Evangelion Re-Form
Chapter 2
Learning to Walk Again
NERV Medical Cranial Ward October 1th 2015
There was blackness and then a steady electronic beep. The sense slowly returned to Shinji and after a moment of slow breathing and fuzziness. Shinji slowly opened his eyes to be blinded by the ceiling lights. The air smelled like an disinfectant and was a bit chilly. The AC hummed softly somewhere in the room out of sight. Shinji closed and rubbed the sore eyes thinking about some strange nightmare where he and Asuka were guinea pigs for testing new system. Slowly opening his eyes again felt better and the rubbing seemed to have worked. The ceiling was becoming more familiar by now and Shinji couldn't help but feel strangely angered by that. Running hand thru the offending mop of hair tickling on the forehead he sighed. It seemed considerably longer. 'How long was I out?' Were the next thoughts rushing thru the third child's confused mind. Suddenly a grin plastered his face. 'It wouldn't hurt for the staff here to put a brief note on the table or even calendar.' Consumed by his thoughts he failed to notice that the hum and beeping of the medical equipment changed with his slight movements as he woke up. The effect of this was a sudden hiss of the door which revealed doctor Akagi who entered the room followed by Misato. She looked the teen's way and pulled a cylindrical metal object from the breast pocket on her white coat which Shinji recognized as a small flashlight.
"Finally awake, Misato was starting to get worried." The blond said with amused expression which looked a bit forced to Shinji. They both made it to the bed in what seemed to Shinji a record time. Before There was even slight opportunity to look around properly, he was blinded by Ritsuko's flashlight.
"Everything seems to be in order. Reaction time is good. I will call nurse to take out the IV and after a full physical you are free to go Asuka." Ritsuko proclaimed pocketing the flashlight.
"What about Shinji?" Misato questioned the blond doctor turning to the right. She failed to notice the confusion that plastered the face of the teen her friend just proclaimed healthy. On other hand Shinji was now confused.
"Where is Asuka and..." Shinji asked and swiftly stopped mid sentence after noticing the melodic qualities and lightness of the voice that came out.
"Shinji might take more time. His EEG was completely haywire after we got him out of the entry plug. Asuka was better off." Ritsuko informed Misato seemingly failing to notice the question teen on the bed asked. Shinji's thoughts right now were in complete mess listening to the blonds words. 'What is with my voice and why are they turned away when they speak about me? Why did the doctor just reffered to me as Asuka?' Those questions raced thru Shinji's mind and his head steered to the right where the two were looking. What he saw there was surreal and profoundly disturbing. On his right he spotted a bed with the same array of life support machines that were to his left. The person who laid there took his breath away. He expected Asuka to be there. The expectation was brutally murdered by the sight of himself lying there unconscious. His thoughts went to overdrive. Before any of the two women talking in the room could notice. Shinji braced himself and looked down on his body to confirm or negate the hypothesis slowly developing and solidifing itself in avalible facts. Sure enough there they were. Two perfectly shaped protrusions down on the chest. Blocking the view was a flimsy hospital gown of pinkish color. Few strands of ferociously ginger hair fell to the view.
"Mein gott! What is this?!" Shinji yelled in high pitched tone. He or rather obviously she panicked and was about to switch to a full freak out mode by now.
"Calm down Asuka. What is wrong? What happened?" Misato asked not understanding the sudden outburst shifting her attention from the conversation to the red haired teen on the bed.
"Wrong?! What do you mean Asuka?! Are you stupid? I am not..." Shinji protested. 'Wait let's reconsider that statement. Red hair, breasts and certain strange feeling of emptiness down south.' Thought Shinji stopping the outburst while her mind protested and tried to deny the observations and conclusions.
"Mirror, I need a mirror." Shinji yelled trying to sit on the edge of the bed. She needed to see if it was really true. She was to her dimay quickly pushed down by the purple haired captain. There was no way she could resist the hand of the major in her weakened state. Ritsuko just watched the theatre unfolding. She knew that something like this might happen. Well not this exactly but the brainwave patterns of the pilots were jumbled and intertwined shortly after they got examined after the accident. It was like they mirrored each other for a while.
