Title: Ikari Shinji: Pilot, Savior, Prince?

Author: DhampyrX2

Genre: Drama/humor X-over

Rating: PG-13 to R at some point

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Don't sue me, I'm poor.

Summary: Well, here's the start of the NGE/DBZ cross I suggested in on some of the message boards I belong to. Hope you like it. Comments and reviews are most welcome.

The skies were red as blood as the shockwave rocked the planet. All over the world the wailing of man and animal alike shrieked out to the heavens in the hopes of finding salvation as the end came for them.

Unfortunately, the closest thing to divine intervention in the form of Dende-sama was stopped by the sheer nature of what was taking place. The old Nameksejin's hands were tied by forces well beyond him.

And humanity's last hope had just died a gruesome death as he fought a battle none of his remaining fellow Z-Senshi could fight. After Trunks, Bra, and Kakarotto's brood had passed either through old age or in battle, Vegeta, at the spry age of 435, was the last Super Saiyajin left. Sadly, that distinction meant the old and gray Saiyajin-no-ouji was severely out-gunned and without backup when he faced his last adversary. He barely lasted five minutes before his heart gave out under the strain of an attempt to ascend to SSJ2, as his enemy tore him apart.

The Angel had won, and human and dinosaur alike would perish in the inferno of what would be later known as First Impact.

But that is only the beginning...

"SEND ME BACK RIGHT NOW YOU MISERABLE BASTARD OR I SWEAR BY THE GODS OF VEGETA-SEI THAT I'LL SEND YOU TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL MYSELF IN SO MANY PIECES THEY'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO PUT YOUR OVERGROWN OGRE'S BODY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN!" a much younger looking Vegeta snapped as he stood in front of the desk of the great Enma-sama, god of the dead. (That's King Yamma to you poor dub name only souls.)

The giant red deity began to sweat as the diminutive prince then went on a rather impressive tirade about the Angel and how he was limited by his own failing body but that he'd teach the beast some respect when he returned in his proper form.

"It's not that simple, Vegeta," Enma-sama finally sighed. "You are truly dead, and no sentient life on Earth can wish you back now. Only Goku, Dende and Mr. Popo remain. Unfortunately, they are forbidden from using the Dragon Balls for various reasons.

"That had better be a sick joke, red man. I did not spend the last four and a quarter or so centuries, far longer than any Saiyajin has ever lived, protecting the Onna's home world just to be told I failed now. Send. Me. Back," Vegeta bit out in a low and deadly tone of voice.

"I can not, Vegeta. It is your time. Please accept that," Enma-sama replied with a tired frown. With that said, the king of the dead looked into his logs on his table for a moment. "Now, let's get the formalities out of the way, shall we? Not that we're not already well acquainted," he added with a forced chuckle. "Prince Vegeta, married name Vegeta Briefs, soul-bond mate to Bulma Briefs and last Saiyajin-no-ouji. You spent most of your early life in slavery to the damned warlord Frieza committing unspeakable evils, but spent the vast majority of your later life as a defender of your mate's home planet of Earth. Your karmic balance is such that...oh. Oh my."

"What?" Vegeta snapped irritably. "Have I earned a spot in Hell too close to Frieza and Cell for your comfort? Am I late for the great villains poker tournament in the lake of fire? Is Piccolo claiming I owe him money? Spit it out already!"

"You are not bound for Hell, Vegeta," Enma-sama assured him.

"Lucky me," Vegeta snorted, although those that knew him well would detect a small bit of hope in his voice buried under the disdain. Perhaps he would be reunited with his Onna, after all.

"You are not however, pure enough for heaven," Enma continued.

"Imagine that," Vegeta retorted sarcastically. Damn. So much for seeing Bulma. he thought to himself.

"Normally, as you know from the second time you died against Majin Buu, this would mean your mind would be wiped and your soul sent for reincarnation. Unfortunately, I doubt you will consent to that as an option now," Enma-sama said with a long look at the now smug prince before him.

Just to twist the knife a bit, Vegeta silently ascended to SSJ4, a form his ageless soul-self was no longer denied by a failing and aged body. "No, I don't think it's an option at all," the prince agreed with a smug grin.

Enma lat out a tired sigh as he contemplated his options. There just had to be a peaceful resolution to this...wait. That might work. "Vegeta, perhaps we can come to a compromise," he began.

Many millennia later

"Hoah, whoa! Misato-san, what's going on? Misato-san! Asuka, Ayanami, cover me!
Misato-san, can you hear me, Misato-san!" Ikari Shinji cried over the tac net from the cockpit of his Unit 01 as he was sucked in to the shadow of the twelveth Angel.

"Hm. Eject plug! Send the signal!" Katsuragi Misato, his commander, roommate, and legal guardian cried to the tech around her.

"No use. There's no response," Ibuki Maya responded as she worked furiously to save the fourteen year old pilot.

