Missing
An Evangelion Fanfiction
By: Lord Legato Deathscythe
Disclaimer: I don't own Eva, and I never will.
It was calm and still, and she hadn't felt anything to disturb this sort of peaceful existence for she knew not how long. The stillness, the quiet, the darkness had filled her for a while now. Time had lost all meaning a while back, and until now she hadn't even felt the need to move. It was like when you just wake up, and all you wanted to do was lay there and ignore the world beyond the soft touch of the blanket. Though even then, there comes a time where you just have to start moving and seize the day before you.
And as every waking person from deep slumber gives up the battle between night and day, she began to rise from her slumber. Something felt wrong though. As her feet first touched the ground, she didn't feel the carpeted floor of her bedroom or the cold tile of a medical wardroom. It was if she was standing on nothing at all the same as the darkness all around her. Her body didn't feel stiff or tired at all, but refreshed and ready.
As she took in her surroundings she saw a single light in the distance. She didn't know why but she felt compelled to move towards the light. It didn't feel like that long until she was surrounded by bright pure light. It was so bright she was blinded by it for a moment. As her eyes adjusted she could tell no more about the world around her then she could before. What she could tell was that she was clad in a skin tight, red suit. It fit her young form perfectly as it always had, and on the chest she could see the familiar "02" stenciled.
Asuka Langley Soryu stood in the most pure light she had ever known. She didn't know how, or why, or when she had gotten to where she awoken. The last thing she remembered had been only the sensation of pain, and fear. She felt none of that here and now. She felt only the most blissful feeling of peace she had ever known. But she was also alone in this vast space. And oh did that annoy her.
"Hello," she called out. Her voice seemed to echo throughout the bright void until it faded from her ears. She turned and looked around her, seeing nothing but empty space. As she turned around she began to walk slowly through the void. When she completed her second turn she backed into something, startling her.
Standing before her was a young man, about her age. He had grey hair, and deep red eyes similar to those of the First Child. He seemed familiar to her, though she knew she had never met this boy before. He was wearing a shirt and slacks, similar to Shinji's school uniform. His expression was calm, as he seemed to size her up. It almost felt like he was leering at her.
"Sorry, not often I get to see someone who isn't of Angelic background," he said.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" Asuka asked.
"Comes with being an Angel, part of the package. Helps when your meeting girls at the bar, but sometimes can get pretty ugly."
"Did you say you were an Angel?"
"Yes. I actually had to duty of working the Trials, those attacks you fought against," he said.
Asuka was ready to punch him the moment he said that. She drew her fist back and as her fist through all of the sudden the Angel just wasn't there.
"Miss, I do ask you not try that again. I was only doing my job."
"Which one?" Asuka asked through her clenched teeth.
"Excuse me?"
"Which Angel were you?"
"Me? Oh, I was actually the Fourth Angel, Samashel. I know it's a mouth full so just call me Sam," he said.
Asuka felt a bit overwhelmed by this. First finding herself in this odd place, then this Angel coming out of nowhere. And lets not forget that he preferred to be called Sam, not his full name. While she wasn't about to complain about that little quirk, she still wanted to know a few things.
"Where am I?"
"You are in between. This is a little plane of existence between life and death where everyone usually just passes through on their way to either Heaven or Hell. Now usually no one even knows they've passed through this area. You know that tunnel with the bright light people say they have seen when they have near death experiences? This is it," Sam explained.
"I'm dead?" Asuka asked, really not liking how this was going.
"Yes. Quiet dead actually, and you went out with a bang. For a fourteen year old you defiantly didn't die quietly. If the other guys hadn't had the advantage of being able to regenerate you more then likely wouldn't be standing here just now," Sam said.
Asuka really didn't like how this was going, "So if I'm dead, and most people are just passing through, why am I here?"
Suddenly Asuka found herself sitting in a nice chair, and a desk stacked with paper work between her and Sam as he sat down. He pulled a file off the top of the pile and opened it. He looked through the file a bit then looked back at her, "Well, you fall under a special category that me and my brethren deal with. Most people just go to the gate, get checked in, and are sent to where they belong. However, in cases such as yours where a major trial has just finished we have to go through a special procedure. Because of your effort on behalf of your entire race you get an automatic pass, the equivalent of a trump card. The individuals involved in the trial already have their destination set in stone. Heaven and Hell pick you mortals for your teams and then you go about and do what you mortals do best."
Sam went through the files again, signing off on some papers and initialing other documents. Asuka was still confused though. Was she supposed to be in Heaven already? Why the delay?