"Calm down. I will get you one. You are not well enough to walk yet." That was true. Shinji felt week and in the current mental state, now most certainly a she would have some major problems standing on her feet. Shinji pressed her thighs together under the covers to discreetly confirm the assumption that she was indeed a she.
"Misato? What happened to me? What..." Shinji suddenly stopped after yet again noticing the discrepancy in the voice that was now escaping her lips. It was completely surreal situation to the teen. It was almost like Asuka was speaking but it sounded a bit different the tone was different. Quick look to the mirror Misato brought confirmed the worst fears. Not only that Shinji was a girl but there in the mirror stared the image of one Asuka Langley Soryu back at the frightened teen. Come to think of it. It looked strange. The expression of fear plastered on the face of second child was something never seen before. Not by Shinji and probably not by anyone else for that matter. After brief moment the eyes went up and Shinji was out slipping the mirror from her hand. It fell to the ground and shattered. Not that Shinji would notice in her passed out state. Tha last thoughts of the teen were concerning swift and painfull death at hands of the certain German. Meantime certain figure on the right side of the room stirred up in the second bed.
"Ahh, my head is killing me." Asuka huffed rudely woken by the sound of shattering glass as Shinji's form stirred from under the blanket. "What the hell is wrong with my voice. I sound like that whiny..." The boy on the bed said freezing instantly after glancing down. Noticing something disturbingly odd. Asuka being naturally sharper and smarter noticed the signs of things and quickly put it all together.
"Now... keep your calm Asuka. This is going to take some explaining." Misato tried to say diplomatically shifting her attention from Shinji and the broken mirror to the other teen in room. The half assed explanation was interrupted by high pitched and very loud shriek that shook the windows in the whole NERV complex. Misato couldn't help but wonder for a split second, how could Asuka emit such sound with Shinji's voice box.
"Asuka calm down!" Said Ritsuko after quick explanation from the major. She held a syringe in her hand. "This will calm you down and help you think rationally."
"Bullshit!" Yelled Asuka standing up in the corner back to the wall wielding the IV stand around him to block the medical staff from getting to him and pacifying him.
"Alright no injections, but calm down so we can talk." Offered Misato.
"Yeah sure. Like I will ever trust you after what happened before. What did you do to me now?! How did this happen?!" He said gesturing to himself still viewing the stand around with one hand. "It is your fault you witchdoctor! Fix this!"
"I will, you just have to let me." Ritsuko offered.
"Like hell I will let you close to me or my body." Asuka glanced quickly at the redhead sleeping on the bed to the left. This commotion didn't go unnoticed and one of the medical staff that came to the room to investigate moments before tried to grab the stand from Asuka. To his dismay Asuka spun the stand and knocked the medic to the side breaking his hand in the process.
"Tould you not to try anything." Asuka gloated. He didn't want to break the guys hand but the strength this body possessed was much greater than her original one.
"Now look what you did. Calm down and put that thing down." Misato said looking at the medic who retreated to the door. Suddenly security burst in the room and shoot Asuka with tranquilizing injection to the right shoulder like some wild and dangerous animal. This angered him but he slowly fell victim to whatever toxic batch of chemicals it was filled with.
"That was close one." Said Ritsuko helping the other medic to get Asuka to the bed and ordered the injured medic to leave.
"Told you so. Asuka is an expert on the close combat and really favors spears, glaives and axes." Misato reaffirmed.
"Let's just keep him restrained until we are sure he is calm and safe." Said Ritsuko to the other medic.
"What about Shinji?" Misato asked glancing at the redhead on the second bed near the window.
"She should be fine. Looks like she fainted. Just lock the window in case she gets some ideas how to solve this sudden predicament." Replied the blond doctor leaving the room.