"Misato-san, Misato-san!" Shinji cried out in desperation

"Shinji-kun!" Misato cried back with equal despair as the last of Unit 01 disappeared from sight and was sucked into the Sea of Dirac.

End Prologue

Okay, here's part of the next part...

"blah" is talking

blah is thinking

"blah" is Vegeta talking. (He is in Shinji's mind after all)

"I never thought sleeping could exhaust me," Shinji muttered to himself as he floated withing the LCL of his entry plug and contemplated his circumstances wherever the Angel had trapped him.

Eventually, he activated his monitor again to check for signs of life or rescue. "Still only white noise. Radar and sonar have gotten no response," he thought aloud.

"This space must be too vast. Why does that seem so familiar? For some reason I remember a room. A room with infinite food. And fighting? No, I'm no fighter. I must be imagining things," he mused as he checked the time on the monitors.

"It's been 12 hours since I switched to the life-support-mode. Huh...My life will end in 4 or 5 hours...feel hungry...I was always hungry I think...I could really go for some of that food. Even Misato's cooking," Shinji rambled.

"...don't be too hasty. The Onna still can't cook..." a voice long forgotten muttered hazily on the edge of Ikari-san's consciousness.

/A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER/

"Mm...The water is getting muddy! Hhug...Purification capacity is decreasing..." Shinji muttered as he began to feel as if he was choking on the LCL that was meant to sustain him in the EVA.

"Hah. Mm,mm... it smells. Blood, it smells of blood," Shinji whispered in exhaustion.

"I remember that smell. It's invigorating isn't it? A part of our very soul." the fuzzy voice murmured in a louder, gruffer tone.

"Ha... No! I hate this place! Why can't I open this lock! Open! Let me out!" Shinji denied angrily.

"That's what happens when you rely on machines to do your fighting. Even one like this that we're connected to. We were always much stronger than THIS before. You shouldn't have trusted those so called teachers of ours. We'd have won by now if you hadn't," the voice reprimanded imperially.

"Misato-san, what's going on! Misato-san!" Shinji cried out in fear.

"Onna. My onna. Our mate. I miss you so, even if I had a hard time telling you what was in my cold dead heart."

"Asuka!"

"Daughter"

"Ayanami!"

"...not too sure about her..."

"Eee! Ritusko-san! hhug..."

"Nice rack on that one, but don't trust her. She looks shifty to us whether you admit it or not. Her eyes are sad. They reflect sins unspoken."

"Father..."

"Mudering bastard. We'll stop you this time. You won't have me killed again. And I'll send you to meet Freiza. You're already just like him. You'll have fun being his bitch" the voice growled darkly.

"hhug, cough, m, g, mm, Please, help me..." Shinji muttered pitifully, certain he was loosing his mind.

"Stupid boy, I'm trying to. We have to help ourself first. But you have to remember first. You have to let us reconnect! OW! I KNOW I'm being rough on him damn it! He needs the push if we're to win. Just because you're our mother here doesn't give you the right to strike someone of my lineage, Yui! If you'd get off your ass and help toughen him up instead of acting like an immature Oozaru when he gets knocked out maybe I wouldn't have to act like this!" the voice replied as it seemed to be having two conversations at once.

"Yui. I remember that name," Shinji whispered.

"You should. She's been hitting me upside the head for eight of the last nine of these baka Angel things." the voice replied petulantly.

And with that, Shinji smiled.

"Forced salvaging of Eva?" Misato demanded from the command station as they talked over their options to retrieve Shinji. Truthfully, a part of her almost wanted to tell to go screw herself because the young pilot would be just fine. She was certain nothing could kill her Shin-chan.

Ritsuko looked as dispassionate as possible as she replied, "It's the only way that might be possible. Dropping 992 existing N2 depth charges in the central portion,
timed to within 1 millisecond of using the two existing Eva's A.T. Fields to interfere with the imaginary circuit of the Angel. In that moment, we concentrate enough explosive energy to break the Angel along with the Dirac's Sea that forms its body."

Misato was looking at her long time friend as if she were mad as she replied, "But, you know Eva's body can't... Shinji-kun wouldn't... Hell, this is no rescue operation."

Ritsuko tried to hide the guilt and sympathy she felt as she stated the Commander's feelings on the operation to Shinji's guardian. "In this operation, salvage of the body of Unit One has the number one priority over all else. We do not care if the body is destroyed," she admitted evenly.

That piece of information certainly raised Misato's ire as she exclaimed, "Wait a second!"

Ritsuko looked utterly lifeless as she responded, "In this case, the pilot's life is of no concern."

"Mgg," Misato grunted as she showed the doctor just what she thought of that idea as she grabbed the faux blond tightly at the collar and tried to restrain herself from throttling her or putting a bullet in her head.