"The delay in your part is specific because of your role. Those who died have already been sent on to where they belong. You're the last one we have to process. Since you were one of the Children, efficiency required us to wait until all the others were processed. It was simply a logistics issue, nothing personal."
"So, I'm the end of the line?" Asuka asked, really annoyed by that. She should have been first through the gate.
"Yup, and because of your status you won't be heading on to your final destination just yet. If you'll be patient for just a bit longer I'll be ready to get the process started," Sam said and continued to fill out the paper work.
"So this is how Heaven does business? That's pretty odd. Seems to be a lot of red tape, and I thought that was just something to be delt with on Earth." Asuka thought.
There was something she also wanted to ask, though it wasn't exactly important.
"How did you get this job?"
Sam looked up and sat back, "You remember the Tenth Angel? The big one that fell from the sky? Me and Zureil flipped him for it. I lost."
Asuka just sat back and let that sink in for a moment. There was a bit to let sink in from this whole thing. She still didn't know why she was really here and not as Sam had said where she belonged. It didn't make sense to her really, and honestly she was already upset by the fact that she had died. Dying had not really mattered to her when she was in battle. If she died, then she was pretty certain that every person on Earth would have shortly followed her. But now, being dead didn't seem as unimportant.
Being dead really SUCKED!
"Okay, now that I have all that done we're ready to get going. If you will please follow me we can get started," Sam said. He got up from his chair and motioned for Asuka to follow him. She didn't really argue with him, didn't make much sense now since she was dead. Odd how being dead seemed to have deadened her usual reactions to the very implication she had been second best. But then again, her pride had been battered pretty hard in the end, it hardly made a difference anymore.
As she followed Sam she found that the light around them dimmed. It wasn't long until they were back in the black void she had awoken in. This didn't fill Asuka with much confidence where her final resting place would be. In fact, the further into the void and further away from the light she got, she began to worry that she might in fact have been on Hell's team. When Sam stopped in front of her and turned to look at her she had to ask.
"Where are we heading?"
"Back to the land of the Living. You have some business there to take care of."
"This isn't going to be one of those things where I go back, find a reason to live and not end up dead is it? Or where we go back and look at my whole life and reasons I made a difference?" Asuka asked.
Sam's face remained deadpan as he said, "No, that would be tacky and overdone."
"So why are we heading back?"
Sam didn't answer, he simply stood there as the void gave way to a busy street of Kyoto. People just passed by them, not noticing and not really caring if they did see them. Fact was Sam seemed rather disinterested with all the people around him, and just looked at a small notebook. He flipped through a few pages and then looked back at Asuka.
"Ok, here's the deal. It's been about twenty years to the day Earth time since you died. The battle you died in was the last battle in the entire Trial, so it was a major moment in human history. You made a pivotal difference, even if you did die during that battle. Sometimes though we forget the little things when something that big happens. It's not too hard to do really.
"We aren't here to see what kind of difference you made in the lives of your fellow man. It's pretty obvious you made the biggest difference, you laid down your life for humanity even when most of the world didn't know they were in danger."
Asuka just looked around and failed to see the reason behind this entire show. It just felt too much like that old American movie "It's a Wonderful Life" for her tastes.
"So what? Why are we here? This doesn't make any sense. We aren't going to do some big review of my life, but you keep talking about how I made such a big difference in the lives of every person on the planet. Well duh, I kept them from ending up dead. So why are we here?" Asuka said. She had felt her anger build as people just meandered around. Here she was, with some Angel, and it felt like she was trapped in some lame Christmas special.
"See, thing is the UN and what remained of NERV did a good job of covering up the entire incident. In fact, they pretty much were able to prevent the general public outside of Tokyo-3 from even finding out. As far as the vast majority of people even here in Japan are concerned, what you went through never happened. Your entire life ended at fourteen due to a tragic traffic accident while here as an exchange student according to the public record. To most people, you never existed. Hard to take in I know, but really it's how a lot of people live," Same said rather matter of factly.
So no one knew she ever existed, just perfect. So the very thing that she had really feared more then anything, the thing that really drove her into the pilot's chair day after day had happened. So she no longer existed, in fact never existed. Her life was nothing more then a footnote in the history of the world. What was she worth really if no one remembered her?
"So why are we here? Sounds like you're just telling me that I failed at everything. Hell, like you said, I never existed to anyone! What's the idea? To rub my face in everything that I hated? IS IT?" she said. Asuka had just had too much of this already. The tedious nature of this entire experience was driving her mad with anger.