Misato slumped back to the chair watching Shinji for any signs of waking up. This was really confusing to her. All she could see was Asuka and yet, after what happened couple of hours ago there was no doubt about the fact that this in fact was Shinji laying on the bed in front of her. If this was confusing to her, it had to be hell of a lot harder for the young teens to understand this. Misato couldn't help but feel despair on how will this play out in the long run if Ritsuko fails to switch them back. Sure Asuka was strong and smart but Shinji was fragile and now a she would be thrust to the world she knew nothing about. Same went for Asuka but hypocritical as it may be, Misato couldn't help but think that Asuka would do just fine. She watched the redheaded teen and glancing at sedated Asuka for few hours just slipping out for a cup of coffee and her vigil soon paid off. The girl in front of her stirred slowly in the bed.
"Hello again Shinji." Misato said softly reaching for the dainty hand resting on the covers. Shinji rubbed her eyes with the free hand and looked at Misato suddenly remembering what happened before. She glanced down once again and pulled at the hair of her fringe confirming the situation was indeed dire. She backed away from Misato to the far end of her bed pressing herself to the headboard looking like a frightened animal pushed to a corner. 'Lucky They took The IV out or Shinji would just now rip it out.' Misato thought while trying to look as peaceful and non threatening as possible.
"This can't be happening Misato. Tell me it is not true. I can't be..." Shinji sobbed tugging down at the flimsy pinkish material of the hospital gown to keep her modesty.
"I am afraid it is so." Misato nodded. "Please Calm down a bit Shinji. I won't hurt you. We will fix this. I promise." She said inching closer.
"How did it happen anyway?" Shinji asked, the fear and fright replaced by the curiosity and desperation for at least a glimmer of hope.
"Ritsuko said something about you two exceeding the sync ratio of 500 or so and that led to the loss of your ego border or something. You melted into LCL. When I saw the empty plugsuits I ... We trying to bring you back for several days and when we did we never anticipated this to happen." Misato quickly recounted what happened. Shinji looked stunned. It was four days and they were LCL and...
"But how? I mean, how come I am in Asuka's body?"
"Well, Ritsuko explained it to me, but I don't remember all of it. She said that there was a mistake in trying to synchronize you two. She said something about... To say the truth, I was so disturbed that I didn't listen half of the time."
"But she can fix it can't she?" The need for hope in the teens voice was almost palpable. It was like tiny straw to hold on to and Misato was unable to bring herself to say otherwise.
"She will. It might take time thou." She didn't want to kill the tiny hope in Shinji but wanted to prepare the teen for the inevitable possibility of foreseeable future she will have to face. In part, she tried to convince herself along with Shinji.
"But... I can't... This is too weird. I can't live like this verdammt." Shinji hissed in desperate tone.
"Where did this came from?" Asked puzzled Misato. As far as she knew, Shinji didn't know any German words. With exception of baumkuchen.
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked as if nothing happened.
"Well, you just said verdammt." Misato explained the cause of her shock.
"No I didn't. I said that I can't live like this dammit." Shinji tried to reiterate what she thought she said.
"I must have overheard." Misato dismissed the issue not wanting to cause more distress to the troubled teen.
"What about Asuka?" Asked Shinji looking at Misato. She was so distressed to turn to the other bed in the room where Shinji's body occupied by certain German girl's consciousness lied. Shinji's gaze followed that of Misato as it finally stopped at the other bed in the room. A sudden realization dawned upon the now redhead as she closed her eyes.
"Asuka is going to kill me." She whispered.
"Don't worry Shinji. Asuka is stressed as much as you are. In fact when he woke up, he instantly freaked out. We had to sedate him." Shinji swung her legs over the side of the bed and smoothed out the hospital gown making sure it was tied well. After all, the only difference between this one and the one he used to wear those many times before when he got injured was a the cut and color. Painfully aware of the new weight on her chest she pushed herself of the edge of the bed instantly toppling forward.
