Disclaimer- I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion OR GAINAX nor have rights to it and this is how I think the story should follow after the movie. Thank you. Please enjoy.
Key - Italics: The character thinking or talking to themselves in their mind.
---------------------------
Chapter 27 - Resurrection
Shinji Ikari, designated pilot of Evangelion Unit -01 laid on his bed looking up to the ceiling of his bedroom. I hate this place, thought the exhausted pilot. In the kitchen itself Misato Katsuragi and her lover Ryoji Kagi where both sitting down drinking the alcohol in the household.
"So how long has he been like this?" asked the half drunk man.
"A couple of days now, it's like he doesn't want anything from anyone, he just wants to be by himself and no one else" she replied sighing as she lowered her can.
"How sad, he's been depressed since that..." Kaji didn't want to say Third Impact nor Instrumentality in case Shinji heard. Indeed Shinji hated the name of both of them; they were the worst experience in his life. 'Scarred' would be a better word for what it had done to him.
"He's like this even though knowing what would come when he rejected it and still came back"
"Well he isn't selfish Misato" replied Kaji smiling.
"I know but what was his reason to return?"
The reason he came back life and stayed in Tokyo 3, still questions Misato when she herself had taken up the duty of looking after Shinji still. Misato was alive thanks to Shinji's decision on Instrumentality which everyone could come back and live as individuals not as one, as God. Misato was quite surprised to actually see herself lying on a white sanded beach with the crimson sea splashing at her feet. She remembered being shot and then engulfed in an orange flame, then she knew she had died but came back.
-Flashback-
Misato stood up and scanned the area, she was indeed tired but wanted to know what had just happened and why she was alive. The next thing she saw was that little figures had appeared in the red sea. "People..." said the shocked woman. The figures than swan to the coast to only be met by Misato. One young woman walked up to Misato walking slowly and carefully as if she had not walked before.
"Excuse me, where are we?" asked the woman.
"I don't know" she replied slowly looking around to see if there was a building to point out if they were still in Tokyo 3, turning her head back she couldn't believe who stood in the small crowd of people. A man who had his hair tied back and a stumpy chin stood there producing a smile to her.
"Hello there beautiful" he said before she wrapped her arms around him in a strong embrace crying with those happy tears.
-End of Flashback-
"Hello? Misato?" called out Kaji, but got her attention by squeezing her backside.
"What? Oh sorry" she replied.
"I think you had too much to drink" he smirked grabbing her can and walking off with it.
"Hey wait a minute!" she screamed now running after her man, who stole her drink.
With the noise in the background Shinji just tensed his hand as soon as he heard a smashing sound and laughter afterwards from both adults.
"It's great that they are enjoying themselves, but what about me?" Shinji spoke silently, even though it did seem selfish to say but he didn't care. Then he heard a knock on his door. "Yes?" called out Shinji.
"Shinji, how are you?" asked his guardian.
"Fine..." he replied quietly.
"Alright then, but remember tomorrow can you help give us a hand?"
"For the party?" he questioned.
"Yep, remember tomorrow is special" she said cheerfully as she slid the door shut.
Yeah, she's back tomorrow, the bitch
-Flashback-
Shinji re-opened his eyes that gazed into the black sky hanging above him, It's like me...dark and empty, he thought to himself as he didn't want the red head next to him to know what he was feeling. The young boy of 14 laid there on the sand for about an hour now, it wasn't long ago that he came back from Instrumentality escaping the false reality that he could have enjoyed and lived in. But the famous Third Child rejected it, like the Second Child next to him rejected him. Why can't I accept somewhere I can live? It's probably because there is no where to accept. Then why did chose to be here? that indeed confused Shinji, false reality would be perfect but it would be just a lie and betraying his reality, he hated betrayal, it hurt him too many times. He sat up looking at the red sea at his feet, wave after wave splashed against his feet. "It's rising..." he murmured getting up to his feet. He looked to his left to see the Second Child, Asuka Langley Souryu, the girl who hurt him too many times as well. She lay on the white in a fetus position facing away from him, bandages covered her right arm and left eye, from her battle against the EVA series which ended badly due to Shinji allowing her to die.
