"Hey, Hikari! Want to go to the mall after diner? I hear that
there's a sale at that shoe store..."
"Don't you have homework to do, Asuka?"
"Who cares? I'm a graduate college for Heaven's sake! I
shouldn't even have to go to school!"
"I'm sure that Katsuragi-san has another opinion on that..."
"To hell with Misato! She'll be at NERV all night anyway, it's
not like she'll know. Come on, I don't want to have to stay caught
up with uber-dork all night. The sheer boredom might kill me."
"Alright, alright, we'll go."
I smile at that. This feeling, to do mundane things with a
friend. To be an ordinary girl, not to have to worry about duty.
People can't see that, I do my best to hide it after all, but
sometimes... sometimes I feel like carry the weight of the world
on my shoulders. This is a choice I made, the life I decided to
follow. I know how important what I do is.
But...
Is the price worth it?
As we walk together, chatting mindlessly, I hear my cellphone
ring.
So, another one is coming...
==================================================================
Just a normal girl
Written by Alain Gravel
http://www.geocities.com/rakna01/
Based on characters created by and copyright GAINAX and GONZO
Started on December 13th 2002
First draft finished on December 13th 2002
==================================================================
I see Asuka search her uniform pockets for a her cellphone
with unrestrained glee. Sometimes, I envy her. She seems to take
such pleasure from her duties. I just have to remember of the pain
I can feel hidden behind the facade she keeps up to realize that
perhaps its better not.
As I slowly pick up my own cellphone, I can see disapointment
on her face when she realizes that it's not hers. I'm in no hurry
to answer myself. I know what the call will be. What I'll have to
do.
It sickens me.
"Moshi, moshi."
It's not so difficult to try to appear cheerful as I answer
the phone. I have a lot of practice now. Asuka's not the only one
that can keep up a credible mask over her real feelings.
"Tonight, eight thirty-two, two thousand fourty-five Shunjuko
street."
The same young voice I always hear. I don't know who my
partner is, but she can't be over ten. And yet, she sounds so
mature... so resigned. When I hear her voice, I'm reminded that
there are worse fate than mine.
"I see. Alright."
As the line close, I keep talking to an empty line, setting up
the web for the lies I'll use. I hate lying. But I don't have any
other choice. People can't know about this. Not even my best and
only friend.
"I'm sorry Asuka!" I tell her, and meaning it. "I won't be
able to go. My dad has to go work overtime and I'll have to watch
on Nozomi."
Asuka nods her understanding, visibly disapointed, but she
quickly hides it. It's really an easy lie, one I've used often.
The people at NERV are known to be slave drivers. For someone to
be called to work overtime is a daily occurance.
When they see me, people think I'm just a plain, normal,
ordinary girl. An annoyance to some, with the way I take seriously
my duties as class representative. But one can't escape his
duties...
As Asuka and I part way, I begin making plans.
I hate this. Why me? I never asked for this!
Why can't I just be an ordinary, simple girl?
- - -
From the shadows of a building corner I waited, watching the
apartment block that has been designed as the sight where my
target would appear. My school uniform has been changed for a pair
of black jeans and a black T-shirt, covered with an equally black
jacket. Quite a few times, I had to run after a fleeing target, or
on the contrary, had to avoid attacks myself. Scorched knees have
taught me a valuable lesson about suitable clothing for this sort
of job. It's also easier to blend in the shadows at night.
As my watch beeps to indicate that it reached the predicted
time, I see a NERV technician walking down the street, an angry
scowl on his face. It isn't an uncommon occurence. Job at NERV is
very stressful, and the Commander is known to be ruthless. Many
people have lost their jobs because their work was found
inadequate.
How that man can be related to Ikari is beyond me.
The man suddenly stops. He heard the call, I know. I've seen
it plenty of times before. Each and every time, I hope that they
will resist. But they almost always lose.
Today is not different.