"Hey! Slow down." Misato called grabbing onto Shinji and pushing her back to the bed.
"I need to see. I... Need to talk to her... him." Shinji protested.
"The sedatives won't wear off for next few hours. You can talk then."
"This is not right Misato. I don't know how to live like this. I feel like I am invading Asuka's privacy." Said the teen lost in thoughts as the sudden realization of what will be required dawned on her.
"Think of it this way. Asuka will be doing the same and it might even bring you closer." Reasoned the major.
"Or make us hate each other even more." Replied the teen. "I don't want Asuka to hate me."
"You really care about her." Stated the purple haired women. Shinji immediately blushed. "Anyway. If you feel well enough you should visit Ritsuko for a few tests. I will send Rei to help you dress."
"I wanted to wait for Asuka to wake up." Shinji protested.
"Well it will take a few more hours. Take it this way. The sooner doctors figure out what happened the sooner you will be back in your own body."
"You got a point."
"Sure I do. Just wait here for a while and don't do anything stupid." Said Misato leaving the room.
Shinji weaved he goodbye and looked at the body that was formerly hers. She slowly and carefully inched her way to the other bed. 'She...he looks so peaceful. "I hope you can take this better than I do Asuka." Shinji stood there lost in thought looking at Asuka as time flew by. She thought about what it all meant to them and their future. It scared her. She quickly glanced down her gown that revealed the creamy chest and quickly averted her eyes disgusted at the thoughts about taking advantage of this situation and peeking. 'How can I do this. I will have to look sooner or later. Ohh Asuka. I never Imagined that things can go so wrong.' Her thoughts were soon disturbed by the hiss of the door which revealed the blue haired figure of Rei Ayanami.
"Ohh. Hello Rei." Said Shinji startled and filled with weird emotions and apprehension.
"I have brought you a change of clothes." Said Rei as she walked closer. "I was also briefed on your situation and was told to help you dress if needed to be. After all I doubt that you have any experience with female attire and how to dress properly."
"Thanks Rei." A sudden urge to refuse the offer shook Shinji's voice. She hobbled back to her bed where waiting Rei placed red duffel bag on the top of the wrinkled sheets.
"I was given these by the Major. They belong to Asuka so they should fit you. Do you need help putting these on or should I just instruct you?" She asked casually taking out set of white panties and lace trimmed bra. Shinji swiftly averted her eyes on reflex but slowly turned back.
"I Will have to learn and it will be less awkward if I put it on myself." Said Shinji as Rei went to lock the door and turn off the camera in the room. It took some mental effort to drop the hospital gown and quickly pull on panties but Shinji managed to do that quickly. The bra wasn't that easy but after some time and little help from Rei she managed to get it right. It slightly eased her strained back and improved her posture. The only thing remained. The school uniform. It wasn't bad but Rei had to help Shinji to tie the red bow properly. After that Shinji slowly made her way to the mirror on the other side of the room. While Rei turned the camera back on and unlocked the door. The shoes felt weird to Shinji and even the stockings were a bit strange but nothing could be done about that. 'Looks Like I am getting the hang of it.' She thought as her walk and posture improved after getting used to the different center of gravity.
Shinji used the opportunity the mirror presented for almost unconsciously placing the red neural interface to her hair.
"Most intriguing." Said the first child from behind observing the thirds actions.
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked confused.
"The way you put those on kind of reminded me the second for a while." Rei Said. "If you excuse me, I will go and return the bag to the locker room."
"Shinji couldn't even respond to that as Rei made her way quickly and efficiently out of the room. It left Shinji to stare at the reflection in the mirror for a while. She studied herself slightly frowning. 'Let's go Shinji, you can do it. No point in running away again.' She thought breaking the eye contact with the mirror and heading for the office of Doctor Akagi.
After some poking and probing that wasn't exactly plesant, Shinji extended her hand for the medic to draw some blood. The next round of tests was composed of an MRI and EEG. Then came the dreaded full physical.