"Aw!" Ritusko exclaimed in fright as she saw just how deadly serious Misato's eyes were in that moment. "If Shinji-kun is lost, it's your fault. Just remember that," she warned in an effort to shock the woman into letting her go.

Misato released her one time friend as she demanded, "What's the reason you and Commander Ikari are so worried about Unit One? What is Eva?"

Ritsuko looked more wary than even the situation demanded as she responded, "The material I gave you tells you everything regarding Eva."

"Bullshit," the purple headed bombshell asserted with finality.

Ritsuko tried to assuage some of Misato's obvious concerns as she adopted a sympathetic look and said, "Trust me, Misato. I am commanding everything in this operation. We will forward all flights to the Kankuu airport. Contact the Air Control and Air Transport Divisions of the JDAF."

As the bottle blond spoke, Misato thought to herself, Second Impact, Project Instrumentality, Adam. There are many secrets I'm in the dark about...

And deep in her mind, well below what she would ever register or hear in her head, a similar voice shouted "You damned well better get out of this alright Vegetable-head!"

At that thought not-quite rang through her head, Misato began to scratch idly at the nape of her neck, just where it met her collarbone on her right hand side.

"Who? Who?" Shinji deliriously wondered aloud as his vision began to cycle between light and dark. before his eyes. It was as if the EVA around him had melted away. finally, his mind seemed to conjure a round room, filled with athletic training equipment like weights and punching bags of all kinds, for him to stand in. As Shinji stood there and looked around he could swear the gravity in the room was heavier than is should be. And that the controls near the door and the video monitor looked too...advanced compared to even what he had seen at NERV. Where was he?

"IKARI Shinji," the gruff voice from before sounded from all around the boy.

"That's me," Shinji replied, although he sounded unsure even as he said it. then again, he usually sounded unsure when he said anything, so that didn't mean much.

"I am you," the voice declared with a palpable note of distaste. "One has another self within oneself. The "self" always consisted of two selves," the voice continued as if giving a school lecture.

"Two?" Shinji inquired curiously.

"Don't interrupt you idiot human brat!" the voice snapped, making Shinji jump in fright. the exclamation was followed be the sound of a meaty slap and the voice calling out "Argh! Alright already you damned onna. I'm getting to it. It's not my fault I keep getting sent back as these pathetic humans. They can't even compare to Kakarotto's cue ball friend or that three eyed idiot anymore."

Shinji looked on in confusion as the voice went on, "As I was saying, the self who is actually watched by others and the self which watches itself:

IKARI Shinji in your mind.

IKARI Shinji in KATSURAGI Misato's mind.

IKARI Shinji in Soryuu Asuka's mind.

IKARI Shinji in AYANAMI Rei's mind.

IKARI Shinji in IKARI Gendou's mind.

Each IKARI Shinji is different from the others, but each of them is a true IKARI Shinji. You're afraid of the IKARI Shinji in others' minds."

Shinji seemed to understand a bit as he declared, "I'm afraid of being hated."

The voice countered, "You hate being hurt. Who is bad? Father is bad. The Father who deserted us."

"I am bad," Shinji sadly replied with an air of defeat.

That was all the voice could stand of the defeatist attitude as Shinji heard the sound of steps stomping toward him from behind. He turned to face the coming sound, unsure of what he would see, only to see someone he had not 'seen' since he was a child of no more than six. It was a figure roughly his height now, minus his wildly gravity defying hair, dressed in a blue bodysuit with white and gold chest armor, along with matching white and gold boots and gloves.

"Veggie-sama?" Shinji asked in shock as the the figure hauled off and punched Shinji in the gut, which immediately brought the EVA pilot to his knees.

"That Prince Vegeta, Saiyajin-no-ouji to you, brat. And I'm sick and damned tired of hearing you belittling yourself under the manipulations of that moronic, would-be Frieza bastard you call a father," the prince of all Saiyajins replied with a sneer.

"But, but...but you're just my imaginary friend from when I was was little. How? What? Oh, God I've cracked up waiting to die," the boy lamented as he tried to get his wind back, so to speak, from the punch.

"Quit your whining! You were never like this before until you let that so called sensei your bastard father left you with convince you I wasn't real! Look at what you've become. It's disgusting! Scraping for praise from that worthless fool! Even a monster as I once was learned to love his own! Rokubungi Gendo is nothing but human refuse unfit for the name IKARI!" Vegeta declared proudly.

"Oh, God, I've gone mad," Shinji whined in fright.

"You aren't crazy, BAKA! I'm just a part of you. A memory in the back of your pathetic human brain. A THIRD you, so to speak," Vegeta asserted with snort of revulsion.

"You're what? But how?" Shinji wondered with a look that bordered somewhere between horror, awe, and great respect.

"Now that is a story that will sound insane," Vegeta responded with an annoyed huff as he prepared to explain just what was going on to the youngest living Ikari.

...And I think I'll end it there for now.