he was confused as to the origin of, because they had eaten sushi, not bread) was situated just adjacent and beneath the cemetery grounds; looking to his left, at the line of trees blocking sight of the temple from the road, Misato was leaning against a tree; the black funeral garment and dark downturn hat cut a very different look compared to her red bomber jacket, brown dress, and red beret. (She looked as contemplative as he felt.)
As he approached, she said, "it's been pretty hectic, hasn't it?"
"...with the funeral, you mean?" asked Shinji.
"That's putting it mildly. Everything: the fact you got kidnapped by Mister P, the comeback of that strange Persona-user who kicked me to the curb...I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact we apparently got saved by an Angel. The collective of wacky artists almost seems mundane by comparison."
Shinji couldn't disagree, so he opted for a topic that was more situational. "...have you experienced many funerals before, Misato-san?"
The woman looked down at him with an odd expression, lips set into a slim line that expressed 'do I really want to talk about this' without a single word. Finally, she admitted, "not really. I guess I've been kind of lucky; most of the Agents I've personally worked with are pretty topnotch. The last funeral I can recall to any significant degree was my father's...and there wasn't even a body left to cremate."
Shinji boggled. "Huh?"
"I still owe you the story, don't I? I kind of left you hanging after talking about my mom back in July." Her sigh was forlorn, evoking memories of old pain; it reminded him of the times he sighed when thinking about his own father. "So. Dad saved me from Second Impact, I was an ungrateful little bitch to him...right. That's where we left off. His work with the Japan Metaphysical Research Agency kept him there most of the time, so I was left to stew in my own anger and fury...and with all the people that died during Second Impact, it's not like there was time or a place for therapists to care about a little kid when they had more important people to attend to. So whenever my father came home, he was the only outlet I had for all the venom inside me."
The utter frankness of Misato's words was intimidating.
The Beast chuckled.
"Why should they be intimidating?"
With a hearty exhale, noxious fumes escaped its throat.
"You're all too familiar with how vicious the tongue can be..."
"...how did your father react?"
"Didn't really react, to be honest. He just...took it. Accepted my anger, as though he deserved it. Which he kind of did, but it didn't excuse the way I treated him. The fact he didn't shout back or get angry at me, well...that only pissed me off even more. I really thought I hated him...because his damn work kept him away. I always wondered why he bothered saving me, if he wasn't ever going to be around?" Looking down at her clenched fist, Misato spoke through clenched teeth. "Then...three years later, like clockwork...on the third anniversary of Second Impact, there was a major incident of Angel Syndrome in Fujioka, centered around the Metaphysical Research Agency. And wouldn't you know, it was one of the rare instances where my father brought me along to work. He wanted to show me what he had been working on: a means of predicting where Angel Syndrome would occur, so that we could be proactive in both the real world and the cognitive world, instead of just reactive..." Snorting, she muttered, "heh...makes sense that the Angels would target that place, now that I think about it."
Shinji had a grim feeling about what happened next. "And then...?"
"As Acolytes tore through the facility, my father apologized to me; for being so distant, for not being a better husband to mom, for not being a good father to me...that's when he gave me this," she said, gesturing to the white cross hanging from her necklace. "He said that that all the fury I showed him was his 'penance', for his failures...that it was worth it, if his work could mean a safer world for me to live in." Gripping onto the cross as though it were her lifeline, Misato choked out, "What the hell was I supposed to say in response to that?"
"...I don't know." (He had no context, because he sure couldn't conceive of his father doing the same thing.) "But...even if he was flawed, at least you saw part of the truth, right...?"
Misato smiled bitterly, as though pleased by the idea. "That's what I tell myself..." Cursing under her breath, Misato used the back of her hand to rub at her eyes. "Damn it...the last words he said to me...were 'take care, my daughter'...and then he pushed me through secure doors, sealing himself inside the complex. But windows are still windows, even if they're made of some kind of reinforced polymer...so I was able to see my father get pulverized by an Acolyte before I was dragged away by military personnel." Her hand fell, limp and lifeless. "I watched the Metaphysical Research Agency get bombed to smithereens with excessive ordnance...but it did nothing for the hatred in my heart. Since my father wasn't a target...it transferred over to the Acolytes. To the cause of Angel Syndrome."
"Misato-san..."
She gingerly rested a hand on his shoulder, smiling wearily; she looked at him not as a mother would to a child, but from one comrade to another. "There was a mass funeral event, so it wasn't anything like this. Not like there was anything of my father's body left. But I didn't really think about it, because I found out about the Anti-Terror Task Force shortly thereafter...and by the end of 2004, I was a trainee." Looking back towards the Buddhist temple, she said, "I wonder what would have happened if I'd had the kind of closure with my parents that we're all getting with Junpei Iori and Ken Amada...I kinda envy Yukari-san and Chidori-san..."
