Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Fourth Impact

Written by: Schism

Disclaimer: NGE and all of its characters are property of Studio GAiNAX and Hideaki Anno. Not me. I'm poor. So unless I suddenly come into billions of dollars in cash and decide to buy GAiNAX, they won't be mine.

Songs used are TM and (C) their respective owners. 30 Seconds to Mars and Evanescence own the songs. And probably their record labels as well. They fit the tone of the fic. Don't sue me. I buy their music. Honest!

-------------------------------------------

Theme Song: 30 Seconds to Mars - Capricorn

-------------------------------------------

Exodus 1:1/Epsiode 01: Return to Innocence

Third Impact. The End.

Shinji Ikari woke up on a platform in the middle of a sea of LCL. He had failed everyone. He became selfish. This is what he wished for.

He thought everything would be all right if only she was by his side. and there she was. Injured. Prone. Vulnerable. Asuka Langley Sohryu. His first love...his ideal woman.

He didn't even realize what he was doing until Asuka gently stroked his cheek. Finally breaking down and realizing this horrid reality was real, he cried as he stopped strangling her.

"Disgusting." Asuka said of herself.

It was real. And so was The horrid visage of the Rei/Lilith entity staring at them with her dead eyes.

Everything reeked of blood.

Asuka said nothing as Shinji picked her up and embraced her. He cried and whispered "I'm sorry" repeatedly in her ear for the strangling and the realization of what his selfishness brought them. It was only the two of them now. Misato was gone. Ritsuko was gone. Even his father...and he couldn't bear losing it all.

"Shinji..." said Asuka in a strained voice. "It's over."

They kissed.

It was much different from their first kiss. This kiss was passionate. It had the longing they both felt...and yet, Shinji felt that something was wrong.

He opened his eyes, and instead of Asuka's deep blue eyes, he was staring back at red eyes..

Shinji stood up shocked as he found himself kissing a Naked Rei, and around them...nothingness. Just endless white. The smell of blood was still there, wafting over them.

"R...Rei! What are you doing here! Where is Asuka!" demanded Shinji.

Rei began to speak, but it was a different voice. A hauntingly familiar voice.

It was his mother's.

"Shinji Ikari. Listen to me," The entity started, "I have shown you a possible future. One that shouldn't happen. This is what happens if you give in to your fears."

"Who...who are you?" asked the young boy.

"You'll find out soon enough...but," the entity continued, "you must be strong. For all of Humanity. This world has to continue on."

"...I understand."

"Very well, Shinji Ikari." said the entity. "Close your eyes. The next time they open, you will be back at the point I left you. All the visions I am giving you now took half a second in your world...so please...make the right decision, Shinji."

Shinji closed his eyes...and he jerked awake.

The Lance of Longinus pointed to Unit 01's S-2 Unit. In his visions, the Lance and Unit 01 merge to start the third impact.

"This is the moment...I...I...I musn't run away...I will NOT run away."

Terminal Dogma. 2 minutes till the Third Impact.

"I'm sorry...Shinji."

Gendo's body slumps forward. "Arigato, Fuyutuki-sensei..."

"Spare me." said Fuyutsuki calmly. "You deserve it."

"Perhaps I do, old teacher," said Gendo, drawing his final breaths. "But...I have to fix what I wrought."

"You don't mean..."

"Yes."

Gendo Ikari plunged his arm containing the Adam embryo into his wounded chest, instantly killing him. But from his body, a being of white light shaped like an Eva floated off, growing increasingly larger as it sped away, melting the upper layers of the NERV Complex.

Fuyutsuki watched the scene in horror, then looks down at Gendo's dead body.

"You fool...what have you done?"

The Surface. 1 Minute till the Third Impact.

Eva-01 grabbed the handle of the Lance of Longinus. Shinji, though trembling now, wasn't going to let the nightmare world that was shown him happen. He could still smell the blood.

A being of light tore its way past Shinji, hurtling itself toward the Rei/Lilith entity.

But it was too late. The clock ran out...one by one, people revert to their corporeal from and lost their bodies.

One by one, people dissolved into LCL.

All except Shinji.

"No! Damn it! I...I'm too late."

Lilith noticed Adam...and the attraction they felt toward each other, denied for millennia rekindled.