"I didn't say no one remembered you. I just said the public at large. What you are here to find is simple. You have to find one person, just one, that remembers you. I mean really remembers you, not just a casual thought here or there. I'm going to make it easy for you, there is only one person who truly remembers you and who you made a personal impact on their life. The rules for this are simple. First, they have to be alive. Second, I won't be suggesting anything for you to do, or someone to go see. You can talk to me and use me as a sounding board, but no more. In order to expedite your travel on this, all you have to do is say the name of the person you want to see. If that person is dead, you will be taken to their grave. The last rule is simple, you have twenty-four of the livings hours to complete this. In the event you don't succeed, then you will be sent through to Heaven no questions asked," Sam told her.
Asuka looked at him cautiously, "And what happens if I do succeed?"
Sam just smiled, "Then you'll get some other options."
"So all I have to do is find someone who remembers me and whose life I made a lasting impression on?"
"Yup, that pretty much sums it up. But it's not going to be as easy as you think," Sam said.
Asuka didn't believe him when he said that. In fact she already knew exactly who would be that one person. In spite of whatever thoughts or actions she may have taken while alive, how could she NOT have made an impact on this ones life.
"Then I know exactly who we'll see first. Shinji Ikari, he couldn't help but remember me. Hell, he probably had more influence from me then anyone else." Asuka said triumphantly. She was going to show this Angel how little he knew.
The smile on his face turned into a bit of a smirk, "You sure you want to start off with him?"
"Yes. Take me to Shinji."
"As you wish," Sam said, the smirk never leaving his face.
Traveling through space and time as Angel's did was as close to instantaneous as one could get. In the literal blink of an eye Asuka found herself and Sam standing in a rather luxurious apartment and no longer on the busy Kyoto street. It was early morning and no one was awake in this rather nice apartment. Asuka took a moment to absorb her surroundings. This place was big by anyone's standards, especially the Japanese. There was a large picture window looking out across the Kyoto skyline, showing a breath taking view of the city. While the furniture was unquestioningly Japanese in style, there were some American and European influences in some of the decorating. Asuka was feeling really good about herself in this decision. She'd be done and finding out what was behind doors number two and three in no time.
Sam just was lying on the couch facing her as the sounds of movement in the kitchen flirted through the apartment. He just looked like he found something of cosmic amusement as Asuka glared at him. She couldn't stand how smug he was being about this, but was certain she'd be eating that grin for breakfast.
"I wouldn't mention that to Zureal if you ever see him. I know you might have found having your arms and head cut off by him unbearable, but we had a field day when he came back up considering how the Third Child turned him into a light snack. I swear Tabris kept asking if he went down raw or if the Third put him into a recipe," Sam said, laughing openly as he thought of when he and Sachiel covered Zureal in parsley while he was napping once.
"So you guys have fun at each other's expense? Not very Angel like," Asuka said.
"Considering our job in Heaven usually involves death and destruction, we take what merriment we can get."
Asuka couldn't argue with that logic, and put that discussion aside as she saw a very young child walk through the apartment. The child couldn't be more then two years old, and had dark brown hair all over her head. Looking at her Asuka thought she could see some of what she thought were Shinji's features. However she resembled her mother mostly except in the eyes, which were the same deep blue of her fathers. She was wearing some bright red pajamas as she ran through the apartment with a smile on her face towards the kitchen.
This house just screamed, "Asuka Langley Soryu left her mark here."
She followed the little girl into the kitchen and found her pulling a step stool towards one of the cabinets. The girl stepped up the stool and opened the cabinet holding the breakfast cereal. She took down the box with some goofy cartoon mascot on the front and then moved the stool over to where the bowls were. She got herself a bowl and a spoon then filled her bowl with cereal. Asuka watched the scene as the little girl dug in happily into the bowl without a care in the world. She wondered why this girl was eating alone in this home.
"Why is she alone? I wouldn't think Shinji would let his kid do anything alone," Asuka asked.
"Just because she's doing some thing like fixing cereal on her own doesn't mean he's as distant from her as his father was with him. She's two years old, lots of two year olds can figure out how to simply make cereal. It's the liquids you can't trust them with," Sam answered.
The small girl started eating the dry cereal happily as a door opened somewhere else in the house. A woman in a long silken bathrobe entered the kitchen and beamed at the child. She was about thirty years old, with hair a dark raven black. The robe showed off her figure, clinging to her like a second skin. Asuka couldn't help but admire the woman's beauty as her eyes followed the contours mirrored in the fabric. She was almost pound for pound the perfect looking woman by Japanese standards.