"What is it Third?" came the voice of the Second with venom in her tone.
Shinji just looked at her and replied, "Why did you have to come back?" with some venom his voice.
Asuka's hate built up inside of her, she was also in shock in what Shinji had said. What the hell?! Asuka now stood up and looked at the Third Child, "Who do you think you are?!" screamed Asuka grabbing onto Shinji's collar.
"No one" came his reply then he shook off Asuka's grip off him and then headed in the opposite direction of her.
"Where are going baka?!" cried out Asuka, with a hint of worry.
"Away..." he murmured back as he stepped through the bloody sea splashing against his shoes staining them a red colour. He continued to walk away until he was out of Asuka's line of sight.
-End of Flashback-
"Well, I better get some sleep" he moaned to himself as he got changed and crawled into his bed. He had started to dream unpleasant memories again.
-Dreaming-
Shinji stood in a circle of people those he knew too well, Misato, Asuka, Rei and his father.
"You're useless you wimp" said Misato with disappointment in her eyes.
"You're disgusting, I don't want you near me" snarled Asuka.
"Get away from us coward" Rei spoke with anger.
"It would be better that you weren't born" said coldly his father pushing up his glasses
Next the people he knew and loved disappeared into nothing.
"No!-No! Don't leave me alone! I want to be loved! I want to be known!" he screamed out holding his head.
"But your already alone" said a voice behind him, he turned around to see the God like form of Rei Ayanami, reaching out towards him with bloody hands, half of her face missing.
Shinji screams.
-Dream Ends-
Shinji sat up, cold sweat dripped from his forehead onto his covers. "Holy crap..." Feeling the need to not to fall asleep again to go through another bad dream Shinji got out of his bed and got changed into his usual school shirt and trousers. He headed to the front door, deciding to take a walk to work off his problems. He left the apartment and down the stairs. He went out to walk next to crimson paradise of the blood of Lilith; he looked out to see the red sea splashing on the white sandy shores still. "I hate this place, but why did I come here still? Is it because I enjoy the sight of blood? Or where I tired to kill her that makes me feel better? After all I am what Asuka says..." he thought he could forget what had happened here but yet again memories came back to where he had tired to strangle Asuka and stopped which he then heard her say "Disgusting". He continued his walk till he stopped at a cross that stood high in front of him. He looked up at the wooden post; his tired eyes stared at it feeling sick and angry at it. "...Disgusting" he murmured to himself. Realising that all he had been doing is just think about Asuka made him sick, "Why can't I stop thinking about her?" he asked himself, Shinji didn't know how he felt about Asuka, first she would be nice or approach as if she had feelings for him but then turn cold and abusive on him. Lately they both weren't on good terms on one another, Shinji could then remember conflict between them after a couple of weeks they returned and stayed at Misato's new apartment. He stood on a hill now looking at the LCL slowly lowering; Shinji knew that soon all the people would be returning to their normal forms, the thought scared him. "I let them die and to reborn all of them but they will only betray me again, I know this all too well, they'll become ungrateful to what I tried and been through to only forget me or hate me because of what choices that I made" he thought to himself, "But that's the choice I made, to be hated and betrayed. What a sick mind I have. I think Asuka was right, I am disgusting". Images from the hospital room where he and Asuka was and the Third Impact flooded into his mind.
"Not really" came a soft voice behind him. Shinji turned around sharply to see nothing.
"Who's that?...Where are you?" asked the shocked Shinji panning around to see no one around, no reply came back. "I must be going nuts"
"No you aren't" came back the voice. Shinji panned around still not seeing anything. "Up here" came back the voice again. Shinji looked up to his right; his eyes widened in shock and pulled a face that looked as if someone had stabbed him in the back.
"N-n-no way! Your dead!" stuttered Shinji in shock.
"Nope, I'm breathing and living again Mr. Ikari" said the soft voice.
