Disclaimers:
Neon Genesis Evangelion and all related characters, concepts, etc., are
property of ADVision and Gainax. I only *wish* they were mine.

Prologue: The Choice

Author's Note: Hi all and welcome to my first Princess Nine story and it's also being a crossover with Evangelion.
My main purpose here is to write an A/U of PN, as well as a alternate continuation of The "End of Evangelion".
So with that in mind, I ask the Princess Nine fans to be patient and know that the focus of the first 2 chapters will be on the four children from the Eva reality. You will see some familiar characters in chapter 2, then we'll really get into seeing the team and their boys baseball counterparts as I integrate the four former Eva pilots into their respective Kisaragi baseball teams.
Yes Rei, and Asuka will be the newest players on the girls team, while Kaworu and Shinji will play on the boy's team.
In the PN (Princess Nine) reality, it is the following year after the teams first played each other in last years regional playoffs. So the need for more players is obvious to Coach Kido as well as the boys coach. Now that all that has been prefaced, enjoy the story, and chapter 3 will be coming soon.
Thanks all for the support, dennisud

Third Impact-The final stage

"Shinji Ikari, will you join with me to complete instrumentality, and become one with all.?"

Shinji was thinking of all that had happened up to then, about the people who died but would be alive again,
but he also of being a part of one whole, one mind, one soul.

"I can't Re-. . . Lillith, I can't."

Lillith sighed, . . . but nodded knowingly.

As the mother of all, she could see the conflict and desperation in Shinji's mind.
She also saw the despair, the anger, the loneliness, and the exhaustion of all that he had gone through.
She touched the part of herself that had been Rei Ayanami. She saw through her the anguish that all the Eva pilots had gone through. Asuka's mind rape, Rei's self destruct, Shinji having to kill his friend, Kaworu. She also knew of . . . different possibilities.

As she had thought of this in milli-seconds, Shinji had not even sensed what Lillith already knew.
"Shinji, . . . you want to pay for all that you think is your fault, but allow the others to have a choice on whether to return or stay?"

A perplexed look crossed his face. "How do you, . . . yeah, that's about right."

"Then I have an alternative for you, . . . and three others."

'What the hell is she talking about?' Shinji said to himself

"What I am saying to you is that you have never had what would be called a normal family or for that matter a normal life.
A caring father and mother, a loving sister, a chance to grow up in a non second impact earth, without Eva, without the Angels, without the hurt and pain associated with that. You want to have normal human experiences, happy or sad."

'She's right,' Shinji thought, 'I wanted to have a chance at a normal life, a chance to experience a normal teenage life.
With friends, a family and a chance to love.' Shinji then thought of whether there were other places, not a fantasy world,
but a real place, where he could . . . start over. Where he could have a real life.

He then looked back up at the familiar face of Lillith and asked simply;
"Is there a place that could give me a real life, not just go back to the desolate earth? " He then tried to clarify himself.
"I Still want to serve some sort of penance for what I have done, but could there be a place where I could do both?"

Lillith smiled a genuine smile at him.

"There are other realities Shinji, that you and a few of those you care for can go instead of the desolate earth."
But, with a normal life there is happiness, . . . and pain as well," she warned him.
Then like a dart to a board, he understood.
Another earth in another reality.
A chance to have a normal life with all it's ups and downs.

He smiled, then he thought of what she had said, a three others can come as well.
He thought of this a moment then realized whom he wanted to go with him, if they so chose.

Lillith being able to read his mind, asked, "Why them? Especially her?"

Shinji was trying to comprehend what Lillith had asked when it dawned on him.
'Because she never was given the chance to live.' he concluded in his mind, 'She was a tool like all of us. She was never given the choice to play, dance, gossip with real friends. Plus, now that I know who she is, I wanted to be her friend, . . . and . . . her brother. She never really had a family. And she even told me herself that she wished for death, because she never really felt as alive as the rest of us."

Lillith knew exactly what he was talking about. But the need for the death she knew could be traced back to her own ordeal. Because Rei's soul was essentially a piece of Lillith's, she could well understand. She also knew Shinji's feelings of guilt not only at Rei's sacrificing herself, but of losing her uniqueness when she joined with Lillith herself.

But She knew what to do about Rei.

She also sensed his feelings about two others. The first was the only other girl he had known well, and yet didn't know.
Her fiery personality was the polar opposite to his, yet they both had similar experiences and losses in their lives.
Lillith also sensed the way he really felt about Asuka Langley Souryu.
It seemed that he cared for her ever since they had met on that warship so long ago.
She made sure she would be given the choice as well.

Finally that final person Shinji had wanted to be with him was not a person, but the one angel who was his friend.
The only person who had told him of his love. Lillith knew the type of love Kaworu had for Shinji.
A love of one soul for another. But angels didn't really have a gender, well except for herself and Adam that is.
But when it came to Kaworu, she could more or less qualtify it as a brotherly love since he would be given the choice of living a Lillium life. Not only that, but in another dimension as well.
She chuckled inwardly at this, Yet as this was happening, she had already gotten his answer.
A few moments later, she also got one from the Fiery German.
Through her nervous tone, she agreed. But not without her opinion being known.