The woman walked up to the little girl and patted her head, "Good morning Kimi," she said as she kissed the child on her head.
"Morning Mama," Kimi responded happily.
"Want milk for your cereal Kimi?"
"No thank you Mama, it makes it all squishy," Kimi responded, popping a piece of cereal into her mouth.
Kimi's mother just shook her head and went to brew herself and her husband a cup of tea. Asuka watched her and the child the whole time. Who were these people? When she had asked to be brought to where Shinji was, she had expected to find a clean apartment sure, but with only a single person living there. This place looked as if it wasn't just a place to rest, but a real home. It still felt cramped to her, but it didn't feel restricting as she had felt in the old apartment. She turned to ask Sam a question only to have him answer her before she could ask.
"The woman is named Kumiko Ikari, the child is Kimi of course. Shinji met her about ten years ago, after spending a little time in a psychiatric ward under UN care. The entire war took its toll on his psyche. After much doing, he was able to once again join the rest of humanity. He still takes prescriptions to keep his depression in check, but he's doing pretty well," Sam said as he took a seat in front of Kimi and watched her eat.
"Where did they meet?" Asuka asked.
"In college, Shinji received a full ride thanks to the UN, and he wasn't far behind as his education was part of his treatment. Turns out he's actually very intelligent, once he didn't have the stress of his own thoughts to distract him. You remember how much he cleaned up?" Asuka nodded as she inspected Kumiko, glancing back at Sam over her shoulder. "That was another way of him trying to focus on something outside what happened around him. Who has time for that when there is an apartment to keep clean with two women who are rather untidy. But he was deemed stable enough to rejoin the world under supervision and attended Kyoto University. They met in a ceramics class and the rest is as they say, history." Sam said with a smile.
Asuka was about to retort, noticing for a moment Sam and Kimi seemed to be having a staring contest. That couldn't be though because the living couldn't see them. Kimi popped another piece of cereal in her mouth as Asuka heard more movement in the house. Kumiko filled two cups with what looked like Green Tea as a young man walked in and slowly slide his arms around her. Asuka couldn't believe her eyes.
It was almost as if she were looking at a younger and possibly happier Gendo Ikari. It only made sense since the man standing kissing at Kumiko's neck was the son of the Commander. However, Shinji had apparently foregone the beard in favor of a nice clean shave. He stood in a light shirt and loose fabric pants as he held his wife in front of Asuka. Though it did seem as if he had been forced to have one similarity to his father. He wore wire rimmed glasses similar in shape to Gendo's, though clear glass with no tint. Asuka would almost say he was handsome, if the shock of seeing him kiss Kumiko deeply hadn't removed all ability at coherent thought from her. The moment was broken when Kimi squealed at them for being icky.
Sam was chuckling as the girl looked back at the Angel. This was odd to Asuka, she thought they were invisible. While she pondered that she listened to Shinji and Kumiko speak, "You had a long trip last night, are you sure you don't want to sleep a bit more. We don't have anywhere to be today love," Kumiko said.
"I was gone for almost a month for this performance. Spending the day with both of you is all I need to get me going. Besides, we'll drop Kimi off with your sister so she can spend the night playing with her cousins. Then, you and I can spend the night getting reacquainted with each other," Shinji said, grinning at his wife with a playful gleam in his eye.
Kimi looked Sam in the eyes, "Are you a friend of Tab?"
Sam smiled, "I'm his brother, see the family resemblance?"
"You both have the same eyes," Kimi said.
"Yes, we do. Is he around?" Sam asked,
Kimi just shook her head.
"When you see him could you tell him Sam needs to talk to him?"
Kimi nodded, smiling.
"Good Girl," Sam said smiling broadly. "I have to go take care of something, he'll know where to find me."
Sam stood up and smiled at Kimi, waving at her as he walked over to Asuka. He gave her a small wave as he returned his attention to his current charge. It seemed so far that there was nothing that would point to this being what she had thought.
"Has he thought one thing about me?" Asuka asked.
"Nope, not right now. He remembers you rather fondly, as he does Misato and Rei. Though when he thinks of you it's always in a reflective way about the war. It's never in an impact sort of way though, and really why would it? You knew each other for a year and with everything that occurred in that year, you were really not as big a factor in what happened to him personally as you might think."
"Are you nuts? We lived together, fought together, we were comrades in arms!" Asuka said.