"As you are surely aware Shinji..." Said Ritsuko in serious tone trying to conceal her annoyance and embarrassment. "...body of a girl is much different than the one you had to deal with so far. Shinji just nodded fearing she knew where this was headed. She really didn't need THE talk form the blond doctor and surely not now. Luckily she was saved by the ringing phone.
"Excuse me Shinji." Said the blond picking up the phone. "Akagi here... Yes she is here...Sure but I...very well I will send her at once."
"I am really sorry Shinji but we will have to finish this latter. Commander wants to see you." The doctor said. Shinji's heart almost skipped few beats. 'Father wants to see me? Why? Why now? What am I going to do?! How will he take this?' A thousand thoughts danced thru the teens mind as she contemplated the situation. None of them plesant
"Are you alright?" Ritsuko Asked the clearly troubled if not scared Shinji.
"Y...yeah I am. I..." Shinji wiped few droplets from her forehead as two section two agents stepped into the room before she could finish her thought.
"We are here to escort Miss Ikari to the commander." One of them informed Ritsuko. Soon after Shinji followed the black suited mountains of muscle thru the NERV corridors.
Shinji knew this was going to be all kinds of messed up as she walked the long corridor accompanied by the agents. She could feel the goose bumps on her skin as they approached the large metal door. 'Strange is it that chilly or am I that scared? Darn this!' She thought to herself her stomach feeling like she got punched there just a moment ago. The fear made her hands weak and her mind clouded. She tried to open the door but she couldn't.
"Let me open the door for you miss." Said one of the agents opening the door for her. 'Doesnt this fool know what happened and who I really am?' Shinji huffed under her breath.
Suddenly she stood in the room that was dark and sparsely lit. The floor was dark and decorated by strange inscriptions that looked like some magical quackery. Back at the other end of the room she spotted large table behind which sat familiar figure. Well not that familiar since she saw her father just few times in the few months she was here. The figure looked almost ominous. The little light that was present was reflecting off her father's glasses making him even more creepy than usual. She started walking towards the table when She was stopped by her father raised hand.
"The third child just as you ordered sir." Said the other agent closing door with a hint of fear on his face. Shinji gulped and faced her father knees weak in anticipation of the harsh words. Shinji felt exposed wearing only Asuka school uniform in this chilly room. The room smelled of metal and grease. It was a stark contrast to the flowery scent coming from her uniform. 'It could have been worse. I could be wearing plugsuit.' She said to herself.
"Hello father." She said trying to hide emotions that were twisting her guts into knots.
"I heard about what happened." Said the senior Ikari in indifferent voice. "Are you alright? Any injuries headaches or anything out of the ordinary?" Shinji froze unable to respond. It was first time her father asked about her state of being. "Speak pilot!" The older Ikari demanded.
"Speak?" Shinji mumbled to herself. She was confused. 'Pilot, is that all he has to say? Is that all I am to him? Why am I so angry?'
"Are you in shape to try to pilot your EVA?" He asked sternly.
"Do I look like it?" Shinji said anger rising inside of her. She knew it. That is why he called her. Not to ask how she is and assure her that all will be alright, not really. 'Why am I so direct and risk angering him? What is this feeling? How come I am so angry and sad at the same time.' She wondered lost in thoughts.
"Yes or no pilot?" Her father demanded to know.
"What do you think?! Is it all you care about." She sad irritated her hands shaking clenched into fists.
"Come closer." He said. Shinji took few steps closer. Feeling the earie atmosphere of the room grow on her.
"Are you able to perform your duty pilot?" Her father asked again shifting his head so Shinji could see his lifeless eyes thru the glasses. Those eyes as cold as ice broke her resolve.
"Yes! That is the only think that interests you, isn't it!?" Yelled Shinji tears forming in the corners of her eyes. 'Shit I have to get a grip I never... why?' She pusched the tears back clenching her teeth.
"Then you are dismissed." Gendo said coldly.