"But how?" asked Shinji starring at a white haired boy about his age with his lively crimson colour eyes, the boy did indeed looked very much alive, he sat on top of the cross looking down at Shinji with his large smile.
"Well its complicated my friend..." he began.
-----------------------------------------------------
Asuka sat in the black Mercedes in her summer dress that the Section 2 agents were taking her to her home. Or new home. After all Misato's original apartment had been blown to kingdom come. The new apartment was just outside of Tokyo 3, where some of the buildings had survived. She lightly stroked her bandaged right arm and then her bandaged left eye in boredom, remembering the time when the weapons had struck her; she quickly forgot them to prevent the 'bad dreams'. She had left Tokyo 3 to go to Yokohama 2, to see a psychological therapist. Asuka had been in a great depression and had tried to commit suicide few times, and if it wasn't for Misato and Kaji for stopping her she would have succeeded, they got Nerv Headquarters to organise it, the Headquarters that had in fact survived barely but it remained the only building in the centre of Third Impact, had connections to the rest of Japan from Tokyo 3. She felt heavily depressed as her defeat against the EVA series and what happened between her and Shinji, making her feel useless. However after two weeks she quickly found the light in her life again, and was overjoyed that the fact she is alive. Looking out of her window she saw construction of rebuilding Tokyo 3, thanks to Nerv organising it. The black vehicle pulled up outside the apartments and her door opened by one of the section 2 agents, she grabbed her bag and left the car and then Section 2 agents drove off. She looked up to the apartments and sighed heavily. "Well, better meet the family" she spoke quietly. Taking the elevator she pressed the button to the floor where Misato lived, she was amazed that the region had power now, thanks to Nerv that had linked the remaining of the city to the its unlimited power supply. The doors opened and she turned right and walked to a door reading the name on it, Katsuragi Residence. Before she pressed the button she remembered a painful event that she couldn't forget.
-Flashback-
"Get away from me!" screamed Asuka as she pushed her flat mate into a wall of the kitchen. Asuka was on a fierce defensive state, her blue eyes showed what emotion she had, anger and fear.
"I just want to help you Asuka" Shinji replied pushing himself off the wall holding his arms out to embrace her.
"No! Get away! I don't want you near me! I don't you to breathe the air I am breathing! I don't to use the bath that you use! You left me to die, against the EVA series and then when I came back you tired to kill me! I wished that you were dead!" Asuka was mainly afraid of Shinji, he had tired to kill her once, and the redhead feared that he might do it again. When she said she wished he dead Shinji couldn't bottle his anger anymore, instead of the embrace he changed his right hand straight and rigid hand which came into contact with great force on the smooth skin on her face, knocking her to the ground. Her eyes watered with pain of the slap. She looked up to see Shinji standing over her.
"I hate you Asuka! I never hated someone who is so ungrateful to people who help her and has a confusing attitude as you before! You think that you think that you are so important?! You're wrong! You're nothing Asuka! Nothing!" he screamed at her with anger and pain. He stormed out of the room leaving Asuka to bring her legs to her chest and cried painfully she had never cried this hard before, she sat there crying for some time until there were no more tears to bring from not just the pain of the slap anymore but now words from Shinji Ikari, the boy who should thought would never do or say such a thing to her.
-Flashback Ends-
Asuka raised her hand then caressed the left cheek where the wimp and coward that she used to know had struck her, it then bruised after that incident, and Misato had tired to get answers to who smacked her but always failed to get them. Asuka then worried how would Shinji act around her, would he hit her again? Or would he kill her? He tired it before. Shaking that thought out of her head and swallowed hard she pressed the button to the door bell and braced herself, and waited patiently until a man came to open the door and produced a warm smile to her.
