Evangelion: Tale of Ono

Prologue: Sickness Unto Death

The white abyss of that unfamiliar hospital ceiling gazed painfully at Shinji Ikari as he opened his eyes. Despite the almost ethereal cleanness of the room and the ever angelic Rei Ayanami at his bedside reading a philosophical novel he assumed that this was not paradise. Since he was alive the blue-eyed boy also assumed the Twelfth Angel was dead. Rei shifted a glance at him and relayed the earlier situation regarding his disappearance within the abstract sphere and shadow now dubbed Leliel. Shinji was not surprised yet still saddened by the fact that Nerv was willing to kill him by unloading 992 nuclear grade warheads into the pocket dimension he was located inside if it meant killing the Angel. After she finished her report Rei impassively stared at Shinji for a moment. Her lips twitched as if she wanted to say something, but then the thought was either discarded or stored away. The Third Child's fugue state allowed him to ignore his insecurities for a moment to clearly meet her stare and in doing so realized she was concerned over something.

"Thank you for watching over me Rei," Shinji said with an uncharacteristically wan smile. "I'm feeling better now."

"That's good for you," replied the First Child cryptically which elicited a vague memory in Shinji.

As Rei took her leave by opening the hospital door Shinji spotted a flash of red hair darting away from the doorway. The absurd quickness of movement and the squeaking chair noise caused by the Great Asuka Langely Soryu pushed the tired boy into a fit of giggles. Why she was there baffled him, but her presence just outside was welcome all the same. Shinji thought himself fortunate despite everything that happened. That was until heat seemed to flood his every nerve ending. A sensation similar to his excursion into an active volcano overwhelmed the pilot. Much to his horror the searing pain became worse. The boy's body began to spasm erratically for it felt as though he was melting from the inside out. A voice called out to him and echoed inside his head. It was vehement and commanding much like his father's yet obviously female.

"THE ANGEL STILL LIVES," decreed the voice, "KILL THE ANGEL OR YOU SHALL BURN FOR ETERNITY."

Shinji screamed as the heat became unbearable yet he had somehow not lost consciousness. The hospital door zipped open seconds later and with that the heat abruptly passed. Asuka rushed into the room as if she was trying to win a sprinting competition. The boy clenched his chest and coughed fitfully. Usually Asuka would waste no time in calling a nurse, but his condition seemed to need a quick assessment right that moment.

"Shinji?" began the German as she strode toward his bedside making him flinch.

"Ack-oh he-hey Asuka," sputtered Shinji as he regained his breath. "I'm o-uh-kay"

"You sure or are you just trying to act tough like an idiot?"

"No really I-I just remembered what it was like inside the angel."

"And that put you in such a panic that you screamed?"

"It was hot in there," explained Shinji as he reverted back to his lethargic state, "Kinda like with the Eighth Angel."

"I see," replied Asuka while sporting narrowed eyes for she sensed he was withholding details ", I'll just get a nurse next time."

The surly redhead took her leave once Shinji's silence made it clear he would not tell of his entire experience inside the Twelfth Angel. The empty room allowed Shinji to contemplate the truth of what just happened. Someone believed Leliel had not perished and his memory held the answer. The problem was his recollection of what occurred inside the pocket dimension was a mess. Only flitting instances of words said and blurry images graced his waking mind. It dawned on the boy that someone who might be his mother uttered the same phrase as Rei just did just moments ago and there was a brief embrace between him and somebody he'd never met before. That same person gave him a red orb the size of a marble. The act made him weep as he crushed it. Shinji replayed these scenes again and again. Pitifully the distraught patient only came to one conclusion: This was going to be hard to explain to his superiors.