This story takes place after the 12th angel Leriel attacks and pulls Shinji and Eva Unit 01 into the Dirac Sea. For this story Shinji is unable to pilot after he returns. Unable to be a pilot Gendo finds no use for him and discards him like before. Because of Shinji depression and lack of self worth he takes it pretty hard. This is were the story takes place, on a high cliff looking over Tokyo 3.
Disclaimer:Evangelion and all characters of said series/movies belong to their respected owners. Everything else is of my own creation.
A Simple Talk
The lone figure standing high above Tokyo 3 castings his gaze over the city. Stepping up to the railing of the high mountain peak the young boy looks over releasing a heavy sigh. "Just one little jump and it will all be over," Shinji Ikari says looking around for anyone that might see him. Taking a quick step over he leans forward holding onto the rail. "This will be the day that I finally end it," he says to no one as he looks up to the setting sun. "I guess this will be the last sunset I will ever see," he says then slowly closes his eyes preparing himself for the jump.
"So you a jumper or just really like the view from the other side of the rail," a voice says from behind Shinji. Opening his eyes in a flash Shinji turns his head to see who the voice belongs to. Before him a boy of fifteen or sixteen stands. His short dirty blond hair and blue eyes give his foreign nature away immediately. Wearing a pair of blue jeans a button up black shirt and sandals he stand there watching Shinji intently. "So you going to jump or not?" the boy asks walking over to the rail beside him. Turning to Shinji the boy extends his hand,"My names Haritori Westing. Whats your?" "...Shinji... Shinji Ikari," he says not taking the boys hand.
Pulling back his hand Haritori looks over the side,"Long way down," he says giving a low whistle,"but then I guess you have your reasons for wanting to." Shinji just looks at him unable to comprehend why he was talking to him about his situation like this. A long silence passes between them as they just look at the setting sun. "Well sense you haven't jumped yet you want to talk for a bit," Haritori says breaking the quiet air.
"Why would you want to talk to me?" Shinji asks still unsure of the boys intentions,"I mean what I'm about to do... Why are you so casual about it?" "You may not believe this but I think it was fate," he says smiling sadly at Shinji,"You see one year ago someone I knew jumped from this spot too. I was just coming to pay my respects to his spirit and I saw you and knew what you were doing." Shinji just stand silently taking in the current situation.
"Shinji if you have some time," Haritori says looking over to him,"care to talk a bit." Shinji and Haritori just stand there silently watching the people in the city bellow them. "So why go to such extremes," Haritori says turning back to Shinji,"I mean how bad is it for you?" Shinji blinks not used to the questions he was asking. "Well...I guess it started along time ago,": Shinji begins after a moment of thinking,"When I was very young my mother died. I don't really remember her that well. Then after she died my father destroyed all pictures and records of her. To tell the truth I don't even remember what she looked like."
"Man that is bad, but something tells me theres more behind just that,"Haritori says casting his gaze over the side. Shinji just shifts his footing on the ledge,"My father got rid of me too," he adds,"After that I was passed from one family member to the other never really staying with them for too long." Haritori lowers his eyes a hint of knowing behind his blue eyes,"So not even your own family wanted you," he says the sadness in his eyes falling to his voice,"Doesn't get much worse then that."
But then Shinji releases a heavy sigh,"Then after many years my father called for me again," he says his tone lifting," For the first time in along time I felt needed. But then I found out he only needed me for his own means." "But that was alright, I didn't care what the reason was as long as I was needed," Shinji continues, before Haritori is able to speak, in that same light tone," That was when I meet Misato. She took me in when I first came to the city and gave me a home." "So you found your place then," Haritori says taking in all that he just heard," So why are you in the situation your in now?" Shinji takes a long moment before responding.
"Well you see I was just her charge. I cause her nothing but trouble. Then theres Asuka," he says stopping at the sound of her name," She's my room mate at Misato's home. I don't really understand her, one minute she's nice and kind then the next she's angry and raging. And half the time I don't even know why shes mad." "So she gets angry at you or other people?" Haritori asks. Shinji doesn't take long to answer,"Mostly at me I think. But she does get angry a lot and at a lot of people." Haritori smiles to himself for he knew why she would get angry, well at least he thought he did.
"So is she pretty?" he asks as Shinji blushes from the question. Thought so Haritori thinks to himself. "Well you see...that is...i mean I can't...if she heard me..." "What, she'd kill you," Haritori says a slight laugh escaping him. Shinji just nods the blush rising again,"She beautiful." Man he has it bad he thinks so why is he up here. "Well that can't be what your so down about," he says swaying back and forth on the rail," So what are you prepared to die for?" Shinji just looks down closing his eyes. "I just don't feel needed anymore," he says a small tear tracing its way down his face,"I'm worthless to them now. They have no more need for me."
"So your telling me they said that they have no more need for you?" Haritori says skeptically,"They said to your face." Shinji shakes his head,"They didn't say it out loud, but I know they don't anymore." Haritori scratches the back of his head,"So what did you do for them before?" he asks trying to delve deeper into the situation. Shinji ponders for a moment before answering,"Well I do the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, the shopping, and anything else Asuka finds beneath her to do. Oh and I also work for NERV, well I did."