"Don't you have anything else to say to me father?" She asked hurt seeking any kind of expression on her father's face not finding any. "Fine see if I care... Arschloch!" She said turning on heel and proceeding to the door her regret turning to hate as she walked out of the room at sharp peace betraying the fire of her emotions.
"Don't you think that was a bit harsh? She is your child after all. She needs you, now more than ever." Fuyutsuki said stepping out of the shadow shaking his head in dismissal.
"Maybe." Gendo shook his head. "Maybe this will make her stronger. To learn to rely on herself like the second does."
"That maybe so, but her whole world was raised to the ground. Do you really think this is the best way to handle this?"
"No but..." Gendo said unsure for the first time in a long long while. "I had to see how far I can push her."
Asuka stirred in the bed with major case of nausea. A quick glance confirmed that his nightmare in fact wasn't a nightmare but a memory briefly cut by the chemically induced unconsciousness. He tried to move but found his hands and legs secured to the bed by thick bindings which were too strong.
'Those imbeciles tied me up?! I will show them!' He thought as anger consumed him. The rage was so potent that it developed hellish scowl on the former face of the third child. Asuka turned to her left but found that the bed was empty and already freshly made up.
'What the hell. Where is that idiot?! How come that Dummkopf gets to walk and they tie me up like some animal. ' Then he remembered what he did to the medic and his rage subsided a bit. 'Its not like I wanted to break that idiots hand. It was just that... ' His thoughts were interrupted by the hiss of the opening door.
"Ohh hello. Misato asked me to drop by." Said the familiar figure stepping to the room. The scruffy bearded man with the ponytail was welcome sight to Asuka. There were very few people Asuka trusted more than this strangely attractive yet seemingly disorganized man but now...
"Kaji..." Said Asuka in the usual tone and quickly stopped once again reminded of the situation by the voice that came out. 'Screw this. Why me?! Now he will never love me. Just look at me! Kaji doesnt swing this way. ' "Please... don't look at me Kaji." Asuka said averting the cobalt eyes of the third.
"Ohh Asuka. At first I didn't believe what Misato told me but I had to come and make sure you are alright." He said walking to the bed.
"Please go away. Don't look at me Kaji I don't want you to see me like this." Asuka said tears streaming from his eyes trying to avert his gaze and turn away more. To curl up to tight ball and let Earth it self swalow him. To his dismay he was unable to due to the restraints.
"Asuka please calm down. " Kaji tried to calm down the teen. Seeing Asuka to strain on the restraints certain way and the state he was in told him that Asuka was in no shape to fight him he undid the restraints gently. Asuka tried to curl on the bed out of the reach as he wanted to but Kaji pulled Asuka closer and embraced him.
"They took everything from me Kaji." Asuka managed to say thru her tears completely breaking down weeping. All Kaji could see was the frightened little girl he meet in Germany those years ago. Not the Ikari boy whose body Asuka resided in but broken and fragile girl he knew Asuka to be. For all the bravado Asuka often displayed. For all the confidence and abrasiveness behind which she tried to hide. Kaji knew the real and fragile Asuka. The child that was damaged by her mother's death. The child that had to prematurely grow up and the price she paid for it. Asuka often defined herself by the praise of others. That is why she did those things she did but Kaji knew the truth. Deep down Asuka was the opposite of what she displayed on the surface. Not once he could hear her weep in her room when she thought no one could hear her. Yet Kaji was unable to help the girl. He knew she would lash out and build her walls higher if he tried. It was painful to him to see Asuka like this. Completely broken and vulnerable. All her walls crashing down on her as he wept in Kaji's arms.
"Asuka please listen to me. You are not defined by your looks or your external image. You are beautiful person in your own right and nothing can change that. Not even this." Kaji tried to reach out to the troubled child. He could feel Asuka slowly relaxing as the downpour of the tears slowly faded.
"I can't live like this Kaji. What if they can't switch us back." Asuka said softly his voice full of despair.