But the toughest was the one within her, the piece taken by Gendo Ikari eleven years before.
Though it meant that some of what she was would leave with Rei, she knew what Shinji said, was true.
It was kind of what Yui had now felt about Rei. Like a daughter to a mother, allowing her to grow up on her own.
Or in this case having a chance at a normal life. So, Lillith took some of her physicality and made them more normal.
dark teal-blue hair instead of the light azure-blue. Blue-green eyes instead of the crimson-red.
'She'll be more like her brother." She thought to herself. Then she hit a brick wall.

Rei would not leave unless she was ordered to. A throwback reaction from her life before.
"Rei, I'm allowing you to have a chance at a normal life, with Shinji there to help you, and of course, you to help him."
(As Lillith was having this conversation with the Rei part of her soul, Shinji had not even had a micro-second go by.)
"I have never rally made an independent decision, I need someone to order me. . . " Lillith then interrupted Rei.
"Did you not sacrifice yourself to save those you cared for?. Did you not make the decision on your own
to give Shinji the chance to direct Third Impact?" Lillith then waited for Rei's reply.
It took no more than a few moments for her reply, She simply nodded yes and disappeared.

Lillith then had her full attention to The former third child.
"Shinji, they have all agreed. It is time for you to go." But before Lillith could send him to this other reality,
Shinji raised his hand. "Will our world be reborn. What I mean is will they need us?"

Lillith smiled and carefully hugged the boy calming him. "If they needed you, I wouldn't have given you this choice."
Shinji smiled, and returned the hug carefully. Then, with the blink of and eye Shinji found himself on his back with two walls of brick rising on either side of him. Funny and funky smells assaulted his nose as he slowly sat up to observe where he was.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A New Reality

Shinji Ikari sat up and first noticed that there was garbage cans around him, and a street at the end of what was obviously an alley.
he then looked down at himself and noticed he was in his customary white shirt, with a blue undershirt, a blue pair of pants,
and his standard sneakers. He then looked back up and turned around to see the back of the alley.

There, a few feet from him was an unconscious girl . She seemed familiar, then it hit him. "Its . . . its Rei!" He said out loud.
But her hair is almost the same color as mine, but with a blue tinge. He then got up a steadied himself as he then walked to her.

He knelt down and tried to wake her. "Rei, . . . Rei wake up, Rei." shaking her by the shoulder.
"Hmmmm." Was all she said rubbing her face with her hands as she slowly woke up and with Shinji's help, sat up.

"Ikari Shinji?" He simply nodded. "Where are we?" was the obvious question.

"Well, I don't really know, but if what Lillith said is true, we have a chance at a new life here." Shinji then smiled at the confused girl.

"We are in . . . another reality, another earth?" Rei asked still rubbing the dirt off, and straightening her school uniform.

"It seems so, but before we go out to that street, I need to ask you something."
Rei nodded and then had her attention on what Shinji will say next.
"With what I know of your origins, and what I learned from Lillith, I want to ask you if it's ok , . . . if you'd consider, . . .if I could be . . ." He sighed then blurted out, If your my sister."

Rei for her part was seen by Shinji as considering his request. It took a minute or so as she thought it over.
Then in her usual soft tone, she said, "Shinji, I have known for a long time that I have . . . cared for you.
So, your request to consider me your sibling is accurate, . . . and something I would welcome."

Rei then was taken by surprise by an unexpected hug from stuttering Shinji saying thank you several times with Rei finally returning the hug though rather stiffly. 'Lillith did not tell me that we had to hug.' she said to herself, but her attitude changed as she was feeling the warmth, not just physically but emotionally.
'I should not be feeling these emotions. My angel make-up usually helps me to keep these feelings in check.' then Rei made a dramatic discovery. Her hair color , and eye color had changed. She saw her reflection from a window beside her. Her hair was almost normal color. And her eyes were a shade of blue and green. Different that Shinji's but similar.
'Was she fully human now?' She asked herself still enjoying the warm hug from Shinji. Then realization set in when a passing car sounded it's horn and startled them away from each other.

"We had better get out to the street and find out where we are." Rei said softly to Shinji who's arms were still around her.

Yeah, we'd better, I guess." They both blushed slightly and got up off the alley's floor.
Then they looked around to see if there was anything that would have been theirs.
Nothing was apparent, so they slowly let go of themselves and slowly made their way to the street.

After they got to the street, they knew that they had to find out not just where they were , . . . but when.

Then Shinji let out a gasp and grabbed Rei's hand tightly. "I know where we are, but, It's impossible!"

"Rei looking confused asked, "How do you know, Shinji-kun?"
Shinji simply pointed to a very large structure known around the world as the Kiushin Stadium.

"But, that was destroyed with the N2 attack after Second Impact?" Rei said now very confused.

"Rei, we're not in Tokyo-3 anymore!" was all Shinji could say.

Next chapter, Which Earth and When will be answered!
Chapter 1: A New Home

As Rei and Shinji figure out where they are, two more jion them to a new life and a new family situation.