Summoning whatever determination he had, Shinji reached up with his other hand, resting it atop Misato's; though lacking in intimacy, he hoped that his strength, however meager, would transfer over as if by osmosis. "...would you be who you are now, Misato-san?"
"...eh, probably not. I probably wouldn't have become an alcoholic, for starters. But them's the breaks, neh?" Grinning widely as though her smile was a mask, Misato added, "but either way, I worked with what I had...and I'd like to think my folks are happy, wherever they are. If I could resolve things with Kaji, find out about Mister P, and make sure you kids don't die before adulthood, I'd be just peachy!" Rubbing at his hair, she said, "Don't take life for granted, Shinji-kun...because you don't know if tomorrow will ever come. And once you're dead...that's that."
His Other shook his head.
"If only that were the case..."
"...I'll make sure to remember that," he said, feeling honestly grateful for Misato's openness...
xxxx
After over an hour and a half, the crematorium had done its work: Junpei and Ken's bodies had been reduced to ashes, leaving only pulverized bones, salt, and dusty minerals.
Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust.
It was a sobering activity, for Yukari, Chidori, Ryuji, and Toji to pick at their bones, from the feet up to the skull fragments; using chopsticks, Ryuji and Yukari handled Ken's remains, whilst Toji and Chidori handled Junpei's. By the time the bones had been deposited into their respective urns, and the ashes had been scooped in on top of them, the sun had almost completely set.
Thus concluded the funeral...according to the normal rites.
"Well...time for their great send-off," remarked Ryuji with a weary grin, reaching into the pocket of his funeral suit for a familiar tin badge. "You ready ladies?" Yukari and Chidori nodded, placing a hand on his shoulders, whilst the urns rested in their arms. "Come on, Suzuhara-kun."
"...where're we goin'?" he asked, hesitantly (even as he gripped his sensei's arm with both hands).
Tapping his cane against the floor, Ryuji answered, "to fulfill the boys' last request."
The priests — in the midst of cleaning the crematorium after its most recent use — looked upon them with alarm. "What are you-?"
"Freelancer Ryuji Sakamoto, identification whiskey-tango-foxtrot-lambda-beep-boop-bop: activate cognitive tunneling!"
"Cognitive tunneling: authorized."
The bewildered expressions of the Buddhist priests faded away...
zhuu
zhuu
ZHUU
ZHUU
...and gave way to the temple's cognitive double, looking even more elaborate and ostentatious in thought than in reality. A Daisoujou Archetype sat placidly by a stone oven, within which danced a Flaemis Archetype. "Ah, more visitors?" murmured the robed skeleton. "Are you here to accept death and embrace salvation?"
"Maybe another time, gramps," remarked Ryuji, walking with more ease now that they were in the Metaverse. "Let's head on out."
Yukari nodded, having been in the Metaverse before with Ken; Chidori moved with a bit more trepidation than normal, looking so uncertain that Toji impulsively said, "hey, it's not...well, okay, it is a crazy place. But you get used to it." The redhead said nothing, merely nodding along (even as her eyes noticed how his clothes had transformed into something far more elaborate, how his hands held a wooden staff where it hadn't before) before following Ryuji and Yukari.
Yukari gazed at the red and black sky of the Metaverse with a tired eye. "Looks just like I remember..."
Chidori, by comparison, seemed downright enraptured. "So this is the world my husband spent so much time in...Yusuke-kun would probably have a field day with this place..."
Ryuji flexed his free hand, summoning Seiten Taisei. "All right...let's do this."
"...ah. No wonder I often see a monkey when looking at you," murmured Chidori, taking in the sight of the cloud-riding Monkey King with a critical eye. Nonetheless, she handed over the urn containing Junpei's remains. "Make it...flashy." Yukari briefly hugged the urn holding Ken's ashes before doing the same; both urns fit comfortably within Seiten Taisei's left hand.
Ryuji nodded gratefully, looking at his Persona with a critical eye. "You're up. Make it count."
The Monkey King hooted, ascending into the air; Toji looked at the adults with confusion, asking, "What's he doing?"
"...well, after a bunch of our old teammates passed in 2008, we survivors — Kenny, Junpei, and I — made a vow amongst ourselves about how to handle our remains" explained Ryuji. "We cleared it with our wives, just to make it official...but basically, you know how some people scatter their ashes over a mountain, or over the sea? Well...same idea. Except in the Metaverse." As Ryuji spoke, Seiten Taisei could be seen rearing his left hand. "We swore to make it a fitting memorial of our work...no matter which of us survived..."
Seiten Taisei roared, "God's Hand!" A golden fist erupted into the sky, soaring as a rocket; in that hand were the remains of Junpei and Ken.
"...and this how I told them that I'd send 'em off."