Lilith decreased in size, pulling Adam into a tight embrace.

Inside Eva-01, Shinji heard a familiar, yet disembodied voice.

"Now, Shinji!"

His father's voice boomed, surprisingly coming from Adam...

Shinji knew what he must do.

Letting go of his fear, he aimed, and threw the Lance of Longinus at the embracing bodies of the beings who gave earth the gift - and the curse - of Life itself.

The Lance pierced the two beings of light through their chests.

A brilliant flash enveloped the world...a large Cross-shaped explosion could be seen from space.

Shinji closed his eyes, whispered a Prayer...

And nothingness.

------------------------------------------

Evangelion: Fourth Impact

Exodus 1:1 Episode 01: Return to Innocence

The Fragile

------------------------------------------

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! "

Shinji woke up to a jolt as Misato grabbed ahold of him.

"Calm down, Shinji! You're all right now!" she said.

"M...M...Misato? Is it really you!" says Shinji, seeing his guardian alive and well, though with a fair amount of bandages. The last time he saw her, she was bleeding from a gunshot wound, most likey about to die.

"Yes, Shinji. We're alive. You saved us!" replied Misato as she cried and hugged Shinji. "You've been out for five days, and we were all worried..."

Shinji looked around the room, and he saw the entire NERV staff he knew best looking back. Maya Ibuki, Shigeru Aoba and Makoto Hyuga. Ritsuko. Even Vice-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki. He looked at the bed to his right and saw Asuka, and seeing her again made him relieved...and sad at the same time.

"What's wrong, Shinji?" asked Misato, seeing Shinji's smile disappear a moment after seeing Asuka's unconscious body.

"Asuka...is she all right?" he asked. "Unit 02 was completely destroyed...I thought she'd been killed too..."

"That's the thing, Shinji." said Ritsuko. "Her Capsule was totally destroyed. The search Teams found her in Eva 01's hands."

"What?"

"That confused us too, Shinji." continued Maya. "Frankly, Misato and Ritsuko shouldn't be alive right now."

"Yeah, me and Misato were definitely dead before the Third Impact happened." said Ritsuko. "We theorize that Adam or Lilith, whichever of them, deemed us worthy to live, and thus gave us back our lives."

"That's where you come in, Shinji." said Misato. "You were the only one who still had a corporeal body at the time. Tell us, Shinji, what happened between Adam and Lilith?"

"...I really don't recall much. All I know is that I killed them...and my father told me to." answered Shinji.

"Your father was essentially Adam," said Fuyutsuki. "I saw him merge with the Adam embryo right before all of us lost our bodies and dissolved into LCL because of the Third Impact."

"Then it's true...father...he did save us all." said Shinji.

"How noble." said Ritsuko with a sarcastic tone. "Well, in any case, you need more rest, Shunji-kun. You've still got awhile to go before you're up and about."

"Later, Kid." said Shigeru as he left. Everyone said their goodbyes, but Misato lingered on.

"Don't worry, Shinji-kun. Asuka will be fine in a few days."

"I certainly hope so." answered Shinji. Looking at the redheaded girl and remembering himself strangling her in that awful future he prevented...he felt disgusted at himself. "I have to rest, Misato-san. Can you leave me alone, please?"

"Of course, Shinji. Get well." said Misato as she left the infirmary, joining the other NERV staff out on the hallway.

"So, what do we do now, sir?" asked Makoto of Fuyutsuki, as he was now the most senior member of NERV.

"First thing's first, make sure all available NERV personnel are healthy and accounted for. Then, contact the UN and ask them what our status is." replied Fuyutsuki.

"We also got a mail from former Commander Ikari's lawyer." said Maya.

"Figures. The end of the world happens, and the roaches remain alive..." said Fuyutsuki. "Anyway, what's in it?"

"A key." said Maya. "Something about a locked compartment in the Commander's desk."

Fuyutsuki knew what it was. Gendo had a locked drawer in the desk, but he never told Fuyutsuki what was in it.

The Vice-Commander looked at the key as it glittered in the artificial light of the corridor.

"I wonder what kind of mess Gendo will lead us all into from beyond the grave." mused Fuyutsuki as he put the key in his pocket.

To Be Continued...

--------------------------------------------------

End Credits song: Evanescence - Field of Innocence

--------------------------------------------------