From under his white coat, the man pulls a pair of black
shades. As he puts it over his eyes, the transformation occurs.
His body shifts, to take the standard form of the Invaders. Grey
skin, black suit, black hat, black briefcase.
It's been hard for me the first few times. And it nearly
gotten me killed. But I've learned since then. I don't give them
the time to adjust, to detect my presence. I just do my duty.
"Gate... open!"
Familiar twin circles of blue energy appear in front of my
outstretched hand. The Gate of Water. My hability and my curse.
"Water slash!"
A ribbon of highly pressurised water flows from the gate,
directly toward the Invader. He had no time to react. Like a
snake, the ribbon strikes, stabbing through the Invader before
losing its hold and falling as if an harmless spray of water.
Fortunately, there's no blood, no screem, not even a corpse. The
Invader just... disappears, the only trace that he ever existed a
small crystal.
I move into the open street and gently picks it up. The only
trace that this man ever existed, which I will leave into a
designated postal locker. I know that he will be declared
officially dead, probably from an accident or illness. Normally,
all traces of Invaders are completely erased, but it seems that
hacking into Magi to remove NERV employees profiles is too hard a
task. It's simply easier to invent a reason for their
disappearance. In the end, this isn't any of my concerns. As a
Gatekeeper of the Aegis Network, my job is simply to dispose of
the Invaders, before they can go on a rampage. Nothing more,
nothing less. I'm just a shadow, working for an unexistant
organization which protects the world from an non-existant treat.
It's better that people forgot all about the Invaders. They
already have enough to fear from the Angels.
In a sense, Second Impact and the appearance of the Angels was
a blessing for our organization. The number of Invaders
appearances greatly declined after Second Impact, or so I was
told. Many speak of it as a clensing. I hate that thought.
The Angels also gave people something to focus on. It's easier
to hide a treat to the world, when giants intent on destroying it
roam around.
Sometimes, I wonder about the secrecy. But I can't deny its
necessity. How would people react if they knew that everyone has
the potential to become corrupted, to have his soul eaten by such
darkness?
It's the only thing that keeps me going. The knowledge that
those who are taken can't be turned back. That if they are let
loose, they will cause untold suffering. I've seen one of them
kill, once, because I had been too slow. Because I could not see
them for what they really where, because I kept seeing the little
girl that had once been alive and not the evil presence of the
Invader.
Still... the faces of the lives I've... freed... haunts me
every night.
"I'm home!"
Father asks me if I had fun at the mall. I answer with a fake
smile. If he suspects something, he never said.
After changing into some simpler clothes, I go to the kitchen,
to prepare tomorrow's lunch. Should I again give the leftover to
Suzuhara? I blush at the thought.
This is what I want. A normal life. I just want to be a normal
teenage girl. I want to fall in love, marry, have kids.
With someone nice and caring like Suzuhara.
People often ask me why I get along with a girl like Asuka.
How could I tell them that it's because I understand how she
feels, that I understand this soul deep sadness and self hatred
she tries so hard to hide?
No one could understand, save perhaps three people in my
class. But I can't tell any of them.
This is my burden to bare.
My responsability.
My duty.
Author's notes :
For those who don't know, this story is an Evangelion /
Gatekeepers crossover. Those capable of downloading fansubs may
also notice heavy Gatekeepers 21 influence.
This very short piece came out of nowhere. It seems to be the
result of a discussion about crossover stories that took place on
the EFML a few weeks ago. I woke up one morning, thinking back at
that. A straigh thought crossed my mind: "You know, I would be
neat to see Shinji use the Gate of Wind in Unit-01." Then I
thought about something else. A very silly idea about a story
called "Magical Girl Pretty Hikari". I basically wanted to dabble
with the idea that even the most normal girl of the show could
have been hiding something. As I was brushing my teeth, both ideas
somewhat merged. Which resulted in this, a rather sad short tale.
(
geocities.com/rakna01)