"Welcome home, Asuka" he said to her. Asuka felt warm and wanted from that and hugged Kaji. He let her in to take off her shoes and walked into the lounge seeing a group of people in the room cheering to her,
"Welcome back Asuka!" Asuka could see, her best friend Hikari Horaki, the two 'Stooges', Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida, Asuka was shocked to see remarkably Ritsuko Akargi who everyone had thought was dead and never return and Misato. Asuka had never felt better, she felt wanted and cared for once in her troubled life. Everyone had happy faces, expect Toji and Kensuke who produced some sort of smile and Misato, who had changed from a happy one then worried one.
"What's wrong Misato?" asked her lover.
"It's Shinji he's not answering his phone" she said to him.
"What?! The baka isn't here?!" Asuka cried out with venom.
"I wouldn't be surprised..." said Kensuke under his breathe hoping she wouldn't hear that.
"Yeah, he's lucky not be here" replied Toji quietly too. However it wasn't quiet enough for Asuka to hear.
"Shut up you idiots!" as she was about to unleash hell on them she noticed that Toji had all of his limbs. "How do you have those back?" she asked in a quieter tone. Toji was confused to what she meant at first but then realised.
"Oh, it was thanks to Shinji really" he replied smiling.
"What? How?"
Ritsuko stepped in to answer that, "Because Shinji rejected Instrumentality and instead began a regeneration of some sort casuing LCL to repair damage or missing body parts"
"So why am I still in bandages?" she asked the blonde woman.
"We'll take them off soon, after all Toji had his taken off his morning" she replied taking out gum from her pocket and then started chewing it.
"Ritsuko isn't that...nicotine gum?" Asuka asked, looking at what was a heavy smoker.
"Yeah, I wanted to quit" she replied.
"More like have less" teased Misato, Ritsuko just glared at her friend; she did have least four or five cigarettes a day. "Anyway I better find Shinji, its god damn rude to not be here next to his lovely girl...friend" Misato teased again this time at Asuka, the redhead went slightly blush. Fearing that they might see it, she spoke up.
"What?! Yeah right! Like I'm his girlfriend! Anyway I'll find that Baka and give him a piece of my mind!" she said as brought up a clenched fist. "Where is he normally?" she asked.
"Around the red sea area" replied Misato, as Asuka had walked away putting her shoes back on and left after saying. "I'll bring him back in a body bag" Everyone stood there in silent until Toji broke it.
"God do I hate her"
-----------------------------------------------------
Asuka was walking around the white sandy beaches of the blood sea, she then heard footsteps behind her to see, Hikari joining her in search of the Third Child. They were walking for about five minutes discussing and gossiping about what had happened during Asuka's absence such as Toji's and Hikari's relationship, from where Toji had the balls to ask her out and its development. Misato and Kaji spending most of their nights drinking and enjoying their company together, they both work for Nerv helping people with their problems such accommodation once coming back from the red sea. Ritsuko is still working with Nerv helping people as a normal doctor, with the help of Maya Ibuki; Asuka had always asked herself why that girl is so attached to the doctor. Kensuke, well the same as always. And everybody from Nerv remained at their line of duty, like Makoto Hyuga, Shigeru Aoba and Sub Commander Kozo Fuyutski well now Commander since Gendo Ikari hadn't returned. Everyone had enjoyed coming back from Lilith's egg and living the lives they want.
"I bet that baka Shinji, even is having a great time too" said Asuka with annoyance in her voice, believing that he got all the praise and the hero.
"Well...no Asuka. He's the only one who isn't happy" replied Hikari with a sad tone, feeling sorry for him.
"What?!" stumbled Asuka to disbelieve, "Why?"
"From what I heard, he has 'seen' stuff that no human should. It's scarred him badly. He doesn't talk much anymore, hardly responses to people and always thinks that someone hates him and wants to kill him or betray him. He's truly alone" Hikari tried to block the tear from her face.
"Hikari you don't need to..." Asuka trying to cheer her up.
"No Asuka! He's had terrible life since his mother died, and what's more he sacrificed his happiness for ours! We're selfish! We're living great lives while he watches us, alone, hating us and himself! He doesn't deserve this, it's like he's waiting for someone to end his misery!" Hikari letting out the pain for Ikari, her friend, tears rolling down her face. Asuka was shocked deeply at this. She didn't know about Shinji choosing the rebirth of mankind than the happiness he could have had. It made Asuka feel sorry for him, for all the teases and bad things she said about him too.