"They will. You have to believe Asuka. I know you can make it. You are stronger than you think. For all the bravery you tried to shield yourself with. There is whole lot more there."
"I will try Kaji but it better be soon or I might lose it. I don't want to live like this. I can't live like this."
"It is not that bad. I manage, Shinji managed, Half of the world does." Kaji let go of the teen handing him a tissue for the tears.
"Now, let's get you cleaned up and dressed. I will help you as much as I can Asuka. If you need anything don't hesitate and ask me." Kaji promised.
She was Furious. Her father acted like nothing happened and was only interested in her ability to pilot the EVA. She looked into the mirror hanging on the elevator wall only to see the face of the girl that meant so much to Shinji which only hurt her more. It felt like she reached the breaking point and now everything caught up with her. 'How am I going to do this? I am such an Idiot. He never cared. Why should he start now. He left me at that train station to rot and he would do it again if I couldn't pilot the EVA.' She said to herself collapsing on the nearby bench after mindlessly exiting the elevator sobbing. Her head lowered down and ginger hair fell around and into her face. 'Why! Why me! why am I so stupid!' She thought as she buried her face to the hands. 'So this is what hitting a rock bottom feels like.' She thought letting her hands fall to the lap after a while. She had to be strong! She had to endure and help Asuka. They had to face this together if there ever was to be a chance to come out of this sane. 'I have to be strong! I have to stop crying! Never again!' The lines echoed thru her mind like mantra repeated thousand times. She stood up and brushed her tears away. Suddenly her stomach grumbled.
Few moments latter and one embarrassing stomatch grumble in the elevator she finally arrived to the NERV cafeteria. There was something strange that she just couldn't put her finger on. This place never felt so nice to her before. Was it the people? Was it the illusion of the lack of loneliness it brought?
"Hello Asuka." Said the lady behind counter. Shinji wanted to correct her but decided not to because there were quite a few people in the line behind her and it would take too long to explain propperly and even than, she wouldnt believe her. Hell even Shinji still had problem believing it herself. Not to mention how embarrassing it would be. "The usual?" The lady asked smiling. Shinji just hesitantly nodded and handed her NERV ID card to the lady who ran it thru the reader and handed the card back. Shinji looked the card over. It was Asuka's. The visage of the redhead printed in the frame. Together with being called Asuka made her shiver. It felt like intruding to Asukas privacy. He forgot he left his card in the locker before the test which was few days ago. 'I will have to pay Asuka back.' She thought. Suddenly her line of thought interrupted by the lady handing her a tray with slice of apple pie and what smelled like cup of cinnamon prinkled latte.
"Enjoy Asuka." Said the lady.
"T..thanks." Said still startled Shinji. She took the tray and headed to the more secluded spot near the front panels of the pyramid. The view was nice here. She could see whole geofront from there. She sat down putting the tray on the table and smelled the pie. It... it brought some strange feelings. Like something she couldn't quite remember, some distant memory. She sliced a piece of pie with a fork and looked out of geofront. The pie was nice. Not too crumbly and not too soft. Just right. It reminded her something from her childhood. The feeling calmed her and yet she couldn't help but wonder how it was possible. She never had a sweet tooth after all. She sat there for a while enjoying the snack, trying to forget what happened which was hard. Everything felt kind of strange. The sensation of hair on her neck making her kind of hot. The feeling of the skirt of her uniform brushing around her knees and the chill that she felt on her almost bare legs.
"Aaaaha." Said a voice from behind her. Voice she called her own just a few days ago. It sounded bit different. Was it the tone? "I knew I will find you here third."
"Asuka." Shinji said turning around to see her former body walking over to the table and sitting on the empty chair putting down a tray with same snack Shinji had.
"But how? I just got here." Shinji wondered.
"That is easy. I got hungry too. That and the fact that my body was walking around unsupervised. It also feels like days since I had a good meal." He said sniffing the latte and sipping a little bit.