"Yes, you were that and you were dependent on each other to cover the other. But you have to take the entirety of events as a whole. The war and his final roll in it almost destroyed him. There was not one stable thing at all that he could hold on to, and it took ten years of rather intensive therapy to get him as far as it did. He's lucky, he's got a few folk topside looking out for him. Not many people have that," Sam said.
"I thought all you Angel's up in Heaven watched over everyone?" Asuka said with a sneer in her voice.
"There are Angel's charged with that and other things, Guardians, Fates, and even some Gregories. However, due to his roll in the Ascension and his impact he warrants special attention from several on the higher planes. I must say there are a couple of us who feel obligated to him for our roll in that," Sam said.
"Like you?"
"Me, I only slapped him around a bit. There are others though who did much worse, and feel they should try to make amends. You have a few admirers topside as well, if I may say so. Come now, we have much to do, and time is not on our side." Sam said, taking Asuka by the shoulder and transporting them away from there. As they did Kimi said, "Bye bye."
Shinji and Kumiko were watching her as she did, "Who do you think she's talking to?"
"Don't know. But let her have her imaginary friends. We don't want to steal that wonder from her until we have to," Shinji said, his arms wrapped tightly around his beloveds shoulders. For a moment, he felt as if something familiar had entered his mind but he could not think of what. Only an image of red stood out in his mind.
Asuka was livid, "HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO I WAS!"
She had been fuming and screaming since she and Sam had left the apartment of her former comrade. And in that time she hadn't stopped throwing out curse after curse in every language she knew. Sam was happy he had his A.T. Field on standby just in case. It would probably be the only thing to keep his charge from attacking him.
"We lived in the same apartment for almost a year! You would think that would count for SOMETHING other then just being some girl from school! We fought a fucking war together!"
Sam sighed, "Yes, you did. However neither of you came out of that war untouched. You're dead, and he lived and he didn't have much to go back to after it was over. If he hadn't put it behind him he might have done something rash."
Asuka kept on marching down the road. Sam sighed, "Really, when you think about it that entire year for him was rather tormented. Do you really think he would actively try to remember anything other then living friends afterwards? After all, you have experience blocking out painful memories."
Asuka turned on him, "That has nothing to do with it." she hissed. Sam just gave her a patient look.
"Doesn't it? His Father once told him that the way humans survived was their ability to forget. He's tried to do that, and it's gotten him a decent life. He hasn't completely forgotten you or anyone else, he just doesn't linger on those thoughts. If he didn't do that, he would be haunted and persecuted by those memories for the rest of his days."
Asuka conceded the point. Then she remembered something she felt odd about, "Why was the kid acting like she saw you?"
Sam smiled, "Children, before they get too old, can readily see me and my kind. Her parents think she has an imaginary friend named Tab or Tabby. Fact is that is my brother Tabris, and he is one of those I told you about. One of the folk who feel obligated to look out for Young Mr. Ikari."
Asuka nodded, "Alright, lets try again. Let's go see Misato, she should remember me."
Sam nodded and in a flash she was starring right at a tombstone. She looked around her at the other tombstones, all of which were simple markers for the dead. Asuka was stunned as she walked up to Misato's marker. It had a simple epitaph.
Misato Katsuragi
1986-2016
Fearsome warrior, Beloved Guardian
May you find peace for all time
"So, she didn't survive," Asuka said. It wasn't a question.
"Last I saw her she was topside enjoying the company of several other Angels. Woman could put away a lot of booze in life, and death has only improved her constitution. She hangs around a human man, never seems to shave."
Asuka perked up at this, "Kaji is dead too?"
Sam nodded, "He was killed shortly before the Fifteenth Trial."
"I never knew," Asuka whispered.
"It wouldn't have done you any good to know. You were already on the brink at that time. I'm afraid my sister Areal didn't do you any favors."
Asuka growled, "And what pray tell does she do all the time?"
Sam sighed, he always felt for his sister. She out of all of them had the worst task in these trials, forcing one of the chosen to face their own nightmares. She never did quiet get over things of that nature for a few centuries.
"She spends most of her time alone. You have to understand, my brothers and I for the most part are just big monsters going around smashing stuff. We get the easy jobs, go around, smash this, crush that, we get off rather easy in that department.
"Arael however gets the worst job. She has to do... well you experienced what she had to do. Every time she does, when she gets back topside she locks herself away and prays. That's all she'll do for weeks on end, pray for forgiveness, for the soul she just had to attack. She's very much like Ikari was when he came to Tokyo-3 at first. Lilith usually is the one to get her to come out. I think her modus operandi in those cases is to get Arael as drunk as possible then hit on some of the arch-angels. Sometimes it even works," Sam said, his voice low and worried.