Asuka placed her hand on her shoulder, "Hey, Hikari..." she began then continued once her best friend looked at her with those watery eyes, "We'll make his life happy...and worth something as soon he gets to the apartment okay?" Her friend didn't say anything to respond but nodded.
"You mean, you make his life happy and worth something?" she teased cheering herself up. Asuka went a bit red but quickly turned around and started to walk.
"I don't know what you mean" she in an annoyed tone.
Asuka why can't you accept your feelings to him? thought the brown haired girl walking behind her. After about another minute or so they could see a chocolate haired boy wearing a school uniform sitting on a rock overlooking the sea of blood. "There he is!" cried out Hikari, "Hey Shinji!" she called out to him.
"Oh god" mumbled Shinji shocked to see Asuka with Hikari as they got closer.
Asuka and Hikari ran up to his side to find out he wasn't alone, a boy about their age, with white hair and crimson eyes looked at them, he wore a black coat about knee length and a school uniform, black shoes and a hanging black tie around his neck. Those eye's, Asuka thought to herself, their like Wondergirls!
The boy stood up pulling a warm big smile, "I believe we haven't meet" he said in his soft voice.
Shinji stood up and introduced the two girls to the boy, he looked Hikari "This is Hikari Horaki and ..." he went to look at Asuka but then looked away "Asuka Langley Souryu" The red hair noticed this pause before her name, at when Shinji looked away as he was about to look at her. He them looked at Asuka at an angle, his eyes showed how he felt.
Why did he look away? Is it because he still hates me? No, his eyes don't show it, they're full of fear... Is he scared of me?, thought Asuka as she looked at the blue eyes of the Third Child.
Shinji saw this and quickly turned to Nagisa that stood next to him, "You two this is Kaworu Nagisa"
"Pleased to meet you" said the white haired boy shaking the two girl's hands.
Well he interacts better than the blue haired doll; he has a warm personality about him, Asuka said to herself in her mind. She looked at the boy who had been presented in front of her, she felt a bit uncomfortable about him as she touched his hand. But there's something about him that I can't put my finger on it. She decides to bring a conversion to him, "So how do you know Shinji?" she questioned him.
"Err...well..." as Shinji just about to make the answer, but Kaworu spoke first.
"We're friends"
"Really? How long?" Asuka pushed further with her questions.
"No, no. Before Third..." he paused as he remembered Shinji saying he hated that name, "the Incident" said Kaworu finishing to off with a better phrase to it.
"Wow, I didn't know you had a friend like him Shinji" Hikari said with joy. "Ah!" cried Hikari as she saw the time on her watch, the other teens jumped and looked at Hikari strangely as if why she cried out for, "Sorry Nagisa..."
"Please call me, Kaworu" he asked. "After all I don't think we're strangers anymore"
"Okay, sorry Kaworu we came to get Shinji for the party you see, and well, we're late"
"I see, well I guess all of you should get back to the party. I guess I'll see you all soon then"
"Thank you very much, and goodbye it was nice to meet you!" Hikari said as she lead off first, Asuka followed before looking strangely at Kaworu then left and as Shinji started to leave, Kaworu stepped next to him.
"I'll be watching your back, carefully" he said to him smiling at him, turning around and patted him on his shoulder before heading in the opposite direction to where they were going, "See you soon, my friend" said the voice before Shinji turned around to say goodbye but Kaworu had disappeared. Shinji turned back in the direction of the apartments and then followed Asuka and Hikari to the party where he knew he'll get scowled for by his guardian.
Author's Notes: - Well how was it? Give me your opinions and reviews on it; I would like to know what you think about. Also inform me for typos and bad spelling and grammar, as it would be appreciated as I'm bad at it. Thanks for reading.
Ramiel666