Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Imperfection ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Imperfection

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN KAORU-SAMA! WAAAAH!

A/N: I reckon the song `Pachebel Cannon in D Major' is the best Evangelion song there is, besides Thanatos and the opening song. Oh, and Rei's theme is cool too.

ENJOY!

---- Chapter Six ----

"We have no further use of you, Tabris."

"So you are saying that by transferring me to Tokyo-3 Municipal High School and letting Shinji know that I am alive, you will be getting rid of me?"

"More or less, that was what we were after."

"You will destroy Shinji's sanity and future."

"Whether or not he is insane, or has a future, it does not concern me."

"You lie."

Kaoru met the commander glare for glare. He was, to say the least, irritated by the commander's lack of care for his only son. When he was provoked, Kaoru knew he had the most unnerving and terrifying glare. It was also feared for its rarity of happening. It was just unfortunate that the NERV commander was at the receiving end.

"The only thing that concerns me is the fate of humankind," Gendo replied coldly. "If it means sacrificing my son's future or his sanity - he is only one person."

"You lilims are strange." A frown creased Kaoru's impeccable features. "You only look at the bigger picture. What happens to the smaller, the here and now, the finer details? They will only be destroyed."

"The bigger picture is more important."

"And yet the finer details are the things that make up the bigger picture."

The frown had left Kaoru's face, but his eyes were still cold and hard. The commander was unrelenting, remaining stubbornly convinced that what he was doing was right.

"You will transfer schools," he finally said. "No more questions."

The finality in his tone told Kaoru the conversation was over. Now, no matter how many times he argued, Gendo would only turn a deaf ear. He would have to resort to other measures, which meant doing things his own way. But first, he would have to tell Rei, so the girl wouldn't mistake his transfer as a suicide attempt. She wouldn't talk to him again.

"I hope you know that if anything happens to Shinji, Rei will also be affected."

--------

Asuka watched Shinji as the boy tugged on his pants, trying to shift them to a more comfortable position. He gulped several times and then ran to the kitchen to get a drink, his nerves making him more thirsty than usual. After a few trips to the bathroom, Asuka sat him down and yelled some sense into him.

"It's a DATE you moron!" she shouted into his face. "One date! Calm DOWN!"

"O-Okay."

"Right." Asuka let go of his shoulders. "Now. The date's at seven, but you should be at her place a little earlier. It's polite. Normally, guys would have a car, but you're not old enough for one so you'll just have to walk. Mind you, don't walk too fast or you'll be red in the face when you get there. Ideally you'll have to bring a gift."

Shinji gulped again. He'd forgotten, in his state of nerves, to buy Rei a present. Before he even started to panic, Asuka shoved something into his hands. It was a box, wrapped in vibrant red paper with a lacy gold bow on it. He gaped at her. The redhead shrugged.

"I knew you'd forget so I made a little detour to a specialty store and picked this out. Any girl would want it and your First Child won't be an exception. It's now six forty so if you start walking, you'll get there in around fifteen minutes."

"T-Thanks Asuka."

"Just proves that I'm better than you, Third Child," she replied breezily.

Shinji shrugged on his coat, checked his wallet for money and put on his shoes. All the while, Asuka stood at the kitchen door, watching him, a soft edge to the set of her mouth. Her eyes had a slightly haunted look in them, but she managed to cover it up with her frown. Shinji turned when he reached the door, and gave her a thumb up sign and a small wave.

"Thanks heaps, Asuka," he said. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"Just get your butt over there, you idiot," she snapped. "And be careful with the present!"

"Sure thing."

--------

Rei, meanwhile, was sitting on the bed in her apartment, looking blankly at the floor. She had been made to wear a light blue one-piece dress and a thin, cream coloured cardigan with soft, black shoes for the date. Kaoru looked at her with satisfaction, admiring the clothing he had picked out for her specially. They were chosen to match her hair and albino complexion and the cardigan just further enhanced the ivory tone in her skin.

"You will impress Shinji," he told her. "You look amazing."

"Thank you - I guess." Rei studied her shoes.

"Are you nervous?"

"Should I be?"

Kaoru shook his head with a smile, seated on the windowsill. His shirt was untucked, loose and two of the top buttons were undone. He had his hands in his trouser pockets and his hair was as unruly as ever. Just by looking at him, Rei could tell that the 17th Angel was hiding something. They weren't kin for nothing.

"You will need to hide from Ikari," she noted.

"Yes, that is true." The smile never left his face. "But there is no use for that any more."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Commander Ikari has given the order that I am to transfer back into your school again, on Monday. There is nothing further to say about this matter, only that we will have to brace Shinji for the revelation. He is, after all, psychologically unstable."

Silence greeted this statement. Rei blinked impassively, not letting any emotion show on her face as she watched her kin. Kaoru leaned on the window frame, not bothering to say anything as he waited for her reaction. She blinked again before speaking.

"You will kill Ikari," she said. Her voice was cold.

"I know and I regret that," he replied, his eyes closed. "But I have no choice."

"Why? Why must you be such a burden to us all?"

Kaoru looked slightly surprised at Rei's words. To say the least, they hurt. He never realised how much impact everything she said to him made, until now. Her words were emotive, unchecked and certainly unexpected.

"I am a burden to all humankind as long as I live. It is not my place to tamper with what has already been predetermined."

"You are the 17th Angel, one who can destroy the world."

"I am not God. Nor am I as powerful as my brethren are."

"Angels are the perfect beings, just like the Eva."

"I assure you, Rei, I am nowhere near perfect." It was Kaoru's voice that was cold and calculated now. "There are no such beings who are perfect. The word itself has no true meaning to it. Nothing and no one can be perfect in everyone's eyes."

It was at this moment, the front door opened. Shinji's slight form slipped into the apartment, looking decidedly nervous. Rei and Kaoru froze in the middle of their debate, both staring fixedly at the newcomer. Slowly, the boy's eyes widened and Kaoru smiled sadly.

"It's been a long time, Shinji."

"K-Kaoru . . ."

---- End of Chapter Six ----

A/N: ah CLIFFY!

I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I was so busy with everything and homework and Yugioh and Beyblade, I just didn't have enough time!

Unfortunately, I must say you cannot expect to see chapter seven anytime soon, though I'll be working on it in the background of my Yugioh fics.

REVIEW and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Relinquished (yes, I changed my name)