Swinging his staff, Seiten Taisei howled, "Maziodyne!" Bolts of lightning emanated in swirling bolts, coating the titanic fist; the convergence of electromagnetic energy coincided with the explosion of God's Hand, culminating in flashy bursts of electricity and force; from their standpoint, it sounded like fireworks mixed with thunder.
Ryuji grinned wearily, sounding much older than he looked. "Brought to the heavens by the Hand of God, and scattered to the winds by the storm...and so their remains will traverse the paths of cognition, leaving traces in man's memory that will never be forgotten...at least, that was our thinking. No idea if that's how it'll actually work."
"...it seems...fitting," admitted Chidori, looking emotionally spent from utter catharsis.
It was at this point — past the point of the wake, the funeral, the cremation, and the disposition of the remains per the wishes of the deceased — that Yukari finally allowed herself to break, falling to her knees and sobbing deeply. "He's gone...he's really gone..."
Chidori immediately knelt down, embracing her fellow widow with empathy. "You can weep now, Yukari-san..."
As the two women supported each other in their sorrow, Toji felt...uncomfortable, at how open the display was; almost as though he didn't belong. "...sensei."
"Yeah?" asked Ryuji, keeping his eyes fixed towards the sky.
"...how do you guys deal with death like this?"
"Like it's supposed to be cool?" he guessed. "'Cause as far as send-offs go, this is pretty ballin' way to go, if I do say so myself."
Toji shook his head (even though he privately agreed). "No. I mean...well, how do you plan for it like it's no big deal...?"
Ryuji glanced at him, as though taking his measure. "...we've got no choice. After all...no one lives forever," he said, patting him on the shoulder with commiseration.
Even knowing what he knew about the Sea of Souls...Toji knew that those words were true. "...yeah," he murmured, even as his mind fell back to the word that his peers had chosen for themselves. Statherós...steadfast...even in the face of death...because it comes for everyone eventually.
(At that moment, for just a brief instant in time...the fear of death lost its sting.)
xxxx
Once the quartet transitioned back from the Metaverse, most of their party briefly stopped by the Awakura Onsen to freshen up after the funeral's conclusion.
xx
Within the sauna, Yusuke looked pointedly at Ryuji and Kanji.
"...what's with the look?" asked Ryuji.
"...my apologies," murmured the artist, looking back and forth between the two. "I just thought that bleached blond hair would look rather appropriate on you both."
Kanji rolled his eyes. "This again...?"
Ryuji privately wondered how insightful Kitagawa-san was, because he had once dyed his hair blond as a punk of a teenager...
xx
Within the men's onsen, Zenkichi blinked. "...they actually wanted their ashes to be detonated by a God's Hand/Maziodyne combo...?"
Toji nodded. "I know. Crazy, huh?"
"It's their remains, so let them dispose of 'em how they want," remarked Ren. "At least it's a memory you'll carry with you."
Suzuhara shrugged. "I guess..."
Keisuke Hiraga, meanwhile, was staring at the bamboo divider wall. "...huh. Why does that one section look newer than the others...?"
Images of an axe splitting through bamboo, and causing the rest of the wall to tumble over, flashed through Toji's mind. "...wouldn't be able to tell you," he muttered, sinking down to his chin so that the steam would hide the redness of his face.
(Ren snorted under his breath.)
xx
/Meanwhile, within the women's onsen/
"...so boss lady," murmured Ann, sidling up closer towards Yukari. "How are you feeling?"
Sighing deeply, the widowed Amada smiled sadly. "I had a good cry, so...I'm managing."
"Glad that you were able to get it out," remarked Rio, her long black hair wrapped in a towel.
"And how about you, Chidori-chan?" asked Rise, wrapping an arm around the taciturn woman.
"...beyond the sudden urge to draw a rock falling on you? I am doing fine." Chidori wrapped her hands around herself, as though she wished to be embraced. "Junpei-kun...is gone. But his memory will remain. And with all the sketches I've made of him...I will not be lacking for memories."
Naoto nodded. "That's a very positive way of looking at it."
Somewhat separate from the group, Kyoka Hiraga asked, "so, Iori: are you of sound mind to continue with the tour? Our partners won't allow you forty-nine days, after all."
"...wow. Rude," grumbled Saki Konishi.
"She does have a point," remarked Yukari, her expression settling into something more familiar to her Feathermen. "After all...the show must go on."
"...well, Yukari-sensei's word is law," sagely said Hifumi Kitagawa.
Thus did Yukari Amada and Chidori Iori prepare themselves to move forward with their lives, with all its joys and sorrows.
xxxx
Not everyone had elected to go to the onsen.
(Sojiro Sakura had been rather...resigned, to one more night with a full house. "I might as well head home and get things ready for their return...")
Shinji, Kensuke, Mayumi, Mana, and Akane quietly walked around Nishiawakura, enjoying the slightly cooler air of the village.