"What about this time?" Asuka asked.
"We're still trying to get her to leave the area we keep to ourselves upstairs. This last time was rather traumatic. It seems your demons were some of the worst she's ever had to bare witness to."
Asuka sighed at that. The more she heard about how the Angels worked the less she understood. Now she heard the Angel that had attacked her mind was taking a lot longer to recover then the others. Sam seemed worried about her. Asuka looked to the right of Misato's grave and spotted her own. It was just as simple, and just as ominous.
Asuka Langley Soryu
2001-2016
Rest well for your sacrifice Child
Asuka turned away quickly. She wanted to leave this place as fast as possible. "Alright, lets get moving," she said. Sam got up and they continued on to their next stop.
Asuka couldn't help but be curious, so she asked Sam to take her to see Commander Ikari. She had expected a simple tombstone like her and Misato's. She didn't expect to see him and Fuyutsuki playing a game of Shogi. The setting however was more then appropriate to the dead girl. They sat in a sterile looking area. Both were simply dressed in blue denim pants and shirts, simple numbers the only decoration on the left side of their shirts.
"They're in jail?" Asuka asked.
"Yes. After everything finished up they readily handed themselves over to the authorities. They'll be spending the rest of their lives incarcerated here. No one really knows where here is though. It's a top secret location in order to protect the inmates," Sam explained.
The two took a seat on either side of the table watching the game. The two men moved their pieces silently for the most part. Fuyutsuki said, "So how are the nightmares?"
"They come and go, as does the pain," Gendo said simply.
"Damned thing that Phantom Nerve Syndrome isn't it," Fuyutsuki said as he made his move.
"Quiet, an eternal reminder of what we almost accomplished," Gendo simply said.
"As if the black marks on both our souls wasn't enough," Fuyutsuki said.
Gendo moved a piece, causing Fuyutsuki to curse slightly, "We made our choices, and did as we thought was best. It is all we could have done with the cards dealt us," Gendo said, leaning back and taking a sip of green tea.
"I disagree, we could have done more and made better decisions. We're both guilty of attempting to kill the entire world," Fuyutsuki replied, smirking as he made his move.
"It was either that, or allow the Old Men free reign. If we hadn't made our own attempt things would have turned out far worse," Gendo said.
"Doesn't make what we did right, Ikari," Fuyutsuki grosed.
Gendo slowly moved another tile, "Right and wrong don't enter into it, Professor. We simply took the lesser of two evils."
Fuyutsuki shook his head and just watched the board for a moment, "Still doesn't seem right you and I are inn here, while that cybernetic bastard Kiel is still free."
"Perhaps, but he can no longer stop his own death. If there is anything beyond this life he will be made to answer for his crimes," Gendo said.
"I never took you for one to believe in the hereafter."
"Events such as what we witnessed have a way of changing ones perspective."
Asuka turned to Sam and asked, "So this is what they do all day? Play Shogi and talk about how they didn't destroy the world?"
Sam looked at her with a large smile, nodding his head as he answered, "Pretty much."
"Seems rather anticlimactic you ask me."
"Maybe, but they eventually will pass on and head topside," Sam said.
Asuka looked at him like he had split in two, "They're getting in?"
"Yup, and if you listen closely you'll hear the reason," Same said, then turned back to the players.
Fuyutsuki looked at Gendo and asked, "So how is Shinji doing?"
"His last letter said he was going to be spending a few months with his wife and daughter before the next tour. Sent me a data recording, I'll lend it to you later. He also sent some new pictures of Kimi," Gendo said. He then passed one to Kozo who took it and smiled at the innocent child's face.
"Thank God we didn't have to depend on you or Yui's ability to carry a tune. We'd have been dead long ago," Kozo said back.
"Yes, truly amazing how our intellect mixed to grant him much more in the artistic realms. His letter said he was going to plan a trip down here to visit us when he could," Gendo said.
"Still can't believe he forgave us for what we did to him," Fuyutsuki said.
Gendo moved a piece and smirked, "He's a better man then you or I my friend."
Fuyutsuki stared at the board then shook his head, "At least I can beat him in Shogi every once in a while."
Gendo smirked and began resetting the board, "Another game?"
Kozo just fixed him with an annoyed glare, "You enjoy this too much."
Gendo's smirk broadened, "Men such as ourselves must take pleasure where we can, Professor."
Kozo just groused, "I'm getting too old for this shit."
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