"I see." Shinji said perplexed still unable to believe what she saw. Her body was sitting at the table with her and the rightful owner was not at the helm. It was surreal to say the least.
"How come you picked my favorite and you sit at my usual spot?" Asuka said weaving with the piece of pie on his fork. As he bit on the pie, his eyes narrowed a bit. 'Is it me, this body or this pie? Why does it taste different?!" Asuka thought with growing concern.'
"I don't know. It just felt like the best place and the lady at the cashier gave me this as your usual order." Shinji replied.
"Well, dig in before it gets cold. Just don't get used to it because if you get my body fat..." Asuka stabbed the pie with his fork to make it clear what would happen. As she took second bite it was the same as the first one. He quickly stole a piece from Shinji's plate.
"Hey!" Shinji snatched the plate from Asuka but it was too late small piece of her pie was gone.
"Don't you have your own?" Shinji objected.
"Mine tastes funny I wanted to try yours to be sure." He explained devouring the stolen piece. 'Well crap. This is weird. It tastes the same.' Asuka thought trying to figure this out.
"I am not into sweets and stuff so I cant judge. It feels strangely nice thou. I can't put my finger on it but the taste feels familiar somehow. Like distant memory I just can't put my finger on." Shinji said taking the cup in her hands and slowly sipping from it looking out to the geofront.
"Memory huh?" Asuka asked confused. Why would Shinji feel that way? Did she know? It couldn't be there was no way for Shinji to know why Asuka loved this particular combination of flavors. "Well Shinji, where were you anyway? Don't tell me you were sitting here the whole time since you left hospital." Asuka asked his expression puzzled.
"No, my father sent for me. He wanted to..." Shinji stopped faintly remembering the rage she felt after her visit. Unknowingly she clenched her hands around the cup tighter. This didnWilhelmshavent go unnoticed by observant Asuka.
"What is wrong? You look a bit miffed. Same old greatest dad on earth as always?" Asuka said wondering why Shinji stopped her story. Come to think of it Shinji was displaying unusual array of emotions for the always flat and bland third child.
"He wanted to know if I can still pilot the Eva. He didn't care about my feelings nor the fact that we switched bodies. He just wanted to know if I can still be his pawn on the chess board." Shinji said shaking and pushing back the tears as best as she could. Asuka just shivered. For the first time in forever he could somehow sympathize with Shinji.
"I am sorry Shinji but your father was asshole before this happened, that is nothing new. You shouldn't be surprised." He said trying to get Shinji to see the reality of things. Asuka really didn't like that guy. He was a name to be reckoned with even at the Germany branch. The incident with the 8th angel made Asuka aware of how much of an arschloch Gendo Ikari really was.
"Yeah, you are right." Shinji said her expression empty. "Anyway, uhmmm... how... I mean, I need to go to..." Shinji squirmed in her seat. "...bathroom." She whispered. Asuka froze taking in the seriousness of the question and what it meant for both of them. Well it wasn't like he wasn't reminded of it every second in this body. Hell he was prepared to end it before Kaji talked with him. It was just thousand little things that seemed wrong. He was afraid of going to bathroom even more than Shinji at some level. Having to handle that... thing. Like it wasn't bad enough just getting dressed.
"Asuka!" He was interrupted by Shinji desperately shaking him to focus on the dilemma at hand. "Yeah! right let's go. I will... try to help you baka. I don't want you to peek needlessly. This is my body you are in after all. Who knows what will pervert like you do alone." Asuka said finishing his pie and standing up. Following distressed Shinji.
Authors notes: Well, as pointed out, this is a body swap fanfiction. Sure the label fits but not the whole package I hope. This is only a prelude to the more serious stuff that will come later. Body swap fictions usually dont get finisched or get rusched endings. I want to take this to its natural conclusion one way or the other. I dont want this to be only and just a body swap fiction. I guess you will have to wait and see as the GREAT plan unfolds.
Sorry for the quality and grammar. I am not a writer native to English. If someone wants to proofread and help out to make this story better, send me PM.