"...so, you guys are going to be leaving soon, right?" asked Akane. "Probably tomorrow?"
Mayumi looked back at the local with a curious glance. "What do you mean?"
Akane huffed, brushing at the fabric of her long black skirt. "Well, it's not like I couldn't hear everything that was being talked about from Commissioner Morooka..."
"...oh yeah," murmured Kensuke, thinking back to the expletive-laden video message from the 18th. "Life doesn't wait for anyone, does it?"
"...are you guys going to be okay...?" she asked.
"Why wouldn't we?" answered Mana. "We're just going to talk to whoever Kurosawa's bosses are."
Akane winced. "Well, it's the government...it's not that simple..."
Sighing, Shinji spoke for them all. "Whatever happens will happen...but it's not like we can run away. It wouldn't do us any good if we did..."
Akane looked at each of them individually before shaking her head. "I guess so. Just...be careful, okay? You've all made the summer break pretty interesting...I'd hate for anything to happen to you."
Kensuke snorted. "Glad to know your concern for our wellbeing extends only to how much we entertain you," he said with a cheeky grin.
"That's not what I mean and you know it!" protested Hasegawa, fists clenched at her sides.
"We understand," said Mayumi, trying to defuse the tension. "August has been very eventful for all of us...it would be unfortunate if it had a bad ending."
xx
As the five teenagers conversed with each other, Hirofumi Kurosawa and Misato Katsuragi were following them from behind, separated by several meters. "Gotta say, from how Sakamoto-sun described it, I may have to request a similarly explosive send-off for when I die..."
"Hmm."
Misato shot the paranormal law enforcer a stink-eye. "You've been a right cheerful sort."
"I've kept to myself because my contributions would not be appreciated by those who considered themselves kin to the departed," calmly explained Kurosawa, fiddling with his phone all the while. "Professional courtesy notwithstanding, I've been trying to coordinate our arrival at the capital city tomorrow."
And wasn't that a lovely reminder of their current circumstances. "What do you think your superiors are going to recommend? They gonna try and conscript Shinji-kun, Mana-chan, and Yamagishi-san?"
"I can't say one way or another. All I will say is that the lackadaisical approach taken with the Third Child will come to an end..." Kurosawa's face curdled with a severe frown. "...hmm."
"What?"
"...nothing. Just an odd feeling."
"I've learned not to ignore 'odd feelings' in my line of work."
"True...it's just that my normal update feeds from my coworkers stationed in Tokyo-2 stopped earlier today at some point during the funeral."
Misato's eyes narrowed with alertness. "Is something going on in the capital?"
"That's just it: no one is reporting anything amiss with regards to Tokyo-2. Had there been any sort of alert, my fellows who were stationed elsewhere would have sent a message of some kind. Local news from Nagano Prefecture likewise hasn't reported anything untoward..."
"...that's fair enough." The Anti-Terror Task Force stationed out of Tokyo-2 would have also sent out an alert of some kind...right?
(There was a strange sense of foreboding in the air, all of a sudden.)
(You have a bad feeling about this...)
"...I guess we'll find out tomorrow," she said with a halfhearted shrug.
Kurosawa could only hum noncommittally.
(Strangely enough, as if by some trick of the mind, the very concept of being proactive and digging into the matter themselves...just didn't quite occur to them...)
xxxx
As the night rolled on...a strange incident was occuring at Tokyo-2, hundreds of kilometers to the half-wing of east northeast...namely, a dense cloud of yellow fog that had emerged as if from nowhere, hours before.
People on the outside did not regard it as anything strange...nor did they question why those who entered did not return.
As such, no had a comment to make when Tohru Adachi casually walked out of its murky depths.
"Well...that was pretty invigorating," he admitted aloud, hands stuffed into his pockets. Glancing back at the great cloud (its billowy boundary coming with an eerie glow that dominated the dark as easily as a city skyline), he could only marvel at the subtle effects it was having on the local cognition. "Huh...now that's pretty nifty. If I didn't know any better, I'd be treating it like no big deal as well..." Well...it was bound to draw attention sooner or later. He'd already accomplished what he came here for. "It's too bad I've got places to be," he said to himself as he strolled into the night. Now...what should I do next...?
Decisions, decisions...
xxxx
END OF 8/20/2015
xxxx
Author's Note: P2 fans looking at Rei being friendly with the Time Count: nononononononoNONONONONONO
I wonder why. :V
Anyhow:
- Rei needs a hug.
- Gendo needs another punch in the face. Where's Yu when you need him?
- We pick up some old character threads with Hikari that have been left untouched for a bit (because this summer road trip has lasted a while...)
- The funeral came to an end at last.
- Shinji's Sun Confidant with Misato is now at Rank 6!
- Junpei and Ken got a flashy send-off, and Toji got a bit more resolve (and without our protagonist being involved!)
- Adachi why u gotta be so sus