Haritori noted a hint of something he couldn't quit place. "So you do all that and they don't need you anymore," he says,"Sounds like they need you to survive from day to day." Shinji nods his understanding,"I never thought of it like that." "Now this business with NERV, what exactly do or did you do there?" he asks slightly curious. "I pilot an Eva," Shinji says expecting the normal response. Nothing is said between them for several minutes. "So you do that at NERV," Haritori says breaking the silence,"That must be hard."
Shinji is left speechless at his response. No one has ever said that to him before. No one has ever acknowledged his pain or suffering before. But in that small statement everything that Shinji was feeling deep deep inside came rushing out. Tears began to fall from his blue eyes as he lowers to a crouching position. Haritori places a hand on Shinji's shoulder trying to calm him,"I take it this is the first time you've been able to talk about it all. You have a very hard life indeed. But tell me Shinji isn't there something that you'd miss when your gone?"
Soft sobs escape him as he slowly looks up to Haritori. Shinji just looks at him thinking over everything that has happened to him sense he came to Tokyo 3. Meeting Misato, finding a home even for a small amount of time, making friends like Toji and Kensuke, finding small bits of happiness along the way, getting to know Asuka. All of them play through his head as he looks up at this strange boy who stopped to talk to him. Quietly standing Shinji climbs back over the rail to Haritori. "I take it you've changed your mind. Well thats a good choice," he says a wide smile growing on his face.
"Oh yeah I wanted to ask you. This Asuka girls," he says Shinji nodding,"Does she have fiery red hair." Shinji just nods his reply. "Blues eyes," he continues Shinji voicing a yes. "And does she own a yellow sun dress," he asks yet again. "Yeah," Shinji says remember the girls favorite dress. "Well your right she is beautiful," Haritori says pointing down the trail. There walking to them is the same red haired blue eyed German girl wearing her favorite yellow sun dress. "I guess she was worried about you," he says patting his on the back," Your one lucky guy to have some one as beautiful as her looking for you," he says stepping back.
Haritori offers his hand to Shinji again,"Lets try this again. My names Haritori Westing." Shinji take the hand gently shaking it,"My name Shinji Ikari Nice to meet you." "Same here friend. Now I want you to do one this for me if you will," he says as Shinji nods,"I want you to look around you and see all the good things you have in your life. Cherish them and love them everyday. Your life has worth. Your friends, your family, and the love of your life," he says looking at Asuka,"Your worth is in each of them. The smile you give them, the friendship you have with them, just being there to listen to them. You effect every life you come in contact with. And from that meeting both of you change. You may say you have no use but I bet they would disagree with that."
Shinji looks back at Asuka as she spots him waving her hand to him. He smiles thinking about all the happy memories he has. Shinji looks back to find Haritori gone. He looks all around for him but finds nothing, no trace at all. "Hey Baka," Asuka call out to him in a worried tone,"Where have you been all this time. Misato and I ave been looking all over the city for you!" Shinji just smile to her,"Sorry to worry you." "What are you talking about, I just didn't want to eat any of Misato's cooking is all," she yells at him trying to hide her blush,"Now come on you stooge Misato is waiting for us at the bottom of the trail," she says looking away from him. Shinji just smiles staring at her.
With out warning Asuka reaches out and grabs his hand pulling him along. "Lets go Baka, I got hungry looking for you all over the city," she says still facing away from him,"So tonight you have to make a extra special meal to thank me for even searching for you." Shinji nods still smiling,"Anything for you Asuka." She stops suddenly turning back to him a slight blush spreading over her face,"What's gotten into you Ikari?"
Then Shinji does something that catches the young girl of guard. He pulls her close and gently but firmly embraces her in a hug,"Thank you for caring." Asuka stands there unable to speak or move. What happened to him today she wanders finding the only reation she could do is hug him back. Together they stood there for several moments until Shinji finally pulls away.
Asuka, her face now matching her hair, just turns and continues to walk down the trail. "Are you coming Shinji," was all she said to him the shock of the hug still with her. A light breeze sweeps it way over the cliff and down the trail to the two lone figures. "Live you life Shinji for it is the most precious thing you have in this world" Shinji heard on the wind. "Haritori?" he says looking around.
Shinji just smiles nodding his head,"I will, and thank you for being there." Still smiling he turns running to catch up with Asuka farther down the trail. At the top of the hill standing by the rail is a young boy of fifteen or sixteen. His short dirty blond hair and blue eyes give his foreign nature away immediately. Wearing a pair of blue jeans a button up black shirt and sandals he stands there smiling.
Sticking his hands in his pockets he turns to walk away whistling a unknown tune. Slowly he fades away just as the sun sinks lower in the far mountain range. Some people in the city lucky enough to look up at that instance notice a small shooting star streaking across the sky of Tokyo 3.
Authors Notes
This story was written about a month ago and I finally made the decision actually post it. I ending up writing it on the one year anniversary of my best friends suicide. I was with other friend on that day just talking about the good times we each had with him. The story just hit me then and I just started to write. And here it is a month after I wrote it all corrected and spell checked. I really have no reason to post this. I just some how feel that he would have wanted me to. If not for him then for anyone that might read this and rethink doing anything that would cause harm to themselves. That was just the kinda guy he was.
There is only one point and one point only. Just as Haritori said "Live you life for it is the most precious thing you have in this world". Life really is precious and nothing is so bad that you should take your own life to end it.
This story is for all the people that believe there is no way out. To all the people that are hurting. To all the people know some one hurting. Life is filled with the good and the bad. It's the bad that helps us define what the good really is.
Thats all I really wanted to say.